Pallikkutam : June by james paul

FROM EDITOR’S DESK

Indian education system: What needs to change? MAGAZINE ON EDUCATION VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1 JUNE 2014

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

Columns K L Mohanavarma Dr. K.N. Raghavan Sajit Malliyoor Dr. Jos Cletus Plackal Dr. Augustine Thottakara Marketing Manager Varghese Kachappilly CMI Art Sajo Joseph

We live in a country where the people see education as the means of climbing the social and economic ladder, a country where people spending their parent’s life savings and borrowed money on education – and even then not getting standard education, and struggling to find employment of their choice. In this country, millions of students are victim of an unrealistic, pointless, mindless rat race. We have established IITs, IIMs, law schools and other institutions of excellence; students now routinely score 90% marks so that even students with 90+ percentage find it difficult to get into the colleges of their choice; but we do more of the same old stuff. If once the youngsters prepared en masse for civil services and bank officers exams, they now prepare to become engineers. President Pranab Mukherjee recently stressed the need for improving higher education to make the country a centre of global higher education. “I feel very sad when I find that out of top 200 universities, not a single Indian institute finds its place,” he said. The country has over 600 universities, 30,000 degree giving colleges and 16 IITs among others and none of them are of world standard. “We must improve our educational system which must not only provide quality education but ensure that India becomes centre of global higher education,” the President said. Citing the glory of ancient Nalanda and Takshila universities, he said institutions need to make efforts to find their right place in the world’s top universities. Improvement in education system can be done by creating a team of inspiring teachers, by establishing close linkages with global community though information technology and national network of technology. Our educational institutions should break down the silos in which different disciplines function and strive for a harmonious interchange of thoughts between the humanities, science, languages and other disciplines. Research is a neglected domain in our higher education structure. Successful research programmes offer vast possibilities to make a difference in the lives of people, therefore, our universities have to be the breeding ground for creative pursuits. They have to be the source of cutting edge innovation and technological developments. Universities must through their inventions and discoveries lead in the registration of patents for our country.

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

We must recognize that good faculty is a critical component of our education system. Our universities must be able to identify ‘inspired teachers’ who can motivate students to think from different perspectives and spur holistic learning. Academic autonomy should be preserved at all cost. Students should be actively encouraged to have a passion for their alma mater and to contribute actively to its growth and development. Transformative ideas are required to steer our educational institutions from the muddy waters of mediocrity. The expertise and experience of alumni, who are well-established, can be utilized for effective university management.

C ONTENTS CO VER ST OR Y COVER STOR ORY

New is the year, new are the hopes and the aspirations.... What do you expect from education? The positive and negative aspects of our education system and few suggestions for improvement...

Our education system, maladies and remedies... 32 Each child is unique. It is important and critical to identify the potential of each child. This has to be done at school level. In order to maximise/optimise his potential, he should get a clear indication of his most suited field.

Brigadier NV Nair (Retd.)

Education: the making of competent citizens..... 37 Learning should be understood as a process of discovery and the joy of discovery be its better reward beyond a degree certificate.

P K George Tharakan

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EXPERT COUNSEL 20

GUEST COLUMN 61

The spirit of democracy

am ssN¬Uv jpUv _n°w......

The real winner in this election is not any party or alliance nor any individual or leader, but the ordinary voter

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Dr. K.N. Raghavan

sI F¬ taml\h¿Ω Pallikkutam | June 2014

JUNE 2014 STORIES OF LIFE 23

My wife is mad, can you treat her? NEWS..................................................................... 06 VOICES................................................................. 08 INSIGHTS.............................................................. 28 ......................................................... 45 INNO VATION INNOV TION......................................................... HEAL TH WATCH................................................... 58 HEALTH INFO TECH............................................................ 55

Dr. Jos Cletus Plackal PERSONAL 25

I am shy, I can’t face strangers....

CONFESSIONS ..................................................... 66

Sajit Malliyoor YOURS TEA CHERL Y 11 TEACHERL CHERLY

ASPECTS 47

How I became a teacher

Tat tvam asi: Thou art that

Jose K. C.

Dr. Augustine Thottakara

BOOK SHELF 42

TURN TO P AGE 14 PA

POLICY WATCH 39

Pride and Prejudice

Higher education sector in India

Jane Austen

Dr D.Dhanuraj

Pallikkutam | June 2014

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NEWS

Startup Village set for leadership change

ochi’s Startup Village, India’s first mobile-internet business incubator, will see a change of guard next month with Chief Operating Officer Pranav Kumar Suresh set to take over as the CEO. Sijo Kuruvilla George, the current CEO, will moving to the board of directors. “The role change will give me a chance to focus on the larger ecosystem challenges and issues faced by the organisation,” Kuruvila said in a press statement. Pranav joined Startup Village as COO last year. “Startup Village’s big projects, like the ‘Landing Pad’ being set up in Silicon Valley, will require focused efforts by Sijo and I hope his new role will give him an added advantage in addressing greater challenges,” said Chairman, Sanjay Vijayakumar. Pranav will take over as the Chief Executive Officer of India’s first mobileinternet business incubator from July this year. Pranav, an IIM-C graduate, joined Startup Village as the COO 14 months ago with a solid vision to take the organisation

to new heights. Before joining Startup Village, he was working with the

accelerated leadership programme at the Hinduja Group company, Ashok Leyland. “I am glad to bring the operational skills that I have gained in my career so far to Startup Village,” Pranav said.

“I congratulate Pranav on his new assignment. Pranav’s operational blueprint for the incubator has been approved by the Board for implementation and these aggressive targets would mean that he will be given full freedom to execute them,” said Kris Gopalakrishnan, the chief mentor of Startup Village. The team’s goal is to make Startup Village one of the world’s top 10 destinations for start-ups. For the next two years, the organisation has set a number of operational targets, including bringing in new people on board, setting up the Fab Labs in participation with the MIT Centre for Bits and Atoms, Boston; implementing the Raspberry Pi programme for schoolchildren, executing the seed fund programme, rolling out the Startup Village App, setting up Boot camps in 500 colleges and scaling up the infrastructure facility to 3,00,000 sq ft from the existing 15,000 sq ft.

IIM-Ahmedabad Court moved against order to teach to offer 11 new Tamil in all matriculation schools management he Association of Matriculation in the present academic year. They were T Higher Secondary Schools has to furnish a report in this regard. programmes moved the Madras high court against a asked Opposing the move, the association filed state government order (GO) that directed private schools to provide Tamil language teaching to all students.

the writ petition.

Reviving a 2006 legislation, the GO dated February 10 he Indian Institute of Management, directed all Ahmedabad (IIM-A) would be the unaided offering eleven new Management schools to Development Programmes (MDPs) in ensure that 2014-15. their pupils “A total of 77 open enrolment were ready Management Development Programmes to write the (MDPs) are being offered for 2014-15. Tamil paper Eleven new MDPs have been announced during the for the year 2014-15,” the institute said in annual a statement. examinations

Pallikkutam | June 2014

NEWS

English hottest subject this year in WB W

hile last year it was microbiology, this year English, physics and economics seem to be the toast of the season among undergraduate applicants. Studying these subjects increases possibilities of bagging a job after completing the three-year graduation course and also opens up avenues for higher studies.

microbiology, zoology, chemistry and physics. This year, too, we are expecting a high number of applicants in English. I feel the reason of its high popularity is the possibility of bagging jobs after graduation.

Students applying in St Xavier’s College has always had four favourites — BCom (honours and general), English, BBA and economics. “These have been the most preferred choices among applicants over the past few years. I believe the reason is high probability of placement and the excellent reputation of the college,” said principal Felix Raj. Sheuli Sarkar, principal of Lady Brabourne College, said: “The highest number of forms in our college is taken for English. Almost 1,100 students appear for the admission test while the total number of applicants is more than 1,500. Among other in-demand subjects are sociology,

Moreover, the reputation of Lady Brabourne College is high for teaching the subject very well.” At Scottish Church College, English attracts the highest number of applicants. Principal J Abraham feels the trend will continue this year, too. “We don’t offer geography, which is, of

course, one of the most popular subjects in several colleges. Usually English is the top scorer. Last year we had 4,838 applicants for 65 seats. Scottish Church College is very popular for English and the faculty is excellent. Many students prefer it because it helps them while getting jobs,” the principal said. At Presidency University, English has always been one of the preferred choices, followed by physics and economics. “This year, too, we are expecting to see similar preferences from applicants. In humanities, the subject that offers the easiest opportunity to grab a job is English. Apart from that, English has always been very popular in Presidency because of the excellent faculty. Every year, more than 1,000 students take the admission test for 32 seats available. Though the numbers of applications are almost the same, physics comes a little lower on the demand chart as compared to the first two subjects,” said an official at Presidency.

Clean campus-Safe Campus K

erala government decided to launch an awareness campaign taking a serious note of large-scale sale of narcotic products in the vicinity of schools and colleges.

intelligence tip-off, Chennithala said 1386 centres selling illegal products were

It was also planned to establish Student Police Cadets (SPC) system in aided, CBSE and unaided schools.

Explaining details of the programme titled ‘Clean campus-Safe Campus’, to be launched jointly by Home and Education Departments, state home minister Ramesh Chennithala said intelligence reports suggested that narcotic products like ganja, drugs and banned tobacco products were sold to students in large numbers. The main objective of the programme was to wean the students away from the use of these products, he said. After an

Pallikkutam | June 2014

be implemented through the School Vigilance Committees and Student Police Cadets, he said.

Presently SPC was functioning in government schools only. SPC consists of 44 students and annual cost for its function comes to around Rs two lakh, state education minister P K Abdu Rabb said.

raided, 131 persons arrested and 134 cases registered. The programme would

Most schools have agreed to bear the cost for functioning of SPCs in their schools, he added.

VOICES

10 Powerful Quotes by the “ At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.” Jawaharlal Nehru

“If Pakistan has any ideas of annexing any part of our territories by force, she should think afresh. I want to state categorically that force will be met with force and aggression against us will never be allowed to succeed.” Lal Bahadur Shahstri

“There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there.” Indira Gandhi

“For some days, people thought that India was shaking. But there are always tremors when a great tree falls.” Rajiv Gandhi

“When I don’t make a decision, it’s not that I don’t think about it. I think about it and make a decision not to make a decision.” P.V. Narsimha Rao

Pallikkutam | June 2014

VOICES

10 Prime Ministers of India “Poverty is multidimensional. It extends beyond money incomes to education, health care, political participation and advancement of one’s own culture and social organisation.” Atal Bihari Vajpayee

“ I may be a sleeping politician. But one should know that a sleeping politician is always awake about national politics. I am not like politicians who sleep on national issues though they may be awake physically.” H D Deve Gowda

“I was on the central table and we were a very intimate group.” I.K. Gujral

“India happens to be a rich country inhabited by very poor people.” Manmohan Singh

“Indian economy is suffering from policy paralysis and lack of optimism. I am confident that with right kind of decisions, we can once again generate hope and confidence and turnaround our economy.” Narendra Modi

Pallikkutam | June 2014

YOURS TEA CHERL Y TEACHERL CHERLY

How I became a teacher Jose K. C.

The teacher-evolution in me: The whyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and howâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Teach your pupils Maths, Geography and poetry etc. But through them and beyond them, let them love Nature, life and human beings. Let them see bees that buzz love, hear the rain that lisps fertility, love their mothers who touch thorns into flowers, fathers who show a rainbow in sweat and so on. Let them believe that life is worth living, Nature is richly clad and their fellow beings have divine sparks in them.

Pallikkutam | June 2014

YOURS TEA CHERL Y TEACHERL CHERLY

Your training didn’t end; it begins. No great teachers of the world – Lord Buddha and Jesus, for example – became gurus through teacher training. They did so through self-training ie. the cross fertilization of the theory-base and the skill-base they got from their hermitages with the unique contact with the ground.

as my vocation to the ‘guruhood’ providential? In all probability, ‘yes’. The ‘teacher’ was in my father’s DNA – my father, a class III push-out (Nobody is a school ‘drop-out’). I remember having gone to my dad for solving Maths problems on many an occasion. I, then a high school undergraduate, go to him with a Maths problem in “Solids”. The quivering, withered hands of the old peasant, the Class III push-out, picks up an unshapely stone from his ill-defined courtyard; draws some lines on it with a colour stone – that too from the courtyard - , explains to me, asks me questions, prompts, probes, rephrases his questions, reinforces upon my responses … And there I stand in the courtyard, glowing with understanding, seeing my uneducated, untrained father far better than my trained Maths teacher at school. Isn’t science systematized and codified (at times unduly glorified) common sense? My mother, a Class IV push-out, was an avaricious reader, who would stand on the scaffold of a chair-upon- a- table to hold her books or magazines closest possible to the electric bulb. And, she would climb down with a blooming face reflective of

information satiety. And, my indomitable paternal grandma, ever a proud ‘Kalari’ (vernacular for ‘KG’) graduate herself, was a treasure trove of wise saws and indigenous wisdom. All the three, enviable graduates of the university of the universe !!! No wonder, Mark Twain did not want schooling to interfere with his education.

compromised pay scales – a common norm.

Times were hard. A trained postgraduate but smartly unemployed in the competitive Kerala (where the qualified unemployed outnumber the coconuts), I ran from pillar to post to grab a job, to no avail. An interview card from Bhutan thus Often, I found myself almost daily in my gave me a ray of hope. Upon being parish church’s courtyard in the twilight of selected as a teacher (in 1986), however, I the dusk tutoring my junior friends free of seesawed. To be or not to be – much less, cost. Such sessions of communicating what of course, than the Hamletian dilemma. has been communicated, born out of a My dad, however, urged me to go and Eureka-passion, gave immaculate joy and experiment with teaching in the schools in trained me in the art of the right the Himalayas. vocabulary, analogies and anecdotes. Soon, Soon, I realized that I was cut out to be a I became a Sunday school teacher, a teacher. Now, I am romantic with teaching; passionate Bible reader over the church microphones during vespers – at which the I date with my subjects; I find little Buddhas in my students. rural folks of the hamlets around irrespective of faiths listened in rapt Once I bit a stone in the curry of my attention. These were perhaps sure friend’s expression, otherwise relishing: ingredients in the crucible of a possible “Teaching is the most noblest profession.” teacher-evolution. But an average Kerala ‘How dare he attempt the Shakespearean job seeker’s psyche of those days was license of the double superlative?’ I fumed. inclined more towards ‘doctors’ and But he stuck to his guns and said a single ‘engineers’. So was mine; but I cut a sorry superlative is too weak to capture the figure at the professional entrance exams. holiness of the teacher’s office – too Having thus to eat a humble pie, I landed convincing a point not to blunt my up in some ‘parallel colleges’ teaching on precision knife.

Pallikkutam | June 2014

YOURS TEA CHERL Y TEACHERL CHERLY

Soon, I realized that I was cut out to be a teacher. Now, I am romantic with teaching; I date with my subjects; I find little Buddhas in my students. Now, I tell my graduating student teachers: Dear graduates, enter the sanctum sanctorum(the school) after removing your sandals – expectations of materialistic gains (money, car, house and promotion etc.) and hopes of snatching respect from society. Mind you, your training didn’t end; it begins. No great teachers of the world – Lord Buddha and Jesus, for example – became gurus through teacher training. They did so through self-training ie. the cross fertilization of the theory-base and the skill-base they got from their

Pallikkutam | June 2014

hermitages (teacher colleges) with the unique contact with the ground. Teach your pupils Maths, Geography and poetry etc. But through them and beyond them, let them love Nature, life and human beings. Let them see bees that buzz love, hear the rain that lisps fertility, love their mothers who touch thorns into flowers, fathers who show a rainbow in sweat (or vice versa) and so on. Let them believe that life is worth living, Nature is richly clad and their fellow beings have divine sparks in them. If not, the formulae, the definitions and the maps etc. will feel dry.

A teacher I believe works with an inexhaustible thirst for knowledge. When untold truths ignite her, she will but devise effective ways of conveying them to her pupils. Put differently, the inner spark of knowledge will spark off methodology extempore. Thus he metamorphoses into a guru. Thus s/he celebrates the poetry of being a teacher.

