Tagore on Education
1) What is the condition of education now?
It is true that education today is full of problems and worries. The teaching at school, colleges and universities does not develop the moral character of the students. More over the system of education does not include the teaching of social responsibilities. It is delinked from the society and remains passive.
2) What are the trends that can be observed in the present day youth?
The present day youth are the most confused and restless. They indulge in mindless violence and they are anxious and unable to think clearly. They are easily affected by emotions. They do things in a hurry using a lot of energy but their efforts are not organised. They have a strong desire to be successful but the teachers and the system of education do not inspire them.
3) What allowances must good education make?
Good education should guide us to realize ourselves. It should make us act and react with in ourselves. The system of education should provide solutions to the troubles of the world. Good education expects a student to be at one with nature.
4) What does Tagore suggest for the improvement of education?
Tagore strongly feels that new schools should be founded to meet the needs of the present day students. The courses should be lively and varied. They should be taught moral values in addition to intellectual training. It should help the youth to remain united. Education should not become a burden for the pupils.
Essay:
In this short essay ‘Tagore on Education’ the author criticises the system of present day education and also offers Tagore’s views on education as remedy. It is true that education today is full of problems and worries. The teaching at school, colleges and universities does not develop the moral character of the students. More over the system of education does not include the teaching of social responsibilities. It is delinked from the society and remains passive.
The present day youth are the most confused and restless. They indulge in mindless violence and they are anxious and unable to think clearly. They are easily affected by emotions. They do things in a hurry using a lot of energy but their efforts are not organised. They have a strong desire to be successful but the teachers and the system of education do not inspire them.
Good education should guide us to realize ourselves. It should make us act and react with in ourselves. The system of education should provide solutions to the troubles of the world. Good education expects a student to be at one with nature. Tagore strongly feels that new schools should be founded to meet the needs of the present day students. The courses should be lively and varied. They should be taught moral values in addition to intellectual training. It should help the youth to remain united. Education should not become a burden for the pupils.
Environmental Degradation:
a) Why is it extremely difficult to create natural resources?
It is easy to destroy natural resources. Man cannot replace the resources that are used up. Hence it is extremely difficult to create natural resources.
b) Do you think man is the only being responsible for environmental degradation? Give reasons.
I think man is the only being responsible for environmental degradation to a large extent. As he considered other beings inferior to him, he causes environmental degradation. The advancement in technology, the economic growth and the growth of population contribute to the environmental degradation.
c) How is development linked with ecosystem?
Ecosystem is a system which comprises the physical environment and the organisms which live there in. The development which destroyed the ecosystem eventually destroys the development itself because we are a part of nature. The development which conserves the environment also conserves the fruits of the development. This is how development is linked with ecosystem.
d) Can you express in your own words the idea contained in Karl Marx’s statement.
The statement of Karl Marx seems to be true. The excessive use of fertilizers and intensive agricultural practices would certainly reduce the fertility of the land. Consequently the land would turn into deserts that are not suitable for agriculture. This is evident from the negative effects of Green Revolution.
e) What is the impact of population growth on environment?
The growth of resources is not proportionate to the rise in the population. Hence the population growth imposes stress on the available resources. The increased population either uses up all the resources quickly or will import the necessary commodities for existence.
Essay:
Environment literally means the surrounding of an object. The impact of human beings on environment varies from place to place due to uneven distribution of population. . Man is the only being responsible for environmental degradation to a large extent. As he considered other beings inferior to him, he causes environmental degradation. The advancement in technology, the economic growth and the growth of population contribute to the environmental degradation.
The growth of resources is not proportionate to the rise in the population. Hence the population growth imposes stress on the available resources. The increased population either uses up all the resources quickly or will import the necessary commodities for existence.
Ecosystem is a system which comprises the physical environment and the organisms which live there in. The development which destroyed the ecosystem eventually destroys the development itself because we are a part of nature. The development which conserves the environment also conserves the fruits of the development.
The Gardener and the Little Bird:
1) How was the garden?
The garden was beautiful and it was fairylike in its loveliness. It had many sweet smelling plants and fruit trees.
2) What was the mischievous bird doing?
The mischievous bird was picking off the fruits, whether ripe or not, and letting them fall up on the ground. Thus the mischievous bird was spoiling the garden.
3) Why did the gardener become sad?
The gardener became sad when the bird spoiled the garden. When he saw the fruits lying on the ground in his beautiful garden, he felt miserable.
