If Raghuvansh Prasad Singh joins Nitish, there is no hope left for the Opposition in the Bihar polls

There is no doubt that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav changed the political discourse in India by carving electoral worth for the backward castes and empowering them enough to dictate the course of the coalition era. He worked the ground, picked up the people’s pulse and cleverly used his rustic charm to become a cult phenomenon. Yet much of his acceptability in the intellectual space has got to be credited to Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, who has been his loyal lieutenant since the 1980s, an upper caste inclusion in the early years of the movement. He is said to have crafted India’s biggest welfare programme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) of 2005, which continues to be the one bright spot of the Congress-led UPA-1 Government and has a legacy strong enough to survive regime changes. And for all his commitment to Lalu, he wasn’t a blind courtier, quick to point out his leader’s flaws in public and force him into course-correction. For the persona that he is, Lalu, too, didn’t mind such criticism, knowing it was well-meant. And so the duo continued as each other’s sounding board for years together. Singh, who was feted by the Congress for his welfarist models and was even invited to join it many times, didn’t do so. In 2009, he even turned down the Congress offer of heading the Rural Development Ministry as RJD was no longer an ally then. So when he resigned from the RJD — that too while recovering from COVID-19 in hospital — Singh, known for his honesty and integrity, seemed like he had been broken irreparably. Of course, Lalu himself refused to accept his letter, knowing that his resignation would not just be a body blow for the party but the movement he shared with his colleague. But the truth of the matter is that regime change within the RJD and Lalu’s frail health meant that there weren’t enough takers for this old comradeship. Tejashwi Yadav had new ideas and yes men and sidelined him badly, overturning his advisories. Much to his discomfort, Tejashwi met his upper caste rival from his seat of Vaishali, Rama Kishore, hoping to induct him, a clear message that Singh’s traditional constituency could be taken away from him. And Lalu’s older son Tej Pratap Yadav recently insulted his contribution to the party as just “a potful of water.” Lalu’s silence on his sons hurt him even more and this drift just might prove RJD its costliest moment. For it would make Lalu look like a doting father who forgot realpolitik and sacrificed a wise lieutenant and asset for dynastic interests.

The most unfortunate part for Lalu is that Singh would be a prize catch for the Janata Dal (United) just ahead of the Assembly polls. Though the party is in alliance with the BJP, Singh himself has had no problems confabulating with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Bihar’s problems at various points in time. In fact, he has already written a separate letter to Nitish to upgrade development in Vaishali and ramp up MGNREGA work in the State with suitable amendments, a move which is being seen a precursor to his inclusion in the JD(U). Nitish, swamped as he is by the barrage of criticism on handling the pandemic, flood management and the returnee migrants, could benefit from Singh’s advice. Any further slide in image and his credibility as a leader would take a further hit. He may be in alliance with the BJP but the latter, while acknowledging him as chief ministerial candidate, is still as ambitious about becoming the voters’ first choice and having its own man in the future. It hasn’t helped that he has lost out in ratings to his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath in crisis management, the appreciation damagingly coming from his own people, mostly labourers and students. So he needs to have someone like Singh on his side before the BJP coopts him. Given the Congress’ past respect for him, the BJP, too, may lure him to Delhi with a ministerial posting and use him for correctional policies. Nitish already has the Dalit vote, having neutralised the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), whose leader Chirag Paswan was attacking him almost every day, by inducting Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) founder and his protégé Jitan Ram Manjhi into his fold. According to the 2011 census, the Scheduled Castes are 15 per cent of Bihar’s population. The Mahadalits constitute nearly 16 per cent and though cultivated by Nitish, are now swerving towards the RJD, which has the core traditional votes of the Muslims and Yadavs.  Manjhi could return the Dalit swing in his favour. Meanwhile, Singh could bring in a part of his old base too. This would bring Nitish the numbers he needs to stay relevant. Besides, by valuing Singh, he could make amends for his mishandling of affairs so far, be it the Patna floods, the Muzaffarpur encephalitis deaths, the accumulation of prohibition-related cases in courts and the State’s dismal rank in the Sustainable Development Goals India Index. Singh could help Nitish win back the respectability that he lost, just like he did for Lalu. As for Lalu himself, he now just has a shell called the Opposition.

