Independence Day Celebrated at ISB

The ISB campus was bathed in hues of orange, green and white as the community celebrated India’s 65th Independence Day with children from less-privileged schools as part of “Bandhan.” This annual event drew 334 children into a fun-filled day full of activities such as art, craft, music and games. 

At 9am, the first of the young guests arrived, filling the atrium area with animated chatter and anticipation. The children were grouped according to their hat colours, ensuring that children with special needs and children without, interacted freely. It was gratifying to see the children warm up to one another and help their special friends through games and activities.

Through Bandhan, the volunteers hoped to impart to the children one strong message – the importance of education above anything else.

From Genocide to Growth: The Resurrection of Rwanda

Once in a while we hear of a turnaround story that sparks hope amid challenges – Rwanda’s story is such. In an inspiring session, His Excellency, Williams Nkurunziza, High Commissioner of Rwanda to New Delhi, talked to ISB students about how the country came out of a situation where its own people were killing one another in the genocide of 1994 – to being the most wired country in the African continent today.

“The world had dismissed Rwanda as a ‘basket-case’. We owed it to ourselves to save ourselves,” he said.

He spoke about the critical reforms that helped changed the fate of Rwanda, which included giving justice to the people who had suffered the loss of their loved ones and drafting of a constitution that allowed people to share power.

Towards a Vibrant and Sustainable India: A Panel Discussion

The campus was abuzz with activity on the weekend of early August as the World Economic Forum (WEF) Young Global Leaders South Asia meet kicked-off its panel discussions on a variety of stimulating topics.

Politicians, entrepreneurs and prominent personalities from the private sector discussed the challenges India faces in building sustainable urban cities and offered ideas on how to improve accountability and efficiency in the public sector arena.

“We need that same sense of vibrancy in India (as was evident in the genesis of the United Nations) in order to energise and drive our public institutions so that the real issues that we face in terms of development, poverty and so on can be addressed,” voiced Ramesh Ramanathan, Founder, Janaagraha, encapsulating the spirit of the talk

Shaheen Mistri and Gul Panag at 3rd ISB iDiya Challenge

With accomplished personalities such as Shaheen Mistri and Gul Panag sharing their experiences and drive to make a difference, the “3rd ISB iDiya” launch event held at the ISB campus recently, set the perfect stage for this year’s competition.

Mistri’s passion and love for her cause was powerfully conveyed when she said, “Twenty or forty years ago, if you did something good for the world, it was sort of a nice-to-do thing. Today, the world has so many problems that it is just a responsibility.”

Last year’s ISB iDiya winner was a simple idea with an extensive reach – a venture to provide poor women with sanitary napkins at an affordable price. Provision of such a basic item ensures that these women are spared of hygiene-related infections and other serious problems that come about from reusing household cloths.

It is hoped that by continuing this tradition of supporting high-impact, sustainable social ventures, many more creative ideas to common problems will see fruition.

Shifting Fault Lines and the State of the World

Professor Krishna Kumar of the RAND Corporation and Professor Reuben Abraham of the Centre for Emerging Markets Solutions (CEMS) engaged the students in a freewheeling discussion that touched upon everything from challenges faced by emerging markets to Greece’s economic fiasco and the rise of China as a centre of power.

Professor Krishna Kumar noted that while the emerging markets have grown tremendously in terms of GDP in a short span of time, they still have to learn about how to act collectively. Regarding the rise of India and China, there are concerns about how a power shift towards these countries can impact the world. This lively discussion had the students enthralled.

Citizens and Their Roles in Governance: A Panel Discussion

At a time when India is at a critical juncture in its democratic history, the panel discussion on “Governance and the Role of Citizenry," as part of the ISB’s ten-year anniversary celebrations in New Delhi, could not have been more apt. Amidst the ongoing protests on the streets of New Delhi, the panelists gave their heartfelt perspectives on what democracy means to them and the challenges India faces.

"We want to participate in institutions of governance as far away from us as possible but not the ones next to us,” voiced Sanjaya Baru, Editor, The Business Standard.

A call for active and engaged citizenry was the message that stood out that evening – be it from the youth, women, individuals in the rural sector or educational institutions.