Albert Einstein, if alive, was bound to hate us. No, we have not debunked his theory of relativity. Nor have we refuted his mammoth contributions to quantum theory. At the beginning of this New Year, we have just dared to question his famous words ‘The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education’. Does the adage hold true today? Are children learning while being educated? How have different genres of education responded to the needs of the new world we live in?

Economics is peculiar. It affects our existence in many ways – including intimidating and baffling us. We are living witnesses to the fact that economic jargon is not just limited to government policies and documents.

They are tiny. So tiny that a million of them will have to throng together to look like the tip of a pen. And their potential is huge. So huge that they may lead to treatments that can cure the incurable. You were absolutely right Arthur C. Clarke.

I despise gutka. At the cost of sounding utterly politically incorrect, even those who chew it incessantly. So I was mighty delighted when the Supreme Court, in December last year, ordered a ban on the sale of tobacco, gutka and pan masala...