Houseboat Policy 2021News Kashmir Exclusive Houseboats have been integral part of Kashmir culture and Tourism . The origin of the houseboat lies in the chapters of Kashmir’s history. It is said that the native kings had forbidden foreign visitors, especially the British from constructing houses in the region and this gave rise to the concept of a houseboat.But critics have often blamed them for pollution of water bodies , now in a latest the Jammu and Kashmir Government has framed New Houseboat Policy .Recently, the Administrative Council (AC), which met under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, approved the roll-out of policy and guidelines for sustainable operation of houseboats in Dal and Nigeen lakes.
Pertinent to mention here that in a bid to preserve the marine eco-system of both the lakes, the new policy aims to regulate the functioning of houseboats moored in Dal and Nigeen lakes by adopting the models of sustainable and responsible tourism.
The policy envisages providing a pleasant experience to tourists and sustainable source of living to stakeholders while preserving the fragile ecosystem.
Keeping in view the carrying capacities, the Tourism Department has capped the number of houseboats in both lakes at 910. Under the new policy, the houseboats are required to be registered online subject to the fulfilment of various conservation parameters; within 30 days from the date notification of the policy.
Yaqub Dunoo, Kashmir Houseboat Owners Association , Chief Spokesperson stated :” We are still examing the policy as Directorate of Tourism is yet to give us final policy document , the previous policy seemed to aimed at crushing the houseboat industry as it had many unfriendly and illogical parameters . We will keenly study the policy and give our opinion on it after studying .We are hopeful that this policy would be friendly and core issue of houseboat reconstruction would be allowed and no adverse guidelines will be there . We fully respect the conservation and preservation of Dal Lake as Houseboats are there only due to lake and houseboats are similarly jewels of lake . We are ready to install bio toilets in the Houseboats .” We are aware of the reality that the houseboats in Srinagar are usually static as they remain moored at the edges of Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake. Some of the houseboats have been built in early 1900s, and are still being rented out to tourists.One hopes that Houseboat policy 2021 would be acceptable to all the stakeholders and it would usher a new era of sustainable and environmental friendly tourism in the gorgeous valley of Kashmir
Srinagar Development Authority Employees pained our plight of SDA.
The Employees Union of Srinagar Development Authority have expressed great displeasure over the fact that how in a continued manner the Srinagar Development Authority as a Department has failed to meet its aims and objectives .
Importantly, The SDA employee Union made it clear that due to poor management since past few years the Srinagar Development Authority has completely lost its track .
SDA employee Union stressed that how Current Vice Chairman too has failed SDA and disallowed even the basic transport allowance to the Employees of the Srinagar Development Authority and as a result they are since week protesting same move .
They urged the Government to intervene to set the working of Srinagar Development Authority in order .
Bankruptcy Suhaib Ashraf Bhat Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order. often initiated by the debtor.Bankrupt is not the only legal status that an insolvent person may have, and the term bankruptcy is therefore not a synonym for insolvency. Many governments have called on youth to embrace the effort to protect themselves and the overall population. Youth are also in a position to help those who are most vulnerable, and to aid in increasing public health social awareness campaigns among their communities. Thus, youth are critical to limiting the virus’s spread and its impact on public health, society, and the economy at large.In terms of employment, youth are disproportionately unemployed, and those who are employed often work in the informal economy or gig economy, on precarious contracts or in the service sectors of the economy, that are likely to be severely affected by COVID-19.More than one billion youth are now no longer physically in school after the closure of schools and universities across many jurisdictions. The disruption in education and learning could have medium and long-term consequences on the quality of education, though the efforts made by teachers, school administrations, local and national governments to cope with the unprecedented circumstances to the best of their ability should be recognized.Many vulnerable youth such as migrants or homeless youth are in precarious situations. They are the ones who can easily be overlooked if governments do not pay specific attention, as they tend to be already in a situation without even their minimum requirements being met