Kartikeya Sarabhai
Encyclopedia
Kartikeya V Sarabhai is a well known environmentalist and industrialist from the Sarabhai family
of Ahmedabad
in India
.
He is the son of the late Vikram Sarabhai
, a renowned scientist and the father of India's space programme and Mrinalini Sarabhai
, a noted danseuse. His sister Mallika Sarabhai
, is also a noted dancer and activist.
He was educated in Cambridge, UK (Tripos in Natural Science) and went on to do post graduate work in development communication at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Sarabhai is the founder director of the Centre for Environment Education headquartered in Ahmedabad, with 40 offices across India. He is also the chairman of the Ambalal Sarabhai Enterprises, the pharmaceutical company which was set up by his grandfather Ambalal Sarabhai
. He is closely involved in the activities of the Nehru Foundation for Development, of VIKSAT and Ahmedabad's Vikram Sarabhai Community Science Centre
. Sarabhai is also a trustee of the Sabarmati Ashram
Preservation and Memorial Trust, and the Physical Research Laboratory
(PRL).
Sarabhai has served on many committees set up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government of India, primarily focusing on the greening of India's formal education system, and initiatives for biodiversity education. He is a member of the Earth Charter
International Council. He was also part of the delegations which represented India at the Earth Summit (1992) in Rio and the Earth Summit 2002
in Johannesburg. He was also instrumental in initiating the South and Southeast Asian Network for Environment Education (SASEANEE). He is currently vice chair of the Indian National Commission for the International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN). He also led the first international conference on the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development in Ahmedabad in 2005, and he is a member of the UNESCO Reference Group for DESD.
He is currently the editor of the Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, published by SAGE, and has written and spoken extensively on environment, education and related subjects in national and international fora.
He received the Tree of Learning Award (1998) from the IUCN in appreciation of his contributions to the field of environmental education and communication. The Indian Institute of Human Rights has presented him with the World Human Rights Promotion Award (2005).
More recently, Kartikeya Sarabhai has been in the news for restructuring the ailing Ambalal Sarabhai Enterprises.
He lives in Ahmedabad and is married to Rajshree Sarabhai, a textile designer and photographer.
Sarabhai family
The Sarabhai family has been a major business family of India belonging to the Shrimal Jain community. Members include*Ambalal Sarabhai was in the 1940s and 1950s, the owner of the Sarabhai Textile Mills in Ahmedabad - at the time one of India's largest textile companies.*Anasuyaben , Gandhian...
of Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
He is the son of the late Vikram Sarabhai
Vikram Sarabhai
Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai was an Indian physicist. He is considered to be the father of the Indian space program; legendary Homi Bhabha’s successor as chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission; and was as at home in the world of the arts as in his favourite laboratory. His interests were vast and...
, a renowned scientist and the father of India's space programme and Mrinalini Sarabhai
Mrinalini Sarabhai
Mrinalini Sarabhai is a celebrated Indian classical dancer, choreographer and instructor. She is the founder director of the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, an institute for imparting training in dance, drama, music and puppetry, in the city of Ahmedabad...
, a noted danseuse. His sister Mallika Sarabhai
Mallika Sarabhai
Mallika Sarabhai is an activist and Indian Classical Dancer from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Daughter of Classical Dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai and renowned Space Scientist Vikram Sarabhai, Mallika is an accomplished Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam dancer.-Early life:Mallika Sarabhai was born in...
, is also a noted dancer and activist.
He was educated in Cambridge, UK (Tripos in Natural Science) and went on to do post graduate work in development communication at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Sarabhai is the founder director of the Centre for Environment Education headquartered in Ahmedabad, with 40 offices across India. He is also the chairman of the Ambalal Sarabhai Enterprises, the pharmaceutical company which was set up by his grandfather Ambalal Sarabhai
Ambalal Sarabhai
Ambalal Sarabhai was a leading industrialist of Ahmedabad and also played an important role in India's freedom struggle. He was founder of Sarabhai group of Companies, like Sarabhai Textiles, Calico Textile Mills, Sarabhai Chemicals & others....
. He is closely involved in the activities of the Nehru Foundation for Development, of VIKSAT and Ahmedabad's Vikram Sarabhai Community Science Centre
Vikram Sarabhai Community Science Centre
The Vikram A. Sarabhai Community Science Centre, also known as VASCSC or just CSC, is a science centre in Ahmedabad, named after Dr. Vikram Sarabhai. Founded in 1963, the centre aims to promote science and technology education across the city, aimed at children and young adults...
. Sarabhai is also a trustee of the Sabarmati Ashram
Sabarmati Ashram
Sabarmati Ashram is located in the Ahmedabad suburb of Sabarmati adjoining to famous Ashram Road, at the bank of River Sabarmati, 4 miles from the town hall. This was one of the residences of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi...
Preservation and Memorial Trust, and the Physical Research Laboratory
Physical Research Laboratory
The Physical Research Laboratory is a national Research Institute for space and allied sciences, supported mainly by Department of Space, Government of India. This research laboratory has ongoing research programmes in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Atmospheric Sciences and Aeronomy, Earth Sciences,...
(PRL).
Sarabhai has served on many committees set up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government of India, primarily focusing on the greening of India's formal education system, and initiatives for biodiversity education. He is a member of the Earth Charter
Earth Charter
The Earth Charter is an international declaration of fundamental values and principles considered useful by its supporters for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century...
International Council. He was also part of the delegations which represented India at the Earth Summit (1992) in Rio and the Earth Summit 2002
Earth Summit 2002
The World Summit on Sustainable Development, WSSD or Earth Summit 2002 took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 26 August to 4 September 2002. It was convened to discuss sustainable development by the United Nations. WSSD gathered a number of leaders from business and non-governmental...
in Johannesburg. He was also instrumental in initiating the South and Southeast Asian Network for Environment Education (SASEANEE). He is currently vice chair of the Indian National Commission for the International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN). He also led the first international conference on the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development in Ahmedabad in 2005, and he is a member of the UNESCO Reference Group for DESD.
He is currently the editor of the Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, published by SAGE, and has written and spoken extensively on environment, education and related subjects in national and international fora.
He received the Tree of Learning Award (1998) from the IUCN in appreciation of his contributions to the field of environmental education and communication. The Indian Institute of Human Rights has presented him with the World Human Rights Promotion Award (2005).
More recently, Kartikeya Sarabhai has been in the news for restructuring the ailing Ambalal Sarabhai Enterprises.
He lives in Ahmedabad and is married to Rajshree Sarabhai, a textile designer and photographer.