Education System

15-Sep-2021: Food for Thought

Just watched the OTT serial “Kota Factory”. It’s based on a real life situation of tough competition for entry into prestigious educational institutes.

This stimulated my mind to think that these coaching institutes help the students to pre-learn certain fundamentals of technical institutes as well as screening non-serious candidates. Even candidates themselves realise that they aren’t made for certain situations. Not everyone is suitable for all situations. On the other hand we see a sizable number of school / college dropouts doing extremely well in all spheres of life. Fine, so far so good!

Now let’s just try to see this from a different prospective: Imagine a candidate, say Ashok is very studious and hardworking from a well to do family. He joins a reputed coaching institute and gets a seat in a reputed IIT. He finishes it with distinction and made himself eligible for an IIM. He clears that too in good grade. Now a job, sure he gets a highly paying overseas job for a global assignment.

Over a short period of time, he found no mental satisfaction, and on the other hand he discovered that he is good at writing and gets pleasure out of it. Slowly he developed his writing skills and became famous as a writer. Eventually, he quit his job, came back to India and pursued writing as a full time engagement.

What happened in the process- the technical training went waste, management training too went waste. Of course it helped in the mental & personal development of the individual. But the nation / society didn’t get any return on the educational expenses (scarce resources utilisation) it incurred for this candidate. Another candidate could have been trained in place of him, to serve the nation / society.

For this phenomenon, I have coined a word “CB Syndrome” after a famous fiction writer & columnist. If it stimulates your thinking process, let me know. Thanks!

Animal Rights

Think Seriously on 26-Dec-2017:

A recent piece of news says, “The plastic jar was removed from the head of a stray dog, which has got stuck, in Bhubaneswar Odisha. A group of Animal Rights Activists, an NGO and a highly placed minister of the Central Govt. were working overtime for 3 days for this.

Well, it’s nice to see so many, so powerful sympathizers for the rights, comforts and life of a stray dog. Can we say the same with conviction about the right, life (forget the comfort) of a human being? Think twice! Unfortunately, I think “NO”. Daily, we hear thousands including young children die of hunger, mal-nutrition, disease, neglect, exploitation, poverty, etc. Is anybody there to care?

We do have the Human Rights Commission (HRC), but it looks like they are concerned about the wrong people (as anybody’s guess). We do have rules, laws regarding, right to life, food, education, dignity etc., but who cares. I don’t say animals don’t have lives, what I emphasise is the priority, which means a human life is more valuable than that of a stray dog. And, we have to spend our scarce resources, knowledge, effort, power, etc., according to the priority. What you say?

Euthanasia-1

Points to Ponder on 25-Oct-2017: 

Euthanasia: I spoke about it in 2007 during a presentation for the “Administrative reforms in India”. It’s a very touchy subject and all have their different opinions. Today, several Countries practice it. [As of June 2016, human euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia, and Luxembourg. Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, Germany, Japan, Canada, and in the US states of Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Vermont, Montana, Washington DC, and California.- Source Google ]. 

I for one support it only for terminally ill patients. The advantages are (1) A person must have the right to lessen his/her bodily sufferings. (2) To make the family/friends free of his/her attention and worries and spending. (3) To make the expensive resources available for other needy patients. 

Now the problem in India is that it is highly likely to be misused / abused by unscrupulous people around. The Govt can make a foolproof system by making (1) A Body comprising of Judiciary, Police, Medical Practitioners, Local Administrations, Investigating Agencies, and the like, who should supervise the execution jointly, and (2) A tough investigative procedure and eligibility condition to adhere to for selecting deserving cases. What you say?