25/04/2016
Why Kejriwal is the silver lining in this atmosphere of gloom and doom
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Why Kejriwal is the silver lining in this
atmosphere of gloom and doom
Delhi CM has, at least, recognised the importance of education for improving
prosperity of the population.
POLITICS| Long-form| 25-04-2016
ABHIJIT BHATTACHARY A
@b_abhijit
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The following tweet by IBM Global Entrepreneur (@ibmGE) aptly captures
the essence of the technological upheavals of the fourth Industrial Revolution
(IR) that is currently sweeping through the global economy:
World's largest taxi company owns no taxis (Uber)
Largest accommodation provider owns no real estate (Airb&b)
Largest phone companies own no telco infra (Skype, WeChat)
World's most valuable retailer has no inventory (Alibaba)
Most popular media owner creates no content (Facebook)
Fastest growing banks have no actual money (SocietyOne)
World's largest movie house owns no cinemas (Netflix)
Largest software vendors don't write the apps (Apple & Google)
The fourth IR, also known as the Second Machine Age, is fundamentally
changing each and every aspect of our life. Smart machines now can print a
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Why Kejriwal is the silver lining in this atmosphere of gloom and doom
public, turn on our AC at residence as we start off from the office in a
driverless car, fly our planes and kill our enemies, provide 24x7 nursing care
to patients without demanding any salary hike, teach our children according
to their natural learning styles and so on.
All over the world, governments, public institutions and businesses are
finding it horrendously difficult to manage these disruptive innovations of the
Second Machine Age, which have started hitting with increasing intensity
particularly, since the middle of the last decade. Governments in many
countries, often run by established parties with many years of experience, are
disappearing in a flash.
The Arab Spring started by a vegetable vendor in Tunisia changed the whole
political map of an entire region beyond recognition in a matter of months.
Narendra Modi almost single-handedly wiped out India's very own GOP
(Grand Old Party), only to be given a similar knockout punch in Delhi soon
after his landslide victory by an infant party. Both the established parties in
the US are now battling to save themselves from the severe blows coming
from the "fringe elements". The list goes on.
As the fourth revolution continues to unfold, the parties that are coming to
power in many countries riding the wave public discontent are often finding
themselves in deep trouble. Participation in the protest movement by itself
does not automatically develop the ability to appropriately respond to the
challenges of the Second Machine Age. A different kind of thinking - and even
a very different psyche - is needed to face these challenges head on. Only saaf
niyat (good intention) is not enough.
Why is fourth IR very different from the previous IRs?
Professor Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World
Economic Forum and author of the recently published book The Fourth
Industrial Revolution, describes in detail the nature of the various industrial
revolutions. If the use of steam power that replaced muscle power was the
beginning of the first IR in late 18th century, then the second IR was
unleashed in the second half of 19th century by electrical power leading to the
growth of mass production.
The 1950s is considered as the start of the third IR caused by the
exponentially growing computing power, development of personal computing
and internet (IT as a category appears for the first time in US government
economic statistics in 1958).
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Why Kejriwal is the silver lining in this atmosphere of gloom and doom
MTduo 2016 in Taipei
1000+ Booths Showing Industry 4.0 & Smart Machinery, Come to Visit!
It seems the Modi government credulously believes that by blaming the previous government's policies, it
can make India shine. (AP)
Building on the third revolution the human civilisation has now entered the
Fourth IR, where growth is characterised by fusion of different technologies.
Schwab mentions that the lines between the physical, digital, and biological
spheres are getting blurred in the fourth IR. The revolution is disrupting
almost every industry in every country. The "breadth and depth of these
changes herald the transformation of entire systems of production,
management, and governance."
Henceforth, the global economy will continue to experience a permanent state
of extremely high uncertainty caused by incessant waves of game-changing
innovations in areas like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, nanotechnology,
additive printing and so on. The combinatorial explosion of the fourth
revolution makes the pace of innovation of the digital era look like a bullock
cart in front of a hypersonic plane. What is most frightening is that globally,
governments are caught totally unprepared to face this jaw-dropping pace of
change. As a result, governments continue to crumble like house of cards.
Critical importance of education reforms
Though historically industrial revolutions always created disruptions in our
societies, the linear nature of the growth process in the past allowed the
societies and governments enough time to gradually adjust to the new
situations and requirements. For example, the education system was slowly
transformed in about 100 years to a centralised system capable of batchproduction of large number of people with standardised skills, as required by
the scale economy. But, the fourth IR with its extremely high pace of
knowledge obsolescence does not provide the luxury of snail's pace for
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Why Kejriwal is the silver lining in this atmosphere of gloom and doom
transformation.
