Child Labour-Fact Files

1. 1.26 crore working children in India are between 5-14 years of age according to National Census,2001.
2. 26 paisa per day per working child is the current budgeted allocation for rehabilitation.
3. Child labour contributes 20% to the GNP.
4. Child labour comprises about 3.6% of the nation's workforce.
5. Agriculture employs 85% of the children in the workforce,followed by manufacturing and service sectors at less than 9%.
6. Karnataka was the first state to have banned domestic child labour in 2005.
7. Rs.20,000/- and/or a jail term of upto 1 year if found violating the child labour act.
8. 72% child workers are in UP,MP,WB,Orissa,AP,Assam and Rajasthan.

Quote Unquote:- "Children work because otherwise they'll die of hunger and the government has no idea about redressing the problem".

- Tapan Sen,Secy,"Centre of Indian Trade Unions".

What's wrong with our Teaching?

I was going through this special issue of "India Today" highlighting on the shortcomings of Indian teaching system in schools,colleges & varsities.Thought of sharing my learning with you.

Albert Einstein once said that:-

"I never teach my pupils;I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn".

however our faulty teaching methodoly only creates some muggers who are not having a desire to acquire knowledge rather running after percentages.So that subsequently their parents can talk about their son/daughter's achievements in dinner parties.

The problem with our education system is that it is too bulky and students are made to learn too much,too fast.

The teachers need to understand that ultimately,the goal of education is not to cover the syllabus but to uncover knowledge which is yet to happen.

"The problem is that our teachers are of the 'Chalk & Talk' type.But we have to make learning much more interactive at all levels starting from kindergarten.The laboratory approach in Mathematics,Languages and Science works far better than the text book method".
*** NCERT Steering Committee for Curriculum Reforms

Thought:-

"What I hear, I forget,What I see, I remember,What I do, I understand".
*** Confucious


Precisely the teachers need to move from teaching-for-exams to teaching-for-understanding.

GK JUKE BOX-1-Answers

1.Pondicherry Tourism Dept.
2.Indian Army.
3.Zee-Business TV channel.
4.Oscar Fernandes.
5.WIPRO.
6.ICICI PRUDENTIAL LIFE INSURANCE.
7.Subhiksha.
8.Style.
9.Matiz.
10.Union Bank Of India

GK JUKE BOX-1-Questions

1. "Give time a break" punchlines used by Tourism department of which state/Union territory?
2. This organisation is making an effort to attract manpower to join them by saying "Arms you for a carrer..and life".Name the organisation?
3. This TV channel claims "Aapka Faayda"?
4. Identify the person.He is a kuchipudi dancer and the labour minister of Indian Govt.
5. "Wings within"programme allows employees to quit current job profile and take up another within the organisation for self growth?Identify the organisation?
6. "Diabetes Care", the first critical illness insurance for diabetics introduced by which life insurance company in India?
7. "Bachat mera adhikar hai"-which Indian retail giant declares so to promote itself among customers?
8. Maruti again launched its Zen brand as zen-Estilo.What does Estilo means?(It is a spanish word).
9. Which car in Spanish means 'Charming'?
10. This bank advertises itself as "Good people to bank with".Identify?

Reservation for OBCs-A political gimmick

Dear Fellow Indians,

There are 265 universities in India,however there are only 25 varsities which produce employable graduates.If the government is actually considering the upliftment of OBC & SC/ST students, then the logical solution is to enhance the quality of education in rest of the 240 universities.This will help in enhancing the intellectual capital of India.

Many a IITs are running short of faculty at this juncture.Thus increasing the total number of seats will not be a good idea as we also have to increase the number of teachers.Or else the quality of education will be hampered.Moreover for the requisite infrastructure, the goverment doesn't have adequate funds.

In the era of globalisation,the rule is "Perform or Perish".It should be competition among the competent people.I strongly believe that intelligence is not any religion,cast or community's property.Thus the deserved ones from the lower castes will definitely prove their competencies and make it to big ones.If we reason it out, rather reservation will make these knowledgable people lethargic in their approach towards academics as any way they are secured of a job.

Reservations had led to "Brain Drain" problem before.Mandal-II will again instigate talent pool of India to move out.This will be a huge loss to us.The OBC,SC/ST candidates should try to understand that they are used as pawns in the dirty vote bank politics.If there won't be issues like reservations then the so called messiahs of lower caste will loose their credibility.That is why, the politicians are trying to create a divide between different strata of the society.The youth should cohehesively protest to gether against such a vested interest.I appreciate Navjyot Singh Siddhu,the only politician who came forward and shown his support towards the student community who are fighting for a cause.

Professional courses like Medical/Engg will be loosing its importance in few years if reservations will be implimented.People will prefer general graduation as an option.Reservation will weaken the quality of end product produced by educational institutes.This in return will downgrade the quality of services in any field namely medical services,reserach & development etc.

When the almighty didn't create any differences in the name of caste,religion etc., we should refrain ourselves from such practices.It is time to express ourselves and stop this political gimmick which is being projected as a social need to fulfill their selfish interests.

People like president APJ Kalam should interfere in this issue and save India from being paralysed.Business tycoons like Azim Premji,Narayanmurthy mobilise their own employees to protest against the same.Working professionals,senior citizens,NGOs should come forward and join hands with like minded people to force the goverment to withdraw this decision.

Warm regards,

Manas Nayak
An MBA from AICAR Business School
Regional Manager,Counseling
IMS Learning Resources Pvt.Ltd.
Bhubaneswar
Orissa
Chief Architect of a forum namely "March ahead" forum.