Download pdf - January 2016

Parental paradigm

FROM EDITOR’S DESKFROM EDITOR’S DESKFROM EDITOR’S DESKFROM EDITOR’S DESKFROM EDITOR’S DESK

Managing EditorDr. Varghese Panthalookaran

EditorJames Paul

Associate EditorDr. Prasant Palackappilly

VOLUME 03 | ISSUE 08 | JANUARY 2016MAGAZINE ON EDUCATION

Columns

K. L. MohanavarmaDr. K. N. RaghavanDr. Jose Cletus PlackalSajith MalliyoorAdv. Tharakan PKGJose PanthaplamthottiyilTas Jawaharlal Nehru

Marketing ManagerVarghese Kachappilly

DesignSajo Joseph

Contact:Rajagiri Media, Rajagiri Valley P.O,Kakkanad, Kochi-39.Phone : 0484 2973979Mobile : +91 9497711010E-Mail : [email protected] : www.pallikkutam.com

Are you a role model for your child?

Parenting can be tough, but one of the mostbasic ways we can raise our children issimply by being a good role model for them.

The first institution of a child where he learnsis his home. Parents play a vital role in theeducation of their child. Although a parent’srole in their children’s learning evolves as kidsgrow, one thing remains constant: we are ourchildren’s learning models. Our attitudesabout education can inspire them.

The real challenge for parents is to provide apositive example as often as possible.Parents serve as role models not only throughdirect interactions with their children, butthrough the examples they set with theirattitude and behavior within the family and inthe outside world. By addressing theirconcerns, sharing their lives, and maintaininga constructive perspective, parents cancontribute to their children's personal growthand development.

Parents are not perfect. We lose our tempers,say things we are sorry for and are not alwaysas kind as we would like to be. We arehuman. It is important to admit our mistakes,

say we are sorry, and show that we try to makethings right. Being a positive role model for yourchildren is one of the most important andrewarding things you can do for your child.

Challenge yourself to identify the positive thingsyou can role model for your kids — things likehappiness, consideration, self respect,patience, generosity, self-discipline, diligence,kindness, bravery, and compassion.

Kids respect adults who walk their talk.Credible adults inspire kids’ confidence andadmiration. Communicate with your childrenand stay active in their lives. Take time to listenand share their concerns, so they feel bothloved and respected. Practice respect andtolerance, to provide clear standards ofacceptable behavior. Develop fun and engagingfamily activities, which share and develop theinterests of both you and your children.

Be a role model for learning. In the early years,parents are their children’s first teachers —exploring nature, reading together, cookingtogether, and counting together. Create a lovingenvironment and having good relationshipsamong all family members will create a positiveimpact in your children.

C O N T E N T SC O N T E N T SC O N T E N T SC O N T E N T SC O N T E N T S

Parenting the studentAdv. Hariraj M R

Parents have to be all what we want our children must be. What model are we providing a childwho finds their grandparents and parents glued to the Television during the entire evening?

COCOCOCOCOVER STVER STVER STVER STVER STORORORORORYYYYY

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Role of parents in education

Parental pedagogy26KSR Menon

Children whose parents tended them with love, had time to answer their queries, and hugged,kissed and praised them, enjoyed higher IQs. They had better memory and better language skills.

The motivating factor31Geetha Jayaraman

Don’t you think it is our duty to spare our children the misery and unhappiness that we haveundergone by sharing the lessons we have learnt from our own mistakes.

Give them space, they are unique34Dr. Devi K Varma

Train the child to accept success without over pride and to face defeats without distress anddisappointments. Recognize and encourage the talent potential of your child. Give him space.Observe and listen. Express to the child that he is unique in all possible ways.

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

JANUARY 201611INTERVIEW Preparing future

leaders throughinnovative educationJames Paul

15EXPERT COUNSEL The OutliersDr. K. N. Raghavan

18STORIES OF LIFE On the dynamics ofbecoming a terroristor ‘martyr’Dr. Jose Cletus Plackal

20PERSONAL Unmarried woman,crazy for chocolates...Sajith Malliyoor

40HEALTH MONITOR How to eat a healthydiet

66REFLECTIONS Crystals of EternityJose Panthaplamthottiyil

NEWS.................................. 06

INSIGHTS........................... 09

INFOTECH.......................... 43

INNOVATIONS.................... 46

SPORTS.............................. 62

RAINBOW............................ 64

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48CREATIVITY ATWORK

Great entrepreneursare creative thinkers

38POLICY WATCH How does numbermatter to the schools?Deepthi Mary Mathew

52GUEST COLUMN Mummy, please do myhome workK. L. Mohana Varma

60EDU BIZ Ex-IITians come upwith open-schoollearning startup

56CURRENT AFFAIRS “Go, first make thelaw”Adv. Tharakan PKG

NEWSNEWSNEWSNEWSNEWS

06 Pallikkutam | January 2016

National uniform educationpolicy for regional languages

The government has undertakena collaborative, multi-stakeholder and multi-pronged

consultation process forformulating the New EducationPolicy (NEP), which includedonline, grassroots and nationallevel thematic deliberations.

A press statement issued byhuman resources departmentstated that out of the 33 themes,one theme under SchoolEducation "Promotion ofLanguages" and one underHigher Education "Promotecultural integration throughlanguage" relates to languages.For facilitating grassrootsconsultations, relevant questiontemplates were translated with thehelp of NCERT into 12 languages:Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi,Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia,

Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. TheNEP consultation process wasdiscussed in the meeting of Central

Advisory Board on Education (CABE)in August. Views of all states andmembers of CABE were invited on theconsultation process and the themes.

The entire grassroots consultationfrom village, block, district to State isthrough the State government

machineries. States have alsobeen requested to submittheir views andrecommendations on theNew Education Policy.

Six zonal Meetings were heldby the Minister of HumanResource Development inEastern, Central, North-Eastern, Western, Southernand Northern Zonescovering all States and UTsin September-October 2015which was attended byEducation Ministers andofficials of the respective

States/UTs. The issue regardingregional languages was discussedduring zonal meetings.

200 IIT students opt out ofplacement for higher studies

As many as 200 students ofIIT-Kanpur have opted out ofthe placement drive reducing

the strength of the students registeredwith the placement cell to around 1200.The students who have opted out arethose who have decided to pursuehigher studies such as PhD. or elsewould try their luck at the civilservices. While a big number ofstudents move out of the placementdrive every year to study further andthey therefore, head towards the topuniversities in the US, the charm ofserving as IAS, IPS and IRS officersalso make them prepare for the civilservice examination. A handful numberof students bitten by theentrepreneurship bug will try their luckat opening a start-up. Such students

will be helped and mentored bySIDBI Innovation and Incubationcentre.

Interestingly, in the first fortnight ofthe ongoing placement drive whichhad started on December 1, morethan 800 students have managed tosecure a job for themselves. These800 students have been hired bysome 240 companies which havevisited the IIT-Kanpur campus sofar. This year a total of 350-360companies had acknowledged tocome to IIT campus for hiring thestudents. The placement cell is nowfocusing on placing the remaining400 students. These students wouldbe hired by about 120 companiesthat are yet to come.

Gita made compul-sory for Rajasthan

school libraries

Rajasthan education ministerVasudev Devnani said allupper primary schools will be

required to keep the Gita in theirlibraries from the next academicsession. The minister's statement,made at a function in Ajmer, coincideswith Gita Divas. "Gita is a book ofguidance for all. I think keeping it inlibraries will be an opportunity for allstudents to read it and lead a balancedlife," the minister later told . There are13,000 government schools withlibraries in the state.

Devnani has been stokingcontroversies over saffronization ofeducation since his appointment aseducation minister in 2014. Earlier thisyear, he made Surya Namaskarcompulsory for students in schools.


07

All CBSE books to be madeavailable online: Smriti Irani

Union HRD minister Smriti Iraniannounced that all CBSEbooks and learning material

will be made available online for free.

Irani, who was inaugurating a newKendriya Vidyalaya building in EastDelhi, said the Centre will launchinitiatives to help parents analyseperformance oftheir child inKendriyaVidyalayas fromthe nextacademic year.

The ministersaid, NCERTbooks havealready beenmade availableonline for freethrough e-booksand mobileapplications a month-and-a-half ago.

Irani also asked officials in herministry to organize Child

Upper-age limit fixed for nursery admissions

The directorate of education,Delhi, has now fixed an upper-age limit for entry level

classes. The minimum age was fixedin 2007 but upper-age has beendebated for several years. Also, in adeparture from usual practice, theDoE has imposed separate limits fordifferently-abled children andpermitted even further relaxation formentally challenged ones. This islikely to alter points distributionsystems according to which nurseryadmissions are conducted. An orderissued on December 18, says fornursery classes, the upper-age limitwill be "less than four years as on31st March of the year in whichadmission is sought." For KG (pre-primary) classes, it is five years andfor Class I, six years. "It is a verythoughtful move," says AshokPandey, principal, Ahlcon

International School, Mayur Vihar andchairperson, National ProgressiveSchools Conference. "Age variancesranging from one month to two yearsin a class was creating issues with thecognitive and social development ofstudents." Pandey approves of thedifferent rules for differently abledchildren too. For physically-challenged kids, the limit is a yearmore – "less than five years" for pre-school, six for pre-primary and sevenfor Class I. For the mentallychallenged, it is "less than five yearsas on 31st March... which can befurther relaxed." "Many schools weregiving points on age to select matureand toilet-trained kids. Parents whocouldn't secure seats last year may bedisheartened. We need to have rulesfor admissions and announcingvacancies in KG as well," says SumitVohra of admissionsnursery. com.

Conventions, which would includeinteractions between children andprofessionals from various fieldsincluding defense. This will helpstudents grow into good humanbeings, the minister said.

Irani reiterated that the Centre willlaunch 'Shaala Darpan' and 'Saransh'

services inKendriyaVidyalayas in thenext academic year.The 'Shaala Darpan'service is aimed atusing SMS to keepparents informedabout their wards'attendance, timetable and marks inexams. While'Saransh' will helpparents comparethe subject-wise

learning outcomes of their children,with others at the district, state andnational levels.

Pallikkutam | January 2016

UP may have openbook system

The Uttar Pradesh governmentis likely to introduce an"open book system" for

students taking standard 10 and 12examinations of the UP Board fromthe next academic session.

At a meeting of the educationdepartment on December 18, chiefminister Akhilesh Yadav askedminister for secondary educationBalram Yadav and principal secretaryJitendra Kumar to submit a plan to rollout the "open book examinationsystem" in the state, a system that ispopular in Europe. "The chief ministerhas been concerned over the menaceof copying in examinations in thestate, especially during the Board

exams. The education mafia haspenetrated deep and is ruining theeducation system and careers ofstudents.

He has taken note of the open booksystem in various countries and cameto the conclusion that the system willhelp check mass scale copying duringexams," said a senior officer.

The chief minister was reviewing theprogress of the education departmentwhen he asked Balram Yadav andJitendra Kumar to submit an actionplan so that the system could beimplemented from the academic yearof 2016-17. While the UP secondaryand higher secondary educationboards have the highest number ofstudents in the world taking examsevery year, it is also infamousbecause of allegations of rampantcopying.

Education system needs to comply withpresent needs: President


08

UGC to rank all universities,UGC to rank all universities,UGC to rank all universities,UGC to rank all universities,UGC to rank all universities,irks watchdogsirks watchdogsirks watchdogsirks watchdogsirks watchdogs

President Pranab Mukherjee saidthere is no dearth of talent in thecountry but the education

system needs to comply with thepresent requirements.

Speaking during a round-tablediscussion on technology,innovation and education,Mukherjee said the country hasbright minds and world-classinstitutions, and some initiativesmust be taken to comply with therequirements sought these days.

"For God sake it is the time foryou. If at the age of 80 I try tolearn from my grandchildren, youought to take little initiative tocomply with the requirements...,"Mukherjee said regarding theeducation system in India.

The round-table discussion wasattended by Google CEO SundarPichai, Snapdeal co-founder Kunal

Bahl, Hero MotoCorp Joint ManagingDirector Sunil Kant Munjal, Paytm

founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, DIPPSecretary Amitabh Kant and otherindustry honchos. The President saidIndia has one of the largest educationinfrastructure but not a single Indian

In a controversial overreach, theUniversity Grants Commission(UGC) has said it will rank all

institutions across the country.Private colleges and universities willcome under the ratings ambit.

Predictably, the move has annoyedother regulatory bodies like AICTE(for engineering), MCI (medical),NATA (architecture) and the UGC'sown statutory authority. This is thefirst time the UGC has set out torank educational institutions.

Having come up with a NationalInstitution Ranking Framework(NIRF) for universities and colleges,the UGC has directed all institutionsto participate in the ranking exerciseby registering themselves on NIRF'swebsite. It will announce the

rankings in April 2016. The move hascreated confusion amongeducationists in Karnataka. Just a fewmonths ago, they point out, theKarnataka State Higher EducationCouncil had decided to rank and rateuniversities.

In its directive to universitiesregarding NIRF, the UGC said, "Thebest learning experience in the idealenvironment is the ultimate objectiveof every institution. This objectivebecomes more highlighted wheninstitutions are constantly adjudgedon the basis of excellence in teachingand learning, excellence in researchand innovations and excellence inengagement. Institutions are alsoexpected to provide inspiring learningand living environment on theircampuses. These are some parameters

institution figured in the top 200rankings till recently.

"I sincerely thank you, particularlyMr Pichai and many others whohave come to participate. Thesubject on which you have spokenand various views which haveemerged, I have no doubt will helpthe policy makers, administrators ofthe country...to reach at the corepoint of finding the solution," hesaid.

The President said India has brightminds as recruitment at all IITs isover 100 per cent. There are world-class institutions, so surely there isno lack of talent and capacities.

"... I used to have meetings with thevice chancellors of universities,

directors of IITs, and today I amhaving a totally new generations ofthe people, brilliant minds...thisinspires confidence," Mukherjee said.

which are looked into by studentsand parents whilst making aninformed choice of pursuing aprogram in any institution of higherlearning."

To rank institutions, the UGC has setdifferent parameters under NIRF.

R Chandrashekara, secretary of theForum of Former Vice-chancellors ofKarnataka State Universities, saidthat ranking institutions at thenational level is difficult. SinceNAAC grades universities, NIRF isnot required. State-level committeesare enough to rate universities andcolleges.

"Does NIRF have sufficientmanpower to assess and rank allinstitutions in the country?"Chandrashekara asked.


INSIGHTSINSIGHTSINSIGHTSINSIGHTSINSIGHTS

09

ADHD and peerrelationships

Soft skillSoft skillSoft skillSoft skillSoft skilltraining cantraining cantraining cantraining cantraining canimprove selfimprove selfimprove selfimprove selfimprove self

controlcontrolcontrolcontrolcontrolChildren with attention deficithyperactivity disorder(ADHD) are restless,

inattentive, and impulsive, and theyhave difficulty with socialfunctioning, often having fewerfriends and being rejected more thanchildren without ADHD. In a newlongitudinal study from Norway,researchers investigatedthe bidirectionalrelationship betweenthe development ofADHD symptomsin youngchildren andrejection bypeers.

Thestudy

was conducted by scientists at theNorwegian University of Science andTechnology (NTNU) Social Researchdivision, the Regional Centre for Childand Youth Mental Health and ChildWelfare in Trondheim, Norway, andthe University of California, Davis. Itappears in the journal ChildDevelopment.

"ADHD predicts poor relations withpeers, but do poor relations withpeers affect symptoms of ADHD,forming, in effect, a vicious cycle?"asks Frode Stenseng, associateprofessor of psychology at NTNUand the study's lead author. "Wefound that more ADHD symptoms atage 4 predicted more rejection bypeers at age 6, and reciprocally, that

greater peer rejection at age 4predicted more symptoms of ADHDat age 6. But these effects were lessevident from ages 6 to 8."

"The bottom line is that peer rejectionand ADHD symptoms are related, butthey may also affect each other overtime," adds Jay Belsky, Robert M.

and Natalie Reid Dorn Professorof Human Developmentat the University ofCalifornia, Davis, acoauthor of the study."Supplementingprevious researchshowing thatADHD leads topoor social

functioning, ourstudy shows

that thesymptoms

of ADHDare

affected

by children's experiences with theiragemates."

At age 8, the researchers found,symptoms of ADHD were stilladversely affected by children's levelof peer rejection at age 6, but thesymptoms no longer had a negativeeffect on peer functioning. Thefindings, of interest to parents,teachers, and other practitioners,highlight the importance of keepingsocial aspects in mind when thinkingabout the origins of ADHD inchildren, the authors suggest. Inparticular, helping children with theirpeer relationships while working withthem on their ADHD symptoms couldaugment the benefits to children.

A new longitudinal studythat examined anintervention for children at

high risk of developing behaviorproblems has found that teachingso-called soft skills was key topreventing criminal and delinquentproblems later in life. Soft skills,such as self-control and socialskills, are personality traits,attitudes, and motivations notincluded in traditional measures ofintelligence.

The study was conducted at DukeUniversity and appears in thejournal Child Development. Inelementary school, theintervention featured a teacher-ledcurriculum aimed at helpingchildren develop emotionalconcepts, social understanding,and self-control; parent traininggroups designed to promotepositive family-schoolrelationships and teach parentsbehavior-management skills; andhome visits to help parents solveproblems and manage situations athome.

