Eklavya in the Modern Times!

 

                If we can be certain of improving at least one thing from the past, it can be efficiency in human transactions. Even before Adam Smith could articulate the invisible hand of the market, people learnt to make better deals than they did in the ancient times.

         Take the case of Eklavya of the Mahabharata fame. He practised in front of the statue of Dronacharya and aced archery better than Arjuna. I doubt there was any contractual/copyright liability but he did offer Dronacharya anything (was it his vanity?) as Gurudakshina, a tribute for training. Now comes the part that does not make sense, Dronacharya asked for his right thumb. I wonder what utility could a dead thumb give and more I think about a lifeless blood-soaked thumb in custody of Dronacharya, gory things come to mind. Would he have displayed it proudly in his office or would he have given it to someone as a souvenir? I guess had Dronacharya been business wise, he could have asked Eklavya never to compete against Arjun, or to always lose even if he did. Maybe he could have altogether given up Arjuna and an even better Magnum Opus would have appeared in place of Mahabharata.

         Despite the not so good ending, the above story proves India’s ability to have achieved every feat in the ancient age. This was our ancient version of commercialising Education, a feat that many institutions could master today. Not simply that, this was also an example of remote learning, an idea EdTech enterprises are trying out now.

         Many modern Dronacharyas are in the fray and Arjuna gets no monopoly over learning. Some Dronacharyas still sought blood in the form of hefty fees in lieu of issuing a certificate. Courses from Coursera, EdX still thought there was no difference between dollar and rupees; probably they were yet to discover the idea of Purchasing Power parity. There were also free avenues from Twitter/YouTube courtesy the money of dear Venture Capitalists. VC is a breed we all need to be deeply indebted. Sometime or the other, they did pay for our freebee.

         When yours truly tried to study in the Ivy Leagues, they did admit but sought more than just kidneys (read tuition fees) to study. EdTech came to the rescue in my quest for knowledge and best professors from across the world appeared on my computer screen. Today I have learnt more by sitting in front of the computer screen that I have from physical classrooms. You can make a virtual Dronacharya repeat something a zillion times and they do not get irritated. You can also reject many or leave them mid-way and they do not seem to mind. The best thing is lack of structure and one can dwell in diverse subjects. A recent wonder that I discovered is a podcast and the list of avenues is unending. We love anything that is free and what can be better than Education that has a positive externality.

         Coming back to the efficiency of modern times, Eklavya and Dronacharyas are collaborating now to create value for both the parties. Dear Arjuna, practice hard; you will have much more competition in the modern times. Also, Dronacharya now can make a much better deal!