Thursday, September 18, 2025

Play Screening: Ghashiram Kotwal by Vijay Tendulkar

 

Experiencing Theatre Beyond the Page: A Classroom Screening of Ghashiram Kotwal




When we study literature, we do much more than simply read texts—we step into worlds of art, imagination, and performance. Literature encompasses multiple art forms, and drama is perhaps the most dynamic among them. While we may engage with plays through reading in classrooms, the very essence of drama lies in performance. Without experiencing its staging, students often miss the theatrical techniques and dramatic intensity that a written script alone cannot fully convey.

This thought guided me as I introduced my B.A. English students to Vijay Tendulkar’s celebrated play, Ghashiram Kotwal. Instead of confining our learning only to the text, I organized a screening of a stage performance to give students a glimpse into how literature transforms into theatre.


Why Screening the Play Was Important

Reading Ghashiram Kotwal provides deep insights into themes of power, corruption, morality, and gender politics. Yet, Tendulkar’s brilliance also lies in his experimentation with theatre techniques. These are not easily grasped on the page. The performance highlights elements such as:

  • 🎭 Use of Chorus: The collective voice of the people, adding rhythm and commentary.

  • 👥 Characters and Events: How the actors embody satire, irony, and exaggeration.

  • 🥁 Tamasha Technique: A traditional folk-theatre form from Maharashtra, blending song, dance, and drama to critique society.

By watching the performance, students were able to appreciate these techniques in action, rather than simply imagining them.









The Screening Experience

We watched the play performed by भारतेंदु नाट्य अकादेमी and the Culture Department of Uttar Pradesh, presented in Hindi. 

Here is the video:


While there were some technical issues, such as sound quality due to the recording of the stage performance, the overall performance was mesmerizing. The vibrancy of costumes, the rhythm of the chorus, and the raw energy of tamasha brought the text to life.

Interestingly, the play is originally written in Marathi, later translated into English, and the performance we watched was in Hindi. Despite this linguistic shift, the staging remained remarkably faithful to the English text, allowing students to connect their reading experience with the performance on screen.

Reflections

The screening reaffirmed a crucial lesson: 

"...drama must be experienced, not just read."

Watching Ghashiram Kotwal helped students understand how theatricality enriches meaning. The satire, folk elements, and interplay of power structures came alive in ways that reading alone could not achieve.

For students, it was not only an academic exercise but also an introduction to the vitality of Indian theatre traditions. For me as a teacher, it was rewarding to see their engagement grow through performance-based learning.


Conclusion

Organizing this screening of Ghashiram Kotwal was a reminder that literature teaching should go beyond the page. Watching theatre performances allows students to witness the fusion of text and performance, making the learning process holistic and memorable.

Though challenges like language barriers and limited availability of performances exist, initiatives like these open up new dimensions of learning. After all, drama is not just a script—it is a living art form.


Have you ever watched a stage performance of a play you studied in the classroom? How did it change your understanding of the text?


Guidance Lecture: ICT in Education/ Paper 1/NET/SET

 Guidance Lecture: ICT in Education/ Paper 1/NET/SET


On 14th September, I had the privilege of delivering a guidance lecture for NET/GSET aspirants, organized by the Alumni Association of the Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.



🎙 My session focused on “ICT in Education” from Paper 1 (General Paper) for NET/GSET, along with strategies for preparing for the exam in general. The session was streamed live on YouTube. Here is the video link:


Here is the Online Quiz link: Click Here


🔑 Highlights from the session:


ICT is an umbrella term for technologies like computers and the internet used to create, store, and share information.

Three main objectives: ICT Education (learning about ICT), ICT Supported Education (using tools like multimedia), and ICT Enabled Education (delivering complete courses digitally).

Key models: e-learning, blended learning, and distance learning.

Major initiatives by the Indian government: SWAYAM, National Digital Library (NDL), and DIKSHA.

NEP 2020 strongly emphasizes the integration of ICT into education.

Benefits include personalised learning, wider reach, and educational continuity in times of crisis.

Challenges include infrastructure costs, accessibility issues, and the need for continuous training—requiring a crucial attitudinal shift to fully embrace ICT in teaching and learning.






It was truly wonderful to interact with the aspirants and share insights on this important topic. I am deeply thankful to the Department of English and Alumni Association for this platform, and to all the aspirants who joined with such enthusiasm.

Special thanks to Dr. Dilip Barad Sir, Megha Trivedi Ma’am, and Prakruti Ma’am for providing me this opportunity.


