Students and Politics The Indian Scenario

The student community, being young and energetic, are a bundle of inflammable
material, which at the touch of a spark ignites into a large uncontrollable fire like forest
fire. They, being young have no patience, are lively and malleable.
In India, the trend of students actively participating in politics began in the early 20th
century, when India was fighting for its freedom. The elders being busy with their bread
earning, they actively encouraged the youngsters to enter the arena of politics. Besides,
they were young and would be easily enthused to join the mass movement at the drop of
a hat. olitical parties at that time started enlisting the support of the young students who
organi!ed themselves happily, to help one party or the other. This trend started in the
early years of 20th century and continued and even e"panded up to date.
#owever, once independence was won, it was to be reconsidered if students should be
allowed or couraged to enter politics. $ome sections of society now started believing that
students should stay away from politics and keep to their study schedules only. %hile the
society kept debating on this issue, the politician took the younger generation as their
work cum energy tanks and this participation of students in politics has come to stay.
The present scenario in India is thus a keen struggle of political parties engaged in
enlisting support of students. This obviously results in the students getting sharply
divided as if they were of this political party or that so much so, even the campus
elections become tainted with a touch of politics.
There is of course nothing without advantages and disadvantages, so does this
involvement of students in politics. There are both serious disadvantages and may be few
advantages too of students being on the centrestage of politics. &isadvantages outnumber
the advantages. 'irstly, while the students, have primarily entered college for studies they
get distracted from their prime objective and become entangled in the dirty game of
politics. The energy and time they use or waster in masterminding political moves, could
well be used to study. This entry of politics in the premises of educational institutions has
caused many a damage to several students. $tudents have got rusticated owing to their
active participation in politics, thus losing their hold on studies. olitics teaches students
to put an end to all rules and regulations and become rowdy and violent. This leads to
closure of institutions which again take a toll of students( study time. The very innocent
and loving appearance of children gets lost and they become rude, arrogant and
disobedient. %hen there is too much of hooliganism entering into educational
institutions, even police is to be called sometimes and there is utter disorder in the
campus and even bullets find their way among the students. The disadvantages of
students entering politics are numerous and destructive.
%hen we study the advantages of this system, they do e"ist but, are very few and hardly
significant. )hildren entering the arena of politics learn the art of public speaking. They
learn to be assertive and impressive. This medium is a good stepping stone to the art of
leadership. The important and real advantage is that students in these prime years of life
gain a lot of knowledge of politics which gives them training to enter the arena as trained
politicians.
*fter studying the pros and cons of students( participation in politics, the disadvantages
are more damaging than the gains ac+uired in the se+uence. 'or, all the advantages
students gain, can as well be achieved so in other ways also and there is no need for their
entry into politics.
$tudents must stay away from politics and retain their interest in studies which alone can
help them steer the ships of their lives.

Importance Of English Language In India
India is a vast country with different languages in different parts of the country. These
regional languages differ from each other so much that it is not possible to communicate
with people of other regions without a common language. 'urther, India is growing on all
fronts whether it is social or economic angle. India is on the road to become a strong and
prosperous nation in the world. India is trying to maintain a good foreign policy. 'or all
this, there is need of a common language i.e., ,nglish. It is this language which is
understood almost all over the region in addition to national language of #indi, all
schools and colleges teach ,nglish and mostly have it as a medium of instruction
In today(s world, we have to get knowledge of advanced technologies and lal kinds of
branches of $cience. There is an urgent need of such a common language which can be
understood by youth all over India and the language in which all data and information is
available. It is ,nglish only which can be rightly selected as the language to be studied by
all of us from the very primary level. This language is a store house of social and political
knowledge. #ence, study of ,nglish language is of great importance for a developing
country like India. %ithout knowledge of this language, our technicians, mechanics and
engineers cannot progress.
India is a peace-loving country and wants to spread the same message to all countries of
the world. The other countries also take interest to understand and know this policy of
India. %e have to e"plain and convince friendly nations our point of view. *ll this is
possible only through a common medium of e"change of ideas and views. ,nglish is such
a language having an international status and can provide the best medium to interact
with outside world. In all international seminars or summits, all speeches or course
material is in ,nglish. If India is to utili!e these opportunities, and e"pand its universal
view point, then ,nglish is the only language which should be learnt by all of us.
'urther, a nation can remain intact only when its leaders can understand the people living
in different regions and can communicate with them in effective and cordial manner. *ll
leaders cannot understand more than ten to fifteen languages of various regions, however,
they can easily understand the common language ,nglish. This language is important to
inspire unity not only at the national level but at the international level. To curb the
separatist tendencies of our varied communities, we must continue to teach ,nglish.
%ithout learning and communicating in this language, we will perish one day. To survive
in modern society, ,nglish knowledge is as essential as water.
Today, .$* and other countries have made tremendous progress in the field of science
and technology. In space technology, we are no match to them. The world is making
progress in these fields at a terrific speed. To increase and encourage more research work
in $cience and Technology, we have to study all these subjects in detail. *nd for this the
importance of ,nglish cannot be denied. /ur own regional languages do not have the
depth and capacity to understand and co 0 relate all these technological developments and
as such, cannot served the purpose to keep pace with the fast growing world outside.
1ost of the best books on all such subjects are available in ,nglish language only. %e
cannot translate it all in our own regional languages, therefore, knowledge of ,nglish can
only prove to be a blessing.
,very nation must develop and encourage its own language. #owever, in India we have
diversity in languages and it is not possible for many years ahead to have a common
language like #indi. .nder such circumstances, we cannot wait for long, otherwise we
will be left far behind. *s such, till such time one language is developed, we must learn
and teach ,nglish from the beginning itself. $ome subject like $cience, 1athematics and
technology books must be taught in ,nglish only. This fact is being reali!ed now by those
who had opposed teaching in ,nglish few years ago. They now know that we have not
been able to prosper like other countries of the world due to keeping ourselves away from
,nglish. It is this language which can uplift us not only within our own country but
throughout the world. %e will be no less than anybody in the world with knowledge of
,nglish.

Co Education
)o 0 education is the recent system of education where girls sit and study along with
boys in same classes and in a common college. This system was not popular in ancient
schools and colleges. *t that time, it was not considered appropriate to allow boys and
girls study together in same institutions. 2ather, boys and girls were sent to separate
schools and colleges. $ocial mi"ing of boys and girls was not allowed. This was
considered essential to maintain the purity of character in them.
*ctually the elders of each family consider many disadvantages in co 0 education and
that(s why they are against sending their children or grand 0 children to such schools and
colleges. They think that co 0 education makes their children absent 0 minded. The
children become indisciplined and the whole atmosphere of the schools and colleges gets
polluted.
The boys try all sorts of motions, gestures and songs to attract the attention of the girls.
,ven the girls tempt the boys for all sorts of indiscipline. Boys do not come for the
teachers in the class. They keep combing their hair off and on and waster their time. The
boys and girls all try to show themselves as heroes and heroines respectively and are
mostly running to cinemas to see latest movies. The educational institutions start
presenting a look of fashion parades. *ll sorts of unsocial and undesireable habits are
developed and students forget to listen to their elders or teachers. In such an atmosphere,
one cannot e"pect a good +uality character.
)o 0 education is considered better from social point of view in spite of its various
defects as e"plained above. $uch a system of education gives an opportunity to
understand each other(s problems and, therefore, can co-operate better in achievement of
respective goals. * healthy spirit of working and competing is created by co 0 education.
The boys try to keep a polite and gentle character so as to give a good impression to their
girls class 0 fellows. &uring their long period of education, they can better understand
each other(s psychology and even can choose their life partners from among their class 0
fellows. In this way, problem of parents to select a suitable match for their children is also
solved. The boy and girl educated together make the best match due to their broad
attitude towards life and closer understanding of each other(s habits and manners of
living, likes and dislikes.
)o 0 education provides economical and advanced education to girl students. This is
because same amount of money is invested to upgrade or provide better e+uipments and
infrastructure in schools and colleges. /therwise, funds would get diverted for
constructing separate schools and colleges for girls. 'urther, in a free democratic country
like India, we cannot deny education to girls along with boys, the girls must also be
e+ually educated. #owever, where girls students take interest in greater numbers towards
studies, there, special separate institutions can be established to impart education of each
level and in various professions.
)o 0 education seems to be good at primary level and higher level in colleges. But due
care must be taken at high school and inter-classes where lot of physical and mental
changes take place naturally in children. $tudents must be guided properly to avoid their
going astray. $eparation between girls and boys can be made taking them into confidence
and making them understand any implications. *s such, at high school level, co 0
education can be imparted with able guidance and care. *t university level, boys and girls
get matured to understand good or bad of each other. $o co 0 education can be very
useful from social and economic point of view if given under proper care and guidance.

