26th November 2008 was yet another black day in the history of India and one more terror attack hit the Indian Commerical Capital. 200 plus innocent people died and scores injured. More issue politicising and people getting angrier and Indian politicians getting uncomfortable because of building public pressure to curb the terror. But how many would go into the cause of asking the important questions?
1. What is the cause of Terrorism?
2. Who is causing it?
3. How could one get into the eradication of terrorim from its roots?
An eco-socio analysis of the terrorists' profiles ould indicate that the terrorists normally have a poor financial structure. Lure of money coupled with a brain wash increases the adrenalin level to such an extent as to make the terrorists stoic. Emotions lost, these people do not even have the differentiation of Good and Bad. Unfortunately Islam has been its biggest target and now every branding would be -"Terrorism-Islam". The link is not only strong but has been even more stout given the fact that every terror attack has links to some or the other Muslim country (I mince no words for it hurts... and hurts badly). I am sure the tenets of Islam are not that weak as to give a doctrine which will be destructive for mankind (Very well supported by Muslims in India when they say that terrorists should not be given a resting place in this country...quite rightly so). Any religion for that matter does not support any violent action of any kind whatsoever.
So is employment a problem? Quite so if it is given an objective look. All the terrorism seems to rise from thrid world countries and that too rife with internal or civil wars. Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan all fall in the same category. The youth of these countries have not seen or experienced any economic development either as a result of their demographic structure or because of the socio-political structure in their country. Radicalism is so deeply engraved in the socio-political structure that politicians fail to rise above these very issues and make the people of their country understand the importance of a strong economic state. Guns become easily available because the only struggle they know is the struggle to save their very existence on this planet. For that they can go to any extent. This creates easy and gullible preys that can fall to the greed of earning money and fame.
Terror groups are those people which keep the cycle of money going. The terrorist groups can be studied by their nature of existence in the society which keeps them isolated from the core issues of that society. Easy money and the zest for power & Control makes the mare go around for them forcing them to take the wrong route. Otherwise how can anybody justify the very objective of killing people in the name of religion. What these fanatics fail to understand is that if the world becomes uni-religious there would be even more disparity leading to internal disputes. So also the fact that not all people are programmed to think alike and in a group of 10 people atleast 1 if not more would have a difference in the opinion. Thats what makes them successful because somebody's ideas are going to work. Like minded people would fail to understand the diversity of the situation ending in a bad pitfall.
Unfortunately for all the defined states, terrorism does not have state boundaries and its a non-state institution of some banded leaders. The framework or the structure is Hydra-like having tentacles in the remotest of places. In the name of religion these people exploit the youth of the under-developed countries, use them for their purpose and dispose them off when required.
The cause of terrorism can also be the economic promotion of accumulated arms and ammunitions of some country otherwise how is it possible for these terror groups to lay hands on such sophisticated and expensive ammo without any country's unofficial support? A great money spinner that it is, mostly the funding comes from various money laundering activities like casinos, Horse betting, normal betting and even to the extent of lobbying - a formal way of betting. Moreover the fundraising can in itself be from sources who have distorted ideas of religion or politics with a righteous but wrong ambition of control and power. (The case of Robert Mugabe is obvious enough to understand the concept.)
Lets come to the Pareto Principle. 20% of the people control 80% of the resources and therefore hold 80% of the more at the cost of 80% people's poverty. A socialistics approach towards the cause of poverty eradication coupled with a sincere desire to do so could be the answer. But the million dollar question is: WHO WILL BELL THE CAT??????
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Global Warming - Natural or Artificial Catastrophe
A new fashion is on the block. Keep on harking about Global Warming. Keep on mentioning industrial growth and its effects and side effects. The question is why the very countries who started the industrial revolution are now questioning the development of the countries like China and India? Is the consumption of oil the real reason that we are talking about global warming? Or is it the transfer of energies, power and the petro dollars that is causing the Global Warming hullaboo? Is global warming an artifically created catastrophe for the benefit of some countries?
