For most people, the pursuit of happiness is the purpose of life. All actions and thoughts are fuelled by the desire to be happy. No one wants to be unhappy, yet unhappiness and dissatisfaction are prevalent. Perhaps serving others can be one’s higher purpose, leading to deep satisfaction rather than fleeting happiness. Two brothers I met are living examples of this.

I met Dr Vishnu Swaroop Reddy, the renowned ENT Surgeon, when he returned from the UK and joined Care Hospital, where I was engaged in interdisciplinary research, working on developing India’s first coronary stent as a defence technology spinoff.

The idea of developing cochlear implants—tiny sensors that enable hearing—has become common ground. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam instantly liked Dr Reddy and invited him to be his guest at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. With his clinical and audiological team, Dr Reddy examined the entire staff and 600 children from the Rashtrapati Bhavan Estate Schools, focusing on their hearing status, and submitted a report, to the great joy of the people.

The Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam, a centre of excellence in the science of sound waves, called sonars, undertook the development. A team headed by Dr V. Bhujanga Rao eventually achieved success in developing indigenous cochlear implants, which brought down the cost manifold—Rs. 1 lakh (1100 USD) compared to between 7,000 USD to 21,000 USD for imported implants—and helped many profoundly deaf children hear sounds and, as a result, develop speech. Dr Reddy furthered cochlear implantation surgery using cost-effective local anaesthesia, which cost merely a hundred rupees. He has performed the most procedures in India under local anaesthesia, which very few surgeons worldwide can do.

Through Dr Vishnu Reddy, I met his younger brother, Vinod Reddy. They hail from the coastal village of Mypadu, in the Nellore district. Their father, N. Kodanda Rama Reddy (NKR), an M.A. in Political Science (1953-1955) from Presidency College, Madras, was fondly called ‘English Kodandaram Reddy’ for his imposing personality and gracious manners.

The elder brother chose to become a doctor. After his MBBS and MS in ENT from S.V. Medical College, Tirupati, Dr Vishnu Reddy went to England in 1993. He did his FRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Scotland, and DLORCS from England. Dr Vishnu Reddy trained with the best surgeons across the world—at the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles, USA, under Prof. Derald Brackmann; at Marien Hospital, Stuttgart, Germany under Prof. Wolfgang Gubisch; at the University of Hannover, Germany, under Prof. Thomas Lenarz; at University of Paris, under Prof. Jean Abitbol; and at Graz, Austria, under Prof. H Stamberger. The world’s best hospitals were now open to him. He worked as a Consultant ENT and Facial Plastic Surgeon at the Staffordshire General Hospital, Stafford, England, and at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary University Teaching Hospital, Aberdeen, Scotland. Today, he is considered the top ENT surgeon in this part of the world.

The younger brother became an engineer, graduating with a Computer Science and Engineering degree in 1990 before earning a master’s at the University of North Texas. Vinod Reddy worked in the travel and transportation industry at American Airlines, applying operational research to understand customer needs better. When the Indian economy opened and new technology arrived, Vinod Reddy returned and led the American firm Broad Vision in India. He created an e-commerce platform under the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) that made visiting the station and filling out travel detail forms a thing of the past. It was a watershed moment. In 2009-2010, daily online ticket bookings surged from just 30 individuals at launch to 500,000.

Pursuing excellence leads to a deeper, more profound sense of satisfaction than simply achieving a goal or winning an award. Like his brother, who made restoring hearing to the deaf his mission, Vinod Reddy chose customer service. He created his company, CRMIT, headquartered in Bengaluru, to live his dream of developing information technology in customer relationship management. Breaking the one-size-fits-all barrier, his company developed industry-specific solutions unique to business goals. It has become a global company operating in the USA, the UK and Australia.

CRMIT has become a leader in optimised healthcare delivery by partnering with America’s largest healthcare company, UnitedHealth Group. Here, the paths of the two brothers converge, like the confluence of two rivers. When I recently met them at Dr. Vishnu’s home in Hyderabad, we passionately discussed how technology can free Indian healthcare delivery from the inefficient and corrupt referral system.

Digital platforms enable seamless, trackable and standardised referrals between providers, reducing delays, errors and opportunities for corrupt practices like unnecessary referrals or kickbacks. Centralised databases consolidate patient records, referral histories and treatment plans, ensuring transparency and reducing duplication or misuse of resources. Technology-driven scheduling minimises favouritism or manipulation, ensuring fair access and resource allocation.

Analysing referral patterns and health data can help easy identification of anomalies indicative of corruption or inefficiencies, enabling authorities to take corrective action. Blockchain technology can create immutable records of referrals and resource transactions, fostering trust and accountability. Above all, mobile health platforms can empower community health workers and patients with access to referral information, promoting transparency and community engagement.

