Job Satisfaction

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.”

– Aristotle

Job Satisfaction may be defined as the feeling of satisfaction or attitude that an employee has about the job that he or she is performing. It is not a self- satisfaction, happiness but the satisfaction on the job. Job Satisfaction relates to the total relationship between an individual and the employer for which he is paid. There is direct relationship between employee’s job performance and the satisfaction that he or she derives from doing the job. Many research studies have clearly shown that employees who are satisfied have a better attitude towards their jobs and his productivity is significantly higher than less satisfied employees. Hence, it is important that the employees feel a sense of satisfaction with their job or else it might lead to frustration, anger and in some cases depression. Job Satisfaction is also an achievement indicator in career development task. When an employee is satisfied, he or she cares more about the quality of work, they become more commited and loyal towards the work and the organisation, the employee retention rate increases and the employees become more productive which helps in achieving goals of the organisation. A satisfied employee generally have a positive attitude towards his job and company. He or she is proactive, they have a higher level of motivation and they tend to take initiative, they are willing to take more responsibility and establishes better relationship with their colleagues, fellow employees, superiors and subordinates. A satisfied employee shows a positive energy all the time. As we know satisfied employees will stay with the organisation or company for a long-period of time and so for this the organisation must concentrate on removing dissatisfied employees from the workplace inorder to reduce negative energy. Empower the satisfied employees so that they helps in achieving both their own needs and those of the organisation. Job Satisfaction is an attitude that employees have regarding their work and the organisation and it is based on numerous factors which includes both intrinsic and extrinsic to the individual. Job Satisfaction also plays an important role in maintaining and retaining the appropriate employees within the organisation as the company has already invested a lot of money on them. It is a complex and multifaceted concept as a wide range of factors affects the level of job satisfaction. They are individual, social, cultural, organisational and environmental factors. Job Satisfaction is usually linked with motivation as it motivates them to work hard and give their best. Job Satisfaction can be measured in cognitive (evaluative), effective (or emotional) and behavioral components. Job Satisfaction helps in knowing whether employee is satisfied and it is one key metric that can help in determine the overall health of an organisation, that is why many organisations employ regular surveys to measure employee satisfaction and track satisfaction trends over time. A high satisfaction level indicates that employees are happy with how their employers treat them. Job Satisfaction plays a crucial role both for the company and for the employees for many reasons including the following:-

  • Increases Productivity – Job Satisfaction is highly correlated to productivity. If a person is satisfied with his job he will be more productive. A happy and satisfied employees generally work smarter and harder to achieve company goals.
  • Protects Physical Well-Being- Job Satisfaction is directly proportional to physical health and well-being of the employees. An employee who is healthy will adjust himself well in the organisation and to the work and hence tends to contribute more towards the organisation.
  • Decreases Employee Turnover and Absenteeism- A company where there is high employee turnover shows that the organisation provides less satisfaction to its employees and this is the major disorders of company. A high job satisfaction level significantly reduces voluntary separation of employees and thus company is able to retain its talented employees. A higher satisfaction level also has a positive effect on the attendance of the employees. It helps in reducing the rate of absenteeism in the organisation.

So lastly, job satisfaction is really very important for the prestige and goodwill of the organisation.

Animal Cruelty: Are Humans Losing Their Humanity?

Imagine you were the one being tested on, imagine your skin being torn off alive, imagine your arms and legs being ripped off while still alive, imagine being burnt alive, fellow classmates even imagine losing your life, just so you can satisfy other species. Doesn’t sound fun, does it?

Now imagine this, you are a poor soul who has been searching for food everywhere. Suddenly, your happiness sees no bound as you see pineapple lying in front of you. You thank god and people for feeding such a delicacy amidst long hunger. You gulp that in one bite and feel inside of your body hurting and burning. You soon realize it was not just a pineapple. You run for water to soothe down the internal wound and burning. You stand in water for hours in oblivion just to face one reality – that now only death can relieve this burning. If reading this makes your stomach churn, you might understand the pain that poor soul went through which for some people was a mere ‘elephant’. What makes it even more disheartening that the elephant was pregnant  and yet had to spend her last few hours standing in the water waiting for death so that to leave this cruel world in solace.

In yet another instance of cruelty towards animals, a monkey was hanged to death from a tree in Telangana’s Khammam district.

Animals – creatures that are considered fit for human cruelty. Hitting dogs, throwing bricks at speechless animals and taming them forcefully for circuses has become common news now. It is time we re-emphasized the need for animal rights to protect and safeguard their lives from humans.

It’s blood curling that there exist some people who intentionally hurt animals because they enjoy hurting things, or because it makes them feel powerful. Some, love the control they possess over these helpless creatures. While, there are others who simply enjoy pain and violence.

It should be noted that intentional cruelty to animals is strongly correlated with other crimes, including violence against people. (HSLF). Any psychologist or police officer can ascertain you that animal cruelty is a precursor to criminally violent behavior toward humans. There are plenty of laws against cruelty to animals as well. Thus, Outright cruelty, harm to a living creature for no other purpose than the cruelty itself, is definitely prohibited and while not punishable to the extent that human cruelty is punishable, it is considered a serious indicator of a disordered mind and a dangerous person.

There are very strict guidelines laid down by the Indian government. Like, the animal should have rested before being slaughtered, an animal should not be killed in front of the other animals, no pregnant animal can be killed and all the animals should be diagnosed by the veterinarian before butchering them. The veterinarian must allow only the healthy animals to be slaughtered but all of it is on paper. All the strict laws have no strict implementation due to lack of will. There will surely be reduction in the rate of animal cruelty if these laws are implemented strictly!

We need to begin with our own selves without expecting any kind of new policies or laws to protect animals. Regularly keeping a bowl of fresh water outside your house and feeding the street animals. Such small activities would provide street animals with basic survival needs in the harsh city life.

Are we going to realize this any soon that we are a part of an ecosystem where human, plants, animals, insects, and microorganisms, all have to live together without harming each other? It’s generally only the humans that are less tolerant towards animals, plants, insets, etc. whereas, the rest simply seek for a peaceful existence.

BERMUDA TRIANGLE

As we all know that earth has so many wonders in it….nature show us its beautiful creation but there are some mysterious places also present on earth…Bermuda triangle is one of them….


The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil’s Triangle or Hurricane Alley, is a loosely defined region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Popular culture has attributed various disappearances to the paranormal or activity by extraterrestrial beings.
The earliest suggestion of unusual disappearances in the Bermuda area appeared in a September 17, 1950, article published in The Miami Herald (Associated Press) by Edward Van Winkle Jones. Two years later, Fate magazine published “Sea Mystery at Our Back Door”, a short article by George Sand covering the loss of several planes and ships, including the loss of Flight 19. Sand’s article was the first to lay out the now-familiar triangular area where the losses took place, as well as the first to suggest a supernatural element to the Flight 19 incident.
In February 1964, Vincent Gaddis wrote an article called “The Deadly Bermuda Triangle” in the pulp magazine Argosy saying Flight 19 and other disappearances were part of a pattern of strange events in the region. The next year, Gaddis expanded this article into a book, Invisible Horizons.

There are some explanations also about the Bermuda triangle-
Compass variations- Compass problems are one of the cited phrases in many Triangle incidents. While some have theorized that unusual local magnetic anomalies may exist in the area, such anomalies have not been found.

Gulf Stream- The Gulf Stream is a major surface current, primarily driven by thermohaline circulation that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and then flows through the Straits of Florida into the North Atlantic. In essence, it is a river within an ocean, and, like a river, it can and does carry floating objects. It has a maximum surface velocity of about 2 m/s (6.6 ft/s). A small plane making a water landing or a boat having engine trouble can be carried away from its reported position by the current.

Human error- One of the most cited explanations in official inquiries as to the loss of any aircraft or vessel is human error.

Violent weather- Hurricanes are powerful storms that form in tropical waters and have historically cost thousands of lives and caused billions of dollars in damage. The sinking of Francisco de Bobadilla’s Spanish fleet in 1502 was the first recorded instance of a destructive hurricane. These storms have in the past caused a number of incidents related to the Triangle.
A National Hurricane Center satellite specialist, James Lushine, stated “during very unstable weather conditions the downburst of cold air from aloft can hit the surface like a bomb, exploding outward like a giant squall line of wind and water.”


Methane hydrates- An explanation for some of the disappearances has focused on the presence of large fields of methane hydrates (a form of natural gas) on the continental shelves. Laboratory experiments carried out in Australia have proven that bubbles can, indeed, sink a scale model ship by decreasing the density of the water.
However, according to the USGS, no large releases of gas hydrates are believed to have occurred in the Bermuda Triangle for the past 15,000 years.

HERE ARE SOME INCIDENTS –
Flight 19 was a training flight of five TBM Avenger torpedo bombers that disappeared on December 5, 1945, while over the Atlantic. The squadron’s flight plan was scheduled to take them due east from Fort Lauderdale for 141 mi (227 km), north for 73 mi (117 km), and then back over a final 140-mile (230-kilometre) leg to complete the exercise. The flight never returned to base. The disappearance was attributed by Navy investigators to navigational error leading to the aircraft running out of fuel.

One of the search and rescue aircraft deployed to look for them, a PBM Mariner with a 13-man crew, also disappeared. A tanker off the coast of Florida reported seeing an explosion and observing a widespread oil slick when fruitlessly searching for survivors. The weather was becoming stormy by the end of the incident. According to contemporaneous sources the Mariner had a history of explosions due to vapor leaks when heavily loaded with fuel, as it might have been for a potentially long search-and-rescue operation.

G-AHNP Star Tiger disappeared on January 30, 1948, on a flight from the Azores to Bermuda; G-AGRE Star Ariel disappeared on January 17, 1949, on a flight from Bermuda to Kingston, Jamaica. Both were Avro Tudor IV passenger aircraft operated by British South American Airways. Both planes were operating at the very limits of their range and the slightest error or fault in the equipment could keep them from reaching the small island.


• On December 28, 1948, a Douglas DC-3 aircraft, disappeared while on a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami. No trace of the aircraft, or the 32 people on board, was ever found. A Civil Aeronautics Board investigation found there was insufficient information available on which to determine probable cause of the disappearance.

Connemara IV a yacht was found adrift in the Atlantic south of Bermuda on September 26, 1955; it is usually stated in the stories (Berlitz, Winer) that the crew vanished while the yacht survived being at sea during three hurricanes.


• On August 28, 1963, a pair of US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft collided and crashed into the Atlantic 300 miles west of Berm

Rafael aircraft coming to India from France

The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Equipped with a wide range of weapons, the Rafale is intended to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike, and nuclear deterrence missions. Many of the aircraft’s avionics and features, such as direct voice input, the RBE2 AA active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, were domestically developed and produced for the Rafale program. Originally scheduled to enter service in 1996, the Rafale suffered significant delays due to post-Cold War budget cuts and changes in priorities. The aircraft is available in three main variants: Rafale C single-seat land-based version, Rafale B twin-seat land-based version, and Rafale M single-seat carrier-based version.

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The Rafale is being produced for both the French Air Force and for carrier-based operations in the French Navy. The Rafale has been marketed for export to several countries and was selected for purchase by the Indian Air Force, the Egyptian Air Force, and the Qatar Air Force.  Due to its great capabilities, the first batch of 5 raflaes arrives in India in two days.

On the one hand, when there are neighbors like China and on the other hand, when there are neighboring countries like Pakistan, India needs to work on both its army and the Indian Air Force. In such a situation, 5 Rafale aircraft was given to the Indian Army yesterday. These Rafale aircraft flew from France yesterday and reached the UAE airbase Al Dhafra today. Here their maintenance and refueling work will be done. After this, these fighter aircraft will fly and arrive at Ambala Air Force Base tomorrow. With this aircraft joining the Indian Air Force, the morale of the Indian Army will be greatly elevated. However, the condition of the Airforce is not good right now because there is a shortage of squadron. This thing has been told in many reports. But with Rafael joining the Indian Army, it can play a decisive role in winning a war.

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“You can call them (Rafale) both beauty and the beast,” said Indian Ambassador to France Jawed Ashraf after interacting with the IAF pilots at the airbase before they set off for India. “Delivery of 10 aircraft has been completed on schedule. Five will stay back in France for a training mission. The delivery of all 36 aircraft will be completed on schedule by the end of 2021,” the Indian embassy in Paris said in a statement. India and France signed a Euro 7.87-billion ( 59,000 crores approximately) deal on September 23, 2016, for 36 Rafale jets. The IAF official said the air-to-air refueling of the aircraft will be undertaken with dedicated tanker support from the French Air Force. “Our air force pilots tell us that these are extremely swift, nimble, versatile, and very deadly aircraft,” said Ashraf while congratulating the IAF pilots on becoming the first ones to fly one of the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft. The envoy thanked Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of the aircraft, for delivering the fleet on time, the French government and the French Air Force for extending all required support.

Online Classes During Pandemic

COVID-19 began in the month of December in 2019 and soon it grew into a pandemic, leading to several losses of lives and locking down of many cities. Social distancing became the key to escape out of this problem. But, with this solution came other problems. We are able to follow social distancing by keeping us locked in our houses but this stopped students’ education too. But we can’t just stop everything due to this COVID thing. We need to find an effective solution to continue the education of students. We need to continue the functioning of schools and colleges.

Online Classes

In the times of the internet, the one and the only solution are online classes. The online way to share knowledge and information now is the internet. It has proved to be a real miracle these days, connecting millions and making information access fast and easy. Be it school, college, tuition, or coaching classes, knowledge is now being delivered to students who are sitting at their home and can learn things sitting there only. Students now need a mobile or desktop and fast internet connection to attend their online classes and learn things. It is not possible for a pandemic to stop students from learning.

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How it is a different experience?

This way of learning is totally new to everyone, be it students, be it teachers or be it parents. We were already involved in some small ways of e-learning but a complete shift towards this type of mode is  something new and challenging to everyone. Teachers are continuously involved in finding new ways to make e-learning more interactive and interseting for students. They are continuously evolving their way of teaching and trying to give them a class-type of feeling. Teachers are also learning to adapt with new softwares and explore things. Students are learning how to deal with online homework submissions, doubt-sessions and examinations. But, the problem is that the medium of interaction is always an electronic device. Hence, students are subjected to fatigue and mental stress. They seem irritated and develop body pain sitting still at a particular position holding their phones or laptops. Students are also developing stress on eyes. It is quite difficult for them to adjust with all of these. It seems that this way of teaching costs their health, both mental and physical. Besides this, internet is not available to all the areas of the country and to all the students. Poor students can’t afford high speed data. This method of teaching, is thus, a barrier between poor students and education. It is a harsh truth that they are left behind. We need to work together towards this to make education available to underprivileged students also.

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INVENTIONS: THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

As we are humans and we always want something new, something unique, something bigger, and most importantly something different…..our history is full of great people and great inventions…..there were some inventions after them, the world has took a new dimension or we can say that the world get updated by time by time……there are some inventions which have changed the way of thinking of human beings, and provide a new face to the world……these inventions are as follows:


WHEEL- just imagine if there were the invention of wheel didn’t take place then how our life will be going on….This primitive technology made it easier for all of us to travel. From the archaeological excavations, the oldest known wheel is from Mesopotamia, around 3500 B.C.
As a result of advancement in the new and innovative design of wheels, industrialization could take root. Wheel played a vital role in our life.


COMPASS- It was created for spiritual and navigational purposes; the earliest compasses were most likely invented by the Chinese in around 1050 BC. It was made of lodestones, which is a naturally magnetized iron ore.The invention of the electromagnet in 1825 led to the development of the modern compass.


STEAM ENGINE- In 1781, James Watt introduced a steam engine and went on to fuel one of the most momentous technological leaps in human history during the Industrial Revolution.
During the 1800s these engines lead to an improvement in transportation, agriculture, and manufacturing industries.


AIRPLANE- On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved the first powered, sustained and controlled airplane.
Beginning with gliders, the duo laid the foundation for modern aeronautical engineering.
The possibility to fly over thousands of miles in less time would not have been made possible if the aircraft were not invented.


FIRE- From the past to the present Fire has been in rituals, agriculture, cooking, generating heat and light, signaling, various industrial processes, cremation, and as a weapon or medium of destruction. This remarkable control of fire happened during Early Stone Age by Homo erectus. The invention of fire was the biggest achievement of our ancestors and an essential thing of all the time.


LIGHT BULB- Today we get light by only switching on a button….the light bulb was just like a revolution in the history of world…Thomas Alva Edison invented the light bulb.


ELECTRICITY- There is a very big invention apart from light bulb….the electricity….without electricity we feel very incomplete now a days…Alessandro Volta discovered the first practical method of generating electricity. 1831 is marked the year of major breakthrough for electricity. A British scientist Michael Faraday discovered the basic principles of electricity generation. This invention was also the revolution in the history of world. It works as a backbone for almost every work..


X-RAY- X-ray was the very big invention for the medical field as it brought an ease in treating people.
All credits to physicist Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen. While testing whether cathode rays could pass through glass, he noticed a glow coming from a nearby chemically coated screen. Because of their unknown nature, he named it as X-rays. Through his observation, he learned that X-rays can be photographed when they penetrate into human flesh.

In 1897, during the Balkan war, X-rays were first used to find bullets and broken bones inside patients. In 1901, he received the Nobel Prize in physics for his work.


CAMERA- Camera was one of the remarkable inventions in the history as it allows us to capture all the moments and with the help of this, we can travel in the memories of flash back.
The first partially successful photograph of a camera image was made in approximately 1816 by Nicephore Niepce, using a very small camera of his own making and a piece of paper coated with silver chloride, which darkened where it was exposed to light.


COMPUTER- In today’s life laptop, computer become an essential thing either it is business man, student, employee everyone need it. It was also the biggest achievement for history. Major Shoutout to the mechanical engineer Charles Babbage for laying the foundation to this remarkable and most reliable invention. In the early 19th century, the “father of the computer” conceptualized and invented the first mechanical computer.


TELEPHONE- Alexander Graham Bell, best known for his invention of the telephone. Today we can talk to any one from anywhere…and we feel connected to our every loved ones because of telephone.


INTERNET- Internet was also the remarkable invention as everyone needs it in today’s time either it is a school going child, an employee, or elder ones. Since the mid-1990s, the Internet has had a revolutionary impact on technology, including the rise of electronic mail, instant messaging, voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone calls, and two-way interactive video calls.


WORLD WIDE WEB- The Internet is a networking infrastructure. Whereas the World Wide Web is a way to access information over the medium of the Internet.
The father of the World Wide Web is a British Computer Scientist, Tim Berners-Lee. By October 1990, three Tim laid the foundation to the web through HTML, URL, and HTTP technologies.
April 1993, marked an important step in the history of Web. The decision to use the web for free was announced. And today we can see there is not a single day gone when we don’t search something on Google. We can say Google has become the part of our life…if we don’t know something and if we want to search something, then we easily open Google and collect the information….from a street to the world every information is available here.

Lockdowns And Decreased Seismic Noise

Scientists from the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Brussels recently shared an observation that after lockdowns were imposed by governments all over the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a remarkable decline in human-linked vibrations within the crust of the Earth. And the scientists in Brussels, with the help of other scientists around the world, have published a new study in the journal “SCIENCE“, which shows how the ‘Seismic Noise’ has reduced, allowing them to observe and record previously concealed earthquakes better.

Courtesy- Stephen Hicks @seismo_steve

Measured using seismometers, seismic waves are the vibrations traveling within the Earth that could be set off by earthquakes or volcanoes. The waves could be subject to the disturbance caused due to human activities or naturally. In the study, it is found that the reduced human activity led to an average drop of around 50% human-caused seismic noise, which was recorded between March 2020 to May 2020. The drops in the seismic noise, especially in the urban areas, are unprecedented and are observed to be more than what is considered usual quiet periods like weekends, holidays, or during the night.

The scientists have termed this time of global anthropogenic or human-based seismic noise deduction as ‘Anthropause’. This anthropause can help the scientists get a more accurate measure of the seismic waves and to differentiate between human and natural seismic noise clearly.

Lead author of the study, Dr. Thomas Lecocq from the Royal Observatory of Belgium explains, “With increasing urbanization and growing global populations, more people will be living in geologically hazardous areas. It will, therefore, become more important than ever to differentiate between natural and human-caused noise so that we can ‘listen in’ and better monitor the ground movements beneath our feet.”

The scientists and researchers are hoping to move forward with their study of seismic lockdown and the previously hidden indications of earthquakes and volcanoes would be easier to be recognized and there will be a better understanding of the natural seismic waves.

Hobbies

“I want to fly a plane. I want to make a paper boat. I want to become a police officer and catch all criminals by myself. I want to become a model. I want to become the Prime Minister of my country. I want to meet Sharukh Khan in person.” These are some of the things one must have said or at least heard a child say. But as we grow up, things change and people find it difficult to continue their dreams. Some of them make use of their hobbies and elevate it into their career, some pursue them in their free time and some just don’t really happen to bother about it.

hobby

According to Wikipedia, A hobby is an activity, interest, or pastime that is undertaken for pleasure or relaxation, done during one’s own time.

Some hobbies include DIY, coin collection, writing poems and articles, stamp collection, gardening, camping, play board games, watch movies/series and documentaries, make a scrapbook of special events, cooking, drawing, dancing, singing, stargazing, flying a kite, calligraphy, learning a new language, volunteering, performing yoga and the list continues.

Some of them have become obsolete such as stamp or coin collection due to VUCA world. Technology has also enhanced various things and have led to molding of interest. Now-a-days, it is possible to learn new things via internet. YouTube and other online platforms have made it possible for amateur to learn new skills online.

Some hobbies can be expensive but some comes with few costs involved. But at the end of the day, one must devote some time for these hobbies as they are a great stress reliever. One way to end the monotony is to focus on a hobby that is both enjoyable and helps you pass the time in a meaningful way.

Benefits of having a hobby:

  • Hobbies offer a new challenge.
  • They are a great source of happiness and stress reliever.
  • Hobbies provide an outlet for stress.
  • They help in enhancing one’s own personality.
  • They promote healthy relationship with oneself as well as others.
  • They also give one a platform to showcase one’s talent with the world.

As we grow up, life becomes monotonous and sometimes dull. Presence of some hobbies help in innovative thinking and reducing everyday stress. It is something that one has outside the normal job and something that is interesting. It is extremely important to adapt to the changes overall keep going and these hobbies add colors to life.

