Teachers are God’s blessings for us. Throughout a student’s life, they multitask to fill many shoes, including those of a friend, a mentor, or a parent. For all that they do for us, our teachers don’t get the due they deserve. Alarmingly, this metaphor is gradually transforming into a real crisis in the United States, where the number of teachers leaving the profession is increasing every day.

The mass exodus of teaching and non-teaching school staff has shed light on how little America appreciates its teachers and how obvious this has become over the past several years, according to educators, education officials, and experts. There is unquestionably a morale and confidence crisis, especially in the wake of the pandemic. The idea that one can work hard, do good for kids, and have a fulfilling career as a teacher, has completely collapsed. However, it is important to note that the teacher shortage is not a problem endemic to the US alone.

’ suggests a disturbing shortage of over one million teachers across schools in 

, the highest in our country. To make matters worse, the state of teachers in the Northern and North-Eastern parts of the country is poor.

In fact, one can see a significant rural-urban disparity in the living and working conditions of teachers in our country. Access to well-equipped libraries and proper ICT-enabled tools is a luxury available only to teachers from well-connected towns and cities, while teachers from the heartland are forced to make do with the meagre resources available to them.

According to the research, 30% of the teaching workforce is employed in the private, unassisted sector, while 

 work for the government. The study also notes that although teacher availability has increased, student-teacher ratios in secondary schools remain unfavourable. Early childhood educators and teachers at private schools are at risk since many toil hard without contracts for meagre pay and offer no maternity or health benefits.

Why are Teachers Forced to Quit their Jobs?

The typical causes of teacher dissatisfaction are ever-present, but during the past five years, teaching environments have deteriorated for the worse. Unprecedented workload, increased responsibilities, unreasonable demands, student behavioural concerns, remuneration that hasn’t kept up with inflation, a lack of help from school administration, and parental support are some of the causes that force teachers to leave their jobs.

Although pay scales do play a role in a teacher’s decision to stay in the profession, historically speaking, they haven’t been the key determinant. There is a serious issue with the teaching force’s severe demoralisation. A lack of trust in teachers has also been building for decades as a result of constant regulations dictating what to teach and what not to teach as well as the absurdity of trying to measure everything.

At its heart, teaching is a creative profession, and curtailing the freedom to discuss certain topics in class inhibits teachers from having open discussions with their students, and making a real difference in their lives. Teachers value being given professional autonomy and disregarding this is demotivating for them. The added work pressure, although invisible, is a source of stress for teachers.

Back in 2001, when the teacher shortage was first predicted, representatives of teacher groups and teaching bodies suggested that increasing the salaries and honoring the prestige associated with the profession of teaching will help in attracting young college graduates to the teaching workforce. Sadly, teachers remain undervalued despite the efforts they put in for the students, and lawmakers aren’t taking any measures to combat the issue.

To combat the immediate shortage, several districts ask administrators or staff to fill in occasionally to cover extra classes. In other parts of the world, employers are recruiting instructors from job fairs, offering higher salaries, or luring professionals with four-day work weeks.

That being said, teachers have an inalienable influence on student progress more than any other component in the classroom. Experts caution that such rapid remedies could backfire if they choose teachers who are unprepared or unqualified. Perhaps the group most at risk from teacher shortages is the students. Their self-confidence will erode as their learning losses surmount, and their saviors will have left their jobs by the time the policymakers acknowledge the problem.

Why the US Teacher Shortage Crisis is a Warning Bell for the Indian Education System

Media has always been a means of bringing pertinent issues to the forefront, thus influencing public sentiment. Films, in particular, have the power to capture the attention of the audience, offering them imagination as well as insight. However, while the film industry has been reckoned as India’s soft power due to its capacity to entertain and educate, it has simultaneously become a soft target for trolls as well as vicious attackers.

It has become a common practice to call for the boycott of films before they are released, frequently based on baseless arguments. Sometimes we see celebrities being harassed for their appearance, while at other times, “

” lead to taking offence at trivial things. A cursory glance at some of the latest Bollywood releases shows that the reasons for the boycott can range from petty to vile to downright comical.

 is most likely related to the negative press the business has received in recent years, which peaked in the wake of claims of debauchery and nepotism in Bollywood. Examples can be seen in the form of the poor reception of movies such as ‘

’, even as movies from down south continue to be received well.

