Dr. T. Rama Prasad's Scribblings...: The Unique Academy

EDUCATION

"In the good old days, the focus in higher education was to acquire KNOWLEDGE. In this day and age, it is sought mainly to pave the way for economic security. Money is playing a dominant role in most of the fields across the world. The need may be anything -- from 'survival' to 'profiteering' ."

-- T. Rama Prasad

For related subjects, one may go to :

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/school-education_30.html

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/devalued-degrees_30.html

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/dr-peon-phd_30.html

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/covid-schools-children.html

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-noble-profession.html

Er. R. Elango with Dr. T. Rama Prasad on April 10, 2025 at The Unique Academy

Dr. Dheep and Colonel Ramakrishnan

Er. R. Elango, Colonel M. Ramakrishnan, Dr. Dheep, Dr. T. Rama Prasad, Mrs. Umayavalle Elango

THE UNIQUE ACADEMY -- ICSE & ISC school affiliated to the CISCE, New Delhi

SILVER JUBILEE April 10, 2025

EXODUS & THEODORUS 2024 - 2025

A random thought down memory lane :

This evening (April 10, 2025), I happened to be seated on a huge multi-level stage overlooking an expansive oval-shaped area of acres of land, covered with verdant lawn, called the 'OVAL', of THE UNIQUE ACADEMY. On the backside of the dais are various well-spaced buildings in a spacious and serene ambience, free from noise and pollution, quite unlike the crowded multi-storeyed concrete jungles amidst various kinds of pollutants elsewhere. Nature's luxury, and the advanced facilities of school education.

What a change and transformation, I wondered, going down memory lane with nostalgic thoughts. My elementary school was of a roadside single room with a single teacher waving a cane. No toilets. With a little finger raised, we used to run out on to the road. Not for its purpose, but to have a clever break. Only male teachers. Patriarchal society. Entry age to a school to learn alphabets was five years. No pre-KG, no LKG, no UKG, and no 'play-schools', no coaching centres, no summer courses, ... No English medium schools, only a few were there in big cities.

We used to casually study, not for getting a seat in a professional college. No stress. Nobody unduly pressurised us to get high marks. Just a 'pass' would please everybody. Now, the students are stressed to the extent of committing suicides. There were only a few medical colleges. But not difficult to get a seat. The demand was not much. And not expensive. I paid less than 400 rupees per year as tuition fee during the MBBS course. Now it may be even 30 lakhs of rupees per year in a private medical college. Many of my classmates were not particular of studying MBBS at a college far away from their native place. Many seats were not filled up when my father studied MBBS. Parents didn't like their children to touch dead bodies, pus and blood.

I was born at around the period of the Second World War when my doctor-father was a 'ship-medical officer'. While on the ship, he didn't know whether we were blasted by the bombs or not. No communications. Now, the parents have the digital facilities to "helicopter" their children continuously !!!

My reminiscences were shut down by the vibrant and gorgeous activities on the impressive stage. The most conspicuous were the meticulously organised ceremonial conduct of the event, and the strikingly spectacular display of cultural dances and drama by the students of The Unique Academy. It was of a professional caliber in par with the art and technology of a cinema film shooting. Hats off to the teachers and trainers !

-- T. Rama Prasad

Special SILVER JUBILEE edition of the magazine, 'THE BEACON'

Releasing the SILVER JUBILEE magazine on 10-04-2025

Er. R. Elango, B.E.

Here below is a copy of what I wrote for the school magazine 'THE BEACON'. There are some generalisations in the text which may be of some value.

"This is being written on the monumental occasion of completion of a quarter-of-a-century of educational service by THE UNIQUE ACADEMY which is a school of ICSE and ISC, affiliated to the CISCE, New Delhi.

Notwithstanding the tremendous strides made on the educational front during the past two decades, ‘school education’ remains a conundrum as could be gauzed from the recent turmoil in the NEET-UG 2024, attracting interventions by the Supreme Court. We seem to be still groping in the dark corridors of the temples of learning. India is full of a myriad variety of schools ranging from the so-called ‘international schools’ in hill stations to rickety ones in the rural hinterland. Unfortunately, school education falls prey to parochial attitudes and fissiparous policies.

