UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS

VALUE EDUCATION
SYLLABUS

Unit I:

• Value education-its purpose and significance in the present world

• Value system – The role of culture and civilization
• Holistic living – Balancing the outer and inner – Body, Mind and Intellectual level
• Duties and responsibilities.

Unit II :

• Salient values for life- Truth, commitment, honesty and integrity, forgiveness and love,
empathy and ability to sacrifice, care, unity, and inclusiveness, Self-esteem and self
confidence
• punctuality – Time, task and resource management
• Problem solving and decision-making skills- Interpersonal and Intra personal relationship –
Team work – Positive and creative thinking

Unit III :

• Human Rights – Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Human Rights violations – National
Integration – Peace and non-violence – Dr. A P J Kalam’s ten points for enlightened
citizenship – Social Values and Welfare of the citizen – The role of media in value building.

Unit IV:

• Environment and Ecological balance – interdependence of all beings – living and non-living.
The binding of man and nature – Environment conservation and enrichment.

Unit V : Social Evils – Corruption, Cyber Crime, Terrorism – Alcoholism, Drug addiction – Dowry –
Domestic violence – untouchability – female infanticide – atrocities against women How to tackle
them
What is Value Education?

1. Value Education is a stimulated process through which we impart value-based education.

The idea is about the educational procedure that ingrains moral guidelines to make
progressively polite and majority rule social orders.
2. Values education along these lines’ advances resilience and comprehension well beyond our
political, social, and strict contrasts, putting extraordinary accentuation on the barrier of
human rights, the insurance of ethnic minorities and the most helpless gatherings, and the
preservation of nature.
3. The objective is that kids in the future add to society through great citizenship and morals.
Moral education and character education, morals, and theory-based training have
endeavoured to do comparable things. Such education should assume a significant job in
making an understudy socially capable, socially rich, just and firm.

Its Purpose and significance in the present world:

1. There are various purpose of value education and it's significance.

2. The Purpose of value education is:
3. To develop the personality of a child in all possible aspects
4. In order to taught a child or person the good moral values and how to be a good citizen.
5. Incorporating the better thinking and democratic way of living. To develop the tolerance
and make a kind person.
6. I order to make understanding about living standard and dignity and behaviour while living
with in a society
7. The significance of the value education is very clear from the above-mentioned points. That
is to produce a model society for living and make a nation and country. Also, intake the
individual personality better.

What is value system?

1) A hierarchy of values that all moral agents possess, demonstrated by their choices. Most
people's value systems differ, making the imposition of a singular value system by the state a
source of constant social warfare. This is an individualistic concept. One's value system is
moulded by one's virtues or vices.

For an Example:

2) Person's standards and self-discipline set, based on the common sense and wisdom of
knowing what the proper moral rules and discipline are, and the amount of willingness to
see themselves and others abide by them.

ROLE OF CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION

1. When the word culture is mentioned we can think of many things as “cultural” such as
language, clothing’s etc because we classify cultures of different places. It has to be kept
for thousands of years and passed on from one generation to another. Since culture can
form individual bonds between members in the community, this can hold people with
same cultural background together passing on values.
2. Culture of India is one of the world’s oldest, reaching back about 5000 years. India being
a very diverse country and different regions has their own distinct cultures. Language,
religion, food and arts are some of the various aspects of Indian culture.
Language:

• India has 28 states and 7 union territories and each has at least one official language.
While the national languages are Hindi and English there are about 22 official languages
and nearly 400 living languages spoken in various parts of the country. Languages
belong to the two families Aryan and Dravidian.

Religion:

• India is identified as the birth place of Hinduism and Buddhism. A huge majority: 84% of
the population identifies as Hindu. There are many variations of Hinduism and four
predominant sects- Shaiva, Vaisnava, Shakteya and Smarta.
• About 13% of Indians are Muslims, making it one of the largest Islamic Nation in the
world. Christians and Sikhs make up a small percentage of the population and there are
even fewer Buddhist and Jain.

Food:

• Liberal use of herbs and Spices

Architecture:

• Well known example is Taj Mahal built by Mughal emperor Shajahan to honour his wife
Mumtaz, it combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman, Turkish and Indian
architectural styles. India has many ancient temples.

Arts:

• India is well known for its film industry. The country began as a major producer of Movies
in the 1930’s. Today the films are known for their elaborate singing and dancing , Indian
dance has a tradition of more the 2000 years. The major classical dance traditions-
Bharatha Natyam , Kathak, Odissi , Manipuri, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam and Kathakali –
drawn on themes from Mythology and literature and have rigid presentation rules .

Clothing:

• Colourful silk sarees worn by many of the country’s women. For men it is dhoti.

Customs and Celebrations:

• The country celebrates Republic Day (January 26), Independence Day (August 15), and
Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday (October 2) and number of festivals are celebrated which
includes Diwali, Christmas, Ramzan etc.
• India prides itself with several thousand years of civilization that nurtured high spirituality,
deep insights about environmental issues, sensitive planning system such as Vastu Sastra,
creative art forms and scientific temper. We credit ourselves with the invention of zero
and numerals from one to hundred that replaced the clumsy Roman Numerals in the
West. Since ages India nurtured a self sustaining egalitarian society.

Civilization:

• Over India’s long civilization some aberrations crept in its social structures. Castes
originally bases on profession, similar to smiths and carpenters of the west, got
converted into those based on birth and one got demeaned as untouchable. Some
 exploitative customs also crept in. The Muslim rule brought in some social conflicts but
did not dislodge India’s tiny republics, through it somewhat increased the tax on
Hindus.
• British imperialism brought in all village common properly such as land, water system
and forests under state control through the district collector therby depriving local
communities of all them authority . On attaining independence, the Indian leadership
adopted a constitution based on exploitative imperial practices which has led to all
round social , environmental, economic and political degeneration .

