Present Scenerio of Academic Environment and Interior Places In India

Academic environment at present has witnessed degredation and deterioration to a certain extend. There has been considerable discussion and debate on the academic environment by academicians and educationists in perticular and concerned citizens in general. Needless to mention that it is of utmost importance for effestive teaching-learning process of any eductional system. As such academic environment has close link with educational development of the students and a good academic environment is the result of joint efford by the students, teachers, guardians and the government. It has been observed that due to many inter-related factors there has been a lack of healthy academic environment at present as a result our students have not been able to exploit their potential human qualities to the satiesfactory extend. So it is extremely necessary to identify the various reasons and relevant factors behind this degredation and find out the remedies of it. The task of finding out the chief agent or party responsible for such degredation is realy difficult and complex. No single factors can be held solely responsible for this degredation which is cumulative consequence of a multiplicity of factors that are inter-related to each other. It sometimes happens that either the teachers or the students are blamed for such degredation. But the fact is that the proper maintenance of good and sound academic environment largely depends on the overall social environment and and the policy formation and implementation of the government in power from time to time. Of course, it may be stated that a section of teachers suffer from erosion of image and discipline which is also common among a section of students. It is the students who are the main target of our education system for whom huge expenditure is incurred from public exchequer but a sizeable number of students remain far from achieving their respective goals. Many students do not show interest and curiosity in attending classes and do not keep close contact with teachers and are found to be addicted bad habits which are vary much detrimental to their physical and mental health and in the long run resulting in the development of frustration among them. The present gloomy unemployment scenerio of the slate has increased the overall depression of students as employment opportunities are shrinking both in public and private sectors. The unemployment problem itself is the result of our present defective education system as the education system has nat been able to keep up with changing need, requirement and job opportunities. Even the best creams of the present educational set up have not been able to stablish in the preent society. Some students merely attend schools or colleges due to family pressure or a custm, they lack zeal enthusiaism most esential for learning. Another important factor is the inherant poverty among a large section of guardians who can not provide their wards with necessary facilities for continuation of studies. The cost of education on the other hand is increasing day by day and government scholarship is limited. Besides there is wide gap between the facilities by the urban students and those enjoyed by rural students. While a section of students are seem to be carrying vary costly mobile handsets etc, their counterparts from rural and reverine areas even do not have the basic necessities for subsistance. Again the evil consequences of the misuse of the television, cinema etc. have a negetive impact on the students as well as the academic environment. The propagation of western culture through the electronic media has generated a meterialistic out look and consumerist philosophy among the younger generation of the society which has its impact on the life-style of the students. As a result the traditional harmonious and respectful relationship between the teachers and taught has been disrupted. The teachers are gradually losing their authority over the students for various reasons such as lack of strong personality among a section of teachers, political interference in some appointment , transfer etc. Further, the absence of moral education particularlyat the school stage has far-teaching effect on various aspects of social life. Besides ther are some other relevant factors for the degredation of academic environment such as appointment of teachers are not always on merit, no appropriate step for solution of problems of teachers, delay in filling of vacant posts, inadequate supervision and review of educational system under regular interval, non-avalability of text books in time, insufficient financial grant for co-curricular activities and other academic programes, administrative laxity etc. Thus the academic degredation is the result of various inter-related causes. However, there is utmost need to improve the present scenerio of degraded academic environment and following measures may be considered. Teaching-learning process is a continuous one and so teachers training is invariably needed with the changing situation so that they can play effective role as best guide to students by identifying the strength and weakness of students. There is the need of introduction of entrepreneurship education in present education system in order that the students become able to mould a strong mind to be self-employed if necessary and thus lead them to be free from present dreadful situation of educated unemployment. The introduction of moral education is equally important from the very beginning stage of students life which may mitigate many of the ills of educational environment and for which the role of guardians and teachers is more important. Government must ensure the maintenance of the appropriate method for the selection of teachers strictly on the basis of merit instead of some other considerations. This will make the teachers to render better services to the students in real sense. There is the need of involvement of students in co-curricular activities for fullest development of their personality. Besides, availability of books and journals in time, well-equipped buildings, effective supervision by compent authority etc. are some important ingredients of healthy academic environment. Also there is utmost need of increasing the number of classes during the academic session and other academic programmes should be arranged so that participation of students can be made more effective. However, a strong zeal for learning is necessary to be ingrained in the minds of students which can be made possible only when the effortof heads of institutions, teachers, educationists, conscious guardians with positive outlook will go a long way in improving the degraded scenerio of educational environment. Moreover, the state authority of modern welfare concept must adopt certain practical measures in appropriate direction to creat a healthy academic ambience where every student can utilize their best talent according to their capacity. In fact, it is also the responsibility of civil society to provide a free, fair and favourable social environment will foster to suit the talents of the young learners. Besides, the development of human qualities our education system must be able to provide economic security to students. This may lessen the present chaos and disorder and thus help to maintain a favourable academic environment. Howover a collective effort of all concerned with educatinal set up must play their respective role with high degree of responsibility for maintenance of a good academic environment.

