Sahitya Akademi Awards Presented To 24 Indian Authors

Sahitya Akademi Awards Presented To 24 Indian Authors

Twenty four eminent authors writing in as many Indian languages were felicitated today by the Sahitya Akademi at its annual Festival of Letters.

The recipients were awarded a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh each for their "outstanding books of literary merit".

Urging authors from across the country to write extensively in various regional languages, Akademi President Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari said that Indian writing faces a threat from the effect of colonial thinking.

Complete winner list is attached & Link | http://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/sahitya-akademi/pdf/sahityaakademiawards2015-e.pdf

The future of comic books is here

The future of comic books is here

Inspired from mythology and cognitive sciences, Phallaina leads the way for futuristic digital comics with the clever adaptation of technology

THE sound of waves hitting the shore fill the air, and is heightened with melancholic beats. A young girl walks slowly towards the sea, submerging herself completely into it, only to get lost in the darkness and a dream where fish swim through the air. They appear small initially, and transform into huge white whales, while the city melts down. Gradually, they turn smaller and dissolve into a frame featuring a group of medical professionals staring at what seems to be scans of a human brain. The patient’s name is Audrey.

These opening frames from Marietta Ren’s new digital comic, Phallaina, are poignantly cinematic similar to a master long shot taken straight out of the works of directors like Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick, or as if words from Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Idiot have been brought to life. It’s sad, melancholic and at the same time, engaging.

What we like Phallaina is a digital comic book that traces the journey of Audrey, a young woman who suffers from hallucinatory fits ( epilepsy), during which she has visions of whales. Her neurological examinations reveal the existence of a physeter in her brain: an anomalous structure which enables its carriers to hold their breath for sustained amounts of time. The comic book follows her journey as the doctor puts her through tests, exploring the world of cognitive sciences and mythology.

Apart from the subject what sets Phallaina apart from other digital comic books is its horizontal scrolling ( they claim to be the first), which when combined with audio- visual elements, animation and the black and white drawing style of Japanese Manga comics, offers an immersive story telling experience.

The horizontal scrolling also takes away the need to flip pages or press next, thus creating a fluid reading experience.

The style enables the reader to become an unhindered co- passenger, as its lead character Audrey’ traverses between her hallucinations and the real world.

The effects can be best compared to what one would have felt while watching Terry Gilliam’s Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas which starred Johnny Depp. In short, it’s trippy yet fun.

Produced by Smallbang and France télévisions Nouvelles écritures, the comic book was released in January at Angoulême Festival in France, and is available for free download for Android as well as iOS devices. There are no in- app purchases but it’s heavy with a download size of 318 MB. What it means however is that the app is completely offline, and requires no Internet connection. So, if you are planning to download the comic book make sure you are connected to Wi- Fi and have plenty of space for other apps on your phone.

What we don’t Phallaina opens new avenues for digital comic books, and is the best digital comic book we have come across in a long time, but the app seems to have a few bugs, as it crashes a lot.

The app also stops responding if you try to multi- task or attend a call while reading.

Source | Mid-Day | 17 February 2016

The illusion of equity in the classroom

The illusion of equity in the classroom
“While it is too early to pass a judgment on the success of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, the initial trends are somewhat disappointing.” Picture shows a classroom in a school for underprivileged children in Bengaluru. Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash
Success of a new education policy would depend on how it socialises the private and embeds the basic right to a quality education.
As the Right to Education (RTE) Act just completed five years of operation, it is time to take note of some facts. Kerala became the first State to achieve 100 per cent primary education, but in Uttar Pradesh, only 12 out of 75 districts have admitted students from disadvantaged groups to private schools. The Act mandates that schools reserve 25 per cent seats for these students. There are rumours that due to the pressure exerted by the private schools’ lobby, Karnataka may dilute the Act. A large number of Dalits, Adivasis and girls discontinue education because of discrimination in schools. And more than 60 per cent of urban primary schools are overcrowded, and about 50 per cent of Indian students cannot do basic mathematics or read a short story when they complete elementary education.

