Talk:Ramendra Kumar (author)

Deletion: Written Works in School Curriculums and Education

This entire section needs to be deleted or sourced. It reads like it has been written by an agent. I imagine these things in this section aren't 'made up', but they simply aren't sourced... bar the final sentence. Thudinspecies (talk) 12:32, 17 October 2024 (UTC)

Conflict of Interest Editing Notice

As an editor interested to work on this article, which was noted by Wikipedia as one of many in need of clean-up, I need to mention that I have a conflict of interest due to something of an online connection with Mr. Kumar, though we've never met in person. A "COI admission" is not a bar to editing an article, merely a way to keep the work on such articles transparent. Augnablik (talk) 13:20, 10 December 2024 (UTC)

Article's editing needs

The article that had been posted here for quite some time before being almost completely blown to smithereens recently had long been in need of major surgery. I knew about this well over a year ago and wanted to help get it shipshape but hesitated because I wasn't quite sure if I could legitimately do so because I had come to know Mr. Kumar somewhat online, only much later learning that I could with a declaration of COI. Then at some point in the past few months, the article was singled out by senior editors as an article in need of work to "advertise" as a task for any and all to help with, which attracted some attention. And finally it was blown up by an editor except for a few paragraphs as remains.

The main problems with the earlier version of the article was that there were many statements unsupported by citations and lack of organization. However, I was also aware of many more publications by Mr. Kumar, as well as awards and other turns of interest in his life, since that version of the article.

Because so little of the article remains, there would almost seem a need to start from scratch, or else to revert everything that was blown up to work on. But there's another option: I've been quietly working on the article "offshore" for many months, on my home computer. I copied the original and went to work on it editorially. It's in what you could call my online carpentry shop, my word processor. Although my draft is not quite ready for unveiling, I did want to mention this to whichever editors who've worked on this article might be interested to work on it further. Fairly soon I can display it for your inspection, comments, and suggestions.

This is what I believe can be the quickest and most transparent way to get the article to where it can finally take a respectable place within Wikipedia. Any thoughts?

PS By an ironic twist of fate, the Wiki editor who wielded most of the TNT to the article has now himself or herself been blown off from further activity as a Wikipedia editor. Augnablik (talk) 07:23, 14 December 2024 (UTC)

There's been a change of plans about further editing of this article involving me since my message above. My mentor, as well as another senior editor, have suggested that instead of going the route I laid out there that I submit edit COI requests here from my draft here on the article Talk page one at a time, then wait for approval from Wikipedians who handle COI requests from before submitting the next. So that's what I'll be doing. Augnablik (talk) 05:56, 9 May 2025 (UTC)

• Specific text to be added:

Ramendra Kumar (born 25 August 1963) is an award-winning Indian children's author who has also written for adults in a variety of genres.

Kumar is also known as a professional communicator from his many years of leadership in the Rourkela Steel Plant Communications Department in the state of Odisha (formerly Orissa), where he combined his bachelor's degree in engineering and master's degree in business administration with his lifelong interest in writing.

In addition, he is known as a storyteller and motivational speaker. These roles expanded after his 2021 diagnosis of Stage II colon cancer, accompanied by life-threatening challenges, as he began writing about cancer management from the patient's perspective and became the subject of numerous 'cancer warrior' interviews and stories by others.

• Reason for the change: The current version of this article has no lead section, whereas Wikipedia articles require one. Very little of any of the past material in the article remains either, but in further sections I will propose with an edit COI request I have incorporated relevant information from past versions of the article plus many updates.

• References supporting change: As this is a proposed lead, references are not required. References for everything in the proposed information will be supported in the proposed sections that will come.

Augnablik (talk) 07:43, 9 May 2025 (UTC)

Not done for now: Hey, whilst lead sections do not require references per WP:LEAD, they must have the references in the main body of the article which is not currently in place. I understand you plan to make further requests with them but I cannot implement this request until they are also in place. I'd recommend submitting them requests then reopening this one once they're implemented. Thanks, Encoded  Talk 💬 23:56, 8 June 2025 (UTC)

@Encoded,oh, my. I wish I'd known, or thought of, that before simply starting with the edits in sequence from the top down. This is my first COI edit request, and I was already distressed that it would take a long time for an editor to reply to such requests because there are so few of you available to do this sort of work.

And I see that you replied here a month ago, while the whole time I was waiting for notification when a reply would come. I don't recall receiving any, though I check them several times a day. I see that I should have returned here more often or else put the page on my Watchlist, but I felt sure that I wouldn't miss a notification.