POWER OF KOWLE!"E
3nowledge plays a vital role in all spheres of human life and activity. It is a powerful
factor which helps man to attain success, power and position in life. %e can(t succeed in
doing anything unless we know how it is done. * man who does not know this, makes
mistakes and fails. %ithout knowledge, nobody can hope to possess power. 3nowledge
and human power are synonymous. There is no doubt that physical strength and money
are instruments of power.
* man who is physically strong commands power over others. But the power of
knowledge is greater. 3nowledge and intelligence can tame and control wild animals and
overpower wealthy persons. It is truly said that brain is superior to brawn. 1an is the
weakest of all animals so far as physical strength is concerned. #e is, however a thinking
animal. 3nowledge directs his actions and enables him to discriminate between right and
wrong, good and bad. It helps him to overcome his weaknesses and faults and face
dangers and difficulties with courage and confidence. It gives him mental, moral and
spiritual advancement.
Besides this, it is through knowledge that man has gained mastery over nature. There was
a day when man was in a savage stage. #e lived in caves and dens. #e was afraid of wild
animals. 4radually civili!ation dawned on human society and man ac+uired knowledge.
%ith its attainment he became civili!ed. 5ow knowledge has made him a rules over
nature, the animal kingdom and the kingdom of the human mind. #e has obtained
mastery over wild beasts6 he has harnessed the forces of nature to this needs. #e has
reached the moon. 5othing remains unknown to him. #e has become a great scientist, a
nobel artist, a mighty creator of things and a noble path-finder of life.
*dvancement of civili!ation and culture would be impossible without knowledge which
plays an important role in the progress of art, literature, philosophy and religion. $o
knowledge is power. 1ighty minds with the power of knowledge can sway the minds of
millions. In fact, all the great discoveries and inventions, on which modern life is based,
are the result of power of knowledge. The victory on the forces of nature, like water and
electricity and the harnessing of these great forces for man(s use have been made possible
only through the knowledge of physics. ,ven development of advanced science, art,
culture and civili!ation all depends upon the power of knowledge. 1ysteries of nature
have also been yielded to this power of knowledge.
3nowledge also has prevented unnecessary wastage of physical energy and brought an
order and economy to its use. Thus discipline, order and economy form the basis of
power of knowledge bestowed upon us all. 3nowledge has not only given man a mental
strength but has taught him how to utili!e his physical strength in a better, more
disciplined and effective way and get the best output. 4reat ideals make greatmen. There
is no trait more constant in the nature of human beings than his habit of pursuing a
knowledge beyond his province. #owever, greater as is the power of knowledge, more
can be the tendency of human mind to misuse it. 3nowledge may take away the blessings
if one starts feeling more and more proud with strength of knowledge only. There is need
to translate the power of knowledge into wisdom.
%e must understand the significance of power of knowledge and inspire ourselves to
ac+uire that knowledge which would enable us to find the real truth of life. 3nowledge
should not become a tool of pride but it must be like human wisdom. hysical power is
definitely of the lower order as compared to the power of the mind. %ith the growth of
civilisation and the development of human mind, the mental power came to be
recogni!ed as of the most superior order. 4od has endowed human beings with an
intelligent mind and this mind with power of knowledge has achieved for him wonders of
the world.

#n Ideal Teacher
*n ideal teacher is a true builder of the nation. #e is fearless, sincere and earnest in the
discharge of his duties towards the students and the nation as a whole. *n ideal teacher is
considered as an object of admiration and devotion for the students. These days, students
do not like to study from harsh and unsympathetic teachers. *n ideal teacher creates such
a confidence in his students that they are always ready to sacrifice for the cause of their
teacher.
It is found that these days many teachers always try to find fault with work or deeds of
their students instead of looking and changing their own attitudes. There comes utter ruin
of the society when teachers grow weak or corrupt. *s such, teachers must play the role
of lamps that shatter darkness, become the lighthouses that guide the wandering ships to
their right destinations and prevent any accidents. *n ideal teacher builds an everlasting
impression on the minds of his students. $uch students then always remember ideal
teachers and get them enshrined in their hearts. The hardworking and hard task masters
are always remembered and loved by the students later. The students think that whatever
position they have been able to attain is all due to the able guidance or hard work of their
teacher.
*n ideal teacher tries to spend most of his time in the pursuit of studies. #e is mostly
after the latest information and researches on various subjects. #e goes through the
journals and maga!ines to keep himself well-informed and to give up-t-date knowledge to
his students. #e treats the library of his school or college as a temple of knowledge. #e
always tries to make the most difficult subject intelligible to his pupils. #e has the art to
understand the difficulties of students and would come down to their level with
compassion and sympathy. #e always tries to be regular and punctual to set an e"ample
before his students. Time is money for an ideal teacher who thinks that loss of a second
means loss of hundreds of minutes to the nation.
*n ideal teacher displays e"treme simplicity inspite of his e"tra ordinary academic
attainments. #e dedicates his whole life to the cause of education. #e never allows his
students to be idle or indisciplined. The vastness of his knowledge deeply impresses
every student but an ideal teacher is never proud of it. *n ideal teacher is busy with his
books and +uest for some knowledge even after he gets retired. In fact, ideal teachers
never get retired since, with age, their depth of information and knowledge goes on
increasing. They always remain a source of knowledge and guidance.
'or an ideal teacher, all students are alike. #e is never partial to any student and is always
fair. *n ideal teacher does not favour any student on grounds of his social status. #e
treats each student e+ually. #e always remains simple in his habits.
Ideal teachers are honoured not only at the state level but at the national level. ,very year,
teachers are selected for due recognition for their contribution to the cause of society by
providing best education and guiding the students to build a better nation.

