INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

In now a days inforamation technology is very useful to learn What type of information have you need.

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Advantages of Information Technology:

1.Expand your Knowledge

2.Learn what information what we need

3.It improves our knowledge

4.Easy and quick Communication

5.Technology allows to increase production

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Why Information technology is Important:

Information technology refers to the use of systems, particularly computers and communications, for the archiving, retrieval, and transmission of data. Our lives revolve heavily around it. The use of computers, the Internet, and mobile devices is essential. Due to their extensive use over time, we frequently take them for granted.

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How does the cryosphere affect global climate?ย ย 

The cryosphere refers to the frozen parts of the Earth’s surface, including snow cover, sea ice, glaciers, ice caps, and permafrost. These frozen components play a critical role in regulating the global climate and significantly impact weather patterns, sea levels, and ecosystems. In this article, we will discuss the ways in which the cryosphere affects the global climate. The following ways portray the cryosphere’s effect on the global climate.

Albedo effect:

One of the primary ways the cryosphere affects the global climate is through the albedo effect. Albedo is a measure of the amount of solar radiation reflected back into the atmosphere, and the cryosphere has a high albedo due to its bright, reflective surface. When snow and ice cover are abundant, they reflect a large portion of incoming solar radiation back into space, cooling the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere. Conversely, when snow and ice cover decreases, the Earth’s surface absorbs more solar radiation, leading to increased warming.

Sea level rise:

The melting of glaciers and ice caps is a major contributor to sea level rise. As these frozen masses melt and the water flows into the ocean, the volume of the ocean increases, causing the sea level to rise. This rise in sea level not only has significant impacts on coastal communities and ecosystems, but it can also affect weather patterns and storm surges, causing more frequent and severe flooding.

Ocean currents and weather patterns:

Sea ice plays a crucial role in global ocean circulation, helping to regulate the exchange of heat between the ocean and the atmosphere. When sea ice melts, it affects the ocean’s ability to absorb and store heat, leading to changes in ocean currents and weather patterns. This can cause increased warming in some regions and cooling in others, resulting in more extreme weather conditions and changes in precipitation patterns.

Permafrost:

Permafrost is permanently frozen soil found in the Arctic and high-altitude mountain regions. This soil contains large amounts of carbon and methane, which are released into the atmosphere as the permafrost thaws. These greenhouse gases contribute to global warming, leading to a positive feedback loop where warming causes more permafrost to thaw, releasing more carbon and methane into the atmosphere, further contributing to warming.

Ecosystems:

The cryosphere is also important for supporting diverse ecosystems, including tundra, glaciers, and sea ice habitats. These ecosystems are home to unique plant and animal species, many of which are threatened by the melting of the cryosphere. As the cryosphere continues to decline, these ecosystems will be lost, resulting in a decline in biodiversity and the loss of essential ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration and water regulation.

In conclusion, the cryosphere plays a critical role in regulating the global climate and has significant impacts on weather patterns, sea levels, and ecosystems. The melting of the cryosphere due to global warming is causing significant changes to the Earth’s climate system and negatively impacting communities, economies, and ecosystems around the world. Therefore, it is imperative that we take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow the rate of global warming in order to protect the cryosphere and mitigate its impacts on the global climate.

The 5 methods used by the Farmers’ organizations to influence the policy-makers in India and how effective are these methods?

Farmers’ organizations play a crucial role in influencing policies that affect the agricultural sector in India. With over 60% of India’s population relying on agriculture for their livelihood, farmers must have a voice in policy-making. In this article, we will explore the methods used by farmers’ organizations to influence policy-makers in India and evaluate their effectiveness.

Protests and Demonstrations: One of the most common methods farmers’ organizations use to influence policy-makers is protests and demonstrations. In India, farmers have held large-scale protests, including nationwide strikes and blockades, to voice their grievances and demand policy changes. These protests have been effective in bringing attention to the issues faced by farmers, forcing the government to listen to their demands, and making policy changes. For example, in 2020, a series of nationwide protests by farmers resulted in the Indian government amending controversial farm laws.

Lobbying and Advocacy: Another method used by farmers’ organizations is lobbying and advocacy. Farmers’ organizations engage with policy-makers directly, through personal visits, letters, and other forms of communication. They present their demands, provide information and data, and make arguments to support their cause. This method effectively builds relationships with policy-makers and can result in more nuanced and informed policies that better reflect the agricultural sector’s needs.

Media Campaigns: Farmers’ organizations often use the media to bring attention to their cause and influence policy-makers. Through media campaigns, farmers’ organizations can reach a large audience, including policy-makers, and create public pressure for change. Media campaigns can take many forms, including press releases, advertisements, and social media campaigns. This method effectively raises awareness about the issues faced by farmers and creates a sense of urgency among policy-makers to address these issues.

Legal Actions: Farmers’ organizations can also use legal actions to influence policy-makers. They can challenge government policies in the courts or use public interest litigations to demand policy changes. This method is particularly effective when the government’s policies violate the law or there is a lack of accountability in policy-making. For example, in 2016, a group of farmers in Tamil Nadu used the courts to challenge the government’s drought relief and compensation policies, resulting in policy changes that provided better support to farmers affected by drought.

Collaboration with Other Stakeholders: Finally, farmers’ organizations can influence policy-makers by collaborating with other stakeholders, including civil society organizations, academics, and private sector actors. These partnerships can increase the strength and impact of advocacy efforts, and result in more comprehensive and inclusive policy solutions. For example, in 2019, a coalition of farmers and civil society organizations worked together to advocate for policy changes that would provide better support to farmers in the aftermath of natural disasters, such as droughts and floods.

In conclusion, farmers’ organizations use various methods to influence policy-makers in India, including protests and demonstrations, lobbying and advocacy, media campaigns, legal actions, and collaboration with other stakeholders. These methods have proven to be effective in bringing attention to the issues faced by farmers and forcing policy-makers to make changes. However, the effectiveness of these methods depends on several factors, including the strength and unity of the farmer’s organizations, the political climate, and the responsiveness of policymakers to the needs of the agricultural sector.

Clarify how mid-eighteenth century India was beset with the spectre of a fragmented polity.

The mid-eighteenth century in India was marked by political fragmentation and instability. This period in Indian history saw the decline of the Mughal Empire and the rise of regional powers and local states. The country was beset by the spectre of a fragmented polity, characterized by a lack of central authority, the rise of regional powers, and the proliferation of local states.

One of the primary reasons for the political fragmentation in India during this period was the decline of the Mughal Empire. The Mughals had ruled India since the sixteenth century, but by the mid-eighteenth century, their power was in rapid decline. This was due to a combination of internal factors, such as corruption and weak leadership, as well as external factors, such as invasions by the Marathas and the British. The weakening of Mughal rule allowed regional powers and local states to assert themselves and establish their independence from the central authority.

One of the most important regional powers that emerged during this period was the Maratha Empire. The Marathas were a powerful warrior class from western India that established their own empire in the late seventeenth century. They gradually expanded their territory and by the mid-eighteenth century, they had become one of the most dominant forces in India. The Marathas were known for their military prowess, but they also made significant contributions to Indian culture and society. However, despite its strength, the Maratha Empire was beset by internal conflicts and was eventually dissolved in the late nineteenth century.

Another important factor in the fragmentation of the polity in India was the rise of local states. During the Mughal era, India was divided into several provinces, each governed by a local governor who was responsible for maintaining law and order and collecting taxes. With the decline of Mughal rule, many of these governors declared their independence from the central authority and established their own independent states. These local states were characterized by a lack of central authority and were often at odds with each other. This political fragmentation further weakened the already weakened central authority and contributed to the instability of the polity in India.

In addition to the decline of the Mughal Empire and the rise of regional powers and local states, the fragmented polity in India was also influenced by the increasing presence of foreign powers in the country. The British East India Company, for example, had established a trading presence in India by the mid-eighteenth century and had gradually expanded its power and influence in the country. The British were not content with merely trading with the local states and gradually became involved in local politics, using their military and economic power to exert their influence. This further weakened the central authority in India and contributed to the fragmented polity of the country.

The fragmented polity in India during the mid-eighteenth century had far-reaching consequences for the country. The lack of central authority and the rise of regional powers and local states led to political instability and lawlessness. The country was beset by internal conflicts, wars, and invasions, and economic development was hindered by the lack of a stable central government. Furthermore, the proliferation of local states made it difficult for the country to develop a unified national identity and respond to external threats.

In conclusion, the mid-eighteenth century in India was marked by political fragmentation and instability. This was due to a combination of factors, including the decline of the Mughal Empire, the rise of regional powers and local states, and the increasing presence of foreign powers in the country. The fragmented polity in India had far-reaching consequences for the country, including political instability, economic hardship, and the lack of a unified national identity.

Under what circumstances can the Financial Emergency be proclaimed by the President of India?

A financial emergency is a situation in which the President of India is empowered to take measures to address a critical financial crisis that threatens the stability of the Indian economy. The President can proclaim a financial emergency under certain circumstances as outlined in the Constitution of India.

Article 360 of the Constitution of India provides for the proclamation of a financial emergency by the President. According to this article, if the President is satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the financial stability or credit of India or any part thereof is threatened, he may declare a financial emergency.

The financial emergency is proclaimed by the President by issuing a Proclamation under his hand and seal, which is published in the Official Gazette. The Proclamation must state the grounds on which the financial emergency has been proclaimed.

Droupadi Murmu, the current president of India

Once the financial emergency is proclaimed, the President is empowered to take measures to address the financial crisis. These measures may include reducing the salaries and allowances of all or any class of persons serving the Union or the States, retrenching such persons, and suspending the financial autonomy of the States. The President may also direct the Union government to take over the management of any financial institution.

The financial emergency is a rare occurrence and has only been proclaimed once in Indiaโ€™s history, in 1991. In this case, the financial emergency was proclaimed in response to a severe balance of payment crisis, which threatened the stability of the Indian economy.

The proclamation of a financial emergency is a serious matter and must be based on sound and convincing evidence of a critical financial crisis. The President must be satisfied that the financial stability or credit of India or any part thereof is threatened and that the measures taken under the financial emergency are necessary to address the crisis.

In order to ensure that the financial emergency is proclaimed only in genuine cases of financial crisis, the Constitution provides for a parliamentary review of the Proclamation. The Proclamation must be laid before both Houses of Parliament and can be revoked by a resolution of either House. The Proclamation can remain in force for a maximum of six months, after which it must be renewed by Parliament.

The financial emergency has far-reaching consequences for the Indian economy and the financial stability of the country. It is therefore important that it is proclaimed only in cases of a genuine financial crisis, and that the measures taken under the financial emergency are necessary and proportionate to the crisis.

In conclusion, the financial emergency is a constitutional provision that provides the President of India with the power to take measures to address a critical financial crisis that threatens the stability of the Indian economy. The President can proclaim a financial emergency if he is satisfied that the financial stability or credit of India or any part thereof is threatened, and the proclamation must be based on sound and convincing evidence of a critical financial crisis. The financial emergency is a serious matter and has far-reaching consequences for the Indian economy, and should therefore be proclaimed only in cases of a genuine financial crisis.

The Medieval Indian Temple Sculptures Representing The Social Life Of Those Days

Medieval Indian temple sculptures are some of the most important historical and artistic treasures of India. They are not just beautiful works of art, but also powerful representations of the social life of the people who lived during that time. Through these sculptures, we can learn about the beliefs, customs, and lifestyles of the people who lived in India during the medieval period.

Medieval India was a time of great artistic and cultural ferment, with a rich tradition of religious and secular sculpture. The temples of this era were not just places of worship, but also centers of community life. They were the hub of social and cultural activity, and the sculptures that adorned their walls and pillars provided a visual representation of the daily life of the people who frequented these temples.

One of the most striking features of these sculptures is the rich diversity they depict. The people depicted in these sculptures come from all walks of life, from noblemen and warriors to merchants and artisans. This rich diversity is a testament to the vibrant and inclusive society that existed in medieval India.

Another important aspect of these sculptures is the representation of women. In many cases, women are shown as equal partners in social and economic life. For example, there are sculptures depicting women working as artisans, merchants, or even warriors. This representation of women as active participants in society is a powerful statement about the status of women during this time.

The temple sculptures also provide a glimpse into the daily life of the people who lived during this time. They depict scenes of people cooking, eating, and working. These depictions give us a sense of what life was like for ordinary people and help to bring the past to life. For example, there are sculptures depicting people cooking and serving food, which gives us a sense of the importance of food and hospitality in medieval India.

In addition to depicting everyday life, these sculptures also provide a glimpse into the cultural and religious beliefs of the people of medieval India. Many of these sculptures depict Hindu gods and goddesses, and they often show the gods in various forms and poses. This representation of the gods is a powerful expression of the religious beliefs of the people who lived during this time.

Another important aspect of these sculptures is the representation of animals. In many cases, animals are depicted as symbols of strength, power, and fertility. For example, lions are often depicted as symbols of power and courage, while elephants are depicted as symbols of wealth and prosperity. These representations help us to understand the cultural significance of animals in medieval India.

In conclusion, the medieval Indian temple sculptures provide a rich and complex picture of the social life of the people who lived during this time. They offer a window into the beliefs, customs, and lifestyles of the people of this era, and they provide a powerful representation of the diversity and vitality of this period in Indian history. Through these sculptures, we can gain a deeper understanding of the past, and appreciate the art and culture of medieval India.

Importance of training and internship

Training and internships are an important components of professional development for the success of any individual or organization. They provide the opportunity for individuals to learn and gain valuable skills, knowledge and experience, which can be applied in their future careers.

Training helps an individuals to acquire knowledge and skills they need to perform their job effectively therefore many big firms and organization allot a training time period for any new candidate so that they can learn about their job or work and perform it effectively. Studio Internship is a good example of internship.

Internships are another important aspect of professional development, as they provide individuals with hands-on experience in their respective chosen field. Internships can be paid or unpaid, and can be part-time or full-time. They can be completed during the summer or throughout the academic year. There are various opportunities available for any people to do internships in different fields such as a business, government sector, or non-profit organization. Internships provide individuals with the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real world situations and to gain a better understanding of the industry or profession they are interested in pursuing.

Training and internships are also beneficial for organizations, as they provide a way to attract and retain talented candidates. Organizations that invest in training and development programs are more likely to have a skilled and motivated workforce, which can lead to increased productivity and growth to their company. Also, internships can provide organizations with a pipeline of talent, as interns may be offered full time positions after completing their internship.

Hence conclusion is that training and internships are crucial for professional development and success of both individuals and organizations. They provide individuals with the knowledge, skills, and experience they need to succeed in their chosen field, and they provide organizations with a skilled and motivated workforce. Therefore, it is important for any individuals to seek out training and internships opportunities whenever they can, and for organizations to invest in training and development programs for their employees.

How India is an age-old friend of Sri Lanka?

India and Sri Lanka share a deep and rich cultural and historical bond that has lasted for centuries. The two countries are separated by a narrow strip of the sea but have been connected through trade, religion, and cultural exchange for centuries. This connection has resulted in India becoming an age-old friend of Sri Lanka.

One of the key factors that have cemented the bond between the two countries is religion. Buddhism is the main religion in Sri Lanka, and it has its roots in India. The religion was introduced to Sri Lanka by the Indian Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, and since then, it has become an integral part of Sri Lankan culture. India and Sri Lanka have also shared a strong spiritual bond through Buddhism, and this has further strengthened their relationship.

Trade has also been a major factor in the relationship between the two countries. India and Sri Lanka have been trading with each other for centuries, and this has helped to cement their relationship. The two countries have traded a wide range of goods, including spices, textiles, and precious stones, and this has helped to create a strong economic bond between the two countries.

Cultural exchange has also played a significant role in the relationship between India and Sri Lanka. The two countries have shared a rich cultural heritage, and this has been reflected in the music, dance, art, and literature of the two countries. For example, the classical dance form of Bharatanatyam is popular in both India and Sri Lanka, and the two countries have also shared a rich tradition of classical music.

The historical bond between the two countries is also very strong. Sri Lanka has been ruled by several Indian dynasties, and this has helped to create a strong cultural and historical connection between the two countries. For example, the Chola dynasty, which ruled Sri Lanka from the 9th to the 13th centuries, had a significant impact on Sri Lankan culture and architecture, and this has left a lasting legacy in the country.

The bond between India and Sri Lanka has also been strengthened by their political relationship. The two countries have worked together on a range of issues, including trade, security, and regional stability. They have also cooperated on a range of international issues, including climate change, and this has helped to strengthen their relationship further.

The relationship between India and Sri Lanka has also been strengthened by the Indian community in Sri Lanka. The Indian community in Sri Lanka has made significant contributions to the country, and this has helped to create a strong bond between the two countries. The Indian community in Sri Lanka has played a key role in the countryโ€™s economy and has helped to create a strong cultural bond between the two countries.

In conclusion, India and Sri Lanka share a deep and rich cultural, historical, and political bond that has lasted for centuries. The two countries have been connected through trade, religion, and cultural exchange, and this has helped to create a strong bond between the two countries. The relationship between India and Sri Lanka is an excellent example of how two countries can be connected through a deep and rich cultural and historical bond, and this bond has helped to create a strong and lasting friendship between the two countries.

