The Numbers' Game

The IIMs have modified the criteria of eligibility for CAT - general category applicants need to score at least 50% marks in their bachelor's programmes; there will no longer be any rounding off.

A national Daily says this is 'bound to affect lakhs of IIM aspirants'. Really? I'm intrigued - wonder how many students with a 49.9% score made it to an IIM so far? If it 'affects aspirants', i'd say it's in a positive way by sparing them useless effort.

One way of admitting students is for the Entrance Test itself to be the sole basis of selection. If, on the other hand, previous results are to be considered as well, it is ridiculous to set filtration levels so low (as 50% is), for selection to the best institutes in the country, that they are rendered absurd and meaningless....as absurd as having entrance tests for tiny tots! I find it surprising that marks could be 'rounded off' earlier - if true, then the idea of a rounded off benchmark was as stupid as stupid can get.

The paper also tells me 2.3 lakh applicants vie for 1500 seats at the IIMs and as each application costs Rs. 1100, they make Rs. 25 crores in this process. Makes sense - the 50% level is not so ridiculous after all!

Education for the educated

Over 40% of married women in India experience physical abuse by their husbands - so informs us a recent newspaper article publishing the result of National Family Health Survey III. It goes on to say that 'shockingly', 54% of women and 51% of men think wife beating is OK.

I beg to differ. There is nothing shocking about this whatsoever. Well, shocking in the sense of terrible, yes, but not if what is meant is 'sudden and violent disturbance of feelings or the nervous system'. Dr. Sulabha Parasuraman, who spearheaded the survey says "....this social attitude has to change immediately". Words well meant ....but naive.

Social attitudes are formed over long periods of time and it takes a lot of time and perseverance to change them too. There is no such thing as immediate change in society. In the context of abuse, it is believed that a change can be brought about by greater education of women. This can only be partially true. Education leading to financial empowerment of women will definitely play a role - but more at the second step - by offering her the choice to stand up to abuse. But what about prevention of abuse? That can only come about by enlightenment of the mind - male and female!

We are an ill educated nation - and I'm referring to the 'educated' lot of us here. The great, big Indian dream a couple of decades ago was to acquire an engineering or medical degree; the current fad, of course, is the ubiquitous MBA. Got an MBA - you've 'made it'! The idea here is not to pick on the poor MBA (it must have it's usefulness, I'm sure) - it's the mindset that I find bothersome.

Right from kindergarten, 'education' has little to do with learning and growth. We are not encouraged to question - in fact, quite the contrary. The objective is not to expand the mind - but just to get that all important 'Degree'!

The alphabet is drilled into us, but who teaches us not to throw garbage on the street? We painstakingly have to learn our algebra, but do we have to know anything about social responsibility? Sure we're taught to dissect a cockroach, but are we educated to be tolerant towards another point of view? What about multi-faceted learning, one that goes beyond v=u+at? Remember ever having had an art appreciation class at school? Was the meaning of human dignity ever up for discussion?

We are, in 21st Century India, a barbaric society, and what is worse, hypocrisy is our middle name. It perhaps explains our 'shock' at all that is patently commonplace - we are not blind, but choose to be blindfolded. To evolve, our education needs to be holistic, encompassing the intellectual - scientific, creative and philosophical, physical, emotional and spiritual spectra. One cannot change a social mindset without an education that is socially relevant - we need to be taught to be civilized, learn to be humane. But, who's interested? For society to change, individual thought needs to change first. How many are prepared to bite the bullet?

A song and dance about Dandiya

The other day, I was handed a couple of passes for a 'Dandiya Nite' in the city. Having grown up on a healthy dose of Dandiya during childhood days in Bombay and further 'Garba'ed away on campus during all the college years in Ahmedabad, it seemed like a good idea to put the passes to use and make a night of it with friends (night here in Bangalore of course meaning till 11 pm when city authorities in their collective wisdom have decided for us that we should be in bed). Admittedly, I entered the arena with dollops of skepticism, but even I didn't bargain for the disastrous scene we found.