Notwithstanding the fact that it is beyond any human force to control Mother Earth, the concept of global warming is being circulated. Ofcourse that does'nt mean that humans are not the culprit. We are wasting away many of our resources which could have been saved but then we are ofcourse not gods. Every human is prone to error and he keeps it repeating the same without giving a thought to the earlier history. The fuel consumption rate in the U.S. is massive and it is here that the prices have started hurting them. The same is true for other countries but given the fact that most of them are concentrating on population development, the thought of saving fuel in the process is a far fetched dream. More so what seems hasty waste for the developed nations may cost tonnes of food causing major shortages of food and life necessary commodities for the developing countries. For e.g. controlling movement of traffic in developing countries might create shortages for the population in developing countries as the logistics support may be the only life line for this part of the world. Or for that matter a low quality grade material may prove to be a turn off for the developed nations as they prepare to apply dumping charges against such countries, which in turn may feed a few million population in the developing countries.
So whats a win-win situation? There is no such thing called a win-win situation. The developed countries want all the resources for them while the developing nations have little choice as far as utilization of these resources are concerned leading to wastages, pilferages and ultimately undermining the necessity of conservation. Have the forests disappeared only in the developing nations?? What about the Yellow Stone Park case (courtsey: Michael Crichton, "State of Fear")in the U.S. of America?
Most of the studies carried out in the form of research on global warming could have been a result of a predetermined objective. India has not faced a single famine for the past 13 years. There has been a bumper crop and the food coffers are filled to the brim so much so that India is actually in a position to support the world food economy. Now why would the world want to notice such a phenomenon? Its simple. India has stopped buying massive quantities of food from the developed nations. So what could have been a puppet in the hands of developed nations (because of their help in making India buy from them), India has been able to tide the crisis on the home front itself. All because of Global Warming.
India has been witnessing a high Industrial growth since the last 10 years. Meaning that cheaper labour combined with educated population has reversed the trend of economic mess pre 1992. Now India can actually afford to think about Global warming because it has lesser problems on its hands. More so the flow of Petro Dollars has been more towards India and China and less in the U.S. or Europe (Courtsey: Dr. Bharat Jhunjhunwala). Using this flow, China and India can actually build a better system of controlling pollution and helping environmentalists in making the countries a better place to live in.
All in all, any statement on global warming should be seen from all possible angles before we blindly start apeing the west. Moreover, Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution is not to be forgotten as can be seen from the fact that a 3rd generation of Mosquitos are causing deadly malaria and rendering the present drugs weaker against the malarial attacks. Can this analogy be not used in the case of global warming where we can see more creatures evolving themselves and rendering the effect of pollution useless? Mother Earth is so powerful that only the sufferers who have actually experienced her power can recount its power game. But this also does not undermine the fact that we also need to be careful while using the resources of Mother Earth. Otherwise... the pitfall is there to be seen but unfortunately we may not be able to avoid it all together leading to pain and trauma. So even though Global Warming may be a mirage in the making, still the fact remains that we are wasting our resources and wasting them fast. Its time we play sensibly.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Oil-The Great Economic Crisis
Great!!!. When I heard that Oil has crossed $135, I immediately filled up my vehicle to full tank fearing a price rise. In the Indian perspective it may sound like this. Petrol in India is currently being sold at Rs. 50/- (Approx because prices vary per state) per litre. The govt. is considering raising the proce by Rs. 17/- per litre taking the price to Rs. 67 per litre. Ofcourse government plans to keep the diesel prices intact (Source: Rediff.com). Everybody is going to be outraged by this price rise and even the Indian government risks its fall with some of its allies withdrawing support on this issue.
The government plans to tame the inflation, which, in India is hovering around the 7.6% mark. With increase in the price of Petrol, the government is getting into a spiral mode and it might lead to more dangerous situations. Considering the fact that India has 300 million strong middle class, the increase is certainly going to weaken it. Some may sustain the price rise but some may stop using the vehicles all together. Ofcourse its got its positive as well as negative sides. Positive sides being, people forced to resort to bicycles or more public transport or even pools would reduce the pressure on the use of fuel and also bring down the vehicle pollution. Negative sides being a negative cycle for all automobile manufacturers as such steep rise in price is definitely going to bring down the sales of automobiles directly thus effecting lesser employment leading to further fall in demand. At the same time even the steel industry would take a beating (upto certain extent) because of fall in demand of the raw material. So indirectly also the employment is going to be affected. Further more this also would put an extra pressure on the public transport system as there would be more demand of Bus Rapid Transit System, or Rail Rapid Transit System or any other type of system as they may not be fully geared up to face the crisis.
