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A recent news article in the Times of India revealed that almost 50% academic positions in India's higher learning institutes are lying vacant!! Imagine what it means to the quality of education and research? No wonder we are happy churning out routine mediocre workers, not thought leaders and innovators.  Despite such a wide gap in the availability and demand of qualified teaching professionals, the governing authority - University Grants Commission still imposes outdated restrictions on who can be appointed as teaching faculty in its affiliated colleges and institutes. I had successfully cleared the UGC-NET examination way back in 2014, but have been denied NET certificate till date. Why? Simply because I chose as my subject Labour Laws and Personnel Management, and not English (my graduation subject). With experience in HR and training and requisite diplomas, I love to teach these subjects, and hence wanted to clear my NET for further opportunities. However, no amount of ...

This is not a sensation-seeking post on the lurid details of the Hindi film actress Sridevi's sudden, unexpected demise. She went away too soon, just at the peak of her acting abilities. Her mature, assured performance in her last films - English Vinglish and Mom, could give any world actress a run for her money. It's a terrible tragedy that has befallen her family, and her fans all over the world. What I feel must be addressed in the unrealistic expectations we place on our idols, particularly screen idols. Since she was a beautiful sex symbol in her youth, "the first female superstar" in India, the weight of fan expectations fell even more on her, and to a certain extent on her successors, Madhuri Dixit, Karisma Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, and the present lot of actresses. We expect these women to be ever beautiful, ever enchanting, always scintillating with their presence and attitude. They should forever look perfectly turned out, wearing the best designers, spo...