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DESERT ANIMALS

ABOUT DESERT ANIMALS:

Animals living in deserts have special qualities, or adaptations, that allow them to live in harsh temperatures and use less water. Desert animals mostly feed on plants, insects, carcasses, and other animals. Smaller animals tend to thrive in the desert as compared to those that are larger in size. This is because food and water in the desert are scarce while the climatic conditions are quite extreme. Some of the most iconic desert animals have obvious physical characteristics that have enabled them to adapt to their environment.

DESERT ANIMALS:

There are different desert animals. Some of them are,

  • CAMELS:

 Camels have a series of physiological adaptations that allow them to withstand long periods without any external source of water. Camel may survive weeks without drinking water. . Actually, it maxes out at about 15 days. They need this ability in their desert environments. A camel’s thick coat is one of the many adaptations that aid it in desert-like conditions.

  • FENNEC FOX:

The fennec fox is a small crepuscular fox native to the Sahara Desert and the Sinai Peninsula. Its most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate heat. Its coat, ears, and kidney functions have adapted to the desert environment with high temperatures and little water.

  • RATTLESNAKE:

Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes. Rattlesnakes are found in almost every part of the continental United States, but they’re especially common in the Southwest. Mexico, Central America, and South America are also homes to rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes receive their name from the rattle located at the end of their tails, which makes a loud rattling noise when vibrated that deters predators or serves as a warning to passers-by.

  • COYOTE:

Coyotes tend to be nocturnal but may also be active in the early morning and at sunset. Coyote populations are also abundant southwards through Mexico and into Central America. Other historical names for the species include the prairie wolf and the brush wolf. Coyotes living at high elevations tend to have more black and gray shades than their desert-dwelling counterparts, which are more fulvous or whitish-gray.

  • GROUND SQUIRRELS:

The ground squirrels generally live on or in the ground, rather than trees. They are highly variable in size. The squirrel then curls its paws flat against its chest and sends a screeching call to warn other family members about the presence of predators.

  • BIGHORN SHEEP:

Bighorn males, called rams, are famous for their large, curled horns. Bighorns from the rocky mountains are relatively large. The Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep occupy the cooler mountainous regions of Canada and the United States. In contrast, the desert bighorn sheep subspecies are indigenous to the hot desert ecosystems of the Southwestern United States and Mexico.

  • ARMADILLOS:

Armadillos have leathery armor shell and long sharp claws for digging. Armadillos have short legs but can move quite quickly. All species are native to the Americas, where they inhabit a variety of different environments. Armadillos live in temperate and warm habitats, including rain forests, grasslands, and semi-deserts. Because of their low metabolic rate and lack of fat stores, cold is their enemy, and spates of intemperate weather can wipe out whole populations.

  • MONGOOSE:

A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. Mongooses have long faces and bodies, small, rounded ears, short legs, and long, tapering tails. Mongoose, any of nearly three dozen species of small bold predatory carnivores found mainly in Africa but also southern Asia and southern Europe.

DOLPHINS

ABOUT DOLPHINS:

Dolphin is aquatic mammals. There are 36 dolphin species, found in every ocean. Dolphins live in complex social groups and have evolved to have highly-developed brains. Dolphins are extraordinarily intelligent animals who also display culture, something which was long-believed to be unique to humans. Dolphins are altruistic animals. Dolphins play an important role in keeping their environment in balance. Without dolphins, the animals they prey on would increase in number, and their predators wouldn’t have as much to eat. Dolphins have a reputation for being friendly, but they are wild animals who should be treated with caution and respect. Dolphins are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid.

TYPES OF DOLPHINS:

There are different types of dolphins. Some of them are,

  • Common bottlenose dolphin:

The common bottlenose dolphin or Atlantic bottlenose dolphin is the most well-known species of the family Delphinidae. Common bottlenose dolphins are grey. Common bottlenose dolphins and other dolphins are thought to be some of the smartest animals.

  • Striped dolphin:

Striped dolphins are among the most abundant and widespread dolphins in the world. Striped dolphins are relatively small, streamlined, and colorful. Striped dolphins are known for their distinct and striking coloration pattern, which includes bold, thin stripes that extend from the eye to the flipper and another set of stripes down the side of the body to the anal region. Striped dolphins are extremely active and fast. Striped dolphins are widely distributed throughout the world’s temperate and tropical oceans.

  • Dusky dolphin:

The dusky dolphin is a dolphin found in coastal waters in the Southern Hemisphere. The dusky dolphin has a long, light-grey patch on its foreside leading to a short, dark-grey beak. The throat and belly are white, and the beak and lower jaw are dark greys. Two blazes of white color run back on the body from the dorsal fin to the tail.

  • White-beaked dolphin:

White-beaked dolphins are found throughout the cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. They are active swimmers. The white-beaked has a short beak. The upper body and flanks are dark grey with light grey patches, including a ‘saddle’ behind the dorsal fin, while the underside is light grey to almost white.

  • Spinner dolphin:

The spinner dolphin is a small dolphin found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. Spinner dolphins earned their name because of their ability to spin multiple times in one jump. Scientists believe they spin for several reasons, including communication, removing parasites, and simply for the fun of it.

  • Irrawaddy dolphin:

The Irrawaddy dolphin’s color is grey to dark slate blue, paler underneath, without a distinctive pattern. It has a large melon and a blunt, rounded head, and the beak is indistinct. Irrawaddy dolphin Communication is carried out with clicks, creaks, and buzzes at a dominant frequency of about 60 kilohertz, which is thought to be used for echolocation.

  • Long-beaked common dolphin:

The long-beaked common dolphin is a species of common dolphin. Long-beaked common dolphins generally prefer shallow, tropical, subtropical, and warmer temperate waters within 15 nautical miles of the coast and on the continental shelf. The long-beaked common dolphin is generally larger with a longer beak than the short-beaked common dolphin and has a longer rostrum. They are also highly vocal.

  • Rough-toothed dolphin:

The Rough-toothed Dolphin is a fairly large dolphin that can be found in deep warm, tropical, and subtropical water from the western Pacific to the Mediterranean. Their flanks are light grey and the back and dorsal fin a much darker grey. Rough-toothed dolphins have sharp, serrated teeth.

STARS

ABOUT STARS:

A star is an astronomical object consisting of a luminous spheroid of plasma. Stars are held together by gravity. They are huge in size and have very high temperatures. They give out heat and light because they are very hot. Sun is also a star.

WHY DO STARS TWINKLE? :

The stars twinkle in the night sky. When starlight enters the atmosphere, it is affected by winds in the atmosphere and by areas with different densities, and temperatures that cause light from the star appear to twinkle when seen from the ground.

TYPES OF STARS:

There are different types of stars. Some of them are,

  • RED GIANT STARS:

 A red giant star is a star that has low surface temperature and a diameter that is large relative to the sun. A red giant will expand outward many times its original size. Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis) is a well-known example of a Red Giant Star.

  • WHITE DWARF STARS:

A white dwarf is what stars like the Sun become after they have exhausted their nuclear fuel. A white dwarf is very dense. White dwarf stars, so-called because of the white color of the first few that were discovered, are characterized by a low luminosity, a mass on the order of that of the Sun, and a radius comparable to that of Earth.

  • SUPERGIANT STARS:

Supergiant is among the most massive and most luminous stars. A star classed as a supergiant may have a diameter several hundred times that of the Sun and a luminosity nearly 1,000,000 times as great. The temperature range of supergiant stars spans from about 3,400 K to over 20,000 K.

  • NEUTRON STARS :

Neutron stars are the smallest and densest stellar objects, excluding black holes and hypothetical white holes, quark stars, and strange stars. The properties of neutron stars are utterly out of this world — a single teaspoon of neutron-star material would weigh a billion tons. Neutron stars have a radius on the order of 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) and a mass of about 1.4 solar masses.

  • YELLOW DWARF STARS:

A G-type main-sequence star often called a yellow dwarf, or G dwarf star is a main-sequence star of spectral type G. Such a star has about 0.84 to 1.15 solar masses and a surface temperature of between 5,300 and 6,000 K., Tables VII, VIII. Yellow dwarf stars live for about 10 billion years, and at 4.5 billion years old, our middle-age sun is about halfway through its lifetime. Once its hydrogen supply is depleted, the sun will start consuming its heavier elements. 7.5% of stars are yellow dwarfs and they are brighter than 90% of all other stars.

  • BLUE GIANT STARS:

A blue giant is a hot star with a luminosity class of III (giant) or II (bright giant). Rigel is a blue giant star close to zero magnitudes in Earth’s sky, making it a bright star, and is best visible in the winter northern sky. It also has somewhere between 265 and 315 solar masses, making it the most massive star yet discovered.

  • BROWN DWARF STARS:

A brown dwarf is a type of substellar object that has a mass between the most massive gas giant planets and the least massive stars, approximately 13 to 80 times that of Jupiter ( M J).

  • BLACK DWARF STARS:

When a white dwarf exhausts its own supply of carbon, oxygen, and free-flowing electrons, it will slowly burn out, transforming into a black dwarf. A black dwarf is a theoretical stellar remnant, specifically a white dwarf that has cooled sufficiently that it no longer emits significant heat or light. Black dwarfs take quadrillions of years to form.

CHESS

ABOUT CHESS:

Chess was invented in India around the 8th century. Chess is a board game. It is played by two players. It is played in a square board, made of 64 smaller squares, with eight squares on each side. Each player starts with sixteen pieces: eight pawns, two knights, two bishops, two rooks, one queen, and one king. The colors of the pieces are black and white. Chess is one of the world’s most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide. It is such a great game because unlike any other games it only uses logic. The goal of the game is for each to try and checkmate the king of the opponent. Playing chess may improve learning, thinking, analytical power, and decision-making ability. Chess may also Chess helped me in getting my thoughts and ideas focused. Chess elevates your creativity. Chess leads to better planning skills.

ABOUT CHESS PIECES:

The six different types of pieces are king, rook, bishop, queen, knight, and pawn.

  • KING:

The king is the most important piece in the game of chess. It can never be captured and if it is in danger then it must be made safe immediately. If it is not possible to make the King safe then the game is lost. The King may move one square in any direction. In the diagram, the King can move to one of the highlighted squares.

  • QUEEN:

The queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess, able to move any number of squares vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Each player starts the game with one queen, placed in the middle of the first rank next to the king. The queen is the only piece on the board during a chess game that represents a woman, and she is the most powerful piece of the game.

  • ROOK:

The rook is a piece in the game of chess resembling a castle. The rook symbolized a chariot. A rook can move horizontally or vertically. The rooks begin the game in the corners of the chessboard. The rook is the second most powerful piece (behind the queen). The rook can capture an enemy piece by moving to the occupied square.

  • BISHOP:

The bishop is a piece in the game of chess. Each player begins the game with two bishops. One starts between the king’s knight and the king, the other between the queen’s knight and the queen. The bishop chess piece moves in any direction diagonally. Bishops capture opposing pieces by landing on the square occupied by an enemy piece.

  • KNIGHT:

The knight is a piece in the game of chess. It is represented by a horse’s head and neck. Each player starts with two knights, which are located between the rooks and bishops in the standard starting position. A knight can move only in an L pattern. It is meant to jump over other pieces. The Knight piece can move forward, backward, left, or right two squares and must then move one square in either perpendicular direction.

  • PAWN:

The pawn is the most numerous piece in the game of chess. They move forward but capture diagonally. Pawns can only move forward one square at a time, except for their very first move where they can move forward two squares.

EAGLE

ABOUT EAGLE:

Eagle is one of the wonderful birds. Eagles are large, powerful Birds. They are Diurnal Birds which means that they are most active during the daytime. Most Species of Eagles have subdued feather colors, mainly browns, rust, black, white, and some blues and greys. An Eagle’s Wings are Long and Broad, making them effective for Soaring. Eagles catch prey with their razor-sharp talons. Eagles have heavy heads and large hooked beaks to enable them to rip flesh from their prey. It flies high above the ground looking for prey with its keen eyes. Eagles’ eyes are extremely powerful. They mate for life and use the same nest each year. There are several species of eagles, which differ in size, looks, and habits. The beak is typically heavier than that of most other birds of prey. There are over 60 different species of eagle. Eagles build their nests on high cliffs or in tall trees. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related.

TYPES OF EAGLES:

There are different types of eagles. Some of them are,

  • BALD EAGLE:

A bald eagle is a large eagle with a white head that lives in North America. It is the national bird of the United States of America. The bald eagle has a snowy-feathered head and whitetail.

  • GOLDEN EAGLE:

Golden eagle a large Eurasian and North American eagle with yellow-tipped head feathers in the mature adult. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Golden eagles are sometimes considered the best fliers among eagles.

  • HARPY EAGLE:

Harpy eagle a very large crested eagle of tropical rainforests. Harpies have a crown of irregular feathers atop their heads, giving them a disheveled appearance. Their legs are covered in white feathers with black stripes to the feet, which are yellow with large black talons.

  • WHITE-TAILED EAGLE:

The white-tailed eagle is a very large species of a sea eagle. The white-tailed eagle is a very large bird and one of the largest living birds of prey. The white-tailed eagle is also called the sea eagle, erne, and white-tailed sea-eagle.

  • WEDGE TAILED EAGLE:

The wedge-tailed eagle is the largest bird of prey in Australia and is also found in southern New Guinea. It has long, fairly broad wings, fully feathered legs, and an unmistakable wedge-shaped tail. Young Wedge-tailed Eagles are mid-brown in color with reddish-brown heads and wings.

  • STEPPE EAGLE:

The steppe eagle is in many ways a peculiar species of eagle. The steppe eagle is a large, bulky, and robust-looking eagle. It is mainly dark brown with a longish but very thick neck and a relatively small head that nonetheless features a strong bill and long gape-line. It appears long-winged and has a longish and rather rounded tail and markedly well-feathered legs.

  • SHORT-TOED SNAKE EAGLE:

The short-toed snake eagle, also known as the short-toed eagle, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. The short-toed snake eagle is found in open cultivated plains, arid stony deciduous scrub areas, and foothills and semi-desert areas. These are relatively large snake eagles.

BEES

ABOUT BEES:

Bees are small and wonderful insects. Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants. They collect honey from flowers and store it in their hive. Bees have four wings. Its body has three parts head, abdomen, and abdomen. The color of its body is yellow and black. They are one of the hardworking insects. Bees live in a hive in a swarm. It lives in its community. Bees are very useful to human beings. They give honey and beeswax. One healthy Honey Bee would approximately lay 2,000 eggs in one day. Bees are mainly found in habitats such as tropical rain forests and woodlands, grasslands, and Gardens where there are more flowers and green matters available. Honey bees are small flying insects whose lifespan varies between 170 to 180 days. Honey bees usually live in groups and their queen has a lifespan of more than two years. One bee may fly up to more than 90 thousand miles to collect one pound of honey. In a colony there are three types of bees namely worker bees, drone bees, and queen bees. . Worker bees are the most familiar-looking member of the honeybee hive. Worker bees are all female, and they do almost everything for the hive. The worker bee is given different tasks to do during different stages of her life. Worker bees are responsible for everything from feeding the larvae (the baby bees), to tending to the queen, to cleaning the hive, to collecting food, to guarding the colony, to building honeycomb. Drones are male bees and their sole purpose is to mate with the queen. Unlike the female worker bee, drones do not have stingers and gather neither nectar nor pollen. You can identify drones in the hive by their big round bodies and large eyes. There is one queen bee per hive – she is the mom of all the other bees. She is the only fertile member of the colony and lays about 1,500 eggs a day during spring and summer. The queen will not leave the hive again unless the colony swarms (looking for a new home). Queen bees are distinguished from the other members of the hive by their long abdomens and small wings.

IMPORTANCE OF BEES:

Bees are important to humanity and the world we live in because they provide the most efficient way to pollinate plants. They are especially important because they pollinate our agriculture for free. It’s their work as crop pollinators. This agricultural benefit of honey bees is estimated to be between 10 and 20 times the total value of honey and beeswax.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BEES:

  • A bee produces a teaspoon of honey (about 5 grams) in her lifetime.
  • There are over 20,000 different species of bees. To produce a kilogram of honey, bees fly the equivalent of three times around the world in air miles.
  • Each bee has 170 odorant receptors, which means they have one serious sense of smell. They use this to communicate within the hive and to recognize different types of flowers when looking for food.
  • If the queen bee dies in a honeybee hive the workers can create a new queen bee. They do this by selecting a young larva and by feeding it special food called ‘royal jelly’ the larva develops into a fertile queen.
  • The Honey Bee is the only insect that makes food which human can eat.

NATURAL DISASTERS


ABOUT DISASTERS:

A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth. Some of the natural disasters are floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, and other geologic processes. A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth. Many Natural disasters damage the environment and the people living in it. Natural disasters are caused due to different reasons like soil erosion, seismic activity, tectonic movements, air pressure, and ocean currents, etc.

TYPES OF NATURAL DISASTERS ARE:

Some of the different kinds of natural disasters are,

  • Earthquake:

Earthquakes are usually caused when rock underground suddenly breaks along a fault. This sudden release of energy causes the seismic waves that make the ground shake. When two blocks of rock or two plates are rubbing against each other, they stick a little. When the rocks break, the earthquake occurs.

  • Floods:

The major cause of the flood is heavy rainfall. It can be also caused by the melting of snow and ice. It is also caused by Broken Dams.

  • Tsunami:

Tsunami is waves caused by a sudden movement of the ocean surface due to earthquakes, landslides on the seafloor, land slumping into the ocean, large volcanic eruptions, or meteorite impact in the ocean. When tsunami waves become extremely large in height, they savagely attack coastlines, causing devastating property damage and loss of life.

  • Tornadoes:

Tornadoes are caused by the thunderstorms being extremely large, unstable, and with wind shear in the lower region of the atmosphere. Tornadoes often damage power lines, gas lines, or electrical systems, there is a risk of fire, electrocution, or an explosion. Tornadoes can last from several seconds to more than an hour.

  • Volcanic eruption:

Volcanoes erupt when molten rock called magma rises to the surface. Magma is formed when the earth’s mantle melts. Melting may happen where tectonic plates are pulling apart or where one plate is pushed down under another. Health concerns after a volcanic eruption include infectious disease, respiratory illness, burns, injuries from falls, and vehicle accidents related to the slippery, hazy conditions caused by ash. When warnings are been pay attention to, the chances of adverse health effects from a volcanic eruption are very low.

  • Landslide:

Landslides can be initiated in slopes already on the verge of movement by rainfall, snowmelt, changes in water level, stream erosion, earthquakes, volcanic activity, disturbance by human activities, or any combination of these factors. Slides can cause disastrous flooding, particularly when landslide dams across streams are breached, and flooding may trigger slides. A landslide can also block rivers and increase the risk of floods.

  • Hurricanes:

Hurricanes form over the warm ocean water of the tropics. When warm moist air over the water rises, it is replaced by cooler air. The cooler air will then warm and start to rise. This cycle causes huge storm clouds to form. The major effects of hurricanes are tornadoes, heavy rainfall, high winds, riptide, and death.

  • Thunderstorms:

Thunderstorms arise when layers of warm, moist air rise in a large, swift updraft to cooler regions of the atmosphere. Thunderstorms can bring heavy rains, strong winds, hail, lightning, and tornadoes. Severe thunderstorms can cause extensive damage to homes and property. Lightning is a major threat during a thunderstorm.

Feminism

What is feminism?
Who are called as a feminist?
What does a feminist do?
Why feminism arrived?

Before saying about feminism let me clear one thing feminism is not only about women getting equal rights and opportunities rather feminism is a belief that every individual should be given equal rights, powers and opportunities. If you stand for equality then you are a feminist. Basically feminist are those individuals who takes care no one is treated unfairly.

Feminism started in the 19th and early 20th centuries addressing issues of women’s suffrage (the right of women to vote in elections). The second-wave feminism started in 1960s broadened debate to include cultural inequalities, gender norms, and the role of women in society.

