Where were you born, where did you study before Doon?
I was born in Delhi. I studied in a small primary school called Happy Hours, then in Delhi Public School till class six. We were transferred to Bhopal at that point, and I spent six months at a school there called Campion School.

Bhaskar Vira

Tell us a little bit about your life before Doon.
My father was a civil servant, and had been posted in Shimla before we came to Delhi. I am the younger of two sons, and remember my early childhood years as full of books, music and sport. We also travelled a fair bit, so saw a lot of the country, especially rural India. We were a very close family, and used to spend most summers with our cousins at our maternal grandparents’ home in Lucknow. In fact, my brother and I spent an entire year with them when my parents were abroad in 1974-5, and were actually home tutored so didn’t go to school. That was probably one of the best years of my life, and my grandparents’ felt the same way!

When you were a child what did you think you'd be when you grew up?
I don’t think I thought very seriously about a career when I was very young. In my teenage years, especially in Doon, I was very attracted to writing, and would have liked to have become a journalist or author. I was also keen on social work, although at the time the NGO/voluntary sector was probably not as visible as it is today.

What made you join The Doon School?
I don’t think anybody ever thought that I wouldn’t join Doon. My father is an ex-Dosco, and I have had a long family connection with the School. I was registered virtually at birth, and by the time I turned 11, my older brother was already at School. So, as I grew up, I think it was taken for granted that I would join, too.

Did you enjoy studying at Doon?
Yes, absolutely. They were amongst the most enjoyable years of my life.

What do you remember most about school?
Many things, so it’s difficult to isolate one or two memories. The walk from Jaipur House to the rest of school takes you through some of the nicest parts of the School, and that remains an abiding memory. In my early years, it was also quite frightening at times, especially returning back to Jaipur House after play practice in the summer, often at 3 in the morning. I remember running across the Main Field and through the litchi grove, hardly daring to look left or right, and then jumping into the safety of my bed, relieved not to have seen Skinners’ ghost!

What about Doon did you like most?
The freedom to explore different aspects of my personality and the ability to grow as a person in all sorts of ways. School had so much to offer, and I found myself immersed in activity throughout term. I can’t remember being bored.

What parts of Doon did you not enjoy?
Waking up at 6 in the morning for House PT practice in the winter! Although even that became tolerable once I was shouting commands rather than jumping up and down! We always complained about the food, although it was probably no worse than any other institutional dining hall. I also remember the long rest hour during the summer as being very tedious – I used to hate being confined to the room for such a long time.

If you could change one thing about Doon, what would it be?
That’s actually a very difficult question for me to answer, since I have not been to School recently, so don’t have the sort of knowledge that would be needed to give you a sensible response. The School is changing with the times, and those who are running it are capable and competent people. I have no doubt that they are trying to do their best with the resources and staff that are available.

Who are your role models? Are any of them Doscos?
This is a bit embarrassing, as some of them may well read this! But, yes, a number of people whom I admire happen to be Doscos, although I didn’t always know the Doon connection when I first encountered them or their work. In academia, Ram Guha is definitely one – a brilliant writer and outstanding researcher, with eclectic interests that overlap very substantially with mine (development, environment, cricket, music). As a child, I used to admire Vikram Seth, initially as a fledgling economist, and much later as a writer. Amongst those who have been in social work, Bunker Roy has made a real contribution. There have been distinguished civil servants as well, who have served the country well, amongst whom I include my uncle Lovraj Kumar as well as my father.

Would you send your children to Doon?
Well, we’ve just had a daughter, so I think she is certainly ruled out for the moment. Our son is the kind of child who would love the opportunities that are available at a School like Doon, so we would definitely consider it very seriously. In our present circumstances, though, it would be logistically complex as we are based in the UK.

Tell us a bit about your higher education. Where did you study? What did you major in? Did you enjoy your program? Would you recommend it to others?
I did Economics Honours at St Stephen’s in Delhi, and then went to St John’s College in Cambridge to read for the Economics Tripos. One thing led to another, and I stayed on at Cambridge for an M.Phil. and then a Ph.D. Economics. Yes, I did enjoy my program.

Would you recommend it to others?
The Economics courses at both Delhi University and at Cambridge are excellent. I have to say that it was a real privilege to experience the undergraduate teaching system at Cambridge – as a student, the opportunities for intellectual growth are tremendous. As a researcher, Cambridge has some of the best libraries in the world. And, to have the opportunity to study in a place that has been around for almost 800 years was really special.

If you could go back to college again where and what would you study and why?
Probably the same. Although, there is a part of me that has always wanted to study Literature, and that would be a serious option. And, as I continue to work in the area of environment and development policy, I also feel that I would have really benefited from a formal training in law.

Bhaskar Vira teaches at the University of Cambridge

Did you have another career prior to being in academia? If so, tell us a little bit about that.
No, I’ve been in this profession all the way through.

What inspired you to enter teaching?
Inspirational teachers, I think, all the way from my school days. Actually, I slipped into teaching without thinking about it too much, as its one of the things you get the opportunity to do as a graduate student in Cambridge. I found that I enjoyed communicating ideas to students, and also got a good response from them, so it seemed a natural progression to apply for an academic job.

