Category: INTERALIA

By: Arbeena Shah

Have you ever wondered about the life beneath the oceans and seas? Have you ever thought about whether sea creatures desire to see and explore life on land? And if they can make it on the land, how would humans treat them? Do they long for going to school, participate in a triathlon like us, and dream of owning a Vespa?

Well, if that could really happen, how would it be? Watch the recently released adventurous animated film ‘Luca‘ by Disney and Pixar to give life to your imagination.

Luca is a fantasy film directed by an Italian storyboard artist and filmmaker, Enrico Casarosa and written by Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones.

With a runtime of 95 minutes, it is an ebullient story of Luca Paguro, a sea monster, and his comrade Alberto Scorfano, set in summer on the sea coast of the Italian Riviera.

Luca is a young sea monster whose routine work includes herding goatfish. His mother constantly warns him of the dangers of land monsters (humans). One day, he encounters a small clock, glass, gramophone and other stuff beneath the sea. He secretly collects these human gadgets and wonders how life appears above the sea. Shortly, he meets his fellow sea monster Alberto, who sneaks him out of the sea. And Luca comes to know about their ability to turn into humans as soon as they step on the land.

Astonished to witness such a transformation and the breathtaking life on the land, Luca along with Alberto explore the never-ending adventures of human life. Alberto reveals to him some of the facts and happenings of life outside the sea, though some prove wrong later such as twinkling stars in the sky are fishes. They both dream of owning a Vespa to travel around the world. And then one day, Luca’s parents come to know about his mischievous adventure. They decide to send him with uncle Ugo to the deep sea.

Perturbed by their decision, Luca runs away with Alberto to the nearby fictional Italian town Portorosso where they meet Giulia Marcovaldo, a young red-haired zealous girl who befriends them. She teams up with Luca and Alberto for the famous Italian triathlon to fetch the Postorosso Cup which has been consecutively won by nefarious Ercole Visconti. The triathlon comprises of swimming, pasta-eating and cycling. Hence, begins another spell of thrill and adventure.

Luca is a light-hearted story of friendship, defiance and self-efficacy. It is a family movie perfect to watch during summer days. The charming and colourful setting of the story looks attractive. The Italian background of the director is prominent throughout the movie. One gets a mesmerizing glimpse of the Italian town, food, language, culture and of course, the seaside. The various varieties of finger-licking pasta especially the unique trenette al pesto makes one’s mouth salivate. The whole triathlon preparation is full of joy and enthusiasm.

The hideout of Alberto filled with the collection of various human stuff looks like a medieval gallery. The inquisitive nature of Luca and the bond between Guila and him look innocent and heartwarming. Alberto wins the heart at the end by selling their Vespa and buying a train ticket to let Luca fulfil his dream of attending the school. However, one may wonder what could be the future of Luca even if he attends the school. After all, he is a sea monster substantially. Nonetheless, the movie is a great watch for children and animation lovers. A treat on the weekend lockdown!

Arbeena Shah is a Media Graduate from the University of Kashmir. She is a freelance editor, feature writer, and film reviewer.

 

By: Zubair Hamid Parray

This is the age of smart phones and micro blogging. Everything that we need to know is just a click away. Social media is the most widely used tool by all age groups today, particularly by the youth and students. Keeping this in mind researchers feel that social media can play a very important part in the field of education as it can be used to reach out to many students and can be highly effective as well. There is a large number of academic thinkers who feel social media is a deteriorating agent for students but if used wisely it can be highly effective. Instead of getting in the argument of social media being good or bad, we must find ways to use it for our benefit.

Social media platforms are most widely used by teachers, professors and students alike and have become quite popular. For a student, social media plays a very important role as it makes access and sharing of information as well as connecting with teachers easy. It is through this platform that students and teachers can connect with each other and share content thereby avoiding any loss of time given the post covid lockdown and restrictions.

Many professors these days are conducting live video interactions on Skype, Twitter and other platforms making it easy for students as well as teacher to carry on the teaching-learning process while just sitting in their homes. How easy and conveniently the process of education can be continued through the help of social media during the times of lockdown and social distance. Since we have the use of social media at our disposal at any hour of the day, teachers can provide off hours support and solve queries of students even after class timings. This practice also helps the teacher to supervise the progress of their students more closely.

Many educators feel that the use of social media makes the work easier for both them as well as the students besides helping teacher to expand and explore their own possibilities, skills and knowledge. The classes conducted on social media platforms are more disciplined and structured as we know that everyone is watching and it gives ample time to students to nourish their knowledge with a lot of teaching aids available online other than the specific lecture. Students can watch videos, see images, check out reviews and instantly clear their doubts. Not only students, even teacher can make their lectures more interesting by using these tools and teaching aids.

