By Abhishek Jha:

[envoke_twitter_link]A student from IIT Roorkee compiled statistics on the expulsion[/envoke_twitter_link] of 73 students from the institute. The student’s argument is that if the policy of expelling students below the cumulative grade of 5 were to continue, it would- in conjunction with the relative grading system- lead to expulsion of a total of 30% students by the time a batch of students completes its degree. Another shocking statistics by the same student, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal from the institute, reveals that "out of the 73 students, 31 were from ST category, 23 from SC category, 4 from PD, 8 from OBC & 7 from general category (90.4% students are from the reserved category)." While we discussed previously how the very idea of expulsion on the criterion of grades is flawed, here we seek to address the revealed statistics in the context of caste.

Why Discuss Caste In IIT?
Because [envoke_twitter_link]caste is so intrinsically woven into the social fabric of this country[/envoke_twitter_link], there is little need for arguing that these statistics should be examined vis-a-vis casteist practices in IITs, the relation between merit and caste at IITs, and the reservation policies. However, it would not be useless to understand how historically, caste privilege had put upper castes on a perch in the field of technical education in particular. Ajantha Subramanian, an anthropologist from Harvard University, writes in Making Merit: The Indian Institutes of Technology and the Social Life of Caste: "As the numbers of Europeans in Madras Presidency’s engineering profession fell over the early twentieth century, Brahmins were the single largest group of Indians who filled the vacuum, this despite being barely 3 percent of the total regional population (Fuller and Narasimhan 2008). Not all Tamil Brahmins were inducted into engineering,and Vellalas and other upper castes were also key beneficiaries. Nevertheless, as a caste, they became disproportionately well represented across the modern professions....it was the distinction between industrial labor and artisanship on the one hand, and the engineering profession on the other, that ultimately convinced Brahmins that they could enter this new occupation without the loss of status." Thus it can be argued that the engineering profession is not untouched by the hegemony of caste privilege. What is today known as the "general category" or "merit based admission" already rests on accumulated social capital.

How One Becomes Casteless
Nevertheless, the aforementioned statistics have led those against reservations to already claim that the admission process is flawed because it admits "undeserving" students into the institute. The claim is based on double oversight. About half the seats (about 1000 students are admitted to IIT-R ever year) in IITs are reserved. Therefore, the first oversight in the matter is that, of the (around) 500 students, only 64 students could not acquire the alleged "merit" "deserving" of an IIT student. It was also overlooked in the claim that those who languished below the 5 point bar (the unfairness of which has already been argued) included 7 students who are by the anti-reservation brigade considered by default "meritorious" or "talented". Here is the second oversight in the matter. As Subramanian points out, 'The distinction drawn ....between “the socially-deprived” and “the talented” illustrates the ability of upper castes to inhabit a casteless norm. After all, he refers to upper castes, not as “the socially-advantaged” but simply as “the talented.”' After this self-transformative re-christening, this upper-caste then perceives a disadvantage. This perception remains even after seats were doubled and new IITs built when OBC reservations were introduced.
Some of those positioned against reservation also blame the reservations themselves for the heightened awareness of one's caste in IITs (an observation I have gathered from my years in preparation for JEE and from the subsequent years at IIT-R) and, sometimes, also for casteism inside the institute. They are right to an extent and Subramanian concurs with them: "Identitarian claims are no longer just the resort of the powerless; in the face of subaltern assertion, the powerful are similarly inclined." But this assertion is incomplete because it overlooks the fact that the "inclination" of the powerful stems not from being historically deprived or from a current social handicap but, precisely, because of being asked to compete on a level playing field, where caste inequality is compensated. The heightened awareness of the caste of the other is then the upper-caste's inability to see its "modern capital" as a transformation of its "caste capital".

Casteism And Reservation
However, this inability has its repercussions. [envoke_twitter_link]Manish Kumar, a student of IIT Roorkee, committed suicide[/envoke_twitter_link], some 4 years ago, allegedly due to casteist taunts. On Youtube, what appears to be a documentary video, which I chanced upon in my first year at college, shows Manish's parents alleging that the institute even tried to cover up the incident and protect the accused. The story is similar in other elite institutions of this country, as reports show.

The failure of these 64 students in participating in the 5 point chase, the suicides of students, the de-recognition of Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle, etc. means not that reservations are useless but that more needs to be done, as sociologist Satish Deshpande pointed out in The Hindu in March this year. Deshpande rightly pointed out that reservations are not just "welfare programmes" handed out by the "caste-less nation" to "certain castes". "From such a vantage point, it is impossible to see that the true origins of reservation lie in a promise of good faith that forms the core of the social contract on which our nation is founded", Deshpande wrote, referring to the Poona Pact of 1932 where Ambedkar withdrew his claim for separate electorate for the untouchable castes. He also dismisses replacing caste criteria with economic criteria as it is "the promise of full citizenship" itself. "Note that such a policy is not about "historical wrongs" in the dim past, but about contemporary forms of caste inequality, and that replacing caste with economic criteria misses the whole point of caste discrimination that exists in varied forms across all classes," he says. Of course, he concludes, that the "reservation policy as it exists today is flawed" but its "rethinking" is needed "because it is no longer enough."

Anybody who defends the institute in failing its reserved category students and the casteist bias in it, falls into the trap of deeming oneself casteless by aforementioned machinations. It is the pet excuse of administrators to offer rules as their circumscribing limit. But it is they themselves who make the rules. It is reminiscent of the 1931 Malabar Hill meeting between Gandhi and Ambedkar, where Gandhi glibly offered that "Congress has spent not less than rupees twently lakhs on the uplift of the Untouchables. And it is really surprising that men like you should offer opposition to me and the Congress." The prompt reply from Ambedkar was "But let me tell you frankly that Congress did nothing beyond giving formal recognition to this problem....Had it been sincere, it would have surely made the removal of untouchability a condition...for becoming a member of the Congress... Had there been such a condition, you could have avoided the ridiculous sight where the President of the District Congress Committee was seen opposing the temple entry of the Untouchables!"

This is Part II of a series. Read Part I here.

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The post An IIT Roorkee Student Explains: Of The 73 Expelled, 90% Students Were From Reserved Category appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Riad Azam:

Student politics at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has been plagued by regionalism over the past two decades. The independent spaces for student politics has been captured by those who promote regionalism in the university, which had turned student politics into a farce on campus.

[caption id="attachment_51116" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Image source: Riad Azam[/caption]

Regionalism to establish Dominance:
The AMU draws students from nearly all parts of India with a majority from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It is this multitude of students in the campus which is converted into the breeding ground for regionalism. There are various collectives from different regions which are called ‘lobbies’ in Aligarh’s parlance. These lobbies are run by ‘seniors’- students and non-students who have given time in developing the lobby and have good contacts in the University, especially the administration. The loyalty of the freshers is usually ensured by these seniors who help the newly admitted students of their region to get accommodation in the hostels, organise iftar parties for them and in turn get them to vote for their candidate during the students’ union elections.

It is therefore needless to state that such collectives thrive solely upon opportunism and its only motive is to establish the dominance of one collective in the University which is at times achieved through violence, intimidation and also through the support of a section of the University administration. Therefore, to expect any meaningful, constructive politics from such bodies would be in vain. During the past few years the standard of the successive students’ unions at the AMU had been deteriorating leading to large scale alienation and disinterest of the common students from the politics in the campus. The level of deterioration was such that there had been allegations against some union leaders of extracting money from the shops located in the vicinity of the University; something that was unprecedented in the University.

The Rise of an Alternative:
It was under these tumultuous circumstances that a number of independent students’ organisations came together on a common platform to form a coalition called AMU Students for Justice. What was incredible about this coalition was that it contained organisations of diverse ideological postulations, ranging from the Islamist to the liberal, who all found common ground on the fact that it is regionalism which is wrecking havoc upon the university; if the University has to make any meaningful contribution it must overcome the challenges posed by the presence of these regional lobbies.

Slowly but steadily this coalition did manage to capture the imagination of the students, especially those who had been filled with the disgust at the directionless students’ politics. [envoke_twitter_link]A crucial moment for this coalition came in the year 2013[/envoke_twitter_link], when a law faculty student was subjected to sexual harassment by her professor. The incident was widely reported in the local media and there was a need to act urgently on the issue. However, raising an issue pertaining to sexual harassment and gender sensitisation has never been an easy task at the AMU, primarily because this issue has been traditionally raised by professors and students who owe allegiance to the Left, and their political language in this regard fails to connect to the largely prevalent religious discourse of the University. Therefore there has been a misplaced notion that raising issues of gender justice is the handiwork of on-campus leftists, of which the other students should not be a part.

In such circumstances it was decided that the protest would address Islam in a progressive manner putting forward the idea that sexual harassment was something that is not permissible according to the teachings of Islam and most importantly, it brought bad name to the University. It was indeed a turning point in the history of students’ movement at AMU when students rallied in large numbers protesting against sexual harassment and most importantly against victim blaming. This was possible because this multitude of students could connect with the Islamic discourse of the protest.

The epoch making moment for this coalition arrived next year when it fielded a candidate Abdullah Azzam for the post of president in the students’ union elections who had emerged victorious. Placed against the money and muscle power, the strong organisation of the lobbies and most importantly their electoral experience, this was no ordinary feat for an ordinary bunch of students who had limited resources.

The Road Ahead:
Whether the students’ union led by Abdullah Azzam has been able in fulfilling the expectations of the common students of the University will be debated in the years to come. But his victory does give some important lessons for the right thinking students of the University which must be taken into account.

[envoke_twitter_link]The thing about AMU is that it is a politically active campus[/envoke_twitter_link] where a large number of students do take interest in the students’ union elections, provided the elections are contested over issues. Secondly, students would vote for candidates cutting across their regional allegiances, provided they have an alternative. But most importantly, regionalism in AMU has become weaker over time. While it would be politically naive to believe that regional lobbies do not exist anymore, their strength has certainly diminished, especially in the context of students’ union elections. One primary reason behind this is that the junior students in the University today prefer to exercise their voting rights independently and will not meekly take down voting orders from the seniors of their region.

