Plan Your day at bssf 2026

schedule

Discover key sessions, speakers, and experiences.

16 jan 2026, Friday
iim bangalore (bannerghatta Road)
GATES
OPEN
Coffee and snacks

registrations

Collect your festival kit and settle into good company—all over coffee and sandwhiches.

08:00 – 08:50 hrs
Registration
KEYNOTE
2 sessions

Why Teach History to a 12 Year Old?

Grade six is when children start making sense of the world beyond their homes. How can teaching history help them build a usable model of the world?

09:05 – 09:40
Keynote
swami mitrananda | Bhasha sumbli
35 mins
keynote - solo

The Quiet Promise of Social Science

Having engaged citizens seems like the stuff of legends, and social science promises to make it real. What does it take to turn a civics lesson into genuine care?

09:40 – 10:25
keynote
prakash belawadi | panduranga acharya
meghana dutta | (Sameer rao)
45 min
keynote - panel
Coffee Break
10 mins
DIVE
DEEPER
- Track A
- 4 Rooms

How To Think Clearly When Everyone Is Talking About Everything?

When information multiplies endlessly, cutting through noise becomes essential. Social science teaches the fundamentals of clear, disciplined thinking. What does this teaching look like in practice?

10:40 – 11:25
track A | MAIN AUDITORIUM
raghava krishna | ruchika mehta | Murali Panchapagesa
45 min
technology

Who Decides What History Should Get Taught?

History is not a static set of dates and events—there's always more to remember, more voices demanding space. So who gets to decide what makes the cut?

10:40 – 11:25
track a | P11
kapil kumar | guru prakash
45 min
community

How Is Colonisation of Education Impacting Our Future?

Until recently, Indians found it easy to live in harmony with the land—that harmony is glaringly absent today. How did we collectively forget the practices that were ours, and what does it mean for our future?

10:40 – 11:25
Panel Discussion
Swami Mitrananda | Praveen Kumar
45 min
environment

Point Blank: Can Studying Social Science Make You Rich?

Somewhere along the way, social science became just material for UPSC prep. But the field opens far more doors than that today. How do we help parents see this horizon?

10:40 – 11:25
track D | amphitheater
akash kumar | radha narayanan
45 min
communities
Coffee Break
10 mins
DIVE
DEEPER
- Track B
- 4 Rooms

Rights vs. Duties: Can Social Science Help Strike The Right Balance?

Everyone knows their rights but civic duty feels invisible. We want change but reject responsibility. What makes rights compelling but duties burdensome, and can we shift that balance today?

11:35 – 12:20
Panel Discussion
Kapil Kumar | suparna diwakar
45 min
Communities

Can Ancient Wisdom Fix Broken Cities?

Traditional systems managed resources for centuries without collapse. Modern cities struggle with basics—water, air, green space. What can indigenous knowledge teach today's urban planners?

11:35 – 12:20
Panel Discussion
Nimal Raghavan | Srinivas Alavilli
45 min
environment

Point Blank: Why Are Women Missing From The Innovation Narrative?

The stories we tell about innovation, science, and leadership rarely feature women. Not because they weren't there—they were. So why don't we know their names?

11:35 – 12:20
Panel Discussion
aisshwarya hegde | guru prakash | janhvi singh
45 min
community

The Dangers of Building AI Without Understanding Society

The race to dominate AI is frantic. These tools will shape industries and touch real lives—can STEM education alone prepare builders for this responsibility?

11:35 – 12:20
track d | Amphitheater
Gautam desiraju | akash kumar
45 min
TECHNOLOGY
Lunch Break
~ 30 mins
GET OUT
~ 1 hour

Why Sit In When You Can Get Out?

Experience gamified pedagogies, meet authors, tickle the intellect—and take in the experience at Intellectual Blah Blah.

12:50 – 14:20
experience zone
NEXT STEPS
2 sessions

Special Address: Fixing Science In India

What connection does social science have with fixing science in India? Hear from India's most cited scientist.

14:20 – 14:35
main auditorium
gautam desiraju
15 mins
special address

From Jugaad To Research: What Will It Take To Build Tomorrow's India

India has talent, institutions, and ambition. Yet purposeful and progressive research remains rare. What barriers stand between potential and breakthrough? How do we clear this path forward?

14:35 - 15:25
main auditorium
-
20 min
india rising foundation

Point Blank: Can Experts Be Trusted?

Climate alarm has dominated headlines for years and yet the public remains unconvinced. As the predictions keep shifting, can we continue to trust the experts?

15:25 - 15:55
main auditorium
bhimaraya metri | pawan rochwani
20 min
environment