A Report On Mansarovar Yatra Tourism Essays

A Report On Mansarovar Yatra Tourism Essays A Report On Mansarovar Yatra Tourism Essay A Report On Mansarovar Yatra Tourism Essay Mansarovar Yatra Mansarovar gets its name from a lake of the same name, the universe s highest fresh H2O lake. Mansarovar attracts 1000s of pilgrims every twelvemonth and is a spiritual finish for four great faiths ; Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and the comparatively lesser known pre-buddhist faith Bonpo. Lake Mansarovar is situated in saddle horse Kailash and holds an elevated spiritual significance in the Hindu faith. Mansarovar is the beginning of the Sutlej river and is located near to the beginning of the Brahmaputra river, the Indus river and the Karnali river. Significance Mansarovar is a extremely august lake and per Hindu mythology, it is believed that a dip in this lake will cleanse one of all wickednesss and lead to heaven. Popular belief says that one who touches the Earth of Manasa Sarovar will travel to the Eden of Lord Brahma and one who partakes the H2O of this residence of pureness will happen a topographic point in Shiva s Eden. Attractions Mansarovar Lake: The lake is the lone attractive force for pilgrims and tourers likewise. Believed to be the umbilicus of the universe by the Tibetans, Mansarovar is revered in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. Per Hindu divinity, the psyche of a individual will happen a topographic point in Eden in the after life if one has visited the sanctum Mansarovar. Harmonizing to Hindu mythology, the lake was foremost created in the head of Lord Brahma and therefore the name ( manas = head A ; sarovar = lake ) . Further, it is besides believed that Gods descend from celestial spheres during Brahma Muhurta to bathe in the sanctum and pure Waterss of lake Mansarovar. The lake besides is of spiritual importance to Jains who believe that their first prophesier achieved enlightenment here. Buddhists believe that it is here that Queen Maya conceived Buddha. Mount Kailash: Considered to be the tallest mountain with the tip of the mountain making celestial spheres is besides, as per Hindu spiritual Bibles, the residence of Lord Shiva and is by far the holiest mountain that finds a reference in about all Hindu texts and scriptures refering to faith. For Hindus, a Yatra to mount Kailash is considered a must to be able to free them of their wickednesss. How to Reach Like Kedarnath, making Mansarovar poses a spot of a trouble but this is barely a hindrance for devouts and adventuresome tourers, 1000s of whom flock to Mansarovar every twelvemonth for a dip in the holy Waterss of the lake. The nearest airdrome to Mansarovar is

Definition and Purpose of a Heterogeneous Class

Definition and Purpose of a Heterogeneous Class Heterogeneous groups  in educational settings include students from a wide range of instructional levels. The practice of assigning mixed groups of students to shared classrooms stems from the education precept that positive interdependence develops when students of varying achievement work together and help each other reach educational goals. Heterogeneous groups contrast  directly with homogeneous groups, in which all students perform at roughly the same instructional level. Examples of Heterogeneous Groups A teacher may deliberately pair low-, medium-, and high-level readers (as measured by reading assessments) together in a heterogeneous group to read and analyze a given text together. This type of cooperative group can improve outcomes for all of the students as the advanced readers can tutor their lower-performing peers. Rather than putting gifted students, average students, and special-needs students in separate classrooms, school administrators may divide students into classes with a relatively even distribution of abilities and needs. Teachers may then further divide the group during instructional periods using either the heterogeneous or homogeneous model. Advantages For students of lesser ability, being included in a heterogeneous group rather than pigeonholed into a homogeneous group reduces their risk of being stigmatized. And labels that classify academic skill can become self-fulfilling prophecies as teachers may lower expectations for students in special-needs classrooms. They may not challenge those students to perform well and may rely on limited curriculum that restricts exposure to concepts some students could, in fact, learn. A heterogeneous group gives advanced students a chance to mentor their peers. All members of the group may interact more to help each other understand the concepts being taught. Disadvantages Students, parents, and teachers may prefer to work in a homogeneous group or be part of a homogeneous classroom. They may see an educational advantage or just feel more comfortable working with peers of similar ability. Advanced students in a heterogeneous group may at times feel forced into a leadership role they do not want. Rather than learning new concepts at their own speed, they must slow down to assist other students or curtail their own study to proceed at the rate of the whole class. In a heterogeneous grouping, advanced students may take the role of co-teacher, rather than advancing their own skills. Students of lesser abilities may fall behind in a heterogeneous group and may be criticized for slowing the rate of the whole class or group. In a study or work group, unmotivated or academically challenged students may be ignored rather than assisted by their peers. Management of a Heterogeneous Classroom Teachers need to remain aware and recognize when a heterogeneous grouping does not function properly for a student at any level. Teachers should support advanced students by supplying additional academic challenges and help students who fall behind receive the assistance they need to catch up. And students in the middle of a heterogeneous group face the risk of getting lost in the shuffle as the teacher concentrates on the special needs of students at either end of the spectrum.

