TASK 2 TOPICS

Without capital punishment (the death penalty) our lives are less secure and crimes
of violence increase. Capital punishment is essential to control violence in society. To
what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

If peace cannot be attained by peaceful means, then use capital punishment to do so. I
disagree with the question in its entirety.

Peace is not something new to us. The word and its deeper implications have been drilled
into us for more than 3000 years. Every human being worth his salt has commented on
this 5 letter word. But ask any human being and his reply would be that life has only
become more uncertain than ever before. On the one hand, tremendous advancements in
technology is taking us places – literally. Does life exist on Mars, the destruction of
asteroids in space, the international space station to speak of a few. But sadly on the other
hand, man is still living within a limited cage of his own – he is still an animal and it will
be a long time before one can call man „integrally intelligent‟. There has been a
tremendous spurt in violence in the last few decades. We have „graduated‟ from knives
and swords to „chemical weapons‟ and „cluster bombs‟. Man has become intelligent
enough to tweak and interpret violence to suit his own ends. Its now considered „normal‟
to kill another human being to assure yourself a place in heaven!!!

The means is the end and that is the reason why I feel that capital punishment – which is
in itself a form of violence – will never bring about peace. Thus using violent means is no
way to bring about peace. Violence and its deeper implications have to be deeply
understood and then there may be the possibility of peace.

The life of Saddam Hussein is a case in point. He first killed when he was around 15
years old and after that there was no looking back. His ruthlessness and cunning slowly
took him to the top and closer to the powers-that-be in the Baath party. If this was not
enough, he took over as the countrys de facto ruler in a coup and ruled Iraq with an iron
fist for almost 25 years. Any form of opposition was brutally put down. In one instance,
using poison gas, he gassed to death around 150 Kurds. These are only official figures.
The unofficial ones are anybodys guess. After the US invasion on Iraq, he was captured
and was tried by a local court for crimes during his reign. The result – he was sentenced
to death by hanging. But as everyone knows, the violence in Iraq, far from abating has
only increased. In fact, his death has only aggravated the situation sparking of a violent
power struggle between the 3 communities that make up Iraq – the Kurds, Shias and the
Sunnis. With „help‟ from other Arab countries, the situation is volatile to say the least.
Thus, it is amply evident that a violent man is going to be violent come what may – and
capital punishment or for that matter punishment of any kind – is not going to transform
him since he has justifications / reasons for resorting to violence. Thus, understanding
violence, the desire for power and ones greed is much more important than repeating
done-to-death quotations like „we will eventually win the war‟, „all humans are one‟,
„peace will prevail‟ etc.
Another example that comes to mind is the Nithari killings which have rocked the
country. The arrest of Surender Singh Koli and Mr Pandher brought to light a gory tale
which had been going on for years – aided by an apathetic administration and a greedy-
for-money police which went to extreme lengths to cover up facts and extend covert
support to the killers. A child molester or a serial psychopath killer – call him what you
will – the name does not matter- the main accused Mr Koli was responsible for killing at
least 20 children at the last count. His modus operandi was simple – lure children to his
house on the pretext of getting some work done, suffocate them, sexually molest them
after making them unconscious and then strangle them to death. Their bodies were cut up
into pieces, stuffed into polythene bags and dumped into a drain which ran at the back of
the house. Even if the killer is handed the death penalty, will violence cease and will the
fear of death put off other Kolis who are part of society and maybe are already
committing such crimes. The answer is an emphatic NO because the roots of violence run
far deeper and mere legislation cannot solve such a problem.

The gist of the essay is loud and clear – violence has to be tackled at the individual level
and mere legislation will never solve the problem. Man creates his own problems and he
alone is responsible for solving them.

**************

Without capital punishment (the death penalty) our lives are less secure and crimes
of violence increase. Capital punishment is essential to control violence in society. To
what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

“A minor girl raped”. “A 15 year old boy abducted”. Such kinds of news are not new for
us. They are flashed on TV and newspaper almost everyday. The occurrences of such
incidences is increasing day by day. So I agree that capital punishment is essential to
control the violence in society.

I feel that the occurrences are high because of weak decision making ability of our
judicial system. If a convict has a high political support he is easily given bail. These
people confidently commit crime because they know that eventually they will be bailed
out. The example that is ideal is that of Jessica lal murder case. The convict manu sharma
had political support. How can he request for bail when he murdered the innocent Jessica
Lal.

I honestly feel that it is high time that our judicial system pulled up their shoes. They
should make quick decisions and must give unbiased and just decisions. The system
should be harsh on cruel, intense grave crimes. We can take an example of the nithari
case. A person kidnapped children. Then sexually assaulted them, brutally murdered and
buried them. This is the most cruelest crime that I have come across. How can you think
of raping infants? If such criminals are sentenced to jail for 5 -6 years, they are free to
continue with their crime when released. I think such criminals should be sentenced to
death.

I agree that it is a very harsh practice. But it will make criminals think twice before they
attempt any crime. Along with this I feel that the decisions should be quick. This will
definitely help in curbing violence in our society. Also change the laid back attitude of
our criminals.

*********************

MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT WOMEN MAKE BETTER PARENTS THAN

MEN AND THAT THIS IS WHY THEY HAVE THE GREATER ROLE IN
RAISING CHILDREN IN MOST SOCIETIES. OTHERS CLAIM THAT MEN
ARE JUST AS GOOD AT PARENTING. WRITE AN ESSAY EXPRESSING
YOUR POINT OF VIEW.

The question raises the issue of parenting- that of bringing up a child - and this starts
right from the moment a child is born till he grows up into a human being capable of
standing on his own feet. I feel that men are just as good at parenting and play as
important a role a woman plays in her childs life.

Before we take a deeper look at what parenting is all about we need to understand the
deeper implications of a word on which the entire issue of parenting rests - sensitivity.
One could also use the word 'intelligence' in this case. Thus, to be a good parent one has
to realise the importance of being sensitive - a quality that is totally unrelated to ones
educational qualifications, the kind of salary one earns, ones position in society and the
like.

Parenting means giving your child a set of values - spiritual, moral, ethical, religious,
survival instincts - so that the child grows up to be an 'integrally intelligent' human being
- someone for whom life is not just about going to work and earning a salary but also
about understanding the beauty and the indefinability of this vast movement called life.

Pregnancy workshops organised at Jehangir hospital have men in attendance as well !

Men who are eager to understand what child birth is all about, what is means to be
changing nappies, how to give your baby a bath, feed him/her, and maybe sing some
lullabies as well!. Men are indeed eager to display some of their parenting prowess!

Moving on, in the early years, a mother can teach her child spiritual / moral values- since
women are less aggressive and are able to easily empathise/ sympathise with their childs
problems. During this period, men can take on the responsibility of monitoring their
childs academic progress.

As the child grows, (10- 12 yrs of age), the role of parents begin to change. Children
expect their parents to be their friend as well - people who they can discuss / talk / argue
with as opposed to someone just preaches, someone with an I-know-all attitude. Thus, the
parents could play a crucial and critical role in helping their child discover is / her real
interests. If the father is an IT engineer as well as an avid sportsman, the child can get
introduced to the world of computers as well develop his sporting skills - it maybe in
cricket/ tennis or something as unique as scuba diving.
The role of a parent reaches its zenith when the child has to be hooked to someone else -
in this case either a bride or a groom. It is here that we hear the oft repeated and dreaded
word - 'generation gap'.

A true parent - whether mother/ father will be a real friend at this point in the childs life.
Topics will be discussed / argued / fought over but as friends - where there is a constant
learning with both parents seeing the importance of looking at problems afresh. Issues
like whether or not a buy a new home / the right time to start a family/ the importance of
patching up and maintaining good relations with ones in-laws / facing the death of a
loved one and much more.

To sum up, I feel that the above mentioned issues can be tackled by either a mother/
father - provided it is backed up with that virtue called sensitivity.

*****************

MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT WOMEN MAKE BETTER PARENTS THAN

MEN AND THAT THIS IS WHY THEY HAVE THE GREATER ROLE IN
RAISING CHILDREN IN MOST SOCIETIES. OTHERS CLAIM THAT MEN
ARE JUST AS GOOD AT PARENTING. WRITE AN ESSAY EXPRESSING
YOUR POINT OF VIEW.

Although parenting of a child requires participation and involvement of both the mother
and the father, I believe that of the two, the women have a greater role in raising children
in most societies.

A woman carries her child in her womb for many months before she gives birth to her
baby. It is but natural that her attachment for the child begins at a much earlier stage as
compared to that of the father. In a way a mother starts taking care of her baby, the day
she knows she has conceived by taking care of her health and nutrition, consulting her
doctor for advice and giving more attention to her child than to other activities.

Even though more and more women nowadays step out of the house to work; in most
societies, it is the women who spends more time at home than the men. Some important
parts of parenting therefore, like feeding or bathing the child, cuddling and talking to
him, playing with him, especially during infancy and toddler age group, can be done
effectively done by the women who spend longer hours at home with the child. Most
children see or meet their fathers only after they come home from work or at weekends
and holidays. Fathers, even if they wish to, are unable to spend quality time with their
children and therefore end up participating less in parenting.

In homes where fathers are able to spend more time with their children, it has been found
that parental activities like feeding, cuddling, changing nappies does not come naturally
to them. There are those who might argue that parenting that involves taking children out
for playing or outings or playing games like cricket or football is done better be fathers. I
believe that as women have become more independent in most societies, they are equally
good at activities that involve taking children for outdoor games, dropping them at school
or taking them to the doctor if they fall ill. I speak from experience as a I see my sister in
law who is a housewife and also my neighbor do all these activities with remarkable ease
and efficiency.

