FEATURE

Quantum World View

Prof. B. M. Hegde,

hegdebm@gmail.com

Science is the biggest enterprise that man ever created. Of all the living things on this planet man is the only one that seems to have started thinking about how this world works. To understand that he started this new adventure, called science, which was originally meant just to understand how this world works. Some exceptionally brilliant minds did accidentally tumble upon some understanding of the world’s laws, like gravity, buoyancy, and others. Next step was to find out how the world works by doing some experiments. That was the stage the western churches started obstructing their work as this kind of scientific enquiry, they thought, might interfere with the religious belief. That is where the first conflict between religion and science started. The fall out was that the scientists subconsciously developed an aversion to the God concept in religion and thus God was kept out of the scientific realm.

Now that has become a fad and fashion with the young budding scientists to be atheists. To cap it a young brilliant mathematical brain of Rene Descartes assumed all power to himself by declaring “Cogito ergo sum” (I think, therefore, I am) If he were a lot more experienced and wise, he would have realised that was his perception and not the world view. There is no perception without a perceiver. In short, we do not have a universe but a multiverse of perceptions, otherwise called the concept of biocentrism. Each one of us, including animals, has his or her own perception which is different from others. The world does not run because of that. The real thing should have been “I am, therefore, I am able to think. Let us therefore, think from hereafter.

More and more people started dabbling in science as the world had enough to eat and exist. Finding one’s next meal was not that difficult. Science then was more of a hobby for the well to do. The leading lights of that generation were Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. There were a host of others but less illustrated than the above two and so are not mentioned here although some of them like Werner Heisenberg were wiser. Newton’s Laws of deterministic predictability and Einstein’s laws of relativity together founded a world view of “space-time”constraints where everything else out with this space time module was rejected. They along with others tried to split an atom to study the subatomic particles, which in itself was another big business resulting in the atomic bomb! I still remember the words of Max Planck following the bomb blast. “I am proud of my students’ cleverness in splitting an atom but am wondering if that atom that they have split might tech mankind a bitter lesson one day which might be too costly for mankind” According to the Space Time world view the speed of light should be the fastest.

When this group had some confusion they would call for a Copenhagen Conference where the problems would be discussed and “settled”! They did not look beyond their noses. They patted each other’s back either by their Nobel Prizes or their Fellowships of Newton’s Royal Society.Buoyed up by the successful technological advances of their initial scientific laws like the aeroplane, communications’ facilities, infrastructure, industrial growth, atom bomb, space travel, weapons of mass destruction etc. scientists also became money wise. Money spoils man. This scientific world view makes man to be arrogant with some scientific authority. They are bound to sell their souls, which in fact, is a sordid boon they embarked on some funny experiments to split the particles further by colliding them at the speed of light in large submerged reactors at an enormous cost like the CERN scientists. Along with particle physics other natural sciences like chemistry and biology also adopted this reductionist mind set. Evolution was said to be genetic based on Darwin-Mendel hypothesis forgetting the vital role the whole environment plays on evolution, initially put forward by Lamarck. New Evolutionary biologists like Elisabet Sahtouris have tried to revolutionise the field of evolutionary biology where the world view in totally new.

Some thinking physicists started wondering about the behaviour of subatomic particles not confined to the Space time constraints. The particle wave distinction also died down gradually when they could easily discern that both the waves and particle are but the two faces of the same coin. In his article for lay people Hans Peter Durr, a former Emeritus Director of the Max Planck Institute, wrote “my job was to look at matter at its subtlest level and going down the line at one stage I found that there is no matter at all. Was I surprised-not at all? I expected that!” Starting from Max Planck, de Broglie, Paul Derik, and many others went ahead with the new ideas and have now we have reached a stage where physics took a quantum jump into this new field of quantum physics which has created a new world view which looks closer to reality than the old “Space-Time conundrum.” For a novice it is a bit confusing as this new world view is more of a possibility than actuality. This comes into view when we look at it and we do not know what happens when we do not look. However, no more doubt remains as most of the new concepts are proven by experimentation.

