Dhruv Shah's blogs

For ages, students have struggled to score well in exams. Today, the MCQ format allows them to obtain good marks as the marks awarded do not depend on the marker, MCQs are easy to mark, and are virtually the only form of academic evaluation. Firstly, the marks allotted do not depend on the marker. Neither does the harshness or lenience of the marker matter for giving marks nor does the examiner's mood. Also, the examiner does not need to understand answers to grade papers. Secondly, MCQs are easy to mark. There is only one correct answer, obviating the need for the examiner to be able or skilled. MCQs can also be checked by a computer, a very efficient method, leaving no room for error. Lastly, MCQs are virtually the only form of academic evaluation. Using the MCQ format, students can be evaluated easily while a broad range of course material is assessed efficiently. Students can be graded accurately. Some people think that the 'distractor' answers can mislead students, but...

On a flight to France, I was sipping at my cup of freshly-brewed, aromatic, chocolaty cold coffee with notes of caramel. Soft, sobering music was playing as I sat on a plush, smooth and soft seat in business class. Suddenly, the music stopped, and a banshee screamed. The placid passengers were now worried and baffled. Someone fired a gun, bang, and pandemonium broke out. I booked my ticket to France a week ago at the speed of light when I heard about the conference over there. I thought of the delightful, calm, and pleasant flight I would have, but life planned otherwise. In the plane, mothers grabbed their children protectively after the gunshot like a mother leopard shielding her children from hungry hyenas. The pungent, sharp, astringent odor of blood wafted from the cockpit. Over the tannoy, the sinister voice of a hijacker stated the death of the pilot. People whimpered, children cried, and then the black-masked devils with guns in their hands emerged. I was about to lose my life!...

I was on a trip hiking by myself going to the Amazon rainforest. As I walked through the hot and humid forest, a waterfall of sweat was dripping off me.  The calm and serene environment of the forest reminded me of a library when a refreshing gust of wind struck my face. The thin rays of sun came down the trees like cheese from a cheese grater. The trees as long as skyscrapers were glooming over the forest, boasting with pride and ruling over the living organisms. The cuts and scars on their barks snaked throughout, looking like the small waves in a vast ocean of ignorance. The shadow of the thick population of trees loomed over me like a gigantic cloud.  There was something different about this place. Everyone looked so peaceful, as if not knowing the peril of the cruel world and the dangers around. Birds were soothing my ears with their melodious voices like a slow and planned orchestra instead of noisy cars in the traffic. Little crickets and bees were flying all around, bu...

I walked on the isolated, tranquil, marshy roads of Matheran, feasting on a banana from my backpack. The wind whistled, and the trees danced to its tune. As I forged ahead on my trek, I spotted a golden, curious, and perhaps hungry monkey. From a distance, it looked harmless, a small, scrawny creature. I thought monkeys: merry, endearing, adorable creatures, but as I neared the animal, it revealed its true nature. The insolent, insubordinate monkey pounced on me, which nearly knocked me unconscious. It jerked the banana out of my hand and tried to take my backpack too. As I resisted the monkey, it bit me on my hand. Searing pain jolted up and down my hand. I let out a cry of pain and fury, which resonated throughout the plateau. I rushed to the medical center and never thought of monkeys in the same way. Credit: dreamstime.com By Dhruv Shah

The knight assembled a pile of ten rocks, one fairly larger than the others. His words were devoid of emotions; just a powerful, strong, natural voice, “Present thou a pile of rocks do I, take one out without disturbing the rest that lie. If thou fail to extract the larger one, chopped thy head shall be with the next year’s rising sun.” “But, I-I, don’t understand that, how should I-” The knight evaporated in the chilly, sharp evening air, leaving the king dazed.  Days passed, the king was famished. He could hardly differentiate his thoughts from reality. Suddenly, scenes flashed past his eyes; he was sitting on a horse holding a bow, the arrow flew straight into a deer, it dies instantly but its predators starved for days until they all die. The king then understood the importance of the deer, who was the larger rock. He yelled victoriously, “The riddle was never meant to be solved. It was only meant for me to understand. Now –“ The king trailed off as he realized what...

To: Mr. Banerjee, senior in the aerial rescue department From: Mark Johnson, team leader for group A3 Date: 1 September 2021 Subject: Helicopter crash occurs due to a thunderstorm in a rescue operation On 31 August 2021, at 6:00 pm, my crew and I were on a rescue operation to airlift an injured seaman when we met with a tragic accident. We could not complete the mission due to extreme weather conditions, causing the pilot to turn around and discontinue the mission midway. Our helicopter crashed after lightning struck it and our equipment malfunctioned. Visibility was extremely low due to torrential downpours in the Pacific. We crashed in the water, limiting the damage, but our chopper was sinking. I felt around and searched for the exit, not inflating my life jacket before escaping lest I got stuck. I found two of my crewmates: the pilot and his assistant but was not able to locate the other three. We assessed, evaluated, and reflected on the situation. We had crashed due to the thunde...

