Keralacalling february 2017

KERALA CALLING LIFE A PEOPLE'S HOUSING ALTERNATIVE

HARITHA GRAMAM A TRUE STORY

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2017 FEBRUARY 1

EDUCATION MISSION

A Great Step

towards Quality Education • Betterment of educational surroundings • Use of technology in education • Renewal of learning method • 1000 schools will be uplifted as Smart Schools

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2 This Authentic Handbook is a unique synthesis of knowledge about Kerala. Comprising of more than 1250 topics along with more than 750 illustrative photographs, this handy reference book covers almost all traditional topics like culture, heritage, religion, polity, women, socio-economic condition, briefs on epoch making personalities, languages, art, music, literature, fairs ad festivals, folklore, etc. The book will serve for decades to come as the first point of reference for those interested in any aspect of our State.

` 300/-

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EDITORIAL > > > > > >

Mission for Quality Education Nelson Mandela's famous quote "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" conveys everything about the importance of education.

Kerala is first among the States in the country which always realised the significance of education. Since achieving the historic distinction of becoming the first State with 100 per cent literacy in the eighties, Kerala has crossed many mile stones. In general education sector, the State continues to consolidate its past gains with mission to improve quality.

The education mission launched by the government as part of Nava Kerala Mission is the latest initiative in this series.

The comprehensive educational reforms project will focus on a variety of issues; upgrading 1000 schools to International standards, all classrooms from standard 9 to 12 in high schools and higher secondary schools to be made hi-tech, develop standards 1 to 8 in tune with the times by engaging the teachers, parents and alumni to recapture the relevance of public schools, special package for renovation of schools which have completed 50 and 100 years. English learning will be encouraged.

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The Mission will make an evaluation of the present curriculum based on a detailed study. It will also strive to create educational programmes useful for differently abled students, alleviate the basic infrastructural shortcomings as well as ensure internet connectivity to tap IT resources for development of education.

Revised and Updated

Mission insists on quality education as the right of each student. Quality education enabled through the education mission will definitely help our students in building knowledge base, ability and confidence, equip them make use of global opportunities and compete with the students of developed countries .

Dr.K Ampady Editor in Chief

Available at District Information Offices/ State Information Centre, Thiruvananthapuram

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FEBRUARY 2017 Volume 37 | Number 4

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dr K Ampady | COORDINATING EDITOR P Vinod | DEPUTY EDITOR - IN- CHIEF Ajitha Das EDITOR K P Saritha | ASSISTANT EDITOR C Rajesh | DESIGNER V S Prakash | CIRCULATION K Deepa DESIGN & LAYOUT R Ratheesh Kumar rash8590070404@gmail.com | PRINTING Orange Printers Pvt Ltd., Thiruvananthapuram

CURRENT 6 Kerala the 'thought leader' of India

COVER STORY 10

Mission Education takes off Prof. C Raveendranath

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A Great Step towards Quality in Teaching and Learning Rajan Gurukkal

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Reforming the Schooling System

DEVELOPMENT

Professor (Dr) M A Khader

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Schools as centers of excellence Dr. A P Kuttykrishnan

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SCERT: The academic hub Dr. J Prasad

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Going Hi-tech K Anvar Sadath Why Kerala says ‘Hello’ to English?

Dr. P K Jayaraj

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LIFE: A people's housing alternative

E Chandrasekharan

Access to Quality School Education Scope and Challenges Dr. C Ramakrishnan

EDITORIAL MATERIALS

Articles/features appearing in this magazine are either commissioned or assigned.

Nevertheless, other articles are also welcome. A maximum of 750 wordage is appreciated.

Such items should be addressed to The Editor Kerala Calling, First Floor, Secretariat Annexe, Thiruvananthapuram. PIN 695 001

keralacalling@gmail.com Responses may be sent to Mail:

The first place the word

VIEWS

expressed in the articles published in Kerala Calling are not, necessarily, those of the Government. Kerala Calling welcomes free expression of divergent views and exchange of ideas through its pages.

HEALTH 38 Madhumeha an Analytical review

Dr Susmita Priyadarshinee Otta

HISTORY Kairali 34Thus was formed

Dr. Alexander Jacob IPS

42 NEWSCAN 44 SCIENCE WALK 46 LAW 48 GARDENING 50 ENGLISH FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

FOCUS

FEATURE

Gramam 36 Haritha A True story

GopakumarPookkottur

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Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Parliament House, New Delhi

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Total no. of pages 56 + Covers

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Kerala the 'thought leader' of India

Republic Day Address by Hon'ble Governor Justice P Sathasivam Priyappetta Sahodari Sahodaranmare, Ellavarkkum Ente Republic Dina Aashamsakal, At the outset, I convey my heartiest Republic Day Greetings to everyone present here and to Keralites all over the world. As we celebrate our 68th Republic Day, our minds swell with boundless joy and pride in our beloved nation's strength as the largest and the most vibrant democracy in the world.

In this moment of joy and pride, we the people of India do realize that the freedom we enjoy today was earned through centuries of struggle, hard work and

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selfless sacrifice of thousands of people, some well known and many, unsung. This is a moment to gratefully remember the people behind those struggles and to strengthen our resolve to preserve our national identity and solidarity.

Seven decades of Independence have strengthened India into an emerging power, and one of the fastest growing economies, which benefited from its positive response to Globalisation. We are also the second largest reservoir of scientific and technical manpower, the third military power, the sixth in the race for Space and the tenth industrial power.

www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling FEBRUARY 2017

> The Union Government led by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has implemented several schemes for the up-lift of different sections of society. The Mudra Yojna for loans to small businesses without collateral or guarantor, and the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojna for rural electrification have proved helpful to people. The crop damage insurance scheme - Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana - and the Krishi Sinchayee Yojana for irrigation facilities have boosted agriculture. The Atal Pension Yojana for social security and the Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana for Indian youth seeking overseas employment also deserve mention.

As a nation, we have always believed in mutual respect and friendly cooperation with other countries, especially our neighbours.

At the same time, India has reacted strongly to violations of peace and cross border

terrorism. Many advances like the final test-firing of the nuclear-capable strategic ballistic missile, Agni-Four, and the test firing of the missile Agni-Five have boosted the morale of our Armed Forces, whose eternal vigil instills a feeling of security in our minds.

India is developing along with the rest of the world. The successful launching of Resource Satellite-2A by the Indian Space Research Organization and its plan for a record launch of 83 Satellites in one go, point to our progress in harnessing Science and Technology for national development.

The World Health Organization, declaring India as being free of maternal and neo-natal Tetanus, was another milestone. However, our challenges are mainly in the form of sustainability in almost all areas of our development from education to agriculture and industry, and in the protection of our environment.

We, in Kerala, have a special reason to be happy, as our State is currently celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of its formation. Ours is a small State, which accounts for hardly three percent of India's population. Yet, Kerala has always been a 'thought leader' for the rest of India with its high literacy, progressive ideas and globally acclaimed movements. Kerala is now on the path of rebuilding itself as one of the most advanced societies in the world, with a mission called “Nava-keralam”, which focuses on four key areas, namely, Education, Agriculture & Environment, Housing and Health. Undoubtedly, these four areas are vital not only to our State, but to our nation as well.

I must appreciate the efforts of the State Government, led by Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, in focusing on these key areas with a broad vision that aims at an all-round development of the State, in tune with the national goals.

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India's population is growing and is expected to reach 140 crore by 2030, with the largest number of young people in the working age group. Considering this demographic dividend, the 'Skill India' Mission targets to impart skills to 40.2 crore young people by the year 2022.

In Kerala, the idea of skill development has moved to the next level, leading our campuses to Start-Up ventures. The Kerala Start-Up Mission (KSUM), which is India's first and most successful Non Academic Business Incubator, has helped over 20 start ups to attain maturity in the last year, taking ‘Start-Up India’ as a model. Their innovations for patent support range from those on neural networks to coconut breakers.

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However, the most striking effort was our move towards a complete digital empowerment of the people at the grass root level. Today, majority of our village offices, departments like Motor vehicle,

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Electricity, Water Authority, payment of various taxes etc., have become online, enabling Kerala to lead Digital India.

The issue of Food Security reminds us of agriculture and industry. Mahatma Gandhi's perception of Agriculture being the backbone of Indian Economy is still relevant, since it sustains the economy through the employment of 52% of our population. Agri-insurance schemes have energized our farming sector. And, Kerala's comprehensive mission of Haritha-keralam attains great relevance as a mission for sustainable development and organic farming to enhance paddy and vegetable production. This rejuvenation package for agriculture is very significant especially in the context of all districts in Kerala being drought affected. On this Republic Day, each one of us should pledge to grow at least two varieties of vegetables in our homes, and to preserve water, considering the drought situation.

We are ready to be declared an Open Defecation Free [ODF] State with Rural Kerala having achieved the target in November itself. Besides, Green Protocol is becoming a regular feature all over Kerala, taking Swachh Bharat to a new level.

The role of the State in People's Health should grow to the level of considering Health as a fundamental right. The Aardram mission for improving quality, amenities, and services in Government hospitals is a step in this direction. In addition, the Government's Anu-yaathra scheme to make Kerala a disabled-friendly State also deserves mention.

Similarly, it is a larger view that powers the housing scheme called ‘LIFE’ which stands for ‘Livelihood, Inclusion & Financial Empowerment’ which has been initiated by the State Government. It will improve the quality of life by providing houses and allied facilities for around 4.75 lakh families.

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> Our State is poised for a second revolution in the Education sector, where class-rooms in Standards 8 to 12 of Government and Aided Schools would be upgraded to international standards as part of the High Tech School project. The plan to spend Rs. two crore each in 220 Higher Secondary Schools and Rs. one crore each in 640 Lower and Upper Primary Schools is a ray of hope for the education sector. In addition, the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), adds momentum to Education through the ‘School Wiki’, which connects around 15,000 schools in the State. I hope to see this trend strengthening our higher education scenario, too.

In Higher Education, this year's “Chancellor's Award” of Rs. Five crore, for the best University in the State, was bagged by Mahatma Gandhi University. This year, we are also planning to institute an award of Rs. One Crore for the best emerging university. Our aim should be to ensure that every university in the State obtains a ranking in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) of the Ministry of Human Resources Development.

In social welfare, I must mention the increasing of minimum Welfare Pension to Rs.1,000/-, and introduction of Pension for trans-genders above 60 years of age as a unique gesture.

The infrastructure scene is expected to improve greatly with the Kochi Metro getting ready for commissioning and work on major National Highway by-passes moving ahead. Besides, the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Board Fund had cleared 48 developmental projects worth Rs. 4,000 crore.

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As a State which has already ensured the highest percentage of domestic electrification in the country, Kerala is also preparing to be declared as a fully electrified State by providing power connections to 2.5 lakh houses. However, we should save energy through energy-efficient equipment and by using renewable energy wherever possible.

The recent inauguration of the Consulate of the United Arab Emirates in Thiruvananthapuram, as the third Diplomatic Mission of the UAE in India, is expected to benefit us by increasing the flow of tourists and improving cultural and trade relations.

As we all know, ours is a nation strengthened by the beauty of its rich diversity as well as by a superlatively written and constructed Constitution. Our national identity has been shaped by the confluence of different cultures, languages, customs and so on.

The harmony that blooms amidst this diversity is our greatest wealth. As citizens, we are duty bound to maintain this unity and harmony by contributing to our national goals of inclusive growth, accountability, transparency and above all, people's participation in governance.

Let us all stand together to see the new morning of a greatly progressive and extra ordinarily powerful India.

Nanni, Namaskaram Jai Hind keralacalling@gmail.com FEBRUARY 2017

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> COVER STORY > > > > > > Prof. C Raveendranath Minister for Education

Mission Education

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ducation is fundamental to the progress of our society. It was the educational policies that existed in Kerala in different times that was responsible for a globally renowned model that ensure primary education to all and it also resulted in stepping down from progressiveness sometimes. The unique achievements in educational sector did not happen in a day but came through a process of social action. Kerala was once the very example for marginalising a major section of people by denying educational opportunities.

The enlightenment movement in late 19th and early 20th century triggered a paradigm shift by initiating a cultural and ideological struggle against oppression.

Social reformers like Narayanaguru, Ayyankali, Chavara Achan, Vakkom Moulavi, and Chattambi Swamy etc. exposed

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this kind of injustice so that a sense of social equality entered into the minds of young people. Probably that was the initial thoughts on universal education. A wind of progressiveness began to blow.

Second major step was taken by the first Kerala Government of 1957 led by E.M.S. The policies of this Government laid the foundation stone of the modern Kerala.

Focus was on Land Reforms and Education.

These two ideas revolutionarily altered the socio-cultural milieu of the State.

Through Land reforms, the feudal system which was prevailing for centuries could be got rid of to a great extent. Consequently, physical background for universal education was created. We slowly began to accept educational system of secular content and plural nature of class rooms.

Kerala model is acclaimed globally for

ensuring higher Literacy rate, low maternal mortality rate, higher life expectancy etc.

Though Kerala holds first position in these developmental indices there are questions regarding second generation issues.

But in the year 1991, when the neo liberal schemes packed with structural adjustments implemented, an indication of education being commercialised croppedup. Gradually this phenomenon grew-up day by day and ultimately the ‘trading on education’ turned into a reality. The fast growth of Sectarianism is the after effect of this malady. Public sector educational institutions became unattractive for the middle class and people of higher strata.

Private Institutions started growing in a big way. Consequently the thoughts on secularism started deteriorating. It is definitely a step backward. www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling

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takes off Addressing this challenge is the need of the hour. Realising this the Left Democratic Front Government started seriously thinking for the implementation of the project ‘Comprehensive Education Rejuvenation Programme’. Simultaneously the Government has also started action to give a message to the next generation that the ‘nature is the text book. Green Protocol has come to existence in all schools in the state. Alumni, former teachers, cultural activists, politicians, and all other well wishers had assembled at the schools and cleanup the office campus to make it plastic free. They took a pledge that School premises will be kept neat and tidy and plastic free. and protect the students from the influence of liquor and drugs.

