IIT Kharagpur will host a global convergence, “Parliament of Enlightened Thoughts”, organised under the aegis of its Platinum Jubilee celebrations in collaboration with The Boston Pledge, to launch Renaissance 2.0, a movement to reimagine the future of civilization, at IIT Kharagpur Research Park in Kolkata on February 24.
Inspired by the Parliament of Religions at Chicago in 1893, this convergence will bring together leaders from disciplines across science, technology, economics, education, spirituality, governance, and art to engage in four transformative dialogues.
There will be four plenary sessions — “Reawakening the Spiritual Vector — Toward One Humanity”; “Rethinking Economic Constructs — Beyond Capitalism and Socialism”; “Guiding Technological Evolution — Science with Soul”; and “Reimagining Education — Awakening the Whole Human Being.”
IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty said, “As IIT Kharagpur stands at the threshold of its Platinum Jubilee, we are called upon not only to celebrate a legacy of excellence but also to take a resolute step towards shaping a future of deeper meaning and inclusive growth. In this moment of great transition for our institution, our nation, and our world, we must ask ourselves: what kind of civilization are we becoming, and what kind of civilization must we now aspire to be? May this Parliament awaken in each of us the courage to envision a future where prosperity is not measured by accumulation, but by harmony, with each other, with nature, and with the deeper self.”
A statement issued from the Desk of the Chairman, The Boston Pledge, Dr Partha Ghosh, said, “As geopolitical tensions escalate, societies fracture internally, wealth gaps keeps increasing, and the relationship between humanity and nature continues to deteriorate, one truth becomes increasingly undeniable: the mental, moral, and material equations that shaped civilization over the last two centuries are no longer serving us. The widening global wealth divide, accelerating ecological decay, and growing spiritual disconnection are not isolated issues — they are symptoms of a deeper civilizational malaise. We need deep reflection. It is critical and urgent for the current and future leaders!”
“In response to this critical moment and drawing inspiration from the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago — a milestone in interfaith unity — the Parliament of Enlightened Thoughts Toward Collaborative Prosperity proposes a historic gathering in Kolkata. This initiative will convene visionary leaders and thinkers from across the world — spanning science, economics, spirituality, education, arts, and governance — to reimagine what prosperity means in the 21st century,” it said.
“At its heart, the Parliament seeks to seed a new moral and strategic framework for global cooperation — a framework rooted in equity, regeneration, and shared human purpose,” the statement added.