Academics generate scholars. Scholars build the society.

Quoting from 

The Hindu 22 June 2020 Page 5

Recommendations of expert committee on Higher Education in Kerala

Summing up:

1. Upgradation of institutional facilities to encourage research based academic writing and critical reading of texts.

2. Hone the reading - writing skills of students.

3.Reshape pedagogical practices to ensure both teachers and students are co- learners, rather than mere recipients and providers of knowledge.

3. Reengineer the current scenario where teachers' employment is the sole purpose of running higher education institutions.

4.Reduce the overbearing focus on examinations.

5. Evaluate students on the basis of creative learning.

6. Emphasise the development of soft skills.

7. Needs holistic thrust on emerging fields of study

8. Focus on a paradigm shift to research based learning .

The gist as I see is, the maxim, learning by rot, is to be cast overboard.

The intelligence and the extraordinary capabilities of the students have to be recognised and encouraged to play the prime part in their acquisition of knowlege.

The role of the teachers is to assist them in their quest.

The teachers have to excel. They have to constantly keep on learning, upgrading and reorienting themselves to stay relevant.

Teachers are reincarnation of the Gods to the students. They believe teachers can never go wrong. Students assimilate the mannerisms and the pronunciations of the teachers. They carry it on into successive generations.

The challenge on the teachers is at once onerous and enormous.

The teachers must desist from decimating the students who dare to raise WHY and HOW.

Encourage them tò enlarge their horizon and fill the gaps in their build up.

Academics generate scholars. Scholars build the society.

If humans evolved from apes, why do apes and monkeys still exist?

If humans evolved from apes, why do apes and monkeys still exist?

The poser, simply out of curiosity, was from the brother, not an evolution denier , of Sutanu Satpathy, teacher in a Delhi College.

The quote is from an article by Sutanu Satpathy in The Hindu Sunday Magazine of 17 May 2020.

It took me to a message from the Pulpit of CSI Christ Church, Trivandrum, Kerala, India by Rev. T M John almost two decades ago.

He said for God a moment, or a milli or nano second is or can be millions of years in our parlance.

That kind of solved a constant puzzle in my mind.

Genesis narrates how God created the world and everything in it in a span of six days leaving the seventh day or the weekend to take a well earned rest.

While it was a good story, it held no rationale. Creation as described in the Bible was superseded by the Theory of evolution that had Science backing it up. Man has reasonable questions. Never accuse him of blasphemy for his curiosity.

The message awakened me. It struck me God's six days are millions of years for the human being.

Science transcends.

When we ritually or religiously broadcast God's ways are mysterious we never inculcate it. How many really mean it, is a mute question.
There are routine messages singing in praise of evolution in Genesis ignoring Science.
Can we wish away the truth? Can we nullify Science?
But who do we turn to when a virus threatens to evict human beings lock, stock and barrel from their chosen abode? Who chose it for their sojourn in the first place? How?
Here is the mystery.
Here is the resolution.
Everything is in God's power. Nothing is beyond God.

IKIGAI - The Japanese Secret to Long Life - MY TAKE AWAY

 IKIGAI 

By Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles

It unlocks the Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life.

IKIGAI is Japanese. Pronounced ikieguy, it may broadly be translated as LIFE TO BE WORTHWHILE.

Iki is life
Gai comes from Kai
Kai is the realisation of hopes and expectations.

IKIGAI is a reason for being, for being alive.
It encompasses joy, a sense of purpose and meaning and a feeling of well being.

The work is extraordinary

Excerpts

Microflow : 

Enjoying mundane tasks

When you carry out mundane tasks - like doing the laundry, mowing the lawn, attend to paperwork, work as an elevator- escalator- lift operator for years together with an ever present smile or any such tasks - always enjoying doing them, it is called MICROFLOW. Our ability to turn routine tasks into moments of Microflow,- into something we enjoy is key to our being happy, since we all have to do such tasks

MOMENTARY DIGRESSION

I was dumbstruck with the simple yet terrific narratiive.