How long have you been a professor? Do you see yourself always being one?
My first teaching job was in 1993, so just over ten years, now. It’s difficult to say. I love what I do, and really enjoy interacting with some brilliant people – both students and colleagues. The job is also very flexible, in terms of hours – we are judged on research output and quality of teaching, not on time spent in the office. I also have the opportunity to spend time pursuing my research interests, and interacting with scholars and practitioners in different parts of the world.

What is teaching like and what do you do on a daily basis?
It’s a bit like a performance really, at least the lectures that are delivered to large groups. You are a soloist on a sort of stage, and you are trying to summarise the ideas and contributions made by key thinkers in your field, in a manner that is fluent and clear for the students. Over the last decade, technology has changed dramatically, and I use visual aids and computers a lot in my teaching. It breaks the monotony for the students, and also is a great way to get across complex ideas. Our lives as teachers at Cambridge are two-paced; during our relatively short Terms, work is very intense, and you are constantly preparing lectures, marking essays or meeting students for tutorials or to advice them on their research. Once Term finishes, the undergraduates disappear, and you try and find time for research as well as unfinished administrative jobs.

What are the most important skills required to be a good professor/researcher?
The skills required for teaching are very different from those that are needed to be a good researcher. To be an effective teacher, you need to understand your subject, to have clarity in your own thought process, and to be a good communicator. To be a good researcher, you need patience, diligence, as well as that occasional spark of inspiration that leads to new thoughts and discoveries.
Do you think academia and more specifically environmental and developmental economics is a good field to work in?
It’s very rewarding, since you are in the business of training people, and hopefully are able to influence them in positive ways. Environment and development are very important areas today, since these are subjects that deal with the future stability and prosperity of the world. They are particularly important in India, since it is vital for us to grow as a nation in a way that includes all social groups, and to ensure that this growth can be sustained over the long term.

Tell us a little bit about the institutional and policy reforms happening in India_s forest sector. Should the government be doing something different?
The forest sector was dominated by government ownership ever since colonial times, ostensibly in the national interest and for sound ecological reasons. This led to an alienation of the forest dwellers and those who reside at the fringes of the forest, as they were excluded from decision making in this sector. These also happen to be some of the poorest and most deprived groups in society, so are politically and economically marginalised. Over the last decade or so, the government has been attempting to include local people more effectively in decision making and management of the country’s forests, and this is the biggest challenge at the moment. There are also non-local interests that now need to be accommodated in the sector, and it’s important to think about the future of forestry in a way that finds space for all these groups without neglecting those who are most needy. As far as what the government could do differently, there is a huge gap between the rhetoric and policy intentions on paper, and what actually happens on the ground. So, we have some enlightened ideas and policies, but often these get diluted by the time they reach the people. This is larger question of governance and accountability in the administration, and is not restricted to the forest sector.

You_ve written extensively about India_s urban environments, will things ever get better?
Things have got better, in some areas – Delhi’s air is much cleaner than it was some years ago. But, the trends are depressing. Actually, the biggest problems are not in our metropolitan cities like Delhi, but in the small towns and cities that are expanding haphazardly all over the country. Civic services in these places are virtually non-existent, and it is here that a lot of urban growth is taking place.

What needs to be done to improve the state of our cities?
Make people more responsible for their local environment and improve public awareness, but combine this with stricter laws and real enforcement of these laws. A lot can be done by the voluntary sector and NGOs as well. In my mind, what are needed are effective partnerships between people, NGOs, the government and the corporate sector, with each playing a role to make our cities better places to live in – and not just for the rich.

If there was an environment or development related Indian law you could change what would it be and why?
There are many. But since you’ve asked for one, the Indian Forest Act is crying out for change. It was first enacted in the late 19th century, and the current version dates from 1927. It is completely inappropriate for governing the sector today. Successive governments have tried to change it, but have never been able to forge a consensus on the direction that the new Act should take.

Back to Doon, did school help prepare you for a career? When did you decide to enter teaching?
I think it did. In terms of what I do now, all the writing that I did for the School publications as well as the public speaking and debating are skills that are central to my job as a lecturer. It also taught me the value of learning and scholarship, which I think is pretty important for an academic career.

And what impact/influence did your college education have on this decision?
College allowed me to concentrate on one subject, Economics, and reinforced my fascination for knowledge as well as for the research process. As I spent more time pursuing higher degrees, this became stronger.

Could Doon have taught you something more or something different that would have helped you in your profession today?
I doubt it, and I wouldn’t want it to. I don’t think schools should be in the business of preparing people for careers. It’s a time when people should be free to explore their creativity, to experiment, to learn – there’s plenty of time for vocational coaching later in life. This is a real concern I have – we make people choose specific career paths far too early, and then force them to stick with these choices. It’s destroying our children’s childhood.

Is there anything else that you'd like to tell us about yourself regarding you work, Doon, or any social work or activities you do?
Probably not – this has been pretty long already!

Any words of wisdom for current Doscos or other Ex-Doscos?
Not sure that I’m wise enough to offer these – but live life to the full, look out for others (and hope that they will reciprocate). Always ask yourself – are my actions likely to hurt or cause anyone harm? If they are, think twice.

Do you have any questions for us or suggestions or thoughts about Doon Online?
Keep up the good work. What I have noticed is that the profile of your readers is relatively young Doscos. It would be good for you to think of ways to reach to our more senior alumni.

Thank you for your participation

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