on health, education, employment and well-being.If you’re considering bankruptcy, here is how the process works: If your debts have become unmanageable or you’re facing foreclosure on your home, you might be thinking about declaring bankruptcy.While bankruptcy may be the only way out for some people,it also has serious consequences that are worth considering before you make any decisions. For example, bankruptcy will remain on your credit report for either seven or 10 years, depending on the type of bankruptcy.That can make it difficult to obtain a credit card, car loan, or mortgage in the future. It could also mean higher insurance rates and even affect your ability to get a job or rent an apartment.Bankruptcy can do severe damage to your credit score and should be considered as a last resort.As an alternative, you may be able to negotiate with your creditors and work out a payment plan or other satisfactory arrangement.If you decide to file for bankruptcy, you have two basic options: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.A Chapter 7 bankruptcy will sell off many of your assets to pay your creditors. In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you keep the assets but must repay your debts over a specified period. Bankruptcy is generally considered a last resort for people who are deep in debt and see no way to pay their bills. Before filing for bankruptcy, there are alternatives that are worth exploring. They are less costly than bankruptcy and likely to do less damage to your credit record.For example, find out if your creditors are willing to negotiate. Rather than wait for a bankruptcy settlement—and risk getting nothing at all—some creditors will agree to accept reduced payments over a longer period of time.In the case of a home mortgage, call your loan servicers to see what options may be available to you. Some lenders offer forbearance (postponing payments for a period of time), repayment plans (such as smaller payments stretched over a longer period), or loan modification programs (which might, for example, lower your interest rate for the remainder of the loan).
Staying home was termed as the “front line defence” against the virus, and calling for urgent measures to ensure everyone has a roof over their head.With tenants struggling to pay rent during the coronavirus outbreak, more than a dozen U.S. cities, including New York, Seattle and San Francisco, have temporarily banned evictions.Eviction bans are now so common in the United States that the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a non-profit advocacy group, has set up an online tracker.Canada has announced C$27 billion ($18.6 billion) in direct support to families and businesses struggling because of coronavirus.This includes payments of up to C$900 every two weeks to workers who must stay home to self-isolate or care for children but do not qualify for unemployment benefits, as well as a one-off payment for low-income households.In London, where house prices are among of the highest in the world, mortgage providers have agreed to a three-month delay in repayments for borrowers affected by coronavirus.This allows homeowners to take a break from paying all or part of a monthly mortgage repayment but will increase the total amount owed, with bigger repayments in future.Many people have called for rent freezes, including activists who interrupted a council meeting in Portland in the western U.S. state of Oregon. The mayor said their proposal was illegal.In midwestern Ohio, more than 100,000 have signed a petition calling for a freeze on rent, along with mortgage payments and bills.”Be flexible where you can,” the Residential Landlords Association advised its members in England and Wales. “Work with the tenant to repay any arrears when things return to normal.”Officials in the eastern U.S. state of Connecticut have banned utility disconnections, regardless of arrears.”People need electricity, heat and water to stay home safely right now,” said Attorney General William Tong in a statement.Germany has reintroduced an initiative allowing employees to work shorter hours but keep their jobs to soften the impact of coronavirus on the labour market and allow workers to pay essential bills.Under the initiative, first used during the 2008 financial crisis, companies can apply for state aid to cover the costs of keeping people on. More than 2 million people are expected to use the scheme.France’s housing ministry said it would open two isolation centres in Paris to house and protect more than 3,600 homeless people living in the capital who have tested positive for the virus but are not required to go to hospital.