Aasif Shah's Blog

The biggest misfortune today in India is not hunger, poverty, unemployment or lack of development but it is when problems like such remain unaddressed. While on the one hand a gigantic percentage of poor people live on the streets and in pathetic conditions, the so called Indian media is busy with promoting cricket and bollywood celebrities. News like “Big boss Amitab Bachan is suffering from severe fever, dandruff has attacked Shilpa’s hair, Ashwariya has given birth to a baby girl and Sachin is back” remain the breaking headlines in Indian media leaving aside all socio-economic issues of the country. Instead of a watch dog, the media has turned out to be a mouthpiece of few chosen people (less than 1% of total population). The way it performs its services is enough to prove that this particular industry is simply there to make money. If sharukh khan cuts the cake, it will be shown as the breaking news but if a poor man dies of hunger, it will not be even condemned. If katrina has n...

Even after setting up new IITs, IIMs, and Central Universities, the higher education system in India has not come out of crises. The low quality institutions offset the advantages of the premier institutions when it comes to the overall scenario of higher education in the country. It is as if anyone can establish a university with nothing to do with essential prerequisites, ethics and academic standards. When a university/college does not have checks and balances, the collapse of education is inevitable. The book jointly compiled by Dr. Nazir Ahmad Gilkar and Dr. Aasif Shah is an attempt to invite the attention of the academic governance to overcome academic embarrassments. The book is divided into four chapters and spread over 3 plus 144 pages and index at the end. The first chapter Academic Planning Audit discusses about the curriculum planning and development, course structure, applied education, academic best practices, accreditation process, transparency and accountability. ...

What I had learnt in my eight years at Tamil Nadu, I could have never learned in my twenty years at Kashmir.  If I recall my memory, it was 3rd August 2009 when I landed at Chennai airport for the first time for my MPhil registration at Pondicherry Central University. As soon I came out from the airport, I began asking everyone from pedestrians to cab drivers to street vendors that ‘Bhai sahib Pondicherry bus kahan se mile ge’ but to my hard luck none of them could understand my words. I stood for one hour at the road side looking for possible help. In the meantime, I saw a running auto without passengers and like a bat out of hell, I waved at the driver. How to go to Pondicherry University? I asked him to which he replied 'Bus Stand'? No! Pondicherry University I repeated. If I quote his words exactly, he said ‘Pondicherry-aaa, going bus stand wokay, three hour journey, Pondicherry bus YAC, non YAC yavailable'. I sat in his auto and for the entire 30 minutes or so, I enjoy...

The AI arms race between tech giants like the US, China and Russia, points to the possibility that AI can escalate global conflict. Hosting the G20 leaders’ summit later this year is an excellent opportunity for India to demonstrate its capabilities and contributions to information technology and the digital economy. The newest weapons will not be the biggest bombs, tanks or missiles but AI-powered applications and devices which will be used to wage and win wars. India must wake up to the challenge to protect itself against the potential consequences of an AI war. Just recall the conversation between the world’s first human robot Sophia and CNBC’s Andrew Ross, in which he voiced his concerns about advancements in Artificial intelligence (AI): “We all want to prevent a bad future where robots turn against humans,” to which Sophia retorted, “Don’t worry if you’re nice to me, I will be nice to you”. The message was clear: It is up to humans — and nations — how they utilise AI and apprecia...

Can academic governance incorporate them with all seriousness is a million dollar question. The globalization has caused intense competition which in turn has caused reformations in every sector. The corporate world bargains for the best human resource and the academic world endeavors to produce best brains to survive in the demand supply chain. A sound and stable educational policy to ensure students and societal progression is imperative to drive innovation for a sustainable development. We do not debate education the way we debate internet, roads and electricity. The ten suggestions laid down may bring back hope for a better tomorrow. Here are these: 1. Rethink about the Deferment of Examinations: There are thousands of students registered with IGNOU for UG and PG courses and they complete their degrees well on time. The IGNOU students in Kashmir have no choice but to appear in examinations no matter how bad circumstances are on the ground. The story is otherwise with our c...

The corona catastrophe has taken us back to 14th century when the Black Death, the most notorious pandemic devastated Europe and wiped out one half of its population.  If history is to be believed, it was mammals such as mice and rats that caused the deadly pandemic in Central Asia and that eventually arrived Europe through Italy. The tragic tale does not end here. The human civilization has witnessed series of deadliest pandemics from Antonine Pandemic in the 2nd century to Swine Pandemic in 21st century leaving millions of people dead. COVID-19 is the latest series of Pandemics that has sent shivers across the world. The greatest paradox is that it united the contradictory world but divided people at large. It does not see if I am king or a slave, believer or atheist, white or black. It is unseen yet powerful, living yet unseen, far yet close. It is an untold story of everything from Science to God, Medicine to Economics, and Culture to Religion. The Wuhan born pandemi...

