Article
Asia’s 2018 Heroes Of Philanthropy: Putting Wealth To A Good Cause
Nandan & Rohini Nilekani, 63, 59. Cofounder, Infosys; founder, Arghyam Pledged to donate 50% of their wealth in November 2017 under the Giving Pledge and said, “Wealth comes with huge responsibility and is best deployed for the larger public interest.” Past contributions include $5 million to the premier Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in Mumbai, […]
Article
Asia’s 2018 Heroes Of Philanthropy: Charity Is New To India’s New-Economy Titans
Among the newly rich, the idea of social philanthropy is just settling in, says Rohini Nilekani, wife of tech billionaire and Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani and founder of Arghyam, a foundation focusing on water and sanitation. The Nilekanis are among India’s leading philanthropists and one of the seven Indian families to sign the Gates-Buffett Giving […]
Article
Making invisible water visible
The capricious nature of groundwater has resulted in so much exploitation and overuse that we now have a consistent crisis. Presenting a roadmap for groundwater governance and information transparency using technology.” URL View PDF
Article
Karnas of Philanthrophy – Telugu – Eenadu
Nandan Nilekani and Rohini Nilekani have pledged half their wealth for Philanthrophy. View PDF
Article
The people’s struggle to find solutions to water challenges
With the summer looming, water comes more easily to the urban mind. Even for those who had been reasonably secure all year long, it is an uncertain time. Maybe it is time to build a sump, to invest in a rainwater harvesting system, or to try, again, to dig a private borewell. View PDF
Article
Stop the waste from burying us: State or society is usually blamed, but let’s look upstream at producers of waste
You cannot walk or drive more than a few metres in any Indian city without encountering mounds of rubbish. Even in our villages, you will find garbage billowing around fields, piling up along roads or even lining the forest floor. At many beaches, you are as likely to find your toes tickled by strands of […]
Article
How India’s richest 1% can effect change
The super-rich must not just be super-generous but also be seen to be super-generous, to inspire more people to give. TurningPoint: India is giving more at this stage of its economy than many other countries. When a few people get super-wealthy very rapidly, societies sit up and take notice. When some of them talk publicly […]
Article
Want Empowered Women? Start Thinking About how to Help Young Men.
We need to turn to the 200 million young men of India with as much urgency and focus as we spend on the millions of young women in the country. Every day, we hear of horrible atrocities that have taken place against girls and women in India. This is despite the fact that as a country, […]
Interview
Giving Pledge is not meant to be prescriptive: Rohini Nilekani
Rohini Nilekani on why she and her husband Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani signed up for Bill Gates and Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge initiative. In a phone interview from Bengaluru, Rohini Nilekani explains why the couple felt the need to sign the pledge, how wealth can influence policy and how societal platforms will help them scale up. Edited […]
Article
1st-generation entrepreneurs – Premji, Nilekani, NRN – make Bengaluru India’s philanthropy capital
With four Bengalureans being the only Indian signatories to Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge, the IT city could very well be the philanthropy capital of the country. Representatives of India Inc here adopt fresh approaches to humanitarianism — from closely-monitored capacity building in existing nonprofits to promoting tech-led scalable market solutions for development issues. Additionally, younger […]
Interview
Our society has become so unequal. The wealthy need to be taxed more, says Rohini Nilekani
Rohini Nilekani is a bit nervous that people might have “an overdose of the Nilekanis” as she and her husband Nandan have been in the news all week for having signed the Giving Pledge, committing half their wealth — about $1.7bn — to philanthropy. She believes philanthropy isn’t just about giving but is also a […]
Article
Nilekanis pledge half of wealth for philanthropy
BENGALURU: Infosys co-founder and tech billionaire Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani have joined ‘The Giving Pledge’, an elite network of the world’s wealthiest individuals committing half their wealth to philanthropy. The Giving Pledge website uploaded Nilekanis’ letter signing up for the cause. View PDF
Article
Nilekanis pledge half their wealth for philanthropy
Infosys co-founder and Chairman Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani have decided to pledge half of their wealth for philanthropy. With this, the Nilekani has become the fourth Indian and second tech magnate from Bengaluru to join The Giving Pledge, the philanthropy movement started by US billionaires Bill Gates, his wife Melinda Gates and […]
Article
Nilekanis donate half of wealth to philanthropy
Infosys co-founder and Non-Executive Chairman Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani have pledged to donate half of their wealth to philanthropy. The Nilekanis had announced their decision to donate their wealth through a letter on November 8 that was put up on the website of ‘The Giving Pledge’. The Giving Pledge is a campaign […]
Article
Nilekanis pledge to donate half of their wealth for philanthropy
Infosys co-founder and Chairman Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani have decided to pledge half of their wealth for philanthropy. With this, the Nilekani family has become the fourth Indian and second tech magnate from Bengaluru to join ‘The Giving Pledge’, the philanthropy movement started by U.S billionaires Bill Gates, his wife Melinda Gates […]
Article
Nandan Nilekani, wife Rohini commit to donate 50 per cent of their wealth
Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani and wife Rohini have pledged to donate 50 percent of their wealth under Giving Pledge- a movement initiated by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Melinda Gates. Bill Gates appreciated Nilekani couple’s philanthropic initiative in his tweet. “I’m amazed by how Nandan Nilekani has lent his entrepreneurial passion to philanthropy. I’m delighted […]
Article
Nandan Nilekani, wife Rohini join ‘The Giving Pledge’ philanthropy network, donate half their wealth
The Nilekanis are the fourth Indians after Wipro chairman Azim Premji, Biocon chairman Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Sobha Developers Chairman Emeritus P N C Menon to sign up for The Giving Pledge. Infosys co-founder and tech billionaire Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani have joined ‘The Giving Pledge’, an elite network of the world’s wealthiest […]
Article
Make philanthropy serious business
Infosys non-executive chairman Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini have joined the growing list of billionaires who have committed to give away at least half of their wealth to philanthropic causes through The Giving Pledge campaign, founded by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. They join Wipro’s Azim Premji, Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and P N C […]