 

Aloe vera

Aloe vera is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but grows wild in tropical, semi-tropical, and arid climates around the world. People have used it for thousands of years for healing and softening the skin. Aloe has also long been a folk treatment for many maladies, including constipation and skin disorders. The cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food industries use aloe vera extensively, and the plant has an estimated annual market value of $13 billion globally. Each leaf contains a slimy tissue that stores water, and this makes the leaves thick. This water filled tissue is the “gel” that people associate with aloe vera products. Like other Aloe species, Aloe vera forms arbuscular mycorrhiza, a symbiosis that allows the plant better access to mineral nutrients in soil.

ANTIOXIDANT

The gel contains most of the beneficial bioactive compounds in the plant, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants .Aloe vera gel contains powerful antioxidants belonging to a large family of substances known as polyphenols.

SKIN PROBLEMS AND WOUND HEALING

Aloe vera is known for its antibacterial, antiviral, and antiseptic properties. This is part of why it may help heal wounds and treat skin problems. There is some preliminary evidence to suggest that topical aloe vera gel can slow aging of the skin. The United States Pharmacopeia describe aloe vera preparations as a skin protector as early as 1810–1820.

REDUCES CONSTIPATION

Aloe vera may also help treat constipation. This time it is the latex, not the gel, that provides the benefits. The latex is a sticky yellow residue present just under the skin of the leaf. The key compound responsible for this effect is called aloin, or barbaloin, which has well established laxative effects.

LOWERS BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL

People sometimes use aloe vera as a remedy for diabetes. This is because it may enhance insulin sensitivity and help improve blood sugar management.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

Hate Binge And Chill

Over the last weekend, all I can notice on social media was Netflix’s latest docu-reality series, which was trending on number #2 “Indian Matchmaking”. People on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook were criticizing the show and the memes were being circulated, I am no fan reality shows but I was just curious to know what the fuzz is all about.

The show begins with a woman (Akshay’s mom) listing all the qualities, to a Mumbai based matchmaker- Sima Taparia, that she is looking for in her future daughter-in-law, and trust me when I say this that 10 minutes into the show and I am already hating it but I still watched 2 episodes in the same sitting. “I shouldn’t be watching this shit,” I say to myself but somehow, I finished all eight episodes of the show in a matter of hours within a day. The show is downright cringe-worthy. Sima Taparia, the narrator makes pretty nasty and mean comments, especially about girls who are ambitious, independent, and looking for a partner that would treat her as an equal. Such girls for Sima Aunty are stubborn, not-flexible, demanding, and difficult to find a match for; while on the other hand if a boy demands those qualities then it is normal. So much for the double standards. The show without doubts contains all the elements of a binge-worthy reality show- A man-child, who wants a wife like his mother, nosy mother, who blackmails by pointing to her high blood pressure the boy into marrying, a most probably closeted guy, an ambitious, career-oriented woman, a face reader, astrologers, life-coach, and US-based scenes. It is worth all the hate and I too watched it under the hate spell.

It happens to a lot of us that we get glued to television for such shows that we hate, those shows don’t make any sense, we make fun of them, get offended by them but we still binge them. But why does that happen? Why can’t we stop watching something that we do not like? According to psychology and communications experts, love and hate are 2 strong emotions and once our emotions are unleashed, whether it’s because we’re very attracted to something or very repelled by something if we feel strongly enough about it, we want to know more, we grow curious about it.

The same happened with Indian Matchmaking, I was annoyed by Sima Taparia and other problematic characters and it unleashed my emotions. I was furious when Sima Taparia said, “Indians don’t like lawyers as a daughter-in-law”, words like “flexible”, “compromise”, “tall”, “well-settled” were thrown around and I was screaming, “Why even bother getting married then?” at my TV screen when Sima Taparia said, “In India, marriages are breaking like biscuits” and thus her job is getting tougher. But with every episode I felt that I do want to know what is going to happen next in their lives, I might miss something and everyone is already talking about it. When there are no good options about what to do, we tend to do this like binge-watching a show that you dislike because you have developed an interest as it is more interesting than doing nothing.

When we start a show that we begin to hate, we think that we have wasted our time by start watching it in the first place and to compensate the lost time and effort we keep going on in a hope that we will get at least something out of it in the end. And eventually what happens is you dislike it more and more, you waste more and more money, and things generally just get worse.

But how do we stop this hate-binge? Well, psychologists suggest that turning off the auto-play is a good start, if you don’t like something in the first two episodes stop watching it then and there and if you feel peer pressure by the Social Media into watching the entire series because everyone else has, try to start a new series and then go back to the one you hated. I honestly would love to try this technique out because hate-binge just makes you feel guilty and nothing good comes out of that.

LONAR LAKE

Recently we have heard about a lake which water turned into pink color and it was the big cause of everyone’s wonder….everyone was surprised that how it happened ….then every had curiosity to know about that lake and to know about how it’s green color changed into pink color……and the name of that lake is the LONAR LAKE…….


The lonar lake is located at Lonar in Buldhana district, Maharashtra, India. Lonar Lake was created by an asteroid collision with earth impact during the Pleistocene Epoch.

The lake was initially believed to be of volcanic origin, but now it is recognized as an impact crater. Lonar Lake was created by the impact of either a comet or of an asteroid. The crater has an oval shape.


The water of the lake contains various salts and sodas. During dry weather, when evaporation reduces the water level, large quantities of soda are collected.


The lake is a haven for a wide range of plant and animal life. Resident and migratory birds such as black-winged stilts, brahminy ducks, grebes, shelducks (European migrants), shovellers, teals, herons, red-wattled lapwings, rollers or blue jays, baya weavers, parakeets, hoopoes, larks, tailorbirds, magpies, robins and swallows are found on the lake.


In early June 2020, the lake turned red/pink in a span of 2–3 days. A report by Agharkar Research Institute, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute and Geological Survey of India suggested that lowered water levels and high salinity caused growth of Halobacterium and increased Carotenoid levels, which in turn led to color change.


PROBLEMS OF LONAR LAKE-
• Use of fertilizers, pesticides and toxic materials in the agriculture field around the lake results in pollution of lake water.
• Deforestation is illegally carried out in the surroundings and cattle grazing inside or near the rim of the crater creates fecal pollution.
• Excavation activities are often carried out illegally thus disturbing the lake’s underground water source.
• The lake’s ecosystem is being damaged because of the sewage dump in the lake.
• Commercial activities, including illegal construction, within the vicinity of lake has damaged the lake’s natural.


There are various activities (e.g. “Save Lonar”) for the protection of Lonar crater are on-going.

Mutual Divorce as per Hindu Marriage Act, 1955

Divorce is a very serious issue. Nowadays, the seriousness is vanished the couple find it very easy to end up a relationship without thinking twice about the decision. Some Couple knows it all about the consequences they could suffer later on but apart from it they decide to end up the marriage rather than sitting together and solving the differences between themselves.

What is Divorce by Mutual Consent?

Under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 both the husband and the wife have been given a right to get their marriage dissolved by a decree of divorce on more than one ground specifically enumerated in Section 13.

Section 28 of the Special Marriage Act, 1954 and Section 10A of the Divorce Act, 1869, also provides for divorce by mutual consent.

The conditions required under section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act are as follows:

(i) Husband and wife have been living separately for a period of one year or more.

(ii) That they are unable to live together.

(iii) And that both husband and wife have mutually agreed that the marriage has totally collapsed. Hence marriage should be dissolved. Under these circumstances, a Divorce by Mutual consent can be filed.

As per the Indian Legal system, a divorce procedure fundamentally begins with the filing of a divorce petition.

Where to file a divorce petition

1. The court can be one where couple seeking divorce last lived.

2. The court can be one where the marriage was solemnized.

3. The court can be one where the wife is residing as of present.

The entire procedure of divorce in India starts begins with the divorce petition which is filled by the parties associated with the divorce process and notice of the same is served to the other one.

According to the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955; a petition for a ‘mutual divorce’ can be filed if you and your spouse are facing difficulties and have decided to part your ways legally.

You can even file for divorce if the other party is not willing to get a divorce- this is called, ‘Contested Divorce’.

Points to be discussed before getting a divorce by mutual consent

  1. Maintenance
  2. Child custody
  3. Settlement of Property and assets

Requirement of Documents for filing Mutual Divorce Petition:

  • Marriage Certificate
  • Address Proof – Husband and Wife.
  • Four Photographs of Marriage.
  • Income tax Statement of last 3 years.
  • Details of profession and Income (Salary slips, appointment letter)
  • Details of Property and Asset owned
  • Information about family (husband and wife)
  • Evidence of Staying separately for an year
  • Evidence relating to the failed attempts of reconciliation

Procedure for getting a decree of divorce by mutual consent

Step 1: Jointly filing a petition

A divorce petition in the form of an affidavit is to be signed by both parties and filed before a family court in their region.

Jurisdiction of the court should not be a major issue in filing for divorce as the petition can be filed within the local limits of the ordinary civil jurisdiction of where the marriage was solemnized or where either of the parties currently resides.

As mentioned earlier, the parties to a marriage must be living separately for at least one year before filing the petition.

Step 2: First Motion

After filing the petition the parties shall appear before the court and give their statements. If the court is satisfied and the statements are recorded then the first motion is said to have been passed, following which a waiting period of 6 months will be given to the parties before they are able to file the second motion.

This waiting period as statutorily prescribed under Section 13B(2) of the Act is for the parties to introspect and think about their decision. It is a time given for them to reconcile and give their marriage another chance, just in case they decide to change their mind.

Anyhow, sometimes the court may be convinced that the marriage has reached the point of no return and the waiting period will only expand their misery. In that case, this period can be waived off by the court. This period if not waived off can extend up to 18 months. If the parties still want to get divorced they may now file for second motion. The second motion can be filed only after the waiting period of 6 months and before 18 months has elapsed.

Step 3: Second Motion

This is when final hearings take place and statements are recorded again. If the issues of alimony and child custody (if any) are mutually agreed upon the decree of divorce is passed after this step. The marriage has finally ended by now and divorce by mutual consent has been granted.

Conclusion

In my views marriage is a unique friendship where you find a best friend and a soulmate. In friendship sometimes we have to adjust according to our friend as per their likes and dislikes. Similarly, in marriage we need to make some compromise to make it work throughout our life. Taking such important decisions so quickly will offer us nothing. So we should try to make it work rather than leaving someone for just some bad incident in the past months or years.

ETHNIC CLEANSING

Ethnic cleansing is a premeditated attack done to drive out a specific community of people from a particular area. This means that a place will no longer have any signs of existence of the specific community; the area will no longer have the cultural or physical remains of the community thus effectively ethnically cleansing the area of traces of the specific community. It differs from genocide as the only intention of ethnic cleansing is to push a particular community from the area where genocide aims to completely kill an ethnic community in the area. Ethnic cleansing or forcibly pushing out a community is considered as a crime against humanity and condemned by the International Criminal Court and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Ethnic cleansing is done using a wide range of inhuman methods such as rape, executions, assaults or unlawful detention or forceful displacement, threatening civilians and attacking civilian population all these crimes are classified as crimes against humanity.


Ethnic cleansing is ideas that rise when nationalist movements with racist ideologies. The term ethnic cleansing was first used during the war in Yugoslavia where Bosnian Muslims were driven out of the country by Bosnian Serbs who claimed the land as their own. There are many examples of ethnic cleansing; the most radical and extreme is the displacement of Jews with culminated in the mass killing of the Jews. The ethnic cleansing of Jews was tied to the final solution proposed by Hitler which says that the true and real solution to the problems faced by the people of Germany was the Jews and the only way to end it was to deport them or kill them in concentration camps. The Tutsi community in the country of Rwanda was also first raped, its civilian population attacked and unlawful detention this later progressed to a genocide where the Tutsis in the country were violently killed. The most recent example is the Rohingya persecution in Myanmar where Rohingya Muslims were forcefully deported from Rakhine State by Myanmar’s military government. The Rohingya Muslims were denied from getting citizenships thus were considered as illegal immigrants and were driven out of the country to Bangladesh.


Ethnic cleansing occurs during a war which later escalates into genocide. At least this is the usual trend. The reason could be a community’s religion, race or colour which is discriminated in an area. It is accompanied by assault, unlawful deportation and attack on civilian population which is against the Geneva Convention and a war crime. The very idea of ethnic cleansing debases a value of human life and disregards every human right which every person regardless of their nationality is entitled to. The entire idea of ethnic cleansing is inhuman and a disgusting taint on humanity. Political parties tend to take advantage over nationalism to create a common enemy where the majority of the population can relate to it. Ethnic cleansing divides an already fragmented population of a country leading to more problems. There should be more stringent rules from the international laws laid down that condemn ethnic cleansing. Monitoring bodies such as the UN must make ethnic cleansing which occurs in various forms must be recognized.

10,000 Digits Of Pi

More often people complain about having a terrible memory, things like birthdays, anniversaries, grocery lists, etc. tend to slip off their minds. One might imagine memory like something set in stone but it is not the case, with the right technique you can train your brain to remember almost anything you want. A four-time USA Memory Champion, Nelson Dellis, who has memorized 10,000 digits of pi, the lists of hundreds of names after only one hearing, and the order of more than nine shuffled cards, says that anyone can improve their memory with a little dedication. Here are five steps that can help in training your brain to remember things.

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  1. Start With Strong Images- Dellis suggests that to memorize anything, start turning it into an image. Let u take seven wonders of the world, for example, for the Great Wall of China you might just want to imagine a wall or for Petra of Jordan, you can just go for an image of your pet. Images that are weird or gross or emotional tend to stay in the brain for a longer time. When looking at the brain, researchers found that the amygdala—a part of the brain that is important for processing emotion—encourages other parts of the brain to store memories. That’s why strong emotions make it more likely that memories will stay.
  2. Put Those Images in a Location- Next, you have to locate those mental images in a setting that is familiar with you. Using Dellis’ example, he locates the seven wonders of the world on a route through his house, starting with a wall in his entryway, then Christ—representing Christ the Redeemer— lounging around on his sofa. He also mentions that the weirder the location, the better are the chances of staying in the memory. Linking images to a place are called the memory palace, which capitalizes on your existing memory of a real place. It is usually a place you are familiar with, which can be your house or workplace which you know very well. Neuro-imaging research has shown increased activity in the occipito-parietal area of the brain when learning memories using a memory palace. This technique helps the brain to bring in parts that are dedicated to other sense-the parietal lobe is responsible for navigation, and the occipital lobe is related to seeing images.
  3. Pay Attention- Memorizing seven wonders of the World is not as hard as memorizing 10,000 digits of pi or 100 names in one hearing, and doing that needs more motivation and more attention. According to Dellis, he motivates himself with the mantra “I want to memorize this”, it may be simple but this mantra helps him focus on the task by concentrating his attention on the task in hand and it helps him remember better.
  4. Break Things Up- For a long sequence of cards or a large number, it is a good technique to break things up into smaller sequences. Dellis says that it is easy to remember words as you can associate words easily with images but numbers or names or cards can be tricky, and for that, he has a technique that whenever we see a name or a number or a card, we already have an image preset for it.
  5. Finish Up by Reviewing– After getting the images and their location sorted in the memory, all we have to do is make sure that it stays in the brain. Most of the memories don’t even get to the long-term memory part of the brain and that is why it is important to repeat the information, again and again, to turn short-term memory into the long term. There is no shortcut for that, all you have to do is practice and persistence.

Training the brain is not as easy as it sounds or seems, it takes a lot of efforts, repetiton, hard work and training on a daily basis. Train hard, work hard, practice hard, then it can become instinctive, says the memory champion.

DISTANCE EDUCATION

What Is Distance Education?

Distance education is defined as the practice of using correspondence, either written or virtual, to learn. With this practice, a teacher in New York could provide instruction to students all over the United States and the world. This helps students access teachers who may live geographically too far away to attend a class; it also assists students who cannot take classes during traditional hours because of work or other responsibilities.

Growth of Correspondence Courses

By the late 1800 s, correspondence courses had taken off, especially in the United States. Colleges and universities began offering correspondence courses, including some large schools such as Baylor University and the University of Chicago. As popularity in distance education grew, so did the number of schools offering the courses. By the mid-1900 s, schools all around the world relied heavily on correspondence courses to supplement their on-campus student bodies.

THE TYPES OF DISTANCE EDUCATION :

  1. You have the option of pursuing a distance learning programme from the one and only national open university of India – the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) or any of the 13 state open universities in India.
  2. All distance programs must be approved by the Distance Education Bureau (DEB) of the University Grants Commission (UGC.) You can access the list of ODLs (Online and Distant Learning Institutes) that are currently approved by the DEB on their website.
  3. Distance learning has evolved a lot in the last couple decades. With advances in technology, distance learning now also includes online learning or e-learning.
  4. Post Graduate Diploma in Sustainability Science (PGDSS)
  5. Appreciation Programme on Sustainability Science (APSS)
  6. Post Graduate Diploma in Food Science and Technology (PGDFT)
  7. Post-Graduate Diploma in Food Safety and Quality Management (PGDFSQM)
  8. Though two degrees cannot generally be pursued simultaneously, a student can pursue two programmer simultaneously through the distance mode or combination of distance and regular modes from the same or different universities/institutions in the following various combinations:
  9. One Degree and one Diploma/PG Diploma/Certificate
  10. One P G Diploma and one Diploma/Certificate
  11. One Diploma and one Certificate
  12. Two PG Diplomas
  13. Two Diplomas
  14. Two Certificate
  15. 8.There are now many institutes/ colleges/ universities in India that offer only online courses. University 18 is such an example. It has been developed in a Public Private Partnership with national universities like Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Uttarakhand Open University (UOU) and IIM Shillong. Another such 100 percent online education platform is UTS. You can submit assignments online, access an online library 24-7 and take exams online.

beST DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM :

Take the leap towards the next stage of your career with programs that have been thoughtfully designed for working professionals. They are structured and scheduled to allow for a fulfilling work life & study balance. Depending on the need and depth of up skills, students have an option to choose from specializations within following: Certificate programs, Diploma Programs, Professional Programs, PG Diploma Programs and Master Programs.

DURING PANDEMIC PERIOD DISTANCE EDUCATION AT HOME E LEARNING :

The idea of rolling out of bed and moving onto the couch to study in your pyjamas may have once sounded like a real dream come true. But in reality, the novelty will soon wear off (if it hasn’t already) as you realize you’re getting through more Netflix series than you are assignments and lecture notes.

Impact of COVID-19

Human life most important on Earth. It also face many natural and artificial problem.Disease is also one of them which is caused by various microorganisms like viruses, Bacteria, Fungi etc Now human is facing a viral disease COVID-19 also known as
Corona virus Disease 2019. Firstly it outbreak in Wuhan,China in December 2019. WHO declared it as a pandemic. Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) which causes illness in the respiratory system in the humans. It is the new virus that is impacting the whole world badly as it is spreading primarily through contact with the person. When an infected person meets with another person then by touches their nose, eyes, and mouth the virus can be spread. There is no current vaccines are made by the scientist which can prevent this disease. Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans, these viruses cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses include some cases of the common cold while more lethal varieties can cause SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 There are as yet no vaccines or antiviral drugs to prevent or treat human coronavirus infections.

Everyone wants to overcome from this disaster. COVID-19 badly impacted on Indian economy. It increases the rate of unemployment, interest rate, fiscal deficit. The import of electrical goods, clothes, is slided by 15%-25%. The export of raw materials like metal, cotton, jute, vegetables etc also decreased. Various institution and Experts presume India’s GDP growth is about 2%-4%.

Health Impact

The main issue in India is about the health care system that it is now one doctor available for 10000 population and improper facilities in government hospital and they are also lack of the adequate doctors, physicians, nurses etc other equipments. The poor “Health Literacy” is a big issue because , it is crucial tool in prevention of communicable disease. It will be easy to overcome if spreading the awareness among the people. Government is issuing the notification of the banning people gathering events, stay at home but due lack of awareness or poor Health-Literacy people not obeying it strictly. The other main issue is low medical infrastructures.

Social Impact

After the spreading of this pandemic people are facing challenges like improper delivery essential goods like food, rice, vegetables in rural or slum
area. The other major issue to the farming that presently is sowing season of rice, barley, arhar, maize etc if no gathering of workers are allowed so how the crops would sowed, harvested or processed. Persons, Children also facing mental stress or boredom during the lockdown due to COVID19. By the unknown lockdown tourist, migrants labourer stuck at these place is also a problem. The Event and ritual ceremony, marriage are also postponed.

Economic Impact

The loss of employment is also a major issue most of factories, industry, commercial centers are closed nearly unemployment rate is increased by 23% and daily wage workers are not getting job and they facing both pandemic and starvation. By the shutdown of companies, transport system and other economic activities leads to economic crisis. The government should allow few of them where there not gathering occurs to push step of the development and giving packages to smaller and cottage industry. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced package of 1.75 lakh crore package for relief. The economic activity must be promoted by e-commerce, online broking and
in remote areas industry may open with proper preventive measures.

Academic Impact


The classes, semester, education system is also closed is also an issue and the other alternative method (like online classes, notes) of study is not much effective. It is big challenge to academic to continue it in original form or other alternative. The students are also facing mental stress, or anxiety, over thinking due in pandemic is also a big issue. It may become health problems to students or people because theyare no doing daily exercise, walking, playing games etc.

Legal Impact


There is also legal issue is arising by the lockdown in country it violates the human rights, right to life . People are beaten if they go outside for essentials or for morning walk. The court is not going on so it may result in the compilation of cases and petition. It can be disposed by online sessions. There is also legal problems that employees are not getting the compensation, allowance in shutdown. Due to COVID19 pandemic the performance of the many contracts delayed or interrupted.

There is also Psychological problems is also a challenge by remaining inside the home it bores the mind and by continuous watching news of COVID19 makes people panic. People fear in getting touch with any object, vegetables, or the other packets. At last we should not be panic in this situation.

We have must follow guidelines of the government and take precautions to
save us from the disease. Someone truly said prevention is better than cure so we must follow the preventive measures to protect us like washing or sanitising hands wearing masks , avoid public gatherings, covers mouth and nose while sneezing. If we stand together against it we firmly win over this pandemic.

Thanks

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN INDIA

There are many environmental issues in India. Air pollution, water pollution, garbage domestically prohibited goods and pollution of the natural environment are all challenges for India. Nature is also causing some drastic effects on India.

Environmental issues are one of the primary causes of disease, health issues and long term livelihood impact for India.
Major environmental issues are forests and agricultural degradation of land, resource depletion (such as water, mineral, forest, sand, and rocks), environmental degradation, public health, loss of biodiversity, loss of resilience in ecosystems, livelihood security for the poor.