Why is it not happening? Unfortunately, inertia is a terrible force. Once people become used to bad habits and unfair arrangements, it is difficult to change them. Who does not know that consuming tobacco leads to cancer? Everyone knows the benefits of nutrition and exercise, yet one can see people paying scant attention to their health everywhere. The health insurance industry has become a conduit for funding tertiary care hospitals, destroying primary healthcare in the process. If you have a headache, undergo a CT scan; if you have stomachaches, get an endoscopy done. Do you suffer from back pain? Get an MRI done. Chest pain? Undergo an angiogram, followed by angioplasty.

While upgrading technology in primary healthcare is a vital step towards improving public health, it is generally most effective when combined with other elements such as infrastructure development, workforce training, policy reforms and community engagement. Technology can enhance diagnostics, record-keeping and communication, leading to faster and more accurate care. However, a multifaceted approach that addresses social determinants, education, sanitation and access to care is also essential to achieve comprehensive, improved public healthcare outcomes.

But someone must bell the cat. How about a pilot in one district, where 10,000 patients are screened using an integrated digital system that captures their identity, history, symptoms and possible ailments? Those who need to see a doctor, say 1000 or 2000, are referred ‘directly’ to the specialist. A few hundred who need tertiary care go to tertiary care hospitals. The rich and powerful do not crowd them and block the needy. Who will allow this? I think this is not a valid question anymore. Instead, the question is—who can stop this? This is what I feel after meeting people like the Reddy brothers.

Caves are inseparable from human imagination. When the Vanara army searches for Sita in the Ramayana, they are clueless and lost in the dense forest. Tired, thirsty, and hopeless, Hanuman sees some birds flying into a cave, which he infers is where water must be. The group enters a deep cave. Brightly illuminated, the cave is full of running streams, fruiting trees, and blooming flowers; it is encrusted with priceless jewels, mountains of gold and silver and platters stacked high with delectable roots and fruits. A female ascetic, Swayamprabha, has been meditating there for thousands of years. She uses her Yogic powers to help them reach the seashore. Her soul is freed from her mortal body (trapped in physicality) and ascends to a higher plane. 

The ancients had a knack for embedding coded intelligence in the guise of folklore, rich in symbolism, which, though fanciful in appearance, carries more profound meaning. Here, the frustration of the monkeys led them to meditation (entering the cave) and intuition (the ascetic there is thoughtfully named Swayamprabha, which is the Sanskrit term for self-illumination). Jewels, gold, and silver symbolise past knowledge we carry in our DNA. Those who meditate know well about this treasure embedded in the perennial consciousness. It also keeps appearing in dreams, but we often ignore it as a fantasy.

I am blessed to have the friendship of Nagpur-based Santosh Pathakji, with whom I got acquainted through Dr Ashok Tiwariji, my long-standing friend. We started interacting when Santoshji shared information about a handwritten copy of the Ramcharitmanas, which a Brahmin Kripa Ramji wrote in Chitrakoot. He marked the date in the Samvat calendar, corresponding to May 21, 1838. It was a tradition in Brahmin families to write scriptures by hand for deeper study and veneration. It was preserved in the extended family for 187 years. Later, we often spoke on the phone and exchanged information on WhatsApp, which is the trend today. Pathak ji is an electrical engineer and senior to me. He worked for almost a lifetime with the Maharashtra State Electricity Board. I found an evolved soul in him and consider the material he shares a great blessing.

Recently, through Santosh ji, I learned about French geologist Michel Siffre (1939 –2024). He explored deep caves, a branch of geology called speleology. Unlike the recent trend of doing science by inference, confined to well-equipped laboratories and sustained within an echo chamber of conferences and journals, Siffre chose to be an explorer, spending time alone in deep underground cavities. He was fascinated by space explorers, who spent a long time alone. Of course, he must also have been curious to know why some hardened/heinous criminals were condemned to solitary confinement—the ultimate punishment that can be given to a human being. Indian scriptures emphasise meditation, which is, in essence, shutting out the external world by withdrawing the senses inward and exploring the inner world, which is imagined as vast and limitless as the Sky (chidakash).

After living in several caves, cut off from sunlight and carrying no watch for extended periods, Siffre decided to stay for six months in a 440-foot-deep cave in the southern Texas region of the United States. He made a simple scientific protocol and, without knowing it, shaped the field of human chronobiology. Siffre counted from 1 to 120, taking one pulse as one second. It took him five minutes to count to 120. In other words, Siffre was experiencing everything twice as slowly as on the surface of the Earth.

