Dr. G. Venkataswamy Dr. G. Venkataswamy, popularly known as ‘Dr. V’, graduated from Stanley Medical College, Chennai in 1944. He joined the Indian Army Medical Corps but had to retire in 1948 after developing rheumatoid arthritis. The condition became so severe that he was bedridden for over a year. For a time, he struggled even…
Author: Prof RR
My name is R.Rajagopalan, but students and many friends call me as Prof RR. I am an engineer by training, environmentalist and writer by passion, and a story teller by choice. I am a great believer in the ‘liberal arts’ and am interested in a wide variety of things, from ecology and environment to literature and life purpose.
I believe in the power of stories to inspire, educate and influence people, especially children.
I retired in 2003 as Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India. I hold a B.E. (Honours) degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Madras and M.Tech. and Ph.D. degrees in Industrial Management from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. I taught for over 30 years at IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras, handling a variety of courses on industrial engineering, management, environment, and development. At IIT Madras, I was also the Director of International Ocean Institute (IOI India) and coordinated several international ocean and environment-related courses and workshops.
I have been giving presentations and conducting workshops on environment for different groups in India. I am a regular facilitator at Initiatives of Change, Panchgani, where I have made presentations on environment and life purpose to a large number of participants including 300 IAS and other Civil Services officers. I also co-direct an annual workshop on sustainability at the international community of Auroville, near Puducherry in south India.
I have published 20 books on environment for schools, colleges and aspirants to the Civil Services. My university-level book, Environmental Studies: From Crisis to Cure has consistently been a bestseller on Amazon.in. In recent times, I have also written books on ethics meant for aspirants to the Civil Services.
I now divide my time between Bangalore, India and Oakland, USA.
072. Chuang Tzu story: How robbers become statesmen
For safety against robbers, one must protect property with ropes, locks and bolts. This makes good sense to the property owner, until a strong thief comes along and carries away everything. He has only one fear: That ropes, locks, and bolts may give way. Thus what the world calls good business is only a way…
071. Mulla Nasruddin and the flying donkey
The tyrannical King was mad at Mulla Nasruddin for being unable to entertain him. He shouted that he would cut off Mulla’s head. Mulla Nasruddin stepped forward and said, “I will do something that will surely entertain you.” “What will you do?” asked the King. “I will make my donkey fly!” “If you fail to…
070. Gregory Boyle: Transforming gang members in Los Angeles
Father Greg Boyle Gregory Boyle joined the Jesuit Order more than three decades ago. He was sent to the Dolores Mission in Los Angeles, which, at that time, was the poorest parish in the city and had the highest concentration of gang activity in the world. Father Greg witnessed the devastating impact of gang violence…
069. Compensating indigenous knowledge: Promise and failure
Aarogyappacha In December 1987, a team of scientists was on a botanical expedition in the Western Ghats in Kerala, India. They had taken with them a few members of the Kani tribe as their guides. The scientists noticed that the guides were eating a plant that seemed to keep them energetic even during tough treks….
068. Jadav Payeng: The Forest Man of India
Jadav Payeng In 1979, floods washed a large number of snakes ashore on the sandbar of the river Brahmaputra near Jorhat in Assam, India. After the waters had receded, 16-year-old Jadav Payeng saw the dead reptiles. That changed his life forever. “The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and…
066. Rosa Parks: Not giving up her seat in a bus, sparking a movement
Rosa Parks On the evening of 1st December 1955, 42-year-old Rosa Parks was sitting in the front seat of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, US. Those days, there was segregation in buses with the whites sitting in the front and the blacks in the back. Rosa was in the first row of the black section….
065. Bhutan: Thunder Dragon conserves its biodiversity
Bhutan or the Thunder Dragon, with its thick forest cover and immense biodiversity, is called the ‘oxygen tank’ or the carbon sink of the world. Out of an area of 40,000 sq km, 72% is under forest cover. This ecosystem supports 7000 species of plants, 165 species of mammals, and 700 species of birds. No…
064. Underground Railroad: The escape route for slaves
Harriet Tubman The Underground Railroad was not a real railroad with tracks and trains. It was just a series of routes and hiding places that slaves from the American South used in order to reach places of freedom in the North. It is said that slavery began in America in early 17th century. Black Africans…
063. A Rumi story: The Angel of Death
Solomon, the wise prophet, held daily audiences at which his subjects would narrate their problems and he would provide solutions. One day, a man in complete distress fell on his knees before Solomon, who asked him what the man’s problem was. The man said, “Just a short while ago, as I was crossing the street,…