EXAMS.. EXAMS.. EXAMS..

Exams? A necessary evil? But why it is necessary? And if it is necessary than why it is considered as evil? Let us see what is the public opinion on this 'necessary evil'.   

Abhisek said, education refers to getting knowledge. But there are very few whose actually motto is to gain knowledge. The main aim of every student is to get good marks and they study for it and that simultaneously increases their knowledge. Therefore, exam acts as a motivational factor. Arun said, a lot of pressure is put on students 'cos of exams. They face the stressful condition. It makes them learn to handle such condition in real life. Thus it acts as a blessing in disguise. Ashutosh said, a student is learning a subject and there should be a way to know how much he/she learnt during a particular time. That way is the exam. It tells both, student and teacher, how efficient they were during that phase. Deepika said, exam provides an environment of healthy competition. Everyone competes and some students performs exceptional. They should be recognized and appreciated. Dia said,  many people do not study for knowledge but for getting good marks in an exam. However, when they are studying for getting good marks actually their knowledge is increasing. So, it helps in some way or other. Hina said, nobody likes their job. Its a job of a student to study but like others they don't like it. They take their books only during exams and see they pass. The reason is they have an intelligent mind and exams provide them a motivation to study. If there would be no exam no one will ever take a book out to study. That's a fact. Kalyani said, it is the fear factor of exams that motivates students to study. If this factor is removed they won't learn or learn only the subjects they like. However, one should know the basics of every subject. Lakshya said, there are two important aspects of education system: knowledge and marks, and these aspects are directly proportional. If a student has the knowledge he/she will definitely secure good marks than why to worry of exams? Manish said, if someone secures very good marks in an exam it boosts up his/her confidence and gets inspiration to continue for higher education. Also, if someone gets poor marks it helps to identify the problem so that it can be solved. Manoj said, exam gives a measure of how much knowledge someone learnt during an academic year. If the knowledge level is upto the mark or not, it can be known only by taking exams. Naina said, there are two types of students, one who studies and the others who don't. They are not same and a mechanism must be there to distinguish between these two types of student.  That mechanism is the examination. What's wrong with it? P. Sinduja said, as the name suggests the purpose of exam is to examine a person. It gives an opportunity to know our talent. Pooja said, if a student has studied whole year he/she will definitely want to give exam 'cos that will separates them from those who were not working as hard as they were. How can they get credit for their hard work if there will be no exams? Ravi said, its a way to judge how good a student is at the learning process and how good a teacher is at the teaching process. If there will be no exams how one can distinguish between a good & a bad student and a good & a bad teacher. Sachin said, the pressure to perform well in the exams has improved the efficiency of every individual. It has increased the competition and the result is that the country is getting better engineers, doctors and other professionals. Sandhya said, let us consider the scenario where no exams are taken. In that case everyone is genius in their opinion and all are eligible for top colleges and best jobs. Is this a feasible case? Certainly not, so exams are really important in our life. Maano ya na maano. Shreejith said, the students from the country are performing well even at international level. Their performance beyond borders are exceptionally well. It is because of the education system that is being followed. Shubham said, its important to understand the relation between education, knowledge and examination. Education is the process of gaining knowledge and examination is the process of testing the level of knowledge. They are inter-related and complement each other. Sravs said, there are lacs of student in the country. They all are studying so am I. But where I stand among those lacs of students? If their are limited number of seats in the best college who should be given priority? This can be known only through examination. Sultana said, the exams help us to bring out our skills in front of the world. It tests our knowledge level, presentation and communication skill. They create a situation where everyone is under pressure and are required to perform well. Those who performs well are appreciated and those who don't, gets a chance to improve themselves. 

I woke up with butterflies in my stomach. I was having headaches. I tried to do what I had decided last night but the worrying thoughts in my mind was preventing me to do it. I wanted to quit but the fear was not letting me. At the crucial  moment I went completely blank. I wished I had more time,  just a couple of more hours or just another day to prepare. Yes, that was me on the day of examination :) 

BIT Mesra

The Birla Institute of Technology was established in 1955 at Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand by the philanthropist and industrialist B M Birla. It was affiliated to Patna University till 1960 and than to Ranchi University. In 1986 it was declared as a deemed university. The main campus is spread over an area of 780-acre and is located 16 kilometers from Ranchi. There are two rivers, Jhumar & Suvarnrekha, that defines its boundary.

