Roll No.	Name of Students
1251	Arjun Mehta			41
1252	Bipin Solanki			54.5
1253	Sagar Joisar			53.5
1254	Kshemendra			50
1255	Mayuri Lakhariya			84.5
1256	Shukhjinder Singh			33
1257	Sunny Tiwari			29
1258	Shweta Varia			81
1259	Vivek Kanakhara			45
1260	Pooja			76
1261	Simran Deda			52
1262	Sangeeta			47

Roll No.	NAME OF STUDENTS			Marks obtain
1201	Abhishek			59.5
1202	Anju			66.5
1203	Deepika			53
1204	Harshad			38
1205	Jyoti			absent
1206	Mangesh			87.5
1207	Nayan			64
1208	Prathna Kanakhara			82
1209	Ritu			71
1210	Shobhangi			82
1211	Shashank			58.5
1212	Smit Pansara			77
1213	Sagar Bambhania			60
1214	Viplav Tyagi			34.5
1215	Vipul			51.5
1216	Nikita			63
1217	Shweta			83
1218	Rojlin			61.5

Role of NCC

Transformation refers to a complete change. It signifies the essence of growth and progress. The true wealth of a nation lies not in its foreign exchange reserves and riches, but in its citizens, especially its youth. Youth have the power to transform and hence, on their strong shoulders, rests the responsibility of leading the nation towards progress and prosperity. Youth form the backbone of any society and in this context we are extremely fortunate to have a vibrant youth potential numerically unmatched in the world. India, in the past, has had its glories, but much greater glories await this great nation in the future( Ramakrishna Mission, 2008). It is here, that our youth will have an all-important and distinguished role to play. Transformation of our youth would be the key to this projected image of our country. Any transformation that we seek would inadvertently have to begin from ourselves (Abdul Kalam, 2004). Our raw youth potential is in need of maturation, without losing the essence and elixir of youth and this can be achieved by motivation to undergo transformational exercises, resulting in growth and awakening, which would lead to transformation in the desired direction. Many such opportunities are available, one of which; The National Cadet Corps.

Transformation is an inspirational process leading to self awareness and for achieving this, only textual knowledge will not suffice. Practical knowledge based on experience, intensive planning, dedicated efforts are all called for. Also, change of any kind would always be accompanied by obstacles which need to be overcome with grit and determination and this is exactly where National Cadet Corps comes into the picture with its vital role in the transformation of our youth and society.

The Nation cadet Corp(N.C.C) is the organization, which is regulated under the Ministry of Defence; It act as the body to provide the basic military training that inculcate the feeling of comradeship, courage, honesty and above all the patriotism.

It came into force in 1948 with a view to impart the rudimentary skills and training in handling of weapons of different type, and make them physically tough such that they could face the hardship easily. N.C.C training is given to student in age group of 13 to 26 in the school and college. It is given in army, naval, and air force stream depending upon the aptitude of students.

N.C.C training is imparted in two levels:

1. Upto school level

2. College level

There is enormous benefit associated with the N.C.C training, which is listed following points:

1. Character building.

2. Friendship development

3. Comradeship

4. Confidence

5. Leadership

6. Patriotism

7. Honesty

8. Punctuality

9. Sense of readiness

10. Sense of responsibly

Hence, these are the few listed qualities which young students develop from this training. Even there are lots of benefit, is derived by the student in Job, and priority is set for NCC holder.

Government of India expends much in the NCC organization. Because, it is offered without any charge; even the student is given the free uniform, fooding and lodging facility and traveling and the canteen facility is also given to the NCC students. Thereby, government burden is tightened in the training.

The Major General is the authority, who lead this organization and all the military personnel is employed in the training. So as rule of thumb, sense of discipline is developed in the student that helps the student to lead a happy life in their rest days.

(taken from http://www.preservearticles.com/)

Old age homes: Boon or bane for the elderly?

Parents are a treasure that children should guard zealously. Putting them into old age homes must never be the first but always the last option. Treat your parents as assets not liability. Let them feel wanted and not a burden.

THE LIFE span of human beings is marked by successive change of events beginning from gestation and ending in death through successive periods of infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and senescence. The process of growth starts with the uterine life and ends around twenty years post natal life when all linear increments of the body stop and the internal organs fully develop. Almost a decade later, the body starts losing all vital capacities gradually and it is believed to be the onset of ageing.

