“Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.”
Dale Carnegie
“क्या आप ज़िन्दगी से ऊब चुके हैं? तो स्वयं को ऐसे काम में झोंक दें जिसमें आप दिल से यकीन रखते हों, उसके लिए जिएं, उसके लिए मरें, और आप ऐसी खुशी पाएंगें जो आप सोचते थे कि कभी आपको नहीं मिल सकती है।”
डेल कार्नेगी
The Centre has approved the continuation of schemes of the Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER) with an outlay of Rs 12,882 crore for the balance period of the 15th Finance Commission (2022-23 to 2025-26).
DoNER Minister G Kishan Reddy announced at a press conference that the approved schemes will be extended for the balance period of the 15th Finance Commission, a decision that was made at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. The extension will allow for better planning in terms of project selection and front-loading of projects during the scheme period.
The outlay for the North East Special Infrastructure Scheme (NESIDS) will be Rs 8,139.5 crore, including the committed liabilities of ongoing projects, according to the Expenditure Finance Committee’s recommendations. The outlay for the ‘Schemes of NEC’ will be Rs 3,202.7 crore, including the committed liabilities of ongoing projects. The outlay for special packages for the Bodoland Territorial Council, the Dima Hasao Autonomous Territorial Council, and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council in Assam is Rs 1,540 crore, including the committed liabilities of ongoing projects.
NESIDS, a central sector scheme with 100% central funding, has been restructured to include two components: NESIDS (roads) and NESIDS (other than road infrastructure).
The actual expenditure in the last four years under DoNER schemes was Rs 7,534.46 crore, while the fund available for expenditure in the next four years until 2025-26 is Rs 19,482.2 crore. There has been a 370% increase in the average annual budget allocation, totaling Rs 9,970 crore, in the last eight years compared to the average annual budget allocation of Rs 2,122 crore during 2009-14.
In addition to infrastructure development, the DoNER ministry is also working on various other initiatives to boost the region’s development, including promoting entrepreneurship, skill development, and tourism.
According to recent research, 95% of the students surveyed agreed that studying abroad has accelerated their maturity levels and influenced their long-term worldview. From global perspectives to industry exposure and hands-on learning to the blend of cultures, the primary aspect of studying abroad is to identify educational opportunities that are valued highly across all borders.
Before selecting these countries to study overseas, significant factors must be evaluated, including average cost of living, employability rates, and tuition expenditure. For comparing and evaluating countries based on universities, courses offered, the monthly cost of living, and rent, below is a detailed list of countries along with their pros and cons.
1. United Kingdom
There are several reasons why the UK is a prestigious place to study abroad, including no language barrier for students from many other English-speaking nations, renowned institutions, a thriving student culture, and quick access to European countries. Furthermore, it has shorter duration courses and a high acceptance rate with diverse research and innovation opportunities. The top five universities include the University of Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, the University of Edinburgh, and King's College London. The average monthly cost of living, including rent as recommended by UKVI, is $1250.
2. United States
With exceptional education and intellectual rigor, the United States provides international students with innovative practices and prestige. The top five universities include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Stanford University, Yale University, and the University of Chicago. Furthermore, it has extensive undergraduate and postgraduate degrees with financial aid that are available such as scholarships and grants.
3. Germany
With innovative art, literature, and iconic monuments, Germany has reasonable living costs with a rich background history. From business to hard sciences, it provides academic internships for innovation and growth at leading companies. Furthermore, it was found that about 50% of students who were studying abroad were employed or participated in international internships/volunteer work. The top 5 universities in Germany are the Technical University of Munich, Freie Universitat Berlin, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Humboldt University of Berlin and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. The expense per semester for tuition fees is $3000.
4. Singapore
With low crime rates and budget-friendly options, Singapore is one of the safest countries for studying abroad. With diverse religions, architecture, and food, it is a country rich in culture and ethnicity. The top 5 universities include the National University of Singapore, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, and INSEAD- Singapore. The total expenditure to be incurred on tuition each semester is $3050.