T$E #!%#T#"ES OF TO&RIS' I E!&C#TIO
Tourism is an important and most powerful tool to promote national integration and bring
people from different parts of the country or sub 0 continents close together. *dvantages
of tourism are remarkable if it is accompanied with education. Traveling is considered as
the most delightful e"perience in the life of students. eople have enjoyed and learnt a lot
while traveling on their educational tours. $tudents eagerly look forward for such kind of
opportunities when they are taken out of the four walls of class rooms to distant places.
,nglishmen consider their schooling complete only after a tour of the continent.
4eography is considered a very dull and uninspiring subject if it is read sitting in class
rooms and just going through various books. The 4reat 4anga may be thought of a snake
line running along the map. The Taj 1ahal may be taken as a monument just like many
others without actually visiting it. The dull subject of 4eography will definitely become
interesting and absorbing once these places of interest are visited by the students. #istory
is very boring for students because they think of it as a story of dead kings and their
period of kingdom and which is not going to pay student of today anything. #owever, if
students are taken fre+uently to the sites of glories and defeats, architectural master 0
pieces constructed during periods of these great dead monarchs, the subject of #istory
becomes more interesting and e"citing than any other subject.
2eally we can learn a lot more things when we actually come in contact or see such
things or sites associated with such happenings. $itting at home only will make our
outlook a narrow one. *ny student will fail to understand the effect of environment on the
life of human beings. In day-to-day life, reading and getting lonely theoretical knowledge
cannot make any student successful. They must know the habits, manners, cultures and
way of living of people in other places. Traveling takes students to the sphere of practical
knowledge. They come down to reality from the realm of dreams and imagination. %hile
traveling, students learn to adjust to the changed conditions of living and foot-habits and
the environment also. &ifferent and varied difficulties encountered during traveling make
the students readily adjustable. *s such, tourism gives far more valuable lessons to
students than the lessons of te"t books.
There was a time when crossing the seas to ac+uire higher education was considered
highly sacrilegious. 'oreign travel was not encouraged. It was this kind of ostrich
mentality which brought about the worst type of intellectual stagnation and caused an
ignominous fall in the country. #owever now in free India students have become alive to
the need of learning more languages and ac+uire higher education in latest technologies.
The latest method to learn a new language and understand the different culture is to live
and more among the people whom we want to know. The learning of )hinese language
and culture is best possible by living for a short duration in )hina than going through
longer courses in institutions in our country only. The learning of a foreign language is
the first step towards understanding of a nation. International understanding is possible
for students of our country through taking tourism packages all over the world.
* student has to keep his eyes and mind open while on educational tours. Tourism
provides an e"perience of the world and calls into action and practical use of various
+ualities of mind and intellect developed by education. Tact, engaging personality,
firmness and lively conversation are some of the products of traveling across length and
breadth of country and the world. * student need not initiate the habits, manners or
fashions of other people whom he visits. /nly good and proper attitudes must be adopted
from others. The student must understand the economic problems faced by rural people
when he goes to the villages and see how without proper schools and hospitals, people
are surviving. The students may make a decision to serve the poor and innocent folks in
villages after completing their studies.
Traveling must be made a part of the education system at each level of studies. $tudents
will not only become more educated about their country(s all walks of life and culture but
will be liberal in outlook. They will have maturity of judgement and clear in their
understanding of people and their minds. Tourism is the +uickest and the best if not the
cheapest method of learning new things.

e( Education Polic)
5ew policy on ,ducation as approved by the 4overnment stresses that a human being is
an asset and a precious resource for the whole nation which needs to be cherished. It
re+uires to be developed with dynamism and removal of disparities in a phased manner.
'or all round development of the society, it is essential to take effective measures in the
direction of the implementation of our new education policy and also common school
education system as recommended long back. The 5ational system of ,ducation
envisages a common educational structure. The common core of national curricular
framework has to include contents related to national integrity and identity including our
freedom struggle years and constitutional obligations.
The new policy envisages promotion of values such as India(s common cultural heritage,
democracy and secularism, protection and preservation of our environment, removal of
any type of social barriers and follow the message of small family norms. The youth
re+uires to be motivated towards peaceful co-e"istence and international co-operation and
make them understand education as a uni+ue investment for present and future. The
status of women needs to be changed with basic tool of educating the masses. The top-
most priority may be the increase in literacy level of women in our country. *t all stages
and levels of education, the scheduled castes are to be given e+ual status as per our new
policy. 7ots of measures are re+uired to be taken to bring the scheduled tribes at par with
other general fellows. It is observed that many minority groups are educationally
deprived and remain backward in the race of society.
The new education policy attempts to promote integration of the physically and mentally
handicapped with the general community as e+ual partners. *n important place has been
given to *dule ,ducation. Through various programmes of adult education, it should be
taken as a duty by each literate person towards the nation, to eradicate illiteracy in the age
group above 80. there needs to be introduced a systematic, well 0 planned and greater
vocational education programmes as per new policy on spread of education. 'urther,
proper child development is possible only through Integrated )hild &evelopment
$ervices programme on high priority. 'or school drop-outs, a massive educational
programme on non-formal education is re+uired to be launched all over the country.
#owever, access to secondary education can be widened to areas unserved, later on, in
the second phase. .niversal enrolment and universal retention of children upto 9: years
of age is to be emphasi!ed under new education policy.
.nder new policy on education, urgent steps will be taken to protect the system from
degradation. 2esearch in the universities and various colleges will be enhanced through
more support and more steps to ensure its higher +uality. India(s ancient knowledge will
be developed so as to relate it to contemporary reality.
The jobs and degrees are to be delinked only in services where the basic +ualification
need not be a university degree. There is a need to start more open university system.
1ahatma 4andhi(s revolutionary ideas on education must be developed and revised
pattern of rural university should be consolidated. $teps will be taken to promote
efficiency and effectiveness at all levels of technical and management education.
rofessional education should encourage a minimum orientation in computers and a
training in their use.
The new policy on education aims to make the system of imparting knowledge a more
forceful tool for cultivation of moral, social and ethical values. #igh priority would be to
introduce discipline in the implementation of the new education system. To eliminate the
element of chance and subjectivity in our e"amination system, the evaluation system, as
well as mode of conducting e"aminations need to undergo a lot of structural changes in
new education policy. 'urther an efficient management is the high need to entail the
functioning of an *ll India ,ducation $ervice.
.nder the new education policy, hundreds of 5avodaya ;idalayas have been started all
over the country to implement provisions of policy in a phased manner. The adult
education programmes have been energi!ed through establishment of 5ational 7iteracy
1ission *uthority. *nd more interestingly, vocational courses are being offered at
secondary level and have got good response from thousand of students from all walks of
life.
The 5ational ,ducation olicy was announced by the 4overnment on 1ay <, 9==2 under
which it is proposed to universali!e the elementary education through a national mission
by the year 2000. in the light of success so for in spread of adult education, there are
plans to redraft the adult literacy programme and setting up of an autonomous
commission for $anskrit and other classical languages. Before the year 2000 *.&.
compulsory education to all children upto 9: years of age is to be achieved through a
national mission.
It has also been proposed under new policy that 2> percent of higher secondary students
should have vocational courses. $teps would be taken to ensure that most of the
vocational students get self-employed or get employment soon after completing their
studies. The setting up of educational tribunals has been proposed so that grievances at
both state and national level can be redressed faster and to satisfaction. The Board of
$econdary ,ducation will be reorgani!ed and vested with improvement in ratio of
teachers to students so that students get better and more attention and guidance and
become good citi!ens of the country.

