ANOU’S BLOG
Nothing has changed
The Tenth Annual Status of Education Report - ASER 2014 is out. It is once again sad reflection on the state of primary education in India. Nothing has really changed. According to the report about 25 per cent of India's children in class 8 cannot read text...
I’m explaining a few things
I often borrow the title of the famous Neruda poem: I'm explaining a few things, to share my thoughts when things need to be explained. Today the need arose because of the comments on FB to my last post. The post was prompted by an incident that happened in Pune,...
Some Bama
"You better be there on 26th. I will call you and tell you the time. It will be such fun. And Maam'ji I will enter the dance competition and will win!" These were the words an excited Utpal told me as he left for boarding school last week after a month at home. He was...
The two Indias – crossing the Rubicon
I have often written about the two Indias that exist, separated by an invisible yet impregnable wall. The picture above is my creche kids, all slum dwellers, enjoying a Happy Meal at Md Donald's Kalkaji. Yes I know fast food is bad for your health and am not one...
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What next.. Anjali
A dear friend and supporter who lives in Paris sent me an email today. Like all Parisians he is still under the shock of last week's tragic events. He, like all else in that city and probably the world over, are asking the deafening question: what next. I do not want...
Standing on a diving board
As I opened my mailbox today, I saw a mail entitled: India’s education policy needs a complete overhaul! I opened it and found a link to an article bearing the same title. The author is an eminent educationalist. The opening paragraph is spot on: I was glad I did...
Manu.. till death do us part
Four years ago on this very day Manu left us for a better world. On a cold winter afternoon he tip toed out of our lives without a sound. One minute he was there and the next he was gone. I have written umpteen blogs about him and me, and each time I revisit our bond,...
I need to talk business with Nani
The Skype call came spot on at 6 am. The husband picked it up as usual and the little chap came on the screen. But this morning there was no usual banter with the grandpa. What I hears was : I need to talk business with Nani! So Nani promptly placed her face in front...
Another knee jerk reaction
Opened the paper this morning to this head line: Cops mull DNA testing of Delhi’s beggars. As I had written in yesterday's blog, the plight of beggar children was in the news on day 1 of year 2015! And this from the High Court of our city! So it was not surprising...
Musings on a cold New Year morning
Woke up early as I always do! I think it has been ages since one one partook in New Year eve frolics that keep you awake till the wee hours and then have you get up in a haze on the first day of the year. For quite some time now the husband and I have celebrated New...
My magnum opus and my swan song
I have always called Project Why, my magnum opus and my swan song, and often at the close of each year I found myself wondering whether these two images do really hold true. With age catching up and time flying at an unstoppable speed, pwhy is definitely my swan song....
As 2014 ends…
It is that time of the year when one writes a year end message, so here is my take!2014 can best be described as a sabbatical year, when one took 'leave' from one's customary work to review achievements and failures and take remedial measures where needed. It was also...