Archives - International Gita Seminar 2016

INTERNATIONAL GITA SEMINAR 2016

“BHAGAVADGITA: HOLISTIC LIFE MANAGEMENT AND WORLD HARMONY TOURISM MOTIVATION”

HONOURED GUESTS

Sh. Kaptan Singh Solanki

Prof. Kaptan Singh Solanki is Governor of Haryana. Kaptan Singh Solanki was born Read more..

July 1, 1939 in Garhpara in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind District. He is a political and social worker. He is a Bharatiya Janata Party leader. Since August 2009, he has been a Member of Parliament representing the state of Madhya Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha. Solanki completed his studies from Vikram University, Ujjain, P.G.B.T. College, Ujjain and Maharani Luxmibai College, Jiwaji University, Gwalior. Before joining politics, he was a teacher in Banmor in Morena District between 1958 and 1965. He served as a Professor at the P.G.V. College Gwalior from 1966-2000. Solanki is not only rooted in the RSS, but is also well-versed in realpolitik, having been the Madhya Pradesh BJP general secretary (organisation) in 2003 when the party ousted Digvijaya Singh from power. Solanki is a tough man and his presence in Raj Bhavan would stand the BJP in good stead in times to come.

Sh. Manohar Lal

First-time MLA and first-time Chief Minister, Manohar Lal was born on May 5, 1954 Read more..

in Nindana village of Rohtak district. He was elected from the Karnal Assembly constituency in the Assembly elections, 2014. Starting schooling at the age of six, Manohar Lal displayed his brilliance early. He was in the forefront of all debates, discussions and school activities, and also excelled in academics. Keen on pursuing a medical degree, Manohar Lal started scouting for colleges. He enrolled himself in Neki Ram Sharma Government College, Rohtak and became the first member of his family to study beyond Class X. With a view to preparing for medical entrance test, Manohar Lal made his way to Delhi, initiating a chain of events that transformed his life. Despite pressure from his family to stick to farming as a profession, Manohar Lal took to business and simultaneously graduated from Delhi University. He has dedicated his life to public service and is known for his political acumen. He played the role of a master strategist and successfully led many electoral campaigns, the last being the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections in Haryana as Chairman of the Election Committee. He has been selflessly working behind the scenes in key party positions that earned him the reputation of a tough task master. He stayed in the forefront of innumerable social projects and humanitarian efforts. A follower of the dictum “Seva Pratham”, Manohar Lal headed the Antyodaya Yojana for BJP at the national level. It symbolised the belief of the party’s ideology and the effort to elevate those in the lowest rung of society. He has always been in the forefront of any social causes that required attention, including the rescue and rehabilitation efforts, like the one during the floods in Kakrola village, near Delhi’s Dwarka area, in 1978 and the earthquakes that rocked Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat. When he was Pracharak at Rohtak, the district encountered floods that forced people out of their homes and caused extensive damage. The efforts to ensure security and food for the people were spearheaded by him. During the earthquake in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri and Poonch districts, the whole place was devastated, and once again, Manohar Lal was continuously involved in the rescue operations that included evacuating victims, arranging for their food, housing and rehabilitation.

Captain Abhimanyu

He is a young and dynamic leader from Haryana, well known for his deep Read more..

understanding of agrarian economy of Northern India and real life issues at grassroots level and a former Indian Army soldier, is also an experienced politician, a renowned news paper editor, educationist, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Years of first-hand experience in dealing with organisational activities give him mileage. Captain Abhimanyu Sindhu is a well educated person who has several degrees to his credit including Bachelor of Commerce (1986), LLB (2005), and Postgraduate Diploma in Mass Communication (2007). He is pursuing a 3-year Owner's/President Management Program from Harvard Business School (2013-2016). His professional career is spread over 27 years. During these years, he has explored the fields of education, business, defence services, journalism, sports administration, social activism, and finally political activism. He gave six years of his life to Indian Army and then qualified Civil Services examination in the year 1994 but instead he chose to pursue philanthropic and social service work. He has also had a successful business career (He served as an Executive Director at Sindhu Trade Links Limited) but he renounced it to become a full time BJP worker in 2003. He has also been the founding proprietor and Editor-in- chief of the Hindi daily Hari Bhoomi.