Besides, students can enhance their knowledge by reading blogs, articles and write ups by renowned teachers, professors and thinkers. This way good content can reach to a wider audience and can make education much better and create smart students. All the information, therefore, is just a click away.

Distance is not a barrier anymore because of social media as one can easily communicate with friends and relatives overseas and one can attend a lecture happening in any part of the world. Most importantly, it also provides a great platform for young budding artists to showcase their talent for free. You can get great opportunities for employment through social media.

Despite having such unique advantages, if the usage of social media is not monitored, it can lead to grave consequences. It is harmful because it invades your privacy like never before. The oversharing happening on social media makes children a target for predators and hackers. It also leads to cyber bullying which affects millions.

This addiction hampers with the academic performance of a student when they waste their time on social media features like chatting etc instead of studying. Social media also creates communal rifts, fake news etc which poisons the mind of peace-loving citizens.

In short, surely social media has both advantages and disadvantages. But, it all depends on the user at the end. The youth must particularly create a balance between their academic performances, physical activities, and social media. Excess use of anything is harmful and the same thing is applies to social media. Therefore, we must strive to live a satisfying life with the right balance.

The Author is an undergraduate student at Government Degree College Sumbal Sonawari. Email: zubairahmadparray0051@gmail.com

 

 

BY: KHALID UL ISLAM

Every year on June 29th, the birth anniversary of Prof. Prasanta Cha ndra Mahalanobis, Statistics Day is commemorated to honor his outstanding contribution to the establishment of the National Statistical System. He is regarded as India’s father of modern statistics, having founded the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), formed the Planning Commission (which was succeeded by the NITI Aayog on January 1, 2015), and pioneered large-scale survey methodology. The purpose of it is to popularize the use of statistics in everyday life and raise public awareness of how statistics may be used to shape and frame policy and to increase public knowledge of the use of statistics in socio-economic planning, particularly among the younger generation.

The mathematical equations that we use to measure situations are known as statistics. It keeps us up to date on what’s going on in the world. Statistics are significant because we live in an information age, and statistics decide a lot of the information mathematically. It means that accurate data and statistical principles are needed. To be more precise about the significance of statistics in our lives, some incredible explanations that we’ve heard many times include Weather forecasting, which is something that everybody pays attention to. Have you ever considered how you obtained the information? Some computer models are based on statistical principles. These computer models equate historical weather to current weather to forecast future conditions.

The researchers are the ones who use statistics the most. They obtain relevant data using their statistical expertise. Otherwise, resources, time, and data are all wasted. Similar is the case with insurance. Everybody has some kind of insurance, whether it is medical, home, or any other insurance. Based on an individual application some businesses use statistical models to calculate the taking insurance. In the financial market also statistics plays a great role. Statistics are the key to how traders and businessmen invest and make money.

Statistics play a big role in the medical field. Before any drugs are prescribed, scientists must shows manifest a statistically valid rate of effectiveness. Statistics are behind all the studies. Statistical concepts are used in quality testing. Companies make many products daily and every company should make sure that they sell the best quality items. But companies cannot test all the products, so they use statistics samples.

Besides, we make a lot of predictions in our daily lives. For example, we set the alarm for the morning even though we are unsure if we will see the light of dawn. To make predictions, we’ll use simple statistics. Doctors predict diseases based on statistics concepts. Suppose a survey shows that 75% 80% of people who have cancer aren’t able to find the reason. When statistics are employed, then doctors get a better idea of how the disease (cancer) may affect a patient’s body (or is smoking the major reason for it).

Based on political campaigns, news reporters predict the winner of elections. Statistics play an important role in predicting who will be in power. Also, we can gather information from all over the world using statistical data. The internet is a tool that assists us in gathering knowledge. The internet’s foundation is built on statistics and statistical abstractions.

The writer is a Research Scholar (STATISTICS), SKUAST-JAMMU. Email Id: khalidstat34@gmail.com

 

The civil services main examination is not only a test of the knowledge of the candidates. It also tests their ability to write well- structured answers in limited time. Writing ‘good’ i.e. marks fetching answers in the UPSC examination is not something that comes naturally to most candidates. Not even those with a flair for writing. The ability to write good answers is developed by regular practice. An aspirant should aim at developing a personalized style of writing answers while meeting the requirements of the examination.

Many candidates are under the misconception that a good answer is unique and exceptional. In fact, one will be ill-advised to aim to write ‘perfect’ answers or those which ‘stand out’ in the IAS exam. Then, what constitutes a ‘good’ answer? In the UPSC exam; a good answer is one which is relevant, meets the demands of the question, sticks to the word limit and is finished in time.

