Biannual Newsletter January 2021 | Volume 3 Issue 2 www.cvv.ac.in www.cvv.ac.in

Chinmayaśrī

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1 What’s New? 6 Events 11 Celebrations 14 Workshops and Courses 16 Open Learning for All 18 NFSI-4 Conference Lead-Up Events 19 Wednesday Webinars 20 Webinars: Information-Insights-Interactions 22 Seva and Social Initiatives 23 Student Corner 24 Students Speak 33 CVV Outreach 37 Beyond the Classroom 38 Musings Off Work 44 Alumni Spotlight 44 Student Achievements 45 Faculty Achievements 48 2020 taught me...

Schools of Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth (CVV) School of Kalayoga School of Vedic Knowledge Systems (VKS) School of Linguistics and Literary Studies (LLS) School of Contemporary Knowledge Systems (CKS) School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Scientific Heritage (PPSH)

Editors: Dr. Sandhya Shankar, Dr. Vishaka Venkat

School of Ethics, Governance, Culture and Social Systems (EGCS)

Managing Editor: Rukma Sadekar | [email protected] Assisted by: Shefali Arvind Student Editors: Aswin Rajeev (First-year B.A. Applied Psychology) Anusha Samanta (Second-year B.A. Applied Psychology) Akshaya Iyer (Third-year B.A. Applied Psychology) Lakshmi Sivaraman (First-year M.Sc. Applied Psychology) Design and Layout: Nikhilesh Kapadia | Vectors: www.freepik.com

Editor’s Note

After a lot of careful consideration, detailed discussions and suspense-filled start dates, universities across the nation were given the green signal to begin from November 2020. We, at CVV, foreseeing and anticipating the situation, began to prepare for the new academic year well in advance with much enthusiasm and planning. The classes for the returning students began in September 2020. Meanwhile, the new students got to know more about the University, their chosen programmes and course through the month-long Bridge Programme, conducted separately for UG and PG students. The classes began for the new batch in November 2020 and going by the vigour with which various events were celebrated, the online shift did not dampen the spirit at CVV. While the first half of 2020 was met with apprehensions, the second half of 2020 has been that of resilience and perseverance. We have coped with the situation, equipped with masks, sanitisers and other necessary precautions. At CVV, the faculty is back on campus since December 2020 along with a few students. The wintry December has been a month of gradual rejuvenation for the CEG campus. This edition of Chinmayasri is a mixture of the old and the new. The column ‘What 2020 Taught Me’ looks at the capsules of wisdom people gained when the pandemic locked down their social, creative and personal space. This edition is also glistening with entries from new students, heralding the spirit of persistence and tenacity as the campus pulled off an online admission procedure and continues to offer classes virtually. Welcoming this new spirit, let us bid farewell to the socially-distant year of 2020, which tore us apart physically, and move ahead with a refreshing sense of hope towards new beginnings. Dr. Sandhya Shankar

Dr. Vishaka Venkat

Assistant Professor, School of LLS

Assistant Professor, School of LLS

From the Vice Chancellor’s Desk A University Community In March 2020, in the middle of the even semester of 2019-20 academic year, the Indian education system, along with the rest of the world, went topsy-turvy under the COVID pandemic. As per UGC circulars, we switched to online instruction. It was literally ‘training on the job’ as both faculty and students were adjusting to this new normal of Zoom classes. The process was smoother this semester. Given all the mayhem the world is going through, it is credit to the diligent staff, faculty and students of CVV that we have finished the midterm examinations for all the classes. Our plan is to finish the final examinations and announce the results of new students no later than the middle of July. All returning students will be done with examinations and will have their results by the first week of June. We want to ensure that all students can pursue their respective professional plans, either graduate or go to internships, as planned. In July 2020, I was interviewed by Collegedunia as a part of their ‘Thoughtful Leaders’ series. One of the questions they asked me was, ‘Being the Vice Chancellor what is your philosophy of leadership?’ The question prompted the question ‘what is a university?’ A university is a community that provides the best environment for students to ‘learn to learn’, grow, realise their dreams and reach their highest potential. A community will have houses, schools and buildings made up of bricks and mortar. However, the essence of the community is not the buildings but the people and their common goal. The pandemic took away our classrooms and campus. We could no longer congregate in our Annakshetra after class and continue our passionate discussions over lunch. We could not hang out on the steps of Sankaram or watch a badminton or soccer game in progress in the field next to the IT lab. Most of CVV’s people lost access to the bricks and mortars of CVV. It is said that the true character of a person or an institution comes out during difficult times. The community that is CVV, never gave up. It held numerous webinars, workshops, intensives, even a Vakyartha Sabha. It is just now concluding an almost four-month-long New Frontiers in Sanskrit and Indic Studies (NFSI) Conference, the CVV’s flagship international conference usually held in December. It was held entirely online! In addition to these academic programmes, several cultural events and informal meetings with parents and students also were held to hold together our university community. I am proud of my colleagues at CVV and our beloved students. I am grateful for the support from the management, CVV Trustees and the blessings of CVV Trustee Swami Advayananda and the Chancellor Pujya Swami Swaroopananda. We have effectively held together the CVV community to support our common goal of learning to learn. The long list of events and news items, and the numerous student and faculty articles is a testament to the vibrancy of this community. Hari Om Prof. Nagaraj K. Neerchal Vice Chancellor

What’s new?

Vidyarambha—Academic Year 2020-21 Begins The new academic year at Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth (CVV) began with the Vidyarambha ceremony, on 01 November. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the programme was conducted online. The programme started with an invocation by Sreelakshmi K. Iyer, (First-year B.A. Sanskrit) followed by a welcome address by Shri N. M. Sundar, Executive Secretary, CVV Trust. Stating that the University is privileged to start the new academic year virtually, without a break, he went on to highlight the unique features of CVV and its excellence in the field of education. He welcomed the new students and congratulated them for the rare distinction of being part of the CVV family. With much enthusiasm and hope, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal, Dean of Faculty Prof. Gauri Mahulikar, Registrar I/C Dr. Soumya S., Shri N. M. Sundar, the students and parents lit a lamp at their respective locations to inaugurate the new academic year. Chief of Staff of the VC’s office, Ms. Jayalakshmi Nanda sang the CVV Kulageetham.

Prof. Neerchal expressed his happiness in welcoming the new students. He reminded the students that the first day is always full of energy and enthusiasm and advised the students to maintain that enthusiasm throughout the year to achieve academic excellence. He suggested that they take this opportunity to thank those special people in their life who have supported them and those who are ready to offer support to them throughout the journey of excellence. He assured the students that the faculty members and staff of CVV will work side by side with the students to achieve their goal and make their dream a grand success.

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Following the Vice Chancellor’s address, Swami Advayananda, Trustee of CVV, gave the benedictory address.

Swamiji expressed his happiness to be a part of the Vidyarambha ceremony. He mentioned that the students who joined the University are here with a mission. In his lively speech, he urged the students to approach education with inspiration. Quoting Sage Patanjali, he encouraged the students to have a strong will, along with great inspiration to accomplish the final goal set by them in all aspects of life. Swamiji also explained how to face obstacles in life. He blessed the students saying that their inspiration is the lamp lit by them on this day. He also added that the lit lamp dispels darkness and will spread the light of hope in their path.

Prof. Gauri Mahulikar recited the Panchavrati, the five vows to be taken by the students which the students repeated after her. She also explained the five vows and their importance to students in academic life.

The Panchavrati pertains to the following five qualities in students’ academic life: Vow for physical well-being by exercising regularly, eating nutritious food and following the rules of good health. Vow for regular and sincere study by following a systematic and persistent approach to studies. Vow for practising truthfulness in thought, word and deed. Vow for being unselfish and compassionate in one’s thought, word, and deed. Vow to develop a sense of being dutiful and sensitive to the needs and challenges of the collective social good.

The Registrar I/C Dr. Soumya thanked all those who contributed to the making of the University and especially those who organised the Vidyarambha ceremony. In the second half of the event, the new batch was welcomed by their seniors with a group song invoking Goddess Saraswati. The events of the day concluded with a Shanti Mantra followed by the Chinmaya Mission pledge and National Anthem.

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B.Voc. and M.Voc. Programmes Launched Vocational or skill-based education is becoming increasingly significant with time. Bachelor of Vocation or B.Voc. is an emerging course in India that aims at providing adequate skills required for a particular trade. The three-year undergraduate (UG) programme is unique in its focus on application of theoretical knowledge. CVV launched two B.Voc. programmes this semester: in Tourism and Hotel Management, and Business Process and Data Analytics Management. In addition, two postgraduate (PG) programmes have also been launched. The M.Voc. in Renewable Energy Management is a career-oriented PG programme with a multidisciplinary and integrated approach. It emphasizes practical applications, industry exposure and research-based study. The M.Voc. in Tourism and Hotel Management adopts a blended learning model that facilitates the direct participation of the students in the learning process such as industry-academia interactions, continued exposure and training in industries, case studies, projects and research studies etc. to get the students ‘industry-ready’.

New B.Sc. Applied Psychology Honours Programme A B.Sc. Applied Psychology Honours programme was launched on the occasion of World Mental Health Day on 10 October. The programme has been developed to prepare students to meet the increasing demand for psychological understanding and application in diverse fields of service in India and abroad. It also aims at developing in students a deeper understanding of the growing discipline of psychology from an Indian perspective and promoting professional skill-based education. One of the main goals of this programme is to facilitate self-discovery in the students and to develop a passion and effective participation in responding to the needs and challenges of the contemporary world. All the courses under this programme have been developed by experts, incorporating graduate attributes listed by the American Psychological Association (2013) and the UGC Psychology model curriculum recommendations (2016) to improve the job-readiness of the students.

Yakshagana Talamaddale in Sanskrit Talamaddale is one of the two forms of Yakshagana. It is a popular art form in Kannada, and there have been attempts to perform in other languages like Hindi, English and Sanskrit. Since the art depends heavily upon extempore dialogues with variant emotions, the artists need to have commendable proficiency in the language along with good knowledge of the itihasas, puranas and some shastras. CVV, in collaboration with Paryaya Shri Adamaru Matha, Shri Krishna Matha, Udupi, Karnataka organised a Yakshagana Talamadale, in Sanskrit, on 11 August, as a part of CVV’s Sanskrit Month celebrations. Keen on taking this art to more people, Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal co-sponsored the event along with the Matha. The performance was an excellent attempt to perform the Talamaddale in Sanskrit and introduce the unique performance to more people. It was based on the dialogue between Shri Ram and Bharata and called Paduka Pradana. Dr. Ramakrishna Pejathaya (Associate Professor, School of EGCS), played the role of Bharata. The programme was well received and appreciated by people from various backgrounds from different parts of the country. Over 200 people viewed it live. Watch here:

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CVV in the KPSC of Universities Anyone aspiring for a government job has to apply through the Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) web portal. In the dropdown menu of the universities, one has to select the university that one has studied at. The process for adding a new university has to be initiated by a student. CVV alumnus Vishnu H.’s (BBA) attempt to apply for a job set the ball rolling. After diligent follow up from the administrative office, CVV is now in KPSC’s list of universities making it easy for CVV students to apply for jobs in the civil services.

‘Jeevanam’ Environment Club Launched The students of the Minor Course, ‘Science of Sustainable Living’, inspired by what they were learning, started an environment club called ‘Jeevanam’. It was formally launched on 24 November. The programme began with a prayer by Deekshitha Muthukumar (Thirdyear B.A. Sanskrit). Keerthi Mukundan, (Third-year B.A. Applied Psychology) welcomed everyone. The faculty advisor Dr. Bindu M. P. introduced the Chief Guest, MLA Shri Thomas. Shri Thomas inaugurated the Club and in his inaugural address stressed the importance of environment clubs and their activities for the protection of the environment. Further, he spoke about the importance of saving our natural resources. He entreated the students to plant more saplings, save water and to achieve more things as Indians. The President of Jeevanam, Arathy Avinash (Second-year BBA) introduced the resource person Shri Srinivas A., an environmentalist and independent researcher from Tamil Nadu. In his talk on ‘Environmental Awakening’, Shri Srinivas stressed the importance of environmental awakening among youth and motivated the audience to engage actively in all initiatives for protecting the environment. The programme ended with a vibrant discussion on environmental issues. Krishnendu K. K. (Third-year B.A. Sanskrit), Dean of Faculty Prof. Gauri Mahulikar, Prof. Radha Mohan, Head of Department of Education and Shri N. M. Sundar, Executive Secretary, CVV Trust, graced the function. The programme ended successfully with a vote of thanks by the Club Secretary Sumimol Elias (Second-year B.A. Applied Psychology).

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Three More Faculty Awarded Ph.D. At CVV, great emphasis is laid on a research environment. CVV’s UG students are actively encouraged to pursue research projects for credit. Engaging in research is known to bring students out of the rote learning mentality and turn them towards critical thinking mindset. We cannot teach research unless we do research. Accordingly, nearly all our faculty already have doctoral degrees from reputable universities or are in pursuit of the same. This year three more of our faculty completed their Ph.D.

Dr. Vishaka Venkat (Assistant Professor, School of LLS) was awarded a Ph.D. for her research in ‘Theorising the Language of Humour in Indian Political Cartoons’. Her thesis develops a model to examine the language of humour, which is multimodal and accounts for the possibility of transmutation of humour as it performs through editorial cartoons.

Dr. Saurabh Singanapalli (Assistant Professor, School of LLS) researched ‘Images as Writing Prompts’. Language teachers are increasingly using image prompts in their composition classes, in keeping with the increasingly visual culture that learners are exposed to. His research has attempted to look specifically at image prompts in terms of identified content elements (dynamic action, background, foregrounding) and number of images, with the ultimate aim of arriving at a system by which image prompts appropriate for eliciting narrative writing from young learners of English can be selected or created.

Dr. R. Venkata Raghavan, Assistant Professor, School of PPSH, earned his doctoral degree for his research on ‘Figuratively Speaking: An Account of NonLiteral Communication Based on the works of Mammata Bhatta’. Through is research, he has attempted to contribute to Comparative Philosophy in general and Metaphor Research in particular by applying the concepts of Alankarshastra to the Philosophy of Language.

University of the Year-2020 for Traditional Excellence Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth (CVV) has been recognised for its unique blend of programmes with a foundation in Indian Knowledge Systems and awarded a certificate for being ‘University of the Year-2020 for Traditional Excellence’ by The Academic Insights magazine. CVV was featured in the December 2020 issue of the magazine. Read more here:

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The Academic Insights is a monthly magazine that aims at helping educational establishments showcase their proficiency and competence. They undertake surveys to cherry-pick from the multitude of academies to feature the best educational institutions in their magazine. It is also a platform for educational experts and professionals to share their thoughts on various new-gen teaching practices and the dynamics of the education domain. They have a vast circulation in print and on the web. www.cvv.ac.in

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Bharatiya Darshana Shastravali

‘Indian philosophy’ is a term that is used quite freely today to mean many things. But what it really is, is not clear to most. To get the myths busted, doubts clarified and learn all about Bhāratīya Daṛśana’, CVV organised a lecture series called or ‘Bhāratīya Daṛśana—An Introduction to Indian Philosophical Systems’. These talks in English and Sanskrit, by eminent scholars, were held from 27 June to 26 July. The talks were streamed live via Zoom. Starting with ‘Introduction to the world of Darśana Śāstra’, the topics ranged from ‘Indian Materialism: Lokāyata’, Nyāya Darśana—The Science of Logic in Indian Philosophy, to ‘Relevance of Vedic Karma Today’, ‘Ishwara—God in Indian Philosophy’ and Decoding Vedānta from various perspectives, ending with ‘Message of the Upaniṣads for Modern-Day Education’. The series was inaugurated with the blessings of Swami Sharadananda Sarasvati, who said that Darśana śāstra came as a means to ‘remove sorrow’ and ‘attain happiness—eternal bliss!’ Dean of CVV, Prof. Gauri Mahulikar briefly introduced the topic of ‘Bhāratīya Darśana’. Both the dignitaries set the tone for the entire series. The moderator for the series was Shri Subramanian Chidambaran, an Engineer with a PG in Management, IIM Lucknow, working as Head of Strategy at an MNC in Mumbai. He has a Masters in Sanskrit and is a trained Carnatic musician. A student of Dean Mahulikar, Shri Subramanian has played a major role in organising this lecture series and coordinating with the speakers. https:// Read the synopsis of each lecture here: b l o g .

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Access the playlist here:

https:// www.

Sanskrit Month 2020 CVV, in association with the Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF) and Chinmaya International Foundation Shodha Sansthan (CIFSS), celebrated — Sanskrit Month 2020 from 21 July to 19 August. The inaugural programme started with Vedic chanting by Assistant Professors Dr. Nagendra Pavana (School of VKS) and Dr. Gopaladesikan (School of PPSH), and a welcome song by Srinidhi (Third-year B.A. Applied Psychology). Dean of Faculty Prof. Gauri Mahulikar presented the welcome address and introduced the Chief Guest Dr. Baldevanand Sagar, General Secretary of Bharatiya Sanskrita Patrakaar Sangh. Dr. Sagar inaugurated the various events scheduled for the month-long celebrations and spoke on ‘Journalism in Sanskrit’. In his informative and thought-provoking speech, he threw light on the career opportunities in the field of Sanskrit journalism. In his address, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal stressed the advantage of studying Sanskrit. Dr. L. Sampath Kumar (Assistant Professor and Head, School of LLS) proposed the vote of thanks. The programme concluded with the shantipath by CVV students. Numerous programmes were organised reaching out to a variety of people. Besides the below-mentioned programmes, there was an Open Learning for All talk (pg.16) and a workshop on Avadhanam (pg.14) Five-Day Crash Course on Sandhi Dr. L. Sampath Kumar, conducted an online Five-Day Crash Course on Sandhi from 24 to 28 July. Over 600 hundred candidates registered for the course ranging from school children to college students, a few Sanskrit teachers and even some senior citizens eager to learn the language. Stotra Recitation Competition A Stotra Recitation Competition for high school students was held on 2 August wherein the participants had to recite the Śivatāṇḍavastotra. One of the objectives behind the event was to highlight the significance of learning, reciting and listening to Sanskrit. Assistant Professors Dr. Anil Narayanan and Dr. Sudarshan Chiplunkar (School of LLS) coordinated the event. The meaning of the stotra was powerfully and clearly conveyed by the students through their recitation and intonation. Workshop on Indian Perspective on Health, Time and Managing Lifestyles One of the mega events was an online 7-hour Professional Development Programme on Indian Perspective on Health, Time and Managing Lifestyles led by Dr. Vinayak Rajat Bhat, Assistant Professor and Head, School ofVKS. The three other speakers as well—Dr. Swarna Ranjita Bhat and Dr. Janani Jaishankar from the Government Ayurvedic Medical College, Bengaluru and Dr. Kruthika Bheemappa from TAMC, Davanagere. The workshop was held from 31 July to 9 August, 7 pm to 8 pm. The main objective of the workshop was to make the participants aware of Ayurvedic terms and the lifestyle to be followed to lead a healthy and happy life.

