Children say Vote for us; through Vote for Kids Campaign

We the kids dream of a better nation and are striving towards a change. We dream of a better society with a lovely school for all of us which imparts quality education. We want to get such education which is interesting and enjoyable and that which produces educated people who are good and honest. We want to have creativity classes in which we get vocational training. We dream of an education system which is value based and interactive. We want good and quality education for all. We want the eradication of money and marks oriented ness from the system.
We want quality education for all. We are looking forward to bring a change.
Are you all ready? If yes, then you can help us in many ways- But the first help you can lend us is: Vote for us, we want to make this world a better place to live in.
Our existing system is dilapidated to the core of it. The present system has various loopholes and drawbacks. Why has all this happened? It is because of certain reasons. We have not ensured quality education for all. More than half of the children are deprived of schools and those who have access to schools pass out as mere literates. We are getting literate people with big heads but small hearts. In other words, our system is not value based and practical. The emphasis is given only to bookish knowledge which is prosaic and seems uninteresting to students. There are no creativity classes that provide vocational training. The present system is money and marks oriented. Are you still satisfied with this system? If yes, then you may vote for it.
Oxygen … a movement View

Indian Youths are Not ‘USE’less, They are ‘USED’less

Good for nothing! Lazy! Useless! Do we need to say more? This is how Indians rate their own youth, the young generation of India, though it has shown its capability to the whole world, has been underestimated by the people. Yes, of course, it is justified to an extent. But, can we blame the youths for this.

The reply of the children was a big ‘No’. They clearly pointed the fact out that Indian youth are not useless, they are used less. Their opinion was that the youth here fare well given a chance, they also reacted that the ones who are being counted as useless, they are used less, we have not given a chance to prove themselves. The solution to this is that we must give them a proper platform to let them prove themselves. The students felt that it is high time now that we start giving every one an opportunity, rather keep on labeling them as useless.

Can we not have a system where children are given an opportunity to prove themselves in any field they are good at? Can we not let all flourish rather overburden some children showing other children’s performance in studies? So, were the questions raised during the discussion, we had. The answers were loud and clear, we need to give everyone a chance in any field that the individual is good at. Let us move towards a society in which everyone is given a chance because they are useless, they are usedless.
Oxygen … a movement View

Is Something Dead In Us?

Its rightly said "illiteracy is the most common problem of the most unintelligent literate!!!"
Today, we are merely surviving on what is called the high tech era, a time so much violent and so much filled of outburst, anger, criticism and annoyance that we hardly ponder and look over what Mahatma Gandhi stood for us.
He was a true educationist in strictest sense. Someone who left his career, his future, his family and stood for everything that today seems so much frivolous.
Our question is, whether this attitude can be changed? Can we start on with loving everyone we meet, obliterating our personal grudges, our feuds? Has the education of then and now so much changed that now we don't even trust ourselves.
Society is surely moving from bad to worse.
The suicides in Vidarbha and Nandigram, have become a common phenomenon.
We may even see the Chief Minister making fun of issues as much. Is this the morality and ethics left in us? Does being good lead us to the grave? Can there be any change?
What will happen when we have huge impactful names, all solid and sagacious ones making everyone really worship ourselves? There lies no answer to these.
When you just think of donating a one rupee coin to a beggar, when you just close your window on the small child selling you old magazines, when you rebuke your little maid, you are not a human anymore. Something is dead in you. Maybe the you in you. The answer is in a pause. Will time change? The very moment you call them "them" and you "we"you are widening the gap in between. There so much to change in the society but the question is whether you can change something in you?
Oxygen … a movement View

Turn children’s minds from storehouses to powerhouses

Education aims at overall development of an individual. But, today, unfortunately our present education system fails to help us in our overall development. As a result, we see the flaws in the society. A thing which we badly need at this moment is an innovative mind. But, unfortunately, today we lack these innovative minds. And why not? The system is in tatters and this is for sure. Today children are not trained to invent or they are not made innovative rather they are made to mug up facts.
What a sorrow! These children thus keep on burdening themselves with loads of books and stuffs aimlessly. Yes, indeed today we have changed children’s minds from powerhouses to storehouses. The present generation totally needs powerhouses everready with them rather storehouses. We may see that in other countries the children are made innovative and thus those children’s minds are converted into powerhouses. In those countries even children invent various things. Further more, they are not bound to various course books given in the curriculum rather they transcend those boundaries.
Let us step forward towards an education system that transforms children’s minds into powerhouses that may generate new ideas, bring forth new inventions and furthermore help in making this world a better place to live in than a mere storehouse that keeps on converting children in parrots even better than wizards in tales do.
First of all, we need to encourage students to take up innovative ideas and move a bit aside from books too. Because the present tendency of the system is to prepare more and more bookworms. Lets move towards powerhouses than storehouses.
Oxygen … a movement View

Is The Tough Competition Of Today, Changing our Tomorrow?

Today, we are breathing in the world, where if you aspire to be someone, you need to compete for it; you need to fight for it. There are so many other mortals focussing on the same laurel, but who is the Arjun over here...
its so much to struggle for...to get into IITs ...medicals..
so many students and above all the reservation scheme...shatter peace n stressing more on mugging up.
My question today is whether this type of climate, proves to be beneficial to us?
We all are a bit too tender of it, aren't we?
Moreover, is only mugging up, being a doctor and engineer the whole aim of our lives?
Are doctors and engineers the only leaders of our India, or for that matter, our world today?
Can't a simply person like you and me, live a satisfied life being a farmer, a teacher, a postman...or that cause?
Why parents want their offsprings to attain reputation and secured life? why the automatic names of doctors, engineers or IAS come in the picture?
my question is why this kind of feeling inculcated and how can it be just erased?
the answers will never in ways of "this should, they could."
but should be ."I will."
The power of these words brings a difference!!!
Oxygen … a movement View

Have We Not Started Blindly Aping The West?

To excel in the race of so called modernization, we have undoubtedly undergone westernization. The people of the nation feel proud in sporting foreign goods, eating western food and the west is where they wish to live as they see it as a medium to accomplish all their dreams. But, to satisfy our mere dreams, can we fall down to such an extent that we forget our own nation. It is always advisable to draw positives and beneficial points from everything. But, perhaps, in this case we have failed to do so. We to achieve personal ends have started blindly aping the west. On one hand, where people of the western countries want to bring the Indian culture to their land, on the other there are Indians leaping helter-skelter to realize the western dream. Our culture of family and our worship to parents and elders life long is wanted and draws praises in those countries.
There is nothing wrong in going there to pursue quality education but it is always shameful to forget the nation after that. Besides that, we should always try to bring good qualities and their keys to the rampant rate of development here in our country.
A series of questions and you will be bound to rethink…. Are our principles the same as they were during the time of our forefathers? Do we, today, pay the same respect and gratitude to our teachers, elders and parents? Do we want to study and add to the progress of country today? The answers of these straight away questions really force us to admit the point that we are dilapidating our very own culture just to satisfy our western dream.
Its high time now that we stop blindly aping the west because even after aping you remain an ape. So, it is rightly advised to remain a human and for that we need to raise our concern over this issue. First of all, we need to change our mentality and then that of others. Only, then can we have an India of our dreams.
Oxygen … a movement View

Teachers Will Take us To New Heights

When God created teachers,
He gave us special friends
To help us understand His world
And truly comprehend
The beauty and the wonder
Of everything we see,
And become a better person
With each discovery.
Why God created teachers,
In His wisdom and His grace,
Was to help us learn to make our world
A better, wiser place.
-By Kevin William Huff
This poems clearly describes the importance of teachers and why they are. Teachers have always played an important role in the society. Though the future of a nation depends on the children of that particular nation, the responsibility of shaping those children’s lives rests upon the teachers. We need to pay adequate respect and gratitude towards or teachers so as to have a better world. We need to re-establish a healthy student-teacher relationship.
Our teachers are as role models and so the students too generally idolize their teachers. Thus, we expect from them that they will set up good examples for the students to follow and better paths for the students to walk on. This teachers’ day, we all must look forward to pledge that we all, students, teachers and other society members will stand up together against the evil things prevailing in the society and root them all out through the panacea of all diseases, Education. Furthermore, we must cooperate with the teachers and look forward to make education interesting rather boring. For this we need to have such an education that imbibes in us all the qualities through different activities.
Oxygen … a movement View