The author is lecturer in English, College of education, Samtse, Bhutan

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Pallikkutam | June 2014

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a°ƒ. 28 Ip´n-I-fp-tSbpw c£I¿Øm°ƒ ¢m n\v ]pd-Øv. c£-I¿Ømhpw Iq´pw C√m-ØXv F\n°v am{Xw. ¢a‚ v sat‚mkv Bbn-cp∂p ¢m v So®¿. At±lw lmP¿ hnfn-®p. Hmtcm t]cv hnfn-°p-tºmgpw Ip´nIƒ Fgp-t∂‰p \n∂v ]d™ hmNIw Rm\pw ]d-™p: "" {]k‚ v k¿'' Rm≥ ]d-bp∂ BZysØ Cw•o-jv. aq∂mw _©n¬ tK {^m≥kokv F∂ XSn-b-s‚bpw sI.-B¿ IrjvW-t‚bpw \Sp-hn-emWv Rm≥ Ccp-∂-Xv. c≠mfpw sk‚ v tPmk^vkv tIm≠-sh‚n¬ ]Tn-®h¿. \oebpw sh≈bpw bqWn-

GgSn s]m°hpw AXn\p X° hÆ-hp-ap≈ Nph-∂p-Xp-SpØ Hcp sh≈-°m-c≥ ]mXn-cn-bmWv apºn¬. sF ns‚ \nd-ap≈ apSn. IrjvW-aWn-Iƒ shfp-Ø-Xv. BI¿j-I-amsbmcp ]p©n-cn-bpw. {_Z¿ a¿^n-bm-bn-cp∂p AXv. Hcp sh≈-°m-c≥ ]mXn-cnsb Rm≥ Pohn-X-Øn¬ BZy-ambn ImWp-Ibm-bn-cp-∂p. Rm≥ icn°pw hnc≠p. ae-bmfw aoUn-b-Øn¬ \n∂p h∂ Ip´n-Isf th¿s∏-SpØn a¿^n as‰mcp ¢m n-te°v sIm≠p t]mbn. Cw•ojv Adn-bmØ Ip´n-ItfmSv At±lw kwh-Zn-®Xv ]ns∂ \S-\-Øn-eq-sS-bm-bn-cp-∂p. aq∂v aWn°v ¢m v ]ncn-™-t∏mƒ Xs∂ a¿^n {_Z¿ Rß-fpsS a\ p Ih¿∂n-cp-∂p.

¢m v Ign™v I≠nt´ t]mImhq F∂v Hcp Znhkw F\n°v aSßn t]mIm-\p≈ hgn-b-dn-bn-√. _kvt‰m-∏p-a-dnAt±lw Ft∂mSv ]d-™p. Rm≥ bn-√. B¬Ø-d-ap-°n¬ skan-\m-cn-bn¬ sN∂-t∏mƒ At±lw Ht∂m-ct≠m aWnFt∂bpw ssIøv°v ]nSn®v e£van \S-bn- °q¿\n-∂p. ]ns∂ ]cn-{à-am-bn. Bdp-a-Wn-bmte°v t]mbn. Hcp sNcn∏v IS-bn¬ \n∂v bn´pw F\n°v h≠n-bn-√. Hcp tPmUn eX¿ sNcn∏v hmßn X∂n´v Rm≥ hnßn Ic-bm≥ XpS-ßn. \S∂p kv°qƒ t]m°-‰n¬ \n∂v \mev \mcßm Kbn‰v hsc h∂p. AS™ sKbv‰v Fs‚ anTmbnIfpw FSpØv X∂p. Rm≥ H≥]-X-c-tbmsS a‰p-IpIc® ne n\v B°w Iqń. ńIƒ amXm]n-Xm-°-tfmAßns\ Pohn-X-Øn¬ BZy-ambn sSm∏w Ah-cpsS kz¥w kv°qfns‚ hS-°p-`mKw ]mZ-c-£-Iƒ AWn-™p. hml-\-ß-fn¬ hs∂-Øn. skan-\m-cn-bm-Wv. Ahn-sS-\n∂v BZysØ Znhkw F´-ctbmsS kv°qfnse-Øn. ]s£ tK‰v Xpd-∂n-ń-√.Rm≥ aXn-ep-NmSn AIØp Ib-dn. Hcp aWn-°q¿ C\nbpw _m°n-bm-Wv. Ai-c-W\mbn kv°qƒ hf∏nse Hcn ac-®p-h-ń¬ B t\c-a-{Xbpw Ccp∂p.

Rm≥ am{Xw H‰°v A\m-Y\mbn \n¬°p-tºmƒ s_√-Sn-®p. AXv Fs‚ N¶n¬ InS∂p ]pf™p. ^mZ¿ Cń-°p-∂Øv F∂ ae-bm-fnbmb ]mXn-cn-bmWv slUvamÃ¿. {Ku≠n¬ F¥p-sN-ø-W-sa-∂-dnbmsX \n∂ Fs∂ At±lw {i≤n®p. XpS¿∂v At±lØns‚ ZqX\mb ]yq¨ tXmam-®≥ Fs∂ ]nSn-®p-sIm≠p t]mbn Ipsd IpńI-fpsS ¢m n¬ Ccp-Øn. Xma- n-bmsX Cń-°p-∂Øv ¢m n¬ h∂v t]cp-Iƒ hmbn-®p. 29 Ipń-I-em-bn-cp∂p A©mw ¢m n-te-°v. F√mw hº-∑m-cpsS Pallikkutam | June 2014

t^mw. \oe ssS. t]mfo-jn´ IdpØ eX¿ jq p-Iƒ. \√ aWß-fpw.

Bscm-s°tbm Cdßn h∂p.Ah¿ Fs∂bpw Iqń AIØp t]mbn. skan-\m-cn-bn¬ ]Tn-°p∂ Hcp Iqń Fs∂ Nn∂°S hsc sIm≠p sN∂v _ n¬ Ib‰n hn´p. hoń¬ FØn-bXv cm{Xn Gg-c-°v.

Fs‚ Ahÿ ]cn-Xm-]-I-c-am-Wv. bmsXmcp Aº-c-∏p-an-√msX AΩ \oe km[m-cW \n°dpw sh≈ tNmZn®p: "" C{X t\cw ¢m p-≠mj¿´p-amWv thjw. Imen¬ sNcn-∏nbn-cp-t∂mSm?'' √,- a-W-an-√, -ssS-bn-√. Rm≥ apdn-bn¬ t]mbn IX-I-S-®p. s]mSp-∂s\, ¢m n-te°v Hcp Xe-bn-W-bn¬ apJ-a¿Øn Ic-™p. {]]©w h∂pIb-dn. Ip´n-I-sf√mw Fgp-t∂-‰p. AXn¬ CwKvfnjv Adn- a¿^n {_Z¿ Pohn-X-Øn-semcp amPn-°m-bn-cp-∂p. ]nbm-t\m-bpw bm-hp∂ Ip´n-Iƒ Hcp-an®p ]d™p: ""KpUvtam¿WnwKv {_Z¿'' hb-en\pw hmbn-°pw. Iø-£c

Kpcp-Z£nW

Hcp tÃmdn D≠m-°m-\p≈ Hu´v sse≥ {_Z¿ a¿^n X∂p. CS-bv°p≈ Hmtcm hm°p-Iƒ. AXn-eqsS B IY sa\-b-Ww. `mj-bn¬ Hcp ]nSn-]m-Sp-an-√mØ Fs‚ tÃmdn a¿^nsb kt¥m-jn-∏n-®p. Hcp IY t]mepw hmbn-®n-´n-√mØ Fs∂ Nq≠n A∂v At±lw {]h-Nn®p:""\osbmcp Fgp-Øp-Im-c-\mIp-w.'' ¢m v. Aßs\ ]T-\-Øns‚ hnim- i_vZhpw At±lw Xncn-®-dn-™p. e-am-sbmcp temIw Xpd°p-I-bm-bn. Rß-fpsS lrZ-b-\m-Y-\m-bn. 15 Znhkw Ign-™-t∏mƒ RßfpsS ¢m v H∂n-®p. At∏m-tg°pw Rßƒ a¿^n {_Z-dn\v th≠n BImw-£-tbmsS ImØn-cn-°p-∂-hcmbn Xo¿∂p.

A°m-eØv sdbn¬th ]me-Øn¬ c≠p Ipń-Iƒ {Sbn-\-Sn-s∏´v ac-W-aS-™Xv Bcp-tSbpw a\- n¬ {]Iº\w krjvSn® kw`-h-am-bn-cp-∂p. A\n-b-t\bpw Iqń tN´≥ ]mew IS-°p-tºmƒ A{]-Xo-£n-X-ambn ]pkvXI ]T-\-am-bn-cp-∂n√ AhnsS. hnhn[ PohnX hym]m-c-ß-fpsS {Sbn≥ h∂p. c≠p Ipń-Ifpw kwKo-X-am-bn-cp∂p B ¢m p-Iƒ. sXmgp-ssI-I-tfmsS \n∂v acWw hcn® hm¿Ø-bm-bn-cp∂p AXv. hy‡n Pohn-X-Øns‚ kzc ip≤n AXn-s\-]‰n Hcp tÃmdn D≠m-°mF∂v thWw ]dbm≥. \¢m v

Ign™v I≠nt´ t]mImhq F∂v Hcp Znhkw At±lw Ft∂mSv ]d-™p. Rm≥ skan-\m-cnbn¬ sN∂t∏mƒ At±lw Ft∂bpw ssIøv°v ]nSn®v e£van \Sbn-te°v t]mbn. Hcp sNcn∏v ISbn¬ \n∂v Hcp tPmUn eX¿ sNcn∏v hmßn X∂n´v t]m°-‰n¬ \n∂v \mev \mcßm anTmbnIfpw FSpØv X∂p. Rm≥ Aßns\ Pohn-XØn¬ BZy-ambn ]mZ-c-£-Iƒ AWn-™p. ssZhw `qan-bn-te°v Cdßn h∂-Xp t]mse Ip´n-Iƒ°n-S-bn¬ At±lw ]mdn \S-∂p. ]m´p ]mSn. ]nbmt\m hmbn-®p. Hmtcm Ip´n-I-fpsS

\p≈ Hu´v sse≥ {_Z¿ a¿^n X∂p. CS-bv°p≈ Hmtcm hm°pIƒ. AXn-eqsS B IY sa\-bWw. `mj-bn¬ Hcp ]nSn-]m-Sp-an√mØ Fs‚ tÃmdn a¿^nsb kt¥m-jn-∏n-®p. Hcp IY t]mepw hmbn-®n-´n-√mØ Fs∂ Nq≠n A∂v At±lw {]h-Nn®p: ""\osbmcp Fgp-Øp-Im-c-\mIp-w.'' XpS¿∂v F\n°v Nne IYm-]p-kvX-

I-ßƒ kΩm-\n-°p-Ibpw sNbvXp. ¢m n¬ Ipcp-Ø-t°Sv ImWn-°p∂-h¿°v a¿^n Hcp in£ sImSpØn-cp-∂p. IrXmhv tatem´v hen°pw. s]m∂o® ]d-°p∂ thZ-\-bmbn-cp∂p AXn-\v. ¢m v apdn-I-fn¬ ]pkvXIw ]Tn-∏n°p-I-bm-bn-cp-∂n√ {_Z¿ a¿^n F∂ Kpcp-tZ-h≥ sNbvX-Xv. Ab¿e-≠n¬ \n∂v h∂ hensbmcp ap\n-bpsS PohnX ka-kybm-bn-cp∂p B PohnXw. tXmWn°m-c-s\∂ hm°v ]Tn∏n-°ptºmƒ At±lw ¢m n¬ ]pgbpw sh≈hpw tXmWn-°mc-t\bpw krjvSn-°pam-bn-cp-∂p. aXw Hcn°epw At±lw ]d-™n-√. a\p-jy-s\bmWv At±lw Im´n-X-∂-Xv. a¿^n {]Ncn-∏n-®Xv ASn-ÿm\ PohnX kvt\lw Xs∂bm-bn-cp-∂p. A\¥ tImSn kvt\lNnd-Ip-I-fp≈ Hcp ZqXm-bncp∂p AXv. ]nbmt\m hmbn-®p-sIm≠v sFdojv \mtSmSn Km\-ßƒ Be-]n-°ptºmƒ B Nph∂ apJØv hncn™n-d-ßp∂ kz¥w \mSns‚ Hm¿ΩI-fpsS Xma-c-Iƒ C∂pw Fs‚ a\w \nd™p \n¬°p-∂p. Pallikkutam | June 2014

Kpcp-Z£nW

ssZhw `qan-bn-te°v Cdßn h∂-Xp t]mse Ip´n-Iƒ°n-S-bn¬ At±lw ]mdn \S-∂p. ]m´p ]mSn. ]nbmt\m hmbn-®p. Hmtcm Ip´n-I-fpsS i_vZhpw At±lw Xncn-®-dn-™p. Rß-fpsS lrZ-b-\m-Y-\m-bn. Fs‚ Pohn-XØns‚ kz¿§-Imew a¿^n-bpsS in£-W-Øns‚ c≠p h¿j-ß-fm-bn-cp-∂p. Rm≥ Ggn-emIp-tºm-tg°v At±lw knwe°v am‰ambn t]mbn. sk‚ v Atem-jy-kv, sIm√w _nj-∏n\v sImam-dn-bn´v sFdojv {_tZgvkv bm{X-bm-hp-Ibm-bn-cp-∂p.

Xy-cw-K-tØ°v {]th-i\w X∂ Fw.Sn hmkp-tZ-h≥ \mb¿, Fkv. Pb-N-{μ≥ \mb¿....-C-h¿s°ms° tase Fs‚ Ffnb Pohn-X-Øns‚ {]Im-i-kq-cy-\mbn \n¬°p-I-bmWv {_Z¿ a¿^n. 1965-˛¬ A©mw ¢ n¬ h®mWv a¿^nsb ImWp-∂Xv. A©p-Z-imw-_vZ-ß-fn¬ C∂phsc a¿^nsb Hm¿°mØ Znhkw hnc-f-am-Wv.

B bm{Xb∏n\v Rßƒ Ip´n-Iƒ Ic-™Xv F\n-°n∂pw Hm¿Ω-bpsS k¶-S-am-Wv˛a¿^n-bpsS ]nbm-t\mknwebn¬ \n∂v At±lw bpsS {ipXn-Ifpw, B ]p©n-cn-bpw. t_mws_ hkm-bn-bnse sk‚ v AK-Ãn\n¬ D≠m-bn-cp-∂p. ]n∂oSv Hcp-]mSv Kpcp-\m-Y-∑m¿ ]ns∂ PohnCw•-≠n-te°v t]mbn. AhnsS X-Øns‚ ]e-Xp-d-I-fnepw h∂-n-´ph®mWv ac-W-a-S-™-Xv. ≠v. hnZym-`ymk ÿm]-\-ß-fpsS CSp-ßnb ]cn-[n-bn-√msX hnZyFs‚ PohnX kmbm-”-Øn¬, \¬In-b-h¿. Hcp {]`mX \£{Xw hnZym-`ymkw I®-h-S-ambn ]cn-Wt]mse sI. ]n. A∏≥, Fw.-]n. an® Cu Ah-ÿ-bn¬ a¿^nsb \mcm-b-W-]n-≈, Im°-\m-S≥ kmln- ]‰n Hm¿°m≥ h√mØ kpJ-ap-≠v.

Pallikkutam | June 2014

Ft∏m-sg-¶nepw Fs‚ Kpcp-\mYs‚ \m´n-te°v Hcp Xo¿∞-bm{X \SØ-W-sa∂v taml-ap-≠m-bn-cp∂p. C\n BXv \S-°n-s√-∂-dn™n´pw Rm\Xp kZmkz]\w ImWp-∂p. a\- p-sIm≠p ho≠pw ho≠pw Xo¿∞-bm{X \S-Øp-∂p. a¿^nsb Hm¿°p-tºmƒ a\ v hnip-≤-am-Ip-∂p. B Hm¿Ω-I-fneqsS Xpg-s™-Øp-tºmƒ H≥]Xp hb- p≈ Npdp-Np-dp-°p≈ Ip´n-bmhp∂p Rm≥. ]gb X¶-t»-cn-bpw, sIm√-hpw, ImSpw Im‰pw...-H∏w sh≈mcw I√p-Ifpw IpkrXn Nncnbp-ap-s≈mcp apJhpw kwKoXw s]øp∂ ]nbm-t\m-bpw... {]ikvX Fgp-Øp-Im-c\pw ]{X-{]-h¿Ø-I\p-amWv FwPn cm[m-Ir-jvW≥

EXPERT COUNSEL

The spirit of democracy Dr. K.N. Raghavan

The real winner in this election is not any party or alliance nor any individual or leader, but the ordinary voter who has yet again proved how the ultimate power in a democracy can be used with diligence and discretion to get the desired results.

he recently concluded General Elections showed how deeply the spirit of democracy is embedded in the collective psyche of India. It was conducted in seven phases spread over a month and a half in the peak of summer, with mercury crossing forty degrees in many places. There was no shortage of doomsayers who predicted that the verdict would be a split one with no party or alliance getting a clear majority, thus leading to a phase of political uncertainty. However the average Indian voter proved to be smarter, as he chose to give a clear and decisive mandate to National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The opinion polls and exit polls which were analysed threadbare by experts in all television

channels proved to be wrong as none of them succeeded in gauging the mood of the country accurately. Neither the news hacks nor the political pundits could predict the surge of support that the mantra of good governance could elicit from the common man across the country. Independent India had introduced universal adult suffrage while adopting the Constitution which proclaimed the new nation as a sovereign democratic republic. This was a revolutionary step as very few nations had, till then, given the power to all citizens irrespective of sex, caste, colour, creed and education the power to elect their rulers, in one step. Even England, for long considered the home of modern democracy, had given all women the right to vote only

in 1928 while USA permitted African Americans the right of franchise only in 1965. There was no dearth of sceptics who wondered how long India would continue be a liberal democracy with universal franchise but Indian voter showed the whole world that he is worthy of being vested with the power of electing the law makers. In many ways the historic 1977 polls which saw the unseating of the legendary Indira Gandhi proved to be the watershed moment of Indian democracy. That election was held against the back drop of Internal Emergency which was declared in the country in June 1975, where in fundamental rights and various freedoms, including freedom of press, that Indians

Pallikkutam | June 2014

EXPERT COUNSEL

In many ways the historic 1977 polls which saw the unseating of the legendary Indira Gandhi proved to be the watershed moment of Indian democracy. That election was held against the back drop of Internal Emergency which was declared in the country in June 1975, where in fundamental rights and various freedoms, including freedom of press, that Indians had taken for granted, were suspended. had taken for granted, were suspended. The entire country went through the 19 month period with barely a whimper but when elections were announced the ordinary voter used his franchise to teach a lesson to the ruling party for committing the cardinal sin of attempting to throttle democratic institutions. None of the newspapers had predicted the defeat of ruling party in 1977; at best some of them had suggested some small setbacks in certain areas where police had resorted to high handed actions. When the results were announced it was found that even the high and mighty had fallen before the tsunami of popular anger against emergency.

