TISS course for enhancing teachers’ skills

The curriculum will be derived from learnings from ITE which began with a pilot project at Murshidabad in 2012.

TEACHERS, ESPECIALLY from rural India, can improve their teaching skills through a certificate course at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, from the next academic year. The programme will be conducted in association with Tata Trusts’ Integrated approach to Technology in Education (ITE) initiative that provides technology-based framework for education for the underprivileged. Amina Charania, adjunct associate professor at the Centre for Education Innovation and Action Research, TISS and Senior Programme Officer of ITE, said the curriculum is being planned and will be proposed to the academic council.

“The course has been approved. We are now working on a curriculum,” said Charania. Teachers taking the course will be awarded with certificates accredited by TISS.

The curriculum will be derived from learnings from ITE which began with a pilot project at Murshidabad in 2012. The initiative by Tata Trusts is a pedagogic framework for integrating technology in teaching and learning process, particularly in rural areas, said Charania. “Currently, more than 17,000 students and 500 teachers have been enrolled,” she said. The ITE framework, adopted by some state governments, aims at capacitating teachers to use technology in their teaching methodsAmong other methods, the teachers will be made to complete student projects themselves. “The aim is to make teachers empathise with students who may be using a computer for the very first time. We noticed in our workshops in ITE that teachers were more comfortable and innovative with technology by the end of the workshop,” said Charania.

According to Charania, who has also presented a paper on Integrating Educational Technology for Underserved Children in India, education-industry partnership model is a smart way of developing infrastructure in education. “Multi-stakeholder partnerships known as smart partnerships (SPs) may help development of educational infrastructure,” she said. The ITE, too, has partnered with non-governmental organisations and Corporate Social Responsibility Wings of companies. and promoting project-based learning.

Source: Indian Express, 16-09-2016

A blow for the right to knowledge

The Delhi High Court has restored to copyright jurisprudence a clear mandate for the future — one which recognises that the end goal of technology is the improvement of our lives

In its much awaited judgment in the Delhi University photocopying case (The Chancellor Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford v. Rameshwari Photocopy Services), the Delhi High Court has dismissed the copyright infringement petition initiated in August 2012 by three publishers (Oxford, Cambridge and Taylor & Francis) against a photocopy shop located in the premises of Delhi University. This case, which was being closely tracked by students, teachers and the publishing industry alike, was seen as one with immense significance for questions of access to knowledge. While initially involving only the publishers, the photocopier and the university, the case also saw intervention petitions being filed by a student group (Association of Students for Equitable Access to Knowledge) as well as by teachers and academics (Society for Promoting Educational Access and Knowledge). While the publishers made the argument that the creation of course packs and the photocopying of academic material for the same amounted to an infringement of the exclusive copyright of the authors and publishers, the defendants argued that the reproduction of materials for educational purposes fell within the exceptions to copyright under Section 52(1)(i) of the Copyright Act.

Not a moral right

In his considered and sharply reasoned judgment, Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw examines the gamut of arguments made by both sides and arrives at the conclusion that copyright is a statutory right and not a natural right, and hence any right that is granted to owners is also limited by exceptions carved out by law. The nature of Section 52 of the Copyright Act is such that any act falling within its scope will not constitute infringement. Section 52(1)(i) allows for the reproduction of any work i) by a teacher or a pupil in the course of instruction; or ii) as part of the questions to be answered in an examination; or iii) in answers to such questions.

The crux of the dispute was about whether course packs fall within this exception. The petitioners tried to provide a narrow reading of the section, claiming that at best what the section allows for is the provision of materials in the course of a lecture and spatially restricted to a classroom. The court, while rejecting this claim, argues that “instruction” cannot be narrowly understood and, through a historically informed reading of the phrase “in the course of”, concludes that instruction includes the entire ambit of pedagogy from the creation of syllabus to teaching and provision of reading materials.

It then locates the question of education within a changing technological environment, and argues that “when an action, if onerously done, is not an offence, it cannot become an offence when, owing to advancement in technology doing thereof has been simplified” (paragraph 75). To make this point, Justice Endlaw contrasts his own experiences as a law student where photocopying was very limited and studying entailed students copying by hand, scribe like, pages after pages of books. Photocopiers have just made the task simpler and faster, but if the act of copying for a particular purpose is itself not illegal, and “the effect of the action is the same, the difference in the mode of action cannot make a difference so as to make one an offence”.

