12th Prof R L Kapur Memorial Oration, 2026
cordially invites you to a Lecture on
“Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall, I’m the Loneliest of Them All”
By
Dr Ajit V. Bhide, MBBS,
Emeritus Consultant Psychiatrist, St Martha's Hospital, Bengaluru.
@: drajitbhide@gmail.com
Chairperson:
Dr. Ravi Narayan
Community Health Adviser, Society for Community Health Awareness,
Research and Action (SOCHARA) and Global People’s Health Movement
On
Date: Friday, June 12, 2026 | Time: 4 PM
Venue: JRD Tata Auditorium, NIAS.
Abstract: Fragile Connections in the Modern World: In recent times, two phenomena of human psychology appear to have reached epidemic proportions. Loneliness is increasingly experienced in life, in various ranges of age. It seems ironic that this attends on so many lives in an era when communication has become easily accessible and rapid. Another partly related spectacle is an increasing preoccupation with one self. It would be fair to state that the age of Narcissus is upon us. The presentation will focus on these two aspects of modern mental life with insights into their causation and the possibility of healing
Speaker: Dr Ajit V. Bhide completed his education entirely in Bangalore. He joined St Martha’s Hospital, Bangalore, in 1987 and led its Department of Psychiatry from 1996 to 2021; he now serves as Emeritus Consultant. His work spans youth mental health, family and social dimensions of psychiatry, anxiety and personality disorders, psychotherapy, ethics, and preventive psychiatry. As President of the Indian Psychiatric Society, he played a key role in advancing the decriminalisation of homosexuality, with the Society’s position cited by the Supreme Court of India, and in shaping ethical guidelines on professional boundaries later adopted by the Medical Council of India. A widely engaged contributor to professional bodies, he has chaired and advised numerous committees. Beyond medicine, he is an avid reader with deep interests in literature, Indian history, and music, and has active in theatre and film, including award-winning productions.