KAUTILYAN PRINCIPLES AND ITS RELEVANCE IN INDIA’S MISSION LIFE

Kautilya served as the chief advisor to both Emperors Chandragupta and his son Bindusara, he has been called Indian Machiavelli. He recommended a sustainable system of living that could go on indefinitely in time. The way of life presented by Kautilya cannot be dispensed with as traditional and outdated, for, his method of approach was time-tested. The ancient Bharat had been a world leader in all fields of knowledge – scientific and humanistic. India emerged as a sovereign, independent nation, proud of their indigenous capabilities and pledged to get rid of the curse of dependence. "Self-reliance", therefore, became an integral part of that pledge and a jealously guarded principle of independence. The generations of leaders were greatly inspired by the principles of Kautilya and tried to focus these on the formulation of the policies for sustainable development in India. Mission LiFE is one such India-led global sustainable effort to adopt a healthy lifestyle and mitigate climate change-induced devastations.