Chief Guest
Prof. Ashoke Chatterjee received his education at Woodstock School (Mussoorie), St Stephen’s College (Delhi University)and Miami University (Ohio). He has a background in the engineering industry, international civil service, India Tourism Development Corporation, and 25 years in the service of the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, where he was Executive Director, Senior Faculty, Distinguished Fellow and Professor of communication and management. He has served a range of development institutions in India and overseas, particularly in the sectors of livelihoods, handcrafts, drinking water, sanitation, education, and disability as well as working with artisans in many parts India. He was Hon’ble President of the Crafts Council of India for over twenty years and continues to serve CCI. Prof. Chatterjee has served on the Board of' Aid To Artisans’ (USA). An author and writer, his books include “Dances of the Golden Hall” on the art of Shanta Rao and “Rising” on empowerment efforts among deprived communities in rural Gujarat. Prof. Chatterjee continues to assist design education, and is Adviser at Centre for Heritage Management, Ahmedabad University. He lives in Ahmedabad with his son Keshav, daughter-in-law Prativa and grandchildren Kabir and Alisa.
Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Rajasthan Skill ILD University, Jaipur
Dr. Lalit K. Panwar, IAS (Retd.) is presently holding the position of Vice Chancellor of Rajasthan ILD Skills University (RISU), Jaipur, established by the Government of Rajasthan, which is India’s first State University of skill education. Previously, Dr. Panwar held the position of Collector and District Magistrate of Jaisalmer (1985-1988). He headed the Department(s) of Primary and Secondary Education (1988-1991), Tourism Art and Culture (1991-1995), Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (1995-1996) and headed a Division as Divisional Commissioner of Jodhpur (1996-1998). Dr. Panwar was Chairman & Managing Director, Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation and M.D., R.T.D.C. (2000-2002), Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, (2014- 2015), Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs (2013- 2014), Chairman & Managing Director, ITDC (2010- 2013), Secretary, Tourism Art & Culture, Govt. of Rajasthan (2003-2004) and held various other significant positions. Dr. Panwar has written policy paper on rural tourism, book on eco-tourism, capsule courses on tourism & culture for IGNOU and has coauthored a book on ‘Palace on Wheels’. He is member of visiting faculty at the University of Wageningen (The Netherlands), Indian Institute of Travel and Tourism Management Gwalior, National Academy of 3 Administration Mussourie, Academic Staff Colleges of University of Rajasthan & Jodhpur, to name a few. He is founder editor of quarterly magazine “Rajasthan Atithi”. He was awarded the National Hospitality Education Award 2010-11 by Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, in recognition of outstanding contribution towards skill development initiatives
Curator(Retd.), National Museum, New Delhi.
Dr. Anamika Pathak was curator for more than three decades at the National Museum. Dr. Pathak curated three permanent galleries {Indian Textile (1996), Wood Carving (2012) Decorative Arts, (2013)} and several temporary exhibitions, with the last one was ‘Baluchar: The Woven Narrative Silks of Bengal (2019)’. She is closely associated with several academic and cultural institutes, e.g., National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology; Archaeological Survey of India; Lady Erwin College, Delhi University; Indian Institute of Crafts and Design, Jaipur, etc. She presented research papers in several national and international seminars. The recent one was at India Heritage Centre, Singapore on ‘Sacred Textiles - its tradition and variations’, in 2018 and at National Museum ‘Woven Words: Its Styles and Variations in Traditional Indian Textiles’ in 2019. She has published more than forty research articles. Her authored books are ‘Pashmina’(2003); ‘Indian Costumes’ (2006), ‘Arts 4 of Calligraphy and beyond’ (2015); ‘Ramayana: the Poetic Expression on Temple hanging’ (2017), Splendors of Pahari Embroidery’ (2018) and ‘Textiles: The binding threads between the Cultures’ (2019). She is founder member of academic association named as Textiles and Clothing Research Centre (TCRC) in 2017. She is working as Chairperson, actively involved in organizing three seminars, four public lectures, three workshops, five e-journals and publication of a book.
Pro Vice Chancellor, Ambedkar University, Delhi.
Professor Jatin Bhatt is a 1977 graduate in Product Design from National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, India. Apart from practice in consumer goods, automobiles, packaging, machine tools, watches, toys, leather goods, handicrafts, exhibitions and academics, he Chaired the Accessory Design Department at NIFT, New Delhi, for 16 years, from 1991, pioneering unique curricula integrating real world initiatives involving students and faculty. He has conceived and led varied initiatives in industry and craft clusters of Handicrafts, toys, jewellery, lighting, home products, architectural accessories, carpets, wool, footwear & leather goods, cane & bamboo in capacity building, entrepreneurship, technology development, market strategies, design & 5 product development, artisans’ rehabilitation, training and resource linkages. He has been an advisor and expert for curriculum development and review for Indian Institute of Craft & Design- Jaipur, CLRI Chennai, Pearl Academy, IDC IIT Mumbai and CDI Srinagar, Kashmir. He has been visiting faculty, external examiner and on faculty & students selection committees at NID, NIFT, SPA, Pearl Academy, MIT Pune, IICD, IIGJ Jaipur and IIDC IIT Delhi. He is currently the Pro Vice Chancellor of the Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD), which he joined in 2012 as Professor and Founding Dean of the School of Design.
Professor, IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay
Prof. Nina Sabnani, an artist and storyteller, uses film, illustration and writing to tell her stories. Her doctoral research at the IDC focussing on Rajasthan's Kaavad storytelling tradition was published by Niyogi Books as ‘Kaavad storytelling tradition of Rajasthan: a portable pilgrimage’. Her research interests include exploring the dynamics between words and images in book illustration and films. Her approach to film making is collaborative, ethnographic and participatory. She has collaborated with several communities including the Kutch embroiderers, Kaavad and Bhil artists - to animate their narratives and oral histories. Her animated films have received several national and international awards including the Rajatkamal National award from 6 the president of India in 2016. Recently she received the lifetime achievement award for Illustration from Tata Trusts at the Tata Lit Live Festival at Mumbai, 2018. Nina is Professor at the IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay.
Director, NIFT, Delhi.
Dr. Vandana Narang embarked on her career at National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in January 1995 and is the Campus Director of NIFT Delhi and also a Professor in Fashion Design Department. She has a Doctorate from National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), 2014. Her own research and publications are in field of Pattern Making and has written several books on the subject including books on Fashion Studies and Pattern making for Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), India. Her area of research for her Ph.D. was Men’s wear pattern development and her other interest is in the field of `zero’ waste pattern making. Indian Pattern making and augmented virtual reality are her other areas of interest. She also writes about Fit and pattern modification, and is currently contributing to a range of national projects relating to skill development and quality standards.
Craft Revivalist
Shri Brij Ballabh Udaiwal belongs to a family of traditional textile block printers from Sanganer, a place which is well known for its fine printing with wooden blocks on fabrics. He is a National Award Winner, year 1991, in recognition of his outstanding contribution, craftsmanship & development of craft. He has been actively involved for the upliftment of craftsmen through various educational and vocational training centres. Additionally, he is involved in the developments regarding the future of hand-block printing in Sanganer and providing employment to 185 odd units dealing in hand-block printing, hand embroidery and stitching in Jaipur, Sanganer, Bagru and nearby locations. He has taken a pioneering initiative on revival of natural indigo farming, dyeing and hand block printing.