During the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe many Enlightenment philosophers defended the rights of women, including Jeremy Bentham (1781), Marquis de Condorcet (1790), and Mary Wollstonecraft (1792). Other important writers of the time also expressed the views of the feminist.

Unlike the Western feminist movement, India’s movement was initiated by men, and later joined by women. The first phase of feminism in India was initiated by men to uproot the social evils of sati (widow immolation), to allow widow remarriage, to forbid child marriage, and to reduce illiteracy, as well as to regulate the age of consent and to ensure property rights through legal intervention.

But feminism as an initiative by women started independently a little later in Maharashtra by pioneering advocates of women’s rights and education: Savitribai Phule, who started the first school for girls in India (1848).

 Tarabai Shinde, who wrote India’s first feminist text Stri Purush Tulana (A Comparison Between Women and Men) in 1882; and Pandita Ramabai, who criticized patriarchy and caste-system in Hinduism, married outside her caste and converted to Christianity (1880s).

The Bengali reformers included abolishing sati, which was a widow’s death by burning on her husband’s funeral pyre, abolishing the custom of child marriage, abolishing the disfiguring of widows, introducing the marriage of upper caste Hindu widows, promoting women’s education, obtaining legal rights for women to own property, and requiring the law to acknowledge women’s status by granting them basic rights in matters such as adoption.

The second phase started when Mahatma Gandhi expanded Indian women’s public activities by initiating them into the non-violent civil disobedience movement against the British. Many women organisations formed. Women-only organisations like All India Women’s Conference (AIWC) and the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) emerged. Women started looking for their scope in leadership roles in political parties, women’s franchise and communal awards. In 1954 the Indian Communist Party formed its own women’s wing known as the National Federation of Indian Women.

By the 19th century and 20th century more women issues came to spotlight. More amount of women became active and started protesting for their rights. Feminists in the 1970s challenged the inequalities that had been established and fought to reverse them. These inequalities included the unequal wages for women. The aim was to abolish the free service of women.

Struggle of feminist are still going on. Many women are still fighting for their freedom. We need to change this view that women don’t need permission they have their voice and they can make their own choice.

Let’s find out about some Indian feminists and their contributions. They are :

  • Savitribai Phule – She is one of the earliest Indian feminists. She started the first school for girls in India in the year 1848.
  • Tarabai Shinde – The writer of India’s first feminist text Stri Purush Tulana (A Comparison Between Women and Men) in 1882.
  • Kamini Roy – She is a poet and suffragette. She became the first woman Honors Graduate in India in 1886.
  • Saroj Nalini Dutt – She is the early social reformer who pioneered the formation of educational Women’s Institutes in Bengal.
  • Mira Datta Gupta – Activist for women’s issues and one of the founding members of the All India Women’s Conference.
  • Sarala Devi Chaudhurani – Founder of the Bharat Stree Mahamandal, one of the first women’s organisations in India.

Earth

Earth is the only planet in our Solar System where life exists. Approximately 4.5 billion years ago, Earth formed from the particles left over from the creation of our Sun. Gravity pulled swirling gas and dust in together to form the Earth. It is the third planet in our Solar System.


29% surface on Earth is land ( i.e continents and islands ) and the rest 71% is water mostly oceans but also lakes, rivers and other fresh water bodies. Out of this 71% water, 97% is saline water(water in oceans) and the availability of freshwater is only 3%. Earth’s polar region is covered with ice.

Earth’s atmosphere contains 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% other gases such as carbon dioxide, argon and neon. The atmosphere acts as a shield and protect us from the harmful radiation coming from the Sun. It also protects us from meteoroids which burn up in the atmosphere before they can hit the surface.

Earth is the only planet that was not named after a Greek or Roman god. Its alternative names are Gaia, Gaea, Terra, Tellus, The World, The Globe.

The journey of life on Earth started in oceans. The earliest forms of life were microscopic organisms (microbes) that left signals of their presence in rocks about 3.7 billion years old. These microbes are known as Prokaryotes that fed on carbon compounds that were accumulating in Earth’s early oceans. Slowly, many other organisms evolved that used the Sun’s energy, along with compounds such as sulfides, to generate their own energy.


Earth is composed of four main layers.
The inner core is a solid sphere made of iron and nickel metals about 759 miles (1,221 kilometers) in radius. The temperature there is as high as 9,800 degrees Fahrenheit (5,400 degrees Celsius). Surrounding the inner core is the outer core. This layer is about 1,400 miles (2,300 kilometers) thick, made of iron and nickel fluids.In between the outer core and crust is the mantle, the thickest layer. This hot, viscous mixture of molten rock is about 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers) thick and has the consistency of caramel. The outermost layer, Earth’s crust, goes about 19 miles (30 kilometers) deep on average on land. At the bottom of the ocean, the crust is thinner and extends about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the sea floor to the top of the mantle.

Earth doesn’t take 24 hours to rotate on its axis
It actually takes 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds to completely rotate around it’s axis. Also known as sidereal day. Earth’s rotation is slowing slightly with time. Thus, a day was shorter in the past. This is due to the tidal effects the Moon has on Earth’s rotation. Analysis of historical astronomical records shows a slowing trend that the length of a day increased about 2.3 milliseconds per century since the 8th century BCE.

Earth has only one moon. Without the moon, a day on earth would only last six to twelve hours. There could be more than a thousand days in one year. That’s because the Earth’s rotation slows down over time thanks to the gravitational force or pull of the moon and without it days would go by in a blink.

National Youth Day


Every year 12 January is celebrated as the National Youth Day, being the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. In 1984 government of India declared this day as National Youth Day and 1985 onwards we celebrated this event in India.

Swami Vivekananda’s lectures and writings, deriving their inspiration from Indian spiritual tradition and the broad outlook of his Master Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. These were the source of inspiration and have motivated the youth.

Swami Vivekananda created a great impact on Youth. His words were simple yet very powerful. He said, “If you think yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think yourselves strong, strong you will be.” He also said, “See for the highest, aim at that highest, and you shall reach the highest.” His messeges gave a boost to the youth.



As Mitochondria is the power house of cell. Youth is the powerhouse of a country. Youth plays a vital role in shaping the future of a country. It has the power to help a country develop and move towards progress. It is also responsible for bringing social reform within a country. The youth brings revolution.

In our Indian history there are many examples that justify the contribution of the youth towards the progress of the country. That how the Youth of India fought to bring Independence in the country.

In our country half of the population is youth. If they will take proper action towards the problems occurring in our country, it will not only benefit the country but will also inspire young ones. Like many youth are running campaigns and organisations on various things like
Many are cleaning the garbage near the seaside or in a land, some helping the poor children in studying, some protesting against child labour, also against rapes, etc . Active participation of youth is hence very much important. It can spread the message of national integration.

Youth should not keep their energies and enthusiasm inside. It should go out in betterment of the society. Many are unware of there potential and their capabilities. Sometimes youth undergoes through a lot of problems at this time the rest people should encourage and motivate them. And give them equal opportunities so that they can succeed in life. Motivate them to take challenges and achieve their desired goals in life.


The prior duty of youth is to encourage others to join a youth organization. Inspire and teach young people to take responsibilities and volunteer for a social cause and bring some social changes. Various organizations and charities recruit youngsters and motivate them to get involved in social cause.

The youth should ask young people to join campaigns or organizations to raise awareness for a social cause. Teach them to take a stand against something wrong and help them transform their ideas into reality. With their active participation we can bring some significant social changes in the country that are mostly overlooked. Therefore, do not wait for anything and join a campaign or any organisation and raise awareness about it among people.

YOU ! YES YOU!

ARE THE YOUTH OF OUR COUNTRY. DON’T JUST RELAX. THERE ARE MANY THINGS TO DO. JUST GET UP AND STAND FOR A SOCIAL CAUSE. 🙂

TAJ MAHAL

ABOUT TAJ MAHAL:

Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders in the world. Taj Mahal is one of the historic and most beautiful places in the world. The Taj Mahal is one of the most magnificent Indian historical monuments with complex visualization. The Taj Mahal is the materialized vision of love and marks a perfect indelible remark on it’s Mughal Architecture. The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum built by the 17th century Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. This structure on the bank of the river Jamuna is constructed on a platform 6.5 meters high. The Mahal was built in the loving memory of the Emperor’s beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It also attracts thousands of tourists with no preference for religion or lifestyle. The words Taj Mahal means ‘ crown of the palace’ and is a symbol of eternal love. Taj Mahal is one of the main reasons why India is famous. Taj Mahal was declared as a Heritage Site by UNSECO in 1983.

ARCHITECTURE OF TAJ MAHAL:

The Taj Mahal is a perfect symmetrical planned building, with an emphasis on bilateral symmetry along a central axis on which the main features are placed. The Taj Mahal emits a sense of peace and harmony which is mainly caused by the structure’s near-perfect symmetry, the main dome and surrounding minarets, and the division of the gardens by four canals that meet at a raised central lotus pond. The building material used is brick-in-lime mortar veneered with red sandstone and marble and inlay work of precious/semi-precious stones. It is made of pure white marble with its special luster and fine texture. The marble was obtained from Makrana in Rajasthan. Inside the Taj Mahal, the cenotaphs honoring Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are enclosed in an eight-sided chamber ornamented with pietra dura (an inlay with semi-precious stones) and a marble lattice screen. The interior octagonal chambers are connected by diagonal passages. Floors and walkways use contrasting tiles or blocks in tessellation patterns. The inlay stones are of yellow marble, jasper, and jade polished and leveled to the surface of the walls. The calligraphy on the Taj Mahal is beautiful. The beauty of the black inscriptions over the white marble is an attractive feature of the edifice. The walls and pillars of the monuments are also adorned with calligraphy written in Thuluth script. Most of the inscribed verses are from the holy book of Islam- the Quran. Taj Mahal reflects different colors depending on the light. In the morning, it looks a little pinkish, in the afternoon with strong sunlight it appears shimmering white, milky white in the evening, and golden at night. The main structure is surrounded by gardens, fountains, and pools. Another interesting aspect of the architecture of the Taj Mahal is the iconography of the plants engraved in the walls and floors of the mausoleum.

WHEN WAS TAJ MAHAL BUILT? :

The construction of the Taj Mahal took over twenty years. It was built in 1632, and in 1648, the mausoleum was finished. Another 5 years were spent on the building of the enclosure, the ancillary buildings such as gardens, so the whole complex was completed in 1653.

EARTH

ABOUT EARTH:

Our Earth is the most beautiful planet in our solar system. Earth is the planet we live on. The earth is a habitat for millions of species of plants and animals. Earth is an integral part of the solar system. Earth is the third planet from the sun. Earth is the fifth-largest of the planets in the solar system. The alternative names for the earth are Gaia, Gaea, Terra, Tellus, the world, the globe. Earth is a planet of the Sun which is also called Blue Planet because of the availability of water and it looks blue when observed from space. It’s the only planet known to have an atmosphere containing free oxygen, oceans of water on its surface, and, of course, life. Water covers 70 percent of Earth’s surface. Earth has an atmosphere containing 21% oxygen which helps in the survival of living beings. The gases like nitrogen, CO2, and oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere help plants to grow. Our planet Earth is a rotating sphere that orbits the Sun. Earth is made of rocks and came into existence billions of years ago. Along with the movement, Earth also rotates on its axis from east to west and completes a rotation in 24 hours which we call a solar day. The Earth is located approximately 150 million kilometers from the Sun and this distance is known as Astronomical Unit. It takes about 8.3 minutes for sunlight to reach the Earth. The Earth’s Atmosphere Extends to a Distance of 10,000 km. Earth’s atmosphere nourishes life and protects it from harmful UV rays and meteorites. Earth Day is observed every year on 22nd April to protect the environment. Along with human earth is home to millions of species and plants. The presence of water on the surface of the earth and air in the atmosphere makes life possible here. As the only livable planet of the sun, we should respect and protect our earth from our wrong practices.

STRUCTURE OF EARTH:

​​The earth is made up of three different layers. They are,

· THE CRUST:

This is the outside layer of the earth and is made of solid rock, mostly basalt, and granite. There are two types of a crust; oceanic and continental. Oceanic crust is denser and thinner and mainly composed of basalt. Continental crust is less dense, thicker, and mainly composed of granite.

· THE MANTLE:

The mantle is the layer located directly under the sima. It is the largest layer of the Earth, 1800 miles thick. The mantle is composed of very hot, dense rock. This layer of rock even flows like asphalt under a heavyweight.

· THE CORE:

Earth’s core is the very hot, very dense center of our planet. The ball-shaped core lies beneath the cool, brittle crust and the mostly-solid mantle. The core is found about 2,900 kilometers (1,802 miles) below Earth’s surface and has a radius of about 3,485 kilometers (2,165 miles). The core is made of two layers: the outer core, which borders the mantle, and the inner core. The outer core, about 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles) thick, is mostly composed of liquid iron and nickel. The inner core is a hot, dense ball of (mostly) iron. It has a radius of about 1,220 kilometers (758 miles). The temperature in the inner core is about 5,200° Celsius (9,392° Fahrenheit). The pressure is nearly 3.6 million atmospheres (atm).

WIND ENERGY

ABOUT WIND ENERGY:

Wind energy is one of the renewable sources of energy. Wind energy is an important non-conventional source of energy. It does not contaminate, it is inexhaustible. Wind energy is one of the methods used to provide electricity. . Wind Energy and Wind Power Wind is an abundant resource on our planet. In wind energy, the wind is used to produce electricity using the kinetic energy created by air in the motion. This is then transformed into electrical energy using wind turbines or wind energy conversion systems. Air flows can be used to run turbines. Wind Power is also used for Pumping Water and Electricity. China is the world’s largest producer of wind energy, with over a third of the world’s capacity. It is currently booming and it has become one of the fastest-growing markets in the world today. Wind power is an alternative source to burning fossils, and it is plentiful, it is renewable, it is clean, it produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation. Wind power is the most efficient technology to produce energy in a safe and environmentally sustainable manner. It currently accounts for more than 3% of the global electricity consumption and is expected to reach 18% in 2050 according to data from the International Energy Agency.

PARTS OF WIND TURBINE:

In wind energy, the electricity is mainly gained with the help of the wind turbine. The different parts of the wind turbine are,

  • Blades:

Most wind turbines designed for the production of electricity have consisted of a two or three-bladed propeller rotating around a horizontal axis. A wind turbine turns wind energy into electricity using the aerodynamic force from the rotor blades, which work like an airplane wing or helicopter rotor blade. When wind flows across the blade, the air pressure on one side of the blade decreases.

  • Rotor:

The rotor is one of the parts of the wind turbine. The energy in the wind turns two or three propeller-like blades around a rotor. The rotor is connected to the main shaft, which spins a generator to create electricity.

  • Pitch:

Pitch control is the technology used to operate and control the angle of the blades in a wind turbine.

  • Brake:

Mechanical wind turbine brakes have two main uses. They are applied as a backup method of holding the turbine in place for maintenance or repairs, in the case of a failure of the primary rotor lock system. Or in the case of emergencies, such as extreme gusts of the wind or too much speed.

  • Low-speed shaft:

In most large-scale turbines, the low-speed shaft is connected to a gearbox.

  • Gearbox:

A gearbox is typically used in a wind turbine to increase rotational speed from a low-speed rotor to a higher speed electrical generator.

  • Generator:

Wind turbines generate electricity by using wind power to drive an electrical generator.

  • Controller:

The wind farm controller’s function is “power management”. It can initiate and shut down the turbine operation as well as co-ordinate the operation of numerous wind turbines in response to environmental and operating conditions. The wind turbine supervisory controller manages the individual turbine operation.

  • Anemometer:

The anemometer measures wind speed. The wind turbine is only supposed to operate when the wind speed is within a certain range. The anemometer determines when the wind is within the defined range.

  • Wind Vane:

The wind vane, used for indicating wind direction, is one of the oldest meteorological instruments.

  • Nacelle:

The nacelle is the part of the turbine that houses the components that transform the wind’s kinetic energy into mechanical energy to turn a generator that produces electricity.

  • High-speed shaft:

The high-speed shaft drives the generator which produces AC electrical current. Power cables transport electricity to the ground level.

  • Yaw drive:

The yaw drive is an important component of the horizontal axis wind turbines’ yaw system which is used to ensure the wind turbine is producing the maximal amount of electric energy at all times, the yaw drive is used to keep the rotor facing into the wind as the wind direction changes.

  • Yaw motor:

When wind direction changes, a turbine’s controls instruct its yaw motors to reposition the nacelle.

  • Tower:

The tower of the wind turbine carries the nacelle and the rotor.

ADVANTAGES OF WIND ENERGY:

  • An unlimited, free, and renewable resource is the wind.
  • Wind energy does not emit toxic substances or contaminants.
  • It is low-cost energy with a fairly stable price
  • Wind power will require nations to need less and less fuel sources to be imported as our energy will be fully sustained.
  • Wind power has some of the lowest environmental impacts of any source of electricity generation.
  • Wind energy is one of the most environmentally friendly energy sources.
  • Wind energy could generate a significant proportion of your electricity needs.
  • Wind turbines can also be installed at different heights to achieve stable energy production.

India to begin COVID-19 vaccination drive from January 16 and frontline, healthcare workers to get priority.

India to begin COVID-19 vaccination drive from January 16, frontline, healthcare workers to get priority

     The COVID-19 vaccination drive in India will commence on January 16, 2021. The decision of starting the largest vaccination drive was taken in a meeting on January 9 during which PM Modi also reviewed the status of COVID-19 in India.

On 16th January, India takes a landmark step forward in fighting COVID-19. Starting that day, India’s nation-wide vaccination drive begins. Priority will be given to our brave doctors, healthcare workers, frontline workers including Safai Karamcharis. 

Prime Minister also reviewed the preparedness of UTs and states for vaccination against the deadly disease. After the detailed review during the meeting, the decision was taken that in the view of upcoming festivals including Makar Sankranti, Lohri, Magh Bihu, Pongal, etc., the vaccination drive will start from January 16.

As per the release by PMO, priority will be given to the frontline, healthcare workers who are estimated to be around three crores. They will be followed by those who are above 50 years and under 50 population groups with any form of co-morbidities. Their number is around 27 crores.

During the meeting, PM Modi was briefed about the centre’s preparedness status of the drive-in collaboration with UTs and states for the rollout of the vaccine. He was also apprised of the government’s CO-WIN Vaccine delivery management system.

While reviewing the vaccination drive status, PM Modi was informed of the three phases of dry run by the government having been conducted all over the country.

• As per the release, the vaccination drive has been underpinned by the principles of participation by people (jan bhagidari), the Universal Immunization Program, and utilizing the experience of elections.

• The drive will not compromise the existing healthcare services, especially primary healthcare and national programmes. It will be underpinned by no compromise on regulatory and scientific norms and smooth and orderly implementation driven by technology.

• A crucial pillar of the vaccination drive will be comprised of the vaccine administrators and vaccinations. During the meeting, their training process was also detailed out.

• Around 2,360 participants were trained during the national-level training of trainers. It included cold chain officers, immunization officers, development partners, and IEC officials.

• For the drive, more than 2 lakh vaccinators, 61,000 programme managers, and 3.7 lakh team members have been trained. They are trained as part of training at district, state, and block levels.

• The unique digital platform will be providing real-time information on vaccine stocks, the vaccine’s storage temperature, and the tracking of beneficiaries of the vaccine.

• The platform will also be assisting the program managers at all levels for pre-registered beneficiaries. There will also be assistance for their verification and for the generation of the digital certificates on the successful completion of the vaccine schedule.

• On the platform, more than 79 lakh beneficiaries have already registered.

The National regulator granted the emergency use authorization for two vaccines in India- COVAXIN, and Covishield. Both the vaccines have established immunogenicity and safety during the clinical trials.

Have you ever heard of G20?

     The G20 (or the group of Twenty) is an informal group of 19 countries and the European Union. A combination of the world’s largest advanced and emerging economies. The G20 members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, The U.K, the U.S, and the European Union. The G20 economies together account for nearly 80% of the world’s economic output, two-thirds of the global population, and about half of the world’s land area.

