Environment

According to the 2009 State of Environment Report, India faces many important
environmental challenges which currently threaten both the development of India and the
outlook for its future.
Degradation of land, increasing air pollution, depletion of water resources, loss of indigenous
species of flora and fauna and the background of overwhelming poverty are depicted in the
report to detract from the positive growth of Indian people and the country as a whole.
We can list the main environmental challenges in India as follows:
1. Population: Population of 844 million is growing at 2.11 per cent every year. Since the
natural resources are limit the greatest challenge before us is to limit the population growth.
2. Poverty: About 40% of our people are still below the poverty line Environmental
degradation has adversely affected the poor who depend upon natural resources.
3. Problems in Water management and Water Pollution: We have a poor water management
system. Of the 180 mham run off, irrigation projects could manage only to trap 17 mham in
reservoirs. Large dams also created problems like displacement, loss of biodiversity etc.
Community wastes, industrial wastes, and chemical fertilizers and pesticides have polluted
the surface water and affecting the ground water too. Restoring the quality of water is a big
challenge.
4. Agricultural issues: High yielding varieties and input of chemical fertilizers to soil and the
use of pesticides resulted into many problems like soil pollution, air pollution, water pollution
etc.
5. Land degradation due to urbanization, industrialization
6. Human settlement
7. Air and Water Pollution
8. Problems related to Energy consumption.
9. Problems that affects the Biodiversity: Wildlife Devastations Disintegrate Indias
Ecological Diversity
10. Deforestation

Efforts to meet the Challenges

We have already made a start to achieving the goal of sustainable development as by making
efforts for sustainable life-support system. NEPC National Council of Environmental
Planning and Coordination was set up in 1972. This was followed by Empowered committee,

The Tiwari committee set up in 1980. On the recommendation of this committee the
Department of Environment set up in 1980 and later this department became part of ministry
of environment in 1985. At the governmental level, the Ministry of Environment and Forests
acts as a nodal agency for relations with International agencies like UNEP, SACEP, IUCN,
World Bank, FAO, UNDP SAARAC and EEC. Independently and in association with
Government level activities the NGOs in India have also taken several initiatives towards
global cooperation and exchanges.
Some early moves:
Acceded to the Vienna Convention for the protection of ozone layer, March 1985.
Signed the convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animal in 1979.
Signed the international convention for the prevention of pollution of the sea by oil, 1954
and related conventions in 1969,1978 and 1982.
Signed the convention of the Antartica and the Antartica treaty.
Received funds from international agencies.
An international conference of 21 developing countries was hosted in India in 1990.
In 1992, India prepared a document on the issue of environment and development that is a
manifestation of the challenges being faced by our nation for UNCED (United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development)/Earth summit at Rio de Janeiro.
Dunkel draft As a part of GATT negotiations in the package proposed by Arthur Dunkel to
conclude to Uruguay Round, the industrialized countries of the North have claimed the right
to patent even plants. Dr Suman Sahai convener of Gene Campaign has advocated for not
accepting the conditions on patent.
Two-day meet of the governing council of South Asia Cooperative Environment
Programme (SACEP) was held in 1992 to discuss setting up a SACEP Fund.

Communication
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We hear only half of what is said to us, understand only half of that, belief only half of that
and remember only half of that - Kathy Walker
Communication is the exchange of information between entities, such as people, animals or
even machines. Information is sent out that someone or something senses, processes and
interprets. A response may be given, resulting in a back-and-forth communication.
The word communication is derived from the Latin word communicare meaning to share or
impart and to make common (Commonness).

Barriers of communication
There are several barriers of communication which can be classified as physical, mental,
cultural etc. Some of them are listed below.
1. Not/Not proper understanding the language
2. Verbal and non-verbal messages are in a different language.
3. Not knowing the history of the occasion, relationship, or culture.
4. Intentionally delivering an obscure or confusing message.
5. Inadequate attention to processing a message.
6. In asynchronous communication, neglecting to give immediate feedback may lead to larger
misunderstandings.
7. Time factor: There is not enough time to communicate with everyone.
8. Physical barriers to the transmission of messages, such as noises, facing the wrong way,
talking too softly, spatial problems and physical distance.
9. Hearing loss and various brain conditions can hamper communication and such medical
issues.
10. World-views may discourage one person from listening to another.
11. Fear and anxiety associated with communication is known by some Psychologists as
communication apprehension. More over communication can be impaired via processes such
as bypassing, indiscrimination, polarisation etc.
Some barriers in class room communication:

Physiological: like hearing problem

Rapid thought
Physical distractions
Message overload
Attitudinal barriers like egocentrism, faulty assumption, preoccupation etc.
Communication Process/Model
As we said communication process is the sending and receiving process of ideas among
human beings. The communication process begins with the sender and ends with the receiver.
There are ten stages in communication process:
From the sender part the stages are:
1. An urge for communication
2. Formation of idea
3. Selection of Media
4. Encoding
5. expression
From the media side
6. Transmission
From the receiver end it is
7. Reception

