Lets Defeat Insta-Anxiety

The new common question that pops up in everyone’s mind is- How do we move past our anxieties and insecurities so we can grow our personally on social media?

1. Unfollow your celebrities

This can be hard, and it can even take a long time, especially if, like me, you follow hundreds of celebrities alone. It can be hard to break from the habit of constantly checking what your favourite celeb is doing or wearing but for the sake of your mental health you need to make this move.

You can easily find any ground breaking news of your favourite in the on sites like BuzzFeed or Cosmopolitan. 

2. Follow real and actual people

Instead of page 3 celebrities, follow more people who are like you, real people. If you are a writer, follow more writers. If you are a local blogger owner, follow other local bloggers. If you are an illustrator, follow more illustrators. If you just appreciate any form of art, be it singing, dancing, spoken poetry, follow more such artists. You’ll come to realise that everyone has flaws, no one is really perfect. On the upside, you’ll be lifting other talented people up, and they will be lifting you up. All will grow together. 

3. Do your own photoshoot

Take your phone and a tripod if you have one, and just walk around your house. Wander around and see what catches your eye, maybe it’s a well-lit corner in your house that you never noticed before or a tiny window with a sky view. Snap a picture or ten, then move onto the next thing. 

Look for the beauty in yourself and the world around you. Be raw, you don’t always have to filter your photos, you are beautiful as you are. Be as much or as less artistic you want to be while taking pictures. The more photos you take, the better you’ll get at it, don’t give up.

4. Try scheduling your posts

For me, scheduling Instagram posts saves me from a lot of fear. It’s less scary when you aren’t actively thinking about posting something. 

With Facebook’s Creator Studio, you can easily schedule your Instagram posts. For this all you need is a Facebook page and an Instagram page that are connected to each other, that’s it, it is that easy!

No more third-party scheduling apps that don’t even automatically post the images. Now, you can plan everything out in advance, schedule it for whenever you want, sit back and (try to) relax.

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Can Video Games be beneficial for Education?

In parallel to their entertainment factor, video games have tremendous promising aspects and there has been significant progress when games are

Designed to tackle a particular problem or teach some skill. Video games have grown and developed, and so has our society. Graphics got prettier, stories got richer and more involved. We have slowly got to recognize the true potential for learning and enriching ourselves in virtual worlds. We have also seen the appearance of “Gamification” in many industry sectors with the growth of the video game market; education is at the forefront of this.

9 Benefits of Video Games for Your Child | Parents

Why it is that such a massive industry cannot be used to make the world better? Video games are the bread and butter of recreation for kids. It’s a pastime that incentivizes teamwork, communication skills and also a depth of information depending on the content. We’ve begun to realize that just as people enjoy books and movies and physical media, people also enjoy gambling. And they can use it for more than just discovering fantasy worlds and destroying castles. The core Language skills are a typical example of the educational value video games provide.

This research project of the ESL classroom by the Kanda University of International Studies produced by Jared R. Baierschmidt has a wealth of knowledge on the topic of gaming-learning. Baierschmidt generated and implemented a unique English as a Second Language course with a focus on gaming. He writes that In terms of the activities themselves, approximately 39 percent of respondents found the multiplayer cooperative activity to be most useful for their studies. The stated reasons included the fact that during the activity, the educators were able to use a variety of language skills and the activity encouraged them to actively communicate with their partner.

This means that collaborative, competitive games through meaning, play, and human relationships can help students learn English as a second language. Baierschmidt also writes that according to polls, around 90 % of respondents plan to continue using digital games for language learning even after the [ESL] course has been completed. While researching how gaming helps people learn a second language is still so fresh, this work is a big step in the right direction when it comes to understanding the effect and intersection between playing. It turns out that breaking down activities into challenges and awarding accomplishments (just as video games do) is a smart idea.

Cosmetics, tools to create their own games, and a lot of competition and motivation from the staff and facility all act as opportunities for successful work. By motivating students to see failure as an opportunity to improve, they excel rather than as a sign of something lacking in the student. It’s this idea of failure is just a loss, not a catastrophe, which helps children to succeed and really enjoy learning and developing, just as a character in a video game is progressing on their path. There seems to be a dominant view that education isn’t congruent with fun, and when placed in the same realm as learning, happiness should take a back seat. But why?

Education should be able to educate, direct and nurture young people as effectively as possible, even if it means changing the system. Even on the side-lines, video games can still provide excellent educational opportunities. We need to teach kids how to learn in order to drive education forward. And learning by play is a great way to get children interested in awareness, their future, and scholastic subjects.

Female Foeticide in India

Female foeticide is the practice of figuring out the foetus’ gender and heading for abortion if it is a girl. Though unacceptable, it continues to be practiced by many people. Besides this, some cultures practice female infanticide-the custom of killing the baby girl after she is born. This fact is highlighted by the research results of the 2001 census which show that for every 1000 men there are only 933 women in this country. In addition, data from the Census (2011) showed a significant reduction in the Child Sex Ratio (CSR), estimated as the number of girls per 1000 boys between 0 and 6 years of age, for an all-time low of 918 in 2011 compared to 976 in 1961.

FEMALE FOETICIDE: - IAS gatewayy

This downward trend in the sex ratio means that we are not only depriving girls of human rights, we are also robbing them of their right to live. Over the latter months of last year, all the children born in a region in northern India were boys, a survey found, and stoking fears of rampant female feticide. Oppressive mentality and technology are to blame, experts say.

Uttarakhand is a Northern Indian Himalayan state. The erratic weather and hard terrain mean a tough life for the inhabitants of the area, numbering more than 10 million. Women in the state have predominantly been the economic backbone of their communities, earning money, running houses, collecting firewood and transporting water for thousands of metres every day. Historically, they have taken part in many social movements, including the popular tree-hugging or “chipko” movement in the 1970s, when women in the Chamoli district tied to trees to prevent large-scale deforestation.

In later years, women have been involved, among others, in a social movement against building the Tehri dam and hydroelectric power plant. Women in Uttarakhand, however, as in most parts of India, struggle from the low status they are granted in Indian society and culture.

India’s last census, carried out in 2011, showed that the child sex ratio of Uttarakhand (the number of girls per 1,000 boys) fell from 908 in 2001 to 890 ten years later. Recent figures were all the more disturbing. A government survey carried out recently in 132 villages in the state’s Uttarkashi district disclosed that none of the 216 children born over three months in those villages were girls. The problem is not confined solely to Uttarakhand, but it encompasses state borders. A son is regarded the upholder of the family name in Indian culture, which he passes on to his son, and so on.

The preponderance of this mindset in India means that women are seen as the submissive gender and must comply with the rules that society has set for them. Economic advancement and better physical infrastructure have not been able to change the mind-sets of people.

Data from the 2011 census show that relatively wealthy states such as Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Maharashtra have a very poor child sex ratio, while some of the less developed regions such as Chhattisgarh and the northeastern states have a much stronger child sex ratio. India ranks fourth in the world, after Liechtenstein, China and Armenia, in terms of slanted birth sex ratios, according to data. There are 112 boys in the world’s second most populous nation, for every 100 girls.

In an official 2013 report, India’s health department found out that sound discrimination, neglect of the girl child resulting in higher mortality at younger age, female infanticide, and female foeticide were the primary reasons for the skewed sex ratio. The government passed legislation banning the use of ultrasound testing to ascertain the sex of a foetus and sex-selective abortions. Sociologists warn that skewed sex ratios can, over a period of time, lead to a deterioration of women’s rights in these cultures, and make them more vulnerable to sexual harassment.

IMPORTANCE OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH IN DECISION MAKING

Operations research is a quantitative approach that solves problems, using a number of mathematical techniques. It is helpful to use operations research when you’re trying to make decisions but the conditions are uncertain, and when differing objectives are in conflict with each other.

Advantages of Operations Research

These mathematical techniques used in operations research help managers do their jobs more effectively:

Maintaining Better Control

Managers use techniques of operations research to maintain better control over their subordinates. This is possible because operations research provides a basis in which to establish standards of performance and ways to measure productivity. Reporting deviations from standards enables managers to identify problem areas and to take corrective action.

Better Decision Making

The mathematical models of operations research allow people to analyze a greater number of alternatives and constraints than would usually be possible, if they were to use only an intuitive approach. Using operations research, it is easier to analyze multiple alternatives, which results in greater confidence in the optimal choice.

Better Coordination of Departments

Operations research analysis blends together the objectives of different departments. For example, operations research coordinates the aims of the marketing department with the schedules of the production department.

Increased Business Productivity

The mathematical formulas used in operations research can increase productivity, as they offer a greater number of optimal choices of inventory mix, plant machine utilization, factory size, manpower planning and implementing new technologies.

Operations Research Model

Operations research has evolved into a standard framework that’s used for identifying and solving problems. The steps are as follows:

  • Orientation
  • Defining the problem
  • Collecting data
  • Formulating constraints and objectives
  • Solution
  • Validating the model and output analysis
  • Implementation and monitoring

Example of Operations Research Analysis

A good example of how to use operations research analysis is to consider the plight of farmer Jones. He must decide how many acres of corn and wheat to plant this year. One acre of corn will yield 10 bushels, and will require four hours of labor per week, and it will sell at $3 per bushel. Wheat will sell at $4 a bushel, will need 10 hours of labor a week and will yield 25 bushels per acre.

Farmer Jones has seven acres of land and can only work 40 hours per week. The government states that he must produce at least 30 bushels of corn in the coming year.

How many acres of corn and wheat does Farmer Jones plant to maximize his revenue? The linear programming technique of operations research gives the optimal answer – he should plant three acres of corn and 2.8 acres of wheat.

Operations Research Limitation: Problem must be Quantifiable

Operations research only functions when all factors in a problem can be quantified. Other relevant inputs to a problem might not be expressible in numbers.

Difficulties in Implementation

Implementing optimal solutions that result from operations research does not take human reactions and behavior into consideration.

Management is constantly under pressure to make economical decisions that result in more efficient operations and greater profits. The techniques of operations research help managers allocate resources more effectively and enables them to better optimize the performance of their businesses.

The French Revolution

As you all know, the French Revolution was a long period of social and political upheaval in France and its various colonies which began in 1789 and ended in 1799 with the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. A combination of social, economic, intellectual and political reasons led to this revolution.
Let us look at the causes of the revolution one by one.

  1. BANKRUPTCY
    The very first reason for the outbreak of the revolution was the bankruptcy of the treasury. Under the French king Louis XVI, France had helped thirteen American colonies in gaining freedom from their common enemy- Britain. The French government had spent a lot of money on the war and had incurred a debt of over 2 billion livres. The treasury was being used up for paying back the loans which the government had taken and to maintain Louis XVI’s flamboyant and extravagant court at the palace of Versailles. Thus, to meet its regular expenses like maintaining the army, the court, the universities, running of government establishments etc, the government had to increase the taxes.
    Now, we first need to understand that the French society was divided into three estates or classes- the Clergy, the nobility and the peasantry. The first two estates enjoyed a lot of privileges which included exemption from paying taxes. Hence, now the entire tax burden was on the shoulders of the poor peasantry who did not even have the resources to afford a decent living. Thus, this new burden of paying increased taxes enraged them.
  2. STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE
    The second reason which led to resentment amongst the French was the struggle they had to go through for survival. The population had increased from 23 million to about 28 million between 1715 and 1789. This led to an increase in the demand for bread but unfortunately, the production of grain did not grow in tandem with the rise in demand. Thus, the price of the bread rose rapidly.
    Now since the wages of the workers were fixed, they could not afford buying bread at increased prices which led to widespread hunger and malnutrition amongst the people and the economic gap between the rich and the poor also increased.
  3. GROWING MIDDLE CLASS
    The third reason was the growth of a middle class. Throughout the 17th and the 18th century, there was a growth in the production of textiles and subsequent rise in overseas trade. Consequently, by the 18th century, a new middle class emerged which was engaged in this trade. The members of this class believed that no group in the society should be privileged by birth. Rather, a person’s social position must depend on his merit. Philosophers like John Locke and Rousseau put forward the idea of a society based on freedom and equality. Their ideas slowly became popular amongst the common people who would widely discuss their philosophies in salons and coffee houses.
  4. ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES
    The last reason was the inefficiency and corruption in the administration, which did not pay attention to the peasantry. Added to this was the injustice the third estate (which was essentially the peasantry) was facing because of its social position.
    Hence, all these reasons forced the people of France to attack the wealthy aristocratic class including the monarch.

How Social Media Affects Your Self Awareness

I recently acquainted myself with a new term called ‘Smiling Depression’. This term is unusually used for people who appear happy on the outside but are in actual fact not happy. Because of social media, this condition has become more prevalent in social media users. 

We all know of Maslow’s hierarchy of our basic needs- self actualisation is one of the needs we have as an individual and we are constantly making efforts to craft this image that is better than the current one. We try so much that this becomes almost obsessive. As humans, we are set up with the basic instincts of self-improvement and we always somehow seem to know how to identify someone who we feel is ahead of us. This creates the an endless loop of ‘smiling depression’. 

Social media is an easy and dreamy out to reality. To create the image of a person who simply wakes up fresh and rejuvenated face, has time for make-up and heads out stylish without even trying to be, but how many of us can testify it as that easy? Very few if any. We all need to realise that regardless of the amount of time we spend creating these social identities online, we are only simple humans. Others are just better at creating and embracing these images and facades on social media.

So next time you are scrolling through your Instagram or Facebook feed, realise these points before you slip into ‘smiling depression’:

  1. You need a time-out from social media, maybe even for the rest of the day. People are not who they are online, their image on social media is highly curated and does not always represent reality. 
  2. Confront the negative thoughts and ask yourself  ‘Where are they coming from?’. Remind yourself we all wear a mask online, no one is as happy as they appear to be on social media. Everyone has problems, even celebrities. 
  3. If social media is your boredom killer where you scroll endlessly the whole day, logout and grab a book or download gaming app or do something that you like and you’re good at. Be more productive in real life and less online.

PM Oli’s attack on India backfires, chorus for his exit becomes louder at party meet

PM Oli’s attack on India backfires, chorus for his exit becomes louder at party meet

Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli is under increasing pressure to quit over his government’s alleged failures to deal with important domestic issues.

Nepals Prime minister KP Sharma Oli has been trying to blame India for the demands of resignation rising within his own party

Nepal’s Prime minister KP Sharma Oli has been trying to blame India for the demands of resignation rising within his own party. (AFP file photo)

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who had last week blamed India for his mounting troubles, on Tuesday faced a sharp attack from top leaders of the ruling Nepal Communist Party who demanded that the prime minister step down immediately, according to news agency ANI.

PM Oli had last week accused New Delhi of orchestrating efforts to topple him in an effort to put the rival faction led by co-chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on a back foot. PM Oli, speaking at an event on Sunday, had claimed that his rivals were trying to pull the rug from under his feet because he had brought out a new political map that had upset Nepal’s giant neighbour. But this attempt appeared to have backfired.

At the party’s 44-member standing committee meeting on Tuesday, local media reports quoted communist party leaders such as Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Madhav Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal and Bamdev Gautam stepping up their pitch to seek his removal. They have argued that the Oli-led government had failed to deliver on basic governance issues and was blaming India to divert attention, according to a report in the website of newspaper The Himalayan Times.

“As things progressed, party co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal asked PM Oli to quit owing to the government’s gross, all-round incompetence, according to a source close to Dahal. Many NCP (NCP) leaders came down heavily on PM Oli for failing to deliver as well as for applying diversion tactics to fend off criticisms,” the Himalayan Times report on its website said.

Local media reports said PM Oli’s rival faction is “hell bent” to force him to either quit the Prime Ministerial post or the position of party co-chair. eKantipur, another news website suggested that PM Oli tried to brush aside calls for his resignation, repeating his allegation about New Delhi’s role.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known by his nom de guerre ‘Prachanda’, slammed Oli.

“The Prime Minister’s remarks that India was conspiring to remove him was neither politically correct, nor diplomatically appropriate,” Prachanda said, according to news agency PTI. “Such a statement by the Prime Minister may damage our relations with the neighbour,” he warned.

PM Oli had last month unveiled Nepal’s new map that made fresh territorial claims on India’s Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura region. Analysts in Kathmandu and New Delhi had interpreted his government’s hard push to the map to be an effort to whip up ultra-nationalistic sentiments against India. PM Oli’s rivals within and without the party played along with him to accord parliamentary approval to the new map but revived the campaign for his ouster soon after.

India has rejected Nepal’s claim as “untenable” and described it as an “artificial enlargement” of the territorial claims. It has also maintained that New Delhi values its friendly relations with Nepal and its people.

 

Three days ago, Communist party president Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda had demanded Oli’s resignation while questioning his attempt to pass on the blame to New Delhi. On Monday, Nepal foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali had said that the government hoped that the territorial dispute between India and Nepal would be resolved through diplomatic efforts and that it should not impact other dynamics of the bilateral ties, as reported by PTI.

 

Benefits Of Reading Books : How It Can Positively Affect Our Lives!

What exactly do human beings get from reading books? Is it just a matter of pleasure, or are there benefits beyond enjoyment? The scientific answer is a resounding “yes. “ Reading books benefits both our physical and mental health, and those benefits can last a lifetime. They begin in early childhood and continue through the span of life.


READING STRENGTHENS OUR BRAIN
Researchers have confirmed that reading involves a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. As your reading ability matures, those networks also get stronger and more sophisticated.


INCREASES ABILITY TO EMPHASISE
People who read literary fiction — stories that explore the inner lives of characters — show a heightened ability to understand the feelings and beliefs of others. Researchers call this ability the “theory of mind,” a set of skills essential for building, navigating, and maintaining social relationships.


BUILDS VOCABULARY
Students who read books regularly, beginning at a young age, gradually develop large vocabularies. And vocabulary size can influence many areas of your life, from scores on standardized tests to college admissions and job opportunities.


REDUCES STRESS
Studies have found that 30 minutes of reading lowered blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress just as effectively as yoga and humor did.


HELPS ALLEVIATE DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS
People with depression often feel isolated and estranged from everyone else. And that’s a feeling books can sometimes lessen. Reading fiction can allow you to temporarily escape your own world and become swept up in the imagined experiences of the characters. And nonfiction self-help books can teach you strategies that may help you manage symptoms.

It’s especially important for children to read as much as possible because the effects of reading are cumulative. However, it’s never too late to begin taking advantage of the many physical and psychological benefits waiting for you in the pages of a good book.

Overworking yourself

How many hours do we work spending in a day? This thought came to my mind some days back when I clearly had nothing to do. I was contemplating on how to make my day productive and I realized that this quarantine period has provided me with a lot of time to give myself enough rest, probably something no one gets to experience on a daily basis anymore.

I mostly used to feel proud of working more hours, because it somehow became synonymous with more productivity for me. But I later realized how wrong I was. I was bragging about something which was clearly nothing to brag about. There is nothing great about overworking yourself.

Overworking yourself to the limit of exhaustion doesn’t benefit anyone. It just leads to a burnout and even decreases efficiency. We all have become such busybodies that we can’t even appreciate our own self, let alone others. This may eventually lead to a stage of complete burnout and may also bring along physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. Too much involvement in everything can be harmful. We should learn to give ourselves a break too. The amount of pressure we put on ourselves can be unbearable.

The major consequences of overworking oneself incudes

Fatigue: There is sheer tiredness all the time. Even after a well-rested sleep, this doesn’t seem to go away.

Multitasking: Having thousands of tasks to accomplish on our to-do-list can be daunting. Accepting a large number of tasks and then juggling among them just reduces efficiency.

Health consequences: Putting in too many hours can cause some serious health concerns, both physical and mental. You will constantly find yourself keeping unwell or if the work is physically more demanding, back pain and other muscular pain can be frequently experienced. Too much work may bring too much stress and emotional and mental health may suffer.

There are certain situations or elements that are beyond our control but we do have the choice to decide on how to act on them. In order to take care of ourselves, we have to come to a realization that some things can be done while others can’t. There is no need to feel guilty about this. We all have our limitations and breaking points, if our work is always taking us over the edge of these limitations, this may be the time to stop and reflect.

