Students prefer English in UPSC exams

The number of students writing the UPSC mains exam in English has been disproportionately high over the last few years compared to that in the past, analysis of UPSC data from 2009 to 2014 show.

Data was compiled from annual reports of UPSC by public information portal ‘Factly’, which they shared with The Hindu.

A significant jump was seen in the year 2011 when 83 per cent candidates took the mains exam in English compared to around 62 per cent in 2009. Corresponding to that, Hindi saw a steep decline – a drop of around 20 percentage points from 36 per cent in 2010 to 15 per cent in 2011.

This sudden change coincides with the introduction of the CSAT examination in UPSC prelims in 2011. This change was opposed by many, as it was argued that the new pattern was biased in favor of English-speaking students.

Note that data on the language chosen by candidates to write prelims is not available which makes it difficult to establish whether the jump is indeed indicative of a bias or if that is a consequence of more students taking the prelims exam in English.

Yogendra Yadav, founder of Swaraj Abhiyan and finds this trend concerning. Speaking with The Hindu, he said, “In India, language is one of the most significant markers of social inequality. Much of the social dominance is translated into language. The language of dominance – English – is now the dominant language and it is shocking to see this reverse in trend.”

Mr. Yadav says that students coming to bureaucracy from Indian language medium bring along certain sensitivity and understanding of problems of ordinary people.

In the Indian Languages section, most students opted for Hindi in the period from 2009 to 2014, followed by Marathi. But the proportion of students opting for Hindi is on a decline. 66 per cent candidates chose Hindi in 2014 compared to 74 per cent in 2009.

Caption for above chart: Apart from Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Marathi are the only languages chosen by more than 5 per cent candidates

On the other hand, percentage of students choosing Marathi is increasing – from 5 per cent in 2009 to 9 per cent in 2014, with a peak in 2013 when 11 per cent chose the language. Note that apart from Hindi, only Marathi, Tamil and Telugu are chosen by more than 5 per cent of the candidates in the Indian language exam.

On an average, 20 per cent of the selected candidates are alumni of IITs and University of Delhi put together. Jawaharlal Nehru University, Anna University and Rajasthan University are other prominent universities from where most students come from.

These apart, University of Mumbai, University of Allahabad, MGR Medical University, IGNOU, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Osmania University and University of Pune are the ones from where more than ten students have qualified the exam in few or all years between 2009 to 2013.

Data show that students with engineering background now comprise the bulk of selected students, overtaking humanities. 51 per cent of the recommended candidates in 2013 were engineers, compared to 30 per cent in 2009.

Earlier, Humanities students were the most successful – 50 per cent of the students were from humanities background in 2004. But in 2011 and 2013, students with humanities education comprised of just 27 per cent of all the selected candidates. Around 12 per cent of the students have a background in medicine.

“In my broad experience over decades, I find that technical persons don't do as well or better than non-technical people in the field of administration,” TSR Subramaniam, former Cabinet Secretary told The Hindu. “For the engineering students, it is not their subject knowledge, but their training of mind that comes to play in this role,” he added, while expressing his concern that we need talent in every walk of life not just in administration, which is often glamorised. He also added that because the state spends on education, specialists are much more needed in their respective areas compared to administration, which is of a more generic nature.

Source: The Hindu, 25-06-2016

Life without Britain: European Union will struggle to survive

On Friday morning the ground beneath the European Union (EU) shook and how did it!

The financial implications of Britain’s exit from the EU will be manifold, and if market reactions are anything to go by it’s going to be a tough ride.

But Brussels, the EU headquarters, will have to brace itself for the political aftershocks. And suddenly, almost as though they were waiting for Britain’s decision, leaders of some EU-member nations are voicing similar intentions. The probability of a smaller EU, which seemed almost outlandish until this morning, is now real and amplified.

Marine Le Pen of France’s National Front is on record saying that France has 1,000 more reasons to leave EU than Britain. Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom, has promised that if he was elected the next prime minister a referendum will be held in Netherlands. Both countries go to polls within a year’s time. Sweden and Denmark also have their eurosceptics. Unsurprisingly it is nationalist, Right-of-the-centre politicians who are fanning ‘xenophobic’ emotions.

The economic prudence of Britain’s decision aside, Brexit should force Brussels to introspect. The EU was set up almost 60 years back to bring prosperity and security to Europe--while it has brought prosperity in varying degrees, on security the jury is still out.

