Nobel Memorial Sveriges Riksbank Prize 2024 Economics goes to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James A. Robinson for ‘studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity’.
India men win the T-20 series with Bangladesh.
In news: In-jail Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang with 700 shooters strikes. NCP Leader Baba Siddique.
Civil Servant with a difference. Serukalathur Ramanathan Sankaran, SR Sankaran (22 Oct 1934 – 7 Oct 2010), people’s IAS officer, continues to inspire civil servants, development workers. His enduring legacy is demonstrating what true and authentic goodness in public and personal life can accomplish, to make this world a better, kinder place. He believed that the foremost duty of the State was to uphold the dignity, rights and freedoms of India’s most oppressed people. His life’s work demonstrated what a democratic government could indeed accomplish, with intent and will of its public servants.
He was the founder chair of Sahayog CCN, when I was volunteering as its founder Executive Director. He joined in founding CCN after his retirement as Secretary, Rural Development, Government of India. He just owned a small 2BHK flat with no furnishings, where we used to meet, have our board meetings. All his earnings were donated. Sankaran is simple living, integrity, unassuming, modesty personified and a tough benchmark to achieve. He has unveiled 1000+ Ambedkar statues. Every time, he used to give us an additional count of statues.
He was responsible for enacting 1/1970 act (non-transferability of tribal land to non-tribals in tribal areas), establishing single line administration in tribal areas through integrated tribal development agencies (ITDAs), tribal subplans, special component plans; tribal welfare, social welfare hostels, ashram schools and residential schools for tribals and Dalits; and enforcement of abolition of bonded labour, land ceiling/distribution. Towards eradicating jogins system, rehabilitating Stuartpuram families, providing pattas to landless tribals and Dalits. He was reputed to release 127 Government Orders in his stint as Principal Secretary, Social Welfare (this included tribal welfare). Earlier, he assisted Mohan Kumaramanagalam to push coal mines nationalization. He was the chief secretary, Tripura for six years. Then, he retired as Secretary, Rural Development, GoI. He organized the Concerned Citizens Committee against fake encounters and militancy. He was the Commissioner of the Panel on Food Security of the Supreme Court. He was the chief negotiator of talks between the People’s War and Government. He mentored Safai Karmachari Andolan to free a majority of manual labourers handling human excreta.
He declined Padma Bhushan. After his death, his statue was installed in Hyderabad, and later in Vijayawada. First to a civil servant. Marginalization, Development and Resistance: Essays in Tribute to SR Sankaran were released. When Purna went up Mount Everest, she carried his photograph, along with Dr Ambedkar’s. Thousands came to his funeral.
Can we make this world a better and kinder place? For the poor, vulnerable and marginalized, antyodaya first, sarvodaya next. Can we have remunerative local community benefits for their ecosystem services? Can we improve the ways of ecosystem services based on better understanding of the emerging science? Can we have a hybrid view – long-term sustainability with short-term people’s well-being, nutrition? Can we find ways to deal with and cope with variability of natural systems, affected by climate changes? Can we get non-vested interests to finance support, knowledge, new infrastructure, working capital et al for transformation? Can we take AI help?
Yes, we can. If we coexist, keep flowing. In N? antyayoga for 7L.
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