Students and Sports
$ports is an indispensable part of education system all over the world at each level of
studies. %hereas education kindles the light of knowledge in the mind, the sports help to
maintain the physi+ue. It is always true that a healthy mind can only be the best in
education. *t the same time, sports are also important means of entertainment after long
hours of studies and a source of renewed energy. 5ot only outdoor games like chess, table
0 tennis and billiards also re+uire player(s full attention and concentration accompanied
by specific skills and techni+ues. *ll this is helpful from the point of view of health of
students.
$tudents are always full of energy, all of which cannot be spent in studies only. It is sports
only which are an outlet of surplus energy. /therwise the e"tra energy can lead students
to do wrong or unwanted activities which are harmful not only for the health but studies
of students as well. The students enjoy their leisure time more while playing sports. They
run and jump a lot which improve their digestive system. Their lungs breathe fresh air
which make the students more active and healthy. $ports loosen the limbs and rela" the
entire body system of students so that they are again well 0 prepared to study with more
concentration and dedication. $ports provide food for mind in the same way as learning
provides knowledge.
$ports are essential to develop a healthy and constructive attitude towards life. In fact,
sports lend a rhythm to life of students and provides the best co 0 curricular activity for
them. #owever, it is found that present system of education is confined to the four walls
of class rooms of our schools and colleges. It does not provide a good and scientific
education. The present system of education and e"aminations has turned the students into
mere bookworms. The students do not get time to pay any attention towards their
physi+ue. Though a well balanced diet can provide all the nourishing constituents in right
proportions to body of students, but sports are essential to develop a well balanced
personality. * combination of sports and studies for students will, therefore, result in their
intellectual, moral and physical development.
arents, and teachers both should encourage students to take keen interest in sports and
should not insist on their being lost in their books. The school and college authorities
should also provide the basic facilities to students for developing their interest in various
games. *nd it is truly said ?*ll work and no play makes @ack a dully boyA. The
4overnments must ensure sufficient funds to institutions for establishing necessary
infrastructure in their schools and colleges for sports. 2ather special schools should be
started in each city where students can start their careers as sportsman along with studies
to achieve minimum +ualification.
In this way, sport persons of international level can definitely be developed and groomed
in our country. There is no dearth of talent in students. It is a matter to bring it out by
providing the re+uired incentives. The participation in sports will make our future citi!ens
disciplined, obedient, co 0 operative and having high team 0 spirits in all spheres of life.
* student learns that while playing, he has to play not for his own good but for the good
and success of whole team. ,ventually he is to keep in mind the success of his school or
college or university along with laurels to his state or country. $ports make him lead a
corporate life.
$ports teach our students that tears and smiles, sobs and sniffles, joys and laughter all are
the inevitable accomplishments of life and should be taken in the stride in right earnest.
$ports teach them that it is courage and fortitude to face the trials, hardships and various
rigours of daily life. The very breath of sportsmanship is fairplay. $tudents learn to do no
hanky panky, no underhand dealings and not shufflings. $ports is another name of
honesty, integrity and loyality for students. Thus only a good sportsman can be the ideal
citi!en of the country. * student with good sportsman can be the ideal citi!en of the
country. * student with good sportsmanship can be right person to lead the nation. The
country would get free from the maladies of corruption, hatred and greed if our
politicians are able to possess even a fraction f virtues of a good sportsman.
$tudents also get lot other advantages if they love to play sports with dedication. They get
admission in professional institutions for higher studies and are also preferred by many
big industries for jobs. They are respected everywhere. They get more opportunities to
travel not only within their own country but abroad also and above all, at no e"penses to
their account. They happen to meet hundreds of new people and see other cultures. They
develop a sense of national and international integrity and unity. $ports are best for
students as long as kept away from any type of politics and misuse.

$igher Education in India Its dra(*ac+s and suggestionsfor reform
Today the world is of science, new inventions and competitions to e"cel over the other.
%e can be proud to be a part of our great country but the world has shrunk today to a
common platform on the basis of higher education and learning. ,verybody has to be
ready to receive and contribute towards new ideas, thoughts and systems. To gain the
benefits of modern society and compete with the outside world, it is necessary that youth
of our country get higher education. 1ore and more avenues of higher education are
provided to them at affordable prices and in all locations so that all round development in
personality of the complete society takes place. 2ather now it is the duty of each
individual to ask for higher studies and be broadminded.
&uring the last few years, universities have increased manifold to impart higher
education through various colleges all over the country. 7iberal grants have been
sanctioned by .niversity 4rants )ommission. 1any colleges have emerged in the private
sector also to provide higher education. In different big cities and towns, massive
infrastructure of buildings has come 0 up which is supposed to be the centre of higher
learning. #owever, theses centres have started converting into hot beds of political
intrigues. They were e"pected to radiate learning, discipline, sense of responsibility
towards the nation, but they seem to be breathing violence, indiscipline, strikes, political
groupism and even vandalism. The #ouse of worship and learning has turned into the
#ouse of $atan. The youth is turning unpatriotic. The students take admission in these
universities for the sake of just +ualification instead of developing self-reliance,
confidence and a sense of duty with planned career.
5ow 0a-days, we find that there is over-crowding in the classes of higher education also.
The ratio of teachers as compared to pupils is very low and the teachers don(t have any
personal feelings with the students. *nd thus higher education is e"amination ridden.
,asy and shortcut methods are being adopted to achieve success. The students are getting
fascinated to all things e"cept books. The dependence on the ,"aminations only is the
main cause of deterioration in our education system. 5o real or practical knowledge is
gained by the students. There is a big gap between the practical life and education in
colleges. 4oing to colleges seems to be a place of enjoyment in paradise for the students.
#owever, their rosy dreams are shattered when they come out of colleges and enter the
actual life. They have to return disappointed when they search for a service from door to
door. It is due to purely technical education given to them.
The system of imparting higher education should be such that after completing education
in college, the youth should not be dependent solely on service, but must be able to start
some independent small scale industry or business on his own. ;ocationalisation of
education is the need of the hour. 1ore and more technical and vocational institutions
need to be started where training modules in practical aspects of career must be
compulsory. ,very effort should be made to inspire the students with noble and
innovative ideas. It should be compulsory for students to appear in psychological tests.
This will enable the students to choose subjects and careers of their own choice. In this
way, the students can plan their careers from the very beginning. @ust after their
schooling, they would be able to decide the career which they wish or are interested in
pursuing.
'or more success in higher education, it is re+uired that instead of lengthy e"aminations
at a stretch, the due importance should be given to intelligence tests, personal interview
and class room works at regular intervals. The development of clean character towards
prosperity of nation is another important aim of higher education. The aspects of these
higher studies must develop lessons of national integration as well as international
integration and unity more effectively.
* great stress needs to be given for establishing good libraries in our colleges and
universities. $tudents should be encouraged to make free use of them under the able
guidance of teachers free of cost. 1ore discussions and arguments on varied topics can
impart more knowledge and information than more lecturing and completing the course.
,+ually important are the laboratories with latest e+uipments and items. To test the
learning of books, students need to have good laboratories. *n e"periment is an unending
+uest of learning and knowledge on a permanent basis. The institutions providing higher
education should be made temples of the modern age.

