Importance of Debates

  - by Jyoti R. Honkote

Nothing in this world is wholly good or bad, our thoughts and opinions decide their hue. There may also be various shades of grey. Every person is brought up in a different environment and in a different manner. Thus, the experiences that he has & the views he comes across shape his thoughts. He also has different genes. Therefore each individual has a different perspective towards the same issue. This variety in thinking allows one to ponder on the pros & cons and consider various sides of a question. This in turn creates a forum wherein a healthy discussion can ensue and all aspects of the topic can be put on the table.

Formal debates were looked upon as a tradition in ancient India. Lively and extensive discussions examining religious, philosophical and moral doctrines were quite common and had the seal of approval of many kings. Buddhist texts mention King Janaka who is said to have not only organised and patronised debates between sages and priests but also participated in them. Women scholars, prominent among them being Gargi, also took active part. Training was also imparted in this art.

The Nyayasutras mention three kinds of debate namely, vada, jalpa and vitanda. Vada is a debate between a proponent and his teacher or somebody of a similar status, the goal being the establishment of truth, based on knowledge, evidence and reasoning. The conclusion generally agrees with accepted tenets and thus Vada is held in a congenial and friendly atmosphere. Jalpa and vitanda are between those whose primary goal is victory. The debater may use quibbling and illegitimate rejoinders in order to emerge victorious. These are thus termed as bad debates wherein the opponents are hostile.

Philosophers, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, saw Rhetoric (debate) as a tool to manipulate others emotions by revealing certain facts and omitting others. It was also used to resolve practical issues.

Debate is an essential part of an educational process. Students get exposed to various ideas and feel the need to know the topic in greater depth. They enhance their knowledge and get an opportunity to put forth their views in a clear and concise manner. Debates help one to look at an issue from various angles and this widens one’s perspective. A student learns to put forth his ideas more coherently. He learns to analyse arguments & provide counter arguments. He improves his skill in oratory and becomes a confident speaker. Students become independent thinkers. They draw out ideas and the argue upon the underlying presumptions. Debates bring energy into the classroom and provides for greater understanding of the topic under discussion. Thus within class debates and inter class debates on a variety of subjects have become an essential part of the learning process in our school. We also encourage students to participate in Inter School Debate competitions.

This art of discourse or persuasion is often used to motivate audiences in specific political situations. Healthy and intelligent debates can shape the mentality of the citizens and go on to construct a new world.

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Debate Team with their teacher Jyoti Honkote

They won trophies at Rotary Club Debating Competition

FUEL CONSERVATION - Reema Bhanage

SMALL STEPS OF FUEL CONSERVATION CAN MAKE A BIG CHANGE

by Reema Bhanage - XB

Our world is ruled by fuels. People have used fuels for thousands of years, but in the last century we have started to consume it in large quantities. Fuels are the source through which a substance is burnt or heated. The use of fuels is increasing day by day. The sources of fuel such as wood, coal, petrol, kerosene are getting depleted at a very high rate. Doesn’t this question arise in your mind, ‘’Will the future generations be introduced to fuels?’’ According to my calculations the answer is ‘no’. Because the rate at which the fuels are getting depleted is very high. It is our primary duty to save fuels.

It is said that tiny droplets of water build an ocean. In the same way our small steps of fuel conservation can make a big change. In a few sectors where people still use chulhas, theyuse wood as fuel. Trees are chopped off for procuring wood which has a detrimental effect on our ecosystem. Trees play a vital role in the functioning of our ecosystem. So, the government must embolden people to use LPG. This dominant step will abolish the use of wood as fuels. As I mentioned earlier, our small efforts can make a big change, saving a few drops of petrol will be a considerable step towards saving fuel.If we do not push the accelerator down too far at least some amount of fuel is saved. Yes, this is true, so always accelerate your vehicle smoothly. One of the important petrol or diesel conservation steps include checking the tyre pressure or sticking to the speed limit. It is always tempting to turn on your ac round the year. But if the weather is cool you don’t need to turn on your ac. This will help in saving fuel. There are limited sources of fuel and we need to preserve them for future generations. Or else we will be named as a selfish generation by our next generations. It is our prime duty to save them. The only way we can preserve them is by using alternative sources of energy. The alternative sources of energy include all the renewable resources. Instead of hydroelectricity, solar energy can be used. We all must be knowing, in Tamil Nadu the world’s largest solar power project is under execution. This will make our country power surplus. Atomic power plants is a substitution for thermal power plants as atomic energy causes less pollution. Also petrol and diesel consuming cars can be replaced by electric cars. These cars run on electricity and are the best method of fuel conservation. The Tata company has recently launched electric cars in the market. Using public transport can also save fuels to a large amount. Carpooling must also be encouraged. Recently the government has made it mandatory to not use vehicles which are older than fifteen years. As the engines become old they start to consume more fuels.