     G20 forum regularly meets to coordinate global policy on economic growth, international trade, health, climate, and other issues. The G20 summit is focused on several key issues such as achieving global economic stability, sustainable growth, prevention of future financial crises, putting in place regulatory mechanisms and action against climate change. The two-day summit concludes with a joint statement issued by the members committing themselves to action. It is significant to note that the resolutions of the G20 are not legally binding, but they do influence the policies of the member countries.

     The G20 was established in December 1999 in response to financial crises faced by a number of countries in the 1990s with the aim of uniting the world around promoting global financial stability. There was also the need to create a more inclusive body with greater representation. What began as a regular forum for finance ministers and central bank governors turned into a key summit in 2008 when the heads of state and government came together for the first time in Washington to discuss the global economy as well as other challenges facing the world. Ever since the leaders have been meeting annually. A series of G20 ministerial events take place during a year.

     Saudi Arabia hosted last year’s G20 summit in Riyadh on November 22 and 23. With the global economy experiencing a sharp contraction in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the G20 leaders have vowed to ensure affordable and equitable access to COVID-19 diagnostics and vaccines around the world. They said they are taking immediate measures to address the health, social and economic impacts arising from the pandemic. A G20 Leader’s Declaration issued at the end of the summit called for coordinated global action, solidarity, and multilateral cooperation to overcome the current challenges and realise opportunities of the 21st Century for all by empowering people, safeguarding the planet, and shaping new frontiers. Italy will host the summit of the high-profile grouping in 2021, Indonesia in 2022, India in 2023, and Brazil in 2024.

  The G20, 2021:  

     The G20, bringing together much of the world’s population and the global economy, must live up to its role. This is why the 2021 G20, under the Italian Presidency, will focus on three broad, interconnected pillars of action: People, Planet, Prosperity.

Within these pillars, they are taking the lead in ensuring a swift international response to the pandemic – able to provide equitable, worldwide access to diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines – while building up resilience to future health-related shocks.

They are also looking beyond the crisis, towards ensuring a rapid recovery that addresses people’s needs. This implies a focus on reducing inequalities, on women’s empowerment, on the younger generations, and on protecting the most vulnerable. It means promoting the creation of new jobs, social protection, and food security.

The G20 is also intent on paving the way to rebuilding differently in the aftermath of the crisis. More efficiently, through better use of renewable energies and with a firm commitment to protecting our climate and our common environment.

This is a prerequisite for our sustained prosperity. A prosperous future, however, also requires that we properly harness the main drivers of growth and innovation. They are working to bridge the digital divide and make digitalization an opportunity for all, improve productivity and – in short –leave no one behind.

BUTTERFLY

ABOUT BUTTERFLY:

The butterfly is one of the most beautiful and wonderful creatures. Both butterflies and moths belong to the Lepidoptera family. Butterflies are flying insects with large scaly wings. We can observe different colors and patterns in the wings. Butterflies have six legs and three main body parts: head, thorax (chest or midsection), and abdomen (tail end). They also have two antennae and an exoskeleton. The butterfly’s body is covered by tiny sensory hairs. The adult butterfly has four wings that are covered with tiny scales that give them their colorful and diverse designs. These are cold-blooded creatures. The group of butterflies is called flutter. Butterflies have an amazing ability to see, smell. Some butterflies can fly as fast as 40 miles per hour. There are a thousand kinds of butterflies. They may vary from small to big. The lifespan of a butterfly varies with factors like size, species, and habitat.

LIFE CYCLE OF A BUTTERFLY:

There are four stages involved in the life cycle of a butterfly. They are,

  • FIRST STAGE-EGG:

 Butterfly starts their life as an egg. Their egg shape maybe circle, oval or cylindrical depending on the butterfly that laid the egg. Butterflies lay their eggs on a leaf of a plant.

  • SECOND STAGE-THE LARVA(CATERPILLAR):

When the egg hatches caterpillar comes out of it. In this stage they all do is eat. The caterpillar eats the leaf from where they were born.

  • THIRD STAGE-PUPA(CHRYSALIS):

The third stage of the butterfly is the pupa. As soon as a caterpillar is done growing and they have reached their full length/weight, they form themselves into a pupa, also known as a chrysalis. From the outside of the pupa, it looks as if the caterpillar may just be resting, but the inside is where all of the action is. Inside the pupa, the caterpillar is rapidly changing. Within the chrysalis, the old body parts of the caterpillar are undergoing a remarkable transformation, called ‘metamorphosis,’ to become the beautiful parts that make up the butterfly that will emerge. Tissue, limbs, and organs of a caterpillar have all been changed by the time the pupa is finished and is now ready for the final stage of a butterfly’s life cycle.

  • FOURTH STAGE-ADULT BUTTERFLY:

In the final stage, when the caterpillar has done all of its forming and changing inside the pupa, It will have emerged as an adult butterfly. When the butterfly first emerges from the chrysalis, both of the wings are going to be soft and folded against its body. This is because the butterfly had to fit all its new parts inside of the pupa in this stage. As soon as the butterfly has rested after coming out of the chrysalis, it will pump blood into the wings in order to get them working and flapping – then they get to fly. Usually, within a three or four-hour period, the butterfly will become master in flying and will search for a mate in order to reproduce. When in the fourth and final stage of their lives, adult butterflies are constantly on the lookout to reproduce and when a female lays their eggs on some leaves, the butterfly life cycle will start all over.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BUTTERFLY:

· Some butterfly species migrate from the cold.

· Most butterflies have taste receptors on their feet.

· They’ll even drink the tears of reptiles to get some much-needed sodium.

· Butterflies will not fly if the temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

· A butterfly drink its food, with a straw-like tube called a proboscis.

· They can see a range of ultraviolet colors, invisible to human eyes.

POLLUTION

ABOUT POLLUTION:

Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful materials are called pollutants. These harmful materials are called pollutants. Pollutants can be natural, such as volcanic ash. They can also be created by human activity, such as trash or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants damage the quality of air, water, and land. These pollutants can be natural or can be man-made like, human wastes, ashes, trashes, or wastes runoff from the factories. This is mainly caused by human activities that harm the environment in ways more than one. Pollution is an issue that has been affecting our earth. Pollution is the stuff that pollutes the environment.  It also affects the ordinary living of the living things on this planet by disturbing the natural life cycle. There are several ways in which our environment can get polluted. Some of them being the use of chemicals, excessive noise, garbage disposal, etc. Pollution causes imbalances in the environment. This imbalance threatened the very survival of all forms of life. We should control pollution for our safe survival. Certain species have been exterminated, and humanity is under a great threat of environmental pollution.

TYPES OF POLLUTION:

There are different kinds of pollutions. Some of the major types of pollution are,

  • AIR POLLUTION:

Air pollution refers to any physical, chemical, or biological change in the air. It is the contamination of air by harmful gases, dust, and smoke that affects plants, animals, and humans drastically. The population’s heavy production of waste is the main reason that air pollution is increasing rapidly. The rapidly increasing human activities like the burning of fossil fuel, deforestation is the major cause of air pollution. There are some other air pollutants like industrial waste, agricultural waste, power plants, thermal nuclear plants, etc.

  • WATER POLLUTION:

Water pollution occurs when harmful substances, often chemicals or microorganisms that contaminate a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, degrading water quality and rendering it toxic to humans or the environment. Water pollution is now a major environmental threat to the existence of humans.

  • LAND POLLUTION:

Land pollution is the cause of many different factors that ultimately pollute the land. These factors include solid waste, deforestation, chemical, and agricultural activities. Land pollution is a result of dumping garbage, waste, and other toxins making the land contaminated or polluted. Some soil or land pollutants are chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers, mining activity, use of plastic, deforestation, growing urbanization, and industrial waste.

WAYS TO CONTROL POLLUTION:

Some of the ways to control pollution are,

  • Avoid excessive idling of your automobile.
  • Avoid burning leaves, trash, and other materials.
  • Conserve energy – at home, at work, everywhere.
  • Encourage industries to avoid pollutant formation at the very source by use of cleaner fuels, the adoption of less polluting materials, and technology in manufacture.
  • Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
  • Do not throw waste in water bodies, remain waste of industries should not pour their waste in water bodies.
  • Plant trees.
  • Use fewer chemicals in home gardens and general agriculture.
  • Maintain our vehicles.
  • Conserve electricity.

RAINBOW

ABOUT RAINBOW:

     Rainbow is a natural phenomenon that happens after Rain. It is one of the most beautiful phenomenon created on earth. A rainbow is a multicolored arc in the sky which appears when sunlight hits water droplets. The magical and wonderful phenomenon of a colorful arc in the sky is known as the rainbow. The seven colors that exist in a rainbow are violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. Rainbows are usually seen on the opposite end of where the sun is located. The Rainbow is a lovable scenery that is colorful and pleasant to eyes. In many Civilizations, rainbows are considered to bring good to society and is a symbol of peace and harmony. Rainbows means peace and harmony in many ancient cultures.  There are two main components by which a rainbow is formed i.e. light and drops of water. The state of Hawaii in America is the only place on earth, where rainbows occur most. When the sun is lower, then the rainbow formed in the sky will be higher. The semicircle formed by rainbow makes a 42-degree angle which starts from the direction opposite to the sun. In simple words, A rainbow is an arc of color in the sky that can be seen when the sun shines through falling rain. The Greeks used to imagine that it was a sign from the gods to foretell war or heavy rain. The Norsemen considered the rainbow as a bridge over which the gods passed from earth to their home in the sky. Others have tried to explain the phenomenon physically.

HOW RAINBOWS ARE FORMED:

     A rainbow is caused by sunlight and atmospheric conditions. Light enters a water droplet, slowing down and bending as it goes from air to denser water. The light reflects off the inside of the droplet, separating into its component wavelengths–or color. When light exits the droplet, it makes a rainbow.  A rainbow is caused by three phenomenon of light – reflection, refraction and dispersion.

TYPES OF RAINBOWS:

Some of the different types of rainbows are,

  • SUPERNUMERARY RAINBOWS:

     Supernumerary rainbows are faint bow lines that appear just inside the main rainbow.

  • MULTIPLE RAINBOW:

      Multiple rainbows are another type of rainbow which is also a rare occurrence. Multiple rainbows are sometimes referred to as double rainbows. As the name suggests, multiple rainbows are instances when more than one rainbow occur simultaneously in the same place and are made up of a primary rainbow and other secondary rainbows. 

  • MONOCHROME RAINBOW:

       A red rainbow, also called a monochrome rainbow, usually appears at sunrise or sunset.

  • HIGHER-ORDER RAINBOW:

      Higher–order rainbows appear to viewers facing both toward and away from the sun.

  • LUNAR RAINBOW:

      A moonbow is also commonly referred to as a lunar rainbow. A moonbow is a rare natural atmospheric phenomena that occurs when the Moon’s light is reflected and refracted off water droplets in the air. Moonbows are much fainter than rainbows made by the sun and often appear to be white.

INTERESTING FACTS OF RAINBOWS:

            Some of the interesting facts about rainbows are,

  • A very rare quadruple rainbow was seen over long Island, NY. In April 2015.In the past 250years, only triple and quadruple rainbows have ever been documented.
  • When you’re flying in an airplane and looking down below, you can actually see a rainbow as a complete circle! If the weather circumstances are just right.
  • A person standing next to you is standing in a slightly different spot and sees the rainbow different because they see different raindrops.
  •  A double rainbow occurs when the light is reflected twice in the raindrop, and thus, you can see two distinct reflections that are coming from two different angles.

WHAT IS FARM BILL 2020?

     We have been hearing the term ‘Farm Bill’ but seriously, What is Farm Bill 2020?  And how it affects the farmers?

     The Farm Bill 2020 refers to the agricultural bills passed by the Lok Sabha on 17 September 2020 and by the Rajya Sabha on 20 September 2020. The bills collectively seek to provide farmers with multiple marketing channels and provide a legal framework for farmers to enter into pre-arranged contracts among other things. The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent for the three bills on 27 September 2020. The Farm Bill 2020 includes the three acts

  1. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Farm Services Act, 2020.
  2. The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020.
  3. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

First of all, What is “The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Farm Services Act, 2020? And how it affects the farmers?”

     It provides a legal framework for farmers to enter into pre-arranged contracts with buyers including mention of pricing and defines a dispute settlement mechanism.

     The agreement will outline conditions for the production of farm products and delivery requirements, the farmer then agrees to the supply products based on the quality standards, and in return, the buyer agrees to buy products. The primary purpose of this act is for contract farming whereas the secondary purpose of this act is to provide a nationwide legal framework wherein the farmer produces crops as per contracts and the central government says that it transforms Indian Agriculture and attracts private investment. As we see it does attracts private investment. This act may lead to the exploitation of farmers legally by buyers.

     Now coming to the second bill “The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020”. It allows the trading of farm goods outside the Physical premises of Mandi and APMC Yard.

     As we know all the subjects in India are divided into three lists

  1. Union List
  2. State List
  3. Concurrent List

Agriculture comes under State List, states like Punjab and Harayana could lose a big source of state revenue. We may have seen our parents going to Mandis’ to buy vegetables and other agricultural products. These Mandis’ are spread across the country. Farmers usually sell their products in Mandis’ and these Mandis’ are managed by the state government through APMC ( Agricultural Produce Market Committee).

There are some conditions for the farmers to sell their products outside Mandis’ because the products which have all the minimum support price need to compulsorily go through Agricultural Produce Market Committee (AMPC).

     Otherwise, farmers can directly sell their products to consumers, the small-scale farmers are still doing it now. If a farmer like a larger-scale farmer wants his products to be sold through the government then he has to notify APMC or trade with only AMPC licensed traders. This bill will allow barrier-free trading of Agricultural produce outside the notified APMC Mandis’. With the help of this bill, the state government will not impose any tax on the purchase and selling of agricultural products outside the Mandis.

     This Bill is more beneficial to Large-scale farmers because it gives more options to them to sell their products and this bill makes hardly a difference to the small-scale farmers because anyhow, they are selling outside the Mandis.

      But the other perspective of this bill is it gives a way to the government to get out of the Agricultural business, once the farmers enter the market, their income will depend upon the ups and downs of the market.

The third bill is ‘The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020’.

     This is not a new bill, the government had an amendment to the existing bill. Basically, it is a law that controls the production, supply, and distribution of certain commodities.

What is the essential commodities bill?

With the help of this law, the government can include new commodities to the essential commodities list to make sure that they are available to everyone when the need arises and take them off this list when the situation improves. For example, if someone illegally stores onions to create artificial demand (Hoarding) the government adds onions to the essential commodities list under this act to make sure that onions are available to the people at the right price.

     Recently in March 2020, the Central government added Masks and sanitizers under this act to make sure that all are available to the people in the pandemic situation at the right price and right quality, and again on 1 July 2020, the government removed them from this act.

     The amendment added in this bill is government removed certain commodities like cereals, pulses, potatoes, onions, edible oilseeds, and oils from this act even though they are daily used by everyone. The government will regulate and supply them only in case of Famine, High Price Rise, or Natural Calamities. There are more conditions to add this into essential commodities

  • If there is a 50% increase in the retail price of Non-Perishable items like cereals, edible oilseeds, and oils then only the government will add them back into the essential commodities list.

For example, If the retail price of the rice is 100 Rupees/Kg and it suddenly increased to 151 Rupees/Kg then, the government adds them back into the essential commodities list until the situation improves.

  • If there is a 100% increase in the retail price of Perishable items like onions, potatoes then only the government will add them back into the essential commodities list.

For example, If the retail price of the potatoes is 50 Rupees/Kg and it suddenly increased to 101 Rupees/Kg then, the government adds them back into the essential commodities list until the situation improves.

In one way this act is a good step because it boosts farmer’s income but on another hand, it leads to hoarding and black marketing.

TREES

ABOUT TREES:

A tree is a tall plant with a trunk and branches made of wood. Trees can live for many years. Trees have a thick wooden central part from which branches grow. A single tree has many roots. The roots can carry nutrients and water from the ground through the trunk and branches to the leaves of the tree. The roots of trees bind the soil and help it from being washed away by water or wind.

BENEFITS OF TREES:

Trees are vital resources for the survival of all living beings. Trees are an important part of the ecosystem. Trees give off oxygen that we need to breathe. They give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilize the soil, and give life to the world’s wildlife. Trees provide fruits, wood, leaves, flowers, rubber, paper, and many other things to human beings. They also provide us with the materials for tools and shelter. Trees clean the air. Trees prevent soil erosion. Trees also provide food, protection, and homes for many birds and mammals. It also provides timber for construction. They also conserve water. They help in fighting back the climate changes by absorbing greenhouse gases which are the main cause of climate change. It helps to maintain balance and also acts as a valuable source of many resources – such as timber, medicine, shelter, raw materials, and more. Trees provide shade, which is needed during the summer months. Trees and their branches are used as a source of fuel. Trees are used to make furniture and other commercial products. We get many medicines from plants like Cinchona, aconite, coriander, digitalis, horehound, tulsi, neem, and garlic. They help in maintaining the right temperature on Earth. During rainy days, soil erosion is prevented with the help of trees. This process purifies the air and keeps the atmosphere clean. Trees also absorb other harmful gases to keep our environment clean. Trees help in balancing the water level in the atmosphere.

INTERESTING FACTS OF TREES:

Some of the interesting facts about trees are,

  • A large oak tree can consume about 100 gallons of water per day, and a giant sequoia can drink up to 500 gallons daily.
  • The rings in a cut tree don’t just reveal its age. They can also show signs of environmental changes, like a volcanic eruption or severe drought.
  • The tallest tree in the country is a Coast Redwood growing in northern California’s Redwood National Park. It is 369 feet tall and over 2000 years old.
  • The world’s shortest tree species is the Dwarf Willow. It is rare to find one more than 2 1/2 inches tall. They are also dioecious, producing both males, yellow-colored and female, red-colored catkins. They have been found growing on the frozen tundra in the Arctic.
  • Wind-blown cottonwood seeds can stay airborne for days before they land. In fact, they can fly longer than any other kind of tree seeds.
  • There is a tree called Rainbow Eucalyptus, with bark having blue, orange, and maroon colors. When the colors combine in sunlight, they give it a particular ‘Rainbow’ effect. This multi-colored tree grows in New Britain, New Guinea, Ceram, Sulawesi, and Mindanao.

Dowry system in India

What is dowry?
It is a cash or a goods that is given by the bride family as a gift to the groom family.

It has become a social evil in this society. The bride family has to go from many pressures with the demand by the groom family in their daughter’s marriage. This can become an issue with raising the girl child. That is why, the life of the girl miserable in some circumstances. If the demand is not fulfilled the marriage can be cancelled or tortured after becoming the wife.

Due to this, many parents abort their girl child or murder them after new born. Many girl child has been found thrown in the dustbin or rivers. The number of dead girl babies has increased in some areas. The number of boys exceed in comparison to girls in the entire population. Dowry has become a greed in today society.

The system of dowry was to give their daughter as a gift so that after the marriage she will be financially independent. The parents give their daughter with their own happiness. But when the demand came from the boy’s family, it has became an social evil.

Every girl should have the right to live their own life. Educate girls and women and make them aware about the social issue. Women can take action against the dowry system as various laws has passed by the government.

RAIN

ABOUT RAIN:

Rain is liquid precipitation which is water falling from the sky. Rain is liquid water in the form of droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then become heavy enough to fall under gravity. Rain is part of the water cycle. A light rain of small drops is known as a drizzle. Spring is the rainiest season of the year as measured by the number of days with precipitation. Rainfall is measured by the depth of water that falls on a level surface without soaking in. Rainfall is measured with a rain gauge.

HOW RAIN IS FORMED? :

Clouds are made of water droplets. Within a cloud, water droplets condense onto one another, causing the droplets to grow. When these water droplets get too heavy to stay suspended in the cloud, they fall to Earth as rain.

