Felis Chaus - Wild Cat spotted at the Sultanpur National Park

Last Saturday, when I visited the Sultanpur National Park on a foggy morning, I did not expect to see much apart from the Sarus Cranes and Jackals. However, I was in for a surprise towards the end of my trek! The surprise came when I spotted a wild cat sunning itself in the sun. On doing some research, I came to know that what I had spotted was none other than a cat known by its scientific name, Felis Chaus.

While this cat's status is supposed to be under the least concerned category, its population status needs to be better recorded. This cat species is, however, faced with the destruction of wetlands, poaching, trapping and poisoning. Least, but not last, this cat is hunted for its fur! International organizations have, however, banned the hunting and killing of this wild cat. This wild cat species is also known as Forest Lynx.

It was, indeed a rewarding moment to spot the wild cat at the Sultanpur National Park. I had spotted a pair of these cats a few years ago when the National Park had opened after the COVID-19 pandemic, but then they had been too fast for me to capture a good enough photograph of them. 

What is the Screen Inferiority Effect and How Does it Affect Comprehension Reading Skills in Students?

Researchers have compared the impact of printed and digital pages on comprehension reading skills and suggested that printed pages have an advantage over digital pages. They suggest that the phenomenon of 'Screen inferiority' affects students' reading skills. The screen Inferiority Effect refers to the impact of reading printed pages when compared to digital pages. Research suggests that students comprehend more when reading printed pages than when reading digital pages. Research on the same has been going on since the year 2008.

Research suggests that while reading for pleasure, the impact of screen inferiority is minimal, however, this becomes more pronounced when the objective of reading is reading for a specific purpose, namely reading for academic purposes. The gap between reading for pleasure and reading for academic purposes becomes evident when the objective changes. Extra screen time and the lack of tactile feedback might put the reading of digital texts at a disadvantage.

Evidence suggests that reading printed pages is more advantageous than reading from digital pages. My personal experience as a teacher of English suggests that it is more advantageous to read from printed pages since one can make active annotations on the printed text. Moreover, the tactile sensation of having a page pass through one's fingers including the scent of the page cannot be compared to the impact that a digital page has. The fact of the matter is that we human beings are more connected to tactile sensory inputs in our learning processes.  One important hypothesis that favours reading from printed pages over digital pages is that people who read from digital pages do so for shorter periods while those who read from printed pages spend more time on the printed pages. Another major argument in favour of reading from printed pages is that readers prefer reading from printed pages to reading from digital pages. 

One major disadvantage that rules against reading from digital pages is that readers have a preference for reading from digital pages when it comes to the question of engaging with the text for academic purposes. This is driven by the purpose of reading a text, whether it is for academic purposes or reading for pleasure.

The implication of these findings is that reading from printed pages should not be abandoned in favour of reading from digital pages. Reading from the internet might offer suggestions for a term paper or a project, but these will not suffice in the long term, at least for submissions for projects. Flipping through printed pages offers better feedback than reading from digital pages. Research suggests that the screen inferiority effect could be a factor that affects decision-making processes in schools and colleges although factors like cost and access might sway decisions in favour of digital texts. The fact of the matter is that the nostalgic factor and the tactile factor outweigh the advantages of reading printed pages as opposed to the reading of digital pages.

My personal thoughts on this topic is that when one is reading from a printed page one is better able to connect to the matter. Being able to make annotations on the printed page, the sensation of turning pages has more impact than reading from a digital page. Reading from a printed page offers a more authentic experience than reading from a digital page. We need to do more research on the topic before we arrive at a proper conclusion, however, preliminary studies suggest that reading from printed pages is more effective than reading from digital pages!

For further reading  on the topic visit:

https://www.techlearning.com/news/the-screen-inferiority-effect-how-screens-affect-reading-comprehension

CBSE Grade 12 English Literature Revision Questions and Answers from Vistas

Section C Literature Vistas Revision  Questions                                                 Total 30 Marks

 

Read the given extracts and answer questions for ALL THREE.                      12 Marks

1. I told him about the third level at Grand Central Station, and he said it was a waking-dream wish fulfillment. He said I was unhappy. That made my wife kind of mad, but he explained that he meant the modern world is full of insecurity,fear,war,worry and all the rest of it, and that I just wanted to escape.Well, who doesn’t?                                                                                          1X4=4 Marks

 i) Who is ‘I’ and whom is he talking to?

 ii) The phrase, ‘waking dream wish fulfillment’ is best represented in which of the following options?

a)       a dream come true

b)      a nightmare

c)       a fantasy

d)      a dream seen on waking up

 iii) What is the best explanation for why his wife became ‘kind of mad’?

a)       She believed ‘he’ accused her of being the cause of the narrator’s unhappiness.

b)      She believed she was being blamed for the narrator’s unhappy marriage.

c)       Both a) and b) are correct

d)      None of the above statements is correct.

 iv) According to ‘He’, the speaker was trying to escape from the world because it is full of ________

          (any two words).

