Blessings... the essence of life

‘Long live my child!’ “May all your dreams come true.” are few blessings that are seldom heard nowadays. Little words of appreciation, kinds words of encouragement and soul-touching blessings are probably fading out from our daily routine. Fast-moving life, hectic work-culture, cut-throat competition seen to leave no place for these beautiful words in our lives. Most of us believe that blessing do work and can cause wonders in life, all that is, required is sincere and earnest endeavourson our part. Words of encouragement from a teacher to this student can boost him to work harder and achieve his goal on the contrary if the same teacher discourages a child, it can shatter his confidence forever. Words from a doctor to his patient will for sure generate positive vibrations and help him to heal or recover from his illness quickly. Similarly ‘greetings, lovely words to show affection can create an aura of happiness around us. If we take into consideration the blessings and curses that will follow our actions then we certainly will not indulge ourselves into wrong deeds nor will we harm anyone All our deeds should have the sole aim of 'बहुजन हिताय, बहुजन सुखाय' then this world will become a paradise live in curse of words of discouragements can also be transformed into blessings if we take there as a challenge and prove our selves. On the centaury, in genuine praise or blessings can make us over confident which will only lead our deterioration.
Oxygen… a movement view

State of Environment

Environment is the home of all resources. It not only provides us with air to breath ,water to drink, food to eat and other resources which make our lives easier but also maintains a natural balance on earth. Recent years has witnessed great degradation in our environmental condition and this is certainly attributed to our unthought and mean actions. Industrialization, urbanization and modernization have lead to rampant deforestation, soil erosion, extinction of biological species, pollution and depletion of resources. New problems like ozone layer depletion, global warming, melting of polar ice caps, eutrophication of water bodies, drying up of rivers, erratic weather conditions
etc. have cropped up in recent years. If we go on with the present rate of destructing nature then nature too will turn furious which will be perceived by human minds as ‘catastrophe’. No deadly effect of mean anthropogenic action remains local rather it takes a global dimension. The need of the hour is to utilize our resources judiciously, resort to eco-friendly products and afforestation, minimize pollution, save water, recycle waste, develop and popularize alternatives for CFCs and above all STOP exploiting Mother Nature. To keep the earth ‘clean’ we need to think ‘green’.

Oxygen… a movement view

Rejoicing over Results

Time to rejoice over bigger successes. Congratulations to all those who made it this time. Sincere thanks to the Students, Teachers, Parents and Schools who together made it possible. Who could withstand the pressure of present Education System and yield vibrant results. It is for the intense competition which we are faced with in present day world that pushes us to get more every time. It is pushing us to every possible inch and demanding more everyday.
Some are driven in so to say positive way but there are yet some and unfortunately a greater lot of us who are becoming victims of this fierce mark-based judgement system. Tragically, some are even taking their lives. Shouldn’t we for a while stop and think over, do we really need a system like this?
For the ones who rejoice, the moment doesn’t last for long either, disappointment comes when one isn’t able to utilize the result for further studies. One can go on attaining zenith marks decided of course by market forces and still find the zenith pushed beyond. Where do we stop?
The point is not where we stop but at what percentage we still start afresh with new vigor and hope as we take on bigger challenges in life. And Education System must ensure that our children don’t land in hopelessness and dejection.
Oxygen… a movement view

Restoring Excitement in Summer Vacation

There was a time when Summer Vacation meant a complete break from the monotony of classes, books and exams. Unfortunately, today they are mere extension of the regular school days. Extra Classes, Crash courses, Assignments etc seemed to have rubbed of the very excitement associated with Summer vacation.
If we cannot utilize the number of working days to deliver the course, no matter how many extra days we are given, we will not be able to finish it up. Competition will go on increasing demanding better performance, that doesn’t mean we need more and more classes or homework for that matter.
We only need a right approach to the whole process of Education. If our Education system sends out this message that every creative learning can wait and focus should be given only on bookish knowledge, then one is really confused what is Education all about.
Summer vacation should be the time for unbound learning so that after two three months a child feels refreshed, more confident, and has enhanced his/her creative skills.
It is the time when one can come to terms with real life situations and learn accordingly. Community development, Ecological awareness, Social awareness, Skill Enhancement and Practical Learning should be the center around which all programs for these vacations should be based.
Oxygen… a movement view

