Indian Education System-Through the Eyes of a Young American

Time and again we are reminded how plagued Indian Education system is. Mere rote learning and emphasis on scores rather than understanding the concept. People are trained on how to crack exams instead of being educated. These words got a shriek-er tone when echoed by a young American.Working with an educational organisation, give you insights into your own and other educational systems.

I met this Young fellow who has come to India  to teach English in a government school. He is on a Fulbright scholarship here.To be more technical and sound so, he is an ETA-English teaching Assistant. It has been quite sometime since he has landed on this multicultural land. On outward appearance (as per Indian standards) he would seem to be a full grown man with a spotless complexion and a certain repose on his face but he is just out of school. You can guess the color (colour). He joined us(me and few friends I made at work) for lunch after his normal day at school. We got chatting and he told us how school was. What he did. And every time we (Indians) get acquainted with an American,we are more interested in knowing if they have picked up Hindi. Like EVERYTIME. But they never ask why we haven't picked much of  English even after speaking it since so long. The poor chap did come up with some words he managed to learn from the kids in school like "Muje Hindi nahi samaj aata", "Boht acha".

Supposedly he was an invigilator today for an exam. He told us how excruciating it was to stand for so long. Not just that he was puzzled why students required two hours to write a 50 marks paper.(I just thought to myself he meant it was not enough!!). He said it was too much. He was disappointed with the question paper how most of the questions were straight out of the book. (How happy I would have been!). Most of the students even after repeatedly telling would write the entire question on their answer sheets wasting a lot of the time, drawing figures again. They write the whole sentences in their answer sheet in case of  fill in the blanks which can be done in the question paper and should be submitted along with the answer scripts.(Little did he know that if WE submit question paper how can we DISCUSS it and make others feel WORSE !!)
 More interestingly for me than for him, he gave us a very fine example how students in India answer their paper. "There are 50 students in my class. I asked them "why is the tree green?". To my surprise not one had an answer dissimilar to his fellow classmate. All of them had the SAME exact answers and most of them begun from BECAUSE. The students in America would have tried coming up with absolutely bizarre reasons but there is a thinking process behind it which is missing here". The usage of BECAUSE is inevitable for Indian kids which they think can save them even during the walk through the valley of the shadow of death.Indian kids really struggle framing sentences on their own and they solely depend on their book line by line. Even marks are awarded for book accuracy than your own sentences.

It is not just the fault of the kids. Our education system from the very beginning has never focused on transforming us to thinking individuals. Our grades reflect how well we have crammed.Bookish knowledge can definitely help us to be a part of the race but how long can we remain in there will depend on what we have Learnt. Creative individuals researchers and innovators are never rewarded. We need to bring in lot of changes imparting skill based education rather than rewarding the best crammers. Get smarter people to teach.It's time we to get superstar Teachers who are from different fields like leaders, entrepreneurs, corporate gurus. Embrace technology and internet for greater good than creating communal tensions. We need to use new tools and innovate instead of using outdated models of brick and mortar.Personalize education-instead of making it centralized. If it is good for me it doesn't mean it is the same for the other.There should be availability of choices to choose.

It is not a surprise that this time too none of the Indian universities figured in the top universities. But we need to LEARN from it. Our education system needs to come out from the clutches of the colonial education system which was geared towards generating babus and pen-pushers and still is. May be then few years down the line , when this America Friend of mine comes visiting again, the kids he taught  might just surprise him.