For progress

In a clear statement of the philosophical basis of copyright law, Justice Endlaw rejects the populist and unidimensional assumption that copyright is about the protection of the property rights of owners. He notes instead: “Copyright, specially in literary works, is thus not an inevitable, divine, or natural right that confers on authors the absolute ownership of their creations. It is designed rather to stimulate activity and progress in the arts for the intellectual enrichment of the public. Copyright is intended to increase and not to impede the harvest of knowledge. It is intended to motivate the creative activity of authors and inventors in order to benefit the public.”

If copyright was always about maintaining a balance between competing ideas of private and public interest, the Delhi High Court has restored to copyright jurisprudence a clear mandate for the future, one which is cognisant that the end goal of technology is the improvement of our lives (material and intellectual) and “no law can be interpreted so as to result in any regression of the evolvement of the human being for the better” (paragraph 87).

Global implications

The judgment has immense consequences beyond India and is a bold articulation of the principles of equitable access to knowledge — and one that deserves to be emulated globally. For a while now, the globalisation of copyright norms through international law (Berne Convention, TRIPS Agreement) has been accompanied by the globalisation of copyright standards that have primarily emerged from the global north. Aggressively pushed by the copyright lobby, such as Hollywood, the music industry and the publishing cartels, copyright law had effectively been hijacked by narrow commercial interests (albeit always speaking in the name of authors and creators). Thus even when it came to discussing fair use and exceptions and limitations, countries have found themselves constrained by judicial precedents from the U.S. and elsewhere that have defined quantitative restrictions on photocopying.

In a radical move, the Delhi High Court has concluded that if Indian law makers have allowed through statute for the reproduction of a copyrighted work in the course of instruction, it has done so on the basis of purpose (teaching) and with the conviction that this does not unreasonably prejudice the legitimate interest of the author. Further, this flexibility is provided to it through international law, and it is not the place of courts to impose artificial restrictions by way of quantitative limits. Justice Endlaw, while arriving at this conclusion, is acutely aware of the specific needs of countries like India where libraries and universities have to cope with the needs of thousands of students simultaneously, and it would be naïve to expect every student to buy copies of every book.

An interesting question to consider is whether the judgment effectively makes a clear distinction between fair dealing on the one hand (which is subject to doctrinal tests such as the Three-Step test), and in the copyright act in India governs personal use including research versus a clear statutory exception for educational use. This aspect of the judgment could almost be read as an instructional manual for countries who find themselves straitjackets under international copyright laws, and yet want to ensure the greatest flexibility in the way that they design a system that addresses their specific needs.

How will publishers respond?

While this judgment delivers a terrible blow to the publishers, the crucial question is, how will they respond? Through the entire case the publishers have alienated the student and academic community, and while it is within their right to appeal the judgment, it may be both politically prudent and ethically right not to do so. Teacher, readers, students and photocopiers are not the enemies of publishers; they are their greatest allies. In a time when books and reading itself are under threat from competing media forms, it may be useful to remember that it is education and greater access that makes readers, not copyright.

Lawrence Liang is a professor of law at Ambedkar University, Delhi, currently teaching at Yale University.

Keywords: copyright law, Delhi University photocopying case

Source: The Hindu, 19-09-2016

BPSC Common Combined prelims exam notification issued, check details here

Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has issued a notification inviting applications for 60th, 61st and 62nd Common Combined (preliminary/mains) Competitive Examination.

The commission has invited applications to fill 642 posts, including 244 posts in the Bihar Administrative Services and 30 posts in Bihar Police Service in the notification that was issued on Thursday.

The application process begins on September 27 and will continue till October 31.

Aspirants can find more about the examination on the commission’s official website .

Eligibility

Age: Candidates can check the age limit to apply for a particular post through thenotification on the website as there are some variations in the minimum age depending on the post one is applying for.

Educational qualification: A candidates should have a graduation or equivalent degree from a recognised university by the last date of filing the application.

Candidates will find information about the number of vacancies for various posts, relaxation of age and criteria for reservation through the notification.

They will be asked to choose an optional subject for the main examination while applying for the preliminary examination. The commission will not entertain any request for a change in the optional subject later.

Detailed directions to fill the online application for the preliminary examination has been provided separately.

Information about the structure of the main examination and its syllabus has also been detailed on the website.

Source: Hindustan Times, 16-09-2016

United Nations holds first-ever summit on refugees and migrants

The issue of what to do about the world’s 65.3 million displaced people takes center stage at the United Nations General Assembly Monday when leaders from around the globe converge on New York for the first-ever summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants.

