Indra's Drishtikona (Viewpoint) http://drishtikona.com My online journal with thoughts, opinions, comments and more.. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:04:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 Indra's Drishtikona (Viewpoint) http://drishtikona.com/images/favicon.gif http://drishtikona.com en PS: Rising Prices and Chemically Charged Commodities http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002785.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002785.php#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:26:29 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002785.php wrote about the spiraling prices of vegetables and health hazards through large scale oxytocin injections for increasing the size and weight of common vegetables, though in Hindi. I found today ‘Safal’ outlets displaying a hoarding that all the vegetables and fruits on counters are safe with no harmful chemicals used in growing. However, many don’t believe the proclamations. Who will be guarantying for the vegetables and fruits sold in weekly bazaars that are visited by most of the residents of Noida for shopping these items? It just last week I bought two kilos of mangoes that were pretty hard on the skin, but when we cut it at home we found all of them just rotten inside and inedible. The vendors would have certainly known it but he still pushed it. While the central minister talked of the large scale use of harmful injections yesterday in media, but never came out with any plan to stop it rather he passed the buck to the state governments. At the Safal outlet today, we were discussing this menace. I saw a dealer in vegetables. I inquired him about the reason of the rising prices. And he jokingly said, “Sir, after all we are to add the cost of injections too.” It makes one happy that news travel pretty fast these days. At the grocery shop I found again the topic getting discussed. One supplier of a branded breads and confectionery from Faridabad revealed, “Sir, the injections are in use for years now even in remote villages to increase the milk yield.” Do those people know that it could be harmful for the little children who take that milk? Has anyone bothered to find the effects of the injected chemicals on the health of the babies? It’s certainly a hazardous practice in use for a long time and as usual the government or even NGOs have not bothered. A lot of these so-called grassroots innovations for increasing the milk yields from buffaloes or cows would have been started by some without any validation of the side effects. Who takes up the tasks of educating them about the ill-effects? Will now the growers take the advice seriously unless they get affected themselves or penalized? What should a common consumer do against such menace that can kill him? ]]> wrote about the spiraling prices of vegetables and health hazards through large scale oxytocin injections for increasing the size and weight of common vegetables, though in Hindi. I found today ‘Safal’ outlets displaying a hoarding that all the vegetables and fruits on counters are safe with no harmful chemicals used in growing. However, many don’t believe the proclamations. Who will be guarantying for the vegetables and fruits sold in weekly bazaars that are visited by most of the residents of Noida for shopping these items? It just last week I bought two kilos of mangoes that were pretty hard on the skin, but when we cut it at home we found all of them just rotten inside and inedible. The vendors would have certainly known it but he still pushed it. While the central minister talked of the large scale use of harmful injections yesterday in media, but never came out with any plan to stop it rather he passed the buck to the state governments. At the Safal outlet today, we were discussing this menace. I saw a dealer in vegetables. I inquired him about the reason of the rising prices. And he jokingly said, “Sir, after all we are to add the cost of injections too.” It makes one happy that news travel pretty fast these days. At the grocery shop I found again the topic getting discussed. One supplier of a branded breads and confectionery from Faridabad revealed, “Sir, the injections are in use for years now even in remote villages to increase the milk yield.” Do those people know that it could be harmful for the little children who take that milk? Has anyone bothered to find the effects of the injected chemicals on the health of the babies? It’s certainly a hazardous practice in use for a long time and as usual the government or even NGOs have not bothered. A lot of these so-called grassroots innovations for increasing the milk yields from buffaloes or cows would have been started by some without any validation of the side effects. Who takes up the tasks of educating them about the ill-effects? Will now the growers take the advice seriously unless they get affected themselves or penalized? What should a common consumer do against such menace that can kill him? ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002785.php/feed/ CWG: Who gets benefited? http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002783.