The million dollar question is what does the government do? When Mrs. Indira Gandhi the then Prime Minister of India created an Oil Pool Deficit Account she had the future in her mind. She resorted to subsidies which were more populist measures than practical. Ofcourse the situation at that time was more under her control as the population was less and India was a developing country with the elite class consisting of only 10% population. Now situation is different. More population has created more cheaper labour leading to massive industrial growth post liberalization. Subsidies still continue but have slowly and certainly spelled death for this part of the economy. Even so, today also any government for that matter does not have the fortitude to roll back the subsidies and deregulate the fuel prices. The Oil pool deficit was funded from various sources and to that extent even resorted to external debts. Although the subsequent governments were more proactive and created various deficit financing sources, the question still remained as to how long and upto what extent?
The solution has been obvious all these years but the lack of government will delayed the process. Had this been done way back in 1990s, the cumulative effect could have been avoided and the plans and other resource levelling and allocations would have been accordingly. Even today as it may seem to be a very harsh decision, but in the long run it might prove to be boon in disguise.
The government plans to tame the inflation, which, in India is hovering around the 7.6% mark. With increase in the price of Petrol, the government is getting into a spiral mode and it might lead to more dangerous situations. Considering the fact that India has 300 million strong middle class, the increase is certainly going to weaken it. Some may sustain the price rise but some may stop using the vehicles all together. Ofcourse its got its positive as well as negative sides. Positive sides being, people forced to resort to bicycles or more public transport or even pools would reduce the pressure on the use of fuel and also bring down the vehicle pollution. Negative sides being a negative cycle for all automobile manufacturers as such steep rise in price is definitely going to bring down the sales of automobiles directly thus effecting lesser employment leading to further fall in demand. At the same time even the steel industry would take a beating (upto certain extent) because of fall in demand of the raw material. So indirectly also the employment is going to be affected. Further more this also would put an extra pressure on the public transport system as there would be more demand of Bus Rapid Transit System, or Rail Rapid Transit System or any other type of system as they may not be fully geared up to face the crisis.
The million dollar question is what does the government do? When Mrs. Indira Gandhi the then Prime Minister of India created an Oil Pool Deficit Account she had the future in her mind. She resorted to subsidies which were more populist measures than practical. Ofcourse the situation at that time was more under her control as the population was less and India was a developing country with the elite class consisting of only 10% population. Now situation is different. More population has created more cheaper labour leading to massive industrial growth post liberalization. Subsidies still continue but have slowly and certainly spelled death for this part of the economy. Even so, today also any government for that matter does not have the fortitude to roll back the subsidies and deregulate the fuel prices. The Oil pool deficit was funded from various sources and to that extent even resorted to external debts. Although the subsequent governments were more proactive and created various deficit financing sources, the question still remained as to how long and upto what extent?
The solution has been obvious all these years but the lack of government will delayed the process. Had this been done way back in 1990s, the cumulative effect could have been avoided and the plans and other resource levelling and allocations would have been accordingly. Even today as it may seem to be a very harsh decision, but in the long run it might prove to be boon in disguise.
Now as far as the negative impact of this price rise is concerned, it may well be more wise to plan cities accordingly so as to encourage mass rapid transit systems which are efficient and controllable. So also if the government regulates the city developments by decentralizing and delocalizing the industry, it would mean less mobility and better overall development. Let the cities compete under limitations among themselves instead of choking them by traffic and other basic amenities. Although the price rise may not have a direct fallout on commodity prices, the fact remains that its the common man who will be the ultimate sufferer again.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Academia: An Academician’s Perspective
The other day I was with one of my esteemed friends and we were discussing Academia and its problems. It was an interesting conversation which, pray I put forth for the society to ponder. His name is Ashish (name changed) and the topic taken up was the role of teachers. Ashish said, “Chandan do you know what teachers can do to society?” I said, “Apparently yes, as I am in the same line of business.” Ashish said, “I mean look at the way things have gone these days with teachers molesting students, beating them up, extracting money on every single pretext, and sometimes even misleading them.” “Ashish, agreed” I said, “What you say is correct and I am fully aware of what is happening around”. My reaction to his statements was pretty tepid.