We consider that our country will be a developed country in the next few years. But what if there are no sources of fuel? We would need to import more fuel from the foreign countries. In such a case, most of our income would be spent on purchasing fuels. So we need to conserve fuels for a better future. And yes, the fuels can be saved. There are various tips and suggestions to save fuel. Do not burn fuel as they release toxic and carcinogenic gases in the atmosphere. To save fuel all we need is people’s participation and togetherness. After all it is our duty to keep our planet healthy. Hence we all must follow the rules of sustainable development. Conserve fuels for a better future.

Fuel Conservation - Aditya Tekchandani

Small steps of fuel conservation

Can make a big change

- by Aditya Tekchandani – VIII B

Unless all the people in the world conserve and use renewable sources of energy, the problems related to pollution and environmental degradation cannot be solved. Blue skies and green grass, we cannot have as long as we use excess of fuel. The aftermath and fallout of the excessive use of fossil fuels has adversely affected man. Our environment is like a gigantic balloon of transparent substance in which we have our being. When this balloon was created it was filled with pure wholesome gases. However, the black and poisonous smoke from the burning of fossil fuels has damaged this beautiful balloon to such an extent that reclaiming it to its pristine purity and beauty is impossible. Man, the foolish creature, fails to see that his very existence depends on this balloon. Man’s perception about the indispensability of the environment must change, otherwise the balloon will burst and his own existence will end with it. It is a known fact that carbon dioxide gas released when fossil fuels are burnt, is one of the primary gases responsible for global warming. Rise in temperature of the Earth has resulted in melting of polar ice caps, flooding of low lying areas and rise in sea levels. If such conditions continue, our planet Earth might face some serious consequences in the near future.

Besides damaging the environment, air pollution can result in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders or COCP and lung cancer. Long-term exposure may increase respiratory infections in the general population. Children and the elderly are the most vulnerable to fine particulate matter and other airborne toxins.

Sagacious and frugal use of fossil fuels in the direct need of the hour. The present rate at which the fossil fuels are being used is quite alarming. Nothing will be left for the coming generations. Now the question arises ;”Are we to leave a planet totally devoid of fossil fuels to the coming generations?” We will be called a highly selfish generation, if we don’t leave fuels for the future generation. We need to put our acts together. We must follow the principles of sustainable development. After all it is our responsibility to bequeath a healthy and prosperous planet. Let’s take care of our planet and use the fossil fuels wisely and frugally! If each one of us uses fossil fuels sagaciously along with using renewable fuels, we can do much in saving our environment as well as future for the coming generations.

The best option in front of us at present to tackle the problems posed by the fossil fuels is the option of using alternative sources of energy. The ever increasing demand for energy cannot be met by fossil fuels. It will lead to environmental collapse as well as utter depletion. Renewable sources of energy are the best bet in the scenario. And what can be a better renewable resource than the sun? Besides, it is a renewable and clean energy source. Taking both environmental and economic cost, solar energy works cheaper than fossil fuel resources. Once we master techniques to harness solar energy, it can be a vital source of power across the entire planet.

The rise in economic activity and the burgeoning population have led to a tremendous demand in the transport sector, especially in urban India. In the near future, India’s urban population is expected to grow fivefold to a staggering 200 million; rural population will also grow alarmingly. With this tremendous growth has emerged a very critical issue of keeping air and noise pollution in urban areas under control. The viable solution to the above mentioned problems is the use of electric vehicles (EVs) on the roads. EVs will reduce pollution by 16 lakh metric tons. The Government must promote and encourage people to replace their pollution causing vehicles with smart zero-emission vehicles. For this the Government must make stricter laws to protect the environment. The Government must also provide subsidy on these smart vehicles.

In conclusion it can be said that if we have to conserve our fossil fuels and save our health and environment from the adverse effects of using fossil fuels, frugal consumption, and replacing the fossil fuels with alternative sources of energy are absolute musts. We must switch over to them as early as we can for a brighter, healthier and safer future!

