AISSQ12Hand Book

Dr. Hare Krishna
Mohanta
BITS, Pilani, India

VEDANTIC PERSPECTIVES ON
ORIGIN OF LIFE

The origin of life is still a mystery in science. It is one among the
150 questions in 150 years of development of science which are not
yet answered. “How did life begin?” is also one of the twenty big
questions that modern science is trying to get a proper answer.
According to the “Primordial Soup” theory, life began some four
billion years ago by stirring the primordial soup. A few simple
chemicals got together and made the first molecules capable of
replicating themselves appear.

Scientists such as Darwin and Stanley Miller imagined that
elementary living forms might have arisen from the random
combination of organic chemicals in the primordial “soup.” But
there is still no answer to how these simple or basic molecules
spontaneously arrange themselves to begin life. How was DNA
formed? Scientists still can’t agree on what exactly happened. Some
say that life began in hot pools near volcanoes and others believe
that it was kick-started by meteorites hitting the sea. But still,
these theories of Chemical Evolution of life are most prevalent in
the scientific community. In this article, the Vedantic perspective
of the origin of life will be discussed.

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Dr. Hare Krishna Mohanta is an Associate Professor in the
Department of Chemical Engineering in BITS Pilani, Rajasthan.
He obtained his B.E. in Chemical Engineering from NIT Rourkela
in 1995, his M.Tech. from IIT Kanpur in 1998 and PhD from BITS
Pilani in 2006. He has been teaching in BITS Pilani since 1998, and
is also a member of the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers
(IIChE).
Dr. Mohanta’s research interests include advanced process control,
process monitoring and control, sensors and microreactors,
catalysis and pyrolysis, applied wavelet analysis, reactive
distillation, modelling, simulation and consciousness studies. He
has published numerous peer-reviewed papers in international
journals of repute and many conference papers. He is also keenly
interested in Vedantic studies of consciousness.

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Day 2
Session 2

Environment,
Sustainable Development

and Spirituality

Spiritual values are the key to healing ourselves
and our environment.
— Wangari Maathai
Nobel Laureate in Peace

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Prof. Devendra
Mohan
IIT (BHU) Varanasi, India

FROM SHALLOW TO DEEP TO VEDANTIC
ECOLOGY FOR ENSURING ENVIRONMENTAL

SUSTAINABILITY IN DEVELOPMENT

The industrial revolution, which began around mid-eighteenth
century, had been eating into the vitals of the environment. As
a consequence, the glaring multitude of problems, like material
and energy pollutions, extreme weather events, alterations in
precipitationpatterns, acidrain, stratosphericozonelayerdepletion,
global warming and climate change have reached alarming scales,
threatening the existence of different higher life-forms in general
and human-beings in particular within a foreseeable future. In a
small span of less than three centuries, irreparable and irreversible
damages could result due to fragmented thought-and-action-based
processes solely arising from the anthropocentric mindset.

There has been evidenced dating the existence of the human race for
more than 50 million years, but the risk of its extinction by its own
making has become perceptible due to the blind race for lopsided
physical development within the comparatively minuscule span
of time. The model employed for physical development has
treated everything (except humans) living and nonliving as mere
resources for ruthless exploitation to any extent because of the
complete absence of any sort of concern, what to mention about
respect or regard, while dealing with all environmental entities.

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As a consequence, such a model can be not only environmentally
unsustainable due to the fast depletion rate of non-renewable
resources, as well as due to the much higher rate of consumption
than that of regeneration even for renewable resources; but
also, it has in-built capability to bring about disasters to various
dimensions of human health.

Faced with enormous challenges like ever-expanding lists of
endangered and extinct species and unprecedented frequencies of
the emergence of pathogenic viruses, notably from HIV to NCV-19,
it is worth pondering over that the prevalent model of development
needs to be thoroughly revised to make it broad-based and holistic
for attaining the goal of sustainability. The shallow ecological
approach has obviously failed completely and now, an (Advait)
Vedantic approach needs to be urgently employed along scientific
lines to ensure all-time sustainability and universally all-inclusive
development. Only such a paradigm shift in thinking and action
can save humans from extinction; and recently, traces of such an
approach could be noticed in the Deep Ecology-based model.

Chapters of Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Vibhuti Yoga and Vishwa
Roop Darshan Yoga, throw beams of brightness to enlighten
one on various aspects of the holistic thought process based
on the omnipresence of the ultimate divinity throughout the
universe. The first mantra of Isha Upanishad can be a very strong
foundation stone for building up the castle of sustainable and
all-around development. Even preliminary reflection can make
it obvious that this philosophical approach arises basically from
the core of spirituality, which permeates through every iota of
the universe irrespective of its status decided by utilitarianism,
anthropocentrism, biocentrism, or even ecocentrism, because none
of these philosophies can demonstrate deep regard to everything
based on divinity permeating through every entity and all space.

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Prof. Devendra Mohan is a Professor of Civil Engineering at IIT
(BHU) Varanasi. He obtained his B.Tech. in Civil Engineering in
1987, M.Tech. in 1989, and PhD in Environmental Engineering,
all from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. He has extensive,
diverse and rich experience in teaching, research and testing,
and consultancy in environmental engineering for more than
three decades. His main research interests include control of trace
toxins, like arsenic and fluoride, microbiological treatment of
water and wastewater, climate change, air pollution control and
environmental ethics.

Prof. Mohan has more than one hundred research papers/articles
published in reputed international and national journals and has
authored more than 25 chapters in different books published by
Springer-Nature. He has also been instrumental in designing
reading materials and courses in Environmental Studies for
universities in India and abroad.

