IMJ - 2010 - CFTRA - GLOBAL -.pdf

8/17/2019 IMJ - 2010 - CFTRA - GLOBAL -.pdf

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IMJ(International Multi Journal)

CFTRA Global

Confidence Foundation

A peer Reviewed Referred JournalVol. 1, No. 1, January - April, 2010

Chief Editor : Dr. Neelam G. Tikhha


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Chief Editor :- Dr Neelam G. Tikkha

ISBN – 8186067-25-6 Volume 1, No. 1, January - April 2010

Copyright@CFI 2010, Publisher : Confidence Foundation

3A-I Vrindavan, 173, Civil Lines,

Nagpur – 440001 IndiaE-mail : [email protected]

[email protected]

http://cftraglobal.orgCell : +91-94221454670712-2520741

Price INR 900/-

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced. Stored in a retrieval system or

transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise

without the prior permission of the publishers. The entire responsibility regarding views and originally is

of individual writers and CFI holds ono responsibility for the same. Legal Jurisdiction, Nagpur


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Editorial

CFTRA is a not- for-profit organization and a knowledge sharing

platform. It will also help building creativity, intellectual growth and

research sensibility. It is our endeavor to spread knowledge and

promote teachers, trainers, researchers and students worldwide. It has

become necessary to update and upgrade ourselves since

communication has become fast, inexpensive and no longer can

geographical space limit it. Any communication spreads so fast that it

is glocal. A click of mouse can transport words and infinite

knowledge to millions.

We welcome original articles and value the creativity and innovative

ideas therefore there are no publication charges. Scholarly papers on

any topic in any discipline are accepted.

We are coming up with IMJ Journal with ISSN guidelines for which

are mentioned in this issue .

Dr. Neelam Tikkha


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Index

1. American Diversity with special reference to Indian Caste Diaspora 1

M. Lal Goel

2. Team Skills for the Gen Y 12

Dr. Neelam Tikkha

3. Communication that Brings to Edge the Workplace 19

Sunand T

4. Action Research – A Language Teaching Tool 25

B. Sreenath Reddy

5. Role of Khadi and Village Industries – A Sustainable Development 30

With Reference to Silk Industry

Ratan Das

6. Promise of Ecofeminism – An Ecofeminist Reading of 36

Gita Mehta’s A River Sutra

Dr. Nidhi Tiwari

7. Progress, Prospects and Problems of Silk Industry in 45

Murshidabad District of West BengalRatan Das


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CFTRA – Global IMJ (International Multidisciplinary Journal) © CFI-2010 Vol. 1, No. 1, January – April, 2010

ISBN – 8186067-25-6

1

American Diversity with special reference to

Indian Caste Diaspora

M. Lal GoelProfessor Emeritus of Political Science,

University of West Florida

www.uwf.edu/lgoel; [email protected]

Abstract :

Throughout history, all developed social systems (European, Islamic, Chinese, Hindu)

were socially and economically stratified. No society is a mass of individuals. European

society was organized along class, guilds, and religion (Catholics, Protestants, and

Jews), Islamic society along Muslims, dhimmis and kafirs and so on. India had castes, ormore accurately, jatis.

As a political category, caste in India is a result of British policies. The British

introduced the category of caste for purposes of counting population in the census that

began in 1871. The British began to rank order castes by status and economics. Many

petitions were filed by caste groups to seek higher ranking. Castes began to be organized

as political movements. The British granted special electorate to the Scheduled castes

around 1931. Mahatma Gandhi launched a fast unto death in 1932 to undo the partition

of India on the basis of caste. He almost died but he won.

Castes in India are different than classes in the West. Castes are not structured entirely

by economic differences. There are rich Brahmins and poor Brahmins. I grew up in

rural Punjab. As a general rule, Brahmins were among the poorer section of society.

This observation runs counter to the prevalent view in some circles that Indian society is

Brahmin dominated and Brahmin exploited.

The caste system in ancient times was not static. Castes rose and fell. Under extended

Muslim rule, a number of caste groups that fought against Muslim tyranny (for example,

Rajputs) were pushed to the outer edges of the social system. Among the sweeper castes

in India, one finds many Rajput gotras.

Different caste groups in India are comparable to different ethnic groups in the United

States. There are rich Italians and poor Italians, rich Irish and poor Irish, and so on.

Historically, American ethnic groups practiced endogamy—Jews married Jews, Blacks

married Blacks and Italians married Italian, and so on. This is natural. People seek

matrimony within their own social strata.

The caste defined Indian society is a model of multiculturalism. Different castes practicetheir unique customs in marriage, child-rearing, food and worship. A multicultural


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society by definition is more democratic, open-ended, tolerant and freer.

Multiculturalism is much in vogue in the United States these days.

While there is much to celebrate about caste, any caste and birth-based discrimination

and preference, where it exists, must be combated.

Key Words: Pluralistic, monotheistic, spiritual

Introduction:

A recent article in Newsweek by Lisa Miller indicated that Americans “are slowly

becoming more like Hindus and less like traditional Christians in the ways we think about

God, our selves, each other, and eternity.” The author cites the following poll data: 67

percent of Americans believe that many religions, not only Christianity can lead to

eternal life, reflecting pluralistic Hindu ethos rather than monotheistic Christian view; 30

percent of Americans call themselves “spiritual, not religious;” 24 percent say they

believe in reincarnation; and more than a third choose cremation rather than burial.

http://www.newsweek .com/id/212155.

To this list may be added the growing caste-like pluralism and multiculturism of the

American populace. This essay describes features of India’s caste system, its origin, the

negative impact of Muslim and British imperial rule, and concludes with a description of

the caste-like pluralistic American social landscape.

Caste is India’s badge. When we think of Hindu India, we think of caste. Caste hasbecome the subject of national shame. All have paid tribute to the caste system: Gandhi,

Nehru, Ambedkar, Orientalists, James Mill, Abbe Dubois, and anthropologists G. S.

Ghurye and M. N. Srinivas. Caste is a specter that continues to haunt India. Yet, India’s

caste based society preserves and values social diversity.

Nicholas Dirks tells us that caste is not the basic expression of the Indian tradition.

Rather, caste is a modern phenomenon. It is “the product of an historical encounter

between India and the British colonial rule.” Castes of Mind: Colonialism and the

Making of Modern India, Princeton University Press, 2001, P. 5.

In pre-colonial society, Indians had multiple identities, consisting of temple communities,

village communities, lineage and family groups, occupational guilds and devotional

societies. Caste identification was one among the several social groupings. Under the

British, caste became “a single term” to categorize and systematize complex Indian

reality. See Dirks.

European travelers in the 16th

and 17th

centuries noted caste only in passing. They did not

emphasize its importance in understanding Hindu society. Alexander Dow of the East


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India Company published The History of Hindustan in 1768. He devotes only 1 page to

caste.

Caste did not strike early European writers as something peculiar to India. They knew it

in their own countries and saw it that way. J. S. Mill in his essays on Political Economy

said that occupational groups in Europe were "almost equivalent to an hereditary

distinction of caste".i

Abbe Dubois, a French missionary, was one of the most influential European travelers.

He learned Tamil and lived among ordinary people. Dubois had difficulty in converting

Hindus to Christianity. He attributed this difficulty to the Hindu caste prejudices.

Hindus are addicted to their superstitions and prejudices born of caste affiliation.

Nobody can change them. His book Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies (1816)

became the official gospel of the East India Company.

Christian missionaries in general were frustrated in getting Hindus to convert to

Christianity. Caste was blamed for their lack of success. All the abuse was heaped on the

institution of caste and on crafty Brahmins who kept the masses duped. After the 1857

rebellion, the British discouraged missionary activity. The British were fearful that

interference with peoples’ religious customs would foment rebellion.

