Rivers

 Our culture teaches us to pay the utmost respect to the nature. We have been involved in a camaraderie with the nature for millions of years. We as a civilization have grown out of river banks and we consider rivers as mothers. 

But now our rivers are depleting at tremendous rate. Most of our perennial rivers have become seasonal . Most of major rivers in the Indian peninsula does not touch the ocean for the most part of the year. 25% of India is turning into desert. By 2030, we will only have 50% of the water we need, we will have a population of 1.5 billion and 50% of them would not be able to access water to fulfill their daily needs.

The most popular argument we get to hear is that we should stop water from flowing into the ocean because the water gets wasted. It is not true because it is how the nature works. The water flows into the ocean to complete its cycle. The amount of monsoon we get is directly connected to the amount of the water that flows into the ocean. Suppose we stop all the water from flowing into the ocean, the marine water would percolate into the land and increase the salinity of the groundwater, which would decrease the fertility of the land. We have seen it in several parts of Gujarat and in other coastal regions of India. 

It is the time to take necessary action otherwise we will loose one third of the total land to the ocean. To stop this from happening we must rejuvenate our rivers. To break the back of the problem, we have to plant trees alongside the rivers. The tree roots make the soil porous and help rivers to retain water for a long period. Approximately one kilometers of land should be used to plant trees on both sides of the rivers. If it's government land then forest and if it's agricultural land then organic fruit tree cultivation.

This would increse the farmer's income upto 400% but it would take some time. In this period, the government have to provide assistances like subsidies and all. This is the best gift we could give to the next  generation. You can do your share by planting as much trees as you can or you could just donate to those who are doing their bit for this cause. One such organization is ISHA Foundation, their Rally for Rivers campaign is all about saving the rivers, one should visit their site to know more about this problem. 

A Great Teacher

In India Teacher's Day is celebrated on September 5 as it is the birth anniversary of our first Vice President and second President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. He believed that the teachers should be the best minds in the country. 

So, why is it so common that we remember just a few of the them and forget others very easily ?

We don't remember being taught, we remember being transformed. We remember the teachers who helped us to change and grow over the course of a year. They facilitate our transformation so that we're not the same person when we leave their classes as we were on the day when we met them.

How come some of them earn so much respect for themselves and make their students learn ?

Dr. James P. Comer has answered this question in a very simple words. He says, "No significant learning can occur without a significant relationship."

The teachers who built a strong relationship with their students are more likely to be respected. Like George Washington Carver says all learning is understanding relationships. 

Being a teacher is not a facile job to do, there is no way one can ever understand how incredibly demanding and challenging that vocation is. But unfortunately it is one of the most unappreciated job around the world.

There is a difference between presenting information and teaching. The one who understands this difference, is a great teacher.

A Great Teacher celebrate mistakes, appreciate differences, relay feedback and evaluate themselves. 

Maya Angelou said, "People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but People will never forget how you made them feel." 

And a Great Teacher always make his/her students feel good and feel respected because it is impossible for students to learn from somebody they feel does not respect them.

Anybody could be a teacher for somebody and I am fortunate enough to find some incredible teachers in my life. I will always be grateful to them and their teachings will always guide me. 

National Education Policy 2020 

Government of India has recently launched its new education policy in order to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030, which is one the most prominent goals of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 2030 Agenda. India adopted SDGs in the year 2015.

Previous Policies

The main concerns of the National Education Policy of 1986, modified in 1992 were the equity and accessibility of the education to the majority of the population. Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009, was last major reform since 1986/92 in the Education Sector.

This article will be going to include all the major reforms that would take place nationwide after the implementation of the NEP 2020.

School Education

The most important reform is the modification of the structure of the Schools Education. The 10+2 structure of the School Education would be changed to the new 5+3+3+4 structure.

In 5+3+3+4 structure, a strong base of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) from age 3 is included, which is aimed at promoting better overall learning, development and well being. Over 85% of the child's cumulative brain  development occurs prior to the age of 6, indicating the critical importance of appropriate care and stimulation of the brain in the early years in order to ensure healthy brain development and growth. For the development of children Anganwadi centres with high quality infrastructure will be started across the nation. 

