AI: Diverse Perspective And A Common Future

Handbook of Global
Philosophies on AI Ethics

Towards Sustainable Futures

Sunil Malhotra, the author of YOGAi: Interplays of Yoga and Artificial Intelligence (paperback, published 26 March 2024), is our friend and mentor. He has contributed a chapter to the book Whose Ethics for AI?

About the book

This book offers an exploration of the diverse perspectives that shape the future of artificial intelligence (AI), highlighting the influence of non-Western thinking on its development. What would the impact be if Al were developed with the wisdom of Ubuntu, the harmony of Confucian thought, or the Indian principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, "the world is one family", at its core?

This thought-provoking collection brings together leading voices from around the globe to reimagine AI systems that are fair, ethical, and inclusive. Addressing critical issues such as bias, fairness, privacy, and existential risks, it challenges the status quo. It envisions a future where AI reflects the values of all humanity—not just a select few. Exploring the influence of topics such as religion, culture, and social movements, the book examines how these perspectives shape Al's application across industries such as finance, education, and the military, while underscoring the importance of establishing robust ethical guardrails.

Whether you're a curious reader, a policy maker, a scholar, or a tech innovator, this book is your guide to understanding how different cultural perspectives can redefine AI ethics. It's time to ask, what kind of world do we want AI to build for us all?

Thank you, Sunil, for sharing your life and work with us. 

Let us begin with the cover. I see Techno-Spirituality, the meeting of mind and matter, the creation of a transient being, and an eternal harmony for the universe.

This morning, when I jumped out of bed, there was the article by my bedside, which Sunil shared with me just last evening, and it was indeed the reason for the high level of energy at 4:30 AM, my reading hour!

Reading the chapter made me realise that each of us comes to the world with a purpose, and Dharma and Karma intertwine our lives; thus, we hold and sustain everything in our lives. We learn about righteousness and ethics; this is how we prepare our role in society and the country at large, build our identity and are subsumed by the universe when our purpose of existence is fulfilled.

AI is a mystical technology that has captured the world's attention, and most of us are only reading the headlines; not many can decode the jargon around terms like LLM, AGI, and Singularity. What I took away from the article was the good, that makes us independent and self-reliant, we need to choose We over Me, and the welfare of others unites us. Looking from this perspective, history is witness to the rise and fall of civilisations and has established the fact that it is Spirituality that holds the world together; we are all one world and one family, and AI, to my mind, will and should bring us all together in the quest for global good.

AI is a paradox: like any new invention and technology, it has both good and bad sides. This is where ethics matter, and we need not limit ourselves to a binary view. Being control freaks, humans have a superiority complex and feel threatened by change and are in a state of inertia. Over the years, we have noted that all disruptions first challenge us to accept, then require acceptance, and finally, to live with acceptance. The constant state of change and chaos has the energy that must help us build our intelligence and capabilities.

I am currently reading Human Edge in the AI Age: Eight Timeless Mantras for Success by Nitin Seth, bestselling author of Winning in the Digital Age and Mastering the Data Paradox. The book blurb states: A seismic shift is underway―one that will redefine work, value, and even what it means to be human.

Artificial Intelligence is not just disrupting industries―it's beginning to outperform humans in areas once considered exclusively ours: complex reasoning, creativity, even emotional intelligence. As AI accelerates, it will displace millions of jobs―while also creating once-in-a-generation opportunities for those ready to build, innovate, and lead.

Intelligence is the application of knowledge, and AI is helping us build a neocortex in the cloud and expand our brains into an endless frontier. We surely need Spirituality to maintain sanity and be good humans. Revolutions come and go, and civilisations are wiped out. What seems omnipotent is the human guest for learning, and this is the key message one takes away when such books come to the shelf and are widely read.

Yes, hype and western hegemony have a role to play; there are believers, nay-sayers, and sceptics, which goes to show the complexity and uncertainty surrounding the future of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). We have to accept the fact that universal functionality and morality must work for everyone. Over the years, IP, Copyright and any exclusive control over content have been lost, and we are all adding to the ocean of knowledge, living on our islands, disconnected and pretending to be connected. Understanding AI, and what path to follow, the need for regulation, and self-governance, no doubt that no one will be left untouched. Let us work together, as anthropomorphism is fundamental to human social behaviour. We believe in God and thus need to understand the global good and use technology with ethics as its primary guiding principle.

