Examination : a Necessary Evil

Most student dread the word ‘ examinations ‘. But this is something they have to face right from primary school to higher centres of learning. They would probably heave a great sigh of relief if the word was altogether deleted from the dictionary!. The reasons are not far to seek. the whole career of a student depends on what he is able to write during the short course of an examination. If he suddenly takes ill or is unlucky enough to get a tough question-paper, he fails, and his future is ruined. Examiners have no knowledge of his all-round performance during the academic year. they go just by what is written in the answer-paper under very tense conditions. Again, assessment varies from examiner to examiner. It does not, in any way,reflect the real merit of the students. Examinations kill students genuine interest in study and give importance only to cramming. Examinations have become mere games of chance and guessing.
 
All this is admitted by everyone. Yet no other method of testing students on a mass scale has yet been devised. So, examinations have become a necessary evil! If there were no examinations, it is likely that the majority of students would not bother to study at all. We would never be able to separate the brilliant students from the average ones. Then whom would we select for higher professional training?.

Practice Makes Perfect

You cannot become a world-class musician unless you take up your instrument and play on it daily for hours together. You cannot become a Tendulkar merely through inborn skill. You have to go to the nets every day for hours to practise. You need a coach to guide you an tell you where you go wrong. Merit-holders in board examinations do not achieve their marks by pure inspiration. They have studied throughout the year and revised and re-revised and made themselves perfect in whatever they have set out to study. It is only regular practice that makes one perfect.









If you don’t practise your work regularly, you will, at the most, be average in your performance. You will not win prizes or medals or awards. the most difficult task can be performaed by anyone if they take the trouble to practise daily and regularly. In fact, you can achieve almost anything with practice.

Unity is Strength

Everyone knows the story of the bundle of sticks that could not be broken easily, but the individual stick that could be broken easily. That is what is meant by ‘ unity is strength ‘

five fingers make a hand. A hand makes a handshake. A handshake extends warmth and friendship and reaches out to the world. India is a land od diverse people, cultures, religions, languages and geography. Yet, as long as we are united, we are strong and no one can do us harm. The moment we show any sign of division, we will be vulnerable and enemies will try to take advantage of the situation.

A team in which the individual members play for their own good cannot win a match. As long as it plays for the good of the team, it can win. Anything that we do should be done for the general good, not for the individual. then only can we achieve victory.

All That Glitters is Not Gold

All that glitters is not gold
A book cannot be judged by its cover.

Everything is life that appears to be attractive does not necessarily have a great value. This same fact can be said  in another way : A book cannot be judged by its cover. A book with a very attractive cover may not have readable material inside. On the other hand, a book with a very dull cover may be very interesting. This is true of everything in life. A show that is well advertised may be dull and boring. And a movie that has received very little publicity may be quite entertaining.
  
So we must not jump to conclusions about the merits or demerits of anything purely on the basis of the way it is packaged. This is the age of advertisement. Makers of products try to show their product is the best light so that people will buy them. But this does not necessarily mean that the product is well worth the money. Even when we judge people we should not do so by their looks. Gandhiji wore just a dhoti, but he is still held in great reverence throughout the world. Abraham Lincoln was not endowed with good looks. But he is considered by far the greatest American President. Mother Teresa had a very simple appearance. But people all over the world remember and revere her. So it is only fair to say that all that glitters is not gold.