E,amination Pho*ia
,"aminations are a source of inspiration. It is the time for demonstration of abilities of
students as well as the teachers. There are two types of functions which the e"amination
serve. 'irstly, a goal is fi"ed up for which students and teachers put in all their efforts to
achieve. *nd secondly, an assessment on the capability and progress of children is seen
by the parents in particular and the society in general. *s such, e"aminations are
necessary at periodic intervals so as to take corrective actions for any failures.
In the e"aminations, students show their feelings, ideas and wisdom in the form of
written answers. 4ainers or toppers are those who are able to e"press themselves
correctly in a powerful e"pression. $tudents always try to gain power of e"pression
through continuous practice and writing. This significant aspect of personality is
automatically developed in the present system of e"amination. $ometimes, lengthy
answers are re+uired to e"plain the re+uired things against specific +uestions. #owever,
at times students try to cram up the lengthy answers without really understanding the
basics and then do mistakes in writing or recollecting the answers. This does not increase
the intelligent understanding of the subject matter. *s such, there is need to e"amine the
two aspects of teaching and mode of e"amination.
*ll people take pains and make efforts to send their children to best schools and colleges
so that, the children get best education. The teachers also try to do justice to the cause of
parents and teach the students throughout the year, they take it as a responsibility not only
towards the parents but to the society. Then it is e"pected from students also that they
study hard and show good results. $o it is possible through e"aminations only to judge
where our children have reached in the education system. The importance of
e"aminations is undoubtedly unchallenged. #owever, some parents want these
e"aminations to be abolished. They feel that it encourages students to do copying and all
types of cheating to score the best or in some cases the minimum re+uired pass marks.
But there are more parents who feel it as an essential part of an education system.
1any students think that they have to pass the e"amination just to get promoted to the
higher class. They try to follow cheap notes or ?4uess testsA etc. available in the market.
$uch students do not have any liking for learning and they are not interested in gaining
and enhancing their knowledge. *s such, it seems that e"aminations cannot measure the
claim of success in education system. 7anguage and e"pression play the most vital role in
any type of e"amination. %hether it is the paper of #istory, $cience or )ivics, the
complete understanding and knowledge of that subject is not tested through the present
mode of e"amination. * student having more knowledge and understanding of the subject
may not be able to e"press himself fully due to his slow writing. #e would never be on
the top list of scholars. 'urther, the +uestion papers do not cover the complete course. The
+uestions are selected at random, therefore, a student can get more marks than the other
who happens to learn only those few topics while preparing for the e"aminations. $o it
can be the matter of luck or chance than ability to succeed with higher marks in an
e"amination.
In spite of various demerits of the system of e"aminations, it is the students who have to
give due thought and use their own intelligence while preparing for, as well as appearing
in the e"aminations. They have to keep in mind that during limited period of papers in
e"aminations only selected material can be tested by the e"aminers. The students have to
point of view of subject matter and those particular +uestions. Thus e"aminations help the
students to develop the power of analy!ing, the power of thinking, reasoning and to make
the right and correct decisions based on their judgements. They have to do all the
preparations in advance. The students have to search the material in various books. The
material is to be arranged in a systematic manner. The relevant and irrelevant part of the
material can be separated out by them. Thus the students learn to know the importance of
advance planning and avoid irrelevant topics which are not necessary for success in their
life.
In view of above all, it is felt that e"aminations need reforms from the certain evils
connected with present system. 3nowledge gained by cramming and tested by theoretical
e"aminations is unsound and superficial. * scientific shape is re+uired to be given to the
system of e"amination. The objective type of test papers being introduced in some of the
e"aminations are the right steps in this direction. In this way, most of the course material
is covered and tested. It tests the basic understanding of the students about a specific
subject and real progress of students is judged and measured.

%alue of Sports
$ports are a great asset for us all. These include a number of outdoor games and indoor
games. 1ainly outdoor games, like hockey, football and cricket etc. are an interesting
form of e"ercise, which helps in maintaining a good physi+ue and good health.
The basic utility of games is undoubtedly helping us to maintain our body, beautiful and
healthy. This applies to all of us. *ll children for e"ample with delicate and fragile body
frames should be encouraged, and if necessary, even forced to play games. This will help
them at least breathe in fresh air if they are encouraged to have e"ercise, or play in the
open field. $uch sports build up the muscles of the child and he develops a healthy and an
attractive body. 1inor ailments like cough, headaches, and fevers remain at a distance
from sportsmen. $ports provide a systematic and regular e"ercise in a pleasing way and
provide enjoyment together with sufficient physical strain. )hildren with poor state of
health must participate in sports as this will ensure good health and an improvement in
the building of the body.
$ports also play a vital role in infusing discipline in players. * sportsman while at the
field has always to act according to the rules of the game, with set norms of discipline of
the game. This inculcates in the individual a sense of working in accordance to rules and
regulations always, whether he be at home, at the games field or at his office. Thus, this
working as per rules gets translated into all spheres of life of the sportsman, with ease and
convenience. #e learns to work as per schedule complete command of whatever job he
takes in hand, as he always works in complete obedience of the rules set for the work.
*nother important value imbibed in a sportsman is the sense of team spirit which is
essential concomitant for success in later life. /ne learns to accommodate and adjust with
all others, may be even of opposite temperaments, because, without this adjustment of the
team, they cannot present a united front against the opponent and so never win a game. *
sportsman knows how to deal with people who are very irritating for him as, he knows
that adjustment with every member of the team is absolutely necessary and a key to any
success. 7earning this great art of adjusting, sportsman a is bound to be on the list of
successful adults. #e has learnt the great art of working together in harmony with others
who may as individuals even be very repulsive to him, but nonetheless, he cannot afford a
show of temper to any member of his team because he very well knows the fact that
success is never a single person(s achievement, it is a group effort, so the group must be
kept in good humour, if the work is to be done successfully, and with grace.
* sportsman on the games field also develops a sense of selflessness and a fellow feeling.
#e learns that no matter what position he holds in the games field, he often has to
sacrifice for his fellow players. #e has to remember that if the game has to be won, it has
to be so with the help and co-operation of all the players, no player is big or small.
;ictory if achieved is a credit to be shared by all the players e+ually. 5o matter how great
the achievement of one single player may have been, victory has to be attributed to the
team and not the player. This teaches each individual on the field, the art of sharing even
name and fame, credit and appreciation.
*nother great +uality that sportsman imbibe is his acceptance with a smile the mistakes
and drawbacks of other players of his team. Instead of fighting or abusing a co-player for
a mistake he might have made, a sportsman accepts mistakes of others and forgives them
all, as he would understand and justify his own mistakes. This makes a sportsman very
accommodating and considerate.
The greatest of all +ualities in a sportsman is the +uality of his having a sportsman(s
spirit. #e learns how to win with grace, and also to lose with cheer. #e learns the hard
fact of any game Beven of lifeC that once he sets to play, there is >0D chance of winning
and of course >0D of losing too. $o he is always prepared to face the hardships of losing
a game. #e never becomes proud after a victory nor does he ever feel disappointed after a
loss in a game. This is because if he is a winner once, he may be the loser ne"t time and
also, if he is a loser this time, he may win the ne"t. #e learns by being a sportsman that,
winning and losing are never a permanent feature for anyone and that is why he
maintains a balance of behaviour in every situation. This understanding of the spirit of the
game makes a sportsman a little different from all others. 'or human as we all are, we are
apt to become proud of our victories and ashamed of our defeats, but, this is all together
different in a sportsman, as he learns the rules of the game that there is no reason to be
proud or ashamed, for situations keep changing for all. #e reali!es that victory and defeat
are two sides of the same coin.
Thus we can conclude that sports are an essential attribute of life. $ports build us up
physically, mentally and even spiritually to some e"tent, as we learn to take gains and
losses in the same stride. %e are able to face the onslaughts of the world if we are good
sportsmen, because we have all the ingredients of successful and happy individuals. %e
have in the bargain developed so many great +ualities of head and heart that, when these
are translated into action outside the games field also we score much above others who
have not been able to come to the higher level of human e"istence, and still continue to
possess all the weaknesses of humans. These weaknesses the sportsmen also had but, by
entering the sports field, they have had to shed lower feelings and sentiments of us
humans.
%e have a lot in praise of sports but, that does not mean that, sports are without any
disadvantages. It has often been seen that, children who are seriously interested in sports
get away from studies and even from other e"tra curricular activities of their school or
colleges. This makes them develop into singular personalities instead of towering
rounded personalities.
*fter studying the value of sports in its totality, if is thought that sports must be
encouraged as, they teach us a lot of good +ualities which no other art can imbibe in us.