Never let work come in between personal relationships. This can damage both. It is always good to be ambitious and put continuous efforts, but emotional support from family members and friends can contribute a great deal in our journey. Also, try to set realistic goals for oneself. Be a bit accepting of your own shortcomings and learn to be compassionate towards yourself. Don’t shy away from taking little breaks from time to time. A pause from the monotonous stressful life can really put things into perspective.

Milk Powder: Is it a Viable Alternative to Regular Milk?

The very mention of milk powder brings back memories of relishing a spoonful straight from the tinned boxes. Or those railway journeys, when as kids we would eagerly wait for tea-time because along with the beverages came those little sachets of milk powder.

Many people are not fond of raw milk, but the fluffy milk powder is a temptation hard to resist. Sweet and creamy, it continues to be a favoured option to satisfy sudden sugar carvings. But more than that, it is the quickest and easiest option for your much needed milk fix. There’s no need to worry about boiling the milk before consuming or refrigerating it to prevent spoilage. Just add a large spoonful of milk powder in a glass of warm water, stir well and it’s ready.

(Milk Compound Keeps You Slim Despite Lazy Lifestyle)

In today’s times, it has become an important part of household needs, from being used as a whitener for tea and coffee to being used as an ingredient while cooking. It is easy to store, offers value for money and is packed with essential nutrients.

powdered-milk-alternative-regular-milk-1

 What is Milk Powder?

Raw milk roughly comprises 87.3 per cent water, 3.9 per cent milk fats and 8.8 per cent non-fat milk solids (protein, milk sugar, minerals, etc.). To obtain milk powder, raw milk is evaporated till it leaves behind milk solids minus the moisture content. In short, milk powder is evaporated milk, which is further condensed and processed. During the evaporation process, milk is also pasteurized under controlled temperatures to ward off any bacterial growth.

Similar to raw milk, powdered milk is loaded with nutrients; it is a good source of essential minerals and vitamins such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, potassium as well as vitamins A, D, E and K. During the evaporation process, it is ensured that these beneficial nutrients are not lost. Milk powder also meets your daily dose of other important nutritional elements such as amino acids and antioxidants which are responsible for a number of functions such as cellular growth, stimulating the body’s immune system, aiding in blood clotting, calcium absorption and so on.

(10 Best Milk Recipes)

powdered-milk-alternative-regular-milk-2

(Raw Milk Versus Pasteurized Milk, Which One Should You Pick?)

Can I Substitute Regular Milk with the Powdered Version?

Powdered milk serves as a viable and feasible alternative to regular pasteurized milk; however there are a few things one needs to keep in mind before switching to the powdered version.

– Powdered versions have almost similar nutritional profile as regular milk except the fact that the latter scores slightly better on flavour, aroma and some of the essential nutrients like phosphorous, selenium and B-complex vitamins. In case you are planning to opt for powdered milk, make sure that it is enriched and fortified with essential minerals and nutrients.

(14 Recipe Ideas for Leftover Milk)

– A Delhi based nutritionist and weight management expert, Dr. Gargi Sharma points out at one of the disadvantages associated with powder milk consumption. According to her, “Many times, people are unable to strike a balance between the right proportion of milk powder and water. This could lead to nutritional deficiency and also compromises the nutritional efficacy of milk consumption in form of powder. As a nutritionist I won’t recommend milk powder for long-term consumption. It can’t be treated as a stand-alone meal replacement,” concluded Dr. Gargi.

powdered-milk-alternative-regular-milk-3

(Readers Recipe Swap: Milk)

– However, Dr. Ritika Samaddar of Max Healthcare Saket, New Delhi, stresses on the fact that “The back of the pack clearly states how much of powder needs to be added with what amount of water to achieve your desired nutritional output. If one diligently follows the directions given at the back of the pack, milk powder consumption is as good as regular milk.” She also cautions consumers, “In India, most milk powders contain added sugar which automatically increases the calorific value and is also not desirable for people with diabetes. In such a case, make sure that you opt for a brand that doesn’t mention ‘added sugar’”.

All in all, powdered milk offers a convenient alternative to regular milk. However, as the experts have noted above, it is imperative that you chose the right product and consume it as per the nutritional directions mentioned on the pack – this is extremely crucial, especially when it is being fed to children.

A little note about Powdered Milk

Powdered milk or dried milk is a manufactured dairy product made by evaporating milk to dryness. One purpose of drying milk is to preserve it; milk powder has a far longer shelf life than liquid milk and does not need to be refrigerated, due to its low moisture content. Another purpose is to reduce its bulk for economy of transportation. Powdered milk and dairy products include such items as dry whole milk, nonfat (skimmed) dry milk, dry buttermilk, dry whey products and dry dairy blends. Many exported dairy products conform to standards laid out in Codex Alimentarius. Many forms of milk powder are traded on exchanges.

Powdered milk is used for food and health (nutrition), and also in biotechnology (saturating agent)

History and manufacture

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/National_Dried_Milk.jpg/170px-National_Dried_Milk.jpg

Modified dry whole milk, fortified with vitamin D. This is the original container from 1947, provided by the Ministry of Food in London, England

While Marco Polo wrote of Mongolian Tatar troops in the time of Kublai Khan who carried sun-dried skimmed milk as “a kind of paste”, the first modern production process for dried milk was invented by the Russian doctor Osip Krichevsky in 1802. The first commercial production of dried milk was organized by the Russian chemist M. Dirchoff in 1832. In 1855, T.S. Grimwade took a patent on a dried milk procedure, though a William Newton had patented a vacuum drying process as early as 1837.

In modern times, powdered milk is usually made by spray drying[6] nonfat skimmed milk, whole milk, buttermilk or whey. Pasteurized milk is first concentrated in an evaporator to approximately 50 percent milk solids. The resulting concentrated milk is then sprayed into a heated chamber where the water almost instantly evaporates, leaving fine particles of powdered milk solids.

Alternatively, the milk can be dried by drum drying. Milk is applied as a thin film to the surface of a heated drum, and the dried milk solids are then scraped off. However, powdered milk made this way tends to have a cooked flavour, due to caramelization caused by greater heat exposure.

Another process is freeze drying, which preserves many nutrients in milk, compared to drum drying.

The drying method and the heat treatment of the milk as it is processed alters the properties of the milk powder, such as its solubility in cold water, its flavour, and its bulk density.

Food and health uses

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Milk_powder_Incolac.jpg/170px-Milk_powder_Incolac.jpg

Incolac powdered milk

Powdered milk is frequently used in the manufacture of infant formulaconfectionery such as chocolate and caramel candy, and in recipes for baked goods where adding liquid milk would render the product too thin. Powdered milk is also widely used in various sweets such as the famous Indian milk balls known as gulab jamun and a popular Indian sweet delicacy (sprinkled with desiccated coconut) known as chum chum (made with skim milk powder). Many no-cook recipes that use nut butters use powdered milk to prevent the nut butter from turning liquid by absorbing the oil.[7]

Powdered milk is also a common item in UN food aid supplies, fallout shelters, warehouses, and wherever fresh milk is not a viable option. It is widely used in many developing countries because of reduced transport and storage costs (reduced bulk and weight, no refrigerated vehicles). Like other dry foods, it is considered nonperishable, and is favored by survivalistshikers, and others requiring nonperishable, easy-to-prepare food.

Because of its resemblance to cocaine and other drugs, powdered milk is sometimes used in filmmaking as a non-toxic prop that may be insufflated.[citation needed]

Reconstitution

The weight of nonfat dry milk (NFDM) to use is about 10% of the water weight.[8][note 1] Alternatively, when measuring by volume rather than weight, one cup of fluid milk from powdered milk requires one cup of water and one-third cup of powdered milk.

Nutritional value

Milk powders contain all 21 standard amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, and are high in soluble vitamins and minerals.[9] According to USAID,[10] the typical average amounts of major nutrients in the unreconstituted nonfat dry milk are (by weight) 36% protein, 52% carbohydrates (predominantly lactose), calcium 1.3%, potassium 1.8%. Whole milk powder, on the other hand, contains on average 25-27% protein, 36-38% carbohydrates, 26-40% fat, and 5-7% ash (minerals). In Canada, powdered milk must contain added vitamin D in an amount such that a reasonable daily intake of the milk will provide between 300 and 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin D.[11] However, inappropriate storage conditions, such as high relative humidity and high ambient temperature, can significantly degrade the nutritive value of milk powder.[12]

Commercial milk powders are reported to contain oxysterols (oxidized cholesterol)[13] in higher amounts than in fresh milk (up to 30 μg/g, versus trace amounts in fresh milk).[14] Oxysterols are derivatives of cholesterol that are produced either by free radicals or by enzymes. Some free radicals-derived oxysterols have been suspected of being initiators of atherosclerotic plaques.[15] For comparison, powdered eggs contain even more oxysterols, up to 200 μg/g.[14]

Export market

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/20111110-OC-AMW-0038_-_Flickr_-_USDAgov.jpg/220px-20111110-OC-AMW-0038_-_Flickr_-_USDAgov.jpg

National household dried machine skimmed milk. This was U.S.-produced dry milk for food export in June 1944.

European production of milk powder is estimated around 800,000 tons of which the main volume is exported in bulk packing or consumer packs.

Brands on the market include “Nido“, from the company Nestlé, “Incolac” from the company Milcobel, “Dutch Lady” from FrieslandCampina and “Puck” from Arla Foods.

Adulteration

In the 2008 Chinese milk scandalmelamine adulterant was found in Sanlu infant formula, added to fool tests into reporting higher protein content. Thousands became ill, and some children died, after consuming the product.

Contamination scare

In August 2013, China temporarily suspended all milk powder imports from New Zealand, after a scare where botulism-causing bacteria was falsely detected in several batches of New Zealand-produced whey protein concentrate. As a result of the product recall, the New Zealand dollar slipped significantly[quantify] based on expected losses in sales from this single commodity.[16]

Use in biotechnology

Fat-free powdered milk is used as a saturating agent to block nonspecific binding sites on supports like blotting membranes (nitrocellulosepolyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) or nylon),[17] preventing binding of further detection reagents and subsequent background.[18] It may be referred as Blotto. The major protein of milk, casein, is responsible for most of the binding site saturation effect.

Tears for Gaseous Terror……

Tear gas, known as a lachrymal agent (from the Latin lacrima, meaning “tear”), sometimes known as mace, is a chemical weapon that causes severe eye and respiratory pain, skin irritation, bleeding, and blindness. In the eye, it stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland to produce tears. Tear “gas” generally consists of aerosolized solid or liquid compounds (Bromo Acetone or Xylyl Bromide), not gas. Tear gas works by irritating mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, mouth and lungs. It causes crying, sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, pain in the eyes, and temporary blindness. With CS gas, symptoms of irritation typically appear after 20 to 60 seconds of exposure and commonly resolve within 30 minutes of leaving (or being removed from) the area. In case of a survey it was found that severe symptoms requiring medical evaluation were found in 6.8% of people. The most severe injuries were to the eyes (54%), respiratory system (32%) and skin (18%). The most severe injuries occurred in law enforcement training, intentionally incapacitating people, and law enforcement (whether of individuals or crowd control).

As with all non-lethal or less-lethal weapons, there is some risk of serious permanent injury or death when tear gas is used. This includes risks from being hit by tear gas cartridges that may cause severe bruising, loss of eyesight, or skull fracture, resulting in immediate death. A case of serious vascular injury from tear gas shells has also been reported from Iran, with high rates of associated nerve injury (44%) and amputation (17%), as well as instances of head injuries in young people.While the medical consequences of the gases themselves are typically limited to minor skin inflammation, delayed complications are also possible. People with pre existing respiratory conditions such as asthma are particularly at risk. They are likely to need medical attention and may sometimes require hospitalization or even ventilation support.Skin exposure to CS may cause chemical burns or induce allergic contact dermatitis. When people are hit at close range or are severely exposed, eye injuries involving scarring of the cornea can lead to a permanent loss in visual acuity. Frequent or high levels of exposure carry increased risks of respiratory illness.

There is no specific antidote to common tear gases. Getting clear of gas and into fresh air is the first line of action. Removing contaminated clothing and avoiding shared use of contaminated towels could help reduce skin reactions. Immediate removal of contact lenses has also been recommended, as they can retain particles. Once a person has been exposed, there are a variety of methods to remove as much chemical as possible and relieve symptoms. The standard first aid for burning solutions in the eye is irrigation (spraying or flushing out) with water. There are reports that water may increase pain from CS gas, but the balance of limited evidence currently suggests water or saline are the best options. Some evidence suggests that Diphoterine, a hypertonic amphoteric salt solution, a first aid product for chemical splashes, may help with ocular burns or chemicals in the eye.Bathing and washing the body vigorously with soap and water can remove particles that adhere to the skin. Clothes, shoes and accessories that come into contact with vapors must be washed well since all untreated particles can remain active for up to a week.Some advocate using fans or hair dryers to evaporate the spray, but this has not been shown to be better than washing out the eyes and it may spread contamination.Anticholinergics can work like some antihistamines as they reduce lacrymation and decrease salivation, acting as an antisialagogue, and for overall nose discomfort as they are used to treat allergic reactions in the nose (e.g., itching, runny nose, and sneezing).Oral analgesics may help relieve eye pain.Vinegar, petroleum jelly, milk and lemon juice solutions have also been used by activists. It is unclear how effective these remedies are. In particular, vinegar itself can burn the eyes and prolonged inhalation can also irritate the airways. Though vegetable oil and vinegar have also been reported as helping relieve burning caused by pepper spray, usage of baking soda or toothpaste, stating that they trap the particles emanating from the gas near the airways that are more feasible to inhale. A small trial of baby shampoo for washing out the eyes did not show any benefit. So it’s better to visit a medical professional rather than to try home remedies if you are exposed to tear gas.

5G fiasco: Huawei against the world.

The “tide is turning” against Huawei Technologies as a number of countries exclude the Chinese company from their 5G infrastructure, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says, framing it as a win for security.The U.S. foreign policy chief on Thursday cited “a transatlantic awakening to the truth of what’s happening” on China issues including “Huawei, an arm of the Chinese Communist Party’s surveillance state.”This isn’t the United States confronting China, Pompeo said, “This is the world confronting China,” during a speech at the German Marshall Fund’s Brussels Forum, livestreamed by the State Department.A day prior, Pompeo said in a statement that the momentum in favor of a “secure 5G” is building. “The more countries, companies, and citizens ask whom they should trust with their most sensitive data, the more obvious the answer becomes: not the Chinese Communist Party’s surveillance state. Singapore’s telecommunications companies said they chose Huawei’s rivals, Sweden’s Ericsson and Finland’s Nokia, to build their fifth-generation infrastructure.

Pompeo’s statement also listed Sweden, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia, Romania, Latvia and Greece as examples of countries allowing only “trusted vendors” in their 5G infrastructure.Only a month ago, Scandinavian news agency TT quoted Sweden’s digital development minister, Anders Ygeman, as saying he sees no problem with using Huawei. The Chinese company reportedly is used in the country’s first public 5G network, rolled out by carrier Tele2 in May. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that his country will ultimately have to side with the U.S.regarding the Huawei issue.”We do need to make a call, and I think it’s got to be pro-U.S. in the end,” he said in a livestreamed interview . It’s a problem for us because, Huawei has an infrastructure that we need that is already quite embedded, and the truth is it’s a lot cheaper than the alternatives that are being developed up to now,” Blair said. But “America feels very strongly about this, and they feel strongly for good enough reasons, so I think it’s very hard for us,” the former U.K. leader said. “It’s very hard for us not to be with the U.S. on anything that touches U.S. security. The U.S led by Pompeo, has campaigned over the past few years to deter others from using Chinese telecom equipment, citing national security risks posed by companies like Huawei. Washington in some cases has threatened to end intelligence sharing with countries that use Huawei gear. Some European leaders including Germany’s Angela Merkel have been hesitant. Current British Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously allowed a role for Huawei in the U.K.’s 5G networks, but was pressured by his own party to reexamine that decision. Opposing voices to Huawei’s presence there have grown stronger since the coronavirus pandemic, which many blame on Beijing’s botched initial response.The U.S.-China feud over 5G also puts Japan in the crossfire, as Tokyo juggles an ever-stronger economic relationship with Beijing and its strategic reliance on Washington. On Thursday, top Japanese carrier Nippon Telegraph & Telephone announced a tie-up with electronics company NEC to launch a “made-in-Japan” alliance in 5G technology. While the U.S.-China relations may become extremely difficult, there is an opportunity to make globally competitive products and systems from Japan,” NTT CEO Jun Sawada told reporters. “We will create a system by partnering with reliable countries and players. It is consistent with the trend of economic security. “Pompeo’s statement Wednesday on secure 5G praised “clean telcos” including NTT, South Korea’s SK Telecom and KT, India’s Reliance Jio and Australia’s Telstra for not using Huawei technology in their 5G networks.

Herzing Helps Turn Impossible into “I’m Possible”

For over fifty years, Herzing University has committed to helping people overcome challenges in their pursuit of a better life. Founded by my parents Henry and Suzanne Herzing in 1965 as a family-held institution, Herzing has always been dedicated to providing a supportive educational environment that enables students to reach their personal and professional potential.
Today, as the president of Herzing University, now a nonprofit private institution, I strive to continue that legacy.
So many of our students come to us believing that earning a degree is impossible. At the same time, they know that it’s a necessity. Either they need to reenter the workforce, move beyond their hourly job, or advance in their current field. Career-focused education can make that possible, and we at Herzing have over 50 years of experience in helping people achieve their goals. It’s a commitment that goes beyond the classroom to support individual students’ needs, styles and passions.
I am writing this message today as my commitment to you that Herzing University will help you discover that there are ways to pursue your college education, seek financial assistance and graduate with a degree. You can see what our students say about us, which is often, “Herzing feels like family.”
Please continue to follow our blog, engage through social media, and most importantly, take the next step and reach out to us. I am confident that we can help you turn what might have seemed impossible into new possibilities.
Renée Herzing has been President of Herzing University since March 1, 2009. After attaining a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, she taught abroad in Scotland and Germany for nine years before completing her M.B.A. online. She has worked in various positions at Herzing at the campus level, including Registrar, Director of Admissions, and President of the Online Campus. Outside of work, she enjoys travel, music, and most of all, spending time with her husband and two children.

Cyber bullying

Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person. Online threats and mean, aggressive, or rude texts, tweets, posts, or messages all count. So does posting personal information, pictures, or videos designed to hurt or embarrass someone else.

Cyberbullying also includes photos, messages, or pages that don’t get taken down, even after the person has been asked to do so. In other words, it’s anything that gets posted online and is meant to hurt, harass, or upset someone else.

Intimidation or mean comments that focus on things like a person’s gender, religion, sexual orientation, race, or physical differences count as discrimination, which is against the law in many states. That means the police could get involved, and bullies may face serious penalties.

Online bullying can be particularly damaging and upsetting because it’s usually anonymous or hard to trace. It’s also hard to control, and the person being victimized has no idea how many people (or hundreds of people) have seen the messages or posts. People can be tormented nonstop whenever they check their device or computer.

Sometimes, people are afraid or not sure if they’re being bullied or not. So they don’t do anything about it. If you’re being bullied, harassed, or teased in a hurtful way — or know someone who is — you don’t have to suffer in silence. In fact, you absolutely should report any upsetting texts, messages, posts, or emails.

Tell someone. Most experts agree: The first thing to do is tell an adult you trust. This is often easier said than done. People who are cyberbullied may feel embarrassed or reluctant to report a bully. Some may hesitate because they’re not 100% sure who is doing the bullying. But bullying can get worse, so speak up until you find someone to help. Sometimes the police can track down an anonymous online bully, so it’s often worthwhile to report it.

Report bullying. Social media sites take it seriously when people post cruel or mean stuff or set up fake accounts. If users report abuse, the site administrator may block the bully from using the site in the future. If someone sends you mean texts or emails, report it to phone service or email providers (such as Comcast, Google, and Verizon).

Block the bully. Most devices have settings that let you electronically block the bully or bullies from sending notes. If you don’t know how to do this, ask a friend or adult who does.

