Cordially Inviting You...

 

#thinktankmcc #writersnookmcc

"Be a big person, be large-hearted, think big" ❤️

Supercop NSA AJIT DOVAL

The Inspirational Biography of the hero of Surgical Strike

By Mahesh Dutt Sharma

Vignettes Gleaned from the Book

Personally, I cherish it when - for a change - students come up to their Professors and say, ‘Sir, you should really read this book. It’s so inspiring’.

And here I would like to acknowledge a few of such lovely student-recommends that I had got from my vibrant students.

The first student-recommended book that I received was from Dhanavaishnavi, MA English, and it’s titled, Hunger by Knut Hamsun.

Yet another student-recommend that I received this year, was from Lakshmi Ramaswamy, II MA English, and it’s titled, Demian, by Hermann Hesse.

Jerusha from II MA Philosophy had recommended one such book. It’s titled, Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life by Zena Hitz. (Mr. Sabari, III BBA is reading it now). 😊

And this particular book, titled, Supercop NSA: Ajit Doval. It’s by Mahesh Dutt Sharma. This book I received from Anagha, I MA English, a month ago.

Well, this inspirational biography on Ajit Doval is quite engaging and inspiring for many reasons.

Ajit Doval – is one of the most respected officers of the Indian Police Service. Having joined the IPS in 1968 in the Kerala Cadre, he retired in January 2005 as the director of Intelligence Bureau.

He is popularly known as the James Bond of India, and ‘Operations Man’, and has the distinction of being the first police officer to be awarded the Kirti Chakra, the second-highest peace-time award in India, after the Param Vir Chakra.

His adventurous stint as ‘Supercop’ is something highly laudable, and the stuff that thrillers are made of.

After a particular incident in 2014, he was appointed as National Security Adviser of India. In 2014, ISIS terrorists took 46 Indian nurses captive in Iraq. To rescue them, India undertook an intelligence mission, under which Ajit personally went to Iraq, to understand the ground reality. He interacted with the ISIS terrorists, took them into his confidence, and successfully brought all the nurses back home safely.

As an undercover operative, he spent seven years in Pakistan, gathering information on intelligence and terrorist activities.

Since the author Mahesh Dutt Sharma also happens to be a journalist, he does an inspiring interview with Ajit Doval, in Chapters 19 & 20 of the book.

Two such replies that he gave to a few questions intrigued and inspired me much. Reproducing it here below.

Question: You said that you do not use a cellphone, do not use a computer for communication, but have many profiles on social media, on Twitter. What do you have to say about this? Several ideas are promoted on these for a by calling them your views.

Ajit Doval: I do not have any social media account not did I have any account till now. All of them are either my well-wishers or are fake accounts. But I would like to tell the audience that whatever you see on Ajit Doval’s Facebook or Twitter accounts, don’t get confused by it. It don’t have any such account. Maybe when I stop working for the government, then maybe I would create an account. But I don’t have an account right now.

Question: India is a country of youth. What would you like to say to the youth about how to take their future forward, how to make India more secure?

Ajit Doval: I think our youth are so well-informed and so motivated that I don't need to tell them much in terms of information. They browse and know everything about where the opportunities are.

But I want to tell them something about their attitudes, which can make their lives more worthwhile. We all have an identity. The smaller the identity, the smaller the person.

Expand your identity. I have an identity; I am Ajit Doval. If I live as Ajit Doval, what I eat or what my hobbies are-that is all there is to it. But if I live for my family, then my identity gets bigger. When I live for my village, it gets even bigger; people know that I belong to a particular village.

Some people identify themselves by caste and people say that he belongs to a particular caste. You are growing, but you are not getting a big identity.

Connect your identity with your country. You will become part of a very big family. Today my identity is that of an Indian, I have no ethnic, linguistic or regional identity. Being an Indian is my identity.

That's why I feel that I am as big as India. Every Indian should feel the same way. That's the way.

You see that something wrong is happening in your country. If someone is tearing the railway seat or someone is creating a mess, then you feel bad. You feel that someone is defiling your country if they speak against it. I don't have much time, otherwise, I could have told you about many incidents.