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002783.php#comments Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:17:29 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002783.php CWG. It may be wrong. But a question haunts me. How many new contractors or middle men would have become crorepatis in this construction/preparation process of the CWG for few days in New Delhi? I got this question after reading a strange news report from Bihar: 'In Bihar, women give birth to 5 children in 2 months'. And it is not only Bihar, perhaps everywhere in India, most of the persons in government jobs of responsibility goes to sleep planning about how and how much can he extort next day. Otherwise how could the chief of Medical Council of India or AICTE or even a departmental head of a government hospital enmasses so much money? Common persons rather voters have digested corruption as an accepted priviledge of the position of a person? Prime Minister as his duty talks about the ills of corruption, but hardly does anything significantly effective to eliminate it even when it comes so visibly in media. Let us consider the case of PDS for the poor. It started with Rajiv Gandhi, but in all these years nothing much has changed. Now everyone is pinning hope on Nandan Nilakani to solve the problem with his ADHAAR. Will the bureaucracy allow him to get that really going? Infamous Modi of Gujarat talks of corruption in MGREGA I don't know why he can't get rid of it at least in his own state. How far Modi's own ministers and officers are clean? One can just feel bad about it. It seems Indians will have to live with it for many more years perhaps till 'mahapralaya'. But I still have another question. Should inaction not be considered as corruption? How can a prime minister or food minister justify continuing to be in his office if day in and day out every Indian keeps on seeing thousands of tons of wheat rotting in open in a poor and hungry country as India on every news channel? But this is Incredible India. Everything is possible. It's just disgusting. However, we still have some hopes and we all can read about the thirty five great but quiet revolutionaries. ]]> CWG. It may be wrong. But a question haunts me. How many new contractors or middle men would have become crorepatis in this construction/preparation process of the CWG for few days in New Delhi? I got this question after reading a strange news report from Bihar: 'In Bihar, women give birth to 5 children in 2 months'. And it is not only Bihar, perhaps everywhere in India, most of the persons in government jobs of responsibility goes to sleep planning about how and how much can he extort next day. Otherwise how could the chief of Medical Council of India or AICTE or even a departmental head of a government hospital enmasses so much money? Common persons rather voters have digested corruption as an accepted priviledge of the position of a person? Prime Minister as his duty talks about the ills of corruption, but hardly does anything significantly effective to eliminate it even when it comes so visibly in media. Let us consider the case of PDS for the poor. It started with Rajiv Gandhi, but in all these years nothing much has changed. Now everyone is pinning hope on Nandan Nilakani to solve the problem with his ADHAAR. Will the bureaucracy allow him to get that really going? Infamous Modi of Gujarat talks of corruption in MGREGA I don't know why he can't get rid of it at least in his own state. How far Modi's own ministers and officers are clean? One can just feel bad about it. It seems Indians will have to live with it for many more years perhaps till 'mahapralaya'. But I still have another question. Should inaction not be considered as corruption? How can a prime minister or food minister justify continuing to be in his office if day in and day out every Indian keeps on seeing thousands of tons of wheat rotting in open in a poor and hungry country as India on every news channel? But this is Incredible India. Everything is possible. It's just disgusting. However, we still have some hopes and we all can read about the thirty five great but quiet revolutionaries. ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002783.php/feed/ Global Immigrants or World Citizens http://drishtikona.com/archives/industrymanagement/002780.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/industrymanagement/002780.php#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:33:34 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/industrymanagement/002780.php a study conducted by the India-US World Affairs Institute of Washington, the Robert H Smith School of Business of the University of Maryland, and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, 90 Indian companies made 127 greenfield investments worth $5.5 billion between 2004 and 2009, and created 16,576 jobs in the US. During the same period, 239 Indian companies made 372 acquisitions in the US, creating more than 40,000 jobs. And these number will keep on increasing if the Indian economy keeps moving ahead. How should not there be a consensus in US on accepting the graduates of its first class universities coming from any country in the world if employed for five years with good records as citizens? While there are about 25 million Indians spread across 189 countries, but interestingly, some 20 million foreigners are also living and working in India. Sometimes, the political steps to bar the immigration from unfriendly country may not even work. Here is an example from India itself.
In 2009, India sent back 25,000 Chinese workers, because they were "semi-skilled" and was considered to be here fraudulently. Soon protests came in from New Delhi's international airport developers. Those humongous glass panes that needed to be set up required special skills and Indians don't have them. The Chinese do. The government had to backtrack. Some Indians may have to remain unemployed while overseas workers take the jobs.India will have to have enterprises and skilled manpower to match up with the tasks to be undertaken to take the economic growth to global level.
