Buzz of the hour: Right to Education

RTE has been quite a buzz among the eminent politicians, policymakers, social workers, educationists, etc. The newspaper columns are all full of Right To Education articles, the draft, changes, criticism, lack of implementation, new norms, etc. Today, at a small conference held at International TERI center in Bengaluru, i got a chance to see and learn things on a more macro perspective. There were these eminent policymakers, elite well read audience who kind of debated on the new buzzing phrase " RTE". 


As per article 21 of the constitution, every human being is entitled to right to life and this article itself self implies others like Right to Good Health, Right to Water and Sanitation and Right to Education. The RTE says a lot on what should be done and what should not be done and am very sure is one of the best steps taken to put things in place. But the major challenge lies in the implementation level, how well the officials take it and how effectively they carry out the responsibilities that they have been bestowed with. It was surprising to hear from people around today, especially a parent and a self proclaimed elite educationist, " Why should i send my child in a government school where the people from backward strata are given the same importance or where these poor society kids study? Why would i compromise on that when i can afford to pay high fees and give my child a better education in a private school? This comment actually took me by surprise and kind of left me amazed on the thought prevailing in the city among our own "Elite" class. But this is actually true. But when i though deep i realized this is true. No upper class individual would like her child playing with the kids of her servant. This discrimination persisted, persists and would always prevail in the society id things carry on in the same way. 


Caste discrimination lies and is slowly infused in the child's mind. For RTE major challenge lies in the transformation that needs to be done to the people's mindset. If we look at the model of Kendriya Vidyalaya, the crowd is heterogeneous in nature, children from all strata of society study there and the fees is nominal. Come on whats the harm in studying with that 25%? Whether education would benefit much to these 25% or not is not sure but the child would learn alot if he gets to interact with heterogeneous group. Allow your kids to interact with one and all. Do not sow the seeds of "discrimination" at source. Children are always raw, they would learn what is being taught to them, see things the way that is shown to them, but if parents carry this thing in mind then surely the child would discriminate and here we cannot blame the child at all for his attitude towards things as he was nurtured that way. 


Government allocates Rs. 12000 for every  kid under RTE and is looking to expand the "Free and compulsory Education" agenda. But one of the sad part is, unlike Right to Information, RTE is being treated like a scheme when it is not a scheme but state's obligation. Just allocating money, ensuring the students get enrolled in schools, is just not the work done enough. Officials should stop treating this as a Scheme and start taking their responsibilities more seriously without much depending on the funds being allocated by the state. This issue should be taken up as it is the benefit of our own children as they would be future leaders and the face of tomorrow. How well would be state be run or how high a GDP can an economy achieve without the bunch of educated and learned lot? Teach one, teach all as education is the right of all and not just few elites.


Hope the RTE is implemented well and every kid gets to live their dreams without fearing the fact that they do not own the so called precious thing "Money". 

Cruel societal norms

“A body which is built in one way, houses a mind which is crying to be something else..crying for their rights, crying for a normal living, crying for living “ have you ever thought how is it to belong to the class of transgender? How life looks when you are denied of your own rights? Discriminated for just being made in a different way? Its choking. It is difficult to walk in those shoes but that no where means that those shoes do not exist. This discrimination is embedded in our consciousness and is aggravated with the passing time owing to our ignorance and insensitivity. Right from childhood slowly all the self created societal norms and discriminations are infused in our system. But thankfully, someone thought out of the box and respecting the rights of this third gender, passed a ruling in their favor. Yes, finally the Pakistan Supreme court placed a ruling where every transgender can lawfully claim every right as is entitled to every human being.

Its bothers a great deal when the parents deter from accepting the abnormality of the child, the little kid without even knowing his fault is left to wonder why things are like this? Why can’t he be treated normally in the society? Not knowing the marked distinction or the cruelty of this society, even a little child belonging to this third sex faces things that surely he doesn’t deserve. I still wonder who has defined these societal norms? Who defined it without considering and including “ALL” in one framework? Going beyond the societal norms, you would be tagged “Unruly” and would attract one of those looks of killers. But again should this bother you a great deal? Move forward, fight for your own folks,their acceptance in the society. Fight for their rights. 


