Essays

Science is a great blessing to mankind. Nothing better has happened in the history of man than advent of science in his life. Before the advent of science the world was full of ignorance, suffering and hardships. But with the adverts of science these vices have been taken — away from the life of Science has transformed our daily life to a great extent. Science has made things or articles cheap and has brought them within the reach of every body. The production of goods on a large scale has been possible only due to science. Now these are being sold at cheap rates in every market. All other forms of entertainment have been brought to our doorstep with the help of science only. Radio, television and cinema are some forms of entertainment. Even an ordinary man can pass his time with these means of entertainment. Certainly, the daily life more...

To prohibit the demanding, giving and taking of Dowry, the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 is in force since 1st  July 1961. To stop the offences of cruelty by husband or his relatives on wife, Section498-A has been added in the Indian Penal Code, and Section 198-A has been added in the Criminal Procedure Code since the year1983. In the case of suicide by a married woman, within 7 years from the date of her marriage, the Court may presume that such suicide has been/ abetted, encouraged by her husband or his relatives. Provision to this effect has been added in the Indian Evidence Act, by adding Section 113-A since the year 1983. The object in forming the Dowry Prohibition Act and adding provisions in the Indian Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian Evidence Act is to remove the evil of dowry system and give protection to women. more...

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (April 14, 1891 or 1892 - December 6, 1956) was the most prominent Indian Untouchable leader of the 20th century. He was born in Mhow in central India, the fourteenth child of parents who belonged to the very lowest stratum of Hindu society, known as Untouchables or Dalits. He helped spark a revival of Buddhism in India, a movement which is now known as neo-Buddhism. Ambedkar's father had acquired a certain amount of formal education in both Marathi and English. This enabled him to teach his children, especially Bhimrao and to encourage them in their pursuit of knowledge. In 1908, when Ambedkar passed the matriculation examination for Bombay University, this event was such an uncommon achievement on the part of an Untouchable boy that it was celebrated with a public meeting. Four years later, Ambedkar graduated with a degree in Politics and Economics. Soon afterwards, he entered more...

At almost every discussion table, the Indian educationist today is asked: "What are you doing about the heavy loads of books our children are made to carry on their backs to and from school every day?" It's a common sight in our cities seeing children as small as eight or nine years carrying bright coloured nylon bags, each easily weighing 5-10 kg or may be more. In contrast, their developed-country counterparts only take along lunch boxes and, at best, a few notebooks on days they have to submit their assignments. Visitors from abroad just can't understand what we are doing to our young ones. To them, in the era of computerisation, the internet and the digital classroom, containing information that can be retrieved at the click of a Mouse, it is not just ironical, but an indication of the resistance of India’s education system to change. The textbook writer-publisher lobby more...

While beginning to write on my chosen subject, few lines of a song sung by Jagjit Singh come across my mind. They are: 'Ye daulat bhi Ie to Ye showrat bhi Ie lo, Bhale chin lo mujse merijawaani, Magar, mujko lauta do bachpan ka Sawan, Who kaagaz ki kashti, Who barish ka paani.' These lines hold true to all of us who have crossed our beautiful days of childhood lost ourselves in world of matured adults. Many times tears roll down from our eyes when we recall childhood days. Days when we desperately wished to become big. Days and night, we looked at mirror and talked to ourselves that when will we grow up? When we will sit, talk and walk like the elders? When will studies end? When we will go to office? When will we be able to wear papa's tie or mummy's saree or carry a purse more...

Development of human beings and music are closely related. Music is one of the areas of organised stimuli in patterns of deep meaning and influence that stands at or very near the apex of humanness. Music is an evolutionary contributor to human beings. For example, crude tools have been found and evidence indicates that the Zinjanthropus (an early progenitor of man)used them in Eastern Africa about 1.7 million years ago. Part ofany human being's culture is music. Music has a biological basis as well as a cultural basis. Einstein stated, " The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible." In other words, without the comprehensibly of the outside world there would be no music. The full fruit of our potential for humanness can never be attained unless we grow and develop within a rich musical environment. Music is simply innate, humans cannot escape the formation of more...

When Gandhiji assumed India's leadership the average life span of an Indian woman was only twenty-seven years. Babies and the pregnant women ran a high risk of dying young. Child marriage was very common and widows were in very large number. Only 2% of the women had any kind of education and women did not have an identity of their own In North India, they practiced the Purda (veil) system. Women could not go out of the house unless accompanied by men and the face covered with cloth. The fortunate ones who could go to school had to commute in covered carts (tangas). It is in this context that we have to recognise the miracle of Gandhi's work. Gandhiji claimed that a woman is completely equal to a man and practiced it in strict sense. Thousands and millions of women, educated and illiterate, house wives and widows, students and elderly more...

The debate on abortion and the role of a liberal law in a country like India must take cognisance, at the very least, of the provision of general health care services. With about 73% of India's population living in rural areas, the provision of free, rational and universally accessible health care is crucially important at all times to all people (which includes the women who experience morbidity following abortions). However, the foregoing review shows that basic health care services, leave alone abortion services, are beyond the reach of many. Moreover, the 'conveyor belt' approach that most approved centres adopt only ends up making abortion services insensitive to the women who demand them. For a liberalised law to be effective in providing free, safe and humane abortions on demand, it needs to be accompanied by other social inputs like greater empowerment of women especially  in their control over their bodies and more...

In this new age of development we take simple things like a telephone, a refrigerator, or a car for granted. We live in a world of luxuries and comforts compared to the average person in the 19th century. Let's say you were born prior to 1945. Just stop and consider the changes you might have witnessed. You were before television, before penicillin, frozen foods, Xerox copiers, contact lenses, and the Pill. You were before radar, credit cards, split atoms, ball point pens, dishwashers, air conditioners, and before man walked on the Moon. You never heard of F.M. radio, tape decks, electric typewriters, artificial hearts, yoghurt and blokes with earrings! Pizzas, Instant Coffee and McDonalds weren't heard of. Today's world is growing ever dependent on technology. The telephone for example is something we all take for granted. Every house is expected to have one and if we find there is no more...

Controllers and disengagers really know how to mess up a family. Controllers are those people who must have their way. Disengagers let them have their way, but usually find a way to turn the controllers' triumphs into hollow victories. The controller says, 'It's my way or the highway.' The disengager says, 'you can have your way, but I won't let you savour the conquest. Men are often, though not always, the family controllers. To a degree, they have a point. The mythology does make the husband and father, the family's leader, but he is not an arbitrary controller. Nothing in the scriptures ever suggests that a husband has the right to become a tyrant. He's not the Napoleon of the family. He is to love his wife as his own body. Controllers are arrogant, hostile, self-centred, demanding despots. God did not authorize tyranny in the family or anywhere else. The more...