Vision India Foundation (VIF; https://visionindiafoundation.com/), founded by alumni and faculty members of various IITs in 2014, identifies, trains and mentors bright young minds to make them agents of change. By investing in young individuals, VIF focuses on systemic, long-term reforms by working on public policy, governance and institutional frameworks of the nation.
A Policy BootCamp (https://visionindiafoundation.com/bootcamp/) is an annual 21-day residential programme, focused on public policy and governance, leadership, and nation-building. It serves as a launch pad for aspiring public leaders, and policy enthusiasts who are specialists in their respective fields.
From June 4 to 24, 2018, 150 delegates (https://visionindiafoundation.com/bootcamp/delegates/) from all across the nation and the world came together to stay and learn on the campus of O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat (https://jgu.edu.in/about-us). The programme was graced by over 50 speakers (https://visionindiafoundation.com/bootcamp/speakers/), including union ministers, bureaucrats, parliamentarians, grassroots reformers, social leaders, academicians, impact investors, and young achievers. The Policy BootCamp has been carefully designed to deliver holistic learning, exposure, and mentorship to the future leadership of the nation.
On June 12, Dr. Sampadananda Mishra, Director, Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Indian Culture (SAFIC), Puducherry, delivered a keynote talk on ‘India and Her Languages’. Dr. Mishra spoke on some prominent facets of Indian languages which make them relevant to our day-to-day life. Dr. Mishra also spoke on some prominent facets of Sanskrit which make it a language of Yoga, a living language, and its relevance to our day-to-day life. He also gave many examples to show how Sanskrit fulfills the aims and objectives of Yoga.
During the talk, Dr. Mishra emphasizing on topics such as · The importance of keeping the rich tradition of Indian languages alive and robust · Sanskrit as a very scientific language · Sanskrit as an important tool for self-awareness · The transparent system of root-sounds in Sanskrit provides a deeper understanding of the words · The ways in which Sanskrit improves concentration, memory, articulation, etc.
After the talk, there was an intense and high-level interaction with the participants who were mostly from IITs, IIMs, TISS, and various other premier educational institutes of India. There was a question–answer session for about 45 minutes after the talk.
Next day, on June 13, Dr. Mishra conducted a Mantra Yoga session. Mantras or chants are highly important elements to develop externally and internally, and practicing these chants can have a significant impact on all three levels of life—the physical level, the mental level and the spiritual level. The repetition of mantras is used to engage the mental faculties and for producing positive vibrations, which can bring about a variety of benefits for those practicing the chants and in some cases, even for people who are listening to the chants. The participants instantly felt positive energy and an inner peace after the 1.5-hour session.
The boot camp was also a wonderful opportunity to exchange ideas and thoughts with other experts and dignitaries.