Students and Social Ser-ice
$ocial service is supposed to be the in things in fashion today. #owever, in a country like
India, social service can leave the precincts of fashion and become a very important and
long lasting project. %hat the real problem with us is that we have not really understood
the value of social service. In real essence, social service means serving people who are
of no personal utility to us. In India where the poor and underprivileged are so many,
social service has a great importence, and a very large scope too.
Today we hear of social service or social welfare organi!ations manned by men and
women but we see that most of these organi!ations are not rendering service at the very
grassroot level. It is the task of the 4overnment to look after the welfare of all the people
of the country but, the 4overnment alone can do precious little. To help the 4overnment
in this task social service organi!ations must be mobili!ed to work hand in hand with the
4overnment, only then a substantial result may be felt on the ground. The bottleneck in
the functioning of the welfare organi!ations is the finances involved in any work so, if
4overnment is there to allot funds and welfare organi!ations to do the work, we can
achieve a lot. In India however, we see 4overnment and social service organi!ations both
working independently of each other so, the ground condition is one of lack of rapport
and a hapha!ard activity. %hen we see both government and social service organi!ations
working towards the goal of social upliftment, we forget a great force in the country
which can be an asset to this and that force is the student community. If this community is
mobili!ed to help the 4overnment and welfare agencies, the task will become easier and
the results will be more tangible.
The student community consists of young people who are full of enthusiasm and !eal for
whatever work they are given. They have the energy and the mobility which elders lack
and, above all they are a mighty force.
The students can be mobili!ed in the spread of literacy, which can be made into a nation
wide project. The 4overnment and the social welfare organi!ations have been trying to
do a lot but, the achievement is not enough. If the student community joins hands, and
also participates in the project at least during their vacations, we will get a major active
force helping us and the achievement will be tremendous. The students can also help us
in our awareness programmes. 5o matter what the awareness is about, whether it is about
health ha!ards, cleanliness drives, *I&$ or cancer, we can utili!e the services of the
young to help us in these magnum projects.
$ince the children these days are more alert to their surroundings, they can be used also
for mobili!ing public opinion for nay given them. They can also be used in community
projects like, helping the villagers in their pace of progress. This will give them a first
insight into what India really is, and they will get a sense of achievement by working for
their less fortunate brethren. In this way the stock of the urban student community will
also improve by imbibing in them the desire to help others. They will learn that, sharing
is the best way to progress. Team work and assimilation with the rural community will
become added +ualities infused in the younger generation, and we will have achieved our
goals of service their magnum support.
In the villages, the students can take up massive cleanliness projects, and teach the rural
people the necessity of keeping clean, which will automatically lead them to better health
standards. In doing this they will also develop the thought of dignity of labour which is
sadly lacking in us Indians.
Thus, if we take into confidence, our student community, and share our problems with
them, I am sure they have a great potential of helping us out of the wilderness of
illiteracy, health ha!ards etc. %e can take e"amples of students sharing the social service
projects in other countries like 2ussia and )hina. If those countries can take the help of
their students why can(t we think of itE The students are a tremendous force which, if
mobili!ed, can do magic to our forlorn projects. Besides their helping us, they will also
feel all the better for it. In the bargain they will learn a lot, do a lot, and achieve a lot. In
this way while they are still students, they will be joining the bandwagon of social
workers and participating effectively in nation building. Besides all this to gain they will
then, not have the time to enter into any nefarious activities of drug pedaling etc. Their
time and energy will be rightly and fruitfully channelised and so the nuisance of student
unrest will be put to eternal rest.

Teacher is a role model
* child, as we know, needs models and not critics. These models a child finds, first in his
parents, and second in his teachers. It is very correctly said that the influence of the
teacher is immense and no one knows when the influence becomes visible and where it
sops. $ince the teacher is one of the child(s ideal, it is very important for a teacher to have
+ualities which impress the child and the +ualities which he can imitate and thus become
good.
* role model is, therefore, one who has some sterling +ualities of head and heart, which
the child gets impressed by. $o now, when we look for the essential +ualities in a teacher
we have to be clear in what we want the children in her charge to become, for the
influence of a teacher is very deep, far reaching and of course permanent.
%e want our children, for instance, to develop the +uality of honesty. The teacher must
then be very honest in all her behaviour with the children she is handling. In this regard,
partiality and favouritism are the two most obno"ious +ualities that a teacher should not
have. This attitude of a teacher is noticed by the children and they do not like her for it,
and they also feel that she is not very honest in her dealings with them. In the process
they also learn to be dishonest in their dealings with her, and with their classmates. Thus,
an ideal teacher must be very honest and transparent in all her dealings with the children
and with her colleagues. This folly of favouritism plays a double havoc with the children
for, on the one hand, a child who is favoured, becomes unnecessarily pampered and the
child who is unduly differentiated against, either gets into his shell, and feels unwanted
or, if he is bold by nature, he becomes a revolutionary. In either case this favouritism of
the teacher plays hell with both, the favoured and the not-so-favoured. This attitude of the
child, shown at this stage of his life becomes a permanent feature of the child(s character,
and he starts feeling rightly or wrongly that he is punished for the wrongs that he has not
done, and as an adult he becomes a confirmed revolutionary. Thus, in a nutshell we can
derive that, in her partiality the teacher damages both the child who is favoured and the
child who is not.
The ne"t +uality that we would like to find in an ideal teacher is that, he should be very
affectionate to all the children in his care. The love they get at this stage of life is what
makes them lovable and affectionate adults. 7ove has got to be inculcated in the children
as, it is love only that makes life worth living. $o it is very necessary for an ideal teacher
to be loving and caring, then only he in turn infuses the finer +uality of begetting love in
the children in his charge.
* loving teacher is forever remembered and loved by students, who just admire him for
his fountain of love, and they start believing that there could be no one more affectionate
than their teacher of the past days.
The students believe that their teacher is a fountain-head of all knowledge. This belief of
the children must be kept alive by the teacher which is possible, only if he continues to
learn together with his teaching assignments. * good teacher is the one who is also a
good learner. Besides, if a teacher does not happen to know a particular thing, he should
never pose as if he knows it. This is because, if, at any stage, the children come to know
that their teacher does not know, he only shows that he knows, they lose all respect for
him. The teacher must know that, the children do not take much time to assess the stuff or
the capacity of a teacher. It is not that the teacher must know everything on the face of
this earth but, the moot point is that, he should not bluff the children into believing that
his knowledge is absolutely complete. 'or an ideal teacher it is advisable to tell the
children that he will find out the answer to their +uery, instead of giving them any wrong
information. If he does this, the children will admire him for his honesty, and will not be
disappointed in his lack of knowledge, for, they also, know that a teacher is also, besides
being a teacher for them, a human being with limitations. This will unwittingly inculcate
in the children a habit of accepting their own drawbacks and not nearly justifying
whatever they do or say.
*nother very important +uality for an ideal teacher is to be very understanding in respect
of the behaviour of the children. Though the teacher and the children are a generation
apart, it would be great +uality in a teacher if he could understand the woes of the
children, and to help them out of their seemingly little problems, and also feel for them.
%ith this attitude of friendship with the children, the teacher will win the confidence and
they will always discuss their problems with him and they will also take him as their
confidante. 'or this, the teacher has to put himself in the shoes of the children, understand
their feelings, and he will be loved for this. In turn, his wards will also learn the art of
helping their younger siblings or friends in solving their problems.
%ith all the above mentioned +ualities in a teacher, the teacher will be an ideal teacher,
he will be one who will leave an indelible mark on the minds of the young children in his
charge. They will turn out to be e"act replicas of their teacher. Thus, it is very important
for the teacher to be a picture of what he would like the children to be. The impact of a
teacher can be easily felt when we see the present deterioration in the younger generation.
This is because our teachers are lacking in almost all the +ualities re+uired for an ideal
teacher, and so, their wards are also lacking in all good +ualities of head heart. * good
teacher helps the students to develop all the great +ualities of civili!ed human beings. *n
ideal teacher is thus one who leaves a permanent impact on the children he grooms, and
they remember him for his great +ualities at different times of their lives. * student is a
mirror which reflects the learnings and knowledge of a teacher, this must be kept in mind
by a teacher.

