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Friday, February 22, 2019

What is 'Commitment device' in Sociology?


This refers to any choice made by individuals in the present in order to prevent themselves from making impulsive mistakes in the future. It is believed that commitment devices can force people to stick to their original hard decisions without wavering from such decisions under distress in the future. An individual wishing to lose weight, for instance, may choose to buy a year-long membership at the gym instead of a weekly or monthly membership as a way to force himself to go to the gym regularly. Making one’s commitments or goals public to a large group of people is another common example of an effective commitment device that can help people achieve their goals.

Source: The Hindu, 22/02/2019

UPSC IFS recruitment 2019: Latest updates on attempts, qualification, documents required here

UPSC Civil Service IFS 2019 Notification is out. Check number of attempts, educational qualifcations and documents required here.

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has issued the official notification of Indian Forest Services (IFS) on its official website upsc.gov.in. There are 90 vacancies for the post of Indian Forest Services (IFS) as of now.
With this, the online registration of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) started from February 19, 2019 onwards. The last date to apply is March 18.
Age Limit: A candidate must be a minimum of 21 years of age and maximum 32 years of age as on August1, 2019. He/ she must have been born not earlier than August 2, 1987 and not later than August 1, 1998.
UPSC Eligibility (subjects)
The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the subjects namely --- animal husbandry and veterinary science, botany, chemistry, geology, mathematics, physics, statistics and zoology or a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, forestry or in engineering.
Number of attempts for UPSC IFS
Eligible candidates shall be permitted six attempts at the examination for general candidate. For reserved category candidate will get nine attempts.
Documents Required
Candidates who will be qualified for admission to the Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination will have to apply again and submit on-line Detailed Application Form-I [DAF-I] along with scanned documents/certificates in support of date of birth, category {viz. SC/ST/ OBC(without OBC Annexure) /EWS [Economically Weaker Sections] (without EWS Annexure)/PwBD/Ex-Serviceman} and educational qualification with required Examination Fee.
The documents include: Matriculation marksheet and marksheet of graduate degree. For reserved category candidates, caste certificate has to be attached.
Negative Marking
Candidates should note that there will be penalty (negative marking) for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the Objective Type Question Papers.
FACILITATION COUNTER FOR GUIDANCE OF CANDIDATES:
In case of any guidance/information/clarification regarding their applications, candidature etc. candidates can contact UPSC’s Facilitation Counter near gate ‘C’ of its campus in person or over Telephone No. 011-23385271/011-23381125/011-23098543 on working days between 10.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION OF UPSC CIVIL SERVICES 2019
UPSC has released its official notification on its official website and has started its online application process from February 19, 2019. The dates as mentioned in the official calendar of UPSC include February 19 as the commencement of application while March 18 is the last date to apply.
The civil services examination (CSE) 2019 preliminary level will be conducted on June 2, 2019.
Candidates interested for UPSC IAS/ IPS/ IFS can apply for the examination online. The application forms has been uploaded online at the official website of UPSC at upsc.gov.in
The main examination for UPSC civil services exam will be conducted on September 20 which will be held for five days. The main examination for UPSC Indian Forest Service (IFS) will be conducted on December 1, 2019. The IFS main exam will be conducted for 10 days.
UPSC Recruitment Process
The UPSC recruitment consists of a three-level exam including prelims, main and interview. Candidates have to qualify all three levels.
UPSC IFS Application Fee
Candidates applying (excepting Female/SC/ST/PwBD candidates who are exempted from payment of fee) for Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination are required to pay a fee of Rs.100/- (Rupees One Hundred only) either by depositing the money in any Branch of SBI by cash, or by using net banking facility of State Bank of India or by using Visa/Master/RuPay Credit/Debit card.
Source: Hindustan Times, 22/02/2019

Widening urban, rural divide must be addressed

Confusion and conflict among the younger generation from rural areas can lead to social tensions and this needs to be dealt with immediately.