Equitable quality education

Universalising education involves issues of both distributive justice and quality. While the former concerns taking education to marginalised communities, the latter asks, ‘what counts as meaningful education?’ Considering that inadequate education affects the disadvantaged groups more severely, it is a possibility that these groups will end up with restricted opportunities and diminished outcomes given the market-driven economy we live in. The RTE, therefore, entails the right to equitable quality education. It is with this aim that India enacted the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. While it is too early to pass a judgment on the success of this Act, the initial trends are somewhat disappointing. According to the 2011 Census, the average literacy rates of people aged above 15 among Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are about 9 per cent and 17.4 per cent less than the national average, respectively. The female literacy rate is 19.5 per cent less than that of males. This difference increases to 23 per cent and 23.5 per cent among the SCs and STs, respectively, indicating the double discrimination faced by Dalit and Adivasi women. The dropout rates among SCs and STs are significantly higher than the national average and more girls discontinue schooling than boys. Of course, there is a wide variation across States and the gap is wider in rural areas as compared to urban, but these statistics suggest significant inequalities in the distribution of educational opportunities.

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2014 reveals that enrolment in private schools has increased from 18.7 per cent in 2006 to 30.8 per cent in 2014. But has this increase been accompanied by a proportionate inclusion of disadvantaged groups?

The National University of Educational Planning and Administration’s 2011-12 report shows that only about 16 per cent of students from SCs and STs attend private schools and the average Indian household spends five times more money on each child annually if s/he is enrolled in a private school compared to a government school. It is reasonable to say that private schools are ordinarily more accessible to higher income groups.

ASER reports suggest that private schools fare only marginally better in terms of imparting quality education compared to government schools. While the ASER methodology of quantifying learning has been disputed, these statistics suggest that our education system has fared poorly on both equity and quality parameters.

The Constitution provides a flexible framework for a welfare state. Article 39 directs the state to frame policies that distribute the “ownership and control of the material resources of the community” such that it serves the “common good”, and “provide opportunities and facilities that enable children to develop in a healthy manner in conditions of freedom and dignity”. While Directive Principles are non-justiciable, Article 37 commands that they shall be “fundamental in the governance of the country and it shall be the duty of the State to apply these principles in making laws”. Initially, universal elementary education was a Directive Principle under Article 45. The fact that it was made a fundamental right vide the 86th Amendment does not jettison the egalitarian perspective that placed it in the same scheme as other Directive Principles, particularly those under Article 39.

The Kothari Commission recommended a common school system (CSS) to “bring the different social classes and groups together and thus promote the emergence of an egalitarian and integrated society”. It lamented that “instead of doing so, education itself is tending to increase social segregation and to perpetuate and widen class distinctions”. This results in the “anaemic and incomplete” education of both the rich and poor as it forecloses sharing of perspectives. The CSS was adopted by both the 1968 and 1986 national policies on education. While the interventions from ‘Operation Blackboard’ to Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan brought universalisation and quality to the forefront, the CSS was somehow relegated to the background.

The road ahead

The RTE Act provides for minimum quality standards and mandates 25 per cent reservation for children belonging to weaker sections. This provision has caused much debate. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has clarified that “the larger objective [of this provision] is to provide a common place where children sit, eat and live together for at least eight years of their lives across caste, class and gender divides in order that it narrows down such divisions in our society”. Four caveats could be issued here. One, in conceiving ‘disadvantaged groups’, we must also include children of sex workers, transgendered groups, disabled persons and minorities. Two, equality also means the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Three, the government must not abdicate its responsibility to make its schools inclusive. If Dalit children sit separately and clean toilets and girls perform stereotypical gender roles, then we have only engrafted inequality and entrenched hierarchies. Four, education itself needs to celebrate the diverse ways in which knowledge is transferred and acquired.

As the RTE Act emerges from its nascence and education statistics continue to disappoint on both quality and inclusion parameters, the government is deliberating the first education policy post-1991. Its success would depend on how it socialises the private and provides a vision for an equitable quality education.

(Ajey Sangai is a Research Fellow with Education Initiative at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.)

Source | http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-illusion-of-equity-in-the-classroom/article8189305.ece?css=print

How to transform the way you work

How to transform the way you work

Check out these eight ergonomic products that can keep you relaxed while you work

Computers have help ed to revolu tionise the way work gets done.

