When Greatness congruent simplicity

As part of official work, I got an opportunity to meet Swasthishri Jagadguru Charukeerthi Swamiji with my Vice Principal Rev. Dr.Augustine George and my colleague Dr. Sridhar. This meeting took me to a new realm of truth about life and living and could create a deep impression in my ordinary life. We three were part of a lengthy spiritual discourse led by Swamiji, and he enlightened us about the Jain philosophy of three bodies in oneself, the one inherited from our previous birth, another one given to us by our parents and nurtured by food and water and the last one that prepares us for salvation through karma. These philosophical thoughts rekindled in me some genetics I’ve studied like ‘nature and nurture phenomenon’, gene regulations through external and intercellular signals. More than what I’ve learned in the past, the discourse offered a new insight, the vision of cosmos ‘microcosm vs. macrocosm’, and taught me the significance of having a holistic sense through philosophical foundations, and also the state of incompetence when you overspecialize.

Thank you, Dr. Sridhar and Rev. Dr. Augustine George for bestowing me this unforgettable experience.

Saluting My Great Master

We have seen many leaders who spearhead innovations, leaders who have authored sagas of achievements, and leaders who could built infallible batteries of followers to defend and sometimes surpass the legacy they’ve created in their leadership span. What makes Rev. Fr. Josekutty PD different, is not his academic wisdom nor is his rock solid faith, but his unique vision to see the unnoticed in the team, readiness to empower and refine them, instill confidence in them to realize that they too have a bigger role to play in the system. Yes, he is a true mentor to many of us, a Mahaguru who could instill positive vibes on the people around him and could transform the lives of myriad students and teachers. A father figure, who toils for the wellbeing of his students, teachers and everyone associated with him. His retirement as the Principal of Kristu Jayanti College is marking an end of an eventful academic epoch in our college, and as a disciple of this great personality, I wish him all the best for his new role. Personally, I owe a lot to this towering personality in the building of my career as a teacher.