The very next day I saw one article on teachers which was dedicated to the insensitivity of the teachers towards their students. The third incident which really made me sit up and seriously consider the situation was the reaction of a person from a reputed industry and his convictions regarding academia as a useless and a fossilized system.
I beg to differ on the very issues that these people have put forth and therefore this article. When people start discussing academia they are like champions of the system supposedly knowing its ins and outs. So far so good, what is amazing is the perspective in which they put the profession. Lets take a simple case of primary education and the standards of such schools. Except for a few handful who are considered to be better, the other schools hardly pose a point of attraction and the admissions are a result of seat parochialism in the so called better institutions. While some schools simply don’t have students enough to justify their existence. It’s the basis on which the education is provided, that makes the difference. Privately owned schools would be more careful in their approach than government owned as they obviously make a living out of the name they have earned.
First and the foremost question that parents normally ask is how is the education of the school? In its garb, they are asking as to whether teachers are being paid their salaries fully or not? If they are not paid full salaries, they don’t do justice to the job. “Tere teacher ne yehi sikhaya kya tuzhe” (Did your teacher teach you this?) My question is why only blame the teachers for the entire education fiasco? Let us put some basic questions to deliberate:
Ø Are Teachers being paid their full salaries?
Ø What incentives do the teachers get in lieu of a better job?
Ø What are the factors making tuitions so important?
Ø Are we able to attract the best of talent in the society for the sake of this profession?
Ø Are we seeing teaching as an unavoidable nuisance?
Ø Do we see teaching as only a profession and not the process?
So what’s so new in these questions? Everybody knows the obvious answers. However there is a need to change the perception.
A primary school teacher in a well to do school earns a salary of Rs. 2,500 to 5,000 pm. as a Shikshan Sewak. Looking at the inflation in India, that’s a bare minimum sum for survival. So the point of argument would be that the education fees will spiral if more salary is paid. Yes it would. And in certain cases may even hamper the education of the people coming from poor class families. That’s where the government role can be more constructive. No I am certainly not suggesting any subsidies. Subsidies spell death for the economy. Government can have a special purpose vehicle with private industries and institutions where all sort of Corporate Social Responsibility can be directed towards development of Health, Education and other basic amenities. These might be in some form of money, infrastructural built ups or even to some extent sabbaticals through a programmed exchange of talent between schools and organizations for a minimum period of 6 months extendable to a maximum of 2 years. Some companies and organizations are already into it. Extension of all tax benefits for such purpose can also bring down the cost of learning considerably. So also an income tax exemption for the period of sabbatical can also attract more talent into this profession.
In education or academia there is no concept of any positive incentives. I didn’t mention negative incentives because they are ample. If we put teaching profession in a perspective of what they are giving to the society (That’s an FAQ), then I say they are already shouldering a Social responsibility by working on minimum possible wages. If we compare the wages being paid to the people in the industry and the wages being paid to the teachers the ratio is 10:1. Teachers are no where near in terms of their salary parity with their industrial counterparts. If you need talent in teaching, you need to pay. (Same as in quality. Better Quality means more money). Now that’s where the capitalists have mostly gained as they see education as a business (I mince no words for it). Again a populist contention that we are not doing it for charity. Good enough!!! But so also it should not be seen as a money minting business. (I mentioned the word ‘business’ initially also). A realistic approach to this notion can sort out so many ills if and only if the government is hell bent on doing so. Enforcement agencies also need to be put under scanner for their actions as it affects thousands of students.
Quality of education would only come if the industry is able to attract the best possible talent. When I asked Ashish as to what his personal opinion was on teaching, he said that it was a very very important part of the society and everybody should take it seriously. On that I asked him whether he would encourage his daughter to go to academia, he said ‘NO’. That is double standards I said and asked him to give reason. He said that the profession has no longer remained a noble one and people are taking undue advantage of the profession by running tuition classes or bringing bad name to it (He consciously skirted the issue of money, probably sensing my hostility, which I am sure was working at the back of his mind) . It’s a vicious cycle. Less talent would degrade education further leading to more ills like tuitions. Because of the money in this field, better talent will be tempted to leave their noble work leading to further degradation. Again the question of money becomes paramount important. Its like an industry where if you pay more, you are able to control corruption to quite an extent.
