I had occasion to read at random text of ‘Catalyst’, a magazine to be released at the coming NRIs meet in Hyderabad. It is a print initiative, by a New York-based NRI, Dr Srinivasa Rao, and Dr Bhamy Shenoy (who doesn’t know him in Mysore?), to network NGOs working in/for India. Dr Rao reckons that in US alone there are a thousand NGOs and not-for-profit agencies that contribute funds/talent for India’s development.

Table of contents in the inaugural issue of Catalyst reads like chapters in a status report on India’s economic and social infrastructure – energy security, rural poverty, public healthcare, the state of education, the consumer movement, water management…..need I go on? Such weighty subjects make for some statistically-packed and serious read. But then informed NGOs would be familiar with such facts and figures. If Catalyst has to serve as an effective platform for sharing of experiences among NGOs in India and abroad, one would expect the write-ups to be more in the nature of case studies, interviews, personal reflections and personality profiles.

And in this Internet age any printed effort can be synergized with a website. While the print magazine, Catalyst, is planned as a quarterly, its website can promote online and on-going interaction on issues and ideas thrown up in the print version.

According to Dr Shenoy, the Catalyst will also support research study on operations of different NGOs. Catalyst will try to develop a knowledge base to promote higher productivity of funds and time spent on NGO activities.

Further details from Dr. Bhamy Shenoy, chief editor, Catalyst (Bhamysuman@hotmail.com  0821-2515150) and Dr. Srinivasa Rao, editor and publisher (srao@shanthabiotech.com  516-626-3032).