It is said that before and entering school, the mother is the best teacher of child.
Inculcating good habits, teaching the child basic skills like eating with a spoon, buttoning
clothes, toilet training which are not taught in a school are done best by the mother. A
child learns his first words usually from his mother when he begins to talk. After entering
school, a mother can spend more time with her child helping out with homework and
academic skills.

In the first few years of his life , children learn from initiation and therefore, the parent
who spends more time with child has a greater role in raising them. Hence, women
definitely make better parents than men and have much greater involvement in bringing
up children in most societies.

*****************

MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT WOMEN MAKE BETTER PARENTS THAN MEN
AND THAT THIS IS WHY THEY HAVE THE GREATER ROLE IN RAISING
CHILDREN IN MOST SOCIETIES. OTHERS CLAIM THAT MEN ARE JUST AS
GOOD AT PARENTING. WRITE AN ESSAY EXPRESSING YOUR POINT OF
VIEW //

FATHERHOOD OUGHT TO BE EMPHASIZED AS MUCH AS MOTHERHOOD.

THE IDEA THAT WOMEN ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR DECIDING
WHETHER OR NOT TO HAVE BABIES LEADS ON TO THE IDEA THAT THEY
ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING THE CHILDREN UP.

The decision of having a baby does not solely rely on either of the spouses. It is a
decision when both of them agree to parenthood and hence should share the
responsibility of bringing up the child.

Let us take an example of India. In India we live in a male dominated society. Here the
wives are at the disposal of the husbands. Also, in the society the women are mostly
confined to the house and the kitchen. It is considered that as long as the father brings
home money, he is fulfilling his responsibility. The task of taking care of the children is
totally resting on the mothers shoulders.

I totally disagree with this. The father is no currency generator and the mother too is not a
baby sitter. Both have to take up an equal share in bringing up the children. They have to
split up the responsibilities between themselves.

Not all responsibilities can be handled by the father or the mother. Taking care of an
infant is more a mothers job than that of a father. However, once the child is beyond
infancy, it becomes the responsibility of both the parents to expose it to the world, to help
it to walk the path of life, to aid it in taking its first steps, in teachng it new ideas, to
imbibe new values in it, to celebrate its success and rectify its shortcomings, to reprimand
it for its wrongdoings and all in all shape it into a good citizen. This cannot be done
totally by one of the parents. Also taking important decisions in its life also should be
done by the consent of both of them.

They have to guide the child through every stage of its growth. Problems that a girl child
faces while she grows can be easily understood by her mother. However, the problems a
boy may face may not always find a solutin with his mother. This is where the father
should step in.

There are many problems that growing children face in the society however as the child
is exposed to the society, it also takes up many of the bad values and if there is no timely
intervention by its parents, it may end up where no parents want their child to be. With
the growing exposure of children to the negative and dark side of life through media, the
parents have to extra vigilant and need to wean their child away from such wrong
influences by talking them out of it or in worst cases by using force.

With growing cases of juvenile crime the dark side of media is exposed and it is only the
constant, responsible, vigilant and knowledgeable upbringing by both the parents that can
truly help in shaping the future citizens of this world.

********************

THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF MUSIC IN THE WORLD TODAY.

WHY DO WE NEED MUSIC? IS THE TRADITIONAL MUSIC OF A COUNTRY
MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC THAT IS HEARD
EVERYWHERE NOWADAYS ?

The world today is full of stress and tension. Everyone needs at least a means of
relaxation. One of the best means is music. The need of music is immense in life today.
People are so busy that they do not have time for their loved ones and themselves, leave
aside relaxation.
Music can be a very good means of relaxation. Different music could prove a source of
relaxation to different people. Today, people enjoy music in every possible sense. With
the development of technology, music is with people all the time. Sophisticated and
modern gadgets like MP3 players, Ipods and even mobile phones all have music. It seems
that the need for music has increased.
Another need for music in todays era is that it is a very good source of company for a
lonely individual. People are so busy these days and as they are generally traveling alone
or sitting alone, for example in a bank, with strangers surrounding them and need some
entertainment or some sort of change from the monotonous life, the best solution is
music.
Music, if categorized, can be of 2 major types – traditional and international. Traditional
music can be further subdivided into folk, film, classical, religious etc. International
music can be subdivided into jazz, pop, hip hop, reggae, fusion etc. Comparison between
these 2 types of music is very difficult and a judgement as to which one is better is not an
easy decision.
Simply, the importance of music – whether traditional and/or international all depends on
the listener as both these kinds of music are important. The modern day and international
music is generally in vogue amongst the younger generation and quite apt for
discotheques and parties. Slow soft classical music is more in demand by the older
generation, who prefer music as a means of relaxation in contrast to the younger
generation who using it as a means of celebration, party etc.
Traditional music is also subdivided into the film music, as mentioned before and also
religious music, which one would see very popular amongst the religious minded people
and the senior citizens.
So, the importance of music is immensely increasing in todays world – be it international,
traditional or any other. It all depends on the moods of people, preferences, their
surroundings and of course, their age groups and likes and dislikes.

*****************

General module –
Millions of people every year move to English speaking countries such as Australia,
Britain or America , in order to study at school, college or university. Why do so many
people want to study in English? Why is English such an important language?

Band 7

It is definitely understandable that many people around the world want to study in
English. There are several factors which are responsible for this. The main reason is that
English has become an international language. People in countries like America or UK
who have the world‟s strongest economies speak English. This has increased the
importance of English language in the world.

When man was a hunter and a gatherer, he used to live alone and die alone. But as he
progressed he started living in groups which made it indispensable for him to
communicate with others. Therefore, language came into existence. There were different
communities in different areas in the world but as they were separated geographically
languages developed in these different communities had absolutely no resemblance with
each other. And they could do without communicating with other communities. But as
the world progressed the barriers like geographical locations were overcome and the
people from different countries started communicating with each other. But language
being the only mode of communication was important. To facilitate the communication
there was a need to develop a universal language that everyone could understand. Finally
English became a universal language for the simple reason that it is an easy language. It
is easy to understand, has a simple grammar and extensive vocabulary.

Due to globalization, people need to interact with people in other countries for their work.
Globalization has made it possible to run different businesses on international level. IT
sector development, business process outsourcing and now knowledge process
outsourcing has made it necessary to interact with foreigners and visit foreign countries.
Most of the business is sponsored by UK or the USA based companies which again
makes it necessary to learn English. Therefore, to make a successful career, one needs to
learn English and to communicate in English. Today the success achieved in any field is
directly proportional to English speaking ability.
Therefore, it is important that a child learns this language right from his school days. It
helps him get a command over the language, makes him confident and increases the
possibility to have a good future. Opportunities to study in foreign countries also makes it
important to learn English. Suppose a science student who is doing research on some
project cannot read or understand English, he or she will not able to read the latest
scientific research papers in his field that are published and cannot get himself updated
with the knowledge necessary for him to learn English. On the other hand if the
knowledge or books are published in languages other than English, it will be suitable for
only some people while rest of the world will remain unaware about it. Therefore, it is
necessary to use English to share the knowledge with the entire world.

If one goes to France and meets a person who says “Bon jour” he or she just has to say “I
don‟t understand French. Could you speak in English? And the problem is solved .

To sum up, I would like to say that it is important to adapt the changes occurring in the
world and make oneself more competitive in order to progress. Learning English is one
such adaptation which will lead people to prosperity.

***************

THE RISING LEVELS OF CONGESTION AND AIR POLLUTION FOUND IN MOST

OF THE WORLDS CITIES CAN BE ATTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO THE RAPIDLY
INCREASING NUMBER OF PRIVATE CARS IN USE. IN ORDER TO REVERSE
THIS DECLINE IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN CITIES, ATTEMPTS MUST BE
MADE TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE THEIR CARS LESS AND PUBLIC
TRANSPORT MORE.

Asthma, bronchitis and lung disorders have become very common in the major cities
nowadays. There is only one culprit behind these dreaded diseases – pollution in the air
and rising levels of poisonous gases due to emissions from vehicles. This in turn harms
the atmosphere and the ozone layer to some extent, which leads to an unhealthy quality of
life in the urban areas. These pollution levels have to be brought down and many factors
would help in doing so, as discussed in the following paragraphs.

Due to excessive use of cars, public transport and other motorized vehicles, the fuel level
of the world is on a continous decline. Steps should be taken to conserve fuel and seek
alternatives such as fossil fuels, electric cars/vehicles, compressed natural gas, biofuels
which would be of 2 advantages – firstly, it would conserve the fuel and secondly, it
would reduce the emission levels from vehicles, thereby reducing pollution. Attempts
must be made to reduce the usage of vehicles so that the number of vehicles on the road
decrease, causing even pollution levels to decrease. Use of public transport – buses,
metro railway, taxis should be encouraged so that the vehicles on road decline in number.
Another good option would be the concept of car-pools wherein individuals who have a
common destination, would travel together in one car, instead of a possible four or five.

Another alternative to help reduce pollution would be encouraging the use of bicycles
and also walking, obviously only applicable to those making journeys for very short
distances. The government can also play a vital role in reducing the pollution within the
jurisdiction. The emission levels must be strictly controlled and regularly checked and
more than dangerous levels of pollution should be due for heavy fines and penalty. The
second alternative would be to make laws like vehicles which are not more than 10 years
old should be used or something of that sort. The usage of CNG as fuel, as adopted by the
New Delhi transport authority and now even being introduced in Bombay, can be a good
method to reduce emissions and thereby air pollution.