People like Ashish also see teaching profession as a degradation of status in the society. Where is your son working. Oh! He is in the U.S working with Oracle. In contrast when my parents answer it looks like this, “Oh! He is a Lecturer in an XYZ college in Nagpur. A son working in Oracle means a better status in terms of money and respect in contrast to my parents’ son who is probably doing something out of compulsion as he could not land a better job in the industry (Very true. 95% of the cases have been found to be belonging to this category). When one of my peers from the industry visited our college for recruitment, the reaction he gave reflected hypocrisy which I believe is encrusted in most people. While going about his job, he wanted some things which the college was unable to deliver in time. His outburst was amusing. He cursed the education system, the academia and even didn’t hesitate to criticize the teacher. (I am obviously hiding his age and experience). Again if you see his standpoint, it reflects the way in which he was groomed in the academia and how he turned hostile, after joining a company, towards the same system in which he was present for atleast 16-18 years. I again would like the society to see the other side of the coin. Why is everybody criticizing the system, instead of improving it? Fault finding is an easy job. Its like swinging the sword from outside and killing a person or two when you are in a battle but playing safe. If the system so concerns you, why not become a part of the system and then fight it out in the centre? This probably was the most abject reaction that motivated me to write this article.
Why are teachers only responsible for such hostilities? Why can’t parents also shoulder the same responsibility with the teacher? After all the child was not admitted to the school as soon as he was born. A common reaction by parents is “Enough is enough. Instead of the child troubling us all the time let him go to school. Thoda der to aaram milega (We will get respite at least for the time he goes to school). Me and my wife are no exceptions to this reaction and 90% of the parents think alike. Moreover the competitive environment of today has created more machines than humans. So instead of having a humanitarian approach, the student prefers a more instantaneous solution which infact is a bigger cause of concern.
The attitude of teachers is also to be blamed for such hopeless situation. Teachers probably forget one thing that, they need to be learners first and then teachers afterwards. Teachers also cannot be right at all times and they should also accept the fact that some students can also be their mentors in terms of knowledge and execution. Such students are sharp, well informed and have that attitude towards research where they explore things deeply. In such cases, there is no harm in admitting the student’s superiority and then striving to achieve his level of depth. More admittedly so, the profession has taken a beating lately due to some miscreants creating all sorts of troubles in the system. The level of corruption has gone up due to money mindedness (I would not call it innovation as probably they would contend, as my belief of education is a complete process primarily promoting successful transformation of young minds into better citizens; be it in any form and profession) so also the negativity carried in the minds of the teachers regarding their rejection by the society by and large.
I would like to conclude on a positive note that some institutions have started doing core research works and are also able to commensurate salaries with the experience and knowledge gained. Moreover such institutions are receiving a lot of funding from the same industry which rejects many such institutions based on certain parameters and subject to their own criterion of acceptance. The concept of research and cheaper technology cannot be realized without the help of educational institutions as this is the area where people have enough time and resources available with them to do a concrete research. The cost of developing technology and idea will also be low compared to industrial research as it forms a part and parcel of the teaching profession. This not only solves the problem of attracting talent but also the question of money as more and more people with an attitude of research would be preferring to join the profession for satisfying their financial, intellectual and ego needs and at the same time bolstering the image of the noble profession called Teaching. Self esteem, pride and ego needs are required by one and all (including teachers). If that is not given to them, they are logically going to react to hog the limelight and prove their worth (irrespective of the ways). Lets also not forget that teachers are as human as others, requiring the same amount of attention and having similar desires. Ofcourse all things cannot be satisfied but at least the society can respect the teachers for their contribution which they are giving dedicatedly.
Chandan Vichoray
Lecturer,
Department of Humanities and Management,
Priyadarshini College of Engineering, Nagpur.