The program also featured socialskill training groups for childrenand reading tutoring for children,and it paired children with peers toenhance their friendships in theclassroom. When the children wereadolescents, the interventionincluded curriculum-based parentand youth group meetings as wellas individualized services foryouth and their families.

Researchers measured children'sacademic, self-control, and socialskills during elementary school(ages 6 to 11), as well as arrests,delinquency, and use of mentalhealth services duringadolescence and young adulthood(ages 12 to 20).


INSIGHTSINSIGHTSINSIGHTSINSIGHTSINSIGHTS

10

'Flipped' classrooms improvephysics education

Students can actuallyimprove their thinking andlearning by engaging in

reflective writing andinteractive activities. This ispublished in the journalPhysical Review, CalvinKalman, a professor in theDepartment of Physics, and hisresearch team undertook a five-year study involving close to1,000 students enrolled in fourphysics courses at twouniversities.

"It has been shown that intypical physics classes,students' beliefs about theirown learning deteriorate or atbest stay the same. I want toreverse that result," saysKalman, who is also the principal ofConcordia's Science College.

"This study shows that if youcombine a meta-cognitive activitywith an interactive activity, studentscan better hone their thinkingabilities for that course."

"When students engage inReflective Writing, which is a meta-cognitive activity, they express intheir own words what the conceptsfound in the textbook mean, howthey connect to concepts in otherchapters and how they connect topersonal life experience," Kalmansays.

"That's far more involved than asimple cognitive exercise likesummary writing, where you justwrite a précis of the ideas in thetextbook, using the samevocabulary,"

Kalman's study shows that studentsreally see rewards when they followReflective Writing with acollaborative activity like workingwith their peers and professors inthe lab.

"That combination of activitiesproduces what is referred to as

cognitive dissonance -that feeling ofdiscomfort when thenew information you'reconfronted withconflicts with what youalready believe,"Kalman says. Whenstudents first grapplewith a problem on theirown, they may come tothe wrong conclusion.Finding out the realsolution in acollaborative settinghelps improve theirunderstanding, as wellas their approach tolearning.

Social networks can supportSocial networks can supportSocial networks can supportSocial networks can supportSocial networks can supportacademic successacademic successacademic successacademic successacademic success

Social networks have beenfound to influence academicperformance: students tend to

perform better with high-performersamong their friends, as some peopleare capable of inspiring others to tryharder, according to MariaYudkevich, Sofia Dokuka and DilaraValeyeva of the HSE Centre forInstitutional Studies. Mostsociologists recognise four factorsaffecting student academicperformance, namely: the family'ssocioeconomic status; the timespent on independent learning andpreparation for classes; the timespent working on a job or practicinga hobby; and the university orschool environment. However,recent empirical studies indicate thatthe role of the social environmentmay be underestimated, asclassmates can greatly influence oneanother's behaviour and academicsuccess. Yet the value of many suchstudies is limited due to serious

design flaws - such as viewing arandom group of classmates as one'ssocial network or assuming that astudent's position in his or her socialnetwork is static. Rather than beingrandom, one's social network is aproduct of conscious and dynamicchoice. Social networks, particularlyamong college freshmen, can changeconsiderably over time - e.g. a studentcan break up with an underachievingfriend and seek the company of A-graders. According to the authors, inchoosing friends, students do notusually consider academicperformance, but over time - often inthe middle of the academic year - allmembers in a peer group tend toperform at about the same level. Thus,most students who surroundedthemselves with high-achieversimproved their performance over time.The opposite was also true - thosewho befriended underachieverseventually experienced a drop ingrades.


11Pallikkutam | January 2016

PPPPPrrrrreparing futureparing futureparing futureparing futureparing future leaders thre leaders thre leaders thre leaders thre leaders throughoughoughoughoughinnoinnoinnoinnoinnovvvvvativativativativative educatione educatione educatione educatione education

James Paul

Dr. G P C Nayar, Chairman, SCMS Group of Educational Institutions, is a well-knownacademician with years of experience in running professional institutions ofexcellence in management and technology. He started his journey as the promoter ofeducation institutions in the year 1976 with the establishment of the PrathapFoundation for Education and Training at Kochi.Dr. Nayar who held top management positions with leading global corporate houses,wished to impart quality education at affordable costs to striving youngsters in India.The dream came true the same year with the establishment of the humblemanagement institution – the School of Communication and Management Studies(SCMS). SCMS Group under the visionary leadership of Dr. G.P.C. Nayar hasestablished various institutions of excellence and national repute to offer professionaleducation in technology and management streams.He explains his vision and future plans in this exclusive interview.

INTERVIEWINTERVIEWINTERVIEWINTERVIEWINTERVIEW

12

How did you start SCMS?

It is a very long story. I started thisinstitution primarily to teach PublicRelation, Journalism and Advertising. Iwas a PR professional and a memberof the Public Relations Society ofIndia (PRSI), the national body of PRprofessionals. In my interaction withthe top people in public relationsprofession I understood that none ofthem had professional qualification inPR or Journalism or Advertising. I wasprobably the only person with adegree in Journalism and PublicRelations. This revelation made mediscuss with my collogues at theNational Council in the PRSI about theneed for conducting some academicprogram for the benefit of futureentrants to the PR profession. Ithought it would be helpful not onlyfor those who are going to enter theprofession but also for the professionitself. My suggestions were acceptedby the national council of the PRSI. Iwas asked to prepare a propersyllabus and methodology for theproposed program. I presented aproposal in the next Council meetingitself for conducting a one year PGdiploma program in Public Relations,Journalism and Advertising. All thesetogether form Mass Communicationand a PR man should have knowledgein all the three if he is to be successful.Though my proposal was approvedand given to all nine chapters of thePR Society, only the Kerala Chapter of


the PRSI had started it. Certificateswere to be issued by the PR Society ofIndia to successful candidates. Thiswas in the year 1976. We, members ofthe Kerala Chapter, were all workingprofessionals at that time. So Iproposed to start the program as anevening course. We had fantasticresponse initially. There had beenaround 1500 applications from all partsof the State though we took only 40. Iwas the Director of the program. As Iwas the initiator, the wholeresponsibility fell on me. I could notmove out of Cochin even for one day,because every day I had to ensure thatsome faculty is there in the class. Isuffered the agony with pleasurebecause it was the birth pang of aninstitution. By the end of the year Idecided to offer the program bycorrespondence. This institution was

Anyone who joinedthe program muststudy the subject

very well andbecome a competent

professional. Wewanted to prepare

future leadersthrough an

innovative system ofeducation.


13

They came tomake some quick

money. If youcheck the

background of thepromoters of the

newly startedcolleges, you willfind very few are

genuinelyinterested ineducation.


christened as School ofCommunication and ManagementStudies or SCMS which abbreviation isnow better known all over India and inmany other parts of the world.

What were the objectives?

Our primary objective was to providequality professional education inPublic Relations to new entrants to theprofession. Fees was very minimum atthat time. It was less than Rs 400 perannum. We were not interested in justcollecting the fee. Anyone who joinedthe program must study the subjectvery well and become a competentprofessional. We wanted to preparefuture leaders through an innovativesystem of education. So we devised arigorous system of learning in thedistance mode.

How do you feel when looking back tothe earlier years ?

I am very happy thoughit was a great

struggle in theinitial years.

But I enjoyed it. It was not a work forme, but a pleasure doing it and I amtotally satisfied. Me and my familywere working hard on those days.Sometimes we had to post 4000 lettersat a stretch. I used to prepare notes forthe course and cyclostyle it. Howmany times my stenographers, nine innumber, typed and retyped notes andcourse material! We spent sleeplessnights on those days.

There are innumerable institutionscoming up in the private sector. Is thisa healthy trend?

It is a sign of prosperity and economicgrowth. That way I welcome it. Butunfortunately very few are run bypeople who are committed to qualityeducation. For many it is just anotherbusiness. You can survive only if youare a role model on quality andperformance. All fly by night operatorswill disappear in the course of time.Most of the people entered into thissector are not academically interested.They came to make some quick money.If you check the background of thepromoters of the newly started

colleges, you will find veryfew are genuinely interestedin education.

What about the quality ofeducation in the privateinstitutions? Most of themfacing faculty crunch. Doyou have such a situation?

We don't have any facultycrunch. Because we pay. Ifyou throw peanuts, you

attract only monkeys. We pay whatthey deserve, so we never had afaculty crunch. We want our faculty toremain with us for life because that willensure quality to some extent. As ourphilosophy is providing qualityprofessional education we nevercompromise on that issue. Money isnot an issue. If you have quality,money will automatically come to you.Because people are quality conscioustoday. They will spend anything forquality.

Are our students employable?

Why doubt? Indian education sectorproduces thousands of employablegraduates. There can be some dropouts. But such people are there in anysociety. At SCMS we provide specialpersonality development programs toensure our students are acceptable forglobal business. Many institutions areimitating us to build quality. Thatshows the effectiveness of ourprogram.

What is your view on affordableeducation?

Affordable institutions should be thereto provide quality education to theeconomically poor students. But theseinstitutions should be started by theGovernment. Private sector, which runson fee alone, cannot provideaffordable education. Fee structure inIndia is not too high. We should realizethat one needs money to offer qualityeducation. We are not looking for hugeprofits, but we are hiring the besttalents available, offering best offacilities. This needs money. When wegive importance to quality, it has to benecessarily expensive. Take any sector.Quality has a price. Five star hotelsand two star hotels are not priced thesame. Fee at IIMs, in spite ofGovernment funding, is so high fromfee of other institutions. Because theyclaim a very high quality. Apart frombest of education at SCMS we are

doing other charity works also as partof our social responsibility.

What are your future plans?

We are planning new initiatives ineducation. No institution can survivewithout growth with stability. Last yearwe added a School of Architecture.Next year we are going to start aPolytechnic. We are planning to bepart of the Smart City with a highersecondary school, an engineeringcollege and a management institution.We also plan to have a high techtraining centre to offer upgradedknowledge to IT professionals at theSmart City. We also have plans toexpand our activities to other locationsincluding Bangalore and London. InBangalore, SCMS is establishingSCMS School of Engineering andTechnology and SCMS BangaloreSchool of Business. In London,a Business School affiliatedto a leading University ofUK is being established.Both these institutionswill become operational inthe near future.

What is the future of Indianeducation? Do you think thatIndia will be an education hub inthe near future?

The future of our educationsector is very bright. Donot compare ourinstitutions with Harvardor other internationalinstitutions. They haveearned theirreputationthroughcenturies ofhard work.Most of ourintuitions werestarted onlyafterindependence.We are



improving very fast in comparison withother countries. But we need moretime to develop as centers ofexcellence. In spite of the criticism ofpoor quality of our education 35% ofNASA engineers are from ourinstitutions in India. Yes, India willdefinitely be an international educationhub in the near future.

The process has already started. Manyinstitutions in India are alreadyattracting hundreds of foreignstudents. The process is bound togrow in the coming decades. Becauseour country is soon to become thethird largest economy. Education has amajor role in the economicdevelopment of a country.

In spite of the criticism of poor quality of our education 35% of NASAengineers are from our institutions in India. India will definitely

be an international education hub in the near future.

EXPERT COUNSELEXPERT COUNSELEXPERT COUNSELEXPERT COUNSELEXPERT COUNSEL

15

The OutliersThe OutliersThe OutliersThe OutliersThe Outliers1) Why do some people attaingreatness while rest of theircompatriots fail to do so?

2) Why is it that only a few of thechildren classified as having IQ levelsbordering on genius do well in life?

3) What are the reasons behind somecommunities not having to fear thescourge of diseases like heart attackand peptic ulcer despite havingidentical food habits as their fellowcountrymen?

4) Why do air crashes occur?

5) Why are Asian studentsconsidered to be better atMathematics than their westerncounterparts?

These are some of the questions thatMalcolm Gladwell attempts to answerin his bestselling book “Outliers- TheStory of Success”. Gladwell, who

Pallikkutam | November 2015

Malcolm Gladwell’s“Outliers- The Storyof Success”. shouldbe made mandatory

reading for allstudents and trainersof human behaviourand management aswell as by all those

who wish to getahead in life.

Dr. K.N. Raghavan

describes himself as an author,journalist, cultural commentator andintellectual adventurer had penned twomore books and found place in theTime Magazine’s list of 100 mostinfluential persons in the world in 2005.In this book he attempts to wreck someof the well renowned and bestarticulated recipes for success with thehelp of published statistical data andforceful arguments founded on logicand reason.

The answer to question no: 1) wouldbe seen as obvious- hard work- as itgoes without saying that no one haseven achieved greatness withoutburning midnight oil. However whatGladwell has postulated in this book isthe “10000 hour rule” according towhich only those persons who haveput in 10000 hours of practice haveachieved greatness in their respectivefields. He has brought out the



16

examples of Beatles, Bill Joy (whowrote the computer programme Unixand Java) and Bill Gates to prove hispoint. However what is unique toGladwell’s postulation is that onlythose who are absolutely committed totheir area of interest and are fortunateenough would get opportunities forputting in so many hours in theirformative years. 10000 hours is not asmall amount of time and wouldinvolve between six and seven hoursof practice for at least 300 days a yearcontinuously for at least five years.Gladwell found that not only weremembers of Beatles as well as Bill Joyand Bill Gates brilliant and focused intheir line of work but they also gotlucky breaks very early in their livesthat provided them access to practicein their respective areas and hone theirskills to perfection.

Regarding question no: 2) Gladwellrelies on the result of the studyconducted by Lewes Terman in thepost World War I phase wherein hehad identified around 1400 primarystudents as possessing IQ in excess of140, which would place in them incategory of those having potential forevolving into genius. Terman followedthe career of these boys, who werenicknamed as “termites” assiduouslyand found that while 20% (group A)rose to their potential becomingleaders or decision makers in theirchosen fields and another 60% (group

B) performed reasonably well, theremaining 20% (group C) did not maketheir mark in life. When Terman studiedthe group C closely he found that theonly factor that separated this cohort

Relationshipbetween successand IQ works only

up to a pointbeyond which all

are equal andpossessing higherIQ points does nottranslate into any

advantage.

from the rest was their familybackground in that almost all of themcame from broken or single parentfamilies. These kids has intelligencelevels, curiosity and mental agility at

par with those in group A but failed todo well in life as their potential wasnot provided the environment toblossom. Another finding thatemerged from the studies was thatnone of the “termites” could winNobel prize while two of thoserejected entry to this select group onaccount of having IQ below 140became Nobel laureates. This, alongwith couple of other examples, helpedGladwell to arrive at the conclusionthat relationship between success andIQ works only up to a point beyondwhich all are equal and possessinghigher IQ points does not translateinto any advantage.

The importance of family andcommunity in promoting the health ofindividuals is highlighted by Gladwellwhen he analyses question no: 3).Here he brings out the example of thecommunity of Italians located atRoseta in Pennsylvania. These were agroup of immigrants from Italy whocame in search of work in the quarriesand settled down and built a smalltownship, transplanting most of thesocial customs and traditions of theirnative country. The town had treelined avenues, a small chapel, akitchen garden behind all houseswhere families invariably had theirmeals together and grandparents wererespected. While this was by noaccounts a prosperous town, what setthem apart was the fact that none of



17

The author is the Commissioner ofCustoms in Kochi, Kerala.

the male population in the communitysuffered heart attacks before the age of65 nor did anyone suffer from pepticulcer. This baffled the medicalcommunity in USA as heart attack andpeptic ulcer were the most commoncauses of mortality and morbidity inthat country during the 1950-60’s.Studies conducted found that what setthis community apart from the rest ofthe country was the adherence totraditional family and community ethosthat they had sustained through theirstay in USA. The people in thiscommunity ate the same food, used thesame cooking medium and did not doany additional exercise but the stressfree environment provided byadherence to traditional family andcommunity values vested them withprotective armour against diseasesthat plagued the rest of the country.

Gladwell postulates, with the supportof examples and evidences, that airplane crashes are invariably due toresult of accumulation of minordifficulties and trivial malfunctionsthan any serious technical failure. In atypical accident the weather is poor,not terrible, the flight is late and pilotsare trying to make up for lost time, thepilots have been flying for more than12 hours and hence tired and pilotshave not flown together before. In thisscenario, one of the pilots make amistake, which, by itself, is not seriousbut gets compounded by remaininguncorrected, or worse, by more errorsbeing committed. Gladwell has foundthat on an average it takes seven suchmistakes to lead to a crash and in mostcases the series of errors happen onaccount of communication gapamongst the crew in the cockpit andbetween them and the Air TrafficControl. Based on this hypothesis,Gladwell makes out a strong case foreffective communication between pilotand the officers in the cockpit and withAir Traffic control, while taking intoconsideration the culture of the airlineand its employees towardsexpressing a

contrarian point of view towardssuperior authority.

Gladwell attributes the proficiency ofAsian students towards Mathematicsto their doggedness and perseverancewhile tackling problems. He has foundsimilarities between these traits andthe vocation of paddy farming which

demands back breaking work roundthe year. He also found that thenumerology adopted in Asianlanguages made basic learning ofmathematics easier when comparedto that used in English language. Inall probability it is a combination ofboth factors that has helped Asianstudents to achieve this proficiencyover their counterparts from westernworld.

