Monday, December 06, 2021

The Church is against any form of incentivised conversions. Even in the case of inter-religious marriages registered under the Special Marriage Act, the non-Christian partner is counselled to practise his or her own religion. There is no compulsion to convert to Christianity as religious tolerance is a part of Indian ethos. However, if there are cases of incentivised conversion, is criminal law the solution?

In an address to the All Karnataka United Christian Forum for Human Rights (AKUCFHR) on November 19, Peter Machado, the Archbishop of Bangalore, said it was a sin to force anyone to convert. Any conversion had to be from the heart as the Church wanted to increase the quality and not quantity of its faithful.

In a letter to the Karnataka Chief Minister, Dr. Machado says, “Thousands of schools, colleges and hospitals are run and managed by Christian community across the State. When lakhs of students are graduating from these institutions year after year and thousands of patients irrespective of caste, creed or colour receive the best medical attention from our hospitals and care centres, let the government prove that even one of them has ever been influenced, compelled or coerced to change his or her religion.”

It is noteworthy that L.K. Advani, Vasundhara Raje, Pratap Simha, S. Jaishankar, Smriti Irani, J.P. Nadda and Piyush Goyal are senior leaders of the BJP who had obtained their education from Christian institutions.

On religious conversions, the Pew Research Centre (PRC) makes a few observations: “An overall pattern of stability in the share of religious groups is accompanied by little net gain from movement into, or out of, most religious groups. Among Hindus, for instance, any conversion out of the group is matched by conversion into the group. Nationally, the vast majority of former Hindus who are now Christian belong to Scheduled Castes (48%), Scheduled Tribes (14%) or Other Backward Classes (26%). Nearly half of converts to Christianity (47%) say there is a lot of discrimination against Scheduled Castes in India, compared with 20% of the overall population who perceive this level of discrimination against Scheduled Castes. Still, relatively few converts say they, personally, have faced discrimination due to their caste in the last 12 months (12%).”

Root causes

If there are cases of incentivised conversions, the solution lies in addressing the root issues: ending discrimination, providing high quality and free education to the poor and disenfranchised, improving access and quality of free health facilities and medicines, improving nourishment and providing adequate employment opportunities to all. This would automatically address the issue of violent extremism prevalent in some parts of the country. Violence, in thought, word or deed, cannot be solved with more violence. Though the proposed anti-conversion Bill is considered oppressive and Christians are being physically attacked by fringe elements, the Christian community is firmly resolved in its service to society through love and shall continue to pray for the political leadership.

Are there other conditions that we Indians need to reflect upon? The study by the PRC with a sample of 22,975 Hindus, 3,336 Muslims, 1,782 Sikhs, 1,011 Christians, 719 Buddhists and 109 Jains, points out the following: “religious groups generally see themselves as different from each other; stopping inter-religious marriage is a high priority; substantial minorities would not accept followers of other religions as neighbours.” The study also observed that caste is a dividing factor across religions.

The late Justice Leila Seth pointed out in her TEDx talk that the early implementation of the anti-dowry laws only made the public display of dowry disappear but eradicating dowry required a change in attitudes and mindset. Addressing cases of incentivised conversion would require a holistic approach.

In a world that is growing in anger, hate, selfishness, greed, isolation and apathy, Christians do want to convert people to love, compassion, kindness, openness, empathy and selflessness, which are visible through actions. While these are human values, Christians value them as the basis of their lives. The Constitution being the guiding book of all Indians, Dr. Machado expressed complete faith in Constitutional values and the Judiciary.

Writtten by Vikram Vincent

Source: the Hindu, 5/12/21

Relevant beyond prison and pandemic: A career in incarceration studies

The discipline is underpinned and interlinked by four Cs of ‘big ideas’ about incarceration: culture, criminology, creative-critical practices, and community.

Though incarceration is often associated with imprisonment in jail or prison, the word has a host of contexts including historical slavery, pandemic lockdowns, and wartime camps, modern-day trafficking and even situations of domestic abuse.

Incarceration studies consider a range of these contexts and their cultures. Within such carceral environments, creativity has also flourished in diverse ways, whether in songs, poetry, art or memoirs, and has been documented and represented further in film, music and photography.

Relevance in the modern world

Students get to experience teaching, research and practical experiences that are linked by four ideas – culture, criminology, creativity, and community. As India develops its knowledge economy and moves away from a one size fits all education system, it places new value on critical thinking skills and passion, practicality and performance around learning.

As more students follow this study path it will lead to a wider variety of career opportunities as employers need to diversify the types of people they employ. These subjects will help drive innovation in the knowledge economy. Studying incarnation studies would have been unheard of even several years ago in India, but today presents graduates with a wealth of options for their future careers.

