Childhood, peace and development

The Nobel Peace prize for 2014 has been awarded to two South Asian activists in the field of child rights, Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi. The first is a thoughtful and fearless teenager who, despite deadly opposition, lit a path to learning and liberation for girls in Pakistan. The second is a 60-year old campaigner from India who has worked to liberate children from the shackles of compulsory labour and bondage. In choosing them, the Nobel Committee may appear to have chosen unusually. Malala is, at 17, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner ever, and Mr. Satyarthi a relatively unknown name outside the region and his field of work. However, the Committee’s choice has been hailed as both bold and necessary. It has sought to underscore a crucial but widely disregarded prerequisite for development and peace in our times, namely, the responsibility of nations to provide the means of formal education, leisure, safety, and care for all children. As this year’s citation says, “It is a prerequisite for peaceful global development that the rights of children and young people be respected. In conflict-ridden areas in particular, the violation of children leads to the continuation of violence from generation to generation.” Growing up in the Swat Valley of Pakistan under the brute rule of religious bigots opposed to education for girls, Malala grasped the link between school education — and particularly education for girls — and larger social change early in life. How an outspoken child fought a public campaign for the right to education, surviving even an attempt on her life, is well known. She continues to lead the battle for girls’ education from her current location in Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Satyarthi, a founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save Childhood Campaign), has led the rescue of over 78,500 children from bondage. He gave shape to the Global March Against Child Labour, a coalition of national campaign groups. He too sees education as the key instrument for the liberation of children from poverty, exploitation and neglect. In his pioneering work on child labour and school education in India, the late political scientist Myron Weiner wrote: “Modern states regard education as a legal duty, not merely a right: parents are required to send their children to school, children are required to attend school, and the state is obliged to enforce compulsory education ... This is not the view held in India. Primary education is not compulsory, nor is child labour illegal.” The Nobel Peace Prize this year recognises the crucial links among child rights, labour, and school education and, in doing so, recognises one of the most fundamental prerequisites of a better tomorrow for millions of children everywhere.

Keywords: Nobel Peace prize, South Asian activists, child rights activists, Malala Yousafzai, Kailash Satyarthi, girl education, child rights, child labour, Nobel Committee, Bachpan Bachao Andolan

Oct 14 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)

Work on taming firms gets Nobel in economics

Kounteya Sinha

London





French economist Jean Tirole, 61, won the Nobel Prize for Economics on Monday, “for his analysis of market power and regulation“. He is the third French man to be awarded with the prize for economics.Tirole said he was “incredibly surprised'' when he got the news about the award. “I first old my wife and mother. She's 90-yearold. I first asked her to sit before I told her the news,'' he said. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said Tirole is one of the most influential economists of our time. “He has made important theoretical research contributions in a number of areas, but most of all he has clarified how to understand and regulate industries with a few powerful firms.'' Many industries are dominated by a small number of large firms or a single monopoly . Left unregulated, such markets often produce socially undesirable results ­­ prices higher than those motivated by costs, or unproductive firms that survive by blocking the entry of new and more productive ones. From the mid-1980s, Tirole breathed new life into research on such market failures. His analysis of firms with market power provides a unified theory with a strong bearing on central policy questions: How should the government deal with mergers or cartels, and how should it regulate monopolies?
Before Tirole, researchers and policymakers sought general principles for all industries. They advocated simple policy rules like capping prices for monopolists and prohibiting cooperation between competitors, while permitting cooperation between firms with different positions.
Tirole showed theoretically that such rules may work well in certain conditions, but do more harm than good in others. Price caps can provide dominant firms with strong motives to reduce costs but may also permit excessive profits.
Cooperation on price setting within a market is usually harmful, but cooperation regarding patent pools can benefit everyone.The merger of a firm and its supplier may encourage innovation, but may also distort competition.
For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com

Accept self-attested documents: UGC tells universities 

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked universities to abolish the requirement for submitting attested documents and start accepting self-certification of marksheets, birth certificates and other key documents. The move will substantially simplify procedures for students.

 “It is requested that the process of abolition of affidavits and adoption of self-certification be complied with at the earliest and compliance report be sent to UGC within a week of the issue of the letter,” the commission said in its communication dated September 26 to vice-chancellors of all universities. The communiqué has also asked varsities to take “urgent necessary steps” to implement the order.

The move is in line with the recommendations of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission regarding adoption of self-attestation for “simplifying procedures.” Under this, original documents are required to be produced only at the final stage of admission.

- See more at: http://digitallearning.eletsonline.com/2014/10/accept-self-attested-documents-ugc-tells-universities/#sthash.VP4AARra.dpuf

1000 US academics to teach in Indian Universities

In an attempt to enhance the quality of education, the Modi government has decided to rope in various American academicians to teach in different Indian universities across the nation. Earlier, it was made mandatory for CSIR scientists from CSIR to take classes in schools and colleges.

