Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 6: The Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Rashtrapati Nivas, Shimla, inaugurated a three-day national seminar on "Harmonising Sustainability: Navigating Circular Economy for Sustainable Growth," said the release.
The Institute is organising the event in collaboration with the Department of Business Management, Saurashtra University, Rajkot (Gujarat).
The inaugural session was presided over by Professor Himanshu Kumar Chaturvedi, Director, IIAS, Shimla. Professor K.S. Chandrasekhar, Vice-Chancellor, Cluster University, Jammu, delivered the keynote address, emphasising the need to align economic growth with environmental preservation.Lov Verma, IAS (Retd.), The former Secretary of the Government of India graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour and discussed India's evolving policy framework for a circular economy.
The seminar theme was introduced by Professor Sanjay J. Bhayani, Dean and Professor, Department of Business Management, Saurashtra University, Rajkot, who underlined that the circular economy aims to achieve sustainable growth by optimizing resource utilization, reducing waste, and regenerating natural systems.
In his presidential address, Professor Himanshu Kumar Chaturvedi highlighted that sustainability has become the cornerstone of modern civilization and that long-term economic strength can only be achieved by maintaining harmony between development and the environment.
The first day featured three technical sessions with scholars from across the country presenting their research papers. Prof. Jayendrasinh Jadav (Gujarat University) spoke on "The Landscape of Climate Finance in India," while Prof. Priyesh C.A. (Kerala) addressed "Water Stress and Agricultural Sustainability."
The following sessions included presentations on corporate sustainability, MSME resilience, and literary dimensions of environmental consciousness by distinguished scholars such as Prof. Ashvin Kumar Solanki, Prof. S.S. Sodha, Amit Mishra, Prof. S.R. Jayasree, and Dr. Rinki Dahiya.
The seminar aims to explore frameworks for sustainable economic growth through circular economy models that emphasize reduction, reuse, and recycling. Over the next two days, the remaining technical sessions and the valedictory session will continue discussions on resource efficiency, MSME empowerment, and corporate sustainability, bringing together experts, academicians, and policymakers from diverse fields.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Mehar Chand Negi, Secretary, IIAS, Shimla. Session was moderated by PRO Akhilesh Pathak.