%ocational Education
7et us analyse as to what is the purpose of any education. ,ducation is what makes us
into good human beings, honest, loyal citi!ens and, above all, makes us fit for a
livelihood. This being the basic purpose of education, we, in India have failed to provide
the relevant education to our children in the past fifty years and more. %hen all the basic
rewards of education are not forthcoming, we have to understand that our education
system has failed.
,ven since 9=:<, educational institutes have increased by leaps and bounds in numbers
but, seeing the turnout of these educational houses, =0D of the children do not fit into any
of the above mentioned norms or measurements of a good education. $eeing the children,
we can easily find out that neither they are good human beings, nor are they loyal citi!ens
and most of all, they are not even capable of earning a livelihood. Then, let us ask our
educationists as to what have they planned for the future of India, by giving this
education to the budding generation.
This is the result of bad and hapha!ard planning on the part of the educationists. %e have
increased institutions of education in number but have failed to lay any stress on the
+uality of the education that these institutes impart, or the subjects we teach. %e are still
following the subjects of study introduced in our curriculum by the British rulers which
have lost their significance for us today being free Indians. This is why this bankruptcy of
achievement by our educated children. Besides a lop-sided curriculum, we have
neglected our primary education and pampered the higher education, which has led to a
vacuum in the basic literacy standards. ,ven our colleges which have had a mushroom
growth in the last five decades, are turning out plain and simple graduates and post
graduates who are absolutely unemployable when they come out of their colleges.
Instead of increasing the numbers of colleges for general studies, it would have been
better if we had introduced more of vocational centres and institutes for the large masses
of children coming out of schools. If we had done this, when the children left school, they
would have some skill to join an institute and then to get a job in that skill. ,ven at the
school level, it would be more appropriate if the wards were taught some skill like
painting, drawing, clay modeling etc., which be a part of the syllabus. They could have it
as an e"tra 0 curricular activity which they would enjoy and at the same time get
groomed for the skill. These children, as they enter college they can start learning repair
and mechanical jobs etc. This process would enable the students to develop some skills
and also show their aptitudes. 'or these children college would be their vocational centre.
These centres could, at a higher level also give degrees or diplomas in the skills of the
study. $uch institutes are the IITs which do train the students to achieve some skills but
they are too few, and plain colleges are too many. $o, the result is that trained people who
are employable after studies are a very few, and the unemployable masses are too large a
number. Training institutes like the IITs could give graduation degrees and even post
graduation degrees to the children, then the picture would be the reverse of what it is
today. There would then be more employable turnout, and less of unemployable masses.
The system to be built up will spread the right type of education and guarantee to the
children a basic livelihood, once they come out after completing their education. %ith the
establishment of vocational college for different vocations, the trend of our educational
system would be put on the rails, and it could be e"pected to be fruitful. In these fifty
years of independence we have only succeeding in turning out rowdy, indisciplined and
unemployable youth. /nce they get vocational education, their main aim of getting
employment will be fulfilled and so, there will also be less of rowdyism from them, as
they will be settled. It will be good for the country also, for the masses of the young will
be in a position to join the mainstream of nation building as soon as they come out of
their education outfit.
2egarding imparting on the children the knowhow of loyalty and good citi!enship, this
must be inculcated in the small children in the very primary stage, as that is the time to
learn the finer things of life. /ur schools have lost track of this essentiality of education,
somewhere in these decades. ;alues are to be imbibed in the very young, so our
educationists must catch them young to teach discipline love and loyalty. If this is done at
a very early age, then the roots cannot be removed, and we will have a stock of balanced
0 well 0 behaved youth rather than the ill 0 behaved youth that our institutions are
presently producing.
E,aminations
The very word ?,"aminationA throws jitters into the body of a student. /hF %hat an ogre
this e"amination. 7et us consider the system and why it has become a nightmareE %hat
do we e"amine for, is our aim in e"amining children fair and clear to us in our mindsE
%hat really do we want to assessF *ctually what we really want to asses is whether the
child knows all that he has learnt but is e"am a true criteriaE I feel definitely 5o.
/ur e"amination system as it stands today is just a test of the memory of the student and
not what he knows. 'or, if he knows all that he has learnt in the process of the year, why
does he have to burn the midnight lamp just a few days before the e"aminations. #e is
clearly just mugging or memori!ing all that he has learnt through the night and will vomit
all on the e"amination paper and get a certificate of proficiency. The proof of the
hollowness of his knowledge can be adjudged even immediately after his e"am for, sure
enough, hi will be a clean slate even a week after the e"am. $o, what has been achieved
through the year and what do we achieve by making him pass through the hurdle of
e"amE
The e"ams as they are taken today are more of memory tests and are no indication of the
child(s intelligence, or his special field of interest. #ere it is that we can pinpoint the
major defect of our e"amination system. * child who may for e"ample score G0D marks
in ,nglish may when asked, not be able to write even one page of correct ,nglish. $o,
what has been the achievement even after attaining G0D. This is a clear indicator of the
defective system that is our e"aminations.
studying this lop-sided system of e"amination I feel, it would be more appropriate if we
assess the child(s achievements in the work done throughout the year. %e must think of
ways and means of developing and assessing his intelligence and other mental +ualities
rather than, only his +uality or capacity of cramming. The present system of e"amination
does precious little in churning out really intelligent persons, instead, it just mechanically
brings out crammers, who cram and pass through the e"am 0 little knowing what they
have studies. $uch a product is and will always be of low +uality, as he has only the
capacity of memori!ing.
If we want the children to know what they have studied and also retain it all, we have to
change our method of e"amining their capacity. In the present system we only e"amine
his capacity to cram but what about the other +ualities he may have, when and how do we
assess themE /ur e"aminations should be of the total individual personality and the total
frame work of all his capacities. /nly then, when he emerges out of educational
institutions we will be able to fit him in his correct slot. resently, when he is out of his
educational career, neither does he know where he will fit nor do we know what we can
make of him. Is this what our e"aminations are meant forE It is thus, now time to reshape
our e"amination policy in order to know what we are e"amining, what we are e"amining
for, and how much he gets through our scales of measurement.
If we revamp our e"amination system, we will also avoid the present scenario of police
patrolling an e"amination hall instead of the invigilator keeping a vigil on the students.
This happens because children know that their passing an e"am in necessary, their degree
is a must to take them to the employment market. If children know that getting a degree
was not to be the all and end all of career making, I am sure such bandsters and gangsters
would not care to sit for any e"amination.
Besides, an entry into the employment market without a degree in India gives some sort
of a hollow status to an individual. It is for this status that children try all means to get
hold of a degree no matter what they are worthy of.
Thus, time is now ripe when education, e"amination, degrees, employment should all be
viewed in their proper perspectives. If this is not done on an urgent basis, I am afraid
e"aminations will become more of war fronts and degrees a complete farce. %e have to
work towards our goal of finding out our intellectuals and put them on the errand of
nation building rather than continue with these baseless education and crumbling
e"aminations.