According to the latest plan, there would be around 1000 American academics who would be invited to teach in various centrally-recognized universities across the nation. The academics who would be mainly from the field of science and innovations would be visiting the universities at their own convenience. The programme got its nod during the recently concluded meeting of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and American President Barrack Obama in Washington.

The programme is supposed to establish a Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) where invitations would be made to American academics to visit India and teach its students so that they can prosper and innovate better. The US academics would be assigned specific Indian Universities where they would be appointed on a short-term basis to teach and share their experiences with the Indian students. The scheduling of the colleges and universities would be made by the Human Resource and Development Ministry in accordance with the Science and Technology Ministry of India.

Earlier the Science and Technology ministry along with HRD Ministry decided to make it mandatory for over 5000 scientists in the country to undertake 12 hours of lecture classes in a year at various public-funded schools and colleges across the nation.

This programme is expected to provide the students the perfect platform to enhance their knowledge by the experience and expertise of the US academicians and would help in expanding their activities in ‘innovative technology’ in the nation.

Keeping the vision of ‘Digital India’ in mind, the improvement of digital infrastructure, deployment of e-governance and e-services, promotion of industry collaboration and empowering Indian citizens digitally are on the cards for the leaders who committed mutual support in the recent meeting.

The United States has also agreed to become the partner of India’s Annual Technology Summit that is scheduled to take place next month, for the first time. For the overall benefit of the citizens, both the countries have committed to convene the ninth ‘High Technology Cooperation Group’ and are planning to launch new partnership to ‘source and scale innovation’ in both the countries.

- See more at: http://digitallearning.eletsonline.com/2014/10/1000-us-academics-to-teach-in-indian-universities/#sthash.N3gUuOcU.dpuf

IIT-K proposes entrepreneurship park in Lucknow

Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) has conceptualized an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park (IEP) in Lucknow and has asked the UP government for 20 acres of land. The IEP will help unskilled workers get a technical education. The industry and the MHRD have already pledged financial support to the park.

The concept behind this initiative is to provide factory/industry employees a chance to not only get their skills honed, but also come forward to opt for entrepreneurship. At IEP, the factory employees will be provided with basic machinery and equipments.

A proposal for setting up the park and need for land for the purpose was sent to the state government four months back but till date there has been no response. The institute has now decided to make a fresh initiative to pursue the matter with the government next week, said Prof B V Phani, associate dean of Innovation and Incubation at IIT-Kanpur.

“The institute plans to set up IEP in Lucknow somewhere close to the airport for which a proposal had been sent to the state government but there has been no reply. On Monday, the matter will be discussed with IIT-K director Prof Indranil Manna and Prof Manindra Agarwal and then pursued with the government,” said Prof Phani.

Elaborating the objective behind setting up IEP, Prof Phani said, “We also need to pay back the society. For this, one aspect would be to train people employed in leather, sugar and various other factories in UP and hone their skills. They, with the help of basic machines and equipments which they otherwise cannot purchase, will be able to produce quality products. At the same time those with entrepreneurial interests will be provided with support to opt for entrepreneurship. We will provide them will space upto 1,000 square feet in the park to set up offices and work from there for a maximum period of three years.”

He added that if land for this purpose is close to the Lucknow airport, the high-quality product could be exported as well.

Prof Phani also said that the IIT-K does not need anything except that government gives it a contribution of Rs 50 crore in the form of land for setting up the park. As soon as the land is provided to us, we will soon begin with the work, he said.

For developing the entire park, Rs 50 crore will be contributed by IIT-K, Rs 75 crore by the industry and Rs 100 crore by the Union ministry of HRD. In the next three years from the time of allotment of the land, the IEP will start functioning completely, said the IIT-K professor. He said that in one year the basic operations will begin at IEP.

- See more at: http://digitallearning.eletsonline.com/2014/10/iit-k-proposes-entreprenneurship-park-in-lucknow/#sthash.FvcZoSMS.dpuf

Any questions?

Learning is not just listening. Fuel your curiosity and engage with your mentor to enrich the classroom experience.

Speed is the operative word in any activity today, and this applies more than ever to reading, writing and studies in general. What often gets sacrificed in this speed-driven process of education is the ability to absorb what you study, analyse it and come up with creative questions. How can this be avoided? Is ability to question things an essential skill? Great scholars seem to think so. Einstein said about scientific thinking, “The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skills. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advances in science.”

Scientific education must induce scientific behaviour, and this is all about asking questions and inquiring into truth. However, for various reasons, science students often hesitate to ask questions. They are keener to find the answers than to ask questions. If students did not rely on rote learning, studies tell us, they would turn out to be more suitable to what employers want in the workplace.

Learning is not passive

Dr. S.V.M. Satyanarayana, assistant professor at the Department of Physics in Pondicherry University, has been conducting physics classes every Sunday, in Chennai, for the last 18 years. The motive of these classes is to invoke thought. The classes aim at creating thinking individuals who will go on to pursue research. There is no fee and no compulsion to attend classes. Nearly a hundred students who have attended these classes have gone on to do their Ph.D. in physics.