Growing old is a characteristic feature of all living creatures but man stands out distinctly from others in thinking about it. Old age is inevitable. Every person on the earth has a dream of living a long life. It is no more a dream as it has become possible because of the advancement in the field of medical sciences. But old age is the most critical stage a person goes through. It is the stage where man faces problems socially, physically, mentally and even economically. 

In India, old age was never a problem. Elder abuse was considered as a western problem and old age home was an alien concept. Earlier the elderly persons of a family were respected a lot and they continued to live with respect till their death. But now the times have changed. The elderly are treated as burden.


Old age is quite similar to childhood in many respects. The way a child or a baby is unable to do any work on his/her own and is dependent on their parents every now and then, an old person is also dependent on another person for getting their work accomplished as they are no longer physically fit. But here one should notice the irony. These old people are the same who took care of their children when were small. They did so willingly, without any complaint. They never considered their children as a burden.


But the same children when they grow up find it difficult to take care of their old parents. In their childhood, their parents had spent sleepless nights catering to their needs but when parents become old the children start finding out ways to get rid of them so that they can enjoy their life in peace.


Earlier joint family system was prevalent in India and the elderly enjoyed a respectable position in the family. But now with the deterioration of the joint families into nuclear units, the respectable position which the elderly enjoyed earlier has also eroded. If a couple has got more than one son and they are staying in nuclear families then the parents have to stay with each son for equal period of time. This system should not be mistaken with the thought that the sons love their parents so much that they want their parents to spend equal time with each one of them. Instead it is the burden which they want to divide among themselves.


The old parents are burden to them both physically and economically. How do such children forget that these old people are the same parents who never thought of sharing them with others, no matter how many problems they faced in bringing them up?


A couple with four sons is asked to spend three months with each son when they grow old. But when they were small their parents never thought of sharing their four children with other people to reduce their problems. And if the elderly are equipped with a healthy bank balance then there is a fight among the children to keep their parents with them.


Though it sounds unbelievable but it’s true that there are children who leave their old parents as destitute to die. This has added to the mushrooming of old age homes in India. What I think is that old age homes should be homes only to those types of people who don’t have anybody to look after them in their old age. But it’s very sad that this is no more a reason for the old to live in such homes. Rather it has become a blessing for those children who consider their old parents as burden and have no time for them. These homes are a bane for the old.


They find it convenient to leave their parents in such homes once they get old and thus the children get rid of their parental responsibilities. Now earning more and more money has become the sole motive of the people. To fulfil this desire, both the husband and wife are opting to go out to earn money.


As a result these old parents are left behind neglected with no one to take care of them. This does not mean that women should not go out to work but it also does not mean that they should neglect their in-laws. They should try to balance their official and family responsibilities.


Instead of putting their parents in old age homes, they can hire a person to take care of their parents at home when they are out in their offices. They shouldn’t forget that their old parents are a treasure for them and their children. Their parents are the ones who transfer the age old traditions and culture to the grandchildren.


When the old have to live in the old age homes in spite of having children to take care of them, they have to go through severe mental trauma. They get the feeling of being unwanted and unproductive in the society. Nowadays awareness campaigns on various social issues are being conducted but it seems everyone has forgotten this valuable section - the elderly of the society. The younger generation should be made aware of the fact that the elderly are an asset to the society and not a burden.


Putting old parents in old age homes should be considered as a secondary option by the children and not as the only option for taking better care of their parents. The people who do not have enough economic resources to fulfil all the necessities of their old parents and if they find that they can be given better care in old age homes then they can go for such options.