Mr. Dattatreya Hasbole

He dedicated his life as Sangh Pracharak and devoted his life towards social Read more..

work. He is Masters in English. He has been on various position since 1978, such as, Regional Head for A.B.V.P, Akhil Bhartiya sangathan mantri and Rashtriya Mahamantri. He was also assistant intellectual head of Akhil Bhartiya division of Sangh. At present he is Joint General Secretary of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Lucknow center.

INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS

Dr. Gurumurthy Kalyanaram
He is a professor, a management consultant and a corporate advisor. Professor Gurumurthy Kalyanaram has served as the Director of the Master’s Programs, Director of Research and as the Senior Faculty Liaison for External Development. He has been a visiting scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and a fellow at the Center for Russian and Read more..

East European Studies. Dr. Kalyanaram's areas of expertise are marketing, innovation and management science, and international business and strategy. His research and teaching have been eclectic and inter-disciplinary. Dr. Gurumurthy Kalyanaram is also a management consultant. He has consulted with several major corporations including AT&T, American Airlines, Booz-Allen and Hamilton, General Foods, International Data Corporation, Iridium, Nortel, Raytheon TI Systems, Rockwell International, Sega, and Texas Instruments, Inc. He serves on the board of Signion Systems, Inc. Dr. Kalyanaram has also lectured on strategic and economic issues in many countries including Canada, China, India, Russia, and Slovenia. Professor Gurumurthy Kalyanaram got his Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1989.
His professional activities have included active membership in several organizations such as the American Marketing Association, the INFORMS, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the New York Academy of Science. He has served as the Associate Editor of Management Science, and on the editorial board of International Journal of Research in Marketing. He has also been a reviewer for several professional journals like the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Interfaces, and Marketing Science. Dr. Gurumurthy Kalyanaram has been recognized by MIT with the Harold Lobdell Jr. Award for his contributions to the Institute and its Alumni. He has also been recognized as an Outstanding Alumnus by National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli, India. For community service, Dr. Kalyanaram has recognized Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce's Outstanding Educator of the Year in 1998, and the Lion’s Extension Award. Dr. Kalyanaram has been listed in the Who's Who in America. For his innovative doctoral dissertation and research, Dr. Kalyanaram has been recognized by the American Marketing Association, the American Marketing Science Association, and the INFORMS.

Dr. Rajni. S. Goel
She is a Full Professor and a former Chairperson in the School of Business of Department of Information Systems & Supply Chain Management, Howard University, USA. Dr. Goel currently serves as a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar at O.P. Jindal University, assisting in developing Cyber-Security curriculum. Having joined Howard University in 2002, her primary research area of interest have
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focused on Cyber Security, including wireless security in railways, privacy and application security. She also has completed research in the areas of Data mining, RFID/Supply chain security, insider threat and effects of emerging technologies on business. Dr. Goel has received multiple grants in the area of railway security. Rajni’s research interests have led her to establish a center for cyber-security and education at Howard. In 2010, having assumed the chair of her department, Rajni co-founded, the Howard University Cyber security Research Center within a year, thanks to the efforts of Rajni and Dr. Wayne Patterson from the Department of Systems & Computer Science, the Center had earned a designation by the National Security Agency as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.As a chair of the Department, Rajni Goel has assisted in growing the Information Systems major, engaged in assisting B-School develop a relationship with SAP Inc., and also assisted in integrating a pilot Student Lab program embracing Experiential learning. She has taught Information Security, Secure Electronic Commerce, Information Assurance: Security Strategies, Polices, Laws and Ethics, Management Information Systems, Introduction to Java Programming, Introduction to Computers, and Principles of Information Systems (Graduate). Goel holds a Ph.D. in Information Technology (Information Security area) and a MS in Mathematics from George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, and a BA in Mathematics from Millersville University, Millersville, PA.

Dr. David Frawley
He is (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri) D. Litt., is a western born teacher or guru in the Vedic tradition. In India, Vamadeva is recognized as a Vedacharya (Vedic teacher), and includes in his unusual wide scope of studies Ayurveda, Yoga, Vedanta and Vedic astrology, as well as the ancient Vedic teachings going back to the oldest Rigveda. Vamadeva is a recipient of the prestigious Read more..

