मनाये आज हम बाल दिवस

मनाये आज हम बाल दिवस
उद्घोषित है जो  सर्वत्र
बहु आयामी जब जीवन रस
बचपन नामक वह नक्षत्र 

विरक्त विहार विचरण
अल्पवस्त्रों से सज्जित तन
आतुर पुष्प अन्वेषण
तुच्छ प्राणी सम पदरौदन

कौतुहल भरा ये गगन
श्वेत श्याम शोभाभ्रमण
पंछीगुण से उपजी जलन
करवाती निर्बाष्प रुदन

गर्भ में जो सुना भजन 
बिन बोले होता नमन
माँ पिता में होता चयन
कौन अच्छा बहलाता मन

जब निर्बाध है वादन  मनन
ढूढे नहीं मिलता बंधन
पायल की बस हल्की खनखन
बिन उसके आशंकित मन

पर देखा क्या कुछ वर्षोँ में
हो ऐसा जिसका अनुभव
बेतार  के भयबंधन से
बचा हो जिसका बचपन

सपने हमारे देख बच्चे वो
निकले दूरस्थ ठिकानों को
जहाँ पहुँच कर समझ न पाए
देखा था किन सितारों को  

बच्चो ने जब ठान लिया
अपने लक्ष्यों को तान लिया
क्यों हमने ये मान लिया
उन्होंने हमारा अपमान किया

हम जब रात को सोते थे
सपने रोज़ फुदकते थे
क्यों उनका सम्मान किया
बच्चों का बलिदान लिया

आज चार वर्ष के नन्हे भी
वयस्कों सा रूप रखते है
चिंतित होकर भी झूठी
अधरक्रिया को ढोते है

माँ पिता को इसकी फिक्र नहीं
बचपन की क्या सूरत है
उनके लिए तो बाल दिवस पर
दूरभाष ही पूरक है    

तो किस कारण हम छल करे
अभिमान में अस्वीकार करे
रहे यह निर्दोष सनद
न छोड़ा न पाला बचपन

मनाते है हम बाल दिवस
भूल कर उन पापो को
जिससे हमने लूट लिया
बचपन से छुटपन छीन लिया 

Video Gaming : Effect on Mind and Body

The Digital Marijuana: Video Games affecting Kids

            The technological revolution has increased the pace of change. Change, as an inevitable characteristic of the world we live in, was never so conspicuous. Within a decade, playgrounds, replete with children, are seen as potential real estate development sites. Landscapes have changed, habits have changed and thus, life has changed. Habits are an intrinsic component of childhood, and what develops in childhood hangs all along the life. An invention of the 1950s, the video games, have recently made a foray into our households. And its target is the most vulnerable segment of the society: the children. Since an enemy in disguise can cause a great harm, it is important to discuss pernicious effects of Video Games, so that it can be readily thrown out. 

            First of all, video games hamper health of children. Video games demand continuous sittings for long hours, with less or no physical movement. With muscles and bones still at a developing stage, physical inactivity can hinder the growth of important organs. This leads to a permanent disability with no possible cure. With weak body and muscles, children are likely to pursue a sedentary lifestyle in adulthood. Consequently, they'll invite many more lifestyle diseases like diabetes, obesity, constipation etc. Moreover, physical exercises help in maintaining proper sleep cycles. On the other hand, lack of it can cause insomnia which turns into stress, anxiety and other neural disorders. Also, the excitement of the games pulls children closer to the screens. Continuous exposure may lead to myopic vision in the long run. Therefore, video games have a serious impact on the health of children.

            Some people may argue that video games help in improving problem-solving skills as they're given challenging tasks as they advance through a particular game. They also claim that this helps them to simulate real life situations and be better prepared for the same. For instance, a car racing game may help them to develop driving skills. This assumption is flawed because firstly, most games do not show routine life situations, rather they show a distorted extension which leaves a bad impression on a child's mind. As an example, while one gets extra points in a car racing game for driving recklessly, this might cause serious injuries if tried in actual life. Secondly, while there is no loss of life if one fails in a pursuit, actual practice the same put their lives at stake.  They often prompt children to involve into risky adventures which create an unnecessary trouble that society has to tackle.

