Govt. Will Promote Culprits In SSLC Result Discrepancies!

IT@School was assigned the responsibility of publishing the SSLC Examination Results of Kerala 2015 in the official portal. They did this on the 21st of April and there was an avalanche of complaints and exposure of a bunch of discrepancies. Thousands of cases of missing results were reported. They had to take down the results from their special portal finally. No sooner this happened than they began to accuse prestigious institutions more long-standing, efficient and loyal than them. Through the state education minister and a few reputed news papers, they spread the rumour that a few staff in the Examination and Tabulation Cell in the Education Directorate erred and the software provided by the National Informatics Centre malfunctioned. The news papers were more eager to spread this lie than others, the reason for which we shall see towards the end of this article. To save his darlings from exposure and prosecution for psychologically shocking children, the education minister Mr. Abdu Rubb, with no mentionable qualifications to be an education minister, even went to the extreme of accusing that ‘the new software developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC) was responsible for the mistakes’ and said ‘the government might seek an explanation from NIC!’ He was not willing to admit that the IT@School Director, primarily responsible for this misdemeanor, was a close relative of another state minister and appointed to this post purely based on religious relations, rather than academic qualifications and skill in IT. Widespread mistakes throughout the state were lightened and portrayed as ‘isolated anomalies’ by the minister Mr. Rubb. The software provided by the NIC was used in other states also and there were no such complaints reported in the other states. All software released by the NIC are done so only after successful test runs and here also Kerala was provided with a viable and valuable software, evidenced by the fact that massive data could indeed be uploaded by the education department through this software. According to NIC officials, their software was clean and it was the education department officials, especially the IT@School Mission, who were responsible for glitches, and mistakes.

An emergency meeting was convened by the education minister which sure must have been consisted of the real culprits responsible for these discrepancies in the examination results, for the minister after this meeting came up with the accusation that ‘the discrepancies were due to glitches in the software developed by NIC.’ Mr. Oommen Chandy, the chief minister of Kerala, claimed that these discrepancies were ‘minor issues, blown out of proportion by media’. He also alleged that the ‘media is terrorizing children’. So the question arises, who is terrorizing children actually and what are the punishments for terrorizing little children who are shocked to find or not to find their examination results in the supposed places? If some child takes his or her life, will Mr. Oommen Chandy or Mr. Abdu Rubb or Mr. K P Noufal arrested? Now Mr. Kunhalikkutty, the Industries Minister, who had no reason to comment, says that ‘there is nothing extra-ordinary in SSLC examination results’. He surely is frightened about the fouls and discrepancies the IT@School Director Mr. Noufal committed which are exposed now, in spite of journalists in Kala Kaumudi, Mathrubhumi and Malayala Manorama having tried like mad through untimely articles to white-wash and praise this IT@School Director.

Mullahs And Ayatollahs In Education Minister's Office

Everything we hear about the Education Department of Kerala nowadays proves that it is in the grip of under-educated and intolerant religious fanatics who formed themselves into a party whose role is essential for the survival of the present government in Kerala which have only a two or three seats’ fragile majority in the state assembly. Just go through this news article in English Malayalam Manorama and see how people of a particular sect supposed to be under the strict ethical control of their religion go to extremes, sure of the mullas and ayattollas in the Education Minister’s office and the Directorate of Public Instruction protecting them. In Saidalavi’s school in Malappuram, based on a fake medical certificate from a Dr. Koya, a teacher named Aneesh was accused of beating a peon and charged with misbehaviour, was suspended and later found dead in a lodge. Mr. Saidalavi and Mr. Koya thought Mr. Abdu Rabb would protect them, for they belong to the same religion, perhaps to the same mosque! The Education Department ordered a probe, after the unruly decisions of the school management came out, and how the school principal and the educational authorities went along with the management, fearing reprisals from the Education Minister’s office, was exposed. Now it will appear like the Education Department was clean and it was a few low level officers the culprits. Unless these officials who are now under suspension were not sure of the department’s top officials’ okaying the school management’s actions, how could they have dared to channel their actions this way, ending in the suicide (or murder?) of a teacher? Unless the Director of Health Services accepts bribes and presentations from medicine companies, how will a dictor in a dispensary accept a small bribe? Unless the Director of Education is known to be protecting religious fanatics and misbehaves, how will a lowly Deputy accept a fake medical certificate and go along with the wrong action of the management? There have been so many allegations of irresponsibility and religious favouritism against the Education Department, accusing them of religious favouritism and gross irresponsibility. How come almost all key positions in this important department are filled up with people belonging to the Education Minister’s religion- in this case Muslims- and most of them under-qualified? Just look at their Government Diary or this department’s official website to see if this allegation is true. Doesn’t this department expected to be shaping future generations have at least a little bit of shame to think everything on religious lines? Isn’t there a little decency expected of this department? How tired and disinterested might have they made those proficient and skilled officers of other religions in this prestigious department! If there are not enough officials belonging to the minister’s religion, every post will be filled up through deputation. The perfect example is the posting of Mr. K P Noufal, an unimportant academic from some minor college in Malappuram with no particular special background except Muslim League relations, who was deputed as the IT @ School Director and who is believed to be being considered as the next Higher Secondary Education Director. If every key post is filled with religious, caste and creed-oriented this way, then what kind of education can this department give the future generations of Kerala? It is dangerous to divide the higher offices in the state’s education department this way. There is a Chief Minister in Kerala and a few state ministers who were, in their youth, eloquent orators on the very subject which is remarked here. They now behave like they have gone blind. There are fire-brand organizations like the Democratic Youth Federation of India, Yuva Morccha and the Youth Congress. They behave like paralyzed old men when the situation of the education department of Kerala being filled up with religious fanatics is mentioned. There are international Keralite organizations in England, America and the Middle East who make their presence known each year through news of Onam Celebrations abroad, but they are unresponsive when the question of the educational future of Kerala’s children is pointed out. There are scores of newspapers and magazines like Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhoomi, Kerala Kaumudi, Kala Kaumudi, Chintha, Janayugam and Madhyamam who claim themselves to be overflowing with investigative journalists, but who piss in their pants when the real threats to Kerala’s future demand themselves to be exposed.

