Latest news with #Vivekananda
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
CBSE's turn to the mother tongue requires more than intent — it demands structural shifts and classroom autonomy
The decision taken by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to switch the focus of early primary years to the mother tongue is, to say the least, momentous. With a circular, the board plans to upend the history of education in its prestigious schools. If the circular succeeds, the outcome will be nothing less than a revolution. Future historians will struggle to explain this accomplishment. Some will surely ask: 'If it was so simple, why couldn't the board do it many years ago?' The CBSE is a relatively small board compared to the state boards, but it enjoys higher status and influence. Barring exceptions, CBSE schools use English as a medium from the earliest grades. Several state boards have conceded the centrality of English relatively recently, apparently to align themselves with the CBSE. Now that the latter has announced its resolve to displace English in the early years of schooling, will these state boards follow? If that happens, it will doubtless be a beautiful dawn of systemic sanity. No philosopher or policymaker has ever endorsed the centrality of English over the child's mother tongue. Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, M K Gandhi — they all advocated the primacy of the mother tongue. J P Naik — the designer of educational policies in the early years of Independence — saw the dominant position of English in leading schools as a terrible contradiction. As the member-secretary of the Kothari Commission (1964-66), he pleaded for a sincere implementation of the three-language formula. Under this hallowed mantra, the child's mother tongue ought to be treated as the first and most important language at school. In his book published soon after his death in 1981, Naik lamented the fact that the three-language formula had been implemented piecemeal or sidelined entirely. He once told me a story that rings like an allegory today. Following the Kothari Commission report's approval, Naik said the Maharashtra government issued a circular. It referred to the commission's recommendation of 'child-centred education'. The Maharashtra circular directed all schools to ensure that child-centred education was practised with immediate effect. In fact, the circular threatened official action against defaulting school heads. The point of this story was that circulars don't necessarily work, especially when they intend to soften an entrenched practice. Wider effort, involving social collaboration, is required. It is now a popular, socially accepted fact that English is the language of upward mobility. The parallel view that English is a colonial legacy and should therefore be displaced may have political utility, but it has little traction, particularly among the traditionally deprived social groups. They recognise that the children of the dominant classes and their leaders benefit from their ease with English. This view goes along with the notion that command of English requires early induction. By sticking to the use of English as a medium of teaching in every subject, elite schools — as most CBSE schools are — have consolidated these popular perceptions of English. Indeed, this perception is a key factor driving the growth of private schools, especially in the northern belt where the state system is weak and poorly managed. The CBSE's move blinks at this wider reality. Instead of explaining what is problematic about early induction into English, the CBSE wants to sound innocent in its sudden advocacy of the mother tongue or the regional language. Laudable though this new mission is, it calls for sustained preparation and considerable investment. Apart from private schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) will require more than nudging if they are to pay greater attention to children's home language. As a privileged segment of the CBSE family, KVs have been silently copying the practices of English-medium private ('public') schools. Many years have passed since the day I noticed that Grade I children in a KV in Delhi could not name all the days of the week in Hindi. It was nobody's wish to make children monolingual English speakers so early in life; KVs were merely following a social trend. Being evasive about the omnipresence of English-medium education is probably a policy compulsion, but it amounts to a preference for snoozing in a make-believe world. If the child's own language is to find some appreciative space at school, countless euphemisms will have to be sacrificed. Some of these serve as a political shorthand; others are related to frozen pedagogies. Experienced teachers know that language is not merely literacy, however foundational it may be. Sounds, rhymes