The main objective of the ‘Comprehensive Education Rejuvenation Programme’’ is to ensure quality education to all in the state.

Government /Government aided Schools are to be more attractive to achieve academic and non-academic excellence. With this the Government feel that the secular and democratic education can be ensured. The Complete ‘digitization’ is one of the main projects that has been envisaged evolved for this purpose. This scheme is intended

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1000 Schools will be made centres of excellence. for digitization from 1st standard to post graduation classes. The digitization will facilitate learning and teaching at the global level. Kerala will become the first digital state in the field of education within three years with the digitization of all Educational institutions. These facilities will help more than one and half a lakh teachers to get modern training. Simultaneously the innovation of curriculum and modernisation of educational institutions will also be carried out. Innovation of curriculum is the strength of education.

As many as 1000 Schools will be made centres of excellence. Libraries and Laboratories will be digitized and modernized.

The teachers working in the field will be given excellent and modern training.

Suitable changes will take place in the Higher

Education and college level.

Very many changes in the area of language learning have become inevitable. When the stress is on Malayalam for the medium of instruction, minimum two other languages English and Hindi are to be learnt. The intention behind the training is to achieve the target that from the primary level itself a child must be able to speak and write Malayalam without mistakes. A student should learn English and Hindi languages to speak and write correctly. Those who had education in Public Sector Institutions must be able to communicate freely when they go outside. At the same time one should have deep and thorough knowledge in his mother tongue. When the medium of instruction is mother tongue, one can have thorough knowledge in all subjects.

The education becomes complete only when there is development in non-academic sector as well. The intention of the General Education department is to make every school campus a bio-diversity garden and through this a farming culture can be induced in children and thereby an awareness among them about the relation-ship between the laws of nature and the activities of human beings. Also Environmental consciousness facilitates development of brain and intellect of children. Action is also under way to start sports, arts and cultural park in every assembly constituency in Kerala state.

Sufficient facilities will be made to provide training to the promising young sports talents to shape them to compete at national or international level. Efforts are also on to fight drug abuse among students.

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> COVER STORY > > > > > > Rajan Gurukkal

A Great Step towards

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Quality in Teaching and Learning

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ver the last one decade there has been a boom of commercialised private schools with good infrastructure, luring even the lower middleclass parents. This has led to the closing down of several Government schools in the state, despite their knowledgeable and trained teachers, some of them even with relatively good infrastructure. Teaching and learning have become too formal and mechanical. All this accounts for the Kerala Government’s call to re-articulate the public school education with good infrastructure, learning environment ensuring quality, universal access and greater

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equity. The Government is rightly giving it the dimension of big social movement with an unprecedentedly huge financial allocation far above the current national rate.

school system. Now the general objective of the Government is to restore them by improving the learning environment not only through electronic sophistication but with a reassured commitment from the part of teachers. The Government is doing everything for familiarising them with new instruction science, not of the teacher centric, but of the student centric kind providing ways of helping students learn better. Its specific objective is to attain real quality teaching/learning.

Access and equity were achieved in the state long ago as part of the Kerala Model of Development. During the previous left rule, infra-structure was given top priority.

Nevertheless, the national new economic policy under the GATS obligations, the state also witnessed as elsewhere in the country, an unbridled growth of privatisation and commercialisation of education, which We take it for granted that all of us know what not only upset access, equity and quality quality means. Actually, we seldom ask the but also caused the decline of the public question: who decides what it means and www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling

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environmental sustainability.

Immediate challenge is to make quality education feasible universally and it is of crucial significance as to be sure that a student has acquired basics for heading towards competencies essential to be a professional in the knowledge economy. Quality in education has become a catchword in the national development strategy under the obvious constraints of knowledge economy. Expressions such as ‘world-class quality’ and excellence’ have become common. A large number of private schools have come up claiming ‘world-class quality and excellence’ as their distinct institutional attribute. It is part of the rhetoric of trade-tricks for these institutions that are engaged in competitive commercialisation of education. They have good infrastructure in most cases, but lack academic resources for quality assurance.

Teachers cannot get away from the national urgency about ensuring education that is preparatory for making gains out of the techno-capitalist global knowledge economy.

At the same time they cannot refrain from generating critical knowledge providing insights into the social and environmental consequences of the economy as well.

Either way, quality education becomes their top-most priority. Quality education helps teachers understand the growing global importance of intangible assets like new knowledge and technological innovativeness. It also provides critical insights into the negative implications of the techno-capitalist global knowledge economy. They realize its consequences like the widening inequalities among nations.

For any educational institution, quality in teaching means rendering basic knowledge plausible in the classroom with a view to fostering original thinking. It is a systematic cognitive advancement from the factual, through conceptual and procedural to meta-learning as conceived long ago (Bloom, et.al.,1956). Serious learning means systematic and self-conscious unlearning.

It is learning and being conscious about the process of replacement of one’s previous understanding. This is essential for a child to be subsequently competent to acquire: a) how it works or who knows what needs to higher cognitive ability, b) sharper analytical be done? As a result we have been shopping faculty, c) better language power and, d) policies after policies from the European creativity or innovativeness. We recognise and American Malls as advised by the World these as the outcomes of quality learning.

Bank. At the same time most of us know A teacher should be capable of initiating that it is the dominant economy, i.e., the children in intimate learning that is essential global capitalist system, which dictates for them to be the future learners accessing the parameters. They often contradict with deeper levels of knowledge. Intimate learning what the nation really needs. The nation is learning everything in relation to the cannot afford to going for mere economic surroundings. This is the beginning point of growth ignoring equity. It is generally said critical faculty in children. Children should that quality teaching and learning are those learn by relating what they learn to social/ based on pre-planned learning outcomes and national situations. Critical consciousness competencies. However, there is no universal is an indispensable aspect of faculty that consensus about learning outcomes and they would require later. It enables them competencies. The competencies that the to ask questions and become creative. dominant economy wants contradict with Criticality and creativity are the obverse what the nation conscious of social and and the reverse of the same coin. A teacher environmental justice requires. In short, should have critical consciousness rooted the attributes of quality are essentially in ethics. Value postulates are integral to subjective precluding the possibility of teaching. It spontaneously comes up in imposing a homogenous system of teaching the transmission of surroundings based and learning. Anyhow, it is a fact that knowledge. A teacher without criticality is ultimately what the global industrial system not only shallow but also unethical in his/ demands would prevail. Even then we cannot her profession. Learning should be innately concede its prevalence because no school linked to questions of social equity and can ignore its responsibility in mending the

This necessitates a new approach to teaching and learning, which involves not much of teacher-centred routine training programmes, but a lot of student-centred participatory programmes capable of turning teachers into facilitators of effective learning. There is no need of pushing too much of the latest instruction science into teacher training, for the entrenched knowledge is obsolete as often made out.

The so called latest methods of teaching and evaluation are those evolved on the basis of the learning processes, conditions and outcomes scientifically understood long ago (Tyler, 1949; Kelly, 2008; B.J. Beatty, 2009). Learning outcomes determined beforehand constitute the foundation for evolving suitable methods of teaching, appropriate selection of evaluation of learning experiences and administration of the right method of evaluation.

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Integrated Critical Pedagogy (ICP) is a new instruction culture inspired by nonc o n ve nt i o n a l m o d e s of k n ow l e d g e transmission. Traits of this new pedagogy are: a) techniques of issue based and interactive learning, the learner centred curriculum design with flexibility and choice ensuring creative freedom, b) participatory knowledge acquisition enabling the learner to be innovative. ICP provides creative space for issue based interactive learning, which helps children develop the basic perspective to be holistic later in their days of specialisation.

For example, integrator topics like air, energy, water, climate, waste etc., can be chosen for issue based effective interactive learning, for any of these topics would necessitate convergence of multiple sciences and social sciences. To a great extent this is what the Government of Kerala is determined to promote.

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Professor (Dr) M A Khader

Reforming

the Schooling System

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ecently I glanced upon a news paper report outlining the findings of the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) - 2016. The highlights of the findings mark that 25 per cent of class viii children in kerala lack the skills of subtraction and division. The finding depicts the image of children's capacity to perform basic mathematical operations. The persons who matter in public and the critics as well, invariably use such evidences to articulate their views on schooling. Quite often they end up drawing the fault-line on the teacher. There are also instances

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where the policy makers argue for the use of student test scores for judging teacher performance. Unfortunately, whether policy makers or critics, they fail to separate out the portion of the student achievement that are attributable to specific teachers. There are multiple factors, both human and environment, that are realities, and they exert their influence in human learning and achievement. Multiple factors increase the complexities of human learning and we often fail to minimise the influence of such factors in learning. Instead, we often resort to blaming the teacher for what the learner attains in learning or what happens in the school.

Social perspective Like the coin which has two sides, the story of teacher too has two sides. One view holds that teachers are accountable for low level of performances of children. They are blamed for anything that happens in the school or for the behaviour of children. The other side of the story is that parents bestow confidence and trust on the teachers. Because of the trust, they turn to the teacher when they are confronted with the problem of education of their children.

They seek teachers' help in guiding learning, conduct and development of children. In recent times, there have been efforts to educationalise human

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problems that exist in our society. Rooted on such thinking, the system of governance seeks the support of the school and the teacher in addressing such problems. They include a range of problems covering inequalities related to caste, class and gender, adolescent sex, public health, environment and the like. Whether it is the test score or human problems, the State and the community look towards the school and the teacher for solutions. Though the teacher is blamed for the children's learning and behaviour, what a faith the society bestows on the teacher.

We must recognise this reality.

School's origin can be traced to the collective needs of the society. The idea of collective needs unfolds the social perspective of school and teacher. Schooling is a mass - public service system where every child has a right to education.

Neither the school nor the teacher has the choice not to serve any child. It is into the custody of teacher the parents place children for a significant period of their life. It is natural for any one to surmise that teacher's clients are 'other's children'. 'Other's children' implies the children of the community. They hail from different social origin backgrounds - religion, caste or class.

School or classroom becomes the meeting point for these children. In reality school or classroom forms the first democratic space in the life of children. The teacher sets the context for their interaction and participation through various forms of activities. Activities, group formations and interactions, inside and outside the classrooms, form the pathways for breaking

the boundaries set by social origin backgrounds.

Relationships the child constructs with others while in the school have a major consequences for later life as adults in the society. For example, how they form relationships by breaking the boundaries set by the social origin backgrounds provides life to the idea of living together in a multi-religious - class based society. It is also a reality that one can see the teacher's interaction by weaving in and out of the children within and outside the classroom. Children under the guidance of the teacher interact and form meanings through internal representation of external realities. A striking feature is that children of different social origin gather in the school, sit in the same class, interact with the same teachers, learn the same content, engage in the same activities and perform the same assessment process. Surprisingly, we seldom take note of such features, and well, they are the basics of a democratic system. If set on right path, the interactions among children provide for dissolving the social - psychological boundaries stemming from religion or caste or class or the thoughts nurtured by such origins. Curiously, this idea gives colour to the meaning of modernisation. Forces of modernisation are associated with the idea of moving from particularistic to universalistic form of realities. For example, there is no separate classroom for children of a caste or religion, say, Brahmin or Nair or Ezhava, or Hindu or Muslim or Christian. Reality is that we see a mixed classroom. It is the teacher who needs to care for such a class room.

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They are blamed for anything that happens in the school or for the behaviour of children.

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We need to recognise the fact that ' other's children' and mixed classrooms are the social realities that posit multiple challenges to the teacher. Such realities mark that the teacher has a social mission in society. Social mission outlines that the primary concern of the teacher is centered on learning and development of all children. Certainly, the social mission cannot be attained unless the teacher has a professional vision.

Professional vision unlocks a road map for professional development of the teacher.

Professional development is key for the development of 'other's children' and through children's development the teachers reach out to the society and its development. It is exciting to note that Comenius, the Czeck thinker, developed his vision on education from the idea of improving the pupils in the classroom to the idea of improving the mankind in general. What matters in this context is the critical role of the teacher in shaping the relations among State, education and society. It was Erasmus, the Dutch reformer, who meaningfully sensed the role of teacher in the growth of a civilised society. He argued that it is the duty of statesmen to provide for the supply of men qualified to educate the youth of a nation.

Erasmus valued high the social role of the teacher. The implication is that schooling is important not just because it provides for the development of academic knowledge and skills. It is the major institution for socialising the young also. Teachers do not just teach subject, they are expected to teach values KERALA CALLING

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and behaviour. Teachers help the young to pick up the way of life and culture of the society and lead them in the path to become socialised adults. It was Aristotle who pointed out that the purpose of education is to develop not simply the intellect but also the morals, behaviour and character of the young. It means that any attempt to outline the role of teacher naturally seeks a reflection on the components of school and their interdependence.

Teacher's role Infact, the components of school can be mapped well if we use the idea of whole part relationship. The relationship between the whole and part is such that we need to conceive of the whole first before we conceive of its parts. In other words it tells that we can not define the parts until and unless we define the whole to which the part belongs. The part gains meaning, only and only, in relation to the whole, and they are intrinsically related to the whole. For example, school has a number of parts consisting of infrastructure, learners, teachers, curriculum, activities, evaluation, management and the like. Each part can be further detailed through a set of meaningful sub-parts. We define the whole first to determine its parts. The building whether it is a house or a school or a hospital, for example, will determine its foundation, number and size of rooms, walls, floors, roof and the like. Likewise, the stage of education whether it is pre-school or elementary or secondary or higher secondary

or college, each has its own infrastructure, learners, teachers, curriculum etc. Each part has its own specific features reflecting the stage to which the part belongs. For example, pre-school stage has its own teacher with distinct professional development course and qualifications, different from other stages of education. Likewise, it has its own curriculum and practices, and learners, quite different from the rest of the stages.