When till date, parents don’t find it a better option to put their children in crèches when they go out for work then why at all shall the children think of putting their parents in old age homes? The government and the non- governmental organisations should think seriously about this problem. This problem can also be solved to some extent if the elderly also give it a serious thought. They should prepare for their old age gracefully and should secure their old age economically. They should save enough money for themselves so that they don’t have to depend for each and everything on their children. Economic security will also enhance their decision making power in the family. –

See more at: http://www.merinews.com/

Educated Unemployment

Educated Unemployment is unemployment among people with an academic degree. Research^[1] undertaken proved that the unemployment, and much more so, the underemployment of graduates, are devastating phenomena in the lives of graduates and a high incidence of either, are definite indicators of institutional ineffectiveness and inefficiency. Since the start of the economic recession in the US economy in 2007, increasing numbers of graduates have been unable to find permanent positions in their chosen field. Underemployment among graduates is high. Educated unemployment or underemployment is due to a mismatch between the aspirations of graduates and employment opportunities available to them. It was found that two factors are important regarding graduate unemployment or underemployment, namely incidence and duration. The duration of graduate unemployment in particular, appears to be a sharply declining function of age. It is principally a youth problem, most graduates find a job after some time, and once they have work experience in their chosen field, find subsequent job search efforts relatively easier. Given the effects of the current economic recession in the US, some graduates have gone more than a year since graduation without finding work in their chosen field, and have had to rely on odd jobs or work in the service industry, along with living with room-mates or moving back in with their parents to keep themselves current on their substantial student loan payments. High levels of long term graduate unemployment represent a massive threat to institutions of higher education within the US, which stand to lose a significant degree of social relevancy if the job market for graduates does not improve within the near future.

Why is the educated unemployment a peculiar problem in India?

Educated unemployment has become a common phenomenon in urban areas in our country. The reasons for the same are the following: 
1. Defects in the Educational System
After spending so many years in schools and colleges, our young generation, come out in large numbers without any practical training whatsoever. They add to the number of already educated unemployed thus, making the problem all the more complex. In this way our educational system failed to deliver the goals as was expected. 
2. Growth in the Industrial and Service Sectors is not Adequate
No doubt that these two sectors have shown some improvement in creating employment opportunities over the years. But this improvement is not adequate to absorb the educated unemployed persons. The continuous migration of unskilled labour to urban areas has further added to the problem of the educated unemployed. 
3. Visa Restrictions imposed by the Developed Countries
Some of our educated unemployed are prepared to seek jobs in foreign countries like USA, Britain, Germany etc but Visa Restrictions imposed by most of the developed countries have further worsened the employment opportunities for the educated people.

(From Wikipedia)

Impact of Computer Technology in Education

The Impact of Computer Technology in Education is enormous especially in this 21st Century. Computer in itself is life made easy exacting a kind of intelligence (Artificial intelligence) that transcends human ability naturally. It has therefore become imperative that the various breakthroughs in this regard be critically examined, its impact on the teaching and learning process and how to fully harness its benefits.

This discourse is not an attempt to merely register once presence in the scene of global academic brain storming on a topic that attracts majority of Scholars’ attention such as this , but to give a critical evaluation of how much of these developments have been appreciated and embraced by educational institutions and the impact so far.

Unlike in the time past, Computereducation as a field of study is becoming compulsory in most schools starting from foundation classes. In my school days, up to the graduate level, it was sorely a departmental course and not even an elective subject. It was only a matter of Personal interest that will make one to go the extra mile of offering it at extra moral classes.

I later realized with my knowledge in Computer studies thereafter, the laborious project carried out manually would have been easier. Well, it also has its own advantages but the time, energy and extra fund that would have been conserved were expended.

We live in a jet age when results are expected to turn in speedily as evident in the various fields of study such as engineering, medicine, nursing, economics, accounting, architecture to mention a few; where this concept has made tremendous impact. It is therefore imperative with the trend of times to embrace and appreciate this concept of “artificial intelligence” which has made the work of humans a lot easier, faster with a greater degree of accuracy and precision.

The impact of Computer Technology in Education is not an isolated concept as education is an instrument for societal progress and development. Invariably, this impact has spillover effects positively on the social-economic advancement of any Community. By implication another suitable name for this discourse is the impact of computer technology on the society.

I would like to approach this subject under two sub-headings, the benefits teachers and Instructors derive from advancement in Computer Technology with respect to the teaching process and the benefits students derive.

Impact of Computer Technology in Education from the Teachers Perspective

Teachers are one of the major benefactors from the advancement in Computer technology. Computer is a teaching aid and at the same time a storage media a situation when the teacher carries little or no bulky files and lesson notes.

