speech by the president of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee delivering Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Lecture 2014 on ‘vision of India in 21st century, as envisaged by Dr. Ambedkar’

I am happy to deliver the fifth Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Lecture for the year 2014 being organised by the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation. I am grateful to Hon’ble Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot and the organisers for giving me this honour. 2. Dr. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, was an outstanding leader of our freedom struggle and a staunch crusader for the rights of the down-trodden and backward sections of our society. A recipient of the Bharat Ratna, he was a scholar, journalist, educationist, legal luminary, social reformer and political leader. He was the principal architect of the Indian Constitution and shall always be remembered for his role in painstakingly drafting our founding document. 3. Dr. Ambedkar`s philosophy and life are a profile of courage and conviction. He dedicated himself to the pursuit of knowledge overcoming many adversities on account of his caste and poor economic background. He graduated from Elphinstone College in Mumbai and thereafter was awarded a scholarship to attend Columbia University in New York from where he obtained his Doctorate. Then, he moved to the United Kingdom in 1916 where he studied at the London School of Economics and was subsequently awarded the degree of Barrister-at-Law by Gray’s Inn. After his return to India, Dr. Ambedkar became the voice of the depressed classes and started many organisations to promote their cause. 4. Dr. Ambedkar’s legacy and contribution to India can be seen in many fields. His PhD thesis of 1923 titled "The Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India”provided academic basis for the Finance Commission of India which was subsequently established through Article 280 of the Constitution to address problems of vertical and horizontal imbalances in finances. Similarly, the Reserve Bank of India was conceptualized based on the guidelines presented by Dr. Ambedkar to the "Royal Commission on Indian Currency & Finance” in 1925. Commission members found Dr. Ambedkar’s book "The Problem of the Rupee- Its Problems and Its Solution” an invaluable reference tool and the Central Legislative Assembly eventually passed these guidelines as the RBI Act 1934. 5. As Labour Minister in the Viceroy’s Council, Dr Ambedkar successfully led the struggle for reduction of work from 12 hours a day to 8 hours in 1942. He contributed the idea of setting up of Employment Exchanges in India. He was almost single handedly responsible for establishing the Central Technical Power Board, the National Power Grid System and the Central Water Irrigation and Navigation Commission.Dr. Ambedkar played an important role in the establishment of the Damodar Valley project, Hirakud project and Sone river project. 6. A voracious reader Dr. Ambedkar saw education as a tool for the liberation of the socially backward from illiteracy, ignorance and superstition. He founded the People`s Education Society in 1945 with the aim of advancing the educational interests of weaker sections of society. Dr. Ambedkar was also a crusader for gender equality and fought for equal rights for women in inheritance and marriage. He resigned from the Cabinet in 1951 when his draft Hindu Code Bill failed to receive the support of the Parliament. 7. Undoubtedly, Dr. Ambedkar’s biggest and most important contribution was in his role as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution of India. With tremendous foresight and erudite scholarship, Dr. Ambedkar not only piloted an outstanding draft through the Constituent Assembly but also outlined the philosophy and wisdom behind the various provisions. 8. The topic of today’s lecture is the ‘Vision of India in 21st Century, as envisaged by Dr. Ambedkar’. Dr. Ambedkar was clear in his mind that he wanted to see a socio-economic and political transformation of India. He wanted the vast multitude of people of India to enjoy freedom and equality of opportunities. He wanted to rid India of casteism and communalism and bring education and development to every corner of the country. He wanted India to emerge as a modern state where liberty, equality and fraternity flourishes and backwardness is wiped out. Dr. Ambedkar believed in radical change, but he did not want this change to happen through bloodshed. He wanted transformation through parliamentary democracy and rule of law. 9. Dr. Ambedkar saw great potential in using the Indian Constitution as a powerful instrument of socio-economic transformation and with this intention, introduced into the draft Constitution a variety of provisions which would enable full accountability of the Government, checks and balances, protection of fundamental rights, independent institutions and consistent movement towards social democracy. 