The curriculum has been responsible for developing much-needed agricultural skills and encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset

The New Education Policy (NEP) focusses on re-orientation of school and higher education in India and inculcation of research-based studies and innovation in our education. However,  the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) has already been doing this on the ground for years and hence is in tune with the objectives of the NEP. As part of its focus on innovation and research-based learning, the ICAR-Agricultural University (AU) system, through its network of 74 universities, offers degree courses at the undergraduate level in 11 disciplines with emphasis on learning through hands-on-practice sessions and field experience training.

As desired by the NEP, the postgraduate programmes in 96 disciplines and Ph.D. programmes in 73 disciplines make it multi-disciplinary. The AU system has generated the much-needed scientists, technologists, teachers, researchers, technologies and technology transfer systems to transform India from a “ship-to-mouth” nation to a “right-to-food” one. Much in line with the aspirations of the NEP, the curricula has been responsible for developing much-needed agricultural skills and encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset among the students. They are being inspired to take up self-employment, to sustainably enhance rural livelihood security, and to propel agricultural transformation through science-based policy-options and actions.

The Student READY (Rural Entrepreneurship Awareness Development Yojana) programme  ensures hands-on experience and practical training, as does the  Entrepreneurship Development and Business Management course. Rigorous implementation of the revised curricula has over the years been benefitting local communities, and promoting technology incubation and dissemination, which is one of the objectives of the NEP. Many new courses have been already introduced by the AUs in emerging fields like Precision Farming, Hi-tech Cultivation, Artificial Intelligence, Mechatronics, Nanotechnology, Food Storage Engineering, Emerging Food Processing Technologies and so on which align perfectly with the recommendations of the NEP. The AUs have developed more than 400 virtual classrooms and e-courses for their undergraduate programmes and are being supported through a centralised Academic Management System and shall be further supported for online classes through the recently-launched “Krishi Megh.” The post-graduate courses, too, are being converted into e-courses in all the streams of agriculture education.

Multidisciplinary universities: The AUs in India are modelled on the US land grant university pattern with integration of education, research and extension and have contributed a great deal to propelling agricultural growth in the country. Agriculture is a multidisciplinary science and AUs are based on the philosophy that the farmers need holistic solutions for their problems. However, in recent years, several domain-specific universities in horticulture, veterinary science and fisheries sciences have been established in various States, which may need to be re-oriented to make them multidisciplinary as per the NEP.

The NEP suggests a four-year Bachelor’s programme with multi-disciplinary education as a preferred option. In the AUs, the curriculum of undergraduates has been designed as a four-year residential programme with  more than 15 disciplines. This includes both theory and practical classes. The contents of several courses are designed in such a way that practical classes can be simultaneously conducted matching with the topics of the theory classes.

Attracting talent to agriculture education: About 4,500 scholarships are annually granted by the ICAR to meritorious students selected through its All India Entrance Examination for Admission conducted through the National Testing Agency. The National Scholarship Portal proposed under the NEP shall afford students more such opportunities for stipends, boarding  and lodging, and not just waiver of tuition fees. In particular, talented students from rural India, who have been exposed to agriculture during their early years and who have deep interest in farm education, will be further encouraged to build their career in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.    

Internationalisation: The ICAR facilitates annual admission of over 250 foreign students from more than 20 countries to various degree programmes. To support their higher studies in India, several programmes/fellowships have been initiated like the Netaji Subhas-ICAR International Fellowship, India-Africa Fellowship and India-Afghanistan Fellowship. The campuses of the existing system of AUs shall immensely benefit from various provisions in the NEP to promote HEIs as global study destination hubs and restore India’s role as a Viswa Guru. Continuous professional development: Teachers will be given constant opportunities for self-improvement and to learn the latest innovations and advances in their profession as per the NEP.  This fits in well with the ICAR’s schemes through which about 3,500 faculty from AUs are trained every year for their professional development.