IMPORTANCE OF RAIN:

Rain is a wonderful gift of Nature to all mankind. Rain is a major source of water to the inhabitants of the earth, and it also plays a major role in ensuring the water cycle is complete. Rain may be the most essential weather phenomenon for life to exist on Earth. The growth of plants also may depend on rain. Without rain, no crops would grow. If rainfall is less, there is water scarcity which sometimes causes a drought-like situation. It can improve the level of groundwater. Rainfall is also very important for the survival of plants and animals. It brings freshwater to the earth’s surface. With temperature, rainfall is perhaps the most important factor in defining climate. Rainfall is also the major source of energy that drives the circulation of the atmosphere. The rain waters the Earth and refills streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans, and provides the moisture trees and plants use to make their food. This water also gives wild animals the water they need to drink. Thus, Rain is very important.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT RAIN:

Some of the interesting facts about rain are,

* Some regions of the world get rain nearly every day or every other day. Galway, Ireland gets this weather about 220 – 230 days or more each year. Similarly, parts of Hawaii and other tropical areas receive brief spurts of rain on an almost daily basis.

* The place that receives the most annual rainfall on average is a village in India called Mawsynram, Meghalaya, India. They receive about 467 inches each year, most of which falls during monsoon season.

*Drops are not shaped like teardrops as they fall, as is commonly depicted – they are actually dome-shaped.

* When raindrops fall on clay or dusty soils, they trap small air bubbles on the surface which raise upward and burst out of the droplet. This then produces pockets of scent into the air where they are then carried by the wind. This is what causes the familiar smell of rain, which is called ‘Petrichor’.

*Up in the clouds, rain most often starts off as snow. Clouds are made of freezing-cold water droplets and tiny crystals of ice. In most rains, this cold water adheres to ice, forming nascent drops that then fall out of the clouds. As they descend towards the relative warmth of the earth’s surface, they melt and become rain.

* Not all raindrops are made of water: Rain also consists of sulfuric acid or methane, which can also be found on other planets in the solar system.

Kisan Kalyan Mission- to double the income of the farmers

     Uttar Pradesh government is going to launch a special program called  ‘Kisan Kalyan Mission’ to double the profits of the farmers on January 6, 2021. The program will cover all the assembly constituencies of the state. Farmers will be given benefits under the various schemes of the agriculture department during these events. Under the Kisan Kalyan mission, many departments of state government like agriculture marketing Mandi Parishad, Horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, sugarcane food and supply, and Panchayati Raj will work together and various programs will be organized across the state.

What happens under the Kisan Kalyan Mission:

  • Under this mission, various programs will be organized, Exhibition of Agriculture and the associate sectors will be organized which will be including the products of livelihood missions and MSME sector units.
  • Under the program, farmer meetings will be organized in which scientists, progressive farmers, and the workers associated with the Agriculture Department will be explaining scientific farming. They will also be providing information about the schemes of the government.
  • During the events organized under the program, farmers will also be benefitted from various schemes of the agriculture department.

The UP government under the program is also likely to felicitate 100 ‘progressive farmers’ in each district of the state. According to the Chief Secretary of the state, 100 progressive farmers in each district will be chosen as role models and will be congratulated. The government will also prepare their databases.

The farmer will also be coached in terms of the latest farming guidelines. It will help the farmers in getting benefit from the various schemes of the center such as PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Kisan Credit Cards, and PM Fasal Bima Yojana.

MUSIC

ABOUT MUSIC :

Music is vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. It is a form of art. Music is a part of all of our lives, from when we’re growing up to when we’re old. Music is the sound that is pleasing to the human ear. Music is loved by most of the people. Music also makes us excited. Music is a thing that we all enjoy in the course of our lives. Music makes us joy and listening to a favorite song may help to uplift your mood. Music has the ability to convey all sorts of emotions to people. Music can match and manipulate our moods and emotions. Music is not only created by humans but also from the nature such as birds chirping, the whistle in the wind, the sound of rain, etc…. Music can be performed with a wide variety of vocal techniques and instruments. There are different elements of music such as structure, form, articulation, expression, dynamics, color or timber, voice allocation, style, texture, harmony, melody, rhythm, tempo, pulse, or beat and pitch. A person who sings a song is known as a singer. Anyone who composes conducts, or performs music may be referred to as a musician. The other words for the musician are composer, performer, soloist, symphonist, virtuoso, player, entertainer, etc…. There are different kinds of instruments such as percussion, string, brass, woodwind, and piano/keyboard.

TYPES OF MUSIC GENRES:

There are different types of music genres there. Some of them are,

  • POP MUSIC
  • ROCK
  • HIP HOP MUSIC
  • CLASSIC MUSIC
  • FOLK MUSIC
  • BLUES
  • RHYTHM AND BLUES
  • PUNK ROCK
  • COUNTRY MUSIC
  • INDIE ROCK

IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC:

Music has the great qualities of healing a person emotionally and mentally. Music is one of the most calming and soothing things. Music can also make a person calm and relaxed. It has the power to cure diseases such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc. Music can also make excitement. There is one language that we all can understand is the language of music. Music is also an important part of our life because it is a way of expressing our feelings as well as emotions. Music may also reduce stress, depression, etc….Music may also help us to enhance the ability to do a work. Music also entertains us. Music improves our minds. Music is also helps us to develop the memorizing capability.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MUSIC:

  • The Japanese word ‘Karaoke’ comes from a phrase meaning ‘Empty Orchestra’
  • Music is one of the few activities in our life that utilizes the entire brain
  • The world’s longest concert by multiple artists took place from March 17 to April 5, 2017
  • Listening to music while working out measurably improves the physical performance
  • When you listen to music, your body releases dopamine, the same hormone released in the brain when you do exciting or pleasurable activities.
  • The most expensive instrument is a Stradivarius violin called Lady Blunt, which was made in 1741 and sold in 2011 for $15.9 million

ISRO is working on environment-friendly fuels for its rockets

Besides greenhouse gas pollution, kerosene-fueled rockets transport large amounts of black carbon, also known as soot, into the upper layers of the atmosphere. There, it remains for a long time, creating an umbrella that may add to global warming. Besides greenhouse gas pollution, kerosene-fueled rockets transport large amounts of black carbon, also known as soot, into the upper layers of the atmosphere. There, it remains for a long time, creating an umbrella that may add to global warming. Ross estimates that rocket launches around the world inject 10 gigagrams, or 11,000 tons, of soot and alumina particles into the atmosphere each year.

     Rockets emit a variety of substances depending on their propellant. Some, like liquid hydrogen and oxygen (H2/O2) are very clean, emitting mainly water (H2O) and some nitric oxide (NO), which is produced by the heat of combustion. Others, like aluminum/ammonium perchlorate (or “Solid Rocket Motors”, SRMs) release hydrochloric acid (HCl) and alumina (Al2O3) particles. Rockets that use hydrazine (N2H4) and nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) (sometimes called “hypergolic”, because these chemicals spontaneously ignite on contact) produce large quantities of nitrogen oxides, which can further react with water vapor and sulfate in the atmosphere to form small particles containing nitric acid. Kerosene rockets (essentially “aircraft fuel”) produce CO2 and black carbon (“soot”), which are climate-active gases (meaning that they absorb infrared or visible light, heating the surrounding air).

There is a new type of propellant called “hybrid” that is being used by some private companies. Hybrids are a mixture of a liquid oxidizer, nitrous oxide (N2O), and solid synthetic rubber (butadiene) that, when burned in the oxygen-poor environment of the upper atmosphere produce CO2 and large amounts of soot and probably large amounts of nitric oxides (although there are no measurements in these plumes to verify the presence of NOx).

     The Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, K. Shivan has informed that the Indian space rockets are ready to go green as the space agency has been working to replace its existing hazardous fuels for its satellites and rockets.

     ISRO Chief also informed that the space agency has been looking at green propulsion through hydrogen peroxide in its rocket propulsion through hydrogen peroxide in its rocket that will take Indians into space under its ambitious ‘Gaganyan’ mission. He further added that since humans will be inside the rocket, there should only be non-hazardous fuel to power the human space mission’s rocket.

     The space agency has also been looking at the rocket engines that are powered by hydrogen peroxide as a bi-propellant or as a mono-propellant along with ethanol. It has also been developing another green fuel- LOX/Methane-where liquid oxygen will work as oxidizer and methane as fuel.

     This propellent also has advantages in terms of storability, specific impulse, cost, and low toxicity. As per the ISRO Chief, the space agency has also been looking to replace its existing liquid engine fuels with environment-friendly fuel-powered ones. ISROSENE has been developed by the space agency which is a rocket-grade version of Kerosene. It will be an alternative to the conventional hydrazine rocket fuel.

     While talking about powering the satellites, ISRO Chief informed that the space agency has been working towards lightweight electrical propulsion in place of the chemical fuel.

     Currently, ISRO can put into orbit communication satellites that weigh up to four tonnes with its rockets. Satellites over four tonnes are being orbited using Ariane rocket of Arianespace, a European Space Agency.

STORYBOOKS

WHAT IS STORYBOOK? :

A storybook is a book of stories usually for children. A storybook relationship, situation, or life is one that is perfect and ends happily, just as many fairy stories do. There is also Children’s Picture Storybook which is a work written for children that use both text and illustrations to present a simple plot. Someone who tells or writes stories is known as storytellers.

IMPORTANCE OF STORYBOOKS:

Stories are a great way to introduce new words and the ideas into a child’s language. Storybooks encourages the children to read books further. Reading skills are important for success in their future lives. Reading stories can be helpful for relaxation, before bedtime for example. They allow children to forget the stresses and strains of the day and indulge in fantasy for a while. Reading also helps children improve their confidence levels. The storybook also increases our general knowledge. It also improves our mental ability and reading ability. Storybooks teach us various lessons and morals.

SOME OF THE INTERESTING STORYBOOKS ARE:

There are many storybooks there. Some of the interesting storybooks are,

  • Winnie the Pooh:

Winnie-the-Pooh is a best-selling classic children’s book. It is the first volume of stories about Winnie-the-Pooh, written by A. A. Milne and illustrated by E. H. The Winnie the Pooh Storybook was created to show little ones what it means to be a true friend.

  • The rainbow fish:

.           The Rainbow Fish is a children’s picture book drawn and written by author and illustrator, Marcus Pfister, and translated into English by J. Alison James. The book is best known for its message about selfishness and sharing and the distinctive shiny foil scales of the Rainbow Fish. In this story, Rainbow Fish learns that he must share and learn to be friendly so that other fish will want to be his friend

  • The Gruffalo:

The Gruffalo was written by Julia Donaldson. It is illustrated by Axel Scheffler. The moral of the story is, really, no matter how small or how big you are, you can get yourself out of any situation.

  • The Ugly Duckling:

Ugly Duckling is a fairytale written by the Danish author and poet Hans Christian Anderson. “The Ugly Duckling” is a fairy tale with the moral lesson for people to accept themselves for who they truly are. This popular tale has been adapted to many films, musicals, and dramas.

  • The tortoise and the hare:

The author of the story “The tortoise and the hare” is Aseop. This story tells us that you can be more successful by doing things slowly and steadily than by acting quickly and carelessly. Slow and steady wins the race is the moral of the story.

  • The Jungle book:

The Jungle Book is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. This book is great for kids who love animals and adventure. The most important life lesson in Jungle Book is to not be a coward. We need to face our fears, gain confidence, and triumph over them.

Music as a lifestyle

Music is beneficial both for mental and physical health. When you hear music you feel happy and you forgot the most stressful moments in your life. Music makes you fell exited and it can calm you down. More than million people suffers from depression. Study shows that music can really reduce the tensions.

People suffering from insomnia can be helpful by listening to music.Listening to music help the muscles to get relaxed due to which we get a healthy sleep. Some people also listen to music while doing household chores.People exercise while listening to music. This will motivate them to be more fit and healthy.

Learning instruments can make you successful. Researchers said that learning music or instrument can level up your IQ. Learning music is type of learning new language. It also helps to increase your memory power.

Some people like to put earphones or headphones while listening to music. These people are very lonely or alone or going through hardships in life. They listens to music escape from the pain and stress they are suffering from. The soothing music in restaurants or in parties can enlighten with positive vibes.

Music has become the most important part of us. People like to get attached with the music.

Ganymede – Largest Moon in Solar System

Jupiter has 79 moons, 53 named and 26 unnamed, still waiting for their official name. Among them is a moon named Ganymede, is the largest satellite in our Solar System. It has it’s own magnetic field. It has a diameter of 5,268 km which is larger than Mercury and Pluto, and slightly smaller than Mars. It would be easily classified as a planet if it were orbiting around the sun rather than jupiter.  It is the ninth-largest object in the Solar System. It orbits around the Jupiter at a distance of 1070400 km.

Ganymede was discovered by Galileo Galilei on January 7, 1610. The discovery, along with three other Jovian moons, was the first time a moon was discovered orbiting a planet other than Earth. Galileo called this moon Jupiter III. Its name was abandoned in mid-1800s and a new name was given as suggested by astronomer Simon Marius, after the mythological Ganymede, a Trojan prince desired by Zeus (the Greek counterpart of Jupiter), who carried him off to be the cupbearer of the gods.

Several spacecraft have flown by Jupiter and its moons. The first spacecraft explored Ganymede was Pioneer 10 in 1973 followed by Pioneer 11 in 1974. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 returned striking photos during their flybys. The Galileo spacecraft passed as low as 162 miles (261 km) over the surfaces of the Galilean moons and produced detailed images and discovered Ganymede’s underground ocean and magnetic field.

The next planned mission to the Jovian system is the European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE), due to launch in 2022 for arrival at Jupiter in 2030. While the mission will look at Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. Ganymede will be the focus and scientists will try to figure out more about its ocean and icy crust, map its surface in detail, learn about the interior, probe the atmosphere and study the magnetic field.

In February 2014, NASA and the United States Geological Survey unveiled the first detailed map of Ganymede in images and a video animation created using observations from NASA’s Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft, as well as the dedicated Jupiter-orbiting Galileo spacecraft.

Ganymede has three main layers. A sphere of metallic iron at the center (the core, which generates a magnetic field) above which is a spherical shell of rock (mantle) and then the spherical shell of mostly ice surrounding the rock shell and the core. According to scientists the ice shell on the outside is very thick, maybe 800 km (497 miles) thick. The surface is the very top of the ice shell. Though it is mostly ice, the ice shell might contain some rock mixed in. Scientists believe there must be a fair amount of rock in the ice near the surface. Ganymede’s magnetic field is embedded inside Jupiter’s massive magnetosphere.


40 percent of the surface of Ganymede is covered by highly dark cratered dark regions and the remaining 60 percent is covered by a light grooved terrain, which forms intricate patterns across Ganymede. The grooved terrain is probably formed by tensional faulting or the release of water from beneath the surface. Groove ridges as high as 700m and runs for thousands of kilometres across Ganymede’s surface. The grooves have relatively few craters and probably developed at the expense of the darker crust. The dark regions on Ganymede are old and rough and the dark cratered terrain is believed to be the original crust of the satellite. Lighter regions are young and smooth.The largest area on Ganymede is called Galileo Region.

Scientists believe that Ganymede has a saltwater ocean below its surface. In 2015, a study by the Hubble Space Telescope looked at Ganymede’s auroras and how they change between Ganymede’s and Jupiter’s magnetic fields. The “rocking” seen by the auroras gives evidence that the probable ocean underneath is salty, more salty than oceans of Earth, scientists said at the time.

Some scientists believe that life may start in Ganymede. However there is so high pressure at the base of the ocean that any water down there would turn to ice. This would make it difficult for any hot-water vents to bring nutrients into the ocean. Because of which scientists believe extraterrestrial life would occur. This would be so fascinating to know about extraterrestrial life if it would exist in our own Solar System.

FESTIVALS OF INDIA

INDIAN FESTIVALS:

Festivals fill our lives with colors and enthusiasm. India is a beautiful land of festivals and fairs. India celebrates the most number of cultural and religious festivals than any other country in the world. There are more festivals celebrated in India than anywhere else in the world. Various festivals are celebrated across India. From small villages to big cities celebrate festivals with great excitement and joyfulness. People visit each other’s houses to celebrate and offer the best wishes for the festivals. Special arrangements are made for the celebration of various festivals each year. Indians celebrate both religious and National festivals with great enthusiasm.

IMPORTANCE OF FESTIVALS:

Festivals are a great part of human life as they bring in a lot of happiness and break the monotonous schedule of our lives. Festival keeps the people united. Festivals are a wonderful way to express joy, culture, and heritage. Festivals also give a sense of enjoyment, joy, fun, relaxation, and offer the time needed to bond with family members.

SOME OF THE INDIAN FESTIVALS ARE:

There are various festivals celebrated in India. Some of the festivals celebrated in India are,

  • Holi:

                Holi is a Hindu spring festival celebrated in February or March. The Holi Festival is celebrated as a way to welcome in spring, and also is seen as a new beginning where people can release all their inhibitions and start fresh. During the Holi Festival, people dance through the streets and throw colored dye on each other.

  • Diwali:

                Diwali is a festival celebrated with Lights. It is held from October to November. Diwali marks the biggest celebration of the year. During Diwali, people wear their finest clothes, illuminate the interior and exterior of their homes with Diya and rangoli, perform worship ceremonies of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth, light fireworks, and partake in family feasts, where mithai (sweets) and gifts are shared.

  • Dussehra:

                Dussehra is the tenth and final day of the Hindu festival of Navaratri, usually in October. Dussehra, also called Dasara or Vijayadashami, in Hinduism, holiday marking the triumph of Rama, an avatar of Vishnu, over the 10-headed demon king Ravana, who abducted Rama’s wife, Sita. Many people of the Hindu faith observe Dussehra through special prayer meetings and food offerings to the gods at home or in temples throughout India. They also hold outdoor fairs (mela) and large parades with effigies of Ravana (a mythical king of ancient Sri Lanka). The effigies are burnt on bonfires in the evening.

  • Eid al-Fitr:

                   Eid al-Fitr is the Muslim festival marking the end of the fast of Ramadan. Eid in Arabic means “feast, festival, holiday.” Eid al-Fitr features two to three days of celebrations that include special morning prayers. People greet each other with “Eid Mubarak,” meaning “Blessed Eid” and with formal embraces. Sweet dishes are prepared at home and gifts are given to children and those in need.

  • Christmas:

                    The day known as Christmas Day is celebrated on the 25th day of December. Christmas is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Christ. Some Christians start Christmas Day with a midnight service, called Midnight Mass. Christians often celebrate Christmas by giving and receiving presents and cards. This reminds them of the gift of Jesus, beginning his earthly life.

Theory of Trusteeship

Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation who fought for our independence of our country. His doctrines and views in society, education, economy, peace, women, Dalit etc may still prove the guiding to the present day world.He proposed a theory of trusteeship where he said that the money you earn should cover your necessary expenses and remaining money should be used for the welfare of the society. You are just a trustee not a owner.According to gandhiji everything belonged to god and was given by God. Therefore it is for the the whole not for a particular individual.

According to this theory the wealthy people should act like trustee that would benefit for the society. When an individual has more proportionate of money, he should become the trustee of that portion for the God’s people. Any business sector they should set up trust of certain amount of profit and that trust should be work in terms of health, charity, education etc to serve the society.
The corporates when reaching the highest position of wealth should understand the responsibility of poor section of society. This would reduce the indifference between them.

Gandhiji said that when the business are done the resources are being used by the society only. So they should also do something to serve the society. They should not think of their own profit. Gandhiji wanted the egalitarian order of society that means equal distribution of wealth. He wanted the wealthy people to share the surplus amount of money by becoming a trustee for the society.

This will reduce the difference among the rich and the poor. The wealth legally belong to the owner but morally and ethically it belongs to the society. Ganghiji ideas have to be given economic consideration for solving depressing socio-economic problems in an underdeveloped country.

“To honor indigenous people, the Australian government amends National Anthem,” says The Prime Minister.