Admittedly too, I am a trifle spoilt. Garba on campus was a beautiful affair - the traditional music was haunting and the dance sublime poetry in motion. Even the two left feet types would have found it hard to stop at mere feet tapping. Ahmedabad had very little going for it on any front - and it is a crying shame that 'Cultural Stink' is synonymous with Gujarat today - but it had Garba for redemption.

So what made the evening so terrible - a combination of Punjabi music with Dandiya and Gujarati music with Bhangra being danced to it (at least attempted with all sincerity). Why was that so bad - well, for starters, even if one were to leave the grouse of any purist out of it (no mean feat that), can you imagine Bhangra with Dandiya sticks - one so does not want ones eyes gouged out! Neither did most people know what to do, nor did they seem too thrilled about whatever it was that they were trying to do...and they still couldn't be bothered to find out what they were in fact supposed to do. Such a travesty of Dandiya!

One of my expat friends came up with something interesting. He wanted to know if there are any classes one can join to learn traditional Indian folk dances. That one definitely stumped us. Where indeed can one learn Bhangra, Garba, Dandiya, Ghoomar, Lavani, Cheraw, Bihu or any of the other numerous dance forms? We are knowledgeable enough about where we can learn Salsa, Rumba, Tango, Jive and Waltz....and perhaps also Bharatnatyam, Odissi, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, etc.,...note, I say perhaps ....but, our social dances....sorry, no idea! At the risk of exposing my own ignorance, I'd say this instruction would be very hard to come by here - and I'm not counting Bollywood dancing a la Shiamak Davar stables.

The highlight of the evening - fortifying ourselves at one of the 24 hour coffee shops afterwards. That was indeed badly needed!

Question marks over Adoptive parents

The Law as I understand it presumes the accused to be innocent until proven otherwise.

In India, Adoption is a legal option available to both, couples as well as single men or women desirous of having an offspring. However, the ground reality is that couples are the preferred choice as adopters followed by single women, and finally, single men. This stems from the prevalent social belief that women are the natural nurturers. The Indian Legal System also does not permit homosexuals to adopt. These could well be subjects for debate, but that is not my objective here.

The laws for adoption come with a rider - while a couple or a single woman may adopt a child of either gender, a single male is only allowed to adopt boys. Is this discriminatory?

Paedophilia is defined as the act or fantasy on the part of an adult of engaging in sexual activity with a child or children.While I haven't laid my hands on the relevant statistics, it is generally believed that men far outnumber women as sexual abusers of children. Even if this is true, does that give licence to a Judicial System to be presumptive?

There are two aspects to be considered here:

Firstly, women as well as men could be child abusers. Clearly, it is assumed that the credentials of a prospective adopter will be gone through with a fine tooth comb and the process carried forward only when these are found to pass muster. The path for either gender to be accepted as suitable parental candidates should thus be cleared.

This then brings me to the nub of the issue - both boys and girls could be victims of sexual abuse. In the eventuality that a sexual offender (or a potential one) escapes discovery during the process of scrutiny, what makes boys any less vulnerable than girls to being sexually exploited?

The Law seems to be lopsided - both from the point of view of the single male adopter as well as the adoptee. It also presumes to paint all men with the brush of suspicion - a case of guilty until proven innocent!

Of historical figures and their place in time

'Who was born on Oct 2?'
So screamed the headline of a National Newspaper on the 138th birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The article went on to publish the knowledge, or rather the lack of it, that the common man on the street has about the Mahatma.

It went something like this:

Q. Where was he born?
A. ?
Q. When was he killed?
A. ??
Q. What was his wife's name?
A. ???
Q. What did he do for India?
A. Huh? Don't really know what he did for us, but must have been something right....else why would his birthday be a holiday for us every year?

Come Oct 2nd and January 30th, reams are written about this apostle of peace. Another great leader of this nation also shares his birthday with Gandhi. Lal Bahadur Shastri is a forgotten man. He doesn't find mention in any publication, and why should he? When Gandhi is an unknown entity today, irrelevant to many, what chance does Shastri stand?