Current Affairs Secondary School Level

Behind Urja's school is small garden. She often goes there to play. It is a magical garden as the flowers there never whither. The birds fly low and allow you to pet them. The fountains have sweet water and play soft music all throughout the day.                         Urja also has a pet squirrel. It runs to her as soon as she comes to the garden. Urja feeds her nuts and pets her too. It loves to play with her. Urja spends a lot of time with the squirrel. In the garden the flowers bloom all year through. They are of many colours. The petals are as soft as silk. Some of the flowers are real big. Some are so tiny you can hardly see them. Urja is careful not to tread on them. The scent of the flowers fills the garden and butterflies enjoy the sweet nectar. Urja loves to play in her magical garden.

For decades, parents have used physical force as a way to correct and reprimand children. Most parents argue that they turned out fine despite being punished by their parents, hence feel no need to treat their children differently. The fact is that while some might have turned out alright there might be others who have not. It could also have a lot to do with the amount of physical force applied and the frequency of its use. A lot of children develop, a kind of resistance to beating, while some of them even grow to detest their parents for it. The problem is that most adults use it as the first resort to discipline a child. There are many rational ways to correct and discipline a child. Time- out, taking away a favorite toy, or making the kid do chores are better ways of disciplining a child without physical force. When a child has been subjected to physical punishment there are several ways he might react. He might retreat into his shell and not talk or get more aggressive and might even begin to view hitting as the right way to react when one is angry and might as a result resort to hitting others at school. Children are like clay, waiting to be moulded and it is the parent's responsibility to make sure they get moulded in the right way.

Outline: Explaining the concept. Condition of truants who run away from home. Different causes of truancy including school, parents and role of modern movies. There are various types of behavioural problems in a human being and truancy is one of them. The problem of truancy has increased in modern times. It is also known as absenteeism. Truancy can be explained as absenting oneself deliberately at home, school or college. This practice is followed to avoid or back out from aggressive and forceful life situations. Thus, an individual keeps a distance from school or college to shirk the unpleasant duties and situations. Those who escape from their home create severe anguish to their parents and elders. It can be presumed as a kind of rejection of parental guidance from the child's side. The result is quite obvious that the truant repents thereafter as it fails to gain security and satisfaction outside the home. A fear of punishment and criticism faced from friends and relatives soon develops within the truant stopping him to return back home. Female truants can be abused in different ways. On the other hand, male truants can be oppressed and misuse to involve in criminal activities. In such circumstances there remains no other option than to switch on a bad life. Therefore, with the passage of time they automatically become a burden and threat for normal functioning of the society. Unfavourable environment in home compels for truancy. The saying phrase, “there are no problem children only problem parents”, is completely true. Parents who undergo marital problems unknowingly contribute in making the child anxious and stressed. Gradually, the child feels insecure and suffocated in such atmosphere and finally runs away. Sometimes modern movies play a negative effect on the tender minds of young generations. Some movies may show over excess of violence and glamour. Excessive strictness from parents makes child feel overpowered. The child fails to express inner feelings and if he tries, punishment may be the result. Under these circumstances the child may run away in order to escape from the punishment. Many times it is found that educational institutions are overcrowded by students. Teachers fail to pay individual attention and some children feel neglected. Such children loose interest in their studies and start playing truant. Students belonging to low socio-economic class are not mentally prepared by the parents for school. Gradually, they fail to cope up with the discipline demanded by the school.                          Daily several children are arrested for committing truancy. They loiter in the city as they do not understand where to go after running away from home. However, a society with truancy can never be strong and happy. The child must be allowed to experience emotional balance. More and more social service departments must be opened for controlling and preventing truancy.

Throughout most of history women generally have had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. Wifehood and motherhood were regarded as women's most significant professions. In the 20th century, however, women in most nations won the right to vote and increased their educational and job opportunities. Perhaps most important, they fought for and to a large degree accomplished a re-evaluation of traditional views of their role in society. Women were long considered naturally weaker than men, squeamish, and unable to perform work requiring muscular or intellectual prowess. Domestic chores were relegated to women, leaving 'heavier9 labour to men. This ignored the fact that caring for children, housekeeping, cooking, and washing clothes also required heavy, sustained labour. Physiological tests now suggest that women have a greater tolerance for pain, and live longer. A central issue in the study of gender is whether women and men are fundamentally different or essentially the same. "Difference theorists" contend that women are more nurturing, caring, and cooperative, as opposed to men, who are more independent, detached, and hierarchical. Men traditionally "do dominance" while women "do deference," and females face dominant and agnostic behavior by their male colleagues. In a developed country like the USA, women constituted more than 45 percent of employed persons in 1989, but they had only a small share of the decision-making jobs. Although the number of women working as managers, officials, and other administrators has been increasing, in 1989 they were outnumbered about 1.5 to 1 by men. Despite the Equal Pay Act of 1963, women in 1970 were paid about 45 percent less than men for the same jobs; in 1988, about 32 percent less. Professional women did not get the important assignments and promotions given to their male colleagues. Many cases before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1970 were registered by women charging sex discrimination in jobs. Nevertheless the work environment is changing. Women, now, across the world are gradually entering occupations that have hired mostly men, in order to earn an equal place in the society. Many occupations forecast to have the largest job growth - and likely to be filled by women are health-care aides and medical assistants, retail sales, customer service, restaurant workers, clerks, child- care workers; and better occupations in which women's participation is expected to grow further are medical doctors and other professionals, IT professionals. engineers, teachers, judiciary, lawyers, accountants, computer-related jobs, media, art & culture, managers, construction trades, business entrepreneurship, defence services, police, airline pilots and all others one can think of, as appropriate education and training opportunities are becoming within their reach. A popular adage among the working women goes as 'A Woman has to work Twice as hard to prove that she is half as good’ sums up quite appropriately the general bias of the society and the women's sentiment on the subject. An objective observer would see that often in a work place, if a male makes a mistake, then it is commented that 'He is having a more...