Some tips for writing good answers in the civil service’s examination are:

Read the question carefully

It is extremely important to first, read the question properly. The candidate may highlight the important words in the question. They should clearly understand the demands of the question. Certain words in the question; like elucidate, critically analyse, enumerate, etc. need to be paid special attention to. They determine the main demand of the question. It is important for the candidate to be aware of their meanings. Careful reading of the question helps the candidate to write an answer which is relevant.

Organize the answer

It is important that one’s answer has a broad, well laid out structure. It makes the answer more presentable and easier to read. The answer may begin with a short introduction. Typically, one may define the key terms in the introduction, quote a recent report or highlight some relevant facts. In the main body, the candidate may give appropriate subheadings for each part of the question. The content may be presented in points form to facilitate an easy read.

The conclusion may sum up the main arguments in the answer. Alternatively, you may end the answer on an optimistic note. If the question deals with certain socio-economic or governance- related issues; one may offer practical solutions in the end. A well- structured answer is easier said than done. Towards this end, one may develop a rough sketch of the answer in 30-50 seconds, before actually penning it down.

Write in limited time

The challenge candidates face in the UPSC exam – writing short and to-the-point answers in limited time. When a typical candidate begins writing practice, it takes him anywhere between 15 and 25 minutes to answer a 10 marks question. In the UPSC exam, one has to attempt a 250 marks question paper in 180 minutes, leaving one with 7.2 minutes for a 10 marks question.

Increasing one’s writing speed to answer a 10 marks question in 7.2 minutes satisfactorily may seem daunting at first, but is imperative.

Creative presentation

Using creative presentation tools like flow charts and diagrams make the answers more appealing to the examiner. They can also help the candidate save time. It is thus, important to be innovative while using them. However, their optimal use requires familiarity. Thus, their repeated use during answer writing practice helps.

Stick to the word limit

It is important to not only know what to write, but also what not to write. Crossing the word limit will not fetch more marks. Instead, you will lose precious time. It will make it difficult for you to answer the other questions in the paper satisfactorily.

Highlight

The keywords in the answer may be highlighted by underlining or writing in capital letters. The typically highlighted words include scholars’ names, key facts, government reports and important concepts. This helps the examiner easily identify the important points of your answer.

Regular writing practice

Last but not the least, developing a writing style in sync with the needs of the UPSC examination requires rigorous writing practice. Regular writing practice is one of the most vital and also most neglected aspects of the UPSC preparation.

The candidate may start with writing at a lesser frequency. As he proceeds in preparation, the candidate may increase the number and frequency of questions attempted. Particularly after the preliminary examination, the candidate must attempt several full length practice tests. With practice, the candidate’s answer writing technique will evolve.

Evaluation of answers

Candidates may get their answers checked by an experienced examiner. They may also compare their answers with model answers prepared by teachers and mentors. Alternatively, one can benchmark against the answers written by previous years’ successful candidates. Continuous evaluation of one’s answers by self as well as others is very important. Feedback offered by others should be a source of learning, and lead to improvement. Any shortcomings that are noticed should be rectified in the subsequent answers.

Importantly, most of the successful candidates attempt all the question papers fully, which requires a lot of speed and practice. Each successful candidate eventually develops a unique and individualized writing style. Even a few more marks earned here and there can transform your story of struggle into a success story.

The writer is former principal

By: Zulafqar Ahmed

Nature has bestowed Poonch with incredible beauty. Snow capped mountains, lash green valleys, dense forests, glittering lakes, pleasant climate and varieties of floura and fauna enrich the beauty of this area which has a huge potential for promotion of tourism only if the concerned departments come together and strategize a proper plan for its upliftment and development. There are many beautiful places in district Poonch including Jabbi Toti, Noorpur, Sawjian, Buffliaz, Dana Shahsataar and Loran and among these stunning places Loran is one of the most beautiful place and holds great potential for tourism. Loran is a small village 35 kms away from the Poonch town and is situated at the foot of high mountains of Pir Panjal range. Loran Nallah which flows through this beautiful village makes the place more enchanting to the eye.

Loran was once the capital of Poonch state under Hindu rulers’ upto 1542 A.D. It was then known as Loran-Kote and the ruins of the Lohar Kote fort, which was once called the Gateway of Kashmir, can be seen here. The popular Lohra dynasty originated from this village which according to scholars expanded from 1003 CE to 1320 CE. Though, there are numerous beautiful tourist spots in Loran but the beauty of Nandichool is unparalleled.

Nandichool, a beautiful and serene waterfall nestled amidst forests, is located in block Loran of district Poonch- fifty kilometers away from the district headquarters and twelve kilometers from Loran. The beautiful waterfall here comes from the glacier and has a fall of about 150 feet. The word Nandichool is a combination of two words comeing from two different languages. While in Sanskrit means Happy and the word Chool in Pahari means Waterfall, the place therefore means ‘happy waterfall and it definitely is. It is arguably the most beautiful tourist spot of the Pir Panjal region yet the most neglected and unexplored one. There is no road connectivity for the visitors to reach the spot. It takes almost one hour of walking to reach the spot.

