our education system :-)

We Indians, often dream of going abroad for higher education. Rightly so as education system in India has always been criticized. I would not dwell much onto the what Jairam Ramesh said recently that we do not have world class faculty. I personally thinks its Indian Education System as a whole that needs some refinement. When we talk of school level education, there is highly any coordination across various states. Central boards like CBSE and ICSE are well organized but when we speak of state boards, they are way behind in some parts of the nation. Hardly any student touch 90% marks in state boards like UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal pradesh. Few years back  I was standing in a queue to submit my form for admission in St. Stefen's college, New Delhi there I saw a girl with 100 marks in english in her 10+2 examination. See the variation! When I was in Kota, I had one batch-mate who cleared IIT-JEE but later denied admission just because he scored 57% marks in 10+2. We can blame coaching trend in Kota for this 'coz students there do not attend school their  and prepare for JEE but again many students suffer 'coz of poor marking methodology of state boards. There has to be some modification so that students don't suffer just because they studied from state board. May be one single board all over the nation can solve this problem to some extent. Not only marking, the quality of education in rural areas needs to be uplifted. I know this is a very difficult thing but neither we can deny that so far no effort has been put in this direction. Efforts always yield results. 
Higher education in India also has been under scrutiny for sometime.Again I would not discuss much about the absence of emphasis put on research here. If we talk of technical education, the absence of interaction between academia and industry is a major concern. What we study and whats required from industrial view point needs to evaluated. 
(One suggestion I want to  give to all my teachers and friends in NITH. Please promote the culture of research in our college. Please make our juniors understand whats the importance of research papers. Here in IISc,I met so many students from NIT-Surathkal and almost each one of them has published upto 4-5  research papers.)
Emphasis should be laid more on practical approach of teaching. If we are studying electromechanics, if our teacher shows us a motor, its windings-it makes it easy for us to learn the concept. If we are being taught switchgear and protection, a visit to a nearby dam can male things easier to visualize. I dont think it would be tough for a teacher to create the students' interest in the lecture if he/she tells the aim and practical applicability of the topic in beginning of every lecture.
Its not just the lack of resources or opportunities that weakens our education system, but the wastage of  whatever resources we possess leads to a weak education system. We have some great mind as faculty and students as well, but we need a foolproof mechanism to lead them.
As a matter of fact a revolution is needed to solve this crisis. Students aren’t willing to mug up but their hands are tied. We need to lay emphasis on practical education system wherein students will be able to learn with all the modern technique and equipments available and they need not be a bookworm always.

Baba, Black Money and Bhrashtachar....

 Well..This whole issue of black money and lokpal bill has certainly given some sleepless nights to Congress Party. This all started with Anna hazare's fast, later on joined by Baba Ramdev. I am sure each one of us at some point of time has been a victim of corruption. But we had learnt to compromise. Rather this is a very popular excuse these days:- "yaar exam dekar kya faiyda, selection toh bina kuch liye diye hoga nahi". Very often we get the sms regarding the the amount of black money which is stored in  Swiss banks. The facts amaze us, but always are easy to forget for us. Some of us wanted to do something but again it was easy to convince ourselves-"yaar ek aadmi ka chahne se kya hoga". But recently, one of us stood against this, that too in walking alongside the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Thus started all the discussion on Lokpal Bill, which has not been passed over the years. Before we go ahead, lets look at Lopkal bill:- 


A look at the salient features of Jan Lokpal Bill:

1. An institution called LOKPAL at the centre and LOKAYUKTA in each state will be set up

2. Like Supreme Court and Election Commission, they will be completely independent of the governments. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence their investigations.

3. Cases against corrupt people will not linger on for years anymore: Investigations in any case will have to be completed in one year. Trial should be completed in next one year so that the corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to jail within two years.

4. The loss that a corrupt person caused to the government will be recovered at the time of conviction.

5. How will it help a common citizen: If any work of any citizen is not done in prescribed time in any government office, Lokpal will impose financial penalty on guilty officers, which will be given as compensation to the complainant.

6. So, you could approach Lokpal if your ration card or passport or voter card is not being made or if police is not registering your case or any other work is not being done in prescribed time. Lokpal will have to get it done in a month's time. You could also report any case of corruption to Lokpal like ration being siphoned off, poor quality roads been constructed or panchayat funds being siphoned off. Lokpal will have to complete its investigations in a year, trial will be over in next one year and the guilty will go to jail within two years.

7. But won't the government appoint corrupt and weak people as Lokpal members? That won't be possible because its members will be selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities and not by politicians, through a completely transparent and participatory process.

8. What if some officer in Lokpal becomes corrupt? The entire functioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta will be completely transparent. Any complaint against any officer of Lokpal shall be investigated and the officer dismissed within two months.

9. What will happen to existing anti-corruption agencies? CVC, departmental vigilance and anti-corruption branch of CBI will be merged into Lokpal. Lokpal will have complete powers and machinery to independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or politician.

10. It will be the duty of the Lokpal to provide protection to those who are being victimized for raising their voice against corruption.(source:- http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/what-is-the-jan-lokpal-bill-why-its-important-96600)


Well certainly, if followed in true spirit, Lokpal Bill would be really effective. But the point here I want to discuss is that why some of us are criticizing this recent development on this whole issue of corruption and black money, I am not able to understand it. 


1st point:-
People say that this is going to taint India's image internationally.
Well I wanna ask them abhi bhi kaun sa hamari image achchi hai. I was watching a debate on Headlines Toady and there I heard some industrialist saying that people and companies overseas often make fun of India and the this trend of corruption prevailing here.


2nd point:
People say Baba ramdev did it with a political motive.
I would say that it might be true, but atleast he channelized the voice of people of India and amplified it to a level that its now audible. I am sure this would be a warning for all those who took it lightly. Congress must have thought after throwing out DMK that they would compensate for the whatever damage has been done to them by all these scams in the remaining time before next loksabha election. This whole movement by Anna hazare and Baba ramdev would make them think again.


3rd point:- People say corruption can only be killed by improving ourselves.
Well, I would say for that we would have to wait for all these corrupt politicians to die and then pray that none of them borns again.

Well, its true that no political party is free from corruption but such movements would certainly send across a message to all of them that its time that they better not take it for granted. Corruption is so much into the roots of India that no Baba Ramdev or Anna Hazare can wipe it alone but these efforts  can certainly decelerate the rate at with its growing. 
Lets all of us pray that someday, we can be a corruption free society. 
amen!