Caste became rigid during extended foreign rule, especially under Muslim rule (1201-

1707). A number of the caste groups that fought against Muslim tyranny were pushed to

the outer edges of the social system. I have been told that among the sweeperuntouchable castes in India, one finds many Rajput gotras, clan names. Writes Ram

Swarup:

With the advent of Islam the Hindu society came under great

pressure; it faced the problem of survival. When the political power

failed, castes took over; they became defence shields and provided

resistance passive and active. But in the process, the system also

acquired undesirable traits like untouchability. Alberuni who came

along with Mahmud Ghaznavi mentions the four castes but no

untouchability. He reports that "much, however, as these classesdiffer from each other, they live together in the same towns and

villages, mixed together in the same houses and lodgings."

. . .during the Muslim period, many Rajputs were degraded and they

became scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Many of them still

retain the Rajput gotra . . .

The same is true of bhangis (sweepers). William Crooke of Bengal

Civil Service tells us that the "rise of the present Bhangi caste seems

from the names applied to the castes and its subdivisions, to date

from the early period of Mohammedan rule". Old Hindu literature


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mentions no bhangis of present function. In traditional Hindu rural

society, he was a corn-measurer, a village policeman, a custodian of

village boundaries. But scavenging came along with the Muslim and

British rule. Their numbers also multiplied. According to 1901

Census, the bhangis were most numerous in the Punjab and the

United Provinces which were the heartland of Muslim domination. ii

Ancient India had castes, but not casteism, the politicization of caste. Casteism is rampant

in India today. “In its present form, casteism is a construct of colonial period, a product

of imperial policies and colonial scholarship. It was strengthened by the breast-beating of

our own ‘reformers.’ Today, it has acquired its own momentum and vested interests.”iii

The caste system in ancient times was not static. Castes rose and fell within their Varna,

the four-fold classification into Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. Different

castes produced great saints revered by all. The great saint Ravi Das was an untouchable

Chamar, a leather worker. Saint Kabir was a Jolaha or weaver.

VARNA AND JATI

There are four varnas (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras), and hundreds of

jatis meaning birth groups or genus. Jatis are communities by birth which practice

endogamy (marriage within their own group). The jati marriage circle may consist of

some 500 families spread over 50 or 60 villages within a given region. Members of a jati

also follow common dietary rules and other social customs.

Each varna is divided into numerous jatis, birth groups. Some jatis are small, numbering

a few thousand members (the Saraswat Brahmins of Konkan region numbered 20,000

according to a 1971 survey). Other jatis are large and number into several million.

Theoretically, each jati belongs to a particular varna, but this is not always clear-cut.

Some jatis misperceive their varna or do not know which particular varna the jati belongs

to. Many lower castes identify themselves as Kshatriyas.

The four varnas are loose configurations with little organizational structure. Jatis are

better organized and jati associations are more common. When Mohandas Gandhi

decided to study in England in 1889, he was chastised by leaders of his Modh Bania jati

in Bombay, not the Vaishya varna. The jati rules prohibited crossing “the black waters.”

Gandhi ignored the protest and booked his steamship passage.

Jatis vary by region and state. Chetiars are found in the Southern states and Marwaris in

Rajasthan; both are mercantile communities.

ATTRIBUTES OF THE CASTE SYSTEM

The following features are commonly associated with the caste system.

Endogamy. Marriage is restricted to members within one’s own caste. This feature

continues to hold sway even among the modern sections of society, although weakened.


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Occupational Specialization. Different castes pursue different occupations. Roughly,

the following occupational specialization was practiced. Brahmins=priests and teachers;

Kshatriyas=rulers and warriors; Vaish or Vaishya=merchants and farmers;

Shudras=service occupations such as carpentry, barbering, weaving;

Untouchables=leather workers and sweepers. The feature was not strictly adhered to

even in ancient times. In the Mahabharata, Acharya Drona was a Brahmin by caste and

yet he taught the science of weapons to his royal pupils, the Pandu brothers. Modernism

and urbanism has seriously eroded the occupational specialization by caste. All caste

members now enter government service, teaching and the professions.

Commensality. Caste membership restricts eating and drinking activities among

members of the caste. This was not true in rural North India where I grew up. Different

caste members shared their food and attended each other’s weddings (see more below).

Modernity has seriously eroded this feature even where it existed.

Hierarchy. There is some rank order among the castes in terms of status and prestige.The rank order is not always clear nor is it accepted by all. It varies by region. In some

localities, Brahmins may be at the top; in another locality Vaishyas or Kshatriyas may

occupy that position. Status is not co-equal with economic ranking. Brahmins may have

a higher religious status but most are poor, especially in villages (75% of India).

Membership by Birth. One is born into a given caste. One does not voluntarily choose

it.

ORIGIN

The caste system has existed in India from very old times. Several factors contributed to

its birth. I describe four such factors.

1. Originally it may have been based on Gunas, innate qualities, into the fourfold

classification of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. Krishna’s words in

the Bhagavad Gita may be quoted: “The four varnas have been created by Me

through a division according to guna-karma, qualities and work.” (4.13) Even if

once the caste system was a division of society based on gunas or innate qualities

and occupation, the system degenerated. It became fixed in birth and lineage. Sri

Aurobindo writes: “There is no doubt that the institution of caste degenerated. It

ceased to be determined by spiritual qualifications which, once essential, have

now come to be subordinate and even immaterial and is determined by the purely

material tests of occupation and birth.”iv

2. Like other ancient societies, India was once divided into a number of tribes or

endogamous ethnic groups. Each tribe or ethnic group followed its own particular

customs and traditions. The tribal or ethnic groups became castes. Dr. Ambedkar

has drawn attention to this continuity between caste and tribe:

“The racial theory of Untouchability not only runs counter to the results of

anthropometry, but it also finds very little support from such facts as we knowabout the ethnology of India. That the people of India were once organized on


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tribal basis is well-known, and although the tribes have become castes, the tribal

organization still remains intact.”v

Ambedkar did not subscribe to the racial basis of caste: i.e., the conquering Aryans

became the upper castes, and the conquered darker races became the lower castes.

The Aryan Invasion Theory on which the thesis is based is now discredited and is

no longer a dogma.

3. Migration of people creates new castes. Jews and Parsees who entered India to

evade persecution at home survived as distinct groups within the multiethnic

Indian social mosaic. Jews disappeared in China because of intermarriage but

survived in India because of separate caste identity. Saraswat Brahmins on the

Konkan coast in western India are a caste group that migrated from Kashmir to

evade Muslim persecution. Tibetan Buddhists who fled to India with Dalai Lama

in 1959 are a new caste group. Tibetans largely marry amongst themselves and

follow common dietary and dress codes.

4. Religious conversion leads to new castes. When a caste of weavers converts to

Islam, a new caste group is born.

CASTE WITHIN CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS

Christians and Muslims in India do not escape caste divisions. Both communities are

divided into a number of subgroups which function like caste groups. Christians include

Syrian Christians, Catholics, Protestants, Goan Christians, Adivasi Christians and are also

divided by state and region. A Tamil Christian may have little in common with hiscompatriot in neighboring Kannada, much less in Delhi or Calcutta. Muslims are even

more divided: Sunnis, Shias, Bohras, Khojas, Ismailies, Ahmediyas,Wahabis and so on.

Christian and Muslim caste groups practice endogamy—Bohras marry among Bohras and

Catholics among Catholics. Admittedly, these practices are being eroded under urban

and modern influences. The following description of Muslim division is taken from

Imtiaz Ahmed’s book, Caste and Social Stratification among Muslims in India, South

Asian Books, 1978, p. 142:

While there can be little doubt that the Koran recommends the

egalitarian principle, actual practice among Muslim communities indifferent parts of the world falls short of the Koranic ideal.