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Online Quiz in Sanskrit An Online Quiz in Sanskrit was organised for high school (class 8 to class 12) and college (UG and PG) students—junior and senior level, respectively. The quiz, conducted via Google Forms, was kept open from 21 July to 19 August 2020. The junior-level quiz had questions from Indic Knowledge Systems and Literature, puranas, ancient science and so on. The senior-level quiz had questions from Sanskrit Literature, the various śāstras like Vedanta, Nyāya, Alaṅkāra and so on. The junior-level received 2496 responses while the senior level received 4021 responses. The respondents were not only from India but from other countries including the US, UK, France, Venezuela, UAE, Oman, Cambodia, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Those scoring 50 points and above received an e-certificate of participation. Essay Writing Competition To encourage the learning and use of Sanskrit, an Essay Writing Competition was conducted in two categories—the junior category for students up to class 12 and the senior category for graduate, post-graduate and doctoral students. All the participants received e-certificates of participation while the three best entries were awarded prizes. In the junior category for which the topic was ‘History of Sankaracharya (शङ्कराचार्याणां चरितम्)’. The topic for the senior category was ‘Importance of Health in our Life’. Participants in both categories had students from various states of India. https:// Read the prize-winning essays here: w w w . Pratimala—Aksharashloki Antyakshari based on movie songs is a popular game in India. Interestingly, this has a history of at least 2500 years. Known as Pratimālā, it is one of the sixty-four art forms mentioned in Vatsyayana’s Kamasutra.. In many traditional Sanskrit gurukula-s and pāṭhaśālā-s, this is one of the favourites and is an essential annual competition. Since most people, other than those from traditional backgrounds, are not aware of the existence of this art in ancient India, this programme, with Sanskrit shlokas, was an attempt to introduce it to more people across the world. Nine participants who secured top positions at the national level Antyakshari competitions in the last couple of years were invited to participate in this event. Though CVV’s Antyakshari programme was in the form of a competition no winners were selected because the programme was meant to popularise this art and entertain poetry lovers. The programme, held on 16 August, was streamed live on CVV’s YouTube channel and garnered a live viewership of 1,400 people. Dr. Ramakrishna Pejathaya, Associate Professor (School of EGCS) introduced Pratimālā with reference to the Kāmasūtra and its Jayamaṅgalā vyākhyā. He also moderated the programme along with Dr. Vinayaka Rajat Bhat, Assistant Professor and Head of the School of Vedic Knowledge Systems. https:// Watch here: w w w . Sanskrit Poetry Writing In this Kāvya-Rachana or Sanskrit Poetry Writing competition for college students, held on 1 August, a minimum of five verses had to be composed on a topic that was shared prior to the competition. Three hours before the competition, visual prompts in the form of two photos were emailed to those who had registered for the competition. The participants had to compose a poem based on either of the two photos. Veena V. Bhat won the first prize for her poem titled

and Praloy Nandi won the second prize for his poem titled

https:// Read the prize-winning essays here: w w w . YouTube Video—Sanskrit Audio In this , the teams had to choose any video which depicts a conversation between two people and dub the video in Sanskrit. Each team had a maximum of two people. Twenty-two people participated as eleven teams.

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Mental Health Day The need for focussing on mental health education in India was highlighted during the launch of the new degree courses in Applied Psychology at the online event organised on the occasion of World Mental Health Day on 10 October, by the Department of Psychology. Dr. Shashi Tharoor, MP, in his special address, highlighted the need for popularising the graduate and honours courses in Applied Psychology stating that such practical courses would be of great help in the current pandemic situation. Launching the month-long Mental Health promotion activities of CVV, the Registrar of the Central University of Kerala, Dr. Radhakrishnan Nair pointed out the need for incorporating life skills training in the curriculum of undergraduate courses so that the courses equip students with practical skills. He congratulated CVV for coming up with the integrated personality development-oriented undergraduate programmes. The online, mental health promotional activities of CVV in observance of World Mental Health Day was inaugurated by Prof. Shekar Sheshadri, Associate Dean of Department of Behavioural Sciences, NIMHANS, Bengaluru. Prof. Sheshadri stressed the need for bringing out more well-trained mental health professionals, especially to help people in times of pandemics, and stated that there is a dearth of such trained personnel in the country. Dr. R. Sreevalsa Kumar, Head of CVV’s School of PPSH, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal, Dean of Faculty, Prof. Gauri Mahulikar, Programme Director Dr. Satheesh Varma and Assistant Professor Dr. Venkat Raghavan also spoke on the occasion. The online programme was attended by a large number of students, academicians and research scholars from across the country.

National Mathematics Day CVV in association with Raising A Mathematician (RAM) Foundation marked the occasion of National Mathematics Day 2020 through a few events organised from 15 to 22 December. Sridhara Math Contest An online quiz competition titled ‘Sridhara Math Contest’ for mathematics enthusiasts of all ages. The contest was named after an ancient Indian mathematician Sridharacarya (who lived around the 9th and 10th century), famous for his treatises Patiganita and Patiganitasara (also called as Trisatika). Over 160 participants took part in the first round of the contest. Out of these, seven participants from Group A (Class X and below) were shortlisted for the final round, a live quiz, held on 16 December. https:// Watch the final quiz here: y o u t u . A Problem A Day….to keep your brain in sway! From 15 to 19 December, every day a unique problem from ancient Indian Mathematics was presented on CVV’s social media platforms for people to solve and respond. This activity was meant to popularise ancient Indian mathematics among the public. www.cvv.ac.in

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Wednesday Webinar On 16 December, Shri Vinay Nair, an avid mathematician, co-founder of Raising A Mathematician Foundation and a student of Ph.D. at CVV, spoke on ‘Ramanujan—a self-made genius or one who stands on many shoulders?’ for the students and faculty of CVV. Webinar: ‘A Conversation with Prof. S. Bhargava’ Prof. S. Bhargava, an eminent mathematician with expertise in the works of Srinivasa Ramanujan, was interviewed by Assistant Professor Dr. Ajaykumar K. (Assistant Professor, School of PPSH). The interview highlighted the unparalleled legacy of the mathematical genius that Ramanaujan was. Watch here:

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Constitution Day CVV celebrated the Indian Constitution Day, also known as Samvidhan Diwas, on 26 November. India’s Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949, and came into force on 26 January 1950, marking the beginning of a new era in the history of India. As a part of Constitution Day celebration, the faculty of CVV got together to repeat the preamble as it was being read out aloud by Assistant Professor Shri Nithin Ramakrishnan.

Guna Gaun Main 2020 1 November, rajyotsav or statehood day for eight states of India, was a musically and spiritually elevating experience for those attending the final round of the second season of ‘Guna Gaaun Main’— the Online Global Bhajan Competition organised by Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth’s Chinmaya Naada Bindu Gurukula (CNBG). Chancellor Pujya Swami Swaroopananda and Pujya Swami Tejomayananda invoked the blessings of Bhagawan and Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda for the success of the event. There were four categories based on age groups, 5 to 12, 13 to 18, 19 to 35 and 36 onwards. Each category featured five finalists and the twenty participants presented bhajans and abhangs of notable composers like Purandara Dasa, Samarth Ramdas, Sant Gyaneshwar, Tukaram Maharaj, Meera Bai and Kabir Das to name some. Shri Sikkil Gurucharan and Shri Sanjiv Chimmalgi, acclaimed vocalists of Carnatic and Hindustani music, respectively, were the judges for the event. https:// Watch here: w w w .

Vigilance Awareness Week The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is an apex anti-corruption body mandated to fight corruption for ensuring integrity in administration. Every year it celebrates Vigilance Awareness Week, coinciding with the birthday of Sardar Vallabhai Patel, the iron man of India. This year the Vigilance Awareness Week was celebrated from 27 October to 02 November, on the theme ‘Satark Bharat, Samriddh Bharat’ (Vigilant India, Prosperous India). The CVC mandates all government and government-related bodies to participate. As directed by the UGC, it was celebrated at Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth through a number of activities. On 31 October, the faculty took the integrity pledge during the faculty meeting, while the students took the pledge during the first class of the day. On 02 November, there were two talks organised for the CVV family. Smt. Krishna S., Central Government Counsel, High Court of Kerala spoke on ‘What to do when we Face Corruption in Public Offices’ followed by a talk on ‘The Limits in the Fight Against Corruption’ by Dr. Ajay Kumar, International Tax Consultant, PB First Global Tax, Dubai.

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Raksha Bandhan at CNBG Campus Students of M.A. Music, who stayed back to spend their holidays on campus, participated in the Raksha Bandhan ceremony at Chinmaya Vibhooti on 3 August. They were tied hand-made rakhis by the ladies present. It was a heart-warming occasion. In the evening the students joined the bhajan session organised by Chinmaya Vibhooti at the Pranav Ganesh Mandir.

India’s 74th Independence Day CVV and Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF) came together to celebrate Independence Day in the CIF campus. The tricolour was unfurled by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal in the presence of Dean Prof. Gauri Mahulikar, Swami Sharadananda, (Acharya of Sandeepany Kerala), Shri Shivasankaran Nair (Manager of CIF), students and staff of CVV and CIF. This was followed by the singing of the National Anthem. In his address, Swami Sharadananda said we should derive inspiration from our forefathers whose vision is the great nation we belong to. Swamiji motivated the gathering to take pride (gaurava) in our nation (Bharata) and revitalise the fire in us by which we become the pride (gaurava) of Bharata. He concluded the address with prayers and invoked the blessings of the Lord for taking our country forward towards her true glory. Smt. Girija Sivadas (EA to the CVV Trust) and Br. Sagar Chaitanya beautifully rendered the national song as well as a patriotic song, followed by Smt. Jayalakshmi Nanda, (Chief of Staff of Vice Chancellor) singing the ‘kulagitam’ or Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth anthem. It is worth noting that the pandemic situation did not suppress the joy and enthusiasm of the audience while taking part in the ceremony. The function came to a close on an energetic and sombre note as the entire gathering repeated the National Pledge.

Onam Celebrations The vibrantly coloured masks on all faces were a new additional accessory for the cream and gold sarees and ‘mundus’. They hid the welcoming smiles but not the cheering voices shouting ‘aarppo irom’. CVV’s spirits soared high, undampened by the pandemic. The celebrations were in collaboration with the Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF) family. Nine days of floral designs in front of the ‘illom’ made with the flowers of our campus’s bountiful flora, two delicious feasts, and impromptu singing sessions culminated in wonderful festivities on the Thiruvonam day, i.e. 31 August.

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A Teacher’s Day Like Never Before This year’s Teacher’s Day at CVV was celebrated entirely in a digital way. A video release in the morning marked the beginning of the celebrations. The video spoke about what it means to be a teacher and how teaching at Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth elevates its students with innovative methodology. A two-part webinar followed on the topic—‘Be a Teacher: Roads to a Great Teaching Career’. The webinar aimed at students and parents, aspiring teachers/academics who would like to build the community around them and contribute towards the growth of our nation by the way of personal growth as teachers. The webinar was facilitated by faculty from CVV Shri G. Shekhar Reddy and Dr. Pramod Dinakar; by faculty from RIE (Mysuru), Dr. Sujata B. Hanchinalkar; and Dr. M. C. Aruna, author, editor with over 15 years of experience in the field of education. On this special day, Volume 3, Issue 1 of ChinmayaSri, was released by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal. Volume 3, Issue 1 provides an overview of all the happenings at CVV from January 2020 to June 2020. The day came to a close with a special message from Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal on the roles and responsibilities of a teacher and the importance of following them in spirit for the upliftment of the student community. He also remembered the contribution of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan whose birthday is celebrated as Teacher’s Day.

Kerala Piravi With the idea of ‘Lock the Letters, Unlock the Fun’, an online drawing competition was held from 24 to 29 October, leading up to the celebration of Kerala’s statehood day, celebrated on 1 November. The event was organised with the intention of providing an opportunity to people to reconnect with the state language, Malayalam. The competition was open to all aged 14 years and above. Participants had to draw using the Malayalam script on any of the following themes: Kerala Specialties, COVID-19 Warriors and Break the Chain Measures. While the winners received cash prizes, all the participants were awarded participation certificates.

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Diwali 2020 Though physically apart, in the spirit of togetherness, a few people came together to put forth a Diwali treat for everyone on the occasion of Diwali on 14 October 2020. Assistant Professor Dr. Ramakrishna Pejathaya (School of ECGS) penned a song in Sanskrit, vividly describing the beauty and essence of the festival. Shri Swapnil Chaphekar (Assistant Professor and Head, School of Kalayoga) composed the lyrics into a lilting song which Tanishq Arora, a student of M.A. Music, sang beautifully. Assistant Professor Dr. Naresh Keerthi, (School of LLS), translated the lyrics into English for the benefit of those who don’t know Sanskrit. The CVV Media Production team put it all together in a video, which was then shared on CVV’s social media. Watch here:

https:// youtu.

Shastri Jayanti and Gandhi Jayanti Satya and Ahimsa are among the most unique principles offered to humanity by Indian knowledge systems. Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri was the epitome of Satya. He is an inspiration for us to look up to, as a generation which has the responsibility to continue the nation-building programmes envisioned by him. If Shastriji was the champion of Satya, then Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was the epitome of Ahimsa. His iconic fight against the British empire based on this one seemingly simple value has inspired countless other leaders and heroes of the world including Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. CVV honoured the memory of these two stalwarts, on 2 October, their jayanti. Our Integrated Master’s student Jaykishan Hingu, who is a disciple of Pt. Rupak Kulkarni, guru at the School of Kalayoga, CNBG campus, gave a melodious flute rendition of `Vaishnav janato’. Watch here:

https:// www.

A Musical Offering on Vijayadashami The School of Kalayoga put together a musical offering unto Shri Rama on the auspicious day of Vijayadashami (25 October). A song composed by Shri Swapnil Chaphekar (Assistant Professor and Head, School of Kalayoga) was beautiful sung by Roshni Sarodi (IMA student), who is a disciple of Vidushi Manjusha Patil and Asst. Prof. Chaphekar. Watch here: https://m. facebook.

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Worksh op

s and C

ourses

Special Six-Week Workshops Three Minor Courses were offered to non-CVVians as special six-week intensive workshops from July to August: ‘Lit X—Comics and Graphic Novels’, ‘Sangeeta Pallava—Carnatic Vocal Basics’, and ‘A Comparative Study: Itihāsa-Purāṇa, Greek and Sumerian Mythologies’.

Master Class The School of Kalayoga conducted its annual Master Class programme online from 10 to 12 July. Each stream—Hindustani Vocal, Bansuri and Tabla—had exclusive two-hour sessions each day. Professors Vidushi Manjusha Patil, Pt. Rupak Kulkarni and Pt. Abhijit Banerjee took special care to see that all the students received individual attention.

A Five-Day Crash Course on Sandhi As part of the Sanskrit Month celebration, a five-day crash course on Sandhi was conducted by Dr. L. Sampath Kumar (Assistant Professor and Head, School of LLS). The crash course helped students to recognise the morphological change and split the words accordingly. The topics covered in the course were: Svarasandhi,Vyanjanasandhi, Visargasandhi, Prakritibhava, natvavidhanam, anusvara and anunasikasandhi.

Indian Perspectives on Health, Time and Managing Lifestyles An intensive seven-hour workshop/Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on Indian Perspective on Health, Time and Lifestyle Management was organised as part of the Sanskrit month celebrations. The course helped the participants to develop the ability to identify, critically analyse and appreciate the Ayurvedic philosophy of managing the life of an individual and a society. Participants also developed the ability to independently initiate and propose improvements concerning aspects of food consumption, culture, social, psychology, environment, and economy. The resource persons were: Dr. Vinayak Rajat Bhat (Assistant Professor and Head, School of VKS); Dr. Swarna Ranjita Bhat (SDM College of Ayurveda, Udupi); Dr. Janani Jaishankar (Government Ayurvedic Medical College, Bengaluru); and Dr. Kruthika Bheemappa (Assistant Professor, TAMC, Davanagere).

Campus to Corporate A five-day skill development programme was conducted from 27 to 31 July by CVV’s Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) for the graduates of the 2017 batch. The online sessions focused on work-place etiquettes, communication skills, time management and goal setting. The resource persons were Mr. Vasuki H. V. and Ms. Shruthi Vasuki, Director and Assistant Director of Chinmaya Institute of Management, Bengaluru, respectively.

Avadhanam

For ten evenings from 5 to 15 August, the participants remained spellbound by the words, wit, and wisdom of Shatavadhani Dr. R. Ganesh, one of India’s foremost Sanskrit poets and scholars, and a master of the art of Avadhanam. It was jointly organised by CVV and Indic Academy. This excellent opportunity to learn about a unique classical literary art form which celebrates lateral thinking and multitasking, from the master himself, was organised as part of the Sanskrit Month celebrations at CVV, in collaboration with the Chinmaya International Foundation. Watch here: https:// w w w .

