Pallikkutam: March 2015 by james paul

FROM EDITOR’S DESK

MAGAZINE ON EDUCATION

Exams are stepping stones

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 10 March 2015

Managing Editor Dr. Varghese Panthalookaran CMI Editor James Paul Associate Editor Dr. Prasant Palackappilly CMI

Columns K. L. Mohanavarma Dr. K. N. Raghavan Dr. Jos Cletus Plackal Dr. P. C. Alexander Sajit Malliyoor

Marketing Manager Varghese Kachappilly CMI Art Sajo Joseph

Almost everyone feels nervous before an exam. “Will I be able to answer the questions? Have I done enough revision?” – are indications of exam nerves that are probably familiar to all students. In fact, a certain amount of nervous tension probably helps us perform to the best of our ability, producing a rush of adrenaline that helps us to feel alert and focused. But too much anxiety can create a negative frame of mind, block thoughts, and lead to panic and to potentially poor exam performance. We need to view examinations not as hurdles in life, but as stepping stones to greater progress. Examinations are stepping stones to rise higher, slowly moving towards the top. Some steps are easy to climb. Others are not. However, examinations are crucial since they provide a means to test the level of knowledge attained by a student. As challenges are a part of one’s life at different stages, one of the challenges during school years is learning to handle examination pressure. Surveys have shown that large majority of school going students experience tension, worry and stress during examinations. Therefore, equipping oneself to face these emotions in simple ways is the wisdom. Doing away with examinations is not a solution to end such tension. Competition is a part of life and cannot be eliminated. Although our immediate interest is the formal examinations we encounter in everyday academic and professional life, let us not overlook that in due course everyone realizes that living honourably is also an examination. Our success depends upon our attitude. When we are positive and adopt a constructive approach towards what confronts us, we are successful. When we harbour doubts, we buckle. In the same way, it is important that we learn to be positive whenever we are preparing for examinations. To counteract the tension linked with it, the solution lies in developing the correct attitude towards examinations and in understanding how to deal with them more pleasantly. Our attitude and confidence will take us towards success. We have a series of articles written by people from different walks of life about their exam experiences. These experiences will help you to ease out your tension. As our cover story says: ‘Don’t stress, Do your best, Forget the rest.’

Contact: Rajagiri Media, Rajagiri Valley P.O, Kakkanad, Kochi-39. Phone : 0484 2973979 Mob: +91 9497711010 Mail : editor@rajagirimedia.com www.pallikkutam.com

Best wishes for your exams!

CONTENTS GUEST COLUMN 48

CO VER ST OR Y COVER STOR ORY

Exam round the corner On an examination day what else is more important than your examination?

K. L. Mohana Varma EXPERT COUNSEL 14

Who will win the World Cup?

A captain is required to be super cool, innovative, daring, motivating and, most important of all, be blessed with a huge slice of luck.

Dr. K.N. Raghavan PERSONAL 17

Don't stress, do your best, forget the rest “In ninth grade, I came up with a new form of rebellion. I hadn’t been getting good grades, but I decided to get all A’s without taking a book home. I didn’t go to math class, because I knew enough and had read ahead, and I placed within the top 10 people in the nation on an aptitude exam.” Bill Gates

Exam experience of a ‘back-bench-er’............................................... Anand Shyam

Bullying in schools Almost every child may experience teasing in schools, but it becomes bullying when it is repetitive in nature or when there is a conscious intent to hurt another child.

An exam I enjoyed most................................ P. V. Alby

Brain, bravado or bribes?..............................

38 41

R. S. Pillai

Exams are forever........................................... Sajit Malliyoor 04

Lakshmi N Menon Pallikkutam | March 2015

MARCH 2015 STORIES OF LIFE 20

Addictive love affairs and alluring afflictions Adolescence is the time to watch for budding love affairs, the passionate search for companionship, relentless quest for “likes”, romantic relationships, etc. Dr. Jos Cletus Plackal HEAL TH MONIT OR 22 HEALTH MONITOR

Immunization: the best investment for your child Childhood vaccination is one of the great triumphs of modern medicine. These vaccines are undoubtedly the most cost effective healthcare interventions. Dr. Serena Mohan Varghese POLICY WATCH 31

An account of the woes of the Indian educator!

REGULARS NEWS................................. 06 INSIGHTS.......................... 09 INTER VIEW ......................... 11 INTERVIEW VIEW......................... CREA TIVE LIVING ............ 26 CREATIVE LIVING............ INFO TECH........................ 29 INNO VATIONS ................... 46 INNOV TIONS................... ASPECTS ............................ 52 ASPECTS............................ RAINBO W.......................... 62 RAINBOW REFLECTIONS .................. 66 SUBSCRIBE NOW TURN TO P AGE 65 PA

The number of job opportunities in the sectors other than education has a direct influence over the quality of those who aspire to become teachers.

Dr. D. Dhanuraj CURRENT AFF AIRS 56 AFFAIRS

Sex education: right to information Even the most literate state with best possible health indices finds it extremely challenging to even define what sex education is.

Dr. P. C. Alexander Pallikkutam | March 2015

For online subscription, log on to www.pallikkutam.com 05

NEWS

Govt announces new IIT, IIMs

he government announced the setting up of an IIT in Karnataka along with IIMs in Jammu & Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh in Union Budget.

National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, one each in

BUDJET 2015

“In the fiscal year 2015-16, I propose to set up an IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) in Karnataka, and upgrade Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad into a full-fledged IIT,” finance minister Arun Jaitley said while presenting the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha here. The minister, who gave a speech for over one and a half hours, also proposed to set up a Postgraduate Institute of Horticulture Research and Education in Amritsar. “IIMs (Indian Institute of Management) will be setup in Jammu & Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh. In Kerala, I propose to upgrade the existing National Institute of Speech and Hearing to a university of Disability Studies and Rehabilitation,” he said.

Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. “... and an Institutes of Science and Education Research in Nagaland and Odisha. I also propose to set up a centre for film production, animation and gaming in Arunachal Pradesh, for the northeastern Jaitley said that in his budget speech in states and Apprenticeship Training July 2014, he had indicated his intention to Institute for Women in Haryana and have one major central institute in each Uttarakhand,” he said. The finance state. He also proposed three new minister said he proposed “to set up a

fully IT-based Student Financial Aid Authority to administer and monitor Scholarship as well as educational loan schemes, through the Pradhan Mantri Vidya Lakshmi Karyakram”, so that poor and middle class students could pursue higher education of their choice without any fund constraints. “We will ensure that no student misses out on higher education for lack of funds,” he said. Institutions and their staff say the quality of faculty and research should be priority. The minister has said that two more IIMs will be set up, in Jammu & Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh. This will take the total number to 20. Further, Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad will be converted into an IIT, apart from setting up a new IIT at Karnataka. In its Budget in July 2014, the government had announced setting up six new IIMs, in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra and Andhra. Further, in that Budget, the government had announced the setting up of five new IITs, in Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Andhra and Kerala. With this year’s Budget proposal, the number of IITs (including those proposed) would go up to 23.

Government cuts spending on education, health of children: NGO

he Union Budget for 2015-16 has cut spending on child education, development, health and protection as compared to last year, child rights organization CRY has said. Criticising the Union Budget for 2015-16, NGO Child Rights and You (CRY) has said “in absolute terms” child budget has decreased from Rs 81,075.26 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 57,918.51 crore in 201516. It has said as a proportion of the total expenditure of the government, the child budget has seen a “sharp decline” from

4.52 per cent in 2014-15 to 3.26 per cent in 2015-16. It has also said that within the total child budget in 2015-16, education has received priority and as a result the distribution of resources earmarked for children has become “skewed”, compared to last year.

Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) has declined from Rs 18,195 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 8,335.77 crore in 201516. On Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), the allocation increased by only Rs 2.23 crore compared to the previous budget,” it has said in a press release.

According to CRY’s analysis, child education would receive 79 per cent followed by child development with a share of 15.2 per cent and child health and child protection would get only 3.9 and 1.8 per cent of the resources, respectively. “It is worrisome that the allocation for

“Similarly, massive cuts have been announced in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Rs 22,000 crore from Rs 27,758 crore in 1415) and mid day meal scheme (Rs 9,236 crore as against Rs 13,215 crore in 14-15),” it said.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

NEWS

13% hike in allocation for higher education

iving a boost to higher learning and with the promise of providing one major central institute in each state, the government earmarked Rs 26,855 crore for higher education, an increase of over 13 per cent over last year.

within five km reach of each child, we need to upgrade over 80,000 secondary schools and add or upgrade 75,000 junior/ middle to the senior secondary level,” he said in his speech. “We also have to ensure that education improves in terms of quality and learning outcomes,” he added.

For the year 2015-2016, the government allocated Rs 26,855 crore to the department of higher education under the human resource development (HRD) ministry compared to Rs 23,700 crore in 2014-15, registering an increase of 13.31 per cent — a little over last year’s 12.9 per cent. The finance minister said in his Budget speech that he has allocated Rs 68,968 crore to the education sector including mid-day meals.

Under the department, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) - a flagship programme to achieve universalization of elementary education in a time bound manner - has been allocated Rs 100 crore as compared to Rs 93.14 crore last year. Jaitley also said that with a view to enable all poor and middle class students to pursue higher education of their choice without any constraint of funds, “I propose to set up a fully IT based Student Financial Aid Authority to administer and monitor Scholarship as well as educational loan schemes, through the Pradhan Mantri Vidya Lakshmi Karyakram”. He said it would be ensured that no student misses out on higher education for lack of funds. Jaitley added that an integrated education and livelihood scheme called ‘Nai Manzil’ would be launched this year to enable minority youth who do not have a formal school-leaving certificate to obtain one and find better employment. Hailing the Budget, Prashant Bhalla, president, Manav Rachna Educational Institutions, said it was a “welcome Budget” for the education sector.

However, the allocation for the department of school education and literacy saw a decrease of 9.79 per cent over 2014-15. The government has set aside Rs 42,219.5 crore for the department for 2015-16, as compared to Rs 46,805 crore last year. Human resource development .inister Smriti Irani praised Jaitley for giving importance to girls’ education. She said it is “a pragmatic Budget that gives lot of thrust on infrastructure, skill India, innovation, girls’ education”. Jaitley also proposed to set up a Centre for Film Production, Animation and Gaming in Arunachal Pradesh for the northeastern states along with an Apprenticeship Training Institute for Women in Haryana and Uttarakhand. The minister noted that educating and skilling youth to enable them to get employment is the altar before which all must bow. “To ensure that there is a senior secondary school

Pallikkutam | March 2015

“The finance minister has given the much needed push to professional and technical education by announcing the establishment of IITs. The plan for upgrading 80,000 secondary schools is just an indication of the focus towards quality education,” he said in a statement.

Faculty shortage 32% at IITs, 22% at IIMs

rivate engineering colleges across the country are about 30% short of faculty, but premier national institutes aren’t in a better place. The average faculty shortage in IITs is 32%, while it is 31% in IIITs, 22% at IIMs and 25% in NITs. Only six out of the 16 IITs have met the guideline of a 10:1 student to faculty ratio. All six are among the eight IITs that were founded in 2008. IIT Hyderabad and Jodhpur are the other two, which have a student-faculty ratio of 16:1 and 17:1 respectively. The other eight older IITs face an average faculty shortage of 41%, according to a reply to a question raised in Lok Sabha. In 2008, the Union Ministry for Human Resource and Development announced eight new IITs under the Institutes of Technology Act (amended), 2011. In July 2014, the Centre announced five new IITs in Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Chattisgarh and Goa. In the Union budget presented on Saturday, one new IIT has been proposed for Karnataka, and the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, has been proposed for conversion to an IIT. “The Union government should stop announcing new IITs. With existing IITs facing acute shortage of faculty, finding quality teachers for the new institutions will be hard,” said D P Kothari, former director of IIT-Delhi. Kothari said stringent rules for promotion and lack of incentives stop many from applying for the positions. “Publishing research papers, writing books, managing academia and other related activities are the standards for a good faculty. But, the rules for promotion in IITs and NITs are so stringent that most teachers change jobs,” said Kothari. “Fearing the rules, most freshers do not apply.”

NEWS

ESIC to close 400 medical, dental colleges

he Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has decided to shut down all its medical, dental and nursing teaching institutions. While, ESIC is shutting down approximately 400 institutions across India, the students and the faculty are fearing the repercussion of this decision.

India to witness major changes in medical education

ndia will see major changes in medical education and healthcare within the next couple of years, renowned cardiac surgeon Devi Shetty said recently as he called for technology-enabled solutions to address pressing health issues. Delivering the key note address at the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) Devi Shetty said the next big thing in health care will not be “magic pill” or a new operation but information technology.

need to change the way medical colleges are established. “We need to change it because cost of medical education has to come down significantly. Children from poor families should get into them and become doctors,” Shetty said. “Outstanding doctors throughout the world, who have magic in their fingers, passion to change things, generally come

A.K Agrawal, Director General of ESIC said, “ESIC should exit the field of medical education entirely and the regular teaching faculty recruited will be given an option of utilizing their services in the ESIC in a non teaching role.” The Medical students of the ESIC, medical students from Delhi, Indian Medical Association, students from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Delhi University (DU), organised a protest outside the Constitution Club in New Delhi on February 18. The students demanded for the continuation of admissions and academic sessions. The students also demanded for the renewal of permissions, validation and recognition of the degree and faculty experience. “You cannot have a country with GDP shooting up to 7-8 per cent and 80 per cent of population not having access to proper healthcare. They have to bring about change,” he said.

Dr. Sayantan Banerjee said, “The two main reasons that the government is giving for the shutdown of medical colleges are the lack of funds and that the medical education does not serve the core functioning of the ESI Corporation.”

During the speech, he referred to estimates by WHO which predicted a shortage of 12.9 million healthcare workers presently. However, he said that his own estimates suggest that it is going to be twice as that as India only requires 3 million new doctors and 6 million nurses today. “What we can do collectively and what is desperately required in this world is a global university for medical nursing and para-medical education,” said Shetty, who runs Narayana Health in Bangalore. Noting that, it was very expensive to start a medical school in India, he said there was a

from deprived background. These are the children who have fire in the belly and work for 18-20 hours and change the way healthcare is delivered,” he added. “Existing medical universities will not be very happy with this concept (global university). It is not required that every country has their own medical university. India can afford but lot of African countries cannot afford it,” he said. “Having a global university, one can actually reduce the cost,” he added. He said that another big thing in healthcare is online clinics and elaborated that in the coming 10 years, entire outpatient services provided by doctors will disappear and patients will stay at home and get online consultations.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

INSIGHTS

Working of a teacher’s brain Digital badges

new research published in the Journal of Neuroscience, has identified the parts of the brain involved in computing mistakes in other people’s understanding, which is a key process in guiding students’ learning. The MRI scans has revealed that a region of the teachers’ brain called the anterior cingulate cortex helped them to identify when their students erred. The research gives significant insight into the brain processes of teachers that allow them to understand their student’s learning

and to provide useful feedbacks to them. The study has also identified some of the key structures and computations in the human brain that are important for teaching, revealing the mechanisms that underpin the teaching process in the human brain. As the findings provide the foundations for understanding how the brain works when people are teaching others, they may allow one to develop tools in future to help teachers guide the learning of their students.

Wikipedia has a role still

he researchers from Monash University’s Faculty of Education have found that even though wikipedia has not supplanted traditional sources of intellectual scholarship and authority, it remains as a popular background resource with students. Wikipedia, the world’s sixth most visited website wasn’t seen as the most useful education resource. Google and other internet search engines, library websites, learning management systems and Facebook all ranked higher. However, large number of students still uses Wikipedia for the background research.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

The researchers recommends that given the important but relatively background role Wikipedia plays in student life, universities should continue to consider ways of better integrating Wikipedia into their accepted modes of teaching and learning provision. Wikipedia is there to stay, and universities should be getting more engaged with it rather than just trying to deny its existence, suggests the study. For example, the lecturers should be encouraging their classes to edit and improve Wikipedia pages. At the very least, more academics should become Wikipedia editors - writing on their areas of expertise.

motivate learning

he blend of digital technology and traditional merit badges, such as those earned by Boy and Girl Scouts, would provide an opportunity to both motivate and measure learning, according to new study published in International Journal of Learning and Media. The modern digital badges are the online representation of mastery of knowledge or skills. They can be a valuable supplement to the more established educational assessment tools such as classroom grades, concludes the study. The study identifies three essential ingredients for successful educational badges: They have to present some enjoyment for the learner, they must recognize work that extends beyond a student’s typical academic ability and the student has to value what that badge represents. Badges can be important supplements to more established educational assessment devices, suggests the study. They add another dimension to the learning process that traditional testing tools do not address. Tests usually measures what you have learned. Even if you pass a test at the end of a course, it’s hard to know what that means in regards to your learning. It’s what you do with what you learned and how it continues to grow that matters. Badges can change the focus on testtaking providing a tool for motivation and assessment, and a way to provide credentials for learning. Badges motivate. Badges also designate credentials, a representation of ability. Digital badges can be displayed online. In professional settings, the value is that employers can see what an individual has learned. The power of the digital badge is that it provides assessment for what normally goes ignored.

