‘IIC will stay a cultural hub’

Founded in 1962, the India International Centre (IIC) in New Delhi has been a cornerstone of intellectual and cultural exchange, inspired by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. Director KN Shrivastava discusses IIC’s role in shaping Delhi’s intellectual scene, its commitment to cross-cultural dialogue, and efforts to balance heritage with modernity, and from global conferences to supporting young artistes, Shrivastava shares his vision for IIC’s future with Ananya Dasgupta

Q: The India International Centre was established in 1962 and has been the cornerstone for cultural and intellectual exchange in India. How would you describe its role in shaping Delhi’s intellectual and cultural landscape over the decades?

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A: IIC was set up under the inspiration of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, at that time he was the Vice President and later became President of India and he himself was an intellectual par excellence. So, in his conversation with Rockefeller III in 1957, you know, this idea of setting up the centre emerged. And the idea was that there should be a place like this in New Delhi, the capital of the country, where intellectuals from all over the world can meet, exchange ideas, develop understanding among world communities and through this promote fraternity and universal appreciation for it. We have been working with that objective, which is also enshrined in our memorandum of understanding. So, because of the continuous efforts by several people in the past and present, the centre has emerged as a very important place. Definitely it has shaped Delhi’s intellectual circle quite a lot. You name all the important people in any walk of social life, they are associated with us. Many programmes are taking place here. About 1,500 programmes on an average take place, directly organised by IIC as seminars, conferences, talks, and book discussions. In addition, about 3,000 programmes are held by others using our facilities. So if I have to sum up, I could certainly say that IIC has emerged as a key player in India’s intellectual and cultural scene.

Q: As a former IAS officer with extensive administrative experience, how has your background influenced your approach to leading the IIC and fostering the mission of promoting dialogue and cultural diversity?

A: As an IAS officer, one has to work in various capacities. I was fortunate enough to work in the Ministry of Culture, first as Joint Secretary and thereafter as Director General of Archeological Survey of India. Additionally, I had a long stint in the Ministry of External Affairs of about eight years. So perhaps, this background might have been kept in view by the board of IIC when they invited me to take charge of this post.

Q: The IIC is renowned for hosting distinguished global figures like the Dalai Lama. What upcoming programmes or events are you most excited about?

A: We have been having several programmes and many are in the offing, including international conferences. We recently had a seminar with Bruegel, the think tank of EU. That was a very useful exchange and one could get a clear perspective on the thinking of EU in economic matters. How they see the scenario unfolding in the world, post Donald Trump. We had an international conference on Latin America. We also had an international seminar on intellectuals moving in the Asian regions from one country to another country. This year, we are going to have an international conference on Atisa, a very famous and revered, personality in Buddhism, who hailed from India. And then he spread Buddhism in Tibet and is a highly regarded saint in Buddhism. We are having a seminar in November on his life, his teachings, and it there will also be an exhibition where we will display some rare artefacts or you can say relics of Atisa.

Q: IIC has a rich tradition of promoting the lesser known art forms and communities as well. What steps are you taking to support India’s diverse cultural heritage in today’s globalised world?

A: If you look at IIC memberships, it is broad based. It is not just confined to one section. We try to get every section of society, be it people associated with law and judiciary or medical profession or art and culture, academics, public service and all that. I would say that we try to not only to give due representation to artists and academic communities in IIC membership, but we also as a matter of a very conscious effort try to promote young artists. For example, we conduct something called the Double Build Programme three times in a month. Young artists from any part of India are invited. We pay for their travel, we also arrange local hospitality for them and we give them remunerations. So that has been a very, very successful and has enthused and encouraged a large number of artists all over the country. In addition to that, we have also roped in the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Doner because they have got a lot of resources. So by using their resources, we are reaching out to artists even in the remote areas, including the northeast, and invite them. Overall it has been a very enriching experience not only for us, but even for those artists.

Q: What efforts are underway to modernise the infrastructure while preserving the centre’s historical charm?

A: We are in a very iconic building designed by the famous architect Joseph Stein and the building is already more than 60 years old. IIC has near-heritage status but doesn’t qualify under the AMASR Act. Now things have really evolved. The rooms, you know, and venues, other facilities, kitchen that were designed then, perhaps they need upgrading. Sewer treatment becomes a very important environmental issue. There’s a lot of thrust on green energy usage generation. So taking all these things into consideration, we have taken up several infrastructure development projects. Many have already been completed and many are in the pipeline. So while these facilities are being provided, but at the same time, the original structure has been retained and there’s a technical team of architects to assist us in this matter. You will be happy to know that our waste management has also been very high class. The kitchen waste is used for biogas generation and also for fertiliser making. The bathroom waste, the sewerage waste, et cetera, is also processed and gets converted into manure. Recycled water is being used over here. We do not discharge anything into the municipal system. Several energy efficient measures were implemented. We have also harnessed solar energy wherever it was available to us, both in the main campus and the annexe. With all these measures, we have been able to save about Rs 1 crore a year. The manure that we produce here is used partly in our own lawns, and the rest is sold to members.

Q: As you look ahead, what’s your vision for IIC as it navigates a rapidly changing world? And how do you plan to ensure it remains a vital platform for fostering dialogue and innovation?

A: As I mentioned to you at the beginning itself, this is a place for people to meet, discuss, deliberate and then come up with recommendations. So any new field which comes up or even the existing ones also are discussed and debated. Some of them are more intensely debated nowadays, a lot of thrust on AI. This exercise has been going on and will continue. And I’m sure that this approach will serve even future requirements.