May be a pleasant surprise for students but is quite unlikeable for the conventional arts and science colleges in the country, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal’s announcement of increase of 200,000 seats in engineering courses in India. Already some of the Engineering Colleges in TN and Karnataka are in the verge of collapse due to poor inflow of students and one wonders what prompted Sibal to sanction this much seats in Engineering sector. The huge infrastructure now available with Arts and Science Colleges are poorly utilised at present due to unattractiveness in pursuing conventional education and the present decision of the government would turn the issue worse.
The liberalised scheme now applied to Engineering colleges would not bring results as the minister expect. More focus on technical education would result in lack of interest in pure science study.
K A Solaman
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry X-mas and Happy new year!
May all of your world be filled with warmth and good chear this Holy season,
and throughout the year.
Wish your Christmas be filled with peace and love.
Merry X-mas friends.
K A Solaman
and throughout the year.
Wish your Christmas be filled with peace and love.
Merry X-mas friends.
K A Solaman
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Abandon NCERT Physics text books for Plus 2
I am a retired Physics Professor (?) of an affiliated college under University of Kerala and lecturer for many years in graduate classes and erstwhile pre-degree course and still keep some interest in the subject physics. I had already shaped half a dozen First Ranks in B Sc Physics (main) of University of Kerala and hence I believe that I have a few credentials to speak about Physics. My present apprehension is about the prescription of NCERT text books for plus two classes in State Higher Secondary and CBSE schools. The present form of NCERT text books in Physcis would certainly bring hatred among students towards the much lively subject-the physics. Presumably the writers of the present text have no class room experience otherwise they have not presented the subject matter in form of ‘water flood’. What the students get from these text books is little and that is why most teachers use credible text books instead of referring the NCERT text book waste. The teachers ask students to buy NCERT books and never refer to these books while teaching. The teachers have little time to squander by reading all the rubbish in the NCERT books. I sincerely believe those writers of the text book never had been so if they had been asked to follow these text books in their school classes. Though the NCERT claim that their text books are written in conformity international standards, the presentation in foreign books are not so dreary.
The NCERT text book committee may also claim that their books would generate independent thinking among students. This sort of argument is applicable to elite classes. How can a low profile student from a poor family, unable to spell his name correctly in English even in Plus 2, without knowing the basics of Physics, think independently about new rules and ideas in Physics? The government should, therefore, reduce its control on what text book to be followed in schools and teachers and students should be given freedom in following text books.
My suggestion to the Union Human Resource Development Ministry is, ask NCERT to prescribe syllabus and not to write text books or rather compel students community to follow their text books. They can of course supply sample question paper packets and answers to students to augment their studies. The NCERT could, of course, recommend any other suitable text books to school children and if the contents are found to be prejudicial to the integrity of India or the security of the state, the books can be withdrawn. Though the present NCERT text book in Physics does not defame any community, it invites hatred to the subject Physics. Let the students learn Physics pleasantly and lively.
K A Solaman
The NCERT text book committee may also claim that their books would generate independent thinking among students. This sort of argument is applicable to elite classes. How can a low profile student from a poor family, unable to spell his name correctly in English even in Plus 2, without knowing the basics of Physics, think independently about new rules and ideas in Physics? The government should, therefore, reduce its control on what text book to be followed in schools and teachers and students should be given freedom in following text books.
My suggestion to the Union Human Resource Development Ministry is, ask NCERT to prescribe syllabus and not to write text books or rather compel students community to follow their text books. They can of course supply sample question paper packets and answers to students to augment their studies. The NCERT could, of course, recommend any other suitable text books to school children and if the contents are found to be prejudicial to the integrity of India or the security of the state, the books can be withdrawn. Though the present NCERT text book in Physics does not defame any community, it invites hatred to the subject Physics. Let the students learn Physics pleasantly and lively.
K A Solaman
Thursday, December 16, 2010
All teachers’ appointments should be done by the P S C.
Good news to hear that PSC would now carry out the appointments of staff in Universities in Kerala. The decision by the Cabinet is presumably in the backdrop of discrepancies relating to the appointment of the assistants at the university level. Why, then wait for appointment of teachers in University Departments by the P S C. Is it now alright with the appointments in University departments? Are the P S C members appointed on political basis are not competent enough to recruit to the teachers to the Departments.
All appointments including teachers of private colleges where salary is paid from State Exchequer should be transferred to the P S C. The private college managements should not be permitted to sale these posts for a price.
K A Solaman
All appointments including teachers of private colleges where salary is paid from State Exchequer should be transferred to the P S C. The private college managements should not be permitted to sale these posts for a price.
K A Solaman
Thursday, December 09, 2010
NET-Electronics qs-Descriptive and problem type
1 What are diode approximations?
A current of 2mA passes through a silicon diode of bulk resistance 25Ω. Find the voltage across the diode
2 Explain a Zener diode voltage regulator.
A 9V regulator power supply is required to run a car stereo system with a 12V battery. A zener diode with Vz= 9V and Pmax =0.25V is used as voltage regulator. Find the value of the series resistor
3 Currents I1 and I2 flow when large voltages V1 and V2 are applied to a semi-conductor diode. If V1 =2 V2 show that the value of the reverse saturation current is I0 = I22 /I1 .
4 Explain transistor as switch. With a diagram explain the voltage divider method of biasing and find the Q-point
5 A silicon transistor with β=55 is used in a voltage divider circuit. If Vcc=22.5V and VBE=0.6V, Rc =5.6K, RE=1K R1=90K, R2=10K find the Q=point and the stability factor.
6 Explain the UJT operation. What is intrinsic stand-off ratio? A UJT has a inter base resistance of 10K. It has RB =6K with IE=0. Find the UJT current if VBB=20V and VE is less that VP. Also find η, VA2 and VP2
7 The saturation drain current of JFET is 8.6mA when the gate voltage is zero. If the pinch-off voltage is -3V, calculate the drain current when the gate voltage is -1V.
8 With a suitable diagram explain the working of Hartley oscillator. Derive an expression for its frequency.
9 A certain radio receiver delivers and output of 3.6W. Find the power output required to produce a power gain of 10dB.
10 An inverting amplifier has Rf=2M and R1=2k. Find its scale factor.
11 What are combination logic gates. \give their logical equations and truth tables
12 How will you implement OR, AND, NOT, NAND using NORs.
13 How will you convert binary code into Gray code? Illustrate with example
14 Design a logic circuit to implement the operation specified in the truth table below
I------n--p-u --t o/p
A B C Y
0 0 0 0
0 0 1 0
0 1 0 0
0 1 1 1
1 0 0 0
1 0 1 1
1 1 0 1
1 1 1 0
A current of 2mA passes through a silicon diode of bulk resistance 25Ω. Find the voltage across the diode
2 Explain a Zener diode voltage regulator.
A 9V regulator power supply is required to run a car stereo system with a 12V battery. A zener diode with Vz= 9V and Pmax =0.25V is used as voltage regulator. Find the value of the series resistor
3 Currents I1 and I2 flow when large voltages V1 and V2 are applied to a semi-conductor diode. If V1 =2 V2 show that the value of the reverse saturation current is I0 = I22 /I1 .
4 Explain transistor as switch. With a diagram explain the voltage divider method of biasing and find the Q-point
5 A silicon transistor with β=55 is used in a voltage divider circuit. If Vcc=22.5V and VBE=0.6V, Rc =5.6K, RE=1K R1=90K, R2=10K find the Q=point and the stability factor.
6 Explain the UJT operation. What is intrinsic stand-off ratio? A UJT has a inter base resistance of 10K. It has RB =6K with IE=0. Find the UJT current if VBB=20V and VE is less that VP. Also find η, VA2 and VP2
7 The saturation drain current of JFET is 8.6mA when the gate voltage is zero. If the pinch-off voltage is -3V, calculate the drain current when the gate voltage is -1V.
8 With a suitable diagram explain the working of Hartley oscillator. Derive an expression for its frequency.
9 A certain radio receiver delivers and output of 3.6W. Find the power output required to produce a power gain of 10dB.
10 An inverting amplifier has Rf=2M and R1=2k. Find its scale factor.
11 What are combination logic gates. \give their logical equations and truth tables
12 How will you implement OR, AND, NOT, NAND using NORs.
13 How will you convert binary code into Gray code? Illustrate with example
14 Design a logic circuit to implement the operation specified in the truth table below
I------n--p-u --t o/p
A B C Y
0 0 0 0
0 0 1 0
0 1 0 0
0 1 1 1
1 0 0 0
1 0 1 1
1 1 0 1
1 1 1 0
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Any takers? CSIR-JRF/NET-Physical Science Qs
Atomic and Molecular Physics test-10
Answer all questions Time 30 min
Max 20 marks
1 The maximum frequency of υ of continuous X-ray is related to the applied potential difference V as
a) υ α V1/2 b) υ α V c) υ α V3/2 d) υ α V2
2 Generation of X-ray is a
a) phenomenon of conversion of mass into energy
b) principle of conservation of momentum
c) phenomenon of conversion of kinetic energy into radiant energy
d) none of the above
3 X-rays can be used
a) to cure blood cancer
b) to detect defects in precious stones and diamonds
c) to detect gold under the earth
d) for cutting and welding metals
4 In the production of X-rays by Coolidge tube, intensity and quality of X-rays
a) can be controlled independently
b) cannot be controlled independently
c) are one and the same
d) none of the above
5 The intensity of X-rays mainly depends upon
a)nature of the target material b) nature of the gas in the tube
c) current in the tube d) accelerating voltage applied
6 The maximum frequency of limit of continuous X-rays depend on
a) KE of incident electron b) nature of the target
c) degree of vacuum in the tube
d) the shortest wavelength in the characteristic X-ray spectrum of target material
7 When fast moving electrons strike a metal of high atomic number, the percentage of energy converted with X-rays is
a) about 10% b) about 20% c) less than 10% d) less than 40%
8 In an X-ray tube
a) applied potential is 1000V b) applied potential is 106 V
c) cathode and anode emit electrons d) X-rays move from cathode to anticathode
9 The intensity of X-rays depends on
a) KE of electrons b) number of electrons striking
c) total momentum of electrons d) none of the above
10 X-ray absorption will be a maximum for sheets of
a) Ag b) Pb c) Cu d) Fe
Answer all questions Time 30 min
Max 20 marks
1 The maximum frequency of υ of continuous X-ray is related to the applied potential difference V as
a) υ α V1/2 b) υ α V c) υ α V3/2 d) υ α V2
2 Generation of X-ray is a
a) phenomenon of conversion of mass into energy
b) principle of conservation of momentum
c) phenomenon of conversion of kinetic energy into radiant energy
d) none of the above
3 X-rays can be used
a) to cure blood cancer
b) to detect defects in precious stones and diamonds
c) to detect gold under the earth
d) for cutting and welding metals
4 In the production of X-rays by Coolidge tube, intensity and quality of X-rays
a) can be controlled independently
b) cannot be controlled independently
c) are one and the same
d) none of the above
5 The intensity of X-rays mainly depends upon
a)nature of the target material b) nature of the gas in the tube
c) current in the tube d) accelerating voltage applied
6 The maximum frequency of limit of continuous X-rays depend on
a) KE of incident electron b) nature of the target
c) degree of vacuum in the tube
d) the shortest wavelength in the characteristic X-ray spectrum of target material
7 When fast moving electrons strike a metal of high atomic number, the percentage of energy converted with X-rays is
a) about 10% b) about 20% c) less than 10% d) less than 40%
8 In an X-ray tube
a) applied potential is 1000V b) applied potential is 106 V
c) cathode and anode emit electrons d) X-rays move from cathode to anticathode
9 The intensity of X-rays depends on
a) KE of electrons b) number of electrons striking
c) total momentum of electrons d) none of the above
10 X-ray absorption will be a maximum for sheets of
a) Ag b) Pb c) Cu d) Fe
CSIR-JRF/NET-Physical Science
Atomic and Molecular Physics test-7
Answer all questions Time 30 min
Max 20 marks
1 Energy levels A , B, C of a certain atom correspond to increasing values of energy, that is, EA
c) λ1 +λ2 + λ3 =0 d) λ3 =(λ1 + λ2)/2
2 For H-atom, in the lowest energy level, the angular momentum of the electron is
a) h/2π b) h/π c)2 h/π d) 2π/h
3 The angular momentum of the electron in the nth orbit is given by
a) nh b) h/2π n c) nh/2π d) 2π/nh
4 The energy required to remove an electron in a H-atom from n=10 state is
a) 13.6eV b) 1.36eV c) 0.136eV d) 0.0136eV
5 If EN and JN denote the total energy magnitude and angular momentum of an electron in the nth orbit of a Bohr atom, then
a) EN α JN b) EN α 1/JN c) EN α JN2 d) EN α JN2
6 Ionisation potential of hydrogen is 13.6eV. H-atom in the ground state are excited by monochromatic radiation of energy 12.1eV. The spectral lines emitted by hydrogen atom according to Bohr’s theory will be
a) one b) two c) three d) four
7 The ground state energy of H-atom is 13.6eV. The energy needed to ionise H-atom in its second excited state is
a) 1.51eV b) 0 c) -13.6eV d) 6.8eV
8 The total energy of the electron in the H-atom in the ground state is -13.6eV. The KE of this electron is
a) 13.6 b) 0 c) -13.6eV d) 3.4eV
9 The energy levels of a certain atom for first, second and third levels are E, 4E/3 and 2E respectively. A photon of wavelength λ is emitted for a transition 3 to 1. What will be the wavelength of emission for transition 2 to 1
a) λ/ 3 b) 4λ/ 3 c) 3λ/ 4 d) 3λ
10 The series limit of Balmer series is 640nm. The series limit of Paschen series will be
a) 1868nm b) 6400nm c) 240nm d) 1440nm
Answer all questions Time 30 min
Max 20 marks
1 Energy levels A , B, C of a certain atom correspond to increasing values of energy, that is, EA
c) λ1 +λ2 + λ3 =0 d) λ3 =(λ1 + λ2)/2
2 For H-atom, in the lowest energy level, the angular momentum of the electron is
a) h/2π b) h/π c)2 h/π d) 2π/h
3 The angular momentum of the electron in the nth orbit is given by
a) nh b) h/2π n c) nh/2π d) 2π/nh
4 The energy required to remove an electron in a H-atom from n=10 state is
a) 13.6eV b) 1.36eV c) 0.136eV d) 0.0136eV
5 If EN and JN denote the total energy magnitude and angular momentum of an electron in the nth orbit of a Bohr atom, then
a) EN α JN b) EN α 1/JN c) EN α JN2 d) EN α JN2
6 Ionisation potential of hydrogen is 13.6eV. H-atom in the ground state are excited by monochromatic radiation of energy 12.1eV. The spectral lines emitted by hydrogen atom according to Bohr’s theory will be
a) one b) two c) three d) four
7 The ground state energy of H-atom is 13.6eV. The energy needed to ionise H-atom in its second excited state is
a) 1.51eV b) 0 c) -13.6eV d) 6.8eV
8 The total energy of the electron in the H-atom in the ground state is -13.6eV. The KE of this electron is
a) 13.6 b) 0 c) -13.6eV d) 3.4eV
9 The energy levels of a certain atom for first, second and third levels are E, 4E/3 and 2E respectively. A photon of wavelength λ is emitted for a transition 3 to 1. What will be the wavelength of emission for transition 2 to 1
a) λ/ 3 b) 4λ/ 3 c) 3λ/ 4 d) 3λ
10 The series limit of Balmer series is 640nm. The series limit of Paschen series will be
a) 1868nm b) 6400nm c) 240nm d) 1440nm
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
All Nobel Prizes in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded 104 times to 189 Nobel Laureates between 1901 and 2010. John Bardeen is the only Nobel Laureate who has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics twice, in 1956 and 1972. This means that a total of 188 individuals have received the Nobel Prize in Physics.