Historical leaders in quality improvement Research Paper

Historical leaders in quality improvement - Research Paper Example services, affecting the manners on which risks are perceived, care is organized, and healthcare providers are supported (McLaughlin and Kaluzny, 2006). By recognizing and applying the organizational and production principles in the manufacturing sector, healthcare professionals can improve the delivery of healthcare services suited to the needs of the patient or organization. As such, fitting the curative environment to an individual’s or organization’s needs is important in beating the production goals. This approach can also be employed in the delivery of healthcare services to a single patient or population through a definite disease management program (McLaughlin and Kaluzny, 2006). Thus, reflecting on the lives of healthcare quality leaders is insightful. Florence Nightingale is known as a hospital reformer and a pioneer of nursing. She strived for innovations not only in nursing care, but in hospital administration as well. In 1854, along with well-trained women, Nightingale served the British military hospital during the Crimean War. She documented her observations on the victims and casualties of war by means of statistical applications, treatment, and analysis of mortality and injury cases. She used line diagrams to show the comparison of mortality cases between civilian and military personnel and presented such to government authorities through polar-area diagrams. From 1854 to 1856, in a British military hospital in Turkey, Nightingale led nursing efforts where she prioritized clothing and bedding supplies for the casualties of war and emphasized the need for a more sanitary clinical environment (Knudsen and Debon, 2003). She used to visit wards, even late at night, looking after the conditions of ill soldiers. This exemplary p erseverance, dedication, and patience made her to earn the title â€Å"The Lady with the Lamp.† After six months, the mortality rate in the military camp fell from 60% to 2% (Knudsen and Debon, 2003). Through her efforts,

Internet Marketing and an Impact on Buying Behaviour of Teenagers Personal Statement

Internet Marketing and an Impact on Buying Behaviour of Teenagers - Personal Statement Example Page, K., & Uncles, M (2004) define Internet marketing as a marketing strategy adopted by many entrepreneurs to reach out their customers through the Internet with an organized plan and a smart marketing campaign. The author argues that the online market is growing at a rapid pace compared to the retail market so that anyone with the need to make money select Internet as his first choice. As per the statistics available, in the fourth quarter of 2005, US retail e-commerce sales totaled $26.5 billion with an increase of 27.5% just from the third quarter of 2005. At the same time, millions of people are exploring opportunities on the Internet that made the competition stiff in online marketing. The author put forward two things; an effective plan and aggressive marketing for success in Internet marketing. He has pointed out that a website without planning and the identification of the target market will definitely end in failure whereas in-depth planning will increase the chances of su ccess more. The author also argued that even amidst the stiff competition, the future of Internet marketing is bright (Hartman, J. B., Gehrt, K., & Watchravesringkan, K., 2004). Mick, D.G., & Fournier, S (1998) defines In... strategies he has pointed out other methods such as site optimization, linking, and indexing, implementing online marketing partnerships with high-profile online businesses, paid keyword advertising, etc. as the successful strategies for Internet marketing. Buying behaviors of the teenage community Lenhart, A., Rainie, L., & Lewis, O (2001) reflects on buying behaviors of the teenage community in terms of their attitude toward appearance. They argued that the marketers should make advertisements to target "jockettes" (young women who have active lifestyles) and "young metrosexuals"(young men focussed on their outward appearances) in order to convince the teen community. Gender and brands can influence the buying habits of teens according to the author. Park, C., & Jun, J.K (2003) summarizes buying behaviors of teenagers with respect to the cool looking technology and customizations of products are essential for attracting teen customers. Personalization, style, and functionality are the major features of a product which influence the teen community. Impact of Internet marketing on buying behavior of teenagers The online purchasing behavior of teens for goods like books, apparels, dining, music, practices is around half of the teenage consumers that has risen significantly from the 31 percent of statistical from the result December 2000 (Park, C., & Jun, J.K., 2003). Teens are the major segment of Internet visitors. This is not easy to convince the teen community with conventional methods of marketing. A business plan and marketing strategies are essential for canvassing the teen community through Internet marketing.  

