The IIT Madras controversy

HRD ministry is an important ministry. It should not have acted in this careless manner Human resource development process includes the methods to facilitate free thinking and free expression on matters of historic, social, cultural and economic and political matters . On the one side The BJP is making bombastic announcement about Skill development among the youth and on the other hand wants to kill the free thinking and analytical skills of the students who are interested in learning and discussing about the various ideologies of the thinkers of India . if the IIT authorities are willingly want to surrender their autonomy to the whims and fancies of intolerant political leaders , instead of protection the students right to seek knowledge from various sources , it is a sad day for higher education position in India. How many times any central ministry has given attention to unanimous letters complaining about something and taken such a speedy action ? It is very sad day that the Madras IIT Director has taken immediate action on the students study circle, instead of defending their right to learn different ideologies of great thinkers of India, discuss about them and express their opinion of them . People who constantly criticise the Emergency declaration by Indira Gandhi can not stealthily and slowly introduce undemocratic methods . If the student’s right to free expression on any matter is stiffed in this manner , the BJP should stop talking about quality of higher education.

discrimination against Muslims in India

Often, the Muslims are blamed for not integrating themselves with the mainstream in several fields. It is not the Muslims who do not want to be get integrated with the mainstream . It is the discriminatory treatment given to them has created the gap between the Muslim and other communities . The columnists touches this topic only when a celebrity Muslim is shabbily treated . The endemic discrimination against Muslims is not found in the matter of renting and or buying a house alon. The the Indian Muslims are patiently and helplessly bearing the discrimination in matters of education., employment through recruitment particularly ,to government or public sector jobs , business contracts , bank credit, choice of candidates during elections etc. The Sachar Committee has highlighted this matter clearly. The Hindutva groups have succeeded in creating an aversion in the minds of even the educated youth of the majority communities by their relentless propaganda against the Indian Muslims For the next four years ,we are going to see high level insecurity creeping in the minds of Muslims due to several measures that are likely to be taken by the central and some state governments to alienate the Muslim community further . Yes, the problem is endemic and the Muslims are not hopeful of any solutions in the near future due to the week position of the secular political parties in the current Indian political scenario .

A transformation from conservative women to the wow woman of today Published in Woman’s Era on november 2014

 A transformation from conservative women to the wow woman of today

Published in Woman’s Era  on november 2014     

The transformation of 21^st century women is outstanding, remarkable and praise worthy.

The transformation, which has taken place among women in the recent decades, is very note worthy. What changes have taken place in them?

The wow women of today want to change their traditional look to modern look through awareness about fashions, beauty care and exercises. They enroll into fitness programmes to maintain perfect vital statistics so that they can command admiration in the outside world for the prefect maintenance of their body and health status. This change in their appearance gives them self confidence and adds to their personality development. .

They are not anymore continuing the practice of self neglect through eating late food, left out food, cold food and resorting to home remedy during sickness and loosing interest in their personal appearance after marriage. The dynamic women of today have health awareness since they are not prepared to become unproductive due to aches and pains and become out of shape immediately after childbirth. They are not prepared to have children by chance but by choice. They want to play dual role as housewife and carrier women and to do the juggling act effectively, it is very necessary for them to become physically fit and hence , they have health awareness regarding  preventive, promotive and curative health care and about the need for blanked diet .

The present day women do not have   traditional outlook towards life which accepts fatalism. They want to face challenges of life with their wisdom and skills. Quite a number of women are even ready to become single mothers if misfortune strikes them and bring up their children successfully.   Hence some changes have taken place in their mental attitude. They are not ready to tolerate denial of basic rights or cruel or undignified treatment by their husbands.   Because of this change they are free from suicidal tendencies and not afraid to face crises of life. Their independent income enables them to   face the challenges of life with courage and confidence and even be able to live as single women or single parent with mental and physical stamina. They are very sure that, they can live without relying on the sympathy of friends or relatives.

The vibrant women of today have set a goal for their life. They chalk out a clear plan for achieving that goal which includes the type of carrier they should chose to get economic empowerment and security and suitable choice of a professional qualification they should obtain to get into that job. Women who are not having professional qualification prefer home based business in which they can use any special job skill they have. Since the household gadgets have made their house hold work easier, they get more leisure hours which they want to utilise for achieving their goals in life in addition to bearing and rearing of children. Hence they use their spare time to acquire certain skills so that they can become self employed and add to the family income and become self reliant financially. Those who are endowed with additional qualification  in finance, accounting, marketing, administration, public relation , forecasting, export management, foreign affairs  etc., land up in high profile jobs  in the corporate of r government sectors .Behind all these efforts is their aspiration to become,  economically independent by all means  because ,they firmly believe that yesteryears women suffered silently due to excessive financial dependency on men  during different stages of their life.  They also believe firmly that financial independence is the first step towards their economic and social security which would protect them from domestic violence and ensure dignified life.

The modern women have legal awareness. They are aware of the laws of this country, meant to protect them, their provisions and recourse to them. . Hence they are not prepared any more to accept cruel treatment by their life partners. They walk out of marriages without minding the society’s views because of financial self reliance and the confidence gained through it. . Sociologists say that over confidence among modern women has resulted in more number of divorces affecting children mostly since thy have to loose one parent. This point should be given due consideration by the empowered women. But if the marriage has reached point of no return, they have to take a bold decision in the interest of the children instead of suffering in silence as yester years women and attempt to suicide and protect the children to from unhealthy and suffocating environment

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 The modern women want to participate in decision making process within the family and in the work place. They have learnt to fight for their right and assert their opinions in places where they have a role to play. Hence whether it is their education, marriage, child birth, carrier, and property they want their voice to be heard while the family takes decisions on these matters it is because, they hate to live like doormats, when they are also contribution significantly to the family income.  The modern women want to enter politics which is male dominated at present because, they want to become MLAs, MPs and Ministers so that, they can participate in law making process. They are fed up with the fact that all the women oriented laws are also enacted without consulting women. 

They have become fond of demonstrating their self confidence by managing outside activities without being escorted by men, all the time. To enable them to achieve this end quit a  number of confident and fearless women own and drive  their own vehicles . To them, this is a first step towards liberation from men and a major sign of empowerment.

Many number of working women in high profile jobs in the financial, banking, and corporate, educational and health sectors have high level of professional attitude since they are ambitious to reach the top level in their carrier, They constantly upgrade their job skill and have high level performance in their respective professions in spite of glass ceiling they have to cross. They are making best use of certain skills which women naturally possess such as, time management, multi tasking, team management and communication and crisis management skill .The modern WOW women basically believe that they endowed with equal intelligence to deal with different situations as men do.  They have perfected the act of balancing home and carrier .Hence thousand of women entrepreneurs have entered into manufacturing and service sector business units and running them successfully .Nearly 50 women in India are at the top level in the corporate sector.   These women are role models to those who want to use the resources available to them such as higher education, special job skills, time, mental and physical energy to their best advantage.

It is hoped that the steady increase in the number of such transformed women will change the son preference attitude of the Indian society which is based on the belief that women are liabilities and hence a wasteful resource. Hope, the new generation men will recognise the potentialities of women and treat them with equity and dignity. .Such women become asset to the family, society and the nation through playing effectively their social, political, economic roles. 

My letter published in The Hindu, written on an article written by Zoya hasan

Zoya Hasan in  her article, in The Hindu  , ‘No Acche Din for higher education, “(20.5.15)  has expressed her worry about the inability of even a single Indian university to get a global ranking . This sorry state of affairs  has not emerged suddenly. The coma stage of Indian universities is the result of decades of neglect of education sector by the successive governments . All the governments at the state and central level have starved this sector by the allocation of very inadequate funds and allowed reckless expansion of the private sector . The net result of this faulty policy is the shocking commercialisation of the higher education in which the managements are allowed to run educational institutions for profiteering purpose  , the teachers are allowed to be  treated as bonded labourers , the a students as  mere consumers and higher education as a salable commodity . It is disgusting to know that ,the posts of vice chancellor to teachers and non teaching  are given to the highest bidders . In such an atmosphere, how can we expect high quality universities? The decease that has affected the higher education system is too deep and wide spread and require  an emergency operation by a team of top level surgeons   who are to be  given autonomy in their duty by the HRD ministry, which has the responsibility to convert the huge Indian young population into human capital formation if ,Acche Din   really has to  happen .

Acche din in higher education . Comments on this article by Zoya Hasan in The Hindu

Zoya Hasan in  her article , ‘No Acche Din for higher education, “(20.5.15)  has expressed her worry about the inability of even a single Indian university to get a global ranking . This sorry state of affairs  has not emerged suddenly. The coma stage of Indian universities is the result of decades of neglect of education sector by the successive governments . All the governments at the state and central level have starved this sector by the allocation of very inadequate funds and allowed reckless expansion of the private sector . The net result of this faulty policy is the shocking commercialisation of the higher education in which the managements are allowed to run educational institutions for profiteering purpose  , the teachers are allowed to be  treated as bonded labourers , the a students as  mere consumers and higher education as a salable commodity . It is disgusting to know that ,the posts of vice chancellor to teachers and non teaching  are given to the highest bidders . In such an atmosphere, how can we expect high quality universities? The decease that has affected the higher education system is too deep and wide spread and require  an emergency operation by a team of top level surgeons   who areto be  given autonomy in their duty by the HRD ministry, which has the responsibility to convert the huge Indian young population into human capital formation if ,Acche Din has   really to  happen .

fight of a cleaning women for justice in sexsula harrassment incident in the parlaiments premises as reported in The HIndu

It is heartening to note that , the Hindu has chosen to highlight in the front page and in an inner page the plight of a women cleaning worker ,( working  in the parliament premises ) while fighting to get justice for sexual harassment faced by her. .  It comes as relief to the news observers who were weary of reading and listening to endless reports in the Indian media about the royal escapes the rich and the powerful are capable of enjoying  from punishments for their serious offenses in India . Parliament is law making premise and within it’s premise one  helpless poor women is trying desperately  for justice through a law enacted for women’s safety in work places .It is now a consolation taht after the Hindu's report the parliament'  concerned authority has taken up this matter for inquiry  

Non stop coverage of salman Khan's court case by the media

The nation was  irritated with the non stop coverage of Samman khan”s case by the news media especially the electronic media as though, there is no other incidents happening in the whole of India  which are news worthy . Do we need legal experts , police personnel , sociologists, columnists   and   academicians  to educate us about the preferential treatment given to rich and powerful personalities in every field in India? Don’t we know that  the  Ex Maharajas have been replaced by a new class of  royalty  for whom laws will bend  , justice will be delivered as per their convenience and privileges will be extended under all types pretexts ? The only benefit of the non stop coverage by the media of this incident is the light shed on plight of  the poor under trails languishing in jails for along time with no one to help them.

Introduction of gender sensitive supporting services by accenture India company

It is very heartening to read the  report (business, page 15 , 5^th May , The Hindu ) on the introduction of welcome changes the Accentures of India has made on the maternity leave facility and to know about the  existing supporting facilities the company is providing  to the female workers struggling to manage a demanding job with newborns  at home.  If every corporate company emulates this model of  human resource management introduced by the Accenture, India , the well trained, competent and highly qualified female employees  would not be forced to  leave their jobs at the height of their carrier . What they need is  a helping hand from their respective companies with flexible time management schedule . The Accenture, India has set an example in this matter through it’s  gender sensitive HR  measure which is worthy to be  followed by other corporate  companies.