Among the many contradictions and paradoxes of Gurugram are the varied kinds of settlements in the city. In general, when Gurugram is mentioned, all we think of are the swanky office buildings and gated communities of New Gurugram. I wrote a few weeks ago about the large migrant population that are often invisible in the city. But there are also the urban villages which are a key part of the city. We know them as areas such as Sikanderpur, Nathupur, Tigda, Wazirabad, Jharsa and Ghata among others.
Gurugram was just a set of villages in the 1960’s when private developers began buying the land. At that time, the Haryana government was the only state government that allowed for private developers to buy land directly from farmers. This began the process of transforming agricultural land in this area for non-agricultural purposes. Over the years, several private developers have bought land directly from the farmers and land owners. The two decades following the 1980’s saw a flurry of land being acquired for private buildings.
While the local villagers sold their agricultural land, they continued to live in the villages. There were around 100 villages. With the setting up of the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon in 2008, many of these villages became incorporated into the city.
Some of the villagers made a fair amount of money selling their lands which they either invested in lands further away, building houses, setting up small businesses and even on luxury items such as fancy cars. There were of course some who did not and some who kept the lands had to sell them to HUDA for lower compensations.
These areas are very poorly served in terms of infrastructure and services. Thus, even today inside some of these areas, you will find poor narrow streets, poor drainage and sewage facilities and these are quite in contrast to the gated communities that they border. The areas are extremely congested and densely populated. While the private developers have provided services to residents where it was not given by the city, these areas became neglected. One of the main problems of this city has been poor service delivery by the city authorities.
While they are residents of this city, many of them feel a sense of alienation and even erasure of their histories. These villages are enclaves within the larger city of high rise buildings and malls. Some of them have set up businesses, others work as drivers or security guards. Many of them are landlords now, renting their properties to migrants who come into the city looking for work.
In her research on these urban villages, anthropologist Shubra Gururani found that many of them choose to continue living in the village area as they enjoy the traditional village ethos and structure. The village remains a support network for them. Even though there are more migrants now living in these areas, the landowners and the original inhabitants of the area have a sense of belonging to the village, and often a sense of marginalisation in the larger city.
This reality of Gurugram needs to be addressed and the city must be seen as a conglomeration of all the different sets of people who inhabit it. For many of the younger generation in the urban villages, the lifestyles of new Gurugram are aspirational and this leads to both confusion and conflicts. These need to be dealt with and not swept under the carpet. The diversity of Indian cities and the people who inhabit them are part of the contemporary urbanisation process, but the increasing divides and exclusions can only lead to social tensions.
@SafetipinApp
Co-founder and CEO of Safetipin, the author works on issues of women’s safety and rights in cities
Source: Hindustan Times, 21/02/2019

Persevere & Be Sincere


There is another word that keeps coming to my mind and that word is ‘persevere’. Persevere, persevere, persevere and never think that anything is impossible. Never think, “I will not be able to attain this.” If you allow such a thought to dominate your mind, you become your own greatest obstacle and bondage. Never allow your mind to think that anything good, lofty or sublime is impossible. Things do not get achieved because one has given up the effort or one does not keep on trying. While crossing a river you cannot afford to give up the effort midstream. There is a saying, “Having placed your hand upon the plough, there is no turning back until you reap the harvest.” It may be after months of continuous effort, but because of this persistence the harvest will be reaped. This is the key hinted at by Patanjali Maharishi in his Yoga Sutras, and this is the key that gave success to all Bhaktas in meeting Bhagavan. Savitri attained her determined goal through perseverance. Markandeya was destined to die in his sixteenth year, but he became immortal through his perseverance. Perseverance is the one thing needed. It is positivity and optimism, trust in God and faith in oneself that make perseverance possible and enable one to not give up. Perseverance is the idea to reflect on here. Perseverance is not obstinacy. It is a heroic virtue and it is sincerity that enables one to keep on persevering

Source: Economic Times, 22/02/2019

Give details of those in forests facing eviction: Centre to states


Tribal Affairs Ministry Wants To Know Number Of Land Claims Rejected

In the backdrop of a Supreme Court order, the Centre has written to state governments seeking details of tribals and non-tribals who face eviction on account of rejection of claims to land patta (ownership document) as per provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. An official source said the next course of action with regard to eviction of those unable to establish claims on the basis of being tribals or forest dwellers will be considered once the number of affected persons is established. If this turns out to be very large, the government may have to explore options even if claims have not been proved or involve non-tribals. Ministry of tribal affairs secretary Deepak Khandekar said the number of persons given pattas is known. “We know that about 19 lakh claims have been given patta. What is the exact status of the rest is what we have asked to know,” he said. Khandekar said states have been asked to reply with immediate effect. “The ministry may convene a meeting of states which work out how to deal with these cases and what will happen to those who face eviction,” he said. While forest rights groups accused the Centre of being silent in court, the SC order showed that additional solicitor general A Nadkarni and a team of lawyers represented the government. The MoTA secretary said lawyers representing the ministry were present in court but were not slated to make submissions, hence the question of not putting across the Centre’s point of view did not arise. Going by the ministry’s view, eviction is not an immediate threat but given the SC directions and lack of clarity on exact numbers, uncertainty shrouds many tribal and non-tribal families across states. “Any change in FRA provisions cannot happen at this stage as it will require approval of Parliament. So, only a new government will be able to take a decision if the law needs amendments,” said a source. On behalf of one of the petitioners Wildlife First, Praveen Bhargav told TOI, “The Supreme Court is presently focusing only on recovery of forest land from bogus claimants whose claims stand rejected. Such claimants continue to occupy a huge area of forest land, including within national parks and sanctuaries, even though their claims have been rejected after due verification and an appeals process.” Forest rights groups, however, countered by saying the apex court order was a major blow to the struggle of tribals and forest dwellers for justice. The next hearing is in July where states have to tell the status of those claims that have not been granted pattas. The questions to be answered involve how many claims are pending, how many are rejected and what is the status of those rejected