Believe it or not, it is. The Hindi film industry has impacted not only the culture but also the economy of our country. As the biggest entertainment sector in India, Bollywood has long had an impact on society and culture; many of the country’s musical, dancing, wedding, and fashion trends are derived directly from Bollywood. Undoubtedly, Bollywood is to blame for our unrealistic expectations of college life (looking at you, 

On a serious note, Bollywood has proven to be a reflection of our national identity, bringing stories from various parts of the country to the big screen, no matter how untasteful the adaptation may be. And while Bollywood has generated several stereotypical portraits of our country, it has also helped to showcase India as a land beyond snake charmers and bullock carts to a global audience.

Bollywood, in its own right, is a successful Indian business contributing 

. Unquestionably one of India’s biggest industries, it is also magnificent and dazzling. The 

, is also surprisingly high. According to several analysts, Bollywood is the second most crucial sector for India’s economic growth.

Media and means of mass communication have proven to be a double-edged sword, as these tend to influence public opinion in unprecedented ways. The internet especially gives people to break all norms of civility through the mask of anonymity.

Anyone who has ever woken up on the wrong side of the bed now has the ability to express their dissatisfaction on social media or launch a hashtag campaign. They feel more empowered to sway public opinion and advance their cause as a result. Many members of the public continue to be unaware of these tactics or consciously choose not to be. It might be difficult to distinguish trolls and bots from regular users among all the social media users.

Beyond boycotts and the expansion of the South Indian film industry, there are many other problems with Hindi films. The problem is that, with a few notable exceptions, Bollywood has been producing absolute garbage as mainstream movies for years, even decades. Unfortunately, the biggest Bollywood artists haven’t grasped the necessity of abandoning their glory days when 

 were wholeheartedly accepted by moviegoers.

It’s not like the average Indian cinemagoer has overnight developed a refined palate, however, due to the sheer availability of content options available through OTTs, we demand much more than melodramatic storylines, lackluster dialogues, and over-the-top action sequences.

That being said, it is important for the audience to use their intelligence and judgement faculty in order to adjudge a movie as good or bad, instead of relying on manufactured mass opinion.

The Silver Screen Battles: Why Bollywood is being Boycotted 

Back in our school days, we were made to believe that planting a tree on our birthday, or biking instead of using a car, can help us “save” our environment. We cut to 2022, wherein researchers suggest that every tenth of a degree of additional warming will escalate threats to people, species, and ecosystems. As we see climate change unfold before our eyes, we are forced to wonder whether our contribution amounts to anything.

 put world leaders to shame by saying, “

I want you to act as if the house is on fire, because it is

” back in 2019, the discourse on climate change gained a newfound momentum, entering school classrooms and parliament houses with equal propensity. Three years later, South Asia witnessed a heat wave that claimed more than 90 lives, northern India is experiencing its fifth heat wave, and temperatures have reached a 

The days when the climate was determined by solar cycles and organic weather patterns are long gone – human activities have been the primary cause of climate change since the 1800s, primarily due to the extensive use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas. According to the latest report from a 

 climate panel, the adverse effects of climate change are worsening much faster than scientists predicted less than a decade ago.

The combustion of fossil fuels produces greenhouse gas emissions, which act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the heat of the sun and raising the temperatures. Statistics warn us that adverse impacts of global warming are unavoidable and will hit the most vulnerable populations of the world hardest. While large-scale collective action from governments to curb greenhouse gas emissions seems like the only way to prepare communities to avert the worst outcomes of global warming, we are forced to wonder whether turning off the lights when not in use, works anymore.

Being aware of the effects brought in by climate change, we must think about how we can confront them. That being said, activists like Thunberg give hope to us that our voices have power. We would either enjoy the fruits or bear the burdens of any actions taken today. A few years from now, we will become world leaders, and the world we live in may suffer a new type of refugee crisis, consisting of people who are nothing but climate migrants – fleeing their homes that are no longer safe or able to provide livelihoods. And at this rate, the planet might not even be habitable after a century.

The efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through various mitigation measures—phasing out fossil fuels, increasing energy efficiency, adopting renewable energy sources, improving land use and agricultural practices—continue to move forward, but the pace is too slow. We have to scale up and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. Simultaneously, we must acknowledge that climate change is already occurring and affecting the lives of millions of people.

It is no surprise that we are worried about global warming, considering that the members of the 

 generations will experience the most severe impacts of climate change within their lifetime. In line with the view that climate change needs to be addressed today, a majority believes that several public and private actors are not doing enough to help reduce climate impact.

, offset what cannot be reduced, and adapt to new climate realities. There are effective policies, regulations, and market instruments. If these are scaled up and applied more widely and equitably, they have the potential to support significant emissions reductions while also stimulating innovation. That being said, we can be certain that inaction is our greatest enemy, and denying the existence of a climate crisis will not alleviate the problem. And while turning off unnecessary lights and fans and relying less on air-conditioners is not a bad idea, now is the time for us to demand accountability from those in power and force them to panic as much as we do for our future.

