ISJS HOSTS 2ND BHAGWAN KUNTHUNATH ISJS AWARDS

ISJS successfully hosted the 2nd Bhagwan Kunthunath ISJS Awards Ceremony on January 21, 2026, at Abhay Prabhavana, Pune, with over 75 dignitaries and scholars attending in person and virtually. The awards, covering the period 2023–25, recognized exceptional contributions as book and peer reviewed paper in English related to Jain philosophy and scholarship.

The evening began with a solemn Mangalacharan and a warm welcome by our Harshit Mishra, setting the tone for an inspiring program. ISJS President Dr. Shugan C. Jain outlined the vision behind the awards, while Chairman Dr. Abhay Firodia shared his encouragement and presented a memento to visiting dignitary Dr. Jasvant Modi from USA.



The highlight of the evening was the presentation of awards:

• Best Book Award to Prof. Kanti Mardia for Destructive Emotions: A Jain Perspective



• Best Paper Award to Prof. Claire Maes for her paper on Sallekhana and End-of-Life Option of Voluntary Stopping of Eating and Drinking: An Ethical Argument to Consider the Jain Practice of Fasting to Death as Different from Suicide

The ceremony also featured a book release segment, unveiling two significant works:

• Jains in India and Abroad by Dr. Prakash C. Jain
• Applications of Anekantavad, edited by Dr. Shugan C. Jain and Preeti Rani Jain

The ceremony concluded with words of encouragement from Dr. Jasvant Modi and a Vote of Thanks by Dr. Sulekh C. Jain, followed by a social gathering that fostered community bonding and informal dialogue.

This annual event continues to affirm ISJS’s mission of promoting excellence in Jain studies and nurturing a vibrant global scholarly community.

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