Source: Times of India, 22/02/2019

Thursday, February 21, 2019

A modern story of Ekalavya


The education system continues to exclude many people’s histories, world views and cultures

It is difficult being a teacher these days. The dismantling of institutions, which seems to be the prime concern of this government, began with education. The attack on premier public universities through motivated hiring, questioning reservation, and creating a climate of fear and intimidation has continued. This is a time when many teachers are forced to rethink the meaning of teaching.
The place of the teacher
This has also led to a climate of suspicion about teachers in general, in schools, colleges and universities. Teachers are constantly under attack by systems which want to protect students (especially because students are nowadays seen as paying ‘consumers’), by parents who decide what and how a teacher should teach, by a government which humiliates and uses teachers, and by private managements which see teachers as a necessary ‘evil’ to put up with. Our colleges and schools even today are places of feudal authority and oppressive labour conditions. In such a climate, for the first time in my life, I am beginning to ask whether it is worth teaching at all.
It was not easy being a teacher earlier too. The pay was quite abysmal and the work that it entailed, particularly the grading of hundreds of exam papers, was not necessarily enjoyable. But there was something different; there was a sense of service and commitment to the act of teaching, somewhat similar to the medical profession then. There was an underlying notion of respect for teachers, even from students.
In India, there are many stories of teachers who sacrificed much in order to teach. Teaching meant inspiring students, making them better human beings, and enabling them to go up in life. A good mathematics teacher always taught more than mathematics. What students learnt with every good teacher was not just subject matter but ways of being in the world.
The first disintegration of this world of teaching came when teaching became equivalent to ‘giving tuition’. And then came other major problems that have contributed to this suspicion of teaching. In a digital world, the role of a teacher is more and more unclear. There is a lack of clarity on what exactly a teacher is supposed to teach: the content, or diverse ways of thinking, or learning together with others?
Related to this issue is the continued lack of equal access to education. We have spent more money and effort keeping people out of the education system than trying to bring them in — much of this is done through dubious concepts called intelligence and merit, operationalised by examinations. It is not a surprise then that our gross enrolment ratios for all levels of education are quite low, because the aim of the system right from the beginning was to find ways to control who would enter the portals of education. This is a continuation of the Ekalavya complex, and it is possible because we have created a system in which the excluded find little representation of their lives, their world views and their articulations in what is taught.
A story of caste and learning
In the midst of this existential crisis, I watched a new Tamil movie calledSarvam Thaala Mayam . It is a movie which has been criticised for its avoidance of caste issues even though it is primarily about Carnatic music’s relation with caste. While that may be true, here I am more interested in what it says about the nature of teaching and learning. It is a modern Ekalavya story in a Tamil mainstream idiom and, like Ekalavya’s story, which is about caste and privilege, at its core it is about the processes of teaching and learning.
The story of Ekalavya is well known and has been used as a powerful metaphor to highlight problems of exclusion in education — about how the privileged monopolise learning even though others may be far better. This movie makes us ask: What would Ekalavya do today if Drona refuses to teach him?
The modern Ekalavya, Peter Johnson, is the son of a mridangam maker. He is very talented. When he accidentally listens to a mridangam vidwan, Vembu Iyer, he is mesmerised. But this Chennai Ekalavya cannot easily become a student of this vidwan and much of the obstacle is related to their caste differences. These differences are most tellingly articulated by the boy’s father who creates these instruments but also seems resigned to the fact that he will not be allowed to play them.
However, the modern Ekalavya does not give up when Vembu Iyer refuses to take him as his student. He persists and is finally taken as Iyer’s student because Iyer sees Peter’s passion and genuine commitment. Peter is like Ekalavya in his complete devotion to his guru, but due to a misunderstanding, the teacher banishes Peter for no fault of his. Their reconciliation is really the heart of the story, for it is not just a negotiation between people of different caste hierarchies but also between the hierarchy of teacher and student.
If Arjuna was the counterpart to Ekalavya in the original story, there is an equally powerful counterpart in this modern version. This is in the form of a fair-skinned, Tamil Brahmin NRI, who has been admitted to a PhD programme at Harvard University. He comes with more privilege than Arjuna! But Peter is unfazed. He takes on the traditionalists in their own game. In the climax of the movie, his strength is shown to lie in his own historical and cultural consciousness. Peter changes due to his encounter with his guru but he also changes the instrument and the classical music tradition which uses it.
Vembu Iyer epitomises all the struggles of a teacher, one who belongs to an exclusive tradition but with an ideal of learning that transcends that exclusion. A teacher is one who is able to go beyond his or her tradition and comfort zone for the sake of a true seeker. The film reminds us that a teacher is incomplete without good students, but good is not intellectual competence alone; it is something more. The last scene of the film, when the teacher accepts the student as someone who can not only carry on the tradition but also bring his own modifications to it, captures one of the central ethical principles of teaching.
Need for an inclusive system
What this movie reminds us is that the present-day education system is based on the qualities, attributes and desires of a dominant community. It is not inclusive, since it does not have space for truth, knowledge and the qualities of learning based on the diverse strengths of different cultures and histories like those of Peter. But Peter’s struggle should remind teachers that teaching is a service, not a transaction. Our society is filled with countless such committed teachers, but they are all silenced by the powers that run education as a handmaiden for their personal and political ambitions.
Sundar Sarukkai is Professor of Philosophy at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru
Source: The Hindu, 21/02/2019

