Foundation for Critical Choices for India

Seminar- Regime Change in Afghanistan - Challenges and Opportunities for India/ the Netherlands

Seminar on

Regime Change in Afghanistan: Challenges and Opportunities for India/the Netherlands

Saturday 6^th November 2021

13.30 hrs – 17.00 hrs

Venue: Van der Valk A4, 2132 MA Hoofddorp

Event Report: Click Here

Background:

According to available records, New Delhi has invested US$ 3 billion in development projects, offered scholarships to Afghan students, and helped construct the parliament building at a cost of US$ 90 million, earning huge goodwill in the country of 38 million. Last year, during the 2020 Afghanistan Conference, India’s External Affairs Minister Mr. S. Jaishankar said no part of Afghanistan was “untouched” by the “400-plus projects” that India had undertaken in all 34 provinces of the country. Bilateral trade between the two countries had also increased significantly over the years and reached US$ 1.5 billion in 2019-2020. The sudden collapse of the government in Kabul on 15th August this year precipitated an unprecedented exodus of diplomats, foreign aid workers, and Afghans who worked for Western countries and feared reprisals from the Taliban. India was among the nations that closed their missions in Afghanistan and brought back their staff and citizens. This change is likely to cause a significant shift in the geopolitics of South Asia and could be a testing time for India-Afghan relations. Additionally, South Asia continues to be the most impacted region by terrorism in the world. Not to forget, terrorist incidents negatively influence investment and thus the economy. This seminar will explore the challenges and opportunities for India in relation to this geopolitical shift, and possible solutions for better Indo-Afghan relations for peace and prosperity in the region.

Panelists & Speakers:

Mr. Harjit Sandhu- FCCI Trustee and former Chief of Investigations, UN-World Food Programme, Rome, Italy
Mr. Rabin Baldewsingh - National Coordinator against racism and discrimination, The Netherlands.
Lt. Gen. KJ Singh- Former General Officer Commanding-in-chief of Western command, India.

Moderators:

Mr. Ram Lakhina - President-Emeritus FCCI.
Dr. Pramod Agrawal - Vice President- Programs FCCI.

Poster-Afghanistan-seminar

Event Report: Click Here

Video: Facebook Live

Exploring the possibilities of addressing the pollution challenges in India

Seminar and Interactive discussion

Exploring the possibilities of addressing the pollution challenges in India

Sunday 1^st December 2019

14.00 hrs – 17.30 hrs

Venue: Van der Valk Hotel, Schiphol, Rijksweg-A4 4, 2132MA, Hoofddorp (Google Maps)

Background:

In the month of November 2019, pollution surged so high in capital city New Delhi that Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), under the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Govt. India (via www.air-quality.com) reported an Air Quality Index of 999, way above the upper limit of the worst category, Hazardous. Unfortunately, India is home to 15 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world with some studies indicating nearly 700 million Indians are exposed to unhealthy air. An analysis of the CPCB data showed that almost all cities from north to south indicated deteriorating air quality. There are several types of pollutions and each are connected to the larger picture of climate change, industrialization, rapid urbanization, population growth, number of vehicles and so on. The proposed seminar will explore the various dimension of this complex issue and explore together to address it. After the presentations, the discussion will be placed on the stated topic.

Event Circular and Schedule: Click here

Participation: Entry to the event is Free. Registration is required.

Registration Link: Click here

Webinar on PPP Opportunities for Sustainable Farming in India

Webinar & Interactive Discussion

PPP Opportunities for Sustainable Farming in India: The Future of Food Now

Sunday 28^th February 2021

14.00 hrs – 16.00 hrs

Venue: Online via Zoom and Facebook Live

Video: Click here to watch on Youtube

Agenda: Click Here

Background:

Farming is a primary source of livelihood for about 58% of India’s population. Indian agriculture is multifaceted and accounts for around 16% of the GDP. Despite this, the Indian agriculture sector faces several challenges, such as low effective yield, underinvestment in Agri-infrastructure, fragmented land holding, lack of technical skills, lack of crop diversification, poor storage capacity, etc. As a result, the economic contribution of agriculture to India’s GDP is steadily declining; still, this sector is playing a significant role in the overall socio-economic fabric of India. The core of this is an Indian farmer, whose income is way below the national average. Certainly, the Indian agriculture sector needs to witness a paradigm shift from a labor-intensive (low-tech) to a knowledge-intensive (high-tech) sector. Therefore, huge investments and active involvement of the young-educated workforce are required. The objectives of this webinar organized by the Foundation for Critical Choices for India (FCCI), in co-operation with NICCT (www.nicct.nl), are to discuss:

1) Possibility of introducing PPP (public-private partnerships) in the agriculture sector to pump much-needed resources in this sector. India has a good record on PPPs in the development of secondary sectors such as the development of transportation infrastructure. However, the PPP model has not yet been effectively implemented for the Agriculture sector.