The future: AUs have sufficient land available for experimentation, demonstration of various trials to farmers and training. AUs must develop schemes for adequate resource generation and convert themselves into self-governing institutions, which is reflected in the NEP. The AUs need to attain the highest global standards in quality agriculture education through linkages with global universities and provide platforms for research and innovation in frontier areas of research, greater industry-academic linkages and interdisciplinary research, including humanities and social sciences. The universities also need to make provisions of multiple entry and exit systems in their undergraduate programmes. These reforms shall help in meeting the challenges of Global Green Economy, Knowledge Economy, Global Zero Hunger Challenge, Sustainable Development Goals, 2030, and International Agriculture and Development Challenge, 2050.

(Mohapatra is Director-General and Agrawal Deputy Director-General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research)

Inefficient recycling of construction and demolition waste is indicative of the nation’s disregard for the environment and this can no longer be overlooked

As new commercial skyscrapers and lofty residential buildings continue to be the hallmark of “developed” cities, there is a virtual race among the builders to tear down older structures and replace them with energy-guzzling, steel and glass buildings that trap heat and require enormous air-conditioning input in order to make them liveable. The city skyline no doubt looks impressive but the more the skyline improves, the more the construction and demolition waste (CDW) on the ground level increases, as it is illegally dumped by builders on roadside and in landfills. India produces 150 million tonnes of CDW annually. The generation, management, recycling and finally disposal of this waste is governed by guidelines and rules put in place by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) under the Construction, Demolition and Waste Management Rules 2016. But the implementation and enforcement of the rules is insipid and lax. This is apparent by the dismal recovery and recycling rate of the CDW, which currently stands at about one per cent of the 150 million tonnes generated. The rest of the waste is left lying in residential areas, landfills and other urban spaces, which contributes to air and water pollution, not to mention spoiling the look and feel of our urban living environs. Given the huge gap between generation of the waste and its recycling, it is vital for a third party, such as an NGO, to apply for Government data under the Right to Information Act and appraise the implementation of these rules and compliance by the construction sector. They must also assess what difference they have made on the ground. The already burdened infrastructure is further hobbled by the fact that the recycling paraphernalia available with the Government is sufficient to handle a meagre 6,500 tonnes daily which renders an enormous backlog of CDW that gets illegally and irresponsibly disposed off.

The root cause of this wide gap between CDW generation and recycling is the slow pace in establishment of recycling facilities. As per estimates, 53 cities were expected to set up recycling units by 2017 but only 13 are in place. This alarmingly slow progress is further made worse by the rapid consumption of building materials which indicates that construction activity both in commercial and residential sectors is happening swiftly. As land is scarce, this construction is taking place by demolishing the existing old structures and this is rapidly contributing to the generation of CDW. The Swachh Survekshan 2021 has thankfully started putting emphasis on recycling and management of CDW, but it still needs to be instilled into the urban stakeholder, be it private or Government entities, that how a city fares in the survey will also depend on how it manages its CDW footprint. This can be done at the possible origin of the waste wherein the architects can be encouraged to recycle the demolition waste and use it in the new project. According to estimates, if CDW recycling is in-built into the architect’s plan, then 33 per cent of waste generation can be avoided. Similarly, specialised machines and equipment must be made available by the building contractors to the architects so that on-site waste generation is quickly turned around and converted or recycled into usable building material. This not only saves money for the building project but also confirms to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) norms that allow usage of concrete made from recycled CDW.

The present COVID-19 crisis has almost brought the construction sector to a grinding halt. This is unwelcome news for the sector but provides an opportunity for India to take stock of the CDW scenario. This lull can enable the Government and allied environmental agencies to rapidly put in place a strategy that ensures the efficient handling of CDW when building starts gaining momentum. As a part of this, it is essential to first spot the regulatory and technical barriers that are hampering the effective handling of the waste being generated. In the same process, it is also critical to ensure on-site recycling of CDW and enable a sustained sale of the recycled material in the market at economical rates. This will help ingrain the practice of CDW recycling at the epicentre of its generation.