Padma Bhushan award, one of the highest civilian awards granted by the government of India, “for distinguished service of a higher order to the nation,” honoring his work and writings as a Vedic teacher, which he received in March 2015. He has a rare and prestigious s D. Litt. (Doctor of Letters), the highest educational title possible in the field of Yoga and Vedic sciences, from SVYASA (Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana), the only deemed Yoga university recognized by the Government of India. In India, Vamadeva’s translations and interpretations of the ancient Vedic teachings have been acclaimed in both spiritual and scholarly circles.
He has worked extensively teaching, writing, lecturing, conducting research and helping establish schools and associations in related Vedic fields over the last more than three decades. Vamadeva sees his role as a “Vedic educator” helping to revive Vedic knowledge in an interdisciplinary approach for the planetary age. He regards himself as a translator to help empower people to use Vedic systems to enhance their lives and aid in their greater Self-realization.He has worked in several different healing and scholarly fields, with some degree of specialization over certain periods of time. Yet he has endeavored to approach each with a degree of specificity, providing both the background philosophy and practical teachings.

Stephen Knapp
He has studied the major Vedic texts of India and practiced yoga and the Eastern teachings since 1971. He has traveled throughout India many times and has been to every state of India except Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura. He has a collection of over 18,000 slides and images of the many holy places, temples Read more..

historical sites, and festivals he has seen. He has authored over thirty well-received books on different aspects of Vedic culture and Eastern spirituality, along with numerous articles.
He also regularly gives lectures at various venues both in America and in India. He has also been involved in the management of various Krishna temples for over 40 years. He is also the president of the Vedic Friends Association. He is also initiated as Sri Nandanandana dasa by Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. Much more information about him and his books can be found on his website: www.stephen-knapp.com and http://stephenknapp.info, and at http://stephenknapp.wordpress.com.

Oleg Gorshevskii
I grew up in the Ukraine, a former Soviet Republic. At the age of 18 I was admitted to the Foreign Languages Department of the Defence Language Institute (Moscow). In 1985 I have graduated from the DLI with the degree of translation and interpretation from Russian into English/Greek and from English/Greek into Russian. From 1985 till 2004 I provided translation and interpretation services to different customers in oil and gas industry, construction, engineering, steel-making, petrochemical industry, etc. In 2004, I translated P. T. Pavri’s “Theosophy Explained in Questions and Answers” (ISBN 5943551913) for Russian Amrita-Rus Publishing House.. Read more..

In October 2006, I came to India for the first time (in this life) and became Sai Baba’s devotee. In April 2008, Sai Baba blessed my wife Liudmila and me (we got married in 1998) to stay with Him in India. We have been living in India ever since, leaving the country occasionally to renew our visas. In 2017 I made a poetic translation of Shrimad Bhagavad-Gita into Russian (ISBN 978-5-4260-0274-6) and Brahma Sutras (not published yet). I maintain some of the business contacts to translate for living, and translate articles for Sanathana Sarathi magazine for life.
Oleg Gorshevskii
Professional translator/interpreter (English, Greek),
Defence Language Institute, Moscow, Russia, 1985
4/50/26, VOLZHSKIY BOULEVARD,
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 109263

SPEAKERS FROM INDIA

Swami Gyananand Ji Maharaaj
Swami Shri Gyananand Ji Mahraj, a portent of harmony and harbinger of love, Swami ji is a pedagogue, a philosopher, a guide, a writer, a yogi and a social server. His books and lectures on ethics, values and Gita have become a chaperon to many. Along with myriad ways in which he has tried to help the society, his efforts augur a virtuous generation of driven countrymen with a clear direction in life. Devoted Read more..

to the divine ideas of meditation, service and dedication to humanity (satsang, sewa and sumiran) they founded GIEO organisation. He has been teaching practical benefits of meditation and prayers and dealing with the problems and their solutions in day-to-day life since 1990, inspiring and transforming lives. This transnational organisation has been aimed at bringing about a change much required in the society. Standing amidst the crowd but still apart from it, serving mankind self-lessly and inspiring others to do so, enlightening thousands of lives are few of finest qualities that Swami Ji is blessed with. Gurudev has made spiritually a way of living .Distribution of free monthly food to widows , organizing polio operation camps, educating children in remote rural areas, establishment of cow homes, offering free medical services to saints of Vrindavana are only glimpses of noble deeds that are a part of his mission. His commitment to serve God by serving mankind is exemplary.