Experimental physicists have shown that a particle, like in the double slit experiment could be directed to go through the path that the experimenter wants it to take-mind at work! Non-locality, a concept that Albert Einstein did not agree till his last breath, is a reality now. Einstein called it “spooky action at a distance-God playing dice” etc. This reality was a well know entity in Eastern philosophy, especially Indian Vedanta. Teleportation, transfer of knowable or known entity from one place to another without loss of time, and with no communications facilities, has brought spirituality closer to science. When one tries to understand the new quantum physics one is struck by the existence of a superior intelligence (consciousness) at work in this world. Consciousness has now become a scientific concept and has revolutionised medical science in a big way. That is why I am into this field. Non locality brings in telepathy, a well know concept in Vedanta. Non locality shows that there is the possibility of a particle having its counterpart active at a distance simultaneously.

The earlier science gave an impression that man is the one who can make this world run as per the laws of deterministic predictability within the constraints of space time. Quantum world view teaches us that we are all the same wave energy and, therefore, interconnected. Once this world view gets currency all negative human thoughts like hatred, anger, jealousy and greed will have to be replaced by universal compassion making wars and terrorism look foolish and non-productive. When we harm someone else whom are we harming but ourselves? Diseases take a back seat as all of them start in the human mind in negative thoughts. The human mind was confined to the human brain in the earlier world view but quantum world view brings it out in the open as a part of this big universal wave (consciousness). The world can now be compared to the wide sea where we, as individuals, are but a small wave. We ARE a part of that sea. Makes man humble. The earlier world view with all its prizes and awards used to make man arrogant and sick. “Proud man; his glassy essence like an angry ape, performing such fantastic tricks against high heavens that makes even the angels weep.”The word “I” used to dominate (starting illness). Now the word is WE (meaning wellness). In the Quantum world view your award is your capacity to be compassionate. This new science opens the flood gates to quantum healing, a limitless field. This also leads to the inner development of man for the good of mankind.

That said, I must hasten to add that there will not be many to buy this truth as this is not a good business proposition and might not allow us to make money like the reductionist world view of the past. My hope is that this scientific truth of quantum reality should bring man and man together "To Give Without Remembering & Receive Without Ever Forgetting."

Kanyashree Prakalpa- An imaginative WB govt. scheme

SAADIA AZIM

Two years ago, Anu Nayak’s elder sister dropped out of school and last year, it was the turn of the ninth grader from Midnapore town in Paschim Medinipur District in Bengal. Every rainy season, Nayak’s family falls into bad times financially because her father, a municipal sweeper, struggles with his job. With an exponential increase in his work load, he slogs all day but come nightfall he squanders his earnings on alcohol. Consequently, there is hardly any money left to keep the kitchen fires burning let alone fulfill any other need.

Being the daughter of a sanitation worker, who belongs to one of the most backward and outcast communities, depravation and discrimination have been a part of the 16-year-old’s life for as long as she can remember. So naturally, she was ready to give up the ‘perk’ of schooling after which she knew her parents would start talking about an early marriage. “What difference would it have made anyway? As it is our classes have been quite erratic because of the constant threat of extremist violence in the region. There have been so many times when I have not been able to attend school due to some incident. Last year, my sister had to drop out of school because my mother could not find work pay for her education. And moreover, in my community girls do not study beyond Class Five. Why would my situation be any different?”

Resigned to her fate, Nayak was mentally preparing herself for the bleak future that awaited her- till she heard of something that has given her a reason to hope. Across Bengal, today, millions of girls are getting back to school and those at the verge of being pulled out are able to continue their studies thanks to a state scheme that is providing cash incentives to promote girls’ education and deter early marriage.

The West Bengal government’s Kanyashree Prakalpa Scheme, which was launched in October 2013, promise a one-time grant of Rs 25000 to girls 18 years and above, who have remained unmarried to pursue an education or professional training. Moreover, the initiative extends to all unmarried girls between 13 and 19 years with the State Department of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare providing them an annual scholarship of Rs 500.

