What is Design Public?
Design Public is a series of conversations about design and innovation in the public interest.This blog is curated by the Center for Knowledge Societies, the innovation consulting firm that guides the establishment of the Adianta School for Leadership and Innovation.
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Author Archives: Akanksha Saluja
E-toilets to Curb Open Defecation?
Millions of people, in our fast-modernizing country, still defecate in open, leading to a significant challenge facing our country today. As the Government intensifies its Total Sanitation Campaign, launched in 1999, innovative ideas are pouring in, like ‘No toilet, No … Continue reading
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Tagged design public, e-toilets, innovation, open defecation, water and sanitation
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An Innovation that Changed People’s Life
An innovative idea changed many lives in the country of Bangladesh where people did not have access to electricity or telephone, and the nearest health-care facility was hours away. Education in such a situation remained a dream. Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha, … Continue reading
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Tagged Bangladesh, design public, education, health care, innovation, solar power, water and sanitation
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Sustainable Farming to Feed the World?
Industrial agriculture, with a focus on wide use of chemicals, fertilizers, and HYV seeds is often proposed as a solution to global food shortages. It is argued that the use of chemicals and fertilizers will increase the yield, protect the … Continue reading
Local Innovation to Solve Electricity Problems
Siddappa, a farmer from Somapur village in Gadag district of Karnataka, designed a water mill to generate electricity. Believing that electricity problems can be solved by being creative and innovative, Siddappa took up the challenge to show the villagers that … Continue reading
An Inclusive Approach for Societal Development
Public-Private-Partnerships are emerging across a host of sectors in India. A recent conference in Tamil Nadu on “Emerging role of PPPP’s” conducted by The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), highlights the need for a more inclusive approach and the crucial … Continue reading
Innovative Models to Finance Small-Scale Agriculture
Smallholder production, which generally occurs on plots of less than two hectares, is often characterized by low yields, low quality, poor linkages, and little access to finance. A recent Dalberg report called “Catalyzing Smallholder Agricultural Financeâ€, suggests that with increased … Continue reading
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Tagged designpublic, financial assistance, financing, small-scale agriculture
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A Community-Led Initiative by Small Farmers
The farming community of Hiware Bazar came up with a brilliant community-led initiative to design a rainwater-harvesting model that helped them fight the severe drought that they face every year. Here is the inspiring story: As the world reels under … Continue reading
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Tagged community initiative, designpublic, rain-water harvesting
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Farmers Use Waste-Water to Grow Vegetables
Near a small town of Vijayapura in Karnataka, farmers came up with a brilliant innovation to start using the town’s waste-water to grow fodder and vegetables in order to fight extreme water shortage in the area. When fields started to … Continue reading
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Tagged design public, drought, karnataka, small farmers, waste-water
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Looking for Off-Grid Solutions?
Considering that merely 12 percent of energy is generated through renewable sources, comprising small hydro, bio-mass, wind and solar power, India is seeking Israel’s expertise in the renewable energy sector in an attempt to increase the share of renewables in … Continue reading
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Tagged Design Public Conclave, Post-grid power, renewable energy, solar energy
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Concentrated Solar Power: A Sustainable Initiative
With the ever increasing demand for power in rapidly growing cities throughout the country, there stands a pressing need to look for alternative, sustainable ways of harnessing energy. A recent NRDC report shows that Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), a specific-type … Continue reading
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Tagged concentrated solar power, design public, Post-grid power, sustainable energy
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