&tilit) of English in free India
In spite of having a history of centuries of foreign rule, #indi has stood the test of time
and circumstance. ,nglish entered into the confines of India with the ,nglishman who
ruled over India for more than a century. In that period of time, the Britishers saw that
,nglish language, penetrated into the very roots of India(s education.
#owever, the controversy of the utility or non-utility of ,nglish in India arose with the
departure of the Britishers and the coming of the Indian regime. The need for continuing
,nglish in our educational system felt being +uestioned. eople believed and rightly so
too, to a great e"tent that continuance of the ,nglish language would indicate our
acceptance of at least mental slavery of the outgoing regime. This prejudice against the
spread and continuation of the language has been brewing for a long time. It is the
language of our foreign rulers and so, people feel that it is a reminder of our slavery and
thus must be dispensed with.
Besides, the plea taken by the *nti-,nglish lobby is that, even the )onstitution says that,
,nglish may continue in India only for ?official purposesA and also that, it shall continue
so, only for a period of 9> years, from the commencement of the constitution.
The anti-,nglish reaction is of course very natural, but not +uite rational. 'or, on the one
hand while an independent country must have its own language, India being a multi
lingual country cannot press for any one language to be made a national language. The
presentation of one, on the national scene becomes an emotional issue and the project has
to be shelved. In these circumstances even if we may not work for the further spread of
,nglish, we cannot eliminate it from the Indian scenario. ,nglish will apparently never
lose its importance in India or anywhere else in the world.
2egarding education through the medium of ,nglish, this can be given a rethinking. 'or,
the majority of the masses in India happen to live in the rural areas for whom, imparting
of knowledge in their mother tongue would be much easier than doing so in ,nglish, a
foreign medium of instruction. There is no doubt that medium of instruction being
,nglish, the local vernacular has remained at a low level of development and even the
culture has been hard hit. This is because a language besides a mode of conveying ideas
becomes a living embodiment of attitudes and beliefs. Thus, the study of the ,nglish
language which is an embodiment of ,nglish authors, has thrust upon us the ,nglish
views of life which have been, and continue to be a ha!ard to our cultural heritage.
The study of ,nglish weakens our very national structure for, what is a nation without its
own national language to be proud ofE It is really degrading for a country to give so much
importance to a foreign language and that also the language of its foreign rulers.
#owever, the negative side is not the only one to be considered. There is undoubtedly a
very major reason for us to continue study of ,nglish. 'irst and foremost at present is that
there is no one language that can take the position of a national language. %hile ,nglish
is known in every part of the country so, as the situation stands today, we can say that
even when we don(t want it, ,nglish has ac+uired the place of at least a link language
more than any other Indian language. $o, we can hardly think of dispensing with this
language. *t present we can see it as the strongest bond for our national integration.
7et us consider the wealth of the ,nglish language. It is a rich language in which new
addition of thousands of words come annually. The language is a living one, unlike our
traditional language $anskrit which is today absolutely dormant.
Besides the richness of the language it is a huge reservoir of knowledge. In these days of
scientific and technological advancement, we cannot afford to be left out of the area of
advanced studies. *ll this is however available in ,nglish alone. $o, in case we wish to
steer the country towards modern knowledge and advancement, we can not do without
the ,nglish language. %e can never hope to participate in any international meets if we
do not develop our knowledge of ,nglish as, this is the one and only language used and
understood by most of the countries of the world. It would not be daring to say that, if
there is anything that has led India towards progress, it is the introduction of the educated
India into the flow of modern life and that, Indians have achieved by the study of this
language. ,ven 1ahatma 4andhi once said, ?I regard that ,nglish language as an open
window for peeping into %estern thought and science. The study of the ,nglish language
is therefore necessary to induce us into new worlds of thought and feeling, to make our
outlook scientific, rational and up-to-dateA. It is thus felt that, there is no harm at all to
take the best of anyone.
India has so many languages and each individual is emotionally attached to his language
then, how will there ever be a consensus in bringing out a 5ational language. $o, it is
rightly felt that the ,nglish language could continue to be our language till #indi is
developed to the standard of taking over its place and becoming the national language.
,nglish has to continue as the link language through the length and breadth of this sub-
continent. It should also be the medium of instruction in all educational institutions so
that the students get an education into the latest trends of science and technology.
7et us forget emotions for #indi becoming a national language and be more practical and
use ,nglish as long as we need it. %e must stop agitating against ,nglish and reali!e all
the benefits we have reaped and will reap from the study of this language.
osted by *shok at 99H2= *1 0 comments
7abelsH ,ducational ,ssays
Changes that must *e introduced in our education s)stem
%hen a country introduces its educational plan it must see that it applies and caters to the
local needs and aspirations of the country at large. In India the tragic appearance of
education is clear because it does not really mean to our local needs.
The ,ducation system that we are following today is the same system the ,nglish framed
for Indians in the 9=th century. They had planned it for us from their point of view as they
needed a lot of babus for their offices in India. They never wanted to give Indians the
education that would make them something higher than the babu. 5ow, from their point
of view, the system was correct and viable. #owever, tradegy is that even after >0 years
of independence, we still continue to follow the system of education framed by the
,nglish for us. %e have never bothered to study the application and utility of the
education we are imparting to our children.
*fter independence there has been a mushroom growth of schools and colleges but
education remained at the level of >0D of the population. Then the moot point now is
what has been the utility of these myriads of education homes that have grown in the last
>0 yearsE The growth of these institutions has also been sporadic. 1ost cities and town
have seen growth in the number of schools and colleges but the rural areas which consist
of <0 0 G0D of India(s population could not share with this growth.
This has resulted in the present precarious scenario. The cities and towns are producing
millions of graduates and post graduates and even literacy is a matter of the future in our
villages. %hat a huge gap in the progress of urban and rural areas. Besides this, what the
towns are producing are also graduates and post graduates good nor nothing. %hy
because even after > years, a post graduate comes out of Institution he does not get
employment.
It appears as if we have never studied the re+uirements of our country when we planned
and changed our education system. %e have never cared to understand what are we trying
to produceE %e are only producing an unemployable, disgruntled, unhappy generation. In
a way I would say their disillusionment after education is +uite understandable when,
after > years of work and spending lot money they come out of the college and stand at
the crossroads not knowing what to do ne"t. %e could not understand what we plan to
give children by way of educationE
/ur education system needs a thorough overhaul which would relate to the re+uirement
of our own country and not of the other countries. The first and foremost objective of
education is to get a decent employment, if this is also not available then what have we
doneE %e must instead of opening colleges for graduation open more institutions for
vocational training. This, I suggest could very well take its birth at the school stage only.
Instead of first memori!ing subjects, more stress should be laid on e"tra curricular
activities, which will automatically generate interest in the children for the fun they like.
This fun of the school will further bloom into a vocation, when they enter a college of
vocation or general studies as they like.
4eneral studies should be compulsory till standard III and after that, I feel vocation
should be the training ground to prepare the children for jobs and assignments of
employment.
Besides this, it is more important to lay greater stress on school education rather than on
higher education. This is because, it is at the school level the child learns all his human
behaviours which last him a lifetime. #igher education must be limited to those who are
really interested in higher studies and who like to go to the teaching profession, all others
should be diverted to centres of vocational training. This would help them in their
profession after they complete their education.
The engineering and medical colleges should be only for meritorious students who can
work and gain name and fame for themselves and do India proud.
$o much for education in urban areas, let us not forget our rural areas because, India lives
in villages. .nless we spread the fruits of progress to our villages the progress will be
lop-sided and incomplete. In rural areas, literacy should be the target though at the same
time, encouragement should be given to some brilliant children there also, to enter the
mainstream of urban development. In this way we will spread progress to villages instead
of bringing villages to urban areas.
Thus, education, as it stands today is cumbersome and tiring for the children, and then
frustrating and suicidal when they develop into adults. The world stands in front of them
as a vacuum with nothing to offer. If we adapt our education asp per the needs of our
countrymen and our country, we will make a better turnout and create a better tomorrow.