and words contain intimate, imagined meanings for small children. Sensible teaching lets these meanings develop new forms; misconceived schooling throttles them, imposing dictionary meanings through tests and competition. In our system, the child's language is the first casualty. Prematurely acquired capacities to recite and spell run parallel to rote numeracy. These practices run counter to the basic principles of child-centred teaching. If the CBSE wants to improve language learning at early stages, it will have to look beyond publicised priorities. As an examination board, its focus is naturally on tests and outcomes. Currently, this focus has intensified. New technologies have exacerbated this tendency. Language learning during childhood is an aspect of intellectual growth that demands a generous teacher and diversity of resources. Music, drama and other means of aesthetic expression also enhance children's linguistic strength. A multilingual classroom is best suited to achieving these aims. The education system is accustomed to treating language like a subject. It is taught with the purpose of ensuring success in tests. In recent years, this systemic tendency has worsened. Distrust of the teacher has led to a general, undeclared policy of denial of autonomy. In KVs, teachers must abide by a nationwide convergence of weekly completion schedules. This practice compels every teacher to complete each segment of the syllabus or textbook at the same pace as others. Practices in private schools are not very different from this norm. There is little room in such a system to permit teachers to pursue curricular goals at their own pace. The transformation of such a system cannot be achieved with a circular and a brief re-orientation. The writer is former NCERT director and the author of The Child's Language and the Teacher and Padhna, zara sochna
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Education has failed to envision how to make the Vikasit Bharatiya committed to selfless kartavya-palan', who alone can create the Vikasit Bharat
Sunil Kumar is currently member, managing committee, Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi. An engineer and project manager trained at Vickers Armstrong Engineers and Babcox & Wilcox, UK, he is a former general manager of The Projects and Equipment Corporation of India, Ministry of Commerce and Consultant, NIDC, Ministry of Industry. Sunil has been member of a high-power government committee for value orientation in Planning Commission and In-charge of Value Education Programmes of Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi. He has written books on Vedanta, managerial effectiveness – Indian Insights, human values, etc. His passion lies in applying Indian wisdom & Vivekananda's principles to managerial situations. His vision and managerial expertise led to the setting up of a unique PGDBM Management Institute in Delhi, called SriSIM, of which he was a Founder Trustee and Professor and which offered education in Indian ethos based Management. He is currently taking the message of Vedanta-centric human development to public servants through programs on 'Ethics in Governance. LESS ... MORE Essence of being a Bhartiya: Modern education has created a new English-speaking elite ruling 'caste', to replace the erstwhile 'Brahmins'. This new ruling elite 'caste' is taught to focus more and more on 'earning and enjoying' and 'external' material development, technology, etc. but remains totally ignorant and unconcerned with learning to manage our 'inner' instrument, our mind and directing it towards appreciation of our time-tested Vedantic wisdom that defines the idea of being a 'Bharatiya', i.e., which means and implies those who strive for the highest illumination, thru' commitment to selfless kartavya-palan! Our strategy must be to plan how modern education can also create the Bharatiya, thru' additional focus on inner governance to awaken viveka and build powers of mind to walk-the-talk. 2. Let's first look at the book 'Ignited Minds – Unleashing the Power within India' by Hon. APJ Abdul Kalam, where our former President says: I always tell the young to dream. Dreams transform into thoughts. Thoughts result in actions. If there are no dreams, there are no revolutionary thoughts; if there are no thoughts, no actions will emanate. This comes from the understanding that each one of us has within ourselves, the ability to create the circumstances for success – to attract, so to say, to ourselves what we desire… We see many points where external science and the inner science of mind converge. He says, in the West we have built a beautiful ship. It has all the comforts, but one thing is missing; it has no compass and does not know where to go (it is said to be in a state of perpetual purposelessness!). Men like Tagore and Gandhi and their spiritual forbears found the compass. Why can this compass not be put in the human ship so that both can realise their purpose? 