MORAL EDUCATION 

Rape is a sin, a curse on humanity and above all, it is a punishable offence. It is a violent crime that has been continuously on the rise in India. To make it a communal issue for gaining cheap popularity and score a point by political parties is highly shameful. We need to condemn the act and the monsters who commit such heinous crimes with one voice. Perhaps, such belligerent and disgraceful acts along with other social crimes crop up in our society just because the moral and religious values of the society seem to be on the decline. Time is ripe when we need to be determined and pay attention to introduce better moral education in India’s educational institutions and other social organizations. Besides making the rape law more stringent, media too needs to be unbiased, unprejudiced and impartial in flashing such sensitive stories. 

I am here in Dubai currently and it was really heartening to learn that UAE schools have started teaching Moral Education as a subject from 2017 academic year. The national initiative, originally announced in 2016, deserves all the praise from all those who know how significant and productive it is to include Moral Education in school level curriculum. The initiative signifies the foresightedness and concern of state-of-the-art UAE establishment and dispensation for its future generation. 

Needless to mention that today's education system has become more-or-less a job-oriented affair. Education is not all about cramming formulas and equations. it is, as a matter of fact, about the way it shapes our soul and mind and moral education for that matter plays a vital role in inculcating high values in the life of our younger generation. Moral Education deserves to be an essential part of the school curriculum since it re-shapes the way of our future generations. Whether or not a boy will help an old man cross a road depends on how well he was educated with ethics and moral behavior, not how well he recited the mathematical tables and poems. 

Moral education means an ethical education to follow the good and right principles of life. It consists of some basic principles, like truthfulness, honesty, charity, hospitality, tolerance, love, kindness and sympathy. Broadly speaking, teachings from our sacred scriptures can very aptly serve as a source material for preparing the syllabus for Moral Education since our scriptures are the priceless treasure of Moral Education. 

In short, Moral Education inculcates basic human values in the minds of children and help in their character-building from the very start of their career/life. Eventually, the process will bear a meaningful impact on nation-building too. 

Time is ripe, when in our country also, Moral Education as an independent subject is introduced in school-level curriculum. 

From Mr Shiben Krishen Raina 

विश्व की सब से ऊंची इमारत दुबई/यूएई स्थित ‘बुर्ज खलीफा’ है. बुर्ज खलीफा को पहले बुर्ज दुबई कहा जाता था, बाद में यहां के राष्ट्रपति खलीफा बिन ज़ायेद अल नह्हान के सम्मान में इसका नाम बुर्ज खलीफा रख दिया गया.बुर्ज खलीफा की ऊंचाई 828 मीटर यानी की 2716.5 फीट है. यानी एफिल टॉवर से करीब तीन गुना ज्यादा है.बुर्ज खलीफा को बनाने में करीब 1.5 बिलियन डॉलर खर्च हुआ है.बुर्ज खलीफा में कुल 163 मंजिल है, जिसमें 58 लिफ्ट और 2957 पार्किंग स्पेस, 304 होटल और 900 अपार्टमेंट्स है. इमारत बनाने का काम 2004 में शुरू हुआ और यह इमारत 2010 में बनकर तैयार हो गई.कहा जाता है कि बुर्ज खलीफा को करीब 12,000 मजदूरों ने मिलकर बनाया.यह भी कहा जाता है कि इसे बनाने में 100,000 हाथियों के बराबर कंक्रीट और पांच A380 हवाई जहाज के बराबर एल्युमीनियम लगा है.बुर्ज खलीफा में एक समय में करीब 35000 लोगों के रहने की व्यवस्था है.बुर्ज खलीफा इतना बड़ा है कि इसे आप 95 किलो मीटर दूर से भी देख सकते हैं.इसकी चोटी से पड़ोसी देश ईरान भी दिखता है.बुर्ज खलीफा में 946,000 लीटर पानी को 100 किलो मीटर पाइप की सहायता से पहुंचाया जाता है.बुर्ज खलीफा के 76वें मंजिल पर सबसे ऊंचा स्विमिंग पूल और 122वें मंजिल पर रेस्टोरेंट है.बुर्ज खलीफा के नाम 6 वर्ल्ड रिकॉर्ड है, सबसे ऊंची बिल्डिंग, सबसे ज्यादा मंजिल, सबसे ऊंची लिफ्ट आदि.इसमें 37 ऑफिस फ्लोर और 900 अपार्टमेंट हैं.बुर्ज खलीफा में लगे AC से जितना पानी एक साल में निकलता है उससे ओलंपिक के पांच स्विमिंग पूल भरे जा सकते हैं.जमीन से 210 मीटर की ऊंचाई पर 25 मीटर की चौड़ाई का हेलिपैड भी बनाया गया है जिस पर हेलीकॉप्टर उ

As we keep on using them, modern-day house-hold items like Refrigerator, Washing-Machine, Toaster, TV, and for that matter, any other electric or electronic device etc. is liable to malfunction at any point of time. The reason could be anything: mishandling, misuse or any other inexplicable issue. What we do usually is to see if we could handle the situation ourselves: plug-unplug the wire, read the manual if we have preserved it, go through it and try to find out the remedy etc. Having gone through all this exercise carefully for a day or two and concluding that the device is suffering from some serious fault, we finally decide to contact the mechanic who, though pretending to be busy, drops in within hours along with his assistant and toolbox etc.

Last year my LCD suddenly became inactive. No image, sound only. Tried all the methods as mentioned above. Nothing came up. Since the guarantee-period of the device from the company was over, I contacted a local mechanic who lost no time to come to my residence and checked the LCD with his apparatus. I, all along watched him with curiosity and interest. Having finished the diagnosis, the mechanic very unambiguously declared that the Panel of LCD had gone and needed replacement. ’can’t it be repaired?’ I made a polite request. ‘No, Panels are not repaired. They are irreparable.’ ‘How much should the new Panel cost?’ was my next query.’ He looked at me for a while and suggested that firstly the LCD is of old make and it may be difficult to find out a matching Panel for your LCD and even if I manage to procure one for you, it won’t cost you less than Eleven Thousand Indian Rupees. My sincere advice is to abandon this device/LCD and go in for a newer one which might cost you only a little more than Eleven Thousand.

I thought for a while on his guidance and eventually told him that I will call him later after taking the second opinion from some other mechanic. ‘No problem. You can call me any time. But I pledge here and now that even if you call Almighty too, he also would corroborate my view of fused Panel. Rest is what you deem fit. I am at your disposal any time.’ The mechanic said bluntly though annoyingly.

To seek the second opinion, I contacted my friend who, too, had faced the same kind of problem with his LCD. He sent his mechanic and after a thorough check up the new mechanic proclaimed that Panel was alright. Only a fore image-IC needed to be replaced and entire cost including the service charges etc. won’t be more than Four Thousand Five Hundred Indian Rupees. I had no other option but to accept his bid with utmost delight.

It is always better and sensible to go in for the second opinion in every matter of life more especially in the matters of repairing sick and malfunctioning electronic/electric devices and gadgets.

MODI WINS

Amidst tough and mostly hate-oriented fight by the combined opposition, Modi emerged as the most powerful and popular leader of world’s one of the largest democracies. Tagged as Chaiwala (Tea maker) in 1914 and Chowkidar Chor hai (Guard is Thief) in 2019 by the opposition, Mr Modi never got disheartened, perturbed or saddened by these frivolous and biased slogans but kept on working for the masses more especially for the poor and oppressed. Around Fifty reformist and welfare programs were carried out on utmost priority. The opposition never bothered to care about the far-reaching implications of these projects/ programs. All these welfare programs flourished in the background slowly and steadily over these past five years. On the one side the opposition believed in raising unfounded allegations or slogans accusing or targeting the government while as on the other side the ruling government saw that its reforms were implemented sincerely, strictly and hit the target flawlessly. Perhaps that made the difference. 

All the social and economic schemes implemented by Modi's government paid rich dividends and significantly escalated the popularity of this great but modest leader to new heights. Also, Modi's strong conviction in Nationalism made him not a savior of masses alone but a true nationalistic leader of the country. His famous slogan ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’ (All we unite and all we progress!) made Modi an epitome and embodiment of millions of Indians. 

In short, opposition and, for that matter, every opposition in any democratic/non-democratic form of government should learn from the straightforwardness, simplicity, humanness, respect for elders, down to earth nature and perfect oratory of this great leader. In a democracy it is after all the words you speak work, impress and woo the listeners for you. 

Dr.Shiben Krishen Raina 

Writer,translator and professor , 

Currently in Dubai(UAE)