Looking back to the idea of Spiritual Quotient, YOGAi and how the discourse on AI ethics encompasses multiple dimensions, we must look at the way YOGA builds harmony and is today looked at as a way for global good - no hegemony, no copyright, only suitable for all in body and well-being. Like the West found the East, and discovered the power of Dharma and good, today the East must look at the West and find ways to use AI for the greater common good, and not let the West establish a new world order to replace the old world order; hegemony and monopoly are not the way for peaceful existence.

The chapter by Sunil Malhotra, very timely indeed, is in my mailbox, and I am hoping the author will soon send me a signed copy of the book. Of course I would be happy to pay the price, as this should be my 'guru dakshina' (gift to the guru in honour) for all he does to help me understand the leapfrogging nature of change, the way the exponential growth of technology and knowledge is helping us build our intelligence and not just the so called demon by some - Artificial Intelligence.

Sandeep Dutt

Sandeep is a seasoned educational consultant with over four decades of experience. He specialises in enhancing learning outcomes through tailored strategies for students and institutions. Please find out more about him at www.sdutt.com

Meet And Greet with Dr Anupam Sibal

To discuss Dr Anupam Sibal's book "Is Your Child Ready to Face the World?" and explore parenting insights with educators.

Key Takeaways

•⁠  ⁠Values like compassion, humility, and gratitude remain crucial for raising children, even as technology rapidly changes society

•⁠  ⁠Deeper parent-teacher engagement is needed beyond formal PTAs to support children holistically

•⁠  ⁠Time management, creating a positive environment, and teaching forgiveness are key habits for children's development

•⁠  ⁠The current generation faces unique challenges with impatience and mental health due to the instant gratification culture

Topics

Dr Sibal's Background and Parenting Philosophy

•⁠  ⁠Grew up in Kashmir until age 16, then moved to Delhi for medical studies

•⁠  ⁠Emphasises balance between mother's "soft touch" and father's "hard touch" in parenting

•⁠  ⁠Believes in a collaborative spirit between child and parent, allowing for open debate

•⁠  ⁠Stresses the importance of finding one's calling rather than forcing career paths

Challenges of Modern Parenting

•⁠  ⁠Today's children have much more exposure and access to information

•⁠  ⁠Parents struggle to accept children's logical arguments against their views

•⁠  ⁠Need to create an environment for meaningful dialogue and accept that children may know more about some topics

•⁠  ⁠Important to teach time management, balance, and patience in an instant gratification culture

Developing Compassion and Empathy

•⁠  ⁠The current generation is perceived as lacking in compassion/empathy compared to previous ones

•⁠  ⁠These traits can be trained, but shouldn't be forced - need to create the right environment

•⁠  ⁠Impatience and desire for instant results make it harder to develop these qualities

•⁠  ⁠Mental health issues are more prevalent in the current generation due to a lack of patience

Parent-Teacher Engagement

•⁠  ⁠Formal PTAs are insufficient for authentic engagement - need deeper, more frequent connections

•⁠  ⁠Suggestion to create an app/tool to better connect teachers and parents

•⁠  ⁠Home visits by teachers (1 per week) can dramatically improve engagement

•⁠  ⁠Understanding family challenges is key to supporting students holistically

Next Steps

•⁠  ⁠Explore creating a parent engagement platform as part of GSA initiatives

•⁠  ⁠Consider inviting parents to "Brewing Knowledge" sessions for shared learning

•⁠  ⁠Encourage schools to have teachers conduct regular home visits (1 per week)

•⁠  ⁠Join the upcoming My Good School Sunday session on communication skills with Kartik Bajoria

Introduction: My Forays into Failure: Introduction Part 2

 📚 **Productive Failure | Concluding the Introduction: My Forays into Failure**

“Productive Failure is all about design, science, and a mantra for life… Its true power is unleashed when we internalise it as a way of thinking, knowing, and being in this world.” Prof. Manu Kapur

In the session, we explored the core ideas of Productive Failure. The author defines it as:

🔹 A Design – A way to intentionally structure learning experiences so failure becomes a step toward more profound understanding.

