Khagol Bulletin # 135 (Jan 2025) - ENG

| 10 | KHAG L | No. 135 - JANUARY 2025 Conference on Classical and Quantum Gravity A conference on Classical and Quantum Gravity was held at the Department of Physics, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kochi, on November 05–07, 2024. The event brought together researchers, Ph.D. scholars, and experts from across the country to engage in discussions on the latest advancements and challenges in gravitational physics. The conference also celebrated the significant contributions of Naresh Dadhich to the field of gravity and black hole physics on the occasion of his 80th birthday. The conference was inaugurated by Junaid Bushiri, Vice-Chancellor, Cochin University of Science and Technology. The conference program featured comprehensive lectures covering various aspects of classical and quantum gravity, including recent trends in black hole research, higher-dimensional gravity, and the interface of fundamental forces with quantum gravity. Esteemed speakers including Romesh Kaul (Delhi University), Mohammad Sami (SGT, Gurugram), Banibrata Mukhopadhyay (IISc), Narayan Banerjee (IISER Kolkata), Sumanta Chakraborty (IACS, Calcutta), Amitabha Lahiri (SNBNCBS), T R Govindarajan (Krea University), Ghanshyam Date (CMI, Chennai), Ajit Kembhavi (IUCAA), Jose Senovilla (Bilbao, Spain) (online), Sayan Kar (IIT, Kharagpur) (online), Kandaswamy Subramanian (IUCAA) (online), Rituparno Goswami (UKZN) (online) and Luciano Razzolla (Frankfurt University, Germany) (online) provided insights into the latest developments and selected faculty members from India and abroad delivered talks online. The number of participants, including speakers, was fifty-five. The conference facilitated meaningful interactions and networking opportunities, particularly benefiting Ph.D. scholars. The structured sessions and ample break times allowed for in-depth discussions on open problems in the field. The event successfully fulfilled its objective of exposing early-career researchers to the frontiers of gravitational physics and promoting academic collaboration. The participants expressed appreciation for the engaging sessions and the opportunity to interact with leading experts in the field. The organising team, led by Joe Jacob, Charles Jose, Dawood Kothawala and Ninan Sajeeth Philip, ensured a smooth execution of the event. The conference was coordinated by Joe Jacob (Newman College), Charles Jose (CUSAT) and Dawood Kothawala (IIT, Madras).