One may not always agree with theconclusions that Gladwell arrives atbut no one would be able to ignorethe rationale underlying hisinferences. What makesthe book

What makes thebook interesting is

the manner withwhich Gladwellelucidates his

hypotheses, withthe prose peppered

by interestingexamples to avoid

the monotonyplague works of

this genre.

interesting is the manner with whichGladwell elucidates his hypotheses,with the prose peppered byinteresting examples to avoid themonotony plague works of thisgenre. This book is fast paced andwritten in a style that is easy tocomprehend, bringing it into the classof page turners, akin to works offiction. This book should be mademandatory reading for all studentsand trainers of human behaviour andmanagement as well as by all thosewho wish to get ahead in life.


STORIES OF LIFESTORIES OF LIFESTORIES OF LIFESTORIES OF LIFESTORIES OF LIFE

18

Dr. Jose Cletus Plackal

On the dynamicsof becoming

a terrorist or ‘martyr’

People all over the world arewatching with dread and dismaythe horrific acts of violence and

carnage perpetrated by self proclaimedprophets and protectors of divinejustice and restitution. The violenceand destruction, indiscriminate as it is,continues unabated. Recently, what

happened in San Bernardino,California, caught the attention

of the world. It was cold-blooded murder of

handicapped and haplessvictims of a care home,

and it gave us therudest shock of all.

The fact that thisgruesome

murder inbroad

daylightwas

perpetrated by a young, god-fearingwoman who had a nursing baby, raisesquite a few questions. Why suchpious men and women take up armsand ammunition and conduct brutal,warlike operations on people who arenot directly connected with anyviolence or atrocities?

There are many theories that interprethuman personality and developmentand functioning and dysfunctioning.Many psycho-social theories haveattempted to interpret human behaviorand malfunctioning on the basis of thetheories proposed by many an eminentscholar. Notable among them areSigmund Freud (Psycho-sexualDevelopment Theory), JeanPiaget(Cognitive DevelopmentTheory), Lawrence Kohlberg(MoralDevelopment Theory), Erik HErikson(Psychosocial Stages ofDevelopment), James W.Fowler(Stages of Faith DevelopmentTheory),et al. All the abovementioned theories are calledstructural developmental theories.They all propose one thing in

common: everyone has to gothrough structures and

attending appropriate tasksor functions specific to

each stage ofdevelopment. Eachstage has its age-specific structureand correspondingfunction/task. Ifone gets stuck inone earlierstage, then he/she may notbe able to

function atthe later,

higherstage.

Why such pious men and women take up arms and ammunitionand conduct brutal, warlike operations on people who are not

directly connected with any violence or atrocities?


STORIES OF LIFESTORIES OF LIFESTORIES OF LIFESTORIES OF LIFESTORIES OF LIFE

19

The author is licensed clinicalpsychologist (HRT), Jeevas CentreAluva, Kerala.

When we understand the dynamics of making, what wecall a terrorist, is in fact a martyr of his faith,

undeveloped as it may be.

In our search for understanding theinner dynamics of a terrorist in themaking, we are banking on the FaithDevelopment Theory of James W.Fowler. According to this theory, faithis a developmental phenomenon,taking place at stages inlife. There are six stages tofaith development. Theyare 1) Pre-stage, Infantilefaith or Undifferentiatedfaith which is based on themutuality of basic trustgiven by primary caregivers. This is the rockbottom on which the infantwill build his/her life’smeaning world, includingfaith. 2) Mythic Literalfaith which is typical ofchildren, two to sevenyears of age. Imaginationis dominant at this stage.3) Synthetic Conventionalfaith is more appropriatefor adolescent age group.At this stage faith is heldtogether by the externalauthority, andconventional groupingsare vital for survival. Manypersons do not go beyondthis stage of development.4) Individuative Reflectivefaith, young adulthoodonwards, becomesreflective and critical ofcommunity’s faith. 5)Conjunctive faith starts at about mid-life onwards, able to hold togetherdifferent perspectives, openness tomystery, post critical outlook, open totruths in other traditions etc. 6)Universalizing faith: No specific age;decentered from self, values faith ofother people, transcends the interestsof one community, etc., are traits ofthis stage.

Keeping this general introductoryremarks in mind we revisit stagethree of faith development, namely,Synthetic Conventional faith. To mymind this stage of faith developmenthas much to do with the kind of

distortion, uncritical thinking andblind obedience to higherauthorities that are conspicuous inpeople who undertake mercenarymissions. At this stage of faithdevelopment, one is not capable ofchoosing reflectively and critically.Most of the meaning world andcode of living come from theauthority of community. Moreover,

authority figures remain importantand obeying their orders is vital tothe individual’s sense of well-being.Faith also gives identity to the youngperson and hence questioning one’sbeliefs is perceived as threat. There is

an instinct to stayconnected with one’s groupand other groups may beseen as potential enemies.

Keeping the above pointsin mind, think of whathappens to a person who iscaught up in the intenseindoctrination of aparticular group bend onretribution, revenge etc.The authority seeks andobtains absolute surrenderto the common cause byentering into a seriouscontract, and along withthis intense and continuousindoctrination and brain-washing take place. It’s “usversus them”, “theirinjustice has to beredressed by you”, “this iswhat god asks of you”, etc.Add to this thetranscendent values suchas eternal reward andhappiness, the honor thatone brings to family andcommunity. As group needsare given absolute valueand prominence, theindividual is willing to obey

the authority and gets ready toconform to community demands.When we understand the dynamicsof making, what we call a terrorist, isin fact a martyr of his faith,undeveloped as it may be.


PERSONALPERSONALPERSONALPERSONALPERSONAL

20

I am a twenty three years oldunmarried woman, working withan educational institution in

Kerala. I am a very health consciousperson. I always try to eat healthy andbalanced diets and exercise on aregular basis. But despite all myrigorous attempts, I always remainslightly on the obese side. One reasonfor my overweight could be that, attimes I find it hard to control my foodcravings. Food items like chocolates,nuts, ice creams etc. are the majorculprits. Even though I would want tostop eating, all my control goeshaywire on such occasions and Iwould continue with eating until Ican’t eat anymore or that I have ranout of the stocks! Later on I feel badabout it and vow never to repeat it,but it does happen again! It happens,

probably once or twice a month, but Iam afraid that is contributing to myoverweight problem. The counselor inmy institution says that I have aneating disorder and that I shouldconsult a psychologist for thetreatment. Do you think I needtreatment for the issue or are thereany ways I can help myself with theproblem?

I would begin by contradicting yoursentence; “Food items like chocolates,nuts, ice creams etc. are the majorculprits”. Eating problems are not justabout foods! They can be more aboutdifficult things in your life and painfulfeelings, which you may be findinghard to express, face or resolve.Focusing on food can be a way ofdisguising these problems, even fromyou. We don’t always eat simply to

satisfy hunger. We also turn to foodfor comfort, stress relief, or as areward. This tendency to respond tostress by eating, even when nothungry, is called emotional eating. Thefoods that emotional eaters crave arereferred to as comfort foods. They areoften high- calorie or high-carbohydrate food items like icecreams, chips, chocolates, cookies,pizzas and other junk foods. Statisticssays that about 40% of people tend toeat more when stressed, while about40% eat less and 20% experience nochange in the amount of food they eatwhen exposed to stress. You may beone, who belongs to first 40% ofpeople; who is likely to eat more whenunder stress!

Emotional eating is a fairly commonbehavioural problem which can

Even though I would want to stop eating, all mycontrol goes haywire on such occasions and I wouldcontinue with eating until I can’t eat anymore or that Ihave ran out of the stocks! Later on I feel bad about itand vow never to repeat it, but it does happen again!

UUUUUnmarnmarnmarnmarnmarrrrrried wied wied wied wied woman,oman,oman,oman,oman, cr cr cr cr crazy fazy fazy fazy fazy for cor cor cor cor chocolathocolathocolathocolathocolates...es...es...es...es...

Sajith Malliyoor



21Pallikkutam | September 2015

significantly interfere with yourattempts to maintain a healthy diet andcan contribute to obesity. At times itcan be a symptom of a clinicalcondition we call as atypicaldepression, but more often people whomanifest this behaviour do not haveany diagnosable mental health issues.Emotional eating is a great way to gainweight! We eat to distract ourselvesfrom problems or for comfort when wefeel rejected, lonely, sad or even angry.Unfortunately, emotional eatingdoesn’t fix emotional problems. Itusually makes you feel worse.Afterward, not only does the originalemotional issue remain, but you alsofeel guilty for overeating. We all overeat from time to time, like an extra icecream even though you are alreadyfull, but here the difference is that youare using food to make yourself feelbetter-eating to fill emotional needs,rather than to fill your stomach. Again,using food from time to time as a pick-me-up, a reward, or to celebrate isn’tnecessarily a bad thing. But wheneating is your primary emotionalcoping mechanism - when your firstimpulse is to open the refrigeratorwhenever you’re upset, angry, lonely,stressed, exhausted, or bored - you getstuck in an unhealthy cycle where thereal feeling or problem is neveraddressed.

Before you can break free from thecycle of emotional eating, you firstneed to learn how to distinguishbetween emotional and physicalhunger. This can be trickier than itsounds, especially if you regularly usefood to deal with your feelings.Emotional hunger can be powerful. Asa result, it’s easy to mistake it forphysical hunger. But there are cluesyou can look for that can help you tellphysical and emotional hunger apart.Physical hunger builds up gradually.The urge to eat doesn’t feel as dire ordemand instant satisfaction,whereas in emotionaleating it hitsyou

in an instant and feels overwhelmingand urgent. Emotional hunger cravesfatty foods or sugary snacks that

provide an instant rush, but whenyou’re physically hungry, almostanything sounds good -including healthystuffs likevegetables. Inemotional hungeryou don’t feelsatisfiedeven whenyou

are full; you keep wanting more andcontinue eating until you areuncomfortably stuffed. Physicalhunger, on the other hand, doesn'tneed to be stuffed. You feel satisfiedwhen your stomach is full. And themost salient feature of the emotionalhunger is that afterwards you feelguilty and ashamed for losing yourself-control.

The first step in putting a stop toemotional eating is identifying yourpersonal triggers that set off thebehaviour. People indulge in emotionaleating for many different reasons.Identify what situations, places, orfeelings make you reach for thecomfort of food. Keep in mind thatwhile most emotional eating is linkedto unpleasant feelings, it can also betriggered by positive emotions, suchas rewarding yourself for achieving agoal or celebrating a holiday or happyevent. But of course, stress is the mostcommon culprit. When stress ischronic, as it so often is in our chaotic,

fast-paced world, it leads to highlevels of the stress hormone,

cortisol. Cortisol triggerscravings for salty, sweet,

and high-fat foods-foods that give you a

burst of energy andpleasure. The

moreuncontrolled

stress inyour

life,


We don’t always eatsimply to satisfy

hunger. We also turnto food for comfort,stress relief, or as a

reward. Thistendency to respondto stress by eating,

even when nothungry, is calledemotional eating.


22

Once you identify your emotional eating triggers,the next step is identifying healthier

ways to feed your feelings.

Send queries [email protected](Sajith Malliyoor regrets he can notenter into personal correspondence)

the more likely you are to turn to foodfor emotional relief. In order toidentify the specific triggers andpatterns behind your emotionaleating, it is a good idea to keep afood and mood diary. Every time youovereat or feel compelled to eat, takea moment to figure out what triggeredthe urge. If you backtrack, you’llusually find an upsetting event thatkicked of the emotional eating cycle.Write it all down in your food andmood diary: what you ate (or wantedto eat), what happened to upset you,how you felt before you ate, whatyou felt as you were eating, and howyou felt afterward.

Over time, you will see a patternemerge. The trigger could be any sortof emotional or stressful event; it maybe a deadline to meet, an argumentwith your best friend or it mayeven be a joyous time, as kindof a way of making a fun timeeven more fun. Once youidentify your emotional eatingtriggers, the next step isidentifying healthier ways tofeed your feelings.

There are somepractical stepsyou can taketo preventemotionaleating. Eatconsistentlythroughoutthe day soyou neverend up toohungry.

Plan your meals at least the daybefore. Prepare your meals andsnacks the night before (if you aregoing to work). Always havesomething healthy to eat within arm’sreach or a short walk to the fridge.Keep tempting foods out of thehouse/office. When you find yourselfsad, anxious, stressed, or bored, seek

social support or exercise. Bothprovide mood benefits and arepositive actions to take. You can alsowork on becoming more mindful andaccepting of your emotions as theyare. Practice basic mindfulness skillslike scanning your body to notice anyfeelings. Observe and describe whereand how youfeel thoseemotions.Allowyourselfto sitwith

them without trying to change themor make them go away. See if you canimagine making room for them andallowing them to come and gonaturally. Learn this skill well and youcan step out of the emotionally eatingcarousel almost entirely.

Finally, you can orient to the long-term cost of emotional eating. The


short-term comfort or relief you getfrom eating is replaced often byguilt or shame soon after. This canbecome a vicious cycle because ifyou feel guilty or shameful aboutwhat you ate, and you really want tofeel better right now… food is therefor you again. And the cyclecontinues. You may have beenstressed from a difficult day at work,but now you added shame to that.

That’s a big cost, and the cost isthere because you said “no, you

must change” to the stress. Sothere is a cost to being

unwilling to feel what we feel,and that has long-term

health implications ifyour primary

copingstrategy iseating.Practicebringingthis cost toyourawarenessexplicitly,“If I eatthiscakenow Iwill feel

betterfor a

short timeand then

worse later onand I will also

have harmed myhealth a little.” The goal

isn’t to make the healthychoice every time, but to simplymake it a choice, as opposed toautomatically eating, and then overtime perhaps you start choosinghealth more.

Role of

education

parents in

26

The role of parenting in a child’seducation begins right fromconception. Just as we know

that alcohol and smoking hamper thebaby’s development inside the womb,a healthy diet, exercises, prayers,

positive thinking, and avoidance ofstress all contribute to a healthy baby.The first years after birth are mostcrucial for the child.

A US study in the late 1980s foundthat children who were brought up inpoor circumstances had lowIntelligence Quotients (IQs). Happyhomes contributed to more intelligent

kids, researchers found. Childrenwhose parents tended them with

love, had time to answer theirqueries, and hugged, kissed

and praised them, enjoyedhigher IQs. They had better

memory and better languageskills. The researchers also found

that better nurturing till the age offour resulted in a biggerhippocampus - a part of the brainassociated with memory.

Kids learn the fastest in their earlyyears and their brain architectureis also set at the time. This is thetime when kids spend maximumtime with their parents and the

parents’ value systems,knowledge and

skills can beeasily passed on

to the child. Atthe same time, an

unhappy home cantraumatize the child,

emotionally cripple him, and sometimescan forever damage their ability tolearn. It goes without saying thatcaring parents contribute considerablyto the child’s education if theymaintain an atmosphere at homeconducive for the child’s emotional aswell as learning skills development.

As the child goes to school, theparents remain his role model. A homecan be an unobtrusive and excellentschool if the child has the opportunityto learn while exploring nature withparents, listening to stories, or just bywatching the parents practicing theirskill whether it be music or sports.After this, the school and teacherstake over the task of educating thechild more formally. And this is thetime when the parents’ role has to beredefined or honed for the optimumdevelopment of the child.

How can parents best engage in achild’s education? In a highlycompetitive world, where both theparents may be working, schooling isoften an arduous and difficult task forthe parents as well as the child. Theparents are stressed by the need tofind time to interact with the child asearlier, as their engagement now is tohelp the child complete the tasksassigned from the school. Moreresearch studies need to be done to

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KSR Menon

ParentalParentalParentalParentalParentalpedagogypedagogypedagogypedagogypedagogy

Children whose parents tended them with love, had time toanswer their queries, and hugged, kissed and praised them,

enjoyed higher IQs. They had better memory andbetter language skills.

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ascertain the usefulness of manyprojects set for children. The impact ofthe weight of school bag on a child’shealth is also an issue that has beenmuch discussed over the years. It isdifficult to lay down hard and fastrules for parents on how to engagewith a child’s education. Wheneverrequired, they may have to help thechild with what is being taught atschool, provided they are qualified forthe job. The children whose parentsare less educated will be at adisadvantage but they also can helpthe child by giving emotional supportor by getting help from outside attimes to help with difficult subjects.But it is debatable whether it isadvisable to have a parallel tuitionsystem in addition to regularschooling, which however seems to bethe norm of the day. Many schoolsnowadays tend not to burden the childwith homework and many schoolshave facilities for the child to keep thebooks in the class both of which couldresult in better adjusted children.

Again what the parent’s idealengagement should be depends uponthe needs of the child. If a child isgifted in the fields of art, be it music,sports or drawing, it is for the parent tospot it and encourage it as a child

would enjoy mastering it. Very often inthis competitive world, parents forcegifted children to pursue run of themill, ordinary professions whichultimately may conflict them, neverletting them realize their potential.Good parenting should ideally not set

harsh standards for the child to meetand also not compare him with others.Parents should make the child feel thathe is the best in his own way and thathe need not be judged in comparisonto other students. A child who feels hecannot meet the standards set by hisparents will believe that he is a failure.In today’s world, opportunities areumpteen and there are many vocationsany child can follow.

It is for parents to play asupplementary and supportive role ineducation for their children. Trueeducation should prepare children tobe leaders in the fields for which theyhave a talent. A great school wouldfocus on that aspect and sometimesthat great school can even be thechild’s own home.

What Kahlil Gibran, the greatLebanese American poet and writerwrote in his famous poem “OnChildren” holds good even today:

You may give them your love but notyour thoughts,

For they have their own thoughts.You may house their bodies but not

their souls,For their souls dwell in the house of

tomorrow,which you cannot visit, not even in

your dreams.You may strive to be like them,

but seek not to make them like you.