🔹 A Science – It explains how, when, and why this approach works, backed by research.

🔹 A Mantra for Life – When embraced regularly, it becomes part of how we think, reflect, and grow.

The discussion reminded us that failure isn’t something to avoid—it’s a valuable companion when learning something new.

✨ Real growth happens when we’re willing to struggle, reflect, and try again.

Gurdeep Kaur
Ambassador The Teacher’s Academy

Session Summary:

Sandeep led a discussion on the concept of productive failure, emphasizing its role in learning and growth, and encouraged participants to read the book "Productive Failure" to gain a deeper understanding of the topic. The team also discussed the importance of understanding the critical features of a problem before attempting to solve it, learning from failure, and the need for safety measures when designing failure experiences. The conversation ended with plans for the next session, the importance of note-taking for future reference, and the need for teachers and students to collaborate in Hindi and English to spread the joy of learning.

A thought about reflections - Brinda

Our sessions of Masterclass are unique. Unique, because we train only through our discussions about the books we read together. There is no class, no board work, no notes and above all no examinations!

As I reflect on our sessions, what I have noticed is that regardless of the intentions of the author, the texts we read have different meanings and significance to each one of us. Our interpretations are bound by our own background and by personal, social, cultural and historical contexts in which we find ourselves, 

The author of the book that we are currently reading, 'Wanted Back-bencher Last Ranker Teacher', portrays the characters as per her social background, ethics and understanding of students, parents and school systems. All reflections by our participant trainees convey different interpretations bringing to mind, the statement by John Dewey that to understand something is to see it in relation to other things. To understand something is not to gain knowledge but to able to draw inferences about the what, the how and the why of a thing. Finally, the test of understanding is about applying concepts and principles to life situations. 

Developing perspectives can only happen with metacognitive awareness. The way we see meaning in between lines rather than in the lines literally, shapes our understanding and plays a crucial role in developing our own philosophy. 

Every reflection makes us question our own beliefs and makes us realise that learning never stops as long as one has the humility to accept that.

Brinda Ghosh
Coach Masterclass 2024 
Lifelong Educator 

Meet Sandeep Dutt at Jaipur 5-6 August 2022

My Good School
Where Passion Meets Education

By Sandeep Dutt
Published by Rupa Publications Pvt Ltd

Meet the author 

See you at the ScooNews Global Educators Festival 2022. Join us to celebrate the joy of learning and share your heart with us. The largest gathering of professional learners in India | 4th-6th Aug 2022 | Jaipur Marriott Hotel | Jaipur, Rajasthan

#HappyTeachers #MyGoodSchool #SGEF2022
https://globaledfest.com/

Supratim Kar Co Founder Edtree.IN shares his story

Learning Forward Saturday Podcast

In today’s episode, Supratim Kar shares his experience with the education system, how the traditional methods need remodelling to suit the altering dynamics of the education system, the learner-centric education system is the newfound method and how it is reshaping the pedagogy, how to enable the learners to take their learning forward, how to translate learning into something quantifiable and how to make it actionable, how children should be assessed and the basics of assessment, his experience with Learning Forward India Foundation and much more.

He is a passionate writer and has authored a memoir on behalf of India’s leading IT luminary, which helped shape the IT Industry in its formative years. A voracious reader, he loves classical music and spends his spare time sharing his thoughts with the world at large through his blog.

Learning Forward Station on Vurbl.Com
https://vurbl.com/station/learning-forward/

You will love the stories shared by our happy teachers and passionate educators. We grow the capacity of your people to improve student achievement and transform your school into a culture of trust and collaboration in less time with fewer resources. Each person in your school contributes to the culture of your school. School culture is built on the actions and interactions of the people. You make your school stronger by adding value to others and making others feel valued.

Vurbl app for ios at the app store and that Android will be releasing soon!

Rekha Sarin "I am passionate about Education...

