EDUCATION

CBSE exams begin

New Delhi, March 3
The examinations of class XII conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Examinations (CBSE) began here today. The first day of the exams began with the Physics paper.

While no untoward incident was reported during the exams, the students were happy with the question paper, claimed the CBSE officials. “The paper was not difficult,” most students said, though some complained that it was a bit lengthy.

“We have not received any complaints from the students. The teachers are also happy with the paper,” said Ms Madhu Chandra, Principal, Birla Vidya Niketan. Many schools in the Capital also organised special prayers to wish the students luck. “We had a pooja in the school after which we were driven to the examination centre along with a teacher. This was to boost our morale,” said Shamita, a class XII student.

The CBSE has reduced the number of questions in the Physics paper from 30 to 27 starting this year. Another first this year has been the appointment of a teacher from the school as an assistant head examiner to oversee the functions in the examination centre. TNS

Rs 1.72 crore spent on improvements in educational facilities
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, March 3
The District Primary Education Department has claimed to have spent over Rs 1.72 crore on the improvement of educational facilities at primary level in the recent past. Drinking water and toilets facilities have been provided in the primary schools in the district as part of the scheme.

According to the district authorities, an amount of Rs 22.20 lakh was spent on the construction of watertanks, handpumps and toilets in all the 595 primary schools.

It is claimed that about 120 primary schools, which had been lacking toilet facilities and about 100 hundred schools where drinking water facility was absent, were covered under the project.

It is stated that handpumps and water tanks had been constructed in about 100 schools. The department also spent about Rs 1.09 crore on the construction of additional rooms in several schools.

An amount of Rs 11.90 lakh was also allocated as `betterment grant’ for these schools during the period.

The authorities also added that an amount of Rs 500 per teacher was being sanctioned for the purchase of educational and teaching materials.

However, a teacher of a primary school near Sector-15 A said that although tanks had been constructed for drinking water, there was irregular water supply in many schools and children had to depend on nearby houses or free water service offered by some organisations during the summer season.

It is also learnt that the buildings of a number of primary schools were in dilapidated conditions and required immediate repairs. There was an acute shortage of rooms, and majority of the schools had no benches and desks for the students.

COURTS

Court asks MDU to declare student’s result
Vipin Sharma

Rohtak, March 3
Describing the act of not issuing the roll number of a student of MA Economics (Final) as illegal, null and void, a local court has directed Maharshi Dayanand University to declare the result of the plaintiff.

In a recent judgement, Additional Civil Judge (senior division) C. B. Sheoran observed that Ashok Kumar of Beri village in Jhajjar district was eligible to appear in MA (Final) examination and decreed in favour of the plaintiff with costs.

Mr Ram Mehar Hooda, counsel for the plaintiff, said Ashok Kumar had appeared in MA Economics (Previous) examination in May 1996. His roll number was 10303. However, his result was cancelled on the ground that he had appeared as per the old syllabus while he had to appear under the new one. He said the candidate had made several representations to the university authorities to declare his result and finally filed a civil suit on January 14, 1998. The court decided in favour of Ashok Kumar who procured a certified copy of the judgement on May 12, 2000 and subsequently received his detailed marks card on August 28, 2000.

However, Ashok Kumar was refused permission to appear in MA (Final) examination by the university authorities as the last date for applying had expired. Later, the then Vice-Chancellor condoned the delay.

He said the candidate had studied throughout the year, deposited the examination fee and the department had sent his examination form to the university for issuing the roll number. However, the candidate did not receive his roll number and, on inquiry, he was told that his case was under consideration.

He was allowed to appear in the first paper held on April 16, 2001 but denied permission to appear in the second paper on April 25 on the ground that a candidate was required to pass the MA examination within a period of four years of his admission to the course as per the University Ordinance. Mr Hooda argued that the period, exhausted due to the fault of the university, should be excluded from the specified period of four years.

After hearing both the parties, the court observed that “it was quite clear that the plaintiff was allowed by the court to appear in the MA Economics (Final) examination and hence the issue is decided accordingly in favour of the plaintiff”.

