http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/738417.shtml Man takes wheelchair-bound mother on 3,359 km trek On October 12, a young man and his wheelchair-bound mother finally reached their destination, completing an arduous 3,359-kilometer journey from Beijing to Xishuangbanna. Over the last three months, Fan Meng walked the whole distance, pushing his handicapped mother in her wheelchair to realize her dream. Fan,…
Inverted model of innovation: IGNITE ‘12 The unprecedented response to the IGNITE competition for children’s innovations by NIF has created new benchmarks of curiosity and creativity of children. Compared to around 4000 entries last year, this year 14889 children responded from 282 districts of 30 states and union territory. Selecting 32 children was not easy.…
message to techfest organizers at teri and other colleges : There is a dire need to bridge the widening distance between the opportunities available for creative communities and individuals in formal and informal sector. While individual innovators in every sector are disadvantaged their handicaps become several times multiplied when language, remoteness and illiteracy so characteristic…
The destiny of a small retailer: How can FDI help? There is a considerable opposition in the country on the issue of FDI in retail. A lot of political parties genuinely believe that FDI will mean larger scale, lower prices . Therefore the demise of small retail store. If we don’t take any other step…
Can politics be polite ? Why can\’t we agree to disagree on certain things and agree to agree on others which are beyond partisan interests? Why can\’t political discourse permit more openness to get feedback from critics and the normal citizens? When a cartoonist becomes a danger to national security and a corrupt politician or…
Cloudy cliffs: Forgotten frontiers Shodhyatra to Sikkim last week with the students from IIMA was an extremely enlivening experience. We absorbed undiluted warmth of local communities and much of the undisturbed nature in Yoksum region on the Nepal border. The contribution Sikkim is making for conservation of biodiversity, fragile mountains and keeping the water of…
Rebuilding institutions of higher education: expansion and excellence Recently, it has been brought out that facilities for higher education have expanded significantly in the last few years. Some estimates suggest India would need about 800 universities in the coming decade or so. Managing expansion will require collaboration among the institutions within the country but also…
Exile within: fractured memories Imagine the feeling of the person who may have lived and grown with a community for years and suddenly is made to feel alien. Today, thousands of people from northeast have been made to feel stranger in their own country. The dynamics of immigration from Bangladesh causing tensions in the northeast…
A new deal for the tribal: Co-creating solutions When a country of billion people takes pride in a few medals it wins in Olympic, it explains why mediocrity is so deeply steeped in our culture. A large number of tribal communities have a huge stamina, are very athletic and can be powerful sportsperson. And yet,…
Several state governments are belatedly realising that without harnessing the power of imagination, innovation and incubation in the society, long term sustainable development is unlikely. Among various groups, the role of technology students remains least appreciated in the current scheme of policy and institutional support. I gave examples earlier of how technology students in Gujarat…