There are many positives that the EU has brought about, especially when it comes to easing trade bureaucracy, but as is with any alliance, when the going gets tough the faultiness magnify. Two recent developments expose these wide gaps: The EU’s approach to tackling terrorism and the union’s policy towards refugees and displaced people.

The Charlie Hebdo shootings, the November 2015 Paris attacks and the Brussels bombings in March exposed the flaws in the EU’s preparedness to tackle terror attacks. If the Charlie Hebdo shootings caught EU unawares about home-grown terror, the latter two attacks exposed the chinks in the EU’s efforts to monitor and check the movement of suspects.

The refugee crisis, amplified by the current unrest in Syria and Iraq, saw thousands, if not millions, crossing borders into Europe. But not only did the EU lack a policy, but when it came to formulating one, countries were at odds with each other. Finally, all it could do was strike a deal with Turkey to accommodate the refugees and, in many ways, ask it to act as a vetting agency for displaced people wanting to enter the EU.

For the moment it looks unlikely that the EU will disintegrate with Britain’s exit--but it won’t be the same anymore. The EU will have a tough fight to keep its relevance at world forums.

It is to be seen how, or whether, Britain’s exit will affect countries queuing up to enter the union, and how many members will consider following Britain. The EU is changing; it will rest on Brussels on whether that change is for the better.

Source: Hindustan Times, 25-06-2016

Try Saying `Thank You'

SANT RAJINDER SINGH





God once sent two angels to earth to gather the prayers of humanity . The first angel was asked to collect prayers that were essentially requests from people asking God for something. The second angel was asked to collect all the prayers of thanksgiving. The two angels agreed to meet in a month with their collections.The first angel collecting prayers that appealed to God for something became extremely busy . Several baskets were needed to hold the prayers: asking for money , health, car, jewellery and clothing. Some prayed for a spouse, for children, or for better relationships. There were so many such prayers that the angel had to obtain several vans to cart them.
Meanwhile, the second angel travelled far and wide looking for prayers of thankfulness.Several days went by with hardly a prayer of gratitude heard. A month later, the two angels returned to God. The angel collecting prayers for requests was laden with many baskets.The angel collecting prayers of thankfulness had a small amount compared to the prayers requesting things.
The story illustrates the human condition. Many of us request others to do things for us, but how many of us thank them? Let us thank God for the many gifts we have received: for our birth, health, food, clothing, shelter and for our families. Let us also thank God for our education and for our jobs.However, let us not thank God merely with words but with deeds, by leading lives of nonviolence, truthfulness, purity , humility and selfless service.

Valuable Lessons From The Honeybee

Farida Khanam





Once we come to terms with the notion that our thinking and actions may be marred by negativity , we should not allow this problem to go unresolved. Let's look at an example from the animal kingdom, that of the honeybee. Consider how it extracts nectar from flowers and how it wings its way, without once stopping, to a multitude of gardens, and then unerringly lands on the flower of its choice.Of course, there are always thorns in plenty in the path of the honeybee. But adroitly steering clear of them, the honeybee gently alights on the flower ­ its pre-determined destination. We have to reflect on how it finds its way to the flower, how it poises itself above it and how assiduously and devotedly it extracts the nectar! Also worthy of reflection is how, having completed its task, the honeybee does not waste a single moment. Flying straight back to the beehive, it deposits its share of honey. To be able do this, the honeybee has to be totally focussed on its task. It is only fitting that we should learn a lesson from the honeybee in being diligent and persevering and never swerve from the pursuit of our goals. The Creator has sent us to Earth, not without purpose, but to strive towards the perfection of our spiritual personality .Moreover, we must remain fully aware of how the Creator expects us to exhibit an extraordinary spirit in extracting spiritual nourishment from both good and bad experiences.We must never lose sight of the fact that, whatever our mission, we must stay fully focussed. Our path, of course, is strewn with distractions and it is all too natural that we should be tempted at times to pay undue attention to them. But the Creator uses these distractions to test us on our ability to remain patient, to be compassionate, and to give up being vengeful. In eschewing vengeance, we beat back negativity , we steer clear of unsavoury incidents, and, rising above petty vendetta, we are able to forgive others their follies. In so doing we enhance our own spiritual personality , and ensure that we get closer to Paradise.
Negative experiences are a challenge to test us on our reactions in extraordinary , provocative situations because the purpose of the test cannot be served in normal situations.What we are being tested on is how patient, forbearing, compassionate we are.
Faith in the Almighty at every step, shrugging off falsehoods, remaining firm in carrying out our civic and religious responsibilities, and the exercise of restraint in the face of provocation are all virtues that show that we have been continually receiving spiritual sustenance.
This spiritual goal of Islam of attaining a state of peace has been expressed in the Quran in these words: `A soul at peace' (89:27). According to the Quran this is the ultimate stage in a person's spiritual development. When he reaches this stage, he qualifies to be ushered into Paradise, the perfect and eternal world of the Hereafter. The Quran addresses such souls in these words: `O serene soul! Return to your Lord, joyful, and pleasing in His sight. Join My servants and enter My paradise' (89:27-30).
(The author is professor, Islamic Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia and Chairperson, CPS International.)