 It is the same story in internal migration. Workers do come to Punjab for various menial jobs from Bihar. But when the enterprising farmers of Bihar bought harvesters from Punjab, a group of three Punjabi workers travel every season to Bihar to run the harvesters. In West Bengal, it was difficult to find people to manual work and particularly for sanitation jobs, and the migrants even from as far as Rajasthan were engaged. However, things have changed today to a great extent. Perhaps that was the reason that UK allowed immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and even India for such work in the country. As the countries such as US and UK have restrictions for workers from other part of the world through different acts, India does have also created some: India doesn't allow more than 1 per cent of a company's workforce to be foreign, nor does it allow employment to people making less than $25,000 a year. It may appear silly to many but are politically sellable. It will be interesting to hear a Colombian immigrant's recent lament in London, when he was about to be deported. "The reason for me being here is not just because I want to become rich or because I want to come and take your jobs. Imdoing the job that most English people wouldn't do. I think I have never seen an English person cleaning a toilet. I don't want to harm anyone ... it's hard to be judged as a criminal when all you are doing is what you think is best for your family. WhatI'm doing, cleaning toilets - is that a crime?" It reminded me of one incident at Heathrow airport in 1982. Yamuna saw many Asian women wearing heavy gold jewellery working as janitors. She asked, Why are they here, why cant white women do that? I didnt have any answer then. And perhaps there is no answer for the Colombian in London or a Mexican or Cuban in California. And still a person such as Obama or someone else somewhere such as Cameroon will keep on instructing federal agents to go through rolls of companies and businesses to weed out the illegal immigrants. It will remain the political whipfor the poor immigrants. ]]> a study conducted by the India-US World Affairs Institute of Washington, the Robert H Smith School of Business of the University of Maryland, and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, 90 Indian companies made 127 greenfield investments worth $5.5 billion between 2004 and 2009, and created 16,576 jobs in the US. During the same period, 239 Indian companies made 372 acquisitions in the US, creating more than 40,000 jobs. And these number will keep on increasing if the Indian economy keeps moving ahead. How should not there be a consensus in US on accepting the graduates of its first class universities coming from any country in the world if employed for five years with good records as citizens? While there are about 25 million Indians spread across 189 countries, but interestingly, some 20 million foreigners are also living and working in India. Sometimes, the political steps to bar the immigration from unfriendly country may not even work. Here is an example from India itself.
In 2009, India sent back 25,000 Chinese workers, because they were "semi-skilled" and was considered to be here fraudulently. Soon protests came in from New Delhi's international airport developers. Those humongous glass panes that needed to be set up required special skills and Indians don't have them. The Chinese do. The government had to backtrack. Some Indians may have to remain unemployed while overseas workers take the jobs.India will have to have enterprises and skilled manpower to match up with the tasks to be undertaken to take the economic growth to global level.
 It is the same story in internal migration. Workers do come to Punjab for various menial jobs from Bihar. But when the enterprising farmers of Bihar bought harvesters from Punjab, a group of three Punjabi workers travel every season to Bihar to run the harvesters. In West Bengal, it was difficult to find people to manual work and particularly for sanitation jobs, and the migrants even from as far as Rajasthan were engaged. However, things have changed today to a great extent. Perhaps that was the reason that UK allowed immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and even India for such work in the country. As the countries such as US and UK have restrictions for workers from other part of the world through different acts, India does have also created some: India doesn't allow more than 1 per cent of a company's workforce to be foreign, nor does it allow employment to people making less than $25,000 a year. It may appear silly to many but are politically sellable. It will be interesting to hear a Colombian immigrant's recent lament in London, when he was about to be deported. "The reason for me being here is not just because I want to become rich or because I want to come and take your jobs. Imdoing the job that most English people wouldn't do. I think I have never seen an English person cleaning a toilet. I don't want to harm anyone ... it's hard to be judged as a criminal when all you are doing is what you think is best for your family. WhatI'm doing, cleaning toilets - is that a crime?" It reminded me of one incident at Heathrow airport in 1982. Yamuna saw many Asian women wearing heavy gold jewellery working as janitors. She asked, Why are they here, why cant white women do that? I didnt have any answer then. And perhaps there is no answer for the Colombian in London or a Mexican or Cuban in California. And still a person such as Obama or someone else somewhere such as Cameroon will keep on instructing federal agents to go through rolls of companies and businesses to weed out the illegal immigrants. It will remain the political whipfor the poor immigrants. ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/industrymanagement/002780.php/feed/ My Dilemma: Forward and Backward Castes http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002773.