This mistreated lot of people should be treated at par, should get all the rights like a normal human, should be allowed to live, should be allowed to breathe and not suffocate and die. Try walking in their shoes once and everything, all the realities of life would be crystal clear. I feel this discrimination is even more severe than racial discrimination and should not be promoted any more.

So, it’s a request please “Stop Discrimination”.

A tribute to my alma mater

I was sitting alone in the room staring at my books when suddenly i heard the ringing of the bell. That distant sound had a sweet rhythm, a mysterious chord and beautiful poetry to it. As that sound reached my ear, it reverberated again and again, calling out to me,telling me something through its powerful music.My mind really tried hard in vain to recognize the sound but my heart needed no searching as it knew that sound is the sound of the school bell. The harmony of the music made me mull over my decision. The sound asked me to stop, to look, to feel, to breathe, to smile,to think for the last time.. 'Are you sure you can't do it?'..

The sound that seemed to have come directly from heaven, made me remember my first success. 'SACRED HEART CONVENT SCHOOL', the name which made both mad and sad until i was not part of this esteemed institution. To study in this institution is the dream of all Jampot(Jamshedpur) girls and so my mine. I worked really hard towards it and finally bagged it (Hurrah!!). The initial journey in convent was tough but i somehow sailed through the storm and created my own niche in the institution.In fact that new tag of 'CONVENTEE'attached before my name made me achieve this. The very tag still boosts my confidence and force me back to work.

out of the 21 years of my life, i have spent 4 years walking on the corridors of convent. From the first day i took my steps into the portals of this institution, a complete new world was awakened to me.. I still remember the day i had to bid adieu to my ALMA MATER. It seemed as though a part of my soul has left me, it seemed as if my spirit had died. i was trying in vain to clutch onto time attempting to turn it back a few year as it darts out of our reach, out of our hearts..

The bells are still ringing in my ear....asking me to reminisce the old, beautiful and priceless moment spent together.. those memories shall forever remain engrained in the abyss of time, they are imprinted in my soul and whenever i feel dejected , i use it all as a balm.

When i had taken admission into a B-grade college for graduation, my hopes were all shaken, it seemed as though the pedestal has been snatched away from me. I had been thrown out of my cocoon and was trying in vain to search for a foothold.. questions are rising up thick and fast, what is my place and where is the answer to my life??... Sadness is filling up my heart as tears are falling incessantly down my face.

My mind is blank and i feel hollow inside.. But suddenly the school bell starts ringing again.. Its magical notes are telling me that i am not weak, i am not powerless, i still have the strength to change the course of time, the courage to change the pattern of stars, the potential to change the existing world outside.. i still can.. as i was, m and will always remain a 'CONVENTEE'. These magical words shall stay with me forever.

Each step i take, each step i walk... those yellow buildings, with crucified Jesus on its wall... always accompany me showing me the way to success.. the way to my dreams.. still i can hear the school bells ringing aloud.

Rishikesh- a Bon Voyage

August 2009: Few days back I went to Rishikesh- a place which saunters at its own juvenile pace. There was not much to it except for that little thing called 'Fun'. We do have our daily dozes of enjoyment out here in Delhi but never do we have that pristine fun. It sounds a bit paradoxical right.. but its true. Somewhere in the back of our minds, there is always this clock ticking reminding us of the pressing matters at hand, back at office the deadlines of files to meet, like a perpetual to-do list stuck on the back of our minds and in front of our seats. But not in Rishikesh.

I went along with a few of my office colleagues to a place known more for its religio loci. Time out there seemed have taken a halt and settled like river salt. River rafting was major fun and the camping was like an extra topping added to it. We camped in a 25 ft high surface with no electricity but only lamps at our disposal at night. The mountain was surrounded on one side by the Ganges with silver sand along its side.

After a long time I could stand al fresco and inhale the fresh free of pollution air.Where the daylight gave us an opportunity to discover the beauty of the place, the night gave a fantabulous view of a sky full of twinkling stars.

As everything comes to an end, even we had to end our journey and take our steps back to Delhi. Breathtaking views, friendly and the most helpful people, yummy food and of course ‘Friends’ to share the experience with make for a delectable cocktail of memories, excitement and the proverbial ’FUN’.