Kristu Jayanti follows a green trail to empower an eco-friendly generation

‘Sustainable development’ and ‘ecofriendly’ are not just fashionable terms, as they used to be in the past. Today’s environment reality is forcing us to implement sustainability policies as a basic requirement for human survival. Earlier the problems associated with the environmental degradations were projected as futuristic, and the strategies to combat these issues were confined to awareness campaigns and legislation. Now it has reached a stage where we have to think beyond the awareness programs, as we are already hit with numerous health and climatic issues for our misdeeds with Mother Nature. This alarming situation has changed the dimension of environmental education in the world. Schools and Universities have taken a keen interest in initiating green practices in their campuses for developing ‘eco- consciousness’ among the children and youth, as they will be facing more environmental challenges shortly. Kristu Jayanti College, an autonomous institution affiliated to Bengaluru North University is no exception and is becoming increasingly proactive on green issues. This institution believes in preserving the planet for the next generation and has implemented myriad environmental strategies to inculcate environmental consciousness among its students and also to the local community to which it is part. Recently, the college was rated as a Green Campus and certified with the ‘GOLD RATING’ from All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in collaboration with the International Institute of Waste Management (IIWM). “We think beyond classroom lectures on environmental conservation, and want to educate the future generation as practicing individuals. They should get the ‘real experience’ of sustainable practices when they are on the campus, and that is going to transform them from an educated individual to one who is practicing it’ says Rev. Fr. Josekutty PD, Campus Director. He is also of the opinion that the prime thrust of education is societal transformation and believes that environmental conservation is a major societal concern. Therefore the future generation should be inculcated with green practices to cope up with the reality. He also feels that what students have learned at the college will have a long-lasting impact on their lives. This NAAC ‘A’ accredited and nationally reputed institution’s nine acres of campus envisages various eco-friendly practices that provide living lessons to its students. It includes: Rainwater harvesting and water conservation The college has rooftop harvesting facility, and through which around 50 lakh liters of water is collected in tanks with a total capacity of fifty thousand litres. First Flush is done before storing and the collected water is filtered using charcoal to clean silt and other material deposited on the roof during dry seasons. This collected water is transported to the required areas through well- maintained water pipelines and is used for cleaning and toiletry purposes on the campus, and by having sensors taps and tap aerators in the toilets, the water wastage is minimized in the toilets. These unique water conservation methods have brought water self-sufficiency to the institution. Above all, an experiential lesson to its students. Solar energy harvesting and energy conservation With the help of solar panels installed on the rooftops of the buildings on the campus, the college is harvesting an average of 50 kilowatts of electricity in a day. This eco-friendly method of photo-voltaic conversion minimizes the dependency on the government for power supply. To minimize power consumption, the college has an ecofriendly design with huge natural openings for lighting and air circulation and depends on LED bulbs and sensor lights for interior lightings. Moreover, the college has tie-up with BESCOM in sharing the power generated within the campus and gives back unused energy during off days. Furthermore, the college provides charging facilities for electric vehicles and transportation within the campus is maintained through eco-friendly modes like electric cars and bicycles, eliminating individual carbon footprints. Floral biodiversity and Floral Conservation in the campus To have a first-hand understanding of the wilderness in the campus, the environment club with its volunteers conducted a bio survey of the campus and identified two hundred species of plants belonging to 75 families. These details are clearly labeled for the benefit of the students and the list includes indigenous trees and 80 species of medicinal plants which are part of student research projects. “This venture of identifying species in the campus enabled our students to have an understanding of the campus biodiversity, and the significance of conserving the same.” says Dr. A.L. Calistus Jude, Dean, Faculty of Sciences, who spearheads this movement in the college. Besides this, the college with the help of CSA (Center for Social Activity) and Environment club volunteers with the support of civic authorities has planted saplings in the college and nearby localities for promoting conservational activities within and outside the territory of the college. “Here we are refreshed with many green ideas and are in many pro-environment schemes, this ambience rejuvenates and takes us forward to build a clean and green city ”adds Mr.Nitin Priju John, an active member of the college environment club. Waste disposal and ecological conservation Kristu Jayanti College has an effective waste disposal system where the waste is segregated at source and disposed of in the right manner. Separate colored bins are kept at the required places for this kind of waste categorization, training students to segregate the waste and reminding them of the consequences of non-segregated wastes. “The college has a unique method of collecting e-waste from students once in a year and transferring them to agencies for recycling them. This practice has made our students understand the detrimental consequences of e-waste and its role in health hazards” says Rev. Dr. Augustine George, Principal of the College, who masterminds the e- waste management in the college along with the implementation of green pedagogy. In addition to this, there is a Sewage Treatment Plant (SPT) with a capacity of 90 KLD, which can water all the flora in the campus and a Vermicomposting Plant to provide manure for the plants in the campus. The presence of a Biogas Plant on the campus supports the cooking needs of the faculty quarters. Besides these, the college has a MoU with ITC Limited for paper waste management and is recycling the waste paper produced on the campus through examination and other academic purposes. Every year, ITC accolades the dry waste recycling initiatives of the institution with certificates. In addition to these, the college has got many green plans in the pipeline like Green Auditing, Carbon footprinting, and Energy Audit for sustainable development. “Our institution is open to innovative ideas which can transform the society, and the ASSOCHAM award for best college in South India at the Higher Education Summit and National Excellence awards 2016 is a recognition for these efforts “ Says Rev. Fr. Lijo P Thomas, Financial Administrator of the college and also one of the architects behind this conducive learning environment. Most of the environmental problems presently faced by men are directly or indirectly triggered by the exploitation of the environment and societal negligence about environmental education. Environmental education goes beyond providing students with simple information about environmental issues, as defined in the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education (NAAEE, 2001). In Kristu Jayanti College, this NAAEE’s approach is followed to build an ecologically prosperous society, which is fulfilled through an innovative curriculum synergized with green practices to inculcate eco-consciousness among its student community. And these green practices are reorienting the students towards a holistic education which will enable them to face the environmental challenges of the future decades.

Quest for Knowledge Never Ends

Lifelong education is often accomplished through distance learning. The realization that formal learning, typically concentrated up to the age of twenty five, can no longer sustain the knowledge requirements of the individuals throughout their life, comes true in the case of Shri. Dharam Bir Raj Vohra.


Shri. D. B. Vohra, 81 year old, who has registered as a MBA student under the Directorate of Distance Education; Sikkim Manipal University at the Media Features (India) Pvt. Ltd (Learning Center, Delhi) is an active lawyer in Supreme Court.

