EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar’s remarks at exhibition ‘From Shunya to Ananta’ at the United Nations Headquarters, New York (May 11, 2026)

Thank you Ambassador Harish.

Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Colleagues, past and present,

It gives me immense pleasure to inaugurate this historic, first-of-its-kind mathematics exhibition here at the United Nations Headquarters.

We, who are gathered here, are not merely looking at numbers on a wall; we are observing a civilisation 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.

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. As geopolitical churn ushers in a political and economic rebalancing, it is inevitably paving the way for a cultural rebalancing too. And that will be done by making space for diverse narratives, including a more comprehensive understanding of our past.

Today, we present to you an exposition on the Indian civilization's contribution to mathematics. But, it could equally well apply to other societies and different domains. We need to appreciate that democratisation of technology, indeed democratisation of the world requires a democratisation of history. It is only by righting the distortions of the past that we can accurately address the issues of the future.

The global diffusion of mathematics is a tale of interconnectedness. But every supply chain of ideas has a starting point. 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.

Indeed, the digital era we live in now operates on that very binary system. As we demonstrate, as the Ambassador mentioned as well, its roots can be traced to Piṅgala's Chandaḥ Sūtra from the 3rd century BCE. In fact, the rhythm of our ancient verses was actually algorithmic. This connect extends to many other facets of modern science as well. Whether it is developing infinite series for Pi or articulating the principles of what we now know as the Pythagorean Theorem, the recesses of history have much to reveal and inform.

Excellencies, how does this matter for the United Nations? It does so because a diverse and democratic collective cannot be built on a unidimensional narrative. 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.

Already, we can perceive where and how digital public infrastructure has delivered good governance and social benefits. The recent AI Impact Summit in India has also sent a strong message that creativity and innovation cannot be limited to a few.

This exhibition is a reminder that mathematics is a universal language and its spread has served and continues to serve a global good. The United Nations, as the most established platform for international cooperation, can draw on that message in its quest to advocate closer international collaboration. I thank you all for coming and I invite you to spend time at this really interesting glimpse of history.

Thank you very much !

New York
May 11, 2026