It is like the scenic waterfalls that we see in movies- a large volume of water coming from the height and crushing down against the rocks that make it roar which is audible from a distance. In addition to this, silence all around the waterfall and the stillness of life here makes it gushing sounds more profound and intense.

It takes two and half hour from the district headquarters to reach the spot and while thousands of people travel, every year, across the UT to Poonch but only a handful of them visit Nandichool. It is the spot which is still unknown to majority of people and remains unexplored due to several reasons including lack of tourism infrastructure like road, huts, staying facilities besides non-availability of food items en route.

Therefore, tourism department should pay special attention towards this incredible spot and some basic arrangements should be ensured in the proximity of it in order4 to facilitate visitors and encourage tourism here. Furthermore, this effort of the department would not only attract a large number of tourists across the UT but it would also provide employment opportunities to the locals.

The writer is Doctoral Fellow at the Department of Political Science, Aligarh Muslim University. Email- ahmedzulafqar78@gmail.com

 

By: Afridi Mushtaq

In the contemporary times when we all are facing quandaries around us in one shape or the other, it is unsettling to know that they have only overwhelmed us at the personal level and collectively as well. Lamentably, many a people rather than being steadfast against such onslaughts culminate life without fighting or resisting back. For them, the dynamics of life are a constant struggle and a pile of vicissitudes.

In our valley, we have news of suicide and attempts to suicide rolling in on a daily basis. Very recently, a woman from Srinagar jumped in the flowing Jehlem to end her life while a young man of barely 18 in my locality, in Islamabad, tried to burn himself to ashes by pouring Kerosene and settling himself ablaze.

Thus, the news of such incidents has become a trend in the valley and one can find that these unfortunate events are growing in number by each passing day. When a person faces difficulties in life and the agony seems beyond repairs, those who can’t handle the situation think of committing suicide and in the absence of any structural support system, many among them attempt suicide and many end their lives.

Suicide is haram is Islam. Being Muslim we should have faith that there is lasting punishment for transgressing in terms of Allah’s deeds. He has given us life and He only has the right to take it at the appropriate time. Allah is the all knowing.

One has to understand that suicide, according to psychological studies and researches, is a call for help and in the absence of help, a person is led to take the extreme step. There are several ways to reach to such people and if only we are conscious of our surroundings, our families, our relations, a lot can be done in this regard. It is about being alert to notice any such behavioural change and extending a helping hand to try and avert the tragedy.

Also, since we are a Muslim majority area, we must focus on the teachings of Quran and the sayings of the prophet (PBUH) and highlight various holy verdicts regarding this issue. There are certain verses of the Qur’an and verbalizations by the Prophet (peace be upon him) which tell us that those who perpetuate certain sins will be penalized. But then it is up to God to determine what penalization fits every single case, because God judges us individually, on the substratum of His impeccable erudition of our intentions and conditions.

It is true that suicide is rigorously verboten, because it is an affront to God. It is like a person verbally expressing to God: “You have given me life and I am taking it away.” This is what is denoted by the sacred Hadith in which God is quoted as saying of the one who commits suicide: “My auxiliary has precipitated My will with regard to himself! Consequently, I am enjoining him ingression into heaven.” But this Hadith applies to a person in full control of his faculties, suffering no inundating adversity and having a plausible life. If such a person commits suicide, then may be God will not sanction him in heaven.

A person who commits suicide as a result of any disorder like despondence or some other rigorous form of apprehensiveness is not in full control of the senses. We cannot verbally express how God will judge such a person, but we trust God’s equity, because He does not deal inequitably with anyone. We pray for the person concerned, and request for forgiveness. When a man committed suicide during the Prophet’s lifetime, the Prophet was distressed. He did not perform the janazah prayer for the deceased, but he authorized his companions to do it. When they did, they prayed for the man and requested God’s forgiveness for him. This shows that the Prophet did not omit the possibility of his being forgiven by God.

We require to fight with situation because as Allah verbally expresses after every hardship there is ease, we should be the firm believers and inshallah Allah will Rejuvenate us.

The writer is a student at Aligarh Muslim University

By: Gh Hassan Bhat

Believed to have originated from a small city of Wuhan China in 2019, Covid19 engulfed the entire world in its clutches cutting across all barriers of borders to reach every country and continent. It is unprecedented and the virus has infected millions and killed thousands and lakhs of people across the globe in a quick span of two years. It is estimated that around 38 lakh people have died of this virus and in India around 3.5 lakh people also lost their lives so far.