Prof. Mohan is also Vice-President of the Ganga Mahasabha, which
was established by Revered Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya-
ji more than a century ago to care for the Holy River Ganga. He is
associated with several social institutions, including International
Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Society for Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals, Rotary Club and Lions’ Club, to bring awareness about
methods of environmental protection.

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Dr. Bhakti Lata Devi
National President,
Water Resources Council,
India

THE WATER WORLD: LOOKING BACK TO
LOOK FORWARD THROUGH SCIENTIFIC AND

SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVES

Albert Einstein once said "We cannot solve the problem with the
same mind-set that created it". Hence, this talk will begin by using
a spiritual lens to take a deeper look at the system that humankind
has created for use and management of water. We will examine the
beliefs and values underlying the actions and decisions of the past.

This will be followed by review of the existing system in light of
the science of nature. Such a review will provide us the insights
necessary to inform the right approach to be taken when engaging
the innovation in science and technology to arrive at solutions
which result in truly sustainable outcomes.

Finally, the talk will conclude by sharing the journey of a saadhaka
from being a seeker of answers to existential crisis to devoting her
existence, knowledge and skills to solving the water crisis.

Dr. Bhakti Lata Devi is the Founder of Jal Smruti and Urban Water
Doctor, two water impact platforms. She obtained her B.Tech. in

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Civil Engineering and M.Tech. in Environmental Engineering
from VJTI, University of Bombay, and earned her PhD in Water
Management from University of Western Sydney, Australia. She
has over 30 years’ experience in facilitating and implementing
water user-led onsite self sufficient water schemes and in diverse
functions across the value chain of the water system.
Dr. Bhakti Lata Devi is also the Founder President of Water
Resources Council of WICCI or Women’s Indian Chamber
of Commerce & Industry, a pan-India network of women in
businesses and industries. She has previously worked in Sydney
Water Corporation, Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, Institute
for Sustainable Futures, CRC for Irrigation Futures, Cooks River
Alliance, and Sydney Harbour Catchment Management Authority.

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Day 2
Session 3

Holistic Education and
Human Excellence

The purpose of education is to make good human
beings with skill and expertise.
— Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam
Former President of India

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Prof. C. Panduranga
Bhatta
Founder, SAMANVAYA
Academy of Excellence;
Ex-Professor IIM Kolkata,
India

HOLISTIC EDUCATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF
HUMAN EXCELLENCE

There is a need to reassess the supreme value of education in
human life. What is needed in a borderless world is an educational
framework that encourages very liberal, all-round education of a
very high standard. This must be essentially a universally applicable
educational framework highlighting the purpose of human life
and interconnectedness at all levels of existence. The aim of this
lecture is to capture the wisdom of the ages and to make it relevant
for these times besides helping the educators and students to come
up with innovative methodologies to harness their latent potential
and channel their energies towards cultivation and sharpening of
multiple dimensions of human competencies.

The purpose of this lecture is to provide an effective strategy to
make students more socially concerned, compassionate, liberal,
inclusive, ethical, and humane through the development of
holistic personality. This lecture deals with topics such as life-
long learning, insights from yoga, understanding emotional and
spiritual dimensions of one’s personality, significance of learning
from religions and developing inclusive mindsets, which have
become all important in the 21st century.

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Prof. C. Panduranga Bhatta, Honorary Advisor of Smartail, is
a renowned Indologist and Professor of Business Ethics and
Communication. He has over four decades of teaching and research
experience at postdoctoral levels besides being a leading consultant
in India and abroad. After superannuating at the Indian Institute
of Management, Calcutta in 2017, he founded SAMANVAYA
Academy of Excellence and has immensely contributed to the
educational institutions and corporates in educating their students
and employees in ethics and values.
Prof. Bhatta has authored over a dozen enlightening books and
more than 100 research papers on leadership, ethics and values,
creative excellence, inclusive communication, managing power,
positive psychology, tacit knowledge, among others. Prof. Bhatta
has been honored twice with the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial
Award for the distinctions achieved in academics, AIMS-ICFAI
Best Teacher Award 2011, Gold Medal by Association of Indian
Management Schools, Dewang Mehta Award for Best Teacher in
Business Ethics and Communication in 2010.

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Dr. Jayanti
Ranganathan Chavan
President, ISR, Navi
Mumbai, India

DR. T. D. SINGH’S THOUGHTS ON HOLISTIC
EDUCATION: NEW INSIGHTS BASED ON 'ATHATO

BRAHMA JIJNASA'

Presently, the sudden transition from conventional class room
mode to on-line learning has brought to fore a few facts, especially
the hidden grave challenge like mental health, which existed
even before pandemic. The goal of education being blurred, the
curriculum does not impart the required wisdom to enable students
to face crisis and challenges in their life's journey. This is indeed
the time to introspect on the limitations of contemporary education
and simultaneously begin groundwork to lay the foundation for a
balanced education based on an alternative paradigm, where both
horizontal and vertical growth are synthesized.

Today we recall that Dr. T. D. Singh had remarked emphatically,
“Our goal is to make our students as worthy and exemplary citizens
of society so that they can cope with the changing sceneries and
landscapes in their life’s journey with confidence and dignity.”

To achieve this goal, he was of the firm opinion that the mission
of human life — athato brahma jijnasa, has to be incorporated in all
human enterprise, including education. A holistic education is thus
founded on an evolutionary perspective based on this important

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premise. Knowledge of this axiom is fundamental to education
because it is the primary determinant to evaluate students’ growth.

In this session, the speaker will deliberate on the above based on
the thoughts of Dr. T. D. Singh.