4) What plan did he use to catch the culprit?
He spread a net to catch the mischievous bird and waited silently hiding himself behind the bushes. Thus he planned to catch the culprit, the mischievous bird.
5) What punishment did the gardener want to give to the bird?
The gardener wanted to give punishment of death to the bird.
6) What did the bird say to make the angry man calm?
When the gardener was about to kill it, the bird addressed him as a fine, clever, intelligent creature and wished that heaven’s favours always be showered up on him. Thus the bird flattered the angry man and made him calm.
7) What maxims were given by the bird?
The bird gave three maxims viz. 1) Never believe impossibilities 2) Never trust anyone of doubtful character and 3) Have no regrets about things which can not be changed.
8) After becoming free, what did the bird say?
After it was let free by the gardener, the bird did not fly away. It perched on a branch of tree and told him that he was a foolish gardener as it had deceived him. The bird also said that it had a big gem of a duck’s egg inside its body and added that the gardener would have become rich, if he had killed it.
9) Did the gardener believe the words of the bird?
Yes, the gardener believed the words of the bird.
10) Do you think the gardener lost the chance of becoming rich/
No, I don’t think that gardener lost the chance of becoming rich. It seemed the bird misled him.
11) Why did the bird laugh at him?
The bird laughed at him when he tried to catch it second time. It said that it was clever enough to escape once and it could not be caught again.
12) Do you think the bird really cheated him? If not why did the bird mislead him.
I think the bird did not really cheat him. It only made him realize the importance of the three maxims. As the gardener did not follow these three maxims, he was misled by the bird. The bird seemed to have verified whether he had understood the maxims.
Essay:
In this fable ‘The Gardener and the Little Bird’, how a foolish gardener is taught the significance of three maxims by a bird is depicted.
A rich man had a beautiful garden in the city of Balkh. A mischievous bird was spoiling the garden by picking off the fruits and letting them fall up on the ground. The gardener became sad when the bird spoiled the garden and when he saw the fruits lying on the ground in his beautiful garden. He spread a net to catch the mischievous bird and waited silently hiding himself behind the bushes. And the bird was caught. Then the bird offered to present him three maxims if it was set free. The bird gave three maxims viz. 1) Never believe impossibilities 2) Never trust anyone of doubtful character and 3) Have no regrets about things which can not be changed. The gardener set the bird free according to his promise
After it was let free by the gardener, the bird did not fly away. It perched on a branch of tree and told him that he was a foolish gardener as it had deceived him. The bird also said that it had a big gem of a duck’s egg inside its body and added that the gardener would have become rich, if he had killed it. The gardener became upset and tore off his dress and wept thinking that he missed a chance of becoming rich.
Then the bird told him that he was a fool to be deceived again. It reminded him of the three maxims it had just given him.
Development of Computers:
1) Has the progress been rapid in the development of computers?
Yes, the progress in the development of computers has been rapid.
2) Were the machines efficient?
Yes, they were efficient.
3) In which field are revolutionary changes taking place?
Revolutionary changes are taking place in the field of electronics.
4) How many phases can the development of computers be divided into?
The development of computers can be divided into five distinct phases known as computer generations.
5) What was each phase known as?
Each phase was known as computer generation.
6) What mechanism was used in the computer produced between 1945 and 1960?
The computers produced between 1945 and 1960 made use of thermionic valves.
7) What are the drawbacks of the computer produced between 1945 and 1960?
They were huge in size. They produced much heat and they had low reliability. They used punch cards.
8) Who produced the first-generation computer?
Remington Rand produced the first generation computer, UNIVAC(Universal Automatic Computer) in 1951.
***
1) In what way did the invention of transistors contribute to the construction of computers?
The invention of transistors dramatically changed the construction of computers. The transistors replaced the thermionic valves. This made the computers smaller and more reliable. Heat generated and the power consumed were totally reduced. This second-generation computers used tape drives for external storage.
2) Describe the fourth generation of computers?
The fourth generation computers made use of the large scale integration (LSI) technology. Microprocessors were developed by this technology.
3) What is VLSI?
VLSI is very large scale integration technology. The LSI technology developed into VLSI which led to the present day computers.
4) Can computers function exactly like the human brain?
The human brain is the ultimate marvel of nature. And it is very difficult to make the computers function exactly like human brain. At present lot of research is going on in artificial intelligence (AI) so that a fifth generation computer can function exactly like a human being.
