In thoughts: Dr. Verghese Kurien, a visionary, builder of multitudes of institutions, and who impacted millions of lives. Farming families. Consumers. Teacher of teachers, leaders, mentors, CXOs, and influencers.
Puja Khedkar has been discharged from IAS probation. One of the rare events. On the grounds that she exhausted all her permissible nine attempts, applicable to her claimed categories; and she was an ineligible candidate for the 2022 exam. Therefore, she could not be recruited, prima facie. She was also found guilty of faking her identity, and a criminal case has been initiated separately.
Paris Paralympic Games 2024. The Indian campaign concluded at 18th position with 29 medals – 7 golds, 9 silvers and 13 bronzes. The stars include: Navdeep (javelin); Sumit Antil (javelin); Simran Sharma (200m); Preethi Pal (100m, 200m); Avani Lekhara (shooting); Thulasimathi (badminton); Harvinder Singh (archery), Sheetal Devi (archery), Rakesh Kumar (archery); Dharambir (club throw), Pranav Soorma (club throw). Next Games are at Los Angeles. And we hope to improve further.
I moved out of SERP in 2004 but continued in the self-help movement of women, disabled, elders, labour, farmers, weavers, artisans, migrants, internally displaced, entrepreneurs et al. Continued in livelihoods of the poor-vulnerable-marginalized. Intensely associated with collectives, enterprises and entrepreneurs from PVMs. Emerged as an independent livelihoods-development management professional on one hand, chief mentor, Akshara on the other. After 6-7 years, I joined in the development of a framework of implementation for the National Rural Livelihoods Mission initially. Later, I joined in to co-lead NRLM core, and build capacity of NRLM, its SRLMs, self-help group institutional architecture, pools of resource persons and organizations at various levels, across thematic areas.
In these 7 years, before getting hooked to NRLM, and thereafter, we could finetune the TRUE livelihoods framework – contexts, continuums, capitals, arrows, and interventions. Referred to as Livelihoods People, since then. Livelihoods today and tomorrow came in. Developed and piloted 6-month, 1-year and 2-year programs in livelihoods management, little MBA, and e-course. Became an adjunct faculty. Scaled up intensive induction, and short-term livelihoods learning programmes, leadership for transformation programmes, writeshops, participatory planning and management, RF, etc. Provided visioning, organizational design, and strategy support to 100+ collectives, NGOs, networks, farmers’ organizations, advocacy organizations, and national support organizations. Worked at cutting-edge collectives, local governments, and governments on ground. Extended design support to large-scale livelihoods/poverty reduction projects nationally and across the country including: West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Sagar island, Bihar, HP, MP, AP, AP Tribal areas, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Kerala coasts, Odisha, Odisha Vaitarini river basin, UP, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat, Kashmir, North-east et al. Analysed sub-sectors ranging from watersheds, several farm commodities, NTFP, livestock, dairy, unfree labour, non-farm, tourism, elections, migration, micro-finance, enterprises, skills, education, health, volunteers et al. 1000+ LEAPs, 100+ value-chains and engendered value-chains.
Can we take the years of ‘experience’ of the teams, tailor to Natural farming-living-livelihoods? Can we embed and deepen NFLL paradigm shift into our associates? Can we connect, and get going?
Yes, we can. If we coexist, if we are on our flow journeys. In N? kshetrayoga for 7L.
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