            In addition, video games affect behavioural aspects of personality in children. Video games generate sudden excitement and, sometimes, sudden disappointment. This takes a toll on Emotional Quotient of children. This involves qualities like being patient and maintaining composure in tricky situations. Children express their emotions to respond to the achievements in the game. However, this generates no response and children are not able to decide whether such a response is hurtful or demeaning. This lack of understanding, when extended to social circles, leads to alienation and children start disliking interacting with people. As they grow up, they start feeling lonely and depressed because they do not know to build and continue people to people contacts. This has a direct bearing on the relationships they forge later in their lives. Thus, video games have long lasting consequences on an individual's personality.

            To sum up, it can be inferred that even though video games initially were in high demand, the reach of masses to them has led to some disastrous consequences. A child's only assets are health, their IQ and behavioural traits which help them to learn and develop. It can be seen that video games affect all of these and hence, can be rightly called a sweet poison for children that will kill slowly but surely. Hence, urgent steps need to be taken regulate the sale and access of 'the Digital Marijuana'. 

MOOCs - A way ahead

MOOCs as effective alternatives to Conventional Learning

            A staggering number of students, approximately 2 million, migrate every year to have access quality higher education. Governments across the world, especially in developing countries, are facing serious challenges in ensuring universal and affordable education to their citizens. Several initiatives like subsidised schooling, distance education programs etcetera, have not been able to realize the objective. Recently, several universities have come together to provide affordable courses which can be accessed using the internet. These courses are called MOOCs - Massive Open Online Courses. MOOCs can provide an effective alternative to Conventional Classroom Learning.

            Firstly, MOOCs reduce the cost of learning. Most universities in the world, unless subsidised by the government, have exorbitant tuition fees. They are also devoid of adequate residential facilities. The cost of tuition coupled with high rents near university campuses takes a heavy toll on students' financial positioning. The students are required to move from their native places to university campuses, which incurs additional travelling expenditure. MOOCs, on the other hand, do away with the all such requirements. A student can sit at his home, pay a nominal fee and yet, receive most of the benefits. Since MOOCs are taken by a large number of students, the cost per student turns out to be very less in comparison to the former method. Thus, MOOCs are cost effective.

            Moreover, MOOCs encourage multidisciplinary learning. While several universities across the world have been giving a major push to interdisciplinary studies and research, these efforts have been stymied by constraints like lack of adequate teachers and faculties. MOOCs allow students to customize their courses, getting the best of all domains across the world. It may not be possible for a university to expose their students to best of the teachers in all the disciplines, but an MOOC platform can bring all the experts under a roof. Therefore, students can learn a multitude of subjects at a time.

            Additionally, going to a university requires students to dedicate a significant part of their career making years. Several students have to work just after their high school as they've to fend for themselves. These students miss the opportunity to earn a degree despite their interest in pursuing the same. Though some universities do offer part time courses, prohibitive work locations are often the case. MOOCs come to the rescue of these students. A student can work during the day and take courses in the evening hours to supplement her qualification and knowledge. Hence, MOOCs bring a larger number of students under the umbrella of education.

            Another advantage of MOOCs is they allow students to learn at their pace.  A university's curriculum is designed keeping in mind average speed at which students understand. However, most students' assimilation pace digresses from the average. Some learn faster and some slower. This results in wastage of time of few whereas few students are unable to cope up.  Due to this reason, the entire learning process becomes the antithesis of what it should be. MOOCs can solve this problem. Even though there are deadlines to keep students on track, they're flexible to let students take their own time. Hence, MOOCs; help in customizing the course to suit to student's abilities. 

            Hence, we see that MOOCs can offer a solution to students seeking learning avenues as they're cost-effective, comfortable for working professionals, facilitate multidisciplinary learning and help students to learn at their pace. Such initiative must be advertised and encouraged so as to have a more learned world to live in.

           

English: the unsound medium

Learning in a Foreign Language: A case study of English in India

            P. B. Shelly in his famous work, 'Ode to the West Wind,' ends with a famous line: “O Wind! If winter comes, can spring be far behind?”. Mumbai, where this chapter was being taught, barely faces temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius. Shelly had referred to a harsh, unkind and sombre weather; however, the students in the class couldn't fathom what is so wrong with the winters. Thankfully, the teacher was nuanced, and he had anticipated such a dilemma. He apprised the students of the difficulties in comprehending similes and metaphors used by foreign authors. Unfortunately, in a country of 1.25 people, not many teachers can decrypt such analogies. The hope shown by Shelly is reduced to a very bleak motivation, thanks to the language of instruction. English has made learning difficult for the students in India.

