Innovation from/with/for grassroots street workers: I don’t know how many people in our country can claim that they have never either bought anything or used any service provided by street vendors. And yet, when policy and institutional space for improving their occupational and living conditions has to be expanded, they are often left to fend…
Why Indo-China cooperation is a historical necessity for the Global Good? Why is China so keen to build durable, economic and political relations with India and vice versa is a question everybody is asking in both the countries. Unfortunately, most people tend to see Indo-China relationship through simplistic lens of friends and foes, East and…
What can a District Collector do to promote innovations: an open letter Dear District Collector I have had the chance to meet many of you at LBSNAA foundation program during the last five years. LBSNAA Mussoorie and IIMA are likely to get into a longer term cooperation soon to promote inclusive and empathetic innovations in…
A tribute to inspired teachers Every year India honours school teachers for their outstanding contribution based on their applications. Should any teacher really be applying for such honours? Shouldn’t it be the responsibility of parents, fellow teachers, educational administrators and others to nominate such outstanding teachers who go beyond the call of duty and nurture…
Making budget more responsive to the aspirations of the youth There have been several welcome announcements in the budget that deserve appreciation, even if some of them are symbolic and segmented. For instance, the venture capital fund for MSME, district level incubation and accelerator programme, startup village entrepreneurship programme for rural youth, technology research centre…
Will new budget support creative communities and young inventors? The entrepreneurship and people’s knowledge are two themes, which recur repeatedly in the manifesto of the ruling party. And yet, there has not been any declaration in this regard so far. May be, a considered view is being taken to tap the enormous creative…
Frugal innovation is not just about affordability There is a global interest in frugal innovations, particularly emerging from the grassroots level under the constrained environment of material resources. We have received more communications in the last two years than in the previous two decades from various European and other governments as well as corporations. Curious…
Infectious innovation: Spreading a virus In last two weeks, I had the privilege of spreading infection of innovation virus in several parts of the country. The foundation programme for the current batch of IAS probationers had an innovation workshop of two days for the first time. Thanks to the initiative of faculty Jaspreet Kaur and…
Primary education reforms that India can’t wait for There is a considerable anxiety and a little bit of cynicism at all levels of educational systems about the seriousness with which government really wants to bring about reforms. Part of the reason is that it is not listening to the most important hub…
Ahmedabad Declaration Second International Conference on Creativity and Innovation at Grassroots December 2012, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India Grassroots innovations evolve in response to local problems but not always the ones faced by the innovators themselves. Many times, third party problems inspire the innovators to attempt solutions. Thus, these unaided, self-triggered and self-inspired solutions…