Butterfly Garden

Video compiled by Anuya Shinde

Celebrating Ganapti Festival

Celebrating Ganapti Festival at VPM’s Vidya Mandir, Dahisar

English Primary Section. Video Compiled by Anuya Shinde

SUDHA MURTY - Manasi Shetiya

- by Manasi P. Shetiya Std. VIII-C.

Sudha Murty is a writer in Kannada and English and a philanthropist.  She was born to a surgeon Dr. R. H. Kulkarni and Vimala Kulkarni on 19th August 1950 in Shiggoan in Karnataka.

Sudha Murty usually writes books based on qualities such as charity, hospitality and self-realization.  She has written 2 travelogues, 2 technical books, 6 novels and 3 educational books.  She is a prolific fiction author in English and Kannada.

She as written several books such as ‘Samanyaralli’, ‘Mahashweta’ and ‘Asamanyaru’in Kannada  as well as ‘Old Man and his God’ ‘How I taught my grandmother to read’ and ‘Wise and otherwise’ in English. Sudha Murtyhas received ‘Attimabbe Award’  for her literacy work.

Apart from being a writer she also started ‘Infosys Foundation’ an institution that supports underprivileged sections of society. She is the Chairperson of it.  She is also a member in public health initiatives of Gates Foundation.  Sudha Murty was the first female engineer to be hired at India’s largest auto manufacturer ‘Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company, (Telco).

SudhaMurty is the wife of Narayan Murty, an eminent IT industrialist and co-founder of Infosys.

ISRO - Manasi Shetiya

- by Manasi P. Shetiya Std. VIII-C

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)  was established by Dr.Homi Bhabha and Dr.Vikram Sarabhai in the year 1932 to conduct space research in India.  Dr.Vikram Sarabhai was the 1st Chairman. Many difficulties such as partition of India–Pakistan, instability of political powers were overcome by the team to start ISRO. 

ISRO has total 13 centers in India and Bangalore is its headquarters.  ISRO  launched its first rocket from Thumba, on the western coast of India.Sriharikota, the launching station in the eastern coast of India was established in 1971.  Dr. Abdul Kalam was one of the key figure who inspired ISRO to take up its mission to Moon and Mars and India came to be known as the first country in the world to reach Mars successfully in the first attempt.

ISRO launched 23 PSLV rocketssuccessfully.  India has not only launched 65 Indian satellites but also 29 foreign ones from the Indian launching station.

On 28th April 2008, ISRO made a record of simultaneously launching 10 satellites mounted on PSLV - C 9 Rocket.  ISRO has completed its 100th mission successfully in Sriharikota.Dr.Satish Dhawan was the Chairman of ISRO from 1972 - 1984.  He was on this postfor 12 years.  He carried out pioneering experiments in rural education, remote sensing and satellites.

Only eight countries in the world conduct space research independently and we must be proud that India is one of them.  ISRO  is planning to launch HySIS, a full fledged niche EO satellite.  Let’s wait and see the success of that too.

‘Mad math’- Anusha Newrekar

-by Anusha V. Newrekar - VIII A

Of digits and numbers
Of yawns and slumbers
Of additions and subtractions
Of decimals and divisions
Of calculations and expressions
Of endless boring versions
Of circles and squares
Of constant nightmares
Of simultaneous equations
Of continuous frustrations
Of trapeziums and parallelograms
Of dreadful tests and exams
But with a good teacher
Math can be a subject of fun.

Sweet mystery - Anusha Newrekar

- by Anusha V. Newrekar - VIII A

Satya accompanied his father to the sweet shop, which belonged to his father’s friend, Mr.Ashok .

Mr.Ashok was distraught. Someone had kidnapped his son Rohit the previous evening while the boy was waiting for the driver to pick him up from school. The kidnapper had demanded a ransom and had also warned him against going to police.

“Satya, go take a look around while I talk to Ashok uncle,” his father told him. Satya was disappointed. He was curious to know what had happened to Rohit, who studied in his school but was his junior.

Satya peeped into the kitchen at the back of the shop. Several men were preparing sweets and discussing Rohit’s disappearance. Satya was all ears.

“Ashok sa’ab got exactly what he deserved!” grumbled a lanky man.