Flood and its effect In Assam Based interior North East India

What is flood and how this occur:- As like as the other calamities, Flood is the most devastating natural calamity that effects Assam every year. Brahmaputra and Barak are the majore rivers in Assam, River Brahmaputra flows through the Brahmaputra valley length 720 kms (over 35 tributeries) And river Barak flows through the Barak valley (over 7 tributeries) which causes the devastating flood claiming damages to public property, living being and environment. Assam is sorrounded by Hills on the almost all sides, what is the primary reason behind the regularbfloods in the state. Howover, Flood in Assam is caused by a combination of several natural and anthropogenic factores. In the month May to September rainfalls in Assam heavy. Moreover, the catchment areas are much higher which fueled the flood dangerously. Experts have identified various factor that creat conditions conductive to floods. To be specific, we can pinpoint several causes:- Brahmaputra is a big river of Assam and all valleys of Assam consists of friable rock and siltyearth. . These sediments raise the bottom of rivers and thus, 'geological process' canot be stopped and causes an important factors of flood. Destruction of wetlands and filling-up of the natural catchment areas have also added to the fury of floods. Unscientific land treatment along with unplanned development scheme in the natural catchment drainage and causing soil erosion, closedthe drainage system. Human occupation on the flood plains, railway embankments, unplanned roads road -all these anthropogenic activities also contribute to the worsening flood scenario.  Effects of flood in Assam :- The effects of flood are diverse and manifold which effects on land , roads, and others eans of communication, water, forests, wildlife, beels, agriculture livestock and all these leading to diverse effects on biodiversity, ecology and environment. Of course, the frequency of flood having various in various years-causes varried effects and degree of damages also various. As the example in 1988 the annual lose due to flood was 663.88 crores on the otherhand in 1989 there was no major loses due to flood. However , the main effects can be sumerised in the following ways:- For the first we can pinpoint the effect of flood in Assam as damages to agricultural productivity. Soil erosion and degradation of land and water leads to damage of the production base, thus adversely affecting the sustainable agriculture as well as development. The 'sali pady' is planted in July/August which matured within 15th of september. If the flood does not last long then there may be hope of replanting the damaged crops with new seeds. For the second, flood also damaged the soil-adversely in three ways- (a) Sand and silt carried by flood covers the fertile fields (b) Sudden flow of water with rapid current may also wash surface soil alongwith nutrients from the field (c)Heavy rain inthe scanty land areas thus causing soil erosio. All these, in a body, often made the field unfit for cultivation. For the third, foods also leads to the damage of irrigation channels. The irrigation-channels in the flood prove areas either damaged or covered with soil. For the rourth, large scale damages are seen on the live-stock and population. Heavy floods washway and kill the live-stocks such as domestic and wild animals with forests. Several live-stock also die due to starvation during floods. Various diseases also attack these after flood. People are also affeced by floods in various ways such as washed way or attacked by diseases after flood.  At last flood also damages bio-diversity and ecology, Sedimentation and deposition of silt and sand affects the bills, wetland, natural drainage, fish migratory birds, crops, forests, animals, air pollution resulted from deadbodies of livestocks etc. All these in a body damages the bio-diversity and harms the balanced ecology. Moreover, flood also damaged the grazing fields and creats problems for the animals just after the flood. In this context we can reflect on the recent past flood of 2004, which affected about 1 crore 22 lakhs people who lost their houses and crops for nex six months causing death of 251 people. This flood also caused destruction of roads, agriculture, forests, live-stocks etc.

