Education System: Public vs Private Enterprise

Education system: It is better if it remains pubic service sector

I can't resist from sharing this. Why? Because there is something good about two things. More importantly, rarely, we get some thing good to listen about these two things. One is Government service sector and another is Teachers working in Government schools. Normally, they do not stand high in public perception. Azim Premji, who is an entrepreneur and champion of 'Privatisation' has something interesting to share.

Rather than Privatisation, PPP - Publiv-Private Partnership seems to be a better model. But it can only work if private enterprise do not see it as an extension of business. Private enterprise shall never think of earning money out of education system. Education should not be charity, but it should neither be business. Azim Premji has rightly said that "any good society needs robust public systems".

The full article which is Excerpts from a speech delivered by Azim Premji, Chairman, Wipro Ltd at a recent interaction with IAS and IPS officers can be read here: How to make India great.

The excerpts are give here under:

• "A week spent in such a region can be very disturbing because it reveals the reality of inequality and injustice that millions of our fellow citizens face."
• But despite glaringly visible problems and challenges, the week was also deeply energising and filled me with hope because of the spirit of the people i met there. 
• I also met, across all villages and small towns, hundreds of teachers from government schools who are deeply committed and motivated. They spend their own money and come on their own time, often on a public holiday or weekend, to learn something new, so that they can become better teachers.
• I can tell you that even in a successful IT company there will be very few takers if you ask people to come on a Sunday, at their own cost, to learn and become better software engineers. But these teachers do this. They recognise from within themselves that as educators, they have a deep responsibility. That, in many ways, the future of our children is in their hands.
• This positive experience with government schoolteachers is not limited to Karnataka but true across the country. Our experience has been that 10-20% teachers everywhere are highly motivated. They lead positive change.
• It’s true that 10-20% are quite disengaged. (My addition: Only for these disengaged teachers, Governement sells public schools, colleges to private enterprise. The Governments should learn to motivate the other 60% rather than creating an environment to swing these 60% towards the disengaged 20%.)
• To me, all this is reason for great hope. It certainly is positive reason for hope that in the frontline of our public education, in the government school system, there are a significant number of people working for genuine improvement. (The see that only in private education system good education happens and so Government shall privatise education system is one of the darkest, bleakest and terrible idea to happen in India)
• Our schools and colleges need to improve on very many counts. We are aware of these challenges. I believe our efforts to improve the system will receive a big fillip if we harness and channelise the abundant positive energy that i alluded to. We can’t always keep blaming and castigating people in our public systems because that is no way for any positive change to happen.
• We have to provide support and create the environment for such change to happen, for people to feel empowered and take the initiative. And at the same time we must strongly reaffirm our commitment to the public education system; this is a very fundamental issue.
• I think that any good society needs robust public systems, and certainly a good public education system is of utmost importance.
• Let me end by saying that all my life, i have learnt that ordinary people are capable of doing extraordinary things. For this they need to be trusted, encouraged and empowered. This is not the only thing that needs to be done, but nothing else will work unless we do this.
• That is because in a country of our size and our complexity, a few supermen or superwomen can’t change the nation. We should engage and energise the average citizen. This includes the teachers, health workers, mid-level officials, and many more in all kinds of roles and also all of us.
• I know that this is possible. I have hope because i have seen this happen. I have had the privilege of seeing often, what i saw with teachers in northeast Karnataka and with the 16-year-old girl who wanted to join the police service. It’s that spirit that will build a good and great India, the India that we have envisioned in our Constitution. And we must all work for that.

Literature, Films and Indian Railways

What does Rails stand for in Indian films and literature?

(This is stub . . . will be written at length with some examples)

In India, the journey through train is full of hardships.

Taking the cosmic view of hardships in journey by train, what does it signify? 

Is it India in miniature? 

Is it the experience of living in India?

Over-crowded, personal spaces intercepted by others, though the compartment is full, hundreds of passengers can accommodate themselves, rush to get out and get in, coolies – their act to pull luggage overhead is something like myth of Sisyphus, Indian Railways is India on the track – engine and compartments want to break through but the tracks holds them back and engine toils hard, puffing up smoke, compartments squeak in pain yet always on move without complaining – this is how an average middle class Indian Common Men lives their lives. They want to break through but Indian conditions, environment holds them back… they toil hard and squeak in pain but all in vain.

Then, the trains have air-conditioned coaches. Trains have First Class and Second Class divisions. These coaches are for the rich and powerful high-middle class Indians. The new-economy and hefty salary packs in government service sector have created this newly rich class which has climbed the ladder from poor to lower-middle class to rich middle class. The Indian Railways is in their memory as something great, something wonderful. All good that we see in Indian films about the railways, is for this class of people. Sometimes, the 'real' India, the India of 'Darkness', the India of 'have-nots', find themselves represented in the films.

To be added . . . updates will be made very soon.

Making of Indian States in 12 Images

Infographical Presentation of the Making of Indian States in Twelve Images

From the day India got its Independence in 1947, the making of the states on various reasons was / is ans ongoing process. Initially, states were divided on linguistic identity. Ironically, even today, demands for separate state based on linguistic identity keeps erupting. Perhaps, India would have been more united if straight column and rows, squares of equal area, marked different states. But it would have killed the beautiful diversity (linguistic, cultural, festivals, food, clothing etc) would have been killed. It is good to see India stands united preserving its diversity. Let it get divided into more states on the grounds of socio-cultural-linguistic diversity. The real beauty of India is in its diversity. Any attempt to impose 'oneness' of religion, language, culture or food will neither be accepted nor it will be good for the health of Nation - India.