Particularly in India and Pakistan the Muslim society is clearly

stratified. First, there is a line which divides the Ashraf from the

Ajlaf: the former are high and the latter low. The Ashraf are further

divided into four ranked subgroups: Sayyad, Sheikh, Mughal and

Pathan. Some would regard Muslim Rajputs as a fifth subgroup of

the Ashraf. The Ajlaf are similarly sub-divided into a much larger

number of groups. All these groups, the Ashraf and the Ajlaf, are

endogamous. Furthermore, they are hierarchically arranged in

relation to one another, the Sayyads occupying the highest and theSweepers the lowest position.


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The village consisted of four contiguous sections or neighborhoods, called behras. The

untouchables occupied one of the four neighborhoods. All other castes were mingled in

the remaining three sections. Untouchable separateness was not strictly adhered to.

Members of the higher castes bought properties adjoining the untouchable quarter. The

primary school I attended was located in the untouchable section of the village and

nobody thought much about it. With the exception of the untouchables, all other caste

groups were intermingled. They shared each other’s food and water. They attended each

other’s weddings and special ceremonies. Even though food and water was not shared

with the untouchable, they were an integral part of the village social and economic fabric.

My Vaishya family’s three immediate neighbors were a Brahmin, a Tailor and a Jat

farmer family. No taboo about sharing food held sway. As a child I accepted water and

food at the tailor’s home (technically a lower caste Shudra) and nobody in my family told

me otherwise. Nobody in the village identified the tailor as a shudra. Only after reading

books on caste did I know that the tailor belonged to the lower shudra caste. The barely

literate Brahmin neighbor pursued subsistence farming rather than the traditional priest-craft.

Many descriptions of caste system popular especially in the West are based more on

certain ancient law books (for example, Manusmriti, or the laws of Manu) than on ground

reality. Even sixty years ago in 1950, hereditary occupation was not much followed. The

principle of pollution and purity did not strictly hold sway. The status difference among

different groups was minimal. Only the practice of endogamy remained. And, things

have dramatically changed since my childhood.

Village identification was more important than caste or religious identification. When Ileft India in 1956 to travel to the United States for study, the entire village walked two

miles to the railway station to send me off with their blessings. Many had teary eyes.

When I returned three years later, a similar reception waited for me at the village gate.

My emotional tie to the village is stronger than to my caste or religion. Even though I left

the village some 50 years ago, I make periodic pilgrimages there.

Mine was a peaceful village, like all other villages in the vicinity that I knew. Inter-caste

tensions were rare. Textbook accounts of inter-caste conflict are exaggerated or untrue.

There was small scale thievery but little serious or violent crime. There were no accounts

of girls being raped in the remembered history of the village. All lived in similarhousing, one or two room clay-brick houses with front courtyards where animals might

be tethered and cooking and washing were done. Their possessions were few in number.

Milk and honey did not flow, contrary to idealized versions of Punjabi rural life. But all

managed a healthful organic diet. There was the close-knit family and the larger village

community that gave one the sense of belonging. Fairs, festivals and wedding feasts

provided entertainment and gaiety. We lived reasonably contented lives.

In post-Independence India, caste has been politicized and arenas of conflict have

increased. Political parties now accentuate caste and religious divisions in order to garner

votes.


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Economic Disparity: The Untouchables were somewhat poorer than the rest in the

village, but not by much. All were poor. There was no correlation between upper caste

and economic standing. Theoretically, Brahmins were supposed to occupy the top rank;

in reality, they received no elevated status, economically or in prestige. Jat farmers and

Baniya merchants earned better than other jatis including Brahmins, individual cases

excepted. With land values skyrocketing in the recent decades, the gap between Jat and

non-Jat is even sharper. As 95 percent were illiterate, educational gaps were minimal.

One of my fond memories as a young student was to read and compose letters for the

villagers. Letters were exchanged only on special occasions--to announce births, deaths,

and marriages. Even though most adults were unlettered, they were not un-smart, unwise

or ignorant. With all my education, I would not want to match my wits with them.

The untouchables were fully integrated into the economic and social life of the village.

All worked together on the farm and all bought and sold from one and another. The

embroidered brocade shoes I wore at my wedding were made by the highly respected

village cobbler, an untouchable by caste and a friend of my father. I still own the flat-soled brocade pair. My village was typical of the ground reality in rural Punjab as I saw

it. The village had not changed much in several centuries. Major social and economic

changes occurred in the subsequent decades. In a 2010 visit to my native village, I was

informed that Jat farmers and untouchables not only worked side by side on the farm but

also now shared water, tea and food.

Brahmin poverty runs across North India. Swami Vivekananda tells us that his master

Ramakrishna Parmahansa was born into a very poor Brahmin family in Bengal. Writing

about the Brahmins, Vivekananda observes:

You have heard of the Brahmins and their priest-craft many

times. . . They are the poorest of all the classes in the country,

and the secret of their power lies in their renunciation. . . . Theirs

is the poorest priesthood in the world.vii

Writing about life in West Punjab, now part of Pakistan, Prakash Tandon gives a similar

picture of Brahmin poverty (Punjabi Century: 1857-1947, Chatto and Winds, 1961). I

write about Brahmin poverty to counter the often made statements that Brahmins are the

top dogs and that they have exploited India.

In South India in contrast, I have been told that Brahmins do hold land and property.

Temple entry was denied to the untouchables in the past. On the other hand, Brahmins

are systematically discriminated against in present day India, especially in Tamil Nad.

Reservation quotas in state employment for the lower castes are vigorously pursued all

across India. The temple exclusions for the untouchables and caste-based discriminatory

practices in employment of course need to end.

NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE ASPECTS OF CASTE

Caste has too long been the bane of Indian society. Negative aspects of the caste based

hierarchy in status and economic differences have received much scholarly attention.Where these exist, they must go. Caste based discrimination where it remains must end.


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But the positive aspects of the caste system need to be recognized. Caste based society is

a tolerant society. It celebrates our cultural differences. Different castes practice their

own customs in marriage, worship, food and dress. Minorities, whether religious, racial,

language or ethnic, retain their cultural distinctiveness within the larger Hindu caste

system.

Caste system is a model of a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic tolerant society. In contrast,

egalitarian societies that emphasize universalism (one set of laws and customs for all)

often use force and coercion to achieve oneness. Note the following negative

consequences of universalism.

• Stalin liquidated 30 to 40 million Russians in order to create a classless egalitarian

communist society in the Soviet Union. The same goes for Maoist China.

• The Islamic conquest of the Middle East resulted in the exile and murder of hordes

of non-Muslims, called Kafirs. Non-Muslims, when tolerated, were turned into

Dhimmis, third-class citizens. Before the advent of Islam, the Middle Easterncountries were religiously and ethnically diverse. Jews, Christians, and Pagans

lived side by side in equal status.viii

• During the Church sanctioned Inquisition that lasted several hundred years in

Europe, especially in Spain and Portugal, many were tortured, liquidated or exiled.

Inquisition reached as far as Goa on the Indian coast.ix

With emphasis on pluralism and cultural diversity, the caste based society escapes such

large scale onslaughts on people. Different caste, religious, ethnic and language groups

follow their particular modes of living and religious belief.

i Quoted in Ram Swarup, “Logic behind perversion of caste,” The Indian Express, 13 September,

1996.

