Remembering Rajiv Gandhi | A Conversation with Wajahat Habibullah

Decoding Rajiv is a conversation exploring the life, leadership, ideas and vision of Rajiv Gandhi through the experiences of those who knew and worked around his time in public life. In this episode, I speak with Wajahat Habibullah, former public servant and former Chief Information Commissioner of India, about Rajiv Gandhi’s leadership, his vision for a changing India, technology, youth and the transformation taking place during his tenure as Prime Minister. A conversation looking beyond the headlines to understand Rajiv Gandhi, the person, the leader and his vision for India. Decoding Rajiv | Episode 1 Guest: Wajahat Habibullah Host: Atulya Mathur 00:00 Rajiv Gandhi’s Vision for Modern India 01:47 Introducing Wajahat Habibullah 03:26 Rajiv Gandhi as a Student and Friend 06:47 The Story of Rajiv’s Shyness at Doon School 08:32 Leadership, Maldives & Navodaya Vidyalayas 11:25 Rajiv Gandhi’s Connection with Rural India 15:21 Relations with the Soviet Union and China 20:26 Technology, Computers and India’s Youth 26:39 Education Reform and Navodaya Vidyalayas 32:42 Panchayati Raj and Grassroots Democracy 36:15 Inside Rajiv Gandhi’s PMO Culture 39:53 RTI, Accountability and Democracy 42:53 Rajiv Gandhi’s Vision for India in the 21st Century 45:32 Rajiv Gandhi’s Legacy and Scientific Temper 49:02 Technology as a Force for Creation 50:11 Closing Remarks #DecodingRajiv #RajivGandhi #WajahatHabibullah #India #Leadership #IndianPolitics