33. Save our UG stream

The two day  National Conference on emerging trends in Arts and Science, concluded at Nesamony Memorial Christian College, Marthandam on 08 October 2011. During the Valedictory session,  Dr. A.  Meenakshi Sundararajan, the Acting Vice Chancellor of MS University, Tirunelveli,  addressed the audience.

 

 

The following are excerpts from his speech:

65% of  Indian population is in the age group of 25 and 35. But the research articles produced  with quality at the international level is only  0.1%.  Our youngsters seem to  have developed a downloading, cut and paste culture. Gone are the days when  researchers  used to spend years  collecting data from varied sources.

We may march ahead in Information Technology but we are hopelessly dependent on foreign countries  in drawing ideas for disciplines such as Economics, Science and Social Science.

Developing  a research culture is possible only if the prime focus is on the Basic Sciences offered at the Under Graduate level. Unfortunately, the brighter ones join courses such as Engineering and Medicine. Only the dregs join the UG programme and ideas rarely get percolated to these students. Until and unless the quality of the students undergoing the UG programme changes  quality research programmes will never be born.

Blaming students is not a panacea. Teachers should vow  to become  researchers. For, to  write a quality research paper, the teacher will have to read at least fifteen books. The information which the teacher gains will automatically flow to students who become inspired to do serious work.

Any comments?

32.What is life without research?

The Nesamony Research Forum was inaugurated  in Nesamony Memorial Christian College, Marthandom  on Friday, 07 October 2011.   Dr. James   R. Daniel, [former Principal of  Scott Christian College,  Nagercoil], who is  blessed  with a gift of the gab,  enlightened the audience through  anecdotes and   hard hitting facts which evoked in everyone present that  the need of the   hour in  campuses across India is nothing but   research with a social relevance.

  

In the course of his speech,  Dr. Daniel  presented a few facts about  research in general and teaching in particular which should interest  teachers in institutions of Higher Learning. The following are excerpts from his speech:

It is  the duty of the teacher to constantly ask critical questions to his students. Teachers should compliment research with teaching and develop a research mindset and attitude. The research you undertake should  be local, indigenous and  be related to issues which the people face. You should learn to integrate yourself with humanity,  think globally and  act locally. That is, you should  learn to implement your programmes  in your place, your city  or your district.  You should strive to fuse, integrate ideas and focus on drawing material  from the primary sources and  not just by downloading as many researchers do.

Remember the popular APPLE motto “Think Different”.

What is important is ‘Quality’... in presentation, citation and in the impact factor.  Unfortunately the trend seen is  that :

 

You copy from one book   and it becomes plagiarism

You copy from ten books and   write a thesis

You copy from hundred books and publish two books!

True,  the ‘publish or perish’  trend in the West is catching on. During the Pan IIT Summit held recently, the goal for IIT students have become ‘Deliver or Die’. 

 

Mr. N. R. Narayana Murthy  of Infosys Technologies Limited who addressed the IIT alumni is supposed to have made two startling statements:

 

1.     The quality of students coming out of IIT’s is a grave concern for all of us... there is a tremendous deterioration in quality. Only 20% of those who pass out are good  and 80% are devoid of  any quality despite the huge investments the  government makes  for IIT’s.

2.     The most obvious reason for the fall in standard is  the tenure system of the faculty. The time has come to introduce  the five year contract appointment system. The tenure system stagnates and corrupts .

Dr. Daniel concluded his  enthralling address by substituting the word ‘research’ for the word ‘money, in a  popular doggerel :

Research is honey

My dear sonny

Without research

Life is funny

.... So, what is life for teachers without  research ?  Any comments ??

31. What course of action will you take?

Gandhi Jayanthi  celebration is on this week [02 to 08 October]. Unfortunately the college cleaning programme  which the teacher trainees of my college undertake  every year is  likely to be postponed  as many of them have gone on a Study Tour. Usually a speaker from the local Gandhi Bhavan addresses the students of  the college this week. And on  such occasions we are reminded of the relevance of the  teachings of Gandhiji.

As a teacher  educator, I have tried my best to nurture in my trainees certain Gandhian values, particularly the ones related to the seven social sins which Gandhiji insisted we should abstain from:  Politics without principles; Wealth without work; Commerce without morality; Education without character; Pleasure without conscience; Science without humanity and Worship without sacrifice.

 Now... teachers, do we really ensure that our new generation learners imbibe  Gandhian values?

In July 2011, Dr.Shashi Tharoor MP,  delivered a special lecture organized by the Kerala Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, College of Gandhian Thought, Research and Action. The Lecture was entitled Emerging Kerala : Some Candid Thoughts.

The  programme was organized by  the Gandhi Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram. In the course of  his lecture, several facts and  figures were presented by  the honourable MP to support his line of argument. It made the audience feel that what we need is a sustainable model of development.

Given below are some  facts and figures  which would interest a  teacher-cum-curriculum developer in God’s Own Country, Kerala: 

·             *   Our social development indicator is remarkable...Life expectancy in the United  
         States is 72 and in Kerala 70 ; Literacy  in the US is   98% and in Kerala 96%

·     

*             *  It is a ‘Malayalee miracle’: Rights  have been given to workers and  to women.

 Yet Kerala failed to move...The best in the country flee, migrate...

·         

      * Kerala records the highest suicide rate and alcohol consumption rate.

·         

*    * We import work force  from Orissa and Bihar and we speak of  the educated   unemployed.

·         

*    * The  two crore eggs  and the tonnes of vegetables  we consume everyday comes from Tamilnadu.

·         

*   * We dump waste in places of  pristine natural beauty.

Before concluding his lecture, Dr. Shashi Tharoor insisted on the need for developing a competency in the English language. To illustrate  the necessity of becoming fluent in English,  the honourable MP narrated a story about cats and rats which  his parents told him as a child:

Once  there were some cats who used to be troubled by  rats. [or  cats that troubled rats?...my memory fails me] One day, a new cat joined the fold. On seeing the  fold, scamper after hearing a squeaking sound, the new cat cleared its throat and barked ‘Bow Wow’... and the rats fled. When a member of the fold asked the cat what was that, it said: “You’ll never know when  a new language would become handy!”.

Well,... I must  confess that I am incapable of  capturing  the impressive style of delivery of  the  highly acclaimed writer, Dr. Shashi Tharoor.  What I have done is to recall from memory certain facts and figures that got imprinted in my mind which I am sharing now. 

Well readers.., if  you are a teacher-cum-curriculum developer  what course of action  or development of our State would you take? How can Gandhian values be incorporated in the course of action you intend to take?