Stories from the grassroots | Thoughts on development | Lessons on leadership
There is so much interest amongst the younger generation in India for public policy. I have been involved in running workshops and teaching seminars across the country for more than a decade now and i find the interest only increasing. Prestigious schools like IIMs, National Law Schools and IITs too have joined this club and it augurs well to learn of the setting up of several policy schools across the country. … Continue reading
The Chicago address of Swami Vivekananda is not only globally acclaimed but serves as one of the best introductions to the Hindu way of life. Apart from captivating the audience with his memorable opening, Swamiji spelt out what Hinduism stood for and what India’s rich civilizational heritage had in store for the world. … Continue reading
The domain of education is abuzz with words like ’21st Century Skills’ and one can end up feeling that there is something magical that our children need to learn in order to survive in today’s complex world. While it is true that one needs a wide variety of skills to negotiate the world of today, one cannot but look to India’s glorious past and explore if there is something that one can learn from that. … Continue reading
Some time ago, Nitesh Batra the founder of the Mindful Initiative reached out to me through a common friend asking if he could interview me for a podcast that he runs. Having been interviewed several times in the past for newspapers and television, I was expecting this also to be similar to the ones that I had participated in.… Continue reading
We all are familiar with the popular adage, ‘Those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it’. While this could be true in several situations, I feel that it may not be appropriate when it comes to learning from India’s civilizational past.… Continue reading
“Corruption has been blamed for many of the challenges India as a nation faces today, and rightly so. Corruption in public offices has reached a level where most people believe and indulge in it as if that is the norm.… Continue reading
A few weeks ago, a friend called to inquire about a US University to which his son had secured admission. He was concerned as this particular university did not figure in the top 100 Universities on the QS rankings. He was worried whether spending so much money on his son’s higher education was worth it and what exactly the significance of the QS rankings was? … Continue reading
The world is now gaga over the need for Social Enterprises and how impactful they are capable of becoming. People are increasingly looking for providing solutions to societal problems while at the same time ensuring a reasonable profit while doing so.… Continue reading
Listen to some of my thoughts shared on this subject in a talk that I delivered for DISHA-Bharat a few days ago.
An elderly person met me recently and wanted to know some details about the ongoing COVID vaccination program. He was keen on understanding whether it would be better to get the shot at the government hospital are at a private hospital nearby.… Continue reading
“Development has been a buzzword in the past few years which has been used and abused to shape the political and economic dimensions of entire nations. It is projected as a broad purpose and justification of all activities, often without answering the questions of whose development and how.… Continue reading
On a personal level, it is indeed a delight to read or listen to a review of one’s book. Recently a friend shared this wonderful video where Sri Gurupada Belur, one of Karnataka’s well known engineers shares his view of my book ‘Leadership lessons for Daily Living’.… Continue reading
Swami Vivekananda’s thoughts and ideas on education have been studied, often quoted and has inspired several Institutions to start schools and colleges. From the conceptual understanding of what education needs to be, to making it both pragmatic at the individual and community level, Swami Vivekananda’s ideas are both relevant and necessary.… Continue reading
Recently, one saw a mockery of the statement ‘first amongst equals’ in the state of Karnataka. Constitutionally, the head of government is the chief minister at the state level while the Prime Minister is at the national level.… Continue reading