Prutha Goa

It was right from childhood that Vaishali Lall, a visualiser cum graphic designer at International Centre Goa, Miramar, had an affinity towards doodling mandalas. At the time, she had no idea what they were called or what they might stand for. ‘The process was soothing and beautiful,’ she says. Mandala is the Sanskrit word for ‘disc’, ‘circle’, or ‘completion’, where a design is created within a circle. It goes back to ancient times when yantras were depicted on mandalas. Yantras are mantras, or chants, invoking the name of a particular deity. To create a yantra mandala, one had to study mythological texts for a number of years and detach oneself from the allurements of the world to work in perfect silence. The mandala has been found to be an essential part of major religions. Western history shows us churches with representations on stained glass windows; there is the Celtic cross with the circle in the centre; and there would be a maze like structure, where the centre contains an ene

One of the most common complaints we have regarding bureaucratic workings and the pace of progress in any governmental organisation, is the paucity of concern and indolence. Only recently, a few departments have pulled up their socks, as in the case of the Indian Passport Office. However there still remain other departments that need to be woken up. A ray of light has appeared in the garb of an Act, a legal enactment to place more power in the hands of the common man and allow him to combat corruption and indifference. At a panel discussion on the implementation of the Goa (Right of Citizens to Time-Bound Delivery of Public Services) Act 2013 at the International Centre Goa, the implications for government agents if they did not maintain a good standard of performance were put forth. Secretary of Goa Lokayukta, former collector of South Goa N D Agarwal and the coordinator of GOACAN Roland Martins,  were part of the panel with Pramod Acharya, the editor of Prudent Media, acting as the m

India, as a predominantly rural economy, has much to look forward to in the area of agriculture to seed the economic progress of this nation. However, agriculture related policies do not dominate political discussions and the apathy towards this sphere is apparent in the drought situation faced by the nation most recently (2015-16). Dr Yoginder K Alagh, who is Professor Emeritus at Sardar Patel Institute of Economic and Social Research in Ahmedabad and Chancellor of the Central University of Gujarat, provided some insight into the mechanics of agriculture leading the way to India’s fiscal development at the International Centre Goa, Dona Paula. Speaking on the future of Indian agriculture, Dr Alagh expounded that a perspective is needed in terms of agricultural development. The Planning Commission has been abolished, making way for Niti Aayog, which has its own policies. Though the Niti Aayog has been asked to develop a perspective in terms of agriculture, the common complaint Dr Alagh

It does take a special person to fulfil a challenge that might well lead to loss of life. Commander Dilip Donde, who resides in Goa, is one such individual who stands apart as the first Indian to circumnavigate the world on his own. In a continuation of the 'Leadership Lectures' at International Centre Goa, Cdr Dilip Donde spoke of his adventures on board his sailing boat, the Goan built Mhadei , regaling everyone with his humour infused anecdotes and honesty. The story begins when the Indian Navy approached Cdr Donde in 2006 to volunteer in its solo expedition project Sagar Parikrama-1 in circumnavigating the world. There were 170 solo circumnavigators and not one of them was an Indian. Cdr Donde jumped at the opportunity that his colleagues had declined. He was called a fool to venture into uncharted territory where his fate would be decided solely by the whims of the sea, but that did not deter his resolve. He recalls his mother’s reaction to his decision was one of support,