Similar patterns are visible for all stages of education. Though the whole-part relations assume primacy, there exist part-part relations too. The part-part relations are essentialities for the sustenance of the whole-part relations. Let me consider teacher quality as an instance. Teacher quality has consequences for curriculum transactions that open the pathway for active engagement of the learner involving learner thinking in the process of learning. In other words, a weak teacher quality spreads its tentacles to curriculum transactions and the process of learning resulting in low form of learner development. It means that weakness in a part creates gaps in the whole and affects the nature and functioning of the whole and other parts as well. It is a meaningful assertion that teacher exists, only and only, if the student exists. It is just as the curriculum has meaning only if the student exists. The interdependence of parts can not be ignored. The striking feature is that quality and strength of partpart relations provide for the quality and strength of whole-part relations. Among www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling

> the various parts, teacher stands out from the rest in the sense that teacher is the human element that provides for meaningful relations among the various parts. In other words, it is the teacher who connects learner and curriculum, parents and school, learner and assessment, learners across stages and so on. The inference is that the teacher has a critical role in the entire process of education. We need to recognise this reality if our concern is to address quality in schooling.

Teaching is essentially an interactional work involving teachers and clients. Teachers' clients are children and adolescents. They are neither mature nor voluntary members in the schooling processes. Obviously, teachers task involves a complex set of actions involving various combinations of clients (students), technology (methods) and products (result). The nature of work sets the school apart from other

organisations like hospital or legal systems.

The technology of teaching is complex in nature and unusually different from other technologies. Teaching involves a cycle : the planning and design of curriculum, its objectives, textbooks, materials, lessons and the process of learning, and means of evaluation; the implementation of curriculum and its revision. Curriculum transaction seeks that the teacher possesses multiple type of expertise in terms of the knowledge of the society from where the children hail, knowledge of the subject (content), knowledge of students and knowledge of methods and skills : knowing how to teach, knowing which method to use with particular keralacalling@gmail.com

topics, with particular students and in particular settings. Considering the multiple nature of expertise involved in the teacher's work, analysts of occupations classify teaching as relatively complex form of work characterised by uncertainty and ambiguity requiring high degree of initiative, thought and skill. The implication is that we need to provide for building up and strengthening the professionalism of teachers. It is not just training. We need to decentre our approach from training to teacher development in the sense that professional level transformation takes place in the teacher. With teacher development programme, each teacher should feel that he or she possesses the required professional capacity to perform the job. Professionalism in teaching paves the way for setting the conditions for the process perspective of learning so that all children learn and develop their thinking process. It simply means that our effort to

develop teacher professionalism needs to be centered on process perspective of learning.

Unfortunately, with the market oriented approach in education, policy makers centre their attention on learning outcome and also on IT based instruction to boost the learning outcome. Discourses on education centering on a conceptual frame formulated on learning outcome, national standards, national testing and international standards are gaining more acceptance among policy makers. It does not surprise to find that the 2017 - 18 national budget provides space articulating learning outcome as a measure of quality. Stress on learning outcome without considering the engagement of

the learner through the process perspective of learning will not yield the desired result.

Instead, it would promote the growth of coaching centers and unhealthy competition among learners for boosting achievement scores. Well, in a market oriented approach, achievement score is what matters. If we proceed with our reforms in education with the sole objective of boosting student achievement (learning outcome), we will be treading a path for the creation of a society of competing individuals, instead of creating a human society.

A reform in schooling should place priority on teacher development for the fact that it is the teacher who is capable of manipulating other elements of the school. When we talk of teacher development we need to focus our attention on professionalism of teacher. The implication is that the approach needs a shift from training to development where every teacher attains professional transformation. This would provide the teacher the needed opportunity to attain professional autonomy and control. While dealing with the professional transformation it is a logical necessity that we choose the path of process perspective of learning. The process perspective provides situations for the engagement of every child in the process of learning and develop the process of thinking. Such an approach would ultimately provide for learning and development of all children. Infact, that is what a democratic form of governance look for. There is a need to decentre the approach while organising the teacher development programmes. Such programmes need to be structured based on teacher collectives. Teacher collectives meet every month and engage in the process of building their professionalism. In this context, the recent initiative of Government of Kerala for enriching the infrastructure and academic quality of 1000 schools seeks attention. Infrastructure development needs to be seen as a conduit for the development of academic quality. It does not mean that infrastructure automatically paves the way for academic quality unless the plan provides specific action points for the development of academic components. Well, this is the context where the teacher assumes primacy.

Initiatives of this nature must conceive and provide for teacher development as a first step. Other components can be taken up subsequently. Recognition of primacy of teacher naturally entails the teacher for becoming part of the collective responsibility for strengthening school quality. That is the basic of a democratic system of governance.

The writer is Former Head, Curriculum Group N.C.E.R.T., New Delhi.

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> COVER STORY > > > > > > Dr. A P Kuttykrishnan

Schools as

centers of excellence

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epartment of Education has initiated a Mission for Safeguarding General E d u c at i o n i n G ov t a n d Aided Schools as part of the Mission for Reforming Kerala. The mission intends to transform the Govt and Aided Schools of the state as centers of excellence providing equal opportunities to all children to attain quality and comprehensive development. Kerala has almost achieved Universalistion of school education. Enrollment of children in class one is near cent percent and almost all of them complete their class ten examination and nearly 90% completing 12year of schooling. But there are gaps in the case of SC/ST students. In this context, Kerala’s major concern is addressing the issues of equity and quality. We have to address the concerns and aspirations of the parental community. Their main concern is to have access to quality schooling or to enroll their children in those schools which provide equal opportunity for equitable education.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has charted a number of initiatives focussing on the critical aspect of improving academic

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standards. A significant component of these is the Learning Enhancement Programme that aims at addressing academic challenges through various strategies.

Learning Enhancement Programme Physical infrastructure development being just one part of improving public school education in the State, the State Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has charted a number of initiatives focussing on the critical aspect of improving academic standards. The priority is to ensure that academically weak students, initially in the lower primary category, have grasped the fundamentals of Malayalam, English, Environmental Studies and Mathematics by the end of the academic year. Learning Enhancement Programme has been in vogue in the State since 2006.

LEP is planned for all the classes of elementary level. The activities planned under learning enhancement programme provide additional support in making learners in the early stage of their schooling itself, the love for, reading, drawing, designing, visualising, constructing, counting and manipulating

objects to meet tasks set for them.

A set of reading cards was given to students as aimed at promoting reading comprehension and critical thinking.

Each set of reading cards is meant for use in the classroom by a group of five children. The themes of the cards correspond with the content of the textbooks. The LEP programme at primary level intends to make learners read different kinds of texts (story, descriptions, poems, picture stories) and make them apply simple reading strategies to comprehend what is read and respond to the tasks. There will be focused programmes for enhancing the learning of Mother tongue, English, Environmental Studies and Maths in classes 3 to 5. The overarching goal of this programme is to develop a balanced pedagogic programme on reading and writing; method, materials and teachersupport activities in class 3, 4 and 5 to make all learners independent readers and writers.

Improving Language skills Besides the Hello English programme to improve English proficiency in lower primary schools, there will be ‘Malayalathilakkam’ for improving

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Malayalam proficiency of students at elementary level. Hello English programme aims at bringing about confidence in using the English language among students of the Lower Primary section by training their teachers to instruct the language more efficiently. Malayalathilakkam is an immersion programme to enable learners to improve their proficiency in reading and writing in Malayalam. The workshops conducted as part of this programme were basically practical in nature. Through constant dialoging and mentoring of teachers under the support of Poulose Master, a veteran in this field, SSA has proved that an immersion programme will make students proficient in reading and writing. At Upper Primary levels SSA intends to make all the students proficient in three languages; Mother tongue, English and Hindi. As part of regular class room process and innovative strategies like theatre, dramatisation, role play and choreography will be used to enhance the language skills of students.

Bio diversity gardens SSA, Kerala has initiated learning enhancement programmes to improve the learning of science and mathematics through biodiversity gardens.

Biodiversity gardens in Elementary schools will help develop an inclination for science and scientific processes and spur their critical thinking. As part of Rashtriya Aviskar Abhiyan, SSA, Kerala aims to enhance the learning of science beyond the four walls of the classroom. Idukki district in Kerala has developed biodiversity gardens in schools to promote learning of science. Bio diversity gardens are the places from where students can examine their general awareness about daily experiences and transform them into scientific knowledge through hands-on-approach of scientific method of learning, i.e., observation, classification, comparison,

SSA will adopt ‘zero rejection’ policy so that no child is left out of the education system.

generalization and experimenting. Thus School Biodiversity garden/Park is envisioned as an environmental education resource that provides a range of suggestions for achieving learning outcomes of the Science and Mathematics syllabus. The challenge is to equip teachers to tap into these rich resources for providing learning activities connected with each unit and integrate them into teaching and learning.

Inclusive education SSA will adopt ‘zero rejection’ policy so that no child is left out of the education system. To ensure that differently abled children studying in such schools are part of the mainstream, model activities, group games, camps where they will get to interact with other children, and teacher training will be held. The SSA will also train its attention on the education of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students.

Besides educating teachers about the language and culture of tribal children, it will prepare a dialect dictionary, and conduct leadership training and theatre camps for students. Steps will be taken to attract to schools children of migrant workers and of those who move from place to place.

A programme has also been drawn up to introduce to students the art, culture, and literature of religious and linguistic minorities. The SSA will reach out to the people to include them in the school development process.

Conventions and workshops will be held from the district to the school level. Parent-Teacher Associations, School Development Committees, and School Management Committees w i l l b e strengthened, and cluster centres in all Panchayats will be turned into resource centres for promoting equity and quality in schooling and learning.

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The writer is State Project Director, SSA, Kerala

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> COVER STORY > > > > > > Dr. J Prasad

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To cover the entire teaching population in a specific period the ‘cascade mode’ of training is the strategy adopted.

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he State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT Kerala), the academic hub of school education in the State, is an autonomous body of the Department of General Education; Government of Kerala. It was established on the lines of the NCERT at the national level, to function as a resource body in the academic matters of school education, policy formulation, curriculum development, research and extension, vocationalisation of education and teacher education programmes in the State.

The SCERT was formulated, according to the ‘New Education Policy’ of 1986 and the Programme of Action, which is the continuation of the NEP. The National Education Policy had highlighted the need for strengthening the academic foundation of school education, by establishing the NCERT at the national level and SCERTs at the state level.

In addition SCERT collaborates with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA); English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad(EFLU); Regional Institute of English South India (RIESI Bangalore); Regional Institute of Education (RIE Mysore); Central Institute of Languages,

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Mysore(CIL); Department of Education of the University of Kerala; Directorate of Higher Secondary Education (DHSE), Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI), Colleges of Teacher Education (CTEs); Institute of Advanced Studies in Education, Thrissur (IASE); State Institute of English, Thrissur (SIE); Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA); State Institute of Educational Technology (SIET) all have greatly enhanced the effectiveness of programmes envisaged

by SCERT.

Curriculum formation We can generally say that the curriculum reflects the policies and approaches of a state relating to the different factors of learning. It is a fact that a curriculum is complete only when it is transacted among learners in the desired direction. Formulation of a curriculum document involves complex processes that include communicating with people who are involved in the educational process - both directly and indirectly. The Kerala Curriculum Framework (KCF 2007) based on the NCF 2005 was developed

by SCERT Kerala, in this manner. The KCF was conceived based on the research studies and data collected on the core issues related to education by 14 focus groups at the state level.

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Vision and Mission

SCERT KERALA

The State Council of Educational Research and Training

The academic

hub

in the light of the experience of the past a specific period the ‘cascade mode’ ten years. of training is the strategy adopted. The SCERT develops more than three hundred SCERT organises state-level training textbooks on various subjects for various programmes for developing the resource classes when the curriculum is revised. pool of teachers and prepares training Teacher texts (handbooks for teachers) modules for subsequent levels of training. are also developed to serve as guidelines for teachers in their classroom transaction.

The same textbooks are either modified or adapted to cater to the needs of children with special needs (CWSN). The development of digital content along with textbooks is also done, as it is the need of the hour, to enable effective transaction.

Teacher Education T h e M i n i st r y of H u m a n R e s o u rc e Development has reiterated the need for transforming the SCERTs as the nodal agency for teacher education (Pre-service and in-service) at the State level. In Kerala, the SCERT organises teacher development programmes for teachers at all levels – from pre-primary to higher secondary. The institution conducts in-service training for teachers from the pre-primary to the higher secondary (including the vocational higher secondary sector). In order to cover the entire teaching population in

K-TET Exams The SCERT has been entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the Teacher Eligibility Test (K-TET) which is the qualifying examination for selection of teachers, conducted in accordance with NCTE guidelines, to ensure the selection of teachers of quality. The preparation of the guidelines for the conduct of the examination, formulation of syllabus and development of test items are the major tasks undertaken by the SCERT whereas the conduct of examination is done by the Kerala Pareeksha Bhavan..

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to provide advice to the state government on policies and programmes for enhancing quality standards in school education.

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to undertake, aid, promote and coordinate research in areas related to school education.

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to prepare and publish textbooks, supplementary educational materials, newsletters, journals and other related literature.

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to organise pre-service and inservice training for teachers.

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to develop and disseminate innovative educational techniques and practices.

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to collaborate and network with education departments of other states, universities, NGOs and other educational institutions.

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to act as a clearing house for ideas and information in matters related to school education.

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to act as a nodal agency for the universalisation of school education.

The institution focuses on •

developing curriculum

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developing textbooks, teacher texts and other related materials

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developing evaluation strategies

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developing materials for preprimary and pre-service teacher education

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developing models of educational technology and ICT assisted learning

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developing and releasing various publications

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documentation and dissemination of activities

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conducting research and extension programmes

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promoting non-formal education, special education and population education

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promoting art education, health education and vocational education

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managing public relations

Planning and implementation of evaluation strategies SCERT Kerala has been able to put forward excellent models in the field of learner assessment. Guidelines for evaluation at primary, secondary and higher secondary levels were developed

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There are also facilities for online reference of books and journals.

