PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Oct 28: XLRI Jamshedpur organized the 10th Dr. Verghese Kurien Memorial Oration on its campus last evening.
The Fr Arrupe Center for Ecology and Sustainability (FACES) at XLRI hosts an annual oration in honor of Dr. Verghese Kurien, the esteemed Founder of AMUL, renowned as “the Milkman of India.”
This event serves as a forum for engaging with and gaining insights from influential thinkers, social innovators,
professionals in the development sector, and policymakers who have notably advanced the concept of an empowered, thriving, and sustainable society.
This year, Vaishali Nigam Sinha, Co-Founder of ReNew and Chairperson – Sustainability delivered the 10th Dr. Verghese Kurien Memorial Oration on the topic “Empowering The Next Generation: Taking Action On Climate Change & Sustainability.”
Delivering the oration on the topic, Vaishal said, “Climate change is not a social issue anymore. It is not a theoretical issue anymore. It is not an idea that we talk about in conferences anymore. It is an area
where people are working, practitioners are working to come up with models for solutions. The population of wildlife has dropped by 60% in just about 40 years. More than 800 million people without access to
electricity and 2.8 billion don’t have access to power in the world. The IPCC Report claims that India’s high levels of global warming and emissions can lead to GDP loss of about 92% by the end of this century. There is a huge social economic impact of Climate Change. Close to 2050, close to 35 million Indians will face coastal flooding and this number will rise to 40-50 million by the end of the century. The era of global
warming has ended and the era of global boiling has just begun. As individuals we all have our own responsibility to work towards bringing small changes.”
She also emphasized on the commitment and passion that drove Dr. Kurien to bring about the change in the society.
Fr. S George, director at XLRI Jamshedpur said, “Dr. Verghese Kurien’s life was characterized by a commitment to making a difference. Widely acknowledged as the Father of the White Revolution in India,
he is globally renowned as a socially responsible entrepreneur. Since 1997, India has remained the largest milk producer, thanks to Dr. Kurien’s efforts, involving a workforce of 70 million rural households and 70% workforce that comprises women. In memory of Dr. Kurien, XLRI established the oration to honor his legacy by promoting and spreading the concept of an empowered, just, and sustainable society.”