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic loss of human life worldwide and presents an unprecedented challenge to public health, food systems and the world of work. The economic and social disruption caused by the pandemic is devastating: tens of millions of people are at risk of falling into extreme poverty, while the number of undernourished people, currently estimated at nearly 690 million, could increase by up to 132 million.Millions of enterprises face an existential threat. Nearly half of the world’s 3.3 billion global workforce are at risk of losing their livelihoods. Informal economy workers are particularly vulnerable because the majority lack social protection and access to quality health care and have lost access to productive assets.The pandemic has been affecting the entire food system and has laid bare its fragility. Border closures, trade restrictions and confinement measures have been preventing farmers from accessing markets, including for buying inputs and selling their produce, and agricultural workers from harvesting crops, thus disrupting domestic and international food supply chains and reducing access to healthy, safe and diverse diets. The pandemic has decimated jobs and placed millions of livelihoods at risk. As breadwinners lose jobs, fall ill and die, the food security and nutrition of millions of women and men are under threat, with those in low-income countries, particularly the most marginalized populations, which include small-scale farmers and indigenous peoples, being hardest hit.Millions of agricultural workers – waged and self-employed – while feeding the world, regularly face high levels of working poverty, malnutrition and poor health, and suffer from a lack of safety and labour protection as well as other types of abuse. With low and irregular incomes and a lack of social support, many of them are spurred to continue working, often in unsafe conditions, thus exposing themselves and their families to additional risks. Further, when experiencing income losses, they may resort to negative coping strategies, such as distress sale of assets, predatory loans or child labour. Migrant agricultural workers are particularly vulnerable, because they face risks in their transport, working and living conditions and struggle to access support measures put in place by governments. Guaranteeing the safety and health of all agri-food workers – from primary producers to those involved in food processing, transport and retail, including street food vendors – as well as better incomes and protection, will be critical to saving lives and protecting public health, people’s livelihoods and food security.In the COVID-19 crisis food security, public health, and employment and labour issues, in particular workers’ health and safety, converge. Adhering to workplace safety and health practices and ensuring access to decent work and the protection of labour rights in all industries will be crucial in addressing the human dimension of the crisis. Immediate and purposeful action to save lives and livelihoods should include extending social protection towards universal health coverage and income support for those most affected. These include workers in the informal economy and in poorly protected and low-paid jobs, including youth, older workers, and migrants. Particular attention must be paid to the situation of women, who are over-represented in low-paid jobs and care roles. Different forms of support are key, including cash transfers, child allowances and healthy school meals, shelter and food relief initiatives, support for employment retention and recovery, and financial relief for businesses, including micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. In designing and implementing such measures it is essential that governments work closely with employers and workers.Countries dealing with existing humanitarian crises or emergencies are particularly exposed to the effects of COVID-19. Responding swiftly to the pandemic, while ensuring that humanitarian and recovery assistance reaches those most in need, is critical.Now is the time for global solidarity and support, especially with the most vulnerable in our societies, particularly in the emerging and developing world. Only together can we overcome the intertwined health and social and economic impacts of the pandemic and prevent its escalation into a protracted humanitarian and food security catastrophe, with the potential loss of already achieved development gains.We must recognize this opportunity to build back better, as noted in the policy brief issued by the United Nations Secretary-General. We are committed to pooling our expertise and experience to support countries in their crisis response measures and efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. We need to develop long-term sustainable strategies to address the challenges facing the health and agri-food sectors. Priority should be given to addressing underlying food security and malnutrition challenges, tackling rural poverty, in particular through more and better jobs in the rural economy, extending social protection to all, facilitating safe migration pathways and promoting the formalization of the informal economy. We must rethink and tackle this situation with ambition and urgency. Only then can we protect the health, livelihoods, food security and nutrition of all people, and ensure that our ‘new normal’ is a better one.