Pallikkutam | June 2014

Janata Party which came to power in 1977 also had to the taste of anger of electorate in 1980 when the same voters who had given them the mandate three years earlier rejected them outright and chose to bring Congress back to power. Janata regime reversed the amendments to Constitution that worked against the ethos of democracy in quick time, but proved to be a disaster when it came to governing the country. The internecine fighting amongst its leaders disheartened the public and they showed their disappointment when they got the next opportunity at the ballots. The first ever non Congress government at the centre had raised hopes amongst the masses but unfortunately they were all

dashed by the uninspiring and insipid performance of the leaders. Rajiv Gandhi led Congress to its largest ever electoral triumph in 1984 and he was candid enough to acknowledge that the expectations of people were â&#x20AC;&#x153;scaryâ&#x20AC;?. In the final analysis it was this disconnect between the expectations of the electorate and the results delivered that led to he and Congress losing the polls in 1989. The government could not sustain the good will and support it had generated when it came to power and was rocked by a series of allegations about corruption in high places. The opposition capitalised on the general discontent against the regime and came to

EXPERT COUNSEL

The cynical might still try to play caste, community and various other cards to sway the minds of the electorate, but the average voter has shown that he has the ability to rise above such thoughts and theorizations and exercise the power of ballot prudently, with the larger national interests in mind. power as a loose coalition which was however too weak to survive a five year stint in government. The collapse of government led to early elections in 1991. The 25 year period from 1989 to 2014 would be marked as a phase when no single party could win a majority from the Indian electorate. During this phase, voters appeared to have placed more faith in regional parties which had given good account of themselves at the state level. Regional parties first tasted power at Centre in 1989 when VP Singh government took them into its fold but they emerged more powerful from 1996 onwards when seat levels of both national parties, Congress and BJP, fell below the 200 mark in Lok Sabha. The regional parties emerged as king makers during the post 1996 phase and started playing a more dominant role in policy making in all areas, which was never the case before. However it was seen that the skill sets required for successful governance at centre was different from the ones that met with success at state level, and hence regional parties have not yet been able to make a positive impact on governance at Delhi. Thus succeeding elections since 1977 have shown that the Indian voter has a mind of his own and has utilized the power of universal adult franchise to send out strong messages to the political parties and its leaders. Leaders who had tended to take them for granted were shown the door unceremoniously and those who made promises but failed to keep them have been punished. Indian electorate had re elected sitting governments on two occasions- in 1999 and again in 2009. In the first case the voters were convinced that the incumbent government was removed through machinations before it could complete even one year in office while in 2009 the sitting government was rewarded for doing a decent job within its constraints. The cynical might still try to play caste, community and various other cards to sway the minds of the electorate, but the average voter has shown that he has the ability to rise above such thoughts and theorizations and exercise the power of ballot prudently, with the larger national interests in mind. The real winner in this election is not any party or alliance nor any individual or leader, but the ordinary voter who has yet again proved how the ultimate power in a democracy can be used with diligence and discretion to get the desired results. The author is the Commissioner of Customs in Kochi.

Pallikkutam | June 2014

STORIES OF LIFE

My wife is really mad, can you treat her? Dr. Jos Cletus Plackal

The husband persistently gave her the message that she was not good enough, pretty or capable. His continuous onslaught on her worth as a woman took a heavy toll on her life’s outlook and on her emotional life.

man, hefty, in his fifties, came along with his wife who was half his age, and started conversation, “My wife is really mad and crazy. She is so destructive, suspicious, suicidal, abusive …She doesn’t take care of the children. .. My wife really needs psychiatric treatment, but she doesn’t cooperate. Perhaps you can help me…” The husband’s patronizing, accusing attitude was quite a challenge to the therapist as it showed lack of awareness and a source of strong resistance. That gave a glimpse of what’s going on in this dysfunctional marriage. After the husband’s long-winded accusatory rhetoric, the wife was given

Pallikkutam | June 2014

some private time to express what she was going through. The wife,Vismaya (not the real name) in her thirties, diminutive, gentle, pretty, well-dressed, graduate, mother of two children, was quite articulate in expressing her emotions. She began to narrate her harangued and hapless life, and how close to death and dying she had come, so many times. The husband persistently gave her the message that she was not good enough, pretty or capable. He often nagged her at her weaknesses such as her poor parenting skills, her tantrums, her suspicious nature, her immature behavior, and in short, she

was not worth anything! The husband’s continuous onslaught on her worth as a woman took a heavy toll on her life’s outlook and on her emotional life. Vismaya accepted that she was quite reactive and negative towards her husband. The husband’s provocative behavior added fuel to the fire. For instance, he would flirt with his good looking women employees and, when confronted, he would staunchly defend such behavior, accusing Vismaya as “paranoid” and “crazy”. Her husband effectively used the deadly labeling game, “Look, my wife is crazy and paranoid!”. He used every opportunity to label his wife as a mad

STORIES OF LIFE

Vismaya meticulously followed the behavior modification strategy with grit and determination with amazing results. Gradually she started believing in herself, accepting the limitations of her husband, not playing destructive game with her husband, etc. Mrs.Vismaya as a pro-active person was a miracle to watch! woman and he sought sympathy from others because he claimed that he was living with such a “crazy witch”!

cruelly isolated her from associating with neighbours and relatives. Many a time she would brood over the thought of dying…

On closer psychological investigation and analysis, it became evident that Vismaya was undergoing great emotional upheaval resulting in behavioral changes. She was very reactive and negative to her husband, she started neglecting her household duties, her excellent parenting skills nose- dived, she began to undergo temper-tantrums, she began to harbor suicidal ideation and began verbalizing the same.

The first therapeutic strategy was to bring the couple into therapy jointly but that was not workable due to the resistance from the part of the husband. The second one was to work with the willing person, Vismaya. After the initial cathartic stage the client was led to analyze and understand the motivation of her husband in playing the destructive, discount game, “You are good for nothing”, etc. Deeper probe brought to light the fact that her husband was suffering from E.D(erectile dysfunction). It was precisely to preempt this enigma that her husband habitually discounted her. She was led to understand the tremendous humiliation, loneliness, inferiority,etc., her husband was undergoing. The third stage of therapy was to reconstruct her reactive personality(contaminated ego system)

On her wits end she would escape to her parental home. But Vismaya has a younger sister whose marriage was a great concern, and her mother has been a widow for thirteen years. Mother felt so vulnerable and insecure herself that she could not extend strength and support to her dear daughter and her two children. Mrs. Vismaya’s husband cleverly but

which was very destructive to her children and her family. Vismaya meticulously followed the behavior modification strategy with grit and determination with amazing results. Gradually she started believing in herself, accepting the limitations of her husband, not playing destructive game with her husband, etc. Vismaya as a pro-active person was a miracle to watch! She decided to complete her P.G. course, determined to seek a job after completing it. She was able to achieve all these without putting up a fight with her husband. Vismaya took charge of household duties, started looking after their two children, stopped threats of suicide, etc. She is now capable of anticipating some psychological games from her unhealthy husband and manages to avoid being hooked into it. Her husband remains almost the same, except that he can’t label her as “mad and crazy”. The author is licensed clinical psychologist (HRT), Jeevas Centre Aluva.

Pallikkutam | June 2014

PERSONAL

I am shy, I can’t face strangers.... Sajit Malliyoor

Shyness and social phobia are probably different points in a continuum, a continuum of severity of a condition. The defining characteristic of shyness is the social awkwardness resulting from the fear that you may be evaluated negatively by the others.

am an Eighteen year old male, studying for the first term Bachelor of Business management programme. I come from a rural background, having studied in a school in a small town of Kerala. Since my childhood years, I have been a shy person. I used to avoid mingling with strangers as far as possible. I had only a few friends in my school days and preferred to be on my own for most part of the time. I was good in studies at the same time and scored reasonably good marks in classes. I started facing many problems after joining this course. The course works include making presentations in front of the class on regular basis. The mere thought of the next presentation gives me jitters. When I go up to face the class, I start blushing uncontrollably and often I find that I have

Pallikkutam | June 2014

forgotten what I wanted to say. I know that many people face this problem and even some of my classmates too share the same issue. Is this just a stage fright or am I suffering from some other mental problems? In addition to this, I am uncomfortable whenever I am to meet up a new group. We used to have interactions with other batches of students in the institute for activities like group discussions and this is also an occasion of intense anxiety to me. When I come to think of it, I actively avoid situations where an interaction with someone unfamiliar is warranted. Recently I read an article on social phobia and I felt I have several symptoms of the condition. Kindly advise me on how to go about in dealing with the situation

Psychiatry is an evolving science. The classification system in psychiatry is actually going back to the drawing boards now and starting to look at the symptoms from a different perspective, that is, as an expression of a faulty neural circuitry. The current classification is predominantly an arbitrary collection of symptoms, labelled with a name. Why I am saying this is that we don’t worry about the name of your condition for the time being and let’s call it ‘shyness’ for the practical purpose! Shyness and social phobia are probably different points in a continuum, a continuum of severity of a condition. The defining characteristic of shyness is the social awkwardness resulting from the fear that you may be evaluated negatively by the others. It is a feeling of

PERSONAL

Try to understand how your shyness manifests in the four different types we discussed earlier. Record the cognitive elements like excessive self-consciousness and statements like, “I can’t seem to do it”. uncomfortableness in social situations, which interfere with our ability to enjoy ourselves and to perform at the level we are capable of. It may lead to the person avoiding social situations altogether, hindering the process of achieving healthy interpersonal relationships and professional goals. Literature says that shyness can have four different manifestations, namely, cognitive, affective, physiological and behavioural. The cognitive manifestations are the continuous negative evaluation of the self, a stream of thoughts that ‘I can’t face the situation’. Affective or emotional manifestation is the very experience of anxiety and fear. Physiological signs include blushing, feeling shaky, speechless, sweating and increased heartbeat. Behaviourally, one might actively avoid

social situations or fail to respond appropriately in such situations. Your remedial approach should include elements to tackle each one of these manifestations. Now let’s begin by examining the elements closely.

emotional component like fear and anxiety and also notice whether you are avoiding social situations as a result of this. You can begin to overcome your shyness once you have thoroughly examined the nature of your shyness.

As I have often repeated in this column, any remedial programme should begin by gaining a thorough understanding of your condition. Begin by closely monitoring and meticulously recording what situations seems to make you shy, and why. Examples include, meeting new people, talking in front of the class, attending a function etc. Try to understand how your shyness manifests in the four different types we discussed earlier. Record the cognitive elements like excessive selfconsciousness and statements like, “I can’t seem to do it”. Rate the severity of the

Overcoming the cognitive manifestation of shyness:- The key to overcoming shyness is to change the way you think about yourself. We must admit, it is more difficult than it sound to change the way you have been thinking about yourself since childhood. The first step would be to reduce the self-consciousness. Realise that the whole world is not looking at you. People are far more interested in how they look or what they are doing than what anyone else is doing or saying. Also focus on your strengths than what you perceive as your weaknesses. You may not be

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PERSONAL

Don’t hesitate to practice conversation in front of a mirror, practice makes one perfect. Practicing social grace is also an effective way to become socially acceptable. Compliment others on their appearance or offer someone some small helps. These acts would increase your social quotient. cracking jokes in a party, but you did compliment a person on her attire and she responded positively! Shy people tend to overgeneralise their failures like, if one person didn’t pay attention to what she is talking about, it means that she is boring. Also set more realistic goals. You may not be setting a party alive, but you did talk to four people, which is a considerable success. Rejection is part and parcel of social life. You must learn not to take rejection personally. There may be a variety of reasons that someone rejects you, which may have nothing to do with the person of you. Overcoming the emotional component of shyness:-The affective symptoms like excessive anxiety, racing heart rate, and shaking must be brought under control to

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conquer your shyness. There are a variety of simple relaxation techniques available to reduce your psychophysical arousal. Breathing exercises involving inhaling and exhaling deeply while focusing attention on the nature of breathing is an effective way. Tightening and loosening groups of muscles alternately, focusing on the experience of relaxation is another effective method Overcoming the behavioural deficits:- Here we will discuss some strategies to help you to learn to respond more appropriately and effectively in social situations. Remember to begin with very small talk like saying hello while maintaining appropriate eye contact. A trick to successful conversation is to have something to say. Always have a variety

of interesting topics of small talk. Spend some time in preparation by reading newspapers or listening to TV programmes. If you cannot contribute to an ongoing discussion, make sure you are participating by asking open ended questions. Don’t hesitate to practice conversation in front of a mirror, practice makes one perfect. Practicing social grace is also an effective way to become socially acceptable. Compliment others on their appearance or offer someone some small helps. These acts would increase your social quotient. Remember that breaking out from shyness doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, effort, and of course the desire to change! Please send your queries to malliyoor@outlook.com

INSIGHTS

Use your brain to keep it growing!

ptimum use of brain especially during the adolescence helps brain cells survive and could impact how the brain functions after puberty, according to a study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience. The researchers found that the newborn brain cells in young rats that were successful at learning survived. On the other hand the same brain cells in animals that didn’t master the task died quickly. Scientists have known for years that the neurons in adult rats, which are significant but fewer in numbers than during puberty, could be saved with

learning. But they did not know if this would be the case for young rats that produce two to four times more neurons than adult animals. Since the process of producing new brain cells on a cellular level is similar in animals, including humans, the researcher concludes that ensuring that adolescent children learn at optimal levels is critical. This result has great implications for educators as to achieve optimal learning for students. The material for study shall not be too easy to learn and yet still have it too difficult that students give up.

Neurons play a role in stress control

tatistically speaking, 20% of us will struggle with depression at some point in life. Depression is often associated with handling of stress in life. People deal with stress differently. For some of them, stress is a great motivator, spurring a renewed sense of vigor to solve problems of life. But for others, stress triggers depression they become overwhelmed, paralyzed by hopelessness and defeat. A team of researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) led by Associate Professor Bo Li reveals a major insight into depression. According to them neuron movement is the basis of depression. They have also identified the group of neurons in the brain that determines how a mouse responds to stress - whether with resilience or depression.

How do you make up your mind?

ecision-making is a complex process of the brain. A new research by Stan Floresco, from the Brain Research Centre at the University of British Columbia sheds light on the brain circuits that interact to help us decide in changing circumstances. These results were presented at the 8th annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting in Montreal, Canada.

coming from different brain regions. The integration of these signals requires cognitive flexibility, which is the ability to react differently, update behavior and make appropriate choices in response to changes in one’s environment.

This result can help explain many neuropsychiatric conditions in which this signaling is defective. Schizophrenia is associated with abnormal activity in many The results show that areas deep inside the of the same brain regions involved in brain promote bias towards large, but efficient decision making. Delusions uncertain rewards, while brain regions associated with schizophrenia can stem located in the frontal lobes—which from associating strong emotional response regulate higher order functions such as to an innocuous situation. Not associating reasoning and planning— regulate and the right affective importance to temper these urges when circumstances pleasurable or aversive stimuli can result in show the riskier option may be unlikely to inability to feel positive emotions like yield reward. The research also revealed pleasure and to feel desire, which is one of that the activity of dopamine neurons the hallmarks of depression. Drug provide the brain with short-term updates addiction can also be considered as a of the outcomes of recent decisions that disease of decision making. By clarifying can influence the direction of subsequent the mechanisms through which different ones. Dr. Floresco also recently published brain circuits interact to guide normal an important paper highlighting the decision making, these studies may important role of another brain region, provide important insight into the brain called the lateral habenula, in decision dysfunction that may occur in these making. These results show the dynamic different disorders, concludes Dr. Floresco. competition that exists between signals

It is found through brain imaging that a region of the brain known as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) becomes hyperactive in depressed people. This area of the brain is well known to play a role in the control of emotions and behavior, linking our feelings with our actions. But brain scans aren’t able to determine if increased activity in the mPFC causes depression, or if it is simply a byproduct of other neuronal changes. The research team led by Dr. Li set out to identify the neuronal changes that underlie depression. These results help explain how to develop treatment for depression. Doctors have had some success with deep brain stimulation (DBS), which suppresses the activity of neurons in a very specific portion of the brain. They are hopeful to develop additional strategies based upon the activity of the mPFC to treat depression.