8. Decoding
9. Understanding
10. Feedback
Feedback is a key component in the communication process because it allows the sender to
evaluate the effectiveness of the message. Feedback ultimately provides an opportunity for
the sender to take corrective action to clarify a misunderstood message.
Social scientists Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver structured this model based on the
following elements:
1. An information source, which produces a message.
2. A message which is both sent by the information source and received by the destination
3. A transmitter, which encodes the message into signals
4. A channel, to which signals are adapted for transmission
5. The signal, which flows through a channel. There may be multiple parallel signals, as is the
case in face-to-face interaction where sound and gesture involve different signal systems that
depend on different channels and modes of transmission.
6. A receiver, which 'decodes' (reconstructs) the message from the signal.
7. Noise, in the form of secondary signals that obscure or confuse the signal carried
8. A destination, where the message arrives.
Types of Communication
1. Intra personal Communication: Communications within our mind
2. Inter personal Communication: Communication between two persons
3. Group/Mass Communication: communications in mass society, or with very large numbers
of people, through various mass media, which is a term used to denote, as a class, that section
of the media specifically conceived and designed to reach very large audiences
It can also be classified as Verbal / Non verbal Communication, oral / written or
formal/informal.
Effective Communication:
A good working definition for effective communication is to share meaning and
understanding between the person sending the message and the person receiving the message.
The key element is understanding. The ability to effectively communicate is a critical skill.
The more you become an effective communicator the more likely you are to achieve what
you want. Remember, you can improve your communication skills by observing people who
communicate effectively, learning new skills, and practicing those skills.
There are 5 steps for effective communication in a class room
1. Show the readiness to listen students their ideas and thoughts
2. Use different paraphrasing techniques
3. Ask relevant open ended questions frequently
4. put together every thing by summerising
5. Make your own statements, suggestions and opinions.

Now examine some questions

Now we can discuss some frequently asked questions, related to communication:
a. Which of the following would be a part of mass communication?
a)e-mail, b) intranet, c) Radio, d) telephone
Answer is C
b. While teacher is speaking but a child seems to be thinking some other things, what kind of
barrier to communication is being encountered
a)Physiological, b) Psychological, c) Attitudinal, d) Environmental
Answer is A
c. The basic elements of communication are
a)source and receiver, b) interference, c) encoding and decoding, d) all the above
Answer is A
d. Which of the following will make communication more effective?
a)cutting jokes in between, b) using multi sensory appeal, c) speaking with high authority, d)
telling what is useful to others
Answer is B
e. Communication in the class room often fails because:
a)the students are not attentive, b) teacher is monotonous while lecturing, c) students have no
interest in the topic, d) very much noise in and around the class room
Answer is D
f. The facial expression of student relate to which element of communication process?
a)Sender, b) Receiver, c) Message, d) Channel
Answer is B
g. An effective communication does not require:
a)change in speech pattern, b) appropriate gestures, c) mastery of content, d) handsome
personality
Answer is D
h. One will be an effective communicator if one
a)is a humorous speaker, b) has histrionic talents, c) is very clear about what one
communicates, d) communicate in ones mother tongue
Answer is C
i. Effective communication will make the receiver
a)enjoy it, b) accept it, c) pass it on to others, d) think about it
Answer is A
j. Characteristics of all informal and formal communications are:
a)same, b) unstructured, c) structured, d) different
Answer is A

India : Education-1
Educational Agencies in India
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT):
- The NCERT is the apex resource organisation set-up in September 1961, with head quarters at New
Delhi.
- It assists and advises the Central and State Governments on academic matters related to school
education.
- The council is fully funded by the Central Government.
- The NCERT provides academic and technical support for qualitative improvement of school
education through its constituent units, namely.
National Institute of Education (NIE). New Delhi.
Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET). New Delhi,
Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education
(PSSCIVE).
Bhopal and Regional Institutes of Education at Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhuvaneshwar, Mysore and Shillong.

University and Higher Education in India:

- At present, there are 306 university-level institutions.
- There are 18 Central Universities and 186 State Universities.
- There are 89 Deemed Universities.
- There are 13 Institutes of national importance.
- There are 38 Institutions providing education in agriculture (including forestry, dairy, fisheries and
veterinary science).
- There are 21 Institutions in medicine (including Ayurveda), 44 in engineering and technology, 4 in
information technology and 4 in legal studies.
- There are 11 Open Universities and 5 Women Universities.

University Grants Commission (UGC):

- The UGC was established in 1956.
- It serves as a coordinating body between the Union and State Governments and the institutions of
higher learning.
- The Commission consists of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and 10 other Members appointed by the
Central Government.
- It has its Regional Offices at I Hyderabad. Pune. Bhopal. Kolkata, Guwahati and Bangalore.
Autonomous Research Organizations:
- The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), New Delhi, set-up in 1972, reviews the progress of

historical research and encourages scientific writing in history.

