The post UAE NATIONAL DAY – Happy to be part of its future! first appeared on Zen Mentors LLP, CLAT Training Centre Trivandrum.

To look at it, @60 you have very little to worry about. The children have been educated, mortgages are settled and its the time to live your dream. To think of it, its the most productive period with out the burden of being tied down to your “duties”

You are at the peak of domain knowledge acquired over the period and have all the luxury in the world to decide your own time table. I started my NKPL journey thus and its been invigorating since. A dream of building an institution that all associated with it will be proud off.

These journey’s go through ups and downs like the roller coaster, but the end is always euphoric. People will come paddle stay or go. For those who stay, I have said, in 10 years Ill support you enjoy a journey of being with own journey, with NKPL being the prime customer for the expert domain service each one has. For those who have left, I thank them for being part of the journey and supporting it so far. For the very few who broke the trust imposed on them and hurt the venture, I say, no rancor, its been a big learning for me and I hope they too learn from it.

Trust and integrity alone will hep you keep smiling, break it and even a genuine smile will be a smirk.

My Grandson, Kalaeb, whom I call KaiPauChe’ shortening his full name, did do a performance. His mother preserved his performance of a few weeks earlier to dedicate to grandpa. So sweet!

The reverse journey is exciting, Lets be aware, its all in the mind. Never lose the child in you as the child in you is the creative best.

The post BIRTHDAYS that make you an Year YOUNGER first appeared on Zen Mentors LLP, CLAT Training Centre Trivandrum.

My father would have been 99 had he lived for 5 more years and he would have been the most happy and proud to witness ‘Azadi ka Amritutsav’.

As a young student leader of INC in Travancore, he leaped to the call of “purna swaraj” mobilizing the students and young in Travancore. At the time of independence, he took the call of Gandhiji for dismantling of Congress and became an active member of Praja Socialist Party (PSP) led by Acharya Kripalani, the AICC President at the time of Independence.

Panackal Varkey Thomas or PVT as he was fondly called was assigned Personal Secretary, Coordinator and Translator when Kripalani undertook the 3 week tour of Kerala to spread the concept of PSP and prepare the party for the next election. The legendary Pattom Thanu Pillai was the Chief Minister of Kerala then ( Interestingly, they were designated Prime Minister initially and then on changed to CM). Pattom would be one of the few serving as PM and then CM.

My father could walk in to the Kitchen of Pattom and he believed in the young man, his passion for political work and his commitment to the theme of Socialist Party. And thats why the young 20 something was assigned to such an important task.

At the culmination of the visit, Kripalini asked Thomas to shift his base of political activity to Delhi. He politely declined saying he had a young wife and a little son whom he could not leave behind and promised to lead the PSP movement in Kerala. Kripalani was convinced Thomas had taken a wrong decision politically, but respected his choice.

My father went on to fight the election as a PSP candidate, turning down the offer from the powerful left then to stand as an independent. He told the well meaning comrades who visited his home ” May be its the worst political decision I’ll take, but I am the lead of PSP here and I’ll fight as one”

Rest is history as the left supported indepenedent won. My father went to Malabar to be part of the founding of one of the largest schools in Malabar, serving as its Headmaster for 25 years. He has left an indelible mark in the region he worked that even today, 35 years since he left that place, he is remembered and loved as someone who taught the young generation to dream and was at the forefront of working for the infrastructure there leveraging his contacts with his freedom fighter friends in the government. To think of it, 50 years back he had built an olympic size swimming pool in his school under a special GOI scheme supported keenly by his Freedom fighter colleague in the cabinet. Those were the days of rare comradeship and self less work for society.

He later on was the Chairman of Freedom fighter federation in Kerala, a position which he held till his last days. He fought for the well being of many FF who were at the risk of penury. He fought his right for a central government freedom fighter pension, which he won from court but was later overturned by the district administration for the flimsy reason that he had a pension from Kerala Govt. It was not about the money, which always went to the Ashram for the needy he supported, but he was angry and sad that many of the people who fought for the freedom of India are being forgotten, brushed aside by young civil servants who do not know their sacrifice, but enjoy its benefits.

He always used to remind, “Power is not to rule, but to serve”.

Today I salute him and his wife, my mother, who was the source of strength to him. True Azadi comes when we respect others for their views and help create an inclusive India through power of Education.