Apart from the fact that the virus has virtually brought life to a standstill and robbed us from several human lives besides infecting millions, the pandemic pushed the world into an extreme economic crisis and triggered desperation and despair for millions of people- particularly those belonging to the middle and lower middle class. The financial complications are pushing lakhs of people to a margins and a state of starvation given  the fact that work opportunities have been reduced and many companied wither winded up their ventures or cut-short their employees.

This pandemic became a global crisis when even the most developed nations couldn’t do much in view of the death and sickness spread in quick time and the heath sectors were not in any position to handle the situation. It induced an overflow of patients and the healthcare system couldn’t manage the crisis and was exhausted in quick time seek respective governments to make greater arrangements. Even the post industrial countries were seen as helpless victims and in USA alone, about 6 lakh deaths were reported. In countries with poor healthcare systems, people died not only because of Covid19 but also because of the lack of space in hospitals and health centers.

The pandemic, apart from halting other sectors, also ruined education system worldwide leading to a total closure of schools, colleges and universities. Approx 830 millions learners are out of school or affected directly. Though efforts are being made for e-education but this too has its fallouts for those living on the margins.  Having no access to technology and other smart e-class equipments, these poor students are going through the phase of psychological pressure. This scenario has left millions of children out of this online learning process.

Even if the lockdown induced by the pandemic did some good to the environment by lower the air pollution but the amount of medical waste produced during this period, and continues to be produced, will have bad impacts on the overall health of our planet.

The pandemic also increased the rate of unemployment, child labour, poverty and starvation. In a country like India where the population is huge and opportunities are limited, one can understand the devastating impacts the pandemic has left on the overall economics. More and more people are pushed to the margins and continued lockdown is further aggravating the issue.

 

The think tanks and policy makers should come up with strategies and coordinated action plan to curb and control this disease and while framing any policy priority should be given to impoverished section to lift them and come to their rescue. It is time to frame a comprehensive policy for their protection and welfare and more investment should be made on health care.

The writer is Teacher and Resource Person Tangmarg Baramulla Kmr. Hussain.hassan95@gmail.com

 

By: Abid Hussain Rather

Human life never runs smooth and it is always unpredictable, uncertain and changeable. With the passage of time our life changes because our surroundings as well as our life situations change. With the result we have to face different challenges in the different stages of our life and overcome these challenges in order to survive and continue our life. There are some moments and occasions in our life when our emotions as well as our intellect is flintily challenged and we have to use our intellect judiciously during such times so that we may not go astray.

Almost all of us must have gone through a phase in our lives when we desperately fall in love with somebody to the extent that we keep our egoistic nature aside and become totally depend on the mercy of that person. We forget our own selves and that very person becomes the whole world for us and we let that person to decide our fate due to compulsive nature of our emotions. Emotionally, this is the weakest phase of our life as we totally surrender before our emotions and our emotions incapacitate us to think normally.

Sometimes we repeatedly beg for love irrespective of the arrogant, negative or cold response of the other person towards us and we try our utmost best to turn the attention towards us. During such period of our life our emotions overpower our intellect and we loose our senses to such an extent that we become ready to take any false step regardless of its consequences and we slowly malign our own status and honor in our society. We flow in the flow of emotions and seldom care for negative results as our emotions can beguile us for every kind of false action during this period.

When we gingerly look at the scene we observe that none among the two persons involved can be blamed for their behavior towards each other. Both the persons involved in the matter are creatures of Almighty and it is natural tendency of all creatures to be concerned more to oneself than towards other. One among the two falls in love because he can not control his emotions and the other treats it in careless manner as it looks an ordinary episode for him. One among the two carves his whole world in another person while as the other treats him as a common person among the millions. The underlying reason for these actions and reactions is that God has created human beings in such a way that they can touch the skies but they can never know the secrets lying inside the hearts of their fellow beings.

It is the characteristic of human nature that they can not feel the emotions lying deep inside the chest unless and until they get burst in one way or the other. Instead, it is Lord Almighty God who knows the unexpressed emotions and secrets of every human heart. If human beings would have been able to know the secrets of hearts, then love would have never get hatred in response, neither feelings of any human being would have been mistreated or brutalized by other people.

This is one side of the story where we find the nocuous effects of falling desperately in love with a particular individual. Let us turn the page and try to know the results of falling in love with the creator of universe instead of loving a particular human being. We all are well aware about the fact that there prevails a perfect system of justice in the kingdom of Almighty God and God has promised us to reward us for our good deeds. So there is not an iota of doubt in the fact that If we will fall in love with our Lord, we will be equally rewarded for it. Loving our Lord is totally different from loving an individual.