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3-Day Faculty Orientation Programme A 3-Day Faculty Orientation Programme (FOP) conducted from 24 to 26 August, was an initiative of CVV’s Internal Quality Assurance Cell(IQAC) headed by Prof. Sreevalsa Kumar. This FOP was the first in the series of FOPs that the IQAC has been organising throughout this academic year. The programme was conceived to orient CVV faculty members with the common goal of excelling in the profession of teaching and to collectively explore CVV as a unique university. The FOP was structured into six sessions, spread over three days. Topics ranging from CVV’s Vision, uniqueness, the Guru-shishya concept, activities beyond academics, to course designing and evaluation in CVV were presented and discussed.

Preksha 2020—A Course in Critical Thinking The IQAC organised Preksha—an online Skill Development Programme in Critical Thinking, for motivated high school students from 15 September to 11 October. The highlights of the course were (i) learning to analyse and evaluate arguments, (ii) learning how to be a fair-minded thinker and (iii) learning to construct convincing arguments. The course adopted a flipped classroom model. Every week, recorded videos and reading materials were shared with the participants via the Moodle platform. The self-paced learning was supplemented with live interaction with the faculty every Sunday. The resource persons were Dr. Venkata Raghavan (Assistant Professor, School of PPSH), and Dr. Saurabh Singanapalli (Assistant Professor, School of LLS).

7 Special Workshops A series of seven special workshops were conducted from September 2020. The melange of seven workshops were: ‘A Storytelling Workshop’ by Dr. Arundhati Mehta Sundar (Adjunct Faculty, CVV); ‘Dharma: Perspectives from the Ramayana’ by Dr. L. Sampath Kumar (Assistant Professor and Head, School of LLS) and Dr. K.E. Gopala Desikan (Assistant Professor, School of PPSH); ‘Introduction to Guidance and Counselling’ by Dr. Pramod Dinakar (Assistant Professor, School of EGCS); ‘Social Media and Law’ by Shri Sreenath Namboodiri and Shri Nithin V. Kumar (Assistant Professors, School of EGCS); ‘Management Insights from the Panchatantra’ by Dr. Hari Sundar G. (Associate Professor, School of CKS); and ‘Mahabharata: A Multidimensional Exploration’ by Dr. R. Venkata Raghavan (Assistant Professor, School of PPSH) and Dr. Ramakrishna Pejathaya (Associate Professor and Head, School of EGCS).

Jagadodharini Maa—A Bhajan Yatra As part of Navaratri celebrations, a six-day online ‘bhajan yatra’ titled Jagadodharini Maa was conducted by Smt. Pramodini Rao, Director of CVV’s Chinmaya Naada Bindu Gurukula, in Pune. The five-day bhajan workshop on Devi bhajans was held online from 5 to 10 October. The 45-minute sessions were attended by over 400 enthusiastic participants from all over the world.

Adi Shakti: Philosophy and Narratives of the Feminine Divine This series was conducted as a prelude to Diwali from 07 to 13 November and was offered as Faculty Development Programme (FDP). The webinar was inaugurated with a talk on ‘Devi Mahatmyam: A Vedantic Interpretation’ by Swami Sharadananda (Acharya of Sandeepany Kerala). The remaining six talks were: ‘Significance of Shri’ by Dr. L. Sampath Kumar (Assistant Professor and Head, School of LLS); ‘Lalita Devi: Origin, Form and Narratives’ by Dr. Vishaka Venkat (Assistant Professor, School of LLS); ‘Stories of the Feminine Divine’ by Dr. Arundhati Sundar (Adjunct Faculty, CVV); ‘Shri Kurumba: Maha-Kali Pratishtha-s of Kerala’ by Shri Srinath Mohandas (Assistant Professor, School of EGCS ); ‘Meditations on Abhirami Anthadi: A Sublime Hymn’ by Shri Jatayu and ‘Devi Dhyanam: A Seeker’s Reflections on Devi as Shakti’ by Shri Ramachandra Roddam. Each session began with a rendition by Shri Swapnil Chaphekar (Assistant Professor and Head, School of Kalayoga).

Itihasa Pravesha A 45-hour certificate course on Ramayana and Mahabharata was launched on 26 December. The faculty members teaching the course are Shashi P. R., Vandana J., Divya P. G. and Dr. M. Sudarshan Chiplunkar. The course gives an overview of the Ramayana and Mahabharata and is taught in easy Sanskrit. It was organised in collaboration with Samskrita Bharati.

Course on Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) The Foundation Course on IKS was offered as an audit course for outsiders. The course started in November 2020 and is taught by the Dean of Faculty Prof. Gauri Mahulikar and Shri Srinath Mohandas (Assistant Professor,school of EGCS).

www.cvv.ac.in

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Open Learning for All

The Open Learning for All or OLA initiative aims at providing knowledge to all, with no eligibility criteria of any kind such as age, background or education. These are free webinars that are organised as short-term or long-term series or even one-time webinar.

Indian Knowledge Systems OLA sessions on Indian Knowledge Systems was launched in January 2020 by the Dean, Prof. Gauri Mahulikar. The year of 2020 has been engaging with OLA talk series covering various topics on vedas, vedangas, upavedas, shastras and puranas. The invited guest lectures were also interesting as they spoke on Shulbhasutra, Sanskrit theatre and Chandas and its binary applications. These webinars are usually held every Thursday evening. July ‘Teaching and Learning Tradition in ancient India’ by Prof. Gauri Mahulikar, Dean, CVV ‘Dance and music traditions from ancient India’ by Ruchita Rane, freelancer, dancer and researcher from Mumbai ‘Arthasastra : Ancient Indian Statecraft’ by Dr. Vinayak Rajat Bhat, Assistant Professor, School of VKS August ‘Sanskrit: A Blueprint for the Future’ by Dr. L. Sampath Kumar, Assistant Professor, School of LLS ‘Sanskrit Theatre: Past, Present and Future’ by Shri Prasad Bhide, eminent Sanskrit playwright and director ‘Krishna’s journey from Gokula to Kurukshetra’ by Dr. Gauri Mahulikar, Dean, CVV ‘Siksa— The Vedic Phonology’ by Dr. Nagendra Pavana, Assistant Professor, School of VKS September ‘Chandas—The Vedic Metres, by Dr. Shreehari V. Gokarnakar, Assistant Professor at Amrita Darshanam, International Centre for Spiritual Studies, Chennai ‘Chandas—Binary Applications of Pingala’ by Shri Chandrahas Halai, Engineering Consultant, Author of ‘Vedic Mathematics Inside Out’ ‘Vastu Shastra—Architecture and Design Theories from Ancient India’ by Shri Srinath Mohandas, Assistant Professor, School of EGCS October ‘Nirukta: The Etymological Studies in the Veda’ by Dr. Gauri Mahulikar, Dean, CVV ‘Vyakarana—Linguistics from the Veda’ by Dr. Nagendra Pavana, Assistant Professor, School of VKS ‘Triskandha Jyotisha—An Overview of Indian Astronomy and Astrology (Part 1)’ by Dr. Ramakrishna Pejathaya, Associate Professor, School of EGCS ‘Goddess Chandika—A Vedantic Perspective’ by Shri Nithin Sridhar, author, speaker and journalist from Indic Academy ‘Triskandha Jyotisha—An Overview of Indian Astronomy and Astrology (Part 2)’ by Dr. Ramakrishna Pejathaya, Associate Professor, School of EGCS November ‘Kalpa Sutras: Ritual Prescriptions of the Vedas’ by Dr. Gopala Desikan, Assistant Professor, School of PPSH ‘Dharmasutras—Discourses and Prescriptions for a Vedic Society’ by Dr. Sushree Sasmita Pati, Assistant Professor at the Gangadhar Meher University, Odisha Shulbhasutra—The Sourcebook of Vedic Geometry’ by Prof. N. K. Sundareswaran, Head of Department of Sanskrit, Calicut University

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December ‘Grihyasutras—Householder’s Manuals for a Vedic Living’ by Shri Srinath Mohandas, Assistant Professor, School of EGCS ‘Vedic Cosmology—Mysteries of Creation by Dean of Faculty Prof. Gauri Mahulikar ‘Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Indian Grammatical Tradition’ by Dr. Pavankumar Satuluri, Assistant Professor, School of LLS Watch OLA videos here:

http:// bit.ly/

Kala Samvad—Conversations on Art CVV’s School of Kalayoga, where Gurukula tradition merges with university curriculum, is committed to nurture art and artists and to be a medium of conversation and knowledge sharing on Indian Art. In line with this vision, the School of Kalayoga has launched ‘Kala Samvada— Conversations on Art’, a fortnightly series that provides an opportunity to interact with maestros from various segments of Indian art through live online sessions of lec-dems, interviews, talks and performances. It was launched in August 2020 and has completed seven sessions so far.

28 August 11 September 9 October 23 October 6 November 20 November 4 December 18 December

A lec-dem on ‘Percussion Skills for Music and Dance’ by mridangam maestro Dr. Patri Satish Kumar. Santoor maestro Padma Vibhushan Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma in conversation with renowned musician, actor, director and multifaceted personality Padma Shri Shekhar Sen. Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam in conversation with Rachana Narayanan Kutty, a Kuchipudi dancer and popular actress from the Malayalam film industry, spoke on ‘Chinmaya Anugraha for Nrutya Anubhava’. A lec-dem on the Veena, its evolution and styles by musician, teacher, research scholar Dr. R. S. Jayalakshmi. Hindustani Vocalist Vidushi Manjusha Patil in conversation with Indian classical music impressario Shri Shashi Vyas. Renowned tabla maestro Taalyogi Pt. Suresh Talwalkar in conversation with well-known personality from the music circle Shri Keshav Paranjape on ‘Sangeet, Shiksha and Vidya Daan’. Mohiniyattam dancer Dr. Neena Prasad and renowned Carnatic musician and composer Shri Changanassery Madhavan Nampoothiri, spoke on ‘Aesthetics of Carnatic Music in Mohiniyattam’. Hindustani classical singer Begum Parveen Sultana, in conversation with Indian classical music impresario Shri Shashi Vyas.

National Level Webinars on Mental Health On 10 October, on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, the School of PPSH launched Mental Health Promotion Activities 2020. Under this initiative, the School also launched a series of national-level webinars on mental health by experts from the field.

Dr. V. George Mathew 21 October 28 October 11 November 9 December

Shri Rajeev Nair

Dr. Bhasi Sukumaran

Sunny Joseph

‘Mental Health and the Paranormal’ by Dr. V. George Mathew, Former Professor and Head of Department of Psychology, University of Kerala. ‘Entrepreneurial Success—The Story of the Stallion Group’ by Shri Rajeev Nair, CMD—The Stallion Group. ‘Perspectives on Neuropsychological Rehabilitation’ by Dr. Bhasi Sukumaran, Professor and Head, Department of Clinical Psychology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Chennai. ‘Mental Health on Trial: Forensic Psychologist as Expert Witness’ by Sunny Joseph, Consultant Clinical and Neuropsychologist, Bengaluru. www.cvv.ac.in

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NFSI-4

Confer

ence

The fourth edition of CVV’s international conference on New Frontiers in Sanskrit and Indic Knowledge (NFSI) will be held from 27 to 20 January 2021, on the theme ‘Law, Public Policy and Governance: Global Future and Indian Indigenous Perspectives’. Due to the COVID-19 situation, this year the conference will be conducted online. The School of EGCS, is the initiating committee for the conference this time. During the period August-December 2020, expert panel discussions and workshops on the designated themes were conducted by the four Working Groups as lead-up events to the conference. The Working Groups, their designated sub-themes and the lead-up event by each are as follows: Working Group I: Indian Episteme in Law and Public Policy ‘Rama-Rajya as the Desired Future for the Entire World: Notes from Swami Karapatri-ji’s Life and Works’ by Shri Pranav Kumar Vasishta, Independent Researcher, Poornapamati. ‘Interview: ‘Traditional Forums and Methods in Addressing Issues Concerning Dharmashastra’ by Prof. K. Srinivasan, Retd. Professor and Former Principal, Vivekananda College, Chennai and Prof. S. Venugopalan, Professor, Samhita and Siddhanta, Sri Jayendra Saraswati Ayurveda College and Hospital, Nazarathpet, Thiruvallur] ‘Vakyartha Sabha ‘ ’, [Speakers: Prof. B. V. Venkataramana, Professor of Nyaya and Vaisheshika and Controller of Examination, Karnataka Sanskrit University, Bengaluru and Prof. Ganeshwar Nath Jha, Head of the Department of Vyākaraṇa, Central Sanskrit University, Agartala] ‘Types of Katha according to Nyaya Sutras’ by Srinivas Jammalamadaka, Assistant Professor, Dept. Darshan, Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, Ramtek ‘Review of Works of Dr. Patrick Olivelle’ by Prof. Dr. Madhavi Narsalay, Department of Sanskrit, University of Mumbai ‘Valid perceptual cognition according to Tarka śāstram for jurisprudence’ by J Suryanarayana, Assistant Professor, MIT ADT University, Pune ‘Utkal School of Dharmashastra’ by Prof. Dr. Braja Kishore Swain, Former Head and Professor, Department of Dharmasastra, Shri Jagannath Sanskrit Vishvavidayalaya Puri ‘Applied Hermeneutics Of Pūrvamīmāṁsā For Jurisprudence’ by Vid. Rajeshwar Deshmukh, Acharya Of Nyāya and Pūrvamīmāṁsā, Vedanta Vidyapeetham Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. https:// Read here: w w w . Working Group II: Public Policy, Indian Social Dynamics and Cultural Underpinnings ‘Education Culture and Social Dynamics’ by Dr. Triveni Mathur ‘Holistic Education in India: Past, Present and Future’ by Shri Mukul Kanitkar, National Organising Secretary, Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal (BSM) ‘Changing Culture of Higher Education in India’ by Prof. Dr. Amruth G. Kumar, HoD, Department of Education, Central University of Kerala ‘Indic studies in China with a Focus on Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts’ by Dr. Binod Singh Ajatshatru, Director, BRICS Institute, New Delhi WG 2 Read here: https:// Working Group III: Arenas of New Knowledge Production and Indian Public Policy Lecture: ‘Making Without Taking’ by Prof. Shubha Ghosh, Crandall Melvin Professor of Law, Director, Intellectual Property and

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Technology Commercialisation Law Programme, Director, Syracuse Intellectual Property Law Institute (SIPLI), Syracuse University. ‘UN Secretary-General Report on Digital Co-operation: Takeaways for India’ by Dr. Badri Narayanan, Professor, Centre for International Trade in Forestry, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington Seattle; Dr. Sanjay Bapna, Professor and Chair of the Department of Information Science and Systems, Morgan State University; Dr. Harsha Singh Senior Fellow, Council on Emerging Market Enterprises, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy; and Ms. Anubha Sinha, Senior Programme Manager, Centre For Internet and Society, Bengaluru. Panel Discussion: TRIPS Waiver Proposal—State of Play and the Way Forward Panellists: Shri Mustaqeem de Gama, Counsellor, South Africa WTO Mission; Dr. HU Yuan Qiong, Ph.D., Policy Co-coordinator | Senior Legal & Policy Advisor Médecins Sans Frontières Access Campaign; Prof. Dr. Biswajith Dhar, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, School of Social Sciences, JNU and Former Member of the Board of Trade; Moderator: Shri K. M. Gopakumar, Legal Advisor and Senior Researcher Third World Network and Opening Remarks by Prof. Yogesh Pai, Assistant Professor of Law, National Law University, Delhi and Associate Rapporteur, NFSI. https:// Read here: w w w . Working Group IV: India as Vishwaguru: Indian Knowledge Systems and Preparing for the Global Future The Concept of Statehood in the Atharvaveda’ by Prof. Dr. Nirmala R. Kulkarni, Research Scientist, Centre of Advanced Study in Sanskrit, S. P. Pune University. ‘Statehood in Jainism’ by Dr. Meenal Katarnikar, Department of Philosophy, University of Mumbai https:// Read here: w w w .

To know more about NFSI and the lead-up events, visit: www.nfsi.cvv.ac.in

Wedn es Webi day nars The Wednesday Seminar Series, as the name indicates, is a weekly gathering of CVV’s academic fraternity. Every Wednesday afternoon, for an hour, the faculty, staff, and students of CVV come together to listen to one of their own or an invited speaker, to learn about their current research interests or contributions to the industry they belong to. The talks are followed by animated discussions providing further insights into the topic of the day. The series was conceptualised in 2017 and has been organised regularly since then, to promote research, a peer review culture, and inter-disciplinary collaborations within the University as well as with peers from other institutions. In addition, the series serves the purpose of introducing the students to a variety of research activities across disciplines to broaden their interests and to enrich their academic experience. It also provides a platform for budding researchers amongst the student community to present their work and gather constructive feedback. The series, renamed Wednesday Webinars, seamlessly moved to a virtual platform along with other academic endeavours at CVV during the pandemic. Seventeen webinars have been organised since the current academic year commenced in July. The speakers and the themes were as varied as always. The series had five invited speakers addressing topics ranging from ‘Ways to master complex subjects’ to ‘Suggested use of ritualistic mudras in Bharatanatyam’, catering to the diverse interests of CVV-ians from diverse disciplines. Twelve sessions were conducted by the faculty of CVV. Six of these sessions were presentations on their ongoing or completed doctoral research studies, encouraging others striving towards their research goals. A research paper was also presented during this period. Of the five sessions with invited speakers, two webinars specifically addressed pertinent concerns during the pandemic— enhancing productivity and access as well as optimum use of e-resources. A session also catered to a prime concern of all researchers which is ensuring the quality of their research publications, through a talk on understanding the impact of a journal. Two sessions were organised to complement other ongoing events at the University: the introduction to ‘Chitra-kavya’ during the Sanskrit Month celebrations and the talk by a Ph.D. research scholar of CVV on Srinivasa Ramanujan as part of the National Mathematics Day celebrations. CVV hopes that the series continues to impart knowledge and encourage curiosity in the future too. www.cvv.ac.in

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Webinars: Information-Insights-Interactions

TB in India: Patent Barriers and Challenges in Accessing New Medicines A panel discussion on ‘TB in India: Patent Barriers and Challenges in Accessing New Medicines’ was organised by CVV in association with the Third World Network (TWN) Trust on 25 August. Prathibha Sivasubramanian (Senior Researcher, TWN) moderated the session and set the agenda for the discussion to be around the accessibility of new drugs for Drug-Resistant TB (DR-TB). This agenda was discussed from various perspectives. Nandita Venkatesan (TB survivor and an advocate for TB and disability) brought in the patient perspective, Leena Menghaney (Regional Head—South Asia, Access Campaign at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)) shed light from the perspective of civil society and Adv. Chetali Rao, (IP lawyer and Legal-policy expert) brought in perspectives from the practice point of view.