Now, new business models are to be introduced and experimented all the time
to cope with the challenges of knowledge explosion. This demands creation of
new educational systems and models that are adept at making knowledge the
actual input to the production process while it is being produced and
transferred to students. Failure to do so will create a massive problem of
educated unemployment. Economists Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University
and Laurence Kotlikoff of Boston University argue that machines are getting
smarter, thanks to their microprocessor brains. They no longer need unskilled
labour to operate. On one estimate, 47 per cent of US jobs are at risk from
automation.
While recognising the harrowing possibilities of the fourth IR, we must not be
blind to the immense promises of this revolution. Research reports are
indicating that the human civilisation is heading towards a world of plenty,
where energy, water, food and other necessities will be available for everyone
in plenty.
Progress in healthcare will soon eliminate most of the dreaded diseases like
cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's. People will soon have the opportunity to
make themselves free from mundane and non-creative work and shall be able
to maximise their creative output.
However, one should not be nave to expect that such a transition will happen
automatically without any fundamental shift in our governance and
management systems. Most importantly, societies in general and
governments, in particular, must realise that without a radical transformation
in our education system - the most critical element for growth in this Second
Machine Age - nothing can prevent a country's fast slide to unthinkable
misery and destruction.
The clueless Modi government
Last two years' experience of the Modi government clearly shows that this
government is hopelessly ignorant about the challenges of the current
situation. The quality of its HRD Minister, the status and importance of the
S&T ministry, run-of-the-mill initiatives like Make in India and Digital India
and many other such examples provide some idea about the intellectual
potential of this government, which is supposed to deftly navigate India's
trajectory in a highly turbulent knowledge economy. In Madhya Pradesh, the
BJP government has converted education to such a mafia-driven business,
even Mario Puzo must be turning in his grave in excitement for getting a
better plot than Godfather.
It seems the Modi government credulously believes that by blaming the
previous government's policies for everything and concentrating on winning
state elections, it can make India shine. By spending its precious time on
nonsensical and irrelevant issues like "Bharat Mata ki jai" and flying national
flag in the campuses, or, by giving banal radio talk on how to prepare for
Board examinations and asking medical students to learn from headtransplant techniques of the Vedic age, this government, in fact, is fast
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Why Kejriwal is the silver lining in this atmosphere of gloom and doom
becoming a butt of the joke.
Is Kejriwal the silver lining?
Considering the irrelevance of the Congress and the Congress plus cow
(borrowing Arun Shourie's expression) value of the BJP, Arvind Kejriwal
appears to be the only silver lining in this atmosphere of gloom and doom.
Kejriwal has, at least, recognised the importance of education for improving
prosperity of the population and shown boldness to increase sharply his
government's investment in this sector. His sincere attempt to improve public
healthcare - a necessary condition for growth during the fourth IR - also
reflects his ability to prioritise issues.
In comparison to Modi, Kejriwal also gives more encouragement to public
participation in governance (though, much less than what is actually
required). This is vital for developing a fourth IR-ready culture.
The nature of the current revolution demands a system where every
individual, without any fear of victimisation, is able to contribute to finding
creative solution to our socioeconomic problems and governance, even when
an individual's idea goes against the declared vision of the leader. This
requires tolerance and very high level of respect for dissent.
Looking at Kejriwal's performance so far, it seems he is still falling far short of
democratisation of power. Either he doesn't fully understand the challenges of
in the fourth IR or, not interested in confronting it head on.
What he is doing so far is mainly picking up the low-hanging fruits, such as
stepping up investments to provide larger and better access to school
education, healthcare, etc. Many countries, who were at a similar stage of
development like India only about a few decades ago, are today much ahead of
us because of their ability to pick up those low hanging fruits much earlier
than us.
But, the fourth IR doesn't provide us the luxury of time to repeat the same
process what others have accomplished in the past. Fortunately, rapid
development of educational technology allows us to skip a whole era of
traditional growth trajectory in the education sector, similar to what was
possible to do in the telecommunication sector some years ago.
Our survival and prosperity in the fourth IR will depend upon how soon we
are able to not only educate our population, but also create a new culture of
problem solving and governance. The culture must allow individuals to ask
questions without any fear of victimisation, provide creative or out-of-the-box
solutions and develop the ability to critically evaluate and synthesise diverse
thoughts. The education sector, from nursery to university, has to play the key
role in creating such a culture and creative mindset.
Kejriwal has to go much beyond than simply extending the reach of the
schooling system. With saaf niyat he can reach the last kid on the street even
now. But, that cannot take him far. Limitations of linear thinking are visible
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Why Kejriwal is the silver lining in this atmosphere of gloom and doom
even for all other critical problems that he is currently trying to grapple with.
