C. V. Ananda Bose

C.V. Ananda Bose

C. V. Ananda Bose is an Indian civil servant who served in the Indian Administrative Service.^[1] He is notable for not yielding to the corrupt system of the Indian bureaucracy for which he was side lined and marginalized at many stages in his illustrious career. Unmindful of the consequences, he led his crusade against corruption and became an iconic figure in the civil service. Describe by Shri.Narendra Modi as, a 'man of ideas', Dr. Manmohan Singh as an 'inspired civil servant,' Government of Kerala as the 'Lord of ideas,' Dr. Bose was hailed by Union Minister Shri.K.J.Alphons as 'the most outstanding civil servant India has ever seen.'

Dr. Ananda Bose is currently Advisor to the Government of Meghalaya. Eminent civil servant, housing expert, innovator, writer and orator, he has held the rank of Secretary to Govt. of India, Chief Secretary, and University Vice Chancellor. He is Chairman of the Habitat Alliance, in consultative status with UN and was member of the UN Habitat Governing Council.

Recipient of the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship, Dr. Bose is also Fellow of the Lal BahadurShastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie.

Dr. Bose has worked as District Collector, and Principal Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary in various ministries such as Education, Forest and Environment, Labour, and General Administration.

Renowned as an innovator, Dr.Bose is the founder of many pioneering movements and institutions in the field of affordable housing, good governance, science and technology, agriculture, rural development and education. The path breaking institutions set up by him such as Nirmithi Kendra (Building Centre), District Tourism Council and Habitat Alliance have been replicated at the state, national and global level.

He has represented India in the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva and the International Fusion Energy Organisation, ITER, France. He was Chairman of the Atomic Energy Education Society.

As head of the National Museum, he was responsible for its make over. As CEO of NAFED he made effective market intervention in checking the price rise of essential commodities.

Dr. Bose has been a recipient of 25 International and National awards for his outstanding contributions in different fields. In recognition of his pioneering efforts in the field of housing, United Nations has selected his initiatives as ‘Global Best Practice’ four times. Govt. of India awarded him the National (Special) Habitat award.

He was the Head of the prestigious Supreme Court Committee on the treasures of ‘Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple’.

A prolific writer and columnist, Dr. Bose has published 32 books in English, Malayalam and Hindi including novels, short stories, poems and essays. Some of his books have become best sellers.

An internationally renowned orator, Dr. Bose has addressed many prestigious international forums including the United Nations General Assembly. Dr. Bose has  won more than 100 prizes, including 15 gold medals, during his University days.

He was the Best Speaker of the Kerala University three consecutive years.

Innovator

Having joined IAS in 1977, Dr. Bose had the opportunity to introduce innovations in good governance which could ensure speedy and effective delivery of public services to the people.

The Nirmithi Kendra (Building Centre) founded by him as District Collector of Kollam in 1985 to provide cost effective and environment friendly houses to the people, has emerged into a national network and become part of the national housing policy. This unique initiative in affordable housing is seen as a trigger for the Prime Minister’s decision to provide affordable houses for all by 2022. Dr.Bose had the opportunity to meet and submit the proposal to Sri. Narendra Modi on 4^th March 2014.

Please see Modi’s letter to Dr.Bose:

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your constant support and wishes. I derived immense strength from your wishes and encouragement. This victory is as much yours as it is of the NDA or the BJP! This is a victory of the hopes and aspirations of a billion Indians! This is a victory for development and good governance. It is my assurance to you that I will devote every single moment of my time to the development and regeneration of India. I will do everything possible to take our Motherland to greater heights of progress, where the poorest of the poor leads a life of dignity and prosperity. India is a blessed land, known for its glorious culture. It is our land that has shown the way to the world time and again. Today, we need to once again ignite the lamp of progress that will take our nation to the predestined role of a Jagat Guru Bharat. Once again I thank you for your support and I seek your support and participation in our endevaour to create a strong, developed and inclusive India.

The District Tourism Promotion Council started by Dr.Bose in 1986 and replicated by the Government of Kerala in all the districts in the state, has been the nodal institution behind making Kerala God’s own country. The national tourism policy recommends that this institution be replicated in all districts in the country.