India is an under-developed country faced with gigantic problems. Millions of people in villages are poor, illiterate, and under-nourished. Cities have to grapple with difficulties posed by slums, housing shortage, unemployment, and labour unrest. The Government is trying, through its Five-Year Plans, to bring about the development of the country. But the task is stupendous and needs the co-operation of all people including students. In the past students spontaneously responded to the call of the country and took part in the struggle for freedom. They should now realize that the task of reconstructing India is as important as was that of liberating it. They should devote a part of their vacation and holidays to social service. They could easily take up the work of adult education. They can teach slum-dwellers or villagers how to read and write. However, mere literacy is not enough. Literacy should lead to the ability to think and form one's opinions on the burning work in a systematic manner, adult illiteracy will be a thing of the past and Indian democracy a real success. There are other forms of social service suitable for students. They can stay in villages during vacations and construct roads, dig wells, and try to eradicate evils like untouchability and communalism. Medical students can offer valuable service to villagers, helping them to fight against disease and illness. Students of agriculture can teach them improved methods of farming, while engineering students can assist in the construction of school and hospital buildings. Very often it happens that villagers are skeptical about the bonfides of the young social workers and their ability to help them, and are likely to regard them as fashionable butterflies on a holiday spree. It is up to the students to prove that they are sincere and mean business. Once they win the trust and love of the villagers, they are bound to get co-operation and encouragement from them. The social work which students are capable of doing should be properly organized by the Government and educational authorities. Certain schools and colleges should ‘adopt’ particular villages in their neighborhood, and aim at developing them in a definite period. In fact, social service should be made compulsory for every student – a prerequisite for getting a degree. At present students have no sense of purpose and their youthful enthusiasm and idealism do not find suitable outlets for expression. This is one of the reasons for the widespread unrest among them. One of the best ways of solving the problem of student indiscipline is to channelise their energies by making them participate in the exciting task of rebuilding the nation.

Christmas is basically a festival of the Christians, but today it is celebrated by all in India everybody observes it with gusto. Twenty fifth December is a holiday in India and the schools and colleges generally have their Christmas vacation. On 25th December Jesus Christ was born in Bethelhem. He was the son of God. He came to this earth to free man from the original sin. By his sacrifice he took all the sins of human beings on his shoulders. The grateful people celebrate the birth of the Saviour with great joy. People start singing of the coming of Christ, one week before. Christmas. Christmas carols, the songs about Christ, are sung with great joy. On the Christmas eve groups of young men and women go from house to house singing these carols. In churches, midnight prayer is held to welcome the 25th December. There is the family dinner with the traditional roast-turkey, plum- pudding, cake and punch. Gifts, decorated on the Christmas tree in the hall, are given to all. There is music and mirth and merrry-making. Children look forward to the coming of Santa Claus in his red dress and flowing snowy beard. He comes from the North Pole on his sleigh driven by reindeers and carrying presents in his sack. He visits the children while they are asleep and leaves their desired presents in their rooms. When they get up in the morning their joy is overwhelming. From the morning of the 25th, it is visit to the Church and friends and relatives, parties and cake-eating and gift exchanging and fun and laughter. People dress in their best clothes and move about in a holiday mood. For the children it is a wonderful time as their elders satisfy all their desires. Big hotels celebrate the 'Christmas Eve' with great fanfare. Religious societies organize shows and plays based on the life of Christ. This blend of the religious and the secular, this spirit of hope, joy and good-feeling and the colourful celebrations make Christmas my favourite festival.

Raj has a pair of jumping boots. An old man had given it to him when he helped him cross the road. These jumping boots are very special. When Raj puts them on he is able to jump up high, almost touch the sky. Though the boots look like any ordinary pair they have magic power. On sports day Raj plays basketball with these boots. He is able to always make a basket. He also wins the high jump. After few days the boots started to wear and tear. Raj was sad as he was unable to use the boots. However till then he had become a basketball champ and was the school captain. Raj no longer wore the boots. He still managed to win the game.