Thursday, August 21, 2025

Ghashiram Kotawal by Vijay Tendulkar

 


Vijay Tendulkar’s Ghashiram Kotwal is more than just a historical play—it’s a sharp critique of corruption, lust for power, and the cyclical nature of exploitation. Set during the Peshwa rule in Pune, this iconic Marathi drama combines history with folk theatre elements like Tamasha, music, and dance to question morality and politics.

To make this fascinating text come alive, I’ve prepared a detailed video lecture that dives deep into:
✔ The historical and cultural context of the play
✔ Themes of power, gender, and morality
✔ Key characters like Ghashiram, Nana Phadnavis, and the Sutradhaar

The lecture simplifies complex ideas and connects them with contemporary issues—because Tendulkar’s message is still relevant today!


Here is the video:


💡 After watching the lecture, test your understanding with a 15-mark MCQ quiz designed to help you revise important aspects of the play.

Click below to appear in an online quiz:

Online Quiz

📌 Watch the lecture → Take the quiz → Strengthen your concepts
Because literature is not just to be read, but experienced, analyzed, and debated!


Happy Learning!

Monday, August 18, 2025

Paper 3: Ph.D. Coursework Presentation

 

Studying Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island Through the Lens of Digital Literary Cartography

Paper 3: Ph.D. Coursework Presentation


Here is the Presentation PPT:
   

Here is the Video of the Presentation:





Thanks for Visiting...

Paper 2: Ph.D. Coursework Presentation

 

Digital Literary Cartography: Exploring Literary Texts Through Mapping

Paper 2: Ph.D. Coursework Presentation



Here is the Presentation PPT:

Here is the presentation video:








Thanks for Visiting...

Paper 1: Ph.D. Coursework Presentation

 

Predatory Publication

Paper 1: Ph.D. Coursework Presentation




Here is the Presentation PPT:

 





Here is the Video recording of my presentation:


Thanks for Visiting...

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

મોરપિચ્છ - વિનોદ જોશી: પ્રતિભાવ (પત્ર- ૧૪/૦૬/૨૦૨૪)


મોરપિચ્છ - વિનોદ જોશી

This blog features a letter I wrote to the respected Dr. Vinod Joshi sir, offering my reflections on his epistolary novel Morpichchh."


                ૧૪/૦૬/૨૦૨૪ 


પ્રિય/ આદરનીય વિનોદ જોશી સાહેબ,(સંબોધન શું લખું તે ન સમજાયું એટલે બંને લખું છું)


કાલે સાંજે ‘મોરપિચ્છ’નું વાંચન પૂરું કર્યું. ‘મોરપિચ્છ’ પત્રનવલ હોવાથી વિચાર્યું કે પ્રતિભાવ પણ પત્ર દ્વારા જ લખું. આમ તો મે ક્યારેય કોઈ પત્રો લખ્યા નથી, સિવાય કે ઉત્તરવહીમાં. કોઈ પણ વાત હોય તો આસાનીથી WhatsApp, ટેલિગ્રામ ચેટ માં કે ફોન દ્વારા  થઈ જાય. વળી ગુજરાતીમાં જ પત્ર લખવાનો નિર્ણય કર્યો છે. આશા છે પ્રથમ પ્રયત્ન સારો તો નહીં પણ ઠીક ઠીક બને. 


           આ પુસ્તક વાંચવાની શરૂઆત મે ઘણા સમય પૂર્વે કરેલ. પરંતુ વચ્ચે એમ. એ. ની પરીક્ષા, ઘણા બધા કાર્યક્રમો અને અન્ય કાર્યો હોવાથી આગળ વાંચવાનું શક્ય ન બન્યું અને અડધેથી વાંચવાનું છોડી દીધેલ. હાલમાં પણ હું નેટ પરીક્ષાની તૈયારીમાં પરોવાયેલ રહું છું. ૧૮ તારીખે પરીક્ષા છે. ૧૩ તારીખે અચાનક જ ‘મોરપિચ્છ’ હાથમાં લીધી ને વાંચવાનું શરૂ કર્યું. આમ તો કોઈ પણ પુસ્તક વાંચવા બેસું તો ભાગ્યે જ છેલ્લા પાનાં પર નજર જાય, પણ ખબર નહીં તે દિવસે થોડું વાંચ્યા પછી છેલ્લા પાનાં પર મારી નજર ગઈ.  લખ્યું છે, ‘લિ. અનન્યા, જે હવે રહી નથી.’ આ વાંચી હું થોડી મુંજાય ગયેલી. મને ખબર ન હતી કે આ એક વાક્ય મને સતત જકડી રાખશે. સાચું કહું તો અનન્યા અને અપૂર્વ વચ્ચે પત્રવ્યવહાર દ્વારા થતો વાર્તાલાપ અને ભાવોનું આદાન-પ્રદાન શરૂઆતમાં એકસૂરીલું પણ લાગ્યું. કદાચ એટલે જ લાંબા સમય સુધી બૂક વાંચવા ન લીધી. આશ્ચર્યની વાત એ કે એ પછી માત્ર દોઢ દિવસમાં જ ‘મોરપિચ્છ’નું વાંચન પૂરું થયું. વચ્ચે કઈ કરવામાં પણ ચિત્ત ન પરોવાયું 