In my ‘blog scribbling’ titled “SCHOOL EDUCATION and NEET”(https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/school-education_30.html ; Related articles -- 1. https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/devalued-degrees_30.html 2. https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/dr-peon-phd_30.html 3. https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-noble-profession.html ; Read these writings to know more about our education.), I wrote : “School education, in India, has mostly become an exercise of training students to memorise subjects and parrot back information under duress at theoretical examinations to achieve stellar results, often at the cost of true education. … The ‘factory-assembly-line’ system produces ‘centums’ sans sense. … Centums are not a barometer of good education system. … Some universities like the Delhi University announced cut-off marks for certain courses at 100% ! This resulted in a furore amongst academicians and the proverbial copros hits the fan ! … However, some of our schools having affiliation to CISCE / ICSE & ISC, CBSE, IGCSE, etc. seem to be of good standards having a comprehensive syllabus and an activity-based system of learning and teaching, with personalised supervision. … On the whole, the scenario is a sea of mediocrity with a few islands of excellence.”

In this context, “The Unique Academy” is an “Island of Excellence.” While I don’t like to shower superlatives, I can’t refrain from saying a few words about this "affordable" school, as I have been following its growth from a tiny tot to the mega academy over a period of about quarter-of-a-century. Baby steps to giant strides. Like many commentators, I may be a tad biased, but that’s how I perceived. The tiny play school at Perundurai, “TINY TOTS” (1999), had its sister grown up into “The Unique Academy” school at an expansive green and healthy landscape at Ingur (2009). Impressive and aesthetically designed buildings took into their fold, in addition to many state-of-the-art modern facilities, a top-notch CS lab, a well-stocked library and a hostel in a serene ambience, aptly christened “The Nest”.

Students loaded with knowledge, wisdom and values (12 batches of ICSE & 10 batches of ISC with 100% pass score and marks of around 95%) graduated out so far. Some of them participated in the ‘Student Exchange Programme’ of Brazil, and some made the school proud by earning Gold and Silver Medals at the ASISC State and National level Sports Meets. The list of other remarkable events is too long to mention here. The impact of the combination of academics and a wide range of co-curricular activities is pleasantly palpable.

The exceptional facilities and the vibrant learning environment here fosters ‘mind-growth’, empowering the pupils to make informed career decisions. Luminaries from the fields of Armed Forces, Sports, Education, etcetera were brought to address the students on special days. Their inspirational discourses must have fine-tuned the students’ ‘mind-set’.

The greatest gift to the students here is the right blend of academic excellence, Indian cultural ethos and human values. A value-based coaching is more desirable than the mere focus to score ‘720 out of 720’. Good schools teach beyond the parameters of the syllabus to imbue students with confidence and the capability to learn life skills and the problem-solving ability. The school has a lush green cricket ground, complete with practice wicket nets, which provides students with ample opportunities to hone their skills and foster a love for the sport.

Somebody said that Indian education is all about marks and documentation, not about skills and application. Yes, we are bemused by what is happening. We have to have a relook at our education systems and ruminate on the subject. One may take a hint from the extraordinarily successful movie "Three Idiots" which is a satire on India's structured education system and the social pressures.

This school has been the third parent to the students, and the trio, the dynamic and visionary Elangos -- Mr. R. Elango Ramasamy, Chairman; Mrs. Umayavalle Elango, Principal; and Mr. Aswin Elango, Managing Director – nurtured the establishment meticulously with their heart and soul to make it truly UNIQUE. They are a personification of unwavering dedication and personalised care, and made every student a GOOD HUMAN BEING loaded with value-based knowledge. The school has been their religion. The people of this geographical region are lucky in having a unique school of this nature, with dedicated staff members.

The integrated system of learning makes the students primed for critical thinking, innovative planning and ADAPTABILITY to the rapid changes in life situations that are occurring. Charles Darwin said : “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most ADAPTABLE to change.”

