Techno-skeptics have always believed themselves and forced others to believe that technology has failed to improve the quality of life. A.C.Clarke seems to be more relevant today. He wrote in Technology and Future, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has done that magic with technology. It will inspire many to make use of Google’s hotly debated maps services for betterment of society and public woes. PMC has launched a website making use of google's earth software and gave satelliete picture of Pune city. This map has all the road cleary demarked. Now, any citizen has any sort of complain regarding bad-roades, pot-holes etc, they can register complain with location on the map. The concerned officer in charage of that area received the complaint and his actions are also recored on the website.
What an innvative way to use satellite images? The techno-skeptics always feared the misuse of such technoogy by terrorists. PMC has seen the glass half fulled and has changed the entire scene.
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Food Grain Crisis: Grain Pain
The world is facing grain pain. We, the dwellers of the 21st century, had never thought in our seventh dream that we will face food grain crisis. Green Revolution and new genetic scientific technology boost our confidence that we, the Man on the Earth, can play wonders. But the curren crisis for food grains in US and to some extent in India has raised serious concerns. We need to relook at the way we are misusing natural resources. Mahatma Gandhi has rightly said that Nature has everything to satisfy the need of all but nothing to satisfy the greed. Global warming is nothing but the result of the greed. Green house effect is the result of the greed. Change in global climate is the result of the greed. Food grain crises is also the result of the greed. To get more meat for non-vegetarians, grains are fed to animals and birds. To build more and more residential houses, fertile land in acquired. If only man learns to control his greed, there won’t be any crises.
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Education for All ...
Education for all….
There is a paradox. Either you go for education for all or quality education. Constitution says about fundamental right to education. Committees are against expansion of education infrastructure. The situation in this paradox remains – ‘rich can buy better education and poor are compelled to receive substandard education’.
Well, the best way (perhaps) to crack this paradoxical puzzle is to pour money into it - Money for infrastructure and for salary. It’s still easy to pour money for infrastructure and develop it. More difficult is to pour money for salary. When the sixth pay commission has submitted it report and a committee is set to revise its guidelines, it’s perhaps best time to restructure pay scales of teachers working in government aided schools. Once government aided teachers are paid handsomely, the private players must increase their salary. Once the salary is better off, talented young will be attracted towards working in schools. I would suggest better salary packages for rural schools as compared to that in city schools. We want better teachers to work in rural and semi urban schools. In cities, there are better opportunities to ‘buy’ education, villages don’t have such options.
Like, India's Education system, Legal system of India is also facing crunch for best brains. As best of the best brain opt for medical or engineering, and the left out of standard 12th are in queue for being teachers in schools and colleges, similarly successfully lawyers never give up their practice to don a judge's robe. In the last meeting of the chief justices of high courts of India pay hike was prominent demand of one and all.
Money is not the root of all the evils. Lact of it is. Money is one of the best motivators. It is pay packages of IIM and IIT graduates that insire more and more young and brilliant brians to adopt the profession of management or IT.
If attractive packages are availed to teachers, most of, if not all the problems pertaining to education can be solved in India.
IPL: a sect in the Religion of Cricket
I doubt if IPL will lessen nationalism. The worst form of it will be reflected in spectators’ loyalty to their city/club teams. We have seen in the first three days of IPL that when the Mumbai Indians lost wicket, there was pin drop silence in the Mumbai stadium which was roaring like sea on gale at the wickets of opponents. Similar silence and uproar were observed at Bangalore and Mohali.
This phenomenon will surely lead to hooliganism. Regionalism is already on sprawl in India due to political colors. This form of cricket will add fuel to the fire. Culturally divided nation like India, whose unity lies in its diversity, may experience further divides because of new form of cricket. Cricket is considered as one of the unifying catalyst in the diversity of India. Unanimously, all agreed that Cricket is a religion where all other religions dissolve. IPL will create more sects in this religious spirit associated with the game of cricket.
This phenomenon will surely lead to hooliganism. Regionalism is already on sprawl in India due to political colors. This form of cricket will add fuel to the fire. Culturally divided nation like India, whose unity lies in its diversity, may experience further divides because of new form of cricket. Cricket is considered as one of the unifying catalyst in the diversity of India. Unanimously, all agreed that Cricket is a religion where all other religions dissolve. IPL will create more sects in this religious spirit associated with the game of cricket.