The author is a television commen-tator and former Foreign Corre-spondent (Middle East) of PressTrust of India. Desert Hunt is hislatest book. Widely travelled, hehas authored two other books: AStylebook for Journalists andAuthors and a travelogue inMalayalam MagyarukaluteNattil.

If a child is gifted inthe fields of art, be it

music, sports ordrawing, it is for theparent to spot it and

encourage it as achild would enjoy

mastering it.


28

Ammu was very cross at me. She was fully justified. Her note book had a red ‘x’ mark

across her project. An endorsementdemands her to re-do the work and Iam responsible.

At the relevant time, Ammu was inclass I. Her project was to draw aboy’s picture and mark body parts,like hand, eye, forehead, elbow etc. Ihave some background in drawingand I am the acknowledged artist inthe family. But when Ammu demandedthat I should help her in the project, Irefused to draw the picture and saidshe should do it herself. And she did.With the acumen of a six year oldartist, her boy turned out to besurrealistic. But the teacher, probablyoverwhelmed by Raja Ravi Varma-likereproductions of the textbook-picture,was not impressed by the youngPicasso. Ammu found me guilty ofhaving not helped her with her schoolproject. I completed the work myselfand I scored a star the next day.

I had been left wondering why a sixyear old who did her work on herown, be discouraged and laterawarded a star for something whichobviously is not her work. But then itappears to be common understandingthat parents must ‘help’ the childrenwith their curriculum. Is that the roleof parents in education?

A family legend says that mygrandfather was very fond ofstudying. But his father was not thatsupportive. The patriarch thoughtthat money spend on education wassheer waste. The boy could do bettersupervising the family properties.Appuppan had to steal small vesselsfrom his own home to pay his schoolfees. Valyappuppan (GreatGrandfather) is rumoured to have


Parenting thestudent

Adv. Hariraj M R

Parents have to be all what we want ourchildren must be. What model are we

providing a child who finds theirgrandparents and parents glued

to the Television duringthe entire evening?

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retained one person on his pay rollonly to advise his son not to go toschool. With those adversities, mygrandfather managed to become aschool teacher. As for him, he gave asmuch education to his children as theywanted. From what I hear, he neithercompelled, nor discouraged hischildren in respect of education.

By the time myfather startedparenting, theimportance ofeducation was wellrecognised. I haveseen in mygeneration manywho were broughtup like broilerchickens with thesole intention oftaking medical/engineeringexaminations. I havealso seen certaindisastrousconsequences ofsuch upbringing.Fortunately I didnot fall in thatcategory. As for myparents, they didinsist that I must domy work as astudent with all mycommitment, butthere were no fixedtargets to achieve.The choice ofcareer, the decisionas to what to dowith my life, wasalways my freedom.Looking back, I amthankful to them forthat. If I can, that isthe same I want togive my children.

But a person is noteducated only in class rooms. Thesubhashitam says that only a quarterof one’s knowledge is attained fromteachers. Another one fourth isattained by the student himself, andyet another he attains from his peers.The final two bits come only by life

experience, over time. I feel it is not inthe institutionalised education attainedfrom text books that the parents have asubstantial role to play, but in theother three quarter that they have aresponsibility.

“There is only one way to learn. It'sthrough action”, says Paulo Coelho

through the Alchemist. It is for theparents to inspire children to constantaction through which they learn. It isthe responsibility of the parents tokeep the children alive to socialrealities and continuously give themopportunity to act on their own. I

fearfully realise that around us is a newgeneration that is over-protected andover-supported.

One cannot blame parents alone forthis because we are in difficult timeswhere physical security of childrencannot be taken for granted even inbroad day-light. But that cannot justify

us putting ourchildren ingolden cages. Itis necessarythat we exposeour children tolife in all itsseverity. Whatuse is agenerationwhich canprogrammespace shuttles,but cannotcross the streetto buy candy?

If growingnumber offamily disputesending up incourts is anyindication, theaverageemotionalquotient of oursociety hasreachedalarmingly lowlevels. Theculprits aremany. Nuclearfamilies,alienation fromsocial life,increasedreliance ontechnology etc.have renderedour childrenmore and moreself centred.

Even the best lack necessaryinterpersonal skills.

It is indeed the responsibility ofparents to ensure that the childrenunderstand that there exist a worldoutside the four walls of their house

It is necessary that we exposeour children to life in

all its severity.



and the TV screen in the livingroom. One must agree with the greatAmerican Author Du Bois when hesays “Children learn from what youare, than what you teach”. Soparents have to be all what wewant our children must be. Life’svalues are not learned from printedwords.

Parents are children’s first and bestrole models. It is easier to inspireemulation, than to insistobedience. The role of parents inmaking children complete humanbeings therefore cannot beoveremphasised.

There are no bounds to the extentof exposure contemporarychildhood receives. The explosionof information has lead to asituation where it is extremelydifficult to sieve the kind of thingsthe children are exposed to. Wehave blamed peer pressure foraddiction to substance abuse. Buttoday parents, inclusive of grantparents, are to be blamed foraddiction of children to TV andinternet.

It is necessary to filter theexposure our young minds aresubjected to because theirimagination is influenced by whatthey receive from outside. Whatmodel are we providing a child whofinds their grandparents and parentsglued to the Television during theentire evening? Be it the soap

operas laden with cruelty, deceit andtears, or news channels which painteverything in harshest tonespossible. The increased crime rates

among children, which has lead us tosee even instances of mostgruesome crimes by childrenunheard of before, has to be

attributed to the increased mediaexposure children are having. Theidea the modern media leaves aboutthe world around us in the childrenis distorted and abusive. It is

impossible to shut out theyoung minds from the influenceof such aggressive intrusions.But then, it is for the parents toequip the children with enoughmoral courage and intellectualstrength to overcome them.

Having said that one shouldalso understand that the worldour children have to face is notgoing to be the same world weface. It is not for us to walk theirpath. It is their battle and theyhave to fight it on their own.

It is not for us to clear their pathof every stone and thorn. Butour responsibility is to makethem aware that there existhurdles on their path and toinstill confidence in them to facethe same with a smile. Theirthoughts and actions thoughinspired by those of ours will bedifferent from ours. The finalobligation of a parent incompleting the education of achild is to step back and permitthe child to brave the waves allby himself/herself.

The author is an advocate, practicingmainly at the High Court of Kerala andactive in many social organisations.

It is not for us towalk their path. It istheir battle and they

have to fight it ontheir own. It is notfor us to clear theirpath of every stoneand thorn. But ourresponsibility is tomake them aware

that there existhurdles on their path

and to instillconfidence in them

to face the same witha smile.


31

When children are born,parents are very keen toensure that they receive

the best nutrition, the best schooling,the best recreational facilities, thebest amenities and so on. In order toactualise this wish list, they devote alltheir time and energy to cook forthem, help them do their homework,take them around and assist them inthe multitude of ventures they getinto. Surprisingly, in the middle of thisfrenzy of activities to make their lifebetter, many parents overlook themost important obligation towardstheir children, that, they are alsoaccountable for preparing their kidsfor their adult life when they will beout of sight and reach.

It is getting apparent day by day thatall is not well with the parentingstrategies that evolved by the end ofthe 1960s in the affluent countries,and now spreading fast over the restof the world. This new-wave formuladiffered almost totally from all that theolder generation preached andpracticed till then. It spurred theparents to satisfy the needs anddemands of the kids withoutinterfering in their choices and habits,and not acquainting them with any ofthe old-world customs and values.Old school of thoughts was thatallowing a child to do whatever hewants and letting him learn the waysof life solely through his ownexperiences would cause more harmthan good. They also believed that a


Themotivating

factorGeetha Jayaraman

Don’t you think it is our duty to spareour children the misery and

unhappiness that we have undergoneby sharing the lessons we have learnt

from our own mistakes.



child should get training from an earlyage to feel responsible for his ownthoughts, words and deeds. But thenew generation of parents generallybelieve that children however youngshould learn from their own mistakesand it is not the parent to pass on totheir kids their age old wisdom by wayof advice or rules.

Kids lack the reasoning ability, thewider perspective and the adjustmentskills that the older individuals gainthrough their experiences in life. Soinstead of forcing the fearful kid to bebrave, by making mistakes andlearning from those mistakes,the more humane way is towait till he acquires themental prowess aswell as theproficiency toevaluate differentsituations onhis own andthen actaccordingly. Asa child he hasto be assistedto learn tocontrol andcorrect himselfand then only hewill be able to do so inhis later life. When welook back on our own past,there may be some decisions thatwe regret, some actions we wish wecould delete, and some words whichwe wish we could call back. Don’t youthink it is our duty to spare ourchildren the misery and unhappinessthat we have undergone by sharingthe lessons we have learnt from ourown mistakes. We may not be able toprovide a thickly insulated readymadelife for them, however much we try. Butwe can provide them the expertise tocircumvent or climb over the hurdlesinstead of always allowing them to gohead on at it to almost surely get hurt.It is true that the world is changingand the attitude of people all over theworld is also undergoing changes.Nevertheless, the generic values likeintegrity, truthfulness, sincerity, loveetc. will never lose its importance aslong as human beings coexist. The

future of our society depends on theway we provide value based educationto our children now because thedestiny of this planet rests in theirhands. That kind of education shouldstart from home as that is the firstschool where the child learns tointeract with a world outside his ownself.

In the present world it may be difficultfor parents to keep our kids away fromactivities which call for minimumcreativity and imagination. But at thesame time, there is no doubt that when

our kids have to go throughunfortunate situations in later

life, the blurred images ofTV programmes, Barbie

dolls and videogames of their

childhood daysare insufficient

to provide anykind ofsolutions orsolace. Butthe memory ofsome creativeor progressiveactivity that

he hadundertaken alone

or in the companyof others that had

given him a sense ofconfidence or achievement

could come as a helping hand inovercoming the hurdles in front of him.So parents needn’t hesitate to educatea child on the merit and demerits of hischosen activities and keep a check onthe number of hours he could spendon each of them. Our involvement intheir lives could have far reaching andever lasting effects.

In the present time, when the chancesof straying away from the right pathare more and the unconventionalattractions are too many, unless wetrain our child to listen to and followour directions, they will find it difficultto observe the set of rules of anyauthority, both in the school as well asin the work place. Evidently, it couldcreate harmful repercussions. Thetragic vehicle accidents, expulsions

The future of oursociety depends onthe way we provide

value basededucation to our

children now becausethe destiny of this

planet rests in theirhands. That kind ofeducation should

start from home asthat is the first

school where thechild learns to

interact with a worldoutside his own self.



from educational and professionalinstitutions, impulsive violence casesetc. are examples that we come acrossalmost every day in the society.

The most important role of a parent ineducating his child is of motivation.Setting a goal and trying to attain itcould be very effective motivatingfactors for kids. Make themunderstand why they should study orbehave in a certain manner. Find outwhat they want to become eventhough their interests would vary dayby day. In the absence of a definitepurpose to strive for, and definitiveprinciples they should adhere to, theywill lose their sense of direction andthey are likely to stagger away whenthey reach adolescence. Theaimlessness we see in the behaviour ofmany of the youths that we see aroundus is mainly due to this lack ofmotivation.

Parents’ impulsive shrieks of NOOOOsand DOOOOON’Ts give way tolectures and sermons on ethical codesand conducts as long as they are inour audible range. If we expect ourchildren to understand and abide byour rules and regulations and acquireour values, our counseling must bebacked up with an effective example topoint out. Otherwise, it is difficult to

capture their attention to create anylasting impression on them.

Children accept and react to parents’guidance depending on the way theycommunicate with them as well as thevalues they hold and the ideals theyfollow in their own life. Respect cannotbe cultivated or demanded fromanyone. Elders have to be honourablefirst to expect regard from children.

A kid who considers himself as notvery bright may try to keep away fromthe smarter students of his class and islikely to move with the idlers therebyhampering his progress in studies. So itis important for the parents to instil inhim the self-esteem that is essential forsuccess. That will help him becomeconfident in his assets and abilities andwouldn’t be wasting his time trying toimpress others or catch their attention.At the same time, being certain abouthis boundaries, he would retain hisspecific standard of behaviour whichwould prevent him from imitatingothers or getting influenced by peergroup.

Another important point of educationfrom the part of the parent is to makethe child aware that fulfilling a moralobligation or a responsibility providesimmense satisfaction. ‘Rights’ whichare due to a child are closely connected

to ‘responsibilities’ that he owes toothers. Over-emphasis on the rightsof children, propagated by men andmedia, ignoring their responsibilitiesto themselves and the society, seemsto be bringing out not so pleasantresults in the final round. Seekingself-interest and pleasures at the costof future disaster and inconveniencefor others disrupts relationships anddamage harmony in any society andbrings alienation and lonelinessamong individuals. Family is the placeto make the children aware of this andschools should reinstate these valuesin them.

If we teach our kids how to live inharmony with those who stay aroundthem, as well as the others who dwellin domains farther away, they will dowell on their own and also make thisworld a wonderful place to thrive. Weparents have the ability and theknow-how to retrieve and reintroducethe old-world charm to our homes andneighbourhoods. Though difficult, itis definitely possible, provided, weare earnest about our motives andeager in our pursuits.

The author is an English teacher withBharathiya Vidya Bhavan. Have doneMalayalam to English translation andpublished articles in various Englishpublications.

Give them space,they are unique

Dr. Devi K Varma

Education is a word withmultifarious dimensions. For thetime being let us confine it to

the simple practical meaning pertainingto our daily life. I think we can classifythe process of education that a childhas to undergo into three wide areas.One is the formal academic process ofacquiring knowledge and informationthrough the teaching – learningactivity. Second is the wide range offormal and informal sources throughwhich a child can acquire knowledge

and information. The third is theprocess of character formation andvalue enrichment of a child. When wethink about the parents’ role ineducation, all these areas are to bedealt with separately. A fast andwondering change has been occurredin our society for two-three decades.The process of Globalization throughinformation technology, tourism andmarketing has re-defined our needs.Our educational system, the mode ofcurriculum, the aim of education are

Train the child toaccept success

without over prideand to face defeats

without distress anddisappointments.

Recognize andencourage the talent

potential of yourchild. Give him

space. Observe andlisten. Express to the

child that he isunique in all possible

ways.



changed according to the wholeeconomic and cultural change. Theabsolute aim of education is to make arefined and confidant society. In sucha society people must aware of theirstate and its position. But in a newacademic system our children are noteven getting a chance to look at theirsurroundings. What is our role inmolding independent and sensibleindividuals? I think we can playdifferent roles in academic and valuebased education of a child.

Help the child to set goals: Goalsetting is an important step in theprocess of education. Goals can beclassified into short term goals andlong term goals. Expectedperformance in the forthcoming tests,exams and co curricular activities canbe included in the former, while theachievements on completion of theacademic year or academic course canbe included in the later. But theparents should be careful in oneaspect. What we see today in thisarea is a very wrong practice. Now adays the parents would set the goalsfor the child and force the child toachieve them. It is un-scientificand unhealthy practice. Let thechild think reasonably abouthis/her strong points, weakpoints, positive andnegative factors aroundhim at home and inthe school. And lethim arriveconclusions onhow to utilizethe positivefactors tothemaximum

and overcome the negatives. Theparents should provide practicalsuggestions and directions only.Never ever provide the conclusions.Let the child be practical and realistic.Encourage a problem solvingapproach as a parent. Answering orsolving a problem for the child wouldnot help him always.

Train the child to accept successwithout over pride and to facedefeats without distress anddisappointments. Recognize andencourage the talent potential of yourchild. Let the child bloom in his

talents. Give him space. Observeand listen. Express to the child

that he is unique in all possibleways.

Help the child to set atimetable of his

own

Now a days theparents would set the

goals for the childand force the child to

achieve them. It isun-scientific and

unhealthy practice.



and to follow it as far as possible.While setting the timetable careshould be taken to provide ampletime for free time activities, play,exercise, prayer etc. The timetableshould also be set by the childhimself with proper assistance fromthe parents. The parents must notset a timetable and ask the child tofollow it.

Home work – a villain(?): Themodern scheme of education doesn’tsupport the system of overburdening the child with homeworkand creating a sort of aversion forthe child to studies as a whole. Butstill some schools are very particularin giving homework. If the child isover burdened with homework don’thelp him by doing the work by theparent. Homework should serve toaccentuate the study habits of thechild and increase his initiative andindependent responsibility. Properlydone homework will enhance

organizing ability, problem solvingcapacity, attention span and memoryand time management. Providemaximum facilities for the child tocomplete the homework by himself.And if you really think that the childis being over loaded with homeworkapproach the school authorities andtry to share your vies with them soas to help the child.

Effective and positive use ofInformation sources: As we all knowchildren today are exposed to a verywide range of information sources. Itis the duty and responsibility of aparent to have appositive controlover this. But it is not as easy as westate or think. The most effectivemeasure is to maintain a very goodrapport with the child. Even from thekindergarten stage parents mustspend a quality time with the child.That will provide an opportunity forthe child to tell about all the smallincidents and conversations and the

Homework shouldserve to accentuatethe study habits of

the child andincrease hisinitiative andindependent

responsibility.Properly donehomework will

enhance organizingability, problem

solving capacity,attention span andmemory and time

management.



