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Tuesday 19 November 2013

Education-Another index


Education is the touchstone of progress now a days.Days have gone when only growth rate was the parameter of triumph.Literacy rate is the new index to be opted now.Education is the need of the hour.The occident focused on the issue right from the beggining but those
who ruled subcontinent believed in making tombs and mementos showing off their lust for love.Most quoted example is synchronized construction of Taj Mahal plotted against King Edward Medical college.One was thinking about transforming next generations while other was busy in showing its power and money.
Things haven't changed much with taj mahal replaced by metro trains and underpasses with other side,the same side.
It’s sad to see no muslim country in top universities of the world.All are housed at Europe,mainly America and Great Britain.Rough figure regarding America is about 5000 universities and i guess they believe in quality too because its not all about number.MIT,the best in technology situated in America.Oxford and cambridge too a pride of europe.
The basic difference was of mindset.If America is the super power or Europe encapsulates G-8,there is a perpetual effort by their rulers.They were hell bent to fuel their younger generation with education though it was our teaching but rights of sensible decisions are never reserved.One must cogitate regarding the overwhelming success that owes to education.
Let's take Pakistan as a test case.Education in Pakistan is like vending machines in america,you insert coins and can have your degree,without any claim.
Talking about the stats,USA has more than 2600 accredited universities while on the other hand Pakistan is having 128 degree awarding universities with 70,state owned.
According to times higher education 2011-2012 survey,out of first 20 top universities of the world,14 are American,4 are in United Kingdom,canada and switzerland having the rest of two.2013-2014 was even better for US with 15 universities in top 20,3 in United kingdom,Canada and switzerland maintained the status.
It’s simply embarrasing that no muslim country is there,even though we claim that we are educated or taught to be educated by our religion too.According to CIA World Factbook, almost 75% of the world's 775 million illiterate adults are concentrated in ten countries including Pakistan as well.
Talking of the literacy rates USA,UK,Germany,Japan,Switzerland,Canada and Australia having a literacy rate of 99%.That's a prodigious number.Finland goes one mile more with 100% literacy rate.
When we come to subcontinent India,the rising economy has 74% literacy rate but Pakistan,hold your breath.Pakistan is having 57% literacy rate.For one to be literate the criteria is the one who can read newspaper and can write a simple letter in any language in case of Pakistan.Turks are good with 95.3% literacy rate and that can directly be linked to their progress as well.
Issue is still not the number of universities,problem is what's been taught here in Pakistan.For instance let's take engineering descipline.According to my research,more than 15 institutions in Lahore only are offering electrical engineering degree.This results in loss of quality education.Though strict rules are there for degree accredition by Pakistan Engineering council named PEC,yet nothing been done to lessen the mushroom growth of universities.Remember i am talking of engineering institutes in Lahore only.Same is the case with computer sciences,mass communication and management sciences.No one bothers to answer this conundrum.The effect of all this is joblessness and inturn frustration which leads to escalation of crime rate in the country.Those who are economically good prefer to leave the country and that gives birth to brain drain.
Last but not the least,can i link this education with most consciously controversial made lady of Pakistan,Malala Yousafzai who was shot by taliban and now she is promoting education in the world.Our Pakistani people don't own her.They abuse her and declare her as an agent.What to say of respect,people believe in Malala as a drama staged very well.Sick mentality not been able to digest success of a woman.She still owns Pakistan,though resides outside the boundry due to some reasons.We should respect our intellectual cream.You can have a question over overprojection but you can't shun her message of education.
Govt. should focus on imparting quality education and populace too should be concerened about the education of their kids rather demanding bullet trains.If this issue is not taken up seriously,a day will come when degree holders will also be tagged as jobless people and that piece of paper will value nothing.By that time,everyone will be literate enough to grumble  and rant:
“It is useless to cry over spilt milk”

Saturday 2 November 2013

Media Tussle

By the way,i hope many of you have watched Pakistani film Waar and a major chunk will be praising it too with their tweets and updates.
Let me divert the topic to another War that was initiatd by Mubashir Lucman,the famous controversial anchorperson from ARY news.He broke the story that GEo and Jang group are hell bent to stop another channel rather mega channel to invade the media industry.Rumors regarding the state of the art trchnology opted by this new channel were been there for last couple of months.This new channel stated to be BOL channel was first said to have been owned by real estate tycoon MALIK RIAZ but no explanation from either side was there.
Let's come on the burning issue,the war between two media monsters.
Mubashir lucman in his extended shows alleged GEO and Jang Group that Geo is trying to BAN BOL tv by the defamation campaign.According to ML,"administration of GEo in cooperation with indian officers tried to malign BOL tv by a report published in Hindustan times.The story was that the owner of BOL tv is Dawood Ibrahim,famous underworld guru."
The purpose of that story was to stop launching of BOL tv that will definitely shatter monopoly of some media groups with GEO as a major chunk.ML also alleged that Mir Shakil Ur Rehman,owner of Jang Group pressurized governor of state bank for his motive.ML also said that he can make governor to be on the show and explain his point.Famous businessman from Karachi,Aqeel Kareem Dhedi also grumbled about Jang group.Different producers in ML show said that GEo  imports indian films illegally and then promotes them thus damaging local film industry.
Imran Khan was dragged in by ML in his show when he also said that investigations should be done owing to serious allegations.A notice was issued to him as well.
Now jump to the other side,What was being said by Jang group in response.They waited for two days (i wonder why) then they published an explanation that Mubasher Lucman owns a plane and a delux vehicle and efforts are in a full swing to file a case against him and ARY.
october 31st was the day when someone reached islamabad high court and filed a petition to stop Mubashir Lucman from the dafamation campaign he is pursuing.The same day,IHC issued an interim order and stopped ML from saying anything against Jang Group.He was also not heard before that order and the problem lies here.
I am not gonna support Mubashir Lucman,nor i have any enmity with Jang group but even then both parties should be acknowledged before orders.

Being a part of twitter,its good that you can have oppinion from both sides.Meanwhile i was having a bird eye view of tweets from those on GEo including reporters,anchorpersons and newscasters,i felt that they are more into reverse allegations instead clearifying their position.They should have presented documents and evidences in Jang's support rather counter allegation on ML.It looks more like a ML VS Geo contest now.
What to say of indian content when every media group is chasing that for commercialism,Geo and Jang believe in one mile more policy.Many a people feel that Geo overpromotes indian films and actresses.A major example is Rajesh Khanna's death day when there was  nothing on media except this news.He was infact a star but we have other issue too to be discussed.
Geo also lags behing other tv channels when it comes to general public oppinion,even then GEO too should be given time and space to explain their part and they should do so.Geo tops when it comes to viewership.It grabs 28% viewership with express on number 2 having 14 % and then Dunya news 13%.
At the end i wanna say that No one can eradicate a media group now a days.We just need to streamline our efforts to make Pakistan prosper