Finally cities should develop their infrastructure and have good quality and cost efficient
metro rail service that would discourage people from using their own vehicles. For
example, like the ones in New Delhi, Kolkata, London, New York etc.
The above methods would definitely help in reducing the air pollution and the congestion
levels in the world‟s cities.

*****************

GOING OVERSEAS FOR UNIVERSITY STUDY IS AN EXCITING PROSPECT FOR

MANY PEOPLE. BUT WHILE IT MAY OFFER SOME ADVANTAGES, IT IS
PROBABLY BETTER TO STAY HOME BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTIES A
STUDENT INEVITABLY ENCOUNTERS LIVING AND STUDYING IN A
DIFFERENT CULTURE. TO WHAT EXTENT TO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE
WITH THIS STATEMENT?

These days there is a growing trend among students to go abroad for higher education.
Every year more and more students opt for higher education in a foreign country. The
main reason for this is the better career prospects a student has if has passed out of an
university of international repute.

Though there are many critics of this scenario, I feel that it would be helpful in the long
run. It propels the student onto an international platform. The performance of a student is
gauged on a global scale, helping himself to devote himself better. If a student knows
where he stands among his peers, which come from diverse cultures, countries and
lifestyles, it would help him to adapt accordingly and bring out the best in him in any
environment.

Foreign universities are globally reputed. They have an excellent infrastructure in place
with a superb faculty to complement it. The student can get hands on experience about
the subject he is learning. A better infrastructure helps in better as well as faster
understanding. And with an experienced faculty to sort out any problems that the students
may encounter, the learning process becomes the most entertaining one. The students are
riddled with interesting problems to which a student has to find a creative answer and in
this process he learns what even two weeks of classroom teaching may not teach him.

It a student graduates from such a world class institution , he certainly will have brighter
career prospects. Rather than the students running behind jobs its quite often the
companies trying to woo bright students. With better career prospects come burgeoning
pay packets. So eventually, a better institution means better rewards.
When a student reaches a new environment in a new country , he has to adapt to the
environment and the culture there. He has to mould himself into the new surroundings.
This certainly helps in improving his ability to adapt to changes quickly and efficiently.
This may help him in his future endeavors where his work environment may be
constantly changing. In todays world of cut throat competition the ability to adapt and
adapt quickly is of paramount importance. Quite often it is the deciding factor in your
success professionally.

Regions of the world which have traditionally been educational centres for long have a
friendly environment for students. Students are welcomed into the place and the overall
environment is very helpful in letting the student gradually settle himself down in the
new surroundings. Also these regions have policies directed towards the development of
students and it certainly goes a long way in building ones career.

A new environment also helps a student to develop individually. A person who has
hitherto been living in the comfort of his home has to face the world on his own with
little or no help. The comfort of his home is replaced with the cold harsh outside world. It
makes him mentally stronger and more self reliant. He learns to take care of himself and
at the same time progress. It makes him stronger and much more able to sustain the harsh
realities of life.

There may be a con for every pro. And critics may disagree with these views. But all
these advantages certainly help in developing the student and make him competent in this
competitive world. And armed with a strong base of upto date information of his field of
interest, there is no need why he should not succeed.

**************

GOING OVERSEAS FOR UNIVERSITY STUDY IS AN EXCITING PROSPECT FOR

MANY PEOPLE. BUT WHILE IT MAY OFFER SOME ADVANTAGES, IT IS
PROBABLY BETTER TO STAY HOME BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTIES A
STUDENT INEVITABLY ENCOUNTERS LIVING AND STUDYING IN A
DIFFERENT CULTURE. TO WHAT EXTENT TO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE
WITH THIS STATEMENT?

I agree with the statement that going abroad is an exciting prospect for many people. For
a majority of the individuals residing in developing countries it is a dream come true to
go abroad to earn a livelihood, study and even migrate.

But like everything has its pros and cons, they are innumerable, depending upon ones
outlook, adaptability and nature.

Beginning with the academic criteria of advantages. The wide scope and choice of career
courses and universities and colleges abroad is not to be found in the home country.
Apart from just the studies foreign universities can be the melting pot for various cultures
and societies. An overall development of an individuals personality away from his
sheltered home makes one ready to take on the world.
The second advantage would be of utmost importance that of career and future
opportunities. Right from during the time one is pursuing the degree course , many jobs
can be found, which take care of economic independence and the much needed on the job
experience which is not very easily available in ones own country due to parameters like
social structure, worrying about “what would people say” and like. As there is a great
dignity of labour abroad and „no job is looked down upon‟ attitude, one tends to begin
working at the grassroots level and gets the ladder to success and seniority. But this
advantage cannot be acquired in ones country.

The system of earn and learn and the on-campus recruitment for students is a boon in
itself and regard work experience aspect as well. The availability of scholarships and
flexible curriculum suit the pocket as well as do not burdens ones mind or make one into
a bookworm. The latter is generally a major disadvantage in India where there is a lot of
emphasis on bookish learning and the formal education system.

The courses abroad are very flexible and include more of assignments and practical work,
which makes it possible for students to pursue more than one course at a time, a great
boon which is like a Herculean task in our country.

Although there are the above advantages , some disadvantages also crop up in the
bargain, specially for those individuals who have never stayed away from the warm and
protected environment of their home. They generally feel homesick , crave for their loved
ones and are unable to get a sense of belongingness and affinity. This leads to a negative
effect in their academic and social lives.

Although very less as compared to the earlier times, racial discrimination and
discrimination on the basis of color still exist. Directly or indirectly, students fall prey to
such uncomfortable situations in the form of direct or indirect actions and comments.

A few other disadvantages include the countrys climate, standard of living, materialistic
lifestyle etc. Tropical countries in asia and equatorial countries in Africa have a majority
of their students studying in the western countries and the Americas. These 2 continents –
asia and Africa and the other 2- Europe and the Americas have a drastically contrast of
climate, which is one of the first things to hit someone, in this case, students who are first
timers.

Secondly, the standard of living of the asian and African countries , being comparatively
low to those of Europe and the Americas also is a shock awaiting the students. Not to
forget the lifestyle , behavioural patterns and the like also can be points to think about
before choosing to study abroad.
To summarise, studying abroad has its advantages and disadvantages. The thing that
matters is the will and the determination of the student and also the ability of oneself to
mould or adjust according to the situations faced.

*****************
EDUCATION IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A DEVELOPING COUNTRY.
BAND 8
There is a very thin line that separates education from literacy. Being literate need not
always mean being education. While literacy would mean having a certificate or degree,
education is a step ahead of it. For the development of any country , education is the most
important factor.

A student who passes through a college or university is bound to have a paper that
certifies him of holding a particular degree. Is the student capable of implementing what
he studied during his course is education. Education makes a person to think beyond the
said definitions. It gives a power of logical reasoning . Education makes a person
visualize ahead of time, and confers strength of foresightedness. And educated individual
speaks a global language, is able to communicate throughout the world and keep abreast
of the developments occurring throughout the world. At the same time, it is only through
education that the information gained can be capitalized upon. Thus education gives such
a visionary required for any developing country to race with the developed nations.

For a developing country like India, the reigns must be given into educated and able
hands. It was only through the inspirational ideas of our revered president Dr APJ Abdul
Kalam that India could make her presence felt through developments in nuclear
technology. Not just this, but dr kalam also has a visionary of evoking the young
scientists. He foresees that the future of our country lies in the hands of todays children .
He has idolized himself in every childs mind. One can imagine if all the children of our
country aspire to reach the height of our president , they would help India lead throughout
the globe. Such spurt of developments is only possible if a consortium of educated minds
come together.

Around 2003, the metrological departments in the state of maharashtra had anticipated
drought conditions in the years to come. It was only due to able minister like sharad
pawar who introduced the technique of cloud seeding to create rainfall. Could such
techniques be brought to notice and implemented by a mere literate person? Floods
occurring in the past two years in the city of pune, had sent alarm calls throughout the
country. While it was the duty of the authorities to take preventive measures the so-called
elected representatives of the society went ahead to hold „yagnas‟, evoke gods and pray
for the rains to stop. With such representatives, I am sure progress of any kind would be
stumbled.

Top notch scientists , industrialists and entrepreneurs are working towards developing the
country and visualizing indias presence on the global map of business, IT,
communication. Mr Narayana Murthy, CEO Infosys and the likes have brought laurels to
the country and developed IT business throughout the nation. Likewise, development of
the nation is on the lines of business, technology , tourism, defence and infrastructure.
These developments can only be conceptualized and put into force by educated
representatives. A countrys development and bright future lies in educated hands.

****************

THE RISING LEVELS OF CONGESTION AND AIR POLLUTION FOUND IN MOST

OF THE WORLDS CITIES CAN BE ATTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO THE RAPIDLY
INCREASING NUMBER OF PRIVATE CARS IN USE. IN ORDER TO REVERSE
THIS DECLINE IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN CITIES, ATTEMPTS MUST BE
MADE TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE THEIR CARS LESS AND PUBLIC
TRANSPORT MORE.