Spiritual Lifestyle for Corruption Free Society

Three days after, we celebrated our 60th Independence Day, three days after we entered our 60th year, students here at Oxygen ... a movement discussion hall raised the point that even today we have failed in eradicating corruption from our country. Its quite true that we even today try to buy things or in other words, we have given money the top most priority in every walk of our life. This money has in turn, turned about to be a curse to the humanity.
The lust for money, has promoted corruption in such a way that it reigns supreme in every sphere of our life. We need to remove this corruption from our society and then only can we dream of being a developed nation. But “How to remove this corruption?” remains as the million dollar question.
We all know that education is the sole need or key to every problem. Education, itself, has a solution to this. But we face the grimmest of all situations today and it is that education it self has cropped up as a problem. In a race of so called modernization, we have turned just into bookworms losing all other qualities and values of ours. In order to fight this corruption, we yet again need to bring about a change in the Education system. We need to inculcate spiritual values in students through the system. Our education system must make students spiritually strong and thus this must encourage a belief in them that living a spiritual life helps. Thus, this spiritual lifestyle will surely help us in making this world a better place to live in and making it a corruption free society. Only then, we will be able to realize all our dreams.
Oxygen … a movement View

India@60: Must be Powered by Education to revive its glorious history

India will soon be celebrating its 60th independence day. We had broken the shackles of slavery 60 years ago at the stroke of midnight. There surely have been a lot of changes that have taken place between these 60 years. Way back in 1947, we never had adequate food grains to feed the entire population, we had a mere literacy rate of 5%, we were an underdeveloped nation and totally backward in the field of science and technology, etc.
But today, we are categorized as a developing nation. We have been successful in attaining a literacy rate of 68%. By the virtue of green revolution, white revolution etc., we are slowly but steadily improving our capacity to feed the entire population. We have been able to make a mark in the field of science and technology along with many milestones in other fields. The world has surely realized our potential and we are now almost totally geared up to accomplish our sweet dream cum mission of being a developed nation and then a super-power.
But we must not feel discouraged given our country is only 60 years young and that we had 2 centuries of dreadful bondage. The time before is a saga of prosperity and rich heritage and so the righteous appellation “the golden bird of the world”.Such was the awe at the bountiful treasure which India possessed that every other nation coveted to own it. Gradually our country was drained of our richness and ultimately our freedom too. 60 years hence we have made every attempt to undo the wrongs and have been incredibly successful. But, still remain areas which have hardly shown significant evolution.
And that is the education system inherited we have held on to so dearly despite the well known fact that it had been established to produce only servile clerks. Its already too late and we must revamp this education system. We need that education system which develops our mind for rational thinking and not rote learning. Learning which transforms us into an informed citizen capable enough to contribute to the nation’s productivity in both growth and development terms, and not manufacture money-making machine. Let us pledge to help each other be a part of the evolution process of our education system.
Oxygen … a movement View

Train Children’s Hands to hold the National Flag High

Coming at hand is Independence Day. Yet again there will be promises, pledges, speeches and so-called feeling of patriotism will rise in millions of hearts, yes, millions but unfortunately that remains only for one or two days. The most important thing is that rather trying just to be patriotic we should try to keep or try to keep our national flag high. Undoubtedly, it is the national flag that we are always proud of. But, the utmost need, responsibility or duty that has to be executed by we the people of the Republic of India is that we strive to make India such a country where every citizen is self-sufficient to keep the flag high.
But how to do this? Just saying something for the sake of it is, of course, quite easy but when it comes to change into action, the almost the whole country sees to it as if it is a Herculean task. For India to be a developed nation we need to educate every individual and that is for sure. But, it always strikes our mind that, “Have we not been educating so many people till now (though it is only about 68 %)?” The clear cut answer is no and a big NO. The thing which we try to call education is mere literacy mission. We can never hope of the tricolor being held high if we just have a billion people good-for-nothing and knowing just how to write their names.
The situation is quite demanding now that we provide quality education to every one. Yes, quality education, but this must include quality studies, mental training along with quality physical training. If every child is made to do manual work too, then he will surely understand the dignity of labour and if, unfortunately, in his later life, he fails to get jobs he may eke out his living through hand made things. This will surely prevent him from occupying unfair means i.e. sticking to the antisocial lines for his bread and butter. So, every child's hand must be trained along with his mind as then only he may hold the Indian Flag High.
Oxygen … a movement View

Change the three Rs into better 3Rs

Undoubtedly, today the three Rs (Reading, Writing and Arithmetic) make up the most important part of the school curriculum. The moment a child goes to school, he immediately starts enchanting the alphabets, writing them all, and solving mathematical sums. The process keeps on getting complex annually and at the end the child passes out from his enters his college education and at the very end gets some degree and starts his professional life. {Caution: We were talking only about school going children.}On one hand where some students undergo things mentioned above, on the other hand there are many who never get a chance to study or to go to a good school. The thing that needs our attention is, "Why does the second lot of children still prevail?" If our three R's would have been strong enough then there may not have been so many illiterates today. The reason is that the children who have already entered their professional lives don't even worry about those illiterates and poor after they get high positions.
The question that arises now is, "How can we alter the present chain?" A clear way out is that we should inculcate the present three Rs (Reading, Writing and Arithmetic) in such a way that they result in better three Rs of life that is Respect, Responsibility and Responsiveness. If an individual inculcates these three Rs in his life then he will surely succeed and help others too. The moment an individual imbibes in him respect for hard earned money, labour and his fellow beings, he too will gain respect from this society because he will always work for the welfare of people. He will not grow an aversion to hard work and will surely not take bribes. The second R responsibility is your ability to respond. It means that you move beyond blaming and recognize that you may bring about a change; therefore it is you who must respond. Unfortunately today our high-ups fail to respond to the call, there are many who don't even pay heed to it. The third R is RESPONSIVENESS. Responsiveness is about being in the with other people. It means that our fellow beings who are in trouble, below poverty line and all others are real people with real needs and concerns. Today, our IAS, IPS officers, ministers etc. get so focused on their own task they forget about the people. People are treated as objects. A complaining person becomes an inconvenience. An unhappy citizen becomes a problem. The result in these cases is the inconvenience and the unhappiness.
So, the situation is quite demanding now that we impart such an education which has the better three Rs (Respect, Responsibility, Responsiveness) as the result of the present three Rs -- reading, ’riting, and ’rithmetic.
Oxygen … a movement View

Corporate Social Responsibility for permanent change not cosmetic

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a Business Process wherein the Institution and the Individuals within, are sensitive and Careful, about the direct and indirect effect of their work on Internal and External Communities, Nature and the Outside World. A Close look at this definition of CSR will indicate that this definition does not limit CSR to just Corporates. It is applicable, in equal measure, to the Governments, the Media, the Research Laboratories and the weapons machineries, the Non Governmental Organisations, the Education Institutions...and just to any and every Institution.
Socially responsible companies consider the full scope of their impact on communities and the environment when making decisions, balancing the needs of stakeholders with their need to make a profit. Corporate Citizenship which is based on the concept of the corporation as a citizen, is also frequently used while referring to CSR, and is sometimes interchangeably used.
A widely quoted definition by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development states that "Corporate social responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large.
But, we need to make it very clear that the changes that are brought about are permanent and not cosmetic. The corporates should do these with a bigger aim of nation’s profit and not just one of their own.
Oxygen … a movement View

India’s Crisis is Mainly Moral- Not Economic

It is not possible to refute the statement “India’s Crisis is Mainly Moral- Not Economic” as it says the bitter truth. Our country broke the shackles of foreign domination about sixty years ago but are really free even today and the life is far from happy. While a few roll in wealth and spend lavishly and live luxuriously, millions and millions of our countrymen hardly get two squire meals a day. We may well ask ourselves how this has come about, and we shall find that our national character has degenerated. The problem of unemployment is causing a nation wide agitation, and waste a major part of the hard earned money in simply aping the west. This money would have surely helped avert the situation, if invested and utilized in the field of education, positive development etc. Corruption in all walks of life has become an important issue, so much that there are people running a virtually parallel economy through corrupt means. But what can be done about it? Today corruption reigns supreme in every sphere of life. From all this it appears that we do not in earnest think of a socialist or Gandhian society.
The reason behind et al is quite simple. Today, we fail to implement our thoughts into practice. We talk in high tones about the eradication of illiteracy, poverty, untouchability etc. But do we really follow it? Above all we find our representatives indulged in vile deeds. India which once had a glorious past should have been a beacon for the world of today. On the contrary, we find that India herself has degenerated in her mad pursuits after modernization. It not only proves the hollowness of our character but it also show that we are being morally bankrupt day. By day, giving rise to a national Crisis, that is more moral than economic.
Oxygen … a movement View

Childhood in distress: whom to blame?

