The Subhas Chandra Bose Chair on International Relations, an initiative of the School of Law, Governance and Public, represents a pioneering initiative poised to redefine the discourse surrounding the dynamic complexities of 21st-century International Relations. Rooted firmly within the burgeoning landscape of Indian strategic culture, its mandate is to invigorate India’s rising trajectory in global affairs through the infusion of innovative ideas and acute analysis. With a keen focus on Asia as the definitive continent of this era, mirroring Europe’s influence in the 19th century and America’s dominance in the 20th, the Chair aims to articulate India’s perspective on emerging global priorities. By fostering collaboration among a diverse network of stakeholders, it endeavours to cultivate a distinct knowledge base founded on evidence-based research, laying the groundwork for India’s evolving role on the world stage. As a vanguard research platform, the Chair aspires to set and correct the agenda for International Relations in Asia. The Chair is driven by three overarching goals: to identify and champion high-impact interdisciplinary research, to equip advanced learners and researchers with expertise in key international relations domains, and to foster partnerships and a collaborative community dedicated to driving research and innovation forward.
Call for Abstracts
Conference on India’s Engagement with the World
Advisory Council of the Chair
Shri. P S Raghavan
Chair | psaraneg@yahoo.com
A former Diplomat and Ambassador, Shri. P.S. Raghavan is Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board of India. He had diplomatic assignments in the USSR, UK, Poland, South Africa and Vietnam, and was ambassador to the Czech Republic, Ireland and Russia. He was Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (2000-2004), dealing with foreign affairs, nuclear energy, space, defence and national security.
As Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (2013-14), he steered India’s external economic relations and the Administration, Security and e-governance departments. He founded and headed the Development Partnership Administration, which coordinates India’s economic partnership with developing countries.
Shri. Raghavan graduated in Physics from St Stephen’s College, Delhi and also studied Electronics & Communications Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He is a Member of the Academic Council of the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore and a Distinguished Fellow with the Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi.
Shri. N Parthasarathi
Member | npartha2015@gmail.com
Shri. N Parthasarathi is a former ambassador and diplomat with more than three decades of service in the Indian Foreign service. From September 2005 to September 2008, he served as the ambassador of India to the Republic of South Korea and from October 2008 to September 2011, he served as ambassador of India to Senegal. During that time, he was also concurrently accredited as ambassador of India to Mali, Mauritania, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde Islands, as well as High Commissioner of India to the Republic of The Gambia. He was also the Consul General of India in San Francisco, USA, from October 2011 to October 2014. He retired from the Foreign Service at the end of October 2014 and has moved back to Bangalore. He is the Advisor to the Board of Directors at Janyaa. He is a distinguished member of the Advisory Council for Chair Professorship in International Relations at Chanakya University, Bengaluru.
From July 2015 to November 2016, he served as the Secretary-General/ CEO of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Bengaluru and till recently, he was the CEO of the Karnataka State Cricket Association. Currently, he is busy with mentoring many start-ups and advising organisations/Universities on many issues of interest. He writes regularly about international relations in Indian print media and participates in discussions on TV channels. For more than three decades, he has been involved in efforts to promote the interests of India’s Commerce and industry. He has consistently interacted with nodal organisations such as FICCI, CII and various other institutions in India and Industry and Trade, Think Tanks, Academia and Government in various countries around the globe.
Shri. Parthasarathi brings with him a rich experience, stature, Integrity and Leadership. His engineering and Management background helps him to understand the industry, economy and commerce comfortably, and his diplomatic skills in articulation and negotiation make him a natural and able administrator. He has in-depth knowledge, is resourceful and has wide-ranging experience.
Shri. Parthasarathi graduated as a Mechanical Engineer in 1974 from Mysore University and served as an Executive Engineer with a major PSU in Bangalore till 1980. During this period, he also earned an MBA degree (International Marketing) and a Post Graduate Diploma (Industrial Management) from Bangalore University in India.He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1981 and has served as a diplomat in countries throughout the world, including Pakistan, Belgium and the United Kingdom. He was the Head of the Gulf Division in the Ministry of External Affairs, and he has also served in Syria. He has served in different capacities in the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs) in New Delhi.
Shri. Parthasarathi has published four books: (i) ‘The Reluctant Assassin’, a fictional thriller published in Delhi in January 2005; – the story reflects the lives of people whose families are divided between India and Pakistan. (ii) “The Legend of Ayodhya Princess in Korea”, a fictional novel linking the ancient history of India and Korea. The latter was translated into the Korean language as ‘Bi Dan Hwang Hoo’ (Silk Empress) (iii) The National Book Trust published “SriRatna-Kim Suro”; a children’s book based on this novel. (iv) He has recently published “Suspended Lives”, a novel dealing with domestic violence and life in America.