Once, Vivekananda was going to America from Japan by ship. He saw that an Indian, who had bought the ship ticket but had not bought a meal ticket, was being given some snacks instead of a full meal. He started cursing the Japanese saying that it was discrimination etc. Maybe he probably did not even understand the language and that caused the dispute.

A Japanese got up and said, "Here is your food Until the ship reaches its destination, I will not eat, rather I will give my food to you. But if you utter a single word against Japan, I will throw you out of the ship."

He could give up his food but could not hear a single negative, objectionable or offensive word against his country. It is a feeling. Develop such a feeling. Be a big person, be large-hearted, think big. Rise above trivialities, Don’t pursue small benefits, or small facilities. Think Big. When you grow up, the whole of humanity becomes yours, like Buddha or Gandhiji. Your identity becomes bigger than just that of a human being.

Our Vedas give us a greater identity than that of being just human; SO, I am connected to everything that has life. Some people become so great that they think that the formless Brahma has given them everything.

Whether there is life in it or not, it is part of me and I am part of it. This is Aham Brahmasmi or Shivoham. This is how you become great.

Materialism, modern values make you a smaller person. In the eyes of your children, your wife, you keep shrinking. Even your parents, relatives, your society and country do not matter to you. You just think that only you matter.

So, change your attitude. Be proud to be an Indian, live for India. When you do this, you will be very happy, even if you die doing it, you will still be proud. Death will come anyway, but you will be proud of it. So, live your life well and die in a way that will be remembered, signs off Ajit Doval.

A book that I highly recommend for today’s youngsters, to get that much-needed inspiration that would lead to compelling action – action that would advance the nation - in their own sweet ways.

Deepwoods 2025 - Today's Snapshots ❤️❤️❤️

 

Today happens to be the second day of Deepwoods 2025. As usual, we all – colleagues - gathered together at the BBQ River, for our share of the pie. It was such a lovely time of fellowship in a long time!

For reports on past editions of Deepwoods, you may want to read them all, HERE

Should Undergraduate students involve themselves in research?

Think Tank @ Writers’ Nook

The Ideators’ Rendezvous

25th February 2025

Session Summary

By Ms. Shannon Patricia

Topic: Should Undergraduate students involve themselves in research?

The session started off with the staff-student dialogue.

Dr. Hans Freddy was the first one to express his ideas. He stated that research has substantial value to it. He also defined research as “A unique interpretation to an already existing problem.”  It is about trying to interpret things in one’s own way. The more convincing the statement, the more chances of it getting published thereby adding substantial value to the existing source of knowledge. He also presented the steps of research which are listed below.

1. Good understanding of what is already available. This forms the agenda in literature review.

2. Identifying the gap in research

3. To be able to tune one’s mind to a particular idea.

In research, one is constantly striving to strengthen the limited availability of research which already exists.

Additionally one must possess the ability to expand your ideas. William Shakespeare’s quote in his play ‘Macbeth’ was also cited.

Dr. Tabitha Durai started her talk with her personal experience and orientation towards research.  She also added that with regard to research, there’s always room to learn more. Additionally it is associated with developing new skills which in turn open up your stream of thought. Researching can also be related to the idea of ‘connecting the dots’. 

Research at undergraduate level proves to be an advantage where students can identify potential mentors thereby they can travel “with someone who’s already been there”.

Dr. Vijay Solomon emphasised the Indian problem of failing to document the rich repository of research that exists in the academia. He also stated that research is inevitable and added that “the world expects us to document it”.  He also suggested the evolving trend in research which lays emphasis on research articles over books. Adding something new to the existing body of knowledge was the definition of research that was presented by him. He also emphasised the significance of reading which gradually paves way to writing. Finally, he also stressed the importance of data in research as well.

Professor Adarsh Vijay also cited that Undergraduate degrees are fundamentals of building conceptual knowledge. He also cited that publications aren’t necessary at an undergraduate level but it is always better to have one. He delineated the challenges in incorporating research at undergraduate levels as follows -

1. Student’s background and interest can effectively alter the process of research

2. The mentoring system may prove to be time-consuming and the idea of labour cannot be ignored.

3. In case of field work, safety issues form a stern concern which further adds to the complexity of the issue.

4. The crisis in finding research experts with a common area of interest serves to a steep task in qualitative challenges.

