The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), in conjunction with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), organized a day long seminar on ‘Disasters Risk Reduction: Another Important Route to Poverty Alleviation’ at the Foundation’s auditorium on November 24, 2011. The seminar was attended by a large number of luminaries and guest speakers included Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, former President of India, Dr. (Ms.) Syeda S. Hameed, Member Planning Commission, Mr. M S Reddy, Vice Chairman, NDMA, Mr.

Shri Gopal Krishna Gandhi, former Governor of West Bengal, and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, presented his vision of India in 2021 to an enlightened audience at Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) on Nov 7, 2011. Crystal-gazing, Shri Gandhi portrayed a kaleidoscopic image of India in 2021 – young, impatient and angry despite a vibrant economy with projected economic growth hovering around eight percent. The growing resources crunch, especially those related to employment, food, water, housing et al could lead to further deepening of the present crisis, Shri Gandhi cautioned.

The Vivekananda International Foundation organized a seminar on India-Bangladesh relations at its premises on October 12 & 13, 2011. Spanning three sessions, with one session each devoted to economic issues, security related issues and bilateral relations, the seminar covered the entire range of India-Bangladesh ties.

‘Vimarsha’, VIF’s monthly series of public discourse on contemporary subjects, was held on September 30, 2011 to discuss an issue of utmost national importance - the implications for social harmony of a proposed legislation titled 'Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011. The talk by Mr. R.N.P. Singh, a former senior officer of Intelligence Bureau, Government of India and currently, a Senior Fellow at VIF, dwelt upon the policy of appeasing minority sentiments at the cost of majority.

On 6 & 7 September 2011, the Vivekanada International Foundation (VIF) organised a conference on ‘Tibet in the Aftermath of Devolution of Political Authority’. The conference was designed to address topics like Tibetan politics and new leadership, Chinese and Indian perceptions of Tibet problem, Chinese policy in Tibet and strategic implications for India and other related themes. The VIF put together an array of eminent strategic experts, including Tibetan stakeholders for the conference who deliberated upon a range of complex issues in a very frank and candid atmosphere.

On Monday, Sep 19, 2011, the VIF brought together high-level diplomats, academics, journalists and security experts for a seminar on ‘Myanmar in Transition: Asian perspective’.

During the VIF’s monthly discourse ‘Vimarsha’, which was held on July 29, 2011, Dr. Bharat Gupt, an eminent scholar of civilisational studies, deliberated upon the ‘Role and Relevance of Saints and Religious Leaders in Constitutional polity’ – a subject which lies at the center of current political debate in our country. Mr. Ajit Doval, KC, Director VIF, presided over the session and introduced the speaker.

Col (Retd) Thomas M. McNamara, Deputy Director of Intelligence, US Pacific Command (USPACOM) and Member, India Strategic Focus Group (India SFG) interacted with a panel of strategic experts at Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) on June 29, 2011. The interaction focused on the US exit strategy from Afghanistan and its larger implications for the region. The panel constituted by VIF for the purpose of interaction included among others Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi (Retd), Vice Admiral KK Nayyar (Retd), Mr. Satish Chnadra, Lt General R K Sawhney (Retd), Mr. CD Sahay, Mr.

His Excellency Daulat Kuanyshev, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to India, informally discussed the recently concluded Tenth Summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at Astana and Kazakhastan-India bilateral relationship with Lt. Gen (Retd.) RK Sawhney, Brig (Retd.) Vinod Anand and other members of VIF’s research team on June 24, 2011. Underlining India’s growing economic clout regionally as well as internationally, the Ambassador expressed his desire for New Delhi’s robust engagements with the Central Asian region. He explained SCO’s procedural requirements for adding new members.

Dr Klaus Lange and Dr Klara Knapp, both from the Institute of Transnational Studies, Munich, visited Vivekananda International Foundation on Jun 22, 2011 for an informal discussion on the evolving dynamics in Af-Pak region, especially from an European perspective. They interacted with senior faculty members of VIF which included among others Mr. Ajit Doval, Director, Lt Gen RK Sawhney, and Brig Vinod Anand. The views presented by Dr. Klaus Lange underscored Europe’s declining interests in managing global affairs, largely because of its increasingly fragile economy.

A Congressional Staff Delegation from the United States, comprising Kevin Fitzpatrick, Director, Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia, Mr. Jeremy Haldeman, Staff Director on Oversight and Investigations and Mr. Ed Stein, Professional Staff Member, Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia visited Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) for a closed door interaction on India-Afghanistan/Pakistan and regional affairs on June 8, 2011. The VIF team which interacted with the Congressional delegation was led by Mr. Ajit Doval KC, Director.

A two-day seminar on ‘India Defence Vision 2025’ was organised by Vivekananda International Foundation on May 25-26, 2011. Spread over six sessions, the seminar focused on different facets of India’s national defence from a futuristic perspective. The seminar focused on national and defence vision, in the light of changing geo political and security environment. There are demands for India to play a greater role in the global political, economic and security order.

Chief of the General Staff, British Army General Sir Peter Anthony Wall KCB CBE ADC Gen held an extensive discussion on Afghanistan’s future prospects with a select panel of experts at Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) on May 18, 2011. The expert panel of VIF, which engaged the British Army Chief in discussion, included Mr. Ajit Doval KC, Director VIF and twelve other luminaries. Gen NC VIJ, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM (Retd.) former Chief of Army Staff presided over the session.

A delegation from the prestigious Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS), London, comprising senior defence and civil service officers from countries including UK, France, Germany and Brazil etc. visited VIF on May 09, 2011.The visiting RCDS delegation was welcomed and briefed on contemporary global and regional issues.