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08 OPINION THE TRIBUNE

CHANDIGARH | THURSDAY | 31 MAY 2018

THE TRIBUNE Policing lessons from Canada

established in 1881 Do the job quietly, act on evidence and respect the rule of law
Nirmal Sandhu him, since he is a nephew of a former

Leveraging ceasefire Speaker and since I am saying this,

T
HE Punjab Chief Minister he is innocent.”
lost no time in condemning However, the law the Chief Minis-
Can summer bring happy tidings to Kashmir? last week’s blast in an Indian ter is sworn to uphold gives a judge

T
eatery in Canada. He called it
HE holy month of Ramzan seemed to be heralding another “an act of terror” even though the
spell of summer unrest in Kashmir Valley till the Centre police there had ruled it out. The Tri-
reached out to the Hurriyat leadership while the Directors Gen- bune’s sub-headline of the news
eral of Military Operations of India and Pakistan recommitted them- report said it unambiguously: “No
selves to the 2003 ceasefire. The Hurriyat’s initial response to the proof of terror or hate crime yet, say
ceasefire was disdainful. But the caveats in its statements show that police”. Capt Amarinder Singh spoke
it was not categorically rejecting the initiative either. Rather, three before any of Canada’s leaders and
former rivals — Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and proceeded to enlighten the world on
Yasin Malik — who came together two years back, want the one- the dangers of terrorism.
month window to be extended to permanent peace on the border. A day later, Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau of Canada also spoke — not
Notwithstanding the Hurriyat’s dissatisfaction on the time peri-
on terror, but to express solidarity
od of the ceasefire, it is a crucial element for reopening dialogue at all
with the victims. It is recognised the
levels over the Kashmir issue. Despite the bravado on display, the world over that overreaction and pub-
weary Kashmiri separatist leadership would have come to the conclu- licity fuel terror and serve the goal of
sion that easing off on counter-insurgency operations and stopping terrorists. Terror or extremism is not
the firing on the border are the best available process and option to an issue in Punjab and the Chief Min-
create an appropriate atmosphere for talks. The unanimity by the two ister alone speaks about it. Neither
armies on the ceasefire will serve as a useful mechanism to signal the Congressmen nor Opposition leaders
desire of both countries to recreate an atmosphere where justification talk about it. At his meeting with
and ratification of Indo-Pak direct talks are otherwise difficult to con- Trudeau in February, the Captain
vey to the domestic audience. This is bound to positively impact the raised the issue of Khalistan-related
move towards dialogue in Kashmir. militancy which got wide publicity, at
New Delhi must be aware that it is working from a tight corner: mil- home and abroad, much to the delight
itancy will remain tough to suppress despite a diloague. The Centre has of separatists.
Recently, he met the Union Home
offered the right economic solace with a Rs 80,000-crore package. But
Minister to seek a strategy to deal
the social and political incentives will be far tougher to navigate, espe-
with the revival of extremism in Pun-
cially because the ruling coalition in the state suffers from structural jab. The meeting got nationwide
contradictions. For once, the external environment is favourable. Pak- media coverage. Official briefings
istan may be disposed to be pragmatic now that it is part of the region- are held whenever “Khalistan” or ter-
al problem-solving matrix at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. ror-linked arrests are made. A con-
The complexities rule out a quick fix. But the coming summer in the tent-starved media splashes such
Valley will not be disagreeable if the ceasefire and tenentaive move reports, creating a sense of fear and
towards talks create a less aggressive space for political disagreement. uncertainty. On the one hand, the
Chief Minister announces conces-
sions to attract industry, on the other,
he gives the impression the state is
Facebook Live from jail far from peaceful.
If there are any threats to peace, it is
the job of the police to go after the
A symptom of departmental breakdown in Punjab subversive elements quietly, without
rushing to the media for credit-seek-
TAKE CUE: The Canada incident shows the police does its job without political pressure.
and Gypsys in the name of security,
but also luxury cars with unlimited
free oil. It could be in the interest of
the privileged few travelling in expen-
sive cars at state expense to keep the
terror threat alive, even if it means
scaring away potential industrialists,
investors, tourists or tarnishing the
reputation of Sikhs.
Punjab’s political and police leader-
ship can draw a lesson or two from
Canada’s low-profile handling of the
blast and an earlier incident in which
a van driver ploughed his vehicle into
a crowd in Toronto, killing 10. Unlike
the police, the political class and
Political leaders should restrain themselves from rushing to the
defence of any accused, or taking upon themselves to hand out
clean chits. That is the job of the police and the courts.
.
media here, multicultural Canadians,
known worldwide for peaceful coexis-
tence, downplay and refuse to
law is not applied uniformly and some
are treated more equally than others.
If a religious leader threatens to elim-
inate a rival, the police does not file a
case and arrest him. Instead, the
Chief Minister issues a counter
threat. Back-seat driving by a Chief
Minister is bound to demoralise the
police. Police bosses have willingly
surrendered their operational autono-
my. Under the Badals, they even
allowed tehsil-level Akalis to run
police stations.
An SHO registers an FIR against the
Congress candidate during the
Shahkot byelection for illegal mining.
His superiors and the Election Com-
mission do not see if the FIR is prima
facie evidence-based. They join hands
the right to declare a person guilty
or innocent based on evidence.
Countless ordinary citizens are
hauled up for minor offences or on
suspicion or false complaints. They
languish in jails while others with
connections get away, despite appar-
ent evidence of guilt. The justice
system in Punjab does not treat
everyone fairly and equally.
Here is another instance of the Chief
Minister moving swiftly to bail out a
suspect — a judge. Last November,
the Amarinder government did not
just give a clean chit to a high court
judge accused of bribery in a sting
video released by an opposition MLA,
but also passed an Assembly resolu-
tion against the two Lok Insaaf Party
MLAs who had hinted at a conspiracy
to fix the Leader of the Opposition.
Any pragmatic politician at the helm
would leave such an issue to the Chief
Justice. The Captain has his unusual
ways of governance.
The Assembly resolution, passed in
November 2017, accused the two
MLAs of “impairing the majesty of
law, obstructing the administration of
justice and of public at large”. It will
be of interest to know what the CM
has to say about his own party’s top
leadership moving an impeachment
motion against the Chief Justice of
India over issues on which legal
experts are divided.
It is possible the CM may be genuine-
ly worried about the revival of militan-
cy and is unwittingly fanning the ter-
ror fire. But it is unthinkable the
two-time Chief Minister-cum-Home
Minister of Punjab does not under-
stand what siding with suspects and
coming in the way of the law means.