‘મોરપિચ્છ’નું છેલ્લું પાનું વાંચી બૂક હાથમાં લઈને હું બેસી. વાંચતાં વાંચતાં આંખો ભીની થઈ ગયેલી. આકાશમાં જેવા કાળા ડિબાંગ વાદળોએ કબજો કર્યો, તરત જ લાઇટ જતી રહી. મમ્મી, બહેન અને ભાઈ ગરમીથી ત્રસ્ત થઈ ઓસરીમાં બેઠા. હું ઓસરીના એક ખૂણામાં ખાટલા પર બેસી હતી. હાથમાં પુસ્તક અને આંખો ભીની. તેમની હાજરીના લીધે રડી પણ ન શકાયું. હ્રદયમાં અકળામણ થવાથી મે જટ કરી ડેલો ખોલ્યો. હમણાં જ નવું એક્સૈસ ખરીદ્યું. ચલાવતા આવડી ગયું છે પણ ડ્રાઇવિંગ ટેસ્ટ બાકી છે એટલે તેને પણ મારી સાથે ડેલ બહાર કાઢ્યું. લાયસન્સ માટેની ડ્રાઇવિંગ ટેસ્ટ ૨૯ તારીખે છે એટલે રોજ થોડી પ્રૅક્ટિસ કરવી પડે અને આંઠડો ઘૂંટતા શીખવું પડે. અમારી શેરી એવડી પહોળી કે બે ટ્રક એકસાથે પસાર થઈ શકે એટલે સરસ  પ્રૅક્ટિસ થઈ જાય છે. મંદ મંદ પવનની લહેરખી સાથે વરસાદના પહેલા વહેલા વધામણાં થવાના એંધાણ હતા. બહાર પણ ચિત્ત ન પરોવાયું એટલે ઘરે આવીને આપને પત્ર લખવાનું શરૂ કર્યું. ધોધમાર વરસાદ તૂટી પડ્યો. પ્રણાલી અને ધ્રુવી દોડતા દોડતા મારા ઘરે આવ્યા અને કહે ચાલો દીદી વરસાદમાં નહાવા. અમે બધા વરસાદમાં ખૂબ રમ્યા( રમ્યા જ કહીશ કારણ કે ખૂબ ધીંગામસ્તી કરી. આખી શેરી માથે લીધી હતી.) પણ મન હજુ ઘણા વિચારોમાં પરવાયેલું હતું. 


કાલે મને પ્રણાલી કહે, “દીદી મારા પગ તમારા પગ જેવડા થશે ને ત્યારે મને તમારા ચપ્પલ થઈ રહશે”. રિદ્ધિ એ હસીને કહ્યું, “તારા પગ બહુ સરસ છે, દીદી જેવડા થશે ત્યારે તને થશે કે હવે પહેલા જેવા નાના પગ થઈ જાય તો કેવું સારું!” આ પત્રનવલમાં આવા અનેક સાહજિક પ્રશ્નો છે. જ્યારે મે આ પુસ્તક વાંચવાની શરૂઆત કરી હતી ત્યારે જ મે આપને કહ્યું હતું કે કદાચ આ પુસ્તક વાંચ્યા પછી મને ઘણા સવાલોના જવાબ મળી જશે. પરંતુ થયું એવું કે હવે અનેક નવા સવાલો થવા લાગ્યા છે.