The Computer can be connected to a projector thereby enhancing the ease of reaching a small and larger audience. The teacher or lecturer as the case may be prepares his notes with instructional materials captured in a Soft Format. There are Computer programs that are educational and best serve as teaching aids with clear demonstration pictorially. This will leave a lasting impact on learners as it has been proven to be the most effective approach for all learners of different categories.

There are number of schools today that program all lesson notes, curriculum and a greater percentage of information students needs per term or Semester into individual computer. That is by implication every students most necessarily posses a computer preferably a Laptop computer. When carefully evaluated it is cheaper and more convenient on the long run.

Every focused parent or guardian should be ready to pay for excellence even if it cost more, than to pay for a repeated enrollment as a result of failure. The tenets of Computer training is positively driven towards intelligence quotient enhancement coupled with other attendant benefits.

This medium was found to aid the teacher to be more organized, focus, discipline, a high sense of fulfillment and a desired speed for delivery. The teaching-learning process enthusiasm is heighten and more desired than the orthodox approach.

Impact of Computer Technology in Education from the Learners Perspective

Much has been said about the teachers’ experience with respect to the advent of Computer technology as a medium for teaching. We can’t divulge the students or learners experience and benefits from this epoch making development.

Actually it is not really too recent with respect to the employment of Computer technology in the classroom but in terms of greater appreciation and advancement with respect to teaching and learning process, is quite recent. We can make bold to say that with each advancement in the field of Computer system there is an attendant improvement in its employment in the educational sector.

Students are therefore the most privileged in this dispensation of “Knowledge explosion”. Learning is much easier and interesting. Carrying bulky notebooks is a thing of the past. Assignments could be written on the Computer and posted for evaluation over the internet. Projects can be presented via a Soft Copy conveniently where a hard copy will be of no relevance.

With the availability of computer system, most institution has access to internet facilities which is also a necessity. Learners have additional access to more materials that could enhance their knowledge and also have the privilege of enjoying Cloud Computing if they so desire. Availability of computers will also make it easy for assignments that require downloading from the internet to be conveniently carried out.

Results of performance are ready in a couple of minutes when exams are written via a Computer system, popularly referred to as CBT(computer based test), while those who attempted via the hard copy could wait for weeks. Error margin is minimal and completely eradicated when the system is programmed or its tenets followed religiously.

I had a testimony recently when some group of applicants went for entrance examination for institutions of higher learning. Those who opted for Computer based test had their results within 30mins after the exam. While it took over two weeks for those who did otherwise and some had the bitter experience of their results missing. This could be due to human error when written sheets were in transit.

There are enviable institutions that require computer literacy as one of the basis for admission with a test to authenticate such claims. Many applicants have lost such opportunities even with respect to job placements. In the nearest future all institution both private and public will definitely employ this as a standard because it already becoming a global phenomenon. In order to integrate into the system, one most necessarily be up to date.

Computer knowledge and inclusion in education brings the widest exposure

Source: Naypong(Freedigital Photos)

Recommendations on How to further enhance the Impact of Computer Technology in Education

The impact of computer technology on education in this 21ist century cannot be down played as seen from the foregoing. However not all institutions and individuals have fully embraced this phenomenon. The following steps should be employed to curb this:

1. Increase Awareness Campaign: It suffices to say that despite this breakthrough in Computer Technology and its attendant benefits, many institutions are yet to embrace it. This is not only due to ignorance but lack of will power. Persuasive means should be employed by education regulatory bodies on a regular basis to bring about this needed change.

2. Should be made compulsory: Computer education should be made compulsory as part of schools curriculum at all levels with enabling laws in place to enforce it. Defaulters should be made to face the music. By implication schools should have enough computers for each student for practical knowledge.

3. Computer availability at subsidized rate: Some indigent’s students may find it difficult to possess a PC. The government of the day should take it as a priority to make them available at subsidized rate.

4. Constant Updating: Computer System is in a state of flux. Old knowledge is becoming obsolete relative to latest developments. The custodians of Computer training centre’s and users as well should be in consonance with these developments in order to enjoy the ultimate. By implication there is a need for training and re-training.