5. Knowledge of the discipline plays a vital role as undergraduates are still in the process of building their fundamental understanding.

Professor Christina also emphasised the dire need or the ‘thirst’ to get better which in turn fuels students towards the realm of research. It kindles their spirits to ‘learn something new’ she added. She insisted that allowing oneself to be what he or she is, coupled with consistency forms the road to success which is also hardly acknowledged.

Finally Dr. Nirmal Thyagu presented the bifurcated challenges in both denying and approving to implement research at undergraduate levels. He underlined the significance of summer internships in fostering research acumen in students. He also cited the pitfalls that are involved in implementing this idea as he added that the territory is still unclear. He also added that research is all about finding “time to channelise one’s thoughts”.

The session also included contributions from students including Mr. Althameez and Ms. Lakshmi Ramaswami. While the former highlighted the need for structuring one’s thoughts which can effectively be achieved by mentoring, the latter emphasised the need to cultivate the idea of research in schools. Additionally Mr. Rishikesh also stressed about the growing need to cultivate the research mindset in students.

The session also witnessed the poetic talents of the members of the poetryX team who presented a wide array of poems which belonged to the theme of ‘The Poesy of Ordinary Things’. This was then followed by the Newspaper Quiz by Mr. Ben Francis Abi, which then culminated in a vote of thanks by Ms. Shannon Patricia.

Talestra 2025 | A Report | Kristu Jayanti College, Bengaluru ❤️

A Rewarding Day | @ Kristu Jayanti College, Bengaluru Today

24th February 2025 | Talestra 2025

This morning at 5.30 I was up for my usual coffee-stroll in Narayanapura, Bengaluru. While walking down the road, I was surprised to see many bikers and walkers draped in woolen wear. Indeed the chill morning breeze of Bengaluru had enveloped us full-time! So for once, instead of having my regular coffee, today I took to chai to beat the chilly weather. 

At 8.30 am, Dr. Santhosh came to my room to invite me for breakfast. We walked across the main gate to the staff rooms, where Dr. Santhosh showed me around his cabin.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Dr. Ben Milton, Dr. Tejas, Dr. Brighton among others who were there to welcome me. We all had breakfast together in the Staff Canteen.

Then, we headed straight to the auditorium.

Kristu Jayanti College is an architectural marvel in itself.

Even Fr. Principal’s room was so pleasing to the eyes, and invigorating to the mind, as it was adorned all over with indoor plants of all hues and shades.

Fr. Joshy Mathew who heads the department, is commitment-personified. We had a lovely time of interaction over coffee as well. I was pleasantly surprised to know that, the Department of English has a staff strength of 53 faculty members, in a College strength of 15,000 students.

Talestra 2025, saw students from many city Colleges turning up with such enthusiasm on them. I was happy to give the Key-Note Address, as part of the activities of the Writers’ Association. Then, I was taken to the grand auditorium of Kristu Jayanti College, where the II MA English Literature students were about to perform a play. Entry to the play was free but students had to register in advance. To my surprise the entire auditorium with a seating capacity of 1,200 was filled to the brim.

When I asked the faculty members about student behaviour during a play performance, they said that, students always maintained the Jayantian Code of Conduct, and never disturbed their fellow audience when a play is performed.

True to his words, the audience was glued to their seats, applauding and cheering the players at the appropriate times.

It was indeed a mind-blowing performance by the students of II MA English.

I was so happy to be invited by Fr. Principal Dr. Augustine George to sit with him in the front row, along with Fr. Joshy Mathew, HoD, Dept of English to watch the stellar performance of the players.

With Fr. Principal and the HoD, Dept of English Fr. Mathew

The fact that the members of the audience gave a standing ovation to the cast and crew is testimony to the success of the performance. Interestingly, the play was directed by a student of II MA, under the supervision of a faculty coordinator Dr. Steffi. Everything about the play was impeccable, and everything went like clockwork, with no odd, jarring pauses, or noisome squealings from the microphones at any point of time.

I was glad to take a snap with Fr. Principal and the HoD along with a host of vibrant faculty members of the Dept, Dr. Santhosh, Dr. Brighton, Dr. Ben Milton and Dr. Tejas.