The major sources of pollution in India include the rapid burning of fuel wood and biomass such as dried waste from livestock as the primary source of energy, lack of organized garbage and waste removal services, lack of sewage treatment operations, lack of flood control and monsoon water drainage system, diversion of consumer waste into rivers, cremation practices near major rivers etc.

Air pollution, poor management of waste, growing water scarcity, falling groundwater tables, water pollution, preservation and quality of forests, biodiversity loss, and land/soil degradation are some of the major environmental issues India faces today.

India’s population growth adds pressure to environmental issues and its resources. Rapid urbanization has caused a buildup of heavy metals in the soil and these metals are being ingested through contaminated vegetables. Heavy metals are hazardous to people’s health and are known carcinogens.
According to a British thinker Malthus, a growing population exerts pressure on agricultural land, causing environmental degradation, and forcing the cultivation of land of higher as well as poorer quality. This environmental degradation ultimately reduces agricultural yields and food availability, famines and diseases and death.

Population growth, is also seen as a major cause of air, water, and solid-waste pollution.

Some measure issues which affect the environment-


WATER POLLUTION
India has major water pollution issues. Discharge of untreated sewage is the single most important cause for pollution of surface and ground water in India. There is a large gap between generation and treatment of domestic waste water in India. The problem is not only that India lacks sufficient treatment capacity but also that the sewage treatment plants that are exist do not operate and are not maintained. The majority of the government-owned sewage treatment plants remain closed most of the time due to improper design or poor maintenance or lack of reliable electricity supply to operate the plants, together with absentee employees and poor management. The uncollected wastes accumulate in the urban areas cause unhygienic conditions and release pollutants that leaches to surface and groundwater.

According to a World Health Organization study, out of India’s 3,119 towns and cities, just 209 had partial sewage treatment facilities, and only 8 have full wastewater treatment facilities (1992). Over 100 Indian cities dump untreated sewage directly into the Ganges River.
Other sources of water pollution include agriculture run off and small scale factories along the rivers and lakes of India. Fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture in northwest have been found in rivers, lakes and ground water. Flooding during monsoons worsens India’s water pollution problem, as it washes and moves all sorts of solid garbage and contaminated soils into its rivers and wetlands.

• AIR POLLUTION
Surveys suggest over 100 million households in India use such stoves (chullahs) every day, 2–3 times a day. It is a major source of air pollution in India, and produces smoke and numerous indoor air pollutants at concentrations 5 times higher than coal. Clean burning fuels and electricity are unavailable in rural parts and small towns of India because of poor rural highways and limited energy generation infrastructure.
Air pollution in India is a serious issue with the major sources being fuel wood and biomass burning, fuel adulteration, vehicle emission and traffic congestion. These biomass-based household stoves in India are also a leading source of greenhouse emissions contributing to climate change.

In other states of India, rice straw and other crop residue burning in open is a major source of air pollution.

Vehicle emissions are another source of air pollution.

SOLID WASTE POLLUTION
Trash and garbage is a common sight in urban and rural areas of India. It is a major source of pollution. Indian cities alone generate more than 100 million tons of solid waste a year. Street corners are piled with trash. Public places and sidewalks are despoiled with filth and litter, rivers and canals act as garbage dumps.
In part, India’s garbage crisis is from rising congestion. India’s waste problem also points to a stunning failure of governance. The tourism regions in the country mainly hill stations are also facing this issue in the recent years.

Even medical waste, theoretically controlled by stringent rules that require hospitals to operate incinerators, is routinely dumped with regular municipal garbage. A recent study found that about half of India’s medical waste is improperly disposed of.

Some of the few solid waste landfills India has, near its major cities, are overflowing and poorly managed. They have become significant sources of greenhouse emissions and breeding sites for disease vectors such as flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, rats, and so on.

NOISE POLLUTION
Noise pollution or noise disturbance is the disturbing or excessive noise that may harm the activity or balance of human or animal life. Noise-wise India can be termed as the most polluted country in the world. The source of most outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused by machines and transportation systems, motor vehicles, aircraft, and trains. In India the outdoor noise is also caused by loud music during festival seasons. Outdoor noise is summarized by the word environmental noise. Poor urban planning may give rise to noise pollution, since side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can result in noise pollution in the residential areas.

Indoor noise can be caused by machines, building activities, and music performances, especially in some workplaces. Noise-induced hearing loss can be caused by outside (e.g. trains) or inside (e.g. music) noise.

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
India was the third largest emitter of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, in 2009 at 1.65 Gt per year, after China and the United States . With 17 percent of world population, India contributed some 5 percent of human-sourced carbon dioxide emission; compared to China’s 24 percent share. On per capita basis, India emitted about 1.4 tons of carbon dioxide per person, in comparison to the United States’ 17 tons per person, and a world average of 5.3 tons per person

THE CURIOUS CASE OF CHANGE

Change is evolution by every person on the universe. It is the law of the universe to change. Physical change or personality change, we change for the better or the worse. Sometimes we change for the betterment of others or ourselves but mostly change is noticed by others than ourselves. Every time we change there is a different outlook on life, love and friends. We acquire a new perspective on the same things around us. Every time we change we don’t notice that we have upgraded to a new personality. There are hard sides to change, some people will leave you or you can outgrow each other. We notice only when we are acquainted about it when someone says that we have become different or something has changed about us. Change happens over time, over a series of situations. There isn’t a certain event to trigger a change or you will decide to change. Change can be confusing or threatening to what you were once but it’s inevitable. It’s different for everybody. It isn’t easy for everyone either. Change isn’t necessarily accepted by everyone because we always fall in love with a person when our vibes flow in one direction and when we change so does our vibe. When the vibes don’t sync, people end up on different terms with each other on life, that’s why we grow distant Change also makes sure that you are staying on top of your game. You become the person who you want to be when you change because of your own motivation. It’s integrating yourself to change that will make it an easier process. Change more importantly helps you move on. You find different coping mechanisms to get better and become a better version of yourself. Change means progress in your life. It’s the only way you will leave your comfort zone and move on. Change is what humanity has always done best. It is a huge part of our life. Change documents our journey. It makes you realize that you are worthy because you are more evolved than your previous version. It is an important and undeniable part of life regardless of time. All you can do is to embrace change.
Your friends, family and main people fell in love with the old you. Your friends made friends with the old you not the new you. Change doesn’t always end like this, maybe with enough trust and love. You turn into a better person than before. The older you get the more you understand that change is life. That’s the gamble everyone takes in life, a gamble we make using ourselves to be a better person, to end up successful in life, to have the life that we have envisioned to be as a kid or rich or just perfect to according to our standards, to have dreams, hopes, happiness or love but more importantly, we will change for yourselves or for the people you love but ultimately everything will change with time.

LITERACY IN INDIA

Literacy in India is a key for socio-economic progress, Despite government programs, India’s literacy rate increased only “sluggishly”. The 2011 census, indicated a 2001–2011 decadal literacy growth of 9.2%, which is slower than the growth seen during the previous decade.


There is a wide gender disparity in the literacy rate in India: effective literacy rates (age 7 and above) in 2011 were 82.14% for men and 65.46% for women. The census provided a positive indication that growth in female literacy rates (11.8%) was substantially faster than in male literacy rates (6.9%) in the 2001–2011 decadal period, which means the gender gap appears to be narrowing.
One of the main factors contributing to this relatively low literacy rate is usefulness of education and availability of schools in vicinity in rural areas. There is a shortage of classrooms to accommodate all the students in 2006–2007. In addition, there is no proper sanitation in most schools. The study of 188 government-run primary schools in central and northern India revealed that 59% of the schools had no drinking water facility and 89% no toilets. In 600,000 villages and multiplying urban slum habitats, ‘free and compulsory education’ is the basic literacy instruction dispensed by barely qualified ‘para teachers’. The average pupil teacher ratio for all India is 42:1, implying a teacher shortage. Such inadequacies resulted in a non-standardized school system where literacy rates may differ. Furthermore, the expenditure allocated to education was never above 4.3% of the GDP from 1951 to 2002 despite the target of 6% by the Kothari Commission. This further complicates the literacy problem in India. Several caste disparities also exist. Discrimination of lower castes has resulted in high dropout rates and low enrollment rates. The National Sample Survey Organization and the National Family Health Survey collected data in India on the percentage of children completing primary school which are reported to be only 36.8% and 37.7% respectively. On 21 February 2005, the Prime Minister of India said that he was pained to note that “only 47 out of 100 children enrolled in class I reach class VIII, putting the dropout rate at 52.78 percent.” It is estimated that at least 35 million, and possibly as many as 60 million, children aged 6–14 years are not in school.

The large proportion of illiterate females is another reason for the low literacy rate in India. Inequality based on gender differences resulted in female literacy rates being lower at 65.46% than that of their male counterparts at 82.14%. Due to strong stereotyping of female and male roles, Sons are thought of to be more useful and hence are educated. Females are pulled to help out on agricultural farms at home as they are increasingly replacing the males on such activities which require no formal education. Fewer than 2% of girls who engaged in agriculture work attended school. The provision of universal and compulsory education for all children in the age group of 6–14 was a cherished national ideal and had been given overriding priority by incorporation as a Directive Policy in Article 45 of the Constitution, but it is still to be achieved more than half a century since the Constitution was adopted in 1949. Parliament has passed the Constitution 86th Amendment Act, 2002, to make elementary education a Fundamental Right for children in the age group of 6–14 years.

Several states in India have executed successful programs to boost literacy rates:
• Bihar has significantly raised the literacy rate as per the 2011 census. The literacy rate has risen from 39% in 1991 to 47% in 2001 to 63.8% in 2011. The Government of Bihar has launched several programs to boost literacy, and its Department of Adult Education won a UNESCO award in 1981.


• Presently Tripura has the third highest literacy rate in India. According to the 2011 census, literacy level was 93.91 percent in Kerala and 91.58 percent in Mizoram, among the most literate states in the country. The national literacy rate, according to the 2011 census, was 74.04 percent.
projects implemented by the state government of Tripura to increase literacy in the state are:
10,000 Anganwadi centers have 100 percent enrollment.
Policy of no-fail till class VIII to prevent children from dropping out.
Midday meals in all schools with an eclectic menu for all days of the week to attract more students.
No tuition fee in government colleges.

• In Kerala a special program – titled improved pace and content learning (IPCL) – has been designed to provide basic education to such people. Kerala topped the Education Development Index (EDI) among 21 major states in India in the year 2006–2007. More than 94% of the rural population has access to a primary school within 1 km, while 98% of the population benefits one school within a distance of 2 km. An upper primary school within a distance of 3 km is available for more than 96% of the people, whose 98% benefit the facility for secondary education within 8 km. The access for rural students to higher educational institutions in cities is facilitated by widely subsidized transport fares. Kerala’s educational system has been developed by institutions owned or aided by the government. In the educational system prevailed in the state, schooling is for 10 years which is subdivided into lower primary, upper primary and high school. After 10 years of secondary schooling, students typically enroll in Higher Secondary Schooling in one of the three major streams— liberal arts, commerce or science. Upon completing the required coursework, students can enroll in general or professional undergraduate programs. Kerala launched a “campaign for total literacy” in Ernakulam district in the late 1980s, with a “fusion between the district administration headed by its collector on one side and, on the other side, voluntary groups, social activists and others”. Kala Jāthas (cultural troupes) and Sāksharata Pada Yātras (Literacy Foot Marches) were organized to generate awareness of the campaign and create a receptive social atmosphere for the program.

  • Himachal Pradesh underwent a “Schooling Revolution” in the 1961–2001 period that has been called “even more impressive than Kerala’s.”


• The government of Mizoram identified illiterates and organized an administrative structure that engaged officials and community leaders and manned by “animators” who were responsible for teaching five illiterates each. Mizoram established 360 continuing education centers to handle continued education beyond the initial literacy teaching and to provide an educational safety net for school drop-outs.


• Tamil Nadu’s midday meal program is among the best-known in the country. Starting in 1982, Tamil Nadu took an approach to promote literacy based on free lunches for schoolchildren, “ignoring cynics who said it was an electoral gimmick and economists who said it made little fiscal sense.” Then the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, MGR launched the program, which resembled a similar initiative in 19th century Japan, because “he had experienced as a child what it was like to go hungry to school with the family having no money to buy food”.

GOVERNMENT EFFORTS:


NATIONAL LITERACY MISSION
The National Literacy Mission, launched in 1988, aimed at attaining a literacy rate of 75 per cent by 2007. Its charter is to impart functional literacy to non-literates in the age group of 35–75 years. The Total Literacy Campaign is their principal strategy for the eradication of illiteracy. The Continuing Education Scheme provides a learning continuum to the efforts of the Total Literacy and Post Literacy programs.

SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN
The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Hindi for Total Literacy Campaign) was launched in 2001 to ensure that all children in the 6–14-year age-group attend school and complete eight years of schooling by 2010. An important component of the scheme is the Education Guarantee Scheme and Alternative and Innovative Education, meant primarily for children in areas with no formal school within a one-kilometer radius. The centrally sponsored District Primary Education Programme, launched in 1994, had opened more than 160,000 new schools by 2005, including almost 84,000 alternative schools.

Do we choose our problems ?

Everything in life happens by our choice. Life is a struggle and we pick something on the go and hold it as a treasure. These belongings limit us from attaining the spiritual enlightenment. Now you are at a certain point in your life and you have the liberty to make wise choices and proceed to the path of liberation.

To think about a situation or a problem as being everything, is called a worry. Worries are not easy to get rid of. Everyone experiences worries now and then. To worry is the same as taking the matter into your own hands. It is wrong to take matters into your own hands. Each and every God has said that people should not worry and that we have to leave everything to Him.You cannot experience anything amidst your worries. Experience (of God) and worrying are never together. You will have the experience once these worries disappear.

Worry is the greatest ego – Real peace should be with you forever. You cannot experience God in the presence of worries. Worry is the greatest ego. A person who believes, “I am running this, I am doing it,” will suffer from worries. The person, who does not have faith in God, will be the one who worries.

Worry is an open fire – Worry is a fire. One becomes consumed with anxieties that something bad may happen. Once in a while there arises an opportunity for a human being to become an individual with imposing values but if he wastes away his human life worrying, then he will lose the right to be born a human again. Grave indeed is the consequence of not realizing this. The path of liberation starts the moment you stop worrying. Until attaining the spiritual experience of the Lord, the fire of worries continues to burn and people burn in the fire of worries just like potatoes roasting in a fire pit. Such is the life of those who worry.

Spiritual Enlightenment – Bliss follows when worries stop. When worries no longer occur, then all entanglements will diminish. You will experience bliss in the absence of worries and in the midst of all external turmoil. It is then that you will realize that the true entanglements are gone. It will not come just like that. Bliss will only come after the spiritual enlightenment or the Eternal Spirit untangles all your puzzles, and at that point, you will experience bliss and it will remain with you. A life free from worries is a desirable one for all of us , is it not?

Nothing in this world is worth worrying about, not even for a second. Now face those entanglements and bring a solution to them.“Oppose adverse circumstances, look for solutions, but do not worry.” Double punishment for those who worry God says that there are two punishments for those who worry and just one for those who do not. If you worry about a task, you ruin it. Nature tells us to put forth tremendous effort in order to accomplish a difficult task. The one who worries takes the reins into his own hands and believes, ‘I am the one who is making it work!’ .Dependence on the non-Self (complex of thoughts, speech and actions) results in worry. You will have to leave behind all your materialistic possessions and relations when you leave this world. During this final stage in your life, no one will have the power to do anything. The only things you will be allowed to take with you are your paap (bad deeds) and punya (good deeds). To put it simply, a list of whatever rights and wrongs you have done here, will accompany you. The monetary earnings gained from those crimes will remain here and the case will continue in the next life. As a result of these accumulated karma you will acquire a new body and you will have to start afresh to pay off the debts you created in your this life. So why not wake up from the beginning? Worries actually harm your health and obstruct whatever is due to you.

The final words….

If you truly had faith in God, you would leave everything to him and sleep soundly. There is so much going on inside of you (such as digestion etc) that requires care, and yet you worry about what is happening on the outside. God is doing all the great work inside, and all the outside work is minor in comparison to this. You claim that you are doing all the work, so naturally God will feel bad! Worries arise because of this ego of ‘doership’. The person, who worries, is egoistic. Leave everything to God , Surrender yourself to HIM and stop worrying. Then  you will realize God, so that your worries will be gone forever.

THE REALISATION OF LIFE

Man has every day to solve his problems and adjusting his burdens. His burdens are many, too numerous for him to carry, but he knows that by adopting a system he can lighten the weight of his load. Whenever they feel too complicated , he starts to search for a system to set everything in place and distribute the weight evenly. This search for system is really a search for unity, for synthesis; it is our attempt to harmonize the heterogeneous complexity of outward materials by an inner adjustment. All our egoistic impulses, our selfish desires, hide our true vision of the soul. For they only indicate our own narrow self. When we are conscious of our soul, we perceive the inner being that transcends our ego and has its deeper affinity with the All.

Teachings of Jesus and Buddha

When Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” he meant this. He proclaimed the truth that when man gets rid of his pride of self then he comes into his true inheritance. No more has he to fight his way into his position in the world; it is secure for him everywhere by the immortal right of his soul. Pride of self interferes with the proper function of the soul which is to realise itself by perfecting its union with the world and the world’s God.  Jesus also says in his teachings, “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven” – which implies that whatever we treasure for ourselves separates us from others; our possessions are our limitations. He who is bent upon accumulating riches is unable, with his ego continually bulging, to pass through the gates of comprehension of the spiritual world, which is the world of perfect harmony; he is shut up within the narrow walls of his limited acquisitions.

Buddha says, It is true, that I denounce activities, but only the activities that lead to the evil in words, thoughts, or deeds. It is true,  that I preach extinction, but only the extinction of pride, lust, evil thought, and ignorance, not that of forgiveness, love, charity, and truth.

Eternal Spirit – the light of a consciousness

The man of science knows, in one aspect, that the world is not merely what it appears to be to our senses; he knows that earth and water are really the play of forces that manifest themselves to us as earth and water . Likewise the man who has his spiritual eyes open knows that the ultimate truth about earth and water lies in our apprehension of the eternal  which works in time and takes shape in the forces we realize under those aspects. Unlike science, this is not a mere knowledge, but it is a perception of the soul by the soul. This does not lead us to power, as knowledge does, but it gives us joy, which is the product of the union of kindred things. The man with the spiritual vision understands deeply these natural phenomena. The water does not merely cleanse his limbs, but it purifies his heart; for it touches his soul. The earth does not merely hold his body, but it gladdens his mind; for its contact is more than a physical contact – it is a living presence.

When a man does not realise his kinship with the world, he lives in a prison-house whose walls are alien to him. When he meets the eternal spirit in all objects,  for then he discovers the fullest significance of the world into which he is born; then he finds himself in perfect truth, and his harmony with the all is established. Thus the text of our everyday meditation is the Gayatri, a verse which is considered to be the epitome of all the Vedas. By its help we try to realize the essential unity of the world with the conscious soul of man; we learn to perceive the unity held together by the one Eternal Spirit, whose power creates the earth, the sky, and the stars, and at the same time irradiates our minds with the light of a consciousness that moves and exists in unbroken continuity with the outer world.

“Sadhana – The Realisation of Life” is a breathtaking collection of spiritual discourses given by Rabindranath Tagore in West Bengal. To him the verses of the Upanishads and the teachings of Buddha have ever been things of the spirit, and therefore endowed with boundless vital growth;A repository of the timeless wisdom of the East, Sadhana is one of the most profound books on spirituality that you will ever read!  It is highly recommended as a starter book to any seeker of spiritual wisdom.

Please refer this book to explore further on this topic – “Sadhana – The Realisation of Life” .It is available as a downloadable free e-book (in PDF format also) online.

PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACTS DUE TO LOCKDOWN

Well before i start this article, let me mention to you that this is just my point of view on the current situation.So as we all know it’s a tough period that the entire world is currently facing ,it’s necessary for all of us to keep our physical and mental health stable.We all know the physical impact of the pandemic , here i’d like to mention a few psychological impacts the pandemic has on society.

Firstly, let’s talk about the lack of patience that has  been shown by the people of all the age categories.I’ve seen people being impatient on the matters which they would usually not consider even paying attention to.This is affecting the marital status of the couple ,divorce rate has been massively increasing due to the intolerant behaviour between the husband and the wife.Parents losing their minds on their own kids who are just unaware of their mistakes.Also, lets not forget how the adults have been treating their old aged parents,a feeling of parents being a  burden has risen in the mindsets of the children.

Secondly, due to the pandemic many of the employees are on the verge of losing their jobs, well that doesn’t mean they are supposed to show the frustration of their work on the family and society, it’s happening, there are many cases where violence has taken place due to the frustration of husbands or wives on their spouses.Not to forget that people are not hesitant to take  others life just for the sake of money, because they don’t have any source of income .Government has been implying many plans to provide food and shelter for ones in need but not everyone are being are part of this privilege provided by the government.

Thirdly, I would want  you to know  about the number of cases which includes self harm,suicides, depression etc. We live in a society where people take hours posting about mental health and how they are there for the ones who need them  but, cannot take 2 seconds of their life to pick up a call from a person who is suffering from the same disease they mentioned in their posts.We witnessed some of the most shocking suicides in this period of lockdown like Sushanth Singh Rajput who gave an amazing performance in movies like MS Dhoni nand Chichore.

Fourthly, I’d like to mention some of the cruel acts that took place due to the rumours spread in the quarantine.Doctors and Nurses who are treating us during this time are being harassed by few people in the society because of the the fact that they have a lot of chances of spreading the virus because they come in contact with the patients.Such rumours are spread by people from our very own society ,well they are not to be completely blamed because it’s the fear that’s being built in the mindset of every person that’s leading them to take such  steps.

I would like to conclude by saying that at the end of the day we must not forget the fact that we are humans and only we can help our fellow beings.Let’s all stand united in fighting the pandemic and stay mentally stable and not take any step that we might regret in the future.