2010
Andre Geim, Konstantin Novoselov
2009
Charles Kuen Kao, Willard S. Boyle, George E. Smith
2008
Yoichiro Nambu, Makoto Kobayashi, Toshihide Maskawa
2007
Albert Fert, Peter Grünberg
2006
John C. Mather, George F. Smoot
2005
Roy J. Glauber, John L. Hall, Theodor W. Hänsch
2004
David J. Gross, H. David Politzer, Frank Wilczek
2003
Alexei A. Abrikosov, Vitaly L. Ginzburg, Anthony J. Leggett
2002
Raymond Davis Jr., Masatoshi Koshiba, Riccardo Giacconi
2001
Eric A. Cornell, Wolfgang Ketterle, Carl E. Wieman
2000
Zhores I. Alferov, Herbert Kroemer, Jack S. Kilby
1999
Gerardus 't Hooft, Martinus J.G. Veltman
1998
Robert B. Laughlin, Horst L. Störmer, Daniel C. Tsui
1997
Steven Chu, Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, William D. Phillips
1996
David M. Lee, Douglas D. Osheroff, Robert C. Richardson
1995
Martin L. Perl, Frederick Reines
1994
Bertram N. Brockhouse, Clifford G. Shull
1993
Russell A. Hulse, Joseph H. Taylor Jr.
1992
Georges Charpak
1991
Pierre-Gilles de Gennes
1990
Jerome I. Friedman, Henry W. Kendall, Richard E. Taylor
1989
Norman F. Ramsey, Hans G. Dehmelt, Wolfgang Paul
1988
Leon M. Lederman, Melvin Schwartz, Jack Steinberger
1987
J. Georg Bednorz, K. Alexander Müller
1986
Ernst Ruska, Gerd Binnig, Heinrich Rohrer
1985
Klaus von Klitzing
1984
Carlo Rubbia, Simon van der Meer
1983
Subramanyan Chandrasekhar, William Alfred Fowler
1982
Kenneth G. Wilson
1981
Nicolaas Bloembergen, Arthur Leonard Schawlow, Kai M. Siegbahn
1980
James Watson Cronin, Val Logsdon Fitch
1979
Sheldon Lee Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
1978
Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa, Arno Allan Penzias, Robert Woodrow Wilson
1977
Philip Warren Anderson, Sir Nevill Francis Mott, John Hasbrouck van Vleck
1976
Burton Richter, Samuel Chao Chung Ting
1975
Aage Niels Bohr, Ben Roy Mottelson, Leo James Rainwater
1974
Sir Martin Ryle, Antony Hewish
1973
Leo Esaki, Ivar Giaever, Brian David Josephson
1972
John Bardeen, Leon Neil Cooper, John Robert Schrieffer
1971
Dennis Gabor
1970
Hannes Olof Gösta Alfvén, Louis Eugène Félix Néel
1969
Murray Gell-Mann
1968
Luis Walter Alvarez
1967
Hans Albrecht Bethe
1966
Alfred Kastler
1965
Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, Julian Schwinger, Richard P. Feynman
1964
Charles Hard Townes, Nicolay Gennadiyevich Basov, Aleksandr Mikhailovich Prokhorov
1963
Eugene Paul Wigner, Maria Goeppert-Mayer, J. Hans D. Jensen
1962
Lev Davidovich Landau
1961
Robert Hofstadter, Rudolf Ludwig Mössbauer
1960
Donald Arthur Glaser
1959
Emilio Gino Segrè, Owen Chamberlain
1958
Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov, Il´ja Mikhailovich Frank, Igor Yevgenyevich Tamm
1957
Chen Ning Yang, Tsung-Dao (T.D.) Lee
1956
William Bradford Shockley, John Bardeen, Walter Houser Brattain
1955
Willis Eugene Lamb, Polykarp Kusch
1954
Max Born, Walther Bothe
1953
Frits (Frederik) Zernike
1952
Felix Bloch, Edward Mills Purcell
1951
Sir John Douglas Cockcroft, Ernest Thomas Sinton Walton
1950
Cecil Frank Powell
1949
Hideki Yukawa
1948
Patrick Maynard Stuart Blackett
1947
Sir Edward Victor Appleton
1946
Percy Williams Bridgman
1945
Wolfgang Pauli
1944
Isidor Isaac Rabi
1943
Otto Stern
1942
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year. The prize money was with 1/3 allocated to the Main Fund and with 2/3 to the Special Fund of this prize section.
1941
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year. The prize money was with 1/3 allocated to the Main Fund and with 2/3 to the Special Fund of this prize section.
1940
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year. The prize money was with 1/3 allocated to the Main Fund and with 2/3 to the Special Fund of this prize section.
1939
Ernest Orlando Lawrence
1938
Enrico Fermi
1937
Clinton Joseph Davisson, George Paget Thomson
1936
Victor Franz Hess, Carl David Anderson
1935
James Chadwick
1934
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year. The prize money was with 1/3 allocated to the Main Fund and with 2/3 to the Special Fund of this prize section.
1933
Erwin Schrödinger, Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac
1932
Werner Karl Heisenberg
1931
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year. The prize money was allocated to the Special Fund of this prize section.
1930
Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman
1929
Prince Louis-Victor Pierre Raymond de Broglie
1928
Owen Willans Richardson
1927
Arthur Holly Compton, Charles Thomson Rees Wilson
1926
Jean Baptiste Perrin
1925
James Franck, Gustav Ludwig Hertz
1924
Karl Manne Georg Siegbahn
1923
Robert Andrews Millikan
1922
Niels Henrik David Bohr
1921
Albert Einstein
1920
Charles Edouard Guillaume
1919
Johannes Stark
1918
Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck
1917
Charles Glover Barkla
1916
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year. The prize money was allocated to the Special Fund of this prize section.
1915
Sir William Henry Bragg, William Lawrence Bragg
1914
Max von Laue
1913
Heike Kamerlingh Onnes
1912
Nils Gustaf Dalén
1911
Wilhelm Wien
1910
Johannes Diderik van der Waals
1909
Guglielmo Marconi, Karl Ferdinand Braun
1908
Gabriel Lippmann
1907
Albert Abraham Michelson
1906
Joseph John Thomson
1905
Philipp Eduard Anton von Lenard
1904
Lord Rayleigh (John William Strutt)
1903
Antoine Henri Becquerel, Pierre Curie, Marie Curie, née Sklodowska
1902
Hendrik Antoon Lorentz, Pieter Zeeman
1901
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen
2010
Andre Geim, Konstantin Novoselov
2009
Charles Kuen Kao, Willard S. Boyle, George E. Smith
2008
Yoichiro Nambu, Makoto Kobayashi, Toshihide Maskawa
2007
Albert Fert, Peter Grünberg
2006
John C. Mather, George F. Smoot
2005
Roy J. Glauber, John L. Hall, Theodor W. Hänsch
2004
David J. Gross, H. David Politzer, Frank Wilczek
2003
Alexei A. Abrikosov, Vitaly L. Ginzburg, Anthony J. Leggett
2002
Raymond Davis Jr., Masatoshi Koshiba, Riccardo Giacconi
2001
Eric A. Cornell, Wolfgang Ketterle, Carl E. Wieman
2000
Zhores I. Alferov, Herbert Kroemer, Jack S. Kilby
1999
Gerardus 't Hooft, Martinus J.G. Veltman
1998
Robert B. Laughlin, Horst L. Störmer, Daniel C. Tsui
1997
Steven Chu, Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, William D. Phillips
1996
David M. Lee, Douglas D. Osheroff, Robert C. Richardson
1995
Martin L. Perl, Frederick Reines
1994
Bertram N. Brockhouse, Clifford G. Shull
1993
Russell A. Hulse, Joseph H. Taylor Jr.
1992
Georges Charpak
1991
Pierre-Gilles de Gennes
1990
Jerome I. Friedman, Henry W. Kendall, Richard E. Taylor
1989
Norman F. Ramsey, Hans G. Dehmelt, Wolfgang Paul
1988
Leon M. Lederman, Melvin Schwartz, Jack Steinberger
1987
J. Georg Bednorz, K. Alexander Müller
1986
Ernst Ruska, Gerd Binnig, Heinrich Rohrer
1985
Klaus von Klitzing
1984
Carlo Rubbia, Simon van der Meer
1983
Subramanyan Chandrasekhar, William Alfred Fowler
1982
Kenneth G. Wilson
1981
Nicolaas Bloembergen, Arthur Leonard Schawlow, Kai M. Siegbahn
1980
James Watson Cronin, Val Logsdon Fitch
1979
Sheldon Lee Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
1978
Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa, Arno Allan Penzias, Robert Woodrow Wilson
1977
Philip Warren Anderson, Sir Nevill Francis Mott, John Hasbrouck van Vleck
1976
Burton Richter, Samuel Chao Chung Ting
1975
Aage Niels Bohr, Ben Roy Mottelson, Leo James Rainwater
1974
Sir Martin Ryle, Antony Hewish
1973
Leo Esaki, Ivar Giaever, Brian David Josephson
1972
John Bardeen, Leon Neil Cooper, John Robert Schrieffer
1971
Dennis Gabor
1970
Hannes Olof Gösta Alfvén, Louis Eugène Félix Néel
1969
Murray Gell-Mann
1968
Luis Walter Alvarez
1967
Hans Albrecht Bethe
1966
Alfred Kastler
1965
Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, Julian Schwinger, Richard P. Feynman
1964
Charles Hard Townes, Nicolay Gennadiyevich Basov, Aleksandr Mikhailovich Prokhorov
1963
Eugene Paul Wigner, Maria Goeppert-Mayer, J. Hans D. Jensen
1962
Lev Davidovich Landau
1961
Robert Hofstadter, Rudolf Ludwig Mössbauer
1960
Donald Arthur Glaser
1959
Emilio Gino Segrè, Owen Chamberlain
1958
Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov, Il´ja Mikhailovich Frank, Igor Yevgenyevich Tamm
1957
Chen Ning Yang, Tsung-Dao (T.D.) Lee
1956
William Bradford Shockley, John Bardeen, Walter Houser Brattain
1955
Willis Eugene Lamb, Polykarp Kusch
1954
Max Born, Walther Bothe
1953
Frits (Frederik) Zernike
1952
Felix Bloch, Edward Mills Purcell
1951
Sir John Douglas Cockcroft, Ernest Thomas Sinton Walton
1950
Cecil Frank Powell
1949
Hideki Yukawa
1948
Patrick Maynard Stuart Blackett
1947
Sir Edward Victor Appleton
1946
Percy Williams Bridgman
1945
Wolfgang Pauli
1944
Isidor Isaac Rabi
1943
Otto Stern
1942
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year. The prize money was with 1/3 allocated to the Main Fund and with 2/3 to the Special Fund of this prize section.
1941
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year. The prize money was with 1/3 allocated to the Main Fund and with 2/3 to the Special Fund of this prize section.
1940
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year. The prize money was with 1/3 allocated to the Main Fund and with 2/3 to the Special Fund of this prize section.
1939
Ernest Orlando Lawrence
1938
Enrico Fermi
1937
Clinton Joseph Davisson, George Paget Thomson
1936
Victor Franz Hess, Carl David Anderson
1935
James Chadwick
1934
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year. The prize money was with 1/3 allocated to the Main Fund and with 2/3 to the Special Fund of this prize section.
1933
Erwin Schrödinger, Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac
1932
Werner Karl Heisenberg
1931
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year. The prize money was allocated to the Special Fund of this prize section.
1930
Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman
1929
Prince Louis-Victor Pierre Raymond de Broglie
1928
Owen Willans Richardson
1927
Arthur Holly Compton, Charles Thomson Rees Wilson
1926
Jean Baptiste Perrin
1925
James Franck, Gustav Ludwig Hertz
1924
Karl Manne Georg Siegbahn
1923
Robert Andrews Millikan
1922
Niels Henrik David Bohr
1921
Albert Einstein
1920
Charles Edouard Guillaume
1919
Johannes Stark
1918
Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck
1917
Charles Glover Barkla
1916
No Nobel Prize was awarded this year. The prize money was allocated to the Special Fund of this prize section.
