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Arvind Kejriwal’s promise of 20 new degree colleges in Delhi, dream or a reality: RTI reveals the fact

shukaljanvi
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Arvind Kejriwal’s promise of 20 new degree colleges in Delhi, dream or a reality: RTI reveals the fact

Delhi’s Chief Minister and National convener Arvind Kejriwal’s politics is known for giving promises but that doesn’t make him a promising leader. It is more important to know what he delivered on those promises which he made to people to get votes in the elections.

On 14th November 2014 in a launch of Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi dialogue ahead of the 2015 legislative assembly polls in Delhi, AAP’s National convener Arvind Kejriwal promised to the people for opening 20 new government degree colleges on the outskirts of Delhi in five years if voted to power which was also added as promise number 21 into the election manifesto of AAP that was announced on 31st January 2015.

In his address, he said on 14th November 2014, “For the youth, the biggest problem is higher education. Close to 1.5 lakh students pass Class 12 in the city each year. Many of them don’t get admission to colleges. We will set up 20 colleges in the outskirts of Delhi”.

Today, over 7.5 years have passed of AAP being in power and Arvind Kejriwal being the Chief Minister of Delhi portraying Delhi as a model of education but the bubble of Delhi’s education bursts with the reply of an RTI filed by Arpan Bhatt.

Arpan Bhatt filed an RTI application on 31st August 2022 seeking the answer on ‘How many new government degree colleges have been opened in Delhi and how many seats have been increased after 2015 in Delhi’?

The directorate of higher education, Government of NCT of Delhi in reply to this RTI stated that ‘No new College has been opened by the Directorate of Higher Education, GNCTD during 2015 – 2022’.

While Arvind Kejriwal and his party are busy giving poll promises in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, people should also remind them of their unfulfilled promises in Delhi since 7.5 years of being in power. 

False polarity: On the reservation system

Rushil Gupta
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False polarity: On the reservation system

The reservation policy, in India, is the consequence of age-old caste discrimination. In essence, it involves making it easier for certain groups of people to get seats in government offices, educational institutions, and even legislatures. Because of their caste identity, these communities have historically experienced injustice. Reservation can also be viewed as positive discrimination since it is based on quotas. Government policies in India are supported by the Indian Constitution.

The reservation system that is still in use today was established by the “Communal Award” given in 1933 by British Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald. Muslims, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, Europeans, and Dalits all had their own electorates established as a result of this award. Following independence, reservations were initially only available to SCs and STs. OBCs were included in the reservation system in 1991 on the advice of the Mandal Commission. In the Indra Sawhney Case of 1992, the Supreme Court overturned a government notification that reserved 10% of government positions for economically backward classes among the higher castes while upholding the 27 per cent quota for backward classes. The Supreme Court upheld the idea that the proportion of reservation beneficiaries should not exceed 50% of India’s population in the same ruling.

After the reservation clause was first introduced, it was associated with vote-bank politics and frequently extended by prospering governments and the Indian Parliament without any free and fair amendments. By attempting to reduce labour productivity, the current reservation system has the potential to thwart the nation’s economic system. We’ll gradually have less competent teachers, magistrates, and medical professionals caring for our family. The reservation system only serves to further divide society, leading to prejudice and conflicts between different groups. There is no caste embroiled; it is oppressive. It is the total antithesis of living in a community.

The reservation system is an apocalyptic menace to the world. Instead of propping up meritocracy by lowering entry barriers, financial aid should be given to the most deserving but least fortunate people. The NTs and IIMs are now held in high esteem all over the world due to their preservation of merit. Caste-based discrimination is a strategy used to advance specific political interests.

There are no social or economic advantages for poor members of the advanced castes over those of the backward castes. The majority of the seats designated for backward castes are only occupied by affluent people, making the goal a complete failure. For the EWS category, pursuing education at the secondary level is a distant dream, forget studying at prestigious universities.

What about the human capital flowing out? As undergrads and graduates started to pursue higher education in foreign colleges as a result of the reservation, there was an increase in brain drain. Every year, approximately 7,50,000 Indian students study abroad, which adversely affects the country’s balance of payments (BOP).

A toll on unreserved category students appearing for various entrance exams. Caste-based reservation is unfair to general category deserving students because it prevents them from enrolling in the colleges of their choice. For instance, according to the NEET 2019 counselling results for Uttarakhand, the last seat obtained by an unreserved category student in Uttarakhand required approximately 529 marks, while the same seat required approximately 338 marks for a student from a reserved category. The unreserved meritorious students have suffered as a result of the enormous difference in the numbers. Instead of caste-based advantages, opportunities for students must be determined by their abilities and financial situations. Skill-based courses or institutions may be brought up so that everyone is at the same level. Reservation in state services caused conflict and animosity among government workers, debauching the work environment.

The majority of underprivileged children from disadvantaged castes should receive reservation benefits, not just a select group of privileged children who can claim caste as their identity. High-ranking officials’ families, well-off professionals, and others earning more than a certain amount should be excluded from reservation benefits.