His mind failed to capture time without sunlight and a watch, and his memory was in disarray. It was like living one long day without sleeping. Sometimes, he would sleep for two hours and at other times, eighteen hours, but he couldn’t tell the difference. Siffre concluded that his body adjusted to a 48-hour rather than a 24-hour cycle without time cues. Instead of experiencing divine bliss or peace in consciousness, he developed a sense of overwhelming lethargy and bitterness in isolation.  What is a man but a little tent with a flickering light under a vast, starry sky?

The absence of time can lead to a disorientation in consciousness. In most societies, time serves as a framework within which people live.  Clocks govern everyday routines. However, when stripped of time, the mind loses the sense of the past, present, and future. This temporal dislocation can heighten awareness of the present moment, leading to a form of mindfulness. In solitude, individuals may be deeply immersed in the immediacy of experience—sounds, sights, and feelings become magnified as distractions fade. This heightened state of awareness can foster creativity, allowing for innovative thoughts and insights often overlooked in the busyness of life.

Conversely, the lack of temporal markers can initiate a psychological unravelling, as the mind may struggle to impose meaning without the structure that time provides. The human brain is wired to seek patterns and predict outcomes, and chaos may ensue without time as a guiding principle. Days may blur into one another, anxiety may heighten as uncertainty grows, and existential questions about meaning and purpose may surface. This confrontation with the self can lead to a profound sense of clarity or a descent into despair. The reactions are often influenced by individual temperament and prior experiences with solitude.

Moreover, solitude can amplify internal dialogues. In the utter darkness, one can see the vast imaginary world through one’s inner light. With fewer external distractions, the mind may begin to engage in extensive self-referential thinking—a process known as metacognition. The mind’s need for social interaction can provoke loneliness and isolation in solitude. This craving can manifest in heightened anxiety or a longing for reconnection, fundamentally altering one’s perception of identity and belonging. Experiencing an absence of this connection can lead to feelings of insignificance or a rediscovery of autonomy, where individuals, away from societal expectations, dive into the unconscious and embrace their thoughts and feelings. Sri Aurobindo writes in Savitri (Canto Five, lines 747-748):

The vague Inconscient’s dark and measureless cave

His only sunlight was his spirit’s flame.

Living in solitude without a sense of time can be both a transformative and tumultuous experience for the mind. The interplay between heightened awareness, emotional disorientation, and internal dialogue shapes a unique psychological landscape. Through this lens, one can see that solitude is not merely the absence of others but the presence of an opportunity to reflect, create, and ultimately redefine one’s relationship with the self. Embracing this process can lead to deeper self-understanding, an enhanced appreciation for life’s fleeting moments, and, potentially, a newfound clarity in navigating the complexities of modern existence. This truth is conveyed when Shri Krishna defines a Stithpragya (anchored in universal consciousness) as a person satisfied within himself – आत्मनि एव आत्मना तुष्टः स्थितप्रज्ञः तदा उच्यते (Shrimad Bhagavad Gita 2. 55). The immortal Self inside is our guide, and the Infinite Self outside is our goal. The handwritten Ramcharitmanas was a brilliant way to fill the solitude.

I learned about Don Quixote, a novel written in the early seventeenth century, through various articles. It is the most translated and best-selling Spanish novel by Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra. Still, I have only recently read its English translation by John Ormsby. I couldn’t believe this philosophical humour was written almost 400 years ago; it seemed so modern. Besides, the character of Don Quixote does not look strange, as people like him appear everywhere in the contemporary world.

The novel is set in medieval Spain. Alonso Quijano is a bachelor landlord of around 50 who lives with his niece and a maidservant. He is enamoured with chivalry literature and starts believing himself to be a knight on a mission to protect good people. He assumes the name Don Quixote de la Mancha. He finds an old armour from his ancestors and makes up the missing parts using assorted metallic junk. He names his old and malnourished horse Rocinante, befitting a sturdy horse a knight must ride.

In his first outing, Don Quixote arrives at an inn, which he believes to be a castle. He demands that the innkeeper bestow upon him the noble title of ‘knight’. When he sees a young shepherd being beaten by his master, he tries to stop him, only to be humiliated. Next, some merchants whom he mistakes as invaders give Don Quixote a brutal beating and leave him on the side of the road, where he is found by a peasant and delivered home. His two well-wishers, concerned about his sanity, burn down his library and tell him it was done by a rival magician in his absence. He happily believes the story; it is a confirmation of his fantasy.

After staying home for a while, Don Quixote recruits Sancho Panza, a farm labourer, as his squire, a male attendant to a great personage. Don Quixote has no money to give as a salary and promises him riches, fame, and the governorship of an island. The duo moves out to fight with the evil forces, help the poor, and dispense justice—a tall Don Quixote riding his horse, wearing armour and carrying a nine-foot pole as his weapon, and short and bulky Sancho Panza following him on a donkey.

