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By:

Anil D. Salve

21 March 2026 at 8:11:09 pm

A Drought of Wisdom in an Ocean of Information

We live in an age where information is everywhere. With a single click, we can access news from across the world, thousands of opinions, countless videos and endless claims. Knowledge has never been so accessible. Yet, in this overwhelming flow of information, something increasingly scarce is discernment-the ability to distinguish what deserves our belief from what deserves our doubt. Information and knowledge are not the same. Reading, watching or hearing something does not automatically...

A Drought of Wisdom in an Ocean of Information

We live in an age where information is everywhere. With a single click, we can access news from across the world, thousands of opinions, countless videos and endless claims. Knowledge has never been so accessible. Yet, in this overwhelming flow of information, something increasingly scarce is discernment-the ability to distinguish what deserves our belief from what deserves our doubt. Information and knowledge are not the same. Reading, watching or hearing something does not automatically make it true. We need the ability to verify information, understand its context, recognise its purpose and only then form an opinion. In the digital age, this ability has become one of the most important forms of wisdom. Social media has transformed the way information travels. WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and other platforms have made communication faster, wider and more accessible. But the same speed that connects society can also overwhelm it. Information often reaches us before facts do. A headline is read before the full story. A short video is watched without knowing what happened before or after it. A photograph is circulated without its original context. A message arrives with the familiar words, “Forwarded as received,” and within minutes it may reach thousands of people. By the time the truth catches up, the rumour may already have done its work. The problem becomes even more serious when misinformation is deliberately created and circulated. Rumours may be planted not merely to mislead individuals but to divert public attention from an important issue, create suspicion, damage someone's reputation or push society towards a particular narrative. A distraction does not always need to be completely false. Sometimes a small piece of truth is mixed with exaggeration, selective facts or emotional language. The result can be more powerful than an outright lie because it appears believable. This is how narratives are manufactured. Social media platforms can become powerful tools in this process. A repeated claim begins to look familiar, and familiarity is often mistaken for truth. A provocative post attracts attention. Thousands of reactions create the impression that “everyone” believes it. One emotional video triggers another, comments intensify the mood, and before facts have an opportunity to speak, public sentiment may have already shifted. This is where mob psychology enters the picture. A society can move from calm to anger, suspicion to trust, or optimism to fear with surprising speed. People who would ordinarily think carefully may react differently when they see thousands of others expressing outrage, fear or hostility. The individual begins to follow the crowd, and the crowd begins to reinforce the individual. The danger is not limited to negative emotions. The same mechanism can also be used positively-to mobilise people for social causes, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, public awareness and community action. Technology itself is neither wise nor foolish. Its impact depends on how information is created, amplified and consumed. The greatest danger, therefore, is not that we have too much information. It is that we may lose the habit of thinking while consuming it. We are increasingly becoming consumers of information rather than creators of thought. Everyone has access to information today, but access does not necessarily mean understanding. The boundaries between a rumour and a report, an opinion and a fact, popularity and truth are becoming increasingly blurred. A post does not become true because thousands of people have liked it. A video does not become evidence merely because it has gone viral. An opinion does not become a fact because it is expressed confidently. An idea does not become correct simply because it confirms what we already believe. This last point deserves particular attention. We often accept information not because it is accurate, but because it is comfortable. We are naturally attracted to information that confirms our existing beliefs and suspicious of information that challenges them. In the digital world, this tendency can be amplified by algorithms that repeatedly expose us to content similar to what we have already watched, liked or shared. Gradually, we may find ourselves living inside an information bubble where we hear many voices-but mostly voices that agree with us. That is not diversity of information. It is an illusion of certainty. Discernment does not mean doubting everything. It means thinking before believing. It means asking simple but powerful questions: Who is saying this? What is the evidence? What is the context? What may be missing? Who benefits if I believe it? And have I heard the other side? These questions may take only a few seconds, but they can prevent hours, days or even years of misunderstanding. This responsibility is particularly important for the younger generation. Children today are growing up in an environment of unprecedented information exposure. They can encounter more information in a few hours than earlier generations might have encountered in weeks. Therefore, education cannot merely teach students how to collect, remember and reproduce information. It must teach them how to question, verify, analyse and interpret it. A student who can write the correct answer in an examination may be academically successful. But a student who knows how to ask the right question is better prepared for life. The classroom of the future must therefore produce not merely informed students, but thinking citizens. They must learn that forwarding a message is also a form of responsibility. Sharing a post is not an innocent act when it can affect someone's reputation, create public fear or influence social behaviour. The challenge becomes even greater in the age of Artificial Intelligence. AI can generate information, images, audio and video with extraordinary speed and sophistication. The distinction between what is real and what merely appears real may become increasingly difficult. In such a world, human judgment becomes more valuable, not less. Technology can produce an answer in seconds. It cannot automatically tell us whether that answer deserves our trust. Some answers require experience. Some require context. Many require the ability to think independently. We have more information, more technology and more connectivity than any previous generation. Yet our real challenge is to preserve something technology cannot manufacture for us: the capacity to think for ourselves. The ocean of information will only become larger. The question will no longer be, “How much information do we have?” The more important questions will be: What should we accept? What should we question? What should we verify? And what should we reject? No technology can completely answer these questions for us. No number of likes can substitute for evidence. No viral trend can replace judgment. No majority can turn misinformation into truth. That responsibility belongs to human beings. Information can tell us what happened. Discernment helps us understand what it means, why it happened, what may be missing from the story and how we should respond. Perhaps, therefore, the greatest educational challenge of our time is not to teach people how to find more information. They already know how to do that. The greater challenge is to teach them how to pause-to pause before believing, to pause before reacting, to pause before forwarding and to pause before joining the crowd. Because sometimes the most intelligent response to information is not an immediate reaction, but a moment of reflection. The ocean is already around us. It is growing deeper every day. What we need now is not more information to swim through it-but the wisdom to know which direction to take. (The writer is the Principal of Podar International School, Ausa, Latur. Views personal.)