At a time in India when aggressive right wing politics is on a rise and dissent is being crushed, it is important for minority institutions like AMU to contribute in the task of fostering resistance. Given the huge number of students studying in the University and its influence, the students at the campus can actually play a pivotal role in developing a solidarity of victims of oppression of various kinds; victims of fake terror cases, caste oppressions, state excesses and their ilk. For that the students at the University have to ensure they continue to nurture the spaces for constructive politics in the campus or they shall be taken over by the regional lobbies once again. The winds of change are blowing for sure at the AMU. They need to be seized and blown into a storm.

Also Read: Who Is Afraid Of Women’s Political Participation In Aligarh Muslim University?

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The post How A Strong Alternative Changed The Face Of Regional Politics At Aligarh Muslim University appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Faith Gonsalves:

When part of this video was filmed at Tarang Kala Kendra, a grassroots cultural initiative in Kapashera that we at Music Basti are proud to partner with, Parvati’s was mother also present. She came to attend a short music performance by our students that evening. [envoke_twitter_link]It was the first time she had visited Tarang or, seen her daughter perform[/envoke_twitter_link]. When we spoke with her before Parvati’s performance, she shared with us that at times she was in fact wary and reluctant to have her daughter be part of such a program because of what people may think. However, during the performance and especially after, it was plain to see how moved and proud her mother was.

Music Basti’s ReSound program launched in 2013, recruits and trains teaching artists to run weekly classes so that children learn to write, compose and perform original songs. Students gain the multiple benefits of learning music skills while collaborating to produce their own composition, which they perform at the ReSound concert at the end of each year. Music Basti remains committed to those children, and to providing equal access to the tools they need to make their voices heard in today's society. We hope you have enjoyed watching this, and that you continue to follow our progress in the future.

The post Parvati Sings The Tunes: How This One Program Is Changing A Girls Life, In Her Own Words appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Neel Patel:

I still remember when I got my first job in an IT firm and everyone was giving unwanted (and unasked) advice about career planning. The most common was - “That firm is very good; never leave after joining; it’s time to settle now”. I fully agreed with the advisors that the firm was the best place to work, however how can you settle for a company, especially when you don’t know about the job role, challenges or work culture? I am not against stability and loyalty for one’s workplace, however I am against staying on when it is leading nowhere and threatens our own growth. The idea of “growth” is very intuitive; it is about personal development and the benefits that growth provides. However the main question is – “Why does growth matter?”

[caption id="attachment_51750" align="aligncenter" width="658"] Image source: Wikimedia Commons[/caption]

After joining that company I did nothing, except reading newspaper in library, making reports and chatting all day. That was my routine for almost a year. Now, if I want to settle down for the same organization, then I need to perform the same activities for rest of my life until I get a real project. During initial days of career everyone wants to learn, explore, and create something; however all I was creating were excel reports! Then I changed jobs and was assigned some real work which I was able to perform well. Again, after some time, the question of settling down hung over my neck.

Employers want loyal long-term employees however, in majority of companies, employers are not willing to offer benefits (vacation, preferred work location, insurance, and salary) that encourage such loyalty. Employers need to understand, if they want flexibility to hire & fire at will, and offer whatever benefits (or salary) they like, employees will treat themselves as "free agents", selling their services to the highest bidder, who offers them the best balance, of pay, environment and benefits. So simple!

No employee would want to change jobs regularly. It is a very exhausting process. And it doesn't help build careers over the long run. However, many employees feel that the only way they can "get ahead" is to change. India is becoming a pool of talent where employers need to reward loyalty.

The down side of loyalty is when you no longer adding value to yourself and simply doing "a job". At the end of the day your job is just a job, not a marriage, not a lifetime commitment and you're free to leave and pursue your aspirations. In fact your employer may prefer you leave, if you're unhappy in your current role. You don't need to stay with a company forever (if you are unhappy), but you need to accomplish something measurable before you leave, otherwise, what do you have, to offer the next company?

The post When Is It Time To Quit Your Job And Move On appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Arati Nair:

As an aspiring civil servant, I have attended quite a few ‘orientation sessions’ with eminent speakers gushing with fervour about the IAS being the pinnacle of glory, a panacea for those who dream to serve the society. For an average middle-class Indian, the lure of a stable government job is too hard to resist; more so if the job proffers a load of perks and immense power. Perhaps the passion to pursue a career in the civil services is premised more on the elevated societal status it offers amidst commoners, than the drive to serve the country. That’s usually the case in small town India, where the sheen of a lucrative corporate job pales in comparison to the ‘collector’ title.

However, the atmosphere of coaching classes that guide aspirants for the UPSC examination is quite different. I remember a candid conversation with a few classmates (first-timers) about the true motivation of joining the services. The reasons ranged from the truly heart-touching- “I work part-time delivering newspapers. There are many lesser fortunate ones in my neighbourhood who have become full-time rag-pickers instead. I am a hero in their midst and can do much more if I become part of the services. Perhaps offer them education?”- to the bizarrely naive- “What’s more heady than being an IPS officer, travelling in an AC car with a peg of the most expensive scotch in hand?”

One may also wish to delve into the psyche of serving officers to analyse the spectrum of varying motives amongst them; their actions while on duty could offer an interesting insight.

An Army of Black Sheep

Rishi Raj Singh IPS has had a hard time traversing the long winding political minefield in Kerala. Almost emulating those filmy super cops, his tough act against CD piracy, road safety, power theft and now a reluctance to salute the state home minister have all endeared him to the masses. For the general populace, he’s a rare ray of hope, defying stereotypes and fighting corruption, devoid of all sycophancy for the ruling politicians. While the executive is embroiled in a systemic hierarchical power struggle, the common man celebrates even symbolic flashes of bravado.

Singh belongs to that dwindling breed of Indian civil servants whose temerity and determination, while discharging their duty, restores our faith in the prized bureaucracy.

In Uttar Pradesh, Amitabh Thakur, another IPS officer facing fire for filing a case against the Samajwadi Party supremo, Mulayam Singh Yadav, who threatened him, opines that the biggest obvious hurdle before officers who want to expose graft or corruption is the service rules. In an interview, he admitted that with the RTI Act in operation and a law to protect whistleblowers on the anvil, the situation demands that service rules be modified to allow government servants to interact through an open medium regarding the illegal acts and orders of senior officers and ministers.

The list of officers like him who exposed the powerful political class for corruption, crony capitalism, misappropriation and pilfering of public funds is endless. Ashok Khemka, Durga Shakti Nagpal and D.K. Ravi have all faced flak for challenging their political bosses. The sheer disruption of Mr. Khemka’s life would give most civil services aspirants the chills, with a staggering number of 45 transfers in a career spanning 23 years, roughly two transfers per annum. While many like him are bounced about from one inconsequential department to the next, some have even paid with their lives.

Like Narendra Kumar.

A CBI probe failed to establish the nexus between the mining mafia and the death of Mr. Kumar, who was brutally crushed under a tractor. What the state can do to safeguard the latest brand of proactive officers from such ‘mishaps’ remains to be seen.

Our Bureaucracy in Turmoil

The myriad ills that plague our civil services have largely remained unchanged over the years. That the covetous ‘Steel Frame of India’ is hamstrung by political patronage has been widely accepted too. The rigid work routine, lacking flexibility in decision making, often leaves many young officers, recruited to the higher services, cynical. A skewed incentive system, which fails to appreciate upright civil servants, but handsomely rewards the corrupt and subservient ones, erodes the morale of honest officers. The Weberian bureaucratic model on which our system is based, provides for career growth through technical excellence in the field of duty. But, the rising instances of favouritism during promotion and the evident snub to deserving candidates, highlight the festering malaise of discrimination in the services.

But not all instances of misdemeanour stem from political interventions. The disproportionate assets stashed away by the IAS couple, Arvind and Tinoo Joshi, are testament to the personal greed and direct involvement of certain civil servants in corruption cases.

Opacity in Appointments

For appointment to high offices, the centre handpicks secretaries from a list of eligible candidates, the criteria for which is not available in the public domain. It is therefore assumed, that compliant officers are given plum postings by the government, even though they may have proved their mettle during a long tenure in office. Political acquiescence precedes merit here, or so it seems. More recently, the delay in appointing the Central Vigilance Commissioner and the Chief Information Commissioner, the curtailment of service of the former foreign secretary etc. were all perceived as exercises in political overreach. A transparent appointment process can serve to remove such discrepancies.

Remedies at Hand

To address the ethical lacunae in the services, an attempt to instil a modicum of integrity at the nascent stage itself was made through an additional paper on ‘Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude’ in the UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination from 2013. Introduced just two years ago, this paper tests a candidate’s moral commitment and understanding of institutional practices through detailed case study questions.

An important first step was the much-touted directive of the Supreme Court to set up Civil Service Boards in each state to insulate civil services from political interference. Sadly, states accounting for 87 percent of the civil servants in India have failed to do so. No follow up action was taken to gauge the compliance of the court order. New ideas such as, greater scope for lateral entry to the services to check complacency among officers, make them more competent and foreign training for bureaucrats, to keep them at par with international standards of service delivery, are being floated in a bid to reinforce the ‘steel frame’. A consensus from the politicians is also needed to ensure the smooth implementation of any of such reformatory measures. A facilitating politician can work wonders for a bureaucracy in suspended animation.

So, Is All The Power Struggle Worthwhile?

The journey till the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration is fraught with struggle, hard work and sheer willpower, a ticket to which is cracking one of the toughest exams in the country. To an outsider, the ultimate destination is the training academy, but once you leave the prestigious institute, the rose-tinted spectacles come off. Gone are the dreamy visions of AC cars and spreading goodwill. Instead, there’s paper-pushing and being an obedient pawn in the grand scheme of things. As one of my friends jokingly remarked, “All that ceaseless determination to become a glorified clerk.”