The long novel shows how Don Quixote imagines extraordinary situations in his stale and mundane life. He sees a herd of sheep as an invading army and a lady who salts meat in butchery as a damsel in distress; he must be rescued only to be beaten by the people around him. His worldly, wise, and practical servant saves him every time. His vision of windmills as demonic giants and his fighting with them are iconic images, making quixotic an idiom.

At this point, they came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that there are on that plain, and as soon as Don Quixote saw them, he said to his squire, “Fortune is arranging matters for us better than we could have shaped our desires ourselves, for look there, friend Sancho Panza, where thirty or more monstrous giants present themselves, all of whom I mean to engage in battle and slay, and with whose spoils we shall begin to make our fortunes; for this is righteous warfare, and it is God’s good service to sweep so evil a breed from off the face of the earth.”

“What giants?” said Sancho Panza.

“Those you see there,” answered his master, “with the long arms, and some have them nearly two leagues long.”

“Look, your worship,” said Sancho. “We see that there are not giants but windmills, and what seem to be their arms are the sails turned by the wind to make the millstone go.”

“It is easy to see,” replied Don Quixote, “that thou art not used to this business

of adventures, those are giants; and if thou art afraid, away with thee out of this and betake thyself to prayer while I engage them in fierce and unequal combat.” (Part I, Chapter VIII, Para 1)

The contrast between the real and the fantastic highlights how perception is subjective and how one’s beliefs shape one’s view of the world.

It is no business or concern of knights-errant to inquire whether any persons in affliction, in chains, or oppressed that they may meet on the high roads go that way and suffer as they do because of their faults or misfortunes. It only concerns them to aid them as persons needing help, having regard for their sufferings and not their rascality. (Part I, Chapter XXX, para 2)

In the novel’s second part, published 10 years later, Don Quixote embarks on another adventure with Sancho. A Duke and Duchess invite them to their palace for amusement and practical jokes. Sancho is given a false governorship, a deceptive prank that leads to humiliation. When Don Quixote is conquered in a battle with the Knight of the White Moon, he is forced to lay down his arms and abandon his acts of chivalry for one year. Before the battle, the conditions are agreed upon with the ‘knight’, who is dressed in a costume, that Don Quixote would go home if defeated. Eventually, Don Quixote retires in the countryside and falls sick.

After a few months, he recovers his sanity completely and, despite Sancho’s encouragement to restore his faith in fantasy, takes back the name of Alonso Quijano. He apologises for all the craziness and any harm that he may have caused before passing away.

As nothing that is man’s can last forever, but all tends ever downwards from its beginning to its end, and above all, man’s life, and as Don Quixote’s enjoyed no special dispensation from heaven to stay its course, its end and close came when he least looked for it. (Part II. Chapter LXXIV, Para 1)

But now, it is Sancho’s turn to imagine. As Don Quixote becomes ‘realistic’, Sancho’s spirit ascends from reality to illusion.  What this novel stirred in me is the acuteness of the universal problem of the human mind. Quixote’s insanity is gentle and easy to sympathise with—he can’t understand the harshness and ridicule of the people around him. He assumes himself as a hero and a champion of the weak and oppressed. Sancho is a practical man with survival as his main agenda. He is rooted in common sense. Yet, he also adopts some of his idealism towards the novel’s end.

The mind is a compelling entity. Humanity has dominated planet Earth by using the mind but also created strife. Like a double-edged sword, the mind cuts both ways. In the final analysis, the mind is placed at the root of all human misery by various thinkers and philosophers over the centuries.

माया मुई न मन मुवा, मरि–मरि गया सरीर।

आसा त्रिष्णाँ नाँ मुई, यौं कहै दास कबीर॥

Kabir says that neither the illusion of a creature nor his mind dies. Only his body dies again and again. Despite wandering in many births, hope and desire never die; they always remain.

The minds of people can cast such a spell upon them that instead of living in the present moment, they dwell mainly in the past (ruminating their memories as animals chew all their food eaten earlier) or wander in fantasy (building castles in the air). Very few people live in the present moment. Then, some people escape from their unbearable reality by using alcohol and drugs. How are they different from Don Quixote? Listen to any popular leader giving a speech, and you can enjoy Don Quixote charging a windmill for a demon.

Lately, I have visualised life as a strange loop, exploring the enigmatic, self-referential patterns often defining human existence. In fact, ‘I Am a Strange Loop’ is the title of a book by the cognitive scientist Douglas Hofstadter, published in 2007. I first read it in 2010 and multiple times thereafter. The book delves into the interconnectedness and cyclical nature of our thoughts, actions, and experiences.