GOD-ORIENTED LIFE By Syed Mustafa Ahmad About 13 billion years ago, the Universe was created with a bang, called the” Big Bang”. According to this theory, the Whole Universe was a single entity. The intelligent Designer, parted the Earth from the seven skies with a bang that resulted in the origin of the present Earth. The Holy Qur’an also reiterates this fact in Chapter Al Anbiya. In this way, there are ample evidences that make it clear that there are many ways to know God. God is invisible but His manifestations are everywhere to know Him. In the present world, it is very easy to learn about God. He is omnipresent if we open our eyes a bit. Indeed, our bodies are so beautiful and intricate that a person is forced to introspect. If this is the case, let us try to know some things that make it crystal clear that God is present and we must know him. First is our bodies. The way they are designed, is unbelievable. In the speech by Gyanvatsal Swami, he says that it costs some trillion dollars to make a dead human body. It is not a living body. So, one can easily imagine that how costly the human beings are. We take these kinds of truths lightly but if we ponder over these facts, we will eventually come to know that there is someone who is intelligent and surely He is our creator. We should be thankful to Him for this gift. Second is greenery around us. In Autumn, there is no life. But when it comes to Spring, the same Earth comes to life. Bacteria that were dead in the soil, came to life with some drops of rain fall on the dead Earth. The same God is responsible for making the both things to happen; deadening of the Earth as well as providing life to it. Flowers of different colours bloom that marvel us. Poets as well as aesthetics begin to praise beauty in their works. They deliberately sideline other things of importance in order to know the real worth of things. William Wordsworth in his poem “ Daffodils” says that how one day when he was in a passive mood, he came across Daffodils that were dancing in the wind. Such was the effect of this scene that whenever he was lying vacant, the charming scene of the flowers used to give him the wealth that no material thing can provide to him. Moreover, John Keats says that a thing of beauty is a joy forever. In this way, we can conclude that greenery is about knowing God. Third and last is diversity among the human beings. There are 7.8 billion people in the world, who are different from each other. No two brains are same. Similarly, no two persons’ fingerprints match. Zebras that look alike, are actually different. All these diverse things have one thing in common that there is someone who is intelligent in every sense. He doesn’t get tired after creating this diverse world. In this way, God’s knowledge comes forth with no flaw. In the above things, the main thing that is of utmost importance is that there are innumerable things present that are evident of the fact that God has to be accepted and followed in letter and spirit. Air is invisible; doesn’t mean that air does not exist. Same is the case with God. If He is invisible; doesn’t mean that He doesn’t exist. Logic is necessary in every thing. But some things in the present are of that nature that either we don’t have enough knowledge to know the intricacies of God or God Himself has reserved some things for the world Hereafter. Wahidudin khan says that we must look around. It, in the long run, will help us to know God as well as ourselves.
India – Pakistan peace is very must for the progress of world and especially the wellbeing of entire South Asian region . The relationship between India and Pakistan in the past few years especially after the deadly 2019 Pulwama bombing had gone from bad to worse.Now with recent border ceasefire between the two countries holding hopes are raised .This has inspired optimism about reduced tensions in South Asia. Experts have stressed that If decades of conflict are to be settled, however, the two sides must both do much more to address grievances and deal with the legacies of a half century and avoid too ambitious an effort to attempt everything at once.On the otherhand, Advocating for peace in the sub-continent, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday said it was time for New Delhi and Islamabad to “bury the past and move forward”. Addressing the Islamabad Security Dialogue, Bajwa added that stable Indo-Pak relations were the key to unlocking the potential of South and Central Asia by ensuring connectivity between East and West Asia.On the otherhand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan that trust without terror and hostility was necessary for a better relationship between the two countries, it was reported recently.PM Modi observed : “As a neighbouring country, India desires cordial relations with the people of Pakistan,” Modi wrote in a letter dated March 22. “For this, an environment of trust, devoid of terror and hostility, is imperative.”On the otherhand, neither India nor Pakistan has reacted over the peace deal, there is a media report that claims that the recent thaw in the ties, beginning with the ceasefire agreement on February 25 and the subsequent conciliatory statements by the Pakistani military and civilian leaders, is the outcome of the mediatory role played by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Media reports have added that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi are likely to hold a meeting on the sidelines of the ‘Heart of Asia’ conference in Tajikistan capital Dushanbe.Speaking with reference to the new ceasefire agreement with Pakistan, MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that India desires “normal” relationship with Pakistan but New Delhi’s stand on several key issues will continue to remain unchanged.One hopes that the real pain hit region of Jammu and Kashmir would see real Development of peaceful and progressive atmosphere as a result of India Pakistan improved relationship.