Teacher Education scenerio in Assam: A brief note from Zahangir Khan

Education is a decisive and a complex activity. Teacher education is perhaps more decisive and complex because it calls forth a series of promises to be fulfilled and poignancy to be translated in action well planned in and through contemplation. What one indeed expects from teacher education at the very outset is: Is it prepared from diverse and different perspectives of training and education of pre-service and in service teachers? At the same time it is equipped with realy qualified and devoted teacher educators who are in a very sound position of discharging their duties and responsibilities in boosting teacher preparation and teacher competency..Admittedly, as are the teachers so are institutions. An institution may have a very adequate and enviable infrastructure: buildings, playground, classroom, libraries and other facilities; but if there is an absence of minimum number of efficient, qualified, hard working devoted and sincere teachers, the whole purpose of education and teaching is terribly defeated. As there are lots of individual differences as well as similarities amongst learners in an academic institution from the psychological points of view. A good teacher knows how to deal with this heterogeneous class room climate. Necessarily, he/she is expected to stick to the golden principle of individualizing the instruction and teaching in judicious concurrence with and devotion to socializing the learners as best as possible. The greatest challenge of teacher education today is how to orient and train our teachers so that they may be justified to teaching or a grant unison of individualization without sacrificing quality and excellence in teaching learning under any circumstances whatsoever.

"The revelation of perfect child" as Rabindranath Tagore reminds us in his civilisation and progress, in order to creat the right atmosphere of joy freedom and creativity is the primary and mandatory need of the hour. Thinking, feeling, involving, having and loving are the five genuine and penetrating pointers and advancement in quality teaching. A radacal paradigmshift in teacher educationkeeping in view spontaneity, happyness, introspection and adventure in quest of the unknown and untraced, unearthed and undiscovered very transparent in vibrant, conjoint andteaching learning can no longer be stifled and relegated to the background by stuffing the learner with lifeless information and substandard dradgeries of details.
At the same time, teacher education is now at the critical juncture of eliminating excessive depends on memory-banks and crude craziness with computer fallouts. Let passivity in learning be eliminated and substantially replace by the fine tunings in teacher education that cares for sense and sensibilities, aesthetics and in-depth queries. Education is not a physical thing that can be delivered through post. Fertile the robust education is always created, rooted on physical and cultural soil of the child and nourished through interaction with parents, teachers, fellow students and community. The role and dignity of teachers in this function must be strengthened and underlined. There is mutuality in genuine construction of knowledge. In this transaction the teacher also learns if the child is not forced to remain passive. Since children really perceive and observe more than grownups, their potential role as knowledge creatores needs to be appreciated.
Admittedly, teacher education in the twenty first century looks forward to revamping in seven fold direction:(i)mapping the vulnerable areas of quality in teaching (ii) Restructuring the curriculum for school education (iii) revisiting and improving text-books and teaching learning materials (iv) individualising instruction for all round efflorescence of pupil-personality. (v) sensitizing the opposite approach for strengthening and mobilising social and aesthetic value (vi) caring and igniting pupils' creativity and critical thinking and (vii) exploring and fine-tuning the heartland of little learners with opposite and challenging strategies of teaching from time to time even under trying and unfavourable circumstances.
Let the teacher education be all the time spear headed by the education of nearness cordeality and sympathy for the learners under countless constraints in particular.
Pre-service teacher educaion holds a very prominent place in the area of education in general and teacher education in particular. That all education is pre-service education gives a very wrong signal in teacher education. It averts and, to a great extent, negates the very aims and objectives of teaching as a profession because it allows stagnation for the whole period of unemployment or the absence of recruitment and involvement in the profession of teaching.
Teacher education for in service teacher at the different stages of school education necessitates a fresh and through over-hauling. For this purpose the following points may be considered:
(i) Elimination of poverty in contant mastery and appropriate exercise thereof.
(ii) Regular systematic orientation in methods of teaching.
(iii) Exchange programmes for teacher with a view to ensuring quality and excellence in vulnerable institutions.
(iv) Special programme for proficiency in teaching for aesthetic and creative efflorescence.
(v) Pckage programme for teachers dealing with crucial and priority based issues and ideas on national and society solidarity.
(vi) Involement of teachers in scissoring heavy loads of learning and teaching.
(vii) Departure and dissociation from the existing pattern of training of pre-service and inservice teachers together as it calls forth constraints in desirable maintenance of quality and balance in teaching besides inviting unavoidable complex and delicacies.
(viii)fostering the spirit of improving the quality of teaching through igniting the importance of life long learning by appropriately manipulating the skills well formulated in terms of self-study and self experiments.
(ix) Steering the teachers attention towards right ideas, right concepts, right interpretation, right comprehension and right strategies whatsoever insignificant or marginal these might appear.
(x) The padagogic delebarations ought to be in perfect tune with learners abilities, proneness and contextual appeal in addition to the teachers 'own' models of imparting instruction well scanned under training schedule of acticities in diverse socio-cultural climate.
For the very dependable and sound programme of professional enrichment of teachers, the first andand formost ideas target area is to be well trained in how to learn the motivation maps and spurts of students and decide introducing teaching strategies accordingly. The end view therefore, is to launch vigorous and sustained teacher education progrmmes for committed and proficient teachers with all-encompassing evidence of enlivening competency and assured ascent of progress in different dimensions.
The teacher education for in service teachers poses an unphill task of evolutionary, diversifying and extending living visions of education for the enlightened all care should be taken to maintain a healthy climate of co-ordantion among the diferent stokeholders of training teachers education viz mossinary and private institution open universities and university department of education including advanced study centres in education and colleges under universities.