1915
Sir William Henry Bragg, William Lawrence Bragg
1914
Max von Laue
1913
Heike Kamerlingh Onnes
1912
Nils Gustaf Dalén
1911
Wilhelm Wien
1910
Johannes Diderik van der Waals
1909
Guglielmo Marconi, Karl Ferdinand Braun
1908
Gabriel Lippmann
1907
Albert Abraham Michelson
1906
Joseph John Thomson
1905
Philipp Eduard Anton von Lenard
1904
Lord Rayleigh (John William Strutt)
1903
Antoine Henri Becquerel, Pierre Curie, Marie Curie, née Sklodowska
1902
Hendrik Antoon Lorentz, Pieter Zeeman
1901
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen
Verdict against caste politics.
How miserably the politicians read the public mind, is evident from outbursts of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan a day before the election results in Bihar.
They claimed a big leap for them in the Bihar Election but unfortunately it was a big blow. NDA leader and CM Nitish Kumar has driven to a remarkable electoral feat by securing 84 percent of the seats in the Bihar Assembly. Lalu, Paswan et al can go to hibernation for next five years and the National Congress leaders have nothing to cheer. Who said the Bihar people are illiterate and are guided by malicious propaganda?
Those who fought the election on the basis of caste in Bihar had been defeated and it is a direct warning to those who resort to caste politics in rest of the country.
K A Solaman
They claimed a big leap for them in the Bihar Election but unfortunately it was a big blow. NDA leader and CM Nitish Kumar has driven to a remarkable electoral feat by securing 84 percent of the seats in the Bihar Assembly. Lalu, Paswan et al can go to hibernation for next five years and the National Congress leaders have nothing to cheer. Who said the Bihar people are illiterate and are guided by malicious propaganda?
Those who fought the election on the basis of caste in Bihar had been defeated and it is a direct warning to those who resort to caste politics in rest of the country.
K A Solaman
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Quick bucks for private colleges!
Many of the affiliated colleges in Kerala are in killing spree in disguise for the appointment of teachers to their various faculties. One of the major handicaps the managements face with, is the lack of NET/JRF qualified candidates with liquid cash in tune with 20 or 30 lakhs. Then, came news from some flip-side doors of the UGC stating that candidates with M Phil can also apply for the posts. On hearing this there was a heavy rush for purchase of application forms from the office-counters of private colleges and it attracted some quick bucks to the managements. The managements were also happy of getting an immediate fortune without much hardships. If demand is high the auction amount is also high.
But unfortunately, soon arrived a clarification from the UGC that candidates should be NET qualified for appointment, sending the management to an immoderate despair. However, the Mundassery II of Kerala is contemplating to dilute the UGC stipulations in collusion with all gluttonous managements.
Will the Managements pay back the application money in tune with Rs 500 or 750 they collected from candidates for one-day clearance sale of application forms? Will the Government check up the rank lists of candidates waiting for appointment in these colleges? Is there any management in Kerala, still waiting to appoint from their lists because of non-compliance of candidates with adequate fund? Will the Government ask private college managements to publish the rank lists on their website, as PSC do, on the very next day after the interview? There should be some corroboration in the acts of private college managements in Kerala because salary to the privileged ones appointed in these colleges, are paid from State exchequer.
K A Solaman
But unfortunately, soon arrived a clarification from the UGC that candidates should be NET qualified for appointment, sending the management to an immoderate despair. However, the Mundassery II of Kerala is contemplating to dilute the UGC stipulations in collusion with all gluttonous managements.
Will the Managements pay back the application money in tune with Rs 500 or 750 they collected from candidates for one-day clearance sale of application forms? Will the Government check up the rank lists of candidates waiting for appointment in these colleges? Is there any management in Kerala, still waiting to appoint from their lists because of non-compliance of candidates with adequate fund? Will the Government ask private college managements to publish the rank lists on their website, as PSC do, on the very next day after the interview? There should be some corroboration in the acts of private college managements in Kerala because salary to the privileged ones appointed in these colleges, are paid from State exchequer.
K A Solaman
Friday, November 12, 2010
Good news from Myanmar
Report from Myanmar is a matter of relief for the rest of the world. Aung San Suu Kyi has been released by the military rulers of Myanmar. Presumably she could lead her party for the imminent Myanmar general election if the military rulers do not impose further restrictions. Most probably Myanmar’s calming posture by releasing Aung San Suu Kyi was the outcome of U S President Barack Obama stance on the issue. Obama has personally supported for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi during his recent visit to India.
It is good for Myanmar if the rulers of that country so decide to demonstrate faith in Democracy and thereby to avoid further diplomatic isolation from all world countries.
K A Solaman
It is good for Myanmar if the rulers of that country so decide to demonstrate faith in Democracy and thereby to avoid further diplomatic isolation from all world countries.
K A Solaman
Monday, October 25, 2010
‘Poet from the gutters’ does not need ceremonial firing.
The ‘poet of the orphans’ has to wait one more day in cold storage for his last rites. Election to local bodies and the inconvenience of the cultural minister, are the reasons for the delay! Undoubtedly it is an insult to a dead man’s corpus. It is quite distressing to see that poet Ayyappan has to tranquilly wait to get opened his way to ‘ Santhikavadam’ and there from to eternal joy.
Hereinafter, celebrities who wish to die, die only after consultation with the cultural stalwarts of Kerala. Who said the ‘poet from the gutters’ need ceremonial firing from shot less guns?
K A Solaman
Hereinafter, celebrities who wish to die, die only after consultation with the cultural stalwarts of Kerala. Who said the ‘poet from the gutters’ need ceremonial firing from shot less guns?
K A Solaman
Monday, October 18, 2010
Will these children ever get through?
Thousands of tiny tots on Vidyarambham day were taken to the world of letters on all parts of Kerala by gurus extending from literary luminaries, cultural leaders and eminent teachers. Interestingly some of the gurus were hard core politicians with wicked Saraswathi on their tongue (name one?). Will these children ever get through in life?
K A Solaman
K A Solaman
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Chile mine rescue is unprecedented in the history of the world
The last of the 33 trapped Chilean miners was also rescued on Wednesday and that too after having stayed 700 metre underground for more than two months. All of them were elevated one-by-one in a capsule through a narrowly bored hole.
All world were watching the Chilean effort of rescuing their fellow men and everybody prayed from their heart for the success.
K A Solaman
All world were watching the Chilean effort of rescuing their fellow men and everybody prayed from their heart for the success.
K A Solaman
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Novel venture by Math
The willingness of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math to take up the responsibility of cleaning public places and constructing bathrooms and toilets in every town in the country is admirable. It is true that we are lagging much behind many other world countries regarding hygiene and public sanitation. The public awareness is too poor about the standard of cleanliness.
All local bodies and State Governments should support and cooperate with the new venture of Mata Amritanandamayi Math.
K A Solaman
All local bodies and State Governments should support and cooperate with the new venture of Mata Amritanandamayi Math.
K A Solaman
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Deal with separatists firmly
Any peace-loving person will be distressed to see the turn of events in the Kashmir valley. It is sad to see that the bigotry of fundamentalists has reached new heights.
The common people of Kashmir are living as refugees in their own country and the Kashmiri children have not been able to attend schools and colleges for the last three months. The Centre and the state should enlist the cooperation of all peace-loving people and try to resolve the Kashmir tangle.
The demand for withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Kashmir requires serious introspection. There is no problem in the country that cannot be solved through debate, dialogue and discussion across the table.
K.A. SOLAMAN,
The Tribune, Chandigarh, 23 Sept 2010
The common people of Kashmir are living as refugees in their own country and the Kashmiri children have not been able to attend schools and colleges for the last three months. The Centre and the state should enlist the cooperation of all peace-loving people and try to resolve the Kashmir tangle.
The demand for withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Kashmir requires serious introspection. There is no problem in the country that cannot be solved through debate, dialogue and discussion across the table.
K.A. SOLAMAN,
The Tribune, Chandigarh, 23 Sept 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Burning Kashmir
It is matter of sorrow for any peace loving person to see the turn of events in the Kashmir valley. And it is sorer to see that the bigotry of the fundamentalists has augmented and reached its new height. The common people Kashmir are living as refugees in their own country and Kashmiri children are not been able to attend their schools for the past 3 months. The State and Central governments along with all involved in the Kashmir entangle should sit together and contemplate for a solution.
The withdrawal of special powers of Army in Kashmir requires serious introspection.
K A Solaman
The withdrawal of special powers of Army in Kashmir requires serious introspection.
K A Solaman
Monday, September 13, 2010
T J Joseph is in the making of a ‘Thodupuzha Christ’
Dismissed professor of Newman College, Thodupuzha T J Joseph is in the making of a new ‘Christ of Thodupuzha’ by justifying his foolish act of setting up the blasphemous question paper. The argument of Joseph that the management has invented new story to punish him, is on the wrong footing. It is a routine practice of all institutions to get explanation from its employees who erred during their service time. And most often these explanations end with the phrase “feel sorry for the mistake that I had committed and it may be pardoned”. This is a file closing ritual where words find no meaning and the offender is never measured for further action. But enthused by the overwhelming support, from the so called human right crusaders and left wing teachers, who were seen absconding when religious fanatics craving for his blood, Joseph has turned against the church. Joseph has also found his gaffe as a golden opportunity to tick off the church, a recent trend in Kerala which emerged with the blessing of the Ruling Front. The Taliban and the Kerala Christian clergies are akin, according to a few godless party men!
Joseph now says he didn’t want the generosity of the church if he had to apologize for things he had not done. However, he admits that DTP operator of the college who printed the question, smiled at him on reading the question paper. Joseph would have also smiled then. If Joseph needs no generosity, would he accept donation from church that is put in his bank account published in a channel along with a request?
Remember “life is not measured by the number of breathes we take, but rather by the number of moments which take our breathes away”. Joseph has had enough moments in his life that took his breathes way. Don’t pursue further in this direction by thoughtless act. Whatever may be our minister’s claim about earning from lottery selling, it is too hard to subsist by selling lottery tickets alone. The ‘right activists and pacifiers’ will soon disappear into thin air, Mr Joseph. Ask your mother about what to do. The elders know much more about life than the educated.
K A Solaman
Joseph now says he didn’t want the generosity of the church if he had to apologize for things he had not done. However, he admits that DTP operator of the college who printed the question, smiled at him on reading the question paper. Joseph would have also smiled then. If Joseph needs no generosity, would he accept donation from church that is put in his bank account published in a channel along with a request?
Remember “life is not measured by the number of breathes we take, but rather by the number of moments which take our breathes away”. Joseph has had enough moments in his life that took his breathes way. Don’t pursue further in this direction by thoughtless act. Whatever may be our minister’s claim about earning from lottery selling, it is too hard to subsist by selling lottery tickets alone. The ‘right activists and pacifiers’ will soon disappear into thin air, Mr Joseph. Ask your mother about what to do. The elders know much more about life than the educated.
K A Solaman
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Ban lottery, ban spurious toddy
Why the State Government in Kerala wait for action Union Government to amend the Lotteries Act to save Kerala from the lottery steal when fake lotteries of the other states are sold here? Is there any connection for Union government with fake lotteries? The poor and less educated people who buy lottery tickets copiously have now realized that they are the victims of lottery mafia and that is why sale of other state lotteries in Kerala has come to a still. People now like cine actor Jagathy are hesitant to entertain and buy Bhutan or Sikkim tickets.
Inter-State lottery mafia under the guise of selling approved Bhutan and Sikkim lotteries are selling fake lotteries here and for that there is consent from ruling front bigwigs for reasons known to all.
The consumption of liquor and the mania for the lotteries are death traps for poor and ignorant people of Kerala and the Government that is bound to restrict it stand as a mute spectator. Common man is falling prey to this social evil and is spending all his hard earned money without caring children and the ailing old ones in homes. It is not campaigns and awareness programmes that are needed to check the danger but strict law enforcement is needed. By no means should other state lotteries be allowed in the state. If a few people are not able to sustain without lottery and liquor allow only state lottery and that too once in a week as practiced now and provide cheap and non-toxic liquor at beverages outlets.
KA Solaman
Inter-State lottery mafia under the guise of selling approved Bhutan and Sikkim lotteries are selling fake lotteries here and for that there is consent from ruling front bigwigs for reasons known to all.
The consumption of liquor and the mania for the lotteries are death traps for poor and ignorant people of Kerala and the Government that is bound to restrict it stand as a mute spectator. Common man is falling prey to this social evil and is spending all his hard earned money without caring children and the ailing old ones in homes. It is not campaigns and awareness programmes that are needed to check the danger but strict law enforcement is needed. By no means should other state lotteries be allowed in the state. If a few people are not able to sustain without lottery and liquor allow only state lottery and that too once in a week as practiced now and provide cheap and non-toxic liquor at beverages outlets.
KA Solaman
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Greatest teaching of Jesus is forgotten.
Mahatma Gandhi University Syndicate revoked the suspension of Prof. T.J. Joseph. However, Newmann college management suspended him for the embarrassment created by his setting up of the controversial question paper. It is unfortunate on the part of Newmann College Management to go on with action leading to the dismissal of the teacher from the college. Prof Joseph has made apology to the general public and then why the management is so particular in further punishing him for what is called an appeasement from Muslim fanatics? ‘Forgive and be kind’ is the greatest Christian teaching and a college running on such principles has forgotten this teaching.
I fear the craving for getting 20-40 lakh as donation from a fresh recruit is the crucial issue for any management to throw away an incumbent staff member on an insignificant matteer
K A Solaman
I fear the craving for getting 20-40 lakh as donation from a fresh recruit is the crucial issue for any management to throw away an incumbent staff member on an insignificant matteer
K A Solaman
Monday, August 23, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Never realizable dream
Unattainable dream
After the spoilsport for about 10 years ruining Kerala Collegiate Education, the Government of Kerala has decided to sanction 1,599 posts of teachers in aided colleges in the State. All guest faculties working in various colleges now can search for other income building business like lottery selling or serving in petrol bunks. The aided college managements in Kerala are enthralled at the chunk of donation they likely to get from these 1599 appointments. Assuming Rs 50 lakh for single post private college managements in Kerala are likely to get about 800 crore rupees.
Is there any management in Kerala who appoint a candidate without a price? Is there any interview board constituted for these appointments do their duty without guilt of conscience? Has our Government machinery any mechanism to control the wide-spread corruption in these colleges? For poor and intelligent candidates with NET and Ph D, teaching in private aided colleges, where salary is paid from State exchequer, is a never realizable dream.