Dhanwanthari Kendras initiated by Dr.Bose as institutions which provide ancillary medical facilities in hospitals, have been replicated in all districts in Kerala. The first ever attempt in India to provide medicines at discounted rate was started as part of Dhanwanthari Kendra. Later on Kerala government set up institutions to provide medicines at fair price on a regular basis. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana Kendra may be seen as a great culmination of a humble initiative in that direction taken 32 years back by Dr. Bose.

‘The File to Field’ program successfully launched in various places in Kerala as an effective mass contact program, has proved to be an administrative innovation which could redress the grievance of the public and accelerate development of backward rural areas. Union Minister of Tourism, Shri. Alphons Kannanthanam, is on record that this is the precursor to UN award – winning public service delivery system spear headed by the then Chief Minister of Kerala .

The Gramotsava program initiated by Dr.Bose as sub collector, for the time bound development of rural areas, was officially evaluated by the Kerala Government as an effective development model worthy of replication and Government repeated the program in 200 panchayaths.

Sanjeevani Kendra, setup on the banks of the Ramsar site, Sasthamkotta lake, with an extensive medicinal garden with facilities for Ayruveda treatment and research, was replicated in other parts of the state and Forest department adopted it as one of their flag ship projects.

In order to empower women and develop entrepreneurship among them, the Annapoorna society was set up in Kollam in 1986. They could run working women’s hostel, undertake outdoor catering, establish mobile restaurants for street food, and undertake capacity building to equip women for income generating economic development activities. This has been evaluated as the forerunner or the renowned Kudumbashri Self Help Groups in Kerala.

The micro credit scheme introduced among the fisherwomen in Kollam district, popularly known as ration card loan, could save this marginalised section of society from the clutches of the usurious money lenders.

The first house boat in the state was introduced in Kollam during Bose’s tenure and today houseboats are a major source of income in the tourism sector. Adventure sports got a boost in the state through the Adventure Park set up in Kollam in 1985. Subsequently, he could establish an Adventure Academy for this purpose.

The project Water Save launched to protect the Sasthamcotta fresh water lake in a campaign mode by raising a green belt around the lake, preventing soil erosion and removing restrictive practises, received the UN - sponsored Bremen Partnership Award from Germany.

The Labour Agenda initiated by Dr.Bose was adopted by the Government of Kerala for implementing sustainable developmental and welfare programs among the workers, was selected by the UN as Global Good Practice.

As Chairman of the Atomic Energy Education Society, Dr.Bose could set up a television studio for edutainment and introduce science fairs and youth festivals.

As MD NAFED, Dr.Bose could check corruption, bring the guilty to books and put the organization back on rails. When the price of essential commodities spiralled, Dr.Bose initiated the ‘Easy market’ scheme and the ‘Farm gate to Home gate’ direct marketing scheme for vegetables and horticulture produce. When onion price skyrocketed in Delhi, successful market intervention was made to sell onions at thirty percent less than the market price. This has been acknowledged by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a letter. “His penchant for innovation was markedly manifest in his efforts at market intervention during the price hike of essential commodities, when he was heading NAFED in the Department of Agriculture.”

As the Administrator of the National Museum, Dr Bose launched a 100-day programme which spelt out specific measures to revamp and revitalise the institution. Most of the improvements suggested were achieved in 60 days, such as opening the closed down galleries, modernising the display and lighting, launching outreach programmes to take the Museum to the community, arranging children's programme to ignite young minds to the greatness of India's national heritage, organising international exhibitions and launching the People's Museum movement, to mention a few.^[2]

Pursuit of excellence was always central to Dr Bose's role in public administration. His contributions were seldom circumscribed by the call of duty. Instead, he has been engaged in continuous research and field experimentation in developing the most appropriate, people-first solutions. He also took key steps to synergise the various government programmes and schemes to create comprehensive, sustainable and inclusive administrative mechanisms that have since been replicated in multiple domains.

In recognition of this remarkable turnaround of the Museum and the perceptible makeover of the institution, Government of India asked Dr Bose to continue with this mission even after his retirement from service.

Awards

Tourism Minister of India Shri. K.J. Alphons Kannanthanam presenting the Melvin Jones award to Dr. C. V. Ananda Bose

International Awards

UN Habitat Global Best Practice 1996 for Building Centre Movement

UN-Habitat Global Best Practice 2002 for GNN, Sustainable Habitat Development

Bremen Partnership Award 2001, Germany for efficient use of Natural Resources.