India
The other day I was with one of my esteemed friends and we were discussing Academia and its problems. It was an interesting conversation which, pray I put forth for the society to ponder. His name is Ashish (name changed) and the topic taken up was the role of teachers. Ashish said, “Chandan do you know what teachers can do to society?” I said, “Apparently yes, as I am in the same line of business.” Ashish said, “I mean look at the way things have gone these days with teachers molesting students, beating them up, extracting money on every single pretext, and sometimes even misleading them.” “Ashish, agreed” I said, “What you say is correct and I am fully aware of what is happening around”. My reaction to his statements was pretty tepid.
The very next day I saw one article on teachers which was dedicated to the insensitivity of the teachers towards their students. The third incident which really made me sit up and seriously consider the situation was the reaction of a person from a reputed industry and his convictions regarding academia as a useless and a fossilized system.
I beg to differ on the very issues that these people have put forth and therefore this article. When people start discussing academia they are like champions of the system supposedly knowing its ins and outs. So far so good, what is amazing is the perspective in which they put the profession. Lets take a simple case of primary education and the standards of such schools. Except for a few handful who are considered to be better, the other schools hardly pose a point of attraction and the admissions are a result of seat parochialism in the so called better institutions. While some schools simply don’t have students enough to justify their existence. It’s the basis on which the education is provided, that makes the difference. Privately owned schools would be more careful in their approach than government owned as they obviously make a living out of the name they have earned.
First and the foremost question that parents normally ask is how is the education of the school? In its garb, they are asking as to whether teachers are being paid their salaries fully or not? If they are not paid full salaries, they don’t do justice to the job. “Tere teacher ne yehi sikhaya kya tuzhe” (Did your teacher teach you this?) My question is why only blame the teachers for the entire education fiasco? Let us put some basic questions to deliberate:
Ø Are Teachers being paid their full salaries?
Ø What incentives do the teachers get in lieu of a better job?
Ø What are the factors making tuitions so important?
Ø Are we able to attract the best of talent in the society for the sake of this profession?
Ø Are we seeing teaching as an unavoidable nuisance?
Ø Do we see teaching as only a profession and not the process?
So what’s so new in these questions? Everybody knows the obvious answers. However there is a need to change the perception.
A primary school teacher in a well to do school earns a salary of Rs. 2,500 to 5,000 pm. as a Shikshan Sewak. Looking at the inflation in India, that’s a bare minimum sum for survival. So the point of argument would be that the education fees will spiral if more salary is paid. Yes it would. And in certain cases may even hamper the education of the people coming from poor class families. That’s where the government role can be more constructive. No I am certainly not suggesting any subsidies. Subsidies spell death for the economy. Government can have a special purpose vehicle with private industries and institutions where all sort of Corporate Social Responsibility can be directed towards development of Health, Education and other basic amenities. These might be in some form of money, infrastructural built ups or even to some extent sabbaticals through a programmed exchange of talent between schools and organizations for a minimum period of 6 months extendable to a maximum of 2 years. Some companies and organizations are already into it. Extension of all tax benefits for such purpose can also bring down the cost of learning considerably. So also an income tax exemption for the period of sabbatical can also attract more talent into this profession.
In education or academia there is no concept of any positive incentives. I didn’t mention negative incentives because they are ample. If we put teaching profession in a perspective of what they are giving to the society (That’s an FAQ), then I say they are already shouldering a Social responsibility by working on minimum possible wages. If we compare the wages being paid to the people in the industry and the wages being paid to the teachers the ratio is 10:1. Teachers are no where near in terms of their salary parity with their industrial counterparts. If you need talent in teaching, you need to pay. (Same as in quality. Better Quality means more money). Now that’s where the capitalists have mostly gained as they see education as a business (I mince no words for it). Again a populist contention that we are not doing it for charity. Good enough!!! But so also it should not be seen as a money minting business. (I mentioned the word ‘business’ initially also). A realistic approach to this notion can sort out so many ills if and only if the government is hell bent on doing so. Enforcement agencies also need to be put under scanner for their actions as it affects thousands of students.