A Bus Ride in My City

Its a humid afternoon. I am walking towards a bus stop near my place.The Sun is out bright and there is a cool gentle breeze at irregular intervals which provides some relief from the burning sunshine on my face.I have reached the bus stop. I thank God for the canopy of trees adjacent to the bus stop, as under it, is my favourite waiting spot.
I am waiting for the inevitable.I am waiting for one of the most gruelling bus rides on the face of the earth.I am waiting for the everyday in a lifetime opportunity,where I get to test my physicality,put my wits to the test,improvise and survive till I get down at my destination in 1 piece. Yes, this is exactly how one feels after a bus ride in my city.
Soon a bus arrives and people flock to it as if this is the one and only bus remaining among the large fleet of busses plying in the city everyday.Anyway, so I somehow manage to board the bus, not before the automatic doors close on my foot which was hanging outside the bus while the bus was already in motion, reminding me to PUSH!!! through and try to get in.Finally, I am in.
After struggling to get a ticket for myself and for the 5 other people who sprinted to catch seats and now cant get up to buy tickets for themselves for the fear of loosing their seats, I find a place to stand,comfortably,near a big window, which provides a decent outside view.As the stops pass by it becomes visibly clear that the number of passengers just keep on increasing.I mean  isnt anyone getting off the bus or what??Soon I see myself crammed against the window,rendered paralysed with the only part of my anatomy allowed to move, being my neck.
I am 2 stops away from my destination.Its now or never.On my way towards the door(I know I am sounding very dramatic because the door is right in front of me)which will take me 2 stops to reach, I  push,pull,grab and finally make it.The door opens and I just have to stand and let go.The crowd getting off just takes you along with it and puts you onto the platform of the stop.
I try to regain my balance after having my glasses knocked off by a guy who is apparently in a rush,and then walk away thanking God for leaving me unscathed.

The fall of the Rupee

The recent depreciation of the value of Indian Rupee has created a furore. With the public looking apprehensive,the government trouble shooting and an apparent 2nd Asian financial crisis looming,it is a mess all around.Many reasons have come to the fore regarding this and I was all the more intrigued by them because it seems the pit, into which the Rupee has fallen looks bottomless.Anyway, so I had this conversation with my father related to this and here are some of the reasons which I could comprehend.

1.Widening Current Account Deficit:The Current Account Deficit or CAD,which  in lay man terms, is the difference between what India earns from the rest of the world by exporting and what it pays them by importing, is pushing up demand for the Dollar.Trading all over the world is majorly done in US Dollar,which is a widely accepted currency.With India's imports being more than its exports, it needs to make these payments in Dollar.This in turn drives up the demand for Dollar.With the demand exceeding the supply, the value of the Dollar shoots up,which results in one shelling out more Rupees to buy a Dollar. This is just like inflation affecting onions.More demand, less supply, price goes up.

2.Policy Inaction:Another generous contributor.Foreign investors see a lack of clarity in the policies framed by the government for the setup of an environment in which the investors can function.Be it the clearances involved from the different ministries or restrictions imposed on capital flow eg:- increase in CRR, all prove to be a hinder to attracting investment.          

3.Falling Foreign Exchange Reserves:India's foreign exchange reserves are enough to cover imports of 7 months only.Foreign Exchange is basically income earned by India.So if the government needs to meet the demand of the dollar, lets say for its imports, it needs to spend from its foreign exchange reserves by converting Rupee into Dollar.

4.Economic Slowdown:India's GDP growth fell to a decade low of 5%in 2012-13 and 4.5% in the January-March quarter. As a result foreign investors are loosing confidence in investing further.

5.Recovery in the US: Another big factor.Recovery of the US economy is making the Dollar stronger against other currencies.This will encourage foreign investors to put their money there, in the US, for better returns also subsequently resulting in withdrawal of investment from India.

Well thats about all that I could understand and believe is behind this fall of the Rupee.Lets keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Fill it up-Holes Inside of you!

No! This is not about the hole in your pocket or in your shoes. This is the hole inside us! The very hole we never have been able to fill since its creation. We have tried putting our happiness, our riches, our career, our money, our relationships, our sorrows but it has never decreased. I trace back this description of holes to my physics class when we were taught about black holes. Black Holes being those big,of course black because there is no light, holes with large magnetic attraction which can pull anything inside it. Scary? Imagine something similar existing within us. What triggered this hole formation? or Who?

It can be a failure- a failed career, dreams , aspirations or it can be loss of someone. Often it can be due to losing track of who we really are and what we wish to do with our life or not meeting the Right people in this odyssey called Life. These unfulfilled desires in our heart drills a hole into our beings making us lose all our valuable treasures,good experiences, memories and people worth caring for. Without our knowledge it manifests, it takes in a lot of things inside it. You have everything you want, still there is restlessness ,chances are you have a hole inside of you. You are not happy with the way life is taking you. 

