मैं Packets by The Red Lotus

 At my local sanitation plant, the workers are provided with a piece of functioning machinery for the proper disposal of sanitary napkins in an eco-friendly manner. Yet the machine sits in a little corner and collects dust, why is this so?

The disposal of sanitary pads is especially difficult, the addition of blood, used disposables become dangerous for a city corporation. They cannot be humanly handled by garbage collectors as they contain a cocktail of materials including cotton, a super-absorbent polymer, and a whole lot of plastic.

This is where the sanitary napkin destroyers come into play. The destroyer burns the sanitary napkins and reduces them into micro ash, which is collected in the inbuilt ash-tray. There is also an emission outlet at the top of the incinerator for pushing out the fumes developed during the incineration. These machines produce significantly lesser fumes and emissions than the average incinerator.

The machinery requires a certain quantity of pads as input to be operated safely. Unfortunately due to the unwillingness of menstruators in the residential area to segregate their waste and to properly wrap their pads/tampons in a newspaper, there aren’t enough pads to work the machine. If the workers wish to operate the machine they will need a significant amount of sanitary napkins, for which they’d need to segregate the waste by hand. This is incredibly unhygienic and poses a threat to the workers’ health.

Now, how do we plan to solve this problem?

The Red Lotus distributes sanitary napkin disposal packets called मैं packets, which are made of recycled newspaper. Currently, we’re producing it on a small scale, packets are handmade by sanitation workers. We also wanted to incorporate an element into these packets that would add to the normalization of periods. Therefore as mentioned before, we named these packets मैं packets. मैं means me in Hindi, symbolising the concept of individuality that comes about by accepting our menstrual cycles for what they are. Depending on the region, we change the label to say ‘’me’’ according to the local language. So in drives in Kochi, we wrote ഞാന്’, મને in Gujarat, and so on according to the region. However, to ensure that sanitation workers know that these packets contain pads at every level of the disposal process we are changing the label to make it more apparent that the packets contain menstrual waste. These packets are also biodegradable, so they can easily be disposed of using a biomedical incinerator, which is really the best way to dispose of pads and tampons. 

We want to provide a solution that is easy and efficient so that every menstruator is able to partake in this practice. We want these envelopes to become ubiquitous, and the only way one disposes of their menstrual waste.

Ishita Desai,
Founder
The Red Lotus

Is The New Education Policy A Game Changer : A Student's Perspective

 NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY 2020

A Student's Perspective

On July 29 2020, the government announced a new National Education Policy (NEP) proposing drastic changes in school and higher education. 

The policy is worded quite complicatedly for the average student to fully understand. So , I would like to talk about the New Education Policy (2020) from a student’s perspective.

Let's start with the definition of NEP.     

An NEP is a comprehensive framework to guide the development of education in the country. NEP is not a compulsory law which all states have to follow , it is more  of a guideline . New education policies are implemented every few decades. So far India has seen a total of three NEPs, that is not counting the revisions made to the pre existing policies. 

The first one being in 1968 , under then PM Indira Gandhi. The 1968 policy called for fulfilling compulsory education for all children up to the age of fourteen and focus on learning of regional languages, outlining the three language formula to be implemented in secondary education - the instruction of the English language, the official language of the state where the school was based, and Hindi.

The second NEP was implemented in 1986 , under then PM Rajiv Gandhi. This national policy for education focused on the removal of disparities and to equalise educational opportunity, especially for women, Schedule Tribe (ST) and the Schedule Caste (SC) communities. The policy expanded the open university (university with an open door academic policy, with minimal or no entry requirements) system with the Indira Gandhi National Open University. The 1986 policy was revised in 1992 by then PM P.V. Narsimha Rao.

Now coming back to the latest national education policy of 2020, announced by PM Narendra Modi. This policy brought forward some sweeping changes ,  one being the change in structure of school education , which until now was 10+2 (ages 6-16 and ages 16-18, with pre-school not being recognised as “formal education”) , has been changed to a 5+3+3+4 design . In this ages 3-8 is foundational stage , 8-11 is preparatory , 11-14 is middle and 14-18 is secondary. Now pre school too will be recognised as formal education .

The NEP also puts emphasis on importance of regional languages, it says students until class 5 should be taught in their mother tongue or regional language.

In school education, the policy talks about mending the curriculum, easier Board exams, a decrease in the syllabus to retain “core essentials” and focus on experiential learning, critical thinking and overall holistic development of the student as a person.

 The New Education Policy includes extension of Right to Education Act 2009 to cover children of ages 3 to 18.