I do not know who has prepared this. I got it from social media. But who ever has done this, has/have presented it quite beautifully. With the advent of new technologies and smart devices, the mode of communication is changing very rapidly. If today, anybody believed that one should master Language to master communication, he is advocating communication skills for the twentieth century. In the Twenty-First century, communication through visuals is replacing communication through language. If WhatsApp kind of applications are so popularly used for communication, it obviously raises questions. If there was Short Message Service (SMS - Text message), why WhatsApp becomes so popular? Simple reason is that it allows person to go beyond language and communicate through smiles, images and videos. Though it may sound too early to predict that the end of language as the means of communication has begin, yet, one can sense that we now-a-days, are communicating lesser & lesser with languages and, more & more with images. Infographic is the in thing. See, how beautifully these infographs convey the message. It is quite true a picture is worth thousand words! 

Power of Morning Rituals

Morning Rituals

If you've ever woken up feeling groggy, sluggish, and unmotivated, you're not alone. Many people struggle with starting their day on the right foot, and it can have a significant impact on their productivity, happiness, and overall well-being. But what if there was a way to kickstart your day with a burst of energy and positivity? That's where morning rituals come in.

Morning rituals are a set of actions that you perform every morning to set the tone for your day. They can be anything from exercise, meditation, journaling, or even reading a few pages of a book. The key is to make them consistent and meaningful to you.

The power of morning rituals lies in their ability to create a sense of control and structure in your day. By starting your day with purposeful actions, you take charge of your day's narrative, rather than letting outside influences dictate how you feel and act.

For me, my morning ritual starts on the tennis court. There's something about hitting a ball with all your might that helps release negative emotions and stress. It's a form of therapy that clears my mind and sets me up for a productive day ahead.

But you don't have to be a tennis player to benefit from morning rituals. The key is to find something that resonates with you and brings you joy. It could be a quick yoga routine, a brisk walk outside, or even a few minutes of deep breathing. The goal is to find an activity that helps you connect with yourself and set a positive tone for the day.

One of the biggest benefits of morning rituals is their ability to boost your overall well-being. Studies have shown that consistent morning routines can reduce stress levels, improve sleep quality, and increase feelings of happiness and productivity throughout the day.

So, how do you start a morning ritual? It's all about finding what works for you and committing to it. Start small and build up over time. Don't try to do too much at once, or you risk burning out and giving up on the routine altogether. Set realistic goals and make it a priority to stick to them, even when it's challenging.

The morning rituals are a powerful tool for boosting your overall well-being and setting the tone for a positive and productive day. Whether you're a tennis player, a yogi, or a bookworm, there's a morning ritual out there for everyone. So why not give it a try and see the difference it can make in your life

This albums (embedded from Facebook) displays photos related to physical fitness, sports and recreation activities which are carried out with the fervour of religious ritual.

Morning Rituals: This albums displays photos related to physical fitness, sports and recreation activities which are...
Posted by Dilip Barad on Monday, 20 April 2015

Thanks to Harbhadrasinh I. Sarvaiya for yet another very well shoot video.

Posted by Dilip Barad on Friday, 6 November 2015

Helicopter topspin ☺ #MSDHONI #Tennis #Cricket . Thanks to Pesi Noshir Sinor for the video.

Posted by Dilip Barad on Tuesday, 6 January 2015

Economics Simplified

The economies and the corporations of the world explained in the utmost simplifies way with the common example of two cows.

Forthrightedness of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw

'Sam Bahadur' Manekshaw was well - known for his bravery for under his command, Indian Forces conducted victorious campaigns against Pakistan in the Indo - Pakistan War of 1971 that led to the liberation of Bangladesh in Dec 1971.
He is also known for his forthright approach. Here are some of the examples of his forthrightedness in dealing with the then Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi.

Source: http://www.scrolldroll.com/sam-manekshaw-showed-he-was-the-most-badass-army-general-ever/

From CV to DP

From Curriculum Vitae to Digital Portfolio

• Though the words like C.V. (Curriculum Vitae), Resume and Bio-Data are used interchangeably as synonymous, yet there is a difference among them.
• Resume is the shortest in form among the three. Then comes C.V. followed by Bio-Date.
• One should be careful about what recruiter is asking for. One should not keep any one form ready and print the same whenever job opportunity knocks the door.
• If CV is asked, do not give Resume or Bio-Data.
• Resume remains much in demand as people do not have time to read so many pages. One should keep a page or two of Resume ready and handy to be produced as and when required.
• If you are curious to know the difference among them, the below given presentation will help you.
• Well, the presentation is prepared a few years back so it talks about Digital Portfolio but do not discuss examples.
• What is DP? DP is Digital Portfolio - is also know as an electronic portfolio (also known as an eportfolio, e-portfolio, digital portfolio, or online portfolio)is a collection of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a user, usually on the Web. Such electronic evidence may include inputted text, electronic files, images, multimedia, blog entries, and hyperlinks. E-portfolios are both demonstrations of the user's abilities and platforms for self-expression, and, if they are online, they can be maintained dynamically over time.
  An e-portfolio can be seen as a type of learning record that provides actual evidence of achievement. Learning records are closely related to the Learning Plan, an emerging tool that is being used to manage learning by individuals, teams, communities of interest, and organizations. To the extent that a Personal Learning Environment captures and displays a learning record, it also might be understood to be an electronic portfolio. (Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_portfolio)
• Now-a-days, students should have Digital Portfolio of their academic, co-curricular and extra-extracurricular activities.
• If you want to have a look at Digital Portfolios of students, please click here and follow the links.

•  Click here to visit the blog post > click on the Batch 2013-15 or any other. You will see the names of the students. Click on the names to visit their Digital Portfolio.

Resume, C.V., BioData and ePortfolio from Dilip Barad

Digital Portfolio Workshop from Dilip Barad