18 Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Leave Those Kids Alone
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY
There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
MILTON FRIEDMAN
Price of Air
India should sell 3G spectrum,
not give it away free
I
FIndia’s telecom boom is to last, the country has to
come up with a clear policy on allocating radio
frequencies among rival telecom companies. Unfortu-
nately, India’s current, muddled telecom policy bundles
the spectrum along with operating licences, without imput-
ing a specific charge which reflects market realities and
scarcity value, to the bandwidth. The absurdity of the present
policy has become acutely apparent today, when players are
thinking of launching advanced third generation (3G) mobile
services in India. Instead of attempting to clean up India’s
spectrum mess, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
(TRAI) has put its foot in its mouth by suggesting that radio
waves used for 3G services be doled out free to companies. The
suggestion is likely to lead to more complications over time.
Radio frequency is a natural resource that can’t be replen-
ished and, therefore, has to be used efficiently. Economics
shows that anything given free leads to inefficient usage. That
is what Ratan Tata has argued while offering to pay Rs 1,500
crore to buy 3G bandwidth for his telecom operations.
India should charge for 3G frequency as developed
economies with transparent policies do. If India’s policy-
makers take the Tata offer as a benchmark, the exchequer
will be richer by Rs 9,000 crore, about $2 billion. That is cheap
for a telecom market as large as India. Four years ago,
European telecom companies paid a staggering $190 billion
in auctions for 3G frequency. A year before that, Britain sold
bandwidth to five companies for a total of $33 billion. Every
good idea has its opponents and Airtel boss Sunil Mittal has
opposed payment by arguing that the spectrum charge would
make 3G unaffordable for users. In fact, the world over, tech-
nology costs fall over time. 3G costs have plummeted in the
five years that it has been adopted elsewhere in the world, so
India is coming in late, and cheap, to the revolution. In any
case, India’s ferociously competitive telecom sector is
unlikely to tolerate high costs for long. The government
should sell 3G frequencies, not hand it out free to mobile tele-
com companies. That is the most efficient, and transparent,
way forward for India’s controversy-ridden telecom sector.
Biotechnology Boom
India could become a nucleus
for stem cell research
I N theory, therapeutic cloning is simple. It involves taking a
donor egg from which the nucleus has been removed and
replacing it with the nuclear DNA material from the cell of
another organism. The result is a blastocyst, a stage of deve-
lopment of an embryo when it’s about five days old. This is
when embryonic stem cells can be extracted. Such cells are
the stuff of biotech dreams since they can be transplanted to
grow into almost any of the body’s cell types and combat or
cure diseased tissues and organs. In practice, however, the
process is dicey, at least at the current level of understanding
and technology available. So when a South Korean team
announced recently that it had successfully managed to
create patient-specific, tailor-made stem cells from such
cloned embryos which would not be immediately rejected by
the recipient’s immune system, it made headline news
around the world. Especially since the Koreans also managed
to create up to 11 batches of these cells which could poten-
tially replace those damaged by spinal cord injuries, diabetes,
Parkinson’s and other diseases.
Where does this leave comparative research in the rest of
the world? The United States, usually at the forefront of
hi-tech innovation, has managed to emasculate itself after a
pro-life President George Bush cut off federal funding for
embryonic stem cell research in 2001, limiting it to only some
70-odd stem cell batches in existence then. About eight to 10 of
these were in India which, along with countries like the UK,
Belgium, Sweden, Israel, China, Japan and South Korea, have
a far more liberal and supportive system. The Indian Council
of Medical Research’s draft guidelines for stem cell research
(2004) specifically state that although there must be a regula-
tory apex body for monitoring purposes, sources of stem cells
can include those derived from foetal tissue. With more than
15 labs in the country involved in this work and a
Rs 500 crore department of biotechnology budget, of which
30% is allocated for stem cell-related study, India today has the
potential to become a global hub for this kind of research.
Brand Badshah
By LALITA PANICKER
F IRSTit was Chote Miyan Govinda who drew our atten-
tion to it, now it’s Bade Miyan Amitabh Bachchan’s turn
to extol the soothing effects of Navratna hair oil. In the ad,
the superstar is shown in various situations of stress from
his famous films all of which we are told can be banished by
the wonder oil. This is but one of the megastar’s endorse-
ments. Amitabh’s track record gives an altogether new
meaning to multitasking. Witness the ease with which he
sells a plethora of brands and convincingly at that. If
electronics is your passion, buy BPL, says Amitabh, and
never be caught in anything less than Reid & Taylor suits.