However, the flickering hope for aspirants like me is the inspiring tale of officers like Rishi Raj Singh, Durga Shakti Nagpal and Ashok Khemka. [envoke_twitter_link]These are individuals who refused to bow down or compromise[/envoke_twitter_link] their scruples and lived to tell the tale. [envoke_twitter_link]They are the real achievers[/envoke_twitter_link], who’ve not relinquished their spirit, but donned it as an armour to establish what they set out to do.

Or another silent group, which works relentlessly like clockwork, to usher in change at the grassroot of levels. From Operation Sulaimani to Student Police Cadet Project, they’ve calmly improved lives, unscrewing the nuts and bolts of a rigid social structure, feeding empty stomachs, nurturing the younger generation and wiping a tear or two from tired eyes that usually go unnoticed. No matter how jaded the circumstances, when a humble IPS officer, P Vijayan wins the Indian Of The Year Award (2014), beating the likes of Salman Khan and Sania Mirza, or when the vindicated bureaucrat, turned whistleblower, Sanjiv Chaturvedi bags this year’s Magsaysay Award, we can applaud the victory of grit and determination even in these times of despondence.

The post An Aspirant Questions: Are Civil Servants Today Glorified Clerks Or Real Life Heroes? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Haripriya Madhavan:

Selvi, along with her son, two daughters and a granddaughter lives in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu. Her husband had passed away many years back and she has single-handedly raised her family facing innumerable hurdles that life hurled her way. To make a living, she cleans open sewage drains, sweeps the roads and washes utensils at homes.

NalandaWay Foundation, a Chennai based NGO that works with underprivileged children, helps them achieve their dreams through their art programmes, by focussing on self-importance, individuality, self-expression and imagination. For their 10th Anniversary, the NGO decided to thank someone who has been discriminated against for centuries, but continue to provide their services day-in and day-out: the human scavenger.

Watch, how the children, who have been trained in fine arts, decided to paint the walls of her house with beautiful murals. The NGO also contributed towards building a toilet and flooring for Selvi’s house.

The post Watch How These Little Children Painted A Beautiful Difference In This Woman’s Life appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Abhishek Jha:

Even after the High Court ruled in favour of the institute, IIT Roorkee has decided to revoke the expulsion of the 71 students, who were expelled earlier this summer, for scoring a CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) below 5. The institute published a press note stating that it will re-admit the students as a "one time measure", provided they agree in writing to some conditions. The condition includes repeating their first year courses with the same CGPA criterion that had earned criticism and protests from the students. Although the decision has been a relief to the expelled students, important questions remain. The primary argument against the expulsion was the criterion that required students to maintain a CGPA of 5 (while the passing grade point is 4 for each subject) which still exists.

The institute argues that if a student gets a grade point above 5 in some subjects, they will score a cumulative grade above 5. However, this is possible only in an ideal situation where all the students are equal and capable of outdoing one another in one subject or another. In the existing situation, however, students with JEE ranks, varying from hundreds to about 10,100 are admitted to the institute. It is only natural that they will have different scoring abilities. For no student to be expelled under the new regulation, their ability to score has to be non-uniform across subjects which is statistically probable if all students are studying hard and also have lived on the same social and cultural plane for that hard work to be transformed into grades. For example, In each subject someone will end up scoring a 4 in a relative grading system. If the same person scores 4 across subjects , they are out. Because they end up having the lowest CGPA.

The historical hegemony of the upper caste over education, the current social handicap existing for SC/ST/OBC citizens of this country, and the infrastructural handicap existing for the differently abled implies that there are various other issues that make the reserved category students unequal to their peers. That from the low cut-off marks during entrance examination to 90% of the expelled students belonging to the reserved category, it was the reserved category that remained at the bottom of the "merit" ladder says that, "merit" and now CGPA itself, has crystalized the existing social-cultural deficit.

What harms this deficit more is that the institute refuses to acknowledge a real issue plaguing our society. Even a pure academic investigation of an issue on the lines of caste is frowned upon. “We don’t look into the caste or religion. To us, all students are the same”, the Dean of Students' Welfare told the campus news magazine. There lies a serious problem with this political position of refusing to talk about caste. It is a social reality which has made people socially unequal. Refusing to take this into account is marginalisation in itself. However, if we remember correctly, it is only on the issue of introduction of OBC reservations that the country saw IITians take to the street en masse. Therefore, it would be wrong to think that in IIT, people don't "look into caste". They definitely do so and that too without acknowledging their caste privilege.

If the majority of the students with low grades belong to the reserved category, there are other methods by which they are excluded from the IIT Roorkee society. The institute that wants to get rid of its "unmeritorious" students has special provisions to keep them out of any leadership positions too. Election, selection, or nomination as the head of a group or society in campus requires one to have a minimum CGPA of 6.5. If the current statistics are a general trend (something that is independently asserted by those opposed to reservation), the rule is an exclusion by proxy of reserved category students. One of the expelled students, who is differently-abled, recounts that despite the requests he made to his professor and the Dean of Students' Welfare, nothing was done to address his problem in attending a practical in Civil Department.

At this point, it would benefit if the IITs, and the IIT in question, took inspiration from the MIT, in whose image they were established by the Institute of Technology Act. If they ever looked at MIT's Institute Community and Equity Office's programmes, the IITs would be put to shame on how little they do for people from marginalised communities. Re-admitting the students without changing the system is only tokenism aimed at pacifying dissent. It is time all the IIT administrations were asked some tough questions.

This is Part 4 of a series. Read Part I, Part II, and Part III.

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The post From IIT Roorkee: The 71 Expelled May Have Been Taken Back, But The Question Remains appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Prachi Salve:

After the buzz over India’s mission to Mars and the Prime Minister’s high-decibel Make-in-India, both meant to be showcases of the nation’s engineering talent, here is the latest, grim reminder of the quality of freshly minted engineers:

• While 97% want jobs either in software or core engineering, only 3% are good enough to be engineers in software/product roles, and only 7% can handle core engineering tasks.
• Only 11% find jobs in knowledge-intensive sectors because their English skills are poor (74%), as are their analytical or quantitative skills (58%).
• A student from a tier-3 college will get Rs 66,000 per annum less than a student of equal merit from a tier-1 college.

[caption id="attachment_52050" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Image source: Wikimedia Commons[/caption]

These are some of the key findings of a study by Aspiring Minds, a New Delhi-based employability solutions company, on skills, gender, locations and institutions. The report is based on a sample of more than 120,000 engineering students who graduated in 2013 from more than 520 engineering colleges across India.

India has 6,214 engineering and technology institutions with 2.9 million students enrolled, according to the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Experts believe an economy with a large percentage of unemployable but qualified candidates is not only inefficient but a recipe for social instability. And the great mismatch in aspirations of graduating engineers and their job readiness is fertile ground for large-scale dissatisfaction and disillusionment.

The engineers analysed by Aspiring Minds are employed mainly in hardware and networking. While 90% of engineering graduates want mechanical, electronics/electrical and civil engineering jobs, only [envoke_twitter_link]7.49% are employable[/envoke_twitter_link] in such roles. In interviews conducted for the study, software was the preferred sector for 53% of engineers, while [envoke_twitter_link]44% preferred core engineering jobs[/envoke_twitter_link].

Let us examine the skills these engineers bring to the software industry. Less than 20% of engineers are employable for software jobs. Of 600,000 engineers who graduate annually, only 18.43% are employable for software engineer-IT services role; no more than 3.95% can be deployed on projects.

So, most engineers are employed in hardware and networking. Their work mainly involves technical support and network management. Among non-IT roles, there is high employability as sales engineers who sell tech support to companies.

In non-tech roles, most engineers find employment in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector mainly in telecalling and backend processing. In the more lucrative sector of knowledge processing operations (KPO), an area of high revenues, only 11.5% of engineers even qualify for the role of business analysts. The main reasons for low employability is lack of English communication (73.63% did not qualify) and low analytical and quantitative skills (57.96%).

The key reason for such poor job prospects, according to the report, is “inadequate preparation in the domain area, the ability to apply basic principles of say, computer engineering or mechanical engineering, to real-world problems. As many as 91.8% of computer/IT engineers and 60% of engineers from other branches fall short of the domain knowledge required for such roles. These concepts and principles are there in college curriculum, however there is a gap in teaching and learning pedagogy being followed in majority of colleges.”

Location matters, for jobs and college quality. [envoke_twitter_link]Employability varies tremendously across colleges[/envoke_twitter_link]. For instance, 18.26% of software engineers are job ready in tier-1 cities, such as Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, whereas 14.17% are employable from colleges in tier-2 cities, such as Pune, Nagpur and Surat. This variation is mirrored across states.

The message is that a large proportion of employable engineers are ending up without opportunity, a worrying trend for higher education.

Location matters so significantly that a candidate from a tier-3 college may be as qualified as a tier-1 student but her odds of finding a job are 24% lower; she will also earn Rs 66,000 less every year.

The source of the problem, the report said, could be current entry level hiring practices: Companies visit only certain high-ranking colleges. There is evidence that in the typical resume short-listing process, the college name is a key signal and resumes from unknown colleges are not shortlisted. It is understandable that corporations do this to make their recruitment process more efficient. However, this is leading to a lack of equality in the employment market. It is also preventing companies from accessing a large set of meritorious students.

“The IT services industry is not growing at the same pace as before and the growth of entry-level jobs is diminishing. Companies are now looking for hiring candidates who already have decent expertise in programming. Secondly, IT services companies today realise that within two years of the job, the candidate will have to communicate with international customers. As these trends catch up across industry, the employability for IT services sector, which is the largest hirer in engineering, will diminish further. To remain competitive in the job market, colleges and students need to have a fresh focus towards programming and English (both written and spoken).”

This article was originally published on Indiaspend.