Four Cs of ‘big ideas’

The discipline is underpinned and interlinked by four Cs of ‘big ideas’ about incarceration: Culture, criminology, creative-critical practices, and community. The world is increasingly changing, and to meet the dynamics of the changing world, we need a varied course curriculum. Studying this area will give an understanding of the changing spectacle of the world, as it demands an upgraded outlook of its inhabitants.

Students are assessed through a mixed portfolio of assessments, including reflective writing, journalistic (blog) writing, report writing (including data analysis), audio podcasts, and more traditional essay and dissertation writing. Incarceration Studies subsequently produces enlightened, empowered and empathetic global communicators and researchers who are well-versed in processes and debates surrounding creative and cultural production in diverse carceral contexts.

Skill development and career opportunities

Incarceration Studies equip students with advanced analytical, research and writing skills, which will lead graduates to a wide range of workplaces. Such critical thinking skills, alongside the knowledge and practical experiences acquired, will enable graduates to pursue a wide range of careers in journalism, publishing, the prison, police and probation services, teaching, government agencies, and volunteer work both in India and globally.

Indeed, incarceration studies foster intellectual flexibility by transcending the constraints of regular disciplines. It combines literature, history, political science, international relations, film, music, visual arts, sociology, criminology and creative writing. Employers are impressed by such broad intellectual capabilities and the confidence that these generate. Moreover, the international angle of the programme is essential for employers because it fosters cross-cultural perspectives and thus critical awareness of multiculturalism, which enables students better to understand their place in an increasingly globalised world.

Indian employers particularly value practical experience as it can provide evidence of professionalism, adaptability and the attitudes and aptitudes which enable students to be effective in the workplace. The innovative discipline displays best practices that also include an international perspective and immersive experience. It is encouraged by employers in the criminal justice sector as these applicants can demonstrate a realistic understanding of the nature of the industry, provide first-hand insights into current issues and the challenges and opportunities these present.

Source: Indian Express, 6/12/21

What is ‘Greater Tipraland’ and why are tribal outfits in Tripura pushing for it

The demand has grown louder to carve out a separate state of 'Greater Tipraland' for the indigenous communities in Tripura under Article 2 and 3 of the Constitution.

Several tribal outfits in Tripura have joined hands to push their demand for a separate state for indigenous communities in the region, arguing that their “survival and existence” was at stake. They staged a dharna at Jantar Mantar on November 30 and December 1 with the demand, which at least three political parties – the Congress, Shiv Sena and AAP – have promised to take up with the Union government.

Among the political parties that have come together for the cause are TIPRA Motha (Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance) and IPFT (Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura), which had so far been rivals in the electoral fray.

What is their main demand?

The parties are demanding a separate state of ‘Greater Tipraland’ for the indigenous communities of the north-eastern state. They want the Centre to carve out the separate state under Article 2 and 3 of the Constitution. Among the 19 notified Scheduled Tribes in Tripura, Tripuris (aka Tipra and Tiprasas) are the largest. According to the 2011 census, there are at least 5.92 lakh Tripuris in the state, followed by Reangs (1.88 lakh) and Jamatias (83,000).

What does the Constitution say?

Article 2 of the Constitution deals with admission or establishment of new states. “Parliament may by law admit into the Union, or establish, new States on such terms and conditions, as it thinks fit,” it states. Article 3 comes into play in the case of “formation of new States and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing States” by the Parliament.

How did the demand originate?

Tripura was a kingdom ruled by the Manikya dynasty from the late 13th century until the signing of the Instrument of Accession with the Indian government on October 15, 1949.

The demand mainly stems from the anxiety of the indigenous communities in connection with the change in the demographics of the state, which has reduced them to a minority. It happened due to the displacement of Bengalis from the erstwhile East Pakistan between 1947 and 1971. From 63.77 per cent in 1881, the population of the tribals in Tripura was down to 31.80 per cent by 2011. In the intervening decades, ethnic conflict and insurgency gripped the state, which shares a nearly 860-km long boundary with Bangladesh. The joint forum has also pointed out that the indigenous people have not only been reduced to a minority, but have also been dislodged from land reserved for them by the penultimate king of the Manikya dynasty Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman.

What has been done to address the grievances of indigenous communities?

The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC) was formed under the sixth schedule of the Constitution in 1985 to ensure development and secure the rights and cultural heritage of the tribal communities. The TTADC, which has legislative and executive powers, covers nearly two-third of the state’s geographical area. The council comprises 30 members of which 28 are elected while two are nominated by the Governor. Also, out of the 60 Assembly seats in the state, 20 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes. ‘Greater Tipraland’ envisages a situation in which the entire TTADC area will be a separate state. It also proposes dedicated bodies to secure the rights of the Tripuris and other aboriginal commu

What was the immediate trigger for the dharna?