A child is overburdened right from the moment he starts his education, but whom to blame for this? The society, system or the student himself? A child is pressurised always as the parents see an image in him that he has to fulfil the dreams they could not the society too wants something like this from him. The students too at times have expectations which can not be fulfilled always.
Expectations have no boundaries they are often made just to transcend every boundary, but when the whole surrounding goes against a child, then the worse gets worst, The people want marks and only marks their dreams start with marks and end with marks, hereby ending a child's life. The biggest question that arises is a money only the ultimate goal? a school too wants only IAS officers, engineers and doctors from their schools hence they grade the students only according to their academics.
When a child is overburdened with so many expectations, will he be not suicide if he failed to archive them all. Yes, suicide is a grievous crime but have we made the system compatible enough to moral and ethical values so that it may bring a child morally upright.
Thus, it's the our need to let a child stand on his own and not just to be a mere doctor or engineer but a true citizen and then something else. We should try to mould students in such a way that they achieve more marks in more fields to serve more people.
Oxygen … a movement View

Empowerment is needed not support

A child needs books, copies, education but in no way does he need charity and support. India at present finds it amongst a complex situation. Today, perhaps the whole country is willing and is eager to update rather upgrade, give charity rather a system, support rather empower. This is one of the sole reasons which are instrumental in not allowing us to utilize our human resources. It makes the population of a billion a liability rather than an asset. If every child of India, not only rich or only poor, is given a system in which he may earn on his own to pay at least for his education, then would not it be nice.
Even, it's said that it's always better to teach an individual how to fish rather than to give him a fish. So, this system will surely empower students. One can surely hope of a better tomorrow of a nation where children are empowered rather than supported. Till date there have been may people and organizations who have worked for charity and support to children but the situation still is bleak Thus, its high time now that people start empowering students rather than supporting them. Yes, support to an extent is all right but making a man habituated of crutches is never ever justified. We may support an individual initially but later we must empower him as only an empowered individual can survive in the long run. So, now we need to empower students rather than merely support them.
Oxygen … a movement View

Ownership Qualities need to be inculcated

The situation is quite demanding now, that people care not only for things which belong to them, but also for those which they belong to. This can surely do a lot of good to this ever saddening situation. Now, in this present era, people are so self-centric that they don't even care for their parents. We may substitute it with the fact that the growth in the number of old age homes is on a rampant. Children belong to their parents and their parents belong to them. But, our system fails to imbibe in them a quality of ownership, which is to have a never-dying spirit that, "This belongs to me or I belong to it and thus I must care for it." And due to this when their parents grow old; they are sent toold age homes by their children.
The sad plight of roads, dilapidated government buildings, school campus etc. is not an exception to this. It's the children who think that this road doesn't belong to them nor does these buildings and campuses and thus they don't care about them. But, we need to inculcate these qualities in students. We need to tell them that this whole nation belongs to them and they belong to this nation. When such a fine quality is imbibed in a student, he will surely say, "It’s my nation, I care." Can we even think of a crime then? No, not at all as when a child's mind has not been broken up into narrow fragments of 'mine' and 'his', he will surely love every thing and care for those things too. But that in no way means that a child is to be ill-treated all-day long and at the end of the day, he is to be reminded of his duty. We need to provide adequate facilities, needs and proper care to that kid also.
This system, surely, has to inculcate this ownership quality in all the students and then unquestionably we will have a better tomorrow.
Oxygen … a movement View

Social Security: Education

Education is quite important for every individual to progress and prosper in this world. A country can never ever boast of its population as an asset unless, it has attained a 100% literacy rate. Education undoubtedly is the sole aspect required for development. It's quite doleful that we are still striving and longing to reach the magic figure of 100% literacy rate. Even today a vast majority of our population has never been to a school, what talk of being a drop out? On the other hand most of those who have the proud privilege to go to schools are not lucky enough to continue after Std. 8 th due to high fees. And now, left are the few who study for about 25 years and become professionally wonderful but socially they are terrible. They become corrupt and that's why we may experience today the whooping rate of corruption in every sphere of life. Luckily, the few who go against all odds make us and our nation proud. But won't it be nice if every individual has an easy access to quality education. Instead of preparing kids to go against all odds, shan't we try and prepare a system where everything runs smooth and there is no implementation bottleneck. Of course, we shall. We ought to have education security, the most vital part of social security.
As a part of this social security, we'll need to impart free and quality education to every student. But how antonymous the situation is, that instead of providing free education, today several educational bodies are being run as a business establishment just for a sole purpose 'Money'. The situation is quite demanding now that we provide quality education to one and all so that each one has a feeling for the society that 'Yes, the society cared for me and thus I too have a responsibility to give back all it owes to me.' For social security of education, we need to uplift the level of government schools so that many more students go there to pursue education. And we all should make it very clear that if education is provided to one and all then a full-fledged social security will be ensured whether that is of food, or health or maybe education itself. Thus, it should be implemented in the society that a child does not belong merely to his parents but to his whole society.
Oxygen … a movement View

Social Security: Health

“Health is wealth”, but today there are millions of Indians who are being exploited, robbed of this special wealth. Yes we are in a situation where endemic epidemics, mass unawareness and barbaric exploitation have gripped our nation. It certainly questions our position of being the golden bird of the world. Have not our golden wings been snatched away? There are billions of people who are fed by those farmers who work to the best of their ability and produce crops for us, and thus, it's obviously our responsibility to care for those farmers also. We in turn, can at least give them social security. But, how selfish we are that besides, not providing them social security, we also exploit them in such a way that they suicide, farmers are just a single example in this seemingly endless list.
We live in a society of interdependence and thus it's the sole responsibility of this population of billions to take care of every individual of the society. At least proper health care food and quality education should be provided to every Indian so that he or she may proudly say, "Yes, I am an Indian".
Although we have various government hospitals and many projects and programs for the poor but they are not implemented. The hospitals look as a hell of despair and thereby not a single individual wants to get treated there. We need to have proper maintenance of the hospitals and to root out corruption which has crept into every sphere of life. There should be an easy access to free medicines and the required quality should be necessarily maintained. Further more, the approach should be more oriented to wards a healthier society rather toward treatment of different disease. Yes, if in the worst case, somebody is affected by some kind of disease, proper healthcare facilities should always be there.
Last but not the least, every individual should make it clear in their minds that, for any epidemic as a problem, there is a panacea and that is quality education. Thus, we should always rely on the last, "Educate all and you'll see a change".
Oxygen … a movement View

Social Security: Food

YEAR is 2007…. THOUGHT is "Yeah! We are cruising through the path of development." But the harsh REALITY is that we lack Food Security. Yes, we lack the security of that food which is one of the basic requirements of life.
India at present finds itself in the midst of a paradoxical situation: endemic mass-hunger coexisting with the mounting food grain stocks. The food grain stocks available with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) stand at an all time high of 62 million tonnes against an annual requirement of around 20 million tonnes for ensuring food security. Still, an estimated 200 million people are underfed and 50 million on the brink of starvation, resulting in starvation deaths. The paradox lies in the inherent flaws in the existing policy and implementation bottlenecks.
The problem of chronic food insecurity is primarily associated with poverty. Some 200 million people in India are still denied access to sufficient quantities of food. Hunger is not a result of shortage of food, but lack of economic access. The immediate strategy to overcome this problem should be to raise the purchasing power of the poor by generating employment opportunities while the long-term strategy should be to improve food availability and raise incomes.
Food security describes a situation in which people do not live in hunger or fear of starvation. And for this we need to provide employment to people. Every individual has the power to earn on his own. There are so many willing people today who are pleading for jobs, they want to utilize the power of their hands and earn. The situation is now quite demanding and it is solely required of the government that they provide employment opportunities to the people so that they may earn and feed themselves. We can be secure only when food security is there in the nation. Otherwise food insecurity will surely lead to our insecurity as "Hunger can lead a human to any inhuman extent." And if they do something wrong then it will surely be directed against us and not against any inhabitant of some other planet.
Oxygen … a movement View

Be sporty while studying

It's quite true that sports teach us how to lead a better life, not only a life of our own comfort but also one in which we live with proper cooperation and coordination. Playing games is important for students, as they are the ones who have to move ahead and lead the present society to a brighter future, a brighter scenario and furthermore they have to accomplish the dream cum mission of being a developed nation and that of India shining. Besides keeping our body fit and mind fresh Sports inculcate and imbibe in us the qualities of team spirit, patience, tolerance, concentration and many more virtues of life in this seemingly endless list.
In a game usually the team with best skill set and the one which puts in a lot of efforts to hone in the required skills wins the game. This teaches us that to succeed in activity or career; one has to persistently put in a lot of efforts. We need to work hard to attain our goals in life. Similarly, when we go through ups and downs in our daily life, when our life shows the darkened side, we should not be disturbed nor should we feel overjoyed in success, but should stay focused on our duties and responsibilities. We need to be a disciplined follower of rules in order to win a game the same way in our life, we need to follow the legal, social and ethical rules and any distraction or deviation from them may cost us dear. Thus, sports make us a better disciplined personality in our life and even Swami Vivekananda once said "Play Football to understand Gita.”
Recently, India's youth icon Irfan Pathan, endorsed our Oxygen greeting cards with a great statement and that was "Dear Student, You need to be sporty while studying". This too emphasizes the fact that the utmost need of today is that sports and studies go hand in hand.As a country of young people, India has great potential in the world of sports and games. We are yet to fully harness the talent of our youth in this vast field. Especially in the areas of games that figure at the Olympics. We should seriously think of making sports and games a compulsory part of the educational syllabus in our schools and colleges. Countries that stand out in the world of sports and even dominate in the field of education are the ones that have in fact made them an integral part of their educational curricula.So, its high time now that we include sports in our curriculum so as to make students sporty, sporty enough to build a healthier society of tomorrow and thereby live to the true meaning of Vivekananda’s lines.
Oxygen … a movement View