 Vocational education will be integrated into all schools and higher education institutions (HEI) in a phased manner over the next decade. 

Let's talk about the timeline of implementation of National Education Policy 2020 (for classes 9 , 10 ,11 and 12).

The implementation of new assessment pattern for class IX will roll out from 2021-22 session and class XI from the session 2023-24.

 Implementation of new curriculum, assessment pattern and new Board exam patterns for class X rolls out from 2022-23 while for class XII from 2024-25

By 2040 , the policy expected to be fully operational .

Education being on the concurrent list , requires the cooperation of both state and centre , this implies that there a chance that the projected timeline may be delayed.

This new educational policy seems like a game changer. It can bring India’s education to the standard to that of a developed nation and catapult India into the big league. However , the devil lies in the details . We can't make a conclusive analysis until a more details of this bill have been provided. Strict and effective execution too plays a major role in the success of this bill , in the past similar seemingly radical acts have fizzled out due to the lack of proper implementation.

Hinduism And Modern Issues , Part II

Hinduism On The Role Of Women

Conflicted Views And Progress

Women have fought for equality and freedom for a long time. Many religions and cultures see women as inferior to men, which we know, is a false notion. But the question I will be trying to answer today is, "Is Hinduism an inherently misogynistic religion?"

Hinduism is the world's third largest religion, with approximately 1.1 billion Hindus worldwide, and constitutes 15% of the world population. Hinduism is a prominent religion in the Indian subcontinent and surrounding islands. Roughly 95% of the world’s Hindus live in India.

To gain a proper understanding of the views of Hinduism on the role of women it is important that there is a distinction between the religion and the religious society. I will be discussing specifically about the perception of women in Hinduism, the religion itself not the religious society. To draw a clear distinction between religious society and religion I will talk about the writings in holy texts, holy books and the general philosophy of Hinduism. Note that Hinduism is unique in that it’s not a single religion but a compilation of many philosophies and traditions. So it is inevitable that there will be contradictions even if I only talk about the philosophies and views which have been recorded in literature.

The first thing that comes to mind when I say sexism in Hinduism is the Manusmriti. Though it is more of a code of conduct for the religious society I will still express my opinion about it. Multiple manuscripts of Manusmriti have been found, all of which conflict and contradict at a certain point. Such is the case when it comes to the treatment of women. The text mentions that women should be autonomous (9.11 and 9.12), but at the same time asks women to be subservient and never seek to live independently (5.147-5.148). But it is important to keep in mind that Manusmriti is composed based on various teachings of the Vedas themselves, and the vedas aren't misogynistic, so it is very much possible that certain parts of the Manusmriti, which are considered sexist, were added in later.

The Vedas are much more progressive than any other holy books of their times. The Rig Veda grants women the right to property (Rig 3.31.1) and asks to grant your daughter knowledge (Rig 10.85.7), Atharva Veda asks for women to be kept happy and never to make them weep (Atharva 12.2.31). There is no restriction in Hinduism which prevents a woman from becoming a priestess. Brahmavadini is a woman who studied the Vedas after the Yajnopaveetam, and either married or stayed a spinster in further pursuit of Vedic knowledge. The prominent among them were Vak Ambhrini, Lopamudra, Vishwawara, Sikta, Ghosha, Gargi and Maitreyi. Women have also been portrayed as fearless and ferocious warriors. Satyabhama, the wife of Lord Krishna, killed the demon Narakasura, after her husband fell unconscious to the demon's attack. In The Hindu epic Mahabharata, Uloopi was a warrior princess married to Arjuna, Shikhandini too was a fierce warrior who was born female but later transitioned to a male. There are also many women scholars Gargi, Vadava Pratitheyi and Sulabha Maitreyi.

The general Hindu belief is that all creatures living or dead are a part of the Brahman, the ultimate cosmic reality. Brahman, not to be confused with Brahmin (part of the Varna system), transcends all empirically discernible categories, limitations and dualities. This Brahman is genderless, and all beings' souls or Atman are a product and part of this ultimate cosmic being. This means that the soul of every person is genderless and equal to every other person's, suggesting that when we look at the world from a different angle, one that shows us picture much grander the male and female binary, we all are spiritually equal. Hinduism, though it does view the souls of men and women equal, it has contradicting statements when it comes to the role of women, ranging from subservient wives who worship their husbands to knowledgeable scholars and fierce warriors, in each of the holy books and holy texts, making it susceptible to be labelled as misogynistic. Sometimes the misinterpretation or incorrect translation of a single word or prose can change the entire theme. There have been theories that some specific verses and extracts have been added in many holy books much later in the course of time. This could explain the blatant contradictions within the texts.