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along with an exclusive computer based programme - ‘Evalpro’ - for recording the assessment results of higher secondary students. Evalpro has been introduced to streamline the exhaustive process of recording the scores related to evaluation and to make evaluation transparent and effective. In order to allay the apprehensions of the teachers and students, a detailed document named ‘Padavukal’ was developed that included a collection of sample questions. When the higher secondary examination system was revamped later, ‘Edumate’ was published, to serve the purpose.

A help desk system was also arranged to reduce the difficulties experienced by students during the examination time and to clarify their doubts regarding the mode of examination. This became necessary when some fundamental changes were introduced in the way the examinations are conducted.

Talent Search Exams SCERT Kerala organizes talent search

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exams, viz. NTSE and NMMSE, every year to identify talented students and to support them in pursuing their studies. The SCERT carries out the process of selection of students and training them to appear for the National Talent Search Examination. The National Means cum Merit Examination is also conducted to select deserving students to receive scholarship.

Textbook Archives An exclusive Textbook Archive and Research Centre, the first of its kind in India, was established by SCERT to promote research. The aim of this centre is to collect all available textbooks and to prepare the background for textbook research. Arrangements for digitizing and preserving rare and precious books have also been made. There are plans to allocate funds for textbook research.

State Educational Library The State Educational Library, the biggest library in Kerala exclusively set up for school education functions as a part of SCERT. Around sixty

four research journals (both native and foreign) are subscribed here for reference. There are also facilities for online reference of books and journals.

Books on various subjects such as education, literature, science, social science, general knowledge, research studies and in various subjects in schools are scientifically arranged and displayed here for the use of students and research scholars.

Research and Extension The SCERT has the great responsibility of organizing academic research on a range of areas pertaining to school education, to lead to the formulation of approaches and policy in areas such as adolescent education, population education, environmental education, value education, vocational education, gender education, etc.

Academic Support to Other Institutions With the delinking of the Pre-degree course from Universities, the Kerala State Open School (KSOS) started its www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling

FEBRUARY 2017

> functioning under the SCERT. Now it has become an autonomous independent body -- SCOLE Kerala -- catering to the academics needs of higher secondary education in the State. SCERT provides academic support also to institutions/ projects such as RMSA, SSA. SIET, IT @school, Kerala State Literacy Mission Association (KSLMA), Technical High Schools, Art High Schools, Fisheries Schools and other Special Schools.

The government has decided to spend around 7000 Cr rupees for the strengthening and revitalization of General Education in the State in the next five years. A massive campaign for strengthening General Education (Pothu Vidyabhyasa Samrakshana Yegnam) has been initiated to upgrade the educational institutions

as centres of academic excellence by enhancing both the teaching and learning standards and the infrastructure. The government endeavors to realise this great project with the involvement of all sections of the society, viz. local self governments, people’s representatives, NRIs, PTAs, Alumni, School Management Committees, School Development Councils, School Protection Groups, Senior citizens, NGOs co-operative/ public sector institutions and the like. As the first initiative a Government school in each assembly constituency will be upgraded to international standards. One thousand schools will attain international standards in five years. Around forty thousand classrooms from 8th to 12th standard will be transformed as high-tech classrooms.

As an initial step, all the Government and Aided LP and UP schools will be provided with broadband internet connectivity with WIFI facility. The laboratories and libraries in schools will be renovated to meet the emerging needs.

It has been noted that there are 143 high schools function in the State (as part of the RMSA central project) without required number of teachers and with inadequate infrastructural facilities. The Government plans to strengthen these schools to ensure their proper functioning. The government is giving shape to a school development project as well, which is based on inclusive education to bring to the main stream those who are socially and financially backward, the marginalized and the differently-abled. Skill centres will be established in schools under each constituency, with a view to identify and encourage the aptitudes of children. The aim is to identify and nurturing the inborn talents of children.

In order to strengthen ICT assisted learning and to explore the possibilities of different learning resources, ICT education has been initiated by introducing exclusive ICT curriculum and textbooks for school classes from classes I to XII. Ente Malayalam Project for remedying the backwardness in the use of mother tongue and Ganitha Souhrudam, the project for improving the standards of learning of arithmetic will be introduced. By making broadband facility available at the primary level, Kerala will be the first state in India to provide internet facility to children from the first standard to the twelfth.

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Biodiversity parks will be set up in the maximum possible number of schools to protect and preserve dwindling natural resources. A special project named ‘Hello English’ to enhance English language learning in primary schools has already been implemented. This project is implemented keeping in view the parent community in Kerala that relies blindly on English medium schools regardless of the quality of instruction. The programme conceived and developed by SCERT is being implemented by the SSA Kerala.

SCERT provides the required academic support to all these dream projects of the Department of Education and closely monitors their implementation. Thus, heavy responsibilities are vested in this institution for ensuring quality in school education.

The wrtier is Director, SCERT Kerala

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> COVER STORY > > > > > > K Anvar Sadath

Going Hi-Tech 24

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o v e r n m e n t o f Ke ra l a h a s identified IT@School Project as the implementing agency of the ‘Hi-Tech school programme’ by which all Classes from Std 8 to 10 in the Government and Aided schools in the State would be upgraded international standards. The programme was a highlight in the Budget Speech for the year 201617. Through this unique programme, the schools in the State would become Centre for Excellence with the help of Information Communication Technology in a phased manner. This project is one of the major components of ‘Education Mission’ of the State Government. The upgradation of classrooms to Hi-Tech is part of the overall uplifting of all components of school education such as Infrastructure upgradation, academic excellence, learning environment, lab, library and extracurricular activities to international standards. IT@School Project has already prepared a master plan for put this massive project on track in the next two years.

This project envisages a

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comprehensive upgradation of various elements of classroom learning such as infrastructure, textbooks, learning materials, teacher trainings, handbooks, monitoring and evaluation, e-governance using ICT. Government would facilitate necessary physical, academic and digital contents which are required for implementing ICT education as part of this programme. All teachers would be provided with basic IT training, specific training for classroom teaching using ICT equipments, ICT enabled subject training, training on ICT content development and its technical aspects.

would be equipped with Digital Interactive Textbooks, Digital Content Collection for easy learning of all subjects, Resource portal which would ensure a round-a clock learning atmosphere to all, E-learning / M-Learning / Learning Management system, evaluation mechanisms in addition to Computers, Multimedia Projector, Sound System and High Speed internet connection which every student and teacher could make use of. Each school would feature offline servers hosting educational contents, which would be connected to classrooms, library and labs. This system would enable Under this programme, all classrooms a secure and easy access of contents for the students and teachers. Free and Open Source Software based Operating System and resources which does not imply any recurring charges or license fee, but instead provides unrestricted access, sharing of digital contents and educational software would be used in all schools.

ICT Labs A well-equipped computer lab would feature in all Hi-Tech schools as part of ICT enabled education. In the first

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> be finalised based on the inputs from the IT Audit and also after reviewing the school’s individual plan for implementing this programme. Steps would be taken to repair the faulty ICT equipments in the schools, thereby ensuring availability of sufficient hardware.

The schools have to provide the basic facilities for setting up classrooms and

Animation, Internet, Cyber Security and Malayalam computing.

A Master Trainer from IT@School Project would be assigned for each school, who would co-ordinate the activities of School IT Co-ordinators, rectify technical problems assembly constituency wise, which cannot be resolved by the school team, and to centrally co-ordinate the activities Hi-Tech Head school. Hardware Clinics would be conducted once a year in each Hi-Tech school to rectify the faulty computers and ICT equipments, and the School IT Co-ordinators and selected Student IT Co-ordinators would be included in this programme. A state-level Call-centre mechanism would be set-up for resolving the technical issues in each Hi-Tech school in a timely manner. A detailed plan for addressing the pile of ‘E-Waste’ being accumulated in schools would be finalised and implemented in consultation with various departments.

Documentation

phase, ICT equipments would be deployed to the Hi-Tech schools at the ratio of one computer lab for every 15 divisions.

Each lab would contain enough number of computers in the proportion of 3:1 so that even all students in the division with maximum strength can use them at a time.

The computers setup in these labs would have a central server connectivity backed by a high speed broadband connection in addition to an online UPS for power backup.

A LCD projector / LED Television would also be made available in these labs. Specific software such as ORCA for differentially abled students would also be installed in the computers.

computer labs to be made Hi-Tech. As far as physical infrastructure is concerned, schools have to ensure that each classroom and lab has tiled flooring, a secure ceiling in case of tiled roof, locker facilities, shelves and racks for keeping the equipments, painted clean walls and a secure electrical connection with enough plug-points. Schools can make use of various funding sources such as MP/ MLA LAD funds, funds from local bodies, School PTA/SMC/Alumni, contributions from individuals and institutions etc, for ensuring the required infrastructure.

Support mechanisms

A team comprising of School IT Co-ordinators and Student School IT Co-ordinators would HI-Tech school- Plan of Action be set up in each school for the proper Government have decided to implement functioning, supervision, security and cothe Hi-Tech school project on a pilot basis ordination of smart classrooms. The IT Coin schools in 4 selected constituencies ordinators in each school would be provided in the State and the four constituencies training to extend technical support for include Alappuzha, Puthucad, Kozhikode supplementing digital content development North and Thaliparamba. A detailed school locally. A team of School Student IT cosurvey has been initiated by IT@School ordinators would be built in each school Project to assess the actual requirement to provide specific training in Computer of ICT requirements at schools. The list Hardware, Electronics, Movie making and of ICT equipments for the schools would keralacalling@gmail.com

Specific systems would be put in place for documenting the progress of each activity in the schools and to recommend ways of improvement. Each school would be provided with individual pages in the general portal and in SchoolWiki also for this process. There would also be mechanism for recording the best practices in each Hi-Tech school. These recorded contents would then be edited and evaluated by a panel of experts and based on their recommendations, the best out of them would be displayed in a general portal.

The best locally made digital contents would make its way to the general server. Digital contents would be collaboratively made with active participation from teachers and students. Necessary training and support would be provided to each Hi-Tech school for attaining self-sustainability in content development. Special encouragements would be extended to the school, teacher, school IT Co-ordinator, Student IT Coordinator and the Master Trainer who excel in each term.

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Monitoring Necessary monitoring systems such as real-time feedback collection, school visits, online monitoring systems, regular review meetings and essential upgadations etc would be implemented in a time-bound manner. This programme would be closely monitored and evaluated by the PanchayathConstituency-District-State level Mission Teams and Taskforce which would be formed as part of General Education Protection Mission.

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> COVER STORY > > > > > > Dr. P K Jayaraj

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overnment of Kerala is committed to transform the state as per the dreams and aspirations of the people.

Department of Education has initiated a Mission; Pothuvidyabhyasa Samrakshana Yatnam, a mission to safeguard the Government and Aided schools of the state as centers of brilliance providing equal opportunities to all children to attain excellence and all-round development. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Kerala during 2017-18 has initiated programmes to make learners proficient in their mother tongue, English and Hindi. It is in this context that the project ‘Hello English’ gains significance.

People of Kerala have a positive and healthy attitude towards the learning of English language. For Keralites English is not an elitist language, it is a language of employment and opportunities.

In the 1986 movie Doore Doore Oru Koodu Koottam directed by Sibi Malayil, the school teacher Divakaran enacted by Mohanlal translates Uppumavu into English as ‘salt-mango tree’. This scene in fact is a metaphor that captures the lack of English language proficiency of teachers teaching English at elementary level.

Three decades later, there have seen vast improvement in the way English is learnt in Govt and Aided school classrooms.

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The genesis of Hello English Department of School Education has successfully tried out Second Language Acquisition Programme (SLAP) to enhance the quality of English Language teaching and learning as part of its curriculum revision in 1998. SLAP was launched in sixty select schools for a year and it was found that children brought under SLAP were able to perform all the language skills better than those students in the main stream. The Kerala Curriculum Framework (KCF), introduced in 2007, brought about a marked shift from the skill based learning to whole language approach focussing on discourses. However a large number of learners are found struggling to use English for real life purposes in spite of the fairly long period of learning the language.

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English, in Kerala, is still treated and taught as a “subject” in the school curriculum rather than as a serious communicative tool. Continuous study of English for years doesn’t equip the learners to use English in speech and writing accurately. A satisfactory proficiency in English is still a distant dream to most students. The Achilles’ heel of the English education is the lack of confidence and proficiency of the teacher to use English effectively for instructional purposes. It is in this context that SSA, Kerala has conceived a programme to enhance the standard of learning English in the state. The project is titled ‘Hello English’ and it has two central objectives – improving the teacher quality and enhancing the learner’s proficiency to use English.

The genesis of Hello English

Impact of the Programm

Wh Kerala

‘Hell Engli www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling

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> Hello English project Hello English project People of Kerala have a positive and healthy attitude towards the learning of English language.

mme

hy a says

lo’ to ish? keralacalling@gmail.com

English classes in Kerala are set to undergo a makeover with ‘Hello English’. The Hello English training module and processes are designed to impart interesting and engaging learning strategies that go beyond the textbook and immerse the students in the language, thereby making them proficient in English. For instance, interactive learning methods such as narration, role play, Total Physical Response (TPR), dramatisation, miming and choreography will be employed to encourage student involvement, interaction and self-expression. Interactive story telling in classroom is one of the key components of Hello English. Teachers using three dimensional learning aids and pictures tell minimum two stories per week in English classes as part of the programme.

Interactive story telling enhances students’ listening and speaking skills. Further, students will be encouraged to read nontextbook stories and other texts in English, and also to write on their own through class newspapers, diary entries, and so on. English reading corners will be set up in classrooms as part of this. The students’ creations in English will be exhibited at the school level.

‘Hello English’ has been devised as a long-term project that will evolve through experiential research. The training module development team of SSA worked with practising teachers teaching English in

classes 1 to 4 and identified the English language learning difficulties and the challenges faced by teachers. The module was designed through a three-month study, involving try-outs in twenty different schools and interactions with learners, parents, and teachers. Around 15000 teachers of Kerala teaching English at primary level received five day face to face training from 150 Key Resource Persons.

