Auroville's monthly news magazine since 1988

Issue Nº429

Apr 2025 (7 months ago)
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Two judgements of the Supreme Court of India

Feature, By Sindhuja and RA Working Committee

The Supreme Court of India

On 17 March 2025, the Supreme Court of India delivered two judgements. One was on the appeal of the Auroville Foundation against the verdict of the National Green Tribunal passed in April 2022; the other on the appeal of the Auroville Foundation against the judgement of the Madras High Court of March 2024 regarding the Auroville Town Development Council.

Observations on the minutes of the 67th GB meeting

Feature, By RA Working Committee

In the previous issue of Auroville Today we published the major considerations and decisions of the Governing Board as reported in the minutes of its 67th Governing Board meeting held in Auroville on 31 May 2024.

Madras High Court upholds Auroville Foundation’s land exchange transactions

Feature

Madras High Court

In March 2024, an Aurovilian filed two writ petitions at the Madras High Court. The first petition prayed the court to restrain the Auroville Foundation from land exchanges without following the procedures laid down in the Auroville Foundation Rules 1997 and the General Financial Rules 2017.

Summaries of the verdict of the National Green Tribunal and of the Chennai High Court judgement, both now dismissed by the Supreme Court

Feature

The National Green Tribunal verdict and appeal The Auroville Universal Township Master Plan (Perspective 2025) is a perspective and directional document that was approved in 2001 by the Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) – now Ministry of Education (MoE) – and published by the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation in the Gazette of India in 2010.

Perspectives on the Auroville Foundation act

Reflection, By Frederick

Frederick

As I was looking through the minutes of the last Governing Board meeting regarding proposed changes to the Auroville Foundation Act, I recalled that when the Act was originally being prepared, there were already two different tendencies.

It Matters

An interview with Sandra and Bhakti, By Chandra

The inauguration of IT Matters on 11-01-2025

It Matters is a space for artists and the community to connect, collaborate, and create. Rooted in Auroville’s spirit of exchange, it fosters dialogue and new ideas beyond the local art scene.

Auroville stories 1968–2068

An interview with Daniel Greenberg, By Alan

Daniel Greenberg

On Saturday, 1 March, the community was invited to come to Cinema Paradiso to hear community members telling short stories; transformative memories of the past or hopeful dreams about the future of Auroville.

Book launch: Being

Book review, By Alan

Being

On Saturday, 8 March, It Matters hosted a book launch event. B (Bill Sullivan) was launching his book Being which, he explained, is to prepare young children for modern life: “The new ones who are coming now really need to get the best start because the world is in crisis.

Comments on “Time for integration?”

Letter to the Editors, By Denis Henley

A reader comments on the article “Time for integration?” in which Alan interviews Divakar about his recently circulated paper entitled Auroville and its destinies.

The Mother: A Life of Sri Aurobindo’s Spiritual Collaborator

Book review, By Alan

The Mother: A life of Sri Aurobindo’s Spiritual Collaborator

A few weeks ago a new biography of The Mother was published. The Mother: A Life of Sri Aurobindo’s Spiritual Collaborator is written by Peter Heehs, a reputed historian who has been a researcher in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Archives for over 50 years, writing biographies of Sri Aurobindo and publishing papers on related topics.

Born in fire: a residency in wood firing and an exhibition

Art review, By Chandra

Born in fire: a residency in wood firing and an exhibition

Founded in 2020, the BORN IN FIRE residency at Phoenix Potteries (Auromodѐle) has become an important space for ceramic artists to refine their skills in anagama (‘cave’ in Japanese, it is a single-chamber, wood-fired kiln, often built into a hillside, known for its unique firing process and the natural ash glazes it produces, creating unpredictable and beautiful results) and wood firing.

Mapping Being

Art review

Portraits of those who have passed

It’s not easy to describe the emotion felt when stepping into a clearing in the forest, a magical place, perfect for hosting the portraits of 111 Aurovilians who have passed away in recent years.

Electrical arrears The Auroville Electrical Service informed the community that the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) has recently changed Auroville’s high tension connection tariff from the existing IIA tariff (meant for places of worship and educational institutions) into tariff V (General Purpose) because Auroville’s service connection has a mixed load.

Income tax and GST issues On 21 March, the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation called all trustees, executives, managers and accountants of all Auroville units for an urgent meeting at the Sri Aurobindo Auditorium to hear about Income Tax (IT) and General Service Tax (GST) issues.

Chartered accountants changes Further to the meeting of 21 March, Dr. G. Seetharaman, the Officer on Special Duty of the Auroville Foundation, sent out a mass bulletin informing the community about the changes of Chartered Accountants (CAs) effective 1 April 2025.

IIT Madras Sustainability Campus An article in the newspaper Business Line of 25 March mentions that the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is planning to develop a cutting-edge Sustainability Campus on a 100 acre site given to it by Auroville, with 20 acres dedicated to the Centre of Excellence for Zero Emission Trucking (CoEZET).

Voice of Auroville – issue 08 The Working Committee appointed by the Residents’ Assembly (RA WCom) shared with the community the eighth issue of the quarterly journal, Voice of Auroville, which aims to inform well wishers and friends of Auroville across India and the globe on the current unfolding events with factual updates and articles.

Youth Choir performs On 29 and 30 March, the Auroville Youth choir gave two well-attended end of season performances of western classical music in CRIPA. The programme featured choral classics, with pieces composed many centuries ago, as well as by contemporary composers.

Concern about bypassing laws On 19 March, three Residents’ Assembly appointed working groups, the RA-WCom, L’Avenir d’Auroville (RA-TDC) and the Auroville Council, sent a joint letter to the Matrimandir Team and the Auroville Town Development Council constituted by the Governing Board, warning about non-compliance consequences with Indian law, which requires obtaining necessary quarrying permits for ordinary earth excavation and approvals and environmental clearances for the creation of water bodies of the magnitude of the Matrimandir Lake.

Auroville Cyclothon 2025 The second year version of the Auroville Cyclothon was flagged off on March 2. A total of 294 participants from Auroville, Pondicherry, Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Bangalore, and Chennai had a choice of cycling 100 km, 50 km or 25 km.

ATDC recruits The Auroville Town Development Council (ATDC) constituted by the Governing Board has advertised for talented and passionate architects and engineers to join its team.

Recruiting for the ATR The Admissions and Terminations Scrutinising Committee (ATSC) constituted by the Governing Board has called for people to maintain the Admissions and Terminations Registry (ATR).

Secretary meets with residents On 27 February 2025, at the invitation of Mr. Koshy Varghese, a group of seven residents met with the Secretary, the OSD, Dr. Seetharaman, and the consultant for visa matters, Mr.

Reporting arrival and departure dates The RA-WCom clarified its understanding of whether or not it is required for Aurovilians on a valid Auroville Entry Visa to inform internal groups and/or the RRO/FRRO when leaving or returning to India.

Financial Service operations minimised B.S. Sathyanarayan, the Accounts Officer of the Auroville Foundation, informed the community on 2 March about the commencement of a centralised common accounting system for the Auroville Foundation, its trusts, units and projects.

In case of departure The Working Committee approved by the Governing Board has issued “Procedures and guidelines for the use and allocation of an Auroville residential asset in the case of departure of an Auroville resident from Auroville or the death of an Auroville resident.”