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november 2017
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magis
05
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4
Th
Dr. VErghEsE
KUriEN mEmorial
oraTioN
T
he 4
th
Dr. Verghese Kurien Memorial Oration on Sustainable Devel-
opment was organised under the aegis of Fr Arrupe Center for Ecol-
ogy and Sustainability (FACES) in memory of Dr. Verghese Kurien,
the founder of AMUL. The oration aims to provide a platform to
listen to and learn from thought leaders, social entrepreneurs, de-
velopment sector professionals and policy makers who have made a
significant contribution to the idea of an empowered, prosperous and
sustainable society.
This year Dr. Ashok Khosla (lighting the lamp in the picture), eminent environ-
mentalist and Founder & Chairman, Development Alternatives Group, delivered the
oration on the topic The Machine Revolution: Fulfilling the Aspirations of Rural India.
In his speech, Dr. Khosla said, “Some 70 years ago, Dr. Verghese Kurien created
Amul, one of the most successful social enterprises in history. Over this period, Amul
pioneered technical, managerial, and institutional innovations that led to remarkable
progress in India’s dairy industry – taking it from one of the least productive in the
world to becoming the largest in any country within a few decades. The magnitude of
Dr. Kurien's contribution to the nutrition and health of the nation’s people was im-
mense. The organisations he created had comparable impact on the incomes, social sta-
tus and education of the dairy farmers, who were his first and most heartfelt concern.”
He added, “The White Revolution brought enormous quantity of protein into the
diets of India’s population, complementing the massive quantities of calories provided
by the Green Revolution. The efforts of scientist/practitioners like Dr. Kurien have cer-
tainly enabled large numbers of our fellow citizens to live healthier and more produc-
tive lives. Beyond nourishing food, people also have other basic needs such as water,
energy for lighting and cooking, shelter, clothing, knowledge, healthcare and, above
all, livelihoods and jobs.”
Emphasising on the topic of his oration, The Machine Revolution, Dr. Khosla
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