The Problems with Westphalian Nation-State System

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We all associate ourselves with various identities such as Indians, Chinese, Pakistani, Americans, Canadians, French, British and much more. Why do you think we all associate with all these more? Are there any other identities which people associate with?  The identities which I mentioned before are relatively new compared to other identities such as religion, language, caste, and various other identities. It is not to say that people never had such feelings towards nations or the state. But the idea of loyalty and love for the motherland was very important which offset various other identities. The question we are arriving at is what is the motherland, who made and how it formed.  What we refer to today as a Nation or Country refers to what we know in political science as a Nation-State. Today almost all the countries we know are categorised Nation-States and some even as State-Nations. International Relations and Political Science suggest that states are the most important a...
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Higher Education in India- Past, Present and Future- A Podcast

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Greetings to all listeners and readers!!

Higher education in India refers to the college education. Today, the challenges in Higher Education are not only restricted to the power of money and outdated syllabi but also how the system is skewed to favour few people over others. The issues of inadequate representation, lack of concern for disadvantaged communities, and the urban-rural divide continue to affect us across the country. There are several policies that work for inclusion in school education but often ignore the higher education scenario. This podcast episode is aimed at opening your eyes to the current state of higher education in the country. 

Our Newscapsule Article of the Month 

About The Guest

Sahil Sameer- Sahil Sameer has pursued his MBA degree from the Indian Institute of Management Indore and B.Tech in Electronics and Communication from Govt. Model Engineering College Kochi. Currently, he is involved with the Opengrad Foundation, a non-governmental organization he co-founded alongside his colleagues from IIM Indore and his undergraduate institution. The foundation's primary goal is to promote equal access to Indian competitive examinations, regardless of an individual's socioeconomic background. He has held role of Assistant Manager at Samsung, building upon his previous experience as a product manager at Optum, a renowned Fortune 5 company. In 2019, he was honoured with the esteemed Larry K Wilson Asia and Pacific Outstanding Student Volunteer Award for his significant contributions to the student community.

Disclaimer- All the opinions presented are of the respective speakers in their personal capacity and do not reflect the opinion of the platform or any organisation. 

About the Collaborator 

Opengrad Foundation- is an NGO designed to provide equitable and free education to disadvantaged communities. Opengrad Foundation has achieved a significant milestone, now with over 1,000 learners. This remarkable growth is driven by its innovative, community-powered entrance coaching model, which is the first of its kind in the industry. Opengrad is revolutionizing entrance exam preparation by creating an alternative, supportive environment where aspirants are mentored by students and alumni who have recently succeeded in these exams. The foundation’s approach involves using materials, content, and resources prepared by students from tier-1 universities across India.

Follow them on Instagram and LinkedIn. Check out more about them here.

Summary of the podcast 

Generally, these topics aren’t much available in the mainstream media, because they are believed hard to crack and don't address the basics. But, through our podcast, we disprove this misconception that these cannot be understood by common people. We explain in simple terms various subtopics under this vast topic in the form of conversational and discussion styles. Everything in the episode is easy to follow and understand. 

The podcast started by talking about various problems and issues faced by the students and the system currently. The speaker agrees that there is a supply-demand problem in the country where in lack of quality educational institutions is disproportionate to the number of students trying to enter them. The coaching oligarchy in India controls entry to such institutions making it difficult for students to enter the system. He also talks about how students are forced to choose between school and coaching class especially when entrance exams are turning unfair for certain sections to enter the so-called elite institutions. 

Opengrad Foundation provides free coaching materials for students who cannot afford coaching for competitive exams. Listen to the full episode to know how the Opengrad Foundation is trying its best to contribute to solving a few problems in the system. 

We cover in detail the following topics-

  1. Introduction to the topic and panellist 
  2. The present, past and future of higher education in India
  3. The challenges faced by students in competitive exams like JEE, NEET, CAT, CLAT etc.
  4. The challenges faced by the disadvantaged communities 
  5. The goals, mission, and vision of Opengrad
  6. What are the future plans and objectives Opengrad wishes to achieve and solve?
  7. Materials, references, and resources for audience
  8. Closing remarks and conclusion

Where can you find the podcast?

If you are a regular consumer of a podcast you will be very well aware of the various platforms used to hear them. Some platforms allow you to listen without logging in while others require compulsory logging in. 

As you know the most popular app is Spotify. Here is the Spotify frame. 


Also, feel free to listen to previous episodes and follow us there as well.

If you have any preference on where to listen to the podcast, then choose any platform from those given below and listen at your convenience. 

Resources 

Want to get more Knowledge? Install the Kuku FM app, and get assured discounts with a ton of knowledge. Download it through the link here. 

Here is a free AI tool as mentioned by the guest- https://supertools.therundown.ai/

Choose to opt for resources to enhance the knowledge on the topic- Book1|Book2|Book3

Your Feedback 


This summary is just a small glimpse of the podcast, do listen to the full podcast from your favourite platform, at your convenient speed and space. Also, feel free to listen to previous episodes and follow us there as well.

DM on our FB, Insta page or comment down for collaborations. 

Do follow us on all social media and podcast streaming platforms. Do check out our articles on Medium.

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