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Mon, May-6-2013, 12:00

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Will having to pass no examination make the students lazy and impose great burden when finally they have to face examinations?

Should we dam auto promotion?
John B. Monteiro

According to an exclusive report in Deccan Herald (26-4-13), a parliamentary standing committee has suggested that the government reconsider automatic promotion to students till class VIII under the Right to Education (RTE) Act in elementary schools, as it might discourage them from achieving academic excellence.

Expressing serious doubts over the efficacy of the no-detention policy, the panel noted that the system might deter te­achers, parents and peers from motivating the children si­nce promotion was guaranteed.

“The committee doubts the policy of automatic upgrade from class I-VIII under the RTE Act,” the panel stated in its report tabled in the Rajya Sabha. It referred to the findings of two surveys conducted by the NCERT on learning achievements of elementary school students.

One must not forget that the main objective of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan-RTE was to ensure a child’s right to elementary education of “satisfactory and equitable quality” which satisfied certain essential norms and standards, observed the committee headed by Congress MP Oscar Fernandes.

Is Getting Elected the Best Investment?
John B. Monteiro

Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottonness begins in his conduct. – Thomas Jefferson, 3rd US President (1743-1826).
Since Jefferson’s times the temptations of office have increased exponentially, with annual annual budgets running into trillions. That explains why candidates for elections, like the ones Karnataka is holding on May 5, 2013, spend crores of rupees, against a few lakhs allowed under the law. Someone had said that politics is the last resort of scoundrels. That has now to be changed as the first resort of the greedy and corrupt. Investment in politics gives far more returns than any form of investment, except in first prize winning lottery ticket. This is reflected in the following report by Garima Prasher and published in The Times of India (24-4-13) and excerpted here.
It was an across-the-board hike, party no bar. All politicians gave themselves massive increments, according to a report compiled by two NGOs — Karnataka Election Watch (KEW) and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The assets of some sitting MLAs, of the 179 contesting the assembly elections, have gone up by more than 5,000% over the past five years, with more than 100 sitting MLAs reporting a 100% increase in their assets.

Are you stuck with wrong spouse?
John B. Monteiro

The husband is sullen, dogged, shy,
The wife grows flippant in reply;
 He loves command and due restriction,
 And she as well likes contradiction.
She never slavishly submits;
She’ll her way, or have her fits.
John Gay, English poet (1688-1732).
Once the honeymoon is over, the novelty lost, couples pause to ruminate over the choice of their partners. Did they make the right choice? Could they have made a better choice. Did they undersell themselves? These questions have been neatly dealt with by Vanita Dawra Nangia in her column O-zone in Time Life! Sunday supplement of The Times of India (14-4-13) - and excerpted here.