So now, Encoded, a question for you. Since you need to see the references in the body of the article in order to check if the edits in the lead support them, even though with COI edit requests we're supposed to send them one at a time, would you ever consider my sending you all the other edits at the same time? Augnablik (talk) 11:39, 2 July 2025 (UTC)

Hey @Augnablik, sorry that the notification didn't come through - sometimes they don't with these requests for some reason. Typically it is recommended to break it up into smaller requests (in this case you'd have to update the body of the article first then the lead) however I'm happy to review it all at once if you'd prefer to submit it like that, might be easier for you in this case. Many thanks, Encoded  Talk 💬 23:12, 2 July 2025 (UTC)

I really appreciate your willingness to work directly together on this, @Encoded. It will make the process much faster than the slogging pace having to use a series of different editors, even if I leave you edits piecemeal rather than all at one time. I'll begin leaving "packages" for you very soon. Augnablik (talk) 20:28, 4 July 2025 (UTC)

@Encoded, here are packages 1 and 2 for you. Augnablik (talk) 17:37, 6 July 2025 (UTC)

=== Early life ===

Kumar was born in Hyderabad, India, to former Osmania University professor and Hindi Department head R. K. Khandelwal and Hindi fiction writer Deepti Khandelwal. He attended Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, which includes him on a list of prominent alumni.

The roots of his lifelong writing career he attributes to his father's effusive reaction to a few lines of verse that Kumar wrote as a child around the age of seven—one of his few positive memories from his early years, marked as they were by his parents' divorce and his own major health challenges and attempted suicide. His first serious forays into writing were satire and poetry contributions to his school and college magazines and later for newspaper supplements. Augnablik (talk) 17:31, 6 July 2025 (UTC)

=== Writing career ===

After earning a bachelor’s degree in Engineering and a master’s degree in Business Administration, Kumar was hired as a junior manager of communications in the Public Relations Department of the Rourkela Steel Plant in the state of Odisha. Early on he met his wife, who helped jump-start his children's writing career a few years later when they had a son and in need of freeing up time for her to attend to the newborn, she asked Kumar to read stories to their daughter, aged four. He decided to create his own stories, however, and the stories he found that brought his daughter most enjoyment he eventually began sending to book companies. In 1997 his first children's book, Just a Second and Other Stories, was published.

As soon as the little boy reached the age for stories, he too wanted his own. But because his preference was for action and sports stories rather than the fairy tales preferred by his sister, Kumar found himself telling the children both sorts of stories. After providing them a large supply of stories over many years, he came to refer to himself as 'Papa Scheherezade'—the eponymous title he gave to a book he wrote about this experience.

As of April 2025, Kumar's books published in English totalled 49, of which 18 are also available in Indian languages and 14 in foreign languages. His writings have been brought out by major publishers, including Penguin Random House; HarperCollins Publishers India; Hachette Book Group; Pratham Books; National Book Trust (NBT); Rupa Publications; Children's Book Trust (CBT); Navneet Publications; Readomania Publishing; Pauline Publications; Ponytale Books; Blue Pencil Publishers; and Pustak Mahal. His stories are also included in eleven anthologies published by the Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children (AWIC); Vikas Publishing House; Pustak Mahal; Readomania Publishing; and Blue Pencil Publishers, as well as in the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series. They have also been published and reviewed in newspapers, magazines, and e-zines. Augnablik (talk) 17:34, 6 July 2025 (UTC)

Hi @Augnablik, thanks for submitting this.

The writing here sounds more like a blog post rather than an encyclopaedic article. Specifically sections such as "one of his few positive memories from his early years" and "His first serious forays into writing". I think the tone/style of writing may need to be tweaked slightly, I can help with this if you'd like.

I was also unable to verify the information about his attempted suicide in the reference provided for this section. Which section of the source can I find this in?

Refs 4 and 5 are both primary sources, are there any secondary sources that could be used here? It's not a dealbreaker - just would be best.

Thanks, Encoded  Talk 💬 17:56, 6 July 2025 (UTC)

I'm the one who needs to thank you, Encode. You responded so quickly to my recent reply and then to the first "package" that came your way.

— About sounding more like a blog than an encyclopedic article, I'll be happy to re-tweak. Although I've done a lot of academic writing, I try to present information in such a way that it engages readers even while I try to adhere to policy and guidelines regarding tone of the writing. I welcome your suggestions. As I think I mentioned, this is my first experience with a COI edit request.

— About the source of the mention of a suicide attempt, I hate to confess but it seems an incorrect attribution on my part to the reference I provided for the entire paragraph. Sources where it can be found would include Kumar's website plus a reference not yet used in the article (Kumar, Ramendra. "Surviving Cancer and Spreading Positivity". https://techsparktechnologies.com/ics/surviving-cancer-and-spreading-positivity/. Indian Cancer Society).

BUT: weighing several considerations — including your comment about sounding like a blog as well as the fact that this is not important information about Kumar — I think the mention of a suicide attempt plus the rest of the first sentence after "the age of seven" could simply be deleted from the paragraph. This, then, would be the revision: "The roots of his lifelong writing career he attributes to his father's effusive reaction to a few lines of verse that Kumar wrote as a child around the age of seven. His first serious writing attempts were in satire and poetry contributions to his school and college magazines and later for newspaper supplements."

— Refs 4 and 5 are the only place I know of to cite as sources for this information. I know third-party sources are preferred in Wiki articles, but for the latest updates on the prolific Kumar's books and the names of his publishers, I hope they will indeed not be deal-breakers. I know primary sources are allowed for basic factual information. Augnablik (talk) 19:36, 6 July 2025 (UTC)

Hi @Augnablik, I like the revision, thank you! Sorry for taking a few days to get back to you as well.

