MYKOLAS ROMERIS UNIVERSITY THE CONFERENCE „CONTEMPORARY INDIA: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS“ PROGRAMME October 7-8th , 2013 T h e t i m e P r o g r a m m e October 7th Monday Notes 10:00 Welcome address by the representative of MRU. I-414 10:15-10:30 Opening address by Prof. Raj Sekhar Basu. Vote of thanks by the Chairperson of the Indias Studies I-414 Centre of MRU. 10:30-10:45 Coffee break and interaction between the participants. I-220 10:45-11:30 Key note lecture by Prof. Staffan Lindberg on a theme related to rural transformation in India. Professor Emeritus Staffan Lindberg (Department of Sociology of Lund University). 11:30-12:00 Discussions. 12:00-13:00 Lunch at Prof. Basu‘s residence. 13:00-15:30 Panel on Rural India: Successes and Challenges: Prof. Stig Toft Madsen (Nordic Institute of 1) „To Farm and Rule: Two Tracts of Rural India Abroad“- Prof. Stig Toft Madsen; Asian Studies, Copenhagen); 2) „The developmental imagination and the Nehruvian State in India“- Dr. Banjamin Dr. Benjamin Zachariah (University of Zachariah; Heidelberg); 3) „Congress and the Poverty Ameliorative Programmes: Story of change or continuity in Dr. Raj Sekhar Basu ( ICCR Chair in Indian post colonial India“- Dr. Raj Sekhar Basu. Studies, Mykolas Romeris University). 15:30-15:45 Coffee break. I-220 15:45-17:15 Panel on Society and Culture: Prof. Audrius Beinorius ( Centre for Oriental 1)“ Indian belief in astrology: Caught between tradition and Modern Innovations“- Prof. Audrius Studies of Vilnius University); Beinorius 2) „The transformative vaision of Hindi film: Cinema and the making of NATIONAL culture in Dr. Deimantas Valenčiūnas( Centre for India“- Dr. Deimantas Valenčiūnas. Oriental Studies of Vilnius University); October 8th Tuesday 10:00-12:00 Panel on Marginal Groups in India: Dr. Chinna Rao Yagati (Jawaharlal Nehru 1) „Dalit Politics in Contemporary India: An Overview“- Dr. Chinna Rao Yagati University); 2) „The Dalit Movement in Tamilnadu: Paraiyans and Others“- Dr. Pavel Hons Dr. Pavel Hons (Oriental Studies Institute, Prague). 12:00-13:00 Lunch at Prof. Basu‘s residence. 13:00-13:45 Special Panel on Indo EU relations with special emphasis on Lithuania: Dr. Jusif Seiranov (Mykolas Romeris „Indo EU Relations and its impact on Lithuania“-Dr. Jusif Seiranov University) 13:45-14:45 „Rabindra Nath Tagore and the Contemporary World“- Prof. Viktors Ivbulis; Prof. V.Ivbulis(Professor Emeritus, University of Latvia); 14:45-15:00 Coffee break I-220 15:00-15:45 Round Table; Formal vote of thanks .