Episode #92 Sandeep Dutt in conversation with Ms Rekha Sarin, the author of ‘The art of flower arrangement’ and ‘Chai-The Experience of Indian Tea’. ‘Chai’ had won the prestigious international Gourmand Award as the World’s Best tea book in 2015. It is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage library and catalogued in almost 30 Ivy League universities worldwide. A true nature lover, a traveller, a profound learner and an extensive reader, Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan and Times of India Gold medal winner for Journalism. She has written more than 400 features on subjects about travel and culture. The interior designer has a flair for unearthing the secret messages of nature and connecting them to the real world. Ms Rekha believes that nature is an exemplary interactive teacher. The philosopher tries to connect the life lessons drawn from nature to the classroom and conveys how to light the path towards regeneration and rejuvenation of Mother Nature. She correlates a teacher with a tea garden worker for their hard work, dedication and compassion to bring out the best in their students. She shares her passion for education and her quest for learning. For Ms Sareen, life is all about giving expression to your inner calling.

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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/learningforward/message
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/learningforward/support

Where passion meets education - Arvind Passey

How many students in these past few decades in independent India use words line zest, excitement, energy, fervour, eagerness, enjoyment, delight, zeal, liveliness, vitality, vigour, and devotion for their teachers and their school days? I am one of those who will say yes, but when we look around and probe hard, the truth is that education in our country generally lacks passion. Most schools have slowly walked straight into the lair of ‘promoters and entrepreneurs’ who hardly ever think ‘beyond just investment and the ROI’. A school after all, is ‘not a venue or a building, but an environment. It is not an escape from the misgivings of life, but a haven of opportunity.’ Sandeep Dutt in his book ‘My Good School’ goes about dissecting the real needs of students, teachers, and community and even points out the sort of actions that may lead to a turn around and send out creative and well-rounded individuals on their sojourn to the next phase of their lives and who not dispensable and inconsequential clones of each other. 

This book is almost like a conversation where a concerned parent, a well-intentioned teacher, and an entrepreneur who is aware of the reality of education today discuss everything from the what, the why and the how of teaching to what it will take to redefine education and learning. The author has been intuitive enough to locate and mark every possible battle-front where school education has been fighting valiantly. The author has taken care not to miss out any vital aspect and has addressed the individual needs of our students, reflected on the kind of school that must be planned rather than keep harping on the need for going to school. The book explores the benefits of experiential learning and involved learning through participation. This obviously brings us to the vital area of having the right kind of teachers. The author quotes A N Dar, former principal of Scindia School as agreeing that ‘many well-known schools are floundering because the school is not giving them the space required by them. There are appraisals and increments and even sacking but the quality of staff is not growing.’ Look at some of the schools and this statement will transcend any doubts that a reader may believe. We know that for a student a ‘school is simply an ecosystem for their personal and professional development’ and that ‘without teachers, a school is just a building, without trained teachers, schooling is not education, and without trained teachers for all. Education for all will never be a reality’. Therefore, those individuals who have been using ‘teaching as a way to pass time as they study, pursue other academic programmes and prepare to get better jobs’ generally end up not giving their best because ‘good teaching is as much about passion as it is about reason. It is about caring for your craft, having a passion for it, and conveying that passion to everyone’.

If readers of this review get a feeling that the author is simply putting forth problems and issues, Sandeep Dutt takes no time in pointing out that the school administration has an equal responsibility. It is a part of the duties of the administration to make sure that their staff must be involved beyond the classroom, that is, also in the decision-making and effective functioning of the school as ‘leadership at the school is a major catalyst in helping build a good school’. Among the plethora of these ponderings are teacher-student ratio, quality of teachers, academic and administrative support, access to contemporary research, awareness of new pedagogic trends, updated curriculum, academic options for students, and even the often grossly overlooked role of hobbies, sports, and spare-time activities. The book takes no time in pointing out that it is skills learnt at school that build employability and thus grooming teachers to be leaders and mentors, the role of parents and community as equal stakeholders, an intelligent use of the latest technology, and updated curriculum can be just as important as communication skills and proficient English.