Mothers, an Educational Institution

If one had to ever give a character sketch of Education, very likely one would end up describing Mother.
She is an Institution of Learning in her self. She is the one who introduces us to life. Our senses come alive through her endeavor and we identify our existence with her. Our first yearnings beckon for her very touch, very smell and very presence. She is the whole world to begin with. As one starts to grow, one sees the world through her eyes. We take refuge in her for our every success and failure. She selflessly becomes a part of every single event in life. She never judges, complains, punishes or rewards, she is just there all the while, a permanent support and guidance.
On third may 2008, around three hundred students from Patna dreamt of a school that would be very close to what mothers are and that really is what Education is all about. With all humility and prayer in their heart they beckoned mothers to be the source of motivation and blessing in achieving their dreams, our dreams.
If the system and society could draw inspiration from mothers, we could have an environment which is nurturing in every sense. Which does not differentiates, or discourages, but guides always. If our schools beckoned every child like mothers do, groomed them for life and its shortcomings then we could take the sigh of huge relief, what Education!!!
Oxygen… a movement view

Inadequate Policies and Commissions

India is home to the largest number of children in the world. Around 46 % of these children suffer from malnutrition. Over 6,000 children under the age of six die in our country everyday from hunger and malnutrition even though India claims to have the world's largest initiative for children under six but still ranks 94th out of 118 countries on the Global Hunger Index. More than 50 % of total population is employed in agriculture and allied activities and still its farmers can't afford a basic living and are forced to commit suicide. The line which separates beggars from casual poor is thinning in a country where one in every four goes to bed hungry every night and 78 % are homeless. Here a casual labour earns less than a beggar in a day.
When slapped with these abashing facts one starts to think in the direction of poverty reduction and devising mechanism to ensure fair returns to those producing goods and services at the lowest strata i.e the farmers and laborers.
Unfortunately, the policies of the Planning Commission are not directed towards any of these but largely speaking they are vote bank politics in disguise. The Sixth Pay Commission is one good example. Can we even afford to think on the lines of its recommendation when a huge number of our people are living in abject poverty not only because they are unemployed but because they aren't getting their fair share.
So, While the Prime Minister's announcement to set up the Sixth Pay Commission for Central government employees will bring cheer to well-paid employees, lakhs of citizens in India living below the poverty line without any hope of betterment in their living conditions will be disappointed and frustrated. They know that when the government liberally increases wages and perks to its already affluent employees, it inevitably results in a situation where the funds available for the betterment of the poor and downtrodden will be proportionately reduced. And so the poor become poorer.
Oxygen… a movement view

Regionalism mocking Unity in Diversity

Regional Divide of India was enforced on the grounds of Diversity and its Preservation in its most native form. It aimed at and succeeded in conserving and promoting exclusive cultural heritage of different regions. Never had it implied that these regions start behaving like a different entity, almost like another country making free movement of people and resources in and out difficult or impossible.
Given the present scenario, we seemed to have drifted from its original reasoning, the other of course being easy governance.
We have to first understand here a very simple law of nature. Nature distributes resources not according to individual regions but over a large area very randomly. It may not at all endow one particular area with all the resources. And this very deficiency gave rise to the ‘inter’ trade concept i.e. exchange of goods and services of one for ones it lacks in.
Economics, the science created by humans itself assumes certain things like supply of labor, availability of resources etc to validate its laws. In spite of these irrefutable arguments, there are ignorant who don’t think even once how foolish they sound when they talk of welfare in the name of parochialism.
If there is a thing which can bind us all into one entity with versatile potentials, it is Education.
The cases of violence due to regionalism has been many in India. It is only Education that can free us of our regional, cultural, religion and caste biases. And our current Education system must ensure such an upbringing that we grow up with a feeling of love and compassion for our fellow human beings and respect for their cultural and social practices.
Oxygen… a movement view

Why Girl Education?

