Education system in India

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Since ancient times, education has been a dominant force in society. The only change that has occurred is the substitution of teachers and schools with gurus and gurukuls. However, one crevice that is often overlooked is the true meaning of education in Indian society. We can see what perfect education is by breaking down this large issue into a few parts. The process of obtaining or imparting fundamental information, particularly at the school or university level, is characterized as education.

Education is a crucial aspect that contributes to the country’s improved literacy rate. The Indian government has primarily concentrated on providing education to all citizens since independence, and it has developed new initiatives to improve Indian education for many years.

The Indian education system is divided into four stages: lower primary, which is for children aged six to ten years, and upper primary, which is for children aged eleven to twelve years. High school, in which students begin school at the age of 13 and graduate at the age of 16, with the completion of upper secondary school occurring between the ages of 17 and 18. The Indian education system is regarded as the world’s oldest education system. It is not the greatest, despite being the oldest. The Indian education system is unproductive and inconvenient due to a lack of changes and improvements. Education, rather than being a formidable tool for shaping students into better beings with practical knowledge, has been reduced to an illusion of practicality due to several flaws. This eventually caused the system to fail, since it was no longer advantageous to pupils, eventually resulting to EXAM STRESS. Let’s see how things turn out.

The Indian education system has always been structured for a child to learn from a book and write tests in order to acquire excellent scores. While it aids in the development of children’s reading and writing skills, it does not aid in the acquisition of life skills. We frequently hear on the news that India’s unemployment rate is rising, and that many graduates with advanced degrees are unable to find work. So, what’s the deal with that? Our educational system is the answer. The Indian educational system was created to educate students how to achieve excellent grades and score high scores, but it was never intended to teach them how to live in this world. I completely agree that the education and information we gain from reading diverse books is unrivalled. However, while the Indian education system gives theoretical information to students, it is equally critical to educate them how to use that knowledge effectively, which many students fail to do, and this is one of the reasons why India’s unemployment rate is increasing at an exponential rate. Furthermore, the educational system is only a mirror of ideas, making it incredibly difficult for pupils to understand.

Failure to consider the balance in education, as well as how to deal with pressure, frequently leads to stress, with pupils becoming depressed as a result. It is the instructors’ obligation to allow pupils to think in new ways. Teachers should also instill in students the importance of classroom learning and teach them how to put it into practice. Furthermore, teachers must be open to the concept of learning new things from their students. If significant efforts are taken, our educational system may be improved. Instead than encouraging kids to prepare for exams by just mugging up textbooks for the goal of getting a good grade, more practical information should be imparted to them. The educational authority should provide pupils with opportunity to put what they’ve learned in the textbooks into practice. Our educational system should also provide opportunities for kids to gain financial skills that will assist them in surviving in this world. Education authorities should educate pupils how to budget money, save money, and invest it in various assets such as stocks, gold, silver, and other precious metals. This will aid pupils in their future preparation. According to the United Nations Organization (UNO), India is ranked 145th out of 191 countries in terms of educational provision. We aren’t even among the top 50 countries on the planet. It is not about comparison, it is about the quality education we are reciprocating to the youth. This demonstrates how much we need to improve in order to stay current. If we want our country to develop and progress, we must first improve the quality of education we offer to our youngsters. As the phrase goes, “Today’s children are tomorrow’s future,” thus we should begin by modernizing India’s educational system at the basic level. Rather of enabling students to study solely theoretical information, educational authorities should use practical approaches that allow students to apply what they have learned in the classroom. We must do it for the sake of a brighter future if we can bring a wave of revolution by moderating our educational system.

The journey of college life

Hello & welcome all the dear readers . I am hoping this article will be mostly viewed by the students who are in college or going to join college very soon .

As a 12th passout student after getting out from that hectic board exams pressure many students imagines that they do not need to study in colleges but that isn’t correct . College life is something where you can learn a lot of new things you can acquire lot of new skills that will going to help you in future times . Till class 12th you are not aware about many things but during college life you are going to face lot of new challenges . Till class 12th as a student your first priority is to score goods marks in your boards examination but that is not similar in the college life. Because going ahead in your life your skills will matter more than your professional degrees . And in colleges the syllabus are also not that much broad (except few courses like medical )you can easily learn new skills if you have dedication towards that .

Now lets talk about that 1st day of college . After getting marks in boards examination if a student gets admission in top universities like delhi university then they thinks that 1st day when he/she will go college they will have a great welcome as they are toppers of their respective colleges/state/district and many students will come and they are going to feel like a celebrity as they have scored that much amount of marks but beleive me nothing happens like that . No one going to ask you about your marks & percentages specially in top universities like du & bhu .your first day is going to be very normal .so never be in that imaginary situation like you are going to have a celebrity like feeling or something like that .

You can explore your college life by meeting new peoples in your college from different states by knowing about them , their cultures their traditions & lot more . In colleges like Du there are societies to enhance your skills so join societies according to your interest. Next way is to do internships so that you can gain practical knowledge & also can earn something so that you can manage your expenses . It is also an important part of college life that you must have to earn by your own so that you can learn new new things & get prepared/awarded about challenges that you might face in future.

Now moving ahead I would must say that you must have to explore your college life. Learn as many skills as you can . Be the best version of yourself . This 3 or 4 years of college life cannot Destroy your whole life but if you want than you can do something very very extraordinary by utilising these 3 or 4 years whatever you have . Simply you don’t have something to lose but you have many many things to win . & At last best of luck for your college life.

Maladaptive Daydreaming

Daydreaming is our break from reality. We all have our own imaginary situations going on in our mind. Who doesn’t like to wander and take a break from reality. But, what If you were unable to live in the reality due to your daydreaming? What If your escape found no route back to the real world? That is what Maladaptive Daydreaming is all about.

What is Maladaptive Daydreaming?

Maladaptive Daydreaming is a condition where the person is unable to touch his feet to the ground(reality) due to his feet touching a consolidated and intense imaginary ground.
The common observable symptoms are as follows:

•Escaping the reality by making up an alternate world and living in it for hours.
•Well structured plots with defined storyline and settings
•Lasts for several minutes to several hours.
•Withdrawal from social activities and relationships due to the extensive and intense daydreaming.
•Trouble while focusing in everyday tasks.
•Trouble sleeping
•Daydreaming becomes an addiction where you no longer have control on it and feel empty If not engaging in it. It becomes the top priority of the day
•Talking to yourself and making faces.

What triggers the daydreams?

•Real life events
•conversation topic
•movie
•noise or smell

Why some people may resort to it unknowingly?

Intense daydreaming may act as a coping strategy. A person who is tired of his daily mundane lifestyle, traumatic past or present, may find daydreaming as a comfort zone rather than a mere temporary escape.
During Covid 19 lockdown many people experienced something similar due to the elimination of interactions and activities from their lives.

How Is it different from daydreaming?

•Daydreaming acts as an temporary escape. It is rather a pleasant experience whenever the reality goes harsh on us.
Maladaptive Daydreaming is rather creating one’s own comfort zone in an imaginative alternate reality and withdrawing from reality

• Daydreams are usually about pleasant scenarios or our imaginary future.
Maladaptive Daydreaming can be pleasant too. However, it also involves well defined plots about control,power,sex,rescue.

•Daydreams start and end in our minds. It just makes us feel happy.
Maladaptive Daydreaming may be accompanied by movements, talking to oneself and facial expressions. The person gets deeply involved in his alternate reality.

Is Maladaptive Daydreaming considered as a disorder?

Maladaptive Daydreaming was first defined in 2002 and is not yet recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

Does Maladaptive Daydreaming has a treatment?

There is no official treatment method for Maladaptive Daydreaming. There is no method to diagnose it either. However,Somer developed the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS) which helps to determine if a person is experiencing Maladaptive Daydreaming.
Maladaptive Daydreaming is often diagnosed as Schizophrenia in which a person is unable to differentiate fantasy from reality.

What are the effects of Maladaptive Daydreaming?

Though a person indulges in extensive fantasizing to protect himself from anxiety, trauma, depression or obsessive compulsive disorder, however,it may lead to negative effects on one’s emotions, social life and mental well being. Some of the effects are as follows:

•Emotional Distress. After daydreaming so extensively one may feel emotionally worse due to their energy and concentration being highly invested in a reality which yields nothing and is above all, imaginary.

•It is common among people suffered from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and may lead the person to suffer from anxiety, restlessness and attention deficiency.

•A person may spend 4.5 hours of his day engaging in intense daydreaming. Therefore, withdrawing from social activities, interactions and an active lifestyle.

• The person is unable to focus on what is going on and fails to grasp responsibilities,tasks,and studies. They may find it tiring and draining.

However,It can be managed through living an active lifestyle, engaging in interactions and meditating to keep the urge and the anxiety at bay. The human mind is indeed a world of its own. Sometimes,we alone cannot control it. Consulting a psychologist and talking about it may give us more insight into the condition.Withdrawal and Isolation may end up making the condition worse.

An escape from reality – Books

I can never agree with people who say watching a movie or series is better than reading a book. While watching a movie, we are just looking at a projection of the film. We are not using our imagination.

I have read the divergent series by Veronica Roth. It also has a movie trilogy. Well, the movie is a disappointment to what the book portrays. The book has so much more details which the movie fails to show.

Books allow us to create our own imagination. They talk about the prominent features of their characters like the almond-shaped caramel eyes and the brown hair with a tint of waves and a well-defined jaw of the person. They leave it on us to decide how the person looks. They describe the cottage with a warm and cozy fireplace but do not provide us with how the cottage looks.

Books allow us to create a world of our choice. Every person reading the book would imagine their world differently. I started reading books as an escape from reality. When I was going through a hard time in my life, books became my best friends. No matter how bad my day was, I was always looking forward to start reading. It made me forget about my life because books allow us to live the life of the characters of fiction. Their life would become mine till I completed the book. At the end of every book, I would feel happy and sad at the same time. I felt sad because I never wanted the book to end. Happy because I get to live the life of another character when I start my next book.

Now you see books are an escape from reality, but they are a good escape. Reading books comes with a lot of benefits:

Improving vocabulary: when I started reading, I would make sure to find the meaning of every word that I was unaware of. For me, reading is incomplete without knowing what every word means.

Improves creativity: A person reading a book isn’t just reading literature words. An entire world of imagination is going on in their minds.

The best form of entertainment: it is better than looking at your screens for hours.

Creates a sense of understanding: when we read a book where the character has anxiety. It will make us understand how people around us with anxiety would feel like.

Inspires us: I have read books where the main characters do not give up, no matter how many problems come their way. This has honestly inspired me a lot in my life.

Makes us a better writer: reading makes our brain absorb the vocabulary and grammar required for better writing skills.

You must have also noticed that talking to people who read has always been interesting. People who read have a lot to share with the world. I remember talking to a few people who read a lot and our conversation never dies down. Reading also reduces stress and boosts our mood instantly. I want to end with my favorite quote by Mason Cooley

“Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are”

Mahabharata: A Myth or Reality

Some stories are at the heart of Indian history.  The mythological stories of Mahabharata are one of these.  This epic of Maharishi Ved Vyasa was written by Lord Shri Ganesh.

 The characters in these amazing stories of the epic have many amazing powers.  Even Narayana himself, through his wisdom, diplomacy and deceit, had led the right Pandavas to victory in this great war of Mahabharata.

Mahabharata war has a great aspect of the number 18.  There are 18 chapters in this epic.  Lord Krishna gave the knowledge of Gita to Arjuna for a total of 18 days.  The Mahabharata war lasted for 18 days.  The Gita also has 18 chapters. Army of  the Kauravas and the Pandavas  had a total number of 18 Akshohini army of which 11 belongs to Kauravas and 7 to Pandavas were Akshohini army. The main initiators of this war was also 18. Also only a number of 18 warriors survived in this war.

 Some such skeletons were found in Mohenjo daro which had the effect of radiation. In Mahabharata, the results of Brahmastra were given from the chapter number 13 to 15 of the Saptik festival.  Historians believe that the Brahmastra left 5561 BC was the atomic bomb.

 There were no zodiac signs during Mahabharata.  Astrology at that time was totally based on 27 constellations, not on 12 zodiac signs.  In the constellations,not Ashwini but Rohini was the first place.  Various civilizations experimented in astrology and created zodiac signs based on the moon and the sun and began to predict the future of the people, while in the Vedas and the Mahabharata there is no mention of such learning to show that the planetary constellation would make a person’s life  They affect.

The Mahabharata is written by Ved Vyasa.  Actually, Ved Vyas was not a name, but a title, which was given to people with knowledge of Vedas. There were a number of 27 Ved Vyas before Krishnadvapayana and he was himself the 28 Ved Vyas.  He was named Krishnadvapayan because he was born as a dynasty and was born on an island.

 Ghatotkacha, son of Bhima and Nagakanya Ahilavati had a son named ‘Barbarika’.  At some places, it is also said that he was born from the stomach of Murmant’s daughter ‘Kamakantakata’.  When the war of Mahabharata was decided, Barbarik also expressed his desire to join the war and promised his mother to support the loser.  Barbarik rode his blue horse with three arrows and a bow to the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

 Three arrows were enough for Barbarik, on whose strength he could destroy the entire army of Kauravas and Pandavas.  Knowing this, Lord Krishna appeared in front of him in the form of a Brahmin and asked him to trick Barbareek into charity.

 Barbarik prayed to Krishna that he wanted to see war till the end, then Krishna accepted his statement.  He donated his head to the Dwadashi of Falgun Mas.  Lord Krishna watered that head with nectar and placed it on a hill near the battlefield, from where Barbarik could see the entire Mahabharata war.

Zombies – A Myth or a Reality?

Have you watched the popular series – “The Walking Dead”? If you have watched it, you will definitely know what exactly I am talking about. If you do not know, I will just give a brief about it. It is a series about how survivors of zombie apocalypse are trying to escape and combat the threats from the zombies and how with time, human beings formed their own communities and groups and the rise of conflict between those communities. So basically this is a series about zombie apocalypse and how they are being termed as ‘walkers’ on earth.

So what exactly are these zombies? Do they exist for real or are they just a figment of imagination? From ages, zombies are being described as flesh eating corpse with a ravenous appetite, terrorizing on the grounds like a strong robot, looking to infest on flesh. Such creatures are almost dead and oozes every signs of inhumanity.

Are these new or have they always infested the earth? Well, history says that the stories of zombies first originated in Haiti culture, where the West African slaves were brought to work on Haiti’s sugar cane plantations. But they were treated so brutally, that their life or afterlife represents the zombie culture. Other says that the Ancient Greek Civilization was the first to experience this. In fact, many skeletons which were pinned down to ground using stones were unearthed, which kind of verifies their existence.

Who is prepared for a 'zombie apocalypse'? - BBC News
Zombie Apocalyse

But there do exists some true facts about the zombies and voodoo. Voodoo is practised as a religion in some cultures like Haiti where some people believe that zombies are people who are revived by a voodoo practitioner, Bokor. It is a concoction of herbs, bones, animal parts and especially ‘tetrodotoxin’ which is a deadly neurotoxin found in marine species, which if injected in high quantities can lead to paralysis and coma. It manifest zombie like qualities among the human beings. Thinking that infected person to be dead, they usually revive and thus rose the term ‘zombie’.

But is there even a bit of truth? Medical reports suggests so. One instance was that a person named Clairvius Narcisse, who was admitted to hospital due to acute respiratory problems in 1962, but later slipped into coma and being declared as dead, was buried later. 18 years later, a man goes to Angelina Narcisse and claims to be her brother. Upon verification by doctors, that he was buried alive, he was sent off to work in the sugar plantation.

Zombies might not exist as there have been no mention of these in Old Testament or New Testament but there have been mentions of resurrections of saints and sinners in Bible. So there is a very little evidence as to whether such zombies exists or if there is even a zombie apocalypse. Not only on religious books, since the eighteenth century, there have been various literatures of spirits and ghosts. Various movies were also made such as Night of the Living Dead and World War Z, just to name a few.

It is ultimately all about perception. Disasters have always caused such huge destruction and there is always this survival of the fittest psychology which goes among us. So it might be true that zombies do not exist, but then again who are we to judge history?

REALITY OR SUPERSTITION?

We live in the world, full of Myths, Superstitions and Old Wives’ Tale!

