Sanjeev Rotkar

  Food Is Never Just Food! One cold, snowy night in the American Midwest, three or four middle-aged Indian colleagues found themselves desperately hungry. Almost everything was closed. Their eventual discovery? McDonald’s — and a meal that became a memory full of humour! But food is about much more than satisfying hunger. It brings people together, connects us to our culture and memories, and reflects the way we live. What we eat is shaped by where we live, what we do, what we can afford, and what our bodies need. And here’s the interesting question: Is the food we enjoy always the food that is good for us? And can healthy eating still be enjoyable? In my latest blog, I explore the stories, science and everyday wisdom behind the food on our plates. Read the full article on Substack Look Again. Think Again.

  Don’t Just See. Observe. Notice. Be Present. How often do we mistake assumptions for facts—and miss what is right in front of us? A simple puzzle about a buyer, an accident and a hospital phone call reveals how easily we jump to conclusions. We often see what happens, but do we notice the details? And how often do we treat what we assume as though it were a fact? From everyday conversations to the world passing by, this is a reminder that paying attention can change how we understand people—and how much of life we actually experience. Read the complete article on Substack   Don’t Just See. Observe. Notice. Be Present Beyond the OBV!OUS — Look Again. Think Again.

  We all say it: “I don't have time.” Mr. Taylor has a long list of things he wants to do. He wants to finish a book, start walking regularly and call an old friend he hasn't spoken to in months. But there's always tomorrow. Meanwhile, a ride on a Mumbai local train reveals something interesting. Women prepare vegetables, commuters read newspapers, and everyone seems to be making use of the journey in their own way. So, is it really a lack of time — or have we simply not decided what matters most? In our latest blog on Beyond the OBV!OUS , we explore procrastination, the art of saying no, and the choices that shape how we spend our twenty-four hours. Read the complete article on Substack

Think of some of your happiest memories. Perhaps it was the satisfaction of completing a challenging project after months of hard work. Or a holiday with your children when they were young. Years later, you may have forgotten what the hotel cost, but you still remember the fun. And then there are the people who have filled our lives with affection. Meeting an aunt who pampered you as a child and remembered your favourite sweets can bring a different kind of happiness. Three experiences. Three kinds of fulfilment. Each precious in its own way. So why do we sometimes behave as though life has only one purpose at a time? I like to think of life as three buckets. One holds our duties and responsibilities. Another holds our search for inner peace. The third holds joy and enjoyment. We need all three. Their proportions will change with time, but each has something valuable to offer. Read the full article on Substack

  A Note from the Author I wrote this little satire in 1998, when my pen was perhaps sharper and my opinions rather more forceful. Twenty-eight years later, I have revisited it with a gentler touch. The setting remains deliberately unnamed, the characters are fictional, and the humour is intended to travel beyond geographical boundaries. One unusual feature of the original remains unchanged: every sentence in the story contains exactly four words. The Story                                                             The landscape was breathtaking. Green hills stood majestically. The sea shimmered below. Nature had been generous. Travelling was another matter. There was ...

  Is Aviation Safe? Remember Mr. and Mrs. Johnson from Part 1? Their aircraft has landed safely, and they are looking forward to their holiday. Mrs. Johnson now knows something about the remarkable engineering behind the aircraft in which she has just travelled. But there is another side to aviation safety that passengers rarely see. An aircraft may remain in service for 20, 25 or even 30 years, making thousands of journeys across continents and through changing weather conditions. How does it remain safe throughout those years? The answer lies in an elaborate system involving engineers, technicians, maintenance organisations, sophisticated monitoring systems and aviation regulators. Thousands of people work behind the scenes so that millions of passengers can fly with confidence. Fix it before it breaks Most of us are familiar with breakdown maintenance. Our washing machine stops working, we call a technician, and the machine is repaired. Aviation approaches maintena...

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are going on holiday. They fly occasionally, perhaps once or twice a year. Mr. Johnson is quite relaxed, but Mrs. Johnson is a little nervous. She has been watching news reports about aviation incidents, and the thought of flying at 35,000 feet makes her uneasy. As their taxi approaches the airport, she turns to her husband. “I hope we have a safe flight.” A perfectly natural thought. But here is something worth considering. The journey they have just completed by road may, depending on the distance and circumstances, carry a greater risk than the flight they are about to take. Surprised? A few million flights, and a remarkable record In 2025, airlines worldwide operated approximately 38.7 million flights . Of these, 51 were classified as accidents, including eight fatal accidents. That works out to approximately one accident in every 760,000 flights . The longer-term picture is equally remarkable. Over the five years from 2021 to 2025, there was, on av...