Prof. Dr. Sir H. O. Srivastava, IBS, K. St. J
M.Sc. M.Phil, Ph. D. (Info Sys.), Ph. D. (Chemistry), D. Lit. (Management)

Prof. Dr. Sir H. O. Srivastava, former Addl. Director General & Head of AIR Resources of All India Radio and Doordarshan (Level of Addl. Secretary to the Govt. of India), is the Chancellor of WDF University. He worked for expansion of broadcast networks in the country for past 50 years in various capacities. He established BECIL (Govt. company), AIR Resources, IT Division of AIR & DD, MR Cell, Gyanvani Education Chanel for IGNOU, India, Agriculture Chanel for Ministry of Agriculture, India, Agriculture Knowledge Dissemination System for BAU (Govt. of Bihar, India), Community Radio Stations for Govt. of Ethiopia and Govt of India and many more. He has received several National and International awards and has written six books and about 150 research papers in national and international journals. He worked as Commonwealth and ITU expert. 

Indian Amino, with a membership of around 38000 Indian aficionados is based in the United States.
The fourth of February, 2021, marked the day Indian Amino featured the highest ranked ten Indian scientists.

1. APJ Abdul Kalam: Renowned aerospace scientist and the 11th President of India.

2. Sir C.V. Raman: Nobel laureate in physics known for his discovery of the Raman effect.
3. Srinivasa Ramanujan: A highly respected mathematician who was renowned for his contributions to number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions.
4. Satyendra Nath Bose: Physicist who collaborated with Einstein for the famous Bose-Einstein theory.
5. Dr. M.S. Swaminathan: Agricultural scientist and the “Father of the Green Revolution” in India.
6. Dr. Raj Reddy: Computer scientist and AI pioneer.
7. Dr. Har Gobind Khorana: Nobel laureate recognized for deciphering the genetic code and advancements in DNA and RNA synthesis.
8. K.S. Chandrasekharan: Distinguished mathematician.
9. Professor Doctor Sir Hari Om Srivastava, “father of Community Radio in India”, has been recognized for his significant contributions to Information Systems, Digital Storage, Multimedia Broadcasting, and Broadcast applications for the benefit of society and the economy.
10. Dr. Jagadish Chandra Bose: Noted achievements in physics, biology, and archaeology.

Date: October, 16, 2023:Has democracy failed the world over?

Democracies worldwide are currently facing significant challenges. There is a growing trend of lawlessness, with frequent occurrences of protests, demonstrations, and strikes being used as tools to pressure governments into providing free services such as electricity, water, and stipends, more often without due consideration for the long-term consequences on the country. While political activism, social movements, and labour strikes are inherent features of democracies, their excessive frequency and intensity indeed has adverse effects on a nation’s development.

A recent opinion poll conducted across 19 predominantly Western democracies, including countries like Sweden, Singapore, Germany, and the United States, revealed a concerning trend. Approximately half of the respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the functioning of democracy in their respective countries. This dissatisfaction was particularly pronounced in Spain, where about 68% of respondents were dissatisfied, and in the United States, often seen as a leader among democratic nations, where 62% expressed discontent (Source: PEW RESEARCH CENTER, DECEMBER 5, 2022).

This situation raises important questions: What is amiss in our democracies? Is it the people, the leaders, the outcomes, the processes, or a combination of all these factors? It is evident that something is seriously awry, and a critical examination of our democratic systems is warranted to identify and address the root causes of these challenges.

What are the main reasons for the failure of the democracies? In the coming series, I will discuss who are responsible for the failure; the people, the leaders, the judiciary, the media, the laws, hunger for money, or all of these. I would like the readers to ponder and place their opinion.

Are leaders responsible for the failure of democracy the world over?

The Leaders:
The absence of the right qualifications for people to serve as representatives.

(Note: I don’t take a degree from IIT/MIT or a B school as the right qualification) Ref. One Common Challenge Within The Higher Ed Industry

Establishing fundamental qualifications ensures that individuals elected to represent the public possess a specific degree of competence and expertise in matters of governance and public policy. This measure serves to mitigate the risk of unqualified or inexperienced individuals making pivotal decisions.
Moreover, these basic qualifications can be tailored to counteract the rise of extremists or those espousing extremist ideologies seeking political power, thus safeguarding the integrity of the democratic system against potential threats. Integrating a curriculum emphasizing patriotism for the nation, coupled with some form of military training, could be a component of these qualifications. Such qualified representatives are more likely to be well-equipped to make judicious decisions and are also expected to be more accountable for their actions, given their enhanced understanding of the issues they confront.
Elected representatives ought to undergo rigorous scrutiny by a prestigious examining authority to assess their suitability before they are permitted to participate in elections. Individuals with questionable integrity should be prohibited from entering the electoral arena. In cases where a criminal accusation is pending, candidacy should only be allowed following a court acquittal obtained after a fair trial. The existing system, wherein legal proceedings can be protracted for numerous years or even decades due to the ability of candidates to engage top legal representation and delay verdicts, must be promptly discontinued. In the proposed new system, the responsibility should rest with the candidates to diligently pursue swift judicial resolutions to establish their innocence.
Ethical and Honest:
Maintaining the integrity of the democratic system relies on upholding ethical values and insisting on honesty from political leaders. What transpires in a nation where the political landscape resembles the allegorical tale of Alibaba and the Forty Thieves?