Reservations are a necessary and fair way to assist the less fortunate members of each community. The education system needs to undergo radical changes at the grassroots level. Vocationalized education, rather than rote learning, should be focused on. Instead of handing out reservations for admission to higher education or jobs on a silver platter, radical solutions include excluding the entire creamy layer among all castes from the reservation and developing their capabilities. Intrinsically as it offers appropriate positive discrimination for the disadvantaged and economically disadvantaged segments of society, reservation is fair.  But it should be completely eradicated as soon as it has a propensity to harm society and ensure privileges for some at the expense of others for purely political reasons. Finding a balance between equity for the ahead, justice for the backward, and system efficiency requires a strong political will.

In the line of promises: It is time to chant “Let Afghan Girls Learn”

Meer Hamayoun
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In the line of promises: It is time to chant “Let Afghan Girls Learn”

One year ago, the Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan with some promises and commitments. Among those promises, one was to allow girls’ education in Afghanistan. But after a year, they could not let the Afghan girls return to school and the promises remained unfulfilled. With every passing day, the situation in Afghanistan is getting worse, especially since the education sector is suffering a lot.

On Friday, 30th of September, bomb blasts at an education centre in Kabul, where students were taking a preparatory exam. I have seen a picture on social media, which depicts a boy, who was sitting outside the ICU in a hospital with the school bag of his injured sister due to the suicide blast. According to reports, mostly the girls were victims of today’s blast. This was the most devastating picture, I have seen so far. Since the Taliban takeover, the education sector in Afghanistan has gone to collapse almost. The spokesman of the Taliban’s government, Zabhiullah Mujahid affirmed that students would be allowed to attend their schools but the girls under seven years will only be allowed to attend the schools. The women in Afghanistan are even not allowed to work. Most of the women have lost their jobs.

In the past, the education sector in Afghanistan has mostly relied on foreign aid. In the last twenty years, more than 9 million children have been enrolled in schools. But still, about 4 million children are out of school among which half of the strength accounts for girls. The education sector is the main engine for the country’s progress and is the only way forward for a country to compete in the world’s run. The last year has been very critical for the Afghan people. According to a report by UNHCR, 23 million Afghans could go through severe starvation and nine million people are on the brink of famine. In these defying times, many Afghan families could be forced to choose survival over education. The quality and quantity of education in Afghanistan were not good already but now it’s dropping at a far more dangerous level than ever before. During the war, many schools have been bombed and many have been used for military purposes in Baghlan in 2016 and in Kunduz many schools have been destroyed as a result of US air strikes.  

With the Taliban takeover on August 15, 2021, many employees fled Afghanistan but the teachers stayed there realizing their importance and responsibility in rebuilding the already war-torn Afghanistan. About one-third of those Afghan teachers in Afghanistan have not been paid their salaries for the last six months, which is the only source of their livelihood. These conditions depict the future crises in Afghanistan being more vulnerable for the people of Afghanistan in 2022. In this regard, international funds are urgently needed for the uplift crises, especially in the education sector. The international actors must work in close coordination with the Afghan government to divert the challenges as much as possible. The salaries of teachers must be generously paid by international organizations and the education infrastructure should be revitalized in Afghanistan.

Some statements issued by Afghan officials about gender segregation in education are another step toward girls’ education collapse. This is also a vulnerable situation threatening girls’ education. But the cultural restrictions on girls’ education are another serious hurdle in Afghanistan. Returning girls to educational institutions is not only a prior demand of the Afghan people but a main driving force behind the development of the country. Cultural restrictions are another major cause inhibiting girls’ education in some southern provinces even before the Taliban government. The banking crises in the country have complicated the normal flow of education.

The equality of education is a must for a country especially like Afghanistan, being engaged in war for almost 20 years. Foreign aid is compulsory for the revitalizing the educational infrastructure in Afghanistan. The sanctions on Afghanistan should be eased down and the frozen assets of Afghanistan must be released in order to cope with the challenges in Afghanistan. In the end of December last year, some Afghan women have held a peaceful protest, demanding their fundamental rights and seeking access to education and equality in all fields. I spoke to one of the Afghan students through social media and I inquired about the education in Afghanistan, she categorically said that the Taliban government has banned them to attend the universities.

Finally, the Taliban must show some softness toward girls’ education. The promises which the Taliban have made in Doha Agreement must be fulfilled and Afghan girls must be allowed to learn. It will not only support the country but can also prove to be fruitful for the wide acceptance of their government among the people. Every civilized person in the civil society should chant “LET AFGHAN GIRLS LEARN“

Article 21– Right to live with dignity

vidyadharp
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Article 21– Right to live with dignity

No person shall be deprived of his right to life or personal liberty. There are many stages in our life which change the direction of our living. Becoming a parent is such an important turning point in our lives. Parenthood changes both the way we live and the way we think. When our daughter came into our lives, my wife and my life began to take a turn for the better. When we adopted her, she was only four months old. When we decided to adopt a child, we registered with CARA (Central Adoption Resource Authority-Nodal Agency for Adoption in India) as per law.