I was delightfully surprised to meet the architect of the College, a very simple, cool and calm personality, Fr. Som Zacharia, Director Infrastructure Planning and Development, who is the brain behind the brilliant architectural design of each of the buildings of Kristu Jayanti College. The best of all is the design of the Humanities block.

I told him, ‘Father, not even a single square feet of space has been unutilized or under-utilized here. Every space has been put to the best use’.

One has to see the architecture to believe it.

It is 10 pm now, and just now, got back from Bengaluru, by car. It was a long journey, of about six hours, 😊 that too, driving through the busy Bengaluru highways and byways was a challenging experience.

But at the end of the day, it was a rewarding one!

Hope to write more on this day’s memories, sometime soon.

For now, attaching a few memorable snaps of the day, thanks to Dr. Santhosh. 

Dr. Santhosh, is our past student, an illutrious alumnus of our Dept who is doing so well in KJC. His dedication to his vocation is phenomenal. 

And so are Dr. Ben, Dr. Brighton and Dr. Tejas, all our vibrant past students. I told them that I was thrilled beyond words to see them shine and making an impact, in such a blessed and wonderful college. 

MCC-ians rock wherever they are! So happy to see this in action today at KJC! 😊

Viva la MCC! Viva la KJC!!

You may want to follow their Official Instagram Handle - 

The stage is set, the vibes are electric—welcome to Talestra 2025! The madness has begun 🔥 

#Talestra2025 #UnleashTheMagic #KristuJayanti #Writersassociation

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGcoXYcJ8bN/?igsh=MWxqZTY1cXg3YWZpYw==

Talestra @ Kristu Jayanti College ❤️

 

So happy and delighted to see the wonderful work done by the Writers’ Association of Kristu Jayanti College, Bengaluru.

The purpose of the Writers' Association is to offer a platform for cultivating creative and critical literary expressions among its members. It offers a space for the young writers to hone their writing skills, challenge their creative minds, and engage with a community of fellow writers, says their preamble on their official website.

Hats off to Dr. Santhosh Kumar and his dedicated team of fellow faculty members who are fully committed to raising the bar for budding writers.  

Think Tank @ MCC Invites You ❤️

 

Writing Workshop @ MCC ❤️

 

CHRISTIANE RECHENMACHER (A) CHRISTL MTH. CHRISTL MTH. is an artist from Austria who cannot be framed.

Her music, paintings and lyrics are uncompromising, critical and confrontational.

She creates spaces where the presence of anger and love, fragility and strength are equally justified.

In 2021, she released her first EP A Room for her own as CHRISTL.

I think I hate myself is her debut.

Three-year study maps rich snake diversity on city college campus | MCC in Today's Times of India

Three-year study maps rich snake diversity on city college campus

MCC | In Today’s Times of India

11th February 2025 | Chennai City Edition

U.Tejonmayam@timesofindia.com

In 1999, researchers mapped 19 different species of snakes in areas bordering Chennai, the highest number reported in a study in and around the city.

Fifteen years later, a study in the nearly two-century-old Madras Christian College (MCC) recorded 23 species and a total of 132 snake sightings, making the bustling campus a hotspot for these solitary creatures.

The three-year-long study mapped medically important venomous snakes such as the cobra, common krait, Russell’s viper, and saw-scaled viper, as well as the rarely sighted Vellore bridal snake, trinket snake, banded racer or Merrem’s racer, Indian sand boa, and slender coral snake.

Most of them were sighted during the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons in vegetation belts near fallen logs, leaf litter, and trees. The study was conducted by MCC, Chennai, and Kalinga Foundation, Karnataka.

“The stable vegetation belts have sustained the snake population on campus for years. Simply put, the snakes were allowed to live.

Being a closed area, only college-associated individuals access it, and there can be practices in place to not harm wildlife, ensuring a safe habitat for these reptiles,” said S R Ganesh from Kalinga Foundation, who is also the corresponding author of the study.

A 1968 study at the campus mapped 18 species. Snake sightings peaked during the monsoon (17 species, 37 snakes) and post-monsoon (18 species, 35 snakes) compared to pre-monsoon (14 species, 33 snakes).