A House on Fire: The Looming Threat of the Global Climate Crisis

As part of the times of the internet, memes have seamlessly become a part of routine life, seeping gradually into our day-to-day vernacular. Some extremely relatable, some downright hilarious, memes can be found everywhere, becoming an integral part of our lives to such an extent that we refer to them in everyday conversation, share them amongst our friend circles, and quickly jump atop the Meme-wagon as soon as a new meme catches the eye of the masses.

In fact, reputed foreign universities have introduced specialized courses in meme studies, where you can actually pursue a degree in memes! 

 are among prominent universities that seek to understand and analyze this “

“. This brings us to the question of why memes are so relevant to popular culture.

At the surface level, memes might just be graphical representations of commonplace situations, kind of like illustrated comics, but much simpler to design, easier to understand, and quicker to recreate. Broken to its bare essentials, a meme is nothing but an expression of popular sentiments and opinions. Sometimes borrowed directly from books, movies, and TV shows, sometimes remixed to carry an entirely different meaning, a line becomes a meme as a direct consequence of human acceptance and creativity.

Any information or instance becomes meme-worthy due to its relatability. From awkward social encounters to modern-day difficulties to a reflection of everyday life, the ideas depicted in memes are short, simple, and succinct. Memes assume a universality as they are understood by several people irrespective of linguistic or geographical differences, becoming a language within itself, thereby forging a sense of community within cyberspace.

Memes not only bridge languages, but their relatability fosters a sense of belonging among certain internet users in specific age groups. Memes are a fun and easy way for teenagers to communicate with their pals, whether to express their opinions about certain sociopolitical topics or to reaffirm their fascination with famous people. Indeed, the process of spreading memes, sharing them on social media platforms, and tagging their friends under specialized meme pages has improved communication around the world and contributed to the triumph of globalization.

That being said, this cultural paradigm is reflective of the mindset of the current society – one that loves entertainment, celebrates materialism, and reinforces people’s need to remain relevant. Not everyone understands every meme that makes its way through their social media feeds. Understanding a meme necessitates a certain level of cultural awareness as well as familiarity with obscure pop-culture allusions.

When people understand a meme, it shows that they are aware of these references. Memes have an in-crowd appeal that improves one’s belief in their ‘

. However, because of their accessibility and capacity to reach a large audience in minutes, memes may also be used as propaganda tools, easily instilling and cementing opinions that quickly become popular among cybernauts.

While they are capable of having a positive influence on society, some people believe that memes impede communication in more ways than simply reducing things to one-liners and visuals. They can be used to exacerbate hostile and discriminatory sentiments toward certain races, genders, religions, or sexualities, thus expanding rather than bridging the divide between people. Moreover, the ability of a meme to be shared with many people in a really short span of time is only proof of the captive power of a meme to control and modify popular sentiment, sometimes leading to the spread of misinformation and ill will.

There’s no doubt that memes have changed the way we communicate, for better or worse. However, as we progress into the digital age, we are forced to examine the impact of memes on more traditional modes of communication. This culture may find its way into literary and academic circles, affecting our perspective on the world.

Or maybe, just maybe, memes are nothing more than the result of human inventiveness. Perhaps, at the end of the day, they’re nothing more than a hilarious illustration of people utilizing humor to cope with all of life’s tragedies and sadness.

The Good, the Bad, and the Dank: How Memes Shape Popular Culture

I have always been an avid lover of music. Having been raised in a musical family, I have spent my days singing and listening to music across genres and languages. Songs, ballads, and even wordless piano tunes playing in the elevator become a humble part of our daily life in the form of an unconscious hum or an aimless whistle.

For most of us, music in any form is enjoyable and entertaining. However, if studies are to be believed, listening to music may even bring unexpected benefits to our health. Music can bring 

, but it also comes with a fair share of psychological benefits. Music has the ability to calm the mind and rejuvenate the body, thus 

protecting our physical, mental, and emotional well-being

The idea of music influencing our thoughts and feelings is surely not a shocking one. Most of us would have felt our hearts thumping with excitement to the beats of a fast-paced rock anthem or would have been moved to tears by a heartfelt ballad.

Music can impact moods, inspire action and even influence our social connections. As the pandemic brought most social activities to an abrupt standstill, music was the one thing that remained accessible to most of us, courtesy of streaming services and 

Many people turned to music to cope with the stress of the pandemic, which was compounded by stay-at-home orders and shut shops. Several people turned to music to lift their spirits and divert their attention away from negative thoughts and feelings.

