Quest for Better Futures

In Episode 11 of Quest for Better Futures, Gautam John and Namrata Agarwal discuss how we can move beyond seeing young people as passive recipients of change and instead recognize them as active co-creators of solutions.How can we build a culture of active citizenship in India? How should institutions, leadership, and philanthropy change, given that uncertainty is the new normal? What if the future isn’t driven by states or markets, but by relationships, diversity, and a shared imagination?Credits:Host(s) - Namrata AgarwalGuest(s) - Gautam JohnProduction Crew - Chandan CM, Dilip P, Hiranya Singh, Mohammed Sajjad, Zaheera VazProduced By Quest AllianceEditor(s) - Shashank KSConcept - Bhawna Parmar, Tanvi NegiContent - Bhawna Parmar, Sahana HMMusic - Smooth Future Bass Logo by LEXMUSICVFX & Motion graphics - Chandan CMLocation courtesy - Quest Learning Observatory, Bangalore (India)

For many of us, education, skilling, and employment are seen as three distinct stages, and not as a holistic continuum. Time and again, it has proven that skilling succeeds only when education and industry are seamlessly connected.In Episode 10 of Quest for Better Futures, Nikita Bengani and Atul Kumar Tiwari, IAS - Former Secretary, Ministry Of Skill development and Entrepreneurship discuss the role of AI in classrooms, insights on female workforce participation, and what it takes to design skilling initiatives for Indian youth. CreditsHost(s) - Nikita BenganiGuest(s)- Shri Atul Kumar TiwariProduction Crew - Chandan CM, Hiranya Singh, Mohammed Sajjad, Navya D'Souza, Pritika Das, Revathi R, Syed Umer, Winnie PandeProduced By Quest AllianceEditor(s) - Chandan CM, Shashank KSConcept - Bhawna Parmar, Tanvi NegiContent - Bhawna Parmar, Nikita Bengani, Risha RamachandranMusic - Smooth Future Bass Logo by LEXMUSICVFX & Motion graphics - Chandan CMLocation courtesy - Quest Learning Observatory, Bangalore (India)

A Google search for “top workplace skills” reveals lists full of ‘time management’, ‘leadership’, ‘creativity’, and ‘teamwork’. However, as Arnab and Arpita note, the idea of skills often hides deeper hierarchies of class, gender, and power. Think about it – how does society define and value skills? What do you classify as skills worthy of picking up?

People often say that if something can’t be measured, it can’t be managed, but what if that exact mindset holds us back from making meaningful change? In Episode 8 of Quest for Better Futures, Bhawna Parmar speaks with Punya Mishra about what happens when numbers define social change, and how education,in particular, has faced the consequences of this thinking.The full episode is now live on our YouTube channel. Also streaming on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Host(s) - Bhawna ParmarGuest(s) - Punya MishraProduction Crew -Chandan CMProduced By Quest AllianceEditor(s) - Shashank KSConcept - Bhawna Parmar, Tanvi NegiContent - Bhawna Parmar, Sahana HMMusic - Smooth Future Bass Logo by LEXMUSICVFX & Motion graphics - Chandan CM#FuturesThinking #AI #QuestAlliance #FuturesLiteracy #Podcast #YouthFutures

What do you see, when you picture the future? If it’s AI, rockets and a highly engineered, precise world, you’re not alone. However, these visions are rooted in old, harmful ideas that dismiss nature and indigenous knowledge as “primitive,” carrying forward ideas with troubling origins.In episode 7 of Quest for Better Futures, Monika Bielskyte and Aakash Sethi explore how our ideas of the future continue to be shaped by outdated sci-fi and why that’s a problem.Host - Aakash SethiGuest - Monika BielskyteProduction Crew - Shivam PandeyProduced By Quest AllianceEditor(s)- Chandan CM, Shashank KSConcept - Bhawna Parmar, Tanvi NegiContent - Bhawna Parmar, Sahana HMMusic - Smooth Future Bass Logo by LEXMUSICVFX & Motion graphics - Chandan CM#QuestforBetterFutures #QuestAlliance #EdTech #podcast #futuresliteracy #futuresthinking #NGO