We often face in accordance with our own brilliant evaluation gargantuan tasks in everyday life. It may or may not be. Negotiating them is Herculean we consider.

My solution to that as I evolved and continue to evolve has been to slice the tasks up into minute pieces or particles and tackle them one by one. It helps me resolve the issues that plague me without leaving a mounting backlog.

I can honestly say I have been pretty successful in the effort.

I have suggested the formula to whoever I meet.

Acceptance is theirs.

Quote  from IKIGAI

After two hours on the road, we're finally able to stop worrying about the traffic.

We realised time seems to have stopped there as though the entire town were living in an endless here and now.

Yuki's still driving at the age of eighty eight and takes great pride in that. Her co-pilot is ninety nine.

We have to drive fast to keep up with them on a highway that is more dirt than asphalt.

Yuki says food is the least important thing. Food won't help you live longer. The secret is smiling and having a good time

Even Bill Gates washes the dishes every night. He says he enjoys it - that it helps him relax and clear his mind and that he tries to do it better each day following an established order or set of rules he's made for himself: Plates first, forks second and so on.

It's one of his moments of Microflow.

The book speaks of a noted Physicist. He was invited by a Super Computing firm to work on a project. Unfortunately they didn't have any assignments for him when he reported for duty. In order to keep him busy they asked him to work on a mathematical problem. The brilliant man caught on at once. He said it was baloney. And he asked for some tasks.

They asked him to go, buy paint from a store and paint the walls. He happily went on doing it.

The investors who were visiting the firm's office remarked, "They have a Nobel Laureate painting their walls."

TOWARDS A LONG CONTENTED LIFE

Japanese culture accepts the essence of impermanence, the fleeting nature of the human being and everything we create.

We have to accept we have no control over certain things - like passage of time and the ephemeral nature of the world around us.

We have to understand life is not a problem to be solved. Just remember to have something that keeps you busy doing what you love while being surrounded by people you love.

PRINCIPLES FOR HAPPINESS

The grand essentials to happiness in this life are, something to do, something to love and something to hope for.

Washington Burney - Two hundred years ago.

Still true and will remain true forever

HIGHLIGHTS

ANTIFRAGILE - ANTIFRAGILITY

I came across the term for the first time. It revealed my lean vocabulary.

Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same. The antifragile gets better when harmed. They gain from disorder.

Hydra of Greek mythology is an ardent example

Fragility erases everything in its wake.

RESILIENCE

Resilience is the ability to deal with setbacks. The resilient stay focussed. Flexibility is their strength. They adapt to change and reversals of fortune.


CYNICISM

Cynicism aims to eliminate all feelings and pleasures from life. Negative emotions surge, well up and swell.

ASCETICISM

The ascetic believes in giving up, driving away all the pleasures of life.

STOICISM

Stoicism centres on the idea there is nothing wrong with enjoying life's pleasures as they do not take control of your life as you enjoy them. You have to be prepared for the disappearance of those pleasures

QUOTE

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Theodore Roosevelt

To put it further
Embrace the wisdom of knowing when enough is enough.
Remember, someone will always have more fortune, fame and stuff than you do.

INVALUABLE TAKE AWAY FROM IKIGAI

TEN RULES FOR A GOOD LIFE

1. Stay active. Don't retire.

2. Take it slow

3. Don't fill your stomach.Restrict to 80%

4. Surround yourself with good friends.

5. Get in shape for your next birthday.

6. Smile.

7. Reconnect with nature.

8. Give thanks.

9. Live in the moment. This moment exists only now and won't come again.

10. Follow your IKIGAI. There is a passion inside you, a unique talent that gives meaning to your days and drives you to share the best of yourself until the very end. If you don't know what your IKIGAI is, your mission is to discover it.

BLIND, STRONG, ARDENT, EXTRAORDINARY

We were attending the  Malayalam worship at C S I Christ Church, Palayam,  Trivandrum Kerala, India on 5th January 2020.
We could witness  blind, strong, ardent and extra ordinary faith in action as the worship progressed.

Three of our friends inspired us.

One. Thampy.
We saw him alighting from the car to take a seat in the porch at the Church. It took him a lengthy excruciating five minutes to reach a chair though he was assisted by his companion to cover a stride of five seconds for him when he was fit. What happened to him, we had no idea. We suspected a stroke. Somebody was holding him and helping him move. He had a walking stick. It was of no help. He found it extremely difficult to navigate the short hop. Excruciating for him. Excruciating for the people who knew him. He had been jovial. He had been agile. It was obvious he was in pain.
.
Two. Mrs.  C T John. She had treaded the path slowly leaning on her walking stick.  We wondered how she had climbed the steps. But she did it with a smile. Afterwards we saw C T John bringing a foot rest from the car and placing it under her feet where she sat. We saw her lifting her feet and placing them on the foot rest. The simple act displayed the love and affection C T John had for his wife. The chemistry was wonderful and beyond known parallels.

Three. We saw C D Kurien sitting there with a walker in front. We felt sad at the frailty of the human being. We had admired C D Kurien when he drove an imported sedan while he was younger and cars were a rarity at the Church. Obviously he was more than well off. And he was generous to causes advocated or promoted  by the Church. He still is.

Later we saw the priests,  C Y Thomas Achen and Reji Achen coming down to the porch to assist eight celebrants partake in the Holy Communion as they couldn't move up to the altar. It pained us.

And among those who had moved up there were many fighting a limp.

Well, age is catching up with an aging congregation.

The Vicar had mentioned during the worship that the Church had to seriously think of Palliative Care. He had also reminded that we never employ our talents like our brethren in sister Churches.

It is painful the number of disabled in the Church in diverse phases are steadily mounting. The bell rings or tolls for everyone. The timing is uncertain and unpredictable. The maker decides.

What the impaired looks to is not alms or sympathy. It is fellowship and companionship they strive for. They look for a nod, a smile, a Hi or a listener.

The gesture by the priests to come down to them to share Holy Communion tells them the Church would never forsake them or discard them.

It makes their life. It makes their life meaningful. It makes them active.

The Church then fulfils its vision and its mission.

HOW TO LEAD A SUCCESSFUL LIFE

Jesus said, “Before you try to remove the speck from your neighbour’s eye, ensure the speck in your own eye is taken off.”

Man management needs tact, patience, sympathy and empathy. It doesn’t mean that the manager has to be docile or inactive. He has to be proactive. He has a job on his hands.  He has to accomplish what is assigned to him within the timeline set by his superiors or the system. There is no way out of the impasse. If you think you can accomplish everything by yourself you are in a fool’s paradise. You cannot be the lone ranger.  Everyone needs someone.

The subordinates are clever. They grow in their smartness as time progresses or as the generation shifts to the next. They take advantage of your good senses to remain idle. They know very well if they chose to do little or nothing, nothing is to go wrong for them.  They know their boss would somehow get the job on hand done without their intervention as he has no alternative if he proposes to retain his job.

Our parents had nothing when they began their life. They gave us whatever they could much beyond their means. We had something to begin with. We had means. We have ensured that our children have a better deal. But it is a global phenomenon. You are not unique. Everyone has means. Today they can chuck off their jobs on a whim and they won’t starve.

Fear was the key when we were working. Fear is not the key today.

Look at your mother. A fantastic woman. A multitasker. A great cook. Who loves her husband, children and her mother. She has no demands for herself. She strives for the family. But how many are like her? Very few, life tells us.

This is micro.

The macro is where you are. The environment you are in.

Just as your mother cannot change her parents, her husband or her children – of course there are legal methods available to alter the situation that would be equivalent to a major critical surgery where the outcome would be unambiguously unpredictable – you are in a situation where you will have to manage with the resources you have. You have no choice. Perhaps you could hand over the pink slip at will, but when you do it with a flourish you have to understand that someone somewhere waits with a similar fate for you.

We have a curious mix in the workstations today. The staff is well educated. They may even be better than you in every respect. As they are well off they can hit it off spectacularly without the well paid job they have.

Fact is, you need them.

Enforce discipline you must. They would have to conform and learn to conform if they shirk.

But you are not the ancient Head Master who had roamed the corridors with an iron hand and the sword, nee, the baton or the rod. We had feared him, never respected him. However modern times signify that those golden days are over.

Now, the crux.

You would have to marshal the assets you have wisely. You can laugh with them. But they have to know you are the boss. But never boss them or give them the impression you are bossing them. Never be subjective. You have to be objective. Take them into confidence wherever possible. It doesn’t mean you have to share the confidential with them. Let the confidential stay confidential.

Never shout at them even when they exceed the limit according to your perception. Never fire away at them after office hours. You have to respect their private space. Never be angry with them or shout at them in presence of others. It saps their ego. You don’t have to break their ego to get things done. You have to wisely make their ego play its part to get things done and resolve issues. It is like cricket. The batsman employs the power the bowler unleashes to hit a Six effortlessly. It is nothing but patience and talent.

Display your anger softly. I can assure when you shout it generates negative vibes.  Negativity unlocks cold anger – they cannot retaliate in the open and in turn invites subtlety in their response – that paves the way for the downfall of their tormentor who in their eyes would be the most hated person on earth.

Praise them wherever it is due. Praise them for even little or minor things. Acknowledge them.

But you have to be firm when you tell them to do their job or  to act. They have to be pushed into a slot where they cannot get away without compliance. It is delicate. Ensure you are not breaking the thin thread of friendship or normalcy when you do that. Be a good listener. Smile.

Cinema is the willing suspension of disbelief. Real life is no different. Be a sport and suspend your perceptions when the need arises. You could be wrong.

People have to learn they have to pool their resources or capabilities for the good of the organization. For, without the organization no one has any locus standi when they are within. The organization sets the sights. You have to forgo your own self respect for the sake of the organization.

You have to reengineer yourself before you set out on the expedition to reorient your coworkers or subordinates. Keep your eyes and ears open. Have the magnanimity to learn from others and in fact the lowest on the pyramid. They can teach you quite a lot. Accept that however much you know your knowledge is limited. People respect your chair, not you. You are nothing but an insignificant cog.

Please understand nothing is permanent in the world. Everything is transitory or transient. Everything is cyclic. The one on top rides down to the bottom. He would ascend again. Employ at once dynamism and flexibility. But temper your act. Be kind.

Never be overconfident. Remember pride goes before a fall.

Finally have quality time with family. Your mind has to be clear. You have to be focused and yet you must unwind yourself as much as you can.  As you drive around enjoy the nature and its serenity. It takes a load off. It is bliss to bask in the magnificence of nature. It’d transform you. The transition would alter you dramatically into a brand new being.

The only route to success

The only route to success is grinding through ongoing-continuous-effort without any let up. 

We have to constantly bear in mind that we are on a journey to elevate our performance not only up to the brim but to exceed the levels we have attained.

Initially you would feel the pressure is too much and you would be nervous. 

However, nerves will make you do unusual things. 

Nothing would cause you any hindrance once you are well set and you are in rhythm.

What you have to etch in mind is that you have the skill set, you have the mindset and the temperament. 

You only have to go out into the world and enjoy yourselves. 

The rest will be history, because you will be creating history.

TRIBUTE TO WOMEN

I had received the forward in WhatsApp.

*Who is a woman?????*

*When she is quiet, millions of things are running through her mind. When she stares at you, she is wondering why she loves you so much in spite of being taken for granted. When she says I will stand by you, she will stand by you like a solid rock. Never hurt her or take her for granted.

A very heart touching message by a woman.

Someone asked her, Are you a working woman or a housewife? She replied: Yes, I am a full-time working housewife. I work 24 hours a day. I'm a Mum. I'm a Wife. I'm a Daughter. I'm a Daughter-in-law. I'm an Alarm clock. I'm a Cook. I'm a Maid. I'm a Teacher. I'm a Waitress. I'm a Nanny. I'm a Nurse. I'm a Handywoman. I'm a Security officer. I'm a Counsellor. I'm a Comforter. I don't get holidays. I don't get sick leave. I don't get day off. I work through day and night. I'm on call all hours and get paid with a sentence. "What Do U Do All Day??"*

*This Is Dedicated to all women*

*A Woman has the most unique character like salt! Her presence is never remembered, but her absence makes all the things tasteless. Pass it to all the lovely ladies...Ur Mother. Ur Wife. Ur daughter. Ur sister & Ur friend. Forward to every woman to make her smile and to every man to make him realize a woman's Worth.*

I do not know who had authored it. As it had been posted in a family group there had been many references to the Bible by the faithful.

It aroused my thoughts. I started penning, to be exact, typing.

“Tribute to the woman is indeed exceptional. It graphically narrates what a woman is.  Biblical references are a welcome reiteration. But one cannot forget what St. Paul has passed on and harped on.

Well, a woman is a woman who is sacrifice personified.

But, she gets no respite, no reprieve and is often ignored at decision making. She has no role there. She's painted incompetent when she deserves nothing but kudos for her multifaceted roles. She's quite happy to stay behind her veil of silence and yet accomplish a lot more than the male chauvinist.
I have often wondered why the woman at the worship has to cover her head while the man sits there nonchalantly”.

“On a personal note let me share what I had learned from my Brahmin Teacher, a CA, when I had been preparing for the paper on Management Accounting for my CAIIB Exam Second Part.”
He had said, “You don't have to go to a Management School to learn management. You can learn it from your mother or the women at home. The way they conduct the job on hand in their kitchen is the finest example of management.”

“When she buys a KG of sugar she puts the larger part in one container and a small portion in a different container. When she draws from the second container she knows it is time for replenishment that she does quietly. It is not the replenishment of the items that is important, it is the mindset that runs the family without hindrances is the point to note in your Management Studies”, my learned teacher had taught me.

It was a great lesson.

Hats off to the prowess of women.

When a few had acknowledged the Post I wrote, “My post was a bit long. No one may have the patience to sit through that, I know”.

“The intention was solely to highlight the sad plight of the woman who is always ignored, who is often taken for granted, who is often persecuted and who is often tortured very cruelly, both mentally and physically without any remorse. The individuality and the capabilities of the woman are to be admired, well respected and recognised. The intention was never to elevate or glorify the woman or denigrate the man, but to invite the attention of the readers to a telescopic view of the imbalance in our sphere.”

“In a male dominant society it has no priority.The women are treated unfairly everywhere, a common phenomenon across the universe. They are made to slog it out and run the extra mile to prove their worth. An attitudinal course correction on the part of her counterpart alone may establish the right balance in the equation.”

When Abey, our cousin at Sharja had prompted me to keep on writing I responded, “I do this when in a creative mood and when something tickles you to act or react. People may feel a retired person has all the time in the world.  What I find after retirement is that I had lots of time to spare when I had been working. Lila too shares my view. Not because she's a yes woman but because she feels the pinch. It is not that we were not conscientious. We were. May be it's time management, may be as you advance in age you have too much on hand. We have no complaints. We meet the challenges head on squarely. There are times we fail. There are times we win.  When netted we feel happy when the stars are on the ascent. We fight it out when they descend and are on a downward spiral.”

“There’s a wide gap between practice and precept. Subjugation of women and establishment of ascendancy of man had been, has been and will be the order of the world for ever. The order will never change though we may all fight for it as long as we are around.

Advanced, developed, undeveloped and underdeveloped countries are alike in their ill-treatment of women. They hate to let the hegemony of man fade away or vanish into thin air. Look to history, learn from history and strive to alter the course of history in its march forward.”

“Indeed a very hefty, tall and difficult order.

But an inch gained is an inch of dissipation of the injustice. We can crawl and we can succeed. Even if we fail, the future would prove us right.”