Nature of Bhakti Literature and its contribution to Indian Culture

Before we begin with understanding this topic, we must first gain insights into what “Bhakti/Bhakti Literature” actually means. “Bhakti” is a Sanskrit word that translates to “devotion” or “devoted worship” in English. Bhakti Literature refers to a genre of Indian devotional literature that emerged in the medieval period, from the 6th to the 18th centuries. The nature of Bhakti Literature is characterized by its focus on devotion to a personal deity and its emphasis on the experience of divine love. This genre of literature is also known for its emotional intensity and its emphasis on the devotion of the devotee to the deity.

Bhakti Literature has its roots in the Bhakti movement, which was a spiritual revival movement that spread across India in the medieval period. The movement was characterized by its focus on the personal devotion of the individual to the deity, as opposed to the ritualistic worship that was prevalent in the Hindu religion at the time. The Bhakti movement was a response to the societal and religious tensions that existed in medieval India and was a way for people to express their devotion to a higher power in a way that was meaningful to them.

The Bhakti movement had a profound impact on Indian culture and society, and Bhakti Literature played a significant role in this. Bhakti Literature was written in a variety of regional languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, and Sanskrit, making it accessible to a wide range of people. The accessibility allowed the Bhakti message of devotion and love to reach a large audience, and it helped to spread the Bhakti movement throughout India.

Manuscript by Sankaradeva in Assamese

One of the key contributions of Bhakti Literature to Indian culture is its emphasis on the devotional experience. Bhakti Literature is filled with stories and poems that describe the intense love and devotion that the devotee feels for the deity. This focus on the devotional experience helped to bring a more personal and emotional aspect to Hindu worship, and it allowed people to connect with the deity on a deeper level. The devotional experience that is described in Bhakti Literature also had a profound impact on the way that people viewed the deity, and it helped to promote the idea that the deity was approachable and compassionate.

Bhakti Literature also played a role in promoting the idea of equality and inclusiveness in Indian society. The Bhakti movement was inclusive of people from all castes and social classes, and Bhakti Literature reflected this. The literature often featured stories of devotees from all walks of life, and it emphasized the idea that devotion to the deity was available to everyone, regardless of their social status or background. This emphasis on inclusiveness helped to challenge the caste system that was prevalent in India at the time and helped to promote the idea of equality.

Another important contribution of Bhakti Literature to Indian culture is its influence on the arts. Bhakti Literature was often accompanied by music, and it played a role in the development of devotional music in India. Bhakti Literature also influenced visual arts and many paintings and sculptures from the medieval period depict scenes from Bhakti Literature. The impact of Bhakti Literature on the arts helped to spread the Bhakti message and to bring the devotional experience to life for those who were not able to read the literature themselves.

Finally, Bhakti Literature has had a lasting impact on Indian Literature as a whole. Bhakti Literature was written in a variety of regional languages, and it helped to preserve and promote these languages. Additionally, Bhakti Literature has inspired countless other works of literature and has helped to shape the way that people view love and devotion.

To conclude, Bhakti Literature is a genre of Indian devotional literature that emerged in the medieval period.

โ€œExtra Flyโ€

Credits: kanyefans

Ye belongs from Chicago. He was born in 1977, on 8th June. He used to produce beats for other artists before he transformed into a rapper himself. People around him who gave him work thought more of him as a producer rather than a rapper. He used to cook beats for ROCK-A-FELLA RECORDS. People from the Record label accept it today that they did not see Kanye west becoming the rapper he became today. One of the Artists from the record label said โ€œ I knew he was a rapper but I was like stick to the beats kidโ€.

Nobody saw YE coming. When he rapped one of his verses to Pharell Williams, He was quite shocked. Kanye had been trying to get in touch with Pharell for a while but he couldnโ€™t. Pharell was touched by the piece that Kanye did for him. Birth of a jeen-yuhs was taking place.

Kanye has been involved in some questionable moments all his life. But the life he breathes to his music is above all the white noise that he surrounds himself with. Some people can call Kanyeโ€™s energy narcissistic and maybe rightly so. But, I believe this is the energy that makes his music alive. His songs are so Kanye that when you listen to them you know itโ€™s Kanye. This energy has given him a different identity that is unique to him and makes him arguably the biggest rapper of his time.

His motherโ€™s presence in his life is a big reason for what kanye has achieved today. Donda West died in 2007. He released an album dedicated to his mother in 2021. This shows you how much his mother meant to him. Thereโ€™s a clip in his documentary where his mother is trying to tell him by how he can come off as rude to people sometimes. I expected Kanye to burst out and say something stupid at that moment but he didnโ€™t. He actually accepted it in a way and you could see in his eyes that there was an actual realisation of his action. Donda had her way with Kanye.

Credits: Daily Maile

Yeโ€™s biggest downfall in his career was when he started having problems with his mental health in 2016. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In his documentary, he said to one of his team members โ€œ man I took pill yesterday just so I can talk to you normally right nowโ€. This can give you some insight into his state. His decision about running for president didnโ€™t help his public image either. People took it as a big joke and questioned his sanity. You could see by the public appearances he made post-2016 that he was indeed troubled.

Nobody exactly knows the reason behind it. But there were a lot of things that happened to him in the last 5 years. Fallout with kid Cudi, divorce, the album pushed back and his mental misery. Yeโ€™s life is so layered and grey. No one can deny that heโ€™s a musical genius but at the same time, some of his acts in the public make him look like a foolish man who is still not over his teenage. There are so many tags you can associate him with. Thatโ€™s what makes him so interesting.

Ye has done a lot of things which he wonโ€™t be proud off but one thing that he did absolutely right was his music. He is such a inspirational artist to so many aspiring rappers. He gave Hip-Hop a much needed new life by his presence.

โ€œโ€™Cause now I see women as somethinโ€™ to nurture, Not somethinโ€™ to conquerโ€

โƒ Violent crimes by kanye west.

โ€œExtra Flyโ€

Credits: kanyefans

Ye belongs from Chicago. He was born in 1977, on 8th June. He used to produce beats for other artists before he transformed into a rapper himself. People around him who gave him work thought more of him as a producer rather than a rapper. He used to cook beats for ROCK-A-FELLA RECORDS. People from the Record label accept it today that they did not see Kanye west becoming the rapper he became today. One of the Artists from the record label said โ€œ I knew he was a rapper but I was like stick to the beats kidโ€.

Nobody saw YE coming. When he rapped one of his verses to Pharell Williams, He was quite shocked. Kanye had been trying to get in touch with Pharell for a while but he couldnโ€™t. Pharell was touched by the piece that Kanye did for him. Birth of a jeen-yuhs was taking place.

Kanye has been involved in some questionable moments all his life. But the life he breathes to his music is above all the white noise that he surrounds himself with. Some people can call Kanyeโ€™s energy narcissistic and maybe rightly so. But, I believe this is the energy that makes his music alive. His songs are so Kanye that when you listen to them you know itโ€™s Kanye. This energy has given him a different identity that is unique to him and makes him arguably the biggest rapper of his time.

His motherโ€™s presence in his life is a big reason for what kanye has achieved today. Donda West died in 2007. He released an album dedicated to his mother in 2021. This shows you how much his mother meant to him. Thereโ€™s a clip in his documentary where his mother is trying to tell him by how he can come off as rude to people sometimes. I expected Kanye to burst out and say something stupid at that moment but he didnโ€™t. He actually accepted it in a way and you could see in his eyes that there was an actual realisation of his action. Donda had her way with Kanye.

Credits: Daily Maile

Yeโ€™s biggest downfall in his career was when he started having problems with his mental health in 2016. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In his documentary, he said to one of his team members โ€œ man I took pill yesterday just so I can talk to you normally right nowโ€. This can give you some insight into his state. His decision about running for president didnโ€™t help his public image either. People took it as a big joke and questioned his sanity. You could see by the public appearances he made post-2016 that he was indeed troubled.

Nobody exactly knows the reason behind it. But there were a lot of things that happened to him in the last 5 years. Fallout with kid Cudi, divorce, the album pushed back and his mental misery. Yeโ€™s life is so layered and grey. No one can deny that heโ€™s a musical genius but at the same time, some of his acts in the public make him look like a foolish man who is still not over his teenage. There are so many tags you can associate him with. Thatโ€™s what makes him so interesting.

Ye has done a lot of things which he wonโ€™t be proud off but one thing that he did absolutely right was his music. He is such a inspirational artist to so many aspiring rappers. He gave Hip-Hop a much needed new life by his presence.

โ€œโ€™Cause now I see women as somethinโ€™ to nurture, Not somethinโ€™ to conquerโ€

โƒ Violent crimes by kanye west.

โ€œExtra Flyโ€

Credits: kanyefans

Ye belongs from Chicago. He was born in 1977, on 8th June. He used to produce beats for other artists before he transformed into a rapper himself. People around him who gave him work thought more of him as a producer rather than a rapper. He used to cook beats for ROCK-A-FELLA RECORDS. People from the Record label accept it today that they did not see Kanye west becoming the rapper he became today. One of the Artists from the record label said โ€œ I knew he was a rapper but I was like stick to the beats kidโ€.

Nobody saw YE coming. When he rapped one of his verses to Pharell Williams, He was quite shocked. Kanye had been trying to get in touch with Pharell for a while but he couldnโ€™t. Pharell was touched by the piece that Kanye did for him. Birth of a jeen-yuhs was taking place.

Kanye has been involved in some questionable moments all his life. But the life he breathes to his music is above all the white noise that he surrounds himself with. Some people can call Kanyeโ€™s energy narcissistic and maybe rightly so. But, I believe this is the energy that makes his music alive. His songs are so Kanye that when you listen to them you know itโ€™s Kanye. This energy has given him a different identity that is unique to him and makes him arguably the biggest rapper of his time.

His motherโ€™s presence in his life is a big reason for what kanye has achieved today. Donda West died in 2007. He released an album dedicated to his mother in 2021. This shows you how much his mother meant to him. Thereโ€™s a clip in his documentary where his mother is trying to tell him by how he can come off as rude to people sometimes. I expected Kanye to burst out and say something stupid at that moment but he didnโ€™t. He actually accepted it in a way and you could see in his eyes that there was an actual realisation of his action. Donda had her way with Kanye.

Credits: Daily Maile

Yeโ€™s biggest downfall in his career was when he started having problems with his mental health in 2016. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In his documentary, he said to one of his team members โ€œ man I took pill yesterday just so I can talk to you normally right nowโ€. This can give you some insight into his state. His decision about running for president didnโ€™t help his public image either. People took it as a big joke and questioned his sanity. You could see by the public appearances he made post-2016 that he was indeed troubled.

Nobody exactly knows the reason behind it. But there were a lot of things that happened to him in the last 5 years. Fallout with kid Cudi, divorce, the album pushed back and his mental misery. Yeโ€™s life is so layered and grey. No one can deny that heโ€™s a musical genius but at the same time, some of his acts in the public make him look like a foolish man who is still not over his teenage. There are so many tags you can associate him with. Thatโ€™s what makes him so interesting.

Ye has done a lot of things which he wonโ€™t be proud off but one thing that he did absolutely right was his music. He is such a inspirational artist to so many aspiring rappers. He gave Hip-Hop a much needed new life by his presence.

โ€œโ€™Cause now I see women as somethinโ€™ to nurture, Not somethinโ€™ to conquerโ€

โƒ Violent crimes by kanye west.

โ€œExtra Flyโ€

Credits: kanyefans

Ye belongs from Chicago. He was born in 1977, on 8th June. He used to produce beats for other artists before he transformed into a rapper himself. People around him who gave him work thought more of him as a producer rather than a rapper. He used to cook beats for ROCK-A-FELLA RECORDS. People from the Record label accept it today that they did not see Kanye west becoming the rapper he became today. One of the Artists from the record label said โ€œ I knew he was a rapper but I was like stick to the beats kidโ€.

Nobody saw YE coming. When he rapped one of his verses to Pharell Williams, He was quite shocked. Kanye had been trying to get in touch with Pharell for a while but he couldnโ€™t. Pharell was touched by the piece that Kanye did for him. Birth of a jeen-yuhs was taking place.

Kanye has been involved in some questionable moments all his life. But the life he breathes to his music is above all the white noise that he surrounds himself with. Some people can call Kanyeโ€™s energy narcissistic and maybe rightly so. But, I believe this is the energy that makes his music alive. His songs are so Kanye that when you listen to them you know itโ€™s Kanye. This energy has given him a different identity that is unique to him and makes him arguably the biggest rapper of his time.

His motherโ€™s presence in his life is a big reason for what kanye has achieved today. Donda West died in 2007. He released an album dedicated to his mother in 2021. This shows you how much his mother meant to him. Thereโ€™s a clip in his documentary where his mother is trying to tell him by how he can come off as rude to people sometimes. I expected Kanye to burst out and say something stupid at that moment but he didnโ€™t. He actually accepted it in a way and you could see in his eyes that there was an actual realisation of his action. Donda had her way with Kanye.

Credits: Daily Maile

Yeโ€™s biggest downfall in his career was when he started having problems with his mental health in 2016. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In his documentary, he said to one of his team members โ€œ man I took pill yesterday just so I can talk to you normally right nowโ€. This can give you some insight into his state. His decision about running for president didnโ€™t help his public image either. People took it as a big joke and questioned his sanity. You could see by the public appearances he made post-2016 that he was indeed troubled.

Nobody exactly knows the reason behind it. But there were a lot of things that happened to him in the last 5 years. Fallout with kid Cudi, divorce, the album pushed back and his mental misery. Yeโ€™s life is so layered and grey. No one can deny that heโ€™s a musical genius but at the same time, some of his acts in the public make him look like a foolish man who is still not over his teenage. There are so many tags you can associate him with. Thatโ€™s what makes him so interesting.

Ye has done a lot of things which he wonโ€™t be proud off but one thing that he did absolutely right was his music. He is such a inspirational artist to so many aspiring rappers. He gave Hip-Hop a much needed new life by his presence.

โ€œโ€™Cause now I see women as somethinโ€™ to nurture, Not somethinโ€™ to conquerโ€

โƒ Violent crimes by kanye west.

โ€œExtra Flyโ€

Credits: kanyefans

Ye belongs from Chicago. He was born in 1977, on 8th June. He used to produce beats for other artists before he transformed into a rapper himself. People around him who gave him work thought more of him as a producer rather than a rapper. He used to cook beats for ROCK-A-FELLA RECORDS. People from the Record label accept it today that they did not see Kanye west becoming the rapper he became today. One of the Artists from the record label said โ€œ I knew he was a rapper but I was like stick to the beats kidโ€.

Nobody saw YE coming. When he rapped one of his verses to Pharell Williams, He was quite shocked. Kanye had been trying to get in touch with Pharell for a while but he couldnโ€™t. Pharell was touched by the piece that Kanye did for him. Birth of a jeen-yuhs was taking place.

Kanye has been involved in some questionable moments all his life. But the life he breathes to his music is above all the white noise that he surrounds himself with. Some people can call Kanyeโ€™s energy narcissistic and maybe rightly so. But, I believe this is the energy that makes his music alive. His songs are so Kanye that when you listen to them you know itโ€™s Kanye. This energy has given him a different identity that is unique to him and makes him arguably the biggest rapper of his time.

His motherโ€™s presence in his life is a big reason for what kanye has achieved today. Donda West died in 2007. He released an album dedicated to his mother in 2021. This shows you how much his mother meant to him. Thereโ€™s a clip in his documentary where his mother is trying to tell him by how he can come off as rude to people sometimes. I expected Kanye to burst out and say something stupid at that moment but he didnโ€™t. He actually accepted it in a way and you could see in his eyes that there was an actual realisation of his action. Donda had her way with Kanye.

Credits: Daily Maile

Yeโ€™s biggest downfall in his career was when he started having problems with his mental health in 2016. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In his documentary, he said to one of his team members โ€œ man I took pill yesterday just so I can talk to you normally right nowโ€. This can give you some insight into his state. His decision about running for president didnโ€™t help his public image either. People took it as a big joke and questioned his sanity. You could see by the public appearances he made post-2016 that he was indeed troubled.

Nobody exactly knows the reason behind it. But there were a lot of things that happened to him in the last 5 years. Fallout with kid Cudi, divorce, the album pushed back and his mental misery. Yeโ€™s life is so layered and grey. No one can deny that heโ€™s a musical genius but at the same time, some of his acts in the public make him look like a foolish man who is still not over his teenage. There are so many tags you can associate him with. Thatโ€™s what makes him so interesting.

Ye has done a lot of things which he wonโ€™t be proud off but one thing that he did absolutely right was his music. He is such a inspirational artist to so many aspiring rappers. He gave Hip-Hop a much needed new life by his presence.

โ€œโ€™Cause now I see women as somethinโ€™ to nurture, Not somethinโ€™ to conquerโ€

โƒ Violent crimes by kanye west.

