Author Archives: udaykumarvarma9834

The recent judgment on affirmative action in US colleges have had reverberations in India as well. In India, reservations in jobs, admissions, and other opportunities in career and education can be generally referred to as affirmative action, although their legal basis and invincibility differ significantly. Unlike the US, reservations in India are largely immune fromContinue reading “Race Consciousness in US Colleges-Winds of Change-Part III”

Winds of Change Part II Inadvertently though, the affirmative action had produced a culture of racial gamification by encouraging black and Hispanic  students and their parents to think about the ways race could boost or complicate their chances of admission. It thus became a game aimed at cornering the benefits of race preference. Such a situation was intrinsically counterproductive,Continue reading “Race Consciousness in College Admissions in US”

Affirmative Action in College Admissions in US Winds of Change Part I The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” –John Roberts, Chief Justice, US Supreme Court On 29th June, 2023 the Supreme Court of US struck down affirmative action in college admissions, declaring thatContinue reading

( Standing on an elevated parapet and looking at the mesmerising expanse of water of Tawa reservoir was an exquisite experience. The sights and sounds were feast to the senses and mana to the soul) In an ethereal realm, transcending time, Where serenity blooms, ineffable, divine, A tranquillity unmatched, beyond compare, Envelops my weary mindContinue reading “A Day on The Tawa”

The Indian Grey Hornbill Part II The one aspect of my life that I deem comparable, if not superior, to any other living being on earth including humans, is the way I raise my family. There is a lot that is on offer in my life, for learning and assimilating from me and my female,Continue reading “A Warm heart in An Ungainly Body”

The Indian Grey Hornbill If there are no hornbills there will be no cedars, And so many-other-trees,And may be no man! For, it is for them that it rains still in the forests, in spite of man Who keeps cutting treesand hunting all that he fancies! I may be denigrated as a bird that possessContinue reading “A Warm Heart in An Ungainly Body”

(The first rain is in many ways like first love. Pure, innocent, spontaneous, unrestrained, defying cessation, or interruption. While the passion it ignites is unmatched, the memories endure for ever, always enkindling a tender serenity and a sweet nostalgia.) The first rain, a memory carved deep,Echoing through time, where memories sleep,Its fragrance lingers in theContinue reading “The First Rain”

One of the most mesmerizing and serene spots to enjoy the majesty and beauty of the Narmada is from the parapet of the courtyard of the Circuit House at Hoshangabad (now Narmadapuram). There are places where time seems to have stood still since eternity. So little has changed, and what has, has changed ever soContinue reading “The Narmada at Hoshangabad – A Slice of Beauty Frozen in Time”

There was a time, not too far in the past, when completing seventy years of life was hailed as a milestone. No longer – many deem seventy years neither ripe nor old. With the average life expectancy in India over 70 years, it does not cause much excitement; it merits only a qualified acknowledgement, ifContinue reading “On Turning 70”