Memories.........

A poem written by me in class VI.....!!

                                                                 THE  STRAY  CAT

       

Once on the street, I saw a pretty cat,

With twinkling eyes in front of me she sat.

She was cute, also a bit fat,

her innocent face waited for a pat.                                                       

Then she was there, every morning,

all through the afternoon and evening.

Cornering the balcony, a crate of cardboard

and an old mat was now her abode.

Her skin was soft as silk,

and quickly she lapped up the milk.

She would come and sit beside me,

and I patted her while drinking tea.

She would show up in one call,

and loved playing with my ball.

She ran all around the house,

Since then, we haven't had a single mouse..!!

Soon we heard the sound of kittens four,

naughty ones, tried to get inside the door.

Their mother brought them out before anyone could,

and would sleep soundly, just as babies should.

They entertained us in every way they could,

laughing, rolling and running wherever they wanted.

The cat tried to teach them good things,

Being kids, they didn't listen.

One day the kittens ran on the street,

Dogs were ready, up on their feet.

Here and there the kittens ran in terror,

but the dogs ran faster.

 

They seized their mother, who did care,

for saving her babies, didn't she dare!

The kittens were saved, hidden behind their mom,

but the dogs were three, and she one!

Though bravely that she fought,

she couldn't prevent being caught.

I made the dogs run away,

Seriously wounded, the poor cat lay.

The kittens stood trembling with unknown fears,

and my eyes started welling up with tears.

As the cat breathed her last,

I hugged her babies to my heart.                                                                           

                                                                                   

BADI NAANI...

In my older post, 'ROOTS' , I laid down my views on the importance of knowing our older generations. As I enjoy my summer vacation at my maternal grandparents' place in Kota , I come to appreciate them all the more....
                             Almost all of us have relished the tempting 'nani ke haath ki Mithaai'  but I feel glad to be among the few fortunate ones who get to enjoy the sweets made by great grandmothers...

In this pricking heat of May-June, nothing can compete a bowl of delicious ice-cream. The sweet blend of cashews, almonds and milk prepared by my ' Badi nani' ( great grandmother ) is the tastiest ice cream I've ever had. As it melts drop by drop, the touch of affection and tradition makes it all the more tastier..

It's not only about the sweet. It is about the love behind it. It is about the magic of belongingness that spreads as the family comes together to talk and laugh together. Even sweeter than the dessert is Badi nani's smile. It is so very interesting to sit and talk with her. She narrates her experiences in a way as if I were really there to witness them. Her words also have the power to captivate me with the stories of her times.

Even at this age, she possesses great intelligence and a sharp memory. She also has a lot of interest in the news and things going on around. Be it philosophy, history, literature or politics, she can speak on just anything. No wonder one gets 'wiser' as one gets 'older'......

At present, all of us, that is, I, my mother , my grandmother and grandfather, and my 'great' grandmother are living together under one roof. We all maybe very different when it comes to lifestyle and habits but these differences are too small to keep us from being connected through the supreme bond of love and blood......

RESULTS.....TIME TO CELEBRATE...??

Now that the results of CBSE are out, the newspapers are filled with the photographs of the high achievers of India. With thousands of students scoring over 95% and tens of thousands getting CGPA 10 (grade point), everybody is all praises for the CCE system.

The education system has gone through a lot of changes in the past few years, inviting both praises and criticism. The Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) system has been a topic of debate since it was introduced. In some cases, this pattern has definitely been beneficial. Exams, they've become more of a free give-away marks center. As compared to previous years, there is almost no pressure over students. 

     

Unlike the various State Boards, the scary Class 10 Board Exams no longer haunt the students of CBSE Board. As a result, they can concentrate more on their interactive skills, mental ability and sports. Instead of sitting for long hours cramming up chapters, they can develop their creativity by working on projects and presentations. Even during exams, with so less syllabus to complete, there is no need for worries.....

This system doubtlessly seems to be advantageous for students as now there's no problem in getting marks.But more than the few short-term benefits, it has its long-term demerits.

As students don't get to experience the real pressure of exams in 10th, they may get all the more under-confident and nervous while facing other competitive exams later in life.

Since they would have had no practice of sitting for hours to study, they are likely to take even 12th lightly, which they might regret later.

The CCE pattern aims at removing pressure from students and make things easier for them.Now, everyone

above 90% is at an equal standing.Be it 90.5 or 99.5, there's no difference. This tender and lenient face of this education system masks the real pressure students will have to face, if not now, in the 12th standard.

As the students become more and more relaxed, they tend to lose international competence, something Indians have been famous for globally.

Also, the increased number of assignments and projects have become a burden for teachers as well as students. The system focuses excessively on co-curricular activities which are difficult to carry out with so many students in a class. Even the complicated marking system is too tedious to be carried out in government schools in rural areas. This kind of education pattern is successful only in countries with less population and more resources, not in a highly populated one like ours.

There's a need for an education system that is made in accordance with the population and standards of the country, with quality education being the main aim. With a perfect balance of studies and sports, the system should target overall development of students. Instead of being so lenient with students in grading and marking, they should be made to face  reasonably strict marking and appropriate grading which will be helpful in later years. A proper balance between academics and other activities will definitely help to shape a better future...