This is likely due to floods forcing snakes out of burrows seeking shelter, the researchers said. In summer, despite fewer snake sightings (27), species diversity was highest (18).

The snakes were spotted in 12 different kinds of microhabitats, with the highest found under logs, trees, leaf litter, bare ground, and water bodies.

“That is where they live, and that may coincide with activity like the breeding for most of the snakes because they are solitary animals that are otherwise harder to spot, unlike birds or butterflies. Snakes seek one another only in a short window of time within their life stages.

Whenever that happens, the chances of finding them are high,” Ganesh said. Amid the live sightings, the researchers also found 11 dead snakes due to roadkill.

PS: You may want to read a similar feature on the Deer in MCC, by the Times of India, on our past blogpost HERE. 

Think Tank Invites You... ❤️

10th February 2025

Think Tank | Invite

Think Tank, the Ideational Wing of our College, invites you for the 12th Edition of its Rendezvous @ Writers’ Nook, MCC-MRF Innovation Park, MCC on Wednesday, 12th February 2025 at 3 pm.

The Rendezvous would feature a Staff-Student Debate on the topic, ‘Re-discovering the Tertiary Education Space’.

Dr. Nirmal Thyagu, Dept of Physics,

Dr. Samuel Moses Srinivas, Dept of English (SFS)

Dr. Chinnamuthu, Dept of Commerce

will be representing the staff.

We also have an exciting student-ideation on the topic, ‘Nature-Trail Initiative’ by Ms. Pooja Ramesh and Ms. Vasupradhaa, S.

All present and past ideators are welcome!

Best regards,

Dr. Samuel Rufus

Coordinator 

Chandrika Tandon wins Grammy | & the Hearts of fellow MCC-ians | Today ❤️❤️❤️

Ms. Chandrika Tandon wins her First Grammy Today! 

“When you don’t look at boundaries, everything seems connected. Everything seems possible”.

Is it a sheer stroke of coincidence or shall we call it serendipity? 😊

Airtel’s top honcho Mr. Gopal Vittal, an illustrious alumnus visited us in MCC on 25th October 2024, to dedicate an AirTel Tower in Campus, and paid glowing tributes to his alma mater. The very next week, we heard the delightful news that, he was promoted and elevated to the second role of the company.

In like fashion, just last week, we had Ms. Chandrika Tandon, our illustrious alumna, spending an entire week in MCC, and inaugurating the MCC Boyd-Tandon School of Business in Campus. On that occasion, she had paid glowing tributes to her alma mater. And, the very next week, (i.e., today,) we hear the delightful news that, she’s made India proud by winning the prestigious Grammy Awards today.

Her mantra album Triveni bagged her the Grammy - an album which blends ancient chants with world music.

“Music is love, music ignites the light within all of us, and, even in our darkest days, music spreads joy and laughter,” she said while receiving the coveted award in Los Angeles.

Giving us a lovely quote by Ms. Chandrika from an interview she had given to her friend Ms. Meenakshi Ahamed, for the latter’s book titled, Indian Genius.

“When you don’t look at boundaries, everything seems connected. Everything seems possible”.

Testifies to the fusion of ancient chants with world music in her album that won her the Grammy!

You may want to read more on Ms. Chandrika @ MCC, on our past post HERE.

Father Nehru Assures! Daughter Indira Amends!!

Seshan Makes Voter ID Mandatory for Future Elections

#memoriesfromdiaries #newspaperinlearning

30th January 1994

[This Day, 31 years ago, from my personal diary entry]

When the renowned Chinese traveller Hiuan Tsang (in the 6th Century A.D). passed through Poonch, he recorded that, Poonch was famous for graphics, fine tea, and good horses. 

In 1947, however, during the partition, a few parts of this blessed land of Poonch went under the illegal occupation of Pakistan, while the rest became a constituent of Rajouri Poonch district. Pakistan has been illegally firing on the borders across Poonch ever since!

Now for FOUR EPIC-al news of the day – 30th January 1994 - exclusively from my personal diary entry, for us all - 

Firstly, when T N Seshan, [MCC-ian and] Chief Election Commissioner announced that identity cards would be compulsory for all elections held on or after January 1, 1995, it was a rude jolt and a bolt from the blue for all and sundry!