"We only labor to stuff the memory, and leave the conscience and the understanding unfurnished and void."- said someone whose name you are not going to remember anyway.Sometimes it is someone who leaves a void. We meet people like everyday but then there are some who leave a lasting impression. But the span of time we meet is short. So short that the chances of them remembering our names gets even shorter. The voids that people leave in such are much bigger than we can imagine. The very thought of not having yet another chance to say even "Hi" itself is excruciating. Then there are people living with a void of not finding one who can fill it(i'll take that up in another post.)

So how can we possibly start filling it up? By putting in more and more we can?
Holes are merely,these whole lot of emotions of helplessness, love-less-ness, joy-less-ness,track-less ness jumbled up trying to confuse us even more. Possibly we can all try for once to break free. may be we need someone along with us. Get out, find him or her. Break free from the clutches of this world. The more you listen to the world, the more you are falling into the hole you created for yourself. Seek the help of the divine. Most of us don't believe there is someone out there who is willing to help us fill the void in us. We prefer human help. Decide for yourself what you want to do with this life, who you want with you. Being with someone because X aunty said or Y uncle or your parents forced you is pushing yourself into hole. Try Falling in love. Travel. Do those little things that matter to you most. Listen to yourself and yourself alone. Even if you go wrong, you dont blame others.And try to motivate yourself no matter what circumstances you are into. Be happy! And unknowingly the same void will be filled in. 

Don't Eat Our Food!

So what is gathering your attention on all the major News Channels apart from the plummeting Rupee value, which by far has reached 64? I wonder is it because we have named all the underwears- Dollar, Euro after them? May be. Well, something more that has caught on with much faster pace is the Food Security Bill Act 2013. I presumably understand, that not a few, but there are many who don't know what is it all about. Same goes with majority of parties who are creating a ruckus in the Parliament over it. I don't blame the ignorance. Though various parties have curtained off the bill by strongly opposing it and demanding for amendments, we need to channelize our thoughts if this bill can be the saving grace for those who cant afford a one-time meal.Parties need to choose people first and then their ambitions. Throwing down  fists in disagreement and blackmailing the Government over walkout on the bill is not the way the National parties show their displeasure or work in the best interests of the nation.
Food Security Bill Act 2013- aims at providing food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach by ensuring access to food grains at affordable prices.Some of the provisions listed under it are providing 5kg food grains like wheat,rice per person to priority households at subsidized prices under which 75 % of rural population and 50 % of urban population would be covered, meal free of charge during pregnancy and six months after child birth, maternity benefit of not less than six thousand rupees in installments, free meals to children of age six months to six years, six to fourteen one mid day meal, incase of non-supply of food-grains,there will be food allowances.
It impresses you right? For once you think this is that one Bill which might just cater to the needs of those millions who die out of hunger and malnutrition. It brings a ray of Hope from that far distant land, but will it reach them ? Or this time too, the clouds of corruption devour it? For most of us who end up having three meals a day or like the lady on the TV who advises on reducing weight,"Have five-six small meals.", this Bill is nothing to think about, nothing to fight for. May be this one too, like many such bills in the past, create a High tide wave and then fade away squashing the hopes of the voiceless.Or gather dust in some file in some dilapidated Government office. It may not affect our comfortable lives but let us take it with a pinch of salt that the number it does, is more than you can count on your fingers.
To put it in words of Mahatma Gandhi,
"There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread." So, Let us not take their God from them.

A man who moved a mountain

courage does not always roar.
sometimes courage is the quiet voice
at the end of the day saying,
"i will try again tomorrow"

(mary anne radmacher)

At a time when the value of Indian Rupee against the American Dollar is in a nosedive, when scams are being unearthed almost at will, when states are being torn apart, when so much of cynicism surrounds us, when the Indian public looks apprehensive,hopeless and searches for some source to draw courage from,BANG!!! Here comes our very own silver screen to the rescue, with "The Mountain Man".
This movie is about Dashrath Manjhi, a common man from a small village in our country,who with his determination and hard work carved a way through a mountain.With his relentless pursuits and the love for his wife as an initial spark, Dashrath Manjhi worked day in and out continuously for 22 years and carved out a 360 foot long, 25 foot high and 30 foot wide road through the mountain.He sold a few goats that he owned and bought some simple tools to start this herculean task of cutting down a mountain.With a lot of people ridiculing him and no help from the local authorities Dashrath Manjhi, on his own,  accomplished this task with the sole intent of reducing the distance between his village and the nearest town from 50 km to 1 km.
The movie has a versatile director and a strong cast which should absolutely do justice to this story and I hope it succeeds to touch the hearts of its viewers. I also pray, that in a time when almost every individual is in search of a role model, when we are busy aping the west to form opinions, when love is so less and so hugely undermined,when general apathy and rhetoric rule and people fail to empathize with fellow human beings, this true story will renew our strength.
In the end this super human action gives me immense courage and restores my faith in the "power of one".





