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Journalism as my Hobby

Journalism as my hobby :Dr.Dinesh,PGDMC(Post Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication),Symbiosis,PuneCruise tourism to Port Blair-A perfect destination
published in Light of Andaman & Andaman Sheekha online newspapers
Cruise tourism, a niche market, would give a new dimension to cruise tourism, which has tremendous growth potential, Cruises have always been an elite tourism product, was one area in which India was lagging behind, cruise operations in the India-Maldives-Colombo triangle is doing good, global cruise industry has not been attracted toward India for cruise tourism due to lack of necessary infrastructure. Andaman & Nicobar Administration should sign a MoU with the cruise liners, The Andaman & Nicobar Administration should contemplate to develop Haddo port as cruise shipping stations. A major issue hurting cruise operations is the passenger amenities, which are abysmally poor at terminals. In the meantime, port authorities should ensue that minimum facilities are available at the existing terminals. If the Andaman & Nicobar Administration focuses on developing physical infrastructure, to build cruise terminals of international standards at the Haddo port streamlining immigration and custom checks processes and takes recourse to viability funding in building infrastructure, the Andaman tourism industry could see a three-fold increase in the domestic and international cruise passengers. Exotic tourist locales, strong port connectivity,( Port Blair-Phuket-Singapore- or Chennai-Kochi-Colombo –Lakswadeep-Maldives etc will be a great one) administrations support are the key growth drivers that are likely to promote as an attractive cruise destination. Connectivity to and with number of international cruise lines calling at Indian ports, mainly at Mumbai, Goa and Kochi is any indication, the country is emerging as a major destination for cruise tourism .The tourist traffic, both inbound and outbound, is growing with tour operators offering special packages and , incentive schemes to cruise operators, more people from India are going for exotic voyages, with many elderly people on board, the cruise works out cheaper and more comfortable than staying alone in their homes. Large number of them from middle-class families, taking a cruise to the Maldives, paying upwards of Rs5,500 per head per night for a three-night trip.
One don’t have to pay separately for gym, salon and other health and entertainment services, pay for the cruise and forget the wallet at home, corporate special packages for on-board conference and seminars as well as to families for special occasions, will work wonders, cruises is still a developing concept in India. Indians are generally not inclined towards long sailing and a four-to-five night package is considered ideal. People of Andamans will surely enjoy the trip and will have a smooth sailing as no environment hassles are involved in it. In the past cruise liners MV Europa etc have anchored off Haddo wharf, during her visit to the Emerald islands.

Pathetic condition of All India Radio, Port Blair-are we waiting for disaster?
All India Radio Port Blair is the lifeline of people of Port Blair and especially people living in northern and southern group of islands, as the newspapers takes weeks to reach there, now the All India Radio Port Blair’s 100 KW transmission tower fell down, now they are using an L-antennae as a standby which is outdated as a back up, two years ago this same antennae fell down, now the All India Radio port Blair is running on 10 KW power, the reception is not at all audible say within a radius of 5kms.There are three AC plants and now only one is running. There are 2 DG sets for transmission and only one is running, anytime there may be breakdown. All India Radio, Port Blair transmission time is about 13 hours. The major programmes are in Hindi only they have 2 programme executives, There are no programme executive for Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam,and Bengali, since 7yrs . The Nicobari progrmme executive retired about 2 yrs back, till now it is lying vacant. There are no regular announcer the casual announcer are managing the whole show, there is no none to supervise the authenticity of the announcer without the regular programme executives. There are 3 Assistant directors post, but lying vacant since 10yrs and the Station Directors post is lying vacant since 5yrs.If any disaster strucks all the communication(telephone) will come to a grinding halt, that time only All India Radio can help the people, like they did a commendable service during tsunami wherein they have handled around 10,000 plus calls to locate the relatives. All India Radio and HAM radio will be the only vital link to Andaman & Nicobar administration and the centre(Delhi), when all communication networks fail. In view of the above satellite phones should be provided by the administration to All India Radio staff, Port Blair. There is no dearth of funds I suppose, if at all, some funds should be diverted either from disaster management department or from the administration and immediately take a serious note of the situation and save the gasping All India Radio, before the next disaster strucks. The Chief Secretary or the Lt. Governor should pay a visit to the station to feel the pulse and rectify the ground realities.-Published in Light of Andamans