Quality of education would only come if the industry is able to attract the best possible talent. When I asked Ashish as to what his personal opinion was on teaching, he said that it was a very very important part of the society and everybody should take it seriously. On that I asked him whether he would encourage his daughter to go to academia, he said ‘NO’. That is double standards I said and asked him to give reason. He said that the profession has no longer remained a noble one and people are taking undue advantage of the profession by running tuition classes or bringing bad name to it (He consciously skirted the issue of money, probably sensing my hostility, which I am sure was working at the back of his mind) . It’s a vicious cycle. Less talent would degrade education further leading to more ills like tuitions. Because of the money in this field, better talent will be tempted to leave their noble work leading to further degradation. Again the question of money becomes paramount important. Its like an industry where if you pay more, you are able to control corruption to quite an extent.
People like Ashish also see teaching profession as a degradation of status in the society. Where is your son working. Oh! He is in the U.S working with Oracle. In contrast when my parents answer it looks like this, “Oh! He is a Lecturer in an XYZ college in Nagpur. A son working in Oracle means a better status in terms of money and respect in contrast to my parents’ son who is probably doing something out of compulsion as he could not land a better job in the industry (Very true. 95% of the cases have been found to be belonging to this category). When one of my peers from the industry visited our college for recruitment, the reaction he gave reflected hypocrisy which I believe is encrusted in most people. While going about his job, he wanted some things which the college was unable to deliver in time. His outburst was amusing. He cursed the education system, the academia and even didn’t hesitate to criticize the teacher. (I am obviously hiding his age and experience). Again if you see his standpoint, it reflects the way in which he was groomed in the academia and how he turned hostile, after joining a company, towards the same system in which he was present for atleast 16-18 years. I again would like the society to see the other side of the coin. Why is everybody criticizing the system, instead of improving it? Fault finding is an easy job. Its like swinging the sword from outside and killing a person or two when you are in a battle but playing safe. If the system so concerns you, why not become a part of the system and then fight it out in the centre? This probably was the most abject reaction that motivated me to write this article.
Why are teachers only responsible for such hostilities? Why can’t parents also shoulder the same responsibility with the teacher? After all the child was not admitted to the school as soon as he was born. A common reaction by parents is “Enough is enough. Instead of the child troubling us all the time let him go to school. Thoda der to aaram milega (We will get respite at least for the time he goes to school). Me and my wife are no exceptions to this reaction and 90% of the parents think alike. Moreover the competitive environment of today has created more machines than humans. So instead of having a humanitarian approach, the student prefers a more instantaneous solution which infact is a bigger cause of concern.
The attitude of teachers is also to be blamed for such hopeless situation. Teachers probably forget one thing that, they need to be learners first and then teachers afterwards. Teachers also cannot be right at all times and they should also accept the fact that some students can also be their mentors in terms of knowledge and execution. Such students are sharp, well informed and have that attitude towards research where they explore things deeply. In such cases, there is no harm in admitting the student’s superiority and then striving to achieve his level of depth. More admittedly so, the profession has taken a beating lately due to some miscreants creating all sorts of troubles in the system. The level of corruption has gone up due to money mindedness (I would not call it innovation as probably they would contend, as my belief of education is a complete process primarily promoting successful transformation of young minds into better citizens; be it in any form and profession) so also the negativity carried in the minds of the teachers regarding their rejection by the society by and large.
I would like to conclude on a positive note that some institutions have started doing core research works and are also able to commensurate salaries with the experience and knowledge gained. Moreover such institutions are receiving a lot of funding from the same industry which rejects many such institutions based on certain parameters and subject to their own criterion of acceptance. The concept of research and cheaper technology cannot be realized without the help of educational institutions as this is the area where people have enough time and resources available with them to do a concrete research. The cost of developing technology and idea will also be low compared to industrial research as it forms a part and parcel of the teaching profession. This not only solves the problem of attracting talent but also the question of money as more and more people with an attitude of research would be preferring to join the profession for satisfying their financial, intellectual and ego needs and at the same time bolstering the image of the noble profession called Teaching. Self esteem, pride and ego needs are required by one and all (including teachers). If that is not given to them, they are logically going to react to hog the limelight and prove their worth (irrespective of the ways). Lets also not forget that teachers are as human as others, requiring the same amount of attention and having similar desires. Ofcourse all things cannot be satisfied but at least the society can respect the teachers for their contribution which they are giving dedicatedly.
Chandan Vichoray
Lecturer,
Department of Humanities and Management,
Priyadarshini College of Engineering, Nagpur.
India
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