Subhman Gill would lead India in Tests with England. Rishab Pant would be his deputy. A new era begins.
Astrophysicist, cosmologist Padma Vibhushan Dr Jayant V Narlikar, 86 [19 July 1938 – 20 May 2025] rests.
Education is a subject of local, state and central governments. Now, Free Education is a right of every child aged 6 to 14. Early childhood education [nursery upwards, foundational, pre-primary} to primary [preparatory to upper primary [middle] to secondary including intermediate to higher education; vocational. We have several challenges, in terms of – access, quality, learning outcomes, dropouts, employability, and relevance/usefulness. Urban centres have majority private schools, and in rural areas too, private schools are increasing, right now probably at 30% level. We still do not have many open schools. It is still not an option for most to study at home and take direct examinations in Class 10 or so, like Andhra Matric. Open Universities offer degree admission, for anyone to take an eligibility test. One can opt for multiple degrees, postgraduate degrees, etc. Distance and lifelong learning institutes have come up. Yet, employability with dignity has become a challenge.
Today, we have more than 1000 Universities, and 50,000 colleges in the country. Yet, they are inadequate.
I have no clear memory of maternal cousins and how they fared in academics and careers. Siblings and paternal cousins have transcended into middle class – as educators; as senior government servants; as entrepreneurs. Education made this difference.
The rural education landscape in the 1960s, 70s did not have pre-school – nursery, anganwadi, or kindergarten. All this was the responsibility of the family or the village. Schools were just Telugu Medium schools. Maybe in 6/7, I was sent to a private tutor to begin ‘schooling’ in Gundrampally. In a few months, I was enrolled in the local primary school with classes 1-3. I was admitted in Class 2, in the middle of the school academic year. My grandfather, father’s father, expired in March or so, in Sunkenpally, our native village, 3+ kilometers away. Family shifted there and I had to come to school in Gundrampally from there daily. In the final examinations in Class 2, may be as a consequence of all this, I could not pass. The school, in its kindness, promoted me to Class 3. Then onwards, I did not do badly. Always class first, whatever that meant.
As I passed Class 3, the school upgraded to upper primary school, to have Class 4. Likewise, it happened till I entered Class 7. The school was a makeshift school from a Neem Godown. No class division walls. The school did not have enough teachers, although there were a good number of students coming from habitations around. For example, in Class 7, we had 5 teachers. Each teacher was taking multiple subjects. Class 2 and 3, Class 4 and 5 were together. Teachers used to split time between the classes. The school offered some free textbooks, uniforms to some. There were mid-day meals, mostly ‘american’ rava upma. A semblance of a library. The school added sports, drawing and arts. Events included. Drama, cultural, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities were included. The school increased class hours beyond the school timings. The school added free tuition by seniors and teachers, maybe another hour or two every day. The school sent teachers to students’ homes to check on their studies. Then, the school offered residential tuition. Girls could go home at night. Boys used to get up in the morning, go home, walk/cycle 3 km away, and come to school with a 20-21 hour shift. Sometimes even if we were sick/ill.
In hindsight, they were fine teachers and grateful that they gave their 150% and more to teaching us, making us learn under extremely trying circumstances. Damodar Reddy, our headmaster, was the finest. Others include: Pandurangachari, Narayana Raju, Veera Reddy, and Venkat Reddy. No laboratories, only some show pieces. It was co-education nevertheless, with a mere 10% girls in the class. By Class 7 time, we were just 20 in total in the class, and 2 were girls – Uma and Uma Rani. My other classmates include: Vinod, Ramachary, Sattaiah, Narsireddy, Mallesham, Bhupal, Upender, Janamejaya, Kashaiah, Anjaiah, Ramesh, Yadagiri, Venkat, Sanjeev, and Umar.
After Class 7, the school did not get further upgrades. And we had to go and take admissions in the high schools nearby. Most of my classmates went and enrolled in Veliminedu Zilla Parishad High School. But I did not. Maybe, my father thought this would be automatic; and it did not occur to him that we need to act on this proactively. It became clear that I was not having admission at Veliminedu, my father could succeed in me getting enrolled in Class 8 at Choutuppal School. Some 50-60 days late. I was staying in a family friend’s home at Choutuppal and going to school.
We had a common examination in Class 7. Our school did not do badly, vis-à-vis other established schools; it did rather well. Since some of us have scored well, we were invited to write the entrance examination of Sarvail Gurukulam school (AP Residential School). By September 1976, Sarvail gave me a call for admission. I came to know later that I got an all Telangana second rank/mark in the entrance. I had to take transfer from Choutuppal to Sarvail. This was a game changer. It made all the difference in making us what we are today. It is difficult to imagine, if this was not to be. This was followed by going to Nagarjuna Sagar Residential Junior College. Sarvail discovered me as a ‘genius’ in mathematics. It gave me Mathematical Olympiad medal. It gave me All India second rank in National Talent Search. As a result, may be destiny – some of us could miss the tortuous paths of going forward: taking a job in postal department; joining in a polytechnic or an ITI; not doing well in intermediate in English Medium, studying in a city, away from the family et al; doing odd jobs to survive and study in parallel.
From Sagar, it was to NIT (then REC) Warangal, to IRMA, into K-School and tribal communities, into 7L for N. For being useful, relevant. Can we persist, till last minute? Can we rediscover ourselves now and get going?
Can we smile, listen a little longer, and remember subtle details heard-listened? Can we converse quietly, deeply, and intensely? Like Krsna with Krsna. Can we let ourselves open up, maybe slowly, in trust? Can we let us laugh without restraint, hope for more, and be kind? Can we let ourselves be safe and open at the same time? Can we let us look at possibilities, growing together, staying, and breathing together? Seeing the sunrise and sunset. Living, loving, learning, leading, and following. Attuned. Communicating at system-deep level, in sync, in resonance, riding waves of experience together, severally, but moving as one being.
Can we be at it nurturing our agency – practicing with our body, heart, mind, and soul?
Yes, we can. If we coexist, flowing. Being attuned with ourselves. In N? ‘paravasa’yoga for 7L.