The post Why Is India Producing Unemployable Engineers? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Uzma Shamim:

I met young people who have started organisations and projects of social significance and rather than being buoyed down by all the hassles they faced, they have become even more determined in retaining whatever they initiated. The young today do not shy away from expressing their political views while protesting. There's greater fervour and passion in the hearts of students since independence 68 years ago. Students were the force behind the leaders when we fought for Independence, but today the youth prefers being in the forefront themselves.

Take the case of Spandana Cheruvu, who in 2013 brought up the differential treatment meted out to boys and girls in VIT. Spandana’s fight for equality is a larger representative of what’s happening in most of our educational institutions. The idea is not about demeaning safety standards set by colleges for girls, the idea is to make sure that the so called safety standards do not become a medium for the imposition of patriarchy.

Another example where students have been the torchbearers of change and protest is the Pondicherry University Students’ Movement. The protest which started on the 27th July, 2015, was aimed at the removal of the Vice Chancellor, Mrs. Chandra Krishnamurthy, who has been accused of a counterfeit CV and inefficient administration of the Central University. What the students are protesting against is symbolic of a decadent educational order, controlled unilaterally by a few people at the top whose only aim is to forward their own interests.

The voices of dissent are not just being heard in prime and well known institutes, they are also being echoed in hitherto unheard corners. While the newspaper headlines are full of FTII students rising in protest against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the Chairman, the students of Biju Patnaik Film and Television Institute of Odisha (BPFTIO) are revolting against the lack of facilities given to them and the obsolete technology they have to deal with. There have also been protests against the corrupt forces as well as the appalling quality of education at the Makhanlal University in Bhopal.

One of the most inspiring accounts of what an individual can do to bring about change is the story of Babur Ali form Murshidabad in West Bengal, called the "youngest headmaster in the world" by BBC in October 2009, at the age of sixteen. Babur started teaching at the age of nine, when one day he saw little kids working on the farm instead of studying. Babur now runs a full-fledged school which educates children whose parents do not have the means to give them a proper formal education.

Many of the protests in educational institutions have to do with political ideologies. The students of the Film and Television Institute of India stand united against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as Chairman of the institute as they do not wish their Chairman to be a BJP worker and the fact that he may be not adequately qualified to lead the Institute which formerly boasts of being headed by internationally renowned artists. Similarly, political overtones could also be seen in the way some students of SRCC protested against the visit of Narendra Modi as Prime Ministerial candidate during the campaigning season.

One of the most emphasised pointers in Modi’s campaign and promise for ‘Acche Din’ was the empowerment of the youth. However, as we can see, there are blatant charges of corruption, inefficient administration, outdated infrastructure and discrimination in Universities and colleges across India. One of the foremost things that Narendra Modi needs to do is to build on the infrastructure, not just in the Universities that are always in the focus but also Universities and other institutions which are silently suffering like BPFTIO, Odisha.

Why [envoke_twitter_link]I believe that the young can indeed bring about a change[/envoke_twitter_link] is because they have ideas and a very strong base of principles. Look around you. There has been a new willingness to vote, to decide who they want as the representatives of the Big Fat Indian Democracy. The young in India today are at a very crucial juncture today. They have taken up a herculean task of bringing about a gradual well thought of change. It may take years, but the hope that one day this will be a better world eggs the youth on.

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The post This Independence Day, Here’s To The Students Fighting For Freedom: From Delhi To Pondicherry appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Shivani Chimnani:

Part-time diploma courses have proven to be a massive hit across the country. Thousands of students enroll for a variety of part time diploma courses alongside their degree to enhance their knowledge in their preferred field and to have an edge over their peers. A very popular form of education in recent years, [envoke_twitter_link]a diploma can serve a much larger purpose than what it seems[/envoke_twitter_link]. It is distinct from a degree in many aspects; first, it is a short term course that focuses on training a person in a particular field. When it comes to relevance, diplomas face societal stigma and are regarded frivolous, but people often tend to overlook the myriad purposes a diploma can serve.

We often feel the need to create prominent social impact or undertake something philanthropic to serve a bigger purpose or work for the greater good, but something always comes up, be it time, sloth, incapacity, or mere unwillingness. Maybe it’s time to shrug it off and do good, and a diploma can assist you in that! In recent times, many universities have started offering diploma courses which enable a person to contribute substantially to the society. These courses render a person skilled and equipped to deal with crisis in society. Here are some diploma courses which can aid in creating considerable social impact:

1) Conflict Transformation and Peace Building, LSR, Delhi: Conflict transformation is a prescriptive concept. It suggests that conflict can have dire consequences. However, the consequences can be modified so that social relationships and structures improve as a result of conflict instead of being harmed by it. The Diploma Course is a one year integrated programme. It is offered to undergraduate and graduate students, NGO workers, media persons and grassroots workers. Any person holding an undergraduate Degree (BA/B.Sc./B.Tech) with minimum 60% marks in 10+2. (5% relaxation for SC/ST candidate) is eligible. Those pursuing final year of under-graduation can also apply.

2) Diploma in Renewable Energy, TERI University,Delhi: The power crisis being not so far away and the country edging towards the brink of exhaustion, the need for effective renewable energy sources is indispensable. While renewable energy systems on a large scale are an important step for keeping national and international infrastructures intact, it's also important to understand the scalability of renewable energy solutions. The course, developed in collaboration with UK Open University and Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, combines theoretical concepts with more than 30 years of research and policy advice undertaken in TERI on Renewable energy. The course is one year long and graduates in any stream are eligible to apply. The admission opens twice a year: May and November

3) Diploma in Human Rights, International, Humanitarian and Refugee Laws – The Indian Society of International Law (ISIL), Delhi: Human rights are the heart of progress in any society. Human rights education jolts awareness of rights, remedies and the highlights the global perspective and opinion of different fundamental rights. ISIL's ten-month Post Graduate course, which was started in the year 1999, runs in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC). The whole course is conducted over two semesters - August to December and January to April. Any graduate can apply for the course.

4) Diploma in Life Skills, Sexuality and Personal Safety Education, Christ University: The course is one year long and offered by Christ University, Bangalore. The course primarily elucidates the importance of sexual health (i.e. development of reproductive system, sexual development, gynecological and male reproductive system disorders, etc.). The course further dwells into the importance of awareness of child sexual abuse and sexual harassment as well as various aspects of child and adolescent psychology. The graduate diploma is open to all those who have passed class 12 and the PG diploma is open to graduates and above.

5) Graduate Certificate in Public Policy-Takshashila Institution: The study of public policy is a compelling confluence of the subjects of economics, law, political science, moral science and various other disciplines. The program provides a thorough understanding of the facets of public policy and its application in daily life. The course well equips the students with the essentials of public policy making process which is helpful in professional as well as personal life. The course duration is 12 weeks and a bachelor’s degree in any field is a prerequisite. Primarily an online course, it conducts two weekend workshops in Bangalore. It is currently not affiliated with any educational board or certification.

6) Post Graduate Diploma in Philosophy of Communal Harmony and Social Peace, Mumbai University: Communal division has been intrinsic in every activity of Indian society hindering the growth and progress of independent India since 1947. Till date, one encounters a large number of problems in day to day functioning because of the vast communal estrangement. The course provides a thorough and detailed analysis of the causes of communalism in India, the societal structure of various religions and how communalism can be combated for smooth functioning of the country. The course is spread over one year on a part time basis and a graduate student from any discipline is eligible to apply.

7) Post Graduate Diploma in Disaster Preparedness & Response, TISS Mumbai: With the advent of global warming accompanied by acute climatic change, natural disasters are soon to be common occurrences. Effective innovations and methods ought to be formulated to mitigate the impact of such disasters. The course enshrines the importance of disaster management in consonance with the country’s development, various scientific methods and technologies adopted for reduction and mitigation of natural disasters, the different approaches the community can adopt for contributing towards disaster management. The course is open to any person holding a bachelor’s degree in any stream, however candidates interested in working with victims of a disaster situation for a minimum of one year are preferred.

[envoke_twitter_link]Social impact diploma courses are of supreme importance to facilitate social development[/envoke_twitter_link]. If ordinary persons are stocked with the essential skills to undertake tasks which are sure to make social, economic & political progress, then social change won’t be a distant dream. As members of the society we are obligated to carry out our duty and responsibility to the society even in the slightest way possible. But, we often attribute incapacity and lack of skills as an excuse for our inability to contribute to the society. Well, say no more.

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The post For Those Interested In Creating Social Impact: 7 Diploma Courses You Could Check Out appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Homegrown:

Note: This article was originally published on Homegrown.

Indian textbooks have been making news for all the wrong reasons lately. The unearthing of some appalling mistakes in social science textbooks taught to English-medium government schools in the state of Gujarat have drawn attention to exactly what it is that impressionable minds are being exposed to in the country. 50, 000 students in Gujarat belonging to Classes 6-8 are being bombarded with some genuinely bizarre information, the curriculum having been decided by a panel of experts from the Gujarat State Board for School Textbooks (GSBST) and Gujarat Council of Educational Research and Training (GCERT). As India Today reports, the state government has taken measures to review these textbooks, the revised versions of which will be out in markets by the next academic season.

[caption id="attachment_52770" align="aligncenter" width="753"] Image source: Wikimedia Commons[/caption]

Interestingly though, in June, more than 42, 000 state government schools received free copies of textbooks written by Dina Nath Batra taught as reference literature, with titles like ‘Indianisation of Education (Shikhan nu Bhartiyakaran)’ and ‘Brilliant India’. In case you missed it, Batra, founder of the Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti, was in the news earlier this year for his agitation against Indologist Wendy Doniger’s book ‘The Hindus: An Alternative History’ resulting in Penguin Books India actually withdrawing from sale and pulping all existing copies, much to the dismay of people who actually care about forced censorhip.

A biased interpretation of events being relayed through education goes much further back than you’d think. The Partition of India, for instance, has been depicted in textbooks in India and Pakistan respectively; two conflicting versions of a shared history. The book History Project, a Lahore-based project by Ayyaz Ahmad, Qasim Aslam and Zoya Siddiqui, explores these discrepancies in a fascinating read.