There are a plethora of fake believes that people still follow and has made these myths, a part of their lives! I want to drag your attention towards the realities behind a few famous superstitions which are been followed.

HANGING LEMON AND CHILLIES PREVENTS BAD LUCK!  This is one of the most famous superstitions that we can see at the door of every second house in India! Indians believe that a goddess named Alakshmi is fond of sour and spicy things, and, she only brings bad luck, disappointments and discomfort. If, lemon and chillies are hanged on the door. The goddess will satiate by eating this, and won’t enter inside, and, will go back. In reality, when lemon and chillies are threaded together, the thread soaks up the juices and averts insects, pesticides, etc. from entering inside.

BLACK CAT CROSSING PATH!  It is believed that, if a black cat crosses your path, you must hold your plans for a while, otherwise it will bring bad luck and you may meet an accident ahead. The truth behind this myth is that long ago people used bullock carts as their vehicles, and animals like leopards with glowing eyes were more likely to cross their path, this makes cows and horses afraid and threatens them, so people prefer to halt for some time so that the animals can refresh themselves.

BREAKING OF MIRROR BRINGS BAD LUCK!  People believe that, if a mirror breaks, it brings misfortune and bad luck. This is a myth; there is no connection between bad luck and mirror breaking. During the old times, mirrors were expensive, and, everyone was not able to afford it, so, this scuttlebutt was spread that breaking mirror brings bad luck!

STAY HOME AT THE TIME OF ECLIPSE!  It is believed that during the eclipse we should not step out of home, should not eat food as it becomes poisonous, the light is harmful and causes blindness. The truth is that we should not look directly against the sun as it may cause retinal damage. The UV rays emitted during an eclipse are not good for bodies.

AVOID SLEEPING WITH YOUR HEAD FACING NORTH!  Our forefathers made a rule that we should sleep without heading towards the South, if we sleep with our head in the North, we invite death. The actual reason behind this is that the relation between Earth’s magnetic field and the bio-magnetism (Human body’s field), it causes harmful effects like blood pressure and other diseases that asymmetry if the field would create.

GIRLS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THINGS WHILE MENSTRUATION! Girls are not allowed to enter the kitchen while they are on their periods, they are not allowed to do work, and to touch things as this became a superstition. Earlier, there were no sanitary pads and painkillers which caused discomforts. Women were not allowed to work as they have to tolerate pain for the five stressful days, because of this they can’t do hard work. That’s why they were not allowed to work for those five days, but, it converted into a myth and a superstition and became a ritual.

GHOSTS LIVE IN PEEPAL TREE!  If people have their house in front, behind or beside the peepal tree, they prefer selling it out or prefer not to live there. It is said that we should not go near peepal tree in the night as ghosts roam and live there. The truth is that the sunlight and carbon dioxide produces glucose for plants, this process is called photosynthesis. And, inhaling carbon dioxide is not good for the human body, that’s why our forefathers made a rule of not going near the peepal tree.

BATHING AFTER ATTENDING FUNERAL! People believe that if we don’t bath after coming back from the funeral will cause link with the deportee’s soul. Years back, there was no vaccinations of the contagious diseases, so our ancestors set a ritual of bathing after attending the funeral for prevention of infections from the dead body.

DON’T CUT NAILS AFTER SUNSET!  It is said that we should not cut nails after sunset as it is not good. The reason behind this is that the blades of nail-cutters are very sharp and may cause harm if we use it in dim light or dark. That’s why we should avoid cutting nails at night.

DON’T WASH HAIRS ON THURSDAY!  Our grandparents say we should not wash hairs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This rule was made for saving water as it requires a lot of water for washing of hairs.

DON’T SWEEP AFTER SUNSET!  Sweeping after sunset brings bad luck, it is believed in every Indian house. This rule was made by our forefathers, as artificial lights were not invented at that time, so, they preferred seeping home in the daylight to avoid sweeping something important because of dim light.

EAT CURD AND SUGAR BEFORE GOING OUT!  It is said that eating curd and sugar before starting something new or before heading out as this brings good luck and increases the chance of getting good. The reality behind this superstition is that the consumption of curd and sugar gives cooling to the stomach and keeps one cool.