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002773.php#comments Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:12:33 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002773.php I don’t understand if the bill will not trouble the landowners of other castes who are pretty big in numbers. So why didn’t the organizers call the representatives of landholders of all castes to participate? Is it not unfortunate while the country is on fire in most of its corner, be it Kashmir, Manipur or Chattisgarh, some very senior cabinet ministers in New Delhi are debating and as I opine wasting their precious time on the issue of having a census on caste basis or not? It is unfortunate but nothing can be done. I know many sections of the society are still very backward, and the reason for the same is only the lack of education. The leadership of the region over the last six decades has failed to understand the importance of education. Unfortunately, the so-called leaders of schedule castes or so called other backward class never understood nor attempted to bring about the revolution through education. Many a times, I and perhaps many hold a view that these leaders believed in the advantage in keeping the communities ignorant without education to keep their dominance in politics. But my focus here is different. Let me emphasize that there is no difference between in other backward classes (OBC) and so called forward classes in the region, if one looks in depth in their quality of living, affluence level and even culture and values. I firmed up this view during my last visit to my village, when I happen to move around doing some research. Around my village that is predominantly of forward class, there are villages in which some are dominated by the forward class but in many, the people of other backward classes (OBC) are dominant. The dominance relates to the land holding of the village. In each of the village, the major landholding is with the families of different castes, and not necessarily forward classes. Let someone take an unbiased study of the living standard and style of the families. There is hardly much difference between those of the forward and OBC caste. Rather in many cases, on average OBC families may today be better off because of the traditional social taboos of restricting oneself to only the profession of the ancestors. However, the families with no land holding, irrespective of castes but particularly dalits and mahadalits, need preferential treatment. Even the families of OBC and forward castes need government support as the financial conditions of a large number of them are miserable. With the abolition of the zamindari back in 1950s and breaking up of joint families in almost all castes and communities, the land holding on average is hardly between 2 to 5 acres. It is really difficult to make good living with that amount of land, particularly where the farming is totally dependent on the timely rain and monsoon. Perpetuating the reservation or adding some more may be a political solution, but certainly not the best solution to bring about equity in society and improving the relationships between various classes and categories. Instead of waiving off the loans, the government must work extensively on irrigation projects small and big conserving all the water and its use and for ensured rural electrification for every household who can afford for improving employability through individual entrepreneurships. Every child must be ensured the traditional or job oriented (skill building) education to have employability. The overall cost to the nation because of the dismal healthcare infrastructure is huge. The government and the private sector must pour huge investment. Many families even today spend everything in its possession to save life from deceases and remain in perpetual poverty. But the most important is that all the actions must generate and improve the fellowship and brotherhood among the all people, and nothing should be done that is divisive, for example caste census. Let few regional leaders not make mess of this great nation. ]]> I don’t understand if the bill will not trouble the landowners of other castes who are pretty big in numbers. So why didn’t the organizers call the representatives of landholders of all castes to participate? Is it not unfortunate while the country is on fire in most of its corner, be it Kashmir, Manipur or Chattisgarh, some very senior cabinet ministers in New Delhi are debating and as I opine wasting their precious time on the issue of having a census on caste basis or not? It is unfortunate but nothing can be done. I know many sections of the society are still very backward, and the reason for the same is only the lack of education. The leadership of the region over the last six decades has failed to understand the importance of education. Unfortunately, the so-called leaders of schedule castes or so called other backward class never understood nor attempted to bring about the revolution through education. Many a times, I and perhaps many hold a view that these leaders believed in the advantage in keeping the communities ignorant without education to keep their dominance in politics. But my focus here is different. Let me emphasize that there is no difference between in other backward classes (OBC) and so called forward classes in the region, if one looks in depth in their quality of living, affluence level and even culture and values. I firmed up this view during my last visit to my village, when I happen to move around doing some research. Around my village that is predominantly of forward class, there are villages in which some are dominated by the forward class but in many, the people of other backward classes (OBC) are dominant. The dominance relates to the land holding of the village. In each of the village, the major landholding is with the families of different castes, and not necessarily forward classes. Let someone take an unbiased study of the living standard and style of the families. There is hardly much difference between those of the forward and OBC caste. Rather in many cases, on average OBC families may today be better off because of the traditional social taboos of restricting oneself to only the profession of the ancestors. However, the families with no land holding, irrespective of castes but particularly dalits and mahadalits, need preferential treatment. Even the families of OBC and forward castes need government support as the financial conditions of a large number of them are miserable. With the abolition of the zamindari back in 1950s and breaking up of joint families in almost all castes and communities, the land holding on average is hardly between 2 to 5 acres. It is really difficult to make good living with that amount of land, particularly where the farming is totally dependent on the timely rain and monsoon. Perpetuating the reservation or adding some more may be a political solution, but certainly not the best solution to bring about equity in society and improving the relationships between various classes and categories. Instead of waiving off the loans, the government must work extensively on irrigation projects small and big conserving all the water and its use and for ensured rural electrification for every household who can afford for improving employability through individual entrepreneurships. Every child must be ensured the traditional or job oriented (skill building) education to have employability. The overall cost to the nation because of the dismal healthcare infrastructure is huge. The government and the private sector must pour huge investment. Many families even today spend everything in its possession to save life from deceases and remain in perpetual poverty. But the most important is that all the actions must generate and improve the fellowship and brotherhood among the all people, and nothing should be done that is divisive, for example caste census. Let few regional leaders not make mess of this great nation. ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002773.php/feed/ Education in Rural Region: Some Additional Thoughts http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002768.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002768.php#comments Sun, 27 Jun 2010 14:04:41 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002768.php earlier entry, there is plenty of land to be converted into playground or to develop a good enough nursery to improve the ambiance to make the students learn better. Unfortunately, the school hardly gets a motivated school administrator or headmaster who takes initiative. In good old days, some were easily available as there were missionary educationists at heart inspired by great political leaders such as Mahatma who has social issues as his priority. English can’t be the right medium till the student understands it as proficiently as his own mother tongues. Unfortunately, in India, many a times, the mother tongues are different than the language used as medium. In Hindi belt itself, the mother tongue is different. Students find it difficult to pick up the matter taught even in Hindi. With Bhojpuri at home and Hindi as medium of instruction, the students find it difficult to grasp the subject taught in Hindi. The school must focus to teach the language of its medium of instruction in the first five years for effective understanding of what is taught. It’s unfortunate that the students even after 10 years of schooling don’t become proficient in the language used as medium, say, Hindi or as second language, such as English. It is only because of the scarcity of good trained teacher. Only the use of technologies both at school by teachers and at home by tutors or guardians can overcome the problem. India had this problem since ages and so is its illiteracy so high. India must learn some lessons from the developed non-English speaking countries. India has wasted 60 years and has still failed in reaching at the right policy on the medium of instruction. For the students in rural school, the English has been the toughest subject to pass the tests and the reason of shunning the schooling. Interestingly, with emphasis on English they do neither become proficient in Hindi nor in English. Still in hope of better employability in present situation, the English medium schools are mushrooming all over the country, even in rural region. All the political parties and administrators must agree that the system of temporary or contractual teachers for cutting the cost of educating is not the answer for enhancing the accessibility of education for a larger population. It has made the mess of teaching; Let all the teachers be on regular agreed or better scale to attract the best stuff in teaching. One can’t expect good teaching from third class input of teachers. It’s not only the qualification judged by the certificates and degrees but the aptitude for teaching should be the criteria to select teachers for the rural schools. If anything it is the technology that can facilitate the accessibility of education for all. But it requires a change in the mindsets of those in education sector and setting up of the facilities. Alumni of the schools and the local donors can participate in big way to overcome the financial constraints. It must be mandatory for the school to impart some skills before a student completes the class x or xii or before he leaves the school even midway. In good old days, someone in the village used to donate the land and or get constructed the building. The first high school at Samahuta, a village near my own village came up because of the endeavour of one Late Dharamraj Rai. The only girls’ high school there was the work of another person named Raja Rai. The story of BHU that was the handiwork of Madan Mohan Malviya is well known. The education policy for the rural India must emphasize and encourage the role of the locals without which education will not reach to every child of every household. The school premises must become a place of pride for the community and must come up as a place of worship that provides knowledge as well peace of mind. Even after the passage of the Right of Education Bill, I doubt the education to spread the way it is intended if the community doesn’t participate positively for educating its children rightly. I wish the education at rural schools is under an independent group selected by the parents of students and out of the manipulation of the heads of panchayat system that has gone political and so extremely corrupt. People of the community that the school serves, are not bold and conscious enough to stand against the malpractices that the panchayat heads in collusion with the government officers are inflicting on schools and education. I wish the people are alive to this major issue of building the future generation and find the effective solution to attain 100% literate, enlightened and empowered community through good education from the rural schools. ]]> earlier entry, there is plenty of land to be converted into playground or to develop a good enough nursery to improve the ambiance to make the students learn better. Unfortunately, the school hardly gets a motivated school administrator or headmaster who takes initiative. In good old days, some were easily available as there were missionary educationists at heart inspired by great political leaders such as Mahatma who has social issues as his priority. English can’t be the right medium till the student understands it as proficiently as his own mother tongues. Unfortunately, in India, many a times, the mother tongues are different than the language used as medium. In Hindi belt itself, the mother tongue is different. Students find it difficult to pick up the matter taught even in Hindi. With Bhojpuri at home and Hindi as medium of instruction, the students find it difficult to grasp the subject taught in Hindi. The