5. Canada
With liberal government policies for immigration and budget-friendly lifestyles, Canada has consistently grown as a preferred destination for pursuing higher education in recent years. About Three-fourths of students who chose to study abroad believe that it has helped them develop skills for future careers, such as improved interpersonal skills, increased self-reliance, foreign language proficiency, and overall adaptability to new environments. The top 5 universities are the University of Toronto, McGill University, the University of British Columbia, the University of Waterloo, and the University of Alberta.
6. Australia
With a smaller local population and student-centric cities, Australia hosts programs for students interested in geological, wildlife, and other biological studies. The top five universities include the University of New South Wales, the University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney, the University of Queensland, and the Australian National University. The average spending every month amounts to $1750.
7. Spain
With a diverse cultural, artistic and linguistic background, Spain provides international students with a comprehensive history for developing and enhancing their linguistic skills. The top 5 universities include the University of Barcelona, Pompeu Fabra University, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and the University of Navarra. For tuition fees, a student incurs an amount of $2,000 per semester.
8. New Zealand
With adventure sports and small college towns, New Zealand has bustling cities which provide leadership opportunities and a deep understanding of the Māori culture. The top 5 universities include the University of Auckland, the University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, the University of Canterbury, and Massey University. The average monthly cost of living, including rent, is $1250.
9. Ireland
With an international hub for technology, pharmaceuticals, and chemistry, Ireland provides unique cultural opportunities for students. The top 5 universities include University College Cork, Dublin City University, University of Limerick, National University of Ireland, and Technological University Dublin. The expected expenditure for a month is about $1600, which is inclusive of rent.
About 40% of US companies missed out on global business opportunities because of a need for internationally competent persons. Studying abroad helps act as an investment, both professionally and academically. Therefore, it is essential to carefully evaluate and understand the different countries based on employability rates, costs of living and growth rates.
About The Author
Mr. Rohit Sethi, Director, ESS Global
Source: The Telegraph, 30/12/22
India is a pre-modern, pluralist society
At the Tory conference in the United Kingdom (October 2022), the home secretary, Suella Braverman, referred to the “vocal” and the “ethnic minority” creating serious problems for the “law-abiding majority”. This can be understood as scripting an antithesis to the famous thesis by the British liberal philosopher, John Stuart Mill, who cautioned against the “tyranny of the majority”.
Now, while a word or a concept can be used differently from its original usage, the difference must be recognised. Mill, for instance, was reacting to his predecessor, John Locke, who criticised Robert Filmer. Filmer defended the divine rights of kings. Locke, in turn, proposed moving away from earlier forms of feudalism and theocracies, with citizens choosing their leader as their representative. In case of a lack of consensus, Locke proposed, the majority’s decision would prevail over the minority’s. This provided the foundation for representative democracy as a modern form of politics.
The majority and the minority in Locke and Mill comprise unencumbered modern citizens. However, Braverman’s use of these terms differs from that of Locke or Mill. She uses the word, minority, to refer to non-modern aspects such as ethnicity. Ethnic minorities, in her usage, are ‘encumbered’ within a community or region that falls outside that of ‘unencumbered’ individuals. At the least, she uses minority to refer to an overlap between modern citizens and the pre-modern self encumbered within a community. There is thus a difference between using these key terms within and outside liberalism.
Independent India adopted modernistic ideas of individual freedom and liberty, as well as institutions like parliamentary democracy from liberalism. This progressive move by our national leaders put India’s international profile on a par with other modern states. However, there is a difference between modern Western and Indian experiences. Modern Western nations have modern citizens as premises in the public sphere, and their institutions are based on these modern individuals. At least they projected themselves as such, and this is how the outside world perceived them.
In contrast, while the provision of citizenship is enshrined in the Indian Constitution, there is a vast difference between political ideals and social reality. People are entrenched in pre-modern communities, cultures, regions, religions and languages. The words, majority and minority, which are intrinsic parts of representative democracy, do not have an immediate referent in India. Hence, there is a cleavage between what is and what ought to be.