Conclusion

The impact of Computer technology in education cannot be overemphasized. This remarkable progress so far is as a result of conscious efforts by stakeholders in the sector though more is still been expected. Computer represents a centre piece in the parlance of today teaching and learning process. Therefore greater efforts should be made to sustain and improve the pace of its development in our schools.

from- http://infotechnology.hubpages.com
/

Brain Drain

Short Speech on “Brain Drain”

by Pragati Ghosh

The term “Brain Drain” has come into limelight with the trend of educated and skilled people and workforce moving from one country to another to achieve career gains. The talent of such people as a result becomes available to the nation to which they relocate.

The biggest disadvantage of brain drain is the depletion of talent from the native nation which may badly need their skills and talent. It is the migration of country’s intellect which may have otherwise served their motherland and contributed to its prosperity.

Thus, this brain drain or ‘Human Capital Flight’ as it may be called, becomes a threat to the growth of countries which lose the human resources, rich in technical skills or knowledge. This has also increased the disparity in the economic and social prospects of the countries across the world .The rich and developed nations grow richer and prosperous while the developing or underdeveloped nations stay poorer and backward.

Brain drain is a global phenomenon affecting the developing nations. The disadvantage is seen as an economic cost as a part of the training and the education cost which is sponsored by the government is also taken away with their emigration. Thus the country which experiences the drain of skilled resources faces the getaway of financial capital also.

Brain drain isn’t a problem of this era only. Even in medieval times, the conquerors attacked the nation for gold and other wealth and took people of talent and knowledge with them. This problem became pronounced after Second World War when progressive nations like USA, the erstwhile U.S.S.R. and Germany etc. began to make significant advancements in technology and scientific research attracting talent from foreign nations. Thus men of talent began migrating from less developed nations to these countries.

The reasons of brain drain are many including the lack of opportunity, political instability, health risks and many more. Many students leave their native nations for scientific and technological courses which are not offered by their own country and settle out in the country of study owing to better career opportunities, lucrative remunerations, security of life and health all of which lack in their country of birth.

Also they seek professional satisfaction in the country where they work and thus are ready to continue leaving their own nation. On the top of all this, the bureaucrats of the country fail to realize the potential and the worth of this intellect and thus they are unable to retain the cream of researchers and men with extra-ordinary talent. All these factors combined together trigger the process of brain drain.

Brain drain for the nation from which the emigrants leave to settle into the nation that promises better work opportunities becomes brain gain for the latter. Even countries like Europe were faced with the problem of brain drain until the introduction of green card that helped them gain more brains and compensated for the drained brains.

At present, countries like India, Pakistan and Russia are the sufferers of this problem and losing their talent very rapidly. Unemployment, corrupt political systems, inappropriate and unsafe work and social life as well as poor compensation, prompts the skilled and trained people to leave their own countries and seek promising opportunities in developed nations where they get more success Under utilization of talent, inadequate professional tools, lack of growth and unsatisfactory living conditions are also key factors in the emigration of the skilled workforce from these nations. India loses around 3 percent of her skilled workforce including teachers, doctors, engineers, scientists etc. to developed nations like USA.

Brain drain does more harm than is visible from an outer view. Besides depleting the natural supply of intellectual talent, it reduces the number of dynamic and innovative talent be it the academics or the booming entrepreneurs. The nations that lose the talent in turn have to depend upon foreign assistance for technical purposes.

The technology slowly becomes the onus of the developed nations when they grow richer with more resources contributing to their progress. Even the migration of medical practitioners who are highly trained to other developed nations makes the condition of health care in the native nations miserable. As a result, in case of emergencies and more complex treatments or surgeries, people from such countries have to bear expensive travel and cost of treatment and accommodation in nations that provide these facilities.

As countries lose their talent, its progress slows down and also lacks the contribution of the highly skilled human force, which has left the nation. It leads to a scarcity of skilled resources which then began to charge high for their service to the nation and its countrymen. Poorer nations like Africa suffer the worst from this problem and thus its development remains hindered.

The issue of brain drain is an international phenomenon and an outcome of the trend of globalization, but unlike other benefiting affects of it, brain drain has a negative impact. The problem of brain drain can be effectively tackled. For this, countries suffering from it have to improvise their own socio-economic conditions and provide better salary scales and safe and healthy work conditions to their human capital. Better and updated labs equipped with latest equipment can help retain more scientists and researchers leaving their country owing to lack of research opportunities.