After two and a half years of waiting, we were informed that we were having a baby girl. We immediately completed all legal procedures. Our daughter is extremely happy and energetic, but she was abandoned in the forest by her biological parents. There she was bitten by ants and insects and also got bacterial infections. She was saved due to the alertness of the ‘Emergency Service Ambulance’ and its crew. However the treating doctors suspected that she might have kidney disease in future and our anxiety grew further.

How could such a small baby bear such severe pain was disturbing. Fortunately our daughter is healthy and has no illness. The reason for deliberately giving this personal experience is to draw everyone’s attention to the issue of orphaned or abandoned children.

It is estimated that there are 3 crore orphans and abandoned children in India, out of which not even 5 lakh make it to institutionalized care and 3000-4000 get adopted every year. More than 1.5 lakh children were orphaned by Covid-19. There are more than 26,000 prospective parents who are waiting for referrals while the number of children legally free for adoption is very less. Moreover, there are almost 2.6 lakh children living in 7000 child care institutions (CCIs) in the country. In India, if there is no family to take care of an orphaned child or a child has been abandoned, the government steps in.

Only abandoned children, who cannot be cared for by extended family, can be adopted by strangers. This is a paradoxical situation where on one hand there are a large number of parents willing to adopt a child, on the other, there are not many children available for adoption or living in CCIs, and a large number are further abandoned or orphaned.

It is even alarming to know that 9 out of 10 abandoned children were girls. When any child gets abandoned (a majority immediately after birth), they are thrown in an inhumane manner – trash, garbage, bushes, waste bins, roadside, etc. The newborns who were thrown away were barely covered. They are exposed to extreme temperatures, rains, insect bites, injuries etc. This impacts their overall health and wellbeing until they receive help. Many children died in the past due to lack of help or support. This is an act violation of the fundamental right to live with human dignity under Article 21 in the Indian Constitution.

The CCIs are authorized to accept these children, and have placed cradles, cribs, baby hatches etc. so that people can safely put the child there. However, it is very sad that people do not keep their children in such a safe environment. There are possible reasons like there could be no awareness of cradle points, CCTV around, somebody would see them, fear of getting caught by police etc. and hence they prefer the inhuman way rather than volunteering safe handing over.

The problem is complex and challenging. I do not have a complete solution to resolve this, but I would like to start by taking small efforts to improve awareness with respect to CCIs and cradle points. If people at least know where they are, there is an increased probability of the unwanted child reaching the desired CCI rather than being disposed of in inhumane ways. Hence it is important to make cradle signage mandatory for hospitals, adoption agencies, orphanages, foster care homes, children daycares etc. This signage is similar to the signage of a hospital or pharmacy store which is visible from a distance 24/7 and 365 days. It should be promoted actively by the government machinery so that even if people want to abandon their kids they drop them at least to a place where they could receive basic primary care.

Moreover such incidents are mainly found on highways, roadways, forest areas outside city limits etc. I also think that a cradle sign should also be included as part of Road Safety Information Signs. This sign is similar to a petrol bunk, food court or even toilet facility indicating the proximity or distance and direction to the same. There is urgency for both Women & Child Development and Road Transportation and Highway ministries and their internal departments to work on making cradle signage mandatory and implement it across India. I have communicated these to concerned authorities in the government and they issued a notification mandating all CCIs and adoption agencies to install cradle and appropriate signage with immediate effect.

India is the first country globally to make cradle signage mandatory. Apart from these, it is also important to review “The Cradle Baby Scheme” of the Tamil Nadu Government for nationwide implementation which has provision for volunteering and handing over to government agencies. Govt. can also offer some relaxation or benefits to the abandoning families to encourage use of cradles. They should do counselling to avoid abandoning, ensure privacy if they come forward, give financial support if they are unable to financially care for the child etc. The counselling can be mandated for families if doctors know that the family has girls in previous childbirths.

I have taken small step to secure the future of our children. Your suggestion will help me in strengthening this further.

Social Media and Politics: People no longer follow leaders with their hands folded and eyes blindfolded

ritviksaikia
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Social Media and Politics: People no longer follow leaders with their hands folded and eyes blindfolded

Gone are the days when people used to follow the leaders with their hands folded and eyes blindfolded. The public was awed by the politicians as if they were some supreme beings with superhuman powers only to be worshipped from the stands while they waved from their lofty pedestals. That was the time of traditional media when the masses heard only what the leaders wanted them to. It was the age when it was expected of the son to take over the reins from the father, for the mind of the common man could fathom only two meals per day, leave alone having a louder voice for his own upliftment.

The emergence of social media has ushered in a new era. The average person now has a forum where she may express her ideas and sentiments without worrying about punishment. Regardless of their caste or faith, she may choose to follow the leaders she loves and avoid the ones she doesn’t. The son may now select his own career without regard to what society expects him to accomplish because he is no longer constrained by tradition to succeed his father. He now has the ability to end the generations-long cycle of hunger and poverty that has afflicted his family. Social media’s capacity to unite individuals from all walks of life and forge a force that can be utilised for good is what gives it its strength. There are no boundaries to what this generation may do given its immense potential.

