"Dont say 'No' to notes" by K.J.S.Chatrath

When I was in school and then in college, I used to take notes in the class. Firstly because all the students were expected to take notes to show that they were attentive and were following the lecture. A student not taking notes in the class was considered by teachers to be non- serious towards studies. And secondly I found taking of notes to be useful in recapitulating the main points later.

I remember that after the matriculation examination in 1958, we had about two months time before the result was to be declared. My father, God bless his soul, prompted me to join a typing school. That knowledge of typing came useful when the computers came. Simultaneously I also learnt, what was then called short hand. That really helped me at the college stage as I could take down notes in the class while my classmates struggled to keep pace with the lecture.

Years on when I joined the Service, the note taking again came to haunt me. I had to attend the in house meetings. I came to know of the unwritten rule that the junior most officer present was supposed to take down notes- to preserve for posterity what had transpired during that wasted hour.

When I became more senior and attending inter-departmental meetings became my full time job, it was the duty of the junior officers to provide me with a background note of what was schdeuled to be discussed in the meeting.

The last I saw of this practise was around my retirement, by which time 'talking points' had to be provided to the Hon'ble Minister. These were just one or two words for each major points in a 'bullets' format.

I see that I am becoming nostalgic of those days......But at 72+, I would rather encourage youngsters to take down and use notes rather that make fun of them.