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 a deterrent than the rainstorms most of us can expect. For Maoists in Bihar, such threats are routine but necessary. They have much to lose from a free and fair poll. Especially in these elections.
Type: 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 and achievements of the public sector, munificently straddling the commanding heights of the economy.
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 limited sets of clothing which have to go through the wash regularly to serve them. No argument can convince them to create redundancy.
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.
In Favour of Basic Education – Betting on the bottom-up – Rohini Nilekani
Just recently, I happened to be standing outside a rather new-looking government school, high up on a scraggy hillock in Kolar district in South India. Two young boys, aged about 12, were our curious onlookers and we picked up conversations. One I knew to be a student, because he wore a school uniform, often the only decent clothing accessible to poor rural children, even today. The other, through the entire agony of his body language, clearly was not.
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 lessons.
With an estimated 4.3 million self-help groups (SHGs) scattered across the country, with an average membership per group of 15, mostly women, and an average savings mobilization of Rs22,000, we have the world’s largest microfinance sector and certainly its most diverse.
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 wonder at the TED conference in Long Beach, California, early in February.
Uncommon Ground – Davos discussions
Looking back at my notes on earlier WEFs, I have to say there has always been healthy debate in the corners about structural fault lines in globalized capitalism.
On my way up from Zurich to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF), I marvelled again at how clear the road remains in spite of unusual amounts of snow piled up on rooftops and mountain slopes. I also wondered whether the going would be quite as smooth inside, at the 200-odd sessions scheduled across many hotels dotting this picturesque little town of Davos.
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 is to be the best NGO for rural development in the world. And to which, according to the foundation CEO, Jacob Verghese, the family donates at least 50% of an amazing Rs30 crore annual budget for work in six districts of Andhra Pradesh.
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.