Window
Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee 2.8.2020
Improve
Sarkari schools
Recently a major
English language daily in its editorial exhorted to incentivise better services
at private schools, which as per a study by Central Square Foundation educate
almost half the country's children. Releasing the report, Amitabj Kant, CEO,
Niti Aayog said, "Though enrolment has
increased exponentially in private schools, the learning outcome have stagnated
for a decade now. They have to really focus on learning outcomes as that are
critical."
On the same day in the same paper, another story looks at the
condition of schools across the country, (obviously, mostly sarkari schools)
and quotes a report of NCPCR (National Commission for Protection
of Child Rights) saying 22% of school buildings are
old or dilapidated, 31% school buildings have cracks in structures.
The question that has often been asked: are we not neglecting
the education sector? Are we spending enough on education? We are not. “India
ranks 62nd in total public expenditure on education per student and measures of
the quality of education (pupil-teacher ratio in primary and in secondary
education,” IMD said. As per the Economic Survey, the country spent 3% of its
total GDP on education in 2018-19 or about 5.6 lakh crore.
Sarkari schools are lagging behind because we not doing
enough in this sector. Incentivising services at private schools will not yield
any tangible result, except promoting corruption and crony capitalism.
Improving the infrastructure and teaching quality of the government schools
will help. Hope, the New Education Policy will look into this aspect.
Lipstik
During the extended lock down period when wearing a mask is a norm- among several things my wife misses wearing her lipstick. I fail to understand why ladies (and I am given to understand some males also do) wear lipstick! It is no inconvenient to eat wearing lipstick. But ladies have been wearing lipstick for the last 4000 years, much before mankind knew that the earth is round.
The first people to wear lipstick were likely
Ancient Sumerians- some 4000 years ago. Crushed gemstones decorated not only
their lips, but eyes and face as well. Lipsticks in some form also caught on in
ancient China with beeswax, and in Ancient Greece, where courtesans wore
berry-derived dyes on their lips.
The popularity only grew in 16th-century England,
where a bright white face and hyper-crimson lips were worn widely to steal
Queen Elizabeth’s look. It was used only for courtesans and actors and
considered uncouth to be worn by the general public.
By the 19th century, the first commercial lipstick
made of deer tallow, castor oil, and beeswax had been made in France — and
lipstick absolutely took off. The US quickly caught on, applying lipstick with
a brush rather than a tube. In WW2, lipstick was scarce, and started to be
packaged in plastic and paper tubes. The first long-lasting, no-smear lipstick
was also invented during this time!
In India the trend of ladies chewing beetel to make
their lips red has been an age old practice.
Now, why am I writing about lipstick of all things?
Because, 29 July happened to be Lipstick Day (And
in a queer coincidence: 29 July also happened to be International Tiger Day)
and I just culled the information that the annual turnover of Lipstick
companies is about One Lakh Crore rupees. Obviously the Lipsticks must be
cursing Corona which made wearing a mask a norm. However, necessity (and
business opportunity) is the mother of invention. Some enterprising fashion
consciousness designers have created masks with lipstick marks printed on the
mask at the right place. Those ladies who cannot even think moving outside
without wearing lipstick now can wear this. My wife has bought one.
Golden Grass Rakhi
Sabai(Golden Grass) has been a source of livelihood for many
in tribal dominated Mayurbhanj district. In earlier times primarily Sabai grass
was used to make ropes for cots (khatia). Now plastic ropes are used. Now Sabai
grass is used to make handicraft items including rakhis and it continues to be
a source of income for many in Chitrada, Kuliana area of Mayurbhanj. These
rakhis are made By Mayurbhanj Sabai Farmer Producer Company - “MayurShilpa”.
If you want to promote eco-friendly rakhis this year, buy it from ORMAS office near
Stewart School, Bhubaneswwar. These handmade rakhis made from sabai grass are
priced between Rs 15-25.
Sabai grass occurs naturally
in many places in India including the forest regions of Odisha like Malkangiri,
Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Sambalpur districts and regenerates freely, if undue
biotic interference (fire, deforestation, soil-erosion etc.) doesn’t take part
place. In Mayurbhanj, however, people cultivate this in lands unfit for growing
any other crop.
These grasses are used for
Paper making, cattle fodder, matting, ropes, thatching, and in manufacturing,
baskets, and handicraft items.
(Photo: Taranisen Pattnaik)
Deomali
Theatre Festival
Koraput-based Nandanik theatre group is holding 5th Deomali National
Theatre Festival 2020 on 2-3 August 2020. This is a part of their 3 day
Foundation Day celebration beginning 1 August.
Founded in 2014 by Sourav Gupta,
who teaches mass communication in Central University of Odisha at Koraput and his wife Monideepa Gupta, Nandanik
committed to the promotion of the art of Theatre. It has produced several
classic and contemporary plays in Odia both by adults and children and has
organized national level theatre events in collaboration with Sangeet Natak
Akademi, New Delhi and Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata. It has catapulted Koraput to the theatre map of
India.
This year, because of the Covid
situation the festival has gone online. The plays will be streamed on facebook.
The plays to be streamed are Mime
drama by Mimic, Kolkata, Nayeeka in Odia by Nandanik, Koraput, Sujaner Golpo in
Bangla by Ashoknagar Nattyamukh, Dhruvaswamini in Hindi by Black Soil Theatre,
Wardha, Terav in Marathi by Adhyayan Bharati Agro Theatre, Maharashtra, Bali in
Telegu by Janapadam Theatre Repertory, Hyderabad, Devigarjan in Bangla by
Kathok Performing Repertoire, Howrah, Chandaluni in Odia by Nandanik, Koraput.
Enjoy the plays. Watch it on
www.facebook.com/nandanik.koraput
Tail-piece:
Guru-Gyan: Doubt
and Faith
In the time of
Corona doubt on one's faith and faith on one's doubt have increased.
***
mrinalchatterjeeiimc@gmail.com
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