    

Missing Someone??Time to reconnect

One of the feelings that really grips me, consumes all of my attention and consequently detaches me from my present, is of that when i miss something.But most of the times its been someone, instead of something.This leaves me wondering what is it exactly that drives this feeling?Is its recurrence-missing the same thing-something very natural and how should one react to it?What happens when the subconscious kicks in and sometimes overwhelms you with  memories that u thought u had long forgotten? What should one do when it leads you to even blog about it?

Well you would have guessed by now and yes you are right, I miss someone.Yes this someone is a girl and I have missed her presence since I moved away from her, and if she is reading this, I want her to know that ill miss her till the day a time capsule is invented.Period!!

So lets get back to this feeling now.I believe what makes me miss this girl so much is the fact that by the time we became close we had to move apart(very unfortunate).The sudden realization of this seperation hit me like a huge wave and i was swept away and as they say,"its only when you loose something in your life that you realize its importance",it made me miss her all the more.
This feeling has literally made me sometimes just stop and think about her in the middle of doing  important things. The feeling recurs when my subconscious makes me remember the times we spent together while doing similar things with someone else and i start to miss her again.I also miss her because she has helped me evolve as a person and helped me create different perspectives in life, which leads me to believe that you miss someone even more if that person has found it worth to be concerned about you.

Have you ever felt this way? Do u have that special someone who was at some point of time your favourite? Has someone ever made u feel special, cared for, alive,nervous?Has someone  ever made your heart race every time u picked up the phone to  talk to them?Has someone messaged you and told you what you mean to them?Has someone made u miss them?

If Yes and you are not in touch with this person its time to reconnect.   

A fellowship and its offerings

Independence day this year gave me an opportunity to enjoy the fellowship of the youth of my church.
I have been a member of this church since i was born and being associated with it has not only given me the privilege to help in its activities but also to learn from those experiences.Today I can definitely say that each of these visits to my church has been a blessing and this particular one, on our independence day, was no different.
I have now come to believe that the youth group in our church is one of the best place's to be for people who have just come off their teens and are entering into their adulthood.People like me.Why?perhaps most importantly because of its members, who comprise of people from a range of age groups, who neither are father like serious figures nor like your clueless and rebelling teenage types.
This mix of characters has led to a much better adaptability among the members of the group and in this process helped everyone to grow comfortably. The banter and the snacks which usually come free with these priceless words of wisdom-either from the priest or from fellow members- is a big hit within the group and surely an effective way to keep up the enrollment.Triviality aside, basically everyone in the youth group is experimenting with something different in their lives and sharing such experiences with others helps to form different perspectives, which i truly believe helps a person to evolve.
This fellowship, like all the ones before had a lot to offer and certainly left us to ponder till we meet the next time.

Right to be Inked!

Right to vote is neither a fundamental right nor a constitutional right, but a Statutory right. This being in light of the recent Supreme Court decision regarding the criminalisation of Politics wherein People with criminal background cannot contest in Elections extending it to people in judicial custody, police confinement or under trials cannot vote. There has been a significant debate on the constitutional jurisprudence on the nature of right to vote. Since it is a statutory vote, the legislature can determine the terms on which right to vote is enjoyed by the people.Voting rights for prisoners have been the most repressive in our country with termination of rights not just of individuals convicted of crime and serving a sentence but also to under trials and even those in police custody. SC holds the view of denying Voting rights reasonable because the individual is in prison because of his own conduct and therefore he is denied of the liberty during his period of confinement. SC adds there would be additional resources required in terms of security,infrastructure, police forces and there would be criminalisation of Politics if these individuals vote.