The authorities must also set in place robust systems to collect data pertaining to CDW being generated and based on this a protocol must be designed that not only displays the region-wise generation of CDW but also breaks down the waste into sub-categories. This will help design forecasts of how recycled material can be made available in the building material market without any supply disruptions. The Government must also design special categorisation programmes in which those buildings will fall that have a certain certified percentage of recycled CDW used in them. This must automatically qualify these buildings as green buildings and make them eligible for rebates on electricity and property tax charges. Inefficient recycling of CDW is indicative of the nation’s disregard for the environment and this must not be overlooked.

 (The writer is an environmental journalist)

A species checklist shows that fish, birds, amphibians and mammals have declined by 84 per cent since 1970

The Living Planet Report 2020 has set off warning bells about the state of the global environment, one that may impact our lives more severely than the pandemic. It seems that the price of our burgeoning population, unplanned and unthinking expansion, selfish consumerism, senseless overconsumption of natural resources and greed is being paid by different species that we are supposed to share the planet with. However, as compared to forest or marine species, it is the freshwater species that are at the highest risk because a gargantuan 85 per cent of the Earth’s wetlands are already lost. So fish, birds, amphibians and mammals have declined by a whopping 84 per cent globally since 1970, threatening one in three freshwater species with extinction. The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Zoological Society of London track the abundance of 20,811 populations representing 4,392 species based on a number of data sets available globally. But this edition has got to be their red alert finding. The report on India is pretty damning as the size of our wetlands has shrunk to 0.03 per cent of our total geographic area. Despite all the talk about protecting our water resources and raising awareness, nothing seems to have worked as the number of polluted river stretches went up to 351 in 2018 from 302 in 2016. As a result, there has been a decline in the population of endangered species such as the Gangetic dolphin. 

Worryingly, there is a 94 per cent fall in the species survivability index in Latin America and the Caribbean, which, like us, are facing fragmentation by hydropower projects and abstraction of water. There has been a 45 per cent species decline in Asia and Australia. It is high time we begin taking our responsibility towards the environment seriously, if not for the sake of the creatures we are supposed to share it with but for our own selfish selves. Because we may force the hapless species that inhabit this Earth into a corner because of our careless actions but in the end we will have to pay with our lives too. Water, essential for life, will become scarcer if we continue to destroy our riverine systems, wetlands and oceans. As it is we have become a water-stressed world. As more species become extinct, we will face scarcity of food from animal sources and zoonotic diseases like the present Coronavirus and pandemics will become more frequent, killing millions of us each year while destroying the world economy. So it is up to us to decide if we want to continue on this path of self-destruction.

As the Govt becomes busy resuscitating the economy and fighting the pandemic, all environmental initiatives will take a back seat

Fears of the pandemic worsening the already ailing economy of the country are starting to come true as India reported its first fiscal contraction since 1980 and a maiden quarterly Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fall as well. As a spate of lockdowns ravaged the economy even further, the figures said it all. The National Statistical Office (NSO) data showed that India’s GDP contracted by 23.9 per cent in the April-June quarter in comparison to the same period last year. The combined impact of demonetisation, implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime had already decelerated the economy in the last two years, but the current pandemic threatens to bring it to a grinding halt. Some of the biggest sectors are in a dismal state. The construction sector, for instance, is seeing a 50 per cent fall in business activity whereas manufacturing is witnessing a drop of 39 per cent. The hospitality sector, on the other hand, is undergoing a 47 per cent slump. These conditions are not only stoking unemployment and exacerbating poverty but are making it difficult for the common man to get access to quality healthcare. This steep GDP plunge of the last four decades highlights the economic predicament that the nation finds itself in and worryingly these conditions do not bode well for the environment as well.