What really attracted me to the content in this book is the fact that it says a lot that even the new NEP or our National Education Policy has envisaged and has already begun moving towards making education wholesome and healthy. In my cover story on NEP a few months back I had written that a ‘vital component of this policy is the visible shift from rote learning through modified pedagogy aimed to enhance critical thinking, creativity, scientific temper, communication, collaboration, problem solving, ethics, social responsibility and digital literacy. The objective for this dynamic transformation is set to be achieved by 2022’. This article also points out that the NEP has elements that make training interventions for teachers sturdier as this is the only way to upgrade the doddering literacy and numeracy that exists today. Besides strategic placements of focused training for teachers (other points of focus will be recruitment, motivation, continuous education and career development), a positive increase in the use of technology is aimed at. Even Mr Anil D Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE  was quoted as saying that our ‘faculty today must be prepared to bring in creative thinking and thus their critical analysis of the entire system will become note-worthy in multiple ways.’ This obviously cannot be possible unless there is an equally powerful thrust of public investment in education. These are the two pillars besides a single-minded focus on vocational and adult education that are going to lead the nation towards universal access to education by 2030. I have also asked as to why NCERT did not think of developing a national curriculum framework for adult education all these years? The question that I’d like to ask here is if all the giant procedure and process generating institutions work only when a policy pushes and catalyses them? Are terms like ‘being proactive’ actively prancing around only for junior executives in multi-nationals? Yes, policy makers believe that certain changes will improve governance, but isn’t it time that our thinking bodies stopped just waiting for instructions and began generating ideas to maximize resource utilization? Thus it is correct and timely for this policy to suggest the creation of an independent State School Regulatory Authority to handle all sorts of school regulations including the oversight of the system and implementation of accreditation. A separation of functions to eliminate conflicts of interests is obviously included.

This book is definitely an engrossing one because the author expressed issues and their solutions without sounding preachy and text-bookish. He has even remarked that these wonderful things so far as school education is concerned will have to face difficulties of acceptance at all levels, however, ‘to overcome resistance to change, we must win over teachers’ as ‘our education system and policy must encourage innovation and learning’.

Education today is not a choice between an eager child and an enthusiastic teacher but goes way above it. This is all achievable if the elements of change are expressed well as ‘any change in the world must be brought about by the power of expression’. At any level, be it school or higher education, the basic premise for any long-lasting change is a relationship between the teacher, the taught, the administration, policies, society, and parents. It is only when passion meets education that a literacy revolution is born.

.

Details of the book

Title: My Good School
Author: Sandeep Dutt
Publisher: Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd
ISBN: 978-93-90547-40-1

First published by Arvind Passey on www.Passey.info

https://passey.info/2021/02/where-passion-meets-education/?fbclid=IwAR13dH6J-wOYGda-coh-y1y1Xh35u4Hgyt4OUIKILbEm4SY3kV8SHuT2D2w

My Good School - Where Passion Meets Education

My Good School Where Passion Meets Education

Recording of an interesting Insta Live session with Dipali Patwa, Group Head of Brand & Community, Fabindia, Board of Directors, Organic India USA along and Sandeep Dutt, Chairman of the Board that runs The Fabindia School, Author, Entrepreneur, Mountaineer as they talk about “School, where passion meets education.”

My Good School - Where Passion Meets Education

A BOOK FOR ANYONE AND EVERYONE ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLING.

This book is for parents to select the school for their child, as the choice can have a lifelong impact on the growth and personality of the child.

A guide for you to look beyond that high-rise building and those perfectly manicured lawns—to go deeper in your search for your good school. It will encourage you to observe, question, and evaluate, and choose a school that will truly prepare your child for a life beyond the campus, a life beyond theory, a life beyond algebra.

This book will help educators, school administrators and management to build and rebuild such institutions and change the future of learning.

Enriched with the knowledge, experience and, most importantly, the wisdom of The Doon School alumnus and school improvement coach Sandeep Dutt, this book will encourage conversations around our education system and help shape the future of education in the world.

THREE KEYS

• The author, Sandeep Dutt, is an alumnus of the Doon School and he has decades-long experience of working with schools to improve their outlook in qualitative terms.

• With the New Education Policy coming in, education has again become a focus area for our country.

• This book caters to a wide audience—from parents to teachers to school management.