Optimistic Jammu and Kashmir Budget The Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha recently held a press conference to highlight the significance of Budget-2021-22 for Jammu and Kashmir, besides the set targets & road-map being laid down by the J&K Government for the development of the UT and welfare of its people. The budget has been full of positives . It is worth mentioning that while addressing the media persons, the Lt Governor termed the Rs 1,08,621 cr Budget approved by the Central Government as historic. “This is a budget to rebuild the economy, create jobs and secure the future of the people of Jammu & Kashmir”, said the Lt Governor.
The Lt Governor observed that the quantum jump in the allocation of Budget in all sectors itself speaks about the strong resolve of the Hon’ble Prime Minister towards the development of J&K.
J&K has been getting a larger per capita budget than other states even in the past. It will be ensured that the work is being done on ground and the money is utilized for the welfare of the people without discrimination, besides tapping the the potential of the sectors which are less explored, said the Lt Governor.
The enhanced budget will go a long way in making J&K self-sufficient, thus contributing towards Prime Minister’s goal of AtmnaNirbhar Bharat, added the Lt Governor.
Giving a comparative analysis of the Budget for the year 2021-22 vis-a-vis the previous Budget, the Lt Governor made a sector-wise comparison.
One hopes this promising and optimistic budget takes Jammu and Kashmir to new levels of progress and prosperity .
Today, on February 8, 2021, a women’s group, Kashmir Women’s Collective, Kickstarted their two short courses of learning basic Arabic calligraphy and learning to paint by beautifying pots. These courses are a part of Project Wand’e (Winter) themed as winters can be fun by learning something new. 9 short courses are offered and registrations are open for the same. They are teaching basics of scooty repair, crocheting, MS Word, skin care, and photography.
Calligraphy and Painting courses will be taught by two young instructors, Batool Fazili and Shafia Shafi. Batool is a trained Calligrapher and is excited to teach participants calligraphy using bamboo pens (kalam) and some black ink, whereas Shafia is a self taught artist who has done murals and grafiti as professional assignment in various restaurants across the city of Srinagar.
Batool says that calligraphy has Turkish origin and is a great hobby to pursue. Even holding a pen and practicing a straight line requires one to be practising it and it requires a lot of patience. Any hobby that we pursue helps us grow in addition to making us creative.
Shafia says that painting has thereapitic value and helps in balancing emotional and mental upheavals. “I can paint anything from fabric to walls – any surfaces and it releases my energy”.
Mantasha Binti Rashid, the founder of the women’s collective who is also a Kas officer said that they want youth, especially girls to spend their winters meaningfully, by learning something new and by having a sense of development of personality and growth. Youth has a lot of energy and to channelise it in meaningful ways is important for the individual and the society too. “In winters, there’s plenty of free time, ask anyone abroad, what are you doing in free time, they will say learning French or learning yoga etc. Our Women’s Collective team wanted to create a buzz of learning and growth among youth and that’s the whole motive..
Mahroosh Banday, who helped launch this project, said that in the next week, they will be teaching Paper Mache and Self Defense. “Both shall be taught by award winning instructors and where will our youth get such a platform where they can learn a hobby for free? I request people to register in our project Wand’e and pick up an exciting hobby or skill from among 9 courses. Make the most of it as our team has worked hard for it”.
Participants will be given participation certificates by the end of the course and a validection shall be held around women’s day. Suhuliyat Kashmir and Kashmir Motors training institute and collaborating with Kashmir Women’s Collective to organise project Wand’e (winter).