Article
Nandan Nilekani, wife Rohini to donate half of their wealth under Giving Pledge: Here’s why they are doing it
Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani and wife Rohini will donate 50 percent of their wealth under Giving Pledge- a movement initiated by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Melinda Gates. With this, the Nilekanis have joined the list of other Indian billionaires like Wipro Chairman Azim Premji, Biocon Chairman Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, and Sobha Ltd Chairman PNC […]
Article
Nandan and Rohini Nilekani give away part of their wealth to charity
Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani and wife Rohini have pledged part of their wealth to charity, joining the ‘Giving Pledge’ movement initiated by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Melinda Gates where wealthy individuals commit part of their wealth to society. The Nilekanis have joined other Indian billionaires like Wipro Chairman Azim Premji, Biocon Chairman & Managing […]
Article
The Indian government is truly imperfect, but amazing things have happened: Bill Gates
Seven years after Bill Gates pioneered the Giving Pledge, 171 ultra-wealthy people have vowed to give away at least half their wealth. Nandan and Rohini Nilekani have just become the fourth signatory to the pledge from India. The trio spoke to Anand Mahadevan and Archana Rai about the different but complementary roles that private philanthropy […]
Article
Rohini Nilekani’s Message for GivingTuesday India
believe that events Like #GivingTuesdaylndia and Daan Utsav are ways for us to reach beyond ourselves. In a country where far too many people are still waiting to experience economic and social dignity, these are attempts at building an integrated society, a good samaaj, which is the true foundation of successful nations. I hope people […]
Report
Report | The Emerging Paradigm in Mental Health: Social Innovation Mapping
There is a growing interest among philanthropists and changemakers to explore opportunities to drive positive change in the field of mental health. View PDF
Report
Changing Coverage: An Assessment of the FEJI – ATREE Fellowships 2013-2017
The Forum for Environmental Journalists in India and Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment have partnered to implement three years of journalism fellowships in India. Over the last three years, FEJI has tried to bridge the divide between the scientific community and journalists in order to bring the public the news it […]
Interview
Bengaluru is not inclusive: Rohini Nilekani
“The city is not inclusive. The elite and the poor have different ideas and their interests often compete with each other, leaving fewer means for them to protest together. That is why we see disparate protests. However, there are some issues like water and mobility that bring all of us together,” writer and philanthropist Rohini […]
Interview
Q&A With Rohini Nilekani – Impact India
TWO DECADES OF GIVING HAVE TAUGHT PHILANTHROPIST ROHINI NILEKANI THE VALUE OF PURSUING UNCONVENTIONAL APPROACHES TO TACKLING SOCIAL PROBLEMS. View PDF
Article
EkStep – Re-Imagining Primary Learning Learning Opportunities
EkStep Mission: Improve literacy and numeracy by increasing access to learning opportunities for tens of millions of children in five years. View PDF
Interview
Special Feature : does philanthropy have too much influence?
Interview – Rohini Nilekani. Rohini Nilekani is one of India’s most prominent and outspoken philanthropists. She talks to Alliance editor Charles Keidan about how she gives and to whom; why, for someone whose philanthropy is very public, she sometimes gives anonymously; the social responsibility of the rich; the need for philanthropy, and, at the same […]
Article
Indian diaspora givers becoming a powerful force in global philanthropy
An emotional link to their roots means causes in the homeland are a principal target for their philanthropic funding. “Certainly they have been giving to charities that are close to home, whether in education or health, or something they were connected with emotionally,” says Rohini Nilekani, a prominent India based donor and champion for philanthropy […]
Interview
Govt policy should make it easier to give: Rohini Nilekani
Philanthropist Rohini Nilekani on how the wealthy can be persuaded to give more to charity, importance of natural resources to improve living standards, and the India Philanthropy Initiative. View PDF
Article
A call for de-growth
A healthy debate on the impact of unbridled development was a key takeaway from the launch ofAmitav Ghosh’s latest book. Concern about the climate Was the focus. View PDF
Article
Climate change conversation – People know all, but refuse to act: Amitav Ghosh
The author was in conversation with Rohini Nilekani, chairperson, Arghyam Foundation, R Sukumar, Professor, Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc, J Srinivasan, Professor, Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, R Sukumar, Professor, Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc, writer Amitav Ghosh and Rohini Nilekani, chairperson, Arghyam Foundation, at the launch of Ghosh’s book The Great Derangement – […]
Article
Water shortage increasing due to climate change, says Chief Secy Shatrughan Singh – Uttarakhand
Rohini Nilekani and Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Shatrughan Singh at a workshop on ‘Reviving springs in Uttarakhand’ organised by the Peoples Science Institute in Dehradun on Wednesday. “Drinking water shortage will become grave in Uttarakhand especially in the rural mountain areas due to climate change,” said Shatrughan Singh, while speaking at a workshop on “Reviving Springs […]
Article
The 25 Most Powerful Women in Indian Business
While her husband sells Brand India Abroad, ROHINI Improves things at the Grassroots. The Journalist-turned-novelist-turned-philanthropist has been spending personal money and time on causes close ot her heart. View PDF
Book
Sringeri Srinivas Learns to Laugh – Pratham Books
Sringeri Srinivas Learns to Laugh – Pratham Books. This is a Level 2 book for children who recognize familiar words and can read new words with help. View PDF
Article
Philanthropy: It’s about giving everyone a chance
Two couples tell us giving decisions are about taking risks and proactively formulating a strategy. We have met inspiring philanthropists—whether it’s Arghyam chairperson Rohini Nilekani’s passion for the cause of sanitation or musician and author Peter Buffett’s vision based on his father’s philosophy. View PDF
Article
CSOs: Mirrors, not just handmaidens
When a government limits the freedom of NGOs to criticize, as seems to be happening now, it prevents them from doing what it needs them to do. The world over, it is understood that civil society organizations (CSOs) provide checks and balances to counter the unbridled power of the state and any abuse of that […]
Article
Rohini Nilekani | Want to make a difference? Then initiate it.