Be safe online. Password protect your smartphone and your online sites, and change your passwords often. Be sure to share your passwords only with your parent or guardian. It’s also wise to think twice before sharing personal information or photos/videos that you don’t want the world to see. Once you’ve posted a photo or message, it can be difficult or impossible to delete. So remind yourself to be cautious when posting photos or responding to someone’s upsetting message.

TIME IS IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE

Time esteem is generally significant throughout everyday life. Everybody needs to regard and comprehend the time esteem since time can give the response of shrewd just as great. A few people comprehend the significance and significance of life.

Figure out how to appreciate each moment of your life. Be cheerful at this point. Try not to hang tight for something outside of yourself to make you fulfilled later on. Consider how valuable is the time you need to spend, regardless of whether it’s grinding away or with your family. Consistently ought to be appreciated and enjoyed.

Time is estimated constantly, days, years, etc. Time causes us to make a decent propensity for sorting out and organizing our every day exercises. Nobody can get away from the progression of time. We as a whole exposed to maturing and mortality.

Time assumes a critical job in our lives. In the event that we better comprehend the time esteem, at that point it can pick up understanding and create abilities after some time. Time can likewise mend things whether outside injuries or sentiments.

Time is a definitive thing that we can’t gauge. Exercises, when performed on schedule, will be productive, and the outcomes will be incredible. Time can likewise mean the point so as to which an individual is alluding.

Significance of Time

The best saying on time will be “Time and tide sit tight for none.” It is better says by somebody. Everybody ought to comprehend the worth and significance of the time.

Time is Invaluable

Time is more significant looked at than cash. Time is valuable halfway for the explanation that we are for the most part just assigned a specific measure of time in our lives, thus we have to ensure that we use it carefully. Nothing can stop the progression of time. Time once past can’t be brought back using any and all means.

Reliability

All individuals need to stroll in any method of existence with timeliness. It is crucial for a superior life. On the off chance that we are timely at each development of life, at that point nobody can say anything incorrectly for us.

The understudies ought to go to class at once. In the event that they will be on schedule, at that point zero chance to get discipline and consistently will be noteworthy for instructors.

Time Management

Time the board is foremost comprehends the estimation of the time. Those individuals accomplish his work on schedule and comprehend the estimation of time, and afterward they never get the humiliation from their life.

For time the executives, we are just getting 24 hours every day, and nobody else can live this time in the spot. The time has come constrained, so everybody needs to assume responsibility for his day, at that point they will improve their capacity to center. Try not to squander any development of life, since that opportunity never arrives again throughout everyday life. In the event that you never lose your force, at that point you will begin taking care of the remaining task at hand productively and wrapping it up rapidly.

Features Into a Timely Manner

Everybody needs to understand the estimation of time and spend it rashly. Such individuals burn through their time and keep pointless reasoning can in reverse to them and lost their future. Everybody needs to do concentrate on their significant undertaking each day.

Everybody ought to understand that a significant number of things to come inconveniences can maintain a strategic distance from by making brief move instantly. The well known saying, “a fasten in time spares nine” likewise features the significance of sifting through an issue at an early age.

Kindness

Being on schedule, and monitoring what time it is, guarantees that we won’t turn up late for our arrangements. I am crucial in the event that we need to treat others with amiability and regard. Their time is significant, much the same as our own is, and we ought not make them squander it.

Future Unseen

In spite of the fact that what’s to come is concealed, man can buckle down today to expand the likelihood of a superior tomorrow. Individuals should utilize their time appropriately. We should attempt our best to dodge the propensity for slothfulness and start to carry out our responsibilities on schedule. It will without a doubt light up our future.

The facts confirm that no one can precisely conjecture what’s to come. Numerous things are outside the ability to control of individuals. The economy and the monetary circumstance of nations are quick evolving.

Estimation of The Time During Emergencies Situation

The climate condition consistently stays dubious. There remains the danger of normal disasters. To handle the circumstance of cataclysmic events, the administration and different associations are concocting “Calamity Management and Recovery Plans.” During the hours of crisis, debacle recuperation groups are relied upon to act quick without squandering a solitary moment.

Pradhan Mantri Formalization Of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PM- FME)

Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal has launched the PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme as a part of “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan”, in the presence of Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Rameswar Teli. The minister said that the scheme would generate total investment of Rs 35,000 crore and generate 9 lakh skilled and semi-skilled employment and benefit 8 lakh units through access to information, training, better exposure and formalisation. The guidelines of the scheme were released on the occasion.
            Highlighting the role of local food processing units, the minister said that food products manufactured by the rural entrepreneurs in the villages have a long tradition of supplying Indian food products to the local population. The importance of these local units and their role has been amply emphasised by the Prime Minister in his address to the nation on May 12, 2020. “In times of crisis, this local has fulfilled our demand, this local has saved us. Local is not just the need, it is our responsibility also. Time has taught us that we must make the local as a mantra of our life. The global brands you feel today were sometimes also very local like this. But when people started using them, started promoting them, branding them, proud of them, they became global from local products. Therefore, from today every Indian has to become vocal for their local, not only to buy local products, but also to promote them proudly. I am confident that our country can do this.”

Details of the PM FME scheme            With a view to providing financial, technical and business support for upgradation of existing micro food processing enterprises, MoFPI has launched an all India “Centrally Sponsored PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme” to be implemented over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore. The expenditure under the scheme would to be shared in 60:40 ratio between Central and state governments, in 90:10 ratio with North Eastern and Himalayan states, 60:40 ratio with UTs with legislature and 100% by Centre for other UTs.
               The scheme adopts One District One Product (ODODP) approach to reap benefit of scale in terms of procurement of inputs, availing common services and marketing of products. The states would identify food product for a district keeping in view the existing clusters and availability of raw material. The ODOP product could be a perishable produce based product or cereal based products or a food product widely produced in a district and their allied sectors. Illustrative list of such products includes mango, potato, litchi, tomato, tapioca, kinnu, bhujia, petha, papad, pickle, millet based products, fisheries, poultry, meat as well as animal feed among others. Preference would be given to those producing ODOP products. However, units producing other products would also be supported. Support for common infrastructure and branding & marketing would be for ODOP products. The scheme also places focus on waste to wealth products, minor forest products and aspirational districts.
                    Existing Individual micro food processing units desirous of upgradation of their unit can avail credit-linked capital subsidy @35% of the eligible project cost with a maximum ceiling of Rs 10 lakh per unit. Seed capital @ Rs 40,000 per SHG member would be provided for working capital and purchase of small tools.  FPOs/ SHGs/ producer cooperatives would be provided credit linked grant of 35% for capital investment along the value chain. Support would be provided through credit linked grant @ 35% for development of common infrastructure including common processing facility, lab, warehouse, cold storage, packaging and incubation centre through FPOs/SHGs/cooperatives or state owned agencies or private enterprise to use by micro units in the cluster. Support for marketing & branding would be provided to develop brands for micro units and groups with 50% grant at state or regional level which could benefit large number of micro units in clusters.
            The scheme places special focus on capacity building and research. NIFTEM and IIFPT, two academic and research institutions under MoFPI along with State Level Technical Institutions selected by the states would be provided support for training of units, product development, appropriate packaging and machinery for micro units.
           All the processes of the scheme would take place on an MIS including applications by entrepreneurs, their processing, approval of various projects by the states and MoFPI, release of grant and other funds and monitoring of the project. Individual entrepreneurs and other stakeholders desirous of availing assistance under the scheme may contact the State Nodal Agencies of their respective states/ UTs regarding the roll out of scheme and contact points at the district level.
Extension of Operation Greens from TOP (Tomato-Onion-Potato) crops to all Perishable Fruits & Vegetables (TOP to Total) Operation Greens Scheme, being implemented by MoFPI has been extended from tomato, onion and potato (TOP) crops to other notified horticulture crops for providing subsidy for their transportation and storage from surplus production area to major consumption centres.  The objective of intervention is to protect the growers of fruits and vegetables from making distress sale due to lockdown and reduce the post -harvest losses.
Eligible CropsFruits- Mango, Banana, Guava, Kiwi, Lichi, Papaya, Citrus, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Jackfruit; Vegetables: – French beans, Bitter Gourd, Brinjal, Capsicum, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chillies (Green), Okra, Onion, Potato and Tomato. Any other fruit/vegetable can be added in future on the basis of recommendation by Ministry of Agriculture or State GovernmentDuration of Scheme: – for the period of six months from the date of notification i.e., 11/06/2020.
Eligible entities: – Food Processors, FPO/FPC, Co-operative Societies, Individual farmers, Licensed Commission Agent, Exporters, State Marketing/Co-operative Federation, Retailers etc. engaged in processing/ marketing of fruits and vegetables.
Pattern of Assistance: – Ministry will provide subsidy @ 50 % of the cost of the following two components, subject to the cost norms:Transportation of eligible crops from surplus production cluster to consumption centre; and/or Hiring of appropriate storage facilities for eligible crops (for maximum period of 3 months);Submission of claim for subsidy – Eligible entities, who comply with the aforesaid essential criteria may undertake the transportation and/or storage of notified crops from notified surplus production cluster, without any prior approval from MoFPI and thereafter submit their claim on online portal https://www.sampada-mofpi.gov.in/Login.aspx. The applicant should register on the portal before carrying out transportation/storage of fruits and vegetables.
Free on-line Skilling programme for the SC/ST Food Processors                Badal informed that MoFPI is planning to start free online skilling classes for SC and ST entrepreneurs, in collaboration with NIFTEM and FICSI, for providing e-learning. MoFPI has identified 41 courses and job roles like on baking, making jam, pickles, etc for which access to digital content would be made available. Once certified, these entrepreneurs would have better employment potential, or they can start their own venture. She further informed that the participant handbooks and the facilitator’s guide created by the ministry, through NIFTEM, will be converted into e-learning format with suitable digital content and online assessment service. These will be made available in English, Hindi and other regional languages by FICSI on web and on android based app on mobiles.

National Food For Work Programme

National Food for Work Programme. The National Food for Work Programme (External website that opens in a new window) was launched in 14th November, 2004 in 150 most backward districts of the country, identified by the Planning Commission in consultation with the Ministry of Rural Development and the State governments.

Objectives of NFFWP:

The objective of the programme was to provide additional resources apart from the resources available under the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) to 150 most backward districts of the country so that generation of supplementary wage employment and providing food security through creation of need based economic, social and community assets in these districts are further intensified.

The scheme was 100 percent centrally sponsored. The programme has since been subsumed in NREGA which has come in force in 200 identified districts of the country including 150 NFFWP districts. The Act provides 100 days of work guarantee to every rural household whose members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

Some Guidelines for NFFWP:

Target group:

The NFFWP is aimed at “all rural poor who are in need of wage employment and desire to do manual and unskilled work”.

Funding:

The NFFWP Is centrally funded. Food grains are provided free of cost to the states. States are supposed to cover transportation costs, handling charges and taxes.

Permissible works:

These include water conservation; drought proofing (including afforestation and tree plantation) and land development, flood control/protection (including drainage in water logged areas); rural connectivity in terms of all-weather roads. Other similar works can also be undertaken.

Perspective Plan:

A five year “perspective plan” is to be prepared for each district, With Blocks and Panchayat wise details of works to be undertaken. I lie Ministry of Rural Development will approve the Perspective Plan (with or without modification) which has to be prepared in consultation with the PRls, local MPs and MLAs.

Employment Register:

Each executing agency is to maintain an “employment register” which contains details of number of person employment (by caste and gender). This register is supposed to be open to public scrutiny and copies are to be made available by charging a “small fee if necessary”.

Monitoring Committee:

For each work there will be a monitoring committee comprising of 5-9 nominated members including at least one SC/ST candidate and a women’s representative. The selection of the committee members is to be done through the Grama Sabha. A work cannot start until the monitoring committee has been formed. The monitoring committee is also supposed to send its report along with the completion certificate.

Schedule of Inspection:

10% of panchayats to be inspected by district level officers and 2% of panchayats by state level officers.

Reports:

Monthly, quarterly and annual reports have to be prepared and submitted to the state government by each district. The planning commission has identified the 150 most backward districts on the basis of agricultural productivity per worker, agricultural wage rate and SC/ST population. These districts have been identified in 27 states.

IMFFWP is an important instrument for ensuring employment generation so that each family is assured of a safe viable livelihood. In a country like India with complex socio-economic, political structure, implementation of such a huge ambitious project is not tin easy task. NFFWP has already started with much enthusiasm, particularly in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.

In contrast to the trickledown theory of economic development, the approach of NFFWP Is based on the Keynesian model of employment where the state lakes pro-active steps generating employment opportunities by way of tackling demand deficiency. The NFFWP is a pro-poor re-distributive scheme which is a notable achievement in itself.

Most of the backward districts which would benefit from the scheme are tribal belts. The scheme provides 100 days of employment III minimum wages for at least one able-bodied person from each household in the country.

CHILD ABUSE OR KID MISUSE

Child abuse or Kid misuse influences one out of four kids. A casualty of kid misuse gets scarred forever, despite the fact that sheltered places and bolster lines are accessible. There are numerous kids who are casualties of a few kinds of youngster misuse. Kids become scared and don’t have the foggiest idea what to do. Ordinarily on the off chance that they at last develop the boldness to illuminate somebody regarding the maltreatment, for example, a school advocate or cherished one, they are not accepted or paid attention to. Consistently a great many youngsters are mishandled, making kid misuse similarly as regular as it is stunning. The vast majority can’t envision how a grown-up could hurt a youngster. Sadly, these kinds of destructive acts are going on every day to the very youngsters who should be adored and sustained by the grown-ups around them. This is a dismal truth of human culture that has no limits.

The most fierce outcome of manhandling a youngster is that the kid himself doesn’t have the foggiest idea how to depict what has befallen him, and this disarray brings about the state of viciousness and disappointment. At the point when these casualties enter the period of youthfulness and acknowledge what has befallen them before, they feel regretful and dishonorable. A large number of the self destruction endeavors attempted by adolescents are discovered to be casualties of this wrongdoing in their youth.

Specialists utilize the term youngster maltreatment as a sweeping term for four unique sorts of misuse: physical maltreatment, sexual maltreatment, psychological mistreatment, and disregard. Beyond what one of these maltreatment can be perpetrated on a youngster at once. The predominance of kid misuse is alarming, and its effect on the social and passionate advancement of a youngster can be similarly as frightening. Exploration shows that mishandled kids and youths are bound to experience the ill effects of enthusiastic issues, build up a withdrawn character, and endeavor self destruction. Youngster misuse brings about social and passionate issues that deny the person of a solid life. (Pastry specialist).

Physical maltreatment is the point at which an individual makes physical mischief a kid by beating, shaking, gnawing, kicking, consuming, or in any case causing the kid physical torment in some other manner. Albeit ordinarily the parent or gatekeepers didn’t plan to hurt their youngster, physical maltreatment can likewise be brought about by physical discipline or over-discipline that isn’t reasonable for the kid’s age. Physical maltreatment is the purposeful utilization of power on any piece of a youngster’s body that causes genuine wounds. It may be a solitary episode, or a progression of comparative occurrences. On the off chance that a youngster is truly manhandled, the individual in question will be handily terrified, have unexplained or rehashed wounds, for example, welts, wounds, or consumes, have wounds that are looking like an article, for example, a belt clasp or an electric rope. The kid may likewise be reluctant to return home or cause mischief to self or others.

How to become a successful person

The modern world has a way of doing things, that is, modern man has his own particular view on how things should look. That view is completely different from the perspectives upheld by those who came before us, so to say. Like the ancient Greeks were obsessed with performing heroic deeds, or medieval European Christians with martyrdom and upholding saintly principles, we can argue that modern man has an obsession with success. Or more precisely, one aspect of that new worldview is to compare people between each other through the notion of success.

In a way, the beginning of the 21st century is preoccupied with the concept of success more than ever before, both individual and collective. That fact can is seen in many aspects of our daily lives, people are not just oppressed with celebrities and successful people they want to live that lifestyle or achieve some sort of greatness. Looking at the current state of things one is encouraged to analyze the situation further and to find the reason behind these phenomena, or at least to offer a new perspective on worldwide trend.

What Makes a Person Successful?

There are many ways a person can be successful. Most people will think of celebrities, politicians, artists, entrepreneurs, etc. They will think of someone who is known the world over because of the thing they do, the thing they are good at. That’s all fine, but there are successful people who do not like to be celebrities and there are, most definitely, celebrities who cannot count as successful people.

What then makes a successful person? Is it how they do things? Is it what they get in return? Is it in the number of things they can amass in their life? Most of those things can count as some part of our overall image of such a person. But, how can we define it? What is it actually?

What I like is simple answers, they are usually correct and the most practical at the same time. Even though not all answers can be simple, this one is. When you look up the word success in any dictionary you will find that it is considered an accomplishment of an aim or a purpose.

Surely people were able to accomplish an aim or a pulpous in their lifetimes, even several, before the 21st century. Why is it that this noun has such relevance for the classification of people in this age?

History of Success

If we take a look at history, as I mentioned before, we can see that every age has a different occupation. When we talk about the ancient Egyptians, we do not talk about single individuals who made this country so great we talk about the collective in general. But also, we do not know the names of the people who actually accomplished the construction of the pyramid we remember the person who ordered it and did nothing to build it.

Sometimes when I think about all the great artists whose names I do not know, that built humanity in the name of kings, it seems as if it was forbidden for individuals to be famous if they were not born into some sort of noble family.

That drastically changed with the return of democracy to Europe and the liberation from the old-world view that separated people into casts, genders, and races. The new perspective born from revolutions gave every man the right to control their destiny and therefore the right to become successful, to achieve one’s dreams and ideals. Celebrating success can be seen as a collective celebration of the boundless human potential to do incredible things. Is it always so shiny? Or is there a dark side to the story?

Can Success Harm us?

We all know that being successful has its price and the people on the top can often be alone, because of the many sacrifices they had to make to get there. There are also countless examples of people who have achieved success professionally but their health and social lives fail because they cannot handle the strain that comes with maintaining that image of perfection that is expected of them.

Then there is also the psychological pressure any person can experience when they become obsessed with succeeding in the things they do. This emotion can cause such discomfort for people that they can freeze in key moments when they should be at the top of their game. Not to mention the depression some people experience when they come in contact with the images of people that exist on social media. There is a lot in being successful that we put under the carpet, or we just consider it as part of the game, something that we should bear. It does not have to be that way.

Sharing Success

People are made to be in a group and therefore everything they do they should do for each other; however, this fact of human existence has also been a breeding ground for nationalism and other group-oriented ideologies that made the 20th century so dark. The striving to be successful, the best, the most dominant will make people perform incredible and inspiring things but it will also make them give legitimacy to the worst monstrosities. How do we draw the line between the good and bad aspect of wanting individual and collective success?

Maybe we should stop looking at success as part of domination and make it part of what makes us authentic as human beings. What do I mean? If we start celebrating everyday people when they express themselves or make something that is fulfilling for them and makes other people grow we will support others to develop this aspect of their humanity and not concentrate on domination and subordination. We should support the celebration of collective endeavors that strive to enhance the human race as a whole and not adore individual examples as if they were the meaning of life.

The secret to success is not in money and fame, but in reaching that feeling of fulfillment when you know you have accomplished something that truly matters to you and other people around you. Dreaming big and then having it, it’s not impossible.

Role of women in society


Women play an important role in the development and progress of society. Without them, a developed and prosperous society can not be imagined. Brig Young said to be famous that if you are educating a man, then you are educating only one person, but if you are educating a woman, then you are educating the entire generation. ‘. It is extremely important for the development of society that girls should not be given any kind of education as they will have to give a new direction to the society in the coming times with the boys. If a person is considered to be true, then according to him, if a person is educated then he will be able to develop himself, but if a woman gets proper education, then she has the power to change the entire society with her.

Without women, human life can not be imagined. It will be said in the form of insanity that their talent can only be neglected on the argument that they are less powerful and less religious than men. About half of the women’s population represents India, if their capacity is not taken care of, then it has a clear meaning that half of the country’s population will not be uneducated and if women are not educated then that nation Will not be able to progress. We must understand that if a woman becomes illiterate, even if a woman becomes illiterate, then the society and the country will be handled well to the well-read women.

