TEACHING TODAY FOR BUILDING TOMORROW

Iyer Vijayalaxmi Kasinath, a professor of Architecture who received the National Award for Teachers, shares her passion for sustainability, why her research that shapes smarter solutions matters, and how she trains the next generation

- NIDHARSHANA RAJU

IN today's world shaped by Google and AI, teachers remain irreplaceable. Why? Because search engines can hand us endless answers, but only a teacher can kindle the curiosity to ask the right questions. While algorithms may process data, it is teachers who invoke empathy, imagination, and the courage to think differently, and so their relevance is not measured by the information they carry, but by the wisdom, patience, and human touch with which they shape lives.

Recognising this and honouring educators year after year, the Government of India confers the National Award to Teachers, bestowed annually since 1958. The Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, selected 21 teachers in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Polytechnic this year. Among the recipients was Professor Iyer Vijayalaxmi Kasinath, a Chennaiite who teaches in the School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.

From admitting she stumbled into architecture before falling in love with it, to playing a vital part in shaping climate-resilient and sustainable architecture curricula in India, her journey now aligns with the country's international climate commitment. Here are excerpts from her candid conversation with CE.

What inspired you to choose teaching as your path? Do you remember the teacher who inspired or made an impact on you to fuel that dream?

I was in class 8. My brother had finished Engineering and cracked JEE, while my sister had joined MBBS. At that time, when my father asked what I wanted to pursue, I said I wanted to be a teacher. I didn't know what I wanted to teach, but I think the decision came from the reverence and respect I had for my teachers in school.