“Recently, when my mother heard of this scheme she not only got my sister re-enrolled in school but now she doesn’t want to pull me out either. My grandmother who, till a few months back, was insisting upon her marriage has dropped the idea altogether. She knows that way we would be entitled to the cash benefit being given by the government. These days, my sister Bharti and I both go to school regularly. Once Bharti turns 18 next year she is hopeful of getting Rs 25000, some of which will enable for her to do a course later,” says Nayak with a wide smile.

The conditional cash transfer scheme is exactly what young girls in Bengal need fully enjoy their childhood and also secure their future. After all, neither the odds nor the statistics paint a favourable picture. According to government data, out of the total number of 17.3 million adolescents (10-19 years) in the state- incidentally, they make up 20 per cent of the population- 83 lakh, or 8.3 million, are girls. While children in the age group have a tremendous potential for physical and mental growth, they are also considerably vulnerable to falling victim to harmful social practices, particularly child marriage.

According to the third District Level Household Facility Survey (DLHFS), Bengal ranks fifth among the Indian states with a high prevalence of child marriage. In fact, around 55 percent of married women between 20 and 24 year have been pushed into matrimony before they turned 18. Under-age marriage is significantly higher in the rural areas where high dropout rates and the threat of trafficking feed the unfortunate reality.

When the Kanyashree Prakalpa Scheme was being conceptualized a couple of factors were taken into consideration. It was felt that the greatest obstacle to girls’ education was child marriage, domestic responsibilities and early pregnancy. “So, if early marriage could be discouraged then it would automatically mean a better life for them later on. We felt that keeping girls in school was the best way to deal with this grave problem. The Kanyashree scheme has become immensely popular. Even as the beneficiaries get a small sum annually as an incentive to go to school it’s the expectation of the one-time sizeable grant of Rs 25000 that keeps them there till they turn 18. Moreover, from this year on, August 14 will be celebrated as Kanyashree Diwas,” elaborates Farzana Alam, deputy mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

Reveals Toton Saspillya, ward councilor of Midnapore Municipal Corporation, “In the first year, more than 16 lakh girls in the district have registered under this scheme. The response has been phenomenal.” At the village level, it’s the gram pradhan (village head) who works in tandem with the block development officer, to provide an income certificate- monthly earnings of not more than Rs 10000- which is one of the key criteria for registration. The municipal corporation councilor through the district administration does the same in towns.

The head teacher of the nearest secondary/ higher secondary schools have been instructed to help applicants in the process and facilitate the opening of a bank account. At the same time, banks have been directed to open the accounts by setting up camps in schools. The Kanyashree application and the account opening form are submitted at school.

“Although girls covered under the scholarship scheme get small annual support of Rs 500, for families whose annual income is not more than Rs 50000, even this is a big support. In addition, the child feels empowered as she gets a bank account in her name,” observes Tafajjal Hossen, pradhan of Bankibandh Anchal Village in Salboni Block, which is a hotbed for Naxal violence.

Rummi Jasmin, 14, a Class Nine student of Nandari Sastri Smrity Vidyapith in Satbanki Village of Salboni Block, is a trendsetter in her family, where no women either studied beyond Class Five or managed to bring in money. “My mother always wanted me to study but my father, a small time lottery ticket seller, was keen on getting me married. Many of my peers in the village have already tied the knot, but somehow I have escaped it till now. At present, however, my parents have abandoned the idea of my marriage,” she says happily. It was at the behest of their pradhan that she applied for the scholarship. “These days, I see girls going back to school so that they can also get a bank account and scholarship,” she adds.

“It’s my dream to become a teacher,” shares Sutapa Hati, 15, another youngster from Satbanki, “Earlier, it seemed impossible for one to pursue studies. Sometimes the school would be closed and sometimes my parents would fear for my safety, which is generally a matter of concern for most families in the area. They don’t want to take any risk of abuse or assault so marriage looks like a better option. Of course, with this support coming in my resolve to have a career has only gotten firmer. I will definitely complete my education.    

