Pratima Shah

    Why Getting a Degree in English Is Among the Best Career Decisions in the NEP Era? In a world that is changing quickly due to digital communication, global networking, artificial intelligence, and the creative industries, students frequently ask: "After earning a Bachelor's or Master's degree in English, what can I do?"  Today's response is: a lot more than in the past. English Studies is no longer restricted to becoming a teacher/lecturer under India's National Education Policy (NEP, 2020). The policy places strong emphasis on interdisciplinary learning, employability, communication skills, creativity, critical thinking, research and industry-oriented education-- all of which are abilities that English programs naturally foster. These days, a ...

                                                                       (PC: ChatGPT) Many a times I come across moments in my professional life when I confront an uncomfortable question: Is it ok to be someone's person, or a system's person?  As such it seems to be a matter of professional alignment but reflecting upon it one realizes that it is an ethical dilemma that many professionals face. It is an ethical dilemma that silently molds the conscience, credibility and culture of a work space. I realized that this question becomes layered when I look at academic institutions because these work spaces are imagined as spaces of empowerment, intellectual freedom and collective growth. Reflecting further, I notice that there exist invisible networks of loyalty-circles of "someone's persons"- who have achieved...

Last week end while I was in the Inner Engineering course, Sadhguru spoke of " emotional constipation " and its impact on people. The term intrigued me to explore its consequences on people.  Imagine being in a room full of people and you smile. As you smile you know that something heavy is weighing upon you. Or responding to someone's 'How are you' by saying 'I am fine' even though you are not. If you are doing this then welcome to the world of EMOTIONAL CONSTIPATION which is a silent and invisible condition where feelings do not flow the way they should and get blocked, stored or are carried silently. This could be for a certain period or it could go on for years unless the person releases those feelings or heals from within.  Bottled Emotions are Real A student once narrated her pain to me. She was a bright one who was always punctual, met the deadlines and even scored well. She was very supportive towards her friends, had a sweet smile always and seem...

The entry of Gen Z into the professional spaces today is a matter of concern and curiosity especially in the field of teaching. They are a generation born in a world that is shaped by technological advancement, instant communication and digital dependence. This generation has a distinct set of skills, attitudes and challenges. They are tech savvy and adaptable but there is an increasing unease witnessed in certain behavioral patterns that reshape the ethos of professions - particularly in the field of education. One observed trait of Gen Z professionals is the strategic communication which is manipulative or laid with calculations. They have a high awareness of the system, its expectations and the outcomes. This awareness is beneficial in navigating complex situations but at times it translates into clever maneuvering where their personal convenience is often prioritized over their responsibility. This is very much evident in the field of teaching where the focus has shifted from nurtu...

As we commemorate International Women's Day,  It's critical to consider the path towards gender parity and acknowledge the various experiences that women have worldwide. Despite advancements, a lot of women continue to be used and manipulated, frequently by members of the same society. Let's recognize the tenacity and fortitude of the fearless, honest, and hardworking women who face these obstacles head-on and overcome them. The Harsh Reality of Exploitation: Some women in our culture are subjected to manipulation and exploitation by their peers. These women frequently find themselves at the whim of cunning people who want to undercut their efforts and minimize their value, whether it's at the job, in social circles, or even in their own families. This kind of exploitation might include gaslighting, emotional blackmail, and even outright abuse. The Power of Resilience: The courageous and strong women among us do not allow such hardship to quiet or defeat them. They tak...

  In the shadows of deceit, they stand, Honest women, their truth so grand. Their words like arrows, sharp and clear, But in a world of whispers, they disappear. They speak with candor, without disguise, Yet, their voices drowned by cunning lies. For there are those who play the game, With honeyed words, they seek acclaim. Sweet talkers weaving webs of deceit, Their words like poison, oh so sweet. They twist and turn, manipulate, Leaving honesty to meet its fate. In the corridors where power reigns, Honesty's voice often wanes. While the schemers plot and scheme, The honest suffer, lost in the stream. But still, they stand, unyielding, strong, Their integrity, a steadfast song. Though they may suffer, they endure, For honesty and truth, they ensure. So let us not forget the plight, Of those who choose to shine their light. Amidst the darkness, they hold the flame, The honest and blunt, deserving of acclaim.