Few days back, I had an opportunity to perform the role of an invigilator at an examination conducted by Indra Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) where most of the examinees were SSA teachers of school education department. What I had realized for the entire three hours of the time duration is that we are heading towards explosive academic destruction. It was very embarrassing rather unpleasant experience to see teachers in possession of copying materials inside the examination hall. That night I could not get a good sleep. I found my mind pulled towards negativity. I asked myself is this the reason that most of the parents turn away from government schools? How a teacher who resorts to cheating can be the pillar of a society? How can he demand pay commissions and increments when he is not able to fulfill demands of ethical standards?  For what we are celebrating teachers day? Of course, there are many good teachers that play vital roles in the lives of students in...

It is a painful tale of a young, enthusiastic and handsome man that begins with an unusual fever on 13th August 2016 when he was working in his office and when the entire valley was under the grip of curfew. Without sharing his agony to anyone at home, he went straightaway to a Srinagar based Private Hospital for consultation where he was diagnosed with chronic intestinal inflammation and oncological related issues by a local doctor based on USG and colonoscopy reports. He called his family who were shocked to see him admitted in the hospital. On the same day, the doctor recommended an instant surgery and operated on him the following day without a second thought. Later, it appeared that the doctor has scratched and caused a terrible wound in his large intestines. Without noticing the same, he stitched and left him in ICU where it was observed that something scary was leaking out of his abdomen and which got worse with the days passing. When the young man woke up from ...

I had an opportunity to go through the precise message of Prof. Ableter of Ghana University on Facebook in which he argues that ‘Academic excellence is overrated’.  Is academic excellence really overrated? I kept asking such question to myself for days together and I got a weird sensation inside my head as if somebody was answering my question ‘Oh man don’t think too much’, if academic excellence would have been the criteria of the success then what about Thomas Edison who was a bad learner in classroom yet he invented the electric bulb, Steve Jobs who never graduated yet he revolutionized  the world with his visionary creations such as iPhones and iPads, Bill Gates who was an average student, yet he became an inspiration to people across globe and we have many such examples.  To support his argument, Prof Ableter ...

Embarking on PhD’ is most difficult endeavor to undertake. Not only does it consume years together but the dropout rate for PhDs’ are quite high. I am not sure if an acronym ‘PhD’ has historically lacked a precise definition because Doctor of Philosophy would be ambiguous as PhD holders are not necessarily philosophers, unless the degree is earned in philosophy. In America, Europe, Asia or Africa, completing a PhD programme can take five years or more. That is 1825 days or 8 percent of your existence if you live up to 65 years. The programme is typically broken down into 1-2 years of course work followed by 3-5 years of original research to produce. Many people start PhD with a vague idea and spend first 2 years to figure out the novel aspect they want to pursue and many are unaware about the target audience they want to reach through their findings. The fact is that they find themselves trapped in a poor research culture (mostly in developing countries) that turns them out to be c...

Friendship is one of the most precious gifts that make life beautiful. When we have good friends to confide in, sufferings seem more tolerable and the pleasures are more intense. Everyone goes through good and bad times in their lives no matter what place they are in or what educational or ethnic background they come from. There is a time when people find themselves in circumstances that they never wanted to face. They find their life messed up and consequently they start losing control over it. Typically they turn to God and ask him for forgiveness and seek his help through patience and prayer but then they often have expectations that their friends are there who would listen to them and facilitate them to feel like the world is not falling apart. But the reality is that when they face a disastrous loss or have a major failure or suffers from lingering ailment or mental dejection; their friends (with few exceptions) turn out to be traitors by taking advantage of their helplessne...

Gone are the days when our forefathers used to live together as a society.  No doubt, there was poverty, scarcity and complexity but there was a beauty in life and pleasure among all. There were few privileges to enjoy, yet life was complete, meaningful and nourishing. There was care and concern, love and affection, proximity and the true bonding. Teachers were praiseworthy and schools were truly nucleus of learning. Furniture’s were alluring and houses were economical. Despite wars, tranquility prevailed earlier. There was trust. There was hope. There was illiteracy but more wisdom, less technology but more comfort, less schools but more scholars, less inputs but more productivity. Craftsmanship was worthier and vessels were flawless. Disputes were promptly sorted out and courts had fairly less business. Production was meant for survival and the cattle farming were familiar. Agriculture was the priority and chasing profits were tertiary. Trees were all around, with birds on ...