S
OON after Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa took charge as Punjab ing or scare-mongering. The Chief acknowledge acts of terror, if any. to punish him. His mental condition By placing himself on the side of
Jail Minister last month, he had a shock realisation of what he Minister may be whipping up the fear Cops don’t immediately name crime and subsequent conduct are separate possible law-breakers, he is jeopardis-
was up against: a couple of gangsters called him up from prison! of terror revival for a political pur- perpetrators or their community. issues. The Chief Minister rushes to ing the Congress victory chances in
Ever since suffering that embarrassment, he seems determined to pose: to consolidate the Hindu vote. Politicians don’t try to politicise the rescue of the tainted candidate, 2019 and the political future of
check irregularities and illegalities indulged in by both prisoners and Besides, the preoccupation with mili- crime or polarise society. There are no declaring him “not guilty” without younger party colleagues. It may be
jail staff. Just in the month of May, The Tribune carried at least six tancy deflects attention from issues of instant shouting exchanges on televi- evidence or inquiry. unfair to expect Canada-type first-
drug trafficking, unemployment, sion. The police is allowed to do its job Addressing a rally the day Congress world governance from political lead-
reports regarding mobiles being seized in the state’s prisons. The
agrarian distress, low growth and without media/public/political pres- nominee Hardev Laddi filed his nom- ers Punjab has, but it should not be
most recent case was of a prisoner going live on Facebook from Farid-
financial mess. sure for quick results. ination papers, Capt Amarinder difficult to learn, at least, one basic
kot. There was even a violent protest by prisoners in Gurdaspur over The establishment has another rea- The comparison with the state of Singh said: “I have known him (Lad- lesson of policing and governance:
frequent raids to seize phones. It may yet be too early to conclude son for keeping militancy in the cen- affairs in Punjab is stark. Militancy di) for long. His uncle, Darbara respect for the rule of law, a key ingre-
whether the seizures reflect a greater effort to impose discipline, or it tre stage. A recent three-part Punjabi and crime thrive, among other fac- Singh, was the Speaker of the Vidhan dient of a civilised life.
just shows the lax administration within the high walls. Tribune report carried a long list of tors, on a sense of grievance, hurt and Sabha. He has a very clean heart”.
Several jail officials, including superintendents, have indeed been “VIPs” who have got not just gunmen injustice, which happens when the The implication is: “Since I know nirmalssandhu@gmail.com
suspended following inquiries. But the minister needs to assess how
far just cracking the whip is going to work. There was also a jailbreak