Decaying culture

• Today’s ours is a decaying culture. All round social and environmental degradation,
pervasive corruption and self seeking politics have become the norm. Our forests are
depleted, water system polluted. Asia’s largest illegal colonies have been built in India.
Over half the urban population is slums. They are migrant form rural settlement that
are often worse than urban slums. The capacity of the state to deal with recurring
draughts and floods in eroded starvation deaths have become frequent. Because of
pressure on land for human needs, wild life habitats are deeply eroded.
• We are dependent upon foreign loans and direct investments to repay past debts and
invest in so called development, Violence is on the increase.
• Unless we are prepared to accept the truth, today very few are willing to speak the
truth. Even fewer are willing to listen about the it. The truth is that our society
structural on an exploitation ,political system centralized , non-transparent , brecciated
.On top of it we adopted the fundamentally fault Westminster system . Gandhi and his
true democracy in which power flaws upward form the people were dumped.
• We have two options, we either wait for the deluge pervasive violence, anarchy
,balkanization , or replace the present exploitation system by true democracy!

HOLISTIC LIVING – Balancing the outer and inner body, mind and intertextual level.

• Living in balance with ourselves and with environment is Holistic living.

Goals for the Mind.

What am I aiming for?

• In order to balance the body, mind and soul we need to focus on the mind and our
mind should have a positive living on our state of being.

Goals for the mind are

• To develop a level of self-awareness of our own personality.

• To focus mind on subjects that benefit us.
• To learn to quite the mind at will.

Purifying the mind-How to balance our mind?

• Messages are sent from the body and soul and received and interpreted by the mind.
Therefore the mind is the filtering mechanism between the body and soul. As we progress
and release the illusions we live by, our mind becomes a clearer and finely tuned refined
filter which brings us closer to become who we really are.
 • We should learn to refine our filter and make our mind work for us rather than against us in
each waking moment by increasing our self awareness and learning when to listen.

The quiet mind – what is a quiet mind?

• If the mind is filtering mechanism between the body and the soul, the filter will only
filter properly if it is pure and free of debris.
• A proper filter will allow only what is needed to enter the space. Many thoughts we
have are unproductive , based on illusion , habitual, scattered and unnecessary. When
the mind is quiet , it is able to detect the subtle comunication of the body, mind and
soul , this is why we aim to quicker the mind.
• Meditation is the long –established practice of calming the mind and focussing in the
present moment. Its aim is to help us to find our inner silence , peace and relaxation
through focusing our thoughts with practice , meditation helps to bring the body ,
mind and soul into alignment and allows us to live in flow with ourselves and with the
life.
• A common misconception of meditation is that it aims to clear the mind of thought
altogether. This is actually impossible as the mind must focus on something. So the
substance of meditation is really focussed thought.
• Journal writing is another good way to clear the mind of unwanted thoughts . When we
write our thoughts down on paper , they lose some power over us because they have
been expressed.

Self awareness- How often we do you catch yourself being you?.

• Self awarnes can be described as self –surveillance of our personality , its traits , tendencies
and tactics .

How to use self- awareness to help balance our body, mind and soul.

• The purpose of self-awareness is two-fold. We need to know our strength and weakness.
Why? Because we cannot change what we don’t know. Once we really know what we are
really like ,good and bad, we can use our strength to our advantage and use our advantage
to our advantage.

How do I become more self-aware?

• Learning about psychology in general and applying it to yourself

• Finding out more about your personality type by doing different personality test.
• Asking yourself poignant questions about your past, present and future. Exposing yourself
to challenging situations that are out of your comfort zone.

STEPS TO BALANCE THE BODY MIND AND SOUL

• Here is a list of 15 simple things to consider incorporating into your healthy routine to help
balance your mind, body, and spirit.
o Exercise - Find an exercise you enjoy and start doing it regularly.
o Be grateful - Stop to think about the things you have going for you
and appreciate them.
o Get plenty of sleep - Sleep is regenerative for your body. The more sleep you get the
better you will perform the next day.
 o Breathe deeply - Whenever you think about it stop and take a deep breath. Over
time this will become a healthy habit.
o Install a shower filter - Chlorine is a poison. You don't want to inhale it or absorb it
through your skin while showering.
o Ground yourself - Literally. Plant your bare feet on the earth as often as possible.
o Eat organic - Chemicals are killing pests on the crops. They are not good for you
either.
o Do more yoga - Great for the body and mind. Mind Body Green readers know the
importance of this.
o Smile more - It feels great :)
o Spend more time with loved ones - In our busy lives we need to make time for the
people who matter to us most.
o Live your passion - Do more of what you love.
o Meditate - Set some time aside each day to rest your mind.
o Drink clean water - Get a filtration system for your drinking water. Fluoride is not
good for your body.
o Get outdoors more - Go for a hike and enjoy nature.
o Eat plenty of greens - Dark leafy greens are rich in vitamins, minerals and
chlorophyll. They help alkalize the body.

CONCENTRATION OF MIND

• Concentration of mind plays in mastering the various subjects. The more the power of
concentration the deeper the power of observation, the greater I the knowledge gained, the
quicker it is achieved. Hence concentration of mind is a great value stressed in education.

EXAMPLE:

• Arjuna the great archer-prince in the epic Mahabharatham, is asked to shoot the eye of a
bird sitting on a far off tree. He shoots successfully only when he does not see anything else
except the bird’s eye.

Real concentration cuts off all other objects of senses except the one under observation.