The churn in the state’s politics with the rise of TIPRA Motha and the Assembly polls due in early 2023 are the two major reasons behind the development. TIPRA Motha, led by Pradyot Debbarman who is the titular head of the royal family, won a majority in this year’s TTADC polls, leaving the IPFT, which is an ally of the ruling BJP, with a diminished influence.

In the lead up to the 2018 Assembly polls, the IPFT had captured the imagination of the tribal electorate as it aggressively campaigned with the demand for a separate state of “Twipraland”. After the elections, it joined the BJP-led Cabinet and lowered its pitch. In 2018, the Centre formed a 13-member committee to address tribal grievances. However, that committee has met only around three times in the last four years, according to an IPFT leader.

Pradyot has so far been successful in occupying the space vacated by the IPFT, leaving it with no choice but to join hands with him. During the two-day dharna, Congress MP Deepender Hooda, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi and AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh addressed the gathering of supporters at Jantar Mantar. Incidentally, Pradyot had quit the Congress in 2019 after serving as the working president of its Tripura unit.nities living outside Tripura.

Written by Sourav Roy Barman

Source: Indian Express, 6/12/21

Friday, December 03, 2021

Quote of the Day December 3, 2021

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
Mother Teresa

“मीठे बोल संक्षिप्त और बोलने में आसान हो सकते हैं, लेकिन उनकी गूंज सचमुच अनंत होती है।”
मां टेरेसा

How is IoT impacting the digital transformation of education?

Education 2.0

Until the pandemic struck, educational institutions in India used chalk and talk for lectures and a manual attendance process by using roll call and other administrative processes.

Topics like Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) were restricted to debates and academic discussions. But COVID-19 forced them to explore technological tools, something that other sectors had already done and reaped many benefits.

What is IoT?

It is an environment in which physical entities that have inbuilt sensors and software can exchange data and information automatically with each other without manual intervention over the Internet. This has the potential to dramatically transform the process of learning and also update administrative systems. Some of the uses have been listed below:

Tracking movement: Integrated systems of IoT, which automatically transmits information about the child boarding the bus, the bus reaching the school and the child entering the school premises, can be available to both parents and teachers via an app and automated messages.

Attendance system: Teachers and faculty members need not waste time on roll call. Instead, the student’s identity card automatically communicates with the sensors in the classroom and marks attendance.

Automatic sharing: Taking notes and marking critical points is an integral part of a student’s class activity. But, with IoT, all the contents on the black/whiteboard is automatically converted into a portable document and shared over email.

Session capture: An IoT environment automatically captures a classroom session (audio and video) and puts it on a shareable drive. This can be accessed by those students who missed the class. This way learning becomes both inclusive and accessible.

Ensuring security: With COVID-19 still doing the rounds, an IoT-based system integrated with CCTVs can scan the campus and spot people who are not wearing masks. The coordinates can be sent as an SMS and a email to the administrative authority for further action.

Read and translate: IoT can also be used to quickly scan editable text from books, papers and other documents directly into a phone, tablet or computer and translate into more than 40 languages.

This allows students to read the content in the language they are comfortable with and to use the application to read and listen to the text.

Thus, using IoT in educational institutions allows a better connected and more collaborative and inclusive learning environment.

Ramakrishnan Raman

The writer is Professor and Director Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune

Source: The Hindu, 27/11/21

UGC extends thesis submission deadline for MPhil, PhD scholars till June 2022

The submission deadline has been extended till June 30 next year, according to officials.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has granted an extension to MPhil and PhD scholars for submission of thesis. The submission deadline has been extended till June 30 next year, according to officials.

“Keeping in view the larger interest of the research scholars, a further extension of six months beyond December 31 till June 30, 2022, for submission of the thesis by MPhil and PhD students may be granted by the universities. It is also notified that the extension for submission of thesis till June, shall be applicable to all such students whose due date of submission of the thesis is on or before June 30,” UGC Secretary Rajnish Jain said in an official notice.

“Extension of six months, as mentioned above, may also be granted for submitting evidence of publication and presentation in two conferences. However, tenure of fellowship will remain up to five years only,” he added.

Earlier, the commission had extended the submission deadline till December 2021, but now the research scholars have another six months to submit their thesis. “It is also notified that the extension for submission of MPhil/PhD thesis till June 2022 shall be applicable to all such students whose due date of submission of the thesis is on or before June 30, 2022,” it has added.

Source: Indian Express, 3/12/21

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