PAN IIT 2010 Conclave

PANIIT 2010 Conclave was planned as a kaleidoscope of activities – participants had the unique opportunity to tap into the experience of globally recognized thought leaders, to learn from peers in a collaborative learning environment, and to check out their perspectives with eminent panellists and speakers. Several informal entertainment events scattered during the 3-day event encourage vibrant interactions, networking opportunities and a chance to reconnect with friends.

The event was scheduled from October 29 – 31 at India Exposition Mart , Greater Noida . I was lucky enough to be one of the few selected bloggers who were invited to the event as a part of the media . The theme of the event was “SUSTAINABLE TRANSFORMATION : OUR NEW INDIA”

I was unlucky to miss out on the first two days of the event ( courtesy : my internal exams ) and hence missed out on a chance to hear from some of the eminent speakers like Sheila Dixit , Sam Pitroda and Kapil Sibal … But I am glad that I decided to turn up for the event on the final day as the conference was a real gem plus the exhibition was something that really caught my attention .

I was really looking forward to hear from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ( Founder , Art of Living Foundation ) , Nandan Nilekani ( Chairman , UID Authority of India ) and Dr. Montek SIngh Aluhwalia ( Deputy Chairman , Planning Commission ) who were the most awaited speakers on the final day .

The day started with a plenary session on “Good Governance : A key to empowerment” … CWG fiasco was the most talked about topic in this session … Everyone targeted the corruption and inefficiency of our structure in dealing with the corruption at such a large scale  …

Shailesh Gandhi ( Information Commissioner , RTI ) blatantly said that “Our system is not designed to deliver” …. He  made it very clear that in order to progress the Government and the citizens have to be on the same side … And unless we bring into the system RTI Act 2.0 , things are not going to improve very much …

Another speaker at the event , Mr. Arvind Kejriwal literally blew apart India’s anti corruption policy … He said the problem lies in the fact that the powerful committees we have are not independent … while the independent committees are just not powerful enough … An Independent Commission against Corruption is desperately needed at this stage … Every statement that he made was greeted with a huge round of applause ..

And the session concluded with the arrival of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar …. The hall was absolutely full for his session … The Art of Living is what all of us strive to learn …. and everyone expected to hear a word or two from him … When asked a question whether man is trying to play a God … He calmly replied that “God is not a person .. Its an energy ..!!” … He advised everyone to “See life on a broader perspective. You are much more than your qualification.” …..

After Sri Sri’s session , I had a look at the exhibition area which was as eclectic as it could get with a perfect combination of art , science and technology , innovation , people standing for social causes , few great minds and an awesome viewership . One of the things in the exhibition area that really caught my attention was Daksha – an IED handling Robot . Its a Remotely Operated Vehicle that handles and destroys hazardous objects safely . We will be able to see these in the market very very soon .

Apart from Daksh , the paintings and the craftwork at the exhibition were something very much worth mentioning . Plus there were a number of new technological advances and people standing up for social cause through innovation that I was unaware of ( and most of us would be , for that matter ) . I will blog about them too , pretty soon .

Overall , it was an awesome event . Seeing at the stature of this event , I actually expected many more people to turn up for the event than who actually did . Even the hashtag #paniit2010 was not buzzing across twitter in the fashion I thought it would be . But I am positive that the next edition will attract a lot more of viewership and the event would be even more magnificent . Thumbs Up for PanIIT 2010 Conclave .