Inside the book

Section I The What, the Why and the How of Teaching

1. Why go to school?
2. Quality in education
3. How your child learns the best
4. Performance scores must be honest
5. People, process and outcomes
6. Choice of curriculum
7. Building schools with quality
8. Fun in learning, learning is fun
9. Life is parenting
10. An eager child or an enthusiastic teacher?
11. Why teachers are averse to change

Section II Redefining Education and Learning

1. Reading at the heart of education
2. Innovation and design
3. The art of writing in school
4. The Annual Day at school
5. Schools must provide knowledge, not mere information
6. Value of liberal arts education
7. Humanity must learn humanities
8. New teaching and learning approaches
9. Freedom to perform

Section III Lessons for Life

1. What education does
2. School bell: The first lesson in time management
3. Going to school
4. Learning: From isolation to collaboration
5. Teachers travel with you all your life
6. Personal and social development at school
7. Real-world learning
8. Today is the day when you define for yourself

Section IV School Leadership

1. Leadership begins and ends at the top
2. Principal as the chief learning leader
3. Student leader: Mentor or monitor?
4. Smart teachers make smart classes
5. Conclusion: My Good School—where passion meets education

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SANDEEP DUTT is a school coach, bookseller, runner, mountaineer and social entrepreneur. His work for the International Award for Young People (IAYP) has been widely acknowledged all over the world. As a social entrepreneur, Sandeep works to empower young people and has been a mentor for many. His mission is to ‘help schools deliver better’ with a focus on building professional learning communities at schools. Find out more about the author https://sdutt.com/

Get. your author-signed copies only from The English  Book Depot

ISBN 978-93-90547-40-1
Price Rs 295.00 - By Post, Free Delivery in India only

All earning from the book will go the Learning Forward India Foundation

Pay with

Meet Saku Tuominen "Iam passionate about Education...

Episode #29: Sandeep Dutt in conversation with Saku Tuominen an idealist, entrepreneur, innovator, creative director, executive producer, restaurateur, author, keynote speaker, an olive oil producer and right-wing (in ice hockey). He is of the firm belief that for all the challenges for Education, the solutions exist and we must find them. As founder HundrED he helps schools change by seeking and sharing scalable innovations in K12 Education. The ambitious goal is to be the world leader in this field. Saku is sure that step-by-step the change will happen, every child is different, so is every teacher, every school, every community and every country. The problems we face in the world must be solved, globalisation and partnering with stakeholders across the world is a necessity. He hopes to have every child's dream of quality education come to life.

Listen to the podcast

More about Saku
Saku Tuominen founded Broadcasters, one of the most successful Finnish independent tv production companies with Juha Tynkkynen in 1989. They sold the company twice, both times to Sweden but to different buyers, first to MTG and then to Zodiak Entertainment.

In 2009-2010 Saku Tuominen was the Chief Creative Officer of Zodiak Entertainment, the world’s 3rd largest tv production company in London.

During his 20 years in television, he has produced thousands of hours of programmes and created almost 100 tv formats.

In 2009 Saku Tuominen founded Idealist Group, a production company of ideas. The mission of the company is to improve the world with bold ideas that are executed well. At the moment he concentrates mainly on improving K12 Education globally through his education company HundrED. In addition to this, he is a co-founder and creative director of Financier Group, a quality-driven restaurant group based in Helsinki.

He has been teaching creativity and innovation in more than a hundred companies around the world, and in Aalto University in Helsinki. He has also written 12 books; about innovation, the future of office work, good life, human belief systems, everyday creativity, decision making and Italian cuisine.

At the moment he is also a board member of Nordic Hospitality Partners, one of the leading restaurant groups in Northern Europe.

As a hobby, he has written music criticism for over 20 years, cooks daily, produces olive oil from Piantone olives in Le Marche, Italy and has won a silver medal in old-timers world championship in Ice Hockey in 2009 in Quebec City, Canada.

He shares his time between Helsinki, Finland and Paterno, Italy, with Sara (an author), Siiri, (a daughter) and Hilma (a golden retriever).

Information from the website http://sakutuominen.com/

It’s That of Time The Year

Super excited to have my latest book 

“It’s That of Time The Year” on the stands!!! 

"Experience the magic of the changing seasons with this beautifully illustrated read-aloud book. Do let me know what you think. I would love to hear your views." Ratna Manucha

Order your copy here - http://ratnamanucha.com/

Ratna Manucha wears many hats - writer, storyteller and educationist.

She has written numerous stories and poems for her young readers. Her stories have also been published by CBT and NBT and her work has found a wide readership in India and abroad.