This is in complete violation of right to equality under Article 14 and 21 of the constitution. To stop criminalisation we need to stop people with criminal backgrounds from contesting elections. Every individual whether convicted or not should have equal rights. Voting rights implies citizenship,by denying it negates citizenship. Being the citizens of this country, they should be able to exercise their right and influence the electoral process. Under-trials and police custody denied to vote can be played well by parties to get results in their favor. What about the principle- a person is innocent until proven guilty? How can we apply the same rules to a person who is convicted and a person who is in police custody or under trial? Individuals are sent to prison for reformation, by refusing such individuals rights we are alienating them and treating them as outcasts.Let us not forget that the majority of people in prisons are from marginalized society and poor. By terminating such basic rights we are also denying there hope for a life after, with rehabilitation and resettlement. SC coming with reasons of resource crunch is saddening. Constitutional protection of civil liberties cannot be held hostage to considerations of practicality. 

LOC Pak-ed!

The ambush and killing of five Indian Soldiers on the 'Line of Control' in the Poonch sector by 15-20 Pakistani men is highly condemnable and it has produced exactly the reaction that the perpetrators must have wanted- an overheated political and media push back in India. Over the last few months New Delhi and Islamabad were working on setting the stage for resumption of talks which had been derailed by the beheading of an Indian jawan at the LOC in January. People behind such acts are successful in their acts and also in creating tension between the love-lost neighbors.

Despite, all sorts of foreign Policy deployed against Pakistan nothing seems to be working out. There have been so many peace attempts in the past, even under the NDA regime-Agra Summit, innumerable bilateral talks, Lahore declaration returned with Mumbai Blasts,Parliament attacks.The ambush has triggered outrage across the entire country-Oppositions has flared up, heated discussions have begun in the Parliament,media has solid news for the entire month's action,Indians have lodged their protests on the social media.True,we are tired of the skirmishes along the LOC and now it is time we send a strong message to our next door neighbors that we are capable of retaliating to unprovoked attacks carried out time and again.

But a tit-for-tat action is not the solution which may find wide support right now not in the Long run.Like Ernest Hemingway puts it, "Never Think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime". Many would demand action and not rhetoric. There are many rooting for War with Pakistan,ignorant of the irreparable damage it is going to produce, innocent lives being lost. We need to be guarded and balanced. Diplomatic channels need to be maintained with stringent measures and a simple warning to 'Our-dear-neighbours' that there may not ALWAYS be a NEXT TIME.

Land of Gibberish Ministers!

From now on, every party should conduct an orientation course for its ministers. Or parties need to employ trained party spokesperson to talk to the media while giving their remarks or ideologies. Because most of the time, they end up being the butt of all the jokes or come under the ire of the public who voted them to say such nice things about them. Recent being Minister under Kerala government which was recently awarded by the UN for its developmental schemes, calling Attapady Adiwasi woman ‘Alcoholics’. The minister openly blamed the women for consuming too much alcohol, chewing tobacco and not eating enough as the cause of infant deaths. It is flabbergasting that such a high rank minister instead of looking into his Government’s incompetency in providing the necessary support has made an unhealthy remark .
This is a society in flux. They were agricultural landholders and now they are minion labourers. The government and Contractors have either tricked them into selling their land for few peanuts or forcefully taken their land for Mega city projects. The tribes residing in Attapady are living under worse conditions. They have no basic amenities to sustain themselves or their families. The men of the community have no work or don’t go for it. They force the women to take up some work while they can get wasted, even pregnant women. With this little money they get once in a month, they have to support their families the entire month. The infant mortality has considerably risen due to malnutrition. The mothers don’t have access to proper care or nutrition that is required at the time of their pregnancy. Women are under nourished because of poverty, marginalization and domestic violence. The mother’s anxiety about next beating from her husband and starvation take a toll on the unborn child. There has been no discussion about these physical and mental problems encountered by these women. There have efforts by tribal support groups to reach out to the government trying to explain the inexplicable conditions of these people, but no assistance has been provided. The only time these people are visited is,when the next vested interest is around the corner.
The only way to revive the community is by efficient utilization of the funds set aside for the tribal communities. A 125 crore package has been announced by the Union minister to empower woman and another 6 crore resource hub-cum-community kitchen through which nutritious food can be provided to tribal women. More self-help groups need to be devised to come up with cooked food to each of these tribal hamlets. NGOs need to step up for sensitizing the community regarding health, nutrition and violence suffered by these women. The corporate funds which remain underutilized can be used for such noble cause.
To sum up in the words of a tribal promoter “The ST population in Kerala is 1.5 lakhs. The government earned over Rs.15 crore in 2012-13 from liquor sales during Onam alone. So who spent all that money on liquor, these pregnant mothers of Attapady? “. 