“By our deepest nature, we humans float in a world of familiar and comfortable but quite impossible-to-define abstract patterns . . .The general rule is that we swim in the world of everyday concepts, and it is they, not micro-events, that define our reality. . . it is the upward leap from raw stimuli to symbols that imbues the loop with strangeness.” (Chapter 13, p. 175, 179, 187).

Last week, from March 23 to 27, 2025, General Gurmit Singh, the Governor of Uttarakhand, hosted me. He has been a good friend since 2015 when he retired as Deputy Chief of the Indian Army. He lives in Dehradun, and my visit was long overdue as I haven’t been venturing out and travelling lately. My son Amol took time off his work and escorted me there. I stayed in the historic mansion at Raj Bhavan, where Indian Prime Ministers Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Smt. Indira Gandhi once stayed. At around 2500 feet above sea level, Dehradun offers a comfortable climate. The sky was beautifully blue during my stay, and the air was gently breezing. I sat in the lobby overseeing a sprawling lush green lawn and watched various beautiful birds of multiple colours flying around and chirping.

On the last day, a few hours before my evening departure to Hyderabad, Dr Manmohan Singh Chauhan, the world-renowned zoologist and biotechnologist, landed there. He is currently the Vice Chancellor of G. B. Pant University in Uttarakhand. I am an alumnus of this university. I stayed there for a decade (1971 – 1981), first for my graduation in Mechanical Engineering, then as a teaching associate while pursuing my master’s part-time. In February 1982, I relocated to Hyderabad after being selected to work with the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), and met Dr APJ Abdul Kalam there, which transformed my life. This story continued until Dr Kalam departed from this world in 2015. I never tire of repeating it whenever I find an opportunity and even create such occasions to express myself.

I know of Dr Chauhan and am familiar with his work on animal cloning. He has been the Director of the National Dairy Research Institute in Karnal, Haryana, and has gained significant fame in research on cows, buffaloes, yaks and goats. Over his career of more than three decades in research, he has developed several potential breeding biotechnologies for livestock efficiency. He holds the record for making ‘Garima 2’, the first buffalo calf clone in the world. His pioneering efforts in this area involve using advanced genetic technologies to clone species at the risk of extinction, thereby aiding conservation efforts. By replicating the genetic material of endangered animals, his research aims to increase their population and genetic diversity, offering a beacon of hope for preserving biodiversity.

A native of Uttarakhand, Dr Chauhan was born in January 1960 in Pauri Garhwal. After graduating from Jaiharikhal, Dr Chauhan completed his MSc. from Srinagar, Garhwal, in 1981 and went to Punjab Agricultural University for his PhD, which he received in 1986. He worked at the hallowed Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States, founded as the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1872, which set up a template for such institutions worldwide. As a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy; the National Academy of Sciences, India; the National Academy of Dairy Science (India); the Indian Society for the Study of Reproduction and Fertility; and the Society of Animal Physiologists of India, unarguably, Dr Chauhan is India’s leading scientist.

When I shared my G.B. Pant University ID number (5690)—an unchangeable roll number allotted to a student of the University—Dr Chauhan smiled and said, “It has increased by 47,000 now.” Standing with the Chancellor, General Gurmit Singh and the Vice Chancellor of the University where I studied in the 1970s was like closing a loop. What could be the essence of such loops? Are they mere fabrications of the human mind, or do we imagine them to give meaning and importance to our lives, or is there some higher order moving us to meet and separate from people at different times? 

According to scientists like Hofstadter, a strange loop is a paradoxical structure that arises when one unexpectedly finds oneself back where one started by moving through levels of a hierarchy. Strange loops manifest in how we perceive and engage with the world around us, creating patterns that echo our thoughts and actions. One of the fundamental aspects of strange loops is self-reference, the ability of a system to refer to itself. Human consciousness itself can be considered a weird loop. Our minds constantly reflect on their states, creating an ongoing narrative that shapes our identity. This self-referential process allows us to ponder our existence, make decisions, and develop a sense of self.

Let there be no confusion about the truth that ‘Life’ is replete with cycles: day turns into night, seasons change, and history often repeats itself. These cycles are strange loops that remind us of the recurring nature of existence. On a personal level, individuals experience loops of behaviour, habits, and relationships, often finding themselves in similar situations repeatedly. These patterns can be comforting and disconcerting, highlighting the complexity of human experiences.