NEP 2020: Opportunities and Challenges—A Panel Discussion

An online panel discussion on ‘NEP 2020: Opportunities and Challenges’ was held on 27 August, with special focus on the multidisciplinary aspect of education, impact on the institutional governance models and emerging accreditation and evaluation processes. The eminent panellists included Dr. Chetan Singhai (Chief Consultant for the NEP 2020 and Deputy Director, Ramaiah Public Policy Centre, Bengaluru), Dr. K. Unnikrishnan (Academician and President, Bhartiya Shikshan Mandal, Kerala), Prof. Aseem Prakash (Professor of Public Policy, School of Public Policy and Governance, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Hyderabad) and Dr. Jayashankaran Natesan (Former Vice Chancellor of the Kanchi University). The discussion was moderated by Dr. Vanisree Ramanathan (Associate Professor and Head, School of EGCS) . The panel observed that while the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisages education in a continuum, working towards holistic education, integral evaluation and overall development of the individual, the challenge lies in bringing a mutual alignment between the philosophical principle of the NEP and its practical implementation.

Value Added by Value-Based Education: Meeting the Need of the Hour CVV, in association with the Rotary Club of Tripunithura Royale, organised a webinar titled ‘Value Added by Value-Based Education: Meeting the Need of the Hour’ on 28 September to raise public awareness of the importance of value-based education and discuss the challenges, possibilities and best practices in the value-added aspects of the Indian educational system. In his introductory address Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal distinguished between value-based education and value-added education and reiterated that the idea of values should be thought about tangibly as value-based education adds value to our life. Rtn. M. Jose Chacko (District Governor Rotary District 3201) in his keynote address outlined the various Rotary programmes aimed at the empowerment of youth and spoke on the youth perspective in terms of value-based education leading a person from self-centeredness to being an integrated personality. PDG Rtn. Adv. Baby Joseph (District Trainer), PDG. Rtn Venugopal. C. Govind also spoke on the importance of value-based education as including personal, social, community and ethical values as well as virtual ethics. Dean of Faculty Prof. Gauri Mahulikar emphasised the importance of the axis of dharma—duty, the way of life in various dimensions of life—quoting from the Mahabharata and the Panchatantra. PDG. C. A. B.Jayaraj (Zonal Chair, Rotary India Literacy Mission) emphasised the necessity of value-based education as a prerequisite for the realisation of the Self in humans. PDG. Rtn. Balagopal. B. (District Director) echoed the responsibility of the Rotary as well as CVV to prepare the youth with values for a brighter future. Rtn. Meena Vishwanath (District Chair, T.E.A.C.H) urged the participants to ‘live’ the values we value and specifically described self-awareness and empathy as two essential competences.

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Alternative Approaches to International Law (AAIL 2020-21) CVV, in association with the Weeramantry Centre for Peace, Justice and International Law launched a lecture series on ‘Alternative Approaches to International Law’ in October with the aim of having one lecture every month for a year. The rationale for having this lecture series is the popular discontent with the mainstream outlook towards International Law. As is well known, there are grave issues of justice and human rights that the world is trying hard to cope up with. But quite often, such efforts pale when they encounter hard realities of power structure implicit in the working of international law.

Dr. Celine Tan

Dr. Daniel Reitiker

Dr. Sanoj Rajan

The talks conducted so far are: 30 October:

‘Towards A New Architecture of International Public Finance in the COVID-19 Era by Dr. Celine Tan, University of Warwick.

27 November:

‘Humanisation of International Law: The Example of Arms Control’ by Dr. Daniel Reitiker, International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms.

16 December:

‘Statelessness Arising out of Arbitrary Deprivation of Nationality and Persecution: An Irrefutable Link’ by Professor Dr. Sanoj Rajan, Zhejiang Gongshang University, China.

Sustainable Living: Possibilities and Concerns A webinar on ‘Sustainable Living: Possibilities and Concerns’ was organised by the students of the Minor Course ‘Science for Sustainable Living’ under the guidance of Dr. Bindu M.P. (Assistant Professor, School of EGCS) on 26 December. The students presented papers on various themes concerning sustainable living.

In Bet

ween

Dr. Sandhya Shankar (Assistant Professor, School of LLS)

www.cvv.ac.in

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Seva an

d Socia

l Initiat

ives CVV Supports E-Learning in the Wake of COVID-19 After the COVID-19 pandemic, e-learning could be the new normal. The Government of Kerala’s General Education Department started an online programme for school students called First Bell, telecast via the Kite Victers YouTube channel.

CVV got to know about a section of students in the vicinity of the Chinmaya Eswara Gurukula campus who lacked facilities for online classes and were finding it difficult to continue their education amidst this crisis. Considering these facts, an appeal was made to CVV members to donate functional smartphones, which CVV could then donate to the students. The idea was well accepted by all at CVV and we were able to hand over the first smartphone to Master Sino V. P., a student of Government Upper Primary School, Edakkattuvayal, Ernakulam. His younger sister Baby Alphonsa, studying in LKG in the same school, was provided a kit of study materials. The smartphone and study kit were handed over by Soumya S., Registrar-in-charge, on 16 July. CVV Supports Local Panchayat in Covid Relief Work The Pambakkuda Gram Panchayat started a COVID-19 First Line Treatment Centre (CFLTC) for COVID patients. To support the initiative, Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal and Registrar-in-charge Dr. Soumya S. handed over a cheque of Rs. 25,000/- to the Panchayat President Smt. Ammini George and Panchayat Secretary Mr. Anthru M. M. on 24 August, in the presence of panchayat members and staff. Mr. Bijin K., Site Manager, coordinated the event.

Onakkoor‌ ‌Village‌ ‌Office‌‌ Gifted ‌a‌n Inverter‌ ‌System ‌ The Onakkoor‌ ‌Village‌ ‌Office‌‌ was gifted ‌a‌ ‌2‌ ‌KVA‌ ‌inverter‌ ‌system‌ ‌along‌ ‌with‌‌two ‌batteries‌‌of 150‌‌Ah.‌by CVV under its CSR‌activities. On 2‌ 9‌ ‌September‌, the Vice Chancellor ‌Prof.‌ ‌Nagaraj‌ Neerchal ‌handed‌ ‌over‌ ‌the‌ ‌inverter‌ ‌system‌ ‌to‌ ‌‌ the Village‌ ‌Officer Mrs.‌ ‌Shiny‌ ‌K.‌ ‌Paul.‌ Dr.‌ ‌Soumya‌ ‌S.‌ ‌Registrar‌ I/C ‌attended‌ ‌the‌ ‌function‌ ‌along‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌other‌ ‌officials‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Village‌ ‌Office.‌ ‌

Enhancing Health Behaviors—CVV’S Social Responsibility Initiative As a Social Responsibility Initiative, CVV organised a three-day webinar on ‘Enhancing Health Behaviour for Wellbeing’ from 11 to 13 September. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the world thinking about advanced health practices. Considering this scenario, the webinar Dr. N. Sreekumar Dr. Augustine George Dr. Jasmine Joseph focused on various dimensions of health and hygiene practices to allow the young generation to develop healthy living styles. The webinar was a step towards achieving good health and wellbeing which will be a preface to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal. On Day 1, Dr. N. Sreekumar (Founder and former coordinator Spandanam Project | District Medical Officer (Rtd.), Kozhikode) spoke on ‘Development of Health Behaviour’. On Day 2, Dr. Augustine George (Assistant Professor, Government Medical College, Kottayam) spoke on ‘Nutrition and Exercise for Health’. On Day 3, Dr. Jasmine Joseph (Assistant Professor, Government College of Engineering, Kannur) elaborated on ‘Promotion of Health Through Active Life-Culture’.

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Meet the VC In the pandemic situation, when students were feeling uncertain about their studies and career, CVV organised Meet the VC on 11 July 11 so that students could interact with the Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal and have their doubts cleared. The hon’ble Vice Chancellor addressed various questions like: “How do I go about the admission process? Which is the right programme for me for UG/PG in view of the future? Will the COVID lockdown permit my education to take off on the right footing?” It was an interactive session, where students participated actively and were assured by the VC how the admission and the learning process will be planned and go on undeterred through the online mode.

Meet the Seniors ‘Meet the Seniors’ was an exclusive event on 08 August for prospective students to interact with the current students of CVV. The current students spoke about how CVV is different from institutions and also about their recent online learning experience due to the pandemic. They shared their views on campus life and the extracurricular activities at CVV. The facilitators for the programme were Dean of Faculty Prof. Gauri Mahulikar and Smt. Neethu S. Kumar (Assistant Professor, School of LLS).

Meet the Parents The ‘Meet the Parents’ session for the students of 2018 and 2019 admissions was held on 12 September. The goal was to build a healthy relationship between the University and parents, to create general awareness about CVV and to discuss online teaching. The University panel consisted of Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal, Dean of Faculty Prof. Gauri Mahulikar, Registrar I/c Dr. Soumya S. and the Controller of Examinations Shri Krishna Kumaran Thampi. Following the interactive session between the University panel and the parents regarding students’ performance, questions were raised by the parents regarding the implementation of the online teaching method. They were informed about the ‘synchronous and asynchronous methodology used by the University and the way it would be carried out for the maximum benefit of the students.

Bridge Programme for UG Students At the beginning of every academic year, CVV organises a Bridge Programme to assist and equip the new students for the transition from school life to college life. The programme is broadly classified into four modules: ‘Understanding the University’ which provides information on the University, its rules and regulations, courses etc.; ‘Expanding Expertise’ which are valueadded and skill development sessions; ‘Tapping your Talents’ which has cultural and sports sessions and ‘Building Bridges’ which involves ice-breaking activities meant to trigger interactions and bonhomie amongst the students. The month-long Bridge Programme for the new students of the academic year 2020-21 was launched on 16 September and this year it was all online!

Bridge Programme for PG Students The Bridge Programme for the PG students was offered online in the month of October. The programme was inaugurated on 19 October. Dean Prof. Gauri Mahulikar, Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal and CVV Trustee Swami Advayananda addressed the students. This was followed by an ice-breaking session organised by Smt. Neethu S. Kumar, Assistant Professor, School of EGCS. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal also had a dialogue with the students about combining IKS and CKS in the ‘Meet the VC’’ session. The students were introduced to the Administrative and Academic process at CVV along with the library resources, examination cell orientation and learning management system. They were offered a mixture of courses, which were curricular and co-curricular in nature.

Career Talks for M.A. PPG A series of talks on careers in policy were organised for the students of M.A. PPG by the M.A. PPG faculty along with CVV’s Outreach and Placement Cell. The series began in the month of November. The talks organised till date are as follows: November ‘How to Decide a Career in Public Life’ by Shri Shobhit Mathur, Co-founder and Dean of Rashtram School of Public Leadership. ‘Opportunities in Sustainable Development and Energy Policy’ by Shri Ashok Sreenivas, Prayas Energy Group, Pune. ‘Right to Information Act (Right to Swaraj)’ by Shri Shailesh Gandhi, RTI activist and former Information Commissioner. December ‘Public Policy Career Opportunities in the Education Sector’ by Shri Siddesh Sarma (Representative of SCERT, Maharashtra on two NCERT Committees and on the Advisory Board of Teach For India, Pune). ‘Urban Policy and NGOs’ by Shri Sharad Mahajan (Executive Director of the NGO Mashal) www.cvv.ac.in

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Students Speak

TURNING FEAR TO SUCCESS Kamya Kumar

First-year B.Sc. Applied Psychology (Hons.)

‘Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.’ – Bertrand Russell Fear may have us sitting on a great perception or idea. It may restrict us from using our true talents. We have to recognise our fear and manage it properly. We might become uncertain, fear rejection, doubt ourself and may even fail to do anything. Let us think about how we can turn fear into success. First, we must realise that negative thinking plays an important role in feeding our fears. There might be thoughts in our mind echoing, “You can’t”, “You shouldn’t” and “Yes, but what if?” Before we even realise, negative thoughts pile up and become a huge mountain to climb. Instead of allowing negative thoughts to affect us emotionally, we must put on our logical thinking hat for fear to work in our favour. Instead of telling onself, “I can’t”, ask yourself “How can I?” Ask yourself, “What is the best way to…” instead of “You shouldn’t”. Change the thought “What if it doesn’t work?” to “Imagine how terrific it will be.” When our thoughts are positive there is little room for negative thinking and slowly we can eliminate our negative thoughts. Thus, we start turning fear into success. Everyone loves to stay in their comfort zone and letting go of that comfort zone can generate fear. We must not allow our comfort zone to become a prison and realise that it is working against you and not for you. So, how do we get out of it? Think about the times when you took a chance and were successful. Remember how victory felt and how rewarding it was to achieve a goal. One of the best ways to use fear for success is to face it head-on. But if we don’t recognise its presence, fear can hold us back without us even knowing it. We must turn those fears into empowering positive thoughts. It is not easy to overcome the fear of failure, but once we build up the confidence we will definitely achieve much more which will lead us to the road to success.

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Life Lessons 2020 Taught Me Aswin Rajeev

First-year B.A. Applied Psychology

‘No man ever steps into the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.’ ~ Heraclitus Nothing in life is permanent, nor can it be, because the very nature of existence is change. With every passing minute, we are learning and evolving. In fact, we can even acknowledge that change is not just a part of life, it is life itself and the only thing constant is transmutation. I’m sure we can all agree this year has been an emotional rollercoaster for all us. Being stuck at home and not being able to do the things I love to do outdoors gave me a whole new perspective on life. The way to be truly happy is to appreciate the things we already have, no matter what the change. In the past, people have criticised my mistakes, cluttering my life and leading me to make more mistakes. However, I am grateful for that criticism. Life is made up, 10% of events that happen to us, and 90% of my reactions to those events. The lessons I learned are self-love, gratitude, humility, and relinquishment. But most of all I learned that there exists a gap between my perception of reality and reality itself. My ability to perceive and interpret this gap holds the secret to happiness and harmony in my life.

An Ode—The Grand Master of Our Hearts Lakshmi Sivaraman

First-year M.Sc. Applied Psychology

A small dedication to the Grand Master—Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda. For it is he who walks the portals of this institution, glowing in his flaming orange robes, For it is His sankalpa that empowers us, His compassion that protects us, For it is He who lives in each of our hearts, in ways perhaps unknown to us! Who can comprehend the Master’s mighty vision? One that turns unknown strangers into a family so loving and important. One that kindles the fire of inspiration in souls innumerable, One that turns the most fickle-hearted into strong warriors, One that allows the restless to dissolve in peace, One that soothes the umpteen aches of the deprived, One that empowers children to grow into visionaries, One that stokes the dynamism of the youth, lighting the flames of spiritual and national awakening, One that sows the seeds of the Knowledge Supreme in all hearts, One that enriches the lives of the elderly with joy divine, One that produces dedicated disciples who walk His path, One that brings people from all walks to serve, love and smile together! One that brings us together in the quest for knowledge at a mighty University, One that teaches us to ‘Live Dynamically and Think Positively!’ To ‘Love All’ and ‘Keep Smiling!’ And yet, words fall short...for what can really encompass the Guru’s infinite compassion? www.cvv.ac.in

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An Unknown Finish Supreeta Dattathri

First-year B.Sc. Applied Psychology

We begin our life unsure of where we are going to end. Our first breath is the cry of uncertainty of the newness of it all. Soon we get used to it and we adapt. Then we are at the age where we run and wobble around. We run, not looking back. We don’t know where the road is headed and so we turn around and run right back to our mother’s arms. Then again we try to adapt. We are teenagers now. Going around with friends, having our views on topics, understanding to be a ‘young adult’. And our adaptations continue. As we start to work and our life seems more settled, we try to look for the finish line so that we could run right through it. Yet we end up understanding there is still a long way to go. Wrinkles slowly form like the waves in the ocean unaware where the end is. Adaptations seem to be the only way even now. Just like how our life has an unknown finish, so does this pandemic. Termed as fate, a miracle for some, Kali Yuga for others—to me it’s a MYSTERY! A mystery that seems to have confused our state of mind and appears to have no end. A mystery that allows us to understand that we need to work together while we don’t. A mystery that has allowed the recovery of this wondrous space, within and without. It is a mystery that has an unknown finish.

Happiness Sreevidya S. Kumar

First-year B.Sc. Applied Psychology

Happiness is something to be sought and found. Pleasure seekers who seek happiness in outward things usually miss it. People often think that money brings happiness. Though money is essential for life, it alone cannot bring happiness. So the source of happiness is not wealth alone. Good health is an important factor in providing happiness. A person suffering from an ailment is always be worried about it and will not find much happiness. By observing laws of health, one can enjoy good health and thereby happiness. An idler is rarely a happy one and the workers are generally cheerful. We should have healthy hobbies to fill our leisure hours. These will add pleasure to life. Pleasant social interaction is a great source of happiness. Human beings are social animals and therefore friendship and a feel of belonging would bring happiness to our life. The source of happiness lies within us and it depends on ourselves. A poor person may be happy in his hut while a millionaire may be unhappy in his mansion. Happiness lies in unselfishness, kindness, humanity, a clear mind and a clear conscience.

