Theme: The architecture of things

The things that surround us define our relationship with the world, and with each other. They provide a context and content for developing ourselves in a manner which is cohesive with the others. In the monotonous life we live, we tend to overlook the small details that support the existence of mankind; it's almost always about the final outcome, and rarely about the process behind it. Ideas aren't born, they are created, and somehow our prime focus is always on the creation and not the creativity that went behind it. We fail to understand the importance of the architecture of things, of our being, of our surroundings. Also, we fail to notice the toil and failures we encounter during the journey from conceiving an idea to realizing it. It is this journey which inspires and which we should be able to relate to, for, in the end, it isn't the destination people would remember, it's the road which took them to it.

The theme aims to encompass the topics which bring under the spotlight the stories and lessons learnt from the conception of a multitude of ideas, how it changes us and grows us and emphasizes on the need to pause, reflect, and create our seemingly bland lives. It doesn't just incorporate the mechanics behind physical things, but also includes the stories of people just as ordinary as all of us, who brought about a change in the lives of other people with highly simplified actions on their part; for revolution doesn't always need to be carried out with aplomb, sometimes, just a simple idea is enough. It also targets the workings of the human psyche. After all, the first step towards understanding the working of the environment around is understanding our own selves, and where we stand in the grand scheme of things.

PGDAV College
Nehru Nagar
New Delhi, Delhi, 110065
India

Ira Singhal

Indian Administrative Service Officer

Ira Singhal is the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Saket and Assistant Collector (trainee) in the Government of Delhi. As she suffers from scoliosis or curvature, Ira was not allowed to take the position in the office despite being the topper of the 2014 UPSC's Civil Service Examinations. But that did not let her down, in 2012 she filed a case in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and won after four years, which led to her being given a posting as Assistant Commissioner in Indian Revenue Service (C&CE). Her tenacity and versatility can be clearly seen in the records she has accomplished. Along with consistently topping in her educational life, she also worked as a Strategy Manager in Cadbury India and as the marketing intern at the Coca-Cola Company. She has stated that her disability has never been an excuse for herself or her family and continues inspiring the younger generations to go beyond what the world dictates as their 'limit' and emerge victoriously.

Kunwer Sachdev

Founder & Managing Director - Sukam

Born in a middle-class family, Kunwer Sachdev is one of the top twenty entrepreneurs in the country. Founder and Managing Director of Su-kam Power Systems Ltd, an India-based power solutions provider, as a first generation entrepreneur, Sachdev has built a 1000 Cr company with his understanding of marketing, keen business acumen and hard work. Sachdev was the first Indian entrepreneur to file patents for technology and design in the Indian power backup Industry. He is also credited with inventing world's first plastic-body inverters which have been declared as 'Innovation of the Decade' by India Today. A tenacious and hardworking man, he believes that success can only be achieved by staying ahead of the game. A man of many titles, he has been dubbed as 'Inverter Man Of India'. He has also been called 'Solar Man of India' by India Today, has been awarded 'Entrepreneur of the Year' by Ernst and Young and 'Bharat Shiromani' by the Government of India.

Nidhi Bisht

Creative Director - TVF

Nidhi Bisht is an Indian film actress and is one of the founding members of TVF (The Viral Fever), India’s most prominent production house for web content. A self-assured, confident woman, she is the only non IIT-ian, female core member of the TVF production house and one of its casting directors. She is a pioneer of giving the entertainment industry the fresh, new vibe so to say. However, there is more to Bisht’s contribution to TVF than creating a bank of actors. Bisht also co-wrote some of the most popular sketches, and has starred in them — from playing a snarky girlfriend in TVF’s Chai Sutta Chronicles, to some of TVF’s viral sketches, Caller Naina (a parody on call centre employees) and Ma ke Haath ki Cigarette (a sketch-comedy of a mother making home-made cigarettes for her son). Ironically, she portrayed motherly and middle-aged roles in both. Bisht is known for Umrika , TVF Pitchers and Permanent Roommates, Bisht, Please! and Phillauri.

