The story-tellers of Bhimbetaka
There is an explorer within each of us. There are those who move to the mountains and explore the sublime beauty of nature and capture their impressions for others to find solace in them. There are those who find joy in culture or history or even religion. The spirit of exploration is what keeps the...
The idea of well-being in education
Well-being isn’t a fairy tale that exists only in books and board-rooms… or as discussions and debates in the staff-rooms of colleges, if this sounds more appropriate. As Hans Christian Anderson once wrote: ‘Just living isn’t enough’, said the butterfly, ‘one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.’ When I told a university professor...
It is time to step out of your comfort zones
Explore. Defend. Protect. Lead. Discover. Serve. These past few months have given us all an opportunity to see these words in action. We have read, and sometimes watched, our warriors venture forth into the unknown to turn a mere word (like the ones listed at the start) into an applause-worthy act. Our doctors and para-medical...
Rankings and online education in the post-covid era
There will be 60 million students the world over who will be looking for the right courses in the right regions this season. I obviously mean the admission season. Students are smart enough to understand that they need to assess not just disciplines relevant to their career plans but also the best and safest options...
Only the doer learns
Talking about the art of cooking, Tom Colicchio wrote that ‘recipes tell you nothing. Learning techniques is the key’ and you’ll be surprised at how much these few words tell about what is relevant and what isn’t in the emerging world of online education today. Despite a fistful, nay, a wheelbarrow-full, of theories for effective...
Will a post-covid India be any different?
Covid-19 Pandemic Will a post-covid India be any different? From learning to earning, from survival to career, from passion in relationships to passion in professions, from choices one wants to choices that exist, from what was to what is… this pandemic has the power to roll over and transform entire lifestyle landscapes, conceptual environment, and...
More monkey, less human
Much before humans of 2020 got pandemic-bitten, a friend looked up at the Delhi sky in disgust and said, ‘We’re really monkeying around with our environment.’ Well, he was right to some extent because many would feel that monkeys are still more human than humans because humans are forever monkeying around with disruptions. Talking of...
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...
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...
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...
Startups rewrite the rules
There are defined steps for every action. Even when you’re making an omelet you follow a set routine and wouldn’t sprinkle salt-n-spices after it is all ready and plated. It is the same while dressing up for office or a party. Try wearing your vest over your shirt or your socks over your shoes. No,...
Dipping a piece of goose feather in ink
I know one doesn’t necessarily have to dip a piece of goose feather in ink these days to go from pen on paper to print on paper. But then the Quill Club Writers has this charming association with tenets of mentoring and writing and this reference simply sounded appropriate. Quill Club Writers, if you ask...