Swami Sukhabodhananda
He is the founder Chairman of Prasanna Trust. Swamiji is not only one of the most respected spiritual leaders of the country, but also nicknamed as Corporate Guru for his ability to apply spiritual teachings to the corporate world. In fact, his expertise lies in leveraging the ancient wisdom of the East with the modern vision of the West to provide applicable, practical tools and programs for better living. Read more..

Swamiji's spirituality-based transformative education programs are designed for everything from individual self-management, to effective management of large-scale corporate institutions in sectors of banking, finance, industry, armed forces, police and prestigious business schools such as the Indian School of Business. They cut across barriers of age, culture, economics and country.

He was a sport psychology coach for the Indian Premier League cricket team, the Delhi Daredevils, and leading corporate companies regularly invite him to conduct in-house workshops for their executives.

A best-selling author of over 1 million books, with more than 110 titles in different langauages, he has been a source of inspiration for many, such as Kargil hero Gen. V.P. Malik. Swamiji's books, Oh, Mind Relax Please! and Oh, Life Relax Please are best sellers in India, with the Tamil, Kannada and Telugu versions of the book, Manase Relax Please, setting an all-time sales record. In fact, these versions have been included as a part of the curriculum in some schools and colleges.
Today, Swamiji's message is broadcast on Aastha, Sanskar and many other channels, reaching a wide spectrum of people both in India and overseas. His works in audio and video in Sa Re Ga Ma and Times Music has been transforming the lives of many. Swamiji's ability to mix humour with effective story telling earned him a #1 spot on the 'who talks best' poll conducted by the 'Times of India' newspaper. He was also placed in the top 5 best exponents of spiritual knowledge by 'The Week' magazine.

He was also conferred with various awards viz., Rotary Seva Ratna was awarded in recognition of his service to humanity at large, Personal Excellence Award by Rotary International for impacting the lives of many, Karnataka's Best Social Service Award by Essel group and Zee Network, The secone Indian to be honoured at the prestigious Lotus Millionaires Intellectual Club at Manhattan, New York and Swamiji was invited as a dignitary on 5 different panels at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and was a special invitee to the United Nations World Millennium Summit of Spiritual Leaders.

Gauranga Das
He is the Divisional Director of ISKCON Worldwide Temple Admin, Systems & Administration. He has done hisB.Tech from IIT Bombay. He is a well-known speaker on Bhagavad Gita and regularly gives spiritual guidance to corporate leaders, students in premier institutes, doctors both in India and abroad. Read more..

He has appeared on TV channels like Aastha, Colors and Star TV (in the serial AATMA) wherein he has elucidated the knowledge of Bhagavad-Gita. He is the Dean of BhaktivedantaVidyapeeth, an institute offering a two-year full-time study program for systematic study of Vedic scriptures Gauranga Das is the president of Govardhan Eco Village (GEV) (http://ecovillage.org.in/), an ideal village created based on the teachings of Bhagavad Gita. GEV is made as a replica of Vrindavana, with 7 prominent temples, Yamuna river, Govardhana hill and 12 forests of Vrindavana lying with in its campus. The life in GEV is led based on respect to the teachings of Lord Krishna and care for mother Earth. GEV has received various awards for its environment initiatives including the International Green Apple Award, International Built Environment Award, Aqua Excellence Award, Asian Sustainability Leadership Award, IAA Olive Crown Award, National Award For Excellence in CSR and Sustainability, National Award for Excellence in Renewable Energy, Asia Future Green Leaders Award, Skoch Platinum and Renaissance Award, 5 star rating by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy for Eco Friendly construction etc.

Sh. Dinesh Kumar
He is Engaged in the field of Philanthropy since 1984 through various avenues. A teacher researcher in Ancient Indian Wisdom & Leadership development. Authored more than 50 books. A visiting faculty in 28 multinational companies, mostly the Public sector Mahanavratnas and Navratna companies as well as Indian air force. Read more..

