Eternal Truths: Indian Education

(Courtesy: http://www.omenad.net)

Rajiv Trivedi

Education brings an individual mind nearer its potential and collectively, it brings minds together. India has traditionally been considered a Guru, nations of the world have benefited  from whose wisdom. Of the few ancient civilizations that retain continuity, India could succeed in fabricating a harmonious coexistence of man and nature through seamless integration of religious, political, economic and social systems. It achieved an invisibility of structure that modern cyber world aims at, but is still far from. Civilizations with more structured form of religion shared some of the Indian ideals. Faith, universal brotherhood, truth, duty and so on have been ideals of Christianity, Islam and many other religions. However natural curiosity and its intellectual equivalent, ‘Rationality’ began to paint the world in fresh colours during renaissance.

Rationality, by its very definition limits itself, accepting what can be determined through existing knowledge assets. Cyber world, contrary to expectation, has followed the physical principle of visuality rather than transcendence. Social networking has roots not in intangible essence but physical attributes and preferences. The recent ‘advancement’ of facial recognition was declared intrusive and a German regulator has asked Facebook to disable the social-networking service’s photo-tagging feature.

Superstitions were questioned as were sacred truth. Industrial and then technological revolution changed meanings and relationships. The philosophical leap from monarchy, plutocracy to democracy, empowered the ordinary man. Poets equated the ordinary with noble and sublime. It was no longer a shame to be plain. Plainness even became fashionable. After the second world war, more and more nations gained freedom and sovereignty. They came together to collaborate towards progress. And through peaceful means! It was a welcome change. Welcome in this instance, because change traditionally has held negative connotations.

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Remodeling Learning Governance

A. K. Awasthi,

It has been felt by most – differently, depending on their objectives – that modern pace of life has begin to value education. Apparently, a positive sign, this keenness has caused more grief than elevation. Suggested below is framework that strives to strike a balance between the current and ideal system. Economic models are replacing ones based on human values; it is both good and bad.

Need for a movement and policy

Human society and man’s attributes are all part of Nature. History tells us that his creation reflects his rationality, which may sustain onslaughts of time provided it is in agreement with the natural order, law or scheme of things. When  otherwise, it goes into disarray either late or soon. It may be anything, a thought like communism or any technology. An idea, which is compatible with nature, alone possesses the quality to succeed – it has universal appeal, is practicable by all and therefore acceptable to all.

The natural scheme is relative, inter-linked; one cause leads to an effect that becomes a cause for another effect, which is sustained for yet another effect Thus there is a chain, unbroken and affecting the whole and leading to the supreme cause. In comprehension the whole phenomenon appears too complex and intriguing to conceive what exactly it is. Man may not think to create such complex phenomenon but he can follow the fundamentals of natural selection and compatibility. Accordingly, the worth, the subject or the process may be decided as being in conformity with Nature.

Capnet: Capturing Ideas for Life

It was  a Madison taxi driver who remembered Philadelphia with warmth as the City of Brotherly Love. What an ideal! As beautiful as Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam. Often people wish to capture their best thoughts in their work and life.

If it pains you that where such goodness is possible why should grief caused by greed abound, then you must have earned the tag of an ‘idealist’.

Scorned by ‘realists’ who ask us to accept the evil on as-is-where-is basis, several strive in the direction of their ideas.

A few decided to collect their thought in these pages.

Join in.