India is primarily a pre-modern, pluralistic society. Forcibly imposing modern liberal political terminology on Indian society can be problematic and misleading. For instance, Indian liberals and secularists use the terms, minority and majority, to refer not to citizens but to religious communities. This difference, if not recognised, can lead to confusion.
In Locke’s concept of liberalism, the majority is constituted first. The minority is then formed by those not included in the majority — in that sequential order. However, secularists and liberals in India claiming to represent modern liberalism not only used these terms to refer to realities that lie outside of liberalism but also inverted the sequence, creating confusion. They designated the minority first and then created a majority still in the making. These concepts were used as if they were predetermined — the past tense instead of the present continuous.
Critics of secularism have now taken on these concepts and embarked on a massive drive to define the majority by highlighting instances of minority appeasement and are steadily gaining followers. The confusing use of these liberal concepts has also taken its toll outside the political domain, beyond the concepts of minority and majority.
In a plural society like India, there are several majorities and several minorities. For instance, a non-Hindi speaker can feel a deep sense of being the minority in the company of Hindi-speaking people. Similarly, a Hindi-speaking person classified under the majority religion may feel like the minority in a non-Hindi-speaking place. And we find numerous such instances all over India.
An essential feature of a pluralistic society like India is that it allows each person to feel like a minority. Many aspects of a plural society are unfamiliar to its people. For example, several languages and cultural practices are unknown. And, when accessed, you are either alone or in a small group. In turn, this feeling in plural societies can sensitise people to similar feelings in others — a unique, yet common, virtue in a pluralist society. The way terms like majority and minority are used today fails to capture this special feature. Within this context, we can mostly use the shifting nature of the majority and minority.
Terms like majority and minority are thus used within the liberal framework by liberal philosophers like Locke and Mill. However, Braverman’s use of these terms and their use in India falls outside the liberal framework. It is imperative to distinguish these and avoid conflating one with the other. Maintaining this difference can lead to clarity.
Braverman’s comments provides the context to re-examine the background of various theories of liberalism, identify the use of concepts such as minority and majority outside liberalism, investigate the misleading nature of their use in India and highlight their unique aspects.
We also need to focus on making pragmatic political decisions that are sustainable in the long run. Since modern liberal ideals are not indigenous to India, we need to understand their history, their background and the complexities associated with the Indian context to utilise them for more effective decision-making.
Source: The Telegraph, 9/01/23
“The common question that gets asked in business is, ‘why?’ That’s a good question, but an equally valid question is, ‘why not?’”
Jeffrey Bezos
“आम सवाल जो कारोबार में पूछा जाता है, ‘क्यों?’ वह एक अच्छा सवाल है, लेकिन एक उतना ही सटीक सवाल है, ‘क्यों नहीं?'”
जेफरी बेज़ोस
“Be self-reliant, be industrious
Work, gather wisdom and riches,
All gets lost without knowledge
We become animal without wisdom,
Sit idle no more, go, get education
End misery of the oppressed and forsaken,
You’ve got a golden chance to learn
So learn and break the chains of caste.
Throw away the Brahman’s scriptures fast.”
– Savitribai Phule (Kavya Phule, 1854)
A pioneer who challenged oppressive social norms in her quest for women’s education, equality and justice, Savitribai Phule is formally recognised as India’s first woman teacher. The above poem titled Go, Get Education, is among the many Phule wrote to make a clarion call to the downtrodden to pursue education, and break free from the shackles of the caste system.
A Dalit woman from the Mali community, Savitribai was born on January 3, 1831, in Maharashtra’s Naigaon village. Married off at the tender age of 10, her husband Jyotirao Phule is said to have educated her at home. Later, Jyotirao admitted Savitribai to a teachers’ training institution in Pune. Throughout their life, the couple supported each other and in doing so, broke many social barriers.At a time when it was considered unacceptable for women to even attain education, the couple went on to open a school for girls in Bhidewada, Pune, in 1848. This became the country’s first girls’ school.