આ પત્રનવલમાં પ્રણયનું આલેખન છે. પ્રેમ શું કહેવાય એ કદાચ મને ખબર નથી. ક્યારેય એવું કઈ વિશેષ અનુભવ્યું જ નથી. હા, પરિવાર સાથે પ્રેમની વિશુદ્ધ એવી લાગણી જોડાયેલ હોય છે. એટલે જ કદાચ હું પોતાને અનન્યા કે અપૂર્વની જગ્યાએ મૂકીને વિચારું છું, આવો સ્નેહ બે વ્યક્તિઓ વચ્ચે હોય ખરો? અને હોય તો પણ એ કેટલો સમય ટકી રહે. થોડા દિવસ પહેલા જ મારી ખૂબ નજીક એવા એક વ્યક્તિએ પોતાનો અને જીવનસાથીનો ફોટો સોશિયલ મીડિયા પર મૂક્યો. મે મેસેજ કર્યો ‘યૂ બોથ આર લૂકિંગ સો પ્રિટી ’. એમણે હસતું ઇમોજી મોકલ્યું. મે કહયું, ‘કેમ હસો છો?’ તો કહે, ‘તારા લગ્નના ત્રીસ વર્ષ થશે ત્યારે તને પણ આમ જ હસવું આવશે.’ મને આશ્ચર્ય થયું. મે કહ્યું, ‘યોર’સ ઇસ લવ મેરેજ રાઇટ?’ તો કહે, ‘હા, પણ એતો વખતની વાત હોય. હવે મેરેજ રહી ગયા, લવ ઊડી ગયો.’ મને હસવું આવ્યું. મે પૂછ્યું, ‘તો પ્રેમ કરાય કે નહીં?’. એ કહે ‘હા, પણ ટકશે એની આશા ન રખાય.’ મે હસીને લખ્યું ‘ટકાઉ પ્રેમ’. મને કહે, ‘ધેટ ઇસ ઓકજીમોરોન’. એ વખતે મને થયું કે શું પ્રેમ ટકાઉ ન હોય? અનન્યા અને અપૂર્વ વચ્ચે તો ગાઢ પ્રેમ છે. જો આ પત્રનવલ આનાથી આગળના જીવન વિષે પણ લખાઈ હોત તો શું બંને વચ્ચેના પ્રેમમાં ઓટ આવી જાત? અનન્યા છેલ્લા પત્રમાં અપૂર્વને લખે છે, ‘તમે બંને અહી પહોંચો ત્યાં સુધી જો હું ટકી રહેવાની હોત તો મારા હાથે જ મે તને લીઝાને સોંપી દીધો હોત... .. લીઝાને કહેજે કે મારી છેલ્લી ઈચ્છા પૂરી કરે.’ હજુ બે-ચાર પત્રો પહેલા એકબીજા સાથે વૃદ્ધ થવાના શમણાં સેવતી હતી અને હવે એ પોતાના અપૂર્વને લીઝાને સોંપવાની તૈયારી બતાવે છે. જીવનની આખરી ક્ષણો કેટલી દુઃખદાયક હોય છે? 


હમણાં જ હું, મારા મમ્મી, અને બહેન જૂની વાતો લઈ બેસેલા. વાતમાંથી વાત નીકળતા મને થયેલ મુત્યુના સાક્ષાત્કારની વાત આવી. હું લગભગ સાતમાં ધોરણમાં હોઈશ જ્યારે મને જીવલેણ આંચકી આવેલ. મહુવાની તમામ અસ્પતાલોમાં હું બે કલાકની મહેમાન છું એવું કહી મારા અંતિમ સંસ્કારની તૈયારી કરવાનું સૂચવેલ. બધા કુટુંબીજનોને પણ આ બાબતે જાણ કરી દેવામાં આવી હતી. ડોક્ટરોએ સાથે એ પણ સૂચવેલું કે મારી પાસે માત્ર બે કલાકનું જીવન છે. જો આ સમયગાળામાં મને ભાવનગર પહોંચાડી દેવામાં આવે તો કદાચ મને જીવનદાન મળે. એ સમયે મમ્મી અને પપ્પા મુન્જાઈ ગયેલા. એક તો રવિવાર અને જળજીલી અગિયારસ. રાત્રિના બે વાગેલા. જેમતેમ કરીને પપ્પા અને ઘરના લોકોએ એમ્બ્યુલન્સનો મેળ કર્યો. પણ બે કલાકમાં મહુવાથી ભાવનગર કોઈ પણ સંજોગોમાં પહોંચી શકાય નહીં એ મુંજવણ હતી. બધાએ આશા છોડી દીધી હતી. પણ કદાચ મારે આ દુનિયા સાથેની લેણાદેણી બાકી હશે એટલે બે ની જગ્યાએ ઈશ્વરે ચાર કલાકનું આયુષ્ય આપી દીધું અને મને ભાવનગરની સર ટી. હોસ્પિટલ માં દાખલ કરી. ત્રણ દિવસે ભાનમાં આવી. ભાવનગરથી જ્યારે પાછી ઘરે આવી ત્યારે બધા મને કહેતા, જો તને કઈ થાત તો તારા મમ્મીને બહુ આઘાત લાગત. લાગે જ ને હું આખું ઘર માથે લઈને ફરતી. અને આમ પણ પોતાનું સંતાન મૃત્યુ પામે તો માં-બાપને તો આઘાત લાગે જ ને! વાત અહી એ છે જો હું ત્યારે મૃત્યુ પામી હોત તો શું ફરક પડત? કદાચ થોડો સમય બધાને યાદ આવત, થોડા દિવસ બધા આંસુ સારત અને પછી હું ભુલાઈ ગઈ હોત. તૃષાલિનું અસ્તિત્વ જ ન હોત. તમને પણ મળી ન હોત. 