Band 7

Every city in its own way contributes for the development of a nation. Many metropolitan
cities in the world today are highly developed with the latest technology and state of the
art infrastructure. This has increased business development in the cities and has had a
magnetic effect of attracting the masses to the city. As a consequence most metropolitan
cities have become congested. Out of all the prevalent problems, one of the problems
faced by the cities is effect on the environment due to air pollution.

Most of the cities that have developed give an opportunity to professionals for brighter
career. With larger investments into business, people get a better chance to earn well and
upgrade their standard of living. Simultaneously, the govt is reducing taxes and excise
duties on certain commodities like automobiles. In the city, every individual can afford to
own a motorbike or a car. People prefer traveling to places, near or far in personal
vehicles. This has increased the number of private vehicles on the road, of course
contributing to air pollution. The development of city is eating away the forest land and
deforestation has increased dramatically. All causes and effects put together the quality of
city life is becoming poorer by the day. Reduced trees have increased conditions of
draught. Increased use of vehicles has contributed to toxic gases in the atmosphere,
reducing availability of fresh oxygen.

The masses and the government must join hands to sort these issues. Use of personal
vehicles within the city on a daily basis must be discouraged. The public transport system
can be improved in many ways. Comfortable coaches which are economical to use must
be introduced. The comfort aspect of public transport is the main reason why people
refrain from commuting in public transport.

With an increased number of buses and more frequency of peak hours of office rush can
reduce the discomfort with which people have to travel. The traveling fares can be
reduced and students and employees must get special concession. These schemes would
attract more people to use public transport. To commute from one end of the city to
another which is quite inconvenient can be resolved by broadening the network of buses
to all parts of the city wherever possible, other means of travel like rail or water can also
be introduced. Roads should have separate tracks for cyclists which are lined by trees on
either side. This would allow people to peddle down the street without facing traffic
problems.

The government can also make people observe various days like „no cars day‟ or „cycle
day‟. Such events can be promoted by organizing rallies and rewarding the winners.

In this manner concerted efforts of individuals and the government can work effectively
in reviving a healthy life among cities across the world.
***************

GENERAL MODULE
RESEARCH IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF COMPLETING ASSIGNMENTS. WRITE
A REPORT FOR A COURSE TUTOR SUGGESTING SOME GOOD PLACES TO
OBTAIN USEFUL INFORMATION
GIVE REASONS FOR YOUR CHOICES

Research is nowadays made a compulsory part of assignments. The books which are
referred to complete assignments give only theoretical knowledge to the student. The
practical aspect is added only when research is carried out it not profusely but still
enough to add pragmatism to ones knowledge. But the most important part if the source
or places where one can get enough quality material from which to accomplish ones
research.
Taking an example of the pharmacological research, we need to visit a good scientific
library that would help the person to collect the complete information of the research he
has started with. Once he has chosen a particular subject, say the action of a drug on a
particular animal or mammalian tissue, he has to have the minutest details of each and
every aspect of the properties of the drug as well as the action of the tissue towards the
drug. If only the scientific library doesn‟t help, the resercher can go to the medical
section of his interest.
Other than library, the internet is one of the biggest source for providing useful
information these days. It can provide the researcher with the exact information along
with the worldwide opinion on that particular topic. With the help of such opinions
provided by the internet, the researcher can interpret his results in a much better way
which can be accepted worldwide.

When we talk about pharmacological research, a visit to the animal house becomes
mandatory. We can also visit the clinical centers where such research on the animals and
later on human beings are carried out. This helps the researcher to get the systematic way
of performing his study (project) and most importantly, to get to know the practical hand
applied and the finesse required to do such projects.

Other things to be looked in such projects are the monthly magazines which are published
by the pharmaceutical industries themselves which keeps the researcher updated with the
new information and advances in the world of medicines, advent of new drug molecules
and technologies to perform the research.

It is very much advisable and is of great benefit to the researcher to have an industrial
training or camp. The visit to such actual manufacturing units of drugs and the research
and development laboratories gives the researcher and idea of the actual scale on which
the things are carried out. Such exposure is needed to amplify both the researchers
thoughts and the importance of his topic.

Thus research is not complete without visiting such places that provide you with useful
information required to finish off the task.

******************
GENERAL MODULE
RESEARCH IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF COMPLETING ASSIGNMENTS. WRITE
A REPORT FOR A COURSE TUTOR SUGGESTING SOME GOOD PLACES TO
OBTAIN USEFUL INFORMATION
GIVE REASONS FOR YOUR CHOICES

Research is not merely an essential part, but rather an integral part or rather the most
important of completing assignments. This is because research for the main part focuses
on the importance of thinking, observing and doing things oneself eventually leading to
the expansion and growth of knowledge.

The identification of a project / topic as part of a research assignment – at least in today‟s

world- is motivated by just one factor – the bottomline or to use a better word – the
commercial factor.

There are lots of places one can visit to obtain good information. These are: libraries,
laboratories, taking up research assistantships in universities / colleges / companies. Let
us take a detailed look at these 3 points:

Libraries are undoubtedly a great place to do research. The variety and the kind of
information available, for example at the british council library is amazing. One can
borrow books, use the internet / multimedia facilities, subscribe to online journals as well
as visit websites of foreign universities and take a look at some of their on-going research
projects. These websites also show a comprehensive list of their faculty, whom one can
always contact, if need be, for their comments, views and opinions.

Laboratories are also an excellent area for research activities. The government run labs
are always short of funds as a result of which their infrastructure is not very well
developed. Additionally, those working in these labs have a queer mentality of their own
especially when it comes to the working hours and therefore, it is much better to carry out
research in private sector laboratories, which not only have adequate funds, but also
better quality infrastructure, better work ethics and of course a professional work
environment.

Lastly, one can also take up research assistantships in universities / colleges / companies.
Here again it is the private sector that comes out a clear winner. The government has
made a total mess as far as the education sector is concerned. Government subsidies go
towards paying salaries rather than developing infrastructure. The private sector is much
more professional in this regard.

Top notch privately run engineering and IT institutes actively encourage their faculty to
do research and improve their expertise / knowledge in their chosen field. One can also
join a company for short term research assignments. If the company feels the candidate is
adequately qualified and capable, he may even be asked to work on ongoing research
projects rather than his own. Since research here is bottom-line driven, one gets a chance
to work on projects that are upto date and current.
To sum up, it goes without saying that research is indeed a very significant part of
assignment, contributing in no small measure to a company‟s bottomline and happy
bosses as well !

*********************

“Prevention is better than cure”. Out of a country’s health budget, a large

proportion should be diverted from treatment to spending on health education and
preventative measures.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement ?

I completely agree with the statement. I feel that the government of India should
concentrate more on the disadvantaged section of the society. This is so because I feel
that they are highly susceptible to infectious diseases because of their unhygienic living
conditions.

Majority of india‟s population lives in villages and slums. These places have very poor
sanitary conditions. So to reduce the rate of morbidity, preventive measures against the
diseases have to be taken. We can take the example of malaria. To prevent malaria what
basic measure we can adopt is to permit drainage of water. Water should not remain
stagnant. Also garbage accumulation should be avoided. This will not only prevent the
epidemic of malaria but also will improve the living conditions. Good and hygienic living
conditions will in turn improve the health and quality of life.

Secondly, I feel that why wait for a disease to occur and then take necessary medical aid.
The government can always take preventive measures wherever necessary. During a
disease a person has to experience a lot of suffering. The disease weakens him physically
as well as mentally. Unfortunately, some may also succumb to the disease due to lack of
medical help. These situations can be avoided by adopting preventive measures.

Thirdly, I feel that there is a need of providing health education to the disadvantaged
section. It is mainly because rate of malnutrition is very high among them. The
government should concentrate on the „at risk age groups‟, normally infancy, toddlers,
adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating mothers. More attention should be paid to
women. They should be informed about nutritious diet, hygiene. Severely malnourished
cases should be identified and appropriate doses of vitamin and mineral supplements
should be given. Mothers should be given information about child care, vaccinations. It
can be done through an ante natal clinic or an ICDS workshop (integrated child
development scheme workshop)

Finally, I feel that prevention can also lead to eradication of disease like small pox. So the
country should invest in health education and preventive measures as it will help in
raising the quality of life and health status of the masses.

******************

THE MASS MEDIA INCLUDING TV, RADIO AND NEWSPAPERS, HAVE

GREAT INFLUENCES IN SHAPING PEOPLES IDEAS.
Band 7
The mass including TV, radio and newspapers have a great influence in shaping
peoples ideas. I agree with this statement. The mass media is taken as the most important
and only reliable source of spreading news. People have reached a stage where they
believe what they see on news channels, front page headlines or on radio.
Regardless of being totally true or false, the news aired or printed has a great effect
on the citizens. A very good example can be the Tehelka case a few years ago which took
the nation as a shock and so was the Aman Verma and Shakti Kapoor incidents. The first
reaction of the common man after viewing or hearing or reading these news items was
one of shock, but not disbelief. People condemned the so-called accused of wrong deeds
and a wave of hatred spread around the country.
Its not only in the present day scenario where one sees such scams and scandalizing
news headlines. This has been prevalent since the past. Another example would be the
false rumours of all the passengers of the ship Titanic saved, whereas nearly a few
thousand perished in the frigid atlantic. There were some newspapers of New York and
England that published the false news, lighting a glimmer of hope in the minds of those
whose loved ones were on board that fateful ship.
Coming back to the present day, the system of reviews plays a very important role
in the lives of people – be it new movie releases, new restaurants, new stores and the like.
However much a person may say that he or she doesn‟t go by the newspaper or the TV
reviews, it definitely affects the person to some extent. Many movies that portray serious
cinema and classic acting styles, but are without pomp and show, remain unnoticed.
Whereas light minded retro sort of movies that are good for a change are much hyped.
This influences the audience. Even the previews or telecasts of the premieres of movies
influence the minds of people. It may not be wrong to say that the publicity and not the
story line decide the financial success of movies at times.
So these are a few points because of which I feel that the media influences the
common people a lot by what it says or shows. Although there might be a certain section
of society that would think for themselves, but the majority would not. And it is the
majority that matters!!!!

