About
I'm a generalist at heart with an amateur's mindset - always curious, always learning. My journey has been shaped by experiences that taught me the value of perspective, growth, and impact.
Growing up, I witnessed my family's journey from a single room (that was actually a storeroom of the restaurant my parents ran) to a well-built home. These early experiences weren't just about physical transformation - they taught me about resilience and the power of gradual progress.
At home, our dinner table conversations often turned into passionate debates about current affairs. My dad, an avid news follower, would discuss viewpoints with the family, and we'd all - mom, sister, and I - jump in with different perspectives. These discussions, though sometimes heated, shaped my ability to see issues from multiple angles.
At 12, I applied to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya is a chain of central govt run residentials schools that aim at giving quality education). Despite learning about the entrance exam late, my curiosity kicked in - I remember intensively preparing for the admission test, determined to make it work. Being one of the 80 selected students from Palakkad, Kerala was just the beginning.
JNV-Palakkad became a turning point in my life, but not in the way most might expect. While my parents were uneasy about sending their 12-year-old away from home, this experience taught me something invaluable - self-reliance. Living with peers from diverse backgrounds, we learned to manage everything on our own (Obviously, with the help of seniors, teachers and staffs). From morning PT to evening studies, from maintaining our daily routines to solving our problems - we were a community of young minds figuring things out together.
The beauty of JNV wasn't just in the education it provided, but in the life skills it cultivated. Looking back, those years molded me into someone who could be trusted, someone who understood responsibility. As the saying goes - we entered as boys and girls, but left as individuals ready to take on the world, carrying with us countless memories of growing up together.
Enter to learn, Leave to serve
The motto at JNV-P's gate - resonated deeply with what the institution provided. It wasn't just about the free education, uniforms, or essentials they provided; it was about understanding how institutions can positively impact lives when they work as intended. Being part of a system that took care of everything from our toothbrushes to our textbooks showed me firsthand how well-designed public institutions could make a difference.
My understanding of governance and public service has evolved significantly over time - much like any other thought, it's not static. In my early days, I held a somewhat simplistic view that everything should be under government control, thinking that would solve all problems. But experience, exposure, and continuous learning showed me the beauty of balance.
A recent conversation captures this evolution perfectly. I met a young man frustrated with India's problems, advocating for strict monarchy as a solution. His perspective reminded me of my own earlier black-and-white thinking. We discussed how a diverse country like India - with its varying religions, geographies, and political thoughts - actually benefits from its federal structure. Yes, it's complex and sometimes messy, but that's exactly what makes it work. I explained how centralization of power, while seeming efficient on paper, often increases the risk of corruption and mismanagement. When power is distributed, more people need to be involved in any decision - making corruption harder and solutions more inclusive.
It's like understanding local problems - only someone from a coastal area truly knows how to deal with the sea. This diversity in experience and perspective isn't a bug in our system; it's a feature. Each region, each community brings its unique understanding to the table, making our solutions richer and more effective.
Core Beliefs and Guiding Principles shaped by my learnings:
The pie always grows: Progress isn't zero-sum. I believe in creating value rather than just redistributing it.
Life isn't binary - there's beauty in the grey areas
Start with Why - Whatever the project, knowing and starting with the ‘why’ is important to me. It helps me understand the project and complete it.
Learning is constant - the best way to stay relevant is to remain an amateur at heart
Minimalism & Local first - I'm a strong advocate for localism - using and supporting what's around us. It's not just about reducing carbon footprints; it's about building resilient communities. This belief shapes everything from my consumption choices to my view on economic policies.
Current Interests & Pursuits
My intellectual curiosity often leads me down various rabbit holes - from history and economics to philosophy and anthropology. I find myself particularly drawn to understanding how Indian ecosystems of politics, governance, and economics work. This isn't just academic interest; I believe studying these systems helps us grasp why things are the way they are and how they could be better.
Reading history has taught me that patterns tend to repeat themselves. For instance, when studying any society's growth story, you often find similar challenges cropping up - the balance between centralization and federalism, the tension between tradition and progress, the trade-offs between rapid development and sustainable growth. These patterns aren't just historical footnotes; they're living questions we're still grappling with.
Beyond these formal pursuits, I'm fascinated by how humans think and why societies evolve the way they do. When I look at any system - be it a local market, a government policy, or a social institution - I find myself asking: What made this work? What needs to change? How can we improve this while preserving what already works well? This curiosity extends from understanding global affairs - what's happening in the North, South, East, and West - to analyzing local governance structures.
These interests aren't just abstract - they shape how I engage with the world. Whether it's debating with friends about economic policies, analyzing environmental sustainability challenges, or exploring questions of personal finance, I'm always looking for connections and patterns that might help us build better systems for everyone.
The beauty of thoughts is their fluid nature - they're always changing - they evolve as we grow, learn, and experience life. I've seen this in my own journey. But these shifts didn’t happen overnight - they came through reading, discussions, and observing how systems actually work on the ground; in other words, through constant learning.
I spend my time reading about history, economics, philosophy, and human behavior - not just as academic subjects, but as tools to understand the world better. Whether it's analyzing why certain policies worked in one state but failed in another, or understanding how local communities can solve their problems, I'm drawn to exploring these interconnections.
In the end, this journey of constant learning, unlearning, and relearning is what keeps me going. As someone who aspires to be a generalistic specialist, I know there's always more to learn, more perspectives to understand, and more ways to grow. And that's exactly what makes life interesting.
"You're always you, and that don't change, and you're always changing, and there's nothing you can do about it."
-by Neil Gaiman in The Graveyard Book
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