The truth is, however, that the education system has been flawed long since; influenced by a system that it should keep a healthy distance from.

This got us wondering about what other absurd information was really out there, being circulated. Here’s a list of quotes from Indian textbooks over the past 10 years that will leave you quite speechless:

I. They (non-vegetarians) easily cheat, tell lies, they forget promises, they are dishonest and tell bad words, steal, fight and turn to violence and commit sex crimes.

The Class 6 Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) textbook titled ‘New Healthway: Health, Hygiene, Physiology, Safety, Sex Education, Games and Exercises’ explain in a matter-of-fact tone to 11-year-olds how people who eat meat are more prone to criminal behaviour. They will have you believe that meat-eaters are susceptible to urges to resort to violence and enjoy cheating, swearing and forgetting promises.

In response to NDTV’s story on the quote, at the time of publication, in 2012, CBSE chief Vineet Joshi explained, “We only recommend books for Class IX onwards. Books are chosen by individual schools. There is no monitoring of content of school books.”

The textbook also encourage girls getting married between the ages of 18 to 25 to ‘get married without a bad name is a dream of every young girl.’ An official of S Chand Publication said, after the controversy, that they would discontinue the textbook and replace them with revised ones.

II. Instead (of celebrating birthday with cakes and candles), we should follow a purely Indian culture by wearing swadeshi clothes, doing a havan and praying to ishtadev (preferred deity), reciting mantras such as Gayatri mantra, distributing new clothes to the needy, feeding cows, distributing ‘prasad’ and winding up the day by playing songs produced by Vidya Bharati.

Shikhan nu Bhartiyakaran (Indianisation of Education) by Dina Nath Batra, a name you should get familiar with quickly, is against the celebration of birthdays with cakes and candles deeming it a ‘western practice’. They would like us to forego the cake (why would you want to forego the cake?) and candles and instead indulge only in celebrating in ways that pertain to a ‘purely Indian culture’. They would also recommend charity work, finding and feeding cows and go as far as to suggest birthday night tunes.

This is a part of the Gujarat primary school syllabus as reference literature now, as of the announcement in June, 2014.

III. (The Indian map should include) ‘countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Burma’ (as it’s all a) ‘part of Akhand Bharat… Undivided India is the truth, divided India is a lie. Division of India is unnatural and it can be united again…’

Current macro-geopolitical norms don’t sit particularly well with Batra, he believes that the demarcated borders are, in fact, ‘a lie’.

In a book titled ‘Tejomay Bharat’ (Shining India) he talks about how India’s neighbours shouldn’t be recognised as different countries at all, and how it is all, actually a larger country that requires unification. This is also a part of the current Gujarat primary school syllabus as reference literature now, as announced in June, 2014.

IV. In a Social Science English-medium textbook for Standard 8 published by the Gujarat Council of Educational Research and Training (GCERT), it is published that after Partition in 1947, a new nation was born called, ‘Islamic Islamabad’ with its capital, ‘Khyber Ghat’ in the Hindukush Mountains.

This textbook officially crosses the line between a biased version of events being circulated to straight-up misinformation. Pakistan was evidently called ‘Islamic Islamabad’ after the Partition and the capital has been shifted into a mountain range. Dadabhai Navroji, Surendranath Bannerjee and Gopal Krishna Gokhale were also cited as being ‘extremists’ within the Congress Party pre-independence when they were actually regarded as moderates at the time.

V. Once Dr Radhakrishnan went for a dinner. There was a Briton at the event who said, “We are very dear to God.” Radhakrishnan laughed and told the gathering, “Friends, one day God felt like making rotis. When he was cooking the rotis, the first one was cooked less and the English were born. The second one stayed longer on the fire and the Negroes were born. Alert after His first two mistakes, when God went on to cook the third roti, it came out just right and as a result Indians were born.”

This quote is ridiculously racist and makes Dr Radhakrishnan, our first vice-president, sound like a man with a strange sense of humour who likes to ruminate on God’s culinary skills and mix them with some golden, old passive-aggressive analogies regarding humans. This quote made me look at my own roti in a wholly different light. I find that as long as they are hot and liberally slathered with butter, I am quite content.

This quote is also from one of Dina Nath Batra’s books, Prernadeep -3, provided as reference literature to students in English-medium primary schools in Gujarat. Go figure.

VI. The pilot and the Indian together thrashed the negro and tied him up with rope. Like a tied buffalo, he frantically tried to escape but could not. The plane landed safely in Chicago. The negro was a serious criminal…and this brave Indian was an employee of Air India.

“We reject racism of any form. Such views on a particular community cannot be accepted in today’s India. Any racialism propagated on an institutional level will be detrimental to the Indian society and can create havoc in future,” Mnaya Davis, an African student leader in Delhi, told Telegraph, deeming the portrayal in the textbook “medieval” and “racist”.

This deeply offensive quote is from Prernadeep -2, provided as reference literature to students in English-medium primary schools in Gujarat. The wait for ‘achche din’ continues.

[caption id="attachment_52771" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Image source: Wikimedia Commons[/caption]

VII. A donkey is like a housewife… It has to toil all day, and, like her, may even have to give up food and water. In fact, the donkey is a shade better… for while the housewife may sometimes complain and walk off to her parents’ home, you’ll never catch the donkey being disloyal to his master.

I had to read this one twice in quick succession out of horror, to believe my eyes. Published in Rajasthani textbooks, [envoke_twitter_link]14-year-olds were being taught to compare a housewife to a donkey[/envoke_twitter_link], suggesting that not only does she ‘toil all day,’ she might need to sacrifice food and water like the donkey. The donkey has been venerated for being loyal to a man, unlike the housewife who likes to whine and visit her parents’ home.

The Bharatiya Janata Party took umbrage to the excerpt leading to state education official A.R. Khan’s statement that "protests have been taken note of, and the board is in the process of removing the reference,’’ but not before explaining amiably to NBC News that ‘the comparison was made in good humour.’

VIII. Hitler lent dignity and prestige to the German government within a short time, establishing a strong administrative set-up.

Move over, Leni Riefenstahl. In a chapter titled ‘Internal Achievements of Nazism,’ this Gujarat school textbook rubbishes the Holocaust and projects Hitler as the true leader. It’s quite disturbing to think of the 13 to 15-year-olds that studied this textbook, walking around thinking that one of the most horrifying attempted genocides of the 20th century was, in fact, only a story about an authoritarian’s dignified rise to power.

A senior official from the state education department told the BBC that the discrepancies were due to poor translations from Gujarati into English, claiming that the textbook was being quoted out of context.

IX. The condition is one of arrested development or a natural deviation, and beyond that, homosexuality is a disease. It exists among all callings and at all levels of society. A prison sentence may do more harm than good. Psychotherapy is useful in some cases. Tribadism can be quite compatible with normal heterosexual behaviour. On the other hand, some lesbian women can be so morbidly jealous of such women with whom they are in inverted love, that they are sometimes incited to commit even murder.

The 22nd edition of Modi’s Medical Jurisprudence and Toxicology talks about drama, lesbianism and, eventually, a suspected murder, in this gem that dubs homosexuality a ‘disease.’ It also suggests psychotherapy as a ‘useful’ remedy in a tone that reminds you of someone shaking their head dejectedly, talking about a lost cause.

X. Female homosexuality is known as tribadism or lesbianism. According to Greek mythology, women of Isle of Lesbos practised this perversion… The practice is usually indulged in by women who are mental degenerates or nymphomaniacs (excessive sexual desire).

The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology – Dr K. S. Narayan, Reddy and Dr O. P. Murthy, 32nd edition, 2013, accuses women who wear their sexuality however they want to, of being depraved and being guilty of ‘excessive sexual desire’ and, hence, nymphomaniacs.

The word ‘lesbian’ did originate from the Greek Island of Lesbos, but not because all the women there ‘practised this perversion’. The word can be traced back to the 19th century but really came into use in the 1970’s with the lesbian feminist era. The poet and intellectual Sappho used to live in Lesbos in 600 BC, her material targeted by religious fundamentalists for her love poems to other women.The book differentiates natural and unnatural sexual offences. Sodomy, anal coitus, lesbianism and bestiality have been named under unnatural sexual offences. Natural offences have been called as rape, adultery, and incest.

The 2012 edition of ‘Principles of forensic medicine including toxicology, Apurba Nandy Reprinted, 2012’ claims that incest is still not an offence in India, while classifying sex offences under the highly questionable headings of ‘natural’ and ‘unnatural’. I would really like to understand what a ‘natural’ sex offence is – is it more ‘natural’ to want to rape someone, commit adultery or indulge in incest as opposed to being inclined towards bestiality?

This textbook is being taught in AIIMS, Delhi, BMC College, Bangalore, Kerala University of Health Sciences, BLDE University, Bijapur, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay College, Rajkot, JSS University, Mysore and Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine, Goa.

It may not seem of pressing consequence to shed light on, or even reform, some of these excerpts but let’s be very clear about just how debilitating such teachings really are for the future of our country. The students at whom a lot of this bigoted, uninformed, discriminatory information is being spewed at, have no reason not to believe what they’re being taught. And they, esteemed readers, are going to be the ruling class for you and your children when they come of age. Now that’s a bright future to look forward to.

The post These 10 Excerpts From Indian Textbooks Are Seriously Terrifying appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Jessie Yarrow: 

From the microphone wielding reporters to blaring radios, from the gigantic headlines to the constant tweets and videos, no one is unaware of the power of media in voicing the public opinion and delivering news to the masses. The sheer thrill of finding the truth, the challenges which follow in delivering it and the rewards and satisfaction it brings are enough reasons to attract youth towards this exceedingly challenging, highly adventurous and extremely demanding stream.