10. Dr. Ambedkar’s speeches in the Constituent Assembly are of great educational value to students of our Constitution and modern political history. Dr. Ambedkar explained to the Constituent Assembly in a speech introducing the draft Constitution on November 4, 1948 the pros and cons of the Parliamentary form of Government vis-a-vis the Presidential system. He also explained why the Draft Constitution, in recommending an Executive based on the Parliamentary system preferred ‘responsibility’ to ‘stability’. (Quote) "Both systems of Government are of course democratic and the choice between the two is not very easy. A democratic executive must satisfy two conditions – (1) it must be a stable executive and (2) it must be a responsible executive. Unfortunately it has not been possible so far to devise a system which can ensure both in equal degree. You can have a system which can give you more stability but less responsibility or you can have a system which gives you more responsibility but less stability.........Under the non-Parliamentary system, such as the one that exists in the U.S.A., the assessment of the responsibility of the Executive is periodic. It is done by the Electorate. In England, where the Parliamentary system prevails, the assessment of responsibility of the Executive is both daily and periodic. The daily assessment is done by members of Parliament, through questions, Resolutions, No-confidence motions, Adjournment motions and Debates on Addresses. Periodic assessment is done by the Electorate at the time of the election which may take place every five years or earlier. The Daily assessment of responsibility, which is not available under the American system, is, it is felt, far more effective than the periodic assessment and far more necessary in a country like India. The Draft Constitution in recommending the Parliamentary system of Executive has preferred more responsibility to more stability (Unquote) 11. Dr. Ambedkar described how the President under the Constitution will occupy the same position as the King under the English Constitution: (Quote) "He is the head of the State but not of the Executive. He represents the Nation but does not rule the Nation. He is the symbol of the nation. His place in the administration is that of a ceremonial device on a seal by which the nation`s decisions are made known…The President of the Indian Union will be generally bound by the advice of his Ministers. He can do nothing contrary to their advice nor can he do anything without their advice.” (Unquote) 12. Commenting on the unique nature of the federation proposed in the draft Constitution, Dr. Ambedkar explained why a federal form of government tailored to suit the exigencies of the Indian situation was the need of the hour. (Quote)"The Draft Constitution is, Federal Constitution in as much as it establishes what may be called a Dual Polity. This Dual Polity under the proposed Constitution will consist of the Union at the Centre and the States at the periphery each endowed with sovereign powers to be exercised in the field assigned to them respectively by the Constitution.......... The Draft Constitution can be both unitary as well as federal according to the requirements of time and circumstances. In normal times, it is framed to work as a federal system. But in times of war it is so designed as to make it work as though it was a unitary system.”(Unquote) 13. Dr. Ambedkar was at pains to emphasise that the new republic would be a "Union” of States, as opposed to a "Federation” of States. The States would have no right to secede. He said: (Quote) "The Federation is a Union because it is indestructible. Though the country and the people may be divided into different States for convenience of administration the country is one integral whole, its people a single people living under a single imperium derived from a single source.”(Unquote) 14. Dr. Ambedkar ensured the inclusion of a well-defined and comprehensive chapter on Fundamental Rights which specifically abolished untouchability, guaranteed equal rights to all citizens and prohibited discrimination of all kinds in social relations. Dr. Ambedkar believed that protection of minorities and their religion was of paramount importance. Thus, the Constitution grants each person the freedom of faith, religion and worship and gives the minorities freedom to manage their religious affairs. Dr. Ambedkar justified such protection on the following grounds: (Quote) "It is wrong for the majority to deny the existence of minorities. It is equally wrong for the minorities to perpetuate themselves. A solution must be found which will serve a double purpose. It must recognize the existence of the minorities to start with. It must also be such that it will enable majorities and minorities to merge someday into one. The solution proposed by the Constituent Assembly is to be welcomed because it is a solution which serves this twofold purpose.” (Unquote) 15. Dr. Ambedkar played a crucial role in laying down the Directive Principles of State Policy, a unique feature of the Indian Constitution. These principles mandate that the State shall strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting a just social order. These principles lay the foundation for a social democracy. In Dr. Ambedkar’s words (Quote) "We must make our political democracy a social democracy as well. What does social democracy mean? It means a way of life which recognizes liberty, equality and fraternity are the principles of life. These principles of liberty, equality and fraternity are not to be treated as separate items in a trinity. They form a union or trinity in the sense that to divorce one from the other is to defeat the very purpose of democracy. ……… Without equality, liberty would produce the supremacy of the few over the many. Equality without liberty would kill individual initiative. Without fraternity, liberty and equality would not become a natural course of thing. It would require a constable to enforce them…....On the social plane, we have in India a society based on the principles of graded inequality