Having observed students from various places and backgrounds come to his classes and pick up the scientific attitude, Dr. Satyanarayana says, “One of the practical problems in science education at the postgraduate level is that the students do not ask questions. Typically, learning is passive — involving accumulation of information…”

As an example he talks about the students’ views on the heliocentric theory. We all know that the Earth and all the planets move around the Sun because we have studied that it is so, but do we ever question why the geocentric theory is wrong? What is a scientific attitude in this contest? He says, “Being scientific is in contradiction to unquestioned acceptance of what is currently true. In the words of Aristotle, ‘the mark of an educated mind is to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it’…”

Active learning

To move from passive learning to active learning, it is important to be totally engaged when you are in class. Going over the topic before a lecture will help in formulating questions. Dr. Satyanarayana says, “At the beginning of the course, as well as the lecture, students can be encouraged to think about the topic and the course itself and write down their questions in a notebook.”

This is a very effective method because it allows you, as a student, to approach the subject from a fresh perspective. Also, your questions flow from an uninhibited stock that exists in your mind. At the end of the course, you can tick off the questions that have been answered and ruminate on the philosophical angles and perspectives you have gained in the process.

From a teacher’s point of view, the nature of the questions a student asks can give a perspective on the progress they have made in learning the subject. In fact, this paves the way to a gradual change from ‘learning science’ to ‘doing science’.

Breaking it down

Often, the first questions you come up with can be really complex and perhaps even somewhat vague. As you interact with the teacher at this level, you learn to refine your questioning skills and ask sharper questions. You also learn to break down the questions into simpler ones. It is an illuminating experience to move from vague questions, which, moreover, cannot be answered, to sharp questions, which are deeper and better formed.

The last query is — how do I find the time to do this? This is easy to answer but requires commitment to pursue. Allot time before lectures and before courses to go over the contents of your chapters. Anything from ten minutes to half an hour a day should be enough. Not only would this push you into active learning, it would also enhance your own interest in the subject.

Experience the fact that questions lead the way to conversations, and conversations to discovery and innovation. This then is the route to learning, doing and excelling.

Keywords: Scientific education, learning methods

Oct 13 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)

Q&A - `I don't visit temples - i worship children, true faces of God'





Kailash Satyarthi has won 2014's Nobel peace prize with Pakistan's Malala Yousafzai.Speaking with Nalin Mehta, Satyarthi discussed his spiritual motivation, his mother's fears, his expectations from PM Modi ­ and how he was almost murdered by Pakistani soldiers:Congratulations on this honour ­ but in India, do we only recognise people after they're honoured overseas?
Well, when i gave up my engineering career, my mother was crying because she'd spent a lot of money and had high expectations. My father died early and she was frightened about my future ­ i told her, one day you will be proud of me.
Pride, honours and awards don't matter much to me personally. I am not a saint but i'm driven by spiritualism, not political theories or mere emotions.
Please explain your spiri tualism?
I am not a religious person.I've not gone to a temple or mosque in the last 40 years. I don't worship in temples because i worship children ­ by giving them freedom and childhood. They are the true faces of God and that is my strength.
When i started talking about the rights of children in 1981, the UN convention on children's rights hadn't yet been born. The notion of child rights came only in 1989. Perhaps the Nobel Committee researched all those things and asked, who is this crazy guy who could see the future?

Some suggest child labour can't be eradicated without eradicating poverty ­ your view?
People say poverty creates and perpetuates child labour. This is a half truth.
The full truth is ­ child labour creates and perpetuates poverty . If you allow child labour, you allow poverty and illiteracy to continue.
How supportive has the government government been of your efforts?
This is a new government, so let's see, but we expect a great deal. I requested the PM on the very first day , saying now that a tea boy has become India's PM, it is his turn to ensure no child becomes a child labourer.
Every child cannot become PM ­ but every child can attend school and get a good education.
How will you spend the Nobel prize money?
I don't know. Such decisions are taken by an elected group of children in my organisa tion. In a Bal Mahapan ion. In a Bal Mahapan chayat, children from 400 villages will meet and decide democratically what we should do with this money ­ but every single penny will be spent on the mission to end child la bour and child slavery.

What did you say to Malala Yousafzai when you both spoke?
I invited her to join a new `Peace for Children' initiative.Let every child live in peace, in my country, in Pakistan and everywhere in the world. Children shouldn't be compelled to grow up amidst war and conflict. Let's begin with India and Pakistan.
She thought it was a brilliant idea but she has her own constraints and cannot go to Pakistan. We'll talk again. I have a lot of respect for her.
She wasn't even born when i helped start Pakistan's antichild labour movement, when Pakistan's army wanted to kill me outside Lahore in 1987. I was addressing brick-kiln workers there when soldiers came and put a dozen guns on my head.
I smiled and said, please kill me but only after 10-15 minutes when i've finished talking to these people.