higher education and sciences

Science policy: lacking a collective strategy from hindu

"Increasing the number of new Ph.D.s five-fold over 10 years, as recommended by the HRD Ministry's task force, is undoubtedly a laudable goal. But will there be a sufficient number of qualified students available to enter Ph.D. programmes without significant investment in upgrading undergraduate and post-graduate science education — investment that is not very much in view at the moment? More importantly, is there going to be a sufficient expansion of opportunities for high-quality research and corresponding development of research infrastructure to productively absorb this massive increase in numbers? These are questions that do not seem to have answers at the moment. "
...
"There is no systematic and continuing oversight of policy-making by the scientific community and no articulation of an independent vision of science building in this country. Thus proposals such as those formulated by the two SACs or the HRD Ministry's task force are not the result of any detailed and critical review undertaken independently by the scientific community based on a broad consultative process, which would at least have given them the status of desirable long-term goals. This unfortunate state of affairs, where national science policy-making is conducted by and large over the heads of the scientific community, is being exacerbated by the absence of any fresh initiatives from the younger sections of the scientific community to assert themselves and fashion an independent role in the formulation of science policy."
...
"Today, despite the creditable performance of individual sectors and individual institutions, there are serious problems that afflict basic scientific research in India. Overall, the picture of basic science in India is one of declining productivity. It is acknowledged that a career in science holds less and less attraction for the younger generation. Scientific institutions are significantly bureaucratised as noted by none other than Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself. However judging by their performance so far, one of the key stakeholders in Indian science, the Indian scientific community, appears to have little to offer by way of a coherent strategy to face up to these issues."

quote

Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.
-- Joseph Campbell

anonymuncule

sometimes there is so much to say but u say nothing.
because
you do not know where to begin,
what is important,
what matters

quote

Your challenge is not to find the right person to love;
It is to love the person you find.

thought

it is all a mess inside my head!

is reservation the way to go?

Centre seeks consensus on women's bill from NDTV

i donot believe reservation will solve anything.

Dr V Shanta

Chennai doctor wins Ramon Magsaysay award from NDTV

"In Chennai, there's a sense of quiet pride. The city has thrown up its fifth recipient of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay award - Dr V Shanta, an institution herself within the Cancer Institute in Adyar.

A day after winning the Magsaysay award for Public Service, Dr Shanta has been performing surgeries from 8 in the morning with hardly any time for congratulatory telephone calls.

The 78-year-old cancer specialist, this year's only Indian recipient, considers it an honour, not for the individual, but for the 428-bed hi-tech institute of oncological research and treatment, once a 12-bed cottage in Chennai. "

looks and good looking people

Looks Do Matter [via indiauncut]

are we really that hard wired? i don't agree.
but the more i read abt genetics or the functioning of the brain, the more i tend to think that we r preprogramed, we do not make the decisions it is all set in our heads and just do not know how the logic works.

i guess i need to read abt nurture not just nature.

quotes

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.
-- Isaac Asimov

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage.
-- Lao-Tzu

in the top 50 - rank 47th

Sania breaks into top 50, ranked 47

where as our smart indian cricket team lost again to Sri Lanka :(

orwell's home in india

Makeover for Orwell's India home from bbc

i have read his work but never knew George Orwell was born in india that too in BIHAR... oops!

creation vs evolution (they r back at it)

Bush Remarks Roil Debate on Teaching of Evolution from NYtimes

"Intelligent design, advanced by a group of academics and intellectuals and some biblical creationists, disputes the idea that natural selection - the force Charles Darwin suggested drove evolution - fully explains the complexity of life. Instead, intelligent design proponents say that life is so intricate that only a powerful guiding force, or intelligent designer, could have created it."

it is one thing to not agree with the theory of evelotion as being able to explain all facts, but it is totally differnent matter to teach another theory just due to the imcompletness of the first.

religious policing in Pakistan too!!!!!!!!!!

Staunch Islam and Its Many Foes (Including Apathy) from NYtimes

in one sentence
i hate the idea of religious policing, irrespective of the religion.

is it one step forward?

S Korea unveils first dog clone from bbc

hmmm as usual i am not certain abt where genetic engineering is going to lead teh human race to. but i guess it is too late to change the course.

boss ho to aisa... if it is really true :)

Scientists at the Rocket launching station in Thumba were in the habit of working for nearly 12 to 18 hours a day. There were about seventy such Scientists working on a project. All the scientists were really frustrated due to the pressure of work and the demands of their boss but everyone was loyal to him and did not think of quitting the job.

One day, one scientist came to his boss and told him - Sir, I have promised to my children that I will take them to the exhibition going on in our township. So I want to leave the office at 5:30 p.m.

His boss replied - O K, You are permitted to leave the office early today.

The Scientist started working. He continued his work after lunch. As usual he got involved to such an extent that he looked at his watch when he felt he was close to completion. The time was 8:30 p.m

Suddenly he remembered of the promise he had given to his children. He looked for his boss, He was not there. Having told him in the morning itself, he closed everything and left for home.

Deep within himself, he was feeling guilty for having disappointed his children.

He reached home. Children were not there. His wife alone was sitting in the hall and reading magazines. The situation was explosive; any talk would boomerang on him.

His wife asked him - Would you like to have coffee or shall I straight away serve dinner if you are hungry.

The man replied - If you would like to have coffee, I too will have but what about Children???

Wife replied- You don't know - Your manager came at 5:15 p.m and has taken the children to the exhibition.

What had really happened was the boss who granted him permission was observing him working seriously at 5.00 p.m. He thought to himself, this person will not leave the work, but if he has promised his children they should enjoy the visit to exhibition. So he took the lead in taking them to exhibition.

The boss does not have to do it every time. But once it is done, loyalty is established.

That is why all the scientists at Thumba continued to work under their boss even though the stress was tremendous.

By the way, can you have a guess as to who the boss was????????

He was A P J Abdul Kalam.


[via Anitha]