which means elevation for some and degradation for others. On the economic plane, we have a society in which there are some who have immense wealth as against many who live in abject poverty ………….. How long shall we continue to live this life of contradiction? We must remove this contradiction at the earliest possible moment or else those who suffer from inequality will blow up the structure of political democracy……"(Unquote) 16. The Directive Principles of State of Policy were criticised by some and termed mere "pious declarations”. Responding to this criticism, Dr. Ambedkar said: (Quote) "Whoever captures power will not be free to do what he likes with it. In the exercise of it, he will have to respect these instruments of instructions which are called Directive Principles. He cannot ignore them. He may not have to answer for their breach in a Court of Law. But he will certainly have to answer for them before the electorate at election time.”[7](Unquote) 17. Dr. Ambedkar was firm in his belief that our judiciary must both be independent of the executive and must also be competent in itself. He did recognise however that tussles between the executive and the judiciary were inevitable, and were in fact necessary to ensure that each acted as a check and balance on the functioning of the other. He observed: (Quote) "For myself I cannot altogether omit the possibility of a Legislature packed by party men making laws which may abrogate or violate what we regard as certain fundamental principles affecting the life and liberty of an individual. At the same time, I do not see how five or six gentlemen sitting in the Federal or Supreme Court examining laws made by the Legislature and by dint of their own individual conscience or their bias or their prejudices be trusted to determine which law is good and which law is bad. (Unquote) 18. Dr. Ambedkar called upon the socially and economically disadvantaged to ‘educate, agitate and organise’. Nevertheless, his commitment to constitutional methods was unwavering and he advocated a path of informed and reasoned public engagement. He said: (Quote) "…we must abandon the bloody methods of revolution. ………When there was no way left for constitutional methods for achieving economic and social objectives, there was a great deal of justification for unconstitutional methods. But where constitutional methods are open, these can be no justification for these unconstitutional methods. These methods are nothing but the grammar of anarchy and sooner they are abandoned, the better for us".(Unquote) 19. Dr. Ambedkar believed that strong independent institutions constituted the fundamental pillars of a democracy and it is they who would ensure its survival. He ensured that the Constitution provided for an independent judiciary and that the right to Constitutional Remedies was a fundamental right. 20. Speaking about Article 32 – the Right to Constitutional Remedies, Dr. Ambedkar said : (Quote) "If I was asked to name any particular article in this Constitution as the most important – an article without which the Constitution would be a nullity - I could not refer to any other article except this one. It is the very soul of the Constitution and the heart of it.”(Unquote) 21. Dr. Ambedkar called for an independent Election commission and instituted the same through Article 324 of the Constitution. In his words: (Quote) "the greatest safeguard for purity of elections, for fairness in elections, was to take away the matter from the hands of the executive authority and to hand it over to some independent authority”. (Unquote). 22. It must be mentioned in this regard that the Election Commission of Indiahas since gone on to win widespread and appreciation within the country and across the praise world. Our very first Chief Election Commissioner Shri Sukumar Sen was invited to supervise the elections in Sudan and since then, the services and expertise of our Election Commission has been sought by many countries. We have also just witnessed the efficiency and independence with which the elections to the 16th Lok Sabha was recently, held despite the enormous diversity of our nation and an electorate size of around 834 million people. The Election Commission was a single member Commission till October 1989 when two additional Commissioners were appointed for the first time making it a multi-member commission. 23. Similarly, on the post of Auditor General, he said: (Quote) "I am of opinion this dignitary or officer is probably the most important officer in the Constitution of India. He is the one man who is going to see that the expenses voted by Parliament are not exceeded, or varied from what has been laid down by Parliament in what is called the Appropriation Act. If this functionary is to carry out the duties and his duties, I submit, are far more important than the duties even of the judiciary....... I personally feel that he ought to have far greater independence than the Judiciary itself......”(Unquote) 24. Dr. Ambedkar was clear that no Constitution is perfect and ultimately the working of the Constitution will depend upon the people, the political parties and their politics. He stated emphatically about the Constitution: (Quote) "It is workable, it is flexible and it is strong enough to hold the country together both in peace time and in war time. Indeed, if I may so, if things go wrong under the new Constitution, the reason will not be that we had a bad Constitution. What we will have to say is that man is vile.”