The Unprecedented Rainfall

The day our exam was postponed the previous semester (17th Jan '08) saw an unprecedented rainfall recorded in history. The day in pictures:

An unmanageable walk in the floods. Two men walk with support from one another.

- SJ

An Interview with Mr. Narayan Rao

Ever wished for a mind-boggling question not to appear for an exam at Manipal University? You cross your fingers or not, eventually it all depends on that single examination paper that is randomly handpicked from a whole bundle of similar question papers structured for the exam. And this task of random handpicking is performed by Mr. Narayan Rao, the controller of examination at Manipal University (India) who was recently on a visit to Manipal University in Dubai. Kulsoom Ali, a third year student of Media and Communications, specializing in print media, questioned him with reference to the backstage task of examination control practiced at Manipal University, Dubai.

Kulsoom Ali: Welcome to Manipal University, Dubai campus. How is your experience as a first visit to our new campus at Academic City?

Narayan Rao: Thank you for the warm welcome. Frankly speaking, this is a beautiful campus. Unpredictably, the weather is also pleasant, reversing to what I calculated it to be. So far, it has been a relaxing trip.

KA: Having said that, what observations have you gauged so far, with specific reference to educational bearing and the MBA students currently appearing for the examinations at the campus?

NR: One of the first few things that I noticed were the students’ relaxed expressions even though they were appearing for exams. I observed the examination practice during the exam conducted for MBA yesterday and believe me, I was contented. Everything is flowing smooth – from attentive supervision to proper control of students in the examination hall.

KA: Everything has a room for improvement. What would you as a controller of examination suggest further developments or improvements in the current examination practice held at the Dubai campus?

NR: Yes, definitely. Everything is in place here but as regards examinations, according to me, an individual hall solely dedicated to conduct examinations must be allotted. It is easy to network and conduct exams in a huge hall with careful supervision. Normally, universities do have such halls, commonly referred to as conference halls. The room may not necessarily be utilized for exams alone. During regular study sessions at the university, several meetings and important conferences can be held in the same room.

Mr. Narayan Rao during the interview. Photograph by Kulsoom Ali.

KA: The purpose of your visit to the Dubai campus is to scrutinize the examination practice since you are the controller of examination at the Manipal University. Could you please outline your profession as a controller of examination?

NR: I have been with Manipal University since June, 1959. Earlier, I was a teacher of pharmaceutical chemistry and later took the job of an examination controller. In simple words, my job is to conduct examinations. I receive sets of question papers from each Board of Studies (different subjects) that are collected in a question bank. I am licensed to randomly pick a set of question paper and that becomes the final exam paper to be given to the concerned departments of the university. No one knows which set of paper has been selected till the time it is handed to students in the examination hall. After the examination is conducted and marks forwarded to me by the faculty, I assign grades according to the cut-offs (grade allotment) that are decided by the Board of Studies. The final result with GPA calculation is prepared and sent to the concerned departments for immediate release. The results are published within ten days after the last examination.

(For an in-depth article on the complete procedure of examination control and result preparation, please click here.)

KA: But how is it that the results are not published within ten days in the Dubai campus?

NR: Yes that’s true; it takes time to publish results in the Dubai campus. It is due to difficulty in communication and message transfer. Plus, the result is emailed from India that takes time.

KA: With fast growing technology and at the click of a button, does email take considerable amount of time to complicate the pace of communication leading to a delay in publishing the results?

NR: Sometimes emails don’t reach across countries at a quick pace. This causes a delay plus the external evaluators in Dubai are difficult to find. Unless you find one, how can the evaluation be quick because it is a systematic process that requires a thorough effort.

KA: Yes, your latter part of the answer satisfies the impatience that surfaces in us (students) who anxiously wait for a quick release of results after the examinations! Well, thank you so much for your time sir. It was a great pleasure meeting you!

-SJ

The Backstage Process of Examination Control at Manipal University, Dubai

Mr. Narayan Rao explaining the backstage process of examination control. Photograph by Kulsoom Ali.

The Board of Studies (constituted as per the directive of Academic Senate of Manipal University) is required to send sets of question papers to Mr. Narayan Rao (controller of examination), prepared according to the specification table. These sets of question papers form a question bank where at least 20 question papers in each subject are added annually.

On receiving the question papers, Mr. Rao randomly selects one question paper from the whole lot. That very question paper becomes the final exam paper to be handed to students appearing for that exam.

In the case of Manipal University, Dubai, the selected exam paper is sent to the representative of the controller of examination. Required number of copies are made, sealed in an envelope and placed in a cupboard whose keys remain with the representative only.

On the date of examination, the question papers that are sealed in the envelope are handed to the invigilator 30 minutes before the exam begins.

Soon after the completion of written examination, the sealed bundles of answer sheets are piled in their respective covers by the invigilators and kept ready for central valuation which commences on the succeeding day of the theory examination.