Anger and Compassion

KAMAL JAIN





Why is there so much anger, rage, violence in our lives today? All religions advise us to overcome anger and learn to forgive. Anger breeds hatred, fanning the flames of revenge.We are unable to forgive because we hold on to resentment.We first need some time and space to let go either to forgive or be forgiven. The moment we are prepared and able to forgive, we feel liberated from the experience of bitterness. Forgiveness marks our freedom from all the negativity we have been nurturing as a result of our unforgiving heart.
Why should we forgive? Nobody is ever truly bad. No situation is ever without a brighter side. There is always a flip side.By forgiving, we are creating a whole new experience. We can finally move on. It enables us to heal. Forgiving the person does not excuse the act; it just brings about peace and understanding. A more helpful question would be how we can better understand to put the situation in proper perspective. The emotional foundation of compassion is needed to erect the temple of forgiveness. Compassion can bring about a paradigm shift in transforming anger into forgiveness.
Mindfulness is another quality that enables us to be watchful of our thoughts, feelings and activities for greater understanding. Compassion does not stop us from holding the person accountable. It simply means we understand the root of the problem instead of looking only at surface behaviour.This way , we find productive and long-term solutions that leads us to blissfulness.

Visva Bharati varsity launches PG diploma course in yoga studies

The Visva Bharati University in West Bengal is launching a post graduate diploma course in yoga studies in the current academic session as part of its new Yoga Education Centre, eastern India’s first at the varsity level, an official said on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development had recently announced that six central universities will have full-fledged yoga departments from academic session 2016-17.

“Initially we are launching a PG Diploma course in the present session beginning July-August. The MHRD has sanctioned Rs 5 crore for infrastructure and Rs 5 crore for bringing in and training faculty. As the curriculum and infrastructure develop, we will start BSc, MSc and certificate courses,” Sabujkoli Sen, Director of Studies, Educational Innovations and Rural Reconstruction, at the varsity, said.

Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University in Uttarakhand, Central University of Kerala, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Amarkantak (Madhya Pradesh), Manipur University in Imphal and Central University of Rajasthan in Ajmer are the other five varsities that will introduce yoga studies.

Source: Hindustan Times, 22-06-2016

Refugees in their own land: UN report glosses over India’s internally displaced

If there is one photograph of the Syrian refugee crisis that will haunt the world for the years to come, it must be that of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, whose body was washed up on a beach in Turkey in September. The young boy, found lying face-down on a beach near Turkish resort of Bodrum, was one of at least 12 Syrians who drowned attempting to reach Greece from their war-torn country. The latest United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report — Global Trends, Forced Displacement in 2015 — is not only an eye-opener on the scale of the crisis but also a reminder how little governments of the world have done to tackle the problem, which was in the making for quite some time.

According to the report, forced displacement increased in 2015, with record-high numbers. By the end of 2015, 65.3 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, generalised violence, or human rights violations. This is 5.8 million more than the previous year (59.5 million). On average, 24 people worldwide were displaced from their homes every minute during 2015 — some 34,000 people per day. This, the report added, compares to 30 per minute in 2014 and six per minute in 2005. Interestingly, developing regions hosted 86% of the world’s refugees. At 13.9 million people, this was the highest figure in more than two decades. The Least Developed Countries provided asylum to 4.2 million refugees, or about 26% of the global total.

While the report is timely and useful to understand the challenge governments have at hand in tackling the crisis, it surprisingly glosses over the crisis of internally displaced people in India. Take, for example, civil strife-induced internal displacement in Chhattisgarh and in other insurgency-hit areas of India such as the North-East or Kashmir. While there is no official figure, civil society organisations in 2013 put the number of displaced people above 3 lakh. This is just one kind of displacement; environmental problems, caste issues and communal riots have also been pushing people out of their homes in large numbers. By overlooking this huge number, the UNHCR has glossed over a refugee crisis that is in no way less critical than what is happening in other parts of the world.

Source: Hindustan Times, 22-06-2016