Dr. Jayanti Ranganathan Chavan was appointed as the Founder
President of Institute of Science and Religion, Navi Mumbai, by
Dr. T. D. Singh in 2005, after she served him for a decade. She is an
alumnus of the University of Mumbai. Her academic background
has a rare blend of mathematics, computer applications, philosophy,
and religion with a doctorate in Philosophy. She is a recipient of
HEF (Higher Education Forum) Best Teacher’s Award (2018) for
social service in education. She is also a member of Indian Women
Scientists' Association and Higher Education Forum.

Formerly, for a decade, she served in industry and academics.
For six years, she actively headed the computer department at St.
Xavier's Technical College, Mumbai, and served on the Board of
Technical Education, Maharashtra. Under her able leadership, ISR
has organized more than 30 workshops/seminars and participated
in more than 40 national and international conferences in science,
management, inter-faith, education, ethics and spirituality-related
themes. She served as the chairman of a unique two-day national
conference with University of Mumbai on 'Science and Spirituality
in the Age of Technology'.

She has authored and edited 6 books in several areas of science-
spirituality interface. She has presented 35 academic research
papers in this domain and more than 25 have been published.

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Her major researches are in the broad domain of Science and
Spirituality interface for the benefit of the academic community
as well as in Consciousness Studies from Philosophy-Vedanta
perspective. She continues to nurture her research interest
through varied platforms like presenting papers in conferences,
writing in journals and participating in internationally renowned
academic and research social network sites dedicated exclusively
for researchers where some of her works are also cited.

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Day 3
Session 1

Biochemistry, Aging and
Holistic Paradigm of Life

Spirituality provides meaning to life and death.

It guides the painful loneliness of the elderly and the
dying into creative solitude, and provides a framework

of meaning.
— Dr. T. D. Singh

Founder-Director, Bhaktivedanta Institute

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Dr. V. Siva Prabhodh
NRI Medical College,
Guntur, India

INFERENCE OF THE BIOCHEMISTRY OF HUMAN
AGING – BORN TO DIE

Aging is associated with changes in dynamic biological,
physiological, environmental, psychological, behavioural and
social processes. The changes seen during the advancement
of time, both physically and mentally, although undesired are
considered normal and are called aging. These aging changes
occur in everyone and they are universal. They are to be expected
and are inevitable. There are various theories which explain aging;
out of them, genomic and free radical theories have more scientific
evidence.

Genes influence aging and longevity. The telomeres are genetic
substances which are present at the ends of chromosomes and
are more responsible for the aging process. Normally, telomeres
protect the ends of all linear chromosomes against DNA loss
and faulty recombination. They eventually shorten during the
continuous DNA replication, i.e., cell division process, and also
in response to external stress and damage. Telomere shortening
causes abnormality in formation of new cells, proteins, biological
structures, enzymes and various metabolic components required
for the cell, leading to malfunctioning of the cell or cell senescence,

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or decrease in the functional capacity of the cell/tissue/organ.

Free radicals accelerate the aging process. Free radicals are ROS
and RNS which are by-products of metabolism and can increase
because of environmental pollutants. When they accumulate, they
damage cell membrane and cellular proteins, including DNA,
causing malfunctioning of cell or cell senescence. Normally, free
radicals are formed from mitochondria during cellular respiration
cycle, but they are removed by our innate antioxidant status.
But free radical accumulation increases because of factors like
exposure to pollution and stress. As free radicals are highly
reactive, they damage the DNA, RNA, proteins, fatty acids, etc.,
leading to destruction of cells, which finally leads to degenerative
processes, accelerating the aging process.

To conclude, genomic and free radical theories have more scientific
evidence in explaining the aging process. Aging is a dynamic and
continuous activity occurring inside the cell and the rate of aging
may change depending upon external and internal factors, but aging
won’t stop. Thereby, deeper analysis of aging phenomena indicates
that it is mandatory to accept that aging is an irreversible process
and shall be accepted as it is for the establishment of detachment
in the human conscience. Such an approach consolidates the
wonders of human detachment in worldly engagements and paves
the way for holistic solutions, which are otherwise not achieved
through the physical, scientific and philosophical paradigms of
life’s journey.

Dr. Siva Prabhodh Vuddandi received his MBBS degree from
Siddhartha Medical College, Vijayawada, in 1998 and later obtained
his M.D. in Biochemistry from Kurnool Medical College, Andhra

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Pradesh, in 2004. He also completed advanced courses at St. John’s
Medical College in Bangalore in 2014 and LSSGB-Clinical Labs at
Manipal University in 2016. Currently, he serves as Vice-Principal
of NRI Medical College, Guntur.
Dr. Siva Prabhodh also served in various senior positions in higher
education associated with the profession of allopathic medicine
education in Andhra Pradesh. He also served as the President of
the AP Association of Medical Biochemists of India (AMBI) and as
the General Secretary of AP Medical Educators Association.

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Dr. R. Ramakrishna
NRI Medical College,
Guntur, India

IMPROVISING PULMONARY
REHABILITATION THROUGH SPIRITUALITY-

BASED POSITIVE ATTITUDE

Firstly, the talk is devotes to the need for a holistic approach to
better manage chronic pulmonary diseases, such as interstitial
lung diseases and lung cancer. This is due to the greater limitations
of the diseases, financial, physical and physiological parameters of
the patient, and the support system that attempts to integrate these
issues and provide a solution acceptable to the patient. Thereafter,
the discussion focusses on the greater role of faith and spirituality-
based positive attitude towards the effective management of such
diseases from the patient's, physician's and supporting systems'
needs and perspectives.