Unfortunately I'm unable to access the techsparktechnologies source, I have however been able to verify the claim from his website so that's all sorted. I think including the suicide/health issues may be important as it seems (from his website) to have been a big part of his younger life, I've included them for now but if you feel they'd be better removed please let me know and I can do so.

I've made the changes as requested in the earlier message with your revision, but ever so slightly tweaked the first sentence of the writing career section, I hope this is ok! The general content is the same, just adjusted the wording. I've also included refs 4 and 5, just wanted to check first!

Thanks, Encoded  Talk 💬 07:29, 11 July 2025 (UTC)

Hi, I've made some further tweaks and found some more references as well to hopefully be able to remove the notability warning. Encoded  Talk 💬 07:51, 11 July 2025 (UTC)

So, you added a "Written works in school curricula and education" section ... the references you found seem to be ones I was already aware of but perhaps didn't use or else they came later on ... at any rate, I think I'd better go ahead at this point and send you the next section in my edited version because it overlaps what you obviously had in mind here ... please see the next message. Augnablik (talk) 10:30, 11 July 2025 (UTC)

Package 3 (a few loose threads remain, but I think you need to be aware of the section itself because of the new section you had in mind)

Edit request (updated)

I'm jumping in to help this old malformed request. I assume it's meant to go under the written works section after Ramendra Kumar (author)#Writing career. See below for the original author.STEMinfo (talk) 04:37, 29 October 2025 (UTC)

Extended content

Children's books and stories

Kumar's writings for children—many of them best-sellers—'have indeed enriched children’s literature', comments Santosh Bakaya, one of the author's reviewers, adding that 'the adult with a child hiding inside has also immensely enjoyed his books'. According to Bakaya, Kumar's success rests on his ability to meet the special demands of writing for children, which involve entering the child's world. Kumar singles out children's stories as his favourite genre of writing because reaching out to children with stories to inspire and elevate, not just entertain, is the one way he feels he can make a contribution to society. More specifically, he writes most in what he calls the 'Here and Now' genre of children's stories, addressing contemporary values and concerns—about children who are ordinary but resiliently face 'extraordinary circumstances'. He further characterises these stories as fast-paced, touched with humour to retain interest, and with a value 'tucked in' rather than moralistically presented. Among the 'extraordinary circumstances' in his children's stories, Kumar lists 'hard core realities like communal violence, war, mental trauma, exploitation, abuse et al.'—but always ending on a note of hope that he finds has brought him his harshest criticism. To this critique, Kumar counters by pointing out the exposure of today's children to 'angst and agony, sorrow and suffering within and without' that bring his wish in turn to prevent them growing up to be cynical. Despite the frequency of tough challenges in Kumar's stories, however, they portray children's more playful and joyful side as well. Not all of Kumar's children's writings are 'Here and Now'. For instance, A Ghost called Fachak and Other Stories—a collection of ten stories—has been described as being '[d]istinctively Indian flavoured and indigenous', a counter-balance to Western children's classics in translation. Three of Kumar’s children's books—Boond, A Tale of Tails, and We Are Different (a picture book)—individually garnered sales of over 260,000 copies in 2021-2022, going into many reprints. [CITE] All have also been chosen for the Government of India's Samagra Shiksha programme in many states. They have been published in several Indian languages. [CITE] Six of his children’s books have been recommended by India's Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) as supplementary readers, and eleven of his children’s stories have also been published in foreign textbooks.

Paplu the Giant has come to particular prominence among Indian children’s stories CITE In 2013 it was selected by its publisher, Pratham Books, for storytelling sessions to mark International Literacy Day—celebrated annually on September 8—with narration of the book by volunteers in more than twenty-five languages across India and abroad.

Kumar’s storytelling extends beyond conventional print format:

• Three of his books have come out in the comic book format: A Special Act—A Comic Book on the POCSO Act. (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012); the Juvenile Justice Act (Care and Protection of Children), 2006, endorsed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); and What, Why and How? Diabetes, A Common Non-Communicable Disease.
• His story “The Wise Kanhu” has been adapted as kamishibai, a traditional form of storytelling in Japan. (DEPRECATED?)
• Seventeen of his children’s stories have been featured as podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Castbox, Gaana, Gaathastory, JioSaavn, and Spotify. CITE

In a comprehensive analysis of Kumar's place in Indian children's storytelling, Anand Patil—himself an Indian children's author—finds many similarities between Kumar and such internationally recognised children's authors as J. M. Barrie, A. A. Milne, Hugh Lofting, and Nikolay Nosov because of their shared childlike sensitivity and immersion in the world of children. Patil sharply contrasts this tone and perspective with that of traditional Indian children's literature. (QUESTION ABOUT INACCURATE TITLE) Pathipaka Mohan, another Indian writer as well as critic, metaphorically compares Kumar's place in the 'firmament of Indian English children’s literature from south India' to an ancient royal citadel in Hyderabad of widespread fame—Golconda. Augnablik (talk) 10:47, 11 July 2025 (UTC)

Oh, happy day! To finally get traction on the article, after so long in the COI edit request waiting room, with no end in sight. I'm comfortable with much of what you did, except for one thing I'll pick up on immediately below, and then I'd like to ask a couple of questions. To make it easier for you to respond, I'll put each in a separate reply. Augnablik (talk) 10:08, 11 July 2025 (UTC)

Here's the "except for one thing": what you did to my sentence "As soon as the little boy reached the age for stories, he too wanted his own." Your revision, "As soon as he was the age for stories, he wanted to start writing his own," is problematic for two reasons:

— The referent of he and his is Kumar in the previous paragraph, not his son.