• Swami Vivekananda’s power of reading several volumes of books by reading only once and
that too with lightning speed is the power of concentration.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Developing self – identity

Every individual has to develop an identity of his/her own. We can do this by thinking about what
people around us tell us about us. More importantly, we have to understand our inner
feelings, our innate abilities which others might not know. For example, when we talk about
appreciation, we have to appreciate our abilities if no one around us is doing that. At the same time
we have to stop expecting appreciation from others for our work. We have to constantly appreciate
our work and motivate ourselves.

2. Developing skills and abilities

Every day we have to learn from life and have to keep doing things in a better manner. For example,
we can improve our ability to paint by painting every day and by watching great paintings.
3.Doing the work at the right time

We have to work as per schedule and not postpone our work for any reason. This discipline will
make any person successful in life. For example, if we study daily it will help the brain to store the
knowledge in the brain for a longer duration.

4. Bringing the needed hard work to finish the job

Success demands hard work at every level. We have to be ready to bring enough hard work to the
work we are doing. For example, if we are getting ready for a cultural event we have to devote many
days to practice.

5. Self-care

• Taking care of our mind, body and intelligence is essential.

• Prayer, meditation, and positive thoughts will keep the mind in good condition. For
example, even when we have committed a mistake, instead of thinking about the mistakes,
it would be better to think how we can avoid such mistakes next time; we have to replace
the negative thought with a positive thought.
• Regular exercises like yoga, aerobic, walking, doing household works will help us to keep the
body in good condition.
• Reading books that are from various subjects will keep our intelligence sharp.

6. Family care

• Taking care of the elderly people in the family will help us become responsible people. We
can learn a lot from these elders. Also parents have to be taken care of. Caring for our
family will give us mental strength to tackle issues later in our lives.

7. Social care: W have to be aware of social needs. We have to have concern for the society.

8.Developing skills of trouble shooting

9. Learning to work in teams

10. Developing clarity of thought

 UNIT- 2

Salient values for life

Truth, commitment, honesty and integrity, forgiveness and love, empathy and ability to

sacrifice, care, unity, punctuality, Interpersonal and Intra personal relationship, Team work, Positive

and creative thinking.

TRUTH: Without the truth, there can be no real morality, justice, equality, unity, success, freedom,
love, security, peace, spirituality or even survival. Only the truth can stop the wars and make the
world the paradise it can be. Common denominator: The truth is the only thing that can unite all
human beings.

Forgiveness: Forgiveness can also help students, now and later as adults, forge stable and
meaningful relationships without anger causing discord and division. Finally, forgiveness
can play a big part in how communities thrive when people begin to see more deeply the
inherent worth of others.

Love: Values education encourages solidarity, living in harmony and love for nature. An
exemplary citizen is made, not born. Just as we learn mathematics and languages, we should
also become specialists in those lessons that are fundamental to living in harmony and social
progress such as respect, empathy, equality, solidarity and critical thinking.

Empathy: the ability to share someone else’s feelings or experiences by imagining what it
would be like to be in that person’s situation

Truth and integrity:

Having integrity and being honest are fundamental requirements if you want to grow

spiritually and follow your true destination of personal development. It’s not simply about being

honest with people. Whilst that will make you a better person and a more accepted one it’s more

importantly about being honest with yourself.

Honesty Vs Dishonesty

Personal development or self-growth is all about fostering the positive qualities within

yourself to enable you to lead a fuller, more enriched life and to rid yourself of negative qualities,

feelings and emotions which have been holding you back.

If we’re honest in all that we do and say, it means we are genuine, real and true

whereas dishonesty symbolizes all that is fake, fictitious and unreal. Living your life honestly and

with integrity means that you’ve decided to live openly and to show your true self to others and that

you can be relied upon to be genuine. On the other hand, dishonesty is all about shade and

concealment and living your life in ‘dark corners’. When you’re dishonest, it means that you remain
living in the dark and cannot grow spiritually.

Honesty and integrity produce trust – trust in ourselves and in all those around us.

Trust in turn produces confidence which we all need to conquer life’s problems and which also

encourages us to take risks in order to fulfill our goals.

You’ll have no doubt heard expressions such as “what goes around, comes around”

and “you get back, what you give out in life” and that’s very true. If we don’t live our lives honestly,

we become shrouded in mystery. People are very adept at sensing dishonesty in others even if they

think they’re the best liars on earth and if you hide behind a dark mask of suspicion, you can be

assured that the people you’ll attract will turn out to be very similar to you and it’s therefore

inevitable that one day you’ll be on the receiving end of someone’s dishonest actions or words.

Honesty at the Core

One of the key elements in any relationship, be it a personal or professional one, is the

ability to trust and be trusted. Without trust, we have no credibility which is at the core of being able

to influence people and provide strong leadership. Without honesty, there is no foundation upon

which to build a personal relationship with someone you love.

self-esteem may be defined as how much you appreciate and like yourself regardless of the
circumstances. Your self-esteem is defined by many factors including: Other terms that are
often used interchangeably with self-esteem include self-worth, self-regard, and self-respect.

Self-confidence is an attitude about your skills and abilities. It means you accept and trust
yourself and have a sense of control in your life. You know your strengths and weakness well,
and have a positive view of yourself. You set realistic expectations and goals, communicate
assertively, and can handle criticism.

Punctuality refers to the habit of a human being completing their tasks on time. We can say
that punctuality is a great habit which surely results in success. All the leaders have
punctuality in common as the habit is such. In other words, when you are on time, you will
maintain the discipline and order in your life.

Time management: The act of planning the amount of time you spend on which activities.
Managing time helps to increase productivity.