Left at the post, alone

in Ludhiana recently, which is a serious security lapse. The foremost
defence the jail staff would present is the acute shortage of hands; and
that is valid. The reasons behind that are complex, including that peo-
ple are not prepared to take up a job in jails. Some are known to have
quit after joining. The work conditions are not the most attractive; lack
Shiv Sethi with teary eyes. The broad smiles almost meaningless now. Though I emails, Whatsapp, Facebook and cell
of personal growth avenues is another factor. The most daunting, of
would delight me too. In no time I am still found at some places standing phones have outdone my utility and

D
course, is the kind of people jailors have to deal with — criminals. Var-
EAR friends, like the young
ious ways tried by the government to overcome the challenge have and bubbly youth, I too was
failed to yield results. the darling of all of you. Cut-
Attention thus needs to be paid to making prisons the reformato- ting across religious and political alle-
ry institutes they are supposed to be. Basic human needs of prison- giances, you would pay frequent visits
ers should be addressed on priority, which will also keep them from to me to get to know the well-being of
enticing warders into corruption. Also, all staffing, training and moti- your loved ones. I was nothing short
vational issues have to be looked into with a professional approach. of a divine oracle who would be a pop-
Prisons serve to shut criminals away, but we can’t afford to shut them ular medium of establishing a close
away from our minds. The prison bluebook needs a drastic overhaul. connect with friends and relatives liv-
ing far and wide.
Over the long years of my experi-
ence in social service, I had developed
Thought for the Day a unique ability of gauging moods
when you solicited my services. Some
Big guy and little guy, it should make no difference. The rule of of you would approach me with a
law demands neutrality. — Jon Kyl cheerful smile; others would drop by
would understand that either some
good news of a wedding or the birth of
a baby had arrived. On the other
hand, moist eyes were the obvious
signal of some untoward happening.
But I never disappointed anyone of
you. It was my duty to keep your joys
and sorrows alike in my big womb.
After delivering your emotions of
mirth and gloom, I would be pregnant
again with more varied emotions, to
deliver them on time.
I was an integral part of the lives of
the rich and poor, catering to the
needs of every class without any
socio-political bias. But the advent of
technology has made my existence
tall on duty, waiting for my visitors,
but technology has dramatically
reduced my popularity.
I have, more or less, become a
showpiece festooning the outside
area of my office. Whereas you folks
have left me alone in my dying days,
sparrows and pigeons weave their
nests in and on me. I remain quiet for
many days, and sometimes, for many
months. But this quietness does not
delight me. You must be thinking
who is this old oracle lamenting the
loss of the good old days! I am your
sentinel postbox clad in red attire, on
duty in front of post-offices. My inno-
vative and revolutionary rivals like
services. Now, some government offi-
cials, occasionally, fill my belly with
their feelingless bland stuff. But I
don’t shirk my work. Like a dedicat-
ed worker, I am always at their dis-
posal to carry the weight and then
deliver it.
I am your old friend: the letterbox,
whom you rarely come to meet. But I
am writing this letter to all of you
without any hard feelings. These
days, you have got better and quicker
modes of conveying your joys and sor-
rows, but I still miss you with the
same enthusiasm and love.
Yours faithfully
The Letterbox