What makes it worse for India is the fact that there has been no major progress in its Human Development Index (HDI) which can cushion this economic decline. According to the United Nations (UN) 2019 HDI report, India ranks 129th out of 189 nations. This, basically translates to grim social sector development in terms of life expectancy, per capita income and education levels. Past trends show that a better social sector development in India automatically caused increased awareness among people in environmental conservation and conversely when the economy deteriorated, people become more interested in their self-preservation and less concerned with the state of the environment. This is evident by the fact that major environmental movements such as the Narmada Bachao Andolan or protests against the Tehri Dam projects happened while the economy was in the midst of changing gears and not going through a slump.

To many observers, it may appear as though the slowdown may have eased the voracious demands of a burgeoning economy on natural resources, thereby giving the environment a much-deserved break. But this is a short-term gain because in the long-term the very initiatives that are taken to fight climate change, cope with greenhouse gas emissions and tackle pollution problems are all based on the functioning of a healthy economy which can fund these activities. In the absence of a sustainable source of finances, much of the environmental conservation initiatives in India would just drift and make no progress. As the Government becomes increasingly busy in resuscitating the economy on the one hand and fighting the pandemic on the other, environmental concerns and related initiatives will get junked.

Another aspect that will hit the environment is the fact that there will be an inevitable drop in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of India Inc. Thanks to a dwindling economy, most of the cash- starved businesses are struggling to meet their monthly wage bills, let alone divert funds for CSR initiatives. This translates into a double whammy for the environment as Government-funded projects are poised to slow down and CSR projects, too, are unlikely to be accorded budgets and priority. This sudden paucity of finances, coupled with the stringent social distancing norms and lockdown conditions, can stop many environmental projects in their tracks. This is unfortunate as the considerable progress made so far would be rendered futile.

Given the direct relationship between the economic slump and environmental deterioration, it is essential for the Government to decouple both aspects in the best interests of the environment. In its effort to decouple the economic downturn and its impact on the environment, the Government must build on the initial advantages the slowdown provided the environment. The relief to the environment on account of lesser exploitation of natural resources and pollution generated must be coupled with specific economic initiatives that are directed towards generating employment in the environment conservation sector. This will address two problems in one go: That of addressing unemployment as well as conserving the environment.

Similarly, for those marginal and micro, small and medium enterprises that have gone bankrupt due to COVID-19, the Government can offer a fresh lease of life by announcing special financial, technical and infrastructural support packages if they choose to restart business activities in the renewable energy sector or any environment conservation-related one. Every dark cloud has a silver lining, and so does the current economic crisis, provided the latent opportunity for environment conservation is spotted and leveraged. If this is not done, the environment will suffer the same way the economy already is bleeding. 

 (The writer is an environmental journalist)

Just by managing their care based on financial help, you cannot assume hundred percent execution of, and exemption from, your duties

According to the Population Census of 2011, there are nearly 104 million elderly people (aged 60 years or above) in India, which has a ratio of 53 million women and 51 million men. A report released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) and HelpAge India suggests that the number of elderly is expected to grow to 173 million by 2026, which is roughly, 18 crore by the next seven years. That’s just a figure, though scary enough to tell the story of the challenge we have right in front of us: Our elders and our responsibilities towards them. Today, the world is facing an unprecedented crisis caused by an invisible virus, which has the worst impact on the elderly. However, this susceptibility is not just limited to the Coronavirus as their immunity gets compromised as they age.

I would specifically like to draw attention to the elderly in Himachal Pradesh as I belong to that beautiful State. The number of elderly people in Himachal is growing very fast. According to a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report, Himachal has seven lakh people aged 60 years or more, which is 10.2 percent of the total population of the State, higher than the national average of 8.6 percent. The elderly population in Himachal is projected to grow at a rate of 3.1 percent annually and is expected to reach 1.1 million by 2026, which will be about 15 percent of its total population by that year. A whopping 90 percent of the population lives in rural areas, so it can be said that an increasing elderly population is a major phenomenon in the rural areas of Himachal.