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INSIGHTS

People blindly Too much of classroom designs trust their can distract children! intuitions I

e all have seemingly random thoughts popping into our minds on a daily basis. The question is what do we make of these unplanned, spur-ofthe-moment thoughts? Do we view them as coincidental wanderings of a restless mind, or as revealing meaningful insight into ourselves? A research team from Carnegie Mellon University and Harvard Business School set describes how people perceive their own spontaneous thoughts and if those thoughts or intuitions have any influence over judgment. The results are published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. The research reveals that spontaneous thoughts are perceived to provide potent self-insight and can influence judgment and decisions more than similar, more deliberate kinds of thinking – even on important topics such as commitment to current romantic partners. People often believe their intuitions, dreams and or random thoughts reveal more insight than the result of more effortful thinking and reasoning.

t is customary that maps, number lines, shapes, artwork and other materials cover the elementary classroom walls. However, new research from Carnegie Mellon University shows that too much of a good thing may end up disrupting attention and learning in young children. Published in Psychological Science, Carnegie Mellon’s Anna V. Fisher, Karrie E. Godwin and Howard Seltman looked at whether classroom displays affected children’s ability to maintain focus during instruction and to learn the lesson content. They found that children in highly decorated classrooms were more distracted, spent more time off-task and

demonstrated smaller learning gains than when the decorations were removed.

For the study, 24 kindergarten students were placed in laboratory classrooms for six introductory science lessons on topics they were unfamiliar with. Three lessons were taught in a heavily decorated classroom, and three lessons were given in a sparse classroom. The results showed that while children learned in both classroom types, they learned more when the room was not heavily decorated. The researchers hope these findings lead to further studies into developing guidelines to help teachers optimally design classrooms.

Rising obesity remains a dilemma

verything you think you know about the causes of rising obesity might be wrong, researchers say in a new report.

absence of supermarkets. “As it turns out, some widely held beliefs about societal

Contrary to popular belief, people are exercising more today, have more leisure time and better access to fresh, affordable food – including fruits and vegetables – than they did in past decades. The new analysis appears in CA: Cancer Journal for Clinicians. The popularly cited causes for obesity includes snack food, fast food, automobile use, time spent viewing television or looking at computer screens, the ubiquity of vending machines, suburban sprawl, increasing portion sizes, female labor force participation, poverty, affluence, supermarket availability and even the

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trends are unambiguously false; others require some qualifications,” suggest authors. Geography and the existence of so-called “food deserts” (neighborhoods or regions

with limited access to affordable, healthy food) appear to have little bearing on the obesity trend in general, although they may be linked to differences between groups at any given point in time, An said. Some common explanations for the upward surge in obesity are simply wrong. For example, the idea that longer workdays or less leisure time are to blame is not supported by the data. The notion that people are getting fatter because they have less access to affordable, healthy foods also contradicts the data, according to the author. Overall, food is more accessible and affordable than ever, and this may be an important factor in the dramatic rise in obesity, concludes the author.

New is the year, new are the

hopes and the aspirations.... In the beginning of a new academic year, we are discussing some basic issues of our education system: What do you expect from education? The positive and negative aspects of our education system and few suggestions for improvement....

COVER STORY

Our education system, maladies and remedies Brigadier NV Nair (Retd.)

Students of Indian domicile could solve sums mentally, their US counterparts had to depend heavily on calculators. I recollect that in school we were to learn multiplication tables up to 16 by rote and it stood us in good stead all along our life. I brought these out to highlight a positive aspect of Indian way of learning.

hanmukha Kaimal Sar *, our Mathematics teacher in 1960s was a terror for a majority of my class at our Trichattukulam school ( sar*- In our part of Kerala, i.e. the Northern part of the erstwhile Travancore, Teacher, irrespective of gender was called ‘sar’ unlike Maash/ Teacher for male/lady teacher in erstwhile Kochi and Malabar region). The reason why he was a terror was that as soon as he stormed into the class, he would shout “stand up”. We knew what was to follow! He would then in his inimitable style blare out a long winding ‘Manakkanakku’ (an arithmetic sum to be solved mentally).Those who got the answer could sit down and only those who got the

answer could sit. There were always many ‘mathematically challenged’ students in the class. He ensured that they suffered varying shades of minor embarrassments in the process of examining the various answers, which in turn ensured that they took more interest in class. It is said that in the US, while students of Indian domicile could solve sums mentally, their US counterparts had to depend heavily on calculators. I recollect that in school we were to learn multiplication tables up to 16 by rote and it stood us in good stead all along our life. I brought these out to highlight a positive aspect of Indian way of learning.

Expectations from Education Education encompasses teaching and learning specific knowledge, beliefs and skills. Knowledge is confident understanding of a subject, potentially with ability to use . Learning on the other hand is the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, attitude and values through study, experience or teaching. It can be said that we expect a good education system to prepare an individual to take up his/her rightful place in the society and efficiently perform all roles expected of him/her. It is natural for a child who is developing its cognitive faculties, to learn from experiences at home. The elders

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COVER STORY

Each child is unique. It is important and critical to identify the potential of each child. This has to be done at school level. In order to maximise/optimise his potential, he should get a clear indication of his most suited field. at home have to be aware of this fact to give only positive stimuli. Next natural stage of learning is learning to communicate. It will generally be through the mother tongue for normal children and Braille or sign language for differently abled children. Apart from language, the medium of communication, the child has to learn the ‘Hows’ & ‘Whys’. This encompasses learning basic Sciences, History, Human Behaviour and host of other subjects. This learning has to be progressive. Hence it has to be packaged suitably as per age. This is done at pre-school, school and college levels of education. Each child is unique. It is important and critical to identify the potential of each child. This has to be done at school level.

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In order to maximise/optimise his potential, he should get a clear indication of his most suited field. There are abundant scientific tools now available towards this end. All schools must take the help of qualified professional counsellors. Channelising children to correct domains will be a win-win situation for both the individual and the society at large. Our country needs leaders in all walks of life. All leaders must be true Indians. We need the right material to lead our mighty Defence Forces. We need patriotic leaders in politics. Our children have to imbibe all these qualities of head and heart to lead India to prosperity. Our educational system must be so designed to meet all the aspirations stated ibid. This calls for all round development of our children.

Status of our Education System Ancient India used to have a pioneer position in the field of education. People from all over the world looked up to India for quality education. World renowned universities like Taxila and Nalanda, which were centres of excellence, attracted many foreign students while most of the present day developed world languished in their primitive ways of life. India had a unique Gurukul system of education. In this, the Sishya stayed at the residence of the Guru and studied concerned disciplines as applicable to his Gothra. There was a special bond between the Guru and the Sishya. The advent of British rule in India destroyed our age old educational system. The educational system introduced by

COVER STORY

India has a very rich culture. Our children need to grow up knowing and imbibing Indian culture so that they can benefit from it. School curriculum should include such adequate inputs. Lord Macaulay during British raj was aimed at churning out clerical staff called ‘Babus’ as part of the lower bureaucracy to assist the British to rule India. That very same educational system is still in force even long after independence with some minor modifications.

low remuneration and unsavoury service conditions.

to lack of freedom to the academicians in planning and conduct of programmes.

•

Suggestions for Improvement

The successive Central and State governments had correctly realised the importance of education and allocated funds as per availability. Organisations and policies were put in place to ensure good education. Latest available statistics puts our literacy rate at - Overall 74%, Male 82% and Female 65%. Going by this indicator, our educational standards are good among the third world countries.

• As on today, there is no formal system to identify and counsel on the aptitude and potential of students. Therefore it is the ‘Square peg in the Round hole’ syndrome.

It is well appreciated that our educational policy makers at national and state levels had rolled out realistic policies. In spite of many constraints, their implementation also has been somewhat fair. However, there is a lot to be done to further improve our standards. I would recommend the following measures.

The acute poverty in our average rural household results in malnutrition of children thereby inhibiting optimal development of the brain. This in turn results in low absorption of knowledge.

Though the age old Joint Family system of our society has died down, the saving grace is that, parents from the neo ‘Nuclear Family’ system are taking keen interest in educating their children. They are ready for • It is a major observation and criticism any sacrifice for the bright future of their that the soft skills of our students are very children. This is a very positive aspect and low and warrants vast improvement. we should make use of this attitude. • In the current scenario, our children Negative Aspects of our system: Our spend all their daytime in school or at education system is affected by many ills. coaching centres. They do not get enough In my opinion, the major ones are as time for sports, games or extracurricular enumerated below: activities, resulting in lack of overall personality development. • Educational infrastructure demands enormous funds. Our central and state • Motivation for students to study hard governments are unable to meet these is pretty low since the policy now is ‘All demands. As a result, the infrastructure is Promotion’. This adversely affects the inadequate and those existing are of poor quality of the final product from the standard. The result is poor quality of school. education. • The quality of our post graduate and • Good talent is not attracted to teaching especially our research studies are not of as a profession. This is definitely due to the desired standards. This is mainly due

• Government of India’s recently enunciated Right to Education (RTE) is an effort in the right direction. We have however seen that good and universal education demands enormous funds. Therefore there is a dire necessity of making such funds available to the education sector. •

All children need to attend school. Required number of schools needs to come up. Flexi timings for schools may be considered as per the local requirement.

•

Malnutrition is the main challenge to brain growth of our poor children. Governments should ensure that nutritious food is available to the needy children.

• India has a very rich culture. Our children need to grow up knowing and imbibing Indian culture so that they can benefit from it. School curriculum should include such adequate inputs. • The bane of Western culture is weak family links and inadequate emotional support from the family. We, as Indians, should capitalise on our strong family ties. Parents should be role models to their children as it will ensure high Emotional Quotient ( EQ ) in them. This will give Pallikkutam | June 2014

COVER STORY

Talented persons need to be attracted to teaching profession. This calls for a realistic reappraisal of emoluments and service conditions of teachers at all levels. For this, the Government should allot adequate funds. them a stronger support base for better achievements in life.

adequate policy safeguards to prevent such early and required training should be imparted to them. commercialisation.

•

School curriculum should ensure a balanced academic and non-academic content. Students should get adequate time to pursue sports, games and other extracurricular activities to ensure all round development.

•

With the spread of IT, present day children are computer savvy. Knowledge is on their fingertips. They should be guided to use computer as a Force Multiplier in studies and personality development.

•

• In order to enhance the standards of our post graduate and research studies, Deemed Universities with autonomous powers must come up in both Government and Private sector. Let us make the professional base of our academies stronger so as to bring the Nobel Prize closer!

One of the important assets of India is our young population. We must capitalise on this asset both domestically and internationally. This definitely is not through making them ‘International Labour’ but training them to be employable in international ‘Knowledge Economy’.

Trained counsellors should be made available to schools. They should help students to identify tastes and talents and help them select the right field for themselves.

•

Our students lack in soft skills. Therefore, adequate attention should be given in formulating curriculum to enhance these skills.

•

Special qualities and training are required for entry into civil services and • Commercialisation by private players in officers’ cadre in Defence Forces. Suitable the field is a negative aspect of present candidates must be identified sufficiently system. Government must institute

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The author is an alumnus of Sacred Heart College and Maharaja’s College. Served the Indian Army for 35 years

COVER STORY

Have a great academic year It’s back to school—and the best time to get organized, get informed, and get on the path to a great academic year. Here are some tips Start with the Basics It’s obvious, but essential: study. Often students overestimate their academic abilities and don’t study as much and as often as they should. Major in a subject you enjoy! You’ll perform better in a subject you like.

important and more interesting question at this point is: as a young scholar, what will you do while you are here? Plan Wisely

Keep on top of your schedule. In a calendar (paper or electronic), write down papers, tests, and reading assignments for Take control of your destiny. Reach out each week so you can see what is needed to faculty for advice, and seek counsel and when things will get intense. Schedule from advisers. But remember, advisers do some time every week for something you just what the name suggests: they advise. like to do. (Yes, schedule it!) If it’s It’s up to you to understand processes and scheduled, you can have guilt-free time to policies that affect you. relax and enjoy yourself. When you plan your course schedule, also plan your life Eat healthy. Take the time to eat regularly schedule. and keep a supply of snacks handy for times when you can’t break away for a full Get Help meal. Find out early where to seek out advising, Stay in the moment. Give yourself time and seek it out often! If you’re not sure to sort out who you are, where you are, exactly who to ask, it’s still important to and where you are headed. The more ask someone—they’ll steer you to the

right place. If a problem arises, contact your teachers immediately. They won’t know what is happening in your life— difficulty with concepts, illness, personal emergency—if you don’t tell them. Embrace the Adult You Are Becoming Make a good first impression. Although you may be intelligent and capable, you are less likely to be taken seriously if you don’t wear clean, appropriate clothing and aren’t well groomed. Get out of bad teenage speaking habits. Learn to engage in conversation like a “grown-up” because you are inescapably becoming one! Expressing yourself maturely and intelligently in an academic environment is the best practice for interviews, internships, grad school, and “the real world.”

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COVER STORY

Education: the making of competent citizens P K George Tharakan

Learning should be understood as a process of discovery and the joy of discovery be its better reward beyond a degree certificate.

ducation is the making of competent citizens in terms of knowledge, skill and character. It’s turning community of the day into a ‘well balanced class’ in itself and empowering it build on better tomorrows progressively. For, human culture is eternally organic in its evolution in that it grows and grows, changing continually for the better or for worse. Basic education was by and large cheap in India till the turn of the century, heavily funded by governments then. Philanthropic, charitable and religious institutions too shared this service platform. But with knowledge revolution and consequent industrial expansion of the recent past, demand for employable hands spiraled up launching both basic and higher education along far off orbits which government or charity organizations could hardly reach. Eventually private and self

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financing institutions ushered in contaminating its sanctity with commercialism. Thirst for knowledge had to take back seat. More lucrative job prospects took over the wheel. Our education system is but downloading knowledge. It ignores other aspects of a “class’ society where every educated citizen has the ability to think clearly, rationally and logically - interpret facts critically - and above all analyze, reason and justify situations prudently. Gandhiji counts ‘education without character’ as one of the seven evils of any society. That our universities produce learned rascals has been a long lingering cry amongst us. Universities should have better autonomy. Political interference should not be there in its run. Basic education can take cues from our ancient Gurukul methodology. Higher

Education needs thorough revamp to be more research oriented and also expand with innovative courses suiting needs of the Time by connecting with industry circles and job market. Research by corporate institutions can be linked with Universities. Faculty should accept that real learning comes from inquiry within and dialogue without. Teachers should discuss problems and not go after tradition, rumor, specious reasoning or info acquired by repeated hearing. Learning should be understood as a process of discovery and the joy of discovery be its better reward beyond a degree certificate. The author is a practicing lawyer in Ernakulam and an ardent public speaker. He has represented Toastmaster’s Club in District level contests in Sri Lanka.

COVER STORY

10 Resolutions for the new academic year 10. Don’t leave studying to the last minute. Studying ahead of time is very important. This way, you don’t need to cram studying a few chapters into a few minutes. You’ll retain more if you study ahead of time as well.

6. Get more sleep. Being more alert, fresh and energized could affect your studies and focus in a positive way. It’s amazing what a good night of sleep can do for you the next day. 5. Turn off the iPod when studying.

Unless you have hard data suggesting your grades improve with the iPod speakers on Making to-do lists will prioritize the day’s full blast, consider studying without the events, keep you more organized and help tunes. This is not to suggest eliminating you appreciate what you’ve accomplished. music from your life. Incorporate music when appropriate, like during breaks and It’s a great feeling to cross items off. on your free time. 8. Eat healthier foods. 4. Curb your stress. No, it’s not directly related to your study, Part of feeling less stressed is being more but eating better helps maintain a healthy organized. Making a to-do list can help lifestyle, which ties into completing your you fend off stress. The stress you’d studies on time. normally have won’t feel nearly as 7. Ask questions. overwhelming. If you don’t understand an assignment or 3. Take a break. topic, ask your teacher about it. The last Reward yourself for completing half of the thing you want to do is assume the assignment should be approached one way, tasks on your to-do list, for example, by taking a 30-minute break and watching when an alternate approach is expected. 9. Make to-do lists.

your favorite TV show. After completing everything on the to-do list, relax for the remainder of the evening. 2. Laugh more. OK, so you can’t force yourself to laugh, but studies have shown that laughter is healthy for your physical and mental state of mind. It’s a refresher and relaxer of sorts. Being in the right state of mind while writing papers and studying is important to your overall academic success. 1. Tackle assignments in chunks. If a lengthy assignment seems overwhelming, break it up into separate, smaller items. This can really be effective in approaching papers if you work ahead. You can re-write and edit your content as you go along. It’s unrealistic to think you can sit down and write a well-researched term paper in an hour. Instead, work on the paper weeks in advance, and try to write 300 words or so at a time.