The word -uniform9 itself suggests its objective – one form. ‘Uniform’ means identical and consistent When students wear a particular uniform which is unique to their school or group it imbibes in them the feeling of oneness, belonging, and being the same It actually helps to bring students from different social groups together. Students beg to differ. Uniforms, they say, inhibits their individuality and wearing identical clothes makes them feel robotic. Uniforms curtail their freedom of expression. The debate goes on. There are other ways of showing one's individuality and it is unfair that the uniform has to take the brunt for it. Showing one's individuality through dress is not required at this young age. Wearing the same uniform puts all students on the same platform. It's easier on the parent’s pockets as uniforms are generally wash and wear and are relatively cheaper than buying fancy clothes. Wearing a uniform gives you repeated an identity. Uniforms also help keep the focus on education which is where it should rightly be. 

Outline: Explaining the term. Activities that are considered as delinquent acts. Family drawbacks resulting in delinquency. Preventive measures – private and governmental. Juvenile delinquency refers to anti-social, disruptive or illegal behaviour by children or teenagers. Though it is not easy to define juvenile delinquency, sociologist Marfatia explains it as a social offence committed by an individual who is below 18, otherwise would have been charged as a crime if an adult was. Juvenile children legally do not come under the Penal Section. Therefore, they are not punished like adult criminals. Such child offenders are sent to remedial homes. Children often test the limits and boundaries set by their parents and elders. There are certain kinds of activities that are counted as delinquent behaviour. They include killing someone, gambling, being dishonest, stealing, looting, begging, suicidal attempt, indulging oneself in sexual offence, committing violence or causing damage to someone's property. Eve teasing done in schools and colleges is another form of delinquency. Family factors resulting in delinquency includes; the level of parental supervision and discipline, parental conflict or separation, parents belonging to criminal background and regular parental abuse. Children who are brought up by single parent are more likely to show off ending actions corn pa red to those who live with both parents. When parents are unaware of where their children are, what their activities are, or who their friends are, children are more likely to miss from school and have delinquent friends. Thus lack of parental attention contributes delinquency. Furthermore, excessive strictness combined with step-parenthood dangerously leads to juvenile delinquency. Delinquency is also noted among the bodily weak and mentally unhealthy people. Such individuals work out to cope up for their feelings of inferiorities due to their weak physical features by engaging in delinquent actions. It is also found that mentally retarded people are often used by others to commit crime. Delinquency prevention aims in stopping youth from involving in criminal or anti-social activity. However, preventive measures must begin at home. Healthy behaviour must be developed within the family members. Eradicating poverty and raising the living standards can minimize delinquency. Increasingly, governments are recognizing the importance of prevention of delinquency. Often it is difficult for states to provide the financial resources necessary for good prevention. Thus organizations, communities and governments are working in collaboration to prevent juvenile delinquency. Preventive efforts are comprehensive in scope. Prevention services include activities such as youth mentoring, parenting education and counselling, educational support and youth sheltering.

Female foeticide is the term used to describe the killing of a female foetus in the womb of the mother. In modern times, very commonly, a female foetus is selectively aborted after pre-natal sex determination, thus avoiding the birth of a girl. No moral or ethical principle supports such a procedure for gender discrimination. The sex ratio has altered consistently in favour of boys since the beginning of 20th century and the effect is more pronounced in the states of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Private foetal sex determination clinics were first established in these states and the practice of selective abortion became popular in late 1970s. Worryingly, the trend is far stronger in urban than rural areas, among literate than illiterate, exploding the myth that growing woman in society is determined by her education, health, economic role, presence in profession, and decision- making power within the family. Among Hindus, preference for a male child is deeply enshrined in belief and practice. The practice of dowry has spread nationwide, to communities and castes in which it had never been the custom before, fuelled by materialism and emulation of upper caste practices. The need of dowry for a girl and the ability to demand for a boy exerts considerable economic pressure on families to avoid having a girl, who is seen as a liability. There are posters for sex- determination tests in some cities that read, 'It is better to pay Rs. 500 no^ than, Rs. 50,000 (in dowry) later!’ Abortion was legalized in India in 1971 only to strengthen humanitarian values (such as pregnancy due to sexual assault, contraceptive failure, if the baby would be severely handicapped etc). Amniocentesis and Ultrasound, introduced to detect foetal abnormalities, are now used for sex determination with the intention of aborting the girl foetus. The pregnant woman is often pressurized to undergo such procedures causing psychological trauma due to repeated abortions. Demographers warn that in the next twenty years there will be a shortage of brides mainly because of the adverse juvenile sex ratio. With the availability of modem medical technologies in easy reach, the selective abortion is becoming more common. The sex ratio girls to boys, in some states, has dropped to 800:1000. The impact of such s lower sex ratio on society should not be underestimated. A society with a preponderance of unmarried young men is prone to particular dangers; increase in molestation, rape and female exploitation as sex workers are an obvious result. The sharp rise in sex crimes in some cities has been attributed to unequal sex ratio. In 1994, the Government of India passed Prohibition of Sex Selection Act with the aim of preventing female foeticide; it was amended and replaced in 2002 by the Regulation and Prevention of Misuse Act. Social sex selection i.e. girl infanticide is also illegal in India. However, to eradicate the evil and change the mindset of populace, serious steps such as advocating scientific, rational and humanist approach, inculcating a strong ethical code of conduct more...