Certain case studies will be presented to elucidate these aspects
with special reference to Yoga. Needless to say, the importance of
social and psychological support have been stressed along with
tranquility to enhance the quality of life of such patients. While
many of these can be achieved, the wonder of spirituality is to
foster tranquility and detachment to trigger, catalyze and sustain a
positive attitude based on non-physical and non-philosophical, yet
transcendental, status of the human consciousness and intellect.
Thus, life’s journey for the case of certain ailments demand the

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need for a positive attitude driven with spirituality for the better
handling of health crises in the lives of near and dear ones,
and physicians should also accept such reality and customize
detachment based on spirituality and faith in their patient
counseling, caring and treatment systems.

Dr. Ramakrishna Racakonda graduated from Andhra Medical
College, Visakhapatnam, in 1982 and subsequently obtained his
M.D. in Respiratory Medicine from Andhra Medical College in
1987. He served as the Consultant Chest Physician at Misurata
Central Hospital from 1993 to 1998. He then entered academics at
Katuri Medical College, Guntur, and NRI Medical College, Guntur
from 2003.
Dr. Ramakrishna now serves as a Professor and Head of the
Department of Pulmonology at NRI Medical College and Hospital,
Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. He has since trained 33 postgraduate
students and published 45 papers and has given more than 50
guest lectures on pulmonology and associated chronic diseases.

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Sri Segar Millindar
Former Asst. General
Manager, Air India

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT OF FITNESS
AND WELLNESS

Understanding the body in a holistic framework is the key to
wellness and good health. Modern science provides quick-fix
solutions for fitness that deal with the body alone. This domain
misses out on the fundamental understanding of Body and Mind.
We need a deeper analysis and understanding of the mind-body
paradigm, which includes the spiritual aspects, to have a holistic
approach to mind-body healing and wellness. This talk focuses on
exploring such a paradigm and the process for the management of
body and mind, thereby achieving physical, mental and emotional
wellbeing. In summary, an alternate paradigm has been advocated
in the talk that points towards the need for spirituality-based
detachment for the ultimate end of human life.

Millindar Segar completed his engineering in Electrical and
Electronics from UVCE, Bangalore and also holds a Master's
degree in Bioinformatics and an MBA. He worked for the national
carrier Air India for 25 years before taking voluntary retirement in
2015 as Assistant General Manager. He also has 15 years’ working
experience in IT consultancy, solution development and operations.

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Sri Millindar also serves as COO of VAUTECH, a drone services
company and is one of the Board of Directors of NVIERA
Technologies (Bangalore), a blockchain-based products and
solution providing company. He is also a freelance aviation
consultant. He is also a qualified Advanced Pranic Healer and
Pranic Psychotherapist.
Inspired by the works of Dr. T. D. Singh, he conducts many
seminars, lectures, workshops on various topics in science
and spirituality and serves as a senior faculty member in the
Department of Distance Education at Bhaktivedanta Institute,
Kolkata. Under his aegis, many short courses have been delivered,
such as personal excellence and professional excellence in the
application of philosophy and spirituality.

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Dr. Yash Javeri
Regency Healthcare,
Lucknow, India

END OF LIFE JOURNEY

Death is an inevitable process in the life of a human being. While
this may not be realized in due course of a human’s journey, it will
be realized to a certain extent by a patient being diagnosed with
certain ailments, such as cancer. It will be realized to a significant
extent by a patient undergoing critical care treatment. Despite all
this, greater detachment is required from the system that handles
the patient, including the family and the critical care system.
Often, such a system ignores the patient's needs due to greater
conditioning and attachment to the worldly issues by the family
members, the physicians team and those serving the patient.

Thus, a holistic approach is required to systematically facilitate
detachment in the care system through the effective understanding
of the patient, the family and the physician's requirements, and
subsequently implementing them in the caring system. Finally, the
talk is devoted to good death practices that need to be adopted in
the Indian critical care system and thereby facilitate peaceful end-
of-life journey of the patient. In summary, the talk emphasizes on
the critical need of spirituality in the day-to-day engagement of a
physician, patient, family and support system associated with the
critical and trauma care of a needful patient.

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Dr. Yash Javeri graduated as a Gold Medalist from Govt. Stanley
Medical College, Chennai and pursued Anaesthesiology at JNMC,
Aligarh Muslim University. He also studied Critical Care Medicine
(IDCCM) at Sri Gangaram Hospital, Delhi and underwent online
infection control training from John Hopkins Medical School,
USA. He was subsequently recognised as Fellow in Indian College
of Critical Care Medicine (FICCM) by Indian College of Critical
Care Medicine in 2018. With his rich experience in critical care
medicine, Dr. Yash Javeri currently serves as the Head of Critical
Care Medicine and Emergency Medicine at Regency Health,
Lucknow, India.
Dr. Javeri also serves as the Vice-President of Society of Neuro-
critical care and Convenor of Indian Sepsis Forum. He has been the
Course Director for the CRISP, Covid Course. He is well-known in
the patient and doctor circles as one who strives for a zero error
and cost effective critical care setup in resource limited areas. He is
credited with 30 book chapters and more than 40 original articles.

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Day 3
Session 2

Science, Spirituality and
Search for the Purpose of

Life & the Universe

If we see the structure of the universe as having really

remarkable characteristics, it seems to suggest that there is a
purpose. If we understand the structure and how it works very
well, then they may give us some hints as to the purpose of
the universe. If we understand the purpose, then that should
probably say how it is structured. Those two must come close
together, and this is why I say that science and religion are

quite parallel. They must converge.
— Charles H. Townes

Nobel Laureate in Physics

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Prof. Vijay P. Bhatkar
Chancellor, Nalanda
University, India

Padma Bhusan Dr. Vijay P. Bhatkar is an Indian computer scientist,
IT leader and educationist, who is currently the Chancellor of
Nalanda University. A Ph.D. alumnus of IIT Delhi in the field of
Computer Science and Engineering, Prof. Bhatkar is best known as
the architect of India's national institute in supercomputing, where
he led the development of Param supercomputers, the first Indian
supercomputer.
Prof. Bhatkar has been instrumental in building several national
institutions and research centers and has also served as a member
of the scientific advisory committee to the Government of India,
the CSIR governing body and chairperson of the Science and
Engineering Research Body (SERB). He has authored and edited
more than 12 books and over 80 technical and research papers.
He received several well-known recognitions including Padma
Bhusan in 2015 and Padma Shri in 2000.

