ब्लॉक का बटन

काश कम ही फिल्में देखी होती बचपन में,

My Mental Health Journey: Reflections from India by Ritika Mahajan

A Leaf from the Diary of an Average Academic

"Teaching is a noble profession."

Do you want my gratitude journal?

I was invited to an official event today. Before the event, a few of us had a casual chat over a cup of tea; the usual conversation where everyone acts cool but judges the others fiercely, and the entire group smiles almost continuously. Official gatherings are draining because everyone is putting up a show. At this gathering, a discussion began about how children find their passion. One of the guests mentioned how her son found at the age of nine that photography was his passion. I could not stop saying that he is fortunate, as most kids are clueless, even in college, about their passion. Honestly, I was talking about myself. I find my passion every week. When I watch influencers, I feel I can become a content creator. When I watch TVF Pictures, I feel like pursuing entrepreneurship. Even though I never thought of preparing for IAS, TVF aspirants made me feel that I could give it a try. This is how passionate I am about passion - hopping on slippery roads every week!

Choosing One's Stories and Battles

The last few days of December always feel peculiar and familiar. It is freezing in my hometown in North India. Our family gatherings are marked by conversations about the weather and the current year being the coldest ever in the history of mankind. The 24X7 news channels add to these discussions by mis(quoting) data in record-breaking news. There are many familiar and warm smells in the air - masala chai, tomato soup, jaggery, peanuts, radish and turnip pickle, and the evergreen Sarson ka saag and Makki ki roti. On the one hand, there is excitement with the onset of winter vacations and the festivities of Christmas and new year. On the other, there is melancholy and anxiety as another year completes in a jiffy and a new one knocks on the door.

Digital Wellness: A Small Intervention

Yesterday, I collected mobile phones from all my students and put them away for more than two hours. Afterwards, I asked them to list words to describe how they felt without mobiles. The feedback was anonymous. The above image represents a word cloud of data.

Which is the Best Education Board in India? A Survey

By Ritika Mahajan, Manish Joshi and Sebin S John

Kaisi Rahi Happy Diwali?

Acha bolo Parveen*, batao na, kaisi rahi Happy Diwali

Tea in the Closet and Two Little Cups - A Short Story

I belong to myself, but you can borrow me sometimes!

Ab bas bhi karo!

Yeh jo baat-baat par tum apni soorat ko,

The Small Thin Punjabi Weddings

Weddings in North India, especially those in Delhi and Punjab, are often associated with larger-than-life images and flamboyance beyond reality. These weddings are expected to be big and fat - in terms of the invitations, venues, budgets, food options, costumes and even the number of people on the guest lists. In many families, these are considered once-in-a-lifetime events and they do not hesitate to spend a sizeable portion of life savings. While how a wedding should be is entirely a personal choice, I intend to share the fascinating story of the thinnest and the smallest Punjabi weddings I have ever come across! By no means do I want to denigrate the big fat wedding or glorify the thin small one, it is only an attempt to bring forth diverse stories.

Pin Drop Silence & Its After-Effect on my MBA Classroom

My father told me a few years ago - "As you will grow older, you will remember your childhood vividly." In my early thirties, it is already happening to me. I have distinct memories of my childhood, most of which make me the person I am! I was born into an extremely loving and caring middle-class Punjabi family. But this story is about my school. Until a few years ago, I never realized that my school could have been a different place; I was conditioned to believe that there is only one kind of school, which is the best kind.

Business Ethics in the Post-Pandemic World: Why do they Matter?

Historically, the discussion on and around business ethics gained traction in different phases. The discussion became significant whenever there was war, political turmoil, economic crisis or a massive corporate scandal.

Empathy: An Insight into Shiv Kumar Batalvi's Loona

Shiv Kumar Batalvi, a renowned poet from Punjab, was the youngest recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award. He was conferred this award at the age of 31 for his magnum opus - Loona. Loona is the story of a woman, married to a king, several years older than her. Shiv* wrote the story from her perspective, contrary to the previous versions, which were either told or written from the male protagonist's viewpoint. While Shiv and his work smite me, I am writing about Loona because I haven't come across a better example to understand empathy.

Into the Lives of Working Mothers

By Ritika Mahajan and Priya Agarwal

The Case of Prega News Advertising

This Mother's day in May, Prega News has changed its campaign released on Women's Day in March i.e. #shecandoboth to #sheisimperfectlyperfect. I wrote a post about the ad in March here:

Sustainability & Sustainable Development: Are they Different?

Sustainability has today become a buzzword for business organisations. It is packaged and promoted in various ways - be it eco-friendly, green, organic, circular, or natural. Literally, it means to 'maintain' or 'continue'. So, in a business context, it should mean perpetually running a profitable organisation. However, this meaning, as popularised by the advocates of sustainable development, is slightly different. Quite often, sustainability and sustainable development are used interchangeably. Are they the same or different? Let's explore.

The Myth of Work-Life Balance

Who wants balance, if I can choose to be destroyed.

On MBA at MNIT Jaipur

In India, management education began in the 1950s in the universities where the commerce departments existed. Gradually, the dominance of commerce declined, and engineering gained ground. This decade will be about AI and machine learning, advanced analytical skills and evidence-based decision making, which is why the timing is apt for the amalgamation of science and management. Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) Jaipur, one of the leading technology institutes in India, serves as a wonderful ground for such collaboration.

An Insight into CSR Funds for Education by India’s Top Companies

A four-decade-old school is run by an old couple in a remote village in Uttar Pradesh on personal savings and donations. During the lockdown, they had no option than discontinuing classes. Students did not have any laptops, tablets or smartphones. Teachers visited respective households, but the outcome was no match to the routine. Since then, they have been struggling to set up a computer centre. Government schemes come with their own set of challenges. They have heard of CSR funding but don’t know whom to approach? Which company will support them? How challenging will it be? Will they even consider a non-government school?