“To honor indigenous people, the Australian government amends National Anthem,” says The Prime Minister.

     According to the Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison, the country brought in the New Year in a different way by tweaking their National Anthem ‘Advance Australia Fair’ in order to recognize the nation’s indigenous communities and history. The change in the anthem took effect on January 1, 2021.

     Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage to groups that lived in Australia before British colonization. They include the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia. The term Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, or the person’s specific cultural group (their mob), is often preferred, though the terms First Nations of Australia, First Peoples of Australia, and First Australians are also increasingly common.

     The first line of the anthem, “Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free”, will now be ending with “one and free” to honor indigenous people. The change in the anthem reflects the spirit of unity and Australia’s Indigenous population. The National Anthem ‘Australia Fair’ was composed by Peter Dodds McCormick. It was first performed in 1878 and was later adopted as the National Anthem in 1984.

     According to the Prime Minister, it is time to ensure that the great unity in the country is reflected more fully in the National Anthem as Australia was the most successful multicultural nation in the world.

     He added that Australia as a modern nation may be young but its story is ancient, as are the stories of many First Nations Peoples whose stewardship we respect and acknowledge. He added that in the spirit of unity, it is rightful that the national anthem of Australia represents this truth and appreciation.

     Ken Wyatt, the Minister of the Indigenous Australians informed that he had been asked and consulted about the change in the anthem and he had decided to give his complete support.

     The first indigenous Australian who was elected to the federal Parliaments lower house added that the one-word change was small in nature but has greater significance. He mentioned that the change is an admission of the fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures go back to 65,000 years.

     The change in the anthem came less than two months after Gladys Berejiklian, New South Wales State Premier, extended support for the indigenous people of Australia about the change in the anthem. She mentioned that this a disappointing way to end 2020 and to start in 2021. She further added ‘Everything about us, without us’.

Cottage industries in India

Cottage indusries is also known as traditional industries. These are organised by individuals with the private resources.They produce simple products with simple technology. The cottage indusries play a vital role in the growth of Indian economy. Cottage indusries provide employment opportunities in village.They can raise extra income.Women wanting to work can also work in the cottage industry. These industries uses local resources available in that area.

Cotton weaving. Cotton threads are made by the rural people. They spin and weave by hand. Cotton is spun around a chakra.

Silk weaving :They produce silk from silk worms. They threads are then purchased by the local people at the low price.

Knitting:People in the rural area do the buisness of knitting sweaters in their home. They make products and then sell them at the market.

Handicrafts:The handicrafts maintains a unique character in India. In foreign countries Handicrafts are considered as luxury but in India it is considered as normal material.

Pottery:Pottery is used in making pots and diyas. This is made from clay with the help of wheel.

Problems faced by cottage indusries :

1.Lack of power :The people in the villages do not get 24 hours electricity due to which their work is not properly done.

2.Problem of finance: Poor people cannot afford to purchase raw material or new machines for their industry.

3.Old methods of production:People use old techniques due to which the product do not result in high quality.

4.Problem of marketing :They do not have marketing strategy or the marketing planning. Due to which they do not get the right price for their product and they incur losses.

We should stop using Chinese products and should start buying from the Indian traditional markets.

BIRDS

ABOUT BIRDS:

Birds are vertebrates. Their main characteristic is their feathers. The birds come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Other important features of birds are wings, beaks, and hollow bones. Birds are basically warm-blooded. Birds lay eggs. Birds are found in almost all parts of the world. The bodies of birds are covered with feathers and their feet covered by scales. Different birds are found in different places as determined by climate. Birds bring a kind of beautiful addition to the scene. Most of the birds can fly in the sky and travel long distances in the air. It builds a nest on the trees and eats insects, fish, grains, etc. Birds migrate for several reasons. Migration is a necessary part of the survival of many types of birds. The sounds that birds make are some of the most beautiful sounds in nature. When birds communicate, they use songs and calls. There are migratory birds that fly from one country to another over the hills, lakes, and oceans during some particular season.

DIFFERENT KINDS OF BIRDS:

There are over 10,000 various species of birds across the world.The bird differs in size, communication skills, colors, shapes, migration patterns, etc….

IMPORTANCE OF BIRDS:

Birds are important members of many ecosystems. They are important for the environment as well as for human beings, they play a vital role in every living thing present on earth. They play a vital role in controlling pests, acting as pollinators, dispersing seeds, and maintaining island ecology. Birds are greatly helpful to humans and nature. Due to pollution, excess use of pesticides, modernization, and widespread radiation many birds are getting extinct. Thus we need to protect them.

HOW CAN WE PROTECT BIRDS? :

Some ways to protect birds are,

  • Use Natural Pest Control
  • Support Conservation.
  • Clean your bird bath and bird feeders regularly.
  • Avoid the use of pesticides in your yard.
  • Provide or protect bird habitat.
  • Prevent Bird Collisions with Your Windows Collisions are one of the most frequent causes of bird deaths. Birds see nature reflected in the window or mistake houseplants inside the building for outdoor plants and fly into the glass. Putting up curtains or window decals helps make the window visible to birds.
  • Support bird conservations.
  • Protect birds from pets.

FUN FACTS ABOUT BIRDS:

  • Flamingo chicks are born gray or white and take up to three years to reach their mature pink.
  • To deal with the summer heat, birds have a behavior called gular fluttering. This is when the bird will open its mouth and “Flutter” the upper throat muscles to promote heat loss, similar to panting in dogs.
  • Birds have a third inner eyelid called the nictitating membrane, which sweeps horizontally across the eye. Blinking with this eyelid lubricates the eye, protects it from wind and dust, and assist aquatic birds with underwater vision.
  • Hummingbirds have 1,000 to 1,500 feathers, the fewest number of feathers of any bird species in the world. This keeps them more lightweight for easier flight.
  • Penguins can jump as high as 6 feet in the air.

OLYMPICS

OLYMPICS:

Olympic a set of international sports competitions that happen once every four years. The Olympic games are held in different countries on each occasion. The Olympics were an internationally significant event that unites people from all over the world. The Olympic Games are considered the world’s foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. The Olympic Games are normally held every four years, alternating between the Summer and Winter Olympics every two years in the four-year period. The Olympic Games include all the sports registered by the International Olympic Committee as Olympic sports. Olympic Games are the largest sporting event, in terms of the number of sports on the program, the number of athletes present and the number of people from different nations gathered together at the same time in the same place.

HISTORY OF OLYMPICS:

The Olympic games started thousands of years ago and lasted over a millennium. The Greeks loved sport and the Olympic Games were the biggest sporting event in the ancient calendar. The Olympic Games began over 2,700 years ago in Olympia, in southwest Greece. The most important and prestigious were the games held at Olympia to honor Zeus, the king of the gods. The modern Olympic games began in 1896. Pierre de Coubertin was a French educator and historian, founder of the , and its second president. He is known a International Olympic Committee s the father of the modern Olympic Games.

OLYMPIC SPORTS:

Currently, the Olympic program consists of 35 different sports, 53 disciplines, and more than 400 events. The Summer Olympics includes 28 sports with 38 disciplines and the Winter Olympics includes 7 sports with 15 disciplines. The list of Olympic games are,

  • 3*3 basketball
  • Acrobatic gymnastics
  • Alpine skiing
  • Archery
  • Artistic gymnastics
  • Artistic swimming
  • Athletics
  • Badminton
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Beach Handball
  • Beach Volleyball
  • Biathlon
  • BMX
  • Bobsleigh
  • Boxing
  • Breaking
  • Canoe
  • Cross Country skiing
  • Curling
  • Diving
  • Equestrian Dressage
  • Equestrian Eventing
  • Equestrian jumping
  • Fencing
  • Figure Skating
  • Football
  • Freestyle skiing
  • Futsal
  • Golf
  • Handball
  • Hockey
  • Ice hockey
  • Judo
  • Karate
  • Luge
  • Modern pentathlon
  • Mountain bike
  • Nordic combined
  • Paralympic
  • Rhythmic gymnastics
  • Road cycling
  • Roller speed skating
  • Rowing
  • Rugby
  • Sailing
  • Shooting
  • Short track speed skating
  • Skateboard
  • Skeleton
  • Ski jumping
  • Ski mountaineering
  • Snowboarding
  • Softball
  • Speed skating
  • Sport climbing
  • Surfing
  • Swimming
  • Table tennis
  • Taek wondo
  • Tennis
  • Track cycling
  • Trampoline
  • Triathlon
  • Volleyball
  • Water Polo
  • Weight lifting
  • Wrestling

IMPORTANCE OF OLYMPIC GAMES:

The Olympics is important because at no other time does practically the entire planet come together, regularly and in a positive way, to experience the same thing. The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity, and fair play.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT OLYMPICS:

  • Women have been allowed to compete in the Olympics since 1900. The Olympic Games have been hosted by 23 different countries.
  • Olympic games were not held in the following years due to the two world wars 1916, 1940, and 1944.
  • Olympic Games are so-called because they were held in the city of Olympia.

HYDROPONICS

Hydroponics is a type of farming technique that uses water instead of soil to grow plants. By using this method we can save a lot of water. Hydroponic plants are planted in a inert media exposing their roots to nutrients rich solutions. Plants commonly grown hydroponically, on inert media, include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, lettuce and marijuana.

HYDROPONICS- REVOLUTION IN FARMING

HISTORY

The idea of growing terrestrial plants without soil was first published in the book Sylva Sylvarum or ‘A Natural History’ by Francis Bacon, in the year 1627. Growth of terrestrial plants without soil in mineral nutrient solutions was called solution culture. Later William Frederick Gericke created a sensation by growing tomato vines twenty-five feet (7.6 metres) high in his back yard in mineral nutrient solutions rather than soil and named it as hydroponics in 1937, proposed to him by W. A. Setchell, a phycologist with an extensive education in the classics.

The origins of hydroponics can be traced back to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, is the first known example of soil-less growth of plants. This was around 600 BC. Later on, around 1100 BC, the Aztec Indians got creative with their growing techniques and created gardens that seemed to be floating. These “floating gardens” were called ‘chinampas’, which had a strong combination of roots and lashes, laden with sediment from lake-bottoms, providing nutrients to the crops and plantations. Similar floating plantations were discovered by Marco Polo on his visit to China, which left him surprised as he hadn’t seen anything like this ever before. In the 1990s, NASA grew aeroponic bean seedlings in zero gravity aboard a space station, opening up the possibility of sustainable agriculture in space.

Picture from NASA

ADVANTAGES OF HYDROPONICS

• Hydroponics plants can be grown anywhere even in small rooms. Since the plants roots don’t have to expand in search of oxygen and water it can be grown much closer to each other. And instead of putting its energy in its roots growth it can invest its energy into the growth above ground. Through this we can save a lot of space and get higher growth.

• Many diseases are soil-born. And it effects the plant growth in soil based agriculture whereas in hydroponics since weeds, pests and plants diseases are highly reduced and less chemicals are used. It helps the plant to grow cleaner and get healthier foods.

• Hydroponics systems can be built indoors, so there is no need to adapt to outside climate.

• Here, one can grow each crop simultaneously all year round.

• Because of their very less water usage this can be done in countries which have scarcity of water.

• Many organisms depend on plants for their food which disturbs the plants growth whereas in hydroponics since no soil there is no organisms.

• Weeds which grows with plants in soil based agriculture takes up the nutrients from the soil making it hard for the plants to get adequate amount of nutrients. This case is not seen in hydroponics since no soil so no unwanted growth of plants.

DISADVANTAGES OF HYDROPONICS

• For a large-scale hydroponic system proper facilities are required and it is not cheap.
A large field where you can pour a tons of
water is cheaper than building large
greenhouses.

• If a disease occurs it spreads very fast in water as compared to that in soil.

• Expect knowledge is required in this field.

• Proper maintenance of the plants is required.

• Not all crops can be grown here. Some roots based vegetables like potatoes and carrots does better in soil.


Hydroponics is a revolutionary change in farming technique. If it is implemented with proper knowledge and constant monitoring it can yield to a better harvest. We can get healthier food and can save a lot of water. You can start doing it even in your home now. The thing is we have no idea about it. So let’s put our hands together for this new technique which can help us in our long run.

Are we humans are destroying the animal habitat?

Home is feeling of comfort that is filled with love and safe. It is a feeling for both human and animals. We human being are becoming selfish by destroying their houses. Try to put yourself in their place, can you imagine your home is suddenly vanished and there is no place for you to live? It is like being lonely and sad.

Millions of species that ever lived in this earth has gone extinct now. Some endangered species are likely to get extinct. Eg:Tiger, polar bear, Mountain gorilla etc. And the reason behind this extinction is human beings. We are killing animals for food. We are destroying their habitat for our development. Deforestation is done by humans for wood, vegetation and construction of buildings. Due to this animals are dying out.

Another reason is human activities causes pollution in water, air and in land. This pollutes the entire natural habitat and had an adverse effect on animals as well as environment. Oil leakage in marine can lead to deaths of aquatic animals. Another most important reason is the killing or hunting of animals for human resources like fur or elephant tooth. In some places hunting is considered as sport.

Animals are important for the food chain. When animal are extinct they are gone forever and we can find them only in museums.

We should try to convert every human being into a conservationist. Zoos are working to preserve endangered species. We should care and save animals and their habitat because we both equally share the planet. Prevention of cruelty to animals act,The wildlife protection act are there to conserve the species.

CARTOON

CARTOON DEFINITION:

The word “cartoon” is derived from either the Italian word cartone or the Dutch word Karton, which are both words describing a strong, thick, or heavy paper, or pasteboard. A cartoon is usually a short, animated movie or television program. The term “cartoon” refers to an illustration or a series/sequence of drawings that depict satire, caricature, or humor. A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. One who makes cartoons is known as Cartoonist. A cartoon is mainly created to produce laughter, fun, joy, love, and unity.

WHEN DID CARTOON BEGIN? :

In the 19th century, beginning in Punch magazine in 1843, cartoon came to refer – ironically at first – to humorous illustrations in magazines and newspapers. The first animated television series was Crusader Rabbit. The cartoons became popular in the 1960s and 1970s.

TYPES OF CARTOONS:

There are different types of cartoons. Some of them are,

· Political Cartoons:-

A political cartoon is made to convey editorial commentary on politics, politicians, and current events. There are five elements of political Cartoons. They are symbols, exaggeration, irony, labeling, and analogy.

· Gag cartoons:-

Gag cartoons are cartoons, combination of punch lines and scenarios intended to make readers laugh. Modern “gag cartoons” are found in magazines, newspapers, and greeting cards. The gag cartoons generally consist of a single drawing with a caption beneath.

· Animated Cartoons:-

Cartoons can either refer to a drawing or a television program or film made using animation techniques. It is like a motion picture. It is a series of changing drawings that were being photographed and when projected quickly it gives the illusion of movement.

CARTOONIST:

One who makes cartoons is known as Cartoonist. The other names for cartoonists are animator, artist, humorist, illustrator, satirist, caricaturist, gagster, comic artist, comic book artist, etc….Some cartoonists work with artists who create the idea or story and write captions, and sometimes the cartoonist will write captions themselves. Charles Schulz was a cartoonist who drew the “Peanuts” comic strip for fifty years. Some cartoonists have their cartoons appear weekly or daily in newspapers, while others publish books or draw cartoons for web sites.

SOME OF THE POPULAR CARTOON SHOWS ARE:

There are many cartoons show. Some of the most popular cartoon shows are,

  • Flintstones
  • Richie Rich
  • The Smurfs
  • Tom and Jerry
  • Alvin and the chipmunks
  • Thomas and Friends
  • Power Puff Girls
  • Sponge Bob and Square Pants
  • Looney tunes
  • The Simpsons

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT CARTOONS:

  • There is an asteroid named after Donald Duck
  • The crew of “The Simpsons” once sent flowers to the crew of “South Park.”
  • Winnie-the-Pooh was named after a teddy bear owned by the son of A.A. Milne, the creator of Winnie.
  • Tom and Jerry cartoons won seven Oscars and being nominated for a total of 13.
  • In the original He-Man cartoon of the 1980s, He-Man could not use his sword as an offensive weapon or punch or kick anyone due to the broadcast standards of the period. In fact, he was mostly non-violent and usually just outsmarted his enemies .

HEALTH

HEALTH:

Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. In simple words, Health is the state of being well and free from illness. Health can be improved also through individual behavior and lifestyle choices such as eating more nutritious foods and getting more exercise. Combining good nutrition with physical activity can lead to a healthier lifestyle.

IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH:

Living a healthy lifestyle can help prevent chronic diseases and long-term illnesses. The importance of good health in a person’s life is undoubtedly great. Your health is at the center of your life. Every part of your life relies on you having good health. Living a healthy lifestyle can prevent long-term illnesses like such as Asthma, Diabetes, heart diseases, and many more. It provides us freedom from almost all diseases. It is necessary for all of us must maintain a healthy lifestyle to be fit and fearless of diseases. Good health is a secret of every happy man. Thus maintaining health is an important one.

TYPES OF HEALTH:

There are five main aspects of personal health: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual.

  • PHYSICAL HEALTH:

Physical health represents one dimension of total well-being. The term refers to the state of your physical body and how well it’s operating.

  • EMOTIONAL HEALTH:

Emotional health is a person’s ability to accept and manage feelings through challenge and change.

  • SOCIAL HEALTH:

Social health can be defined as our ability to interact and form meaningful relationships with others. It also relates to how comfortably we can adapt to social situations.

  • SPIRITUAL HEALTH:

Spiritual health is achieved when you feel at peace with life. Spiritual health is that aspect of our well-being that organizes the values, the relationships, and the meaning and purpose of our lives.

  • INTELLECTUAL HEALTH:

The intellectual dimension of wellness encourages creative, stimulating mental activities. Intellectual wellness encourages learning.

HOW TO MAINTAIN GOOD HEALTH:

It is very important to maintain good health because with good health one will enjoy life without any disease or disorder. Good health is a matter of great concern, to maintain it, healthy living and a disciplined life is a must. The most important tip for a healthy body is to have healthy food and eat them at a proper time. eating a balanced diet, exercising, and getting plenty of rest are key to maintaining good health. Some of the tips for maintaining good health are to Eat a variety of nutrient rich foods, Eat moderate portions, Do not skip meals ,Walk more, Get enough sleep, Activities such as playing an instrument, games, or reading give the brain necessary exercise to improve health.

FACTS ABOUT HEALTH:

  • Your feet have 500,000 sweat glands.
  • Your nose can recognize 50,000 different odors.
  • Laughing can increase blood flow by 20%
  • Skin is the largest organ in the body and it defends against diseases and infections.
  • Being an optimist may help you live longer.
  • Learning a new language or playing a musical instrument gives your brain a boost.
  • Drinking coffee can reduce the risk of depression.
  • Writing things by hand will help you remember them.

Gujarat government announces Solar Power Policy, 2021

Gujarat government announces Solar Power Policy, 2021

     The Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani on December 29, 2020, announced the Solar Power Policy, 2021 for the next five years. The policy aims at reducing the power costs of the industrial units by almost 50% while also removing any capacity ceiling for setting up a solar project in the state.

     The latest policy by the government also allows the consumers to give their premises or roofs on lease to the third party for the generation as well as consumption of power on the same premises. The announcement by CM was made in Gandhinagar in the presence of Saurabh Patel, State Energy Minister, and Sunaina Tomar, Principal Secretary (Energy & Petrochemicals).

     The Chief Minister of the state while informing about the new policy stated that a result of this new Solar Power Policy, the increase in production and consumption cost for the industries. It will also contribute to the ‘Made in Gujarat’ brand to increase its presence in the global market.

     CM Shri Vijay Rupani announces Gujarat Solar Power Policy 2021 with an aim to reduce production cost and give boost to competitively priced ‘Made in Gujarat’ brands in the global market.

     The current power cost of the industries in Gujarat state is Rs.8 per unit which is likely to get halved because of the latest Solar Power Policy 2021. This Solar Power Policy will also help them in competing in the global market.