Social media has increased public awareness of individual rights and responsibilities. She is not willing to accept government propaganda and falsehoods anymore. A new generation of empowered people who are challenging authority and calling for change has emerged as a result of this transformation. Social media has given the general public a voice unlike anything else, and this is causing a significant shift in the way power is distributed globally.

The field of play has been levelled. Anyone who has a smartphone and access to the internet may participate in this new global order. People are no longer restricted by physical distances since the Internet has made them interconnected. The leaders are no longer revered by the youth; rather, they are held responsible for their actions. A leader is replaced if his performance falls short of expectations by someone else who might perform more effectively. People now have access to a number of alternative channels where they may obtain neutral news, thus the conventional media is no longer the only source of information. The average citizen now has a voice in how her nation is administered and what policies should be put into effect. She is aware that if she doesn’t like something, she can raise her voice and fight for change.”

With social media, anybody may have a forum to express their opinions without restraint or negative repercussions. Citizens now hold politicians to a higher standard of accountability than ever before. The average person has realised that dynasty politics are no longer prevalent and that their leader is not a god-like superhuman, nor a monarch. She can now set her sights on the pedestal and picture herself standing there someday.

The meat industry and climate change

priya123
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The meat industry and climate change

Introduction

As the population increases, the demand for food also increases. According to the World bank data, the population has increased from 303 crores in 1960 to 775 crores (approximately) in 2020. Due to the increase in population, demand in every field has increased drastically. Especially in the food sector. People want to taste a variety of food which leads to the meat industry.

With the introduction of “Industrial animal agriculture”,  the production of meat has quadrupled in the last 50 years and now in today‘s time, the production of the meat industry has crossed 320 million tons of meat every year.

Raising animals for food has become one of the biggest threats to climate change. Global livestock production is producing much more Greenhouse emissions than all cars, planes, ships and whatnot. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report, livestock production contributes 14.5% of Global Greenhouse gas emissions. People are suffering from many uncommon diseases due to the increase in global Greenhouse gas emissions.

The change in climate is going to kill lakhs of people due to broken links in the food chain. If we are not going to curb or restrict meat production, then we are certainly going to lose the planet Earth with our greedy activities.  In order to keep the Global temperature below 1.5 degrees Celsius, We need to drastically cut off the meat industry production.

Meet demand and pandemic

As meet demand has been increasing over a period of time, many uncommon diseases have also reached another level and are ready to kill millions of people in just one short time the live example is CORONAVIRUS (SARS). This happens when humans come into contact with animal-borne viruses or pathogens. The viruses and pathogens move from animal to human while consumption of meat or even through markets which provide fresh meat to human beings. When animals get butchered it releases chemical toxins in their body which are later consumed by a large population of human beings and this is how the chemical toxins enter into the human body and create many uncommon diseases which are unidentified and finally take the lives of many. 

Three out of four emerging diseases have its root coming from animals. Moreover, farmed animals are injected with antibiotics which keep them alive and fasten their growth so that the supply of meat can be achieved. Due to the overuse of antibiotics, bacteria living in the intestine of animals become resistant which leads to the emergence of “Superbugs” or pathogens.

The “Food and drug administration” (FDA) in the United State and “Centres for Disease Control And Prevention “ recommended that antibiotics in animals should be used only when needed and only for animal health not to fasten their growth.  Unfortunately, these recommendations are only limited to papers.  Meat  Industrialists are not interested in it at all. According to the UK Government, “superbugs“ would be the leading cause of death by 2050. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in some countries, approximately 80% of All antibiotics produced are sold to livestock farms. And most antibiotics are used to fasten the growth of animals. According to a report, nearly 90% of farmed animals Globally are living in factory farms and these farmed animals are kept in very limited space and in very unhygienic manners which can lead to the outbreak of pandemics. Like swine flu, Coronavirus, Ebola and many more. It had been said in 2007 by the American Journal of Public Health that the mass raising and slaughtering of animals for food is the beginning of the Global pandemic. 

To keep Farm animals alive, meat industrialists need to feed them and to feed such a large number of animals, deforestation Is a must factor to do so that they can provide agricultural fields to animals. Converting natural habitats into agricultural fields releases carbon which is one of the major factors of the greenhouse effect. Crop fields are treated with chemicals which later get mixed with water and in surroundings and make that area toxic. 

Amazon deforestation

As meat production increases, more land gets encroached by the meat industry for the livestock population to go on.  It gives a clear indication that to get more land, deforestation will take place exponentially and the wild animals’ habitats are vanishing every year. The deforestation going on in Amazon forest is the prime example of meat industry land encroachment.

