My First Darshan

Our first visit to Prasanthi Nilayam was during 1983 for the International Bal Vikas Rally. We stayed in tents put up behind Round buildings (Presently Punjabi Canteen and North blocks). Remember the nice time we, all the children, had getting Swami’s Padnamskar (at least three times) sitting in neat rows on the sands before the Mandir. Every time He walked between the rows we would pick up the handful of sand after He had passed by and carry it to our bags. One day He distributed Photographs and once vibhuti packets. By the time we returned from Parthi our hearts were filled with His love and our bags with the sand from His feet.

Other memories of the trip are that of the journey by train- we had to change two buses and three trains to reach Parthi. It was such a rush time that in the train we took from Guntakal we were all huddled inside the mail van with no light, for food a tin of biscuits was passed inside.

Talk by Sam Pitroda

At the workshop on Innovation organized by SBMAF Mr. Sam Pitroda (born to a carpenter in rural setting of Orissa, is today the Adviser to the PM on Public Information Infrastructure & Innovations and has 100 patents to his credit, considered the brain behind India’s Telecom revolution) spoke via video link from US.

We need to innovate ourselves and then as a community collectively and then as a nation.
Innovation has a new definition because of Web which has add to Richness and Reach.
US has been the cradle of Innovation because of the right ecosystem: Risk capital, education etc. Bu their innovation has its roots in defense and has its focus for the Rich.

We need Locally relevant and globally competitive Innovations with a multi disciplinary approach.

It should
remove Disparity,
address the Demography of India and
lead to Development.

Govt needs to Re-engineer the processes (most of them were designed during the British Raj). We have 19th century mindset, 20th century processes and 21st century needs.

Think of the benefits of connecting 2,50,000 panchyats of the country by broadband- video training, communicate and evaluate the effects of Govt schemes.

NREGS, RTI, RTE are innovations of recent times.

This is the most important decade in modern history of India.

We need to think of innovation beyond products and services.

Indian youth are capable but are held up in the boundaries of family, customs, region and thought. Elders need to let go, allow them to think out of the box, make mistakes, celebrate failure as they move on the road to success.

How many students travel to 15 states in India? There is so much to learn in India.

‘We’ need to change- to change ‘India’.