The Booknerds Hangout @ The English Book Depot - June 15, 2019

The Booknerds
present
Author Session featuring
bestselling author Kevin Missal
.........................................................................................
Saturday
June 15,2019
5 pm-7 pm
The English Book Depot
15, Rajpur Road
Dehradun
..........................................................................................

About the book
The Mahaavatar Trilogy - Book 1
Narasimha

The lion warrior. The conflicted king. The Asura emperor.
Divided by fate. United by tragedy.

Narasimha, once a brave soldier, has left the war and hides in a village, working as a physician. But soon, a familiar face from his past finds him, seeking his help to stop the tyranny of the blind usurper — Andhaka.
If Narasimha refuses, the world might just end.
Prahlad, the interim king of Kashyapuri, is conflicted between the ideals of his unrighteous father and his love for Lord Vishnu. Whom will he choose?
Hiranyakashyap, the ruler of the Asura Empire, seeks to avenge his wife. But to do that, he must get the ultimate weapon—the Brahmshastra. For that, he has to go through the Trials that has sent so many others to their death. Can he win?
..............................................................................................

About the author
Kevin Missal wrote his first book at the age of 14, and at 22, the St Stephens graduate is a best-selling author and a full-time writer, with the first two books in his Kalki being runaway successes. Dharmayoddha Kalki: Avatar of Vishnu and its sequel Satyayoddha Kalki: Eye of Brahma have sold one lakh copies in under a year.
Kevin loves fantasy fiction and has always been a fan of mythology. His books have been featured in publications like The Sunday Guardian, The New Indian Express and Millennium Post. He lives in Gurugram.

Open for all free event
RSVP 8958260927
Limited Seating
Hurry up and register!

The Booknerds Brewing Knowledge @ Book Cafe!

In the summer afternoon of 28th April, The Booknerds hosted legendary travel writer Bill Aitken at Dehradun’s oldest bookstore The English Book Depot. 

Bill Aitken who was born in Scotland shifted to India in 1959 with the aim of travelling across the country. He has written a number of books like Seven Sacred Rivers, The Nanda Devi Affair, Mountain Delight and many more accounting his observations. The event also featured travel blogger Surbhi Sabharwal as the lead moderator who is a weekend traveller inspiring people with jobs to travel more.

Rohan Raj, the co-founder, The Booknerds, kickstarted the event with a round of introductions of the attendees which included a host of future writers, readers and travel enthusiasts. Devika, from The Booknerds Team, talked about The Booknerds story, the most prolific literary community of India. Followed by which an activity was planned that included the audience to share their travel stories by writing a short journal.

The conversation started with Bill Aitken talking about his younger days in Calcutta and his love for the city. He also talked about his obsession with Nanda Devi. He shared with the audience his travel stories, riding a bike through difficult terrains and growing old in Mussoorie. Surbhi shared her experiences as a solo woman traveller in India, her bike trip to Ladakh and the scenario of travel writing in the digital age. The audience was mesmerized with the accounts of both the panellist, who although belonging from different generations talked and bonded over travelling. The conversation moved to many interesting topics like spirituality and perspective of travelling and some dangerous encounters in the mountains. Bill Aiken also narrated his paranormal encounters especially a chance to meet up with a 'chudail'.

The event concluded with a book signing with Bill Aitken’s fans excited to get a picture with him. Signed copies of Mountain Delight by Bill Aitken are available at The English Book Depot for those who could not make it to the event.

Neha Raj, the co-founder of The Booknerds, handed mementoes to Bill Aitken and Surbhi Sabharwal, thus concluding the event on a high note. The Booknerds will be meeting next at Cafe Lychee Tree for the launch of Nupur Sandhu's book 'Numi'.

The Booknerds
http://www.thebooknerds.in/home

Who is your ideal teacher?

Someone who taught well; cleared all your doubts and answered every question no matter how foolish or irrelevant that question was?  You liked those teachers even though they were strict disciplinarians and sticklers about submitting assignments on time. Why?  Because they explained everything extremely well?

Or was that teacher your favourite one who often came late to class; was frequently absent and gave plenty of free time?