Good governance, no matter how you define it, is about more than govt and its institutions. Its about citizens investing and engaging in transformation process. View PDF
Article
Forbes India PHILANTHROPY AWARDS 2014
THE CAUSE AND THE EFFECT: Celebrating the best of philanthropy in India. These are the winners of the Forbes India Philanthropy Awards 2014, chosen by our eminent jury comprising Narayanan Vaghul (jury chair and former chairman of ICICI Bank), MV Subbiah (former executive chairman, Murugappa Group), Jayant Sinha (currently minister of state for finance) and Rohini Nilekani (founder-chairperson, Arghyam). View PDF
Book
Not Now, Not Now! – Pratham Books – Children’s Books
The little boy in this story wants to do something now, but all his elders say NOT NOW! Do you get angry when someone says that to you? This is a Level 1 book for children who are eager to begin reading. View PDF
Book
Listen to My Body – Pratham Books – Children’s Books
Each of us has a wonderful body. But have you ever listened to what it tells you?. This is a Level 2 book for children who recognize familiar words and can read new words with help. View PDF
Book
Too Many Bananas – Pratham Books – Children’s Books
No one wanted to buy the sweet bananas that Sringeri Srinivas grew on his farm. Find out what he did with them in this cute story. This is a Level 2 book for children who recognize familiar words and can read new words with help. View PDF
Book
Too Much Noise – Pratham Books
Too Much Noise – Pratham Books – Children’s Books This is a Level 2 book for children who recognize familiar words and can read new words with help. View PDF
Article
The Legends – Personalities who devote their life for the right cause to the world
The Legends These are the stories about supernatural beings. Personalities who devote their life for the right cause to the world. Just take a tour of their amazing work … the god gifted. All are the truths which never come on the dais of the world. Just read it out … what they did … […]
Interview
Make good, affordable books accessible to kids: Rohini Nilekani
BANGALORE: One story was narrated to hundreds of children across the country on Saturday, thanks to the initiative of Pratham Books, headed by Rohini Nilekani. Rohini speaks to STOI on the importance of reading and why it lags among children. View PDF
Interview
We need to create physical and virtual libraries everywhere
The work of governments and ngos over the past two decades has certainly helped millions of children, all first-generation learners, get into school and take their first steps towards reading. However, for a vast majority, there is almost nothing joyful or interesting for them to practise their newfound skills on. The children of our elite […]
Article
Company law to change CSR landscape
Experts see mixed blessings from new company law; some say the move will result in rise in CSR consulting. The CSR provisions could have a “cascading impact” on philanthropy, according to Rohini Nilekani, chairperson and founder of non-profit Arghyam and wife of Nandan Nilekani, a co-founder of software service firm Infosys Ltd and chairman of […]
Article
The dark side of Urjapradesh
While the debate over an eco-sensitive zone rages, Uttarakhand has not even defined minimum environmental flows for its rivers. Uttarakhand is rightly termed the abode of the gods, with its magnificent mountains, pristine forests and awe-inspiring rivers. It is a place sacred in our culture, and millions of tourists and pilgrims pay homage to its […]
Interview
Christian Science Monitor Profiles Rohini Nilekani of Pratham Books
In case you missed it, the Christian Science Monitor recently published a wonderfully inspiring story about Rohini Nilekani, the Bangalore based philanthropist who founded Pratham Books, a nonprofit publishing company that provides low cost books to millions of poor children across India. View PDF
Interview
Rohini Nilekani pours her wealth into getting books to India’s poorest children
When she found herself suddenly wealthy, the Indian philanthropist founded Pratham Books, a nonprofit publisher that uses innovative ways to put low-cost books in the hands of millions of kids. “My mission is to put a book in every child’s hand,” says Rohini Nilekani That’s an ambitious goal anywhere, but especially in India, where there […]
Article
India booked!
To keep its date with the International Literacy Day Pratham Books, an NGO in the space of literacy is attempting to bring together children from across the country in a uhique book reading endeavour. Says Suzanne Singh, managing trustee, “We have a mission to see a book in every child’s hand. This endeavour is just one step in this direction.” View PDF
Interview
Talk Time – Rohini Nilekani in conversation with tanmoy goswami – The Smart Manager
SMART SUMMARY: In 2008, United Airlines allegedly broke a $3500 custom made guitar belonging to Canadian musician Dave Carroll. Following many rounds of fruitless dialog, during which the company’s managers relentlessly cited ‘policy’ and refused to compensate the musician, Carroll made a music video called United Breaks Guitars that had amassed 10 million views on […]
Article
Uncommon Ground – Rohini Nilekani
This book of conversations between people holding different points of view has a deliberately misleading title. Because Rohini Nilekani has managed to show that in the most uncommon of grounds, between the most adversarial of positions, there can be found something in common if the two sides are willing to at least try and see […]
Interview
Charge of the compassionate brigade
Modern society is classified into different segments. First you have the state, as represented by elected officials and lawmakers, politicians, ministers, bureaucrats and other organs of the state. Then there are the commercial bodies — companies, chambers of commerce and other market players. The third segment (there is a fourth, the underworld and the mafia, […]