Corruption and Youth Culture today in India

Since ancient times, the development in all spheres of life has been possible because of man's curiosity and eagerness to learn. This resulted in inducement towards knowledge, and also, man became concious of his duty to impart this knowledge to the coming generations. That is why, for directing, guiding and reshaping the innate potentials in an individual for the process of growth of society and exploring what is within, education came into existence. Education a system on one hand and process on the other, is for life and not only for livelihood. Education is fundamental to idealism and the human mind generates experiences in the process and leads the mind to greater maturity and perfection. It stresses or burnout on the dignity of human personality.

We are about to enter a new era. India has passed through a critical period with many ups and downs. There is no denying the fact that India has made remarkable progress in the sphere of education. Yet we have a long way to go, standard of education of the country is not at par with the expected and laid down norms. It is mostly sterotyped, with less emphasis on understanding and comprehension of students, and lack of infrastructure like efficient teaching staff, building, equipments, library are some of the factores leading to falling standard of Education.
Today's education system is emphasizing more on gaining good marks, Good jobs, lteracy and subjective knowledge. Education has become more of a theoretical process where ethics, manners, values, behaviours, cultures, corruptions, globalization etc are ignored to a greater extent. In other words, it has restricted itself to classrooms, and has intensified the commercialization of education leaving fundamental solution of various issues related to life. It is hoped that the educational practice during 21st century would be in the proper line if the follwing means have been adopted:
1. Youth culture today.
2. Corruption in any form must be severely dealt with.
Youth: a symbol of enthusiasm, vigour and power. Youths have always revolutionized the world. Youths are the biggest assets and backbone of any nation building.
In India, the era of social reforms that started during the 2nd half of 19th century was marketed by the efficient leadership of the youth. Raja Ram Mohan Rai, the father of Indian renaissance, faught against the social and religious evils that prevailed in the society at that time.
Swami Vivekananda recognized the potential of Indian youth and he asked the young men of Indian to be fearless and work for the glory of the country. Today the youths have become selfish, concerned with themselves and do not have any respect for the ideas which were follwed by our forefathers. It seems that the Indians have become the slaves of a borrowed culture. If the Indian youth really want the peace of mind they will have to come out of this slavery.
Today youths have become the puppets in the hands of mean politician. Politicians engage them in anti-nation and anti-social activities in the name of politics. This type of politics has produced characterless, corrupted and criminal politicians. Today the youths are caught in the web of illusions. Every time we find them over-ambitious and confused. They try to embrace more than they can hold and strive more than can quit, today they are on the cross-road an do not know in which direction they should go. Gossiping and going to movies has become their favourite activity. Most of the youths today are not ready to face the reality and try to avoid the challanges the life. What has gone wrong ? Should we keep the blaming youth for each and every fault? Youths are not responsible for this. To identify and analyze their problems, first of all we have to see that the degree of social control has significantly reduced in modern times. In the past there used to be a system of joint families and the youth had respect for their elders which ensured effective social control. But now a days the trend of nuclear families is increasing, wherein the parents have no time for their children, as in most cases both parents are employed. Parent think that by satisfying the monetary needs of children, their resposibility is transferred to the educational institutions. But it is the bitter fact that teachers do not show any concern towards the youth. In the past teaching was considered as sacred profession and teachers were considered to be the builders of nation. But today the whole scenerio has changed. Teachers have forgotten their responsibilities. Today they adopt teaching profession just to make money. Not only teachers and parents but also the government policies are responsible for frustration among the youth. In India, educated is not job oriened. The number of educational unemployed has considerably inceased during the last decade. We can sum up by quoting the words of Ruskin Bond " Considered what heavy responsibilities lies upon you in your youth, to determine among realities. By what you will be delighted and among imagination, by whose you will be led."
