'Arakshan' Ban Quashed By SC

Giving the go ahead for the screening of Amitabh Bachchan starrer 'Aarakshan' in UttarPradesh, the Supreme Court on Friday quashed the ban imposed by the state, saying public discussion and dissent are necessary in a vibrant democracy. A bench of justice Mukundakam Sharma and justice A.R Dave lifted the state’s two-month ban on thefilm in UP holding that the restriction would go against the democratic value of free speech and expression.

Source: www.hindustantimes.com, 19 August, 2011

The policy of reservation of academic seats and government jobs based on caste was to be implemented for a period of ten years following the independence of India. Over sixty years have passed but the policy still continues to be implemented. ‘Arakshan’, meaning ‘reservation’, is a movie that highlights the frustration of the majority of students in the ‘general’ category.

Points to be pondered upon:

• We have seen systemic ineffectiveness in many of our government institutions. Merit, and hence performance, has taken a back seat. Is merit not being sacrificed at the altar of vote bank politics?
• It is true that certain sections of society still need support for enhancing their lives and moving upwards on the social scale. Cannot students from these sections be given economic help and training facilities in order to compete for academic seats and jobs rather than reservation?
• Since many meritorious Indian students cannot avail of seats in colleges, they are leaving the shores for higher studies elsewhere. The money that could have gone into our educational system is leaking to foreign universities. Is reservation not responsible for this monetary loss and further brain drain?

In a democracy, citizens have a right to express their views. Different people may have different opinions on the issue of reservation.The movies addresses an issue that can raise a healthy debate on the reservation policy. Politicians with vested interests cannot appoint themselves as ‘super censors’, when there is an expert panel appointed by the Indian censor board.

The Supreme Court of India, by quashing the ban on the movie, has adjudicated admirably!

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Work Attitude

People are the life blood of any business. Getting people with the right skills and attitude keeps the company moving in the right direction. At times, it is difficult to get people with the right skills, but it is never difficult to ensure that people with the right attitude are hired.

I believe in hiring nice, pleasant people. People with the right attitude can be trained easily, and can gain skill and expertise. Also, positive people keep the office environment healthy. Employees with a wrong attitude, negligent, unmotivated employees, affect the service factor of the company and kill customer brand loyalty.

I believe that an employer must be flexible. Every company has certain objectives. Every person has certain personal objectives. It is the job of the employer to make sure that both the objectives are aligned. Understanding this, if certain allowances are made, an employee will make sure he/she reciprocates with commitment and conviction. Given the amount of time an employee spends in office, the work environment must be open and friendly.

Also, I believe in communication. Employees need to know where the company is going. They need to contribute their ideas for growth. Being heard increases an employee’s involvement. At times, tough decisions taken by the management need to be explained so that there is no mis-communication through the grapevine. 

Very rarely, there are people who misuse the company goodwill. If you have a finger on the employee pulse, it is easy to identify such people. If you turn a blind eye to or make allowances for such people, the good workers get demoralised, as they feel cheated. Hence, it is important to eliminate people with a wrong work attitude from the system.
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You may like this story that most management students would have already heard.

A turkey was chatting with a bull.

"I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy."

"Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "T'hey're packed with nutrients."

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.

Finally after some more nights, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him off the tree.

Moral of the story : Bull shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there long.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Teen Suicides

S. Srinivasan (18) was found hanging inside his house on Saturday. On Sunday, his parents found a seven-page letter in his school bag reportedly written by the student. The letter, according to his parents, accused four school teachers of harassing him ever since he and his friends complained to the headmaster about the poor quality of teaching.

Source: www.thehindu.com, June 21, 2011

A 15-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison on Tuesday night. Police said Sathya, a student of Government High School in Jayapuram and resident of Getapayanur village in Natrampalli police station limit, failed in Class IX examination.

Source: www.thehindu.com, June 23, 2011

A 16-year-old girl today allegedly committed suicide after being snubbed by her father in Sirsaganj area, near here, police said today. Sarita''s father snubbed her over a petty issue following which she consumed some poisonous substance, they said, adding that the body has been sent for postmortem.

Source: www.siasat.com, July 3, 2011

More adolescents die of suicide than physical disease. This is because of depression, which is increasingly be-devilling both children and adolescents.

Technology has changed the way humans interact, and the information age has come in with its own positive and negative consequences. Unlimited access to television and the internet makes children more socially reclusive. They are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and social phobias. They are also more likely to perform badly at school and have worse relationships with their parents.

Academic performance in the Indian education systems is competitive. The focus is on getting a job, rather than enriching life. Hence, parents push children to perform, not taking into account their abilities and inclinations. This pressure often takes its toll. In fact, newspapers are filled with suicide news during the examination seasons.

Adolescents, with their raging hormones, are in constant state of mental turmoil and confusion about issues. They need an outlet for their emotions. Familial support, which was available in the joint family system in the past, considerably alleviated environmental stress. Teens would always have some sympathetic adult to talk to and to sort out their situation. Today, parents are incredibly busy and quite often do not have the time to empathise. When a friendship or a relationship fails, teens easily lose confidence in life. An unrealistic sense of hopelessness brings in the suicidal urge. With no one to talk to, they are unable to analyze things in the right perspective, and jump to the conclusion that their problems are insoluble.

Being a teenager has never been easy. But in the new millennium, amidst unprecedented prosperity, growing up seems to have become more trying than ever for Indian teens.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.