A list of eligible internal examiners is forwarded by the deans to the office of the controller of examination. This list is further scrutinized and the final panel of internal examiners is done b y the Board of Studies. The panel of eligible external examiners is also done by the Board of Studies.

Central valuation is done by double valuation. All answer papers are evaluated by the internal examiner and external examiner separately. The marks are not awarded directly on the answer paper but on a separate evaluation sheet. This prevents the influence of one examiner on the other. For every theory paper, guidelines are provided for evaluation.

Once the internal examiners complete the valuation, the external examiners assess the answers. The marks allotted by the two are noted and if the difference is not more than 15%, the average of the two are awarded to the student as the final mark. However, if there is a difference of more tan 15%, the paper is subjected to a third valuation by a subject expert. Here, the average of the two marks, which are closest among the three evaluations, is awarded to the student.

Mr. Narayan Rao says, “The mark must be favorable to student. Karnataka High Court of India also stated that this marking method is the best way to grant justice to a student.”

After the valuation has been done, the mark sheets are sent to the controller of examination in India. He assigns grades according to the cut-offs (grade allotment) that are decided by the Board of Studies. The final result with GPA calculation is prepared and emailed to the concerned departments at Manipal University, Dubai, for immediate release.

-SJ

Words are His Tools of Trade

Michael Rundell is the editor-in-chief of the Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners. In technical terms, he is known as a lexicographer. A lexicographer is the one who writes and edits dictionaries.

Mr. Rundell was on a visit to Manipal University, Dubai campus last week. He was willing to share a few words during a very brief interview with me.

Mr. Michael Rundell airs his views to Kulsoom Ali. Photographs by Maitri Somaia.

Kulsoom Ali: Does electronic publication hinder the preference of traditional paper publication of the dictionary?

Michael Rundell: There is a huge difference in generations and their respective attitudes. Professors and academicians haven’t grown with the computer age so they still favor a printed publication. However, the youth are computer savvy and choose the dictionary on a CD. Each has its own audience.

KA: With the introduction of free online encyclopedias and dictionaries such as Wikipedia and dictionary.com, do you think people will plump for such literary material that is free of charge and at the same time provides ample information?

MR: Yes, that's a good point. Everyone expects everything for free today (laughs). We ask people to pay at the Macmillans because we can guarantee that we provide much better and quality information that is not available on free websites like Wikipedia or dictionary.com. We target the needs of the users at the best cost.

-SJ

Letterhead Designs

I designed a few letterhead layouts for Salaam magazine. Here they are.

-SJ

The 'Big' Country

World's biggest mall, biggest airport, tallest building and now the biggest sailing ship. The big chronicle goes on.

-SJ

Tripartite Confusion

There’s a proverb in Urdu that goes, ‘Aik paan ke dus tukdey’ (10 portions of one leaf). The gist of this saying is that all 10 portions of the leaf are of the same nature since they all belong to one leaf.

This saying wholly matches the current election scenario in the United States. Be it Hillary Clinton, Mc Cain or Obama, it’s all the same. Everyone makes claims and promises for the people but the execution goes missing. However, each of these American candidates have their own reasons to grab power.

If Mrs. Clinton comes to power . . .

The Clinton name has been recognized in the US politics due to which Hillary may have the driver’s seat to sweep victory in the Presidential race. She perpetually has her husband’s drawing card to play with and earn support from voters. Though, the battle has a long way to breathe, the popularity element to secure victory is beginning to neutralize. One reason for her success, if at all, might be the towering support from Whites and Latinos who make around 80% of American population compared to African-Americans who are currently the staunch supporters for Obama in minority. Being the first lady in the US to compete for presidency, people may vote her to advocate women’s rights too.

If Obama grabs the seat . . .

If granted the presidency, I feel Obama has a sound reasoning to the issues he shall venture. He is the first nominee for the US president who is willing to talk with leaders of US foes such as the Islamic Republic of Iran and North Korea. He has minimized the ‘supposed’ self-created threat from Iran which presently is an extremely sensitive issue with the Bush administration. Bush is panicky over the possible alliance between Obama and the Iranian President Ahmadinejad who is a blow to the American policies. Probably Obama would also try to build the country’s image that has been tarnishing with the course of war with Iraq.

If McCain is the big man . . .

McCain has a lot of backing from people involving advisors who are pro-war, anti-Islam, conservatives and American allies who support the current policies of the Bush government. Probably he will survive only if unfair elections take place like the previous one. He seems to be the next Bush in place.

What happens to the guiltless Iraq?

The Bush administration has already played very dirty with the Middle Eastern loop. Hillary Clinton supported George W. Bush to invade Iraq back in 2003 and still considers the country to be a danger to the American government interests. So, naturally Clinton’s victory as a president will further upsurge the scores of people butchered in Iraq and mess the status quo further since she favors no timetable for a complete troop withdrawal.

However, Obama strongly opposed war with Iraq prior to the invasion. But even if he comes to power, the war may halt initially but it won’t cruise to a complete halt because reports mention that war with Iraq was planned long back under Clinton’s presidency but implemented in Bush’s government.