News Kashmir Health Bureau World Cancer Day is observed on 4 February each year. The theme for the year 2021 is ‘I am and I will’. Breast cancer has overtaken lung cancer as the most common form of the disease, accounting for nearly 12% of new cases each year worldwide, the World Health Organisation said recently .One million cases of stomach cancer are diagnosed annually in the world. India has a lower incidence as compared to specific areas like Southeast Asia. Certain areas like the Northeastern states and Kashmir have a higher incidence than the rest of India.Kashmir has worryingly enough over the past few decades witnessed an abnormal rise in cancer cases .The summer capital Srinagar has recorded highest number of cancer cases, among all districts of J&K, during the past two years, as per the data available at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS). In response to an RTI filed by rights activist and Secretary of J&K Peoples Forum MM Shuja, the hospital administration has revealed that 11,281 new cancers cases were registered at the institute from 2018 until middle 2020.SKIMS, celebrated World Cancer Day at SKIMS auditorium. On the occasion Scientific program was organized in which experts deliberated on various topics of importance about prevalence, detection, awareness and treatment of various cancers. While giving comprehensive overview of various cancers prevalent in the UT of J&K, the experts stressed for various preventives measures including early screening , life style modifications , healthy dietary habits etc to contain the disease which is spreading at the alarming rate and is the leading cause of death. On the eve of World Cancer Day (4th Feb 2021) Cancer Society of Kashmir organized a free Oncology Consultation Camp under the supervision of reputed Oncologists & expert doctors. A large number of patients who had come from different corners of Kashmir Valley were examined. Poor and deserving patients who are registered with the society were provided free anti-cancer drugs as a matter of routine. Other supportive drugs required for G.I treatments were provided to all patients free of cost. It is worrying to note that among the Jammu , Ladakh and Kashmir Valley regions the Kashmir Valley has much higher number of cancer cases.Kashmir Valley has recorded the highest number of cancer cases compared to Jammu and Ladakh Union Territory in the last over two years with officials at SKIMS saying that 92 per cent of cancer cases registered with them belong to Kashmir division only.Researchers have revealed that climate change will extract an acute toll worldwide, with rising temperatures, wildfires and poor air quality, accompanied by higher rates of cancer, especially lung, skin and gastrointestinal cancers. In a study, published in the journal The Lancet Oncology, the researchers provided a synopsis of future effects from global warming on major cancers, from environmental toxins to ultraviolet radiation, air pollution, infectious agents and disruptions in food and water supply.It is hoped Kashmir with proper and healthy life style triumphs cancer soon ..One hopes we would soon witness the valley of Kashmir taking all preventive mechanism to help contain and one day end this menace of rising cancer cases in Kashmir.
Sheezan Zargar , world experienced arts and crafts expert shares dreams Rameez Makhdoomi Sheezan zargar from Kashmir is a man with iron will . He has always been in love with the tradition of Arts and Crafts of his homeland Kashmir and is inspired by the European Art, Indian art and the international Art culture, after traveling to countries like Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, Morocco, United States of America, South Africa, UAE, Thailand, Cambodia, Mexico, Greece, he has a dream of establishing an Art Gallery in kashmir. Pertinent to mention throughout his journeys he has had great yearning for learning of diverse global arts and crafts. Born in Srinagar and raised into the family of artisans his father having a government post in carpet instruction. He himself got interested in trading with Arts and Crafts. He combined his education for bachelor of commerce from the University of Kashmir with his interest in Theatre and Acting, participating in Workshops of the National School of Drama, New Delhi and a part-time course at renowned Actor Prepares Mumbai, He worked for TV productions in Srinagar, Theatre plays, as well as for a South Indian Film. He loves to represent kashmir through Art, Culture and language, he loves inter-cultural dialogue , architecture of colors of art. Through the medium of Art and Culture, we share love regardless, Religion, Caste and Race. He has served in prestigious art and craft galleries of Europe especially Germany. Languages known to him are German, English, Kashmiri, Urdu, Hindi.He feels sad that no art gallery exists in Kashmir and has a dream to set one .”Sheezan Zargar states :”Insha Allah we will introduce good art gallery in kashmir where we will represent excellent painters of kashmir and we will also combine art, craft and music we will do the exhibition of kashmiri artists even from outside kashmir as well. But to make this dream reality in kashmir I need your support. Alone only god looks good.” Many are pinning hopes that youngesters like Sheezan Zargar would use personnel experience to give new dimensions to the art, crafts and overall culture realms of Kashmir.