The dark side of Indian Marriages

Well, before i start this article, let me mention to you that this is just my point of view on the current situation.What comes to your mind when i say the word wedding or marriage?Let me tell you what comes to my mind when i hear this word ‘wedding’,firstly,it’s a celebration  especially the indian weddings, people literally wait for this moment probably their whole lives.Its a gathering of people who are present to wish the newly wedded couple.Well, this was just a jist of the positive aspects of the wedding little do we focus  on the dark side of the wedding .The major practice that few of them still follow is the taking of dowry.In india dowry was abolished according to the ‘Dowry Prohibition Act’ in the year 1961.Even after that we can still see people receiving dowry more like people demanding for dowry,loans are being taken just to give dowry to the groom’s family, not just that, in few places if the dowry fullfillment hasn’t been made the inlaws dont hesitate to torture the bride, which has led to suicides and even murder of the girls.Talking about ‘marriage’ i feel it is not the same as wedding because wedding is a celebration or a ceremony where two people are united for the social acceptance of the two whereas marriage is a lifelong wedlock between the two it involves loving each other ,compromising for one another,sacrifising etc.It takes many people for the success of a wedding but it just takes two of them to make a marriage successful.I would also like to mention the cruelty being shown by the people when it comes to the intercaste or inter religion marriages .Honestly,somewhere it is still not accepted as easily as the same caste or religion marriages.We still live in that stereotypic society where all humans are not considered one, there is discrimination against people based on their caste and religion.A few days ago i just read a news where a boy in punjab was tied to a tree and was thrashed mercilessly for daring to fall in love with a girl of different caste,shocking!I also read another news where the father killed his own daughter for falling in love with a man of a different caste.In the above mentioned cases all they did was to  dare to love the other.It is really heartbreaking to come across such scenarios, where the innocents are being punished like the criminals and the criminals who have been committing crimes like rape,murder,acid attacks etc are freed, and it takes 5 and more years for the people to decide if they are to be punished for example the ‘Nirbhaya’ case.I hope there is a change in  the mindsets of people in the society and hope for them to live in peace and harmony. Love is not a crime, it is our human right, to love the person we want to. 

Self-sabotaging:Is it different from failure?

First, let’s start off with what does self-sabotaging actually mean. A behavior is said to be self-sabotaging, when it holds you back from doing what you actually want to do, it undermines your goals. How different is self-sabotaging from failure? We’ll when you fail to complete or achieve something because of certain external factors or because you just didn’t work the right way it’s called failure but self-sabotaging is something to do with your inner thoughts or behavioural pattern that causes you to fail. 

There are mainly two types of self-sabotaging behaviour:- 

1. Conscious self-sabotage:- It happens when you are aware that your behaviour is keeping you away from what you want to do and achieve your goals. Example:- You know that your mum asked you to buy some groceries that she needs but you end up playing your video games instead. 2. Unconscious self-sabotage:- It happens when you behavioural patterns keep you away from doing what you want to do or in achieving your goals indirectly and you realise it later. Example:- Students who fear failing often either come always late to classes or do not perform well in exams wantedly to avoid the expectations of the teachers and students. Higher expectations lead to more pain when not succeeded. 

Let’s have a look at few forms of self-sabotaging behaviours commonly seen:- 

1. Procrastination:- As human beings, we all have procrastinated at some point of our lives, or we still continue to do so. We often delay our school assignments, or the work assigned by our bosses in office, or have delayed some work even though we know we have to do it, this is a very common form of self-sabotaging often shown by most of us. It does no good to us but still we consciously choose to procrastinate. 2. Abuse of substances;- People often drink and smoke a lot and even use drugs. These may give you short term satisfaction but it creates a lot of problems. People tend to drink and use drugs, if they’ve gone through a tough time at work or college, but that does not entirely negate the problem. You might not be able to enjoy your time with friends and family because you’re drunk . 3. Stress eating:- When a lot of people face problems, they end up eating a lot out of stress, but this doesn’t help them at all . For a short period of time it might give you the comfort you require, but it ends up ruining your health. 

Conclusion:- 

Self-sabotaging can go a long way in creating problems for you. The only one that can stop it is you. We show this behaviour typically in three situations:- 

1. When you realise that everything is going good but you somehow try and spoil it 

yourself. 2. When you work hard to achieve something and you destroy it as soon as you come 

close to it. 3. When it’s time to stand up and speak for yourself but you instead keep mum about 

the situation. 

If you want to stop self-sabotaging, you must realise the purpose it has in your life, and what it does to you. You must practice facing difficult situations in life and even failure. You must try finding alternative behaviours to fill in. The best way to stop this is aiming to improve your good habits, rather than just eliminating self-sabotaging behaviour you possess.

Galaxy – A cluster of masses

A galaxy is the collection of stars, stellar remnants, gases, dust and dark matter all bound together by gravity. The Earth, the planet in which we live, is in a galaxy called ‘The Milky Way’. Galaxies are of various shapes and sizes.  A galaxy which has stars ranging from a hundred million to few billion is called a dwarf galaxy. These galaxies are small as compared to other galaxies. Scientists confirm that the Milky Way galaxy has about four hundred billion stars. The IC 1101 is a super-giant galaxy, which has about hundred trillion stars. These stars orbit around the galaxy’s center of mass, which are thought be massive black holes. A galaxy can be elliptical (ellipse shaped), spiral (disk shaped with arms) or irregular in shape. The Milky Way galaxy is spiral shaped.

The size of a galaxy ranges from 1,000 to 1, 00,000 parsecs in diameter and are separated by millions of parsecs from each other. The Milky Way galaxy is thirty thousand parsecs in diameter. 1 parsec is approximately equal to 31 trillion kilometers. The spaces between galaxies are filled with gases. All the galaxies identified by man are organized into groups, cluster and superclusters. 

If you like watching stars at night, you are looking at the stars that belong to the Milky Way galaxy. On dark, cloudless nights especially in the northern hemisphere, you can see bands of the Milky Way galaxy stretch across the sky.

Galaxies are constantly moving, at nearly 600 – 850 kilometers per second. Some are moving away from each other, which in turn mean that they are moving towards other galaxies. The Milky Way galaxy will also collide with other galaxies, but since they are trillions of kilometers apart from the nearest galaxy, this will not happen in the near future. 

Astronomers observe galaxies or any heavenly bodies by the use of a very powerful telescope, in observatories. The Hubble telescope is a power space telescope which constantly observes the universe for new discoveries.

Every galaxy has its own magnetic field. They are strong enough to drive mass inflow into the centers of galaxies. They can modify the spiral arm formation of spiral shaped galaxies. Magnetic fields are highly in formation of new stars, as they provide for angular momentum required for collapsing gas clouds.

Spiral galaxies produce new generations of stars, as they have dense molecular clouds of interstellar hydrogen in their spiral arms. Star forming materials are not available in abundance, so once a star is formed, the available supply of hydrogen is reduced and formation is new stars must wait until the level of hydrogen is increased. There is something called as a dark galaxy. These are hypothesized galaxies with none or very few stars. Dragonfly 44 is an ultra-diffuse galaxy with has the same mass of the Milky Way galaxy but with nearly no discernable stars and is completely made of dark matter.  

Scientists tell that the universe is constantly expanding; this is hard to observe during one’s lifetime, as it takes millions of years to do so. Hence constant research must made and passed down to future scientists. 

SOUTH INDIAN DELICACIES

South India primarily consists of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana and Puducherry. Now that we know the Indian states that form South India, let us learn about the amazing cuisines available here. From crispy dosas to spicy biryanis, these cuisines will certainly make your taste buds wanting for more.

If you decide to visit the southern states of India, you are in for a treat. The food here is delicious, be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian dishes, the variety is extensive. The staple food in this region is rice; you have rice in almost everything. Some are steamed; some are grinded to make a fine paste or batter to make idlis or dosas. The food is mainly spicy here, because lots of spices are cultivated in this region and also exported to other places from centuries. All the states in this region have coasts, so fresh sea food is abundant. Fruits, vegetables, pulses, cereals and many varieties of crops are grown in this region. So the cuisine is not limited to a few ingredients.

 Let me now see the most popular dishes available here.

Dosa: There are almost a hundred varieties of dosas made. It is a traditional breakfast food made of fermented rice and lentil batter. The most popular type of dosa is Masala dosa, which is an extra crispy dosa, with a spicy paste applied inside. It is stuffed with mashed potato called as palya and served with chutney and sambar. Other varieties include onion dosa (dosa with lots of onion served with vegetable curry and chutney), set dosa (just like pan cakes), rava dosa and plain dosa. Other varieties are inspired.

Idly and Vada: Idly and vadas are also breakfast items. Just like dosas, idly is also batter made of fermented rice and lentils, but unlike dosas this one is steamed. The result is a soft, fluffy, round delicious idlies. Vada is shaped just like donut, but it is savory and fried. They are a fantastic combo, often served with chutney and sambar.

Biryani: Be it chicken, mutton, egg or fish; biryani is by far the most popular and most consumed food among non-vegetarians. It has a lot of varieties, just like any other food item. Done Biryani in Karnataka, Chettinad Biryani in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Malabar Biryani in Kerala and Hyderabadi biryani in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, which is the most popular one. Biryani is a mixture of spices, rice, vegetable, dry fruits and tender meat, all steamed together to produce a mouthwatering dish. It is often served with raita (spicy curd with onions), eggplant curry or any type of spicy gravy.

South Indian Meals: A wide variety of food items. It is a pure vegetarian dish. Let me name a few, white rice, poori, chapathy, vegetable pulao, spicy vegetable mixture (called palya), sambar, rasam, curd, pickles, papad, payasam (any type of sweet) to name a few. It is eaten as lunch or dinner.

There are many different types of food, specific to that region also. Here we have seen the most popular food items that are also common in these areas. 

Sky watching can lead you to a magical place. Do you believe that?

How many of you as kids would look up to the sky and wonder where the stars came from?,or why do stars twinkle?, or why can we just see them in the night time?. Well I guess that makes all of us. The night sky along with its stars and planets, have always been magical and mysterious, in some ways. Do you remember the nursery rhyme ‘twinkle twinkle little star’?. It was not a topic for just older people, people of all age groups still watch and admire the night sky, and all the elements it carries. Sky watching at night, also somehow makes us forget our problems, and worries, how magically it  takes us to a different dimension, without any problems. Do you know that we can also see different planets at night from planet earth?. You don’t often need a telescope for that,with a little bit of knowledge about it, and a little bit of analysing skills, you can see them clearly. Stars are of different kinds, shapes, sizes and sometimes colour too. 

So, what is the colour of a star, and how are they different from planets?

To answer this question, let us first look at what a star is. Star is an astronomical object consisting of, luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its own gravity. Sun is also a star and the closest one to earth. Fusion of hydrogen into helium into its core makes the star shine. There are seven main types of stars O, B,A,F,G,K and M. Red, orange , yellow, green , white and blue are the colours of the stars. A dead star is called a white dwarf. The stars are different from the planets, as stars have a higher temperature, and they radiate energy, and are more brighter than the planets. Stars also twinkle unlike the planets, and stars also stay in the same position, but the planets do not. Sometimes, in order to observe certain stars and planets carefully, you require a telescope or a binocular. 

How to observe the sky?

To observe the sky , we first must have a general idea about the sky, it’s stars and planets as well, this will help us in having a better and an easy start. The next thing is, finding out a perfect location to sky gaze,as not all the places can show you, what the sky holds clearly. We also can make use of telescopes and binoculars for further clarity. Make sure you are comfortable, and then peacefully start it. Safety is very important , so try avoiding looking at the  sun, in the day-time, it can have serious after effects. The stars and the planets start moving from the eastern horizon, and set on the western horizon, just like the sun. Simply, naked-eye gazing can show you, wonders of the sky. The sky holds much more than we can ever imagine. So once you start observing it, there is no end to your learning.

Is Ageism the new Racism?

Ageism, that is also known as age discrimination is the unfair treatment of older people, because of their age. This is a very common problem, which never really ages. It’s usually the so-called youths of today’s society, who often display this rude behaviour. Growing up, our parents and our teachers have always taught us to be kind and helpful, to the older pack of this world, respect them for their long journey and admire them for having survived this harsh and tough world. But as the time is passing, we are all leaving behind the values instilled in us. They not just face discrimination from today’s youth, but also in their work place or wherever they go they are subjected to discrimination. Personally growing up as a Indian, my mother not only always taught me to respect and help the elderly just like every parent did, but also upheld good examples that I can carry throughout my life. All of you reading this would have ignored, or have refrained yourself from helping the elderly, at least once. It might have occurred, when you stopped yourself from giving an elderly person your seat, while traveling in a bus, or when you ignored an elderly person, who needed help, in climbing the stairs.

Some examples of ageism:-

  • Losing their jobs, because the employer feels that their aging, would become an obstacle to their work.
  • Not being entrusted with any major work at home,by their children or grandchildren, who feel they are incapable to do so.
  • Not being given new credit cards, or insurances like travel insurance etc, because of their age.
  • Receiving a very poor service, either at a restaurant or at the place of purchase, because of their age, not to forget being mistreated by them as well.
  • Being mistreated by doctors and staff at the hospitals, who do not respect them, because of their age.

How does the law protect the elderly from Ageism:- 

There is no codified law on basis of age discrimination in India, but our constitution guarantees us equal protection under law, and protection of every individual from discrimination on various grounds such as, religion, caste, sex or place of birth, under Article 15 of Indian constitution. However there is no inclusion of discrimination of age in this article. Our country still has no law as such in place, and in a country like India where one of the major economic problems is unemployment, they cannot afford to keep the elderly in their jobs.

Conclusion:-

It is our duty as fellow human beings, to love,care and respect each other, especially the elderly. Age discrimination can cause a lot of psychological problems to the elderly, they may loose confidence in their abilities, and stop living their life, the way they want to, it will surely make them lonely and depressed. Ageism is increasing day by day, and people must realise that age is not static, and one day we’ll all grow old and weary and be treated the same way by the generations to come. This is not a cycle we all should be proud of, this should stop. We need to educate ourselves and others around us about the vicious cycle of ageism. It’s time to bring up the values deeply rooted in us, and be wise in realising that, being rude does not equate to being cool. 

COMEDY

Comedy is an art form to entertain people with funny content. Comedy makes people laugh or at least it removes the frown from a gloomy face. Comedy is often expressed in many forms mainly through books, theatre, film, television and stand-up comedy. Comedy is always done at the expense of someone or something. Sometimes the comedian makes fun of himself to make others laugh or he might make fun of someone else. So if comedy hurts your feeling in any way, laugh it off. Comedy too, has its limits on how far the comedian takes a joke. It must always be funny or at least help you relax but never make you feel uncomfortable. 

Being a comedian is a tough task because he must always keep coming up with new ideas and not keep performing the same routine repeatedly. A comedian must have the ability to read the room and must always adapt instantly. 

Comedy is of multiple genres based on the source of humor, the method of delivery and its context. Most of the comedy fits into multiple genres. Let us see few genres below:

Farce: Farce is a comedy that entertains people through situations that are highly exaggerated and improbable. It is characterized by physical humor, drunkenness and use of deliberate absurdity. It is usually written for the stage. Few examples in this category are mockery of rich people, mistaken identity and constant falling depicting that the person is drunk.

Comedy of manners: This comedy deals with the behavior of people. This type of comedy has a satiric tone to it. The comedian uses witty language to expose the unwanted hype and proudness of the upper-class society. The basic abstract of this genre in that even though the upper-class people give a vibe that they are better than others, they too are immoral; they too live a life full of scandals.

Burlesque: This type of comedy is intended to cause humor by mocking something or an issue with a serious note. Here the comedian imitates a serious subject in a comic and humorous way. Parody is the best example. This version has two types; high burlesque, where a dignified subject is portrayed as low or undignified version whereas the low burlesque portrays a subject of low importance as highly important. Some examples are parody movies, for example “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is an emotional movie whereas “The Epic Movie” is its parody version.

Satire: This category is something which is more witty than comical. Here the main purpose is to ridicule the actions of individuals, organizations or even government where the comedian is emphasizing on their mistakes and corrupt nature. This is meant as a constructive social criticism to draw attention from the concerned parties. This is achieved by ironic statements or statements that are sarcastic.  This is often found in memes or television shows like daily news or other such programs.

Romantic Comedy: This is not a type of comedy that makes you fall down in laughter; this is more of a smile or slight giggle at the expense of two individuals involved in a romantic relationship. How they meet and how they get involved is the basic storyline. The plot is a lighthearted humorous plot. This genre always has a good ending, one which the viewer or reader desires. Rom-com movies or sitcoms belong to this genre.

COVID-19 AND MENTAL HEALTH

It is normal and understandable that people are experiencing fear,worry and stress when they are faced with uncertainty in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic.Added to the fear of contracting to the virus significant changes in our daily lives as our movements are restricted in support of efforts to contain and slowdown the spread of the virus faced with new realities of working from home, temporary employment, home schooling of children and lack of physical contact with other family members , friends and colleagues .It is important that we look after our mental as well as our physical health.WHO together with partners is providing guidance and advice during COVID 19 Pandemic for health workers, managers of health facilities, people who are looking after children , older adults, people in isolation and members of the public more generally to help us look after our mental health.

         Preliminary evidence suggest that symptoms of anxiety and depression(16-28percentage) and self reported stress(8percent) are psychological reactions to the COVID 19 Pandemic and may be associated with disturbed sleep. A number of individual and structural variables moderate this risk.Studies prove that more vulnerable groups identified are older adults , the homeless, migrant workers and children.

       Lack of knowledge among mental health professionals and difficulty in obtaining the cooperation of patients for preventive measures leads to psychotic disorders. As the number of patients affected by this pandemic continues to increase social distancing , using mask and sanitizer were the common measures used to prevent the pandemic and promote the BREAK THE CHAIN program.

      Quarantine, isolation and social distancing in the times of a raging pandemic can be psychologically distressing for many people.Giving Confidence and support to them and to their family is an important factor.FIGHT THE DISEASE NOT THE PATIENT should  be our motto.

Virtual Classes – The Game Changer

The concept of Virtual Classes is relatively new, and this is slowly becoming popular day after day. Virtual classes are also known as Online classes and its trending as of now. This virtual classes basically signifies the classes are to be conducted online using Laptops or Tables or Smartphone whichever is available. The teachers are taking the initiative to educate the students because they cannot compromise of completion of the syllabus as it is mainly associated with the future of the students. It is really not possible for the teachers to go out and gather the students for taking a normal class due to the Pandemic situation; i.e., for the Covid 19. Hence a temporary solution for the problem is certainly an online class. Taking Virtual classes can come under the broad category of working from home. As because all the school, colleges and institutions has been closed for quite a long time right now because of Lockdown, no one is eager to take the risk of taking normal classes. The Parents would not approve it as well. Also, it has been made mandatory by the Government to follow these rules. The teachers are instructed to conduct Online Classes till date the School , Colleges reopens after lockdown. Virtual classes are going to be a trademark for the upcoming generations. Through Virtual classes, a professor or a Teacher can reach out to many more students once at a time. The process of conducting online classes is simple, you just need to have proper undisrupted Internet access, then you need to download one app from various options like Zoom, Discord, Google meet, Microsoft teams e t c. Then you have to attach your smartphone with a Tripod and film the videos. The videos can be recorded and it is of great help for the students to check it out again at the time of requirement. Virtual classes are a lot beneficiary for all the students out there and if this step has not been taken from the start of Lockdown, the entire framework of education would have been broken down. It is comparatively easier for the teachers to take Virtual classes from their homes at any time they may feel appropriate. Upgrading the system of education can be achieved in such a way.

There are a several disadvantages for Virtual Classes too, namely

1) Several media platforms revealed that such applications aren’t safer for usage as it gets the access to personal information, and hence the question of cyber security arises which is undeniable. The Right to Privacy gets hampered if it is not protected with proper passwords and can cause a huge loss to the general people.

2) Virtual classes are much less impactful as compared to the regular classes as the visual effects aren’t created by the teachers which is a core of learning, especially for the kids.

3)Virtual classes never helps in creating interpersonal relationships between the teachers and students as because there is much lesser interactions between peers and scope of discussions related to any other topics except studies is relatively much lesser.

4) Communication enhancements never happens if u don’t interact face to face with a person, skill doesn’t get improved in any ways, only listening to various subject descriptions is not of much help.

5) Maximum no. of people from our country India belongs to poorer sections, in fact many of them belongs to the Below Poverty Line category, we need to look into and improve such basics before continuing with online classes as because they cannot afford proper food, Primary education comes for free as because Government intervenes but Internet connection never comes for free.

6) Many teachers do not know the proper technicalities of taking Online classes, especially the old aged tutors as they never got the official training for conducting such.

7) Virtual Classes increases the Screen time for the youngsters as they tend to get addicted to smartphones already, these choose not to go through lines of textbooks hence such rays affect their minds and body. Much more distractions are caused because of the family disrupting their focus and undivided attention.

8) Many students do not have the habit of understanding Virtual classes well which in turn provokes them to play online games rather than studying.

A DAY OF STREET CHILDREN

Today I am going to describe a day of street children……..the start of their morning takes place on the footpath or on the dividers…then a normal child usually go to his school but a street children go to find their 2 WAQT KI ROTI…so they either start begging….or they start selling something…they also clean the vehicles on crossings when it is red light and then they ask for money to the vehicles owner….a normal child have option of breakfast but for the street children there are lot of difficulties lunch so for them breakfast is not the cake of street children’s plate…..they have to do a lot of work to earn food….to earn money…sometimes there are some street children who are elder in their family then we just cant imagine the burden of their responsibilities…..they have to manage their siblings as well as their earning….when a normal child go to the school for learning….and here is the street children who learn from their daily experiences….who learn from their empty stomach……and after giving exam every day in their life they get these learnings…..the roads are their biggest teachers…….when a normal child return back to his home after school then their mother ready the food for them and also serve them with full of love…here are the street children who have to make their plate of food by own…..there is no one to serve them…there is no one to feed them a single bite with love….while a normal child ask for a mineral water…..and here is those children who lives on street, they have to drink hand pump’s water….and they remain happy in this because they know they don’t have any option….while a normal child plays games on tablet, computer, phone …….and here is street children who feels very happy in playing gilli danda, kanche etc……a normal child have AC in their room and a very soft bed to sleep….and here is street children who have nature’s land to sleep and the wind is their AC …..and if it starts raining some time then it becomes too difficult to them to manage……..