Article
Constructive Dialogues
The social responsibility of A business is to increase its profits,” wrote Friedman in the New York Times magazine in 1970. While there’d be fewer takers of his doctrine in the present day corporate world, the subject is still not a comfortable one to debate. And that’s precisely why Nilekani’s Uncommon Ground makes for a […]
Article
Negotiating Social Harmony – Uncommon ground – Rohini Nilekani
No servant can serve two masters: for either he wall hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” From Biblical times, this has been the conventional wisdom. But humbly correcting the dictum is philanthropist, journalist and activist, Rohini […]
Article
Uncommon Ground – Rohini Nilekani – Penguin Books
Uncommon Ground – Rohini Nilekani – Penguin Books. Business Standard. View PDF
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Uncommon Ground – by Rohini Nilekani
Uncommon Ground – by Rohini Nilekani. The Pioneer. View PDF
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Uncommon Ground – Dialogues Between Business and Social Leaders: Rohini Nilekani
Uncommon Ground – Dialogues Between Business and Social Leaders: Rohini Nilekani. The Hindu. View PDF
Article
The Challenge of Inequity
Solutions remain elusive as industry and civil society leaders grapple with issues. View PDF
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Invitation – Launch of Uncommon Ground – India International Centre, New Delhi
Penguin Books India cordially invites you to the launch of Uncommon Ground – Dialogues between Business and Social leaders – by Rohini Nilekani, on Thursday 20 October 2011 at 7.00 p.m. at Seminar Halls 2 & 3, First Floor, New Extension Building, India International Centre, 10 Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi. The author will be […]
Article
Uncommon Ground – The Write People
It’s not often that one sees the city’s movers and shakers in attendance at an event. So it was little surprise to find the IT industry’s heavyweights thronging this hotel for Rohini Nilekani’s big day. View PDF
Interview
Our mission is safe and sustainable water for all
in the third of Mint’s “Joy Of Giving Week” interview series, Rohini Nilekani, chairperson and founder of Arghyam, talks about the foundation she set up to address the problem of one of India’s scarcest resources—water. View PDF
Article
Uncommon Ground – Dialogues between Business and Social Leaders
Uncommon Ground – Dialogues between Business and Social Leaders. ROHINI NILEKANI – PENGUIN VIKING. View PDF
Article
Uncommon Ground – by Rohini Nilekani
The author brings together titans of industry and leaders of civil society to explore eight themes relevant to India’s development. View PDF
Article
NEW VISION – Uncommon Ground
Uncommon Ground brings together titans of industry and leaders of civil society to explore eight themes that are highly relevant for our future development. Based on RohiniNilekani’s 2008 television show. the conversations explore the middle ground between the ideological divisions that often polarize the business and voluntary sectors. View PDF
Article
Anna movement has lost its focus: Hande
“I think the Anna Hazare movement for Jan Lokpal Bill was good but the focus got lost somewhere,” said Harish Hande, the 2011 Magsaysay award winner. Hande was speaking at the launch of ‘Uncommon Ground’, authored by Rohini Nilekani, chairperson of NGOs Pratham Books and Arghyam. View PDF
Article
Uncommon Ground – Rohini NIlekani
Rich in insights, Uncommon Ground highlights the critical importance of dialogue in our democracy to create a shared vision of the future. View PDF
Article
Anna brigade lost focus: Hande
I think the Anna Hazare movement for Jan Lokpal Bill was good but the focus got lost somewhere,” said Harish Hande, the 2011 Magsaysay award winner. Hande was speaking at the launch of ‘Uncommon Ground’, authored by Rohini Nilekani, chairperson of NGOs Pratham Books and Arghyam. View PDF
Article
Uncommon Ground – Rohini Nilekani’s book launched
Rohini Nilekani’s book, ‘Uncommon Ground: Dialogues between business and social leaders’ was launched here on Thursday. The book stemmed from the author’s 2008 television series of the same name on NDTV. It documents eight broad conversations between top business and social leaders about topics such as food, energy and transportation in India. View PDF
Article
Uncommon Ground – Launch of Rohini Nilekani’s Book – Narayana Murthy
Rohini Nilekani, author of Uncommon Ground, with Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty at the launch of the book in Bangalore on Thursday. View PDF
Interview
Uncommon Ground – Do we see ourselves as citizens or consumers?
There has to be a fine balance between society, government and the market – samaj, sarkar and bazaar. I attempted to seek that balance through a dialogue between samaj and bazaar. In 2008, Rohini Nilekani, chairperson of NGOs Pratham Books and Arghyam, moderated an eight-part television series called ‘Uncommon Ground’. Conceptualised by Nilekani, a former […]
Interview
Uncommon Ground: Path to India’s future
In 2008, Rohini Nilekani did the near-impossible by bringing sets of for profit business leaders and not-for-profit social leaders together on a TV show for focused debates on issues crucial to India’s future. Now, she has turned those discussions into her latest book, Uncommon Ground. The author-social activist-philanthropist spoke to Sangeetha Chengappa ahead of the […]
Article
Bestsellers – Uncommon Ground – Rohini Nilekani
Bestsellers – Uncommon Ground – Rohini Nilekani. The Tribune. View PDF
Interview
Entrepreneur Wisdom – Discussion – TiE Stree Shakti initiative
Rohini Nilekani and Rama Bijapurkar share their views on women entrepreneurship Chat Over Chai. View Video
Article
Freedom At High Noon – The great leap created wealth for some. Public policy must spread it evenly.
