IUCAA - Khagol # 111 - July 2017

| KHAG L | | No. 111 - JULY 2017 03 He was very keen to see a major re-modelling of our education at all levels to encourage the spirit of observation and enquiry. He emphasized that in order to promote better comprehension and free thinking, it was necessary to reduce the burden of syllabi in primary and secondary schools. He was against the barriers in studying different subjects in the universities, and insisted that a full education should involve exposure to all the areas of human interest. While making the recommendations about drastic changes in our education, he was aware of the difficulties in implanting the changes in our society. To cite an example, the report on “Learning Without Burden”, in its recommendations, he makes the following remark: “But, there is a deeper malaise in our society, which impacts our young children. If we continue to value a few elite qualifications far more than real competence for doing useful things in life, and if the economic distance, between those who can manage to cross some academic hurdles and those who can't, continues to widen, we will probably continue to spend our effort in designing hurdles instead of opportunities for children to learnwith joy.” For amanwith somany achievements, he appeared surprisingly easy going. With his gift of humanism, egalitarianism, very broad and December 29, 1988 IUCAA Foundation Day tolerant outlook, and generosity, he was able to connect easily with people of all ages with different backgrounds and occupations. On several occasions, my whole family and I had the good luck to have Yash and Nirmal (his wife) in our home. During these visits, we enjoyed his sessions on science-communication, which were like mini-versions of the very popular TV show, “Turning Point”. He is gone but his values andwisdomremains to guide us. Shyam N. Tandon, IUCAA.