Are “We the people” are responsible for the failure of democracy?

For a democracy to function effectively and elect the right representatives, a diverse and informed citizenry is essential. Here are some key qualities and attributes that can contribute to the success of a democratic system:

Informed and Educated: Citizens should have access to reliable information and be well-informed about political issues, policies, and candidates. Education and media literacy play a vital role in ensuring that voters can make informed choices. However, in many countries, there are challenges when citizens prioritize personal benefits such as reservations, stipends, free electricity, rations, transportation, water, and the like, without considering the broader implications for the nation. In such cases, the choices made in selecting representatives are influenced by short-term, self-serving interests rather than a holistic view of the country’s welfare.

Critical Thinkers: A thriving democratic society thrives when its citizens possess the ability to think critically, approach information objectively, and assess the assertions and commitments made by political candidates. Additionally, citizens must exhibit a sense of patriotism and consider the long-term implications for their country when electing representatives, rather than solely focusing on the benefits or incentives offered by political candidates. Emphasizing the importance of earned rewards through hard work becomes a matter of personal pride, making any form of unfettered distribution or dole without effort less acceptable.

Tolerance and Respect: Democracy flourishes when citizens embrace diverse perspectives and foster constructive dialogues rather than resorting to hostility or division. However, when citizens consistently present demands like higher dole, increase in reservation quota before each election and pressure political parties to concede to secure electoral victory, adverse consequences are bound to arise, which leads to the failure of democracies around the world.

Is the media responsible for the failure of democracy?

The role of media in a democracy is critical, as it is supposed to serve as a watchdog, inform the public, and facilitate the free exchange of ideas. The media is supposed to be a watchdog, holding government officials and institutions accountable for their actions. Investigative journalism should uncover corruption, inefficiencies, and abuses of power, a platform for public discourse and debate. It is supposed to provide a platform for citizens to express diverse opinions and contribute to building a well-informed public opinion. However, media houses are prioritizing profit over public service, being influenced by political interests, and engaging in biased practices. Many media houses operate as businesses, driven by the need for profit focusing on advertisements, especially from governments. This leads to sensationalism and prioritization of content for higher viewership or readership rather than public interest. Dependence on advertising revenue and government support through advertisements creates a conflict of interest. Media houses might be inclined to avoid content that could jeopardize these revenue streams. Further, how can they project the real picture on the ground unbiasedly when they are projecting a rosy picture based on the advertisements?

To attract attention and increase viewership, some media outlets resort to sensationalism and clickbait, prioritizing entertainment value over informative content. Look at the heading, “This bank has increased the interest rates” instead of “xxx bank has increased the interest rate”. They want the audience to click on the heading for increased clickstreams.

The news channels have become advertisement channels. Most of them need a change of nomenclature from a news channel to an advertisement channel. When listeners/ viewers are paying for the network and content, why they should be forced with the long advertisements?

The public debates are of substandard, and devoid of intellectual and stimulating discussions. A very limited number of people are invited for the debate on media channels. It shows as if the entire wisdom of the universe has been confined to a limited number of individuals having an interest in influencing the public. This has led both the intellectuals and the public to be away from the media. Perhaps, the media does not care for the public since they are run by advertisement revenue and the university’s education system teaches how to become billionaires at any cost and not the ethics.

Date: August, 08, 2023:What is not taught in higher learning institutes

The list of higher learning institutes in the world is very high. There is no definitive answer to the total number of B schools in the world, as different sources may have different criteria and methods of ranking them. However, according to one source, there are 2,165 schools that offer business degrees in the world. Another source contacted more than 2,500 B-schools in India alone for its ranking. Forbes lists 60 numbers of top business schools around the world. More higher learning Universities offer various degrees in Engineering, Science, humanities, Law etc.

The world environment is facing multiple challenges related to climate change, social unrest, general people’s dissatisfaction, and hunger. Let us summarize these.