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Prof. P. B. Sharma
Vice Chancellor, Amity
University, India

THE PURPOSE OF SCIENCE

At a time when the world today is trying to recover from the
deadly and devastating virus that has been caused by Covid-19
pandemic, both to its social as well as economic systems, it would
be important to look back, pause and ponder on our journey to this
date using the power of science and the might of technology so as
also to discover a more profound meaning and purpose of science.
In fact, the Covid-19 took the global community by a total surprise
in January 2019, as it spread like a fire to all nations of the world,
the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor all included, no
one spared. What is more intriguing is the fact that it brought to
the knees the strongest nations of the world and sent the scientists
looking around for solutions to contain its spread, investigate its
origin and find ways and means to protect the vast humanity
from a deadly virus by developing vaccines in great hurry to be
administered to seven billion plus people around the globe.

For the first time, in the history of science and the modern scientific
civilization, it was realized that the power of microbes worked
stronger than the power of guns and missiles, even nuclear arsenal
that the scientific minds provided to the great nations to protect
their territories and assert their supremacy of scientific and

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technological dominance. No wonder that the deadly pandemic
had hit the world when monumental challenges of air and water
pollution, climate change, energy security, environmental and
human health were being addressed by the scientific community
around the world.

The advent of modern science and technology innovations were
associated with rapid growth of science and its translation into
the wheels of power during the last one century or more that
enabled the humankind to move fast on road, fly in air and even
land on moon and carry out a lot of space explorations to explore
the vast universe beyond the planet earth. The automation and
new communication technologies and their integration into
machines and systems also provided the world of production
and manufacturing in industries to produce more and this along
with strategic marketing created ever increasing demands for
more and more consumption that prompted rapid rise of GDP of
industrialized nations.

It may be important to realize that after the second world war
when many advanced nations of the world were badly shattered,
the science and technology minds enabled these nations to recover
fast the damage devastation they suffered during the second world
war. Hereafter, the growth of science and technology developments
got aligned to the needs of the industries and corporates to fuel
exponential growth of GDP, supported by increased productivity
both of man and the machines. It is this interface of science and
technology and their effective integration with man and machines
that created ever increasing demands for mass production.
The advent of Robotics and modern-day integration of AI and
Machine Learning in a truly networked environment of design
and production further facilitated the rise of modern industries
thriving on Industry 4.0 technologies.

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With this came the rapid exploitation of natural resources to fuel
the greed of ever escalating needs of production of goods and
services to support urbanization-based development of nations,
including here in India. Naturally, the care and concern for
environment and maintenance of natural harmony with nature
and the ecological balance got the back seat in our developmental
goals for increasing GDP and boosting the economic growth,
even creating economic divide and deep disparity in the society,
resulting into a deep concentration of wealth in the hands the top
1% of the world population. Just to mention, “According to the latest
Fed data, the top 1% of Americans have a combined net worth of
$34.2 trillion (or 30.4% of all household wealth in the U.S.), while
the bottom 50% of the population holds just $2.1 trillion combined
(or 1.9% of all wealth)” as per Forbes, October 8, 2020. The situation
in rapidly developing economies like India is no different wherein
the top 1% population commands 42.5% of national wealth while
the bottom 50%, the majority of the population, owns a mere 2.8%
as per the Oxfam report, 2020. Thus, it is quite evident that science
has largely gone to benefit the richest of the rich, who still continue
to benefit from scientific advances and technology innovations.
Naturally, the purpose of science got largely intermixed with the
broad objective of excelling industries and corporates with little
care for the people and mother nature. Hence, besides scarifying
the vital harmony with nature, we even created conditions by
which the society lost its vital strength of affinity and aatmiyata.

The purpose of science thus seems to have been lost into serving
the interest of the industries and the corporates. In my opinion,
Science has a much bigger purpose. It begins with, knowing
about yourself and the surroundings, exploring the world around,
discovering the mysteries of the universe, taking a deep plunge
into discovering the secrets of creation and ultimately connecting

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to the divinity within and the all-pervading divinity in creation
all around.

To the ancient Indian mind, science was, in the true sense, the quest
for truth, a means indeed for empowerment to rise to the level of
Godhead. The purpose of science therefore during the Vedic times
was aligned to the purpose of life. i.e., to know your real self, build
around a life tuned to divine and discover the oneness of diversity
and diversity of oneness in what the Vedic scientists, seers and
sages called Purna, that is the whole from where everything else is
created and is thus the part and parcel of Purna to which it finally
goes to. Om Purnamadah, Purnamidam, Purnat, Purnamudatcchayate,
as described in the Isha-Upanishad of the Rig-Veda.

To the ancient Vedic scientists, the meaning and purpose of science
was to assist man to live a life full of divine bliss in otherwise
earthly existence and that too for a good 100 years or more. The
science was thus aligned to the Science of Life and its purpose to
the purpose of life. Maybe now that we got a wake up call from
Covid-19 to redefine the meaning and purpose of life, the purpose
of science needs to be aligned to the meaning and purpose of life.
Let the synthesis between science and spirituality provide a valid
platform to realign this purpose of science for the glory of man
and the glory of God.

