Perspectives on the future of India and the world – by Rakesh Kapoor

The book ‘The Restless Futurist: Satish Seth’s Quest for Transforming India‘, written by Rakesh Kapoor was launched on 14 September 2019 at the India International Centre, New Delhi. Bharat Ratna Shri Pranab Mukherjee, former President of India, released the book and delivered the 1oth Satish Seth Memorial lecture, titled ‘Future is Today’.

“No matter what views one may hold, the 21st century shall belong only to a people of ‘vision’ and those who care for future,” wrote Satish Seth – great son of India, passionate, multi-faceted and restless scholar, whose love for India and the human condition drove him to become a great champion of the future. Very few civil servants would be able to match the visionary range and depth of his remarkable contributions to the making of twenty-first century India. Seth’s consistent and lifelong efforts to promote futures literacy and the culture of anticipatory management spanned every aspect of public life in India – governance, policy-making, the economy and educational institutions.

All thinking Indians today need to earnestly re-look at the ideas and tools he gave us for understanding and anticipating the future. This book intends to contribute to the rediscovery of Seth’s ideas and the revitalization of his restless quest to create a beautiful future for India and the world.

Asian Renaissance and the Global Future: 2030 and Beyond. Futurist Rakesh Kapoor discusses the key changes that are likely to occur in Asia over the next 15 years and how these will impact the world in 2030. The SGI Quarterly is published by the Buddhist forum Soka Gakkai International from Japan. The October 2015 issue is on The World in 2030.

Postnormal times? From the illusion of normality to the design for a new normality. It is post-normal times for the West, according to Ziauddin Sardar. But in this rejoinder, Rakesh Kapoor explains why the seeming normality of the twentieth century in the West was an illusion, and why India and other developing counties are optimistic about the 21st century as against the depressing mood in the West.

Asian century, planetary change? This paper by Rakesh Kapoor looks at why the 21st century will be the Asian century. But does that forebode planetary change?

Plural dreams: India in the 21st century. Introduction to the special issue of Futures on Indian Futures, edited by Rakesh Kapoor.

Transforming self and society: Plural paths to human emancipation. An overview of global social transformation and futuristic initiatives for change. Introduction to a special issue of Futures on important Transformative Initiatives, edited by Rakesh Kapoor.

Futures at forty: A time to democratise and rejuvenate the FS enterprise. Written on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the journal Futures.

Future as fantasy: forgetting the flaws. Is the future being sold to the haves as a captivating dream? This reflective piece by Rakesh Kapoor presents a sharp critique of the practice of futures studies – predominantly located in the North – from the perspective of the South.