What you need to know about The Indian National Flag

The Indian National Flag  :

The significance of the colours and the chakra in the National Flag was amply described by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in the Constituent Assembly which unanimously adopted the National Flag.

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan explained—“Bhagwa or the saffron colour denotes renunciation or disinterestedness.  Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to theirwork. 

The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. 

The green shows our relation to soil, our relation to the plant life here on which all other life depends.

The Ashoka Wheel in the center of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma.  Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principles of those who work under this flag.  Again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation.  There is life in movement. 

India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward.   The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change.

A member of  public, a private organization or an educational institution may hoist/display the National Flag on all days and occasions, ceremonial or otherwise.  Consistent with the dignity and honour of the National Flag –

The  National Flag shall be a tri-colour panel made up of three  rectangular panels or sub-panels of equal widths. The colour of the top panel shall be India saffron (Kesari) and that of the  bottom panel shall be India green. The middle panel shall be white, bearing at its centre the design of Ashoka Chakra in navy blue colour with 24 equally spaced spokes. The Ashoka Chakra shall preferably be screen printed or otherwise printed or stenciled or suitably embroidered and shall be completely visible on both sides of the Flag in the centre of the white panel.

The National Flag of India shall be made of hand spun and hand woven wool/cotton/silk khadi bunting.

The National Flag shall be rectangular in shape. The ratio of the length to the height  (width) of the Flag shall be 3:2.

The standard sizes of the National Flag shall be as follows:-

1.5       An appropriate size should be chosen for display.

Flag Size No. Dimensions in mm

1.   6300  X  4200

2.   3600  X  2400

3.   2700  X  1800

4.   1800  X  1200

5.   1350  X  900

6.   900  X  600

7.   450  X  300

8.   225  X  150

9.   150  X  100

The flags of 450X300 mm size are intended for aircrafts on VVIP flights, 225X150 mm size for motor-cars and 150X100 mm size for table flags.

There  shall  be  no  restriction  on  the  display  of  the  National Flag  by members of general public,  private organizations,  educational  institutions, etc.,  except  to the extent  provided  in  the Emblems  and  Names  (Prevention of  Improper Use)  Act, 1950*  and The Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950.

The Flag made of paper may be waved by public on occasions of important national, cultural and sports events. However, such paper Flags should not be discarded or thrown on the ground after the event. As far as possible, it should be disposed of in private consistent with the dignity of the Flag;

How The Indian National Flag has to be hoisted in Educational Institutions. Model Set of Insturctions

The National Flag may be hoisted in educational institutions  (schools, colleges, sports camps, scout camps, etc.) to inspire respect for the Flag.  A model set of instructions for guidance is given below -

 

(i)         The School will assemble in open square formation with pupils forming the three sides and the Flag-staff at the centre of  the fourth side. The Headmaster, the pupil  leader and the person unfurling the Flag (if other than the Headmaster) will stand three paces behind the Flag-staff.

 

(ii)        The pupils will fall according to classes and in squads of ten (or other numberaccording to strength). These squads will be arranged one behind the other. The pupil leader of the class will stand to the right of the first row of his class and the form master will stand three paces behind the last row of his class, towards the middle. The classes will be arranged along the square in the order of seniority with the seniormost class at the right end.

 

(iii)       The distance between each row should be at least one pace (30 inches); and the space between Form and Form should be the same. (iv)       When each Form or Class is ready,  the Class leader will step forward and salute the selected school pupil leader. As soon as  all the Forms are ready, the school pupil leader will step up to the Headmaster and salute him. The Headmaster will return the salute. Then, the Flag will be unfurled. The School pupil leader may assist.

 

(v)        The School pupil leader in charge of the parade (or assembly) will call the parade to attention, just before the unfurling, and he will call them to the salute when the Flag flies out. The parade will keep at the salute for a brief interval, and then on the command “order”, the parade will come to the attention position.

 

(vi)       The Flag Salutation will be followed by the National Anthem.  The parade will be kept at the attention during this part of the function.

(vii)      On all occasions when the pledge is taken, the pledge will follow the National Anthem. When taking the pledge the Assembly will stand to attention and the Headmaster will administer the pledge ceremoniously and the Assembly will repeat it after him.