Task management is the process of monitoring your project's tasks through their various
stages from start to finish. This involves actively making decisions for your tasks to
accommodate changes that can occur real-time, with your end goal being the successful
completion of your tasks.

Resource management organizational studies, resource management is

the efficient and effective development of an organization's resources
when they are needed. Such resources may include the financial resources,
inventory, human skills, production resources, or information technology (IT) and
natural resources.
Problem Solving is a skill that can be cultivated and nurtured so you can become better at
dealing with problems over time. Problem-solving is considered a skill on its own, but it’s
supported by many other skills that can help you be a better problem solver.

Decision-making skills are about your ability to choose a good option out
of two or more alternatives. As a type of problem-solving skill, there are
three main ways to approach decision-making: using intuition, reasoning,
or a combination of both.

Interpersonal skills are the skills required to effectively communicate,

interact and work with individuals and groups. Those with good
interpersonal skills are strong verbal and non- verbal communications and
are often considered to be good with people. Whether they’ re used in your
career or personal life, these skills are important for success.

Intrapersonal skills are all about self-awareness and controlling your own
internal attitudes and inner processes. Your intrapersonal skills form the
foundation on which you build your relationship with others because they
help you more easily navigate your interpersonal relationship.
Teamwork is the collaborative effort of a group to achieve a common goal or to
complete a task in the most effective and efficient way. This concept is seen
within the greater framework of a team, which is a group of interdependent
individuals who work together towards a common goal.
Creative Thinking and Positive is important because it helps you think
outside the box and find solutions that aren’t obvious. Combining positive and
creative thinking will have a huge, positive impact on your life at home, at
work, and in general.
ng a productive plan of work (e.g., setting and meeting short-, medium-, and long-term
professional goals)

- working efficiently to make the best use of time

- managing personnel to capitalize on their strengths while respecting their professional

desires

- maintaining equipment to ensure longevity and efficiency

- using natural resources (and products made from them) in a sustainable manner
 UNIT 3: Human Rights

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Right to Information Act -2005, National Integration, Peace

and non-violence, Dr. A P J Kalam’s ten points for enlightened Citizenship. The role of media in

value building.

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS:

This simplified version of the 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been

created especially for young people.

1. We Are All Born Free & Equal. We are all born free. We all have our own thoughts and ideas.

We should all be treated in the same way.

2. Don’t Discriminate. These rights belong to everybody, whatever our differences.

3. The Right to Life. We all have the right to life, and to live in freedom and safety.

4. No Slavery. Nobody has any right to make us a slave. We cannot make anyone our slave.

5. No Torture. Nobody has any right to hurt us or to torture us.

6. You Have Rights No Matter Where You Go. I am a person just like you!

7. We’re All Equal Before the Law. The law is the same for everyone. It must treat us all fairly.

8. Your Human Rights Are Protected by Law. We can all ask for the law to help us when we are

not treated fairly.

9. No Unfair Detainment. Nobody has the right to put us in prison without good reason and keep us

there, or to send us away from our country.

10. The Right to Trial. If we are put on trial this should be in public. The people who try us should

not let anyone tell them what to do.

11. We’re always Innocent Till Proven Guilty. Nobody should be blamed for doing something until

it is proven. When people say we did a bad thing we have the right to show it is not true.

12. The Right to Privacy. Nobody should try to harm our good name. Nobody has the right to come

into our home, open our letters, or bother us or our family without a good reason.

13. Freedom to Move. We all have the right to go where we want in our own country and to travel
as

we wish.

14. The Right to Seek a Safe Place to Live. If we are frightened of being badly treated in our own

country, we all have the right to run away to another country to be safe.

15. Right to a Nationality. We all have the right to belong to a country.

16. Marriage and Family. Every grown-up has the right to marry and have a family if they want to.

Men and women have the same rights when they are married, and when they are separated.

17. The Right to Your Own Things. Everyone has the right to own things or share them. Nobody

should take our things from us without a good reason.

18. Freedom of Thought. We all have the right to believe in what we want to believe, to have a

religion, or to change it if we want.

19. Freedom of Expression. We all have the right to make up our own minds, to think what we like,

to say what we think, and to share our ideas with other people.

20. The Right to Public Assembly. We all have the right to meet our friends and to work together in

peace to defend our rights. Nobody can make us join a group if we don’t want to.

21. The Right to Democracy. We all have the right to take part in the government of our country.

Every grown-up should be allowed to choose their own leaders.

22. Social Security. We all have the right to affordable housing, medicine, education, and childcare,

enough money to live on and medical help if we are ill or old.

23. Workers’ Rights. Every grown-up has the right to do a job, to a fair wage for their work, and to

join a trade union.

24. The Right to Play. We all have the right to rest from work and to relax.

25. Food and Shelter for All. We all have the right to a good life. Mothers and children, people who

are old, unemployed or disabled, and all people have the right to be cared for.

26. The Right to Education. Education is a right. Primary school should be free. We should learn

about the United Nations and how to get on with others. Our parents can choose what we learn.

27. Copyright. Copyright is a special law that protects one’s own artistic creations and writings;

others cannot make copies without permission. We all have the right to our own way of life and to

enjoy the good things that art, science and learning bring.

28. A Fair and Free World. There must be proper order so we can all enjoy rights and freedoms in

our own country and all over the world.

29. Responsibility. We have a duty to other people, and we should protect their rights and freedoms.

30. No One Can Take Away Your Human Rights.

What is the RTI Act?

The RTI Act was introduced with the sole objective of empowering people, containing

corruption, and bringing transparency and accountability in the working of the Government. The
Right to Information Act mandates that timely response be given to any citizen who asks for it. This

was an initiative taken by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions to ensure a

portal for citizens who searched and needed quick information.

