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
Companies Act Must Amplify, not constrain the idea of CSR
he Companies Bill will soon become a law. My particular knowledge and concern is clearly about only one part of it, which requires that companies of a certain size and profitability contribute 2% of profits to corporate social responsibility (CSR). Many of us, including myself, have opposed this idea vociferously for multiple reasons, and this […]
Article
Rohini Nilekani Sells Infosys Shares, Raises $27 Million For Charity
Rohini Nilekani, wife of Infosys cofounder Nandan Nilekani, disclosed Friday that she has recently sold 577,000 shares out of the 8 million shares that she holds in the outsourcer. The sale reduced her stake marginally from 1.41% to 1.31% which is still worth close to $370 million. The funds from the share sale, amounting to […]
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 […]
Panel
IIHS-UC Berkeley Conference | Building Urban Infrastructure in India
The “urban” economy plays an increasingly vital role in India’s economic development. The joint two day conference hosted by IIHS and the University of California, Berkeley on 26th and 27th March, 2013, brought together leading scholars from India and globally to discuss the many critical questions relating to the effective and equitable functioning of the […]
Panel
Connect The Dots: Water Matters
This is an edited version of Water Matters, an interactive panel discussion with Rohini Nilekani. The event, held at Max Mueller Bhavan on 22nd March 2013, World Water Day, was part of a campaign on sustainable water conservation in Bangalore run by The Alternative, a media platform on sustainable living. Bangalore is running short […]
Interview
Philanthropy in India Is Taking Its Own Route
A debate was going on about a government proposal to make it compulsory for companies to spend 2% of their net pro?ts on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Rohini Nilekani, philanthropist and chairperson of Arghyam, a foundation she set up with a private endowment to work on water and sanitation issues in India, says she has […]
Keynote
Giving Away A Billion Books: Rohini Nilekani at TEDxGateway
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s talk, ‘Giving Away A Billion Books’, delivered at a TEDx Gateway event. Rohini Nilekani was the Founder-Chairperson of Pratham Books, a charitable trust which seeks to put “A book in every child’s hand.” When I was a child, I learned a skill that I believe has given […]