SOLE AIM, SOUL PURPOSE
Hailing from Coorg, Nanaiya N. Karthanda could well have been an agriculturist or joined the military ranks, as some of his family members did. However, he chose to turn Professor of Botany and Genetics, and what’s better, made a commendable success of it too. As a tribute to Teachers’ Day (September 5) Ajit Ramachanddran trains the spotlight on the erudite educator
Ajit Ramachanddran
SOLE AIM, SOUL PURPOSE
Hailing from Coorg, Nanaiya N. Karthanda could well have been an agriculturist or joined the military ranks, as some of his family members did. However, he chose to turn Professor of Botany and Genetics, and what’s better, made a commendable success of it too. As a tribute to Teachers’ Day (September 5) Ajit Ramachanddran trains the spotlight on the erudite educator
Amid the verdant slopes and greenery of Coorg – raved about routinely as the “Scotland of India” – Professor Nanaiya N. Karthanda is basking in the quietude of his native habitat, rid of all the madness of Mumbai.
Karthanda – who retired from active engagement as Head of Department (Botany) from a prominent Mumbai college in 2005 - has enjoyed an illustrious career as an educator, imparting knowledge on Botany and Genetics for 37 years, in addition to bagging cachet as a visiting faculty member of Genetics.
Premier Privilege
Although he hails primarily from an agricultural family – with prominent members joining military ranks too – his calling was a clear departure from the norm. And Karthanda chose to side-step those predictable paths, opting for a career in education. “I was the first graduate in my family,” he reveals, “I was given the freedom to choose my career and I chose teaching as my profession.”
Petal Power & Genetics
The decision to turn educator stemmed from teachers, who inspired the then young Karthanda to follow suit. “I was educated by some great teachers,” he says, “It was my Biology Professor Moneyapanda Madaiah who influenced me greatly, and that prompted me to take up Botany. I also took up Genetics as a subject because I felt that it was a relatively new branch which had great promise for the future of mankind.”
Initial Concerns
Having strode into Mumbai to embark on his educational trail, Karthanda was in for a clutch of surprises. “When I came to Mumbai, initially, it was a bit of a cultural shock for me,” he admits, “There were no mentors and lack of training in adjusting to Mumbai life did pose a bit of a challenge for me. I was an educated rural product adjusting to a big city life.”
No People-pleaser
However, once he took to teaching – akin to the proverbial fish taking to water - Karthanda ensured that he gave it his unwavering dedication and attention. Infamous for his introverted nature and stubborn reluctance to toe the line - currying favour with higher-ups or genuflecting to authority – he was surely being perceived differently from the slew of hypocrites around. What surprised many – and perhaps, Karthanda himself – was the commendable success that his efforts raked in. “It’s not in my nature to be a people-pleaser,” he says, “I wasn’t interested in doing any of that. Being a good teacher is all about having interest and thoroughness in the subject that you’re teaching. I think it is my discipline, sincerity and fairness to all that have contributed majorly to whatever success I have earned.”
Online… No Go?
The all-pervading umbrella of “online education” – that sprung up out of necessity in the wake of the pandemic and ensuing lockdowns - hasn’t seemed to have found favour with teachers and students alike. Attendant technical glitches and the air of being disconnected from real individuals has led to withering acceptance. Nodding assent, Karthanda states, “Online education cannot replace physical teaching and it can, at best, only be a temporary solution.”
Pleased As Punch!
Presently, Karthanda – who also holds credentials in law (“I have an L.L. B degree, but that was just a spare time interest”) – is blissed out at the restful pace at which his Coorg life is unfolding .“My family is into the cultivation of cardamom, pepper, coffee and rice,” he states, “And apart from that, we are also into honey-bee cultivation.” Guess, that’s just sweet retirement.