The last supper by leonardo da vinci Essay Example for Free

The last supper by leonardo da vinci Essay In human history, it is hard to find another so gifted person, as Leonardo da Vinci was. He serves as a symbol of Renaissance person, an ideal of harmoniously developed human. His heritage consists of works of art, sculptures, works on mechanics, physics and natural science. Leonardo da Vinci is, undoubtedly, the most prominent representative of Renaissance art period of Italy. This paper is to examine only one of his outstanding masterpieces – The Last Supper. This work of art is made in a form of a huge fresco, performed by order of Louis Moro for refectory of the church Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan in 1495-1497. It began to acquire its unique reputation immediately after it was finished in 1498 and its prestige has never diminished. Despite the many changes in tastes, artistic styles, and rapid physical deterioration of the painting itself, the paintings status as an extraordinary creation has never been questioned nor doubted. It’s fortune is dramatic. The paints started chalking already during Leonardo’s life. In XVII century a door was made in the wall of refectory, which partially ruined the composition, and in XVIII century the room was turned into grain warehouse. Later the fresco was damaged by poor reconstructions. In 1908 certain jobs on cleaning and consolidation of the painting were made. During WWII the ceiling and southern wall of the refectory were ruined by a bomb. Restoration in 1945 saved the fresco from further destruction, however, now we can see only the general shapes of Leonardo’s masterpiece. Much of the detail can be learned from a copy, made with oil and canvas by unknown artist of the XVI century . A huge fresco, which is about 15 feet high and 29 feet long, covers the entire back wall of the refectory. The perfection of this work lies not only in the artistic merits of the painting, but also in Leonardos expressive mastery. Leonardos Last Supper is an ideal pictorial representation of the most important event in the Christian doctrine of salvation the institution of the Eucharist . Leonardo painted The Last Supper on a dry wall rather than on wet plaster, so it is not a true fresco. Because a fresco cannot be modified as the artist works, Leonardo instead chose to seal the stone wall with a layer of pitch, gesso and mastic, then paint onto the sealing layer with tempera. Because of the method used, the piece has not withstood time very well – within several years of completion it already began showing signs of deterioration . Master’s idea was to create an illusion, that the room, where the Last Supper takes place is a part of the refectory itself, and thus to turn a spectator into a participant of one of the most important events in the history of Christianity. Leonardo depicted the dramatic culmination of the Supper, the very moment that Jesus has said to his disciples: â€Å"Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. Matthew 26† Jesus words inspire a number of feelings in His adepts: anger, fear, despair, some of them stand up from their places and gesticulate. In order not to create an impression of a clutter, Leonardo united the characters into four groups with three persons in each of them, symmetrically placed around the Savior. The first group consists of Bartholomew, James the Lesser and Andrew, all of them appearing surprised. Andrew holds both of his hand up in front of him in a frightened gesture. The second group: Judah Iscariot, Simon Peter and John. Judah is holding a bag of silver in his right hand, while reaching for a piece of bread with his left. Simon Peter is leaning over the shoulder of John, a knife held in his right hand, symbolizing his zealous defence of Jesus. John appears to be swooning. In contrast to traditional depiction of Judah opposite to Christ, Leonardo placed him near God the Son, however, the traitor can be easily recognized with his pulled back figure, convulsive gesture of his hand, fastening a purse and dark profile. Da Vinci presented a realistic explanation of Christs prophetic words that the first man to share bread with him would also be the betrayer: Jesus and Judas are shown reaching for the same piece of bread, although everybodys attention is riveted elsewhere. The third group is made of Thomas, James the Great and Phillip. These three appear in different degrees of shock; Thomas, with his hand raised, and Phillip seem to be requesting some sort of explanation, while James the Great, between them, appears to be recoiling from Jesus in horror. The last group of three is formed by Matthew, Jude Thaddeus and Simon the Zealot and theyappear to be discussing the matter with each other, in a rendition of Luke 22:23: They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. The figure of Christ is not only spacial, but also a spiritual centre of the painting. He is alone in his wise eupathy and acceptance of fate. His figure seems to be the only stable element of the painting, symbolizing the sanctity of faith and imminence of His mission. References 1. Pietro C. Marani. â€Å"Leonardo Da Vinci: The Complete Paintings†, Harry N. Abrams, 2000 2. David A. Brown â€Å"Leonardo da Vinci: Origins of a Genius†. Yale University Press, 1998 3. Roderick C. Morris â€Å"Shock Waves of Leonardos Last Supper†, International Herald Tribune, May 26, 2001.

Venezuela :: essays research papers

Since the 1970s, Venezuela has gone from being South America’s richest nation into a nouveau-poor society in search of an identity. Once known as the Saudis of the West, Venezuelans have seen their economic fortunes decline in exact proportion to the general fall in world oil prices. Even so, Venezuela’s many problems were hidden from view until relatively recently, when severity measures heralded the sort of economic crises so painfully familiar to other Latin American countries. Runaway inflation, currency devaluations and even food riots have marked this new phase in Venezuelan history, to which the country is still trying to adjust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The projected population for 2010 is estimated at approximately 28,809 million, with a birth rate of 29.9 per thousand and a low mortality rate of 4.7 per thousand. Today the estimated population is 23,542,649 with a growth rate of 1.6%. Caracas, the capital, and the state of Miranda, which are the areas with the greatest commercial and financial activity, have a population of 7.7 million people. The industrial and agricultural centers, which are the states of Aragua, Carabobo, and Lara, have a population total of about 5 million people. The state of Zulia, which is the major cattle rising and oil producing state, has a population of over 3 million people. Guyana, which is in the state of Bolivar, has the most important mineral reserves, has a population of 1,300,000. The mortality rate is at 26.17 per thousand and a birth rate of 21.09 per thousand. In spite of its growth, there is still a low population density. With only nine inhabitants per square kilometer, V enezuela is one of the least densely populated countries in the Western Hemisphere. The Venezuelan population is very young. About 70% is under the age of 40. 33% of the population is between the ages of 0-14. Followed by 63% being between the ages of 15-64 and only 4% of the population is 65 years and over. There is a male domination over female with a total population ratio 1.02 male(s)/female. Venezuela has a total area of 912,050 square kilometers, 882,050 square kilometers being land and 30,000 square kilometers water. It is slightly more than twice the size of California. Venezuela is the most urbanized country in Latin America. The urban population is about 87% of the total, but is unevenly distributed throughout the country. The migration ratio as of July of 2000 was -0.

Indian Education Essay

A strong education system is the cornerstone of any country’s growth and prosperity. Over the last decade, India has made great strides in strengthening its primary education system. The District Information System for Education (DISE) reported in 2012 that 95% of India’s rural populations are within one kilometer of primary schools. The 2011 Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), which tracks trends in rural education, indicated that enrollment rates among primary-school-aged children were about 93%, with little difference by gender. However, behind the veil of such promising statistics, the learning outcomes of India’s children show little progress. The country ranked 63 out of 64 in the latest Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) study, with some of its best schools ranked about average among those surveyed. The 2011 ASER stated that only 48. 2% of students in the fifth grade can read at the second grade level. The number of students completing their primary education with inadequate numeracy and literacy skills is startling. To see this manifest in an economic sense, one may attribute India’s productivity growth — lagging behind that of East Asian economies — to a lack of progress in the foundational elements of countrywide, high-quality education. India’s private-schooled, English-speaking urban elite may attract global attention, but they are in the minority. The vast majority of Indian children attend government-run primary schools in rural areas. In 2008-2009, rural India accounted for more than 88% of India’s primary-school students, of whom over 87% were enrolled in government-run schools. This is where we see some of the nation’s toughest challenges. A Diverse Set of Problems India’s education system has not achieved strong learning outcomes for reasons that are as diverse and nuanced as the country itself. Key among these reasons is poor teaching quality, which results from a multitude of factors. Inadequate Teacher Qualification and Support: Teachers working in primary schools across rural India have a difficult job. Dhir Jhingran, a senior civil servant in the Indian Administrative Service, with more than two decades of experience in rural primary education, explained the multiple challenges they face: â€Å"Teachers have to teach multiple grades, textbooks are pitched far above the comprehension level of students, and each classroom has children with different levels of learning achievements. † Anurag Behar, CEO of the Azim Premji Foundation, an education non-profit, noted that â€Å"the average school teacher in India does not get adequate pre-service or in-service education, nor does she get the support to overcome these problems. † Compounding this is the relatively low educational qualifications of many teachers themselves. In 2008-2009, on average, 45% of these teachers had not studied beyond the 12th grade. Low Teacher Motivation and High Absenteeism: A key factor affecting the quality of primary education appears to be low levels of teacher motivation. In 2002-2003, 25% of primary-school teachers in rural India were absent on any given day. The impact of absenteeism is exacerbated by the fact that the average primary school in India has a workforce of no more than three teachers. At a school for girls in rural Rajasthan, we observed this problem first hand: Of the eight teachers assigned, only five were present. The three who were actually teaching were juggling eight different grades. The obvious reason — remuneration — does not appear to be a driver. In fact, both education experts and ordinary citizens argue that government-employed school teachers are paid relatively well. UNESCO surveys from as early as 2004 indicated that the annual statutory salary of primary school teachers in India with 15 years’ experience was more than $14,000, adjusted for purchasing power. This was significantly higher than the then-statutory salaries of $3,000 in China and Indonesia, and the Indian GDP per capita in 2004, which was $3,100. Indian primary-school teachers may not be underpaid, but some argue that they may be overworked. For Vivekanand Upadhyay, a seasoned educator and language professor at a leading national University, one reason for the lack of motivation is that â€Å"primary school teachers employed by the government, particularly in rural India, are required to perform a wide range of duties completely unrelated to imparting education. † These duties — including administering government programs such as immunization clinics, assisting with data-collection for the national census, and staffing polling stations during elections — in addition to their teaching responsibilities, place significant demands on teachers’ time. Another disheartening factor has been a highly bureaucratic administrative system that discourages bold decision making and makes implementation difficult. For example, as Jhingran observed, â€Å"it is difficult to test new practices on a small scale before rolling them out: If a new program has been developed, the philosophy is that every school must have it. † Such indiscriminate application often means that teachers are implementing programs without understanding their key principles and ultimate goals. Flawed Teaching Methodology: In India, rote learning has been institutionalized as a teaching methodology. â€Å"Primary school teachers in rural India often try to educate students by making them repeat sections of text over and over again,† said Jhingran. Often they do not explain the meaning of the text, which results in stunted reading comprehension skills over the course of the children’s education. For example, many students in grades two and three in one particular school struggle to read individual words, but can neatly copy entire paragraphs from their textbooks into their notebooks as though they were drawing pictures. Linguistic Diversity: Finally, India’s linguistic diversity creates unique challenges for the nation’s education system. The country’s 22 official languages and hundreds of spoken dialects often differ considerably from the official language of the state or region. Jhingran commented that â€Å"the teacher not only has to account for varying learning abilities within the classroom, but also dialectic nuances which affect students’ comprehension of the subject matter. † Government-school-educated children from rural India struggle to speak even basic sentences in English. â€Å"Students with rural primary schooling are at a significant disadvantage as they transition to higher education, because India’s best universities teach exclusively in English,† said Upadhyay. Part of the problem is that there is no one to teach them. As Chandrakanta Khatwar, an experienced middle school teacher in a rural government-run school in Rajasthan, asked: â€Å"When teachers themselves know little English, especially spoken English, how will students learn? † A Parallel, Non-governmental Education Universe Since the late 1980s, government efforts to augment rural primary education have been supplemented by the emergence of an intervention-based non-governmental system that spans multiple institutional types. While private schools have emerged as a parallel system over the last two decades, their impact is limited because they serve less than 13% of India’s rural primary-school children. However, do private schools really make a difference? Some studies have found a small, but statistically significant, â€Å"private school advantage† in rural India. Behar was skeptical about the superiority of private rural schools over their government-run counterparts, noting, â€Å"Once we control for a child’s socioeconomic background, private schools add little-to-no value. In many ways, private