     The new solar policy, apart from lifting the cap on the solar plant’s size and also allowing the consumers to give their premises or roofs on a lease, will also allow the group of consumers to set up the solar projects for the self-consumption as a collective ownership project. It will allow them to consume the generated energy as per ratio of their ownership.

     The major breakthrough of the policy is, it has done away with the ceiling on the installed capacity of the solar plant. Previously, the cap on the solar project as allowed by the government was 50% of the contracted demand or sanctioned load.

  • According to the new policy, the government will be able to purchase the surplus energy from the micro, small and medium enterprises, and residential consumers after setting off against their consumption.
  • The consumers will be allowed to sell their surplus solar power at a tariff of Rs. 2.25 per unit.
  • As per the Gujarat state government, DISCOMS will be able to purchase power from small scale solar projects at 20 paise per unit tariff for the projects that are up to 4MW.
  • The solar power association also welcomes the step of removing the capacity restrictions for all the categories of industrial, commercial, and residential consumers.

The Gujarat state government, in 2015, announced the solar policy for increasing the growth the supply of affordable power of the sector. PM Modi had also earlier laid the foundation of the country’s largest hybrid renewable energy park with a capacity of 30 Gigawatt in Kutch, Gujarat.

Eating less is better than Eating more

Do you overeat? Well if you do, then you are inviting the houses of diseases into your body. You overeat when you are tempted to eat delicious food surrounding around you. Some people overeat due to stress. Food is a necessity in our life. We should eat only when it is enough for our body.

Overeating cause laziness and obesity. Today many students overeat without doing exercise which cause health problems at a young age. They just eat and get busy with their laptop and phones without doing any exercise. People eating in depression results to weight gaining. Binge-eating disorder people consume large amount of foods. Disease like heart disease, strokes and diabetes can occur in our body. Younger people like to eat sweets and chocolates more. This can increase their calories.

Eating less with healthy food can maintain your health and boost your energy. A proper diet plan is good for human being and can make your brain active. You feel better and can avoid laziness. You are free to eat snacks or junk food , but in small portions. This will give you satisfaction as well no extra fat that wil harm your body. Eating too less can also be bad for our body which results in malnutrition. That’s why you should take proper meal. This can increase your goal to live longer. You will feel less aged. Eat the right amount of calories for you. Drink water and sugar free drinks to quench your thirst. Eat your meal satisfied rather than eating full.

Eat less, Eat healthy. Stay fit

UNDERWATER WORLD

ABOUT UNDERWATER WORLD:

There is a world inside water which is the underwater world. The underwater world is an amazing place full of mysterious and wonderful creatures. The underwater world is filled with beauty, color, and life. There are over millions of known species of plants and animals in our oceans and many millions maybe still be discovered.The animals in the underwater world are aquatic. They are purely a pleasure to see.

WHY IS AQUATIC LIFE IMPORTANT? :

Aquatic life is one part of many life cycles that exist to maintain the equilibrium of the entire life cycle. The food chain is dependent on aquatic animals. Human beings also depend on many aquatic animals and plants to survive. The aquatic wildlife gives the sources of food, energy, jobs, atmospheric oxygen, and global climate change. Other than fish Snails, worms, turtles, frogs, marsh birds, alligators, beavers, otters, snakes, and many types of insects live in the aquatic ecosystem.

AQUATIC ANIMALS:

In Underwater World, aquatic animals consist of mammals like whales, mollusks such as sea snails, cnidarians, also known as jellyfish, and crustaceans like crabs. Aquatic animals which live in river, lakes, and pond are freshwater animals. Aquatic animals that live in oceans are Marine or saltwater animals. Some animals live on both land and water such as snails, crabs, and turtles, etc….

INTERESTING SEA CREATURES OF UNDERWATER WORLD:

There are also interesting and mysterious sea creatures in the underwater world. Some of them are,

  • PURPLE EYED GOBY:-

It is also known as Gudgeon, Hovering Goby, Pinkeye Goby, Purple-eye Goby, Purple-eyed Dwarf Goby, Purple-eyed Goby, Redeye Goby, Red-eyed Goby, Reef Goby. It is mainly found in small schools hovering in the branches of Acropora Corals over shallow lagoon reefs.

  • PINE CONE FISH:-

The Pinecone Fish, also called the Pineapple Fish and Knight-fish is covered with spines and has a brilliant yellow body. The body is covered by heavy, platelike scales that overlap, giving the fish the appearance of a pinecone-hence its name.

  • FLYING FISH:-

These fish got their name due to their ability to fly above water to avoid predators. This fish can fly above the water for up to 45 seconds at a time. This fish has large pectoral fins that enable it to leap out of the water and fly above the surface for a few seconds.

  • GREEN NUDIBRANCH:-

It grows to at least 50 mm in length. Its body is covered with raised green nodules. The bright colors of this nudibranch species are an aposematic warning to predators. They are hermaphrodites.

  • PHYCODOROUS EQUES:-

It is also known as a leafy sea dragon. It is found along the southern and western coasts of Australia. The name is derived from the appearance, with long leaf-like protrusions coming from all over the body.

  • SUNFISH:-

Sunfish is the world’s heaviest bony fish. The average adult may weigh 1000 kg and the highest recorded weight is 2300 kg. The main prey of ocean sunfish is jellyfish.

  • DUMBO OCTOPUS:-

Dumbo octopuses move by slowly flapping their ear-like fins, and they use their arms to steer. Dumbo octopuses’ primary predators are diving fishes and marine mammals, including tunas, sharks, and dolphins. The Dumbo octopus is the deepest-living genus of all known octopuses. It lives at least 13,100 feet (4,000 m) below the surface.

  • RIBBON EEL:-

Ribbon eels are colorful animals that are a species of a moray eel. The Ribbon Eel is a very distinctive looking eel with their sharp head and enlarged fan like nasal openings. They will slowly extend themselves out the hole almost imperceptibly and swing closer and closer to the target fish.

SOME FUN FACTS OF UNDERWATER WORLD:

  • Walruses can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes on a single breath.
  • Sea turtles can’t hide in their shells.
  • 95% of the underwater world is yet to be explored.
  • Dolphins sleep with only half of their brain and one eye open so they can watch for predators and other treats.
  • Great White Sharks can go as long as 3-6 months without eating.

Farmers suicide in India

India is known as the agri-based economy. It is too much depended on agriculture. Agriculture is done by the farmers which feed crops to the entire country with their hardwork. They are known as the backbone of our nation.

Farmers are faced by many problems in our country. The news in papers are all about suicides. Everyday the farmers are committing suicides. Some drink pesticides, while some hang themselves in their houses. Why? Poverty is major issue for the farmers. They do not get the enough minimum support price that they should get by the government. They are not getting the right price for their crops. They cannot maintain the needs required for their living. In order to meet their needs, the farmers take loans that they are incapable to repay. Due to this, they are caught into indebtness.

Farmers are also dependent on seasons. If there are no rains, the entire crops get wasted. Drought also yield to crop like wheat, corn failure.

Recently, the farmers protest for the farm laws passed by the government. The protests took place in punjab, Haryana and uttar pradesh. But sadly to get attention from media and government, they had to face very unfortunate acts. The police tried to stop these farmers by using water cannons. Farmers suffered from cold and the food was not sufficient for enough days.

To avoid the issues regarding the farmers, we should help and educate them which will reduce their suicidal issues. The panchayats of the village should help them by canceling all their debts and prevent them from getting loan. The Indian government has to do more to support the farmers. They should improve storage facilities. Research said that to abandon support price and provide them income support. Create more farmers market because this will reduce their transport and storage costs.

Make a resolution to use local products says PM

MAKE A RESOLUTION TO USE LOCAL PRODUCTS SAYS PM

     Prime minister Narendra Modi urged the people of the nation to make a New Year resolution to substitute foreign-made products for local goods in 2021, in his last Mann ki Baat.

     Mr. Narendra Modi mentioned that manufacturers have to make sure that Indian-made products are up to global standards, as a part of the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) push and the Vocal for Local campaign.

     He asked Indians to make a list of daily used products and identify which ones are made abroad and look for Indian substitutes.

     “The abroad made things are unknowingly putting us down, let us find out the Indian substitutes for them and replace them, let us use the products which are made with the hard work and sweat of the Indian people, we make resolutions every year so, this year let us make a New Year resolution for the sake of our country”, Mr.Modi said.

     “ Getting rid of India of single-use plastic should be another resolution for 2021. Due to the pandemic, the topic of single-use was discussed much this year. Later he said our country had learned a lesson with every challenge we faced this year due to the whole COVID-19 pandemic. “ he said.

  Amid the ongoing agitation by farmers from Punjab against the farm laws,   Prime Minister spoke of the sacrifices of Guru Teg Bahadur, Mata Gujari, Guru Gobind Singh, and his sons, remembered as the four Sahibzade, and Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, adding that it was this kind of sacrifices that kept the fabric of India intact.

     He also mentioned the increase in the leopard population from 7,900 in 2014 to 12,852 in 2020. The Prime minister reminded the listeners that it was Geeta Jayanti two days ago by referring to the “uniqueness” of the Bhagavat Geeta.

      The Congress on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “showing insensitivity” towards farmers. The party said while Mr. Modi spoke on everything from “garbage to animals” in his last Mann ki Baat broadcast of the year, he did not mention the farmers’ agitation.

    Congress MP from Punjab Ranveet Singh Bittu said the Union government, before its next meeting with farmers, should withdraw the clause of penalty for stubble burning in the farm laws and the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 in its entirety.

     “Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on garbage to animals in his last Mann ki Baat but did not speak a word about the farmers’ agitation. Surely, a Prime Minister who as a tea-seller has spent time on railway platforms should understand the pains of the farmers”, Mr.Bittu said at a press conference here.

     Mr.Bittu said many soldiers posted at the borders with Pakistan and China too had requested the government to intervene at the earliest so that their parents can return home.

     “We don’t understand what the government wants? The farmers have been sitting on protest for 32 days now, many have died due to the biting cold. Does the government want their blood,” he asked.

Abandoning and ill-treatment of old parents

How much do you love your parents? From the small baby to the present you, they loved you unconditionally. Completing your every demand that you wished from your childhood. Can you repay the love by loving them till their end?

In today’s scenario, many old parents are abandoned by their own children. They left them at their poorly state. They feel burden to keep their old parents at home. Many parents are mistreated by snatching all the money by their children and thrown out of their own houses. They become helpless and cannot do anything. How can someone bare to see their parents crying?

What is the importance of celebrating Father’s day and mother’s day? They just show the love in the social media posts but they don’t show the actual love that they need the most in real life. They don’t spend much time together with them. In the old stage, they don’t want live lonely. They need the love and care that they had given the same to their own child.

For such cases, various laws has passed for the security of old parents. They can sue or file a complaint against them for such actions. The person can have 6 month jail for such shameful actions. For their safety various old age homes are provided for them with shelter and food.

This should be stopped and we need to learn and value our parents. Respect and love them . Help and be the support system of them.

INDIA

ABOUT INDIA:

India is the largest country in the south Asia Region, located primarily in the center of the subcontinent. It is an extremely diverse country, with vast differences in geography, climate, culture, languages. India remains to be one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and one of the fastest developing countries. Diversity of India in terms of geography, religion, races, food, and living habits of her people.

POPULATION OF INDIA:

India population in 2020 is estimated to be 1.38 Billion (138 crores). India is the second most populous country, after China and US is the third populous country in the world.  India’s population is young and more than half of the population is under the age of 35.

WHAT IS INDIA KNOWN FOR:

India is known for so many and is famous for its hundreds of things. Firstly, TAJ MAHAL is one of the seven wonders in the world. Taj Mahal was build in the 17th century by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz in Agra. It is also known for its diversity, its spirituality, its population, its sporting culture, and also Indian foods.

INDIAN CULTURE:

India has a diverse and distinct culture that has been developing for thousands of years and varies from region to region. Indian culture is one o f the milestones in the history of Indian literature. Culture is like a living organism, which can sustain and progress only when it shows adaptability in full abundance. Indian culture is as many-sided as life. It includes the intellectual and social aspects of any human being. It also takes account of the aesthetic instinct as well as the spiritual impulses of human beings.

STATES OF INDIA:

There are a total of 28 states and 8 union territories in India. Every state is ruled by a Chief Minister. The 28 states of India are,

  • Andhra Pradesh
  • Arunachal Pradesh
  • Assam
  • Bihar
  • Chhattisgarh
  • Goa
  • Gujarat
  • Haryana
  • Himachal Pradesh
  • Jharkhand
  • Karnataka
  • Kerala
  • Madhya Pradesh
  • Maharashtra
  • Manipur
  • Meghalaya
  • Mizoram
  • Nagaland
  • Odisha
  • Punjab
  • Rajasthan
  • Sikkim
  • Tamil Nadu
  • Telangana
  • Tripura
  • Uttar Pradesh
  • Uttarakhand
  • West Bengal

SPORTS IN INDIA:

Sports are good for any nation. Various games are played in India. Sports in India are badminton, football, shooting, wrestling, boxing, tennis, squash, weightlifting, gymnastics, athletics, table tennis, basketball, volleyball, and cycling. Popular indigenous sports include chess, kho-kho, kite-fighting, leg cricket, polo, snooker, and Gilli danda. India’s sporting icons such as chess wizard VISWANATH ANAND, cricket legend SACHIN TENDULKAR, billiards maestro GEETSETHI, tennis duo LEANDER PAES and MASHESH BOOPATHY are currently rated among the world’s best.

INTERESTING INDIAN FACTS:

  • There is an underwater waterfall in the Indian ocean
  • India is the second-largest producer of wheat, rice, sugar, groundnut, and inland fish.
  • There is a place in Bongaigaon Assam where River Champawati meets Brahmaputra and the scene represents our India map
  • Maysynram in India is noted as being the wettest place on earth is with over 11 meters of rain falling every year.
  • The steel wires used to make Bandra Worli sea link is equal to the earth’s circumference.

ENVIRONMENT

WHAT IS ENVIRONMENT? :

Everything around us is known as the environment. The environment is the total of land, water, air, and other living organisms. The environment is the area where we live. The environment also has an interrelationship with human beings. The environment is important to all. Changes in the environment affect living things. Today many people are working to protect the environment.

TYPES:

According to Kurt Lewin, the environment is simply classified as THREE types that influence the personality of an individual. They are,

  • PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT:-

                                             The physical environment refers to geographical climates and weather or physical conditions. The human working efficiency can also depend on the climatic conditions.

  • SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT:-

                                                                     The social and cultural environment includes an individual’s social and political conditions.

  • PSYCHOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT:-

                                                             The physiological environment enables us to understand the personality of an individual. Both the person and his goal form a psychological environment. By adopting this mechanism, the individual is helped in his adjustment to the environment.

STRUCTURE OF ENVIRONMENT:

                                                      The environment is both physical and biological. It includes both living and non-living components. They are,

  • Physical environment

The physical environment is classified into three broad categories. They are,

  • Solid
  • Liquid
  • gas  

WHY IS ENVIRONMENT IMPORTANT? :

 The environment is the key to the existence of life on earth. It matters because it provides air, food, and other essential needs. Environments also play an important role in regulating air and climate. . Without it, there can be no life on earth.There are other planets in the solar system without life because of a lack of environment. Hence the environment is important for all living beings to survive.

FUN FACTS ABOUT ENVIRONMENT!  :

  • AROUND 20 MILLION TREES ARE CUT DOWN EACH YEAR TO MAKE WOODEN CHOPSTICKS
  • TREES CAN HELP TO REDUCE NOISE POLLUTION
  • RECYCLING OF ONE TON PAPER CAN SAVE 17 TREES
  • HUMMINGBIRD’S EGGS ARE SMALLER THAN JELLY BEANS
  • DOLPHINS ARE MARINE MAMMALS AND NOT FISH
  • 75% OF EVERY VEHICLE IS RECYCLABLE
  • OVER 90% OF ALL VOLCANIC ACTIVITY HAPPENS IN THE OCEAN
  • WE EACH USE ABOUT 12,000 GALLONS OF WATER EACH YEAR

CONSEQUENCES OF ENVIRONMENT DEGRADATION:

Environmental Degradation occurs when the earth’s natural resources are depleted. It leads to weather extremes, species loss, rare specious disappearance, disasters, and over population. Land degradation and dam burst can lead to massive siltation and floods situation.

CAUSES OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTIONS:

                                        “ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION IS AN INCURABLE                                  DISEASE. IT CAN ONLY BE PREVENTED”.

                                                               -Barry Commoner

      Mainly the environment is polluted by air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution. Oil spillage causes environmental pollution when oil is spilled in water. Smoke and fumes from industries also lead to environmental pollution since it produces smoke that may limit oxygen supply. Land pollution is caused by accidental spills, landfill and litter dumping, use of chemical fertilizers.

HOW TO CONTROL ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION:

  1. Avoid excessive use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers
  2. Discharge of wastewater can be minimized
  3. Disposal of radioactive materials must be safe and secure            
  4. Use eco-friendly products
  5. Conduct pollution prevention programs
  6. Plant more trees
  7. Reduce waste production
  8. Avoid burning trashes and other materials.

Decision making in Business

Every organization faces some problems. Due to this, a decision has to be made by the top management. Decision making is an essential part in business organization. It is a decision made by the managers by choosing and selecting the best alternative from different alternatives in an organization. Decision making is a part of planning. Good decision has to be made quickly and at the right time .

Steps of decision making :

  1. Identify the problem:
    The first step is to understand what the issue is arising. We have to state the problem and then we can take what type of decision we need to make.
  2. Analysis of the problem: The second step is to understand why this problem has arised and what are the reasons behind this particular problem. A detail analysis will be done on a particular problem. They will work on how the problem can be resolved.
  3. Generating alternative solution:
    To list all possible solution can be taken to solve the problem. Different people give different opinions. We have to give the best solution so that the target will be finished at the right timing.
  4. Evaluate alternatives:
    Whatever options that had come out, we have to evaluate it. It is to state out the advantages and disadvantages of the alternatives. We have to evaluate the alternative at a company’s risk,time and budget. Cut out all the options which can hinder the organization. We have see which will be the most highest demand alternative that can be brought into the market.
  5. Select alternative:
    We have to choose the best alternative out of different alternatives, we have to select the best choices for the profit of the organization.
  6. Implement the alternatives:
    To take positive action and implement the alternative that have been chosen. We have to practically implement the decision taken.
  7. Monitoring the decision:
    To take review and feedback of the alternative decision taken for the organization. It is to see whether everything is going according to the planning.

These are the important steps that every organization should follow. This can strengthen the leadership qualities and help creating innovative ideas and can survive very well in the business world.

Dealing with the neighbors

     India shares borders with several sovereign countries; it shares land borders with China, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan in the north or north-west, and with Bangladesh and Myanmar in the east. India also shares water borders with Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia. They are more like our neighbors.

     India faced major challenges in its neighborhood from China: the whole COVID-19 pandemic, the growing competition for influence in South Asia, and aggressive action at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

What are the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA)?

The Line of Actual Control (LAC): The Line of Actual Control (LAC) is a notional demarcation line that separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory in the Sino-Indian border dispute. It subsequently referred to the line formed after the 1962 Sino-Indian War and is part of the Sino-Indian border dispute.

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA): The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is the regular armed forces of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the PRC’s founding and ruling political party, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Besides the Central Military Commission and several minor units directly under it, the PLA has five major service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, and the Strategic Support Force. A majority of military units around the country are assigned to one of five theater commands by geographical location. The PLA is the world’s largest military force and constitutes the second-largest defense budget in the world.

How India is dealing with the COVID-19 Challenge:

     The COVID-19 pandemic that originated in China has led to one of the biggest health challenges, causing heavy economic damage in South Asia. India stands second after the United States in terms of the number of cases, and the worst-hit economy among G20 nations. But India is also one of the best-poised nations to aid recovery efforts in the region, given its status as one of the world’s leading producers of pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines. In March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a special virtual summit of eight SAARC nations and proposed a COVID-19 package, for which India provided about half of the $20 million funding for relief. India’s military ran a series of missions to SAARC countries and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) with supplies of food and medicines, and India’s ‘Vande Bharat’ mission flew home nationals from neighboring countries, along with lakhs of Indians who had been stranded during the lockdown.