INSIGHTS

‘Kindness Curriculum’ for preschoolers

new curriculum for preschoolers, called “Kindness Curriculum” has Attention, Breath and body, Caring practice as its ABC. The curriculum is meant to promote social, emotional and academic skills. Researchers have found that kids who had participated in the curriculum earned higher marks in academic performance measures, while showing greater improvements in areas that predict future success. The results are published in the journal Developmental Psychology. The research team developed a curriculum to help children between the ages of 4 and 6 years learn how to be more aware of themselves and others through practices that encourage them to bring mindful attention to present moment experience. These practices could enhance the children’s self-regulation skills, such as emotional control and the capacity to pay attention, and influence the positive

development of traits like impulse control and kindness, hypothesized the researchers. Each lesson provided students

and teachers the opportunity to participate in mindfulness practices, including activities focused on compassion and gratitude, and to take note of their experience. For example, kids were

encouraged to think about people who are helpful to them -- sometimes those they may not know well, like the bus driver — and to reflect on the role these people play in their lives. One of the kids’ favorite activities was a practice called “Belly Buddies,” in which they listened to music while lying on their backs, a small stone resting on their stomachs. They were asked to notice the sensation of the stone, and to feel it rising and falling as they breathed in and out. It is found that the “Kindness Curriculum” helps to promote social, emotional and academic skills of the students. The researchers expect to see mindfulness-based practices become “woven into” the school day, adapted to students across grade levels, becoming a foundation for how teachers teach and how students approach learning in the days to come.

Learning by playing puzzles Girls outperform boys globally and board games

lay may seem like fun and games, but new research shows that specific kinds of play are actually associated with development of particular cognitive skills. Data show that children who play frequently with puzzles, blocks, and board games tend to have better spatial reasoning ability. The research is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Being able to reason about space, and how to manipulate objects in space, is a critical part of everyday life, helping us to navigate a busy street, put together a piece of “some assembly required” furniture, even load the dishwasher. And these skills are especially important for success in particular academic and professional domains,

including science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The underlying mechanisms linking spatial play and spatial reasoning require further investigation. But these results suggest that targeting children’s spatial play may be one possible intervention tool for improving their spatial ability. Providing children with access to spatial play experiences could be a very easy way to boost spatial development, especially for children who typically have lower performance, such as girls and children from lower-income households. The study provides insights for anyone who interacts with or has some influence on children’s access to toys and play experiences, such as parents, teachers, childcare providers, and even toy companies.

sing international data, researchers have determined that girls outperform boys in educational achievement in 70 percent of the countries they studied—regardless of the level of gender, political, economic or social equality. It includes the performance in science and math, contradicting the popular belief that girls are generally weak in these areas. The study is published in the peer reviewed journal, Intelligence. Even in countries where women’s liberties are severely restricted, the study found that girls are outperforming boys in reading, mathematics, and science literacy by age 15. For example, in countries known for relatively low gender equality ratings, such as Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, the educational achievement gap is relatively large and favors girls. Boys outperform girls in only three countries or regions: Colombia, Costa Rica and the Indian state, Himachal Pradesh. Boys and girls had almost similar educational achievements in the United States and United Kingdom.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

INTERVIEW

â&#x20AC;&#x153;My aim is to transform CUSAT as a research and innovation universityâ&#x20AC;? James Paul

Dr. J. Letha, Vice Chancellor of Cochin University of Science and Technology, served as Professor in Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Trivandrum for a period of more than 10 years and Principal for a period of nearly three years. In the entire service of 31 years, she has guided 25 M. Tech dissertations and 7 Ph.Ds. She has more than 50 publications to credit, which include 14 International journal papers of high repute, 5 National journal papers, 13 papers in International and 18 in National Conferences. She has also completed a number of sponsored Research Projects funded by AICTE, KSCSTE, DST etc. successfully. She served as Director Technical Education, Government of Kerala. Responsible for implementing E-Governance with full capability in the Directorate of Technical education and other institutions under the directorate. A gold medalist from IIT Madras for securing I Rank in the M.Tech, she was awarded PhD in Civil Engineering from IIT,Madras. During her Teaching career she received the Surendranath Mukherjee Award for the best paper from The institution Of Engineers, India, research award for Best Teacher from ISTE-CET Chapter in 2007, and V.K.M National Award for Best Engineering College Teacher from Indian Society for Technical Education ( ISTE). In this exclusive interview with Pallikkutam, she explains her future plans as the Vice Chancellor of CUSAT.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

INTERVIEW

My aim is to transform CUSAT as a research and innovation university. Every effort will be done to convert CUSAT as an institution of national importance by converting into IIEST. ♦ What are your priorities as the new Vice-Chancellor of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT)? My aim is to transform CUSAT as a research and innovation university. Every effort will be done to convert CUSAT as an institution of national importance by converting into IIEST.

♦ What, according to you, are the major challenges and possibilities of CUSAT? To empower the faculty (to be researchers and academic administrators) to take the university to be among the best 300 universities in the world. Hope to achieve this and it is a possibility.

♦ Do you think that Indian Education is at par with international standards? How can we improve? NO. We are not par with international standards. We can improve our standards with dedication and hard work. Internationalisation is the only way to achieve this. We have to attract faculty from other countries. We should accommodate students from other countries also.

♦ What according to you are some of the best practices of the West that can be implemented in our Universities? Universities are really research universities. Inventions take place in universities which is followed by innovations. There is active collaboration

Pallikkutam | March 2015

INTERVIEW

Without change we cannot achieve and hence adoption of new paradigms in teaching learning process has to be embraced. ICT, MOOCS and FLIPPED CLASSROOM are some changes brought through technological advancement. with Industries. Every University has research Parks. We have to convert our universities as research centres with active participation of industries.

♦ What are your suggestions to improve research output in Indian Universities? There should be definite and measurable targets given to the Universities. For example number of Ph.Ds produced every year, number of sponsored research projects, number of active collaborations with industries, establishment of industrial research parks, establishment of international collaborations with leading universities abroad etc. are some simple beginnings

♦ Do you think that affordability is an issue in education? How can we assure quality education at affordable cost? The size of our institutions are very less. The average intake is very low compared to institutions elsewhere in the world. So

Pallikkutam | March 2015

make the institutions large to a size of 10000 to 20000 student population.

♦ What are the essential qualities of

♦ What do you think are the

1. To be a good researcher and consultant to industries.

emerging trends and modern innovations in education today?

a teacher according to you ?

2. To have thorough understanding of Outcome based approach in education is fundamentals and master of the subject. the new trend. Innovations and Technology 3. To be a guide by the side of the student Business incubators becoming active part rather than to be a sage on the stage. of Curriculum 4. To understand each student, his ♦ How did technology affect the background and show empathy wherever methods of teaching? How much of needed. modern education technology would you adopt at CUSAT? 5. Use visual aids wherever required and affirm that the concept is well understood Without change we cannot achieve and by the students. hence adoption of new paradigms in teaching learning process has to be 6. To be well updated with continued embraced. ICT, MOOCS and FLIPPED learning. CLASSROOM are some changes brought 7. To be friendly as well as strict wherever through technological advancement. necessary. ♦ What are your concepts on effective 8. To be hardworking and dedicated. teaching-learning ecosystem? Imbibe the good principles of GURUKUL 9. To have passion for teaching. system of education for an on effective teaching-learning ecosystem.

EXPERT COUNSEL

Who will win the World Cup? Dr. K.N. Raghavan

A captain is required to be super cool, innovative, daring, motivating and, most important of all, be blessed with a huge slice of luck.

wo questions that I have been facing during the last couple of months are “1) What are India’s chances of retaining the world cup?” and “2) Who will win the world cup?” When both questions are asked together I answer that the existence of second question is proof that the person asking does not fancy India’s chances highly! But on a more serious note, my answer has always been that the side whose captain elevates his game at critical times would emerge the winner. This might at first hearing appear to be a flippant response as questions would be asked about the form of the players, the depth of their batting line up, the presence of balanced bowling attack, the playing conditions, the pressure brought on while playing on the big stage watched by so many persons etc. There is very little that separates one team from the other when it comes to the top eight teams in international cricket when it comes to strengths and weakness of their batting and bowling. The aspects like form, playing conditions etc apply to all sides equally and the players are experienced enough to handle any amount of pressure, including that brought on by the big occasion. This is where the role of the skipper assumes importance as, when compared with other team sports, in cricket, a captain is required to take more decisions on the field of play. This is more so in limited overs’ matches when the fortunes can swing wildly and a seemingly winning position can get converted into

Pallikkutam | March 2015

EXPERT COUNSEL

In 2011 Mahendra Singh Dhoni promoted himself in the batting order to take on the Sri Lankan spinners successfully and guided India to the target with an unbeaten 91.

certain defeat in no time at all. A captain is required to be super cool, innovative, daring, motivating and, most important of all, be blessed with a huge slice of luck. And when the pressures mount as do during a world cup campaign, only the toughest can survive the intense scrutiny and sharp criticism that come along with the responsibility and honour of leading the national side. However, the theory on role of captains is based on a combination of history and statistics. After the first world cup in 1975, the championship has been held on nine more occasions. Out of the 10 editions so far, only on two occasionsWest Indies in 1979 and Australia in 2007have the favourite side won the trophy with ease. On some occasions, like in 1983 and 1999, the sides tipped to win the trophy failed to do so (West Indies in 1983 and South Africa in 1999), while there were no clear favourites during the remaining championships. An analysis of the performances of the winning side during the 8 tournaments, other than 1979 and 2007, would show that captains have played an important role in propelling the side to winning the championships. In 1975, West Indies faced Australia, the strongest side in test match cricket then, in the finals and found themselves in some difficulty losing 3 wickets for a mere 50 runs when skipper Clive Lloyd took guard at the crease. He cut the Aussie attack to ribbons, carting the bowling to all parts of the ground to score 102 runs off a mere 85

Pallikkutam | March 2015

EXPERT COUNSEL

I would not hazard a guess nor would I place a bet but I shall confess that my head keeps telling me it would be AB De Villiers, while my heart murmurs the name of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. balls. When he had finished with them, Aussies looked like a defeated bunch and West Indies won the match by 17 runs. In 1983, India was on the verge of being knocked out of the championship when they were reduced to 17 for 5 against Zimbabwe, in a match they could not afford to lose. Captain Kapil Dev arrived at the crease at this juncture and produced one of the all time great innings to score an unbeaten 175 to lift the score to 266. This effort by the skipper so galvanised the side that they made easy meat of Australia and England in the following matches to reach the finals, where once again Kapil Dev led the way by plucking a near impossible catch to dismiss the dangerous Viv Richards. It would be no exaggeration to say that India owed the World Cup win of 1983 to Kapil Dev more than anyone else for he led the troops from the front and set a sterling example for his team mates. In 1987, Allan Border was not in great form with the bat but when the finals appeared to be going in England’s favour he came on to bowl and bagged the wicket of Mike Gatting, his counterpart, which that started the turnaround that saw Australia emerge as winners by 7 runs. Earlier, in the semi finals, he had dismissed a well settled Imran Khan to take the match away from Pakistan. However in

1992, Imran Khan made amends by guiding the Pakistani batting through the semi finals and finals, to help them defeat first New Zealand followed by England, by comfortable margins. In 1996, Arjuna Ranatunga chipped in with the bat whenever his side needed runs from him, as in the finals against Australia when he steered the innings to the target ensuring that there were no pitfalls as had befallen some of the others sides while facing the same opponent. 1999 was Steve Waugh’s world cup in as many ways as it was Kapil Dev’s in 1983. When his side was staring down the barrel in a crucial “must win” match against South Africa, he scored a brilliant unbeaten 120 to take his side from 48 for 3 to the target of 272. This innings rejuvenated the Aussies who held their nerve to steal a tie in the semi finals against the same opponent and then proceeded to thrash Pakistan in the finals. In 2003, India had a fair chance of upsetting Australia in the finals but Ricky Ponting took the game out of their rivals hands by scoring an undefeated 140 off 121 balls. And in 2011 Mahendra Singh Dhoni promoted himself in the batting order to take on the Sri Lankan spinners successfully and guided India to the target with an unbeaten 91. Thus, it can be seen that successful sides

were led by captains who not only led from the front and all had the attributes of a great leader; they were also able to raise their game during critical situations and swing the game in their side’s favour by brilliant personal performances. In short, the captains were in many ways the difference between the champion side and the ones that bit the dust. 2015 edition of ICC world cup starts off without any team being seen as the overwhelming favourite for winning the championship. The country which wins the championship should not only have a good side which blends itself into a brilliant combination; they should also be led by a captain who swings the fortunes their way when chips are down. It remains to be seen as to who amongst Mahendra Singh Dhoni, AB De Vlliers, Michael Clarke, Angelo Mathews, Brendon McCallum, Eoin Morgan, Misbah Ul Haq and Jason Holder would provide that additional spark of brilliance to power their side to success. I would not hazard a guess nor would I place a bet but I shall confess that my head keeps telling me it would be AB De Villiers, while my heart murmurs the name of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The author is the Commissioner of Customs in Kochi, Kerala.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

PERSONAL

Sajit Malliyoor

Bullying in schools

Almost every child may experience teasing in schools, but it becomes bullying when it is repetitive in nature or when there is a conscious intent to hurt another child.

am a mother of two children aged 12 and 7 years. My elder son is studying in 6th standard. My husband works for a public sector company who get job transfers on regular basis. As a result, my son is currently attending his 3rd school in the last seven years. He joined the presentschool in the beginning of the current academic year.He used to be a good student, always ranking among the top 5 students of his class. But after joining the new school this year, his grades started declining. A couple of months after the beginning of the school year, he started showing reluctance to go to the school. He would come up with one pretext or other to avoid going to the school. Upon repeated questioning, he reported the reason for his school refusal is primarily the teasing of his classmates. He says that he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have friends in the new school and a group of students in his class always tease him. Since he spent much of his growing up years in North Indian cities, he has a slight difficulty with Malayalam words. They tease him over his pronunciation as well as his obese body nature. When we discussed this matter with his class teacher and the principal, they say that he has to fight back, as they cannot keep on protecting him all the time. Upon their advice, we are sending him to karate classes, but apparently that is not much of use. Kindly advise us how to handle the situation.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

PERSONAL

The bullying contributes to various psychological problems in the children like depression, anxiety symptoms, school refusal and lower test scores. Yours letter is the third one I am receiving in as many months referring to the same problem you mentioned - bullying in schools. And that speaks something about the prevalence of the problem! In fact it surprises me that this problem is not widely discussed among our academicians and opinion makers, despite it being repeatedly shown in studies as having serious ramification on a child’s overall mental health and quality of life. We might tend to believe that teasing is part of growing up and children are children - but it is not always as innocuous as it seems. Almost every child may experience teasing in schools, but it becomes bullying when it is repetitive in nature or when there is a conscious intent to hurt another child. It involves an aggressive behaviour as well as an imbalance of power between the aggressor and the victim. It can take on many forms, varying from physical bullying like hurting a person’s body or things to verbal bullying like teasing and name calling, and social bullying like social exclusion, which is more common among girl students.

