Merry Christmas. Christ’s Mass.
Indian National Congress, INC, Congress, 140 [28 December 1885- ]. Initiated by AO Hume, with first President, WC Banerjee. Pre-independence to post-independence. A left of the Centre party. It was in power at Centre for 54 years, with six prime ministers – Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao, and Manmohan Singh. Vote share fluctuated – 19-49% and seats – 44-415. Today, its main rival is BJP. Congress affiliated units/groups include: National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the students’ wing of the Congress; Indian Youth Congress, the party’s youth wing; Indian National Trade Union Congress, the labour union; All India Mahila Congress, its women’s division; Kisan and Khet Mazdoor Congress, its peasants’ wing; All India Professionals Congress, its working professionals’ wing; Congress Seva Dal, its voluntary organisation; All India Congress Minority Department, Minority Congress. Election symbols: Pair of bullocks carrying a yoke (initially); cow and calf (earlier); hand – open palm (now). Will Congress come back into power in 2029, or in 2034? Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi or otherwise. Is it the losing end game?
Padma Vibhushan Ratan Naval Tata, Ratan Tata, 88 [28 December 1937 – 9 October 2024]. Chairman, Tatas 1991-2012. Ratan Tata’s will distributed about Rs.10,000 Crore – Rs.3,800 Crore to Ratan Tata Endowment Foundation (RTEF) and the Ratan Tata Endowment Trust for philanthropic purposes, in the form of shares; assets (Tata estate) to family members – brother Jimmy Tata and half-sisters Shireen and Deanna Jejeebhoy; one-third of the residual estate, including bank deposits exceeding Rs. 350 Crore and proceeds from selling personal items; Stake in ‘Goodfellows’ and Cornell education loan waiver to Shantanu Naidu, mentee and executive assistant; Rs.3.5 Crore to long-serving household staff and office employees et al; funds for care of the pet, Tito; 30 luxury cars to Tata Group.
NABARD is seeking Young Professionals for one year, extendable up to three years. Stipend is Rs.70,000 per month. Bachelor or Post Graduates appropriate to the domain of YP, with 55% marks, and a minimum one year experience can apply. Selection would be based on application, presentation and interview. Most development organizations, programmes, and missions in the country take this kind of YPs. We may relook at how we take Young Professionals, Young Research and Learning Fellows and Young Executive Leads. Can we just take interns and graduate the interns on successful completion of internship/apprenticeship of 6-24 months, to YP, YRF, and YELs? How do we fix stipend during the internship and later? What kind of internship, apprenticeship do we need to offer? How do we continuously assess and nurture them? Nurture them into fine professionals, diligent, and proactive. Into development entrepreneurs. Into executives, chief executives of community institutions. Into associates, facilitators, executives, and managers in development support organizations. How do we ensure they get the right mentors? Opening them for possibilities.
Can we take the Road not taken? As Robert Frost said. Or is it the other way? When the future cannot be fully known. As we go forward, one step leads to the other. One choice leads to another. Can we take the unconventional, the road less travelled? Will that make us more useful, more relevant, and more happy? Will it make a difference? Can we make a choice, and can we serve, lead, facilitate, animate, manage, and do whatever the offer presented by the choice made? For being useful, relevant.
Yes, we can. If we coexist, flowing. making choices, even at crossroads. In N? pathikyoga for 7L.