school must focus to teach the language of its medium of instruction in the first five years for effective understanding of what is taught. It’s unfortunate that the students even after 10 years of schooling don’t become proficient in the language used as medium, say, Hindi or as second language, such as English. It is only because of the scarcity of good trained teacher. Only the use of technologies both at school by teachers and at home by tutors or guardians can overcome the problem. India had this problem since ages and so is its illiteracy so high. India must learn some lessons from the developed non-English speaking countries. India has wasted 60 years and has still failed in reaching at the right policy on the medium of instruction. For the students in rural school, the English has been the toughest subject to pass the tests and the reason of shunning the schooling. Interestingly, with emphasis on English they do neither become proficient in Hindi nor in English. Still in hope of better employability in present situation, the English medium schools are mushrooming all over the country, even in rural region. All the political parties and administrators must agree that the system of temporary or contractual teachers for cutting the cost of educating is not the answer for enhancing the accessibility of education for a larger population. It has made the mess of teaching; Let all the teachers be on regular agreed or better scale to attract the best stuff in teaching. One can’t expect good teaching from third class input of teachers. It’s not only the qualification judged by the certificates and degrees but the aptitude for teaching should be the criteria to select teachers for the rural schools. If anything it is the technology that can facilitate the accessibility of education for all. But it requires a change in the mindsets of those in education sector and setting up of the facilities. Alumni of the schools and the local donors can participate in big way to overcome the financial constraints. It must be mandatory for the school to impart some skills before a student completes the class x or xii or before he leaves the school even midway. In good old days, someone in the village used to donate the land and or get constructed the building. The first high school at Samahuta, a village near my own village came up because of the endeavour of one Late Dharamraj Rai. The only girls’ high school there was the work of another person named Raja Rai. The story of BHU that was the handiwork of Madan Mohan Malviya is well known. The education policy for the rural India must emphasize and encourage the role of the locals without which education will not reach to every child of every household. The school premises must become a place of pride for the community and must come up as a place of worship that provides knowledge as well peace of mind. Even after the passage of the Right of Education Bill, I doubt the education to spread the way it is intended if the community doesn’t participate positively for educating its children rightly. I wish the education at rural schools is under an independent group selected by the parents of students and out of the manipulation of the heads of panchayat system that has gone political and so extremely corrupt. People of the community that the school serves, are not bold and conscious enough to stand against the malpractices that the panchayat heads in collusion with the government officers are inflicting on schools and education. I wish the people are alive to this major issue of building the future generation and find the effective solution to attain 100% literate, enlightened and empowered community through good education from the rural schools. ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002768.php/feed/ Education in Rural Region http://drishtikona.com/archives/uncategorized/002767.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/uncategorized/002767.php#comments Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:40:35 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/uncategorized/002767.php The village school runs classes up to class VIII and may add up to class X by next year. I considered it as a major achievement for the village. But I find few things that must be taken care of. School: The school consists of just few rooms. There is a boundary wall but no gate that can be locked. It has no security guard for protecting the school in the night or when it’s not running. The condition is same for all the schools that I know all around my village. Many don’t have even boundary wall. I don’t know why the Panchayat or the government can’t engage and employ a full time guard and a residence for him in one corner in the premises. He could be engaged in multiple roles for different essential work in the school such as housekeeping and cleaning too. Without the necessary arrangement against the burglary, one can’t even dream of a modern good school with many essential equipment and teaching aids such as audio and video system, computers and internet facilities and other facilities in its laboratories. The government must think on this aspect as an essential requirement if it has intention to make the school taking the advantages of the contemporary technologies. Teachers: Most of the teachers are very lowly paid as ‘Shiksha Mitra’ and are hardly devoted to their work of teaching. Many are not even qualified and skilled enough to do that. I don’t know why the government resorted to such a system to save the cost of education. It has just created a band of discontented teachers in a government set up that is already not ready to be accountable for the performance. Community: I don’t know how the present system of education can impart and ensure quality learning to the students and who will do that, if the community is not ready to take any interest and leaves everything to the so called government to do. Every school requires a mentor to see that it functions effectively. A good mentor can only build a good school. I wish the community being served by the school does find one. I don’t know if the schools in the other states are significantly different. If I go by what I hear from my uncle who had been instrumental in bringing many developments to the village and others who have served in responsible positions such as senior teachers and headmasters of high schools, I get worried and lose hope. The finance is not a problem in providing and spreading the education to all today. It is the atmosphere of brotherhood and fellowship that is getting scarce. I wish Nitish Kumar and other leaders, through the mass