Available at: http://indianrealist.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/what-caste-actually-was-like/ . A

must read piece.

ii Ram Swarup, Ibid.

iii Ram Swarup, Ibid .

iv

Sri Aurobindo, India’s Rebirth, p 27

v Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Writings and Speeches, V 1, p 303.

vi Harold A. Gould, The Hindu Caste System, V. 1, Delhi: Chanakya Publishers, 1987, p 82-83.

vii “My Master,” delivered in New York City, published in Inspired Talks, Ramakrishna-

Vivekananda Center, NY, 1987, p. 157.

viii See Bat Ye’or: Islam and Dhimmitude: Where Civilizations Collide, Fairleigh Dickinson

University Press, 2001


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ix Richard Zimler reports in his book Guardian of the Dawn that the Portuguese Inquisition in

Goa was “the most merciless and cruel ever developed. It was a machinery of death.” Over the

250 years (1560 to about 1812), any man, woman or child could be arrested and tortured for

simply saying a prayer, wearing a religious symbol or keeping an idol at home. The Portuguese

are nostalgic about Goa and think of it as a glorious island, peaceful, multicultural andprosperous. Indians also are not aware of the horrors of the Inquisition in Goa. Visit:

http://www.christianaggression.org/item_display.php?id=1126738163&type=articles .

ix There are different accounts as to when Christianity came to Kerala. It is now generally agreed

that Christianity was not introduced by St Thomas in the first century but by Syrian merchant

Thomas Cananeus in the 4th

century. See http://folks.co.in/2009/11/st-thomas-in-india-myth-or-

truth/ ix

Most Indian Jews have migrated to Israel in the recent decades for economic reasons. They

did not depart because of any persecution or discrimination in India but for economic advantage,

as publically stated by them.ix Koenraad Elst, Who is a Hindu?, Voice of India, 2001; Ch 1, at: http://voiceofdharma.org/books/wiah/ch1.htm .


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Team Skills for the Gen Y

Dr. Neelam TIkkha

Abstact

The world is shrinking day by day and the products are moving great miles . It has

become very essential to understand cultural differences. Moreover, the demand of the

day is increasing and the world is becoming more and more competitive. Corporate

houses prefer people with good soft skills since they would have a good team that would

lead them to progress.

It is believed that high levels of IQ, that is intelligence quotient, may give you aninterview but high levels of EQ , emotional quotient, will reward you with a job and life

long altitude. But, It is a sad reality that Education curricula in India and other

developing countries lay more emphasis on the development of (IQ) but do not focus on

developing Emotional quotient (EQ) . Emotional quotient relates with the development of

soft skills. The world is becoming global and piercingly competitive every year. To have a

competitive edge, one needs to have an edge over others by having interpersonal skills.

Interpersonal skills are very important, since an individual may be a good worker, but

may not be a group worker, and the demand of the day is group worker. The real growth

of the organization takes place, only when a person is able to work in a group. These

interpersonal skills which help to function in a group are termed as Soft skills.

Key Words: Interpersonal skills, Soft skills, Emotional quotient

Introduction :

It is believed that high levels of IQ, that is intelligence quotient, may give you an

interview but high levels of EQ , emotional quotient, will reward you with a job and life

long altitude. But, It is a sad reality that Education curricula in India and other developing

countries lay more emphasis on the development of ( IQ) but do not focus on developingEmotional quotient (EQ ) . Emotional quotient relates with the development of soft skills.

The world is becoming global and piercingly competitive every year. To have a

competitive edge one needs to have an edge over others by having interpersonal skills.

Interpersonal skills are very important since individual may be a good worker but may

not be a group worker and the demand of the day is group worker, because real growth of

the organization takes place only when a person is able to work in a group. These

interpersonal skills which help to function in a group are termed as Soft skills.

Definitions: A look into Wikipedia’s definition, of soft skills, will lucidly explicate themeaning and the use of the term in modern sense:


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“ soft skills as a sociological term relating to a person's "EQ"

(Emotional Intelligence Quotient), the cluster of personality

traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits,

friendliness, and optimism that characterize relationships withother people.

[1] Soft skills complement hard skills (part of a

person's IQ), which are the occupational requirements of a job

and many other activities.” 1

Another elaborate definition has been given by Mohan Rao,2 a technical director

with Emmellen Biotech Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Mumbai [ Images ] defines a 'good attitude:

"It is a behavioural skill, which cannot be taught. However it can be developed through

continuous training. It represents the reactive nature of the individual and is

about looking at things with the right perspective. You must be ready to solve problems

proactively and create win-win situations. And you must be able to take ownership that isthe responsibility for your actions and lead from the front without calling it quits at the

most critical moment."

Hence, it is observed that, a number of CEO’s and human resource managers prefer to

hire people with high levels of soft skills and train them for the specific jobs that are

available. They are looking for learning to learn . They are also looking for competence

in listening, reading, writing and computing skills. According to the Managers and

CEO’s, hard-skills do not matter much, at the time of the interview, since the ever-

changing impact of the technology has given the workers , a short shelf life as far as hard-

skills are concerned.

It is easy to find people with hard skills that have the capability to operate machinery or

fulfill other tasks but there is a scarcity of people with soft skills, which are highly

required by the most companies as has already been mentioned that in India and other

developing countries, ‘soft skills’ training has become even more important since the

education system does not include personality development or any of the soft skills

required for future jobs, anywhere in its stream of academic curricula. Corporate houses

invest a lot of money on soft skills training in order to groom their employees to help

them develop interpersonal skills so that they can present themselves in a better manner

and improve their performance.

A survey was conducted by the Workforce Profile, (source: www.workforce.com) , who

concluded in to believing that ,” the more valuable is the employee , who can grow and

learn as the business changes.” 3

Soft skills "are as important, if not more important, than traditional hard skills to an

employer looking to hire -- regardless of industry or job type. This could offer a major

breakthrough as educators and training providers seek to develop and cluster training

courses to fit business and industry needs." 4


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Top 60 soft skills

The Workforce Profile defined about 60 "soft skills", which employers seek. They

are applicable to any field of work, according to the study, and are the "personal traitsand skills that employers state are the most important when selecting employees for jobs

of any type." 5

1. Math.

2. Safety.

3. Courtesy.

4. Honesty.

5. Grammar.

6. Reliability.

7. Flexibility.8. Team skills.

9. Eye contact.

10. Cooperation.

11. Adaptability.

12. Follow rules.

13. Self-directed.

14 Good attitude.

15. Writing skills.

16. Driver's license.

17. Dependability.18. Advanced math.

19. Self-supervising.

20. Good references.

21. Being drug free.

22. Good attendance.

23. Personal energy.

24. Work experience.

25. Ability to measure.

26. Personal integrity.

27. Good work history.28. Positive work ethic.

29. Interpersonal skills.

30. Motivational skills.

31. Valuing education.

32. Personal chemistry.

33. Willingness to learn.

34. Common sense.

35. Critical thinking skills.

36. Knowledge of fractions.

37. Reporting to work on time.38. Use of rulers and calculators.


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39. Good personal appearance.

40. Wanting to do a good job.

41. Basic spelling and grammar.

42. Reading and comprehension.

43. Ability to follow regulations.44. Willingness to be accountable.

45. Ability to fill out a job application.

46. Ability to make production quotas.

47. Basic manufacturing skills training.

48. Awareness of how business works.

49. Staying on the job until it is finished.

50. Ability to read and follow instructions.

51. Willingness to work second and third shifts.

52. Caring about seeing the company succeed.

53. Understanding what the world is all about.

54. Ability to listen and document what you have heard.

55. Commitment to continued training and learning.

56. Willingness to take instruction and responsibility.

57. Ability to relate to coworkers in a close environment.

58. Not expecting to become a supervisor in the first six months.

59. Willingness to be a good worker and go beyond the traditional eight-hour day.

60. Communication skills with public, fellow employees, supervisors, and customers.

According to me some more could be added to this exhaustive list like

Negotiation Skills

Tackling Mercurial Mavericks Adapting to Change

Mentoring

Ability to lead through precepts

Walk the talk

Willingness to take initiative in community work

Being responsible for creating good image of organization in the community and society

at large.