Friday, 18 April 2008
Obscenity and nudity in The Times of India news daily
For some times, I have observed that 'The Times of India' is giving more space to nudity and obscene photographs and news stories. It all begin with small pics of some glamour dolls in ‘News Digest’ (first page) or in graffiti (last page). Then it was Page 2 ‘cinema gossips’ where every other day a nude picture of Holly/Bollywood diva is posted.
Now, it’s even in the main news item that TOI doesn't miss a chance to print obscene, indecent, and lewd pictures. Quite ironically, tt all began under a beautiful name of ‘Save the Girl Child’ and see where has TOI gone. Is it necessary to print naked female figures to save the girls and women? Every now and then TOI bring sensual story in the name of ‘save the girl child’. Their representation of the story which is illustrated with similar kind of picture is so lascivious, voyeuristic and libidinous that at times it raises serious suspicions in the mind of readers. What is the intention of TOI in ‘Save the Girl Child’ campaign? Is it really to save girls and women or to give worst schemes and designs to woo, seduce and molest more girls and women?
What happened in Patan or is happening with females in society is a matter of a grave concern. But is it proper to give such a prurient coverage of entire episode? Worst were the photographs TOI printed with these stories.
Similarly, in the coverage of love affairs of political leaders of France and Russia, is not TOI crossing the boundaries of decency and decorum? If your answer is no, have a look at the nude pictures of their love ladies posted in TOI. After ogling over the pictures, if you don’t agree with me, ogle again with your parents and children.
The Times of India has the largest circulation in India. It is most read English daily in India. It’s not because of chauvinist approach to sexism. It is because of respect and reverence this news paper has in the eyes of readers. Is not TOI falling in high opinion and esteem of readers? Is not the value and worth of TOI decreasing because of such news items and photographs? If TOI is viewing to increase viewer ship by such mean attempt, I would say that those who are viewed as target readers for such content are surely not reading TOI. There ia a lot of such stuffs available in market ( and almost free on web), which is far ‘better’ than what TOI offers.
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This blog post was cited om www.naavi.org on Feb 13, 2010:Source: http://www.naavi.org/cl_editorial_10/edit_feb_13_2010_savita_3.htmIt is in this connection that we need to take note that TOI has been a purveyor of a new culture on soft porn in India preint media. I spotted one online petition at http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-reading-times-of-india-the-pornographic-paper.html which had been floated some time back on this issue. I also spotted a interesting blog enttry at http://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2008/04/obscenity-and-nudity-in-times-of-india.html also highlighting the same.The blogger Dilip Barad lamented“…Now, it’s in main news item that TOI don’t miss a chance to print obscene, indecent, and lewd pictures. It all began under a beautiful name of ‘Save the Girl Child’ and see where has TOI gone. Is it necessary to print naked female figures to save the girls and women? Every now and then TOI bring sensual story in the name of ‘save the girl child’. Their representation of the story which is illustrated with similar kind of picture is so lascivious, voyeuristic and libidinous that at times it raises serious suspicions in the mind of reader. What is the intention of TOI in ‘Save the Girl Child’ campaign? Is it really to save girls and women or to give worst schemes and designs to woo, seduce and molest more girls and women..”.How can TOI get away with this sort of journalism? Is there no Press Council which can take action? Or is Press Council powerless?
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Your comments are welcome.Tuesday, 15 April 2008
IAS officer praised for work on higher education
Apropos to ‘IAS officer praised for work on higher education’…
Its rarest of the rarest happening in academic arena. None has ever seen or heard of education commissioner being commemorated with laurels, that too by the intellectual elite of the state. It’s true that even the highly motivated require motivation and such praiseworthy event motivates other too. Hats off to Times of India for giving good space to such better news in higher education of Gujarat. Otherwise, we are witnessing that higher education of Gujarat is in the news for all the worst kind of things.
Its rarest of the rarest happening in academic arena. None has ever seen or heard of education commissioner being commemorated with laurels, that too by the intellectual elite of the state. It’s true that even the highly motivated require motivation and such praiseworthy event motivates other too. Hats off to Times of India for giving good space to such better news in higher education of Gujarat. Otherwise, we are witnessing that higher education of Gujarat is in the news for all the worst kind of things.