Directly inspired more than 700000 young students in the light of the growth of individuality and entrepreneurship. Touched more than 55000 teachers upon the concept of New Age Teacher 25000- Young Girls touched under a drive of Kanya SankalpShakti within last 15 months at Haryana. Program in cards to touch around 15000 within this year. Recent publications include 3 Chapters of Shrimad BhagwadGita interpreted & published in light of an understanding for a complexity ridden modern mind. A Life Coach, A teacher/trainer in the ancient wisdom which is an endowment of great ancient seers known as Indian Ethos. This knowledge is a research by thousands of enlightened souls through countless time. It renders true solutions to all aspects of human development and ensures harmony and affluence travel together. Those who yearn to enhance their latent potential for them this knowledge is learning with assured results. He is immersed into this endowment since last 3 decades and have directly trained more than half million people from diverse backgrounds along with 40000 senior most management executives representing various business organizations during last 20 years. To name few of his subjects meant as his training programme includes: Time management, Contribution of Indian Ethos to Human Resource Development, Emotional Intelligence the future mendate, Procrastination the termite of human growth, How to overcome fear of failure, Entrepreneurship, Lessons we must draw from nanotechnology, Miracles of internal growth, Cut the cord of your negative thoughts, ShrimadBhagwad Geeta; is a Management Guru.

Prof. S.C. Bagri
He is Director of Centre for Mountain Tourism and Hospitality Studies, HNB Garhwal Central University. Prof. S.C. Bagri, obtained his Master degree from Allahabad University, Allahabad and completed a Technical course on “Cultural Tourism Management” from Rome, Italy under the fellowship of Govt. of Italy in 1986. Upon his thirst on culture, he decided to take up his doctoral Read more..

thesis on Buddhist Tourism. He started his career as Lecturer at Department of Tourism, HNB Garhwal University and served till 1995. Then Prof. Bagri was elevated to the post of Professor at Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), Gwalior, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. India. In 1998, he moved back to HNB Garhwal University ) and subsequently hold the responsibility of Dean, School of Management till July 2012. He started the publication of Journal of Tourism in 1996 in joint collaboration with University of Southern Mississippi, USA. Prof. Bagri is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal. In 2007, recognizing the contribution of Prof. Bagri, United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Madrid appointed him as a consultant for the project on Human Resource Development in Tourism and Hospitality sector for Punjab and West Bengal states, which he successfully accomplished with the fellow team members. Prof. Bagri is the founder president of Indian Hospitality Congress . has authored 7 books, 100 research papers and guided 22 Ph.D research scholars in Tourism and Hospitality Management. Prior to returning back Department of Mountain Tourism and Hospitality Studies,HNB Garhwal Central University Srinagar Garhwal Uttarakhand , Prof Bagri was the Vice-Chancellor of Himgiri Zee University, Dehradun.

Prof. S.P. Bansal
He is Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi State University, Meerpur, Rewari, Haryana and Founder Vice-Chancellor, Maharaja Agrasen University, Atal Shiksha Kunj, Baddi,District Solan, Himachal Pradesh.He is president of Tourism and Hospitality Educators and Researchers Association of SAARC countries, Secretary General of Indian Read more..

Tourism and Hospitality Congress. Prof. Bansal is Nominated Member of Board of Governors( 2016-19) of IITTM, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India and Visitor(HE President of India) Nominee, Jawahar Lal University(JNU).
He is also acting as Principal Investigator for e-PG Pathshala in Management- A Centrally sponsored scheme of National Mission on Education through ICT (NMEICT) of MHRD (GOI) through UGC for developing 600 modules in management. He is expert in tourism research and marketing.
He has visited more than 20 countries, written more than 90 research papers and supervised 19 research scholars of Ph.d, completed 10 major research projects and authored almost 20 books. Prof. Bansal has been conferred by various awards including life time achievement award and Best teacher award of HPU-2012 and received letter of appreciation in the presence of then Governor of HP for preparing HPU vision document-2020 and promoting international understanding.

Dr. Jyotindra
Dr. Jyotindra is an academic Scholar with special focus on Philosophy and Culture. Actively involved in the translation of culture and philosophy into everyday life and its presentation. He started his academic career from St. Xaviers College, Mumbai in 1963. He obtained his doctorate degree in Sanskrit from M.S. University, Vadodra in 2007. Read more..

He has presented and published many research papers on Vedic, Bhakti, Dharma and Indian culture. He is a person of great reputation in the field of Sanskrit and Indian culture. He is spokesperson and Director of Swaminarayan Shodh Sansthan, Swaminarayan Akshardham, New Delhi