******************

THE MASS MEDIA INCLUDING TV, RADIO AND NEWSPAPERS, HAVE

GREAT INFLUENCES IN SHAPING PEOPLES IDEAS.
Band 7

The morning cup of coffee and the newspaper in hands is the usual scene in every
household. Small and big, young or old will all fight to read a news of their choice. Every
individual, a school child, a housewife,a working person and grandparents all are media
savvy. A drive to the office or the marketplace is accompanied with the news on the
radio. Thus I strongly feel that with media savvy people by and large cling to news of all
kinds. These news do influence peoples outlook to events, places and people around
them.

One of the earliest sources of news was the print media. In the pre-independence era,
newspapers could not print the details of every news that was required to bring to the
public. The first newspaper in India to revolutionise the movement for independence was
Kesari, started by noted freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak. Since that time and post
independence the print media has begun exercising the freedom of speech and has been
reflecting true news , events and public icons through articles and editorials.

Papers bring to notice the issues that need quick attention and solutions by political
groups. Journalists cover issues on problems faced by the public. It helps in knowing the
efficiency of ruling party. Pre-election period is marked by articles that cover the overall
work done by political leaders for their respective wards. Such news gives the public the
idea to choose the right leaders.

News channels on the other hand, give an up to date insight of the happenings in and
around the country and worldwide. Satellite transmission has helped connecting one part
of the world with another just a click away. Had it not been for 24 hours news channels,
tsunami stricken areas would not have got immediate rescue and relief from all over the
world. Many such natural calamities receive world wide attention and help from masses
due to media.

Radio, though meant for an overall entertainment of public give scoops from lives of
cinema personalities and local heroes but for remote areas where tv connectivity has not
reached , radio is the only source of happenings and news in and around their place .
Movies that reflect social messages also influence the public. The movie „water‟ directed
by an Indian NRI nominated for an Oscar award, won acclaim worldwide since it
reflected social woos of widows in remote parts of northern India.

All forms of media thus seem to influence the lives and ideas of a common man. It helps
people build opinions of famous personalities and public icons who cannot interact with
every person. Media through tete-a- tete‟s with such people, interviews bring them closer
to the masses. Argumentative articles on social issues, events opens the mind of public to
develop their opinion for the same. Combined efforts of all forms of media has also
helped innocent victims get justice , though posthumously.

Thus, the media reflects the true picture of a society, nation and the world and motivates
the public to work for the cause.

******************
NEWS EDITORS DECIDE WHAT TO BROADCAST ON TV AND WHAT TO
PRINT IN NEWSPAPERS. WHAT FACTORS DO YOU THINK INFLUENCE
THESE DECISIONS? DO WE BECOME USED TO BAD NEWS? WOULD IT BE
BETTER IF MORE GOOD NEWS WAS REPORTED?

It goes without saying that news editors decide what to broadcast on TV and what to print
in newspapers. Let us now take a look at the role of news editors in both media – TV and
newspapers.

The news editor – as far as TV is concerned – played a very passive role when the
industry was in its infancy and this was around 20 years ago. The word „competition‟ was
non-existent and all he had to do was sift through the various reports, prioritize them,
have the team ready the reports and get them ready for telecast.
The role of the news editor underwent a profound change when the government allowed
private broadcasters to enter the market. His role not merely included those listed above
but more importantly he was assigned a responsibility which was something akin to that
of a public relations officer (PRO). He was now responsible for gauging viewers
responses, reactions and opinions. He was now responsible for tailoring programs and
reports according to viewers preferences rather than his own and lastly, he was now being
asked to pay attention to market demands and ignore his personal whims and fancies.

An example will illustrate this point. A private TV channel was broadcasting a story as to
how a 6 year old prince (from an erstwhile royal family) had fallen into a 60 feet deep
borewell shaft. After showing this report, the channel immediately began asking viewers
to sms / email their opinions, wishes, prayers etc so that they could broadcast them. The
wishes and prayers of people broadcast on TV had a chain like effect. Prayers and rituals
began to be conducted for the young boy at various temples in various cities. When these
visuals were shown on TV, people responded by sending their heart-felt wishes and
prayers finally prompting the channel to go “LIVE” on the entire episode and issue
„breaking news‟ bulletins every few minutes. The hero behind this episode was an
anonymous entity whose designation is well known – the news editor !

He had used all the tools he had to his advantage and tailored the program to suit viewers
preferences. The same role is played by the news editor in a newspaper though the
pliability level is less compared to a news editors in a TV channel.

In a newspaper as well as TV, a news editors role is focused on eliminating news that
could provoke a backlash for the worse. Thus reports of fighting between religious
communities is always reported in a toned down and „easily digestible‟ form. The same
applies to TV – all offending visuals never make it to the news readers desk. The
reporting of news, conflicts, religious incidents – all fall in this category.

Though it is not officially known, an unwritten code of conduct is followed by TV

channels in consultation with the Government which keeps tabs on their working.

There is nothing like good news nowadays. For me, there is only one news – bad news
and less of bad news is „good news‟. Yes, we have become immune and desensitized to
bad news. Our days begin and end with it – all we hear are incidents of war, bombings,
rapes, murders, inflammatory speeches by religious fanatics , innumerable scams and the
like.

Last, but not the least, it would definitely be „good‟ if more good news was reported , not
merely by my definition – but real good news.

***********************

THE IDEA OF HAVING A SINGLE CAREER IS BECOMING AN OLD FASHIONED

ONE. THE NEW FASHION WILL BE TO HAVE A SEVERAL CAREERS OR WAYS
OF EARNING MONEY AND FURTHER EDUCATION WILL BE SOMETHING
THAT CONTINUES THROUGHOUT LIFE.
The idea of having a single career is becoming old fashioned – this scenario is being
increasingly played out in the west and in highly developed countries.

The economies as well as companies in the west are highly fickle. Any news of an
impending downturn and recession in the economy brings with it an equal reaction from
companies rushing in to tighten / fasten their seat belts. Terms like „employee churning‟
and „lay offs‟ become very common during this period. It is not uncommon for an
employee to walk into the office in the morning and walk out in the evening with a pink
slip! The same repercussions are felt even in a particular sector which is facing a
downturn, as companies rush to control costs, cut excess flab, maintain a tight control on
salaries and increments in order to at least keep their bottom lines in the black.

It is this uncertainty that is giving rise to a new trend – that of having several careers –
and obviously, several ways of earning money. In the coming years, we will see more and
more people with dual qualifications. These people will not merely do a day job – but
will come in the evening to pursue their second career – with as much vigour and energy
– knowing fully well that the sun could set on their career any day !

This is a perfectly justified and a well thought out move since the uncertainty factor in
such situations is the highest. This is due to the fact that companies in the west are not
merely global, but also aligned to global practices. The most important aspect for them is
performance – though the tag lines are different – and to keep performing regardless of
the conditions, terms like „lay offs‟ and „hire and fire‟ are most liberally used. It is the
employee who is the silent sufferer in this entire saga and it is he who is reduced to a
statistic and a number.

Recently, Airbus Industrie which is a consortium of companies from a number of

European countries announced plans to lay off a record 10,000 workers. The company
which receives funding from a number of European countries including Germany,
France, Britain and others said this step had become necessary because subsidies alone
could not sustain performance and that rising labour and input and raw materials costs,
not to mention the intense competition in the aviation industry had taken a toll on the
company‟s bottom line. A return to profitability meant that excess workers had to go with
the company‟s management focusing on a leaner and result–centered meaner
organization. The decision was met with outrage – with some employees harping on the
loyalty factor – some were second and even third generation employees. Their anger was
understandable – the carpet had been pulled out from beneath their feet all of a sudden
and as far as ground realities go, the employees did not know where the money for
tomorrows bread and butter was going to come from. If some of them had seen the
importance of a second career, they would have something to bank and rely on in times
of difficulty.

The importance of having a second career also brings another aspect to light – keeping all
the doors open in ones life. This approach tests a human being to his full capacity. He
should have a second career in order to earn his livelihood and money. For many, a
second career is looked at seriously when one reaches a certain age. In such cases, money
takes a backseat while the hobby / interest aspect is given importance.
It is important to stress here that it is not necessary that the career that one pursues will
eventually turn out to be interesting. One may lose interest and one may have to look at
another career. It is here that one understands the deeper implications of the word
„education‟. Education means to learn and to learn, one needs pliability, so pliability and
learning go together. One needs to have the capacity to face facts if one is to be in a state
of learning.

In developing countries, these practices are slowly being put to use as local companies
realize that there is nothing „big‟ about being local and it is being global that counts.

******************

“As more and more students enter universities, academic qualifications are becoming
devalued. To get ahead in many professions, more than one degree is now required and in
future it is likely that people will take a number of degree courses before even starting
work. This is an undesirable situation. Do you agree or disagree?

