The subtle art of stepping away
Deciding to step away from one path or way of life is no reason for panic as another magically appears even before one realizes. So when one leaves the tarred road, a meandering path through meadows or forests may appear… maybe there will be a walk along a gently flowing river. This is what gives...
Branding educates both trust and desirability
A brand reflects the story of the work it has done and is something similar to the reputation that is earned by doing hard things well. If you want to hire an online reputation expert, you need to know the reputation management price, which will depend on the task you’ll need. You can read here...
Chat with Kamalini Natesan, a writer
‘Naked beneath the midnight sun’ written by Kamalini Natesan Good writing is scarce these days and when one knows a writer who has already impressed the world through her social media updates, one knows that a book written by her has to be worth reading. Kamalini Natesan is one such person who has the sort...
Getting under the skin of tourism
We travel to see ‘beauty of souls in new landscapes’ as Lailah Gifty Akita said, and there are many who believe that tourism is what the world needs most. Wayne Chirisa feels that visiting new places ‘unveils new dimensions of this world not known to the naked eye’ and Leslie Jamison wrote in an essay...
September Symphonies
September has, so far, been a month full of actions and actionable dreams. We in India have had everything from the way Modi hugged the ISRO Chief to calm him to the way he hugged Trump to balm him and the world called them economic nationalists. The ‘Seva Saptah’ or week of service from September...
It’s not that simple to be simple, says Chetan Bhagat
I saw him from a distance and waved. He smiled and waved back. No airs. No snooty looks thrown at anyone. Chetan Bhagat loves to retain his easy and communicative personality… and I guess this is exactly how he has shaped his writing through the years. As we walked around the poolside area in Hyatt...
Article 370 – is it political pluck or incompetent tomfoolery?
There is an old joke where a tourist’s car got stuck in a muddy patch and raising acceleration didn’t help. A local on a bullock cart was passing by and helped him in exchange for a certain favour. This seemingly helpful local told the politician that he assisted many such people who regularly got stuck...
Interview with the AICTE Chairman Mr Anil D Sahasrabudhe
When Frank Gehry talked about architecture speaking of its time and place, but yearning for timelessness, he couldn’t possibly have visited the AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) building on Nelson Mandela Marg in New Delhi. Timelessness has been the essence of whatever decisions have emerged from the offices here where natural light and...
Technology is a double shot of espresso
I’ve always believed that technology dances with the spirit of life… and I did not use the word humanity because from cellular agriculture and medicine to entertainment and information, from the ethics of politics and the economics of infrastructure, and even from the sweat and blood of relationships to the heat and dust of yearnings...
Is the NEP about old mind-sets in new bodies?
Some thinkers believe that reports and recommendations invariably remain what they are if unaccompanied by the micro-details of strategic implementation maneuvers. A bit higher in the hierarchy of proposed actions and actionable steps is the wave theory of political will of the powers, the calculus of economic certainties and uncertainties, the gravitational laws pervading in...
Calling teachers “untalented leftovers” doesn’t tell the complete story
With the NEP 2019 zipping and zooming from one stage to another and its interpretations getting into every kind of conversation taking place anywhere, the focus is bound to be on teachers… and students, of course. Everyone wants teachers to get better. There is a lot of talk about doing away with sub-standard teacher training...
Always give more than what you get
This is the text of my email conversation with Shiv Khera, the iconic speaker on leadership and motivation and author of many books. He says that 85% of self-made millionaires globally today are first generation. A survey said that they read about 50-60 self-help books a year because they realize that one good idea could...
