like ever in past, this time i am not sitting in NIF office day and night and working on ward book or other documents. I am working from home, teaching classes alternate day and trying to coordinate with colleagues remotely/virtually. I am not sure if the colleagues find it relaxing when i am away or otherwise. But i am sure that with more and more distance between me and nif in day to day working, NIF will become stronger. I also realize that for most colleagues in NIF, this is their first job. They need guidance and mentoring. Most of them have stretched themselves beyond limits time and again. i feel blessed to have such colleagues who surpass all expectations every time. Given full support from Chairperson. Dr Mashelkar and DST secty, our problems are basically limited human and financial resources. We have to wait and then keep rising to the occasion. There is not much that we can promise them except a satisfaction of having made a difference, no matter how small, to the lives of the people. All the laurels and kudos i collect for my talsk and lectures, are really the appreciation for honey bee network, nif team and all others who are contributing to this cause.

i hope with this function, we will add to our responsibility load, but will people be patient at the meager support that we provide. May be the nation will realize sooner than later, that addressing the challenge of inclusive development by providing peanuts to the cause of grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge based  entrepreneurship is myopic, to say the least. why complain when in some regions young people are losing patience with the state and its recalcitrant approach of dealing with the problems at grassroots. It is ironical that Prime Minister complains that civil society has not provided alternative strategy for dealing with violence struck regions in the country.  For last 5-6 years, I have been drawing the attention to the fact that during the same period when economic growth boomed, the districts under the control of leftists extremists also increased.  We need growth but we also need inclusion. Read paper on innovation insurgent for some ideas. 

Anil K Gupta