Women make family, family builds home, home becomes society, and society creates a nation. Its direct meaning is that women’s contribution is everywhere, it is useless to imagine society by ignoring the capacities of women. Without education and women’s empowerment, there can be no development of family, society and country. The woman knows how and how to deal with her problems. If necessary, just give your dream freedom.

Previously, the situation of women compared to slaves was worse if a woman gave birth to a girl, she was either killed or beaten by members of the house. It was considered a sin to give birth to a girl. They expected that only boys would have to give birth. But with the changing times, things changed. Now people are more aware than ever and women have started coming forward for help. There is still a lot to be done in this direction.

Today, if the situation of women is compared to hundreds of years ago, it seems that women are fulfilling their dreams at a much faster pace than before. But in actual perception, the development of women does not appear in all directions, especially in rural areas. Even after standing on their feet, women still have to go a long way in breaking the fairs of society. Even today, it is impossible for women to avoid discrimination for women. It seems that it can take a lot of time to fill this gap between a man and a woman

It has been seen on many occasions that women are treated with low status and they refuse to give too much responsibility in their offices. Many women accept this peace with themselves and accept their fate and do their livelihood with what is happening to them. But this is not the case with everyone. There are many examples of women in the society which are the motivation for young girls, there are girls from whom their family was not ready to go with them, but they changed the ideology of their own society.

The only reason for female backwardness in rural areas is not due to proper education management. In the village, man also believes that the only goal of his life is to make a combination of two times the bread. It is useless to expect men to empower men in such an environment. Women need it to recognize their potential and try to play their role in the development of the country and society with their families. Government should also make more and more schemes for women’s development. This change is possible only when all communities stand together and work positively.

If we compare the situation of women with the status of mythological society, then it clearly shows that there has been some improvement in the situation. Women have started working, contributing to household expenses In many areas, women have carried men ahead, girls of every day are making such a record, which is not only proud of the entire country or the whole country. Is doing, but the whole country

The Government of India is not far behind in the upliftment of women. In the last few years, several schemes have been initiated by the government, which is helping women break social holes and encourages them to move ahead as well. The government has stopped legal restrictions on the old times as well. The main people include child marriage, feticide, dowry practice, child labor, domestic violence etc. After making all these legal, the legal status of women in society has improved greatly. The woman works for the good of others by binding herself in different relationships throughout her life.

We have seen women in different forms like sisters, mother, wife, daughter etc., who is ready to increase respect for the family at all times. Even in urban areas, the situation is not so bad, but the situation of women in rural areas is worrisome. Due to the lack of proper education system, the situation of women has become pathetic: A woman gives birth to a child and plays his entire responsibility towards that child throughout life. In return, she does not ask anything and completely fulfills her role without tolerance with logic.

Journalism in a Digital World

With the expansion of digital communication tools and technologies, news organizations have discovered a multitude of new information management opportunities, as well as the challenge of interconnecting data security and privacy with innovation.

Journalism came into existence as a reportage of current events, particularly in printed form, that is, newspapers. Driven by the significant expansion of technology and electronic information exchange over the past decade, however, its scope has widened and its definition has evolved into an all-encompassing information domain. The current stage on this evolutionary ladder — print, radio, and television is digital media, the world’s most widely used and influential news consumption medium.

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As of now, as many as 80 per cent of Indians are consuming news on the Internet, primarily through social media and instant messaging services. The wide-ranging use of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube has allowed news outlets to give readers constant updates on recent issues, bypassing time and accessibility barriers. In fact, significant advancements in chat-bots have also enabled WhatsApp and Messenger to deliver catalogued news, stock market updates and other important information specifically tailored to the specific consumer.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) played a key role in addressing the technology’s emerging potential to automate the shipping of news on digital media. As evidence to this, China’s state news agency Xinhua recently unveiled a virtual news anchor running on AI that can deliver news on its website and social media platforms 24 hours a day. Equipped to understand from live stream videos, the AI anchor can simulate person’s speech, gestures and facial expressions, and read texts as instinctively as a professional news anchor. Using News-bots and Stock-bots to provide users with economic alerts and updates, and relevant corporate and market news has helped to increase subscriptions as a revenue model, marking a shift from conventions.

Customizability is also handy for content-creators. For example, The Washington Post’s Bandito, a custom-built content-testing tool in real-time, allows experimentation on how narratives are presented on its website. It allows news organization editors to create multiple story experiences, with different headlines, blurbs, and thumbnail pictures. Once the stories are live, the best-performing version is automatically detected, displaying it to end users more routinely, whilst making appropriate enhancements to the rest.

The proliferation of live video networks like Facebook, Periscope, Instagram and the like has also demonstrated to be a boon for news coverage, opening up a variety of high-traffic avenues for providing customer information. On the other hand, innovative graphic representation, such as that used by The Weather Channel to recognize the impact of the storm surge on the Carolina coast caused by Hurricane Florence, has also helped to make audiences aware by giving them a near-realistic perspective on the situation.

The period of accelerated digital transformation has made data one of today’s most important resources, leading to a renewed emphasis on the collection, processing and use of information to curate relevant content that is unique to each and every user. As a result, the ability to strike a careful balance between openness, privacy, and security, while making use of the immense potential of data and technology, supported by smart innovation, is what will set a news organization apart in this brilliant new era of opportunities.

How Is Covid-19 Changing Prospective Students’ Plans?

Everyone considers Covid-19 to derail the plans of possible future college students in this spring of jaw-clenching uncertainty. However, one major question is: How many people will be affected?

Multitudes of them, suggests the results of a new survey. One in six senior citizens in high school who anticipated full time attendance at a four-year college before the novel coronavirus outbreak now believe they will choose a different path this fall. Three out of five students are interested in the ability to attend their first-choice college although they still intend to enrol in a bachelor’s degree programme. These revelations come from a survey conducted by the Art & Science Group, a higher-education consulting company, of 487 prospective college students. The outcomes provide an early look at how the epidemic affects college expectations for teenagers and how their plans for the near future could change.

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These results are very solid, said the Art & Science Group’s principal. And they might inadequately-represent the future impact of what Covid-19 would once and for all be said and done this fall. Sure, you have seen the recent footage of college students setting out on spring-break beaches, ignoring recommendations for social distance practice. You’ve heard the argument that adolescents and 20-somethings aren’t worried enough about the global pandemic.

But aspiring undergraduate students worry a lot about how their college options could be influenced by coronavirus, the survey indicates. Almost all respondents (90 percent) said they consume information about the ongoing pandemic at least once a day, with 10 percent of the survey takers doing so hourly. Most high school seniors are radically changing their immediate plans despite school delays and lockdowns, the survey showed. Of the 17% of participants who did not think they would end up enrolling full time at a four-year college, a majority expected either to take a gap year (35%) or to participate part time in a bachelor’s program (35%). Seven percent said they would attend a college in the city and 6 percent said they would work a full time job.

Only 20 per cent of students were convinced they would attend their college of first choice. Survey participants who said they weren’t optimistic of choosing the college at the top of their list (63 per cent) identified different concerns. The most prevalent was cost: Twenty-one percent of those students said that because of the coronavirus their first-choice school may no longer be cost effective to my family. And 12 percent said either they or a member of their family had health concerns which required them to change their plan.

The Art & Science Group found that many other coronavirus-related fluctuations had prompted students to reassess their college choices: “I was unable to stay overnight at my first-choice school” (15 percent).Visits to the campus play an important role in the college choices of many students. Those meetings are an important measurement for enrolment managers of who is likely to enrol. Yet the spread of coronavirus forced schools everywhere to cancel innumerable on-campus programs scheduled for March and April (58 percent of students surveyed said they had encountered these cancellations, or expected them to experience them). That means that a lot of players must do without valuable information in the process.

The Art & Science Group also asked students how Covid-19 could have affected their thinking on the qualities that they pursue in a college. Thirty-five per cent of students said that “closer to home” colleges are now a more practical alternative than their college of first choice. Some said they were contemplating a less costly organization (32%), with a more familiar social network (22%), more rural (12%), smaller (15%), or “localized in a safer region” (10%).

How to find out or develop a passion that gives a fulfilling life?


Parents have to guide their kids to find out the true passion to lead a fulfilling life. In this regard, they have to be super supportive in helping the teenager to find it out. This helps them to move in the right direction towards higher studies and or careers. Here are a few ways that parents can support them in recognizing or developing his own passion:
Start With the Right Perspective
Firstly, the teens should believe that a fulfilling work exists and it can be found out by identifying one’s passion.
Initially, Parents can initiate the process by giving teens time and space to think about the childhood activities he likes to do. Hobbies or objects he’s chosen for his room may spark ideas. The teenager can talk to the persons in their family who know him very well and make a list of the ingredients that truly mattered the most in his peak moments in his life. This will help them to rekindle his childhood passions and mine his talents.
It’s important for your teen to figure his passion out on his own. To become his own true, authentic self.
Talk about meaningful & fulfilling work
At this stage, the parents can have a conversation about how following a passion can create a meaningful, rewarding life. Your teen should know that he can do something that he loves and gets paid for it – an absolute win-win! By showing your teenager how you engage in those passions and how rewarding they are to you, he’ll learn that doing things that are meaningful is a worthwhile, fulfilling endeavor.
Work out what you hate doing
College is a great place to explore new subjects and potential interests – and they may change over time. And in fact, the students who enter college with an undeclared major gets the freedom to explore freely and follow interests as they arise.
The parents can let the teen rate each interest-say, from 1 to 10. Some may suggest careers — a useful list for the student to a specific course in the college or vocational school.
Ask him to list the jobs or tasks that you absolutely loathe. Once you have eliminated these options, his true passion may become more clear. Therefore, it can be cross-checked and a significant level of clarity will be got.

Combine the mediocre skills together into talents

Even if they don’t possess exceptional skills at any one thing, most people have lots of expertise that they are “okay” at.
If you fuse your mediocre skills together, you’ll find your passion.
For instance, an average artist, with a decent sense of humor, could be an awesome cartoonist.
The most successful people, the ones that are most passionate about their work, are almost never defined by a single skill. They are a combination of skills, often not even exceptional skills, but they’ve made their fusion exceptional.

Encourage your teen to try out lots of different activities
If any of your nearest and dearest have hobbies that interest you, ask to spend some time helping out, or give them a try.
Check out online courses, clubs, internships, activity centers, and part-time jobs to find out what might spark an interest. And then…participate! The more exposure your teenager has to different activities, the better understanding he’ll have. It’s all a great learning experience.
This exploration is a great way to find activities that might really drive her. Discuss unique talents and abilities with your teen.
Explore your artistic side. You may have a wonderful artistic side without even knowing it. To explore your artistic side, you can try painting, writing, acting, singing, or designing clothes, just to name a few things.
Play an instrument. Maybe you loved playing the piano or keyboard when you were a kid and stopped. Give it another try.
• Write. Try your hand at penning a poem, short story, or even a fiction or non-fiction novel.
• Act. If you just have fun staging a play with a few friends or try to join a media-related course.
• Sing. If you’ve always had a passion for singing but never had time to share on your social media networking websites or channels. Then, it is the right time to get their feedback and to take up further training to excel in that. The same applies to draw, painting, etc using online tools available.
Pick up a new hobby: Whether you want to pick up a new language or a new sport or craft, any new hobby you pursue can turn into a real passion for you. Here are some hobbies you can consider:
• Learn a new language. You can pick up a language just for fun. Convert this to a passion by working as a translator or getting so absorbed in the foreign language that you read and watch movies only in that language or even move to a foreign country because of it.
• Cooking. If you already love cooking, start watching more cooking shows, reading food blogs, and sharing your recipes with your friends and see if you can make your love for tasty cuisine into a full-time passion.
• Birdwatching or pet grooming: Maybe you’ve always loved pets — now is your time to turn your hobby into a full – time passion. Or maybe you just want to spend more time connecting with your own pet by writing blogs, uploading videos, etc. That’s great too!
Do as Much Research as Possible
Know as much about your passion as possible. Notice what you love. Notice what makes you feel like a kid. Notice what you long to have more time for.
Make time for these things, to whatever extent you can and watch. Your life starts to change. It’s really magical. This can really transform your life.
Conclusion :
The child’s passion may develop early in his life or later. But the role of the parents is the same. They need to be supportive and have to bear in mind that ultimately the child, on his own, should find his passion for his career and fulfilling life.

When somebody/something starts deterring you…

If prosperity, enthusiasm and courage are prevailing in life, on the other side there is always a setback. There comes a time when our inner strength begins to shatter, or at times somebody else starts smashing it.
Struggles and turmoils are a very vast part of our existence. This is the moment when we have to act with courage. There is always someone in our lives who often breaks our courage, makes us feel pathetic, after which we start losing our strength, even if we don’t want to.

We can infer this in two ways.
First, we do nothing and sit down seizing the corner which implies that we have kneeled down and we have lost our courage.
The other way is – acknowledging it as a challenge and believe that we are and we deserve better than this.

With the right attitude, think about tackling the situation. You can choose whether you want to give yourself courage or deplete it.

When any unfavourable moment arrives, we feel that there is an overcast by the dark clouds- trouble is on the way. The truth is, there is no soul which does not undergo; every person feels sorrow and happiness no matter how strong or how mindful. But the difference lies in the way of grasping it. Some of us lose courage and some face it valiantly.

Typically, we come across individuals-

-who solely utter pessimistic things to us in one whack! Like – ‘you will not do this, you will not be able to do this.’ ‘This isn’t for you.’ ‘Stop wasting time.’
Their intentions are quite clear. They have only one task – to break your morale, to thwart you, make you dodge your determination.

What should be done in such a situation?

There are two ways to circumvent, first, keep a distance from such people or confront them- it might seem absurd but whenever somebody tries to besiege you with cynical things, you simply start ‘smiling’ within yourself. That way you are strengthening yourself!

It is just because you know that you have identified such an individual – and that realization should make you laugh! You won’t lose your confidence that way. Now, carry such circumstances positively, no one will dare break your solidity.

-who aren’t concerned about you at all, or don’t have anything to do with you or your life, but they just like talking about you or make fun because they just enjoy doing it!

They have no personal enmity with you, they only ‘enjoy’ speaking low of you and like doing tittle-tattle.

Sadly, you can do nothing but ignore them. Because for them, you’re merely a source of entertainment!

If you ever run into them and get a chance to mock yourself, do it!
Laugh with them and make them laugh! Take it sportingly.
Chances are, it won’t happen again.
Think of how many stand-up comedians make fun of themselves and make us laugh. Have we ever made fun of them? Not at all, but we end up being an admirer.

And then exceptionally, there are few people who are courteous and rational. Acknowledge them. Although they will show your shortcoming, their intention is not to scramble your courage but to make your path easier by manifesting your stumbling block.
You don’t have to avoid such people, rather you have to learn.

It’s all about recognizing the difference between the perceptions of others and perspectives of own.

Free Speech vs Hate Speech

Free speech by simple definition means the freedom to express one’s opinion, views, thoughts about a particular topic, discussion or a concept per se. It has given the speaker a sense of ownership to articulate their ideas without any fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction.

Today, freedom of speech, or the freedom of expression, is recognized in international and regional human rights law. International, regional and national standards also recognize that freedom of speech, as the freedom of expression, includes any medium, whether it be orally, in written, in print, through the Internet or through art forms. This means that the protection of freedom of speech as a right includes not only the content, but also the means of expression.

Taking into consideration the last few years, the internet has grown from just being a non-existing market to becoming a part of our lives in such a way that it has changed how people used to communicate, shop, socialize, advertise, learn, do business and has become a great medium to spread knowledge. It has become one of the largest database which is flexible, accessible and ensures easy availability of information. Not only that, it has given people a platform to express about anything freely but has also given a chance to spread hate as there is no restrictions on that.

Legal systems sometimes recognize certain limits on or to the freedom of speech, particularly when freedom of speech conflicts with other rights and freedoms, such as in the cases of libel, slander, pornography, obscenity, fighting words, and intellectual property. Justifications for limitations to freedom of speech often reference the “harm principle” or the “offence principle”. Limitations to freedom of speech may occur through legal sanction or social disapprobation, or both.

Social media on the other hand has also given some people a platform to spread hate, violence, misinformation as they can easily wear a mask and behave like someone else. These people then make use of fake IDs and target everyone to spread fake news. There have been various steps taken by big social media giants to stop the hate speech but still is it happening. Freedom of speech has a new dimension which is not very bright and must be tackled with strict regulations so that perpetuates are punished for harassing people online with bad and vulgar comments.

Formally, Hate speech is commonly defined as the one that attacks a person or a group on the basis of attributes such as race, religion, ethnic origin, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Sometimes people also argue that inflammatory public speech increases before outbreaks of mass violence, which could suggest that hate speech is a precursor or even a prerequisite for violence.

Words, vulgar comments, name-calling, misinformation, hateful phrases, casual racist comments, sexual and other inappropriate jokes – they all have an impact, and this impact leaves some people with mental scars.

Now-a-days some companies are also taking various steps to curb the spread of fake news on social media platform. Recently, Starbucks has decided to pause paid advertising across various social media platforms as it explores the best ways to help stop the spread of hate speech. More than 160 companies have decided to stop buying ads on Facebook.

It is also high time that the thin line between freedom of speech and hate speech is understood and must be taken care of before it gets overlapped into one.

 

 

2020

The Year 2020 has brought a lot of ups and downs in everybody’s life. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a significant source of worry and stress for months now, with no end in sight, evoking a plethora of emotions. On top of this, there have been massive protests, both peaceful and violent, as people strive to find justice in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Living through stressful times can have harmful effects on our body and mind. On a global scale, this pandemic is affecting our social lives, our mental health, our sleep patterns, and more. You may be feeling afraid for yourself, your loved ones, your job, or your housing.


SLEEP DEPRIVATION
Sleep deprivation can affect our immune system and metabolism making us more vulnerable to infection. Stress and Anxiety can make getting a healthy amount of sleep each night more difficult. Getting proper amount of sleep is essential for the body to function well.


LONELINESS
Loneliness describes the negative feelings that can occur when a person’s needs for social connection aren’t met. Isolation can trigger negative emotions followed by anxiety and stress. During these stressful times of the crisis phase where self isolation is the only solution to curb the spread of the virus, many suffer from loneliness . It is very important to keep one self engaged. Reports have shown a high increase in the rate of suicide in India.

How To Manage Stress?


Be active

It’s easy to skip exercise when you’re stressed, but exercise is good for your physical health. It helps combat the negative effects of stress on your body and is good for your mental health.


Be an optimist
When you’re worried or feel your stress level rising, try to surround yourself with positive thoughts and experiences. Listen to music, watch a funny video, or call a friend who makes you laugh.
Meet negativity with a positive reaction. A positive attitude will keep you from slipping back into feeling overwhelmed.


Outlook
Stress affects us all, no matter what you have going on in your life. But not all stress is bad. It’s important to your natural fight-or-flight mechanism that allows you to act quickly in times of duress.
Managing stress is important in juggling the many day-to-day activities of life without letting it have a negative impact on your health. There are many things you can do to prevent stress and manage unavoidable stress.

POLLUTION IN THE TIME OF LOCKDOWN

Pollution or contamination levels in Delhi-NCR – which had descended by around 79% during the underlying period of the lockdown, for the most part attributable to no mechanical action, diminished on-street traffic and an interruption on development exercises – is on a rise again as the city continuously opens up, an investigation by Center for Science and Environment (CSE) has found.

Of the six uber urban communities where PM 2.5 levels were concentrated during this period, Delhi saw the steepest ascent of four to multiple times, when contrasted with two to multiple times in different urban communities, the investigation appears.

CSE contemplated the PM 2.5 degrees of six urban communities — Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru — during both the underlying and last periods of the across the nation lockdown to check the spread of Covid-19.

As per the discoveries, while the PM 2.5 levels in different urban areas dropped by 45-88% in the underlying lockdown stage and saw a contamination spike of 2-6 times on opening up, Delhi saw both the steepest drop and most keen spike.

“In Delhi-NCR, one of the main considerations that prompted the drop in contamination was a 97% decrease in generally speaking rush hour gridlock and 91% decrease in trucks and business vehicles entering the capital during April, when contrasted with the pre-lockdown long periods of December-January,” the examination found.

