Monthly Archives October 2014

When one talks about a civilization’s ability to influence and attract other cultures,one name is a constant through out all recorded history . That name is India. I refer to India as a civilization as the soft power (Soft power is a concept developed by Joseph Nye of Harvard University to describe the ability to attract and co-opt rather than coerce, use force or give money as a means of persuasion) exerted by our culture and traditions predates the concept of the Indian nation state.

In this era of globalization and instant connectivity, few aspects of the Indian story come rushing to the mind.

Cinema and Television

The glitzy song and dance sequences of Indian cinema have enthralled audiences all over the world...

A few days back I was approached by my superiors at work inquiring about my availability for a short trip to National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra. I was supposed to be part of a campus recruitment panel. I thought about it for sometime and then confirmed my availability. I must admit, I wasn’t very excited to go. I routinely take interviews for open positions here. Though, they are important, I do not find them terribly exciting.

The trip,however, turned out to be quite the opposite. The drive to Kurukshetra is a short one. But on the way lies Murthal – the mecca of Tandoori paranthas and a most visit for any food lover. The interviews turned out to be quite interesting as well. The excitement and anticipation among the students appearing in the interviews was hard to ignore...