 I am very choosy about each and everything that I have; but I am the most fussiest when it comes to choosing friends. I do not have a huge gang of friends but the friends I have can topple a gang for me. I am selfless, sensitive and supportive towards all my friends no matter what. I am blessed with friends who make my life fulfilling and precious. You come across people who just pretend to be friends and never value the ones who consider them as their friends. If you are a true friend you will genuinely value and nurture the relation with utmost care and sincerity. You would do anything to see a smile on the face of your friend.  A true friend is one with whom you share a deep and meaningful bond that is based on trust, mutual respect, support and affection. True friendship transcends beyond the boundaries of time, distance and mere acquaintances. The connection that true friends share is genuine, enriching and enduring. True friends must be genuine and authentic with one an...

  A discrepancy in what a person says / claims to believe and how a person behaves / treats others is called hypocrisy. Hypocrisy at the work place can be in various forms and it can detrimental to the overall workplace. There are many people around us who are hypocrites and they are masters in poisoning the workplace and throwing toxicity around. People who are not hypocrites suffer the most in organizations where workplace hypocrisy exists. They go through severe stress and suffer unnecessarily for being straightforward and honest compared to hypocrites. A hypocrite behaves in the following ways: @@Double standards: When there are a different set of rules for different people / groups within an organization; one can smell the hypocrisy in the atmosphere. Double standards breed resentment and dissatisfaction within the employees. Being partial towards someone for an error and punishing somebody else for the same error would lead to disharmony within the organization. @@ Lack of tr...

  To pray or not to pray is the choice of every individual but to respect the time of prayer cannot be the choice of an individual. It really shocks me to see majority of girls moving here and there in the University campus during the time of prayer. The prayer that we have is not a long prayer and yet these girls have the impudence to move around during the prayer time. I can understand that each one of us in a great hurry during the morning hours but that does not mean that we can insult the creator of the Universe.  Every university will have students who follow different religions and traditions. But the common factor among all these religions is that every one prays. Whether it is prayer done in isolation / in a crowd one must respect the hour pf prayer. It is one of the stepping stones to respecting a person. If you love and respect someone; you will definitely respect the time when the person prays without any objections / barriers. A university is the hub of knowledge ...

  Our experiences would be a waste if we do not use them. None of us just lands into the world with all the required knowledge. But each one of us goes through the process of 'living' life. These moments are the experiences which you had; yet we never take a lesson from our experiences. Unless and until we don't stop and look back into the experiences of the past we will never learn from those experiences. You are what your experiences have molded you into. If you are bitter / fussy / insecure /, it could be that you have faced such circumstances. But the strength lies in doing the opposite. If you had a toxic boss who ill treated you and showed no human concern towards you; would you also play the same boss or you would be the opposite. While reading this each one of us would respond by affirming that you will not be the same toxic boss. But does this really happen in the world? Only in rare cases; otherwise most of the time the same vicious chain continues. Why? Why? Why?...

 Forgiveness is difficult. By forgiving someone who wronged you, you try to inculcate patience and forbearance in your relations with others. The wound that one gets from others are very deep sometimes and we cannot ever think of forgiving that person who gave us those wounds and pain. But contrary to this what majority of us believe, is that forgiving someone is primarily an act which we perform within ourselves. At times, it is safer and healthier for a person to disconnect from the one that hurt you because he / she is not around you to be forgiven directly. But these factors are not the hurdles to forgiveness; the factors are internal. It is you who has to free your self from this anger. We are stuck in anger before we tread on the path to forgiveness. During this phase we plot for revenge, we think of inflicting all the pain and damage which was inflicted upon us. We are in the mode of 'An eye for an eye'. But as observed, revenge is the path of the ignorant. One is in com...

Teaching  no longer remains a noble profession despite being noble. The so called academicians are concerned about every other thing excluding teaching. Mostly no one is concerned how the teaching is progressing or have the students understood whatever is being taught. The ones who are concerned are just a handful academicians who put in every effort to impart knowledge to their classes. The students today are mostly people pleasers who hover like bees around the teacher trying to flatter her / him for marks. Many of them are highly irregular and still expect the teacher to give them marks for attendance.  Since I entered the field in 2005 as a teacher, I was full of remorse for the initial years because my students would not hover around me compared to my colleagues. Only the ones who genuinely understood my personality came to me. With time I realized that a popular teacher is not always a good teacher and a good teacher is not always popular. I fall in the category of not b...