K A Solaman
After the spoilsport for about 10 years ruining Kerala Collegiate Education, the Government of Kerala has decided to sanction 1,599 posts of teachers in aided colleges in the State. All guest faculties working in various colleges now can search for other income building business like lottery selling or serving in petrol bunks. The aided college managements in Kerala are enthralled at the chunk of donation they likely to get from these 1599 appointments. Assuming Rs 50 lakh for single post private college managements in Kerala are likely to get about 800 crore rupees.
Is there any management in Kerala who appoint a candidate without a price? Is there any interview board constituted for these appointments do their duty without guilt of conscience? Has our Government machinery any mechanism to control the wide-spread corruption in these colleges? For poor and intelligent candidates with NET and Ph D, teaching in private aided colleges, where salary is paid from State exchequer, is a never realizable dream.
K A Solaman
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Names for fake identity
The names like Trivandrum, Bombay, Kerala and others are meaningless for some people. They need Kerala as Keralam, Trivandrum as Thiruvananthapuram etc. However, whaty I have to say is my letters addressed to Trivandrum still reaches there on time. Does one require more meaning than this? The names like Kesavan, Kumaran, Karthikeyan, Remesan, Krishnan, Raman, Bhamakshi etc are purely names of Keralaites of yester years. Now they are all known as Kesav, Kumar, Karthik, Remesh, Krish, Ram, Bhama etc. Do these people need a go back to old name identity? And it is also the habit of more refined ones to delete the tags like Nair, Menon, Potty, Pillai, Mappilai etc in their names. Still a few keep these tags for their fake identity.
K A Solaman
K A Solaman
Friday, July 16, 2010
Who need ‘Keralam’?
All the burning problems in the State have been settled by the LDF Government! If one still remains unattended it is the renaming of the State into ‘ Keralam’. I would like to say the demand for changing the official spelling of the state to ‘Keralam’ to make it conform to the way it is pronounced in Malayalam is unnecessary and wasteful. The advocates for ‘Keralam’ may have arguments with many examples of change of name such as ‘Bombay into Mumbai, Calicut into Kozhikode, Trivandrum into Thiruvananthapuram etc. What did we gain from these changes? If one writes Thiruvananthapuram instead of Trivandrum he has to write 18 letters instead of 10. What a terrible waste! Today if I write a letter to Bombay it still reaches Mumbai.
Attack against colonialism by people like Pallisserry is silly and superficially restricted only in trivial matters. Keralites are mostly world citizens disposed to see beyond any language barrier. The discussion to change name of the State may kindly be kept in vault.
K A Solaman
Attack against colonialism by people like Pallisserry is silly and superficially restricted only in trivial matters. Keralites are mostly world citizens disposed to see beyond any language barrier. The discussion to change name of the State may kindly be kept in vault.
K A Solaman
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Happy secret
The engagement and marriage of the Indian cricket captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and his childhood friend, Sakshi Singh Rawat, were closely guarded secrets. But this cannot be entirely explained by Dhoni’s wish to keep the media at bay. Was it also done to prevent heartbreaks and suicides? Soon after the wedding, Dhoni is supposed to have met the Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi. Perhaps he had a discreet message to convey to the 40-year-old politician — that politics, like cricket, can be managed in wedlock.
K.A. Solaman
The Telegraph, Kolkata, 13 July 2010
K.A. Solaman
The Telegraph, Kolkata, 13 July 2010
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Legal protection for campus politics
Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the Government was planning to give legal protection to lawful political activity in campuses. In one aspect it is good as there is now none to question the spite practices of some unscrupulous managements. For instance look at the anomaly in the fee collected as application money for lectureship in private colleges in Kerala. When one college demands Rs 750 per application form others collect Rs 500, Rs 300 etc. No uniformity could be seen in fee collected from students for various necessities. There is no effort from any corner to control capitation fee for admission and appointment. The fund collected for a lecture post is about Rs 15-30 lakhs whereas fee for a degree seat admission is Rs 3000-15000. Who will check these malpractices other than students? If students, politics is legalized this could be controlled a bit.
Nevertheless, the student leaders in politics, unaware of their duties and obligations most often curtail the freedom of learning of a lot of students. The classes are often obstructed by political outfits for trivial issues and most often smooth running of the college becomes a tough job. And that is why some able PTAs in schools and colleges succeeded in abandoning students’ politics. But it soon brought adverse effect. So while giving legal coverage politics in campuses, students who are not interested in politics should be given legal protection to pursue their learning without the interruption from political outfits.
Interesting aspect is there would be anarchy sponsored by managements if politics is banned in campuses and at the same time there would be more anarchy as that one witnessed in the past if students’ politics are legalized. Can’t we look for an intermediary path?
K A Solaman
Nevertheless, the student leaders in politics, unaware of their duties and obligations most often curtail the freedom of learning of a lot of students. The classes are often obstructed by political outfits for trivial issues and most often smooth running of the college becomes a tough job. And that is why some able PTAs in schools and colleges succeeded in abandoning students’ politics. But it soon brought adverse effect. So while giving legal coverage politics in campuses, students who are not interested in politics should be given legal protection to pursue their learning without the interruption from political outfits.
Interesting aspect is there would be anarchy sponsored by managements if politics is banned in campuses and at the same time there would be more anarchy as that one witnessed in the past if students’ politics are legalized. Can’t we look for an intermediary path?
K A Solaman
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Casuality--story
Thomas Mash and peon Krshnankutty took Bhargavan Mash to nearby hospital. Bhargavan Mash was inflicted with a new disease. He remained still with wide opened mouth. Though his respiratory system is normal no other vital sign is clear!
The duty doctor pushed on the puffed up nerve on the throat of Bhargavan sir. Bhargavan sir became normal and started talking to doctor.
The doctor came out of the casualty and inquired the matter.
“Any reason for this accident? I mean an incident in class room?”
“No doctor. Bhargavan Mash was a substitute in the newly started English medium class. The teacher in charge of the class was absent today. He had spent only five to ten minutes in the class, the time for taking attendance”.
“Yes, that is the reason. When a teacher call the names of students as Aswin, Akash, Arjun, Abhinav, Akhil, Azin, Allan, Andrew, Ann, Ashok, Aromal etc., this type of disease will happen. Wide opened mouth is the noticeable symptom. This could happen to anyone calling these names. Our present day parents are making their children first in the class by putting naming starting with A. Could we find any Oommen, Thomman, Kunju, Meenakshy, Ponnamma, Thankamma, Kamalakshy in future?”
By saying this doctor stood from his seat and went for ward inspection.
K A Solaman
The duty doctor pushed on the puffed up nerve on the throat of Bhargavan sir. Bhargavan sir became normal and started talking to doctor.
The doctor came out of the casualty and inquired the matter.
“Any reason for this accident? I mean an incident in class room?”
“No doctor. Bhargavan Mash was a substitute in the newly started English medium class. The teacher in charge of the class was absent today. He had spent only five to ten minutes in the class, the time for taking attendance”.
“Yes, that is the reason. When a teacher call the names of students as Aswin, Akash, Arjun, Abhinav, Akhil, Azin, Allan, Andrew, Ann, Ashok, Aromal etc., this type of disease will happen. Wide opened mouth is the noticeable symptom. This could happen to anyone calling these names. Our present day parents are making their children first in the class by putting naming starting with A. Could we find any Oommen, Thomman, Kunju, Meenakshy, Ponnamma, Thankamma, Kamalakshy in future?”
By saying this doctor stood from his seat and went for ward inspection.
K A Solaman
Thursday, June 24, 2010
This Is Good-Motivational story
An old story is told of a king in Africa who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!"
One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!" To which the king replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail.
About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake. As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him on his way.
As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. "You were right," he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."
"No," his friend replied, "This is good!" "What do you mean,'This is good'? How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?" "If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you."
- Author Unknown
One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!" To which the king replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail.
About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake. As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him on his way.
As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. "You were right," he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."
"No," his friend replied, "This is good!" "What do you mean,'This is good'? How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?" "If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you."
- Author Unknown
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Can’t we have a World Malayalam Conference?
The Coimbatore city in TN is all set for a World Tamil Conference. More than 5,000 people from India and abroad, including a large number of scholars, will take part in the first five-day World Classical Tamil Conference. Thousands of delegates from India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Singapore, Canada, the US, Greece and other countries have confirmed their participation. These include around 1,000 scholars who will submit research papers. The conference is expected to raise the awareness level for cooperative and collaborative research on the classical side of Tamil language.
Then why can’t the Kerala CM V S Achuthanandan consider a similar Malayalam Conference in Kerala? If one is accomplished in Kerala, and of course not in London as organised by thoughtless people, more students study Malayalam and do research. The Tamil language has already won classical status in the country. The proponents of Malayalam are still knocking at the doors of Delhi bigwigs to get classical status to Malayalam. It is far good to conduct a World Malayalam conference to convince the authority and to make them aware of the importance of Malayalam language. And for this Achuthanandan need not pen title song for the conference as did by Karunanidhi. This job can be handed over to minister poets in the Cabinet like Binoy Viswom or G Sudhakaran.
The classical status to Malayalam should come through activity and not by act of contrition.
K A Solaman
Then why can’t the Kerala CM V S Achuthanandan consider a similar Malayalam Conference in Kerala? If one is accomplished in Kerala, and of course not in London as organised by thoughtless people, more students study Malayalam and do research. The Tamil language has already won classical status in the country. The proponents of Malayalam are still knocking at the doors of Delhi bigwigs to get classical status to Malayalam. It is far good to conduct a World Malayalam conference to convince the authority and to make them aware of the importance of Malayalam language. And for this Achuthanandan need not pen title song for the conference as did by Karunanidhi. This job can be handed over to minister poets in the Cabinet like Binoy Viswom or G Sudhakaran.
The classical status to Malayalam should come through activity and not by act of contrition.
K A Solaman
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Kerala University bids goodbye to a 44-year-old tradition
University of Kerala bidding to 44 year annual degree system and switching over to credit and semester system is an effort to sail smoothly with the present trend. Nevertheless it would not bring any substantive gain. This is not an isolated opinion but many teachers working now in colleges join with this. The foremost reason is that all colleges in Kerala experience a staff-crunch and without adequate number of teaching staff the semester system cannot be carried out successfully. Teachers in guest faculty are working for a wage and they are not competent enough to make grade in the credit and semester system.
More intriguing is the undue importance of social service in the proposed system. In most of the colleges in Kerala currently what is largely going on is social service and no time for teaching class. Cattle feeding, thattukada running, mosquito census are some of the existing services available in the colleges now. With the introduction of more social services the colleges will turn into a market place where teaching and learning process will be a leisure work. As many as 20 different forums working in the college will bring a pandemonium comparable to one that is full swing at CMS College, Kottayan at present. Offering additional open courses to students, who are not at all interested teaching-learning processes, is very prying to note.
The clause that attendance would fetch grades and each student should have not less than 75 per cent attendance for all semesters will open more war grounds in colleges. The teachers would have to read threatening SMS from student outfits for denying attendance to their workers. It will be a tough time for teachers to manage second-rate degree course students who are destined to join these colleges because of denial of admission in professional courses. The Education Minister had made the school education already a mess. The proposed choice based credit system, will extent this confusion to Arts and Science colleges too. Let us wait and see number of years the students admitted to the newly introduced credit and semester would take to get their first degree.
More intriguing is the undue importance of social service in the proposed system. In most of the colleges in Kerala currently what is largely going on is social service and no time for teaching class. Cattle feeding, thattukada running, mosquito census are some of the existing services available in the colleges now. With the introduction of more social services the colleges will turn into a market place where teaching and learning process will be a leisure work. As many as 20 different forums working in the college will bring a pandemonium comparable to one that is full swing at CMS College, Kottayan at present. Offering additional open courses to students, who are not at all interested teaching-learning processes, is very prying to note.
The clause that attendance would fetch grades and each student should have not less than 75 per cent attendance for all semesters will open more war grounds in colleges. The teachers would have to read threatening SMS from student outfits for denying attendance to their workers. It will be a tough time for teachers to manage second-rate degree course students who are destined to join these colleges because of denial of admission in professional courses. The Education Minister had made the school education already a mess. The proposed choice based credit system, will extent this confusion to Arts and Science colleges too. Let us wait and see number of years the students admitted to the newly introduced credit and semester would take to get their first degree.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Why I love football?
The media is seemed to be obsessed now with the news of the World cup football. The news of cricket is being shelved for football for a while. In my opinion football is definitely a more intense sport than cricket with more countries able to compete at a high level. Watching seven-hour days of cricket without a result is really profitable for channels but a boring experience for the viewers. The 90 minutes football thrills everybody and avoids boredom. Further football offers a much more intense display, and it creates an air of uniqueness that cannot be simulated by cricket. The tribal nature of football crowds may overstep the mark at times, but it undoubtedly trumps the cricket fans in terms of creating and maintaining an atmosphere. Football fans are almost a part of the game and this sort of affection is not seen in cricket.
Football is a simple game that appeals to a lot. In many countries it is the only game. Cricket has only a fraction of the exposure that football has. Scandalous match fixing in cricket is unheard in football. I love football more than cricket.
K A Solaman
Football is a simple game that appeals to a lot. In many countries it is the only game. Cricket has only a fraction of the exposure that football has. Scandalous match fixing in cricket is unheard in football. I love football more than cricket.
K A Solaman
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Kannur killing
Kannur killing field, notorious for its history of fatal political violence of more than three decades in which hundreds of people had lost lives, is now in the lime light with the killing of two BJP workers.. This incident could spot a new phase of violence in Kannur.
The political attacks of Kannur are never based on socio-economic justice but footed on silly politics. It is a game of count for martyrs and has no long term objective. It culminates when an election is in the offing. Kerala is to face election to local bodies and State Assembly in one year.
All party meeting and reconciliation talks are futile in Kannur. A stubborn district administration could control the worse situation in Kannur and it depends on the resolve of the Government. The government should impose strict police rule in all affected area
The state should treat political killing in Kannur as a serious problem and eliminate the revolt using all resources.
K A Solaman
The political attacks of Kannur are never based on socio-economic justice but footed on silly politics. It is a game of count for martyrs and has no long term objective. It culminates when an election is in the offing. Kerala is to face election to local bodies and State Assembly in one year.