The famous Amitabh autograph is always signed using
Parker pens, he moves around in a Maruti Versa, derives
his boundless energy from Dabur Chyavanprash, would live
in a Sahara city home if he didn’t have to be located in the
heart of Mumbai to fulfil his shooting and endorsement
commitments. Among them are Emami Boroplus, Hajmola
digestives, Nerolac paint and Tide detergent.
To be fair to him, Amitabh does his
share for the greater public good,
pitching in for Pulse Polio, Unicef
and People for the Ethical Treatment
BRIEF
of Animals. Is the Badshah of Brands
stretching himself too thin? Sure,
CASE
Amitabh can still draw them in. He delivered one of last
year’s biggest blockbusters romancing an ageing dream girl
Hema Malini in Baghban. But, today he is in danger of
diluting his brand equity. Amitabh has always been known
for being credible and infinitely charming. Do we really
want to see him prancing about peddling an unknown oil
brand or do a cover-up job for chocolates which came under
a cloud for possible contamination? Or a detergent a la
Surf ’s famous Lalitaji? No, Amitabh is all about exclusivity,
class and comportment. That is what he was best known
for and admired all these years. Unlike other kiss-and-tell
stars, he stayed away from media speculation. Whenever
he did speak to the media, he rarely gave anything away.
This is precisely what kept the public fascinated by his
persona. He is the biggest brand Bollywood has ever
produced. Don’t lend it indiscriminately to the highest
bidder. The Shahenshah cannot behave like any old
Amar, Akbar or Anthony.
EDITORIAL
Committee recommends
school curriculum reform
By KRISHNA KUMAR
R K Narayan’s Swami and Friends is unique
because there is no other Indian book
written so acutely from a child’s viewpoint.
Its humour, briskness and candour are rare
among books written to portray childhood
in India. It doesn’t surprise me that it
was Narayan who spoke about the burden
of lifeless learning at school.
During his entire term as a nom-
inated member of Rajya Sabha
he spoke just once, and that’s
when he lamented the growing
weight of the school bag.
His passionate speech led to
the appointment of a committee
chaired by Prof Yash Pal in 1991,
but its report, Learning Without
Burden, received little by way
of serious attention. Its main
point, that our system of educa-
tion confuses knowledge with
information, proved too obvious
to be recognised as an indict-
ment of curriculum designers.
Things got worse, and 13 years
later, we have another opportuni-
ty to contemplate a solution to the problem
Narayan had forced Parliament to notice.
A freshly drafted framework of curricu-
lum is about to be presented to the Central
Advisory Board of Education. It has
been prepared by a committee chaired by
Yash Pal on the basis of wide-ranging
deliberations carried out by 21 national
focus groups, each chaired by an eminent
scholar. It defines learning as the result of
experience, and the child as someone who
constructs knowledge while attempting to
make sense of the world.
If curriculum design responds to the
child’s own nature, the problem of burden
or stress can be resolved. Rabindranath
Tagore had criticised the system of educa-
tion for ignoring the child’s creative spirit.
Both Mahatma Gandhi and Tagore felt that
education, as designed by colonial masters,
New policy will reduce accountability
P RIME minister Manmohan Singh recent-
ly announced changes in the assessment
system for bureaucrats. Under this, senior
officers will be judged through a system of
peer review, conducted by an eminent
persons group (EPG). EPG members will be
selected by a committee comprising the
prime minister and leader of the Opposi-
tion, and will have a five-year term. Each
group will appraise an officer only
once. An EPG report will not be
part of the regular performance
appraisal exercise, but will be used
TIMES
in the event of postings to sensitive
assignments.
The new system is tailored to suit the in-
terests of senior bureaucrats. To the extent
that it is aimed at reducing political control
over their transfers and appointments, it
will go against efforts to deepen democracy.
In a democracy, power must vest in elect-
ed representatives and not in a faceless
army of pen-pushers who are answerable to
none. If governance is to suffer because of
incompetent political leadership, so be it.
Pokhran was a mistake
By P R CHARI
May can well be dubbed the month for
nuclear tests in South Asia. On May 18,
1974, India conducted its so-called peace-
ful nuclear explosion in Pokhran. Coin-
cidentally, it conducted its Shakti series
of nuclear tests on May 11 and 13 in 1998.
Thereafter, Pakistan conducted its own
series of nuclear tests on May 28 and 30.
In hindsight, it would appear that India
has emerged a loser.
New Delhi’s spin doctors argued that
the nuclear tests were designed to
challenge the discriminatory nuclear
disarmament regime and establish
India’s claim to great power status.
But the official reason
provided was security
compulsions.
Seven years later, the
question is whether the
nuclear tests added to or
eroded India’s national
security. If a balance
sheet were drawn up,
the negatives would far
outweigh the positives.