There have been many studies in the western psychology literature on bullying, pioneered by Dr Dan Olweus; a Norwegian psychologist .The studies show that as many as one in every three students experience bullying. Coming to the Indian scenario, two large studies reported in the year 2014 puts the prevalence of bullying at more than 50%. It is indeed a surprisingly common phenomenon! The bullying contributes to various psychological problems in the children like depression, anxiety symptoms, school refusal and lower test scores. There were even reports of students committing suicide as a result of persistent bullying. It may seriously affect the child’s self-esteem and leave him vulnerable to metal health issues later in the life. It is not only the victims who are affected by the bullying; the perpetrators themselves are at higher risk of developing conduct disorders, poor social skills, emotion regulation issues and substance abuselater life. Even a child who witness bullying can be affected by the tearful frustration of not being helpful and the

climate of fearful distraction, which makes learning harder for everyone. Often the victims turn themselves into bullies later in their school life, what we call as BullyVictim. While the prevalence rates are alarmingly high, the extent of the problem is not uniform across all the communities and schools. In some schools, there may be lots of bullying and in some other place, very less bullying. That makes this problem very unique, a social - ecological one which has to be understood from the perspectives of individual, family, peer groups, school, community and social factors. And because of the very dynamic nature of the problem, suggesting remedies in a general format is extremely difficult. We have to begin by asking the question “what conditions in the school, family or community that allows bullying to occur”. We shouldn’t assume that bullies are children having a mean streak in them. They may be just regular kids who turn into bullying when the conditions in the environment are supportive of bullying.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

PERSONAL

Discuss with the child how to handle being bullied without being crushed or defeated. Advising them to fight back may not be a good idea. Addressing the issue requires a concerted effort from all the stake holders - parents, teachers, school administrators and the children themselves. Interventions always begin from the awareness. The teachers and school administrators need to be knowledgeable and observant and take the issue seriously. School authorities should ideally be monitoring the areas where most of the bullying generally happens, like play grounds, restrooms or school buses. When the teacher observes bullying behaviour taking place, she should intervene immediately and stop the act. The school authorities should make sure that children understand the seriousness of bullying and explicitly remind them that bullying behaviours will never be tolerated and will have consequences. Teacher should also pay special attention to vulnerable children who have difficulty adjusting to the environment, who has fewer friends, or who stands out owing to various reasons like language, physical appearance etc. and try and facilitate their integration into the mainstream. ParentTeacher Associations can also play a greater role in the solution. Many schools in metro cities have antibullying task forces involving parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, teachers and

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students. The children may not always be vocal about being bullied. The parents should be aware and look for the signs of their children being either bullies or bullied. The problems described in the letter school avoidance, falling grades, emotional issues like anger, sadness and anxiety are all indicators of on-going bullying incidences. You may additionally look for signs like missing stuffs from the bag, torn or ripped cloths, sleep problems, nightmares etc. When you discover that your child is being bullied, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t demean their experience by telling them to let it go or forget it. Instead, talk to your child. The more you understand their world, the easier it will be for you to find the source of the trouble or the remedies. Have openended conversations, listen to them attentively, and ensure that we are there for them when they need us. The very feeling of being listened to and the assurance that you are there for them can do wonders for their self-esteem. Discuss with the child how to handle being bullied without being crushed or defeated. Advising them to fight back may not be a good idea. Instead, teach the child how to maintain calm and assertiveness and without showing anger and tears, askthe

bully to stop it. Role- playing and practicing the scenarios at home would be helpful to a great extent. Also think up of ways to avoid the situations and areas where the child is being bullied. On the other hand if you recognise bullying traits in your child, begin by educating the child about bullying. Some children exhibit difficulty in reading social signs and does not know what they are doing are hurtful and damaging. Encourage the child to look at his actions from the victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective. Also look at the situations from where the child is being negatively influenced, whether it being from the family or peers. Some children with low self-esteem may bully to feel better about themselves. Always look for signs of anxiety and depression whenever your child is involved in bullying; whether be an aggressor or victim. Mental health professionals like psychologists can help the child develop resilience and confidence, which would enable your child to be more successful both socially and academically.

Send queries to malliyoor@outlook.com (Sajit Malliyoor regrets he can not enter into personal correspondence)

STORIES OF LIFE

Addictive love affairs and alluring afflictions Dr. Jos Cletus Plackal

Adolescence is the time to watch for budding love affairs, the passionate search for companionship, relentless quest for “likes”, romantic relationships, etc.

he capacity of the human mind/heart to love is unfathomable. Unlike other living species, humans’ potential to love with myriad manifestations, are unsurpassed by all other species put together. Love is the object of religion, science, art etc. Each describes and interprets it in its unique way. Psychology observes behavioral content and process of love and the resulting effects, whether it leads to integration or disintegration, to health or ill-health, to happiness in life or unhappiness, etc. Adolescence is the time to watch for budding love affairs, the passionate search for companionship, relentless quest for “likes”, romantic relationships, etc. Yet the flipside of this quest is seen as deep sense of diffidence,

loneliness of the worst kind, inferiority in all its ramifications. The romantic aura of life lifts one from the mundane, (like study, exams, performance, failure, etc.) to cloud nine, to a mythical magical fantasy world of self fulfillment, euphoria, nostalgia, etc. Add to this, the gushing forth of the invisible hormonal springs which multiplies the sensual pleasures. No wonder, the youngsters in love prefer a secretive, insulated life, even from their loved ones, especially parents. The following is the story of one such young lover named Beena (name changed). Beena is 19 years old, good looking, slim; stays and studies away from home, has a younger sister with whom she doesn’t get along so well. She has been very good at

studies until recently. As far as I know Beena’s parents are very loving and giving. Her sister is also loving and is very fond of her older sister. Beena was brought to counselling accompanied by her extended family members. Being the first child in the family, Beena had a prime position in everyone’s heart. The reason for seeking counseling was very serious matter. Beena had twice attempted suicide; once by overdose of medicine, another time by slitting her wrist with blade. Beena’s stay and study in a remote place, makes things more complex and inaccessible to the parents. The whole family was tensed and anxious about these frightening and helpless situations.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

STORIES OF LIFE

All that she wanted from her room-mates and boy friend was some attention, a little affection and affirmation. And Beena was denied exactly the same affirmation and affection. The precipitating factor for such drastic actions were traced to intense loneliness from her room-mates and two lovers! Beena complained of intense isolation by her room-mates. “They don’t talk to me or associate with me”. “They always accuse me of things that I don’t do”. Beena had a long list of complaints. But more important reason for her despair was her own boy friends. She described how these two friends were acting as friends and foes at the same time. Joe(name changed) was her first love. But he was also very suspicious and vindictive, harassing and nagging. Jo used to accuse Beena of having a secretive affair with Jim. After repeated accusations and arguments and counter arguments Beena was so provoked, she decided to get closer to Jim. This move made things much worse for the three friends. Ensuing battles for love and affection almost killed Beena! On deeper psychological probing it came to light that Beena had a weakness from childhood on. She always thought that nobody loved her, that she was not worth anything to anyone. Mom and dad didn’t care about her. In fact she would get into furious arguments with mother. She felt,” Dad loved me when I was small but didn’t care for me after that”. “She (her sister) is so lucky, dad is so fond of her”. This warranted a detailed study and analysis of parental role modeling and input. Parents shared how difficult and agonizing the very

Pallikkutam | March 2015

thought of conceiving this child was due to mismatch of blood groups, how divided both the parents were about conceiving this child, how diffident they were about the possible danger of deformity to the child, etc. And after conception, pregnancy was not easier due to the fear of loss or deformity to the baby. The parents spent agonizing moments and the father wanted to terminate pregnancy and mother chose to carry on the baby. Later on, when the child was two years old, mother went for delivery leaving the baby with mother’s younger sister. In solving Beena’s life’s jigsaw puzzle these vital information did help a lot. Beena’s constant thought of being worthless, unwanted and lonely had its deeper imprinting in pregnancy and infancy. Perhaps this deep dejection led her to think that life was not worth living and she had to end her life. Beena came to know about her mother’s crisis pregnancy as early as in her childhood and that bothered her a lot. Beena’s present state of affairs have some semblance to her enigmatic past with its negative message of unwanted feeling, worthlessness etc. All that she wanted from her room-mates and boy friend was some attention, a little affection and affirmation. And Beena was denied exactly the same affirmation and affection. Hence the logical formula scripted in her brain

was, “If you and you don’t want me I don’t want me either.” From the parents part they came to realize how undecided they were about pregnancy and how they separated the baby for long from mother, etc. Beena needed to rework and reframe her past especially her birth and infancy. With many therapeutic sessions using Brain Wave Therapy, Beena was helped to complete her enigmatic early life events and the consequent memories and feelings of rejection. With the help of parents she succeeded in restructuring her past with correct input from them. Beena was also helped to revisit her affairs and the underlying need for affirmation which her friends could not provide. Two weeks after counselling and therapy Beena reported about her progress. She was doing well in her studies, dealt with her boy friends (very diplomatically) and got closer to her room-mates. Beena gives every sign that she is in the driver’s seat and she is no more looking for little love and affection from anyone and everyone. New sense of belongingness to the family of origin is the source of her confidence. Beena certainly needs ongoing counselling and follow-up sessions.

The author is licensed clinical psychologist (HRT), Jeevas Centre Aluva, Kerala.

HEALTH MONITOR

Immunization: the best investment for your child Dr. Serena Mohan Varghese

Childhood vaccination is one of the great triumphs of modern medicine. These vaccines are undoubtedly the most cost effective healthcare interventions. We often fail to realize that money spent on childhood vaccination not only saves a life but also greatly reduces spending on future healthcare.

atasha was a 2yr old , only girl child of her parents. She was smart and lovely and everyone around loved her very much. When she started her playschool her teacher found her to be interested in music. Her parents were told that she had a bright future in the field of music. One day she developed fever and gradually she became lethargic. She was admitted in a hospital and was found to have H. influenza meningitis. She survived after treatment but became deaf and mentally subnormal. She is now a 14 yr

old and her parents spend every single day in remorse for not taking HIB (H. influenza can cause deafness) vaccination during her infancy. “So it’s an absolute lie that has killed thousands of kids. Because the mothers who heard that lie, many of them didn’t have their kids take either pertussis or measles vaccine, and their children are dead today. And so the people who go and engage in those antivaccine efforts - you know, they kill children. It’s a very sad thing, because these vaccines are

important”. - Bill Gates commenting on the paper by Dr. Wakefield, published in Lancet using fraudulent data. Childhood vaccination is one of the great triumphs of modern medicine. These vaccines are undoubtedly the most cost effective healthcare interventions. We often fail to realize that money spent on childhood vaccination not only saves a life but also greatly reduces spending on future healthcare. The success of small pox eradication and now of polio is a testimony to this. A successful immunization program is of particular relevance to India, as the country contributes to one-fifth of global under five mortality. Controversies are plenty and financial motive is the buzzword in vaccine practices. Many vaccines are openly criticized by the media and some skeptics were able to block the propaganda of newer vaccines. The main reason for this is lack of awareness and so recognizing the need for credibility, Indian Academy of Pediatrics constituted a committee (Advisory committee on Immunization practices) to take care of conflict of interest issue. Estimates from 2009 Coverage Evaluation Survey (CES2009) indicate that only 61% of children aged 12-23 months were fully vaccinated with the basic vaccines. (BCG, measles, 3 doses of DPT and polio vaccines) and 7.6% had received no vaccinations at all. Although international agencies such as WHO and UNICEF and now Global

Pallikkutam | March 2015

HEALTH MONITOR

Polio eradication programme has made India polio free since Jan 2013 and currently India has been declared Polio eradicated. Now concerted efforts are underway to eliminate measles. Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) provide extensive support for immunization activities, success of immunization programme in any country depends more on local realities and national policies. An urgent need at present

phased manner. Polio eradication programme has made India polio free since Jan 2013 and currently India has been declared Polio eradicated. Now concerted efforts are underway to eliminate measles. The introduction of MMR is a step in that direction.

unimmunized people get protection from the disease because of the reduction in disease transmission in the community. Thus a protective immunity is induced in a population. Combination Vaccines As more effective vaccines are being developed, the question of the number of needle pricks to which the child is exposed becomes important. Combination vaccines represent one solution to the issue of increased number of injections during a single visit. The preservation of efficacy will need to be continually monitored by surveillance as more such vaccine combinations are on the horizon. Catch up immunization Missed vaccines do not require restarting of the entire series or addition of any doses to the schedule. Contact your pediatrician to know the details and vaccinate your child even if late. “Better late than never.” Adverse events following immunization

is to strengthen routine immunization in India with EPI vaccines (BCG, TT, DPT, DT, Polio, Measles and Typhoid). India is self-sufficient in production of vaccines and so availability of vaccine is not an issue. In Bihar, ‘Muskan ek Abhiyan’ an innovative initiative started in 2007 is a good example, where a partnership of Government organization, agencies and fully motivated social workers has paid rich dividends. Full vaccination coverage, a mere 19% in 2005 got zoomed to 49% in 2009.

Rationale for immunization. Immunized individuals get protection from disease after exposure or infection with organism against which vaccine has been given. When many children in a community are immunized, even

Although vaccines are proven to be extremely safe, there is a potential risk of an adverse event, as with any other drug or medication. However majority of adverse events are mild and settle without Rx. But serious adverse effects (death, disability, cluster and hospitalization ) are very rare.

The last couple of decades have seen the advent of many new vaccines in the private Indian market. In fact most vaccines available in the developed countries are available in India. However these vaccines are presently accessible only to those who can afford to pay for them. Paradoxically these vaccines are often required by those who cannot afford them. Fortunately the Government has introduced some of them like pentavalent vaccine DPT+HEP B+ HiB, MMR etc in a

Pallikkutam | March 2015

HEALTH MONITOR

No vaccine provides100% protection even though most of them ensure a high degree of protection. Vaccines significantly decrease chance of a disease. Clinical trials are always done and this risk of serious reaction is always weighed against the risk of not immunizing a child. It is only when the benefit outweighs the risk, the vaccine is considered safe. But Events that are caused by errors in vaccine handling, storage (most vaccines need strict temperatures for storage), preparations and administration can be avoided. Ensure that the vaccine storage areas in institutions providing immunizations have facilities to maintain temperatures even during electricity failures. Using reconstituted vaccines after the recommended time is also forbidden.

worldwide. We now have vaccines which protect children > 6 months from typhoid.

females > 10yrs up to 45 yrs (before they are exposed to HPV infection).

♦ HPV vaccines Cervical cancer is the 2nd most common cancer in females. In India, high risk HPV types were found in 97% of these cancers. Currently 2 types of vaccines are available in India to be used in

Vaccines in High risk children JE vaccines, meningococcal vaccine, Rabies vaccine, cholera, yellow fever vaccines, influenza vaccines are given for high risk children.

Newer vaccines Apart from the routine vaccines, there are a number of newer vaccines that can be given to children after one-one discussion or in high risk children.

♦ Pneumococcal disease incidence varies from different localities (5-30% among childhood pneumonias). However considering the complications associated with pneumococcal pneumonia and meningitis, this vaccine has been introduced.

♦ Rotaviral diarrhea Rotavirus accounts for 31-87% of health care associated gastroenteritis out of which 1/3 is severe. As per IRSSN data, rotavirus was estimated to cause 34% of deaths due to diarrhea in under 5 children. ♦ Varicella vaccine Varicella severity and complications are very high among the immunocompromised. However, healthy children sometimes may develop serious complications and even die from varicella. Sometimes varicella affected children have to miss important exams and important functions due to the need for isolation during illness. ♦ Hepatitis A vaccines 85% of children < 2yrs and 50% 2-5 yrs are asymptomatic while 70-80% of adults are symptomatic and have a mortality of 1%.

♦ Typhoid vaccines Indian subcontinent has the highest incidence of typhoid

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HEALTH MONITOR

Today’s children are tomorrow’s citizens. They are our greatest assets. It is our duty and responsibility to see that their future is secure. Vaccines for travelers Travelers should be provided with a written record of all vaccines taken preferably using the international vaccination certificate. Regardless of vaccination all travelers should always follow all possible precautions that have to be followed.

Communication with parents and caregivers With several newer vaccines available in the open market, it is an arduous task for pediatricians to offer ideal advice to parents regarding the pros and cons of each vaccine.

The following points need to be clarified from the pediatrician regarding each vaccine before the parents decide on the vaccination.

