Challenges and Solutions in India's Examination System
Introduction:
Every examination season, media reports highlight scandals in universities and school boards, raising concerns about the credibility of the examination system and its impact on educational standards.
Credibility and Educational Standards:
- The credibility of the examination system is closely tied to the standards of certificates issued by examination boards.
- The lack of credibility affects educational standards, as the proposed examination system conditions learning.
- The focus on memory-based testing leads to rote learning, and the inflation of marks aims at achieving high pass percentages, escalating talent search costs for employers.
Decentralized System and Challenges:
- India’s vast education landscape with over 1,100 universities and numerous affiliated colleges faces challenges in maintaining standardization and secrecy.
- While there are 60 school boards for secondary and higher secondary education, the lack of transparency and standardization can lead to scandals.
Inconsistency in Examination System:
- The summative examination, designed to test and certify a student’s learning, lacks consistency over time and comparability across institutions.
- Often, the focus is on testing memory, and the examination system fails to certify higher-order thinking skills crucial for employability.
Employers’ Perspective:
- Employers often disregard institutional certification, conducting their own assessments of candidates’ academic achievements and suitability for employment.
- This trend has given rise to a coaching market for competitive examinations and skill development.
Assessment Quality and Oversight:
- Advisories on curriculum design, pedagogy, and examination systems exist, but effective oversight is lacking.
- The secrecy in the examination process, from question paper setting to evaluation, can lead to scandals.
- Academic autonomy without proper oversight may compromise the standardization of examinations.
Steps for Improvement:
- Specify minimum standards for learning outcomes.
- Utilize technology in assessment for standardization.
- Codify negligence, fraud, and academic inadequacies with associated corrective measures.
- Ensure transparency in the evaluation process, addressing student grievances.
- Conduct external audits of assessment systems based on established principles and benchmarks.
Conclusion:
While confidentiality and consistency in grading are desired, the emphasis should be on transparency, adherence to minimum acceptable standards, and credibility in assessing students comprehensively.
Continuous efforts in examination reforms and simultaneous curriculum changes are crucial for improving the overall standard of education in India.
Introduction
India’s global influence has stemmed not solely from its size but predominantly from its leadership. The query for 2024 is whether the world’s largest democracy can set an example in resetting and reinstating good faith in politics. The essence of democracy lies in negotiating differences among a diverse population, but the erosion of trust has led to a zero-sum antagonism.
Acknowledging Behaviors on Both Sides
The analysis emphasizes the need to recognize and address behaviors exhibited by both the government and its opposition. The ruling regime is criticized for impatience with democratic norms and undemocratic use of state power, while sections of the opposition, especially civil society, pursue a strategy that denies the legitimacy of the government, hindering effective communication.
Restoring Trust: Beyond Rhetoric
To move beyond rhetoric and restore trust, the editorial suggests several considerations.
#1. Acknowledge Behavior
– Government Actions: Impatience with democratic norms, wielding state power undemocratically.
– Opposition Actions: Pursuing a strategy that denies the legitimacy of the government, focusing on tactics with limited electoral relevance.
#2. Role of Influential Individuals
– Individuals valuing civility and moderation can play a crucial role.
– Influencers within institutions can exert influence on key fronts.
#3. Addressing Partisanship
– Party members should use their influence to restrain party excesses and focus on substantive issues.
– Power concentration in individual leaders limits such interventions.
#4. Effects of Anti-defection Law
– Discussion on the second-order effects of the anti-defection law on inner party democracy and issue-based mobilization is crucial.
– Dispersal of power to elected representatives can foster internal negotiations and issue-based mobilization.
#5. Scrutinizing Media’s Role
– Mass media’s pivotal role in opinion-making is highlighted.
– The call for responsible journalism and rebuilding trust in media is made.
– Influential individuals can contribute to creating an environment supportive of public-interest media.
Learning from Global Examples
- Drawing parallels with large-scale protests in Israel, the note underscores how diverse ideological backgrounds can unite to preserve democratic values.
- It posits that India, like other liberal democracies, stands at a crossroads, necessitating concerned citizens from diverse backgrounds to collaborate in restoring trust in political institutions and preserving the democratic framework.
Conclusion,
The editorial advocates for a collective effort involving acknowledgment, individual influence, addressing partisanship, reconsidering the anti-defection law, and scrutinizing media roles to rebuild trust in Indian politics.
Unveiling the Untold Stories: Women of the Ramayana and Their Relevance
Introduction:
The construction of the Ayodhya temple and its solidification of Lord Ram’s image raises questions about the overlooked narratives of the women in the Ramayana.
Sita, Kaikeyi, and Mandodari, though existing in the shadows of their husbands, play a crucial role in countering the hypermasculinity of the epic, acting as a moral compass and metaphor.
- Subjugation in Myth and History:
- Despite being scattered across various Ramayana versions, these women—Sita, Kaikeyi, and Mandodari—exist in the periphery of their husbands’ stories.
- Their roles often hover between myth and history, settling eventually into metaphorical representations.
- Their subjugation to the dominant male narratives is a noteworthy aspect that demands discussion.
- Regional Variances:
- The varied interpretations of these women in regional Ramayana versions mirror the societal contexts of their origins.
- Regions where the sacred feminine holds prominence afford a more substantial role for these characters in retelling the epic.
- The fluidity of interpretation contributes to the dynamism, complexity, and continual evolution of their personas.
- The Complex Identity of Sita:
- Sita, often portrayed as the Prakriti to the Purush, remains a complex and dynamic character.
- Her origins, frequently overlooked in popular narratives, reveal her birth from the earth, symbolizing fertility and continuity in an agricultural society.
- Hailing from Videha (Mithila), a region transitioning from monarchy to republic, Sita’s story is intricately linked to democratic ideals, with some versions highlighting how her father, King Janaka, allowed her a democratic space to thrive.
Conclusion:
The women of the Ramayana, although relegated to the background in traditional retellings, emerge as crucial figures challenging the hypermasculine narrative.
Their stories, deeply embedded in regional variations and societal contexts, contribute to the richness and complexity of the epic.
As discussions around the Ramayana continue, it becomes imperative to unravel and celebrate the untold stories of Sita, Kaikeyi, and Mandodari, recognizing their significance in shaping the cultural and moral fabric of the epic.
