In 2010, the Surrendra Paul Lecture series, held since 1992, became a part of the Jaipur Literature Festival and brought to the fore viewpoints of internationally acclaimed political columnists, human rights campaigners and economists on the subject of ´Freedom´ within the context of current-day political scenario.

The lectures lived up to its intention of creating thought–provoking debate and seeding fresh ideas.

The speakers included John Kampfner, political journalist turned human rights campaigner, Anne Applebaum,columnist for the Washington Post, Meghnad Desai, Indian-born British economist and Labour politician, Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist and writer and Niall Ferguson, British historian specializing in financial and economic history. Tarun Tejpal, the founder of Tehelka, was the moderator.

In an intellectually stimulating session, the speakers explored various aspects of Freedom - from cases of delayed justice and human rights violations in India, to the correlation between rising consumerism and diminishing freedom, to theories of state economic control limiting the entrepreneurial freedom of people, to terrorism being the latest threat to freedom.