♦ Efficacy of a vaccine No vaccine provides100% protection even though most of them ensure a high degree of protection. Vaccines significantly decrease chance of a disease and even partial protection is useful to prevent complications. Occasional failure of vaccine protection is no reason against its use. ♦ Safety of vaccine Vaccines are very safe and serious adverse reactions are extremely rare. Media outbursts of fatal reactions are mostly due to human error of administration rather than due to the vaccine itself. ♦ Cost of vaccine Decision on affordability should be made by parents. All vaccines are equally effective even though they may vary in their cost. Always discuss with your pediatrician on the current understanding of vaccine and its present place in prevention of disease. Also understand that with increasing experience over time, there can be a change in the recommendations of individual vaccine and it is necessary to adapt to such change. The Bible says, “children are a gift from the Lord; they are a real blessing (Psalms 127:3)”. Today’s children are tomorrow’s citizens. They are our greatest assets. It is our duty and responsibility to see that their future is secure. The greatest security in life is good health. So we must do everything we can to ensure that they grow up into healthy adults. Providing immunity against diseases is the best way to ensure health. Immunization must have top priority in our investments for children.

The author is the Associate Consultant in Pediatrics, Rajagiri Hospital, Aluva.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

CREA TIVE LIVING CREATIVE

Identify your personal creative context Dr. Varghese Panthalookaran

The environment you are in is your natural state, where you exist under normal conditions. A slight change in this environment could unleash your creative energy or kill your creative impulses. So it is important to identify the optimum environmental condition, which makes you naturally creative.

oes the context of your life influence your creative excellence? Yes, think the experts. They believe that certain ambient parameters could radically influence your creative efficiency. The way in which your five senses engage with the physical environment could either catalyze or retard the rate of your creative outputs. Of course, your mind could reign over your body and eradicate the restrictions offered by your senses. Mind is capable of transcending all its limitations producing creative outcomes even from adverse environments. A disciplined mind can get energized even by such dark matter of life. No question about that. However, your

physical ambience could catch you unawares, it being the ground state of your being. It is your least-energy state. It is here you normally reside. You may at times transcend this natural state; get excited to higher energy levels, but always to return to the ground state. The environment you are in is your natural state, where you exist under normal conditions. A slight change in this environment could unleash your creative energy or kill your creative impulses. So it is important to identify the optimum environmental condition, which makes you naturally creative. For great seers of Himalayas, silence was the locus of their creative reflections. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In

silence you are your original selves. You are your voice, without an iota of noiseâ&#x20AC;?, they believed. The wellsprings of creativity emanates from your inner core, once you are in the grip of silence. The great spiritual truths were revealed to the seers, the prophets and the seekers in general, in a state of silence. In silence they conversed with the Silence, which is the ultimate source of creativity. This wisdom is inherited by the Indians from time immemorial. Modern studies, however, unfolds a different truth, apparently contradicting the ancient wisdom. A path-breaking research by the University of British Columbia concludes that moderate levels

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CREA TIVE LIVING CREATIVE

The natural noises inhibit trivial distractions of mind and keep it focused, the study suggests. They counter the interior noises and intrinsic distractions. They drive a creative mind ‘out of the box’. of steady background noise actually spur creativity and abstract thinking better than silence. They specify a noise level of approximately 70 decibels to suit the purpose. It is equivalent to the sound generated by a passenger car traveling on a highway. It is an ambient noise level of seashore, a waterfall, a deep night. For a city-dweller, it could be comparable to the noise levels of a local coffee shop. It could be the sound of the daybreak as the birds begin to chirp. These natural noises inhibit trivial distractions of mind and keep it focused, the study suggests. They counter the interior noises and intrinsic distractions. They drive a creative mind ‘out of the box’. They trigger abstract thinking or abstract data processing, which is the hallmark of creativity. A careful analysis, however, may reveal that the seers of Himalayas would have chosen the presence of waterfalls with low-ambient noise for their contemplation with the same intention. Large number of new generation apps is available to simulate suitable sound bytes for creative thinking. Examples are: Coffitivity, Ambient Mixer, 99U Music Mixes, Raining.fm, Focus@Will. High noise levels of the order of 85 decibels could shatter creative thinking. That is equivalent to traffic noise on a major highway, the cacophony of a disco. Such noise levels hamper with the ability of human minds to process information. It distracts to retards creativity. An invertedU or bell-shaped correlation seems to exist between noise levels and levels of creativity. The optimum spot is at about 70 decibels. That is just right as in a “Goldilocks Principle”. (Goldilocks Principle, for example, differentiates between the planets Venus, Mars and the Earth. The planet Venus has too much of greenhouse effect making it too hot and unlivable. Too less of it makes the planet Mars too cold and unlivable. For Earth, it is just right and the life thrives on it).

Pallikkutam | March 2015

Similar observation is there for the effect of ambient colors on creative thinking. Ravi Mehta and Rui Zhu suggest that the blue color boosts creative thinking. It is better background color for a room for creative tasks like brainstorming. Blue environmental cues actually prompted the participants of a brainstorming session to produce twice as many creative outputs, the empirical study reveals. Blue is the color of the sky and the ocean. Many associate blue color with openness, peace and tranquility. It is in fact, for a large number of people living on the globe, the most favorite color. The benign cues derived from the blue color make people feel safe about being creative and exploratory, suggests the research study. It provokes an approach-based, exploratory motivational state, which is conducive to creativity. The red color, on the other hand, enhances the attention to detail. It makes suitable context for memory retrieval and proof-reading that are detail-oriented tasks. The research also suggests that background color influences communications. It is found that people turned more receptive to a new, fictional brand of toothpaste that focused on negative messages such as “cavity prevention” when the background color was red. However, people were more receptive to positive messages such as “tooth whitening” when the background color was rendered in blue. One may easily infer that it is the meaning we associate to the color that gives it its powers. How true! For example, red has a connotation of danger. It is often used in commands to stop. We are expected to stop at red traffic light and proceed when it turns green. Such meanings are attached to the colors by the cultural milieu. There is nothing intrinsic to the colors that promote this attribution. It is extrinsic associations with the colors. However, there seems to be a common consensus over the

CREA TIVE LIVING CREATIVE

Listen to the cues sent out of your body and get comfortable, it is the rule of the thumb. A gentle breeze that smears your skin or a soft pillow that support your back may be enough to trigger your creative moods. significance of color in society. It has become part and parcel of the collective consciousness. Colors receive their powers to ignite creativity or to extinguish it often from these significances society attaches to them. But it often works!

contribute to your creative outputs. If your work environment is too cold, you will underperform. A study by Alan Hedge, professor of design and environmental analysis at Cornell University, found that feeling cold in your work environment negatively impacts your Important is also the intensity of the light focus and performance. A rise in the used. The lighting conditions during the temperature in a workspace from 20 day influence your wakefulness. For degrees to 25 degrees Celsius reduces the example, sitting near a window in the errors typists make by 44%, estimates diffuse day light keeps you awake for Alan Hedge. The optimum ambient longer time. It works by controlling your temperature enhances efficiency of work. hormonal secretions which delays sleep. If If the ambient is colder than your personal you cannot afford to sit by a window optimum temperature, you may need to during the day, using lighting that mimics burn your vital energy to keep warm. It is daylight rather than fluorescent lighting can the energy lost for creative thinking. It help keep you alert. A 2013 study in the distracts you. “If you’re uncomfortable in Journal of Environmental Psychology your skin, it’s hard to think of anything concludes that dim lighting can help else”, goes a saying. Uncomfortable office creative performance. Interpretation goes chair or constrictive work garments could as follows: Darkness elicits a feeling of similarly distract you. Listen to the cues being free from constraints and triggers a sent out of your body and get comfortable, risky, explorative processing style. it is the rule of the thumb. A gentle breeze Decorating the office space with lively that smears your skin or a soft pillow that images from nature, especially with green support your back may be enough to landscapes, can boost your creativity. trigger your creative moods. According to a study in Science, something as simple as changing the background Your tongue and the food and drink it screen on your computer to blue color can tastes also determine your creativity skills. help enhance your creativity. Your sense of A 2013 study published in the British touch also need adequate ambience to Journal of Health Psychology monitored

what college-age adults ate and correlated it to their moods. It was found that those participants who ate seven to eight servings of fruits or vegetables a day reported meaningful positive changes in mood. The food you eat is also a food for thought! You are what you eat. What you eat is that eventually become your thoughts! Your nose and the smell it inhales could also be definitive to your creative thinking. Studies have shown that certain smells can help stimulate your focus and creativity. The environmental psychologist Sally Augustin has reported the psychological reactions different smells can engender. Lemon and jasmine, for example, improves cognitive performance. Rosemary and grapefruit smells are said to be energizing, while vanilla and cinnamon smells can help enhance creativity. Even though there are some general guidelines for the suitable environment that make an individual creative, there is no universal solution applicable to all. They need to be calibrated for an individual, tailor-made taking into account, the personal tastes, traits and attitudes. A creative environment is meant to be strictly personal. One has to identify it.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

INFOTECH

Apple doubles India target as iPhone sales zoom

pple India has set a target to double iPhone sales to two million units and revenue to more than Rs 8,000 crore during its financial year to September 2015 as it focuses on ecommerce for the first time in the country.

target to the Indian unit to double iPhone sales this fiscal since it had a fantastic first quarter and also focus on e-commerce to push sales of slow moving models like

Amazon and have even undertaken joint marketing investment for advertisement campaigns. “E-commerce was never a focus area for Apple India till now but the growth of the channel has made it sit up to focus on such sales,” the executive said.

The American company’s bullishness springs from the strong demand for iPhone 6, which continues to see more orders than the company is able to fulfill despite having sold 500,000 units during OctoberDecember 2014 or half of what it had sold in India in the entire previous fiscal, as per market trackers.

As per estimates, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus – which are priced upwards of Rs 52,000 – account for 50% of total iPhone sales in India by volume and more than 80% by value. While Apple has regularized supplies for iPhone 6 16GB model, supplies of another topseller iPhone 6 64GB are still erratic in India, something that the company expects to normalize soon, trade partners said.

The company also expects that 20-25% of iPhone sales during the fiscal will be generated from e-commerce, said two senior trade partners of Apple India. “Apple’s headquarters have given the

iPhone 4S and 5c,” said one of the executives. The executive said Apple’s distributors are already running promotional offers on iPhone 5c through

While iPhone is the market leader in smartphone segment priced above Rs 30,000, it is the second largest after Korean giant Samsung in the Rs 20,000-plus smartphone category.

Sony launches Xperia E4g with 4G support

ony has launched Xperia E4g, the 4G enabled version of Xperia E4 smartphone. Priced at 129 euros (roughly Rs. 9,100), the smartphone will hit the markets in April. Available in black and white colours, the E4g will also be available in a dual-SIM version. Sony Xperia E4g sports a 4.7-inch FWVGA (480x854p) display. Powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core MediaTek processor and 1GB RAM, the smartphone has 8GB internal storage and a microSD card slot that supports cards up to 32GB.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

The phone runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat and comes with a 2300mAh battery with a claimed talk time of about 13 hours and up to 653 hours of standby time. Sony Xperia E4g features a 5MP rear camera with LED flash and a 2MP frontfacing camera. In terms of connectivity options, the phone supports Bluetooth 4.1, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi and GPS.

INFOTECH

Facebook privacy policy slated by Belgian data watchdog

acebook has been accused of breaking European data-protection laws, in a report written for Belgium’s privacy watchdog. The social network placed “too much burden” on users to navigate its complex settings, said the report. Also, it said, people were not told enough about how data Facebook gathered on them was used in adverts. In response, Facebook said it was confident its policies and terms complied with relevant laws. The report was drawn up in response to Facebook’s announcement it was updating its privacy policy and its terms and conditions. The updated terms were implemented on 30 January.

Google announces Android for Work

oogle Inc has launched an initiative to make smartphones running its Android software more appealing to corporations, a move that could help extend the internet company’s reach into workplaces. Google said on its official blog that its Android for Work programme will provide improved security and management features for corporations that want to give their employees Android smartphones. Smartphones supported by the new initiative will be able to keep an employee’s work and personal apps

separate, and a special Android for Work app will allow businesses to oversee key tools such as email, calendar and contacts. Google said it is partnering with more than two dozen companies including Blackberry Ltd, Citrix Systems Inc, Box Inc. Google’s Android software is the world’s most popular mobile operating system, but many corporations, which have significant security and device management requirements, give their employees smartphones made by Blackberry or Apple Inc.

China drops leading technology brands for state purchases

hina has dropped some of the world’s leading technology brands from its approved state purchase lists, while approving thousands more locally made products, in what some say is a response to revelations of widespread Western cybersurveillance.Others put the shift down to a protectionist impulse to shield China’s domestic technology industry from competition.

spending by central ministries, jumped by more than 2,000 in two years to just under 5,000, but the increase is almost entirely due to local makers.

The number of approved foreign tech brands fell by a third, while less than half of those with security-related products survived the cull. An official at the procurement agency said there were many reasons why local makers might be Chief casualty is U.S. network equipment preferred, including sheer weight of maker Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO.O), numbers and the fact that domestic which in 2012 counted 60 products on the security technology firms offered more Central Government Procurement product guarantees than overseas Center’s (CGPC) list, but by late 2014 rivals.China’s change of tack coincided had none, a Reuters analysis of official with leaks by former U.S. National data shows. Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden in mid-2013 that exposed several Smartphone and PC maker Apple Inc global surveillance program, many of them (AAPL.O) has also been dropped over the run by the NSA with the cooperation of period, along with Intel Corp’s (INTC.O) telecom companies and European security software firm McAfee and governments.“The Snowden incident, it’s network and server software firm Citrix become a real concern, especially for top Systems (CTXS.O). The number of leaders,” said Tu Xinquan, Associate products on the list, which covers regular Director of the China Institute of WTO

Studies at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. “In some sense the American government has some responsibility for that; (China’s) concerns have some legitimacy.” Cybersecurity has been a significant irritant in U.S.-China ties, with both sides accusing the other of abuses. U.S. tech groups wrote last month to the Chinese administration complaining about some of its new cybersecurity regulations, some of which force technology vendors to Chinese banks to hand over secret source code and adopt Chinese encryption algorithms. The CGPC list, which details products by brand and type, is approved by China’s Ministry of Finance, the CGPC official said. The list does not detail what quantity of a product has been purchased, and does not bind local government or state-owned enterprises, nor the military, which runs its own system of procurement approval.The Ministry of Finance declined immediate comment.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

POLICY WATCH

An account of the woes of the Indian educator! Dr. D. Dhanuraj

The number of job opportunities in the sectors other than education has a direct influence over the quality of those who aspire to become teachers.

he issues and challenges faced by the college teachers across the country remains the same, thanks to UGC and MHRD policies. Quality of our education system and its outputare directly dependent on the quality of the educators. In this first of a series of articles I want to focus on the Government

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run arts & science colleges in Kerala and the various guidelines that plague the education sector leading to the inefficacy and poor standards for the quality outcomes. There is no doubt regarding the quality of faculty affecting the quality of education and the measures adopted by the universities to improve the quality of

faculty are many. The most cited reasons for the fault lines in the education system are: the absence of those with doctorate degrees/PhD among the faculty, lack of continuous learning and exposure in the field of expertise, inefficient infrastructure etc. Based on these conventional thoughts and assumptions, many institutional and

POLICY WATCH

An academic space should be left to the free thinking and intellectual explorations guided by the faculty. The success and failure cannot be an overly dependent on the single indicator called ‘results in examinations’. organizational arrangements, reforms and revisions have been introduced into the system.

influence over the quality of those who aspire to become teachers. The variety and options in job market are limited in Kerala, due to lack of competitive environment Contrary to expectations, the reforms and and policy issues. Those who go outside revisions have not produced desired results Kerala to do PhD and MPhil from reputed in the colleges. Starting from the universities within India and abroad and recruitment to the day to day operations, come back to Kerala are often left with the the reality is in a mess. How much training only option of ‘teaching’ as a profession as and understanding do the aspiring teachers we don’t have Amazon or Google or any have when they are recruited and inducted other big shots in Kerala offering them into the system and how much training are jobs. And of course, there are many who they given after recruitment for their are passionate about teaching and taking it smooth transition to become the best as a profession with great pride. But often, educators? it is seen that there is an element of disconnect between the expectations, The number of job opportunities in the personal aspirations and the ground reality. sectors other than education has a direct

If one is educated in foreign university, their style and work time pattern will not match with the realities here in Kerala. On the other hand, if you are locally educated and upped the grades here itself, one finds it difficult to understand the qualitative disruptions taking place in the education sector across the world and how it matters for the students here in Kerala. When training programs are imparted through various official channels to the young teachers, the actual competitiveness of the training programs should be measured in terms of how it can effectively cater to the qualification and exposure levels of the different set of candidates. If the market is open and up against the varying quality experiences, there could have been the solutions figured out in the process itself. In the standard case, academic calendar starts in June and ends in March. But the most relevant academic specifics are missing from the calendar most of the times except in the case of exams. In the last few years, examination calendar has been the focus of the universities as the inordinate delays and frequent postponements had attracted public resentment in the past. If these issues seem to be fixed now, a lot remain unattended. Many thought that the late arrivals and early departures of the teachers is the primary reason for the inefficiency in the system. So the urged for the punching system and got installed in their campuses. Here again, no one is concerned about the quality time and the space for academic pursuits that include research and expositions. Issue is not the punctuality and discipline but the education culture the system has attributed over the years. An academic space should be left to the free thinking and intellectual explorations guided by the faculty. The success and failure cannot be an overly dependent on the single indicator called ‘results in examinations’. Rather, colleges should be a place where the skills and abilities of the students are identified and strengthened

Pallikkutam | March 2015

POLICY WATCH

Colleges should be a place where the skills and abilities of the students are identified and strengthened and the teachers should become the facilitators for that. and the teachers should become the facilitators for that. This will be a detour to the conventionalists as it demands for more irregularity within the frameworks of academic calendar. When the available quality time offered or mentioned in the theoretical framework of the punching system, it leads to another quixotic challenges faced by the college teachers. How much are they into their subject teaching and how much are they into clerical works. Mostly the clerical works deal with the purchases of the

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books, sports kits, conference and seminar budgeting, preparing the vendor list for purchasing lab equipment and sometimes the stationery and office furniture also and the numerous records need to be maintained for each of these items.

time in the market than in the campus. Instead of setting up a procurement and purchase department as per the advice and priorities listed by the faculty, the norms lay down the frittered responsibilities on the shoulders of the academician who is tipped to excel and lead the world by innovation and research.