According to a report, Brazil’s Amazon rainforest saw the highest annual rate of deforestation in over 15 years. And the leading cause of deforestation is cattle ranching. Other factors are mining, road construction, soybean farming and many more. The Amazon forest is one of the biggest forests to sink Carbon dioxide and keep Global temperatures cool. But as the activity of deforestation of the Amazon rainforest is increasing exponentially, in the coming 30 to 50 years the Amazon rainforest will become a desert and will release around 50 billion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere and the Global temperature will cross the 1.5 degree Celsius and will cause uncountable death, Says Carlos Nobre, a climate Scientist in Brazil. The meat industrialists are still not ready to listen to this alarm and it continues to worsen the situation.

Climate change from Beef Consumption 

Beef consumption is increasing by 25% from 2000 to 2019  which is becoming a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions. Beef emits  20 times more emissions than pulses and lentils per gram of protein. According to the “water footprint network “, 1 kg of beef needs around 15000 litres of water. 

Beef consumption causes many different kinds of skin diseases and many uncommon health issues. Beef production is majorly responsible for the deforestation going on in South America. Responsible for the destruction of 2.71 million hectares of Tropical forest each year in that region.

Conclusion

I’m not against anyone’s likes and dislikes. My only concern is “if your food habit is raising alarm for planet Earth’s survival then surely you must have to react in a manner through which we can make planet Earth a gentle place otherwise,  you are going to mess it up through your disgusting food desires and greed to make more and more money at expense of planet Earth existence or any other planet.  For the last two decades,  the whole world is witnessing multiple kinds of a pandemic like Swine flu, ebola, SARS, MERS and covid-19. 

Our body is not designed to digest these kinds of foods but still, we are ready to make our stomachs a graveyard for dead animals in the name of delicious foods or in the name of getting proteins.  But have you ever realised what you are consuming in the name of proteins? Have you ever realised the toxic chemicals present in animals when they are slaughtered or the viruses they are infected with?  Perhaps NO.

The most unfortunate part is that we are not ready to accept these scientific talks. This factor is hardly discussed in public forums because there are lobbies that don’t want it to be discussed in public but now the whole world is getting the red signal to stop this stupidity otherwise we are going to lose life in such a manner which will be proved to be the most critical nightmare in everyone’s life.

IPCC (Intergovernmental panel On climate change ) has argued that a plant-based diet is the only option left to reduce climate change or Greenhouse gas emissions. Earth has provided everything to sustain life on this planet Earth but we,  human beings, messed up everything by considering nature as a Second class citizen and treating nature like hell to fulfil the desire of humans. We have left no stone unturned in denigrating nature and somehow we are digging our own graves. We forget our responsibility  “How to live with nature “.

It’s high time to realise our mistakes and turn our head towards a plant based diet so that we can  balance the food chain .

आदिपुरुष का विरोध मूर्खतापूर्ण

pointman
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आदिपुरुष का विरोध मूर्खतापूर्ण

जिन्हें भी आदिपुरुष के teaser से दिक्कत है कि इसमें आराध्य राम और हनुमान को कैसे दिखाया है? रावण को छपरी दिखा दिया है इत्यादि, उनसे मेरे कुछ सवाल हैं और मैं उन्हें कुछ सुझाव भी देना चाहता हूँ।

रावण से शुरू करें??

फ़िल्म देखे बिना ये कैसे मान लिया कि रावण को कैसा (अच्छा या बुरा) दिखाया गया है?

अगर रावण को बुराई का प्रतीक दिखाया गया है यानी villain दिखाया गया है तो फिर वो उसे जैसा चाहें वैसा look दें, कम से कम hero तो नहीं दिखाया ना। रावण के insights कैसे दिखाए हैं ये तो फ़िल्म देखने के बाद ही पता चलेगा। रावण से अचानक इतनी सहानुभूति क्यों हो रही है? रावण का विद्वान होना महत्त्वपूर्ण है या उसका बुरा होना?

कोई भी रचनाकार अपने आराध्य को अपनी दृष्टि से भी देख सकता है ना? कोई बाल गणेश को bag पहनाकर भी उसकी आराधना कर सकता है। अगर रचनाकार को Hollywood के super powers में अपने आराध्य दिख रहे हैं तो वो उन्हें एक अलग तरीक़े से दिखा रहा है।

आप किसी रचनाकार को आदेशित क्यों करना चाहते हैं?

अगर आपको लगता है कि Bollywood की सोच, उनकी कल्पना आपके हिसाब से सही नहीं है तो आपके पास उसका क्या विकल्प है?

एक विचार ये है कि लोगों को अच्छा नहीं लगा तो लोग ख़ुद नहीं देखेंगे। एक प्रतिक्रिया ये है कि अच्छा नहीं लगा इसलिए अब इसको पूरी तरह से flop करवा दो ताकि बनाने वाले को अकल आ जाए और वो अगली बार से सही बनाये।

अब मैं आपसे पूछना चाहता हूँ कला में सही और ग़लत क्या होता है? जब मणि रत्नम रावण फ़िल्म बनाकर अपने हिसाब से रामायण की कहानी को आधुनिक किरदारों के माध्यम से कहता है तब किसी की भावना आहत होती है? या आपने वो देखा ही नहीं?