(Unquote) 25. It must be noted in the above regard that in practice our political system has been innovative and flexible. Dr. Ambedkar’s commitment to the building of strong institutions and constitutional methods has resulted in many interesting modern day manifestations. For example, the Right to Information Act is a unique and powerful instrument created by law to empower people and enable them access information from any department of the Government on any subject advancing thereby openness and transparency. Similarly, the Supreme Court of India through Public Interest Litigation has enabled the common man access the highest courts of justice by just sending a post card. High Courts and Supreme Court have also takensuo motu cognizance of violation of fundamental rights and initiated action on their own setting aside the conventional notions of locus standi. Finally, we witnessed recently the phenomenon of a popular agitation led by Shri Anna Hazare resulting in civil society gaining direct voice in the legislative process hitherto reserved only for elected members of the Parliament and state Legislatures. A draft Lok Pal bill was finalized through consultation between representatives of civil society and senior members of the Government prior to presentation in Parliament and subsequent adoption as law. All the above reflect the strength of Indian democracy and the dynamism of the Constitution. Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen, 26. India’s journey since independence has seen many successes. The greatest challenge for our founding fathers was to come up with a viable system of government. We have in the last 67 years established a successful parliamentary democracy, an independent Judiciary and strong institutions like the Election Commission, CAG etc. to sustain and support our political system. 27. The biggest and the most complex issue that independent India had to address was the issue of the political, social and economic exclusion of a significant segment of our population. A unique and comprehensive policy of affirmative action was adopted through the Constitution to empower members of communities which were socially excluded and to bring them into the national mainstream. 28. India is, today recognised across the world for our democratic and secular values as well as for establishing an inclusive and modern social order. On the economic front, we have made many significant gains, taking a substantial segment of our people from below the poverty line to a level of dignified existence. India is now the third largest economy in the world terms of PPP. In last six decades, the poverty ratio has declined from over 60 per cent to less than 30 per cent. India has become a nation of considerable economic strength, admired for its advanced scientific and technological capabilities, industrial base and its world class human resources. Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen, 29. It is a reality, however that despite all the achievements in which we can take legitimate pride, our democracy continues to face many challenges. Large number of Indians still live in poverty, deprivation and want. Casteism too sadly remains a phenomenon we are yet to wipe out from our country and society. 30. Dr. Ambedkar dreamt of an India in which all sections of society are empowered – socially, economically and politically; an India in which every section of our population believes that they have an equal stake in the country and its future and an India in which social status will be decided not by standing in caste hierarchy or economic wealth but by individual merit. Dr. Ambedkar’s vision was of an India where the social system and economy would permit the full development of human potential and ensure a dignified existence for all our citizens. 31. Each one of us has a responsibility to do our utmost to make Dr. Ambedkar’s dreams come true. We must do everything possible to preserve and strengthen our democracy. We must engage in combined and committed efforts to overcome poverty and prejudice. We need to be constantly on the guard against divisive forces raising their heads in the country. We should address with utmost of speed the challenges of malnutrition, ignorance, unemployment and infrastructure. We must also ensure that untouchability or any form of disability based on caste, creed, religion or sex is not practised in any part of the country. It is only through these endeavours can we occupy our rightful place in the leading ranks of the comity of nations. 32. Dr. Ambedkar’s message, work and life are a constant reminder of the outstanding Constitution, strong democracy and effective, independent institutions we have inherited from the founding fathers of our nation. At the same time, it also reminds us of the distance we still need to travel in building an egalitarian society where there will be no distinction between man and man. 33. Let me conclude recalling Dr. Ambedkar’s words from his address to the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949: (Quote) "In addition to our old enemies in the form of castes and creeds, we are going to have many political parties with diverse and opposing political creeds. Will Indians place the country above their creed or will they place creed above country? I do not know. But this much is certain that if the parties place creed above country, our independence will be put in jeopardy a second time and probably be lost forever. This eventuality we must all resolutely guard against. We must be determined to defend our independence with the last drop of our blood.”(Unquote)