 Corruption: Moreover, corruption and nepotism in public life further adds to their anger. They stand in a revold against the whole system and some of them enter the world of crimes. In this way their energy could be channelized in building of a strong nation, becomes the reason of this restruction. It is shocking to note that a recent study revealed that most Indians feel that the system is beyond repair. The time has come to deal with the great seriousness deserves.
Corruption means perverson of morality, integrity, character or duty out of mercenary motives with regard to honour, right or justice. this deep rooted menace in Indian society has socked into every sphere of life. Even Kautilya remarked in Artha-shastra," Just as it is impossible not to state honey or poison when it is at the tip of tongue, so it is impossible for government not to eat up a bit of revenue. And just as it can't be found whether a fish swimming through water drinks or not so also Govt.-servants can't be found out while taking money for themselves.

In India, corruptionhas quantum-jumped and today the pervasive pathology of pollution in public life spares no department of governance. In the spheres of economic, social and cultural activities, the threatening infilteration of vices has shaken the creditability of our democratic regime, social order and constitutional instrumentations.
The suffering of the common man has no bounds. An ordinary manhas to bribe to live in the society. From getting admission, to getting jobs, from getting licences, to getting death and birth certificates, common man has to suffer every time. The gravity of the problem can be adjust from the fact that one has to bribe for certifying a legal thing as right. The fact of paying for getting a wrong thing as right is at least, somewhat, understandable. The standard of morality has so fallen in the society that the corrupt ones have no sympathy for the ever suffering masses.
Corruption is a multifaceted problem and and requires a multipronged strategy can't be found to take it. India having a dubious distinction of being among the ten most corrupt nations of the world, should start by providing a comprehensive electoral reforms. Greater accountability of political parties through strict cheque up of their accounts, moral upgradation and awarness among the voters, strict punishment for violation, can prove milestones in this direction.
Judicial activism in the recent years has been trying to curb this menace. But the loopholes in the legal system render the judicial initiative futile. Moreover, section 164 of Indian Panel Code(IPC); whoseover, being a public servants abets the offence, as defined under section 162 &163, shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend upto three years, or with fine or with both. At present, it looks like a mochery of law because such a meagre punishment and that too after such a long ordial process of law, is unable to deter this greatest social maladay. The authority is in the hands of parliament i.e. political will, to make the law more stringet.
The menace of corruption does not have any instant solution. It can't be wiped out by a miracle or a gimmick. It demands a sovial intervention, long struggle to cleanse the public life and of course some concrete legal and executive measures. The A.E.I.O.U (Apathy, Evasiveness, Incompetence, Obstructionism and urge) for unwarranted power combinations should be replaced by the 3Cs (Commitment, Constituency and Competency).
In essence, we have to keep in mind that no society can progress, prosper and achieve enduring success without a war against corruption in public life. We should look down upon the issue of combating corruption in the same way we look at the problem of malaria. One can deal with individual cases of corruption and punish the corrupt like dealing with individual victims of malaria. A much better solution is to see that the mosquitoes do not breed and therefore there is no malaria. In other words, if we are able to go into the root causes of what creats corruption in our system we are likely to succeed.