इसी तरह कोई भी कलाकार अपने हिसाब से कुछ भी दिखा सकता है लेकिन आप उस पर नियंत्रण कैसे रखेंगे ? ( यदि आप नियंत्रण रखना चाह रहे हैं)

मैं आपको एक सरल उपाय बताता हूँ। यदि आप चाहते हैं कि अमुक कहानी अमुक कथाकार अमुक तरीक़े से कहे तो आप crowd funding करके एक मुहिम चलाइए और अपने मन का जो भी बनवाना है उनको उतने पैसे देकर (जो उनकी फ़ीस है) बनवा लीजिए।

अथवा आप अपने ही लोगों में से कुछ लोगों को अभिनय/निर्देशन/सम्पादन/छायाचित्रण/संगीत/दृश्यात्मक प्रभाव ऐसे सभी क्षेत्रों में प्रशिक्षित कर उनसे फिर अपने मन का और अपनी कल्पनाओं की फ़िल्में बनवाइए। क्योंकि क्या है ना कि अधिकांश जनता २ हफ़्ते में एक बार या छुट्टी पर त्योहार पर सिनेमाघर ज़रूर जाती है। जब नहीं जाती तब TV पर या OTT पर देखती है, सिने-जगत के लोगों को सोशल मीडिया पर follow करती है, उनके lifestyle से प्रभावित होती है, उनके activism से भी प्रभावित होती है। आलम ये है कि stars की देखादेखी corporate जनता honeymoon मनाने मालदीव जाने लगी है।

उनको weekend पर जब फ़िल्म देखने जाना होगा तो वो क्या देखेंगे? क्या आपने विकल्प सोचा है? अगर ब्रह्मास्त्र लगी है तो वो ब्रह्मास्त्र ही देखेंगे ना? आप विकल्प तो दीजिए उन्हें!

या सोशल मीडिया पर अपना रोष प्रकट करके उनसे फ़िल्म सही से बनवा लेंगे? और कब तक ऐसे ही बनवाते रहेंगे? और कौन कौन आपको बात सुनता रहेगा? युवा कलाकारों को इस तरह से प्रोत्साहन मिलेगा?

तो दोनों बातें सोचिए और कुछ ऐसा करिए जिससे एक स्थायी समाधान निकले।

NAS Survey 2021: Here is how it exposes the ‘Krantikari’ Education model of the Delhi government

amitmittal01
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NAS Survey 2021: Here is how it exposes the ‘Krantikari’ Education model of the Delhi government

Recently, the report of the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021 was released by The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education. NAS study is a triennial comprehensive evaluation survey of students’ learning competencies in classes III, V, and VIII and aims to assess the overall quality of the school education system in the country.

This year, around 34 lakh students of 1.18 lakh schools in 720 districts were surveyed, both from rural and urban areas in NAS 2021. A Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ) achievement test was conducted for the students at different levels to assess their learning outcomes. The performance report based on the performance in all subjects is then prepared by state, district, gender, areas (rural and urban), management (Government, aided and private) and Social Groups.

This NAS 2021 is one of the most objective tools that can be used to verify the claims of various state governments about their education systems. Especially the Delhi Education model which has been claimed by the Arvind Kejriwal government as the best model in the country. During his election campaigns in Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and all other states, he has blamed local governments for poor education standards and claimed that Delhi-like education will be provided, if they are chosen to power.

However, NAS report 2021 shows a totally different picture. Here, the outcomes of Delhi government schools have been compared with all the state government schools in other states, where AAP has recently contested or planning to contest elections. The scores for all 15 subjects of 4 different levels have been tabulated below and the state with the worst performance has been highlighted in red.

Below are some of the key observations from the table:

  1. Delhi is the worst performing state among these states and scores the lowest marks in 8 subjects (out of 15 subjects); Uttarakhand is a distant second with the lowest scores in 4 subjects
  2. In 11 subjects, out of a total of 15, the performance of Delhi is below the national average (check the last row)
  3. The overall average for all subjects in Delhi (39%) is much below the national average (45%)
  4. Punjab, with which the Delhi AAP government signed a pact to replicate the Delhi education model, already has the best performance across all subjects at all levels; an overall average of 65% vs 39% in Delhi
  5. Also, Haryana, Karnataka and Rajasthan performed much better than Delhi in most of the subjects and also have a significantly higher overall average

Similarly, another point that the Kejriwal government has been advertising for quite a few years now, is that lot of private school students are now joining government schools in Delhi since their performance is now better than in private schools. NAS report throws some light on the private vs state government schools and the results are contrary to Arvind Kejriwal’s claim.

The break up of Delhi schools shows that Delhi govt schools have scored much lower than Delhi private schools in all 15 subjects across all levels. And the difference in performance is quite significant, more prominent in Class 10. The overall average score of private is 53% vs govt school’s 39%.

All of the states where Arvind Kejriwal praised the Delhi Education model are performing better than Delhi and all his claims have been busted by the NAS survey. So Kejriwal’s government should focus on improving the quality of education in Delhi rather than wasting money and efforts on creating a marketing campaign around a non-existent education model. Hope mainstream media also takes note of this and ask some questions about the Delhi government.