Write an essay on the development of computers?
The progress in the development of computers has been rapid and revolutionary changes are taking place in the field of electronics. The development of computers can be divided into five distinct phases known as computer generations. The computers produced between 1945 and 1960 made use of thermionic valves. They were huge in size. They produced much heat and they had low reliability. They used punch cards. Remington Rand produced the first generation computer, UNIVAC(Universal Automatic Computer) in 1951.
The invention of transistors dramatically changed the construction of computers. The transistors replaced the thermionic valves. This made the computers smaller and more reliable. Heat generated and the power consumed were totally reduced. This second-generation computers used tape drives for external storage. The third generation computers used integrated
circuits (ICs). The fourth generation computers made use of the large-scale integration (LSI) technology. Microprocessors were developed by this technology.
The human brain is the ultimate marvel of nature. And it is very difficult to make the computers function exactly like human brain. At present lot of research is going on in artificial intelligence (AI) so that a fifth generation computer can function exactly like a human being.
The Global Indian
1) Who is the global Indian referred to as the first among the stars?
Kalpana Chawla is the global Indian referred to as the first among the stars.
2) As a young girl what did she wish to possess?
As a young girl she wished to possess a telescope.
3) What history did she create to make Indians proud?
She became the first Indian woman to rocket in to space on a NASA fact-finding mission on micro gravity. She travelled 6.5 million miles, made 252 orbits of the Earth and spent nearly 400 hours in space.
4) Where did she complete her engineering studies?
She completed her aeronautical engineering from Punjab and moved to the US .
5) Which country honoured her with a PhD?
United States of America honoured her with a PhD. She did Ph.D from Colorado University.
6) How did she meet her end?
Unfortunately Kalpana Chawla died in a space mission carried out by NASA involving a space shuttle called Columbia which crashed killing all the six astronauts on board.
***
1) Who is called a Global Indian?
Some People of Indian origin live in other countries. Such person of Indian origin living abroad is called a global Indian.
2) Why did Indians migrate to other countries? Mention two reasons.
During the British Raj Indians were sent to other countries such as Africa, the West Indies as contract labour. Now Indians are migrating to other countries in search of livelihood and also better opportunities. They feel that the conditions in India do not allow their talent and energy to thrive. And so they migrate to other countries.
3) Mention any two types of business carried out by the Indians abroad (according to the passage).
The Indians were running a chain of electronic goods shops near the Iguazu falls. Some are selling precious stones in a small town in Alaska. Some other Indians run departmental stores in Britain and also motels in US.
4) Comment on the formation of the words ‘motel’ and ‘potel’.
‘Motel’ means is a roadside hotel catering primarily to the motorists. This word is formed by the union of two words- motor and hotel. As many of these motels are run by Patels of Indian origin, they are often referred to as ‘Potels’. That is a combination of two words-Patel and motel. Such word which is a blend of two words is called a portmanteau word.
5) Describe the patriotic spirit within a global Indian.
The global Indian where ever he may live or work is forever Indian. It is said that one can take an Indian out of India but one cannot take India out of an Indian. Such is the patriotism of a global Indian.
6) Expand the abbreviations:
PIO- Persons of Indian Origin
NASA- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
US- United States of America
Ph.D. – Doctor of Philosophy
Write an essay on a) Global Indians b) Kalpana Chawla
a) Some People of Indian origin live in other countries. Such person of Indian origin living abroad is called a global Indian. The Indians were running a chain of electronic goods shops near the Iguazu falls. Some are selling precious stones in a small town in Alaska. Some other Indians run departmental stores in Britain and also motels in US.
During the British Raj Indians were sent to other countries such as Africa, the West Indies as contract labour. Now Indians are migrating to other countries in search of livelihood and also better opportunities. They feel that the conditions in India do not allow their talent and energy to thrive. And so they migrate to other countries. The global Indian where ever he may live or work is forever Indian. It is said that one can take an Indian out of India but one cannot take India out of an Indian. Such is the patriotism of a global Indian.
b) Kalpana Chawla is the global Indian referred to as the first among the stars. Kalpana Chawla is the global Indian referred to as the first among the stars. She became the first Indian woman to rocket in to space on a NASA fact-finding mission on micro gravity. She travelled 6.5 million miles, made 252 orbits of the Earth and spent nearly 400 hours in space. She completed her aeronautical engineering from Punjab and moved to the US. She did Ph.D from Colorado University. Unfortunately Kalpana Chawla died in a space mission carried out by NASA involving a space shuttle called Columbia which crashed killing all the six astronauts on board.
