Spotlight
New Delhi, 26 August, 2016
Aspirational India
INNOVATION: A WAY OF LIFE
(Excerpts of President Pranab
Mukherjee’s recent speech to students, faculty of higher educational &
research Institutions & Officer training at Civil Services Academies)
India is the world’s largest
youth-populated nation. Over 600 million people in India out of a total population of
1.28 billion are below the age of 25 years. We have an abundance of creative,
restless and inquisitive minds. In the networked environment of today, we need
the power of youth to realize the full potential of an aspirational India. For
this, creative thinking and a desire for innovation must become a part of our
day-to-day lives.
India’s economic performance over
the last few decades has been commendable. Yet, we are confronted with enormous
problems of poverty, inequality, unemployment, resource scarcity, and poor
infrastructure. While we need cutting edge technologies for rapid creation of
world-class infrastructure and its maintenance, we also need solutions for including
the excluded ones in the development process. As the democratic aspirations
rise, we have to find new ways of reducing disparities. Many times, we cannot
solve the problems by merely redoubling our efforts. We need to change the
approach, the design, the delivery method and the means. On account of our
size, diversity and complexity, our circumstances are unique. Adopting global
models for development can at best be of limited use. Our development model has
to be linked to the aspirations of our people and must respond to their needs.
Innovations must preserve our diversity and benefit the wider spectrum of the
society.
Innovation has many facets. Some innovations are transformational in nature where the changes are
disruptive. The digital revolution with its products impacting the daily lives
of millions – from top to the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid - is one
such example. Then there are ‘pro-inclusive’ innovations that by
modifying an existing technology significantly lower the price of a product or
a service making it affordable to middle and lower income groups. It includes
‘frugal’ innovations that retain only the core functionalities of a product
like a low-cost car or a low-cost airline. Another category is social
innovations that are primarily aimed at providing socially useful services
for which clients may not have the capacity to pay. Yet another dimension of
innovation is ‘grassroots’ innovation that
is undertaken by local communities who close the gap between unmet social needs
and inadequate delivery system by developing creative solutions themselves.
The idea of imagination, experimentation, innovation and
entrepreneurship (IEIE) has to be instilled from childhood. The next question
is how do we take the inclusive innovation movement forward? India may have
lagged behind in some of high tech innovations but when it comes to developing
solutions to everyday problems, we have made a difference.
In my capacity as the Visitor of 117 central institutes of higher
learning, I had given a call to these institutes to set up innovation clubs.
There are now over 85 such clubs, innovation incubators and hubs in central
institutions of higher learning.
I hope to see a developed India in my lifetime. Our
collective dream will be fulfilled only when we build upon creative ideas of
all citizens, by providing them pathway to persevere, sustain, and make a
difference.
I suggest nine sutras to invigorate India’s march
towards a more inclusive, diverse, sustainable and innovative society:
One: we should not snub children when they ask questions to which
we have no answer. We should admit our ignorance, seek relevant information
from those who may know and whet their curiosity. Unless our children learn to
question, experiment, their imagination will not expand; and their innovative
potential will not be realized.
Two: we should promote and reinforce a scientific temper by
questioning our beliefs which are not compatible with scientific way of
thinking. The futuristic societies build upon unconventional ideas. They are
not afraid of failures; they take risks and forgive well intentioned mistakes.
Three: innovation clubs and tinkering labs should be set up in
schools, colleges and research institutions. Youth must learn to search,
spread, and celebrate inclusive
innovations and sense the
unmet social needs of
communities in their hinterland. I have seen paddy transplantation in my
village when women work with their feet in water, back bent in painful posture
for hours transplanting paddy. Why cannot we improve and design affordable
manual paddy transplanter? Why the pace of technological change is slow in the
activities that women undertake? Let us commit ourselves to work towards
addressing all these problems in a time bound manner. We should also become
sensitivetowards the problems faced by working class, elderly, and
specially-abled, of our country. Only then will compassionate creativity
blossom.
Four: We should build viable and sustainable bridges between
formal and informal knowledge systems. With climate change risks, and
uncertainty looming large on the horizon, the knowledge of the communities
which have lived with these uncertainties for millennia cannot be ignored. As
resources become scarce, we will have to learn to share more and more. The value
system which promotes public and common good over individual interest should
power individual entrepreneurship.
Five: We must give due recognition to cultural, technological and
traditional skills while implementing our employment guarantee schemes and
skill development programmes. Nobody is, truly speaking, unskilled. A
knowledge society has to harness unique strengths of each person. We should
also encourage artists, performers, sculptors, etc., to teach their art to our
children in schools, and nurture younger generation which may like to
contribute towards cultural
economy.
Six: I have been interacting with vice chancellors and directors
of various institutions of higher learning during the last four years. I have
impressed upon them to promote innovation in every subset of education so that
younger generation grows with a creative and problem solving mindset. We should
bring our educational system in line with contemporary societal expectations.
Seven: There are many simple problems that we face in our daily
life but we learn to live with these problems rather than find systematic
solutions. We need to overcome the deeply-embedded inertia in our psyche and
constantly ask ourselves: how can I solve this problem? Can I still try, no
matter if I fail a few times?
Eight: We must develop a sense of immediacy. Time and tide waits
for none. In a fiercely competitive environment, to be in a hurry and have some
impatience is a necessary virtue.
Nine: We must not tolerate inefficiency, shabbiness and poor quality
work. Our endeavor should be to achieve high standards of aesthetics and
performance while providing goods and services.
There is a lot more that can be and should be done. The knowledge
and culturally rich but economically poor deserve our support for a more
dignified future. If we overcome some of our inertia, stop complaining always
about what is wrong around us and instead focus on what is right, bright and
creative, we can indeed change our work culture and the mindset. Great nations
need to reinvent their social mores, and redefine social aspirations to include
the last in the line. Stay engaged with creative and compassionate forces in
our society. That’s how India
will become not only a developed but also a caring and sharing society. ---INFA
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