Dr. Abdul Kalam ten points for enlightened citizenship

1, I will pursue my education or the work with dedication and I will excel in it.
2. From now onwards, I will teach at least 10 persons to read and write those who cannot read
and write.
3. I will plant at least 10 saplings and shall ensure their growth through constant care.
4. I will visit rural and urban areas and permanently wean away at least 5 persons from
addiction and gambling.
5. I will constantly endeavour to remove the pain of my suffering brethren.
6. I will not support any religious, caste or language differentiation.
7. I will be honest and endeavour to make a corruption free society.
8. I will work for becoming an enlightened citizen and make my family righteous.
9. I will always be a friend of the mentally and physically challenged and will work hard to make
them feel normal, like the rest of us.
10. I will proudly celebrate the success of my country and my people.

The role of media in value building.

The term media is derived from Medium, which means carrier or mode. Media denotes an item
specifically designed to reach a large audience or viewers. The term was first used with the advent of
newspapers and magazines. However, with the passage of time, the term broadened by the
inventions of radio, TV, cinemas and Internet. In the world of today, media has become almost as
necessary as food and clothing. It is true that media is playing an outstanding role in strengthening
the society. Its duty is to inform, educate and entertain the people. It helps us to know current
situation around the world. The media has a strong social and cultural impact upon society. Because
of its inherent ability to reach large number of public, it is widely used to convey message to build
public opinion and awareness.

Disadvantages:

Even though there are lot of plus points for use of media but there are also many disadvantages
associated with it. Media has the bad effect of inducing baseless ideas through advertisements.
People are forced to buy harmful or substandard products. Sometimes, the Media develops
unnecessary sensation and distortion of truth to attract attention. Because of its power to build
public opinion, the influence of media can make or break the government.

Conclusion:

The media has the power of educating people, the good and the bad. Since it affects the eyes, the
ears and the mind simultaneously nothing can overcome the influence of the media. The media in
the advanced society should perform a noble mission of enlightening people and discourage
sectarian, communal and divisive trends.
 Unit:04- Environment

Environment means anything that surrounds us. It can be living (biotic) or non-living (abiotic) things.
It includes physical, chemical and other natural forces. Living things live in their environment. They
constantly interact with it and adapt themselves to conditions in their environment. In the
environment there are different interactions between animals, plants, soil, water, and other living
and non-living things.

Ecological balance has been defined by various online dictionaries as "a state of dynamic equilibrium
within a community of organisms in which genetic, species and ecosystem diversity remain relatively
stable, subject to gradual changes through natural succession."

"A stable balance in the numbers of each species in an ecosystem."

Interdependence of all beings Living and Non- Living, The Binding of man and nature:

The most important point being that the natural balance in an ecosystem is maintained. This balance
may be disturbed due to the introduction of new species, the sudden death of some species, natural
hazards or man-made causes. In this field trip we will explore how human population and
development affects the ecological balance

Organisms interact with the living and non-living things in their ecosystem to survive. ... The living
things in an ecosystem are interdependent. This means that living things depend on their
interactions with each other and also non-living things for survival. For example, a tree depends on
sunlight for energy and food.

There is an inseparable bond between man and nature. For man, there cannot be an existence
removed from nature. However, because of man’s thoughtless actions, equilibrium in nature is
getting disturbed and the pulse of human life is becoming erratic. Air and water are polluted. Rivers
have dried up. Seasons arrive unseasonably. New diseases are spreading. If things continue in this
way, the human race is in for a monumental catastrophe.

There is an underlying order to everything in nature. There is a place in creation for all creatures. The
forests, rivers and mountains all have their dharma. Nature has provided sustenance for all created
beings. It has its own ways of recycling and reusing natural waste, thus preserving itself. We don’t
need to do anything to maintain the beauty of forests, rivers and mountains.

However, when human beings systematically plunder natural wealth for selfish reasons, the natural
order gets disturbed. Nature’s face becomes disfigured. Along with other creatures, human beings,
too, face the consequences. When science advances, cities and business enterprises grow in tandem.
Human population in cities increases. The amount of waste also increases exponentially. Therefore,
we should discover scientific means for properly handling this waste. If not, our natural environment
will decay and diseases will spread. We cannot solve the problem merely by building hospitals or by
discovering new medicines.

Today, everything is polluted — air, water and food. Apart from the toxins found in chemical
fertilizers, the adulteration materials added for the sake of increasing profits makes the food we eat
toxic and hazardous for consumption. The earth is drying up because of deforestation. Rivers are
dwindling into streams. Litter, banana peels, plastic bottles and cigarette butts are marring the
beauty of cities.
We should learn from these experiences. If we are not ready to change, nature will teach us. The
only thing is we may not be able to bear the brunt of the teaching. Mother Nature has blessed
humankind with Her bounty. But if we forget our responsibilities, if we give free rein to our desires,
nature will retaliate and nature’s boons will turn into curses.

Children, remember that nature stands before us as a symbol of renunciation. Like mountains, rivers
and trees, every single object in nature is teaching us lessons in renunciation. Look at a tree — it
gives fruit, it gives shade and it imparts cool air. Even as it is being felled, it offers shade to the
person cutting it down. Similarly, if we consider any object in nature, we will see that it practices
renunciation in some way or the other.

But what are we doing for nature? It is said that whenever we cut a tree, we should plant a sapling.
How many do this? Even if we did this, considering the scale of destruction carried out by human
beings, how can one single sapling possibly help maintain the balance in nature? In the place of huge
tree, we plant a sapling. Can a tiny sapling ever replace a fully -grown tree? Can a child do the work
that a mature adult does? Whereas the man might be able to carry a huge load of sand, a child might
be able to carry just a spoonful. Similar is the difference between a tree and a sapling. Such is the
state of today’s nature conservation efforts.

