Valmiki Ramayana – Critical Essays

Author: Sheetala Bhat

This book explores the shifting identity of the female performer in India, starting from the late 19th century to the early years of independence, through the study of autobiographies and memoirs. It attempts to make visible the actress figure by entering the history of performance, guided by the voice of the female performer. The discussion on performing woman in this book spans across the performing traditions of the tawaif, actresses in public theatre, early Indian film actresses, and actresses in the Indian People?s Theatre and the Prithvi Theatre. Sheetala Bhat is an actress and a writer from Sirsi, a small town in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. She holds an MA in English Literature from Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities, Manipal University, Manipal. She worked with Chintana repertory, exploring the possibilities of theatre in education in government schools in Karnataka. She writes short stories and poetry in Kannada. Being a reclusive reader and an enthusiastic actress, she often finds herself rummaging and weaving in between the fields of theatre and Indian literature, with an emphasis on the gender concerns in these areas. Performing Self, Performing Gender: Reading the Lives of Women Performers in Colonial India is her first book.

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Author: Manu Chakravarthy Editor: Unni Krishnan Karikkat

Culture and Creativity is a collection of essays of N Manu Chakravarthy, a prominent culture critic known for his discourses on music, cinema, literature and several aspects of culture and philosophy. This book illustrates the intellectual and ethical perspectives that shape his discussions on wide range of issues. These discussions are reflective of the inspiration he draws from his father Prof G N Chakravarthy and his teachers Prof C D Narasimhaiah, Prof U R Ananthamurthy, and Prof B Damodara Rao. The ideas of Ivan Illich and Noam Chomsky, and his friend D R Nagaraj are also instrumental in framing the critical nature of his interpretations. The essays in this book encompass Prof Manu Chakravarthy’s perspectives on religion, secularism, tradition, and modernity. The references to Sri Narayanaguru, M K Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and the interview with Gustavo Esteva, evince his preoccupation with madhyamamarga. They also foreground his views on nationalism, metaphysics, media, politics and the crises of the third world and India in a globalised context. This work is a testimony to the form of scholarship he values.

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Editors: N Udupa, Raviaraja NS, Chiranjay Mukhopadhya,

COVID-19 disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, first detected in November-December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Thus far, more than 7 million people have been infected with the novel coronavirus across the globe, and the count is increasing with every passing day. Even though it causes severe respiratory problems, the majority of patients show mild symptoms, and pathogenesis is under investigation. Although several drugs are being developed and many of them are undergoing clinical trials, currently there are no approved drugs/vaccines to cure this disease. Personal hygiene and social distancing are important means to prevent the spread of this disease. With the advancements in scientific research, humankind is hoping to find a potent drug/vaccine for this disease at the earliest. The health care professionals and scientific community are at their maximum in combating this viral infection. In this book, an attempt is made to compile various aspects of COVID-19 in a single platform, which include aetiology, epidemiology, its clinical manifestations, diagnosis, pathological, clinical and therapeutic facets, comorbidities, risk factors, and the essential precautionary measures. This book comprises around 29 chapters contributed by various experts from research and clinical backgrounds.

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Author: Jibu Thomas

Transformation Beyond Sight is a gripping narrative of the author’s experience in the hospital administration of Kasturba Hospital (KH), Manipal. As an experiential account, the present book provides insights into the thoughts, concerns, and apprehensions of prospective hospital administrators, and spotlights the vital role played by a hospital administrator in the day-to-day operations of KH, which is also an advanced healthcare facility.This book draws attention to the transformational quality of the author’s experiences to emphasize that the evolution in leadership and management of the teaching hospital went hand-in-hand with the transformation of the author’s administrative skills, and his own persona as a diligent administrator. The biographical undertone also provides an insight into the complex and dynamic healthcare environment, alongside the competencies, creativity, and mindfulness necessary for an administrator. This book narrates a hospital administrator’s engagements with the traditional processes and his attempts to bring about effective changes in the management and monitoring of operations of KH and the overall management of a healthcare facility.

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