The Mahabharata is one of the most legendary books, one which has been etched in the civilisational and cultural history of India. The epic features every possible human emotion as well as all aspects of statecraft and warfare. The conflicts in Mahabharata are intense and innumerable. There are no rules except the rule of ‘Dharma’.
This discussion will examine the relevance of Mahabharata for our times: what the contemporary Indian society can learn from the epic; what the key lessons are for governance and statecraft; and how can India’s diplomacy and national security be viewed through the prism of this text.
Bibek Debroy is Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India. An economist, Mr. Debroy was educated in Ramakrishna Mission School, Narendrapur; Presidency College, Kolkata; Delhi School of Economics and Trinity College, Cambridge. He has authored and edited several books, papers and popular articles and has also been a consulting/ contributing editor with several newspapers.
The discussion will be moderated by Kanchan Gupta, Distinguished Fellow, ORF.
10:30 – 11:00 a.m. | Registration
11:00 – 11:15 a.m. | Opening remarks by chair | Kanchan Gupta
11:15 – 11:40 a.m. | Talk by Bibek Debroy
11:40 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. | Moderated Q&A
12:50 – 1:00 p.m. | Closing remarks
1:00 p.m. onwards | Lunch
