It has been long due to complete the looking back blog that I usually write. Had been waiting for something to happen - but that is getting prolonged, hence decided I must finish this. :-)
The January started normally, with care and trepidation as the world was seemingly trying to get out of the covid. The campus started functioning with half the strength. By February, arrangements were made for students to come to campus. March looked nice with students in campus - regaining the lost charm - yet the fear of covid breakouts did not die down. As the number of covid cases started to rise again, the educational institutes had to go into a lockdown mode (not just educational institutes, but the whole of Tamilnadu) again by the third week of April 2021. After a turn of events in Thanjavur, we got locked up in Dindigul during the entire lock down period - until June. May was the most difficult phase - about 4 loses of near and dear ones - including a cousin, house owner couple and a close friend’s father. Devastating it was - and the entire month had such horror stories from all corners. The entire human race went through a tough phase in this second wave which occurred between April - June 2021. Amidst all these, we didn’t give up conducting exams - with the justification that only then students’ future will be secured. So, exams went on up to August 2021. After a very brief breathing time, senior semester classes and PG classes started in October and the next semester went in full swing in November to complete the syllabus. By December, all senior year students were in campus and refresher classes conducted. The semester came to an end in Jan 2022 with exams in Feb 2022 and the subsequent semester started in March 2022. It has been a race that we have been running to catch up with the old schedule of starting the odd semester in July…looks like it will take one more year to reach that.
On the research front, DBT is still asking for one document or the other (and as on date of writing, we haven’t received sanction yet). No communication from BIRAC as well. My research is also taking a focus on AMR with a publication with a colleague and conference presentations in Inbix and Insyb2021 - all in AMR.
The teaching-learning newsletter continues.
In the family front - Family becomes bigger by one with the Birth of Vitharsan to Subee in March 2021. Viyan joins Yagappa school from June. November-December - sees ancestral blessings and plans to root the family gets more concrete. Gowri starts freelancing on educational content creation.
Personal front - A teaming up with Ruban led to a series of discussions on design thinking. It was launched in the YouTube.
On the ThinQ front - there was a rejig of the guiding principles . It was decided to remain a low-budget financial entity with no full timers supported by ThinQ.