 2. The Chief Astrologer took off his spectacles and gazed intently at the baby. “All those who are born will one day have to die. We don’t need your predictions to know that. There would be some sense in it if you could tell us the manner of that death.”                                                                      1X4=4 Marks

i)                    The speaker in these lines is ____________________

ii)                   ‘You’ in these lines is __________________

iii)                 The speaker of these lines, stunned everyone by _________________

a)       his looks

b)      raising his finger

c)       asking intelligent questions

d)      speaking about the manner of his death

iv)                 Which of the following words does not define the word ‘prediction’?

a)       forecast

b)      prophecy

c)       foretell

d)      doubtful

3. Days go on and on and on in surreal 24-hour austral summer light, and a ubiquitous silence, interrupted only by the occasional avalanche or calving ice sheets consecrates the place. It is an immersion that will force you to place yourself in the context of the earth’s geological history. And for humans, the prognosis isn’t good.

                    i)What is it that makes the place ‘surreal’?

a)       The place looks like a ping pong ball.

b)      The place is full of trees and billboards.

c)       The place is surrounded by rivers and lakes.

d)      The place is bathed in sunlight 24 hours.

ii)      Fill in the blank with the correct answer.  

       The place mentioned in the extract is__________________

           iii)    What is the tone in the above extract?

a)       Humorous

b)      Ironical

c)       Grave

d)      Pensive

           iv)   Explain in your own words why for ‘humans the prognosis isn’t good.’

                  Attempt ANY 4 of the following in 40 to 50 words each.                   2X4=8 Marks

 

i)                    Why did Charley’s Psychiatrist friend buy eight hundred dollars’ worth of old-style bills?

ii)                   Do you think the third level was a medium of escape for Sam? Why?

iii)                 How does Charley’s stamp collection provide a temporary refuge for him?

iv)                 Was Charley able to buy tickets for Galesburg? Support your answer with evidence from 

                the text.

v)                   Who was the Tiger King? How does he get that name?

vi)                 Why did the Tiger King send fifty diamond rings to the wife of the British Officer?

vii)               How did the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram’s arm get infected with suppurating sores?

viii)              What is the purpose behind the Students on Ice program?

ix)                 Describe ‘the parable of the phytoplankton’?

x)                   Why is Antarctica the perfect place to study how little changes in the environment can  

              have big repercussions?

 

       Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 120-150 words each.      2X5=10 Marks

1.      How does Kalki employ the literary device of dramatic Irony in the story Tiger King to expose the conceit of those in power?

2.      Draft a diary entry describing how the tiger king’s bullet missed its mark and you had to shoot the tiger at point-blank range. You are the hunter who shot dead the last live tiger the maharaja would see before his death.

3.      On behalf of Sam, write an analysis of why you believe Charley was dreaming about the third level.

4.      You are Charley. Write a letter to your friend, Kevin who lives in England describing the third level of the Grand Central railway station.

5.      How is Antarctica an important repository of the geological history of our planet?

6.      You are Tishani Doshi. Write an article about How  ‘Human Civilization managed to create a ruckus imposing its dominance over Nature.’                                                                                                                                                                   

 

                                                                                                                                                       

 

 

 

 

Some of my best Wildlife Photography Moments

A Sarus Crane Dances for his Mate

Some of my best wildlife photography moments have mostly taken place unexpectedly. They happened when I was packing up my gear to return home or looking elsewhere and was least prepared! A sudden movement in the bushes to spot a monitor lizard scuttling off, perhaps a warning honk by a male Sarus Crane meant to warn his mate and offspring that I was around. Perhaps even more uncommon would be to spot a Francolin scuttling into the bushes and still be able to photograph it!

A furtive Francolin scurries for cover

The best wildlife photography moments happen on the spur of the moment and you can capture them for you to revisit later on. Wildlife photography requires a lot of persistence, hard work and the ability to accept the possibility of not being able to take a single good photograph worth sharing. I have been photographing Sarus Cranes at the Sultanpur National Park for quite a few years now and I have only been able to photograph them dancing thrice!

Sarus Cranes dancing with each other

One step at a time

The legwork leads to the denouement.

Spotting a Shikra sitting on the boundary wall of my old house at 7:20 a.m. one cold January morning, and being able to get not one but quite a few photographs of it was a moment to relive. What could it have wanted so early in the morning? What if I had not had my camera handy? I guess, some of the best things in life happen for a good reason, and some of them happen by chance! The best of it all is that you were able to witness a moment of magic and you were part of it!