CULTURE

Entwining the twin universes
Creating a style that sits perfectly on her, she is
a traditional icon in an era when style is often
sacrificed at the altar of fashion.
Biswajiban Sharma talks to Geeta Chandran

When Geeta Chandran dons her costume and ghungroos, she miraculously transmutes the centuries-old dancing tradition, Bharatnatyam. The dance of Geeta echoes excellence. Her dance resonates with the here and now, blending seamlessly traditional and contemporary forms with graceful ease.

Of course, what makes this mix credible is the sound training that this dancer has had in classical dance and music. Starting her voyage in Bharatnatyam under the stern tutelage of Natya Kalanidhi (late) Swarna Saraswathy, who hailed from devdasi parampara, Geeta went on to hone her technical skills under such masters as Vazhuvoor V. Sadasivam, Guru K. N. Dakshinamoorthy, Guru Krishnamurti and Guru S. Shankar. This varied training in all aspects of the classical form made Geeta’s art a formidable tour de force of both rhythm and expression. Her training in Carnatic music gave its soft edge. It is this eclectic mix that is the highlight of this dancer.

All this is further accentuated by Geeta’s strikingly good looks and her majestic personality. Her formal education and her varied interests in visual arts, poetry and religion make her a unique personality. If her art is the best ace, Geeta has also endeavoured to create new spaces for the classical dancer today. She believes that dance must be linked to life and that artistes must use their unique position in society to make a difference to life and living. Towards this end, Geeta is an indefatigable proponent of gender equality, tolerance and peace and of environmental sustainability.

A mathematical statistician from Lady Shri Ram College, she holds a post-graduate diploma in journalism and public relations from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi. She has worked as a media research associate under Nikhil Chakrabarty.

Founder president of Natya Vriksha, where she teaches Bharatnatyam, Geeta is celebrated not only for her deep and composite understanding of this dance form, but also for her Carnatic music, her work with television and theatre, choreography and her art critiques. While she cherishes the aesthetics of Bharatnatyam and is deeply respectful of its history, she is, as a contemporary artiste, tempted to probe how the tenets of the classical dance can be employed as a means of communicating issues of contemporary concern.

I belong to a family of enthusiastic artistes. None of them has taken to them professionally though. But like many south Indian families, my family was very much involved with art. Since the age of two, I used to be taken to the concerts. My mother is a good dancer and a good vocalist too. She took me to the dance teacher. She always wanted to learn but never got the opportunity to perform. So, she thought I should start learning classical dance and music. Without aiming to become a good dancer, I started learning classical dance and music from the legendary Swarna Saraswathy at that tender age. For nine years, I had been formally trained by her. At the age of eight, I started learning classical music from Meera Sheshadri.

So dance, music, study, riyaz and doing my homework were my childhood. There was no television. Hence, I was not distracted. The idea was not to become a professional dancer, rather to familiarise with art, culture and heritage. My first guru Swarna Saraswathy discovered the inherent talent in me. I was very good at study especially in maths. I did my Masters in mathematics. In our family, we give first priority to education. As there is lots of uncertainty in arts, one must also be well qualified to face the eventualities. During my stint with Nikhil Chakrabarty as a research associate, I assimilated a lot of things like possibilities of the visual media, music and dance. One day, I decided that I mustn’t ride too many boats and I chose to concentrate on dance.

I never thought that one day, I would take it as my profession. Definitely, there was an element of doubt; still my family and my husband stood by me. Noted Bharatnatyam dancer Dakshinamurthy was also my teacher, whose huge support gave me new dimensions in this field. He inspired me a lot to start Natya Vriksha 12 years’ back and began teaching. Finally, I decided that whatever I have learnt, I would mix the entire repertoires. I decided that I would digest all these experiences and give my own vocabulary to Bharatanatyam. It was a great challenge for me, as I learned from various teachers. I consolidated all these species and made a large genus. I have now 17 students, most of them from abroad.

Do you think Natya Vriksha represents the real Indian ethos?