Nature is a goose that lays golden eggs. However, if we think that we can claim all the golden eggs
for ourselves at one go by killing the goose, the result will be total destruction. We should stop
polluting and exploiting nature. We must, for our own survival and for that of the coming
generations. Nature is a kalpa-vrksha, a wish-fulfilling tree, that can bestow prosperity on us.
However, our lot is like that of the fool who tries to saw off the branch on which he is seated.

We cannot delay any more. We must make the right decisions and embark on the right course of
action. These must come from all levels. Individuals, governments and organizations must think
about how we can mitigate the threat to nature. Both individual and collective effort is necessary. It
is not enough to think in purely intellectual or logical terms; we must also consider solutions
provided by spirituality. The main cause of problems today is that we have tried to put aside
spiritually-inclined ways of thinking from society. In countries abroad, there is cleanliness but no
values; that is the problem they are facing. It is only when we tie cleanliness to godliness that there
arises a fullness, a completeness.

ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT AND CONSERVATION

Environmental Enrichment refers to the naturalization of animals’ exterior habitats as an effective

tool to promote and ensure the conservation of species in zoos.

As part of what constitutes the conservation of wild animals’ ex situ in zoos, environmental
enrichment has become an essential instrument for improving the quality of life of each animal in its
exterior enclosure, and in many cases in interior facilities and shelters as well.

This simple formula will help the visitor quickly visualize why we need enrichment in zoos and
wildlife parks:
Enrichment = quality of life = improved wellbeing = reproduction
Ex situ conservation

Environmental enrichment consists of providing each species, in its enclosure, with the natural biotic
and abiotic elements which reproduce, as far as possible, its natural environment in order to avoid
any aberrant or unnatural behaviour.
The purpose of environmental enrichment is to induce and encourage the most natural possible
behaviour in the animal; in this way, it is kept busy and diverted to prevent the appearance of
stereotypical behaviour symptomatic of boredom, which leads to continuous stress and the
potential emergence of a pathology that could damage its health. The correct environmental
enrichment of a facility, apart from encouraging natural behaviour in the animal, is an extremely
valuable tool for achieving conservation objectives, as by providing the animal with a habitat as
closely adapted as possible to its natural state we optimize the possibility of reproduction and
perpetuation of the species.

There are a series of considerations that need to be taken -into account when it comes to enriching
the enclosure in which each species will be permanently living and, we hope, breeding. The key
factors for guaranteeing the right type of enrichment, i.e. adapting naturally to the ecological profile
of each species, are:

• Drawing up an ecological profile of the species (knowledge of its history and evaluation of its
primary and secondary environmental needs) in order to enrich its enclosure: by knowing its
natural history, we know its needs in terms of habitat, terrain topography, soil type, hard or soft
substrate, humidity and temperature conditions, the type of refuge for hiding or sleeping, how much
water to provide, whether to install rocks and trunks, whether it needs shade or strong sun, etc.
• Determining the useable surface area of the exterior enclosure and the nature and quantity of
naturalization elements that need to be installed.
• If the animals spend a large part of the day in the water, a facility of the right size needs to be
designed so they can partially or fully submerge themselves.
• Selecting the additional elements (by type and size) that relate to the size of the installation.
• Naturalization of the installation: seeking the formula or combination of elements that best or
most closely represent part of their natural habitat, and getting it to resemble that habitat as closely
as possible when adding and positioning the different elements (trees, trunks – whether fallen or
superimposed – trunks alternating with rocks, earth mounds, ditches, areas of denser vegetation,
predominance of high or low grasses, etc.) until achieving the most accurate possible reproduction
of their natural environment.
• Permanent monitoring of the animals’ behaviour, noting any behavioural anomalies.
• Analysing and studying any anomalies.
• Correcting the anomalies caused by external environmental factors.
 Unit: 05 Social Evils Essay

Social evils are the issues that directly or indirectly affect the members of a society and are
considered a point of controversy or a problem in regards to moral values. Common social evils
include: caste system, poverty, dowry system,

Corruption:

Corruption is the most dangerous social evil prevailing in each and every part of society in today’s
world. It has its roots all around and has spread like a contagious disease.

The unethical form of earning money by misusing the power just to satisfy the individual needs is
termed as corruption. People in various sectors like government and private misuse their power just
to make money. We can see corruption having its hand in various fields like education, sports and
games, hospitals, business, industry etc.

Corruption has mainly evolved due to the greediness of people. The easy way of making money
without doing much hard work is the mindset of many people. So people find ways to earn money
by mishandling their power and position of responsibility.

Corruption is not a word but an act which is prevailing in the world form the ancient times. It was in
its run during Sultan and Mughal periods. From there till now, corruption kept on growing instead of
being vanished.

People having power make common people suffer by asking them to pay huge bribes for getting
their work done. It not only affects common people but also affects the growth of the nation and its
income. Developing and developed nations face this evil because of the corrupted employees.

North Korea and Somalia are competing with each other to be the number one position in
corruption. India is on the 81 place among 175 countries in corruption.

Types of Corruption

• Extortion
• Blackmail
• Graft
• Embezzlement
• Theft and fraud
• Networking
• Abuse of Discretion
• Influence Peddling
• Nepotism
• Favouritism
• Clientelism

Extortion

The method of obtaining money by force or threat is called as extortion. It is illegal and can be
subjected to the law. Threatening people by having any personal information about them and
making money not to reveal such information is called as blackmail.
The abuse of political power to meet personal gain is termed as a graft. It is an American word and
has a medical origin. Misuse of position comes under graft. Stealing of one’s savings or funds for the
personal requirements is termed as embezzlement. Politicians use people funds for their personal
benefit.