Most of them complain about the laborious tasks at hand when the obsolete (To be continuedâ&#x20AC;Ś.) and impractical accounting practices of the education department. Getting three quotations from three different vendors on The author is Chairman, Centre for pricing front even for small value purchases forces the faculty to spend more Public Policy Research, Kochi.

EXAM EXPERIENCE

Don't stress, do your

best, forget the rest.

“In ninth grade, I came up with a new form of rebellion. I hadn’t been getting good grades, but I decided to get all A’s without taking a book home. I didn’t go to math class, because I knew enough and had read ahead, and I placed within the top 10 people in the nation on an aptitude exam.” Bill Gates

COVER STORY

Exam experience of a ‘back-bench-er’ Anand Shyam

The first step towards solid preparation is to get rid of procrastination. Trust me, this is your one way ticket to A+ grades. It’s very difficult to get rid of this habit, but once you do, studying will no longer be a tedious exercise. “One of the greatest labor-saving inventions of today is tomorrow.” Vincent T. Foss

away from your books but that alone should not be a reason to term it evil. See, distractions has certain upsides too. It

usually breaks the monotony after long hours of studies. Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to evangelize distraction.

When I was asked to write about my exam experience by one of the best educational institutions of the country, I was pleasantly surprised. Making a candid confession, I have to admit that I was not a brilliant student. In a sepia toned flashback, I can now see myself in the last bench with all the naughty antics proudly displayed by a high school back-bench-er. Back then my grades can be best termed average and my academic conquests, literally non existent! So if you are expecting some fine examinations tips from this article, stop reading now. But as your elder brother, who has sailed the high seas of examinations and survived, I can give you some realistic tips regarding what not to do rather than what to do. Looking back, I finally found the culprit for my so called average scores. No no no, it was not exam fears. Usually fear and anxiety is unnecessarily blamed when the real reason is hiding in the backyard. We know it, but never admit it. You say, I studied hard, I prepared well but as luck would have it, the exam was cruel, questions were complicated and the best of them all excuses, ‘Out of syllabus questions!’ So, if fear is not the reason, then maybe the reason is distraction? Back then we only had sports and Doordarshan to distract my generation but nowadays, boy oh boy, what do you have to stay focused? (pun intended!) The smartphone, Facebook, that little blue bird who tweets and what not? Distraction is honestly an understatement. Disillusion or distortion should be used in today’s context. Distractions can take you

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COVER STORY

Your potentials and ability is like that of a sports car. To have real fun, you should push the car to it’s very limit. That’s how winning is done. So my dear Ferraris, start your engines, blip your throttle and lets go win a race!

Constant distraction during studies is definitely evil, but mild distractions are productive in my experience. Sweet

distractions should come as a reward for your hard work and you should earn your distractions.

Who is the real culprit then? It’s not exam fear, it’s not distractions. So the usual suspects out of the way, lets welcome the real villain. The Joker for the Batman in you, your nemesis. Its Procrastination. For a lazy student, tomorrow never dies. I can vouch that. When my mother asked me to study, I used to reply in a James Bondesque tone stating, tomorrow never dies! But eventually, tomorrow did come and how! Exam day morning’s were spend nitpicking the “IF’s” and “But’s” of student life. What if I used the past one month to study, what if I completed my preparations early and revised? but as the old proverb goes, “ ”If and When were planted, and Nothing grew.” The first step towards solid preparation is to get rid of procrastination. Trust me, this is your one way ticket to A+ grades. It’s very difficult to get rid of this habit, but once you do, studying will no longer be a tedious exercise. You will feel light, the stress will fade out and your confidence level will definitely increase. If it worked for me, it will definitely work for you. So kick the habit and race to the finish line like a Ferrari. Your potentials and ability is like that of a sports car. To have real fun, you should push the car to it’s very limit. That’s how winning is done. So my dear Ferraris, start your engines, blip your throttle and lets go win a race! I wish you all the very best.

The Author is an automobile journalist for a leading news channel before starting his Recycling company, Paperpot Sustainable Waste Management LLP, a social entrepreneurial venture aimed at eradicating the waste management crisis.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

COVER STORY

An exam I enjoyed most P. V. Alby

I learned the history of modern physics first and then the brief biographies of masters. That helped me to shed the fear factor enveloping this confusing subject. So before starting the actual study I became a friend of the subject.

was a BSc physics student during the fag end of 1980’s in St. Albert’s College, Ernakulam. At that time many discoveries were taking place in that subject and both students and professors were a little bit confused over many

aspects of Modern Physics. Its theories were complicated and many of the equations very long. Deriving those equations were really a nightmare of many of us. The only solace was Prof. Ramamurthy who tought that subject – a

perfect gentleman, a calm personality. We students approached this subject in different ways; some wrote it off, expecting just pass marks. Many tried to memorize its equations, theorems and long derivations. But I couldn’t afford those

Pallikkutam | March 2015

COVER STORY

Periodicals like ‘Science Reporter’, ‘Physics Today’, ‘Sasthra Keralam’ led me to good books. I took notes in a book and then elaborated in my own way. In this manner I came to understand how those masters came to discover theories. ways. I had selected physics for a definite reason, not just for a degree certificate. This was merely one among other subjects till my class X while studying in St. Peter’s School, Kumbalanghi and scored average marks. It was then I had a chance to attend tuition class in physics taken by one Maheswaran master. He was a mere 2nd class BSc physics graduate who earned a living from taking tuition classes and repairing radio and tape recorder. But he totally changed my attitude to this subject. When he took lessons on electricity I could see how electrons behave in a conductor; when he completed optics, electro-magnetic waves and photons started frequenting my dreams; when he started electronics, atoms of Silicon and Germanium became crystal clear structures on my palms. But once I proceeded to

college studies I couldn’t get Maheswaran master’s help and mostly I had to manage

myself. Most of the lecturers and professors were advocates of ‘memorising techniques’. So I tried my best but when the paper on modern physics came I was a

bit confused. Prof. Ramamurthy did his best but the time was such that there were confusion among even top physicists. (Though much advanced even now the situation is more or less the same!) It was by mid-year I realised the graveness of the situation. Then without losing much time I started finding my way out. The first thing I tried was to understand the subject in depth. Taking clues from the text book I searched the college library and the Ernakulam Public Library. I learned the history of modern physics first and then the brief biographies of masters like Albert Einstein, Schrodinger, Max Plank, D’Broglie etc. That helped me to shed the fear factor enveloping this confusing subject. So before starting the actual study I became a friend of the subject. Later I could find out this is the most important factor in studying any subject.

What is Exam Stress?

tress is natural part of being human. It’s your body responding to changes in the world around you. It changes how your body works and puts your mind into different moods. When you’re getting stressed about an exam - it just means that you really care about the result you will get. That can be a good thing if it pushes you into working extra hard as you try to get a good result. But it can be bad if you get too worried and the effects of the stress stop you doing well. When exams get too much, the stress can show in your body. Developing a positive mindset It’s human nature to be negative sometimes, but developing a positive mental attitude will help you do your best. If you maintain a positive, ‘I can do it’ attitude building up to your exams, your

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stress will be transformed into positive energy that can be harnessed to enhance your performance. View the exam as a time-bound project. Look forward to the fun and challenge in store on completion. It’s only an exam! You’re not going to die. Your family will not get kidnapped and tortured if you fail. An exam is simply an opportunity to show what you know. Exams are designed to HELP you, and provide your tutors/teachers with feedback so they can help you further. You will be just the same person before and after the exam. Exams don’t measure anything really important about you. You have had a number of successes already

and have actually passed many exams hold on to that. Focus on the positive aspects of the past rather than the negative ones, as this will spur you on to yet more successes. A few tips A good way to minimise the amount of stress that you are feeling is to create a revision timetable. This way you can be make sure that you have plenty of time to revise all the subjects that you need to do. Having a revision timetable will also give you the chance to build in rest breaks and time to spend relaxing. This will help you to stay calmer. If you find yourself sitting and getting more and more stressed you need to take a break. Go for a walk or take an hour to watch some television do something to take your mind off your stress.

COVER STORY

I read books and articles out of the prescribed ones to get a more grip of the theories and concepts. You should remember all these exercises were done after college hours. I would finish all the home work and lab record writing at some vacant class room and then run to the library. Then as the next step I read books and articles out of the prescribed ones to get a more grip of the theories and concepts. You should remember all these exercises were done after college hours. I would finish all the home work and lab record writing at some vacant class room and then run to the library. Periodicals like ‘Science Reporter’, ‘Physics Today’, ‘Sasthra Keralam’ led me to good books. I took notes in a book and then elaborated in my own way. In this manner I came to understand how those masters came to discover theories, laws and how they derived important equations like E=mc2 etc. There were much more complicated and long equations. But all came handy to me by perusing this method.

At this juncture you shouldn’t ‘t think I was totally immersed in this subject only; no, I read world literature a lot and contemporary subjects. My parents and relatives were a bit confused over this! Anyway when the final exams approached I was fully confident in this subject. When the study-leave came I had enough time to read literature and do some translation jobs also! I had started translating ‘Ghosts’, the classic drama by Henric Ibsen and ‘Wild Strawberries’, the well known film script by Bergman.

About five six complicated equations were needed to solve some problems. I took the answer book and on the first page itself started proving those equations which was a happy exercise for me. After finishing that I took questions one by one and answered confidently. There was not even a single question which posed a challenge. I finished writing much ahead of the time and relaxed after tieing up the answer book. When the result came the scoring for that paper was brilliant; 98% marks!

Finally the exams came. On the day of the paper on Modern Physics, I could see much tension on the faces of many of my friends. Most of them had lost their hopes. Exam started. I read all the questions.

The author is a journalist and book writer whose latest work is “50 yrs of ‘The Sound of Music’: Oru Cinemayute Vijayakatha; Jeevithathileyum”

Pallikkutam | March 2015

COVER STORY

Brain, bravado or bribes? R. S. Pillai

xford dictionary defines “Examinations” as: “a formal written, spoken or practical test to determine how much you know about a subject…”. Well, like dictionaries their definitions are also outdated in these days of SMSs. Since the aim of the tests is to pass the examination, there seems to be better ways to deal with it other than knowing the subject. But, some of them are unfair means! There was a time when examinations were affairs of crammer Vs crammer (not to be mistaken for the Hollywood flick

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Krammer Vs Krammer) proving your ability to cram and reproduce without knowing much about the subject. No more; you can even do a copying work by cheating.

my surprise, he said that I had secured the highest marks! He added that while all the others simply reproduced what was in the text book or its guide. As for me, I wrote correct answers in my own simple English!

I had a strange experience when I was in college. I hated cramming; but knew how to put in simple words what I knew. After an important examination, our English professor brought the mark-list and was reading it out. When my turn came, he asked me to stand on the bench. (I was short). I was so scared of the possibility of getting a big zero and a severe scolding. To

In these days of objective questions and essays on any current issue, only a student who is well-read and well-informed can pass an examination creditably. Otherwise, there are ways – all crooked – to win a test. The fact that students completing education opt for ‘safe’ jobs show that they are ill-equipped to face life. My advice to the youth is: study well with a

COVER STORY

Students should be well-prepared to resist the ‘examination virus’ which wreaks their lives. It should not be necessary for students appearing for tests to go through all that was taught. critical eye and mind. What appears to be true today becomes false with the advancement of times and science. These are the days when even renowned scientists call what they don’t understand as ‘God’s Particle’. Keep your eyes and ears open and know what to absorb and what to reject. Students should be well-prepared to resist the ‘examination virus’ which wreaks their lives. It should not be necessary for students appearing for tests to go through all that was taught. Once they are attentive in classes and learn everything the day they are taught, a cursory glance will make them able to recollect everything. Crammers and muggers would find it difficult to face harsh realities in

life. If they are to be built up as competent and responsible adults who would have a role in future government of the nation, parents and teachers should guide them

Shiva sending his two sons, Subramanyam and Ganesh on a world tour. The one who returns first was to receive a gift and parental blessings. While Subramanyam set out on his long journey astride his peacock, Ganesh went round his parents three times and announced that his tour was over! He added that his whole world was his parents. Shiva could not deny him the promised gifts. So, one can see that there is always a short-cut if one has the brains! But, in school examinations, don’t take short cuts.

properly from beginning to end. Showing concern only at the onset of examinations would be disastrous. Let us save our future citizens. There is an interesting anecdote in Hindu mythology about Lord

The author is a columnist and a freelance journalist. He served Indian Embassy at Rangoon, Myanmar in 1969. After retirement he worked 12 years.

Focus on the present to create a better future Dr. Sibu Balakrishnan

xams, they freak the hell out of you specially when you are not ready. You are tensed, nervous about how you would perform and worried about the outcome. Wish there was a magic pill to overcome this. I have lost the count of exams I have taken in life most of them passed and some failed.

fill up my answer sheets. Purposely fail! Well that is also an experience. As the saying goes “Failure is the stepping stone to Success”.

I realized that the true way of assessing your knowledge is to do mock test. So I planned my schedule before exams so that I could focus on my subjects and be a free bird in the examination hall. The way the During School days it was like Pink mind will lean under stress is strongly Floyds “Another Brick in the Wall” Hey Teacher Leave us Kids alone. There was an influenced by training. This would help us exam in which I was least bothered even to come out in flying colors.

In real life we face exams or challenges daily. It’s how you perform that makes a difference in life. It’s the courage you develop to face the stress in these situations that ultimately brings out the gem in you. So my dear friends, Focus on the present to create a better Future.

The author is a general dental surgeon in Ernakulam.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

COVER STORY

Exams are forever Lakshmi N Menon

In real life situations, I really started enjoying exams mainly because of the flexibility in approach and the multiple choices that I could use in solving it, whereas in academics, there is usually just one right answer!

xams were never fun for me until I realized itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fun in real life. Exams are processes to gauge our knowledge and skill and how prepared we are to approach problems. We all face it daily in real life. Only difference is in the formulas that we use and the speed which is acquired through practice and experience in solving those.

exams in real life. Again, in real life situations, I really started enjoying exams mainly because of the flexibility in approach and the multiple choices that I could use in solving it, whereas in academics, there is usually just one right answer!