Today, over 60 million girls are not in school, accounting for more than half of all unschooled children worldwide. The situation is most dire in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 23 million girls are out of school, and in South Asia, where 66 percent of all unschooled children are girls. The majority of the world's one billion illiterate adults are women.
Without education, girls are consigned to a life of poverty and limited choices. Most likely their daughters will also grow up without education, and the cycle will continue.
For India – as for several other countries focusing on universalizing girls’ education is critical for progress. Girls’ education is a development imperative. There are several good reasons why this is so.
Fundamental Right – The 86th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2002 makes elementary education a fundamental right of every child.
Individual Well-being – Basic education promotes the well-being of girls. More educated women tend to be better informed, enjoy better opportunities for employment, and seek out modern health care and advice more readily.
Social & Economic Progress – Education brings benefits to society as well. Educated women are more likely to work in the wage economy, earn higher wages and make better entrepreneurs. Educated women tend to marry late and have fewer children, contributing to improved child and maternal health in society.
Political Participation – As more and more young girls get educated and complete eight years of schooling, they will be able to participate more meaningfully in local governance.
Inter-generational Benefits – There is sufficient evidence to suggest that educated mothers give birth to healthier and better-nourished children than uneducated mothers. An educated mother is more likely to send her own children to school so that benefits are reinforced across generations.
Social Justice– Ensuring better schooling opportunities for girls is the right step towards ensuring social & gender justice.
Oxygen… a movement view

Budget For Children

“Education and health are the twin pillars on which rests the edifice of social sector reforms”, Mr. P. Chidambaram when presenting budget 2008-09. Given the Social, Economic and Political implications of Education, it only makes one wonder as to why not have a separate Education Budget like the Railways Budget! After all it is only Education on which an individuals’ Personality is based.
In the Budget, the total allocation for the Education sector including (NER) will be increased by 20 percent. One can only hope that all the Children in India are adequately covered. Certainty would have come, had the allocation been done after taking into account per head requirement and multiplying it by total number of target children.
The present methodology is not demand based but restricted by Supply side. One can go on increasing percentage share of Education in the GDP and still find it falling way short of the actual requirement.
As proposed in the Budget, the focus of SSA will shift from access and infrastructure at the primary level to enhancing retention, improving quality of learning and ensuring access to upper primary. Now if we don’t have the proper infrastructure and if it is not accessible then how do they propose to retain children in schools?
If Education that we are imparting remains diverged from the day to day requirements of a common man and doesn't help him pursue his aims, then no education policy will instigate people to send children to schools, or pull youth towards Higher studies.

Oxygen… a movement view

Corporate Social Responsibility

Businesses evolved to cater to the needs of people. Today it is the biggest source of Occupation as well as the biggest provider of goods and services for day to day needs. We see around us different economic activities on a daily basis. Occasionally do we think upon the passive effects of these businesses on our daily lives. How it is impacting our natural and social environment? How it is altering our habits and preferences?
In view of their growing influence on people’s lives as well as growing pressure from the government and legal environment, businesses and corporate have taken an initiative in the name of Corporate Social Responsibility. Herein, they try to study the social implications of the economic activity they are engaged in, its effects on the natural and social environment and take corrective measures if any.
There is another school of thought which strongly believes that when the top most objective of any business is profit making, it is not always possible to bring into it social welfare and conservation of nature.
This confusing state arises when we don’t approach life as a service to others and then in turn to ourselves. When we separate Humanity from our acts, problems are bound to occur
Humanity should be a way of life for each one of us. Otherwise, we will always encounter contradictory situations.

Oxygen… a movement view

India Poised?