It stated, when contrasted with 84,399 substantial vehicles entering Delhi in January this year, just 7,942 utilized in the city during April, when the lockdown was in full impact.

PM 2.5 (ultrafine particles that can enter the lungs and circulation system) is the most conspicuous poison in Delhi-NCR just as in other significant urban areas the nation over.

Between March 25 and May 18, when the across the nation lockdown was executed with no significant relaxations, the contamination levels in the national capital decreased definitely and stayed in the “palatable” classification for more often than not. After May 18, be that as it may, as lockdown rules were facilitated, the contamination chart began climbing once more. From May 18 to June 5, the air quality list of Delhi has stayed in the ‘moderate’ class. On Friday, the AQI levels was recorded as 111 in the moderate classification, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The contamination levels were likewise held under wraps as a result of the expanded Western Disturbances that crossed Delhi during and after the lockdown time frame. Despite the fact that not every single Western Disturbance brought downpour, the sped up helped overwhelm contaminations.

Sunita Narain, executive general, CSE, said the examination unmistakably shows that the country required a mediation at such a monstrous scope — where development the nation over was totally limited, and every single mechanical action quit working — to clean our air and lungs. “It lets us know plainly what the key wellsprings of air contamination are — discharges from vehicles and industry,” she said.

The examination expresses that Delhi has an around 12.1 million enrolled vehicles, of which 4.6 million are private vehicles. Of these, lone a part employed during the lockdown time frame. Likewise, visits to work environments decreased by 60%, while retail and diversion exercises diminished by 84%. Furthermore, exercises in local locations expanded by 29%. Cycling and strolling expanded from 14% to 43%.

“The test lies in the way that on opening up, we are probably going to return to the old propensities. Today we are re-opening with no arrangement to keep the air clean. We have to set a plan including brief usage of BS-VI for cleaner fuel, growth of open vehicle, make foundation and advance boosted cycling and strolling and presentation of cleaner battery-controlled para-travel modes,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, official chief, exploration and promotion and head of air contamination and clean transportation program at CSE.

How have sports been affected by COVID-19?

The sports industry has lost billions of dollars due to this global pandemic. Although some sports are beginning to start-up this doesn’t mean that the sports industry is going to be the same as is it was pre-COVID. Let me elaborate on what I just stated, the Premier League (which is the most competitive football league in England) has resumed their season but they aren’t allowed to have any fans in the stadium. This is a horrible concept for the fans because they want to watch their beloved club play in real life.

You might think that because the fans aren’t allowed to go to the stadium to watch the games in real life, the sports industry is going to become bankrupt soon, but you couldn’t be further away from the truth. In reality, the tickets are only a small fraction of the money that the Premier League receives, most of the money they earn comes from the sponsorships/ commercials and broadcasting.

Mark Tatum is the Deputy Commissioner and Chief operating officer of the NBA and this was his thought on the future of the NBA “…This pandemic may change the protocols we have to live by, but not our focus on expanding basketball around the world.” This quote shows that the sports industry is welcoming this pandemic instead of running from it by figuring out an alternative way to continue entertaining us during these difficult and dark times, where depression rates are higher than ever.

Report: NBA Players Can Include Social Justice Statement on Jerseys |  SportsLogos.Net News

The NBA is taking initiative by becoming one of the first major sports organization to resume their season despite having the huge hurdle of COVID-19 in the way. They will be resuming their season in early July and it will be held at Disney World, Orlando to prevent COVID-19 from getting to the NBA players.

This will prevent the virus from spreading because normally the NBA teams travel a lot from city to city due to their busy schedule but since all the teams will be at Disney World there won’t be any traveling so that minimizes the risk of getting infected.

NBA news: Walt Disney World floated as possible 'safe' location should  season resume

The only thing that will affect the sports industry is not being allowed to have fans in the stadium apart from that everything is pretty much going to stay the same. The athletes in whatever genre you enjoy watching are going to continue to perform and entertain you. The sports drought has been awful but the sports industry is finally coming back!

COVID-19 and Diabetes

photo of virus 3d render red

Everyone needs to be careful to avoid the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, you should be even more cautious.

Your risk of catching the virus isn’t higher than anyone else’s. But you could have worse complications if you do get sick. That’s especially true if your diabetes isn’t well-controlled.

To reduce your chance of getting infected:

  • Keep your distance from other people.
  • Use good hygiene.
  • Keep your blood sugar under control.

Have a plan in place in case you get sick.

Diabetes and Coronavirus

Early studies have shown that about 25% of people who went to the hospital with severe COVID-19 infections had diabetes. Those with diabetes were more likely to have serious complications and to die from the virus. One reason is that high blood sugar weakens the immune system and makes it less able to fight off infections.

Your risk of severe coronavirus infection is even higher if you also have another condition, like heart or lung disease.

If you do get COVID-19, the infection could put you at greater risk for diabetes complications like diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). DKA happens when high levels of acids called ketones build up in your blood. It can be very serious.

Some people who catch the new coronavirus have a dangerous body-wide response to it, called sepsis. To treat sepsis, doctors need to manage your body’s fluid and electrolyte levels. DKA causes you to lose electrolytes, which can make sepsis harder to control.

Tips to Avoid Infection

The best way to avoid getting sick is to stay home as much as you can. Under the Americans With Disabilities Act, people with diabetes have the right to “reasonable accommodations at work.” That includes the right to work from home or take sick leave when you need it.

If you have to go out, keep at least 6 feet away from other people, and wear a cloth face mask. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often while you’re out and when you get home.

Also wash your hands before you give yourself a finger stick or insulin shot. Clean each site first with soap and water or rubbing alcohol.

To protect you, everyone in your house should wash their hands often, especially before they cook for the family. Don’t share any utensils or other personal items. And if anyone in your house is sick, they should stay in their own room, as far as possible from you. They should wear a cloth face mask when you have to be in the same room.

Your COVID-19 Diabetes Plan

Social distancing and shelter-in-place rules may make it harder to get the supplies you need. Stock up on enough goods to last you for a couple of weeks, in case you get quarantined.

Make sure you have:

  • Enough food, especially healthy carbs like whole-wheat crackers, vegetable or noodle soups, and unsweetened applesauce
  • Simple carbs like honey, sugar-sweetened soda, fruit juice, or hard candies in case your blood sugar dips
  • The maximum number of refills you can get of your insulin and other medications
  • Extra glucagon and ketone strips
  • Phone numbers for your doctors and health insurance company

Medicare and some private insurance companies now cover the cost of telehealth visits. So if you have questions for your doctor, you can ask by video chat or phone instead of going into the office.

When you talk to your doctor, ask:

What to Do if You Get Sick

If you start feeling sick, stay home. Check your blood sugar more often than usual. COVID-19 can reduce your appetite and cause you to eat less, which could affect your levels. You also need more fluids than usual when you’re sick. Keep water close by, and drink it often.

Some over-the-counter medicines that relieve virus symptoms like fever or cough can affect your blood sugar levels. High doses of aspirin or ibuprofen can lower blood sugar levels. Acetaminophen can cause falsely high readings on a continuous glucose monitor. Many liquid cough and cold medicines are high in sugar, which can raise your blood sugar levels. Before you take them, check with your doctor or diabetes team. Tell your doctor if you’ve taken them and your blood sugars are out of control.

Call your doctor if you get coronavirus-like symptoms such as a dry cough, fever, or shortness of breath. Have your most recent blood sugar and ketone readings available to share with your doctor.

Get medical help right away if you have:

  • Moderate or large ketones
  • DKA symptoms like tiredness, weakness, body aches, vomiting, or belly pain
  • Severe shortness of breath

COVID-19 Precautions

Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. Most countries around the world have seen cases of COVID-19 and many are experiencing outbreaks. Authorities in China and some other countries have succeeded in slowing their outbreaks. However, the situation is unpredictable so check regularly for the latest news.

COVID-19: 10 Do's and Don'ts To Stay Safe During The Outbreak ...

Protecting yourself and others from the spread COVID-19

You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions:

  • Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
  • Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and others. Why? When someone coughs, sneezes, or speaks they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person has the disease.
  • Avoid going to crowded places. Why? Where people come together in crowds, you are more likely to come into close contact with someone that has COIVD-19 and it is more difficult to maintain physical distance of 1 metre (3 feet).
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth. Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and infect you.
  • Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately and wash your hands. Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene, you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.
  • Stay home and self-isolate even with minor symptoms such as cough, headache, mild fever, until you recover. Have someone bring you supplies. If you need to leave your house, wear a mask to avoid infecting others. Why? Avoiding contact with others will protect them from possible COVID-19 and other viruses.
  • If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention, but call by telephone in advance if possible and follow the directions of your local health authority. Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.
  • Keep up to date on the latest information from trusted sources, such as WHO or your local and national health authorities. Why? Local and national authorities are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.

Advice on the safe use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers

To protect yourself and others against COVID-19, clean your hands frequently and thoroughly. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer or wash your hands with soap and water. If you use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, make sure you use and store it carefully.

  • Keep alcohol-based hand sanitizers out of children’s reach. Teach them how to apply the sanitizer and monitor its use.
  • Apply a coin-sized amount on your hands. There is no need to use a large amount of the product.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose immediately after using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, as it can cause irritation.
  • Hand sanitizers recommended to protect against COVID-19 are alcohol-based and therefore can be flammable. Do not use before handling fire or cooking.
  • Under no circumstance, drink or let children swallow an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. It can be poisonous. 
  • Remember that washing your hands with soap and water is also effective against COVID-19.

Symptoms of COVID-19

The main symptoms include:

  • Fever
  • Coughing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Trouble breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Chills, sometimes with shaking
  • Body aches
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • Loss of smell or taste
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea

The virus can lead to pneumonia, respiratory failure, septic shock, and death. Many COVID-19 complications may be caused by a condition known as cytokine release syndrome or a cytokine storm. This is when an infection triggers your immune system to flood your bloodstream with inflammatory proteins called cytokines. They can kill tissue and damage your organs.

If you notice the following severe symptoms in yourself or a loved one, get medical help right away:

Strokes have also been reported in some people who have COVID-19. Remember FAST:

  • Face. Is one side of the person’s face numb or drooping? Is their smile lopsided?
  • Arms. Is one arm weak or numb? If they try to raise both arms, does one arm sag?
  • Speech. Can they speak clearly? Ask them to repeat a sentence.
  • Time. Every minute counts when someone shows signs of a stroke. Call 911 right away.

If you’re infected, symptoms can show up in as few as 2 days or as many as 14. It varies from person to person.

According to researchers in China, these were the most common symptoms among people who had COVID-19:

  • Fever 99%
  • Fatigue 70%
  • Cough 59%
  • Lack of appetite 40%
  • Body aches 35%
  • Shortness of breath 31%
  • Mucus/phlegm 27%

Some people who are hospitalized for COVID-19 have also have dangerous blood clots, including in their legs, lungs, and arteries.

Australia being a cute Rasgulla.

So due to increase tension between India and China and India and Australia there is a huge chances and probability that i the days to come India and Australia may become strongest of allies as by discovering some of the biggest potential they behold through trade and military presence in both Asia and Oceania if there is a mutual respect and support between each other. There is also an ambitious bilateral agenda that will add substance to the India-Australia summit. When it comes to defense, India and Australia share a common concern over China it is that aspect which informs a lot of the bilateral transactions between the two countries. While Australia is worried about China’s presence in the Pacific, India is worried about China’s increasing activities and influence in the Indian Ocean.

Earlier this year, the Australian and Indian navies concluded a two-week-long bilateral maritime exercise code-named AUSINDEX. A government release at the time said the exercise was conducted, “to strengthen and enhance mutual cooperation and interoperability between the IN (Indian Navy) and RAN (Royal Australian Navy), providing opportunities for interaction and exchange of professional views between the personnel of the two navies”. From 2016-18, the armies of the countries conducted a joint military exercise dubbed “AUSTRA HIND”. Significantly, for the first time in 2017, Australia’s Foreign Policy White Paper identified India as being at the “front rank” of Australia’s international partnerships, “on par with the US, Japan, Indonesia, and China”, Australian High Commissioner Harinder Sidhu said in her address at the National Defence College in May this year.

The informal strategic Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD) that was initiated by Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007 was largely in response to China’s growing power and influence. Initially, the “Quad” members included India, Japan, the US, and Australia; however Australia chose to withdraw when Kevin Rudd was Prime Minister, since it did not want to be a part of an anti-China alliance at the time. In an article in the Nikkei Asian Review in March 2019, Rudd said, referring to his opposition to the Quad: “Japan said that the rationale for the QSD was to defend the international rules-based order, implying that China back in 2007 had already become a threat to the order.“For Australia in 2007 therefore, to begin embroiling itself in any emerging military alliance with Japan against China, in the absence of any formal reconciliation between Tokyo and Beijing over the events of the Second World War (Nanking Massacre), was incompatible with our long-term national interests.”However, Australia later rejoined the dialogue in 2017 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, signalling a re-ignition in Australia’s interest in the dialogue.

However, it is the economic dimension that continues to lag. The summit provides Modi and Morrison with the opportunity to impart a fresh momentum to it. Bilateral trade is barely 30 billion dollars and even though Australia is a world leader in niche technologies, investment in India is relatively limited. ‘An India Economic Strategy to 2035’ by Peter Varghese, former Australian Foreign Secretary and High Commissioner to India, provides an excellent blueprint. It identifies 10 states and 10 sectors of the economy that can be of particular focus, and underscores the important role of investment in driving the economic relationship. But while Canberra sees the opportunity, private business groups have been shy to grab it. With the exception of the Macquarie Group and a couple of others, Australia’s large financial institutions, pension funds and even the sovereign Future Fund have shown reluctance to invest in India. From India, the Adani group’s multi-billion dollar investment into the Carmichael coal fields in Queensland also ran into a series of hurdles and dampened some of the initial ardor to invest in Australia. There are also a number of less glamorous areas that offer fertile ground for collaboration in sectors where Australia has proven expertise. Some projects are already underway in agriculture, animal husbandry, water conservation, mining technology and equipment and sports infrastructure, but there is ample scope for scaling these to become success stories that both countries can proudly showcase. Cyber security is of critical interest to both, as is the need to work together in tapping Australia’s huge deposits of lithium and rare earths.

India and Australia’s Alliance against the Dragon.

The virtual bilateral summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison Wednesday is a big deal. Not just because it is perhaps the first virtual summit of its kind, nor because it demonstrates the determination to ‘meet’ despite the international travel restrictions. It is important because it takes place at a time when both countries find themselves under attack from the belligerent dragon — China.For India, the ‘Wuhan spirit’ or the bonhomie after the informal summit between President Xi Jinping and PM Modi in 2018 has been wiped out by the virus from Wuhan, along with China’s agressive stand on Ladakh. 

For Australia, its thriving economic diasora and ethos with China has been hit by sanctions on beef and barley exports because of ostensibly a retaliation to Canberra having had the temerity to ask for an independent inquiry into the origins of the novel coronavirus. Morrison responded to Chinese bluster and bullying by replying firmly that Australia won’t trade away its values.

For Prime Minister Morrison, standing up to China is becoming familiar territory. As treasury secretary in 2015, he had to strengthen his country’s foreign investment review process after the Northern Territories government signed a 99-year lease agreement for the strategic port of Darwin with a Chinese company that has links with the People‘s Liberation Army. He then had to invoke the new provisions twice in 2016 — to block the sale of Australia’s largest cattle business, S Kidman’s 100,000 square kilometres of land holdings to a Chinese consortium, and to prevent a state-owned Chinese company from buying a controlling stake in power distribution company “Aus grid”, which also manages critical communications infrastructure. Later, as the home minister, he had to invoke national security provisions to keep Huawei out of Australia’s 5G infrastructure.

Over the last few years, China’s influence on operations in Australia have grown to a point where the country feels that its institutions and its values are under a coordinated and relentless attack. Chinese-Australian tycoons have attempted to bribe gullible politicians; Chinese community leaders are mobilized to rally support for Beijing’s position on the South China Sea; Chinese students on university campuses have clashed with others over developments in Hong Kong, cyber security attacks have targeted Australian research institutions and even the Australian parliament. The list is endless. Therefore due to this massive amount of tension between the two countries both of these countries can be of use to each other by using each others resources and supporting each other at the time of their need so as by making a very powerful presence in the Asia-Oceania territories.

Transitioning Military Medics to Rewarding Careers in Nursing

Most people would assume that veterans who have served our country would get credit – by employers and by educational institutions – for the remarkable training they’ve received in the military.
However, most educational institutions don’t take into account military medics’ credentials when they try to continue their education after serving our country. Few programs in the country honor military medics experience when they pursue a nursing degree. With the Vet2RN initiative at our Madison, WI, campus, I am proud to say Herzing University is one of those institutions.
Hands-on experience puts veterans in a unique position to make good use of their medical knowledge. In the healthcare field, more than half-a-million nursing jobs are expected to open up between 2012 and 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). What’s more, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) predicts that the national nursing shortage will only intensify as the “Baby Boomer” generation ages. This has created a nationwide demand for RN’s and healthcare professionals with related degrees.
Civilian life should not slow down the men and women who have served. Instead, by transferring military experience toward education, Herzing empowers veterans to use their medical background to build a rewarding career and continue helping the U.S. by fulfilling a nationwide demand for skilled healthcare workers. In fact, Herzing’s Madison campus has worked with the Department of Veteran Affairs and the National Governor’s Association and the to identify pathways for veterans to earn their nursing degrees and has received fantastic reviews for helping our country’s service members.

How does the Vet2RN initiative work?

Veterans military training and experience are evaluated through a review process through which credits may be applied toward becoming a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Simply stated, Herzing applies military healthcare training into nursing credits. By translating military experience into college credit, veterans can earn an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) at an accelerated pace.
Most veterans in the are eligible to take the National Council Licensing Examination for registered nurses (NCLEX – RN) in one-year or less and become eligible from the NCLEX – PN in one to four months.
Veterans qualify for the Vet2RN initiative if they’ve received any of the following healthcare training: 
  •  Army 68W, Healthcare Specialist
  • Navy HM, Hospital Corpsman
  • Air Force 4N0X1, Aerospace Medical Service
Military medics can bring their experience to the nursing workforce. By making the process of getting a degree more efficient, Herzing proudly helps veterans complete their nursing school education and become part of the growing healthcare system in this country.
Bill Vinson is the Campus President at Herzing University in Madison, WI. Bill has been in higher education for almost 15 years and is passionate about giving back and helping others. He believes by taking this passion and combining it with the competitive spirit we can change our communities for the better.

Pride: The celebration of self

Pride is a movement of self affirmation, equality, dignity and increasing visibility of the LGBTQ+ community. LGBTQ+ community includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer, asexual and everything in between. The pride movement celebrates the spectrum of sexuality.

Pride as a movement is a opposition to the social stigma and shame that surrounds the community, and bolsters the LGBT movements. The month of June is celebrated as the Pride month all over the globe. Common symbol of pride is the rainbow, which is the pride flag.

The historic origin

The Stonewall Riot is often considered as the birth of modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. The first pride parade was held one year after Stonewall riot incident, on 28 June 1970. The parade was then known as Christopher Street Liberation Day March, named after the street on which Stonewall was located.

Back then, the largest LGBTQ+ rights rally was a silent yearly vigil known as the “The Annual Remainder” held in Philadelphia. The event was a remainder to American people that a substantial number of American citizens were denied the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. It was a sober and orchestrated event. It was a silent event, and both men and women had formal dress code. However after Stonewall riot, the need of an entirely new event arose.

Unlike the Annual Remainder, these new marches had no formal and gender- normative dress code. Rather, the marchers were encouraged to be themselves. It celebrated being gay with utmost pride.

Important people related to the initial movement

The Pride movement was not a one day thing. It took a lot of courage and determination to go ahead with this movement. It was due to the prime contribution of some individuals that we today celebrate the month of June as pride month.
• Mattachine Society, which was one of earlier LGBTQ+ right group in United States.
• Craig Rodwell, a member of Mattachine Society, originally came up with the idea of The Annual Remainder.
• Fred Sargeant was one who organisers of the first march.
• Ellen Brody and Linda Rhodes, activists who along with Rodwell and Sargeant attended the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organisation (ERCHO) in Philadelphia and proposed the resolution of holding a annual march on last Sunday of June to commemorate Stonewall.
• Brenda Howard, known as “Mother of Pride” coordinated week long series of event around the Pride day.
• Activist L. Craig Schoonmaker, the one who suggested the world “Pride” instead of “gay power”.
• Gilbert Baker, designed the Pride flag.