Kantara – A surreal movie that deserves to be watched and applauded

binukg
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Kantara – A surreal movie that deserves to be watched and applauded

Regional cinema is taking Indian movies to the next level. It’s simple! India should tell Indian stories. God bless Rishabh Shetty and may he continue making movies like Kantara. With people like him around, the culture and heritage of this land will not only survive but flourish. How I wish for a Rishabh Shetty in every state of India.

Kantara works because the story connects with us. The movie reiterates the importance of cinema as a medium and its role in preserving the cultural identities of the multitude of societies that exist in India. This is because, as humans, we always are what our stories tell us to be. Investing in stories like Kantara will keep our sensibilities rooted in the ethos of the land and prevent us from pandering to the westernised constructs of modernity.

Kantara, (Sanskrit word for Forest) speaks about forest conservation and the dire situation of the tribals, caught in the crossfire between the authorities on one side and the greedy landlords on the other. The movie also explores the worship of Daiva and the practice of Kola. More specifically, Panjurli Daiva and Guliga. Divine and benevolent spirits who take care of their people but are also wrathful towards their conniving acts.

The setting of a Kola is graceful and energetic and to witness it live is an experience that will stay with you. Rishabh, the actor, effortlessly portrays the protagonist, Shiva, with a conviction, which I believe, comes from his love and respect for the traditions of his hometown and its rich cultural heritage. It cannot just be an act. Especially, the last twenty minutes of the movie. The transformation was surreal.

What also stood out was the ease with which he performed the demanding physical action sequences. Be it the Kambala (buffalo race), the plenty of action sequences, and the climax portions, in which Rishabh displays rare flexibility and rawness that is unique to him. His angst, anger and fears connected with the audience at many levels.

Rishabh the filmmaker, in Kantara, weaves a rich fabric laced with exquisite locations, unadulterated language, and earthen humour that is wonderfully entertaining. The character actors are all brilliant. Achyth Kumar as Devendra Suttur is riveting. Kishore as Forest Officer Murali is another powerhouse performer. The female characters do their job but could have been better.

Technically the movie is fantastic and the team deserves all the accolades that are pouring in their way. Kannada movie industry needs more such films and the future looks promising. The captivating visuals of the last fifteen minutes will stay with you for a long time. Kantara – Surreal.

Dr Shashi Tharoor & Indian Muslims

Dr Jadabeswar Bhattacharjee
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Dr Shashi Tharoor & Indian Muslims

It was about one hundred years back (1919-1924) that Muslims of British India launched a nation-wide mass agitation and protest, called Khilafat Movement, in support of continuation of the Islamic Ottoman Caliphate of Turkey. It was a vigorous support from Indian Muslims for an Islamic cause, the centre of which was located more than 4000 KMs away from India.

Without detailing about Gandhi’s obsession of dragging Indian Hindus in the Islamic Khilafat Movement and the extensive massacre, rape, forced-conversion and property destruction of Malabal Hindus by Moplah Muslims, as a fall out of the movement, the inherent extra-national allegiance of Indian Muslims was loud and clear. That was no fluke or one-time incident. The teaching of Islam binds together all Muslims of the world for all times to come. National boundary has been irrelevant to Muslims.

Today, not only Dr Shashi Tharoor and the likes of him refuse to accept this fact, but they also actively support Indian Muslims to stick to that mind-set in the name of pluralism. Their support for anti-CAA agitation of Indian Muslims, and remaining silent on Delhi riot (2020), Hijab issue and Sar Tan Se Juda programme are proofs to that effect.

No Indian Muslim has anything to do with CAA. But, when the likes of Dr Shashi Tharoor support anti-CAA agitation of Indian Muslims, they directly approve a wrong Muslim cause. It is a known fact that millions of illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya Muslims are residing in India and Indian Muslims want to settle them in India to push Islamic hegemony in the country. Hence Indian Muslims are fiercely against NRC. The silence of Dr Shashi Tharoor in Hijab and Sar Tan Se Juda issues allows him to put Sharia ahead of the Indian Constitution.

Even a dull student of history of India’s independence movement knows that 99 percent of Muslims of today’s India and Bangladesh were staunch and violent supporters for creation of Islamic Pakistan. Muslim League, which was spearheading the Pakistan demand, was weak in Sindh, Punjab and North-West Frontier Province. However, after partition of British India, about 30 million of Muslims, who fell inside independent India, did not migrate to Islamic Pakistan they created.

So, when Dr Shashi Tharoor claims that those Muslims of British India who wanted to create Islamic Pakistan had left India for that country, he tells a gross lie to deceive the Hindus of India. Funnily enough, descendants of those 30 million of Muslims now claim that they are Indians by choice. What a grand deception!

Dr Ambedkar in his book Pakistan or the Partition of India said “the allegiance of a Muslim does not rest on his domicile in the country which is his, but on the faith to which he belongs”. But nothing brings doubt in the mind of Hindu intellectuals like Dr Shashi Tharoor against Indian Muslims. They think that one Abul Kalam Azad, one Zakir Hussain or one Asaf Ali could explain the overall picture of post 1947.