The author is Assistant Professor ofMalayalam, SD College, Alappuzhawith doctorate in Koodiyattam.Published articles in academicjournals and other publications.

every little bit of experience thechild had every day. If this practiceis started from the childhood thechild would develop a sense ofsecurity to share all his day to dayexperiences. If the child tries to hidesomething or to tell some lie don’tburst out or punish the childindiscriminately. Create anatmosphere at home thatencourages them to speak openlywithout being prejudiced or judgedunnecessarily.

In the present socio educationalsystem, importance is only given tothe scholastic achievements of achild. Character formation and valueeducation are neglected to a largeextent. Parents are caretakers ofchildren provide them with most of

their resources. A child’s firstrelationship sets the tone and stylefor his later development.Invariably that relationship is withthe parents. It acts at emotional,psychological, social and spirituallevels. In a joint family system thepristine bond that a child formswith its grandparents is thewarmest one. It is capped by astream of stories, often with anunderlying moral message that thegrandpa and grandma tell theirgrandchild. The child will conceivea wisdom regarding the right andwrong , reward for fairness andpunishment for wrong-doing etc. Ajoint family system will help thechildren to develop some valuesfor life. So the parents and the totalfamily atmosphere plays a key rolein the development and formationof an individual. It is a process ofshaping the clay into art. Eachparent can creatively mold thecharacter of the child to thedesired shape and beauty.

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam inspired ourchildren to keep beautiful andaspiring dreams. For him dreamsare not fascinations or fantasiesbut an outlook to be developedtowards the society; towards theirown career and life. In the presentscenario do we give them a chanceto make such a dream? This is notan objective question or a yes/noquestion. We, the elders/theparents, should seriously thinkabout this. We have our owndreams about them and we spoonfeed our perspectives and wishesto their lives. But we are notencouraging them to see their owndreams and to create their ownwonders. Let the child dream andalso live his own dream. Let usgive the children the freedom ofdecision making. Just be a pillar ofstrength for the child. That is theimportant factor of parenting.

Dr APJ AbdulKalam inspiredour children to

keep beautiful andaspiring dreams.For him dreams

are notfascinations orfantasies but an

outlook to bedeveloped

towards thesociety; towardstheir own career

and life.



POLICY POLICY POLICY POLICY POLICY WWWWWAAAAATTTTTCHCHCHCHCH

38

One of the findings made by the Kerala High Court with regard tothe teacher-pupil ratio was that it was against the norms

specified by the Right to Education (RTE) Act.

How does numbermatter to the schools?

Deepthi Mary Mathew

Of late, the educational sector inKerala is becoming infamousfor wrong reasons. From

controversies in the SSLC results tothe textbook crisis, the 100 percentliterate state is slowly losing its glory.

Recently, the Kerala high court hasstruck down the provision in theKerala Education Rule (KER) which laydown a teacher-pupil ratio of 1:45 todetermine the staff strength of schoolsin the state. The high court judgmentcame on the backdrop of teacher’spackage that was announced by theState Government on August 6, 2015.As per the package, for all theteachers’ posts fixed in 2010-11, thesanction will be given to thoseappointments after 2011-12 owing toretirement, death, resignation,promotion and transfer. This will bedone according to the teacher-pupilratio of 1:30 and 1:35 for lower primary

and upper primary schoolsrespectively. But, from 2015-16, theteacher-pupil ratio of 1:45 as laid downin the Kerala Education Rules (KER)will be applicable.

A petition was filed in the Kerala HighCourt against some of the provisionsof the package by the management ofsome aided schools. Theapprehensions in the package werewith regard to the teacher- pupil ratioand the prior approval needed from theGovernment for the appointment ofteachers in aided schools. AccordinglyKerala high court stayed the teacher’spackage announced by the StateGovernment for two months. Andrecently, Kerala High Court has struckdown these contentious provisions inthe package.

The Government of Kerala came upwith a teacher’s package in 2011, which

was cancelled by the Kerala HighCourt. The State Government hasgiven an appeal against this verdict,which is under the deliberation of thecourt. The State Government came upagain with teacher’s package in 2015 inconsultation with the management ofsome aided schools. But the newpackage was also challenged in thehigh court by some managers of aidedschools.

One of the findings made by the KeralaHigh Court with regard to the teacher-pupil ratio was that it was against thenorms specified by the Right toEducation (RTE) Act. The court heldthat pupil teacher’s ratio should becalculated on the basis student’sstrength in each class and not on thebasis of student’s strength of theentire school. The RTE Act prescribesteacher-pupil ratio of 1:30 for lowerprimary schools and 1:35 for upper


POLICY POLICY POLICY POLICY POLICY WWWWWAAAAATTTTTCHCHCHCHCH

39

The author is Research Assistant atCentre for Public Policy Research,Kochi.

primary schools as against KER with aratio of 1:45. Since education comesunder the concurrent list, the courtheld that the decision made by theCentral Government will be final. So,the norms stipulated in the RTE shouldbe followed. The court has also ruledout the need for government’s priorpermission for the appointment ofteacher’s in aided schools.

The debate here is around the teacher-pupil ratio and theteacher’s appointmentis popped up in thecontext of aidededucationalinstitutions in thestate. During 2012-13,there were 12627schools in Kerala, ofwhich 57 percent wereunder aided category.This throws a clearpicture that the aidedschools continue to bea big player in theeducational sector inthe state. TheGovernment is liable topay salaries andpensions for all theteaching and nonteaching staff in these schools. Themounting salary and pensionexpenditure has been a burden for theailing state exchequer. TheGovernment with its new package triedto limit its future burden on salary andpension by restraining futureappointments. But with the new Highcourt order, new vacancies should be

announced to fulfill the 1:30 and 1:35teacher-pupil ratio criteria in lower andupper primary schools. This will onlyaugment the financial burden of thestate.

The question before us is whether thisnumber game really matters. At the endof the day, what ks important is howmuch a child has gained. TheGovernment should be able to come upwith a better mechanism to the defined

support to aided schools and how canit delineate its role in regulating theseeducational institutions. Themanagements should have flexibility intheir working. The schools should beindependent both financially andoperationally. The schools should becompetitive enough, to impart qualityeducation to the students. Even

though, the enrolment of students toGovernment and aided schools aredecreasing, there is an increase in thenumber of students seekingadmissions in private schools.According to Annual Status ofEducation Report (ASER) 2014, Keralawas one among the top five stateshaving highest private schoolenrolment rates in the elementarystage. Kerala has attained 62.2%

private schoolenrolment rate in theelementary stage.Evidently, less than40 percent ofstudents in the stateprefer eitherGovernment or aidedschools. This clearlyshows that regardingquality of education,students preferprivate unaidedschools over aidedand governmentschools. The schoolsthat succeed inimparting qualityeducation to thestudents will findtheir place in the longrun, others will cease

to exist. The need for the hour isreforms in the educational sector, sothat the state will be known for thequality of education, not for thecontroversies.

The need for the hour is reforms in the educational sector, so thatthe state will be known for the quality of education,

not for the controversies.


40

HEALTH MONITORHEALTH MONITORHEALTH MONITORHEALTH MONITORHEALTH MONITOR

If you are what you eat, it followsthat you want to stick to a healthydiet that’s well balanced. “You

want to eat a variety of foods,” saysStephen Bickston, MD, AGAF,professor of internal medicine anddirector of the Inflammatory BowelDisease Center at VirginiaCommonwealth University HealthCenter in Richmond. “You don’t wantto be overly restrictive of any onefood group or eat too much ofanother.”

Healthy Diet: The Building Blocks

The best source of meal planning formost Americans is the U.S.Department of Agriculture (USDA)and U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services Food Pyramid. Thepyramid, updated in 2005, suggeststhat for a healthy diet each day youshould eat:

In order to keep yourself in the best shapepossible, it's essential to eat a healthy diet.

Find out exactly what you shouldbe eating on a regular basis.

How to eatHow to eatHow to eatHow to eatHow to eataaaaa healthyhealthyhealthyhealthyhealthy

dietdietdietdietdiet


Calcium is an important,much needed mineral forthe body, and for those who

are lactose intolerant it is foundnaturally in a wide variety of foodsand beverages.AlmondsFull of nutrition, they have loads ofnutrients per calorie. Apart fromcalcium, they also containpotassium, vitamin E, and iron.Sprinkle on a salad, or make analmond milkshake.

Beans

Light and healthy, legumes whetherblack beans are a great source ofcalcium and iron. Add them to pastawith veggies, or make hummus withbeans for a varied taste.

Dried Figs

Dried figs are great fruit packs thatserve as a sweet snack. Rich inantioxidants, fibre, and calcium punchyou can eat them as a mid-day snack,or make them into delicious dried fruitsjam.

Oranges

Full of vitamin C and calcium, enjoythis fruit as a mid-morning snack. Itscitrus flavor can also brighten up anydish so go ahead indulge.

Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds can help lower bloodpressure, reduce inflammation, andmay even fight certain cancers. Usethem as a nutty crunch in a salad, oradd to vegetable preparations.

5 vegetarian dairy-free sources of calcium


41

Active teenage girls and women can consume about 2,200calories a day without gaining weight. Teenage boys and

men who are very active should consume about 3,000calories a day to maintain their weight.


Being 'lean and unfit' betterthan 'fat and fit'

Challenging the conventionalwisdom, a team of researchershas busted the myth that you

can be "fat but fit."

In contrast, the results from the newstudy suggest that the protectiveeffects of high fitness against earlydeath are reduced in obese people.

This study byacademics inSwedenfollowed1,317,713 menfor a medianaverage of 29years to examinethe associationbetween aerobicfitness and death later in life, as well ashow obesity affected these results.

The subjects' aerobic fitness wastested by asking them to cycle untilthey had to stop due to fatigue.

Men in the highest fifth of aerobicfitness had a 48 per cent lower risk ofdeath from any cause compared with

those in the lowest fifth. Strongerassociations were observed for deathsrelated to suicide and abuse of alcoholand narcotics. Unexpectedly, theauthors noted a strong associationbetween low aerobic fitness and alsodeaths related to trauma.

Co-author Peter Nordstrom has noexplanation forthis finding: "Wecould onlyspeculate, butgenetic factorscould haveinfluenced theseassociationsgiven that aerobicfitness is understrong genetic

control."

With the limitation that the studycohort included only men, and relativeearly deaths, this data does notsupport the notion that 'fat but fit' is abenign condition. The study appearsin the International Journal ofEpidemiology.

♦ 6 to 8 servings of grains. Theseinclude bread, cereal, rice, and pasta,and at least 3 servings should be fromwhole grains. A serving of bread is oneslice while a serving of cereal is 1/2(cooked) to 1 cup (ready-to-eat). Aserving of rice or pasta is 1/2 cupcooked (1 ounce dry). Save fat-ladenbaked goods such as croissants,muffins, and donuts for an occasionaltreat.

♦ 2 to 4 servings of fruits and 4 to 6servings of vegetables. Most fruitsand vegetables are naturally low in fat,making them a great addition to yourhealthy diet. Fruits and vegetablesalso provide the fiber, vitamins, andminerals you need for your body’ssystems to function at peakperformance. Fruits and vegetablesalso will add flavor to a healthy diet.It's best to serve them fresh, steamed,or cut up in salads. Be sure to skip thecalorie-laden toppings, butter, andmayonnaise, except on occasion. Aserving of raw or cooked vegetables isequal to 1/2 cup (1 cup for leafygreens); a serving of a fruit is 1/2 cupor a fresh fruit the size of a tennis ball.

♦ 2 to 3 servings of milk, yogurt, andcheese. Choose dairy products wisely.Go for fat-free or reduced-fat milk orcheeses. Substitute yogurt or sourcream in many recipes and no one willnotice the difference. A serving ofdairy is equal to 1 cup of milk or yogurtor 1.5 to 2 ounces of cheese.

♦ 2 to 3 servings of meat, poultry,fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts.For ahealthy diet, the best ways to preparebeef, pork, veal, lamb, poultry, and fishis to bake or broil them. Look for thewords “loin” or “round” in cuts ofmeats because they're the leanest.Remove all visible fat or skin beforecooking, and season with herbs,spices, and fat-free marinades. Aserving of meat, fish, or poultry is 2 to

3 ounces. Some crossover foods suchas dried beans, lentils, and peanutbutter can provide protein without theanimal fat and cholesterol you get frommeats. A ¼ cup cooked beans or 1tablespoon of peanut butter is equal to1 ounce of lean meat.

♦ Use fats, oils, and sweetssparingly. No diet should totallyeliminate any one food group, evenfats, oils, and sweets. It’s fine toinclude them in your diet as long as it’son occasion and in moderation,Bickston says.


42

Fish oil may burn fat faster thanthose fat-burning pills leadingto an efficient weight loss in

overweight or obese people in their30s and 40s, Kyoto Universityresearchers report. Fish oil activatesreceptors in the digestive tract, firesthe sympathetic nervous system andinduces storage cells to metabolise fat.

Fat tissues do not all store fat. Socalled "white" cells store fat in orderto maintain energy supply while"brown" cells metabolise fat tomaintain a stable body temperature.

Brown cells are abundant in babiesbut decrease in number with maturityinto adulthood.

A third type of fat cell - "beige" cells -have recently been found in humansand mice, and have shown to functionmuch like brown cells.

Beige cells also reduce in number aspeople approach middle age andwithout these metabolising cells, fatcontinues accumulating for decadeswithout ever being used.

"We knew from previous research thatfish oil has tremendous health

benefits, including the prevention offat accumulation. We tested whetherfish oil and an increase in beige cellscould be related," said senior authorTeruo Kawada.

The team fed a group of mice fattyfood, and other groups fatty foodwith fish oil additives.

The mice that ate food with fish oil,they found, gained five-10 percentless weight and 15-25 percent less fatcompared to those that did notconsume the oil.

The team also found that beige cellsformed from white fat cells when thesympathetic nervous system wasactivated, meaning that certain fatstorage cells acquired the ability tometabolise.

"People have long said that food fromJapan and the Mediterraneancontribute to longevity, but whythese cuisines are beneficial was upfor debate. Now we have betterinsight into why that may be,"explained Kawada in a paper whichappeared in the journal ScientificReports.


While brushing teethregularly is good enough,the secret to healthy teeth

might also lie in certain foods thathelp prevent cavities and toothdecay. Include these food in yourdiet for fresh breath and healthyteeth.

Green leafy vegetables

Vegetarian-friendly sources forminerals like broccoli, bok choy, kale,okra, collards, and other dark, leafyveggies are excellent animal-freeways to get vitamins and minerals inyour diet.

Non-vegetarian products

Loaded with phosphorus, anotherimportant mineral that protects toothenamel, meat, fish and tofu areparticularly good sources of thisessential mineral.

Cheese and Yoghurt

These can protect tooth enamel andeven help replace minerals in teeth sohave low-fat cheese and plain non-fatyoghurt as options. Cheese containscasein, a protein found in milkproducts that can shore up enamel.

Milk and Eggs

excellent sources of calcium andvitamin , dairy products like milk andegg yolks strengthen teeth. If you arenot into milk you can try non-dairyalternatives.

Crunchy vegetables and fruits

Just like the rest of your body, teethrequire a little work every now andthen to stay sharp. Crunchy, firmfoods like carrot, apple and celerycontain lots of water and require lotsof chewing which is good for oralhealth as they stimulate the flow ofsaliva and scrub tooth surfaces. Thisbrightens the pearly whites, whilesaliva contains enzymes that buffersthe acids present in food and cleansbits of food from all corners of themouth.

Have fish oil to burn thosekilos around your belly

Eat these foodsfor healthy teeth

Healthy Diet: Eat Right and theRight Amount

How many calories you need in aday depends on your sex, age,body type, and how active you are.Generally, active children ages 2 to8 need between 1,400 and 2,000calories a day. Active teenage girlsand women can consume about2,200 calories a day without gainingweight. Teenage boys and men whoare very active should consumeabout 3,000 calories a day tomaintain their weight. If you're notactive, you calorie needs drop by400 to 600 calories a day.

The best way to know how much toeat is to listen to your body, saysDonald Novey, MD, an integrativemedicine physician with the

Advocate Medical Group in ParkRidge, Ill. “Pull away from the tablewhen you’re comfortable but notyet full. Wait about 20 minutes,” hesays. “Usually your body says,‘That’s good.’ If you’re still hungryafter that, you might want to eat alittle more.”

Healthy Diet: Exercise Is Part ofthe Plan

At the bottom of the new USDAfood pyramid is a space forexercise. Exercise is an importantcomponent of a well-balanced dietand good nutrition. You can reap"fabulous rewards," says DrNovey, just by exercising andeating “a healthy diet of foods thatnature provides.”

4343

INFOTECHINFOTECHINFOTECHINFOTECHINFOTECH

Startup founders becomenew-age India Inc gurus

Vijay Shekhar Sharma is indemand these days. Thefounder of Paytm, an electronic

payments firm-cum-internet retailer andone of India's startup poster boys,besides fielding calls from investorsand pesky journalists keen to find outhis next deal or fund raising findshimself having to handle a differentkind of request these days: Invitationsfrom companies to speak at their seniormanagement gatherings.