 

(viii)      In pledging allegiance to the National Flag, the practice to be adopted in Schools is as  follows:-

            Standing with folded hands, all repeat together the following pledge:

“I pledge allegiance to the National Flag and to the Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic for which it stands.”


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Children's Books : 10 reasons why your Kids should read

My son reads a lot , is the common refrain , a closer look would reveal that parents are referring to school books. Now nothing wrong with that , but when are they going to read for the sake of reading , enjoying the printed text for the sheer love for it .

Here are 10 good reasons why your kids should read:

1. Kids should read as it improves their vocabulary : Believe me , when your Child starts scoring high marks in their SAT tests later in life , would vindicate the statement" when will you read your school books". Reading improves vocabulary , do look the following link: http://www.ultimatevocabulary.com/2011/03/how-reading-improves-your-english-vocabulary/
2. Reading improves grammer in Children : Most kids  do a lot of guesswork when they read. They take the individual meanings of the words in the sentence, and then guess the most likely meaning of the entire sentence based on those words.
3. Reading Improves visualization skills in Children:"Proficient readers spontaneously and purposely create mental images while and after they read. The images emerge from all five senses as well as the emotions and are anchored in a reader's prior knowledge." 
   -- Keene and Zimmerman, Mosaic of Thought
4. Reading helps Children Learn:Reading is both the key to success at school and the source of a lifetime’s pleasure, children learn as they read
5. Reading helps Children Write Better: For example, reading helps you develop your vocabulary and also improve your spelling, which in turn helps your reading, which in turn continues to improve vocabulary and spelling. The cycle goes on.
6. Reading helps Kids in Social Skills: "Children's social behavior can promote or undermine their learning, and their academic performance may have implications for their social behavior. Research has time and again pointed out that those who are poor readers in their early years of school are assessed by their teachers as more aggressive later on in life.
7. Reading redeces stress in Kids: "Children share the same problems as adults. " Childhood stress is common in all cultural and socio-economic groups. No one can escape it. Reading is one great stress buster for Kids,
8. Reading is pleasurable for Kids: Well this one doesnt require much explanation
9. Children who love to read allow parents time off: Give the child a book and he gets lost . A completely different world, well this is one way to get some time off for most parents . I know a stessed out family who carry books while shopping , saves them time and energy.
10. Reading Saves energy : Imagine the amount of time the TV is switched off.

Grab your nearest Library card today and read....

Which School Board to choose From ? SSC/ ICSE/IB/CBSE……

Know your Boards

In India we have a plethora of School Boards to choose from

State Boards:  Commonly called Secondary School Certificate (SSC) is a public examination taken by students after successfully completing at least ten years of schooling. It is followed by Higher Secondary (School) Certificate (HSC). SSC is an equivalent to GCSE in the England.

CBSE : Central Board of Secondary Education:. It prepares the syllabus for students up to Class 12. The curriculum is set by National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). The board conducts India's two nation-wide board examinations: the All India Secondary School Examination for Class 10 and the All India Senior School Certificate Examination for Class 12

ICSE : The ICSE is short form of Indian Certificate for Secondary Education. This is not a board  It was established by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate. The council conducts an all India exam for Class 10 called ICSE(Indian Certificate for Secondary Education) and for class 12 called the Indian School Certificate (ISC).

IB:  International Baccalaureate : This board is excellent for kids whose parents are internationally mobile , enabling children to get admission into any IB school across the world. There are very few students in each batch, hence ensures quality focus on each child. The syllabus is taught in most interesting and interactive way with the best of equipments. The overall atmosphere in the school is international, with kids taking teachers as their equals. However these schools can be extremely expensive!

Differences between the Boards:

While most of the Boards listed above have an extensive curriculum , the differences are listed below

EXAMINATIONS

ICSE does not allow a candidate who has not been studying in ICSE affiliated school to appear in the examinations  whereas the CBSE is affiliated to a large number of schools all over India. The board allows both regular candidates, who study in CBSE schools, as well as private candidates from non-affiliated schools to appear in the exams. Recognition

Both CBSE and CISCE are self-financing education institutions. However, CBSE is recognized by Indian government and ICSE is not.

