Modern Times is a 1936 American silent comedy film written and directed by Charlie Chaplin in which his iconic Little Tramp character struggles to survive in the modern, industrialized world. The film is a commentary on the desperate employment and financial conditions many people faced during the Great Depression — conditions created, in Chaplin's view, by the efficiencies of modern industrialization (Wikipedia).
Modern Times, American silent film, released in 1936, that starred Charlie Chaplin as a man at odds with modern technology. It is regarded as the last great silent film.
The film, which was set during the Great Depression, centres on a luckless factory worker (played by Chaplin) who finds himself so unnerved by trying to cope with the modern equipment he must operate that he suffers a breakdown. After being institutionalized, he is freed, only to be mistaken for a communist agitator. He is arrested but released after preventing a jailbreak. He subsequently falls in love with a young girl (Paulette Goddard) whom he met when she was running from the police after stealing a loaf of bread. The factory worker and the girl have many adventures together as they evade the police and struggle for a better life. Eventually they escape for the open road.
Chaplin had not been seen on a theatre screen for five years when Modern Times premiered to great acclaim in 1936. Still stubbornly resisting work in “talkies,” he stood alone in his insistence upon preserving the silent film. As he did with City Lights (1931), Chaplin conceded to recording a music and sound effects track, but there would be no dialogue heard on-screen. (A reactionary in terms of filmmaking techniques, he once predicted sound films would be passé by 1932.)
Modern Times is regarded as one of Chaplin’s most lighthearted films. There is certainly plenty of social criticism (the film highlights the dehumanizing impact of technology), but he plays the story mostly for laughs. The sight gag of Chaplin haplessly trying to keep pace with the assembly line in the factory is regarded as a classic comedy sequence. (Source: Britannica)
Chaplin biographer Jeffrey Vance has written of the reception and legacy of this classic comedy,
Modern Times is perhaps more meaningful now than at any time since its first release. The twentieth-century theme of the film, farsighted for its time—the struggle to eschew alienation and preserve humanity in a modern, mechanized world—profoundly reflects issues facing the twenty-first century. The Tramp's travails in Modern Times and the comedic mayhem that ensues should provide strength and comfort to all who feel like helpless cogs in a world beyond control. Through its universal themes and comic inventiveness, Modern Times remains one of Chaplin's greatest and most enduring works. Perhaps more important, it is the Tramp's finale, a tribute to Chaplin's most beloved character and the silent-film era he commanded for a generation. (Click here to read full article)
The Great Dictator
The Great Dictator is a 1940 American satiricalcomedy-drama film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other films. Having been the only Hollywood filmmaker to continue to make silent films well into the period of sound films, Chaplin made this his first true sound film.
Chaplin's film advanced a stirring condemnation of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, fascism, antisemitism, and the Nazis. At the time of its first release, the United States was still formally at peace with Nazi Germany and neutral during what were the early days of World War II. Chaplin plays both leading roles: a ruthless fascist dictator and a persecuted Jewish barber.
The Great Dictatorwas popular with audiences, becoming Chaplin's most commercially successful film.[4]Modern critics have praised it as a historically significant film, one of the greatest comedy films ever made and an important work ofsatire. (Wikipedia).
The Great Dictator, American comedyfilm, released in 1940, that Charlie Chaplin both acted in and directed. Satirizing Adolf Hitler and Nazism and condemning anti-Semitism, it was Chaplin’s most successful film at the box office.
Chaplin portrayed a Jewish barber who is mistaken for a tyrannical dictator. He plays up the charade and ultimately gives a speech in which he calls for peace and compassion. Chaplin, in a dual role, also played the fascist dictator, modeled after Hitler.
The Great Dictator was Chaplin’s first feature film with full sound. When the movie was released in 1940, the United States was still not officially at war with Nazi Germany. The names of the characters mock the fascist leaders of the day, including “Adenoid Hynkel,” standing in for Hitler, and ministers “Garbitsch” and “Herring,” who were modeled on Joseph Goebbels and Hermann Göring, respectively. “Benzino Napaloni,” dictator of the neighbouring country of “Bacteria,” was a satirical portrayal of Italy’s Benito Mussolini. One of the film’s most-celebrated scenes features Hynkel dancing with a balloon of the world to the music of Richard Wagner. Chaplin later said he would never have been able to make the film had the true extent of the Nazis’ crimes been widely known (Britannica).