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Delayed Gratification Kamya Kumar

F.Y. B.Sc. Applied Psychology

You might have often heard your elders say that if you want to be something in life you have to have the patience and conviction to pursue it and only then will you succeed. They may not seem pragmatic and realistic but they are not wrong either. In the 1960s and 70s, Walter Mischel from Stanford University conducted an experiment which he later published in 1972 in a study journal. It consisted of placing children of 3-5 years of age in separate rooms. They were all given a marshmallow and were told that they could eat it then, but if they waited for another 15 minutes they would be given another marshmallow. Many of the children just ate the marshmallow straight away. Others waited the whole time. Some ate it after waiting for some time. The study lasted for about a decade for the reason that these children were kept track of by the University for a long time. It was found that the children who were able to wait the whole 15 minutes for a bigger reward were likelier to have high scores, social competence, self-assuredness and self-worth, and were rated by their parents as more mature, better able to cope with stress, more likely to plan ahead, and more likely to use reason as teenagers. They were also less likely to have conduct disorders or high levels of impulsivity, aggressiveness and hyperactivity. As adults the high delayers were less likely to have drug problems or other addictive behaviours, get divorced or be overweight. Basically, it meant that if as a child you were able to delay gratification, you are more likely to succeed in life as a teenager and as an adult in all spheres of life. So delayed gratification is the ability to resist the temptation for an immediate reward in order to receive a greater reward later. Success usually comes to those choosing the pain of discipline over the ease of distraction. And that’s exactly what delayed gratification is all about. Researchers at the University of Rochester re-conducted the Marshmallow Experiment. The important thing they discovered is that the ability of a child to delay gratification is partially dependent on his/her personal experiences and environmental factors. Children who had been cheated previously were more wary and grabbed the reward because they knew they might get cheated again. But this does not mean that you cannot learn to delay gratification simply because you were cheated at some point in your life. It is possible for anyone to develop the ability to look at the bigger picture and make better health, lifestyle and academic choices and delay gratification. We too can do this. All we need to do is keep in mind our values and goals, and then plan and prioritise to achieve that goal. But at the end of all this, we have to remember to relax and reward ourself. The point of the experiment was not to show that the choice of 4-year-old not to eat a marshmallow decided how the rest of his life would play out for him. The point was that if you decide to wait for as long as it takes to try harder and pursue your goals, and if you decide to make the choice to admit that you can do better and that you can do whatever you can to get to those goals you have become a better person and are on the path to a better life already.

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BE ON THE MOVE Aditya Raja

Third-year B.A. Applied Psychology

Uncertainty is real in COVID times. Friction from the new normal makes us go astray. Friction from the new normal makes us rethink our life choices. Friction from the new normal makes one question the bleak future. But then, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Global competitions and many examinations are now administered online. The homeplace has now changed to workplace. Global collaborations are signed digitally, and workshops are hosted over the internet. Nevertheless, Sharmaji’s son is busy maintaining his mountain of certificates, whereas from a distance Rancho is busy observing him with a sheepish smile. Sharmaji’s son is restless as his schedule is full of only his desires and he is doing everything to win the new rat race. This webinar, that virtual summit, and much more! His list never ends as the human want never ends. Rancho is busy chasing his passion and helping others through cyber seva. He helps people, reaches out to the needy, and remains happy with what he has now. His inner faith drives his progress, even in the times of COVID. Rancho remains calm and focused on what he wants. As both of them have a choice to either be burdened by our anxiety or use the opportunity consciously to build our dreams and not be overwhelmed by them. Hence, be on the move. Let not the negatives overpower your mind, rather be on the move with a conscious choice which will help you be on the move consciously. Embrace friction from the new normal, yet not give in to it. Embrace the new norms, yet be on the move. Embrace the new status quo, yet not subscribe to it. Be on the move and make progress. And please when you are on the move, don’t copy Sharmaji’s son. Why be a photocopy when you can be your autograph?

Online Class Blisters Rhishab Nair

First-year B.Com.

2020 got us shunned under the COVID-19 umbrella. We students did enjoy the first few months (ones who just finished 12th) but then reality struck us quite hard. College started! Or did it? This wasn’t the first few days of our college life that we had expected. We all did make a lot of new friends without knowing how they look or how they are in real life. Only saw their faces in that small Tab which seems to be growing smaller as the days pass by. Well we do have online classes but this is just 1% that any teacher is capable of teaching their students. They are neither able to see their students nor know how much they have understood. That teacher-student bond seems to be going down the drain. The knowledge road seems to have taken a detour. Zoom classrooms and classrooms only have the name common between them and nothing else. Before COVID, parents and teachers used to ask us to take a break from sitting for long hours in front of the screen. Now they ask us to sit in front of it, not because they want us to, rather because they don’t have an option. Teachers no longer throw chalk pieces at students, they mute them! Ouch!

Gone are the days when going to class involved brushing, taking a shower, having breakfast, running to catch the bus to waking five minutes before the class time and brushing just before that. Eating breakfast and munching on snacks during class can now be done by just turning the camera off. Very handy! Showering before class seems to be a thing of the past. Running to class seems to be history now classes are just a click away. Gosh! I miss the running part! The blisters that the online classes are giving are truly a lesson showing how important it is to be close to your friends and teachers. Hoping to see them all soon!

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Women Empowerment Amritha V. Nair

Demand and Supply Arman Gupta

First-year B.Sc. Applied Psychology

First-year B.Sc. Applied Psychology

I believe women’s education is the need of the hour. Without educating the women of the country, we cannot hope for a developed nation. Women play a vital role in the all-around progress of a country; they are the real builders of happy homes. It is said that if we educate a man, we educate a man only, but if we educate a woman, we educate the whole family.

Our classes changed and so did the subjects, But still, to all my questions, you did not object. It was now Economics what I learnt,

Advantages of women’s education

But with Physics and Chemistry, you had already tied a knot. Times changed but not us, His love grew but not hers. Your love was my only demand, But the supply was not in command. I may seem like I am liable, But trust me I am damn reliable.

Peaches An educated woman is like a magic wand which brings prosperity, health and pride. We just have to unleash her potential and see that magic happens. We have improved a lot on women’s education since independence, but still, a lot remains to be improved. The factors restricting the growth of women’s education in India are mainly social and we need to recognise such factors and work on them if we want to achieve the goals of socio-economic development. ‘GIVE HER THE THRONE AND JUST SEE HOW SHE RULES THE WORLD.’

Aatmaja Rajesh First-Year BBA

After a long week of budget meetings all I wanted was a good book, music and an armchair. As the train wound through the city, I stood in it somehow managing to stay awake. All the seats were occupied by either the elderly or girls going for some cheerleading contest who would giggle every five seconds. At last, the train reached 36th Avenue station and I got off. I started towards my home, tired as ever. I was just three blocks away from my house when suddenly a light came, as a bush on my left parted to reveal a path.

I could have ignored it and walked forward but a sweet scent wafted across the path. The grass was so green that it told me that no one had been there in a while. With half my mind screaming that it was a trap and the other half not caring, I walked onto the path. After a few hundred metres the path widened into a clearing with a peach tree and a pond of crystal-clear water in the middle. The tree was in full bloom. The delicate flowers swayed in the gentle breeze that seemed to come from nowhere. It was calm and serene. I went to the tree and sat under it. This was just what I wanted. Sure, it wasn’t an armchair but I felt like I was in the arms of mother nature. The gentle breeze tickled the exposed skin of my arms and face. This continued for days, weeks and months. I would be walking back from work and the path would be there. The strange thing was that no one would be around. As months passed the peach tree was bent with fruits. One day I plucked one and bit into it. Unlike normal peaches this one didn’t just have an exotic smell, but the subtle taste of peach was magnified at least ten times. After enjoying the meadow and the fruit I went back home and planted the seed of the peach in my garden. As years passed, jobs changed, relationships changed, the peach tree in the garden grew to be a young and strong tree ready to bear flowers. But the tree in the meadow started to decay. The tree started to wither, the pond turned muddy, the once green grass became crushed and brown. And one day the peach tree in my backyard blossomed with a unique exotic smell. On my way back home, I saw the light from the path but as I got closer, I noticed that the path was closing in.No matter what I did it closed. As months passed the peach in my backyard bore fruit. The fruits whose taste transported me back to the meadow which had become a painful yet beautiful memory. www.cvv.ac.in

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Samskritam for the People of Determination Sivapriya Ambalavanan Avinashi First-year M.A. PPG

The effect of thinking in Sanskrit is really interesting. I find my mind somehow works more fluidly. Although India has been its custodian, Samskritam has had universal appeal for centuries. The wisdom carried by this language appeals to the West as we can see from Yoga and Ayurveda as well as meditation techniques, and practical philosophies like Hinduism, Buddhism, and most of what we use in the School of Philosophy. It supports, expands, and enlightens rather than conflicts with local traditions and religions. The precision of Samskritam stems from the unparalleled detail in how the actual sounds of the alphabet are structured and defined. The sounds have a particular place in the mouth, nose and throat that can be defined and will never change. This is why in Samskritam the letters are called the ‘Indestructible’ [aksharáni]. Samskritam is the only language that has consciously laid out its sounds from first principles. So, the five mouth-positions for all indestructible [letters] are defined and with a few clearly described mental and physical efforts, they are all systematically planned. Samskritam automatically teaches to pay fine attention due to its uncanny precision. Due to the precision, the experience is uplifting. It makes you happy. It is not difficult even for a beginner to experience this. All you have to do is fine-tune your attention and like music, you are drawn in and uplifted. This precision of attention serves all subjects, areas, and activities of life both while in school and for the rest of life for the people of determination as it creates a new horizon and better attention to detail in their minds and helps emphasise their senses better. This is likely to give a child a competitive advantage over other children. They will be able to attend more fully, easily, and naturally, in any environment that they are posed with, and fine-tune their senses. Thus, in terms of relationships, work, sport– in fact, all aspects of life, they are likely to perform better and gain more satisfaction. Samskritam also helps a child to express universal, harmonious, and simple truths better, and aids in improving conversational skills. Also, Samskritam can do this as it is the only language that is based in knowledge all the way, which is logical and practical, making it easy to grasp and understand for the people of determination. It also provides information and access to vast literature, AI developments and computer codes. The precision play of Sanskrit with computer tools can awaken the capacity in human beings to utilise their innate higher mental faculty with a momentum that would inevitably transform the mind. In fact, the mere learning of Sanskrit by large numbers of people in itself represents a quantum leap in consciousness, as they are all based on Samskritam, which aids in greater adaptability and technological knowledge for the differently-abled. Furthermore, Samskritam has been proven to have everlasting effects of betterment on people with Cerebral Palsy, mild Autism and other brain-related issues. It helps clear the mind and provide a logical understanding. It also helps in easier understanding of Braille according to research as it is increasing the tendency to concentrate and grasp minute details. Our Samskriti is about self-awareness, it has always been. Hence our language also propagates that. I am usually meditating while speaking the language because it leaves me no choice but to be aware as I speak! I would definitely urge everyone to study the language because it is the need of the hour.

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Stoicism Gautham Parmar

First-year B.Voc. (Business Process and Data Analytics)

A quick Google search about stoicism will read,

So what exactly does that mean? In simple words, stoicism is the practice of controlling what you can and accepting what you can’t. To make the definition more clear let’s take a real-life example: you are to appear for an interview. You prepare by dressing modestly, creating an impressive CV, practising your notes for the questions you may be asked and the other necessary things. The result can be that you are either selected or rejected. Here, the former, the preparation is something we can work on, something we can control but not the result. So, whatever the result may be, a ‘stoic’ would accept it and move on. He would look at what other options are available. To a stoic, success or failure means nothing, virtue is in thriving. A common misconception in popular culture about stoicism is that it involves suppressing your emotions and to have a grim and humourless approach to life. Rather, it’s about naturally acknowledging emotions and dealing with them in a rational way. Stoics are more likely to be distinguished by mild humour in the face of things regarded as grim by others. What stoics do favour is moderation, not because they don’t believe in pleasure but because moderation makes lasting and natural pleasures possible. So how did stoicism come into existence? Around 304 BC, a merchant named Zeno was shipwrecked on a trading voyage. He lost nearly everything. Making his way to Athens, he was introduced to philosophy by the Cynic philosopher Crates and the Megarian philosopher Stilpo, which changed his life. As Zeno later joked, “I made a prosperous voyage when I suffered a shipwreck.” He would later move to what became known as the Stoa Poikile, literally meaning ‘painted porch’. Erected in the 5th century BC— the ruins of it are still visible, some 2,500 years later—the painted porch is where Zeno and his disciples gathered for discussions. While his followers were originally called Zenonians, it is the ultimate credit to Zeno’s humility that the philosophical school he founded, unlike nearly every school and religion before or since, didn’t ultimately carry his name. Stoicism involves four important virtues: wisdom, justice, temperance, courage. They are the essential values in Stoic philosophy. “If, at some point in your life,” Marcus Aurelius wrote, “you should come across anything better than justice, truth, self-control, courage—it must be an extraordinary thing indeed.” Another great philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche writes in one of his books ‘Why Am I so Clever’: “My formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity. Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it—all idealism is mendacity in the face of what is necessary—but love it.” Here he mentions the concept of amor fati which is closely linked to the ideas of Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus (two of the most influential stoic philosophers). Amor fati is a Latin phrase that may be translated as ‘love of fate’ or ‘love of one’s fate’. It is used to describe an attitude in which one sees everything that happens in one’s life, including suffering and loss, as good or, at the very least, necessary. Epictetus quotes ‘suffering stems not from our lives, but from our judgment about them’. This one quote really struck a chord with me and inspired me to learn more about stoicism. The book ‘Meditations’’ written by Marcus Aurelius gives in-depth knowledge about the idea and its virtues from Marcus Aurelius’ perspective. Overall, the goal of stoicism is to live according to reason and virtue, free of suffering and fully in agreement with one’s nature, as a byproduct one may live in a state of ataraxia or in a state of pure calmness. And remember, however clichéd it may sound, it’s all about the journey, not the destination.

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The Boatman and The Philosopher Aditya V.

First-year BBA

This is a story of what is real knowledge, how it is obtained and how it acts as a purifier. न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते I तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्धः कालेनात्मनि विन्दति II na hi jñānena sadṛśaṃ pavitramiha vidyate I tatsvayaṃ yogasaṃsiddhaḥ kālenātmani vindati II Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, Verse 38. For man, self-knowledge is the best purifier. This knowledge can be obtained only by perfection in yoga, and one has to realise it in his bosom. The meaning of this śloka is ‘Self-knowledge is the best purifier. This knowledge can be obtained only by perfection in yoga, and one has to realise it within’. When you are travelling on a wide powerful river what is the important knowledge you should possess? You should have knowledge of swimming. A great scholar had to cross a big river to attend an important meeting. The wind and river current were in opposing directions and so the journey was quite slow. Some pandits have the habit of constantly talking whether it is to themselves, repeating verses from the scripture to anybody within ear short. On this particular day, the boatman was quietly concentrating on steering the boat in the river. The scholar was the only person on the boat. Going by hith his habit of talking he asked the boatman, “Do you know how to read and write?” The boatman said he didn’t. The pandit was surprised and said, “In every village people are educated; you should at least know a little bit of reading.” Next, the pandit asked the boatman whether he knew music. The boatman replied that he didn’t. The pandit again said, “What a strange person you are. Every street has a cinema hall, radio broadcasts are there, you should at least have a transistor.” The boatman replied, “I do not know what a transistor is.” The pandit said, ‘You have wasted much of your life.’ And then the pundit went on to ask whether he had a newspaper and a watch, to which the boatman answered, “What is the use? I’m uneducated”. The pandit mockingly told the boatman that 3/4 th of his life had gone into the water (wasted). Just then a strong wind picked up pace and turned into a powerful storm. The boat started swinging from side to side. The boatman asked the pandit, “Do you know to swim?” to which the pandit replied in the negative. The boatman said, “Oh! What a pity! What a waste! If you don’t know swimming your whole life will go into the water!” When we are travelling across turbulent rivers we need to know how to swim. Without knowing how to swim all our knowledge of Philosophy, Physics, Chemistry, Botany will be of no use. In the journey of life, we are travelling on a rushing, unpredictable river and we need to know how to stay afloat and cross that river. To swim across safely we need the knowledge of Atman and have a strong power of discrimination to know that which is useful and that which is useless for crossing the river of worldly life. The real happiness lies in slowly detaching ourself from material things. External freedom is of being independent. Inner freedom means having full control of the senses.

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Vice Chancellor in Conversation with Collegedunia.com “My one line of advice to the current youth is focus on learning to learn. Learn to learn!” said Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal in his interview for Collegedunia’s ‘Thoughtful Leaders’ series with Mr. Raghul Dandapani. Collegedunia.com is an extensive education portal for students seeking higher education in India and overseas. The interview provides insight into CVV’s vision, the various challenges he foresees in higher education, implementation of the NEP and his thoughts on various topics. Responding to the volley of questions, Prof. Neerchal elaborated on CVV’s vision and how it drew him to CVV’s beautiful campus in Kerala, India, from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA. He spoke of CVV’s unique programmes with their student-centric pedagogy and methodology, connecting the ancient with the modern. Speaking about CVV’s top priority, he said, “Our goal is to produce high quality graduates who have the ability to see the connections between contemporary knowledge systems, whatever they choose to be their field of study, maybe law, accounting, research, administration or teaching and see the connection between that subject and the Indian knowledge traditions in all walks of life, not only in their own field when they go outside.”

