This is an article that appeared as my regular fortnightly column on Leadership on 3 June, 2019 in the Star of Mysore

This is an article that appeared as my regular fortnightly column on Leadership on 3 June, 2019 in the Star of Mysore
A development activist, public policy advocate, social innovator and leadership trainer
The last couple of weeks has seen discussions around the vaccine for COVID and whether they are safe and effective. While each person is entitled to his/her own view, it can indeed be confusing listening to the several experts and political commentators about this issue. From calling it the BJP vaccine, to expressing concerns on one of the vaccines being hastily approved for emergency use, one is unsure how the citizens of the country will respond. Most of the people alive today have grown up in times when vaccines have become an inseparable part of our life. From the tetanus
Early last week, I was invited to a one-to-one meeting with Ms Nirmala Sitharaman ji, the Union Finance minister to share inputs on the forthcoming budget. She was keen on understanding the fiscal policy aspirations of the NGO sector and other insights into how best to grow the rural economy. While this presented me with an opportunity to share my views on the regulatory, taxation, CSR and other norms related to the Civil Society Sector, it also gave me a practical first hand feeling of the seriousness of intent and sincerity of purpose of the Finance minister. Preparing a budget
The inequities that India’s caste system has created has been attempted to be stalled or reversed through the constitutional mandate of Affirmative action. Increasingly, one has forgotten the basic tenet of ensuring justice and fairness to all citizens and the sociopolitical eco-system has only been exploiting the sentiments of religion and caste. The flagrant abuse of the system is neither revocable nor constructive but our political and religious forces seem to be unmindful of this. Read my article on this subject in today’s Deccan Herald.