Unfortunately that means most of us are glued in front of one for the majority of the week. If you experience some kind of work-related physical strain from using your computer, try to figure out what's causing tension, or, if your company provides it, get a proper ergonomic assessment of your work space. And if you think ergonomic accessories are frivolous or embarrassing, consider how much more embarrassing it would be to lose your livelihood due to an easilyavoidable injury. 

Kinesis Advantage Keyboard

If you're experiencing tension in your wrists and hands, it's probably due to the way you type and the position you hold your hands in when you type.It's common for coders, bloggers, IT professionals and anyone who's constantly typing to experience this type of strain.

As far as prevention goes, try the increasingly popular ergonomic keyboard -the Kinesis Advantage. It supports your wrists so that your forearms are at a 90-degree angle with your upper arm and the keys sit in curved wells, which reduces the need to pivot with your wrists to reach different keys.It's not cheap, but what it may save you in physical therapy bills is worth considering.

Goldtouch Go!2 Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard

Another popular ergonomic keyboard is the Goldtouch wireless keyboard. It is a split keyboard design, which allows your hands to rest in a more natural V-shape.The angle of the keyboard can be adjusted up or down de pending on what feels best. It 's cord-free, compact (it can be folded in half) and wireless, which makes it a great option for freelancers, consultants or anyone who needs to take their work on the go.

Anker Wireless Vertical Mouse

The idea behind vertical mice is that they put the arm in a more natural `handshake' position. A regular mouse causes the `ulna' and `radius' bones in the arm to cross over each other, which can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis and other repetitive strain injuries.As for this particular mouse, not only is Anker a popular name in the ergonomic world, but they recently came up in this Reddit thread about companies that have “an amazing productservice but is still rather unknown“.

Herman Miller Aeron Chair

This is the chair that people consistently bring up when talking about comfortable, well-designed, ergonomic office chairs.It supports all the natural curves of your body (including the very-important lumbar) and has a mesh backing to prevent overheating (nothing grosser than a sweaty chair back). It is slightly expensive though.

The Roost Laptop Stand

The idea behind a laptop stand is that it elevates your screen to eye level so you're not craning your neck to look down at it. Between hunching over our laptops and `text neck', we put a lot of pressure and strain on our spine and neck, so it's worth it to find healthier ways of interacting with screens. When looking at your monitor, your neck should be in line with your spine, but also loose and relaxed.

Fellowes laptop stand

Fellowes laptop stand is a good option if you have a stable workplace and don't need to pack up and travel too often. Plus, many doctors too use this stand, so it must be good, right?

Fellowes foot stand

Foot rests are important if you're on the shorter side and the height of your chair doesn't allow you to place your feet on the floor. They also help to reduce pressure on your hips and legs and can improve your posture.

F.lux

The freeto download softw a r e adjusts the light emitted by your PC screen to adapt to the time of day. During the day, it mimics natural sunlight and in the night it switches to a warmer, darker glow. Not only does it decrease eye strain and headaches from staring at your screen too long, but also the warm glow makes it easier to transition into sleep once you finally log off for the evening. Flux doesn't have a mobile version.

Source | Economic Times | 2 February 2016

Overseas degree and job - Double or quits?

Overseas degree and job - Double or quits?
The question middle-class parents in India are facing is whether it is worthwhile to invest a big amount in a degree that may or may not translate into a career and a secure future
The other day a friend of mine called. He wanted advice - or perhaps just an ear - on what to do with his only child who had finished his Class 12 examinations last year and had got a mid-80s percentage - too low to get into one of Delhi's premier colleges but high enough to enrol in some course somewhere. He had taken a gap year to decide his next course of action and applied to universities overseas. The boy had recently gained admission for a liberal arts degree at a mid-level institution in the US. My friend would, however, sell a property - a flat in Gurgaon near Delhi and the only other he owned besides the one they live in - to pay for the four-year degree that would cost close to Rs 1.5 crore (all expenses accounted for).

His dilemma was two-fold. One, is it worth it to sell off property (his wife doesn't earn) to finance a degree today when degrees seem to be losing their sheen to an extent? Evidence of companies - and employers - putting less and less emphasis on the degree one held was coming in. Both in the US and in India, companies are less enamoured with the stamp you had acquired and more with how you got the job done.

