Uncommon ground for leadership talk

Updated on: Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Bhubaneswar: XIMB played host to two distinguished guests, Rohini Nilekani and Rajni Bakshi on October 6.

Nilekani is a social activist and the chairperson of Arghyam and Pratham books while Bakshi, a thinker and economist, has recently released her book Bazaars, Conversations and Freedom: For A Market Culture Beyond Greed and Fear.

The evening started with Bakshi raising a question on the relationship between the first basic principles and the free market economy.

With vivid examples, she tried to germinate ideas on the role a free market plays in upholding the freedom of expression, exchange and cooperation.

The economist talked about the manifestations of a world where people speak about self-interest as not just an isolated unit. She also spoke about Amartya Sen’s work and the need to give an ethical dimension to economics and how self-interest can play a big role towards the greater good of the world. Bakshi stressed on the dissociation of GNP as an indicator of economic growth and well-being.

Nilekani took the discussion further by showcasing ecology and economy through the lens of water. She talked about the great management crisis of water that the world faces today. Nilekani explained how globalisation and urbanization have given rise to conflicting paradigms in the water sector. Water as a social or economic commodity, struggle of the water rights of the poor, new paradigms of decentralised and closed loop approaches in resolving water crises were some of the issues that were put forth for discussion by the speaker.

Students actively took part in the largely interactive session and suggested their views and takes on the same. Questions on feasibility issues, role of public private partnerships, stricter regulatory laws and reforms and an active citizenry were addressed by the speakers.

Uncommon ground for leadership talk

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