But in the end I’ll be surprised if McCain bags the presidential race because his policies are very similar to Bush’s policies that have left the nation at wit’s end. It would also be surprising if Obama comes to power due to his Afro-American background and his willingness to talk to the country’s major foes that is currently out of the question with the Bush administration. But personally speaking, he seems the best option from the triad.

-SJ

Gearing up for all-season suppers

‘A Year of Cooking like Mummyji’ by Vicky Bhogal is a manual of real British-Asian cooking for all seasons, providing a union of British-Asian cookery styles and non-Asians alike with recipes for Punjabi favourites. For those who have had a chance to get their hands on the first in series, ‘Cooking Like Mummyji’ published in 2003, the new book is simply a follow-up with a different touch of recipes for all kitchen lovers out there.

Many of the recipes relate to religions and festivals throughout the year ranging from Mother’s Day to the summer football season and including Halloween, Eid, Diwali, Asian weddings, Christian and Chinese New Year. In short, all wonderful excuses to eat as much food as possible says Vicky Bhogal, the author.

Vicky is an icon in the world of cookery. Belonging to a Sikh family, her family ensured that she grew up in a Western Society with strong Indian values, including learning to cook and this book is an application of Indian values with British and Asian ingredients.

The recipes are neatly compiled, allotted in sections of the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. Considering the spell of spring, the time for gentle and simple flavours, Vicky has added recipes such as ‘Saffron and Pistachio Rasmalai’. Having categorized summer as one of the lazy times of the year, the author has compiled recipes which are frosty and refreshing. Handful of recipes in each seasonal section tempt the viewer to grab a copy at once. Additionally, basic ayurvedic principles regarding food are covered in short.

The book also covers all the basic utensils and equipment required in a typical Asian kitchen along with measuring ingredient charts, grocery shopping preparations, cooking techniques and tips. For those who are unable to comprehend various Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu and Gujarati terms used in recipes can refer to the glossary of terms at the end which are put in plain words in English.

What attracts the readers more are the author’s short, personal interesting anecdotes related to each recipe in the book. She has creatively included short stories, images and extracts of poetry setting the mood of the respective seasons. A colorful appearance of the book with multi colored pages creates a fancy impression but at the same time makes it difficult for the reader to read the text on dark coloured background.

-SJ

What makes that woman to detonate her own self?

She is 18, 30 or at times even 50. Sometimes she is a daughter, a sister or a wife. Or even a mother who blows herself up with explosives. She is not doing this with the purpose of taking her own life. She is detonating herself with heavy explosives primarily to take the lives of others. In short, she adopts the path of suicide bombing.

What really makes someone who is in this golden age of her life to do this? When the thoughts of a beautiful life fly like a butterfly over different colours of life. What really makes these women to take such steps? Is life not precious for them? We adopt so many personal and social measures to protect life from all forms of dangers but then we witness these young ladies and even men give up their life so easily just for the sake of taking the lives of few others who they consider as enemies.

The world condemns and considers these acts of suicide bombing as terrorism and presents fundamentalism and extremism of religion as the root cause behind such actions. Suicide bombings have been witnessed by many. Like the Sri Lankan LTTE lady’s attack on India’s late Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi, in Palestine-Israel conflict, Iraq and elsewhere. Muslims are seen in the front line of such actions, not because their religion teaches them to do this but due to some other reason which lies deep inside the human innate nature which can take any human being to such a stage. Why don’t we realize or consider to dig deep inside the cause as to why this bomber killed herself. Why did she not care for her life?

We have made suicide bomber an object of concern but we have not looked at those parameters which have become cause for this action by this person. This bomber commits suicide bombing because she has suffered a loss, much greater than her life. She is oppressed. Her faith is oppressed. Her value system has been tarnished by others. She is helpless; she does not possess weapons to fight wars which other nations possess. The only thing she has is her own life. By blasting herself amidst others and taking lives of others, she is not telling the world to count how many bodies have fallen out. She is sending a message to the imperialists of the world that her faith and ideology is much beyond life and their faith is now under oppression. If the world remains silent to the oppression of one group over other which is helpless and powerless, what can then be expected from the oppressed class? Rather than giving their lives by just being oppressed, they prefer to give their lives on their own along with taking lives of the surrounding people.

When a woman suffers atrocities of life, she at times commits suicide to get relief from the pain of this world just because she cannot remove her worries. She prefers to kill herself. Synonymous is this with the case of suicide bombing. A woman goes for suicide bombing in tense situations. The sound of these suicide bombings will still be heard if a woman adopts to express her annoyance with life this way. Children will continue losing their mothers, husbands will lose their wives and daughters will depart from their mothers in this entire life’s game of expressing catastrophic troubles in their lives.

-SJ

The Richness of Souk Culture

A write-up on 'Souk Culture' evaluated for end-semester examination in Jan '08.

-SJ

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