Namvar Singh defined the contours of Hindu literary culture

Namvar Singh was inarguably the first and the only Hindi scholar and intellectual who commanded the respectful attention of luminaries from the world of social sciences and politics.

The most brilliant mind of our literary world is no more. The death of Hindi literary critic Namvar Singh truly marks the end of an era. What was this era? It was defined by the excitement of creation and an eagerness to sincerely engage with it. It can, therefore, be called a true age of criticism. Namvar Singh was shaped by the Gandhi-Nehru era, which has been the only period of criticism in modern India. For, criticism exists only with creation. But the task of criticism is not to validate creation or be its propagandist. Criticism is not secondary to creation. Since creation is, in itself, a response, a critical one to the existing reality, it must submit itself to criticism, which examines it by the standards it has set autonomously.
Namvar Singh epitomised this spirit of criticism. Hindi has seen great critics like Ram Chandra Shukla and Hazari Prasad Dwivedi or Ram Vilas Sharma, but Namvar Singh strode like a colossus. It is seldom that a critic remains at the centre of literary discussion for more than half a century. Namvar Singh, trained in the classical literary traditions, was equally conversant with modern literary canons. He called himself a humble disciple of Dwivedi, who in turn was influenced by the cosmic and cosmopolitan vision of Rabindranath Tagore.
Nothing is beyond criticism, was the motto of the guru and the shishya. No tradition, no canon was sacred or holy enough to not be tested by the fire of criticism. Namvar Singh had tradition in his bones and could, therefore, question its lofty claims — he knew when tradition was a source of nourishment and when it turned into a deadening disease. He was the last authoritative voice on the Aapabhransha literature in Hindi and knew his Sanskrit so well that the Sanskrit scholars never tried to dispute his judgement. Namvar Singh held that tradition can never be seen as singular, it had to be plural. His book, which is also a tribute to his guru, is titled Doosri Parampara Ki Khoj. There was no one single high tradition to which all “little” traditions must submit. He loved new voices. Young writers remember with gratitude and fondness the phone calls and postcards from Namvar Singh. He preferred to err on the side of New. Only Ashok Vajpeyi comes close to him in this respect.
The range of Namvar Singh’s scholarship was mind-boggling. He was inarguably the first and the only Hindi scholar and intellectual who commanded the respectful attention of luminaries from the world of social sciences and politics. He remained a voracious reader till the last and, like Bipan Chandra, fought his weakening eyesight to keep reading. It can be said that reading ate into his writing time. He remained a reluctant writer. People often treated this as laziness, but those who knew him well understood that it was his humility, the result of his companionship with the greats of the world of letters, that made him a reluctant writer.
Namvar Singh is described as a Marxist critic. But the adjective is redundant when applied to his work. Criticism is not a colony of social sciences. In fact, its autonomy from ideological labels makes it a worthwhile activity. He also did not fall into the trap of theory, which became a fashion in the West and marginalised the discipline of criticism for a long time. For Namvar Singh, practical criticism was essential to keep the act of criticism relevant, not only to literature but to life itself. He was the first Marxist to challenge the official Marxian aesthetic canons and introduce revisionists or unofficial Marxists such as Walter Benjamin, Theodore Adorno and Antonio Gramsci to the Hindi reading public.
Namvar Singh developed a unique writing style. He wore his scholarship lightly and his writing was accessible even to those uninitiated into literary discourses. He was also popular as a orator, who commanded large followings in big and small towns. People from all walks of life thronged to listen to him. Not surprisingly, some called this frugal writer a representative of vachik tradition.
Namvar Singh never sacrificed his teaching for the sake of his other vocation, writing. He was faithful to his students, and prepared meticulously for his classes. He enjoyed polemics. There has not been a better master of this art than him. But he yearned for dialogue and understanding. Criticism can remain democratic only by inviting conversation.
In the passing away of Namvar Singh, the art of the word has lost a true lover.
Source: Indian Express, 21/02/2019