The post MY FATHER WAS A FREEDOM FIGHTER! first appeared on Zen Mentors LLP, CLAT Training Centre Trivandrum.

 
In 2018 she was ranked 20th in the list of 50 Greatest Leaders of the World by Fortune magazine.

HUMAN RIGHT ACTIVIST THAT GAVE VOICE TO WOMEN

There is no other person in India who has single handedly fought for the rights of women and succeeded; the stand out verdict in Mary Roy vs Govt of Kerala case, that established the rights of Christian women in Kerala to equal rights in their ancestral property is epic. She continues to be the beacon of hope for many and inspiration to budding lawyers!

The post POWER OF LAWYER first appeared on Zen Mentors LLP, CLAT Training Centre Trivandrum.

The first in Modern Era to win a grand slam as a qualifier in 2021, winning US Open
She’s as old as my +2 Teens at ZEN looking at a career to build

I was one of those fortunate to have witnessed Emma create history at Rolland Garros, win the US Open, few days short of her 18 years. It was smiles and pure joy all around. The end result of self belief and hard work of an immigrant to UK. And thats what teen power is all about!

The post TEEN POWER! first appeared on Zen Mentors LLP, CLAT Training Centre Trivandrum.

WHY A NEW CLAT EXAM PATTERN?

• The two most important skills for budding lawyers include comprehension and critical reasoning skills.

• Law schools mandate that students possess these two skills to cope with the teaching methodology adopted by most law schools.

• In the recent years, the professors at National Law University (NLUs) have felt that CLAT has failed to test these skills, and has instead tested the memory quotient of law aspirants. In short, CLAT has not succeeded in testing students’ real aptitude to pursue law, resulting in a mismatch between selected students and law school requirements.

• New Pattern intends to correct this.

 
WHAT ARE THE CHANGES?
 

1. NO OF QUESTIONS – Substantial reduction in CLAT 2020 from 200 to 120-150 questions. A good change. Earlier pattern put tremendous time pressure on students.
2. GK – No more need to cram facts of history. Questions only on current affairs with focus on editorial reviews and interpretation of current events.
3. MATHS – Focus shifts to application of maths in real life; data analysis and interpretation.
4. ENGLISH – Will comprise of only comprehension passages with a view to test your understanding of the passages, contextual meaning of words and inferences drawn from the passages.
5. LOGICAL REASONING- There will be high emphasis on critical reasoning skills. This section will include a variety of questions to determine students’ ability to reason through an argument logically and make an objective decision.
6. LEGAL APTITUDE – Will be case study based. No need to have in-depth knowledge of law subjects. However, good awareness of law of land, civil to criminal with IPAC analysis capability will be a plus point while handling this section.

IS IT GOOD OR BAD FOR ASPIRANTS?

• The CLAT Consortium realised that it is rather unfair to quiz students on their knowledge of legal concepts even before they enter the law schools.
•  This section will now test students’ ability to arrive at conclusion from a given set of arguments.
• The focus shifts to identifying skills of a student for Reading and Comprehension and analysis of data and situation logically.
• Students no longer have to cram up, but hone their skills of Comprehension, Logical Reasoning and have an update of current affairs.
• This is in line with international exam patterns like LSAT, GMAT, GRE, TOEFEL etc. ITS GOOD !

TIPS FOR PREPARATION
 

• NEWS PAPER READING – Focus on editorial reading and its review. Cover news items of importance in areas of law making, economy, sports and international events.
• GK – Read issue based current affairs.
• ENGLISH – Learn concepts of OutLining and PARAPHRASING in Reading and Comprehension. Practice varied difficulties of RC.
• MATHS – Brush up Statistics,
• LOGICAL REASONING– Understand different types of LC and the concept behind each. Develop skill of deduction learning it like a game of hide and seek!
• LEGAL APTITUDE – Get overview of concepts of law. Focus on case studies. Get to understand how a lawyer builds and concludes a case argument; concept of Issue, Principal, Analysis and Conclusion (IPAC).
• GET A GOOD TEACHER – A specialist help is recommended. Identify one. Take the change in pattern as a +VE development and work.

FOR COUNSELLING,
CONTACT,
ADV REGY MANOG
PHONE 7025 222 444
ZENMENTORS@GMAIL.COM

The post NEW CLAT PATTERN first appeared on Zen Mentors LLP, CLAT Training Centre Trivandrum.

