K M Bashir Memorial Lectures

Vakkom Moulavi Foundation Trust > K M Bashir Memorial Lectures

The 15th K. M. Bashir Memorial Lecture and presentation of 4th Vakkom Moulavi Foundation Trust’s ‘Professor N. A. Karim Award for Outstanding Public Service’ (comprising of Rupees One lakh in cash, citation and memento) was done by Prof. V. K. Ramachandran, Vice Chairperson,Kerala State Planning Board at 4.00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at the Kerala State Science and Technology Museum Seminar Hall, Near PMG Jn, Thiruvananthapuram. Dr. K. Raviraman, Member, State Planning Board presided over the function. Prof. VK Damodaran welcomed the gathering. Sri. A. Suhair made the remembrance speech. Dr. Kayamkulam Yoonus introduced the award and Sri. Anvar Sadat, the Award winner. The felcitation message from Dr. Achuthsankar S.Nair was readout. Sri. Anvar Sadat made the reply speech. The meeting came to a close at 6.30 pm

K M Bashir Memorial Lectures

The K. M. Bashir Memorial Lectures are organised by VMFT and to generate new thinking to promote the all-round social, economic, political and spiritual progress of the people of Kerala and India.  The Memorial Lecture was instituted to honour the memory of the  Founder of Vakkom Moulavi Foundation Trust, Shri K.M. Bashir, who believed in the power of knowledge ideas to transform human society. A distinguished statistician by profession, Shri K.M. Bashir became intimately familiar with the abject socio-economic conditions and deep poverty of the Indian people, as he travelled across the rural areas of India while working with the National Sample Survey Organization.

He believed that a modern society, that can ensure progress for all its people,  could be built by ensuring gainful employment for men and women, advancing education to reduce inequality, using scientific knowledge and technology to foster socio-economic development and promoting communal harmony and inter-religious understanding. Above all, such a society requires leadership and vision, infused with profound values.

The K.M. Bashir Memorial Lectures focus on these areas that are  still priorities for contemporary society. The topics and speakers of K. M. Bashir Memorial Lectures are given below.

K. M. Bashir Memorial Lectures - Speakers and Topics

  • 2015, Fourteenth K.M. Bashir Memorial Lecture by Dr. M. S. Valiathan on Social Audit and Scientific Research.

  • 2012, Thirteenth K.M. Bashir Memorial Lecture by Mr. John Samuel on “Political economy of social transitions and new sectarianism in Kerala”.

  • 2008 , Twelfth K.M. Bashir Memorial Lecture by Mr. Prakash Karat on “The Role of the Left in Developing an Alternative in the Current Situation”.

  • 2006, Eleventh K. M. Bashir Memorial Lecture delivered by Prof. Prabhat Patnaik, Vice Chairman, State Planning Board on “Development in the Era of Globalization” .

  • 2005, Tenth K. M. Bashir Memorial Lecture delivered by Dr. Mohan Gopal, Member, State Planning Board on “Turning Away The Begging Bowl: Examining India continuing to receive development assistance”.

  • 2004, Ninth K. M. Bashir Memorial Lecture by Dr. K. P. Kannan, Director, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum on “Kerala’s Development Challenges in a Globalising World”.

  • 2003, Eighth K. M. Bashir Memorial Lecture by Padmasree Dr. N. R. Madhava Menon, Vice-Chancellor, West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences on “Judiciary and Half a Century of Indian Democracy”

  • 2001 Seventh K. M. Bashir Memorial Lecture by Dr. K. N. Panikker, Vice chancellor, Sri Sankara Sanskrit University, Kalady on “Whither Indian Education”

  • 1997, Sixth K. M. Bashir Memorial Lecture by Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer

  • 1995, Fifth K. M. Bashir Memorial Lecture by Dr. C. T. Kurien (the eminent Economist) on “Economic Reforms-What Next?”

  • 1994, Fourth K. M. Bashir Memorial Lecture by Prof. P. K. Iyengar (Chairman Kerala State Council of Science and Technology, Environment and former Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission)

  • 1993, Third K.M. Bashir Memorial Lecture by Dr. Sarvepally Gopal on ”Secularism: A Historical Perspective”

  • 1992, Second K. M. Bashir Memorial Lecture delivered by Sri. Salman Khurshid, the Hon, Union Minister on “Secularism in India”

  • 1991, First K. M. Bashir Memorial Lecture by Sri. K. Mohanan (Ex.MP & Chairman, Kerala Press Academy) on “The U.N.O and the Gulf Crisis”