JNU Turmoil Should Trigger Radical Education Reforms

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Created on Thursday, 18 February 2016 08:39
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                   India pays through its nose for Nehru legacy 
 
 (Image Courtesy: JNU)
 
“Is it necessary to have a University of this type?  Indeed, if you want a memorial, there are memorials and memorials and is not the Kashmir problem a memorial that will remain in history. When six hundred States integrated (into) one State, when Jawaharlal Nehru interfered, (Kashmir) remained unintegrated and this country is paying through the nose for it and getting a bad name all over the world for that one little thing, for that one obstinacy and obsession of his.”
That was Dahyabhai V. Patel, articulating concern voiced by certain Members of Parliament (MPs) on Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Bill, 1964 in Parliament on 1st December 1965.
Both Dadhyabhai and his father Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Iron Man who united princely States into eternal nation India, would certainly be saddened in the Heaven. This is because the left alliance of JNU students and teachers has transformed the university into an incubator for anarchists, separatists and criminals.
Like Dadhyabhai, another MP, Mariadas Ruthnaswamy, would have been  flabbergasted, if he were alive and had read about crimes ranging from plagiarism to pornography that have taken place at JNU over the years.  
The university holds the dubious honour for topping all universities in realm of sexual harassments. As many as 25 such cases happened at JNU during 2014-15, according to University Grants Commission’s data forming part of Government’s reply to Lok Sabha question dated 14th December 2015.  

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Mrs. Smriti Irani, Please Think Before Launching ‘Think in India’

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Created on Saturday, 20 December 2014 19:15
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Image Courtesy: taxindiaonline.com
 
We are passing through an unprecedented phase of slogan mongering. Hardly a day passes when some dream merchant spins a new phrase. It does not matter even if the initiative turns out be an old wine in the new bottle. Or, it proves to be much ado about nothing. 
Take the case of the Minister for Human Resource Development Smriti Zubin Irani. She has lately thought loud about a proposed initiative named ‘Think in India’. It is being conceived to retain human talent within in the country. It would apparently also serve as a platform to beckon overseas Indian professionals to serve their homeland. 
The other day a daily quoted Mrs. Irani as saying: “We all know the Prime Minister has spoken about the ‘Make in India’ project and we in the Ministry of Human Resource Development want to complement it by a ‘Think in India’ campaign through the ‘Rashtriya Avishkaar Yojana’.”
Her Ministry intends to encourage students to come up with innovations and new ideas. As put by Mrs. Irani, “So that our faculty and our students need not leave our shores in hunt for money to back their research with.” 
Before embarking on Think in India and the proposed new education policy, Mrs. Irani would have to herself first think a lot. She or rather Modi Cabinet has to ponder how to sort out contradictions between RSS-inspired insular policies and the ones that can help India turn its unsustainable population load into demographic dividend.

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Modiji’s LiFE Vision sets bar for Global Statesmanship

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Created on Thursday, 27 October 2022 12:09
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(Image Courtesy: PIB)

Mr. Narendra Modi has added a new feather to his cap as India’s best Prime Minister - an honour conferred repeatedly by India Today through its so-called Mood of the Nation Survey (MOTNS). The new feather is successful demonstration of his skill to periodically launch his same vision/idea on global platforms over the years. The proof of glittering success is evident in generous applause by global leaders each time Mr. Modi articulates his passion for Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE).

Global celebrities are getting captivated the Indian way: Millions of Indians like Mr. Modi’s mesmerising skill to launch at least twice the same scheme again at the National level. They take repackaging and rebranding of many schemes and ideas with Pradhan Mantri trademark in stride.The latest instance in point is the global launch of LiFE mission on 20th October 2022 at Statue of Unity jointly with visiting United Nations Secretary General António Guterres.

This is an idea that Mr. Modi has been preaching ever since he became PM. A content analysis of his speeches would show that he has been paraphrasing the concept at different events over the years.

In his maiden speech at United Nations General Assembly on 27th September 2014, he advocated: “We need to change our lifestyles, Energy not consumed is the cleanest energy.”

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Environment (Protection) Act is Perfect Ass!

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Created on Thursday, 18 May 2017 14:29
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(Image Courtesy: gujarattourism.com)
 
If novelist Charles Dickens were alive & stayed in India, he would have turned his phrase ‘law is an ass’ into a hard fact. And he might have cited The Environment (Protection) Act (EPA), 1986 & its asinine implementation to prove that law is indeed an ass. It kicks well in India.
Dickens might have cited many instances to show why EPA is a perfect ass. Discretion-driven EPA provides no penalty on slum lords (at least there is no case history of EPA enforcement on this count). It, however, does provide for penalty against a government entity such as Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) for starting work on pollution-preventing slum rehabilitation/housing projects without waiting for environmental clearance (EC).
EPA implementation has avoided levying any penalty on naxalities feted as Left Wing Extremists for destruction of forests through landmine explosions. It, however, does provide for penalty against miners including public enterprises for delay in getting EC for mines that have functioned much before enactment of EPA. 
EPA is flaunted by eco-terrorists as overarching ‘right to life’ (RTL) protecting law. And RTL matters only when it is perceived through EPA. If a pharmaceuticals firm, for example alters its product-mix to produce a life-saving drug, then it becomes EPA violator – a threat to RTL of the masses. CIPLA Limited finds itself in dock precisely on this count. 

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