A Shikra Visited me one winter morning!

Who was more surprised, the Shikra, or me?

Spotting Cattle Egrets is not a big deal, but when you spot them all looking in one direction, then you do wonder if the crowd mentality might not just be limited to us human beings! Egrets are gregarious in nature and they do display the herd mentality, rather, the 'flock mentality'. The adage 'safety lies in numbers' or perhaps, 'birds of the same feather flock together' could be edited to read, 'birds of the same feather look in one direction!

These cattle egrets look confused!

The 'One Direction' birds

Of course, spotting Asian Golden Jackals can be a rare one, however, spotting them in close proximity to Asian Antelopes, themselves, herbivorous animals, almost as one unit can be absolutely amazing! I have been noticing a large number of these Jackals at the Sultanpur National Park Post the COVID-19 pandemic.

Asian Golden Jackals and Asian Antelopes in close proximity

Jackals and Antelopes feel comfortable with each other!

A lone Jackal looks at me.

But then it is not just Jackals and Antelopes that are comfortable with each other, in fact, Sarus Cranes are comfortable in the company of Painted Storks, and Cormorants are comfortable in the company of Pond Herons, this is what made some of my best wildlife moments!

A Sarus Crane and a few juvenile Painted Storks tolerate each other.

A colourful combination, indeed!

And finally, of course, a little more about me. I don't usually post my photographs on the blog, however, this time I am sharing a selfie of myself that I took while visiting the now-almost vanished Basai Wetland. In the background, you can see a flock of Bar-headed Geese that head to the wetland in the region during the winter months. The birds are not very clear because I was using a mobile phone for the same.

That is me wrapped up for a cold winter morning!

What is it that ails premium educational institutions of the country

It is an unfortunate fact that a huge gap exists in the kind of education that is provided by schools in India today. Some of the so-called exclusive schools in Delhi NCR do not promote CBSE results as a mark of competence in the CBSE exams because they are more interested in sending their students to study in Universities abroad. Such 'exclusive' schools are merely rooting for admissions in foreign universities, many of which are in effect driven by the paying capacity of the students' families! If success as a school is determined by the number of students they send on paid seats abroad, then school rankings are merely meant to create commercial opportunities for such schools.

Unfortunately, what makes a school successful is not the number of students that they send to study abroad! What makes schools competent is their ability to get their students to join good colleges and institutions in the country itself, like IITs. IIMs and other premier institutions in the country. A majority of the so-called 'premium schools' of the country merely push for students to join universities abroad based on admissions that are driven by the parent's ability to shell out vast sums of money for paid seats. It is unfortunate that the so-called rankings of schools in India don't take into consideration data related to presenting a correct picture of how many of their students are able to get admission into the premium institutions of the country.

The success of a school is driven not by data that speaks of how many of its students have gained admission into foreign institutions (thanks to their paying capacity) but rather a data that speaks about how successful their students have been in gaining admissions into the premier of their country, thanks to their ability to ace the entrance exams.

It is unfortunate that most of the so-called premier institutions of the country are driven by their ability to send their students to study abroad, something that is driven not by their students' ability to ace competitions but rather by the paying capacity of their parents to fund the fee structure of universities abroad. The success of a school cannot and should not be determined by the number of admissions that their students are able to achieve in universities abroad, thanks to the financial capabilities of the parents but by the ability of the students to achieve high scores in their entrance exams to premium colleges and universities in the country itself!

I remember, many years ago, when I was working at the Dhanpatmal Virmani Senior Secondary School in room Nagar, Delhi, the then Manager of the school, Mr Anil Virmani would always ask the principal of the school how many student had got admitted to IITs, IIMs, colleges of medicine, how many had qualified as Chartered accountants because for him success meant getting as many students into premier institutions in the country.

While many might argue that the nature of ‘success’ might differ from school to school, most will agree that success in board exams, success in entrance exams and admissions in good colleges are what count for success. However, in today’s times, there is much more to success than just the points mentioned above. To be more specific, successful schools prepare students who are future ready, students who are equipped with 21st century skills, students who are aware about the meaning of digital citizenship, students who are able to use technology to enhance their abilities and skills.

Successful schools nurture students to be honest, and yet smart, inclusive but not gullible, they create students who can fend for themselves in difficult circumstances. Good schools teach students to fend for themselves, they empower students to be problem solvers, creative thinkers, divergent thinkers and deductive thinkers. Unfortunately the very effect of spoon-feeding students with tons of PPTs, copy-pasted materials, handholding them and mollycoddling them has the opposite impact. Most of the so called ‘premium’ institutions end up spoiling their students so much that it takes them months to adjust to the rigours of a college or a university.