Modi is now the longest serving elected Prime Minister in India. On 10 June, Modi surpassed Nehru’s 4398 days. Of course, Nehru served much longer as PM since Independence till 1952 elections –5+ years, totalling 6,130 days. He also served as Vice President of the Executive Council, effectively as PM, during 2 Sep 1946 – 15 Aug 1947. Indira Gandhi is the second – 5,748 days. Modi would be third.
Azim Premji, 80+ today, took charge of Western Indian Vegetable Products @21, suddenly, on the untimely death of his father MH Premji, in 1966. Leaving Stanford without getting a degree. WIV Products to WIPRO by 1977. Computers, Technology, and Software professionals came in. With his Wipro shares, Azim Premji Foundation came up in 2001. In 2010, he signed the Giving Pledge, explaining: those who are privileged enough to accumulate wealth have an obligation to use it for the people who never had the same opportunities. Today, his total philanthropic giving is USD 21+ billion. Highest by any individual in India. APF identified potential in APCNF when it was an idea, with no other supporters. APCNF became one of the projects that got supported, for some 9 years, since 2017. :).
The Natural Farming Food System Movement needs a Higher Learning Institute. Food, Fibre, and Fuel. Beyond private lands, landscapes, and geographies. Pre-production, production, value-chain, and consumption. Institutions, agency, taking charge, and changing systems. To support seeding, scaling, deepening across; develop future leaders; research and learning capacity; innovation, enterprise ecosystems; integrate, and influence. Building on the established strong implementation and knowledge platforms; community-farmer networks, systems; political commitment; expanding, intensifying widespread interest. This has to be a dedicated institution for systems, leadership, scientific impact/credibility, science-policy-practice integration-networking, thought leadership. As a convening hub at national, international level, for ecosystem players coming together – government, science, producers, industry and society. It has to be autonomous, within this mandate. It needs to work with Field-centric Academy(ies), implementing CNF(s), enterprises and community institutions closely. Together, they are a complete learning, innovation and transformation ecosystem.
Can this HLI learn from benchmarked institutes in India like IRMA, ISB, MANAGE, IIMs, NDDB, ICAR institutions, IITs, IISERs et al? HLI needs to be interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary; in a culture of collaboration; autonomous. Can it draw lessons from institutions outside India like WUR, IDS, MIT/Stanford, Harvard’s JFK School, Stockholm Resilience Centre, PIK et al? HLI needs to be a new hybrid model, combining higher education, applied research, systems thinking, innovation-incubation, living landscapes/laboratories in network, policy influence, stakeholder centricity; be at the intersection of science, policy, innovation, leadership, systems change; have formal collaboration mechanisms; be technology-enabled but field-grounded; gradually evolve, with governance, team, partners, pilots, learning landscapes, funds, flagship leadership programme(s), and executive education.
Not just another University; a research institute; a policy platform. It has to be the national/global centre. Connecting leadership, science, innovation, policy and practice. For the NFFS movement globally. Its core – future leader landscapes, with handholding by highly competent faculty-practitioner mentors, inspired by distinguished practitioner champions. Selection through assignment/task portfolio of assignments, tasks; induction, immersion based confirmation; apprenticeship, field practice, leadership practice; alumni leadership journeys, landscapes; faculty as leaders, with leadership landscapes in Practice, Policy, Research, Consulting, Training, Enterprise, Network et al.
NF graduates in the market. First 15 NF graduates in the country have come out.
Can we have synergistic bird’s view and worm’s view at the same time? Can we observe and process, from large ideas to minute details? Can our senses receive, perceive everything clearly? Can we try?
Yes, we can. If we coexist, flowing. Details, oversight in sync. In N? spashtayoga for 7L.