In actually if we see that whether they have facilities or not they know that how to create them….and how to be live happy in less facilities…..even though they haven’t place to sleep but nature has done all the settings for them…next time if you face any kind of these children then please don’t be rude to them because apart from doing this they don’t have any option ……giving them some rupees will not make you poor and on receiving that rupees will not make a children rich….the only thing which will happen that at least they have some rupees to eat something….to fill their stomach……

             OLE is at the Wheel: The Success of Manchester United

                                                                                                  -SHUBHANKAR

What a dramatic turnaround it has been. The 2019/20 season saw the Premier League table turn dramatically at the end of the season. The halted 2019/20 Premier League season, which was halted due to the Covid 19 pandemic came to an end yesterday. This season can be surely termed as one of the best in many years for the Red Devils- Manchester United. Yes, Ole is surely at the wheel right now. The way Manchester United started the season, with the selling of their outright strikers Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, a top 6 finish was going to be termed as a very good season for Manchester United. But when yesterday the league got over, Manchester United finished 3rd on the overall table, finishing above the likes of Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal and Leicester City. This table showed the grit and determination with which the whole squad played this whole season of ups and downs. The start of the season saw Manchester United at one stage being 14 points behind Leicester City and completed the season with 4 points more than Leicester City.

What made this turnaround possible for a struggling Manchester United team midway through the season? The answer is the signing of the Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes in the January transfer window. The change brought in by the midfield maestro has helped Manchester United perform better than before and helped them have a steady team, building a steady team around him and enjoying the fruitful results. Not only Bruno Fernandes, but all the other players from the squad need to be congratulated as they never gave up and till the end fought like a strong team, which never gives up. With rumours going strong of Paul Pogba not happy, wanting to leave, the club was under pressure. But with the introduction of Ole as the permanent manager of Manchester United, the fortunes have really turned around quite significantly. Yes, Manchester United haven’t won any silverware under him, but he has obviously built a team which in the future can challenge not only for the Premier League but also for the all important Champions League.

What Ole has done, is shown faith in the youth and brought in players from both the academy as well as from the transfer window. He has brought in the young players, building a squad for the future who could challenge for any tournament. Look at the names they have in the starting line up, be it the young English striker Marcus Rashford, French striker Anthony Martial and the teen sensation Mason Greenwood. The midfield also has the mixture of both young and experienced talent like Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Matic, Scott Mctominay, etc. The major problem what United will face over the next few seasons, which Ole has to focus on and fill the gap as soon as possible is the defence. With the experienced goalkeeper David Degea making way to many mistakes this season, he has to come up with the quality performances again before the criticism increases, leading him to be axed by the club in the near future. The young defenders like Lindelöf and Harry Maguire have to make sure that their mistakes are less going into the new season and that they hold a tight backline. These are things which Ole needs to focus upon in the future, with Champions League football coming up the net season.

What I feel after Ole’s performance this season as a manager and the team he has built is that it wouldn’t be long before Manchester United are back again dominating the footballing world. The main focus for him should be to nurture the young talent into world class players who can dominate the likes of current English champions Liverpool or the ever dominating Manchester City. This team which Ole has played over the course of this season has looked just going on the right track and I feel what the fans of Manchester United have been waiting for, the domination of Manchester United over other football clubs is very very close and the man who could do it is, none other than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The Paradox of Freedom of Speech

Freedom of speech is a wonderful liberty and health inducing function of society if, and only if, the citizens exercise their right to freedom of thought beforehand – exploring their ideas to see if they come from a place of love, good intention and virtue – or emotional indifference, entitlement and fear.”

The paradox of free speech and freedom of expression – at what level can one’s freedom of speech will involve limiting the freedom of speech of another person’s? Its really something to think about. The irony and the paradox of freedom of speech is this – in theory, every single citizen, regardless of who they are or where they come from, are entitled to their opinions and should be free to say whatever they please and the government should not try any means necessary to censor that person.. … except that someone else can who is not a part of the government can, or the government can censor that person through indirect means, or that person can be limited in their freedom of speech because of other reasons. Hate speech is one of them or speech that is deemed as offensive or crude.

Sure, saying homophobic slurs or racist slurs are deemed as hate speech, but what if this angrily-provoked language is done to antagonize a particular group of people who rightfully deserve it (like for example, a dictator or an social elite that have all the power but leave little of that power to the public)? Can that turn into censorship as well? Or what if someone has an opinion or makes a statement that is unpopular or controversial or unorthodox? For example, if a person says that he/she does not like a section of people following a particular religion because they possess an internalized paranoia about a religion that they do not know. That person can easily be deemed as being intolerant.

What about having unpopular opinions but you do not want to say anything about of the fear of being judged because of stigma or taboo like sexual fantasies or sexual orientations or having an opinion that is very unpopular like thinking that Communism is justified or thinking that the Earth is flat, even though scientific evidence will show otherwise? Or what about the political correctness movement that has been happening the past few years that replaces certain words with other words which at the same time limits the amount of speech that people are allowed to say or not say or else their words will have a negative effect on a certain demographic? (even though it is already well-known that whatever word or phrase you say, those words will shape our thoughts and may even reinforce already internalized schemas about certain categorized human groups like the mentally challenged as “idiots” will further reinforce the internalized image of an idiot).

What if someone makes a statement that someone else would find as unsettling or offensive? What gives the other person the right to censor the person who made their joke and limit his/her freedom of speech because that person did What if someone makes a statement that someone else would find as unsettling or offensive? What gives the other person the right to censor the person who made their joke and limit his/her freedom of speech because that person did not like it? Whether you liked the joke or not, that person given charges for hate speech and many people feel that his joke can taken out of context and his freedom of speech was taken from him just because some people did not like it.

What about people who have a lot of influence or in a very high position where their influence will influence the behaviors of others? Businessmen, lawyers, politicians, marketers and so on. If they say something that will eventually upset a lot of people, whether they are being genuine or not, they could be risking having their own image damaged such as when EA chief creative officer Patrick Söderlund said about the upcoming game Battlefield V having women in game despite the historical context, he said “either accept it or don’t buy the game” and a few months, it was reported that the number of pre-orders of BFV was low, possibly as a response to Söderlund’s comment (who now left EA). I think we all know that whatever you say, you are not going to please everyone but I sometimes feel that people are in an advantage or a disadvantage – if a person has a lot of influence and power, their freedom of speech will surely have a positive influence on others, regardless of what say or should be very picky on what they say or else their may be a backlash; or for those people who are in a severe disadvantage for having opinions or statements that are unpopular statement are of sound mind or not.

Despite the shortcomings, free speech is an error-correcting mechanism whose function is to prevent the entire structure from collapsing; the ability to constantly criticize ideas serves as a firewall to contain bad ideas and prevent them from spreading uncontrollably. It also serves as a guide to navigate grey areas where the right path is often hard to see. Having said that, everything has a cost and benefit, and free speech is no exception to this. However, I think that this is a commodity that is far too valuable to be jettisoned, such that the price we pay for not having massively outweighs the downsides of having it.

It should be also realized that freedom of speech is deemed to be a governor of other freedoms, and the erosion of it is usually a reliable signifier that some semblance of totalitarianism is beginning to take root. Freedom of speech is the natural extension of freedom of thought, and thus should be the most vigorously defended of all inalienable rights. If your right to free is being violated, it’s your duty as a citizen of a free country to make that known, and if all else fails, it’s a important enough matter to warrant violence if no other means will suffice. Free speech, especially free political speech, speech is the beacon of all other freedoms. It must be protected Is the costs, and at least here in America, our first constitutional government was created with the idea in mind that their constituents should openly rebel should their rights begin to erode. The last time that happened, it ended up being much more complicated than that. You know it as the American Civil War.

“If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.”

Noam Chomsky

What is Ethical Hacking?

Hacking refers to the practice of gaining access to systems or computers through unauthorized means. While our everyday life is increasingly moving online as are all activities, it is important that our privacy is maintained, our bank accounts remain secure, and our data not be used for other purposes. Cyber-crimes which are crimes perpetuated online pose a massive threat to our security in the virtual world and are on the rise every day. These activities are done by malicious hackers who use the information for their own personal gain or for organizations with criminal intentions. It is to counter this threat that ethical hacking is promoted now.

code on computer screen
Photo by ThisIsEngineering on Pexels.com

Ethical hacking refers to the practice of breaking through or bypassing system security with non-criminal intent. It is a pre-emptive measure to identify the flaws in a system as well as expose the probable cracks through which data can be compromised. The breach in the system will allow the organization to understand their current security status and do what is needed to better it. Ethical hackers are also known as White Hat hackers as opposed to Black Hat hackers who use illegal means to gain access to a system and do harm. There is a third group who are called the Grey Hat hackers. They are hackers who break into systems without authorization but do so with no mal-intention. Many do it for the fun of it and also report their breaches to whoever concerned. However, the lack of official authorization makes even this act a crime. Data theft, identity stealing, and large-scale money heists are all common activities that a black hat hacker would engage in. In the current landscape of commerce and technology, it is undebated that those who have access to and control of more information get the upper-hand. Information and data are the currency used most widely now. It is to ensure that these transactions and safekeepings are as secure as possible, and that the organizations who handle our data are able to safeguard them that we have need of ethical hacking.

An ethical hacker employs his skills to find the glitches in the armor and alerts his employers about his findings. With technological innovations reaching new heights every day, it is necessary that security systems are constantly upgraded and under scrutiny. Companies hire ethical hackers to find vulnerable points in their security systems and software that could be points through which an unethical hacker could enter the system. Ethical Hacking is also known as pen-testing or penetration testing. This is because they perform what is called a ‘pen test’ to hack into the system. Ethical hackers usually use the same methods that unethical hackers will use to enter a system. The only difference is that they are doing it with legal authority. They are required to keep their findings and understanding of the security system of an organization confidential since any slippage of information from them can cause harm as well. They are to remove or erase any traces of the hack once they have finished checking the system in order to stop unethical hackers from exploiting the same vulnerabilities. Ethical hacking can be learnt online from professionals or as part of courses. It is becoming a much sought-after profession and an increasingly pertinent one in the current global scenario.

CLIMATE CHANGE

The rising average temperature of Earth’s climate system, called global warming, is driving changes in rainfall patterns, extreme weather, arrival of seasons, and more. Collectively, global warming and its effects are known as climate change.


CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE –


• The largest human influence has been the emission of greenhouse gases, with over 90% of the impact from carbon dioxide and methane. Fossil fuel burning is the principal source of these gases, with agricultural emissions and deforestation also playing significant roles. Temperature rise is enhanced by self-reinforcing climate feedbacks, such as loss of snow cover, increased water vapor, and melting permafrost.


• Forces that contribute to climate change include the sun’s intensity, volcanic eruptions, and changes in naturally occurring greenhouse gas concentrations.
According to NASA, “These natural causes are still in play today, but their influence is too small or they occur too slowly to explain the rapid warming seen in recent decades.”


• On Earth, human activities are changing the natural greenhouse. Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). This happens because the coal or oil burning process combines carbon with oxygen in the air to make CO2. To a lesser extent, the clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human activities has increased concentrations of greenhouse gases.

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE:
The consequences of changing the natural atmospheric greenhouse are difficult to predict, but certain effects seem likely:

• On average, Earth will become warmer. Some regions may welcome warmer temperatures, but others may not.


• Warmer conditions will probably lead to more evaporation and precipitation overall, but individual regions will vary, some becoming wetter and others dryer.


• A stronger greenhouse effect will warm the oceans and partially melt glaciers and other ice, increasing sea level. Ocean water also will expand if it warms, contributing further to sea level rise.


• Meanwhile, some crops and other plants may respond favorably to increased atmospheric CO2, growing more vigorously and using water more efficiently. At the same time, higher temperatures and shifting climate patterns may change the areas where crops grow best and affect the makeup of natural plant communities.


The Role of Human Activity in climate change:
In its Fifth Assessment Report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of 1,300 independent scientific experts from countries all over the world under the auspices of the United Nations, concluded there’s a more than 95 percent probability that human activities over the past 50 years have warmed our planet.

The industrial activities that our modern civilization depends upon have raised atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from 280 parts per million to 412 parts per million in the last 150 years. The panel also concluded there’s a better than 95 percent probability that human-produced greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have caused much of the observed increase in Earth’s temperatures over the past 50 years.

Schools of Hindu Law

There are two main schools of Hindu Law, the Mitakshara and the Dayabhaga. The Mitakshara (literally means “a concise work”) is a running commentary on the code of Yajnavalkya. It has been written by Vijnaneshwar (11th century) and prevails in all parts of India, except in Bengal. The Dayabhaga School, which is followed mainly in Bengal, is not a commentary on any particular code, but is a digest of all the codes. It has been witten in Jimutavahana (12th century). It may also be noted that the Mitakshara is the orthodox school, whereas the Dayabhaga is the reformist school of Hindu Law. The Dayabhaga ia considered to be a dissident school of the old Benares School.

The Dayabhaga is not divided into any sub-schools. However, the Mitakshara is sub-divided into four schools prevailing in different parts of India. These different schools have the same fundamental principles, but differs in matters of details, especially with reference to the topics of adoption and inheritance. These four sub-schools are as follows:-

  1. The Benares School, which prevails in northern and north-western India except in rural Punjab where its authority has been considerably modified by customary law. The main authorities of the school are the Virmitrodaya and the Nirnaya Sindhu.
  2. The Mithila School, which has most of its followers in Bihar. The main authorities are the Vivada Chintamani, the Vivada Ratnakara, the Madana Parijata and the Vyavahara Mayukha.
  3. The Dravida or Madras School, which prevails in southern India. the principle authorities are the Smriti Chandrika, the Parashara Madhaviya, the Saraswati Vilasa and the Vyavahara Nimaya.
  4. The Maharashtra or Bombay School, which prevails in western India. The main principle authorities are the Viramitrodaya and the Nirhaya Sindhu.

Difference between the Mitakshara and Dayabhaga Schools

The fundamental points of difference between the Mitakshara and Dayabhaga Schools of Hindu Law may be summarised as follows:

BASESMITAKSHARADAYABHAGA
As regards Joint PropertyRight to property by birth (of the claimant); hence the son is co-owner with the father in ancestral property. After the commencement of the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, the daughter can also a coparcener.Right to property by death (of the last owner; hence son has no right in the ancestral property during father’s life time.
As regards AlienationMembers of joint family cannot dispose of their shares while undivided Any member of joint family may sell or give away his shares even when undivided.
As regards inheritanceThe principle of inheritance is consanguinity (i.e., blood relationship). But cognates are postponed to agnates.The principle of inheritance is spiritual efficacy (i.e., offering of pandas). Some cognates, like sister’s son are preferred to many agnates.
As regards Doctrine of factum valetA fact cannot be altered by hundred texts. It is recognised to a very limited extent.Doctrine of factum valet is fully recognised.

Besides the above points, the other bases of difference between Mitakshara and Dayabhaga arouse out of their differences in the meaning of the word “Sapinda”. According to Dayabhaga ‘Sapinda’ means the same ‘pinda’ means the ball of rice which offered by the Hindu as obsequies to their ancestors. The term ‘Sapinda’ thus connotes those related to the duty of one to offer ‘pinda’ to the other. On the other hand, Vijnaneswara defined ‘Sapinda’ relationship as the relationship arising between two persons through their being connected by particles of one body.

Thus fundamental difference in the term “Sapinda” resulted in the formation of law, which were in material respect quite distinct from each other.

ANIMAL RIGHTS

God has done so many creations on the earth…animals are one of them….animals don’t have mind as human beings but they have feelings and emotions like human beings….they can’t express their feelings by words as human beings but they also suffer a lot but they can’t express it and there are some people who take advantage of this…..as we know that this world is full of good or bad people so there are also good people in this world who understand that every living being also feel the same as human beings….even there are some religions who declared the violence against animals as a sin.
The Vedas, the first scriptures of Hinduism teach ahinsa or nonviolence towards all living beings. In Hinduism, killing an animal is regarded as a violation of ahinsa and causes bad karma, leading many Hindus to practice vegetarianism.
Jainism was founded in India in the 7th-5th century and ahinsa is its central teaching. Due to their belief in the sanctity of all life, Jains practice strict vegetarianism and many go to great lengths even to avoid harming insects.
Buddhism is the third major religion to emerge in India, and its teachings also include ahinsa. Buddhism teaches vegetarianism (though not as strictly as Jainism), and many Buddhists practice life release in which animals destined for slaughter are purchased and released to the wild. Despite the influence of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, meat-eating was still common in ancient India.

In 262 BCE, the Mauryan king Ashoka converted to Buddhism. For the remainder of his reign, he issued edicts informed by the Buddhist teachings of compassion for all beings. These edicts included the provision of medical treatment for animals and bans on animal sacrifice, the castration of roosters, and hunting of many species.when it cross the limit of violence against animals then the government and some people came forward and done work for animal’s welfare.


WORK FOR ANIMAL’S WELFARE:


• India’s first national animal welfare law, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1960), criminalizes cruelty to animals, though exceptions are made for the treatment of animals used for food and scientific experiments.

• The 1960 law also created the Animal Welfare Board of India to ensure the anti-cruelty provisions were enforced and promote the cause of animal welfare.

• Subsequent laws have placed regulations and restrictions on the use of draught animals, the use of performing animals, animal transport, animal slaughter, and animal experimentation.

• The Breeding of and Experiments on Animals (Control and Supervision) Rules, 1998 sets general requirements for breeding and using animals for research.


• A 2006 amendment specifies that experimenters must first try to use animals “lowest on the phylogenetic scale”, use the minimum number of animals for 95% statistical confidence, and justify not using non-animal alternatives. A 2013 amendment bans the use of live animal experiments in medical education.


• In 2014 India became the first country in Asia to ban all testing of cosmetics on animals and the import of cosmetics tested on animals.

• In 2013 India made it illegal to use captive dolphins for public entertainment.

• In 2017 The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released four new Gazette notifications under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 to regulate dog breeders, animal markets, and aquarium and “pet” fish shop owners .
Now India has a grade of C out of possible grades A,B,C,D,E,F,G on World Animal Protection’s Animal Protection Index.

Animal issues The 1960 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act is the legal basis of animal protection in India. Provision 11 states that it is illegal for ‘any person… [to treat] any animal so as to subject it to unnecessary pain or suffering or causes, or being the owner permits, any animal to be so treated’, and that such mistreatment is punishable with fines or prison sentences.[ Despite restrictions on killing and eating cows throughout most of the country, India became the world’s largest exporter of beef in 2012.]
According to a 2012 FAO report, India also had the world’s largest population of dairy cows (43.6 million) and was the second-largest producer of milk (50.3 million tons per year). In 2011, India was the third largest producer of eggs (behind China and the United States) and the sixth largest producer of chicken meat. India is the second largest fish producer in the world after China, and the industry has substantial room for growth.
A 2007 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations found that Indians had the lowest rate of meat consumption of any country. Roughly one-third of Indians are vegetarian (the largest percentage of vegetarians in the world), but few are vegan. Despite having the highest rate of vegetarianism in the world, Indian consumption of dairy, eggs, and meat – especially chicken – was increasing rapidly as of 2013.
India’s 1960 anti-cruelty law created the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) to regulate animal experimentation. A 2003 report by Animal Defenders International and the U.K. National Anti-Vivisection Society based on evidence gathered by the CPCSEA during inspections of 467 Indian laboratories finds “a deplorable standard of animal care in the majority of facilities inspected”. The report lists many instances of abuse, neglect, and failure to use available non-animal methods.

There was a time when animals are used for entertainment and in teaching them they have to suffer from so much pain….
• In 2014, the Supreme Court of India banned the traditional bullfighting sport Jallikattu, which was mainly practiced in the state of Tamil Nadu. This led to widespread controversy, and the 2017 pro-jallikattu protests. Under this pressure, the government of Tamil Nadu adopted a law that reintroduced the sport on state level, likely leading to a renewed ban by the Supreme Court. The sport remains a controversial issue.
An inspector from the Animal Welfare Board of India said in 2017 that cases of dogs being bludgeoned with iron bars or burnt alive had taken place almost every month.

India has a number of domestic animal welfare organizations such as Peoples for Animals Haryana, Scouts & Guides for Animals & Birds, OIPA: Indian People for Animals, started by Naresh Kadyan, People for Animals, started by Maneka Gandhi, as well as chapters of international animal nonprofits including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Humane Society International, and In Defense of Animals.
Government and organizations are trying their best but this is responsibility of every human being to aware people, to teach the children that animals or other living being are also our friends, it is the responsibility of everyone to not to harm the BEZUBAAN ZAANWAR….we can see the example of the Kerala incident where a mother elephant died after eating the cracker-filled fruit and stood in a river for many days with its trunk and head immersed in the water perhaps to nurse its wounds and it was found that it was pregnant….this is not only one case…. don’t know how many animals are got killed every day….whoever do this just remember you can’t stop the karma to follow you…just remember if you are harming anyone either it is human being or animals or any other living beings then you also have to face that situation and you will also get whatever you have done with them…….

Rosalind Frankline:The Unsung Heroine of DNA

Rosalind Franklin

Rosalind Elsie Franklin (25 July 1920 – 16 April 1958) was an English chemist and X-ray crystallographer whose work was central to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), RNA (ribonucleic acid), viruses, coal, and graphite. A victim of male prejudice, she is also known as “wronged heroine of DNA.” Franklin is best known for her work on the X-ray diffraction images of DNA, particularly Photo 51, while at King’s College London, which led to the discovery of the DNA double helix for which James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962. After finishing her work on DNA, Franklin led pioneering work at Birkbeck on the molecular structures of viruses. Her team member Aaron Klug  continued her research, winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1982.

She struggled throughout her life for recognition for her work among her male counterparts. Her work wasn’t highlighted while she was alive nor after her death for a long time. Her research played a huge role in the awarding of Nobel Prizes to Watson, Crick and Wilkins and Aaron Klug. She was a potent symbol of male prejudice and also her grave read that her work on viruses was of “lasting benefit to mankind”. However her top priority remained academic success.

Story of ram mandir ayodhya

History of Ayodhya

Ayodhya, also called Oudh or Awadh, town, south-central uttar pradesh state, northern india. It lies on the ghaghara river just east of faizabad.

An ancient town, Ayodhya is regarded as one of the seven sacred cities of the Hindus, revered because of its association in the great Indian epic ramayana with the birth of rama and with the rule of his father, Dasharatha. According to this source, the town was prosperous and well-fortified and had a large population.

Oudh was joined with the Agra Presidency in 1877 to form the North-Western Provinces and later the  united provinces of Agra and Oudh, now Uttar Pradesh state.

