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At Right Angles
Full text linkThe July issue … summer in the North and the monsoons in the South have set in, and across India, it seems a perfect time for craft and quiet reflective thinking. A standard definition of weaving is that it involves two sets of yarns- the warp and the weft. Could these be the mathematics teacher and the content that they transact? The articles in this issue weave patterns of beautiful mathematics and the pedagogy to match – you will see this across the sections from Features to the Pullout.
Does one model fit all contexts in which fractions are used? Should we change the lens through which we view fractions? Narayana Meher picks up this thread in the Features section with Interpreting Fractions, describing various constructs for fractions, using examples from the textbooks and explaining why teachers should understand these constructs as they devise lesson plans and assessment
Teacher’s guide: Using an inquiry-based approach in the science classroom
Full text linkIn the article titled ‘Does the Tumbler have Air?’, I share my experience of using an inquiry-based approach with Grade VI students from a government school
Editorial
Full text linkChildren are formally introduced to ‘Materials Around Us’ in the Grade VI science textbook (NCERT, Reprint 2025-2026). While they may not immediately think of it, one of these materials is ‘air’. We live our entire lives
at the bottom of an ‘ocean of air’ that is the Earth’s atmosphere. This is a material that children are naturally interested in and have their own interesting ideas about. But this curiosity is not limited to children
Activity sheet: Does air have mass?
Full text linkHow can a pair of party balloons, a pin and a long stick help students visualise that air has mass
Who is a Fellow Indian? Towards a Dialogue Between 2006 and 2024 Editions of Grade 6 NCERT Social Studies
No full textThe 2024 grade 6 NCERT social studies textbook significantly differs in its interpretation of nationalism from the previous generation of social studies textbooks. The new textbook emphasises an ancient territorial definition of India in comparison with the older textbooks, which went with how the 1952 Constitution of India saw who is an Indian. The new textbook version of nationalism also largely ignores social inequality and the role of justice. This article explores whether it is possible to have a dialogue between the respective discourses in which the 2024 and 2006 textbooks are embedded. One possible starting point for the conversation can be that the 2024 textbook’s definition of India actually differs from that of several of its ideologues like Savarkar, Upadhyaya and Madhav, who seem to be more in line with the previous textbooks’ definition of India. Perhaps it is still possible to discuss which version of nationalism can lead to greater fraternity and justice in India. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved
Social norms and women’s employment in India: A district level analysis
Full text linkReducing gender disparities in workforce participation is an important policy goal in several developing countries. India, in particular, has historically had low levels of women’s workforce participation as compared to men and as compared to peer economies. Prior research has identified both supply and demand-side explanations for low levels of women’s participation in paid work. On the supply side, social norms constraining women’s mobility and autonomy are commonly invoked as one explanation. We test the relevance of such norms in explaining heterogeneity in women’s employment using district-level data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2015-16 and the Sixth Economic Census (2013). Norms indices are constructed using Principal Components Analysis for 640 districts of India. The findings indicate that less restrictive norms related to decision-making, mobility, and asset ownership are positively correlated with higher levels of women’s employment
The scientific temper
Full text linkIn the context of the National Scientific Temper Day, the article argues for a repurposing of the idea of the scientific temper from a narrowly defined scientistic project to a wider humanistic one. Drawing upon insights from the field of Critical Science Studies, the article argues that the principles of the scientific temper must be used to examine scientific institutions and cultures. It further argues for the excavation of the moral core, both rhetorical and pragmatic, of the scientific temper as present in a Nehruvian vision of the “purpose of man.” It points in three directions: representational, epistemological, and integrative, in which the repurposing can be shaped. It also addresses the question of scientific temper within the context of the rise of global capitalism on the one hand and the virulent cultural nationalism on the othe
Spatio-Temporal Variation in Aerial Arthropod Abundance Revealed by Weather Radars
No full textArthropod declines have been reported widely; however, a lack of comprehensive data has hindered our ability to assess their large-scale generality and drivers. Here, we used a novel and freely available dataset—atmospheric scans from a network of meteorological radars—to quantify aerial abundance of both diurnal and nocturnal arthropods across the United Kingdom, spanning different geographic regions and land cover types. Based on observations between 2014 and 2021, and across more than 35,000 km2, we estimate numbers of arthropods flying over the UK at heights between 500 and 700 m above ground at 1.12 (±0.01) × 1013 individuals during the diurnal (0800–1400 UTC) and 5.02 (±0.01) × 1012 during the nocturnal (including dusk, 1800–2200 UTC) period, showing significant spatial heterogeneity. Although spatial patterns differed, both diurnal and nocturnal arthropods increased in the south and declined mainly in the far north; on average, only nocturnal arthropods showed an overall decline. Aerial abundance of both diurnal and nocturnal arthropods showed positive relationships with woodland, grassland, and urban land cover, and negative relationships with artificial light intensity and arable land cover. Our study highlights the importance of spatial variation in temporal biodiversity trends and illustrates the need for comparative studies between nocturnal and diurnal arthropods. Notably, by extracting vertical profiles of radar reflectivity and polarization signatures, we demonstrate how weather radar datasets can be used to quantify aerial arthropod abundance, detect diurnal and seasonal activity patterns, and examine their environmental drivers across large spatial and temporal scales. © 2025 The Author(s). Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Rural Transformation in India: What can we learn from village studies?
Full text linkThis article examines rural transformation in India through a review of longitudinal village studies conducted over the past three decades. It argues that rural India is not undergoing structural transformation in the classical sense. While labour is steadily moving out of agriculture, this shift has not led to higher productivity in agriculture or the development of a robust rural nonfarm economy. Instead, what unfolds is a process of deagrarianisation, driven by out-migration of male workers to cities where they engage in informal nonfarm employment. This transition is uneven and remains deeply embedded in existing hierarchies of caste, class, and gender, which shape both access to opportunities and outcomes. By identifying common patterns across diverse regional contexts, the article shows how village studies provides a grounded perspective on the nature of rural change
Campus biodiversity register 2024 - 25
Full text linkMore than just an academic space, the Azim Premji University campus in Bengaluru is fast becoming a thriving ecosystem of its own. Located in Sarjapura, the campus is more than classrooms and labs—it is a habitat shared with birds, reptiles, insects, small mammals, and a growing canopy of trees and plants.
This report is a first step in documenting the biodiversity of our campus. From trees and shrubs to spiders and snakes, students of the BSc in Environmental Science and Sustainability, teachers, and other members have come together to observe and record the life that surrounds us. Thus, this is a collective effort that reflects both scientific curiosity and deep care for our environment.
As the campus grows, we aim not only to track carbon sequestration and environmental change—but also to nurture a sense of stewardship and belonging in everyone who calls this campus home