Take for example, the Odd-Even formula to tackle pollution in Delhi.
Besides focusing on this temporary solution, the government also needs to
experiment with many other creative solutions to make travel itself irrelevant
for a vast majority of people, including office-goers, school-goers and a host of
other categories. This will lead to innovation of newer business models for
many organisations, including the government (this will be a topic for another
discussion).
Investing resources in the education system without any attempt to
fundamentally reform it and make it fourth IR-compatible can also
substantially reduce the scope of any return from all those investments. Our
rigid and highly centralised industrial-era education sector - meant for mass
production of students using standardised tools - is totally counterproductive
in the Second Machine Age. Some research reports suggests that about 50 per
cent of the US colleges and universities will be forced to close down by 2030!
When Harvard University's Clayton Christensen asks his audience to pray for
his university, we need to take note.
The bold experiment in Finland
There is a broader level of consensus emerging that to survive the extremely
high level of technological uncertainties, every educational institution - from
primary to tertiary levels - must now continuously experiment with newer
models. Finland provides an interesting example of one such bold
experimentation. They are radically overhauling their secondary education
system and have plans to phase out teaching individual subjects such as
mathematics, chemistry and physics. Instead, students will be now taught by
"topics" or broad phenomena.
Considering the fact that performance of Finland's secondary school
education is rated as one of the best in the world, it certainly needs courage to
initiate reforms in their already well-functioning system. Who knows, the
process may ultimately implant readiness for experimentation with innovative
ideas into the DNA of the Finnish population's psyche and governance system.
Judging from the deplorable treatment meted out to some of Kejriwal's
former - intellectually capable - colleagues, his overall dislike for dissent and
propensity for high-handedness (which is diametrically opposite to the
requirement of a creativity and knowledge driven economy), it appears that
there is a real danger of the AAP degenerating into a BJP-kind of heroworshipping party.
In the currently Modi-fied model of the BJP, critical thinking has no place and
abuse is considered the only option for sustaining high adrenalin flow of its
members and troll-army. Kejriwal has to decide which roads he prefers to opt.
On one road he will meet fanatics driven by taboos, obscurantism and
jingoism and on the other, there will be people with genuine desire to discover
the unknowns, who may question everything and who also want to find
creative solutions of our problems.
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Why Kejriwal is the silver lining in this atmosphere of gloom and doom
On an idea level the choice seems to be obvious for every leader, but when it
comes to practise, unfortunately, there is many a slip between the cup and the
lip.
#Narendra Modi, #BJP, #AAP, #Arvind Kejriwal
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The view s and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not
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w riters are solely responsible for any claims arising out of the contents of this article.
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Why Kejriwal is the silver lining in this atmosphere of gloom and doom
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D ailyO
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DailyO
Quit chewing gum, try these 5 natural
mouth fresheners instead
These aromatics are not only loaded with freshness but are full of nutrients.
http://www.dailyo.in/politics/arvind-kejriwal-aap-odd-even-industrial-revolution-narendra-modi-bjp-education/story/1/10258.html
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Why Kejriwal is the silver lining in this atmosphere of gloom and doom
LIFE | 5-minute read| 25-04-2016
NIDHI TAY AL
@nidhit ay al20
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Total Shares
My 14-year-old's obsession with chewing gum to appear hip and to fit into his
uber cool peer group prompted this write up. Like him, many youngsters
associate continuous ruminating of the obnoxious sugary rubber as a sign of
growing up.
Mistake, horrible mistake.
How can anything made up of unfriendly rubber and loaded with excess sugar
be doing anything fruitful for your health?
Why not embrace desi mouth fresheners instead?
Here is a list of five aromatics that are not only loaded with freshness but are
full of nutrients. They improve many physiological functions and prevent
onset of many diseases.
1. Fennel (saunf)
For centuries, ayurveda has recommended fennel or its finer variant anise
seeds for their digestive, antioxidant and carminative (flatulence/ gas
relieving) properties. A sure shot relief from colic (in babies too); fennel is a
storehouse of minerals like copper, iron, calcium, potassium, manganese,
selenium, zinc and magnesium. Copper helps production of RBCs thus playing
a role of blood purifier, zinc increases sperm production and enhances one's
libido, giving it a reputation of being an aphrodisiac.
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Why Kejriwal is the silver lining in this atmosphere of gloom and doom
Potassium's presence regulates blood pressure improving heart health. The
goodness doesn't end here, it also provides all the important vitamins one can
name, vitamins A, B complex, C and E. Often, advised to be used in face packs,
the vitamin E content makes fennel a natural anti-ageing condiment.
Being super rich in antioxidants like quercetin and kaempferol, it also curbs
degenerative neurological disorders, cancers and stomach infections.