schools are in much worse shape. † However, according to Khatwar, â€Å"more and more parents in small towns are choosing to send their children to private schools if they can afford it† — perhaps with good reason, because, on average, the number of students in each classroom in private schools is often smaller and school heads exert greater control over teachers. Some organizations are attempting to innovate with new formats and systems of education. Avasara Academy, a new school for girls, is a private institution whose mission is to mold leaders from among the best and brightest girls in India, regardless of their background. While admission is merit-based, the school intends to draw half its students from disadvantaged rural and urban backgrounds, awarding them full scholarships. In addition, it is developing a special curriculum that encourages excellence beyond academics. â€Å"Avasara seeks to identify high potential young women and guide them along a powerful journey of leadership development. We expect that our graduates will form a network of leaders who will collaborate to drive positive change across the country,† explained Mangala Nanda, humanities department chair for Avasara. While still in the early stages of its development, Avasara’s successful implementation would provide a viable model for high-quality, accessible education and integration across socioeconomic boundaries. Governmental Efforts The Indian government at every level recognizes the need for educational reform and has made a conscientious effort to achieve it. The midday-meal plan, for example, is a highly publicized nationwide program through which government school children across India are provided with a midday meal every day of the school week. The program is largely considered a success. A study in 2011 by Rajshri Jayaraman and Dora Simroth found that grade one enrollment increased by 20. 8% simply if a midday meal was offered. According to Behar, â€Å"The Indian government has worked very hard to provide rural schools with adequate infrastructure, something that was critically lacking a few decades ago. † For instance, DISE reported in 2012 that more than 91% of primary schools have drinking-water facilities and 86% of schools built in the last 10 years have a school building. However, there is still a long way to go: Only 52% of primary schools have a girls’ toilet, and just 32% are connected to the electricity grid. In 2012, the Central Government enacted the Right to Education (RTE) Act, under which every child between the ages of six and 14 receives a free and compulsory education. In addition to regulating access to education, the act contains certain provisions that could positively impact the quality of education. According to Jhingran, one of its major achievements has been â€Å"the dramatic reduction of non-teaching duties assigned to government school teachers, freeing up valuable time and lowering absenteeism. † Partnering with the Government Over the past few decades, many organizations have begun working with government schools and teachers to improve learning outcomes. Pratham, a joint venture between UNICEF and the Municipal Corporation of Mumbai, runs multiple programs to supplement school education, such as learning support classes, libraries and additional learning resources. A hallmark of these initiatives is that Pratham engages volunteers from local communities and trains them to run these programs. Another important initiative that has resulted from Pratham is the annual ASER, an assessment that measures reading and arithmetic abilities by surveying more than 600,000 children across 16,000 villages in India. This remarkable exercise in data-gathering constitutes the foundation for informed decision-making and benchmarking. Other initiatives address teaching quality by placing specially trained teachers in government schools. Teach for India, modeled after the Teach for America program, was introduced in 2006. Young, motivated Indian college graduates and professionals apply for two-year fellowships to teach at government-run and low-income private schools that lack sufficient resources. An important distinction of Teach for India is that instruction is, by design, always in English. As Mohit Arora, fellowship recruitment manager for Teach for India, noted, the organization’s philosophy on this point is that â€Å"learning English is essential to future success, as English in today’s world is more than just a language. It is a skill set. † Students who do not speak English may have some difficulty initially, but the organization has made learning at these schools experiential and therefore engaging. The dynamics of one particular grade 3 Teach for India classroom were in stark contrast to other classrooms at the same school — students were listening intently, contributing in class, answering questions beyond the textbook and demonstrating a strong command over English. The challenge is scaling this model to rural India. Still other organizations focus on capacity development of teachers in government schools, such as the Azim Premji Foundation. As CEO, Behar is categorical in his view that the foundation â€Å"works in partnership with the government,† and that it â€Å"does not believe in supplanting the government school system. † The foundation has established scores of institutes at the district level that provide in-service education and also empower teachers to learn from each other. For example, Behar described a voluntary teacher forum in a district of Rajasthan, initially organized by the Azim Premji Foundation, but now being run increasingly independently by teachers in the district. The Future of Primary Education in India Education in India has improved dramatically over the last three decades. Schools are accessible to most children, both student enrollment and attendance are at their highest level, and teachers are adequately remunerated. The RTE Act guarantees a quality education to a wider range of students than ever before. However, challenges in implementing and monitoring high standards in teaching and learning outcomes across regional, cultural and socioeconomic subsets prevent India from fully achieving this goal. In addition, teacher support and scalability of high-performing teaching professionals in disparate areas, funding allocation for schools in remote districts and limited use of technology in the classroom remain barriers to reforming primary education. India’s growth story remains one of the most anticipated global economic trends, and its fulfillment relies on a well-educated and skilled workforce. Improving education is a critical area of investment and focus if the country wants to sustain economic growth and harness its young workforce. A weak foundation in primary education can derail the lives, careers and productivity of tens of millions of its citizens. Already, a significant proportion of the adult workforce in India is severely under-equipped to perform skilled and semi-skilled jobs. As Rajesh Sawhney, former president of Reliance Entertainment and founder of GSF Superangels, noted, â€Å"No one is unemployed in India; there are just a lot of people who are unemployable. † Furthermore, in order to develop India as a consumer market of global standards, it is imperative that all of its children reap the full benefits of a high-quality education. Otherwise, large segments of the population in rural India will continue to have low purchasing power, find themselves in highly leveraged scenarios and, more often than not, continue to make a living through agricultural means. While some of this can be attributed to deficiencies in secondary and tertiary education, the root of these issues lies in low-quality primary education.