In the Indian context, driving social change requires public engagement and prolonged use of rhetoric. Not enactment of deadly laws.
Are Indians too Dumb for Democracy?
If political parties have to respond to people’s interests, why don't people demand basic public services and oust governments that fail to do this?
A heart of Gold is not enough
Purity of intent is no defense against the poverty of outcomes.
Policy problems galore in Women’s Reservation Bill
On September 18, 2023, the Indian parliament passed the historic Women’s Reservation Bill. The law proposes to reserve one-third of the seats in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women. How will it work? First, a census needs to be conducted. Based on the census, delimitation will be undertaken to reserve seats for women.... Continue Reading →
Good intentions and a good policy
In 1920, the US prohibited the sale of ‘intoxicating liquors’. The idea was dressed up as a crusade against moral evil. It ended up strengthening the mafia that made exorbitant money in the illegal alcohol trade. Child support policy was framed as a way to make deadbeat fathers pay up for their child(ren). The ostensible... Continue Reading →
Man’s Search For Meaning
What if you found yourself in a concentration camp stripped of every semblance of human dignity, working like a beast of burden? Viktor Frankl's 'Man's Search For Meaning' is based on his experiences in the school of sorrow where the earthy lessons of life are taught. Frankl’s life and observations at the infamous Auschwitz concentration... Continue Reading →
Can I make a living as a writer?
“No,” opined my uncle to my teen self. At the time this observation was made, it was an objective assessment. In those days, the avenues open to writers were as: Authors of fictional or nonfictional works. Writing staff at a legacy print media (newspapers, magazines etc.) as staff writers, editors, columnists etc. A few people... Continue Reading →
Why podcasts are not for everyone, every time
Lately (and belatedly), I have realized podcasts are the new blogs. Most millennials prefer podcasts. One factor contributing to this shift is the way some humans are wired. As Peter Drucker posited in “Managing Oneself”, some people learn by listening. Of course, these people can learn by reading, but listening comes more naturally to them.... Continue Reading →
Writing for humans or algorithms?
"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?", goes the famous existential question. An SEO professional would probably answer that with an emphatic “no”. In a world where the omniscient algorithm determines your content’s discoverability, it’s understandable why the content must be optimized... Continue Reading →
Has ChatGPT made writers redundant?
So ask people stunned by ChatGPT’s ability to provide well-written, coherent answers. Since people with even modest writing skills can use ChatGPT to come up with fairly well-structured, error-free communications, they infer that writing will no longer be a prized skill. Let us step back and look at this another way. When typewriters were in... Continue Reading →
Musings by Madhav 