[envoke_twitter_link]Communication has always been an undeniable power, both for individuals as well as the masses[/envoke_twitter_link]. Three hours of a well-directed movie can leave even the most strong hearted with teary eyes; a five minute video song can induce motivation even among the most dejected minds which even long speeches cannot do. A simple photograph can speak volumes and spark a reaction among those who view it.

Even in the older days when the concept of democracy was not known and the people were more or less a controlled herd, mass communication was considered a weapon and was highly censored by those in power. When power was decentralized and people became their own masters, media and mass communication became even more dispensable as it became the sole medium through which people can make their voice heard.

As the time moved on and technology advanced, media and mass communication evolved into several spheres and adapted itself rapidly to the changing discourse of the world, on economic, political and social levels.

A degree in mass communication offers a lot of professional opportunities. Students who pursue courses in mass media are trained in mass communication, advertising, publishing, print and audio-visual journalism, film making and many other disciplines.

According to employment news weekly (a portal run by the government of India), more than 2, 50,000 people are currently working in the advertising and publicity stream alone. With more news channels and media organizations emerging in India, the demand for media professionals is on a rapid rise.

The streams which have branched throughout the media industry are: advertising, corporate media, electronic media, telecommunications, visual communications, entertainment etc. Students who study mass communication have a varied choice of professions in which they can excel. The industry is on a look out for not only news correspondents, reporters and news editors, but is also looking for people with technical skills such as visual artists, photographers, sound engineers etc. Those with a degree in mass communication can also work as public relations officers, media planners, publicity agents, research analysts and advertising managers.

[envoke_twitter_link]A career in media is highly demanding as it requires the combination of courage, sharpness and pace[/envoke_twitter_link]. The media field is filled with action and speed. The change is constant, the pace is fast and the competition is massive. Not to say the glamour which usually accompanies it and the pressures that cannot be shaken away.

Media and mass communication is a field which has the capability of making or breaking whole governments. It’s an arena which harbours the toughest and the strongest with a competition which is brutal and ruthless. It’s one of those few careers which have both executive as well as creative professions. In fact, a career in mass communication not only offers a chance to practice your creativity, but also exposes it to the whole world. A career in Mass Communication & Journalism promises a dazzling future if fuelled with the heat of passion.

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The post Speed, Competition, Pressure: The World That Awaits You After A Degree In Mass Media appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Lamya Ibrahim:

Last week, the Annals of Internal Medicine featured two blood-curdling incidents of misuse of authority. The entry written by an anonymous author, had asked a classroom of medical students to share an experience from their clinical rotations that they “perhaps still can’t forgive” themselves for. The first mentioned an offensive remark when preparing an anesthetized patient for elective surgery, and the other was a tasteless victory dance after reviving a lady from life-threatening bleeding post-delivery. What emerged was a varying amount of guilt and reminiscence from the medical fraternity and, horror amongst the public. How could doctors violate the trust patients place in them? And what can be done to bridge this increasing gap between practitioners and people?

In India, medical ethics has constantly swirled around hard-hitting topics like abortions and euthanasia, while issues of less urgency lay overlooked. Although life has proceeded at breakneck speed since Independence, the medical curriculum hasn’t changed much since the 50’s. Despite being heavily clinic-based, medical training rarely wanders into soft skills during the formative years.

MBBS graduates deal with the sick and dying, yet are rarely taught how to break bad news, how to console the terminally ill or, inform someone their loved one is no more. [envoke_twitter_link]As primary care physicians, they are envisioned as the go-to caretakers[/envoke_twitter_link] for a huge range of problems, yet they have no formal training in dealing with sensitive issues. Sexual issues remain a taboo due to which unwed mothers, members of the LGBTQ community and young people with Sexually Transmitted Diseases are much less likely to seek help openly. Lack of proper sex education in India puts part of the onus of meting out advice on protection, contraception and medical termination of pregnancy on doctors, but how many feel at ease enough to discuss these frankly?

The absence of such ‘soft skills’ is further explained by the existence of guidelines that remain within textbooks but don’t get implemented. While forensic medicine touches upon sexual abuse and sexual ‘perversions’, community medicine highlights topics of communication, counseling and health education and, most manuals on clinical medicine start with a chapter on assisting patients in expressing their concerns freely, students remain oblivious about keeping an empathetic approach because the knowledge is limited to the textbooks.

The current health scenario warrants an urgent remodeling of this attitude. Against a backdrop of shortage of funds and facilities, overcrowding, and a distorted representation in the media, the doctor-patient relationship is at jeopardy and needs to be addressed right at the undergraduate level. Recommendations ranging from regular feedback from senior doctors and patients to role-playing activities in the classroom should be followed, or better yet, standardized by the Medical Council of India as part of the syllabus. Communication skills can be applied throughout clinical education, as opposed to isolated workshops, cultivating habits in verbal communication, body language, and involving patients in their healthcare. Including students actively in different scenarios would allow them to reflect upon various aspects of a case, as would happen in real life.

Though it may take plenty of effort and time to make this vision a reality, we can hope it will result in more compassionate doctors, more applicable education and ultimately, contented patients.

The post The One Thing Doctors Haven’t Learnt: How To Communicate With Their Patients appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Rahul Jain:

There are more than 4000 engineering colleges in India which churn out over 1.5 million engineers every year. However the employment scenario is quite the opposite. Having a degree is no longer enough; it is only the bare minimum these days. But colleges offer many more opportunities that could help us acquire new skills and in turn spruce up our resumes. Here are a couple of activities that one can enroll oneself in, beyond the course/curriculum, in order to [envoke_twitter_link]stand out from the hordes of engineering students that graduate every year[/envoke_twitter_link]:

[caption id="attachment_53361" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Image source: Mozilla India[/caption]

1. Set your priorities straight- You might have gotten into your Bachelors without a very clear idea about your dreams and targets. However the longer this goes on, the harder it will be to achieve what you are capable of. So set your priorities and targets, and allocate resources, including finances and time, to it.
2. Join a college club- A college has numerous clubs that you can join. The club may be directly related to your stream, which will provide you with in-depth knowledge. For instance, SAE clubs for auto enthusiasts, in colleges, provide memberships, and conduct programs which you can attend only if you’re a member.
3. Join an organization- Volunteering in an NGO is always a worthwhile cause and helps you develop emotional intelligence, while AIESEC provides you with a genuine organizational experience along with international exposure. Toastmasters provides you with a platform to hone your people skills and meet people in position of power looking to do the same.
4. Participate in MUNs- One of the ways to work on your communication skills and general knowledge is to participate in MUNs, and be a part of the circuit. With institutes across the country holding MUN, there is a lot of scope for building your personality through formal and informal interaction.
5. Submit research papers- With multiple journals existing across the globe, one can send research papers to multiple journals and have their work published. It adds credentials to your resume while providing content to talk about in interviews.
6. Attend college fests- Yes, you read that right. Attending fests can help you. Eating at the stalls won’t, but competing in events will. They cater to a wide range of interests and talents, and are appreciated by the society as holistic activities which test you on multiple parameters instead of one. Not to mention all the fellow students from other colleges you could meet.
7. Attend a summer school- Schools can help you bolster your confidence on a subject you are weak at, immerse yourself in new surroundings, gain cultural and institutional exposure all at the same time. Also, you can pursue unique courses some universities offer.
8. Online courses- If you want to gain better understanding on a particular topic or prepare yourself for a shift in your stream, this is perhaps the best and the most cost-effective option. One can decide their study schedule, decide on the courses they want to take and view videos multiple times, if they cannot follow the topic. Sites such as Coursera offer some of the best programs from prestigious universities. You can also opt to get certificates for the courses you complete.
9. Play sports- Teamwork, integrity, solidarity are not just big words, but attributes people look up to, including employers and interviewers. It is also an excellent outlet for your frustrations and stress, and helps you maintain your physique at the same time. Participating at a competitive level adds further to your profile, should that be a driving motivation.
10. Attend networking events- You meet people everywhere you go, so theoretically every event is a networking event if you play it right. However, there are events meant specifically for this purpose and they generally have a theme attached to it that one can attend such as entrepreneur meet ups, or hackathons.  To quote a cliché, “A good lawyer knows the law; a great lawyer knows the judge.”
11. Intern- Your institute would have a dedicated time-frame for industrial training and internships, use that to get as much industrial exposure as you can, instead of working just for the certificate, and the final report.

The idea is simple- to stand out. In order to do that, one needs to offer something that sets them apart and is useful for the other party, be it another institute or a potential employer and let them know that you are better. Grades make you qualified, connections get you the job, and knowledge lets you keep the job.

Also read: For Those Interested In Creating Social Impact: 7 Diploma Courses You Could Check Out

The post Not Just Academics: These 11 Things That Can Set You Apart As An Engineering Graduate appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Shivani Chimnani:

Debating, the practice of regulated discussion of a proposition between two matched sides, still remains an unpopular sport in a majority of universities and colleges across India. The reasons for the same are pretty clear: ignorance, self-doubt, anxiety and obviously, stage fright. But, the secret is, debate is the best way to get rid of these. [envoke_twitter_link]A robust debating culture must be instilled in every university and school[/envoke_twitter_link] because it grooms one to be confident, cognizant and a vigilant being, and perpetuates discourse among young students on affairs affecting each one of us, about which we don’t bother to talk otherwise. The benefits are manifold:

[caption id="attachment_53402" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Image source: Wikimedia Commons[/caption]

1. Pumps self-confidence: Speaking in public is a common fear amongst most individuals, whether it's the leader of a country addressing the nation or a 13 year old student addressing his class. Before one starts debating, one goes through the phase of ‘paramount nervousness’, involving pre-debate jitters, stuttering, cold feet which are pretty natural. However once that stage is conquered you rise as a confident, fearless, and ingenious person, it’s almost magical. Debating is pretty much like a confidence building boot camp.

