The Sandakphu-Gurdum trek in the Himalayas is one of the simplest and most diverse trek routes in the mighty Himalayas. The flora and fauna one encounters, along with that tantalising glimpse of Mt. Everest and Kanchenjunga, make it a truly memorable experience, says Disha Shetty. Trekking to Himalayas? Are you sure you can do it? Don’t you need to undergo extensive physical training before doing so? These and many more questions came my way when I first pitched the idea about my Himalayan trek. The organisers of the trek assured me that as long as I was physically fit, I…
Author: oiop
What encourages innovation? What are the conditions necessary for the success of an idea? Are Indians innovative? Milind Joshi examines and answers these vital questions in his quest to understand the environment necessary for innovation. Compare these two sets of statements. “Indians have an amazing sense of innovation, aka “jugaad!” “We Indians have been innovating things since millennia!” “Our mythological literature is replete with ideas which the western world is rediscovering only now!” And, “We Indians can never come up with original ideas!” “Indians can only copy ideas generated by others especially the westerners!” “Even after almost 70 years of…
Most people and animals have a dread of snakes. So what better way of defence than to imitate a snake? Cats are known to spit and hiss when they are provoked. Some birds do it, too. A woodpecker called the Wryneck extends its long neck, sways and makes a hissing sound when guarding its nest. Another bird that uses the same ploy is the little cut-throat finch of Africa. The male has a blood-red band of feathers around its throat, hence, the name. The finch makes a ball-shaped nest. If it is disturbed while sitting on its eggs, it does…
I sat in front of a pile of clothes. Most were jeans and full sleeved cotton shirts, as recommended by the organisation which was organising the Sandakphu-Gurdum Himalayan trek that I was leaving for in two days time. I wondered how to fit all my belongings into the new branded backpack that I had shopped for, yet keeping it light enough for my diminutive body to complete the five day trek as I had to lug it around the whole time. While I grappled with the ‘crucial’ decision of what clothes to carry and which ones would look good in…
Prof. K.N. Ganesh has been associated with KSSP (Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad) from 1984. It is a People’s Science Movement in Kerala. He has been the State Executive Committee member from 1989 and was the State President during 2005-7. Founded in 1962, the organisation started work with about 40 members as an organisation of science writers in Malayalam. Over the past four decades, it has grown into a mass movement with a membership of over 40,000 distributed in more than 2000 units spread all over Kerala. Prof. Ganesh talks to Anuradha Kalhan about the unique role KSSP has played in…
Why cook? The kitchen is a hot, cruel even dangerous place, why take a chance? Great food is a phone call away – who has the time, who has the energy, why cook?? Well, cooking is an art..No wait , it’s a science, taught in schools, colleges, culinary institutes .. Not really, it’s a necessity…It’s a life skill. Actually, it could be quite scary and daunting if this is what cooking means. But if you love food, love to eat, love to feed people, then there is no reason why you can’t or won’t cook. After many burnt cookie batches,…
Half way through the summer, as the sun scorches and variety of under arm odours gas us, we run in the crowded platform where the piss perfumed compartments await us. Summer- brings with it travels and travails that we wish we could avoid. The platform teems with people, spit pan and banana peels, where the fan pushes in hot air from under the asbestos, baking you into walking human cookies. Yet, when you stand near S3 and read the chart running your fingers over 22F and 24F, along with your name, you feel a high that even dope can’t give!…
India has seen much reorganisation of its internal borders, though fresh demands are being made for futher divisions. It is time to arrive at a consensus and rule out any more carving out of states, asserts V. Pramod. INDIA has undergone a lot of transition since the days of Independence. Territories have been reorganised to form linguistic states. However, disputes still fester over issues of separation of territory, either due to demands for new states or calls for addition of new territories after separating them from other states, like Maharashtra’s demand for Belgaum from Karnataka. One also comes across calls…
Is our education system really educating our students? It sure equips them to ace exams, but is that the only goal of education? asks A. Hari, as he bemoans this obsession with exams to the detriment of diversified learning. AT present our schools are functioning almost like a factory, equipping students with required skills to only get the maximum possible marks in the examinations. Very often, we hear the news that even students with top ranks are finding it difficult to get admission in the colleges of their choice and later, suitable jobs. We must understand that companies do not…
Small farmers in India are a neglected and poor community. It is possible to make them fi nancially viable by the adoption of integrated agricultural practices, as demonstrated by the Sahbhagi Vikash Abhiyan in Odisha. One of the most important priorities in India is to protect and promote the sustainable livelihoods of small farmers. On the one hand, there is the question of their sustainable economic well-being based on ecologically protective farm practices which protect the basic resource base including soil, water, seeds, biodiversity and knowledge. On the other hand, there is the related question of the sustainable production of…