I am a social entrepreneur and a design consultant, who try to attach a social cause Like many in school I also hated and feared to every business initiative that I exams, but I did prepare well and scored undertake. I am currently into a business well, which gave me the confidence to face of manufacturing pens made of paper,

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where the final product is handmade, ecofriendly, upcycled, made by women, etc. Initially, we used to hand roll every piece. But soon we started to feel the need to scale up the production inorder to meet the growing demand and to make it more popular through its wider availability.The need for a simple machine to roll pens came up. Being one of the first in India and perhaps in the world to make such a product, I

COVER STORY

The persistence and hardwork really paid off finally. A beautiful product was born and at the manufacturing unit of 4 women in my home, we make 500 pens a day. didn’t have a model to copy a pen rolling machine. The questions I started asking myself were:

3. Scale: Minimum of 500 pieces/day with a unit allowing 4 members.

1. What should be its main functions? 2. How much budget can I afford? 3. What should be the scale of production? 4. Who would be the future customers for such a machine? Thus started an attempt to make a fully automated machine where you insert paper on one side, the finished pen comes rolls out through the other side. For this, I had first identified an automation guy who promised to deliver it in a month. However, many months passed by, spent some money, but nothing was fruitful. But I decided to pick it up, dust it off, and start all over again. During that period I travelled extensively in North India, passing through several villages. Out of curiosity, I interacted with many villagers on the way and found that the living conditions of the women are really pathetic. I felt that if rolling pens could be introduced in such areas, it could help them financially and increase their purchasing capacity, through which they can buy gadgets for home, which may reduce their routine house chores. That incident changed the whole design and function of the machine itself. I decided to move on with my idea in a different way. This time it was a bit luckier. A decision was taken to make it as simple as possible, which can also be run on solar energy. The answers that I got were 1.Functions: to roll the paper into pens 2.Budget: falls within a small scale sector

4. Customers: Any one including the villagers.

The search for automation continued. Finally, after observing the operations of a sewing machine, type writer and printer, I settled on a simple mechanism and in a week’s time it was ready. But by this time, it had taken almost a year, concept to completion. The new machine does only one step of making paper pens. Every other steps can be done by hand which is again a benefit since people of all skill levels can be used in the whole process. It had been designed as an activity with flexibility in working hours. So that’s the story of the machine part. Now the actual product, the pen! Little did I know that a pen can be this complicated. Though paper pen is not my invention,

How to manage exam stress

earn to recognise when you’re stressing out. A break or a chat with someone who knows the pressure you’re under will get things into perspective. Avoid comparing your abilities with your mates. Those “Oh my God I’ve only read Macbeth 17 times” conversations are such a wind up. Everyone approaches revision in different ways, so just make sure you’ve chosen the method that works best for you. Make a realistic timetable. Stick to it. Eat right. Treat yourself like a well honed machine - eat fresh fruit and veg and have a proper breakfasts. Fuel your brain as well as your body - no one can think straight on coffee and chocolate. Sleep well. Wind down before bed and don’t revise under the duvet - your bed is a

sanctuary, not a desk. Get your eight hours. Exercise. Nothing de-stresses the mind faster than physical activity, so build it into your timetable. Being a sloth makes our mind sloppy too. Quit the bad habits. Cigarettes and alcohol never stopped anyone being stressed for very long. Panic is often triggered by hyperventilating (quick, shallow breaths). So if you feel yourself losing it during the exam, sit back for a moment and control your breathing. Deep breath in and out through the nose, counting to five each way. Steer clear of any exam ‘post-mortem’. It doesn’t matter what your mate wrote for Question 3(b), it’s too late to go back and change your answers, so it will just make you worry even more.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

COVER STORY

This is one of the real life exams which I passed out in flying colours to support the motto of my life: “If you can’t do great things, do small things in a great way” the models that I have seen, which were made by upcycling paper-waste, were not quite appealing to me. And they all came without a cap. The pointed shape of the pen took me so many days to master. And the challenge was in standardising the

compete with very cheap, bulk-produced plastic pens. The persistence and hardwork really paid off finally. A beautiful product was born and at the manufacturing unit of 4 women

Regular evaluation necessary

ajagiri round table, an initiative by Rajagiri Media, a committee with education experts has discussed in detail about the present methods of assessment. The committee feel that there should be regular evaluation about students on regular intervals. There are loopholes in the present assessment system. The present system is not regularly assessing the talents of the students. The most creative people are students in education. They may ask any type of questions. Teachers should be

mechanism so that anyone could master it and have it in a uniform manner in big volumes. Another problem I faced as I went along was the right kind of adhesive. This knowledge about various kinds of adhesives came handy for many of my other projects. The journey to get a suitable cap for the pen was the worst of all. I had travelled far and wide, looking for a suitable, eco-friendly material, something that is easily available and uniform. Yet another machine had to be developed for the caps. In the process I developed so much of respect to the ‘cap’of the pen that I never lose it anymore of any pens that I use. Budget was another constraint in selection of materials as these pens need to

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in my home, we make 500 pens a day. Thanks to companies like Wipro and others, who appreciate the uniqueness of the product, the values behind it and place huge orders with us though the price is quite high, compared to the plastic pens. I am quite sure that we are the only manufacturers of paper pen in India with this quality and a cap. So this is one of the real life exams which I passed out in flying colours to support the motto of my life: “If you can’t do great things, do small things in a great way”

The author is a social entrepreneur and professionally qualified fashion, interior and jewellery designer.

prepared to answer those questions. Then only we can understand the students clearly. We don’t check the understanding the students. Our teaching and evaluation should be compared with the same process outside the country. Our teaching should be more research oriented. Even our research is not up to the mark. It is more or less copying from the research of other scholars. Our teachers should be updated regularly. There is no method of testing the skills of the students. Students are tested within the system. How to measure intangibles is a question. Students can perform better in the groups. There are examples that students help each other to improve in the group activities. Evaluation should include that also. The round table feels that our system of examinations should be at par with the international standards. There should be a methodology to ensure the quality of evaluation system. Prof. Dr. P.R. Poduval, Prof. Dr. Job Kuruvilla, Dr. PC Alexander, Dr. A. Unnikrishnan, Phililp Daniel and Dr.Varghese Panthalookaran participated in the round table discussion.

INNO VATIONS INNOV

Shrimps to provide material for solar cells The chemicals found in the shells of shrimps and other crustaceans are employed for the first time in electricity-generating solar cells. The materials chitin and chitosan found in the shells are abundant and significantly cheaper to produce than the expensive metals such as ruthenium that are currently used in making nanostructured solar-cells. Researchers used a process known as hydrothermal carbonization to create the carbon quantum dots (CQDs) from the chemicals found in crustacean shells.

Ancient cities are similar to the modern ones

here is a wide-spread belief that thanks to capitalism, industrialization, and democracy, the modern world is radically different from worlds of the past. A group of researchers, however, have found that despite notable differences in appearance and governance, ancient human settlements function in much the same way as modern cities. The results are published in Science Advances. Previous research has shown that as modern cities grow in population, so do their efficiencies and productivity. A city’s population outpaces its development of urban infrastructure and its production of goods and services outpaces its population. These patterns also exhibit a

surprising degree of mathematical regularity and predictability, a phenomenon called “urban scaling”. Using this data, the researchers analyzed the dimensions of hundreds of ancient temples and thousands of ancient houses to estimate populations and densities, size and construction rates of monuments and buildings, and intensity of site use. The results indicate that the bigger the ancient settlement, the more productive it was. The team further plans to examine settlement patterns from ancient sites in Peru, China, and Europe and study the factors that lead urban systems to emerge, grow, or collapse.

The perfect lens!

T They then coat standard zinc oxide nanorods with the CQDs to make the solar cells. Currently the efficiency of solar cells made with these biomass-derived materials is low but if it can be improved they could be placed in everything from wearable chargers for tablets, phones and smartwatches, to semi-transparent films over window. The team has also used biomass (algae) to make the kinds of supercapacitors that can be used to store power in consumer electronics, in defibrillators and for energy recovery in vehicles

he Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed an ultra-thin, completely flat optical component made of a glass substrate and tiny, lightconcentrating silicon antennas. Light shining on it bends instantaneously, rather than gradually, while passing through, making the perfect lens ever made. The results are published in Science. The invention overcome an inherent drawback of a wafer-thin lens: light at different wavelengths or colors responds to the surface very differently. The flat lens with antennas to compensate for the wavelength differences solves the issue. It focuses the primary colors on a single spot. The new lens is a dispersionless flat optical element, which at the same time has uniform efficiency and the same

diffraction angle for three separate wavelengths. Dubbed an “achromatic metasurface,”, the new lens uses a dielectric material rather than a metal for the nanoantennas, a change which greatly improves its efficiency and, combined with a new design approach, enables operation over a broad range of wavelengths. The new lens could replace the bulky equipment currently used in photography, astronomy, and microscopy. It could also enable the creation of new miniature optical communications devices and find application in compact cameras and imaging devices. Harvard has filed for a provisional patent on the new optical technology and is actively pursuing commercial opportunities.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

INNO VATIONS INNOV

Voice is that reveals the intelligence

new study by University of Chicago Booth School of Business unravels a mystery in the job recruitments. They have shown that the voice revealed the intelligence of the candidates more than their written resume. When hypothetical employers and professional recruiters listened to or read job candidates’ job qualifications, they rated the candidates as more competent, thoughtful and intelligent. However, reading the same in text form does not impress them as much, even when the words used were exactly the same. As a result, they liked the candidate more and were more interested in hiring them. The results are published in The Journal of Psychological Science. In a series of experiments, the researchers asked a group of Chicago Booth MBA student job candidates to develop a short

pitch to the company for which they would most like to work. They created written pitches and spoken pitches, which are videotaped. The evaluators who heard the pitch subsequently rated the candidate as more intelligent, thoughtful and competent than the evaluators who only read a transcript of the pitch; the evaluators who watched the video pitch did not rate any differently than those who heard the pitch. In fact, evaluators who heard the pitch reported liking the candidate more and reported being significantly more likely to hire that person. Even professional recruiters were more likely to hire the candidates whose pitches they could hear than those whose pitches they read. When conveying intelligence, it’s important for one’s voice to be heard – literally!

What keeps heart beating on time?

he average heart beats 35 million times a year - 2.5 billion times over a lifetime. The heartbeats are precisely calibrated and even a small divergence from the metronomic rhythm can cause sudden death. For decades, scientists have wondered exactly how the heart stays so precisely on rhythm even though it contains so many moving parts. Now, researchers have an answer: It is the myosin-binding protein C (“C protein”) that allows the muscle fibers in the heart to work in perfect synchrony. The results have appeared in the journal Science Advances. It was known long ago that calcium acts as a trigger for the heartbeat, activating proteins that cause the fibrous proteins that make up heart muscle cells called the

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sarcomeres to contract. But exactly how this happens has remained a mystery. So also it was well-known that the C protein exists in all heart muscle cells. But until now its function was unknown. The current study reveals that it is C-protein that sensitizes certain parts of the sarcomere to calcium enabling the sarcomeres to contract synchronously. C protein also plays great role in many forms of heart diseases. Defects in C-protein lead to extremely serious arrhythmias, which cause sudden death when the heart loses the ability to pump blood. Researchers now consider it possible to influence arrhythmias by modifying the activity of C protein through drugs. This paves way for new form of treatment of heart problems that kill millions of people every year.

An intelligent way to fight obesity

hat started as an evolutionary protection against starvation has turns to be an effective tool for people who need to lose weight! Since the human body doesn’t distinguish between dieting and possible starvation, when there is a decrease in calories consumed, human metabolism increases its energy efficiency and weight loss is resisted. So dieting proves to be a wrong approach in fighting obesity. In a new study published in the journal Molecular Therapy, a team from the University of Iowa and the Iowa City VA Medical Center has developed a targeted approach to override this “energy saving” mode and allow muscle to burn more energy, even during low to moderate exercise. A protein, called ATPsensitive potassium (KATP), is identified as a powerful modulator of energy efficiency in skeletal muscle even during low-intensity activity. The UI team showed that altering the activity of the KATP protein causes skeletal muscles to become less efficient and burn more calories. They also made a compound called a vivo-morpholino, which suppresses production of KATP. The study showed that the muscles injected with this compound burned more calories than untreated muscle without significantly affecting the muscle’s ability to tolerate exercise. The new findings might provide the basis of a therapy that could help people get a head start on losing weight by helping to overcome the body’s natural resistance to weight loss. It can prove itself to be an intelligent way to fight obesity, especially for people who cannot go for strenuous physical exercises due to other health problems or limitations such as lung or heart disease, arthritis, neuropathy, or stroke.

GUEST COLUMN

Exam round the corner K. L. Mohana Varma

Communicating with family members is very important. Don’t forget to sit across the dining table and share a few moments of togetherness with your family and discuss things which are not related to your exams.

rinal Sen was one of the globally acknowledged directors of Indian parallel cinema like along with Satyajit Ray. The following scene is from one of his very famous films INTERVIEW. The main character of the film, Ranjith, is a smart young man fighting to succeed in life in the topsy turvy modern urban conglomeration of Calcutta. A friend of the family, who works in a foreign firm, has assured him of a lucrative job in his firm. All Ranjith has to do is to appear in an interview dressed in a western style suit and behave in sophisticated white sahib’s manner. He manages to get a suit, but fate wills otherwise. A sudden strike by a labour union, usual in Calcutta, and he couldn’t get his suit back from the laundry. His father had a very old suit, but it won’t fit him. He manages to borrow a somewhat worn out suit from a friend, but loses it in a fracas. Ultimately he has to go to the interview dressed in the traditional Bengali Dhoti and Kurta. The interview board was surprised to see a candidate appearing for a job in the aristocratic British company in native attire and the first question they asked him was a straight one. They wanted to test his habit of reading the newspaper. He was asked. Did you read today’s Statesman? No. I read Amrit Bazaar Patrika. In Calcutta, the white and brown elite’s morning starts with the reading the aristocratic British owned daily STATESMAN and not the English version of the Bengali Anand Bazar Patrika. They looked at each and one of them smilingly asked.

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GUEST COLUMN

Don’t think that you can go through the whole book in one minute while standing outside the examination hall. This can be disastrous, as the anxiety will make you feel amnesic about the whole subject. OK. Tell us gentleman. What is today’s most important news? Without blinking an eye, Ranjith immediately responded. My interview. This scene actually gives us the guiding factor in how to deal with any of the examinations we are bound to face. Our most important news of the day is the examination. Nobody likes examinations, but we have to live with it and the crucial points Ranjith demonstrated were the ones we all generally face. The seemingly physical and mental anomalies on which we have very little control and the receptiveness of the examiners. But Ranjith had demonstrated the most vital aspect of preparedness for the examination. On the examination day, everything is unimportant. On an examination day what else is more important than your examination? But I could never face an examination in a cool manner. The problem was always the previous night and the few hours before entering the examination hall. Advises galore were readily available, from parents, relatives and elder friends and of course teachers and books, well intentioned and tested, but for me they were never apt, because used to forget everything and felt that I am a misfit and try as much as I can, I can’t follow them surely. I used to cheat them, but cheat myself much more and it was dangerous. I could never bring out the best in me. It was so till my last examination I wrote. It was the IAS etc. examinations 1961 and I was at Bhopal. As usual, it

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GUEST COLUMN

Whatever you think, that you will be. If you think yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think yourselves strong, strong you will be; if you think yourselves impure, impure you will be; if you think yourselves pure, pure you will be. was difficult for me to sleep the day before my exams and but I did a somersault now on my own. On the exam day, I went in the morning to play shuttle badminton which I had kept in abeyance for more than a month to find time for studies. I was working in a responsible position in a government office and could squeeze hardly 4 hours a day for preparation. So I had skipped the morning games and had added 2 more precious hours every day and made it 6. But on the examination day, I did not do any last minute revision, but went to the courts and had a more than vigorous session. Damn tired, I returned, quickly dressed up and went straight to the examination hall. When I entered the examination hall, I didn’t remember anything I had prepared for the exam and

my mind was absolutely blank of anything I had carefully planned. I was watching the invigilators movements as if they were characters in a stage play. It was the general knowledge paper with 20 questions on different subjects, from Gandhian thoughts, to almost all science and social areas and each question had 5 subdivisions. I could not understand a few, so I didn’t worry about them and just answered only the ones I thought I knew. I felt so free that my mind was very clear when I wrote the answers. I could answer only around 80 out of the 100, but the funny thing was I might have given correct answers in almost all since I got 118 marks out 150 for the paper. Unfortunately this was a lesson I learnt very late in my examination attempts. I know there are a

lot of advises on how to attack not attempt the examinations. I collected a few of the remedies from readily available archives. I have jotted them down. Really great ones. Don’t ever think of taking any anti-anxiety or sedative pill that is commonly available at home. Secondly, you can do a simple exercise – breathe slowly and deeply, for about four-five minutes, three-four times a day. It would be better to do this before the exam. Good amount of oxygen intake will definitely promote a good memory. Don’t try to cram too much in the last minute. You are not supposed to revise the whole subject 12 hours prior to the exam. You should make bullet points of every chapter a day before exam. About food, don’t over-eat or starve during exams,

Pallikkutam | March 2015

GUEST COLUMN

Only, to succeed, in life as well as examination, you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will. “I will drink the ocean”, says the persevering soul, “at my will mountain will crumble up.” which is wrong. Spicy and salty food before the exams can lead to a lot of sluggishness. Green leafy vegetables, fruits, salads and pulses should be encouraged instead. Small meals prior to the exam will help you to be more awake during the exam. Sleep properly before the exam. Communicating with family members is very important. Don’t forget to sit across the dining table and share a few moments of togetherness with your family and discuss things which are not related to your exams. Repeat the same before leaving the house on the day of the exam. Don’t think that you can go through the whole book in one minute while standing outside the

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examination hall. This can be disastrous, as the anxiety will make you feel amnesic about the whole subject. Rather, going to the examination hall with a blank mind is a good sign. It means that you know whatever you have internalized and you are going there without anticipating what is going to come in the examination. But, don’t worry. Whatever you think, that you will be. If you think yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think yourselves strong, strong you will be; if you think yourselves impure, impure you will be; if you think yourselves pure, pure you will be. Only, to succeed, in life as

well as examination, you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will. “I will drink the ocean”, says the persevering soul, “at my will mountain will crumble up.” Have that sort of energy, that sort of will, work hard, and you will reach the goal. So be ready for the Exams, you will come out with flying colours.