"But Chaplin wouldn't be dissuaded. He knew that The Great Dictator was worth making, and, sure enough, it was a box office smash: 1941's second biggest hit in the US. On the 80th anniversary of the film's release, Chaplin's prescience is even more startling. The Great Dictator is a masterpiece that isn't just a delightful comedy and a grim agitprop drama, but a spookily accurate insight into Hitler's psychology. "He was a visionary," said Costa-Gavras, the Greek-French doyen of political cinema, in a making-of documentary. "He saw the future while the leaders of the world couldn't see it, and remained on Hitler's side." - Read more - Nicholas Barber - BBC Culture
A Course on Research and Publication Ethics (RPE) - for Ph.D. Students
University Grants Commission (UGC) in its 543rd meeting held on 9th August 20-19 approved two Credit Course for awareness about publication ethics and publication misconducts entitled "Research and Publication Ethics (RPE)" to be made compulsory for all PhD students for pre-registration coursework.Click here to download the syllabus.
In view of the above, many PhD scholars as well as resource persons may be in need of the recommended books to carry out this coursework. All these resources are in public domain and can be downloaded from below given links:
महान रचनाकार 'गुरुदेव' रबींद्रनाथ टैगोर का 7 अगस्त 1941 को अवसान
हुआ था। महाकाव्य गीतांजलि के लिए टैगोर को साहित्य का नोबेल दिया
गया था। यहाँ प्रस्तुत कविता 'दीनो दान' 120 वर्ष पहले लिखी गई है मगर
यह आज के परिवेश में भी प्रासंगिक बनी हुई है। आज रबींद्रनाथ टैगोर की
पुण्यतिथि पर पूरा देश उन्हें इस रचना के जरिए याद कर रहा है।
Tagore's original date mark on this poem is 20th of Shravan, 1307, which happened to fall on August 5th of this year. On 5th August 2020, there was a grand show of by the Trust of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. The Prime Minister was invited. The live telecast of the gala event was witnessed by billions of people over electronic media. The Live Streamed on social media was also greeted with warm emotions by devotees of Lord Ram.
While the people involved in the act tries to narrate the event with their version of truth, the truth which is loved by the majority of the day, the truth which seems to be so sweety sweerty and goody goody that all love to talk about it with ornamental language.
Well, the same event which is so loved by the majority of the people (of the day) may not be seen exactly in same light by literary imagination. The mind's eye of the true littérateurimagines the same event is quite an opposite way.
Rabindranath Tagore was one such creative genius. It is an ironical coincidence that Tagore's poem is said to be written on 5th August. This date may be debated as it was marked with Bengali date but his death anniversary fall just on the second day of the euphoria of the Ram Temper Foundation Stone Ceremony, i.e. 7th August.
It is but obvious that people will read Tagore on his death anniversary and may be surprised to see this poem written by him. The poem is so relevant as well as so succinctly reminds us of the way we should have been behaving in the times of nationalistic religiosity in the times of Corona Pandemic #Covid19.
Here is the Hindi translation of the Bengali Poem. Below it is the English version of the poem.
“उस मंदिर में कोई प्रभु नहीं हैं”, कहा सन्त ने।
राजा क्रुद्ध हो गया;
“कोई प्रभु नहीं? हे सन्त! क्या तुम
किसी नास्तिक जैसे नहीं बात कर रहे?
अनमोल रत्नजरित सिंहासन पर,
स्वर्णिम मूर्ति चमक रही है,
फिर भी तुम कहते वह यहाँ नहीं है?”
“खाली नहीं यह मंदिर, इसमे भरा पड़ा है
राजसी दंभ।
तुमने अपना ही मान बढ़ाया है, हे राजा!
संसार के स्वामी का नहीं”,
यूं कहा सन्त ने।
झुंझलाया था फिर राजा, “बीस लाख सिक्के सोने के
बरसाए हमने उस महान कृति पर गगनचुंबी है जो,
और देवताओं को किया समर्पित
सब आवश्यक अनुष्ठानों के बाद,
और तुम्हारी यह धृष्टता कि कहो
नहीं इस विराट मंदिर में भगवान”?