Recognised as a liver health booster, its rich fibre binds dietary fibre to bile
salts and help lower serum LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. So much goodness in
1tsp and you guys want a gum? Nah.
2. Green cardamom (chhoti elaichi)
A flavour enhancer rampantly used in cooking is also a carminative, prevents
gas and is therefore, a must have after every meal. Besides repeating the
goodness of fennel in itself, cardamom is an excellent expectorant.
It cleans respiratory tract by clearing mucus built up in bronchi and lungs.
Ayurveda recommends chhoti elaichi as a must to kidney patients as it is a
natural diuretic; it flushes out toxins like uric acid, creatinine and urea
clearing out nephrons (functional unit of kidneys). Young girls/women who
suffer from menstrual cramps should carry elaichi with them wherever they
go; its anti-spasmodic action relieves those periods induced aches and pains.
Its rich reserves of fibre, vitamins, calcium and manganese make it more than
just another mouth freshener.
3. Roasted coriander seeds (dhaniya ke daane)
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Why Kejriwal is the silver lining in this atmosphere of gloom and doom
Found in almost all types of Gujarati mukhwas, coriander seeds make for a
great mouth freshener. Like other counterparts, these are also fibre rich and
found in almost every Indian kitchen to flavour curries.
However, what make them a league apart are its fatty acid contents like oleic
acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid making fat metabolism worthwhile. Essential
oils like camphene, terpine and linalool makes it an effective anti-depressant
and anti-cancerous in nature.
Make sure you chew on them if you are a student waiting to take an entrance
exam and feel that last two years have only been about cramming, don't let the
thought depress you further. It is storehouse of vitamins C, B complex,
minerals like iron, copper, calcium, zinc, potassium, magnesium and
manganese. Coriander seeds are both an effective carminative and a mouth
freshener.
4. Rose petal marmalade (gulkand)
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Why Kejriwal is the silver lining in this atmosphere of gloom and doom
A "can't miss ever" ingredient of paan (betel leaf preparation), this super
sweet, great-smelling jam like food, freshens breath and satiates sugar
cravings too!
Gulkand is an excellent antacid and a natural laxative (treats constipation). It
is also your armour against summer heat due to its innate cooling properties
that help alleviate heat-induced lethargy, itching, aches, pains and tiredness.
How cool! Its efficacy in combating heat can be understood even further due
to the fact that it can prevent heat stroke and put off the incidence of nose
bleeding in scorching summers.
Gulkand is also a blood purifier, its daily consumption can control occurrence
of acne, white heads and boils. Roses are known to be associated with beauty
and gulkand retains wholesomeness of this flower to improve health both
from inside and out.
Nonetheless, I don't recommend eating paan; it's the gulkand you need to
focus on. The process of making gulkand requires use of white sugar so
diabetics should refrain from its consumption or moderate quantity of
ingesting it.
5. Mint (pudina)
Mint are high in substance rosmarinic acid that are beneficial in curing
asthma, its antioxidant abilities neutralise free radicals and also blocks the
production of inflammatory chemicals leukotrienes. It has excellent antiinflammatory properties that are effective in enhancing gut health too.
The menthol contained in peppermint induces bowel-comforting effect, thus
treating irritable bowel syndrome and constipation et al. It also encourages
cells to make substances called prostacyclins that keep the airways open for
easy breathing.
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Why Kejriwal is the silver lining in this atmosphere of gloom and doom
Extracts of peppermint relieves the nasal symptoms of allergic rhinitis (colds
related to allergy). Presence of a phytonutrient called a monoterpene is
plentiful in peppermint oil that has shown to control the growth of pancreas,
breast and liver tumours.
Montoperene also curbs cancers of skin, colon and lung. Like all other herbs,
mint is also nutritionally rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Chewing
few leaves or using it as a garnish in summer coolers or use of peppermint
works in your favour for sure.
These mouth fresheners give you multiple reasons to smile. For starters, they
can be procured from your mother's kitchen, helps you save money. They
protect your smile.
More than that, it's not hard to comprehend that a habit lasts a lifetime, what
you choose today will stick with you till the end of life.
For your sake, ditch that gum and embrace these desi mouth fresheners. At
the end of the day, it's cool to be healthy come what may.
#Ayurveda, #Health
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The view s and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the official policy or position of DailyO.in or the India Today Group. The
w riters are solely responsible for any claims arising out of the contents of this article.
COMMENT
Writer
NIDHI TAYAL@nidhitayal20
I am a clinical nutrionist and dietician with experience of almost 20 years in therapeutic nutrition, and
alumnus of Lady Irwin College, DU.
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Why India must not
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