That Poster

Hi all, I'm back...I'm back...I'm back with a post. Its been really a long time since I published a post in this blog. Hope that I will be regular with this blog from now on.

This piece of poetry was published in Inchara-2009. Read it and do post your comments on it.

Ah! The poster of My Hero
My Hero, who inspired my dreams
My Hero, who inspired my thoughts
My Hero, who fueled my ambitions

Was it the poster of My Hero?
My Hero, whom I always wanted to emulate
My Hero, who did nothing wrong
My Hero, who was an authority in righteousness

Was it the poster of My Hero?
My Hero, who defied every law of physics
My Hero, whom not even the AK-47 bullets could tamper
My Hero, who was equal to a century of lions

Was it the poster of My Hero?
Ah! My Hero in the wanted list!!
My hands dashed against my eyes
No, it was My Hero’s imposter in the poster.

Sibalism AND an appointment of the HRD Ministry with controversy

After Saffronisation, Reservation now its time for Sibalism.

The Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal's annoucement recently that there would be sweeping changes in the education system including a optional class X board exam, a centralized education board for the whole country, introduction of a grade system evoked a lot of controversy. Though the idea sounds good on the ears there are a lot of practical difficulties.

The grade system which is aimed at reducing the pressure to be the topper. In grade system there is no single topper but a group of say 10 to 15 people within the same marks range are considered to be the topper. Since there is no single topper there is a less chances of having hurt ego ( applies more to parents than the students themselves). This has a flip side also, a student who is perfect in his work is not recognised. The admissions to certain schools which are based on the marks are also effected. How do you set a cut off? How do you select some from many? This requires a new criteria for selection which certainly will be a new entrance test which is against the very motive of the grading system.

The class X board exams optional, only for students wish to join a diffrent institution need to appear for these exams. Though this may reduce pressure of performing which is so high that it some times leads to even suicide, the students from the rural areas are at a disadvantage. In rural areas mostly schools are upto class X and for +2 education you mostly have to move to a diffrent institution, which makes the taking of board exams a forced one.

Though the making of class X exams may reduce the pressure, the intention of the Mr Sibal to centralize the class XII exams further pressurizes the students. With no previous experience of appearing for board exams, the students will have added pressure of competing at the national level.

The union HRD ministry is always in the news albeit for the wrong reason. First it was Murali Manohar Joshi who was accused of Saffronisation of education. He was accused of influnceing the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) laid down a national curriculum framework for school education.

Mr Sibal's predecessor Arjun Singh was also in the controversy over the reservation for OBCs in higher education. There was a very vocal protests all throught India, particularly by the students of the All India Institue of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). This aside the Mr Singh did not have a clear plan on how to implement it, where to get the necessary resources etc.

Now Mr Sibal is also following the footsteps of his predecessor by not having an action plan. This may prove disastrous for education if implemented without the necessary elements in place.

A beautiful poem.....

"Ek din bik jaayega maati ke mol..." song[Dharam Karam] 1975 facinated me very much. But I always believe a song is as good as is its lyrics is. Though music direction and singing is important, but they are done based on the lyrics.

Any how the debate aside, I could not get exactly what the lyrics ment. Today while browsing the net I came across a comment to a post on Cosmetic Surgery which mentioned the lyrics along with its meaning. After reading the meaning I felt that I missed the central theme of the song.

I would like you to appreciate it so here's it

"Ek din bik jayega mati ke mol,
Jag mein reh jayenge pyare tere bol!"

[In the end:]

[Each day is sold for the price of dirt, and only
your lovely words will stay behind in the world!]

"Parde ke peeche baithi sawal gori,
tham kar tere mere man ki dori."

[Behind the curtain sits the elegant beauty,
holding the threads to your and my mind.]

"Yeh birha na chute, yeh bandhan na tute,
Bhor hone wali hai ab raina ha thodi!"

[This melancholia cannot be let go off,
this relationship cannot be broken, for
dawn is about to erupt, night left is short!]

This beautiful poem is written by Majrooh Sultanpuri the legendary lyricist and music direction by R D Burman.

You can hear the song here.

Elections 2009: Exit polls off the target by miles

         The exit polls which are generally termed as a result before a result have  got it wrong once again. Though they predicted that Congress led UPA would outdo the NDA, the difference between the predicted and actual margin seems to say that the exit polls are a futile exercise aimed at getting just television viewership rather than a serious effort.

          Now the results are out the UPA leads the NDA by a hefty 100+ seats, whereas the exit polls had predicted a close result. Besides the Third Front which was predicted to get cross the three figure mark but actually they got only half of that. The exit polls had predicted that the UPA would get 185-205, the BJP 135-150 seats and the Third Front bagging 110-130 seats. 

       The exit polls had predicted that the BSP would get around 35 seats whereas it has got only 21 seats. Besides AIADMK was predicted to get 23-29 seats wereas it managed to get only 8 seats.

        Even in the 2004 assembly elections the exit polls were off the mark when it was predicted that BJP led NDA would win by a huge margin, but in reality the Congress led UPA won and formed the government.