Pride Movement in India

In context of India, the Pride movement had a long struggle. During British Rule in 1860, homosexual intercourse was considered a criminal offence under Chapter 16, Section 377 of Indian Penal Code. Post independence, the right to equality was implemented on 26 November 1949, however homosexuality remained a criminal offence.

The first gay protest was conducted on 11 August 1992. In 1999, Kolkata hosted the first Gay Pride parade, however it was a small affairs with only 15 attendees. In 2009 the high court of Delhi held that considering consensual homosexual intercourse between two adults as a crime is violation of fundamental right to equality. However this was overturned by the supreme court in 2013.

Shashi Tharoor introduced the bill to decriminalise homosexuality in the year 2015, however it was rejected by Lok Sabha. In August 2017, the Supreme Court upheld the right to privacy as a fundamental right under the Constitution in the landmark Puttuswamy judgement, giving LGBTQ+ community a new hope. On September 6, 2018, the supreme court decriminalised homosexuality by scrapping Section 377, calling it unconstitutional.
The scrapping of Section 377 has been a partial win for the LGBTQ+ community. However a long battle is still ongoing. The battle is long, but the community is winning small successes.

There are only so many hours in the day, so making the most of your time is critical. There are two ways increase your output–either put in more hours or work smarter. I don’t know about you, but I prefer the latter.

Being more productive at work isn’t rocket science, but it does require being more deliberate about how you manage your time. This post will walk you through 5 simple but effective strategies for increasing your productivity at work.

1. Track and limit how much time you’re spending on tasks.

You may think you’re pretty good at gauging how much time you’re spending on various tasks. People are able to accurately estimate the passage of time. A tool like Rescue Time can help by letting you know exactly how much time you spend on daily tasks, including social media, email, word processing, and apps.


2. Take advantage of your commute.

This goes for any unexpected bonus time you may find on your hands . Instead of Candy-Crushing or Facebooking, use that time to pound out some emails, create your daily to-do list, or do some brainstorming.

3. Give up on the illusion of perfection.

It’s common for people to get hung up on attempting to perfect a task–the reality is nothing is ever perfect. Rather than wasting time chasing after this illusion, bang out your task to the best of your ability and move on. It’s better to complete the task and move it off your plate; if need be, you can always come back and adjust or improve it later.

4. Take exercise breaks.

Using work time to exercise may actually help improve productivity. If possible, build in set times during the week for taking a walk or going to the gym. Getting your blood pumping could be just what’s needed to clear your head and get your focus back.

5. Be proactive, not reactive.

Allowing incoming phone calls and emails to dictate how you spend your day will mean you do a great job of putting out fires–but that may be all you get accomplished. Set aside time for responding to emails, but don’t let them determine what your day is going to look like. Have a plan of attack at the start of each day, and then do your best to stick to it.

No one can be expected to resist the allure of an email, voicemail, or text notification. During work hours, turn off your notifications, and instead build in time to check email and messages. This is all part of being proactive rather than reactive.









What you can learn from ‘The Go-Giver’

The 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success | Elite Marketing Pro

‘The Go-Giver’ is a self-help, story book written by Bob Burg and John David Mann and the book tries to make a reader look at both his personal and professional life from a different perspective. Almost all of us are go-getters. A go-getter is an ambitious person who would do anything to achieve his goals and become successful. You might argue that there is nothing wrong with being a go-getter but being a go-getter will only get you so far in life. All the founders of great companies have one thing in common – they gave their idea to improve lives without any anticipation of rewards or fame. You might get that job or promotion but you can’t get to that level of success.

The main characters of the story are Joe and Pindar. Joe is a go-getter employee and Pindar is someone Joe approaches in order to land a great contract. Pindar makes a deal with Joe that he will tell him his trade secret, ‘the five laws of stratospheric success’ on one condition. Joe must apply that law in his life in some way or the other, on the very same day. Joe really wanted to have Pindar in for the contract so he obliged and they started meeting for lunch everyday for five days the next week. Every lunch, Pindar would take Joe to meet people who have had stratospheric success and they would demonstrate the law through their life stories. 

The following are ‘the five laws of stratospheric success’ that we can all inculcate in our lives as we walk the path towards success –

  1. The Law of Value

The first law was explained by Ernesto who owned several restaurants, cafes and a lot of real estate. He had started off from a hot dog stall and reached where he was mainly because of his social skills and the taste of food he served. The value that he gave to his customers was much more than he asked for and the first law states, ‘your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.’

  1. The Law of Compensation

The second law states, ‘your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them’ and it was explained by Nicole, a school teacher who had a unique and fun way of teaching her students through games and she started her own company to reach out and teach children globally through her learning software. She was passionate about teaching and started her company solely because of her passion.

  1. Law of Influence

Sam Rosen was an awful insurance salesman before his financial services company leapt to stratospheric success and he became the state’s number one philanthropist. According to him, what led to his success was the great network of people he had. These people are like your brand ambassadors and help in increasing your goodwill. To have such a network, you must keep the people’s interest before your own. The third law states, ‘your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interest first’.

  1. Law of Authenticity

Debra Davenport had become the most successful real estate dealer in the town but before that she was a housewife and a mother. She wasn’t always so good at selling properties but it was Pindar who showed her the right way. Pindar told Debra to add value to whatever she was selling and it took her some time to understand that she wasn’t selling properties but herself. She tried to put her social skills of being a friend to her ex husband and children and tried to connect with her clients at a very personal level and the fourth law states, ‘the most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself’.

  1. Law of Receptivity

The fifth and last law was demonstrated by Joe himself by being receptive to whatever Pindar had to give to him, that is accepting all the five laws of stratospheric success with an open heart. The law states, ‘the key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving’.

Locust Plague in India

Large and aggressive swarms of these crop-devouring short-horned insects have invaded more than two dozen districts covering more than 50,000 hectares of desert areas of western India. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are the worst affected states. In neighbouring Pakistan, authorities declared a nationwide emergency in February, saying locust numbers were the worst in more than two decades. Local reports say that farmers are fighting the ” worst locust plague in nearly three decades” and the swarms were decimating crops and sending prices of food soaring.We are battling a major locust attack from across the border. This is the biggest invasion in nearly three decades. The swarms are very big and they have migrated from across the border after breeding a month earlier than we were expecting,” KL Gurjar, deputy director of India’s Locust Warning Organisation, said”We are lucky that there is no crop in the fields now. But the locusts eat up all the green vegetation, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds and plants,” Mr Gurjar said.

The Covid-19 pandemic is posing fresh challenges for some 100 odd workers who are battling the insects, using vehicle-mounted sprayers, pesticides and drones in the searing desert heat.
They are staying in the villages, where they are being given foods by locals, and going out at night to hunt down the insects in face masks and wearing some basic protective clothing. “They have migrated here after breeding across the border. It is a severe attack,” says Om Prakash, a plant-protection officer, who works in Rajasthan state .
India, clearly, needs to be watchful in the months ahead. “We need to be alert and anticipate where this is going next. The situation is all the more alarming as it comes at a time when the affected states are already reeling under Covid-19 and the ongoing heatwave,” says Anshu Sharma of Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society, a non-profit disaster management organisation.

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEED THEORY

What Is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

In order to better understand what motivates human beings, Maslow proposed that human needs can be organized into a hierarchy. This hierarchy ranges from more concrete needs such as food and water to abstract concepts such as self-fulfillment. According to Maslow, when a lower need is met, the next need on the hierarchy becomes our focus of attention.

These are the five categories of needs according to Maslow:

Physiological

These refer to basic physical needs like drinking when thirsty or eating when hungry. According to Maslow, some of these needs involve our efforts to meet the body’s need for homeostasis; that is, maintaining consistent levels in different bodily systems (for example, maintaining a body temperature of 98.6°).1

Maslow considered physiological needs to be the most essential of our needs. If someone is lacking in more than one need, they’re likely to try to meet these physiological needs first. For example, if someone is extremely hungry, it’s hard to focus on anything else besides food. Another example of a physiological need would be the need for adequate sleep.

Safety

Once people’s physiological requirements are met, the next need that arises is a safe environment. Our safety needs are apparent even early in childhood, as children have a need for safe and predictable environments and typically react with fear or anxiety when these are not met. Maslow pointed out that in adults living in developed nations, safety needs are more apparent in emergency situations (e.g. war and disasters), but this need can also explain why we tend to prefer the familiar or why we do things like purchase insurance and contribute to a savings account.

Love and Belonging

According to Maslow, the next need in the hierarchy involves feeling loved and accepted. This need includes both romantic relationships as well as ties to friends and family members. It also includes our need to feel that we belong to a social group. Importantly, this need encompasses both feeling loved and feeling love towards others.

Since Maslow’s time, researchers have continued to explore how love and belonging needs impact well-being. For example, having social connections is related to better physical health and, conversely, feeling isolated (i.e. having unmet belonging needs) has negative consequences for health and well-being.2

Esteem

Our esteem needs involve the desire to feel good about ourselves. According to Maslow, esteem needs include two components. The first involves feeling self-confidence and feeling good about oneself. The second component involves feeling valued by others; that is, feeling that our achievements and contributions have been recognized by other people. When people’s esteem needs are met, they feel confident and see their contributions and achievements as valuable and important. However, when their esteem needs are not met, they may experience what psychologist Alfred Adler called “feelings of inferiority.”

Self-Actualization

Self-actualization refers to feeling fulfilled, or feeling that we are living up to our potential. One unique feature of self-actualization is that it looks different for everyone. For one person, self-actualization might involve helping others; for another person, it might involve achievements in an artistic or creative field. Essentially, self-actualization means feeling that we are doing what we believe we are meant to do. According to Maslow, achieving self-actualization is relatively rare, and his examples of famous self-actualized individuals include Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, and Mother Teresa.

How People Progress Through the Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow postulated that there were several prerequisites to meeting these needs. For example, having freedom of speech and freedom of expression or living in a just and fair society aren’t specifically mentioned within the hierarchy of needs, but Maslow believed that having these things makes it easier for people to achieve their needs.

In addition to these needs, Maslow also believed that we have a need to learn new information and to better understand the world around us. This is partially because learning more about our environment helps us meet our other needs; for example, learning more about the world can help us feel safer, and developing a better understanding of a topic one is passionate about can contribute to self-actualization. However, Maslow also believed that this call to understand the world around us is an innate need as well.

Although Maslow presented his needs in a hierarchy, he also acknowledged that meeting each need is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon. Consequently, people don’t need to completely satisfy one need in order for the next need in the hierarchy to emerge. Maslow suggests that, at any given time, most people tend to have each of their needs partly met—and that needs lower on the hierarchy are typically the ones that people have made the most progress towards.

Additionally, Maslow pointed out that one behavior might meet two or more needs. For example, sharing a meal with someone meets the physiological need for food, but it might also meet the need of belonging. Similarly, working as a paid caregiver would provide someone with income (which allows them to pay for food and shelter), but can also provide them a sense of social connection and fulfillment.

Testing Maslow’s Theory

In the time since Maslow published his original paper, his idea that we go through five specific stages hasn’t always been supported by research. In a 2011 study of human needs across cultures, researchers Louis Tay and Ed Diener looked at data from over 60,000 participants in over 120 different countries. They assessed six needs similar to Maslow’s: basic needs (similar to physiological needs), safety, love, pride and respect (similar to esteem needs), mastery, and autonomy. They found that meeting these needs was indeed linked to well-being. In particular, having basic needs met was linked to people’s overall assessment of their lives, and feeling positive emotions was linked to meeting the needs of feeling loved and respected.3

However, although Tay and Diener found support for some of Maslow’s basic needs, the order that people go through these steps seems to be more of a rough guide than a strict rule. For example, people living in poverty might have had trouble meeting their needs for food and safety, but these individuals still sometimes reported feeling loved and supported by the people around them. Meeting the previous needs in the hierarchy wasn’t always a prerequisite for people to meet their love and belonging needs.

Maslow’s Impact on Other Researchers

Maslow’s theory has had a strong influence on other researchers, who have sought to build on his theory. For example, psychologists Carol Ryff and Burton Singer drew on Maslow’s theories when developing their theory of eudaimonic well-being. According to Ryff and Singer, eudaimonic well-being refers to feeling purpose and meaning—which is similar to Maslow’s idea of self-actualization.4

Psychologists Roy Baumeister and Mark Leary built on Maslow’s idea of love and belonging needs. According to Baumeister and Leary, feeling that one belongs is a fundamental need, and they suggest that feeling isolated or left out can have negative consequences for mental and physical health.5

Triple Talak

Triple Talak, an instant divorce is a type of Islamic divorce which is used by Muslim men in India. It allows a Muslim man to legally divorce his wife by uttering ’Talaq, Talaq, Talaq’ (the Arabic word for divorce) three time in oral, written off more recently by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp.

Triple Talaq is the 1400-year-old practice among Sunni Muslims. It is “manifestly arbitrary” and allows a man to break down a marriage “whimsically and capriciously”. This has been an issue of concern for over 65 years for Muslim women in India, who comprise approximately 8% of the population as per 2011 census.

This weird and sinful culture adversely affects the life of Muslim women as it creates mental insecurity, threats of sudden divorce, and also encourages polygamy. Hence, puts a question mark on the Gender Equality, the dignity of women, justice, human rights and women empowerment.

In fact, many Muslim countries like Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan completely banned this unethical law. Our Government has also taken Stern step against this on 22 August 2017, India Supreme Court deemed triple talaq unconstitutional and also formulated a bill called The Muslim women (protection of rights on marriage) bill 2017 by which triple talaq in any form will be illegal and void with up to 3 years jail for the husband.

One thing is undeniable that once this Bill will become a law, no more Muslim women will face such adversity in future. But for that this situation should not be seen by religious eye and society should also come forward to act against this social evil without any prejudice. Because no nation can process without active and equal participation of women.


Today we are living in 21 century and it’s called modern era. Every individual or group have a fundamental rights, constitutional rights and human rights to raise voice against exploit tradition. India is a democratic country, the citizen of India follow and respect the constitution of India. In a democracy, every person has rights to express their expression against some unwritten law, which affects human life. Every community and every religion have its own personal low, which decides what is right and wrong tradition?

Now India facing triple talaq issue in the Muslim community. Especially, Muslim religion women are so much worst effect by triple talaq problem. It is a very old tradition. Triple talaq mean is just say 3 words (talaq, talaq, talaq) the relationship between husband & wife will be finished. It is a form of divorce. Muslims women are always afraid of this triple talaq. This type of tradition is practicing in India. Only small matter, male dominant gives threat triple talaq. As Muslims community can legally divorce his wife by pronounced three times talaq. Pronouncement can be oral or written. Today youth is misusing the law and they use social platforms like telephone, SMS, Facebook, etc. The life of women and children gets destroyed. A divorced woman may not remarry her divorce husband unless she first marries another man called nikaha halala.

When Narendra Modi started a campaign for Uttar Pradesh election 2017, Muslims women raise the issue in that government should find out any solution of it. It has been subjecting of controversy and debates, raising the issue of Justice, gender equality, human right and secularism. Muslim marriage in India is considered to private matter as they follow Muslim law, but if the couple wants they can register their marriage under special marriage act 1954. PIL was in Supreme Court against this. On 22 August 2017, the Indian Supreme Court deemed instant triple talaq.

Make in India

The “Make in India” campaign was started by the Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on September 25, 2014 for the recognition of India as a special identity in the field of economy and development of the country. The symbol of this campaign is a lion with many mechanical wheels. Moving with the help of these wheels, this lion displays perseverance and intelligence.

The aim of the Make in India campaign is to promote the development of new technologies in India and to promote products made in India. The biggest principle of Make in India campaign is to encourage foreign companies to invest in India and encourage them to make products in India.

The Make in India campaign will help in the production of many commodities in the country, along with the unprecedented potential of employment, level of property in the country will also be greatly reduced. 25 areas for investment have been selected, under which national and international investors will be to invest.

Due to decreasing employment opportunities in the country, the problem of unemployment has increased in the country. Also, due to the complexity of business and investment, the big investors and businessmen of the country have also been forced to leave the country. In such a way, the Make in India campaign has proved to be a milestone.

Growing production in any country is a symbol of its economic prosperity. If, by that, the country is also able to increase exports, then it will be the happiest place for the economy of that country. Make in India campaign in India is inspired by this. If the investment comes in the country, new factories will be opened in the country, people will get jobs, production will increase, affordable goods will be available and at the same time, India will emerge as a major exporting country.
On 25th September 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Make in India, one of the flagship programmes of our government intended to boost domestic manufacturing currently contributes approximately 16 per cent to the GDP and target is to take it to 25% by 2022.

Make in India focuses on 25 sectors of the economy like automobile, mining, electronics etc. This emphasis on manufacturing will serve several objectives. First, it will provide employment to more than 10 million people. Second, it will boost foreign direct investment (FDI) thereby bringing development. Third, it will minimise the imports of various products so it will mitigate the pressure on our trade deficit. Fourth, it will augment our exports and lastly, it will help in bringing the latest technologies into the country.

This highly beneficiary programme faces several challenges like prevalent labour laws of India, red-tapism, providing environmental clearance for the big project, low technology and poor transportation system.

The government has taken a number of steps to improve the ease of doing business in the country. Rules and procedures are being simplified single window clearance have been created to guide the first time investors. Besides these, these initiatives must have great linkage with other initiatives of the government like skill India, startup India, digital India etc.

The campaign has already made a considerable success and if it moves forward with the same pace it will surely transform India into a manufacturing giant and improve our economy.

Track2Training for Internship

Training and Internships are really important because trainings and internships helps one individual make him career more successful also makes the individual more relevant skilled and also better than the individuals who did not do an internship or had a training.
Training presents a prime opportunity to expand the knowledge base of all employees, but many employers in the current climate find development opportunities expensive. Employees attending training sessions also miss out on work time which may delay the completion of projects. However, despite these potential drawbacks, training and development provides both the individual and organisations as a whole with benefits that make the cost and time a worthwhile investment. The return on investment from training and development of employees is really a no brainer.
Internships are known for giving students the opportunity to apply their knowledge in real world environments. At the same time, they will also develop skills which will help them perform better at their jobs. Internships greatly increase the chances that a student will gain full time after graduation. In this article, we will look at internships, and how they can assist students in performing well at their jobs. One problem commonly cited by employers is that many graduates do not have the practical skills necessary to excel in the jobs. They also feel that the professionalism of students is less than it should be. Even though there are a large number of theories on how to encourage employees and increase profits, it is apparent that enhanced levels of education are not enough to prepare students for a real-world environment. Being able to improve these weaknesses will make graduates much more effective in their careers. We at Track2Training will help you in getting right training and internship.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health

If one is already suffering from a problem with drug abuse and a mental health condition such as depression, bipolar disorder or panic, it is considered a co-occurring illness or dual diagnosis.

Both the mental health problem and alcohol or drug addiction have their own different signs and symptoms in co-occurring disorders that may interfere with your ability to function at work or school, ensure a sustainable home life, handle the problems of life, and relate to others. The co-occurring disorders also directly impact each other, to make the experience more complicated. The problem of substance abuse usually gets even worse when the mental health issue remains undetected. So when there is a rise in alcohol or substance misuse, mental health issues increase significantly too. You’re not the only one however. Co-occurring issues around drug abuse and mental health are more widespread than many people know. Reports published in the American Medical Association Journal state: About 50% of persons with severe mental disorders are affected by substance abuse.37% of alcohol abusers and 53% of drug abusers also have at least one severe mental illness. 29 per cent of the people diagnosed as mentally unstable use either alcohol or drugs.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues - HelpGuide.org

Although problems with addiction and mental health issues do not get better when overlooked in reality, they are likely to get much worse. It’s important to understand you don’t have to feel this way. You can do things to overcome your demons, repair your relationships, and get on the path to recovery. You will conquer a co-occurring illness with the right resources, self-help and care, regain your sense of self and get your life back on track.

