Ramblings of Madhavi

  Maxims from Mahabharata -         by Sridhar Potraju -         A review by Madhavi Girish Kunte      By definition, Maxims mean the fundamental principles or rules of conduct. As the name of the book suggests, the author has compiled maxims from the Mahabharata. It is a general perception that is stated by the ardent students of the sacred text, that everything prevalent in the world is already present in Mahabharat. Thus, a seeker looking for the key to an enriched life may find the answers in this sacred text. On the face of it, the small handbook may appear to be a mere compilation of quotes from various parvas . On the contrary, the author has put forth these ideologies in a contextual manner. He has focused on the core principles that govern our life. This book dwells on the fact that there is a lack of reading material with Indian maxims and whatever is available is concurrent with the western philosophy. Many times, the original texts lose their meaning during tran

    Ancient   Hindu   Science-   It’s   impact   on   the   ancient   and   modern   worlds Author-   Prof.   Alok   Kumar                   A   review   by   Madhavi   Girish Kunte     In this book, the author, Prof. Alok Kumar highlights the contributions of the ancient Hindus in the field of science. He presents a bird ’s eye view, and yet he manages to focus on various disciplines of science in depth.   This book is not the first work of its kind. There is a flood of information on the internet these days but many times, it is difficult to ascertain the validity of the content. This book seems very well researched. With many citations from renowned authors in the various disciplines of science, Prof. Alok Kumar manages to convince the readers that the scientific knowledge was quite advanced even in ancient India and it predates the documented discoveries made by the western scientists. He presents facts and figures which date back to as early as 800 BCE.   It mi

  There has been a lot of debate going on, on whether NEET/JEE be held or not. The Government has taken a stand and the Supreme Court has validated the same. However, there is still an air of uncertainty over the whole issue as the general public is yet to come to terms with it and accept the fact that this is indeed a way forward. Not that the general perception is skewed or there is dissent of any manner: the worry and apprehensions are valid on both the sides. Each perspective seems to be justified if seen through that angle. There are three kinds of arguments being put forth. 1.       The exams should be held at the scheduled time. 2.       The exams should be postponed. 3.       The whole academic year should be scrapped and this be made a zero year. It's a fair point to say that exams shouldn't be held taking into account the current COVID-19 scenario. Safety is of paramount importance. Also, from the point of view of organizers, there are far more greater cha

  Two months in total lock-down, no revenue generation and depleting capital. The small businesses in India and the world over are waking up to the harsh reality in the aftermath of the ongoing pandemic.   The service sector has seen a sharp decline in revenue. Quite a few of such entrepreneurs have been forced to shut shop. Many of the salaried employees lost their jobs and the self-employed people lost a host of their clientele. Now that the initial panic and uncertainty has subsided and people are coming to terms with the new reality of life, everyone is looking for ways and means of coming back on track. With stricter norms of functioning and a reduced work force at hand, these businesses have an uphill task to regain their former glory. It is not realistic to assume that a business will take off once it opens up. With people still preferring to stay indoors, businesses now have to devise ways to reach them. To stay relevant in today’s COVID-19 hit environment, a small business