North India’s Demographic time-bomb

In an insightful document that Ambit Capital brought out on 5 April this year, (on Sizing India’s demographic bomb), the authors highlight a stark reality that confronts India.

It talks about the ticking demographic bomb that North India has become.  North India houses a population that has little education, and has fewer women and jobs than most other parts of the country.

In fact, this is precisely what a senior World Bank (WB) representative told a group of Indian industrialists in Mumbai almost ten years ago.  At a gathering, one of the industrialists waxed eloquent about the demographic dividend that India enjoys.  The representative shook his head and softly murmured, “Do you remember Iran.  Just before Ayatollah Khomeini assumed power, Iran was supposed to enjoy a democratic dividend.”

But Iran then had few jobs for the youth.  And it had focused very little on good primary and secondary education. Good education allows people to climb the economic ladder.  Its absence can make the situation explosive.

But Iran, after the revolution, had two good things going for it.  First, the new regime — even though it was called fanatical by Western powers — never forgot the need to provide soft infrastructure. It focused on education, the need to dispense justice quickly, economically and efficiently, and to create enough facilities for good healthcare.   India, in contrast, has slipped on all the three fronts.

Second, Iran focused on affordable housing for young couples who would need them.  It did this also to overcome the crippling economic sanctions imposed by the west. Affordable housing required little foreign capital, and depended largely on locally available raw material and labour. Iran survived and thrived.

Now it is time for India to find its own solutions quickly.

Consider education.  Compare literacy levels against the national average and J&K, Rajasthan, UP, Bihar, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh begin to flash warning signals.

Also do bear in mind that the national literacy level of 74% is an illusory number.  In India literacy is defined as anyone who can read and write the letters of his or her name. So if you can spell Ram and write it too, you are technically literate.

Moreover, as study after study has pointed out, the quality of education in Indian schools is crumbling to the point of being pathetic. The actual rate of literacy would thus be less than 20%.  The Northern states would sport the worst numbers.

Ask the students of Std VIII or IX to do simple multiplication, division, or write a single sentence grammatically (in any language). Give them questions that bright Std III students can answer.  Chances are that barely 30% of the students would be able to give the right answers to any of them.  Linguistic and mathematical literacy levels have plummeted – more in the north and east, than in the west and the south.

That is why it is good that the HRD ministry has recently moved an amendment (to end the policy of automatic promotions) to the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The automatic promotion policy mooted by Kapil Sibal, the former union minister for education, would have hobbled primary and secondary education further.  Repealing of this clause could still hold out a ray of hope.

There is also a desperate need to upgrade teachers.  Linking incentives to good teaching could be one way.  Another way would be to restrict financial grants for schools that do not improve on the scores of children who have scored good marks in an earlier class. Taking away a school from an existing management (if it underperforms on objective evaluation parameters) and handing it over to a management that does a good job of educating children could be a final step.  But unless one addresses school education, you will continue churning out students who appear literate, but lack the competence to be useful to any profession.

There is an urgent need to roll back the Nehruvian vision of focusing on the large.  Instead, there is a need to focus on basic schooling.

And that is where the second decision the HRD ministry took last week, of allowing IITs to raise fees, is a good sign.  The government wants to focus on subsidizing school education.  Higher education may have to learn to finance itself a bit more than before.

But beware of the electoral compulsions in the North. Politicians have a way to inflame the passions of a restless youth — largely jobless and without the required education.  Rent-a-mob practices could become endemic here.  And it does not take much to transform a restless, angry crowd into a mob.  Can this government keep mob fury under check?

Can educational standards and the sex ratio be improved in the Northern states?  Or will they be allowed to implode with raucous cries supporting little understood causes — religion, ban on cow slaughter or conversions — none of which help boost economic productivity.  Watch how the sex ratio has worsened in the 0-6 year category for the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan, UP, Bihar, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.  These are also the states (excepting Delhi and Chandigarh) where the quality of education in schools is terrible.

If India can change these numbers, there could be cause for celebration. Else expect trouble and violence to rack North India. This could soon spill to other states, and even stoke secessionist fires. If not handled carefully and quickly, the north could actually destroy India.