Women, Wellness and the Power of Yoga

Writer: Shraddha Deshpande
Shraddha Deshpande
Mar 7
3 min read

Beyond celebration, Women’s Day is a reminder that women’s empowerment begins with health, balance, and well-being.

Every year on March 8, the world celebrates International Women’s Day—a day dedicated to recognising the social, economic, cultural, and political contributions of women. However, the true significance of this day goes beyond celebration. It serves as an important reminder to focus on women’s health, well-being, independence, and empowerment.


In today’s fast-paced world, women successfully balance multiple roles—as professionals, carers, homemakers, and contributors to society. While managing these responsibilities with dedication, many women tend to overlook their own health. In such circumstances, yoga offers a simple, natural, and highly effective way to restore balance between the body and the mind.


Yoga holds special significance for women because their bodies undergo various physiological and hormonal changes throughout life. These changes can influence both physical and emotional well-being. A regular yoga practice helps improve flexibility, strengthen muscles, and maintain overall balance within the body. For example, Bhujangasana helps strengthen the spine and improve posture, while Baddha Konasana is known to support pelvic health and enhance flexibility in the hip region. Such practices help women build strength and resilience in a natural and holistic way.


Yoga also plays an important role during different stages of a woman’s life. During adolescence, when the body undergoes rapid changes, yoga helps improve posture, coordination, and self-confidence. For working women, yoga becomes an effective tool for managing stress and maintaining physical health. In modern work environments, many women spend long hours sitting in front of computers, which often leads to neck pain, back pain, and fatigue. In such cases, practices like Balasana and Setu Bandhasana can help relieve tension in the body and provide relaxation. Under proper guidance, yoga can also be beneficial during phases such as pregnancy and menopause, helping women adapt to physical and emotional changes more comfortably.


Another important aspect of women’s well-being is mental health. Balancing responsibilities at home, work, and within society can sometimes lead to stress, anxiety, and emotional fatigue. Yoga places special emphasis on breath awareness and mindfulness. Practices such as pranayama and meditation help calm the mind, improve concentration, and promote emotional balance. Regular breathing practices increase oxygen supply to the body and brain, which enhances clarity, relaxation, and inner stability.


Yoga’s Relevance

In today’s modern lifestyle, the relevance of yoga has become even more significant. Increasing stress levels, irregular routines, limited physical activity, and excessive screen time can negatively impact both physical and mental health. Yoga, therefore, is not merely a form of exercise but a comprehensive lifestyle approach. Through consistent practice, yoga nurtures physical strength, mental peace, and a positive outlook toward life.


When we talk about women’s empowerment, it must begin with women’s health and well-being. A healthy, confident, and emotionally balanced woman can create positive change within her family and community. Yoga empowers women not only by strengthening the body but also by cultivating inner resilience, self-awareness, and confidence. In this sense, yoga becomes a powerful tool for the holistic development of women. Regular practice of yoga and breathing techniques offers numerous health benefits. It improves blood circulation, strengthens muscles, reduces stress, and enhances sleep quality.


Therefore, on this International Women’s Day, let us take a meaningful step toward prioritising our health. Let us make a simple yet powerful resolution—to begin a regular practice of yoga and pranayama from today. Even dedicating a few minutes each day to caring for our body and mind can lay the foundation for a healthier, more balanced, and fulfilling life.


Yoga is not merely a physical exercise; it is a bridge that connects the body, mind, and inner self. When women embrace yoga as part of their daily lives, they not only nurture their own well-being but also contribute to building healthier families and stronger communities.


A healthy woman builds a healthy family, and healthy families together create a healthier society. On this special occasion of International Women’s Day, may yoga become an integral part of every woman’s life, empowering her to live with strength, balance, and harmony.


(The writer is a yoga educator and researcher based in Pune.)

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