India International Centre

Introduction to the IIC Quarterly:

The charter of the India International Centre provides for the publication of a journal for the exposition of cultural patterns and values prevailing in different parts of the world. In 1965, the Centre launched the Conspectus, which was subsequently discontinued. In 1974, the journal was revived as the IIC Quarterly, as a multi-disciplinary publication with essays from leading statesmen, writers, thinkers and activists from India and abroad, many of them being policy makers in the government, academia, members of the intelligentsia and activists.

Originally initiated to publish talks given at the IIC, the Quarterly has widened its scope to focus on concerns of the Centre: on civic and international affairs, ethics and society, folklore and anthropology, indigenous knowledge systems, ecology and the environment, governance, and  the arts and literature. The journal’s foremost concern is to promote an understanding of different cultures and civilizations, as well as to focus on contemporary issues of the day, reflecting in print the concerns of the institution voiced in its programmes.

Over the years, several eminent writers have graced this journal. Among them are names such as Amartya Sen, Ivan Illich, Fritof Capra, Kathleen Raine, A.K. Ramanujan, U.R. Ananthamurthy, Shashi Tharoor, Meghnad Desai, Sudhir Kakar, Rajmohan Gandhi, Jayant Narlikar and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to name just a few.

The Quarterly’s in-depth interview with world leaders and people of commitment engages them in personal insight and political commentary. H.H. the Dalai Lama, Khushwant Singh, Romila Thapar, Nikhil Chakravartty, Shyam Benegal and Ebba Koch are a few among them. Rich in visual commentary, photo essays showcase the work of outstanding photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Richard and Pablo Bartholomew, Raghu Rai, Dayanita Singh and Ram Rahman. India’s foremost cartoonists – R.K. Laxman, Sudhir Dar and Abu Abraham – have all contributed generously to the Quarterly.

Once a year, the Journal publishes a theme volume in collaboration with a leading publisher on subjects such as interrogating India’s national culture, exploring the human landscape, India at 60, India’s higher education system, and India and Pakistan 60 years on. These volumes are now treasured as collectors’ items.

The Quarterly is published as three volumes a year: two single and one double (theme) volume. Its editors have included a host of distinguished litterateurs such as A. Ravi Shekhar, Mira Sinha Bhattacharya, Roshan Seth, Sima Sharma and Geeti Sen.
It is currently edited by Ira Pande.

Other Publications:

Diary:
The Publications Division also brings out a Diary for the members of the Centre. Published once every two months, this provides brief reviews of the lectures, performances and seminars held at the Centre for the benefit of those who are unable to attend them. Important notices and an obituary column are other features.

Monographs:
Several seminars and research projects have resulted in monographs and books published by the Centre. These include periodic books published from the proceeds of the Asia Project and the Mid-year Review of the Indian Economy based on an annual seminar, dedicated to the memory of Dr. Malcolm S. Adiseshiah, who had first initiated this annual event.

Occasional Publication:
The IIC also brings out occasional papers that carry the text of important talks and lectures delivered at the Centre. They are brought out for the benefit of research scholars and academic institutions.