All party meeting and reconciliation talks are futile in Kannur. A stubborn district administration could control the worse situation in Kannur and it depends on the resolve of the Government. The government should impose strict police rule in all affected area
The state should treat political killing in Kannur as a serious problem and eliminate the revolt using all resources.
K A Solaman
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Is sex unsafe during menstruation?
The school children of Kerala are going to be the victims of the worst actions of sex mafia and immoral traffickers. The state education department has decided to instruct sex lessons to adolescent students. The teachers at present in schools will be busier and no free hour will be available in schools hereinafter for extra-curricular activities. I fear about pattern of question like: “Is sex unsafe during menstruation, you Raju say?” and after effect of practical work and project analysis of sex education.
There are teachers in schools who took only reproductive system when they handle human physiology. The range of this category would be more in schools with the opening of next academic year. What the students have to do is to check the veracity of sex lessons instructed in the class rooms and those available in porno sites.
No mark, only grade in SSLC and Higher Secondary were planned to diminish number of suicides at exam results. Nevertheless, this year all the calculations have gone wrong and cases of suicides were alarming. The gender education without proper planning need not necessarily yield better result. And it is unnecessary for all students to know about menstruation.
K A Solaman
There are teachers in schools who took only reproductive system when they handle human physiology. The range of this category would be more in schools with the opening of next academic year. What the students have to do is to check the veracity of sex lessons instructed in the class rooms and those available in porno sites.
No mark, only grade in SSLC and Higher Secondary were planned to diminish number of suicides at exam results. Nevertheless, this year all the calculations have gone wrong and cases of suicides were alarming. The gender education without proper planning need not necessarily yield better result. And it is unnecessary for all students to know about menstruation.
K A Solaman
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Mahatma Gandhi University in killing spree
Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala is in a killing spree to derecognise some of it’s off campus centres and affiliated institutions. Latest in this direction is the suspension the recognition of Sreenikethan Off Campus Centre at Karamkode, Kollam dist, following the reported seizure of answer scripts of students involved in mass copying. Controller of Examinations Thomas John Mambara, along with other bigwigs of the University is all in a mood to end the widespread malpractice in the examination centres. However, no woman member is seen in the squad. Does it mean that women candidates are less vulnerable to misconduct or woman bureaucrats in the University are not plucky enough to spot out the miscreants in the examination hall?
I personally believe the action of Mambara and his coterie is against the accepted policy of the Kerala Education ministry. The Education Minister M A Baby is all the time taking huge effort to lessen the hardships of examinations and thereby to avoid mental stress of students. A student who puts only number of the questions in the answer script he or she is awarded full marks in the plus 2 examination. On the other hand Mambara and company's act is just opposite to it.
The laxity in conducting the examination has been created by school/college authorities. The teacher- assisted copying in examination hall is the feature of many new generation CBSE schools. No external invigilators are posted and if posted one he enjoys the hospitality of the school management and closes his eyes at malpractice. Is hundred percent result and that too all with distinctions in SSLC examination in Gulf countries, an indication of the fact that the sons and daughters of people in Gulf are more intelligent than their counterparts in Kerala? The invigilators posted from Kerala to conduct examination there always sit in a/c rooms enjoying gulf hospitality while examination goes as desired by the school authority. If one has still doubts then ask the government to conduct a narco analysis on those who had done the job in Gulf schools. All schools are in a competition mood in Kerala and hence they resort unscrupulous acts to get hundred percent results and that is essential for their existence. The students passed out from these schools view examinations in the manner of their experience and hence resulted in mass copying. The fault is not with the students but with the teachers of the institution and the University authorities who had given permission to bland agencies to run off-campus centres.
The action of Mambara and company send a wrong notion to the outside world that the degree certificates of the pass outs from M G University are not genuine. What we need is a fool proof method to ensure the genuineness of the examination system and not a dire practice at the end to ‘kill’ the students. Because of utter ignominy if a candidate ends his life will Mambara compensate for it? The alternative is this: Inculcate the importance of examination in the very beginning of curriculum. Examination should be conducted with external examiners and their remuneration should be given in time. Mass humiliation in the examination hall should not be taken as mean for getting more money as TA and DA to the University authorities.
K A Solaman
I personally believe the action of Mambara and his coterie is against the accepted policy of the Kerala Education ministry. The Education Minister M A Baby is all the time taking huge effort to lessen the hardships of examinations and thereby to avoid mental stress of students. A student who puts only number of the questions in the answer script he or she is awarded full marks in the plus 2 examination. On the other hand Mambara and company's act is just opposite to it.
The laxity in conducting the examination has been created by school/college authorities. The teacher- assisted copying in examination hall is the feature of many new generation CBSE schools. No external invigilators are posted and if posted one he enjoys the hospitality of the school management and closes his eyes at malpractice. Is hundred percent result and that too all with distinctions in SSLC examination in Gulf countries, an indication of the fact that the sons and daughters of people in Gulf are more intelligent than their counterparts in Kerala? The invigilators posted from Kerala to conduct examination there always sit in a/c rooms enjoying gulf hospitality while examination goes as desired by the school authority. If one has still doubts then ask the government to conduct a narco analysis on those who had done the job in Gulf schools. All schools are in a competition mood in Kerala and hence they resort unscrupulous acts to get hundred percent results and that is essential for their existence. The students passed out from these schools view examinations in the manner of their experience and hence resulted in mass copying. The fault is not with the students but with the teachers of the institution and the University authorities who had given permission to bland agencies to run off-campus centres.
The action of Mambara and company send a wrong notion to the outside world that the degree certificates of the pass outs from M G University are not genuine. What we need is a fool proof method to ensure the genuineness of the examination system and not a dire practice at the end to ‘kill’ the students. Because of utter ignominy if a candidate ends his life will Mambara compensate for it? The alternative is this: Inculcate the importance of examination in the very beginning of curriculum. Examination should be conducted with external examiners and their remuneration should be given in time. Mass humiliation in the examination hall should not be taken as mean for getting more money as TA and DA to the University authorities.
K A Solaman
Monday, April 12, 2010
Controversial match-the telegraph
The tennis player, Sania Mirza, should not worry about not conforming to people’s expectations while marrying Shoaib Malik, a cricketer from Pakistan. The news of their wedding has become very popular not just because both parties are celebrities, but also because they belong to ‘rival’ countries (“Caught on TV: Shoaib at Sania home”, April 4). However, even world-class players are ordinary citizens and their decision to get married is not a political statement but an individual choice, which will, in no way, improve or worsen Indo-Pak relationship.
Bal Thackeray has raised questions about Mirza’s decision to continue playing for India even after she is wedded to Malik. Thackeray’s comment can be put off as an old man’s joke. His mind is seemingly twisted — he had earlier spoken against Mirza wearing “tight clothes” on the tennis court. He was also of the opinion that Mirza would no longer be an Indian national after she marries Malik. Mirza is a true Indian and she can remain so if she desires. Perhaps the only dampener in this alliance is the ruckus over Malik’s previous wedding.
K.A. Solaman, Alappuzha, Kerala
The Telgraph, Calcutta, Dated 10 April 2010
Bal Thackeray has raised questions about Mirza’s decision to continue playing for India even after she is wedded to Malik. Thackeray’s comment can be put off as an old man’s joke. His mind is seemingly twisted — he had earlier spoken against Mirza wearing “tight clothes” on the tennis court. He was also of the opinion that Mirza would no longer be an Indian national after she marries Malik. Mirza is a true Indian and she can remain so if she desires. Perhaps the only dampener in this alliance is the ruckus over Malik’s previous wedding.
K.A. Solaman, Alappuzha, Kerala
The Telgraph, Calcutta, Dated 10 April 2010
Thursday, April 08, 2010
PSC to appoint University teachers.
I endorse KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala’s demand that the Public Service Commission (PSC) should be authorised to make university appointments. All University appointments at present are done on the basis of political affiliations and that should come to an end. The University Syndicates are conglomeration of politically privileged ones who siphon out huge sum from university fund why way of TA/DA. The PSC appointment should extended to aided colleges too in Kerala where the salaries to teaching staff and non-teaching staff are paid from state exchequer but the appointments are done erratically. The appointment committee constituted in colleges with a government nominee and a subject expert often shows their expertise in eating a lavish dinner after the interview. There is not even a single private college in Kerala where appointments are done without a price. And with the implementation of revised UGC package the donation will augment to half a crore.
Act of turning universities into its feeder organizations of political parties is not a new phenomenon. All political parties are responsible for turning the centres of academic excellence in to shambles.
K A Solaman
Act of turning universities into its feeder organizations of political parties is not a new phenomenon. All political parties are responsible for turning the centres of academic excellence in to shambles.
K A Solaman
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Revisit anti-Maoist strategy
The Maoist rebel attack that claimed the lives of 76 security personnel in Dantewada district calls for an urgent need to combat Naxal terrorism in India with a time-bound solution. Ministers may express deep concern in the event of such incident, but none seems to own up to the responsibility. The Government’s anti-Maoist strategy must be revisited and the police and the military should be supplied with most modern weapons to combat such attacks.
Maoism is not a one-off problem that can be dealt with a crisis-management approach. We need a final solution to the Maoist menace.
KA Solaman
Alappuzha, Kerala Published Daily Pioneer dated 7-4-2010
Maoism is not a one-off problem that can be dealt with a crisis-management approach. We need a final solution to the Maoist menace.
KA Solaman
Alappuzha, Kerala Published Daily Pioneer dated 7-4-2010
Friday, April 02, 2010
Condolence at the death of my friend Dr K K Sudevan
It was with a great feeling of loss when I heard of sudden demise of my friend K K Sudevan, the director, K R Gouri Amma College of Engineering, Valamangalam, Thuravoor. My heart is truly distraught.
Sudevan was more than just a humble and wonderful person; he was always so kind and considerate to me that I always welcomed seeing him at every occasion. He was my class mate in standard ten of High School, Kandmangalam. We were the only the two first classes from standard XB of the school in the SSLC examination of 1968 March. Our class teacher was Damodaran Sir. Sudevan’s paintings on the life cycle of frog was pasted on walls of the class room by Damodaran sir and asked us to learn from it. Radha Teacher, wife of Damodaran sir, was our Malayalam teacher. Rajappan sir and Valiya Thampan sir taught us Mathematics. The lessons we learned from the class were the same. However, he fathomed more miles than me with his intelligence and tireless effort. He was a professor at an Engineering college, Mumbai before joining at Valamangalam Engineering College as director.
His passing will not only leave a void in our lives, but in the hearts of all those who knew him. He was a true follower of Sree Narayana Guru. His association with Thaickal Muslim church, Thankey Christian Church, and Kandamangalam temple will be ever remembered. He was a man of vision and secular thoughts. Sudevan will always remain within my heart
My sincere prayers for my friend.
K A Solaman
Friday, April 02, 2010
Sudevan was more than just a humble and wonderful person; he was always so kind and considerate to me that I always welcomed seeing him at every occasion. He was my class mate in standard ten of High School, Kandmangalam. We were the only the two first classes from standard XB of the school in the SSLC examination of 1968 March. Our class teacher was Damodaran Sir. Sudevan’s paintings on the life cycle of frog was pasted on walls of the class room by Damodaran sir and asked us to learn from it. Radha Teacher, wife of Damodaran sir, was our Malayalam teacher. Rajappan sir and Valiya Thampan sir taught us Mathematics. The lessons we learned from the class were the same. However, he fathomed more miles than me with his intelligence and tireless effort. He was a professor at an Engineering college, Mumbai before joining at Valamangalam Engineering College as director.
His passing will not only leave a void in our lives, but in the hearts of all those who knew him. He was a true follower of Sree Narayana Guru. His association with Thaickal Muslim church, Thankey Christian Church, and Kandamangalam temple will be ever remembered. He was a man of vision and secular thoughts. Sudevan will always remain within my heart
My sincere prayers for my friend.
K A Solaman
Friday, April 02, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Less liquor, less damage.
Smoking in public places is prohibited in India but some do it in open. The law enforcing agencies often take don’t care stance in such occasions. However, the people have learnt about smoking hazards and its health risk. So they have a wariness to smoke in open. However, this kind of approach is not seen in the use of liquors. Kerala crossed the Rs.100-crore mark in the sale of Indian made foreign liquor during the last Onam period and in this Easter season also the case will not be different. The cash crunchy State coffers eyes at money from liquor sale along with the income from check posts and sale of sands. The sand sale from river plateaus remember us the famous Biblical teaching: “Remember, O man, that you are dust(sand), and unto dust you shall return”.
The illicit liquor and its sale through bars and other private places would estimate another hundred core. The Government that had recognized the health risk of tobacco has failed to take the blow of the ill-effects of liquor use. The Government has not evolved any effective step to create an awareness to reduce alcohol consumption instead permission is given to open more outlets for sale. In toddy shops what is now sold is not pure toddy but chemically poisoned water which is very injurious to health. If smoking brings a person a long term ailment the toddy now sold brings him immediate ailment and permanent handicap. Particularly, the young men are the victim to the evils of liquor consumption as they often find no opening to shed their extra energy. All the play grounds and public places have vanished and there is no space for them to play foot ball or hand ball. The only option for them is to watch live TV cricket in closed rooms and continue intake of liquor profusely.
An added handicap of liquor sale is worst law and order situation which is never a by-product of the smoking habit. The system of promoting liquor sales during Onam, Vishu, Deepavali, Christmas and Easter should be abandoned in the larger interest of society. The government starting rehabilitation centres along with Beverages Corporation outlets is a laughing stock. Consumption of alcohol is undoubtedly damaging to one's health, more damaging than smoking. Besides it consumes more money than that spend for smoking. If Rs 20 is spent for buying cigarettes then Rs 200 is needed for buying liquor. Serving liquor has become a bogus status symbol and is an integral part to societal gatherings. No meaningful awareness against this handicap has been taken by the government.
It is unwise to ban sale and purchase of alcohol as the base of most medicines is alcohol. A meaningful and sincere awareness programme should be envisaged for younger people about the damages done by liquor. If so the rate of crimes, accidents, domestic violence along with health hazards could be reduced.
