The/Nudge Centre for Social Innovation presented a thought-provoking discussion on “Nurturing Leaders For Nation-Building” with an aim to bridge the gap between the professionals and the Indian bureaucracy and how can we drive large scale systems changes for the country’s transformation. In the discussion around Indian Administrative Fellowship and ideas for leadership in nation-building, NewsX was joined by the expert panel which included Mr P. Ravi Kumar, Chief Secretary, Govt of Karnataka, Naveen Tewari, CEO & Founder InMobi, Sudha Srinivasan, CEO of The /Nudge, Preeti Syal. Sr Specialist / Director Niti Aayog.
Karnataka has achieved the 6th ranking in the UN sustainable development, However, it scores low at the poverty alleviation, zero hunger, gender equality, and sustainable cities and communities. In his introductory remarks addressing this, Chief Secretary to Govt of Karnataka, Mr P. Ravi Kumar said, “This sustainable development goal, Karnataka has actually prepared an action plan to achieve all these SDGs before 2030. Now, this strategy which we have emphasized, not only government can do it, but it also has to have partnerships with civil society, with NGOs, and the industry, who can partner not only directly, but also through their CSR contributions. Sustainable cities are just not living but they should also sustain themselves like waste management and water supplies.”
During his talk, Mr P Ravi further touched on a concerning topic which bureaucracy has to deal with. He said, “Doctors would not go to the remote place, not only remote even in nearby headquarters when we have all the facilities in the hospital place. The government has spent enormous amounts to build infrastructure. We don’t get specialists. This is something we have spent enough time trying to tackle where recruiting doctors, they will not join, by trying to coax them or take action, they will just quit.”
Talking about the recent initiative taken by The /Nudge CSI, where a fellowship will be given to senior private sector professional to work with senior bureaucrats and how they are working to bring the top talent to solve India’s biggest development issues and challenges. Sudha Srinivasan, CEO, The /Nudge said, “After working with over 80 organizations over the last three and a half years, we realize that startups are great at innovation”. Sudha further described that there is a deep chasm that is happening between the innovations of the startups and the state itself.
Naveen Tewari, CEO & Founder, InMobi expressed his views on being Bangalore as the hub of technological advancements and technological innovation and how it can shape the cooperation between working professionals and Government, Tewari said, “I think the private and government entities have to come together a lot more. And it probably has to start with Karnataka to begin with, there are three or four big problems that we are basically solving for it. So technology is going to disrupt a certain amount of employment but it is also going to create new employment.”
Sharing her idea about the gap which needs to be bridged between the professionals and the Indian bureaucracy. Preeti Sayal, Sr. Specialist, Niti Aayog,“ In India, the diverse nature of the solution that you’re supposed to build to serve these people that itself is immense. So every day, I get in at work, and it’s so exciting because you know, as a technology person, the back end is always thinking, I want to build a solution, but then you have to take a step back and think, really think that how will this solution be scaled? Who is going to use it? ”
In their concluding remarks, all the speakers touched on the problems and the solutions which should be addressed in this field. Preeti Syal said, “The first step which we need to build is a system by acknowledging the mistakes. There is nothing wrong in saying that we as a system need help” Naveen Tewari added to this saying, “The collaboration we are talking about is probably the only way the technology-led development can inject in our system. It should not a question of whether it should happen or not, we can not let go of this great opportunity unnoticed”
Sudha Srinivasan said, “ We should focus on the sustainable goals of decades which are ahead of us. Millennium goals will come and go and nobody kind of blink ” Meanwhile Shri P. Ravi Kumar said, “There’s a very much less knowledge in the private sector about how the government works, How to get a policy clear through, because of many different aspirations and challenges which we have in a democracy so balancing out each and everything is a difficult task.”
Watch the entire telecast here: