IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION IN INDIA


Education in India is no more an option. It has turned out to be more of a basic necessity and there is no denying that in this competitive world, we need to be educated to scale new heights.
Although our educational system might not be the perfect one, still us Indians pride in having a culture where we value education a lot. You’ll see that in recent times, almost everyone wants to make their children a highly educated person and it has turned into a never ending race.

Education in India Statistics

Image Credits: Assessment Survey Evaluation Research Centre, New Delhi.

• Shockingly, in Std 8, there are 1% of students who cannot even read letters. It leaves us wondering how they reached up till the 8^th standard
• In India, there are 1561 schools with just 1 teacher to teach
• In the age group of 6-14, there are 3.3% students who are either not enrolled or dropped out of school. In the age group of 7-16, the figure is 5.3%. This data includes both male and female students
• Manipur has the lowest (6%) of schools with access to drinking water and the highest being Kerala with 85.6% schools having access to drinking water. All India average is 73.5%
• Meghalaya falls short of accessible toilets with only 24.4% schools having the facility and the highest is again Kerala with 71.6% schools having access to the same. All India average is 49.1%
• When it comes to access to Library books, Manipur has the lowest with only 7.1% schools having this facility. The topper is yet again, Kerala with 98.1% schools having library books. All India average is 71.4%
• If you are concerned about mid-day meal, the survey shows that Kerala tops the “Kitchen shed for cooking midday meal” category with 97.8% schools having the facility while Manipur has the lowest with only 43.9% schools having the same. All India average is 83.7%
•  Why Education is Important?
  Education is important because
  
• It plays a vital role in increasing our knowledge
• Helps us better “belong” in the society we live in
• Helps us get a job and much more

It’s not just about increasing our technical knowledge. Education also helps us understand different cultures and helps us network better.
Whether you want a better job or would like to progress in your current career, it’s extremely important that you widen your network. That is one area where education really helps us.
If you are educated, that means you are also less susceptible to fraud. A lot of people take advantages of uneducated people by employing them for fewer wages than the standard, not giving them enough facilities and even the fundamental rights people deserve. A lot of what education has to offer a person will indirectly help them become better.
Earlier, women rarely went for higher studies. Now more and more people are realizing the importance of education and are allowing their daughters to pursue higher education. Being educated not only helps women get a job, it also makes them a lot more independent.

Gender Bias in Rape Cases?

After the Delhi gang rape, the youth of our nation decided to speak up and take a stand for rape victims all over the world. Rape survival stories, molestation, humiliation and sexual harassment cases were brought to media’s attention. Fingers were pointed at the government; safety and prevention measures debated and suggested by many.

All were for the protection of women all over the country. What about the men?

Men are immediately considered as the evils of society when it comes to sexual harassment. Women now come forward and confess their dark pasts and fears to their family, friends, and even media. They get the attention and support they need from peers and family if not the officials. But male victims still hesitate to share their horror stories.

If the women can take a step, why can’t they? The issue is more severe than we think.

Laws are still weak and measures still haven’t been taken for the security and safety women, but there is still support from people around the world. The country stands united for women and their safety. Women are blamed for their clothing, their limits, provocation and other myths that our patriarchal society believes in. But in the end, people gather to protest against the wrong being done to women. Where does it leave the men?

At ages that make you cringe, young boys have been molested by uncles, cousins, fathers and brothers. Young boys also get sexually harassed by bullies in their schools and neighborhood. Most of them are threatened to be beaten, humiliated and further assaulted if they plan to ask anyone for help. The disbelief and shame makes these victims to live in denial or suppress their emotions. Seeking help seems like a more difficult option than living with burden.

We all have seen, heard and read about the horror stories in campus dorms and hostels. In the “fun” of bullying, boys are forced to perform various activities that are physically and emotionally scarring. Many of the boys either commit suicide or go into depression, but rarely does someone take a step to report the crime. It all comes to fear and humiliation.

Some of the victims refuse to admit what has been done to them and live in constant denial. Some fear the treatment they’d be given by the others if they asked for help. Homosexuals and bisexuals are still mistreated and sneered at by not only the police and other officials, but by society. Some victims even start questioning their own sexuality. They start resenting their “helplessness”. Many start doubting their physical and emotional stability compared to the stereotypical “manly male”, one who apparently cannot be harmed and can take care of himself and his loved ones.

Such psychological barriers are not irrational or a result of paranoia. This hesitation is brought upon by various influential social factors that one would face on a daily basis. Media, family, friends, educational institutions, religion, and societal norms and traditions are examples of the influential elements on a growing child’s psychology.

The lack of acceptance by our own people in this era can easily break a physically and emotionally wounded man’s trust and expectations. This vulnerability and strand of weakness is what sexual offenders feed on. This also holds back the courage of the ones who need all the help they can get.

We demand gender equality in every aspect that is essential to us. Why not personal safety? Even men should be provided with mediums to communicate their fears and scarring experiences. Male victims should also be treated the way a female victim would expect to be; with sensitivity and acceptance.

Instead of considering women as the weaker sex, it should be understood that rape is an offense that has nothing to do with gender. Statutory or not, rape can affect both males and females. The trials should not be based on the victims’ gender, but the crime that was done. Laws are made to give justice, not to be biased.

Our country demands justice and safety; let’s not keep it limited to half the people.

Ambika Chauhan

A Virtual Safe, may be?

At a time when you are increasingly getting used to going online to pay your bills, buying attractive outfits (with a discount to boot!), tracking your bank statements and Demat accounts, it is quite an ordeal having to keep all your papers and documents intact in the safe. Apart from being absolutely paranoid about losing important documents and bills, we know that over the years, the number of papers to be responsible for will only keep on increasing! Frankly, there isn't so much physical – or mental space – to keep track of the receipt of each and every transaction.

The e-safe feature in companies offering online space for one to store valuable information and receipts should create a sense of huge relief.

The process
The e-safe online feature helps you to access your individual login identity with a password, after you have made the payment online for this service. You can then scan copies of the original receipts, bills and documents and save them online as jpeg or pdf files. Whenever you need to access them, you simply need to log on and access them. These saved files are automatically put under different heads so that you may be able to access them.

In this manner, you are really securing all your documents. Many people these days use their laptops to store different important documents but that is different from putting it on a ‘virtual’ safe – there is no fear of the records getting deleted in case there is a systems crash, or in case of theft or when the data falls into prying hands.

While ICICI, Citibank and IDBI have started this kind of service, there are companies which offer part of the service – storing documents related only to medical records (myhealthrecords.in, where you may scan even X-ray reports) or ITRVault.in pertaining to reports relating to income tax.

The pros
It all stemmed from the idea of companies needing to store huge numbers of invoices online. They outsourced the tracking of this data to online agencies with a proven expertise in digitization. Gradually, financial companies also saw the need for individuals to come under the ambit of online storing. Not only is one cutting postal and archival costs, one has the flexibility of storing the data from anywhere, at any time.

Then again, whenever you are manually manipulating data, there might be a larger scope for mistakes, and the time taken to save and track it will also naturally be much higher and tedious. Here, you have it all at the click of the mouse!
An important part of the storing relates to the organization of this data.

The cons
Unless you are comfortable with the system, it can be cumbersome and add to your worries. Besides, digitizing of documents in case of individuals has not yet caught on in India and you would only want to approach a company you can truly trust.

To many, it would appear like double trouble – in many instances, you still have to keep the physical papers at hand as well as be vigilant online, remember passwords and keep changing these frequently. And the fees –between Rs 500 and 2500 p.a – would again leave you wondering whether you can’t do it yourself!

Inflation. Always bad??

We've been brainwashed to believe that inflation is always bad but it can actually be a sign that an economy is growing. Whether inflation is good or bad for you depends on the overall economy as well as your personal situation. It also depends on whether the inflation is anticipated or unanticipated. If it is anticipated, then as an employee you can negotiate contracts that include automatic wage hikes as the price level goes up. Banks can vary their interest rates to compensate for the rising prices. However, inflation is bad news for people living off a fixed-income, such as pensioners, as they see a decline in purchasing power and, consequently, their standard of living. The real question is not whether inflation is rising, but whether it’s rising at a quicker pace than one's salary.

What can the government do to check inflation?
The government has to increase domestic supplies of food items which have rapidly become expensive, mainly through imports and by banning exports of a particular commodity that is in short supply. The state has already eliminated import duties on staple food items like onions, which India imports from countries like Pakistan and Singapore. In the longer run, the government needs to increase investment in irrigation and mechanized modes of farming to enhance productivity.

In recent years, most developed countries have attempted to sustain an inflation rate of 2 to 3 per cent. The BJP government was defeated in the 1998 Delhi Assembly elections after a surge in onion prices. In extreme cases, rapid inflation can lead to the breakdown of a nation’s monetary system. The German economy collapsed in 1923, when prices rose 2,500 per cent in one month.

Should Homemakers be paid?

If the Women and Child Development Ministry has its way, homemakers will be legally designated as ‘home engineers’ and will get 10-20 per cent of their husband’s salary. The idea is to empower homemakers. But will it really do this?

Why we’re discussing this
This proposal is aimed at empowering homemakers who have no access to funds and are dependent completely on their husbands for any expense. In a lot of families, men do not give any money to their wives, let alone a salary. They do not pay for their family’s requirements or their children’s education, and beat up their wives when they ask for money. Some financially independent women may find this proposal belittling, but there must be many who will welcome the proposal. The logistics involved in it may be difficult—for instance, how can you quantify housework and the sacrifices the homemaker makes? Nevertheless, this is a good move.

Thanks, but no thanks!
This will just make the homemaker a glorified maid. And this, in turn, will affect the relationship between the husband and wife—what if he says he is unhappy with the quality of work done by the wife?

How do you ensure that the wife actually gets to spend the money on whatever she wants? The idea may be to empower women, but this proposal might not be all that positive. To avoid ambiguity in these financial matters, there has to be an act around it, such as those governing laborers and employees. Also, a labor office has to be set up for governance and to ensure that the law is enforced. Additionally, someone needs to maintain the accounts and have regular audits conducted. But considering that we are talking in terms of a family here, how is one going to go about his job without infringing into the family’s personal space?

What Banks won't tell you!!

The bank representative calling you on a busy afternoon with a loan offer that’s too good to be true knows just how to get you to his side. He’ll joke with you and call you regularly, making you feel like it’s providence waving a loan at you. It’s not fate, it’s a sales trick. Here are some things your banker would rather you didn't think about much.

Personal bankers are salespeople
The banker sitting behind the desk is no different than the guy selling TVs at an electronics store. Personal bankers have sales quotas like any other sales person, and most of their salaries depend on commission. According to a November 2012 posting on a recruitment website, for the branch of a private bank in south Delhi, candidates for the post of personal banker were only required to have passed out from a post-graduate management program. Good communication skills were the real clinchers.

Nothing is free
The term ‘free’ must raise a red flag in the case of all financial contracts It can be extremely misguiding. Broadly speaking, there are hardly any services, including banking, that have absolutely no charges.


You can change your mind
Most people do not know that there is a 15-day period after signing the contract within which they can change their minds. It’s called Free Look Period and it refers to a standard practice with respect to insurance policies. But banks tend to keep this information to themselves.

What rebuilding ? Haven't we done that already ??

I still dont understand why we need "rebuilding".

Rondo is young and good and a first team all star.

Bradley is young and good and is getting better.

Courtney Lee is young and a more than a decent backup.

We have a guy who can run the offense. Bradley and Lee will become better shooters. Their defense is solid. But most importantly, they will give it everything every night.

I consider Jeff Green to be a future All Star. This dude has massive potential. He just needs to be more consistent. And over the past couple of weeks he has shown how dangerous he can be. He is definitely someone who can finish plays.

Jared Sullinger has been amazing in however much playing time he got. He is a decent shooter, plays great defense, and gets all those rebounds.

And all these players have like 6-7 good playing years ahead of them. They are definitely a really good core for the team to build on. Good defense, Good offense, Better Rebounding. Danny ainge just needs to add key bench players to make this team better. Add some 3 point shooters and defensive players on the bench and we actually have a championship contender.

The only thing we are missing is a Center. A good solid defender who can play post up offense. But that is something that can be handled in free agency. Josh Smith, Andray Blatche, Chris Kaman, Jason Maxiell, Samuel Dalembert.....are all unrestricted free agents this summer.

I dont get all the drama about trading Pierce and Garnett and rebuilding the team. They should be allowed to retire as Celtics. Garnett would actually be an amazing addition to the coaching staff. Even with Pierce and Garnett playing, we have players on the roster that will make a great future core.

Trade in pieces like Bass and Barbosa an Wilcox in coming seasons to get some decent bench players...
Because the way I see it, we dont need "Rebuilidng". We already have players who are going to lead the Celtics.