Willing to change attitude and approach.

Technical competence

Computing competence

Ability to undertake learning all life

Good interpersonal skills both transmitting and receiving information.

Working with multilingual teams.

Interdisciplinary knowledge and ability to work with such teams


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Ability to work with multilingual teams

Thinking laterally and creatively

Flexibility to tackle and solve wide ranging ill defined problems

Ability to interact with other discipline and cultures should be well developed.

Problem solving based learning ability.

Empathy

But, The most important one is communication, communication

and communication.

The following case studies will illustrate the importance of soft skills:

Case Study : 1

A teacher’s handbook was bought from Flipkart .com . Before making a purchase a clear

cut information was given on phone by a very helpful executive. But seller and purchaser

both did not realize that book is useless without students book. When the customer

mentioned this problem, Flipkart immediately refunded the money along with postal

charges on the return of book.

This case reflects a helpful approach, good communication skill and empathy which is

very essential in furthering the business and retention of old customers.

Case Study :2

An individual paid for hotel booking through ICICI credit card. The individual was

overcharged because of some technical error at the website .The matter was reported to

the Credit Card department . An executive from the department said , “Don’t worry even

if the payment has been done we would support you and take up the case for you and

immediately interim cash was credited to the account. Without any reminders things were

done. It had built up an image of the service provider and it also helped in giving

confidence to use the card more.

The above mentioned case reflects very powerful communication skill and empathy.

Case Study : 3

An individual escalated the complaint to the MD of ICICI Lombard and the case was

directed to the executive and the executive replies that since the file has been closed now

whenever you meet with another accident then I will get the repairs done that have not

been done this time. And further, there are mails being sent again and again, that ask for

same information.


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Any organization with its good intentions of helping customers will fail to get the

desired results even with highly effective catch lines like “ Khayal Apka “ if people on

the lower rung are not educated enough for soft skills.

What we find missing in this case was empathy and Communication Skills.

Case study : 4

O General‘s inverter Ac was a total failure in 49 C temperature in Nagpur but the service

engineer kept on forcing the customer to believe that it is perfectly OK. The customer

was not satisfied but still service engineer was forceful and kept on insisting. He was over

confident about his product and would remark “My company is so big that if one or two

customers are not satisfied with our product than that would not harm my companies

image or profit”. After a lot of experiments at the cost of the customer the product wastaken back after deduction of INR 6500/= The customer care was also too irresponsible

Another major attitude, that company employees reflected, was that they would neither

respond to the mails nor phone calls and throughout the organization from top to bottom,

same work culture was reflected.

This case reflects that empathy and good attitude are missing out and Communication

Skills are poor. The company has ruined its image by tackling the issue pathetically.

When the company spends so much money on the advertisements why does it not spend

money and a little thought on tackling with the customers?

“The Smyth County Industry Council, a governing body based in the US, conducted a

survey recently. The results of the survey was called the Workforce Profile which found

"an across-the-board unanimous profile of skills and characteristics needed to make a

good employee."

The most common traits, mentioned by virtually every employer, were:

~ Positive work ethic.

~ Good attitude.

~ Desire to learn and be trained. “6

CONCLUSION :

In fine, it takes time for soft skills to sink into one’s behavior pattern and hence the soft

skills training must be given at school and college level so that when an individual takes

up any job , he will be able to take up responsibilities effectively at later stages.

Notes and References: 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_Intelligence_Quotient


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2. http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/the_hard_truth_about_softskills.html

3. http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2007/jan/08soft.htm

4. http://www.educationalservice.net/education/education-001/ese20090534_soft-

skills.php

5.

http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2007/jan/08soft.htm 6. www.eiconsortium.org/ pdf / emotional_competence_framework.pdf

7. www.visionrealization.com/Resources/.../ Emotional_intelligence.pdf

8. etd.uasd.edu/ft/th9629.pdf

9. http://bookboon.com/en/business-ebooks/personal-development

Bibliography Ivey Andrew, Time To Market , bookboon.com, e-book, 2010.

Goleman Daniel, Emotional Intelligence, Bentam Books, New York,1995.


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Communication that Brings to Edge the Workplace

Sunand T

ABSTRACT

The voluminous work in today’s organizations and the inevitability of working in teams

for the accomplishment of organizational goals often lead to misunderstandings among

employees. In this process, our assumptions and fallacies, personal idiosyncrasies, and

our own personality traits precipitate the workplace environment. This leads to a crisis

and contributes to increased miscommunication. Diverse views and perspectives on how

work should be done or shared invariably lead to misunderstandings. This leads to

miscommunication creating bad blood among employees in the organizations. Ifmisunderstandings persist too long, the stability of the organization itself would be at

stake. This affects the employees and vitiates the atmosphere prevailing in the

organization. In this article, the writer is making an attempt to understand the nature of

conflicts generally prevailing in organizations from a very practical perspective.

Differences of opinions, of course, exist among peers or between superiors and

subordinates. However, determination to resolve issues amicably should never be

abandoned. Sincere intentions to resolve issues and a desire to put aside individual

interests for the sake of the organization should be of paramount concern for any

employee. Only when issues are resolved amicably can organizations function smoothly.

Maintaining good interpersonal relations by reducing misunderstandings should be theresponsibility of every employee in the organization.

Key Words: Miscommunication, interpersonal relations, manage conflict

INTRODUCTION: Workplace communication is increasingly becoming important in

today’s organisational life. Employees are spending considerable amount of time at the

workplace today.

Given the nature and complexity of today’s workplace, relationships have assumed

significant importance. Successful communication, hence, necessitates that employees

have good listening skills, good nonverbal communication, and the desire to establish

supportive and understanding climates. They should also be able to manage conflict and

resolve misunderstandings. There is pressure to perform to the expectations of the

management, the clients, and the organization as a whole. And so, in our haste to live up

to the myriad expectations of the ever changing demands of the organization and society

at large, employees are under an intense pressure to perform. In this process, there is

bound to be friction and misunderstandings between peers. There can also be

miscommunication between superiors and subordinates. Hence, interpersonal conflict

seems to be an inevitable reality at the workplace today. Before we try to understand

what interpersonal conflict is all about, let us delve a little deeply into what we mean by

interpersonal communication. What exactly is interpersonal communication?


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Interpersonal communication is selective, systemic, unique, processual (is an ongoing

process) transactions that allow people to reflect and build personal knowledge of one

another and create shared meanings (Wood, 2010).

Beebe and Redmond define it as the process of interacting simultaneously with anotherperson and mutually influencing each other, usually for the purpose of managing

relationships. According to Martin Buber, a 20th

century philosopher, relationships lie

along a continuum of I-It, I-You, and I-Thou.

In an I-It relationship, the speaker treats the other person based on the societal role. For

example, in interactions between a bus passenger and a conductor, or between a customer

and a server in a hotel, there is hardly any self-disclosure. We ask for the ticket and the

conductor issues the ticket. We order an item in the hotel, and the server gets it. Beyond

this, there is hardly any communication between the two. In ‘I-You’ communication

mode, both the communicators recognize each other as individuals, and there is someamount of self-disclosure. In the terminology of Patricia Sias, this relationship

approximates ‘collegial peers’. There is mutual respect and a bit of personal element in

such transactions. In ‘I-Thou’ mode of communication, there is highest self-disclosure

between the two participants in communication. We have I-Thou relationship with very

few people in life. Again, in the terminology of Patricia Sias, this may approximate

‘special peers’. The participants know each other well, and can predict the other’s

behavior to a reasonably good extent. (Miller and Steinberg, 1975). At the organisational

level, we are expected to have I-You level of communication with our peers,

subordinates, and superiors.