Yes, it is true that more and more students are entering universities nowadays, but can
one say that this is the reason why qualifications are becoming devalued. I don‟t think so.
Qualifications are getting devalued but one cannot say that it is due to an increase in the
number of students. In a country like India, where a number of educational institutions
are in the hands of politicians, education has become a business. A business to such an
extent, that they do not consider it worth their while to ensure that their institutes have
proper affiliations and accreditations. The law makers are indeed law breakers. The
directives of apex bodies like the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) are
routinely ignored and broken. With an increase in a number of students, one would have
expected sanity to prevail, but that is not the case. It is the lack of professionalism and a
mature outlook that drives these „education barons‟ to fleece students which in turn leads
to the qualification getting devalued.

I disagree with the second part of the question which says that it is an undesirable
situation if people take a number of degree courses before starting work. Pursuing higher
education depends upon the field which one is in and therefore may either be desirable or
undesirable.

Let us take the case of a student pursuing his MBBS. Twenty years ago, the medical
profession was in a different state. Even an MBBS degree would guarantee a graduate not
merely a handsome salary but job security as well. Today, with the health system in the
throes of change, an MBBS degree has become commonplace. Combine that with the
proliferation of colleges offering medical courses (whose value and worth can be
doubted) and it becomes imperative that a candidate should pursue higher education if his
degree is to have any value.

Another factor that drives one to pursue a higher degree is the starting salary, which is
essentially looked upon as a return considering the amount that one has invested in the
course. If a medical graduate is offered a starting salary of Rs 15000.00 per month after
having invested Rs 8 -9 lakhs for a 4 yr course, it would make more sense for him to
pursue his masters degree after which he would be offered a salary of around Rs 40 –
50,000 per month. Thus it is not an undesirable situation.

A situation where an entirely different situation prevails is the IT industry.

A company like Infosys which started of in a one room tenement 10 years ago is today
among the front runners in the sector and makes announcements about adding almost 10 -
12000 employees in its BPO business alone. With the IT sector seeing attrition rates in
the range of 10 -15 % (35 - 40 % in the BPO sector) one can clearly see that demand for
quality professionals far exceeds supply. In such a scenario, I don‟t see the need for an
employee to pursue higher education. One can easily join at the lower levels and work
ones way to the top. If the company is a forward looking one, it will surely empower its
employees by rotating them and giving them exposure to different assignments.
Companies like Infosys and Wipro are willing to go to even greater lengths by sponsoring
their education, giving loans at low rates – all to ensure employee loyalty. If one takes
these factors into account, a graduate with 2 years experience may be drawing the same
salary as a master‟s degree holder.

Thus to sum up, I feel that pursuing higher education is entirely dependant on the field /
sector one is in, and therefore it may be desirable or undesirable.

***************************

EDUCATION IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE

DEVELOPMENT OF A DEVELOPING COUNTRY.

I disagree with the question that education is the single most important factor in the
development of a developing country. I would say that intelligence/ maturity would be
the factor that should be accorded the highest degree of importance as far as development
is concerned.

Take the case of India. Even 55 years after Independence, one sees that more and more
people have access to education than ever before. Literacy rates in Kerala are more than
90 %. But having a degree in hand doesn‟t mean the resolution of problems. Everyone
will agree that quality of life in general has deteriorated. Pune was once called a
„pensioners paradise‟. Nowadays, it is the pensioners who figure right at the bottom of
the list. A city like Pune is bursting at its seams. The infrastructure is woefully
inadequate. During the hot summer months, power cuts are a regular feature. Many areas
of the city still receive water through tankers which in turn are run by money-hungry
politicians. During last year‟s rains, half of the city was under water, many areas were
badly inundated and the administration was severely criticized for the handling of the
situation. After having been through hell, Punekars did not expect that their elected
representative and MP and a highly educated person Suresh Kalmadi would have the gall
to say that „not much of Pune was affected and Punekars are over-reacting to the
situation‟. An excellent example would be the condition of the city‟s roads. Jangli
Maharaj road was built more than 100 years ago, and is the best road in the city. The
technology that went into its construction would put todays road builders to shame.
Today despite having better qualified engineers who have access to the latest
technologies and equipment, traveling on the city‟s roads is a nightmare. The roads are
designed to literally break apart leaving huge potholes. This scenario repeats itself year
after year with amazing regularity with the politicians turning a deaf ear to complaints.
What is the point of having educated politicians if they are unfit to do jobs as simple as
this? Politicians are realistic in the sense that politics was, is and will always be a
business with effort and result being a calculated affair with a watchful eye on the vote
banks. Is this what politicians are made up of? Is it this lack of intelligence / maturity that
drives them to behave in such a way or do we feel that this quality be relegated to a small
corner and worshipped as gods / goddesses with no relation to day to day life?

If this is the condition of a developing country, what could be the situation in a developed
country? Take the case of the recent shoot out at Virginia Tech University where a South
Korean student shot dead 32 people in a shoot out that lasted for almost 5 hours spread
out over 2 phases. The „question mark guy‟ (because he once put a question mark when
he was asked to write his name) as he was called harbored a deep hatred for students who
were better off than him. He eventually gave vent to his feelings in this heinous manner.
He saw films which depicted violence in the most graphic manner and even practiced on
a few occasions using a hammer and a gun. By this time, he was aware that he was
„walking down a one way street‟. After the first spree which took place in the morning,
he disappeared to record a video, which he then sent to a TV channel. Coming back for
the second spree, 32 innocents bit the bullet before he shot himself dead. Such an incident
taking place in the US of A, which is known as the bastion of education brings serious
questions to the fore.

To sum up, sadly educationists have forgotten to consider that a man‟s mind is much
more than the degree that he/ she acquires. The psyche / mental make up of man is like
the „unseen mover‟ that drives man to behave this way. The understanding of his greed,
ambition, the desire for power, brutality is as if not more important than acquiring a
degree.

*********************

THE AGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HAS TAKEN A LOT OF PEOPLE

BY SURPRISE. WHILE IT HAS BECOME A WAY OF LIFE FOR SOME, OTHERS
KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT IT AND MAY BE UNLIKELY TO LEARN.
EVENTUALLY, WE WILL HAVE A POLARIZED SOCIETY AND THIS WILL
LEAD TO SERIOUS SOCIAL PROBLEMS. TO WHAT EXTENT TO YOU AGREE
WITH THIS STATEMENT?

Yes it is true that the IT sector has well and truly come of age – both in terms of the
salaries that IT professionals are offered as well as the undeniable fact that technology
has made our lives a lot easier. But I would disagree that it is going to lead to a polarized
society which in turn is going to lead to social problems.

What exactly is society? Is it not the relationship between man and man? We are
essentially animals even though we may call ourselves „social animals‟ and live strictly
by Charles Darwin‟s maxim „the survival of the fittest‟. As such, society, whatever be the
period, has always been polarized with the haves on the one hand and the have-nots on
the other. The richer keep getting richer and the poor have to keep struggling just to
remain in the same place. Thus one has to say that society‟s problems are not due to one
sector, industry or another, but because of our inability or to use a better word – refusal -
to understand our relationship to one another. Competitiveness or fighting to safeguard
ones interest and the never ending greed for more has always been the foundation of
society and when one talks about social problems, it is this that is the cause of the rot.

India was under British rule for more than 150 years. The country was then the land of
the rajas (kings) and the maharajas (emperors) who took the maxim „live life king size‟
quite literally. Take the case of the Taj Mahal – one of the seven wonders of the world –
and a monument which Emperor Shahajahan built in memory of his wife, Mumtaz.
Taking almost 20 years to build when technology was rudimentary, the building of the
monument was a monumental task. Thousands of laborers heeded the kings words and
played significant, though anonymous roles in converting the kings dreams into beauty
woven in brick and stone. Death it was for those who opposed the kings orders. A layman
can look and admire at the beauty of the monument but will in all likelihood miss out on
the sorrows and the sufferings of thousands of innocents which gave shape to this
structure. What I am trying to say is that society has always been polarized and the
disadvantaged have always been suppressed and taken advantage of.

Cut to the present day when a private TV channel broadcast a program on the
construction of billionaire (and India‟s first rupee trillionaire) businessman Mukesh
Ambani‟s dream mansion „Antilia‟. A mammoth structure rising 173 metres into the
Mumbai skyline, it will have a whopping 27 floors (equivalent to 60 storeys of a regular
skyscraper). The first 6 floors have been reserved for the parking of a mind boggling 168
cars that Mukesh owns starting from the swanky Maybach to the Lamborghini Gallardo
to the Lincoln Continental stretch limo and everything else in between. Slated to lighten
the billionaire‟s pocket by at least US $ 100 million, it‟s a classic example of the richer
who just keep getting richer and richer and richer. Obviously, he is the cynosure of a
billion people who aspire to live like him. Many among these have a keen eye on the
shortcuts in case the hard work doesn‟t pay off. Keep climbing up the ladder is their
motto – by hook or by crook. It is courtesy these people (toppers include ketan Parekh,
Harshad Mehta) who siphoned of thousands of crores of rupees of taxpayers money, that
one has scams and frauds. Thousands of people who were lured into investing their hard
earned wealth saw their savings vanish overnight. They had to move court initiating
recovery proceedings against the culprits. The cases are still in progress. Ketan Parekh
decided to follow in Mehta‟s footsteps and cheated not only citizens but also banks to the
tune of thousands of crores. The above example shows that these are the kinds of
problems that society encounters but it is not the IT sector that is responsible for the
same.