Be a torch bearer

We have a mighty task at hand. We have to make education the biggest issue and change the face of our nation. It's not something a few individuals alone can accomplish. It is something which requires utmost dedication from people of all backgrounds and in various professions. We needn't be a democrat to bring reforms, we can change a lot by being in our own shoes. We can lead the way for others and inspire them to join hands with us. We can simply be loyal to our profession and a whole lot of issues in the society will sort out themselves. We can be a person who represents the ideal product of our education system and hence be the catalyst to this change. If we keep on waiting for the most opportune moment to do something worthwhile in our lives, chances are we'd never find it. Usually as students our foremost aim is to study and get good marks. That's not wrong but that doesn't mean we cannot think of doing anything for the society while we're still students. Most often, this thought never occurs to us. The thing to remember is that there is no special time for doing anything good. We have to keep persevering throughout our lives if we have something in our minds to fulfill. Apart from studying, we as students, can take up various tasks such as spreading awareness, being associated with a community service group or simply creating ideas for a better world, without having to compromise on academics.
Oxygen … a movement View

Balance of nature- Dignity of labour

There are millions of people who are making the world go round and they are not all doctors or engineers. There are so many people doing so many things that usually get unnoticed. These people work behind the scenes and do things none of the 'educated lot' would ever want to yet their presence is extremely significant for everyone's existence.
We are talking about our farmers, labourers, sweepers, workers etc. It is impossible to have a world without these people but the disregard they get from the elite society is alarming. It is strange to find that if a farmer's son receives good education and becomes an officer, he starts to look down upon his ancestral occupation. He wouldn't want to become a farmer in any case then. Now if all farmers' children leave farming like that, who will produce the required food grains?
The thing in question is whether education is completely ignoring dignity of labour. Why do educated people refrain from manual work and why is there no respect regarding it? Our education should encourage us to value every person and the work they do. It shouldn't distance us from the world we live in. We should understand the importance of every kind of profession. We should break the cocoon of comfort and self reverence we form around ourselves once having earned an esteemed degree.
Oxygen … a movement View

How good is academic competition?

Another academic year has ended and a fresh batch of students has already geared up for their competitive examinations this summer. Thousands of youngsters are going to subject themselves to rounds of selection, or rather elimination, to make it to their dream destination. They had been working hard for it for the past couple of years or so and deserve a good position. Helping them were those several coaching institutions and teachers, some of whom have developed a certain cult following in the recent past.
Nothing has been spared in this age of cut throat competition. Competition has crept in our education system in a way that we find children as young as three or four years old vying for more and more marks. Can such education be considered close to enlightenment that stems from such intense competition? Is there any harmony between the two aspects of education? We support moral building and personality development when we talk of good education but we also look for that fierce competitive spirit in children that would establish their supremacy over others. We like to see our kids overtaking all other kids in every competitive exam they take. We teach them to step over others in order to be called successful. Should the light of knowledge lead us on a path where we step over each other to be ahead? It is also true that we can’t do away with this academic competition. In a country like ours where there are more people than there are opportunities for them, only the very best deserve a position in the institution of their choice. But let’s also not forget the real significance of education amidst all this chaos.
Oxygen … a movement View

We need specialized teachers for sports, music and art

Everyone agrees to the fact that education is all about the overall development of an individual। Students, parents and most importantly educational institutions usually suggest that a truly educated person must possess some special skills and talents in fields such as sports, art, music or dramatics। But when we look closely at the teaching staff of some of the most prestigious schools, we hardly find any specialized teachers for sports, art and .

Schools have specialized teachers for one of these fields but lack the rest whereas some schools don't have any of these teachers at all and yet have no qualms claiming to be the best school of their locality. Isn't it the responsibility of schools to provide their students with good teachers to develop their hidden talents? Should the principals, who emphasize that overall development of children is imperative, not provide such facilities to students under one roof?

In the scarcity of such facilities at school, students have to resort to taking extra classes outside to hone their skills of interest। This cuts their time on academics as well as other activities of interest and recreation at home. When the temples of learning fail to provide all necessary aids for learning, students go out in search of other sacred places to learn and in the process waste a significant amount of resources, time and money.

Oxygen... a movement view

We will excel in every field

The students, putting forward their views, said that we not only have to excel at academics but perform well in all fields. This is the real meaning of education. We have to benefit the society we live in. As students, it is our duty to learn well what is being taught to us.
Life throws many challenges at us and we have to brave through them all, hence being confined to the mark sheet alone won’t help us either. True education should reflect in our personality, character and behavior. A morally sound person can only benefit the nation.
The biggest challenge that lies in front of us is making education accessible to all and education should be of a good quality that produces honest hardworking, skillful and patriotic people. Each and every child of this nation should get equal opportunity to prove them and work towards the progress of the nation.
Oxygen... a movement view

We don't need assurances, we want our Nirmalendu back!

The ever increasing number of kidnapping cases in the city has got everyone startled, annoyed and confused. The children, who have been protesting against kidnapping and other related crimes aimed at them for the past one year, would like to know the reason behind the society being so insensitive. The abduction of Kislay on the 21st of Jan. 2005 was made into a national issue by the tiffin-boycott movement of the students. Similarly, the call for keeping Patna open on Sunday, 14th of August 2005 was another step towards sensitizing the masses. Then, after the abduction of Golu, a community fast by 25lakh people of Patna on the 25th of April 2006 was proposed.
Quite sadly though, with the onset of the New Year, another innocent child, Nirmalendu Prakash of class 9, studying in D.B.A. has been kidnapped leaving his friends and all the students of Patna helpless and wondering, “What else shall we do?”, “How can we make the society more sensitive towards the issues of children?”
In this time of sadness, prayers seem to be the only recourse and the children have been continuously praying for the speedy release of their friend.

Oxygen... a movement view

Safe release of Bunty- The success of non violent protest !

A child is a pious representative of God on the earth, but children are kidnapped and tortured for money. Has the society become so insensitive and materialistic? But through our persistent efforts, we tried to make our society alert and alive and Bunty’s safe and sound recovery has given us enough energy to fight against more social evils. Have you ever thought? Why only students protest against kidnappers when a child is kidnapped? Why only engineers go on strike when a engineer is kidnapped? Don’t you think that it is our responsibility to protect each member of our society? Abduction has become rampant in the last two years and children are made soft target. Children are living under the shadow of fear and trauma. Students are not able to concentrate on their studies because the fear and trauma of abduction is hovering over their minds.
Oxygen... a movement has been organizing discussion on every Sunday to present democratic view. We firmly believe that social evils can only be eliminated by non violent and constructive protest. This movement motivated students to form human chains, keep fast, perform havan etc for Bunty’s safe recovery. Students took interest and went for road shows and relay fast. Students were instrumental in the safe recovery of Kislay through non -violent protest and we did same for Bunty’s recovery. Oxygen is a movement by the students, for the students and of the students. We are obliged to the constant support and co-operation of some students. Abhishek Bharadwaj, Swet Sarika, Sneha Smriti, Harsh, Shruti Shalini, Gaurav and Animan Thakur of Don Bosco Acadamey, Khushboo Jain, Urvi Mohan, Priya, Arpita Malhotra, Neha, Anjali Anand, Mahima, Priti, Ankita, Priyanka, Priyali, Sahana, Saumya Singh, Shana Kajmi, Richa, Shubham Sharan, Jaya Prakash, Mohini Priyadarshini, Saman Rua, Apurv Vardhan, Shilpi S. Kumar, Shrishti Agrawal, Monika Sinha, Vagisha Barbi, Snehalata, Smitha Bharti, Amritansha, Shivangi, Mansha Jain of St. Joseph’s Convent, Abhishek Pankaj of St. Karen’s, Akshay Gautam, Piyush, Saurav, Shishir, Shubham, Shivam Morarka and Abhishek Arya of Loyola High School, Mrilani Panday, Suyash and Zeeshan Kazmi of St. Michael’s, Ankita Nayak, Swapnil, Parma, Akansha Seth, Snehal, Snehil and Harini of Notre Dame, Puja Kumari of Holy Mission, Aliya Mariyam of Art College, Rakhi Raghwan and Barkha of Women’s college, Saurabh Sabu of Rose Bud, Shubhada and Anvi Priya of D.P.S., Fozail of Muslim High School, Abhishek of May Flower, Atfa Mariyam of Science College, Meghna, Richa, Anupam Bharti, Garima Gitika, Smriti Raj, Rita Kumari, Mohsin Nausad and Swabal Mishra of Utkarsh of DAV Walmi, Adarsh Deewan of DAV BSEB, Priyanka of International, Sharad Vivek Sagar and Deepanshu of St. Dominic and Sajia, Lopa Akshita and Shreshi of Baldwin. Had they not been there with relay fast, we would not have been able to raise our voice against kidnappers. Oxygen... a movement view