Going by Martin Buber’s communication continuum, what is the nature of

communication in organizations? Is it an I-It, or I-You, or and I-Thou? According to Julia

T. Wood, it is important to have and maintain I-You communication in organization. This

is fundamental and necessary.

Now, why does miscommunication take place in organizations? What conflicts result due

to miscommunication? What is ‘conflict’ basically? Interpersonal conflict occurs when

there are different views, interests, or goals between individuals. (Wood, 2010).

Communication scholars William Wilmot and Joyce Hocker define an interpersonal

conflict as “an expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties whoperceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from the other party in

achieving their goals.” So, incompatible goals and scarce resources are the essential

elements of an interpersonal conflict. According to Kory Floyd, conflict in interpersonal

relationships is natural, can be direct or indirect, harmful, and beneficial too. (Kory

Floyd, 2010)

CONFLICT IN ORGANIZATIONS:

“All these different rages—road rage, air rage, whatever rage—are all symptoms of the

same thing: We all have too many commitments and too little time.” – Lynne McClure,

McClure Associates.


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It is natural, thus, to have miscommunication in organizations. When miscommunication

gets escalated over a period of time, it results in breakdown in communication leading to

gradual eroding of relationships. Employees exhibit their behavior in different ways

during a conflict.

Different people express their resentment in different ways at the workplace.

CAUSES OF CONFLICTS

In an educational institution, conflicts are natural. But what could be some of the reasons

for conflicts? Conflicts can take place due to inequality or injustice in workload

distribution, invigilation duties given to staff during exams, delegation of departmental

responsibilities. Other reasons could be when a coworker is progressing in his/her

professional career. Sometimes, when a coworker is recognized by the management ofthe institution for professional reasons, it can cause some sense of uneasiness and

insecurity in others. And all that is required is a ‘spark’ to ignite an imaginary conflict.

Miscommunication between employees takes place due to ‘cognitive fallacies’. Some

common fallacies include:

1. Halo effect: Based on one trait we see in the other person, we generalize or

attribute many other qualities to him. For example, if somebody tells us that a

certain coworker is lazy, then we also assume that he is irregular, aggressive, rude,

etc.

2.

Allness fallacy: It is the belief that one can say everything there is to say aboutsomething.

How do individuals deal with or respond in conflicts?

Aggressive communicators resort to shouting, screaming, and accusing. They become

even more provoked if the listener is a passive communicator. Using abusive language,

threatening, becoming hysterical, and rallying support from others for their

“assumptions” is common. An aggressive communicator would say, “I tried my best to

understand, resolve, and forgive the person, but everything failed. And so I had to shout.”

This, generally, could be one of the ways a person with an aggressive style ofcommunication reacts. Most aggressive communicators claim to be assertive in dealing

with conflicts, and consider themselves to be ‘sanctimonious’ even!

Passive communicators, generally, do their best to avoid, ignore, or pretend that there

was no conflict. Since passive communicators suffer from low self-esteem and are timid,

they do not speak assertively. They wish that the problem or conflict would subside in

due time. They do not assert themselves. A standard answer of a passive communicator

would be like this: “It is not a big problem. Things will subside. In fact, there is no

conflict here.” That means a passive communicator even denies there is a problem.

Withdrawing, denying the existence of a conflict are some of the ways a passivecommunicator does.


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Assertive communicators are those who disagree respectfully. They do not let others talk

to them rashly or let others heap abuse on them. In a conflict situation, they express their

opinions frankly and boldly, but with due respect to others. They believe in an ‘I win-

you win’ approach. An assertive communicator would protect the face of the listener.They help people maintain a ‘positive face (Goffman). In a conflict situation, hence, an

assertive communicator protects his own face and the face of the listener’s. Brown and

Levinson in their classic work on politeness define face as “the public self-image that

every member of a society wants to claim for himself/herself.” Face is a social image that

individuals would like to preserve for themselves.

So, what essentially an assertive communicator does is to protect the face of the persons

in conflict.

Some common statements communicators would utter in conflict situations:

Aggressive speaker:

1. You were completely wrong.

2. You did it, not me. (Emphasis on ‘you’)

3. You did not inform me.

4. You were supposed to inform me, but you didn’t

5. How am I supposed to know that?

6. Who are you to tell me that?

7. I don’t care.

8. Who cares?

Passive speaker:

1. I was wrong.

2. It’s okay.

3.

Leave the issue here.

4. I don’t know.

5. I shouldn’t have done that.

6. God is there.

7. Let God take care of the situation.

8. Time will heal.

9. I don’t know anything about it.


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Assertive speaker:

1. I understand your perspective, but please listen to me too.

2. You may be right; however, I wish to add…..

3. I am not blaming you, but there could have been a better way of dealing with

this…

4. A little clarification would have resolved this issue between us….

5. I am sorry that this had to happen, but …..

6. I am sorry if you are hurt because of what I said…. I didn’t mean that.

7. I believe we should resolve this issue amicably, and it is possible.

How to resolve conflicts?

Most conflicts can be resolved if our concern for ourselves is matched with concern for

others.

It is natural to think about our self interests; however, it is equally important to empathise

with the other person’s situation too. We should cultivate genuine concern, empathy for

others. A sincere altruistic attitude goes a long way in resolving problems at the

workplace. Respecting others’ views is very important.

According to researchers Robert Blake and Jane Mouton, there are two underlyingdimensions in our approach to dealing with conflict. They are as follows: our concern for

our own needs and desires, and our concern for the other party’s needs and desires.

There are five major strategies for engaging in conflict. They are as follows: competing,

avoiding, accommodating, compromising, and collaborating. (Floyd, 2009)

Competing: The competing style represents a high concern for your own needs and

desires, and a low concern for other’s needs. The person just wants to win at the cost of

the other. Here, one person wins and the other person loses (Floyd, 2009). It is at the cost

of the other person. There is aggression and lack of concern for the other person. Power

is the distinguishing characteristic here. Physical or implied force is used here. In

organizations, people use implied force when they want to win at any cost. Superiors can

use implied force to get their work done (Adler and Rodman, 2006).

Avoiding: Here the individual simply ignores or fails to deal with the conflict. They even

deny that there is a conflict. This is more or like a ‘lose–lose’ situation, neither of the

individuals has any gain. A nation may gain military victory at the cost of thousands of

lives, large amounts of resources, and a damaged national consciousness hasn’t truly won

much. It is only a pyrrhic victory. On an interpersonal level too, this holds true. Most of

us have seen battles of pride in which both parties strike out and both suffer. This


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approach does no good to the individuals or the team or the organization. (Adler and

Rodman, 2006)

Accommodating: Here, there is high concern for the other party but a low concern for

the self. In the accommodating style, the person gives up his needs to meet other’s needs just to protect the relationship. It is “keep the peace” in their relationships (Floyd, 2009).

Compromising: It involves a moderate concern for other’s needs and desires. Here, both

parties give up something in order to gain something. They may not get exactly what

they want, but all parties leave the conflict having gained something valuable. There is

some satisfaction of having gained something. (Floyd, 2009)

Collaborating: Here, the individuals believe in ‘I win- You win’ mode of

communication. They try to ensure that both the parties gain. This requires patience,

energy, and time since the needs of both the individuals should be met. This is also calledthe ‘collaborative’ approach. (Floyd, 2009)

CONCLUSION:

Conflicts are natural at the workplace. Unless employees have a sincere desire to resolve

all outstanding issues amicably, it is difficult to think of successful organizations! In

resolving conflicts, there should be empathy. Accusations, assumptions, rashness,

aggressive tone and negative body language do not serve the purpose at all. People in

conflict in organizations should willingly come forward, agree to disagree respectfully,

think of the ‘big picture’ and resolve issues at the earliest. Unresolved issues can

precipitate the crisis further. This does not help the individuals or the organization.