Prof. P. B. Sharma is a renowned academician and former President
of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and is currently
the Vice-Chancellor of Amity University, Gurugram. Formerly, he
served as Professor of Mechanical Engineering at IIT-Delhi. He
was also the founding Vice-Chancellor of Delhi Technological

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University (DTU) and founding Vice-Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi
Technical University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
A crusader of the synthesis of science and spirituality, Prof. Sharma
has been conferred honoris causa Doctor of Science degree by
Dr KN Modi University Jaipur in 2018 and also honoris causa
Doctor of Engineering degree by his alma mater, University of
Birmingham, UK in 2013. He is a strong exponent of the synergy
between science and spirituality and a renowned thought leader
for creating a new world of peace, compassion and aatmiyata.

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Prof. Sandeep Kumar
IIT (BHU) Varanasi, India

MATHEMATICAL SPACE AND LOGIC
FOR SPIRITUALITY

In general, the decision-making by human beings do not follow
proper logic because of absence of clarity in thought process. To
fulfill the innumerable and insatiable desires, they tend to accept
and practice all kinds of logical, illogical, fair, unfair, ethical
and unethical ways, means and beliefs. Purpose of spirituality
is to raise the level of consciousness with an objective to elevate
collective happiness. The field of spirituality has remained the
biggest challenge for logical thinkers and mathematicians and
therefore, it warrants a systematic and intensive research efforts.
Validity of a logic system can be ensured only in a properly formed
space so that it does not result in any misunderstanding and then,
conflict of interests. In this presentation, it is intended to bring to
light again an outstanding Vedic texts with the help of axioms and
spaces. This provide necessary continuity in order to employ
rigorous mathematical logic.

Dr. Sandeep Kumar is a Professor, Department of Mechanical
Engineering, IIT (BHU), Varanasi. He graduated from MNREC

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Allahabad and completed post-graduation from IT, BHU, Varanasi.
His field of interest is Computational Mechanics. After completing
Ph.D. from IIT Delhi in the field of composite plates and shells, he
has worked in various fields of research such as meshless methods,
chaos theory, and wavelets etc. Before joining IIT (BHU), he worked
in REC Kurukshetra, BITS Pilani and AIMST, Malaysia. He has
guided many M.Tech. and 6 Ph.D students. He has completed
projects for DST and BARC. He has more than 35 publications in
international journals and many publications in conferences. He
has written a book, Mathematical Theory of Subdivisions - Finite
Elements and Wavelet Methods, which is published by CRC press.

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Day 3
Session 3

Young Minds Speak

...Both scientists and spiritualists or religionists are

engaged in search for the ultimate meaning of life and the
universe. The scientific path tries to explain the nature of
reality within rationality, whereas the religious or spiritual

path does so within and beyond rationality.
— Dr. T. D. Singh

Founder-Director, Bhaktivedanta Institute

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Dr. Sai Phani Kumar
Postdoctoral Fellow,
Northwestern University,
USA

SYNTHETIC CONNECTIVITY, EMERGENCE
AND SELF-REGENERATION IN THE

NETWORK OF PREBIOTIC CHEMISTRY

The objective of this study is to generate the network of reactions
from the basic prebiotic feedstocks, such as CH4, NH3, H2O, HCN,
N2 and H2S, through computations under generally-accepted
conditions (temperature, pressure, reaction type and solvent). The
six prebiotic species undergo various transformations to produce
amino acids, nucleosides and nucleobases, which are significant
to understand the building blocks of chemical origin of life. The
reaction network consisted of both previously reported and
unreported routes to biotic targets as well as abiotic molecules.

Dr. Sai Phani is currently working as a postdoctoral research
fellow at McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern
University. He pursued his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur. He has research
experience in the computational design of metal oxide-based
materials for heterogeneous catalysis, high-performance battery

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applications and drug delivery applications with emphasis on
the surface chemistry of different surface-exposed facets and
site-specific activity. His research interest is also in the field of
computational modelling of biomolecular systems.

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Dr. Ashutosh Mohanty
Postdoctoral Fellow, IISc
Bangalore, India

MANTRA MEDITATION: EFFECT
OF SOUND

Recitation of Mantras, especially Vedic hymns, and Meditation
have been the common interest of Scientists and Spiritualists
from time immemorial. This presentation aims at presenting
the scientific studies and reflections on meditation by recitation
of Mantras. In general, Meditation is considered as a practice of
focused or relaxed attention upon a thought, or a sound or an
object or on breath, in order to increase awareness of the self at
the present moment. Meditation has become an integral part of
the majority of people. Experts from many countries, especially
yoga practitioners, not only practice meditation themselves, but
they have also redefined the meaning of it completely based on
their research and experiences. In this presentation, the effect
of reciting the mantra on plants and the human body, specially
focused on mind, body and soul, will be discussed based on a few
scientific research findings. A case study on the Maha-mantra will
be presented.

Dr. Ashutosh Mohanty is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Solid
State and Structural Chemistry Unit, IISc. He received his Ph.D. in

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Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, in 2021.
His area of research interest involves organic-inorganic hybrid
perovskite materials and their spectroscopic study with solar cell
applications.
He has expertise in instruments such as electron microscopy,
fluorescence microscopy and ultrafast spectroscopy. He was
awarded the Best PhD Thesis Award for research excellence in
Solid State Physics in the year 2021, conferred by Dept. of Atomic
Energy, Govt. of India. He has been learning and practicing
Vedantic philosophy for the last four years.