The significant thing here is that this elderly population is equally distributed in these districts. As per Census 2011, Hamirpur has 13.8 percent of the total population of the elderly, followed by Bilaspur (11.9 percent), Kangra (11.7 percent) and Auna (11.5 percent). Solan and Sirmaur (8 percent) have the lowest proportion of the elderly. About three-quarters of the elderly (71 percent) live with their family members and they play an important role in family decisions such as arranging social and religious events, buying household items and property. If we look at the lockdown that was imposed for more than 100 days to deal with the Corona epidemic in a positive light, then it has given us an unprecedented opportunity to communicate and commune with the elders.

Things like sitting with them, listening to their experiences, eating together may seem to be insignificant or too small but through these, we are seeing the social institution called family strengthened in society. Recently, in an online discussion held by the Dadi Dada Foundation, a not-for-profit social organisation working for the rights of the elderly in India, I put forth some points that can help create a good environment in society for the elderly. Give them your time: First, increase communication with the elderly and spend time with them. Often we leave the elders to live in their own world. Even if they want to say something, we tend to ignore it. This leads to a communication gap, which further gives rise to many psychological complexes in them and that creates social disorder.

Discharge your duties towards them: Fulfil your duties towards the elderly and give them care and service. The obligation is to fulfill the moral and social needs of the elderly. Do not forget that to make you reach this point in life, they have discharged small responsibilities by depriving themselves of many worldly satisfactions. Learn the rites, rituals and values from the elders and adopt them for life. Our children spend so much time on their mobile phones, gadgets and so on but taking out time for grandparents is not one of their priorities. Motivate children to receive values from their grandparents. But first of all, apply these morals to your lives as you can teach children more from your actions than words.

Make them your role model: Share the achievements of the elderly when you talk to the young ones in your family. Today, our society lacks role models. We continue to seek role models in movies and books. Whereas in every household youngsters can be inspired by the achievements of their elders, from their real life experiences and hard work. Take them along through the changes in life: Often the elderly are left out because of the rapid changes occurring in our lifestyles. To deal with that, we must include the elders in our lifestyle changes. Often we assume that they would not be interested in technology, fashion and social media and so on. However, it is not like that. At one time, our elders were the drivers of change in their generation. So we need to introduce them to changes in technology, lifestyle, innovation, social media and fashion in our generation.

Take advantage of their experience: Take suggestions from them at every turn of life. Later, it depends upon you whether you fully accept their advice or not. But certainly, their experience will enrich your decision-making process. Experience-based on age cannot be acquired from a book, so take their opinion whenever there is confusion or a new turn in your life. You will see that some positive solution will always come out of the conversation to the challenge you are facing. Don’t leave them alone: Today, the biggest challenge for the elderly is increasing loneliness and mental depression. In the metropolitan cities in their pursuit of material things, children are lagging in the discharge of their duties towards the parents and grandparents.

Just by managing their care based on financial help, you cannot assume hundred percent execution of, and exemption from, your duties. After the birth of a child, until he/she begins to speak and walk, the presence of the mother is indispensable for the kid. In the same way, elders expect the same affection and intimacy from their children after a time. Financial support is a must: As age progresses, the needs and preferences of the elderly change. They will have to be provided with financial security for every requirement including medicines, treatment, food and clothes. Support them financially if they are not independent and get banking services and facilities for those who have pension and other social security assistance from the Government or other organisations.

Do keep in mind that the elderly are the pillars of our society. The stronger we make them, the stronger the all-round development of our society and nation will be. For the welfare and care of the elderly, we must protect the already existing social support systems and traditional social institutions such as the family and kinship, neighbourhood bonding, community bonding and community participation. Recently we celebrated Senior Citizen’s Day and Ganesh Chaturthi. Remember the mythological story of Ganesha? To prove his superiority, Ganesha’s brother Karthik went off on a journey of the three worlds while Ganesha simply circumambulated his parents. When asked why he did so, he answered that his parents Shiva and Parvati constituted the three worlds and thus he was given the fruit of knowledge. Do give your parents and grandparents that status in life.