K A Solaman
The illicit liquor and its sale through bars and other private places would estimate another hundred core. The Government that had recognized the health risk of tobacco has failed to take the blow of the ill-effects of liquor use. The Government has not evolved any effective step to create an awareness to reduce alcohol consumption instead permission is given to open more outlets for sale. In toddy shops what is now sold is not pure toddy but chemically poisoned water which is very injurious to health. If smoking brings a person a long term ailment the toddy now sold brings him immediate ailment and permanent handicap. Particularly, the young men are the victim to the evils of liquor consumption as they often find no opening to shed their extra energy. All the play grounds and public places have vanished and there is no space for them to play foot ball or hand ball. The only option for them is to watch live TV cricket in closed rooms and continue intake of liquor profusely.
An added handicap of liquor sale is worst law and order situation which is never a by-product of the smoking habit. The system of promoting liquor sales during Onam, Vishu, Deepavali, Christmas and Easter should be abandoned in the larger interest of society. The government starting rehabilitation centres along with Beverages Corporation outlets is a laughing stock. Consumption of alcohol is undoubtedly damaging to one's health, more damaging than smoking. Besides it consumes more money than that spend for smoking. If Rs 20 is spent for buying cigarettes then Rs 200 is needed for buying liquor. Serving liquor has become a bogus status symbol and is an integral part to societal gatherings. No meaningful awareness against this handicap has been taken by the government.
It is unwise to ban sale and purchase of alcohol as the base of most medicines is alcohol. A meaningful and sincere awareness programme should be envisaged for younger people about the damages done by liquor. If so the rate of crimes, accidents, domestic violence along with health hazards could be reduced.
K A Solaman
Mass march into retirement
The Thuglakian Kerala model of retirement age unification has made on this March 21,000 employees to leave service at the same time. Some had wept, some cried and some even drunk thinking that there is not life after retirement. The most distressed are police men and college professors as the former to lose their chance to abuse the innocents and latter to lose the company or frequent cock tails. The weeping is heavy for police personals at sent-offs because if they resort to older habits at home they are likely to lose their lunch and supper as there would be none to care them.
I welcome all the 21000 retirees to our majority group as the life is simple and worriless after retirement. Of course you have no chance for getting extra money as bribe except pension and that too if Isaac’s coffers have that might. And of course your subordinates will not entertain you hereinafter as they did in the past.
I also bring your attention to the story of a Professor who demanded a sent-off when he was to go to Nigeria for five years money making break. He cried at the sent-off and just after one year he returned to the college as the condition in Nigeria was not as good as expected. He again cried at his actual sent-off from service and now he leads a happy life. Loneliness, loss, frustration, and grief are not in his dictionary. He now preaches people about eternal life and guides them to the noble way he thinks but often repents for the folly of crying at sent-offs.
Dear retirees you can think of the following for a happy retired life. Try to wake up early in the morning to realize that, it is not the usual day. You are retired. You should try to learn how to spend the day and give up the feeling that you are a worn out individual and should be placed in the corner of the house sitting idle most of the time. Don’t waste time by simply watching TV.
This period of life can be made fun and worth living to explore the unexplored.
There may be times in your life when you wanted to write a book on your experience and learning. But your desires where never fulfilled, because you were too busy at work or family. This is the right time to explore your hidden talents and fulfill your earnest desires. Here are few ways to stay active and make money after retirement. Work is the important way of coping with the niggling worries.
1) Physical activity:
The best way to be healthy, independent and occupied is by doing some minor physical exercise such as walking and yoga. Daily one our walking is sufficient. Joining karate or kalari schools is not suited for many but can try joining laughter club. Being healthy will also help you be independent.
2) Meet friends:
Meet your old friends outside. There may be times when you missed out the most important events with your friend.
3) Gardening:
Gardening and vegetable cultivation are the best ways to keep you occupied. They are also great stress busters.
4) Help grandkids:
The grandkids may be busy with studies; however you can help them by joining their company
5)Go on a holiday:
Visit pilgrim or tourist spots, which you have always wanted to see.
6)Volunteer:
Be a volunteer to an NGO helping the society.
7)Join a course:
Join a course that interests you and fulfill all your desires. The universities like IGNOU are conducting many courses for the retirees.
8) Have a grip on your money.
Don’t spend money for schemes that are unknown to you. Have a free hold and don’t let anyone to have control on your hard earned money.
Remember retirement is the admiration given to your years of service. And your ‘age is the state of your mind.'
K A Solaman
I welcome all the 21000 retirees to our majority group as the life is simple and worriless after retirement. Of course you have no chance for getting extra money as bribe except pension and that too if Isaac’s coffers have that might. And of course your subordinates will not entertain you hereinafter as they did in the past.
I also bring your attention to the story of a Professor who demanded a sent-off when he was to go to Nigeria for five years money making break. He cried at the sent-off and just after one year he returned to the college as the condition in Nigeria was not as good as expected. He again cried at his actual sent-off from service and now he leads a happy life. Loneliness, loss, frustration, and grief are not in his dictionary. He now preaches people about eternal life and guides them to the noble way he thinks but often repents for the folly of crying at sent-offs.
Dear retirees you can think of the following for a happy retired life. Try to wake up early in the morning to realize that, it is not the usual day. You are retired. You should try to learn how to spend the day and give up the feeling that you are a worn out individual and should be placed in the corner of the house sitting idle most of the time. Don’t waste time by simply watching TV.
This period of life can be made fun and worth living to explore the unexplored.
There may be times in your life when you wanted to write a book on your experience and learning. But your desires where never fulfilled, because you were too busy at work or family. This is the right time to explore your hidden talents and fulfill your earnest desires. Here are few ways to stay active and make money after retirement. Work is the important way of coping with the niggling worries.
1) Physical activity:
The best way to be healthy, independent and occupied is by doing some minor physical exercise such as walking and yoga. Daily one our walking is sufficient. Joining karate or kalari schools is not suited for many but can try joining laughter club. Being healthy will also help you be independent.
2) Meet friends:
Meet your old friends outside. There may be times when you missed out the most important events with your friend.
3) Gardening:
Gardening and vegetable cultivation are the best ways to keep you occupied. They are also great stress busters.
4) Help grandkids:
The grandkids may be busy with studies; however you can help them by joining their company
5)Go on a holiday:
Visit pilgrim or tourist spots, which you have always wanted to see.
6)Volunteer:
Be a volunteer to an NGO helping the society.
7)Join a course:
Join a course that interests you and fulfill all your desires. The universities like IGNOU are conducting many courses for the retirees.
8) Have a grip on your money.
Don’t spend money for schemes that are unknown to you. Have a free hold and don’t let anyone to have control on your hard earned money.
Remember retirement is the admiration given to your years of service. And your ‘age is the state of your mind.'
K A Solaman
Sunday, March 28, 2010
RSP is dejected
The LDF small partner RSP is seen dejected with the latest development in Kerala. The rival groups in RSP came separately in collision course with CPM. The RSP national general secretary TJ Chandrachoodan has made a scathing attack of CPM. Its Kerala secretary VP Ramakrishna Pillai said that LDF is in a sinking situation. For Pillai, it is of no doubt that the Congress-led UDF would come to power after the next Assembly election. This sort of plane speak has become a shock LDF bigwigs. However, the Pillai’s version of denial of Rajya Sabha seat to his party’s national secretary has no many takers. It is known that Pillai was playing all foul to deny seat to Chandrachoodan.
Formerly it was only a desire for UDF to acquire power in the next election. And now the RSP has approved it. The jubilant outfits in UDF such as Youth Congress and other partners started demanding their chunk. The silent Chief Minster or the media adversary Pinarayi does not see the sand that is eroded from under their feet.
K A Solaman
Formerly it was only a desire for UDF to acquire power in the next election. And now the RSP has approved it. The jubilant outfits in UDF such as Youth Congress and other partners started demanding their chunk. The silent Chief Minster or the media adversary Pinarayi does not see the sand that is eroded from under their feet.
K A Solaman
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Tension over question paper
How careless are some of our teachers? This I ask on the wake Thodupuzha in Idukki Ditrict, Kerala falling into tension following the aggressive dissent of Muslim organizations over the mention in a question paper humiliating the Prophet. The police had a tough time to contain the mob. It all happened when a less compassionate teacher of Newmann’s college, Thodupuzha prepared a question paper. He may, perhaps, be enthused with the new UGC package sanctioned to college teachers by the Kerala Government.
The teacher T Joseph in the Malayalam department of the college was the question setter and I think he is the sole person responsible for the grave mistake. A fellow teacher arguing that “Joseph could have prepared the question paper but it had been passed by others after scrutiny” seems pointless. There is no such scrutiny for any question paper and preferably the internal examination is not a big business in many of the colleges in Kerala. T J joseph needs some counseling before he being reinstated in the college.
However, the remarkable thing is the timely action of the State Administration. Education Minister MA Baby instructed the District Administration to register a case against the teacher. And that sort of action is never expected from Education department as we have previous examples of non-care approach. The incident of “Jeevan without religion’ is still in our mind. The college authorities have also taken a wise decision by apologising for the mistake which hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community.
K A Solaman
The teacher T Joseph in the Malayalam department of the college was the question setter and I think he is the sole person responsible for the grave mistake. A fellow teacher arguing that “Joseph could have prepared the question paper but it had been passed by others after scrutiny” seems pointless. There is no such scrutiny for any question paper and preferably the internal examination is not a big business in many of the colleges in Kerala. T J joseph needs some counseling before he being reinstated in the college.
However, the remarkable thing is the timely action of the State Administration. Education Minister MA Baby instructed the District Administration to register a case against the teacher. And that sort of action is never expected from Education department as we have previous examples of non-care approach. The incident of “Jeevan without religion’ is still in our mind. The college authorities have also taken a wise decision by apologising for the mistake which hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community.
K A Solaman
Thursday, March 25, 2010
No Athirapally project, please.
Athirapally is known for its bio-diversity and any move to scare it should be opposed. Kerala power minister A K Balan’s effort to set up a power project at Athirapally is wonderful. A strong adversary of the project once, now coming in favour of it is really amazing. Turning the bio-diverse area into a forest of cement and concrete would naturally bring Balan a good luck, he imagines.
Balan’s effort to set up a power project at Athirapally waterfalls would meet the same fate of the project at Silent Valley 25 years ago. Sensible people will not allow Balan’s dream to go off. Let the people have some fresh air a bit long.
K A Solaman
Balan’s effort to set up a power project at Athirapally waterfalls would meet the same fate of the project at Silent Valley 25 years ago. Sensible people will not allow Balan’s dream to go off. Let the people have some fresh air a bit long.
K A Solaman
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Meenachil tragedy
It is shocking to hear the death of ten persons when the bus they were traveling on fell into the river Meenachilar at Thazhathangadi near Kottayam. Five to seven persons were feared to be missing.
Recently we have been reading about the surge in road and river accidents all over in Kerala. The Kumarakom boat tragedy and the Thattekkadu mishap are just two in the immediate past. But we have not learnt yet about the immediate rescue measures that are to be taken at accident spots. It took more than two hours for rescue operators to hop into action at Thazhathangadi. The Fire force men came to the spot were without proper rescue gadgets. The navy men could not land their helicopter for the helicopter landing pad was not in condition. The result is innocent lives have been lost in the tragedy which could have been easily averted if due caution was taken both by the government and rescue operators. What is the use of a dozen ministers vulnerably gathering at the accident spot?
All regulatory bodies including State Transport Department, the PWD, and the Sate Electricity Board have their role in the Thazhathangadi accident. And if not rectified this negligence people have to see huge traffic disorder and more victims in future.
K A Solaman
Recently we have been reading about the surge in road and river accidents all over in Kerala. The Kumarakom boat tragedy and the Thattekkadu mishap are just two in the immediate past. But we have not learnt yet about the immediate rescue measures that are to be taken at accident spots. It took more than two hours for rescue operators to hop into action at Thazhathangadi. The Fire force men came to the spot were without proper rescue gadgets. The navy men could not land their helicopter for the helicopter landing pad was not in condition. The result is innocent lives have been lost in the tragedy which could have been easily averted if due caution was taken both by the government and rescue operators. What is the use of a dozen ministers vulnerably gathering at the accident spot?
All regulatory bodies including State Transport Department, the PWD, and the Sate Electricity Board have their role in the Thazhathangadi accident. And if not rectified this negligence people have to see huge traffic disorder and more victims in future.
K A Solaman
Saturday, March 13, 2010
IPL fever hits examination halls
It is not restaurants, malls and movie theatres that are hit by the Indian Premier League but all examinations halls in Kerala and elsewhere are also hit by it. It is on the fifteenth about 4.5 lakhs of students of SSLC and Plus Two go for the examination in Kerala alone which lasts for 2-3 weeks and one can not rule out that these students would never switch on the channel to view the event.
Even about 1000 movie theatres in India have signed up so far to exhibit the league series and it will be a tough time for parents to keep their children out from these theatres and TV screens during examination days. When viewers of households and public places dance and cheer with cricket how could the poor children concentrate on studies
Speaking forthrightly the Education Ministry of Kerala has already identified this grave reality and that is why they designed a very reasonable style of evaluation and ranking. All students appearing for the examination would get a pass percentage for writing any rubbish in the answer sheet and this time there will be more liberalisation in wake of the IPL series.
Who said the ploy to make India educationally backward is worked out by International outfits? It is within the country the type disparaging advance is evolved to spoil the entire younger generation. Otherwise they would have arranged the matches in June or July when students are relaxed from examination stress.
K A Solaman
Even about 1000 movie theatres in India have signed up so far to exhibit the league series and it will be a tough time for parents to keep their children out from these theatres and TV screens during examination days. When viewers of households and public places dance and cheer with cricket how could the poor children concentrate on studies
Speaking forthrightly the Education Ministry of Kerala has already identified this grave reality and that is why they designed a very reasonable style of evaluation and ranking. All students appearing for the examination would get a pass percentage for writing any rubbish in the answer sheet and this time there will be more liberalisation in wake of the IPL series.