There are some other reforms too like providing six months certificate programme in ECCE to teachers and well organized classrooms but they are not significant because they are the basic requirements of an education system.

In order to attain universal foundational literacy and numeracy (i.e. reading, writing and arithmetic at foundational level) by 2025 a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy will be set up by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).

For the nourishment of the children breakfast in addition to midday meals will be provided and all students shall undergo regular health check-up (including mental health).

Curriculum content will be reduced in each subject to its core essentials. There will be no hard separation among 'curricular', 'extra curricular' or 'co curricular', among 'arts', 'humanities' and 'sciences' or between 'vocational' or 'academic' streams. Students shall be able to choose subjects according to their will.

Three language formula will continue to be implemented but with a particular emphasis on the mother tongue/local language. Multiple languages will be taught to the students.

All students will participate in a 10 day bagless period sometime during 6-8 grade where they intern with local vocational experts like carpenters, gardeners, potters, artists, etc.

To track progress throughout the school years and not just at the end of Grades 10 and 12. All students will take school examinations in Grades 3, 5 and 8 which will be conducted by appropriate authorities. The board exams for grades 10 and 12 will be continued too.

The progress report will be a holistic, 360 degree, multidimensional report that will include self assessment and peer assessment and progress of the child in project based and inquiry based learning along with teachers assessment.

Higher Education

The structure and lenghts of degree programmes shall be adjusted accordingly. The undergraduate degree will be of either 3 or 4 years with multiple exit options e.g. certificate after completing 1 year, diploma after 2 year study, Bachelor's degree after a 3 year programme and Bachelor's degree 'with research' after 4 years.

Also, Master's degree will be of either 1 or 2 years. 1 year programme after Bachelor's degree 'with research' or 2 years programme after Bachelor's degree. Undertaking a Ph.D. shall require either a Master's degree or a Bachelor's degree with research. M.Phil. programme shall be discontinued.

High performing Indian Universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries, and similarly, selected universities e.g. those among the top 100 universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India.

Teacher's Education

Teachers belongs to the core of an Education system and to provide best quality education to the students, first of all teachers should be provided with best quality education. More Teacher Education Institutes (TEIs) will be set up by 2030.

The 4 year integrated B.Ed. will, by 2030, become the minimal degree qualification  for school teachers. The 4 year integrated B.Ed. will be a dual major holistic Bachelor's degree. The Institutes will also provide 2 year B.Ed. programme for students who have already received a Bachelor's degree in a specialized subject and 1 year B.Ed. programme may also be offered for candidates who have received a 4 year undergraduate degree in a specialized subject.

In order to focus on education and attain all these goals, the Government of India has decided to change the name of Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD). Now MHRD will be called as Education Ministry.

This article is solely based on the information provided by the HRD Ministry on the official website. The link for the NEP 2020 is below:

https://www.mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf

Impacts of Covid-19 Lockdown

Whether we realise or not but the Coronavirus has its positive impacts too on our society. Here, some negative as well as positive impacts have been mentioned that this virus has left on us.

First, we will talk about the Negative Impacts of the virus:

1. The Lockdown

The worst of all impacts of the lockdown can be seen onto our Economy. The economies which were said to be the most powerful have suffered due to this lockdown and the Indian Economy is not that much powerful in front of the economies of Britain, China and USA. Our economy will suffer because of this lockdown in short as well as long term.

2. The Lower class

The Lower class of Indian Economy is worst hit by this lockdown, thousand lost their livelihood (a means of securing the necessities of life) in these times, when they needed money the most. Millions of migrant worker who used to work on daily wages in the cities and megacities far from their hometown leaving their loved ones behind, had to reach their villages walking, on bicycles or on motorbikes. Hundreds of workers lost their lives in this turmoil (state of confusion).

3. Corruption

The funds provided by the government never reaches the needy people instead they reaches to greedy people. Some officials were seen providing the grains to their relatives instead of the poors for whom the grains were allotted. The government should built a solid corruption proof infrastructure in order to stop the misuse of the funds.

