There is nothing which adds so much to the beauty of the countryside as water, be it just a little stream trickling over the rocks or a little pond by the wayside where the cattle quench their thirst of an evening. The rain-fed tanks that are so common in South India-alas often so sadly neglected in their maintenance are a cheering sight when they are full. They are, of course, shallow,...

I am quite aware that it is riot the highest type of man who has moderate ambitions. The really great man is immoderate in his claims upon life: but that is because he is conscious of his power to give to life in return of incomparable services. His mind works upon a different plane from mine. His conceptions of life are lofty and incalculable. He may be serene; as Shakespeare must...

And I do not want fame. Of what use is it? It may tickle the vanity for a time, but it becomes an intolerable nuisance. The film-star is probably the most famous kind of person now living; and the film-star like a royal personage- has no private life to speak of. There is no privacy for the famous. Every action of theirs is seen and judged together with some actions which...

Education is a dynamic process. A sound educational structure is one that is responsive to the challenges of a fast changing society. Those who are engaged in educational process must constantly re-examine the academic machinery so that it can pre-pare the young generation to discharge their obligations towards the community. Text books are an integral part of our academic apparatus; they shape the minds of the readers and mould their personalities....

That science has become one of the most powerful factors in modern life is a generally accepted and indeed obvious fact. The proper role of the scientist himself is however a point on which there is no general agreement. On the one hand are those die-hards, who ignoring the changed circumstances of the outside, contend that, outside the laboratory, the personal influence of the scientist should be no more than any...

The preservation of peace is not merely a desirable ideal. It has become an imperative necessity. All the nations of the world have pledged their allegiance to peace, but do not seem to be prepared to work for the conditions which are essential for peace. We progress to build a world welfare state, where individual freedom and social justice are preserved, where we do not have injustice, racial discrimination and colonial...

Now at first sight it might seem as if modern human beings who spend so much time getting help from machines are very lazy. What are the machines for but to save people trouble? They are extra limbs which men have made outside themselves to do their many works for them. Cranes and lifts are extra arms to do the job of lifting. Trains and motors are extra legs to do...

I think that a successful old age is easiest for those who have strong impersonal interests involving appropriate activities. It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful, and it is in this sphere that the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive.It is no use telling grown up children not to make mistakes, both because they will not believe you, and because mistakes are an...