New Delhi, June 23, 2026: Shastrartha is a need of the time and there should be a middle path in communication which contemporary media should follow, Prof. (Dr.) K G Suresh, Director, India Habitat Centre (IHC) said here today. Emphasising over the use of Shastrartha in the contemporary time, he said dialogue should be the central force in media rather than argument. Noting that shastrartha gives a space to understand others, he said it should come as the central force of the thought process of the common people.
He was speaking at Valedictory Session of the two-day national seminar on “Application of Shastrartha in the Present Time” at India Habitat Center. The seminar was jointly organized by the Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR), Ministry of Education, Government of India, and Bharat Bodh Kendra, IHC.
The seminar witnessed seven technical sessions encompassing several invited talks and paper presentations by professors, and research scholars from various prestigious universities and institutions. The deliberations explored the contemporary relevance and application of Shastrartha across diverse domains, including philosophy, Indian knowledge systems, law, political science, media studies, education, psychology, history, sociology, cultural studies, research methodology, and literary discourse. The discussions highlighted the potential of shastrartha which is a dialogic and evidence-based discipline of inquiry in addressing contemporary intellectual, social, educational, and public policy challenges.
On this occasion, the eminent Sanskrit scholar Prof. Ramesh Kumar Pandey, Former Vice Chancellor, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University, stated that the process of Shastrartha is aimed at realizing the truth. It is a distinctive method of Indian Knowledge System through which an individual attains a genuine realization of knowledge. It paves the way for an unbiased and inclusive intellectual discourse, free from all forms of discrimination, where even a disciple can engage with a teacher for deeper understanding.
Expressing gratitude to the guests, Prof. Sachchidanand Mishra, Member Secretary of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR), said that this event would bring an important subject like Shastrartha into contemporary intellectual discourse, and in the future, this discipline would provide a new direction to Indian society. He added that the purpose of such an event is to sow the seeds of a reviving an important aspect of knowledge creation and learning.
Lauding the arduous work of Sh. Siddheshwar Shukla in the form of a book named “Shastrartha in India: Methodology and Applications,” the seminar discussions highlighted Shastrartha as a rich Indian culture of dialogue, inquiry, and knowledge creation rooted in reason, evidence, and mutual respect. Speakers reflected on its presence in Vedic literature, philosophical schools, and classical systems of interpretation, emphasizing the roles of Purva Paksha, Uttar Paksha, and structured deliberation in the pursuit of truth.
The noted speakers and presenters in the seminar include Prof. Girishwar Mishra, former Vice Chancellor, MGAHU, Wardha, Dr. Rachna Sharma, Associate Professor, IIMC, Prof. Ramnath Jha, JNU, Prof .Om Nath Bimali, DU, Prof. Santosh Kumar Shukla, JNU, Prof. Mahananda Jha & Prof Bishnupada Mahapatra, SLBS National Sanskrit University, Dr. Sumit Narula, Dean, The Times School of Media, Bennett University, Prof. Anil Nigam, IMS, Prof. Pawan Singh Malik, YMCA, Faridabad, Dr. Pooja Rana, Amity University, Gurugram, Prof. Sunil Kumar Mishra and Dr. Atul Upadhyay, VIPS, Dr. Nishant Kumar Bhardwaj, Christ University.