'Inner', Self-realisation is the focus. Each one of us must become aware of our higher, inner Self… We should ignite our dormant 'inner energy' and let it guide our lives. The radiance of such minds embarked on constructive endeavour will bring peace, prosperity and bliss to this nation. When I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I did not have it in the beginning… 3. The Maha-Vakyas, Profound Facts, explain the inner 'self': We're taught 'Love thy neighbor as thyself', be more and more selfless; but not explained, why. We must learn that the neighbor is loved, because he is your own 'self'. The kingdom of God is within you; seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and everything else will be added unto you. 'Ana-al-haq' in Islam means 'I am truth'. Same as: 'I am God'. The Idea of knowing, realising the self within is the essence of the idea of being a Bhartiya and so, besides IQ, education must awaken Viveka-buddhi to look inwards to know the Self. Knowing our Self: i) Consciousness is Brahman (God)', Pragyanam Brahman; ii) We ask: Where is it? 'You are That', Tat twam asi; iii) I reflect and realise that when I separate myself from the 'ever-changing Body-mind, all that is matter', then I experience 'This Atman in me is Brahman', 'Ayam Atma Brahman'; iv) I reflect, what is Brahman? Who is this 'I' and 'You'? How are or how can they be one? In essence, I have to realise 'I am Brahman', 'Aham Brahmasmi'; I realise it when I stop looking at 'name-forms'. I first realise I am Brahman. Then I expand to realise I am all that exists; 'Sarvam khalvidam Brahman'. Reflection: That which exists can never cease to exist; nor can non-existence ever come into existence. 'I' exist. So, 'I' is the consciousness, Brahman, is our unchanging reality! Therefore, see and serve God in man and in all beings. This is work as worship and it gradually purifies the mind and we grow to experience the power, wisdom, bliss of self. Because we the English-speaking ruling elite are ignorant of this essence of being a Bhartiya, we've allowed narrow-minded preachers and pundits to teach of my vs your god, an unknown entity who has been shut up and is jailed in places of worship or somewhere in heaven! 4. Essence of education and religions is to establish us in daily self-development practices, Life-skills, to learn and imbibe commitment to selfless kartavya-palan. A few will become competent as seekers with vivek, self-control, burning desire for higher truths. They will appreciate and as mentors of society will teach others of the truth that the great infinite truth we're seeking is consciousness; the supreme truth, is right within our innermost self; being the subtlest of all, is all pervasive, present everywhere, I am pure consciousness'. To make the Bharatiya, education must provide opportunities, inspiration, know-how, for reflections & life-skills to imbibe the spirit of Karma Yoga (KY) and constitutional Fundamental Duties (FD), which is in accordance with GOI's instructions that all Govt. servants are to be trained to be Karma Yogi. GOI has also envisioned the G20 Global Vision of 'One World. One Family. One Future'. Earlier, GOI has declared Vivekananda as National Youth Icon. His ideas on practical Vedanta and Karma Yoga, expressed in inspiring English, offer us the best opportunity to evolve a course for mainstream schooling to appreciate the GOI vision. Various inter-faith NGOs are working to make good human beings, and they must learn to work together with academia to plan how we can together make enlightened citizens. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Belagavi Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama celebrates silver jubilee
Belagavi: An environment should be created in the country where followers of different religions can live in harmony. Vivekananda's thoughts are a model for a life of harmony, coexistence and peace. They are complementary to the progress of the country, said law and parliamentary affairs and tourism minister HK Patil while attending the silver jubilee celebration of Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama in Belagavi on Sunday. The site holds profound historical and spiritual importance as Swami Vivekananda stayed here for nine days during his visit to Belagavi in 1892. Swami Gautamanandaji Maharaj, president of Ramakrishna Math and Mission Belur; Swami Atmaprananand of Ramakrishna Ashram, Belagavi; DR Patil, ex-MLA Gadag; and VV Bhaskar, former director general of police, Karnataka, participated. Inaugurating the event, Patil said Vivekananda's dream would come true only if God is recognised in the service to humanity. Untouchability, ignorance, and superstition should be eradicated in the country, and human service should flourish. Untouchability is still rampant in rural areas. "The feeling that we are all one has not yet come to all people. When that feeling comes, then we will have perfectly followed Vivekananda's message," he said. The state govt, adopting the visionary ideas of Vivekananda, is trying to bring even the most marginalised person of society into the mainstream. According to the United Nations standards, those who earn less than Rs 200 per day are poor. The state govt is providing an income guarantee of at least Rs 5,000 per month to every family, he said. Former MLA DR Patil said the activities of Ramakrishna Ashram are aimed at building a better society. Cooperation will be provided for all the activities of the ashram. Swami Gautamanandaji Maharaj, president of the Ramakrishna Math, Belur, said the Ramakrishna Ashrama, Belagavi, has been a beacon of Vivekananda's ideals in North Karnataka. Recalling his days of association with the Ramakrishna Ashrama, former DIG VV Bhaskar expressed pride about the service of the Ashram. Dr Mallikarjun V Joli, the chief executive of KLE Cancer Hospital Belagavi, delivered the vote of thanks.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Becoming a mentor – Reflections to know our self & train our mind towards better
Sunil Kumar is currently member, managing committee, Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi. An engineer and project manager trained at Vickers Armstrong Engineers and Babcox & Wilcox, UK, he is a former general manager of The Projects and Equipment Corporation of India, Ministry of Commerce and Consultant, NIDC, Ministry of Industry. Sunil has been member of a high-power government committee for value orientation in Planning Commission and In-charge of Value Education Programmes of Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi. He has written books on Vedanta, managerial effectiveness – Indian Insights, human values, etc. His passion lies in applying Indian wisdom & Vivekananda's principles to managerial situations. His vision and managerial expertise led to the setting up of a unique PGDBM Management Institute in Delhi, called SriSIM, of which he was a Founder Trustee and Professor and which offered education in Indian ethos based Management. He is currently taking the message of Vedanta-centric human development to public servants through programs on 'Ethics in Governance. LESS ... MORE Every moment we have 'choices', but modern teachers and preachers have failed to 'teach or preach' how to 'know' and build 'powers of mind' to walk the talk towards the higher and better. Today we've teachers and preachers who 'believe', but we don't produce the 'Acharya and Shrestha' or 'Seers and men of God who 'see, realise, love all'! Whether we like it or not, we are continually in the process of 'becoming' and the 'educated choice' is to become 'better' not 'worse', in and through all our goals, choices, thoughts, motives, actions, relationships. At least now let's learn from our Vedantic wisdom which asserts that along with, and simultaneously with 'knowing', we must build 'ability'. And incidentally, all 'armed forces' do follow this commonsense, universal, ancient wisdom! And the 'better' can only be determined if we've an idea of the 'best' and so, process of education and preaching must inspire us to continuously reflect and strive to 'Know yhyself'. A person who has more and more love, care, and concern for others, is committed to kartavya-palan; and fulfils all his duties, is certainly better! Understanding and managing our mind: I am the 'subject', the 'knower', the body-mind are mere 'objects. I am not the object. This 'awareness' that 'I am not the mind' helps in control! Only continuous, regular, repetitive practice and spirit of selflessness and commitment to duties are needed to purify/refine and expand the mindset to feel one with awareness, consciousness. Doing what 'I' want to do implies doing what the mind wants to do. Freedom is not having to do what the mind wants to do! The motive power for all actions is either our 'duties' or our 'good-bad wants, desires'; and as we choose, we build our destiny. As educated people, we must continuously learn and practice to check the actions and desires to do wrong and continuously practice doing better. Those actions, which take us towards manifesting our 'infinite potential' for 'perfection', are good or right actions and those that take us away are wrong actions. Not allowing the mind to take us towards lower desires is to be constantly practiced. Mind imbibes that on which it dwells & it likes to dwell on what it likes. Only a pure mind, refined by 'righteousness/good' can be led. Based on past memories as impressed in our mind, our thoughts and mind flow towards 'trivia' and 'likes-dislikes'. From Trivia we've to learn to withdraw through 'practice'. And