Recognising the emerging patterns is essential for understanding the strange loops in our lives. These patterns can be seen in our choices, the relationships we cultivate, and the events that shape our lives. By identifying these loops, we can gain insight into our motivations and behaviours, allowing us to make more informed decisions and break free from detrimental cycles. Memory plays a crucial role in the formation of strange loops. Our experiences shape our perceptions and reactions, creating a feedback loop that influences future actions. By finding meaning in these loops, we can cultivate a sense of fulfilment and resilience, navigating the complexities of existence with grace and understanding its recurrences and reflections, according to General Gurmit Singh

While taking leave after our brief meeting, Dr Chauhan briefly mentioned his visit to Russia’s Saint Petersburg University to enhance research and education in veterinary sciences, particularly in animal cloning, gene characterisation, and ovum-pick-up techniques. The hand-guided cloning technology developed in India is straightforward and practical; this can also help save Amur tigers, the largest cats in the world, also known as the Siberian tiger, on the brink of extinction.

Thanks to scientists like Dr Chauhan, who shunned the temptation of making personal money working abroad and remained working in the institutions that educated them, India, once scorned as a land of snake charmers and rope-trick artists by the Westerner hubris, is now becoming the epicentre of cutting-edge biotechnology.

From $10 billion a decade ago to $160 billion at the beginning of 2025, India’s bioeconomy has experienced a tremendous transition. It has established biotechnology as a foundation for long-term economic prosperity and technological advancement. Growing at a CAGR of almost 20 per cent over the last four years, it would be $300 billion by 2030, or even half a trillion. All loops are eventually entwined. The efforts of inspired individuals, good institutions and governments create a snowball effect. This is how societies and nations are transformed. Life’s strange loops can also provide a sense of continuity and purpose. When one loop closes, another loop begins and may embrace multiple lifetimes.

I arrived in Hyderabad in 1982, and since there were no official housing options, I rented a section of a house in the Vidyanagar neighbourhood. From there, I would take the local train to Uppuguda, and as a form of physical exercise, I would walk 2 km to DRDL from the station. The ‘Lab Quarters’ in Kanchanbagh, adjacent to the workplace, were offered to me only after a few years. I thought I had left behind that phase of my life but when I recently found myself near Vidyanagar railway station, it was a déjà vu moment.

Mr. K. Srinivasa Rao, Regional Director of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and Director of the National Instructional Media Institute, Chennai, invited me to the National Skill Training Institute (NSTI), Vidyanagar. I recalled everything from then on. After forty years of transformation, the site of a sparingly occupied campus, Central Training Institute (CTI), is now the epicentre of the National Skill Programme, the prime minister’s flagship initiative.

The Directorate General Resettlement (DGR) is organising employment-oriented resettlement training courses for retired/ retiring Armed Forces personnel with the National Skill India Mission to increase the employability of veterans. Industries such as capital goods, aerospace and aviation (drone technology), and automobiles are the primary foci of the initiative. Disabled service members, widows and dependents are among the groups whose skill sets are addressed. Its ultimate goal is ensuring their successful resettlement by providing them 100% work prospects. The National Instructional Media Institute is creating material and pedagogy for the Indian Armed Forces, and 33 NSTIs nationwide will participate in the program to help 70,000 former service members find meaningful employment when they retire.

Four weeks of Welding Technology, one week of Metrology and Engineering Inspection, three weeks of AutoCAD 2D & 3D, and four weeks devoted to CNC Programming, Operation and Maintenance comprise the three-month Production Technology course at NSTI Vidyanagar. Additionally, NSTI Vidyanagar offers armed forces members a three-month Basics of Automobile training. In addition, students can get specialised knowledge in drone technology by enrolling in a three-month course offered by NSTI Ramanthapur. These programs are set to be held in the following states: Odisha (in Bhubaneswar), Rajasthan (in Jaipur), Bihar (in Patna), Jamshedpur (in Jharkhand) and Tamil Nadu (in Chennai). DGR has given the go-ahead for these events.

The participants from the Army, Air Force and Navy were all dressed in their uniforms, and it was clear that they were physically and mentally prepared for the task at hand. Without hesitation, they radiated enthusiasm, energy, and a simple-mindedness, which is mostly lost as a virtue by people in general, lately. As they were mainly from northern India, they loved me speaking in Hindi. I shared with them about Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and how destiny operates. Young Kalam was rejected during the Air Force selection but eventually received the salute from the Air Force Chief as the President of India. His dream of flying an aircraft was also fulfilled when he co-piloted the Su-30 fighter jet on June 8, 2006, at the Lohegaon Air Force Base in Pune. I engaged in a lively discussion with the participants afterwards.

