Personal Background

My name is Tilak. Apart from academics, I was actively engaged with Friends' Club (FC) (An Intellectuals' Assembly) a non-profit institution. I became the secretary of the club in the year 2005. As the secretary of FC, my responsibilities included selection, supervision & personality development of the members of the Club. I also participated and compeered many debates and discussions on issues of socio-politico-economic importance. I also won first prize for my entry” The Future of Rashtra Bhasha in India" in June 2007 in Pratiyogita Darpan (Eng.).

One of the greatest experiences of my life was working for flood victims in 2004, collecting funds for Tsunami victims in Jan 2005 and organizing a seminar in Jan 2006 which gave me immense experience of working in a team of intellectuals, sponsors and of course the common milieu. That exposure also helped in improving my communication skills significantly.

My greatest strength is my belief in my abilities for which the credit goes to the circumstances I was blessed with. Working for flood victims I discovered what Amala Rodrigues once said that strangely suffering touches human heart deeper than pleasure. My experience was similar while collecting funds for Tsunami victims. Albeit, sufferings alone should not be the axis of distribution of rights and privileges, but managing human being, the greatest of all the resources.

The year was 2006 when the thought of journalism first came to my mind. The inspiration was an interview, of mine, by a journalist. The one thing that the journalist said to me after the interview was over was, ‘you are sensitive, and someone like you should be a journalist’. At that time I was preparing for MBA. The reason, ultimately myself, though, my state of affairs too had a role. I had to prepare for MBA for the next two years.


At the end of the year 2008 I had calls from two reputed institutes to opt from. One was a reputed management programme run by the University of Delhi. Another was the offer to pursue masters in journalism from one of the most reputed journalism schools on India, AJKMCRC. An MBA degree would have given far more secure career than journalism. Actually monetary consideration would have never allowed me to join journalism.

But the one thing that prompted me to go for journalism was that there are many ways to earn but few to give back. I believe my nurturing has implanted in me that money has to be the last criteria to think of.

I come from a very humble background. My father is a teacher. His dedication towards his students has always been a source of inspiration for both me and my sister. My mother always taught us never to go for short-cuts and be patient.

I don’t claim to be a perfect man. But I believe I have always done things differently. I have always inspired those around me and every action of mine has and always had a human angle.

I just want to reinvent, repossess myself every next moment for a greater cause.