The author is a Kochi-based novelist, short story writer and former Chief Editor of Malayalam daily, Veekshanam.

ASPECTS

The plight of Upakosala Kamalayana Sebastian Menacherry Dr. Augustine Thottakara

The Guru initiated and taught other disciples; some of them even returned home after successfully completing the studies to enter the next stage of life, namely, married life (garhasthya). 1. Introduction This story narrated in Chandogya Up. IV.9.15. It has reference to the previous episode, namely, the story of Satyakama Jabala, who was the disciple of Haridrumata Gautama. In the course of time Satyakama Jabala too became a famous scholar and erudite Guru, and started to accept disciples. One of his disciples was Upakosala Kamalayana. He started to live as a brahmacarin in the house of Guru. But the Satyakama, the Guru, did not initiate him and did not instruct him. Upakosala faithfully and with great devotion tended the sacrificial fire of the Guru in the sacrificial hall for twelve long years. Even then the Guru did not initiate him and instruct him. The Guru initiated and taught other disciples; some of them even returned home after successfully completing the studies to enter the next stage of life, namely, married life (garhasthya). The wife of the teacher had pity on Upakosala. She said to her husband: “This brahmacarin has undergone severe austerities and had tended the fires properly; you should teach him so that the fires may not blame you” (Chandogya Up. IV.10.2). The preceptor Satyakama Jabala did not heed to this plea. Without saying a word he went for a long pilgrimage. 2. Upakosla’s Distress Upakosala was very much distressed, dejected and confused at this undue delay in his education; he suffered intense mental agony and anxiety. He began to fast; he refused to eat and drink. The wife of the Guru compelled him to eat and pleaded with him: “O brahmacarin, please eat”.

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ASPECTS

‘Ka stands for inner happiness of the seeker on his/her pilgrimage to God-realization. Kha stands for akasa, the space, which is within the person; space within the heart where the supreme Self resides. Ka and Kha are related. They together signify the pure bliss that a sadhaka enjoys within his heart in the realization Brahman represented by Prana, the vital breath. He did not budge; he said: “I am full of mental sufferings; so I shall not eat” (IV.10.2). At the same time he continued to tend the sacrificial fires with great faith and devotion. Fasting, severe austerities and intense meditation purified him. 3. The Sacrificial Fires Act The three sacrificial fires, namely, Garhapatya fire, Anvaharyapacana fire and Ahavaniya fire, had pity on Upakosala. They said among themselves: “This brahmacarin has undergone severe austerities and has tended us properly; come, let us instruct him. They then said to him, ‘Prana is Brahman; Ka is Brahman; Kha is also Brahman’” (IV.10.4). Upakosala said: “I understand that Prana is Brahman; but I do not understand Ka and Kha”. The fires said: ‘Ka stands for inner happiness of the seeker on his/her pilgrimage to God-realization. Kha stands for akasa, the space, which is within the person; space within the heart where the supreme Self resides. Ka and Kha are related. They together signify the pure bliss that a sadhaka enjoys within his heart in the realization Brahman represented by Prana, the vital breath. 4. What the Sacrificial Fires Said ‘Ka’ and ‘Kha’ signify the Brahman that resides within the heart of the person. In Chandogya Up., there is beautiful description of God’s indwelling presence. It depicts the body of a human person as the city of God (brahma-pura); the palace of this capital city is the heart; within the heart there is a lotus flower, which might be considered as the inner chamber of the supreme Brahman; and within this lotus flower, there is a small space (dahara-

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ASPECTS

Agnihotra, the fire sacrifice, is a basic and primary rite of the householder, in which invocations of the healing properties of Agni are made. This short ceremony is carried out daily at dawn and at dusk, at the exact time of sunrise and sunset. akasa). This small space is God himself. The text is as follows: “Now here in this city of Brahman, there is a small abode in the form of a small lotus flower; within it is a small space, what is within it, that should be sought, because that verily is what one should desire to know” (Chandogya Up. VIII.I.I). It is clear here that the small space in the heart is identified with Brahman itself. Brhadaranyaka Up., chapter three section seven is known as Antaryami-brahmana, meaning the section that deals with the inner Spirit. In a debate at the court of King Janaka, Uddalaka Aruni, who, according to his own claims, was a knower of Brahman, asked Yajnavalkya, the greatest philosopher of the Upanisadic period: “Yajnavalkya, speak about the inner Controller.” Yajnavalkya then enumerates a long list of beings, sentient and nonsentient, and says that Brahman resides in all the entities of the universe as their inner Spirit and life force, but these beings do not know this, and this same Brahman is the innermost Self of the human person. He starts with the earth: “He who dwells in the earth, yet is different from the earth, whom the earth does not know, whose body is the earth, who controls the earth from within, He is your Self, the inner Controller, the Immortal.” Yajnavalkya then repeats this description, using the same words, with regard to water, fire, mid-space, air, heaven, sun, the quarters of the universe, moon, stars, space, darkness, light, all beings, vital airs, speech, eye, ear, mind, skin, intellect and semen. At the end of each description, the philosopher adds the same sentence, namely, ‘this supreme cosmic Spirit is your inner Controller.’

Yajnavalkya concludes this long litany with a beautiful explanation of the nature of the supreme Spirit:

adore Agni, the domestic priest, the lord of the sacrifices, the officiating priest, the offerer and the bestower of excellence”.

He is not seen, but is the Seer; He is not heard, but is the Hearer; He is not thought of, but is the Thinker; He is not known, but is the Knower. There is no seer other than he, there is no hearer other than he, there is no thinker other than he; there is knower other than he. He is your Self, the inner Controller, the Immortal. Everything else besides him is grief-stricken (Brhadaranyaka Up. III.7.23).

Fire is the mediator and messenger between the sacrificer and the gods. Agni is said to be the mouth of gods. “The deities are said to have Agni for their mouth” (Mahabharata, Santi Parva, CCCXLII). Oblations are offered into the consecrated fire accompanied by Vedic chants. Agni carries these oblations to the gods to whom they were offered, and bring back the blessings of these gods to the worshiper.

The Upanishad here states in unambiguous terms that God is the inner Self and inner Controller also of inanimate objects of the

cosmos. All the entities endowed with life and life-functions are included in the allinclusive sweeping statement “all beings.” This is followed by the enumeration of the faculties, organs, etc., of the sentient beings like vital breaths, sense organs, mind, etc. 5. Importance of Fire - Agni Upakosala Kamalayana, the protagonist of this story, tended the sacrificial fires for many years in the sacrificial hall with great faith, devotion and dedication. Fire is one of important Rgvedic gods. The very first mantra of Rgveda is addressed to fire. “I

6. Fire Sacrifices Agnihotra, the fire sacrifice, is a basic and primary rite of the householder, in which invocations of the healing properties of Agni are made. This short ceremony is carried out daily at dawn and at dusk, at the exact time of sunrise and sunset. It consists of making two offerings to the sacred Agni. The offerings are two pinches of uncooked rice grains smeared with drops of purified butter. Agnihotra is offered to balance the cycles of nature and time, to purify the atmosphere and cleanse nature of negative forces. Agnistoma is another fire sacrifice, which is one of the seven soma-yajnas. In soma sacrifices, the juice pressed from soma leaves are offered. The Agni rituals involve: (i) Building of the altar to Agni (Agni-cayana); (ii) The kindling and consecration of the sacrificial fire; (iii) Invocation of one or more deities; (iv) Offering of the oblations with the recitation of prescribed mantras. More complicated forms of fire sacrifices involve the setting up of three to five firealtars, and the pouring of offerings, such as food grains, ghee, milk and other prescribed substances into them, chanting various mantras simultaneously, and

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ASPECTS

Garhapatya Fire is the domestic (grha) fire. The Fire-god kept and honoured in each household. This fire is handed down in the family, and is a link between generations. This fire is used in family rituals related to birth, initiation, marriage, death, etc. invoking diverse gods, in particular Agni, Indra and Varuna. These yajnas can last from hours to days. 7. Fire Altars

the fire for the cremation of the dead; thus, it is called flesh-eating fire. Therefore, it is also called Anvaharya-pacana fire. It represents the atmosphere.

The time for setting up of the sacred fires (agnyadhana) is either a particular season (according to the caste of the performer) or a parvan (new or full moon). It is a twoday ceremony. On the first day, two sheds are erected, one for the garhapatya with a round altar; a spot to the south of it being marked out for the daksina fire with semicircular altar; and the other shed for the ahavaniya with a square altar. The sacrificer and his wife keep awake for the whole night, listening to the music of lutes and flutes. The next morning, the fire is either produced or borrowed and placed on the garhapatya altar; fuel is added, and it is addressed in the name of the ancestors of the sacrificer. When it blazes up, a brand is taken from it and transferred to the ahavaniya fire. The daksina fire is lighted in the same way, before or after ahavaniya.

(iii) Ahavaniya Fire is the Eastern fire. Ahava means a trough, furrow. It is the first fire, and is to be kept alive always in the household. It represents sky.

(i) Garhapatya Fire is the domestic (grha) fire. The Fire-god kept and honoured in each household. This fire is handed down in the family, and is a link between generations. This fire is used in family rituals related to birth, initiation, marriage, death, etc. Maintaining Garhapaya fire is the sacred duty of the householder. This fire represents the earth.

(brahmacarins). She has noted the exceptional faith and devotion of Upakosala. She knew the sincerity and earnestness of this boy. When her husband Sage Haridrumata Gautama delayed the initiation of Upakosala to Vedic studies, she pleaded her husband to help him, and initiate him. But, as mentioned above, the Guru did not budge. Her supplications were in vain.

(ii) Daksina Agni, Southern Fire, is the sacrificial fire for Pitrs or forefathers who remain in the South after their demise. It is

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8. The Wife of the Guru (i) In this story of Upakosala Kamalayana the wife of the Guru is actively involved in the training and formation of the students of her husband. She was closely watching the activities of the students

When Upakosala started fasting, she was worried for his health. She was very much

concerned about the possibility that this young boy, by torturing the body, would impair his health. With motherly love and thoughtfulness she advised, and even insisted, that he should eat, and offered him food. (ii) The Guru in this story is Sage Haridrumata Gautama. He was a reputed sage (rsi). But he was a married man (grhastha). Many of the sages of old were not sannyasins; they were married men, with wife, children and household. It is true that they, by attentive and relentless study of the scriptures and by constant contacts with erudite Gurus, by devoted, persevering and intense practice of asceticism, tapas, and other virtues, by continuous, one-pointed and uninterrupted meditation and contemplation, have purified their being and have secured great spiritual eminence and also extraordinary powers. They were respected, revered, feared and held in great awe by gods, humans and demons. They were called tapodhanas, holy persons whose wealth was tapas. But these sages were not averse to marriage and family life. To site some examples: Great sage Vasisthaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife was Arundhati; Lopamudra was the wife of sage Agastya; Anasuya was the wife of sage Atri; and Renuka was the wife of sage Jamadagni. Thus the short story of the brahmacarin Upakosala Kamalayana implies and alludes to many holy principles and spiritual teachings.

CURRENT AFF AIRS AFFAIRS

Sex education: right to information Dr. P. C.Menacherry Alexander Sebastian

Even the most literate state with best possible health indices finds it extremely challenging to even define what sex education is.

here are only two situations when we really don’t have a choice- birth and death; otherwise throughout our life we always have a choice and these choices are based on information, knowledge and experiences .When it comes to sexual knowledge and practices , do adolescents, have the right information to make choices ? The answer is a clear “NO”.As parents, teachers, professionals, elders do we make any effort to teach them the basics of sex education; of course not. Even the most literate state with best possible health indices finds it extremely challenging to even define what sex education is. The West had a taken a giant leap forward, almost a decade back, to keep the children well educated about the myths of sex and they have made significant inroads into explaining the truth about sexuality. In India we don’t hesitate to have sex, but when we have to talk about it, culture and valuesseem to be a barrier. In a country where conversations about sex are all but

taboo, parents are often uncomfortable talking to their children about sex andthey prefer to have someone else address the topic. Sex education is instruction on issues relating to human sexuality,

including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, activity, reproductive, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, sexual abstinence, and birth control. Common avenues for sex education are parents or caregivers, formal school programs, and public health campaigns. It has been seen

that various schools across different cities in India are organizing events to create awareness among students on issues like health and hygiene. Unfortunately, a complete sex education drive on a regular basis is still to be introduced in Indian schools. If we were to go by the data published by WHO, sex education should be imparted to children who are 12 years and above. It has also been seen that it is the age group of 12 to 19 years that counts for some 34% of the HIV infected persons in the world. Despite the availability of such data, schools in India are still giving a deaf ear to the urge.