[In reply to news article ‘Aneesh's suspension violation of rules: Education Dept report’ dated 14 April 2015 in English Manorama Online]
 
Link to news article:
Aneesh's suspension violation of rules: Education Dept report

Tuesday 14 April 2015 09:30 PM IST

http://english.manoramaonline.com/news/kerala/aneesh-s-suspension-violation-of-rules-education-dept-report.html

 

Is Kala Kaumudi White-Washing Blackened Public Figures?

The Media can survive only through honest and responsible reporting. It is true that ‘responsible and authentic reporting and cross-checking before publishing is very difficult, but sensationalizing news is very easy. So, media reporters in Kerala, India, go after sensationalization of news, or they just invent news where none exists. The Governor of Kerala P Sathasivam’s observation that print media is loosing ground to the unimaginable developments in information technology and the high literacy rate in Kerala prevent print media from loosing ground is also right. But, whether the print media of Kerala would take these observations seriously and revert to its old truthful reporting style is doubtful. Ignorance, laziness and arrogance of Kerala’s journalists- young and old- have gone to such extremes that a return to former self is no more possible. Most of them degraded themselves as propagandists and pen-pushers for the rich, the handsome and the powerful. We shall examine the attitude of Kerala’s print media to such dire warnings, by examining one single issue of a once-popular magazine of Kerala. The magazine is Kala Kaumudi Weekly and the issue number is 2066 of 2015 April 15. We know this weekly was once famous for its authentic reporting. It’s Editor Mr. M S Mani and Sub Editor Mr. N R S Babu made public for the first time in a unique article of its kind the stories of how state ministers and top bureaucrats of Kerala stole into wild reserves under the title Kaattu Kallanmaar [Wild Thieves]. The fine literary reviews of Prof. M Krishnan Nair were also read in that weekly. Mr. S Jayachandran Nair’s editorials also were noted. But what kind of things is now happening in this publication, for example? The issue under scrutiny proves beyond doubt that it is now devoted entirely to white-washing blackened public figures and senior government officers. Pages 16 to 19 is titled ‘V C Not Unqualified, Sir’, arguing that Vice Chancellors of Universities needn’t be Professors and can be IAS Officers. Why this untimely and irrelevant article? For answer, go to pages 48 and 49 where a retired IFS officer regularly writes columns after retirement and whose appointment by Oommen Chandy Government as Chairman of the Higher Education Council of Kerala resulted in the Government of India’s objecting to this posting and withholding central funds, on the grounds that he is not a professor. On March 24, 2015, an internet article titled ‘Victers Educational Channel Falling From The Sky’ appeared, pointing out, how the Channel Chief and the IT @ School Director ran this channel and transmitted DTH against Prasar Bharati Regulations. Within two days, Deshabhimani Daily reported that this channel is out of transmission and accused it of heavy corruption and favouritism. Within a week, the channel and the IT authorities got notices from GOI and had to answer questions from the Public Relations Department, the Education Department and the Ministry of HRD and called an All Staff Meeting. IT Director Mr. K P Noufal also sought expert help from outside. As diversionary tactics he came up with Digitizing School Textbooks Project and media covered him liberally. English Malayala Manorama Online even published his article under Editorials. Kala Kaumudi in the issue under this examination devoted pages from 24 to 27 to white- wash him and Mr. Salin Mankuzhy, the channel chief on deputation. Remember that the channel head was a co-traveller of Kala Kaumudi Magazine in the past. If Mr. Noufal obeys the instructions of this ‘expert’, this extra-governmental nexus can get him posting as the Higher Education Director. So, you get the picture? This is what they call power journalism now!