INDIA’S shift towards a market economy was like a volcanic eruption, the lava of which is still spreading through society. Its impact, along with globalisation, has greatly benefited many people, but especially those who already had significant advantages created for them by the erstwhile^ more socialist regime The urbanising middle class of the 1960s and […]
Interview
We aim to provide a book in every child’s hand: Rohini Nilekani, Pratham Books
New Delhi : In a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Pratham Books (NGO), publisher Pearson Longman has agreed to set aside part of the proceeds it receives for every school title sold in India, which will then be used for the cause of the underprivileged children across the country. View PDF
Interview
BEHIND THE IT REVOLUTION –
IT companies may bring in their wake a certain culture of work and play which may veer away sharply from Bangalore’s pre-IT days, but the city is trying hard to keep its integrity. “The city has evolved.. It has grown madly in every direction, planned and unplanned, grown with granite and glass, with bricks and […]
Article
A Philosophy Of Philanthropy
Journalist-turned-philanthropist Rohini Nilekani, the founder of Bengaluru-based NGOs Pratham Books and Arghyam, feels everyone should be water-wise today. View PDF
Interview
‘Challenge creation of islands in society’
Rohini Nilekani is essentially a philanthropist at heart and passionate about development issues. The fact that she has featured in the Forbes’ list of Asia Pacific’s 48 ‘Heroes Of Philanthropy’ for the second consecutive year proves this. She speaks to Shruti Khairnar on middle class values and corporate social responsibilities. View PDF
Article
Giving Is Easy” – Heroes of Philanthropy
Journalist and novelist. Corporate wife and mother. Now, armed with a fortune from Infosys’ meteoric rise, Rohini Nilekani is intent on helping India’s poor. View PDF
Article
Uncommon Ground – A Fine Balance in Kutch
There’s a massive export of virtual water from dry regions to wet, through the sale of both milk and meat products. on work, with soaring temperatures and no promise of rain despite an unusual cloud cover. We travelled a couple of hundred kilometres in the clay desert, despairing at the spread of Prosopis juli-flora which […]
Article
Uncommon Ground – Greening The Toilet
The past century of sanitation has been an environmental and financial nightmare for the world. It is supposedly the 100th anniversary of the modern lavatory, though there is some dispute about when the modern flush toilet as we now know it was invented and by whom. Nevertheless, for the billions around the world who take […]
Article
Uncommon Ground – A Conflict Of Paradigms
The demand for limited fresh water has brought the issue to the centre of the debate on development. At summertime, thoughts turn naturally to water. For millions of citizens, especially women, it is a time of extreme shortage, and for ever more creative coping mechanisms. Many states have improved access to lifeline water, but there […]
Article
Uncommon Ground – Rising From The Ashes
There is a growing consensus that this crisis is unlike any other, that it’s a discontinuity with potential for great change. The airy cafe at London’s British Museum, just across a hallway exhibiting newly discovered mummies of sacred animals from ancient Egypt, was the perfect place to chat with John Elkington about the Phoenix Economy. […]
Article
Uncommon Ground – Next Wave of Voluntarism?
For India’s sake as much as its own, Bihar needs to be strong, less vulnerable to forces that deny democracy. In parts of Bihar, such as the district of Gaya, ironically famous for its Buddhist tourism, Maoists have threatened to chop off the hands of anyone who dares to vote. This is slightly more of […]
Article
Uncommon Ground – Bringing The State Back In
There are just too many millions below the scope of ‘efficient’ markets and beyond the reach of most NGOs. Whenever the family travelled together, while most of us would admire the greenery, my father-in-law would sigh ecstatically over the beauty of the giant pylons striding across the fields. To him, they represented the engineering talent […]
Article
Uncommon Ground – Good Growth, Bad Growth
A question: is this economic slowdown improving the value of the environmental economy? As a family, we are not much into buying things recklessly. Although we live very well, we only buy things that we know will be used. My motherin-law and my son take this to a sort of extreme. They will only have […]
Article
FORBES ASIA SPOTLIGHTS PHILANTHROPISTS MAKING AN IMPACT ACROSS ASIA-PACIFIC AMIDST THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS
DOING GOOD IN BAD TIMES – Singapore, 5 March 2009 – Forbes Asia has announced its second annual Heroes of Philanthropy list which shines the spotlight on those with altruistic passions. Forty eight leading givers, four each from 12 markets across the Asia-Pacific region, were honored this year. View PDF
Article
Uncommon Ground – Lessons From Below
Microfinance rests on mutualism. This is very different from the individualism of free markets. Looking for models of financial prudence and sustainability? We don’t have to look very far. Tucked safely away from the scorching heat of the meltdown, at least so far, is the vastly distributed microfinance sector in India, which offers us fascinating […]
Article
Uncommon Ground – Rediscovering Wonder
Most species are individually stupid but collectively smart. Humans are the opposite. It is remarkable what happens when you suspend judgement and disbelief for a while. You rediscover wonder. A little bit of this rediscovery happens every weekend in cinema halls across the country. But I was very lucky to have my own awakening of […]
Article
Uncommon Ground – The Culture of Giving
It will be a pity if, just when the second wave of philanthropy was | taking root, it gets deracinated and scattered. In the jaw-dropping exposes about Satyam, there was only an occasional story about the impact on the social initiatives of the Raju family, such as the Byrraju Foundation, the declared goal of which […]
Article
Uncommon Ground – A CULTURE OF ENOUGH
Recently, Arghyam, a foundation I have set up to fund initiatives in water and sanitation, needed to hire for a senior position. We put out an ad on a mainstream jobs site, in addition to using development sector channels. To our great surprise, we were absolutely flooded with enquiries. View PDF
Article
Philanthropy, old and new
Just societies cannot be built merely by the distribution of surplus wealth. With a plethora of the newly wealthy in India setting up trusts and foundations recently, it is a good time to reflect on the value of strategic philanthropy. When it comes to giving in …,dia, we have traditionally upheld that feeling of empathy […]
Interview
It’s hard to be a working mom
We may know Rohini Nilekani as the wife of one of India’s most successful entrepreneurs and for her tireless good works. But was life always this struggle-free? Here she reveals what being a mother means to her and why she fears for her children’s future. View PDF
Article
Moment Of Glory – Kittur Rani Chennamma awards
Akshara Foundation’s Rohini Nilekani and actress Jayamala are among those felicitated with the Kittur Rani Chennamma awards on Saturday. View PDF
Article
Paying women their due on their day
Women’s role important, says Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph. Inaugurating Women’s Day celebrations jointly organised by Department of Women and Child Development and Karnataka Legal Services Authority, in Bangalore, Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph said women have important role in everybody’s life. Special awards for active Stree Shakti self help groups, Kitturu Chennamma awards […]
Article
Moment Of Glory
Akshara Foundation’s Rohini Nilekani and actress Jayamala are among those felicitated with the Kittur Rani Chennamma awards on Saturday. View PDF
Article
The City of Giving
Philanthropy is not just about donating money, it is about making an impact with your money, improving someone’s life, and Bangaloreans seem to understand this only too well. The Garden City aka Silicon Valley just earned itself a new sobriquet — the City of Giving. To be more precise, three of our citizens have earned […]
Article
Water portal launched – www.indiawaterportal.org/kannada
The water portal, which is co-ordinated by Arghyam, a non profit trust headed by Rohini Nilekani, supplies information – in Kannada – on various aspects of water. It was formally launched by K Jairaj, Principal Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, here on Friday. Arghyam launched the portal in January this year, and intends […]
Article
‘Water’shed policy to save valued resource
To sustain water assets in Karnataka’s rural areas, the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department will draw up a new policy shortly. RDPR principal secretary K Jairaj on Friday announced the policy will be implemented from April. He was speaking at the launch of a water portal in Kannada, launched by India Water Portal […]
Article
Now, Mrs. Nilekani On TV
It is time for change. To business television junkies, Nandan Nilekani has been a familiar face. Be it talking about his company or pitching for Indian software skills, Nilekani is almost a brand ambassador for the industry. In the next, we will see another Nilekani take the centre stage. Nilekani’s wife Rohini will host a […]
Article
Is Water the Next Oil?