વાત અહી એ છે શું અપૂર્વ અનન્યાને ભૂલી જશે? અને ભૂલી ન જાય તો પણ જે રીતે એણે અનન્યાને ચાહી તે રીતે  લીઝાને ચાહી શકે ખરો? જો હા, તો અનન્યાનું અસ્તિત્વ એના માતાપિતા સિવાય કોઈને ન સાંભરે એમ બને. અને જો અપૂર્વ અનન્યા ની અંતિમ ઈચ્છા પૂરી કરી લીઝાને અપનાવે અને લીઝાને તે રીતે ચાહી ન શકે તો એ લીઝા સાથે અન્યાય થયો ન કહેવાય? આવા તો અનેક પ્રશ્નો છે. 


આ પત્રનવલ વાંચવામાં ખૂબ જ રસ પડ્યો. પત્રની શરૂઆતમાં કહ્યું તેમ, અધવચ્ચે મોનિટોનસ ફીલિંગ આવી. પણ પછી સમજાયું કે એ વાતો નવલકથાને નવી ગહેરાઈ આપે છે. અનન્યા સાહિત્યની વિધ્યાર્થીની છે અને એના દ્વારા લખાયેલ પત્રોમાં વપરાયેલ સાહિત્યકૃતિના વિવિધ ઉદાહરણો એ સ્પષ્ટ કરે કે પોતે તેમ ઊંડી ઊતરેલ છે. હું પણ સાહિત્યની વિધ્યાર્થીની છું એટલે થયું કે જો હું કઈક લખતી હોવ તો આવા ઉદાહરણો મારા લેખનમાં પણ અવવા જોઈએ. અપૂર્વ વનસ્પતિશાસ્ત્રનો વિધ્યાર્થી છે. બંને પોતપોતાનાં ક્ષેત્રમાં નિપુણ છે તેવું તરત જ સમજાય જાય છે. ક્યાંય પણ અતિશયોક્તિ થતી નથી. વળી બંને એકબીજાના ક્ષેત્રની ચર્ચામાં રસ દાખવે છે. થોડા સમય પહેલા હું અને બહેન લગ્ન વિષે વાતો કરતાં હતા કે કેવું સારું થાય જો એવી વ્યક્તિ જીવનમાં મળે જે આપણાં કામને પણ સમજી શકે-જાણવાનો પ્રયત્ન કરે!(અહી હું ઘરકામની વાત નથી કરતી).  


વાંચતી વખતે ઘણી વખત આપના લેકચરમાં બેસી હોય એવું લાગતું. આમાના ઘણા બધા ઉદાહરણો આપે ઇંડિયન પોએટિક્સના વર્ગોમાં કહેલાં. આથી વાંચતી વખતે કઈક સાંભળેલું એવું લાગતું. 


હવે અહી વધુ નહીં લંબાવું. આ પત્રમાં ભાષાની, વ્યાકરણની, એવી ઘણી ભૂલો હશે. તે માટે પહેલેથી આપ ભાષાવિદની માફી ચાહું છું. 


આમતો મેસેજમાં વાત થાય જ છે, પણ હવે જલ્દી આપની સાથે મુલાકાત થશે ત્યારે વિસ્તારથી પ્રશ્નો કરીશ. 


                                                                                                                              લિ. 

                                                                                                                      આપની તૃષાલિ 


Friday, June 13, 2025

Learning Outcome: Ph.D. Coursework

 Reflections on the Ph.D. Coursework



This blog reflects my learning outcomes and personal insights from the recently completed Ph.D. Coursework organized by Prof. (Dr.) Dilip Barad, Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University, held from 1st to 8th June 2025. The coursework was designed for newly enrolled research scholars in English and marked the formal beginning of our research journey. Though preliminary online sessions had already been conducted earlier by Dilip Barad sir to introduce us to the structure and expectations of the program, this intensive one-week course served as an enriching and rigorous academic initiation.

This year, the Ph.D. batch consists of only three scholars, all working under the esteemed guidance of Barad sir. The small group size proved to be a boon, allowing for personalized attention, in-depth discussion, and a more interactive, dialogue-based learning environment. It created a space where we could freely discuss our individual research interests, raise doubts, and critically engage with both foundational concepts and practical challenges of research.

