EAM remarks at ‘From Shunya to Ananta’ exhibition #UN; 🇮🇳’s contribution to maths

Added: 2026-05-19

[00:00:03]Thank you, Ambassador Harish, excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, past and present. Uh it gives me immense pleasure to inaugurate this historic first of its kind mathematics exhibition here at the United Nations at we who are gathered here are not merely looking at numbers on a wall. We are observing a civilization that originated in the intellectual soil of India. And this is an inheritance that is as much about the future as it is about the past.

[00:00:50]When we assemble at the United Nations, we often speak of a shared human heritage. Yet if we look at the arc of modern history, the global narrative of scientific progress has for far too long been viewed through a narrow lens limited in time and in geography.

[00:01:16]As geopolitical churn ushers in a political and economic rebalancing, it is inevitably paving the way for a cultural rebalancing too.

[00:01:30]And that will be done by making space for diverse narratives, including a more comprehensive understanding of our past.

[00:01:41]Today we present to you an exposition on India Indian civilization's contribution to mathematics but it could equally well apply to other societies and different domains.

[00:01:58]We need to appreciate that democratization of technology indeed democratization of the world requires a democratization of history.

[00:02:10]It is only by writing the distortions of the past that we can accurately address issues of the future.

[00:02:20]The global diffusion of mathematics is a tale of interconnectedness.

[00:02:28]But every supply chain of ideas has a starting point.

[00:02:33]As you walk through this exhibition, you will note that the very code which is the basis of our current technological age was conceptualized in India centuries ago.

[00:02:47]Indeed, the digital era we live in now operates on that very binary system. As we demonstrate and the ambassador mentioned as well, its roots can be traced to Pingala's Chandas Sutra from 3rd century B.C.E.

[00:03:07]in fact the rhythm of our ancient verses was actually algorithmic.

[00:03:14]This connect extends to many other facets of modern science as well.

[00:03:20]Whether it is developing the infinite series for pi or articulating the principles of what we now know as the pythogorian theorem. The recesses of history have much to reveal and much to inform.

[00:03:37]Excellencies, how does this matter in the United Nations?

[00:03:43]It does so because a diverse and democratic collective cannot be built on a uni-dimensional narrative.

[00:03:53]These truths will increasingly become apparent as we embark on the journey of AI where our grasp of the past will profit from the tools of the future. As we prepare for that, it is our hope that this exhibition would heighten awareness and spark a debate about the richness of our inherently pluralistic world. It will also help cast aside prejudices and assumptions about the embrace of technology in the current era.

[00:04:30]Already we can perceive where and how digital public infrastructure has delivered good governance and social benefits.

[00:04:41]The recent AI impact summit in India has also sent a strong message that creativity and innovation cannot be limited to a few.

[00:04:52]This exhibition is a reminder that mathematics is a universal language and its spread has served and continues to serve a global good.

[00:05:06]The United Nations as the most established platform for international cooperation can draw on that message in its quest to advocate closer international collaboration.

[00:05:19]I thank you all for coming and I invite you to spend time at this really interesting glimpse of history. Thank you very much.