शांति से बोला संत, “उसी साल जब,
दो करोड़ तुम्हारी प्रजा
पीड़ित थी भयंकर सूखे से;
रोटी और छत विहीन विपन्न लोग!
आए तुम्हारे दर पर मांगने सहारा,
मिली बस दुत्कार,
बाध्य हुए वह ढूँढने को आसरा,
जंगलों, कन्दराओं में, पथ-किनारे वृक्षों के नीचे
और खंडहहर पुराने मंदिरों में;
और फिर उसी साल
जब तुमने बीस लाख स्वर्ण मुद्राएं खर्च कर
बनाया अपना यह मंदिर आलीशान,
वही था वह दिन जब भगवान ने कहा:
“मेरा घर तो जगमगाता है
सदा प्रज्ज्वलित दीपों से,
नीले गगन के बीच,
मेरे घर की बुनियादें बनीं हैं मूल्यों से:
सच, शांति, करुणा और प्रेम के।
वह राजा, निर्धन निर्बल कृपण,
अपनी ही प्रजा को जो दे न सका
आश्रय,
क्या वह सच में आशा रखता है
मेरा घर बना सकने की?”
यही वह दिन था
जब त्याग दिया प्रभु ने तुम्हारा वह मंदिर।
और जा मिले पथ किनारे कंगालों से,
पेड़ों के नीचे।
विशाल समुद्र के झाग की रिक्तता की तरह,
तुम्हारा मंदिर भी खाली है।
धन और दंभ मात्र का यह बुलबुला है।
गरजा था फिर राजा,
“अरे धोखेबाज बेवकूफ इंसान,
निकल जा मेरे राज्य से अभी”।
सन्त बोला शांति से,
“वही जगह जहां तुमने किया है निर्वासित भगवान को,
वहीं भेज दो भक्त को भी”।
(अनुवादक: गौरव)
A 120-year-old Bengali poem written by Rabindranath Tegore: Translation in English
“There is no god in that temple”, said the Saint.
The King was enraged; “No God? Oh Saint, aren’t you speaking like an atheist? On that throne studded with priceless gems, beams the golden idol, And yet, you proclaim that it is empty?”
“It is not empty; rather, it is full of royal pride. You have bestowed yourself, oh King, not the God of this world”, Remarked the saint.
The King frowned, “2 million golden coins were showered on that grand structure that kisses the sky, I offered it to the Gods after performing all the necessary rituals, And you dare claim that in such a grand temple, There is no presence of God”?
The Saint calmly replied
“In the very year in which twenty million of your subjects were struck by a terrible drought; The desperate masses without any food or shelter, came begging at your door crying for help, only to be turned away, they were forced to take refuge in forests, caves, camping under roadside foliages, derelict old temples; and in that very year, when you spent 2 million gold coins to build that grand temple of yours,
that was the day when God pronounced:
‘My eternal home is lit by everlasting lamps, in the midst of an azure sky. In my home the foundations are built with the values of Truth, Peace, Compassion and Love. This poverty-stricken puny miser, Who could not provide shelter to his own homeless subjects, Does he really fancy he can give Me a home?’
That is the day God left that Temple of yours. And joined the poor beside the roads, under the trees. Like the emptiness of the froth in the vast seas, Your mundane temple is hollow. It is just a bubble of wealth and pride.”
The enraged King howled, “oh you sham cretin of a person, Leave my kingdom this instant”.
The Saint replied calmly, “To the very place to which you have exiled the Divine, Banish now the devout too”.
- Rabindranath Tagore, 20th of Shravan, 1307 (as per Bengali Calendar)
Shunning the opulent shelter of your golden temple
Is engaged upon the sacred devotions of sankirtana
Under the shade of a tree by the roadside.