Then, there appears to be a glut of graduates the world over. A degree no longer guarantees a highly paid job nor the career path you would find satisfying or challenging. There are several graduates - especially with liberal arts degrees - in the US, many of who have loans to pay back with no jobs in hand. A number of them are back and living at home, a rare development for the US where children are often gone from parental homes once they leave high school.

In India, too, the number of graduates coming back armed with degrees from fancy institutions - from all over the world - is piling up. Almost all of us will know students, who left the country after schooling and are now back in India with undergraduate degrees for one reason or the other. Few seem to have a clear direction of where they are headed but all had rejected the American way of life, refusing to stay back and be sucked into a life of "money, materialism and mortgages" as one of them put it to me.

But there's a host of reasons for this - not necessarily disheartening. In some cases, the students have tried working in the States for a while but had either got disillusioned with what they were doing or had not found jobs up to their expectations. At least two of them I know - both of whom had very high paying jobs with consultancy firms - said they were looking for more "meaningful" stuff to do and soon realised the Western work environment didn't always offer that. Just the pay package wasn't enough to hold them down.

There's a large and growing body of young 23-28-year-olds who feel they'd rather contribute to their own country and do something here rather than slog it out in an alien environment. They are mostly from a privileged background in India, have no education loans (parents have put together the money to finance their degrees somehow) and are keen to be a part of India's growth story. They don't mind the risk, the challenge and don't fear the hard work they know they will have to put in to succeed in India. The start-up story attracts them and they are keen to join the bandwagon.

But there's another interesting nugget here. None of the students I know are willing to exchange their overseas education for anything. The degree they had received was just a stamp; the experience was invaluable and priceless. Despite it being just four years, many feel it has moulded them into what they are today.

Coming back to my friend's story, here's what he was pondering - and it's something an increasing number of Indian parents I reckon will ponder over - given the fact that the days are over when a degree from overseas was a passport to success and happiness.

Is it worthwhile for him to dish out this kind of money for an experience that may or may not translate into a career and a secure future? Will his son's future be remarkably different if he graduates from one of India's unremarkable institutions? Should he leave him to float and find his way? In an increasingly uncertain world, does anyone have the answers?

Source | http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/anjuli-bhargava-overseas-degree-and-job-double-or-quits-116020801063_1.html

HRD Press Release Dated 8 February 2016 – Meeting on Teacher Education

Please find attached HRD Press Release Dated 8 February 2016 – Meeting on Teacher Education: It is decided to constitute a committee to suggest ways to institutionalize an internship of Teacher Education programmes in Government school.

Abstract of the Press Release 

20-week internship for BEd students

After making Bachelor of Education (BEd) a two-year course, the Central Government wants to introduce a compulsory 20-week internship for these budding teachers. A decision to this effect was taken by the Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani recently.

At the end of this internship, the school will provide feedback on the teaching aptitude of the trainees. A committee has been constituted with State Education Secretaries of Rajasthan, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Tripura and representatives of NCTE and KVS to suggest ways to institutionalise an internship of teacher education programmes in government schools.
Speaking about the internship programme, Kavya Rao, a BEd student said, "The compulsory internship in schools is likely to give more practical exposure to us. Earlier, with BEd being only one year, the students didn't have much time for practicals though they would intern briefly in schools. The 20-week internship will definitely help us."

Meanwhile, the Centre has also decided to develop an accreditation or grading framework for teachers of education institutions to provide an idea of the quality of the institutes. The government will also introduce a mobile app developed in collaboration with MyGov, by the Ministry of HRD - to enlist citizens who are willing to volunteer as teachers. Eighteen states expressed their willingness to participate in the first phase. During April-May, 2016, a two to three-day workshop, Educational Administrators in Higher Education, will be organised by the UGC in five regions across the country. Modules for these workshops will be developed by the Indian Institutes of Management.

These modules may be adopted by state governments which can carry the process forward by organising similar workshops. It was also decided that NCERT will conduct a review of SCERTs and DIETs and prepare a roadmap for strengthening of these institutes. UGC will similarly undertake training of college principals.

Press Release Link | http://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/Press%20Release%2008-02-2016.pdf

The price of technology

Sitting in front of a computer for a long time has lasting impact on our mental and physical health. 

