The waiting man was dressed smartly in a checked shirt and cream trousers. I felt that I had seen him somewhere and then recognised him in a flash—A.P. Velappan, a retired sub-inspector of the Kerala Police and Somanath’s classmate from school. I had met him while researching this article.
Velappan said that he was waiting outside as he felt out of place at the engineers' event, but could not pass up the rare chance to see his old friend. As we waited together, I wondered whether Somanath would notice him, surrounded as he surely would be by a gaggle of excited engineers. He was indeed mobbed when he came out, but he did notice his friend. “Velappan”, he called out joyously, before gathering him in a bear hug and pulling him aside for a brief chat and a selfie.
Later, during our car ride to the Grand Hyatt Kochi, where our interview had been arranged, Somanath spoke in detail about how Velappan was a constant source of support in school. In fact, Somanath does remember a lot. He was visibly excited when I mentioned that I had met one of his primary school teachers, K.J. Chitrangadamma. “Teacherne kando (Oh, did you meet teacher?),” he asked excitedly, before sharing his memories about her. His keen recollection of even minor events, attention to detail, and clarity of thought are remarkable—qualities that are clearly serving him well in his career, too.
In a candid interview, Somanath opened up about his journey and explained India's ambitious space endeavours, both present and future. Edited excerpts:
Was the success of Chandrayaan-3 the pinnacle of your career?
Denne historien er fra December 24, 2023-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
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Denne historien er fra December 24, 2023-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.
Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.
Garden by the sea
When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus
RECRUITERS SPEAK
Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates
MORAL COMPASS
The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI