Tag Archives: Education

Education, Research Paper

The first step: Building blocks of life

An atmosphere of happiness gets created when a new life takes shape. When you entered the world, you had no sense about yourself. You may have cried several times to express when you wanted something. Slowly as you grew, you started saying chunks of words, gradually crawling and finally learn to walk. This succession couldn’t be determined and taught in advance. Everything takes time.

Some alphabet are written on the board.
The first letters of the alphabet.

Similarly, when you go to school first time and till graduation and further, that journey is a long way to go. This stage of life is where your proper education starts. Starting from learning alphabets but in different languages as the curriculum is diverse across the world. Every parent wishes that their child gets the best school to seek a good job and secure their future generation in a better way. Do anyone think about being a better human, unknowingly these are gained through what we learn and observe things around us.

The kids are drawing.
The kids are learning to draw objects.

The problem is that everyone in the world doesn’t have the same capabilities like in terms of money, maybe a person is willing to study but don’t have proper financial support, their dream comes to an end. Although there are scholarships, not everyone has adequate knowledge of how to gain, or else those money goes in the wrong hand and that’s where the corruption starts. There are numerous reasons like the person is not willing to study a particular subject. They have to learn it forcefully, leading to depression, bad academic results, lack confidence, low self-esteem, and much more. This situation happens because, in some countries, they follow an old education policy, rarely updated, and there is no freedom to choose subjects electively. Not everyone likes to become a doctor or an engineer in the future. One may wish for something that the person likes, but the society fears by conveying that the particular field has no scope in the future.

Bookshelves in a library.
A library

There are many more problems related to education, like in schools, there is not even a proper student to teacher ratio maintained, no adequate infrastructure due to improper funding. No digitalization due to which the students rely on the book knowledge and ends up there. There are public libraries that do offer books and also allow them to access the internet, but this model is not visible everywhere. In this patriarchal society, not only these but also problems are there with the mentality of their parents. Like where they think a girl shouldn’t pursue higher education as they will have to work one day at someone else’s houses or don’t allow their children to study as they are their sole supporters. No one else is there to look after them.

An open corridor.
A doorway in a school

Remote education and distant learning may solve these problems, but we need to find these group of people who actually require help and then voluntarily study in the future. There are children in rural areas who can’t access these facilities. We need to reach and also improvise our current education curriculum so that the employment rate decrease and one can stand on itself and employ others for their work.

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Architecture and Design, Culture and History, Education, Tourist Places

Evaluation of Indian Architecture

Art, design,  creativity, innovation, Music, dance, culture, and heritage is the Identity of INDIA. When we look back at our history of architecture we can understand why It’s Our pride. British, Dutch, Portuguese, Mughal, French foreign forces came to India and Buddhism, Jainism and other religions came here and spread their culture. That’s why Indian architecture is the fusion of a different kind of architectural style and tradition.

The History of India begins with the birth of the Indus Valley Civilization,(2600 BCE – 1900 BCE) The Indus Valley Civilization covered a large area around the Indus River basin and beyond in late Bronze Age India. The civic and town planning and engineering aspects of these are remarkable, There are granaries, drains, water-courses and tanks, but neither palaces nor temples have been identified, though cities have a central raised and fortified “citadel”. Around the 2000 year ago India had Smart cities Like Harappa, Lothal, Mohenjo-Daro

Indus Valley Civilisation source of the pictures GOOGLE

After the Indus Valley Civilization, there are few traces of Indian architecture, which probably mostly used wood, or brick which has been recycled,

Probably around 400 BCE Indian rock-cut architecture, mostly Buddhist, and there are also a number of Buddhist images that give very useful information.

A STUPA FROM AJANTA CAVE

Buddhist construction of monastic buildings apparently begins before the death of Buddha.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi is one of the oldest stone structures in India, and an important monument of Indian Architecture. It was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE. Its nucleus was a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha


Sanchi Stupa is a Buddhist complex, famous for its Great Stupa, on a hilltop at Sanchi Town in Raisen District of the State of Madhya Pradesh,

Temple Architecture was a gradual evolution starting from the rock cut- cave temples to monolithic rathas which finally culminated in structural temples

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1.The current structure of the Mahabodhi Temple dates to the Gupta era, 5th century CE. Marking the location where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. 2.The Hindu Tigawa Temple, early 5th century.

The middle period saw great developments in the field of architecture. With the coming of Muslims to India, many new features came to be introduced in buildings. The development of the Muslim Style of Architecture of this period can be called the Indo-Islamic Architecture or the Indian Architecture influenced by Islamic Art. The Indo-Islamic style was neither strictly Islamic nor strictly Hindu, One of the best architectural traditional style

The Taj Mahal,  one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.

With colonization, a new chapter in Indian architecture began. The Dutch, Portuguese and the French made their presence felt through their buildings but it was the English who had a lasting impact on Colonial architecture.

The Victoria Memorial is a large marble building in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, which was built between 1906 and 1921

Now we are living in the 21st-century style, traditional, plan structure changed, modified but these architectures are immortal and inspiring generation after generation.

Eco-Friendly Architectural plan

From Indus Valley to eco-friendly plan creativity, hard work, ideas, style tradition makes our country beautiful.

Business and Management, Education

Taking notes or making notes

Do you remember when we were kids our parents always instruct us one stuff write down all the tasks that teacher taught during class. That written down task is called Notes. During school, college, and even in professional life notes taking a very important part. Especially when we are student notes are like our life Savior before the exam. I think approx Every student faced this situation one time in life 1 Or 2days before the exam we tried to read books, but there are so many things written, we don’t have enough time to read at that time we take the help of notes. For me, notes are like searching for keywords.

1.We take note when we attending lectures, classes, or meetings, we are listening about so many topics, matter. If we write down some important points issues from the lectures it helps us to identify the key ideas, the structure of the presentations.

2.organized notes also make it easier for us to link classroom learning to textbook readings.

4. Engage our minds. Note-taking keeps our body active and involved and helps us avoid feelings of drowsiness or distraction.

Farhan, Rancho, Raju should take notes 😆😆😆😆

  1. Note-making is very important as it involves us in the learning process. And whenever we read something we have to write down important points as we cannot hold them on the mind.
  2. Making notes allows us to reduce the information into a manageable size.
  3. when we make notes we try to describe the thing with our own words, it’s helpful to think and understand the subject.

Taking notes and making notes both are equally important in the process of learning

So listen, understand, write, and grow your knowledge.

Education, Research Paper

A Break in Between

The high school focuses on the textbook education of a child. As a student, you will be provided with insights on the Nazis and the best topography for the coniferous trees. But by the time you graduate from high school, you get so focused on your formal education that you are completely burnt out for the real world. There are still lessons waiting for you out there, many of which you need to learn before you enter your university and get a taste of the real world.

Although most students head directly from the high school to the university courses, it can be healthy to take a break from school and focus on building your character for once. What most people don’t believe is that education can be continued outside a classroom too.

A gap year is the answer for such students who are lost. It will give you the opportunity to take a breath before you dive headlong into university life. You can go to another country and instead of simply reading about the place you get a firsthand experience of its culture, traditions, and people. The change in scenery will aid in your networking and give you a global perspective on life.

The one-year gap is a breather for you to understand what you want to pursue in your life. You will get the experience of making tough decisions and be more independent.

Here are 4 benefits of taking a gap year in a country that is not yours.

  1. Accelerated maturity

You can be a good student easily but there is nothing to support your statement. A gap year allows you to gain quality life experiences. You get to witness different things the world has to offer, from new sites to new foods. You learn about the people and more importantly, about yourself. Living in a place that is not your home allows you to handle things on your own, making you more responsible and self-reliant.

  1. Better performance in college

If you are a student struggling to decide upon your major in college, the bridge year gives you a chance to explore your interests and allows you to make an informed decision regarding your field of study. It also gives you the time to refine the specific skills you feel you are lacking and catch up on them before you begin university.

  1. Boost your job prospects

Since you return to college invigorated with a newly found confidence and perspective, you will have a better chance at any future employment prospects. You will be able to cater to the needs of diverse customers. Your time spent volunteering will be proof of your empathetic side which most employers seek while hiring.

  1. Discover a hidden passion

In one year’s time, you can learn a new language or pursue a new hobby. Maybe you can even hone a previous skill of yours like writing, public speaking, and cooking. These skills will give you an edge in your career or help you in your personal life by making you feel relaxed. Either way, you’ll become a well-rounded person creating positive opportunities along your way and leading a rich and rewarded life.

Image Courtesy: Google

Education, Research Paper

Commercialization of Education

Back in the 90s, getting 60 percent on your boards meant having a party in the whole neighborhood; it was a celebration. Today, even 95 percent is not enough to secure your admission in the college and course of your choice. So, what changed during all these years? Not the NCERTs for sure.

India is fast becoming a country where education is just another commodity. With everyone obsessing over education and paying any amount of money to get the best, the real essence of education has been devalued. It is no longer a noble cause; it is a mere means for people to earn a profit, to scam others into paying for a basic necessity.

To educate someone means to impart that person the knowledge so that he or she can survive in society. But the commercialization of education has turned almost every institution into a business or a money-making factory, charging huge amounts for all the facilities that they provide. And the sad part of it all is that these facilities aren’t even required most of the time.

Today, every nook and corner has a new coaching institute being run by someone who is not even a professional of the field they are teaching or tutoring students in. As a result, most of the students going from schools to colleges are not using any prior knowledge from their formative years. Furthermore, the students passing out of colleges are not ready to be employed right away. Yet they are being employed, many even as teachers. A teacher is a pillar of a child’s future, but what will happen if the teacher himself fails to build a strong foundation for his student’s life?

Another important parameter for quality education is having the right infrastructure. The environment of the place where you send your child to study matters a lot. As a student, it is important to keep in mind that nurture plays a huge role in the development of our minds and the correct environment is the first step towards nurturing the feeling of learning in our minds. Schools and colleges are spending way more on advertising their institutions and finding prospective customers in the name of students rather than spending that same money on improving the infrastructure and the facilities available for the students. The parents are falling prey to these lucrative ads, readily paying a huge amount of money to get their ward into the said institution, without even realizing that their hard-earned money will be used to catch other prey. Basically, they are being cheated in the name of education.

Instead of being the solution to a problem, education itself is becoming more of a problem. Even though the education industry is rising, it is lagging behind in fulfilling its social responsibility towards the society.

The education system has to improve, thereby improving the meaning of education. Providing education should no longer equate to just paying the fees. The youth has to be provided with quality education and the whole society has to work together to convey this message to the world.

Image Courtesy: Google

Education

One India, One Education Board?

CBSE or ICSE or IGCSE or IB or State Board - The right choice ?

Over the past few years, a number of education boards have come up in India, each with its own syllabus and grading system. This has happened because education falls in the tertiary list and is the shared responsibility of the centre as well as of the states. CBSE, CISCE and NIOH are the central boards with CBSE having the maximum number of affiliated schools. There are various state boards like Bihar and UP Board, Kerala Boards, Assam Boards and many others. Some of the top schools in India are also affiliated to international boards like IB and Cambridge International.

All these education boards have their own pros and cons. While one can argue that the syllabus for sciences are more or less the same, it differs a lot when it comes to social sciences and literature. State boards give more preference to vernacular languages and local history whereas the central and international boards have fondness towards English and other foreign languages. The history taught in CBSE focuses on pan India topics like freedom struggle, ancient empires, world wars etc. India is a diverse country with an equally diverse population and this justifies the existence of so many education boards. However the problem arises when students from all these boards apply for higher education in colleges of universities like the Delhi University.

Delhi University has cutoffs for admissions into most of the streams from English to Journalism. These cutoffs are based on marks scored by a student in their respective board exams. Bihar and UP boards are difficult and have stricter marking scheme as compared to CBSE or Kerala Board. ICSE board is tougher still. So, a student scoring 98% in CBSE might have the same aptitude as a student scoring 82% in Bihar board. The one scoring 98% will clear the high cutoffs of the colleges of Delhi University. An inequality also exists within the boards, as students from state boards are considered inept as compared to students coming from ICSE or CBSE. Parents are also confused and often feel pressurized to send their kids to CBSE or ICSE affiliated school, assuming that these schools provide better education. The rich can easily afford these schools but the poor cannot, resulting in further deepening of the inequalities. So even education has not remained the great leveler that it once was.

It is high time that the governments, intellectuals, teachers and civil societies come together and brainstorm ideas so that they can come up with a solution for all these issues. Let’s hope that the draft National Education Policy 2019 recognizes and addresses these concerns.

Education, Science and Technology

THE E-WAY

1 Comment

Like an endless loop of strings, E-learning opens up multiple avenues for the students to choose from the comfort of their homes. Through E-Learning students in India can do varied courses offered by Harvard University ranging from a programming course such as CS50’s Introduction to Game Development to a social sciences course such as American Government: Constitutional Foundations.
Universities and their invaluable courses continents away can be accessed easily without the unnecessary hassle of the physical presence in the classroom.

E-Learning has brought varied courses around the globe in the comfort of one’s own house. E-learning has been successful in bridging the quality of education that one can access in the developing nations. It is a more economical and appeasing form of education in world crises such as the raging Covid-19 pandemic. It has ensured the unhindered transfer of knowledge when one is unable to be physically present in classrooms.  Schools and colleges have taken up E-Learning to ensure social distancing is not an issue they have to deal with so they can solely focus on the quality of education imparted to the students.

Despite its many perks, E-Learning also has its fair share of drawbacks. It is often difficult to cater to and overlook the progress of the students online which would have been a far easier prospect in the in-classroom mode of education. There are different challenges such as poor internet connectivity in the remote places and often the underprivileged do not have access to proper electronic devices. Some struggle with technology and thus are often unable to have a seamless E-Learning experience.

Though it is not without its fair share of challenges, E-Learning has been successful in the re-moulding the education system for the better. It is undoubtedly the mode of education for the future. It has been successful in providing affordable education to people in the different corners of the Earth. It has enabled some institutes to do without the physical infrastructure and additional costs that come along with maintaining physical classrooms.

There are several applications like Zoom, TeamLink, Google Meet, Duo etc which are being used by teachers and institutes to impart lessons to the students. The dangers of video lessons can be seen in the multiple instances of hacking and misuse of these applications. Data are stolen by hackers of the users of the application who misuse the data to their own fruition. The applications should be secured from hackers for seamless usage and to ensure that the users can operate it without any fear of their account being hacked.

E-Learning may, however, lead to a loss of jobs for a majority of people who used to assist in the seamless functioning of the brick and mortar classrooms. Publishing houses may suffer as learning moves online resulting in a sharp decline of hard copy textbooks. Publishing houses too shall have to adapt and move their publications online. Small publishing houses may fade away with time. The implementation of the proper 5G network would ensure an immersive learning experience. Physical libraries are slowly becoming defunct with even libraries uploading their content online. Information is available to Scholars very easily. Research has become easier than before. Some people have found it hard to cope up with the technological advancements while some have become unemployed with technology replacing manual labour. However, technology has changed the world for the better and made our lives easier. We should embrace technology as an inseparable part of our lives.



Education

IMPRESSION OF COVID-19 ON EDUCATION IN INDIA

What our Prime Minister’s Campaign “ Digital India ”could not  achieve , the Pandemic has done it. Covid-19 has led to the closure of schools , affecting the learning of  around 230 million students. It started in the month of March, when the schools were shut down, but now owing to the present scenario there is no assurance when it would open again.

My Firsthand Experience

It was that time of the year, when my beautiful journey of two years in Institute of Management ,Nirma University  was about to end in March , 2020.With just fifteen days left  in hand for our final goodbye, we’re trying our level best  to  save our tears  for the last days.Just then when the new of increase of cases started coming , we officially received  the mail stating  our journey have come to an halt, keeping in mind the seriousness of the issue. In a span of few seconds, the memories of  last couple of  years  splashed in our minds.  Everyone  was shocked, as they ‘d no clue it would end like this. The feeling of not having been able to take the exams for probably the last time in our lives, didn’t sink much. However, the proverb, “Everything Happens For A Reason”, started  making all the more sense when  the number of  cases started rising, while all of us had reached home safely. Had it not been for the strong decision of our College authorities , we  would’ve bear the brunt.

Did The Pandemic Have A Positive Spin-Offs?

With everything  on stake, Online education  takes off the old saying  “Learning Anywhere, Anytime”. Schools and Companies  have switched to apps like Class Dojo, Zoom, Google Classroom which have made the learning experience convenient and flexible. Teacher’s at all point are making the full use of app like Whatsapp, YouTube for online tuition  classes  in order to reach out to students in their doorsteps. Machine learning has led to the calculation to data driven tools, which  is why Multiple Choice Questions(MCQs) are preferred over Fill in the Blanks for the online test assessment. Apps like Dreambox makes students abide to the subject Mathematics, at their own pace and adapts itself  to every child needs. Blended Learning will be the new cool nowadays. This would ensure transparency and openness in Academics.Collaborating teaching and learning would take new forms and would be monetized.

Let’s Have A Look At The Unfavourable Spill-Overs

The Pandemic have surely brought us to an unplanned situation, not been imagined in anyone’s worst nightmares. The students who were studying abroad in Universities of UK,US New Zealand, Canada had to suffer in terms of their invested money and time. Their careers are at stake. The cross-border movement have surely taken a hit for the next two days. Since in most of the Universities, students were specially from India and China, it would adversely effect them .In order for the education sector to have a digital revolution, it’s very important that the teachers and the students are ready to accept the change . Teacher’s refused to get used to the online methodology leading to Passive learners. Students  who studied in Govt. Schools, are the worst affected  as going to school is the best policy tool available to raise skills.

Covid-19 emergency has changed the teaching style been followed by generations. It’s time to reinvent ourselves and adopt  ourselves to digital transformation .This upgradation to e-learning would not only cut the costs, risks and efforts , but would create the need for the educational sector to invest immediately in educational app development.

Law and Order, Science and Technology, Social Studies

The Chinese Invasion

The Covid-19 virus, the Ladakh standoff and the Indian Prime Minister’s stress on self-reliance have led to multiple calls for the boycotting of Chinese products and the Asian country in its entirety. With the government announcing a 20 lakh crore package and Sonam Wangchuk detailing the various reasons to boycott Chinese products, the call for self-reliance has only gotten stronger.

The Make in India campaign has so far been unsuccessful in fulfilling the vision that the BJP led Indian government had set out to accomplish. However, it was a step in the right direction as the much-needed impetus for the Indian economy. Yet a total boycott of a country and it’s products is not feasible for a country like India and will take time. The superior quality Chinese products at affordable pricing are what led to the invasion of Chinese products in almost all countries including India. The “Atmanirbhar Campaign” will act as a catalyst to the dwindling “Make in India Campaign” that has underperformed.

However, a total like to like replacement of the Chinese hardware and software will take a lot of time. The current Indian hardware and software fail to match up to the Chinese standards. Yet the Indian industries will fail to develop and mould itself quickly unless there is a surge in demand and a dire need to do so. Thus the exclusion of Chinese products is a necessity for the Indian industries to develop which in turn will lead to a creation of jobs that will serve the economy and aid in much faster growth.

Indian citizens have been quick to attack Chinese products and softwares from its creation of the, “Remove China Apps” app that removes Chinese applications installed in your phone. TikTok, a Chinese app that has 467 million Indian users has contributed substantially to the revenue generated by the Chinese application. Initially, Indian netizens had first attacked the Chinese application over a feud between a TikToker and a Youtuber which led to the app being downgraded to a 1.3 rating from its initial 4.9 ratings. However, Google was quick to remove all the recent one-star ratings from the application. With Google pulling down the recent 1-star ratings, Indians have started uninstalling TikTok along with other Chinese applications like UC Browser, CamScanner etc over the Ladakh feud and with Sonam Wangchuk leading the campaign to remove Chinese apps within a week and Chinese hardware in a year. India imports goods worth more than 50 billion dollars from China in contrast to a miserly 2.5 billion dollars in exports to China.

If India proceeds with putting a halt to the Chinese invasion in its market, India would suffer from a paucity with regard to capital goods, machinery, electricals, chemicals to go along with intermediate and consumer goods. India’s heavy reliance on China makes it difficult to put an end to imports cold turkey. India should focus on a gradual decline in imports while developing a sustainable infrastructure for the production of goods in their own country. A sound infrastructure and production in India will give a major boost that India is in desperate need of. India can then finally be independent and their over-reliance on FDI can diminish.

Research Paper

E-Learning is boon or bane?

“We need to bring learning to people instead of people to learning” By- Elliot Masie

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E-Learning is a way of learning through the internet or electronic media. This provides opportunities to access education outside of a traditional classroom. In this, learning is done completely online.

The education seekers who are not able to attend classes in the Universities due to some reasons, like, they live in remote areas, they don’t have enough money or lack of time. E-Learning has removed this barrier and has made learning available for everyone, anytime and anywhere. It seems to be like a walk in the park as it is easy to access, easy to use, and, most importantly, it makes things elucidate.

It is said that ‘For learning, there is no age bar’ but, people of the old age group hesitate in going to schools or colleges because they think everyone will castigate them, but, E-Leaning has no age limit of learners, people of every age group are welcomed and provided all the learning resources and no one is going to humiliate or judge them there. 

Electronic learning is good for teachers as well, not every person who likes to teach become a teacher, but online education provided them with a chance to fulfill their dream and aspiration. For this, they do not require any infrastructure to teach students. All they need to do is just start teaching online, and achieve what they want.

Sitting in a class at a single place for so long makes learning tiresome and boring, studying online has no time limit or time barrier. You can learn and study anywhere at any time.

‘A coin has 2 sides’ this means that there are different ways of looking at or dealing with the same. 

Online learning requires smartphones, computers, or laptops which cannot be afforded by everyone. Students, who are arduous, and want to study and gain knowledge but, are not financially sound, can’t get benefits from this opportunity. Even if somehow they manage to buy electronic gadgets, but, are not able to buy internet packages regularly as internet packages now days are so costly.

Learning is something that requires interaction, questioning, and answering between a teacher and a student, but, sometimes it is not possible in live lectures and videoconferencing. Interaction is mandatory while learning, as queries clear the doubts.

To add to it, the health issue is a major problem faced by learners who attend online classes for more than 4-5 hours. This causes harm to their eyes, and sometimes make them peevish too.

The E-Learning industry is expanding day by day, and, it is tremendously growing further with better accessibility of learning tools. But, it has to be brushed up as it is found that e-Learners are not good communicators because they are not involved in any conversation while studying. Moreover, online instructors focus more on theory rather than practicals.

Summing it up with these line ‘E-Learning can’t be declared as a boon or a bane, everyone has their  perspective towards the new learning system, if one finds it suitable they’d surely make it a boon for them!