OLD BOOKS CAN BRING REVOLUTION

Holistic state is a condition in which an individual is physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually well. A country can be in holistic state only when its states, finance, management etc .is in good condition, that is, a country with a better literacy rate, employment oriented education system and ample employment opportunity. India is facing numerous problem - illiteracy, unemployment, poverty and deteriorated education system. Until and unless these problems are solved , India can’t achieve the mark of developed country. Each problem can be solved by imparting quality education to the masses. But the question is- Shall we be able to give quality education to the children when education is so expensive and the economic condition is so low?
A book is a bag of knowledge but changing the book sets every year with some modification, it is not only costing the pockets of parents but also our state and environment. Lakhs of books are published for each academic session with little modification and parents are forced to buy those books. It means crores of rupees and thousands of trees are going in waste every year. If students are allowed to use old books for at least two years, by receiving from up going students and giving to their followers as gift, we can save crores of rupees as well as teach them a moral lesson.We do understand the personal problems of students. Problems could be:- a sense of personal belonging may not come , the condition of books can be disturbing, useless pencil/pen marks on them, workbooks can’t be exchanged, modification in content material is excluded and some students may feel a sense of inferiority complex but each problem can be solved if we have to make a better society. Students will have to be little careful, that is, try to use your books as holy books, preserve your books for your followers, mark with pencil if necessary, inculcate a habit of keeping your study material neat and get photo copied all additional topics in your new syllabus.
We urge to the educational community to think about it so that it may be implemented soon. We want a educational reform through old books, which is going to save crores of rupees and thousands of trees. Since our aim is to make education the biggest issue, we try to make the people aware about the obstacles in the journey of making education the biggest issue. Ignorance of educational community in this regard has made education a luxary, not a need and book sharing can be one of the most important step in bringing educational reform. Oxygen... a movement view

WE NEED BIG HEADS BUT BIGGER HEARTS

Intellectual skills are essential in this world for the progress of mankind and being humans, we have a tendency to move forward on the path of development but of what use is that intellect that does not follow the instincts of the heart in benefitting our fellow humans and making our contributions to society? We can say that heads drive the world but the heart drives the head itself. If your heart allows something, your head will come up with numerous ways of achieving it. They are mutually dependant on each other for any productive work. We need big heads to move forward but we need bigger hearts to help us move forward in the correct direction. Our society today is not only in need of computers but in dire need of compassion. Without the use of our hearts, we humans are not very different from the machines that we work on.
All our educational institutions have been working hard and introducing new ways to enhance our intellects everyday. They are doing everything to develop our brains but what about our hearts? Who will train us in having a better, bigger and wiser heart? The problem here is that on the one hand where we are desperately being forced to improve our mental skills, we are being left on our own for developing our emotional quotient. Cultural activities and extra curricular activities are instrumental in making students emotionally balanced to a certain extent since students learn to work in a group, savour the fruits of hard work and success as well as learn to accept and appreciate failure. But we find that these alone are not enough. To develop compassion and a sense of unity as a citizen of the country children need much more. They must get a chance to witness the living conditions of the different sections of society and not just be confined to their own well being. There should be increased interaction among the students from all strata of society so that each one understands the needs as well as aspirations of the other. These should be introduced right from a very tender age to ensure maximum understanding. On a whole, children learn what they see; hence if we want the future generations to have unity, benevolence and patriotism, we must create such conditions today where these values flourish.
We have created a pool of people with big degrees but tiny hearts. In every field we find big officials indulging in bribery and criminal offences. Why do their hearts allow them to continue with such practices? Isn't there the courage in their hearts to go against the tide and protest against it instead of following it? We expect a good education to not only provide us with a sound mind but a sound heart as well so that we can curb these unlawful acts. At last we can say that it's the people with good hearts who will ultimately make our country a great one since they are the ones who are concerned about the nation, they think about conserving our natural resources, don't support corruption in any form.

Oxygen... a movement view

DEEP BREATHING, LONG LIFE; GOOD EDUCATION, BETTER LIFE

Deep breathing enables us to obtain maximum amount of oxygen from our surroundings. The scientific significance of deep breathing is well known. For a healthy and long life, we must utilize our natural resource to the fullest and thankfully, God has provided us with ample supply of it. It is in our hands to adopt a healthier lifestyle by making minor changes to the way we live and think, thus enriching our lives and hence making the most out of the limited time we have. Good education improves the overall quality of our lives and makes us productive. Knowledge, coupled with morals and a sense of patriotism makes us complete individuals.
It would be great if classes began with a lesson on good breathing and breathing exercises so that students not only become healthier but develop higher concentration and start to focus on their goals. It would not only relieve them of frivolous anxieties but also improve their thinking and reasoning capacities as it has been scientifically proven that breathing exercises in the morning help calm one's mind and anything done with a calm mind produces far better results. If such a simple change in the students' routine can work wonders and improve their performance manifolds, why don't we consider it and see the results for ourselves?
Students invited the President through postcards to intervene in the matter.

Oxygen... a movement view

25th April Community fast- The strength of unity

What we are seeing today is the slow degradation of our society. Every now and then, we find petty acts of crime around us. The ease with which these criminals execute their plan points to the fact that the general populace is helpless. It appears as though for us, the respectable citizens, everything comes as a surprise. We do raise our eyebrows when something disturbing happens but very soon we forget about it and carry on with our normal life. It encourages anti-social elements that come to believe that committing a crime is a piece of cake and their next act of kidnapping, murder, theft or bribery will be as simple as the previous one.
We suffer but we don't raise our voices. We take the back seat and watch everything happen or give up hope completely and don't bother. This does not mean that we don't want the situation to improve. We sure want a peaceful society but expect that to happen on its own.
Our strength is our determination and our unity. If all of us come together and unite for a common cause, it sends out a clear message that we are awake and active citizens and are ready to rise against injustices done to us. When innocent children are abducted, it creates quite a stir and we all express our condolence towards the family, school and friends but if we unite now, we may prevent such incidences from taking place in the future. Let us show the criminals that we are not indifferent towards our own predicament. We are one and we will remain so till we see a significant positive improvement in our society.

Oxygen... a movement view

25th April Community Fast- Establishing peaceful protest

The main reasons behind the 25th April community fast are to protest against the kidnapping of students, prevent them from becoming the soft target for any kind of violence and to make education the biggest issue. However the gist of the entire idea is to promote non-violent ways of protest.
Through the mass community fast we hope of achieving these results but the underlying meaning of this event must be to imbibe the essence of our glorious past into us by adopting the peaceful ways of our great freedom fighters. It is well known and even better observed that a war is no answer to another war and that destructive elements from our society cannot be rooted out with destruction. What we generally observe are the acts of violence in the name of seeking justice but to what extent is it correct? It may or may not bear the results it was intended for but sure brings some suffering to the common man instead of relieving him of the suffering he already bears! So, violent protests are no solution to any of our existing problems instead it creates more problems. Our great leaders of the past understood this. We have seen for ages how mass constructive protests have worked wonders when they reached their pinnacle, using the same principle we would like to bring about another revolution.
This has to be kept in mind that all previous protests by our great leaders could only materialize with the invariable support of the masses hence you are requested to join hands and enable this community event to become a success. This way you would not only re-establish the beliefs of our great leaders of the past but also ensure a safe future for the coming generations.

Oxygen... a movement view

25th April Community Fast- Sensitizing the masses

A piece of information, received at the right time, can have drastic changes. Knowledge makes us what we are. Awareness helps us understand the kind of environment we are living in a much better way.
Don't we feel that we know all the facts but still act as oblivious of it? We either don't know the present situation well or we don't really want to know what’s happening around us simply because we think it wouldn’t concern us. The community fast on the 25th April would certainly bring the issue of students’ protection and education to the common man. People from all walks of life would at least think together for a moment about this important issue which has not been allowed to take the centre stage in our scheme of concerns. If the masses are aware of the present situation only then can we hope of some positive change. We must realise that by doing something of a community nature we are not doing a work of charity but rather we ourselves will benefit from our own efforts first. By being involved in a constructive protest such as this, we can be instrumental in making the society better as well as making our own living conditions more pleasant. However, if we don't think we should be involved, we are straying away from our moral responsibilities. Hence, knowing the truth yet not accepting it or not working to bring it to light is something we should abstain from. The only way to safeguard our future is to completely understand our present, make everyone aware of it and work towards correcting what’s wrong.