2) How India can focus on crop diversification and still ensure a stable income for the farmers. Currently, India is importing several essential commodities such as oil and oil seeds and at the same time, India is producing surplus amounts of grains such as rice and wheat.

3) Other important issues such as ensuring minimum income for farmers, building storage capacity, and the role of digital technologies (including smartphones) in information sharing about the weather and market situation, etc.

Panelists & Speakers:

Mr. Harjit Sandhu- FCCI Trustee and Ex-principal advisor, UN-World Food Programme, Rome, Italy.
Mr. Michiel van Erkel - Counsellor, Dutch Embassy, New Delhi, India.
Mr. Rajiv Mehra - Vice-President, NICCT.
Mrs. Geetu Verma, Global VP Marketing, Foods & Refreshments, Uniliver, The Netherlands.
Dr. Pramod Agrawal - Vice President- Programs FCCI.

Moderators:

Ms. Satarupa Bose Roy - Trustee FCCI.
Mr. Jasbir Singh, President FCCI.

Presentations:

1. Mr. Harjit Sandhu - Making India's Agriculture Sustainable

2. Ms. Geetu Verma - Rising Food Trends in India: and its impact on the ecosystem

3. Mr. Eric Egberts - Dutch Greenhouse Delta

Video: Click here for a complete video of the event.

Kashmir policy of India especially in the context of articles 370 & 35a

Brainstorming session on Kashmir Policy

Kashmir policy of India especially in the context of articles 370 & 35a,

Sunday 30^th June 2019

14.00 hrs – 16.30 hrs

Venue: Van der Valk de Bilt (De Holle Bilt 1, 3732 HM De Bilt) near Utrecht, NL

Background:

Year 2019 witnessed a huge victory for BJP lead NDA government for the second time. The new Government could use this strong mandate to resolve several long pending challenges India facing. One of such challenge is the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). BJP has clearly mentioned in their election manifesto to remove article 370 and 35a from the state of J&K. At the same time many thinks that removing these articles is not easy and may not be the right step. There are many opinions on this complex topic. Therefore, a close group brainstorm session is organised by the FCCI to discuss the possible way forward for the long-term peace and stability in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. An educational presentation highlighting key aspects will be delivered by dr. Pramod Agrawal (VP-FCCI) at the beginning of the brainstorm session, followed by open discussion on the topic.

Event Report: Will be updated soon

Presentations (Click on the title):

Kashmir policy in the context of articles 370 and 35a, by dr. Pramod Agarwal, VP-Programs, FCCI (coming soon)

Webinar- New World Order

Jubilee Webinar & Interactive Discussion on

New World Order- Role of Emerging Powers

Sunday 18^th October 2020

14.00 hrs – 16.30 hrs

Venue: Online via Zoom and Facebook Live

Background:

The current framework of the Global Governance order was visualized and structured during the decade immediately following the Second World War. A prominent example is the set-up of the United Nations post World War II in 1945. The balance of power has changed greatly since then. In simpler words, the change is visible but not reflected in the current world order. This calls for the new world in order to match the current situation in the world. The objective of this international webinar organized by the Foundation for Critical Choices for India (FCCI), is to address this issue of vital importance for the continuing peace and prosperity of the world. This year the UN is celebrating its 75th anniversary and it is an appropriate time for an evaluation and to chalk out a way forward.

Panelists & Speakers:

Hon'ble Dr. Shashi Tharoor - MP-Lok Sabha India, former Under-Secretary-General of the UN.
Dr. Samir Saran - President of Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
H.E. Mr. Venu Rajamony - Indian Ambassador to the The Netherlands.
Prof.Dr. Sharda Nandram - Academic & Consultant, Integrative Intelligence, Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam.
Dr Pramod Agrawal - Vice President- Programs, FCCI.

Moderators:

Dr. Yamini J. Singh - Secretary General, FCCI.
Ms. Suman Korenhof - Director PR, FCCI.

Poster-NewWorldOrder

Detailed Theme Report: Click here

Video: Click here for a complete video of the event.

Reservation policy in India- time to revisit it?

Seminar and Interactive discussion

Reservation Policy in India- time to revisit it?

Saturday 28^th September 2019

14.00 hrs – 17.30 hrs

Venue: Van der Valk Hotel, Schiphol, Rijksweg-A4 4, 2132MA, Hoofddorp (Google Maps)

Background:

The reservation is undertaken to address the historic oppression, inequality, and discrimination faced by some backward communities. It is intended to realize the promise of equality enshrined in the constitution. At the same time, the reservation was also meant to be a temporary measure, but due to political compulsions of our political leaders, it has become a permanent feature of our society and it seems nobody dares to touch this. While the rest of the world takes pride in becoming ‘forward’ in our country people are agitating and fighting to be labeled ‘backward’. On one hand, we want to get rid of the disgusting caste system, on the other hand, we may be reinforcing it with the help of reservation on basis of caste. Probably this is the best time in history to look again systematically various aspects of reservation policy and its effectiveness. After detailed presentations, the discussion will be placed on the sustainability of such a reservation policy. Since the topic is sensitive and emotionally attached to many, the work presented will be fact/ data-driven.