Substance abuse and mental disorders such as depression and anxiousness are strongly connected, and while some substance abuse may cause prolonged psychotic reactions one does not cause the other directly. Nonetheless: The side effects of mental health problems are often self-medicated with alcohol and drugs. People often exploit alcohol or drugs to ease the symptoms of an undiagnosed mental disorder, cope with difficult emotions or change their mood temporarily. Unfortunately, the abuse of drugs causes side effects and also worsens the symptoms they originally tended to mitigate in the long run.

Alcohol and substance misuse can raise the risk of psychiatric illness underlying it. Mental illnesses are caused by a complex interplay between biology, the climate and other influences beyond. If you are at threat for a psychological illness, you may be pushed over the edge by alcohol abuse or illegal or prescription medications. For example, there is some indication that some drug abusers have an elevated risk of psychosis while those who misuse prescription painkillers are at higher risk of depression.

Drug and alcohol abuse can aggravate the symptoms of a mental health issue. Substance abuse can significantly increase mental illness symptoms, or even cause new symptoms. An integrated approach, in which both the issue of drug abuse and mental illness are addressed together, is the best cure for co-occurring disorder. Whether your mental health and substance abuse issue first came, lengthy-term recovery relies on getting treatment from the same treatment provider or team for both disorders. Focusing on specific question you have:

Your psychological health problem may be treated with medication, individual or group counselling, changes in lifestyle and peer support. Treatment for your substance abuse may include detoxification, withdrawal symptoms management, behaviour interventions and group support to help maintain your sobriety. The best way of supporting others is by knowing what you can and can’t. You can’t compel someone to stay sober, nor can you convince someone to take their medication, or schedule arrangements. What you can do is make smart decisions for yourself, encourage help from your loved one and offer support while trying to make sure you don’t lose yourself in the process.

Internet is reducing our attention span

Using the internet is affecting our brains physically so we have shorter periods of attention and poorer memory, has suggested significant research. An analysis by Oxford academics, King’s College London, Harvard and Western Sydney University, revealed that smartphones have weakened our ability to memorize facts while manipulating us into believing that we are smarter than we are. The revelations resulted after scores of studies and experiments have been reviewed by a global organization to assess the impact the internet has had on our brains over the last 3 decades. It emerges as Ofcom noticed earlier this month that the average British adult now spends 50 complete days online a year.

The Shortening Human Attention Span [INFOGRAPHIC]

Dr. Joseph Firth, senior researcher at Western Sydney University, said: This report’s initial takeaways are that high-level internet activity could significantly affect many brain functions.

The unlimited stream of instructions and notifications from the internet, for example, motivates us to keep our attention constantly divided — which in turn may diminish our ability to concentrate on a single task. Experiments analysed in the study showed that people who spent their time constantly tossing between short online activities require greater sensory effort to retain concentration. It has been found that the unending stream of notifications and digital distractions have a strong impact on the brain, with those affected showing less grey matter in the cerebral areas associated with trying to develop focus and attention.

Other studies have shown that the internet has an instantaneous impact on our ability to focus, with people displaying a significantly lower capacity to maintain attention following activities such as internet shopping. Whereas offline behaviours like reading a magazine did not show such an impact.

Computing online has also been found to make the multitasking offline less successful. The study told reporters that Overall, the evidence available strongly indicates that trying to engage in multi-tasking via digital technology does not improve our multi-tasking efficiency in other settings – and in fact seems to diminish these intellectual capabilities by diminishing our ability to ignore incoming distractions.

The study provides evidence that the internet was becoming our external memory as we relied more and more on smartphones to extract knowledge.  Instead of learning new factual information, however, the brain tended to log in on the internet to find the information. One research cited showed a group of online searchers find information faster than another using encyclopaedias but were less able to correctly remember the information.

Other studies have shown that the Internet has also tricked people into thinking that they are smarter than they are because they have “blurred the lines” between their own recollections and what they can conveniently look up on their present smartphones. The study said that Studies have shown that online searching improves our sense of how much we learn, even though the perception of self-knowledge is interpreted only for the domains where we can ‘fill in the gaps’ for the internet.

The study indicated that in the future there could be an additional benefit to this internet reliance as virtual memory, as it could free up intellectual capacity for other activities-though it did not speculate what these might be.

Lastly, the academicians found that online as offline the social side of our brains was acting in a very similar way. However, we are placed under new stresses, such as the strong rejection that people feel of having social value quantified by the number of friends and likes they receive, as well as constantly comparing themselves to hyper-successful individuals who are omnipresent on social media.

How to Lead an Empowered Life

Self-empowerment is the process which leads people to exert greater control over their lives. Self-empowerment includes fostering skills that would eventually allow you to influence certain outcomes and produce tangible results. This is different from solely feeling self-empowered. People may feel selfempowered by listening to a moving speech, but as new research accurately shows, people won’t in fact be empowered unless they’re able to significantly change an aspect of their lives.

The idea that self-empowerment calls for awareness sound like a cliche these days. However I’d like to offer a fresh view on the idea of expanding awareness. I find it’s best to think of self-empowerment as the ability to become conscious of your choices so you have in becoming who you want to be. I settled for this definition because I’ve observed that when people are dis-empowered, they lose sight of what they’re capable of and who they can be. So the first step is to fully apprehend that you do have options.

There are many people in our life who keep bringing us down, therefore making them a culprit for our dis-empowerment apart from ourselves. It’s safe to let others direct your life since you’ll always have someone to blame if things go wrong. Stop giving away your power and let go of immature thought patterns. Continuing on this route will only fuel feelings of inferiority, and you’ll believe that you’re “less” than others.

Courage is the first pillar of self-empowerment. It is your foundation for any real and lasting change in life. Courage will help you overcome your fears, try new things, to quit things that don’t work, to find new relationships, and to start your first business. Courage will furthermore make you help, love, learn, give back, forgive, start over, to stand up for yourself, to stand up for others, to say yes, and to say no. Courage, in my view, is the most radical value.

A paradigm is a belief system within which you define yourself and the world in a rational way. The coherence of these beliefs depends on the web of principles, values, and judgments that you have formed about who you are. In any given paradigm, events are interpreted in line with the “rules” of that paradigm and as such derive their plausibility from it. We all live within paradigms. We all have credences about who we are and why we are the way we are. While few paradigms are empowering, others can be dis-empowering. For example, a person who lacks self-confidence might feel that social situations provoke anxiety and such situations must be avoided.

Innumerable of the personal challenges that people go through such as low self-confidence, lack of productivity, certain financial challenges; etc., arise from living in a performance-oriented paradigm. This paradigm contains inflexible and firm beliefs about oneself and the processes of doing something well.

The person that operates within that paradigm is concerned with how they look. They’re preoccupied with how others see them. 

I encourage you to let go and to make mistakes. People can be so self-absorbed that they won’t even remember your mistakes. On the other hand, a growth-oriented paradigm is one in which you don’t judge yourself. You take on experiences because you know that becoming good at something requires working and probably failing along the way. 

Cultural awareness

Cultural awareness or cultural sensitivity refers to the idea of being aware of your own cultural background as well as others. It is nearly impossible to learn about all the cultures present in this world but it is necessary to gain some helpful knowledge if we ever visit a particular country. This can go on to avoid a lot of conflicts and misunderstandings. You will never want to send out the wrong vibes to anyone, so being informed can prevent all of this from happening.

When we learn or are exposed to some new information regarding any culture, it should not be considered as a division or barrier. It should be looked at in a positive way, believing that everyone has their own cultural beliefs and no culture is above any other culture. Feeling of judgment should be absent, rather there should be a willingness to learn when you are likely to experience cultural differences.

Cultural sensitivity should be kept in mind even when you are at home or in a workplace. In your offices or workplace, you will interact with a lot of people who have grounds or origins of cultures that are completely different from your own. You will never want to sound insensitive and create an awkward environment for work. Everyone has some pre-conceived notions or stereotypes but cultivating cultural sensitivity is basically removing them from one’s minds.

Travelling to other countries also does a bit in making people aware of the differences present and how these differences should be acknowledged and appreciated. It is an effective communication key. This also involves body gestures. Some responses may be considered rude in some countries whereas appreciated elsewhere. If misinterpreted, it can spoil budding relationships, both personal and professional. Hence, it is always safe to do one’s homework.

The first step in developing cultural awareness is to keep an open mind accompanied with a desire to learn and adapt. One should be observant about what basic social clues are acceptable and unacceptable. It is also okay to raise questions and seek answers about what may confuse you regarding certain cultural beliefs.

Cultural diversity should always be viewed as an advantage because you get to learn a lot about each other which not only creates a positive mindset but also one of brotherhood.

Active discussions have been going about this issue recently as every one has started becoming more aware. Provided people also have a lot of information on the internet to educate themselves regarding any topic, all they basically need is to have a willingness for it. There is a higher chance that the future generation will consists of global citizens being more culturally sensitive, aware, and understanding in their interactions with others.

Person Suffering From Covid-19 Cannot Be Expected To Produce Proof

In a big respite for Covid-19 patients which has ostensibly given them a good and genuine reason to smile is the recent, remarkable and righteous decision delivered by the Bombay High Court just recently on June 26, 2020 in Abdul Shoeb Shaikh and Ors. Vs. K.J. Somaiya Hospital and Research Center and Ors. in WP-LD-VC No. 54 of 2020 in exercise of its ordinary original civil jurisdiction and which was conducted in chamber – video conference  observed categorically in no uncertain terms that a person suffering from Covid-19 who belongs to the economically weaker section of the society cannot be expected to produce documentary proof before seeking admission in a hospital for free treatment. It must be mentioned here that a Division Bench of Bombay High Court of Justice RD Dhanuka and Justice Madhav Jamdar were hearing via video conference a writ petition filed by seven residents of a slum rehabilitation building in Bandra who were charged Rs. 12.5 lakh by KJ Somaiya hospital for Covid-19 treatment in April. No wonder that the petitioners ultimately got the respite which they so desperately wanted from the Bombay High Court!   

                                     To start with, the ball is set rolling first and foremost in para 1 wherein it is observed that, “We have heard the learned counsel appearing for the parties at length. The undisputed position in the matter is that the Scheme prescribed under Section 41AA of the Maharashtra Public Trust Act  empowering the Charity Commissioner and the State Government to issue directions in respect of hospitals to earmark certain beds for weaker sections of the people under Section 41AA(4)(c) and for indigent person under Section 41AA(4)(b) is applicable to the respondent no. 1 Trust. One of the question raised by the petitioners in this Writ Petition is that though the respondent no. 1 was required to reserve 10% beds for weaker section of the people and 10% beds for indigent persons out of the operational beds no such beds are provided. Out of 90 beds under those categories which were required to be reserved for the persons belonging to weaker section of the people and indigent persons in toto, all such beds had not been made available. The record indicates that only three patients were admitted by the respondent no. 1 in the month of March 2020 out of 90 beds earmarked for indigent persons and persons belonging to the weaker section of the people under Section 41AA(4)(c) and (b) respectively.”  

                                   Needless to say, para 2 of the judgment then notes that, “It is the case of the respondent no. 1 that the petitioners did not belong to any of these categories nor the petitioners produced any record to prove that the petitioners would fall under those categories. It is vehemently urged by Mr. Dwarkadas, senior counsel for the respondent no. 1 that it was for the petitioners to produce a certificate of income from the Tehsildar or a certificate from the Social Welfare Officer proving income of the petitioners. On the other hand, it is the case of the petitioners that the petitioners having suffered from a covid-19 and required immediate medical help were not required to produce such certificate at the threshold while seeking admission in the hospital.”  

                                            To be sure, it is then envisaged in para 3 that, “A perusal of the report submitted by the Joint Commissioner indicates that the report submitted is on the basis of documents called for and submitted by the respondent no. 1 and without visiting the premises and inspecting all the records. The affidavit in reply filed by the Charity Commissioner also clearly indicates that only three patients have been treated under the hospital scheme since lockdown till the end of May 2020. Petitioners claims to be staying in slums.”

                                            While dwelling on the relevant questions for consideration here, it is then stipulated in para 4 that, “Whether it was the duty of the Management of respondent no. 1 to enquire whether the persons seeking admission in the respondent no. 1 hospital were falling under the category of Section 41AA(4)(b) and (c) or not or whether such patients were required to produce at the threshold the certificates of Tehsildar and Social Welfare Officer before seeking admission in the situation faced by the petitioners for patient of covid are some of the questions which require consideration in this matter.”

                                                  Most crucially, it is then very rightly underscored in para 5 that, “In our prima-facie view a person who is suffering from the disease like Covid-19 is not expected to produce a Tehsildar certificate or certificate from Social Welfare Officer before seeking admission in the hospital for seeking benefits under Section 41AA(4)(c) and (d). We are not inclined to accept the submission made by the learned senior counsel for the respondent no. 1 that unless such certificate is produced by the petitioners at the threshold, the respondent no. 1 is not liable to admit any such patient under those categories in the precarious situation prevailing at the date of admission of the petitioners.”

                                        Going forward, it is then also pointed out in para 6 that, “We also noticed that the State Government was required to issue a Notification dated 21st May, 2020, providing the rates for treatment of such patients and for other diseases in view of the grievances regarding exorbitant amount of money charged by Healthcare providers causing hardship to public in general during Covid-19 pandemic. Government has also considered the provisions of Section 41AA of the B.P.T. Act in the said notification.”

                                             Be it noted, para 8 then states that, “Considering the facts of this case, we are directing the respondent no. 1 to deposit a sum of Rs. 10,06,205/- in this Court within two weeks from today.”

                                       Finally, it is then held in the last para 10 that, “This order will be digitally signed by the Personal Assistant of this Court. Associate of this Court is permitted to forward the parties copy of this order by e-mail. All concerned to act on digitally signed copy of this order.”

                                             To sum up, the Bombay High Court has in a humanitarian gesture very rightly held in this latest, landmark and extremely laudable judgment that a person suffering from Covid-19 who belongs to the economically weaker section of the society cannot be expected to produce documentary proof before seeking admission in a hospital for free treatment. In such cases, they must be granted exemption from strict rules! This is imperative to ensure that they don’t suffer endlessly and end up getting more troubled for getting admitted in a hospital for free treatment!

Sanjeev Sirohi, Advocate,

s/o Col BPS Sirohi,

A 82, Defence Enclave,

Sardhana Road, Kankerkhera,

Meerut – 250001, Uttar Pradesh.

Minimalism and You

“Minimalism” has become the new buzzword with YouTube, podcasts encouraging people to adopt a minimalist life style. But what exactly is minimalism? Would you call yourself a minimalist based on your everyday habits? If yes, then what type of minimalist would you classify yourself into? Let’s try to understand the philosophy of minimalism in the simplest ways.

Origin of Minimalism

Minimalism became popular back in 1950s when artist Frank Stella’s “Black paintings” were displayed at the Museum of Modern art in New York. It started a new movement altogether breaking the conventional notions of arts. Later, many artists came to the forefront producing minimalist art.

The main themes of minimalist art were simplicity, harmony and purity. Aesthetically, the minimalist art is all about being real (Nothing more or nothing less).

Black painting at the gallery

Who is a minimalist?

Now, minimalism isn’t about living in all white houses with bare minimum objects (you could, if you’d like to). But don’t unnecessarily push yourself. To put it simply, minimalism is the art of appreciating thing in their simplest forms. It’s about making a conscious choice of spending money on experiences rather than things.

Now, I’m not implying you get live life of a monk from Himalayas and get rid of you possessions. Minimalism is about getting rid of things but rather eliminating the unnecessary and shifting focus to what matters the most.

Essence of minimalism could be summed up in “less is more”. For example, the lesser you spend on that luxury watch for the sake of showing off, the more you can spend on worthy holiday experience. The lesser you attend superficial parties; you’d be rewarded with extra time for self investment.

Now there’s no “one size fits all”. Minimalists come in all shades .It’s more of an umbrella term. So you better figure out for yourself “what type of minimalist are you?” No worries! Even if you don’t fall into any of these categories. There are lots of takeaways from each type.

The Essentialist

Are you someone who focuses on quality over quantity? You own few things but they are the finest collection. Like instead of buying dozens of clothes from that online sale you’d rather invest in that superior quality dress and wear it often.  You would any day choose owning fewer things over piling and wasting them.

The Experientialist

Do you prefer collecting experiences over things or swear by the philosophy of making maximum memories.

If your bucket list is larger than your ‘Things to own list’, pat yourself at the back for being an experientialist.

The Enoughist

Are you contended with what you have despite not having it all? If you find peace in voluntarily using enough; also deliberately choose not to get into the rat race for materialistic pursuits. Go ahead; call yourself an Enoughist if those new launches every week in the market doesn’t crave you enough.Are you contended with what you have despite not having it all? If you find peace in voluntarily using enough; also deliberately choose not to get into the rat race for materialistic pursuits. Go ahead; call yourself an Enoughist if those new launches every week in the market doesn’t make you crave for more.

The Eco-Minimalist

Are you someone who is highly environment conscious? You fill your house with plants and plant based products. You prefer buying environmentally sustainable products even though they cost you extra bucks. Ditching plastic all the way and embracing natural products. If that sounds like you, kudos! Mother nature loves you.

 The Soul Minimalist 

Soul Minimalist is someone who prefers in cleansing of soul, eliminating negativity and practicing mindfulness.A soul minimalist is someone who gives importance to healthy relationships, investing in emotional well being and cutting toxicity. Having a peaceful world on the inside cultivates happier surroundings.

 In the end, being a minimalist is about making a conscious choice. Putting efforts in enhancing the quality of your life. You don’t have to fit yourself into any of these so called labels. You can be everything you want to as long as you’re progressing in the direction of self growth.

Remember, it’s your journey. Don’t compare and confine yourself. Take charge of your life’s story and invest in what matters.

Track2Training NGO

Track2Training is a Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that play a significant role in today’s society. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) play a significant role in today’s society, typically picking up the government’s deficits in services and social protection for citizens via the philanthropy of donors and the socially awareNGOs general aim is to alleviate poverty through activities that promote capacity building and self-reliance.

One of the roles was that Track2Training NGO is to balance the social, economic and environmental factors in promoting sustainable development.

Indian Tourism and The Covid -19 Pandemic

India offers a diverse portfolio of niche tourism products – cruises, adventure, trek, film, rural and religious tourism. India has been recognized as a destination for spiritual tourism for domestic and international tourists. The tourism sector has a major contribution to the National GDP. Total contribution by travel and tourism sector to India’s GDP is expected to increase from Rs. 15.24 trillion in 2017 to Rs. 32.05 trillion in 2028. India was ranked 7th among 184 countries in terms of travel and tourism’s total contribution to GDP in 2017. Travel and Tourism is the third largest foreign exchange earner for India. Several marketing initiatives by the Government of India, such as ‘Incredible India!’ and ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ has provided a focused impetus to growth. In October 2018, Statue Of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, also known as ‘Statue Of Unity’, was inaugurated as a tourist attraction. It is the tallest statue in the world standing at a height of 182 metre. It is expected to boost the tourism sector in the country and put India on the world tourism map. The visiting hours to the statue have been increased by two more hours and has been equipped with e-bike tours. Travel and Tourism generated millions of jobs directly in 2018 and this is to grow by 2.2% in 2019. It also includes, for example, the activities of the restaurant and leisure industries directly supported by tourists.

How is the tourism sector affected by the pandemic?


The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on tourism industry due to the resulting travel restrictions as well as slump in demand among travelers. The tourism industry has been massively affected by the spread of coronavirus, as many countries have introduced travel restrictions in an attempt to contain its spread. The coronavirus epidemic is putting up to 50 million jobs in the global travel and tourism sector at risk, with travel likely to slump by a quarter this year, Asia being the most affected continent, the World Travel and Tourism Council has said Once the outbreak is over, it could take up to 10 months for the industry to recover. The tourism industry currently accounts for 10% of global GDP. The impact would depend on how long the epidemic lasts and what are its repercussions.

Smile Every-Day

Many see smiling simply as an involuntary response to things that bring you joy or laughter. While this observation is certainly true, what most people overlook is that smiling can be just as much a voluntary response as a conscious and powerful choice.