contact such as Vishwas Yatra, discuss this subject too. Perhaps, for the first time a Chief Minister is visiting schools and that too, the rural ones on such a scale to find out firsthand the conditions and shortcomings of the schooling in the state. It’s a great gesture and it is bound to encourage the students as well as their parents for focusing on education to bring in better days in their households. Let it not be only for votes. Let it build a society with better fellowship in the communities and make it responsible and accountable for the government projects taken up to benefit them. I wish him also to appeal the students and teachers to switch over to the modern education system with English, computer, and skill as the main focus to compete with other developed states. I wish Nitish appeals to the villagers to nurture and build the village-school as a place of pride for the village, with a library and creativity centre, a play ground for all the village youth and a meeting place for all to further their knowledge through schemes such as adult education. ]]> The village school runs classes up to class VIII and may add up to class X by next year. I considered it as a major achievement for the village. But I find few things that must be taken care of. School: The school consists of just few rooms. There is a boundary wall but no gate that can be locked. It has no security guard for protecting the school in the night or when it’s not running. The condition is same for all the schools that I know all around my village. Many don’t have even boundary wall. I don’t know why the Panchayat or the government can’t engage and employ a full time guard and a residence for him in one corner in the premises. He could be engaged in multiple roles for different essential work in the school such as housekeeping and cleaning too. Without the necessary arrangement against the burglary, one can’t even dream of a modern good school with many essential equipment and teaching aids such as audio and video system, computers and internet facilities and other facilities in its laboratories. The government must think on this aspect as an essential requirement if it has intention to make the school taking the advantages of the contemporary technologies. Teachers: Most of the teachers are very lowly paid as ‘Shiksha Mitra’ and are hardly devoted to their work of teaching. Many are not even qualified and skilled enough to do that. I don’t know why the government resorted to such a system to save the cost of education. It has just created a band of discontented teachers in a government set up that is already not ready to be accountable for the performance. Community: I don’t know how the present system of education can impart and ensure quality learning to the students and who will do that, if the community is not ready to take any interest and leaves everything to the so called government to do. Every school requires a mentor to see that it functions effectively. A good mentor can only build a good school. I wish the community being served by the school does find one. I don’t know if the schools in the other states are significantly different. If I go by what I hear from my uncle who had been instrumental in bringing many developments to the village and others who have served in responsible positions such as senior teachers and headmasters of high schools, I get worried and lose hope. The finance is not a problem in providing and spreading the education to all today. It is the atmosphere of brotherhood and fellowship that is getting scarce. I wish Nitish Kumar and other leaders, through the mass contact such as Vishwas Yatra, discuss this subject too. Perhaps, for the first time a Chief Minister is visiting schools and that too, the rural ones on such a scale to find out firsthand the conditions and shortcomings of the schooling in the state. It’s a great gesture and it is bound to encourage the students as well as their parents for focusing on education to bring in better days in their households. Let it not be only for votes. Let it build a society with better fellowship in the communities and make it responsible and accountable for the government projects taken up to benefit them. I wish him also to appeal the students and teachers to switch over to the modern education system with English, computer, and skill as the main focus to compete with other developed states. I wish Nitish appeals to the villagers to nurture and build the village-school as a place of pride for the village, with a library and creativity centre, a play ground for all the village youth and a meeting place for all to further their knowledge through schemes such as adult education. ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/uncategorized/002767.php/feed/ In The Wonderful Land Called India http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002763.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002763.php#comments Fri, 18 Jun 2010 03:44:16 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002763.php reported, the company has been allowed to survey the sight. Normally, any other company would have run away. But Posco remained committed to the project. Is there so much of business advantage or a special love for India? It is unfortunate that for the central government of Man Mohan Singh, the solution to the pernennial problem related to land acquisition is still not in priority list. And there are many projects as Posco still waiting. Many dream projects of the central or state governments or of private sectors get lost. For example, no one knows the fate of Anil Ambani’s world largest thermal power plant at Dadri (in vicinity of Noida), the picturesque railway lines to Kashmir valley or many AIMS hospital promised. India is becoming a hub of a new business. I don’t know if Indians should pride or get ashamed. According to Hillary Brenhouse’s article ‘India’s Rent-a-Womb Industry Faces New Restrictions’ in Time magazine dated June 5 “India has become the world capital of outsourced pregnancies, whereby surrogates are implanted with foreign embryos and paid to carry the resultant babies to term. In 2002 the country legalised commercial surrogacy in an effort to promote medical tourism; a sector the Confederation of Indian Industry predicts will generate $2.3 billion annually by 2012. Indian surrogate mothers are readily available and cheap.” It costs around $23,000 — less than one-fifth the expenditure in the US — of which the surrogate mother receives $7,500. I was shocked to see a report from an ex-CII officer in one of the OP Khanna’s regular mails- ‘Is the nation in a coma?’