Love Animals, Discardย Cruelty rather extreme Cruelty: Facts from PETAย 

Many animals are friends of human beings. Some animals stay in forests but some stay with human beings known as domestic animals. Domestic animals help us in many ways. Anyway, as for food habits, many human beings eat non-vegetarian foods such as eggs, animalsโ€™ meat, birds’ flesh, fish, etc. So, food habit is not the question of discussion but cruelty towards animals in many cases extreme cruelty is highly deplorable. And based on People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), a few facts are being presented.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), founded in 1863, a not-for-profit association representing more than 99,500 veterinarians in the US, โ€œthe human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviours essential to the health and wellbeing of both. This includes, among other things, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions with people, animals, and the environment. The veterinarian’s role in the human-animal bond is to maximize the potentials of this relationship between people and animalsโ€.
Anyway, as a supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), I became very sad and dejected when I see the most awful and cruel videos (also write-up) because of entertainment or for jackets or for other purposes animals are killed or tortured, etc. A few cases from the PETA are presented and full credit goes to PETA.
A) The dogs are collected from different places and kept in a small room, and then a person sends one by one dog from the room with a big stick, another smashes the head of the dog moment it comes out of the room, another person by hanging the dog from a pole cut its body and de-skinned it and thus many dogs are killed for jackets, simply for jackets dogs are killed. If we discard wearing such jackets then to a great extent this issue can be resolved.
B) Because of PETAโ€˜s initiative, โ€œthe U.S. Department of Justice has announced the indictments of eight individuals allegedly involved in a monkey-laundering and -smuggling ring that supplied U.S. experimenters with monkeys captured in their forest homes in Cambodia and falsely identified as captive-bornโ€.
D) PETA shared the cruel video about the killing of ducks. These ducks are kept in a small room with little food and litter in the same place. Many ducks become sick and many also die. Anyway, as per the video โ€˜ducks are stabbed in the neck and their legs cut off for โ€˜responsibleโ€™ down and left to die, unbelievable cruelty.
E) Every year, up to 16 million UK farm animals suffer in cages. Unbearable pain they suffer till their death for which human beings and their greed are responsible.
F) I salute PETA because of PETAโ€™s initiative many dogs were saved. In one experiment, workers used a drill to bore holes into the skulls of 30 beagles so that the distemper virus could be injected directly into their brains. “Some dogs blinked and even whimpered during the painful procedure, and they woke up moaning. In the days that followed, they banged their heads against the walls of the cages, causing blood to spurt from their wounds”. Following PETA’s exposรฉ of the suffering that dogs and cats endured at Liberty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and State officials cited the company for failing to provide some of the approximately 3,000 animals in its “care” with adequate veterinary care. The laboratory was also suspended from experimenting on animals for three months after its renewal application was denied.
G) For making woollen clothes the way rabbits, sheep, goats, etc., are tortured that is a horrible scene. Extreme cruelty can be observed in the videos.
H) Most shocking and cruel ‘also can be said devils activities by some human beings’ are that babies from the cows are taken away within 24 hours of birth and in many cases, male babies are killed within a few hours (by smashing heads with a hammer) so that all the milk can be consumed by the human beings. We should remember that milk is for her babies and babies are killed for human consumption of cowโ€™s milk.
Many many shocking cruel cases are observed as PETA has been exposing the โ€˜cruelty of so-called civilized human beingsโ€™, and shame to such human beings.
Dr Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad

Love Animals, Discardย Cruelty rather extreme Cruelty: Facts from PETAย 

Many animals are friends of human beings. Some animals stay in forests but some stay with human beings known as domestic animals. Domestic animals help us in many ways. Anyway, as for food habits, many human beings eat non-vegetarian foods such as eggs, animalsโ€™ meat, birds’ flesh, fish, etc. So, food habit is not the question of discussion but crueltyย towards animals in many cases extreme crueltyย is highly deplorable. And based onย People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), a few facts are being presented.ย 

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), founded in 1863, a not-for-profit association representing more than 99,500 veterinarians in the US, โ€œthe human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviours essential to the health and wellbeing of both. This includes, among other things, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions with people, animals, and the environment. The veterinarian’s role in the human-animal bond is to maximize the potentials of this relationship between people and animalsโ€. 

Anyway, as a supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), I became very sad and dejected when I see the most awful and cruel videos (also write-up) because of entertainment or for jackets or for other purposes animals are killed or tortured, etc. A few cases from the PETA are presented and full credit goes to PETA. 

A) The dogs are collected from different places and kept in a small room, and then a person sends one by one dog from the room with a big stick, another smashes the head of the dog moment it comes out of the room, another person by hanging the dog from a pole cut its body and de-skinned it and thus many dogs are killed for jackets, simply for jackets dogs are killed.  If we discard wearing such jackets then to a great extent this issue can be resolved.  

B) Because of PETAโ€˜s initiative, โ€œthe U.S. Department of Justice has announced the indictments of eight individuals allegedly involved in a monkey-laundering and -smuggling ring that supplied U.S. experimenters with monkeys captured in their forest homes in Cambodia and falsely identified as captive-bornโ€.

D) PETA shared the cruel video about the killing of ducks. These ducks are kept in a small room with little food and litter in the same place. Many ducks become sick and many also die. Anyway, as per the video โ€˜ducks are stabbed in the neck and their legs cut off for โ€˜responsibleโ€™ down and left to die, unbelievable cruelty.

E) Every year, up to 16 million UK farm animals suffer in cages. Unbearable pain they suffer till their death for which human beings and their greed are responsible.

F) I salute PETA because of PETAโ€™s initiative many dogs were saved.  In one experiment, workers used a drill to bore holes into the skulls of 30 beagles so that the distemper virus could be injected directly into their brains. “Some dogs blinked and even whimpered during the painful procedure, and they woke up moaning. In the days that followed, they banged their heads against the walls of the cages, causing blood to spurt from their wounds”. Following PETA’s exposรฉ of the suffering that dogs and cats endured at Liberty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and State officials cited the company for failing to provide some of the approximately 3,000 animals in its “care” with adequate veterinary care. The laboratory was also suspended from experimenting on animals for three months after its renewal application was denied.

G) For making woollen clothes the way rabbits, sheep, goats, etc., are tortured that is a horrible scene. Extreme cruelty can be observed in the videos.

H) Most shocking and cruel ‘also can be said devils activities by some human beings’ are that babies from the cows are taken away within 24 hours of birth and in many cases, male babies are killed within a few hours (by smashing heads with a hammer) so that all the milk can be consumed by the human beings.  We should remember that milk is for her babies and babies are killed for human consumption of cowโ€™s milk.

Many many shocking cruel cases are observed as PETA has been exposing the โ€˜cruelty of so-called civilized human beingsโ€™, and shame to such human beings.

Dr Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad

STRATEGIES DEPLOYEDโ€ฆ THE 21ST CENTURY SUCCESSFUL CORPORATES

By: Moksha Grover

Image credit: Liknoss

As technology and globalization are expanding, it is formulating a way for new markets to enter and prosper in the consumption economy, beyond rich, industrialized nations. The global economy in the 21st Century is fluctuating extensively, thus bringing new challenges for current and upcoming CEOs. With the introduction of covid pandemic and change in globalization and economy, the strategies used by most of the businesses earlier for successful operations have proved to be complicated and failed in the modern world. It is now important for all businesses to adapt to changes taking place in their environment and take steps accordingly. “To succeed in the long term, companies must compete effectively and outperform their rivals in a dynamic, and often turbulent environment” (Thompson, 1995, p. 1).

Today, the whole global economy is facing the competition between tech and non tech companies. As technology is upgrading and replacing almost all the fields of business, non tech companies are facing a hard time and an uncertain future. Since the covid pandemic, the competition between both these industries has increased significantly. The industry most affected is the non tech industry. It is therefore, critical for businesses to improvise certain strategies in order to function flexibly and improve strategies that donโ€™t work.

There are many strategies that successful corporates are taking up for longer sustainability of their business. Some of the strategies are listed below:

  1. Internationalization of Business: Just with a click on mobile, weโ€™re able to communicate with people living far away, weโ€™re able to share our ideas and spread our talents worldwide through social media and various other platforms. So, why cant we use such profitable platforms for expansion of our business? In the modern world, it is very important for businesses to trade their products internationally for successful operations. Good quality products with low prices are quite attractive for American consumers. If you are a company, which is looking to increase its profits and lower your cost of production, you can buy materials at cheap prices from international markets and also have cheap labour from other countries like china. You can also set up manufacturing units in countries which provide low cost of production. Thus, internationalisation of business will not only assist you in competing with other businesses but will also help you to maximise your profits and enjoy long term benefits.
  2. Technological Impact on Businesses: Its quite astonishing to note the adverse changes in technology. We are living in a technology based society where we need the latest technology for almost everything be it buying or selling. So, business world needs to be updated with latest technology in order to ensure innovation in their businesses so as to sustain and flourish. It is very important for all the CEOโ€™s and business students to demonstrate a deep understanding of technology and adopt the technology which is effective and gives you economic benefits. In the end, the business which gives high level of satisfaction to its consumers, is successful.So, businesses need to keep upgrading their technology for giving satisfaction to their consumers.
  3. Outcome and Input based Businesses: The 21st century does not focus much on input based businesses. Successful businesses in 21st century are mostly outcome based. It is very important for businesses who want to survive in 21st century to revolutionize their business models and to supply outcomes in such a way that it cuts across value chains.
  4. Ecosystem operating vs ruinous competition: The 21st Century encourages businesses working on collaboration rather than businesses entering destructive competitive environment. The lingua franca of a 21CE is non-homogenous โ€œecosystemsโ€[1]. These are complex specialized networks where employees, suppliers, providers and consumers collaborate to extend the ecosystem beyond the enterprise with one common motive โ€“ to weave together a positive customer experience[2].
  5. Personal Strategies: The last but not the least, it is very important for all the CEOs and business students to apply personal strategies in order to raise themselves in productive business environment. Here are some personal strategies that can help you to take your business to a next level: Increasing the speed of your business, embracing new technologies, adopting global thinking and investing in your business for a longer term.

In addition to this, it is very important for all the businesses to operate  in such a way that it does not harm any of the species living on this planet or our environment and also have good CSR activities. People always get attracted and encourage those businesses which are contributing for the betterment of the society and the country as a whole.

There are many changes occurring in our society and our global economy. From all the predictions of great economists, the pace of these changes is likely to increase further. This article highlights five strategies that can help you grow your business further and help in  sustaining your business in this dynamic environment.


[1] Anant Gupta, โ€˜5 characteristics of a successful 21st-century enterpriseโ€™, World Economic Forum (9th October,2015) < https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/10/5-characteristics-of-a-successful-21st-century-enterprise/> accessed 24th December,2021.

[2] Ibid

Rishi sunak: Prime minister of UK

Rishi Sunak born on May 12, 1980, is a British politician who has served as Prime minister designated the United Kingdom and Leader of the conservative party since 24 October 2022. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2020 to 2022 and chief secretary to the treasure from 2019 to 2020. He has been a member of Parliament and MP for Richmond York since 2015.

ย ย ย ย Rishi Sunak was born in Southampton to parents of Punjabi-Indian descent who migrated to Britain from East Africa in the 1960s. He was educated at Winchester College read philosophy politics and economics PP at Lincoln College Oxford and gained an MBA from Stanford University in California. As a Fulbright scholar while studying at Stanford, he met his future wife shitamorti, the daughter of Inar Narayana Morty the Indian Billionaire businessman who founded Infosys. Sunak and Morty are the 2022 richest people in Britain with a combined fortune of 730 metres as of 2022. After graduating Sunak worked for Goldman Sachs and later as a partner at the huge fund firms the Children’s investment fund management and Saleem Partner. Sonic was elected to the House of Commons for Richmond in North Yorkshire. Its the 2015 general election succeeding William Hague sonic supported Brexit in the 2016 reference on EU membership he was appointed to Thresha Mays’s second government as the parliamentary government in the 2018 reshuffle he voted three times in favor of Mays’s Brexit withdrawal agreement after May resigned, Sonak supported Boris Johnson campaign to become a conservative leader. After Johnson was elected and appointed prime minister he appointed Sunak as Chief secretary to the treasury Sonak replaced Saja David as Chancellor of ex check after his resignation in February 2020 Cabinetry shuffle as Chancellor sunak was prominent in the government’s financial response to the Covid 19 pandemic and it’s economic impact including the coronavirus job retention and reaches to help out schemes. He resigned as Chancellor on July 2022 followed by Johnson’s resignation amid a government crisis. Sunak stood in the Conservative party leadership election to replace Johnson and last the members vote for Liz Dress following Truss’s resignation amid another government crisis. Sunak was elected unopposed as a leader of the conservative party and is set to become the next British prime minister.ย ย 

He is the eldest of three siblings. His father was born and raised in the colony and protectorate of Kenya present-day Kenya while his mother was born in Tanganyika which later became part of Tanzania. His grandfather was born in Punjab province British India and migrated from East Africa with their families to the UK in the 1960s. His paternal grandfather Ramdas Sunak was from Gujranwala in presence Pakistan and moved to Nairobi in 1936 to work as a clerk where he was joined by his wife Suhagwani sunk from Delhi

Sunak’s maternal grandfather rub reason berry MBE worked in Tanganyika as a tax officer and had arranged a marriage with 16-year-old Tanganyika born srksha with whom he had three children the family moved to the UK in 1966 funded by Srksha sold her wedding jewelry Sunk attended school in Romsey Hampshire and Winchester college a boy’s independent boarding school where he was head boy.

New policy of Education system 2022

The president of India Sri Ramnath Kovind inaugurated a virtual conference of governors on the role of national education policy NEP 2020 and transforming higher education in New Delhi. Today Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the inaugural session of the conference which was attended by union education minister sir Ramesh April Shank for Education Sri Sanjay Dutta governors lieutenant governor administrations of states and also some sat chief ministers and education ministers addressing the conference.ย 

The president of India said that the national education policy NEP will take the country, especially the youth forward by the needs and aspirations of the 21st century congratulated the prime minister for his visionary leadership and inspiring role in shaping this historical document he also appreciated Dr. Kastura Runyan and ministers as well as the officials of education ministry for giving shape to NEP. Through an elaborate process that took into consideration more than two lack suggestions received 2.5 lakhs gram panchayats more than 12.5 thousand local bodies and about 675 districts if changes are effectively brought about India will emerge as an education superpower he added elaborating on the NEP. The president said that governors being chancellors of states Universities have a crucial role to play in the implementation of NEP there are some 400 states Universities with about 40k colleges affiliated with them hence it was imperative to establish coordination and dialogues with these universities which could be done by governors who are also the chancellors the president said that Education is the most effective way for social justice and hence the NEP calls for an investment of about 6 percentage of GDPย  jointly by the center and the states. He said the NEP emphasized strengthening public educational institutions for a vibrant democratic society and at the same time inculcating respect among students for fundamental rights duties constitutional values and patriotism speaking on the occasion the prime minister said the education policy and education system are important means of fulfilling the aspirations of the country. The prime minister said that though the responsibility of education lies with the central state and local level governments their interference in the policy should be minimal. He said the relevance and effectiveness of the education policy will increase when more and more teachers, parents, and students get associated with it. He added that NEP 2020 was drafted after receiving feedback from millions of people across the country and from those related to the Education sector which is why there is a sense of ownership and an all round acceptance among people about this policy. The prime minister further said that NEP is not only directed at reforming the education system but also at giving a new direction to the social and economic fabric of 21st-century India. he said the policy aims at making India self-reliant or atma nirbhar by making our youth further ready in a rapidly changing world and equipping them with the knowledge and skills as per the requirements of the future. He added that NEP focuses on learning rather than studying and goes beyond the curriculum to emphasize his critical thinking he said there is more emphasis given on passion practically and performance than a process he said that the policy aims at making India a knowledge economy in the 21st century. He said that it also allows for offshore campuses of top international Universities in India which will address the issue of brain drain in his welcome remarks union education Minister Sri Rameshh’s portrayal of Shank touched upon the journey evolution and consultation process of the NEP. The minister said this policy is the result of a wide-ranging consultation process covering Laksa villages block districts’ academicians vice chancellor principal teachers and scientists he stressed the new direction and support to research that will be given through the national research foundation. He said the NEP will make our education system both flexible and stable he said the focus and the police are on reform transform and performance and hope the road to a swatch status act atma nirbhar and Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat will go through this NEP policy the minister of State for Education Sri Sanjay dutra appreciated the entering insights from the governor’s conference and thanked all the participants of the conference discussion sessions with governors lieutenant governor and education minister of the states and union Territories were held during the conference the prospect of transformational reforms in higher education under the new NEP 2020 and the road ahead was elaborately discussed upon in the session the governors and lieutenant governors briefed the president and other participants about various issues with regards to their states and union Territories.

Theย New Education Policyย is a comprehensive and all-encompassing policy that seeks to revamp the Indian education system in its entirety. One of the most significant changes proposed by the NEP is the switch from theย 10+2ย educationย structure to a newย 5+3+3+4 education system.

Under the new system, students will spend five years in elementary school, three years in middle school, three years in high school, and four years in college. This will allow for a more well-rounded and holistic education, as students will be exposed to a broader range of subjects and disciplines.

In addition, theย New Education Policy 2022ย also proposes introducing multiple exit options so that students can choose to leave the education system after completing elementary school, middle school, or high school if they so desire.

Theย NEP 2022ย is an ambitious and far-reaching policy that seeks to transform the Indian education system into one that is on par with the best in the world.

This national education policy focuses on studentsโ€™ individual needs. It aims to create a more flexible and adaptive education system that can meet the needs of students and the economy.

Vocational Education is part of theย new education policy. It includes teaching the mother tongue and provincial languages up to the 5th year of schooling. Training in vocationalย skillsย will be included from the 6th class onwards.

HAMARI PEHCHAN NGO

Hamari Pehchan NGO is a non-governmental organisation with the main motive of improving and changing the lives of people and leading them towards a better and happier life. It provides a platform for different people across the country as well as the society to show their skillsets and develop a unqiue niche for themselves. Through this NGO, many underprevlideged have been able to improve their livelihood and have also been able to overcome the fear of living their lives in jeopardy.

