
We need a new English phonics alphabet
When I was a young sub-editor in Indian English dailies, my news editors would simply bin the newsprint on which I’d draft headlines if I used any cryptic abbreviations.
Lights out, time pass
With most traditional cinema halls closed, people like Sharma Ji have lost their “picture hall” careers. For them, it is time for lights out and time pass.
Looking for Joy in the City
Is it still the same City of Joy, I wonder. The best way to find out is to walk the streets.
The night the belligerent son returned
Last night I lay wide awake trying desperately to get to sleep as per Indian time, having flown in from Denmark. Then this is what happened.
What Works Better for Retention – Printed or Digital Texts?
A recent survey by the research group Bay View Analytics found that 43 percent of college faculty believe students learn better with print materials — the same message students have been sending, when we bother to ask. Yes, cost issues need to be addressed, and yes, digital has a vital place in contemporary education. But so does print. There's a pressing need to rethink the balance between print and digital learning tools. When choosing educational materials, educators — and parents — have to consider many factors, including subject matter, cost, and convenience. However, it's also important to remember that research findings usually tip the scales toward print as a more effective learning tool.

The vanishing middle manager
Middle management has been under a decades-long assault—and in the COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis-driven need for speed has turned “flatter, faster, leaner” into a mantra. But what’s at stake longer term?

How to Set Fail-Proof Goals
Shikha Tiwari, Founder of UReinvent, talks to my friend Jaba Sen Menon, Executive & Life Coach, about reasons behind goals often being beyond our reach and how we set achievable goals.
The power of quiet leadership
Leaders don’t need to be loud and confident. The Open University’s Dr Jacqueline Baxter makes the case for a quieter approach.
Digital COVID-19 health certificates for international travel launched
The ability to authenticate health records at border points of entry will help to facilitate the safe and efficient resumption of international travel during the global pandemic.
Research shows a growing digital health market
The pandemic has served to accelerate acceptance among consumers for digital health technologies – but the acceptance is also extending to the medical provider and insurance communities, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) research shows.
Why service industry workers should embrace, not fear, the AI-driven digital revolution
AI-driven automation will transform almost every service job in some way. But they will replace very few. It is because there’s always something that “globotics” can’t do. In other words, we won’t be seeing a future with massive factory closures; rather, more people would shift from long-term jobs to temporary, freelance work. Digital technology is driving job displacement, but don’t forget that human ingenuity is driving job creation.