Theme: "QUO VADIS" - Where are we headed?

Marcel Proust once said, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes.”
We live in a fast-paced, rapidly changing world where one word marks the essence of human life: speed. It is in this environment, where the bottom line is what drives many of us and results take center stage, that we wish to create an oasis of thought and introspection. Quo vadis, meaning “where are you going?” is our attempt at curating an amalgamation of ideas and thoughts from those who have taken the time to pause and think. Today, we, as a people, have grown insensitive. It is not only evident in the treatment of refugees with hundreds of thousands of people stranded in camps and sometimes even on boats, for days, if not weeks, it shows in the indifference towards the environment with thousands of tonnes of waste being thrown into oceans, and the scant focus on water conservation despite its urgency. Then, there is the fact that countries are often engaging more in competition than in collaboration and frequently ignore the needs and wishes of their people. With technology, a medium which can be used to spread knowledge, now being used to manipulate and influence, where advances in technology have paved the way for better medicine and healthcare, the initiative by various governments to collect different biometric data from people gives rise for a need for people to be educated in the intricacies of data and privacy, an issue with ever-increasing relevance, especially to the local community. It is in these trying times where the resilience of ideas must shine. It along these lines that we hope to bring life to our theme and to gather a wide and multidisciplinary confluence of thoughts from the people who have asked the world: Quo vadis?

NIIT University
NIIT University
Neemrana, Rajasthan, 301705
India

Aditya Bhandari

United Nations Speaker + Social Entrepreneur

Aditya is a young bundle of energy, that has spearheaded the Spoken word movement in Delhi as founder of Freedom The Verse. He plays the guitar, writes poetry and can even play the Djembe if asked. He is always ready to help, and is full of enthusiasm. His poetry will either make you laugh or make you cry, but most importantly, it will leave you in awe.

Arpit Vyas

Artist

An artist of multiple expressions, Apit Vyas is an engineer turned surrealist who expresses his thoughts on canvas. Always exploring with mediums, he has conducted more than 35 workshops, multiple live paintings, art installations, theme design for several events.

aswekeepsearching

Band

This band, aswekeepsearching was formed in 2014 in Ahmedabad, India. They've released three full - lengths till date. Perhaps unsurprisingly, aswekeepsearching have performed at every major festival in India and abroad, including NH7 Weekender, VH1 Supersonic, dunk! Festival (Belgium) and Pelagic Fest (Germany). Turning up heads and perking up ears, AWKS have been spreading their positivity and hopefulness across the globe. Intriguing and enamouring all that they touch with their sound, the band has joined ranks amongst the most sought-after acts in the post- rock landscape.

Chameli Debnath

Kathak Dancer

Chameli Debnath, a promising Kathak dancer, disciple of Sri Sandip Mallick since last 18 years, has completed her Visharad from Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh and Masters/M.A in Kathak dance from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata

Dhruv Shah

Actor + Spoken Word Poet + Writer

Dhruv Shah is an actor, spoken word poet and a writer. He makes entertaining and viral content with strong social messaging. A clinical Hypnotherapist by training and a content creator by profession, Dhruv describes himself as 'An Artist with a cause.'

Manoj Keshwar

Soldier + Entreprenuer

Mr. Keshwar's ability and drive to complete the trans - continental road trip to London with his biking group shows that his passion to push beyond the limits is unmatched. Manoj Keshwar's concept of life. "Dream 25," aims to live a wholesome and fulfilling life is something which motivates our youth to find things there passionate about, so that they never spend a day in their lives regretting a decision they made.

Manraj Singh

Poet + Stand-up Comedian

Manraj Singh is a poet, stand-up comedian, performer, and an anchor. He presents his comedy in the form of poetry that leaves the audience with an everlasting impression and thoughts.

Shalin IPS

Indian Armed Forces Personnel

A graduate from IIT Roorkee, procurer of the Special Duty Medal, for meritorious services rendered to the Police force, a braveheart who places his country above all. These are only a few of the many qualities and accolades to describe DIG Shalin. With great honour, we welcome this steadfast patriot to our panel of speakers.

Sugata Mitra

Education Researcher

Sugata Mitra is a professor of Educational Technology at the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences at Newcastle University. He is best known for securing a $1 Million prize from TED and his "Hole in the wall" experiment. Later on, he built the school in the Cloud, where children can embark on intellectual adventures by engaging and connecting with information and mentoring online.

Sushruthi Krishna

Entrepreneur + Miss India Runner Up

Having secured the runner - up spot at the much acclaimed beauty pageant, Femina Miss India in 2016, Sushruthi Krishna is one of the most powerful and influential personalities of this past decade. She's a firm believer of gender equality, and actively works towards the empowerment of women.

Tirthak Saha

Environmentalist + Social Impact Entrepreneur

A 27 year old environmentalist, social impact entrepreneur, and engineer, Tirthak Saha was awarded a spot on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2018 for his innovative contributions to the field of Energy in the United States. Tirthak worked tirelessly to help transform India into global leaders in the Sustainability and Climate Change movement.

Vijay Rao

Finance Journalist + Educationalist

Mr. Rao's stage performance group, named "The Achievers," which comprises of the children from 35 schools across Delhi, have performed the world's first musical theatre show based on the tsunami, titled "Trump of the Human Spirit" gained worldwide recognition. His exceptionally diverse skillset, which ranges from cover stories with accurate share price predictions to workshops on public speaking and enhancing soft skills, serves as a figure of inspiration for our young audiences.

Zoe Modgill

Fitness Instructor

Zoe Modgill is a founder and instructor at Studio 60, a group fitness gym that's been responsible for getting women in Delhi to pump out and work hard. Armed with a Degree in Graphic Design, a BA in Social and Ethical Advertising as well as an instructor qualification for for Les Mills Cxworx and Bodypump, Zoe is an inspired artist, novel graphic designer and enthusiastic fitness instructor.