ICPR Newsletter April - September 2010 HONOURING PROFESSOR RAJANGAM BALASUBRAMANIAN ICPR SILVER JUBILEE AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED LIFE-TIME ACHIEVEMENT IN PHILOSOPHY Professor R. Balasubramanian, affectionately known the Indian Council of Philosophical Research, New all over the world simply as “RB”, has led a life fully Delhi, to succeed its Founder-Chairman, Professor D.P. dedicated to, and also completely soaked in, Advaita Chattopadhyaya. Many honours and awards have come ICPR SILVER JUBILEE AWARD FOR Vedanta. He was born on the 14th of November, 1929 looking for him right up to this day, culminating in the DISTINGUISHED LIFE-TIME ACHIEVEMENT in a village in Tamil Nadu and obtained his M.A., Ph.D. Life Time Achievement Award of ICPR which is being and D. Litt. Degrees in Philosophy, with great conferred on him today. IN PHILOSOPHY FOR 2010 distinction, more than half a century ago from the University of Madras. He has specialized in Indian The richest legacy Professor Balasubramanian leaves philosophy, especially Advaita Vedanta, besides behind, besides his extensive publications, are literally acquiring great expertise in Western philosophy also. hundreds of his students spread across the world, who Soon after obtaining his Ph. D., he went to Stanford extol him as one of the finest teachers that inspired University as a Fulbright and Smith-Mundt scholar and them throughout. However, he himself has chosen to did his post-doctoral studies and research work in remain very much a “student” constantly adding to his Western philosophy with Donald Davidson and others. repository of knowledge and wisdom. No sooner than Returning from Stanford, he joined the Post-Graduate he joined the teaching fraternity at Vivekananda College Department of the University of Madras as a Reader in in Chennai city, he lost no time in choosing to become a 1966 and retired from there in 1989 as Professor of life-long disciple of the great classical Sanskrit scholar, Pandit Varahur Kalyanasundara Sastrigal. He has been Philosophy and Director of the Radhakrishnan Professor Debi Prasad Chattopadhyaya Institute of Advanced Study in Philosophy. After his guided by Sastrigal in his very extensive and in-depth stint at the University of Madras, he was invited to studies of hundreds of original Sanskrit works. establish the Sri Aurobindo School of Eastern and Professor Balasubramanian is doubtless “one without a Western Thought at Pondicherry University. While he second” in the area of his expertise, justly famous for was there, he was also appointed as the Chairman of the Advaitic scholarship he has tirelessly built up for more than half a century. The crowning recognition of contd. on page no. 21 Indian Council of Philosophical Research Darshan Bhawan Published by the Member-Secretary, ICPR, 36, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, (Near Batra Hospital), 36 Tughlakabad Institutional Area New Delhi-62, Tel : 29964753, 29964754 Fax: 29964750. E-mail : [email protected] Website: www.icpr.in Layout, Design and Printing by Datagraph Creations Pvt. Ltd., Tel : 27221409, 47019171 Fax : 47091473 New Delhi - 110062 LIFE-TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Honouring ICPR Silver Jubilee Award For Distinguished Life-time Achievement In Philosophy For 2010 Professor Debi Prasad Chattopadhyaya Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a Member of the International Institute of Philosophy, Paris. He is also a National Distinguished Professor at Andhra University, Waltair. Besides the above, he was the Chairman of Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foun- dation, Calcutta, of the First International Conference on Buddhism and National Culture, and also of the Indian Philosophical Congress. Not only Professor Chattopadhyaya has earned a name for himself, but he has also glorified the name of this country by his contributions in the fields of philosophy and culture. With all the achievement as a scholar and a thinker, Professor Chattopadhyaya is a model of a unique Professor Debi Prasad Chattopadhyaya is a person combination of academic excellence, active states- with an astonishing array of achievements in diverse manship and astute leadership, which is very difficult areas. We in the Indian philosophical community are to achieve and even more difficult to excel. proud to bask in his many splendored glories as a Professor Chattopadhyaya, with his wide knowledge philosopher statesman like Dr. S. Radhakrishnan and of philosophy, political theory, economics, history, Dr. Karan Singh. Dr. Chattopadhyaya is an encyclo- and science is one of the leading propounders of paedic scholar in philosophy, history of science and interdisciplinary studies in our country. Professor social sciences. Indeed, he was also a practising politi- Chattopadhyaya is the author of 18 books, editor cian and academic leader, an unusual combination of of 17 other volumes and the author of about 200 both. research articles. He was the founder Editor of the Born in East Bengal in 1931, Professor Chattopad- Journal of