About the Book

No matter what views one may hold, the 21st century shall belong only to a people of ‘vision’ and those who care for the future, wrote Satish Seth—passionate, multi-faceted and restless scholar, whose love for India and the human condition drove him to become a great champion of the future. Very few civil servants would be able to match the visionary range and depth of his remarkable contributions to the making of twenty-first century India. Seth’s consistent and lifelong efforts to promote futures literacy and the culture of anticipatory management spanned every aspect of public life in India—governance, policy-making, the economy and educational institutions. Our policy makers today need to earnestly re-look at the ideas and tools he gave us for understanding and anticipating the future. We hope this book will contribute to the rediscovery of Seth’s ideas and the revitalization of his restless quest to create a beautiful future for India and the world.

About the Author

Rakesh Kapoor is a writer, researcher and editor who works on the interface of science, technology, society and the future and on issues of sustainable lifestyles and development. Rakesh is Founder and Managing Trustee of Alternative Futures – a research group working on social, policy and technological innovations and viable alternatives for development and social transformation (www.alternativefutures.org.in). He is currently foresight consultant with Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)-India and Associate Editor of Futures: the journal of policy, planning and futures studies (www.elsevier.com/locate/futures). Fellow of the World Futures Studies Federation and its Director during 2008-14, he has also been Visiting Faculty at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. He co-authored Charting a New Course: A Strategy for Sustainable Management of India’s Water Resources in the 21st Century (2006). He has edited some special issues of Futures including ‘India@2050’ (2014), ‘Global Mindset Change’ (2010), ‘Transformative Initiatives’ (2007) and ‘Indian Futures’ (2004).