Dispute of ayodhya

Despite the town’s great age, there are few surviving monuments of any antiquity. The Babri masjid (“Mosque of Bābur”) was built in the early 16th century by the Mughal emperor Babur on a site traditionally identified as Rama’s birthplace and as the location of an ancient Hindu temple, the Ram Janmabhoomi. Because of its significance to both Hindus and Muslims, the site was often a matter of contention. In 1990, riots in northern India followed the storming of the mosque by Hindu nationalist’s intent on erecting a temple on the site; the ensuing crisis brought down the Indian government. Two years later, on December 6, 1992, the three-story mosque was demolished in a few hours by a crowd of Hindu nationalists. It was estimated that more than 2,000 people died in the rioting that swept through India following the mosque’s destruction. An investigative commission led by Manmohan singh Liberhan, a retired judge, was formed in 1992 but did not issue a report until 2009. The report, when it finally appeared, caused an uproar because it blamed several leading figures from the pro-Hindu Bhartiya janata party for the mosque’s destruction. A court ruling in 2010 divided the land between Hindus and Muslims, but that decision was overturned in 2019 by the Supreme Court, which entrusted the property exclusively to Hindus.

Judgement of ayodhya dispute

the Supreme Court cleared the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, In the judgment of the three judges of the Allahabad High Court ruled that the 2.77 acres (1.12 ha) of Ayodhya land be divided into three parts, with one third going to the Ram Lalla ,a previous Hindu temple Rama represented by the Hindu Maha Sabha,, and directed the Centre to allot a 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque  and the remaining one third going to Nirmohi .

Now, after the judgement ,5th of august will be bhoomi pujan and construction will started soon of ram mandir.

The construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is set to begin on Wednesday when the first bricks will be laid for its foundation, according to a spokesperson for the head of the temple trust.

The event will be marked by prayers to Lord Shiva at the Kuber Tila shrine on the Ram Janmabhoomi site, allocated for the temple in a historic supreme court verdict last November.

The rudrabhishek ritual follows the tradition set by Lord Ram, who prayed to Shiva before launching an attack on Lanka, said Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, spokesperson for the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust head Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.

The work of laying the foundation of the temple will begin after these special prayers.

The prayers will be performed by Kamal Nayan Das and other priests on behalf of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, who visited the site recently.

“This religious ceremony will last for at least two hours and after that the construction of the Ram Mandir will start with the laying of the foundation of the mandir structure,” Kamal Nayan Das said.

In its verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute, the Supreme Court had ruled in favour of construction of a temple at the site.

The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical, and socio-religious debate in India, centered on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya uttar pradesh.  This is the first  judgements in India’s history, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi put an end to the more than a century old dispute that has torn the social fabric of the nation.

Tort And Contract

The distinction between a tort and a contract, is clearly brought forth the definition of tort given by Winfield which states “Tortious liability arises from the breach of a duty primarily fixed by law, such duty is towards persons generally and its breach is redressible by an action for unliquidated damages.”

A contract is an agreement, whereby a legal obligation is constituted and defined between the parties to it. It is a legal relationship, the nature, contents and consequences of which are determined and defined by the agreement of the parties, the law giving legal forces and authorities to the agreement. Thus, whereas in tort, the duties are fixed by the law, in the contract, they are fixed by the parties themselves.

In a contract, one party owes duty to another contracting party only (Principle of Privity of contract) while in tort, the duty imposed by law is not towards any specific individual or individuals, but they are towards the world at large. Both in tort and contract, the remedy available is damages, but while in contract, the damages are liquidated (i.e. they are predetermined by the parties), in tort, the damages are unliquidated (i.e. they are not predetermined by the parties), but are awarded by the court.

In certain cases, the same incident may rise to liability both in contract and tort, for example, when a passenger whilst travelling with a ticket is required owing to the railway company’s negligence, the company is guilty of a wrong which is both breach of contract and tort.

In Edwards v. Mallan, (1908) KB, it was held, a dentist who contracts to pull out the tooth is of course liable for breach of contract, if he injures the patient by an unskillful extraction. He is also liable for the tort of negligence, for everyone who professes skill in a amount of such skill.

In such cases, where the same fact resulted in a breach of contract as well as tort, the plaintiff cannot claim the damage twice over. he can either sue for the breach of contract or for the commission of tort. The contractual duty may be owed to one person and the legal duty (duty by law), independently of contact to another. For example, the surgeon who is called by a father to operate upon his daughter owes a contractual duty to the father who takes care. If he fails in that duty, he is also liable for a tort against the daughter.

In Pippin v. Sheppard, (1822), a surgeon was called in by a husband, to treat his wife. The court held that the husband could sue the surgeon for the breach of contractual duty while the wife could maintain an action in tort as the doctor owes a duty of care to his patient .

Thus, liability in tort is fixed by law irrespective of any contract between the parties, although it s possible that in certain circumstances liability in tort may be modified by contract.

The Legality Of Gambling In India

Gambling is a type of wagering agreement which takes place between two parties, where one party promises the other to pay a certain amount of consideration on happening of a future uncertain event. It will be regarded as gambling if there exits consideration, risk and a prize. Gambling can be majorly of two types: 

  • Chance/Probability Based: In such type of gambling, the final result is totally unexpected and random. Everyone has an equal chance of winning and losing. For example, lottery, bingo, roulette, etc. All games where the outcome is uncertain.
  • Skill Based: The outcome of the even is not totally uncertain, and it can be influenced by a certain set of skills in a person. These games require skills to play, and the outcome cannot be totally certain. For example, poker, betting on races, etc. 

There are different state gambling laws in India, as it has been clearly given under the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution that the states can have different legal policies of “gambling and betting, it is the option of the state to either allow and regulate such activities, or totally prohibit them. It is totally the discretion of the state and the centre should not be involved in gambling and betting matters in the state. There is a central legislation named “The Public Gambling Act, 1867” which was enacted to prohibit all types of gambling and games in relation with chance and probability, however it regulates the skill based gambling. This Act is a 145-year-old law which has been existing from the British era, and it has provisions for the operation of a gambling house, its financing, and the crimes related to gambling. Chance/probability gambling is legal only in two states in India, they are Goa, Daman and Diu and Sikkim which have special legislation for this purpose. The state of Goa has allowed gambling by enacting the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976, and the state of Sikkim has Sikkim Regulation of Gambling (Amendment) 2005, all the other states have a similar type of the central legislation which has been enacted. However some states have legalised lottery, with some restrictions, that lottery could be drawn only once a week, however it being drawn more than that illegally. The Central Lotteries (Regulation) Act of 1998 , has the respective rules and regulations related to lottery for state governments. Sikkim and Nagaland have enacted other legislations for the purposes of online gambling, they are The Sikkim Online Gaming (Regulation) Act, 2008, and c The Nagaland Prohibition of Gaming and Promotion and Regulation of Online Games of Skill Act, 2016. Ironically even though there have been legislations regarding gambling, but not even one defined what gambling is.  All the above legislations have provisions related to rules and regulations of gambling and betting, process to apply for a license, the restriction on obtaining a license, the payment and payment restrictions fro obtaining a license, the liability and enforcement in case of an offence,  and the respective punishments and penalties.

There are other legislations like Payment and Settlement Act, 2007, Information Technology Act, 2000 which contain some provision relating to the regulation of gambling and betting. In Spite of all the above legislation there have been many on-going debates on why the “games of skill” excluded from punishment and penalty under the law. There have been doubts on why horse race betting is legal in India, but not cricket betting even though both have so many similarities. Horse race betting is considered as a game of skill but it is not the same case foe cricket betting. There has also been a debate on Rummy not being a game oc chance, and it shall come within the purview of game of skill as it is not similar to that of  flush, brag, etc which are games of pure chance and probability. There have been many cases and discussions with respect to Rummy as a game of skill, and its legal status in the nation, the debate still continues to happen. Surprisingly the states of West Bengal, Nagaland, and Karnataka have legalised the game of poker, regarding it as a game of skill. 

To sum it up, we have understood the legal status of gambling and betting in the nation. However, it is still regarded as highly uncertain and unclear. It is high time that the laws related to gambling have to be amended both at the central and state level. The laws have to be more clear to avoid unnecessary confusion and debates. The legislation should also become stringent so that illegal gambling can be total unseen in the nation. However, the efforts that are being put be different state government under this area of law should be appreciated. There is hope that in the future we can see a day where all gambling and betting activities are under control. 

Why Insolvency And Bankruptcy Code, 2016?

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), has been enacted in India  when the parliament passed the bill in the year 2016. Insolvency is a state of being unable to pay off your debts, it a state of economic distress, when the person, firm or company is no linger able to carry out its business. Bankruptcy is more of a legal term when one is declared as insolvent, and the legal process which is followed a person who could not fulfill their financial obligations, as they had due payments to their creditors. The legal process of bankruptcy relieves a person to some extent from some depts, and protects them so that no one could harm them for their money. The IBC is a single legislation for all the problems related to insolvency and bankruptcy by giving time-bound processes for resolving them , it is a combination of may other existing laws. It was implemented to bring one uniform law with respect to insolvency and bankruptcy. It took India and average of 4.3 years to come up with such a resolution, it took a lot of time as compared to other nations. However this bill has brought a tremendous change in the policies related to insolvency and bankruptcy.  The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI)  was established under the code which aims to fulfill the objectives of the code, by making sure insolvency resolution are happening in a legal and transparent way. The IBBI contains a total of ten members from law ministry, finance ministry and the Reserve Bank of India. This act applies to and individual person, companies, partnership and other firms which have been established under any particular statute. This gives all round solutions to creditors, debtors, companies, shareholders and anyones who has an insolvency problem.

The main reason behind the legislation was to provide clear and timely processes for resolving insolvency, it provided a speedy solution. The code gives an opportunity to the creditor to assess the position of the debtor, and can make plans for the liquidation of debt. The code has provisions for a special agency which only deals with insolvency proceeding and matters of a party. This provides protection to the debtor by giving them immunity against the shareholders, creditors and other party involved. Several insolvency professionals will be appointed to take care of the communication between the creditor and debtor, they manage all the information related to the assets of the debtor, and they make sure the entire process of insolvency resolution happens correctly. The proceedings of the resolution process are adjudicated by the National Companies Law Tribunal (NCLT), for companies and the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) for individuals, and through this process the insolvency professionals will be guiding the part through it. The resolution process can either be initiated by the debtor or creditor. Then a committees which consists of all the creditors if formed and they decide upon the action of plan that has to be taken for recovery of their debt.  They might either take a decision to give the debtor more time, otherwise the assets of the debtor will be sold for recovering the debt, all the function should happen before the time limit prescribed in the code. As soon as the decision is taken the process of liquidation happens where the assets are sold under the guidance o the insolvency professionally, and fee has to be paid for the whole process and other necessary costs. The insolvency resolution process for the company is a total of 180 days with a 90 day extension, and for small firms it is 90 days with a 45 day extension, these were the changes brought through the bill. The above process is termed as the Insolvency Resolution Process (IRP). Therefore, the IRP consists of three major steps, they are Initiation, the resolution of insolvency and then finally the liquidation process. IBC has been amended thrice in the past few years, making it a better legislation by changing according to the situation in the society.

We can come to conclusion, that this act has brought a good change in the areas of insolvency and bankruptcy, as the system which existed before this act was proved to br inadequate or ineffective. This code has introduced a time bound process for insolvency resolution. It has provisions relating to IBBI, Insolvency professionals, adjudicating mechanisms like NCLT and DRT, and for Information utilities, which has all information regarding the process and decision taken. This code enabled the protection of debtors, and gives an efficient insolvency resolution process. In spite of the efforts India is still way backward in the World Index of Ease of resolving Insolvencies, and this will be changed in the future due to the IBC. If it is implemented in a strict manner, we can look forward to seeing a day where India may top the index, and it will be appreciated world widely for its efforts in this area. We as responsible citizens should make sure that we follow the laws of the nation which will lead to the welfare of people inturn developing the nation. Many such more effective and efficient legislations should be enacted to solve the problems in the society. 

Debentures

Debenture is the loan or debt instrument which is issued by Government and Corporates to raise the fund. Debenture are issued on fixed interest rate. Their value is based on credit rating. Based on credit rating people will purchase the debentures. Debenture holders are the creditors to the company and they get interest on their investment in the company.

Types of debentures

Secured debentures: secured debentures are backed by the assets security. They are like mortgage loan. For such debenture particular assets will be act as security.

Unsecured debenture: Unsecured debenture are not secured by any assets they are purchased based on companies credit worthiness and reputation.

Convertible debentures: Convertible debentures are the Debentures which allow to convert to Equity shar. Where debentures holder will become equity share holder.

Non Convertible debentures : Non Convertible debentures are the Debentures where it is not possible to convert it into equity share.

Redeemable debentures : in this types of debentures the time of repayment of loan is mentioned and when investor can get back his invested money is mentioned.

Irredeemable debentures : The debentures will not have time of repayment. These are long term debentures. These are repayable at the time of liquidation.

Industrial Disputes

“All our problems, all our disputes, all our disagreements can be resolved quickly to mutual satisfaction if we address the question.”

Benazir Bhutto

An Industrial Dispute can be defined as a disagreement, conflict or difference of opinion between management and workers. An Industrial Dispute may also be called as an industrial conflict. In simple terms, it may refers to any disagreement in industrial relations which may be in the form of strike or any other form of action between employer and employee. The disagreement between employer and employee arises due to wages or terms and conditions of employment like hours of work, safety, health, welfare issues, etc and if these are not resolved on time it may result in dissatisfaction among the parties involved and this often leads to industrial disputes or conflicts. Whenever an industrial dispute occur both the parties that is employee or workmen and the management tries to pressurise eachother. If the dispute is not resolved on time the workers may resort to strikes, picketing or gheraos and the management may resort to lockouts. Industrial disputes are very costly and damaging to companies and employees. This results in increase in the average cost of production as the fixed cost is incurred continuously. This also leads to fall in sales and rate of turnover which further leads to fall in profit. An industrial dispute may also harm the organisation’s prestige and goodwill, psychological and social consequences may also arise. So, inorder to reduce these problems, the organisation should seek to avoid or resolve any potential conflict. However, it is not always possible to prevent industrial disputes which arises in an organisation. But if it arises then in this situation the organisation should know how to handle and resolve any conflict that develops. As resolving the disputes can substantially reduce the financial cost and the damage done to employee relations and productivity. There are many types of disputes and this can be classified as follows:-

Interest disputes is related to new wage level and other conditions of employment. Rights disputes which is also described as grievance disputes. It is a dispute in which claim is made that workmen are not treated according to the rules, laws and regulations, contract of employment. The grievance may be regarding retrenchment, dismissal, payment of wages, overtime, working time, demotion, promotion, transfer. The next dispute is recognition dispute which arises when organisation refuses to recognise a trade union for the purpose of collective bargaining. The various causes of industrial disputes are as follows:-

  • Demand for High Wages- As the cost of living is rising and in order to meet the rising cost of living index and standard of living the workers demands for more wages. And this is the thing which brings both the parties into conflict as the employer is never willing to pay more wages to workers.
  • High Industrial Profits- At the present scenario, workmen consider themselves as a partner of the industry and that’s why they demand there share in the profit and this leads to conflict between them.
  • Working Hours and Conditions – As we know in some industries the working condition is not hygienic. There is no proper facility for drinking water, heating, lighting, safety, etc. And the working hours are also greater. So, these are the causes of disputes.
  • Automation of Plant and Machinery – In today’s scenario, when the whole world is moving towards modernization. India is also running on the same track of modernization and introduction of automatic machines which is replacing labours. And this is the major cause of disputes which is taking place in the organisation and the workers are going on strikes more frequently, to resist the rationalisation.
  • Non-recognition of Trade Union- The employers don’t like the interference of trade union and that’s why they don’t recognise them and this brings the workers into conflict with their employers.

So lastly, industrial disputes should be resolved on time as it impacts the organisation and the nation very badly.

Consumer Protection Act 2019

Consumer

Every person need essentials for their survival in this world. Essentials of a person is food, clothes, house, electrical goods etc. Every person is a consumer in this world. As every person depends upon other person for products. Why do we need consumer protection act 2019? The consumer is connected to the economy. Higher the consumer consume higher the demand of the product will increase higher the growth in the economy as the economy grows the GDP will also rise. If the consumer suffer problems in the product he purchased then he will be a restrictive buyer.  

Consumer purchase products or avail/ heir service from manufacturers, traders, seller, service provider. It’s a right of every consumer to known the correct information, quality, quantity, advertisement, and service etc of the products and services. But if the consumer found the defects in goods brought by him or deficiency in the services provided by manufactures, traders, sellers, service provider. The consumer intimate the same to the manufactures, traders, sellers, service provider but they refused to entertain the consumer problem. The consumer has the right to file a case as per the consumer protection act 2019.

History of the Act

Prior to Consumer Protection Act, 2019 there was Consumer Protection Act 1986 which have their own limitations as per the modern India is concerned. The Parliament passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 on 06.08.2019 to replace the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (“1986 Act”). The President of India gave its assent to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (“2019 Act”) on 09.08.2019 and the same will come into force on the date 20th July 2019 by the Central Government. The 2019 Act has been enacted for the purpose of providing timely and effective administration and settlement of consumer disputes and related matters.

The Government instead of bringing an amendment in the 1986 Act, enacted a new Act altogether so as to provide enhanced protection to the consumers taking into consideration the booming e-commerce industry and the modern methods of providing goods and services such as online sales, tele-shopping, direct selling and multi-level marketing in addition to the traditional methods.

Features of Consumer Protection Act 2019

  • Consumer

In this new act the definition of the consumer is broadly defined the word ‘consumer’. The definition now includes any person who buys any goods, whether through offline or online transactions, electronic means, teleshopping, direct selling or multi-level marketing. The earlier Act did not specifically include e-commerce transactions, and this lacuna has been addressed by the New Act.

  • Central Consumer Protection Authority 

In the old act there was Consumer Protection Council in three levels District, State and Central they advise on promoting the protection of consumer rights at all the three levels. There was also commission on all the three levels. In the new act they have established Central Consumer Protection Authority to regulate the matters relating to violations of consumer right, unfair trade practices, misleading advertisement and also to promote, protect enforce the right of consumers

The composition of Central Consumer Protection Authority is established by Central Government as he appoints Chief Commissioner and Commissioners for the regulation of the authority. The headquarters are located in Delhi but the branches can be establish at any part of India. The qualifications, salary etc of the Chief Commissioner and Commissioners are decided by Central Government.

Central Consumer Protection Authority shall protect, promote, enforce consumer’s rights, prevent violations of consumer rights, prevent unfair trade practices, and ensure no false or misleading advertisement and no publications of such advertisements.

Central Consumer Protection Authority may inquire or investigate on complaint or suo motu, File complaint before district/state/national Commission. Intervene in proceedings before district/state/ national commission for allegation of violations of consumer rights or unfair trade practices. Review the matter relating to consumer rights. Recommend adoption of International Covenants for effective implementation of consumer right. Promote research for consumer protection so that they can amend the law, They can also issue notices to alert consumers They can advise ministers departments of central/ state Government on consumer welfare measures.  

  • Pecuniary Jurisdiction

In the new act the jurisdiction of all the three commission are widen up as compared to the old act. As per this act the consumer can claim the amount in the commission as follows :

District commission – From 20 lakhs to 1 cr.

State Commission – From 1cr to 10cr.

National Commission – Above 20 cr.

If the judgement is against any of the two party in District commission then they can appeal to state commission against the judgement passed by the district commission and then to if we are not satisfied by the judgement of state commission then we can appeal to National commission and then we can appeal to Supreme Court if the national commission judgement is not satisfactory.

  • Mediation Cells

Just like Alternative Dispute Resolution if both the party agree they can go for mediation. Mediation is a process where both the party sit with each other and solve the problem and come to a common conclusion which is agreed by both the parties. There will be a mediator to guide them.  The time limit for solving the dispute by mediation is 3 month it can be extended by the permission of court. There will be no appeal when it is concluded by mediation process.

  • Flexibility in filing

This act provide the flexibility to the consumer for filing the case as it was not provided in the old act. Let’s assume Mr. A purchased a product from Mumbai as he visited in Mumbai for the 1st time then he arrived to his hometown which is Delhi when is opened the product the product was not up to the mark as told by the shopkeeper. When Mr. A called the shopkeeper in Mumbai he doesn’t answered it well so now Mr. A want to file a complaint against the shopkeeper who is in Mumbai. As per the old act Mr. A should file the complaint in Mumbai itself as the cause of action raised is in Mumbai. But as per new act Mr. A can file the complaint in Delhi too.

  • Product Liability & Penal Consequences

The New Act has introduced the concept of product liability and brings within its scope, the product manufacturer, product service provider and product seller, for any claim for compensation. The term ‘product seller’ is defined to include a person who is involved in placing the product for a commercial purpose and as such would include e-commerce platforms as well. The defense that e-commerce platforms merely act as ‘platforms’ or ‘aggregators’ will not be accepted. There are increased liability risks for manufacturers as compared to product service providers and product sellers, considering that under the New Act, manufacturers will be liable in product liability action even where he proves that he was not negligent or fraudulent in making the express warranty of a product. Certain exceptions have been provided under the New Act from liability claims, such as, that the product seller will not be liable where the product has been misused, altered or modified.

  • Penalties for Misleading Advertisement

Endorsement are huge part of the advertising industry, commands about 24% total advertisement expenditure

  • Manufactures

Jail –upto 2 years, Fine – upto 10 lakh for 1st offence

Jail- upto 5 years, fine – 50 lakhs

  • Endorser

Fine – upto 10 lakh for and a year ban for 1st offence

Fine – 50 lakhs and ban upto 3 years

  • Publisher

Fine upto 10 Lakh found guilty

  • Others

As per the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Rules, there will be no fee for filing cases up to Rs. 5 lakh.

The credit of the amount due to unidentifiable consumers will go to the Consumer Welfare Fund (CWF).

State Commissions will furnish information to the Central Government on a quarterly basis on vacancies, disposal, the pendency of cases and other matters.

Apart from these general rules, there are Central Consumer Protection Council Rules, provided for the constitution of the Central Consumer Protection Council (CCPC).
It will be an advisory body on consumer issues, headed by the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution with the Minister of State as Vice Chairperson and 34 other members from different fields.

It will have a three-year tenure and will have Minister-in-charge of consumer affairs from two States from each region- North, South, East, West, and North-East Region.

Conclusion

The Consumer Protection Act 2019 proves that the Consumer is the king. The doctrine of ‘Caveat Emptor’ or let the buyer beware which came into existence in the middle ages had been replaced by the principle of Consumer Sovereignty.

What is the issue between Israel and Palestine?