Indeed, Photo identity cards became a reality in 1993, during his tenure, with the avowed aim of ‘completely rooting out the evil’ of bogus voters, he had remarked.

This was part of the Election Management System, through which the EPIC – Electors Photo Identity Card was made popular amongst the masses.  

The same politicians who had critiqued and opposed Seshan’s idea, now meekly obliged him! Very soon, a distant dream became a possibility and a reality! 

Today, almost every citizen of the nation proudly sports their EPIC on them!

Really EPIC-al!

Secondly, yet another EPIC agreement was clinched today between Mongolia and Russia! Their border agreement! The Mongolia – Russia International Border Agreement was signed today between the two countries. The boundary is said to be the third longest border between Russia and another country, after the Kazakhstan–Russia border and the China–Russia border.

Thirdly, yet another EPICAL launch by Japan was announced today. Japan said that it intends to launch their first major rocket built without reliance on American technology on 1st February 1994. This launch was the first of a series of five launches by 1997!

Finally, the anti-Hindi-imposition agitations in Tamil Nadu that started way back in 1937, gradually gained momentum all over Tamil Nadu, reaching alarming or rather EPICal proportions, with political parties riding piggyback on this anti-Hindi wave, busy tarring Hindi letters on nameboards especially in Railway Stations.

As an assurance, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru enacted the Official Languages Act in 1963 to ensure the use of English as an official language even beyond 1965.

Still, there were doubts!

Agitations continued all over Tamil Nadu. On 25th January 1965, a scuffle between agitating students and members of the Congress party sparked a massive unrest and violence in Madurai, that soon spread all over the state.

Very soon, in the year 1967, the DMK managed to capture power in Tamil Nadu, riding on the anti-Hindi wave, and quite interestingly, the Congress party has never come to power in Tamil Nadu ever since!

That very same year, in 1967, as Prime Minister, Ms. Indira Gandhi (who had become India’s first female Prime Minister a year ago in 1966), amended the Official Languages Act to guarantee the indefinite use of Hindi and English as official languages.

This day, 31 years ago, from my personal diary entry ❤️ |

 #memoriesfromdiaries

Shri Venkaiah Naidu on the Importance of Mother Tongue

 

You may want to read a Related Article in our past Blogpost titled, Is it Wrong to Speak in One's Mother Tongue?

On that Most-frequently-asked Question ❤️

On that Most-frequently-asked Question in Interviews

Republic Day Thoughts | 26th January 2025

In recent months, I was honoured to be part of a plethora of Panels that recruited Teachers / Professors for their respective Schools / Universities.

And one question that was frequently asked to each of the candidates during their interview was - 

What has been your contribution to your Institution in your capacity as a student / faculty member?

And this question, as we all know, is being repeatedly asked - by default - in most of the interviews – and for a reason though!

That means to say that, institutions today are not interested in your skill set or your range of academic achievements alone!

Although the candidate may have a high range of skill sets and intellectual prowess, if he/she isn’t service-oriented towards contributing to the cause of their host institution, then, chances are - their stint as a faculty member would also become purposeless for the institution’s advancement!

However, if the student had contributed to their Institution in whatever capacity that they possibly could, during their stint as a student, there’s a certain degree of conviction that they would sure contribute to the Institution that recruits them as a faculty member as well.

On the other hand, if the student had just ‘made use’ of the services of the school / institution to advance their own personal objectives, without caring to contribute to the progress of the Institution in any way, the management might presume/infer that, they have just enjoyed the bounty and the plenitude of the institution that hosted them, without bothering to contribute to their Institution in any way, whatsoever.

As the current Dean of International Programmes, every month we interview lots of students who apply to study abroad for their Internships or for their Semester Abroad / Semester Exchange Programmes.

In a two-tiered interview process, that usually includes the HoDs and the Principal in stages, the Dean and the Associate Dean of International Programmes pose this question to the student –

So what has been your contribution to your Institution so far? In what capacity have you contributed to your College? Do you have any authentic evidence to corroborate / substantiate  your claims?

