Lockdown maths: why we must comply
Chance of death from Covid-19 is not very high; only 35 of 1,000 cases are dying on an average.
28
Mar
Articles
09
Feb
Where mediocres fear to tread
Let students think. Let them make their own choice. Do not ridicule their dissent as ‘dirty politics’. Of course, they have to know that violence in any form is disallowed. But to the intelligent, physical violence is redundant anyway.
08
Feb
Towards an Academia of Empathy: Political Unrests and Mental Health
When the market logic of customer-service provider creeps into higher education, the pressure to constantly be productive in a circumstance where your basic existence as a student is under threat due to political reasons becomes a mental burden.
31
Jan
Apolitical: To Be or Not To Be
Can we consider a person’s intellect well developed if that person is not aware of different national level political ideologies or does not have any opinion regarding what is happening around them? If they are aware and touched by political developments around them, and feel strongly about a cause, can we ask them to keep their mouths shut?
27
Jan
“Dude! You not going to the rally?”
Among the student community in research institutes, a sense of moral superiority in the fact that one is protesting could easily arise and in my opinion does arise. This is sheer nonsense. Protests are held for change, not so that you can look good in a photo and then reminisce about it twenty years later. Or make cool sounding noises when you pass each other in the halls.
20
Jan
Bhagat Singh on Students and Politics
The students/youth fought for freedom, democracy and secular values during the freedom struggle. They defended these values even after independence, whenever they perceived any threat like they did against the imposition of emergency in 1975. Bhagat Singh and the political values he bequeathed, should be the guiding spirit for students and the youth today. It is an opportune moment to rebuild an India Bhagat Singh aspired for.
18
Jan
Campuses must be free and fair for all
Too often, there are suggestions to confer some kind of elevated moral standing to student politics. This is insulting both to students and to other citizens of India. This is because fundamental rights by their very definition apply to every citizen and no one citizen can claim that their fundamental rights are morally superior to that of another.
17
Jan
Science, Galileo and Student Protests
We should not be surprised if we find the engagement with the world and society of many great souls, from Nachiketa to Gandhi, was marked by questioning and conscientious disobedience.
16
Jan
Disturbing your peace
Campus agitations (and now campus violence) are a consequence of the breakdown of communications between the administration and the student body, not the cause. Especially after months of a lack of communication, patience can wear thin. When one hears the different sides of the story, it can seem like a contemporary re-enactment of Rashomon, and a slightly fantastic one at that.
11
Jan
Science and Scientists: Portrayals in Tamil Cinema
In this article, Rajan Kurai Krishnan, a well-known social anthropologist and professor from Ambedkar University, Delhi, takes the examples of three very popular films in Tamil cinema and picks up a common thread in how they view science and scientists. As he mentions in the conclusion, there have been films with differing perspectives, but those were much smaller in impact and popularity, hence his reason for basing his arguments on these three.
01
Jan
Students, they indeed are!
Students need to and have to actively engage in [the] dynamic process of contestations, tensions, enquiry, discovery and re-discovery if they have to co-create knowledge and uphold the ‘desired’ values. Participation and protests are indeed an essential part of this process, and such education is critical for an evolving society that cherishes and aspires for democracy, equality, secularism, justice and freedom.
30
Dec
Perceptions of science built in the science classroom
If you went to a public place where you were surrounded by people and randomly posed the question “What is science?” or asked “Is it important to learn science?” what do you think will be the answer? In this article R Ramanujam explores this question, dwelling on how a perception of science is built up by the way people are educated in science in school. School education shapes what people believe is science and what is meant by the scientific attitude in a manner that leaves a lot to be desired, he argues. He touches upon how education needs to be looked at to address this issue.
29
Dec
Should students take part in public protests?
Students and youth have always been in the forefront of any viable movement, and they will always be. The sooner we accept it, the better.