Reuters’ Urvashi Sibal and Anurag Kotoky get some views from the venue of Hazare’s protest at the Jantar Mantar in central Delhi.

attempt to change attitudes towards the disabled through their

‘special’ performances.

Young people with different kinds of disabilities, coming from

impoverished backgrounds, are selected and trained to perform various

Indian dance forms on wheelchairs, says director-choreographer Syed

Salauddin Pasha.

(Pictures by Adnan Abidi and video by Urvashi Sibal)

Rouvanjit, a student of La Martiniere School for Boys, was found dead in his room days after he was caned by his teachers.

The case has drawn widespread support after Ajay Rawla lodged a police complaint alleging his son hanged himself due to the “inhuman torture inflicted by his teachers”.

A quick search on the Internet reveals what many say is an apathetic attitude of academic staff towards pupils in Indian schools.

As Rawla sought more information following his son’s death, he found popular social networking sites like Facebook full of testimonials from students who have experienced corporal punishment.

People recount disturbing experiences at school ranging from humiliation in front of peers to verbal and physical abuse.

Rouvanjit’s case is not an exception.

India’s education system and its evaluation processes have also come under the scanner for a spike in student suicides which occur mostly because they fail to cope with the burden of expectations from their family and teachers.

What the death of Rouvanjit has done is put the focus again on the issue of student-teacher relationships in particular and Indian education in general.

Reams of newsprint have been spent on it and even commercially focussed Bollywood has ventured to address the ills of the Indian education system.

Remember the film “Taare Zameen Par” or last year’s mega-hit “3 Idiots”? The films are a commentary on a world in which heavy parental expectation and academic competition have meant a steady rise in depression, dysfunctional lifestyles and even suicides among students.

Some education reforms have already been implemented — a grading system has been put in place for a nationwide school board examination taken by 15-year-olds and the test may even be made optional from next year.

Even so, the relentless administration of discipline is a hallmark of the Indian education system that perhaps prizes learning by rote, often ignores a student’s natural talents and writes off those who can’t cope or fit its definition of success.

The law may prohibit corporal punishment but without a change of attitude, implementation could be limited and what we will continue to do is be guilty of quashing our children’s dreams and turning them into assembly line zombies, that too if they survive the trauma.

The regulation, capping the tenure of sports bosses, has pitted the ministry against National Sporting Federation (NSF) chiefs, who have threatened that the ministry’s actions might invite a ban on Indian sports.

The central government’s move is seen as part of a ‘clean-up drive’ of the country’s sporting bodies that have long been riddled with controversies, and allegations of mismanagement.

What is often described as the modern day fiefdom of the sports bodies’ chiefs, most of whom are politicians, is now under threat.

Who retires hurt?

At present, not many. Existing office bearers will be allowed to complete their terms, according to the ministry. But eventually, almost all NSF chiefs, including the chief of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Suresh Kalmadi, will have to go.

Kalmadi, a Congress MP who has been heading the IOA since 1996, is forbidden by this regulation to seek re-election after his current term gets over.

Apart from him, the list of those affected by the regulation include several other politicians.

The IOA has been in conflict with the sports ministry for quite some time. It has tremendous clout, owing to its role as the organising body for the Commonwealth Games to be hosted by New Delhi in October this year.

Bringing back the 1975 regulation, Sports Minister M.S. Gill has reiterated his demand for “transparency” in management of sports, while his opponents in the NSFs continue to play on the sticky wicket of “autonomy”.

Gill terms this as their unwillingness to part with their posts which they want to “hold on to forever”. The ministry refutes claims that the regulation is in violation of the IOC charter, reasoning that the international agency itself puts similar caps on the terms of office bearers.

However, the ministry’s announcement has found favour with former athletes like Milkha Singh and Aslam Sher Khan who say it could make way for more athletes and former sportspersons to be part of sports governing bodies.

But the timing of the regulation by the sports ministry – just ahead of a High Court hearing of a PIL on the same – is also circumspect. It only scores on the count of a rather delayed and much needed action as opposed to inaction.

A review of the management of various sports bodies in the country is in order, following recent revelations pointing towards discrepancies in the financial dealings of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

While politicians and bureaucrats are irked by the ‘interference’ of the government in the working of the NSFs, it is pertinent to ask: what is it that makes sports bodies so lucrative?

And can the sports ministry’s decision bring more transparency in the “business” of sports?

Polish tourist Joanna was travelling from Sri Lanka to Poland.

Paolo Ficara, an Italian, has returned to India after a visit to Nepal and Bhutan.

Tomasso Berreti, also an Italian, was supposed to fly back to Italy three days ago.

(All videos shot on Flip Cam)