Literacy : Key to Development

" Education is regarded as the most critical investment in human development. It is significantly contributes to improvement in health, hygiene, demographic profile, productivity and practically all that has a bearing on the quality of life." So says the nine fifth year plane document. Our awareness not withstanding, our ranking in the annual HRD(Human Resources Development) report (our educational status in an integral part of his report) issued by the UNDP is somewhere near the rock bottom. This is indeed not surprising as our country has the largest number of illiterates in the world-a mind-bloggling 290 million adult illiterates.

The inevitable question pops up: How is that, that even after fifty five years of independence, we are still far away from the goal of universal literacy. Why have we come to such a sorry figure ? The reasons are not far to seek. India has been investing much less than many other Asian countries in terms of educational expendoture. As a nation, not only do we spend too little to education, the efficiency of resource utilisation has also been very poor. Improper planning and poor implementation have dogged our educational system. Without mincing words, we could say that we have lacked the political will to take the right steps to secure total literacy.
Depressing literacy rates
According to cencus 2001, any one aged seven years or above, who can bothread and write with understanding in any lenguage, is treated as literate. According to the cencus 2001, the literacy rate in the coutry is 65.38 percent-75.85 percent for males and 54.16 percent for femals. Kerela comes on the top with 90.02 percent literacy. The state also occupies the premier position in both male literacy and female literacy( 94020 percent of male literacy and 8.86 percent of female literacy respectivaly). Kerela is clesely followed by Mizoram(88.49 percent ) and Lakshadweep( 87.52 percent). Bihar with a literacy rate of 47.53 percent ranks the last in the country preceded by Jgarkhand( 54.13 percent) and Jammu and Kashmir (54.46 percent). Bihar has also recorded the lowest literacy rares both in case of male and female (60.32 percent of male literacy and 33.57 percent of female literacy).
According to the data provided by the Government, for the first time since Independence, the absolute number of illiterates has declined by over 31.9 million in the last decade. A significant mile-stone reached as per the figures of Cencus 2001 is that while the 7+ population increased by 171.6 million persons during 1991-2000, about 203.6 million additional persons have become literate during the decade.
A comparision of the cencus figures of 1991 and 2001 indicades that: (1) The literacy rates recorded an increase of 13.17 percentage points from 52.21 in 1991 to 65.38 in 2001, the highest rate since Independence. (2) The female literacy rate increased by 14.87 percentage points (from 39.24 percent to 54.16 percent) as against 11.72 percent (from 64.1 percent to 75.8 percent) in case of males; (3) the gap in the male-female literacy rates has increased from 24.84 in 1991 cencus to 21.70 percentage points in 2001; (4) All the states and Union Territories, without exception, have shown increase in literacy rates, the male literacy rate now being over 60 percent; (5) The states and Union Territories which have moved forward by more than fifteen percentage points during the decade are Rajasthan, Chattishgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh (22.48, 22.27, 19.44, 19.33, 17.02 and 16.65 percentage respectively).
Bihar has registered a minimm increase of 10.04 percent points from 37.49 percent to 47.53 percent.
The ninth plan treats education as the most crucial investment in human development. The Prime Minister's special action plan (SAP) has stressed the need for expension and improvement of social infrustructure in the field of education.
This goal has been furthur elaborated in the Nation Agenda for Governance (NAG ), which states;" we are committed to a total eradication of illiteracy. We will formulate the implement plans to gradually increase the governmental and non-governmental spending on education up to 6 percent of the GDP, that is to provide educationfor all. We will implement the constitutional provision of making primary education free and compulsory up to the fifth standard. Our aim is to move towards equal access to and opportunity of educational standards up to the school leaving stage. We shall strive to improve the quality of education at all levels-from primary schools to our universities."
There is no death of good schemes, but the trouble lies in half-hearted implementation of the programmes and lack of motivation among school teachers and the poor infrastructural facilities. There is hardly any healthy contact between the teachers and taught. Parents refuse to send their daughters to school situated pretty far away from home for obvious security reasons. And the incedence of school drop outs still remain very high. A few states like Tamilnadu, Assam pioneered the Mid-day meals scheme to cut down the dropout rate and provide supplementary nutrition to school children and in the process we can bring the children away from the lure of child labour. Many schools are still being run in dilapidated buildings or in the open without any protection from the havoc of climate.