That proves the decider and the clincher!

Well, quite recently, we had Ms. Chandrika Tandon, our illustrious alumna, who had contributed a huge sum of money towards the establishment of the Boyd-Tandon School of Business in Campus.

Chandrika Tandon is a ‘globally recognized business leader, Grammy-nominated artist, and humanitarian’, and she takes credit for being one of the very few Indians to have donated huge sums of money to the United States’.

The Boyd-Tandon School of Business was formally inaugurated by her on Tuesday, 21st January 2025 in the College Premises.

Interestingly, her famed sister Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PEPSICO, also happens to be an alumna of the Dept of Chemistry, MCC.

Getting into MCC was indeed a herculean task for Chandrika, since her parents had wanted to get her married when she turned 18.

However her grandfather’s suggestion that she join MCC, and her subsequent hunger strike to somehow make it to MCC by all means, made her join MCC for her Undergraduate Programme in Commerce. (1970 – 1973)

During her stint as a student, her contribution to her Institution was way beyond measure. She was not only part of the Cultural Team of the College Union Society, winning laurels for the College in many inter-collegiate events, but also contributed to the College as member of a host of Committees, including the Magazine Committee, in a very consistent manner.

This proved to be her tipping point to stardom as well – elevating human happiness through her talents and skills.

The New York Academy of Sciences, pays soulful encomiums to Chandrika on their official website –

Her passion for fostering emotional well-being is focused on emanating love, joy, and transcendence through her music and artistry. At the height of her business career, she reevaluated her life and definitions of success, reformulating her business life to intentionally include music, service, and meditation.

India Today too pays glowing tributes to her will and resolve to contribute to society - 

Chandrika Tandon's power isn't about wealth alone, which she has — and gives away — in plenty. It's in how she empowers people, both economically and emotionally, through her grants and songs.

And this is where, purposeful living comes to the fore.

Purposeful living happens when one starts to nurture the greater common good.

So what do we mean by the greater common good?

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy has quite an interesting definition on the subject –

In any community, the common good consists of the facilities and interests that members have a special obligation to care about in virtue of the fact that they stand in a certain relationship with one another.

In a family, for instance, the family home is part of the common good because the familial bond requires members to take care of the home as part of a shared effort to care for one another’s interests in shelter and safety.

In a university, the climate of academic freedom on campus is part of the common good because the special relationship among members of the university community requires them to care for this climate as part of a shared effort to care for one another’s interests in teaching, learning and inquiring.

Suppose that a relationship consists of a set of requirements for how people who stand in the relationship should act towards one another—e.g., parents should feed their children, parents should clothe their children, children should defer to their parents’ judgment, etc.

On the occasion of our 76th Republic Day today, let us rededicate ourselves towards a purposeful life – a life that has the greater common good in mind, in our own little ways.

Yesterday, in my II MA Class, I was telling my students on how to rededicate themselves to the service of the Nation.

You and I can contribute to our Nation in our own sweet ways.

With our talents, skills, ideas, writing, blogging, vlogging, tree-planting, community practice, etc.

This makes our everyday life purpose-driven and rewarding as well.

Let me end this post with two powerful quotes from two powerful leaders of the 1960s.

John F Kennedy, during his inaugural, gave a memorable speech on 20th January 1961 that has now become quite axiomatic –

In his speech, Kennedy urges the people of his Nation to participate in public service and contribute to the greater public good, and highlighting the importance of civic action.

Says he, in his speech –

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”

The second quote to end this post, is again from Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s speech titled, ‘Tryst with Destiny’ that he gave us on 14th August 1947, on the eve of Indian Independence.

Says Nehru –

At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.

A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.

It is fitting that at this solemn moment, we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.

The service of India means, the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and poverty and disease and inequality of opportunity.

The ambition of the greatest men of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye.

That may be beyond us, but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over.

And so we have to labour and to work, and to work hard, to give reality to our dreams.

Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for any one of them to imagine that it can live apart.

Two power-phrases for take-aways today from these two leaders –

the greater public good by Kennedy.

the larger cause of humanity by Nehru.

Unto this end, let’s together resolve to strive!

Happy Republic Day!

Jai Hind!!