• Climate change is affecting millions of poor people who face increasing risks of extreme events, health problems, food insecurity, water scarcity, migration, displacement, and loss of cultural identity.
• Social unrest is often linked to factors such as inequality, corruption, human rights violations, political repression, ethnic tensions, and lack of opportunities. Some recent examples of social unrest include the protests in Myanmar, Belarus, Colombia, and Hong Kong,  Pakistan, Sri Lanka.
• General people’s dissatisfaction can be measured by indicators such as happiness, well-being, trust, and quality of life. According to the World Happiness Report 2021, the countries with the highest levels of happiness are Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, and the Netherlands. The countries with the lowest levels are Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Botswana, and Lesotho .
• Hunger is a global problem that affects more than 800 million people who do not have enough food to meet their basic nutritional needs. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the situation by disrupting food systems and increasing poverty. According to the last report by FAO, WFP, IFAD, UNICEF and WHO, the number of people facing acute hunger could rise to 323 million in 2022. Real position is about half the population of the world needs support to survive from hunger.

I believe that the root cause of the problems has to do something with our education system. I will try to elucidate on this in my next blog.

Date: July, 23, 2023:Institutions primary goal of running as business or providing excellence

Every institution of learning advertises itself to be a place of excellence. However, the world is suffering due to hunger, malnutrition, inefficiency and lack of knowledge, skill and attitude. The climate crisis is becoming increasingly severe and irreversible in the year 2023. The world witnessed record ice melt at the poles, catastrophic flooding, record-breaking heat waves in the US (United States) and Europe, and severe drought in Africa. The war between Russia and Ukraine has led to rising energy prices and climate-fueled droughts and has pushed a perilously stretched global food system to the brink. Nearly 3.1 billion people globally could not afford a healthy diet in 2020, an increase of 112 million from 2019 due to the pandemic and war. The government of India has been providing free food, to prevent death from hunger, to its 814 million population since March 2020 under the National Food Security Act, which has been extended up to Dec. 2023 (The Economic Time, 2022). The total adds to 3.924 billion of 7.79 billion, about 50% world
population for the year 2020, lacking proper food during pandemic.
Are we right in still praising our education?
Here are some areas where the education system is definitely lacking:
Lack of emphasis on holistic education: Present education systems often prioritize academic subjects and rote learning, neglecting the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and empathy.
Inadequate education on sustainability and climate change that has led to total failure of SDG2030 goals.
Limited focus on global citizenship: Education systems often overlook the importance of fostering global citizenship and a sense of responsibility towards communities beyond one’s immediate surroundings. The farmers in India are happy to burn the paddy (rice straw) in the field leading to environment degradation.
Lack of inclusivity and equal access: In many regions, education systems suffer from inequities, including limited access to quality education, different standards for entry and exit based on reservation system, and socio-economic divides. Ensuring inclusive and exceptionally rigid rule for education and qualifying criteria for all is essential in addressing global challenges and providing opportunities for individuals to contribute meaningfully to society.

The institutions primary goal of running them as businesses has led to this situation which needs immediate correction.

Date: June 30th, 2023: Is anyone really interested in solving problem of world hunger

World Hunger and Solution based on ML and AI Tools to fulfil SDG2 Goals

Nearly 3.1 billion people globally could not afford a healthy diet in 2020, an increase of 112 million from 2019 due to the pandemic and war. The government of India has been providing free food, to prevent death from hunger, to its 814 million population since March 2020 under the National Food Security Act, which has been extended up to Dec. 2023 (The Economic Time, 2022). The total adds to 3.924 billion of 7.79 billion, about 50% world population for the year 2020, lacking proper food during pandemic.

The research paper “Data-Driven Knowledge Agriculture: A Paradigm Shift for Enhancing Farm Productivity & Global Food Security” published by Aprajita Srivastava & Dr. H. O. Srivastava in Global Journal of Science Frontier Research: A Physics and Space Science, talks about the future of farming. It suggests that data-driven knowledge agriculture using mechanized intelligent computer-based monitoring and control systems and complex software for machine learning and visualization for predicting a variety of parameters such as future food requirements, resource planning for higher yield, and supply chain is the future of farming. This needs to be urgently adopted by the world farming community to provide food to the growing world population, remove hunger, and at the same time sustain planet resources by judicious uses of input such as water, fertilizer, pesticide etc., as envisioned by Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Please see the research paper here

Date: June 21st, 2023: My communication

I am happy that lot of people are visiting the website and have been providing feedback. Majority of people appreciating the effort in designing a new way to education. I am grateful to all of you. A few people also wanted me to put a button for donation. As per Indian law, the organization nees to get Government approval for taking donation. Although the entire courses have been made free for the present, but we  want to put a very marginal course fee for benefit of people around word. I am grateful for suggestions including the problems in site for example multiple response or not working properly with explorer. The technical team is working on it.