Oxygen... a movement view

People observed community fast on 25th April for children education & safety

It seems wizard what we mean to say or do. The school children of Patna were requesting people to observe fast on 25th April with following motives (1) To ensure education and safety for each child (2) To make education the biggest issue and (3) To establish creative and non-violent mean to protest. We tried to approach all the esteemed citizen of Patna and asked for there consent to observe fast by requesting them to fill the consent letter. The idea was to sensitize them towards this evil, which is kidnapping our children physically and psychologically. Our concern was to highlight the biggest kidnapping which is not done by criminals i.e. what about those children who are not attending any school? ......Contd. Page 2 ....From Page 1 Reports says about thirty percent of children of our city are not going to school. we can imagine the figure of Bihar and whole country. Isn’t it a kidnapping of their dreams, ambition and their rights? Who is responsible for that?
we want to ask those educated and elite who are respectable and hold key position in our society. Are they doing correct things? Why they have made our system corrupt and handicapped? They have become exploiter from server, snatchers from provider. We want to ask our policy makers what kind of economy they have provided in which our major income comes as a foreign loan and maximum output is consumed by paying interest of these loan amount. Moreover 13 times of the total loan is lying in foreign banks as black money. So how can we say that the Britishers looted us? Now who is looting our country? Unfortunately we the citizens of independent India. Its hard time to rethink our values and duties which should be towards our nation. If Gadhiji can win freedom by fasting and Styagraha, why can’t we repeat the same?

Oxygen... a movement view

Once a week Khadi movement started by Student

Once in a week we should wear clothes made of khadi. Education is the right of each child but the fact is that money is also needed for education of each child. Free, compulsory education can deal with this problem only up to some extent but for higher education, this scheme is not going to work. In today's discussion, children were putting up their views and role in the support of education. Education for all is only possible, if each one is employed. Today, most of the people are facing the problem of unemployment due to insufficiency of proper work. Each child has pledged to wear khadi shirt at least once in a week. There are about 2 lakh 30 thousand school going children in Patna itself and each one of them decide to wear khadi shirt it will help thousand of people financially associated with this trade. In return we will be facilitating many children to meet the expenses of their education. This way we can help to build education strongly. There is an illusion among the people that khadi clothes are costly but the fact is totally opposite.
Children would put up their views in support of education before the society also. Their little effort, would surely take the form of huge revolution. In the same way, children have promised not to drink cold drinks and support the traditional drinks like, Lassi, Sharbat, fruit juice milk shake etc. These drinks are not only good for health but also the money obtained by selling them goes directly to the farmers. These efforts are surely will be noticed by masses and can bring a small but great revolution.
Oxygen... a movement view

The Base of education should be love-affection, not competition

The cut throat competition among students to become the best is imposing many ill effects. Children are made victims of over ambition and unwanted pressure is forced on them to perform at any cost. By this unwanted pressure, we are snatching away the precious smile of their childhood. A competition should be healthy, we should consider our classmate as a friend first and then a competitor. The basis of education must be love and affection. At last we should have faith in God and our main focus should be on our work. We should strive for our goal honestly and sincerely.
Oxygen... a movement view

Children protest against the lathi charge on student in Mumbai

In a democratic country like ours, every citizen, including children have complete right to protest or speak in support of any issue. If the system doesn’t agree to their protest or support, it must make arrangements to debate the issue with them instead of using force to suppress the voice of students. Every student of India, today, detests the lathi charge on the students in Mumbai who were raising their voice against the controversial issue of reservation. We feel that this important issue must be dealt with in a nation-wide debate. Instead of politicizing it, we must work towards ensuring good education to all. This will be achieved once we start reserving a significant portion of our G.D.P. for educational expense only after analysing the total requirement of funds for providing good education to all and making the allocations accordingly.
Let us, the students, demand this kind of reservation so that every child of the nation may get a chance to be educated.
Oxygen... a movement view

Capabilities of students don’t reflect in their mark sheets

Once again, the anxious month of May has arrived when millions of students are eagerly waiting for their board exam results. This period in the life of a student is characterized by high level of mental stress giving rise to various physical ailments in some cases. The apprehension is so intense that every year we come across several cases of students committing suicide. And its not only the very weak ones who consider suicide as the only available option but even the good students, taken aback by all the media hype, parental and peer pressure, become emotionally unstable. Why are we subjecting the future of our nation to such stress at such a tender age when learning should be an enjoyable experience instead of a crucial life-death situation?
Viewing the scene broadly, we find that it is not about the actual knowledge attained; rather it is the numerical worth of all that you have learnt in the past one year that is causing such trouble. The very system in which your mind's potential is measured on a scale of a mere 1 to 100 is to be blamed for the students' pathetic condition. The report card that we obtain at the end of the two most crucial years of our life, that is, after class 10 and 12; determine the future course of our lives, or so it has become. Hence it is quite natural to worry about what it might contain.
Assessing children on the basis of their I.Q. would be a better way to label them as 'intelligent' and hence deserve position in good educational institutions instead of a memory based assessment that we have been following for decades.
The system rewards just the merit in scoring marks and nothing much else. This is another cause for trouble. Aspects such as personality development, creative potential, moral quotient and imaginative thinking get dimmed under the supreme glare of marks secured. These qualities would, in any case, not be very instrumental in earning a student a position in any reputed Indian institution so why simply worry about it? The admission process of even the very best of institutions that India has to offer involves a couple of written entrance examinations. Anyone who clears the exams gets a seat, irrespective of his or her past records. Hence we find that the creativity and ingenuity of students are left unaccounted for.
A creative person has the potential to contribute more to the society therefore such a person must get credit for his abilities and a chance to grow. Personality and skills must also be assessed in awarding scholarships and admission instead of the mere knowledge of facts.

Oxygen... a movement view

Students Asked- “Good Education or Reservation ?”

Our constitution has provision for reservation to provide equal opportunity to the oppressed people so that they can be brought in the main stream of development. The motive was to protect their rights which were snatched by the so called elite class of the pre independent India. These classes for long deprived them of their social rights and chance of upliftment due to their selfish and suppressive attitude. After independence, reservation was allocated to these oppressed classes to provide them equal rights and opportunities but the million dollar question still remains unanswered- ‘Can we really speed up the process of social justice by compromising with quality and intellectuality?’ ‘Is reservation the only way out to perpetuate quality among the deprived or whether it's a mere political gimmick to ensure their vote-bank?’. Have we ever analyzed and assessed the results of reservation whether it has been beneficial to the downtrodden people of India or not?
Politicians will definitely comment on these issues with their sole interest that is confined to gaining popular votes during elections. But what are our duties as a nationalist and a true citizen of India? Can't we bring a consensus, leaving behind our caste and social backgrounds? We have to ensure that the light of educational training must reach every child so that the qualities hidden in them can be tapped and given a chance to blossom by which our country can benefit. We can surely say that nobody would object to this effort of ours, then why don't we go for such a reservation where every child gets equal opportunity to study? We don't need quotas keeping into view the caste census to ensure vote-banks, ultimately creating a rift in our social system. We as true citizens of India must say 'No' to these evil efforts. Do we have the courage and unity to raise our voice against these gimmicks?

Oxygen... a movement view

Educate people to value and preserve our environment

It is our duty to repay the loan we have taken. It will be better if we pay the interest of the loan taken. We have taken so many things from our family, parents, teachers and the society but we hardly give value the loan we have taken from our mother earth and her climate. It should be priority of our concern and must be implemented in our actions also. We utilize and get so many things from our environment like air, water, food grains, fruits, and enjoy natural beauty of this wonderful planet which supports and nurtures life in this universe. We have taken a lot rather misused our natural resources on the name of development whether it is advanced science and technology, industrialization, urbanization to make our life rich and comfortable. Have we ever thought what we have given back our planet in return indeed we have given so many things like increasing level of pollution (land, water and air), made her deprived of its greenery by deforestation, made many plants and animals extinct and many are on the verge of extinction, we have grown jungles of concrete instead of plants and trees. It is going to harm us. The ill-effects are very visible nowadays and ultimately we are going to suffer from it.
We belong to educated community, we are also concerned to save our nature but unfortunately it is not transformed into action. We have to repay the loan of our earth in this very life of ours. The world is in danger and it's a fact. The climate has changed drastically and adversely by global warming which is also increasing the level of sea water. And today problem of water shortage os evident in every sphere of life. Today, we face drought in several parts of our country due to reduced rainfall. We are losing lots of fertile land due to erosion and deforestation. Rain water cause menace as floods in many areas which may be trapped and utilized in future by better water management. We can start by making our homes a greener one, reduce pollution by regular checking of our vehicles, optimize the use of water and electricity, banning the use of polythene and plastic these small efforts can bring a lot of change. So, start implementing it from today onwards or else it will be too late.

