India Week is the Australia India Institute’s annual celebration of all things India. From culture and thought to politics and society, the week is packed full of activities that deepen mutual understanding and strengthen links between our two countries.

The event was an online webinar held in partnership with Dr Ambedkar International Mission Australia

Date and time Sat, 14 August 2021 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM AEST (event ended)

Speakers:

Prof. Jaymangal Dhanraj is an acting principal at Dr Ambedkar Law college in Mumbai, India. Prof. Dhanraj will speak on Dr Ambedkar and the Constitution of India. He has been active in social movements since his student life, having initiated the Constitution Awakening Campaign. He has participated in and presented research papers at various national and international seminars and conferences. Prof. Dhanraj is passionate about spreading awareness about the Constitution of India and has delivered various lectures on the Constitution, human rights and other social issues in Maharashtra and other states in India.

Prof. Rajesh Karankal is the Head of the Department of English at the University of Mumbai, India. Prof. Karankal will speak on the relevance of Dr Ambedkar’s philosophy in contemporary India. He has been involved in the academic field for more than two decades teaching English literature, American literature and Dalit literature. He is specialised in Indian writing in English, Dalit literature, literature in translation, comparative literature, literature of the marginalised, women’s writing, American literature, communication skills and journalism. He has published many journal papers and authored many books including Cultural Dimensions of Novels of Kamala Markandaya, Pioneers of Discourse of Resistance in India & Counter-Cultural Discourse and Dalit Literature in India.

Ms Asmita Mahire-Singh will speak on Dr Ambedkar and women empowerment in India. Ms Mahire-Singh completed her education in New Zealand acquiring bachelor’s and postgraduate degrees in accounting, finances and financial economics. She is working as a Functional Consultant in the payroll and human resource information systems space in Melbourne, Australia. She is a member of Ambedkar International Mission Australia. She is also part of Soka Gakkai International (NZ and AU), a grassroots Buddhist association that promotes peace through individual transformation and contribution to society. She was a youth leader for a decade where she encouraged young women to build confidence and achieve their goals through study, sharing experiences and taking part in peace projects within the community.

Ms Giribala Thomas will speak on industrialisation and modernisation. Giribala Thomas is a federal agency employee working for the Department of Home Affairs in the Skilled Visa section. She has completed her Bachelor of Science majoring in Mathematics from the University of Mumbai, India. She also secured a Master’s degree in Human Resources from London Southbank University based in the UK. Being with different federal agencies and experiencing the policies and processes that govern government regulation, Ms Thomas is ardently pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Administration to gain a deeper understanding. She has been a member of Ambedkar International Mission, Australia for over six years. She has also been part of the UN VESAK organisation for over four years which builds Buddhist awareness amongst the community.

Mr Prakash Punekar will speak on Dr Ambedkar and his contribution to Indian economics. Prakash Punekar is a Project Manager by profession, helping organisations in their journey of digital transformation to drive growth in advancing markets, specialised in areas such as robotic process automation (RPA-Agile), originations and decision systems, banking, energy and utilities. He has worked in global IT enterprises covering geo locations APAC, EMEA, and Americas. He is also a social entrepreneur who loves resolving social and community issues and brings change via entrepreneurial skills, activities and processes. He has been an active member of Dr Ambedkar International Mission for more than six years, promoting and facilitating socio-economic-unity and development within the community.