The Indian Government has appointed New Zealand’s former Governor General Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand to serve as a Member on the Board of Governors of an ambitious project to foster human development.
He will steer the activities of the ‘Indian Development Foundation for Overseas Indians’ along with 11 other eminent persons from various parts of the world.
The need for a Foundation to mobilise administrative and financial resources for achieving the objectives set by India’s Planning Commission and by the Human Index Report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been felt for many years but has just become a reality.
The Federal Government in New Delhi considers the Indian Diaspora as the most valuable resource to achieve its objectives.
India’s Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had announced his Government’s intention to establish such a body while inaugurating the annual ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’ (Indian Diaspora Conference) in New Delhi on January 8, 2008 (Indian Newslink, January 15, 2008).
Credible mechanism
He said that the Foundation would be structured to function as an independent, n0t-for-prooft organisation administered by a Board of Governors, who would act as its Trustees to foster human development in India, with additional assistance from philanthropists in India and worldwide.
“This Foundation will serve as a credible institutional mechanism to direct overseas Indian philanthropic propensities into human development efforts in India. It will assist overseas Indians to contribute to the cause of education, health and rural development in their erstwhile home villages, districts or states.
“The Foundation will partner with credible NGOs and philanthropic organisations actively engaged in social development,” he said.
Sir Anand’s appointment will add value to the Foundation, which is a public-private partnership undertaking.
He described the Foundation as a ‘broad project’ and that the choice of ‘someone from New Zealand’ was proof of India’s desire to maintain strong links of friendship with this country.
“I look forward to the meetings (the first of which would be in New Delhi in September 2012) and believe that the remit would include matters involving investment of funds, encouragement of tourism, maintenance of familial linkages and furtherance of cultural activities,” he said.
The picture appearing here (published in our January 15, 2011 edition) shows Rt Sir Anand Satyanand watching Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh lighting the traditional lamp to inaugurate the ‘Pravasi Bhartiya Divas’ on January 8, 2011 in New Delhi, India, where the Indian Government honoured him with a ‘Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award.’
