A Two-Day National Seminar on “Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s Contributions to National Security and Nationalism” was jointly organized by the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies (DDSS), Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and the Strategic Culture and Security Foundation, Pune. The seminar was sponsored by Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi.
The Inaugural Session was held on 22nd April 2025 at 10:30 am at Sant Dnyaneshwar Hall, Main Building, SPPU, Pune.
Prof. (Dr.) Vijay Khare, Head, DDSS, SPPU delivered the Welcome Address and gave a brief introduction about the seminar by highlighting the relevance of Sardar Patel’s legacy in the current national security discourse.
The Keynote Address was delivered by Prof. Dilip Mohite, Former Dean, Faculty of Arts, M. S. University Baroda, Gujarat, who reflected on Patel’s pivotal role in nation-building and the integration of princely states.
The Inaugural Session concluded with a formal Vote of Thanks and was followed by Session I and II. Session I delved into “Unification of Princely States – Strategy and Impact on National Security and Its Profound Impact on National Security”. The session was chaired by Prof. Mohanan Bhaskaran Pillai, Former Dean, School of Law and Former Head, Department of Politics & International Studies, Pondicherry University. Eminent speakers namely, Prof. Arvind Kumar, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi and Dr. Seshadri Chari, Indian politician, journalist, author, and noted strategic and foreign policy analyst from New Delhi shared their insights related to Patel's pragmatic approach, his strong will, and administrative acumen.
Session II focused on “Law Enforcement and Internal Security” emphasizing Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s pivotal role in shaping India's internal security architecture and law enforcement systems. This session was chaired by Prof. Dilip Mohite and the Speakers were Prof. Mohanan Bhaskaran Pillai, Former Dean, School of Law & Former Head, Department of Politics & International Studies, Pondicherry University, Prof. D. K. Verma, Director & Dean, School of Social Science, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar University of Social Science, Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, Dr. Pratip Chattopadhyay, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Kalyani University, West Bengal, Col. Gulshan Mongia, New Delhi and Lt. Col. Sudhir Khandka, Sena Medal, Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Session III, IV and Valedictory Session were carried forward on 23rd April 2025.
Before the start of Session III, a one-minute silence was observed to offer condolences for the innocent lives lost during the Pahalgam terrorist attack on 22/04/2025. Prfo. (Dr.) Suresh Gosavi, Vice Chancellor of SPPU was also present to pay his tributes. Session III focused on “Patel’s Legacy and Lessons for Modern Security and Foreign Policy”.
The session was chaired by Prof. Arvind Kumar, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi and eminent speakers were Prof. Vijay Khare, Head, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, SPPU, Col. Ashish Joshi, Pune and Col. Naveen Prabhu, Kochi, Kerala.
The topic for Session IV was “Reflecting on Patel’s Legacy and Future Implications”.
The session was chaired by Prof. M. L. Sali, Former Principal, MVP’s Arts and Commerce College, Vani (Nashik), and Former Head and Professor, Defence and Strategic Studies, Bhonsala Military College, Nashik. The Speakers were Col. Rajkumar Chachra, Dehradun, Uttarakhand and Col. Abhishek Mishra, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Prof. (Dr.) Vijay Khare, Head, DDSS, SPPU reviewed the deliberations of the two-day seminar at the Valedictory Session which was graced by Dr. Parag Kalkar, Hon’ble Pro-Vice Chancellor, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and Shri. Ravindra Shingnapurkar, Management Council Member, SPPU on 23rd April, 2025 at Sant Dnyaneshwar Hall, Main Building, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune. The Valedictory Session brought the seminar to a close, with reflections on the insights shared, and the continued relevance of Patel’s contributions in shaping modern India.