Visionary extraordinaire - Verghese Kurien

Much has already been said and written about the monumental contributions of Verghese Kurien to the development of the Indian dairy industry, rooted on the Gandhian Principle of production by masses. I met Dr. Kurien soon after his return from Michigan State University and his taking up residence at Anand. From then on, we shared ideas and experiences in the area of rural transformation through agriculture and dairying. Among the very many unique contributions of Dr. Kurien which led to India becoming the leading milk producer of the world, I would like to highlight a few.

Rural Managers Must be Committed to Constitutional Ideals to Achieve Inclusive Development, Social Justice, Equality - Vice President

The Vice President of India Shri M. Hamid Ansari has said Rural Managers have an important role in expanding the footprint of the organized sector, modernizing marketing systems, improving access to formal credit mechanisms and working to improve transport, veterinary and dairy infrastructure. Delivering convocation address at the “30^th  Convocation of Institute of Rural Management, Anand (Gujarat)” today he has said that they will have to work alongside the government in ensuring that there is a strong supply side response to the enhanced demand so that the gap is met through domestic supply rather than imports, with all the inclusive growth benefits accruing to rural citizens. Other elements such as low productivity of animals, breeding programmes, feed and fodder, and research should also be addressed 

Shri Ansari has said that Rural managers are one important component of professionals, alongside the civil service and the Gram Panchayat officials, who will increasingly have to work through cooperative partnerships to achieve our developmental vision for rural India. Like the civil service, I believe that rural managers must be committed to our constitutional ideals to achieve inclusive development, social justice, equality and the opportunity for the full development of capacities of all our citizens.