Oct
9
Make higher education expensive
Filed Under Think About It, Public Interest | 1 Comment
Need to start charging a high fee to pay for quality education, while ensuring those in need are guaranteed financial aid from the Government.
The title of this column is no doubt going to ruffle a few feathers amongst the student community, and not without reason. After all, how many in our country can afford to pay high fees for education?
No doubt our system of higher education, with virtually no fees being charged from students, has given us a large number of degree holders. At least in our country meritorious students are not denied education for lack of money.
But barring a few, our institutions are statistically churning out a huge quantity of degree holders, and most of it, simply of poor quality. How many of them are really capable of doing jobs that generate intellectual wealth for the country? Read more
Sep
22
If The World Could Vote - who would be the next president of the United States of America?
On November 4th 2008 the American people will choose a new president, a person who will become the most powerful person in the world, a person that will influence the whole world. Americans are debating, but it seems that almost every single person in the world has an opinion on who should become the next president of the United States.
To find out who would be the next president of the United States of America - if the world could vote, three guys in Iceland created a website, www.IfTheWorldCouldVote.com. On the site people get one vote for the next president of the United States. The results are then displayed where you can see how many from each country have voted, and who each country has voted for. Read more
Sep
14
Delhi Police parks potential bicycle bombs closer to people
Filed Under Public Interest | 3 Comments
Many of the bombs going off in Indian cities in the recent past have been discovered to have been left behind in bicycles. After the bomb attacks in New Delhi on September 13, 2008 the Delhi Police have been, as expected, keeping a watchful eye on everything in crowded places like markets. Click here: You must read on
May
21
Drugs Tourism in Himalayas: Are visas being restricted to Israelis?
Filed Under Public Interest, Social Issues | 2 Comments
Is the Indian Government getting more stingy about the duration of visas it issues to backpackers who supposedly come to stay in the Himalayas for months to enjoy the easy access to cheap drugs? And with a good number of these from Israel, is the Israeli Government getting worried about the image of its country?
During my recent trip to Mcleodganj and surrounding areas in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh I met Nimrod, one of the thousands of Israelis for whom this region of the Himalayas are Shangri-La - not mythical but real; many of them are supposedly here to unwind after undergoing the rigours of compulsory military training. Or at least this is what a lot of people told me. The Israeli Government seems to be getting concerned about the image of their country with its citizens ‘reveling’ in the Himalayas according to an acquaintance of mine; while consumption of drugs was commonplace, he claimed to have seen them having an orgy in the jungles once. But nothing seems to have been done to date. Read more
Apr
29
No matter what the Chinese say, Tibetans seem to continue to suffer from some of the worst form of state sponsored violence. All for asking for some basic human rights like dignity of life and a degree of autonomy that would allow Tibet to preserve its cultural, religious and social values intact as they have over the centuries. The Dalai Lama has not even asked for independence from China.
If killing Tibetan protesters was not bad enough, the Chinese soldiers strip the bodies of all their valuables, and then steal the organs from the bodies to feed the thriving black market for these in China. To add to the indignity, these bodies are then dressed in those of Chinese soldiers to show the world that the Chinese authorities are being forced to retaliate to violent acts of the Tibetans. Looks like propaganda of the Goebells and the Hitler kind did not go away with the second World War. Read more
Apr
28
Harbhajan Singh an ill-mannered person: DDCA Official
Filed Under Public Interest, Sports | 3 Comments
So, international cricket star Harbhajan Singh has been banned for 11 matches of the Twenty20 Indian Premier League for slapping fellow cricketer Sreesanth. While the two represent India in international matches, they play for Mumbai Indians and Mohali Kings teams of the IPL respectively.