- The Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR), functioning from 1977 with offices in New
Delhi and Lucknow, reviews the progress, sponsors or assists projects and programmes of research
in Philosophy.
- The Indian Institute of Advanced Study (MAS). Shimla. set-up in 1965 is a residential centre for
advanced research on humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.
- The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). New Delhi, is an autonomous body for
promoting and coordinating social science research.
- The National Council of Rural Institutes (NCRI) was set-up in 1995 as an autonomous organisation
for promoting Gandhian philosophy of education and. promotes research as a tool of social and rural
development
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU):
- The IGNOU. established in September 1985. is responsible for the introduction and promotion of
Open University and distance education system of the country.
- IGNOU introduced its programmes in 1987.
- It has established 269 study centres for women. SC/ST and physically challenged persons.
- On 26th January 2001, IGNOU launched an education channel called 'Gyandharshan which is now a
24-hour channel.
- On 26th January 2003. IGNOU launched a channel for technical education called 'Eklavya Channel'.
Open Universities:
At present, there are 10 other Open Universities in the country, viz,
a. U.K. Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh)
b. Rota Open University, Kola (Rajasthan)
c. Nalanda Open University, Nalanda (Bihar)
d. Yashwant Rao Chauhan Maharashtra Open University, Nasik (Maharashtra)
e. Madhya PradeshBhoj Open University. Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)
f. Ambedkar Open University, Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
g. Karnataka State Open University. Mysore (Karnataka)
h. Netaji Subhash Open University. Kolkata (West Bengal)
i. Rajrishi Tandon Open University. Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) and
j. Tamil Nadu State Open University, Chennai (Tamil Nadu).
Technical Education:
- The technical education system in the country covers courses in engineering, technology,
management, architecture, pharmacy etc.
- The technical education system at the central level comprises the following
a. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
b. 7 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)
c. 6 Indian Institute of Management (IIMs)
d. Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore

e. Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Allahabad

f. Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management (IIITM),
Gwalior and
g. 18 National Institutes of Technology (NITs) (converted from RECs with 100
per cent central funding).
Adult Education:
- The National Literacy Mission, set-up in May 1988 aims to attain a sustainable threshold level of 75
per cent literacy by 2007.
- The 'Total Literacy Campaign" is the principal strategy of the National Literacv Mission for
eradication of illiteracy.
- The 'Continuing Education Centres' provide area-specific, need-based opportunities for basic
literacy, upgradation of literacy skills, pursuit of alternative educational programmes, vocational
skills and also promote social and occupational development.
- The State Resource Centres (SRCs) managed by NCOs provide academic and technical resource
support in the form of training material preparation, extension activities, innovative projects,
research studies and evaluation. At present, there are 26 SRCs.
- The objective of 'Jan Shikshan Sansthan" (JSS) is the educational, vocational and occupational
development of the socio-economically backward and educationally disadvantaged groups. At
present, there are 140 JSSs in the country
Minority Education:
The National Policy on Education, 1986. updated in 1992 envisages paving greater attention to the
education of the educationally backward minorities in the interest of 'equity and social justice". In
pursuance of the revised Programme of Action (POA), 1992, two new centrally sponsored schemes
were launched in 1993-94. viz,
a. Scheme of Area-Intensive Programme for Educationally Backward
Minorities, and
b. Scheme of financial Assistance for Modernisation of Madrassa Education.

India : Education-2
Educational movements in India(Pre Independent)
Macaulay's Minute (1835)
Woods Despatch (1854)
Indian Education Commission (1882)
Lord Curzon's Educational Policy and National Education Movement
Educational Conference (1901)
Indian Universities Commission (1902)

Indian Universities Act (1904)

Government Resolution on Government Policy (1904)
Gokhale's Efforts and Bill for Compulsory Primary Education (1910-12)
Government Resolution on Education Policy (1913)
Sadler Commission or Calcutta University Commission (1917-1919)
Foundation of Viswabharathi Tagore 1921
Government of India Act (1935)
The Wardha Scheme of Education (1937)
Sargent Report (1944)

Educational movements in India (Post Independent)

University Education Commission (1947-48)
Secondary Education Commission (1952-53)
Education Commission (1964-66)
NCERT Curriculum 1975
National Policy on Education - NPE (1986) and Programme of Action (1986))
Modified National Policy of Education (1992)
Important Educational Bodies:
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT)
Indian Council for Medical Research(ICMR)
National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC)
All India Council for Technical University (AICTE)
National Council for Technical Education (NCTE)
Distance Education Council (DEC)
Open University Network (OUN)

Important Universities and year of establishment:

University of Culcutta (1857)
University of Madras (1857)
Mumbai University (1857)
University of Delhi (1922)
Jamia Millia Islamia (1962)
Aligarh Muslim University (1920)
Banaras Hindu University (1916)
Indira Gandhi Open University (IGNOU)
University of Hyderabad(1974)
Viswabharathi 1921(recognised as University in 1951)

North Eastern Hill University (1973)

Nagaland University (1994)
ASSAM University(1994)
Pondicheri University (1985)
Ambedkar University (1994)
National Urdu University (1997)