2. Information booster: Sadly a majority of young students of our country are utterly oblivious to existing global conditions. When regular discourse takes place on matters affecting each one of us, you are bound to read and gauge the various happenings, and start taking a bit of interest in the affairs of your country. Eventually debate teaches skills which help us fulfill our responsibilities as dutiful democratic citizens by making us an aware individual.

3.  A tool for self-discovery: Each time you debate, you will certainly learn something new. You discover traits you thought you never had like a confident demeanor, the skill of voice modulation, and powers of persuasion. You might also unravel your fierce side, staunch poise, convictions, humour, quick-wit and maybe even your dark side. It’s an endless journey of discovery and each debate leads to a moment of sheer epiphany.

4. Dose of discipline: The common perception about debating is that it’s a heated argument followed by grating cacophony and relentless violence, involving furniture breaking ultimately leading to complete anarchy. Well, college level debates are quite different from Lok Sabha ones (actually, most debates are). Debating requires you to be civilized, follow a certain set of rules and maintain proper decorum. You express your point well within your turn, so does your opposition and you make refutations by the power of your wit and voice, not your hand.

5. Sign of erudition: [envoke_twitter_link]Debating isn’t brash blurting of nonsensical jargon but insightful discussion of the erudite[/envoke_twitter_link]. Contrary to popular perception, debating is a formal discussion between two groups having opposing ideals that come together, display their contentions, duly hear the opposition’s argument and make the necessary rebuttals. Post the verdict, the winning or the losing side accepts their victory or failure with utmost grace without any melodramatic breakdown. As Aristotle once said, “It’s the mark of an educated mind to entertain a thought without accepting it.”

6. Improves oratory skills: One of the primary advantages of regular debating is attainment of impeccable oratory skills in the long run. Having eloquent conversational skills is essential for any situation or any profession for that matter. The key benefit is that debating acts as a direct precursor to better social and communication skills. Communication skills can’t be taught in schools or colleges, they can only be acquired through practical experience like debating. This non-physical sport can prove to be your best shot at effective communication skills, or rather your best shot at effective communication in life.

7. The power of dialogue: To thrive as a civilized society, it is essential to have peaceful discussions rather than aggressive confrontations. Inculcating young students, who will eventually comprise the global community, with the importance of dialogue, on matters of supreme or basic importance, would render them at a position to make better and informed decisions. Dialogue is a tool of liberation, progress and most importantly, change. Dialogue builds leaders. Dialogue leads to evolution. [envoke_twitter_link]Debates give you a forum where problems are openly discussed[/envoke_twitter_link], and by discussing the injustices suffered or wounds inflicted, there can be a profound impact on society at large. It may even lead to the ‘change’ you always desired, such is the power of dialogue.

The importance of debating can never be undermined, it is essential for the upliftment of mankind in general. If young students imbibe the practice of discussing everything, accepting multiple views, presenting their disagreement, despite being in the unpopular stand, they can one day attain the much dreamed of ideal civilized society.

The post The Power Of Debate: 7 Ways It Makes You Confident, Aware And Smart appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Jessie Yarrow: 

The Indian job market is not particularly welcoming for students. Since you cannot commit yourself to full-time work when studying is your priority, you have to look for a more flexible way to make money.

The Internet is a global market that offers tons of chances for people to make money. Depending on your skills, there are different options you can explore. For example, freelance writing is perfect for students who don’t have a problem to compose articles, blog posts and essays on any given topic. Some students have great computer skills, so they can accept data entry jobs that wouldn’t take much of their time. If you don’t possess writing or programming skills, you may try completing surveys, tutoring other students for subjects you’re knowledgeable in, or entering the global online market of virtual assistance.

Here are [envoke_twitter_link]5 online jobs college students can take up[/envoke_twitter_link]:

1. Content Writing

This is a broad category that includes blogging, website content writing, article completion, and academic writing. If you have the needed talent and diligence for this type of job, then you can make a great career out of it. For example, you can start completing different types of essays, research papers, book reports, and other types of content for a writing service. This may seem like too much work when you have your own projects to think of, but the payment is great.

Not all clients are reliable, so you must be careful when applying for job. Here is a safer option: you can create a profile on a platform that filters the ads and provides relatively secure offers. These are the websites you could consider when looking for writing opportunities:

● Elance
● upWork
● Textbroker
● Freelance Writing Gigs

2. Survey Completion

Have you ever received those spamming emails that ask you to complete surveys and promise payments? Well, they aren’t as crazy as you thought they were. If you find the right opportunity, you can actually make decent income out of surveys. This type job is not interesting or creative, but it’s still a great opportunity for students who don’t want to bother with demanding work.

Don’t start working on the first platform you stumble upon to. These three websites have established a solid reputation, and they get good reviews from their users:

● iPoll
● Survey Spot
● MyPoints

3. Virtual Assistance

Is this the first time you encounter the term virtual assisting? It is used to describe secretarial work over the Internet. You’ll need to schedule appointments, make phone calls, write and manage emails, and more. You can work for more than one client at the same time, but keep in mind that this job can take more time than you initially plan to devote.
There is not a particular website focused on this type of work, but the most popular freelancing platforms include ads for virtual assistants. These are the ones you could explore:

● iFreelance
● Elance
● upWork
● Guru

4. Data Entry

People who own websites don’t always have time to maintain them properly. Since they don’t want to provide full monthly payments to regular employees, they are willing to delegate some tasks to freelancers. This is where you come in. The client might ask you to conduct a research for a particular project, or take information from a spreadsheet to put it into the website.

This is a list of safe websites where you can search for data entry opportunities:

● Amazon Mechanical Turk
● iFreelance
● Elance

5. Tutoring

You surely have a favorite subject, right? Are your friends constantly asking you to explain the concepts? Well, you can make money for the same efforts if you join an online tutoring service. This type of work requires you to tutor students through video or chat messaging. You’ll help them complete homework and study for exams.

Building your own website for tutoring purposes could be too much work. That’s why you need a well-established service that provides all features you need (video conferencing, direct communication with the students, evaluation tools, and more). Check out these websites:

● Aim 4 A
● Tutor
● Homework Tutoring

As you can see, some websites are mentioned in multiple categories. That’s because they offer a wide range of freelancing opportunities. Before you start creating profiles on multiple platforms, think about your skills, read the terms and conditions, and choose one or two websites that fit into your criteria. Remember: [envoke_twitter_link]there is always a way to find a suitable online job for your skills[/envoke_twitter_link]. The opportunities are not limited to this list, so make sure to explore your options before committing yourself to a particular offer.

The post “The Internet Offers Tons Of Chances For People To Make Money”, Including Students appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Navneet Arora: 

We step into our college life with a certain expectation in mind. This is perhaps the first big choice we make in our lives of what course do we want to take up and we get to study the subjects of our choice. Additionally, the freedom that college brings gives us a space to explore various avenues beyond our classrooms that help us grow holistically. But gradually, we learn the rules of the land. By the end of the first semester when we are struggling to touch the required attendance mark. Life becomes monotonous because our schedule only involves going to college from home and back.

[caption id="attachment_53857" align="aligncenter" width="816"] Image source: Tobias Leeger/Flickr[/caption]

Can't Ignore The Classes

Indeed college is not simply the KJo film that made us anticipate a red carpet welcome into a rosy view where we do everything else apart from attending classes. Contrary to this and for the sake of reality, it is indeed important to attend classes.

However, students working for the college and its extra-curricular societies find it difficult to create a balance between their academics and other interests. "I miss a lot of classes because of my society work and not able to understand a thing if and when I do get to attend a class. It is all out of context, and I feel totally alienated from the technical words being used in class and which topic is going on in which subject. Giving an exam becomes a Herculean task and it mostly becomes rote memorization at the last minute," says a 2nd Year student.

Moreover, there are certain concepts and nitty-gritties that one can only understand when a teacher explains them in class, or when we are part of certain discussions that elicit various viewpoints on a particular topic. One can’t even recover these from other people’s notes later on. There is always an extra bit of learning in class which cannot be found after it is missed. Although a very high attendance requirement (which is 75% in some cases) puts a considerable restraint on the amount of time and energy that one could have devoted to various things otherwise.

The Constant Fear Of Low Attendance

At some point in time, every student in their college life has faced a dilemma of attending a class just for attendance, or doing something else which probably interests them more. The student finds himself/herself in a tight corner when their college is particularly strict about attendance.

There is a perpetual fear among students to achieve that 75% or 66% attendance mark. Rakshitha Arni, 3rd year student from Lady Shri Ram College for Women says, "The scenario is worse when one misses classes for important work within the college, like paying the fee. People performing for college societies do get ECA, but only a third of it is added to their final attendance. And the weightage of medical leave is worse."

After this, if you fail to meet the required attendance, then you will have to run around the entire college either for meeting the Principal or signing undertakings or bonds. You have a constant fear of not being allowed to sit for your semester exams or being detained. Life becomes stressful just to get those little extra percent added to your attendance.

Students taking admissions under sports quota also have to bear the brunt of strict attendance. Soumya Babbar, 2nd year student from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, and a national level basketball player says, "I am not able to attend classes because of tournaments and national camps and find it difficult to cope with the syllabus. I feel that the college should not make it difficult for people from Sports or ECA category in getting attendance because we are doing something apart from studies for the college itself. In such a scenario, one does not demand extra marks for attendance."

Similar to this, one is reminded of Unmukt Chand’s story in 2012, who brought us the Under-19 World Cup but was not allowed to sit for his exams because of short attendance.

Striking A Balance

The basic problem lies in the fact that we do not consider sports and co-curricular activities to be as important as academics. Many times, students who are not able to cope are sometimes brought to a position where they have to quit. Apart from lowering the attendance requirement for students from ECA, the colleges should help students working for the college so that they can cope with what they miss. Tutorial classes could be utilised for this purpose.

To help students in a way that they do not have to give up on their interests apart from academics, the colleges can make sure that time-tables have specific slots for ECA/Sports, which some colleges do. If and when students have to miss classes because of competitions or tournaments, it should be made easier for them to get their attendance in accordance with the classes they have missed.

