Observer and the observed

Over the last few years, working closely with government systems, mentor teachers, psychologists, and classrooms across states, one insight has become very clear to me: The problem in education is not effort. It is direction . Teachers are trying. Systems are trying. But often, we are solving today’s challenges with fragmented approaches missing a deeper foundation that has always existed within our own context. This is where I see the relevance of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS). IKS is often misunderstood as “ancient knowledge” or something that belongs to the past. But in my experience on the ground, it is not about going backward. It is about reconnecting with ways of knowing that are deeply human, contextual, and experiential. When I facilitate life skills sessions or train educators, I notice something interesting: The most powerful moments don’t come from content delivery. They come from reflection, dialogue, storytelling, and shared experience. And that is exactly what IKS ha...

  Sometimes it feels like the system is not asking us for another “program”… the system is asking us for trust . And I feel this every single time I sit with government officers—whether it’s Delhi, Punjab, or Uttarakhand. There is always a quiet heaviness in the room: too much work pressure, too many expectations, and very little time. On top of that, there is a constant “performance” burden—targets, reviews, reports, compliance. Officers are living inside that weight every day. So when a civil society partner enters the system, the system’s first question is not really, “What will you do?” The real question is deeper: Will you understand our reality? Will you stay with us? Will you become one more project that leaves? Because the system is tired of ideas.The system is tired of pilots.The system is tired of fancy words. What the system needs is companionship . It needs saath —someone to walk with it. Most of the time, when civil society partners come in, we come with our best i...

Throughout this year, one question kept showing up in almost every training and workshop—not as formal data, but as a lived context shared by teachers. Nearly every batch had teachers who carried this question with them. And honestly, I never felt it was wrong. It comes from their lived experience. They are the ones who stand in classrooms every day with children. We facilitate trainings and return, leaving behind a space—one where teachers slowly feel ready to go deeper into the question, sometimes in silence, sometimes with discomfort. The question usually sounds like this: “The government provides meals, uniforms, textbooks, and scholarships. Still, children don’t want to come to school. Why? ” As soon as this is said, many teachers nod in agreement. As the conversation moves ahead, some add: “Parents don’t value education.” “They don’t understand the purpose of schooling.” As a facilitator, I placed my own question in that space. I said: “I agree that these provisions exist. But if...

  From Critical Thinking to Empathetic Understanding: A Necessary Shift “Soch viksit karna aasaan hai, samajh viksit karna kathin hai — lekin namumkin nahi.” (Developing thoughts is easy, developing understanding is hard — but not impossible.) This simple yet profound idea captures the essence of the journey from intellect to empathy. For years, critical thinking has been celebrated as the cornerstone of education and leadership. It teaches us how to analyze, evaluate, and question. It sharpens our ability to detect biases, weigh evidence, and make logical decisions. Yet, as vital as this skill is, critical thinking alone cannot take us to the heart of human experience. The Limits of Critical Thinking Critical thinking keeps us alert and rational, but it also has its limits. When applied in isolation, it can make us detached, overly analytical, or even dismissive. A society that values reasoning but neglects empathy risks becoming efficient but emotionally shallow. The capaci...

Conversation and Safe Spaces: The Best Medium to Develop Understanding In teacher capacity-building workshops or trainings, if we truly want to empower teachers or bring about small shifts in them, we need to create more spaces for dialogues or conversation and a safe environment. When we are able to provide such an experience, only then will teachers see themselves as capable and effective in carrying this experience back to their classrooms. Most trainings are such that the PPT becomes the primary medium, limited only to sharing information. The trainer or stakeholder assumes that a training has been “done.” Through pre- and post-tests, it is also concluded that the training went well, because the questions are only based on the information provided. But in this, there is no real space where participants can share: 1. What did they feel? 2. What insights did they gain? 3. With what questions are they leaving this training? Now the question is: 1. Are we able to see or understand whet...

  Change the script 2025 सही मायनों में इसका अर्थ वही गहराई से समझ आया – बदलाव की पुकार। वह बदलाव जिसे हम देखना चाहते हैं , लेकिन उस बदलाव की राह में कुछ लोग पीछे छूट जाते हैं। सवाल यही है – पीछे कौन छूट रहा है ? क्या यह सिस्टम की वजह से है या उन चुनौतियों की वजह से जिन्हें हम लगातार नज़रअंदाज़ करते आ रहे हैं ? युवाओं की कहानियों से निकले नैरेटिव:-   युवाओं की कहानियों से ऐसे नैरेटिव सामने आए जिन्हें हमें पूरी तरह से समझना , सोचना और दोबारा बुनना होगा। क्योंकि इन्हीं नैरेटिव्स की वजह से कई लोग पीछे रह जाते हैं। कुछ नैरेटिव्स मेरे मन में लगातार गूंजते रहे: देर से पहुँचने पर मेरे बारे में क्या जजमेंट बनेगा ? अंग्रेज़ी न जानना क्या मेरे करियर को असफल बना देगा ? अलग होना दूसरों से मेरे लिए क्या चुनौतियाँ और विपत्तियाँ लेकर आता है ? औसत होना क्या एक विशेषाधिकार है या एक कठिनाई ? धर्म के आधार पर अल्पसंख्यक होना , एक thriving life जीने में मेरे लिए कितनी मुश्किलें पैदा कर सकता है ? परीक्षा का होना किस आधार पर तय है , और यह मे...