Bibliography

1. P. Brown, P. and S. Levinson, “Universals in language usage: Politeness

phenomenon” in Questions and politeness: Strategies in social interaction (E.

Goody Ed.) (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1978) p 56-289.

2. Wood, J. T. (2007). Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters.

Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

3. Sias, P.M. (2009). Organizing Relationships: Traditional and emerging

perspectives on workplace relationships. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

4. Emmanuel, Sunand T. Striving to Communicate. Technocrats Magazine 2008

Issue, Vasavi College of Engineering, Hyderabad.

5. Floyd, Kory (2009). Interpersonal Communication, The Whole Story

6. Understanding Human Communication, Ronald B. Adler and George Rodman,

Oxford University Press, 2006, Ninth Edition


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Action Research - A Language Teaching Tool

B. Sreenath Reddy

ABSTRACT

The action research is an individualistic or a collaborative activity for finding solutions

to everyday, realistic problems of the classroom. It is a process through which

practioners study their problems scientifically in order to guide, correct and evaluate

their decisions and actions. In the educational set up i.e. school / college, the practioners

are teachers and their colleagues who strive to improve and enhance their personal as

well as organizational goals. Thus action research is very important tool to improve and

enhance the quality of educational objectives. In this paper presentation an effort is madeto present the theoretical and practical aspects of Action research, and a brief sample

design for application of Action research to solve the problem of ‘Spelling Mistakes’ of

the 11th

grade students of A9 class of RGUIIIT.

The teacher uses many concepts in planning and Organizing effective teaching and

realizing the objectives of teaching. A teacher may come across several types of

challenges in presenting and achieving the learning objects .Therefore, it is essential for a

teacher to solve those problems scientifically. The appropriate teaching strategies may not

be effective unless and until the problem are solved .

The classroom problems can be solved by employing the action research process .It is a

method for solving the problems of teaching objectively and systematically. This is useful

for improving and modifying the teaching process.

Meaning of Research :-

Research is a process to study the basic problems which contribute in the edifice of

human knowledge. The research process establishes new truth, finds out new facts,

formulates new theory and suggests new applications. It is a purposeful activity which

contributes to the edifice of knowledge.

'' Research is a systematized effort to gain new knowledge''

Morey

Educational research :-

The principle focus of education is the development of a child .It's aim is to bring the

desirable change among learners. The basic problems of teaching and education are

studied in educational research.

'' Educational research is that activity which is directed towards the developmentof science of behaviour in educational situation.'' WM. Traverse


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Educational research aims to make contribution towards the solution problem in the field

of education by the use of the scientific method, which focuses on critical reflective

thinking.

Types of Educational Research:-

The objectives of educational research is to contribute to the existing knowledge

in the form of new theory and facts in a particular field studied. It may not always

contribute to knowledge development but suggests new application for practical problems

.Thus, the educational researches are classified broadly into two categories.

1) Fundamental or Basic Research.

2) Action research or Applied Research.

Meaning and definition of Action Research:

Stephen M Corey applied this concept of Action research for the first time in field

of education. It is a process by which practitioners attempt to study the problems

scientifically in order to guide, comment and evaluate their decision and action.

''Action research is a process for studying problems by practitioners scientifically

to take decision for improving their current practices.'' Stephen M Corey.

The concept of action research is being used in education since 1926. Buckingham hasmentioned this concept for the first time in his book ‘Research for Teachers,’ but Stephen

M Corey has used this concept for solving the problems of education.

Objectives of action research:-

The following objectives can be achieved by adopting the action research projects:-

• To enhance the performance and aspirational levels of students.

• To develop scientific attitude among administrators, principal, and teachers and

solve their educational problems.

• To improve the working conditions of the Educational institutes.

• To create a healthy environment for teaching – learning process.

• To improve and modify the classroom teaching – learning strategies.

• To develop interests, attitudes and values in students.

Steps of action research:-

1. Identification of the problem:- The teacher should be able to identify the

problem and must realize the seriousness of the problem.


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2. Defining the problem:-After identifying the problem, it should be defined so that

the scope ,boundaries, the action and the goal may be fixed .The scope helps to

localize the problem in terms of class, subject in which a teacher encounters a

problem.

3. Analyzing the causes of the problem:- Analysing the factors responsible for the

cause of problems helps us to formulate the hypothesis. It also tells us whether

the factors are under the control or beyond the control of an investigator .

4. Formulating the action hypothesis:- An action hypothesis is formulated after

identifying and analyzing the factors which causes the problem .The statement of

action hypothesis has two aspects: Action and Goal. It indicates what action has

to be taken for achieving the desired goal.

5. Design for testing the action hypothesis:- In action research one hypothesis is

tested at a time. The design of action research is flexible and can be redesigned at

any time according to the convenience of the research. The design is developed

for testing the feasibility of the proposed hypothesis. If the hypothesis is not

accepted second design is developed for testing another hypothesis.

6. Conclusion of Action research project:-After testing the hypothesis, the results

are collected and studied in depth and analyzed .After analyzing data some

inferences are drawn. The conclusion statement indicates the prescription for the

assumed practical problem of the class room. The conclusions are useful in

modifying the current practices of the school or class room.

Experimental project of Action research

An experimental project is designed for solving the problems of English teaching.

1. Topic of the project : “A study for improving the spelling errors in English

language.”

2. Investigator : An experienced teacher of English language.

3. Background for the project work : An English teacher has observed and

experienced that students commit more errors in spellings. He came across several types

of spelling errors in student’s assignments, composition, translations and in their written

work.

4. Objectives of the project : An action research is planned to achieve the following

objectives -

• To make students know about the importance of correct spellings in English

language.

• To make them sensitive towards spelling errors in English language.


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• To improve the English spellings of the students.

• To improve the level of achievement in English.

5. Importance of the project : English is an International/global language. It is very

important for communication in our country as well as abroad. To have good hold on

language is a professional requirement now-a-days. Therefore students must learn

language correctly.

6. Field of the problem : The field of the study is the ‘Spelling Errors’ in English

language.

7. Specification : The problem is located in the 11th

grade students of A9 section in

RGUIIIT, R.K. Valley. The students of this class commit several spelling errors in

English.

Analyzing the causes of the problem:- The causes of the problem are identified so that

tentative solutions may be designed. The causes are analyzed as given below –

Causes Evidence Control

1. The students doesn’t

complete their written

assignments.

2.Teacher doesn’t give

due attention / importance

to spellings during the

class hours.

3.The students donot have

clear understanding of

English grammar or have

a strong foundation in

grammar.

The assignments are always

incomplete

By conducting

dictation,enquiring the

students / supervising the

written work.

Students poor oral response

to the questions based on

grammar

Under the control of the

teacher.

Under the control of the

teacher.

May or maynot be under

the control of teacher

The analysis of the causes of the problem provides the basis for the formulation of action

hypothesis.

Formulation of Action hypothesis:- The following two action hypothesis have beendeveloped by considering the causes.


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1st hypothesis:- The modification or improvement may be done in English spelling errors

by proper correction of English written work/ assignments. It refers to the action part.

2nd

hypothesis:- The spelling of words and their meanings should be emphasized by the

teacher to improve the spelling errors in the English teaching. This part concentrates ongoal.