Talks by Dean of Faculty Prof. Gauri Mahulikar Dean of Faculty and Professor, School of VKS, Dr. Gauri Mahulikar is a regular and popular speaker at various events. Here are some of the events she was invited to speak at: July Prof. Mahulikar spoke on the ‘Appreciation of Beauty in Meghaduta’ for the Atharva Forum, Gurugram where she elaborately described Kalidasa’s delineation of beauty ( ) on three different levels with examples from Meghduta: the level of physical beauty, poetic beauty and divine beauty. On 25 and 26 July, Prof. Mahulikar spoke on ‘Women in Ramayana and Mahabharata’ at an online series titled प्राचीन, मध्यकालीन एवम अर्वाचीन भारत की महा , in Hindi. The lectures were organised by Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Samiti, Konkan Prant, to commemorate the illustrious women from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. On day one Prof. Mahulikar spoke on Ahalya, Sita, Tara and Mandodari and on day two she spoke on Savitri and Draupadi. The lectures were streamed live on Facebook. August Kendriya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya in Janakpuri, New Delhi, and the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan-Project Section conducted a Sanskrit Saptaha Mahotsava. Prof. Mahulikar was invited to speak on ‘Sankara Vedanta Darsanam’. The Sanskrit Department at the University of Mumbai organised ‘Sanskrit Saptah Samaroha’ from 3 August and Prof. Mahulikar was invited to speak on New Avenues in Vedic Research. Smt. Sumati Dinanathji Memorial Lecture in association with Shilahari Heritage Services conducted an event on the theme ‘Tradition of Sun Worship in India’ with special reference to Kanakaditya where Prof. Mahulikar was invited to speak on the same. Sanskriti Samvardhan and Sanshodhan Pratishthan (SSASP) in the month-long ‘Sanskritotsav’, an initiative of Vivek Multivision Foundation, invited Prof. Mahulikar to speak on ‘Rishi Panchami—The Seven Rishis and their Social/Societal Symbolism’. The Centre for Soft Power conducted ‘Namaste 2020: Global Utsava of Indian Soft Power’ from 15 August to 6 September. On 29 August the topic of the day was ‘SAMA: Transdisciplinary Nature of Indian Knowledge Systems’ and Prof. Mahulikar was invited to speak on ‘Science in Yagashalas’. October Sanskrit Bharati USA conducted Rajatotsavaha, a two-month celebration commemorating 25 years of Samskritam work in the US and Canada. Prof. Gauri Mahulikar was invited to speak on ‘Samskrabhasa Vishvabhasaey’.

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The Asiatic Society of Mumbai MM Dr. P. V. Kane Institute for Postgraduate Studies and Research organised an online course on Ancient Indian Culture and Prof. Mahulikar was invited as a senior and expert speaker. Karnataka Samskrit University, Bengaluru, invited Prof. Mahulikar to give a special online lecture on ‘Textual Criticism-Challenges in Reconstructing a Text. Prof. Mahulikar was invited by the Department of English, Christ College, Rajkot, to speak on ‘Svapnavasavadattam: A Literary Criticism for’ at an online Expert Talk organised by them. Sanskrit Vaartavali is DD News’ weekly initiative that showcases interesting news and stories in Sanskrit, every Saturday at 6:30 pm and on Sunday (repeat) at 12:30 pm. Prof. Mahulikar was interviewed for the same and the interview was streamed live on their Sanskrit YouTube channel as well as on Doordarshan during the evening News. The Center for Softpower conducted a series of discussions on wildlife and conservation from 1-4 October 2020 called ‘Srishti Sambhrama: Celebrating the Earth Mother’. Several experts from a wide variety of fields were invited to discuss the conservation of wild animals in India. The programmes brought to light the issues faced in the field of conservation, as well as a spotlight on several animals. Prof. Mahulikar was invited to speak at the session on ‘Wisdom of the Ancients’. November A talk on ‘Deepavali: Some Puranic Insights’ at the Deepavali Talks arranged by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Bengaluru. It was organised by the Amrita Darshanam International Centre for Spiritual Studies and Sanskrit Club of the University. Over sixty students of engineering attended the talk along with external participants. Chinmaya Mission Mumbai (Navi Mumbai Zone) organised Chinmaya Prerana Family Pathshala, an online journey on the life of Sri Adi Shankaracharya where Prof. Mahulikar was invited to speak to the participants on ‘Adi Shankaracharya and the Beauty of Sanskrit’. December Prof. Mahulikar was invited to speak on Gitarahasya and Bal Gangadhar Tilak on the occasion of the centenary year of Parle Tilak Vidyalaya, the parent institute of Sathye College, Vile Parle, Mumbai. The lecture series was organised by the college and veteran scholars were invited to deliver talks on different aspects of Tilak’s personality and his contribution to society and Indology. The lecture was live on YouTube, watched by people from around the globe. On 6 December Maharashtra Times reported the event. Mythopia, Mumbai organised the Mythological Festival on 12 and 13 December. Prof. Mahulikar was invited to a panel discussion on the Mahabharata war. The other panelists were Pradip Bhattacharya, an independent researcher and Prof. B.N.Patnaik, Professor of English from IIT Kanpur. Prof. Mahulikar made a presentation on ‘Ayurveda and Advaita Vedanta’ at a panel discussion organised by Advaita Academy. She presented similarities in the concepts of Advaita Vedanta pertaining to the creation of the elemental world, nature of Purusha, concept of Moksha in Charaka Samhita, especially Sarirasthana. Being an alumni of Parle Tilak Vidyalaya, Vile Parle, Mumbai, it was an emotional and proud moment to be there as a speaker at the school’s ‘Vande Jagajjanani’ programme in celebration of its centenary year. Prof. Mahulikar spoke on ‘Vishwagunadarsha Champu’.

Dr. Vinayak Rajat Bhat and Dr. L. Sampath Kumar at the Sanskrit Divasa Mahotsava 2020 The IQAC and Department of Sanskrit of the Shri Shankarlal Sundarbai Shasun Jain College for Women, Chennai, conducted a webinar on the occasion of Samskrita Divasa Mahotsava 2020 on 25 July. Dr. L. Sampath Kumar (Assistant Professor and Head, School of LLS) and Dr. Vinayak Rajat Bhat (Assistant Professor and Head, School of VKS), were invited as speakers. Dr. Sampath Kumar spoke on the ‘Relevance of Learning Bhasa’s Plays’ while Dr. Bhat spoke on the topic ‘Dinacarya’.

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Talks by Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal Every year, the Chinmaya Educational, Cultural and Charitable Trust, (CEC & CT), Kerala organises the T.K.S. Unnithan Commemorative Series, soul-searching talks by forerunners in the field, in commemoration of the life and ideals of Prof. T. K. S. Unnithan who was the backbone of Chinmaya Mission and Chinmaya educational institutions in Kerala. Prof. Unnithan was a faculty and HOD at the Department of Statistics at Kerala University and much respected by his students. This year, the 7th T.K.S. Unnithan Commemorative Series was held on 23 August and Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal was invited as the keynote speaker. Prof. Neerchal spoke on an intriguing topic, ‘Teaching is not about teaching’. He emphasised that teaching is or rather should be a student-centric activity, focused on whether the students are learning or not. The Times Group, in association with CVV, organised a Times Interactions education webinar on ‘National Education Policy— Impact on Student and the System.’ Eminent educators and experts in Kerala shared their valuable insights into the National Education Policy, which has given a fresh impetus to the world of learning. Prof. Neerchal in his talk asserted that the prime stakeholders of the education system are the students who must ‘learn to learn’.

Prof. Gauri Mahulikar and Dr. Tulasi Kumar Joshi at National Online Workshop The Academic Centre of Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR), New Delhi, organised a week-long National Online Workshop on ‘Vivekachudamani: Greatest Text of Indian Philosophy’ from 3 to 9 September. Only shortlisted candidates could participate and receive certificates. Prof. Gauri Mahulikar was invited to give a special lecture on the methodology. Dr. Tulasi Kumar Joshi, Assistant Professor at CVV’s School of VKS, was invited as a resource person. He spoke on the following topics from the text in three sessions over two days: Jivanmukta-lakṣaṇam (The Nature of a Realised Soul), Prārabdhavicāraḥ (The Scope of Prārabdha), Nānātvaniṣedha (Denial of Dualism or the Supreme Truth), Ātmānubhavopadeśaḥ (The Nature of Self Realisation), Bodhopalabdhiḥ (The Pupil’s Experience), Śiṣyaprabodhanam (Exhortation to the Pupil) and Upasaṁhāraḥ (Conclusion).

Dean Prof. Gauri Mahulikar’s Interview by By NBTV Live Dean of Faculty, Prof. Gauri Mahulikar was interviewed by NBTV, an online TV channel. NB stands for ‘Namasthe Bharath’. NBTV’s aim is to empower Indians with fact-led information on issues that matter to society but are either ignored or accepted with little questioning. In the interview, Prof. Gauri spoke about the importance of studying Sanskrit and introduced CVV as a ‘de novo’ university that strives to provide a unique blend of Indian Knowledge Traditions with Contemporary Knowledge Traditions, through a variety of programmes.

Ganesha Sharanam—Online Bhajan Course As part of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, a five-day online bhajan course, ‘Ganesha Sharanam’, was organised with Smt. Pramodini Rao, Campus Director of CNBG, being invited to teach bhajans on Lord Ganesha, live on Chinmaya Vibhooti’s Facebook Page. The course started two days before Ganesh Chaturthi, i.e. 20 August and continued till 24 August. The sessions were held from 9.00 and 9.30 pm every day. Simple bhajans and naamasankirtan that can be sung at congregations were taught.

Dean Prof. Gauri Mahulikar’s Interview by Collegedunia Dean of Faculty, Prof. Gauri mahulikar was interviewed by Collegedunia, an extensive search engine for all those who are looking for information regarding higher education in India and abroad. During the interview, Prof. Mahulikar explained how CVV pedagogies, teaching methodologies and curriculum aims to provide a perfect blend of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) and Contemporary Knowledge Systems (CKS). She said the key to the ancient treasure of knowledge is Sanskrit. She also spoke about some unique teaching methodologies and practices at CVV such as student mentoring (peer learning), Mitra etc. which ensure the students gain conceptually sound knowledge and are not merely bombarded with information The conversation ended by lighting towards the importance CVV giving for the livelihood/employability skill development along with the minor courses to make the complete transformation of the students in terms of dealing with life by following their passion.

Career Guidance at Schools On 27 December, the first webinar under CVV’s Direct to School Campaign was conducted by Dr. Kavitha Shanmughan (Assistant Professor, School of PPSH) for the students, parents and teachers of Chinmaya Vidyalaya Vadavalli (CBSE), Coimbatore. Prior to the session the students of classes 11 and 12 had been sent a basic questionnaire to gain insights into their expectations from the session. In the one-hour session Dr. Kavitha gave a brief overview on the need for career guidance to be addressed by parents and school early on as a part of the students’ education. While addressing the questions posed by the students, Dr. Kavitha stressed on getting better insights into various career fields and mapping the students’ interests with their skills prior to www.cvv.ac.in

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making their choice, rather than regretting at a later stage. She gave tips and posed different questions that could help prompt students to enquire into choosing higher studies and career options. She also shed light on how one need not be restricted to a certain field and be open to explore various avenues including being entrepreneurs even with basic education. Dr. Kavitha concluded with the suggestion to maintain a healthy routine with diet, exercise/yoga and adequate family time now during the pandemic and later too. An interactive Programme-specific follow-up session is planned sometime in February 2021.

Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal interviewed by The Academic Insights Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal was interviewed by The Academic Insights magazine for their December 2020 issue. The Academic Insights is a monthly magazine that aims at helping educational establishments showcase their proficiency and competence. They undertake surveys to cherry-pick from the multitude of academies to feature the best educational institutions in their magazine. It is also a platform for educational experts and professionals to share their thoughts on various new-gen teaching practices and the dynamics of the education domain. Prof. Neerchal spoke about the programmes offered by CVV and how they are unique being based on a blend of Contemporary Knowledge Systems (CKS) and Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS). While talking about how important the whole research and innovation aspect of learning is and how CVV progresses each day towards creating innovative geniuses of tomorrow, Prof. Neerchal said, “Engaging in research is known to bring students out of the rote learning mentality towards critical thinking mindset”. Read the full story here:

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Dr. Sandhya Shankar (Assistant Professor, School of LLS)

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Lit Magic The popular fictional character Harry Potter turned 40 this year on 31 July; it was also the birthday of his creator, J. K. Rowling, the one who kindled a love for books in an entire generation. CVV marked the occasion with a week-long celebration of the magic that is Literature, aptly titled Lit Magic 2020. Organised entirely on online platforms by the Potterheads and the Grantha Club of CVV, the festivities which began from 24 July included seven fun-filled challenges open to all, two exciting competitions for specific age groups and two uniquely entertaining events exclusive to CVV-ians. Each day, at an appointed hour, a new challenge—ranging from sharing a favourite quote to creating a new spell—was announced on social media platforms, along with an ongoing call for entries for the two competitions with cash prizes at stake—Tell A Tale and The Quiz for the Quixotic. Anyone, anywhere could participate and the eager responses from fellow literature-enthusiasts from within and outside CVV were heartening indeed. The infectious zeal reached its zenith on 31 July with a day-long story building activity that saw most CVV-ians—students, faculty and staff alike—glued to their email inboxes watching out for every twist in the tale. The ‘what if’ competition on Zoom with aspiring directors of CVV pitching quirky reimaginings of familiar stories to a colourful, eccentric and difficult-to-please film producer added even more flavour to the festivities. The celebrations came to a close in the evening with the very unique, live, online, interactive finals of the ‘Quiz for the Quixotic’. This was followed by a valedictory session hosted by the student coordinators of the event—Deekshita Muthukumar, Shreeya Sabukumar, and S. Navamohana Krishnan who presented a report on Lit Magic 2020. Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal, the Vice Chancellor and Prof. Gauri Mahulikar, Dean of Faculty also addressed the virtual gathering. The results of the two competitions were also announced. Dr. Sandhya Shankar, coordinator of the Grantha Club, proposed the vote of thanks. The event ended leaving everyone looking forward to the 2021 edition. https:// Read here: w w w .

Grantha Club The Grantha Club of CVV renewed itself for another season with the first session of the academic year 2020, on 24 July. To lend an auspicious start to this first online book talk, the presenter, Vice Chancellor Prof. Nagaraj Neerchal, chose Self Unfoldment, a book written by Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda. The book presented was a special edition released for the western audience with a powerful foreword by Rudite Emir. Prof. Neerchal started with a brief bio of the author and went on to talk about what makes the book special and an important addition to one’s life. The book explains the fundamentals of Vedanta in such a manner that helps a common person to understand it better and incorporate these lessons in their lives. The second session was held on 15 August to celebrate the 74th year of independence with the theme, ‘Unsung Heroes’. Students, staff and faculty of CVV joined the session and made the event joyful for all participants. They talked about freedom fighters who inspired them very much. For details, visit:

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Internships Three of our students from M.Sc. Applied Psychology (specialising in Organisational Behaviour), Ms. Tanvi Dinesh Joshi, Ms. Gopikrishna MS and Ms. Madhumita Lakshminarayanan, under the guidance of Dr. Kavita R. Shanmughan (Assistant Professor, School of PPSH), who is a member of the Internship and Placement Cell, were placed for an internship at CMA CGM, Chennai. The CMA CGM Group is a world leader in transport and logistics committed to energy transition. The students were assigned real-time projects wherein their contribution not only benefited the organisation in the effective implementation of learning initiatives but also boosted the morale and confidence of the students themselves in becoming professionals in the field of Industrial and Organisational Psychology. Due to the pandemic, the projects were carried out in the virtual mode. The students worked closely with the Learning and Development professionals in the company who supported them in the project execution. www.cvv.ac.in

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Musings Off Work

A Review of ‘Śrīlaļitāpadyavivrti:’ (A metrical commentary of Laļitāsahasranāmastōtra by Dr. Kānjad Vāsudēvan Nambūtiri) Dr. P. N. Prabhavathy Assistant Professor, School of Kalayoga

Śrīlaļitāpadyavivrti is a work that furthers the horizon of commentary in general and specifically that of the Śāktatantra. It is apparently the first commentary on the great Laļitāsahasranāmastōtra to be written in verse. The work is published by the Calicut University, under their Sanskrit Series. Stōtra literally means devotional poetry and is an integral and abundant part of Sanskrit literature, thanks to the freedom of imagination and expression facilitated by the diversity of worship systems in India. Sahasranāmastōtras on different deities like Vişnu, Śiva , Laļita, Nrsimha, Hanumān, Gāyatri, Sūrya etc appear in different ancient texts. Laļitāsahasranāmastōtra appears in the Hayagrīvāgastya samvāda of Brahmāņdapurāņa. The Vişnu/ Laļitāsahasranāmastōtras are the most popular among upāsakas. The poetic splendour of Laļitāsahasranāmastōtra is outstanding. Nipātās like ca, ēva, hi etc are completely absent in this stōtra. The author of Śrīlaļitāpadyavivrti, Dr. Kānhad Vāsudēvan Nambūtiri hails from Kānhāttumana, a Nambūtiri family in Chalakudy, central Kērala. He was born to Brahmaśrī Vāsudēvan Nambūtiri and Priyadutta Antharjanam on 22 January 1959. His father was an eminent scholar in Sanskrit, Pourōhitya, jyōtişa etc. After a solid Sanskrit education under Gurus Padma Bhooşan Rāghavan Tirumulppād and Sri Kochu Dāmōdaran Nambiār, he went on to complete his Masters from the Nīlakantha Sanskrit college, Pattāmbi with a 1st rank and an M.Phil. from Calicut University (1st rank, 1983). He was awarded a Ph.D. (1989) from Calicut University for ‘A Critical Study on Alankarasēkhara of Kēsava Miśra’. Dr Vāsudēvan retired as the Head of the Department of Sanskrit, Sree Krishna college, Guruvayur in 2015. He continues to be active in edition and authorship of various texts and is also an eminent speaker on ancient Indian knowledge traditions. He participates in the Ganapati Vākyārttha sadas of Śrngēri Maţha. Some of his other works are: Smārttaprāyśchittasangraha(Ed.), Āyurvēda Parichaya(Trans.), Padmapādacaritam (Ed.), Laghukarņamrtam (Ed.), Subbrāmīyam (Ed.), Bahvrchahastalakşana dīpika (Author), Āśvalāyanakriyādīpika and Āśouchadīpikā (Ed. Comm.) In determining the nāma swarūpas (name format) in the stōtra, the author has closely followed Soubhāgyabhāskara since it is the most popular one among sādhakas. Example 1: Consider the name Śōbhanāsulabhāgati. This is taken as a single name by Bhāskararāya, while others like Vaidyanātha show pāthāntara and expresses it as two names: —Śōbhanā and sulabhaakrti. Example2: Brahmajananī (Vaidyanātha) v/s Brahma and jananī (Bhāskararāya). Numerous such variations can be seen between commentaries where names have been split or joint finally summing up to 1000 names. Being a Tantric text, the Laļitāsahasranāmastōtra has many gūdhārthas (veiled meanings) as mentioned in the Soubhāgyabhāskara and other texts like Chalarņavyākhyā etc. These meanings, however, have not been dwelled upon by Dr. Vāsudēvan because, in his own words ‘the book is for the benefit of the sāmānyōpāsaka’. The Srutis, Smrtis Purāņas etc. have been quoted in the Śrīlaļitāpadyavivrti for establishing the relevance of the nāmas.