Scores of devotees swarm the holy man
Tears of uncontrollable bliss overflow their
Down-turned faces, and cleanse the earth with
Waves of piety.Your temple stands near-empty;
As the honeybee, driven wild by the first wafting
Of the perfume from the lotus grove, instantly rejects
The gilded pot of honey and flies briskly over to
Where the lotuses have blossomed in profusion, eager
To quench his thirst, likewise, the great multitudes,
(Caringnot for the glittering temple) run from
Far and wide to there, where down by the edge
Of the street, from the lotus blossom of the
Devotee’s heart, there emanates the fragrance of Heaven.
Upon the jewel-studded throne- the lonesome Deity
Suffers silently in ultimate rejection.”
Hearing this, and understandably vexed, the monarch
Stepped off the royal throne, and with due haste
Rushed to where under the shade below the bough
Sat the sadhu upon his grassy seat. Offeringpranam
At his feet, he spoke thus. “Behold, Father, yonder
Royal temple with the golden dome- its crest
Piercing the sky itself! Why, pray, would you
Reject such grandeur, and offer praises to the divine
Here by the dusty street?”
“The divine resides not inside that vacuous temple,”
The sadhu responded. “Resides not?” retorted
The sovereign in fury. “O Sannyasi- you blaspheme
Like an atheist! Radiant upon a jewel-encrusted throne
Sits in glory the luminous icon of divinity. You call
That empty and vacuous?”
“Not empty, Your Highness, it is full only of Royal
Arrogance. Within that hall of glamor, it is yourself
You have installed, not the benevolent devata.”
With knotted brow, the irate sovereign then spoke thus.
“With the princely sum of two million pieces of gold
Have I created this unblemished temple which
Rises past the clouds, and through the chanting of
Potent puja mantras consecrated to the sacred divinity-
And you tell me that the devatahas not a place within
This temple of glory?”
With an unruffled voice, the sadhu responded-
“That year when a raging wildfire consumed their
Homes and impoverished twenty thousand of your
Subjects- homeless, penniless and desperately hungry,
They stood at your palace door, begging for relief from
Your royal hands. Their collective pleas fell upon deaf
Ears, and without hope, they retreated to the deepest
Forests, into caverns, under the shades of trees by
Street-sides, the courtyards of abandoned old temples
Split asunder by overgrown invading wildasath. That very
Same year,spending your two million pieces of gold
Your Highness created your temple of gold
And consecrated to the divine. That day Bhagwan,
The Compassionate One, spoke thus. “My timeless
Home spread across the limitless Universe is strewn
With countless luminous points of light dispersed
Beyond the endless blue of the sky. That refuge of
Mine is founded ever upon the four pillars of Truth,
Peace, Compassion and Love. The lowly, impoverished
Miser who cannot provide even shelter and safety to his
Own homeless subjects- he dare offer me a home!”
That instant the Compassionate One departed to where
Under the shades of trees languished the impoverished.
The refuge-giver joined his flock, the refugees. Empty
As the bloated foam riding the vast seas- likewise is
Your vaunted temple empty under the vast skies-
Nothing but bubbles of gold and vanity.”
Lighting up like a conflagration, the monarch thundered,
“Bogus lowlife charlatan, leave my kingdom forthwith-
Make haste and begone!”
His voice calm and resolute, the sannyasi replied-
“Where you expelled, my dear King, the beloved of the
Devotees- Your Highness, pray expel me there.”
[Rabindranath Tagore, the timeless cultural icon, identified consistently with the cause of the oppressed and colonized around the world, and spoke out decisively for them in his speeches, lectures, during travels worldwide and conversationswith the greatest minds of his time (which included, rather importantly, some of the greatest in human history, including Albert Einstein, Romain Rolland, H.G. Wells, and many other luminaries including a great many who were influenced and inspired by his work and his message). Most of all, his empathy for the poor, the downtrodden, the tyrannized of the world is graphically emblazoned across his literary writings, and it is well past time that many of these be brought before the world as a whole. Given Tagore’s immense oeuvre, this is a massive task indeed. This translator intends to present some of these, in bits and pieces as long as fate provides the necessary time.
