Techno India University and TEDx Join Forces to ‘Redefine Success’, Think Out of the Box!

“I have spread my dreams under your feet;

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”

The eloquent words of W.B. Yeats still resonate through time. In our rapidly changing world, one can't help but wonder if he foresaw a time when our ‘dreams’, our very aspirations, would become so fragile and inconsequential, that they would need safeguarding from a society that might otherwise trample on them with its ruthless strides should they not qualify the materialistic standards of individual achievement.

To challenge this conventional notion of ‘success’, which is often restricted to making an estimate of one’s net worth and material possessions, Techno India University, a vanguard in education in Eastern India, partnered with TEDx to present a series of talks on November 4, dedicated to 'Redefining Success'--‘Looking At Being Successful Through A New Contemporary Lens.’

In a conversation, Prof. Manoshi Roychowdhury, the Chairperson of Techno India University, shared, “We hosted this event because we want to make these types of stories transparent to all students. Being an educational conglomerate, we believe that every story is connected to knowledge and education. So it's a great way to connect students all over the country to the various experiences. After all, they are all inspirational lessons! We want these stories to come out in public. We wanted to offer a platform through which these stories of triumph shared by our speakers can reach out to a pan-India audience.”

The event began with the lighting of the inaugural lamp, accompanied by soulful melodies performed by the students. This poignant moment added a touch of the sublime, setting the stage for the enlightening discussions that followed.

The Techno India-TEDx talk featured an extraordinary lineup of speakers, each with a unique story of 'success'. Ms Alokananda Roy, the renowned dance educationist, therapist, and social reformer, shared experiences from her therapeutic work, 'Healing through Dance', which has touched the lives of convicts in correctional homes. She emphasised, "Success is a very relative term. We have different perceptions of success. Each one has a dream. We all have different dreams. And if my art does not come of any use to others, then it's meaningless.”

Subsequently, the audience was humbled by the experiences shared by Dr Mousree Basisth, a successful Assistant Professor of Law, South Kolkata Law College, University of Calcutta, who despite being inflicted with hundred per cent blindness since the age of 6, is teaching, writing & living life on her own terms. Her reflection on ‘success’ was profound. “What is success actually?... this is a relative term. Success is an ongoing process. If I fail to start, then I will be stagnant. Sense of security makes man stagnant. If I feel that this is an ongoing process, that will make me an insecure person, and so I will try to be well ahead of others.”

The audience was equally captivated listening to Mr Sumit Agarwal, SDG Diversity Ambassador, NITI AAYOG (MOC) and LinkedIn Top Voice. He was born prematurely and diagnosed with cerebral palsy. His early life was marked by 70% movement restrictions and the formidable challenge of multiple surgeries. But flashing a dazzling smile, he posed a most fundamental question to the audience, “What is your boundary?”, highlighting, “We define our own boundaries! Leadership and success are all about having tough conversations in the boardroom.”

Further, Mr Darshan Dudhoria, Director of Bari Kothi, introduced the audience to the concept of Heritage Sustainability as a paradigm shift in the pursuit of success. Mountaineer, Satyarup Siddhanta, shared his remarkable journey of conquering challenges, adding that true ‘success’ lies in facing adversities head-on. Mr. Rajanvir Singh Kapur, IAS, Managing Director of West Bengal Transport Corporation, emphasised the importance of creating happier teams in the workplace as an often overlooked, but crucial aspect of achieving ‘success’.

The event also featured talks by Sayantan Maitra, VP of MassArt, who commended the transformative power of a public art festival like Durga puja, and RJ Arvind, who highlighted the impact of radio in redefining community success through engaging broadcasts.

On the sidelines of the event, The Telegraph Online (Edugraph) asked Prof Manoshi Roychowdhury, Chairperson, Techno India University, “What do you make of this world in which our children are growing up—that is marked by fierce competition and the pressure to become ‘successful’ is intense?

The seasoned educator wisely observed, “When I have a group of 40 students in a class, there will always be the top 10-15 students who will be doing well academically. But we cannot restrict our attention to only those students because they will do well even without my help—by themselves. We need to go into the next 25 students who are may be doing moderately well. It is these children we need to work closely with. In this highly competitive world, people are becoming increasingly selfish. We need to make everyone feel ‘included’. The feeling of being ‘included’ is very important. For if we work together and are able to achieve results, both the state and the country will achieve success.”

That is, indeed, a noble thought!

It is encouraging to see that Techno India University and TEDx, through their attempt at ‘Redefining Success’, have paved the way for a new discourse that celebrates individual journeys, sense of purpose, and holistic fulfillment as meaningful ‘success’.