Navy's largest patrolling vessel INS Sumitra commissioned

Aimed at enhancing the Navy's coastal surveillance, its largest offshore patrol vessel INS Sumitra was formally commissioned by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan here on Thursday.

The vessel is the fourth in its class and built on in-house design of state-owned Goa Shipyard Ltd.

INS Sumitra, which was commissioned at the Chennai Port Trust, would be based at Chennai under the operational control of Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.

The ship, which has a displacement of 2200 tonnes and can travel a speed of upto 26 knots, is equipped with state-of-the art medium and short range weapons which include 76mm medium range gun(SRGM), a potent Close-In Weapon System (CIWS), Electronic Support System Sanket Mk III and Communication Intelligence System ELK 7036.

The ship is a well-balanced weapon-sensor platform, with the capability to undertake offshore patrolling, support high value assets and defence of offshore installations.

The latest generation warship will join the Eastern Naval Command fleet for maritime surveillance and coastal security.

Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral Satish Soni, Commanding Officer, Commander Milind Mokashi, were present.

As part of formal commissioning of the ship, a Rashtriya Salute was performed and the Naval Ensign and the Indian flag was hoisted onboard for the first time. A commemorative plaque was also launched by Dhowan and Soni on the occasion.

The first, second and third of the series of 105 meter class of NOPV - INS Saryu, Sunayna and Sumedha were earlier handed over to the Navy by GSL.

The story beyond uranium

When they meet in New Delhi on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott should, hopefully, clinch the long-awaited agreement on civil nuclear cooperation that would allow Canberra to export uranium to India. But the two leaders should also look beyond the nuclear issue and lay the foundation for an enduring defence and security cooperation that will contribute to peace and stability in Asia and the Indo-Pacific littoral.

The nuclear deal is indeed an important breakthrough in bilateral relations. It is, in essence, about burying the past when differences over non-proliferation issues constrained the engagement between the two countries. These differences boiled over when Australia reacted sharply to the Indian nuclear tests in May 1998. Canberra found it hard to export uranium even after Delhi concluded a historic civil nuclear initiative with Washington that ended more than three decades of India’s atomic isolation. There were deep divisions within the Australian political class on allowing uranium exports to India.

As part of its strong and unilateral non-proliferation commitments, Australia had decided long years ago that it would not export uranium to countries that did not sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. The problem for Australia was that the India-US nuclear initiative was about finding a way to circumvent the question of the NPT. While India was not in a position to sign the NPT, it offered strong assurances to the international community that it would not use material and technology obtained through international cooperation for military purposes. India also reaffirmed its impeccable non-proliferation record and expressed full support for the global non-proliferation regime. The challenge in Australia was to get the political elite to look beyond the NPT, understand the value of India’s integration into the global nuclear order and, above all, appreciate the broader benefits of building a lasting partnership with Delhi.

To their credit, Prime Minister Abbott and his predecessors in both Liberal and Labor parties have worked hard to overcome internal political differences and get the country to change its long-standing policy on uranium exports by taking a strategic view of relations with India. Once the deal is through, Australia could become an important source of natural uranium exports.

The real story, however, lies beyond uranium. Australia is rich in mineral resources and is a natural long-term partner for India’s industrial growth. Whichever way Delhi’s strategy for energy security might evolve in the coming years, Australia, with its abundant coal and natural gas resources, will loom large in India’s calculus. With one of the world’s strongest mining sectors, Australia can help India exploit its own natural resources in an environmentally sustainable way and thereby address one of the major current constraints on India’s economic growth.

Contrary to the perception that the country is all about miningAustralia boasts of a strong science and technology base that can feed nicely into India’s plans for economic and industrial advancement. Australia is also home to a prosperous and rapidly growing Indian minority that is emerging as an important bridge between the two countries. While the natural complementarities in the economic domain are beginning to express themselves, much political work remains to be done on boosting security cooperation between the two countries. For long, Delhi and Canberra have remained far apart in Asia despite shared political values. During the Cold War, Delhi viewed Canberra as merely extending US power in Asia. Canberra, in turn, saw India as aligned with the Soviet Union. The end of the Cold War and the improvement in Indo-US relations set a very different stage for the bilateral relationship. Canberra’s relentless wooing of Delhi in recent years has begun to change Indian perceptions. There is growing recognition in Delhi today that Australia, which brings so many independent strategic equities to the table, is a valuable partner for India in stabilising Asia and the Indo-Pacific littoral. Asia’s changing geopolitical context —  the rise of Chinese power, Beijing’s growing assertiveness on territorial disputes, the uncertainties in the US policy towards the region and the emerging fissures in regional institutions —  demands that India and Australia strengthen their bilateral partnership as well as reach out to third parties. When then Prime Minister Julia Gillard came to India, nearly three years ago, the two sides agreed to initiate a trilateral dialogue with Indonesia. Modi and Abbott must now draw Japan into a similar framework. These expanding circles of engagement among regional powers would help reduce Asia’s vulnerabilities to the twists and turns in the US-China relationship. Delhi and Canberra must complement this by deepening their own bilateral defence cooperation. Last year, A.K. Antony became the first Indian defence minister to visit Australia. But the MoD’s lack of interest in defence diplomacy under the UPA government means that the two sides are a long way from realising the full potential of bilateral security cooperation. As Modi outlines a vigorous approach to Asia and Abbott brings great enthusiasm for the India partnership, the two leaders must boldly push for strong defence ties. Besides military exercises that have already been agreed upon, Delhi and Canberra must begin sharing naval intelligence and pool maritime assets dispersed across the Indo-Pacific. They should also initiate joint training and operations with other Asian partners, like Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and Japan, who share the objectives of freedom of navigation and security of the sea lines of communication. 

Speech by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the presentation of national award to teachers

