All detractors of no-fail policy, go to hell!
I am shocked at the recent criticism of no-fail policy for students up to class VIII and the move to persuade the government to amend the RTE Act for reintroducing the pass-fail system in the schools. I am shocked because no less than a parliamentary standing committee on human resource development has chosen to blame the no-fail policy of RTE for the imagined 'consistently declining standards in reading and maths across the country's schools'. I am shocked because this panel is headed by none else than Oscar Fernandes, who is respected for his humility and erudition. I
Javed Akhtar – a man who speaks truth in your face
I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon a transcript of Javed Akhtar's speech on spirituality delivered some eight years back, on February 26, 2005, at India Today's conclave. I was surprised by the force that his speech carries even today. As an avowed atheist Javed Akhtar speaks truth in everyone's face. The transcript is posted here on Palak Mathur's blog. I found that the speech is also available on Youtube. I have always known Javed Akhtar for the songs he had penned in Silsila and a few other films. I know he is a very good poet and writer. Only recently did I
Aashiqui 2 is a nice and touching movie
Aashiqui 2 is directed by Mohit Suri. And not by Mahesh Bhatt. It is different from Aashiqui 1 and does not have the lilting scores that Aashiqui had. Yet, Aashiqui 2 is a nice and touching movie. It is worth watching. It charms you. And it leaves you with a shade of melancholy. Bhatts do have a knack of making the most of protagonists with a tinge of negativity. Their heroes don't seem unworldly and do have their weaknesses. In Aashiqui 2 the hero is badly addicted to alcohol. In fact, in 80% of the frames, he is seen guzzling alcohol from bottles. He is a talented singer,
Time to make Indian government websites more engaging
I read Sonia Gandhi's speech in the two-day Chintan Shivir held in Jaipur with interest. Especially, her observation on the need to engage with new media, as reported on India Today website. The report quotes her saying: "People are expecting much more from their political parties. Aided by the tools of the modern world - television, social media, mobile phones and the Internet - today's India is better informed and better equipped to communicate." However, it would seem, having failed to come up with an appropriate and timely response to Anna Hazare movement and the
Microsoft attacks Google with scroogled.com
Scroogled, the latest Microsoft attack on Google Shopping, looks interesting. The world's best-known software company has launched a frontal attack on the world's top internet search company yet again. And though Google has not come out with a measured response to Microsoft's latest volley yet, you should expect one very soon. I have always been fascinated by the spats between big warring companies. Reading about their war-of-words and their market and legal tactics gives you a scintillating experience. It feels as if you are watching a duel between Sachin Tendulkar and Bret
Dongri to Dubai: A gripping narrative on crime and underworld
VERY RARELY have I come across topical books written by ex/present scribes that can boast of not having taken sides in the narration. Dongri to Dubai by celebrated journalist S. Hussain Zaidi is certainly his best work and will definitely reign the charts in the crime/reality genre. As can be garnered from the name, the book tracks one of the most infamous characters of our times, Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar. The rise and rise of India's public enemy number one has been laid out over 28 chapters and about 400 pages. These are 400 pages of pure thrill. Any movie buff will
Aakash tablet project exposes how India lags in industry and technology
The way the Aakash tablet project has stuttered, and huffed and puffed, is symptomatic of the state of affairs in India's technology and industry sectors. These sectors show a lot of promise. But these promises are either never realized, or only half-realized. As a consequence, we never get the desired results. At a time when other developing countries, read China and Brazil, are making remarkable progress in almost all sectors, India lags on almost all counts as far as economic and technological progress is concerned. While Chinese economy has reached a size of $9 trillion ,
Cinema
Nautanki Saala disappoints despite Ayushmann Khurrana
'Nautanki Saala' Hindi movie disappoints us despite Ayushmann Khurrana's valiant efforts. When a talented artist like Ayushmann Khurrana plays lead in his first release post a magnificent debut, one expects nothing short of magic. Sadly, Rohan Sippy has pissed
Technology
Life
Time to graduate from secularism to atheism
Secularism is a great idea. It has served the world, and our country, well for a long period. It has ensured that we remained on a path of progress and harmony. It has kept us rooted to basic and
Science, reason and rationality- time to go to basics
Does it surprise you that the ISRO chief feels the need to seek the divine blessing before a satellite launch? If you say 'no', you are not alone. And you may very well be living in a part of Asia,
Mediocrity is not a sin, it’s a great asset
I did not like the headline carried by First Post. And I did not like the remark made by Ramchandra Guha on Rahul Gandhi's supposed mediocrity. The article makes a meaningless attempt to undermine
The great disconnect with reality!
Life keeps springing new surprises on you. And in our country, you don't know whether someone is joking, making a fool of you or just saying something seriously. I don't know. I really don't know what
The Music lives on, only the maestro has gone away for ever
The Maestro has passed away. But his music lives on. Ravi Shankar, the master, who took Indian music to the world, or rather took the world to Indian music, is no more. And while the music fans
DISCUSSION