Loving our Lord will never lead us to vileness. Our Lord knows better the secrets and feeling of our hearts, so here our feelings are beautifully honored, properly valued and perfectly rewarded. But it is unfortunate that our emotions mislead us and instead of loving our creator and bowing our head before Him we fall in love with human beings where we have to face nothing but debasement and it finally leads to ruination of both our present life and life hereafter. We loose the peace of mind and feel frustrated when our feelings are not responded and valued by a person whom we love which in turn causes psychological and mental depression and resultantly it leads our life to the brink of destruction.

Contrary to this the love of our Lord brings peace in our lives. It is the love of our Lord which can lead us to success in this world and the world hereafter. So it is advisable that we should never waste our life in uselessly loving a particular human being rather we should spend it in loving the creator of our life and we should always try to control our emotions and use our intellect prudentially. We need to know the actual purpose of being here in the world as everyone of us has been sent here with a purpose and we have to fulfill that very purpose. We are supposed to be responsible for our good as well as bad deeds in this world and we have to be answerable before Almighty God on the day of judgment.

So we should spend our life in good deeds and always love our creator. We should be always thankful to Almighty God for His countless blessings. May Almighty God fill our hearts with His love and lead us to the right path.

 (The author is a columnist and teaches Geography at GDC, Kulgam. He can be reached at rather1294@gmail.com)

 

 

Gender inequality reinforces itself in education as it is factually proven that the rate of literacy for women is much lower than men in all censuses. To cope up the challenges ‘Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV)’ scheme was launched by Government of India (GOI) in July 2004 for setting up residential schools at upper primary level for girls belonging predominantly to the SC, ST, OBC and Minorities communities in difficult areas. The scheme ensures access and quality education to girls from disadvantaged communities.

Initially it ran as a separate scheme and was merged with SSA with effect from 1st April, 2007. KGBV has to be opened in Educationally Backward Blocks (EBB), previously defined on a composite criteria of blocks with a rural female literacy rate below the national average (46.13% : Census 2001) and gender gap in literacy higher than the national average (21.59% : Census 2001). The criteria of eligible blocks was revised with effect from 1st April, 2008 to include (i) EBBs with rural female literacy below 30%, and (ii) Towns/cities having minority concentration (as per the list identified by Ministry of Minority Affairs, GOI) with female rate below the national average (53.67% : Census 2001). In 2010-11, opening of KGBVs was extended to all EBBs with female literacy below the national average as per Census 2001. The scheme helped to mainstream the drop out girls in elementary education system. The KGBV addressed the educational needs of girls from marginalised and disadvantaged communities of the society. In India, a total 3609 KGBVs for class VI to VIII have been sanctioned in 27 States and 3UTs.

In 2009-10, “Girls Hostel” scheme was launched by GOI, under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), to make secondary education (Class-IX to XII) of good quality accessible and affordable along with residential facilities to Girls in the age group of 14-18 years. Criteria for eligibility of Girls Hostels were also EB Blocks. This scheme has opened the door for class-VIII pass out girls from KGBV for their higher study with residential facility. All these Hostels have capacity of 100 girls.

As three existing centrally sponsored educational programmes, including Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE) have been unified under one umbrella ‘Samagra Shiksha’ in FY 2018-19, all sanctioned Girls Hostels become part and parcel of KGBV of concerned Educationally Backward Blocks and girls got opportunity to continue their study upto class-XII without any transition loss. The guidelines of SamagraShiksha reveals that all KGBVs(upto class VIII) will be upgraded up to secondary level i.e. class-XII in phased manner. Provision of four types of KGBVs has been done in SamagraShiksha and States have the option to choose them as per their convenience and need. These include KGBV Type-I (Class VI to VIII, capacity-100, budget- Rs 60 lakh), Type-II (Class VI to X, capacity 150, budget- Rs 80 lakh), Type-III (Class VI to XII, capacity-200, budget- Rs100 lakh) and Type-IV (Class IX to XII, capacity-100, budget- Rs25 Lakh). The Girls Hostels(constructed under RMSA), close to the existing KGBV buildings have been kept under Type-III, whereas Girls Hostels, which are far away from KGBV buildings, have been kept under Type-IV.

In the country, some KGBVs are full fledged schools, whereas some are only hostels attached to nearby existing middle schools. The girls enrolled in KGBV get all residential and educational facilities such as food, uniform, winter dress, books, stationery, daily use materials, sanitary napkins etc. They are being taught by subject teachers appointed/deputed in KGBVs. Capacity building of the wardens and account personals are done at State or District level for managerial & account work, whereas the teachers are oriented in the subjects concerned.

In addition to good quality subject teaching, extracurricular, skill development and other initiatives for personal, moral, physical development are undertaken to enhance the confidence level of the girls besides Vocational trainings such as Dress making, computer education, life skill, painting, music, vermin-compost preparation etc. are also conducted that provide scope for being “Atmanirbhar” after graduation from the Vidyalaya. Incursion tour for girls of KGBV is also organized for visiting historical, religious and important places of the states.