Theft and fraud are the other types of corruption which mean stealing public money in a wrongful
way or a criminal way for the personal benefit and financial gain of other people.

Nepotism is the act of favoring their family and friends by offering them jobs without letting others
come into light. This is also a type of corruption which involves the only the growth of their family.

Using the power of someone on someone’s behalf and making money for personal benefit is called
as influence peddling. Using the influence of other people to make money is the other definition to
influence peddling.

The misuse of decision-making facilities and power of a person in order to gain money comes under
an abuse of discretion.

Giving power to the person in favor of that person is called as favoritism. This also is termed as
corruption as it leads to the misuse of power for personal gain.

Clientelism is another type of corruption which involves the exchange of goods and services in favor
of power and money.

Ways to Eradicate Corruption

• Ethics – People are involved in this type of illegal activity due to the lack of ethical behavior.
So they should be educated in schooling about the side effects of corruption.
• Keep distance with Greediness – People have a hunger for money but cannot work hard to
get it. So they find illegal ways and corruption has emerged. Remove hunger for money and
earn money which satisfies your basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing.
• Make payments Online – Corruption prevails because people follow offline methods to pay a
fee or anything else. Making everything online can reduce this evil to some extent.
• Modify Rules – Government and financial management rules should be modified. Old rules
should be replaced with new ones. People involving in bribery should be subjected to
prosecution and should be removed from their jobs without any second chance.
• Awareness Campaigns – People should be educated about the side effects of corruption like
how it is disturbing the nation’s growth. Campaigns and rallies should be conducted to
educate the people.
• The total management system of the nation should be modified in its own way in order to
eliminate this social evil, corruption.

Cybercrime is a dangerous attack, a company or an individual may face. There are many cases where
the cyberattack has brought massive loss to the company and individuals due to the data hack. We
live in a technology-driven era, and every information is now fed on computers. Cybercrime involves
an attack on computers and digital devices. These cyber-attacks can prove hazardous not just for the
organization, but also for the nation. Till date, there are many digital attack cases in India and global,
pushing for more security measures. These attacks are also affecting the economy of the country if
not controlled in the initial stage.
What is Cybercrime?

Cybercrime or attack is defined as the systematic criminal activity occurring digitally and done by
attackers. There are many examples of cybercrime, including fraud, malware virus, cyberstalking and
others. Due to these, government agencies and companies are investing more on the maintenance
and hiring cybercrime experts. Earlier, cybercrime was committed only by individuals or by small
groups. However, now a highly complex cybercriminals network work on attacking the system for
data collection. Three groups of cybercrimes-Individual Property Government Individual. This is the
form of cyberstalking, trafficking, and grooming. Over the years, this type of cybercrime has been
taken seriously by law enforcement agencies. It is now keeping a track over every such attack on an
individual. Property Similar to the real world where criminals steal the property, in the cyber world,
attackers steal data. Here, the attacker steals a person's bank details and misuse the credit card for
online purchase. By using malicious software, the attacker attacks the property to disrupt the system
of the organization. Government These types of crimes are denoted as cyber terrorism. This can be a
terror because the attacker can get hold of essential documents related to government projects. An
enemy nation or terrorist usually makes such attacks. There are many cases globally where a
terrorist hacks government data. A part from these, there is a financial crime where the hacker
steals the money of the user account holder. Moreover, they steal company data and finance.
Hacking In this type, the computer system of the person is hacked to get personal information. In
many countries, including India, hacking is a punishable act. It is quite different from ethical hacking.
In normal hacking, illegal use different types of software to enter the system of the target person.
Hacker is then able to monitor every activity done by the person. Theft This cybercrime is about
violating copyright and downloading music or movies. In India, many movies before their releases
are leaked on the movie download sites. In other words, theft is also called privacy, which can bring
a huge loss to the organization. Cyber Stalking It is online harassment by an individual or a group of
people. Normally, these stalkers target an individual and harass online. There are many cases of
cyberstalking in India, resulting in the target person ending up taking self-life. Malicious Software
These are computer-based cybercrimes where virus-based software is installed in the target people
or organization computer. This is to damage the system and corrupt the data of the target. Laws
Related to Cybercrime In India, there are many cybercrime laws enacted to stop this threat. Be it for
the individual or the organization; these laws help to either bring down the number of cases or
eliminate these digital crimes. A part from these laws, as an individual, you also need to take steps to
stop these crimes. Like, not providing your login details, installing trust anti-virus software and
keeping your online profile private can help to act against such crimes.

Conclusion: Cybercrime is a significant threat that can bring huge loss to the individual and the
organization. It is essential to follow basic online rules to ensure the safety of self and the
organization.

Terrorism is an act, which aims to create fear among ordinary people by illegal means. It is a threat
to humanity. It includes person or group spreading violence, riots, burglaries, rapes, kidnappings,
fighting, bombings, etc. Terrorism is an act of cowardice. Also, terrorism has nothing to do with
religion. A terrorist is only a terrorist, not a Hindu or a Muslim.

Types of Terrorism

Terrorism is of two kinds, one is political terrorism which creates panic on a large scale and another
one is criminal terrorism which deals in kidnapping to take ransom money. Political terrorism is
much more crucial than criminal terrorism because it is done by well-trained persons. It thus
becomes difficult for law enforcing agencies to arrest them in time.
Terrorism spread at the national level as well as at international level. Regional terrorism is the most
violent among all. Because the terrorists think that dying as a terrorist is sacred and holy, and thus
they are willing to do anything. All these terrorist groups are made with different purposes.

Causes of Terrorism

There are some main causes of terrorism development or production of large quantities of machine
guns, atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs, nuclear weapons, missiles, etc. rapid population
growth, Politics, Social, Economic problems, dissatisfaction of people with the country’s system,
lack of education, corruption, racism, economic inequality, linguistic differences, all these are the
major elements of terrorism, and terrorism flourishes after them. People use terrorism as a weapon
to prove and justify their point of view. The riots among Hindus and Muslims are the most famous
but there is a difference between caste and terrorism.

The Effects of Terrorism

Terrorism spreads fear in people, people living in the country feel insecure because of terrorism. Due
to terrorist attacks, millions of goods are destroyed, the lives of thousands of innocent people are
lost, animals are also killed. Disbelief in humanity raises after seeing a terrorist activity, this gives
birth to another terrorist. There exist different types of terrorism in different parts of the country
and abroad.

Alcoholism

Alcoholism is one of the social problems and social evil of the everyday society. It could be a life-
threatening problem of an addicted person. In addition to that, alcohol addiction is one of the
threats to the family members, co-workers, and the society. Alcohol addicted people are facing
physical, psychological, social problems due to the alcohol consumption. This descriptive study
discusses the social and economic problems of alcohol-addicted persons in the urban areas. The
present study shows that early adulthood people are mostly addicted to the alcohol. They realize
that habit of alcohol drinking affected their social life and family members are not giving any respect
to them. Addicted people are facing economic problems and living in poverty. The study
recommended that the government and stakeholders should rehabilitate the recovered people to
run new life in the mainstream society. Caring of the family members and society may change the
mindset of the addicted people to become normal in their life

Drug addiction is a social evil in India. It is the tragedy of our days that millions of youths, the future
citizens of India, fall victims to the habit of taking drugs. These addicted people are on the way to the
steady and sure death. It is a social evil that affects an individual as well as nation as a whole.

Dowry is a social evil in the society, that has caused unimaginable tortures and crimes towards
women. The evil has taken lives of women from all strata’s of society - be it poor, middle class or the
rich. ... It is because of the dowry system, that daughters are not valued as much as the sons.

Domestic violence (also called domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that
occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. Domestic violence is often used
as a synonym for intimate partner violence, which is committed by one of the people in an intimate
relationship against the other person, and can take place in either heterosexual or same-
sex relationships or between former spouses or partners. In its broadest sense, domestic violence
also involves violence against children, parents, or the elderly. It can assume multiple forms,
including physical, verbal, emotional, economic, religious, reproductive, or sexual abuse, which can
range from subtle, coercive forms to marital rape and other violent physical abuse, such as choking,
beating, female genital mutilation, and acid throwing that may result in disfigurement or death.
Domestic murder includes stoning, bride burning, honor killing, and dowry death, which sometimes
involves non-cohabitating family members.

The definition of untouchability can be stated as the discrimination done to a specific group of
people based on their caste and sub-caste minority. Through India has been Asia’s emerging
powerhouse the practice of untouchability here has raised questions about its image all across the
world. The practice of untouchability has been followed for centuries and it violates basic human
rights. It is based on the caste system and the untouchables are treated badly because they are from
the lower caste. In every place, the untouchables also known as Dalits face a lot of discrimination.

Female foeticide is a social evil prevailing in India for ages, and it must be stopped. Female foeticide
means aborting a girl foetus in the womb before its complete growth. It is one of the most
disgraceful truths of our country. Indian society is considered a patriarchal society, and here a few
people want a son instead of a daughter. People who want sons abuse medical technologies for their
selfish motive. Female foeticide is one of the primary reasons why there is a declining sex ratio in
India.

It is the procedure of abortion of a girl child before she can take birth. This is done after sex
recognition tests. The Indian government has now made the female foeticide and sex recognition
test illegal in India. But the practice of killing a female child before birth is a shameful act for the
parents who wish for a baby boy as well as doctors who do these abortions.

Violence does not merely mean application of physical force, it can be mental, psychological and
emotional as well. Violence in its broadest sense has been described as an act of a person, which
encroaches upon the freedom of another. But with the passage of time, society is now awakening to
its responsibility towards women. “She means the world” promoting empowerment of women may
seem just one of the goal, but this aspect is crucial for the success of several other reforms.

Violence can be an overt threat or an overt application of force, which aims at harming or destroying
a person or his reputation. Even the intent of causing harm and injury, to someone is considered as
an act of violence. The other problems being bias in job, sexual harassment, domestic violence,
marital discord which hamper the women’s development. Juxtaposed to this ‘Women
Empowerment’ is the need of the hour, which means increasing the power of women socially,
economically and politically.

The enactment of appropriate laws to improve the status of women is today’s burning need. For it
was said by Jawaharlal Nehru

“You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women.”

Violence against women can be categorised under three broad categories

(i) Criminal Violence as rape, abduction or murder (ii) Domestic Violence which includes dowry
deaths, wife battering, sexual abuse, maltreatment of widows or elderly women and lastly (iii) Social
Violence which includes forcing a wife or daughter-in-law to go for female foeticide, eve-teasing,
refusing to give a share to women in property, forcing a woman to commit Sati, forcing her into
marriage for business interests or family honour or harassing a woman for any other reason.

How to tackle them

• Drawing attention to gendered discrimination;

• Working to change the social norms and practices;
• Increasing public awareness;
• Creating space for activists and survivors to share their stories; and
• Educating communities about sexual and gender -based violence.