Far from assuring
India’s national security,
the nuclear tests have
made it more vulnerable to invasion and
border confrontations.
There are two reasons given to claim
that the nuclear tests strengthened
India’s national security. First, they put
in place a credible state of nuclear
deterrence between India and Pakistan.
True, a non-weaponised deterrent state
existed between them earlier, premised
on their ability to nuclearise at will.
Uncertainty about their nuclear capa-
bilities, however, could have led to
adventurism. Besides, conducting the
nuclear tests during an actual conflict
would have been destabilising.
Second, India’s nuclear tests brought
out Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities from
the closet, while exposing its nuclear-
technological links with China. In a
communication to Bill Clinton after
India’s Shakti tests, former prime min-
ister A B Vajpayee indicted Pakistan
and China, while explaining why India
chose this path.
In fact, Pokhran II had a negative
fallout. The US and later the G-7 im-
posed economic and military sanctions
on India, adding to those already in
force after Pokhran I. These were
relaxed over the years and there is
OPINION
stifled social initiative and creativity. This
critique is still valid.
The burden that curricula and textbooks
place on children is compounded by the
stress and anxiety caused by our memory-
based examination system. The rate of fai-
lure is high and moderate success carries
little value or meaning. The system seems
designed to stigmatise the majority, ignore
the diversity of potential and justify
the exclusion of the marginalised.
Its Darwinian character makes it unsuit-
able for our democratic order based on the
idea that every child matters.
A nation aspiring to become an industri-
al giant can hardly afford a system which
fails to retain at school nearly half its chil-
dren below 14. We need a system flexible
enough to accommodate all, and efficient
enough to motivate everyone to learn.
The proposed curriculum framework
points to this direction of systemic reforms
by offering both organisational and curric-
ular remedies. It favours decentralisation
and diversity of approaches at the ground
level, greater professional autonomy for
teachers and partnership between the state
and civil society groups.
Examinations must be redesigned so
that they offer multiple opportunities
and focus on the ability to reason. Teachers
require more imaginative training and
higher status to act as leaders of curricu-
lar reform.
Prime minister changes assessment system for senior bureaucrats
The democratic process, and not the Indian
Administrative Service, is expected to take
care of that difficulty.
The IAS sees itself as a steel frame that
knows how to run its affairs and that of the
country. Its indifference to democratic im-
pulses can be traced to its imperial origins.
But that was another time and context. Our
democracy has become robust, raucous and
representative, throwing up lead-
ers from a cross-section of society.
Often, these leaders fall short of
the country’s expectation and need.
VIEW But they are elected leaders and
that’s the bottom line for claims to
power in a democracy. The top bureaucracy
conveniently lays all the blame for its omis-
sions and commissions on the doorstep of
the political leadership. It may not like in-
cursions on its turf by the emerging politi-
cal class. Understandably, it would like a sys-
tem of peer review, as articulated by the
prime minister. But it must remain answer-
able to the political leadership in the interest
of democratic accountability.
optimism after US secretary of state
Condoleezza Rice’s visit that they will
finally be lifted.
Second, the history of the Cold War is
replete with crises and near-accidents.
The possibility, therefore, of conflict
being triggered in South Asia by inad-
vertence, if not design, will be ever
present. Having achieved nuclear
status, India and Pakistan are vulnera-
ble to these dangers.
India has embarked on an insidious
two-track arms race. India’s nuclear
arsenal is being steadily beefed up by
development of long-range missiles.
Simultaneously, its conventional ar-
moury is also being strengthened
despite arguments by
strategists that acquiring
nuclear weapons would al-
low a reduction in expen-
diture on conventional ar-
maments. Now they argue
that stronger convention-
al defence would raise the
nuclear threshold, imply-
ing that conflict would re-
main conventional and re-
course to nuclear weapons
would only be a last resort.
Pokhran II has not im-
proved India’s national security. On the
contrary, the nuclear test has had no ef-
fect in Kashmir where cross-border ter-
rorism and internal militancy continues
to be a problem. Neither has convention-
al conflict become less likely as was
shown by the Kargil imbroglio, which
occurred because Pakistan felt embold-
ened to undertake its intrusions under
the umbrella of nuclear deterrence.
However, India felt inhibited in enlarg-
ing the area of operations due to fears
that expanding the conflict could lead to
a nuclear war. Again, India was unable
to launch hostilities against Pakistan
during the border confrontation in 2001-
02 because of fears of a nuclear conflict.
Pokhran II placed India in a strategic
box. None of this had been thought
through when the nuclear tests were
ordered by a small coterie within the
government and executed by a group of
dedicated nuclear and defence scientists.