I am delighted to be with you today on the occasion of the presentation of the National Award on Teachers Day. I extend my heartiest congratulations to all the teachers who are receiving the Award for their commendable work and service to the nation. Today, the 5th of September, is the birth anniversary of the former President of India Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a great philosopher, thinker, scholar and educationist of the country. Very many years ago, he had perceptively remarked and I quote, "Education should be imparted with a view to the type of society that we wish to build. We are working for a modern democracy built on the values of human dignity and equality. These are only ideals: we should make them living forces. Our vision of the future should include these great principles” – Unquote.  The Teachers Day celebration is a mark of our respect and gratitude to the teaching community. 2. Children are the future of the nation. They are, in fact, the foundation on which a strong, vibrant and dynamic India shall be built. Children are exposed in their formative years most to their parents and teachers, who have a tremendous responsibility towards inculcating in their young minds a sense of values, discipline, dedication and commitment to the nation. A robust and quality-oriented education system is the force multiplier that shall transform India into one of the leading nations of the world. We as a nation are now investing substantially in our education system. In the Union Budget for 2014-15 Government has allocated an amount of almost Rs. 29,000 crore for ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’ and approximately another Rs. 5000 crore for ‘Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan’. Other important initiatives include launching of a School Assessment Programme and the "Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya New Teachers Training Programme” for imparting new training tools and motivating teachers. 3. In the era of Information & Communication Technology (ICT), teaching-learning processes are changing. Teachers have to keep pace with rapidly changing technologies. It is vital for teachers to be comfortable in using ICT and to ensure that students get full benefit of ICT and emerge as citizens knowledgeable in the use of the information technology with the aim of pursuing higher education or entering the job market with relevant IT skills. To take advantage of the reach of the IT, Government has in the recent budget made allocations for setting up virtual classrooms as Communication Linked Interface for Cultivating Knowledge (CLICK) and online courses. 4. Teachers influence the life of students by being their role models. They are the beacons of light who guide and motivate students throughout their academic life and, many a times, even beyond. India today needs many more competent and willing teachers to dedicate themselves to improving the standard and quality of education being currently imparted. Teachers have a vital role to play in the process of upgrading the quality of education which is a direct consequence and outcome of the quality of teachers. 5. A teacher ideally is one who facilitates his students in realising and maximising their potential. In recognition of this stellar role, teachers have since time immemorial been accorded a special place in our society. They have been called Acharyas in our ancient texts since they transmit the norms of acceptable conduct to our future generations. It is important that they impart not only knowledge and learning but also our traditional values which form the bedrock of our civilization dating several millennia. 6. The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, believed that student interest in learning is sustained not only by the subject matter of study but also, most importantly, by the teacher. Gandhiji recalled his childhood days to illustrate this point. He was taught Chemistry by two teachers. The teaching of one was continuous and without explanation; the elucidation of the other was such that Gandhiji wished the class would never end. The instruction by one was absorbing and by the other insipid. I am sure all of us have had similar experiences during our student days where we have come face to face with teachers who have provided the necessary spark to light our creative journey. The difference an outstanding teacher makes to the learning process is central to the spirit of inquiry that needs to be kindled in young minds. The big challenge that we in India today face is to improve the quality of teaching and learning outcomes in our schools. This cannot be done without upgrading the skill and knowledge quotient of our teachers and without involving them fully as equal partners in the nation’s progress. 7. The world today faces challenges of violence, terrorism, intolerance and environmental degradation. The values of truth, tolerance, integrity, secularism and inclusiveness need to be imparted to our children to make the world a safer and better place to live in. Dear Teachers, please remember that your mentoring and your way of educating our children must be such that it transforms them into capable, knowledgeable and worthy global citizens. 8. We are aware that our teachers are working under diverse contexts and conditions. We also know that the working conditions of teachers in many places are sub-optimal. However, over time there have been substantial improvements in salary scales and in the construction of proper school buildings with toilets and drinking water. Regular up-gradation programmes for teachers, in-service training and near at hand academic support systems have also been instituted across the length and breadth of our country. These constitute welcome steps, and are part of an ongoing process, aimed at making the work environment for our teachers positive and encouraging. 9. As teachers you devote countless hours of selfless service to the nation in nurturing our most valued resource – our children. Society and the country have high expectations from you. I am sure you will live up to these expectations in ample measure. I once again express my deep appreciation and gratitude to all of you, across the length and breadth of the country, who are imparting knowledge and learning to our future generations with dedication and sincerity. I also take this opportunity to congratulate all the 357 teachers who are being awarded today for their outstanding contribution in the field of education. I wish them the very best in their future endeavours. Jai Hind!!

some clarification regarding ukpcs-2012

IT is true that ukpsc has provided 5 page syllabus with minute detaisbut if you look their old papers ,they ask very simple questions.your preparation for IAS is sufficient to clear the paper provided you make good revision before exam.one should focus on core areas.just see the old papers.

A candidate belonging to any state can apply for ukpsc but he will be considered as general candidate(no reservation advantage to other state candidate).