Key Components and Learning Highlights:

The coursework was thoughtfully designed to cover the core aspects of academic research, from reading and reviewing literature to writing a research thesis. The sessions combined asynchronous learning (through assigned video lectures and online quizzes) and synchronous classroom engagement, ensuring a blended learning approach that catered to different modes of understanding.


We were assigned a series of video lectures covering fundamental research topics such as:

  • The mind and temperament of a research scholar

  • The art of literary research (based on Richard D. Altick’s work)

  • Understanding research hypotheses and framing research questions

  • Basics of qualitative and quantitative research

Following each video, we had to reflect on our learning through blog writing, which encouraged critical thinking and articulation of ideas in academic prose. These were accompanied by online quizzes to reinforce conceptual understanding.


In-Class Learning and Practical Insights

During the classroom sessions, Prof. Barad not only elaborated on the concepts introduced in the videos but also provided practical strategies and tips. Some of the major themes discussed included:

  • Tools and strategies for literature review

  • How to organize reading and writing in research

  • The difference between good and poor academic writing

  • How to make compelling arguments

  • Using digital tools like Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and OpenAlex

  • Creating researcher IDs (ORCID, Scopus ID, Vidwan, etc.)

  • Accessing and evaluating scholarly databases and journals

  • Exercises for developing academic discipline and inquiry



What stood out the most was the emphasis on the researcher’s mindset. We learned that research is not just about collecting data or summarizing books—it’s about developing a habit of questioning, interpreting, and contributing new perspectives. Prof. Barad encouraged us to embrace skepticism, uncertainty, and doubt as necessary components of the research process. As beginners, we were reassured that confusion is the starting point of clarity.


For me, this coursework was much more than a formal academic requirement—it was a transformative experience. It helped me:

  • Gain confidence in navigating the landscape of academic research

  • Understand the ethical and intellectual responsibilities of a scholar

  • Cultivate a habit of reflective writing

  • Begin to see my research area in clearer and more focused terms

The small batch size fostered a deeply engaging learning atmosphere. Every query—no matter how basic—was welcomed and addressed. Discussions were often spontaneous and shaped by our individual curiosities, making the sessions dynamic and intellectually stimulating.

Here is the list of blogs written as part of the Ph.D. Coursework:

The Ph.D. Coursework has laid a strong foundation for my research journey. It has equipped me not only with knowledge but also with the tools and mindset needed to undertake meaningful academic inquiry. I am grateful to Prof. Dilip Barad sir for his constant support, detailed guidance, and visionary teaching approach. As I move forward with my research, I carry with me the learnings, reflections, and inspiration gained during this vital academic initiation.



Thank you...

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Webinar: Learn How to Access Taylor & Francis Journals Subscribed Under One Nation One Subscription

Webinar


Today, I had the opportunity to attend an insightful webinar titled “Learn How to Access Taylor & Francis Journals Subscribed Under One Nation One Subscription,” conducted by Ms. Radhika Sharma and organized by Taylor & Francis. This free webinar was open to all and specifically designed to benefit researchers, faculty members, and students across Indian academic institutions.










The session proved to be highly informative, particularly for those engaged in academic research and scholarship. Ms. Sharma provided a comprehensive demonstration of the Taylor & Francis Online platform, covering key aspects such as account registration, search techniques, advanced filtering, and accessing full-text articles. The webinar focused on how to effectively utilize the extensive collection of peer-reviewed journals made available under the One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) initiative launched by the Government of India.


The session was structured to be both informative and practical. It offered a comprehensive walkthrough of the Taylor & Francis Online platform, guiding attendees through registration, article searches, the use of advanced filters, and accessing full-text research articles via institutional access provided under ONOS.

A significant highlight of the webinar was the hands-on practice session, where participants were encouraged to engage directly with the platform. This real-time demonstration helped bridge theoretical understanding with practical application, making the platform accessible and familiar, especially for new users.


Key Features and Learnings

1. Free Access Through ONOS

  • Indian users affiliated with ONOS-registered institutions can access millions of peer-reviewed research articles at no cost.

  • Access is provided via institutional Wi-Fi, LAN, or specific IP ranges, without needing personal subscriptions.

2. Account Registration and Login

  • Guidance was provided for creating a personal account on the platform.

  • Although institutional access works without login, having a personal account enables bookmarking, saving searches, setting alerts, and personalized reading lists.