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POLICY W ATCH

Debugging tips to Smriti Irani for the ‘Higher Education’ sector in India Dr D.Dhanuraj

HRD ministry plays a pivotal role in country’s economic growth. Having listed in the concurrent list, education is a powerful tool and medium for any Government to leverage on the demographic dividend and the increasing opportunities coming to India.

f the decisive mandate to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to rule the country without any hassles of forming coalition had surprised many pollsters, the choice of Smirti Irani to the coveted post of Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry was the biggest surprise in the postelection times. In the past, HRD ministry has been in the eye of the storm due to various reasons including the dismal performance of the Minister in charge to introducing the provocative and incalcitrant syllabi. The decision to

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appoint Smriti Irani raised many eye brows trading on the traditions of the party in the power. Irani of course comes from a different genre of politicians of the present generation and her life and work so faris quite impressive for fighting against the odds to come to this position leaving behind the critics at the bay for the time being. But the surprise does not end with this. It is quite astonishing that reform oriented Prime Minister Naredra Modi did not try to restructure the Ministry by giving it a makeover as the ‘Ministry of

Education’ thus putting an end to the debate on roles and responsibilities of wider connotations of Human Resource Development. HRD ministry plays a pivotal role in country’s economic growth as it controls, regulates and facilitates the education avenues as well as the employability of the man power which are crucial for the growth and inclusive development. Having listed in the concurrent list, education is a powerful tool and medium for any

POLICY WATCH

The higher education sector has failed to increase the General Enrollment ratio. As of now, 16 % of the college going age group enrolls in higher education in India whereas the world average is around 25%. Government to leverage on the demographic dividend and the increasing opportunities coming to India. The status quo of the higher education sector is not so rosy and encouraging for Irani to take over. Let us have a quick glance at what are the most crucial issues requiring immediate attention and action from her.

learning 2) disproportionate rise in the demands vs the resources available. This has led to the mushrooming of private educational intuitions in the last two decades. While the reformists and educationists argue for the crucial role of private institutions to harness the blossoming potential of the present and future generations, both the Central and

Indian higher education system is largest in the world in terms of number of institutes (646 universities and 33,023 colleges) and 3rd largest in terms of enrolment (17 million), just behind China and the USA1. But the higher education sector has failed toincrease the General Enrollment ratio. As of now, 16 % of the college going age group enrolls in higher education in India whereas the world average is around 25%. Further, the higher education sector in India has failed toincrease the number of seats for the aspiring candidates of the post liberalized age in different branches of the study. It is still a failure inproviding quality education avenues. None of the Indian universities are listed in the first 200 of the World university ranking. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the wider and diverse challenges in the sector. The other main challenges are inherent with the structure of the higher education sector. The existence of multiple agencies in the business of affiliation, approval and regulation of the Higher Education sector has not done any good for the sector. Government’s efforts to meet the challenges by raising the resources to invest in higher education sector has two stumbling blocks; 1) lack of competency and management practices in Government institutions and the difficulties to scale up the existing Centers of Excellence in higher

initiatives. Autonomy has been widely debated but the political masters find excuses all the time to purgeit. 100% FDI is allowed in education sector, but riders to the entry of foreign universities to India decimated the reciprocity in the offing.The course structures and the syllabus in the Indian Universities are often unrevised for many years especially in many of the Government institutions and mostly out of sync with industry and market expectations. Above allour universities miserably lack research and innovation facilities and the ecosystem encouraging it. The estimated value of the higher education sector is $ 11 Billion2 and the Government’s spending is around 3.2%. About 94 % of the students enrolled in government funded (48 % of total enrolments) or government controlled private institutions come under the state higher education system. This shows that the federal states have a major role in lifting the education standards in India. HRD ministry’s role shall be confined to facilitation and not over regulation.

State Governments has so far adopted a half minded and half-baked attitude, approach and solutions while dealing with this emerging situation. It ingrained unaccountability and transparency compounded by unethical investors in the sector. Another handicap of the higher education sector in Indiais the lack of industry linkage.There are more reasons than one for this. Steps taken for providing industry linkage met with bureaucratic delays and red tapism, as is the case with most of the

What can be the debugging options for the erratic ‘higher education’ sector in India? An education fund could be created to improve the access, equity and quality of the education institutions.This fund could also be used for the improvement of the State of art infrastructure facilitates required for high quality outcome. Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) is a welcome step in this direction. Instead of multiple agencies like UGC, AICTE, State education departments, a National Regulator to oversee the sector can solve multiple issues. A Single regulatory body to govern both the government and private institutions is the need of the hour. Such a framework would

Pallikkutam | June 2014

POLICY W ATCH

The priority of the new HRD Minister should be to value and estimate the budget of each and every course offered in the country in an unbiased and independent way. Otherwise, the reforms suggested earlier would be difficult to get implemented. act as a cohesive and integrated planning body between the federal states and the union.

genuine Private Equity investors and serial entrepreneurs to engage the domain. As a result, quality of the institutions they promote will improve over the time.

higher education systems. Unfortunately, there has not been any sincere attempt to estimate the cost of different streams of education so far since there are elements Skill and quality are two quintessential like subsidies, exemptions to the land, attributes of education. Increase in Gross All these suggestions are nothing new in building etc given by the Government rule Enrollment Ratio (GER) supplemented by the education policy domain and MsIrani the roost in most of the cases. So the quality education avenues would help to would be quite aware of these. The priority of the new HRD Minister should bridge the gaps in employment market. To paradigm shift happens when she be to value and estimate the budget of each increase GER, the Government has to decisively plans the vision document of and every course offered in the country in increase the spending in the sector while the higher education sector and what role is an unbiased and independent way. robust policies are to be framed to attract perceived for both the State and the Otherwise, the reforms suggested earlier the private players to establish competent private players. More autonomy and would be difficult to get implemented. world class ‘centres of education’. Steps to freedom should be granted to both the 1 encourage private investment in the sector government and private universities in Deloitte, Indian Higher Education Sector shall be taken to smoothen ‘the cost of Opportunities aplenty, growth unlimited !, administration, admission policy, and Eduprenurship in India’. The ‘unholy’ 2012 faculty recruitment and in deciding the fee nexus between unethical education structure. Regulations should be 2 Technopak advisors, Strategic tools for the entrepreneurs and corrupt government rationalized for reducing input based practicing manager, 2012. officials and politicians is the result of the constraints that hinder the operational license permit raj prevailing in the sector. autonomy of the universities. The cost of Instead of these unscrupulous elements education and establishment varies from finding their means in education sector for region to region. Most of the troubles brew stashing their black money burrows, open at the cost of education and the The author is Chairman, Centre for Public and transparent policies would invite Policy Research affordability of the poor to enroll the

Pallikkutam | June 2014

BOOK SHELF

Pride and Prejudice Though the story is set at the turn of the 19th century, it retains a fascination for modern readers, continuing near the top of lists of “most loved books” such as The Big Read. It has become one of the most popular novels in English literature and receives considerable attention from literary scholars. To date, the book has sold some 20 million copies worldwide.

ride and Prejudice is a novel of manners by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19thcentury England. Elizabeth is the second of five daughters of a country gentleman living near the fictional town of Meryton in Hertfordshire, near London. Though the story is set at the turn of the 19th century, it retains a fascination for modern readers, continuing near the top of lists of “most loved books” such as The Big Read. It has become one of the most popular novels in English literature and receives considerable attention from literary scholars. Modern interest in the book has resulted in a number of dramatic adaptations and an abundance of novels and stories imitating Austen’s memorable characters or themes. To date, the book has sold some 20 million copies worldwide. Plot The novel centres on Elizabeth Bennet, the second of the five daughters of a country gentleman. Mr Bennet is a bookish man, and somewhat neglectful of his responsibilities. Mrs Bennet is a woman lacking in social graces and primarily concerned with finding suitable husbands for her five daughters. Jane Bennet, the eldest daughter, is distinguished by the kindness of her attitudes and her beauty; Elizabeth Bennet, the second daughter, shares her father’s keen wit and occasionally sarcastic outlook; Mary is not pretty, but is studious, devout and musical albeit lacking in taste; Kitty, the fourth sister, follows where her younger sister leads, while Lydia is flirtatious and unrestrained.

Pallikkutam | June 2014

BOOK SHELF

Jane is persuaded by letters from Caroline Bingley that Mr Bingley is not in love with her, but goes on an extended visit to her aunt and uncle Gardiner in London in the hope of maintaining her relationship with Caroline if not with Charles Bingley. The narrative opens with news in the Bennet family that Mr Bingley, a wealthy, charismatic and sociable young bachelor, is moving into Netherfield Park in the neighbourhood. Mr Bingley is soon well received, while his friend Mr Darcy makes a less favourable impression by appearing proud and condescending at a ball that they attend (he detests dancing and is not much for light conversation). Mr Bingley singles out Jane for particular attention, and it soon becomes apparent that they have formed an attachment to each other, though Jane does not alter her conduct for him, confessing her great happiness only to Lizzie. By contrast, Darcy slights Elizabeth, who overhears and jokes about it despite feeling a budding resentment.

Bennet family, with the exception of Jane and Elizabeth, make a public display of poor manners and decorum. The following morning, Mr Collins proposes marriage to Elizabeth, who refuses him, much to her mother’s distress. Mr Collins recovers and promptly becomes engaged to Elizabeth’s close friend Charlotte Lucas, a homely woman with few prospects. Mr Bingley abruptly quits Netherfield and returns to London, devastating Jane, and Elizabeth becomes convinced that Mr Darcy and Caroline Bingley have colluded to separate him from Jane.

arrives to visit. Elizabeth meets Darcy’s cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, who vouches for Darcy’s loyalty, using as an example how Darcy had recently stepped in on behalf of a friend, who had formed an attachment to a woman against whom “there were some very strong objections.” Elizabeth rightly assumes that the said friend is none other than Mr Bingley, and her dislike of Darcy deepens. Thus she is of no mood to accept when Darcy arrives and, quite unexpectedly, confesses love for her and begs her hand in marriage. His proposal is flattering, he is a very distinguished man, but it is delivered in a Jane is persuaded by letters from Caroline manner ill suited to recommend it. He talks Bingley of love but also of revulsion at her inferior position and family.

On paying a visit to Mr Bingley’s sister, Caroline, Jane is caught in a heavy downpour, catches cold, and is forced to stay at Netherfield for several days. Elizabeth arrives to nurse her sister and is thrown into frequent company with Mr Darcy, who begins to act less coldly towards her. Illustration by Hugh Thomson representing Mr Collins protesting that he never reads novels. Mr Collins, a clergyman, and heir to the Bennet estate, pays a visit to the Bennets. Mr Bennet and Elizabeth are much amused by his obsequious veneration of his employer, the noble Lady Catherine de Bourgh, as well as by his selfimportant and pedantic nature. It soon becomes apparent that Mr Collins has come to Longbourn to choose a wife from among the Bennet sisters (his cousins) and Elizabeth is singled out. Elizabeth forms an acquaintance with Mr Wickham, a militia officer who relates having been very seriously mistreated by Mr Darcy, despite having been a godson and favourite of Mr Darcy’s father. This and Elizabeth’s attraction to Mr Wickham, increase her dislike of Mr Darcy. At a ball given by Mr Bingley at Netherfield, Mr Darcy becomes aware of a general expectation that Mr Bingley and Jane will marry, and the

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that Mr Bingley is not in love with her, but goes on an extended visit to her aunt and uncle Gardiner in London in the hope of maintaining her relationship with Caroline if not with Charles Bingley. Whilst there she visits Caroline and eventually her visit is returned. She does not see Mr Bingley and is forced to realise that Caroline doesn’t care for her. In the spring, Elizabeth visits Charlotte and Mr Collins in Kent. Elizabeth and her hosts are frequently invited to Rosings Park, home of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Darcy’s aunt; coincidentally, Darcy also

Despite assertions to the contrary, he assumes she will accept him. Elizabeth rebukes him, and a heated discussion follows; she charges him with destroying her sister’s and Bingley’s happiness, with treating Mr Wickham disgracefully, and with having conducted himself towards her in an arrogant, ungentleman-like manner. Mr Darcy, shocked, ultimately responds with a letter giving a good account of his actions: Wickham had exchanged his legacies for a cash payment, only to return after frittering away the money to reclaim the forfeited inheritance; he then attempted to elope with Darcy’s young sister Georgiana, and thereby secure her fortune for himself. Regarding Jane and Bingley, Darcy claims he had observed no reciprocal interest in Jane for Bingley, and had assumed her not to be in love with him. In addition to this, he cites the “want of propriety” in the behaviour of Mr and Mrs Bennet and her three younger daughters. Elizabeth, who had previously despaired over this very behavior, is forced to admit the truth of Mr Darcy’s observations, and begins to wonder whether she has misjudged him. Elizabeth tells her father that Darcy was responsible for uniting Lydia and Wickham. This is one of the two earliest

BOOK SHELF

There is no description of either Jane or Elizabeth’s wedding. None of the characters change very much in this summary, but Kitty has grown slightly more sensible from association with Jane and Elizabeth and distance from Lydia, and Lady Catherine condescends to visit the Darcys eventually. illustrations of Pride and Prejudice.[3] The clothing styles reflect the time the illustration was engraved (the 1830s), not the time the novel was written or set. Some months later, Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle Gardiner visit Pemberley, Darcy’s estate, believing he will be absent for the day. He returns unexpectedly, and though surprised, he is gracious and welcoming. He treats the Gardiners with great civility, surprising Elizabeth who assumes he will “decamp immediately” on learning who they are. Darcy introduces Elizabeth to his sister, and Elizabeth begins to acknowledge her attraction to him. Their re-acquaintance is cut short, however, by the news that Lydia has eloped with Mr Wickham. Elizabeth and the Gardiners return to Longbourn (the Bennet family home), where Elizabeth grieves that her renewed acquaintance with Mr Darcy will end as a result of her sister’s disgrace. Lydia and Wickham are soon found, and persuaded to marry thus enabling the Bennet family to preserve some appearance of decorum. Jane,

Elizabeth and Mr Bennet realise that their Uncle Gardiner must have bribed Wickham to marry Lydia and are ashamed of their indebtedness and inability to repay him. Mrs Bennet, quite typically has no such scruples and is ecstatic. Mr and Mrs Wickham visit Longbourn, where Lydia lets slip that Mr Darcy was in attendance at their wedding but that this was to have been a secret. Elizabeth is able to discover by letter from her aunt Mrs Gardiner, that in fact Mr Darcy was responsible for finding the couple and negotiating their marriage, at great personal and monetary expense. Elizabeth is shocked and flattered as “her heart did whisper that he had done it for her” but is unable to dwell further on the topic due to Mr Bingley’s return and subsequent proposal to Jane, who immediately accepts. Lady Catherine de Bourgh pays an unexpected visit to Longbourn. She has heard a rumour that Elizabeth will marry Mr Darcy and attempts to persuade Elizabeth to agree not to marry. Lady Catherine wants Mr Darcy to marry her daughter (his cousin) Anne De Bourgh and thinks Elizabeth is

beneath him. Elizabeth refuses her demands. Disgusted, Lady Catherine leaves, promising that the marriage can never take place. Elizabeth assumes she will apply to Darcy and is worried that he may be persuaded. Darcy returns to Longbourn. Chance allows Elizabeth and Darcy a rare moment alone. She immediately thanks him for intervening in the case of Lydia and Wickham. He renews his proposal of marriage and is promptly accepted. Elizabeth soon learns that his hopes were revived by his aunt’s report of Elizabeth’s refusal to promise not to marry him. The novel closes with a “happily-everafter” chapter including a summary of the remaining lives of the main characters. There is no description of either Jane or Elizabeth’s wedding. None of the characters change very much in this summary, but Kitty has grown slightly more sensible from association with Jane and Elizabeth and distance from Lydia, and Lady Catherine condescends to visit the Darcys eventually.

Pallikkutam | June 2014

INNO V ATION INNOV

Google Glass delivers for the deaf!

eaf students understand things with their sign interpreter. They are therefore left in the dark, e.g. when they visit a planetarium. With the lights off, they can’t see the ASL interpreter who narrates their tour of outer space. With the lights on, they can’t see the constellations of stars projected overhead. That is provoked a group of researchers at Brigham Young University to launch the “Signglasses” project. Professor Mike Jones and some of his deaf students have developed a system to project the sign language narration onto several types of glasses, including Google Glass. The potential for this technology goes beyond planetarium shows. The team is also working with researchers at Georgia Tech to explore signglasses as a literacy tool. Jones is all out to publish the full results of their research in the journal, Interaction Design and Children.

Flying airplanes made easier!

ilots can control their aircraft by merely thinking commands! Scientists of the Technische Universität München and the TU Berlin working in the EUfunded project “Brainflight,” have demonstrated the feasibility of flying via brain control – with astonishing accuracy. The demonstration was perfect: The pilot was wearing a white cap with myriad attached cables. His gaze was concentrated on the runway ahead of him. All of a sudden the control stick started to move, as if by magic. The airplane banked and then approached straight on towards the runway. The position of the plane was corrected time and again until the landing gear gently touched down. During the entire maneuver the pilot touched neither pedals nor controls! “A long-term vision of the project is to make flying accessible to more people,” explains aerospace engineer Tim Fricke, who heads the project at TUM.