Naipaul, V. S. (1932- ), Trinidad-born novelist and essayist, known for his works about the colonial legacy in developing nations. The mixture of satire and humor in his fiction generally illustrates the conflict between traditional cultures and contemporary values. Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul was born into a Hindu family of Indian ancestry. He was educated at Queen’s Royal College in Port-of-Spain and then at the University of Oxford in England. He then became a resident of England, where he worked as a broadcast journalist for a few years before publishing his first novels, The Mystic Masseur (1957), The Suffrage of Elvira (1958), and Miguel Street (1959), all satires of life in Trinidad.
Rushdie, Salman (1947- ), British novelist of Indian descent, whose book The Satanic Verses (1988) was banned in several Islamic countries. Born in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, Rushdie was educated at the University of Cambridge. His early publications include the novels Grimus (1974), Midnight's Children (1981), and Shame (1983), in which he employed fantasy and dreams in a surrealist style. Midnight's Children won the Booker Prize in 1981 and was an unexpected critical and popular success. Rushdie also wrote a report on his travels in Nicaragua, The Jaguar Smile (1987), and in 1990 his children's book Haroun and the Sea of Stories was published. In 1995 Rushdie's collection of short stories East, West appeared. The Moor's Last Sigh, also published in 1995, is a novel about the last surviving member of a brilliant multiethnic Indian family that traces its lineage to the last Moorish sultan of Granada, Spain. His latest novel is Shalimar the Clown.
Cyberspace
1) What is Cyberspace?
Cyberspace, in computer terminology, is the community of networked computers and the culture that has developed among users of these computers. The term was coined by American writer William Gibson and first used in his 1984 science fiction novel Neuromancer, in which he described cyberspace as a place of “unthinkable complexity.” Through this phenomenon, a person can have access practically to anything or anyone via Internet.
2) How is cyberspace is used for normal human activities?
In America every business is turning to cyberspace. Through Internet one can book an air ticket, listen to music, fix an appointment with a doctor, access a restaurant menu and even see a football match live on his monitor. Thus cyberspace can be exploited for edutainment i.e. education as well as entertainment.
3) What is the disadvantage of Interactive Marketing?
With the help of a computer linked to a number of super markets, one can do interactive marketing. This could eliminate the jobs of millions of shop assistants and salesmen. Further the customer cannot physically verify the quality of the product he is going to buy.
4) Describe the beginning of the Internet in your own words?
Internet, computer-based worldwide information network. The Internet began as an experiment of the United States Defence Department during the 1960s as a programme of the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). ARPANET grew in the 1970s, with more and more universities and institutions connecting to it. From that humble beginning it has now 30 million subscribers spread over 160 countries. Scientists and scholars use the Internet to communicate with colleagues, to perform research, to distribute lecture notes and course materials to students, and to publish papers and articles. Individuals use the Internet for communication, entertainment, finding information, and to buy and sell goods and services. e-mail and e-commerce have become popular these days.
5) What prophecy of Bill gates has now become a reality?
In the late seventies Bill gates prophesied that a time would come when people could stand outside a bank and withdraw money from automatic vending machines. This has become a reality now as ATMs are widely used to withdraw money from banks.
7. A Big Shot is a Little Shot
Q) Explain how Abdul Kalam motivated the engineers at DRDL.
Abdul Kalam shares his experiences at DRDL in is biography ‘Wings of Fire’. The young engineers at DRDL were not confident initially. One of them was doubtful about their success, as there was no big shot i.e., powerful person among them. He even expressed his doubt to Abdul Kalam. Then Kalam inspired them saying that ‘ A big shot is a little shot who keeps on shooting.’ Soon he changed their negative attitude to positive. Even the older scientists felt strong again.
Abdul Kalam states that four basic factors are needed for a success. They are 1) goal setting 2) positive thinking 3) visualizing and 4) believing. He used make the young scientists present their team work at DRDL. Thus they became more confident and they could visualize the whole system. A person with right belief never complains that the work assigned is too much or he lacks support etc.,
Abdul Kalam was able to inculcate positive work culture at DRDL. As a result of this the first launce of the missile program ‘trishul’ became a success at Sriharikota.