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Example 1: Nişkriyā vihitā vā nişidhā vā kriyā yasyām na vidyatē aśarīram vā vasantam ityuktē: nişkriymbikā (aśarīram vā ….from Chāndōgyōpanişad) Example 2: Samśayakhnī samśayachēdanāddēvī samśayakhnyāha ca sruti Bhidyatē hrdayagrandhi: chidyantē sarvvasamśayā: (muņḍakōpanişad) All the śļōkas are in anuştup meter. However, the verse for every 100th nāma of the goddess is set to a different meter to notify the milestones. Dr. Vāsudēvan starts his endeavour with three mangaļaśļōkas in praise of the mother. This is followed by an introductory verse consisting of 14 śļōkas. These verses assimilate the following information on the stōtra in concise. Rişi, chandass, devatā Dhyāna The name of each of the satakas (sets of 100 names) as proposed by Bhāskararāya Abbreviations indicating the first and last nāma of each sataka A śļōka indicating the authors allegiance to Soubhāgyabhāskara commentary The primary benefit of such a commentary in verses is that the upāsaka/researcher can easily memorise the meaning and explanatory quotes for any nāma at will. The caturthyanta forms of each nāma have been given in the Appendix, to benefit archakas. Srīlaļitāpadyavivrti also belongs as an indispensable ready reckoner in the bookshelf of the devotee.

Sustainability—The Root of Indian Culture Dr. Vanisree Ramanathan

Assoc. Prof. & Head, School of EGCS

The United Nations General Assembly on 25 September 2015 as a part of the Resolution 70/1, ‘unveiled their agenda plan of action for people, planet and prosperity—Transforming our World for Sustainable Development. There are 17 sustainable development goals that are broad and interdependent, a perspective of development not leading to irretrievable loss of resources. From this perspective plants and animal species, ecosystems and raw materials have value in themselves and are not seen just as input in the economic process. Sustainable development recognises the inseparable link between People, the Planet, and Prosperity and balances economic, environmental and social factors in equal harmony. An analysis of ancient Indian philosophy clarifies that sustainability as the principle of living is always rooted in the culture—a harmonious coexistence with nature. Ma himsyat sarva bhutani is a lesson of the Rig Veda, meaning, ‘Do not harm anything’. ‘Do not cut trees, because they remove pollution.’ (Rig Veda, 6:48:17) ‘Do not disturb the sky and do not pollute the atmosphere.’ Yajur Veda, 5:43) Nearly all gods of the Rig Veda are personifications of natural phenomena, such as the sun (surya), dawn (ushus), fire (agni), wind (varuna) and rain (Indra)’. The word dharma comes from dhri, meaning ‘to sustain’. Dharma is defined in the Mahabharata as ‘a phenomenon that sustains both this-worldly and other-worldly resources’’. The panchamahabhutas depict the interconnectedness of the cosmos and human bodies and believe in reincarnation—interconnectedness of all creation. Water is considered to be the milk of Mother Earth which fosters the growth of all its offspring and makes them pure in a hundred ways. Janapada , the ideal city in Arthasastra was described as ‘…capable of sustaining itself and others in times of distress, easy to protect, providing an excellent means of livelihood… endowed with agricultural land, mines, material forests and elephant forests, beneficial to cattle, beneficial to men with protected pastures, rich in animals, not depending on rain for water, provided with water routes and land routes’. Lord Krishna has dealt with the concept of ‘yajna’ in detail in Chapter 3 and 4 of the Mahabharata. In simple words, Yagna signifies the theory of mutual dependence and the cardinal principle of sustainability. Lord Krishna mentions that when Prajapati created human beings and other living organisms (Prajas) in the universe, he created the concept of yajna. By honouring the principle of Yagna, the living beings can milk their cow of desires (ista kama dhuka). It means non-attachment, spirit of sacrifice, culture of sharing, giving back to the system, and offering without attachment. The logical outcome of this concept is sustainability of natural systems and minimum consumption of resources and minimum wastage. www.cvv.ac.in

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In the Gita, Lord Krishna says consuming oneself the endowments received without a spirit of offering back amounts to behaving like a thief. One who cooks for oneself eats in sin. Food is the life of all beings, and all food comes from rain above. Sacrifice brings the rain from heaven, and sacrifice is sacred action. Lord Krishna says, those who partake in what they have after making an offering through Yajna, are indeed noble and will be absolved of all sins. On the other hand, those who utilise (the riches) for their own benefit will only be consuming sin. Every living entity in this universe is in a state of mutual dependence with others (including the apparently non-living entities such as rocks, rivers and soil). It was prohibited to cut vatavṛkṣa because gods live in the tree and there exists no disease where this tree is situated. (Atharvaveda, 5/4/3). In the Padma Purana and Kama Purana it is mentioned that trees like the peepal, neem are the abode of God and they are not to be cut. Sharing knowledge, wealth, resources, kind-hearted feelings, support for health and education for the downtrodden is essential for social sustainability. The Yajurveda and Rigveda describe Yajna as the ‘navel (nucleus) of the whole world.’ It is the source of nourishment and life for the world, (as navel is for the child). Yajna is a method of healing the atmosphere and filling it with prana, or energy, in empirical scientific terms, which is the essential life-force in all living things. All festivals and daily practices are connected to the natural phenomenon. A simple illustration is how every conceivable part of the plantain tree is put to use in our daily life. Millions of Hindus create kolams daily. These kolams express a Hindu’s desire to offer sustenance to the earth, just as the earth sustains itself. These references and examples clearly indicate that the concept of sustainability in Indian Knowledge Tradition is not recent, but existed since Vedic times.

Swami Chinmayananda – Showing the Way for CVV—2 N. M. Sundar

Executive Secretary, CVV Trust

In the first part of this series, I had shared some stories of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda’s tireless commitment to imparting knowledge to students around the world. In this installment, I will share stories of his constant concern for the wellbeing and care of his students, specifically the brahmacharins in the Sandeepany institutions. Aligned with Swamiji’s emphasis on teaching was his keen interest in ensuring that the Sandeepany Sadhanalaya had enough funds to care appropriately for the brahmacharins. The Sandeepany institutions were set up on the Gurukula model where the Mission assumed all responsibility for feeding, clothing and housing all the students. Beginning with the one set up in Mumbai in 1963, in later years Pujya Gurudev established similar institutions in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu for imparting Vedanta in regional languages. In the 1970s in California, one day Pujya Gurudev seemed disinterested in having lunch. When the host gingerly queried, Swamiji said, “I don’t have enough money to feed my Brahmacharins, how can I sit and eat?” The host immediately made a few calls and came back and reported to Pujya Gurudev that a sum of money had been immediately collected and could be remitted to India. Whenever he received guru dakshina at the end of his jnana-yajnas, on numerous occasions he prioritised the Sandeepany gurukula ahead of every other project. Yet, there were times when his care and concern was seen in reminders of what he expected of the students. When one girl whined in multiple letters that she was homesick, Swamiji was kind in the first couple of letters. The third time, he had a succinct message for her: “Sentimental fools never succeed in life!” Pujya Gurudev’s deep care for students is echoed in the values of CVV as well. A recent example was when the nationwide lockdown was declared to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic, even though countless institutions insisted on students vacating their hostels and finding their way home, the CVV Management allowed almost forty students to stay on campus since it would have been unsafe for them to travel under the circumstances. After the exam, when trains were available, students were sent home with food to last the journey and the reminder that they should inform the warden, Ms. Seema Menon of their safe arrival which they did. Deep care for the welfare of students. ‘We Can. We Must.’ And of course, ‘We Will!’

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मल्हार

Towards Better Bad Language: A Proposal

Asst. Prof. & Head, School of Kalayoga

Asst. Prof., School of LLS

Shri Swapnil Chaphekar

जाने ये िकसका साज़ है, बरसात भी इक राग है ! जाने ये िकसका साज़ है... छाये गगन बादल घने धरती का मन चातक बने इस महिफ़ल-ए-मल्हार की ठं डी पवन आग़ाज़ है...।।1।। बूं दों की लिड़याँ जब छु ए धरती से गूँजे सुर नये क्या उनकी ये पाज़ेब है या इत्र की परवाज़ है...।।2।। कै सी ये सं ततधार है जैसे खनकती तार है पल पल तरानों से भरा सं गीतमय ऋतुराज है...।।3।। बािरश ने कु छ नग्में कहे धाराओं से सरगम बहे पुरवाई के आलाप में गं भीर-मं द्र िमज़ाज है...।।4।। मेघों में बजता ताल तो पत्तों में बजती तािलयाँ िबजली सी कड़की तान जो उसका अलग अंदाज़ है...।।5।। रुमझमू छम छम सनन सन कलकल टपाटप झमक झम मस्ती भरे इस गीत के ना जाने क्या अल्फ़ाज़ है...।।6।। सं गीत ये झकझोर सा मन नाचता है मोर सा सतरंिगले पर खोल के जैसे नचे नटराज है...।।7।। किव © स्विप्नल प्रीत

Dr. Saurabh Singanapalli

As I mused over the ongoing India-Australia cricket series, I was reminded of an infamous incident from more than a decade ago, the ‘Monkeygate’ scandal, where Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh was accused of using racist language towards Australian batsman Andrew Symonds. Harbhajan maintains that what he actually said was not the English word ‘monkey’, but a Hindi insult that sounds similar. I cannot say much here about racism but my interest continues to be piqued by the ‘bad’ language that elite sportspersons use to give vent to their feelings when experiencing moments of high tension or emotion. As a teacher, obviously I cannot recommend to students, or to anyone else, that they swear or use insulting language at any point. As an individual, too, I would rather respond to provocation by an opponent by fixing them with an icy, soul-piercing glare, causing them to wither away in extreme discomfort (disclaimer: this is how I imagine it, actual effects may differ), rather than start mouthing obscenities. But from a purely objective standpoint, it would be naïve to ask sportspersons to bottle up their feelings and maintain a classic ‘stiff upper lip, turn the other cheek’ attitude. We must be realistic. I therefore propose a compromise. The problem with the current situation is not that sportspersons are saying something, but rather that they are saying things that we find impolite in day-to-day life. And as role models, we want them to say ‘better’ things, because whatever they say, sports fans will repeat. Presently, out of frustration, they use words/phrases that refer insultingly to body shapes, body parts, race, colour, gender, familial relationships, sexual relationships, and even fruits or vegetables (a ‘potato’ incident comes to mind). All these are clearly problematic, and often bring bans, brickbats, and sometimes actual bats, onto the heads of the utterers. I suggest replacing these with other words which carry more cultural value and significance: names from literature, that can express the pain and raw feelings of the elite sportsperson, and yet be acceptable for children to shout about in their schoolyards. I invite readers to share their ideas with me: send across words (preferably character names) from literature that can replace existing swear words and insults on the playing field. A description of the context or situation where they can be used may also be supplied. A couple of examples are given below: When a fielder clumsily drops a catch in the outfield, the captain can scream at them with the word “Kurtz, Kurtz, Kurtz!” with ferocity and intensity, making sure the fielder turns away whispering “the horror, the horror”, and never drops a catch again. When your partner runs you out by daydreaming when they should be running, you can audibly mutter “Peter Pettigrew, Peter Pettigrew” while walking back to the pavilion (remember to shake your head as you say this), thus making them realise in no uncertain terms that they better not be coming back to the dressing room anytime soon. I am most familiar with English literature, and this is cricket season, so my examples are from there. But examples from any language and literary tradition, and for any sporting context, are welcome. Together, let us work towards better bad language!

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सं स्कृ तकाव्यानां प्रासिङ्गकत्वम् Dr. L. Sampath Kumar

Asst. Prof. & Head, School of LLS

‘पु र ातनानां सं स्कृ तकाव्यानां पठने न अधु न ा को लाभः?’ इित अद्यतनीयाः छात्राः िवशङ्कन्ते । शास्त्रािदवत् रसप्रधानािन काव्यािन अिप मनु ष्य ान् कायार् क ायर् व्य विस्थतौ मागोर्पदे शं कृ त्वा मोक्षप्राप्त्यै प्रे र यिन्त। आलङ्कािरकाणां पू वर् ज ः भामहः वदित – धमार् थर् क ाममोक्षे षु वै च क्षण्यं कलासु च । करोित प्रीितं कीिर्ंत च साधु क ाव्यिनषे व णम् ॥ अने न लक्षणे न ज्ञायते यत् सािहत्यस्य उद्दे श्यं तावत् अलौिककानन्दजननं तत्त्विहतपु रु षाथर् ब ोधनं चे ि त। एवं सित सं स्कृ तसािहत्यम् उद्दे श्य द्वयमिप साधियतुं प्रभवित। ध्वन्यालोके आनन्दवधर् न ो िनिर्दशित – “रसस्य पु रु षाथर् स्य च स्वप्राधान्ये न चारुत्वमिवरुद्धम् ” इित। रससं प्रदाये अग्रगण्यो मम्मटाचायर् स्तु – काव्यं यशसे ऽ थर् कृ ते व्यवहारिवदे िशवे त रक्षतये । सद्यः परिनवृर् त ये कान्तासं िमततयोपदे श यु जे ॥ इित काव्यप्रयोजनमाह। तत्र परिनवृर् ि तस्तु रसास्वादनानन्दानु भ वः, कान्तासं िमततया उपदे श स्तु मानवीयजीवनमू ल्य शासनिमित द्वे मु ख्य प्रयोजने उिद्दष्टे । कु न्तकोऽिप सु स्प ष्टमु द्घ ोषयित – धमार् ि दसाधनोपायः सु कु मारक्रमोिदतः । काव्यबन्धोऽिभजातानां हृदयाह्लादकारकः ॥ इित। हृदयाह्लादकत्वं धमार् ि दसाधनोपायत्विमित द्वयमिप काव्यप्रयोजनमे ते न ाङ्गीकृ तम् । सं स्कृ तसािहत्ये वयं पश्यामो यत् , वे दे ष्व िप प्रकृ ितसौन्दयर् व णर् न मु प लभ्यते । वे द ान्ते षु उपमाद्यलं कारा बहुशो वतर् न्ते । एवं काव्ये षु धमर् - नीितबोधकां श ा अिप दरीदृश्यन्ते । प्रायशः, सं स्कृ तसािहत्यमन्तरे ण लोकसािहत्ये एतादृशस्समन्वयो नै व ोपलभ्यते यथा रामायणमहाभारतािदषु । एवं सं स्कृ तवाङ्मयम् आनन्दप्रदानं नीितमागर् द शर् न िमित उद्दे श्य द्वयमिप पु ष्ण त् दे द ीप्यते । प्रायशः कािलदासस्य काव्यािन शृङ्गाररसप्रधानािन तथािप धमार् ि दपु रु षाथोर्पायोऽिप सवर् त्र िवलसत्ये व । रघु वं शमहाकाव्ये वीररसः तथा सत्य-िपतृ - गु रु वाक्यपिरपालनं ; शाकु न्तले शृङ्गारः धमर् श्च ; कु मारसं भवे शृङ्गारः तथा तप-आचार-अनु ष्ठ ानािन, एवम् अन्ये ष ां कवीनां काव्ये षु च रसपिरपाकः धमार् द्य थर् ि वचारः इित द्वाविप परस्परं पु ष्ण न्तौ प्रिवलसतः। शाकु न्तले शकु न्तलादु ष्य न्तयोमर् ध्ये कामः सरलः सरसश्च भवित आदु व ार् स शापम् । ततः परं शापवशात् दु ष्य न्तः शकु न्तलां स्मतुर्ं न पारयित। अतः तां पत्नीरूपे ण स्वीकतुर् म समथर् ः धमर् स ङ्कटे पतित। ‘िकं परकलत्रस्वीकरणे न अधािर्मको भवे य म् अथवा स्वकलत्रितरस्करणे न क्रू रो भवे य म् ’ इित तस्य मनिस िवचारः उद्भवित। अन्ते सः शास्त्रोिचतमाचरित। यद्यिप नाटकिमदं जनसमाराधनरूपे ण िवरिचतं तथािप धमर् श ास्त्रपालनािदकं बोधियतुं प्रभवित । 42