There are lots of organisations, which are giving dance training but are less professional. Students are being swayed to different directions. The first and foremost is information. One has to understand his culture. What does his culture stand for? In a real sense, we don’t understand our culture. If you feel that one culture is outdated, then reject it. I have noticed many of our youngsters saying that classical is very much boring and dim in nature. I think the need of the hour is to educate and give them the right perspective.

Today’s classical dance and music are not the same as they were 50 years back. I have witnessed a radical change in dance. Now the dance and music are computer-savvy, informative and for the generation next.

Some youths feel that the dance teachers are pan-chewing persons and can’t speak a word of English. But the Indian classical music and dance have crossed leaps and bounds. Some people think that dancers are ‘apsaras’, who come down to earth to perform, but are unaware of the contemporary world. This is rubbish. Today, the dancers are like any other enlightened person. Through their work, they are trying to address certain problems, which the modern society is facing.

In our institution, we have a range of activities. It is not just limited to dance and music. There has to be mythology, tradition and spirituality, which have to be understood in the right perspective. It is like a two-way communication. Classical Indian art has to change with the changing world.

One can never be a good dancer without knowing music. My mother spent a lot of time in teaching the basics of music. My first guru was an excellent musician. She could play the veena for two hours. She is a role model for me. Today, the tragedy is everything has to be myopic and compartmentalised. A few days back, I performed in Kolkata. People from all walks of life watched my programme. But in Delhi, such a response is not there. For dance, music, theatre and painting, the targeted audiences are different.

The repertoire has to be all-encompassing. You have to have respect for other art forms, which are our strength. In Akbar’s court, the Navaratnas sat in one place and watched and inspired each other’s work.

My guru Swarna Saraswathy is not a performer, rather a complete artiste. Being only a performer is different. I feel dance is not merely an entertainment. Dance should be made a mode of communication.

In archaeological and religious places, these types of shows should not be permitted. The Khajuraho temple is a very old one. Spice Girls were planning to bring high-pitched equipment. They can harm the temple. They can choose to perform their show anywhere in India, but why Khajuraho? It is a spiritual place and they are trying to pollute our monumental tradition. I am grateful to the Indian media, which supported me in this regard.

The primary thing is how we are going to package and portray the repertoire of our classical dance and music. It is not important how we are going to squash them out. If it is western dance or our own pop dance, everything from dresses to style becomes part of youngsters. If it is a classical dance event, will the Coke sponsor it? But if it is a bhangra or pop show, even pizza sellers will come forward and sponsor. They will always sponsor the choreographed programmes and fashion shows.

At the same time, how many people are fed up with the songs of Bhimsen Joshi and Subha Mudgal? I think the jazz and pop phase is over. People are now getting back to ghazals, thumris and classical-based songs. It is like a cycle. Preferences keep changing but the classical will be there and will never change. The only change will be in the packaging and portrayal.

I also feel that the craving for western music is due to lack of exposure. I don’t think western music could override the classical music. It has its own speciality. You have to cater to your own target audiences.

Yes, I have had a lot of students from abroad. At present, 10 foreign students are with me. They come from China, Korea and Australia. One has to be more careful when you are teaching them. One has to go word by word and line by line and explain the whole thing. I have given a lot of books to them. They are very keen learners and they have come from disciplined backgrounds. One has to mould them according to our tradition. They understand Indian mythology very well. They had even gone to Brindavan before I could.

No, it’s not like that. In acting, one has to play one character most of the times. But in dance, we play nearly 10 to 11 characters at a time. One has to play Shiva and in the next moment Krishna, suddenly Draupadi then Hanumana etc. So, it is a very delicate thing and one has to understand the character, which he or she is portraying, well.

I don’t want to make it that big because I want to remain small and intimate. I never believed in any institutionalised teaching. I have always believed in one-to-one relationships. I never call myself a guru. Guru is a very lofty word. I always remain a teacher. In whatever way I could be useful to my students and my country, that would be enough for me.

Not at all. It is only one aspect of my dance. I have never done it for the cause of women only. I think the women’s issues are not reflected properly in our country. In Delhi, every 30 minutes, one or the other wicked thing is happening to a girl or woman. Women is a subject that needs more attention. Gender inequality is rampant in our country. This has to be erased.