Event Circular and Schedule: Click here

Participation: Entry to the event is Free. Registration is required.

Registration Link: Click here

Webinar- Indian press & news media

Webinar & Interactive Discussion on

Indian press and news media: Is the 4th pillar of democracy losing its credibility?

Sunday 27^th September 2020

14.00 hrs – 16.30 hrs

Venue: Online via Zoom and Facebook Live

Background:

Media is like a mirror in a democracy. In recent years, however, the obsession with TRPs and paid news has reduced the trust in media drastically. Being the for-profit entity and the outreach of crony-capitalism in the media is destroying the profession and ethics of journalism. The biggest victim here, are the citizens. Ironically, they are also the culprits!

Within the scope of this webinar, we will investigate the various aspects related to journalism & news media (excluding social media) and their effect on Indian democracy. Multi-dimensional aspects such as biased news, breaking news, fake news, paid news, ethics in journalism, freedom of expression, for-profit activity, governing laws/guidelines will be discussed. For the first time, FCCI is going to hold a webinar in a completely different style. Instead of presentations, there will be a conversation, and opinion polls have thrown in for a good measure of fun and interaction.

Panelists:

- Ms. Satarupa Bose Roy (Founder & Editor, Indyana Magazine)
- Mr. Rajkumar Shinkar (Textile Engineer & Trustee FCCI)
- Dr. Pramod Agrawal (Technopreneur & Vice president programs, FCCI)

Moderators:

- Dr. Yamini J. Singh (Secretary-General, FCCI)
- Mr. Manas Manohar (Director Digital platform, FCCI)

Poster-NewWorldOrder

Complete Agenda: Click here

Video: Click here for a complete video of the event.

Book Launch & Seminar on Indo-Dutch Cooperation on Water Management

Seminar on Indo-Dutch Cooperation on Water Management

Launch of Book : "What we can learn from the Dutch- Rebuilding Kerala Post 2018 Floods",

Authored by HE Mr. Venu Rajamony, Indian Ambassador to Netherlands & Mr. N. M. Rakesh

Friday 5^th April 2019

15.00 hrs – 18.00 hrs

Venue: Kasteel de Wittenburg, Landgoed de Wittenburg 1, 2244 BV Wassenaar, NL

Background:

Over centuries, the Dutch have been able in finding ways to control high waters in their country. A low-lying area with 26% of the country below sea levels, their vulnerability to floods and the experience of past disasters have prompted them to develop one of the most advanced and sophisticated flood risk and water management systems in the world. On the other hand, India is prone to floods and other issues related to water management. Last year, Kerala experienced some serious floods that triggered the ideas of learning from the Dutch expertise. These possible learnings have been discussed and elaborated in the timely book "What can we learn from the Dutch - Rebuilding Kerala post 2018 floods" by the Ambassador of India to the Netherlands and his co-author Mr. N.M. Rakesh.
At this seminar on Indo-Dutch Cooperation on Water Management, experts from the public and the private sector as well as from TU Delft will shed light on the Water Management from different perspectives. This event is proudly co-hosted by FCCI (Foundation for Critical Choices for India) and NICCT (Netherlands India Chamber of Commerce and Trade). FCCI is working on a long-term skills’ mobility project and within the scope of this seminar, FCCI and NICCT will explore how the aspect of co-operation in water management in terms of mobility of skills could mutually benefit both India and the Netherlands.
NICCT and FCCI are honored to officially launch the aforementioned book authored by the Indian Ambassador to the Netherlands, during the seminar. In his book Ambassador Rajamony and Mr Rakesh point out not only the importance of water management, but also the key to successful cooperation between the Netherlands and India by jointly involving Governments, public and private institutions, companies and innovations to actually make projects happen successfully.

Event Circular and Schedule : Click Here

Event Report: Click Here

Presentations (Click on the title):

Photos (selected photos are displayed below): Click here for complete album

Round table debate - Fundamental Duties and Constitution of India

Round table debate on "Fundamental Duties and Constitution of India"

In collaboration with the Embassy of India in The Hague, Netherlands

Wednesday 18^th February 2020

17.00 hrs – 19.00 hrs

Venue: Gandhi Center, Parkstraat 99, 2514 JH, The Hague, NL

Background:

This event was held as part of the Government of India’s celebration of ‘Constitution Day and Campaign on Citizen’s Duties from November 26, 2019, to November 26, 2020, in the context of 70 years since the creation and subsequent implementation of the Constitution of India.
The Constitution of India has been a subject of focus in FCCI at several moments in the 40 years since FCCI was founded; Since its inception in 1980, FCCI has held seminars, conferenced, written papers and published opinions on the Constitution of India. In fact, the first paper that FCCI published in June 1980 was entitled ‘Constitutional Framework in India – a Framework for the Future – a case for a new constitution for India’.

Poster-RoundTableEvent