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अथ कु मारसं भवे , पावर् त ी परमे श्व रमे व पितरूपे ण प्राप्तुं कृ तिनश्चया तपश्चरित। अन्ते तस्यास्तपोबले न क्रीतो महादे व ो ब्रू ते – “अद्य प्रभृ त्य वनतािङ्ग तवािस्म दासः क्रीतस्तपोिभः” … इित। पावर् त ी तदै व परमे श्व रं न पयर् ण यत् । सा धमर् - िविध-िनयममनु स रन्ती सखीमु खे न शं करं सं बोधयित – “दाता मे भू भृ त ां नाथः प्रमाणीिक्रयताम् ” इित। पशु प ितरिप सप्तषीर्नामन्त्र्य – “तामस्मदथेर् यु ष्म ािभयार् ि चतव्यो िहमालयः” इित लोकानु ष्ठ ानं पालयित। स्वप्नवासवदत्ते नायकः उदयनः नाियका वासवदत्ता च परस्परं िस्नह्यन्तौ दम्पती स्तः। उदयनः वासवदत्तां बहुमन्यते । दु दैर् व वशात् उदयनस्य राज्यं नष्टं भवित। तत् पु न ः प्राप्तुं तस्य सु म ितना मिन्त्रणा यौगन्धरायणे न उदयनपद्मावत्योः िववाहः आयोज्यते । एतदथर्ं वासवदत्ता पत्यु ः श्रे य से स्वाथर्ं िवहाय त्यािगनी भू य ात् इित यौगन्धरायणे न उपिदश्यते । सािप तदङ्गीकु रुते । एतासु घटनासु भासः शृङ्गार-करुणरसाभ्यां सह त्याग-शािन्त-औदायार् ि दमानिवकमू ल्य ािन प्रशं सनीयरीत्या आिवष्करोित। उत्तररामचिरते शृङ्गाररसः प्रजानां “िकं वदन्ती”-उद्भू त ापवादहे त ोः करुणरसात्मना पिरणमित। रामस्य मनिस सीतायाश्चािरत्र्यिवषये न कोऽिप सन्दे ह ो वतर् ते । परन्तु अज्ञाततत्त्वाः अयोध्यापु र वािसनः दे व्य ां वै दे ह्य ामिप सापवादािस्तष्ठिन्त। रामस्तु आदशर् भू त ो राजा, धमर् प िरपालनमे व प्रधानिमित मन्वानः सततं प्रजारञ्जने तत्परः अिस्त। अतः लोकाराधनायै व रामे ण आपन्नसत्वािप सीता वने िवसृ ष्ट ा। मृ च्छ किटके औदायर् गु ण स्य माहात्म्यं पिरपोिषतम् । नायकः नाियका च उभौ उदारगु ण सम्पन्नौ। वसन्तसे न ा चारुदत्तस्य कृ ते समृ ि द्धसम्पन्नं जीवनं त्यक्तु मु द्यु क्त ािस्त चे त् चारुदत्तोऽिप परमोदारतया वे श्य ां कु लवधू रू पे ण स्वीकतुर्ं िसद्धोऽिस्त। न तावन्मात्रं , रूपके ऽिस्मन् – चोरः, द्यू त करः, िभक्षु ः , मै त्रे य ः, वसन्तसे न ायाः वृ द्ध ा माता इित सवार् ि ण पात्रािण उत्तमचिरतोपे त ािन वतर् न्ते । एवम् उपयुर् क्त काव्यानां सं क्षे प समालोचने न एतत् स्पष्टं भवित यत् सं स्कृ तवाङ्मये रसोल्लासानां तथा धािर्मकमू ल्य ानां च समन्वयः सवर् त्र िवलसत्ये व । अतः पु र ातनािन अिप काव्यािन पु रु षाथर् ब ोधने समथार् न्ये वे ि त कारणात् छात्रै ः तािन अवश्यमे व पठनीयािन।

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Amirtha S. K., with an M.A. Sanskrit (2018-20) from CVV, has been placed at the Gateway International School, Chennai, as a Sanskrit teacher. She acknowledged that the placement workshops conducted at CVV helped her to gain confidence and prepare for the interview.

Isha Sharma a B.Com. graduate (2017-20) from CVV, presented a research paper titled ‘A Comparative Study between Government’s Expenditure on Anti-Poverty Schemes and Poor’s Standard of Living’, co-authored by Asst. Prof. Abha Mohan from CVV’s School of Contemporary Knowledge Systems. It was presented at the Vedatya Chaupal Online International Conference 2020 held on 27 and 28 November 2020, organised under the aegis of the Journal of Services Research. The paper is an extended work from the dissertation she worked on in part fulfllment of the B.Com. programme at CVV. The paper got accepted for presentation after going through a thorough reviewing procedure. She was the youngest participant in this conference to present a research paper and her paper was much appreciated and well received by the reviewers and the session experts. Vinay Hejjaji is an engineering graduate who completed his Master’s in Sanskrit from CVV (2017-2019). After completing the Masters, he obtained a research fellowship from Vision India Foundation in the field of Civilisational studies (2019-2020). Currently, he is associated with the Rashtram School of Public Leadership as a Research Associate, where he is part of the academic team working on the curriculum and learning design. “Thanks to the learning and experience I gained at CVV, I have been writing essays on topics related to the Indic Knowledge systems,” says Vinay. Some of his essays are: On the Chaturdashavidyasthanas and the importance of knowledge in the Indian tradition: On Governance in Arthashastra:

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On rajadharma and aapaddharma in the Shanti Parva:

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CVV student, Aditya Raja (Third-year B.A. Applied Psychology) was chosen from several applicants to read his poem on Ahimsa at an event organised by the Association of Indian Philosophers on the occasion of International Day of Non-violence on 2 October 2020. The poem was later published in Chaukhamba Pustakalay’s journal. Recently Aditya attended IIT Mandi’s Winter School on Cognitive Modelling, held online from 15 to 17 December. Supreeta Dattathri’s (First-year B.Sc. Applied Psychology (Hons.)) animated narration of the story of Krishna and Sudama won the heart of the listeners, getting her the first prize in the Storytelling Competition at the International Grad Fest 2020 organised by Rajagiri College of Social Sciences - Autonomous, Kerala.

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Dipin Das (Fourth-year Integrated Masters—Tabla) participated in a national level online tabla competition, organised by Khanthe Maharaj Smruti Samaroh Samiti, Aurangabad, to observe the death anniversary of the great Tabla maestro Pandit Khanthe Maharaj of Benares Gharana. From among 105 participants, Dipin won the third prize.

Aditya S. Menon (Third-year BBA) completed a course in Customer Relationship Management from Edex, conducted by Dr. Seema Gupta from IIM B.

Faculty Achievements

Here is a tip of the iceberg in faculty achievements.

Journal Publications

Dr. L. Sampath Kumar (Asst. Prof. and Head, School of LLS) ‘Health Awareness in Sanskrit Literature’, International Multidisciplinary Quarterly Journal ‘Ajanta’, Vol. IX, Issue II, ISSN 2277-5730, pp. 87-93. Tirukkural Granthe Dharmavicarah, Dhimahi Journal, Vol. 11, ISSN 0976-3066, pp. 121-127.

Dr. Vinayak Rajat Bhat (Asst. Prof. and Head, School of VKS) Leadership Lessons from Indian Knowledge Systems, Purushartha—A journal of Management, Ethics and Spirituality, Vol. No. 12, Issue 2, Page Nos. 1-13. (with Dr. Satheesh Varma and Dr. Satish M.)

Dr. M. Satheesh Varma (Asst. Prof, School of PPSH) Joint Research Paper ‘Psycho-Social Experiences of Stay-at-Home Mothers’ with student Samyuktha Iyengar (Christ University) published in the Peer Reviewed Journal ‘International Journal of Indian Psychology’, Vol. 8, Issue 3, pp 1727-1734.

Dr. Hari Sundar G. (Assoc. Prof., School of CKS) ‘Customer Service Quality Practice in District Cooperative Bank—A study with Reference to Thiruvananthapuram District Cooperative Bank’, International Journal of Recent Technology and Environment, 2020.

Dr. P. N. Prabhavathy (Asst. Prof., School of Kalayoga) Mohana Raga in Kathakali—A Classical Kerala Theatre, Ajanta, Vol. 9, Issue 2, pp. 2277 – 5730.

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Dr. M. Sudarshan Chiplunkar (Asst. Prof., School of LLS) Research paper published in the following volume of the international conference ‘Bhaashya Parampara Jnana Pravahascha’, Shree Somnath Sanskrit University, Veraval, Gujarat, pp. No.152 – 164 – ISBN:978-9383097-43-2.

Dr. Ajaykumar K. (Asst. Prof., School of PPSH) Pullback of Lie Algebra and Lie Group Bundles and their Homotopy Invariance, Journal of Algebra and Related Topics, Vol. 8 (1), Spring 2020, pp. 15 – 26. (with B. S. Kiranagi and R. Rangarajan). Engel’s and Lie’s Theorems for Lie Algebra Bundles, Advanced Studies in Contemporary Mathematics, to Appear. (with B. Madhu, B. S. Kiranagi and R. Rangarajan).

Special Issue of Journal of Psychosocial Research

Thirteen papers from CVV’s flagship international conference, New Frontiers in Sanskrit and Indic Knowledge (NFSI) 2019 were published in the Special Issue of the ‘Journal of Psychosocial Research’ (Prints Publication). Of these, four are by CVV faculty, Dr. Saurabh Singnapalli (Asst. Prof. School of LLS), Shri Swapnil Chaphekar (Asst. Prof. and Head, School of Kalayoga), Dr. Tulasi Kumar Joshi (Asst. Prof, School of VKS) and Dr. Shilpa Pandit (Assoc. Prof, School of PPSH). Dr. Shilpa Pandit, Dr. Sandhya Shankar (Asst. Prof., School of LLS) R. Venkata Raghavan (Asst. Prof, School of PPSH) were Editors for this Special Issue.

Sponsored Projects

Dr. Vinayak Rajat Bhat (Asst. Prof. and Head, School of VKS), Dr. Nagendra Pavana R. (Asst. Prof, School of VKS) Project Proposal for Development of Curriculum and Preparation of Text Book on Ancient Indian Knowledge Systems along with Prof. B. Mahadevan and Dr. Shamasundar. Approved by MHRD and AICTE for an amount of Rs. 45 Lacs.

Chapters in Monographs/Books

Dr. Hari Sundar G. (Assoc. Prof., School of CKS) ‘Organisational Meaningfulness as the Basis for Mediation—A Strategic Study with Reference to Employee Intention to Stay, with Special Emphasis on IT Employees of Gen Y’, Indo American Multidisciplinary Web Conference on Arts, Science, Engineering and Technology. Edited book, ISBN 978-81-945642-4-9, pp 71-80.

Dr. Satheesh Varma M. (Asst. Prof, School of PPSH) Chapter on ‘Culture and Mental Health in India’ in The Routledge International Handbook of Race, Culture and Mental Health. PP 387-398. Published by Routledge Publishers, London.

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Dr. Shilpa Ashok Pandit (Assoc. Prof., School of PPSH) Bridging the Self-Other Divide; Rasa as a Concept of Well-Being in Indian Psychology, Emotions in Cultural Context. Anthony Marsella, Springer, International, 2020.

Awards

Dr. Hari Sundar G. (Assoc. Prof., School of CKS) Received Lifetime Achievement award in Management teaching instituted by Siddhartha Educational Research Foundation in August. Received the Outstanding Post-Doctoral Research Fellow award instituted by Novel Research Academy Pondicherry in September. Received the Best Teacher award in Management from Research Education Talks Daily International (Red Talks International) on the eve of Teacher’s Day in September. Golden Professional Award from the Global Institute of Peace Foundation and Research Centre (approved by the Government of India, UNESCO and UNO) in October. ‘Indo-Pacific Best Teacher’ award in Management instituted by Research Educational Talks Daily International (RED Talks International), presented via webinar on 05 October 2020.

Academic Outreach

Dr. Ajaykumar K. (Asst. Prof., School of PPSH) Invited to be a reviewer for the American Mathematical Society’s Mathematical Reviews, a database that covers the world of published research literature in mathematics by means of post-publication reviews written by subject experts.

Dr. Hari Sundar G. (Assoc. Prof., School of CKS) Reviewer for a chapter in the book titled ‘Research ethics in Publication’ published by the Department of Tourism and Hospitality, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi, in August. Invited to review an article on Management in the journal ‘Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology’, in October. Invited to review an article in the management journal of K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management called ‘Business Perspectives and Research’, in September 2020. External examiner for the online Ph.D. open defence of Ms. Shanthi R., research scholar of Bharathiar University, in October.

Dr. Bindusree A. R. (Asst. Prof., School of CKS) Invited to review an article in the journal ‘Applied Mathematics and Information Sciences’.

Vidushi Manjusha Patil (Prof., School of Kalayoga), Guru at CVV’s Chinmaya Naada Bindu Gurukula has been conferred the Gaan-Saraswati Puraskar for the year 2020.

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.. .d o n ’t m e d d le w it h nature s c ie n c e has yet , m ore to d L o v e li f e is cover. in s y n c w - Dr. Ka it h n a t u v it a S h a re. nmughan

, Asst. P rofessor

ta

e op le ; or it y of th e p in m a y b d e it ie s; or it y of a c ti v or k is p e rf or m in w m e a th m of ro f ty d e ri v e d is ta k e s. ...a m a jo ri in e ss in lif e is m in or it y of m p p a a h to of le b ty ta ri u a m a jo e is a tt ri b sa d n e ss in lif of ty ri jo a m a C ha nc el lo r ic e aj N ee rc ha l, V - P ro f. N ag ar

in g s m a ll t h s e h t e p r e c ia t

in li f e .

and ap d-year BBA e s u a p .. .t o o n , T h ir S. Men a - A d it y

...t ha t a gr ea t te ac he r is no t al w ay s ki nd . - Dr . Tu la si Ku m ar Jo sh i, A ss t. Pr of es so r

e n t. e p re se n t m om th in g in liv c e of ss or ...t h e im p or ta n V ., A ss t. P ro fe

...w he re th er e is a w ill , th er e is a w ay ’ is ac tu al ly tr ue . - Dr . Sa

A ja y A . - S hr i. Ya th i

.. .t h a t o n e can ge t used t - Anony m o u s (I o a n y t h in prefe g.

nd hy a Sh an ka r, A ss t. Pr of es so r

r it t h is w a y .)

...that I am strong enough to face any struggle that comes my way. - Deekshita Muthukum ar, Third-year B.A. Applied

...that life is too unpre dictab le to put things off for later. If you want somet hing, do it and do it now.

- Aswat hi Praka sh, First-y ear. M.A. PPG

.. .t o v a lu et m y lo v e d h e m o m e n t s I h a v e w it h ones! - S iv a p r iy a A . A ., F ir s t -year

M .A . P P G

ly ’. to ‘h a st e n sl ow le b si os p is it ...t h a t ss t. P ro fe ss or u S . K um ar , A - M s. N ee th

...to be resilient, open to inner transfor mation and importan tly prioritise my goals. - Lakshmi Sivaraman , First-year M.A. Applied

...w e sh ou ld st ic k to

ou r ro ot s - S ee m a M en on . E .A to D ea n an d H os

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te l W ar de n

.. .t o li v e in

the pres - Smt. L ent mom akshmi S ent. henoy, F in a n c e H ead

is si n g . sh ou ld n ’t b e m ou y le op e p oo n s of a y to m is s d tw o ta b le sp n a e e f of ...t h a t it is ok c lit e . of so c ia l- m e d ia e o ta b le sp oo n s a e tw g on in s p e k ip a h ...w ti m e m n g p e ri od of su g a r f or a lo y ou r d e st in y . of r le ru e th y ...t h a t f e a r is lie d P sy ch ol og . B .A . A pp ya K um ar , S .Y

- N av .. .t h a t w it h r e s il ie can ach ie v e o u n c e , h a r d w o r k r t h e c ir c a d u m s t a n r e a m s n o m a n d c u r io s it y w t c - Aatm t e e e s rh around a ja R a je u s s e e m o w im p o s s ib le s h , F ir s t-year to be. BBA ...to bond with my family just by spending more time with them and notice what I couldn’t earlier. - Meenaksh i Nair K. L., First-year B.Sc. Applied Psychology h in g s , ,t le p o e p v a lu e o f I had ... t h e t r u e etc. that ls a o g , s b le . ip n o t v a lu a r e la t io n s h r o le b a v a lu c o n s id e r e d S ., M e d ia L e a d ...how to use adversiti es to your advantag e. anth - S h r i S r ik

- Dr. L. Sampath Kumar, Asst. Professor

...t h a t e v e ry m om e n t w h e th e r c h e e rf u l, re g re tf u l, is ol a te d or op e n is y ou a n d it ’s ok - S hr ee ya S ab uk um ar , T hi rd a y to b e y ou . -y ea r B .A . A pp lie d P sy ch ol og y

ha nd s. Th er e is t no th in g is in ou r bu , gs in th y an 20 m ...w e al l pl an yt hi ng . A bo ve al l, 20 er ev s de ci de ho w e m ys el f. so m eo ne be yo nd us he lp ed m e to ex pl or d an f el ys m ve lo ta ug ht m e to kr it Fir st -y ea r B.A . Sa ns - Kr ish na pr iya P. S.,

...y ou w ill h a v e to f a c e a d v e rs e si tu a ti on S ile n c e , S ol it u s th ro u g h de, Seva and a S m ile . - D r. V an is re e R am an at ha n, A ss oc . P ro fe ss or

...t o be to ge th er an d fa ce

th e si tu at io n. - Ta ni sh q A ro ra , Fir st -y ea r M .A . M us ic

...th at the re ca n be tim es we ca n fe el goo d ab ou t be ing ne ga tiv e! - S. Na vam oha na Kri shn a, Thi rd- yea r B.C om .

...that Dalgona coffee sucks. - Sarang B. Narayan, Third-year B.Com..

www.cvv.ac.in

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