3. Multiple Search Options

  • Users can search for content using:

    • Title

    • Author

    • Keywords

    • DOI

    • Journal Name

  • Advanced Search Filters allow refinement by:

    • Subject area

    • Date of publication

    • Access type (Open Access or Subscription)

    • Article type (Research, Review, etc.)

4. Broad Disciplinary Coverage

  • The platform provides access to journals across:

    • Humanities and Social Sciences

    • Science, Technology, and Medicine (STM)

    • Health and Allied Sciences

  • Journals are published under renowned imprints like:

    • Taylor & Francis

    • Routledge

    • Dove Medical Press

5. Accessibility and Listening Feature

  • A text-to-speech (audio) feature is available, allowing users to listen to articles, making the platform accessible and user-friendly for diverse learning needs.


Additional Features of the Platform

1. Personalized Dashboard

  • Users can:

    • Save and organize articles

    • Create reading lists

    • Set up content alerts based on keywords, topics, or journals

2. Citation and Reference Management

  • The platform supports various citation styles such as APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard.

  • Direct export options to tools like:

    • Zotero

    • EndNote

    • RefWorks

    • Mendeley

    • BibTeX

3. Article-Level Metrics

  • Articles include:

    • Altmetric scores

    • Citation counts

    • Download statistics

    • These metrics help in evaluating academic visibility and impact.

  • All references are hyperlinked for seamless cross-referencing.

  • Some articles include supplementary files like datasets, charts, or multimedia elements.

  • The platform is fully optimized for mobile and tablet use, enabling flexible, on-the-go research.


Hands-On Practice Session

The interactive hands-on session allowed attendees to:

  • Register or log in to the platform

  • Execute sample searches using various filters

  • Browse specific journals and topics

  • Access full-text articles through institutional login

This participatory approach helped users navigate the platform efficiently, encouraging confidence and ease in exploring scholarly content.


Personal Reflection

As a Ph.D. researcher, I have been actively using the Taylor & Francis Online platform for my academic work. This session proved particularly beneficial for deepening my understanding of the platform’s advanced features and helped me explore resources in a more organized and systematic way. It also highlighted tools that I had not used before, such as citation exports and listening features, which will support my future research.

Moreover, the session also emphasized that researchers can submit and publish their work through Taylor & Francis journals. This dual opportunity—for accessing and contributing to global scholarship—makes the platform highly valuable for emerging scholars and experienced researchers alike.

Conclusion

The webinar conducted by Ms. Radhika Sharma served as a comprehensive guide for maximizing the use of Taylor & Francis journals under the ONOS initiative. By blending technical instruction with hands-on experience, the session empowered participants with practical research tools and deeper engagement with quality academic resources. For any researcher seeking to strengthen their research practice, sessions like these are an essential step toward informed and efficient scholarly exploration.


This blog, I hope, serves as a useful starting point for accessing quality scholarly resources available through Taylor & Francis.


Thank you for reading...

Learning Outcome: Practical Ways to Organise Research Reading and Writing

In this blog, I reflect on my learning from the insightful video by Dr. Kalyani Vallath, which focuses on practical strategies for organizing one's reading and writing in the context of academic research.

What is Research?

Research is a systematic and organized process of investigating a specific topic or problem to gain new knowledge, verify existing facts, or find solutions to questions. It involves asking questions, gathering data or information, analyzing it critically, and drawing logical conclusions. Research is engaging deeply with existing literature on a given topic. It requires reading, analyzing, synthesizing, and arranging various ideas, much like assembling the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to derive new meaning or insights.

As T.S. Eliot famously noted, the concept of tradition suggests that research, including literary criticism, is not an isolated, individual pursuit. Instead, it is a collective intellectual effort rooted in historical continuity and intertextuality. Eliot emphasized the importance of recognizing the "present moment of the past" and understanding literature as a living, evolving dialogue.

Research is the critical interpretation of prior scholarship through the lens of one’s own inquiry. It is about positioning oneself within the broader scholarly tradition and contributing thoughtfully to it. A researcher draws upon the ideas of others, acknowledging them properly through citation, and organizes their findings coherently. This structured approach not only validates the researcher’s work but also makes it valuable for future scholars. In this sense, being part of a scholarly tradition, as Eliot highlighted, means contributing to a continuum of thought, not working in isolation.


Preliminary Reading of Existing Literature

The initial stage of any research involves an in-depth reading of existing literature. This foundational step is essential for formulating a meaningful and relevant research question. Engaging with prior scholarship offers a broad understanding of the existing knowledge in a particular area and helps identify what has already been studied and what remains unexplored. This process enables the researcher to pinpoint a research gap—an area that has not yet been sufficiently addressed—and to determine how this gap can be investigated further. Such reading not only informs the direction of the study but also provides a solid framework upon which the research can be built. This critical engagement with existing work is formally known as the literature review, and it plays a vital role in shaping the research before any actual writing begins.