Around the Diwali time, he was invitedto the headquarters of an Internetgiant in California to interact with itsleadership team. He also recentlyvisited a fast moving consumer goodsgiant in India to share insights on hisbusiness with their CXOs. "Companieswant to understand the startups spaceand how it is changing the way

business is done," said Sharma, who,besides running his own company,also invests in other startups to gaininsights into new disruptivetechnologies and along the way, withluck, also make money. And Sharma isnot alone in being courted this way.Some two weeks ago Paavan Nandaand Tarun Tiwari, the 20 something co-founders of Zostel, a budgetbackpackers' hostel chain, were invitedto speak at a training summitconducted for leaders at Indian OilCorp. on innovation andentrepreneurship. Likewise, whenSarovar Hotels and Resorts wasthinking of who to invite as a guestspeaker for its annual general managerand sales meeting last September, itturned to Ritesh Agarwal, the 22-year-old founder of hotel rooms aggregator

Oyo Rooms. Older, establishedcompanies, long used to invitingcorporate grandees, managementgurus and other assortedinspirational figures to speak atcorporate gatherings or leadershipmeet-ups, are increasingly turning tothese spunky entrepreneurs to learnabout change, pace, disruption,scaling up and surviving in a fastchanging business landscape. Anenvironment in which internet-powered businesses are cutting aswathe of destruction throughtraditional so-called 'old economy'businesses, forcing them to sit up,take notice, adapt or risk beingdevoured.

From a business sociology point, thistrend is akin to men turning to boysto learn a trick or two from them, a

reversal of the earlier paradigm whenyoung entrepreneurs often soughtthe counsel of industry veterans. Atthe ONGC meeting, Zostel's Nandasays he found himself being quizzedon tips to transform the workplace."We spoke about how to the mindsetcan be made more entrepreneurial,"said the 28-year-old, adding that healso shared tips on infusing moreenergy at the workplace and buildinga fast paced startup-like culture atanother company. Nanda was alsoinvited by HR consulting firms HayGroup and Mercer this year to talkabout 'smooth organization building'and how startups have affectedcompensation and benefit practicesin India. Companies inviting startupfounders feel they bring freshperspectives and ideas.

Apple cutsprices of iPhone6s and 6s Plus

Apple cut prices of its latestiPhone 6s and iPhone 6sPlus by up to 16% just two

months after their launch in India toboost flagging sales in what ishistorically its most crucial quarter asdemand for the flagship devicesnosedived from a Diwali high. Theprice of the iPhone 6s 16 GB model,which was introduced at Rs 62,000 onOctober 16, has fallen by 11-16% andnow ranges between Rs 52,000 andRs 55,000, according to four largeretailers. The price cuts are across allvariants - 16 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB -

of both models. The averagedifference in prices of all iPhone 6sand 6s Plus devices between launchtime and now is about 15 per cent.The reduction also narrows the gapwith prices of iPhone 6 deviceslaunched in 2014, making an upgrademore attractive for customers. "Theprice difference between the iPhone 6and iPhone 6s was a lot, so manycustomers are not willing to upgradeto the new model," said a seniorexecutive of a national retailer. This isthe first time that the price of anApple flagship has been broughtdown within two months of launch,underlining concerns around theinitial pricing, said Tarun Pathak,senior analyst at CounterpointTechnology Market Research. Appledeclined to comment on the matter.Apple had introduced the iPhone 6sand 6s Plus at Rs 62,000-Rs 92,000,about Rs 8,000-Rs 9,500 more thanlaunch prices of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.


44


Boom of reselling websites

Delhi-based designer OnikaOberoi had set her heart on aparticular Gucci bag only to

realize, after spending a few minuteson Google, that it had beendiscontinued - but to her joy, shediscovered a way to lay her handson it. A second hand luxury websitewas selling a used one at half theprice. Selling old clothes to fund newpurchases or buying little-useddesigner wear are no longer donefurtively. Re-commerce sites,which sell pre-owned luxury andhigh-street apparel, footwear andaccessories, are slowly catchingon among fashionists who wantthe best brands without burninga hole in their pockets. As thedesire to flaunt that Chanel orBurberry is curing Indians oftheir queasiness about wearingcast-offs, more than a dozenstartups are tailoring businessesto suit a growing clientele.

Indian reselling sites and apps suchas Confidential Couture, Elanic,Spoyl, Envoged, Zapyle andRefashion have drawn inspirationfrom international luxury second-hand marketplaces like Rebagg,Poshmark and Tradesy, and arechallenging regular e-tailers such asMyntra, Flipkart, Amazon andJabong. "The market is as large as $2billion a year and we have seen asurge in the user base as well astransaction rate," says Aditi Rohan,co-founder of Elanic, an app-basedplatform to re-sell "gently-worn"apparel, which was started thisSeptember. She says they have30,000 users and get about 300 to 400listings of items a day.

Elanic received seed funding fromRebright Partners, Traxcn Labs andangel investor Aneesh Reddy. "Weare looking at extending our productline-up from just fashion toaccessories for women and productsfor men," said Rohan, who is aimingto clock 2,000 listings a day by nextmonth. It's a fairly simple system: Aseller posts clothes or shoes thatshe no longer wants online, the re-seller picks up the products, checks,

cleans, re-packs and prices the items- often at as little as 50% of theoriginal cost (imagine a Burberrywith a boutique price of Rs 85,000going for under Rs 20,000) and putsit up for sale, where a buyer cannegotiate further on the price. Thesite gets a commission of 15% to20% on every transaction.

The challenge, though, is ensuringauthenticity, quality and cleanliness,and making sure the clothes look asgood as new. "Ensuring authenticityand quality is a big driver to sustaingrowth in the long term for us. Wehave 1 lakh registered users withaverage transaction size of Rs 5,000to Rs 6,000, but logistics is achallenge as we have to pick up

products from sellers, make sure theyare in good shape and ensure smoothdelivery," says IIT Kharagpuralumnus Anandita Singh, co-founderof Envoged, which sells pre-ownedluxury fashion.

To the surprise of most founders, asignificant number of sellers andbuyers are from tier II and tier IIItowns, which is why many of themare planning to expand operations to

cities like Ahmedabad, Ludhianaand Chandigarh. Theentrepreneurs, however, agreethat the current user base isinclined towards sellers. "There ismore supply than demand atpresent but that will change overtime," says Singh. Some sellersare creating a whole range ofproducts online and waiting forbuyers. Shubha V, 24, an ITprofessional in Bengaluru, forinstance, has created a closet of44 clothes on Elanic, and sold

eight. She saw an ad on Facebook,downloaded the app and posted aphotograph of a top she wanted toget rid of. Within 24 hours, it wasapproved by Elanic's fashion expertand her potential customersresponded with questions. Shubhahas since sold several other pieces ofclothing at a 30-40% discount on theMRP. Though she's made money offclothes sitting unused in her closet,Shubha says she's not likely to buypre-owned clothes. "So many e-commerce platforms are sellingbranded clothes at discounts, so Idon't see why I should buy pre-owned products. I guess somepeople don't have apprehensionsabout buying used clothes but I do."

Re-commerce sites, which sell pre-owned luxury and high-streetapparel, footwear and accessories, are slowly catching on

among fashionists who want the best brandswithout burning a hole in their pockets.



45

Facebook's free basicsTrai submission runs into

hot water

Various Facebook usersreported that they had been"signed up" as supporters of

Facebook's Free Basics serviceagainst their will. Multiple usersreported being automatically signedup when they scrolled down the pageusing which one can send a templateemail to the Telecom RegulatoryAuthority of India (Trai) in supportof Free Basics, a Facebookprogramme that provides certaininternet services for free. Even as astrong verbal volley ensued,

Facebook issued a formal statementsaying no one was being signed upagainst their will.

In an official statement reacting tothese user reports, Facebook said:"Any claim that people are beingauto-enrolled to support Free Basicsonly by scrolling, hovering over thesend button or by only clicking thenotification is 100% false. A usermust proactively click the sendbutton to send an email. This isproven in the source code of theproduct, which we will happilyprovide to Trai. We support the rightof critics to disagree. We don't

support critics deliberately misleadingthe public, regulators and the media.For many months, some critics havemischaracterized the programme, ourintentions, and perhaps most sadly,ignored the needs of theunconnected. Free Basics is open toall developers and operators. Thedata proves it serves as a bridge tothe full internet in India and 29 othercountries. And the programme ishelping people find jobs, increaseknowledge and improve lives." Theletter to Trai in support of Free Basics

says, "I support digital equality forIndia. Free Basics provides freeaccess to essential Internet services,such as communication, education,healthcare, employment, farminginformation and more. It helps thosewho can't afford to pay for data, orwho need a little help with gettingstarted online. And it's open to allpeople, developers and mobilenetworks. With 1 billion Indian peoplenot yet connected, shutting downFree Basics would hurt our country'smost vulnerable people. I supportFree Basics and digital equality forIndia. Thank you."

Attrition at top levelhurting e-commercecompanies in India

The latest big problem staring atIndia's top internet companiesis attrition, especially in their

senior ranks.

Flipkart, Zomato and Ola, which havebeen aggressively recruiting toptalent with the millions of dollars theyhave raised, are grappling with anexodus of management-levelexecutives.

Consumer internet companies in India"are growing so rapidly that theyhaven't built the fundamental conceptof retaining people, especially at thetop-level," said Sunit Mehra,managing partner at Hunt PartnersIndia, an executive recruitmentcompany.

At Flipkart, Srivals Kumar recentlyresigned as general counsel and headlegal, the latest in a series of top-levelexits at India's largest e-commercecompany this year.

While Flipkart was quick to replacehim with Rajinder Sharma, formerdirector and general counsel -- Southand West Asia, at Samsung, Kumar'sdecision to quit Flipkart comes amidan organisational restructuring. Atleast four other senior executiveshave quit Flipkart this year, includingMekin Maheshwari as chief peopleofficer; Ravi Vora as chief executive ofstrategic brands group; AmodMalviya as chief technology officer;and Sameer Nigam as engineeringhead. But Flipkart, which is valued atover $15 billion, has also been hiring anumber of high-profile seniorexecutives, such as former Googleexecutive Punit Soni whom itappointed as its chief product officer.

At Zomato, which has raised $225million from a slew of investors, DurgaRaghunath recently resigned assenior vice president-growth after asix-month stint to found an onlinepublishing company, joining a list ofsenior executives who have quit theventure this year.


INNOINNOINNOINNOINNOVVVVVAAAAATIONSTIONSTIONSTIONSTIONS

46

Patients with Metastatic Cancer can continue to work

A new analysis indicates thatmany patients continueworking after being

diagnosed with metastaticcancer, but a heavyburden of symptoms mayprevent them from doingso. Published early onlinein CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of theAmerican Cancer Society,the study illustrates theneed to treat difficultsymptoms so thatpatients can maintaintheir employment.

Improved treatments havehelped to prolong thelives of patients withmetastatic cancer.Because individualsdiagnosed with metastaticcancer may wish tocontinue to work,understanding how theirillness affects theiremployment may helppatients makeadjustments.

A team led by Amye Tevaarwerk,MD, of the University of Wisconsin-

Madison, analyzed the EasternCooperative Oncology Group's"Symptom Outcomes and Practice

Patterns (SOAPP)" study toinvestigate which factors are

associated with employmentchanges among patients withmetastatic cancer. Among the 668

patients in the analysis, 236(35 percent) worked full- orpart-time while 302 (45percent) stopped workingdue to illness. Overall, 58percent reported somechange in employment dueto illness.

After comparing patientswho were stably workingwith patients who were nolonger working, theresearchers found that oneof the most significantfactors associated with nolonger working was a highburden of symptoms.

Better performance statusand non-Hispanic Whiteethnicity/race wereassociated with continuingto work despite a metastaticcancer diagnosis.Surprisingly, the type ofcancer treatment, type ofcancer, and time since

diagnosis did not seem to affectemployment.

Solution for overeating and depressionSolution for overeating and depressionSolution for overeating and depressionSolution for overeating and depressionSolution for overeating and depression

Chronic overeating and stressare tied to an increased risk ofdepression and anxiety, and in

a new study, Yale researchers explainwhy that happens and suggest apossible solution.

The researchers report that theanesthetic ketamine reversesdepression-like symptoms in rats fed ahigh-fat diet in a similar way it combatsdepression and synaptic damage ofchronic stress in people.

Scientists at Yale have shown thatketamine, also known as "Special K"and abused as a recreational drug, canquickly and dramatically reducesymptoms of chronic depression inpatients who are resistant to typical

antidepressant agents. Subsequentresearch showed that ketamineactivates the mTORC pathway, whichregulates the synthesis of proteins

involved in creation of synapticconnections in the brain that aredamaged by stress and depression.The pathway is also involved in

cellular responses to energy andmetabolism, and people with metabolicdisorders like Type 2 diabetes are alsoat higher risk of depression. A Yaleteam headed by lead author SophieDutheil in Duman's lab decided toexplore whether diet might influencebehavior of rats fed six times thenormal amount of fat. They found thatafter four months of the diet, pathwaysinvolved with both synaptic plasticityand metabolism were disrupted, andthe rats exhibited signs of depressionand anxiety.

They also found that a single low doseof ketamine reversed those symptomsquickly, and reversed the disruption ofmTORC signaling pathways.


INNOINNOINNOINNOINNOVVVVVAAAAATIONSTIONSTIONSTIONSTIONS

47

Individual interventions canboost students' grades

Interventions targeted at individualstudents can improve theclassroom environment and trigger

a second wave of benefits for allclassmates, new research shows. Thefindings, published in PsychologicalScience, a journal of the Associationfor Psychological Science, indicatethat sharing a classroom with greaternumbers of students who participate ina brief intervention can boost allstudents' grades over and above theinitial benefits of the intervention.

Brain differences incompulsive video

game players

Brain scans from nearly 200adolescent boys provideevidence that the brains of

compulsive video game players arewired differently. Chronic videogame play is associated with hyperconnectivity between several pairsof brain networks. Some of thechanges are predicted to help gameplayers respond to new information.Other changes are associated withdistractibility and poor impulsecontrol. The research, acollaboration between theUniversity of Utah School ofMedicine, and Chung-AngUniversity in South Korea, waspublished online in AddictionBiology. "Most of the differenceswe see could be considered

beneficial. However the goodchanges could be inseparable fromproblems that come with them,"says senior author JeffreyAnderson, M.D., Ph.D., associateprofessor of Neuroradiology at theUniversity of Utah School ofMedicine.

Those with Internet gaming disorderare obsessed with video games,often to the extent that they give upeating and sleeping to play. Thisstudy reports that in adolescentboys with the disorder, certain brainnetworks that process vision orhearing are more likely to haveenhanced coordination to the so-called salience network. The job ofthe salience network is to focusattention on important events,poising that person to take action.

Compassion leads to more help, less punishment

A new set of studies suggests that compassion - and intentionally cultivating it

through training - may lead us to domore to help the wronged than topunish the wrongdoer. Researchersfound compassion may also impact theextent to which people punish thetransgressor.

Understanding what motivates peopleto be altruistic can not only inform ourown behaviors, it may also play a rolein creating morejust societalinstitutions,including thelegal and penalsystems. It canalso helpresearchersdevelop betterinterventions tocultivatecompassion."Any action -helping or punishing - can arise fromcompassion, which involves at leasttwo components: a 'feeling' componentof empathic concern and caring for thesuffering of another; and a cognitive,motivational component of wanting toalleviate that suffering," says leadresearcher Helen Weng. "It may seemcounterintuitive that punishmentbehavior can arise from compassion,

but if the goal is to alleviate sufferingof others, this may include providingnegative feedback to the wrongdoer sothat they change their behavior in thefuture."

These findings build upon previouswork by Weng and others, whichdemonstrates that as little as twoweeks of compassion training canresult in measurable changes in thebrain. In one study examining 260people who had no training in

compassion,the teamexploredwhether highself-reportedempathicconcern - thefeelingcomponent ofcompassionwhere onereports caringfor those who

are suffering - was associated withhelping victims, punishingtransgressors, or both. "People withhigher empathic concern were morelikely to help the victim than punishthe transgressor," Weng says. "But,interestingly, within the group ofpeople who decided to punish thetransgressor, those with more empathicconcern decided to punish less."

"Our results suggest that the wholeeffect of an intervention is more thanthe sum of its individual effects,"explains psychological scientistJoseph Powers of Stanford University,lead author on the study. "As a field,we've often focused on understandingand changing individual psychologicalprocesses, but these findings showthat changing individual psychologycan trigger important second-ordereffects with measurable benefits foreveryone in the environment."


CREACREACREACREACREATIVITY TIVITY TIVITY TIVITY TIVITY AAAAAT T T T T WWWWWORKORKORKORKORK

48

Great entrepreneurs arecreative thinkers

Creative business builders are constantly thinking of novelways to propel their business forward

Highly creative entrepreneurs are rule breakers whodon’t like to conform to norms and traditions of theindustry.

Highly successful entrepreneurs can creatively lookbeyond the present and imagine possible futuresfor their company. If you are a Creative Thinker, youare driven to steer your business in new directions.

Whether introducing new products and services,entering untapped markets, or initiatinginnovative technologies or production processes,you are constantly thinking of novel ways topropel your business forward. Comfortable withthe unknown and the unfamiliar, you always lookfor new ways to combine and recombine

resources to create innovative solutions foryour customers. Your creative action helps

you renew your business’ valueproposition and differentiate it fromyour competitors’. It also enablesyou to disrupt markets byintroducing new and unexpectedproducts or by developing novelmethods of doing business.



49

Creative Thinkers are alert to changes in the externalbusiness environment – new technologies, shifts incustomer needs, industry trends, or competitor

actions. You constantly evaluate new possibilities, reviseyour expectations of the imagined future, and formulate freshaction plans to achieve your goals. This endless cycle of newinformation, new opportunities, and new action plans helpsyou start ventures or grow existing ones.