These Key Resource Persons have been given intensive eight day training by the expert team consisting of Dr.P.K.Jayaraj, Dr K.M.Unnikrishnan and K.T.Dinesh. The training programme involves ‘School Experience Programme’ in which teachers tryout best practices in the classroom.

The video recording of best practices in English language teaching was shown and discussed in the training session along with the actual tryout of different sessions.

Reflection and self assessment for Teacher Professional Development’ is one of the main features of the project. Teachers who get training under Hello English will try-out the good practices for period of a month, after which the teachers will attend English cluster meetings in order to discuss their experiences and issues. Further, they will receive online support and access to learning resources. Long-term training programmes will be held over the summer holidays for all teachers teaching English from classes 1 to 8.

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Impact of the Programme As ‘Hello English’ programme was launched only four months ago, it may not be possible to expect drastic changes within this short span of time. However, there are trends of change visible in our classrooms. SSA’s trainers who visited schools report that there are a number of instances where students enjoy learning English and their confidence and readiness to take part in learning activities have enhanced. Teachers also enjoy teaching English. Jyothi, one among the teachers who attended the five day Hello English programme in Palakkad district, writes; “Hello English training

programme really changed me as a teacher.

During my 33 years of service I never got a chance to take a try out class in front of the children in another school. In Hello English I got such an opportunity. The try out class, my personal reflection and the group discussion followed really made me a better teacher”. These words sum up the motivation and enthusiasm that is visible among the teacher community. The project in the next four years will try to make the teaching and learning of English in our schools an enjoyable and engaging activity.

The writer is State Programme Officer, SSA, Kerala FEBRUARY 2017

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> COVER STORY > > > > > > Dr. C Ramakrishnan

Access to Quality School Education

Scope and Challenges Kerala’s major concern is addressing quality issues and the issues of equity and equality.

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mong the States of Union of India, Kerala has its own unique experience that has placed the State far ahead of the rest on educational development.

The varied experiences have helped in consolidating the gains and drawing up plans to move forward. While Kerala, for instance, is striving to carry forward universalization to Higher Secondary stage, many States are struggling to attain total enrolment and universalisation of elementary education.

as far as Kerala is concerned but this issue still remains in the national context. We have to concentrate the second generation issues while the nation as a whole i s s t i l l a d d re s s i n g fi rs t generation issues. Hence Kerala’s major concern is addressing quality issues and the issues of equity and equality.

In order to address Compared to the literacy rate of 74.04% in t h e s e c o n c e r n s the country in 2011, Kerala’s pre-eminence Government of Kerala is evident in its literacy rate of 93.91% launched a comprehensive where women’s literacy rate stands at education campaign known as 91.98% to that of 65.5% of the country. 'Pothuvidyabhyasa Samrakshana This higher literacy has its own impact in Yatnam' with the active and meaningful school education. In the case of enrolment support of the community under a broader of 5–16 age groups the State is nearing banner Nava Kerala Karma Paripadi. .

100%. Regional, social, rural -urban and male All academic studies pertaining to quality - female disparities in terms of educational of education reveals that, there are issues attainment are remarkably low in the state. in the quality aspects even though we are The issue of access to an educational ahead in various aspects. One can argue institution and retaining the child throughout that Kerala is ahead comparing to other the school education stage is a settled issue states. This argument could not stand if

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we take other factors like the educational background of parents, awareness of parents regarding the need of education, access to schools and the societal support, facilities and so on. The present day learning process could not help each and every child to reach up to the desired level of learning. This clearly indicate that the factors which limit the students to achieve the desired level of learning and the teachers for providing experiences to the child to attain that level have to be identified and addressed. And

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gains confidence in facing problematic situations.

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constructs knowledge so as to address problem situations or any physical or mental or emotional challenge.

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negotiates with objective realities which always need not be promotive or favourable.

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Interacts freely, meaningfully and joyfully with her classmates, teachers and the teaching learning materials.

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make use of modern technological devises in the knowledge construction process.

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shows interest in interacting with groups and makes use of other resources for expanding his/her knowledge.

also explore various other factors which hinder in achieving curricular and other • broader educational objectives and develop strategies to overcome the identified factors.

We must be very clear about our targets.

The main concern, in this context is how to ensure Justice and Equity in classrooms where all children engage in the process of learning. It implies that in such classrooms every child:

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compares events, things, facts and findings, and arrives at logical conclusions. undertakes tasks on oneself without any hesitation.

The context also seeks attention on the teacher who needs to shift out of the present form of performance. The teacher needs to empower himself/herself and capable of:

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reflective engagement in professional performance.

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developing capability for using all modern equipments while providing learning experiences to the child.

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meaningful understanding of students.

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maintaining relationship with the community of parents.

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designing and implementing activities in tune with the differences in learning pace of effecting children.

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eliciting regular feedback and effecting changes accordingly.

• evolving certain self generated mechanisms for self improvement and providing for upgrading and updating the knowledge and capabilities.

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using local resources fruitfully for planning and designing activities in the class.

The community is yet another dimension that has greater stake in the functioning of the school. The context should open up so that the community:

• feels ownership keralacalling@gmail.com

of the school with FEBRUARY 2017

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the involvement of Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRI).

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actively participates in the planning process for the development of the School.

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helps the school authorities to make use of local resources for the development of school in various aspects.

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considers school as a cultural center and acts accordingly.

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The education authority at all levels should • ensures academic and administrative transform from the present authoritarian atmosphere conducive for learning. mode to a democratic mode so that it: It is very important to address the challenge • provides support to teachers and helps of ensuring access for equitable education the teachers to obtain learning materials for all children at least during school education as envisaged in the RTE (Right to on time.

• ensures the availability of teachers and Education). Many efforts are actually taking provides training to teachers periodically. place throughout the state in this direction.

But unfortunately these efforts are not being • co-ordinates the academic activities documented properly. For that the system and ensures adequate infrastructure has to look critically and reframe many of its facilities. plan of actions and evolve a methodology for strengthening all the supporting structures like education department, SCERT, SIMAT, SIET, DIETs, BRCs and projects SSA, RMSA and IT@school and also should evolve a mechanism for proper convergence within the department and with other departments. Along with actions in depth impact assessments are needed to identify various factors which hinder for providing equal opportunity for equitable education.

The findings of the impact assessment will help the policy makers and academics to evolve suitable policies of governance and adopting appropriate curricula. For identifying the factors related to equity within the learning environment and also regarding quality issues possibility of action research should also be explored by

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equiping teachers for ensuring learning environment which may offer equal opportunity for equitable quality education to all learners.

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familiarising with modern techniques www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling

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> into actual participative structures for creative and meaningful engagement.

and methods of learning in a democratic backdrop.

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helping to assimilate new ideas emerging in the horizon of knowledge and to enrich • one’s own acquired knowledge. enabling the teachers to understand the new trends emerging in the field of • pedagogy. making the teacher aware of the concept that learning is a continuous process and teacher is a learner who has to

meaningfully carry forward learning techniques which may help the child to construct knowledge. making the teacher understand how to use the resource pool avaliable around their vicinities for the benefit of the learner. enabling the democratic structures like School Management Commitees (SMC)/Parent Teacher Assosiation (PTA), Mothers forum, class PTA to transform

A common school whether it is government or aided is a social institution with in the community. These schools are the major source of education of poor mass of the state. Kerala has almost achieved Universalistion of school education. The state of Kerala has achieved impressive results in terms of access, enrolment, retention and completion. All teachers of the state are trained as per RTE norms. The class size, school infrastructure, social support and parental involvement are appropriate for high performance. As Kerala has impressive achievements in a number of indicators, the State’s key challenges are in terms of attaining the second level of reforms in school education. It is essential that the state prepares a road map to impart the quality of education so that the students at elementary level can perform at the grade appropriate level. Addressing the concerns of the society for quality education with proper understanding regarding quality and reconstruction of the education system anchored on scientific, secular and democratic pillars assumes priority.

Poduvidyabhyasa Samrakshana Yathnam is one of the best opportunity as well as platform to rejuvenate the secular spaces of each and every village to provide best quality education to our children by making schools as centers of excellence by upholding the concept “quality education pupils’ right.”

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The writer is a leading educationalist in Kerala

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> DEVELOPMENT > > > > > > E Chandrasekharan

Minister for Revenue & Housing

LIFE A people's housing alternative 32

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ur state has succeeded in achieving and maintaining high level of human development index. Along with life expectancy, lit eracy, perc api ta i nc om e etc. the shelter, one of the human basic means, plays a vital role in forming human development index. Our state has advanced in housing in comparison with rest of the states. Despite this achievement It is a fact that our state still faces shortage of houses to greater extent. According to state planning board estimate 2015, approximately 4.32 lakhs of families are homeless, out of which 1.58 lakhs are landless also. The LDF government has brought the focus on this housing crisis and launched an ambitious project namely LIFE (livelihood, finance, inclusion, empowerment).

The mission seeks to address the housing

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requirement of the state within the next five years.

The policies and programs in relation to the health and the education have been formulated and implemented at the early stages of formation of our state. But a massive scale public intervention in housing was possible only in 1971. M.N.Govindhan Nair, then the housing minister in the Achuthamenon government launched a programme named One lakh housing scheme.

This is considered as the first pioneering and unique housing scheme implemented in our country. The land reforms formulated in 1956 and comprehensively implemented in 1971 actually paved a base for the growth of housing sector in our state. The scheme was conceived as one based on social mobilization of beneficiaries as agents as well as resources. One lakh housing scheme

is implemented comprehensively using the centrally sponsored schemes and state plans for making houses for socially and economically weaker section of the society.

A spurt in house construction was witnessed in 70's because of gulf remittance, growth in plantation economy and expansion of urban middle class. This construction boom affected many of our socio-economic factors. Instead of our traditional homes, big modern houses are largely built. The land value, cost of construction materials and labour cost have gone up. Natural construction materials such as timber, river sand, clay soil etc. were widely exploited causing much damage to environment and ecology. A number of housing schemes were implemented in the housing sector by the consequent governments. These all pushed our state to advance in housing sector in www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling

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> comparison with the rest of our nation.

As per 2001 census, only 20 percentage of our state is urbanized. In 2011 census the same is enhanced to 49 percentage.

Our state could make an advancement in housing qualitatively and quantitatively.

According to 2011 census, the growth in residential building in our state is 30 times against 20 times at the national level during the span of the last 50 years. The state has also achieved the same growth in the case of non-residential buildings. Our state is also far ahead in arranging basic housing amenities. 2011 census reveals that 95 percentage of our houses have private latrine facility 95 percentage houses electrified, 80 percentage pucca houses with sustainable roof and wall, 92 percentage with atleast two rooms. Another important thing is that 77 percentage of our households have access to drinking water facilities within premises.

Kerala State housing board has constructed Sabhallyam housing complex with 24 flates at Chottanikkara using this new technology.

Pre-Fab technology minimizes the volume of sand, cement, rubble etc considerably. The time span of constructions can be reduced to a greater extend. The LIFE mission will give thrust for low cost construction technology.

To overcome this issue setting up of the collection cum distribution centers of construction materials are envisaged in the mission programme. Presently state Nirmithi Kendra had setup distribution centers called KALAVARA through which construction materials are being supplied at subsidized rates for BPL families.

It is estimated that 4.32 lakhs families in our state are homeless. Paradoxically significant number of building units - presumably residential units-have been seen unoccupied and left empty. 2011 census estimate reveals that 11.9 lakhs housing units are unoccupied. The new trend in our society Now our state has been struggling to is that the housing units are considered battle against the worst trend of the as a mode of investment. This social irrational pattern of house constructions. phenomenon should be addressed and The increase in rate of constructions on discouraged. par with the increasing demand for houses The another crises that our housing sector of course marks a welcoming trend. But faces is the acute shortage of skilled the extravagant designs and wider use of labourers. To overcome this issue, the construction materials make the modern mission proposes to set up block level house constructions counter productive. and district level training centers for skill The high cost and scarcity of construction development in construction practices. materials contribute much to the crises of Presently State Nirmithi Kendra under house construction. A wider awareness the Laurie Backer International school of campaigns are to be initiated to move habitats studies has been imparting training away from high cost and environmentally programes in skilled labour in construction unsustainable resources to locally available practices. Mission will initiate action to cost effective resources. The new extend these statewide. technology like pre-fab is now available in our There are many cases of non completion of state. Kerala state Nirmithi Kendra has been housing units of beneficiaries who availed developing and popularizing a new low cost government subsidies. The hindrances of technology called CEEF technology (cost timely supply and unexpected price hike effective environment friendly technology), are the main reasons for this problem. The Glass Fiber Rain forced Gypsum panel fact that nearly two thirds of the coast (GFRG panel) which is a byproduct of FACT of construction goes for the purchase of fertilizer are now available in our state. materials makes the issue more complex.

Despite our great advancement in housing, lakhs of people are still suffering from acute housing shortage. Approximately 5.3 percentages of houses in our state are mere temporary sheds. The life mission brings focus on marginalized section of the society whose annual income is below 3 lakhs. In this mission the main beneficiaries are those people who have no house, no land, those who have not completed their house constructions, those having temporary sheds in plantation area or in coastal area.

The preference will be given in the following parameters - widows, disabled, woman only families, physically handicapped, bedridden patients, transgender etc. Life mission will be implemented by using social mobilization of resources. The mission seeks cooperation from NRIs, religious institutions, voluntary organizations. The mission proposes to utilize the services of engineering colleges, polytechnics, anganvadi workers, ADS etc at the different stages of the implementation of the housing schemes. The mission is committed to implement programs and initiatives and ensure that there are houses for all in the next five years and also simultaneously provide adequate opportunities for the gainful employment and also optimum quality of life to all especially those who are socially and economically weak.

At present 20 different agencies in public sector alone have been involved in the housing sector. State housing department, rural development department, Fisheries department, Local self government institutions, State housing board, Nirmithi kendra, Kudumbasree etc are some of the agencies to list a few. The kerala state housing board is the foremost among them.

This institution, after its inception in 1971, has extended its assistance around 7 lakh people for constructing houses. The life mission aims to make combined efforts to make a solution for the housing shortage of marginalized section of our society.