A light at the end of the tunnel??

Indian women's hockey team created history a couple of days ago by winning the bronze medal in the Junior Hockey World Cup held in Germany.Riding on a stellar performance  from the Indian striker, the Indian team took the bronze in a very closely contested match against England.The match went down to penalties,after the teams were tied 1-1 in regulation time, with the Indian eves writing their names in history by scoring 3 penalties against England's 2.

This win comes as a much needed one, for all the hockey players and supporters in India, with the game loosing its appeal in recent times among Indians.  It drives home the point that our country can achieve the impossible(as believed by many of us) in team games, other than cricket. The women's team showed great character and nerves to stage a comeback after starting the tournament with a loss.
This coming from a bunch of girls majorly belonging to rural India, shows the talent that waits to be nurtured in our country.The rewards and accolades have since been pouring in and it is from this recognition that the game should now benefit.

Let this win be the beginning of a new era.Let this team become the front-runners of hope.Let this tryst with destiny be a changing point for hockey in India.Let the magic of the stick, as once wielded by our very own legend Dhyanchand, come alive again.

      

Biased-Reporting

There goes not one day, when there are no fights for the TV remote. My father is apparently a news-addict. So much that he cannot concentrate enough without news reporters yelling in the background. Strange know! He feels every single second there is something happening around the world and he just cant afford to miss it. But for me it just the same news being telecast-ed over and over again. Packaged differently, content is the same. Just like tap water coming under Bisleri, Aquafina, Himalaya etc. 

The news littered all over the television is more and more turning into a fabricated biased piece of information packaged under the 100 different news channels. A careful observation of each channel would give us an idea of how they base their information on swayed ideologies and show favourtism to a particular party.A reporter covering Congress is a Congressi or someone who tracks BJP is a Sanghi. If it is patronage of congress, reporters often turn ideological while covering BJP and otherwise also. My eyeballs are intact, they don't bulge on hearing this. In case of scenarios like these, the individual reporter comes from being ideological swayed to completely ignore the facts thrown at him or gets so close to the Babus to the point of being blinded to other views or succumbing to patronage. Not to forget the perks like Rajya Sabha nominations, money ,getting government positions, major role in power politics. Phew!

Though reporters maintain that there is space for critical coverage. Multiple factions in the parties are willing to leak stories. And when they know a particular reporter is critical , but is not batting for a particular side or has vested interest, they continue to respect the work of the journalist even though they would like to manipulate the story by pushing their view.

Often, these journalists have to cling onto their source of information regarding news of a particular ministry like MEA-Ministry of External Affairs.There is a legitimate expectation that the official source or view point will be reported accurately but this then gets coupled with undemocratic expectation that a contrarian and critical view will not find space at all. It is not surprising to find  some defense, intelligence and foreign affairs reporters who are more established than the establishment in defending the official view point. This is not anyone's fault necessarily but just the way incentives are aligned and reporting structures are shaped.

There is no easy way out. One way possibly is to maintain a strong separation between news and opinion where reporters can stick to factual reporting. The other is, political journalists covering different parties instead of one confining to one outfit. This will keep the biases in check and expose different view points.And one can always get details from dissenters and outliers if the officials don't give credible information.

It is their duty to provide us with the right news and information about the happenings of the world, not just that,we would like to hear relevant news. Height, weight, colour of the Royal baby is insignificant to most of us. I would prefer Saas-Bahu soaps over these and may be continue the fight with my father till he stops watching news with scary anchors yelling at the top of their voices.

A "tweet" here and a "roar" there

The recent comment on a blog by a noted columnist and socialite has drawn the ire of the political fraternity, raising concerns about expressing opinions on virtual platforms by the public.The comment, coming in the wake of a historic political decision made by the government,was purely satirical as confirmed by the "victim".This latest act of political meddling comes after a huge uproar that was created in the same state when a girl had posted a comment on a social website.

The "victim" has been mainly accused by the political parties for hurting public sentiments by trying to endorse a seperate state.But this apparent mistake has not refrained the parties from taking a jab at the personal life of the victim ,calling the victim a drunkard and comparing the victim's marriage life to the comments made by the same.Many news aggregators refuse to even publish the remarks made by the politicians because of its offensive nature.