In a popular prime-time television discussion in Germany, the panellist, a member of the German Parliament quoting a blog said: “If all the scams of the last five years are added up, they are likely to rival and exceed the British colonial loot of India of about a trillion dollars.” One German business daily which wrote an editorial on India said: “India is becoming a Banana Republic instead of being an economic superpower. To get the cut motion designated out, assurances are made to political allays. Special treatment is promised at the expense of the people. So, Ms Mayawati who is Chief Minister of the most densely inhabited state, is calmed when an intelligence agency probe is scrapped. The multi-million dollars fodder scam by another former chief minister wielding enormous power is put in cold storage. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chairs over this kind of unparalleled loot.”
And today morning, Mr. JS Arora passed on another mail that was for him: Swiss Government has officially written to Indian Government that they are willing to inform the details of holders of 70 lakh crore rupees in their Banks, if Indian Government officially asks them. As Aesop said, “We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to high office.” Can any one doubt about the greatness of this wonderland called INDIA? Can everything be excused under the garb of democracy and the freedom of expression? ]]> reported, the company has been allowed to survey the sight. Normally, any other company would have run away. But Posco remained committed to the project. Is there so much of business advantage or a special love for India? It is unfortunate that for the central government of Man Mohan Singh, the solution to the pernennial problem related to land acquisition is still not in priority list. And there are many projects as Posco still waiting. Many dream projects of the central or state governments or of private sectors get lost. For example, no one knows the fate of Anil Ambani’s world largest thermal power plant at Dadri (in vicinity of Noida), the picturesque railway lines to Kashmir valley or many AIMS hospital promised. India is becoming a hub of a new business. I don’t know if Indians should pride or get ashamed. According to Hillary Brenhouse’s article ‘India’s Rent-a-Womb Industry Faces New Restrictions’ in Time magazine dated June 5 “India has become the world capital of outsourced pregnancies, whereby surrogates are implanted with foreign embryos and paid to carry the resultant babies to term. In 2002 the country legalised commercial surrogacy in an effort to promote medical tourism; a sector the Confederation of Indian Industry predicts will generate $2.3 billion annually by 2012. Indian surrogate mothers are readily available and cheap.” It costs around $23,000 — less than one-fifth the expenditure in the US — of which the surrogate mother receives $7,500. I was shocked to see a report from an ex-CII officer in one of the OP Khanna’s regular mails- ‘Is the nation in a coma?’
In a popular prime-time television discussion in Germany, the panellist, a member of the German Parliament quoting a blog said: “If all the scams of the last five years are added up, they are likely to rival and exceed the British colonial loot of India of about a trillion dollars.” One German business daily which wrote an editorial on India said: “India is becoming a Banana Republic instead of being an economic superpower. To get the cut motion designated out, assurances are made to political allays. Special treatment is promised at the expense of the people. So, Ms Mayawati who is Chief Minister of the most densely inhabited state, is calmed when an intelligence agency probe is scrapped. The multi-million dollars fodder scam by another former chief minister wielding enormous power is put in cold storage. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chairs over this kind of unparalleled loot.”
And today morning, Mr. JS Arora passed on another mail that was for him: Swiss Government has officially written to Indian Government that they are willing to inform the details of holders of 70 lakh crore rupees in their Banks, if Indian Government officially asks them. As Aesop said, “We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to high office.” Can any one doubt about the greatness of this wonderland called INDIA? Can everything be excused under the garb of democracy and the freedom of expression? ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/government_policyadministration/002763.php/feed/