It is absolutely essential that the problem of universal elementary education and literacy is tackled through a powerful mass movement with clearly percieved goals involving the central and state Governments, the Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, the Panchayati Raj institutions, NGOs, the media and every other supportive agency in society. The problem need to be tackled on a war footing. It is now universally acknowledged that the best anidote to the chronic problem of child labour is universalisation of elementary education. It is happy news that the constitution (93rd Amendment) Bill 2001 has made the right to education a Fundamental Education Right. There is an urgent need to impart necessary training to primary school teachers in order to bring down the incidence of dropouts and the high rate of attrition of primary school teachers.
The District Primary Education Programme (DPEP ) aims at providing access to primery education for all children, reducing drop out rates to less than ten percent, increasing the learning achievement of primary school students by at least 20 percent and reducing the gap among gender and social groups to less than five percent in the educationally backard district with female literacy below the national average.
According to the sixth All India Education Servey, 83.4 percent of the habitations in the country were served by a primery school within 1 kilimeter of walking distance. However the number of habitations without the primery schools/sections, as per the norms of 1 km. distance, is as high as 1.76 lakh.
The national Literacy Mission (NLM) ,launched in 1988, aims at attaining full literacy ,i.e., sustainable threshold level of 75 percent by 2005.The Mission seeks to achieve this goal by imparting functional literacy to non -literates in the age group of 15-35(including the age group of 9-14 Where Non-formal Education is not in operation).Today literacy campaigns, being area-specific, time-bound,volunteer-based, cost-effective and result oriented, are the dominant strategy of the National Literacy Mission for the eradication of illiteracy. The importance of fellow-up action is not ignored in the literacy programme and individual interest promotion programmes. Post literacy campaigns are a concomitant to the basic literacy classes. The basic idea is to see that the neoliterates do not slip back into illiteracy. Emphasis is also laid on skill upgradation and the continuation of education package which offers a hast of programmes like income generating programmes, quality of life improvement programmes. So far 561 district across the country have taken up literacy programmes and made 91.53 milion people literate/Of thede, 166 districts have been covered under Total Literacy Campaign, 290 districts under Post Literacy Programmes and 105 districts covered under Continuing Education Programmes.
Under the Vajpayee government, the Department of Elementary Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resources Development, has launched the Sarba Shiksha Abhiyan ( SSA ), a historical national mission to provide eight years of quality education to all children in the age group of 6-14 years. The programme seeks to bridge both gender and social gaps with the active participation of the community. All the districts in the country were to be covered by the programme by the end of 2002. By 2003, all children were to be brought to be schools, Education Guarrantee Centres, Alternative Schools or back to school camps. By 2007, all children are expected to complete five years of education. By 2010, children will have completed eight years of quality elementary education.
SSA is part of the long haul for the gigantic task of elimination illiteracy among children, that is targeted to be completed by 2010. The SSA was launched in september 2001. A sum of Rs 500 crore has been released to 520 districts from the total of Rs 1300 crore approved. At the initial stages, under the SSA, we would require 6,078 new primary schools and 4,620 upper primery schools and a contingent of 14,540 primery and 7,591 secondary school teachers. these school need building, class rooms, toilets and drinking water. This would be arranged by panchayats, muniicipal bodies and voluntary organisations selected by the state governments. The SSA needs quick disbursement of funds. Central funds"for infrastructure, teachers or books" are sent directly to the SSA mission, a registered society generally headed by the Chief Minister or Education Minister. From here, the funds are sent to the organisation,"be it the panchayat or the NGO or the school," where the SSA functions.
Literacy is the base of a nation's development. India can illafford to remain a house divided : a house where you find the best skilled man power in the world Juxtaposed with the largest number of illeterates in the world.
The yawning gap between the 'haves' and 'have-nots' in term of educational attainments has to be narrowed down. Let us not forget that ignorance leads to greater exploitation and lack of empowerment leading to perpetuation of proverty, ill-health and a hast of other social problems. Eradication of illiteracy should be on a war footing. Delay means disaster.