P.K Saighal

Indian Army Veteran

Major General (Retd.) P K Saighal is a veteran of the Indian Armed Forces and a leading expert in electronic warfare. He retired in 2002 as the Head of Army Air Defence College. A humble and knowledgeable man, he has served with the Indian Armed Forces for forty one years and has served in the 1962, 1965, 1971,1999 wars. He is a pilot and a deep sea diver and has flown extensively in the North-East and J&K regions. Prior to his retirement, he trained officers of 38 Armies at Army War College Mhow, The National Defence Academy and The Officer's Training Academy. He has also trained over a thousand students for Civil Services and has been bestowed with Guru Samman by Sankalp. Post retirement he headed two NGOs in the field of education and disaster management and was deeply involved in reconstruction projects of Andaman and Nicobar Islands after the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of 2004. He has counseled over a million children from schools & colleges on issues of critical relevance to them

Rahul Tyagi

Vice President - Lucideus Tech

Rahul Tyagi is one of the most renowned ethical hackers of India. A leading expert in internet and hacker networks, he's the perfect amalgamation of hardwork and intelligence. He is the Co-Founder of Lucideus and works as a Brand Ambassador and Head Cyber Security Specialist in TCIL-IT Chandigarh ( A Govt. of India Enterprise), Vice- President in Cyber Security and Anti-Hacking Organization in India, technical head of News Paper Association of India, and technology writer in NAI. Apart from this, Tyagi has also authored two books, Hacking Crux 1, and Hacking Crux 2. These books have become an integral part of every aspiring ethical hacker's life. He is also listed in the Blackberry Hall of Fame for his contributions to the organization. He believes that hacking is not just his job, it's his lifestyle.

RJ Sayema

Radio Jockey

R.J Sayema is the award-winning host of one of the longest running show ‘Purani Jeans’ on Radio Mirchi Delhi, she is simply a delightful personality, just like her favourite word. The radio jock with her warmth has won many hearts in her journey as an RJ, show producer and as the national music manager of Radio Mirchi. When she joined Radio Mirchi in 2003, it was her first time as an RJ because her previous job had been of a news reader in All India Radio (AIR). A quintessential Delhiite to the core, her show ‘Purani Jeans’ centres around retro music between the era of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. According to her, the show’s core essence is the viewers and she catered to them not only by delivering music and showcasing her real self which really touched the hearts of her listeners throughout the city, making her one of the most beloved RJ’s A change driven woman, she says that challenge in terms of competition and challenge in terms of self also is very healthy and extremely necessary.

Sandeep Kochhar

Founder, CEO - Blew Minds

Sandeep Kochhar is the Founder and CEO of BlewMinds, the organization which acts as a step-ladder to businesses in need of introspective help. He's an MBA from IIM Bangalore, and Electronics & Telecommunication Engineer with 17 years of consulting and corporate experience. Apart from his many, many professional achievements, which include working in various capacities with IBM, HT Media, HCL Technologies and more, Kochhar is also a prolific poet and takes keen interest in the education of children. He has also authored academic papers on applying Supply Chain Management principles to recruitment processes & Demand supply forecasting of human resources. When he isn't working on his never-ending projects, he can be found relaxing himself through yoga.

Sohail Hashmi

Historian | Activist | Film maker

Sohail Haashmi is a historian, activist, academician, and a film-maker.He is a leading authority on Delhi's history and is specifically known for his Delhi Heritage Walks for children and adults. Sohail Hashmi's work straddles Western and Islamic moral and political philosophy. He was among the earliest scholars to specialize in ethics and international relations, which developed as an interdisciplinary field during the 1980s and 1990s. In his publications, Hashmi explores the Islamic ethics of diverse issues in contemporary international relations, including war and peace, humanitarian intervention, civil society, tolerance, boundaries, and poverty relief. In 2005, he was awarded a Carnegie Scholars Fellowship by the Carnegie Corporation of New York to study Muslim reactions to the development of international law.

Yash Chawla

Senior sports correspondent & Reportor- NDTV

Yash Chawla is a senior sports correspondent, anchor, and reporter at NDTV. He has an established history of working in the broadcast media business. An expert in all things sports, Mr. Yash is also a skilled news writer, event manager, editor, and team builder. Media relations is a strong suite of this all-rounder. A Narsee Monji MBA graduate, Chawla also has a strong grip on all things media and communication. As a journalist with over 9 years of industry experience, he has worked on a variety of aspects that help run a news channel. Right from production, to talent management to simply reporting and anchoring, he has tried to learn everything that comes his way. He is a Senior Sports Correspondent and Anchor, and also doubles up as a qualified video editor and voice over artist. Before he joined NDTV in 2009, he used to work for Infosys and Mumbai Mirror. Mr Chawla also serves as an education consultant for Department of Media studies at the Garden City University of Bengaluru.