The action hypothesis is tested by using the design of the project -

Design for testing action hypothesis: - The first action hypothesis is tested by employing

the following design –

S.No Activity Source Time

1

2.

3.

4.

The teacher designs a list of

written work assignment inEnglish Language.

A blue print of the tests to be

administered is made for the

complete lesson/module

The teacher will assign daily

based written work to test the

different aspects of language.

The teacher evaluates the

written assignments and assignsgrades / marks.

Text books & prescribed

syllabus for the weekend

Prescribed syllabus for the

week.

Various model papers, previous

exam papers.

Teacher evaluates the

assignments

5 days

3 days

1 week

2 days

The data is collected during the project work and the marks/grades are analyzed. If the

project result indicates significant improvement in reducing spelling errors in English,

there is no need to test the second hypothesis.

Conclusion:-

The project work done is evaluated in terms of statistical representation. The results arestudied and analyzed and then the hypothesis is accepted or rejected. The percentage of

errors is also calculated and conclusion or suggestions may be proposedinthe form of

remedial measures for the problem.

Works Cited -1. Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques - C R Kothari, 2

nd edition, New

Age International Publications.

2. Research Methodology and Statistical Tools – P. Narayana Reddy and GVRK

Achayalu, 1st Edition, Excell Books New Delhi, 2008.

3. Statistical Methods – S.P.Gupta S Chand & Sons, New Delhi, 2005

4.

B.Sreekanth Reddy, Research Scholar in English, JNTU Anantapur – 515002.


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Role of Khadi and Village Industries –

A Sustainable Development with Reference to Silk Industry

Ratan DasAssistant Professor, Department of Commerce,

Durgapur Government College, Durgapur- 713214

ABSTRACT:

Khadi symbolizes a decentralized, democratic, socio-political and economic system.

Khadi is the symbol of the principle of promoting sustainable development by using

renewable energy and other natural wealth, eliminating the evil of environment pollution

and at the same time conserving the non-renewable energy and natural resources for

future generations. This is the way to decentralize the economic system i.e. to bring it

within the reach and control of the masses and thereby to gain control over the political

and social system. Only then it will be possible to control the economic and political

power to a great extent which gives rise to corruption and misuse of power by creating

monopoly. The objective of this paper is to discuss the role of Khadi and Village

Industries in West Bengal as well as in India.

Keywords: luminaries, resuscitation, indigenous, massive, spiraling, deprivation, spendour, down-trodden,

potentiality, globalization

INTRODUCTION

Gandhiji the father of nation conceived kadhi as the best instrument for giving

concrete expression to the ‘Swadeshi’ sprite for making effective the boycott of foreign

goods in general and foreign cloth in particular. Khadhi was also expected to provide an

opportunity to every man, woman and child for cultivating self discipline and sacrifice as

port of the non-co-operative Movement.

Gandhiji set up the all Indian Khadi Board in December, 1923. In 1925 all Indian

spinners Association (AISA) of Akhil Bharat Chakra sangha was formed. In the Thirties,

Gandhiji turned his attention to other village Industries and as a result all Indian villageIndustries Association (AIVIA) was formed.

In 1948, Akhil Bharat Sarva Seva Sangha took over the activities of AISA and

AIVIA. In January 1953, the government of Indian set up All Indian Khadi & Village

Industries Board(AIKVIB). Thereafter, a Bill was introduced in parliament proposing the

establishment of a commission with “Power executive as well as Administrative” for

proper development of Khadi and Village Industries. And AIKVIB was accepted as an

Advisory Body. Then Khadi and Village Industries Commission come into being April,

1957.


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The West Bengal Khadi & Village Industries Board was set up by the government

of West Bengal under W.B.Act XIV of 1959 and took over the activities from erstwhile

Advisory Board on 1st April 1960. One of the main functions of the West Bengal Khadi

& Village Industries Board is to grant financial assistance to the rural entrepreneurs /artisans/co-operative societies /registered Institution /Panchayat Raj Institution to enable

these to take up various scheme according to approved programmes of Khadi & Village

Industries Commission.

The objective of the Board: The board objectives that the KVIC has set before it

are 1) generate employment opportunities in rural areas. 2) To develop entrepreneurial

silk among rural unemployed youth. 3) To achieve the good of rural industrialization. 4)

To mobilize Bank Finance looking to the limited resources of KVIC.

The Board has concentrated its programmes and activities mainly for developmentof (i) Khadi & (ii) Village Industries. Khadi and Village Industries have the unique

capacity to generate large employment opportunities in the rural areas at a law capital

cast as well as creates entrepreneurship development and have therefore industries

develop local initiatives, co-operation and spirit of self - reliance in the economy and at

the same time help in utilization of available manpower in rural areas for processing

locally available raw materials by adoption of smile techniques. Mirzapur,

Raghunathganj and Piarapur areas of Murshidabad district is farmers for the grade

varieties, white the Bishnupur in Bankura district is famous for the exclusive Baluchari

design. In production of Silk Khadi the state contributes 36.37% of total silk Khadi

production in Khadi and Village Industries sector and ranks in 1st

position in overallperformance under KVIC.

SILK AND KHADI INDUSTRY

It is interesting to note how the famous silk industry, whose fame was world-wide,

and which was once sold in the world market in the measure of gold, was integrated in

the Khadi industry and was saved. The silk merchants like Sudhansu Sekhar Bagchi

brought world fame for this industry before the first world war. The industry declined

during the first world war. The position became even worse in the post-war period. The

world economic depression (1929) struck the industry hard.

Lalitmohan Saha of Chak Islampur of Murshidabad attempted his best to get in

touch with Sri Jerajinijee, principal member, All India Spinners’ Association, Bombay

Province and founder-member of Khadi Bhandar, Kalba Devi Road, Bombay, who was at

that time entrusted with the work of marketing the Khadi products commercially by

Mahatma Gandhi. Sri Saha tried to convince Jerajinijee for taking the silk industry in the

Khadi fold as Silk was the only main indigenous village industry of Murshidabad District

in particular and Bengal in general.


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ROLE OF KHADI AND VILLAGE INDUSTRIES

The role of Khadi and Village Industries is still meaningful since about fifteen

lakh of spinners and weavers in two lakh of villages are getting full time and part timeemployment by means of spinning wheels and looms. If the Government were a bit

liberal to provide assistance, many times more of the unemployed rural population,

especially the seasonally unemployed people, whose number comes to not less than

fifteen crore according to experts, would have been benefited with employment. They

would be able to earn something through this programme. It is worth mentioning in this

context that the number of the unemployed is on the increase. Although half a century has

elapsed since independence and crores of rupees have been spent in the name of

development on plans conceived by eminent persons with the resultant massive inflation

and the burden of indigenous and foreign indebtedness, the number of the unemployed is

ever spiraling. Not only this. Government statistics reveal that more than one third of thepopulation are below poverty line. It means that they are to find consolation in the lap of

sleep on empty stomach. The leaders of the country are not able to find any alternative

means of eradicating poverty than that demonstrated by Gandhiji with a little capital.

Evidently the poor countrymen is not going to tolerate the deprivation for long

without protest.

No wonder that Khadi is entering into the twenty first century with its message of

‘work is worship’ and simple humanity with the mega industries conducted by multi-

national companies. Khadi is expanding among rural people. Khadi needs a different

evaluation today as it carries with it artistic beauty and the thought that it is free from allkinds of pollution which the mill cloth is not. The lost glory of Muslin and Baluchari is

coming back in the twenty first century. All cottage industries are on the way to revival.

In this Murshidabad district an infinitely small place in the map of India its glimpse has

brought a certain hope of the sun rise. It would like to see to resurgence of the artistic

skill and intricate workmanship of Khadi and other cottage i

Documents

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