Tagore’s DeenaDaan is a story narrative whose relevance extends far beyond both the space of the kingdom where the event takes place, and also the time frame which extends to all time. It underscores the obscenity of extravagance on the part of the rich and powerful (here depicted through the grandiose actions of a monarch, and yet just as applicable to the obscenity of imperials looters and plunderers, many, many from the haughty Western world, who routinely lay to waste the precious resources of the earth and pile up unimaginable plunder and heartless consumption at the cost of millions of the poor and deprived whose lives are piled high with suffering and violence to keep running the machinery of the inherent evil and arrogance of the mighty). In this balladic story, a vainglorious monarchexpends enormous quantities of gold to build up a glittering temple to benevolent God while at the same time heartlessly turning away thousands of suffering subjects rendered paupers by a wildfire which consumed their all. The arrogant King is taught a lesson in humanity and morality by a highly revered sage who chooses to offer his devotions to God under the trees and upon the dust of the green earth instead of the King’s opulent temple. There is truth here which applies to the imperial, consumerist and market-economy world (the government, business and military nexus which is running berserk in the capitals in Washington, London, Paris and elsewhere) and its heartless greed and arrogance right now in our times.
Narottama– name of the sannyasi; literally, the highest among men.
Sadhu– a holy man, a renunciate, a recluse.
Sankirtana– sacred devotional chants usually to the Lord Krishna practiced by Bengal’s Vaishnavas.
Pranam– the Hindu practice of touching an elder’s feet out of reverence.
Sannyasi- an alternative name for Sadhu; literally, one who has renounced the world.
Devata– the deity or divinity being worshipped.
Asath- also called aswath or the peepul tree, similar to tree of enlightenment associated with the Buddha.
Bhagwan- the Lord of Destiny in Hinduism; often implying God.
The students of Department of English organised Mobile Photography Event in Aug 2017. The photographs were made available online for public voting. In this online competition, the students requested their friends, family members and social media followers to vote the best photos.
Here is the online form with all photos submitted by the participants.
4.9. It is well-understood that young children learn and grasp non-trivial concepts more
quickly in their home language/mother tongue. Wherever possible, the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/mother-tongue/local language. Thereafter, the home/local language shall continue to be taught as a language wherever possible. This will be followed by both public and private schools. High-quality textbooks, including in science, will be made available in home languages. In cases where home-language textbook material is not available, the language of
the transaction between teachers and students will still remain the home language wherever possible. Teachers will be encouraged to use a bilingual approach, including bilingual teaching-learning materials, with those students whose home language may be different from the medium of instruction. All languages will be taught with high quality; a language does not need to be the medium of instruction for it to be learned well.
4.10. As research clearly shows that children pick up languages extremely quickly between the ages of 2 and 8 and that multilingualism has great cognitive benefits to young students, children will be exposed to languages early on (but with a particular emphasis on the mother tongue), starting from the Foundational Stage onwards. All languages will be taught in an enjoyable and interactive style, with plenty of interactive conversation, and with plenty of early reading and subsequently writing in the mother tongue in the early years – with skills developed for reading and writing in the other two languages in Grade 3 and beyond. All
language learning will aim to be experiential and enhanced through art, such as music, poetry, and theatre. There will be a major effort from both the Central and State governments to invest in large numbers of language teachers in all regional languages around the country, and in particular all Schedule 8 languages. States, especially states from different regions of India,
may enter bilateral agreements to hire teachers in large numbers from each other, to satisfy the three-language formula in their respective states, and also to encourage the study of Indian languages across the country.
4.11. The three-language formula will continue to be implemented while keeping in mind the Constitutional provisions, the need to promote multilingualism and national unity while providing for greater flexibility.
4.12. Students whose medium of instruction is the local/home language will begin to learn
science and mathematics, bilingually in Grade 6 so that by the end of Grade 9 they can speak about science and other subjects both in their home language and English. In this regard, all efforts will be made in preparing high-quality bilingual textbooks and teaching-learning materials.
4.13. The home/local language and/or the second Indian language will be enhanced with the reading of and analysis of uplifting literature from the Indian subcontinent, ancient to modern, and by authors from all walks of life, as well as through other arts, such as by playing and discussing music or film excerpts, or engaging in theatre in these languages.
