The round table conference

Where Textbooks Argue, Equations Sulk, And Syllabus Takes The Centre Stage

Maira Shadab, AIS Vasundhara 6, X A

RD Sharma, M Laxmikanth, HC Verma, RS Aggarwal, and the NCERT are seated around a circular table. This is no ordinary meeting, but the Premier Academic Round Table Conference of India, where these textbooks - the nightmares of students - finally have faces.

The meeting begins
HC Verma cleared his throat first, and began with “Hi all, has everyone conserved their linear momentum till now, or are you still stuck in unstable equilibrium?” NCERT rolled its eyes. “Hey, talk in English. Oh, and I saw the ideas you sent for my In-Text Questions. Next time, try better please.”
Textbook wars
RD Sharma leaned forward, “If you all are done with this nonsense, I must say I can’t bear to share the same plane – sorry, the same platform – with my stepbrother RS Aggarwal. He copies everything I do! Even my sample solutions!” RS Aggarwal grinned. “Oh you congruent fellow. Maths grows by sharing, na? Learn to be collinear, brother.” Then, M Laxmikanth woke up. “This is a violation of my Fundamental Right to Sleep! While I was resting, all of you were blabbering. I couldn’t sleep at all.” NCERT smirked, “In matters of sleep, I am taken care of. CBSE has reduced my work a lot. You know RD, my Math version might now come as a pocketbook. Students will carry me like wallets!”
The students’ complaint box
M Laxmikanth sighed deeply at NCERT’s remark. “It’s not funny brother. Despite how much I stressed on previous year’s question for Polity, all my UPSC aspirants studied your Legal Studies version.”
HC Verma shook his head. “Students nowadays are unbearable. The other day I found them debating whether the value of ‘g’ is 9.8 or 10. Is this worth fussing over? I’d rather solve ten numericals on vectors.” He smiled, imagining the proof of the Parallelogram Law of Vector Addition. RD Sharma nodded vigorously. “True. They don’t want to open books. Instead, they binge-watch those ‘entertaining’ marathon solution videos on QTube.” “Question Tube,” RS Aggarwal corrected solemnly.
A trip down memory lane
RS Aggarwal and NCERT spoke together, nostalgia dripping from their voices. “Those were our days. We sat for hours and hours, day and night, imagining questions in plants, tea cups, curtains, radios – everything around us became a problem to solve.” All of them fell silent for a moment. Then, together, they declared, “And all of us created beautiful academic entities – the fuel that ignites a student’s career.” HC Verma suddenly asked, “Brother, what was the ignition temperature and calorific value of this fuel?” The table erupted in laughter. As mouths opened wide, RD Sharma quietly reached for a ruler, trying to measure the circumference, purely for academic purposes, of course.

Movie Review Rusty spies or feisty thrills?

Movie: Back in Action
Directed by: Seth Gordon
Released on: January 17, 2025
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Kyle Chandler, Glenn Close
Genre: Action, Comedy, Spy, Thriller

Synopsis: Back in Action is a high-octane action comedy that marks the long-awaited return of Cameron Diaz to the silver screen alongside Jamie Foxx. It centres on Emily and Matt, a couple who look totally normal with two kids, a quiet home, and an ordinary routine. Yet, beneath that peaceful surface lies a deeply classified secret: a few years back, they were top-tier, elite CIA field operatives who decided to leave the espionage game and settle down to start a family. But their cover gets exposed due to an unexpected intelligence breach. Dragged right back into international espionage, they are forced to dust off their old combat skills while trying to keep their children oblivious to the truth… because, well, the kids can’t know.
Why it’s worth watching: The film highlights the importance of adaptability and teamwork in times of crisis. It shows the significance of supporting one another and staying strong in the face of hardship. What really hits home is the idea of second acts. There is something touching about watching characters who left behind a chaotic, exciting past to build a normal life, only to realise their old skills are precisely what they need to protect. Also, the movie is fast-paced with witty dialogue, ensuring you won’t be bored for a single minute.
Iconic dialogue: “They’re living their best lies.”
Rating:
Review by: Siddhi Gupta
AIS Gurugram 43, X C