Do you believe you have a special mission or purpose in this life?
I believe every person ought to have a specific purpose in life. I would not regret the death of a person if I found that his life had been purposeless. In what way had he contributed to society?
For me, it has been about being in a position where as a result of my actions I am able to improve certain lives. I want to leave something behind, which has had an impact on the community or a section of the community. And when I go, I would wish for people to feel my absence, and say that yes, things have been done.

I am particularly proud of the school for villagers I established from scratch, and which opened up so many opportunities they would otherwise never had. Or when Secretary of Tourism of India, I did not want to only focus on generating foreign exchange. I thought we also ought to do something for the crafts people. So we established the Surajkund Crafts Mela, where crafts people could come and directly sell their products --- and which has been a continuous success for twenty years.
These days, with INTACH, it is about the preservation of heritage and the creation of awareness. My basic mission is to spread the message across the country, and not only within urban centers but also in the rural areas, especially to the youth. The community benefits from preserving heritage but it can only happen if they get sensitised. The government’s involvement is definitely not enough. Young people for instance should understand what it means for potential jobs, and stop inscribing their names on monuments, or throw cans and trash everywhere.

... contd.