4.14. As so many developed countries around the world have amply demonstrated, being well educated in one’s language, culture, and traditions is indeed a huge benefit to educational, social, and technological advancement. India’s languages are among the richest, most
scientific, most beautiful, and most expressive in the world, with a huge body of ancient as well as modern literature (both prose and poetry), film, and music written in these languages that help form India’s national identity and wealth. For purposes of cultural enrichment as well as national integration, all young Indians should be aware of the rich and vast array of languages of their country, and the treasures that they and their literature contain.
4.15. Thus, every student in the country will participate in a fun project/activity on ‘The
Languages of India’ sometime in Grades 6-8. In this project/activity, students will learn about the remarkable unity of most of the major Indian languages, starting with their common phonetic and scientifically-arranged alphabets and scripts, their common grammatical structures, their origins and sources of vocabularies from Sanskrit and other classical languages, as well as their rich inter-influences and differences. They will also learn what geographical areas speak which languages, get a sense of the nature and structure of tribal languages, and they would learn to say a few lines in every major language of India and a bit about the rich and uplifting literature of each. Such an activity would give them both a sense of the unity and the beautiful cultural heritage and diversity of India and would be a wonderful icebreaker their whole lives as they meet people from other parts of India. This project/activity would be a joyful activity and would not involve any form of assessment.
4.16. The importance, relevance, and beauty of the classical languages and literature of India also cannot be overlooked. Sanskrit, while also an important modern (Schedule 8) language, possesses a classical literature that is greater in volume than that of Latin and Greek put together, containing vast treasures of mathematics, philosophy, grammar, music, politics, medicine, architecture, metallurgy, drama, poetry, storytelling, and more, written by people of
various religions as well as non-religious people, and by people from all walks of life and a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds over thousands of years. Sanskrit will thus be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an important, enriching option for students. It will be taught in ways that are interesting and experiential as well as contemporarily relevant. Sanskrit textbooks at the foundational and middle school level may be rewritten in Simple Standard Sanskrit (SSS) to teach Sanskrit through Sanskrit (STS) and make its study truly enjoyable.
4.17. India also has an extremely rich literature in other classical languages, includingclassical Tamil, as well as classical Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia, in addition to Pali, Persian, and Prakrit; these classical languages and their works of literature too must be preserved for their richness and for the pleasure and enrichment of posterity. When India becomes a fully developed country, the next generation will want to be able to partake in and be enriched as humans by India’s extensive and beautiful classical literature which containsgreat intellectual and cultural treasures.
4.18. In addition to Sanskrit, the teaching of all other classical languages and literature of
India, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Pali, Persian, and Prakrit, will also be widely available in schools as options (possibly as online modules), through experiential and innovative approaches, including by integration of technology, to ensure that these languages and literature stay alive and vibrant, especially in those states where they may
be best taught and nurtured.
4.19. For the enrichment of our children, and for the preservation of these rich languages and their artistic treasures, all students in all schools, public or private, may have the option of learning at least two years of a classical language of India and its associated literature, through experiential and innovative approaches including by integration of technology, in Grades 6-12, with the option to continue from middle level through secondary education and university.
4.20. In addition to high quality offerings in Indian languages and English, foreign languages,such as Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, French, German, Spanish, or Russian will also be widely offered at the secondary level, for students to learn about the cultures of the world and to increase their global knowledge and mobility according to their own interests and aspirations.
4.21. The teaching of all languages will be enhanced through innovative and experiential methods, such as gamification and apps, and by weaving in the cultural aspects of the
languages, with the teaching-learning of various subjects and with real-life experiences through films, theatre and storytelling, art and music, local literature, etc. Thus, the teaching of languages will also be based on experiential learning pedagogy.
4.22. Indian Sign Language (ISL) will be standardised across the country and National and State curriculum materials developed, for use by students with hearing impairment. Local sign languages will be respected and taught as well, where possible and relevant.
One Week Faculty Development Programme: 6 to 11 July 2020
Organised by Sathyabhama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India and SKITI Malang, Indonesia
In one week Faculty Development Programme, delivered talk on 'Making Sense of Online Teaching - Engaging Students Online and Offline'. The FDP is jointly organised by Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil-Nadu and and Sekolah Tinggi Informatika dan Komputer Indonesia (SKITI) - Indonesian College of Informatics and Computers. 6th July 2020.
