The impacts of rupee weakening

The sharp devaluation of the Indian rupee is driven by capital outflows, higher import costs, and a policy shift by the RBI; structural issues such as rising domestic prices and real exchange rate appreciation further complicate the recovery of net export

India’s education system must adapt better to the real world out there

Students must be prepared for what they’ll actually face in their work lives. Even MBAs. Apprenticeship-based learning offers a way out. But for that, India’s educational mindset must shift

Teaching children isn’t easy: it takes a lot more than most of us realize

The profession requires the development of capacities that go far beyond just technical expertise. In many ways, it is uniquely demanding

Viksit Bharat@2047: governance transformed

This work stands as a testament to the visionary generosity of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, whose steadfast commitment to advancing public administration reforms in India provided both the inspiration and foundation for these pages to take shap

Chalk out - a student-led edzine: Rungs to your ladder, 9

The theme, ‘Rungs to Your Ladder’; there is no one step or one person or a singular experience that transforms one's journey but a complex network of all of these. We all are climbing our own unique ladders which can act as rungs for others’ ladders. A student might consider that one teacher was the most significant ladder in their life journey, but what we often miss is that the teacher too has rungs to her own ladder, and her time and interactions in school contributes to the ladder. That interaction added a rung to both the teacher and student's ladder as they crossed paths, making an intricate web of shared moments and learnings. Our journeys are deeply interconnected; every time we cross paths with someone, we exchange some part of ourselves with the other

Understanding a circle through paper folding

How can a paper folding activity help to approximate and understand a circle? Read on to find out the author's experience with Class 4 students

Round and round: Mathematics through number wheels

An important part of learning elementary mathematics is mastering basic number operations such as addition, and subtraction. While repetition and practice are essential, finding creative and engaging ways to reinforce these skills can make learning more enjoyable and effective. One of the classical materials that can be used for this is number wheels —a classical, playful and interactive teaching-learning tool that can transform number operations into experiential activities. Number wheels are particularly useful for young learners who are building their foundational skills, but they can also be adapted to challenge more advanced students. This article will guide you through creating and using three variations of number wheels to practice and master addition. This is intended for students who have understood multi-digit addition with the help of manipulatives such as bundles and sticks

Fond recollections, bittersweet memories, or markers of a forgotten past? Uncultivated foods in rural Chintamani, Karnataka (Working Paper No. 27)

Some experts consider “food” as the most critical issue of the 21st century. Countries such as India are experiencing what has been described as a triple burden of malnutrition – characterised by high prevalence of undernutrition, obesity, and micro-nutrient deficiency. These are a result of inadequate access to healthy foods, increased use of highly processed foods, and low dietary diversity, besides factors related to sanitation. Changes in the practice of agriculture has resulted in a reduction in agrobiodiversity. The challenges to accessing food during shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic and conflicts in various parts of the world demonstrated the importance of local food security and reminded people of the importance of local food sources, including uncultivated or wild foods. There is ample literature on the contribution and types of uncultivated foods in various parts of the world, across high-income and low-income countries, in urban and rural areas. Research has also tried to characterise these foods, their nutritive value, and more recently, their potential role in sustainable diets. Furthermore, scholars have discussed the importance of local foods as part of culture, increasingly seeing foods as a political expression of identity. The recently introduced food environment framework (studying the interface between the food systems and the consumer) has also been used to better describe people’s food options and choices. Given this background, we sought to understand the role of uncultivated foods in the communities living in the diverse landscapes of Chintamani taluk of Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka. Elderly people from ten panchayats in Chintamani from various castes recollected their life situations from over fifty years ago, their experiences of hunger and poverty, and their sources of food from fields, forests, lakes, hills, and forests. They described the practices of collecting uncultivated foods, preparing them, and their taste. They reflected on changes in food consumption and their life situations, and how the use of uncultivated foods has reduced. We discuss how the changes in foods consumed are linked to socio-ecological changes. We add to the argument that uncultivated foods should be considered more seriously in deliberations on food policy, in relation to dietary diversity and strengthening local food systems