To sum up, one can say that each individual is responsible for understanding himself –
what religion calls self knowledge – and it is this understanding that brings into being
that rare quality called intelligence – which may help in solving problems.

********************

We have been living in the nuclear age now for over a half a century. Since the first
atomic bombs were developed, nuclear technology has provided governments with
the ability to totally destroy the planet. Yet the technology has been put to use as an
energy source and in certain areas of medicine.
To what extent is nuclear technology a danger to life on Earth? What are the
benefits and risks associated with its use?

Though nuclear technology does have some advantages in the areas of medicine and
energy generation, I feel that nuclear technology is to a great extent a danger to life on
earth.

What exactly is nuclear energy? Simply put, it is uranium that is used to generate energy.
When uranium is enriched, extremely high temperatures are generated which produces
energy. Enriched uranium of a certain purity can be used for generating energy, while
uranium of a higher purity makes it suitable to be used in nuclear warheads – which is a
real danger to life on earth. Numerous countries – from the US, Pakistan to others are
realizing the importance of making nuclear weapons an integral part of their arsenal to
keep out invaders. There are some which are involved in clandestine development to
others like N Korea which is open about its nuclear ambitions. Others like Iran appear to
be walking in a „no-mans land‟. They claim to be using nuclear energy for peaceful
purposes but the snooty behavior of the „big bosses‟ of the UN – particularly the US –
makes it appear that „being nuclear‟ tops their wish list. A nuclear attack and the
ramifications are scary - entire cities being wiped out and millions of people charred to
death – all within seconds. This is the reason why nuclear energy is a real threat to life on
earth.

The benefits of using nuclear energy are many – foremost among them is the generation
of energy. With the world running out of fossil fuels and natural resources, cheap energy
is the need of the hour. The world‟s fastest growing economy - China generated almost
100,000 MW of energy the previous year – almost all of it coming from the setting up of
nuclear power plants that are more safer and more efficient than those currently in
operation. In India, a 4000 MW coal fired nuclear plant is coming up at Dadri in the state
of Uttar Pradesh. Using state of the art technology, it promises to alleviate the power
shortage in North India to a great extent.

In medicine, nuclear radiation is used in what doctors term „radiotherapy‟ or „radiology‟.

High intensity radiation in extremely small doses is useful in killing cancerous cells. This
therapy which is spread out over a period of time is useful where a surgeons scalpel is not
– in extremely delicate regions such as the brain where a wrong move can render a
patient brain dead or even kill him. Besides killing cancerous cells / tissue it has another
advantage – it is non invasive and helps the patient to recover quickly.

Coming to the risks, who can forget the Chernobyl disaster? A rupture in one of the fuel
tanks led to a radiation leak which led to the deaths of thousands of people. As if this was
not enough, the gamma rays that radiation contains resulted in people being born with
genetic defects – severe mental retardation, upper and lower limb deformities and the
like. With such a disaster comes a huge medical bill – something that the state considers a
burden – which only leads to more suffering and sorrow among the people.
The biggest risk can be seen in the light of the stand off between Iran and the US. The
desperate need to seek security and safeguard our shores at any cost is driving countries
to seek out options that are more harmful, more dangerous and are capable of killing
thousands using the least effort. This means that nuclear warheads and bombs are right at
the top of any country‟s defence shopping list. Thus, it doesn‟t come as a surprise that the
US has a US $ 3 trillion defence budget and you guessed right – „being nuclear‟ comes
right or somewhere at the top.

To conclude, the risks do outweigh the advantages. The whims and fancies of a fanatical
leader armed with nuclear weapons could turn the world into a smoldering cauldron
putting humanity at great risk of which we should be wary.

**********************

We have been living in the nuclear age now for over a half a century. Since the first
atomic bombs were developed, nuclear technology has provided governments with
the ability to totally destroy the planet. Yet the technology has been put to use as an
energy source and in certain areas of medicine.
To what extent is nuclear technology a danger to life on Earth? What are the
benefits and risks associated with its use?

These days, many people are afraid of nuclear technology because of the dangers
associated with its use. In my opinion, although it is true that nuclear weapons pose the
greatest threat to life, the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes also carries
some serious risks.

Nuclear power stations provide an important source of cheap power for many
industrialized nations and some developing countries. However, there is always the
danger of radiation leaking from these plants. Even though safety precautions are taken,
there have been numerous disasters such as the explosion of a nuclear plant in Russia not
long ago.

Nuclear technology is even used to help cure some diseases such as cancer. Radiation can
be applied to the body to burn away cancerous cells. This is however, a dangerous
procedure, and the application of radiation is almost always painful and not always
successful.

The most worrying aspect of nuclear technology though is its use for military purposes.
Enough atomic bombs have already been built to completely destroy the planet, and the
real danger is that one day some country will start a war with these weapons. Too many
countries now have the technology required to make such bombs and there is currently
much debate about how to control the situation.

In conclusion, nuclear technology certainly has positive uses, but is nonetheless,

dangerous. However, it would have been better if it had never been used to create nuclear
weapons. If life on earth is to continue, all the nuclear nations of the world should agree
to disarm as soon as possible.
************************

“Prevention is better than cure”. Out of a country’s health budget, a large

proportion should be diverted from treatment to spending on health education and
preventative measures.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement ?

I feel that the question takes a narrow view by suggesting that greater priority be given to
preventative measures. In my opinion, focusing on prevention is as important as
treatment.

In a recent interview, Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, Chairman and Managing Director of the

privately held Serum Institute of India (one of the largest vaccine manufacturers in the
world and one of the biggest Indian exporters of the same) was asked whether it had any
plans to develop a bird flu vaccine. His reply was typical of todays pharma companies.
He said: “people dying from bird flu are too small as compared to those dying from
AIDS, Tuberculosis and Hepatitis. The market is just not big enough and the returns we
get will not justify the investments that will have to be made”. Pharma companies do
some serious number crunching. Their focus throughout is on numbers – be it the number
of people dying, the investments to be made, the profits that can be expected and overall
potential of the drug. Thus, with research getting more and more focused, it becomes all
the more imperative that the government focus not only on the preventative aspect but
also on the treatment aspect.

Take the case of AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome). The HIV virus, over a
period of time destroys the immune system so that an HIV infected person may succumb
to even a cold infection. The government in collaboration with NGO‟s like the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation is actively involved in spreading awareness about the
importance of safe sex through the use of condoms (both male and female), the
importance of being faithful to your partner and the ramifications of an uncontrolled
sexual urge, various misconceptions about AIDS (it doesn‟t spread through kissing, or
through holding hands and neither does it spread through the air or through mosquito
bites). The fact is that the „AIDS bomb‟ is just waiting to explode has had the
government doing whatever it can to tackle the AIDS scourge. But, since treatment has to
be given equal importance and one cannot just allow the AIDS infected to die (India is
home to approximately 40 million HIV infected – just behind Africa), the government is
doing every bit to ensure that those infected with HIV are also treated. Right at the top of
the list are the ARV‟s (anti retro viral‟s) – a cocktail of various drugs – that may not fully
cure the patient but have been proved to prolong the life and in some cases, help the
patient to recover fully as well. Here, the country‟s archaic patent laws have come to the
rescue. ARV‟s manufactured by foreign pharma companies are prohibitively expensive.
Indian companies like Cipla were able to take advantage and manufacture these drugs
and sell them at around 10 % of international prices. Thus both prevention and treatment
have to be accorded equal priority.

Take the case of polio. In the last 50 yrs or so, there has been a tremendous drop in the
number of polio cases due to concerted efforts on the part of the government. One of the
most successful moves undertaken by the government is the Polio campaigns in which
Bollywood stars routinely make appearances and urge the audience to get their babies
vaccinated. Such campaigns have been a hit with the viewers who have seen the
importance of vaccinations. The campaigns are carried out every 6 mths or so, and the
message is conveyed in a very succinct manner. It has also to a great extent, succeeded in
dispelling the doubts of particularly the rural populace which is not very keen and are
extremely doubtful of the veracity of these campaigns. To be more specific, a large
number of Muslims and Hindus, particularly those in rural areas, had the impression that
vaccination actually led to more problems. They spoke of spirits and bad omens and the
campaigns dispelled these wrong notions clearly bringing out the fact that administering
your child the polio vaccine has only advantages. As far as the treatment aspect is
concerned, though there is no cure for polio, one cannot deny the fact that living in a
technologically advancing world has made it much easier for the polio afflicted. Various
implements including metal implants, better quality crutches, motorized and non-
motorised wheelchairs have definitely made life easier for the differently enabled.
Vehicles (both 2 and 4 wheelers can be specially configured for the polio afflicted) have
also made traveling a lot easier for them.

*************************

The position of women in society has changed markedly in the last 20 years. Many of the
problems young people now experience, such as juvenile delinquency, arise from the fact
that many married women now work and are not at home to care for their children. To
what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Stand - Disagree
As children grow up, they are influenced by numerous factors and merely by the family,
friends, media (newspapers, TV, radio), peer pressure, religion etc.

Examples –

1. The rave party in Pune where 250 boys and girls were caught doing drugs.

2. The shoot out at Virginia Tech University where a South Korean student shot dead 32
others.

3. The story of Sanjay dutt. After the death of his mother Nargis, he took to drugs. He
was sent to a drug rehab centre in the US and then returned to make a name for himself in
films. In the meantime his marriage began to crumble and he had to divorce his wife. His
wife shifted to the US, where she was diagnosed with cancer and then died sometime
later. In the meantime, he had numerous women in his life – Rhea Pillai, Manyata and as
a result he has never been involved in steady relationships. In 1993, he was accused of
lending a helping hand to the key conspirators in the bomb blasts. 14 yrs later, the law
has finally caught up with him and he has been handed a 6 yr prison term.

