Jamshedpur: The 9th Dr Verghese Kurien Memorial Oration was held last evening at XLRI, a premier business school.
The event was organised by the Fr Arrupe Center for Ecology and Sustainability (FACES), XLRI, in memory of Dr Verghese Kurien, the founder of AMUL and popularly known as “the Milkman of India.”
The oration aimed to provide a platform for thought leaders, social entrepreneurs, development sector professionals, and policymakers who have made significant contributions to the concept of an empowered, prosperous, and sustainable society to listen to and learn from.
Suman Bery, vice-chairperson of NITI Ayog, gave the oration this year on the topic “Sustainable Development Goals 2030: Indian Model of Localization.”
Suman Bery, who delivered the oration on the topic, stated, “Sustainable development goals were adopted by the UN soon after Modi PM took over.” He also demonstrated exceptional leadership on behalf of India. If India is important to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), then the SDGs are important to India. Agenda 2030 is represented by 17 SDG goals, each with its own set of targets. By December, India will take over the presidency of a group of countries and will also tell the world some harsh truths about the SDGs.”
He also emphasised the Indian model of SDG localisation, which has four pillars: institutional ownership, the establishment of a robust review and monitoring system, the development of capacities for integrating SDGs in planning and monitoring, and the promotion of a whole-society approach.
Bery urged in his speech, “As citizens, you have the right to hold your state government accountable in terms of what they are and are not achieving in terms of SDGs.”
As examples, he cited various state initiatives. He also discussed how the NITI Ayog tracks national progress each year using targets and indicators. We worked long and hard on the data to create the SDG index. Data is gathered using national surveys, public domains, ministry data, and national-level data sources. “SDGs are self-reinforcing in that they address economic, social, and environmental issues,” he added.
“Dr Verghese Kurien was an ingenious thinker, a revolutionary, and a social entrepreneur who devised the world’s largest agricultural development programme,” said Fr. S George, director of XLRI Jamshedpur. Dr. Kurien’s remarkable life and achievements exemplify his belief in the common man’s ability to control his own destiny. His life and work serve as a model for a responsible management leader, combining business skills with societal and nation-building goals. In his memory, XLRI established the oration to commemorate his legacy by propagating and disseminating the concept of an empowered, equitable, and sustainable society.”
FACES – Fr Arrupe Centre for Ecology and Sustainability Chairman Prof L Tata Raghu Ram introduced the committee to the audience.
FACES is a multidisciplinary centre at XLRI in Jamshedpur that promotes policies, practises, and dialogue that have an impact on the holistic and sustainable development of society and businesses.