In episode 6 of Quest for Better Futures, Neha Parti and Suchetha Bhat dig deep into the uncomfortable truths of leadership and privilege. From language, caste, and class to the subtle ways competition and control can undermine true collaboration, they confront the urgent questions we need to ask to co-create futures that are inclusive, equitable, and responsible. Host(s) - Neha PartiGuest(s) - Suchetha BhatProduction Crew - Chandan CM, Dilip P, Hiranya Singh, Mohammed Sajjad, Zaheera VazProduced By Quest AllianceEditor(s) - Chandan CM, Shashank KSConcept - Bhawna Parmar, Tanvi NegiContent - Bhawna Parmar, Neha Parti, Sahana HMMusic - Smooth Future Bass Logo by LEXMUSICVFX & Motion graphics - Chandan CMLocation courtesy - Quest Learning Observatory, Bangalore (India)#QuestforBetterFutures #QuestAlliance #GenderEquity #FuturesThinking #FuturesLiteracy

How do we balance today’s urgent demands while also being equally conscious of the rights of future generations? In Episode 5 of Quest for Better Futures, Bhawna Parmar and Cat Tully of School of International Futures talk intergenerational fairness, the limitations of short-term political cycles, and the importance of civil society and youth in helping society move from outdated systems toward more sustainable and just futures.Long-term thinking can feel impossible, futile or even inconvenient, given the changing nature of the world we inhabit. But as this episode reveals, the cost of ignoring the future is already showing up in our present — whether it is polluted cities, broken infrastructure, or inequality growing by leaps and bounds. Host - Bhawna ParmarGuest - Cat Tully, Founder of SOIF, the School of International Futures Production Crew - Chandan CMProduced By Quest AllianceEditor(s) - Chandan CM, Shashank KSConcept - Bhawna Parmar, Tanvi NegiContent - Bhawna Parmar, Sahana HMMusic - Smooth Future Bass Logo by LEXMUSICVFX & Motion graphics - Chandan CM, Hiranya Singh

If the future belongs to all of us, why do only a few get to shape it? What would it take to change that?In Episode 4 of Quest for Better Futures, Aakash Sethi sits down with Urvashi Aneja of Digital Futures Lab, to talk about the power of foresight, not just for policymakers and academics, but also for young people and communities to reclaim their place in shaping the future. They explore how foresight can help us question dominant narratives (often shaped by the privileged few), reclaim agency over what lies ahead, and co-create futures that are more inclusive, equitable, and grounded in local realities.Host(s) - Aakash SethiGuest(s) - Urvashi AnejaProduction Crew - Chandan CM, Sahana HMProduced By Quest AllianceEditor(s) - Chandan CM, Shashank KSConcept - Bhawna Parmar, Tanvi NegiContent - Bhawna Parmar, Sahana HMMusic - Smooth Future Bass Logo by LEXMUSICVFX & Motion graphics - Chandan CM, Hiranya SinghLocation courtesy - Sadhana D'ell Arte, Merces, GoaContact - [email protected]

Can we tackle the climate crisis without listening to those affected by it the most?
Prof. Lyla Mehta and Shibaji Bose unpack the current dominant climate narratives with our colleagues Bhawna Parmar and Neha Parti. They highlight the critical role of education and the need for future literacy that equips youth with agency, imagination and real-world tools to navigate uncertainty and lead climate action.Host(s) - Bhawna Parmar, Neha PartiGuest(s)    - Shibaji Bose, Lyla MehtaProduction Crew - Chandan CM, Zaheera VazProduced By    Quest AllianceEditor(s) - Chandan CMConcept - Bhawna Parmar, Tanvi NegiContent - Bhawna Parmar, Neha PartiMusic - Smooth Future Bass Logo by LEXMUSICVFX & Motion graphics - Chandan CM, Dilip P

AI has moved from hype to a habit. In Episode 2 of Quest for Better Futures hosted by Namrata Agarwal, we are joined by Aapti Institute's Sarayu Natarajan to explore how we can take a more intentional role in shaping the direction of AI and emerging technologies, one that is youth-led and centres equity, ethics and human values.