— The subject of start writing is Kumar's son, not Kumar.

— Minor point, but I think it's more common to say at the age for stories than otherwise.

Although I don't know you very well yet, I feel free enough from our initial interaction to tease you a little by commenting that it must have been at the end of one of your long days at the university when you made that edit ... 😊 Augnablik (talk) 10:10, 11 July 2025 (UTC)

Now for the questions. I'd like to understand why you removed most of Kumar's publishers. Was it just to streamline a bit? If so, is there some policy or guideline about that? This is where I'm aware that my COI enters in, as I know Kumar would very much like to list them all.

If the list must absolutely be shortened, is there some particular reason you selected the three that you did? Augnablik (talk) 10:22, 11 July 2025 (UTC)

@Encoded, you are still alive? Augnablik (talk) 04:31, 4 August 2025 (UTC)

Hi @Augnablik, I'm taking a wikibreak to focus on my university work so won't be reviewing any requests until mid-September. I've reopened the request so that another editor can assist you. Apologies, Encoded  Talk 💬 09:34, 5 August 2025 (UTC)

🥲

I was looking forward to working with you, Encoded, both to hurry things up on the article and because I felt we'd collaborate well. But having spent many years pursuing degrees, I can sympathize with the need for focus. Best wishes.

I do hope the new editor can step in sooner than as if we were back at Square One. Copy edit requests are likely the cause of quite a bit of missing chunks of Wikipedians' hair ... Augnablik (talk) 11:24, 5 August 2025 (UTC)

Hi @Augnablik, hope you are well, the removal of the publishers was from a WP:PROMO point of view. I felt that having the entire list was somewhat promotional in tone, and since I know of Penguin Random House being notable I chose that, with the other two being at random. If you'd prefer to switch them out I'd be happy to.

However, I also understand the desire to have them all on and whilst I feel that a list would not be suitable perhaps they could be worked into the article in another way? I've got some examples in my sandbox. Either a table could be used or the books could be discussed in a "Works" section, this would also allow you to talk about any awards/reviews/etc.

Thanks, Encoded  Talk 💬 22:27, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

Wow, Encode, your sandbox examples certainly showed some creative ways to go about this. Would it be possible under Wiki policy for me to share a screenshot of that page and ask the author himself to help with this, because he would be far more aware than I of connecting publishers with awards, sales numbers, criticism, etc.? Or even just telling me what he thinks the most notable publishers besides Penguin are? Augnablik (talk) 08:50, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

By the way, I made one edit on the article in your recent absence from working on it — after checking first with my mentor. He's been fully aware of my connection with this article after the agonizing discovery on my part back while I was still a newbie that I was in a COI situation after doing quite a bit of preliminary work on it with the involvement of the author.

I summarized that edit on the article's History page. Augnablik (talk) 08:59, 20 August 2025 (UTC)

Encode, I guess you are no longer available during that temporary time-out from your university studies ...? Or something came up that prevented you from helping on the Ramendra Kumar article as you'd indicated that you could? Augnablik (talk) 07:00, 1 September 2025 (UTC)

Hey, sorry for taking a while to get back to you, for some reason I didn't get any notifications from here but I've added it to my watchlist so I will from now on. Happy for you to share a screenshot of that, and the edits made look good. Thanks, Encoded  Talk 💬 18:11, 13 September 2025 (UTC)

Oh, my, Encode: once again I didn't see your reply to my previous message. So, are you back again doing Wiki editing without having to take time off for your studies, as I remember you said you expected to be in mid-September?

I'm a bit unsure where we are in our collaboration, as this COI editing is so new to me. Augnablik (talk) 11:39, 23 September 2025 (UTC)

Oh hey @Augnablik! I recall talking with you a bit ago regarding GOCE stuff... it's a small world. Perhaps I can help out here, mind getting me up to speed on your work so far and the conversation above (which I've skimmed briefly)? As of right now, it looks like a lot of the info is cited to WP:INTERVIEWs; any higher quality sources avaliable? Best, GoldRomean (talk) 01:09, 10 October 2025 (UTC)

Oh, hey, GoldRomean! What a delightful surprise. Small world indeed. Will you be taking over for Encode, or are you just popping in on this? I love the idea of working with just one editor rather than lots of different ones, and from our past exchanges I believe we'd work well together.

Yes, there are other sources than interviews — and for that matter, websites, which I've also used — but just not many of the kind Wikipedia wants. I've come to understand that a lot of people who are very notable in their field, like Ramendra, may not have good solid third-party sources. The reason you don't see all of what I have is because I've been following Wiki procedure for COI edits and making submissions in dribbles. If you can deal with looking at most everything at the same time, I'll be happy to send that way. In fact, I might turn cartwheels over the opportunity. Augnablik (talk) 13:14, 10 October 2025 (UTC)

Regarding taking over, I'm sorry I can't really tell you for sure; my interests/current editing projects can change often and be sporadic :). To be honest, I'm okay with working closely with others, although I think having different perspectives and opinions is also important. Feel free to send over a draft, though no guarantee I'll have time to take a look :).