“With brain control, flying, in itself, could become easier. This would reduce the work load of pilots and thereby increase safety. In addition, pilots would have more freedom of movement to manage other manual tasks in the cockpit.” In order for humans and machines to communicate, brain waves of the pilots are measured using electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes connected to a cap. An algorithm developed by scientists of the Technische Universität Berlin allows the program to decipher electrical potentials and convert them into useful control commands. Only the very clearly defined electrical brain impulses required for control are recognized by the brain-computer interface. “This is pure signal processing,” emphasizes Fricke. Mind reading is not possible!

Drones learns further from nature

esearchers have been taking tips from nature to build the next generation of flying robots, the drones. Based on the mechanisms adopted by birds, bats, insects and snakes, 14 distinguished research teams have developed solutions to some of the common problems that drones could be faced with when navigating through an urban environment and performing novel tasks for the benefit of society. Drones need exquisite flight control. Whether this is avoiding obstacles, picking up and delivering items or improving the take-off and landing on tricky surfaces, it is hoped the solutions can lead to the deployment of drones in complex urban environments in a number of different ways, from military surveillance and search and rescue efforts

Pallikkutam | June 2014

to flying camera phones, reliable courier services, etc. The research teams have presented their work in a special issue the journal Bioinspiration and Biomimetics,

required to operate drones, which a team from the Université de Sherbrooke and Stanford University has achieved by creating a “jumpglider”. Inspired by vertebrates like the flying squirrel, the flying fish and the flying snake, which use their aerodynamic bodies to extend their jumping range to avoid predators, the “jumpglider” combines an airplane-shaped body with a spring-based mechanical foot that propels the robot into the air.

devoted to bio-inspired flight control. Researchers must also find a way of reducing the amount of power that is

The researchers believe the “jumpglider” can be used in search and rescue efforts, operating at low power and offering a significant advantage over land-based robots by being able to navigate around obstacles and over rough terrain.

INNO VATION INNOV

Ants teach us complex problem-solving strategies!

nts are capable of complex problemsolving strategies that could be widely applied as optimization techniques. An individual ant searching for food walks in random ways, biologists found. Yet the collective foraging behavior of ants goes well beyond that, as a mathematical study to be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals: The animal movements at a certain point change from chaos to order. This happens in a surprisingly efficient selforganized way. Understanding the ants could help analyze similar phenomena - for instance how humans roam in the internet.

seemingly chaotic way. When exhausted, they go back to the nest to eat and rest. However, when one of them finds some food in the vicinity of the colony, it takes a tiny piece of it to the nest, leaving a trail

The Chinese-German research team put everything that is known about the foraging of ants into equations and algorithms and fed this into their computers. They assume that there are three stages of the complex feed-search movements of an ant colony: Initially, scout ants indeed circle around in a

of a scent-emanating substance called pheromones. Other ants will follow that trail to find the food and bring some of it home. Their orchestration is still weak because there is so little pheromone on the trail. Due to their large number, the ants go lots of different ways to the food source and back

Maya bearing on the online culture today

f Facebook were around 1,400 years ago, the ancient Maya might have been big fans of the virtual self. The Maya believed that part of your identity could inhabit material objects, like a courtier’s mirror or sculptor’s carving tool. Maya might even name these objects, talk to them or take them to special events. They considered these items to be alive. The practice of sharing your identity with material possessions might seem unusual in a modern context. But is it that different from today’s selfie-snapping, candy-

crushing online culture, where social media profiles can be as important to a person’s identity as his or her real-world interactions? Even money is virtual now, as digital currency such as Bitcoin gains popularity. Research by University of Cincinnati assistant professor Sarah Jackson is beginning to uncover some interesting parallels between ancient Maya and modern-day views on materiality. Key to the process is trying to look at these property qualifiers from the Maya perspective.

to the nest, leaving again trails of scent. This eventually leads to an optimization of the path: Since pheromones are evaporative, the scent is the stronger the shorter the trail is – so more ants follow the shortest trail, again leaving scent marks. This generates a selfreinforcing effect of efficiency – the ants waste a lot less time and energy than they would in continued chaotic foraging. Importantly, the researchers found that the experience of individual ants contributes to their foraging success – something also neglected in previous research. Older ants have a better knowledge of the nests surroundings. The foraging of younger ants is a learning process rather than an effective contribution to scout food, according to the study. The mathematical model developed in studying the ants provides a new perspective on behavioral patterns of humans in areas as diverse as the evolution of web services and smart transportation systems.

On “editing” the script of life

n international team of scientists has made a major step forward in our understanding of how enzymes ‘edit’ genes, paving the way for correcting genetic diseases in patients. Researchers at the Universities of Bristol, Münster and the Lithuanian Institute of Biotechnology have observed the process by which a class of enzymes called CRISPR bind and alter the structure of DNA. The results, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), provide a vital piece of the puzzle if these genome editing tools are ultimately going to be used to correct genetic diseases in humans. Professor Mark Szczelkun, from Bristol University’s School of Biochemistry, said: “An important challenge in exploiting these exciting genome editing tools is ensuring that only one specific location in a genome is targeted.

Pallikkutam | June 2014

ASPECTS

Tat tvam asi: Thou art that Dr. Augustine Thottakara

Brahman is the cosmic Self. Individual self is the same Brahman personalized and individualized; same cosmic Self existing in the psycho-somatic apparatus (antah-karana) of individuals. It is like the reflection of the one sun in many mirrors; the real sun is only one, but the many reflections caused by mirrors are unreal. If you remove the mirrors the real sun shines.

he following story and related teachings are narrated in Chandogya Upanisad chapter six. Svetaketu, a diligent and industrious Brahmin boy, is the main character of this story. Svetaketu was now old enough to be initiated (upanayana) to the Vedic and Vedantic studies. The custom then prevalent was to initiate a Brahmin boy at the age of eight, a Ksatriya boy at the age of eleven and a Vaisya boy at the age of thirteen. Therefore, one day his father said to him: “O Svetaketu, live the life of a brahmacarin. Dear boy, there never had been any body in our family who has not studied, and thus lived the life of a mere nominal Brahmin” (VI.1.1).

Pallikkutam | June 2014

Thus instructed by the father, Svetaketu started his education under a guru. He stayed with the guru twelve years and learned all the Vedas, Vedangas, Upavedas, Epics, Puranas, Dharma-sastras, the Six Vedic Philosophies (sad-darsana) and other disciplines, and came back home at the age of twenty-four “conceited, arrogant and regarding himself as very learned”. The demeanour of Svetaketu as very proud, arrogant and conceited made his father was very sad, and he wanted to correct his son and make him understand that his knowledge has limitations, and that he is far away from the supreme Being. He said to him: “Svetaketu, dear

boy, I see you are conceited, arrogant and regard yourself as very learned. Did you ask for that teaching about the supreme Brahman, knowing which what is unheard becomes heard, what is unthought of becomes thought of, what is unknown becomes known?” (VI.1.2-3). Svetaketu was not aware of this, and he asked: “Of what nature, revered Sir, is that teaching?” His father replied: “Dear boy, just as through a single lump of clay all that is made out of clay would become known. All modifications are but names based upon words; the clay alone is real” (VI.1.6). It is like that. If you know

ASPECTS

Sat is the ultimate cause of everything. The word “Sat” is actually the present participle (neuter) of asti, the verb to be. The entire chapter six of this Upanisad is a meditation on Sat. Sat is Brahman; it is the ground of all existences. All that is said above about Brahman are applicable to Sat. Brahman, the ground of all existences, then here. Sankaracarya later develops this you know all other things. thought into a solid system of philosophy – the Advaita Vedanta School of Svetaketu did not know that. He becomes Philosophy. The basic tenets of Advaita humble and requests his father to instruct thought are the following: Brahman alone him about the supreme Reality. His father is the only one real Reality; all others in says: “In the beginning my dear boy, there this cosmos are either mere illusions or was only Being (Sat), one only without a only appearances; they are not real; second (ekam eva advitiyam)” (VI.2.1.). Brahman, the only Reality, is pure Everything else in this universe, the five consciousness without name, form and elements and their manifestations, attributes; Brahman is an attributeless emanated from this Sat – Being. “Then impersonal Absolute; it is the ultimate God willed: ‘well, let me enter into these cause of everything, the unifying force of beings as their self and differentiate them everything, the sustainer of everything, the by names and forms (nama-rupe)’” inner controller of everything and the (VI3.2.). ultimate goal of everything; individual self is identical with Brahman, they are one and The word “Advaita” – not two – is used the same; ignorance is the cause of for the ultimate Reality for the first time

bondage; maya is ignorance (avidya); maya conceals the real nature of Brahman (avarana) and projects this world as Brahman (viksepa); knowledge is the only means for liberation from ignorance and consequent bondage; liberated selves become one with Brahman; as a drop of water merges into the ocean, losing its identity and separate existence, so the individual self merges into Brahman. The father of Svetaketu then goes on to teach Svetaketu about the process of creation of the manifold objects of the world. Sat is the ultimate cause of everything. The word “Sat” is actually the present participle (neuter) of asti, the verb to be. The entire chapter six of this Upanisad is a meditation on Sat. Sat is

Pallikkutam | June 2014

ASPECTS

The man attached to Truth is not destroyed. This entire world and everything in it have That (tat) as their inner Self. That is the Truth. That is the Atman. Brahman; it is the ground of all existences. All that is said above about Brahman are applicable to Sat. The father of Svetaketu continues: “That being, which is the subtle essence of all, which is the Self of all, - that is the true Reality. That is the Atman. Thou art That (tat tvam asi), O Svetaketu” (VI.8.7). These sentences are repeated again and again in the following sections of this chapter. The father of Svetaketu, who was at the same time his teacher, ends his discourse thus: “The man attached to Truth is not destroyed. This entire world and everything in it have That (tat) as their inner Self. That is the Truth. That is the Atman. Thou art That (tat tvam asi) O Svetaketu. From his words Svetaketu understood That; yes he understood That” (VI.16.3). Three central concepts and doctrines are elucidated in this section. (i) “Advaita”: Non-dualism, which later becomes one of the most powerful philosophical schools of India, and the most important branch of Vedanta, has its origin here. (ii) Sat, existence, the Reality, the Being. The Upanisads use mainly three terms to designate the supreme Reality: Brahman, meaning the big (brhat) Reality; Atman (Parama-atman), meaning the life-principle (an-aniti, to enliven); and Sat, existence, Reality, Being; the ground of all existences. (iii) Tat tvam asi, ‘thou are That’, you are Brahman. This is one of the four great sentences of the Upanisads (mahavakyani). The relation between Brahman and individual self is eminently expressed in these so-called four great sentences (maha-vakyani). They are: (i) Brahman is consciousness (prajnanam brahma) (Ait Up. III.1). (ii) This self is Brahman (ayam atma brahma) (Mand Up.II.2). (iii) Thou art That (tat tvam asi) (Chand Up. VI.8.7). (iv) I am Brahman (aham brahma-asmi) (Brhad Up.I.4.10). These sentences proclaim mainly two tenets of non-dualist philosophy. Brahman’s inner essence is consciousness, and that there is total identity between God and self. Liberation is this experiential, intuitive and mystical knowledge of this identity. Brahman is the cosmic Self. Individual self is the same Brahman personalized and individualized; same cosmic Self existing in the psycho-somatic apparatus (antah-karana) of individuals. It is like the reflection of the one sun in many mirrors; the real sun is only one, but the many reflections caused by mirrors are unreal. If you remove the mirrors the real sun shines. The Upanisadic statement tat tvam asi, ‘thou art That’ expresses eminently the basic principle of Advaita – Non-dualism. You are Brahman. Other schools of Indian thought, especially the theist Vedanta systems, which originated in the wake of bhakti movement, do not accept this doctrine of Brahman-Jivatman identity.

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CAREER

What after 10th â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Science or Commerce? Once you take admissions and start your studies, you may feel that neither Science or Commerce is your cup of tea. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry, there are plenty of alternate options to choose after your XII in other professional fields like, Media, Management, IT, Hospitality and Tourism, Arts, Law, Sports, Teaching etc

hat after 10th? Science or Commerce?

If you are one of those students who are confused in choosing either, try to understand the basic difference in both these courses before choosing one.

Commerce: Commerce course covers basically accounting, economics and related subjects relevant to trade and business. Science: Science is divided in to two viz.,

applied and pure science courses, applied = engineering and technology / The choice of Science or Commerce after X medicine. standard is a tough one. Both these courses pure = theoreticalHowever, the choice of lay the foundation on which a studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s either applied / pure is done after XII. future career is built. Hence the choice becomes more difficult for a large number Curriculum topics of students. Here is a comparison of the Commerce both in terms of scope of study, topics Accounting, Tax, Business Economics, covered, eligibility, higher study options Finance, Maths (is optional, but important etc:for students to build a better base for Scope of study higher studies like CA, ICWAI, CFA etc.,)

Science Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics (is optional, but important for students planning for course related to Engineering etc., after XII), Biology (is optional, but important for students planning for course related to Medicine etc., after XII) Basic academic skills / attributes required Commerce Comfortable with calculations and number crunching ie., good analytical skill. Time management viz., completing the task within a specified time limit. Computing skills: Since accounting is done on computer software, getting the basic knowledge in computing (spreadsheet

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CAREER

Choose the one that matches your skills and the one which you feel you are passionate about. etc.,) will be good. Good communication: Since there will be many queries regarding accounting entries, and accounting is a basically a team work, while in job, communication plays an important part.

Higher Studies

Science · Comfortable with maths and science subjects

After Graduation

Patience: There will be longer periods of studies involved in colleges, and while in jobs for research. Hence, patience is very important for students to excel.

Commerce: After XII Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce (B.Com), Bachelor’s Degree in Arts (B.A.)

Chartered Accountancy Chartered Financial Analyst Cost Accountancy Company Secretary Science: After XII

Observing: Determining the properties of an object by using your senses is an important aspect in Science. Numerical ability in terms of measurement, estimation of data, recording etc., is important for research work in science.The list of skills/attributes increases as one progresses in these above fields, but the above are the basic ones that students should have to start with.

Bachelor’s Degree in Science (B.Sc) Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering / Technology (B.E / B.Tech) Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine & Surgery (MBBS)

Eligibility

Which one to choose? Choose the one that matches your skills and the one which you feel you are passionate about.

Commerce: X pass with good marks in Maths Science: X pass with good marks in Science and Math subjects

Pallikkutam | June 2014

After Graduation Masters in Engineering Doctor of Medicine etc.,

Commerce is less stressful in terms of hours spent in colleges/studies, while

science students spends more time if one take in to account the time spent for practicals and tuitions etc., Commerce students cannot change to streams/courses related to Science after XII, while it is possible the other way round. Both have excellent career prospects in terms of higher professional coursesStill confused on science or commerce? Students who are comfortable with subjects related to both streams, but are confused which to take, can weigh both the options, wherein Science has more options in the sense that Commerce puts brakes on higher studies related Science, while the door is open for Science students to change gear after XII. You can also weigh the physical / mental stress factor involved in both the coursesIt may be possible that after a while, once you take admissions and start your studies, you may feel that neither Science or Commerce is your cup of tea.Don’t worry, there are plenty of alternate options to choose after your XII in other professional fields like, Media, Management, IT, Hospitality and Tourism, Arts, Law, Sports, Teaching etc.,So, right now go for a choice which you feel is right for you at the moment, and remember this is not the end, but just the start.

CREA TIVE LIVING CREATIVE

Love your enemy and pass over to new realms of life Dr. Varghese Panthalookaran CMI

A perfect enemy never allows you to rest or relax. All your five senses will be at their optimum performance level at the enemy’s cave. Even your sixth sense will be activated to intuitively detect the hidden movements of your enemies.

f you are a careful observer of your life you would have already discovered that creative spurs in your life owe much more to your enemies than to your friends! You are at your best when you are radically challenged! All your instincts will be spontaneously active and your reflexes will be switched on in the face of threat to your own existence. What you really are is revealed in front of an enemy and not in front of your friend. Friends seldom awaken you to novel possibilities of your life. They rather will settle down your worries; puff your wounds and sooth your pains. They facilitate you to flower where you are planted. At the friend’s place you generate

more lethargy than life energy. You feel extremely comfortable with your friends. You will rather fall asleep at your friend’s bosom. You would love to stay with your friends and bidding farewell to them is painful. You generate greater amount of inertia as you spend time with your friends. Friends facilitate you “to be” rather than “to do”. They generate more attractive force which ties you down with them. They lack repelling force to promote your passing over to new realms of life! Enemies, on the other hand, always push you into new avenues of your life. They put you on your heels. They affect you radically and touch the very core of your being. They generally do not miss their

target: the core of your person. They provoke you incessantly lest you should feel comfortable. You will never slumber at enemy’s place. A perfect enemy never allows you to rest or relax. All your five senses will be at their optimum performance level at the enemy’s cave. Even your sixth sense will be activated to intuitively detect the hidden movements of your enemies. In other words, at your enemy’s place you are at your best: active, vigilant and awake. All your thoughts, emotions, words will be centered on your enemy’s moves. It will keep you more concentrated and focused than that you could achieve through any advanced techniques in meditation!