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Mr. Ruthvik Galem
4th Year B.Tech. (Civil
Engg.), IIT Bhubaneswar,
India

MYSTERY OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Consciousness or being conscious is part of everyday life. Many
branches of science try to explain consciousness. For example,
neuroscientists try to explain consciousness using neuronal
activity, while quantum physicists try to explain consciousness
through the collapse of the wave function. Consciousness became
a multidisciplinary subject and a good area of research. Many
profound scientists have contributed to this research area, like
Rene Descartes, Erwin SchrÎdinger and Hermann Von Helmholtz.
The effort made by scientists and different branches of science
is noteworthy but were they really able to solve the mystery of
consciousness? Is science able to explain consciousness by using
scientific laws? Do animals possess consciousness? What are the
laws that indicate that we have consciousness? The presentation
seeks to explore the mysterious phenomenon of consciousness.

Ruthvik Galem is a 4th year undergraduate student pursuing
an Integrated Dual Degree of B.Tech. in Civil Engineering and
M.Tech. in Environmental Engineering at IIT Bhubaneswar. His
research interests include Environmental Engineering and Air
Pollution Assessment. In addition, he has keen interest in the field
of consciousness from both Scientific and Vedantic paradigms.

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Mr. Deepankar
Sarmah
PhD Student, University
of Basel, Switzerland

CAN QUANTUM PHYSICS
EXPLAIN CONSCIOUSNESS?

The interpretations of quantum physics are based on the idea
of wavefunction collapse due to the presence of an observer
(measurement). This brings in a conscious observer into the
picture. Hence, quantum physics and consciousness has been an
important topic of research for a few decades. There is a huge
attempt by quantum physicists to explain consciousness in terms
of wavefunction collapse because of some interaction of the mind
with the brain.

Biologists try to explain consciousness with quantum physics in
neural activity, which led to the development of quantum biology.
Anesthesiologists also try to explain consciousness through the
study of human-body under the influence of anesthesia, which
involves some quantum effects. In this talk, we start with the
first detailed theory of quantum consciousness. Then we delve
into the developments in quantum biology, and finally discuss
some ideas based on anesthesia research. We explore phenomena,
like “out-of-body experience” and "conscious collapse”, and also
try to understand the ideas proposed by some famous scientists
in this regard. The talk unveils that consciousness is required to
understand quantum physics, rather than otherwise thought.

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Deepankar Sarmah is a second-year PhD student at the University
of Basel, Switzerland. He obtained his Integrated BS-MS degree in
Physics from IISER-Kolkata in 2020. His research interests include
quantum computing, semiconductor-superconductor hybrid
quantum devices, semiconducting nanowires, quantum transport
and microwave engineering. He is working on the development
of quantum computer architecture for spin-qubits in nanowires
quantum-dots and coupling quantum-dots in Silicon nanowire to
superconducting resonators.

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Mr. Roshan Tiwari
PhD Student, IISER
Kolkata, India

IS OUR REALITY SIMULATED? CLUES FROM
QUANTUM MECHANICS

Are we living in a simulated reality? Is there any base reality to
these simulations? Who made the simulation? These questions
have puzzled not only philosophers but also scientists for decades.
Many endeavors have been made in recent times to answer these
questions using modern science, especially quantum mechanics.
The double-slit experiment in quantum mechanics has given us
some hints about simulated reality. It tells us about the collapse of
probability wave function on measurement, signifying subjective
reality. This sounds very similar to simulation, which uses
conditional rendering—which means rendering only that part of
reality seen by the character or player in simulation, with other
remaining parts out of sight. This is in sync with the quantum
phenomenon of wave function collapse.

Moreover, the delayed-choice quantum eraser experiment being
the extension of the double-slit experiment shows us that future
events can affect the past. This is similar to the simulation that
uses AI-based algorithms to branch out possibilities, evaluate
them, and bring this information back into the present to decide
what to do next. Thus, these examples along with further research
in quantum mechanics can reveal more such hints about simulated
reality.

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Roshan Tiwari is a Research Scholar in the Department of
Physical Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science Education
and Research (IISER) Kolkata. He completed his B.Sc. in Physics
from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, in 2014 and is
currently pursuing his Integrated Ph.D. at IISER Kolkata. His
research interests include spectroscopy, bioinspired-waveguides,
microscopy, sensing, optical trapping and statistical analysis. He is
also interested in the connections of unexplored aspects of reality
with age-old wisdom.

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Mr. Sai Vineeth Katta
4th Year B.Tech. (CSE), IIT
Bhubaneswar, India

GAME VS. GAMER - WHO'S
INFLUENCING WHOM?

Are games useful? Are bots better at understanding than humans?
What makes us different from robots? What happens when you
are addicted to modern-day games? Will gamers get influenced
by the game? In this presentation, we explore subtler aspects of
consciousness with an analogy of game and gamer.

Katta Saivineeth is 4th Year of B.Tech Computer Science and
Engineering at IIT Bhubaneswar. He secured AIR - 1686 in the
prestigious JEE (Advanced) in 2018. His research interests include
machine learning algorithms development, web development and
business analytics.

——

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Thoughts of the
Founding Fathers

Intuitionistic Mathematics - An Inner
Architecture

The point of view that there are non-experienced truths and that
logic is not an absolutely reliable instrument to discover truths
has found acceptance with regard to mathematics much later
than with regard to practical life and to science. Mathematics
rigorously treated from this point of view, including deducing
theorems exclusively by means of introspective construction, is
called intuitionistic mathematics. In many respects it deviates
from classical mathematics uses logic to generate theorems,
believes in the existence of unknown truths and in particular
applies the principle of the excluded third expressing that every
mathematical assertion (i.e, every assignment of a mathematical
property to a mathematical entity) either is a truth or cannot be a
truth. … In particular, theorems holding in intuitionism but not
in classical mathematics, often originate from the circumstance
that for mathematical entities belonging to a certain species, the
possession of a certain property imposes a special character of
their way of development from the basic intuition, properties ensue
which for classical mathematics are false. … intuitionism on the
one hand stabilizes logic and on the other hand denounces logic as
a source of truth. Further that intuitionistic mathematics is inner
architecture and that research in foundations of mathematics is
inner inquiry with revealing and liberating consequences also in
non-mathematical domains of thought.