Israel- Palestinian conflict is a currently ongoing conflict between the Jewish Israelis and Arab Palestinians to gain control of the land. The conflict has been a long one. It started when after the British mandate, the country that was occupied by the British was divided into two countries a Jewish country of Israel and an Arab nation of Palestine. During the First World War, the British government has agreed to respect Arab independence but later with the Balfour Declaration which stated that the British government would support a state for the jews. This was the first legal friction between the two self-determined communities. In 1947- 1948, the British forces withdrew from the Mandate Palestine and war broke out, on one side were the Israeli forces and on the other side was the Arab Palestinians and the surrounding Arab countries who supported the Arab Palestinians. The war broke out when the United Nations decided and voted to split region of Palestine into two states, a Jewish state and an Arab state. But the Arab community and the surrounding Arab countries did not accept the plan and the two communities started fighting using guerilla techniques. In the early march of 1948, Israelis had fought and won against the Palestinians in battles.


Later, when the British left the country a fully-fledged war broke out when the Jewish community residing in Palestine declared the formation and initiation of the state of Israel. The Arab nations and the Arab Liberation Army in retaliation attacked Israel. Egypt attacks the southern cost, Syria and Lebanon fought with Israelis in the north. The war had 15,000 casualties and Israel held on to most of the Mandate Palestine, Jordon had occupied west bank region and Egypt takes over the Gaza strip. In the 6 day war of 1967, Israeli toke control of the west bank from Jordan and the Gaza strip from Egypt. This seriously affected the Palestinian nationalism.
Peace efforts were made in the Oslo Accords in 1993, where Arab Palestinians were allowed to come back to Israel to Gaza strip and west bank but these decisions weren’t taken well by both communities. The peace initiatives were opposed and prime minister of Israel Rabin was murdered by a fanatical Israelis man, thus ending the peace talks. Later in 2000, the war of the second Intifada where there was a prolonged conflict between the Israeli and Palestinian sides which ended in 2004-2005. Later, the Israeli government removed itself from the Gaza strip and ended the Israeli occupation in the Gaza strip. The militant group Hamas gained electoral majority as the Palestinian parliamentary elections and Israel issued a notice that the group must follow the Israeli agreements, Hamas rejected the notions. This agreement and military tensions culminated in the battle of Gaza. Hamas took control of the entire Gaza strip . in 2008, Israel government planned an operation called cast lead which leads to many civilians deaths and damage.
This has been the fight for territory by the Israelis and the Palestinians

. Over 7 million Palestinians refugees were and are displaced from their home. Israel refuses to take in the refugees. these refugees seek refuge in Jordan, Lebanon and other neighbouring states. The main reason is the different religions of the two community one being Jewish and the other being Muslim. One of the core problems is its negotiation as both parties are reluctant to conclude this seemingly constant state of violence.

Work From Home Effect

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“Work from home” is a phrase that has always been in our lives but it hit unprecedented levels of popularity in 2020. With the start of the spread of the COVID pandemic in March, thousands of employees across India begin working from home and everyone thought it would be a short-term thing and things will go back to normal soon. But it is almost the end of July and “WFH” has become the new normal. IT companies have been directed by the government now to extend work from home until December. The apex court in Switzerland ruled that the employees’ house rent should also be contributed by the company.


There are a lot of start-ups that are planning a permanent WFH set up for their employees. With the pandemic showing no signs of stopping anytime soon, WFH may well be the only hopes of saving our economy. Research conducted revealed that people working from home were working on sofas, dining tables, and beds which are not suitable for long working hours on laptops. The demand for office furniture has been on a rise since the lock-down and after the deliveries were opened there was a jump in sales of office furniture. The employees are thus demanding a work-from-home allowance from their companies.


Responding to the demands, companies are offering allowances to their employees to help them buy things necessary for a WFH setup, such as furniture and Internet connection. The employees are also demanding food allowance, a fixed amount per day so that the employees can order food as working from home adds the responsibility of the home, especially for those who live by themselves and have to prepare their meals which would otherwise be made available at the office cafeteria. The companies are even planning to offer allowances for increased Internet and electricity bills. While OYO, Zomato are few companies planning on permanent work from home, Google has already set aside $1000 (75,000 Rs for India) for each employee as WFH allowance as it has declared working from home until the end of this year. Companies have been sending office furniture and laptops to help out their employees and also ensuring proper Internet connections for them.


Companies believe that a comfortable work environment at home is the primary need and it should be ensured for better work results. Everyone might not have a good Internet connection at home or a comfortable work desk, so it is the responsibility of the company to make sure the employees are provided with every possible equipment they need to get better results. They are thus being provided with a “No-questions-asked” allowance to set up a home office to make the lives of the employees much easier and provide them better work conditions.


The fantasy gaming company, Dream11 has even planned on delivering goodies to their employees to cheer them up while they work from home. Bengaluru based, Razorpay has partnered with Rentlite, to help provide office furniture to their employees on corporate discounts and are encouraging their employees to work digitally. Start-up company Spring Works shipped Office furniture, electronic accessories like keyboard, monitor, to employees who are in Bengaluru, and a one-time Rs. 10,000 per person reimbursement.

The Trend of Online Shopping

Shopping is indeed a necessary and integral part of our life. We need to shop for meeting the essential requirements also many people tend to shop just for entertainment and fun. Shopping serves the dual purpose of meeting needs and relaxation. The feeling of buying or getting new things is an excitement of a kind. Shopping actually means buying goods from the market in terms of money. Barter system was introduced centuries ago, even before monetary system was invented, as a method of exchanging goods for goods. This process went through a lot of criticisms and wasn’t that fruitful. After that people implemented usage of money as this was a much simplified process. People hence started taking up the habit of buying by transferring of money. This was widely accepted by people and gained much admiration. Earlier people had to travel a long for buying any particular good, as the availability and choices were much lesser than today’s date. Also, it consumed a lot of precious time just to buy one product or food. We don’t have much time to spend on travelling from one place to another and buy products as this was much tiresome. Our lives have become first paced. The structure of shopping has slowly evolved and updated to catch up with the demands of public. Everything is just one click away nowadays. Hence the concept Virtual/ Online shopping came into place which originally changed everything and made the lives of mankind 10 times easier. It is much convenient for our elders or the old aged community to directly order and buy. If a person is disabled and not have anyone to help them out, they can easily make the most use of this platform. Basically Online Shopping has made people much more self dependent. There are a number of applications provides those life saving medicines which may not be found in the markets. English Entrepreneur Micheal Aldrich, the Pioneer started with the whole idea regarding E-commerce in 1979. The whole trend gained popularity in no time. Online shopping is a casual term for E Commerce. This came to be known as the easiest method where we just need to download a shopping application, there are many such apps which deals with online shopping subdivided into various fields of interests like Electronics, Clothes, Cosmetics and Food facilities e t c. Then we have to scroll down the contents and then choose what exactly we are looking for. They also holds the certificates and claims these products to authentic and 100 per cent genuine. Also, various methods of payments are received by these platforms through bank transactions and most commonly the Cash on Delivery option in which you have to pay in hand directly at the time of delivery at your doorstep.

A random problem which many have already faced is the problem of Consumerism. Here, a person is tempted to buy more and more even if they don’t need those items, its just they get manipulated by the reviews made on the products. Many just buy because they just feel like shopping even if its not required by them. In this way they tend to spend more money for no reasons, this is a serious drawback of Online shopping. The varieties and choices given are much more as compared to normal shopping, also many Brands provides clothes or shoes as a much cheaper prices. Also, Online shopping is just a time pass for many, they just scroll down the products to reduce stress and cut down pressure. It becomes just a state of peacefulness for them. Here, people also gets a proper idea of the prices and costs are sometimes slashed due to stock clearance. Also, those craftsman making such items sells them to the online market in bulk. Online shopping sites will be providing you with the best discount and offers no matter what. We spend a much longer screen time and we cannot meet the salesman face to face which increases the loneliness for many, also you cannot strictly bargain here. Most often, such products can be found tampered and damaged, also some items mostly dresses don’t match up with the expectations or don’t fit perfectly. The practice of trailing before buying is excluded from Online shopping platforms which is a headache in many cases. The delivery person, though ensures but fails to provide proper service. A lot of cases are prevalent all over the media where the Online Shopping sites are accused of cheating on their customers and taking unfair means. As because, the teenagers get a wholesome choice, do a lot of researches regarding branded products a lot they forces their parents to buy them, in spite of the higher costs. If they don’t get these items they become arrogant and ill-mannered. Also, the pros is that, in case of any defects the goods can be returned or refunded as promised by the Online sellers.

Online shopping is a lot more convenient and much relevant procedure as to this day because digitalization is the most crucial aspect of our future. Suppose you have invited a few guests and opting for some food, here if you prepare or go out you won’t be able to entertain the guests which is much disrespectful. Hence you will choose what’s easier, i.e., taking out your smartphone and placing the order, many such online shopping platforms also guarantees hassle free payments.

Acquaintance rape

Sexual Assault and Date Rape | Fight For Zero | 724-656-STOP ...

Sexual assault between acquaintances consists of non consensual sexual activity
that does not include intercourse. “Non consensual” means that there is some use of force,
intimidation or manipulation, or that one of the parties is unable to give consent.
Inability to give consent would be likely, for example, if one of the parties is drunk or
unconscious. Guns, knives or other forms of violence do not have to be used for the
sexual activity to be considered non consensual. The victim does not have to resist for the
sexual activity to be considered non consensual. Often the person is afraid to say no, and
will not resist in the face of threats or overpowering.
Consent must be given each time people engage in sexual activity, and cannot be
assumed by previous consensual sexual activity with the same person. It also cannot be
assumed by consensual kissing or petting on the same occasion.

THE COMMON ACQUAINTANCE RAPE.

One survey of college campuses found that the risk of being raped by someone you know
is four times greater than the risk of being raped by a stranger. It also found that one in
four women surveyed were victims of attempted or completed sexual assaults, and that
84% of women who reported having been raped knew their attacker, and 57% happened
on dates. The risk of rape for women ages 16-24, prime dating age, is four times higher
than for any other population group. For college women, the risk of acquaintance rape is
highest during their freshman year. It is also important to remember that men can also be
victims of rape and sexual assault.

IN THEIR ARE THE MAIN ROLES OF ALCOHOL AND DRUGS IMPACT :

75% of men were drinking at the time of an acquaintance rape and 55% of the women were drinking at the time of the assault. In another survey of women on one campus, 80% said they were intoxicated at the time they experienced acquaintance rape.
If someone is intoxicated, they may be unable to consent to sexual activity. In addition,
alcohol and other drugs distort reality and impair judgment. People may put themselves
in riskier situations than they would otherwise, even before they actually feel drunk.
Motor reactions and physical responses are slower, and women are less able to fend off
an attack.

SEXUAL ASSAULT :

Current conceptions of rape and sexual assault typically include penetration, whether it be genital, oral, or anal, by part of the perpetrator’s body or object through the use of force or without the victim’s consent. While not discounting the victimization of men, sexual assault is a gendered crime, with women much more likely to be victimized then men . Indeed, compared to one in five American women, one in 71 men will be assaulted in his lifetime. 

VICTIM OF BLAMING:

Blaming the victim refers to the tendency to hold victims of negative events responsible for those outcomes While victim blaming can occur in a variety of situations, it appears to be particularly likely in cases of sexual assault . Assailants do tend to be found as more culpable for sexual assault than victims , but victims are blamed as well, to a degree that varies substantially depending on features of the assault, the victim, and the perceive.

Benefits of teaching Coding to Kids

There is a lot of buzz surrounding the importance of teaching kids to code, but is it all it is hyped up to be? What exactly are the benefits of coding for kids? Whether you are looking to introduce coding to your students or are simply interested in computer programming, the following article will help shed light on the different coding skill-sets that students develop as they get older.

Pedagogically-speaking, the coding outcomes that you can expect to see in children as they learn to code are problem-solving skills, creativity, algorithmic, sequential and computational thinking skills. As a result of the level of development differing based on age, the coding skills learned by students in 3rd grade will not be the same as those in 8th grade. Companies like CodeMonkey that provide resources for kids learning to code, set a recommended age range for their products, but tend to acknowledge that younger students may not advance through the curriculum in the same way as older students do.

What Coding Benefits do Students Experience at Different Ages?

While learning from mistakes is a skill observed as early as preschool, exercising creativity mainly develops in elementary school. The following are the grades and correlating coding outcomes that the EdTech arena have found: 

Preschool and Kindergarten: Learning from Mistakes and Problem Solving 

  • Coding helps strengthen the ability of preschoolers and kindergartners to learn and recover from failure since making a mistake while coding is ‘free’ since kids can always delete and try again. 
  • Thanks to read out loud features, non-readers are able to learn how to code for real! This helps them learn valuable problem solving skills, such as figuring out how to move an object on the screen through different obstacles.

Elementary School: Creativity

  • Elementary students, specifically ten-year-olds, love to exercise independence through completing their own projects without the help of an adult. I noticed this first-hand through CodeMonkey’s Meet the Game Builder blog series. Almost all of the students interviewed are ten-years-old. I thought at first it was a coincidence, but teachers who have used Game Builder with their students said that their fourth graders were the most excited about this platform. Why? Because at this age, students are the most eager to experiment and create. 

Middle School: Algorithmic, Computational and Sequential Thinking

  • In terms of math skills, coding helps students learn algorithmic thinking or in other words, how to strategize which formulas can be applied to other instances in order to come up with quick solutions for various other problems. Middle Schoolers are at an ideal cognitive stage to fully utilize these skills.
  • Coding helps students learn computational thinking which helps with recognizing data patterns and behave similarly to the systematic way in which a computer behaves.
  • Through coding, middle schoolers can better understand logic and how important sequencing, or the order of commands, is.
  • Fun fact for all teachers and parents – these skills also carry over to better performance in math and reading grades on standardized tests!

High School and Beyond: Mastering of Coding Skills

  • Students who learn how to code early on are ready to take AP Computer Science once they reach high school. Those who have taken AP Computer Science have been found to later outperform their fellow peers in Statistics and AP Calculus exams. After graduation, these students are fully equipped with 21st century skills that are increasingly valued in the workplace.

It is important to note that the development of computer science skills are also subjective to individual student progress and the amount of time dedicated to completing coding courses. The eventual mastering of these benefits also depends on whether a child’s school offers coding classes.

So, what additional benefits do students with a background in coding enjoy after high school?

Students who have experience with computer programming are more likely to get a high-paying job straight out of college. On average, computer science majors earn 40% more than peers who have not studied computer science.

Computer programming also helps adults to be more efficient in their daily tasks. Whether they are in the kitchen or getting their kids ready for school, the sharp skills of sequential thinking strengthened by computer programming helps adults strategically plan daily tasks in the shortest and most efficient way possible. Think of it this way – a very basic computer programming skill used in text-based code is the use of loops. Loops help the coder write their program in the shortest, clearest and most concise way possible. This kind of thinking can help coders get into the habit of planning ahead and staying organized.

elated Questions:

CAN I TEACH MY KIDS TO CODE?

Yes, you can. Anyone can teach coding with a little bit of guidance and instruction. There are many resources out there that offer educators, be it parents, teachers, or coding club instructors, a simple and fun way to teach computer programming. CodeMonkey offers several different coding courses that equip teachers with all the needed resources to teach coding for beginners. Once you sign-up for CodeMonkey, you get a classroom dashboard so you can easily track student progress, detailed lesson plans to help guide you during your class, and solutions to all the challenges so you are always prepared. You can sign-up for free at anytime.

WHAT IS THE BEST CODING LANGUAGE TO TEACH?

Python is being recognized more and more as the most popular language to use. Its strength is that it is a relatively easy to learn language that has broad uses (as in you can use it for developing a website or game). It is mainly object-oriented, which means that the computer program you build is made out of objects that interact with one another. This can easily be understood in CodeMonkey’s Coding Adventure, which uses CoffeeScript, a less familiar but very useful and easy to learn coding language, where you program the monkey (object) to get to the banana (another object).

HOW CAN I TEACH PYTHON?

A great way to teach Python is through a game-based format. The all-new Coding Chatbots course is a great way to teach 7th-9th graders the basics of Python as they code a chatbot interface.

The power of “Now”

Life, a very adventurous journey has three divisions, present past and future. We all have only one life and we want to live it to the fullest and make the best out of it. In our life, we have to deal with the present, past, and future. Thus, we are often confused about which moment of life is more important and should be given maximum attention. Let us try to figure this out.

Looking into the past and future

We all tend to be far-sighted, thinking of future plans, future goals, etc. We work for our future, we save for our future, and we plan for our good future. We work hard to achieve our future goals. But, we are uncertain of our future. Yup, are you sure your future will come? No one knows. Thinking of the future and making plans according to is also important, but getting lost in these plans is not the correct way. Working in a way that misses out today and seems promising of a good future is where we are getting ditched because we will be investing in something that does not exist.

Past, on the other hand, is what we already created. It is impossible to change now what we have done 10 years ago. We can only learn from the past to improve our present and future. So, there is no point in living in the past. If we live in the past, we are stuck.

Live in present. But, why?

“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.”

Think deeply and question again. Are there three divisions of time or is it only one? Are there past, present, and future or is it only present? Confused? It will be clear.

Our present makes our past and our future. How? What we have today will become our past tomorrow. So, by living in the present, we create our past. By making our present beautiful, we create memories and by doing mistakes now, we create lessons to learn. Basically, it is possible to add what we want to add in our past. It is possible to create our past by designing our present in the way we want. We can also make our future in a similar manner. Whatever we do today will be reflected in our future. Whatever we want in the future, wherever we dream to stand in the future, it begins from the present. We have to work today only to reach where we want to be in the future. Our performance today decides what we will get in the future. If we want to get the best out of our life, we need to live in the present and give the best today, there is no other option.

“The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.”

“Now” is the happiness

The best and most important moment is now. It is not possible to grab it or hold it. What is possible is to enjoy it, make it the best by giving it the best and staying in that moment. Neither our past is bad, nor our future may be. It’s just certain instances of past that are bad or according to us and an imagined situation of future that may be overwhelming or fearful. But, the most precious moment is now. We enjoy it to the fullest. If we merge with the present we are truly living or we are dead. Living the present is happiness, it is the true pleasure. Make your each second beautiful. Embrace it.

present moment - large

 

 

AYURVEDIC REMEDY FOR ALLERGIES

Allergies are something that bothers many people. This problem usually occurs when our body comes in contact with unsuitable substances or the atmosphere. Climate, food and medicine are some of the factors that contribute to this. These types of allergies, such as dust allergies, are also common. Allergies are not a disease, but the body’s immune system, so to speak. This is the body’s mechanism to expel what it does not fit into the body. This is the body’s immune system. But this allergy is often one of the things that bothers us the most. Some people have a permanent problem such as dust allergies. Symptoms include sneezing, especially when you wake up in the morning, and frequent sneezing and colds. According to Ayurveda, there are some remedies for such allergies.

According to AyurvedA

According to Ayurveda, allergies are caused by rheumatism, bile and phlegm. Allergic substances cool the body’s fire. It cools the body. Decreased body temperature can lead to many problems, including digestive problems. It is one of the major causes of rheumatism, bile and many disorders. Common symptoms of allergies include sneezing, persistent runny nose, shortness of breath, itching, vomiting, and bloating.

In Ayurveda

In Ayurveda, diet and lifestyle are said to be the cure for allergies. Ayurvedic prescriptions include eating a snack, drinking plenty of water, and eating watery cucumbers, cucumbers, plantains and squash. Similarly, Ayurveda also recommends avoiding foods that are high in protein and difficult to digest. Ensure good testing as well. A good test is one that helps the body expel toxins and toxins.

Turmeric and gooseberry

Turmeric and gooseberry are anti-allergic substances. These can be included in the diet. They also strengthen the body’s immune system. Make it a habit to adapt to climatic foods. People with allergies should stay away from substances that cause it. It is best to stay away from dust, pollen, animal dander and hair dye chemicals.

Dust allergy

Dust allergy is a major problem that is affecting more and more people. For those who have it, it is better to add a teaspoon of triphala powder in hot water at night. Turmeric and honey can be mixed with lukewarm water. Ayurvedic treatments such as nausea, vomiting and nasal congestion can be very beneficial. Do these only as prescribed by your doctor. Some people experience itching when they are dusted. As a remedy, salt can be added to coconut oil and neem oil and applied on the skin.

Ginger and cinnamon

Ginger, cinnamon, pepper, cumin, turmeric, cumin and red chillies can be added to the diet. This is good. Eat foods that do not cause mucus. If you eat these foods, adding a little ghee while cooking or eating them will be very beneficial. It is best to drink ginger boiled water and ginger tea. Ginger also improves the immune system. Exercise, especially exercises like pranayama in yoga, can help the body fight off allergies.

DRUGS: A TERMITE

Drugs…what are drugs? Drugs are those which can destroy a person’s life…drugs…are those which can spoil not only that person who taking it rather it also destroys the family of that person…drugs…are those which ruined the dreams of the person who is taking it as well as it also ruin the dreams , the expectations of his family members also….once you take it then it will never leave you …. You will try harder and harder but it will make a home in you….it takes a determination to leave it….we all have heard that don’t know how many homes it has destroyed by how many teens, youngsters who are consuming it has brutally spoiled their life as well as their parent’s life….
What are reasons behind the consumption of drugs…..what is the reason that insist a person to choose death by paying his/her whole life…we have find some reasons because of them a person start to take it and right in front of eyes it becomes an addiction…here are causes of use of drugs:


• Grieving a death- When a person’s loved one died then the person start taking drugs because he/she suffered emotionally a lot. So they choose to decrease their pain by taking drugs they want to forget their fear of losing them.


• End of a relationship- This the most common reason among teens & youngsters…when they face a situation like break up, and end of their long term relationships they feel emotionally very bad they thought they have nothing left in this life and to forget that person they start taking drugs.


• Mental illness- Those who feel depression, anxiety type situations they start taking drugs to get rid of this….but they don’t know that the drugs are not going to make them free in future.


• Environmental influences- Growing up in poverty and in bad friendship leads to insist a person for taking drugs.


• Relaxation- In adult age since there are many responsibilities to take over so these adults make balance between the responsibilities and fun. They start taking drugs on weekends….but they don’t think that it will cause of their life’s end.

• Self-medication- We know everyone is facing struggles in their life everyone is facing physical or emotional pain but there are some people who start taking drugs to forget this pain.


• Financial burdens- The most common reason among the job seekers….sometimes there is only one child in family to be eligible to work but when he/she has no work and they are facing financial crisis then they start consuming drugs.


• Career pressures- Career pressures have become the most dangerous now a days as we see when the result comes then there are lot of students who thought of suicide, some get suffered by depression and some start taking drugs because they think that there is no option left in their life.