The Ships that will never Sail (The Titanic and the Queen Elizabeth)

God, the greatest creator and sustainer Make the things great and small; They all belong to him, He is the lord of all.  God is almighty, omnipresent, omnicient and omnipotant. He gives man the power to do and make everything for himself not for God. There is a saying that man proposes and, God disposes. Man can do everything but nothing in reality. The making of theTITANIC is one of the greatest wonderful creations of man that destroyed completely in the rags of time. THE TITANIC: The full name of theTITANIC was ROYAL MAI STEAMER (R.M.S. TITANIC). The unsinkable ship takes about five half years to build expending 75 lakh dollars. It was like a floating town and as tall as 15 storeyed building. It's details :Length-883ft Width-92 ft. Height-104 ft. Weight-6000 tonne. Speed-22 knot+++, Life-boats-16 . Bent life-boats -4. The length of the boat-30 ft. and passenger carrying capacity-64. First class ticket fare-3100 dollars. Third class ticket fare-32 dollars. On 10th April 1912 the largest luxury ship and the finest ship in the world set sail from Southampton (England) to New York (America). She set out to cross the Atlantic Ocean in herMAIDEN VOYAGE, the forst journey carrying 22 passengers and 1000 sailors including 62 years old Captain E.J. Smith. The passengers were proud and happy bacause they were travelling in the best ship inthe world that could never sink. Many of the passengers were asleep. due to their comfortable and safe journey. The danger night of 14th April came. The TITANIC was 23 knot in speed. At  11:40 p.m.the man who kept watch from the top of the ship saw something and grew cold with fear. "ICEBERG" he yelled. Captain smith fought hard to steer the TITANIC but she changed direction slowly and her side scraped the mountain of ice. Water began to pour in to the ship as the iceberg cut holes along the ship's side. The unsinkable ship was sinking ans sinking. At 12:15 a.m. captain send messages to the ship's radio. "HELP! TITANIC SINKING! COME QUICKLY!" She could send messages 250 miles away through it's radio . TheCALIFORNIA (a ship) was only 20 miles away but it's radio wasturned off where the radio operatore was asleep. TheTITANIC vanished in to the sea at 2:20 a.m. on  15th April. 1513 people drowned or died of cold. The CARPATHIA (another ship) saved 1687 people arriving there three hours late. Most of the Titanic Victims were burried at the CITY OF FUNERALS, HALIFAX, the capital of Nova Scotia. Fmale were saved more than male passengers: first class saved female passengers-97%, second class-84% and third class-55% on the other hand 34%, 8% and 12% male passengers were saved respectively. On 1st September, 1985 under the supervision of NATINAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY, scientists sent a submarine to look for the wreck of the TITANIC. They found the ship lying in two pieces on the ocean floor at a depth of around 4 thousand metres. After this on 16th August, 1998 Discovery Channel gave us direct picture of it. There are many stories of bravery and true LOVE on that terrible night in April 1912. Almost every one who enjoys the cinemaTHE TITANIC by James Cameron leaves the cinema in tears. Perhaps the white bacteria, RUSTICALS will finish eating the last wreck of the TITANIC one day. THE QUEEN ELIZABETH:The biggest ship in the world was built in 1940. Her length was 309 metres and her width was 35.5 mts. Like the TITANIC she used to sail across the Atlantic Ocean from England to America with 3450 people abroad including 1250 sailors to sail the ship. She was like a small town having dining rooms, restaurants, two swimming pools, shops, a post office, a cinema hall, a bank and a daily newspaper was printed on board the ship. The wueen Elizabeth was used to carry soldiers, sailors and airmen during the second world war. After the war she became a passenger-ship again for many years from England to America taking only four days for the journey. Gradually she grew old and on the other hand people used to make their journey quicker by air.At last she was bought by Mr. C.Y. Tung, a Hong Kong citizen. It was made the Sea-Wise University (C.Y's University), a big school for young men and women. The student would be able to travel around the world during their studies. Tung took the ship to Hong Kong for repairs and she caught fire while she was being repaired and finally ended her life in Hong Kong harbour.