4. Poor quality of Health Infrastructure

This Coronavirus has shown us the poor health infrastructure in India. In the starting of spread, we saw that we didn't even have reasonable quantity of hospital beds in our hospitals. But we have seen progress too, our government with the help of our forces made some of the best hospitals in a very few days. But the virus has shown that it isn't enough for a country of 1.3 billion people. We should start working on it as soon as possible.

5. Fake news

The most annoying thing surfing on the internet was fake news, these fake news can be seemed unharmful to many but they are enough to create chaos (complete disorder or confusion) in a metropolitan cities (denoting large cities) like Mumbai. In the middle of the month of May, a news spread like wildfire that the government has arranged trains for Bihar migrants and within the short period of time almost the crowd of 2000 migrant workers gathered at gate of Bandra railway station, Mumbai. This could have escalated (rapidly increased) the number of cases in the region and could resulted into several deaths. This is the seriouness of spreading fake news. One should confirm a news with the Government's social media handle before believing in it.

6. Loss of Education

The classes are empty for months and will be for several more months due to this virus. This is the most tragic thing because the students are bearing loss due to this lockdown. Even though kids are enjoying their extended holidays and their mass promotions but in the end it's not in their own interest, and if kids are enjoying holidays and mass promotions rather than going to school then there must be some serious problems into our Education System. Although Government (CBSE) has reduced the syllabus for 10th and 12th but it will not going to be as effective as it should be. 

After describing all the negative impacts of the Coronavirus, now we should focus on the positive impacts that Coronavirus has on us.

1. Reduction in Environmental Pollution

When we were busy complaining about the economic losses we have borne due to this pandemic, the nature was recuperating (recovering) from the harm we have done in all these past years. According to the reports by the government and the concerned departments that there has been a significant (noteworthy) reduction in the gas phase molecules and particulate matter in the atmosphere. 

2. Peace of mind

The best thing about this pandemic is that it has given people the thing that they needed the most in their life, Time. The most important thing is that now we understand what it's like to have family and friends around us and we know the value of the time we have spent with them. We are now more grateful for the things and to the people around us. 

3. Learning something new

The wisest mind has something yet to learn and as far as I know most of us are not in the category of the wisest minds so we should never stop learning because one's wealth and health may leave him but his knowledge will not. In the past we had our excuses of not having enough time to start learning now that we have plenty of time we should learn skills which are related with our work so when this all gets over the world will see the new person in you who knows his job better than the rest of his colleagues (fellow workers). Learn something which gives you opportunity to earn more because this is the time where online services worth more than personal services. One who stops learning, stops growing.

4. Passion

Everyone has got their own passion hidden in the corner of their heart. This is the time to explore it,  embrace (accept willingly and enthusiastically) it and then with enough determination you could transmute it into it's monetary (related to money) equivalent. Because successful men did not become successful just because of their profession but their passion, they were passionate about their profession. Do not take this pandemic as a roadblock in your success but an opportunity which could define your entire life. If you have passion, embrace it and if you don't have, find one. Read books, read blogs just like one you are reading now and you will find out what is best for you.

5. We don't need much to be happy

There was a man who used to live with his family in a village. He earned his living by teaching in a country school and by writing news letters for country weeklies and newspapers. He earned a little but he was happy and then he decided to move to a city to earn more. He succeeded in earning more and saved himself a million dollar. But he was not happy then, he wanted to earn more and more money, wanted to buy more luxuries. Back in the day he had nothing but happiness, now he has the money but the happiness is gone.

This is the nature of human beings we can live happily without money but once we start earning it, we want it in abundance. 

This story is taken from 'The Law of Success' by Napoleon Hill. 

These months of lockdown have taught us that we can live without opulence (great wealth or luxuries), so start enjoying life without it.

At last the only thing left to conclude is that the negative aspects of this lockdown is just Economical but the positive aspects are Social, Physical, Mental & Environmental. So we should stop worrying about the situation and start thinking about how to make the best out of it.

ANKIT SINGH SISODIYA