Shri D.B. Vohra hails from Khushab town (presently in Pakistan) and later shifted to Calcutta because of familial reasons, where he took his intermediate in science course and first job assignment in construction major Larsen & Toubro Limited in 1948. Then, joined City College, Commerce Department and passed the B.Com Examination of the Calcutta University in 1950. Later on, completed the LLB degree course from The Law (now K.C. Law) College, Bombay affiliated to the University of Bombay.

In 1964, he entered into the profession of law after obtaining a diploma in International Law from the Indian Society of International Law and Diplomacy, and passed the Advocate-on-Record Examination held by the Supreme Court of India in June, 1967. He initially practised mainly in Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi and Delhi High Court.

“No hassles in Joining SMU DDE Programs” says D.B. Vohra

“The reason for my joining the course through Sikkim Manipal University is that there are no hassles in joining. The course material is well structured, and is taught with the help of slides prepared by the University as well as the faculty of the Center” said D.B. Vohra, octogenarian, who is very much enthused with the learning environment. He also added that the motivation to join the course is the desire to be a role model, primarily to the family members and others as his belief is that the nation is an aggregate of individuals and, in order to acquire and maintain leadership in knowledge economy, everyone should strive very hard to get trained and educated.

Tara Zameen Par, Giving one Parenting Insights

The movie, Tare Zameen Par, gives a BIG lesson to everyone; just accept each other for who and what they are…I am good, so are you! . Tare Zameen Par is about a child who suffers because no one around him recognizes that he suffers from dyslexia. The most penetrating aspect of the movie is it’s novelty in the craft. It emotionally carries one into the core theme through good actors, music and plots. It also points a very subtle finger at how we mould our kids with our perception, without really understanding them what they are and what they want from us.

In this Competitive world fortified with the philosophy “Survival of the fittest”, every one happily justifies one‘s selfish strategies to measure success in terms of money and social status. To be Frank, How many of us know our children’s heartfelt dreams, their heroes……… and “trivial” aspects like that. Like the song in the movie “Mein kabhi batlaata nahi”. How long we are going to be like this

St. Mary's Isles

St. Mary's isles are group of islands accessible by ferry from Malpe. Vascoda Gama appears to have touched the island in 1498 before he reached Calicut. The Islands are just a few scattered projections of rock rising out of the Arabian Sea round about Malpe. The northern most island is about a square mile in area and not more than 250 yards in width. It has a coconut garden, which makes it the shadiest isle of the group and gives it a true south sea color.
It is noted for its famous basalt rocks, which have crystallized into columns and split into hexagonal mosaic. Perhaps, this is the only spot in India where basaltic rocks show up such peculiar formations. The isles hold out possibilities of being developed into a holiday resort if only a weekend launch service and tourist facilities are arranged.
How to reach there:
From Malpe many fishing boaters provide service of carrying and bringing back the visitors. It is advised that visitors should carry drinking water and food items with them, as there is no facility at island.

Gometeshwara stands tall over Dakshina Kannada

Gometeshwara statue, 42 feet, monolithic, installed in 1432 AD by Vir Pandya of the Santara family. About 30 kms from udupi, the statue stands on a rocky hillock. Today it stands out as a sign of Jain’s architectural excellence in Dakshina Kannada.
The Jain religion is contemporary of Buddhism, believes in cycle of rebirths and consequently regards life as painful, longing for liberation, and came to Karnataka four centuries before the Christian era. The Gangas, Kadamba, Chalukyas and Hoysala kings had encouraged the Jainism. They have left innumerable shrines, Basadis, Gomata statues and stambhas (pillars).
In 1437 AD a Brahmadeva Stambha was set up in front of Gommata. The sculpture of Brahma on the top of the pillar is an example of excellent workmanship.On the base of the hillock on which “Gometeshwara” is installed, you can find the Chaturmukha Basadi of Karkala. It has four identical entrances in four directions. The garbhagriha has the standing statues of Ara, Malli, and Suyrata. In addition images of 24 Teerthakaras, Yakshi Padmavati could be found.
What’s more interesting about this place, with its deserted and forlorn look, entices anyone interested in stones to have monologues with monuments, and fills one with an ethereal feeling of liberation.