PHFI- Co-opted by Industry CEOs? ..NOT REALLY!!

PHFI- Co-opted by Industry CEOs? ..NOT REALLY!!
by - Dr. Rajan R Patil

They say, whey an 'event' is inevitable, one has only two choices : (1)either
make futile attempt to fight it out (2) or simply enjoy it and let it happen as
it is anyway inevitable.

However there is third course of action which most of us are beginning to
endorse- ENGAGE THE EVENT PROACTIVELY!! and not simply wish it way. Because the
latter is the wishful thinking, and by engaging proactively there is a
probability that one may change the course event-positively!!

Guys, PHFI is here to stay- lots of money, energy has flown in it and in many
ways it has been "institutionalized" in the sense that it is not linked with
fortunes of UPA govt any more- . So it is inevitable.

One can typically respond in two ways to this inevitable 'event"

1) crib and crib about it-
write- make dizzy long pages after pages ideological monologue on how it is
conspiracy of capitalist take over conspiracy.

2) second join the party anyways- sab loot rahein hai...so be wise khud bhi
behati ganga me haath dholo....

or exercise the THIRD OPTION- CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT

....What ever is happening dont just let it happen- by avoiding it or joining
the party status quo will remain same. But by engaging it there is outside
chance of at least influencing it positively- in just and fair way.

Think again the 30 board members listed below- all would have looked same if not
for the reassuring names of Ravi Narayan, Amarthya Sen, Mashelkar and now
Narayan Murthy joining at least some of us are celebrating it- because they are
slowly beginning to occupying the space- So there is now a Hope left of
brining in positive change..... which otherwise if these wonderful souls had not
occupied, the same space
would have been occupied by another set of CEOs whose credentials or the intent
would have been a suspect.

As Dhruv rightly pointed out, Govt is corrupt yet most us choose to engage it -
we choose to be in their committees so that our voice is represented and we
influence its activities positively.

And.... I find it ridiculous when i see chest beating by some of our respected
colleagues regarding PHFI linkage Industry or Industrialists...by the
way....PHFI is not the first academic body that is committing this "sin"Â of
joining hands with industrialsist.....take any academic bodies that we swear of
its reputation- where we dream of sending our children for education-

1.John Hopkins university
2. Harvard university
3 IITs and IIMs in India.

All of these have industry linkage and yet they have reputation in providing
quality education and quality research. Quality education/research comes at
cost- it requires money. Govt does not have enough money or will to provide it.
All universities are encouraged to generate funds to support their research
activies so they have to depend on industry and industrialists to provide.
Industry-Academic feed into each other and benefit out of each other. That
explains why most of academic bodies have corporate CEO as board members. Lets
stop pervert interpretations and desist questioning integrity and intent of
intellects who are choosing consciously to join these bodies fully aware that
their peers will criticise it- yet they have the guts to follow their conviction
without being politically right- so they need to be appreciated for it.

Morale of the story

So wake up friends, by closing eyes reality does not change. We need corporate
heads to ensure uninterrupted flow of funds and we definitely need Ravi Naryans,
Mahselkars, Amarthya sens, Naryan murthys to bring cerebral aura and
credibility to academic bodies and two to ensure that the funds that brought in
are used purposefully and utilized in a fair and just manner.

regards,
rajan

==
Dr. Rajan R Patil
Asst Professor.
PhD scholar in Respiratory Health.

Division of Epidemiology
School of Public Health
SRM University
Potheri, Kattankulathur - 603203
Greater Chennai,
INDIA.

Cell:Â 9445811610
Email : rajanpatil@...




=================================================================================
> Members of the Governing Board of PHFI
>
> * Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia
> Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Government of India
>
> * Mr. Ashok Alexander
> Director, Avahan - India AIDS Initiative, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
>
> * Mr. Mukesh D. Ambani
> Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries Limited
>
> * Mr. K. Chandramouli
> Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
>
> * Ms. Mirai Chatterjee
> Co-ordinator for Social Security, Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA)
>
> * Dr. Purnendu Chatterjee
> Chairman, The Chatterjee Group
>
> * Dr. Lincoln Chen
> Director of Global Equity Center,
Harvard’s Kennedy School
>
> * Dr. James W. Curran
> Former Chair - Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH), USA;
> Dean, The Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, USA
>
> * Dr. Timothy G. Evans
> Dean, James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Bangladesh
>
> * Mr. Vishwa Mohan Katoch
> Secretary, Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
> Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research
>
> * Mr. Uday Nabha Khemka
> Vice Chairman, Sun Group
>
> * Mr. Gautam Kumra
> Director, McKinsey & Company
>
> * Dr. David Lynn
> Head of Strategic Planning & Policy, The Wellcome Trust, UK
>
> * Ms. Kiran Malhotra
> Chairperson, AKM Systems Pvt Ltd
>
> * Dr. Raghunath A. Mashelkar
> CSIR Bhatnagar Fellow, National Chemical
Laboratory
>
> * Mr. Raj Mitta
> Chairman, Essential Value Associates Pvt Ltd.
>
> * Mr. Shiv Nadar
> Founder, HCL
>
> * Mr. T K A Nair
> Principal Secretary to the Honorable Prime Minister of India
>
> * Dr. Ravi Narayan
> Community Health Adviser, Society for Community Health Awareness, Research &
Action (SOCHARA)
>
> * Ms. Rohini Nilekani
> Chairperson, Akshara Foundation, Arghyam Trust, Pratham Books
>
> * Ms. K. Sujatha Rao
> Former Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India
>
> * Mr. J V R Prasada Rao
> Special Advisor to Executive Director, UNAIDS India
>
> * Prof. K Srinath Reddy
> President, Public Health Foundation of India,
> Former HOD, Cardiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
>
> * Dr. Y. Venugopal Reddy
> Former
Governor, Reserve Bank of India
>
> * Dr. Anil Seal
> Director, Cambridge Commonwealth Trust and Cambridge Overseas Trust
>
> * Dr. Amartya Sen
> Professor of Economics and Philosophy, Harvard University
>
> * Dr. Jaime Sepulveda
> Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
>
> * Dr. A K Shivakumar
> Advisor, UNICEF and Member of National Advisory Council
>
> * Mr Harpal Singh
> Chairman, Ranbaxy Laboratories
>
> * Dr R K Srivastava
> Director General Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,
> Government of India
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
PHFI- Copted by Capitalist CEOs? NOT REALLY!!


Dr. Rajan R Patil
Asst Professor.
PhD scholar in Respiratory Health.

Division of Epidemiology
School of Public Health
SRM University
Potheri, Kattankulathur - 603203
Greater Chennai,
INDIA.

Cell:Â 9445811610
Email : rajanpatil@...