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Our planet’s crying out. Each day, as we toxify the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, Earth’s cries are getting shriller and more strident. From heatwaves to floods to droughts to forest fires, practically every continent is feeling the impact of climate…
First published in The Hindu, 4th January 2025 The ubiquity of New Year resolutions suggest that we continually try to better ourselves. Though there is nothing wrong in wanting to refine ourselves, we tend to equate more with better. In…
If you thought bullying was limited to playgrounds and classrooms of school-going children, think again. Though the taunts and teasing may be less overt, bullying can also dog adults in workplaces.
It’s appraisal time and you brace yourself for the inevitable. “You need to be a better team player,” writes your boss while acknowledging some of your contributions and even commending you on a couple of projects. However, the coveted promotion…
First published in The Hindu, 1st December 2024 Though most of us associate exceptional oratorical skills with passion, a facility with words and proper intonation, there’s another facet of effective communication that doesn’t garner much attention. We can emphasize a…
One of the pet peeves of employers is that individuals who are skilled in a field, be it computer science, accounting, or engineering, often lack “soft skills.” This is an umbrella term for a motley collection of skills relating to…
Do you aspire to lead your team and gradually climb the ranks to more senior positions? Do you have it in you to be a leader? How can you tell? As you’ve probably realized, effective leaders have different styles and…
Though technology has pervaded many aspects of our lives, including schooling, the practice of teaching hasn’t changed radically over the past half-century. Education is still largely adult-directed, with key decisions made using a top-down approach
First published in The Hindu, 4th November 2024 As you down your morning coffee, do you also solve Wordle? When you go for your morning run, do you take a slightly different route every day, soaking in the sights and…
In The Demon-haunted World, famed astronomer Carl Sagan observes that kindergartners and first-graders are eager and enthused about learning. “Provocative and insightful questions bubble out of them,” he notes. But much to his dismay, 12th graders don’t display the same curiosity or…
Aruna Sankaranarayanan is the author of Zero Limits: Things Every 20 Something Should Know. She was the Founder & Director of PRAYATNA, a centre for children with learning difficulties in Bengaluru & Chennai for 22 years.