It is also pertinent to mention that the safety and Security of Girls, residing in the KGBVs, is of the prime concern and detailed guideline have been issued to KGBV management. CCTV cameras and Biometrics Attendance system have been installed and are being connected to monitoring offices through Internet networking. Group insurance coverage for the gils have been provided and no male member can access inside the KGBV hostels after 5.00 PM; and in the living area even during day time. Wardens and teachers are sensitized towards safety and security of girls and they stay with girls during night. Movement Registers are being maintained in all KGBVs, when girls are taken away by their guardians besides, monitoring of KGBVs are done by State, district & block levels educational functionaries and remedial measures are taken up. Besides this, regular health check-up of the girls is ensured through health centres and the health records of the girls are maintained. General insurance of inmates is also done through insurance agencies.

However, there are some bottlenecks in the smooth implementation of the scheme, which need to be resolved by Education Ministry, Government of India. Provision of lumpsum budget, within the ceiling, should be done for KGBV and the break-up of the activities and their unit costs should be planned by the concerned KGBVs and not at national level, as each KGBV has its own requirements. The cost for Furniture & equipment are part of estimate of building construction as a component, for which there should be a clear cut provision of 10 – 15% of the estimate and also there are financial constraints in the operation of KGBV Type-IV (class IX to XII), as it has unit cost of just Rs. 25 lakh as compared to Rs 60 lakh for Type-I (class VI to VIII), having same capacity (100 girls) and lower age group. It has been reported that Education Ministry is planning to enhance the unit cost @ Rs 40 lakh for KGBV Type-IV in further extension of SamagraShiksha scheme, but that must be at least Rs 60 lakh. (4) For KGBVs, where sufficient land is not available for its upgradation, there should be provision of budget for acquisition of land on the pattern of other central infrastructure schemes.

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas have proved to be great boon as well as chance for out of school girls predominantly belonging to marginalized sections of the society and whose paths for education have come to an abrupt halt. This ambitious scheme helps all round and conductive growth of these girls and makes them responsible, self dependent as well as decision maker too. KGBV will open the door for success in various walks of life for the girls, which ultimately will nurture their future to new horizons.

(Author is a technocrat and academician.)

 

As the competitive nature of various exams continues to rise in standard and also the ever increasing number of candidates appearing for such exams, the competition to score high marks is also becoming tough for every student. Coming from the student fraternity, securing a rank, a seat in their desired college or course, competing against hundreds and thousands of other aspirants on top of that is another task. There are also a lot of challenges in cracking these competitive exams.

While lakhs of applications are made, only a few thousand make it till the final selection round and this is where the skills to crack competitive exams become very important. Those who succeed usually have those skills that give them an edge over the others in the competition.

The competitive exams build confidence and develop skills among the students. These skills come handy in learning and understanding various examinations including JEE Main, NEET and Civil Services. It helps to think logically and analytically while answering the paper. It is important that one gets highly equipped with skills that help to overcome challenges and provide better results in the exam.

Further, acquiring these skills is not going to be accomplished in just a day or so as one needs to start practicing and adapting for a long time. Any day is a good day to start inculcating skills that can help one in achieving success in exams.

These skills will not only help during the exams but also remain throughout one’s life as guiding factors for other situations and scenarios that we have to encounter and resolve. These skills include:

Listening

As a student, it is important to pay attention and listen carefully. Unless you listen to others, the possibility of gaining knowledge and understanding of the concert becomes difficult. Sometimes it happens that many students do not listen to teachers or instructors during the examination which leads to poor performance in the exam. They start making mistakes that can create a negative impact on their performance. As these competitive exams are very important for their future, listening can bring success in their exams. Whenever someone is trying to teach or explain something about the exam, you have to pay attention to them without getting distracted. Sometimes teachers or instructors might give some important information regarding the exam and if you miss the information just by not listening might create problems during the exam. So you should develop this skill for better learning opportunities

Problem Solving

All the students face one or the other issues and challenges during their learning process. It is important to understand how you can handle such problems? It is necessary to develop problem solving skills that can help you any time during the crises or any situations that are out of control. As you know we all live in a world where we can get into any problems that can be stressful sometimes. Instead of crying for help or ignoring the situation, it is better you start learning to solve the problem. To solve any problems, you must find out the reason behind the problem and make necessary adjustments to make sure everything is fine. For instance,  you are preparing for the exams and find some issues related to notes, books, technical problems, internet issues, administrative problems. In such cases, these problems solving skills can help you in achieving success in your exams.

Thinking out of the Box

Thinking creatively can lead to expansion of your thought process for effective solutions. Young minds have the capability to think creatively during their learning process. Thinking out of the box can help in analyzing and solving problems. You must think of something that is unique and innovative so that understanding of the concepts becomes easy and simple. Every student has different thinking capabilities but you should understand what is right and work accordingly.

