The Taittirīya Upaniṣad’s Śikṣāvallī is a comprehensive educational philosophy and pedagogical insight that goes beyond mere knowledge transmission.
Formerly an Assistant Professor of English with multiple organisations including the Indian Naval Academy and Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Dr Lalitha Sarma taught research methodology and literature to postgrads and professional communication to undergrads. She also supervised the doctoral work of four scholars on themes of choice, consent and complicity in the context of gender studies. A Shakespeare aficionado, her doctoral studies were in Women’s Studies in English Literature. Her thesis, The ‘I’ of Woman Through the Eye of Shakespearean Drama, was an investigation of the nature and locus of the feminine represented in the aesthetic universe of the Shakespearean oeuvre. Having had traditional training in Vedanta since her childhood, Dr Sarma is an avid story teller with a deep admiration of timeless Indian wisdom. She has made it her mission to make such knowledge a living edifice that is relevant to solve contemporary societal problems and is to soon join IIT Bombay for a post-doctoral stint in IKS.
