PM to address inaugural session of Global Buddhist Summit on April 20

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the inaugural session of the Global Buddhist Summit on April 20, Friday, here in the national capital, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) informed through a release on Tuesday.
The PM's address is scheduled at 10 am at Hotel Ashok in Delhi.

The two-day summit is being hosted by the Union Ministry of Culture in collaboration with International Buddhist Confederation on April 20-21. The theme for the summit is 'Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis'.

"The summit is an effort towards engaging the global Buddhist Dhamma leadership and scholars on matters of Buddhist and universal concerns, and to come up with policy inputs to address them collectively. The discussion at the summit will explore how the Buddha Dhamma's fundamental values can provide inspiration and guidance in contemporary settings," read the release.

Officials at the PMO said the summit will witness the participation of eminent scholars, sangha leaders and dharma practitioners from all over the world. They will discuss pressing global issues and look for answers in the Buddha Dhamma that are based on universal values.

"The discussions will be held under four themes -- Buddha Dhamma and Peace; Buddha Dhamma: Environmental Crisis, Health and Sustainability; Preservation of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition; Buddha Dhamma Pilgrimage, Living Heritage and Buddha Relics: a resilient foundation to India's centuries-old cultural links to countries in South, South-East and East Asia," the release stated further.