Governance

This is a review of KWDT-2 report analysing how it has failed to protect the long term sustainable productivity and ecology of the river basin. It has also failed to understand the water allocations done by previous KWDT-1. KWDT-2 also negated the earlier KWDT-1 allocations at the same time categorically stating that it cannot change water use allocations of previous award.

From 25th to 27th of Feb.- 2011, the Arul Anandar College of Karumathur conducted National Science Mela 2011: Youth for Science and Science for prosperity on Eco - water, Sanitation and Hygiene with the support of National Council for  Science & Technology Communication, DST, Govt. of India, New Delhi, Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology and Tamil Nadu Science City Chennai.

iGREEN was invited for this Science Mela and put a stall and explained about the carbon effect to the participants. Mr. Francis Xavier - Convener of iGREEN explained the Science of 350 campaign and How to reduce the carbon effect from the atmosphere with the support of our iGREEN Scientist Mr. Abdul Azis and Mr. John Bosco, Assistant  Prof. of Rural Development Science in Arul Anandar College to the participants.

The panel discussion was held to further the idea of commons by extending the idea of autonomy in some of the discussions on commons to the Indian idea of Swaraj or Self-Rule.

Discussions in the panel drew the existing ideas of resource sharing, establishing institutions for governance but extend this to a broader discussion on knowledge and democracy. The panel draws from a recent examination of Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj from a knowledge perspective, an attempt by a network of knowledge commons - the Knowledge In Civil Society or KICS – to posit an Indian science and technology manifesto for 21st-century India and the world. Knowledge Swaraj suggests a new social contract of science in India, based on the principles of plurality, sustainability and justice and a closer look at expertise and knowledge in India. The panel began with a view from civil society on knowledge by M V Sastri looking at Gandhi’s ideas of Hind Swaraj and oceanic circles and the need for the commons debates to relook at ideas from Hind Swaraj from the viewpoint of the present day discourses of human rights also. This was followed by  papers that suggest how these ideas can be explored in practice.