However, the biggest benefit is that music could be imbibed and absorbed irrespective of borders and barriers. As people turned to 

 produced songs, some uplifting, some comforting, to take their listeners through the pandemic.

We watched how music brought neighbours together in 

 when recordings of Italians singing from their balconies surfaced on social media. Even with a complete lockdown imposed upon the citizens, people were able to sing and dance with one another. The video further became a source of hope and comfort to viewers all across the world, proving how music can bring people together even if they are separated by geographical roadblocks.

The pandemic also saw a surge of content creators who recorded song covers, uploaded reels, and hosted online karaoke and open mic sessions. “

, attracted whopping three-quarters of a million enthusiastic singers who performed songs for each other on social media. While some people used music as background noise while going about their new-normal routines, others used it as a medium of communication in times of loneliness.

Many people have expressed that music helps them stop thinking about unpleasant things and control their minds and bodies. Listening to calming sounds, particularly pleasant tunes, and slow beats can wash you over with a 

. A slow tempo can help to calm our thoughts and relax our muscles, making us feel at ease at the end of a long day. Thus, music can help us to relax and further manage our stress.

Strong beats, on the other hand, have been shown to cause brainwaves to vibrate in sync with the rhythm, increasing concentration and productivity. Upbeat music can lift your spirits and make you feel more optimistic about life. Some people prefer to listen to music that reminds them of joyful memories. Others report that listening to certain types of music makes them feel better.

Several listeners also use music to reinforce the mood they are already feeling. For instance, when we are already depressed, we may find ourselves listening to melancholy tunes. In such situations, music becomes a means of catharsis, as the sorrowful melody provides room for an outburst of any ugly emotions one must be feeling.

It is almost miraculous how listening to a 

 playlist can bring a terrible day to a tolerable closure or how hearing your favourite song on the radio transforms a mundane commute into an exhilarating journey. Music is not just entertaining; it is powerful. Music therapy relies on these inherently 

 of melodies and lyrics in order to aid one’s mental health and overall well-being.

Music may be a quick method to lift your spirits, but it is becoming clear that there is a lot more to its benefits than just a quick mood boost. The positive or cathartic themes conveyed by meaningful lyrics, as well as the uplifting sound of music, can all contribute to a new mental state for the listener – this is 

The Sound of Magic: Music as a Means of Therapy

The world was transforming rapidly in the nineties. For the first time, Space technology had reached as far as Jupiter. The 1995 Pixar classic ‘Toy Story’ introduced us to a world where Woody the Cowboy was fast being replaced by the mass production of Buzz Lightyears. Nations, including Canada, Japan, and, India were trying to make a mark in the space timeline that was, on the juncture, dominated by the States and Russia. However, this moment in time was certainly not the beginning of the space mania that had engulfed the world.

The fascination with the cosmos follows a trail of cultures, with Indian scriptures using the positioning of celestial objects to predict the future and Egyptian societies, finding correlations between the appearance of the Orion constellation and floods. There is something enigmatic about the possibilities of exploring an unknown frontier; perhaps it is the endless possibility that gives a voice to individual imagination that shapes the imaginative insight of an entire population. Way before ‘

’ gave birth to a new genre of movies, exploring space in real and reel time, Arabian folk tales such as ‘

’ anticipated elements of modern galactic science fiction, and theories of an alternate universe.

In a way, science fiction and space exploration have travelled hand in hand, with one influencing the other every so often. For instance, Jules Verne’s novels, including ‘

’ (1865) proved to be the inspiration for Russian scientists to publish the first serious work that displayed physical space exploration as a theoretically possible phenomenon. Similarly, the launch of the first artificial satellite in space coincided with the Golden Age of Science Fiction in literature in the 1940s and 50s, with several authors like 

 writing sci-fi literature as a full-time career.

What is the reason for this obsession with space?

Man has always harboured the desire to conquer unknown frontiers throughout centuries, to solidify his power and position. This ‘

’ has followed the global population throughout the years in the appearance of imperialism and colonialism. The sea and the space are the only two places yet, untouched by exploration, and it is, perhaps this urge to conquer the unknown, that has motivated expeditions beyond the globe.

 battling it out for years to set foot on Moon and Mars, and Jupiter, before coming to a joint agreement with 

 to set up the first multinational space station in 1998.

At present, however, space exploration is not as much about the Moon or Mars as it is about Earth. Resources on Earth are depleting swiftly due to factors like climate change and global warming. With life hanging by a thread on the blue planet, day by day, it has become the need of the hour to monitor any potential threats Earth may pose to itself while also looking for alternatives to sustain life.

