As the India International Rural Cultural Centre-IRCEN- celebrated its 24th anniversary this past week, its team of workers and artistes could be forgiven for crowing about their achievements. Member Secretary, P.L.Varma looks back on a job he is proud of, of taking the classical arts to far-flung rural areas of the country… From the redoubtable Yamini Krishnamurti who was the reigning prima donna in the early days of IRCEN to today’s upcoming youngsters, IRCEN has featured hundreds of dancers and musicians. In Delhi they are known for arranging performances in Government schools, but this work, assures Varma, is only the tip of the iceburg. From Goa to Manipur, they arrange performances, cultural exchanges with countries like Japan, Lithuania, Denmark and others, and income generating schemes like the bamboo-craft training programme… Apart from cultural awareness, one of laudable claims of the organization is the rehabilitation of unemployed youth and providing them income generating options through vocational training. With branches in several States and an erudite list of committee members including the eminent educationist Dr.Abid Hussain and a large number of IAS officers, Varma proudly points out that IRCEN-whose first president was Justice Y.V.Chandrachud –then Chief Justice of India-has never run after political patronage… Varma gave up a lucrative corporate career-he was part of the first batch of MBA degree holders to emerge from IIM, Ahmedabad. This background has helped him organise IRCEN, a project dear to his heart in an efficient manner.