Indian Council of Philosophical Research hyaya had his education at the University of Calcutta and he is presently editing the journal named Sandhan, and the London School of Economics where he the journal of the PHISPC. For his contribution in studied and excelled in law, philosophy and history. the fields of education and culture, he was conferred He researched, studied and taught for forty years at national civilian titles like Padmabhushan and Padma- various universities of India, Europe and USA from vibhushan by the President of India. A large number 1954 to 1994. Besides being the Union Cabinet of universities in the country also conferred honorary Minister of Commerce and later on as the Governor D.Litt. degrees on him in recognition of his scholar- of Rajasthan, he was the founder Chairman of the ship, leadership and statesmanship. Indian Council of Philosophical Research (1981- In recognition of his outstanding contributions to 1990) and also the President-cum-Chairman, Indian the field of philosophy, interdisciplinary research in Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. Currently, as the human sciences, the study of science and cultures, and Director of multi-disciplinary 100 volumes Project also his unceasing efforts in bringing about increasing of History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in awareness about science, society and Indian culture, Indian Civilizations (PHISPC) and as the Chairman the Indian Council of Philosophical Research feels of the Centre for Studies in Civilizations (CSC), he honoured to confer upon Professor Debi Prasad has been actively engaged in research in the science Chattopadhyaya the ICPR Silver Jubilee Life-Time and philosophy of world civilizations. He is a Life Achievement Award for the year 2010. FROM MEMBER-SECRETARY’S DESK lenging. Although I do not deny my own role in all this as the executing officer, still whatever has happened in the Council is truly because of the approval and coop- eration of all the Members of the Council to whom alone all credit should really go. One of the major achievements during this period is the rehabilitation of the Lucknow Centre which was almost defunct after Supreme Court verdict in 2005 ordering it to vacate the Butler Palace, which housed the Academic Centre and its exclusive Library on Philos- ophy for more than 20 years since 1981. It was vacated t the outset, I am delighted to inform you immediately after the court order without getting a that the ICPR Silver Jubilee Awards for proper alternative, nor even going for an appeal for Distinguished Life-time Achievement in any legal relief and as a result the books were dumped A in a totally unsuitable place---an ignominy for the Philosophy for the years 2009 and 2010 have been conferred on Professors R. Balasubramanian and D.P. library which used to be place of pride for the whole Chattopadhyaya respectively. Known for their contri- philosophical community of the country. As a student bution to Philosophy and Philosophical research and and during my early career as a young faculty at the also their involvement in the promotion of Philos- Radhakrishnan Institute of Advanced Study in Philos- ophy in the sub-continent, both were the unanimous ophy, I remember the enthusiasm and interest with choices of the Committee as well as the Council. I am which I as well as many of my contemporaries looked equally delighted to inform you that Dr. Manmohan forward to coming to Lucknow and how the centre Singh, our Prime Minister has spared his very valuable had helped us getting the required research material time and kindly agreed to present the awards and the we needed. After becoming MS, my top priority was function has been scheduled to be held on December the rehabilitation of the Academic Centre and there 22, 2010. We have the privilege to have the graceful was partial success in getting the present building at presence of the Union HRD Minsiter, Shri Kapil Sibal Gomti Nagar although it did not have all the facilities who has very kindly agreed to inaugurate ICPR Annual that were available in Butler Palace. The new building Fellows’ Meet following the Awards function. is only sufficient to stack the books and journals so carefully selected and procured by the former office This Newsletter carries reports on the events and bearers especially Professor R.R. Verma, the former programs of last six months (April to September Director of the Academic centre. 2010), which happen to be the last two quarters of my first term as the Member Secretary. It is three years In getting this place for the Academic Centre, I must back that I joined the Council as its Member Secre- thank the personal involvement and interest of our tary and during this period, I have tried my best to Chairman, Professor K. Ramakrishna Rao, who was do whatever I could to further the activities of ICPR. not only the driving force behind all the activities we In carrying out my responsibilities and implementing proposed but kept on advising and monitoring the the decisions of the Council, I am aware that I have progress.