The Phules opened more such schools for girls, Shudras and Ati-Shudras (the backward castes and Dalits, respectively) in Pune, leading to discontent among Indian nationalists like Bal Gangadhar Tilak. They opposed the setting up of schools for girls and non-Brahmins, citing a “loss of nationality”, and believing not following the caste rules would mean a loss of nationality itself.
The opposition to the couple was so hostile that eventually Jyotirao’s father Govindrao was forced to kick them out of his house.
Savitribai herself faced great animosity from the upper castes, including instances of physical violence.When serving as the headmistress of the first school in Bhide Wada, upper-caste men often pelted stones and threw mud and cow dung on her. It is said that Savitribai would have to carry two saris when she went to school. She would change out of the soiled sari once she reached the school, which would again be soiled on her way back.
But this would not deter the work and the schools came to be hailed as a success. One report from 1852 in The Poona Observer states, “The number of girl students in Jotirao’s school is ten times more than the number of boys studying in the government schools. This is because the system for teaching girls is far superior to what is available for boys in government schools… If the Government Education Board does not do something about this soon, seeing these women outshine the men will make us hang our heads in shame.”
According to the memoirs written by Balwant Sakharam Kolhe, Savitribai was undeterred by these attacks and would say to her harassers, “As I do the sacred task of teaching my fellow sisters, the stones or cow dung that you throw seem like flowers to me. May God bless you!”
Along with Jyotirao, Savitribai started the Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha (‘Home for the Prevention of Infanticide’) for pregnant widows facing discrimination. This was inspired by a turn of events wherein a young Brahmin widow was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Andamans after she killed her newborn child. The man who had raped the illiterate widow refused to take up any responsibility for the child, driving the widow to infanticide.
Savitribai Phule also advocated inter-caste marriages, widow remarriage, and eradication of child marriage, sati and dowry systems, among other social issues. The Phules also adopted Yashwantrao, the child of a widow, whom they educated to become a doctor.
In 1873, the Phules set up the Satyashodhak Samaj (‘Truth-seekers’ society’), a platform open to all, irrespective of their caste, religion or class hierarchies, with the sole aim of bringing social equity. As an extension, they started ‘Satyashodhak Marriage’ – a rejection of Brahmanical rituals where the marrying couple takes a pledge to promote education and equality.
The couple also set up ‘Balyata Pratibandak Gruha’, a childcare centre for the protection of pregnant widows and rape victims. Urging women to break free of caste barriers, Savitribai encouraged them to sit together at her meetings.
At her husband’s funeral procession on November 28, 1890, Savitribai again defied convention and carried the titve (earthen pot). Walking ahead of the procession, Savitribai was the one who consigned his body to the flames, a ritual which is still predominantly carried out by men.
Setting an extraordinary example of living a life of compassion, service and courage, Savitribai became involved in relief work during the 1896 famine in Maharashtra and the 1897 Bubonic plague. She herself contracted the disease while taking a sick child to the hospital, and breathed her last on March 10, 1897.
Savitribai Phule published her first collection of poems, called Kavya Phule (‘Poetry’s Blossoms’), at the age of 23 in 1854. She published Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar (‘The Ocean of Pure Gems’), in 1892.Besides these works, Matushri Savitribai Phlenchi Bhashane va Gaani (S’avitribai Phule’s speeches and songs’), and her letters to her husband have also been published.
Her poems also pointed out the necessity of learning English, as one reads:
“Make self-reliance your occupation,
Exert yourself to gather the wealth of knowledge,
Without knowledge animals remained dumb,
Don’t rest! Strive to educate yourself.
The opportunity is here,
For the Shudras and Ati Shudras,
To learn English
To dispel all woes.
Throw away the authority
Of the Brahmin and his teachings,
Break the shackles of caste,
By learning English.”
Calling out to the oppressed and the downtrodden to fight for justice, she says:
“Weak and oppressed! Rise my brother
Come out of living in slavery…”
“Awake, arise and educate
Smash traditions-liberate!
We’ll come together and learn
Policy-righteousness-religion,
Slumber not but blow the trumpet
O Brahman, dare not you upset.
Give a war cry, rise fast
Rise, to learn and act.”
Source: Indian Express, 3/01/23