Oxygen... a movement view

Money can buy literacy; not education

We can observe very easily that we live to earn but have we forgotten that instead of living to earn, we should earn to live? It is true that we need materials to sustain ourselves. It is also true that we all are in the race for survival, development and progress. It is all right as long as amassing wealth doesn't become the sole motive of our existence.
In the earlier times, the status of people was judged by the knowledge they possessed. It would be an obsolete concept for the present generation as the value of knowledge and wisdom has taken a back seat in a world where money drives everyone crazy. Rich people get everything out of life. They can afford the best quality education for their children whereas a man of wisdom may not be equally lucky. If he does not have sufficient wealth, his children wont receive good education. Naturally, a child growing up in a money driven world will have a money driven attitude. The fact here that needs to be considered is that since we all regard knowledge as worth more than wealth, we must have a society which reflects this thinking. An ideal world would be one in which the attainment of knowledge is not dependent on money. It must be available to all, irrespective of their financial status. Creativity must be developed among the children so that they learn to understand that money is not everything but it is just a by-product of skills and hard work. We must always remember that anything material can be destroyed, lost or stolen but knowledge once attained can never be stolen from anyone.
Oxygen... a movement view

Dignity of labour equally important along with education

Books are our best friend it is completely true. They open the window of wisdom for us. We can't be educated if we ignore books. But we must not diminish or degrade the dignity of labour. It should also be included in our school curriculum. This is not implemented properly hence we find problems in correlating it in our practical life and also during taking our career option. Our children are only thought that they should only write or play with keyboards after getting education. They are not taught to make objects with their hands. In European countries plumbers and electricians have neon lights in their vehicle not the VIP'S.
Our father of nation Mahatma Gandhi had a very clear point of view ion these issues, according to him “Education of hand is equally important with books and children should make those objects which can be sold in the market. They should not make those objects which are only meant to be kept in the museum. We must train our children to produce things which will help them grow physically, mentally & spiritually.” Our President Mr. Kalam have the similar thoughts, “India must produce entrepreneurs who are not only self reliant but help many in getting employment opportunities. Then only India can be groomed to become a developed nation.”
It's hard time to realize and act and our schools must implement these ideas for the betterment of our society.
Oxygen... a movement view

Self respect is ultimate source of energy

We all wish to live with self respect as it provides us with the power to accomplish our goals and boost our will power as well. It is due to it that we perform our duties perfectly. In brief, self-respect is like an ultimate source of energy. We gain self-respect when we do something for the welfare of the society. It inculcates the practice of respecting the significance of labour and hard work in the society. Today, we feel inferior in cleaning our study rooms and also reprobate those who work as sweepers, farmers, or auto drivers etc. A question arises straight in our minds that are the ultimate goal of our life is to be a money minting machine. We shall always remember that each one of these play an important role in our life and never ever reprobate them as we live in a society which is inter dependent. It’s the need of hour to respect each other and maintain social equality rather than widening the gap between the rich and the poor. It’s true that if you have self-respect and do well for the society then others will surely respect you and see as a person of great significance. And for this we will have to provide good education to one and all and not merely make them literates as education without moral values, vocational training and pragmatic approach is mere literacy which makes people just money minting machines. Thus, self respect and dignity of labour through quality education is the only way to make the society a better pace to live in and develop our nation by respecting its human resources.
Oxygen... a movement view

Together we will fight against evils of our society

India is a developing nation and we have achieved a lot in many areas since its independence. There are various obstacles in its path which retards its progress and threatens its integrity and existence. The emergence of terrorism in the last two decades or so in different states which are sponsored and encouraged by various anti national elements which tries to tear apart our social fabric. The recent bomb blast in Mumbai local trains was one such effort.
Our responsibility as an educated society and true citizen becomes manifold to not only fight against all odds but also to abolish these social evils. First and foremost we should not get provoked and constrain our anguish. Violence cannot be the solution to these problems. We can show our anguish and protest by constructive means. The Mumbai people not only showed great patience and solidarity but their anguish was evident when they ignored the trauma and went on with their routine life the very next day. It was a great move and sent clear message to those forces which wants to create social menace and anarchy in our society.
Oxygen... a movement view

Media role vital in demand for education

Media is considered the fourth pillar of our democracy. It not only helps in preserving our democracy but also highlighting injustice and all wrongful deeds which disrupts our growth as a citizen and nation. Media has done tremendous jobs for mankind particularly in India the biggest democracy of the world. The recent example is of the six year old Prince who was trapped inside the tunnel. The efforts of media not only helped him get rescued but also ignited the sense of humanity and feeling of oneness which has taken the backseat in today’s fast and professional lives.
Most of the social ills which are still persistent in our society is due to lack of proper education. Unfortunately the whole scenario is fast becoming money and marks oriented. The creativity and activities are lesser preferred than academics. We need amendments in our education system. For this we have to become more vocal and put our genuine efforts to revamp it. Media’s role once again becomes very important in accomplishing these objectives. They have created waves of changes and brought many reforms for the betterment of our society. Once again we are looking forward to them to be our role model, our hero who demands quality and compulsory education for all along with us. Together we can work for the nation progress since we cannot find ourselves in the list of developed nation if all of us are not educated.

Oxygen... a movement view

Recognize the importance and adhere to your social roots

Many Indian’s are settled abroad and many are in the queue to go there for better prospects, a land of more greener pasture. We consider this as a “Brain-drain”. Some feel pride if their relatives are well placed in abroad. Are these people have done something wrong by talking decisions of leaving their native places? Why only the NRI’s should take all the blame. What about those people who have migrated to metros and other bigger cities for better employment avenues. Are they not foreigners in the eyes of their parents, relatives and friends who are residing in their native places?
We must go to other places to learn and sharpen our skills. Many Indian’s in the field of science & technology are conducting research outside their motherland. They are benefitting the whole world with their innovative ideas and discoveries. This should not stop. If someone is employed outside there is no harm in it. The only expectation which requires to be fulfilled by them is that they never-ever get themselves cut off from their roots that are our country. The same is also expected of those who are living in India but in metros and other bigger cities. We owe a lot to our parents, family, friends, society, village, town and we must be ready not to miss any opportunity to serve them whenever it is required of us. Lots of people living abroad are funding different projects in India which not only helps our economy to strengthen but also provide employment opportunity to fellow countrymen. These people must be encouraged and with dignity and due respect. Oxygen... a movement view

Be a true citizen through out the year

We are going to celebrate the 60th independence day of our nation. This is the day to remember and follow the values and spirit of our great freedom fighters and leaders whose die -hard efforts of centuries compelled the Britishers to leave and India emerged as the largest democratic country in the world.
We fought for almost two century to achieve our goal which nobody has ever thought will be converted in a reality. This was the result of consistent and prolonged efforts with the involvement of people irrespective of caste, creed and social strata who made this illusion a reality. This unity, a feeling of oneness is to be cherished.
Now we have to payback what we have taken from our soil. This can be done by making our motherland a better place to live in. First we have to make sure that each and every child of our country must have a school and those who are in the school must perform well in social fields also.
There are also many forces prevailing in our society which are trying to disunite us. Our army men are capable to fight out these elements. But this is also our duty as a true civilian to foil the attempt of these unsocial elements. We should not give importance to the rumors and by keeping ourselves alert and conscious many accidents or acts of terror can be avoided. We can remain a true citizen if we perform our duties honestly and timely. We must celebrate our national festivals with zeal and enthusiasm but ensure that rest of the year our celebration must be reflected in our deeds. Oxygen... a movement view

Student appeal to make violence free society

The incident that took place in Meerut, Ujjain and Chandigarh colleges can be considerd as a black day for Indian democracy and their must not be any violence in our school and colleges. The girls were so agitated over some issue that they stormed the VC residence and ransacked his home in Merrut city. The incident of Madhav College Ujjain tarnished the age old teacher student relationship. The mobs of student were so agitated that they thrashed their professor and the whole staff and policemen present were mere spectators of the whole incident. India witnessed for the first time a death of a teacher by his own students and we don't have proper words to condole his death.
The main reason for these developments is the political interference in our school and college life. Now many young political aspirants consider politics as a lucrative career option which pays you account less money and student life is a good time to sharpen your political skills. Obviously they are hardly bothered about student's rights and their plights.
If the Indian democracy has to consolidate its base the doors for such budding politician has to be closed and no political party contesting general election must be allowed to utilize students for their political interest. Then only these dirty games can be stopped to ruin our precious time which we devote in school and colleges. We are sorry for this incident and hope it won't ever be repeated again and the age old teacher student relationship will flourish once again.
Oxygen... a movement view

Serve the nation through constructive work not by words alone

Mere singing patriotic songs are not enough and expected of us as a true citizen. We cannot force or blame those who are not interested in singing our national song. It will be foolish to consider those people anti-nationalist. The hues and cries over our national song ‘Vande Matram’ was in the news last week. It was really unfortunate to celebrate the centenary of its origin by dispute and controversy. We could have enjoyed and celebrated this beautiful song provided this issue could be averted from political gimmicks. We can enjoy this song like our freedom fighters if we have the feeling to serve our nation in whatever mean possible. If we are lacking these feelings and are not ready to take challenges faced by our country today like poverty, illiteracy, corruption, terrorism, unemployment, we don’t have the right to claim ourselves as true nationalist and others as antisocial people. The key is to fulfill your responsibility honestly and timely. You are a true citizen if you are concerned and act positively towards social matters of public interest and do not encourage corrupt behaviour your day to day life. We witness day violence is our daily life. India is based on harmony, self respect, brotherhood and co-existent among its people. We must believe in our roots and don’t let is loosen its grip from the soil.