Water is more vital for human life than oil – and environmentalists, corporations, communities and governments increasingly recognize its unequal distribution around the globe could lead to severe environmental degradation and intense conflicts in the years ahead. Anyone who cares about water should observe the management of oil during the past century and not repeat […]
Interview
focus on philanthrocapitalism: myth or reality?
What Rohini Nilekani sees as innovative and different about the way she’s doing things is the way she has brought together the opportunities that coming into money has given her and her earlier work in the social sector, with ‘all its emotional charge towards equity’. View PDF
Book
Annual Haircut Day – Pratham Books – Pratham Books
Sringeri Srinivas had very long hair. He wanted it cut on Annual Haircut Day. Everyone was busy. You will never guess who helped him that day! Read and enjoy! This is a Level 2 book for children who recognize familiar words and can read new words with help. View PDF
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Femme De Force – DAUGHTER, WIFE. MOTHER – India Woman today is so much more than this.
SHE IS THE FORCE THAT’S INSPIRING THE NATION AND THE WORLD. The woman you see here is Rohini Nilekani, wife of Infosys CEO, Nandan Nilekani. But more important, she is a woman with strong beliefs about how one can “give back to the society in small measure what one receives in such abundance”. A former […]
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Akshara’s Karnataka Learning Partnership a runaway success
95 per cent hit on improving reading skills. THE Karnataka Learning Partnership, a public-private initiative by Akshara foundation and the Education Department, Government of Karnataka and the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, on Thursday presented the findings of its reading programme conducted across 1309 government primary schools in Bangalore. View PDF
Interview
Akshara Foundation’s new project in 1,400 govt schools
The project is being taken up to ensure that all students from Standards two to seven read and learn. “The project will begin in July this year, and by November, we hope to see a remarkable difference in the children,” said Mr Ashok Kamath of the Akshara Foundation, at the Rotary Service Award function 2006 […]
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Akshara Foundation presented Rotary award – Kannada
Foundation chairperson Rohini Nilekani accepts the award. Ms. Nilekani said the foundation, as part of the Pratham Network, believed in giving underprivileged children the opportunity to learn and thereby empower them to take advantage of several more opportunities available for the educated. View PDF
Interview
50 Leaders re-shaping Indian Education – Acceptable Capitalists
Nandan Nilekani, managing director, Infosys Technologies Ltd and Rohini Nilekani, promoter trustee of the Akshara and Arghyam Trust foundations and trustee Pratham. Rohini has promoted the Akshara Eoundation to improve learning outcomes in municipal schools in Bangalore and the Arghyam Trust Foundation to research ways and means to improve water availability to socio-economically disadvantaged citizens, […]
Interview
Power Women – Stand Alone – Doing it All
Urban Indian Women are making choices and making them work. ROHINI NILEKANI – 46 , S0CIAL WORKER – Stand Alone Role call: Wears many hats in the social sector. A trust fund of Rs 100 crore focuses on access to water while the Akshara Foundation works with over one lakh children under the Pratham network. […]
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Making a difference
In the non-profit sector, we are often asked questions about outlays and outcomes. Funding agencies, government, the media and our partners demand to know what exactly we have achieved. Gone are the days when you could claim to wipe the brows of the sick, feed the hungry and shelter the homeless. These are ‘band-aid’ solutions. […]
Interview
Juniper-Akshara tieup provides libraries to poor
Juniper Networks has committed $34,080 to Akshara Foundation over three years to fund children’s libraries and educational resource centres (ERCs). The funding, done through Juniper Networks Foundation Fund, follows an earlier grant of $7,500. In six years Akshara Foundation has worked with over 1.65 lakh children through its educational programmes at the pre-school, in-school and […]
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Opportunity to raise people’s mind
I passionately believe that we need a public library system that is on par with the best in the world, and is accessible to all. I have not met any Indian who has not returned from the US, glowing with praise for the public library system there. I myself think most of my real education […]
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Making the system respond
t’s been a good year in Bangalore and Karnataka for primary education. The Right to Education Bill will soon become law and the state is gearing up to put mechanisms and resources into place to get the last child into school. The numbers of children enrolling into class one, has shown continuous improvement. Some infrastructure […]
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It is strange that after 5 7 years we have not managed to create an emergency access number such as 911 In the US
SPEEDING to somewhere. Suddenly… .Craaaashhhhhh! Imagine if you were cruising happily along a segregated highway on an arterial road in Bangalore. Imagine if you were knocked down by a truck rumbling along on the wrong side of the road. I know of two cases that played out like that scenario. The ones who died were […]
Article
At Ashvasan it’s future perfect
WORLD Elders Day came and went as a feeble reminder that even though India as a whole is getting younger, senior citizens are growing rapidly in absolute numbers. Yet others, such as the ever-elegant 77-year-old Lalita Ubhayaker, are busy knitting safety nets for their less fortunate peers. Ashvasan Foundation, set up more than a decade […]
Article
New indignation, new alignment
Sometimes, it seems as though much of the world is trying to crowd into Bangalore. Hold that thought. At almost seven million, our population in this city is already more than the population of new-age countries such as Ireland, and almost half of that of Chile.