The NGO continuously thrives in changing the lives of people who are deprived of the basic essentials and are unable enjoy their company. Hamari Pehchan is not just limited to a specific gender, age group or a particular methodology for conditioning the advancement of the society. Whether it is about women, children, older people, it tries to reach out to everybody and every section of society. The main motto as earlier stated is always to help all the underprevildged ones and provide them an essential platform to showcase their skills and expertise.

Mission-

Seeking a world of hope, tolerance and social justice where poverty has been eradicated and all people live with dignity and security.

Vision-

 To help everyone in creating their own โ€˜Pahchanโ€™ and live a life with dignity.

Values driven-

Believing in urgent action, innovation and the necessity of transformationโ€”within the world and our own organization.

The NGO has created almost 390+ campaigns throughout the country to spread awareness regarding the donation programs and making lives of the underprivledged much better. And not just this, it has also helped almost 10,000+ people across the country in create their own niche and live their lives with dignity. The organization has been up and running for the past 5 years. With collaboration and support of the Delhi police, School Teachers, Advocates, experienced Doctors and especially the school and college youth, the organization has come a long way with now over 5000 active members working relentlessly to support various causes.

Help is the most expensive gift, so be Rich by heart- Tarun Mathur

Insurance

Insurance is generally a financial coverage for the losses which is beared by the person under certain circumstances or we can say that it is a legal agreement between two parties, the two parties include 1) insurer 2) insured .

Insured is defined as the person who is covered against risk while insurer is the company that is providing coverage.

Photo by Kindel Media on Pexels.com

In simple terms if any bad things happen to the person at any time where he/ she is not aware about the situation and not having that much amount or we can say he or she was financially weak then this insurance will help them in her bad situation or mishappening.

What is the importance of insurance?

Insurance help the society for managing their economic growth. Insurance develop financial institutions and reduce uncertainties by improving financial resources.

  1. It provide safety and society to the person in case of any sudden financial loss. It provide financial support to the person and reduce the uncertainties in business and human life . Let take the example that if any accident will happen to anyone’s life then this insurance will help to overcome from the financial loss.
  2. Some insurance plans will help in protecting the dreams of your child in terms of his/ her education. Insurances are make sure that your children are financially strong while pursuing their goals .
  3. There is one type of insurance that is home insurance which help a person when there is any damage to your home the this insurance will help you to get coverage for damages and pay for the cost of repairs, whichever is needed.
  4. It will help your family to maintain the stability of financial growth. If any unfortunate death to the sole earner will happen then the insurance will help to the other family members.
  5. Insurance will help in encourage savings. Everyone need savings in this generation. They saved money for the future needs which help in our education and in other events .

Types of insurance

  1. Health insurance – Health insurance are types of insurance policy that helps to cover the expenses done by the medical care .
  2. Property insurance – Property insurance gives you financial coverage against damage caused to your private property due to fire , earthquake and many other casualties.
  3. Travel insurance – This insurance covers the costs and losses which are incurred while traveling.

HOW INDIAN FARMERS PROTEST TURN INTO A COUNTRY-WIDE MOVEMENT?

By Moksha Grover

In September 2020, three controversial farm laws passed by the Indian government sparked Indiaโ€™s biggest protest in history. Tens of thousands of farmers marched to the capital to protest proposed new legislation and upward of 250 million people around the subcontinent participated in a 24-hour general strike in solidarity[1]. This massive protest gained attention worldwide and led to millions of farmersโ€™ protests worldwide. Between six and ten million people took part in protests in up to sixty countries over the weekend of 15 and 16 February[2]. Some of the largest protests took place in Europe. But what are actually farm laws? Why are farmers so worried? Why are these protests taking place? Let us take a brief understanding of all these points

WHAT ARE THE NEW FARM LAWS AND HOW WILL THEY AFFECT THE FARMERS?

The three farm laws Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 passed by the government last year have become a great source of attention due to farmersโ€™ protests. Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points since 26 November last year, demanding a repeal of the three farm laws[3]. These laws are said to dismantle the minimum support price system of the farmers and reduce their income. Due to the terms and conditions being handled by big corporate houses, farmers will get a less assured price for their crops, and also the commission agents who pitch in loans for them will be out of business. By weakening the government’s price guarantee system, the laws may end up hurting small and poor farmers, who form 80% of the sector and 23%of those who live below the poverty line, say critics[4]. Because of all these reasons farmers are protesting day and night and demanding a repeal of these laws.  It has now been 1 year since the farmers have been protesting and looking for the government to listen to their demands.

HOW DID FARMERโ€™S PROTEST TURN INTO A PAN INDIA MOVEMENT?

As tens and thousands of farmers came together from different states of Punjab, and Haryana and started their protest by moving toward the capital of the country— New Delhi, they were stopped midway by the authorities from entering India’s capital. So, they started protesting on highways to New Delhi. The farmerโ€™s protest is termed as the biggest protest in the history of the world wherein these farmers are supported by different farmers across the globe and also by big companies and brands like Marks & Spencers, Cover story, etc. Many people are supporting them by giving them food, clothes, money, etc.  There have been trials of talks between farmer unions and the government but the ultimate result of these trials has been failure. Several ministers and leaders from Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) have dismissed these farmersโ€™ protests viewing them as demonstrations by a handful of wheat and rice-growing people only from Punjab and Haryana. This is very wrong on the part of government as government is accountable to all its citizens irrespective of the fact that whether they are just some handful of wheat growing farmers. Further, as the days went on, farmers from other parts of the country galvanized into action by either joining the protest near New Delhi or organizing a series of demonstrations in different states[5].

Besides their demand of withdrawal of the laws, farmers have another demand. Their second demand is that governmet has to pass a law in which theyโ€™ll buy all the farm produce at a state set guaranteed price. The new demand gained traction among farmers from across the country, beyond Punjab and Haryana – known as India’s grain belt[6].

UTTAR PRADESH— A STATE IN WHICH FARMERโ€™S WANT TO INTENSIFY THEIR PROTESTS

Uttar Pradesh is Indiaโ€™s most populous state being home to around 240 million people. As farmerโ€™s protest is being more intensified, the union leaders are turning their gaze towards Uttar Pradesh. Modi’s BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, and the state assembly election is due by early next year[7]. In western Utter Pradesh agriculture is a mainstay and before the state assembly elections, farmerโ€™s union aim to declare Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) as an anti farmer party. To achieve this aim, it is said that farmers will go in every city and town of Uttar Pradesh and convey there to the people about the ignorance followed by Modi government to farmerโ€™s interests. The election in Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 lawmakers, or more than any other state, to parliament in New Delhi, is seen as a barometer of the popularity of the federal government[8]. Farmers now plan to hit the ruling party at the side which will hurt it the most.

HAS THE FARMERโ€™S PROTEST LED TO THE COMING TOGETHER OF HINDU AND MUSLIMS FARMERโ€™S?

In Western Uttar Pradesh, protests from Punjab and Haryana have turned up into a broad base movement. In western Uttar Pradesh, which sends 130 lawmakers to the state assembly, the upper caste landlords from the Jat community and the farmhands who typically come from the lower strands of the rigid Hindu social hierarchy have joined hands to oppose the farm laws[9]. The most remarkable point about this protest is that Hindu and Muslim farmers have come together to fight against the laws put up by the government breaking away all the communal clashes that had taken place between the two communities. It is said that the unity followed by the two communities will hurt the ruling party. However, BJP has denied fanning communal tension.


[1] Nitish Pahwa, โ€˜India Just Had the Biggest Protest in World Historyโ€™, Slate (9th December,2020) < https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/12/india-farmer-protests-modi.html> accessed 13th September, 2021.

[2] โ€˜2020โ€“2021 Indian farmers’ protestโ€™, Wikipedia < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020%E2%80%932021_Indian_farmers%27_protest> accessed 13th September,2021

[3] โ€˜Explained: What farmers want and why they are protestingโ€™, mint (26th January, 2021) https://www.livemint.com/news/india/what-farmers-want-and-why-they-are-protesting-11611662903629.html accessed 13th September,2021

[4] โ€˜Why Farmers Are Worried About New Laws; Itโ€™s The Historyโ€™, Bloomerang Quint (2nd December,2020) < https://www.bloombergquint.com/politics/why-farmers-are-worried-about-new-laws-its-the-history> accessed 13th September,2021

[5] Manisha Sen, โ€˜How Indian farmersโ€™ protest turned into a country-wide movementโ€™, The Sen Times (9th September, 2021) < https://www.tkbsen.in/2021/09/how-indian-farmers-protest-turned-into-a-country-wide-movement/> accessed 13th September,2021.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Mayank Bhardwaj, โ€˜Explainer: How Indian farmers’ protest turned into a country-wide movementโ€™, Reuters (September 9, 2021) https://www.reuters.com/world/india/how-indian-farmers-protest-turned-into-country-wide-movement-2021-09-09/ accessed 13th September,2021

Tradition is not an obstacle to progress.

Tradition basically means undocumented beliefs and customs that have been passed on from generation to generation,  which we all adhere to in our daily lives either knowingly or unknowingly. It is upto the decision of an individual where to follow traditional values and take them as a lesson or not. Since tradition is unwritten, it gets modified with time to suit the need of the time, but it is a chapter that provides lessons of right and wrong. Adhering to these values doesn’t make us orthodox, it rather makes us more aware of the past, and thus help make right decision. Along with binding  us to our forefathers, it makes our character distinct. In fact tradition are a testimony to our culture and society. While we have modern lifestyle today, one should remember, traditions values are not meant to be erased.

Such is the significance of tradition in our lives, that it can never become an obstacle in progress. It teaches us ways to utilize our time more effectively.The tragedy lies in the fact that usually elders tend to look down upon the younger generation if they don’t adhere to the religious and cultural traits of their parents. This decision should left up to the individual. Moreover, traditional Indian habits like touching the feet of our elders to show respect or visiting the temple with the family on an auspicious occasion are signs of a refined sense of culture, not of backwardness. Tradition cannot be an obstacle.

Photo by Genaro Servu00edn on Pexels.com

Most spoken languages in the world

Knowing this information is essential to understand if youโ€™re planning a global expansion strategy and levelling up in the business world. Additionally, whether in the workplace or personal development, knowledge of more than one language offers us new horizons and the opportunity to expand our cultural understanding.

Fromย theย languages that English speakers will findย easy to learn, to theย more difficult languages, we’ve compiled this all-encompassing list for you based on real data.ย The German Language is easy to learn, start German Listening

So keep reading to find out what the most spoken languages are.

1.ย Englishย (1,132 million speakers)

  • Native speakers: 379 million
  • Non-native speakers: 753 million

Like Latin orย Greekย at the time, English is the universal language of today. It is the default language in international business, tourism, technology, and much more.

A bilingual person, who speaks Spanish and English, can understand 1 in 3 people who connect to the Internet. In addition, he or she can access over 60% of everything published on the web

2.ย Mandarinย (1,117 million speakers)

Mandarin_and_Cantonese.jpg
  • Native speakers: 918 million
  • Non-native speakers: 199 million

Adding native and non-native speakers, Mandarin is the second most widely spoken language in the world. However, it is the first, if only native speakers are taken into account.

Mandarin is not actually a language, but a set of dialects of the Chinese language. What unifies these dialects under the same name is that their speakers can understand each other.

Interestingly, 20% of people who connect to the internet speak Chinese, but only just over 1% of the content available on the web is in the Chinese language.

3.ย Hindiย (615 million speakers)

  • Native speakers: 341 million
  • Non-native speakers: 274 million

Hindi is, along with English, one of the 22 officialย languages of India, the second most inhabited country in the world. The regionโ€™s linguistic diversity (more than 1,600 languages coexist) explains the high rate of non-native speakers who use it as a lingua franca.

4.ย Spanishย (534 million speakers)

Child_in_Mexico_who_can_speak_Spanish.jpg
  • Native speakers: 460 million
  • Non-native speakers: 74 million

Spanish is the second of the most widely spoken languages globally in terms of the number of native speakers. In addition, it is the most spoken of theย Romance languages, andย is the third most used on the internet.

Its enormous colonial expansion took it not only to America, but also to Africa and Asia. Due to migration, the United States is the second country with the largest number of Spanish speakers in the world.

5.ย Frenchย (280 million speakers)

  • Native speakers: 77 million
  • Non-native speakers: 203 million

Colonialism allowed French to spread throughout the world. Today it is the official language of 29 countries on different continents.

If English is the language of business, French is considered the language of culture. Its enormous importance is also reflected in the fact that it is the third language with the largest number of non-native speakers.

6.ย Arabicย (274 million speakers)

Walking_towards_Egyptian_pyramids_Arabic_language.jpg
  • Native speakers: 245 million
  • Non-native speakers: 29 million

Arabic is the official language of 26 countries. Due to this territorial coverage, it is actually a set of dialects. It is also the liturgical language of Islam.

It is not only the language that treasures the enormous cultural legacy of the Arab world, but also a necessary tool for the field of business in that region of the world.

7. Bengali (265 million speakers)

  • Native speakers: 228 million
  • Non-native speakers: 37 million

Bengali is the official language of Bangladesh. In addition, people speak it in some areas of India and Burma. It may come as a surprise that a language spoken in such a small territory appears in a list of the most spoken languages in the world. However, it makes sense when you think about the population density of that region.

8.ย Russianย (258 million speakers)

  • Native speakers: 154 million
  • Non-native speakers: 104 million

Less surprising is the inclusion of Russian among the most widely spoken languages globally if we think about Russian history and territories. It is the official language of four countries, but people also speak it in all those part of the former Soviet Union. It is the language with the largest number of native speakers in all of Europe.

9.ย Portugueseย (234 million speakers)

Christ_the_redeemer_Brazil_Portuguese_language.jpg
  • Native speakers: 221 million
  • Non-native speakers: 13 million

Portuguese is another of the languages that expanded in the European colonial period. Today itโ€™s the official language of nine countries divided between Europe, America, Africa and Asia. Brazil is the largest country out of those nine and has the most amount of Portuguese speakers. In addition, it is the most widely spoken language in the southern hemisphere.

10.ย Indonesianย (198 million speakers)

  • Native speakers: 43 million
  • Non-native speakers: 155 million

Bahasa Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world. Peculiarly, itโ€™s not the native language of most of its speakers. Rather, itโ€™s a second language necessary for mutual understanding in a country with more than 200 languages.

Top 20 Languages are as follows

1ย Englishย 1.5 B

2ย Mandarin Chineseย 1.1 B

3ย Hindiย 602.2 M

4ย Spanishย 548.3 M

5ย Frenchย 274.1 M

6ย Standard Arabicย 274.0 M

7ย Bengaliย 272.7 M

8ย Russianย 258.2 M

9ย Portugueseย 257.7 M

10ย Urduย 231.3 M

11ย Indonesianย 199.0 M

12ย Standard Germanย 134.6 M

13ย Japaneseย 125.4 M

14ย Nigerian Pidginย 120.7 M

15ย Marathiย 99.1 M

16ย Teluguย 95.7 M

17ย Turkishย 88.1 M

18ย Tamilย 86.4 M

19ย Yue Chineseย 85.6 M

20ย Vietnameseย 85.3 M

“Web series the new craze”

Photo by Samson Katt on Pexels.com

A web series is a series of online videos that can either be scripted or non- scripted. They first came into existence in late 1990’s with first web series being released on April 1995 , the series was “Global Village Idiots” it was an episode of Bloomington, Indiana based public access program Rox, it was uploaded to the internet on the show’s website at rox.com thus making it the first such series which was distributed via web. The series got a huge popularity at that time thus calling it out as the real impact of digital revolution in pop culture.

But web series gained more popularity in early 2000s and since then they are continuously gaining popularity. The reason behind there increasing popularity is that they are available on a range of platforms and devices including desktop , laptop , tablets and smartphones and by being online they have chance of being by the other country audience as well thus making them extremely popular or go viral. A web series is a group or series of videos and its one video or single instance is called as a “episode” or “webisode” .

WORKFORCE EXPLOITATION DURING COVID PANDEMIC

By Moksha Grover

Exploitation of workers is a very common phenomena followed by many employers since a long time in several countries across the globe. This covid pandemic has mainly impacted and increased the rates of child labour and forced laboures. Reports provided by agricultural farms and slaughterhouses, where most of the workforce exploitation is of migrant workers are really horrific. Many workers have been subjected to loose their employment and income. As a result, these affected groups are often subjected to discrimination. These affected groups are mostly children, women, people working in informal sector, religious minorities, LGBTQ community, refugees etc.

There is clearly a need to stop labour exploitation and ensure all the workers have safe working conditions and adequate pay. It is important to ensure that exploitation of workers does not become a โ€˜new normalโ€™ in this pandemic.

REDUCED INCOME

This pandemic has led to the reduce in income of many households. Many rich business owners have been declared as bankrupt. As a result, many companies have reduced the income of their workers as well as terminated many people from their company to maximize their profits thus, leading to the loss of employment and income. Due to these circumstances, the overall world has seen an increase in social issues like poverty. According to Asiaโ€“Pacific Employment and Social Outlook 2020: Navigating the crisis towards a human-centred future of work  estimates, the economic backlash of the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out some 81 million jobs in 2020[1]. Due to this reduction in income and loss of employment, many workers have been found carrying a hangover of debt as many had taken loans from friends and other sources and because of the loss they suffered by the pandemic, they were not able to pay back what they had borrowed.