letters to the editor

The EVM challenge
This refers to the editorial ‘VVPAT
glitches in by poll’ (May 29). It is the
duty of the Election Commission of
India (ECI) and the states concerned
to order the recheck of EVMs and
VVPAT. The ECI needs to preserve
its reputation as the institutional
caretaker of impartiality since it is a
constitutional body. Earlier, the
commissioner had disqualified 20
AAP MLAs without giving them a
hearing, just days before his retire-
ment. The Delhi High Court, howev-
er, struck down the orders. The ECI
should raise its game to appear as a
beacon of our democratic architec-
ture. It also requires urgent
reforms. Most countries like Ger-
many, the US, the Netherlands and
Italy have done away with EVMs.
England and France have not adopt-
ed this system. It is time we also
reconsider it.
MADAN LAL, BARNALA
HC to the rescue
Kudos to the Himachal Pradesh
High Court for taking a bold deci-
sion to mitigate water scarcity in
Shimla (‘HC: All equal, no tanker
for VIPs’; May 30). The judiciary
took action where the government
faltered. The high court has given
clear directions to the authorities
concerned and the immediate steps
to be taken. This will help mitigate
the acute water scarcity in many
areas of the town. The court has
asked everyone to be treated equal-
ly in matters of water distribution
through tankers. These steps could
have been taken by the government
a month ago when the water prob-
lem began to surface. Often, the
executive blames the judiciary for
being proactive and overstepping its
domain in many public issues, but
the Shimla example shows how the
government’s ineffectiveness
forced the judiciary to step in to pro-
vide relief to the suffering public.
Judiciary is the only pillar of democ-
racy in which the citizens of India
still reposes their trust.
NEERAJ KISHORE SHARMA, SUNDERNAGAR
Water crisis
We will have to conserve water on a
large scale to tackle the water crisis
facing many states. Only 4 per cent
of potable water in the entire world
exists in India. If this situation con-
tinues, drinking water in India will
end by 2040. We need a better water
management policy. A lot of our riv-
er waters go waste as it flows into
the sea/ocean. In such a situation, if
we take proper care of the waters
and if rivers are connected with oth-
er rivers of South India, the waters
can be properly utilised. There is
also need to expand ponds in vil-
lages and revive ground water.
Besides the government, the com-
mon people also need to wake up to
the crisis and do their bit. Only then
can we overcome it.
SHAKTI SINGH, KARNAL
Can’t rely on US
Apropos the article ‘Is US a reliable
partner?’ (May 30), it is a fact that
the Trump Administration has
changed its strategy with North
Korea and even with China and
India. We purchase about 60 per cent
of our defence equipment from Rus-
sia. The US is our second defence
supplier market. India should not
forget that Washington is not a reli-
able partner because it misuses
countries for its own welfare and
also blackmails them to suit its
needs. Its monopoly in world trade
and weapon advancement can be
checked by making a union of like-
minded countries. We should estab-
lish firm ties with our neighbouring
countries and the European Union.
But at the same time, India should
safeguard its interest because seven
million Indians reside in the US.
India should have a balanced
approach and strategy while taking
up tough issues with the US.
DS TOMAR, PAONTA SAHIB
Nurses’ safety
The nursing fraternity all over India
is grief-stricken over the tragic
death of Lini Puthussery who died
after being inflicted with Nipah
virus while giving care to three
virus victims. The article ‘No safety
protocol for nurses’ (May 12), pub-
lished on International Nurses Day,
gave a true picture of the deplorable
condition of nurses in India, be it
the government sector or private.
They are the first or primary service
provider to patients and are exposed
to all body fluids and contamina-
tions, yet the government has not
framed any policy to protect their
health. Lini’s death has not moved
any official of the Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare, or the Kerala
health department to come up with
a safety plan for nurses and paying
adequate compensation to those
working in infectious disease wards.
They are giving their best despite
the resource constraint and being
underpaid. I salute the courage of
the young nurse who leaves behind
her two toddler sons. She should be
given the Florence Nightingale
award posthumously by the Govern-
ment of India.
PREETY NARULA, CHANDIGARH
Cent per cent, how?
Some CBSE students have secured
nearly full marks in all subjects,
even subjective papers. Is it due to
cramming or understanding? Will
those who secured full marks be able
to achieve the desired target? The
board should have an advanced sys-
tem which can evaluate students
from all aspects. We do not need
bookworms or crammers. The syl-
labus, evaluation system, teaching
methodology, socio-economic back-
ground, refresher courses for teach-
ers, teaching hours, suitable infra-
structure, etc. should be reviewed
for producing competent and
responsible citizens.
DILBAR ALI MEERAK, TOHANA
Keeping the toss
Refer to the news report ‘Toss will
not be tossed away for Tests’ (May
30); toss is an important aspect of
Test cricket, wherein 10-15 per cent
advantage goes to the toss-winning
team, even before a single ball is
bowled — a bad omen for the game.
The issue needs to be addressed sin-
cerely. There should be even number
of Test matches in every series, and
toss should be shared accordingly.
The second thing which ails Test
cricket is the quality of pitches. The
pitches should aid every player and
not ‘specialised’ ones. ‘No
friend/foe’ spirit ought to come to
the fore in the preparation of pitches.
All stadiums need to have standard-
ised boundary lines. Short bound-
aries are a mockery of fielding. This
will go a long way in regaining the
glory of Test cricket.
GURDEEP SINGH, DHARAMPUR

