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New Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
What's Your EQ: Exploring generation gap between Gen Z and millennials
Samiksha M, 23, an engineering student explains a crucial difference in how millennials and older look at emojis compared to Gen Z. 'They see what an emoji stands for – a smiley face emoji is smiling, a dancing emoji is dancing, a skull emoji is literal death – but we see the emotion or vibe of the picture and use it accordingly,' she says, adding, 'When I use the standing man emoji, which seems to confuse many older people, I'm using it to respond to someone and say, 'I'm awkwardly looking at you because of what you said.'' While millennials and older have stuck to using emojis as embellishment at the end of their sentences, Pandharipande notes that Gen Z uses them to 'convey feelings that maybe text cannot.' He explains, 'When someone in a group says they have gossip. A lot of Gen Z would put the side eye emoji – that also conveys what needs to be conveyed.' According to linguist Dr Reshma Jacob, assistant professor, department of English, Christ University, emojis have evolved from just being used to indicate tone to also signalling whether or not one belongs to a particular group, a common feature in languages. She says, 'It is also about formation of an identity and a sense of belongingness. As in any language-speaking community – we want to communicate the same thing but choose different words based on social or cultural factors (gender, caste, age, race or ethnicity). Fluent speakers understand the nuances, otherwise, you feel something is odd, but are not able to put your finger on that difference.'
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw applauds Bengaluru professor who turned leaf into a straw: Know how it's now a global hit
Bengaluru-based billionaire Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw recently shared a video on social media that caught many people's attention. It featured a unique invention by an English professor who turned dry coconut leaves into eco-friendly straws . Her caption said it all: "Local ideas with global opportunities!" — kiranshaw (@kiranshaw) Who is this professor? The man behind the innovation is Prof Saji Varghese , an English professor at Christ University , Bengaluru . Though he holds a PhD in English, his work in sustainability has earned him praise both in India and abroad. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Undo How did the idea come about? It all began on October 3, 2017, when Prof Varghese was walking home after class and spotted a dry coconut leaf on the ground. He noticed that part of it had naturally curled into the shape of a straw. Curious, he took it to a lab and steamed it under high pressure. To his surprise, the heat brought out a shiny surface on the leaf, sparking the idea of making it a plastic alternative. He began experimenting with food-grade glue and different techniques. After months of trials, he developed a multi-layered straw in early 2018 that was strong, anti-fungal, and could stay firm in water for more than six hours. Even better, the straws had a shelf life of over 12 months. Live Events How did it help others? Prof Varghese didn't stop with just creating the straws. He set up small production units in villages across Madurai , Tuticorin , and Kasargod, giving jobs to rural women. The straws were launched under the brand name SunBird, and soon, local food businesses started placing orders. What happened next? The innovation gained popularity quickly. Within a year, Prof Varghese's straws were being exported to 25 countries, including the US, Australia, and several European nations. His work has not gone unnoticed. He has won several awards, including: Swadeshi Startup Award 2018 from IIT Delhi Swiss Re Shine Entrepreneur Award Climate Launchpad Award 2018 for social impact from Scotland Inputs from TOI
Deccan Herald
07-06-2025
- General
- Deccan Herald
Lack of health insurance in rural areas hinders access to healthcare: Experts
The Suvarna Karnataka Insurance Bruhat Abhinaya (SKIBA), the campaign of Christ University's 'Suraksha Chakra Initiative', a diversity and social inclusion endeavour in nation building, was launched at the varsity campus on Friday.