One of the men making badaamhalwa saw Satya and gave him an enquiring look. “I have come with my dad to see Ashok uncle” said Satya. “Can I watch you make sweets?”

The man nodded. He had a huge packet of almonds and tins of ghee near him.

“Dad says almonds are very expensive!” remarked Satya.

“Yes,” replied the man. “I keep them next to me to make sure that no packet is stolen.”

“Why, did anyone steal them recently?” asked Satya.

The man told him how an ex-employee named Nandu was fired just a fortnight ago for stealing them.

“The fellow had been stealing them for months! Being a diabetic, he stole only the nuts, never the sweets,” said the man with a laugh.

Satya heard the same lanky man yell at someone. “Who’s that?” asked Satya.

The man added a huge ladle of ghee into the halwa and explained that he was their grouchy supervisor. “Always complaining about his petty salary and cursing Ashok sa’ab,” he said.

Just as he was wondering if the supervisor had anything to do with the kidnapping, Satya heard his father’s voice outside and quickly left the kitchen to join him.

“Where have the kidnappers taken Rohit?” Satya asked his father on their way home. “No idea,” replied his father. “One of Rohit’s friends saw a hefty man dressedin black and wearing a hat give Rohit a small box and soon after, he saw Rohit get into an auto with the man. “This means that the supervisor is not the kidnapper,” Satya told himself.

The next day, Satya walked to the auto stand near the school. He described the man and Rohit to the drivers there and asked them if they had seen the two.

“Yes I did,” replied one driver. “When I dropped them off, the nasty man thrust two greasy, soiled 100 rupee notes in my hand. Ugh!”

He took out the notes from his pocket and showed them to Satya. They reeked of ghee! Satya asked the driver to take him to the place where he had dropped them. The auto driver took him to a deserted, old ramshackle shed. The door was locked. Satya got in through a broken window at the back. A box containing badaamhalwa and a medicine strip lay on the floor. He heard some muffled sounds and walked into a tiny, filthy room. There he saw Rohit tied and gagged in one corner. Quickly, he untied him.

A scared Rohit blurted out how one of the men who worked at their shop had brought him there. “I can’t remember his name,” he said. Satya had a hunch who the kidnapper was. “Let’s get out of here quickly!” he told Rohit. Pocketing the strip of medicine, he ran out with Rohit. The auto was still out there.

On the way, Satya stopped at a pharmacy. He showed the tablets to the pharmacist who told him that they were for diabetic people. Satya immediately called up Ashok uncle from his cell phone and said, “The hefty man who kidnapped Rohit is Nandu. Uncle, please inform the police so that they can catch him when he returns to the shed.”

“How did you know it was Nandu?” Mr. Ashok asked Satya when he brought Rohit home.Satya told him about the box of halwa he found there and showed him the medicine strip. “The kidnapper is diabetic and so is Nandu,” he exclaimed.

Meanwhile, the police called saying that they had nabbed Nandu. They wanted someone to go over to the police station to identify him.

“Thank you, Satya!said Mr. Ashok with tears in his eyes. “These two boxes are for you! They contain the best of my badaamhalwa.

StudentSpeak - Shrey Jaitapkar

- by Shrey Sunil Jaitapkar- IV- B

Good Morning everybody.

Today, I am going to speak on the topic – Importance of Sports

Physical activity is essential to the health and development of a child. Sports and games are very important for us because they keep us healthy and fit. They offer us a change from monotony of daily life.

Sports is an important and integral part of a student’s life. Sports foster team spirit among the participants and make them disciplined.

Being involved in sports activities benefits a person in many ways. It creates a perfect balance between physical strength and mental capacities. So, sports doesn’t provide only physical strength however it increases mental power too.

Outdoor sports such as football, cricket, volleyball, hockey, running etc. help in improving physical health and mental fitness.

Academics and sports are the two sides of the same coin. Sports provide stimulation for study and for hard work.

Inclusion of sports in the curriculum of studies is, very important in modern times “All work and no play” makes Jack a dull boy. We want Jack to become a bright young man. So, we must make sports compulsory in education at all levels, so that our approach towards the sport may be sincere, not casual.

“Sound mind in a sound body” is an unavoidable particularly for young students.

So, let us take an oath today that we, all will participate in outdoor games and make our body strong, fit and fine.

Drawing by Rajas Bhange

Loksatta published Rajas Bhange’s drawing on 6th august 2017