Top firms value former military personnel for their inherent skills, which include leadership, teamwork, honesty, risk management and problem-solving. These qualities help individuals negotiate complicated and risky situations. An increasing number of positions in the commercial, supply chain, project decision-making, O&M (operations and maintenance) and frontline sectors are going to veterans. The issue arises when lower-ranking veterans are stuck in doing traditional duties of administration and security.

Drawing on his extensive background of more than 30 years in training, curriculum development and production of instructional materials, Mr. Rao has chosen to go outside the box, in this case. His crystal-clear explanation on reskilling and upskilling captivated me. Big Data and similar technologies, he claims, are gaining prominence since they enable domain specialists to sift through mountains of data in pursuit of fresh insights. However, the demand for data analysts is outpacing the supply. Disruptive technologies like the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence face the same situation. Businesses can benefit from reskilling and upskilling programs because they provide employees with the tools to tackle new challenges.

According to Mr. Rao, the goal of reskilling (sometimes called professional recycling) is to prepare workers to transition to a new role within the organisation, while the goal of upskilling is to teach workers new skills to maximise their performance. The former produces more adaptable employees, while the latter makes more specialised ones. Companies in India are increasingly recognising the importance of veterans and actively seeking out both reskilling and upskilling. In the future, artificial intelligence will be doing most of the automated tasks, allowing organisations to concentrate on enhancing the distinctive traits essential to human progress: trust, creativity, leadership, and learning. NSTIs are working to make this vision a reality.

Some 60,000 service members are released or retire each year relatively early compared to other careers to keep the military young. Job offers were extended to over 25,000 veterans from various industries annually. In Mr. Rao’s opinion, this can easily be doubled by helping people gain new skills and easing their transition into a second career. With the right kind of individualised induction, sensitisation, and curated learning programs, veterans can transition back into civilian life and find new opportunities in various corporate and supply chain roles.

Mr. Rao graciously invited me to lunch with his colleagues. The same food that the trainees at the institution eat was served. It was healthy, delicious, and straightforward. By tapping into the knowledge of individuals already established in the skilling industry, I sought their advice on best incorporating AI into existing processes. Focusing on developing the unique human abilities that differentiate humans from machines, was the resounding response I received.

They all agreed that soft skills are more critical than ever. To succeed in the AI era, humans need to be able to communicate, think critically, creatively, emotionally, intelligently, adaptably, and make decisions. Either AI will be unable to match human soft skills, or even if this happens, the middle-aged generation will surpass AI in these abilities within a few years’ time, if not longer. Subsequent generations will have more modern means of subsistence and advancement.

Several military members took selfies with me following the group shot, which humbled me. One of them confided in me, saying that seeing Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam in person was a dream that could never happen for him, but he felt as if it finally happened by meeting me. The strength of the Indian people’s faith brought tears to my eyes. How can machines ever match this, I wondered.

Without a shadow of a doubt, every veteran possesses the potential to make a significant difference, propel innovation, and help build a better, more equitable, and more sustainable society. The benefits that a person receives by joining the Military Service are invaluable. The trend will be to serve in the military for a few years as AI tightens its grasp. Also, our schools should start offering degrees and diplomas that teach people how to do things that computers can’t do so that they can keep up with the times. AI’s influence is directly proportional to the caliber of its users. Technology adoption isn’t enough to ensure a smooth integration; strong human collaboration will be essential, and what NSTI is doing is the most actively needed service to our nation and society.

The Mahakumbh Mela, one of the largest gatherings of people for religious purposes worldwide, has just concluded in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The Kumbh Mela takes place every 12 years by rotation at four locations—at Haridwar, on the banks of the Ganga River; at Prayagraj, at the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical invisible Sarasvati River; at Nashik, on the banks of the Godavari River; and at Ujjain, on the banks of the Shipra River. The Kumbh Mela illustrates the significance of water in spirituality and the vibrant tapestry of Indian religious life. One grand cycle (Mahakumbh) is completed every 144 years. Six hundred fifty million people bathed over 45 days this year. Nothing like this has ever happened in the history of the world. It was voluntary, done out of personal expenses, and not bound by any holy injunction—a unique feature of Sanatan Dharma.

In Hinduism, ritual performance, adherence to dharma (moral and ethical duties), and participation in festivals play crucial roles in individual and community life. While many philosophical schools within Hinduism explore different beliefs and understandings of the divine, emphasising rituals and practices is a defining feature. This means that individual interpretations of belief can vary widely, but community-level practices and rituals unify followers in their devotion. People from all strata of society, rising above sects and local identities, come together as one humanity. Performing the ritual is often considered as important as studying scriptures and meditation. Even though there have been efforts to intellectualise orthopraxy since the Enlightenment, it remains a crucial component of all religions.

Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) best represented a more inclusive and philosophical approach to Hinduism. He respected traditional beliefs (orthodoxy) and emphasised that direct experience and practice (orthopraxy) were crucial for spiritual development. Spiritual practice and personal experience are fundamental to understanding the divine, and yoga and meditation serve as pathways to realisation. Before the World Parliament of Religions, held in Chicago in 1893, Swami Vivekananda eloquently demonstrated that the tenets of Hinduism were all-encompassing and that the Hindu religion stood for tolerance and universal acceptance.

It was a historical moment reflecting how India rose in the modern world. What does the contemporary world need most? Free market economies have produced better living standards and an expanding middle class. This magnitude of gathering would have been impossible without rapid transportation, communication, and computer networks—the hallmarks of the 21^st-century world that India has fully embraced. The rise of Indian-origin people in multinational corporations and the availability of the best global products in India testify to the changing role of international boundaries. People coming to the Kumbh Mela from various states all over India, travelling long distances and from abroad too, marked orthopraxy, replacing orthodox mindsets.

Is an era of universal orthopraxy imminent? Is there a movement towards revitalising the practice of correct actions and rituals in various religious or philosophical traditions, emphasising practical application over mere belief systems? In an increasingly technology-driven world, many are seeking meaning and connection through practices that foster community and spirituality, highlighting the importance of how we live our values rather than merely what we believe. There is a greater appreciation for actively practising one’s beliefs. Being confident while representing your opinion is at the root of self-confidence among the youth, who thronged to the Kumbh Mela not because someone told them to but because they felt like going there. More than ten million people were provided free meals daily by various voluntary organisations, and people showed exemplary discipline and bonhomie. 

There is a growing trend towards personal experience and direct engagement with spirituality, as people seek authentic connections through practices rather than dogmatic beliefs. Advocating for an orthopraxy renaissance could reflect a desire for more integrated and actionable expressions of spirituality and ethics in today’s complex world. This movement would encourage people to focus on living out their values in practice, fostering deeper connections with themselves, their communities and the divine. Orthopraxy is palpable.

The concept of a universal orthopraxy follows next. Can an agreed-upon set of practices and rituals transcend different cultures and religions? Many traditions emphasise similar ethical principles, such as compassion, honesty and justice. A universal orthopraxy could unify practices that embody these values across various cultures. Practices centred around environmental stewardship and social responsibility may serve as a common ground that many communities could adopt, promoting a sense of global responsibility. Practices like mindfulness, meditation and other forms of holistic well-being have gained international popularity, suggesting that certain spiritual practices can transcend cultural boundaries. Acts of service and altruism can resonate across different societies and religions, promoting the idea that helping others is a universal practice.

A universal orthopraxy might emphasise cross-cultural exchanges and collaborations facilitated by the Internet and digital communication. This could lead to the blending of ideas and practices, fostering creativity and innovation across borders. With the rise of digital media, artists might explore new forms of expression through virtual reality, augmented reality and interactive installations. This movement could challenge traditional concepts of art and push boundaries in creativity.

An emphasis on sustainable practices and environmental consciousness could shift the focus to humanism. This might involve innovations in sustainable agriculture, green technology and conservation efforts. Though every religion promotes humanism, it is traditionally viewed as a philosophical and ethical stance emphasising human values, reason and individual agency. However, religious doctrines overshadow it. Promoting dialogues and collaborations regarding practices that emphasise shared values might be more feasible than establishing a singular set of practices everyone must follow. Can social media and online platforms lead to the creation of networks where individuals can share their practices, experiences and insights on ethical living?

Why not host celebrations or events highlighting diverse customs and practices while focusing on compassion, community and kindness as themes? The need is to integrate humanity around commonalities, not divide it along the dissimilarities. Victor Hugo (1802–1885), the legendary French writer, in his novel Les Misérables, made one of his characters say, “An army cannot stop an idea whose time has come”. This powerful statement expresses that once a concept or idea gains momentum and widespread acceptance, it becomes unstoppable, regardless of the forces against it, including political or military power.

Historical events like the Kumbh Mela, which have been ongoing since time immemorial, testify that when people recognise the importance and validity of an idea, it can lead to significant societal changes, even in the face of oppression or resistance. It answers how the Hindu society survived a thousand years of foreign rule and experienced a resurgence.

Multitudes are the most potent force on Earth. Is it too much to ask whether some steps can aim to build connections and highlight commonalities between different religions for the good of humanity? Or, why ask? It will happen anyway. When the multitude realises that an environmentally sound, equitable world and sustainable living are good for it and the future generations, the way the world moves will be different. It will happen, whether we call it orthopraxy or even choose to ignore it.