— L. E. J. Brouwer,
Consciousness, Philosophy and Mathematics

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Change in the Concept of Reality through
Quantum Theory

It is true that quantum theory is only a small sector of atomic
physics and atomic physics again is only a very small sector
of modern science. Still it is in quantum theory that the most
fundamental changes with respect to the concept of reality have
taken place and in quantum theory in its final form the new ideas
of atomic physics are concentrated and crystallized. The enormous
and extremely complicated experimental equipment needed for
research in nuclear physics shows another very impressive aspect
of this part of modern science. But with regard to the experimental
technique, nuclear physics represents the extreme extension of a
method of research which has determined the growth of modern
science ever since Huyghens or Volta or Faraday. In a similar sense
the discouraging mathematical complication of some parts of
quantum theory may be said to represent the extreme consequence
of the methods of Newton or Gauss or Maxwell. But the change in
the concept of reality manifesting itself in quantum theory is not
simply a continuation of the past; it seems to be a real break in the
structure of modern science.

— An Old and a New Tradition, Werner Heisenberg
Physics and Philosophy (1958)

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Cutting out Oneself - Leads to Gaps and
Paradoxes

… science in its attempt to describe and understand Nature simplifies
this very difficult problem. The scientist subconsciously, almost
inadvertently, simplifies his problem of understanding Nature
by disregarding or cutting out of the picture to be constructed,
himself, his own personality, the subject of cognizance.

Inadvertently the thinker steps back into the role of an external
observer. This facilitates the task very much. But it leaves gaps,
enormous lachance, leads to paradoxes and antinomies whenever,
unaware of this initial renunciation, one tries to find oneself in the
picture or to put oneself, one’s own thinking and sensing mind,
back into the picture.

This momentous step—cutting oneself, stepping back into the
position of an observer who has nothing to do with the whole
performance—has received other names, making it appear quite
harmless, natural, inevitable. It might be called just objectivation,
looking upon the world as an object. The moment you do that, you
have virtually ruled yourself out. A frequently used expression
is the hypothesis of the real world around us’. Why, only a fool
would forgo it! Quite right, only a fool. Nonetheless it is a definite
trait, a definite feature of our way of understanding Nature - and
it has consequences.

— What are the Special Features?
Erwin Schrodinger, Nature and the Greeks (1954)

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Experimenter’s Free Choice

It was wave or quantum mechanics that was first able to assert
the existence of primary probabilities in the laws of nature, which
accordingly do not admit of reduction to deterministic natural laws
by auxiliary hypotheses, as do for example the thermodynamic
probabilities of classical physics. This revolutionary consequence
is regarded as irrevocable by the great majority of modern
theoretical physicists - primarily by Max Born, Werner Heisenberg
and Neils Bohr with whom I also associate myself.

Opposition to this has not been lacking but having got stuck
in the stage of regressive hopes, it has remained fruitless. It is
moreover in the nature of the cause that this opposition should
have fallen into two classes from the outset. Those in one class (to
which Schrodinger belongs) consider waves to be more beautiful
than particles and would accordingly like to eliminate the latter
concept. The others, following De Brogile’s earlier theory of the
“pilot wave” is one of its possible variants, would like to introduce
particles and waves as two separate co-existing halves of a physical
reality thus falling into two parts.

I do not wish to embark here upon a detailed discussion of recent
attempts which have been made to revive these old ideas but rather
to characterize the epistemological consequences of the statistical
interpretation of wave mechanics, which in my view is the only
satisfactory one. According to this conception every experimental
arrangement is accompanied by an undeterminable interaction
between the measuring instrument and the system observed; as a
result, any knowledge gained by an observation must be paid for
by an irrevocable loss of some other knowledge. What knowledge
is gained and what other knowledge is irrevocably lost, is left

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to the experimenter’s free choice between mutually exclusive
experimental arrangements. It is on this possibility of a free choice
of mutually complementary experimental arrangements that the
indeterministic character of natural laws postulated by quantum
mechanics rests.

— Wolfgang Pauli,
Writings of Physics and Philosophy

Faith is the Bedrock of Scientific Knowledge

The fact is that we cannot relativize everything any more than we
can define and explain everything. There are fundamentals that
cannot be defined or explained because they form the bedrock
of all our knowledge. Every definition must necessarily rest on
some concept which does not call for definition at all. And it is the
same with every form of proof. We cannot define a thing except in
terms that are already known and accepted and we cannot prove
anything except from something that is already admitted. If we
wish to establish a truth by the inductive method it must be on
the basis of accepted facts. And if we wish to establish a truth
by the process of deductive reasoning the principle from which
the deduction proceeds must be accepted as absolute. Therefore
the relativist concept must necessarily have the concept of the
absolute as its foundation. If we once remove the absolute, then the
whole relativist theory will fall to the ground, just as an overcoat
would fall if the peg on which it hangs should disappear. … Yes,
we are always being brought face to face with the irrational. Else
we couldn’t have faith. And if we did not have faith but could solve
every puzzle in life by an application of human reason, what an
unbearable burden life would be. We should have no art and no

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