OVERWORKING OF REDUCED WORKFORCE

As a consequence of loss of employment and increased production in certain industries, many people have to work overtime and many have suffered overloads of work. Many of them donโ€™t even get breaks in between their work and are made to work continuously due to reduced labour.      Because of poverty, they even have to work and cannot leave their work due to their helplessness. These labourers are meeting additional pressures to meet their targets and many of them donโ€™t even get good working conditions. Having limited access to healthcare, sanitation, drinking water further increases their vulnerability.

EMPLOYMENT DECEPTION AND FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION

Many people having the hope to have better job opportunities visited countries like USA, UK. However, this sense of job security was sabotaged as when they later reached these countries, they found that these jobs actually didnโ€™t exist. This organised criminal deception represents a worrying trend, given tighter visa restrictions following Brexit, which may encourage workers without employment to seek jobs in the informal economy, with a higher risk of exploitative conditions[2].

In this pandemic, businesses also suffered a lot with respect to high costs they incurred on purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as setting up the systems of offline work in their office and formulating new procedures and guidelines ranging from new health and safety protocols to new audit report systems. Also, while audits into supply chains have continued, these were taken up from a long distance without physical contact which limited businessesโ€™ oversight of their suppliers.

RISKS FOR THOSE ALREADY IN SITUATIONS OF LABOUR EXPLOITATION AND FOR SURVIVORS— MIGRANT WORKERS

People those who are marginalized, discriminated against, and impoverished are at greater risk of exploitation. However, due to this pandemic, they are even at a greater risk of exploitation with inadequate healthcare and some essential facilities. Due to restricted movement including the border closures and travel disruptions during the pandemic, these workers are not even able to return to their hometowns. This is the case with migrant workers. These workers often live in poorly sanitized and unhygienic labour camps and due to inadequate healthcare facilities, they are prone to health risks. And because of this pandemic they are not able to return home. They go to different lands to earn money but often become the victims of exploitation due to any social or religious factor. the sudden announcement of the pandemic left 13 crore migrants with no way to return home and no money in India. When the lockdown got relaxed, many employers got worried about the shortage of labour and whether these migrant workers will return back. However, when these labourers returned back, none of the employers were concerned about their health and facilities. As a result of all these consequences, many people are now facing mental health issues thus, increasing the cases of mental health risks.

CHILD LABOUR

This economic and social crisis is predicted to particularly affect children. An estimated 42-66 million children could fall into extreme poverty as a result of the crisis this year, adding to the estimated 386 million children already in extreme poverty in 2019[3]. Before this pandemic, there was an improvement in child labour almost in all countries around the world. Many children had started going to school and educating themselves. But due to this pandemic, everything got disrupted. The whole education system became online and those who were not able to afford this system unfortunately, had to give up on their studies. This led to thousands of children leaving schools and working as forced labourers.

Due to this pandemic, many households have fallen into extreme poverty as a result, they force their children into child labour. Children who belong to marginalised communities, are disabled or homeless are more prone to indulge in child labour. In addition to being forced in child labour, many children, mostly girls are also burdened with increased household responsibilities and domestic chores.

REPUROPOSING AND INNOVATING OPERATIONS

It is very important to stop labour exploitation and take necessary measures and steps in order to prevent this exploitation. Following steps and measures can be taken to stop workforce exploitation.

  • Ensuring workers, a regular and good pay should be made essential for all the companies and organizations.
  • Job security should be given to all the employees.
  • Government should take adequate measures and frame policies in support of all the labourers and workers and ensure safe working conditions for them.
  • In the wake of this pandemic, all the organisations and companies should provide all its workers with personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Overloading of work and overtime of workers should be avoided.
  • Working in collaboration with educational institutions for the purpose of boosting re-enrolment and avoiding children engaging in child labour.
  • Migrant workers who have been confined to a workplace and are subjected to forced labour should be rescued.

CONCLUSION

In this pandemic, there is a risk of labour exploitation to become the โ€˜new normalโ€™. The poor labourers are forced to work in informal sectors and face exploitation due to the lack of sources and income. If this issue is not controlled now, it would be very difficult to control it in future. There should be appropriate measures taken to help all the workers who are at a risk of this exploitation and for those who are already facing this exploitation.


[1] โ€˜81 million jobs lost as COVID-19 creates turmoil in Asia-Pacific labour marketsโ€™, International Labour Organization (15th December,2020) https://www.ilo.org/asia/media-centre/news/WCMS_763819/lang–en/index.htm> accessed 21st September,2021

[2] Dr Oana Burcu, โ€˜Evaluating the risk of labour exploitation among migrant workers in the UK during Covid-19โ€™, University of Nottingham < https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/vision/evaluating-the-risk-of-labour-exploitation> accessed 21st September,2021.

[3] โ€˜COVID-19 impact on child labour and forced labour: The response of the IPEC+ Flagship Programmeโ€™, International Labour Organization (May,2020) < https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_norm/@ipec/documents/publication/wcms_745287.pdf> accessed 21st Septemer,2021

Shadow Puppetry in India;Gender role & Divisions

Shadow Puppetry

In India Puppetry has been one of the most ancient folk skill forms of traditional entertainment and has the richest variety of types and styles of shadow puppets.

Shadow puppets areย made up of leatherย thatย hasย beenย carvedย intoย flatย figures.

Theย audienceย isย seatedย inย frontย ofย theย screen,ย andย shadowย puppetsย areย pressedย upย againstย theย screenย withย aย powerfulย sourceย ofย lightย behindย it.ย Theย interactionย betweenย theย lightย andย theย screenย createsย vibrantย shadowsย forย theย audience. Popularย regionsย forย theseย puppetsย includeย Orissa,ย Kerala,ย Andhraย Pradesh,ย Karnataka,ย Maharashtra,ย andย Tamilย Nadu.

Indian shadow puppetry examples include: 

Togalu Gombeyatta (Karnataka),

Tholuย Bommalataย (Andhraย Pradesh),ย 

and 

Ravanachhaya (Odisha)

Togalu Gombeyatta: 

Togaluย Gombeyattaย isย theย nameย ofย Karnataka’sย shadowย theatre.ย 

Most of these puppets are small in size. 

However,ย theย puppets’ย sizesย varyย accordingย toย theirย socialย standing;ย forย example,ย kingsย andย religiousย figuresย areย largerย thanย ordinaryย people or servants,ย whoย areย smaller.

Tholu Bommalata:

The majority of it comes from the state of AP. The puppets have jointed shoulders, elbows, and knees and are quite huge. On both sides, they are colored. As a result, these puppets cast colorful shadows on the screen. The Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Puranas are used as the inspiration for the puppet plays’ themes, and the music is mostly influenced by local classical music.

Ravanachhaya, Orissa:

This is a type of puppet from that state. There are no joints and the puppets are in one piece. Since they lack color, they cast opaque shadows on the screen. Along with the usage of human and animal characters, several props are also employed, including trees, mountains, chariots, etc. Despite being smaller in sizeโ€”the tallest Ravanachhaya puppets are less than two feet tall and lack jointed limbsโ€”they cast incredibly tender and lyrical shadows.

Gender role and division on Shadow puppetry in India:

For a long time, this art has hampered the involvement of women in taking part in the playing role of puppets. Women are mostly hidden or invisible in play and men’s roles are exclusively visible. A study conducted on the role of women in the traditional puppeteer family in India on
two major forms of puppetry-โ€˜String puppetry and Leather- Shadow puppetry which shows women are not involved in making puppets even in South India that are made of wood called string marionettes.

Women are mostly involved in theย fabricationย ofย naturalย dyesย andย colors,ย suchย asย thoseย madeย fromย dirt,ย mud,ย leaves,ย treeย bark,ย seeds,ย andย charcoal,ย onย cloth,ย theย preparationย ofย appam (Wall putty)ย utilizingย softย lay,ย tamarindย seeds,ย andย traditionalย glue,ย andย theย designingย andย dressingย ofย costumesย areย allย moreย commonlyย doneย byย women. puppetsย thatย areย stitchedย usingย aย needleย andย thread.

What studies say?

Traditional puppeteers did not allow women to take part actively as in Kerala, Shadow puppetry and the place and performance going on are like a temple and puppets are made of Gods and goddesses to be played on stage where they are not allowing women for the reason by the Custom or their menstruation. Only Male members are allowed to connect the profession and play roles.

What’s now?

Nevertheless, Today Women from Traditional families and women who are interested in puppetry come under an umbrella called Contemporary puppeteers. As a result, women in puppetry are using puppetry to revive the art form,ย  to address some of Indiaโ€™s most pressing social problems, to impart education, awareness campaign, in theatre, and also as therapeutic value.ย 

Women artists today not only contribute to this rich art form, but they also hold their own as equal puppeteers and performers. The evident cultural rebirth can be seen in the appropriation of traditional art, modifications, exploration of interconnection, artistic and creative modules connecting the international models, for teaching, education, social cause, campaign, and lastly to entertain with a message.

Reference:

Many Voices, One World (1982). New Delhi: Oxford, IBH.
Melkote, S.R. (1991). Communication for Development in the Third World: Theory and Practice. New Delhi: Sage.
Mukhopadhyay, D. (1994). Folk Arts and Social Communication, New Delhi: Publications Division.

RainWater Harvesting

N kavya

Rainwater harvesting is a sustainable process that helps in preserving water for future needs. Water scarcity is a major concern in todayโ€™s scenario. The process of rainwater harvesting is a good way to conserve water. Rainwater Harvesting is one of the most used methods to save water. It refers to storing rainwater for various uses. The notion behind rainwater harvesting is to not waste the rainwater and prevent it from running off. In other words, it is done to collect rainwater using simple mechanisms. It is usually collected at the place the rain falls from the ground or rooftops. Rainwater harvesting is an alternative to reduce the stress of public water supply sources. The recharge of rainwater to the ground in the coastal regions prevents seawater immersion into the freshwater. Finally, rainwater harvesting reduces water supply bills.

Rainwater Filtration -:

Rainwater can be harvested or purified in multiple ways. The catch area before harvesting must be cleaned thoroughly, and the pipelined must be flushed regularly. Initially, the water flow is diverted to wash or rinse the area.
Rainwater contains contaminants or other waste materials that affect the quality of the water. Contaminants such as dust, Bird excreta, pollution, leaves, and sand particles can affect water quality.


Filtration removes contaminants and other impurities and purifies rainwater for drinking and other purposes. However, the harvested water must be treated and tested before consumption to ensure the right quality check.
Industries use the practice of pre-filtration to ensure that the purified water is directed water to the tank. The pre-filtration measure is a vital step that the water supply system should not compromise in terms of water quality.


Some techniques of rainwater purification are solar sterilization, the use of chemicals like iodine or chlorine, or sediment filtration. However, harvested rainwater used for drinking purposes can be filtered through Reverse Osmosis (RO).

Favorable aspects of Rainwater Harvesting -:

Rainwater Harvesting positively affects underground water quality. It dilutes the number of nitrates, fluorides, and salinity of the underground water. It contains zero hardness and almost neutral pH, making it highly suitable for industries, homes, institutions, industries, and other commercial establishments. Rainwater Harvesting reduces water supply bills. It is an excellent method that solves the water shortage crisis and lessens the energy consumption in water disturbance. Rooftop Rainwater harvesting controls urban flooding. The recharge of rainwater to the ground in the coastal regions prevents seawater immersion into the freshwater. Rainwater harvesting is an alternative to reduce the stress of public water supply sources. Construction of deeper wells can damage the natural environment as well as upscale. Therefore, the source of rainwater is highly effective and dependable. Stored harvested rainwater can be used as an alternative to municipal water and used during the water crisis.

Rainwater harvesting can be done in a variety of methods, including -:

1. A watershed is a region where precipitation flows directly into a river or another reservoir.
2. There are two ways to keep water: on the roof or the ground.
3. Normally, rainwater is collected on the rooftops. The rainwater from the roof is usually collected in PVC pipes and stored in a sump (a deep pit dug into the earth) or a tank.
4. The water in the tank can then be used for home purposes after it has been filtered.
5. Rainwater collection also helps to restore natural aquifers.

The two types of rainwater harvesting -:

1. Surface runoff harvesting -:

In this method, rainwater flows away as surface runoff and can be stored for future use. Surface water can be stored by diverting the flow of small creeks and streams into reservoirs on the surface or underground. It can provide water for farming, cattle, and for general domestic use. Surface runoff harvesting is most suitable in urban areas.
Rooftop rainwater/storm runoff can be harvested in urban areas through:
โ€ข Recharge Pit
โ€ข Recharge Trench
โ€ข Tubewell
โ€ข Recharge Well

Groundwater recharge -:

Groundwater recharge is a hydrologic process where water moves downward from surface water to groundwater. Recharge is the primary method through which water enters an aquifer. The aquifer also serves as a distribution system. The surplus rainwater can then be used to recharge Grothe underwater aquifer through artificial recharge techniques.

3. Rainwater in rural areas can be harvested through -:

โ€ข Gully Plug
โ€ข Contour Bund
โ€ข Dugwell Recharge
โ€ข Percolation Tank
โ€ข Check Dam/Cement Plug/Nala Bund
โ€ข Recharge Shaft


Although rainwater harvesting measure is deemed to be a desirable concept for the last few years, it is rarely implemented in rural India. Different regions of the country practiced a variety of rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge methods. Some ancient rainwater harvesting methods followed in India includes Madaras, Ahar Pynes, Surangas, Taankas, etc.

Advantages of Rainwater Harvesting -:

1. Less cost.
2. Helps in reducing the water bill.
3. Decreases the water demand.
4. Reduces the need for imported water.
5. Promotes both water and energy conservation.
6. Improves the quality and quantity of groundwater.
7. Does not require a filtration system for landscape irrigation.
8. This technology is simple and easy to install and operate.
9. It reduces soil erosion, stormwater runoff, flooding, and pollution of surface water with fertilizers, pesticides, metals, and other sediments.
10. It is an excellent source of water for landscape irrigation with no chemicals, or dissolved salts, and is free from all minerals.

Disadvantages of Rainwater Harvesting-:

1. In addition to the great advantages, the rainwater harvesting system has a few disadvantages like unpredictable rainfall, unavailability of the proper storage system, etc.
2. Listed below are a few more disadvantages of the rainwater harvesting process.
3. Regular maintenance is required.
4. Requires some technical skills for installation.
5. Limited and no rainfall can limit the supply of rainwater.
6. If not installed correctly, it may attract mosquitoes and other waterborne diseases. 7. One of the significant drawbacks of the rainwater harvesting system is storage limits.

The world faces an increasingly critical need to address climate change, and the impact that water conservation has on a sustainable environment is undeniable. Groundwater is the primary source of freshwater that caters to the demand of the ever-growing domestic, agrarian, and industrial sectors of the country. Over the years, it has been observed that the necessity for the exploitation of groundwater resources for various everyday needs, like toileting, bathing, cleaning, agriculture, drinking water, industrial and ever-changing lifestyles with modernization is leading to tremendous water wastage. Harvesting and collecting rainwater is an adequate strategy that can be used to address the problem of water crisis globally. The use of a rainwater harvesting system provides excellent merits for every community. This simple water conservation method can be a boost to an incredible solution in areas where there is enough rainfall but not enough supply of groundwater. It will not only provide the most sustainable and efficient means of water management but also unlock the vista of several other economic activities leading to the Empowerment of people at the grass-root level.

For this, the Government should come out with an appropriate incentive structure and logistic assistance to make it a real success. Rainwater harvesting is something that thousands of families across the world should participate in rather than pinning hopes on the administration to fight the water crisis. This water conservation method is a simple and effective process with numerous benefits that can be easily practiced in individual homes, apartments, parks, and across the world. As we all know that charity begins at home, likewise, a contribution to societyโ€™s welfare must be initiated from oneโ€™s home.

EMPATHY

N kavya

The term โ€œempathyโ€ is used to describe a wide range of experiences. Emotion researchers generally define empathy as the ability to sense other people’s emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling. The term โ€œempathyโ€ is used to describe a wide range of experiences. Emotion researchers generally define empathy as the ability to sense other peopleโ€™s emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling.

Contemporary researchers often differentiate between two types of empathy: โ€œAffective empathyโ€ refers to the sensations and feelings we get in response to othersโ€™ emotions; this can include mirroring what that person is feeling or just feeling stressed when we detect anotherโ€™s fear or anxiety. โ€œCognitive empathy,โ€ sometimes called โ€œperspective taking,โ€ refers to our ability to identify and understand other peopleโ€™s emotions. Studies suggest that people with autism spectrum disorders have a hard time empathizing.

Empathy seems to have deep roots in our brains and bodies, and our evolutionary history. Elementary forms of empathy have been observed in our primate relatives, in dogs, and even in rats. Empathy has been associated with two different pathways in the brain, and scientists have speculated that some aspects of empathy can be traced to mirror neurons, cells in the brain that fire when we observe someone else act in much the same way that they would fire if we performed that action ourselves. Research has also uncovered evidence of a genetic basis for empathy, though studies suggest that people can enhance (or restrict) their natural empathic abilities.

Having empathy doesnโ€™t necessarily mean weโ€™ll want to help someone in need, though itโ€™s often a vital first step toward compassionate action.

