Former students recall her as a mentor, philosopher, and transformative leader
Dr Uma Maheshwari Shankar being presented with a memento during her retirement ceremony
Students and alumni of SIES College gathered to remember and bid farewell to Dr Uma Maheshwari Shankar, who retired on Saturday after an illustrious 31-year career at the institution. She started her career in the institute’s junior college section as a student, then joined the college again as a faculty member, became the vice principal, and rose through the ranks to become principal, making her the only faculty member to have achieved this remarkable feat in SIES.
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Narayan Kannan, a senior executive at an MNC and her former student, delivered a speech at Dr Shankar’s farewell. “She’s not just a mentor; she’s an institution in herself,” said Kannan. Talking to mid-day about the relationship he shares with Dr Shankar, Kannan said, “I feel a lot of students will miss out on the life-changing experience of being taught by Dr Shankar. She was at the apex of teaching a subject of philosophy. She is one of the best Philosophy teachers. That’s going to be a great loss for the students now and for the subject too.
“Dr Shankar’s retirement marks the end of a significant chapter for SIES College, but her new role as academic director will ensure that her contributions to education will continue,” said one of her colleagues and her former student Dr Kamala Srinivas. Dr Kamala said, “She taught us to be accountable for our acts and to take responsibility for them. I still remember how she used to illustrate certain concepts with instances from real life. Uma ma’am moulded, tested and shaped me with the right opportunity and willingly supported me in all my academic endeavours. Uma Ma’am has inspired many students through values, principles and mainly the philosophy of life lessons that she taught.
Reflecting on her future plans, Dr Shankar said, “Though I can no longer take up full-time teaching like I did before, I will continue to teach wherever and whenever I can. I’ll be happy to teach whenever invited. One of my main focuses will be to explore how we can effectively implement the National Education Policy (NEP) by designing the syllabus accordingly. It’s not going to be easy, but I’m confident we will succeed. I look forward to monitoring these new programs.”
“My message to new students is that Philosophy is such a fascinating and significant subject, even today. I would encourage students to read extensively and develop critical thinking skills. It’s important to question what is said or done, rather than blindly accepting things. Critical thinking is essential for growth and understanding,” she added.
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