Cities Asia Urban Green Management Excellence Award, 2001, RIET, PSAE, Singapore.

Government of India,s nominee for the IYSH MEMORIAL PRIZE Japan

Government of India,s nominee for Hassan Fathy Award, Egypt.

UNCHS, Awards for Excellence, Good Practice selection for transparent governance

Finalist of the World Habitat Award, UK

Finalist of the Water Globe Award, Austria

Finalist of the Whitley Award, U.K.

Overseas Literary Critics Award, Sharjah

National Awards

Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship 1994 awarded by Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund,New Delhi,for Habitat Management

National (Special) Habitat Award, 1989 instituted by Government of India and HUDCO for outstanding contributions to Housing in India.

Diwaliben Mohanlal Mehta Award 1996 for outstanding contribution in the field of propagating Science and Technology in Rural Development.

Dr. Pam Davar Award 1997, for Rural Technology.

Rajiv Gandhi National Award for Excellence in Management

Lal Bahdur Shastri Pratibha Puraskar, 2012

Lion’s Centennial Melvin Jones Award

Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar, 2010

State Awards

Akshaya Award 1998 for outstanding contributions in promoting traditional architecture Vastu and heritage.

Management Leadership Award TMA 1997, Gold Medal

P.N. Panicker Award for Social Commitment, 1999

Best Speaker Gold Medal by Kerala University

100 Prices, 15 Gold Medals in Debate and Literary Competitions at National and State Level.

Government of Kerala, Citation, 2017

Swathi Prathibha Puraskar, 1918

Rotary International Oration Award, 2010

Impact

Impact of Dr.Bose’s innovations have been measured and evaluated by Government of India, Government of Kerala and professional bodies who came up with positive findings about their utility and sustainability. Evaluation report shows that Nirmithi Kendras led to millions of people getting affordable houses, employment generation, particularly for women.. District Tourism Promotion Councils are doing sustainable work in promoting tourism and the model is taken up at national level. The following innovations and institutions which have come to stay, speak for the sustained impact of the initiatives. Nirmithi Kendra, Building Center - Affordable housing

District Tourism Promotion Council

Dhanwanthari Kendra - Medical care

Sanjeevani Kendra - Ayurveda Promotion

File to Field - Effective delivery of public services

Gramotsava - Accelerated rural development

Project Water Save - Conservation of Ramsar lake Sasthamcotta

Annapurna Society - Empowerment of women

Labour Agenda - Welfare of workers

ASTER - Edutainment TV studio

Institute of Alternative Education - Flexi vocational education.

Easy market - Price control of essential commodities

Farm gate to Home gate - Direct marketing of agri produce

Institute of Parliamentary Affairs

First House Boat in Kerala

Priyadarshini Institutue of Paramedical Sciences

SC or ST motor service

Preservation of the treasures of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple as ordered by the Supreme Court.

Leap Meghalaya - Innovative development agenda for Meghalaya state.

Contriubtions to the Society

Dr.Bose's contributions to the society over more than four decades of his career have been documented evaluated and complimented by government and independent agencies. Summing up Dr.Bose's contributions former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has written. Dr.Bose has been a pioneer in low cost housing and his innovations in the field have been recognized by the Government of India. His penchant for innovation was markedly manifest in his efforts at market intervention during the price hike of essential commodities, when he was heading NAFED. In the fast progressing Indian society, any investment in good governance will add to the well being of the people and those who pioneer inspiring innovations to facilitate easy delivery of public service deserve appreciation and encouragement. Government of Kerala has said in the official citation . Dr. Bose is described as a Lord of Ideas. The innovative initiatives taken by Dr. Ananda Bose in the field of rural development, eco friendly tourism, womens empowerment, uplift of the weaker sections, art and culture have played a major role in the onward progress of Kerala as well as the nation. Nirmithi Kendra initiated by him has been a blessing to the society.

With Prime Ministers and Presidents

Photos

With A.P.J Abdul Kalam

References

• ^[3] – Asianet News Part 1

• ^[4] – Asianet News Part 2

• ^[5] – C.V. Ananda Bose Website

• ^[6] – Doordarshan
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