I consider myself truly fortunate to be a teacher and to have the privilege of interacting with my students, even at this stage of my life. It's a joy to attend student-related functions, to meet my former students, and reminisce about their college days. Who else gets to enjoy such an extraordinary opportunity? I feel lucky that some of my students invite me to their important events, and I rarely miss these fantastic opportunities. Recently, I had the pleasure of such an experience when Shri Vedamurthy Chakrapani Udupa, one of my B.Com students from Vijaya College, Mulki, where I taught him in 1988, called to invite me to attend the Janma Nakshatra Shanti Homa, celebrated on 6th July 2024, at his temple. Chakrapani is now the main priest of Kunjur Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple near Paniyadi, Udupi. I immediately assured him that I would be there. On that Saturday, after participating in the Doctoral Advisory Meeting of Mrs. Shwetha Pai, one of my PhD students at the Institute...
We must attend certain family functions, as the family is a web of social relationships that binds us. I recently attended the Sahasra Chandra Darshana celebration for my niece's uncle, who resides in Kamala Nagar, Bangalore. As planned, I reserved my seat on the Panchaganga Express, which connects Bangalore and Karwar. I embarked on my journey to Bangalore on the 12th of July at 8:45 pm from Manipal, with my son, Dr. Arun Mayya, accompanying me to Udupi Railway Station. The train arrived at Udupi station at 9:20 pm. Travelling on the Panchaganga Express was an excellent experience. It is known for its scenic route, convenience, comfort, punctuality, and reliability. The train's arrival time in Bangalore at 7:15 am is particularly convenient. True to its reputation, the train reached KSR Bangalore on time. I settled into the retiring room to freshen up, and after having breakfast at the Bangalore Railway Station, I made my way to Namma Metro at 9:30 am to head towards Rajaji ...
Quality within any educational institution is fundamentally determined by the people who work there; it cannot be imposed solely by top management or the Vice Chancellor. Furthermore, labelling the entire system as corrupt is inconsistent if we, as stakeholders, continue to support or enable such corruption. When I learned of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arresting professors from reputed institutes for allegedly inflating grades, I could not help but think that these interventions should have occurred a decade ago. During my tenure as a NAAC Peer Team Coordinator in one of the colleges, I witnessed a commendable stance taken by Dr. Vijay Joshi, former Principal of K. J. Somaiya College of Science and Commerce, who accompanied me as a member of the NAAC Peer Team. He supported my view and informed the college management that the team would not accept any favours, including the customary shawls or mementoes. This reminded me of a similar principle my research guide, Dr. ...
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