With more people forced to flee their homes than at any time since World War II, leaders and diplomats are expected to approve a document aimed at unifying the UN’s 193 member states behind a more coordinated approach that protects the human rights of refugees and migrants.

“It’s very interesting because if we are able to translate that paper into a response in which many actors are going to participate, we will solve a lot of problems in emergency responses and in long-term refugee situations like the Syrian situation,” Fillipo Grandi, the UN’s high commissioner for refugees told The Associated Press.

That may prove an uphill struggle, however, as the document is not legally binding and comes at a time that refugees and migrants have become a divisive issue in Europe and the United States.

A number of countries rejected an earlier draft of the agreement that called on nations to resettle 10% of the refugee population each year, something that has led a number of human rights groups to criticize the document as a missed opportunity. The US and a number of other countries also objected to language in the original draft that said children should never be detained, so the agreement now says children should seldom, if ever, be detained.

“Instead of sharing responsibility, world leaders shirked it. The UN summit has been sabotaged by states acting in self-interest, leaving millions of refugees in dire situations around the world on the edge of a precipice,” Amnesty International secretary general Salil Shetty said in a statement.

Shetty said the agreement merely kicks the can down the road by calling for separate global compacts for refugees and migrants to be adopted within two years.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, whose report on refugees and migrants laid the basis for the summit document, said he was aware of the criticism from non-governmental groups.

“While we all wish it could be a stronger outcome document ... all 193 member states had to agree on their commitment. As you will see, my report was a strong one,” Ban said. “I hope that, as the two compacts are adopted over the coming year and a half, some stronger language and commitment and elements from the report will reappear in the course of this negotiation.”

More concrete progress is expected at a follow-up summit on Tuesday called by President Barack Obama, where at least 45 countries are expected to make pledges that are in line with US goals of increasing humanitarian aid by $3 billion, doubling resettlement and increasing access to education for one million youngsters and access to employment for another million of the displaced.

“You hear all around the world the UN hasn’t handled the refugee crisis. The way the UN will handle the refugee crisis is if all of us countries within the UN step up and dig deep and face those political headwinds that we all face, to do more, to give more, to take on a greater share of the resettlement challenge,” said Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN.

Power said prior to the pledging summit with world leaders, Obama will host a meeting with top executives from 50 companies to discuss what the private sector can do to help address the problem.

According to the Office of the UN high commissioner for refugees, an “unprecedented” 65.3 million people were displaced at the end of 2015, an increase of more than 5 million from a year earlier. They include 21.3 million refugees, 3.2 million asylum seekers, and 40.8 million migrants.

According to the UN Refugee Agency, refugees are people forced to flee due to armed conflict or persecution, while migrants chose to move in search of a better life.

Source: Hindustan Times, 19-09-2016

Author implicates publication in plagiarism case

Alka Dhupkar TWEETS @alka_MIRROR





Satish Naik alleges that the publication copied parts from his book for theirs; the charges have been denied on all counts

Satish Naik, editor of a Marathi book on noted artist Vasudeo Gaitonde and of Chinha pub lications, has alleged that English book Vasudeo Santu Gaitonde: Sonata of Solitude violated Indian Copyright Act 1957 in a plagiarism case. Naik had filed an FIR under Article 63 of the act on September 10 at Narpoli police station in Thane district, accusing project director of Bodhana Arts and Research Foundation Jesal Thacker, author Meera Menezes, trustee and co-publisher of the Raza Foundation Ashok Vajpeyi, editor Jerry Pinto, project edi tor Abhijeet Randive and Manoj Nair.Satish Naik claimed that before publishing the book on Gaitonde in Marathi, he had submitted the concept to Manish Pushkale of Raza Foundation, requesting funding but the book was rejected by them. Naik told Mumbai Mirror that the `content of the detailed concept note such as pictures, etc., have been copied in the English book.' On January 30, this year, Naik published a Marathi book on Gaitonde.This was his first book on Gaitonde, written in any language and till date, the only Marathi book on the subject.Naik and his team had done extensive research over 16 years for the book.
In the FIR, Naik alleged that an exclusive photograph of Gaitonde which he had bought from photogra pher Werner Dornik has been used in Vasudeo Santu Gaitonde: Sonata of Solitude without Naik's consent. Naik also alleged that three interviews he had taken with Manohar Mhatre, Sharad Palande and Prafulla Dahanukar were copied and used in the English one without his consent.“In the end notes of the book, the dates of the interviews with the three haven't been mentioned. This shows that the author never interviewed them and a look into my book will show how they are copies,“ said Naik.
Jesal, in an email conversation in February with Naik said, “I assure you that we have acknowledged some of your writings as important precedents for our project in the credits section.“
Naik, however, says that the Bodhana book has not credited the Chinha book anywhere. When contacted by this paper, Jesal stated that the allegations were baseless and made `with mala-fide intent'.In the email exchange, she said, “We have been working on this project for five years now, details of which are mentioned in the introductions.“
She added that her lawyer had emailed all the necessary documents to the inspector investigating the case and they were fully cooperating with the case. She also explained that her lawyer would clarify the use of Werner Dornik's photographs. “The Bodhana Arts and Research Foundation is a reputed organisation, which has been working in the research and publication of art for over 10 years and we have obtained all the necessary permissions,“ she said.