Letters to the Editor, typed in double space, should not exceed the 200-word limit. These should be cogently written and can be sent by e-mail to: Letters@tribuneindia.com
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THE TRIBUNE
CHANDIGARH | THURSDAY | 31 MAY 2018 OPED 09

Missing pedagogy in politics of curriculum

Let the children be active and reflexive participants rather than passive consumers of
political narratives that keep changing according to the ruling regimes.
Avijit Pathak of learning-concentrated observation,
Professor of Sociology, JNU, New Delhi rational perception, intuitive flash, poetic
sensitivity and empathic understanding.
Why it is that certain social and cultural It is sad that the leftists as well as the
meanings and not others are distributed rightists have concentrated primarily on
through schools? the curriculum. But they have not both-
— Michael Apple, Ideology and Curriculum ered much about creative/critical peda-
gogy. Marxists often argue that if work is

Y
ES, the obvious has happened. not done on pedagogy, even the texts of
The NCERT has chosen to speak Romila Thapar and Irfan Habib would be
the language of the ruling ruthlessly murdered in our classrooms;
regime, and alter school texts in everything would be reduced into a typi-
order to make the youngsters aware of cal MCQ puzzle for scoring the fetish of 90
'ancient knowledge systems and tradi- per cent in the board examination.
tions', and make them sensitive to our Hence, we need to work on pedagogy. In
'cultural history'. And it is also certain that this context, there are three qualities that
the school of the thought known as 'liber- our children need to develop in order to
al-left' would see it as yet another attempt mature as responsible citizens.

at saffronisation of education. A sensitiv-
ity to pedagogy and curriculum leads one
to locating this politics of knowledge in
the context of modern India's unique tra-
jectory — from colonialism to the making
of the post-colonial state.
1
First, in a dialogic classroom filled
with the ethos of, to use Paulo Freire's
words, “problem posing education”,
NEW CURRICULUM: Teaching the children with revised texts is on the cards. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PAWAN SHARMA let the children become active/reflexive
participants, rather than passive con-
to use Professor Ashis Nandy's phrase, progress, liberal democracy, Fabian social- restore what , as its adherents believe, left- sumers of the given “texts”.

Macaulay's Children becoming
Savarkar's Hindutva Soldiers
Imagine Thomas Babington Macaulay's
famous minute of 1835 — the “superior”
West seeking to civilise the
“barbaric”/”superstitious” orient with the
the West was their “intimate enemy”.
They, barring exceptions like Tagore and
Gandhi, could not escape its Enlighten-
ment rationality, nationalist discourse and
gospels of linear historical movement with
technological progress. True, as a reaction
to the hegemonic discourse of the West, we
ism and some sort of Marxian method for
looking at the evolution of history, I believe,
enabled him to establish an intellectual
affinity with the “leftists”, and, as the
Kothari Commission report on education
revealed, the partitioned nation began to
celebrate a broadly secular education with
liberals did not take care of — say, the
Vedic science, the golden Hindu period,
the heroism of Shivaji and Rana Pratap, or
for that matter, the misdeeds of “Muslim
tyrants”. Hence, schools texts have to be
revised, amended, and rescued from the
“ideological biases” of the likes of JNU his-
2
Second, with the “ethic of care”, as
pedagogues like Gandhi and Tagore
thought about, children ought to see
beyond bookish knowledge of science
and civics, and relate to nature, people
and diverse cultural traditions with
empathy , openness and sensitivity.

absolute certainty that “a single shelf of a
good European library was worth the
whole native literature of India and Ara-
bia”! And we know that, despite this cul-
tural humiliation, the lure of English
education and new discourses of science
and reason did have tremendous appeal
even to a 'renaissance man' like Raja
Rammohun Roy. Yes, the emergent mid-
dle class with English education began to
take part in the anti-colonial struggle for
political liberation. Yet, for many of them,
also witnessed some sort of “revivalist”
trends — the search for “indignity” and
our rich civilisational heritage. However, in
these “revivalist” trends the likes of Joti-
rao Phule saw utter conservatism for
retaining Brahminical supremacy.
This politics of contestation continued,
and in the evolution of the post-colonial
state, Jawaharlal Nehru's vision played a
significant role in the making of the nation-
alist agenda of education. His fascination
with “scientific temper”, techno-economic
sensitivity to religious pluralism, scientific
thinking and “modern” ways of looking at
social problems like communal divide and
caste/gender hierarchy.
However, in our times, with the rise of
an assertive ideology of religio-cultural
nationalism with its redefinition of
politicised Hinduism, we are witnessing
yet another struggle in the site of knowl-
edge production.
It abhors Nehruvian secularism; it dis-
likes “Marxian conspiracy”. It seeks to
torians! The idea is: Make our children
proud of Bharat Mata. Transform them
into true nationalists endowed with hyper-
masculinity for protecting the icons and
symbols of militarised Hindutva.
For emancipatory pedagogy
Even though this politics of “legitimate”
curriculum is worth examining, what we
often miss is the real substance of educa-
tion: the delicate art of pedagogy that
enables the child to develop the faculties
3
Third, loving one's own tradition
should never be seen as indifference
to the others. The curiosity to know
multiple traditions, the ability to resist
the temptation of stigmatising others,
and the humility to learn from others, and
thereby overcome the “otherness”: these
are the civic/psychic qualities that our
children ought to cultivate in order to cel-
ebrate the vision of an inclusive society
characterised by splendid diversities, yet
with a thread of connectedness.

High on scores, low in performance

Harvinder Khetal ed in our schools. poor results time and again should be ject. They attempt a theory paper for 80
Among the regions, the Panchkula held accountable. marks and 20 marks for internal assess-

T
HE Central Board of Secondary
Examination (CBSE) Class X
results once more show that
hard work pays and there is no
substitute for it. All of the toppers say
that they devoted hours of focused
study in an organised manner. That as
many as four students topped the Class
X examination by securing 499 marks
out of 500 each, and around 1.3 lakh of
the 16 lakh students who took the test
scored more than 90 per cent is indica-
tive of the consistent labour that the
A group of happy class X passouts. PTI children put in. The overall pass per-
centage is 86.70, with girls outsmarting
boys by a margin of 3.35 per cent. Out-
Despite the large shining them all and significantly over-
number of high scorers taking the overall pass percentage are
differently-abled candidates: a whop-
in the CBSE Class X ping 92.55 per cent of them have suc-
examination, a study of cessfully passed the exam, with 135 chil-
dren achieving 90 per cent or more.
the past pass However, despite these glowing figures,
a study of the past pass percentages pres-
percentages presents a ents a worrisome trend. The total num-
worrisome trend. The ber of students clearing the exam in 2018
— 86.70 per cent — is 4.25 per cent lower
pass percentage in than the 90.95 per cent in 2017. And the
2018 — 86.70 — is year before, in 2016, as many as 96.21 per
cent had cleared the board exam.
4.25% lower than While the CBSE is yet to look into the
90.95 in 2017; and in fault lines, the statistics of the CBSE
Class X results are a pointer to a down-
region — comprising Punjab, Haryana,
J&K, Himachal and Chandigarh — has
put up a particularly poor show. The over-
all pass percentage in the Panchkula
region witnessed a steep fall of 10.45 per
cent from last year. It fell to 87.65 per cent
from last year's 98.1 per cent. Though it is
slightly higher than the national average
of 86.70, it also sticks out like a sore thumb
because this is its lowest score since 2014.
In 2014, the pass percentage was 99.49, fol-
lowed by 97.9 in 2015 and 98.1 in 2016.
Jammu and Kashmir tops the region
with the highest 96.28 overall pass per-
centage followed by Himachal Pradesh
(94.45), Punjab (88.95), Haryana (88.54)
and UT Chandigarh (66.21).
Chandigarh has registered the steep-
est fall. It falls behind Mohali (93.24) and
Panchkula (91.55). With only 11,834 of
the 17,873 students clearing the exam,
Chandigarh hit the pit in the Tricity with
a poor pass percentage of 66.21, staring
at a massive dip of 29.78 per cent from
last year's 95.99.
That Chandigarh, which is considered
the hub of education in the area, should
show such embarrassingly poor results
calls for inspection. The CBSE has con-
ceded that government schools have let
down this time, too, with the independ-
ent private schools in the region per-
forming better. The skills of teachers
In this bleak scenario, two toppers from
the region's small towns and villages
stand out as oases in a desert. At the same
time, they hold out hope for the possibilty
of a better tomorrow. Sonepat's Shrestha
Sharma is one of the seven students who
have secured the second place in Class X
by scoring 498 out of 500 marks.
Specially creditable is the achieve-
ment of Taranpreet Kaur, daughter of a
Barnala farmer, who has bagged the all-
India third rank with 497 marks. Hail-
ing from a small village, Bazidke
Khurd, she has brought laurels to the
region and her school, Broadway Public
School, of Manal village.
Among the CBSE's regions, Thiru-
vanathapuram again leads the race,
with 99.60 per cent students having
cleared the exam. Chennai (97.37) and
Ajmer (97.37) stand at the second and
third spots, respectively. The overall
pass percentage in the Delhi region has
improved by 0.53 per cent this year. This
is notable since its performance had
come under the scanner last year after
the pass percentage fell by 13 per cent to
78.09 from 91.06 per cent in 2016.
A part of the blame for the overall drop
in performance could rest on the fact that
this year, the annual exams and marking
system for Class X were restored after
eight years. In this system, the students
ment are given by schools.
From 2010 to 2017, the board had been
following the Comprehensive and Con-
tinuous Evaluation (CCE) system under
which subject wise grades (A1 to E2) were
awarded to the candidates and an overall
Cumulative Grade Point Assessment
(CGPA) (4 to 10) calculated. No percentage
was calculated. This step had been taken
to “reduce the burden” on the students.
As a one-time special measure to
smoothen the transition to the board
examination system for the class X
batch of 2018, the CBSE had relaxed the
mandatory criteria of pass mark of 33
per cent in both board exams and inter-
nal assessments separately. The stu-
dents needed to score overall 33 per cent
pass marks in both board exams and
internal assessments, not individually.
With this provision not in place next
year onwards, the situation seems
bleak as students stare at stricter sys-
tem of passing the exam.
An urgent appraisal is required to
check the decrease in overall pass per-
centages. The children must be equipped
to not only vie for the limited seats avail-
able in the colleges and higher education
institutes of their choice but also lead
lives with their heads held high and
acquire jobs that ensure lives of dignity.

2016, it was 96.21. fall in the standard of education impart- must be upgraded and those showing are given individual marks in each sub- hkhetal@gmail.com

on this day... 100 years ago quick crossword su do ku forecast

YESTERDAY’S HARD SUNSET: THURSDAY 19:20 HRS
SOLUTION SUNRISE: FRIDAY 05:21 HRS
Across
1 Jules Verne, 6 Garb,
8
Lahore, Friday, May 31, 1918. 10 Demon, 11
Sources of inspiration.
Sensitive, 12 Dovetail, 6 5 4 3 Sunny Partly Cloudy Cloudy
CITY MAX
Rainy
MIN
Foggy

13 Check, 15 Honesty,
IT is but seldom that an English journal shows such real insight Chandigarh 41 27
into things Indian as the Manchester Guardian did the other day
17 Soprano, 19
Madeira, 21 Onerous, 1 6 9 7 New Delhi
PUNJAB
42 30
in an article under the heading "sources of inspiration." "The 22 Shame, 24
youngmen," says the writer most truly, "see India freshly as a new
comer sees it and to a new comer the fact that stands out in India
Squander, 27 All at
once, 28 Bleat, 29 4 3 8 Amritsar
Bathinda
42
45
26
28
as Kinchenanga at dawn, as definite as the Taj in the moon-light, Note, 30 Leo Tolstoy. Jalandhar 42 27
is that in his own country the Indian is a subject people." The fact, Down 5 1 Ludhiana
Patiala
44
43
27
27
indeed is impressively borne in upon the Indian by all that he sees 1 Jade, 2
8 5 2
and hears, above all by the daily intercourse between the races HARYANA
Lampooned, 3 Singe,
which, as the writer correctly states, is not governed by the policy 4 Ecstasy, 5 Nonplus, Ambala 42 27
of the Government of India Act of 1833 or the Queen's Proclama- 7 Arise, 8 Bleak Bhiwani 46 28
tion of 1858." Whenever Europeans and Indians meet, says the
writer, "whether in the street or the train or the steam boat the rela-
House, 9 Disciple, 14
Thomas Mann, 16
3 4 6 2 Hisar
Karnal
46
42
28
26
tion between them is the simple one of ruler and ruled. Inter- Stiletto, 18
course between the races is carried on always with this in mind.
Atonement, 20
Absence, 21 Opulent,
7 6 2 1 Sirsa
HIMACHAL PRADESH
45 28

23 Allot, 25 Nobel, Dharamsala 32 22

University Education.
WE have already seen that in Bengal during the last quinquennium
26 Stay. 6 Manali
Nahan
24
37
10
25
the number of students in the 33 colleges increased from 11,000 to ACROSS 23 Dizzy (5) 6 Flood (5) Shimla 26 18
18,500. The number of colleges, however, remained the same. Com- 1 To climb (5) 24 Composure (8) 7 Examine carefully (5) Yesterday’s solution calendar Solan 33 18
menting on this the Statesman expresses a strange sense of uneasi- 8 Resist change (5,3) 25 Wet through (5) 12 Put in type (3) 7 8 5 3 2 1 6 4 9 JAMMU & KASHMIR
May 31, 2018 Thursday
ness and is alarmed at the increase of 68.3 per cent in the number of 9 3 2 5 6 4 7 1 8 Jammu 43 25
9 Make reparation (5) 26 Painstakingly careful (8) 13 Artificial head of hair (3) ■ Vikrami Samvat 2075
university students. This number, it says, compares favouraly with the 6 1 4 9 7 8 2 5 3 ■ Shaka Samvat 1940 Leh 22 11
10 Lying (8) 27 Answer (5) 14 Remedy against poison (8) Jyeshtha Shaka 10
35,000 students in the British Universities for an almost identical pop- 5 4 7 8 9 6 1 3 2 ■ Srinagar 30 11
ulation, and it adds: "At the present rate of progress Bengal in 1927 will
11 Irritate by rubbing (5) DOWN 15 Wasteful of money (8) ■ Jyeshtha Parvishte 18
1 6 9 4 3 2 5 8 7 ■ Hijari 1439 UTTARAKHAND
have more University students than the whole of the United King- 12 To stitch (3) 2 Abridge (3,5) 19 Designate (6) 3 2 8 1 5 7 4 9 6 ■ Krishan Paksha Tithi 2, Dehradun 36 21
dom." Whether such a prospect is to be dreaded as being in any way 16 Day nursery (6) 3 Melancholy expression (4,4) 20Keenly perceptive (5) 2 9 1 7 8 5 3 6 4
up to 11.25 pm
Mussoorie 24 17
■ Sadhya Yog up to 6.02 pm
dangerous to the country, our contemporary does not openly state. 17 To disregard (6) 4 Endeavour earnestly (6) 21 Flabbergast (5) 8 5 6 2 4 3 9 7 1 ■ Moola Nakshatra Nainital 25 14
18 Tie-on label (3) 5 Excessive (5) 22Pry (5) 4 7 3 6 1 9 8 2 5 ■ Moon in Sagittarius sign TEMPERATURE IN OC