With the involvement of private players within space exploration, significant developments in space technology can be seen in real-time. Companies like the Elon Musk-headed 

, for instance, are working on colonizing Mars and making space travel achievable and affordable for humanity. While the United Nations have specific mandates about the “

” of outer space, such guidelines are so far nebulous vis-a-vis private actors. On one hand, this can be seen as a threat to space security, as space itself may prove to be the battleground for a potential World War.

However, one automatically views this as a golden incentive for the research and development in space technology, which by extension, opens up fields of space research and space engineering. Private expansion may also provide the necessary funds to facilitate research to examine alternative sites for the sustenance of life, making films like 

 a tangible reality. Even though STEM and Art majors continue to exalt themselves over each other, the blending of application and imagination is the way forward to take leaps in light-years.

Brave New World: Exploring Space in Popular Culture

The second month of 2022 started with confusion for loyal readers, as upon receiving the news of Amazon deciding to shut down Westland Books on 01 February. The decision rattled many, as it is rare for significant publishers to shut shop. With no forewarning given to the countless authors affiliated with the organization, the suddenness of the decision led many to speculate the real motivation behind the action.

Not only did Westland boast of an unparalleled popular list of fiction by Indian authors, but it also published books in literary fiction and narrative non-fiction, works in Indian languages and translations, as well as literature for children, under its various branches.

, India’s most successful commercial fiction writer, was lured away from 

, the pioneer of mythology-based fiction in India, had always been a part of the publication house. Among others, 

 are some well-known authors published by Westland.

While this news on social media channels emanated love and gratitude for the team of editors, designers, and publicists at Westland, much anger was directed at 

The most straightforward reason for this decision is perhaps business. Reader preferences are notoriously fickle, and publishing trends come and go. It is the nature of the industry. The vampire craze that swept through popular culture in the early 2010s, for example, eventually faded from international publishing.

Part of the mystique and glamour of trade publishing stems from the fact that it is a business based on taste. Obscure bets eventuate to become bestsellers, while well-known authors lose steam for no apparent reason. These ebbing and waning trends take a complicated toll on the publishing house itself. The question, however, is why a business as big as Amazon fell short of shouldering these losses, which may have found recovery, had the company persevered.

Another interesting fact worth noting is that several recent Westland bestsellers such as ‘

 chose to question the dominant political agenda in our country, instead of speaking highly of the government.

While global corporations uphold high standards of free expression and democratic values in their home markets, they end up perpetuating local censorships imposed by political powers and governments of the day. Westland did not fit into any company that wants to operate in the commercial space in an imperfect democracy like ours, where political patronage is essential for success, nor was it motivated by monetary gains alone.

 cumulatively publish over 200 domestic titles. They cover a wide range of genres in fiction and non-fiction, boast enviable backlists, and host celebrated authors—all of which add up to a sizable combination of sales volume and cultural cache. The demise of one of them has sent shockwaves through the industry, as many books and authors will now have to find new homes. Moreover, fewer surviving major publishers could mean a shift in the balance of power in negotiations in favor of authors.

Largely affected by this decision, are the recently published poets, as they had little time to find readers. Poetry publishing is not considered profitable in India, so only a few Indian publishers invest in it. As a result, recent poetry books published by Westland have been abandoned in their infancy. Finding an alternate publisher will be a mountainous task for these new poets.

However, for most authors affiliated with Westland, the loss is primarily emotional. The closure of the publication house is a blow to the literary world, especially to budding writers who have just started or are dreaming of starting their literary journey. With its sixty-year history as one of India’s oldest publishers, credited for launching books that have put our country back on the map of global readership, the loss of Westland is a loss for the cultural foundations of our country.

Articles by K R Swathi

Why the US Teacher Shortage Crisis is a Warning Bell for the Indian Education System

The Silver Screen Battles: Why Bollywood is being Boycotted

A House on Fire: The Looming Threat of the Global Climate Crisis

The Good, the Bad, and the Dank: How Memes Shape Popular Culture

The Sound of Magic: Music as a Means of Therapy

Brave New World: Exploring Space in Popular Culture

The Death of Westland

Why the US Teacher Shortage Crisis is a Warning Bell for the Indian Education System

The Silver Screen Battles: Why Bollywood is being Boycotted

A House on Fire: The Looming Threat of the Global Climate Crisis

The Good, the Bad, and the Dank: How Memes Shape Popular Culture

The Sound of Magic: Music as a Means of Therapy

Brave New World: Exploring Space in Popular Culture

The Death of Westland