Pallikkutam | June 2014

CREA TIVE LIVING CREATIVE

Enemies could precipitate two seemingly diametrically opposite responses in you: reverence and fear, alertness and lethargy, awe and hate, since they generate totally different effects on your life. They destroy what you currently are but always lead you to what you really could be. But enemies pester. They generate inconveniences. They carve into your existence. They nip your initiatives in the bud. They vitiate your â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sitz-im-Lebenâ&#x20AC;? or your life contexts with gossips and rumors. They eat into your possibilities. They stake claim on your territories. They expel you from your beloved places. They pull you down from your throne. They deftly pull your legs. They backbite. They shatter your pet dreams. They stand in your ways. They block your progress. They put stumbling blocks in your paths. They ensure that you never rise up again after a fatal fall. Thus enemies could precipitate two seemingly diametrically opposite responses in you: reverence and fear, alertness and lethargy, awe and hate, since they generate totally different effects on your life. They destroy what you currently are but always lead you to what you really could be. They compel you to set out towards what you ought to be. They apparently block the beaten paths of your life, but promote you to break new paths. They dismantle what you have already developed but provoke you to create everything new. They stop you from what you are doing at present but drive you into something totally new. If you were like a child, who enjoys making and breaking sand castles at the sea shore, you could also enjoy being with your enemy. Or, you should be as crazy as the legendary philosopher of Kerala, the Naranathbhranthan, who could celebrate

Pallikkutam | June 2014

his days by rolling large stones up the hill till midday and just enjoying the stones rolling down the hill with child-like mirth. Or else you could be as resourceful as the oligarch of Kerala, the Parayi Tharakan, who could afford to disregard ten stolen coconuts from his vast coconut fields. You should be either a playful child, or a crazy philosopher or a resourceful rich man to

enters your body, be it a bacteria or a virus. Your entire body is put in red alert. The white corpuscles in your blood stream are triggered to place suitable defense. It may cause fever, which is often a sign of your body fighting its enemies. At the end of a severe warfare, your body already measures the gravity of threat that could be posed by the enemy and would have generated sufficient antibodies for its survival. Your body develops better resistance, which would not have been the case, had it never fought against the enemy. It allows your body to develop the ability to arrest any future attack by a similar foreign body. Something similar to it should occur to your mental and spiritual person. New strategies to optimally benefit out of a fight with an enemy are developed. Your mind will shed its frivolity to become mature and your spirit will master the skill of survival and imperishability. Your psyche will get strengthened and will be prepared to take upon greater challenges. The muscles of your mind get trained to go for greater targets. The entire person is reworked, optimized, integrated and prepared through a typical encounter with an enemy.

close your eyes to the destructions caused by your enemies. The greatest challenge you may face in encountering your enemy squarely is the lack of awareness of its positive effects on your personal lives. For instance, compare your enemy as a harmful foreign body that

However, keeping your response towards your enemy ambivalent, will not allow you to reap all the benefits of having an enemy. That might be the reason why great masters always require you to love your enemies or to bless who hate you. Jesus was perhaps the master, who commanded it first. Mahatma Gandhi followed this command and also Martin Luther King. Innumerable disciples of these supreme masters have practiced the

CREA TIVE LIVING CREATIVE

Forgiveness is a sure weapon which will inevitably break grounds for a new beginning, not only to the one wielding it, but also for the one at the receiving end. It could generate synergy of the opposites, positing possibilities that existed never before. seemingly formidable enemies. The recommendation on this novel weapon comes from the realm of human spirit, Love of your enemy cleanses you from all which is often indomitable. It declares the negative effects of a face-to-face victory of spirit over matter. It is encounter with your enemy. Suppose that comparable with wielding the most your enemy is physically better equipped. powerful mythical weapon, the It is highly probable that you get wounded Brahmastra. One who wields Brahmastra during the encounter. This happens also should be well-disposed and disciplined to when the enemy wields greater power or if be able to use it effectively, as per the enemy is more intelligent. In all such mythology. Here lies the critical challenge cases you will find yourself at the involved in employing moral or spiritual receiving end. You may sustain bruises not weapons to win over your enemies. If you only on your body, but also in your mind, are morally or spiritually weak, the psyche and spirit. Forgiveness works as an weapon may boomerang. It will cause your effective medicine to cleanse your body doom. But once you are well-disposed, and mind and soul of the bruises sustained loving your enemy is the most powerful due to a life-and-death encounter with weapon available. your enemy. Your love for your enemy not Forgiveness is a sure weapon which will only wins back everything you have capitulated to your enemy but also allows inevitably break grounds for a new beginning, not only to the one wielding it, you to cross the threshold of your but also for the one at the receiving end. It limitations. You will break open new could generate synergy of the opposites, avenues for your life. positing possibilities that existed never If you come across a formidable enemy, before. You and your enemy may start your instinct is likely to dictate you to working together to engender new take to your heels and run for shelter. That possibilities, new avenues, and new may be necessary to protect you from the praxes. excesses of your enemy. A seasoned mind If the reason for your fight was not may also recommend forgiveness as a much more powerful weapon to fight your illusory but real, the synergy between you Law of Love of Enemies and have reaped rich fruits.

and your enemy were inevitable for the completion of the reality. Consider that the reason of your fight was bogus, hiding the true intentions. Forgiveness is like a fire at the blacksmith’s place which chastises even malicious intentions and clears gold from copper which is mixed with it. It is a matter of wonder, the mastery with which this weapon was wielded by the masters. Jesus, for example, wields it from the cross, his deathbed. Looking into the eyes of those who crucify him, he pleads to Father in Heaven: “Forgive them father, since they do not know what they are doing” (Lk. 23:34). His crucifiers may reject his statement saying that they are actually aware of what they were doing. However, Jesus meant what he said that they did not know the real significance of their act. His death is considered by millions of his followers as a pass over from the realm of life-and-death to a realm of everlasting life. That was perhaps not known to his crucifiers. Yes, love of your enemy is always like a Passover from a land of slavery to a promised land, where honey and milk will never cease to flow!

Pallikkutam | June 2014

INFO TECH

‘Supercheap’ smartphones to rule mobile market I

n 2009, a battle line was drawn. One that would create deep divides in the smartphone world, even within brands themselves, and will have a significant impact on the next phone you’ll buy. What happened back then? Smartphones got good. Processing power reached the point where you didn’t have to choose between spending a year’s salary and having a decent experience browsing the web on the go, opening up the tech to a wider range of users. As you’d expect over the years, that performance has been built upon to give us octa-core handsets with more RAM than a over-zealous farmer, putting truly phenomenal power in our pockets. But that line, the one that showed a baseline of ‘acceptable smartphone

Pallikkutam | June 2014

performance’ has translated into phones that cost hardly anything to produce and could lead to the biggest change in the smartphone market to date. And it’s not just the lesser-known brands that are championing this cause either: with the launch of the Moto E, Motorola has proved that the bigger brands have realised the true value in making a smartphone that’s within financial reach of as many as possible. Samsung has a similar view: while the company is pushing hard to convince the world that its flagship Galaxy S5 is the phone most should own, the company is looking to launch its Tizen handsets into more developing nations like Russia and Tizen. The reason for the shift is simple: the high end smartphone market is

stagnating, with smartphone shipments actually starting to decline in countries like Japan (according to researcher IDC) as saturation levels kick in, users embedded in two year contracts who understandably don’t need to buy another handsets. So connecting the next wave of smartphone users has become crucial if sales are to continue - and the best way to do this is to entice users on price. This is already happening, with the average price of a smartphone practically halving from $450 in 2012 to $260 by 2018 which means the profit margins of the big brands are going to get hit hard. The only way to keep high revenues afloat is to increase the number of handsets sold, and that means attracting more and more users the smartphone pie.

INFO TECH

What is a cheap smartphone?

here are two strands to the ‘cheap smartphone’ sector that will have a big impact on the success of brands like Samsung, HTC and Apple in the years to come.

Western and developing nations to become the top-selling Windows Phone on the market, and doing so at a price around 25% of the cost of a flagship phone.

The first is the reasonably-priced smartphone for the developed nations with high smartphone penetration, something that offers a similar experience to the likes of the iPhone 5S or Galaxy S5 but without the hefty cost. That’s where companies like Motorola and Nokia are targeting, and it appears to be working: Moto went from almost no presence in the UK to taking nearly six percent of the market according to Kantar World Panel with the Moto G, which offered impressive performance for a fifth of the cost of a top-end Android handset. Nokia’s Lumia 520 managed a similar feat worldwide, proving popular in both

muscling in, able to offer low cost, high quality handsets thanks to a focus on specs over headline features. “Motorola was nowhere in Europe before the Moto G launched in November last year, but the new model has since boosted the manufacturer to 6% of British sales,” said Dominic Sunnebo, strategic insight director at analysts Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. “It highlights the speed at which a quality budget phone can disrupt a market. The same pattern can be seen in France with Wiko, which has 8.3% share, and Xiaomi in China with 18.5%.”

This section of the market is going to get quickly filled with brands from Asia

This will enable faster and cheaper production of phones, and will increase the ability to bring smartphones to developing nations dramatically.

IBM launches pre-configured mobile apps

BM has expanded its mobile application development portfolio with what it calls Ready Apps that can help firms build mobile apps within hours. The company says these pre-configured apps will save users upto 60% time and resources. It has also opened 18 studios called MobileFirst, including one in Bangalore, to help business leaders accelerate mobile initiatives.

manager, IBM MobileFirst. “IBM’s mobile platform, apps and studios are designed to help businesses accelerate the

IBM Ready Apps include those for banking, retail, healthcare, insurance, travel, and government organizations. Companies can change the look and feel of these apps and also add features. It will be particularly useful for startups that are limited by resources. “As mobile apps become a primary touchpoint with clients, the stakes run high to delight consumers. At the same time, the cost of a poorly designed app can significantly impact both the brand and bottomline,” said Marie Wieck, general

adoption of a mobile strategy for business growth.” IBM mobile studios will provide clients direct access to local teams of mobile

experts including designers, developers , architects and consultants . Clients can work along with IBM mobile professionals to conceive, design, build and deploy new apps. IBM said its Worklight, Cloudant and BlueMix technologies will enable developers to create and manage apps, on-premise or in the cloud. Worklight is a mobile enterprise app development platform deployed on a client’s IT infrastructure, while BlueMix delivers similar capabilities as cloud-based services . IBM also announced that more than 30 new cloud services are now available in BlueMix, its platform-as-aservice (PaaS), to help developers integrate applications and deployment of new cloud services. The company launched its first BlueMix Garage by which developers, product managers and designers can interact with IBM experts to innovate and deliver new cloud apps deployed onto BlueMix.

Pallikkutam | June 2014

INFO TECH

Indian IT infrastructure market to grow 4% in 2014: Gartner T

he Indian IT infrastructure market, comprising server, storage and networking equipment, is likely to rise by 45 year-on-year to $1.9 billion in 2014, according to Gartner.

and virtualisation along with cloud and mobility are the key trends influencing network purchases, it said.

Indian IT infrastructure is poised to be a $2.35 billion market by 2017, Naveen Mishra, research director at Gartner, said.

The storage market is on pace to reach $384 million this year, an 11 per cent increase from

$346 million in 2013. Storage modernisation and consolidation, backup and recovery, and disaster recovery are some of the key drivers to this market, and

“There is great The combined investments into the potential segment stood at over $1.86 billion last for both year. users and vendors to In the global landscape, India is a promising leverage IT Infrastructure market through 2017, said some of the Mike Harris, research group vice president emerging at Gartner, said in a statement today. technologies to be ready “The global IT infrastructure investment is for the expected to be almost flat in 2014 and will future,” be primarily driven by hyper scale and data Gartner center modernisation initiatives,” he said. said.

“After sluggish market conditions in 2013, the Indian infrastructure market will witness investments primarily fuelled by key IT initiatives that include mobility, cloud and big data,” he was quoted as saying by the Gartner release. Indian enterprises will be focusing on building intelligent data centers that focus on optimising existing hardware assets by using additional software capabilities, Gartner said. This, it said, will drive increased attention on newer trends such as public cloud, and integrated systems. Within the Indian IT infrastructure market, server revenue is forecast to reach $663 million in 2014, a 1% decline from $670 million in 2013. The server market is expected to return to positive growth in 2015 when revenue is forecast to total $697 million, it said. Enterprise networking is the biggest segment with revenue expected to touch $887 million in 2014 as against $846 million last year. Data center consolidation

Pallikkutam | June 2014

they are likely to remain relevant drivers over the forecast period through 2017, it added.

SAP not cutting jobs in India

ob cuts announced by SAP, is unlikely to have an impact on its workforce in India, senior company officials said, even as employees at the enterprise software major get anxious about their jobs. Senior executives at the India unit of Walldorf, Germany-based SAP said jobs cuts are most likely to impact employees in the United States and Europe, adding that the company has been acquiring new office space and hiring people in India. “The axe has not fallen on India and there is no indication that it will,” a company official said. Some of the employees at SAP India, however, could be shifted to other business units or re-trained in new areas, the person said. SAP, world’s largest maker of enterprise software, announced that it is planning to slash a significant number of jobs across divisions as it seeks to simplify organisational structure, save costs and deliver services through cloud instead of large data centers.

In a statement, it said the job cuts are aimed at making SAP “simpler, more agile, faster and easier to work with.” “ In fact our plan is that we will have more employees at the end of 2014 than at the beginning of the year. While we cannot avoid restructuring efforts in certain areas, we will continue to invest in our innovation leadership and become the cloud company,” the statement said. Based on headcount, India is the thirdlargest operation for SAP after Germany and the United States, with sales of around Rs 7,000 crore here and an employee base of over 6,500. Founded in 1998, SAP Labs India is the company’s second largest research & development in the world. The decision to eliminate jobs come at a time when large enterprise software companies such as SAP and Oracle are attempting to align themselves with changes in the technology landscape.

HEAL TH WATCH HEALTH

Home remedies for headche Headache is one of the most common symptoms suffered by people world over. Though headaches are usually harmless and disappear with painkillers, in rare cases, they could be due to a serious condition like a brain tumor, meningitis or a bleed within the brain. What is Headache?

Symptom Evaluation

Headache is among the most common medical complaints. The majority of them are not life threatening. They can be classified into three main categories, namely:

Headache is one of the most common symptoms suffered by people world over. Though headaches are usually harmless and disappear with painkillers, in rare cases, they could be due to a serious condition like a brain tumor, meningitis or a bleed within the brain. A good history elicited by the doctor and a complete physical examination usually helps to diagnose the cause of pain. Tests are required to confirm the diagnosis in some cases.

â&#x20AC;˘ Tension headaches â&#x20AC;˘ Migraine headache â&#x20AC;˘ Cluster headaches Tension Headaches are the most common type of headaches. Migraines have welldefined attacks with symptoms like nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to lights and sounds. Cluster headaches are repetitive ones that occur for weeks to months at a time, followed by periods of remission.

Headaches may be acute, that is, of recent onset, or chronic, that is, present over a long duration. Some features that could help in the diagnosis of the type or cause of headache are: New, acute and very

severe headaches, progressive headaches and headaches associated with neurological problems on examination could herald a serious issue and should be investigated in detail. Headache with high blood pressure in a pregnant woman may suggest preeclampsia. An episodic headache with a high blood pressure, palpitations and sweats could be due to pheochromocytoma or tumor of the adrenal gland. A severe headache with fever and neck stiffness may suggest meningitis. Headaches of longer duration and of similar intensity are likely to be benign. Pain on one side of the head may be migraine or cluster headache. Migraine is a

Pallikkutam | June 2014

HEAL TH W AT CH HEALTH

Make a warm soup and add some pepper in it. Warm soup will help you to get rid of nasal blockage and will cure headaches. throbbing type of headache more common in women and runs in families. Cluster headache affects one side of the head usually near the eye. It is more common in men and does not run in families. People with migraine may report associated symptoms like nausea and vomiting. It may appear just before menses in women. A sense of tightness or pressure may be suggestive of tension-type headache. A sharp pain may be nerve related.

A headache is usually diagnosed based on the symptoms. In some cases, tests may be necessary to rule out a serious condition. Imaging tests like CT scan and MRI are usually used in such cases. A lumbar puncture may be done to diagnose an infection or a bleed. An angiography may be necessary to rule out abnormalities in blood vessels. Common Causes of Headache A variety of factors can trigger headaches-

Headache with pain over the sinuses of the face is suggestive of sinusitis. The type of headache may also be determined based on the factors that precipitate an attack. For example, a headache may follow a trauma or an episode of sinusitis. A migraine attack may be precipitated by emotional stress, fatigue, certain foods or menstruation. Cluster headache may be precipitated by alcohol. Headache with a change of position may suggest brain tumor. The time of appearance of the headache may help to diagnose the type of headache. For example, tension-type headaches are worse following stress or at the end of the day. Cluster headaches usually occur at the same time of the day or night. Hypnic headaches appear just as a person falls asleep.

Pallikkutam | June 2014

Home Remedies for Headache Tip 1: Roast some caraway seeds dry. Tie in a soft handkerchief or muslin cloth and sniff to get a relief from headaches. Tip 2: Add 2 teaspoons of powdered cinnamon to 1 ½ cup of milk and boil it for one or two minutes. Add a teaspoon of honey, mix and stir it thoroughly and drink it at least twice a day when suffering from a headache. Tip 3:

Eating a chopped apple sprinkled with salt every morning for at least a week will help cure chronic headaches. Tip 4: Head massage with rosemary oil or a pain balm that contains menthol is an effective way to ease migraine pain. Tip 5: Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and can be used to treat headaches. Add tea leaves and ginger to 1 cup of boiling water. Stir it well and drain the water. Leave till it cools a bit and drink.

