Auroville rarely moves at the pace of Delhi. Conversations unfold slowly here, often under trees, often with long pauses. Yet on this visit, policy and philosophy found themselves sharing the same table.
A senior delegation from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and the Food Corporation of India spent the day at the Auroville Foundation, reviewing development plans and listening to presentations on the township’s future. Leading the team was Ravi Shankar, IAS, Joint Secretary in the Department of Food & Public Distribution, accompanied by Vibha Chahal, IAS, Director in the department, along with RB Meena and V.K. Naik from FCI’s Pondicherry division.
Dr G. Seetharaman, Officer on Special Duty, outlined ongoing projects and the framework of the Universal Township Master Plan. The discussion moved easily between administration and ideals — from land use and infrastructure to the original vision of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, which continues to guide the community decades later.
At one point, the focus shifted to money — specifically, the future of it. Dr Jayanti S. Ravi, Secretary of the Auroville Foundation, joined virtually to discuss the idea of a Central Bank Digital Currency. The possibility of aligning Auroville’s internal systems with elements of a CBDC framework was explored, not as an immediate reform but as a concept worth examining for a township built on alternative economic thinking.
Later, the delegation stepped into a very different setting. Inside the Matrimandir’s Inner Chamber, there were no presentations, no files — only silence.