• School pressures- There are some students who start taking drugs because of work load they face in their school life.


• Family demands- Someone has said that EXPECTATION KILLS . Due to family demands and family pressures people start taking drugs.


• Peer and Social Pressure- Apart from family pressure there is also social pressure because of this people got depressed and start taking drugs.


• Abuse and trauma- As we know that if someone is weak then society starts making joke of him/her and specially when someone couldn’t crack the exam then their own family members start abusing them like that look at sharmaji ka ldka….


• Boredom- There are some people who feel boredom and they want something adventurous ion their life then in the discovery of their adventure they start taking drugs….and what kind of the adventure happen in their life we all know..

• Curiosity and experimentation- There are some people who have curiosity about new things and they want to do experiment with all new things because of this thinking they start taking drugs.


• Isolation- People who live all alone they have measure chances to get suffered with depression because they have no one to share their feelings. And because of this they start taking drugs and when they come in to society they show themselves absolutely fine….but they are not.


• Misinformation or ignorance- As always rumors spread faster than the truth….so rumors about the drugs mostly distract the teens. Because in this age they don’t know what is right for them or what is wrong..


• Instant Gratification- In today’s time everyone is in hurry, everyone wants instant result, everyone wants instant happiness so they start taking drugs….and they feel a instant satisfaction but this is not a satisfaction this is unconsciousness…..and this is short term and when they get addicted to this then this unconsciousness remain constant in their lives.


• Wide availability- The wide use of drugs may be the result of easy availability of this.


HOW TO GET RID FROM DRUGS:
There are several ways by which one can get rid from the drugs:

  1. If you have lose someone you love most then please cry a loud so that your all pain come out from your mind ..and remember this the rule that who have taken birth then he/she will definitely die one day…and if theirs that one day come in to life early then it’s ok we can’t do anything in this. We should remember them by their loving memories not by the consumption of drugs….always remember that JEENA KAISE HAI YEH HMARE HAATH MEIN HAI….so if you have someone in your life then live with them with full joy, make memories….that’s why there is a saying that LIVE & LOVE EVERY MOMENT OF LIFE.
  2. If you are in a situation where you faced rejection or break up then please move on there are a lot of another things in life apart from this …and always remember GOD HAS ALWAYS A BETTER PLAN FOR US…..may be we don’t understand this on that time but have patience you will going to face a very beautiful thing of your life in future…
  3. If you are facing a situation something like depression , end of opportunities, thoughts of suicide then the just share with your parents, family members, friends from whoever you think that this person will appreciate me then just go and talk with him/her if they are not available then no problem…fix a meeting of your problems to your solutions…just fix a meeting of your problems with real you…the stronger you…..if someone has not show faith in you…..then please ..show faith in you by yourself….
  4. There are some situations where we feel that we are not getting actual result of our hard work then remember that it is not necessary that your 100% is also a 100% for others….just try your bestest…..try to find out your mistakes…and come up with a better one…and learn from them who have selected and observe that what they have done which you have not did..
  5. First thing that you should always remember that you have to choose your friends very wisely there are a lot of people who is going to spoil your life….but there only few who will wish good for you…and most importantly it doesn’t matter that from which family background you are either it is rich, middle class or poor remember…gareebi mein paida hona hamari galti nahi balki usi gareebi mein marna hamari galti hai….because if you are dying in that poverty that means you have not done anything for your better life…
  6. Some people want instant results…..but you all know very well that a plant can’t make a fruitful tree in all over a night it takes many years it takes lot of struggles…
  7. If you are facing any kind of emotional or physical pain then face it not start taking drugs to forget it…if you will forget it then one day again it will come in to your life so start facing it and make this pain you strength not your weakness.
  8. Financial crisis the biggest problem in may ones life….if you have financial problems then start searching for the possible ways and please don’t go for the bad ways because they can give you result instantly but they will not going to give you peace and you will fall again…
  9. If you are facing career failures then remember it is just a beginning a result cant let you stop to learn new things , new skills learn new skills and make the best version of yourself. There are some students who start taking drugs because of work load then ask your parents that how they have faced it….and this work load is not a work load in reality rather you should enjoy while doing the work of schools or your workplace because you know that this time will never going to repeat….so just enjoy….if you feel it in workplace then there is a possibility that you haven’t choose your field according to you may be you are working there for your family to just earn money then start enjoying it start to do your favorite work side by side.
  10. If you are feeling any kind of trauma or abuse then please keep yourself away from the negative people and just do a lot of hard work and shoe them that what you really are and one more thing don’t pay attention to sharmaji ka ladka..here is also one thing to all parents and relatives please don’t taunt your child…just think how you will feel when he/she start disrespecting you and please don’t compare your child to sharmaji ka ladka/ …when you will lose your child then sharmaji will not going to give you his child……your child is only the one piece in the world God has given him/her their talent… in place of abusing them help them in their tough time …help them to achieve their dreams…then you will be more happy..
  11. If you feel bore then read about the great personalities, start dancing , singing whatever you feel good but again I will say don’t choose bad for yourself you will think that only 1 baar.. but this is going to be very harmful for yourself as well as for your family also. And if you have curiosity and loving to do experiment then start reading science….start understanding the problems of people and then do experiment make something that is beneficial for you as well as for every one.. then they will give you blessings and this will be the best reward for you…
    12 . Those people who have to live alone then they should talk to their friends, family, and start learning that in which they feel peace.
    If someone is misguiding you then leave that please immediately as I said earlier just always make a proper distance from negative people and from negativity…if can’t then make positivity level higher….that nobody can ever use you according to them.
    And the last thing for those who sell these drugs….. if you can’t do good for a person then please don’t do bad for them …for the sake of some rupees you just destroy don’t know how many lives….remember that JAISA KAROGE WAISA BHAROGE……another appeal to all the people who is reading this if you suffering from any above mentioned situation then always remember that every problem has a solution….every problem come with its solution….if you are feeling bad then cry loudly…there is nothing wrong in this ..at least by this all the pain will come out from your heart… and one more thing that you all are thinking that KAHNA ASAN HOTA HAI….yes I agree with this but KARNA BHI ASAN HO JATA HAI when you have courage, Determination…. and a will power that you will be win….

Selection

Selection is one of the most important process in human resource management. Selection is the process of choosing or selecting the right candidate with requisite qualification and competence to fill the vacant job position in the organisation. In other words, it is the process of examining or interviewing the candidates, evaluating their qualities and choosing the best candidate for a specific job. Selection is a negative process as it eliminates unqualified or unsuitable applicants inorder to identify the right candidate. As we know selecting a right candidate for a particular position will be an asset for the organisation and this will further help the organisation in reaching its objectives. Selection always succeeds recruitment. As we know that recruitment and selection work hand-in-hand and both play a vital role in the growth of an organisation. The basic objective of selection is to choose best out of the available candidates. Selection is one of the most important process in an organisation as hiring a good candidate can help the organisation in increasing its organisational performance and if we select a wrong candidate it may harm our organisation. A good selection process will ensure that the organisation gets the right set of employees with the right attitude. It helps in selecting the best candidate for the requirement of a vacant position in an organisation. Selection adopts the process through which more and more candidate are rejected and fewer candidates are selected or sometimes even not a single candidate is selected. Therefore, it is known as negative or rejection process. In selection process, highly specialised techniques are required. Therefore, in the selection process, only personnel with specific skills like expertise in using selection test, conducting interviews, etc are involved. Selection process always leads to contract of service between employer and the selected candidate. The outcome of selection process is in the form of finalising candidates who will be offered job. There are many factors which affect our selection process and they are:-

Internal Environmental Factors-

Internal Environmental Factors includes first size of the organisation. As this affects our selection process. If our organisation is small, the more informal our selection decision will be. Second, type of the organisation. If an organisation is more complex it will require more sophisticated selection technique. Third is speed of decision making. The time available to make a selection decision can have major effect on the selection process.

External Environmental Factors –

External Environmental Factors which influence selection process includes first nature of the labour market, second trade union and last one is government regulations.

The selection process is very important and its importance is as follows:-

  • Selecting Suitable Candidate – Selection helps the organisation in picking up the most suitable candidate who would meet the requirements of the job.
  • Places Right Candidate at Right Job – The main aim of selection is to place right candidate at right job so that they can make effective and worthwhile contribution to an organisation.
  • Provides Information about Candidate – Selection process helps in generating information about candidate which can be used in making comparison with other candidate. It can help in assisting in decision making process.
  • Save Cost – Making an effective selection by constant monitoring of the fit between person and the job and helps in saving cost.

Everything has some problems associated with it. There are some problems associated with effective selection they are as follows:-

  • Diversity of Approaches – The diversity of selection approaches and test shows that there is no perfect way to select employees.
  • Perception – Selection process demands to assess and compare competencies of other, with the main aim of choosing the right person for the job. But for this process we all perceive the world.
  • Pressure on Selectors – Politicians, relatives and friends put pressure on the selector to select a particular candidate. And it is always seen that the candidate selected because of compulsion are not the right one.

So an effective selection should be done for the welfare of the organisation.

Why Protest?

Protests are public expressions of discontent, disagreement, or objection to an authority, idea, or things that have public impacts. Our country has seen a large number of public protests and upheavals in the past one year. Globally, we have been living in times of great change and public displays of dissent in the recent past, from the Hongkong protests to the Black Lives Matter movement. Many are skeptical of protests and their ability to bring change. Protests have been considered as inherently violent and anti-establishment, and hence something that should be stayed away from. What can marches and slogans do anyway, is the attitude of many who stay on the sidelines. However, a quick look into history can reveal that protests have been an integral part of multiple struggles that have brought in moral progress and change to our societies. The manner of conduct and how those involved acted might vary but there is no doubt that such displays of disapproval have brought in changes big and small.

monochrome photo of resist signage
Photo by Sides Imagery on Pexels.com

The right to protest is one of the most important rights in a democracy since it ensures that the people’s voice is heard. The form of democracy that we practice in India is representative democracy, where people are represented by elected individuals in parliament. This means that the voice of a huge population is given a hearing through this one person. We cannot discount the biases and affiliations of these individuals when they present their demands, even though on paper we reassert that they are to represent the voice of the people even if they disagree themselves. Democracy is considered the rule of the people: a governing system for the people, by the people, and of the people. One of the downsides of democracy is the fact that it is often only the majority voice that gets to be heard and accepted, while there would be multiple other opinions which might be statistically a little less in number that goes unheeded. This is all the more dangerous if the voice of the majority turns out to be bigoted and discriminatory.

Protests are fundamental precisely because people have the right to disagree and do so freely without fear of repercussions. Protests bring people together as a group and imbibe a sense of strength and unity. They realize that they are not alone in their cause and that there will be others who will stand along. Protests are vital to create spaces of engagement, debate, and dialogue. It also provides minorities with an opportunity to voice their concerns, especially when they have no representation and are suffering from perpetual marginalization. The anger that often accompanies protesting voices is the expression of prolonged frustration by those who have suffered under the system. Those who tone-police by saying that people should not sound so angry are more concerned about the manner of protest than the reasons that force people out onto the streets. It is a sign of great privilege that one can live their everyday lives without having to demand anything that has been denied to them over the years. It is usually those who have not been affected at all by what is happening who ask why protest at all or give the excuse that protests are violent. People protest because they need to be heard, and because the system has so often failed them that waiting for change to come through office paperwork if they do not exert any outside pressure is almost illusory.

Protests are often not violent till force is exerted on them by state machinery. And using the excuse that protests tend to turn violent and so they should not be allowed is a way of discounting all the good that a protest can potentially do. One cannot use a deviant illustration to invalidate an entire expression. Being able to dissent and having the right to challenge authority, if taken away, would spell the death of democracy. Protests are not so much about winning an argument or agenda as they are about the right to disagree freely and make the voices of the people heard.  It might take decades to create any change but protests provide people with the strength to fight and the assurance that they are part of a larger whole. It enables those on the fringes of society to stand up for their rights and those who seek the attention of the authorities to do it quicker. At this time, we have to be vigilant that this right itself is not taken away from us and it is imperative that we understand the position that protests hold in a democracy.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Education

 

All of us should be on survival mode for the near future because we have to make sure we get over this crisis.

– Mohandas Pai

The petrifying and severe impact of COVID-19 has shaken the world to its core. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on education – both negative and positive. What exactly are the risks and opportunities brought about by Coronavirus?

Unfortunately, most of the countries around the globe have temporarily closed nearly all the educational institutions in an attempt to arrest the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic amongst the people of that particular country. In India too, the government as a part of the nationwide lockdown has closed all educational institutions, as a consequence of which students and learners ranging from school going children to doctoral students, are adversely affected.

These nationwide closures are impacting over 91% of the worlds’ student population as per the data stated by the UNESCO. Several other countries have implemented localized closures adversely affecting a huge no of additional learners. India has nearly 300 million kids enrolled in about 1.4 million schools. In India, almost 70% of the schools are run and managed by government bodies. This data alertly indicates that India and its old age education system are in verge of a major crisis. Scholars, leaders, intellectuals, social workers and policy makers should have to take this matter seriously like any other priorities they are tackling with on a war footing basis. In fact, this is the worst nightmare of the 21st century wherein if taken lightly would tremendously affect the progress of a nation for 3 generations. Education is the backbone of a great nation, and if education is affected the quality of human resource automatically gets affected.

We will also have to look at the impact from two lenses – an urban lens and a rural one. In urban centres, I do not foresee a lot of negative impact. Majority of schools have moved to online classes and are continuing as per their academic calendar. Students at home have access to the internet and in some cases their own individual device as well. The only thing expected from them and their parents is self discipline. Which I understand is a lot to ask for. It may therefore lead to some gaps in learning and may have an impact on the academic scores of students this year. But in the longer run, this is not very serious as I am sure these students will more than make up for it.

Once you look at it from the rural lens, the situation is not so good. While urban students have access to online learning from school and so many apps to keep them entertained, the government school kids have no such sources of learning or engagement. When the lockdown was announced, we spoke to a lot of our government school teachers, who sounded really worried. They feared that if students do not come to school, they may get absorbed in unsocial activities which may harm their lives. The girl students would be heavily involved in household chores leaving them with no time to study. And many students they feared may never return to school.

Nevertheless, Covid-19 has prompted experts to rethink the conventional mode of education. Digital education appears to be a viable solution to fill in the void for classroom education for a period of three to four months while minimizing the chances of any infection to students until classes resume, but isn’t a long-term solution. Universities require high-speed internet and education delivery platforms or learning management systems, besides stable IT infrastructure and faculty members who are comfortable teaching online. Students also need high-speed internet and computers/mobiles to attend these sessions or watch pre-recorded classes. l

On the greener side, the situation has also stimulated immediate activation of certain long-pending changes in imparting education in India. Virtual labs/ tutorial videos have entered the curriculum of higher-degree courses and school education and students can better relate with the possibilities of conceptual learning. There has also been a shift in paradigm to focus more on concepts rather than rote-learning and students have also got time to work on their problem-solving skills by practice. Need is the mother of invention and traditional educators who were wary of advanced online teaching courses are now realizing the potential of online resources. Their scepticism about online resources and tools are also wading off and they are embracing the change in teaching methods without losing essence of classical teaching methods. Students are being encouraged to learn with project-based learning methods and instead of getting embroiled in the rat-race of numbers, students are exploring the benefits of the extension of concept-learning through these projects.

Although the sudden emergence of pandemic and emergency measures to restrict assemblies has thwarted the school-educational system, it can also be a potential catalyst for realizing the need to slowly and steadily revamp our educational structure and curriculum for the benefit of students. The present situation might be a good opportunity to concise the school educational curriculum, focus only on the essential concepts, incorporate self-tutoring learning resources and restructure a evaluative curriculum for students so that even students from rural areas bereft of access to online-resources are not adversely affected. These necessary changes will subside anxiety and usher in optimism (even at psychological level) for students struggling to recuperate with the prevalent conditions forced by the pandemic. A more palatable curriculum is the need of the hour.

To conclude, we all know that the pandemic is here to stay for some time. The situation may force educational institutions to come up with innovative ways in which the current challenges of imparting online education can be addressed. Alternatively, India could finally witness a much needed change in its educational system where practical application of concepts is given a higher priority than theoretical “rote learning”.

Trend of Nuclear Family

Family is the fundamental group of human consisting of parents, children and those closely related by blood. It is fundamental unit of society. Family is most important part of human life. We can say that a person is to the family, by the family, for the family.

Now in recent years, the trend of Nuclear family has increasing. Firstly, the nuclear family is consist of only parents and their children(generally 4-5 members). Approx 54% of household are following nuclear family system. The trend of the nuclear family in urban India, these households are small in size—88% have 3-4 members and there are no senior citizens in these households. The trend of Nuclear family is increasing because of

1) Improved lifestyle – It is thought that in nuclear family one have more money, more luxurious items i.e car, phone, bungalow etc. More options to enjoy the minutes.

2) financial stability – most of parents think that when they opt this family system they will well stable in financial condition. The can save more and spend in proper manner according to their needs.

3) Social obligation – In modern life people wants to less obligations. So it is less obligations in the nuclear family.

4) Declining relationship – due to divorce, declined relationship one have to follow the this system.

5) Privacy and Independence – human need more Privacy and Independence, in nuclear family there less responsibilities and one can enjoy it’s own decisions and particular lifestyle.

There are some other aspects i.e the children of the nuclear family is self centered and selfish tendencies. It can create narrow view to the society. In the emergency situation these got in crisis and cannot be meet their all expectations. There is also problem that these have not emotional support. If we have extended family then everyone is with us and we never feel alone. In the extended family we have found to learn about various view on a particular conflicts/problems which lacks in a Nuclear family.

We must follow such family system in which all members of family feels happy i.e family of Mankind. Now, we can say that whole world is a family.

Thanks

REFUGEES

There are over 79.5 million people who are forcefully displaced from their homes due to persecution, violence, the outbreak of wars or oppressive regimes to find stability, safety or refuge. The united nations describe a refugee as a person who flees their country and is unable to return due to conflict or ongoing persecution. Refugees are divided into internally displaced persons and refugees. Internally displaced persons are much difficult to help as they don’t come under international law and are much difficult to assist. Refugees seek asylum in different countries where are recognized legally as a refugee and they receive legal and material protection.
The 1951 refugee convention is the main legal instrument for refugee law. The 1967 protocol is also used as one of the documents for refugee law. The convention for the first time gave us the definition of a refugee, its legal protection, material assistance and those displaced persons who don’t classify as refugees. The 1967 protocol expanded the range of the definition and legal assistance. The 1989 convention on rights of the child which isn’t particularly for children but was used while dealing with minor refugees, the convention elucidated the rights of children in a country. The African countries follow the organization of African Unity of Convention Governing the Specific Aspect of refugees. In 1984, the Latin American countries signed the convention to follow the Cartagena Declaration of Refugees.
The process of recognition of displaced persons into refugees depends upon the state. Where the country is unwilling to do the process, UNHRC does the process. Refugees entitled to basic human rights where they have right to freedom from degrading treatment, freedom of rights of freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of thought, religion, right to life and liberty, the right to freedom from discrimination on basis of race, colour or gender and more importantly right to asylum. International law also forbids the countries to resettle the refugees in their own country where they may seemingly be persecuted for their race, religion or by a political group. Refugees are required to keep with them all the time a refugee identity certificate which is either issued by the UNHRC or by the state where they are seeking asylum, this is their legal document for identification. All states that have signed the 1951 refugee convention have to provide refugees with the freedom to the process of an identification certificate. Refugees are also issued with a refugee travel document which substitutes as a passport for international travel because they cannot get a passport for their country. According to the convention of 1951 chapter 3, all refugees are allowed to gain legal employment. But the main goal of a refugee is to return home . as most of them leave their own homes in a hurry to escape wars or violence but they can’t due to the rampant violence in their countries. Refugees either stay in camps with little hope of going back to their countries or they move to different camps in different countries trying to gain asylum.
In conclusion, refugees are the world’s most harrowing humanitarian crisis. There are strides taken to protect the rights of the refugees but it has proven to be difficult. Countries who have used to receive refugees have now at their limit. The efforts made by the international bodies and states are recognized but need more innovative methods to deal with it. The influx of refugees have over the years have increased which only means that violence and war in the world have increased with no signs of slowing down.

HISTORICAL DAYS OF INDIA


As we all know that India’s history is full of amazing things…but there are also some days in India on which a history has created or there are some days from which everything has changed in India..there are several days which made a remarkable impact on history of India……which are as follows:
15 AUGUST: This day in India is celebrated as INDEPENDENCE DAY. Because on 15 august 1947 India got freedom from the British rulers . after so many sacrifices, struggle, and handwork ,India become free from the British rule.


26 JANUARY: 26 January is celebrated as REPUBLIC DAY of India. Though the Constitution of India was adopted on 26 November, 1949 by the Constituent Assembly of India it became was formally made effective on 26 January, 1950. It took exactly 2 years, 11 months and 18 days to finally adopt the Constitution with the necessary amendments.
On January 26, 1950, when the Indian Constitution came into effect thus making India one of the biggest democracies in the world. It was on this day when India was declared as a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. And to honor this day, the Indian Republic Day is celebrated with great fervor throughout the country every year on January 26.


8 AUGUST: On 7 to 8 August 1942, the All India Congress Committee met in Bombay and ratified the ‘Quit India’ resolution. Gandhi called for ‘Do or Die’. The next day, on 9 August 1942, Gandhi, members of the Congress Working Committee and other Congress leaders were arrested by the British Government under the Defense of India Rules. The ‘Quit India’ movement, more than anything, united the Indian people against British rule.
Although most demonstrations had been suppressed by 1944, upon his release in 1944 Gandhi continued his resistance and went on a 21-day fast. By the end of the Second World War, Britain’s place in the world had changed dramatically and the demand for independence could no longer be ignored.


1853: First Railway line opened between Bombay and Thane and a Telegraph line in Calcutta.


1974: India Smiling Buddha first nuclear device in underground test.


1983: India won World Cup for the first time, in one day international Cricket led by Kapil Dev.


2008: In October India successfully launches its first mission to the moon, the unmanned lunar probe Chandrayaan-1.

2011: In April India wins cricket world cup after 28 years under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.


5 November 2013: Mars Orbiter Mission, is successfully launched into Mars orbit by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).


30 June 2017: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) launched the biggest tax reform in history of India.


5 August 2019: The state of Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two separate union territories known as Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh by Scrapping Article 370 of Indian constitution.