Shift Key To Assignment

Of course, homework is easier and more fun with the internet. But worries remain

IT BRINGS THE WORLD WIDE open at the touch of a key. The internet has changed the way we live, work and look at the world. And also the way we complete our school work. Of course, the babus at the HRD Ministry haven8217;t heard about that. That8217;s why they8217;ve nixed the ambitious One Laptop Per Child scheme8212;envisaging distribution of laptop computers among schoolchildren8212;with baf-fling comments like 8220;prolonged use of laptops in the age group of six to 12 years can result in disembodied brains, isolationist tendencies and exacerbate health problems8221;. Disembod-ied brains? Ask real parents, real teachers and real children. For a start, hear what 12-year-old Delhiite Namrata Singh says proudly: 8220;My re-cent history and biology projects were a suc-cess only because internet allowed me to en-hance the text with graphics and pictures.8221;

Agrees Devesh Mohindroo, Namrata8217;s class-mate at Bloom Public School: 8220;I can log on, conduct a quick search and copy and paste material.8221; Kids today don8217;t need libraries that stock books that can help them. They have ac-cess to the largest library ever in human his-tory: The net. Denying a child the means to ac-cess it, is, in effect, denying a child right of entry to a world of knowledge.

Gayatri Sehgal, mother of four-year-old Di-vyamshu, exposed her son to the net at the age of two, using it to make him identify fruits and shapes. 8220;Anythig in excess is bad,8221; she says, 8220;but it will be detrimental for the child if you prohibit him from accessing the varied infor-mation that is available. An early beginning with restricted hours on the net is the best course.8221; This view gets support from educa-tionists too. Says Madhavi Kapur, principal of Pune8217;s Rewachand Bhojwani Academy: 8220;Bar-ring children from making use of the net is no solution, the tricks lies in wise usage.8221;

To make sure that his daughter is not left behind, Manoj Palwe started Mrudakshee off on computers when she was three. Palwe says: 8220;I began by familiarising her with the keys and teaching her how to connect the broadband. Now I sit with her when she ac-cesses the net.8221; And the St Helena8217;s School student, now 10 years old, enjoys it: 8220;I virtually study on the net and use it for all my school projects. Books are boring.8221;

Which should make us all pause a bit. Are textbooks becoming archaic? 8220;Books are still very much a part of the curriculum. Only, they need to be supplemented with internet sites,8221; assures Kapur. Says Birjis Raza, principal of Lit-tle Ones Public School, one of the few Delhi private schools that didn8217;t have a net connec-tion till recently: 8220;Due to financial constraints and security hassles, we were managing with-out the net. But for holistic education, we have to use the internet along with books.8221;

Some experts, though, are beginning to have doubts. 8220;The net kills the practice of self-study and hard work as children get used to readymade information,8221; points out Nilima Apte, psychologist and councellor at Pune8217;s Jnana Prabodhini Institute. She also believes that it inhibits the ability to work in groups, 8220;as children surf on the computer and don8217;t in-dulge in practices like exchange of notes.8221;

Yet, the information and knowledge that re-sides on the net can be a wonderland for the child. The net empowers the child, and it8217;s the parents8217; and teachers8217; responsibility to make sure that that power does not corrupt.

NET IMPACT POSITIVES

8226; Is visually more appealing to children

8226; Can be effectively used to supplement textbook-learning

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8226; Exposes children to a plethora of infor-mation and teaches them how to cull relevant data

8226; An early beginning assures that they are computer savvy at a later age

NEGATIVES

8226; Children get used to readymade study material without having to search for it

8226; Discourages the habit of reading

8226; Leads to isolationist tendencies

8226; May affect leadership qualities

8226; Gives easy access to adult sites

Vandana Kalra

Vandana Kalra is an art critic and Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. She has spent more than two decades chronicling arts, culture and everyday life, with modern and contemporary art at the heart of her practice. With a sustained engagement in the arts and a deep understanding of India’s cultural ecosystem, she is regarded as a distinctive and authoritative voice in contemporary art journalism in India. Vandana Kalra's career has unfolded in step with the shifting contours of India’s cultural landscape, from the rise of the Indian art market to the growing prominence of global biennales and fairs. Closely tracking its ebbs and surges, she reports from studios, galleries, museums and exhibition spaces and has covered major Indian and international art fairs, museum exhibitions and biennales, including the Venice Biennale, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Documenta, Islamic Arts Biennale. She has also been invited to cover landmark moments in modern Indian art, including SH Raza’s exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the opening of the MF Husain Museum in Doha, reflecting her long engagement with the legacies of India’s modern masters. Alongside her writing, she applies a keen editorial sensibility, shaping and editing art and cultural coverage into informed, cohesive narratives. Through incisive features, interviews and critical reviews, she brings clarity to complex artistic conversations, foregrounding questions of process, patronage, craft, identity and cultural memory. The Global Art Circuit: She provides extensive coverage of major events like the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival, and high-profile international auctions. Artist Spotlights: She writes in-depth features on modern masters (like M.F. Husain) and contemporary performance artists (like Marina Abramović). Art and Labor: A recurring theme in her writing is how art reflects the lives of the marginalized, including migrants, farmers, and labourers. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent portfolio is dominated by the coverage of the 2025 art season in India: 1. Kochi-Muziris Biennale & Serendipity Arts Festival "At Serendipity Arts Festival, a 'Shark Tank' of sorts for art and crafts startups" (Dec 20, 2025): On how a new incubator is helping artisans pitch products to investors. "Artist Birender Yadav's work gives voice to the migrant self" (Dec 17, 2025): A profile of an artist whose decade-long practice focuses on brick kiln workers. "At Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a farmer’s son from Patiala uses his art to draw attention to Delhi’s polluted air" (Dec 16, 2025). "Kochi Biennale showstopper Marina Abramović, a pioneer in performance art" (Dec 7, 2025): An interview with the world-renowned artist on the power of reinvention. 2. M.F. Husain & Modernism "Inside the new MF Husain Museum in Qatar" (Nov 29, 2025): A three-part series on the opening of Lawh Wa Qalam in Doha, exploring how a 2008 sketch became the architectural core of the museum. "Doha opens Lawh Wa Qalam: Celebrating the modernist's global legacy" (Nov 29, 2025). 3. Art Market & Records "Frida Kahlo sets record for the most expensive work by a female artist" (Nov 21, 2025): On Kahlo's canvas The Dream (The Bed) selling for $54.7 million. "All you need to know about Klimt’s canvas that is now the most expensive modern artwork" (Nov 19, 2025). "What’s special about a $12.1 million gold toilet?" (Nov 19, 2025): A quirky look at a flushable 18-karat gold artwork. 4. Art Education & History "Art as play: How process-driven activities are changing the way children learn art in India" (Nov 23, 2025). "A glimpse of Goa's layered history at Serendipity Arts Festival" (Dec 9, 2025): Exploring historical landmarks as venues for contemporary art. Signature Beats Vandana is known for her investigative approach to the art economy, having recently written about "Who funds the Kochi-Muziris Biennale?" (Dec 11, 2025), detailing the role of "Platinum Benefactors." She also explores the spiritual and geometric aspects of art, as seen in her retrospective on artist Akkitham Narayanan and the history of the Cholamandal Artists' Village (Nov 22, 2025). ... Read More