Till now ukpsc ask max 20 question from uttarakhand specific.for this two good book is available.
1) Winsar publication
2) pariksha vani (in hindi,good book)
from either you can solve 90% question.

exam is conducted in both medium hindi/english.
there is 1/4th negative marking in prelims.

you can apply online
http://ukpscappl.gov.in/soapnewsoft/login/registration

http://samvegias.blogspot.in/2014/09/uttarakhand-pcs-2012-notification-is.html

Application link for ukpcs

http://ukpscappl.gov.in/soapnewsoft/login/registration

Why do Indians want to study abroad?

When bright students look around India for a place to study for an advanced degree, they find few top-quality programmes

Post-graduate students from India are increasingly choosing to study abroad. The U.S. Council of Graduate Schools’ new statistics show that offers of admission to Indian post-graduate students are up 25 per cent for 2013-14 from the previous year, compared to a 9 per cent increase for all countries. Numbers from China showed no increase compared to last year. While these statistics are only for the U.S., India’s most popular destination, it is likely that other countries such as Germany, Canada and the U.K. are also seeing significant increases from India.

Reasons for departure

Why? There are, no doubt, many reasons why Indians are choosing to study abroad. Two of these factors are troubling for India’s universities and for prospects for the high-tech economy. When bright students look around India for a place to study for an advanced degree, they find few top-quality programmes. In the social sciences and humanities, there are a small number of respectable departments, but absolutely none that are considered by international experts as in the top class of academic programmes. In the hard sciences, biotechnology, and related fields, the situation is more favourable with a few institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology, the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and some others, despite limited acknowledgement from abroad, being internationally competitive by most measures. But the numbers of students who can be served by these schools is quite limited.

Thus, if a bright Indian wants to study for a doctorate or even a master’s degree at a top department or university in most fields, he or she is forced to study overseas. Further, a degree from a top foreign university tends to be valued more in the Indian job market than a local degree — a perception based not only on snobbery but also on facts. While master’s degrees can be quite costly in the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and elsewhere, doctorates are in fact quite inexpensive because of the likelihood of securing a research or teaching fellowship or assistantship that pays for most or all of the costs.

Not only are overseas programmes and departments more prestigious, they also have far better facilities, laboratories and a more favourable culture of research. Top faculty members are often more accessible and it is easier to become affiliated with a laboratory or institute. Academic politics exists everywhere, and Indians may suffer from occasional discrimination abroad, but overall academic conditions are likely to be better than at home.

Step toward emigration

Finally, studying abroad is often seen as the first step toward emigration. Of course, few students will admit this, but statistics show that a very large proportion of students from India — and also from China, South Korea and other Asian countries — choose to stay in the U.S. following the completion of doctoral degrees. Data from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Survey of Earned Doctorates show that 80 per cent or more of students who complete their PhDs in the U.S. from India and some other Asian countries remain in the U.S.

Since everyone who completes a doctorate is required to fill the survey, the data is quite accurate. Further, the U.S. and other host nations are making it easier for foreign doctoral holders to remain — boosting their “stay rates”— and in this way contribute to the brain drain.

The reasons for deciding not to return to India are varied and not hard to discern. Better salaries and facilities abroad, easier access to research funds, working on cutting-edge topics and many others are part of the mix. And while some are lured back to India later in their careers, the numbers are small. Once established overseas, either in a university or in the research or corporate sectors, it is difficult to return.

It may be relevant to note that the rate of Chinese post-graduate students going abroad is flat after a number of years of steady increases. A likely explanation, with relevance for India, is that China has invested heavily in its top-tier universities and now has significant quality and capacity in most academic fields for post-graduate study. Chinese students are no longer obliged to go abroad for high-quality programmes, with an apparent trend toward choosing to remain at home.

Solutions

There is no short-term solution to this problem for India. The only remedy is to build up high-quality capacity in key disciplines at national institutions so that a greater number of Indian students can obtain excellent training at home. This means significant investment over time, and careful choices about where to invest since all universities cannot be top research universities.

It also means significant changes in India’s academic culture to ensure that meritocracy operates at all levels. China’s top universities are beginning to show up in the mid-levels of the global rankings, an indication that they are having some success. India, so far, is nowhere to be seen.