Prof Preeti Sharma Dean Banasthali Vidyapith Talks on Gandhi and Technology at Birla Shishu Vihar Pilani

Pilani considered as Oasis in the desert state of Rajasthan is well known in India today for top ranking institutions like Birla Institute of Technology and Science - BITS Pilani as well as CSIR Laboratory CEERI, L.N. Birla Naturopathy & Yoga Kendra and globally renowned Birla Science Centre.

Birla Science Centre Pilani Innovation Hub & Skill Development Centre organised an Expert Lecture at Birla Shishu Vihar Pilani on Gandhi and Technology on 30 Jan 2019 Martyrs’ day by Prof Preeti Sharma Dean Faculty of Social Sciences & HoD History & Indian Culture Banasthali Vidyapith which is World’s largest fully residential Women’s University.

With 20 plus years of teaching experience Prof Preeti Sharma specialization is in Ancient Indian History, Art , and rock-cut temple architecture. Her current research areas include philosophy of history, feminine representation in arts and literature; gender history & folkloric studies. She has authored more than thirty publications in national and international journals, Written two books namely ‘Rock Cut Temples of South India: Architectural Dimension’ and other ‘Cultural Heritage of Rajasthan’. She has also been associated with Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla as a UGC Research Associate.

Prof Preeti Sharma has delivered talks at various professional forums and universities, both within India and abroad, including Cambridge (UK), Barcelona (Spain), Shanghai (China), Italy, Athens (Greece). To her credit, she has seventy seminars, conferences and workshops. Her articles have also been published in several reference books. She also coordinated the National Council of Rural Institutes (NCRI), Ministry of Human Resource Development; Government of India sponsored Major Extension Project ‘Empowering Unemployed Rural Women through Training, in Khadi.

Talk began with Dr Preeti Sharma and other dignitaries offering floral tributes to father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi who was brutally killed on this very date in 1948. A group of students rendered the most favorite bhajan of Mahatma Gandhi “`Vaishnav Jan to Tene Kahiye” in a soul stirring way.

Prof Preeti Sharma in her talk put across to the students lucidly her views on Gandhi and Technology. Gandhiji wanted development at all levels with particular focus on rural folks and agriculture. It is wrong to say that Gandhi was anti technology. He wanted technology to create jobs and not end jobs. Gandhi was against the de-humanising aspect of machinery. Louis Fischer wrote that a meeting with Gandhi probably influenced Charlie Chaplin to make ‘Modern Times’, a film on that theme.

Gandhi was also worried about the inequality that mechanization could create. He wanted the concentration of wealth, not in the hands of few, but in hands of all. Gandhiji was for machines that could reach the masses, and make their lives better. Gandhi was not opposed to technology but to technologism, which was a condition that created a hierarchical relationship between those who possess technology and those who do not, and man and nature. When the talk ended, there was a thunderous round of applause and Dr Preeti Sharma was honoured with a glittering memento and shawl by the organizers.

The dignitaries who graced the occasion included Dr VN Dhaulakhandi Director Birla Science Centre and Sri KK Pareek Deputy Director (Finance) Birla Education Trust. Mr Pavan Vashishtha Principal Birla Shishu Vihar thanked Dr Preeti Sharma for the thought provoking talk and Mr Vikramjeet Singh Arora Curator (Exhibits & Programmes) anchored the entire proceedings.

For more details see http://www.birlasciencecentre.com/

About Birla Science Centre Pilani: Today, India‘s first technological museum is one of the best science museums in the country. Situated in Pilani‘s famous educational complex, envisioned by Shri G.D. Birla, it was Shri L.N. Birla who got the idea of setting up a museum in 1954. Real Museums are where time and science is tranformed into SPACE. Materialising some very rare things of science is the biggest achievement of a musuem. The museum has 3 major sections of general interest, i.e. Art, Science and History. The galleries include Energy conversion, transportation, chemical technology, metallurgy, space, coal mine, electronics, textile, agriculture, popular science, art, old arms & weapons, Human biology, GD Birla memorial, Century's Progress, Aerodynamics, Aditya Vikram Birla memorial, etc. The latest addition is Pilani gallery and Innovation Hub. Museum Timings - Morning: 9:15 AM – 12:45 PM (Mondays closed) Evening: 3 PM – 5:00 PM Pilani Gallery: 10:00 A.M. to 01:30 P.M. 03:30 P.M. to 05:45 P.M. G.D. Birla Memorial:09:15 A.M. to 12:45 P.M. 02:00 P.M. to 05:00 P.M. (Mondays closed).

Birla Science Centre
Vidya Vihar – BITS Pilani Campus
Pilani 333031 (Rajasthan) India
Phone: 91-1596-242158
Email: directorbsm@bet.org.in
Website: http://www.birlasciencecentre.com/

This release was published on openPR.