C. V. Ananda Bose

C.V. Ananda Bose

C. V. Ananda Bose
Born	1951/01/02 Mannanam, Kottayam, Kerala
Nationality	Indian
Citizenship	Indian
Education	PhD in Habitat & Environment
Alma mater	BITS Pilani, St. Berchmans College Changanacherry and KE College
Occupation(s)	Indian Administrative Service, Former Secretary to Government of India level Director General of National Museum, New Delhi, Former managing director of NAFED, Former Chairman of Coconut Development Board, Additional Chief Secretary, Secretary to Chief Minister, District Collector.
Awards	United Nations Global Best Practice Singapore Government Award for Urban Green Management Excellence Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship

C. V. Ananda Bose is an Indian civil servant who served in the Indian Administrative Service. 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 lead 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:

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.

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 management 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 John award to Dr. C. V. Ananda Bose

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

UN-Habitat Global Best Practice 1996 for Building Centre Movement

UN-Habitat Global Best Practice 2002 for GNN (Sustainable Habitat Development)

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

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

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

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

Dr. Pam Davar Award 1997 – for Rural Technology.

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

Management Leadership Award (TMA) 1997 – Gold Medal

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

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

Rajiv Gandhi National Award for Excellence in Management

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

P.N. Panicker Award for Social Commitment – 1999

Finalist of the World Habitat Award, UK

Finalist of the Water Globe Award – Austria

Finalist of the Whitley Award– UK

Best Speaker Gold Medal by Kerala University

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

With Prime Ministers and Presidents

With A.P.J Abdul Kalam

References

• – Asianet News Part 1

• – Asianet News Part 2

• – C.V. Ananda Bose Website

• – Doordarshan