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Posted Apr 18, 2011 | General | 277 Views

Education, rather than literacy as a census benchmark

It is questionable to showcase growth of literacy in itself, as a great achievement. Just as administering polio drops cannot take care of a child’s nutritional needs, so also literacy alone cannot be taken care of the developmental needs of a pe... It is questionable to showcase growth of literacy in itself, as a great achievement. Just as administering polio drops cannot take care of a child’s nutritional needs, so also literacy alone cannot be taken care of the developmental needs of a person. Literacy should not be seen as an end in itself, rather than a means to an end. In fact, not only literacy, but also numeracy, should be seen as a means of helping people getting educated. Even a child who drops out of primary school can be considered literate, but if he or she is burdened with menial jobs, then it is a complete waste. Hopefully, the Right to Education Act will augment the improved literacy levels to help us realise our true potential. In the modern world, education, rather than literacy should be taken as a census benchmark. Read More

Posted Oct 20, 2010 | General | 350 Views

God of small things

Dear Diary, There is a great deal of talk about the greening of Delhi since 1997. This news of verdant vistas has suddenly materialised with evidence of the same in the wake of the widespread monsoons. This subject was rarely broached when acr... Dear Diary, There is a great deal of talk about the greening of Delhi since 1997. This news of verdant vistas has suddenly materialised with evidence of the same in the wake of the widespread monsoons. This subject was rarely broached when acres of keekar and wild growth areas were cleared for many square miles to make way for expensive malls where one is charged Rs.50/- on weekends just to park the car!! One just cannot approach such places otherwise, and once one marshals the courage to do so, he has to pay the price for it!! There are several factors to take the wind out of the sails all the self-congratulatory noises the Delhi government is so used to making:1. Crores are being spent to create rather than save greenery. 50 saplings planted today under the auspices of CWG preparation cannot replace a 50 years old tree, since each sapling takes 10 years to grow to that size and that too in favourable environment.2. In 1997 the imaging technology was just not advanced enough to capture individual trees and would show only vast tracts of greenery such as the Delhi Ridge area, whereas today's temperature sensing technology can remotely capture even a sapling!!! So while all these disaggregated blips add up to a large number, showing up as green on the radar, it's potential to stay that way is highly questionable.3. What was even more appalling was Chief Minister, Shiela Dixit's way with words. When there was a record rainfall in Delhi, she did not miss a heartbeat to blame the weather Gods for the caving in roads, collapsing infrastructure and leaking and crumbling superstructure. Today, when facing the cameras for interview, she stoically paused mid-sentence when starting with the sentence to the effect, "The greening that would have taken 10 years....." and completed it by saying, "was accomplished by us in 3 years." For once, as a listener, one expected her to give some credit to the rain Gods with the same vigor as witnessed in her passing on the blame just a fortnight ago when expressing her anxiety in completing the work on time. There was no acknowledgement of the rains in greening the brown swathes of land that till July 2010, appeared arid, and today are lush green!!! Is it just because God does not vote, Ms.Dixit, or are you so confident that you can get and forget, while God, will give and forgive?? Vanity comes before the fall, Mrs.Dixit. Green or brown, Mrs. Dixit sure has a nose for smelling out political opportunity even in God's bounty!! When such people run the country, I am mortally afraid of the consequences!! You, as voters, are being taken for a ride on the 6 lane toll expressways!! Ashish Rai Read More

Posted Sep 07, 2010 | General | 375 Views

Capacity to exert pressure without responsibility

Dear Diary, It is often decried that the Opposition has always stalled proceedings in the house, and played politics, to the detriment of the nation. At the time of the NDA rule, Sonia Gandhi exerted so much pressure on the government with her... Dear Diary, It is often decried that the Opposition has always stalled proceedings in the house, and played politics, to the detriment of the nation. At the time of the NDA rule, Sonia Gandhi exerted so much pressure on the government with her emotive "Mungeri Lal ke haseen sapnein" speech loaded with sarcasm at the "India shining" metaphor of the BJP, that to this day people sarcastically point at the roads in Delhi caving in questioning, "Is this India shining?". That speech had little to do with facts, and everything to do with playing with sentiments. If anything, the party has proved its mastery in perception management rather than management of the nation. Today that same capacity to exert pressure by the Opposition, without taking responsibility is haunting the Congress. so who is the Congress to hold the moral high ground and blame the Opposition? It is in the very nature of the beast of politics of India, above which even the grand old party cannot rise!! For the "aam aadmi" the fruits of democracy are uncertain. Read More