Is Global recession or economic meltdown hitting Medium Wave?
Published in Light of Andaman
Broadcasting is the most powerful medium of mass communication. All India Radio is the largest network in the world that covers 90% population. One of the main objectives is to reach the rural, tribal and also people living in far flung islands. The importance of All India Radio, Port Blair as a medium to inform, educate and entertain the masses needs no emphasis in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, whether it is inter island sailing schedule announcements or weather report of cyclone or warning of tsunami etc. As a public service broadcaster AIR should continue to contribute to the national building process and socio-economic and cultural development of the nation. FM services and induction of digital technology should be introduced formally for A & N Islands, as there is no entertainment, especially for inter island habitants, they have only one choice to listen to AIR to get the latest news & programmes instantly. AIR Port Blair should come up with new ventures, which should keep the audience entertained, there is no appreciable change in the programs since decades. Intellectual people from from govt and private should be invited to be a part of good interactive programes, instead of replaying the same old programme again and again. Well qualified and experienced staff should be inducted through proper recruitment, which will again bring quality.
All India radio Port Blair station should be modernised and digitalization of existing network. Digitalisation of programme production facilities , uplink & downlink facilities to ensure good quality convergence-ready content, which will also support interactive radio. Digitalization of transmitters Computer Hard Disc based recording, editing and playback system. AIR port Blair should have digital equipment & Compterised Hard Disc Based work stations for recording , dubbing , editing & playback facilities etc. AIR News –on-Phone Service: This is an interactive service of AIR through which the listeners can listen AIR’s News highlights on telephone in Hindi and English by just dialing a specific telephone number at any time Through the Interactive Radio Service, listeners can interact with the presenter of the programme instantly, but this has been withdrawn, is it due to lack of funds, There is no Station Director and the station is headless, for so many months, there is no decision making authority, though AIR port Blair had done a commendable job when Tsunami engulfed the entire island, an unbelievable 10,000 plus calls were attended and the staffs worked for almost 18 hrs a day to locate the missing persons, AIR Port Blair should be given satellite phones, to communicate in the wake of disaster, installations of DG sets as standby power supply, will help in reviving the station. So why step motherly treatment for All India radio Port Blair in the competitive arena of FM radios.

Extension in Teaching & learning -Published in Light of Andaman
The so called reputed private schools doesn’t have either anyone of the subject teachers Physics/Chemistry/Maths etc on regular basis, some go on leave in the midst of the session and teachers are hired on contract basis. School fees are hiked from students so to increase the pay hike to teachers, but the benefit is not passed on to them, thus there is acute shortage of good teaching staff in private school, for e.g a private school Physics teacher doesn’t know even the very basic of physics i.e Newton’s third law of motion while taking the class, which is so simple, so how can the students gain knowledge, now most of the government Secondary school in port Blair are having very experienced teachers and are much much better than any private institutions.
Today educators – as an extension to classroom teaching must also posit the role of facilitators in teaching & learning. A teacher is also to facilitate learning ,organize not only his/her teaching mannerism but also helps in individuated learning process, extension of classroom is a must whether it is organizing tutorials, holding inter-cultural porgrammes or even informally meeting students .facilitating learning arguably calls for innovation & experimentations. Extension in teaching & learning could mean the use of audio-visual contraptions. The underlying basis of teaching is sensory experience both for teacher & student it is a two way communication process. The interactive methods of teaching can be further supplemented with diverse formats such as group exercise, quiz, debates or seminar presentations. Switching from one format to another is experimentally rewarding for both teachers & students. Facilitating learning in a broad & innovative sense takes the teaching, put of the classroom, so that the “chalk-and-talk “theory is neatly subverted into something more. A student must be able to create his/her own resources of leaning in addition to lecture notes , textbooks for e.g T.V radio, audiovisual, planning of study hours can be judiciously made.
A teacher’s role does not begin & end in classroom he or she must possess the vision to organize as many as class as possible so that teaching & leaning is dialogic with discourse based activities. A teacher is an organizer, an innovator & an academic administrator in the final reckoning.
Traditional knowledge & education had focused on abstractions rather than on imagination, communication & leadership skills. The challenge is wide we promote academic excellence in such a manner so as to discuss theirs immeasurable realities, sense of beauty, sensitiveness to one’s environment.
School and college dropouts are disadvantage but distance education methods have the potential to cater to such disadvantaged youth. The teacher “teaches’ the learner ‘learns’ the teacher is omniscient an intellectual glut and a powerful( but of course superior!) disseminator of information. there may be a cause effect relationship between the teacher and the learner is glibly overlooked. In the new teaching -learning modes, the role is reversed, the teacher is a learner, the learner is a teacher. Teachers should exercise maximum options such as group discussion, brainstorming sessions, quizzes & small group interactive sessions.
The ends of teaching and learning must also be creatively envisaged as expansive, changeable & adaptable shaped accordingly to the demands of hungry learners whose thirst of knowledge is not assuaged. The new vision for learning envisages the concept of learning to learn together. Learning gives creativity, creativity leads to thinking, thinking provides knowledge, knowledge makes you great- says Dr.APJ Adbul Kalam, Ex- President of India.