With technology becoming a major part of our everyday lives, constant texting, checking e-mails and also sitting in front of the desktop for long hours are leading to problems that have lasting impacts on our mental and physical health. The commonly heard complaints are pain in the neck, headaches, sleep disorders and repetitive strain injuries in fingers.

But we have to face the truth — a world without technology would be difficult to live in. Given the constraints, the best option is to work towards a balance and opt for preventive steps for a healthy body and mind.

Headaches are now common

Experts state that the electromagnetic radiation emitted from phones have thermal effects. The radio waves emitted by mobile phones are absorbed by the body. Due to this reason we get headaches as the blood flow in the brain is affected.

Dr J. Anish Anand, consultant of internal medicine at Apollo Hospitals, says, “Thermal energy from phones affects the skin and soft tissue due to which there are rashes. At the same time, constant strain of trying to hear from a small device with limited voice output affects the ear muscles. Wrong position of the neck and head is one of the major causes of headaches.”

Sleep deprivation, stress and also lack of sleep are some of the other symptoms. Sleep quality is also affected when mobile phones are kept close by.

Recent research has shown damage to the body’s cells by vibration signals. This growing evidence is becoming one of the major reasons to ask people to switch off their phones at night so that they can get sufficient sleep.

Maintain proper posture at work

Earlier factory workers, dressmakers and musicians would suffer from repetitive strain injury but now people working on desktops are suffering from these problems. Constant typing and improper sitting postures affect the forearms, elbows, wrists, hands, neck and shoulders. Dr Sudhindra V., consultant, lifestyle and rehabilitation at Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences Hospitals, says, “One of the major reasons for this problem is lack of Vitamin D. Also most desktop jobs have people sitting for eight to nine hours which alters the alignment of the spine in the lower back region, leading to central obesity.”

Abnormal posture at work and doing prolonged repetitive work in a wrong posture ends up aggravating the strain on the body which finally results in pain, stiffness, throbbing, tingling or numbness, weakness and cramps.

The best method to control these problems is to maintain proper posture at work, getting up after every 20 minutes and taking a break by walking around. Gently stretching every two hours is found to help a lot as it gives a positive signal to the muscles that they must be active, added Dr Sudhindra.

A recent study carried on IT professionals reported...

Clinical cases have seen a rise due to constant use of technology in terms of mobile phones and Internet addiction
Personality changes — irritability, anger, depression.
Tiredness and early fatigue syndrome.
Body pains and hearing problems.

Get off that phone!

59 per cent of IT professionals reported that they had experienced some form of computer related/repetitive stress injury in the past 12 months.

Neck pain problems were the most frequently reported where 30 per cent of the samples had experienced such problems in the past 12 months.

Low back pain, wrists and hand pain and, the shoulder pain were the reported symptoms where the annual prevalence was reported as 25, 14 and 13 per cent.

Source | http://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/health-and-wellbeing/080216/the-price-of-technology.html

E-fraudsters, beware! Govt plans cybercrime labs across state

E-fraudsters, beware! Govt plans cybercrime labs across state

Alarmed over a sudden spurt in cybercrime cases, the government will set up state-of-the-art cybercrime laboratories in all districts across the state.

A senior bureaucrat said that a budgetary provision has been made and the process of setting up the cybercrime laboratories at district headquarters and at police commissioner offices has begun. “We expect to complete the exercise in a time-bound manner, “ this bureaucrat told TOI. He said that it had been found that despite the benefits of information technology having percolated to the common man, there have also been a spurt in cases of hacking and in releasing of objectionable pictures on social media websites, thus resulting in a law-and-order problems.

“There has been abuse of information technology to cheat common people. Economic offences have been on the rise. Even anti-social elements have used technology to spread hatred, “ said the bureaucrat. “So, it was felt that law-enforcing agencies would be able to tackle cybercrimes better if the laboratories are set up.“

During the winter session of Parliament, when Lok Sabha member Poonam Mahajan sought information on cybercrime, she was told that Maharashtra leads in the number of cases (919) over the last three years, followed by Andhra Pradesh (883) and Karnataka (716).