The jury is still out on whether these
nuclear tests were required at all. But
one thing is for certain: Security
concerns were the least of priorities
informing the tests.
The writer is with the Institute for Peace and
Conflict Studies.
The Times of India, New Delhi
CONVERSATIONS WITH READERS
Mosque’s Sanctity
With reference to the Q&A ‘Islam for
Women’ (May 3), Daud Sharifa
On syllabi and textbooks, the framework
asks for a departure from our prevailing
Khanam’s dream of a mosque for
women where they can laugh, cry or
conception of knowledge and teaching. A
message sent by Mumbai-based mother and
teacher, Neeta Mohla, sums up the recom-
talk just like men do in mosques,
doesn’t seem reasonable. I’m not
sure if a mosque for women is a good
mended strategy to make syllabi and text- idea, but it certainly can’t be the
books realistic. Her message: Balance what place to make merry. Mosques are
should be taught in favour of what can meant for namaz and useless talk not
possibly be learnt. related to deen (religion) defiles
Now, that is a great challenge for syllabus the atmosphere and is therefore
designers and textbook writers. Customa- prohibited. If men are misusing the
rily, they do their job in isolation from class- premises, women shouldn’t follow
room realities. New topics get piled up on suit. A mosque is not a place for
existing ones and textbooks grow fatter and social chit-chat.
duller. Teachers give up hope that — Farah Anwar, via e-mail
they can explain anything with
ease and children perceive cram-
ming as the only way out. From timesofindia.com
Improved syllabi and text-
books, coupled with a humane Distorting Facts
examination system, can break
this vicious cycle. Future text- Considering the impact Hindi
movies have on society, films
books must be interactive, offer-
ing ideas and spaces to let like Naina which propagate
children wonder about things. misinformation about medical
The conventional textbook is a procedures like eye transplant
reference book, stuffed with in- should be banned. As a doctor I
formation, offering no room to know how difficult it is to
persuade people to allow a dead
think for oneself or for interdis-
relative’s eye to be given for trans-
ciplinary linkages. The questions
given don’t provoke or inspire plant. Unscientific and illogical
critical reflection. things shown in films like Naina
Imagine a textbook of history are a serious setback to the eye
which introduces children to the agricultu- donation campaign.
ral and water storage practices of Ra- Vikas Jain
jasthan, discusses Meera’s life and the poet-
ry she wrote in Chittor, includes one of her
bhajans normally included in the Hindi
textbook and asks children to visit a website
Chappell’s Challenge
where they can hear that bhajan sung by The BCCI has done well to appoint
M S Subbulakshmi. Greg Chappell as India’s cricket
Or imagine a Hindi textbook with all of coach. He lost the job to John Wright
its poetry set to music in a CD supplied with the last time. But stepping into
Wright’s shoes is a tough call for
the book in a stitched-in envelope. Sounds
like fantasy? Well, it can be accomplished if any coach. The challenge for
we treat R K Narayan’s anxiety as the key Chappell is to find out why the
issue for curriculum reform. Indian team cannot perform under
Appropriately enough, Yash Pal says in pressure.
his foreword to the proposed curriculum — Rakesh Kumar Raja, Delhi
framework that it can start a freedom move-
ment to release children from the tyranni-
cal regime in which schools envelop them. Letters to this column should be addressed to Letters c/o
Edit page Editor, The Times of India, 7, Bahadur Shah Zafar
The writer is director, NCERT. Marg, New Delhi-110002. email:edit@timesgroup.com
Cleanse politics, bureaucracy will follow
P OLITICALcorruption has affected all
aspects of our system. Bureaucratic
in the civil service, encourage merit and in-
stitute performance-based promotions. The
corruption, misgovernance, inefficiency scheme seems to be based on the premise
and lack of accountability are just some of that it is possible for the civil service to func-
the side-effects of this malaise. In such an tion outside the political system. The cor-
environment, can an independent panel ruption and sloth in the civil service are only
to assess bureaucratic performance be im- extensions of a debarred political culture.
mune to political pressures? By what crite- Nowhere is this truth more starkly ac-
ria are the eminent persons, who will be on knowledged than in the legislation which
the panel, selected? protects higher level civil ser-
Most IAS postings are deter-
mined by state governments.