Understanding a Research Area

Identifying and narrowing down a research area is a foundational step in any academic inquiry. For instance, the theme "Depiction of Bandits in Eastern Literature" can serve as a broad research area. Within this, a more specific scope—such as Chinese literature—can be selected to examine how bandits are represented across different historical and cultural contexts.

Subsections and Thematic Focus

The broader research area should be divided into subsections based on relevant categories such as geography (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Indian literature), time period (classical, modern, postcolonial), or thematic concerns (banditry and law, rebellion, morality, or folklore). Extensive reading of comparative literatures will offer insights into varied portrayals and interpretations of bandit figures. This comparative approach helps in recognizing different narrative strategies, ideological positions, and cultural values associated with the figure of the bandit.

Critical Reading Practices

While engaging with academic texts, it is essential to move beyond summary and engage in critical questioning. Key considerations may include:

  • What is the core argument of the study?

  • Which critics are cited, and in what context?

  • How is this work relevant to the selected research area?

  • What methodology has been used, and can it be adapted?

  • Are there specific terms or frameworks that can help narrow or expand the scope of investigation?

Such questions help identify the scholarly position of a text and assist in developing one’s own analytical lens. Reviewing citations and bibliographies also reveals influential works and commonly referenced scholars in the field.

Material Collection and Organization

The success of any research project depends significantly on sourcing appropriate and relevant materials. Bibliographies of existing studies are valuable in locating primary and secondary sources. Platforms like Google Scholar are useful for accessing peer-reviewed articles. Once collected, materials should be organized according to themes, methodologies, theoretical frameworks, or relevance to chapters. Moreover, now we are using ONOS, Taylor and Francis, Springer, and JSTOR for finding quality material.

Gaps in the existing research can be identified through such organization, allowing the researcher to position the study meaningfully within the larger academic discourse.


Tools for Efficient Research

Several digital tools and techniques can aid the research process:

  • Use table of contents or indexes to locate relevant sections in texts.

  • Utilize "Find in Page" functions for keyword-based searching.

  • Apply bookmarks to highlight important sections for later reference.

  • Add comments or annotations for personal observations or cross-references.

  • Hyperlink online resources for quick access to primary or related materials.

Applications like Google Docs and MS Word are effective for organizing notes, structuring arguments, and maintaining a clean record of the research process.

Structuring the Research

A clear methodological and structural approach strengthens the research. This includes:

  • Maintaining separate files for different subsections.

  • Using numbered outlines or codes for easy reference.

  • Organizing the literature review thematically or chronologically.

  • Planning chapters around key arguments: typically including an Introduction, Literature Review, Analysis/Key Arguments, and Conclusion.

My research: 

As an example, in the domain of Digital Humanities, I have chosen a focused topic: Digital Cartography, and within that, I am studying the novels of Amitav Ghosh. To build the foundation of my research, I am reading extensively on cartographic representations in literature and exploring various digital literary mapping projects. This reading helps me understand how other researchers have mapped literary texts—what aspects they focus on, what methods they use, and how spatial data is interpreted. It also gives me clarity on how I can shape my own methodology.

While going through such works, I came across The Atlas of European Novels and other digital mapping initiatives, which serve as useful models. These readings introduce me to foundational texts and key scholars in the field of literary cartography. The bibliographies in these works are especially helpful, as they lead me to critical debates and the most cited arguments in the area.

In my own study, the maps will revolve around themes such as migration and ecological displacement, which are strongly evident in novels like The Hungry Tide and Gun Island. The critical questions I raise while reading—both about and against the arguments—are gradually shaping the core arguments of my chapters. This kind of reading not only guides my research path but also deepens my understanding of how to connect theory with the narrative worlds created by Ghosh.

Best Practices in Research Management

  • Maintain separate and well-labeled files for each subsection.

  • Assign codes or numbers for efficient cross-referencing.

  • Frame analytical questions as potential chapter arguments.

  • Note both supportive and opposing views during reading.

  • Document the historical development of the research area.

  • Keep track of all bibliographic details for accurate citation.

Writing should be a continuous process alongside reading. Consistent engagement with primary and secondary texts, coupled with organized note-taking and critical thinking, builds a strong foundation for original academic research.


References: 

DoE-MKBU. Practical Ways to Organise Research Reading and Writing: Kalyani Vallath. YouTube, https://youtu.be/QVRLr_8uH0E?si=8O-_UTr0a3tC6ALC.

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