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19
4.
THE KNOWLEDGE INITIATIVE.
‘LET KNOWLEDGE COME
FROM EVERYWHERE’
– MS SWAMINATHAN
There is a new AI emerging in the horizon in Asia. It’s
called Agricultural Innovation. It’s coming from India.
It’s coming from the United States of America. And, if
you’re sleeping, it’s coming to heads near you. At first
it had a long name: ‘The India-US Knowledge Initiative
on Agriculture Education, Research, Services and Commercial
Linkages.’ The mouthful of a name is now referred to as ‘The US-
India Agricultural Knowledge Initiative.’ The first name says it all,
defining the areas; the second name says it less but better, implying that knowledge can
come from anywhere and go anywhere.
There has been a subtle shift in emphasis, from ‘The India-US Knowledge Initiative’ to ‘The US-India Knowledge
Initiative.’ The first implies that the US is learning from India; the second implies what is the project’s goal – India
learning from the United States of America. In fact, both countries can learn from each other.
There is much more to learn from this.
Understandably, quite a number of Indian nationals in India and the US have raised concerns that this is another
Yankee capitalist scheme. For instance, Atul Kumar Anjaan (2006 June 2, politicalaffairs.net) declares that the