Personally, my favourite teachers were the ones who were approachable and friendly; teachers who were patient and always wore that cheerful look of tolerance. Moreover, I was always in awe of well-groomed teachers – Oh yes, I noticed how well they draped the sari, and how perfectly those pleats were pinned in place; the colour of the lipstick, size of the heels and how perfectly she wore her eyeliner; those eyes that twinkled often, either in amusement or mischief. I followed every word she spoke, the way she pronounced the words and also how often she smiled at me.

So, we can see that everybody has that favourite teacher in school life for some reason or the other. I know someone who liked a particular teacher because she often asked him to stand outside the class where he had plenty of fun with friends.

So let’s find out what makes a teacher the favourite one with students?

But before that, we need to know that there might be favourite teachers, but there is no perfect teacher.

Why so?

That is because the day a teacher claims to be perfect; she will stop growing completely. She will assume that she is so perfect that she does not have to strive towards improvement and betterment. Just the way students are always learning, teachers are also consistently learning and growing.

A teacher plays an important role in the educational system because h/she inspires learners to be cultured, knowledgeable, independent and world worthy.  A teacher thrusts them forward in such a manner that students can function without the teacher; they can make wise decisions; they can distinguish right from wrong, and they have the courage to do new things and pursue their passions relentlessly.

And for that teachers have to be role models and consistently endeavour to imbue in themselves virtues that will help them in fulfilling these goals in a place we call - ‘the classroom’.

To be an ideal teacher, he/she must have a great sense of humour. This means that a teacher should be willing to look at the positive side of everything that happens in a classroom without losing temper. She should also have the courage to laugh at herself if she makes a mistake while teaching instead of getting embarrassed or angry.

Teachers who wish to be one of the best must have good knowledge about the subject they are teaching. They should consider themselves to be diligent scholars and not accomplished educators who have learnt it all – who know it all. Teachers should always be eager to read more and upgrade themselves to fit in today’s academic world that is consistently and irrevocably changing and modifying. She should learn different ways in which her subject can be taught so that learners look forward to learning with enthusiasm.

An ideal teacher should always be flexible. If learners are not in a mood to study that day , which happens occasionally, h/she should not be rigid in attitude to somehow start that lesson and also complete it,  indifferent to the fact whether students are paying attention to it or not. It is always a better part of wisdom to first find out the reason for that lethargy and disinterest,  discuss it and then get back to teaching after bringing back that ‘affable mood’ in class.

Popular teachers are good communicators. They are clear in thoughts about what is expected of the students in their class. They are diligent and hard-working.  And this is conveyed through their work in a very positive manner. Students also respond in an affirmative manner when teachers are able to communicate to the learners, objective and goals that have to be met in that subject.

An ideal teacher is always positive, inside and outside the classroom. This positive attitude can be seen and felt by everyone around them. Such teachers inspire positivity in others also. They convey to others through their work and appearance that nothing is impossible and where there is a will, there is always a way. They never look down at failed attempts, but rather lend a hand to others to stand up after falling.

Teachers who wish to be role models in the lives of their students are always seen smiling. Students consider such teachers to be open and approachable. This trait is often noticed when teachers share with learners how they felt in a particular situation and how it was dealt by them. This attitude opens vistas of communication between teachers and learners because students can connect with teachers emotionally. And right emotions help students to be better learners.

An ideal teacher who is willing to grow and learn makes consistent effort to make the topic h/she is teaching extremely interactive. This is done by relating theory to practice. When a teacher introduces activity based learning in the class, it takes away fear and antagonism if the topic or concept is difficult. It also makes room for fun and interest if the topic is uninteresting.

And last but not the least; ideal teachers are always pleasantly dressed. Such teachers take good care of personal hygiene and are always well groomed. They wear the kind of clothes that is acceptable in the school where they are teaching.  Having the right body language is equally important along with right grooming because it speaks a lot about the personality and intention of teachers. The body language of a teacher should not be offensive or aggressive that can put students off learning.

About the author

Kavita Bhupta Ghosh

Faculty (Teacher and German Pasch Project Coordinator)

Delhi Pubic School Bangalore South

And author of ‘Wanted Back-bencher and Last-ranker Teacher’

http://www.amazon.in/dp/B017DEHE2W