from likes-dislikes we've to learn to detach by learning to focus on the higher, better. Only when the mind gets hooked on the better will it stop tempting the lower. Mind wants enjoyment, whereas 'I am peace and fulfilment'. Mind will not give up easily. Only repeated better thoughts and habits can overcome past tendencies and impressions. There is no shortcut – 'Practice & detachment/focus on higher'. We can learn how to manage the 'unwanted thoughts flowing in our mind' by following the example of how we're managed by our mother, father, teacher, police, and how we ignore an unwanted Guest! Through continuous exposure to good thoughts and deeds, righteousness, commitment to duties, kartavya-palan, disciplined life, etc., supported by daily self-development practices, we can gradually purify, refine the mind, and make it more amenable to control towards the best. Not allowing the mind to take us towards lower desires is to be constantly practiced. Good actions calm the mind, and only a calm mind can really be effective and peaceful, and allow us to experience our full potential perfection and bliss. Because of the numerous impressions we create every moment, which propel us into fresh actions, the very nature of mind is to be restless like a monkey. Drunk with 'Desires'; stung by scorpion of 'jealousy'; and also possessed by devil of 'pride'; the mind is therefore very difficult to control! The more self-control we have, the greater a person we become. Mind is a continuous flow of thoughts – wanted / unwanted. The mind is built to look outside through the five sense organs. By its very nature mind has a tendency to 'flow down' – be tempted, enjoying the experience of the senses, weak people don't have self-control and do wrong. Mind is difficult to lift up and control – like reversing the flow of river. Mind is one-track in nature; gets attached easily but detaches with difficulty. Mind is material in nature, just matter! I am conscious, the master of the mind, not its slave! Our mind carries the impression of every single thought, word, action; choice/motive. Some reflections on how I get inspired to be better? I accept myself totally and express my gratitude to all who have helped me be what I am. I take full responsibility for what I am, and from now on, it is up to me to take responsibility to try to become better towards the best. I am a unique person, different from all; I want to discover my strengths and weaknesses, what I am good and bad at, what I really want and what qualities and skills I need to develop, and how I can prioritise my life towards long-term good for all. I want to discover whether my wants are in harmony with my deep-seated need for happiness, peace, and bliss. I will learn to reduce quantity of thoughts by keeping busy on planned SMART goals; improve quality by pouring good thoughts, prayers, meditation, study/ discuss/ explore inspiring books, satsang, etc.; control direction towards good, better, best. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
First work as worship and commitment to fundamental duties; only then academics and Human Rights!
Sunil Kumar is currently member, managing committee, Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi. An engineer and project manager trained at Vickers Armstrong Engineers and Babcox & Wilcox, UK, he is a former general manager of The Projects and Equipment Corporation of India, Ministry of Commerce and Consultant, NIDC, Ministry of Industry. Sunil has been member of a high-power government committee for value orientation in Planning Commission and In-charge of Value Education Programmes of Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi. He has written books on Vedanta, managerial effectiveness – Indian Insights, human values, etc. His passion lies in applying Indian wisdom & Vivekananda's principles to managerial situations. His vision and managerial expertise led to the setting up of a unique PGDBM Management Institute in Delhi, called SriSIM, of which he was a Founder Trustee and Professor and which offered education in Indian ethos based Management. He is currently taking the message of Vedanta-centric human development to public servants through programs on 'Ethics in Governance. LESS ... MORE A stone falls and we ask why: This question is possible only on the supposition that in this world, nothing happens without a cause. Let's reflect on the learnings from Vivekananda's talks on practical Vedanta and Karma Yoga. The foundation of Indian 'composite culture', is based on the scientific reality that in this vast universe of 'space-time-causality', we're prisoners of the unforgiving law of 'karma', of cause and effect', i.e. 