The student dilemma

How do I have a natural progression in course of study based on my passion after +2?
Above question that I have encountered with many students is the biggest challenge that a teenager stepping in to college life face. Interestingly, the answer is in the question itself. However, is she able to find the answer? Does the parent help him find it?

To get this answer, synergy in thinking and role clarity between student and parent need to well established. The student on most occasion has limited view of what are the fields of study available in his area of interest.

Parents sure have better view of it. But is the parent willing to facilitate her wish that may be in dissonance with mother’s or father’s wish? I have encountered numerous cases where the parents, in the fallacious noble thought of ensuring a safe future for the ward impose their decision on the child. In lot of cases the un-fulfilled dream of the parent is actualised through these decisions. This is to be guarded against as a decision which was seemingly good can turn sour if the student is unable to cope with the stream f study or realises there were other programs that matched his passion and talent to which his friends have admission and are doing exceedingly well. This can leave a life nagging question as to why my dad did not show me the option; despite I looking up to him to live my talents?

We need to realise that 12th standard is the turning point. Education up to 12th is a preparation for choice of right stream in college as can be seen from the syllabus in Schools. In India there is a greater thrust on the science streams than in the west where you have the option to choose level of difficulty in each subject. A boy with a literary streak has the option to choose a higher level of English learning and lower level of maths that’s rudimentary. This enables growth in own area of interest and know of maths needed for daily life; a win win solution. In India you do not have this luxury. As a result all students are forced to learn maths and science subjects at the same level of difficulty. This in turn becomes an excruciating rat race to catch up with the best in class in these subjects through special tuitions with out realising its limited use in future. As a case study lets look at a right brain oriented creative kid who excels in liberal streams. The advise to him would be to spend more time on correcting his so called weakness in science then build on his strength language or arts. It’s unfortunate that even today, specially in our part of the world, “you judge a fish by its capability to climb tree”.

My friend’s son David was a difficult child to most; except to his good meaning relatives and friends, that included me. He had the knack of taming class mates double his size with sheer audacity that bordered on foolishness. Four schools in 6 years with forced transfers, he was doomed to fail by his teachers. With out even telling anyone, he applied for creative design after 12th to secure admission to 2 prestigious institutions in the country, which of course turned him a darling and symbol of achievement to his naysayers. I have just been informed that he’s been recruited by a major creative agency and identified as a future potential. He’s few week short of 24.

This is where the role of parent is defining. As a parent one should listen to the child and help him choose and not impose. I have come across many parents who say “ we don’t force, he’s free to choose his option” and when I speak to the student, he agrees, only issue is that he does not know what to choose and as a result agree to study what the parent wants as its the course of least collateral damage. The parent can not run away from the responsibility of trying to understand the true capabilities and likes of the child and expose to him the various options available. I know that many parents do not have the wherewithal to impart it, in which case they need to get help. There are career guidance teachers in schools who are trained who could be consulted or free lancing specialists in this field. Its advisable to meet a consultant with whom the child can interact with out inhibition as that alone can help identify her true capabilities.

I as a Coach and counsellor do not follow psychometric assessments as a tool to identify the above. I believe more in the ZEN Concept of opening your thoughts through self probing questions that lead to identification of passion and its capability to achieve, delivering a vision statement helping

for self. It helps identify a stream and course of study with a reasonable view of how it will be utilised. In this respect, we need to appreciate the college admission procedure in west that asks the student to make an SOP or statement of purpose in life that’s sent along with the application. Professors who are trained in reading these are able to identify and choose the right talent for the institution. Those who try to live the dreams of others through a facade is unable to make the grade which I think is the best thing to happen. It will help the student and parent revisit his true calling and prepare an SOP accordingly.

I hope to share more of my thoughts and learning from interactions with students and others as we go along. Meantime it would be pleasure to hear from you too.

Till then…

Sanjeevthomas@musings is an ongoing exchange of ideas in self growth
By Sanjeev Thomas, Founder & CEO, ZEN Mentors LLP
He can be reached on Email – sanjeevthomas@zenmentors.com
Phone +91 8879787852

The post How to choose a career first appeared on Zen Mentors LLP, CLAT Training Centre Trivandrum.