     India was not the only country in the region providing help. China, too, stepped up efforts to extend its influence in the South Asian region through COVID-19 relief.

What is the matter with Line of Actual Control (LAC) and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA)?

     China doubled down on territorial claims and its transgressions along its borders with South Asia: from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh, PLA soldiers amassed along various sectors of the LAC, leading to violent clashes. The deaths of 20 Indian soldiers at the Galwan valley was the first such casualty in 45 years. China also laid claim to Bhutan’s Sakteng natural reserves and pushed along the boundary lines with Nepal, all of which changed India’s strategic calculations along its Himalayan frontiers. That India and Nepal saw their worst tensions in decades over the construction of a road to Lipulekh, leading to Nepal amending its construction and map to claim Indian territory, added to the already fraught situation. Meanwhile, a new defense pact this year between China and Pakistan vis-à-vis a sharp rise in ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LOC) with Pakistan to the highest levels since 2003, has made it clear that India must factor in among its military challenges at the LAC the possibility of a two-front war.

NEW EDUCATION POLICY 2020, THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION SYSTEM

“The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.”

Following a long 34-year era, On July 28, 2020, the Union Cabinet of India approved the National Education Policy (NEP), implementing drastic reforms in schooling and higher education. Through more than 50 months of consultations and seminars, the Indian government consolidated input from 2.5 lakh village-level stakeholders to two national parliamentary level committees. Let’s have a glance at how these alterations will impact the learners and learning institutions:

Sketch of What the NEP Covers

The four-part National Education Policy covers school education in addition to higher education. Other primary areas of focus’ are adult education, the promotion of Indian languages and online education; and ‘Making it happen‘, which addresses the implementation of the policy. The policy focuses on the revision of the curriculum in school education, a decrease in the syllabus to maintain “core fundamentals” and a focus on “experiential learning and critical reasoning. For example, for different kinds of enrichment events involving arts, sports, and vocational crafts, bag less days will be promoted during the year.

Digital and Comprehensive, Futuristic and Indigenous

Under NEP 2020, there will be no rigid separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extra-curricular activities, between vocational and academic streams. Students can select subjects of their liking across the streams. Vocational education will start in schools from the 6th grade and will include internships. NRF will be set up soon and will look after the support, mentoring and building of ‘research quality’ in India.

The NRF seeks to support researchers in India who work across streams. NRF will finance research projects across four major disciplines: science; technology; social sciences; and arts and humanities, in order to incorporate non-scientific research disciplines into its area.

How Different it is from The Past?

Some of the NEP 2020’s main highlights are a single authority for institutions of higher education, various entrances and exits choices for degree courses, cessation of M.Phil courses, low-stakes board exams, general university entrance exams. The New Education Policy would bring a range of significant changes, including the establishment of campuses in India by top international universities, a higher percentage of students receiving vocational education and a step towards institutions such as IITs turning multi-disciplinary This policy represents a breakthrough for India’s education system, which will undoubtedly make India an enticing higher education destination worldwide.

Subtle Misfires

A long-term idea of far-reaching effect is spelt out by the Current Education Policy (NEP) and will turn potential problems into opportunities by developing a quality education system. Of-courses, with changes, there come a few hits and misses. For instance, the formation of Academic Bank of Credit to store academic credits received from various HEIs digitally so that they can be counted for the final degree earned is welcomed but how will it bridge the current glaring digital divide prior? Furthermore, funding linked to states’ performance will result in low-income and low-performing states being strapped for potential central funding, resulting in more stratification.

Call for Efficient Execution

In view of the current educational regime, the NEP is a significant and progressive shift in the growth of India’s educational landscape. The NEP is more student-centred, allowing students the freedom to follow their passion and developing their skills so that they can become more employable. All in all, for its efficient and time-bound implementation, a holistic approach is needed from all stakeholders.

Power of Happiness

Happiness is a feeling of love that you feel and express through different medium. In our current situation many have lost their smile on their face that lead to depression. Is that you really want in your life? Nobody wants to be unhappy in their life. There are solutions where you can find happiness.

The most important thing is to love yourself first. The feeling or sense of happiness towards yourself can bring positive changes into your life. If you are happy then you have the power of making another being happy.

Different people express happiness in different ways. Someone happiness is to travel and explore the world while some other people love to cook, dancing, singing and many other things. You must do what makes you happy. Spend times with your loved ones whom you care about. Life can be in difficult situation sometime, but never lose hope. It’s ok to cry or feel sad for sometime. But not too long, try to kick away those bad moments and try to create happy and cheerful surroundings. If you are being happy, you have the power to attract nice people into your life.

Happiness is a miracle that it reduces stress and problems that are attached to your life. Researchers have found that a happy person is the most successful people in life. Successful doesn’t only mean money, it also means to living a happy and meaningful life with your closest ones. It is also very important to cut out those people who try to bring you down and makes your problem bigger.

Those who have an upset mood of sitting bored at home,not going anywhere. Try to make them happy and spend your leisure time with them. A person trying to make others happy can reflect him back with a smile which will also make his day better. Helping a needy person can also create happiness to you as well as for them. Create wonderful moments and never stop being in life. It is you who decide what to you make to lead a happy life. Light up your world and it will give you the power of Happiness.

The first set of data from Chandrayaan-2 has been released, says the ISRO

       Chandrayaan-2  which means “moon craft” in Sanskrit is India’s second mission to the moon. It was developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and was launched on July 22, 2019, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The Chandraayan-2 mission was India’s first attempt to land on the lunar surface, it consists of a lunar orbiter, and also included the Vikram lander and the Pragyan lunar rover. However, the lander deviated from its intended trajectory while attempting to land on 6 September 2019, which caused a ‘hard landing’. According to the failure analysis report submitted to ISRO, the crash was caused by a software glitch.

The primary objectives of Chandrayaan-2:

  • The primary objectives of Chandrayaan to demonstrate the ability to soft-land and operate a robotic rover on the lunar surface.

The scientific objectives of Chandrayaan-2:

  • To map the lunar surface and help to prepare 3D maps of it.
  • To study the water ice in the south polar and thickness regolith on the surface.
  • To study lunar topography, mineralogy, element abundance, the lunar exosphere and the signature of hydroxyl and ice water.

     ISRO on Thursday i.e, December 24, 2020, said it had released the first set of data from Chandrayaan-2 for the general public. The orbiter which was injected into a lunar orbit on September 2, 2019, carries eight experiments to answer many open questions on lunar science. ISRO stated that all experiments have been performing well and the data received suggest excellent capability to deliver on the pre-launch promises.

    The Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC) is the nodal centre of planetary data archive for the planetary missions of the ISRO. The public release data archived at the Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC) in Bylalu, are prepared in the standard, globally followed Planetary Data System 4 (PDS4) format for public release, the Chandrayaan-2 data are required to be in the Planetary Data System-4 (PDS4) standard, and required to be peer-reviewed technically and scientifically before acceptance as PDS archives and declared ready for sharing with the global scientific community and the general public, the ISRO added.

    Now, This activity has been completed and hence the first set of data from the Chandraayan-2 mission is now being released through PRADAN portal hosted by the IISDC. Data sets from the Imaging Infra-Red Spectrometer (IIRS) payload will be added to this shortly, it said, adding that this release has Level-0 to Level-1 basic data sets prepared using Planetary Data System (PDS) version 4 standards.

The third mission to the moon:

      The ISRO had planned the landing on the South pole of the lunar surface. The Chairman of ISRO K.Shivan said that the government has approved a third lunar mission and work is in progress. The mission named Chandrayaan-3 which includes a new propulsion module, moon lander and rover. “We have not yet fixed the schedule for the Chandrayaan-3 launch” added the Chairman. If successful, India will become the fourth country to make a soft landing on the moon. The new equipment costs around $35 million with its launcher costing a further $51 million.

Take It Day By Day – Learn from Great Personality

By Shashikant Nishant Sharma

We Generate Fears While We Sit. We Overcome Them By Action.

Dr. Henry Link

We are asked all our lives, by our peers, our teachers, loved ones and visitors, ‘How old are you?’ in schools, functions, gatherings and on the streets. We mumble our answer in a monotonous tone until we pass school or college. After this, we feel as if we are on our own. We start to dread this question. Why?

Because the question takes quite a different turn as we grow up. Often joining hands with another following question ‘Well, what have you done in your life until now?’ 

Leaves us speechless sometimes, doesn’t it? 

How We Compare And Why We Compare

We see our peers doing extraordinary things in their lives. Going around the world, taking various responsibilities, beginning their careers, and making the most out of their time. We judge our accomplishments with their’s and underestimate ourselves. 

The Only Limit To Our Realization Of Tomorrow Will Be Our Doubts Of Today.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The dream of early success is so over-glorified, in the media, in society and well, on our dreams itself. The vision of getting a well-paid job in our 20s and settling down in a middle-class luxury life is a common desire. But is this what life is all about?

What about the skills we have acquired throughout our lives? Our experiences? Our creations? Most of all, What good have we done for society? 

What is Life All About?

Life is not just about mere existence. The capitalist world makes us aspire for a luxurious life but speaks nothing on the moral deeds we should do and how learning is a constant process in life, not merely something we finish in schools and institutions.

Learning has no age limit. We are never too old to learn something new and do our part. Several icons of the modern world whom we admire have paid their share of creations well after their thirties and more. 

What You Lack In Talent Can Be Made Up With Desire, Hustle And Giving 110% All The Time.

Don Zimmer

For instance, comedian Steve Carell; who is known blockbuster hit such as “The Big Short” staring as Micheal Scott in The Office, didn’t land his hit role as Michael Scott until 42 years of age. 

  • Steve Carell

Other famous cases of late successes are Ricky Gervais(creator of The Office); Arianna Huffington (Founder of HuffPost) and even J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved Harry Potter books, started writing the first book of the world-famous franchise well into her thirties. All of their life events towards success continue to inspire us in addition to their inventions staying immortal.  

This doesn’t mean we should hold our lives in pause mode and hope for the best, that life will figure itself out as we age. A person must have a moral aim in their life. We must aspire to create, innovate and inspire ourselves at every point since the start. It depends on the quality, not quantity. 

Swami Vivekananda did great things in his short lifetime. One doesn’t have to be him to attain noble things; One should take the great monk’s values and aspire to do charitable deeds in their lives for the society and themselves. 

Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda’s popular quote often serves as a great inspiration when we feel at our lowest:- 

Arise, awake and do not stop until the goal is reached.

Swami Vivekananda

A person doesn’t simply become great in a day at something. It takes a deal of consistent effort to be exemplary at something. After all, practice makes perfect. We must fail at times to learn from mistakes and rise strong. Failures are the pillars of success. Famous talk show host Oprah was fired from her job as an anchor, but she took failure as an experience. Now she is one of the most popular figures in today’s world and the cherry on top, a billionaire. 

Everybody has a calling. And your real job in life is to figure out as soon as possible what that is, who you were meant to be, and to begin to honor that in the best way possible for yourself.

Oprah Winfrey

Our aspirations in life might not come easy, be done in a short while, and might often make us discouraged and have us abhor life itself. Don’t care about what others are doing in their lives, go at your pace. During these moments in time, we must remember, ‘where there is a will, there is a way’. If there’s a true passion for the right cause, a rational purpose, then no one can stop you from achieving your ambition. Remember as you age, you are not getting ‘old’, you are getting better. 

Ranjitsinh Disale – The Global Teacher 2020

A teacher holds the power to change a student’s life. And that’s what a teacher from the state of Maharashtra did. He took a stand for promoting girls education and changed the lives of many girls.

On 3rd December 2020, Ranjitsinh Disale a teacher from Solapur district, Maharashtra won the Global Teacher Prize 2020 with a cash prize of $1-million.

He said, The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed education and the communities it serves in a multitude of ways. But in this hard time, teachers are giving their best to make sure every student has access to their birthright of a good education.

He also said, Teachers are the real change-makers who are changing the lives of their students with a mixture of chalk and challenges. They always believe in giving and sharing. And, therefore, I am very pleased to announce that I will share 50% of the prize money equally among my fellow, top 10 finalists to support their incredible work. Because I believe, together we can make a difference and we can make this world a better place.

He believes he is not the winner he is equal among all the rest 9 top 10 finalists. His attitude towards growing and sharing has put a mark that we should learn to share because if we will share then only we can grow together.

When Ranjitsinh Disale arrived at the Zilla Parishad Primary School at Paritewadi in Solapur in 2009, it was a dilapidated building, sandwiched between a cattleshed and a storeroom. Most of the girls in the school were from tribal communities. Atendance was very low. Sometimes it could be as low as 2% and teenage marriage was very common. Some students were unable to understand the textbooks because it was not in their primary language(Kannada). But Ranjitsinh did not give hope he learned Kannada and taught them by translating the textbooks to their local language.

He also started QR coded textbooks by the help of which students could learn through video lectures, audio poems and stories. And later his school became the first in the Maharashtra to use QR coded textbooks. In 2017 state ministry decided to introduce QR coded textbooks for classes 1-12. Following which in 2018 NCERT also introduced QR coded textbooks.

His school is in a drought-prone district of Maharashtra but he has tackled with this issue also by increasing green land from 25% to 33% in the last ten years. In all, 250 hectares of land surrounding his village was saved from desertification, earning his school the ‘Wipro Nature for Society’ award in 2018.

CEO of Microsoft (Satya Nadela) has recognized Ranjitsinh’s work as one of three stories from India in his book Hit Refresh. He has won the Innovative Researcher of the Year 2016 award and he has also won the National Innovation Foundation’s Innovator of the Year award in 2018. He has communicated his methods by writing more than 500 newspaper articles and blogs, as well as participating in television discussions on educational topics.

He is a teacher with utmost respect who has dedicated his life for girls education and now all his work has made tremendous impact. Teenage marriages has stopped in that place and the school is having 100% attendance of girls.

National Consumer Day!

In India,the National Consumer Day is observed every year on December 24 to spread awareness about importance of consumer,their rights and responsibilities.

Mahatma Gandhi said”A customer is the most important visitor on our premises.He is not dependent on us,we are dependent on him.He is not an interrruption in our work,he is the purpose of it.”

On Dec 24,1986,the Consumer Protection Act 1986 received the approval of the President of India and came into force.It was enforced so that consumers can be more aware of their entitled rights.

The rights recognized under the Consumer Protection Act,1986,provided in the UN Charter are Right to protection,Right of Information, Right of Choice,Right of Hearing,Right of Redressal and Right of Education.

The theme of National Consumer Day 2020 is “The Sustainable Consumer”.Acknowleding the sustainability of the customer in these critical times is the most important thing to do to sustain Indian economy.

The consumer movement will highlight the changes in lifestyles of consumers so that it gets easy for the government and businesses to make sustainability the easy choice for consumers.

How to Select a Right Journal to Publish your Research Paper?

How to Select a Right Journal to Publish your Research Paper?

1. Use Journal Finder

Most of the leading publishers provide a free tool called ‘Journal Finder’, which helps to identify the right suitable journal for research area with relevant keyword to publish the manuscript. some of the journal finding tools are given below.

IEEE Publication Recommender

Wiley Jounal Finder

Elsvier Journal Finder

Springer Nature Journal Suggester

Edanz Journal Selector

Cofactor Journal Selector

2. What type of article accepted by the journal?

Before going to submit your manuscript verify the types of articles accepted by the journal(Review, Case study, or Theorem). Ensuring the journal’s publication policy will reduce more time by selecting the right journal.

3. Get expert recommendations

Getting a view about the journal from senior scholars or professors is a good idea to select the journal. If they already published their article in that journal then they would have enough knowledge about the journal procedures.

4. Analysis Journal Metrics

Analysis journal’s Impact Factor(IF) is one measure of its reputation, but not always the most important. You should consider the prestige of the authors that publish in the journal and whether your research is of a similar level.

Check -> How Impact Factor(IF) is calculated?

5. Check the frequency of the publication

The different journal has a different timeline of the review process, always verify the frequency of the publication (Monthly, Quarterly, or Twice a yearly) before submitting your manuscript.

6. Published Articles in the Literature

Analyse the published articles in your field that are similar in scope and impact on the field, and see where they were published. It is an easy way of selecting the journal by checking your literature review paper’s publication.

Always select two or three choices of a suitable journal from your research area. if your paper is rejected from your first-choice journal, you can quickly submit to your second-choice journal.

Important tips before choosing a journal

Read or download Guide for Authors.

Verify the journal topics match your area of research.

Check if the journal is invitation-only as some journals will only accept articles after inviting the author.

Submit your paper to only one journal at the time.

Read the aims and scope of the journal.

If you need to publish open access know that most Elsevier journals have open access options explained on the journal homepage.

Check the journal performance for the review and publication timelines.


Hope, this article helps you to select the right journal to publish your valuable scientific research article. 

I’m different

I have heard people talking about me being different from other children, since my childhood. My neighbor Aunties, my class teacher discussing with other teachers she is too shy, cannot mix-up well with her classmates, always lost in her own world. That time I was in 3rd standard. And I used to wonder why? What makes me different from other children, why my elders find me different or something abnormal in me… but my classmates never made me feel any different, I had 4-5 good friends and 1 best friend with them I was fully comfortable. From class 1st to 8th, I was in same school and well settled, there was no issue because my classmates have seen me from 7 years and they accepted me as I am, at that time nobody could point out me to be different. Everything was going well and I forgot what people said about me earlier, that time I didn’t feel I’m different from others and I was always excited to go to school.

Then I got promoted to 9th class and my father Got transfer to another City. It took me 2-3 months to adjust there it was hard for me as that was a big change after so many years but I still managed because there also I got a good batch they were very friendly helpful. But after a year, I was in 10th my Father again got transfer and this time it really made a dent in my self confidence. Ya, I am an introvert and I take time to get comfortable with others and I need time to make friends, but others should also try to make me feel comfortable, friendship does not go one way. as I was new in the class that too 10th class lot of pressure of studies, the teachers were also so rude and they didn’t help me to cop up with studies as I have came in the middle of the session nobody helped me. rather my maths teacher started saying I’m abnormal, then I failed in maths half-yearly exam for the first time I had failed in any subject, I got depressed and teachers said I won’t pass 10th, they suggested my parents for drop out that year. I suffered a lot of health problems due to maladjustment, but somehow I managed to score 76% in 10th board exams. Class 10th was the worst year of my school life. I did my 12th also from that school and those 3 years were like prison for me, I had no friends there some students used to bully me because I don’t talk much, but that’s their point of view, I’m talkative around right people:-)

Now I’m in 2nd year in college, I have many friends but not any best friend but that’s okay…I have learned to walk alone. I need to overcome my shyness but being an introvert is my nature..I can’t change it and there is no harm in being a bit different:-)

Voting underway for by-polls to 54 assembly seats in 10 states

Voting for by elections in 54 assembly seats in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Odisha, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Nagaland is also taking place today.

In Karnataka, the polling for State Assembly By-Election to Sira and R. R. Nagar is under progress peacefully. Sira reported 23.63 per cent voter turnout while the turnout remained at 14.44 per cent in R R Nagar within Bengaluru city till 11 a.m. There are 15 candidates in fray in Sira and 16 in R. R. Nagar constituency. BJP, Congress and JD(S) have fielded their candidates in both the constituencies. There are 330 Polling Booths in Sira and 678 in R R Nagar.

In this election, M-3 EVMs are being used as they have long lasting batteries and can connect with up to 24 Ballot units as against 4 Ballot units in M-2 model. It can also accommodate 384 candidates as against 64 candidates in the M-2 model.