As a creative thinker, you are quick to act. You seizeopportunities and are usually the first mover in the market.Your unique ability to take an idea and quickly transform itinto a business that generates revenue helps you stay aheadof the competition. And your proactivity garners yourbusiness high profits, allowing you to establish your brandand capture market share ahead of others in the industry.

Highly creative entrepreneurs are rule breakers who don’t liketo conform to norms andtraditions of the industry.You refuse to be boggeddown by established

Jeff BezosFounder and CEO of Amazon.com

“If you double the number of experiments you doper year, you’re going to double yourinventiveness. The thing about inventing is youhave to be both stubborn and flexible, more or lesssimultaneously. If you’re not stubborn, you’ll giveup on experiments too soon. And if you’re notflexible, you’ll pound your head against the walland you won’t see a different solution to a problemyou’re trying to solve.”

Marissa MayerPresident and CEO of Yahoo and former vice

president of search products at Google

“The ‘Googly’ thing is to launch it [a product] earlyon Google Labs and then iterate, learning what themarket wants – and making it great. The beauty ofexperimenting in this way is that you never get toofar from what the market wants. The market pullsyou back.”

James DysonFounder of Dyson

“We are all looking for the magic formula. Well, hereyou go: Creativity + Iterative Development =Innovation.”

As a creative thinker, you are quickto act. You seize opportunities andare usually the first mover in the

market. Your unique ability to takean idea and quickly transform itinto a business that generates

revenue helps you stay ahead ofthe competition.



50

1. Balance current and futurecustomer needs. It is easy to be tieddown with day-to-day businessmanagement and focused ondelivering what your customersexpect from you. Set aside time todisconnect from the present, andfeed your creativity to imagine yourcustomers’ future needs. This willhelp you dream and plan for thefuture and maintain your competitiveadvantage.

2. Use measurement to evaluate yourideas. When weighing which idea toimplement, ask yourself, “How canwe measure this?” Pick ideas apart toidentify issues that could crop upduring implementation. If the resultsshow that a project isn’t viable, thenmodify or abandon the idea andmove on to the next one.

3. Minimize potential pitfalls byreleasing your new product orservice incrementally. Implementingnew ideas is risky. Iteration is key.Launch the prototype, gatherfeedback from customers, makenecessary changes, and test again.Using this low-cost approach, youcan turn your novel and creative

ideas into products or services withoutmuch potential downside.

4. Maintain a simple organizationalstructure. Fewer layers of hierarchywill enable easier information flowbetween you and your team. A simpleorganizational structure will alsoincrease employee involvement inimplementing ideas, encourageemployees’ creativity, and lead toquicker execution and understandingof new ideas.

5. Balance efficiency with creativity.Process management techniques, suchas total quality management or SixSigma, which can increase your

Maximizing your creative thinker talentgrowing company’s efficiency andproductivity, are also likely todecrease your ability to innovate.Don’t let efficiency-enhancingpractices act as barriers to exploringnew ideas. Nurture your naturalcreativity. Continue to invest in newideas as you increase operationalefficiency.

6. Mobilize resources to fuel yourinnovation process. You need twothings for successful innovation:diverse experiences that spark yourcreativity and resources to drive theinnovation process. Tap in to yourexisting network or build newalliances internally and externally tostimulate your creativity and accessshared resources.

7. Learn from your failures. Whencarefully planned new initiatives fail,the potential to learn from them isimmense. Don’t let this learningopportunity go to waste. Conduct apost-mortem, make sense of whathappened, and add what you havelearned to your knowledge base.Fostering intelligent failures will helpyou learn what not to do as youdream about the future.

practices, bureaucratic structures, orarcane business processes. You like towork autonomously, outside theestablished organizational practices,where you can think and create freely.You constantly push the boundaries,always experimenting with new ideasto sort the good from the bad. It is thisability to experiment, usually in theface of acute uncertainty, that givesyou the potential to generateinnovative paths to profits.

A word of caution: While highlycreative entrepreneurs areindependent spirits who like to workautonomously, implementing ideas

requires working with a team. Lack ofcommunication with your team or toomuch separation from ongoingoperations can hurt the developmentand integration of new products orservices into an existing business.Make sure to communicate your ideasand strategies to your team. Sharingwill increase the likelihood oflaunching a successful product orservice.

In addition, you may fall prey to“incumbent inertia” as you achievesuccess and grow. Don’t becomecomplacent with growth. Maintain theorganizational flexibility that allowed

you to explore your creativeimagination in the first place.Continue to pay attention to changingcustomer needs, evolvingtechnologies, and the shiftingbusiness environment. Remember, thisendless stream of new informationand knowledge will fuel yourcreativity. Be careful not to rush tolaunch new initiatives. Your creativetendency might cause you toexperiment and launch multipleinitiatives at the same time. Thisperceived lack of focus may hamperyour chances of success. Don’t losesight of your core business.

Make sure to communicate your ideas and strategies toyour team. Sharing will increase the likelihood of

launching a successful product or service.



51

The 10 talents of successfulentrepreneurs

Every entrepreneur uses somemix of these 10 talents to startor grow a business:

1. Business Focus: You makedecisions based on observed oranticipated effect on profit.

2. Confidence: You accurately knowyourself and understand others.

3. Creative Thinker: You exhibitcreativity in taking an existing ideaor product and turning it intosomething better.

4. Delegator: You recognize that youcannot do everything and are willingto contemplate a shift in style andcontrol.

5. Determination: You perseverethrough difficult, even seeminglyinsurmountable, obstacles.

6. Independent: You are prepared todo whatever needs to be done to builda successful venture.

7. Knowledge-Seeker: You constantlysearch for information that is relevantto growing your business.

8. Promoter: You are the bestspokesperson for the business.

9. Relationship-Builder: You havehigh social awareness and an ability tobuild relationships that are beneficialfor the firm’s survival and growth.

10. Risk-Taker: You instinctivelyknow how to manage high-risksituations.

These 10 talents don’t address everyfactor that affects business success.Non-personality variables such asskills, knowledge, and experiencealong with a host of external factorsplay a role in determining businesssuccess and must be taken intoconsideration when theorizing onbusiness creation and success. Butthese 10 talents explain a large part ofentrepreneurial success and cannotand should not be ignored.Understanding and acknowledgingyour inherent talents gives you thebest chance at success.

Source: Entrepreneurial StrengthsFinder


GUEST COLUMNGUEST COLUMNGUEST COLUMNGUEST COLUMNGUEST COLUMN

52

K. L. Mohana Varma

Mummy, please doMummy, please doMummy, please doMummy, please doMummy, please domy home workmy home workmy home workmy home workmy home work

Most teachers do notknow the goals that

parents have for theirchildren. Most

parents do not knowmuch about the

educational programsin their children’s

school or whatteachers require of

them.

In the widely acclaimed popularMalayalam film MONKEY PEN, thetheme revolves around a group of

innocent naughty ten year old schoolboys searching for a solution to theirmain problem in life, the mathematicshome work. Funny situations arecreated and very innovative ideascome out. They call God for help andeven think of the possibility ofmarriage with the most intelligent girlin their class who can do theirhomework. In the film, one boy’spredicament was automatically solved.His mother was so afraid of hearing thealmost regular complaint of the classteacher that she started doing all thehomework of her son promptly andeveryone was happy.

In my childhood days, seventy yearsback, I well remember the threealmirahs full of books in the mainoffice-cum-sitting room of our house.Two had an array of thick and largebrown leather covered impressive lawbooks neatly arranged where I alwaystried to look at the years printed ingolden letters. I was happy. I have notseen my father meddling much withthese books exceptwhen there werehis clientsaround.These

almirahs were locked and keys werekept on top of them. He need not haveworried. I would never care to openthem even for curiosity. But the thirdalmirah was different. It also had a key,but it was never locked. It had fiveshelves, all full of books in Malayalamand English on a variety of subjects,fiction, poetry, dramas, religion, essaysand what not.

My father never suggested any booksto me to read. He read a lot and wrotein his spare time. I started on my own,selecting and reading in my ownpreference, from detective novels topoems to biographies and first fromMalayalam then gradually to English.The books had very little connectionto my curriculum in the school and wehad very little, almost no homework inthose days. My teacher away from theschool was the almirah with its

collection of books,the books

selected,



53

now I feel, by my father carefully aspart of my development as aneducated individual. The school gavebasics on general and selectedsubjects and my home gave inputs formy personality development. Theywere complimentary and notinterfering in each other’s sphere.

The basic character building inputs,dos and don’ts, dress, manners, foodhabits, behavior patterns, I learnt frommy parents directly or from watchingthem. There was no compulsion orstrict norms I had to follow and veryrarely they advised. It was the realeducation. In school it was acquiringknowledge, most of them quiteirrelevant and never used in life. Ofcourse, it gave a wide choice forspecialization in any field of activity Iwanted to pursue as a vocation in life.A degree from the University gave astature and comparatively safer futureirrespective of whether I liked the

My father neversuggested anybooks to me to

read. He read a lotand wrote in his

spare time. I startedon my own,

selecting andreading in my ownpreference, from

detective novels topoems to

biographies andfirst from

Malayalam thengradually to

English.

subject or I got more happiness indoing it or I had talent for it. I gotabundance of knowledge from thesubjects I studied in the school andcollege. Science, mathematics,commerce, economics, management,law and what not. I was very good inperforming well in examinations andgot high marks. But I didn’t like any ofthese subjects. I liked to play, dreamand tell stories. But I could not engagemyself in these during my formativeschool-college days. Much later, at theage of thirty, I found what I am, andthen I realized that the school rathercurbed my natural instinct for originalresearch, deep thinking, anddevelopment of qualities of courage,perseverance, bravery andfearlessness.

But the degrees gave me a good job,safer life and almost an animalcontentment. I was fortunate that theeducation I got from my home surfaced

and gave me strength to find what Iam, and sieve all the knowledge Igathered from my school/college daysto become useful in my life.

We, Indians had a naturaldisadvantage from earlier times inrespect of education. Our society wasa clearly segmented one based oncaste system with Brahmins in totalcontrol of knowledge and wisdominputs and the others were permittedto learn and master only the basicsrequired for mastering the kulathozhil,pre-ordained caste job one is expectedto do when he becomes a major. AKshatriya of the warrior class orVaishya of the traders class or theShudra of the worker class and theirsub-castes had no access to thesacred wisdom or philosophy orscientific thoughts which we nowproudly present as our culturalsuperiority when comparing with othercivilizations.



54

Even in our famous old universities,like Nalanda or Taxila, non- Brahminstudents were an exception and mostof such rare cases had convertedthemselves to Buddhism. Whatevereducation the vast majority of Indiansgot was, not from schools which wereout of bound to them, but from theirparents, who were well versed in thetrade or job they were doing forgenerations and in which they wereexperts.

The education through schoolingwhere every child from all strata ofsociety became common only after theeducational system was revamped bythe British and English took over fromSanskrit, the primary medium of eliteeducation. The present system ishardly 150 years old, a very smallperiod in the history of a nation.

Education in English was easilyaccepted by Indians, not onlybecause it was the language of therulers, but also because of the verywide knowledge base and richtreasures of western thoughts andliterature it provided. Of course it puta severe strain upon the Indianstudents’ nervous energy and has

made them better imitators thaninnovators. Still the change was

for the better. But theschooling now was

confined to theinstitution

outside the home territory, physicallyand mentally with experts in therespective areas controlling the flow ofwisdom, knowledge and training inpre-determined general pattern. Very

rarely parents had any control orexpertise in the areas of education theirchildren were having. In the latter halfof twentieth century, the suddenarrival of internet changed the entire

thinking in the process ofeducation

through the conventional schoolingsystem that the teachers as well asparents had to face a reality theycouldn’t ignore and parents had totake up an active role in the educationof their children.

Unfortunately, the technologicalinventions appear so fast that eventhe best of teachers find it impossibleto effectively utilize it. The policydecision makers are worse, always afew years behind and making thesystem still more unfriendly to thestudents. The educationists generallydo not agree to this and put the blameon parents who have been made apart of the system in recent times.

The present style of parental controland guidance has no parallel asuccessful example to follow. It isactually causing brains fag, puttingundue strains upon the nerves of ourchildren, making them more ofcrammers and imitators, unfittingmany of them for original work andthought and disabling them forfiltrating their learning to their familyor masses. This is an evil that need asummary remedy.

Now there is a general acceptance tothe thought that parent involvementcan make a difference to the children’seducation. Parent teachersassociations, take home works, staybacks etc., are all very common andaccepted part of the system.

The parent involvement ranges fromencouraging volunteering tofundraising to providing parents withhome based learning activities. The

Whatever educationthe vast majority of

Indians got was,not from schoolswhich were out ofbound to them, butfrom their parents,

who were wellversed in the trade

or job they weredoing for

generations and inwhich they were

experts.



55

The author is a Kochi-based novelist,short story writer and columnist.

school wants the child to achieveshow his best and the parents alsowant the same.

At present, many schools helpfamilies with their parenting skills byproviding information on children’sdevelopmental stages and offeringadvice on learning-friendly homeenvironments. They educate familiesabout their child’s progress andschool services and providingopportunities for parents tocommunicate with the school. Theyoften ask parents to visit their child’sschool or classroom. Home learningis promoted through highexpectations and strategies so thatparents can monitor and help withhomework. Even in decision-making,many schools include families aspartners in school organizations,advisory panels, and similarcommittees. The efforts are partiallysuccessful especially in parentsattending school meetings orfunctions and also fund raisingactivities.

Effective parentinvolvement comes

when a truepartnership existsbetween schools

and families.Creating thatpartnership,

especially aroundacademics, is whatworks for student

achievement.

It is difficult to arrive at a conclusiveopinion on this subject as times andmode of instruments for acquiring skillsin a revolutionary era. Only one factremains. It is a quote from a recentstudy from U S which is applicable topresent India also.

Teachers, parents, and students havelittle understanding of each other’sinterests in children and schools….Most teachers do not know the goalsthat parents have for their children, howparents help them learn, or how parentswould like to be involved. Most parentsdo not know much about theeducational programs in their children’sschool or what teachers require of them.

Effective parent involvement comeswhen a true partnership exists betweenschools and families. Creating thatpartnership, especially aroundacademics, is what works for studentachievement.


CURRENT CURRENT CURRENT CURRENT CURRENT AFFAFFAFFAFFAFFAIRSAIRSAIRSAIRSAIRS

56

“Go, first makethe law”

SC bench lamented “go, first make the law” when pressed bycounsels of Delhi Commission for Women that moved a petition not

to release the convict in the Nirbhaya gang-rape case on social,ethical and psedo-legal grounds.

Adv. Tharakan PKG

Practically, or better technically,the pronouncement of the Benchwas correct – judiciary can go

along written law upto its ends, notbeyond. The court is just the guardianof published laws and is furtherbound, specified and limited within thestatutes. Sound of the law is the voiceof the judiciary.

And so, if beyond the perimeter ofverbatim law, justice lies uncared,judiciary is not to blame, it is not ofany help beyond – the flaw is that ofthe Legislature, not of judiciary.Without sanction of law, what canjudges do? That is what exactly the SCbench lamented “go, first make the

law” when pressed by counsels ofDelhi Commission for Women thatmoved a petition not to release theconvict in the Nirbhaya gang-rapecase on social, ethical and psedo-legal grounds.

“There is no provision in law todetain him anymore and sowherefrom do I draw authority not torelease him” was precisely whatconfronted the Hon Judge. In otherwords, the learned judge was askingDCW and the rest of fuming activistswhy or how do we live with outdatedlaws or rather, why we do not updateour laws to suit changing, growingculture following knowledge

explosion that totally changed us inthe recent past. A bit harsh and theJudge would have asked “you wantme to bend the law or stretch it tosatisfy demands of the public andthereby prompt me to act ultra vires?Give me the law before you ask itsbenefits”.

Quite subtly, the Judge raised hissoliloquy rightly “Go and make thelaw”.

The question here is who has to keepupdating our laws and regulations? Dowe have a system in place to adapt?Didn’t the Judiciary comment the pieceof law in hand is time out to be re-


CURRENT CURRENT CURRENT CURRENT CURRENT AFFAFFAFFAFFAFFAIRSAIRSAIRSAIRSAIRS

57

formed? DCW together with whole lotof Indian conscience is right indemanding justice but they honestlyhad to address the concern with theLegislature, not the Judiciary. Mediasensationalism arouses public furyand opportunist activists maneuverinstant publicity for themselvesthereupon. That in India no one

bothers to fine-tune our legal statutesto changing environment is intriguing.We have a Law Commission in placebut that body has terms of referenceson specified issues dictated by CentralGovernment. The LawCom is thuscocooned to those areas of referencesand is thus shrunk or dwarfed like aprivate home tutor. We have nosystem in orbit to overview time-critical amendments that need be thereto service our legal frame workregularly.

With the old pieces of legislation notadequately resonating with changingtimes, values, culture and economy, wehappen to adjudicate to the past andnot the present. For instance monetarypenalties quantified in the past turnsout to be paltry with crashing moneyvalue each year which defeat the veryintent of punishment. Why do weneed such parchment of laws?

An exasperating situation was whenthe counsels of DCW in their quest towin the case, come what may,attempted to read from a piece oflegislation that had no bearing on thequestions of fact or law in this case.