A look at the statistics reveals that the population of the concerned state in the year 2011 is around 112 million while the total population of the social networking site where the comment was posted is 13 million,that too in the whole country.So how come a person commenting on a website  "hurts" public sentiments when the public involvement ratio is so less.Also, a magazine which serves as a  mouthpiece of 1 of the involved parties itself asks, whether social media really has any connection with the common man? which clearly contradicts their whole stand on this issue.

Such  response on the behalf of these public servants clearly shows their intensions to create fear in the minds of public instead of acting with maturity, and making a mountain out of a molehill.Such violations of public and personal space is clearly against the notion of democracy and should not continue.

















2011
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maharastra-112m

The fight for survival

As news pours in from all quarters, victory looks imminent.The unanimous decision by a group of village heads in India to stop exploitation of natural resources by an MNC group near their villages, has proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the company's operations there.

The hills which were targeted by the mining company form a mountain range and are home to different varieties of flora and fauna.They also offer shelter to an indigenous tribe of the country and provide for their livelihoods.Sanctioning of mining rights will obviously destroy all these priceless gifts of nature which have been preserved for so long.

This fight for survival brings into light not only the "rampant urbanisation and development at any cost" approach but also some hope for our country.The solidarity shown by local villagers,environmentalists,activists,student groups all over the country to stay put in this fight has been hugely satisfying.Religion has been a blessing in disguise in this fight with the Supreme Court first inquiring if the mining would hurt religious rights of the tribals before continuing with its probe.With an increased awareness among people about the environment as showcased by this movement it is good to see that people are empathizing with mother nature.

As Goliath lays fallen, it is not the time to become complacent but to become ever more alert and take the fight to other lesser known fronts.
 
   

Toxic Facts and Dirty Politics

So far 'People' were left to the mercy of these Minister Babus, now even the Environment looks in shaky hands. State Pollution Control Board is a regulatory authority that controls the quality of air and water, approves the locations for the industries, conducts inspections or determines effluent standards for waste. No industry can be set up without prior permission from SCPB, yet in June 2006, there were 2672 highly polluting industries as per Central Pollution Control Board. How do these industries get away, leaving millions living in these cities vulnerable?

The information culled from a Right to Information(RTI) Act has revealed the serious lacunae in the functioning of these SCPBs and blatant violations of SC guidelines in the qualification of the SCPB chairpersons to the extent of appointing a 10th standard pass. Heads such as these with no requisite knowledge or technical know how in the field of environment have taken charge for monetary gains and power status. Political parties choose their favourites for such deemed positions,leaving hundreds of deserving scientists and engineers to do menial jobs at SCPB. Such gross violations can prove to be so fatal for the Environment and people residing in these states.Industries producing toxic wastes are given a 'go ahead' without any check on the various hazards to the environment.The increased political meddling is creating hurdles in responding to merging environmental problems. There is no proper implementation of environmental standards and norms that must be followed at the grassroot level. Environmental laws look better in the books, more and more reports of people dying of diseases caused by high levels of pollution in the air, contaminated food and water is alarming. But these pot-belly netas abide by 'Ignorance is Bliss' policy and unfortunately these Men in White will attain enlightenment when disasters like in Uttrakhand strike. Well, Nothing happens until a disaster, nor after.

Mid Day Crisis

With 1 of the largest school feeding programme's in the world turning provider with an eclectic mix of insects every passing day, one is left wondering whether these insects are a part of the meal(menu) or what.The "mid day crisis" is now proving to be a handful.The meal scheme,1 of the flagship initiatives of the government in the country,has hit a low recently with news of negligence and corruption surrounding it.

As per various sources,the food served out to  the children of government and aided schools,is not fit to eat.Lack of structural and monitoring measures has been cited as the problem.It is being alleged that funds for the scheme are siphoned off by people in charge, with no one to monitor the situation.

Reports are provided year after year of the successful working of the scheme whereas the facts prove otherwise.With school  authorities hiring different agencies to implement the scheme in their schools, lack of funds is definitely having a detrimental effect.

