education Archives

A New Emergency: Is India In the Middle of a Massive Education Crisis?

India is saddled with an education system that is a vestige of Britain’s industrial revolution, which churns out efficient workers, not innovative thinkers. If analyses from UNICEF and NASSCOM are to be believed, the bulk of our graduates are unemployable. We’re a country desperately in need of education reforms.

Deepak Gopalakrishnan July 27, 2016

Bollywood

Angrezi Medium Review: A Conservative Film Made Bearable by Irrfan Khan

Unlike Hindi Medium, its sequel Angrezi Medium lacks originality. This is a comedy that feels hastily assembled with contrived sub-plots, crowd-pleasing one-liners, and emotional manipulation. But Irrfan Khan is impeccable and the film works best as a pean to his capabilities as an actor.

Poulomi Das June 27, 2016

POV

Too Cool for School: What I Learned from Being Homeschooled in Mumbai

Most kids complain about their grades, their history homework, their annoying PT sir. Being homeschooled, I complained about being taught embroidery and having to draw the entire history of ancient Rome in charcoal. But most annoying were the aunties who asked the question, “Do you have any friends?"

Viveka Shah June 22, 2016

POV

Why ICSE Schools Deserve a C Minus

Fancy English-medium schools peddle stuff like “global methods” and “an international outlook”, which are admittedly nice things to hear, but leave you helpless if you get accosted by a traffic cop. My supposedly superior schooling failed to make me fluent in local languages. Or in dealing with bureaucracy.

Dushyant Shekhawat June 15, 2016

Gender

“Beti, Tumse Na Ho Payega”: Why Girls Tend to Believe They Can’t Excel in Maths & Science

The US has got a woman vice-president; during the pandemic, women across the world have proved they are better at handling the crisis. Then what’s keeping them from taking over the fields of maths, science, and technology?

Shivangi Singh June 2, 2016

POV

How I Have Shamefully Benefitted from Patriarchy

Patriarchy benefits me in the tiny ways that it can benefit only upper-class, upper-caste Hindu women in India. I hate that most workplaces won’t treat me as equal, but I have to admit that it’s a relief to have the freedom to fail professionally, or even choose to have a career at all.

Sonali Kokra June 2, 2016

POV

Dear Indian Parents, Your Kids are Not Your Retirement Plan

The idea of children becoming their parents’ retirement plan, is seeded somewhere in the idea of parents being education sponsors of their children. Toxic codependency has become a habit we desperately need to kick.

Kavya J May 15, 2016

POV

It Takes Just One Teacher To Change Your Life

When my parents expected me to pursue medicine, my tuition teacher pointed out to my mother that I had a flair for English. Today, I find myself in this beautiful place in life where I tell stories for a living. It’s true: All it takes is one person to believe in you.

Karima Khan May 2, 2016

Bollywood

11 Years of 3 Idiots: The Average Student is More Like Chatur Ramalingam and Raju Rastogi, Less Like Rancho

An Indian student is more like Chatur Ramalingam and Raju Rastogi. In school, most of us gave in to rote learning, and in college like Raju we had our insecurities. It’s precisely why 10 years later, I still cannot relate to the exceptional Rancho.

Priyanka Agarwal April 25, 2016

People

The PT Sirs of Our Childhood: Pot Bellies and “Lep Right Lep”

All through school, Kumar sir and his PT “exercises” combined all the beauty of flight attendants making safety announcements with all the grace of Sunny Deol dancing to “Yaara O Yaara”. To this day, my Pavlovian reaction to the sound of a whistle is breaking into march past.

Jackie Thakkar April 5, 2016