Theme: Bridges over Chasms

In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and the foolish build dams.
-Nigerian proverb

Every individual experiences, rather painfully, the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression. The world - as we know it - has stalled as these problematic yet sensitive circumstances have brought about a lot of chaos and hurdles in friendship, togetherness and harmony. We constantly yearn and grieve to see our family, friends and colleagues. These are the “chasms” or gaps which come in and obstruct our way of life during these times of crisis. Virtual interaction, education through online sources and staying in touch with our peers via social media is the new norm. It is the bridge that we have consistently used to cover these voids of our daily life. However, there are yet some rifts, unvisited and unsolved, that we all face, the ones which all we have to bridge together unitedly. But what, exactly, is this bridge made of? And what lies underneath?

Join us at TEDxMITS, where we hope to devise ideas, bring up suggestions, share thoughts and bend the rules to build sturdy bridges over the general chasms of life. Indeed, it is time to give ourselves a reality check and to receive the wake-up call.

Visvesvaraiya Hall
Muthoot M George Block, Muthoot Institute of Technology and Science
Varikoli, Kerala, 682308
India

Aayushi Yadav Scribbled Stories

India's largest platform for micro-fiction.

“What brings the greatest happiness and the deepest despair?” Words, my love!! Just words.” From your first lie to the biggest promise, from bunking classes to rushing to the office, from crushes to heartbreaks, from being an extrovert to an introvert, from sharing secrets, to keeping them, from your dreams to your achievements, all of us have that stash of memories that spread a huge smile on our faces. The memories we revisit in solitude; the flashbacks we yearn for. In a world where we tell ourselves stories to thrive, the popularity of micro-fiction storytelling being, even more, here is a diverse pool of budding unleashing their creativity, listening to the musings of life around and within them, holding all of us in awe with their scintillating way of "saying a lot in a little". 3.4 million people are now related to the "flashbacks" and "replays" they created through their words, which they call "The ScribbledStories".

Anisha Bhatia

Activist, Founder- Paint for Paws

They said “age is just a number”, and they were right, weren’t they ??? Well, meet our speaker Anisha Bhatia who proves just that. To juggle between a wide range of roles from being the founder of ‘Paint for Paws’ to heading the Mumbai Chapter for ‘The Period Society’ to raising awareness on mental health issues and LGBTQ+ rights is no mean feat. And yet, our fourteen-year-old student activist marches forward with conviction and determination because she firmly believes that our actions speak louder than words and empty promises. Her awareness programs in the slums of Mumbai, educating women on the importance of good menstrual practices, raising funds and distributing sanitary napkins for those who cannot afford them has earned her multiple accolades and she was recently featured on the Humans of Bombay page.

Dr. S S Lal

Public health Expert (WHO)

World renowned health expert, an orator, a writer , an academician and a doctor par excellence- our speaker, Dr. S.S. Lal, MBBS, MPH, MBA, Ph.D, has been a familiar face for Keralites even before the little virus decided to wage war on humanity for the past year. With over 25 years of experience across globe in the public health sector, he surely is a man of great happenings with a well established vocation with the World Health Organisation. While he is currently the President of Global Foundation for Health and Hygiene, USA, he is also the Professor and Head of Public Health of Global Institute of Public Health of India, Advisor of global health organizations based in Switzerland and USA and the President of the Kerala Chapter of All India Professionals' Congress. With his relentless passion and dedication in what he has mastered, Dr. Lal remains to be a beacon of hope as he continues to be committed towards the betterment of health conditions all over the world.

K Govindan

Co-Founder-Pink Lungi

PinkLungi: For The Malayali Within You - the very name spreads a smile on the face of all Malayali netizens out there. Being a bunch of fun, progressive Malayalis, this dedicated team regularly comes up with stories you wish to hear on everything under the sun - ranging from culture to entertainment to food to lifestyle to news of importance and relevance. Their ability to throw light on issues of socio-cultural and political importance with a dash of humour is an incredible example for the scope and influence of content creation in Kerala. While the resurrection of our age old gems in Malayalam cinemas with striking captions and briefings took us all to a world of nostalgia, their Cringe Series made us burst with laughter. Their consistent effort to maintain fun, entertainment and information without compromise in quality and engagement, sets PinkLungi to be the one-stop destination to unleash the Malayali within you.

Preethi Shanker

Certified Story Teller, Montessori Guide

“Once upon a time” is how she would begin her sessions. With several props including puppets and handmade cutouts, she slowly begins to unravel the world of imagination for her eager-eyed audience as she drops her voice, raises her brows, blinks her eyes, dances and sways around. To see them gasp, laugh, think and react, she admits is her ultimate form of bliss. Meet our next speaker, Ms. Preethi Shanker, a certified storyteller, or the “story aunt”- as she is fondly referred, one of the finest narrators in the city for whom the job is effortless. Having trained under the world-renowned storyteller Geetha Ramanujam at Kathalaya’s International Academy of Storytelling, Bangalore, our speaker finds the art of storytelling a natural instinct, something that rises from deep within. And yes, she does make it a point to weave the story not just to entertain the children, but also to nurture their values and imagination-rich world.

Rohan Jain

Author, Traveler, IIM(A), IIT(K)

"Yer a wizard Harry." With these words by Hagrid, Harry's world (and ours) officially changed forever. We were introduced to the world of flying broomsticks, fire-spitting dragons and foaming Butterbeers. Written by the all too familiar J K Rowling, Harry Potter is undoubtedly one of the finest books for kids, encouraging generations to discover magic all around them. Well, Rohan Jain, a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group and a graduate from IIT(K) and IIM(A) did just that. Our speaker, a self confessed Potterhead is the author of the bestseller “The Promises We Made” and a passionate dancer with thousands of followers on his social media pages. Having travelled to over 32 countries, his experiences and stories are an absolute delight to listen to. Now that’s what we call a true magical journey!!