The 9% growth story simply refuses to get old in our memories. We continue to take refuge in it for every little failure. We have simply drowned ourselves in this rosy picture of India surging ahead. So much so that we are actually making us believe that we are all set and ready to become an example for the world to follow. That we are all ready for the next stage of development and change; but are we really prepared for it? India Poised?
Let us first look at the so called Educated Class. What happened to us? Why do we still have cases like Amit Kumar, a stigma on his profession? A grave threat to the society, especially the uninformed lot. Have we forgotten integrity or humanity for that matter? Do we ever sit down and account for all our disloyal and indifferent acts? Or are we simply aware of the fact that we have made the society a living hell?
Who is supposed to take the responsibility? Our Education System, Parents or Society at large which again is a product of this very Education System? First we don't ensure Education for every child and then we refuse to take responsibility of the asocial acts of the ones already availing Education. The problem here has aggravated and extended to quality and what we are doing is still counting heads. It is like not treating the disease but ensuring the supply of pain killers. How long shall we expect to stay healthy like this?
Stay healthy physically, mentally and morally, fit enough to conduct ourselves on the norms of humanity.
We are all living in a morally bankrupt state and what we are only prepared for or poised, to put it fashionably is for more Corruption and Inhumanity, both actively and passively.
Oxygen… a movement view

All for Exams

Examination is a test of one’s preparedness for the next learning phase. Our present examination system presents a very distorted concept of tests. A test which judges ones cramming abilities. How far this rote-learning can take any child? Is it true learning at all? Till one reaches graduation, one already becomes unsure of the basics of various facilities of learning. Why? Can’t we see these MBA entrance training institutes all around us? What do they claim to train one at? The basics! Now why would a graduate need such a training on basics. This happens because in reality, over the time, we simply forget what we had memorised in the name of learning. It wasn’t understood as a concept on which various applications should be attempted to explore.
The teachers are grossly underplaying their roles and merely acting as conductors of this input-output process.
The very question asked in exams, expect answers picked up directly from the text. As a result teachers have no coercion in actually making students understand anything.
Ultimately, this kind of education is preparing us for what? Are we confident enough to take unforeseen challenges and to combat the shortcomings in life?
Amusingly enough, none of use in reality would then be able to complain that this did not form the part of our learning package. Ironically this will be an amusing situation too. Can we have real exams for a change?

Oxygen… a movement view

Education for fuller growth

As per world Bank report, world economy will grow at a steady 2-3 %. Our country, India will be grouped under star performers for its 9% growth.
The story is everywhere! People trying to bring the growth saga in every public discussion possible and betting that its effects are going to be miraculous.
What we still have not accounted for is, where this growth has finally been absorbed?
Has it reduced the number of poor? Has it given infrastructure to the deprived millions who are striving to get in the mainstream of economy? Has it promised every child of the country a future to look forward to?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. But, why this is happening? Probably, the ones given the task of growth thought it to be only a matter of figures. A dry growth, devoid of general welfare.
If one thinks carefully, one can trace back this problem rooted in the Education system. The education that we receive makes us conscious merely of the money value rather than the real value. It does little to ensure that we learn to share what we have and care for those around us. This education fails in instilling in our leaders integrity, it fails in making the bureaucrats understand the seriousness of the responsibility they are shouldering. It fails to inspire our economists with a conviction that growth means welfare and not economic gains of few. It's a shame that we still want the trickle down hypothesis to work when we take pride in showing an insatiable appetite for luxuries.

Oxygen… a movement view

Children- Sufferers by Default

Children constitute around 40 percent of India’s population. And two out of every three children have faced abuse of some kind. We have all talked about evils in the society time and again. But what we have failed to see is their subtle and drastic influence on children. Yes, children have remained the soft targets of all malpractice in every society. They are kidnaped and killed when people want to settle their feudal differences or want to get rich over might. Political propagandists mindlessly call for bandhs, do chakka-jaams, burn buses without giving it a thought that children who have practically no say in these are getting severely affected. Today multi-national companies are targeting young kids for marketing their products. They are selling them goodies which easily lure young minds but doesn’t reveal the lurking danger. The society is full of crooks who are promising young students a great career but leading them no where. Our society is not educating kids about sensitive issues. In lack of information children are falling prey to unhealthy practices. They are falling prey to domestic violence and abuse. In free time the lack of creative engagements are making them dull and unenthusiastic towards life. And in the midst of this crisis is the present education system which is turning our children into rote-learners who are of no good to the society in general. If we don’t at once stop these and stop making children soft targets, it is frivolous that we are thinking of a tomorrow that will be better.
Oxygen… a movement view

