Democracy: Thriving or Surviving?

Parth can be found listening to 2000’s songs or political discussions. He is an avid learner and observational being. He has held several leadership positions, and participated in various debating and discussions platforms. One can never not get an outside-the-box solutions when they are with Parth.

A debater from the core, Naitra is quick to point out logical fallacies in arguments. She has the ability to develop concise arguments which makes her a strong debater. Being a critical person, none of her beliefs are without sound logic and rationale. She has participated and been a part of the Ahmedabad MUN circuit board.

Kalyani Janakiraman, a third year political science and economics student, has always had an affinity for public speaking. She has harnessed and worked on perfecting her oratory skills over the years, etching her mark wherever she goes. Her eloquence, clarity, and ability to connect with her listeners reflect in her writing and speaking.

Beyond her interests and skills as an orator, she keeps herself immersed in the learning of arts. She has devoted herself to various art forms, with Bharatnatyam being a prominent passion. The graceful movements, intricate expressions, and storytelling through this classical dance form have not only enriched her artistic soul but also influenced her writing style, infusing it with creativity, emotion, and a keen eye for detail. It’s these influences that she has channelled into her passion for writing and speaking ever since a young age.

Shreya Iora Y. is a political science student. She has been in the field of public speaking since the young age of 10, and has actively participated in national and international debates, MUNs, E-summits, etc. She has spent her formative years as a core member of debate clubs in high school. S.Iora is a driven and outspoken person, she imbues her passion for life and all the little things that come with it into her work.

Karan Joseph is a Partner at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. His practice areas are in litigation and arbitration – domestic and international. In addition to being licensed to practice across India, he is a registered foreign lawyer with the Singapore International Commercial Court.

He is an alumnus of Columbia Law School, New York. He is Adjunct Faculty at the National School of Journalism and Public Policy, where he teaches a postgraduate course on Media Law. He is the Managing Trustee of the General KS Thimayya Memorial Trust, which runs one of India’s longest running annual lecture series in honour of General Thimayya.

Latha Reddy served in the Indian Foreign Service from 1975 to 2013. The highlights of her career were her postings as Consul General in Durban, South Africa, Ambassador to Portugal, and later to Thailand, and serving as Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, and finally, as the Deputy National Security Advisor of India.

Since her retirement in 2013, she has been based in her hometown Bangalore. Here she has worked intensively on Cybersecurity and served on two Global Commissions on the subject. She has served on the Boards of a Microfinance company, a bank, and a Telecom industry body. She also heads and works actively on several NGOs and Trusts in the fields of heritage, theatre, international affairs, creative arts, classical dance and music. She is a Fellow of the Observer Research Foundation and is on the Adjunct Faculty of the Takshashila Institute.

Prateeti Punja Ballal grew up in Bangalore and did her postgraduate work in the US. She taught Literature at various universities there, most recently at Hunter College, City University of New York. She earlier worked in the software industry for fifteen years. She has been a recipient of a Mellon fellowship for her research and several regional and international awards for her technical publications. A musician and dancer, she has a sustaining interest in the arts and is on the curating team of the Bangalore Literature Festival.