Date: July 11th, 2020: COVID and Education puzzle.

COVID epidemic entered the globe with people totally unaware of its seriousness and longevity. During past 4 months, it has severely impacted the world economy and affected the life of people around globe. People have lost the jobs. As per a report by Oxfam, “as many as 12,000 people could die per day by the end of the year as a result of hunger linked to COVID-19, potentially more than could die from the disease.” COVID has also severely impacted the education system. The schools and colleges have been closed. The students are being promoted to next grade without examination. On the other hand the institutions are keen to start for their survival. Although we are a couple of months into this pandemic, there is still so much unknown about the virus with the number of COVID cases rising everyday that parents and students are hesitant to believe that education on campus would be safe at least till next summer. In India, 200,000 parents have petitioned the Government not to open the institutions till there is a single case of CORONA in the country. In institutions, there is no way to accommodate the students in the available spaces, maintaining the social distance. The situation is more complex because of great exodus and shift of population from urban to rural areas in places like India. Many students from India are postponing their program for enrollment in foreign Universities. The situation is for wait and watch.

Distance learning programs

Are distance education program a solution? Not likely, as being thought by many institutions. Until the COVID-19 crisis, online learning comprised a relatively small share of education. Now the situation demands for all the institutions, including IVY League Universities and renowned learning centers, to setup infrastructure to improve student learning, engagement, and experience while operating remotely. Many faculties are using varied methods for imparting lessons such as sending scanned notes via email or WhatsApp or using Webinar or video conferencing. Many Countries & States are planning to start DTH channels for education. None of these meet the learner’s requirements.

Emerging technologies provide some tantalizing glimpses of framing methodologies for the remote education. Onus likes on Institutions and the Governments. Institutions have to cater to:
• Innovative Content and delivery methodology
• Infrastructure for creation of e-learning content
• Engaging technologies Virtual reality, AI, Robotics
• Sense of community
• Vibrancy typically found on campuses such as video options for counselling, online mindfulness classes
Big or small, public or private, colleges and universities are rich in human talent. To succeed in this brave new virtual world, the key is to empower and redeploy this talent to address the most pressing needs. One way to start is by identifying, activating and partnering tech-savvy organizations with expertise in digital technologies and practices to build the infrastructure quickly and train the faculty and students to use online tools.

Responsibility of Governments

Governments will need to consider increasing the infrastructure at State run institutions. This will include setting up additional institutions, providing facilities and technology for remote teaching. This will need training of faculty to adopt to new mode of imparting education, interactivity, evaluation etc. They will also need to provide massive support to students to succeed in a remote learning environment, by providing finances for necessary equipment and internet access. Recently, a student of 9th standard in Kerala (India) committed suicide due to not being able to cope with remote learning in absence of a smart phone. States can offer stipends for internet access and laptop rentals or purchases, or they can directly procure and lend equipment for under-resourced students.
The video link given below discusses the needs, methodology and actions.

Long Term Dividend and opportunity

The above proposal has many long-term dividends. The e-learning content thus built has long self-life and can be used for several years till the course curriculum is revised. Absence or sudden resignation of a teacher does not affect the institution. Less infrastructure is required in institutions. Even for courses needing lab work, limited attendance of students will be required in institutions resulting in reduced exposure of COVID. Institutions can serve a larger area and more students may be on roll.
There are lot of possibilities of cooperation for both renowned foreign and IVY Universities and emerging economies like India for collaboration and cooperation. The strength of expert professors and faculty, excellent labs and exposure of foreign universities on one hand and the strength of beautiful natural almost COVID free places like Ladakh, Mizoram, Goa etc, highly skilled teaching and software professionals who can make excellent absorbing content using AI and other tools for remote learning, economies of operations in India, availability of students who will love to have part classes in India and part abroad on the other hand provide immense opportunity. The locations of higher learning centers namely Ivy league in USA, famous Universities and institutions in Europe may partially shift to more affordable places like India. There is great opportunity and potential of earning billions by educators and investors by providing high quality, affordable, meaningful education in the new world orderhigh quality, affordable, meaningful education in the new world order.

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Date: July 7th, 2020: Challenges in education in post-covid period

COVID-19 pandemic impacted educational institutes worldwide, resulting in almost total closures of schools, colleges and universities affecting about 98.6 percent (1.3 billion) of the world’s students. UNESCO has also recommended the use of distance learning programmes to limit the disruption of education. Until the COVID-19 crisis, online learning comprised a relatively small share of education. Now the emerging situation poses challenges in education system and demands for all the institutions to setup infrastructure to prepare e-learning content and its delivery to improve student learning, engagement, and experience while operating remotely. There is a need to evolve the needs, methodology and actions