Oxygen... a movement view

The ideal place for children must be school along with their teachers

From 10th of October child labour will be unlawful in India. Thanks to the UN Resolution of the 162 countries who has signed a resolution of which India is a member. We must welcome and congratulate those who were behind these efforts along with the Government. But there are still many questions which are left unanswered. Have we done proper rehabilitation planning for those who’ll be jobless after this process? The first and vital requirements are the food for those children for which they have to work. Second comes the efforts to educate them all. Are there enough school for those children? What will be their fate if they will be thrown out of the household, hotel, spa and small factories? These are the question whose solution we will have to find otherwise we are moving towards a complete mess. We strongly believe that school is the most ideal place for a child along with his teachers. It's not only the govt. responsibility alone and we all as a responsible citizen has to think and act upon these issues.

Oxygen... a movement view

Let the Gandhi within us survive

Mahatma Gandhi brought to life the same principals that were buried in our hearts for centuries and just needed a slight detonation to explode out into the world. We all have a little angel within us. When a child is born, he/she is the true image of that angel. The child is naturally kind and compassionate, emotional and simple. A rent these values quite similar to the teachings of the Father of our Nation? This shows that we all have those intrinsic qualities but the real challenge lies in maintaining those qualities and working on them. We know we are right but we are afraid of taking a step in the right direction. We know it when injustice looms but we hide away instead of rising against it boldly. We are afraid to swim against the tide and this lets us get carried away by the current of general conceptions, which may either be right or wrong, we don’t even care. Now we have to really look within us for the solutions to all the problems facing us. If everyone born pure is turning inconsiderate in the process of growing up, then there is something seriously wrong in the way we are bringing them up. Children have to be taught at every step that "right is might" even if "wrong appears strong". We have to modify our way of functioning first in order to show the next generation the correct way to live. The schools that do not follow their own code of conduct cannot teach its children to be righteous and non-violent.

Oxygen... a movement view

We have the best schools: but where are the kids?

We talk of the high dropout rate of students in rural India and we talk of low attendance but do we ever consider the actual reasons for it? We often blame the poor infrastructure, meager meals provided at school as part of the mid day meal campaign, no water and a whole lot of other stuff for it. But consider this - What if all these facilities are available but still the students do not wish to go to school? Have we not seen children coming up with all sorts of excuses to miss a day of school or bursting out in joyful celebration on the announcement of a holiday? It is too common a phenomenon to go unnoticed. It is just that children prefer more practical ways of learning than the classroom environment. Gulping down knowledge that is being forced down their throats is not what every child can handle, though some have no problem with this form of learning. The classroom environment often contradicts the more creative child's idea of learning. It does not cater to their natural talent and inclination as well as level of curiosity, which is very different from person to person. Every child is a natural learner. Children learn faster than we think they do and restricting their abilities to what the classroom has to offer is akin to some heinous crime. So, when a child, or when so many children make up excuses not to attend their so-called "elite school" classes, it's time we got the hint and stopped blaming the kids for being wayward.

Oxygen... a movement view

2007 – Our goals in the year that lies ahead

Change is inevitable and with the changing times has come the dawn of 2007. In this New Year, with new spirits and a fresh beginning, we would like to reinstate our goals that we are hoping to achieve in the year that lies ahead of us.
The first thing that we have to look forward to is the spread of the Creativity scholarship and the establishment of hand made cards by children as the main mode of greeting people on various occasions. If these cards reach more people whether far or near, a new positive trend will come into the notice of the general masses that children can take the responsibility of their own education and at the same time use their creativity for some constructive purpose and know the worth of their valuable skills.
The second aim for the coming year is to be able to have the News Letter and the News CD, which was a significant development of the previous year, to reach new heights with the increase in their circulation from 18,000 copies per week to hopefully one lakh copies in the near future. The News letter is the voice of the students supplemented by eminent personalities of the state and country. Its circulation will ensure the spread of the views of students as well as people who have already become successful in their respective fields. These ideas can help shape the future by their spread and bring about change. The year 2006 saw the tremendous growth of the Movement in Delhi with more and more schools actively participating in the Creativity Scholarship. This coming year, we are glad to state that the movement will see an increase in Mumbai and Pune as well. We are looking forward to see the kind of enthusiasm we get in these new places.

Oxygen... a movement view

6,000 handmade cards to Pakistan to create awareness towards our concern for education

Borders may be divided but we are all striving for a common goal, that is development.
Every country aims for a better future and improved living conditions as well as skilled manpower and efficient human resource. How can all this be brought about? The answer is good education. This is a fact that cuts across cultures and continents. In this fast developing world where education has become a global concern, people of all societies realize its importance.
India and Pakistan, divided by borders and border disputes, have in the past, made several attempts at promoting peace between the two nations. These efforts were directed towards establishing a common consensus between the countries for not using weapons against each other. Such peace talks and efforts are better left for the politicians since they have the military under their control. Let the common citizen make peace on a different level altogether, that of providing good education to each and every one of their children.
As this gesture of promoting awareness towards education, on the 60th year of India's independence, we have decided to send 6,000 (sixty hundred) hand-made cards prepared by our students to Pakistan. The trend that we are trying to establish here, may as well get some support from our immediate neighbors who would come to know about our earnestness towards promoting education which is not only of a good quality but is accessible to all. These greeting cards would be as good tidings from their neighboring country, telling them that they may be divided by political boundaries but are united when it comes to promoting education and development. By doing this and by realizing the importance of quality education, we would be marching straight on the path of developing, on either sides of the border.

Oxygen... a movement view

We are born Gandhians

We, as a nation, mourn on the 30 of January every year. This was the day Mahatma Gandhi, father of the nation was assassinated. Perhaps the major part of our grief comprises of the realization that there was just one Gandhi and can be none other in the future as well. The principles he taught us and the example he set by his own austere lifestyle are too difficult to be emulated. The path he treaded and urged us all to tread is too difficult for everyone to walk on.
But is it really so? Have we forgotten that truth and simplicity are values we are all born with? As children we are oblivious of life’s unending greed, we cry when we are hungry, eat as much as is required and say what’s on our minds.
Isn’t it all about being righteous and honest? And aren’t the principles of non-violence akin to them?
We have forgotten about the time, when as kids, we used to continue stating our demands till they were fulfilled and how we would be extremely satisfied when
we got what we wanted. But as grown ups, we are never satisfied with what we get. It’s usually the wealthiest and people on highest positions who ask for the biggest bribes.
‘Satyagrah’ is all about fighting for your rights, restating your rightful demand and being content with its fulfillment. It is exactly what we used to do as kids. But why does this trend discontinue in later in life?
We somehow stop believing in our own powers and abilities. We start believing in what others tell us regarding the way in which we should lead our life, so as to be an ideal. We should realize that every child is born pure and free from any hatred for anyone.
Instead of simply celebrating the birth and mourning the death of one of our great leaders, we should try to incorporate ideals in our lives. Let not these events remain a formality for us now or in the years to come. Let such events not just mark an important point in history but show us the way to a brighter future.
Oxygen... a movement view

Equal importance to Academics and Activities

The education system should bring out the best in every individual. Every person possesses some talent in the area of their interest. Is it fair to judge people only on the basis of the marks they obtain? Can the marking system, which tests nothing more than memory power, be the only attribute for assessing someone's personality or skill level?
Academic excellence is a significant achievement, no doubt, but the misconception that those who are not academic achievers are good for nothing needs attention. We still give due credit to the knowledge of facts and basic literacy. We undermine the hidden potentials of the people who are made to bear a system that they are not made for. We are overlooking the diamonds in the pursuit to find gold.
At the end of each academic year, students are handed down their report cards which are the so-called assessments of all that they had learnt and managed to retain throughout the year. In fact, it turns out to be a list of things the students didn't learn throughout the year! It is high time we started giving due importance to the developing talents of our youngsters. Promotion to a higher class should depend on the overall skill of the student in any field of their choice and not merely on academics. A sports person should have the liberty to pursue his interest without the pressure of failure in the exams If we allot a total of thousand points on the marking scale then half of those points should come from the area of interest of the student. Unlike the academic part where the knowledge is limited by the scope of syllabus, extra curricular activities are areas where students can define their own boundaries and can reach any level of expertise based on their true grasp and interest of the subject.

Oxygen... a movement view