Do you want students to lag just because you were reluctant to permit usage of modern-day technology? So, allow students to carry mobile phones to school to help them with academics, give them an incentive to go to school, and help them stay in touch with their family. Mobile phones help with academics. Students can view educational videos to clear doubts. Apps like Byju’s hone pupils’ skills to make them study better. Students can record the class to view it again. Mobile phones give students an incentive to go to school. Pupils will go to school readily. They will learn efficiently as they are willing to go to school. They will learn the right way to use technology. Mobile phones help students stay in touch with family. Using mobile phones, parents can call their children. During emergencies, students can call their guardians for help. They can also call parents for bringing books to school. Many parents’ concern is that mobile phones distract students. Apps that restrict games and l...

The Wli waterfall is like a fantasy to your eyes and soul. One cannot believe its existence since it connects with your emotions like a companion who loves to share your deepest feelings.  The desire to quench the need to see the cascading water, lush greenery, and mystical origin sends the writer back to the Wli waterfall, albeit nonchalantly at first, but makes him submit at the sight of the phenomenon like a gladiator in the Colosseum. The magic lies within beholding gallons of water snake down, creating a wonderful, eternal, and serene roar. By staying there, one is invigorated by a drizzle of clear, clean water. After the wind whistled, it washed dew across his body to the point where it soaked his skin and stuck his drenched T-shirt to his body. He didn't protest. Credit: istockphoto.com By Dhruv Shah

Mysterious abnormality in Antarctica’s truth revealed By Dhruv Shah On 22 April 2021, Dhruv Shah visited Antarctica to address the rumours about a mysterious calamity that wreaked havoc on a human encampment. The people residing in the camp were baffled when they found their campsite in ruins and reported the incident. Dhruv decided to stay at their campground for a few days to witness the cause of destruction himself. After a few days, the frosty air began blowing loudly. The tables were rattling, the tents were collapsing and people were panicking. When the reporter went out to comprehend the situation, which he thought was caused the disastrous catastrophe, he witnessed something very common. The frightened people had not observed the reason clearly, hence they resorted to spreading rumours. When Dhruv looked closely, the wind blowing contained snow, which meant that it was a blizzard. They were very frequent in Antarctica. Traveling at an alarming speed, the blizzard was humongous,...

ICICI bank robbed in broad daylight By Dhruv Shah On 24 June 2021, a group of black-masked males barged into the ICICI bank in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, and stole roughly Rs. 1 million. The people present were held as hostages and the bank manager was forced to open all the vaults after being held at gunpoint. The intruders were smart enough to erase all camera footage before destroying them. Witnesses and recovered camera footage suggest that they carried Ak-47 rifles and uniforms with a special symbol on them. Experts fear that it is the mark of Al-Bakshir, one the most dominant and ruthless gangs in India, which frequently partakes in drug trafficking and money laundering. When interviewed, some people told that they left in civilian clothes from the company Gap, and were locomoted in an ice-cream truck. Pedestrians gave a vague number plate, which was enough for the advanced programs to track down their vehicle, now disposed of in a scrapyard. The undercover agents were indisposed to shar...

Juan Manuel Fangio (24 June 1911-17 July 1995), who was called El Maestro (the master) and El Chueco (the bow-legged one), dominated the first decade of Formula One racing.  He competed in a Ford V8 in his first national event in 1938, and in 1940, topped the Grand Prix International Championship while racing in a Chevrolet. He achieved higher feats competing in Europe in the late 1940s. In 1950, Fangio demonstrated his vigilance and multi-tasking skills in Monaco by avoiding the hurtling into the wreckage of an invisible crash scene on the harbour road, intrigued that the crowd was looking around the corner and not at him, even though he was leading. He won his first title in 1951. In the 1950s, he won five Formula One World Drivers’ Championships – a record unbroken for forty-six years until broken by Michael Schumacher. Juan’s winning percentage of 46% (having won 24 of the 52 Formula One races he partook in) is the highest. After retiring at forty-seven, he returned to his home...

On 2 October, 2020, Gandhi Jayanti, Rainbow International school celebrated a hearty virtual celebration commemorating Gandhiji's birthday, a pioneer of truth and non-violence. The students were encouraged to see a documentary emphasizing the principles of Gandhiji. The achievements of the nation’s greatest leader, the first trustee of Rainbow, Gandhiji, were discussed later.    The principal lighted a lamp as a sign of respect representing the birthday of Baapu. This was followed by a prayer in which the school's choir sang ‘Raghupati Raghava Rajaram,' Gandhiji’s favourite song.  The teachers prepared a set of games based on Gandhiji’s life. The students had to guess if the statement about Gandhiji was true or false. Students then gave presentations comprising Gandhiji’s childhood, school, college, and struggle to achieve independence for the country based on the documentary and discussion. Prizes were distributed to the victors of the competition by sharing onlin...