Who said the ploy to make India educationally backward is worked out by International outfits? It is within the country the type disparaging advance is evolved to spoil the entire younger generation. Otherwise they would have arranged the matches in June or July when students are relaxed from examination stress.
K A Solaman
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Iyer, please tell us the way out.
Global warming is potential reason for human extinction. The choices to reduce its immediate impact are: people must use less petrol, diesel, and coal, and resort to solar energy conversion in a significant manner. Protect trees, water bodies and non-polluted atmosphere are also ways to check global warming. Nevertheless my present subject is not this.
The learned jury V R Krisna Iyer says a case in a Court is like global warming. He asks AMMA friends and Thilakan-Azhikode duo not to take their rift with the courts because our court proceedings are like global warming. Does he mean that the court could not resolve this problem in a timely manner as in the case of global warming?
Of course, the citizens are able to solve themselves many of their problems without the intervention of the courts. Then what for these courts are meant? Was Krishna Iyer wasting some of his precious years in courts as judge? If yes, dear Iyer enlighten us with your noble thoughts to save us from the limitless procedure of Indian courts.
K A Solam
The learned jury V R Krisna Iyer says a case in a Court is like global warming. He asks AMMA friends and Thilakan-Azhikode duo not to take their rift with the courts because our court proceedings are like global warming. Does he mean that the court could not resolve this problem in a timely manner as in the case of global warming?
Of course, the citizens are able to solve themselves many of their problems without the intervention of the courts. Then what for these courts are meant? Was Krishna Iyer wasting some of his precious years in courts as judge? If yes, dear Iyer enlighten us with your noble thoughts to save us from the limitless procedure of Indian courts.
K A Solam
Friday, February 26, 2010
UGC: Do not hike retirement age
A reasonable man could not fully agree with arguments in favour of implementing of UGC pay package for College teachers of Kerala. This is because hiking retirement age and subsequent utilization of fund obtained from UGC for other purpose would adversely affect many youngsters waiting for a teaching job. The present teachers of the colleges are misleadingly availing advantage of the opportunity in the State that is created by the acute financial crunch that may be resulted from the mass retirement of employees on March 31. Thuglak model retirement age unification in the State last year has created unforeseen complexity in employment and financial sectors. The teachers argue that the academic excellence will be towering if they continue further for a period of five years in the college. The Finance minister dreams that Rs. 2000 crore received from UGC for the salary hike of the college teachers can be gainfully used for the payout of pension benefits of retiring state employees on March 31. My request to the college teachers is that they should never push qualified youths to total despair. All teachers who have completed 55 years of age should so decide to relinquish their post without trying to stick to it by hook or crook. They should help to open opportunities to the new age group.
The argument that qualified applicants for the post of college teachers are inadequate in the State is totally absurd. The interviews conducted of late in many colleges proved that there are excess candidates with NET and Ph.D. Instance of dozens of candidates appearing for interview for a single post in many colleges has been reported of late. The criterion on which a particular candidate is selected is unknown to all other candidates who are not successful in the interview. The selected candidate should never reveal the secret of his or her success and if anyone needs the secret of this appointment, a ‘narco analysis ‘is to be conducted on the selected candidate. Recently for a single post appointment in an Ernakalam college the interview was conducted at a speed of making ‘thattukada dosa’ as the government nominee was very busy in finishing her work in the college. More interesting is the way in which the applicants were dealt with the college authorities. No receipt has been issued by the college authority for Rs 500 received as application money. The repeated statement from some corners that opportunities in colleges are in plenty is only a maneuver to hoodwink candidates who spent quite a sum as application money for appearing in the interviews.
UGC stipulation for retirement age of college teachers is 65. But Kerala education minister says here it has been decided to fix at 58 because of special circumstances existing in the state. This singularity will never disappear even if the retirement age is brought to 50. Another whimper in this direction is that qualified candidates are not available for college teaching. I want to know how the present college teachers who entered into service by licking the legs of college managers and paying several lakhs as donation, became so efficient now. These people who refuse to retire now, are really a stumbling block before the unemployed educated youngsters. If these persons are appointed as managers of Beverages Corporation, the customers will, of course, get better brands. It may be true that the guest lecturers are handicaps for the improved functioning of the college because they are removed occasionally. But they are the people who teach two alphabets to the students when the permanent teachers are out of the college with their extracurricular activities.
There is also an argument in favour of the existing teachers that if they are retained in the college for another five years only then smooth implementation of the credit and semester system is possible. This argument is absolutely false as C and S system is not an elephantine task. The young recruits will soon catch up the details relating the system and they implement it more effectively than the MA second class tailor made self proclaimed professors.
Many people now admit that the retirement age unification was a thoughtless act and in order to meet the financial requirement of next March 31, the Government is trying to hike retirement age college teachers and thereby to divert the UGC fund. The government is not able use this fund to create any fresh job opportunity in the State. If Kerala Government follow the TN model of implementation of UGC package, all teachers will get its benefit without hiking the retirement age. The NET and Ph D qualified candidates will thus get an opportunity to fulfill their aspiration without any loss to existing teachers. It is not one but two families are then protected if a fresh appointment is done in colleges. I hope the government will think more wisely in this direction.
K A Solaman
The argument that qualified applicants for the post of college teachers are inadequate in the State is totally absurd. The interviews conducted of late in many colleges proved that there are excess candidates with NET and Ph.D. Instance of dozens of candidates appearing for interview for a single post in many colleges has been reported of late. The criterion on which a particular candidate is selected is unknown to all other candidates who are not successful in the interview. The selected candidate should never reveal the secret of his or her success and if anyone needs the secret of this appointment, a ‘narco analysis ‘is to be conducted on the selected candidate. Recently for a single post appointment in an Ernakalam college the interview was conducted at a speed of making ‘thattukada dosa’ as the government nominee was very busy in finishing her work in the college. More interesting is the way in which the applicants were dealt with the college authorities. No receipt has been issued by the college authority for Rs 500 received as application money. The repeated statement from some corners that opportunities in colleges are in plenty is only a maneuver to hoodwink candidates who spent quite a sum as application money for appearing in the interviews.
UGC stipulation for retirement age of college teachers is 65. But Kerala education minister says here it has been decided to fix at 58 because of special circumstances existing in the state. This singularity will never disappear even if the retirement age is brought to 50. Another whimper in this direction is that qualified candidates are not available for college teaching. I want to know how the present college teachers who entered into service by licking the legs of college managers and paying several lakhs as donation, became so efficient now. These people who refuse to retire now, are really a stumbling block before the unemployed educated youngsters. If these persons are appointed as managers of Beverages Corporation, the customers will, of course, get better brands. It may be true that the guest lecturers are handicaps for the improved functioning of the college because they are removed occasionally. But they are the people who teach two alphabets to the students when the permanent teachers are out of the college with their extracurricular activities.
There is also an argument in favour of the existing teachers that if they are retained in the college for another five years only then smooth implementation of the credit and semester system is possible. This argument is absolutely false as C and S system is not an elephantine task. The young recruits will soon catch up the details relating the system and they implement it more effectively than the MA second class tailor made self proclaimed professors.
Many people now admit that the retirement age unification was a thoughtless act and in order to meet the financial requirement of next March 31, the Government is trying to hike retirement age college teachers and thereby to divert the UGC fund. The government is not able use this fund to create any fresh job opportunity in the State. If Kerala Government follow the TN model of implementation of UGC package, all teachers will get its benefit without hiking the retirement age. The NET and Ph D qualified candidates will thus get an opportunity to fulfill their aspiration without any loss to existing teachers. It is not one but two families are then protected if a fresh appointment is done in colleges. I hope the government will think more wisely in this direction.
K A Solaman
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Don’t push them into disaster
Long life span of 78 years is the applicable reason for Kerala College teachers to enhance their retirement age. Do they need to bring down the life expectancy to 48 years by pushing down unemployed educated youngsters to total despair and subsequent self destruction due to joblessness?
K A Solaman
K A Solaman
Monday, February 22, 2010
Road ahead -The Telegraph
Road ahead
I have been living in Kerala for the last several years and keeping a close watch on National Highway 47. The highway has changed a lot in the last few years. Today, it is more a place for commuters and vendors than for vehicles. Innumerable fish and meat vendors occupy the waysides. They and their customers have turned the highway into a busy marketplace, which stinks to high heaven, thanks to the decaying fish and meat. The wastes piled by the roadsides attract stray dogs. Often, the dogs get killed and drivers meet with accidents trying to avoid the dogs coming in the way of their vehicles.
The highway has become more dangerous after it was dug up for laying water-supply lines and optical fibre cables. The owners of cranes make good profit by lifting the heavy vehicles that land up in the huge craters created by the workers. When one drives along this highway of potholes, one is assaulted with the sight of scattered garbage, open drains, muddled traffic, dirty vendors and food corporation outlets, whose queues extend several metres into the road.
It is dangerous to drive a vehicle on any of Kerala’s roads. The state spends huge sums on road repair, but only about 40 per cent of the amount spent gets reflected in the work done.
Recently, ‘newspaper technology’ has been adopted in Kerala for repairing roads. The workers fill potholes with metal or sand and then cover them with newspapers dipped in coal tar. This patchwork hardly lasts for a week, and then the team is ready with a fresh bundle of old newspapers for starting another bout of work at the same spot. Road repair has thus become a never-ending process, siphoning off huge sums of money from the State exchequer.
But I would like to know whether India has applied for a patent for its newspaper technology used in road repair. For all we know, America or Japan might be interested in this.
K.A. Solaman, The Telegraph, Calcutta, dated 23 Feb 2010
I have been living in Kerala for the last several years and keeping a close watch on National Highway 47. The highway has changed a lot in the last few years. Today, it is more a place for commuters and vendors than for vehicles. Innumerable fish and meat vendors occupy the waysides. They and their customers have turned the highway into a busy marketplace, which stinks to high heaven, thanks to the decaying fish and meat. The wastes piled by the roadsides attract stray dogs. Often, the dogs get killed and drivers meet with accidents trying to avoid the dogs coming in the way of their vehicles.
The highway has become more dangerous after it was dug up for laying water-supply lines and optical fibre cables. The owners of cranes make good profit by lifting the heavy vehicles that land up in the huge craters created by the workers. When one drives along this highway of potholes, one is assaulted with the sight of scattered garbage, open drains, muddled traffic, dirty vendors and food corporation outlets, whose queues extend several metres into the road.
It is dangerous to drive a vehicle on any of Kerala’s roads. The state spends huge sums on road repair, but only about 40 per cent of the amount spent gets reflected in the work done.
Recently, ‘newspaper technology’ has been adopted in Kerala for repairing roads. The workers fill potholes with metal or sand and then cover them with newspapers dipped in coal tar. This patchwork hardly lasts for a week, and then the team is ready with a fresh bundle of old newspapers for starting another bout of work at the same spot. Road repair has thus become a never-ending process, siphoning off huge sums of money from the State exchequer.
But I would like to know whether India has applied for a patent for its newspaper technology used in road repair. For all we know, America or Japan might be interested in this.
K.A. Solaman, The Telegraph, Calcutta, dated 23 Feb 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Non-sense behind academic excellence
One wonders why the LDF government so decided to hold further talks regarding the hike of retirement age of college teachers when thousands of qualified youngsters are waiting for job outside. Are the teachers, the second class Master’s degree holders of the colleges who entered into service by tonguing the feet of some unscrupulous College managers, are going to make academic excellence of Private Colleges in Kerala? There is no need to open talks again to hold these guys in colleges. Give their pension dues soon and throw them out of the colleges. If the present government is unable to find money for the same then exit from State Governance and hand over the power to persons who able to pay back the benefits of retiring teachers.
The CPI, the RSP and their youth wings should be congratulated for their bold steps in this regard; nevertheless, the senior leaders of both parties have the dubious history backtracking from the original stance in many issues. The unemployed youngsters still keep firm faith in the walk and talk of the youth wings.
Mr. Baby, the Education minister, seeks the LDF committee approval for enhancing the retirement age of college teachers to 58 years and that of university teachers to 62 years. How he could argue like this when the UGC proposal is for 65 years? He may then say about a particular situation prevailing in the State. This situation had been there in 1995 too and that was why the retirement age was fixed 55 then. The same unemployment situation has much augmented now and hence the argument for 58 years of age is unwarranted and baseless. The fear of losing Rs 2000 core UGC assistance for not taking decision before March 31 is not a matter of concern of unemployed youths when they are in complete desolation.
It is wonderful to see why Kerala alone must go in for hike in the retirement age of college teachers when States such as Tamil Nadu had implemented the UGC scheme without doing so. Are there no college teachers in TN who are able to make academic excellence like their counterparts in Kerala? One hopes that the panel discussing the matter should never take a decision curtailing the aspirations of qualified youngsters.
K A Solaman
The CPI, the RSP and their youth wings should be congratulated for their bold steps in this regard; nevertheless, the senior leaders of both parties have the dubious history backtracking from the original stance in many issues. The unemployed youngsters still keep firm faith in the walk and talk of the youth wings.
Mr. Baby, the Education minister, seeks the LDF committee approval for enhancing the retirement age of college teachers to 58 years and that of university teachers to 62 years. How he could argue like this when the UGC proposal is for 65 years? He may then say about a particular situation prevailing in the State. This situation had been there in 1995 too and that was why the retirement age was fixed 55 then. The same unemployment situation has much augmented now and hence the argument for 58 years of age is unwarranted and baseless. The fear of losing Rs 2000 core UGC assistance for not taking decision before March 31 is not a matter of concern of unemployed youths when they are in complete desolation.
It is wonderful to see why Kerala alone must go in for hike in the retirement age of college teachers when States such as Tamil Nadu had implemented the UGC scheme without doing so. Are there no college teachers in TN who are able to make academic excellence like their counterparts in Kerala? One hopes that the panel discussing the matter should never take a decision curtailing the aspirations of qualified youngsters.
K A Solaman
Don’t go the Kerala way
The Council for Board of Secondary Education’s decision to have a core curriculum in science and mathematics for classes XI-XII across all boards in the country from 2011 and to introduce a single national-level entrance examination for students from all streams for entry into higher education from 2013 will ensure a level playing field for students to compete and save them the trouble of giving multiple entrance tests.