Interview
It’s time to offer up our shoulders – wealth is a resource that could be used to bridge gaps and create a world of equals.
As an erstwhile leftist, Rohini Nilekam admits to a few years of disquiet when her family started reaping the generous rewards of Infosys. Soon she realised that wealth is a resource that could be used to bridge gaps and create a world of equals. View PDF
Book
Vayu, the Wind – Pratham Books
A nice story about this silent and always present friend, the wind does a lot of things without anybody’s notice! This is a Level 2 book for children who recognize familiar words and can read new words with help. View PDF
Book
Flying High – Pratham Books
Go along with Chandu as he dreams of flying. What do you dream of? This is a Level 2 book for children who recognize familiar words and can read new words with help. View PDF
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Campaign Read India: Get Them Glued To Books, Happily
ON International Literacy Day, it is time to do some stock-taking. And statistics do not console when it comes to the continuing high rate of school dropouts and the inability of even 50 percent of children going to government schools to read fluently. But the picture is not entirely bleak. In Bangalore, the Akshara Foundation […]
Article
The ‘Why Why Girl’ launched –
The Vice- Captain of the Indian cricket team, Rahul Dravid, on Monday released the noted writer Ma- hashveta Devi’s book, “The Why Why Girl”, under the Read India Movement aimed at bringing down the number of illiterate children. The book has been brought out by Pratham, of which the Bangtilore-based Akshara Foundation is a member. […]
Article
Nirmaadane (Kannada)
Nirmaadane (Kannada). Prajaa Vaani. View PDF
Interview
A Foreign Float – Why are we delivering foreign policy initiatives through the FM’s speech?
A Foreign Float – Why are we delivering foreign policy initiatives through the FM’s speech? The Budget is becoming a spectacle rather than a document of financial intentions i Why are we delivering foreign policy initiatives through the FM’s speech? Still, I think the moves in healthcare are to be appreciated for their general direction. […]
Article
Premier Book Shop
Does everyone in Bangalore know how to get to Premier Book Shop? Of course not. You have to get to M.G.Road and then find platform Nine and Three Fourths! Clearly, you have to be a wizard to actually shop at Premier. At a very special lunch at the warm home of Ramchandra Guha and Sujata […]
Article
The Journey to yoga class – Iyengar Yoga classes
For the past two and a half years, 1 have regularly attended Iyengar Yoga classes in Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India. I practice under the guidance of Yogacharya Shri H.S.Arun, a long time student of “Guruji” BKS Iyengar. The class is about seven kilometers away from my home. I travel by car, and am […]
Interview
Got money, reach out – Sudha Murthy does her thing and Rohini Nilekani does her own.
These days, Rohini reaches out to the less fortunate not through writing, but by donating generously to various causes. She has just taken over as the chairperson of the Akshara Foundation and is bubbling with ideas. View PDF
Interview
Yogacharya to the world – Padmashri Dr B K S Iyengar
Padmashri Dr B K S Iyengar, referred to simply as Guruji, has made a seminal difference to the practice and propagation of yoga. Rohini Nilekani speaks to the yogacharya. View PDF
Article
Keeping The Romance Alive
What is the price of fame? Incessant travel, for one. Constant tension over the fickle media, for another. Smiling all the time in public, posing for photos with strangers, suffering autograph hunters, being surrounded, squeezed out of breathing space. Does all this bother A. Hariharan, the south Indian singer who’s made it big in the […]
Interview
Hari Can Sing – But the applause for Hariharan has got loud only after the success of Colonial Cousins
somehow, Hariharan has managed not to let his erratic choice of musical assignment corrupt his voice. He says he would still love to cut a classical record. Take a year off from everything, concentrate on riyaaz, slip into another world. View PDF
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A Face In The Crowd – Usha Kini
She has dared to be different in a staid world. Usha Kini, a producer on DD Bangalore, firmly believes that television can make a difference to our lives. View PDF
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The journey through Cyberspace
The whole world opens up as India hooks up to the information highway. f you are using the phrase, ‘International Information Superhighway’ and thinking how erudite you sound, forget it. It’s already a no-no, a cliche, a has-been of a catch phrase. How, you blink, did that happen, when you had hardly begun to understand […]
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Shackling a demon – Doctors Of International repute at the global seminar on epilepsy
Epilepsy is no longer the demon it used to be. At the end of a century which saw dramatic improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of this very common human ailment, epileptologists are downplaying epilepsy as a very manageable condition. This was one of the most reassuring meassages that came through at an international seminar […]
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Checks and Balances – Making Transportation Systems Accountable
In its present form, the consumer protection act does not allow recourse to consumer courts for instances such as these. But if the consumer awakening implies that providers of a service/amenity or product must be accountable for quality to its consumers or purchasers, then surely there is scope to widen the purview of COPRA. View […]
Article
Keys For Mindscapes –
The rough edges of psychiatric rehabilitation are continuously being chipped away and this can be to everyone’s benefit, observes Rohini Nilekani. View PDF
Article
When they’re 64 – Today’s parents are not sure they will get their children’s support in their old age
have two children, but they have not been brought into this world with the hope that they will look after me when I grow old.” Name: Monica Thapar. Age: 36 years. Family status: Divorced. Job: Works for INTACH. Residence: Delhi. View PDF
Article
Shake hands and make up
Chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde and the dissidents, led by H. D. Deve Gowda, have called a truce. But, given the belligerence of both sides, how long will it last? WHh deliberate cunning chief minister R.K. Hegde tried to reduce the serious matter of dissidence to a simple issue of discipline. But it is not likely […]
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The old resignation routine
R. K. Hegde wins a small victory against the dissidents and pulls his favourite ‘resignation’ stunt again. If 28 March had been the day of the dissidents in Karnataka, 3 July unexpectedly belonged to the loyalists. In March, the Janata rebels had nearly spiked the elections of the party candidates to the Rajya Sabha. View […]
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Buy one, rent one – Kinectic Honda
Early bird customers o f Kinetic Honda have a unique facility: a scooter on rent from any dealer anywhere in the country. Early this year. Kinetic Honda Motor Ltd, the Japanese collaboration headquartered in Pune, began a scheme called the Founders’ Club, for all those custorhers who purchased Kinetic Honda scooters (current Bangalore price Rs […]
Article
The Loan Messiah – Janardhana Poojari
Despite the barrage of criticism from within and without the party, Union minister of state for finance Janardhan Poojary’s loan melas continue to win him immense popularity. View PDF
Article
Lok Ayukta: Watchdog?