While it would be a Herculean task to clean the Augean stables of school education in India, one should feel happy to have unique schools like THE UNIQUE ACADEMY."

Dr. T. Rama Prasad

Some more photos and a little more text will be added later. Information and many photos may be accessed at www.the unique academy.org.in / Facebook / Instagram

Go to the LINKS below to know about certain aspects of education in India.

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/school-education_30.html

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/devalued-degrees_30.html

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/dr-peon-phd_30.html

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/covid-schools-children.html

https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-noble-profession.html

Also, go to the LINK below on "BRINGING UP CHILDREN" which is relevant to the education of children. https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/bringing-up-children_28.html . It may be a utopian idea, but parents need to be educated on how to bring up children. Parents are found to be responsible to make children GOOD HUMAN BEINGS full of values, and also for the huge increase in mental illness among students in recent decades. In the system of evaluation of merit only by the marks scored, it's natural that parents exert enormous pressure on their children to score high marks, thus making them mentally stressed. Go to my writing on MENTAL HEALTH : https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2023/01/mental-health.html

My informal address at the event:

Dear all, Good evening. Way back in 1999, when I was around 55 years of age, a “tiny tot” was born. The mother was Umayavalle and the father was Elango. Her 25^thbirthday is being celebrated. The baby steps of “TINY TOTS” playschool have transformed into the giant strides of “THE UNIQUE ACADEMY.” I have been a witness to the incredible growth and recognition. The affiliation of the ICSE and ISC school to the CISCE, New Delhi is a testimony to its excellence.

It’s a great evening today, a very memorable one. There has been a spectacular display by the lively and lovable students. Over a quarter-of-a-century, the students of this academy scored high marks and bagged silver and gold medals. The stellar performance in academic and co-curricular activities are highly praiseworthy. I am very proud of the school for its exemplary achievements and enviable recognitions. Congratulations to all the concerned –- students, their parents, members of the staff and the management.

I am greatly delighted to be with you all here. And, it’s a double delight to be with Colonel M. Ramakrishnan, once again, on this dais. The Colonel is an embodiment of army discipline and patriotism, tempered with worldly wisdom.

And, it is very fitting that Psychiatrist Dr. Dheep is here, as mental illness has become a huge problem among students in recent times. The National Medical Commission of India reported that 28% of the students have mental health disorders including suicidal ideation. Dear parents, have realistic goals and expectations. Don’t stress your children too much. You, parents, are the cause mostly for the psychiatric problems in children.

School education has become a problematic conundrum with confusing systems of assessing the merit of a student. For more information on the problems related to school education and NEET, read my writings on my blog –- just type “RAMAPRASAD BLOG -- SCHOOL and NEET” on Google-search.

THE UNIQUE ACADEMY is an island of excellence in the sea of mediocrity. It has been the third parent to the students, and the trio, the dynamic and visionary Elangos -- Mr. R. Elango Ramasamy, Chairman; Mrs. Umayavalle Elango, Principal; and Mr. Aswin Elango, Managing Director – had nurtured the establishment meticulously and painstakingly with their heart and soul, against many odds, to make it truly UNIQUE.

The legendary Elangos are a personification of unwavering dedication and personalised care. They made every student a GOOD HUMAN BEING loaded with value-based knowledge. Imparting discipline, cultural values and morals is their focus. The Unique Academy is their religion. The people of this geographical region are fortunate in having a unique school like this with dedicated staff members.

Dear students, always think positively and act confidently. You will succeed. Say ‘I CAN’. Never say ‘CAN I ?’ But, set realistic goals and think of situational realities. God didn’t make you all equal. Depending upon your merits and circumstances, aim for the best, but stick to the ground realities.