The meal scheme intends to not only provide hot and nutritional meal to school children but also to keep up their enrollment in these government institutions.A healthy mind houses only in a healthy body, and for this to happen the scheme needs more care.

Underrated Bureaucracy:A cause for concern

Underrated Bureaucracy:A cause for concern

As per various sources, the recent suspension of an IAS officer has again raised concerns over the efficacy of a civil servant and the control the ministers exercise over them.The IAS officer has been suspended,apparently on charges of trying to create communal tension in the society ,though it is being argued that this decision has been taken purely out of personal interests, by the ruling party.

An honest and courageous officer, she had been in a constant tussle with the sand mafia of the region since her appointment and was determined to bring the culprits to justice.She had led a crackdown on unauthorised mining in the district and got over two dozen FIRs registered against those involved in illegally removing sand.Special flying squads were formed by her to stop the raging menace along a couple of rivers in the state.

The suspension, after all of this good work done by the officer,leaves a lot of questions unanswered .

How effective can the civil society be if their work continues to be interrupted by politicians with vested interests?

What impact will such suspensions have on other civil servants waging their own battle against crime?

Should the government have powers, such as this of suspension, at their disposal or should there not atleast be a legal procedure involved with proper evidence,before relieving a top officer of his charges?

Bureaucracy has again been underrated and a lot is at stake.Hopefully the officer will be reinstated soon and we can continue to dream of a better India.

Zero Poverty!

Three years of Physics still helps me to faintly remember what Zero Gravity is. If Zero Gravity is weightlessness, so possibly Zero Poverty would be Poor-less-ness. Few years down the line, according to the esteemed estimate of the Planning Commission, there will not be a single poor in India.We will experience Poor-less-ness or Zero Poverty without any specialized instruments or scientific equipment. We just need to religiously swear by the findings of the Planning Commission. Even then, how does India manage to achieve such a challenging feat so quickly and with commendable speed, despite the high food price inflation, rising cost of the privatized medical care,utilities (Petrol, Electricity, gas),education, higher levels of unemployment? May be a single question mark wouldn't be enough. Going through the article in The Hindu by Prof Emeritus, JNU, Utsa Patnaik distresses one to the various statistical anomalies and its wider implications on the growth of this country. The Planning Commission which boasts of the best economists under its one roof has embarrassed us with claims of grossly unrealistic levels of 13.7 percent of poverty in urban areas and 25.7 percent in rural areas using monthly poverty lines. The logically incorrect estimation method the Commission continues to use,will in another four years eliminate Urban poverty to zero and rural poverty to 12 percent.This will be the case regardless of any rise in actual deprivation and intensification of actual poverty.

We should also know what is wrong with the Planning Commission's method of Estimation which is far from ground reality. How does it err in its calculations? The Commission in practice gave up its own definition of poverty line which was applied only once in 1973-74. The Poverty line is supposed to be derived on the basis of current spending level which will allow the population to maintain the same standard of living in terms of the nutrition after meeting all non-food costs.Also applying the price indexation which does not capture the actual rise in the cost of living over long periods.Not venturing any further into the Economics, but would like to question the very basic idea of such ignored reality?  A very good example that can be given on this spurious method goes like this : "a school child knows that if last year's percentage of students passing the annual examination is to be compared to this year's percentage, the pass mark should be the same. The school principal quietly lowers the pass mark if say, 50 to 40 and then claim that the performance of the school has improved because 80 per cent of the students are recorded as passed this year at the clandestinely lowered mark. If at the same mark of 50 we find that 70 per cent of students have passed this year ,we are justified in saying the performance. Now if the school is allowed to do the same every time and lower the pass mark time and again , it will eventually achieve the 100 per cent pass and Zero failure." Same goes with the official poverty lines.Why is there such dishonesty in counting the Poor or living in this delusional world of Zero Poverty?? Why do we want to live under the false belief or estimate, that poverty has declined when the actual story tells something totally different.. Poverty is soon going to disappear from India even though in actual reality it may be very high and worsening over time. Is it all the dirty game of politics? To marginally blind the voter and ink his hand with different party colour.

It is imperative to find ways of rectifying such mistakes. Accountability not just from the ministers but from organisations such as these, need to be devised. One possible way of reducing poverty could be the effective implementation of schemes which are eaten by the ministers and still give an impression of stomach-full of its population.Truth will make its way, However!