[In reply to news article ‘Governor stresses need for authentic reporting’ dated 13 April 2015 in English Manorama Online]

Link to original news article:

http://english.manoramaonline.com/news/kerala/governor-stresses-need-for-authentic-reporting.html

Why Work And Genius Are Recognized Only Years Later?

The greatest novel created in this world to have inspired and transformed every intelligent revolutionary in every continent- God Fly- was written by a lady named Ethel Lilian Voynich who died around 90 years of age, never knowing about the rebellion her work was causing around the globe. It was translated into so many languages around the globe and made everyone who read it a revolutionary but she passed away knowing nothing about it. Such experiences are very common and frequent in the field of literature. So many authors have departed from the world, knowing not the impact their creations are causing around them. There are also so many instances of a writer being totally ignored in his times but reverently read in later years. The classic example is Socrates himself who spoke through Plato. We read Plato's works as classic creations now, but had it been so in the B.C.Sixth Century also, Athenian rulers would not have dared to arrest, prosecute and poison Socrates. Sir. Thomas Moore's Utopia is the final word of such visionary works but he was imprisoned. Had he been read and valued by his contemporaries, he would not have been imprisoned. In modern times, the most neglected writer was the real genius of London, Dr. Johnson. He was a very poor scholar who started a tutorial on the hope that he can live by with tuition fees. Only 'below half a dozen' students went to his tutorial which means a decent three or four, in his biographer James Boswell's words. The neighbouring tuition centres in London run by pea brains were brimming with students. But those three or four students walked straight into history. He used the prefix Dr. only once in his life- on the front cover of his interesting and famous dictionary to which writers still turn for ideas.

[In reply to Linked In discussion: It happens that a work is not understood by his contemporaries, but has evaluated many years later. What mechanisms causing this? Started by Rosarita Morandini]

What Is The Price Of Happiness In The US?

It is time we seriously read Alexander Pope's that famous poem, Quiet Life, alternatively titled Solitude, describing the characteristics of a happy life, which are satisfaction, self-sufficiency and piety. When viewed from this philosophical angle, the question is how much money would an internally satisfied, self-sufficient and pious family need to remain happy, which we can be sure, would be far less than the $75,000 benchmark for supreme happiness, as calculated by the two Princeton researchers. Satisfied here means satisfied with what he is having at present, not interested in increasing his landed properties, buying another house or improving one, contented with the old car, deciding to live without dogs and costly pets and keeping away from expensive trips. Self sufficiency means keeping at least a cow in the house for milk. Piety is unchanging, unwavering belief and confidence in oneself and in the goodwill of the community one lives in. Actually, how much will such a family need to live on happily in U.S. standards? After going through the findings of this University research, we can find that they erred in two things: that higher incomes only make people happier to a point is not a new finding. The Oriental Studies Faculty of Princeton University, if approached, would have told them it has been the accepted philosophy of living in Asian countries for centuries since the time of Gauthama Buddha. The other error is, their finding that after that benchmark, additional income buys life satisfaction but not happiness. The researchers will know the exact position when they leave research and when and if become rich men. Additional income beyond a reasonable benchmark buys life not happiness but fear.

[In reply to Linked In discussion: What is the price of happiness in the US? started by Michael Segal, Higher Education Professional]

Is E Book Downloading A Robbery?

An author is not an isolated island. Whatever he feels, enjoys, learns, writes, creates, is a part of community. Without the teaching of a community no writer can live and educate himself, let alone write books. Otherwise, he ought to have lived where he has never communicated with a human being, in which case the question of he publishing a book will never arise at all. So, plainly speaking, what one has written, he cannot hide from community, if he publishes. If he publishes, it means he releases the book for circulation in the community. Like community did not restrict his free access to knowledge, he too cannot restrict community's free access to knowledge. It is a matter of keeping decency, loyalty and principles of repayment. It is his own duty to see that his writings reach everyone, free, once released in internet, or as downloadable e-books in devices. Never shall a poor man denied the contents of a book because he is poor and so cannot purchase a book. One can say that as he already has the devise to download and read an e-book, he must be a rich man and therefore has to pay for reading, which is far from reality. A poor man who want to have knowledge will have only an internet connection which is neither a luxury nor costly. In most countries, it is now one of the rights of the citizen. But he will not have money to buy online books. Let him also read and learn, without damaging his dignity the least. Some of them will want to hold the book physically in their hands. They will purchase the book from book shops and the writer will get his repayment. He should be satisfied and contended with that. Do not please use the term piracy here. It is instead the right to knowledge. Every writer in this world is a pirate, using the collective knowledge of the community for conceiving, plotting and creating the book, expressing what he has to say pirating again at least the style of speech of others like his father and mother. Even Einstein and Bill Gates did not invent anything new of their own but made use of the collective knowledge of the community, accumulated through ages.

[In reply to Linked In discussion: E book downloading a robbery? Started by Stanislav Dimitrov]