8. Human Rights Protection
Q) What are human rights? Examine their relevance with reference to to the big developmental projects.
Human rights are fundamental or basic rights by which every person has to be treated in a fair, equal way without cruelty and discrimination. These rights such as right to life, right to freedom of movement, right to freedom to choose one’s residence, right to an adequate standard of living etc. are recognized by the international human rights treaties. These rights cannot be taken away by the authorities, as they are recognized as inalienable rights by the UN. But as there is no strong enforcing machinery, they are often violated in many countries.
These rights are to be considered independently. The developmental benefits of any project cannot be weighed against human rights. The rights of the people affected by the Narmada Valley Project have to be respected. The government cannot force the people to move out from their houses. They have to be given adequate and suitable rehabilitation package as their rights are protected by constitution.
9. Space Shuttle
1) Compare the features of a space shuttle with those of a rocket and an aeroplane.
Space shuttle is a spacecraft designed for transporting human beings , satellites and payloads into outer space. Rocket provides thrust to the shuttle and it is not reusable. An aeroplane can fly and land. It is used for transporting men and cargo. Thus a space shuttle has positive features of both rocket and aeroplane.
2) Which sentence in paragraph one contains the description of a space shuttle? Name the parts of a space shuttle.
Basically a space shuttle consists of an orbiter that carries astronauts and payload, attached to two solid rocket boosters(SRB) and an external fuel tank (ET).
A space shuttle has three main parts.
a) Orbiter: The flight control and the crew compartment are located here. Three main engines are at the rear end.
b) Propulsion systems: It consists of two solid rocket boosters which take the space shuttle into the space and after that they get separated and fall down into the ocean.
c) External Fuel Tank (ET): The giant, cylindrical external fuel tank is the largest single piece of the space shuttle. It contains fuel such as liquid hydrogen etc. once the fuel in the tank is consumed, the tank is jettisoned.
3) How did Russian respond to the NASA space programme?
In response to the NASA space programme Russians designed a space shuttle ‘Buran’, which means snowstorm in Russian and it was launched in 1980.
4) What does ‘enterprise’ mean in the chapter?
‘Enterprise’ is the first successfully designed orbiter of NASA. It was named after the ‘star trek’ star ship, which was launched from a Boeing-747. it was a test craft used to verify the aerodynamic and control characteristics of the orbiter design.
10. Total Quality Management
1) What were manufacturers interested in before the days of TQM?
In the past, manufacturers were interested only in the product and its quality and the distribution of the product. But Total Quality Management (TQM) takes into consideration all the elements of the organization, including production, customer satisfaction and employee participation.
2) What are the organizational functions in the life cycle of a product?
The organizational functions in the life cycle of product include i) design ii) planning iii)production iv)distribution and v)field service.
3) Which are the key issues related to TQM?
The key issues and terminology related to TQM are the quality assurance, customer satisfaction, employee involvement etc., TQM is the system of continuous improvement and employee participating management centered on the needs of the customers.
4) What are the requirements in integrating the management subsystems?
The requirements in integrating the management subsystems include i) strategy with a customer focus ii) the tools of quality and iii) employee involvement.
5) What place does TQM give to a) customers and b) employees in terms of the ‘cultural change’ recommended by the Conference Board in 1990.
Customer satisfaction is the ultimate aim of TQM. A cultural change that appreciates the primary need to meet the customer’s requirements is needed. The employee involvement and the ethics of continuous improvement should also be encouraged. These are the recommendations of conference board in 1990.
Write an essay on Total Quality Management
By implementing Deming’s principles of TQM(Total Quality Management), Japan experienced dramatic economic growth. In the 1980’s the US also rediscovered Deming. Total Quality Management is a system of continuous improvement employing participative management centered on the needs of the customers.
In the past, manufacturers were interested only in the product and its quality and the distribution of the product. But Total Quality Management (TQM) takes into consideration all the elements of the organization, including production, customer satisfaction and employee participation.
The organizational functions in the life cycle of product include i) design ii) planning iii) production iv)distribution and v)field service. The key issues and terminology related to TQM are the quality assurance, customer satisfaction, employee involvement etc., TQM is the system of continuous improvement and employee participating management centered on the needs of the customers.
The requirements in integrating the management subsystems include i) strategy with a customer focus ii) the tools of quality and iii) employee involvement. Customer satisfaction is the ultimate aim of TQM.