Empathy manifests in education as well as between teachers and students. Empathy becomes difficult when there are differences between people regarding culture, language, skin color, gender, and age. Empathy is considered a motivating factor for unselfish behavior. Lack of empathy is similar to antisocial behavior. Empathy develops deep roots in our brains, as our evolutionary history. Having empathy does not mean that a person is willing to help someone. It is an essential step toward compassionate action.

Empathy forms one of the most critical components of creating harmonious relationships. It reduces stress and enhances emotional awareness. People are well attuned to their feelings and emotions. Getting into someoneโ€™s head can be challenging at times. People tend to be empathetic when they listen to what others have to say. It makes an individual overwhelmed by tragic incidents. Empathy can make an individual concerned about the well-being of another individual.

Empathy helps to make an individual a better person. By understanding what people are thinking and feeling, people can respond appropriately. Social connections build up as a result of empathy. It helps in both physical and psychological well-being. Empathizing with others helps to regulate a personโ€™s own emotions. It helps an individual to manage his feelings even at times of great stress.

Empathy helps a person to engage themselves in helpful behaviors. Not everyone experiences empathy. Some people may be more naturally empathetic than others. How a person perceives another person can influence empathy to a great extent. Being empathetic toward others will help to understand othersโ€™ suffering and create harmony in the world.

Key aspects of empathy -:


1. In the absence of empathy, relationships remain shallow.
2. Empathy does not form a part of intuition; it is about understanding others.
3. Empathy is a learned behavior.
4. The capacity of being empathetic to another person depends on each individual.
5. Empathetic people tend to help others more.
6. Painkillers can reduce your capacity of being empathetic toward other people.
7. Anxiety and tension can influence empathy to a great extent.
8. An individual can heighten their empathy through meditation.
9. All humans are inclined toward empathizing with others in their pain and suffering.
10. A genetic defect can reduce an individualโ€™s empathy.

Empathy can be learned and practiced. It is a vital aspect of our everyday lives. It enables an individual to show compassion. It helps to relate to other people, relatives, colleagues, and loved ones and helps to impact the world positively. Some people are born with empathy while some learn it and can increase or decrease it. It is a part of emotional intelligence, which can be taught to children at a very early stage. Children can be taught to be empathetic by sharing their things and not hurting others.

Solar Energy for The Future

N kavya

Solar energy is any type of energy generated by the sun. Solar energy is created by nuclear fusion that takes place in the sun. Fusion occurs when protons of hydrogen atoms violently collide in the sun’s core and fuse to create a helium atom. Solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy either through photovoltaic (PV) panels or through mirrors that concentrate solar radiation. This energy can be used to generate electricity or be stored in batteries or thermal storage.

The Process of Solar Energy โ€“

This process, known as a PP (proton-proton) chain reaction, emits an enormous amount of energy. At its core, the sun fuses about 620 million metric tons of hydrogen every second. The PP chain reaction occurs in other stars that are about the size of our sun and provides them with continuous energy and heat. The temperature for these stars is around 4 million degrees on the Kelvin scale (about 4 million degrees Celsius, 7 million degrees Fahrenheit).

In stars that are about 1.3 times bigger than the sun, the CNO cycle drives the creation of energy. The CNO cycle also converts hydrogen to helium but relies on carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen (C, N, and O) to do so. Currently, less than 2% of the sunโ€™s energy is created by the CNO cycle.

Nuclear fusion by the PP chain reaction or CNO cycle releases tremendous amounts of energy in the form of waves and particles. Solar energy is constantly flowing away from the sun and throughout the solar system. Solar energy warms the Earth, causes wind and weather, and sustains plant and animal life.

The energy, heat, and light from the sun flow away in the form of electromagnetic radiation (EMR).

The electromagnetic spectrum exists as waves of different frequencies and wavelengths. The frequency of a wave represents how many times the wave repeats itself in a certain unit of time. Waves with very short wavelengths repeat themselves several times in a given unit of time, so they are high-frequency. In contrast, low-frequency waves have much longer wavelengths.

The vast majority of electromagnetic waves are invisible to us. The most high-frequency waves emitted by the sun are gamma rays, X-rays, and ultraviolet radiation (UV rays). The most harmful UV rays are almost completely absorbed by Earthโ€™s atmosphere. Less potent UV rays travel through the atmosphere and can cause sunburn.

The sun also emits infrared radiation, whose waves are much lower frequency. Most heat from the sun arrives as infrared energy.

Sandwiched between infrared and UV is the visible spectrum, which contains all the colors we see on Earth. The color red has the longest wavelengths (closest to infrared), and violet (closest to UV) the shortest.

Natural Solar Energy

1. Greenhouse Effect
2. Photosynthesis
3. Fossil Fuels
โ€ข Harnessing solar Energy (The methods use either active solar energy or passive solar energy)
โ€ข Photovoltaics
โ€ข Concentrated solar energy
โ€ข Solar Architecture

Advantages & Disadvantages of Solar Energy

1. Advantages
โ€ข Solar energy is clean. After the solar technology equipment is constructed and put in place, solar energy does not need fuel to work. It also does not emit greenhouse gases or toxic materials.
โ€ข There are locations where solar energy is practical. Homes and buildings in areas with high amounts of sunlight and low cloud cover have the opportunity to harness the sunโ€™s abundant energy.
โ€ข Solar energy complements other renewable sources of energy, such as wind or hydroelectric energy.


Homes or businesses that install successful solar panels can produce excess electricity. These homeowners or business owners can sell energy back to the electric provider, reducing or even eliminating power bills.

2. Disadvantages
โ€ข Solar energy equipment is also heavy. To retrofit or install solar panels on the roof of a building, the roof must be strong, large, and oriented toward the sunโ€™s path.
โ€ข Both active and passive solar technology depends on factors that are out of our control, such as climate and cloud cover. Local areas must be studied to determine whether or not solar power would be effective in that area.
โ€ข Sunlight must be abundant and consistent for solar energy to be an efficient choice. In most places on Earth, sunlightโ€™s variability makes it difficult to implement as the only source of energy.

Racialism

N kavya

A belief that races are the fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. Ladino elites used racism to justify the displacement and enslavement of the indigenous population, and these beliefs, along with resentment created by the continued exploitation of indigenous land and labour, culminated in the Guatemalan Civil war (1960-1996). Racism is also called racialism.

(Racism)

After, Germanyโ€™s defeat in World War I, that countryโ€™s deeply ingrained anti-Semitism was successfully exploited by the Nazi Party, which seized power in 1933 and implemented policies of systematic discrimination, persecution, and eventual mass murder of Jews in Germany and the territories occupied by the country during World War II. In North America and apartheid-era South Africa, racism dictated that different races (chiefly blacks and whites) should be segregated from one another; that they should have their distinct communities and develop their institutions such as churches, schools, and hospitals; and that it was unnatural for members of different races to marry. Historically, those who openly professed or practiced racism held that members of low-status races should be limited to low-status jobs and members of the dominant race should have exclusive access to political power, economic resources, high-status jobs, and unrestricted civil rights. The lived experience of racism for members of low-status races includes acts of physical violence, daily insults, and frequent acts and verbal expressions of contempt and disrespect, all of which have profound effects on self-esteem and social relationships. Racism was at the heart of North American slavery and the colonization and empire-building activities of western Europeans, especially in the 18th century. In the 19th century, racism matured and spread around the world. In many countries, leaders began to think of the ethnic components of their societies, usually religious or language groups, in racial terms and to designate ‘higher and ‘lower races. The expressions and feelings of racial superiority that accompanied colonialism generated resentment and hostility from those who were colonized and exploited, feelings that continued even after independence. In the mid-20th century, many conflicts around the world have been interpreted in racial terms even though their origins were in the ethnic hostilities that have long characterized many human societies. By this time, many societies had begun to combat racism by raising awareness of racist beliefs, and practices by promoting human understanding in public policies, as does the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, set forth by the United Nations in 1948. Despite constitutional and legal measures aimed at protecting the rights of racial minorities in the United States, the private beliefs and practices of many Americans remained racist, and some groups assumed lower status was often made a scapegoat. That tendency has persisted well into the 21st century.

(Racism)

Racism reflects an acceptance of the deepest forms and degrees of divisiveness and implies that differences between groups are so high that they cannot be transcended. Racism evokes hatred and distrust and preludes any attempt to understand its victims. Many societies have concluded racism is wrong, and social trends have moved away from racism. For many people, โ€œraceโ€ is linked to physical differences among people, and such features as dark skin colour have been seen as markers of low status, some experts believe that racism may be difficult to eradicate. Indeed, minds cannot be changed by laws, but beliefs about human differences can and do change, as do all cultural elements.

Property frauds and how to stop them?

Property frauds are majorly done in the form of mortgage frauds. Mortgage frauds in India are very common now. It is to a degree where itโ€™s started to become a problem. Committing a mortgage fraud in India is very simple. Let’s first understand what is a mortgage? So, a mortgage is a loan approved by a bank for housing purposes. A mortgage loan is very common in India . A lot of people apply for mortgage loans. Because itโ€™s so prevalent, there are a lot of mortgage frauds that have been taking place over the past few years.

A man named Rajiv rathee forged property documents to mortgage the same property with six different banks cheating them of a whopping 7 crore. One of the major reasons for the regular occurrence of mortgage fraud is an equitable mortgage. An equitable mortgage is a simple way of getting a mortgage loan. But one of the major drawbacks of an equitable mortgage is that it doesnโ€™t have any public records. So any charges that are mentioned in the equitable mortgage cannot be seen by the public or the bank, unlike a registered mortgage.

Equitable mortgage is a major issue and should be looked into and rectified as soon as possible. Overvaluation of the property also leads to mortgage fraud. It is very simple to present an overvalued sum of the property to get a higher amount of loans. The banks should take measures to cross-check the valuation of the property. There are legal remedies in place to ensure that the bank recovers from the loss because of fraud. But there should be proper measures in place so that the fraud doesnโ€™t happen in the first place.

The first thing that a bank can do is educate its staff. The staff should be able to understand the red flags of mortgage fraud so that they can identify them when they see one. The lender should always check the identity of the person. He should make sure all his identity documents match and are original. The lender should make sure to take the consent of all the joint holders of a property. The lender should cross-check every document and important details. A bank should be able to identify if a property is overvalued to commit fraud. These are some of the ways by which a bank can ensure that a mortgage fraud doesnโ€™t happen.

China’s Debt Trap Diplomacy in Africa

China initiated trade relations with African countries way back in 1970. Their motive was primarily strategic, i.e., creating new allies and expanding its global influence against the west, mainly the United States. African countries are the perfect victims of China’s predatory lending policies. They are capital-poor and are desperate for an influx of investments to grow and compete with the Western world.

The goal of the African Continental Free Trade Area was to break away from its colonial routes and begin trading and competing with various countries from different continents. However, the most significant benefit of this FTA was reaped by Communist China and its crony-capitalist policies. China expands its network through this FTA through new loans, trade deals, and military support. Chinese companies are dominating transportation and infrastructural development projects in Africa. According to a McKinsey Africa report, about 50% of Africa’s engineering, procurement, and construction contracts were given to Chinese companies. Africa’s extractive economy depends on its natural resources, raw materials, and primary goods. Low production values and infrastructure gap in Africa force African countries to export these commodities to China to be converted into finished goods and imported back to Africa. China also lends money to African nations to create infrastructure and improve connectivity. African countries give China exclusive access to their resources, like mining rights in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aims to improve regional integration, increase international trade, and stimulate economic growth by connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe via land and sea. The BRI is often referred to as “debt trap diplomacy.” China appears to be giving emerging countries questionable loans for growth capital to strategically use the recipient country’s debt to China for economic, military, or political gain. The ownership swap of Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port, in which China has forgiven Sri Lanka’s massive debt in exchange for a long-term lease of the port in 2017, is a well-known example of this.

Why Loans from China?

Using confidentiality clauses, China seems to be very secretive in its lending policies. It offers far less transparency compared to international lending agencies such as IMF. China must use more competitive interest rates compared to these organizations for African countries to so enthusiastically borrow from them.

What Might Happen in Case of Default?

As in the case of Kenya’s multi-billion dollar railway project and Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port, China seizes control over these assets, i.e., all the revenue generated from the operations of these projects is credited to China’s EXIM bank. There is no formal judicial process in case of loan default as it is in international organizations and other Western countries. The secret contracts enable the Chinese Exim Bank to control these assets.

Does China overlook human rights violations and labor exploitation when giving loans that other countries may not overlook? Is this ethical?

Most of Africa missed out on the industrial revolution. Therefore, the lack of capital accumulation and the lack of growth (as stated by various development economists such as Solow, Meade, and Robinson)  has been the primary cause of the backwardness of most African economies. This has resulted in the backwardness of physical and human capital in education, skill, and health. China saw the potential to exploit cheap and abundant labor in Africa. More liberal Western countries lean towards protecting employees and safe working conditions. However, a country like China is ruthless when capitalizing on the low labor cost for procurement and activities.

The ethics dimension of the Africa-China relationship is always under question. It can be compared to how the Europeans ruthlessly colonized African, Asian, and Latin American countries and exploited their resources and manpower for their gains. There are both advantages and limitations to China’s lending policies toward Africa. On the upside, countries are moving towards a stage of economic development with capital accumulation and mobility. At the same time, on the downside, prosperity is still not very high due to exploitation.

Everyone wants to become prosperous fast, but is it possible? Should countries live within their means?

There is no congruence between the growth of Africa and that of the rest of the world. However, there is a fine line between growth, development, and prosperity. A country can grow economically, but it may not be developing. A country may be developing, but it may not be prosperous. African nations must keep in mind that improving prosperity is a gradual process. Upliftment is of the poor takes time. According to Gunnar Myrdal’s theory of Circular Causation, there is a backwash effect between China and Africa which means that savings are gradually being siphoned off from poor regions to richer ones.

In the 21st century, countries can’t live within their means. A state of complete autarky can not lift a nation from economic backwardness. A country needs investments and the accumulation of capital to grow. Citing another development economics theory, namely “The Big Push Theory” given by Rodenstein Rodan, a large amount of minimum investment is required to overcome development obstacles in an underdeveloped economy to set it on the path of development. This is where China plays a vital role. China brings in high amounts of investments to push African Economies towards the course of development. International Lending Agencies and Western Countries may be hesitant to invest a significant amount in such emerging countries.

How much leverage is acceptable?

China’s primary aim in Africa is to create allies. African nations risk losing control of their assets due to leverage. However, African countries don’t have many alternatives. Even they need to progress to meet their domestic consumption requirements and increase their international competency. That said, they can not keep increasing their debt just because there are no judicial ramifications. The only thing at stake is the control of assets, which Africans use daily to earn their bread. From Africa’s point of view, a high level of external debt to China is not wrong because of the conditions and clauses involved in their lending. The fact that 88% of Djibouti’s GDP stems from Chinese investments reflects that China has an overwhelming contribution to the economy of such nations. Such a high debt to GDP ratio is not sustainable for any country, and this should serve as an example to other African nations to keep a check on borrowings and the terms and conditions laid out in the contract of loans taken from Chinese institutions.

What sort of reforms and fiscal discipline are required for a strong economy?

Fiscal discipline necessitates governments maintaining fiscal positions compatible with macroeconomic stability and long-term growth. Excessive borrowing and debt buildup should be avoided for this reason. At the same time, authorities must be cautious when it comes to attaining resource allocation and distributional goals and smoothing out output fluctuations. Creating financial buffers is also necessary to respond to both unpleasant shocks and predictable fiscal pressures, such as those caused by high levels of population growth.

The track record of fiscal management in achieving these many goals has been uneven. Weak fiscal discipline, which reflects deficit and debt sustainability issues, has frequently jeopardized stability and growth and, in the worst situations, has resulted in economic and financial disasters. Furthermore, while output stability would necessitate countercyclical fiscal policy, governments tend to favor procyclical discretionary expenditure increases and tax cuts when the economy is performing well. While the countercyclical fiscal policy may be beneficial in “hard times,” urgent deficit and debt sustainability issues make such policy difficult, if not impossible. Procyclicality becomes a significant underlying factor of poor budgetary discipline in good times.

Budgetary discipline is required to maintain overall economic stability, reduce susceptibilities, and improve economic performance. If governments are to benefit from the opportunities provided by increasingly free trade and open capital markets to improve their long-term economic prospects, fiscal discipline is required. They must, however, decrease their exposure to market sentiment fluctuations and capital flow volatility to reduce the likelihood of debt crises.

How can the global community help small, vulnerable countries? Can some frameworks be put in place to control the predatory instincts of China?

For emerging countries, the current structure of international economic organizations has proven insufficient. A positive examination focused on equity, sustainability, and social prosperity is required. Essential international organizations must be reconfigured to reflect inclusion and representative coverage now that different leaders are at the table. Allowing the African Union to join an expanded Group of Twenty (G20) would act as a catalyst, reshaping global policy and allowing for a more inclusive and sustainable world. African and other countries must look for alternatives that would allow them to be independent, as Western and Chinese policy initiatives have shown that their operations do not benefit the host countries.

Concluding Remarks

The credit line extended to other emerging countries is predatory, not benevolent. To begin with, the contracts with the host countries are murky. Contracts frequently include stipulations ensuring that contracts for infrastructure projects are awarded to Chinese businesses and that the labor engaged in these projects is Chinese rather than local. These contracts ensure that a considerable portion of the money returns to China. As manufacturing possibilities decline in China, the country’s large labor force is repurposed and does not become a burden on the Chinese economy.