Team Work

The most important skill that every student should develop is teamwork. Learning becomes very effective when you discuss and work together as a team. Sometimes it is said that sharing and exchanging ideas can increase knowledge during the exams. It will help you in realizing the importance of unity and working together for better learning outcomes. There are possibilities where you do not understand certain concepts and your other friend does, in such cases studying and working together can help you understand the concept better.

Being Independent

As you know, each and every student has a different learning ability than others. You should understand your weaknesses and strengths in order to improve your knowledge by rectifying mistakes. Parents and teachers are always there to guide you but understanding your own qualities are very important. Once you understand the dos and don’ts in learning can lead to success in competitive exams. Sometimes there are possibilities that parents and teachers will not be able to help you in solving problems. It is up to you to identify your strengths and work accordingly.

Decision Making

We all know that teachers and parents are always available to help you in taking some decisions related to studies. So you should learn to make decisions by yourself and not depend on other people. During the preparation of competitive exams, you have to decide about the time table, when and what to learn. Your family and friends will not tell you to follow the routine on an everyday basis. It is up to you to decide the seriousness and impact of results in your exams. Planning and implementation of effective learning strategies should be developed and followed for better

Communication

The most important skill that every individual should develop is communication. You should adapt speaking and listening skills for effective communication. Speak and listen to things that can help for better learning opportunities. Good communication skills will make you understand the concept more effectively. If there is a clear communication between the teachers or instructors, there will be no misunderstandings related to exams and the process. You will not spend much time in understanding and thinking about the whole process of examination.

Time Management

Why do you think managing time during the examination is important? Well, it is very much important for students to develop time management skills for effective learning. Whatever you do and how well you prepare for exams will not bring success until you value and respect time. You should know to plan your studies by providing sufficient time for breaks. Everything has to be done in a particular time whether it is reading, eating, sleeping, playing etc. Once you understand the importance of time management in learning, there is always a scope for positive results.

Be Organized

Do you think being organized can give success in exams for the students? We all know that success comes when your mind and things are organized. Disorganization can cause confusion and stress for the students during the exams. So it is important that you adapt the skill of being organized for better results in the exams. Make sure that planning, time table, course materials, assessment, revision is organized properly in your schedule so that there is a positive outcome from your effort.

Taking Notes

It is better to take notes during your preparation for the exams. It will help in remembering information for a long time. You should make sure this habit continues for all the exams and future career as it can bring positive results. Taking notes on key points can help in understanding the concept. Sometimes you need to practice and solve many mathematical problems, equations, flowcharts, graphs, diagrams etc which can be understood only with practice.

Positive Attitude

Why do you think it is important to have positivity in our life and everything we do? We want to make sure that all the things around us fall in the right direction. As a student, it is advisable to have a positive attitude towards your learning and exams. At times, there are situations where you feel low in confidence and think about the poor performance. But hoping for good things in whatever you do is the right and positive attitude. All you need to do is give your best effort during the preparation and actual exams. You will have a lot of syllabus for the exams and this can create tension and anxiety during the preparation. In such cases, follow the routine of thinking positive and believing in yourself that you can do very well in exams. Sometimes this belief can relieve tension and help in successful outcomes

Collaboration

Do you know group studies can help students in improving their learning experiences. Sometimes, you might feel like discussing with your fellow classmates or friends who are also appearing for the competitive exams. It is really important to have a collaborative approach with your classmates or friends for effective preparation. When you study in groups, there are possibilities of sharing and exchanging ideas that can help you in preparing for exams. You can collaborate with your friends and teachers for effective learning. Sometimes it can happen that you might get some tips and tricks for learning that can help you score high marks in the exams. So following the concept of collaborative effort for the success of your exams is an important skill.

Learning Technology

You should take time to learn different technological tools to enhance your learning experience. There are many online tools available for improving your scores in the exam. For instance, you can take mock, practice and revision tests on such platforms for better learning outcomes. Once you start learning and understanding the tools, it becomes easier and simpler in terms of understanding the concept. It also helps you in effective communication, online resources, self assessment, feedback and personalized guidance. Everything is available online to gain success in competitive exams.

Understanding Learning Style

Every student has different learning styles when it comes to understanding of the concepts. It is important to understand that learning style can enhance your learning for effective results. There are students who adapt different successful methods of learning by being visual, aural, social or physical learners. Hence, these styles enable you to bring positive results in the exams.

Reading

We all know that reading helps in gaining a lot of  knowledge to enhance your learning opportunities. You have to be open to reading new things around you that can give better results. Explore and discover new ways of reading in which you can bring success in exams. Make sure you inculcate the habit of reading everyday that can help in reducing anxiety during the examination time

The writer is a former school Principal.