There are many terms associated with education. Information, knowledge, learning, pedagogy, etc., are relevant to education. The best definition says that education is a systematic learning . If we focus on the word “ systematic”, it becomes clear that any experience in life can be a process of learning, provided that a person is ready to learn it. In other way, it can be understood that the whole life is a process of learning, if there are suitable educational environments. But the point that is worthy to discuss is that education has been narrowly understood. Learning some basic facts without knowing them deeply is not education. Some persons are genius in memorizing the facts or things. They easily win the day when it comes to rote-learning during the exams. The persons who are creative in nature, have to lose the day because they can’t write an answer without having a solid proof. In this atmosphere, rote learners with no intellect, get passed with flying colors while those who want to know things deeply and develop their own thoughts, are left behind. They can’t do anything more but wait for the divinity to interrupt. What are the causes responsible for this? How can a genius person loses the day while another person with no intellect becomes the master? There should be apparent flaws in the process of learning that make it possible to have this degeneration. It is not an issue of some years. But centuries are required for this malaise. So, I would like to throw some light over the basic causes responsible for this. First is our educational system hates innovation. The word “ innovation” is not in our dictionaries. Status quo has been the order of the day for a long period of time. Every year, barren minds are produced. They follow the centuries old ways of living, understanding, learning, etc. Their minds don’t see light at the end of the tunnel. The light that welcomes innovation. Innovative minds always look out for the solutions that can break the status quo and place the society on the path of innovation. Rote learning is abhorred. Its nature is questioned. Evaluation takes place. It is this evaluation that makes a learning society. Second is that our educational system is dominated by exams. We only have this parameter to judge intelligence of students. The creator of exams has advised that exams should be ended sooner or later. It is not the best way of judging any person’s ability. Exams halt the intellectual process of a learner. He or she is not in a position to see above the existing exams. His or her mind gets habitual to looking at the same process that has not left us for centuries. In this situation, rote learning rules the roost, creativity has to fail and beat its head against the wall. Third is that our educational system is corrupted. Money does what creativity doesn’t. Learning some questions without understanding them provide an opportunity to qualify an exam. It doesn’t matter whether a student has understood it or not. In this situation, creativity still waits for answers to soothe his or her nerves. He or she hates the existing situation. In this atmosphere, he or she follows others or is forced to stop learning and become intellectually barren, with no purpose of living. Creativity hates corruption while rote learning loves it. In this tussle of opposite things, it is rote learning that wins because the worldly set up is administered by rote learners. How can they accept creativity? They call it an alien concept. Fourth is that we need instant gratification. Results should come in a day. We hate long term planning. We invest for days and want result in days as well. We are impatient. In this atmosphere, rote learning will give the best results. It is because as mentioned above, they are under the supervision of those, who themselves are the products of short term gains. When a rote learner passes an exam with distinctions, he or she is praised by one and all. In the same breath, when a creative person doesn’t pass an exam for three years due to his or her creative or curious nature, he or she is not taken into account by the society. They generally are hated. Their views are rejected. They are called useless persons. Fifth is that we never bother to look at the divine plan. If a divine book is received without knowing its deep meaning and its relevance with the present, it is of no use to recite it. When the Creator hates rote learning, how can the creation of His feel delighted in rote-learning. He wants us to understand what you are reciting. Why have I revealed these books to you? Which way is to follow and which not? Who is your friend and foe? These things are discussed in a holy book. But still we love to recite it for the sake of good deeds and never bother to ponder over the real objective of revelation. Sixth is materialism. Rote learning is the basic foundation of materialism. When this is the case, why it is necessary to hack behind the ways of creative learning. Enjoy the moments of rote learning and the best will come in the form of materialistic things. What can we expect from this thinking? Every where there will be donkeys ruling. Creativity will hang its head in shame. The need of the hour is to understand students and plan accordingly. It can be prove beneficial at the end of the day. We have suffered a lot and cannot afford to suffer more in the future. Let us pledge that there should be a reasonable change on the ground level. Hope good sense prevails.
