Sunday, March 19, 2006

REPORTER'S BLOCK

I have finally finished scripting the story on the chaos in medical and technical education in Tamil Nadu. Big thanks to all of you who left messages and contacts here. But to be honest with you, I'm not happy with the final product. (It goes on air sometime between 9 and 10 pm on 'India This Week' today - 19th March, though, I'm probably not doing a good job of promoting it!)

Its been a difficult story to write what with trying to describe the myriad problems of higher education with its complex network of government and private institutions. TV is not a very information-friendly medium, so I'm afraid that the viewer will either be bored or befuddled by the twists and turns of the Common Entrance Test (CET) first being scrapped, then being restored, then the legislation scrapping CET being scrapped, then challenged... If I have lost you, the reader, by now, the viewer may have shifted to VH1 paragraphs ago.

I tried not to detail too many twists and turns, but there in the details, lay the devil, and, without it there was perhaps no story. Anyway, its an important story to tell because it's high time the Ministry of Human Resources Development seriously started thinking about introducing only ONE single test, like the SAT, going by the chaos on campus here. So if you do watch it.... I hope you find it engaging.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't worry. I am sure you have done a good job - as always. Will try and catch it but am on a graveyard shift so no promises.

Sheks said...

the govt's challenged the SC's decision on CET.and this might bring more confusion to students.

A Doosra Perspective said...

you could do a story how autonomy given to institution is being misused.

autonomous institution do what ever they like.
i study in a autonomous instiution makes me feel something is wrong.

investigation about ISO certification will help to know more about colls and ISO certification.

Alaphia Zoyab said...

Hi ToeKnee

Thanks thats encouraging. Wonder if you caught the story.

Alaphia Zoyab said...

Hi Sheks... Yes the hearing in the SC is on March 27th. After that there will be some clarity.

Hi Silverstrike... This is such a complicated issue.. but yes it will be a good story.

Anonymous said...

hi alaphia,

needed a favour from you....

wanted to know how to get in touch with you guys requesting for coverage of our technical fest...

please do lemme know.

sathya

Anonymous said...

This is sathya from National Institute of technology Karnataka Surathkal....


wanted to know how to request coverage from your television channel




Please Please let me know how I can get in touch with the right people so that coverage is possible in NDTV

Later this month we have our college's annual technical fest ENGINEER 2006. The fest shall go from 31st march to 2nd April

As a part of our fest we have arranged for video conferences with eminent technical minds like RICHARD STALLMAN of the FREE SOFTWARE FOUNDATION ( the precursor to the LINUX revolution) and Dr Antony Legget the 2003 Physics laurette...In addition to this we have several guest lectures by several eminent scientists including an ex NASA scientist....



Also this weeekend as a precursor to the fest, we have an ONLINE PROGRAMMING contest... for which we have confirmed participation from more than 15 countries....

http:engineer.nitk.ac.in/inscription

In addition to collegiate participation we have confirmed participation from participants from several of the corporates including Microsoft India, Trilogy, Google India, Yaho India, Amdocs, Satyam and CTS


Would love to hear from you...

PS : NIT K is a deemed university amongst the 17 other NITs...spoken often as the next rung to the IITs...

Surathkal is 17kms from Mangalore in KARNATAKA


looking forward to your reply

and please do help ....

Sathya

PR Co-Ordinator

ENGINEER 2006
www.engineer2006.org

Alaphia Zoyab said...

Hi Sathya,

Why dont you contact our Bangalore bureau... You can get the number from the directory there... speak to a reporter and tell them what you'll are doing.

speare said...

alaphia your blog is nice.

Anonymous said...

Hello,
The story was good.However,the fact is that it is too complicated an issue to convey across.Anyway,a job well done,Alaphia.
bnap

Alaphia Zoyab said...

Hey bnap,
Thanks... i gather then you caught it.

Indian Voter said...

I wanted to watch it, but missed it narrowly. That is one of the issues I haven been following closely.

by any chance, would there be a retelecast?

Anonymous said...

Sorry, didn't catch the story after all

Anonymous said...

Hello,
Alaphia,your story on the Squash Federation was very interesting.Well,if not winning medals was the criterion,we should have stopped sending teams in many sports for the Olympics.Why even bother sending our footballl team to pllay against South Korea and lose disgracingly in World Cup Qualifiers.Surely,our team would not play the World Cup!
bnap

Anonymous said...

Hey Alaphia,

Watched your story on the Squash fedaration. Good one. The audacity of that secratary to just say that the players aren't just good enough to be sent to an event. Then what the hell is he a secy for! Good probing questions by you. :)

Anonymous said...

Hello,
Alaphia,I think it would be better if you could do your editing here too.
bnap

Alaphia Zoyab said...

Hi BNap,
You're quite right.... even i was baffled by the reply from the officials at SRFI. They are pissed off with me about the story... and yes, i will be deleting some rather forward comments.

Anonymous said...

Hello,
Absolutely pathetic,the new reservation proposal for IITs and IIMs.Where are we heading?
bnap

Pradeep Nair said...

Have been dropping in often. And of course listen to you too (that's part of my job, being a journalist like you!) NDTV is on most of the time at home.

CET is one big mess in Karnataka too. It's very sad that education scene in India is in the throes of establishing its credibility. Virutally all major exams are leaked... pity the students! And strengh of nation in a way rests on good education, is it not?

Abhi! said...

Hey alaphia! abhishek here.
Met you today at the youth unplugged shoot!!
here is my email
abhi.gopal@gmail.com