Monday, 7 April 2008
Farewell Speech
The farewell speech delivered on 5th April 2008 at Smt. S.B.Gardi Department of English, Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar.(Gujarat – India)
Mr. and Mrs. Rameshbhai Mehta- retired Judge, Respected Prof . Purnimaben V. Mehta-Head of the Department, alumni Hetal Mehta and Chetan Trivedi and dear friends,
Before I give my vote of thanks to the chief guest of today’s programme, I would like to share a few ideas with the students who are leaving this department.
Dear Friends, most of you are going to make your career in the field of teaching. You would be teachers in schools, colleges and universities. Please remember, somebody is always watching you, and learning from you – not from your words but from your actions. As a child watches its parents and learns from them – not form their words but form their actions, similarly students watch their teachers and learn from them – not form their words but from their actions. So, friends, don’t forget to build your character along with your career.
Your exams will begin on 5th May, 2008. In these last 30 days of ordeal, you may face innumerable tribulations, trauma and troubles. But remember, it is when things get worst that one must not quit. Quitters are never Winners, and Winners never quit. Remember the lines written on the wall of NDA – Dehradun: “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.”
On this day, I remember lines quoted by Shiv Khera in You Can Win:
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger ad faster man,
But sooner or later the ma who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.
Always think that you are Born to Win.
Coming back to the onus of giving vote of thanks, Sir (Mr.Mehta), this is one of the most memorable days for our students. We are grateful that you have spared some valuable moments with us. On behalf of, Bhavnagar University, Department of English and all the students & staff, I am heartily thankful to you for gracing this occasion with your esteemed presence.
Thank you, one and all.
Mr. and Mrs. Rameshbhai Mehta- retired Judge, Respected Prof . Purnimaben V. Mehta-Head of the Department, alumni Hetal Mehta and Chetan Trivedi and dear friends,
Before I give my vote of thanks to the chief guest of today’s programme, I would like to share a few ideas with the students who are leaving this department.
Dear Friends, most of you are going to make your career in the field of teaching. You would be teachers in schools, colleges and universities. Please remember, somebody is always watching you, and learning from you – not from your words but from your actions. As a child watches its parents and learns from them – not form their words but form their actions, similarly students watch their teachers and learn from them – not form their words but from their actions. So, friends, don’t forget to build your character along with your career.
Your exams will begin on 5th May, 2008. In these last 30 days of ordeal, you may face innumerable tribulations, trauma and troubles. But remember, it is when things get worst that one must not quit. Quitters are never Winners, and Winners never quit. Remember the lines written on the wall of NDA – Dehradun: “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.”
On this day, I remember lines quoted by Shiv Khera in You Can Win:
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger ad faster man,
But sooner or later the ma who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.
Always think that you are Born to Win.
Coming back to the onus of giving vote of thanks, Sir (Mr.Mehta), this is one of the most memorable days for our students. We are grateful that you have spared some valuable moments with us. On behalf of, Bhavnagar University, Department of English and all the students & staff, I am heartily thankful to you for gracing this occasion with your esteemed presence.
Thank you, one and all.
Incredible Puppet Show of Life and Death
Apropos to the fornt page news in The Times of India dated 29th Feb 2008, ‘Life and Death', I would like to share my views on the two incidents which took place on the railway track. A mother gave accidental birth to a girl child in the toilet of railway and child drops down on the track on a moving train. In the other incident, 16 workers form Bihar or UP were waling on the track and suddently a train came rushing and killed all of them.
What an incredible puppet show by the ‘President of the Immortals’! The Railway track breeds one little life with care and consideration whereas the same track becomes the viewless & voiceless annihilator of so many human lives. It is truth universally acknowledged that there are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamed of in our philosophies. It is well said by Shakespeare: “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances.”
What an incredible puppet show by the ‘President of the Immortals’! The Railway track breeds one little life with care and consideration whereas the same track becomes the viewless & voiceless annihilator of so many human lives. It is truth universally acknowledged that there are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamed of in our philosophies. It is well said by Shakespeare: “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances.”