They appoint pliable officers to
COUNTER vants from prosecution without
prior government sanction. A
system which legislates such a
important posts. Today, a large VIEW provision has no credibility when
percentage of civil servants are K SUBRAHMANYAM it talks of ways to eliminate
politicised and their careers de- corruption.
pend upon their political allegiance. In such Our legislators flagrantly flout ethical
a situation, politicians will ensure that no norms in that even those of them who are
panel can work efficiently or independently. awaiting trial for corruption charges hold on
Rather than set up a panel, it would be better to office on the specious grounds that they
to empower existing institutions so that they have yet to be proved guilty. Placebos like
act as effective checks and balances in assessment by an independent panel will do
ensuring a clean bureaucracy. nothing to restore the credibility of the civil
The Prime Minister’s Office means well in service. The political system must first be
suggesting methods to eliminate corruption cleansed, the bureaucracy will follow.
May the Force be With You
Now and For Evermore
By P VENKATESH
Realise Your Potential
We are all born with an The cornerstone of the Star Menace, in the battle between
infinite number of Wars movie series is the tussle Qui-Gon and the evil Darth
different qualities or between the proverbial good Maul, the two are caught in a
energies within us. One and the bad — the Jedi and corridor of doors that open
the Sith. Evil Chancellor and close, based on a timer.
of the most important
Palpatine wants to take over Upon reaching the final door
tasks in our life is to
discover and develop as the Republic. Assisting him is Darth Maul gets through
many of these energies Darth Vader, who is actually but Qui-Gon doesn’t. Instead
as possible, so that we Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi of losing his temper, Qui-Gon
can be well-rounded, and knight lured onto the Dark simply kneels, closes his
experience the full range Side. The Jedi, led by masters eyes, and breathes calmly. By
of our potential.
Shakti Gawain
✥
like Quo-Gon, Yoda and Obi- quieting his mind, he is truly
Wan Kenobi, protect the in the moment.
Republic. Obi-Wan is the men- By concentrating on the
tor of both Anakin breath, one can
The outer dimensions of
and Anakin’s son, achieve stillness of
the human being are
parts of external nature.
Our body and our senso-
Luke Skywalker. Af-
ter Anakin’s defec-
mind. This prevents
us from reacting rash-
tion, his son Luke ly in trying circum-
ry system are all prod-
undergoes training to stances. It helps one
ucts of the evolution of
become a Jedi. to be centred in the
material processes from THE
The several lessons present moment and
lower to higher levels.
woven into the space SPEAKING respond to the situa-
But the buddhi, the dis-
chronicle seem to sug- TREE tion with equanimity.
criminative faculty in
gest that what we The third lesson is
the human being, when
need to aspire for is self-reali- that of conquering fear. In
it is truly itself, when it
sation. The first is in the use of Episode I: The Phantom
is not under thralldom to
the Force. As Obi-Wan says: Menace, when Anakin faces
the sensory system, is
“The Force is what gives the the Jedi Council, Yoda ques-
something unique;
Jedi his power. It’s an energy tions him about his mother:
Vedanta treats it as the
field created by all living “Afraid to lose her, I think”.
channel for the spiritual
things. It surrounds us and Anakin responds: “What does
energy hidden in every
penetrates us. It binds the that have to do with any-
human being to flow out
galaxy together”. He advises thing?” Yoda replies: “Every-
into life as dharma or
his pupil: “Be one with the thing! Fear is the path to the
the science of values.
Swami
Ranganathananda
Force, Luke”. Dark Side. Fear leads to anger;
A scene from Episode V: The anger leads to hate; hate leads
Empire Strikes Back shows to suffering... I sense much
✥
Above all, be yourself
Luke trying and failing to use fear in you”.
his mental prowess to lift out In Episode III: Revenge of
Be, but don’t just exist his X-wing spacecraft from a the Sith, Anakin allows his
There’s more to life swamp. Yoda, his teacher, as- fear to get the better of him
Than just being another serts: “Try not. Do”. Yoda then and so embraces the power
Name on the list. shows him how. He effortlessly offered by the Dark Side.
Be active, alive and raises the ship onto dry land Controlled by fear, one can
Adventurous, boisterous, using the Force. The Force is never hope to eliminate suffer-
Brave and bold similar to the all-pervading ing and find happiness. Only
Confident, cool and Universal Energy. Sages who by confronting and refusing to
Clear-headed, daring, have experienced union with give in to fear can one gain the
Determined and decisive this field are able to perform insight to overcome it. Once
Eager, earnest and feats that seem miraculous to vanquished, fear loses its
Eloquent, free-thinking, us. However, every one of us power over us.
Fresh and fun-loving, has the potential to tap into This delightful sci-fi tale
But, above all, the Universal Energy to raise reiterates that both good and
BE YOU. our consciousness. evil are inherent in us. It is up
Anonymous The second lesson is about to an individual to bring out
being aware of the present. In that side of one’s personality,
Episode I: The Phantom which is for the greater good.