Unforunately, I sympathize with you, but if there may not have good solid third-party sources, I am not sure whether this information should be there, then. GoldRomean (talk) 17:08, 10 October 2025 (UTC)

I do have what I believe will count as admissible sources about Ramendra as an author of note, GoldRomean, just not as many as I'd like. These include some references about awards for his publications, and several honors including a symposium held to discuss his contributions to children's literature.

As I think about the last few years in Ramendra's life, he's also become quite noted in India as a cancer warrior with quite a dramatic story of his experience. Just last week, he was crowned "Mr. Cancer Warrior India" out of some 30 other contestants from all around the country. Before I send you anything further on the article, I'd like to take a fresh look at it since I last made a COI submission some months ago and integrate these recent developments.

By the way, if it wasn't clear earlier I don't expect any special treatment just because of our GOCE connection. I just want to get to closure on the article, and this sort of editing takes so unbelievably long that at times it can seem there's no end in sight. So whatever assistance you can offer will be much appreciated.

Augnablik (talk) 18:56, 10 October 2025 (UTC)

Of course; I get it. The COI backlog is not in great shape (and this happens to be one of the oldest ones in the queue). Take your time. Cheers. GoldRomean (talk) 19:01, 10 October 2025 (UTC)

😣 Awrrkk, this just sort of unmade my day to learn that this article is one of the longest back in the queue. And then it was almost blown out of existence some months ago when another editor took it on himself (or herself) to remove almost but not quite all of it, whereas a complete TNT would have at least opened the door to a new slate with an AfC rather than a COI edit. Augnablik (talk) 06:57, 11 October 2025 (UTC)

Part of the problem is that full rewrites take significantly more time for an editor patrolling the edit request category. It is much much easier to assess smaller changes than it is to assess an entire rewrite. Katzrockso (talk) 06:46, 28 October 2025 (UTC)

@Augnablik, sorry I dropped this. How are the changes you're working on going? GoldRomean (talk) 14:19, 28 October 2025 (UTC)

GoldRomean, you didn't "drop this." We'd agreed that I would do some remaining editing, then contact you. The gap in time since then has been due in part to my finding new ways to tighten up the information, even though I also found new supportive sources, as well as to improve the overall quality. Or so I think. It's been a wonderful experience in solidifying my Wikipedia writing and editing skills as I enter what I think of as my Wiki teen years.

Before I got an alert to your message, I'd been about to return to the ending of the article to do the last touch-up work I'd planned. I also asked for some guidance at the Help Desk today about a number of {{cite}} tags that a bot had placed on some of my references, which I wanted to take care of before getting back with you. I hadn't expected you'd pick up again on the article till then, though I appreciate that you thought to do it.

And I never expected you to write something for the article! Wow. Your 200-word summary was intended as a replacement for the lead in the version of the article that you last read, right? I've pretty much rewritten the whole article since our last conversation, including the lead (now just 102 words), though weaving it into what I'd already submitted. Frankly, I was hoping I could convince you to look at it as if it were a brand new article, rather than piecemeal as is usual with COI edits. Besides, that other editor who did an almost complete TNT on the article practically reduced it to rubble, so there was little to edit in the more conventional way. I realize this is an unusual request for your consideration, but in all honesty I think you might find that it's not "off the wall." I'll follow your preference, of course.

Two questions:

1. The version of the article I've been working on is in my sandbox. If you agree to read it as a whole, would you like to read it there, or could I send it somewhere else for you — including your Discord account?

2. I have 3 new photos I'd like to use in the article, all taken by Kumar's family members. (Yes, I know about the need for copyright-related letters.) One would replace the very outdated photo in the infobox. The other 2 would go further down in the article. I wasn't sure if I should add them in the sandbox, or separately.

Augnablik (talk) 14:03, 4 November 2025 (UTC)

@GoldRomean, apparently I was confused who had added a 200-word summary. I thought when I began my message of November 4 in reply to yours of October 28 that you had written that, but now I see that it was added by another editor and not you.

I look forward to your response to my above reply to yours. Augnablik (talk) 06:41, 6 November 2025 (UTC)

You're always free to contact me on Discord, but I'm fine with just looking at your sandbox (and it's usually best to keep things on-wiki, if possible). I'm sorry - I'm swamped at the moment and I'm not sure if I have the time to take a look at this at the moment (and I've also started somewhat veering away from COI edit requests to other projects). At a brief glance, there seems to be some promotional tone present (e.g. He attended Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, noted as one of India's leading lower educational institutions. (emphasis by me)). I think if you could get the images uploaded and copyright stuff sorted, you could add them to the sandbox (or link them here?). Best, GoldRomean (talk) 14:38, 6 November 2025 (UTC)

Errkkk ... you're right about the wording of the description of that school. Although I'm used to objective writing and editing, I saw how easy it is to slip in COI edits despite my past experience. I've reworded not only the text you pointed out but also 3 other statements that might have brought similar concern. Thanks for that feedback.