• Prolonged stress or tension • Several physiologic changes in the head and brain • Dilation and constriction of blood vessels • Abnormal activity of certain neurons • Genetic factors may be a cause for migraines • Smoking and alcohol may cause cluster headaches

Tip 6: Peppermint oil is a soothing remedy for curing headaches and migraines. This fresh smelling oil helps regulate blood flow in the body. Tip 7: Lavender oil is a useful home remedy for headaches and migraines. The oil can be either inhaled or applied on your head. For inhaling, add 2-4 drops of lavender oil to 3 cups of boiling water and inhale the oil vapors. Tip 8: Basil is a strong-scented herb used for natural headache treatment. The oil works as a muscle relaxant and is

HEAL TH WATCH HEALTH

Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and can be used to treat headaches. Add tea leaves and ginger to 1 cup of boiling water. Stir it well and drain the water. Leave till it cools a bit and drink. helpful for headaches caused by tension and tight muscles. Tip 9: Food items like chocolate, sour cream, nuts, peanut butter and caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea or cola, can trigger headaches. Avoid them if they give you a headache. Tip 10: Mix Â˝ cup of apple cider vinegar with Â˝ cup of water. Boil the mixture in a covered saucepan. When it boils, remove from heat and leave for a minute. Lift the cover and slowly inhale the steam through your nose. This will provide instant relief from sinus headaches.

Tip 11: Make a warm soup and add some pepper in it. Warm soup will help you to get rid of nasal blockage and will cure headaches. Tip 12: Fatigue and lack of sleep can contribute to headaches during pregnancy. Make sure you get enough sleep during pregnancy. Tip 13: Drink plenty of water daily, as it is important to stay hydrated especially when you are pregnant as dehydration can be a big cause of headache. Tip 14: Apply a hot or cold compress to your forehead and neck to get instant relief from headache.

Tip 15: Physical activity like exercising and daily walk can help prevent headaches during pregnancy. Tip 16: Eat small regular meals and make sure that you are eating healthy organic food throughout the day. This will keep your blood sugar on an even level, which can prevent headaches. Tip 17: Make sure that your kid is getting enough sleep as sleeping often resolves headache in children. Tip 18: Give your child water, juice and other beverages that do not contain caffeine. This may help the headache go away faster.

Pallikkutam | June 2014

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C¥y≥ P\XbpsS dnsske≥kv i‡nbn¬ F\n°p hnizmkap≠v. H∂p t\m°q. Ign™ Ipsd \mfmbn sF F Fkv ]co£ ]mkmbn tPmenbn¬ {]thin°p∂ anSp°cn¬ kmt¶XnI ]co£Ifn¬ Db¿∂ dmw¶v hmßnbhcpsS FÆw Hmtcm h¿jhpw IqSn hcnIbmWv. CXns‚ ]n∂nse clkyw tN®n Ft∂mSp ]d™p. AO\v F≥Pn\ob¿ BIWsa∂mbncp∂p B{Klw. kb≥kv {Kqs∏SpØv F≥{S≥kv FgpXn. dmw¶p Inńbn√. ]ns∂ sF F Fkv FgpXn. ]mkmbn√. AΩbv°msW¶n¬ {]o Un{Kn°v ]Tn°ptºmtg B{Klambncp∂p tUmIvSdmIm≥. AΩ ]Tn°m≥ tamiambncp∂p. {]o Un{Knbpw lnÃdn _n F bpw Xs∂ hnjan®mWv ]mkmbXv. Cu amXm]nXm°ƒ Ah¿°v IgnbmØXv a°sfs°m-≠v sNøn°Ww F∂ hmin icnb√. F\n°p IfIvSdmIp∂Xnt\mSv FXncn√. IfIvSdmbm¬ CjvSw t]mse kv°qfpIƒ°v Ah[n sImSp°mw. kv°qfn¬ ]co£ ]mSn√ F∂pw Hm¿UdnSpw. tlmw h¿°p ]cn]mSnbpw \n¿Øn°mw. Cμncm \qbn BIp∂Xnt\mSpw F\n°p hntcm[an√. AΩ ]d™ tUmIvSmdmIp∂Xpw Hm sI bmWv. Rm≥ s\‰n¬ hmbn®p. temIØv G‰hpa[nIw skan\mdpIsf∂p ]d™v tlmfntU eIv jzdn Sq¿ \SØp∂ Iq´¿ tUmIvS¿amcmsW∂v. F\n°pw NpΩmsX Idßp∂Xv ckamWv. ]s£ F\n°v hepXmIptºmƒ icn°pw Hcp {In°‰nb¿ BIm\mWv B{Klw. ]WØn\v ]Ww. tâ n\v tâkv. temIsØ√mShpw t]mImw. k®ns‚tbm t[mWnbpsStbm tImlvenbpsStbm ASpØv \n¬°m≥ AOs‚ Cu F≥Pn\ob¿t°m sF F F nt\m Cμncm \qbnt°m AΩbpsS tUmIvS¿t°m ]‰ptam ? t\m. F\n°dnbmw. ]s£ Hcp t{]m_vfw. Fs‚ AΩbv°v ss^hv ô‰v ss^hv C©kv s]m°ap-≠v. AO\v AΩsb°mƒ Hcp sk‚nao‰¿

IpdhmWv. Ah¿ Hcpan®v ]pdØp t]mIptºmƒ tXm∂pIn√. AO≥ aq∂p sk‚nao‰¿ Ińbn¬ tkmfp≈ jqkmWnSp∂Xv. AΩ tkmƒe pw. AXv Fßns\sb¶nepw Bbnt°ms´. sF tUm¨Sv hdn. Fs‚ t{]m_vfw F\n°v AOs‚ Po\pIfm InńbXv F∂XnemWv. Ct∏mƒØs∂ Fs‚ {]mb°mcn¬ G‰hpw s]m°w Ipd™Xv Rm\mWv. Hcp knIvkv ôs‰¶nepw ssl‰ns√¶n¬ \√ ^mÃv _ufdmIm≥ ]‰n√. Fs‚ ^nkn°¬ amÃ¿ ]dbp∂Xv, Fs‚b{Xbpw kv]oUnsednbptºmƒ kznwKv I¨t{S-mƒ sNøp∂ A-≠¿ sSz¬hv Ifn°mcns√∂m.

AO\Ωam¿ IeymWw Ign°p∂Xn\p apºpXs∂ a°ƒ BcmIWsa∂p Hcp ka\zbØnsetØ-Xns‚ BhiyIX F\n°p t_m≤yambn. AºØmdmw hb n¬ A¥cn® sF ]mUnepw sF t^mWnepw IqSn a\pjycmin°v sSIvt\mfPn \¬Inb, ]pXnb Ahbhßƒ°v h¿Æ `wKnbpw kuμcyhpw hcpØnb, B∏nƒ Iº\nbpsS Ãohv tPm_vkv BWv Fs‚ IW°pIq´en¬ a\pjycmin°v Ign™ \q‰m-≠n¬ G‰hpa[nIw kt¥mjw \¬Inb alm∑mcn¬ apº≥. X\n°njvSs∏SmØ hnjbw ]Tn°m≥ \n¿_‘nX\mb At±lw tImtfPv t{Um∏u´msb¶nepw Xm≥ ]Tn®ncp∂ HdntKmWnse doUv tImtfPv ]cnkcw hn´n√. FhnsStbm Hcp kv]m¿°v. At±lw AXp tXSn Ae™p. At±lw 2005 ¬ Ãm≥t^m¿Uv bqWnhgnkn‰nbn¬ \SØnb tIm¨ht°j≥ {]`mjWw temI{]kn≤amWv.

F\n°nßns\ t]mbm¬ Dbcan√mØp ImcWw ^mÃv _ufnwKv \n¿Øn seKv t{_°pw KpKvfnbpsadn™v sse^v \in∏nt°-n hcpw. _m‰nwKv amt\Pv sNbvXmepw sSz‚n 20 bn¬ t]kv _ufnwKp≈ Bƒdu≠¿°mWv {]n^d≥kv. Cu AΩamcpw AO∑mcpw IeymWw Ign°p∂Xn\p apºv AhcpsS a°ƒ BcmIWsa∂ Imcyw kwkmcn®v Hm sI BbXn\p tijta eu sNømhq. Rm≥ hnhcWw tI´v kΩXn®p. Ahs‚ Zp:JØn¬ klX]n®p.

At±lw ]d™p. \ΩpsS F√mhcpsSbpw PohnXØn¬ A\h[n IpØpIfp≠-v. sh≈°Semknse bmsXmcp ]mt‰Wpan√msX NnXdn°nS°p∂ IpØpIƒ. Ahsb I≠-p]nSn®v At\ym\yw _‘n∏n°p∂ hcIƒ \mw hcbv°Ww. PohnXØn¬ Rm≥ F¥mWv sNtø-≠Xv Fs∂\n°v Adn™pIqSmbncp∂p. AXp I≠-p]nSn°m≥ tImtfPv ]T\w F{XtØmfw klmbIamIpsa∂pw Adn™pIqSmbncp∂p. Fs‚ ]mhs∏´ h¿°nwKv ¢mkv c£I¿Øm°fpsS hcpam\hpw tkhnwKvkpw apgph≥ hne ]nSn® tImtfPv ]T\Øn\mbn Rm≥ Nnehm°pIbmbncp∂p. B ]WØns‚ hne F\n°p Pallikkutam | June 2014

GUEST COLUMN

IpńIƒ Ah¿ BcmIWsa∂v kzbw I≠-p ]nSn®p sIm≈pw. ]s£ AXv tXSm\p≈ ASnÿm\ AkvXnhmcw \mw D≠m°ns°mSp°Ww. amXm]nXm°fpsS ISa AXp am{XamWv. ]qPyambncp∂p. Ah¿°v hne aXn°m\mImØXpw. F\ns°mcp {]tbmP\hpan√mØ hnZym`ymkØn\p th≠-n Nnehm°p∂ ]Ww. Bdp amkØn\Iw tPm_vkv dKpe¿ ¢mkv If™v tImtfPv t{Um∏v Hu´v ]ńIbnseØn. H∂c h¿jw IqSn Iymº n¬ Ae™p \S∂p. AXn\nSbn¬ At±lw Imentbm{K^n ¢mkn¬ BIyjvS\mbn At±lw Xm≥ BcmsW∂p I-≠p]nSn°p∂Xns‚ XpS°ambncp∂p AXv. Ign™ Ccp]Xp h¿jambn kmt¶XnIhnZym`ymkØn\v e`n® kmºØnI ta¬t°mbva C¥ysbm´msI anSp°cmb IpńIsfbpw amXm]nXm°sfbpw F´mw ¢mkp apX¬ F≥{S≥kns‚ amZI BI¿jWobXbn¬ Xf®p. cmPÿm\nse tIm´m \KcØnse h≥ sF sF Sn˛sP C C F≥{S≥kv ^mIvSdnIƒ apX¬ \ΩpsS tIcfØnse sNdp\Kcßfnse 7/24 tIm®nwKv ¢mkpIƒ hscbmbn \ΩpsS G‰hpw anSp°cmb IpńIfpsS

Pallikkutam | June 2014

hnZymebw. ChnsS\n∂v sF sF Sn Ifnepw D∂X kmt¶XnI ]T\tI{μßfnepw AUvanj≥ e`n°p∂ IpńIƒ ]T\tijw `cWb{¥Øns‚ Np°m≥ ]nSn°p∂ Hcp taJebnsebpw ss{Uh¿ ko‰pIfn¬ FØnbn√. CXn\p am‰w hcWw. C¥y≥ P\XbpsS dnsske≥kv i‡nbn¬ F\n°p hnizmkap≠-v. H∂p t\m°q. Ign™ Ipsd \mfmbn sF F Fkv ]co£ ]mkmbn tPmenbn¬ {]thin°p∂ anSp°cn¬ kmt¶XnI ]co£Ifn¬ Db¿∂ dmw¶v hmßnbhcpsS FÆw Hmtcm h¿jhpw IqSn hcnIbmWv. Ah¿°v ]pdØp e`n°mhp∂ iºfØns‚bpw B\pIqeyßfpsSbpw ]Ønsem∂pt]mepw sF F F n¬ In´p∂n√. F∂n´pw Ah¿ aSnbn√msX FIvknIyqńhv cwKØv FØp∂p. a‰p taJeIfnepw kq£n®p t\m°nbm¬ \ap°v Cu Ne\w ImWmw. Ign™ h¿jw sF sF Sn F≥{S≥kv ]mkmb IpńIfn¬ G‰hpw {]mbw Ipd™ tPXmhv

_nlmdnse Hcp Ip{KmaØn¬ \n∂p h∂ 12 hb pImc≥ kXywIpamdmWv. tImSmbnse tIm®nwKv ^mIvSdn t{]mUIvSv. dmw¶vv 8137. dmw¶v Iq´m≥ kXyw Ipam¿ ho-≠pw ]co£sbgpXp∂s{X. ]{X°m¿ Aht\mSv tNmZn®p. sF sF Sn ]mkmbn°gn™v \n\°v BcmIWw ? Ah≥ ]d™ efnXamb km[mcW hm°pIfmWv C¥ybpsS G‰hpw henb kºØv F∂v F\n°p tXm∂p∂p. Ah≥ ]d™p. “I want to become an IAS officer as I want to serve poor people in villages. I have seen how most people like my parents suffer in rural areas. But if I join the IAS, I will be able to help the poor in a big way," Ip´nIƒ Ah¿ BcmIWsa∂v kzbw I≠-p ]nSn®p sIm≈pw. ]s£ AXv tXSm\p≈ ASnÿm\ AkvXnhmcw \mw D≠m°ns°mSp°Ww. amXm]nXm°fpsS ISa AXp am{XamWv.

EMVEE’S ARMCHAIR DREAMS

Yuvaraj Singhs of Cricket and Politics It is ok to criticize a player when he doesn’t perform well but people should remember that there is a difference between criticism and blaming.

he scenario was almost cloned.

Yuvaraj singh, the handsome young prince of Indian cricket, has been a member of the Indian cricket team since turn of this century. He was the vice-captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008. He was the Man of the Tournament in the 2011 ICC world cup and one of the top performers at the 2007 world cup also both of which India won. In a match against England in the 2007 World Twenty-20 championships, he famously hit six sixes in an over bowled by Stuart Broad, a feat performed only three times previously in any form of senior cricket, and never in an international match between two Test cricket teams.

be effortless and brutal at the same time, than in Tests. When he started off his athleticism on the field and his canny leftarm spin, the combination made him a dream one-day player as Indian

Because of his poor innings the in-form batsmanat the other end didn’t have chance to make runs. Virat Kohli just faced eight balls in the last four overs. It was also when Yuvraj Singh was unable to play any meaningful inning in any of the match in WorldT20 in Bangladesh and retained his slot in the playing eleven simply because of his reputation. The performance was dismal. But after the loss, now arguments stirred up. No. It was just another game and people should not forget that both winning and losing are a part of game. Cricket is about team’s performance not about an individual’s performance. So it is the team who should be blamed, not Yuvraj. It was Yuvraj who significantly contributed in winning T20 World Cup in 2007.

cricket.Yuvraj Singh’s name has always been associated with the word ‘fighter and winner’ who has led Team India to many a memorable victories in the past.

When all is well with Yuvraj Singh, he hits the ball as clean and long as it has ever been hit. When all is not well, he looks so But this time in the crucial match against awkward, you forget he can hit the ball Sri Lanka in the2014 ICC World clean and long. All is well with Yuvraj more Twenty20 finals, things were often in limited-overs cricket, where he can different. Yuvraj Singh was responsible for

Pallikkutam | June 2014

If he was finding it hard to rotate the strike or making runs, then it was best to take extra risks. He ignored the important fact that India had eight wickets that time and so losing wicket was not an issue.

In 2011, he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left lung and underwent chemotherapy in Boston and Indianapolis. In March 2012, he was discharged from the hospital after completing the third and final cycle of chemotherapy and returned to India in April. He made his international comeback in a Twenty-20 match in September before the 2014 world Twenty 20. He got his throne as Yuvraj, King designate, back, and he was purchased by the Vijay Mallya, for his Royal Challengers Bangalore team at the topmost price in the IPL auctions for 2014.

India’s loss. He just scored 11 runs in 21 balls, in the last slog overs. This is not at all acceptable from a batsman in the Twenty -20 match.

No one can ever forget the contribution of Yuvraj in winning the ODI World Cup in year 2011. It is ok to criticize a player when he doesn’t perform well but people should remember that there is a difference between criticism and blaming. Now was it all about Rahul Gandhi ? And the Lok sabha Election 2014?

CONFESSIONS Zlatan Ibrahimovic

A World Cup without me is not worth watching. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is Sweden striker. Sweden did not qualify for 2014 FIFA World Cup.

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