(The writer is General Manager, Corporate Communications, with Power Grid Corporation of India)

Apart from conventional teachers we have some unorthodox ones amid us now who must get recognition and appreciation

We have different categories of teachers, depending upon the  stages in our lives and the vocations we pursue. So, we have school teachers, lecturers, professors, research guides, trainers, instructors, tutors, coaches, mentors and so on. However, we have another set of teachers who don’t qualify in the strict sense, yet impart valuable lessons. The most important among them are parents. The foundations of intellectual, emotional and ethical grooming in a child are laid at home by the parents. In a joint family even grandparents play a positive roles as guides.

Again, at workplaces, bosses, seniors, corporate leaders are another set of educators. Equipped with knowledge, skills, expertise and experience, they often act as advisors, counsellors or mentors and help their juniors and colleagues progress in their careers.

Then, we have religious and spiritual gurus who preach from the scriptures and holy texts and offer guidance to their disciples and others on how to lead life well. However, apart from these obvious ones, we have some unorthodox and unconventional teachers amid us now who must get recognition and appreciation.

Children: In the digital age, it is important to be familiar with new age systems, processes and apps. Be it the smartphone, internet, video-conferencing/chatting, video games and other modern gadgets, we need to learn their operations to use them. These learnings help in vital activities like money transfer, booking tickets, ordering food or non-food items, or viewing streaming channels, all of which are now increasingly done online. In adaptation to new learnings, age being a factor, children have a distinct edge. They quickly adapt and learn. Their aptitude, familiarity and knowledge of the digital and online platforms are now much in demand at home, all the more during the lockdown. As digital tutors, they offer lessons to their grandparents, parents and senior citizens to make them digital savvy. Indeed, without their hand-holding, many of the older generation find themselves handicapped in adjusting to the virtual space.

Social media: We have been used to learning the dos and don’ts from the traditional set of teachers, professional or otherwise. Now WhatsApp, Facebook and so on are potent learning platforms where we get free advice on topics ranging from money, health, nutrition, fitness, to culinary arts, home décor, farming to even immunity boosting during the pandemic. The medium being popular, all these tips and learnings are widely read, shared and followed. The social media platform, as a teacher, is helping us to learn and share information. The only caveat is the tips or instructions need to be followed by us with fact-checks, particularly in the matter of health.

Siri and Alexa: Digital Voice Assistants like Siri and Alexa are the new teachers in the digital sphere. Like a friend, kids can unhesitatingly ask anything they want to know from Siri and Alexa. Not surprising, devices with Digital Voice Assistants are being installed even in remote tribal areas to infuse fun and excitement in learning and improve school enrolments. In smart classrooms, the Digital Voice Assistants act as the teacher. In the future, such devices and AI-assisted humanoid robots, as smart, interesting and trendy teachers, are likely to gain more popularity among children and schools.

Nature: Mother Nature has always been part of our existence. But we have forgotten to look at nature as a “healer” and “teacher” up until recently. Now, with the adverse effects of climate change ravaging us, coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic, we are realising the hard way the critical importance of nature as our sustainer, healer and teacher. In the collective confinement, we found to our great relief how nature is our constant friend and can lift our hearts and give us so much joy. It would indeed have been much tougher to deal with the pandemic, hadn’t nature been around us.

Nature teaches us the rhythms and cycles of life, selfless giving, continuous growth and generation, and the essence of sustainability, harmony and oneness. It also teaches us to consume wisely and responsibly. Now in close communion with nature, thankfully, we have discovered a friend, philosopher and guide.

Pandemic: Life itself is a teacher and we always knew that. But now, a catastrophe unleashed by the Coronavirus is teaching us novel lessons in life. Starting from coping with crippled businesses, loss of livelihood to handling enforced loneliness, an emotional see-saw, topsy-turvy routines, we are learning unique lessons and reinventing ourselves. The crisis has taught us to appreciate nature, create new networks, leverage the virtual world, look for new engagements, explore new hobbies, pursue passions, experiment with new ways and ideas, act collectively for the common good, and, last but not the least, to have a better world view and perspective. Welcome to all these unconventional teachers.

(The writer is former General Manager, Bank of India, Learning and Development and an author)