Bridging the divide through Education

If we look back to our historical past, we find our society divided into water tight compartments of caste. It started as a mere division of labour but gradually became propaganda to differentiate people from people and it was all done for malicious interests of few groups of individuals.
In the scenario, the very idea of Education went contrary to the kind of belief people were practicing and forcing others to practice. Because Education meant a uniform process of training young minds for future, irrespective of caste background, less than one roof. But rich wanted exclusive schools for their children. Upper Caste didn't want their children to share schools with those belonging to the so called lower castes and untouchables.
And as it as happened in every culture, with a hush-hush and mutual consent of the majority section of the society, gradually developed a culture where there were distinct schools for specific sections of the society. Though law does not permit any such practice but through an automatic play of the cost factor, quality education remains beyond the reach of the majority poor & backward section of the society.
Today’s Education is dividing our society more dangerously and this time the results are going to be uncontrollable and permanent. Children from this deprived lot are growing with a sense of abject deprivation and paucity of opportunities. In their growing resentment they are finding solace in anti-social practices where they can snatch away from the well off. It is not surprising that the cases of juvenile theft, stabbing for loot etc are on a never before rise.
At this stage we don't have many choices what we can do is try bridging this haves and have-nots divide. And Education is the biggest platform to begin with.
Oxygen… a movement view

Bridging the divide through Education

If we look back to our historical past, we find our society divided into water tight compartments of caste. It started as a mere division of labour but gradually became propaganda to differentiate people from people and it was all done for malicious interests of few groups of individuals.
In the scenario, the very idea of Education went contrary to the kind of belief people were practicing and forcing others to practice. Because Education meant a uniform process of training young minds for future, irrespective of caste background, less than one roof. But rich wanted exclusive schools for their children. Upper Caste didn't want their children to share schools with those belonging to the so called lower castes and untouchables.
And as it as happened in every culture, with a hush-hush and mutual consent of the majority section of the society, gradually developed a culture where there were distinct schools for specific sections of the society. Though law does not permit any such practice but through an automatic play of the cost factor, quality education remains beyond the reach of the majority poor & backward section of the society.
Today’s Education is dividing our society more dangerously and this time the results are going to be uncontrollable and permanent. Children from this deprived lot are growing with a sense of abject deprivation and paucity of opportunities. In their growing resentment they are finding solace in anti-social practices where they can snatch away from the well off. It is not surprising that the cases of juvenile theft, stabbing for loot etc are on a never before rise.
At this stage we don't have many choices what we can do is try bridging this haves and have-nots divide. And Education is the biggest platform to begin with.
Oxygen… a movement view

LET US PROMOTE SHARING

Sharing is a very good quality of human beings as it spreads love and peace in the world and helps us grow. By sharing we get values and it instills in us the spirit of humanism. When exploitation exists, sharing is not seen. But when we share, we stop exploiting and hence, exploitation is slowly eradicated. Sharing is a beacon of light which spreads its flames every where and if diminished will make this world a dark place and not worth living. So, we shouldn’t let it get extinguished and try to make its flame glow brighter so that the light reaches every where. A very good example of sharing is- ‘Education’. Education is a very good medium of sharing, one of the way by which we can share our knowledge is by helping those children who are presently unable to receive education. We also share our study materials with our classmates. A better way of sharing is by rectifying the system and reforming it in such a way that it provides quality education to all. We need to raise our voices and share our views with everyone so that we are able to change our dream of rectifying the system into a reality.
Oxygen… a movement view