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Dr. Saji Varghese on going beyond teaching to make a social impact
The next in the monthly series by WWF-India that highlights niche and unconventional green careers through the stories of well-known personalities from the field of environment and conservation I never imagined that a casual walk across my university campus would lead to a global eco-innovation. I've been an Associate Professor of English at Christ University, Bengaluru, for over two decades. But, along the way, my passion for sustainable change nudged me beyond the classroom; into a world of agri-waste, biodegradable straws, and circular innovation. Born and raised in Maharashtra, I studied at Mt. Carmel Convent School in Chandrapur and completed my higher education at Dr Ambedkar College, Nagpur. I earned my PhD in English from Nagpur University. Teaching was something I was always drawn to, but I also carried within me a constant urge to 'do more.' While teaching at a college in a remote village in Maharashtra, I saw the stark realities of farmer suicides and poverty. I kept thinking about the children in slums who deserved a better future. That experience pushed me to ask, 'I might teach English for another 15 years, but how will I make a tangible impact on the life of at least one such child?' Turning point The spark came unexpectedly. One day, a visitor from the Netherlands mentioned how disturbing it was to see so many single-use plastic straws and how it has become a scourge to our environment. The next morning, I noticed coconut leaves littered across campus and, almost like an epiphany, it struck me. I picked one up, steamed it in my kitchen, and it clicked! The natural wax coating on the coconut leaf was perfect; it didn't need a polymer lining. That moment became the birth of Sunbird Straws, the world's first biodegradable drinking straw made from dead coconut leaves. With no lab, no funding, and just a desire to make a difference, our straws are today not only reducing plastic pollution but also supporting the livelihoods of over 200 women across India's coastal states. Sunbird is a small idea that continues to grow. Now, my mornings start at 3:30 a.m. and my 'lab' is still my kitchen. Whether it's exploring the use of pineapple leaf cuticle or pandanus leaves, I keep experimenting. At Christ University, I prepare for classes and lead the Centre for Design and Innovation for Social Entrepreneurship, where I mentor students to turn their ideas into scalable solutions. I spend my evenings at the Sunbird office, interacting and planning with our team. What excites me most is the ability to close loops: to turn waste into something of value. Discoveries that I make during my experiments promote waste to wealth, circularity, and biodiversity are helping both the environment and the lives of women in rural areas. One challenge we face is pricing. Sustainable products often cost more because they're labour-intensive. We've had to find a balance between improving efficiency and protecting the livelihoods our work supports. Every decision we make — whether it's adding a new machine or changing a material — is weighed against its social impact. To students and young innovators, my message is this: look around you. There are problems waiting for creative solutions. There's no 'right' time. You just need a critical eye and the tenacity to come up with sustainable alternatives. Innovation doesn't require a lot; sometimes, it just needs a critical mind, a coconut leaf, and a question worth chasing.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
From law school to prison cells: Apurva's journey to help incarcerated women
1 2 3 Ranchi: Apurva Vivek is a lawyer by training with a degree from Christ University, Bangalore, and she also has a Master's degree in social work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. Today, she spends most of her time behind the prison walls in Jharkhand, not as an inmate, but as someone working to support incarcerated women. The founder-director of Hashiya Socio-Legal Centre for Women, Apurva said her organisation works with women in custody, helping them with legal aid, education, mental health and skilling. Her journey began in Ranchi in 2013 when she was waiting for the results of the Master's examination. During that period, she approached the jailer of the Birsa Munda Central Jail and asked if she could offer basic literacy classes to women prisoners and their children. He agreed. What followed were simple, meaningful sessions like reading newspapers, having conversations, or just sitting quietly together. "That experience made me realise how vital it is to create spaces inside institutions of custody," she said. Later, as women began trusting her, they opened up about their legal struggles. Many were abandoned by lawyers and forgotten by their families. "It struck me how often we plan elaborate programmes for rehabilitation, but forget the most basic and urgent need to help them get out," Apurva said. In 2022, Apurva formally launched Hashiya. The work became more structured in 2023 when the Jharkhand prison department invited her to sign an MoU to work inside the Hotwar Central Jail. A grant from the Azim Premji Foundation followed, helping her build a small team. One of the first projects she started was a basic literacy programme for women prisoners. "Some women signed legal papers without understanding them because they couldn't read. If they were denied education outside, the least we can do is make it available inside," she said. Today, her organisation also supports mental health counselling and art therapy. A Sohrai painting artist now teaches the traditional art in daily classes, and two literate inmates help teach others, inside the jail. All of this is based on what the women ask for. "We don't impose the programmes on them. We listen," she highlighted. Currently, there are about 100 women and seven children in the women's ward of the Hotwar prison. "We try to be there for every one of them, not just legally, but emotionally. We play with them, eat with them, and laugh with them. And even after their release, we stay connected," Apurva said. One story that left a deep impact on her was that of a woman who wanted an abortion but waited six weeks just for legal clearance. That incident led Apurva to push for changes in the Jharkhand prison manual to ensure reproductive rights for women prisoners. Looking ahead, Apurva said she wanted to expand her work to other prisons in the state and work with the govt departments to build transitional support systems for women after their release from prison. "This work is not charity. These women have rights. We're simply here to help them access what was always theirs," she added. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
