Some of the dignitaries gathered at the conference.
On December 5, 2025, the Bhaktivedanta Research Center (BRC), Kolkata, collaborated with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar in a three-day Dharma Studies Conference (DSC 2025), marking a milestone in establishing Dharma Studies as a legitimate interdisciplinary academic field. The event brought together scholars, researchers, and spiritual practitioners from India and around the world to explore the contemporary relevance and application of dharma principles in modern society.
The conference was organized in partnership with premier institutions, including Banaras Hindu University, Bhaktivedanta Institute, Bhubaneswar, Bhaktivedanta Research Center, Kolkata, IIT Roorkee, Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University, FLAME University, and The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad.
It featured over 100 scholarly presentations, keynote addresses, and panel discussions exploring dharma through diverse perspectives, including ecology, ethics, sustainability, literature, social justice, artificial intelligence, and indigenous knowledge systems.
Gauranga Das, GBC and Director of Administration at BRC, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Emphasizing how dharma addresses today’s global challenges, he said, “The world today is confronting psychological stress, environmental imbalance, and social fragmentation at an unprecedented scale, and dharma offers a framework to restore harmony.”
He continued, “The Bhagavad-gita outlines three pillars of dharma—stability in identity, purity in intention, and intensity in action—reflected respectively in its first six chapters, next six, and final six. If we apply these consciously, they can guide individuals and institutions toward responsible, sustainable, and value-based progress. This conference is not just timely—it can influence how the world reimagines ethics, leadership, and wellbeing.”
Speaking about the conference’s broader impact, he stated, “This Dharma Studies Conference has multifaceted ramifications. When people learn to align their lives with dharma, they naturally create a blueprint for the world—demonstrating self-control, harmony with the Divine, harmony with nature, and harmony within the community. Therefore, when there is spirituality, sustainability, and social impact, this S3 impact will actually create the full-fledged solution to the 17 UN SDGs, which the UN has been trying to accomplish by 2030.”
Dr. Sumanta Rudra, Dean of Academic Affairs at BRC, said, “The Dharma Studies Conference marks a transformative moment for global academia. By bringing BRC and IIT Bhubaneswar together on one platform, we are demonstrating that dharma is not merely a philosophical ideal but a practical framework for addressing modern challenges.”
Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director of IIT Bhubaneswar, who presided over the inaugural ceremony, emphasized the importance of rigorous academic engagement. He said, “Dharma is one of India’s most profound and non-translatable ideas, and it deserves rigorous academic attention beyond simplified interpretations. By hosting this conference, IIT Bhubaneswar hopes to strengthen scholarly engagement with dharma as a civilizational framework and inspire future research that connects language, culture, and knowledge systems with contemporary inquiry.”
The inauguration lamp being lit at the Dharma Studies Conference at IIT Bhubaneswar.
The BRC table and banner displayed at the event
In a significant announcement, conference convener Dr. Naresh Chandra Sahu announced the institution of two jury awards for outstanding scholarship, including The A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Award, introduced by BRC to recognize excellence in Dharma Studies research and to honor the legacy of ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya.
Day Two included keynote addresses by Pranava Das (Prof. Ferdinando Sardella) from Stockholm University and Prof. Graham M. Schweig from Christopher Newport University, followed by a conference dinner for academic networking.
Reflecting on his participation, Pranava Das shared, “What has struck me most is that the conference brought together very different ways of approaching dharma—classical textual study, historical analysis, social and gender perspectives, and reflections on lived practice and institutions. For someone like me, working mainly on modern bhakti movements and the history of religions, it is inspiring to see how dharma can be studied as something that continues to shape debates about society, justice, education, and religious life today. The conversation here showed that dharma studies can become a truly interdisciplinary field in which Indian and international scholars work together and also listen to the voices of practitioners. I leave with many new questions and with a strong sense that this kind of dialogue is very important for the future of our discipline.”
Madhavananda Das, Director at GORA (The Gaudiya-Odia Research Association), Puri BRC, said, “This was a super, super fantastic program today with some of the prominent scholars in the world attending. Thank you so much for helping organize it. And thank you for allowing me a tiny role.”
The final day featured a keynote by renowned scholar Shrivatsa Goswami and concluded with a valedictory ceremony.
This historic gathering represents a collaborative effort between spiritual institutions and leading academic bodies to elevate Dharma Studies as a serious field of interdisciplinary research. By bringing together expertise from the humanities, science, law, philosophy, cultural studies, and technology, DSC 2025 demonstrated the enduring relevance of Vedic wisdom in addressing contemporary global challenges.
The Bhaktivedanta Research Center remains committed to supporting scholarly research that illuminates the timeless principles of the Bhagavad-gita and Vedic literature for the benefit of modern society.
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