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> HISTORY > > > > > > Dr. Alexander Jacob IPS

Thus Kairali was formed

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he first place the word Kerala is mentioned is in the greatest epic the Mahabharatha. One Sloka ends with its description of southern countries in India which mentions “Pandyancha Cheralan”. The sloka may be a late interpolation as The Pandyan Dynasty came to existence only by the 4th century AD. The Mahabharatha says the Kerala King did not take part in the war but gave food to both the sides. The name of the king is mentioned as “Perumchottudian”. The literal meaning is about King Udiyan who gave rice in plenty. In B.C 253, emperor Asoka’s edict in Sringeri tells the King of Kerala by the name Kerala Putra, means the Son of Kerala.

Around B.C 200, the grandson of Emperor Asoka, Sampathi, sent 150 missionaries of Buddhism to Kerala. By the first century A.D, the Chera’s established their Kingdom first at Karur in Tamil Nadu and spread into Kerala with their headquarters at Kuzhimoor (Kumili) in Idukki district. They further spread into Kuttanadu and established their capital at Kodungallor. The country of the Chera’s was known as ‘Cheralam’ as ‘Alam’ in Tamil means country. Later, the word Cheralam got metamorphosised into Keralam. The Kera tree was brought to Kerala from Sri Lanka by the Buddhist missionaries by the 6th century A.D. Then it was known as ‘Thenka’ means the fruit from the South.

‘Thenka’ later came to be called ‘Thenga’ ie Coconut.

When the epic the Mahabharatha was scripted, there was no unified Kerala.

When Asoka made his edict, geographically there was no unified Kerala. When emperor Sampathi sent his missionaries, there was no unified Kerala. The Kalabhras, who ruled Kerala from 3rd to the 7th century, united Kerala into one country for the

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very first time. The great Kalabhra King, Achutha Vikanta, defeated the Cheras, Cholas,Pandyas, Pallavas and Simhalas in Sri Lanka. His empire constituted 3 southern districts of Karnataka, entire Kerala State, 24 southern districts out of 39 districts in Tamilnadu and the north and eastern portion of Sri Lanka. The Kalabhras were originally Jains and from the 4th to 7th century they were Buddhists. A decade before 700 A.D, Pandyans under the leadership of ‘Kadungon’ defeated Kalabhras and gave freedom to the entire Tamilnadu area. The Sri Lankan King Simha Bahu liberated Sri Lanka.

The Karnataka area was liberated in the 8th century.

Thus, for the first time Kerala as a united state w a s created between t h e S a h ya Hills and the Arabian Sea. E ve n t h e n , Ke ra l a didn’t have a separate language, no separate script and no separate culture. By A. D 974, a separate script originated which was called ‘Nanem Monem’ or ‘Vattezhuthu’. This was used for the first time in Tharissappalli Copper Plate of A. D 974 and Mampally Copper Plate. In AD 824, Maharashtrian Brhamins migrated to Kerala. Some say, it was an invasion led by a parasurama with another surname Vamana. This might have been the origin of the myth that Parasurama with his axe recovered the land and also that Vamana sent Mahabali to Paathala or the www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling

FEBRUARY 2017

> southern country, Sri Lanka. As the myth is controversial, no more discussion is desired.

The Cholas invaded Kerala by the year 1008 AD. They captured Kodungalloor, killed the king and 2 princesses.

Rajendra Chola’s army captured Kanyakumari district and a major part of Thiruvananthapuram district and reached Valiyasala, 12 kms south of the city. The southern provinces were given a capital called, Vizhinjam Rajendra Chola Patanam which we know now Vizhinjam. Kerala lost Palakkad, Thrissur, and major parts of Ernakulam, Idukki and Thiruvananthapuram districs in the process.

In 1102, the Cholas were beaten back and the Kulasekharan empire came into existence. This again unified Kerala except Kasarkodu and Wayanad districts. In 1258 AD, the Chola Empire collapsed. In 1268 AD, Pandya’s invaded Venad and captured Kollam.

They occupied entire Kollam district, Pathanamthitta district and parts of Kottayam and Idukki. In 1321, The Khilji Army under Malik Kafur captured Madurai.

The Pandyas came to Kerala and established two kingdoms, Pandalam and Poonjar. By this time, politically Kerala was fractionated. Chirakkal in Kannoor, Pazhassi family at Kottayam, Samorins in Kozhikkode, Kochi minor, central Kerala, Venad In Kollam and Travancore in the south resulted.

The maharashtrian’s started the Kollam era in 824 AD. They shifted Medom first to Chingam 1 as the New Year. They arranged a calendar according to the Kerala climate. This was the first unifying element in calculating history in Kerala. By the 13 th century, the next unifying element started. Taking Tamil as its mother, Sanskrit as its elder sister an infusion of Pali from Buddhists, Syrian, Arabic, and the tribal languages of Kerala, Malayalam language developed. The Sahya hills or Western Ghats insulated the language and this was the way “Kairali” was born.

Malayalam was the unifying factor. The political unity lost in the 13th century was not restored till 1956 Nov 1.

Tipu’s invasion brought the Karnataka’s army up to the Travancore lines at Koratty. Pazhassy Kingdom was absolved in 1805. Samorins were destroyed by Tippu in 1776. Arrackal Beevi was absorbed in 1798 as per Srirangapatanam Treaty, Chirackal was absorbed in 1852.

Thus, Malabar was unified under the Malabar presidency.

Cochin Rajas unified Thrissur and Ernakulam districts. From 1728 to 1758, Marthanda Varma captured and annexed Attingal, Kottarakara, Kollam, Kayamkulam, Ambalappuzha, Thekkumkoor, Vadakkaumkoor and Poonjar. Thus Kanyakumari district, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki districts were unified into Travancore. Pandalam was annexed in 1821 AD. Kerala was unified by culture. Kathakali,

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When the epic the Mahabharatha was scripted, there was no unified Kerala. When Asoka made his edict, geographically there was no unified Kerala. kootiyattam, Mohiniyattam and other cultural activities unified Kerala. Literary stalwarts like Ezhuthachan,Kunjan Nambiar,Cherusseri and many others created Malayalam literature spread throughout kerala. A unified land under one language and literature.

and Payyannur, addressed the people of Kerala. Thus linguistic and cultural unity of Kerala merged into geographical unity. Still then, political unity was lacking.

In 1929, in the Lahore Congress, for the first time, lingusistc states were accepted in principle. In 1949, the I n t h e 2 0 t h c e nt u r y, Ke ra l a Constituent Assembly took up the witnessed movements like Ezhava matters of formation of States. It Memorial, Nair Memorial etc. But, was accepted by the Constituent then came the Malayali Memorial Assembly as a principle. In 1952, for the first time unifying the land. part B formation of linguistic states Kerala’s social reformers started was passed by the parliament. seeing the whole of Kerala as one. In 1956, Potti Sriramlau fasted Sree Narayana Guru started temples unto death in Andhrapradesh and from Aruvippuram to Jagan Nadha this immediately resulted in the temple in Thalasseri. Gandhiji and formation of linguistic states.

Tagore, when they visited Vaikam The writer is former DGP, Kerala Police & Nodel Officer, National Police University

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> FEATURE > > > > > > GopakumarPookkottur

Haritha

A True H

aritha Gramam is not just any story but it is the story of Peroorkada, a residential locality in Thiruvananthapuram city which went green by practicing effective waste management at its source. Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala now has more than 3000 households which adopted this model as a message for waste management after its successful implementation in Peroorkada. Particularly a total 14 wards belonging to the city have emulated this model.

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Haritha Gramam is a unique example for successful waste disposal including plastic and e-wastes. Moreover it is an innovative one because of its implementation of adopting new technology. It is a participatory model because people from all spheres including IT professionals, Doctors, Businessmen etc. have devoted their time for the proper functioning of this venture without any profit. Besides these, the project provides job opportunities for 30 staff including 22 skilled youths. “I am satisfied with this odour free waste management system, before using this technique, we suffered a lot to maintain

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the degradable and non-degradable wastes,� says Simon, IT professional, a beneficiary of Haritha Gramam who lives in Sree Narayana Nagar Residential area. S Sarath, one of the team leaders of Haritha Gramam who regularly visits large number of houses, says that several householdsare turning to bio-farming by using the bio-fertilizer, produced from waste management unit.

The primary work is the manufacturing of different garbage bins suitable to the households. A single unit includes a Kitchen bin, Bio-clean (specially prepared decomposition mixture) and plastic sack.

These are distributed to each household free of cost. For the maintenance and service of the system, they need to pay Rs. 200 per month. Apart from this they also collect plastic wastes once in a month and discarded footwear &bags once in three months. Broken glass & e-wastes are collected once in six months. On 10th day of every month Haritha Gramam workers replace the sack in kitchen bin and collect the compost and give necessary service if needed. Apart from this, for any enquiry or for finding fault in technology, house holders can contact through helpline numbers.

This project has emerged as an alternative to pipe compost technology which faced so many drawbacks. Pipe compost creates bad odour in the house due to concentration of water in waste materials, and is very difficult to handle properly. This unit will take 60 days to complete the decomposition. Finally, they found a solution by replacing pipe with a specially prepared Kitchen Bin (plastic bucket) and adopted a new technology for the decomposition of waste. After implementation of the new system, the period required for decomposition has reduced from 60 days to 6 days.

The specially prepared mixture called bioclean contains Coco peat and inoculum. It is a microorganism which has the capacity to de-compost the wastes without any bad odour. Coco peat has the capacity to store water. These two things are the key ingredients of the system which makes it more acceptable among the households.

Moreover Coco peat is the byproduct of coir industry; hence it is also indirectly boosting the coir industry of Kerala.

Bio-wastes like residual food, rotten vegetables, egg shell, feathers and other meat-fish wastes etc. can be put into the bins. The process of setting up a

www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling FEBRUARY 2017

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Gramam

e story waste bin starts with installing of plastic sack in an aerated dust bin. Two inches of specially prepared bio-clean mixture is added in the sack. The segregated bio-waste is put into the bin and then the bio-clean mixture is added so as to cover the food waste. These processes are repeated every day till the bin is full.

Then the sack is sealed and kept in a dark area. Bio-waste will take around 25 days to get converted into bio-fertilizer.

Haritha Gramam activists collect about 10 tons of bio-fertilizer per month which after proper drying is distributed to farmers and other organizations. This bio-fertilizer is very effective and one

unit Can be used for 6 grow bags. They have now replaced the old bin with the thickened, holed plastic bucket to tackle the problem of damage by rodents. They also thought to use steel bin as it is more comfortable in small area of kitchen but the price is very high. Haritha Gramam activists have created a new and simple model for waste disposal which is being emulated all throughout the city.

Before this waste disposal technique, the households needed to dump the waste in their small area of land which caused several difficulties. And those residing in apartments do not have any space to dispose the waste properly.

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Kitchen bin filled with bio-wastes and bio-clean mixture.

After implementation of this project, a lot of them have started the terrace and kitchen farming. Besides using bio-fertilizer produced at their own home they also buy grow bags and bio-fertilizer from Haritha Gramam team.

Haritha Gramam is a non-profitable venture focusing not only on waste management, but also on promoting bio-farming. It is quite remarkable that all houses which make use of Kitchen bin technique have started biofarming. The organization aspires to explore the new techniques and methods to further improve the waste management process.

Haritha Graman activists on the way to distribute kitchen Bin & bio-clean mixture.

The writer is Information Assistant, Press Information Bureau, Thiruvananthapuram

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> HEALTH > > > > > > Dr Susmita Priyadarshinee Otta

Madhumeha an Analytical review

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iabetes (Madhumeha) is a group of metabolic diseases marked by high level of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production, insulin action or both .If untreated it may lead to serious complications including multiple organ failure. It is the world’s fastest growing non communicable chronic diseases.

Currently 246 million people were affected worldwide. The number is expected to rise to 380million by 2025.Each year 3.8million deaths are attributable to diabetes. Every 10 second a person dies from diabetes related causes.

Even in every 10 seconds two people develop diabetes .Diabetes is fourth leading cause of global death. Matter of concern is about 50% of all people with type 2 diabetes are unaware of their condition.

Types II diabetes mellitus is increasing more rapidly due to obesity caused by sedentary life habits and changed life style.

The history of diabetes (Madhumeha) can be traced back in 1000 BC (Caraka Samhita).

Descriptions concerning the disease and its management are available in Ayurvedic literature. Caraka Samhita (1000 BC) and Susruta Samhita (1000-600 BC) defined Madhumeha as the disease in which the patient passes frequent urine characterized as astringent and sweet. The word diabetes comes from Latin “diabetes”, which in turn comes from Ancient Greek word which literally means “a passer through” and the word mellitus comes from the classical Latin word mellitus, meaning "mellite" (i.e. sweetened with honey; honey-sweet). Indian physicians identified the disease and classified it as Madhumeha or "honey urine".

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Common symptoms

The high blood sugar produces the classical symptoms of polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (increased thirst) and polyphagia (increased hunger). Diabetes is of two typestype I or Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) & type II or Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM). Complete or near total insulin deficiency is found in type I while type II diabetes mellitus is characterized by variable degree of insulin resistance, impaired insulin secretion and increased glucose production. Types II diabetes mellitus is increasing more rapidly due to obesity caused by sedentary life habits and changed life style. Whereas Ayurvedic classification is based on the Cause:Sahaja(Genetic) (type - I) Apathya/Nimittaja (Wrong Diet and Life style) (type- II) Prameha Roga in ancient texts explains the whole urinary problems including Madhumeha.Based on the Dosha it is of 20 types. Kaphaja 10,Pittaja 6 and Vataja 4.Out of them Vataja Prameha are difficult to cure, and Madhumeha is one among them.