Shri. Vijay Gokhale
Member | vijay.gokhale@ceip.org
Shri. Vijay Gokhale, former ambassador and Foreign Secretary of India, retired from the Indian Foreign Service in January 2020 after a diplomatic career that spanned thirty-nine years. Shri. Vijay Gokhale is a non-resident senior fellow at Carnegie India. He has also been a distinguished faculty member at the Symbiosis International University in Pune since January 2021.
Prior to his term as foreign secretary, Shri. Gokhale served as India’s high commissioner to Malaysia from January 2010 to October 2013, as ambassador of India to the Federal Republic of Germany from October 2013 to January 2016, and as ambassador of India to the People’s Republic of China from January 2016 to October 2017. He has served as head of the India-Taipei Association in Taiwan from July 2003 to January 2007. During his time in the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs, he has also worked in key positions in the East Asia Division, including as the joint secretary (Director General) for East Asia from March 2007 to December 2009.
He has worked extensively on matters relating to the Indo-Pacific region with a special emphasis on Chinese politics and diplomacy. Since his retirement, he has been an active writer for prominent news outlets. He has written three books on China, namely Tiananmen Square: The Making of a Protest (2021), The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India (2021), After Tiananmen: The Rise of China (2022), and Crosswinds: Nehru, Zhou and the Anglo-American Competition over China (2024).
Shri. Gokhale speaks English, Hindi, Marathi, and Mandarin Chinese. He has a master’s degree in History from the University of Delhi in 1980. He studied Mandarin Chinese at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1983-84.
Shri. Pankaj Saran
Member | pankaj.saran@natstratindia.org
Shri. Pankaj Saran is a former ambassador and diplomat with forty years of experience in foreign, strategic and national security affairs. He has served in key positions within the Government of India in the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Security Council Secretariat, the Ministry of External Affairs and in several Indian Missions abroad. He is a Member of the National Security Advisory Board. He is the Convenor of NatStrat, a Delhi-based independent Centre for Research on Strategic and Security Issues and a Distinguished Fellow of the National Maritime Foundation. He is a distinguished member of the Advisory Council for Chair Professorship in International Relations at Chanakya University, Bengaluru.
He has served as India’s ambassador to Russia, India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, and as Head of the Northern Division in the Ministry of External Affairs dealing with Nepal and Bhutan.He has worked in different capacities with successive Indian Prime Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Office, contributing to decision-making at the highest levels in a diverse range of sectors, including foreign affairs and national security. From 2018 to 2021, he served as the Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Affairs under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, dealing with regional and global strategy formulation, including maritime security and Arctic affairs, neighbourhood policy and technology and economic security. He is also a regular commentator and writer on foreign affairs, security and strategic issues.
Shri. D B Venkatesh Varma
Member | 1961dbv@gmail.com
Shri. D. B. Venkatesh Varma was a Member of the Indian Foreign Service from 1988 to 2021. During his diplomatic career, he has worked in the Ministry of External Affairs, in the Office of External Affairs Minister and in the Prime Minister’s Office. He served as India’s ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, to the Kingdom of Spain and to the Russian Federation until October 2021. He is a Distinguished Fellow at Vivekananda International Foundation. He is a distinguished member of the Advisory Council for Chair Professorship in International Relations at Chanakya University, Bengaluru.
Shri. Varma has vast experience in India’s Security and Defence policies, including its nuclear, missile, and space programs. He has more than 12 years of experience in the field of multilateral non-proliferation and disarmament—nuclear, chemical, biological and conventional weapons, having served three postings in the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. He also served as Joint Secretary in charge of Disarmament and International Security in the Ministry of External Affairs between 2010-2013. He was a member of the UN Group of Government Experts on Missiles and on Disarmament and Nuclear Non-Proliferation Education. He was also a Member of the Indian Delegation to the UNGA in 1998-1999, 2003- 2005 and 2008-2016. He has attended 9 Sessions of the UN First Committee and 7 Sessions of the United Nations Disarmament Commission.