The only reason I thought about using Discord for the images was because I figured I could avoid having to do the copyright letters right away if I uploaded them into the sandbox, but I'll do that for you (the sandbox route). Augnablik (talk) 15:49, 6 November 2025 (UTC)

Oh - in that case, yes it might be better to keep them off-wiki until you get the copyright sorted (though to be fair copyright's not an area I'm super familiar with). Though either way, you need to upload them before you can add them to the article anyway :) GoldRomean (talk) 15:54, 6 November 2025 (UTC)

You gave me an idea about a great way to keep the images offline, but where you could see them! I've linked them to a Google drive.

—Photo 1 would replace the old photo in the infobox. Link

—Photo 2 would go in the “Writing career” section, near ¶1. Because the infobox above has become lengthened by using 5 available fields that hadn't been used before, a good place to place this photo would be at the left, if it’s okay to place photos there, as I believe it is. The photo would be captioned, Kumar and his daughter just before she began hearing his stories. Link

—Photo 3 would go just before the “Cancer warriorship” section, with the caption Kumar engaging young patients in a cancer ward. Link

Augnablik (talk) 18:39, 6 November 2025 (UTC)

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A few explanatory tidbits you may find helpful, Gold Romean:

— The revised article is just under 2,000 words.

— Although I’ve mentioned to you that I’ve occasionally used the subject’s website and interviews as references, it was just to support basic factual information.

— For less widely known Indian news media that I used in references, I provided their publishing locations.

— I didn’t use ISBN numbers in the book references because I found they weren’t required by Wikipedia.

— Ref #9 used to be available online, which is where I viewed the article as well as downloaded it from. Now it is not. I wondered if I should treat the citation as I would any other source I viewed online, meaning that I'd provide the URL and include the retrieval date, as well as explain that the article is no longer available online.

— The current “See also” section in the article has 2 entries suggested by another editor I’ve often consulted with about format issues. They are about Indians with surnames similar to Ramendra’s, but nothing to do with him. When I later read Wiki guidance about “See also” sections, I saw they’re supposed to be used for other pertinent information about the subject of the article ... which of course is a very different use. So now I don’t think it’s advisable to keep this section with these 2 entries. Do you? Augnablik (talk) 19:00, 6 November 2025 (UTC)

This is too extensive an add. It needs to be reduced. Wikipedia is meant to be a summary. I don't usually recommend it, but ChatGPT could help in this case. I ran it through to get it to 200 words and got this. If you add the citations, you're good to go.

Santosh Bakaya notes that Kumar’s best-selling works have “enriched children’s literature,” appealing to both young readers and “the adult with a child hiding inside.” His success, she says, lies in entering a child’s world with empathy and imagination.

Kumar calls children’s stories his favourite genre, aiming to inspire rather than simply entertain. Writing mainly in the “Here and Now” style, he portrays ordinary children facing “extraordinary circumstances.” His stories are fast-paced, humorous, and carry their messages subtly “tucked in” rather than moralistically stated.

They often address harsh realities—violence, war, trauma, and abuse—yet end on a hopeful note. Kumar defends this optimism, believing children already experience “sorrow and suffering” and need reassurance, not cynicism.

Not all his works fit this model: A Ghost Called Fachak and Other Stories is praised as “distinctively Indian flavoured and indigenous.”

His books Boond, A Tale of Tails, and We Are Different each sold over 260,000 copies and were included in the Government of India’s Samagra Shiksha programme. Six are CBSE-recommended, and eleven appear in foreign textbooks.

Paplu the Giant gained national prominence on International Literacy Day 2013. Kumar’s storytelling extends to comics, podcasts, and a kamishibai adaptation, earning comparisons to J. M. Barrie and A. A. Milne.

STEMinfo (talk) 04:46, 29 October 2025 (UTC)

@STEMinfo, I appreciate your arrival into the discussion about this article. I just wish it had been earlier. If GoldRomean can continue taking the article forward, I think it would be preferable because he's started somewhat. If he can't for any of several reasons, then let's you and I talk about your coming in on the article.

I fully understand that my request for GoldRomean to look at my version of a replacement article as a whole rather than piecemeal is unusual in COI edit requests. I'd been going the piecemeal route with the first editor who picked up on my request, but he dropped out of the picture entirely. When GoldRomean came along, I asked if he'd consider doing this because of what might be considered several extenuating circumstances that we've discussed back in this long thread. It's entirely up to him as to what he decides to do. Augnablik (talk) 19:28, 6 November 2025 (UTC)

Sorry, Augnablik, I can try to review this, but I offer no promises and my onwiki activity may lessen over the next few days/weeks. If STEMinfo would like to take over that would greatly be appreciated. Best, GoldRomean (talk) 20:31, 6 November 2025 (UTC)