Independent India accepted the Parliamentary system of democracy of Britain. Indian constitution was adopted within two and a half years of independence. But when the state religion of Britain was Christianity, what prompted Indian Constitution makers not to have any state religion for India? This wisdom of Indian Constitution makers becomes doubly questionable in the face of creation of Islamic Pakistan next door.

When India got independence, there were dozens of countries across the world with Islam as state religion. Pakistan was the latest addition to that list. The violent demand for Islamic Pakistan crystallized gradually in British India after the Khilafat Movement, though its seed was sown in 1866 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in Meerut, India. One may blame Savarkar to his heart’s fill for instigating two nation theory, but historically Muslims have been practicing Momin-Kafir and Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb concepts socially and politically.

Between 1954 and 2011, Indian Muslims got Waqf Act, Hajj subsidy, Central Waqf Council, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Minority Institution status to AMU, National Commission for Minorities, National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, Sachar Committee, Ministry of Minority affairs and Minority Institution status to Jamia Milia Islamia. But still, we face Islamic problems in India as those were in the 1940s. If this is so, then what for Pakistan was created? Dr Shashi Tharoor must reflect deeply.

In the West ‘Secularism’ means separation of religion and state. But in India it strangely means Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava, that is, all religions are same. This concept has two basic flaws. Firstly, Dharma and Religion are not synonymous. And secondly, under Islam this concept is Shirk for equating other Gods with Allah. Shirk is a very serious crime in Islam and punishable by death. Thus 42nd Constitutional amendment of India has put all the burden of secularism on the shoulder of Indian Hindus.

Again Article 25 of Indian Constitution entitles all persons to preach practice and propagate their respective religions. This Article also goes against the interest of the majority community of Indian Hindus, as fundamentally Hinduism has no concept of evangelism (Dawah in Islam) and conversion. This Article keeps on helping Islam and Christianity for active and continued conversion activities in India.

On examination, it can be said with certainty that current Islamic problems in India are the gifts of the descendants of those 30 million of Muslims, who did not migrate to Pakistan after 1947 but carried on with their Pakistani DNA in India. There current population is about 220 million. The fault-line between Indian Muslims and Hindus has widened further because of the weird secular nature of Indian Constitution as stated above, as well as, unnecessary pampering of Muslim community by Congress-Left and all so-called Secular Regional political parties. All those political parties consciously helped Indian Muslims to cultivate their Muslim identity and keep on demanding more and more of Islamic Pound of flesh from India in assertive way.

For Indian Muslims, it has been “heads (Pakistan) we win, tails (Bangladesh) you lose and the coin (India) belongs to us” till 2014. After that, Hindu civilizational revival came to the forefront of India’s politics under the Modi led BJP. This disturbed the never-ending honeymoon of Congress-Left-Secular-Islamist gang of India. The gang lost all its intellectual and physical entitlement and started crying Intolerance and Nazi-Hindutva etc.

Dr Shashi Tharoor started looking at the gloomy future of ‘Secular India’ in the form of Hindu Pakistan. But he failed to see thousands of mini-Pakistan those have already raised heads across India. The recent (September 2022) nation-wide NIA raids of PFI offices and arrest of its hundreds of members from different parts of India have objectively unearthed PFI’s audacious plan to convert India into an Islamic Nation by 2047, that is, exactly after one hundred years of independence of the country. Besides, Dr Shashi Tharoor knows well that dozens of Jihadi cells and groups are active in different parts of India. But he prefers to remain silent on those to push his misplaced Hindu Pakistan narrative.

Dr Shashi Tharoor and likes of him are not only ignorant about the Islamic teachings and Momin-Kafir relation under Islam, but they are still under the influence of British colonial mind-set. Self-loathing, civilizational and religious, is their forte. They know that there is 126 Christian, 57 Muslim, 7 Buddhist and one Jewish countries in the world. But they get intellectually mad at the prospect of one Hindu country of India in the whole world. Aspiration of one billion plus Hindus does not make any sense to the likes of him.

They are wilfully unaware that secularism is antithesis of Islam. It is astonishing that in case of Indian Muslims, Dr Shashi Tharoor is highly comfortable with OIC, that is, “Organization of Islamic Countries (Co-operation)”, but he develops extreme uneasiness at the prospect of only one Hindu country of India. This OIC notoriously helped Indian Muslims in the recent Nupur Sharma incident.

In democracy, the head-count matters most. In 1947, Muslims constituted about 9 percent of India’s population. Now they are about 18 percent. If there is no resistance through Hindutva, India will be Muslim majority country in next one hundred years in normal course. Jammu Kashmir is a burning example of what can happen to Hindus in a Muslim majority state within secular India.

Kerala, Assam and West Bengal have already started showing the signs and symptoms of substantial Muslim population. But Shashi Tharoor still thinks that his anti-Hindutva Gospel will lead Indian Muslims and Hindus to the pinnacle of secularism. What a Joke!

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