Durga Ashtami

ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं चामुण्डायै विच्चे ॥

Durga Puja is a celebration of divine and dynamic feminine power, Shakti and her victory over the evil Mahishasura. The Durga Puja festival is one of the most societal and dramatic event filled with dance performances dedicated in the name of the deity, mythological skits and different kind of cultural performances.

Durga Ashtami is the eighth day of the Navratri celebrations. The well-known traditional belief is that when Lord Indra was vanquished, the holy trinity, Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh, created Durga and each part of her body was blessed with strength and energies of these Gods, to defeat Mahishasura, who was bestowed a boon by Lord Brahma himself, that he could only be defeated by a female warrior. On this day, she made use of the weapons that symbolized their strength to defeat Mahishasura with her trident.

There is also a belief in some regions that Goddess Kali appeared from the forehead of Durga on this day to annihilate Chanda, Munda and Raktabija. During the Durga Puja rituals on Mahashtami, the 64 Yoginis and Ashta Nayikas (also known as Ashta Shakti) – the eight consorts of Durga, namely Brahmani, Maheshwari, Kameshwari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Narasinghi, Indrani and Chamunda are also worshipped. On this day, women tend to take the center stage while being a stark reminder of how women used to hold a lot more power and status in ancient India. 

Durga Puja in India is much beyond the charm and sparkle of pandals and is not just limited to revelries and indulging. Durga Puja reflects the depth and richness of Indian culture and words cannot justify the grandeur and beauty of this magnificent festival. The real reason for every devotee to perform Durga Puja is the enlightenment of soul and the rejoicing of good over evil.

Come enlighten, celebrate and enjoy! JAI MAA DURGA!!

Impostor Syndrome Affects Females More?

Impostor Syndrome has long been thought to affect women more than men, particularly in male-dominated environments.

Impostor syndrome is especially prevalent in biased, toxic cultures that value individualism and overwork. We often falsely equate confidence, most often, the type demonstrated by male leaders with competence and leadership. Employees who can’t (or won’t) conform to male-biased social styles are told or made to relate to impostor syndrome, in a crude manner or in most cases, in a subtle manner.

The truth of the matter is that pretty much anywhere in the world men tend to think that they are much smarter than women. While arrogance and overconfidence are inversely related to leadership talent, yet the ability to build and maintain high-performing teams, and to inspire followers to set aside their selfish agendas in order to work for the common interest of the group often become an oversight and oft perceived unimportant perk.

The way forward is inclusive workplaces as a multivitamin that can ensure that women of all classes, color, region and skill can thrive. Rather than the focus on fixing impostor syndrome, professionals whose identities have been marginalized and discriminated against must experience a cultural shift writ large.

Leaders must create a culture for women that addresses systemic bias and racism. Only by doing so can we reduce the experiences that culminate in so-called impostor syndrome among employees from all communities and walks of life, or at the very least, help those employees channel healthy self-doubt into positive motivation, which is best fostered within a supportive work culture.

Perhaps then we can stop misdiagnosing women with “Impostor Syndrome” once and for all.

Online Education

One of the most oft-used terms after the pandemic is the term “new normal.” The new normal in education is the increased use of online learning tools and platforms. Online education is electronically supported learning that relies on the internet for teacher-student interaction and the distribution of class materials. It has quickly become the forte and future of education at all levels.

The situations arisen during COVID-19 times, has been proven that had online education systems not been in place, education worldwide would have been negatively impacted. Online education has indeed helped further educational processes than being left stand still. Live or recorded interaction with faculties, convenience of studying siting at home at any time of the day, access to live videos and recorded sessions and presentations has been made possible through online mode of imparting education. Education in the field of management at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels along with it’s due recognition by regulatory authorities has made online education emerging as the most viable method of education in the current scenario and way forward in this space.

As with most teaching methods, online learning also has its own set of positives and negatives. Decoding and understanding these positives and negatives will help in creating strategies for more efficiently deliverance and ensuring an uninterrupted learning journey for students.

Online learning brings with it --

a) Efficiency: Videos, Podcasts, PDFs

b) Accessibility in terms of time and place: Geographical Independence, Recording, Archiving

c) Affordability: reduced financial costs, learning material in soft format

d) Improved Student Attendance

e) Cutting across the bandwidth of students with different learning journey and style

But the repercussions it brings to the table -

a) Extensive focus on screen: thus reduced focus and concentration

b) Technology Issues: Internet penetration and connectivity

c) Isolation: Limited access to peers, and faculty

d) Faculty Training: up-skilling with technology

e) Health Hazards: Increased Screen Time leads to bad posture and other physical concerns