'every action, work, karma (choices-motives-thoughts-actions) has equal and opposite effect, result (also 'karma' or karma-phala). Thus, in this world, we're all slaves to our respective 'karma' and its fruits; as we sow, good or bad', we shall reap 'happiness or miseries'. How to escape to Freedom from this cycle of slavery to 'karma'? God resides in every being; learn to see and serve God in every being; … this is the core of our civilizational work culture and essence of all education and religions. If we practice this attitude of work as worship of God in man, we will purify our mind and 'know' the truth of truth, ourselves. 2. The basic human problem: – As we're, we somehow never feel adequate, complete, fulfilled! Of course, in many moments we certainly do feel content, satisfied, not needing anything else (and 'sleep' is one such state) but the very next moment, we feel incomplete and once again willy nilly have to 'work' to re-gain (religion) and re-unite (yoga) with a state of 'Completeness! And by work, karma, we mean our actions and its fruits externally and as karma-phala, as impressed in our mind, which then gives rise to all our sukha-dukkha, joys-miseries. During growing up we must learn, reflect and recognize that all 'work' in life is a struggle to re-gain and re-unite, i.e. be 'Complete', fulfilled, blissful. And, work, when done as 'yoga', (union, re-unite, re-gain, as worship) can lead to being complete, fulfilled. 3. Ideal attitude towards work: Yudhishthira tells his wife, in the epic Mahabharat, which depicts the historical background of ancient India: Behold, my queen, the Himalayas, how grand and beautiful they are; I love them. They do not give me anything, but my nature is to love the grand, the beautiful, therefore I love them. Similarly, I love the Lord. He is the source of all beauty, of all sublimity. He is the only object to be loved; my nature is to love Him, and therefore I love. I do not pray for anything; I do not ask for anything. Let Him place me wherever He likes. I must love Him for love's sake. I cannot trade in love. And what is his nature? He is everywhere, the pure and formless One, the Almighty and the All merciful. And how to worship, reach out, attain Him? Through love. 'He is to be worshiped as the One beloved, dearer than everything in this and the next life.' A man ought to live in the world — his heart to God and his hands to work – work as a karma yogi, fulfil your duties, work for good of society – work selflessly for love's sake. 4. Unless we are first taught and learn to fulfil our duties, can we expect Fundamental Human Rights in society. Academia must teach, inculcate, evaluate based on both 'Knowledge' and 'Application of Knowledge in Work', i.e. commitment to Fundamental Duties, righteous conduct etc. We are all aware that there is a wide-spread crisis of character, inefficiencies, corruption and selfishness in Work. Who all are responsible for failure? 4.1 Religions and Preachers, for dividing people into 'my religion' versus 'your religion', focusing on rituals etc. that divide, but failing to unite and work together with other religions and academia to produce the 'good' who strive to become good and better towards 'best', working for good of society as a whole. 4.2 Teachers and Academia, for failing to understand that mere Knowing theory isn't good enough without learning how apply it in work. Academia has failed to focus on training, disciplining, and building powers of mind thru' Self-development processes available as Life-skills to be committed to selfless duties and quality and excellence in work. 4.3 Politics and governance, for not creating systems for ensuring that citizens are committed to the Fundamental Duties and to working together for good of society. Instead, they are dividing people into 'my party, my vote-bank' versus 'your party, your vote-bank' and not focusing on bringing people together as parties of 'Cooperation', not parties of 'Opposition'. We have allowed people to rise to their levels of incompetence. We have failed to create systems where the 'Result-producers' have total responsibility for results and payments are linked to results. As education and governance, we've curbed the entrepreneurship spirit of our karma-yogi Result-producers and skilled workforce, who had once made India the sone-ki-chidiya. 5. We must understand that Work can never make us 'Complete': Now that we're talking of public servants as karma yogis, it is necessary that academia must plan how we may ensure that every citizen is educated, preached, taught the idea that as Self, we're all One and only by selflessly working for good of all, can we expand our mind from selfishness to feel one with more and more to experience the truth that as Spirit, Self, we're all One; there's no other! Governance must ensure that we recruit those for professional and leadership positions who have a proven record of commitment and ability to selflessly work for the long-term good of all. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