The Karnataka Lok Ayukta, which has the power to try even the chief minister, is yet to make headway. The Lok Ayukta Bill was Karnataka chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde’s first specific indication of fighting corruption. The Bill which received the President’s assent in January 1985, was the only one among other Lok Ayukta bills which […]
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Hegde’s think tank – Four years ago, Ramakrishna Hegde, the chief minister of Karnataka, setup the Economic and Planning Council (EPC)
Four years ago, Ramakrishna Hegde, the chief minister of Karnataka, setup the Economic and Planning Council (EPC), a high-powered advisory body. How impressive has been this ‘”super cabinet’s” performance? What are its shortcomings? View PDF
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Spare the green hills – Environmentalists oppose illegal granite quarrying
Environmentalism is struggling to come of age in the country, and Karnataka is probably ahead of most other states as awareness has spread to even the remotest parts of the state. The latest issue taken up by environmentalists in Karnataka is that of illegal granite quarrying, especially in the B.R. Hill ranges of Mysore. It […]
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Women In India
Women in India share many of the problems that face their counterparts in the U.S., such as sexual harassment, lower wages, political exclusion, and physical violence which, at its worst, culminates in rape and even brideburning. In addition, however, most Indian women, and in fact many women all over the Third World, carry the double […]
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Ramakrishna Hedge: The Opposition’s New Star
Over the last few months, Hegde has emerged as the Janata party’s most impressive leader. Can he replace Chandrashekhar? CONSIDER THESE FACTS. The Janata party is rapidly running out of leaders. Chandrashekhar, who once seemed like the obvious Prime Ministerin-waiting has seen his credibility disappear. View PDF
Interview
Even Expediency Should Not Violate Decency
Ramakrishna Hegde talks about Janata dissensions, the governance of Karnataka, his own political views and his health. By Rohini Nilekani and Vir Sanghvi. View PDF
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Bangalore: A metropolis Slowly Crumbles
A few years ago. Bangalore was the boom city o f the South. Now the boom has gone bust. Last summer, just about a year ago, Bangaloreans were basking in the warmth of yet another addition to the string of monikers the city has acquired. Bangalore — the boom city — then seemed an awesome […]
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Who’s a Nuclear Threat
Recent assurances by Secretary of State George Shultz to the Indian government regarding U.S. supplying spare parts to the Tarapur nuclear plant have generated misdirected reaction in this country. Stripped of their politicization the facts are these: By virtue of a 1963 Indo-U.S. agreement, the U.S. has a contractual obligation to supply the Tarapur plant […]
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The Come-To-Tea Committees
Ea r l ie r this year, those who followed the activities of Rajiv Gandhi when he came to the city, noticed that while for most of the time he remained in the shadow of his mother, he made one deviation. He agreed to attend a tea-party hosted in his honour by an organisation—hitherto unheard […]
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Kalyug – An Art Film For The Masses
LIKE every other Shyam Benegal film, Kalyug, slated for release next month, has already received more than its fair share of media attention. The focus, however, seems to have been on the fact that the director has cast commercially established stars such as Rekha, Shashi Kapoor and Raj Babbar in its major roles. The criticism […]
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Music – Prabha Atre – Low-Key Virtuoso
Dr Prabha Atre, 45, vocalist, is a simple, unassuming person, not given to talking about herself. Watching her go about the modest Mahim flat, worrying about the carpenter not coming in, or the snacks being served right, it is difficult to imagine the same woman on stage at a concert—dignified, even a little aloof, and […]
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Girish Karnad – Interview by Interview by AHMED RIZVI and NANDAN NILEKANI
After Basu Chatterjee’s ‘Swami’, Girish Karnad is much in demand as a ‘character actor’ in commercial Hindi cinema. But he first made his mark as a playwright (‘Tughlaq’, ‘Hayavadana’) and as one of the pioneers of the new cinema movement in Karnataka. Karnad maintains =his varied involvement in theatre and cinema— as a writer, an […]
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Choas At The Kendra – DOORDARSHAN STRIKE
Bombay Doordarshan, that bureaucratic monolith, has now been in existence for just over eight years. Almost unremarked upon by the press so far for its gross ineptitude and mismanagement, it suddenly became the focus of attention early this month. The Doordarshan Programme Staff Union (Dpsu) announced their decision to begin a massive strike to express […]
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Event Of The Fortnight – The Karnad Wedding
The event of the fortnight was the catch of the the year, Girish Karnad, tying the knot with his lady love of 10 years’ standing, Saraswathy Ganpathy. That the evening saw the big names amongst playwrights, film-makers, socialites, ad men, and models emerge from, their respective niches, speaks volumes for the bridegroom’s versatility. View PDF […]
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The Making Of A Programme
Mo s t viewers of the Box are totally in the dark as to what goes into a programme. A peek behind the scenes reveals an astonishing sight—mismanagement, innovation, confusion and even flashes of genius. We chose ‘Parikrama’ as our prototype programme because of its popularity. (60 per cent of the audience watches ‘Parikrama’ regularly, […]
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The New Generation: 1960-1980: Saeed Mirza
If you were to ask Saeed Mirza an awkward question, he would probably fling an even more tricky one at you. A very difficult man to corner, Mirza is the most vociferous spokesman on the Parallel Cinema movement in India, Compact, with a straight no-nonsense beard. Saeed Mirza, in his mid-thirties, is still an angry […]