As much as our judicial system isbound to serve justice, it is equallyconcerned that there should be publicconviction of having served justicepromptly. In this respect the Courtsneed to consider public concern in thematter and clarify that the justicemeted out is at its best as the lawsprovide. Otherwise faith in our

Judiciary would erode with aconsequent collapse of our sacrosanctconstitution. It is worth consideringthat Indian LawCom has to beelevated into a secondary authority toupdate our statutes, laws, rules,regulations and sorts. All NGOs,Public Institutions & Associations,Universities, Charity Organizations,

Clubs, Religious and CharityInstitutions should all support theLawCom for promptly improving ourstatutes to keep resonance withchanging times and tides.

We are indeed a nation burdened withover regulations, excess regulations,control legislations and so on. Weneed to simplify our laws making iteasy and fool proof for commoners.We cannot stake our claims of being agreat nation ourselves that followsrule of law unless and until our lawstructures are firm and intact and thatthose are in place, time-tuned, just andfair striving to meet the ends of ourConstitution-set goals of justice,liberty, equality, fraternity, unity andintegrity.

Let us see an opportunity in thisadverse situation when public wrathflows large against the element ofjustice in our laws and of its succinctinterpretation. Changes are notordinarily welcome and any proposalof a change is rejected point blankuntil the unchanged system hurts.Here, we are in a situation where evensuffering horrifying hurts, we are notable to change or adapt; worse still isthat we do not realize that we need toimprove on systems for the desiredchanges to be on course.

With the old pieces of legislation notadequately resonating with changing times,values, culture and economy, we happen toadjudicate to the past and not the present

The author presently heads aCorporate Consultancy firm inKochi. He is also into social activ-ism, public speaking, HR &Corporate Training.


Volkswagen has launched thenew Beetle in India today.The carmaker had already

commenced the booking for the bugin mid last month

Volkswagen has launched the long-awaited new Beetle in India at asticker price of Rs 28.73 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai). The bookingfor the Beetle had already started inmid-November. Despite being a newgeneration model, the new Beetleretains its DNA from the originaldesign. Speaking on the occasion,Michael Mayer, Director, Volkswagen

CARS & BIKESCARS & BIKESCARS & BIKESCARS & BIKESCARS & BIKES


Volkswagen Beetlelaunched at Rs 28.73 lakh

Passenger Cars said, “The Beetle isan iconic car that has scriptedautomotive history for over sixdecades, and we are delighted toannounce the India launch of the21st Century Beetle. Carryingforward its unmistakably timelesscharm, blended with modern daytechnological sophistication, the21st Century Beetle now comes withrounded yet masculine proportionsand a host of refined, irresistibleinternal and exterior features. We areconfident of continuing the Beetle’slegacy in India and we believe that

the biggest addition to the 21stCentury Beetle is the element ofunlimited ‘fun’.” Unlike the previousgeneration model, this new Beetledraws inspiration from the olderKafer. The new Beetle gets a longbonnet with new set of headlightunits which also incorporates theLED Daytime Running Lights.Towards the rear, the bug getsbeautiful curvy lines with aprominent spoiler on the tailgate. Thenew Beetle is wider and longer ascompared the predecessor whichindicates a much roomier interior.

CARS & BIKESCARS & BIKESCARS & BIKESCARS & BIKESCARS & BIKES


Expected Launch : Feb 2016

Rs 1.8 lakhs - 2 lakhs

The BMW G 310 R is a motorcycle which has been developedjointly by BMW and TVS to cater to the sub-500cc motorcyclesegment. Where the technological and electrical aspects of themotorcycle have been taken care of by BMW, TVS has beengiven the duty of manufacturing it with as much precision aspossible.

The 313cc engine will have a lot of punch as it delivers 34bhpof maximum power at a very high 9,500rpm and a peak torqueof 28Nm at 7,500rpm. The bike will come equipped withfeatures like an upside-down front fork, an aluminiumswingarm, rear monoshock and standard ABS.

The BMW G 310 R is expected to be highly price-competitiveas the production capacities of TVS can reduce the price of theBMW G 310 R drastically. Powered by BMW and made byTVS, this bike is expected to take the value-for-money quotientto a different level.

BMW G 310 R

EDU BIZEDU BIZEDU BIZEDU BIZEDU BIZ

60

Ex-IITians come up withopen-school learning startup

Two ex-IITians have come upwith a unique open-schoolcommunication and social

learning platform that allows teachers,parents and students to interact freelyand effectively on mobile phones.

Ritesh Singh and Akshat Goel wantedto provide innovative solutions foreffective knowledge transfer in our

ecosystem. Hence, these chose thename Eckovation for their startup, aportmanteau of ecosystem, knowledgeand innovation. Founded in March2014, the app was finally launched thisJune after more than a yearlong marketresearch and study.

CEO Singh, who hails from tier-III townChapra in Bihar, he had language

issues from the beginning and thesenever left him.

"So, I was always thinking aboutsolutions that could help people justlike me, who do not get access toquality education early in their life. Ialways wanted to make qualityeducation accessible even in placeswhere only minimal infrastructure

“I always wanted to make quality education accessible evenin places where only minimal infrastructure exists.

That's how Eckovation came into being”


EDU BIZEDU BIZEDU BIZEDU BIZEDU BIZ

61

exists. That's how Eckovation cameinto being" he said.

From conceptualising to its practicalusage, there were many challenges.

"We first explored MOOCs (massiveopen online courses) but they werecumbersome and required a lot of self-discipline on the users' part. Next wethought about providing dataanalytics through an ERP system thatmonitors a child's performance andequips teachersand parents withsufficient data toimprove a child'sperformance byfinding gaps,weaknesses andstrengths.

"But looking atthe size of anormal classroom, the actualimplementation extremely difficult andwould have required greater effortsfrom the teachers instead ofsimplifying their lives. We also did amarket study with 30,000 studentsacross 4 cities across tiers tounderstand the gaps. Therein, weobserved that parents are not in theloop, when it comes to classroomteaching," says Singh.

According to him, the turnout ofparents for PTMs is a mere 15-20 percent and this needed to be fixed. "Sowe decided to build a product thatbrings together all actors of education- parents, students, teachers andschool administration. Eckovation notonly helps connect parents withteachers and students whilesafeguarding everyone's privacy, italso connects students to teacherswho are willing to transfer knowledgebeyond their classrooms."

Singh says the major challenge theyfaced was dependence of teachers onWhatsApp. "Although teachers

wanted students to join their classroom-learninggroup, they were wary of their phone numbersfalling in the hands of strangers. At the same time,teachers had to block students and parentsbecause sometimes they did not want them todisturb them beyond office hours." Though thedependence on WhatsApp was a challenge but itslimitations were also an opportunity for Singh andGoel.

"For instance - size limit of 100 members in a group,privacy concerns, no control over conversation for

teachers, so on andso forth. All of thishas been taken careof in Eckovationapp plus a lot morefeatures are thereto ensureeducation-focusedcommunication. Weare also introducingdocument transfer

on the app. The app, by design, is very light anduses minimal Internet on your phone," says Singh.

Eckovation allows teachers, parents and studentsto interact freely and effectively while safeguardingprivacy. Except the teacher, it does not allowanyone to see anyone else's mobile number in thegroup. The 'Open School Programme' plans to bring1 billion users on the platform by 2020. So howdoes a child gain from this facility?

"A child has many questions. To make sure that helives up to his or her potential, it is very importantthat all questions are responded to withappropriate answers. This is what Eckovation does.Students request their teachers to be available for15-20 minutes after school on the app and teachersare happily doing it.

"On the open school platform, most of the teachersare available throughout the day. Students from allsorts of educational and demographic backgroundshave joined the open school groups and theylearn." The duo has raised money for their startupthrough a seed-funding round. The teachers on theopen school platform have to register themselvesbefore joining. Once they join, a small backgroundcheck is conducted and after an interview with theexperts on the subject, they are introduced to thestudents.

"On the open school platform, most of the teachersare available throughout the day. Students from allsorts of educational and demographic backgroundshave joined the open school groups and they learn."


SPORTSSPORTSSPORTSSPORTSSPORTS

62

Legends who retired frominternational cricket in 2015

The year 2015 has seen a number of cricket greats announcing their retirement. It all began with the ICCWorld Cup that was held in February-March earlier this year. After the World Cup, Sri Lanka’s legendaryduo of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara retired from ODIs. Others in the list to retire afterWorld Cup were New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori and Australia’s World Cup winning captain Michael Clarkeand Mitchell Johnson. A couple of Indian cricketers also announced their retirements including VirenderSehwag and Zaheer Khan.

The Australia captainannounced his retirement afterthe World Cup which his sidewon after beating NewZealand in the final inMelbourne. Clarke made hisAustralia debut in 2003 againstEngland and went on to play115 Tests, 245 ODIs and 34T20Is for his country. Clarkelater retired from Tests afterThe Ashes 2015.

Kumar SangakkaraAnother Sri Lankan legend, Sangakkara held the triple responsibility of being awicketkeeper-batsman and captain of his side. The 38-year-old left-handedbatsman played 134 Tests, 404 ODIs and 56 T20Is. He is Sri Lanka’s highest run-scorer in both ODIs and Tests with more than 1400 runs and 12000 runs in thetwo formats of the game respectively. His last Test was against India in Augustthis year.

MahelaJayawardeneOne of the greatest players to have everplayed the game, Jayawardene was thepillar of Sri Lanka cricket in the lastdecade. Having made his Test debutagainst India in 1997, the 38-year-oldplayed 149 Tests, 448 ODIs and 44 T20Isand scored more than 10,000 runs inboth Tests and ODIs. He also captainedSri Lanka for a brief period of time.

DanielVettoriThe youngest man to playTest cricket for New Zealand,Vettori retired after the WorldCup final against Australia. Aveteran of 113 Tests, 295ODIs and 34 T20Is, theformer New Zealand captainhas 300 wickets and morethan 3000 runs in Tests. Healso has 305 wickets in ODIs.

Michael Clarke


SPORTSSPORTSSPORTSSPORTSSPORTS

63

Virender SehwagA flamboyant opener from India,Sehwag changed the way openingwas done in cricket. The 37-year-oldis the Indian player with a triplecentury in Tests (He has two tripletons in Tests). His highest score inODIs in 219. Sehwag made his Testdebut in 2001 and ODI debut in 1999.The Delhi dasher went on to play 104Tests, 251 ODIs and 19 T20Is forIndia.

Zaheer KhanRenowned for his swing bowling,Zaheer was considered in the sameleague as the Pakistan greats likeWasim Akram and Waqar Younis.His career was hit by frequentinjuries which limited his servicesfor India but he still managed toplay 200 ODIs and 92 Tests. With311 wickets in Tests and 282 inODIs, the Mumbai pacer is the bestIndia has produced after Kapil Dev.

Brendon McCullumThe New Zealand captain who transformed the way the game was played inthe country announced on Tuesday that he will retire from internationalcricketer in February next year. Having led his country to the 2015 World Cupfinal, McCullum is seen as one of the most inspiring figure back home. Sincehis New Zealand debut in 2001, he has been known for his attacking form ofbatting. He has also kept wickets and was an exceptional fielder in the outfield.He has played 99* Tests and 254* ODIs. He is the only New Zealand cricketerto score a triple century in Tests.


RAINBOWRAINBOWRAINBOWRAINBOWRAINBOW

64

Idioms are an indispensable partof the English Language withoutwhich the splendour and

mellifluousness of the language isdone away with.

The native speakers of English, itseems, had a strong predilectiontowards animals that a large numberof Idioms are coined on animals.The "Horse" holds the distinctionof the maximum Idioms on it.

1). to eat a horse: (ravenoushunger)

(e.g.) I was very hungry that i couldhave eaten a horse.

2)to look a gift horse in the mouth:(the state of not being grateful tosomeone who gives yousomething).

(e.g.) He rejected my offer of joiningin my concern, citing some reasons.These graduates tend to look a gifthorse in the mouth.

3).horses for courses: (right peoplefor the right job).


(e.g.) My new Manager was not uptothe mark. Then i decided to look forpeople as horses for courses.

4). a dark horse: (someone who doesnot reveal their hidden talents andexhibits suddenly)

(e.g.) None of us expected thatRichard would emerge a match-winner. He turned out to be a darkhorse.

5). closing the stable door after thehorse has escaped: (to try to stop aconsequence from happening whenthe worst has already happened).

(e.g.) The C.E.O has been sackedafter the company ran into losses. Itis almost like closing the stable doorafter the horse has bolted (escaped).

6).to drive a coach and horsesthrough something: (to expose theweak points in an argument)

(e.g.) The Chairman drove a coachand horses through the company'splans for expansion.

7). Do not put the cart before thehorse: (do not do things in the

wrong order (or) someone'simpatience).

(e.g.) Lack of planning will make evenan experienced professional to putthe cart before the horse.

8). to get off your high horse: (tostop acting as if you are better ormore intelligent than other people).

(e.g.) "Try to get off your high horseand listen to me, Mr. Sam?".

9). to get it straight from the horse'smouth: (to get information directlyfrom the original source)

(e.g.) The investigative team finallymanaged to get it straight from thehorse's mouth.

10). to back the wrong horse: (tosupport a person or thing that cannotwin or succeed).

(e.g.) Jannet is pinning much hopeson the second contestant, it seems,she is backing the wrong horse.

Tas Jawaharlal Nehru

IIIIIdioms on Hdioms on Hdioms on Hdioms on Hdioms on Horsesorsesorsesorsesorses

The author is English and soft-skillstrainer, Laagoon English Educa-tional Academy, Coimbatore.

The native speakers of English, it seems, had a strongpredilection towards animals that a large number

of Idioms are coined on animals. The "Horse"holds the distinction of the

maximum Idioms on it.

RAINBOWRAINBOWRAINBOWRAINBOWRAINBOW

65

Sudoku 11 Answer

Sudoku 12

Difficulty Level:

Word Search 04


Word Search 03 Answer

BENCH

BLACKBOARD

CHAIR

CHALK

CLOCK

COMPUTER

DESK

ERASER

MAP

NOTEBOOK

PAPER

PEN

PENCIL

RULER

STUDENT

TABLE

TEACHER

TEXTBOOK

REFLECTIONSREFLECTIONSREFLECTIONSREFLECTIONSREFLECTIONS

Crystals of EternityCrystals of EternityCrystals of EternityCrystals of EternityCrystals of EternityJose Panthaplamthottiyil

At dawn, at dusk the king would look at the ring. In problems and in crises he would look at

the ring. In times of joy as well assorrow he would look at it.

Who is this king? What was he lookingfor in the ring? He is the unnamed kingin Theodore Milton’s poem The Ringof the King. He was looking at the ringto read the great verse inscribed on thering: “This too shall pass.”

Everything passes away from our life.Nothing in this life waits for us forever.Joys, sorrows, problems, crises, friendsand foes pass away quickly. The end ofa year and the beginning of a new oneremind us that the time and the periodwe live in pass by like lightning. Will itbe exaggeration to say that the lastyear passed away in the wink of aneye?

Didn’t we think at the beginning of lastyear that we would get a lot of time andthat we would do a lot of good duringthe same period? Yet how quickly didthe year pass by! Have we done evenone tenth of what we intended to do?

At the beginning of every year wealways resolve to reform our lives andto do what is good. Last year also in alllikelihood we made the sameresolutions. However, did we seriously

follow up on our resolutions? Probablynot. We often procrastinated with anattitude, “I will begin tomorrow.”Should we then cry over spilled milk?Of course, it is nice to have a feeling ofrepentance because it will help usreform our life.

However, we need not dwell too muchon the golden opportunities wemissed. For, we are not to live in ouryesterdays. We still have today. Andthere are many things there for us todo today itself! So let us focus ontoday. Then the possibilities oftomorrow will give us much scope tolook forward to.

As we step into the New Year we haveto remember one thing. We must countevery minute of our life by our veryheart-beats; so precious is the time oflife allotted to us.

We must not waste our time foruseless trifles. We shall be able totransform our life into something nobleonly by the right use of time. We oftenwish to use our time for good things.Along with this we must also wish touse it successfully.

There is the story of a woodcutter whowas very committed to his work. Hewas cutting a tree giving it very hardblows. But he was not aware that by

doing so his axe was losing itssharpness. Hence somebodysuggested to him to sharpen his axefor good results but he thought thatwould be a waste of his precioustime.

It is important that we use our timewithout wasting it at all. However, wemust also make sure that we get restand relaxation that sharpen the axe oflife.

A famous line by English poet RalphHodgson (1871-1962) goes like this,“Time, you old gipsy man, will younot stay?” We may also ask like thisas time passes quickly. But rememberit isn’t time that passes but we do.Time is eternal, but we are not.

If someone claims that time remainsforever as crystals of eternity, can wedispute it? Time was there yesterday,it is there today and it will be theretomorrow also. But we are not surewhether we will have a tomorrow. Weshall pass away either today ortomorrow. But time will still be thereas crystals of eternity.

If we make the proper use of the timewe get today then our time will betransformed into crystals of eternity.Then we will be able to leave behinda heritage rich with goodness.

We shall pass away either today or tomorrow. But timewill still be there as crystals of eternity.

Printed and Published by Fr.Varghese Panthalookaran CMI on behalf of Rajagiri Media, Rajagiri Valley P.O, Kakkanad, Kochi-39.Ph: 0484-2973979. Printed at St. Francis Press, Kochi. Editor: James Paul