Innovation Cannot be Forced, Innovation Happens!

Innovation means brining the new into the world. And the new cannot come from the mind. If you carefully understand the mind, it is knowledge. The mind is composed of all the information that we have accumulated till date. It consists of all the knowledge that we have gained from people, places, books, magazines, articles, research, things and objects. All these information that has been stored in our memory constitues our data base. And this data base is old. These consists of things that are already there, otherwise there would not be in our memory. We must have had this information collected somewhere, sometime in the past. When we "think", we only search through the data base of old files and perform permutations and combinations with the available data. Therefore thinking cannot lead to creation of something new. Thinking cannot be used to Innovate, because whatever we think is all old. Even our goals are a part of this knowledge. All goals are from the memory; whatever we decide to create in the future, has already been in the past, otherwise we would not be able to make it into a goal. So making a goal to innovate somthing is also futile; we are bound to reinvent the wheel in a different way. Real innovation is - going beyond the human mind.To read more Click

What skills are in demand?

The working environment whether in companies or humanitarian industries is changing very fast. Forbes has published an article which talks about the basic skills that are in demand which can fetch you job in 2013 with the title the 10 skills that will get you a job in 2013. How you think systems through and work within the context of the team. Having the mind set of applying the learning, having the mindset and logic to process the learning are some of the critical skills in demand.  Let me summarise the skill sets here

1. Critical thinking
2. Complex problem solving
3. Decision making
4. Active listening
5. Computers and electronics
6. Mathematics
7. Operations and system analysis
8. Monitoring
9. Writing computer programming
10. Sales and marketing

The first four applies to all industries. whether one needs new job or continues to work in the same job but the challenge for us is are we prepared for the new demand of skills?

Can we reduce Infant mortality?

I am at Patna attending in the World Vision India's ToT training programme on Maternal and Child health. Volunteers, staff, ASHA workers from 7 districts (Bhojpur, Patna, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Nalanda and Nawada are participating. Infant mortality rate: total: 46.07 deaths/1,000 live births male: 44.71 deaths/1,000 live births female: 47.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) (Source:India Infant Mortality (2012).
 In a layman term Infant Mortality is children dying between 0-12 months of their birth. Dr P.K Goswami says that 50% of Infant mortality comes from New Born death i.e. children dying between 0 -28 days of their birth and 50% of the new born death is contributed by children dying between 0 - 7 days. So logically we can conclude that if Infant mortality in India to be reduced the New Born death (0-28 days) has to be stopped. Otherwise it is very difficult for India to bring down IMR.
So what are the various causes of new born deaths? Dr Goswami said that following some are the medical causes 1. Hypothermia (Temperature of child's body is less than the normal), 2. Birth Hypoxia 3. Birth Trauma, 4. Sepsis 4. Pneumonia.
Then how could New Born death be reduced. Dr Goswami cited the following few preventive measures:

1. Wrapping of new born baby with clean clothes. cover head, hands and feet
2. Breast feeding
3. Eye care of the new born
4. Care of umbilical cord
5. Cleanliness

Dr Goswami says that if these few simple actionable actions are done 50% of new born deaths can be prevented.

I sent an SMS to Dr Jayakumar Christian, CEO of World Vision India. He said, "Strange that with solution that simple we still let millions die in our country."
What we need then? We need to relook our public health strategy. Simply shouting at government will not prevent new born deaths. Create mass awareness among the mothers, Panchayats, health workers, TBAs. NGOs promote this vigorously. It does not cost much but need Personal Passion. One need not wait for government to come to rescue the new born babies. This could be done by any one who really wants to save lives of new born.

Again, this is the responsibility of every individual to help save lives. If India has to reduce IMR then issues of New born death has to be addressed at any cost.