Undergraduate / The day when Kolkata faced a severe crisis still remains etched in my memory [3]

. The bone of contention was the West Bengal government allowing an author asylum in spite of a 'fatwa' being issued in her name. The author had scripted something which was sacrilegious to a religion and the sentiments of that group were hurt, which sparked off an intense brawl. The people of that community had taken the law in their hands and set fire to certain establishments and vehicles.

Unfortunately the dispersal of our school coincided with that of the unrest in the city and I was caught in the epicenter of this strife. My car was surrounded by a number of youths and I appeared to be a hapless victim. I could see my end nearing as the hostile youth were on the verge of scorching my car with torches. Almost being cornered, in walked a messiah, rather an old man, quite strangely belonging to their religion, and spoke to them in a language which was semi-foreign to me. What I could make out vaguely was that, a young school lad is too innocent to be butchered by the selfish interest of a handful of conceited individuals. He came to me as a silver lining and the mob slowly filtered away much to my respite. The old man melted away in the crowd and left behind his footprints on my mind only to feel that divides are manmade and it's our perspective that controls our thoughts and views on issues and societal classes.

Personally, the gesture of the old man indirectly molded my outlook. I have started deeming them with more respect and have become more empathetic. A university is a place where unity and solidarity of faith takes one to a notch higher than expected. Thus I can proudly confess in the light of today that I have the subtlety to follow and perceive the mindset of the people and react according to the call of the hour.

Undergraduate / 'Accountancy and Commerce professor' - best teacher essay [7]

The best teacher in my life has been my Accountancy and Commerce teacher from the 11th and 12th grade. He has been instrumental in shaping up my personality especially during the last two years. I feel indebted to him for influencing me in such a positive way.

One of his most noteworthy quotes that he told me was that "As you tread each day, meet new people and explore new horizons, you will continue to grow as an individual". He told me that the most valuable lessons of our life are learnt by experiences.

In the 11th grade, our cricket team had lost the finals of a tournament by just one run. Our team was dejected with the outcome of the match. After the loss, my teacher walked up to me and his words made me realize that being the captain of the team, I was responsible for rejuvenating the confidence in my team. He told me to take all the positives from the match and reflect on them. He made me understand that sometimes losses help us in the process of self-evaluation.

This precise interaction with him changed my perspective about that loss. It made me realize that life teaches us several things which the people can only help us become aware of. My teacher is the one who made me aware of this. He has always been eager to help in situations irrespective of whether it pertains to the classroom or not. He has taught me also that every moment in life is a part of the unending process of self-development.