At an international level, the nations which gain these brains should promise to send equivalent talent to the nations losing their human resources. Good governance is also important as they decide the policies that govern the security and standard of living of its people.

As discussed, some brain drain results from the stage of education only when individuals move to other nations offering better educational courses. If these individuals are offered better education opportunities in native countries, the emigration can be controlled at a preliminary level.

Governments need to show commitment to support research while allowing them to carry on their experiments freely with much independence. To conclude there is a need to review the social, political and economic conditions in the nations suffering from phenomenon of brain drain to provide better security and work opportunities to the skilled resources in the native nation.

From- http://www.shareyouressays.com/

Human capital flight or Brain Drain

Human capital flight is an Economics term equivalent to the Sociology term, brain drain, which refers to the emigration of intelligent, well-educated individuals to somewhere for better pay or conditions, causing the place they came from to lose those skilled people, or "brains." Typically, emigrating brains have learned English and move to the United Kingdom, the US or some other English-speaking country. An example is Albert Einstein. Brain drain is common in developing nations, particularly in former African colonies of England, the island nations of the Caribbean and in centralized economies such as the former East Germany and the Soviet Union. China and India have recently been discovered to be at the top of the list of countries with skilled students of English leaving.

Types

There are several types of brain drain:

Organizational: The flight of talented, creative, and highly trained employees from large corporations—e.g. Yahoo, Hub Spot, and Microsoft— that occurs when employees perceive the direction and leadership of the company to be unstable or stagnant, and thus, unable to keep up with their personal and professional ambitions.

Geographical: The flight of highly trained individuals and college graduates from their area of residence, for instance, those migrating from the mid-western United States to the coastal states and large metropolises.^[6]

Industrial: The movement of traditionally skilled workers from one sector of an industry to another. For example, jobs in the United States and other governments, also known as the public sector, have experienced significant generational brain drain as tenure dboomer generation employees retire. Heightened competition for talent from the private sector and budgetary constraints have made it increasingly difficult to attract replacements for these retirees.^[7]

As with other human migration, the social environment is considered to be a key reason for this population shift. In source countries, lack of opportunities, political instability or oppression, economic depression, health risks and more contribute to brain drain, whereas host countries usually offer rich opportunities, political stability and freedom, a developed economy and better living conditions that attract talent. At the individual level, family influences (relatives living overseas, for example), as well as personal preferences, career ambitions and other motivating factors can be considered.

Origins and uses

The term "brain drain" was coined by the Royal Society to describe the emigration of "scientists and technologists" to North America from post-war Europe.^[8] Another source indicates that this term was first used in the United Kingdom to describe the influx of Indian scientists and engineers.^[9] The converse phenomenon is "brain gain", which occurs when there is a large-scale immigration of technically qualified persons. There are also other relevant phrases, "brain circulation" and "brain waste".

Although the term originally referred to technology workers leaving a nation, the meaning has broadened into "the departure of educated or professional people from one country, economic sector, or field for another, usually for better pay or living conditions"

The UNDP estimates that India loses $2 billion a year because of the emigration of computer experts to the U.S.  Indian students going abroad for their higher studies cost India a foreign exchange outflow of $10 billion annually.

(From Wikipedia)

We always come across reports of how much talented Indians are and are conquering the world in the field of technology & business. There are several reports suggesting that Indians dominate the technology industry of USA. 

But why are most of those Indians not in India but in US/UK? If we go a little more in depth to analyze this issue, we will begin to notice that the top Indian professionals & entrepreneurs today in US had actually left India during 1970s & 80s after obtaining their degrees in India. So, Why did we have such a severe brain drain in 1970s and 80s?

One common answer we get is that India did not have the right opportunities for their specialization. Maybe true for technical PhD holders who need employment from research institutes which might not have been prevalent in India. But what about entrepreneurs? They had a market of 0.7 billion people, something that nobody would like to ignore. Instead of going to a foreign land and toiling hard to become entrepreneurs, why did they not remain in India and do the same here? After all, India being a developing nation could have provided them a chance to experiment as well as capture market share.

