<p>Shivamogga: Centre for Environment Education (CEE) Chairman Ashok Khosla opined that every citizen should have free access to natural resources and branches of knowledge to help nation-building.</p><p>He noted this while speaking after inaugurating the five-day ‘Life Series’ Festival jointly organised by Azim Premji University and Kuvempu University at Basava Sabha Bhavan on Jnana Sahyadi campus at Shankaraghatta on Monday.</p><p>He said social inequality, caste-based violence, and the gap between the rich and the poor have existed in India for ages. Even today, around 50 crore rich Indians are living a lifestyle on par with the citizens of countries like America and Europe, while the remaining 80 crore poor Indians are living a miserable life. The rich India is living without seeing poor India.</p><p><strong>'10,000 sq km of desert increasing each year'</strong></p><p>Khosla said around 20 crore people in the country do not have access to healthy drinking water. Poverty and environmental destruction are creating environmental refugees. Every year, nearly 10,000 sqkm of desert is being created in the country due to extreme weather conditions. However, our economic policy of neo-liberalisation is ignoring environment and biodiversity issues and only recognising dry criteria like GDP. This is increasing the gap between the rich and the poor.</p><p>He thus suggested adopting a sustainable economy and a healthy and comprehensive development policy for a better future.</p><p>Kuvempu University Vice-chancellor Sharath Ananthamurthy said the concept of development should consider sustainable aspects like environment, forest and biodiversity.</p><p>Registrar A L Manjunath, S V Manjunath of Azim Premji University, Dr Yogendra, Professors B Thippeswamy, J Narayana, Vijayakumar, and around 2,000 school students were present.</p><p>The five-day festival will feature an exhibition on the diverse mountain ranges of India, cultural programmes, a walk in the forest, and a documentary film screening.</p>
<p>Shivamogga: Centre for Environment Education (CEE) Chairman Ashok Khosla opined that every citizen should have free access to natural resources and branches of knowledge to help nation-building.</p><p>He noted this while speaking after inaugurating the five-day ‘Life Series’ Festival jointly organised by Azim Premji University and Kuvempu University at Basava Sabha Bhavan on Jnana Sahyadi campus at Shankaraghatta on Monday.</p><p>He said social inequality, caste-based violence, and the gap between the rich and the poor have existed in India for ages. Even today, around 50 crore rich Indians are living a lifestyle on par with the citizens of countries like America and Europe, while the remaining 80 crore poor Indians are living a miserable life. The rich India is living without seeing poor India.</p><p><strong>'10,000 sq km of desert increasing each year'</strong></p><p>Khosla said around 20 crore people in the country do not have access to healthy drinking water. Poverty and environmental destruction are creating environmental refugees. Every year, nearly 10,000 sqkm of desert is being created in the country due to extreme weather conditions. However, our economic policy of neo-liberalisation is ignoring environment and biodiversity issues and only recognising dry criteria like GDP. This is increasing the gap between the rich and the poor.</p><p>He thus suggested adopting a sustainable economy and a healthy and comprehensive development policy for a better future.</p><p>Kuvempu University Vice-chancellor Sharath Ananthamurthy said the concept of development should consider sustainable aspects like environment, forest and biodiversity.</p><p>Registrar A L Manjunath, S V Manjunath of Azim Premji University, Dr Yogendra, Professors B Thippeswamy, J Narayana, Vijayakumar, and around 2,000 school students were present.</p><p>The five-day festival will feature an exhibition on the diverse mountain ranges of India, cultural programmes, a walk in the forest, and a documentary film screening.</p>