Shri. Varma was a key member of the Indian negotiating team involved in the Civil Nuclear Initiative with the US during his tenure as Director in the Prime Minister’s Office during 2004-2007 and as a member of the Indian Delegation to Conference on Disarmament and as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He was involved in negotiations relating to all stages of the Civil Nuclear Initiative—the bilateral negotiations with the US, including the 123 Agreement; negotiations with the Nuclear Suppliers Group; and negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency. He was involved in negotiating bilateral nuclear agreements with other countries. He has conducted bilateral negotiations with the US, Russia, UK, France, China and Pakistan, as well as with Australia, Austria, Canada, Switzerland, Brazil, BRICS and CICA countries. He has vast experience with respect to India’s Civil Nuclear Programme. Shri. Varma was a key member of India’s delegation to the Nuclear Security Summits during 2010-2013.
With three separate postings in Moscow spanning three decades, Shri. Varma has vast experience in India’s strategic relations with Russia. As ambassador, he was closely involved with developing India’s relations with Russia, including Prime Minister Modi’s Act Far East Initiative, and deepening India’s Defence, Nuclear, Space, Energy, Commercial, Science & Technology and Cultural relations with Russia. He has spoken at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum and the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
Shri. Varma was the first Recipient of the S.K. Singh Award for Excellence in the Indian Foreign Service in 2011 for his contribution to the negotiations of the Civil Nuclear Initiative.
Prof. Harsh Pant
Member | harsh.pant@kcl.ac.ukharshpan
Prof. Harsh V. Pant is the Vice President Studies and Foreign Policy at Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi. He is a Professor of International Relations with King’s India Institute at Kings College London. He is also the Director (Honorary) of the Delhi School of Transnational Affairs at Delhi University. Professor Pant has been a Visiting Professor at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Banaras Hindu University Varanasi. A Visiting Fellow at the Center for the Advanced Study of India University of Pennsylvania and a Visiting Scholar at the Center for International Peace and Security Studies at McGill University. He is also a Non-Resident Fellow with the Wadhwani Chair in US-India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Washington DC , and an Emerging Leaders Fellow at the Australia-India Institute University of Melbourne. He is a distinguished member of the Advisory Council for Chair Professorship in International Relations at Chanakya University, Bengaluru.
Prof. Pant’s current research is focused on Asian security issues. His most recent books include India and Global Governance: A Rising Power and Its Discontents (Routledge), Politics and Geopolitics: Decoding India’s Neighbourhood Challenge (Rupa), America and the Indo-Pacific: Trump and Beyond (Routledge), New Directions in India’s Foreign Policy: Theory and Praxis (Cambridge University Press)
Prof. Pant is also a Distinguished Visiting Faculty at the Chanakya Fellowship in Social Sciences Programme at Chanakya University.
Prof. Manjari Chatterjee Miller
Member | mmiller@cfr.org
Prof. Manjari Chatterjee Miller is a senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). She is also a research associate in the Contemporary South Asian Studies Programme at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies at the University of Oxford. An expert on India, China, South Asia, and rising powers, she is the author of Why Nations Rise: Narratives and the Path to Great Power (2021, shortlisted for the 2022 Hedley Bull Prize in International Relations) and Wronged by Empire: Post-Imperial Ideology and Foreign Policy in India and China (2013). Miller is also the co-editor of the Routledge Handbook of China-India Relations (2020), a columnist for the Hindustan Times, and a frequent contributor to policy and media outlets in the United States and Asia.
Prof. Miller is a distinguished member of the Advisory Council for Chair Professorship in International Relations at Chanakya University, Bengaluru. She is currently on leave from the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, where she is a tenured associate professor of international relations and the director of the Rising Powers Initiative at the Pardee Center. She has been a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, a fellow at the Belfer Center of Science and International Affairs at Harvard University, a visiting associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, and a visiting scholar at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Crawford School of Public Policy at Australian National University.
She has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed and policy journals, and chapters in edited books. She serves on the international advisory board of Chatham House’s International Affairs journal and the editorial board of the National Bureau of Asian Research’s Asia Policy journal, and her research has been supported by grants and fellowships from multiple institutions. Miller received a BA from the University of Delhi, an MSc from the University of London, and a PhD from Harvard University. She was a post-doctoral fellow in the China and the World Program at Princeton University.
Dr Chetan Singai
Member-Secretary | Chetan.s@chanakyauniversity.edu.in
Dr Chetan Singai obtained his doctoral degree (PhD) from the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bengaluru, India. His doctoral thesis was on ‘Higher Education and University Governance in India: A case study of public and private university. He completed his MPhil in Law and Governance at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Dr Chetan received his master’s in political science from the Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He received the prestigious Erasmus Mundus Scholarship to pursue a Master’s in Lifelong Learning: Policy and Management, a joint degree from University of London (UK), University of Aarhus (Denmark) and University of Deusto (Spain).