Countless scientific studies have confirmed that a genuine smile is generally considered attractive to others around us. Other studies have shed light on how the act of smiling can elevate your mood and the mood of those around you.

A strong link has been found between good health, longevity, and smiling. Most importantly, studies have shown​ that just the act of smiling (making the physical facial shapes and movements), whether the result of real joy or an act, can have both short- and long-term benefits on people’s health and wellbeing.

Still not convinced? Here are the top 10 reasons you should make a conscious effort to smile every day.

101 Quotes about Smiling to Boost Your Mood

Smiling Makes Us Attractive

We are naturally drawn to people who smile. There is a real physical attraction factor linked to the act of smiling. Not surprisingly, more severe or negative facial expressions like frowns, scowls, and grimaces actually work in the opposite manner, effectively pushing people away. Instead, use the attraction power of your smile to draw people in.

Smiling Relieves Stress

Stress can permeate our entire being, and can really show up in our faces. Smiling not only helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed but can actually help reduce stress.

Believe it or not, smiling can reduce stress even if you don’t feel like smiling or even know that you’re smiling! When you are stressed, take the time to put on a smile. You and those around you will reap the benefits.

Smiling Elevates Our Mood

Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There’s a good chance your mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you elevate your mood because the physical act of smiling actually activates neural messaging in your brain.

A simple smile can trigger the release of neural communication boosting neuropeptides as well as mood-boosting neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. Think of smiling like a natural anti-depressant.

Smiling Is Contagious

How many smiles have been described as having the power to lighten up the room? While it is certainly a beautiful sentiment, it carries a hint of truth. Smiling not only has the power to elevate your mood, but it can also change the moods of others and make things happier.

The part of your brain that is responsible for your controlling the facial expression of smiling is an unconscious automatic response area. Meaning that smiling can be completely unconscious, particularly when it comes to our habit of mimicking another person’s smile. Yes, it is scientifically proven that smiles are “contagious!”

Smiling Boosts Your Immune System

Smiling can also boost your overall health. The act of smiling actually helps the human immune system to function more effectively. It is thought that when you smile, immune function improves because you are more relaxed (thanks to the release of certain neurotransmitters).

In addition to taking precautions like washing your hands, why not try to prevent the cold and flu by smiling?

Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure

When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

Smiling Makes Us Feel Good

Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural painkillers, and serotonin. Together these three neurotransmitters make us feel good from head to toe. Not only do these natural chemicals elevate your mood, but they also relax your body and reduce physical pain. Smiling is a natural drug.

Smiling Makes You Look Younger

Not only can smiling make you more attractive it can also make you look more youthful. The muscles we use to smile also lift the face, making a person appear younger. So instead of opting for a facelift, just try smiling your way through the day—you’ll look younger and feel better.

Smiling Makes You Seem Successful

Studies have shown that people who smile regularly appear more confident, are more likely to be promoted, and are more likely to be approached. Try putting on a smile at meetings and business appointments. You might find that people react to you differently.

Smiling Helps You Stay Positive

Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It’s hard, isn’t it?

Even when a smile feels unnatural or forced, it still sends the brain and ultimately the rest of our body the message that “Life is Good!” Stay away from depression, stress, and worry by smiling.

Expectation vs Reality

Some days may be nice and some may be not up to your expectation. There will be many situations and moments that you may not like but you have to up come those days and stay positive in all situation. I am gonna tell some ways that may help you in finding positivity in the hard days. Lets see…..

STAY POSITIVE

The best way to lead a good and healthy life is to make yourself positive in all situation. Coz if you stay positive all time then your life will change automatically. And know this, your life will be decided by the way of your looking towards the world. So make yourself strong and make the day as yours.

HAVE HOPE AND WAIT FOR YOUR TIME

It is also a better way to turn your day a nice one. Everyday will not be yours. There will be downfalls and upraises. So don’t worry on those failures and cry instead celebrate those winnings of yours. And always have the hope in yourself that you’re gonna rock this globe and one day you will be a personality. Till that day don’t wait for anything, Work hard and stay positive.

CONCLUSION

“IF YOU STAY POSITIVE IN A NEGATIVE SITUATION, YOU WIN”, words of APJ. ABDUL KALAM.

Telematics

Hello Reader, Lets dive into a new concept that is changing the way one can be benefited when it comes to vehicles and their operations. Broadly speaking, telematics is the combination of two sciences—telecommunications and informatics. Telecommunication include phone lines, wires, cables, GPS systems, navigation systems etc. and informatics is related with computing systems. It has developed and progressed with the advancement and changes in technology and various new concepts such as big data are elevating the usage of this concept.

Telematics enables wireless data communication through the use of high end technology and opens up a huge range of possibilities. It can enable one to have wireless television and internet on your vehicle. Since the world is focusing more on analytics, the most essential thing is “data”. Telematics is essentially a range of different features, options and devices that are brought together by a single principle – data and communication. Though the concept was there in the industry from a long time, it is getting evolved with each day.

According to Gartner, wireless telematics devices and “black box” technologies collect and transmit data on vehicle use, maintenance requirements and automotive servicing.  Today, a vehicle can have various things connected to it at the same time such as asset tracking, rear camera, GPS, driving behaviour, front cameras, special gears etc.

From the business perspective, the value comes from data transformation. Telematics has changed how various industries used to work earlier, transforming them in construction, transfer and site excavation. Telematics can be used in a wide range of vehicles from cargo vans/pickup trucks to smaller cars, buses and specialist vehicles.

Working of Telematics

The working of telematics includes a GPS system data gathering system and sensor and vehicle data to provide fleet operations. The data that is fetched from various systems is temporarily stored in a telematics device that in installed in each vehicle, and is then transmitted over private cellular networks to secure servers. It is like a centralized controlled system, the central data hub that enables fleet management system to provide easy-to-understand visualizations that help fleet managers optimize their operation.

Fleet management programs now enable firms to manage fleets of all sizes – from a handful of vehicles to hundreds – and help deliver major improvements across the board. Telematics has now developed to the point where it goes well beyond mere asset tracking to incorporate vehicle and driver performance as well as maintenance management.  (https://www.teletracnavman.com/resources/resource-library/faqs/what-is-telematics)

Telematics in Business:

Telematics can greatly streamline communication, job dispatch and routing, and also record and transmit information on whether individual vehicles are in motion or stationary, their engine performance (including power-up, shutdown, idling or malfunctions), vehicle speed, driver conduct and more besides. It benefits in improving service, lower the administrative costs and help in improving the safety via location tracking and other features.

Telematics has changed the way businesses used to work specially in managing fleet of vehicles and is already delivering major improvements to safety, productivity and ultimately profitability, and it is only likely grow in the coming times. The businesses that have integrated and implemented this across the world into their operations can actually expect to continue to reap significant rewards.

 

 

 

 

 

How to improve Writing skill

Its easy to speak but it is a little more difficult, Coz you have to practice every time and day. So don’t think that you can’t do and leave it as such. There are tricks and ways that you can do and become a good writer. Try these..

PRACTICE DAILY

Surely you will be having a minimum of 2 hours free time everyday. But in that time, you can use just 20 minutes to be a good writer. If this writing becomes your daily routine, then automatically you will be improved. Don’t think that you don’t know what to write, instead write something from your book and papers. The aim is to write and improve your skill and not to waste time. So pick anything and just write.

OBSERVE NEWSPAPERS

It is the basic knowledge that every writer should possess. If you come to possess this skill then you can able to frame the sentences, you will be able to discover new words and use those in your sentences. Start this skill and remember one thing , everything comes from a little start only and try to start that beginning today.

CONCLUSION

“SMALL THINGS MAKES EVERYTHING, SO PREPARE YOURSELF FOR SMALL ONES, AUTOMATICALLY YOU WILL WIN LARGER ONES!!!”

Expectations vs Reality

Let’s face it, life does hit us hard a million times. We get hurt, cry, try to vent out our anger and then finally get back on track but do you realise that 99% of the times, the problem wasn’t that big as you had imagined it to be. I’m not saying you cried over something stupid but probably, the intensity of your reaction wouldn’t have been that strong if you didn’t have really high expectations. Yes, ‘expectations vs reality’ is the root cause to most of our problems and if we don’t imagine and expect a lot, the reality won’t hit us hard either.

Let me give you an example- you went to a new grocery store and as luck would have it that day, in the baked items section you found your favourite bread. Voila! Great day! Now you can have that delicious pasta with the bread you had been planning to eat for the past whole month. ‘Great store’ you say to yourself and decide that now on, this will be your go-to place for groceries.

Next time you go to the store, you neither find the bread you loved last time nor do you get the usual cheese Urgh! Frustrating isn’t it? The store let you down and now you hate it.

Well, things run out sometimes, doesn’t mean that the store is bad, right? Sometimes you find what you wanted and sometimes you don’t. You don’t have to hate it to be honest. Same is the case with life, if it doesn’t meet your expectations, don’t start hating it. It’s fine, relax. What you are expecting isn’t the reality and the reality can’t really ever be expected from before.

This may have sounded a bit complicated so let me simplify it for you. What I’m trying to say is basically, don’t keep any expectations from or in life. Take things as they come. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan ahead in life or you should not be ambitious. You just don’t have to over fantasize and imagine every single moment of your life because sometimes things may not go as you had planned and that can be very hurtful so the best thing to do is, do whatever is at hand and leave the rest to the universe. Try not being obsessive about planning everything. It leads to unnecessary exhaustion and anxiety. Relax, take each moment as it comes, utilise it to the fullest and enjoy!

During the lockdown as we keep scrolling through our social media profiles, seeing other’s pictures of doing yoga I don’t know for how many hours a day, looking all fit and eating healthy etc can make us nervous. ‘Why am I not doing anything? Why am I useless’ – these thoughts are likely to come to your mind if you compare yourself with others and expect that you are going to be exactly like others. It’s dumb. We alk have our own individual and unique journey in life. You are not always going to react to situations the way your friends do. You have a different life, you have had different experiences, you’ve met different people, you are your own unique and different individual, period.

Hence, as I had said earlier live your own life and don’t try to clone others. It won’t help.

Impact of Covid-19 on Manufacturing & E-commerce

How the Coronavirus Pandemic Impacts Security Service Firms

The novel Coronavirus outbreak has led to complete shut down of many parts of the world in order to limit the spread of the contagion and ensure safety of lives from the pandemic. The nation-wide lockdowns have had a very adverse effect on the production and supply chain and it has many economic implications which will be further discussed in this article.

Manufacturing sector was severely affected due to two main supply problems. Firstly, a ripple of disruption in production originated from the East-Asian manufacturing giant and quickly reached the other industrial hubs like the USA and Germany, because of globalization of trade. Secondly, even the regions that are not as affected by the pandemic cannot produce smoothly because of disturbance in the supply of raw materials and inputs from hard-hit regions. The service sector isn’t untouched either as restaurants and movie theatres go out of business due to lockdown as well.

One of the key elements of the supply chain that is most affected by the pandemic is the human resource. Humans are involved in everything, from logistics to doing actual work in manufacturing units. The social distancing norms limits the gathering of people and even the fear of catching the disease is making the industries lose labourers and workers. The currently operational industries that produce essential goods and e-commerce sites like Amazon and Flipkart are facing difficulty and/or not running as smoothly because they have to take stringent measures to ensure social distancing during their daily activities.

The lockdown may have pushed people towards online shopping but the things that they are buying are mainly the necessities so the other industries have been negatively impacted. Electronics industry has been affected the most as the main supplier of electronic parts and appliances is China. There has been a rise in sales of subscription services, whatsoever, and it is one of the positively impacted industries in the times of pandemic.

Indian economy is severely affected not just because of the lockdown but also because of its dependency on the epicentre of the pandemic itself – China. Many industries, especially the SMEs, heavily depend on China for supply of raw material so even if the lockdown was to be lifted at some time, these units will fail to operate. For India, one way to overcome this hurdle could be becoming more self-reliant.

Logistics can be made more efficient by eliminating the distributors between the supplier and the retailers and from suppliers to manufacturers. Not only does this ensure that less human resources are involved in the procurement and distribution process, but it also reduces the time duration, making the supply of goods and raw materials timelier. The human resource that is still involved needs to be taken care of and necessary precautions should be taken for their safety. 

The e-commerce deliveries can be made more efficient and effective by grouping up the deliveries of one locality together and doing them at once, even if it causes some delay. Inventory could be reduced and goods could be directly supplied to regions that are deficient.

Don’t Flop on These 4 Easy Interview Questions

Your answers to four basic interview questions could make or break your chances of landing your dream job. Read on and learn how to flip your next interview from “flop” to “nailed it.”
1) Can you tell me a little about yourself?
Flop: “Well, I grew up in this city and have lived here my whole life. My house is on Cherry Street, and I live with my spouse, two kids and our pet cat. I love country music, bowling and hanging out with my friends.”
Nailed it: “I have a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Herzing University. To gain experience and develop professionally, I completed an internship in the marketing department at XYZ Company and currently volunteer for XYZ Organization managing their social media accounts. I’ve learned that my strengths are communication, creative thinking and multi-tasking.”
The trap many job seekers fall into is not considering this a “real” interview question. Remember that from the second you walk in the door, you are being interviewed. Set the tone for the rest of the interview by grasping this opportunity to highlight your qualifications. Impressing the hiring manager from the start is crucial. After all, first impressions are priceless.
2) Why are you looking for another job?
Flop: “I struggle to see eye-to-eye with my boss/coworkers, so I’m looking for a change.”
Nailed it: “My current job has been an excellent learning experience. Now I’m looking forward to further developing my career. I’m seeking new challenges and an opportunity to take on more responsibility.”
Speaking ill of your current boss, colleagues and company will never work in your favor. Remember that even tough employment situations help you develop and learn new skills. Dwell on the positive rather than the negative, and try to keep your response brief. This can help you move on from the topic quickly and get onto questions that let you highlight why you’re the best fit for the job.
3) What are your weaknesses?
Flop: “I don’t have any.”
Nailed it: “I tend to take on too much and – at times – can create extra stress, but it has also taught me to be an excellent multitasker. I’ve developed project management skills that have contributed to my team and our collective success.”
This question is a litmus test of how you react to a tough situation. The interviewer wants to see if you throw in the flag or rise up to the challenge. None of us perfect, right? But our mindset and work ethic can make all the difference in the world. Focus on that, and you’ll show the interviewer that you’re prepared to overcome any challenge.
4) Do you have any questions for me?
Flop: “No, I don’t have any questions right now. Thanks for your time!”
Nailed It: “Yes, I do have a few questions for you…”
It’s important that you ask at least three questions to show your genuine interest in the position and the company. Ask your interviewer to describe their favorite aspect of working for the company. Show that you’ve done your research about the company values. Did you see that they actively support a community service organization? If volunteering is important to you, ask how you could get involved.
The next time you interview, don’t let these fundamental questions be your stumbling blocks. Being prepared with focused and strong answers will help you walk out of an interview with confidence and hopefully, that new job.
Herzing University’s Career Development Team is your resource for all things career. We’re here to help you develop attention-grabbing resumes and cover letters, hone your networking and interviewing skills, and discover internship and job opportunities. If you’re a current student or alumni, we’re at your service. Let us help you land the career of your dreams! Contact us at careerdevelopment@herzing.edu.

Biotechnology is underrated!

33 Best Masters Biotechnology Programs for Commercialization and ...

Everyday, we see advances in almost everything around us. Not just technological advancements but even in living organisms as they continue to evolve with time. From the smallest microorganisms to more complex human beings, every living thing is upgrading just to survive as the living conditions become harsher. After the Covid-19 outbreak, it can be certainly said that new infectious organisms are also on the rise somewhere, waiting for their turn to enter the human world. Species are becoming extinct at a much faster rate due to human interference, lack of benevolence, and greed. With these developments, the role of biotechnology has become more significant than ever.

Biotechnology is the modification and usage of living organisms for various purposes like agricultural, industrial, and healthcare. We know that microorganisms like yeast help us in making bread and Lactobacillus leads to curdling of milk and they have been there for a long time now but now we know that there are several other such living organisms that have the potential to make lives better. These organisms are capable of doing work that are more important than making a loaf of bread or a bowl of milk but the fact that they can save lives! Biotechnology isn’t even about only these organisms but also human beings in which genetic manipulation is definitely complicated but not impossible.

In the field of agriculture and animal husbandry, biotechnology has made it possible for farms to raise both disease resistant plants and animals that are also more resilient to changing environmental conditions. The population is growing rapidly and food shortage is a major concern. With the aid of biotechnology, it is possible to ensure that no man, woman or child goes to bed hungry through enhanced productivity of crops and animals that take up less space and resources. The new farming methods also need to be environmentally sustainable so as they are not burdensome on mother earth and nature. The practices and manipulation must not take the dignity of species that can’t even speak out their concerns, for granted and humanity and empathy must persist. 

The healthcare has also been benefited by introduction of more effective medications and drugs that are biotechnologically synthesised and pose lesser risks of contamination and side effects. Gene testing and manipulation has made it possible to diagnose, prevent and even cure diseases that are inheritable. Various substances like insulin that are synthesised by the body can also be synthesised using genetically modified organisms and can aid the people that are unable to synthesise them due to underlying medical conditions. Biotechnology can also be applied to industrial processes to manufacture products that are important for human beings. Not just that, renewable sources of energy can be generated using biotechnology and can replace fossil fuels in industries. The industrial waste can be treated using genetically modified organisms until the waste is not hazardous when it is released into the environment.

Biotechnology has innumerable applications and the fact that it is a comparatively new field, a lot of research still needs to be done and new techniques are yet to be discovered so a career in biotechnology is definitely a promising one.

Homeschooling kids

Homeschooling is the type of education that is provided to children at home or at a variety of places other than school. It is usually conducted by parents, tutors or online teaching. People generally prefer to send their children to schools to get a formal education. Homeschooling does its best to provide the same level of education and has certain positives over formal education but this choice of education is also accompanied by some cons.

The biggest advantage that homeschooling confers is the flexibility. Guardians and the children themselves can come up with a curriculum that may benefit the child in the best way possible. In a formal education setting, providing personalized education is near to impossible but home schooling can make it possible. The quality of the education increases in a one to one environment. Parents can inculcate the value system in their own children. Moreover, they can even take vacations during off-season. Stress encountered may even be less since there will not be as strict of a regime as in schools. People who are home-schooled often feel that they had more educational and physical freedom than in schools. They have the option to learn things at their own pace, this does not mean that any basics are left uncovered.

Parents may also feel more confident since they will have a direct role in their child’s learning. The child can move more quickly through assignments and subjects they understand, and spend more time on topics that are challenging. Also, the best part that every student can relate to is technically not having any homework.  Classroom distractions can also be avoided.

Along with its benefits, it may also bring certain disadvantages. The parents would have to take up the responsibility of a teacher or an administrator. This may be a potential for more stress and fatigue. More family time may also be spent on homeschooling. There is a chance that their extracurricular activities may suffer. Children are provided with all overall development in home education as well but they may not be allowed to participate in certain competitions.

They may also have fewer technology or resources to use. Parents must also be versed enough to teach a whole variety of subjects, along with a strong value-based education.  Also, the teaching program may be less structured. The biggest opposition that home education faces is socialization or lack thereof. Home schooled kids generally tend to have a small circle of friends and may feel missed out on interaction with their peers. Children may also not get much recognition outside of family as much as that in schools.

Since both the types of learning style pose advantages and disadvantages, it all comes down to what suits a child better to attain his or her development. Some may grow better in a one to one environment while others may be best suited for a typical classroom learning experience.

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Mission of Eduperk

To provide opportunities to advance your professional journey through rigorous online programs that offer personalised support, developed in collaboration with best in class faculty and industry professionals.

With the conviction that in an ever-changing industry, professionals need to continuously upskill themselves in order to stay relevant. Since then EDUPERK have always focused on building a great online learning experience by collaborating with the right universities and industry partners. We then steadily built a strong support system around our learners. Starting with our first program in Entrepreneurship, upGrad has created some of India’s largest online programs to help thousands of professionals achieve their career goals in the areas of data technology, and management.