It is easy to say that they were greedy, did not care for our country and flee to the US for greener pastures. But the real reason lies in the political & economic system.

This snapshot of the 1974 budget might give us some hints. During Indira Gandhi’s rule in 1970s, income tax was at an all-time high with the top slab having a tax rate of 97.75% !!

If you were an entrepreneur and wanted to set up a business (obviously you want to make lots of money), would you be fine with doing business in such an economic condition? After a certain slab, for every profit of Rs 100 you made, you were supposed to part away 98 rs to govt and keep only Rs 2 for yourself. Would there be any incentive for you to work hard after you reach a certain profit level since anything you earn after that will not come to you anyway.

On top of the 97.75% tax, there were several more taxes like wealth tax, inheritance tax etc which when added up would exceed 100%!! It means after a certain slab, if you were making Rs 100, you were supposed to pay around Rs 103 in the form of tax!! Yes. It sounds funny but it was true. Entrepreneurs & businessmen who were making more profits were being “penalized” (in the form of exorbitant taxes) due to such policies.

Top businessmen like JRD Tata were actually selling a part of their wealth because for every Rs 100 they earned, they had to pay Rs 105 in the form of tax. (So, for every Rs 100 earned, they had to sell their existing assets worth Rs 5, add it to the Rs 100 earned and pay this Rs 105 as tax to the Govt).

(From http://guruprasad.net/)

The 'brain drain': How India's education system is failing its economy

My column from last week on the "reverse brain drain" phenomenon, highlighting the recent trend of NRI's returning to India, seemed to hit a particular nerve among Indians and NRI's alike. The article produced strong opinions from all angles.

On one end, NRI's that have not returned to India commented that although they would like to return to India, they could not due to family obligations and higher incomes. On the other hand, Indians lamented at the fact that NRI's left India in the first place. How dare they leave their beloved motherland to seek money in the West?

I, for one, was not particularly surprised at the strong, emotional reactions, but was surprised that one key element was missing from the comments; the fact that the education system in the US is vastly different the one in India.

Last week, I was helping a friend's son, who did his schooling up to higher secondary in Mumbai, in writing his college application essays for entrance into US universities for undergraduate studies.

Now, for those that are unaware, undergraduate studies in the USA is quite costly. Some American universities cost upwards of $40,000 annually i.e. almost Rs. 25 lakh annually. So without a doubt, my friend had clearly thought this decision through. In his mind, sending his son to the US was totally worth the hefty price.

But this brings about a troubling question that looms at large -- what exactly is it that differentiates the education system in the West from that of India?

And, as a follow up, what is the net effect of the "brain drain" on India's economy? What if instead of a "reverse brain drain" India could stop the initial "brain drain" itself?

If India was able to produce an educational system that was comparable to that of the West, students such as my friend's son would think twice before leaving the country. How would this change the picture?

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"

Speaking from personal experience, having done my schooling exclusively in the West, the easiest way to differentiate the two systems of education is a skills acquiring approach (West) versus a knowledge acquiring approach (India).

At the age of 16, I was introduced to the world of trading and investing through a simple investing competition that our teacher encouraged us to participate in. That simple competition, in return, got me interested in trading and drove me to be become better at it outside of school.

The key element here is that the education system in the West fosters "out of the box thinking". For example, it strongly encourages entrepreneurship. Meanwhile, India has established IIT's, IIM's, law schools and other institutions of excellence; students here now routinely score 90 per cent marks. This makes it difficult for student even with 90+ percentage to get into the colleges of their choice. But the question here is -- what has really changed in the educational system?

That being said, India's educational system has its advantages. It promotes mathematics and sciences, and it is not a coincidence that so many jobs are outsourced to India due to India's education system. Recently, the CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt announced that India's entrepreneurs have the "ability" to build the next Google if India "plays its cards right".

But the fact still remains that students study mainly to score marks in exams, and sometimes to crack exams like IIT-JEE, AIIMS or CLAT. Meanwhile, in the West, teachers encourage their students to acquire skills. Investing for example there is a skill. If my teacher had not encouraged me to participate in that simple stock investing competition, my career might have taken a drastically different route.