The bureaucrat also said that due to greater awareness, aggrieved persons were approaching law-enforcing agencies and the state information technology department. “Maharashtra was the first state to set up an independent cybercrime police station. The response has been encouraging, as many have lodged criminal cases, “he said.

About cybercrime laboratories, the bureaucrat said that the home department has said that hardware and software should be of high quality . “The industries department has prescribed guidelines to procure material to set up such labs. There will be no compromise on quality of material, “ he said.

A home department official said that since a cybercrime police station has been set up and cybercrime laboratories are on the cards, quick measures must be taken o set up special courts for time-bound disposal of cases. “We should have special courts to try offences under the Information Technology Act. Also, the Indian Computer Response Team-In centre should be set up in Mumbai.  Fadnavis has written to the Centre to set up CERT, but here has been no response soar,“ he said.

Source | Times of India | 9 February 2016

Beware! ransomware is on the prowl

Beware! ransomware is on the prowl
A malicious software that infects the computer and asks for money

Did your computer inexplicably freeze or applications ceased to function? Chances are that some villain in Russia or North Korea would have taken control of it seeking ransom. The issue of ‘ransomware’ continues to be the biggest cyber crime threat affecting people globally.

In the real world, a person is taken hostage for ransom.

Similarly, ransomware is a malicious software that infects the computer and asks for money. For example, there was a ransomware that fakes as an alert or a warning from Federal Bureau of Investigation that you are involved in illegal cyber activity and demands that you pay a fine or end up in jail.

A growing number of cyber criminals are using deceptive links and web sites to install malicious software, which can hold the computer for ransom. Infected machines pop messages that demand payment to restore functionality, said Fran Rosch, EVP and GM, Norton Business Unit, Symantec Corporation, a $4-billion provider of security solutions.

The malicious software affects the system when the person clicks a link, and the bad guys immediately encrypt all the information and pop up a screen saying that they have taken control of system’s information. They hold information till the payment is not made.

Another way is that your computer could really slowdown with virus getting in to the system. The bad guys can take away money of $50-100 right away, he told BusinessLine.
The malicious software creators seeking money are located all over the world, especially in Eastern Europe, Russia and North Korea. Governments there don’t crack down on such cyber criminals. They are well educated with good computer skills. However, their economy is in bad shape and unemployment is high, he said.

Growing menace

There was a 25 per cent growth in malware that get into the system to steal information last year. A decade ago, there were 10-12 new malwares a month. Now, a million variations are coming out every month as the bad guys have set up program to keep sending them frequently for money.

Source | Business Line | 9 February 2016

Course to become teacher after 12th

4-year course to become teacher after 12th

New Delhi : The Human Resources Development Ministry is introducing a 4-year degree course for producing professional teachers like engineers and doctors. Anyone passing 12th exam is eligible for the course that will enable direct appointment in schools as a teacher.

The National Council for Teachers’ Education (NCTE) is ready with the curriculum of the course that envisages grant of BABeD in arts stream and BScBed in Science stream. Admissions in the course are proposed to start from the next academic session in July. The only handicap is that so far only 1000 out of 18,000 teacher training colleges have consented to switch over to the new course.

An early introduction of the course as the new basic qualification for appointment of the school teachers was discussed here on Monday at a conference of the state education ministers. NCTE chairman Prof. Santosh Panda said the purpose of the new course is to encourage the students to become teachers after they pass the 12th class exam instead of going for BEd after graduation. The course is prepared with an aim to produce good teachers as “our worry is that if the students go for becoming doctors, engineers and CAs, we would not have good teachers,” Panda said.

The conference discussed acute shortage of teachers as those teaching in the government or government aided schools are just 14.15 lakh as against the sanctioned posts of 19 lakhs.

Source | http://www.freepressjournal.in/4-year-course-to-become-teacher-after-12th/776013

Tech enabling the disabled

Tech enabling the disabled

Technology can be deployed to help people with disabilities navigate their daily life. But it needs to be routed through better channels

Technology can be an ena bler as well as a challenge for people with disabilities.

In a country like India, with 100 million disabled people, and where physical infrastructure is rarely provided, technology can support people with disabilities to perform day-to-day activities that presently may be difficult for them to perform independently.

So how does a disabled person access the bank, read a book, visit the library, prepare for exams or even perform recreational activities?

While people with disabilities have the same needs and rights as others, the sad part is that technology only widens the gap; when in fact, it should serve as a tool to bridge it.That's because the channel to provide these technologies to persons with disability has not been built.

Let's consider government websites -for the first time, the Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment has mandated that at least 50 per cent of all government websites be accessible to all.This has taken long, but is welcome.But why can't we consider the needs of people with disabilities at every point? A visually impaired person should be able to do everything a person with normal vision can and with the same amount of ease.

A starting point would be universities with Resource Centres to support students with disabilities and inclusive libraries which would be accessible to everyone.Here are five technologies, simple and effective, that must be a part of every library:

1 EASY READER -ACCESS TO BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS:

One of the biggest challenges that people with visual impairment and dyslexia face is access to books and documents. Now they can read an e-book, a digital talking book, a word document or even a web page, using a simple software called Easy Reader.The software is built to not only listen and read but also provide synchronised reading. It allows a user to lets them increase or decrease the text size to suit their reading style and also reads aloud books in English, Hindi and Marathi.

2 TALKING LABQUEST -SCIENCE LABS FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED:

Did you know that very few visually impaired study science? The biggest hindrance for them is the inability to conduct experiments in the science lab. The Talking Labquest allows people with visual impairment to utilise sensors (it includes over 70 sensors) to conduct lab experiments and the findings are announced and recorded for the student to participate in class.

3 KINESIC MOUSE -HEAD AND FACE CONTROLLED COMPUTER MOUSE:

Now you can control your computer with or head or your face if you have limited mobility. Kinesic Mouse allows a person to control your computer using your eye blink, or raising your eye brow, or opening your jaw.This device allows one to play games, write emails or even surf the internet, without any challenges.

4 BLUE2 BLUETOOTH SWITCH CONTROL YOUR MOBILE PHONE WITH LIMITED MOBILITY:

If you are unable to use a touch phone due to mobility limitations, use the Blue2 Bluetooth switch to activate and use the mobile phone and mobile apps by just pressing one or two buttons.

5 AVA -ASSISTS THOSE WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENTS UNDERSTAND AND PARTICIPATE IN GROUP DISCUSSIONS

Those who are hard of hearing or deaf are generally left out in discussions. In addition, there are very few sign language interpreters available.With the Ava Mobile App, now group of people can talk to the app and the same will be converted into text. People can also type replies if they are deaf and contribute to group discussions. If communities and societies come together and set up these model resource centres, inclusive libraries and inclusive spaces in general, it would allow for equal participation for all. We always assume that technology for people with disabilities would be different. We assume that we would not be using the same technology. So, my questions to every developer who is making an app are: Are you going to think about making it disabled friendly?
Do you think that they will not need your app or your technology?

Makers of wearable technologies have already got the ball rolling by building gear which can help and empower persons with disabilities.Technologies like Le Chal (haptic shoes for visually impaired) or +me (a wearable to motivate autistic children to interact socially) have already found many users. Google just bought Liftware, the makers of a smart spoon with assists people with tremors to eat easily. Two simple yet ingenious technologies that caught my eye are;

BuzzClip:

This is a small and discreet wearable for people who are visually impaired or partially sighted. The device uses ultrasound to detect obstacles that may lie directly in the path. It then notifies the user of these obstacles through intuitive vibrations, allowing the user to safely navigate around any objects that they may encounter. A major pain point that needs to be addressed is detecting obstacles above the waist, particularly at the head level.Traditional aids such as a cane or a guide dog do not always address these issues.

Talking ATM Locator app:

This is the first of its kind speaking app which even sighted people can use.The app helps one easily locate an ATM, either by entering the pincode or simply the nearest ATM when on the move. Its database includes addresses of over 5300 ATMs from eight banks. Generally bank apps show only their own ATM locations.

The reality is that people with disabilities use the same technology as we do. They might use additional technology that helps them overcome some of the challenges but over time, we have seen that technologies like word prediction and speech recognition that have become so common today were actually developed to support people with disabilities. The power of technology is enormous and we can change the lives of people with disabilities in India by using technology to empower them.

--An Ashoka Fellow, Shilpi Kapoor is the MD of BarrierBreak, an accessibility technology company.

Source | Mumbai Mirror | 9 February 2016

For creativity over conformity in classrooms

For creativity over conformity in classrooms
Flexibility, adaptation, new thinking and innovation are 21st century skills
Do schools kill creativity, asks Ken Robinson in the much-watched TED talk. I am inclined to say, they do. Of course, educational systems do notwork in a vacuum, but are a reflection of the society they function in.

India’s educational system is modelled on the mass education system that developed in the 19th century in Europe and later spread around the world. Tracing the roots of the movement, the goal is clear — to condition children as “good” citizens and productive workers. This suited the industrial age that needed the constant supply of a compliant workforce with a narrow set of capabilities. The educational environment even today resembles factories with bells, uniforms and batch-processing of learners. They are designed to get learners to conform.

From an economic standpoint, the environment today is very different. In a complex, volatile and globally interconnected world, new-age skill-sets are essential. Wired magazine estimated that 70 per cent of today’s occupations would become automated by the end of this century. What will be the role of humans in this new economy? Linear, routine thinking will have no advantage. It calls for flexibility, adaptation, new thinking, paradigm shifts, and innovation — and that is the language of creativity. Creativity is an essential 21st century skill.

So, how would an educational system built around creativity look like? I use the word creativity here in its broadest sense — the nurturing and igniting of a human being’s latent talent and abilities to the fullest potential. From a scientific perspective, creativity is an aptitude for new, original and imaginative thinking. Let us consider some key aspects of an educational system with creativity at its core.

Outcomes: In a creative educational system, the infinite range of human abilities and talents finds an equal place. Creative learning produces growth in both cognitive and affective dimensions and leads to the production of outcomes that are rich and complex, original and expressive. There is a harmonious development of body, mind and spirit. Outcomes include the development of higher-order thinking skills, creativity, problem-solving ability, self-awareness and aesthetic sensibilities.

Pedagogy: Several studies suggest that the innate creativity and curiosity of children are lost in the conventional schooling methods. In creative classrooms, the teacher and students are participants in the learning process. Pedagogies take into account the diversity of learning styles, involve all the senses and body, and are fundamentally experiential in nature. Learning about the environment challenges students to use complex thinking, provide time to think and play with new ideas and encounter knowledge in varied ways to lead to personal and meaningful insights. Classrooms are playgrounds for exploration, inquiry and reflection.

Assessments: Current assessment mechanisms largely rely on a one-time, high-stake standardised testing measuring a narrow range of abilities. Studies indicate that gifted students underachieve in these assessments, and up to 30 per cent of high school dropouts may be highly gifted. Assessments that nurture creativity are built for intrinsic motivation and enable growth on one’s unique path. They are flexible, cover diverse dimensions and rely extensively on self-assessment. They encourage students to raise questions, probe, create possibilities and give play to imagination.

Content: Today, there is an inbuilt hierarchy of content in education. For the 21st century economy, content knowledge has little meaning without the skills of creativity, problem-solving, and human connection. In a creative system, any kind of creative potential has an equal chance of blossoming, be it in languages, maths, art or any other. Creative thinking, imagination and expression are the core focus across all content. There is cross-pollination of subjects and an infusion of art, aesthetics and design into the mainstream.
Globally, there is a growing body of thinkers, parents and educators concerned with the system. Creativity, design thinking and metacognition are being recognised as 21st century skills. Finland went against the tide in its education policies and has generated interest for its high scores. It follows a highly decentralised and flexible structure with high-quality teachers who have autonomy over curriculum and student assessments. There is no standardised testing, and teaching is a coveted profession.

A nation’s educational system can unfold from its innate strengths, and uniqueness. India can take inspiration from its days of educational and intellectual excellence. Learning was infused with music, art and poetry. Higher-order thinking, self-awareness, deep inquiry, aesthetics, intuition, discussions and debates were integral to education. Creativity in many ways was pervasive in the goals, methods and content of education.

The draft of India’s new education policy is expected. What direction will India take in the journey? Will it conform to the familiar path, or create its unique path?

Source | http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/for-creativity-over-conformity-in-classrooms/article8241436.ece