In many ways, the plan is comparable to what Imperial Britain achieved by establishing colonies, albeit more subtle and with minor tweaks as the CCP adapts it for the twenty-first century. While initially appealing to poorer countries, China’s offering to fund infrastructure projects frequently becomes a trap for them. The projects do not generate enough cash for the host countries to repay their debts to China. China collects its debt by seizing control of the host country’s essential infrastructure, giving it a long-term strategic advantage. These countries’ only hope is that China agrees to rework the contracts, which China typically refuses to do.

China’s Debt Trap Diplomacy in Africa

China initiated trade relations with African countries way back in 1970. Their motive was primarily strategic, i.e., creating new allies and expanding its global influence against the west, mainly the United States. African countries are the perfect victims of China’s predatory lending policies. They are capital-poor and are desperate for an influx of investments to grow and compete with the Western world.

The goal of the African Continental Free Trade Area was to break away from its colonial routes and begin trading and competing with various countries from different continents. However, the most significant benefit of this FTA was reaped by Communist China and its crony-capitalist policies. China expands its network through this FTA through new loans, trade deals, and military support. Chinese companies are dominating transportation and infrastructural development projects in Africa. According to a McKinsey Africa report, about 50% of Africa’s engineering, procurement, and construction contracts were given to Chinese companies. Africa’s extractive economy depends on its natural resources, raw materials, and primary goods. Low production values and infrastructure gap in Africa force African countries to export these commodities to China to be converted into finished goods and imported back to Africa. China also lends money to African nations to create infrastructure and improve connectivity. African countries give China exclusive access to their resources, like mining rights in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aims to improve regional integration, increase international trade, and stimulate economic growth by connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe via land and sea. The BRI is often referred to as “debt trap diplomacy.” China appears to be giving emerging countries questionable loans for growing capital to strategically use the recipient country’s debt to China for economic, military, or political gain. The ownership swap of Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port, in which China has forgiven Sri Lanka’s massive debt in exchange for a long-term lease of the port in 2017, is a well-known example of this.

Why Loans from China?

Using confidentiality clauses, China seems to be very secretive in its lending policies. It offers far less transparency compared to international lending agencies such as IMF. China must use more competitive interest rates compared to these organizations for African countries to so enthusiastically borrow from them.

What Might Happen in Case of Default?

As in the case of Kenya’s multi-billion dollar railway project and Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port, China seizes control over these assets, i.e., all the revenue generated from the operations of these projects is credited to China’s EXIM bank. There is no formal judicial process in case of loan default as it is in international organizations and other Western countries. The secret contracts enable the Chinese Exim Bank to control these assets.

Does China overlook human rights violations and labor exploitation when giving loans that other countries may not overlook? Is this ethical?

Most of Africa missed out on the industrial revolution. Therefore, the lack of capital accumulation and the lack of growth (as stated by various development economists such as Solow, Meade, and Robinson) have been the primary cause of the backwardness of most African economies. This has resulted in the backwardness of physical and human capital in education, skill, and health. China saw the potential to exploit cheap and abundant labor in Africa. More liberal Western countries lean towards protecting employees and safe working conditions. However, a country like China is ruthless when capitalizing on the low labor cost for procurement and activities.

The ethics dimension of the Africa-China relationship is always under question. It can be compared to how the Europeans ruthlessly colonized African, Asian, and Latin American countries and exploited their resources and manpower for their gains. There are both advantages and limitations to China’s lending policies toward Africa. On the upside, countries are moving towards a stage of economic development with capital accumulation and mobility. At the same time, on the downside, prosperity is still not very high due to exploitation.

Everyone wants to become prosperous fast, but is it possible? Should countries live within their means?

There is no congruence between the growth of Africa and that of the rest of the world. However, there is a fine line between growth, development, and prosperity. A country can grow economically, but it may not be developing. A country may be developing, but it may not be prosperous. African nations must keep in mind that improving prosperity is a gradual process. Upliftment of the poor takes time. According to Gunnar Myrdal’s theory of Circular Causation, there is a backwash effect between China and Africa which means that savings are gradually being siphoned off from poor regions to richer ones.

In the 21st century, countries can’t live within their means. A state of complete autarky can not lift a nation from economic backwardness. A country needs investments and the accumulation of capital to grow. Citing another development economics theory, namely “The Big Push Theory” given by Rodenstein Rodan, a large amount of minimum investment is required to overcome development obstacles in an underdeveloped economy to set it on the path of development. This is where China plays a vital role. China brings in high amounts of investments to push African Economies towards the course of development. International Lending Agencies and Western Countries may be hesitant to invest a significant amount in such emerging countries.

How much leverage is acceptable?

China’s primary aim in Africa is to create allies. African nations risk losing control of their assets due to leverage. However, African countries don’t have many alternatives. Even they need to progress to meet their domestic consumption requirements and increase their international competency. That said, they can not keep increasing their debt just because there are no judicial ramifications. The only thing at stake is the control of assets, which Africans use daily to earn their bread. From Africa’s point of view, a high level of external debt to China is not wrong because of the conditions and clauses involved in their lending. The fact that 88% of Djibouti’s GDP stems from Chinese investments reflects that China has an overwhelming contribution to the economy of such nations. Such a high debt to GDP ratio is not sustainable for any country, and this should serve as an example to other African nations to keep a check on borrowings and the terms and conditions laid out in the contract of loans taken from Chinese institutions.

What sort of reforms and fiscal discipline are required for a strong economy?

Fiscal discipline necessitates governments maintaining fiscal positions compatible with macroeconomic stability and long-term growth. Excessive borrowing and debt buildup should be avoided for this reason. At the same time, authorities must be cautious when it comes to attaining resource allocation and distributional goals and smoothing out output fluctuations. Creating financial buffers is also necessary to respond to both unpleasant shocks and predictable fiscal pressures, such as those caused by high levels of population growth.

The track record of fiscal management in achieving these many goals has been uneven. Weak fiscal discipline, which reflects deficit and debt sustainability issues, has frequently jeopardized stability and growth and, in the worst situations, has resulted in economic and financial disasters. Furthermore, while output stability would necessitate countercyclical fiscal policy, governments tend to favor procyclical discretionary expenditure increases and tax cuts when the economy is performing well. While the countercyclical fiscal policy may be beneficial in “hard times,” urgent deficit and debt sustainability issues make such policy difficult, if not impossible. Procyclicality becomes a significant underlying factor of poor budgetary discipline in good times.

Budgetary discipline is required to maintain overall economic stability, reduce susceptibilities, and improve economic performance. If governments are to benefit from the opportunities provided by increasingly free trade and open capital markets to improve their long-term economic prospects, fiscal discipline is required. They must, however, decrease their exposure to market sentiment fluctuations and capital flow volatility to reduce the likelihood of debt crises.

How can the global community help small, vulnerable countries? Can some frameworks be put in place to control the predatory instincts of China?

For emerging countries, the current structure of international economic organizations has proven insufficient. A positive examination focused on equity, sustainability, and social prosperity is required. Essential international organizations must be reconfigured to reflect inclusion and representative coverage now that different leaders are at the table. Allowing the African Union to join an expanded Group of Twenty (G20) would act as a catalyst, reshaping global policy and allowing for a more inclusive and sustainable world. African and other countries must look for alternatives that would allow them to be independent, as Western and Chinese policy initiatives have shown that their operations do not benefit the host countries.

Concluding Remarks

The credit line extended to other emerging countries is predatory, not benevolent. To begin with, the contracts with the host countries are murky. Contracts frequently include stipulations ensuring that contracts for infrastructure projects are awarded to Chinese businesses and that the labor engaged in these projects is Chinese rather than local. These contracts ensure that a considerable portion of the money returns to China. As manufacturing possibilities decline in China, the country’s large labor force is repurposed and does not become a burden on the Chinese economy.

In many ways, the plan is comparable to what Imperial Britain achieved by establishing colonies, albeit more subtle and with minor tweaks as the CCP adapts it for the twenty-first century. While initially appealing to poorer countries, China’s offering to fund infrastructure projects frequently becomes a trap for them. The projects do not generate enough cash for the host countries to repay their debts to China. China collects its debt by seizing control of the host country’s essential infrastructure, giving it a long-term strategic advantage. These countries’ only hope is that China agrees to rework the contracts, which China typically refuses to do.

Birth tribute to Sri Aurobindo: 15 August 2022

India is celebrating 75 years of independence under the banner of Azadi ki Mohotsav.  We are enjoying ourselves, we are celebrating in a joyous mood but we did not get this Azadi / Independence easily. Many people sacrificed their lives, many were physically tortured and crippled, and also many women were assaulted. There are numerous cases of heinous crimes inflicted upon to Indians by the British Raj.  Indians salute all of them and will continue generations after generations. It is also sad that in the school textbooks a few names and their family membersโ€™ names are highlighted as if for their sacrifice we have got independence. Here, I am presenting a case of a great freedom fighter who later on became a spiritual leader but was not widely known to many Indians (my observations). He is Sri Aurobindo earlier known as Aurobindo Ghosh.

Sri Aurobindo, the original name was Aurobindo Ghose, (Aurobindo also spelled Aravinda) was born on 15 August 1872, in Calcutta /Kolkata. โ€œ Although his family was Bengali, his father believed British culture to be superior. He and his two elder siblings were sent to the English-speaking Loreto House boarding school in Darjeeling, in part to improve their language skills. Darjeeling was a center of Anglo-Indians in India and the school was run by Irish nunsโ€ (wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Aurobindo). Later on, โ€œhe was sent to England for further schooling. He entered the University of Cambridge, where he became proficient in two classical and several modern European languages. After returning to India in 1892, he held various administrative and professorial posts in Baroda (Vadodara) and Calcutta (Kolkata).  Turning to his native culture, he began the serious study of Yoga and Indian languages, including classical Sanskritโ€ (britannica.com/biography/Sri-Aurobindo). After that slowly he became a revolutionary. The Partition of Bengal in 1905 led to a general outburst which helped the rise of the extremist party and the great nationalist movement. The British Government dealt with severe repressive measures against the โ€˜Swadeshi Agitationโ€™. โ€œIn 1908, Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki attempted to kill Magistrate Kingsford, a judge known for handing down severe sentences against nationalists. However, the bomb thrown at his horse carriage missed its target and instead landed in another carriage and killed two British women, the wife, and daughter of barrister Pringle Kennedy. Aurobindo was also arrested for planning and overseeing the attack and imprisoned in solitary confinement in Alipore Jail. The trial of the Alipore Bomb Case lasted for a year, but eventually, he was acquitted on 6 May 1909. His defense counsel was Chittaranjan Dasโ€ (wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Aurobindo). Anyway, the British administration was after him for silly issues they were after him. In view of this, he finally decided to go to Pondicherry, now Puducherry, a French colony (until 1954). In Pondicherry, Sri Aurobindo dedicated himself to his spiritual and philosophical activities. During this period, one French lady  Mirra Alfassa popularly known as The Mother greatly supported him.  โ€œWhen the Sri Aurobindo Ashram was formed in November 1926, Sri Aurobindo entrusted its full material and spiritual charge to the Mother. Under her guidance, which continued for nearly fifty years, the Ashram grew into a large, many-faceted spiritual communityโ€ (sriaurobindoashram.org/mother). Before conclusion, a few paragraphs written by Sri Aurobindo himself, in 1934 are presented here.

โ€œAll beings are united in that One Self and Spirit but divided by a certain separability of consciousness, an ignorance of their true Self and Reality in the mind, life, and body. It is possible by a certain psychological discipline to remove this veil of separative consciousness and become aware of the true Self, the Divinity within us and all. Evolution is the method by which it liberates itself; consciousness appears in what seems to be inconscient, and once having appeared is self-impelled to grow higher and higher and at the same time to enlarge and develop towards greater and greater perfection. Life is the first step of this release of consciousness; the mind is the second; but the evolution does not finish with the mind, it awaits a release into something greater, a consciousness that is spiritual and supramental. The next step of the evolution must be towards the development of the Supermind and Spirit as the dominant power in the conscious being. Only then will the involved Divinity in things release itself entirely and it become possible for life to manifest perfectionโ€ (auroville.org/page/sri-aurobindos-teaching-and-spiritual-method).

On his (Sri Aurobindo) birthday on 15 August 2022, Pronam to yogi, seer, philosopher, poet, and Indian nationalist who propounded a philosophy of divine life on earth through spiritual evolution.

.

‘Her’

She had some dreams- enormous and small but someone tried to kill them all. That someone was no one else but she. For she never had the fortitude to set herself free.

Free from every fear that curtailed her to move ahead, free from the fear of the past, the present and the future, free from the opinions of outer community.

But soon she realised that she had wings to fly and the power to kiss the sky. So the dreams became alive again and she began to thrive In order for them all to survive.

– Isha Chawla

DREAM ON…..

N kavya

Dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.

The content and function of dreams have been topics of scientific, philosophical, and religious interest throughout recorded history. Dream interpretation was practiced by the Babylonians in the third millennium BCE and even earlier by the ancient Sumerians. .Dreams figure prominently in major world religions. The dream experience for early humans, according to one interpretation, gave rise to the notion of a human โ€˜soulโ€™ as a central element in much religious thought.

Psychologist Calvin S. Hall considered dreams part of the cognition process or a type of thinking that happens as you sleep. Hall believed dreams could offer important insight into how you view yourself and others, your problems and conflicts, and the world in general. Many psychologists believed dreams played an important role in cognitive processes including memory and emotion regulation. Domhoff also noted that, although dreams may shed some light on heavy concerns, they might not have any real purpose, because he stated normally human beings forget most of their dreams. William Dement, who helped found the field of sleep medicine, suggested that, while dreams may lack a clear purpose, they can still convey meaningful messages.

Many experts do not believe dreams have much meaning but believe they still serve a purpose. The existing theories outline a few of these purposes.

1. Threat simulation theory
2. Activation-Synthesis theory
3. Dreams as emotional regulation
4. Continual-activation theory

Psychotherapist, Eliza Boquin, states โ€œFor vivid dreamers, our body can often experience what is happening in the dream.โ€
Certified dream analyst and speaker Lauri Loewenberg says while you are sleeping your brain is conjuring up around five dreams per night. That is a lot of subconscious thoughts to unpack. And although every dream is unique, they do tend to follow certain symbolic patterns.

How to examine your own dreams -:


1. Make sure you are getting proper sleep โ€“: Research says that if we get enough sleep (7 to 9 hours) each night. This may, in turn, boost dream recall.


2. Review the dream โ€“: when you wake up from the dream, lie calmly and analyze the visions, emotions, people, and places and mainly pay attention to small details because it would play a significant role in examining the dream.


3. Write it down โ€“: Have a journal and start writing what all you saw the colors and visions, also your moods and feelings.


4. Make connections to your own life -: connecting these facts to your everyday life, would connect to your past life experiences and in some cases might even show some glimpses of your future. There are also many dreams interpretation books that you can interpret and gain more insights into.

Dreaming and sleep are intertwined. Dreams occur mainly in the rapid-eye movement (REM) stage of sleep when brain activity is high and resembles that of being awake. No one knows for certain what purposes dream serve. But at the end of the day, their true function might not really matter. It depends on each individual If you find them meaningful, then they add value to you or do not concern you.

Image credits- Google

AIR POLLUTION โ€“ A GLOBAL ISSUE

Introduction: One of the significant global threats to our health and food safety is air pollution. Air contamination kills around 3.7 million individuals all throughout the world and makes sufficient harm to crops. It is mainly caused by smoke and other harmful gases, fundamentally oxides of carbon, nitrogen, and furthermore sulphur. It is the presence of a substance in the environment that can make hurt human health and furthermore other living creatures on this planet. The sources for air pollution can be divided into two significant categories: 

โ€ขAnthropogenic (human-made sources): are for the most part identified with the consumption of fuel. This may likewise incorporate little sources other than ignition like exhaust of paint, hair splash, and different solvents. Military assets, for example, atomic weapons additionally go under this kind of contamination. 

โ€ขNatural sources: This might incorporate normal causes, for example, volcanic ejections and woodland fires likewise dust from huge spaces of land with little vegetation.

Ambient air pollution: An expected 4.2 million deaths each year are ascribed to ambient air pollution because of stroke, coronary illness, cellular breakdown in the lungs, and persistent respiratory infections. Around 91% of the total population lives in regions where air quality levels surpass WHO guidelines. While both developed and agricultural nations are influenced by fine particulate matter, low-and middle pay nations bear the biggest weight, with the best conceivable cost in the WHO West Pacific and South-East Asia regions. With investments in cleaner transportation, energy-proficient lodging, power generation, industry, and further developed municipal waste administration can altogether decrease ambient air pollution.

Data: Source: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/ambient-air-pollution-attributable-deaths

Household air pollution: Household air pollution is caused by the burning of household fuels, which causes indoor air contamination and adds to open air contamination. In 2016, 3.8 million deaths were reported because of indoor air pollution. Therefore, this risk factor is perhaps the main natural supporters of chronic weakness. The significance of household air pollution as a public health threat shifts extraordinarily relying upon the degree of advancement: in low-and centre pay nations, it is answerable for essentially 10% of death rates; around the world, it is liable for 7.7% of mortality.

Data: 

Source: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/household-air-pollution-attributable-deaths

Major sources of exposure: 

โ— Contaminant emitting from power plants, refineries, and petrochemical plants, just as chemical and fertiliser industry, Industrial plants, lastly government incineration. 