Ayurveda attributes multi-factorial etiology to the causation of diabetes. It has been described as one among the eight major diseases (Asthamahagada) in Ayurveda, which are difficult to cure and refractory

• • • • • • • • • • •

Polyuria - increased urination Polyphagia - excessive appetite Polydyspia - excessive thirst, Unusual weight loss or weight gain Fatigue Nausea and perhaps vomiting Blurred vision In women, frequent vaginal infections In men and women, yeast infections Dry mouth Slow-healing of sores or cuts in the skin / mucosa • Itching of the skin in the groin or genital region Complication occurring due to diabetes may be broadly categorized Acute and chronic.

Acute complications include • • • • •

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) Hyperglycemia Hypoglycemia Diabetic coma Respiratory infections

Chronic complications include • • • • • •

Physical disabilities Cognitive decline Retinopathy Macroangiopathy Neuropathy Nephropathy.

Laboratory Investigations are necessary for measurements of the plasma glucose by • • • • •

Fasting blood sugar (FBS) Post prandial blood sugar (PPBS) Random blood sugar (RBS) Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c)

Urine test includes •

Urine glucose

• •

Albumin ketones etc.

Specific test like •

• • • • •

C-Peptide is a simple cost-effective and non-invasive method in the assessment of beta-cell capacity Serum Insulin test is done to note the level of Insulin in blood.

Blood Urea should be done to rule out impaired kidney function E.C.G. should be done to rule out cardio myopathy Lipid profile Serum electrolytes

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Diagnosis As defined by WHO (recommendations 2006): •

•

Fasting plasma glucose ≥ 7.0mmol/l (126mg/dl).or >=110mg/dl blood glucose) (Ref: Diabetes India. com) 2–h plasma glucose ≥ 11.1mmol/l (200mg/dl).or >180mg/dl(Ref: Diabetes India.com)

Premonitory signs and symptoms • • • • • • • • • • • •

Sweet taste in the mouth Whitish urine with sweetish odor Attraction of insects and ants to the urine / person Dryness in mouth, palate and throat Thirst/drowsiness Excessive sweating and foul smelling of the body Lethargy Unhygienic body Excessive deposition of waste products in palate, tongue and teeth Matting of the hair Abnormal appearance of the urine Numbness and burning sensation in hands and feet

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Exercise like swimming, jogging, dancing, cycling, walking should be done for stress control and burn the calories.

in nature. It has been narrated in Ayurveda that, the long periods of physical inactivity, laziness, sleeping for long hours, excess use of food which is heavy to digest like dairy products, aquatic and marshy animal’s meat, sugar/jaggery preparations, fresh grains etc. and similar foods that increase kapha are generalized causes of Prameha.

Due to above mentioned causative factors Doshas specifically kledak kapha, pachak pitta, saman vayu which has prime role in catabolism get imbalanced and creates Agnimandya mainly Dhatvagnimadhya(less secretion of Enzymes) results impaired metabolism. So the gradual process of formation of Rasa, Rakta, Mamsa, Medo, Asthi, Majja and Sukra Dhatu from Ahara rasa (nutrients) gets vitiated. Then it culminates all dushyas (specifically medodhatu).In case of Dushita Medo Dhatu Kleda vrudhi is experienced. Kleda means wasting away

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of tissues or Dhatu. When it increases unnecessary excessive body fluid oozed out in cellular level. Body tries to excrete these waste products in the form of urine.

So the person experiences polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (increased thirst) and polyphagia (increased hunger).

Management Approaches Ayurveda emphasized that the first and foremost principle of prevention as well as the treatment of any disease is avoidance of causative factors.

A h a ra ( D i e t ) , V i h a ra ( L i f e s t y l e ) a n d Oushadhi(Medicine) are the three basic factors for controlling Diabetes.Sweet, Salty, Acidic food are Kapha producing thus increase the Risk of Diabetes .Pungent, bitter, and astringent food prevent the Risk of Diabetes. Exercise like swimming, jogging, dancing, cycling, walking should be done for

stress control and burn the calories. The list of food grains beneficial for controlling and preventing Diabetes as below: Cereals Purana shali (old rice), Shastic Shali (rice which crops within 60 days), Yava (Barley) (Hordeum vulgare), Godhum (wheat), Kodrava (grain variety – Paspolum scrobiculatum) Pulses Adhaki (red gram-Cajamus cajan), Kulattha (horse gram) and Mudga (green gram) should be taken with bitter and astringent leafy vegetables.

Vegetables Navapatola (young Tricosanthus dioica), young vegetables, variety of banana, Tanduleyaka (Amaranthus spinosus) bitter vegetables (tiktasakam) like Methica (Fenugreek leaves), Karavellaka (Bitter gourd) Fruits Orange, watermelon, apple and guava, Jambu (Syzigium cumini) Kapitha (Feronia limonia), Amalaki (Phyllanthus embilica) etc www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling

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Some single drug also helps in preventing and controlling Diabetes.

They can be used as home remedies in following manner.

Drugs

Dosage

MOA/Vehicle

Duration

Amlaki (Phyllanthus emblica) -Fruit

3-6 gm

Warm Water

Haridra (Curcuma longa)-Rhizome

1-3 gm

Luke Warm Water 90 days

Jambu (Syzigium cumini)-seed

3-6 gm

Warm Water

90 days 90 days

Mesharangi (Gymnema sylvestre)-Leaf

3-6 gm

Warm Water

90 days

Methika (Trigonella foenum)-leaves and seed

3-6 gm

Warm Water

90 days

Kumari (Aloe vera) swarasa-leaf Pulp

10-15 ml ---------

90 days

Neem (Azadiracta indica)seeds, leaf and stem bark

3-6 gm

Warm Water

90 days

Vijayasara (Pterocarpus marsupium)-stem Karavellaka

3-6 gm

Warm Water

90 days

(Bitter gourd-Momordica charantia)-seed

3-6 gm

Warm Water

90 days

fruits.

•

Flesh Harina (deer), birds like Kapota (pigeon), Titira (Grey Francolin)

Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) test at least twice in a year

•

Eye examination annually, especially fundus examination

O i l s N i k u m b a ( D a nt i - B a l i o s p e r n u m montanum), Ingudi (Balanitis egyptica), Atasi • (Linum usitatisimum), Sarsapa (mustard).

•

Precautions

•

If someone is already diabetic the following • precautionary measures to be followed • • • •

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Foot examination at least twice in a year Renal function screening at least yearly Blood pressure assessment at least monthly Lipid profile at least annually

Utmost care of personal hygiene • Cardiac checkup at least annually especially of feet and hand.

Diabetes is a life style disease which can be Avoid injuries and immediately consult in prevented, treated and beat by Ayurveda.

Main aim is to reduce human suffering, case it happens.

Avoid alcohol and tobacco consumption alleviate the economic burden and prevent morbidity and mortality from diabetesin any form. related CVD .It can be achieved by three Regular medical checkup and monitoring levels. Primary level includes activities of blood glucose level aimed at preventing diabetes from occurring in susceptible populations or individuals.

Secondary level emphasizes early diagnosis and effective control of diabetes in order to avoid or at least delay the progress of the disease. Tertiary level includes measures taken to prevent complications and disabilities due to diabetes. On predisposing factor of gestational diabetes or a family history of diabetes, risk of developing diabetes is more if changes in eating and exercise ignored.

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The writer is Research Officer ( Ay ) R . A . R . I . L . S . D .

Po o j a p p u ra , Thiruvananthapuram

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> NEWSCAN > > > > > >

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E-health

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurating the E-Health programme at Thiruvananthapuram

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Inaugurated the E-health programme at Thiruvananthapuram.

As per the programme, the health data will be computerized and entered in State Data Centre through Kerala State Wide Area Network.It would be registered on the basis of Adhaar number and voter ID cards .

Veteran classical and playback singer K.J. Yesudas named for the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour.

The health record of each person seeking treatment at primary health centre, community health centre and hospitals will be available for reference for the doctors. This will provide entire health profile of each patient including family history, ailments, medicines used which will help doctors in treatment. The first phase of the project will be in primary health centres, taluk hospitals, women and child hospital, public health laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram.

E-health programme will also be implemented in Alappuzha, Kasargode, Malappuram, Idukki, Ernakulam and Kannur.

Other districts will be included in the second phase of he project.

Keralites honoured Chemanchery Kunhiraman Nair (Kathakali),

Dr. K T Jaleel, Minister for Local Self Governments releasing the official magazine of Kudumbasree

State annual plan of Rs 26500Cr The cabinet approved the States annual plan of Rs 26500Cr for the financial year 2017-18. The plan is Rs 2500 Cr more than the State plan of previous fiscal year and would come to Rs 34,538.95 Cr after including the Centre’s assistance.

The allocation to local self government

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Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri (Poetry), Meenakshi Amma(Martial arts), Parassala B.Ponnammal(Carnatic music) and P.R Sreejesh (Hockey) won Padma Shri.

this year is 23.5% of the plan fund, or Rs 6,227.5 Cr. This is an increase of 13.23 % from the last years allocation of Rs 5,500Cr.An amount of Rs751.08Cr-2.83% has been earmarked for welfare schemes of Schedule tribes and Rs2599.65 Cr9.81% allocated for Scheduled Castes. www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling

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Finance Minister Dr. T M Thomas Isaac at the inaugural ceremony of International Seminar on participatory democracy at IMG, Thiruvananthapuram

Cashless travel, Pink bus from KSRTC KSRTC introduced a cashless system whereby passengers will be required to carry only a travel card and a photo –idy card for journey. The prepaid cards are mainly targeted on regular travellers. KSRTC will issue premium, gold, silver and bronze monthly cards at rates of Rs 5000,3000,1500 and 1000 respectively .

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KSRTC has commenced two pink bus services in the city.

The city fast services were flagged-off by transport minister A.K Saseendran. The initiative exclusively for women comes a few months after the kerala police rolled out Pink police patrol to ensure security of women in the city.

Minister for water resources Adv Mathew T Thomas meeting Israel consul General Yeal Hashavit at his Chamber

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>

> SCIENCE WALK

> > > > > > S Radhakrishnan

rld o W the

ule R l l sugari St sweetened s k in beverage a day, two new r D y r reports find. a Sug One report focused on children and teens Campaigns

against sugary drinks have strengthened all over the world in the recent past. But counter campaigns seem to have been influencing both children and adults in every country. Sugary drinks had dominated health drinks in countries like U.S. No wonder, campaigns against the colas also originated there. But these campaigns seem to have not influenced the people, says a recent survey

Soda habits among kids and adults in many countries are still going strong. In US, about two-thirds of children and half of adults report drinking at one least one

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The other report focused on adults in the U.S.; it found that 49 percent said they drank at least one sugar-sweetened beverage a day during the same time period. Both reports were published by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Studies all over the world have found that drinking sugary drinks is linked to health problems in both adults and children, including weight gain, type 2 diabetes and dental cavities, the researchers wrote.

Climate Change Causes Nicer Weather in Some Places While numerous climate studies in recent years have examined the influence of global warming on extreme weather events — heat waves, super storms, flood, and drought — there has been little attention directed at the impact of climate change on the weather we enjoy the most.

“This is a very intriguing way to look at climate change,’’ says Bob Henson, a meteorologist and blogger at Weather Underground and the author of The Thinking Person’s Guide to Climate Change.

It’s everyday climate, not the extreme events, that affects our day-to-day life the most. As with other aspects of climate change, there will be winners and losers when it comes to mild weather — but globally, what we lose could exceed what we gain.

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ages 2 to 19; it found that 63 percent of youth in the U.S. reported drinking at least one sugary drink a day from 2011 to 2014.

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Henson’s research suggests the number of mild days will decrease as a result of warming.

The current worldwide average of 74 mild days a year will drop by four days by 2035, and 10 days by 2100, according to the study.

Losing mild weather could potentially harm tourism, construction, transportation, agriculture, and outdoor recreation, since all of them rely on specific weather patterns.

In addition to the economic costs, there also could be health impacts, since mild days in summer can act to break up deadly heat waves.

Scientists predict the biggest losses will occur in tropical regions due to rising heat and humidity. Parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America could see as many as 50 fewer days of mild weather annually by 2100.

Those who live farther from the equator, including the United States, and many mountainous areas around the world, will likely see more mild days. These areas include communities along the Canadian border in the Northeast, Midwest and Northwest, as well as many parts of Canada. Some U.S. cities could lose mild days during the summer months, but gain them during cooler periods.

The study projects that parts of England, northern Europe, and Patagonia and South America could gain as many as 15 mild days annually by the end of the 21st century. Although, in some of those regions, mild weather will drop off during the summer months, while becoming more abundant during fall, winter and spring.

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Science Makes Tomatoes More Tasty

In a paper published in Science, researchers announced that they have figured out which genes control the complexities of tomato flavour, and said that they can introduce flavour to the commercially grown tomatoes of the world. Researchers have known for a while that favouring shape, size, and stability in commercial tomato varieties has led to a loss of taste, but now there might be a way to fix it.

Researchers at the University of Florida have studied tomatoes for 22 years, and worked on this project. They conducted extensive research, performing taste tests on 101 varieties of tomato, and chemical and genetic analysis on 398 different varieties —from tiny, sweet, wild varieties, to multi-coloured heirlooms, to the commercially favoured modern tomatoes grown primarily for their yield, size, and ability to be shipped the long distances from field to supermarket.

According to scientists, flavour in a tomato is a cumulative thing. There are 13 different volatile compounds in wild varietals that weren’t present in the more modern tomato plants and then they identified the genes that controlled those compounds.

The hope is that they can reverse-engineer flavour back into the tomatoes by cross-breeding existing tomato plants. Scientists feel that if the genes are chosen wisely, they can deliver in about two years a product that tastes substantially better. It might take an additional year or so for growers to start adopting the plant.

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Co m m in the U.S. in 1977, but Some of the chemicals of concern, In a new report, dozens o such as phthalates and PBDEs, can persist in the of scientists, health n Ch C environment for are known to interfere with normal practitioners and children’s hormone activity. For example, most decades, she health advocates are calling for i h l d B em said. pregnant women in the U.S. will test renewed attention to the growing positive for exposure to phthalates evidence that many common “These r ain ica and PBDEs, both of which disrupt and widely available chemicals thyroid hormone function. endanger neurodevelopment in l s D fetuses and children of all ages.

