Political Science Conclave 2026: Experts, policy makers gather to discuss India's evolving political thought, public life

The Political Science Conclave 2026, organized by the Political Science Society, was held from March 12-13 at the India International Centre (IIC) in New Delhi. The two-day event brought together scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss contemporary political thought and public life in India.The Conclave was inaugurated by Sukanta Majumdar, Union minister of State for education and development of North Eastern Region. Ram Madhav, President of India Foundation, addressed the gathering as chief speaker, with Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, former President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and Sanjeev Chopra, former Director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, attending as Special Guests. The session was chaired by Prof M P Singh, former Head of the Department of Political Science, University of Delhi.Over two days, the Conclave featured plenary sessions, thematic discussions, and workshops in collaboration with India Foundation, Rishihood University, Miranda House, Hindu College, Ground Zero Consulting, and Manthan Learning. Sessions explored governance, policy innovation, leadership, and institutional development. Speakers included M R Madhavan, Niranjan Sahoo, Gurucharan Das, Prof Ashwani Mahajan, and academics from universities across India.The academic segment included over 150 research papers presented across 12 parallel sessions. Around 300 participants and 50 speakers attended, representing academia, government, civil society, and media.The Valedictory Session was attended by Sh. Ram Bahadur Rai, President of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts; K N Shrivastava, Director of the India International Centre; R N Behera, Member of Parliament from Jajpur, and Prof Prakash Singh, Vice Chancellor of Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University.The Conclave was convened by Sr Prof Rekha Saxena, Head of the Department of Political Science, University of Delhi, with Swadesh Singh as co-convenor.