Union Human Resource Development Minster Kapil Sibal’s restructuring of entrance examinations is a good beginning but I do not endorse his diluting of the education process by abandoning the examination system at class X level. A little dose of occasional stress is very necessary for every individual to excel in life.
Mr Sibal has taken a bold step but it should not be a meagre replication of the Kerala education model which has abjectly failed.
KA Solaman,Alappuzha
The Pioneer, New Delhi, dated 19 Feb 2010
Union Human Resource Development Minster Kapil Sibal’s restructuring of entrance examinations is a good beginning but I do not endorse his diluting of the education process by abandoning the examination system at class X level. A little dose of occasional stress is very necessary for every individual to excel in life.
Mr Sibal has taken a bold step but it should not be a meagre replication of the Kerala education model which has abjectly failed.
KA Solaman,Alappuzha
The Pioneer, New Delhi, dated 19 Feb 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Single entrance test is a good beginning
Multiplicity of entrance tests is a heavy load to students and their parents. The testing agencies levy a huge sum from them by way of conducting different tests at various centres in India. . Union HRD Minster Kapil Sibal’s restructuring of entrance examination is a good beginning but I could not endorse his diluting of education process by abandoning examination system. Class X and class XII examinations are must for students to take their study seriously. A small dose of occasional stress is very necessary for every individual to excel in life. What is the fun in promoting all the students to class XII and put them in utter despair by not allowing them to qualify in the entrance test for Engineering or medical degree?
The proposal to make uniform science and mathematics curriculum is not a new one as in CBSE and in many of the State Curriculum NCERT pattern is accepted. Truly speaking ISC texts and course materials are seen more good than NCERT study materials. Though the NCERT claim that their study materials are of the same standard as that followed in institutions in western countries, I would say these materials rather make revulsion in most of the Indian students. If the decision is for a core curriculum, then it should be suited to the Indian students and not for westerners.
While welcoming the new single entrance test ensuring admission to all engineering and medical courses, what I have to suggest is the need for single admission test for all jobs of the same category. For instance, in all management schools and colleges in the country the job admission test or interview is done erratically causing financial loss and stress to candidates. For instance, consider the case of candidate with Net and PhD seeking a job opportunity in private or government colleges in Kerala. Application fee is alone around Rs500 and a candidate has to pay Rs 100000 to attend the interviews alone in 200 odd colleges in addition to travel and stay expense. Is there any possible solution for this never-ending misery? A common entrance test for job aspirants is also a must in this circumstance.
Serious effort to improve the study atmosphere in schools and colleges is also very significant. The laboratory works should be given due recognition and the valuation should be done seriously. The Kerala model of 100 percent marks for non-sense writing in the examination should be stopped. When a study material is given and asked to study question should be within that study material. No examination should be conducted to exhibit the ‘vast’ knowledge of the question setter. The reasoning and other abilities will be gained by students in their future life. Moreover, in the proposed syllabus science symbols and terms should be given in English itself. The students should not be strained to study all the translations of science subject in their later classes.
Really, what Mr Kapil Sibal has taken is a bold decision but it should not be a meager replication of the Kerala crafted education model.
K A Solaman
The proposal to make uniform science and mathematics curriculum is not a new one as in CBSE and in many of the State Curriculum NCERT pattern is accepted. Truly speaking ISC texts and course materials are seen more good than NCERT study materials. Though the NCERT claim that their study materials are of the same standard as that followed in institutions in western countries, I would say these materials rather make revulsion in most of the Indian students. If the decision is for a core curriculum, then it should be suited to the Indian students and not for westerners.
While welcoming the new single entrance test ensuring admission to all engineering and medical courses, what I have to suggest is the need for single admission test for all jobs of the same category. For instance, in all management schools and colleges in the country the job admission test or interview is done erratically causing financial loss and stress to candidates. For instance, consider the case of candidate with Net and PhD seeking a job opportunity in private or government colleges in Kerala. Application fee is alone around Rs500 and a candidate has to pay Rs 100000 to attend the interviews alone in 200 odd colleges in addition to travel and stay expense. Is there any possible solution for this never-ending misery? A common entrance test for job aspirants is also a must in this circumstance.
Serious effort to improve the study atmosphere in schools and colleges is also very significant. The laboratory works should be given due recognition and the valuation should be done seriously. The Kerala model of 100 percent marks for non-sense writing in the examination should be stopped. When a study material is given and asked to study question should be within that study material. No examination should be conducted to exhibit the ‘vast’ knowledge of the question setter. The reasoning and other abilities will be gained by students in their future life. Moreover, in the proposed syllabus science symbols and terms should be given in English itself. The students should not be strained to study all the translations of science subject in their later classes.
Really, what Mr Kapil Sibal has taken is a bold decision but it should not be a meager replication of the Kerala crafted education model.
K A Solaman
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Girish Puthenchery
Girish Puthenchery who departed us on Wednesday, was a gleaming lyricist, the next to great Vayalar Ramavarma. This I say not ignoring the contributions of ONV,P Bhaskaran, Sreekumaran Thampi, Kaithapram or Bichu Thirumala. His knowledge in Malayalam lingo is far beyond any reckon and his ability to compose instantaneous songs is admirable. He is a man of good personal relationships too. He motivated a good many of young lyricists and his death is an irreparable loss to the world of Malayalam film songs.
K A Solaman
K A Solaman
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Dirty NH 47 of Kerala
I live in Kerala for the last several years and have a close watch on the NH 47.
This high way and its sides have changed a lot and it is now a place for commuters and vendors and not for vehicles. This is especially evident when we have a look at the innumerable fish vendors one either side of this highway. The vendors cut fish, meat and sell them to commuters and thus road sides have become very busy. The waste material is put on road side itself and stray dogs gathering there make the situation worse. In every day a dog is killed at one selling spot on an average and the upheaval created is beyond any reckon. Vehicle drivers often meet with accident because of the hit and miss running of the stray dogs. These are all happening because of the State’s neglect of protecting market places for selling fish, vegetables and essential commodities. The NH 47 sides are very busy with sellers and buyers and the whole area smell of decayed fish and meat waste..
A huge amount of digging work for Japan water supply scheme and optical fibre cables carried out at highway side made the road more dangerous. The owners of crane and JCB make a good profit by undertaking the work of lifting heavy vehicles trapped in huge potholes created by water pipe workers. When one drives on this busy highway of potholes, he could see the filth in the sides, scattered garbage, open drains, muddled traffic, dirty vendor spots and Beverages corporation outlets with queues extending to several metres into the road. I could not understand why the indifference from the Panchayat/ Municipality/City Corporation in providing basic facilities in what should be the most significant part State’s development.
By and large, I think the Local Self Government of Kerala is interested only in impractical matters like plastic ban, mosquito census and other silly matters and they are unable to see the terrible state of uncleanness of State Highways. They are obviously incapable of comprehending the vision of our forefathers who kept the street clean by marking separate spots of selling, buying, playing and other activities. And for them highways are meant not for dwelling but for vehicle traffic only.
K A Solaman
This high way and its sides have changed a lot and it is now a place for commuters and vendors and not for vehicles. This is especially evident when we have a look at the innumerable fish vendors one either side of this highway. The vendors cut fish, meat and sell them to commuters and thus road sides have become very busy. The waste material is put on road side itself and stray dogs gathering there make the situation worse. In every day a dog is killed at one selling spot on an average and the upheaval created is beyond any reckon. Vehicle drivers often meet with accident because of the hit and miss running of the stray dogs. These are all happening because of the State’s neglect of protecting market places for selling fish, vegetables and essential commodities. The NH 47 sides are very busy with sellers and buyers and the whole area smell of decayed fish and meat waste..
A huge amount of digging work for Japan water supply scheme and optical fibre cables carried out at highway side made the road more dangerous. The owners of crane and JCB make a good profit by undertaking the work of lifting heavy vehicles trapped in huge potholes created by water pipe workers. When one drives on this busy highway of potholes, he could see the filth in the sides, scattered garbage, open drains, muddled traffic, dirty vendor spots and Beverages corporation outlets with queues extending to several metres into the road. I could not understand why the indifference from the Panchayat/ Municipality/City Corporation in providing basic facilities in what should be the most significant part State’s development.
By and large, I think the Local Self Government of Kerala is interested only in impractical matters like plastic ban, mosquito census and other silly matters and they are unable to see the terrible state of uncleanness of State Highways. They are obviously incapable of comprehending the vision of our forefathers who kept the street clean by marking separate spots of selling, buying, playing and other activities. And for them highways are meant not for dwelling but for vehicle traffic only.
K A Solaman
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
College teachers want to retire never?
Though Kerala Finance Minister Dr T M Thomas Isaac is known as an economist he is not a good Finance Minister. All the ‘innovative’ schemes worked out by him during last three years turned into utter slumps. For instance, look at the VAT lottery invented by him. A gold merchant asked me ‘what is it’ when I demanded the same after purchasing eight gram of gold. Except the initial takers of VAT lottery none is bothered about it now. The VAT lottery met with a natural death. His modernizing of check posts did not yield any good result instead the price of many essential commodities sky rocketed in the state due the deadlock in check posts. His plan for selling river sand from some places did not materialize despite huge loss as initial investment. His unification of retirement age has brought utter confusion among state employees and many employees are in a desperate bid to retrieve their lost benefit and promotion. His plan to invite educated youths sell Kerala daily lotteries is a damp squib as it as an unproductive and unscientific scheme invented to hoodwink them and against the true spirit of the State. How could a reasonable person equate educated youths to those helpless ones who are in frantic submission to meet the both ends by selling lottery? Remember, lottery ticket is purchased often not because of urgency but of mercy to the seller. An educated youth does not demand such a pity.
The most excruciating is his anxious proposition to get Rs 2000 Crore of central fund for implementing the UGC package for college teachers in Kerala. He confuses people with argument that this money would be lost if it is not being implemented before 31st March. This is quite absurd as there is no such stipulation in UGC package and it has been proved by the TN Government. Mr Isaac pretends to be unaware of the fact that thousands of unemployed youths with qualification like NET and Ph D are wandering in and around the State in search of a job. They have decided to hold a sit-in strike in front of the State Secretariat. The report of Malayalee youths committed suicide in Hyderabad and elsewhere are not a matter of deliberation for Isaac and coterie. Instead they resort to ulterior means to beat those sensible people who agitate for the cause of unemployed youths.
The deportment by the Youth Congress and AIYF against the obstinate attitude of Isaac and his well wishers is praiseworthy as they realized the unemployment situation in the State and at the same the posture of DYFI towards educated youths comes out quite dubious. The remark of Youth Congress President that a few Marxist leaders have to protect some of their relatives who retires on 31st March, 2010 seems significant.
UGC says it is at 65 for college teachers to retire then how could the Finance minister say to about 60? If he identifies any special circumstance that exists in the state then why he opts 60? The particular situation prevailing in the state urgently needs to implement the UGC package without extending the pension age from 55. If so it is highly helpful not only to the family of the retiree but also to the family of a new recruit of better knowledge and better qualification. The financial package to a pensioner is no too bad under UGC scheme. Then why the College teachers refuse to retire at 55?
K A Solaman
The most excruciating is his anxious proposition to get Rs 2000 Crore of central fund for implementing the UGC package for college teachers in Kerala. He confuses people with argument that this money would be lost if it is not being implemented before 31st March. This is quite absurd as there is no such stipulation in UGC package and it has been proved by the TN Government. Mr Isaac pretends to be unaware of the fact that thousands of unemployed youths with qualification like NET and Ph D are wandering in and around the State in search of a job. They have decided to hold a sit-in strike in front of the State Secretariat. The report of Malayalee youths committed suicide in Hyderabad and elsewhere are not a matter of deliberation for Isaac and coterie. Instead they resort to ulterior means to beat those sensible people who agitate for the cause of unemployed youths.
The deportment by the Youth Congress and AIYF against the obstinate attitude of Isaac and his well wishers is praiseworthy as they realized the unemployment situation in the State and at the same the posture of DYFI towards educated youths comes out quite dubious. The remark of Youth Congress President that a few Marxist leaders have to protect some of their relatives who retires on 31st March, 2010 seems significant.
UGC says it is at 65 for college teachers to retire then how could the Finance minister say to about 60? If he identifies any special circumstance that exists in the state then why he opts 60? The particular situation prevailing in the state urgently needs to implement the UGC package without extending the pension age from 55. If so it is highly helpful not only to the family of the retiree but also to the family of a new recruit of better knowledge and better qualification. The financial package to a pensioner is no too bad under UGC scheme. Then why the College teachers refuse to retire at 55?
K A Solaman
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Withdraw autonomy status of deemed universities.
The Government decision to withdraw the deemed university status of 44 institutions across the country is a welcome step. These universities are in fact exploiting the student communities all these time. The deemed institutions are intended for the very rich where students from poor families have no access. These universities prepare syllabus and question papers of their own and conduct examinations fitfully. Anybody could pass these examinations if he/she has the financial might. Mishandling of power is the mark of these institutions where students are even allowed to copy down from text books during examinations. There are more institutions working in this line and the autonomy status of all should be withdrawn.
K A solaman
K A solaman
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Tharoor again
Remarks by Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor, on diverse topics often attract criticism. The latest is the controversy over his alleged remarks on Jawaharlal Nehru’s foreign policy. The Congress, it appears, has opened a media room for decrypting Mr. Tharoor’s remarks. A solution for the frequent embarrassment caused to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be the removal of Mr. Tharoor from the Cabinet.
K.A. Solaman
The Hindu daily, dated 12 Jan 10
K.A. Solaman
The Hindu daily, dated 12 Jan 10
Friday, January 08, 2010
Dam of contention
The Mullaperiyar dam stands for life as well as death for the people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. On the one hand, its water is vital for irrigation, while on the other, several families live under the threat of being washed away in case the dilapidated dam collapses. However, the leaders of the two states are yet to reach a consensus on whether the level of water in the reservoir should be raised. Both states must try and resolve this issue amicably. The two chief ministers must not shy away from their responsibilities and participate in the talks.
K.A. Solaman,
the Telegraph, Calcutta dated 9 Jan 2010
K.A. Solaman,
the Telegraph, Calcutta dated 9 Jan 2010
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