This is not the first time Harbhajan has got into trouble. The recent series against Australia had seen the game of cricket being played in an atmosphere of a war of words with Harbhajan being the centre of all controversy. Matthew Hayden went to the extent of referring to him as an ‘obnoxious little weed.‘
But why is the whole world after Harbhajan only? It seems he deserves every bit of it, according to a senior official of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). Read on to know what this official has to say
Apr
26
The dying amongst the dead in Tibetan mortuaries
Filed Under Politics, Public Interest | Leave a Comment
This is supposedly a true story I heard from a Tibetan migrant on my trip to Mcleodgang (the Himalayan town where the Dalai Lama lives and runs his Government in exile). A Tibetan girl’s brother went missing after taking part in protests against the Chinese, and what this girl saw in the mortuary can only be described as gut-wrenching.
Not that she could get easy access to the mortuary in the first place: she had to bribe way through; China is one of those countries where money can achieve a lot. She had a hard time even identifying anyone, with faces either already decayed or disfigured with acid. Tragically, her brother was there too – face unrecognisable – but identifed by a unique neck piece (Tibetans believe in wearing different kinds of stones on their body, and he was wearing one on a string).
What made the trip even more shocking was the sight of many other bodies with life still in them – the dying were left to die with the dead. Read more
Dec
19
Amartya Sen: Unions can improve public education, healthcare
Filed Under Public Interest, Social Issues | 3 Comments
Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, speaking at a seminar titled ‘Right to Education – Actions Now’ in New Delhi today, came up with an interesting thought on how to address the issue of poor primary education in India. His suggestion: involve the unions of teachers working in the public education system.
Now this did sound a bit of a surprising statement, especially as the event was organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the audience comprised some of the who’s who of Indian business. What was Dr. Sen’s reasoning? This is what he said, and I would tend to agree with him: Read on, it’s worth it…
Oct
5
So, Rahul Gandhi is general secretary of the Congress Party, the lead partner in the coalition currently ruling India. So, does anyone care about this except the party workers (who think this is like winning the World Cup, but more on this later)? Here are five reasons why it cannot be a big deal unless proven otherwise:
- Where is the charisma? Don’t go by the crowds one sees following Rahul in his constituency, aptly covered by Doordarshan, but where else have you seen people swooning over him? Does he realise charisma is no longer spelt ‘Gandhi’? Or is his coterie of advisors, like his late father’s, leading him up the garden path too?
- A youth leader? Is he? Does he represent Indian youth and their aspirations? Do they really care about him – their icons are now Infosys founder Narayan Murthy, former President Kalam, actor Shah Rukh Khan and cricketer Rahul Dravid. And everyone else who became what they have with no family name and fortune, and showing the way to do it.
- Does anyone want his dole? Continuing the point 2, Rahul Gandhi is still caught up in believing development is only through the dole route – the first thing he insisted upon after being appointed General Secretary was expansion of the National Rural Employee Guarantee Scheme. No talk of taking education, healthcare and infrastructure to the interiors which will generate employment on its own and in a much bigger and sustainable manner.
- Is he really smart? Tough, considering his suspect academic credentials and subsequent work experience, if any. Can one recall any inspiring statement by Rahul Gandhi to show he has a vision for India and its citizens? And his smile, quite uncharismatic at best, cannot hide all the times he has ended pushing his own foot in the mouth when he does open it to speak.
- Leadership has to be proved, even if it is thrust upon you. Rahul Gandhi has got the ‘crown’ easily, but his ‘leadership’ has shown little success other than winning seats for only the family members. The party is losing ground – largely due to a lack of leaders who can motivate and discipline workers to perform for results.
Rahul Gandhi, show you can lead the youth – and then all posts like General Secretary etc etc will not be of any consequence. And to so that you need to start conversing with them first.
Oct
4
Irony: Sanjay Dutt conferred award on Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday
Filed Under Public Interest | 6 Comments
Imagine a man convicted of possessing dangerous firearms being given an award for promoting Mahatma Gandhi’s values of peace? Called the India Splendor Award, this award was conferred on Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt by the Mglobal Trust, a ‘corporate social responsibility’ initiative of the Indian telecom company Spice. This company is headed by Dr. B.K. Modi.
This award has apparently been awarded for Sanjay Dutt’s role in ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai‘, a film promoting the values of Mahatma Gandhi and was given away on the late leader’s birthday on October 2, 2007. Ironical? Read on for more