I'm sorry, but the request is too long and verbose. The tone is not encyclopedic. It's written like an english thesis discussing and analyzing Kumar's works, when it should be an encyclopedia article summarizing the information concisely. I don't think any other experienced editors will add the info as it is written. I've given you suggested edited content. If you don't think my version is more suitable, you are welcome to edit your request. If any future versions continue to be as long and essay-like, don't be surprised if they are not addressed. Also, while there are many sources in the draft, the first important fact Kumar's writings for children—many of them best-sellers is unsourced. I marked this item as started. If you want someone else to look at it and hope to get a different reaction, you can remove the {{started}} template I added to the top. As far as the photos, you can upload them to commons as long as the photographer or person who owns the reproduction rights assigns them to Wikipedia using a creative commons license. If you want them to upload the photos, have them click on this link Wikipedia:File upload wizard and select the first option to Upload your own or a freely-licensed file. STEMinfo (talk) 22:25, 6 November 2025 (UTC)

Assuming you'd like to answer yes to GoldRomean's invitation to take this edit request forward, @STEMinfo:

Now that you know I did a complete re-edit of the entire article since I posted the last piecemeal edit that you picked up on — when I thought Gold Romean would be the new editor taking over from the previous one — can we start from scratch and I'll post the re-edited article for you piecemeal rather than going back to its previous incarnation?

I've already understood from what you've already written as feedback so far that you think the re-edit reads more like an English essay than an encyclopedia article, so I'll take some time to let that sink in before re-addressing it and sending you the lead and "Early career" sections.

In any event, I'm sure you'd like to start a new thread. Augnablik (talk) 05:22, 7 November 2025 (UTC)

Okay, @GoldRomean … thanks for filling in.

Best to you in turn. See you around GOCE. Augnablik (talk) 04:38, 7 November 2025 (UTC)

I'm happy to help if you write a good request. There are others as well who help. You don't need to depend on just me. This is one of the oldest requests so if you just edit it I assume you save your place in line. If we close it and post a new one, you'll be at the end of the line. STEMinfo (talk) 00:03, 8 November 2025 (UTC)

Mmmm, I didn't quite mean starting a new request, just a new thread. There are 35 messages in this one. If we start a new thread, would that mean a new request as well? Augnablik (talk) 03:40, 8 November 2025 (UTC)

@STEMinfo, I'd like to start resubmitting pieces of the re-editing that I did on the article that I told GoldRomean I wanted to do before he took over from the previous editor, Encode.

But I need to know if I can do this resubmission for you in a new thread to make it easier for us to work with, so I'm hoping to hear from you soon about whether this is okay without starting a new COI request. Looking forward to finally getting "Ramendra Kumar" out of the backlog. Augnablik (talk) 09:03, 10 November 2025 (UTC)

References

Augnablik I collapsed the text so you can put your new request here under this comment. I still think your best course of action is to source the condensed text I wrote, but it's up to you. Just be prepared that anything too verbose and unencyclopedic may not get a timely response. STEMinfo (talk) 18:14, 10 November 2025 (UTC)

If this is the best way to go, STEMinfo, so be it. At least it's easier to navigate. For me, it adds a layer of complexity because I work much more easily in the VE. But I defer to you.

As I've tried to convey in earlier messaging, I have re-edited the article since it was previously worked on by editor Encode, as I mentioned to editor GoldRomean when he came on board ... because I saw ways to tighten up the article as well as to provide more information that I thought would help take care of the earlier scarcity of usable sources. It took me several weeks to complete the re-editing of the article. GoldRomean didn't say anything about this major re-edit, so I felt I was on the right track.

But as I've said, I had no idea that you also entered the picture during the time I was re-eding, and had rewritten an earlier section. When I discovered that, of course I appreciated your taking the time to do that, but when GoldRomean finally dropped off the edit request, it just seemed more logical for you to take a look at what I did with that section and indeed the rest of the article I had submitted earlier. I really regret the extra unintended work for you, but I think you'll find it a much better version of what I had earlier submitted.

By the way, I notice that you said something about what seemed unsupported statements in the article. There are a number of places where several sentences in a paragraph are supported by the next reference. From what I've read in Wiki documentation about how much information can be placed in a paragraph before a reference is required, it's tricky because of course the further away the information is from the reference, the more likely it is for an assumption that it is not supported. And yet it's also important to avoid reference clutter. If you check my references for statements made here and elsewhere, I think you'll find everything is supported. Perhaps you can help find a still better middle ground in this article.

Note: Hard to grasp what's going on, pinging @STEMinfo:. Either way, I don't think the proposed rewrite has a neutral tone. If you're wondering, this page lists some words that you might want to watch out for when writing. AlphaBetaGamma (Talk/report any mistakes here) 12:37, 19 November 2025 (UTC)

@AlphaBetaGamma, I assume you are referring to my "Re-submission 1" below, and in particular to my use of multi-award-winning and prominent in the lead. In later submissions I'll make of the sections that follow what is included in Re-submission 1, I've provided sources supporting those descriptives; but they can't yet be viewed in this initial stage of the COI edit request process, involving submission of the article piecemeal rather than as a whole.

That is only one of the reasons I'd have much preferred to submit the article as a whole, and tried to make a case for doing because I'd completely re-edited it since an editor first picked up on the article last summer and then had to pause Wikipedia work for a long time. Augnablik (talk) 17:23, 19 November 2025 (UTC)

Resubmission 1

Reformatting this malformed request that was posted by Augnablik, and adding the edit coi tag to flag other interested editors.