• The first institute in India to establish a department of space engineering and rocketry. 
• The first institute in India to introduced the concept of Small Industries Entrepreneurs' Park. 
• The first institute in India to establish an oveseas extension center. 
• One of the few universities in India to be accorded a supercomputer (PARAM 10000) at the core of its IT infrastructure.

I have taken these snaps during my stay in the college in the period 2008-12.

Read more about Life @ BIT Mesra

For the Monsoon, the Rain and for the Drizzle ...

What I like about Rainy days? I like the smell in the air when it first begins to rain. The smell is due to earth and its kind of refreshing. I like the coolness it brings in after a hot summer. The breeze flowing with the rain drops cools things off. I like the greenery when rain washes off the dirt from trees and plants. It cleans the environment and everything starts glowing that resembles like festive time.  I like to open my umbrella along with thousand of others walking on the street. The street is flooded with different colors of umbrella and it feels like holi, a festival of color, is round the corner. I like hearing the rain sounds which the water drops make when it strikes the ground. There is a different sound when it falls on different surfaces. That's the music played by nature and its melodious. I like the feeling of rain on my face. That brings me close to the mother nature with every drop pouring on me. I like to jump in the small pool of rainwater and make a big splash. Sometimes I do that to revive my childhood memories. I like to see rain drops racing on window panes. Its fun to trace their path. I like to see rainbows  in the sky.  Finally, I like rainy days 'cos it gives me an excuse to stay in and be lazy :) 

A forecast of rain doesn't have to mean the end to photography infact it always presents the perfect occasion to get most out of our skills. Shooting in rain brings about breathtaking atmosphere and adventurous scenes producing astonishing and impulsive picture possibilities. Whether one is after water droplets or lightning & thundering, alone the fascinating cloud formations can produce quite amazing and eloquent snapshot. Reflections can at times spice up a lifeless photo with mirrors or blurs of dancing colors, making the photography in rain beautiful and unpredictable. Still most shutterbugs feels uncomfortable in taking photographs in bad weather 'cos its very challenging. So, if you like photography and loves to face challenges than say, 'Rain Rain Come Again' :D

Sunrise, Sunset -- Anything Sun!

The conception of sunrise or sunset appear like elementary things right? 
But depending upon degree of the sun with respect to the horizon there are 3 or 4 sunrises and sunsets a day. These are: 
Actual- 
Civil- That's when Sun is (0-6) degree below the horizon.  
Nautical- That's when Sun is (6-12) degree below the horizon.  
Astronomical- That's when Sun is (12-18) degree below the horizon.  
Wikipedia only shows three, omitting the actual. However, the actual is the most basic of all and that's when the rays from the sun at sunrise or sunset actually strikes the surface of the earth (as we were taught in school–remember basic earth science?)  

Sometimes I feel puzzled of whether I am looking at the sunrise or sunset of a life event and  is it indication of the new beginning, or am I at a dead end? When I asked in an online community to judge which one of the above snaps are sunrise/sunset I was surprised to see that majority of them were wrong. I realized only the one taking the picture knows it exactly, however, others look for clues and make a guess with their moods dictating the perception. For eg: If I am happy at the moment I would choose sunrise that denotes a new beginning. If I am sad at the moment I would choose sunset that denotes the dead end. One can also choose to just sit back and enjoy the scenery without trying to decipher it too much. :) 

At one instant of time we are standing at the beginning of our life, ~youth~, and before we know it and do something, at the next instant of time we are in the midst of our sunset years approaching deathbed.

Portraits and People snaps

Which are the images that comes to our mind when we think of the word 'portrait'? 

Perhaps, the painting of our great grandfather hanging on a wall or the wedding picture of our parents in the family photo album. These portraits are the inherent characteristics of a person and moment of time immortalized within a frame. This is the reason why it is considered as sacred and lasting. A portrait photography is the one that spectacles the individuality and displays the emotion that may include fear, joy, love, sadness, surprise and anger of the subject under consideration. 

The portrait photography may be classified in to four types depending on our approach: constructionist, environmental, candid and creative approaches. 
The Constructionist approach involves building a certain ambiance around the portrait. For example: Happy Family, Romantic Couple, Blushing Bride, Confident Graduate etc. The Environmental approach illustrates the subject in their environment. For example: A child in a playground, A Student/Teacher in a classroom, A Vendor selling vegetables etc. The Candid approach is an informal type of portrait photography that includes photographing a person without their knowledge. For example: A child playing with toys, A pretty girl eating ice cream, An old man on morning walk, A chef preparing the dish etc. The Creative Approach is where digital manipulation is brought to bear to produce a magical, very attractive and visually appealing portrait.