There are obvious differences between men and women, but these differences do not mean one is superior to the other. The Vedas loudly proclaim that intelligence is God himself (prajnanam brahma). Intelligence should be the rightful guru in this world of conflicting interests and approaches. We should put intelligence or discerning wisdom on the high pedestal in our public and private lives and discard superstition, blind belief and obscurantism. Meaning that there is nothing wrong about rejecting certain  parts of Hinduism which we do not agree with or condone. Hindu holy texts can be simply used as advice and suggestions, or rules and codes to live by. It is a religion which let's the devotees depend on  their own moral and intellectual capabilities when it comes to living life. A composite religion such as Hinduism is flexible and gives you freedom to take responsibility for your life and actions. So to conclude, Hinduism does not view women as inferior , but it does not believe in women being the same as men either. The Purusha (male archetype) and the Shakti (female archetype) are both important but have different roles in the universe.

Hinduism being more of a philosophy rather than religion gives it the distinct quality which not many other faiths can claim, it is ever evolving. Hinduism is not inherently sexist or misogynistic even though it has been , wrongfully, interpreted so. As the perception of the world has progressed , so has Hinduism.

Hinduism And Modern Issues , Part I

Hinduism on LGBTQ  Community 

More Progressive Than You Assume

Most of the world views Eastern religions and ideologies as narrow-minded, orthodox, unprogressive and conservative. But a certain Eastern religion is much more accepting and progressive than we realise. 

Hinduism is the world's third-largest religion, with approximately 1.1 billion Hindus worldwide, and it constitutes 15% of the world population. Hinduism is a prominent religion in the Indian subcontinent and surrounding islands. Roughly 95 % of the world’s Hindus live in India. Hinduism is unique in that it’s not a single religion but a compilation of many traditions and philosophies. Because the religion has no specific founder, it’s difficult to trace its origins and history. But most Hindus argue that the religion is a 'Sanatana Dharma', which means eternal faith, others say that Hinduism is not a religion at all, it is a culture. The English word 'religion' cannot entirely encompass what Dharma is, but it is the closest to the true meaning of the word. Note that the religion itself and the religious society have varying , and sometimes contradicting views. Thus, for the sake of convenience, in this piece of writing Hinduism will be looked at through the Western lens of religion, and the views of the core religion, not the modern religious society following it, will be discussed.

In India , the conservative Hindu right, when justifying their stand against homosexuality and LGBTQ rights, often use religion as a shield against criticism. However, contrary to popular belief, no aspect of Hindu sacred texts propagate homophobia. In fact, Hinduism is one of the few religions which showcases its deities and heroic figures cross-dressing, transitioning in terms of sex and same-sex relationships. Take the parentage of Lord Ayyappa, in some versions of this story the deity was born to Shiva (the destroyer) and Vishnu (the preserver), when the latter had taken the form of a woman, Mohini. Several of the deities in Hinduism are seen as androgynous rather than the binary male and female, this may be due to the Hindu belief that all creatures living or dead are a part of the Brahman, the ultimate cosmic reality. Brahman, not to be confused with Brahmin (part of the varna system), is gender-neutral, it transcends all empirically discernible categories, limitations and dualities. In the 4th century holy text, Kama Sutra, there exists a separate section for men attracted to men. In the Mahabharata, a classic Hindu epic, one of the prominent warriors, Sikhandin, was transgender, and before transitioning was bound in a same-sex marriage. Even in the modern world such representation is often not seen. Thus, we can conclude that Hinduism itself does not invalidate or take an opposing stance towards the LGBTQ community.

A large part of the misleading views on Hinduism being intolerant and orthodox can be chalked up to mistranslations and incorrect interpretations (though it can be argued that Hinduism is a religion that doesn't label any interpretation as right or wrong.), but British colonialism to plays a part in this constricted view of Hinduism. In fact, India was very accepting of the LGBTQ+ community until section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was introduced by the British regime, which stated that, “carnal intercourse against the order of nature,” would be penalised harshly. 

The modern Indian society still sees Hinduism as a conservative and discriminatory religion, causing the newer generation to denounce themselves as Hindus, thinking that the beliefs are far too restricting. It is necessary that we educate ourselves about our cultural and religious roots instead of maintaining a western-centric view. Hinduism is one of the less talked about religions, which makes it an easy victim of false information. The more liberal strata of the population disregard and criticise it for being too conservative, while some on the conservative side use it as a defence for bigoted views.

In a noble effort to showcase the values and preachings of Hinduism, many organisations have been started. These institutions educate westerners and Hindus alike about the misconceptions surrounding Hinduism. One of these organisations is the World Hindu Federation. It is vital that the religion,as well as the religious society, evolve with time. In this case, religion has progressed but society has not.

It is still an uphill battle, but acceptance, at the moment, seems to be on the upswing.

In conclusion, Hinduism is one of the, if not the most, accepting religions when it comes to the LGBTQ community. 

Quiz competition in My School

Quiz competition 

-Ishita Desai

On 17th July, 2019,  Navy Children School, Kochi had organised an Inter-house Quiz competition , testing the knowledge and awareness of the students . All four house, Bose, Nehru , Tagore and Gandhi , had three contestants each . The Quiz began with the introduction of the participants to the spectators and the explanation of rules , point awarding system and a few words of encouragement . 

The questions asked by the quiz master were intriguing , thought-provoking and enthralling , making the audience go wild when the team answered correctly . When all the teams were unable to answer the question the audience got a chance to participate . All the participants showed off their vigor , capability and acumen , by excitedly answering the questions posed. 

Each round was filled with wide ranging questions , from sports to literature , science to history .The Rapid-fire round gave the teams a chance to catch up with leaders and put-up a tough fight.

The audience was completely absorbed in the thrilling event . A wide range of emotions were seen on the faces of contestants as well as the audience - happiness , sadness , relief , regret and excitement. 

Near the end of the competition , a tie-breaker question was asked , worth 70 points . The participants were shown a series of images , and were asked how all these pictures were linked with each other . It turned the cogs of the brains of all the competitors .

When the moment of truth arrived , the result , the auditorium went pin drop silent , only the thumping of racing hearts could be heard . As soon as the results were announced the crowd broke into applause . Among the thunderous claps , cheers of joy were audible , so were sighs of disappointment . But the spirit of sportsmanship was maintained by everyone when the participants shook hands and congratulated one another .

The final results were :

• 1st Position - Gandhi House (Red)
• 2nd Position - Nehru House (Blue)
• 3rd Position - Bose House (Yellow)

Sustainable Development the Gandhian Way

Sustainable Development 

The Gandhian Way

-Ishita Desai

Environmental sustainability is the most burning issue with which every one of us is related very closely. Environmental Sustainability means to sustain ability, both the ability of the environment to regenerate and the ability of people to retain control over their living conditions. Many people have speculated over the years on how to create a society that was self-sufficient , self-sustainable and would not harm mother nature . One of these people was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, alias Mahatma Gandhi . At the first glance Gandhi might not exactly seem like an environmentalist, neither did he ever refer to himself as one , but as we start reading his writings the scattered thoughts on environment in them paint a clear picture.

Gandhi considered the earth a living organism. His ideas were expressed in terms of two fundamental laws: Cosmic law and the Law of Species. Cosmic Law views the entire universe as a single entity. Nothing could malfunction outside the threshold limits built into the grand system that includes both living and non-living phenomena. He believed that the universe was structured and informed by the cosmic spirit, that all men, all life and indeed all creation were one. Regarding the law of species Gandhi believed that without the cooperation and sacrifice of both human and non-human beings evolution is not possible. Being rational human beings, we are the custodians of the rest of creation and should respect their rights and cherish the diversity. 

These were the reasons Gandhi saw taking up more resources than needed as theft. Gandhi’s ideas developed from his understanding about the ecological interdependence of the universe. Modern industrial civilization has had a huge impact on human kind as well as on the environment. It made a small part of the population wealthy at the cost of exploiting the world's natural resources. Gandhi believed that it propagates nothing other than the hunger for wealth and the greedy pursuit of worldly pleasures.

He was not against the technology, but the technologism which creates a hierarchical relationship among men as well as between men and nature.Modern civilization involved an egregious amount of violence against nature which was largely seen as man's property. 

Gandhi believed that villages would soon disappear due to the urbanization which is part of modern civilization, and of which environmental degradation is a product. While the western environmentalists spread the message of "going back to the nature" Gandhi spread the message of "going back to the villages". He believed that the "the blood of the village is the cement with which the edifice of the cities is built.”

Although we may not understand everything about the interdependence of mankind and nature , one thing is perfectly clear , if man’s rampant and unchecked exploitation of natural resources does not stop ,sooner rather than later , the survival of humanity itself is at risk .