Ultimately, be absolutely contented with what you have. Contentment is the secret of happiness. Your final goal should be for happiness, not riches. Many of you may not be knowing that ‘HAPPINESS’ can be a subject of study in a national institute. The ‘Indian Institute of Technology - Madras’ (IIT-M) is planning to start a department of ‘HAPPINESS’ with a ‘Brain Lab’. Dear students, when you grow up further, you may encounter more of ancient things in the garb of modernity. Many may not know that the most modern All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) of Delhi is planning to have a department of “SPIRITUAL MEDICINE” which includes Reiki, Yoga and Sleep Medicine to promote happiness. Happiness is not sold in supermarkets. In future, it may be sold on-line with ‘Artificial Intelligence’ !!! Stress is the cause for many diseases and lack of happiness. Read my blog article titled “Richness and Happiness.” Wish you all a happy future. Thank you all. April 10, 2025

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EDUCATION

-- T. Rama Prasad

“Education is not everything about marks. Human values are more important. We are people, not programmed devices. Help people first, money next.”

-- Dr. T. Rama Prasad

Even in those good old days, GORU's life couldn't be saved due to the MONEY FACTOR. Go on, read about GORU:

An anecdote about “GORU”

During my childhood, one of my schoolmates had huge nails. Her name was Gowri. We nicknamed her as ‘Goru’ (‘goru’ in Telugu means nail of a finger or toe ). They used to say that her huge nails caused a problem in her heart. It might be a case of ‘Digital Clubbing’ (abnormal nails present in some ‘Congenital Heart Diseases’). After one summer vacation, ‘Goru’ didn’t come back to the school. It was learnt that she died due to the nail / heart problem, and that treatment could not be availed as they didn’t have money to pay for it.

Perhaps, this incident prompted me to look at everyone’s nails from that time which might have led me to report the first case from India of ‘Yellow Nail Syndrome (YNS)’ from India in 1980 (published in an American journal, CHEST) and the first case in the world of ‘Yellow nails & Covid’ in 2023, published in an Indian journal, THE ANTISEPTIC - https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/yellow-nail syndrome_28.html

And perhaps, the preventable death of ‘Goru’ due to the inability to pay for the treatment motivated me to start my ‘PAY WHAT YOU CAN’ Clinic (PWYCC) half-a-century ago where patients may pay whatever they can. No fixed fee ( http://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/06/pay-what-you-can-clinic.html ). The credit for these case reports on YNS and the starting of my PWYCC should go to ‘Goru’. Thanks to “Goru”.

-- T. Rama Prasad

More at : https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/dr-t-rama-prasad.html

This is not an ad, it’s about an odd service.

GREETINGS from

‘PAY WHAT YOU CAN’ Clinic

“Thena thyakthena bhoojithaha”– Ishopanishad

( Translated by Prof. B.M. Hegde as: “Rejoice in giving.”)

True to this quote, I have been rejoicing at what little I could give. Defying stereotypes, this clinic has been in existence for a very long time, sans glitz, blitz, ads, microphones, speeches and noise. As a matter of my policy, publicity is shunned. The reason is simple. Good work needs no noise and nonsense. My ‘SCRIBBLINGS’ on related topics may be accessed at: http://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com

My consultation fee is not decided by me. It is the patient’s pleasure. The patient may pay (donate) whatever he can and what he wishes. If one is short of money, he or she need not pay anything. The money may just be put into the ‘hundi’ box kept outside the consultation room. And the money thus received is used for charity to help the needy, the poor and the less fortunate. If interested to know more about this facility, go to: http://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/06/pay-what-you-can-clinic.html . And, if you wish, you may also 'contribute what you can' through bank (Dr. RAMA PRASAD T, A/C No. 451075868, INDIAN BANK, IFS CODE IDIB000P155, PERUNDURAI, Erode District, Tamil Nadu - 638052 ).

"We need not run after money. If we are meritorious and compassionate, money would run after us, and it eludes us if we run after it.” -- T. Rama Prasad

“Richness is not having lots of money. It is the feeling that one has enough of it. Contentment sans comparison is what makes one really rich.” -- T. Rama Prasad.

Facebook: T Rama Prasad Twitter: @DrRamaprasadt Telegram : Dr T Rama Prasad

Consult your local doctor before rushing to me

Most ailments can be cured at local level

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The following is a list of some of my 'scribblings', including a few from the 28 articles on COVID published in a monthly medical journal in 30 months (a world record). To open them, click on any of the titles. -- T. Rama Prasad