SYLLABUS

The syllabus prepared by CBSE is more suitable for qualifying in various entrance examinations, including the medical and engineering professional exams. The syllabus of ICSE is more detailed and relies on greater language skills  

Environmental Education

The ICSE has made it compulsory to include environmental education as one of the subjects. 

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Why Mahatma Gandhi missed the August 15 celebration’s 1947??

15 August is around:  but did you know that Mahatma Gandhi missed the celebration’s ???

When the moment of freedom came, on 15 August 1947, Gandhi was nowhere to be seen in the capital, though Nehru and the entire Constituent Assembly were to salute him as the architect of Indian independence, as the 'father of the nation'. missed the 15 August celebrations , he did not participate  as he was on a fast the entire day protesting the communal violence in Bengal between  Hindus   & Muslims

A few days before 15 August he had set out for Noakhali with the intention of making it his headquarters, as he had done in the previous winter. In the course of his journey thither he was met by Suhrawardy, the Muslim ex-premier of Bengal. Suhrawardy impressed on Gandhi that it was Calcutta to which he should go, because it he could establish communal peace there it would set the tone for the whole of Bengal. Gandhi accepted this advice, and he and Suhrawardy went to Calcutta and lived there together in a Muslim house, and from that centre Gandhi carried on his mission of goodwill. His example, the great respect and reverence in which he was held by people of all communities, the memory of his noble pilgrimage of six months previously – all contributed to work a miraculous deliverance from communal disorder. Hindus and Muslims in their thousands began to embrace one another. They began to pass freely through places which had been considered to be points of danger by one party or the other. It was not uncommon to hear both with one voice crying: ‘Jay Hind’ or ‘Hindu-Muslims be One’, On 18 August, Hindus even joined in the Muslim festival of Id.

Jawaharlal Nehru's famous speech "Tryst with Destiny"

We Share It – We are not the only one who celebrate out Independence day on 15th of August. We hare it with three other countries. South Korea won its independence from Japan on 15th August 1945, Bahrain from UK in 1971 and Republic of the Congo from France in 1960


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Modern Education as we know it "A Perspective"

Its time we look outside schools for education . Reading is one way we can go about it . Here's an outstanding video on education paradigms , both for children and parents alike. 

Justmonkeying is an attempt to encourage reading , a children's library with a difference based in Bopal , Ahmedabad , the website has great resources for parents and kids alike.


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Children's Libraries

When I got my library card, that's when my life began.  ~Rita Mae Brown

According to the U.S. Department of Education more than 60% of  school children are reading below the level needed to proficiently process the written materials used in their grade levels - well this is in the USA ,  but since we do not have much statistics in India , it could be at the least the same .

Now what happens when reading proficiency is below standards, Apparently they see it as something wrong with themselves,

Most children who struggle with reading, experience the struggle as a reflection of something to be ashamed of. 

Unintentionally but pervasively, parents, schools, and society as a whole contribute to perpetuating this insidious myth.  - they don't think that maybe their parents, siblings, and other care-givers didn't engage them in enough conversation before they started school 

- they don't think that perhaps their teachers didn't teach them correctly 

no, they blame themselves - they feel ashamed of themselves - ashamed of their minds. Statements like: "I'm dumb", "I'm stupid", "I'm not smart", "I'm not good in school" are all strategies to protect themselves from the shame they feel.

Source : http://www.childrenofthecode.org/

Learning to read begins long before a child enters school. It begins when parents read to their children, buy their children books and encourage their children to read, now thats a tall order.

If coping up daily work pressures  isn't enough, where fast food chains outnumber book shops any day , where HDTV and portable playstations are the norm . Books and reading take a back seat.


Childrens Libraries , are a rarity and even so they consist a motley collection of books that are  insipid , tattered and do not reflect the interests of the current generation.


With this background Justmonkeying was conceived , a brick and mortar Children's Library in Ahmedabad , with a collection of Children's Books of all ages , from the best publishers across the planet . A home based library Justmonkeying has over 4000 books and growing .

The books have been selected keeping the Kids Interest in mind and not the parents , given a chance most parents would jump at bulky encyclopedia's , long drawn classics as what would interest their Kids.


Its perhaps a beginning when parents realize that the neighborhood library is just as important as the multiplex or the mall that they visit every weekend.


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