In Telangana, 34.33 per cent polling was reported till 11 A.M. in Dubbaka By-Poll today. Polling will continue till 6 P.M. Over one lakh 98 thousand electors are eligible to exercise their franchise at over 300 Polling Stations in the constituency while total 23 candidates, including of the ruling TRS, Opposition Congress and BJP candidates are in the fray.

The election was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA S. Ramalinga Reddy earlier during the year. The TRS and Opposition Congress and BJP have taken the by-poll as prestigious and making all out efforts to win the seat. The counting of votes will take place on 10th of this month.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has given its approval for Corona Positive patients to exercise their franchise during the last hour of polling in PPE kits. It may be known that Siddipet district, in which Dubbaka constituency falls, is one of the intense COVID districts of the state, reported 30 fresh COVID cases during the past 24 hours.

In Gujarat, more than 23 per cent average turnout was recorded in By-Elections of eight Assembly seats till 11 A.M. Quoting official sources, our correspondent reports that maximum 39 per cent polling was recorded in Dang constituency during the first four hours. Limbadi seat of Surendranagar district recorded 26 per cent turnout till 11 a.m. While Morbi seat recorded 24 per cent turnout during the same period. Lowest 16 per cent turnout was recorded in Dhari seat of Amreli district.

Polling started at 7 a.m. for By-Elections of eight Assembly seats which include Abadasa, Limbdi, Morbi, Dhari, Karjan, Gadhada SC and Dang and Kaprada ST seats. More than 18 lakh 17 thousand voters including more than nine lakh women voters are eligible to cast their votes. Elaborate arrangements have been made for free and fair polling including tight security arrangements.
 
In Madhya Pradesh, polling is underway for byelections to 28 assembly constituencies. Voting, which began at 7 am, will conclude 6 pm. 355 candidates including 22 women are in the fray. Maximum 38 candidates are in Mehgaon seat of Morena district while the minimum 3 candidates are in Badnawar seat of Dhar district. All arrangements have been made to ensure free and fair polling. Eighty four companies of the Central Police Force have been deployed at the polling centers. AIR correspondent reports that, the Election Commission has already made all preparations for peaceful and fair voting. 13 thousand 115 ballot units and control units and 14 thousand 50 VVPET have been made available for voting. 355 candidates including 14 ministers are in the fray. A total of 3 thousand 38 critical polling booths have been identified in the by-elections. Arrangement of 250 flying squads and 293 police posts have been made for peaceful, fair, transparent and safe polling.
 
Additional Chief Electoral Officer Arun Kumar Tomar informed that over 63 lakh 88 thousand voters are exercising their franchise in these 28 seats. There are 33 lakh 72 thousand male and 29 lakh 77 thousand female voters among them. 198 voters of third gender are also part of the election process. Meanwhile, of these 28 seats, 27 were held by Congress and the only Agar seat was occupied by BJP.
 
In Uttar Pradesh, voting for by-elections to 7 Assembly seats will be held from 7 am to 6 pm today, adhering to all COVID-19 guidelines. Out of these seven seats, six were held by the BJP and one by Samajwadi Party. AIR correspondent reports, in the wake of the Covid pandemic all necessary arrangements have been made for the free fair and corona free polling at all the polling stations. These by elections are crucial for the ruling BJP who campaigned extensively under leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He has completed more than 3.5 years in the office and the results can give a sense of mood of the public before assembly elections in 2022.
 
The seven seats on which pilling is going on are  Naugawan Sadat in Amroha Bulandshahar, Tundla seat in firozabad  Bangarmau in Unnao, Ghatampur in Kanpur dehat ,Deoria sadr and Malahani in Jaunpur district. Altogether there are 88 candidates in the fray for these 7 seats with Bulandshahr seat having the highest number of 18 candidates while the Ghatampur seat has the lowest of 6.
 
In Odisha, voting is underway for byelection to the Baleswar sadar and Tirtol assembly constituencies. Adequate arrangements have been made for security as well as for making the entire process covid safe. More than 800 polling stations have been set up in the two constituencies. AIR correspondent reports, while 90 platoons of police force and 6 companies of Central armed police forces has been deployed to ensure security of the polling process in both the constituencies, more than three thousand polling personnel are engaged to conduct voting.
 
Along with this, about eight hundred Anganwadi and ASHA workers and an equal number of volunteers have also been deployed to assist in making the process covid safe.
 
As per the arrangement, while all the polling booths will continue to be intermittently sanitized as the polling progresses through the day, voters are being made to pass through thermal screening before they can cast their votes. Those with high body temperature are being issued tokens to cast their votes at last.
 
A maximum of one thousand voters will be allowed at each polling station to cast their votes for which the number polling stations have almost been doubled to ensure social distancing and other covid-19 preventive protocols.
 
By-election is also being held for Marwahi assembly seat in Chhattisgarh. This seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribes candidate. AIR correspondent reports, in Marwahi assembly constituency of Chhattisgarh, more than one lath 91 thousand voters, including 97 thousand females, are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of eight candidates in this by-election. Total 286 polling stations have been set up.
 
In view of Covid-19 pandemic, special precautions are being taken in polling stations. Availability of thermal scanner, hand sanitiser, soap and water were ensured at polling stations. According to the guidelines of the Election Commission of India, voters will not be able to vote in the polling stations without wearing mask and sanitizing their hands. Special arrangements have been made for Corona affected voters, they can exercise their franchise in the last one hour of polling.

   

Farm Bill 2020

The three bills that were passed by the Lok Sabha are the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill

According to the government, the bills would transform the agriculture sector which will raise the farmers’ income. It also promises doubling farmers’ income by 2022 and the Centre said that the Bills will make the farmer independent of government controlled markets and fetch them a better price for their produce.

Moreover, the government said that these Bills aims to create a system in which the farmers and traders can sell their purchase outside the Mandis. It also encourages intra-state trade and this proposes to reduce the cost of transportation.

The farm bill 2020 aims to enable farmers to engage with agri-business companies, retailers, exporters for service and sale of produce while giving the farmer access to modern technology.

It also aims to benefits the small and marginal farmers with less than five hectares of land. The Bill also will remove items such as cereals and pulses form the list of essential commodities and attract FDI.

Unemployment in India

The unemployment rate in India jumped to 29% since the country went into lockdown from March 2020, says the report of CMIE – Centre For Monitoring Indian Economy. The lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak has forced many industries to shut down thus increasing unemployment across the country.

The unemployment rate in India rose to 7.2 percent in February 2019, the highest since September 2016, and also up from 5.9 percent in February 2018, according to the latest data compiled by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).

What is Unemployment?

Unemployment occurs when a person who is actively searching for employment is unable to find work. Unemployment is often used as a measure of the health of the economy. The most frequent measure of unemployment is the unemployment rate, which is the number of unemployed people divided by the number of people in the labor force.

National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) defines employment and unemployment on the following activity statuses of an individual:

  • Working (engaged in an economic activity) i.e. ‘Employed’.
  • Seeking or available for work i.e. ‘Unemployed’.
  • Neither seeking nor available for work.

The first two constitutes labour force and unemployment rate is the percent of the labour force that is without work.

Unemployment rate = (Unemployed Workers / Total labour force) × 100

Types of Unemployment in India

  • Disguised Unemployment:
    • It is a phenomenon wherein more people are employed than actually needed.
    • It is primarily traced in the agricultural and the unorganised sectors of India.
  • Seasonal Unemployment:
    • It is an unemployment that occurs during certain seasons of the year.
    • Agricultural labourers in India rarely have work throughout the year.
  • Structural Unemployment:
    • It is a category of unemployment arising from the mismatch between the jobs available in the market and the skills of the available workers in the market.
    • Many people in India do not get job due to lack of requisite skills and due to poor education level, it becomes difficult to train them.
  • Cyclical Unemployment:
    • It is result of the business cycle, where unemployment rises during recessions and declines with economic growth.
    • Cyclical unemployment figures in India are negligible. It is a phenomenon that is mostly found in capitalist economies.
  • Technological Unemployment:
    • It is loss of jobs due to changes in technology.
    • In 2016, World Bank data predicted that the proportion of jobs threatened by automation in India is 69% year-on-year.
  • Frictional Unemployment:
    • The Frictional Unemployment also called as Search Unemployment, refers to the time lag between the jobs when an individual is searching for a new job or is switching between the jobs.
    • In other words, an employee requires time for searching a new job or shifting from the existing to a new job, this inevitable time delay causes the frictional unemployment. It is often considered as a voluntary unemployment because it is not caused due to the shortage of job, but in fact, the workers themselves quit their jobs in search of better opportunities.
  • Vulnerable Employment:
    • This means, people working informally, without proper job contracts and thus sans any legal protection. These persons are deemed ‘unemployed’ since records of their work are never maintained.
    • It is one of the main types of unemployment in India.

Related Terms

  • Unemployment trap is a situation when unemployment benefits discourage the unemployed to go to work. People find the opportunity cost of going to work too high when one can simply enjoy the benefits by doing nothing.
    • Description: While the purpose of social security and welfare systems is to provide relief to the unemployed, they end up providing them with an incentive not to return to work. An unemployment trap arises when opportunity cost of going to work is higher than the income received, discouraging people from returning to work and being productive.
  • Harmonised unemployment rates define the unemployed as people of working age who are without work, are available for work, and have taken specific steps to find work. The uniform application of this definition results in estimates of unemployment rates that are more internationally comparable than estimates based on national definitions of unemployment.
    • This indicator is measured in numbers of unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force and it is seasonally adjusted. The labour force is defined as the total number of unemployed people plus those in civilian employment.

Measurement of Unemployment in India

National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), an organization under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) measures unemployment in India on following approaches:

  • Usual Status Approach: This approach estimates only those persons as unemployed who had no gainful work for a major time during the 365 days preceding the date of survey.
  • Weekly Status Approach: This approach records only those persons as unemployed who did not have gainful work even for an hour on any day of the week preceding the date of survey.
  • Daily Status Approach: Under this approach, unemployment status of a person is measured for each day in a reference week. A person having no gainful work even for 1 hour in a day is described as unemployed for that day.

Unemployment stats (based on findings from CMIE’s latest data):

  • The unemployment rate in India rose to 7.2 percent in February 2019, the highest since September 2016, and up from 5.9 percent in February 2018.
  • The total number of employed persons in February 2019 is estimated at 400 million against 406 million in the year-ago period and 407.5 million employed in February 2017.
  • The labour participation rate fell from 43.2% in January 2019 to 42.7% in February 2019.
    • Labour Participation Rate defines that section of working population in the economy which is currently employed or seeking employment.

Causes of Unemployment

  • Large population.
  • Low or no educational levels and vocational skills of working population.
  • Inadequate state support, legal complexities and low infrastructural, financial and market linkages to small/ cottage industries or small businesses, making such enterprises unviable with cost and compliance overruns.
  • Huge workforce associated with informal sector due to lack of required education/ skills, which is not captured in any employment data. For ex: domestic helpers, construction workers etc.
  • The syllabus taught in schools and colleges, being not as per the current requirements of the industries. This is the main cause of structural unemployment.
  • Inadequate growth of infrastructure and low investments in manufacturing sector, hence restricting employment potential of secondary sector.
  • Low productivity in agriculture sector combined with lack of alternative opportunities for agricultural worker which makes transition from primary to secondary and tertiary sectors difficult.
  • Regressive social norms that deter women from taking/continuing employment.

Impact

  • The problem of unemployment gives rise to the problem of poverty.
  • Young people after a long time of unemployment indulge in illegal and wrong activities for earning money. This also leads to increase in crime in the country.
  • Unemployed persons can easily be enticed by antisocial elements. This makes them lose faith in democratic values of the country.
  • It is often seen that unemployed people end up getting addicted to drugs and alcohol or attempts suicide, leading losses to the human resources of the country.
  • It also affects economy of the country as the workforce that could have been gainfully employed to generate resources actually gets dependent on the remaining working population, thus escalating socioeconomic costs for the State. For instance, 1 percent increase in unemployment reduces the GDP by 2 percent

Steps Taken by Government

  • Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) was launched in 1980 to create full employment opportunities in rural areas.
  • Training of Rural Youth for Self-Employment (TRYSEM): This scheme was started in 1979 with objective to help unemployed rural youth between the age of 18 and 35 years to acquire skills for self-employment. Priority was given to SC/ST Youth and Women.
  • RSETI/RUDSETI: With the aim of mitigating the unemployment problem among the youth, a new initiative was tried jointly by Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Educational Trust, Syndicate Bank and Canara Bank in 1982 which was the setting up of the “RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND SELF EMPLOYMENT TRAINING INSTITUTE” with its acronym RUDSETI near Dharmasthala in Karnataka. Rural Self Employment Training Institutes/ RSETIs are now managed by Banks with active co-operation from the Government of India and State Government.
  • By merging the two erstwhile wage employment programme – National Rural Employment programme (NREP) and Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP) the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY) was started with effect from April, 1, 1989 on 80:20 cost sharing basis between the centre and the States.
  • Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA):
    • It is an employment scheme that was launched in 2005 to provide social security by guaranteeing a minimum of 100 days paid work per year to all the families whose adult members opt for unskilled labour-intensive work.
    • This act provides Right to Work to people.
  • Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), launched in 2015 has an objective of enabling a large number of Indian youth to take up industry-relevant skill training that will help them in securing a better livelihood.
  • Start Up India Scheme, launched in 2016 aims at developing an ecosystem that promotes and nurtures entrepreneurship across the country.
  • Stand Up India Scheme, launched in 2016 aims to facilitate bank loans between Rs 10 lakh and Rs. 1 crore to at least one SC or ST borrower and at least one women borrower per bank branch for setting up a greenfield enterprise.

Way Forward

  • There are number of labour intensive manufacturing sectors in India such as food processing, leather and footwear, wood manufacturers and furniture, textiles and apparel and garments. Special packages, individually designed for each industry are needed to create jobs.
  • Public investment in sectors like health, education, police and judiciary can create many government jobs.
  • Decentralisation of Industrial activities is necessary so that people of every region get employment.
  • Development of the rural areas will help mitigate the migration of the rural people to the urban areas thus decreasing the pressure on the urban area jobs.
  • Entrepreneurs generate employments to many in a country; therefore government needs to encourage entrepreneurship among the youth.
  • Concrete measures aimed at removing the social barriers for women’s entry and their continuous participation in the job market is needed.
  • Government needs to keep a strict watch on the education system and should try to implement new ways to generate skilled labour force.
  • Effective implementation of present programs like Make in India, Skill India, Start up and Stand-Up India.
  • There is a need for National Employment Policy (NEP) that would encompass a set of multidimensional interventions covering a whole range of social and economic issues affecting many policy spheres and not just the areas of labour and employment. The policy would be a critical tool to contribute significantly to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
  • The underlying principles for the National Employment Policy may include
    • enhancing human capital through skill development;
    • creating sufficient number of decent quality jobs for all citizens in the formal and informal sectors to absorb those who are available and willing to work;
    • strengthening social cohesion and equity in the labour market;
    • coherence and convergence in various initiatives taken by the government;
    • supporting the private sector to become the major investor in productive enterprises;
    • supporting self-employed persons by strengthening their capabilities to improve their earnings;
    • ensuring employees’ basic rights and developing an education training and skill development system aligned with the changing requirements of the labour market.

The future of Machine Learning

Machine learning is a trendy topic in this age of Artificial Intelligence. The fields of computer vision and Natural Language Processing (NLP) are making breakthroughs that no one could’ve predicted. We see both of them in our lives more and more, facial recognition in your smartphones, language translation software, self-driving cars and so on. What might seem sci-fi is becoming a reality, and it is only a matter of time before we attain Artificial General Intelligence.

In this article, I will be covering Jeff Dean’s keynote on the advancements of computer vision and language models and how ML will progress towards the future from the perspective of model building.

The field of Machine learning is experiencing exponential growth today, especially in the subject of computer vision. Today, the error rate in humans is only 3% in computer vision. This means computers are already better at recognizing and analyzing images than humans. What an amazing feat! Decades ago, computers were hunks of machinery the size of a room; today, they can perceive the world around us in ways that we never thought possible.

The progress we’ve made from 26% error in 2011 to 3% error in 2016 is hugely impactful. The way I like to think is, computers have now evolved eyes that work. — Jeff Dean

Now this achievement — made possible with advancements in machine learning — isn’t just a celebration for computer geeks and AI experts, it has real-world applications that save lives and make the world a better place. Before I blab about a life-saving application of computer vision, let me illustrate to you the power of computer vision.

Let’s say I give you 10,000 pictures of dogs and I ask you to classify them into their respective species, are you able to do that? Well, you can, but you have to be a dog expert and it’ll take days by the time you’re done. But for a computer (with a GPU), this takes mere minutes. This incredible capability of computer vision opens up a profusion of applications.

Application of computer vision

One quintessential application for computer vision given by Jeff Dean is in diabetic retinopathy — which is a diabetes complication that affects the eye. Now to diagnose it, an extensive eye exam is required. In third-world countries and rural villages where there is a paucity of doctors, a machine learning model that uses computer vision to make a diagnosis will be extremely beneficial. As with all medical imaging fields, this computer vision can also be a second opinion for the domain experts, ensuring the credibility of their diagnosis. Generally, the purpose of computer vision in the medical field is to replicate the expertise of specialists and deploy it in places where people need it the most.

NLP and Transformers

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 Language models are algorithms that help machines understand the text and perform all kinds of operations such as translating text. According to Jeff Dean, a lot of progress has been made in language models.

Today, computers can understand paragraphs of text at a much deeper level than they could before. Even though they aren’t at the level of reading an entire book and understanding it the way we humans do, the ability to understand a few paragraphs of text is fundamental to things such as improving the Google search system.

The BERT model, the latest Natural Language Processing (NLP) model that Google announced has been put to use in their search ranking algorithms, This helped enhance the search results for myriads of different kinds of queries that were previously very difficult. In other words, the search system can now better understand different kinds of searches done by users and help provide better and more accurate answers.

“Deep learning and machine learning architectures are going to change a lot in the next few years. You can see a lot of this already, where now with NLP, the only game in town basically is Transformer networks,” — Yann LeCun

These Transformer-based models for translation are showing spectacular gains in the BLEU score, which is a measurement of translation quality. So, Machine Learning architectures that utilize transformers such as BERT are increasing in popularity and functionality.

The problem with ML today

In the keynote, the Google Senior Fellow mentioned atomic models that Machine Learning developers use today to perform all kinds of unit tasks. He believes these models are inefficient and computationally expensive, and more effort is required to achieve good results in those tasks.

To elaborate, in the ML world today, experts find a problem that they want to solve and they focus on finding the right dataset to train the model and perform that particular task. Dean argues that by doing so, they basically start from zero — they initialize the parameter of the model with random floating points and then try to learn about everything that tasks from the dataset.

To elaborate on this matter, he gives an excellent comparison that goes like this:

“It’s akin to when you want to learn something new, you forget all your education and you go back to being an infant, and now you try to learn everything about this task”

He compares this methodology with humans becoming infants every time we want to learn something new and taking a brain out and putting in a different one in. Not only is this method computationally expensive, but more effort is also required to achieve good outcomes in those tasks. And Jeff Dean proposes a solution.

Epitome

Computer vision and NLP will continue to play a significant role in our lives. But there are adverse implications to this advancement as well, such as China using facial recognition to implement a rating system on the people (straight out of an episode from the TV show black mirror) and the proliferation of fake news. We must progress in Machine Learning while taking into account of algorithmic biases and ethics that remind us of our place, a creation of God and not creators.

As for the uber model, there is much evidence proving we are inching closer and closer towards it. For example, transfer learning — a way of reusing the model for a different purpose achieves good results with fewer data and multi-task learning — a model that operates at small scales of five or six related things all tend to make things work well.

Thus, it’s logical to say that the realization of an uber model is plausible by extending those ideas — transfer learning and multi-task learning — out and developing on them, it’s only a matter of when and not how.

Thanks for reading my excerpt on the future of ML and my synopsis of Jeff Dean’s keynote. I hope you got a glimpse of what is to come in Machine Learning and AI.