Source: Mumbai Mirror, 19-09-2016

Light and Darkness

NIMISHANANDA GURU





Both good and evil originate in the mind. So do pain and sorrow, joy and happiness.Many times what is welcomed by one person as a great opportunity is shunned by another as a terrible adversity . Some love to speak in public, while others go to great lengths to avoid it. So, joy and sorrow are often subjective and relative.When we base our lives on likes and dislikes, `evil' comes into play . However, if we firmly anchor our lives on divine dharmic principles expounded by scriptures and seers, `evil' automatically disappears. Life becomes value-based.We stop harming others in the name of security . We no longer wage wars. Even the feeling of achievement or loss is only a value assigned by the mind.When you are asleep, where is this sense of achievement, sorrow or despair? None of these exists. So, everything arises from the mind and ends in the mind. When we follow dharma, we transcend both good and evil.
People are born neither good nor evil. Impressions that envelop the soul make us seem good or bad. It is basically our past karma that makes us `good' or `bad'. We are not aware of our past nor are we certain about our future. So we lead our lives shrouded in the darkness of ignorance.
When we follow the teachings of sages, the very core of our being changes. The light of wisdom banishes the gloom of ignorance. Our thoughts become noble and sublime.Our actions become naturally benevolent. All the `evil' within us is dissolved.

Altering Your Destiny By Changing Your Karma

Satsang: Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati





It is said that we are making fresh karma every moment and that every thought has to materialise.If a person had some thoughts about a realised guru and those thoughts were not fulfilled during that lifetime, would the guru have to take birth again to fulfil the thoughts of the other person, inducing the cycle of birth and death endlessly?
The concept of karma is a very different concept from the concept of thoughts and feelings, and a difficult concept to understand. Karma has been classified into prarabdha karma, karma of destiny; sanchita karma, accumulated karma; and many other divisions: individual karma, social karma, global karma and universal karma.
We all create mentally, we all think.However, that does not mean that the person we have thought about is forced to act according to these thoughts and wishes. You come across many people in your lifetime with whom you want to live, study, marry, or just be with. If that is not possible for some reason, what you are asking is, “Does that person again come back as your husband or wife?“ If it were so you would have 10 husbands or 10 wives, because our likes and dislikes change constantly. We think and create situations in our minds; we create karmas and eliminate karmas every moment.
I think this example of a guru is not really a correct one, because if it can apply to a guru, it can apply to your girlfriend or boyfriend as well. It can apply to your father and mother, your son and daughter too, because the feeling is the same. As far as the law of karma is concerned, there is a process of elimination. The same is true with thoughts: you think, then you eliminate the thought, it goes away and another thought comes, then it goes away and another thought comes, then another.
If all the thoughts were retained in the mind you would go crazy , because you do not know how to eliminate karmas consciously , wilfully; whether through action, meditation, bhakti yoga or jnana yoga, nobody knows! How is it done? What is the process? What is the system? Internally , something is constantly eliminating, changing and destroying sanchita karma, the karma that we accumulate in our day-to-day life, and it retains only those karmas which affect our life very deeply.
Most of the karmas that are related to the empirical objective world, the experience of time, space, object and senses, are easy to eliminate. However, karma which goes beyond the scope of the senses, mind, intellect, emotions, time, space and object is difficult to manage. This is known as prarabdha karma, the karma of destiny .
I am sure that by thinking that you want to study under this guru or the other guru, you do not create prarabdha karma. It only remains a thought unless you are powerful enough to bring about a total change in the structure of karma which is related to you and the other person. For that you will need to be either a complete lunatic or a Self-realised person, because only these two types of people can do it. People in-between cannot do it.