In fact, they can also be given extra credit for being part of activities. In general, the attitude towards co-curriculars and sports needs to change, and one should learn to strike a balance with the academics.

The crux of the matter turns out to be that although a certain requirement for attendance needs to be specified, it should not be so high that it haunts the students. Due importance should be given to academics as well as co-curricular activities, and shouldn't curtail our knack for exploring ourselves outside the boundaries of our classrooms.

The post The Work-Play Juggling That Leaves Students Struggling For ‘Attendance': What’s The Fix? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Asmita Sarkar:

One in three graduates in India are unemployed. You can imagine then how cutthroat the competition is.With few jobs and thousands of overqualified people applying for it, we need all the help we can get.

Whether you’re fresh out of college or have five years of experience, job interviews can be nerve wracking. And If you were to be rejected only because you couldn’t put your brilliant ideas across, it would be a shame. In these hard times, when good jobs are rare, preparing oneself for all kinds of questions, that could come your way, would be the best strategy.

Here's a list of 34 questions that could help you whether you're a fresher or are experienced.

[caption id="attachment_54274" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Image source: Graphs.net[/caption]

The post Going Prepped: 34 Most Asked Interview Questions And Their Ideal Answers appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Krithika Rao:

Heena, a 10-year old girl with big dreams in her big eyes, studies in a low-income private school in Seelampur, Delhi. It had been a week since she was stopped coming to school. Although all the kids live in the same locality, nobody knew the reason for her absence. So, after a week of continuous absence, I decided to visit her house. Heena lives in Dedh number gali (Street number 1 and a 1/2), a very narrow side lane in the Brahmpuri area of Seelampur, where piled up garbage and bees hovering over them grace the street every 50 meters. The lady who greeted me at the door looked so young and small, with shrunken eyes and a bandaged head. Had it not been for the sari and her covered head with ghungat, I would have mistaken her for any regular college-going girl. With folded hands she said, "Namaste ma'am, main Heena ki mummy." That day, I stayed and talked with Heena's mother for nearly 2 hours. It seemed that she never had anyone to talk to about her woes to and today she could let her heart out.

Heena's mother, Tanvi, got married at the age of 14 and had Heena at 15. Tanvi lost her father when she was 6 to alcohol and drugs. Her mother took care of her but unable to sustain themselves, married Tanvi off to an unemployed person. She is 25 years old today, has 3 children and is a victim of physical, mental and sexual abuse. Tanvi's husband comes home drunk almost every night and beats her and the kids. 3 nights ago, he tried forcing himself on her in front of the kids, and when she declined and fought back, he beat her so bad that he almost banged her head, and he called her and Heena a whore. She lay unconscious for hours. She says, "Ma'am, is umar mein maine jitna dekha hai or saha hai, utna kabhi kisi aur ko na dekhna pade" (Ma'am, I wish nobody ever has to go through what I have gone through at such a tender age).

"I am 25 with 3 kids and an abusive husband. I am living only for the kids, else I have no wish or a reason to live."

"Mera sapna? Main dancer banna chahti thi." (My dream? I wanted to become a dancer).

"Mujhe apne liye koi ummeed nahi hai, bas ab sab kuch in bachon ke liye hi hai" (I don't have any hope for myself, now I just want to give my kids everything).

Very sadly, it's the same with Shabia, Fiza, Tanya and many more women in Seelampur. A lot of them never had any education, they are dependent solely upon their drunk husbands and other male members in their family. It is very sad that even after 70 years of Independence when the whole nation is revolutionizing, in many parts of our society women are still subjected to neglect, violence and abuse. They are still supposed to cover their faces and hide themselves behind the purdah(veil) when an elderly person or an outsider comes; their schooling is stopped after 8th grade; they are not allowed to work outside.

[caption id="attachment_54400" align="aligncenter" width="800"] For representation only[/caption]

Having grown up in a posh community with all the privileges, worked and lived abroad, advocating about how much India has grown and how it's women have come up in their life and how India is not the land of snake charmers, elephants and women behind purdahs anymore to first-world countries, this came as a hard slap on the face.

I work as a teacher in Seelampur in North-East Delhi, as part of Teach for India, an NGO that works for education equality in low-income communities. During this fellowship, I got to realize how easy our life has always been and how difficult it could get. Now in my second year of the 2 year fellowship, and having taught an amazing bunch of 5th graders in a low income school in Seelampur, I feel that these kids and their community have taught me much more than what I could teach them.

[envoke_twitter_link]Tanvi, Shabia, Fiza and all the other women in the community hope for a brighter future for their kids[/envoke_twitter_link]. They are willing to go to any length to give their children a good education. Tanvi has enrolled herself for 10th-grade exams through open schooling this year, despite her family's protests. I, with my colleagues, have started a skill-development training centre in Seelampur for the women to get trained in a skill that would equip them to lead a life of dignity and respect, and that would enable them to sustain themselves and ensure a good future for their children. Being part of the skill development programme will help them earn and save money for their children's future education. They all have a dream, that one day their kids will achieve their dream.

It feels wonderful when my girls tell me that they will fight for their equality (and they are only 10) when my boys argue with their parents to send their sister to school with them. It makes me believe that there is a hope for these kids, for their parents, for Seelampur and for this country.

The post The Incredible Story Of Seelampur’s Mothers: Fighting Poverty And Abuse For Their Children appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Priyanjana R Das:

In India, only 0.37% of GDP is spent on higher education and this has been showing a declining trend in recent years.

The General Agreement On Trade In Services (GATS) is a multilateral agreement under the WTO that came into effect in 1995. Since education is under the service sector (and I am talking particularly about higher education in India), the idea behind signing GATS is to turn education into a market-complementary arrangement, against the existing market-excluding arrangement.

Proponents of the market-complementary model suggest that in market-friendly western economies, high literacy could be realized not only because of active state interaction, but also because of a very significant role played by the private sector. The process of making education market-complementary is nothing but ‘commodification’ of education, in simple terms.

[caption id="attachment_54618" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Image Source: Wikipedia[/caption]

What Exactly Is The GATS?

What the GATS necessarily means, is that with the billion dollar flourishing education industry in Asian liberal economies and western market-friendly economies, the process of education will be harmonized throughout the world so that all qualifications become equivalent and can be traded freely across borders, which not only emerges as a success model to trade education but also trade people. In this model, education is seen as a means of generating 'human capital'.

To make education tradeable, which will in turn allow people to move around, education needs to undergo reformation. To do away with the traditional model of education and bring in reform, implementation must be carried out keeping the interest of students and teachers in mind and not just the commodification of education, else it will turn out to be another infamous overhaul as seen in the case of FYUP in DU.

Is Harmonization A Good Idea?

In my very humble and honest opinion, the process of harmonization here should be renamed ‘polarization’ because the harmonization of education is going to be a harmonization with the system of education in the USA, and not otherwise. [envoke_twitter_link]In reality, we are all being made equivalent to Americans in education [/envoke_twitter_link]as also in so many other things.

It will, in India, mean various people in colleges changing their college leaving age, or compulsorily having to pursue a masters degree for a year just to make themselves 'fit' for a harmonized education, as students do now for pursuing further degrees in the US. In different countries, people start their education in different ages. This will mean a worldwide reform if many countries become signatory to the WTO GATS.

The idea is that [envoke_twitter_link]if some countries provide education for free, it creates an unfair advantage to the other countries[/envoke_twitter_link]. Why would a person pay for education in one country when they can get it for free in another country! This model advocates for unsubsidized education for all countries so that people can move and transfer education between different countries. The finance for such kind of education in this model is highly privatized as it will be encouraged by the way of loans. If this happens, education will be a luxury of the few and it will be even more inaccessible to the people we must make it most accessible to. The Government of India should instead encourage a right to exercise free and subsidized higher education in a developing young demography as in India.

Once the global market forces enter and once FDI is opened up for education in India, education will be in the hands of few people and the interest of student and teacher will be subdued and exploited in the name and the process of trade of education, leaving the poor even more excluded and distressed.

Should We Encourage Foreign Participation In Education?

We must definitely not oppose foreign universities if they come to India and participate on the basis of educational and cultural relations between the two or many countries to exchange and spread knowledge. If we turn our pages, this has been a prominent welcoming feature throughout India’s history and was promoted by leaders of the freedom struggle like Tagore. But, the same is not the case under the WTO agreements. The foreign universities will come to India under the global trade agreement to establish profitable institutions.

Also, under this agreement, it is not mandatory that only well-established, good-quality foreign universities are allowed to India to provide comparable education and research facilities. This will heavily compromise with the quality of education and research in India. Any 'service provider' can easily establish a new sub-standard university in the country of origin and then establish an extended branch here. A survey report published by World Bank in 2000 on foreign educational providers states that "well-known universities of developed countries established low-standard branches in backward countries."

[envoke_twitter_link]Education must be an initiative of the state[/envoke_twitter_link]. We have fought for our right to education and we have been led into a growing literacy, not by market presence, but by subsidized and quality education which made many realize their dream of pursuing higher education. Education is not a trade. Education must not be put for sale from one university to another. What we must realize is that education is not a means for producing human capital from the investment made and income generated out of it, but it is a force that educates the mind.

Education gives people opportunities instead of making an opportunity out of people. It is not something which is concentrated as a tradable objects in the hands of a very few people but something which is promoted by the government, not as a market-led sector but as a sector that needs nurturing, care, research, development and growth. What we need today is not to orient ourselves with an education system best suited to the western world and overhauling our system to polarize with a system not best suited for our needs and not compatible given our resources at hand, but to develop our own and also respect the need and system of other nations. We are a developing nation and we need literacy of our people and education of our minds in the first place to develop as a nation. What we need is not privatization of education but striving to our best capabilities to make our system of education more and more inclusive and free. What we need is an increased percentage of spending of GDP on education.

The post Want Your College Degree To Work In All Countries? But It’s Probably Not The Best Idea appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.