4. In Pune, drugs are fairly common in parties. This is due to the fact that Pune has a huge
student population who are forever on the lookout for „exotic experiences‟. Starting with
the „basics‟ like ganja, hashish and brown sugar they move on to the more expensive ones
like cocaine, ecstasy, California drops etc. Its considered cool, fashionable and hip-hop to
do drugs. Peer pressure to do drugs is immense and many are forced to take up the habit.
In such a scenario, can one say that only working mothers are responsible for their
children going astray? Students are also driven by the curiosity factor [influenced by the
lifestyle of filmstars such as Fardeen Khan and sportsmen like Maninder Singh (caught in
possession of cocaine)]

****************

When a country develops its technology, the traditional skills and ways of life die out. It
is pointless to try and keep them alive. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this
opinion?

Stand: Agree
1. Developments in the field of automobiles, bikes, vehicles, airplanes and others.
Transport has become more convenient and moving from one place to another has
become so much easier. In the case of airplanes, we have moved from Wilbur Wright to
the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A380 which is capable of carrying a
mind boggling 800 passengers and is more fuel efficient and safe than any other airline
ever built.
2. Developments in the field of science and technology. The quality of life has improved
over the years.

*******************
Children over 15 should be allowed to make decisions about their lives without the
interference of their parents or teachers. Society should accept that children mature at a
younger age these days and should adjust the law accordingly.
Discuss this statement in relation to your own society or a society that you know well.

It is scientifically proven that the human race is superior to all living beings on our
planet. This superiority is mainly due to our ability to learn new things, try out new skills
and adapt them. While learning is a continuous process throughout our lifetime, it is
known that a major portion of our learning occurs during our early years.

At a young age, our brain is in the developing stage and tends to grasp new things very
fast. A liking for interests such as foreign languages, different sports and various musical
instruments is developed easily. At this age, there is a lot of enthusiasm for all new things
and kids generally get attracted to any thing new, be it toys, games and books. Apart from
the fact, that kids do tend to lose interest suddenly as well, but the fact remains that they
get interested and motivated about anything new also very fast.

As children grow older, they begin to understand that life is not just play but work as
well. They realize that they will have to focus on their education whether it is academic
or art or any sport in order to do well. This is the point at which children start losing
interest in other activities that are not related to their chosen line of education.

As kids mature into adults they would have already chosen their profession and would
have decided on their future plans. This makes them focus only on their pursuits and they
do not have any thoughts or time for any new interests or hobbies. As adults, people
follow highly stressful lives and tend to focus on materialistic issues. „They hardly have
time to develop a hobby‟ is a commonly heard statement from most adults.

As we grow older, our body also undergoes change and physically it becomes
challenging for working adults to pursue a hobby. They need to push themselves to get
the energy levels for their interests. The brain also loses its capacity to learn and store
new ideas as we age.

There are also a lot of social pressures on adult for him to focus on his natural interests.
Family pressures and priorities like picking up kids from school, shopping during
weekends, paying utility bills and so on (the list is endless) proves exhaustive. There are
work pressures as well. All these add to the causes for the reduction in the number of
adults pursuing new interests.

******************

Governments should not be expected to take sole responsibility for reducing the number
of road accidents; individuals should share this responsibility.
Write an essay for an educated audience either in support of or against this statement.

Development of technology has led to the production of vehicles with exceptional speeds
and this in turn has been the cause of innumerous road accidents. While the reduction of
road accidents should be the prime focus of governments, it is most important that
individuals and citizens of every country share his responsibility with the government and
help reduce the number of road accidents.

In developing countries like Singapore, the government has built large expressways
which criss cross the island country. The development of good roads has made Singapore
what it is today, one of the most advanced countries in the world. But good roads bring in
faster vehicles and this leads to major road accidents. To prevent road accidents, the
Singapore government imposed speed restrictions on all expressways and thoroughfares.
The government has also installed „speed cameras‟ on these roads to check on speeding
vehicles thereby preventing accidents. Both the above methods helped reduce accidents
to some extent but there were still many accidents involving a lot of casualties.

Recently, common citizens have come forward to help the government in minimizing
road mishaps. It is important to note public awareness goes a long way in implementing a
rule or for that matter bringing about social change. A public awareness campaign was
undertaken by the individuals to educate the masses on the dangers of speeding and other
donts in order to prevent accidents.

It can be well understood that if individuals who drive cars, motorcycles, trucks or any
kind of powered vehicle, understand the dangers of speeding or breaking rules and try to
rectify these faults, it will go a long way in the reduction of accidents. If individuals do
not drive when under the influence of alcohol, they would definitely be avoiding
accidents. It is the individual who is speeding as he is late for an appointment. It is the
individual, who is passing through a red light, as he is late on his way to meet his
girlfriend. All the above examples and many more could be given, point to a simple fact
that individuals definitely have a major role to play in preventing an accident.

To summarize, one can say accidents can be averted, they can be minimized and they can
be eliminated to a large extent if the policy makers and individuals following those
policies work together for a common benefit „to save human lives‟.

*********************

All educational facilities should be funded by the government.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons for your
answer.

Any country‟s development is primarily dependent on how well educated its citizens are
and this dependence should be sufficient for the countrys rulers to decide on a policy to
educate its people and fund their education as far as possible.

Currently in India, education of girls upto the secondary levels is free and the cost is
borne by the local government. Also, the education of children going to government
schools is highly subsidized, again upto the secondary level. But boys going to private
schools do not receive any funding from the government. I believe this should change.
Children should be educated upto the secondary levels, that is, upto standard tenth, free
by the state governments. Its very easy to decipher the reason for implementing this
policy as there would be very few dropouts and atleast all the children would be
mandatorily be educated upto secondary levels.

For higher studies, which could be for university courses in any field, be it medical,
engineering, commerce, management, the list is endless. The funding should be based on
merit. A cut off percentage should be kept say above 75 % in a common entrance test, for
selecting the candidates for scholarships/ subsidies. The reason for having a cut off
percentage policy is to make students and their parents understand the value of education
for which they would have to strive hard to get those subsidies.

Governments, especially from developing countries like India, would do well to study the
education model of a developed country like Singapore where the funding strategy is
based on a scholarship examination called “PSLE” conducted as early as the fourth
standard. Based on the results of the exam, 3 main streams of students are arrived at. The
first level „the elite level‟ is fully sponsored by the ministry of education (MoE) of
Singapore right upto the university level and then even offered diplomatic positions. The
second level is partly subsidized but students are groomed in different schools, different
than those attended by the elite. Later on, they can also, based on merit, be offered
admission and sponsorship of elite schools. The last level of students go to vocational
schools and these students have to pay for their own education but then the fees are made
affordable to the general public.

Funding of education of children is an important method which the people in power

should focus on as their primary responsibility as this benefits the growth of the nation.
*******************
GOING OVERSEAS FOR UNIVERSITY STUDY IS AN EXCITING PROSPECT FOR
MANY PEOPLE. BUT WHILE IT MAY OFFER SOME ADVANTAGES, IT IS
PROBABLY BETTER TO STAY HOME BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTIES A
STUDENT INEVITABLY ENCOUNTERS LIVING AND STUDYING IN A
DIFFERENT CULTURE. TO WHAT EXTENT TO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE
WITH THIS STATEMENT?

In recent times it has become a dream of the younger generation in India or for that
matter most developed countries to go overseas for higher education. Educational
institutes and universities that students particularly focus on are from the uk, usa,
Australia, Canada and new Zealand to name a few. While this migration for the sake of
education has its inherent advantages there seem to be certain disadvantages.

The educational system in which Indian students have been studying in for their primary
and secondary education in based on bookish and standard type of education. This is also
followed at the university level. In comparison, universities in the advanced countries
mentioned above follow a practical and advanced approach to learning. This develops
„lateral thinking‟ of the students which helps them in the future employment years to
come.

Degrees from these acclaimed universities abroad are universally recognized and this
global recognition is extremely helpful for the students to get good jobs with very fat
salaries. These fat pay packages, that the individuals, who normally come from modest
and middle class families, help them to overcome financial difficulties back home, bring
stability to their and parents life and overall helps in upliftment of their social status.

The quality of education imparted by these universities is tremendously good and the
facilities provided by the universities to the students are commendable. While studying
abroad, the student is exposed to people from diverse cultures and upbringing. This helps
him to develop his ability to interact with many kinds of people, learn more about their
cultures , religions and languages and this helps him to develop a confidence to sustain
himself in a multi cultural environment which is prevalent in most advanced countries
nowadays.

Having said this, it stands to reason that while there are pros to any situation, there are
cons as well. In order for their child to go to an advanced country for higher studies,
parents who are not so well off have to take loans from financial institutions and this
creates a severe financial burden on the family as a whole till their child can help the
parents pay off the loan by getting employed either in a part time of a full time
occupation. The other problem faced by students studying abroad is that of racial
discrimination or even discrimination on the basis of skin color. Whether this is accepted
by the universities or the government of those advanced countries, the fact remains there
is discrimination and those students who survive this hassle and harassment will be able
to survive anywhere in the world in their future careers.

By and large, we can conclude that the gains for students willing to study in an overseas
university are more compared to the problems of studying and living overseas.
***********************