India needs to revisit the ways it promotes education. The education system in India is geared towards testing knowledge at every level as opposed to teaching skills. The "teaching a man how to fish" example perfectly illustrates this concept. If I teach a man how to fish, he will continue fishing even after I am long gone. But if I give him a fish to eat and leave, he will not have the skills required to learn how to capture fish in the future. This is not any different than the concept of education.

In India, the best crammers for tests are rewarded. In the West ones who learn skills, and more importantly learn how to apply them are rewarded. Creativity, original thinking, research, and innovation are all cultivated and encouraged from a young age (and the age seems to get younger every year).

All of this leads to one fact, that while students from the West rarely apply to Indian universities for undergraduate studies; Indian parents are willing to fork out 25 lakhs annually in order to get their sons and daughters into the Western education system.

The economic impact of the brain drain

That being said, what is the actual economic impact of the "brain drain" on India? If students did not leave, how would India benefit?

The truth of the matter is that Indian students are rapidly escaping India. In the past decade alone, there has been a 256 per cent increase in the number of students studying abroad. The number now stands at 200,000 annually, and the students are going everywhere - Spain, Britain, Australia, USA, and even China.

The staggering statistic is this one - Indian students studying abroad cost India $17 billion annually in lost revenue. If India was able to replicate the educational system of the US and was able to either prevent its students from leaving, or was able to attract students from other countries, $17 billion would be saved annually.

This column is, no doubt, a generalization: Westerners lament at the fact that India and China routinely score higher on mathematics and science examinations and are actively looking to promote these two subject areas in order to better compete with India and China. But if India wants to prevent the "brain drain" from occurring and keep its brightest students within its borders, it must re-examine the ways it promotes its educational curriculum.

Otherwise, it's just a matter of time before Mandarin is taught to Indians from a young age to prepare them to go to China for their studies.

Raghu Kumar is the co-founder of RKSV, a broking company. The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability or validity of any information given here. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing on the blog do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

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DEAR STUDENTS ALL THE BEST FOR YOUR HALF YEARLY EXAM..... 

KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA NO. 2, INF LINES

NOTICE

HALF YEARLY SYLLABUS

All the students of class twelve using this blog are here by informed that following chapters are excluded from your half yearly syllabus-

1. Should Wizard Hit Mommy
2. On the Face of It 
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ARTICLE WRITING

Format

•  Title
•  Writer’s Name

Content (Value points related to the topic) 3-4 Paragraph

•  Para 1 : Brief Introduction of the status of the issue
•  Para 2 : Analysis of the topic in terms of
•  Types
•  Consequences
•  Causes
•  Good/bad aspects
•  related information
•  Para 3

Implications – social / environmental/Psychological/health related

•  Para 4

Concluding Para-Suggestions / reminders

Expression

•  Grammatical accuracy, spellings, coherence, relevance of ideas and style.

Steps taken to write an article

•  Thinking about the topic and ideas associated with it
•  Collecting ideas involved through brain storming / discussion / sources
•  Organising : the ideas in logical order.
•  Revising critically

Questions to practice:

1. You are Satish/Shweta. Working in an NGO which is working for the uplift of socio-economic conditions of child laborers by counselling their parents and helping children to go to school. You find it appalling that many people in educated society want the practice of child labor to continue. Write an article on the “Role of Educated Society in Curbing Child Labor”. (150– 200 words.)

2. You are Mamta/Mohan. You find corruption as the biggest impediment in the development of a nation. You strongly believe that youth can play a very important role in fighting the menace of corruption. Write an article on the “Role of Youth in Fighting Corruption”. (150–-200 words).

3. You are Jeetender/Jeetu. You have been working on a project related to effect of modern life on youth. You interviewed school and college students for the project. Write an article on the subject in about 150–200 words.

4. Write an article in 150 to 200 words on vocational training – as part of the school curriculum’ expressing your views on its need in the present scenario and suggesting steps to make it successful.

5. You are Vidya/Vijay, a student of Class XII of Sarvodaya School Dilshad Colony. You feel disturbed to read news about increasing cases of “honor killing” in northern India. You feel that such attitude of some elders in the society deprives children of their free will and pose hindrance in choosing life partner and career of their choice. Write an article in about 150–200 words on the topic, “Honor Killing a Stigma on Modern Society.”