The much prevalent silence over the topic of sex education is leading to the young generation seeking information from misinformed sources that attracts them to the darker side of what could be an important knowledge in their growing days. And in most cases, adolescents seek the required information from

Pallikkutam | March 2015

CURRENT AFF AIRS AFFAIRS

The outbreak of AIDS has given a new sense of urgency to sex education. In many African countries, where AIDS is at epidemic levels sex education is seen by most scientists as a vital public health strategy. pornography which does not address issues like gender equality, marital sexual relationships or even violence or abuse on sexual grounds.

weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find that spread of awareness was started as a result of the concern for population growth. Hence, family planning programmes were launched during the 1950s; but it was in the 1980s that the The biggest advantage of sex education in government launched the National India is perhaps, it will help the country fight the rising spread of AIDS. According Population Education project. The project to statistics released by the Government, it saw textbooks promoting the idea of a small family and highlighted the fact that is seen that 31% of the AIDS cases increase in population leads to poverty. A reported comes under the age group of 15 change in the tone of awareness was to 29 which itself shows how risk prone noticed in 1994 during the International are young Indians. Even, a study by the Conference on Population and Department of Women and Child Development when the concern shifted Development shows that some 53% of children in India have been victims of some from population control to prevention of AIDS in adolescents. The year 2006 kind of sexual abuse and in most of the witnessed the launch of the much cases, the child is known to the controversial Adolescent Education perpetrator. Programme (AEP) in association with Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it high time to act? If we travel back UNICEF and National AIDS Control to the history of sex education in India, Organisation (NACO) which was later

Pallikkutam | March 2015

scrapped the next year in some states after a report by a Rajya Sabha Committee Petition. A comprehensive sex education can help the present generation live a secured life. Sex education cannot be a typical educational practice in school; it should cover all psychological, physiological and social issues that can force a person to think about the urgency for this kind of awareness among school goers. Children reaching the teen phase starts showing peculiar behaviour that can grow up into bigger problems in future, if not given the right knowledge at the right time. An effective sex education at school along with adequate communication between parents and children at home can bring about a lot of change. Traditionally, adolescents in many cultures were not given any

CURRENT AFF AIRS AFFAIRS

Introduction of sex education in our schools will bring down crime against the girl child, sexual abuse in children,and addiction to pornography and empower adolescent girls who become mothers in later life. information on sexual matters, with discussion of these issues being considered taboo. Such instruction as was given was traditionally left to a child’s parents, and often this was put off until just before a child’s marriage. The progressive education movement of the late 19th century, however, led to the introduction of “social hygiene” in North American school curricula and the advent of school-based sex education. Despite early inroads of school-based sex education, most of the information on sexual matters in the mid-20th century was obtained informally from friends and the media, and much of this information was deficient or doubtful value, especially during the period following puberty when curiosity of sexual matters was the most acute. This deficiency became increasingly evident by the increasing incidence of teenage pregnancies, especially in Western countries after the 1960s. As part of each country’s efforts to reduce such pregnancies, programs of sex education were instituted, initially over strong opposition from parent and religious groups. The outbreak of AIDS has given a new sense of urgency to sex education. In many African countries, where AIDS is at epidemic levels sex education is seen by most scientists as a vital public health strategy. Some international organizations such as Planned Parenthood consider that broad sex

education programs have global benefits, such as controlling the risk of overpopulation and the advancement of women’s rights . The use of mass media campaigns has sometimes resulted in high levels of “awareness” coupled with essentially superficial knowledge of HIV transmission.

should go hand in hand and the purpose of both are entirely different. Sex education must be incorporated into the curriculum from the age of 12 years and it must be taughtby specialised teachers orbiology teachers who have undergone training. Medical professionals can contribute a lot by imparting knowledge in this field and educating the teachers (train the trainers).

According to the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, Parents cannot afford to be mute spectators any more, they have to be interactive with the modern day children and share their knowledge of sexual behaviour, otherwise the children will learn the abnormal and paranormal aspects of sexual behaviour from the internet and other sources, which could be extremely dangerous. Introduction of sex education in our schools will bring down crime 93% of adults they surveyed support against the girl child, sexual abuse in sexuality education in high school and 84% children, and addiction to pornography and support it in junior high school. In fact, empower adolescent girls who become 88% of parents of junior high school mothers in later life. All this will students and 80% of parents of high eventually lead to social wellness of the school students believe that sex education community. in school makes it easier for them to talk to Every teenager has the right to information their adolescents about sex. Also, 92% of about sexual behaviour from the right adolescents report that they want both to source, parents, teachers, medical talk to their parents about sex and to have professionals. Let us take a pledge, not to comprehensive in-school sex education. leave sex education to the search engines, The time has come to introduce sex for the sake of our children. education in every school across the length and breadth of the country. The concept of The author is the lead consultant at Department of Child and Adolescent ban sex education and introduce yoga in Health, Aster Medcity, Kochi. He is a schools is a strange one, being promoted child protection and rights advocate. by certain groups in India. In fact both

Pallikkutam | March 2015

SPECIAL FEA TURE FEATURE

Pallikkutam campaign for “student friendly homes”

Koshy K.Alex

Student friendly architecture

Design of spaces which merge with nature evokes in the student a passion for nature which will go a long way in sustaining the ecology of the each.

very human being, whether 60, 22, 16 or 5... is old enough to be a student! “As long as you have brains in your head, feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” Students need to bring in new ideas in order to succeed. As architects, it is our role to provide sensitive spaces for creative minds. Creating spaces for students to be inspired by their surrounding aspects, is the major aspect considered in student friendly architecture. Spaces created for students must be designed to be flexible, and adaptable for different uses. Furniture in the spaces should be easily moved as a group and functionally changeable. Flexible partitions could help modify the size of the space and accommodate different kinds of activities. Our goal is to enhance the learning environment to make the students to think better and creativein a sustainable, smart and affordable way. A key factor in student friendly architecture is to create spaces and details that provide a friendly environment to students through life’s various circumstances. In addition, people are diverse in size, skills and predilections. Student friendly architecture develops designs which respond to these conditions and potential and manages to increase efficiency. It is very essential to create

Pallikkutam | March 2015

designs sensitive to the needs of students. Architects recognizing this are progressively working towards achieving this goal of providing sensitive spaces for students. Lighting is and always been a key factor in designing spaces for students. The atmosphere created by lighting, both natural and artificial lighting, can help sustain interest and attention to the

academic or other creative works. We notice only bad lighting – when good lighting is provided, people are comfortable, hardly noticing ityet undergoing a pleasant experience. Day lighting creates a bright and cheerful environment. Attention should be paid while placing the windows and roof lights since, it has a very high value in terms of psychological factors. Artificial lighting must also be carefully provided. In studies, it is found that the scores of students in

properly lighted classrooms were much higher when compared to the poorly lighted classrooms. In recent studies, it is found that students are going through a phase of depression, due to the stress caused by heavy work load. This is due to their dull atmosphere and unpleasant working areas. In order to make their learning environment more pleasing and lively, the apt use of colors must be considered. Colors have great influence in human psychology. For example, in restaurants, it is noticed that tables are covered by red and white striped table cloths, why? It is proved that the color red increases appetite and hence people will eat more. The proper use of colors in a studying environment will formulate a geared up mindset for students, thus producing less stress. Considering these factors leads us to create student friendly spaces. Use of natural materials, like sand, stone, brick, wood and go forth brings the student in touch with nature, thus enhancing their creativity. Irregular forms or layouts which break the rigidity of conventionalstyles, create a unparalleled learning experience which will last a lifetime. Design of spaces which merge with nature evokes in the student a passion for nature which will go a long way in sustaining the ecology of the each.

The author is MD & Principal Architect of Vastushilpalaya Consultancy Pvt. Ltd.

SPECIAL FEA TURE FEATURE

Residential hub in the campus It is one thing to live in a home; it’s another to live in the midst of everything. The latter is preferable anytime. It is also a rare luxury.

sten Realtors presents Kerala’s first Integrated Township Project at Kakkanad is strategically placed in one of Kerala’s premium educational institutes - Rajagiri, is what makes this set apart. It is a concept based on a whole world within a world. Integrated township comprises of commercial, residential, recreational and educational institutions creating conducive living environment. “This one-of-a-kind township project includes Campus Court – a high rise residential apartment project, a 120-room luxury hotel block and Asten Mall – a commercial shopping mall facilitated with multiplex, food court, spa zone,

hypermarkets and other lifestyle stores, and it will be ‘Life, full of life’ inside”, says Rafi Mather. Asten Realtors helmed by Raffi Mather and Siraj Mather, two of South India’s most respected professionals in the sector, with their keen view to offer distinctive and fresh concepts in the residential and commercial sectors. The whole idea behind creating a massive project as such is to ensure one lives in a truly relaxed surrounding. This lifestyle is the best option for families with children as it includes educational institutes within the community ensuring safety, added with 24/7 electronic security system and guards

at every gate. Even working professionals find this advantageous with the mind easing concept of- work next to home. “The best architects, landscape designers, interior specialists are on board with Asten”, Siraj Mather says with pride about this pioneer project. It is one thing to live in a home; it’s another to live in the midst of everything. The latter is preferable anytime. It is also a rare luxury. This is where Asten saw its opportunity, in the midst of everything where it capitalised on its refreshingly new idea – work space, fun space and home space – all at the same spot.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

SPECIAL FEA TURE FEATURE

Seperate space for students Each project undertaken by Nucleus, is wrapped in a unique design philosophy, signaling India’s very best in workmanship.

ucleus Premium Properties takes keen interest in encouraging students by partnering and participating in their initiatives. As a part of the same Nucleus won ‘Excel 2014 Socially Responsible Builder’ award recently. They also sponsor various cultural events across schools and colleges. And when it comes to designing a home Nucleus make seperate space for the students in the family by providing a room solely for them, so that they get all the freedom to live a life of their dreams. This is clearly reflected in their project Aura that features villas and garden sky villas wherein, there is ample open space and freshness owing to the dedicated garden area allotted for every home that will ensure children enjoy playing and learning at the same time. While there is a provision for a study room in the villa, the sky villas are designed with separate entrance to each home thereby avoiding common walls to ensure maximum privacy

Pallikkutam | March 2015

and peace. So although it is an apartment, living here would feel just like living in a villa. Nucleus’s waterfront projects like Riva near Edapally and Bayvue in Kottayam, also promotes peaceful living with maximum greenery and serenity. As a builder Nucleus also gives utmost importance to delivery time to ensure customers get maximum advantage for choosing Nucleus. One of the most awaited projects from Nucleus Premium Properties – Fairdale came into completion at a pace none could imagine. 17 premium luxury villas spread across 75 cents in just 14 months, and all this with no compromise in quality. Strategically located in Edapally, this high end luxury project with its contemporary architecture, creative synergy and flawless design, is a stunner lifestyle concept brought into reality. The project is designed exclusively for those who look forward to a quiet residential life amidst the greens surrounded by an inimitable blend of city-

comforts. All these efforts and a lot more resulted in Nucleus winning The most trusted builder in Kerala title as a part of the Times of India Brand Icon of the Year Award that further reinforced Nucleus’ position as a respected builder in the country. It has earned quite a reputation for its high-end construction standards, quality assurance and deadline-oriented delivery. Each project undertaken by Nucleus, is wrapped in a unique design philosophy, signaling India’s very best in workmanship. The adoption of India’s super-grade, branded building materials is a classic example of how the company is focused on offering maximum durability in urban living. Developing distinct design approaches for priceless yet reasonably priced residential landmarks and delivering quality constructions ahead of schedule has been the Nucleus hallmarks since its inception.

RAINBOW

Science facts Weather Facts

heck out amazing snowfall, rainfall, temperature and wind speed records while learning more about lightning, tornadoes and cyclones. Read on for a range of interesting facts about weather and climate.

second gust recorded by a Doppler on Wheels (DOW) radar unit in Oklahoma City on May 3, 1999.

♦ The USA has more tornadoes than any other country in the world, averaging around 1200 a year. This is due largely to its unique geography which forms an area in central USA called “Tornado Alley” which is frequently hit by tornadoes.

♦ The highest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica is 14.6 °C (59 °F), recorded on January 5, 1974.

♦ The most rainfall ever recorded in 24 hours is 182.5 centimetres (71.9 inches) in Foc-Foc, La Réunion, during tropical cyclone Denise on January 8, 1966.

♦ The most rainfall ever recorded in one year is 25.4 meters (1000 inches) in Cherrapunji, India..

♦ The highest snowfall ever recorded in a

♦ The heaviest hailstone ever recorded weighed 1.0 kg (2.25 lb) and landed in Gopalganj , Bangladesh on April 14, 1986.

♦ Clouds can be categorized into a one year period was 31.1 meters (1224 number of different types; these include inches) in Mount Rainier, US, between February 19, 1971 and February 18, 1972.. cumulus, stratus and cirrus.

♦ The fastest wind speed ever recorded is ♦ The Earth experiences millions of 484±32 km/h (301±20 mph). This was a 3

lightning storms every year, they are

Wether Quiz

known as global _______?

1. A thermometer is a device used to measure what?

8. True or false? The highest recorded temperature on Earth of 57.8 °C (136 °F) was recorded in Tirat Tsvi, Israel.

2. Stratus, cirrus, cumulus and nimbus are types of what? 3. What country experiences the most tornadoes?

9. What is the name of a scientist who studies weather? 10. What is the driest desert on Earth, the Sahara, the Kalahari or the Atacama?

4. True or false? A rainbow is a spectrum of light that appears when the Sun shines onto 11. True or false? The lowest recorded water droplets in the air. temperature on Earth of 89.2 °C (-128.6 °F) was recorded at Vostok Station, 5. Blizzards feature low temperatures, Antarctica. strong winds and heavy _______? 12. Balls or irregular lumps of ice that fall 6. Breeze and gale are common terms used from clouds (often during thunderstorms) to describe the speed of what? are known as what? 7. Earth’s recent temperature rises which 13. An avalanche features the rapid descent have been linked to human activity is of _______?

incredible discharges of electricity from the atmosphere that can reach temperatures close to 54,000 °F (30,000 °C) and speeds of 60,000 m/s (130,000 mph).

Tropical cyclones ( hurricanes or typhoons) feature strong winds, driving rain, rough seas and areas of low atmospheric pressure. They frequently form in tropical areas of the globe and can do considerable damage to populated areas. Examples of this include the 1970 Bhola cyclone, Typhoon Nina which hit China in 1975 and more recently in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina which caused great devastation and loss of life when it hit southern parts of the USA..

14. True of false? The most rain fall ever recorded in one year (Cherrapunji, India) is more than 30 meters. 15. What is the name of a weather instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure? 16. An anemometer is used to measure what? 17. At what temperature is Centigrade equal to Fahrenheit? 18. Trying to predict the weather is known as weather _______? 19. The area of central USA that features many tornadoes is known as Tornado _______? 20. True or false? You see lightning and hear thunder.

Pallikkutam | March 2015

RAINBOW

Electricity Quiz Answers

Sudoku 02

1. Ammeter 2. True 3. Direct current 4. Filament 5. Low 6. False (Michael Faraday) 7. Ohms 8. Alternating current 9. Watts 10. True

Sudoku 01 - Answer

Classroom Jokes A new student came to the class. After telling the rest of the children his name, the teacher asked, “What does your father do?” Student: “Whatever Mom says.”

Send your classroom jokes to editor@rajagirimedia.com

Pallikkutam | March 2015

REFLECTIONS

Like Counting Stars Jose Panthaplamthottiyil

Everything we have and everything we enjoy in our life are blessings from God. If we ever really count them, it will be like counting the stars; there will be no end to it.

t was getting dark. Still they sat there on the lawn enjoying the soft breeze that enveloped them. She was talking nonstop while her daddy listened intently to the blabbering of his five-year-old daughter. All of a sudden the stars in the sky caught her attention.

life, he also could not contain his surprise. Like his daughter, he also said, “I never thought there were so many blessings in my life.”

It was an eye-opener for the American author Mark Pierce. While his daughter Wendy had made an amazing discovery After a few moments of silence she said, about the number of stars in the sky, he discovered that God had immensely “Daddy, I am going to count the stars.” blessed him. God blesses us all in many He thought it was fun. “Let me see how ways. But do we ever count our blessings good you are in counting the stars,” he like Pierce did? Even if we do, we often said encouragingly. “One, two, three, count only a few. In fact, most of us are four...,” she started counting. Soon she not even aware that we are immensely counted a hundred stars. But she didn’t stop there. She counted another hundred. blessed by God. Our focus is mostly on what troubles us and on what we don’t When it came to two hundred and have in our life. Do we ever look at our twenty-four, she could not hold her surprise. “Oh! My God, I never thought good health and count it as a blessing? there were so many stars in the sky,” she There are many People in this world who would trade everything they have for good said jumping up and down. health. When we have parents who love us When his daughter had started counting and brothers and sisters who care for us, the stars, he also began to count. But he do we ever count them as a blessing? When was not counting the stars; he was only we have a roof over our heads and food on counting the many blessings in his life. As our table, do we ever count these as he continued to count the blessings in his blessings from God? The air we breathe

and the water we drink are all blessings from God. The sun that shines on us and the rain that waters the earth are all blessings from God. In short, everything we have and everything we enjoy in our life are blessings from God. If we ever really count them, it will be like counting the stars; there will be no end to it. People often wait to count their blessings until a tragedy hits them. It is then they realize how blessed they had been by God until that moment. But we should not wait for a tragedy to strike us before we begin to count the blessings. We must be constantly aware of the continued protection of God and how well he takes care of us even when we pay the least attention to it. When we really begin to count our blessings, we begin to be happy. And our happiness will make us count our blessings again and again. It will also make us tremendously grateful to God who loves us like nobody else does.

Printed and Published by Fr. Dr. George Peter Pittappillil on behalf of Rajagiri Media, Rajagiri Valley P.O, Kakkanadu, Kochi-39. Ph: 0484-2428249. Printed at Five Star Offset Printers, Kochi. Editor: James Paul