How low do we go before we deserve to go?
Author: Mrityunjay Kumar
I am a technologist by profession and educationist by heart. Over last 20 years of my career across 3 countries, I have learned that everyday teaches you something new if you are willing to be an everyday learner. I write about my learning experiences so that I can learn better.
Books for Class XI and XII PCM
My evergreen recommendations for science books in Class XI and XII are NCERT books which you can download from their site for free, or buy from a nearby bookstore. Not everyone believes in this recommendation though - for some these books are too brief and cryptic. Here are some of the books that I used …
Tamasha – A great watch for careerists
The movie is an excellent attempt at bringing out the conflict of 'what I want to do with my life' and 'what I am expected to do with my life' - the 'social pressure' to conform to career stereotypes, and the trick it plays on your psyche.
The Cult of Exams
I read today's The Hindu Op-Ed 'Beyond the Pass-Fail Binary' with interest. It talks about why discussing No-Detention Policy in isolation is a disservice to RTE act, and what the real problem is. A paragraph there hit me particularly hard: [...] Exams have a tendency to become the only motivation for learning. All educated Indians …
Education is dying, and I am letting it die.
When I think of my education, I think 3 things made it worthwhile for me: Teachers who gave me space to learn at my own pace Curriculum (NCERT)that aroused curiosity and provided means to satisfy it Mentors and guides who taught without teaching - teachers, parents, seniors, friends, well-wishers When I look at my child's education, I find …
Continue reading Education is dying, and I am letting it die.
A lesson on how to lose a heritage – Alwar City Palace
We went to visit Dadhikar Fort at Alwar over the weekend. It was a great experience, even though it rained most of the time due to the unseasonal rain due to some western disturbances. Since we were on outskirts of Alwar, we decided to pay a visit to nearby famous places, and Alwar City Palace …
Continue reading A lesson on how to lose a heritage – Alwar City Palace
World Book Fair, or a giant Book Shop?
I think the value a book fair like this should no longer be just access to books. It should be about helping readers discover the world around books that is hard to discover otherwise – like the story around Pitara from Eklavya I found.
Living on the urban edge
Living in Greater Noida gives you an esoteric mix of experiences. If I go 2-3 kms east from my house, I reach Kasna village. It is a true blue town-village with small shops, narrow walkways and unique mix of urban and rural products for sale. I can buy vegetables 30% cheaper than Reliance Fresh. I …
Is Haider (the movie) a test of nationalism?
Is the movie Haider anti-national? How do we define nationalism? Can nationalism be broad-based and tolerant, or must it have the majoritarian and ultra-nationalistic fervor?
हिन्दी की दशा
अभी पिछले सप्ताह मैं 3-4 हिन्दी magazines खरीद कर लाया। इच्छा थी कि कुछ हिन्दी में पढ़ूँ, और जानूँ कि हिन्दी में क्या लिखा जा रहा है। बीच बीच में मुझे ये बुखार चढ़ जाता है। खैर, magazines थीं ये: पाखी, कथादेश, हंस, और "आहा! जिंदगी।" पढ्न शुरू किया दो-तीन दिन की सुस्ती के बाद। …