E chemicals ev n are pervasive, The chemicals that are of most elo da not only in air and concern include lead and mercury; pm ng water, but in everyday organophosphate pesticides consumer products used in agriculture and home en er that we use on our bodies gardens; phthalates, which are t and in our homes,” Schantz used in pharmaceuticals, plastics and personal care products; Flame retardants known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers; and air pollutants produced by the combustion of wood and fossil fuels, said University of Illinois comparative biosciences professor Susan Schantz, one of dozens of individual signatories to the consensus statement.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), once used as coolants and lubricants in transformers and other electrical equipment, also are of concern. PCBs were banned

said.“Reducing exposures to toxic chemicals can be done, and is urgently needed to protect today’s and tomorrow’s children.The human brain develops over a very long period of time, starting in gestation and continuing during childhood and even into early adulthood, But the biggest amount of growth occurs during prenatal development. The neurons are forming and migrating and maturing and differentiating.

And if you disrupt this process, you’re likely to have permanent effects,” she added.

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> LAW > > > > > >Dr. Sindhu Thulaseedharan

The right to services law

Time bound delivery of goods and services

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T

he Central Bill, 2011, though lapsed, requires significance in two ways. In the neo-liberal era of good governance it is expected to be re-introduced. Secondly, it has been accompanied with the passing of the 20 State Right to Services Acts. Therefore a comparison between the Central Bill and each of the State Acts, as well as, an interse comparison of the State Acts seems to be highly solicited

Salient features of the Bill , 2011 – An Analysis The Central Bill, 2011, that has been introduced in Parliament in 2011, and lapsed in 2014, confers on every individual citizen, the right to time - bound delivery of goods and services, and for redress of grievances. It requires every public authority, to publish within six months of the proposed

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legislation, a Citizens Charter specifying therein, the category of goods supplied and services rendered by it. The time within which such goods shall be supplied or services be rendered and the names and addresses of individuals responsible for the delivery of goods or rendering of services shall also be specified. It requires every Public Authority to establish Information and Facilitation Centre which may include establishment of customer care centre, call centre, help desk and people’s support centre. It provide for appointment by every public authority within six months from the date of implementation of the legislation, through designating as many officers as may be necessary , as Grievance Redress Officers (GRO) in all administrative units or officers at the Central, State, District and sub District levels, Municipalities, and Panchayats. They are duty bound towards

supplies of goods or render services, to receive, enquire into and redress any complaints from citizens in the prescribed manner. It was further required to remedy the grievances in a time frame not exceeding thirty days from the date of receipt of the complaint. The aggrieved individual may, if he so desired, within thirty days from the expiry of the period or from the receipt of such decision, prefer an appeal to the Designated Authority (DA) who shall dispose of such appeal within another thirty days from the date of receipt of such appeal.

The Bill provides for the constitution of the State Public Grievance Redressal Commissions and the Central Public G r i e va n c e R e d re s s a l C o m m i s s i o n consisting of Chief Commissioner and other Commissioners. The person aggrieved by the decision of the Designated Authority falling

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> under the jurisdiction of the State Government may prefer an appeal to the State Public Grievance Redressal Commission and any person aggrieved by the Designated Authority falling under the jurisdiction of the Central Government may prefer an appeal to the Central Public Grievance Redressal Commission.

The Bill confers power upon the DA, the State and Central Public Grievance Redressal Commissions to impose a lump sum penalty, including compensation to the complainant, against the designated official responsible for delivery of goods and services or GROs for their failure to deliver goods or services to which the applicant is entitled, which may extend up to fifty thousand rupees which shall be recovered from the salary of the official against whom penalty has been imposed. Such portion of the penalty imposed, shall be awarded as compensation to the appellant, by the Appellate Authority, as it may deem fit. A disciplinary action shall also be initiated against the public servant, if found guilty of offence.

That included punishment and penalty, which the disciplinary authority may decide. In the case of non-redress of complaint, the burden of proof shall be upon the GRO, who denied the request. If the appellate authorities find the grievance complained of, is a part of corrupt practice, that shall be referred to the appropriate Competent Authority to take action on such corrupt practice, under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 .

As the third stage of Appeal, the Bill provides that any aggrieved person by the decision of the Central Public Grievance Redressal Commission may prefer an appeal to the Lokpal. Any person aggrieved by the decision of the State Public Grievance Redressal Commission, may prefer an appeal to the Lokayukta, constituted under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act ,2011 . The jurisdiction of other Courts is barred by the Bill .

In regard to Disputes Redress Mechanisms, the Central Bill hasn’t made clearer provisions for imposition of penalty, and compensation. It only entrusts the Appellate Authorities to impose a lump sum penalty including compensation, and states that on imposition of penalty, the appellate authority may order such portion of it to be awarded as compensation, as it may deem fit, not exceeding the amount of penalty. The norms for appointing Designated Authority remain vague. The scheme of appeal is complex with the third level, linking the aspects of anti-corruption and delivery of public services in the stipulated time limit.

As part of its Administrative Reforms in strengthening the legal frame-work of the Public Service Acts, it was suggested by the Government of India that the oversight mechanism for public service guarantee should be internal since a self –corrective, self-disciplined bureaucracy ought to be the need of the hour.

The second literacy movement Pradeep Mudavanmugal

The KSLMA is all set to launch a social literacy drive to integrate migrant Labourers into Kerala society, by imparting reading and writing skills to them and to orient them to the culture of the State.

The programme is initiated by the State government in association with the Department of General Education and the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority.

This mission will be beneficial to a whopping 25 lakh migrant labourers in the State. Many of whom hail from North India, are illiterate even in their Mother tongue, as a result, they are ignorant in legal, health and environmental matters, resulting in poor quality of living as well as exploitation by their employers.

The KSLMA aims to give them minimum language skills so that they can able to interact better with their hosts. The literacy programme aims at teaching them to read and write in Malayalam as well as Hindi, apart from introducing them to the social and cultural features of the state, and creating legal and health-related awareness.

Chief minister Pinarayi vijayan inaugurated the literacy programme

in Perumbavoor muncipality limits on a pilot basis .Perumbavoor was chosen due to the large number of migrant labourers there. The Chief minister in his inaugural speech, urged Keralites to do away with regionalism and vowed to bring about a qualitative improvement in the lives of migrant labourers.

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KSLMA now on to conduct a survey in perumbavoor to identify the illiterate among the migrant workers and they will be taught Hindi and Malayalam.

The curriculam will be finalised based on the results of the pilot survey, and the programme expanded to other districts. Local governing bodies, kudumbasree, the departments of labour and social justice and the State library council will assist KSLMA in implementing the programme.

Classes will be held in such a way that they do not affect the labourers' work schedule. Along with literacy classes, awareness classes on health, labour laws and environmental conservation will also be held, besides art and cultural activities.

The writer is PRO, KSLM

The writer is Asst. Prof., Dept of Law, University of Kerala keralacalling@gmail.com FEBRUARY 2017

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>

> GARDENING > > > > > >

Suresh Muthukulam

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Eternal Flame in the Garden

A

spectacular garden plant with puckered ribbed leaves with top very dark metallic green and maroon undersides and bright orange yellow flame like flowers-this is the Eternal Flame plant which is scientifically called Calathea crocata.The plant is an amazing combination of beautiful foliage and vibrant long-lasting blooms. The plant is called Eternal Flame due to the shape of its blooms perched on top of the tall thick stems which resembles a flame. The flowers grow on stems a little higher than the leaves. Their tubular sepals are rose-red and are not clearly visible among the yellow-orange bracts which form the most visible part of the flower head. And the flowers

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which make a colourful and exotic addition to any home garden last for about two to three months also. The distinct upright habit and unusual flower structure give this plant a very modern architectural feel. The plant which is a native of Brazil and Tropical America loves heat and humidity, but dislikes direct sunlight.

Being a true tropical plant the plant needs even climate throughout the year.

The Eternal Flame is a relatively new comer among flowering house plants and is one from the group of nearly 150 Calathea varieties that rarely flower. The plant grows to a height and spread of about 30 cm.The leaves are produced on long stems which are nearly 25 cm in length.

Due to its peculiar colour contrast there is a www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling

FEBRUARY 2017

> nice bi-coloured effect, so even when not in flower the plant is really attractive. Since the plant likes bright, indirect sunlight take care not to place it in direct light. Choose a bright shaded spot .The plant would grow well when planted if you place it near an east or a west window with curtain or even under a shaded tree.

Eternal Flame is propagated by dividing the thickened tuberous crown of the roots and ensures that each piece has some leaves and sturdy roots.

New plant can be placed in a pot containing peatbased potting mix containing two parts peat moss and one part perlite or even sand. This is the best potting mix for Calathea crocata.The medium should hold moisture and also it should be well drained.

Mist the leaves frequently or use a pebble tray to keep the humidity level high. When water is added to the pebbles the humidity will travel up through the pebbles and the pot to the plants roots. Just make sure that you only mist the leaves not the flowers.

Remove any yellow leaves to keep the plant strong and growing.

During the summer months the plant need regular fertilization every 15 to 20 days. For this apart from organic foods any fertiliser mixture can be used properly diluted in water. Timely pruning is essential to keep the plant healthy. Prune at the leaf base where the leaf meets the stalk. Cut the brown edges of the leaves with scissors so that it will grow naturally.

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> ENGLISH FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS > > > > > > Rajesh C

The Split Personality of the word Look at the following sentences.

1. I used to drive a car.

2. I am used to driving a car.

Both of these sentences are correct. We often assume that the second sentence has gone wrong. Why? Because of the word ‘to’ in the second sentence is followed by an ‘ing’ form. Our minds are tuned in such a way that we can only imagine a bare infinitive (root form of the verb) after ‘to’. Hence, we tend to say that the second sentence is wrong though it is actually correct.

‘To’

what do they mean?

He is used to driving cars means at first it was difficult for him to drive cars. But slowly, he gained experience and now he can drive easily! To be more precise, now, he is accustomed to driving cars!

Here we must not forget to put one of the forms of the verb ‘be’ as per the situations call for.

I used to drive cars means once it was my habit to drive cars but I don’t drive cars any longer. I have stopped driving cars!

The preposition is followed only by a noun It shows a past habitual action! or an objective form of a personal pronoun.

Here we do not use be before used and to is (me/us/you/him/her/them/it are the objective not a preposition here. So we use the root forms of personal pronouns). form of a verb after it. (Drive).

But, sometimes, we have to put a verb after The Dual role of ‘to’ Instead of used to, we can use another a preposition. Then what do we do? According ‘To’ can be used in two ways. auxiliary verb would to the rule, a preposition must be followed 1. As the part of a root form verb by a noun or pronoun. Not by any other word. I used to drive cars= I would drive cars (Now E.g. to work, to play, to do, to read, to write I stopped it) In such situations we can change verb into a etc. noun form. How? Just by adding an ‘ing’ form He used to come here= He would come here Most of the principal verbs are followed by after the verb. Such form of the verb is known (Now he stopped it) a ‘to’ form verb as a Gerund or Verbal Noun. We discuss the They used to smoke= they would smoke So, in this issue we shall examine the role of the word ‘to’ in sentences so that it will help us erase our ignorance about the usage of the word ‘to’

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E.g.: John wants to speak to you Mary would like to marry John John forgot to take his pen This is one of the uses of ‘to’ 2. As a preposition Certain verbs and phrases will take ‘to’ as a preposition. It is very difficult to tell whether ‘to’ is a preposition or part of a root verb. So, we have to memorize the words and phrases that take ‘to’ as a preposition.

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topic gerund in future. Anyway, we have (Now they Stopped it) already learnt that we can turn a verb into a They are used to coming here= still they are noun by adding an ‘ing’ form after it. coming The verbs and phrases mentioned above They used to come here= they don’t come take to as a preposition. So, we must turn the here any longer verbs after them into a gerund or ‘ing’ form.

They would come here= they don’t come I am used to driving cars (Not to drive) here any longer He is used to driving cars Then what is the present form of I used to They are used to driving cars

come here?

John is accustomed to living in big cities E.g. be used to, be accustomed to, devoted (Not to live) to, object to, confess to, be committed to, We look forward to meeting your parents be addicted to, adjust to, look forward to, tonight! (Not to meet) with a view to etc.

He confessed to killing his next-door

Is it I use to come here? No, not at all. Never do we use he uses to come/ they use to come etc. It is wrong. Then what is the right way?

Here ‘be’ is root of the verbs like is, am, are neighbor. (Not to kill) was, were, been, being. So according to the She adjusted to living on her own. (Not to live) time, we must use the correct form of ‘be’ He objects to spending so much money on a before certain verbs mentioned above.

T.V. (Not to spend) E.g. He is used to/ I am used to/ they are Mother Theresa devoted her life to helping used to etc. the poor. (Not to help) When ‘to’ is used with such words and We are committed to serving our customers. phrases, it will attain the status of a (Not to live) preposition.

I used to drive or I am used to driving The most important rule about Both of these sentences are correct. But prepositions.

Fill in the blanks

KERALA CALLING

JANUARY 2017

It is just the simple present form I come here!

1. John is used to- movies(watch/watching) 2. Mary used to – books (read/reading) 3. John – drinking coffee (is used to/ used to) 4. Mary- drink tea( is used to/ would) 5. John used to go to gym- (when he was young/ now) Ans: 1.watching 2. read 3. is used to4. would 5. when he was young.

The writer is Asst. Editor, I&PRD

www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling

keralacalling@gmail.com

Registered No.KL/TV(N)104/2015-2017 Licensed to post without prepayment under No.KL/TV(N)/WPP/148/2015-17

Date of Publication: 01.02.2017 RNI No. 35991/80 Price: ` 12

Printed and Published by Dr. K Ampady, Director, Information & Public Relations Department, on behalf of Government of Kerala and Printed at Orange Printers Pvt. Ltd., Thiruvananthapuram, and published at Publication Wing, Information and Public Relations Department, Government Secretariat Annexe, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Editor in Chief: Dr. K Ampady