            Before moving to reasons and effects, it is important to understand how English became integral to the Indian education system. Though India can boast of several glorious centuries in the first millennium, it had been invaded by several rulers till it gained its independence in 1947. India was colonised in the last two centuries by the British Empire. During this period, an eminent jurist Lord Macaulay devised the modern education system, which is still prevalent. The intention of this move has been a matter of contention amongst historians; however, they've converged on one point: to popularise and encourage the use of English language. This was done to ensure higher penetration of British Empire and recruit valuable human resource to serve the empire in the subcontinent. The attempt was successful beyond doubt, so much so, that it forms the basis of education system practised in India. There's a famous saying in a local language which translates to 'English have left but they left English here' (Jack and Sharma).Thus, English was introduced very systematically using a policy framework by the imperial government.

            The introduction of English led to a massive inequity in access to education in India. As English became a symbol of prestige in the society, institutions established by British gained popularity. They followed Macaulay's pattern of teaching and used English as the sole medium of instruction. In those times, the social, economic and political standing of India was at an ebb. People were destitute, and the contemporary generation had no knowledge of English. This led to a situation where only the elite in the society was able to receive education in such institutions. The majority, therefore, was left uneducated, closing doors to all avenues of economic and social development. Even though, several schools taught in the local language; however, people had started assessing the competency of teachers by proficiency in English. Genuine scholars and institutions, who taught in traditional schools and catered to the common man, faced a new challenge of derecognition: both, by the English institutions and the society. Thus, the introduction of English had restricted education to a selected few, which has left Indian society uneducated.

            Moreover, even today, use of English has become an impediment to understanding fundamental concepts. Because English is still not spoken by most of the citizens, comprehending certain words and phrases is difficult for students. In such a situation, learning involves a two-tier process involved: Firstly, translation of the text in the native language and then, understanding the idea discussed. This extra effort required to translate the sentence has adverse effects. It consumes more energy and time, and more importantly, a mistake at any one of the two steps will lead to either misunderstanding or no understanding. It is disheartening to note that since most of the students are unable to translate, they cannot learn the lesson. Even the governments have not taken this issue seriously, thereby causing a dearth of knowledge resources in local languages. The rudiments have become arcane because the medium of communication is inept.

            Countries that teach their students in local languages have performed better in the segment of education. Almost all the countries in the world, at least up to high school, use their local language to teach students. For instance, China, which is the largest economy in Asia, uses Chinese at all levels. Japan has also ensured that even higher education is taught in Japanese. Most developed nations have made it compulsory to use the local language as the sole medium of instruction. Their success is manifested in higher literacy, improved ability in making informed choices, and appreciation for multidisciplinary studies. India, on the other hand, is finding it hard to break the conventions and adopt a novel methodology. India has poor literacy, very few interdisciplinary research centres, and students rarely make informed choices. India ranks poorly in HDI. It can now be easily estimated that a handicapped education system is the primary cause of such discouraging indices. Hence, examples from other countries further the need to change English as the medium of instruction.

            Another reason why English becomes a cause of nightmare for students is the stark difference in the structure of Indian languages and English. Though linguists classify these languages in the same category, the author doesn't agree with them. The first difference is of pronunciation. The letters in English have several sounds that change according to usage; whereas, in Indian languages, each letter has a distinct sound which remains same throughout. Another difference is that of the script, which requires students to make an extra effort to familiarise. Finally, the literature of Indian languages is better understood by Indians as literary instruments have manifestations in the day to day life. For, all these reasons, English is difficult to comprehend for Indians.

            In conclusion, while English has benefitted a few Indians to settle in developed nations, it has deprived the rest of the nation of an effective and robust education system. Usage of English has caused enormous difficulty to students, owing to its dissimilarity with the local language. Countries that instruct in local language have achieved the objective of universal education. It is high time that not only India but all the countries that are not using local languages to teach must take initiatives to introduce gradually the same. A nation is not independent if it does not speak its tongue.

Works Cited

Jack, Gibson and Brij Sharma. "An Indian Englishman." Sharma, Brij. Memoirs of Jack Gibson in India. 2008. 179.