I'm putting my response here since the request format is hard to respond to without making my comments look like part of the request. The text is too verbose, and by flattering the subject, isn't encyclopedic. For example, you wrote "Kumar is also known as a professional communicator from his many years of leadership". Who is saying that? Is that sourced? That's out of place. The other sources are a bit weak. We normally don't include blogs from commercial sites that are offering writing services, like writingtipsoasis.com, or interviews for anything but uncontroversial info, because they are not considered reliable sources. Independent profiles are better sources, rather than someone talking about himself. If you're requesting new content, it all has to be sourced.

Your best bet is to submit the new text for the body, section by section, and once it's there, update the lead and infobox last based on what's in the article. If it's not clear that you are using one source for an entire paragraph, there's no harm in adding the source to each sentence. It can always be cleaned up later after the content is reviewed for accuracy and notability. There's a lot of info going into the infobox that's unsourced. You can also add sources to the infobox if it's easier.

It's not always easy for reviewers to review articles when content is being added AND removed. You've written repeatedly that you want to just rewrite the entire article all at once and have someone review it, but that just makes it harder, since we have to figure out what's changing, and also try to make sure you aren't removing content to whitewash the article. I recommend you change the sections one at a time and use the textdiff template I describe here to show the changes. If it's a completely revised new section, then you should explain as part of the request exactly what is changing and why, with sources. It is a lot of work, but no experienced editors will help you add content that's poorly sourced and written, nor will they remove existing content that is properly sourced, without a good reason. Good luck! STEMinfo (talk) 08:32, 20 November 2025 (UTC)

STEMinfo, I need to make sure that I've conveyed these two points successfully, which it seems I haven't yet:

1. I am submitting piecemeal now and no longer asking to submit the entire article. That's why, when I replied to AlphaBetaGamma, I used wording like "I would have much preferred" about my earlier request. I "made my case" to GoldRomean when he stepped in behind the original editor who did some work on the article but was involved with his studies to the extent that he felt the need to pause further work on Wikipedia in general, but I moved on when it was clear that my case didn't prevail.

2. After the complete rewrite of the article for the reasons I mentioned in earlier posts, I am not adding and removing text any further. In the rewrite, I did what I could to bring the article to the best level I could at this stage of my Wikipedia career, which I think of as still sort of newish even though I literally just reached 3,000 edits a few hours ago. I love to look on life as a learning journey, including Wikipedia, and stepping out as I did to ask about submitting the article as a whole after the rewrite was only to help get traction on it, considering that this article is one of the oldest in your queue.

Now I'll work on what you've entitled "Proposed new text" below in light of all your feedback. Thanks for your "good luck" wishes. Augnablik (talk) 12:26, 20 November 2025 (UTC)

Proposed new text

Augnablik has proposed replacing the lead, infobox and early life sections with the below text. My response is above. STEMinfo (talk) 08:32, 20 November 2025 (UTC)

Ramendra Kumar
Ramendra Kumar in 2018
Born	(1963-08-25) 25 August 1963 Hyderabad, India
Occupation	Writer; communications manager
Nationality	Indian
Period	1997-present
Genre	— Children's fiction: 'Here & now stories', folk tales, fables, fantasy — Adult fiction: Contemporary fiction, poetry, ghazals
Subject	— Children's non-fiction: Biographies, graphic books — Adult non-fiction: Satires, memoirs, travelogues, parenting & relationship advice, cancer management
Notable works	— Children: A Tail of Tales, Boond, Paplu the Giant, We Are Different — Adults: Mohini, Effective Parenting, Coping with Cancer: Hands-on Strategies for Managing the Big 'C'
Notable awards	A selected few: 41 prizes from the Children’s Book Trust (CBT) for stories in its Competition for Writers of Children’s Books & the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) ‘Hall of Fame’ award, crowning as 'Mr. Cancer Warrior of India 2025'
Website
https://www.ramendra.in

Ramendra Kumar is a multi-award-winning Indian children's author who has been named one of the country's most prominent. He has also written for adults in a variety of genres.

Kumar is also known as a professional communicator from his many years of leadership in the Rourkela Steel Plant Communications Department in the state of Odisha, where he began his professional career by combining his engineering and business administration degrees with his lifelong interest in writing.

In addition, he is known as a storyteller on the stage and an inspirational speaker. These roles expanded after his 2021 diagnosis of Stage II colon cancer.

Early life

Kumar was born in Hyderabad, India, to former Osmania University professor and Hindi Department head R. K. Khandelwal and Hindi fiction writer Deepti Khandelwal. He attended Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet. The school includes him on a list of its prominent alumni. He went on for a bachelor's degree in Engineering and a master's degree in Business Administration from Osmania University.

The roots of Kumar's lifelong writing career he attributes to his father's effusive reaction to a few lines of verse that he wrote as a child around age seven. His first serious forays into writing were satire and poetry contributions to his school and college magazines and later for newspaper supplements.

Augnablik (talk) 09:34, 12 November 2025 (UTC)

References