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Second Deccan Youth Conclave on India’s Foreign Policy in a World in Flux

The Deccan Centre for International Relations (DCIR), in collaboration with the Guru Nanak College (Autonomous) and the Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Madras, Chennai organised the Second Deccan Youth Conclave on “India’s Foreign Policy in a World in Flux” on 22^nd September 2026 (Tuesday) between 09:00 hrs to 17:00 hrs at Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Auditorium, Guru Nanak College, Chennai.

The conclave brought together distinguished diplomats, strategic experts, academics, young scholars, and students to examine key dimensions of India’s foreign policy amid a rapidly evolving global order. The programme featured a carefully curated set of four thematic sessions covering India’s Neighbourhood, Multi-Alignment and Strategic Autonomy with major powers, the impact of conflicts in West Asia and East Asia/Northeast Asia, and the changing nature of warfare and geopolitics, including hybrid, grey-zone, information warfare, and emerging technologies. These sessions were thoughtfully designed to address the complexities of the present times and to foster a deeper understanding of the current conflicts and strategic shifts unfolding across the world.

The Inaugural Session (09:30–10:40 hrs) featured Welcome Remarks by Amb T. S. Tirumurti, IFS (Retd.), Former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, New York, and Chair, Steering Committee, Deccan Centre for International Relations; Special Addresses by Prof. Dr. M. Uma Maheswari, Professor and Head, Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Madras, and Mr. Manjit Singh Nayar, General Secretary and Correspondent, Guru Nanak College (Autonomous); Concluding Remarks was delivered by Dr. O. Nirmala, Assistant Professor & Head, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, and Dean – School of Humanities, Guru Nanak College (Autonomous).

Subsequent sessions featured Amb Gopal Baglay, IFS (Retd.), former High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Australia in conversation with Mr. C. Balasubramanian, Senior Advisor, Deccan Centre ; Amb Sunjay Sudhir, IFS (Retd.), former Ambassador to the UAE and High Commissioner to the Maldives; Air Marshal Anil Khosla, PVSM, AVSM, VM (Retd.), former Vice Chief of Air Staff; Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai, NM (Retd.); Ms. Namrata Hasija, Research Fellow, Centre for China Analysis and Strategy; Dr. Sridhar Krishnaswami, Visiting Professor and Scholar-in-Residence, Sai University; with moderation by faculty from the University of Madras and the Deccan Centre. The conclave concluded with a Vote of Thanks by Mr Sairakshit Raghupathy, Research Officer, Deccan Centre.

The second conclave in the series continues the Deccan Centre’s efforts to bring domain expertise to South India and encourage critical thinking among students, young scholars, academics, professionals, and strategic enthusiasts on evolving geopolitical realities and India’s foreign policy choices.

22^nd September 2026
Chennai

EOM

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