Students for Development (SFD) initiated in 1990 to promote the need for sustainable development in its right form. Not just the environmental issues such as water conservation and management, plastic recycling, ban on plastic usage, forest conservation, etc. but also the issues related to the development in holistic sense that are concerned with the cultural, economic and physical (materialistic) development of person, society, nation and mankind are also dealt with so that the meaning of ‘Development’ is understood by the people in its right spirit. Then the question arises what is ‘Development’? How to understand the right meaning of ‘Development’? SFD is initiated to make understand, promote and disseminate the right concept of ‘Development’ to all people in General and students in specific.
BACKGROUND
During the colonial rule over India, the policies were purely exploitative, were implemented with the sole perspective of India as a huge market. The principles of western economics were foisted upon us. During the independence struggle, a collective attempt resulted in the movement of Swadeshi, the principles of self-reliance. Emphasis was given on “Gramodaya” or development of villages and small scale cottage industries. Post-independence, till the 90’s, our rulers were still confined to western and colonial so called modern economic concepts. Adding to this, an unholy blend of Russian Socialism and American Capitalism, which had no relevance to the Indian context, was followed. Since 90’s the Concept of globalization has created a false impression of development. Rise in unemployment, rapid urbanization, unfocused educational policies, absence of self-reliance, humongous environmental degradation, loss of national pride are the fallouts of recent directionless policies. We are wrongly assessing our economic and developmental progress.