โ— Domestic cleaning exercises, cleaners, printing shops, and service stations are instances of indoor sources. 

โ— Automobiles, vehicles, railroads, aviation routes, and different sorts of vehicles are instances of versatile sources. 

โ— Finally, as mentioned earlier, normal sources incorporate actual fiascos like forest fires, volcanic erosion, dust storms, and agricultural burning.

Environment and health impacts of air pollution: Various contaminations are significant supporters of human sickness. Particulate Matter, particles with shifting yet tiny measurements, enter the respiratory system through breathing causing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, fertility and central nervous system dysfunction, and cancer. Despite the fact that ozone protects against ultraviolet radiation, it is unsafe at ground level, influencing the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

Air pollution: A development issue

Effects on the economic development: In 2015, WHO estimated that the financial expense of unexpected passing and disability from air contamination in Europe is near USD 1.6 trillion. Air contamination influences the economy from various perspectives. It reduces individuals’ capacity to work and kills trillions of individuals consistently. Besides, it obliterates government properties like monuments which will influence the economy by decreasing the tourist destinations.

Effects on food Production: Food creation contributes recognizably to air contamination and the other way around. Air contamination impacts the dirt and lessens its capacity to the creation of good yields and as trade in agricultural products grows it increases the air contamination discharged from producer nations. This outcomes in an irregularity causing expanding pollution emission from producer countries rather than importing countries.

Measures are taken to eradicate air pollution: 

By the government:

โ— Action Plans for Improvement of Air Quality: Under the central sector of control of pollution, (NCAP) ‘national clean air program’ was launched to address the country’s increasing air pollution problem.

โ— The government even informed a detailed action plan in the year 2018 for the prevention and control of air pollution in Delhi and the national capital region.

โ— In 2018, a graded response action plan was notified for again the prevention, control, and eradication of pollution in the national capital region. Which was divided into 4 main categories: moderate to poor, very poor, severe, and emergency.

To spread awareness:

โ— The SAMEER app, which provides public access to air quality information as well as the ability to file complaints about air pollution-causing activities, has been launched.

โ— The government also encourages people to spread awareness among the people and grow more trees, save water, electricity, maintenance vehicle for less smoke emission.

โ— Since 2019, central pollution control board teams have been placed to provide field feedback in Delhi and the national capital region.

How can we reduce air pollution? 

โ— Conservation of energy.

โ— Look for the ‘energy star’ label while buying products.

โ— Using public transportation and carpooling can also help.

โ— Avoid using hair spray and other solvents.

โ— Avoid using an air conditioner.

โ— Recycle and reuse.

โ— Afforestation.

โ— Environment safe paints should be used more often.

โ— Mulch or compost leaves and yard waste do not burn it.

Menstruation & It’s Taboos

N kavya

The menstrual cycle is a part of your reproductive system. Menstruation is the monthly shedding of the lining of your uterus. The menstrual blood which is partly blood and partly tissue from the inside of your uterus flows from your uterus through your cervix and out of your body through your vagina.

It has been said that during those days the tradition started for a good reason as women go through heavy cramps, PMS (premenstrual syndrome), headaches, stomach aches, mood swings, etc. Women were being isolated from their family and given complete rest in a separate room, as time passed the traditions became aggressive and gave more stress associated with myths, or misconceptions and taboos to women than being supportive to them during their menstrual cycle. Women are not allowed to enter the temples, in many householdsโ€™ girls are subjected to many superstitious practices such as; prohibition from entering the kitchen and prayer room, being made to stay in a separate room, being forced to eat in separate utensils, and in some houses, the girl is provided the left-over food. Not being allowed to touch certain kinds of food because they could get spoilt, and tagging the girl as impure and unclean. The stigma associated with a woman bleeding every month leads to poor hygiene among a large section of rural women who use wood husk, leaves, paper, and other such materials instead of sanitary napkins when on their periods. The temple in Assam โ€˜Maa Kamkhayaโ€™ where the main deity is the uterus of a woman signifies the importance of reproduction and the menstrual cycle is completely natural. In India, some school girls were allegedly forced to remove their underwear to prove they were not menstruating. The girls also reported that they were barred from touching other students during their menstrual cycle.

These social stigmas isolate the girls from family and friends which increases their stress levels and impacts their mental health. As per the survey in India, only 48% of adolescent girls are aware of what menstruation is before getting their first period, which is unhygienic for their health due to a lack of proper sanitation facilities. Young people do not have access to reliable and correct information about their reproductive health and rights. The lack of acceptance and the taboo associated with it leads the girls to stay at home due to anxiety and embarrassment… An overall lack of scientific knowledge about menstruation also gives way to myths and misconceptions. During previous centuries, there were many rules followed due to some circumstances but following those rules in this period seems unreasonable.

Girls must be given proper menstruation knowledge before they get their first period because many girls do not have the knowledge about how their body works and provide free napkins to the government schools. The main development goals must include an equal opportunity for education for girls and boys and access to proper sanitation. The media creating public awareness regarding these issues would break the taboo prevailing in society. The movie โ€˜Pad Manโ€™ starring Akshay Kumar and Radhika Apte which speaks about the importance of womenโ€™s menstrual health is notable. To cross these barriers government, NGOs, corporate companies, and media and entertainment industries must collaborate and take advantage of each otherโ€™s capability and influence to achieve this vision.

Image credits- Google

Development of Rural Women in Vidarbha Region, Maharashtra

Credits- The guardian

The Vidarbha region of Maharashtra primarily consists of four major cities. Nagpur being the largest has a huge rural population which is deprived of stable sources of income and is riddled with social problems including alcoholism. The primary contributor to the alcoholism problem is the male population. Inadvertently, the women of the household have to take up the responsibility of earning the bread. In regions lacking educational infrastructure, women have to not only overcome sexism, misogyny and toxic masculinity to earn, but they also have to battle the unavailability of jobs and the unwillingness of employers to employ women just to keep the food on the table. Out of the 48 lakh unemployed people in Maharashtra, the Vidarbha region contributes 6 lakh of them. Although an older report, according to the 2013-14 Report on District Level Estimates for the state of Maharashtra, Nagpur reported 27% unemployment in urban areas and a staggering 55.3% in rural areas. As mentioned earlier, this was a relatively old statistic. However, going through the Covid-19 pandemic hasnโ€™t done any good in the rural employment sector.

Taking the dire unemployment situation into consideration as well as considering the rising issue of alcoholism amongst the general male population in the region, it has also given rise to domestic violence, marital rape and sexual assault under influence. The Covid-19 pandemic and the Lockdown made this situation a lot worse as unemployment was peaking and the availability of alcoholic beverages was very low. Upon gathering statistics from an NGO called Aroha working for the development of rural women, it was found that domestic violence cases simply multiplied by 2.3 times during the first lockdown (March – July 2020). This is an extremely dire situation and it is continually worsening with the increase in economic disparity and water shortages reaching an all-time high. This is the time when the need to empower women to gain financial stability and independence is the most. The NGO Aroha has taken this as their mission and has been working towards training women in making handicraft items and selling them on an international market through powerful marketing and product development via their brand Rangers.

Rangers is a traditional eco-friendly, high-quality handicrafts store based in Nagpur which sells purses, handbags, lamp shades etc which are made by women from rural areas and all the profit is evenly divided between all women involved, contributing to their financial independence.

Aroha starts by enrolling women who are in dire need of financial assistance. They start by providing them with training in handcrafting, Warli art, stitching, embroidery and block printing. Then, once the women graduate with enough skills, theyโ€™re hired by Rangaresha which provides them with employment, stable income as well as incentives for them to work. Aroha is financially supported by Larsen & Toubro Ltd. Since 2004, Aroha steadfastly remained focused on the promotion of livelihoods, capacity-building initiatives and extending training support as well as surfacing as a resource agency for all of the above for the benefit of other allied agencies. With time self-help group formation activities were also undertaken. In the past 17 years, Aroha has helped 1739 women overcome poverty and has made them

capable of standing up for themselves and fighting back against years of oppression. Although the actual statistical data about profits and actual gross income from handicrafts remains unknown and the organisation didnโ€™t provide that information, it is undeniable that the organisation and their vision had been successful in their initiative and continue to empower women to date.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

What is Economic development?

Economic developmentis a process through which the overall education, well-being, health, income and living standards of the general population improves. This is where the economy will gradually grow, change and become advanced.
Economic development is the priority of local, state and federal government as it will lead towards an upgrading in innovation and new ideas, higher literacy rates, creation of jobs, improved environment, creation of higher wealth, labor support and better quality of life.

Development economic is the study of economic development.


Difference between Economic development and Economic Growth:

Photo by Kampus Production on Pexels.com

Economic Growth: Economic Growth is all about expanding the size of the economy bigger.
Here GDP is the sum of all economic activity in a nation over a specific period.

Economic Development:
Economic Development look into how the citizens are affected in a country.Apart from the living standards it also look into the freedom to enjoy their living standards.
Here GDP is divided by the total population.

Important perspectives in Economic development are:
*Average life expectancy
*Education Standards
*Literacy rates
*Environmental standards
*Availability of houses for living and their quality
*Health care.It also includes the number of doctors available and the affordable medicines for their treatments.
*Income per capita

Economic growth is a crucial condition for development. However, just growth is not enough because it cannot guarantee development.
Amartya Kumar Sen, an Indian economist and philosopher, who received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, once said:
โ€œEconomic development is about creating freedom for people and removing obstacles to greater freedom. Greater freedom enables people to choose their own destiny.โ€
โ€œObstacles to freedom, and hence to development, include poverty, lack of economic opportunities, corruption, poor governance, lack of education and lack of health.โ€

Policies of Economic development:
It can be encompass into three major cases:
โ€ข Governments undertaking to meet broad economic objectives such as price stability, high employment, and sustainable growth. Such efforts include monetary and fiscal policies, regulation of financial institutions, trade, and tax policies.
โ€ข Programs that provide infrastructure and services such as highways, parks, affordable housing, crime prevention, and Kโ€“12 education.
โ€ข Job creation and retention through specific efforts in business finance, marketing, neighborhood development, workforce development, small business development, business retention and expansion, technology transfer, and real estate development. This third category is a primary focus of economic development professionals.
Contractionary monetary policy is a tool used by central banks to slow down a countryโ€™s economic growth. An example would be raising interest rates to decrease lending. In the United States, the use of contractionary monetary policy has increased womenโ€™s unemployment.
One growing understanding in economic development is the promotion of regional clusters and a thriving metropolitan economy.
International trade and exchange rates are a key issue in economic development. Currencies are often either under-valued or over-valued, resulting in trade surpluses or deficits. Furthermore, the growth of globalization has linked economic development with trends on international trade and participation in global value chains (GVCs) and international financial markets. The last financial crisis had a huge effect on economies in developing countries. Economist Jayati Ghosh states that it is necessary to make financial markets in developing countries more resilient by providing a variety of financial institutions. This could also add to financial security for small-scale producers .

Organisations of Economic Development:
Economic development has evolved into a professional industry of highly specialized practitioners. The practitioners have two key roles: one is to provide leadership in policy-making, and the other is to administer policy, programs, and projects. Economic development practitioners generally work in public offices on the state, regional, or municipal level, or in publicโ€“private partnerships organizations that may be partially funded by local, regional, state, or federal tax money. There are numerous other organizations whose primary function is not economic development that work in partnership with economic developers. They include the news media, foundations, utilities, schools, health care providers, faith-based organizations, and colleges, universities, and other education or research institutions.


Economic Indicators: An economic indicator is a metric used to assess, measure, and evaluate the overall state of health of the macroeconomy. Economic indicators are often collected by a government agency or private business intelligence organization in the form of a census or survey, which is then analyzed further to generate an economic indicator. Financial analysts and investors keep track of macroeconomic indicators because the economy is a source of systematic risk that affects the growth or decline of all industries and companies


Primary Economic Indicator:
Gross Domestic Product (GDP):
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is widely accepted as the primary indicator of macroeconomic performance. The GDP, as an absolute value, shows the overall size of an economy, while changes in the GDP, often measured as real growth in GDP, show the overall health of the economy.

Main Indicators of economic development:
1) National Income Index
Economic development takes place if real national income increases over time.
2)Per Capita Income Group
The national income indicator does not reflect the true picture of the development of the economy.
3)Physical Quality of Life Index
In many developing countries despite economic development, no improvement has taken place in the quality of life.
The physical quality of life index into consideration the non-income elements of life.
The country has a high life expectancy, the lowest infant mortality and the highest literacy is considered to be superior to other countries.
This index of development is superior to the per capita income index because it reveals the end result of the use of National Income in the country concerned.

4)Basic Needs Approach
ccording to this indicator of economic development, the development of an economy is judged in terms of the extent to which the basic needs of the masses are satisfied.
The components of basic needs are food, pure drinking water, sanitation, health, and education, etc.
The index of development is useful especially from the common manโ€™s point of view as he is more concerned with his basic needs rather than the total production in the country.
5)Human Development Index: This index of economic development has been prepared by the United Nations called the Human Development Index (HDI).
It consists of per capita income, educational attainment, and life expectancy. The index does not measure the absolute level of human development. It ranks countries in relation to one another.
The index is superior to other indicators of economic growth as it takes into consideration both income and non-income factors.

Marital Rape

This report is an excerpt of an interview project that i completed for one of my practical classes. I had to interview people working in NGO working for marital rapes analyze the interview.In this project iโ€™ve interviewed Dr. Chitra Awasthi, the founder of RIT foundation that in collaboration with many NGOs to promote gender equality in India.

NATURE OF REPORT

In order to gain insight on the prevalence of marital rape in India and to promote gender and social equality in the country, the students of Mass communication and journalism were instructed to interview an NFPO (RIT Foundation) within the field of awareness through Media

There were no stipulations about the medium used or the questions to be asked. Students were permitted to select their own respondent owing to their comfort as well as good knowledge of the field. The report is directed to citizens of the country and people across nations. The report aims to start a conversation on this topic, to give women under martial rape the courage to raise their voice and to pressurize the law-makers to criminalize such acts.

MARITAL RAPE

The act of sexual intercourse with one’s spouse without the consent of the partner is known as marital rape. Whether the perpetrator is a stranger or a spouse, it is one of the most horrific acts a man can conduct against a woman. Though marital rape is the most common and repugnant form of masochism in Indian society, it is hidden behind the iron curtain of marriage.  83% of married women i.e. nearly one in every 3 women have been subjected to physical, sexual and emotional violence from their spouse. Almost 31% of married women between the ages 15 and 49 have suffered from sexual abuse cite their current husband as the perpetrator. 

Any undesired sexual actions by a spouse or ex-spouse conducted without consent and/or against a person’s will, achieved by force, threat of force, intimidation, or when a person is unable to consent, are classified as marital rape. Intercourse, anal or oral sex, forced sexual conduct with other people, and other sexual practices that the victim finds degrading, humiliating, painful, or unwelcome are examples of these sexual actions.

Rape is a crime that occurs when a woman refuses to provide her consent. It’s crucial to remember that lack of consent doesn’t always have to take the form of the word ‘no.’ It’s reasonable to assume given the circumstances. If a woman consents to sexual intercourse within a marriage because of the threat of harm to her children or herself, the woman loses her right to stay in the house or get maintenance, it is not valid consent. It is still rape.

THE CURRENT SITUATION AND STATISTICS

140 of the world’s 195 countries have already made marital rape a criminal offence. The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, and Russia are among the countries on the list.

However, 55 countries, including India, China, and Singapore, are countries where it is still OK to rape your wife.

The concept of marital rape has not been recognized until today. We’ve been lobbying for a law to make it a crime, but first we need to gather statistics on rape in marriage.

 And according to the latest National Health and Family Survey (NFHS-4) for 2015-16, 5.4% women have experienced marital rape, under this category. But while the data on marital rape in India exists, marital rape as a crime โ€œdoes not existโ€.

And yet 5.4% of married Indian women say they have experienced marital rape. 4.4% of them say they have experienced marital rape in just the last 12 months before this survey. The figure recorded by NFHS-3 for 2005-6 was 9.5%.

But while the data on marital rape in India exists, marital rape as a crime โ€œdoes not existโ€.

The data also includes entries for “forced her to perform any sexual actions that she did not want to” and “forced her to perform any sexual acts that she did not want to with threats or in any other way.”  Overall, 2.5% and 3.6% of married Indian women answered affirmatively to these categories as well. That brings the number of married women who have been subjected to what would be called rape or sexual violence if the perpetrator had not been their husband to 11.5 percent.

According to the National Crime Records Bureauโ€™s (NCRB) โ€˜Crime in Indiaโ€™ 2019 report, about 70% of women in India are victims of domestic violence.

Marital rape exists in the data, but not in law

Despite the historical misconception that rape by one’s partner is a minor occurrence that causes little damage, research shows that marital rape has serious and long-term implications for women. Injuries to private organs, lacerations, discomfort, bruising, torn muscles, tiredness, and vomiting are some of the physical repercussions of marital rape. In addition to broken bones, black eyes, bloody noses, and knife wounds, women who have been assaulted and raped by their husbands may experience other physical consequences such as broken bones, black eyes, bloody noses, and knife wounds as a result of the sexual violence. Miscarriages, stillbirths, bladder infections, infertility, and the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases like HIV are all gynecological repercussions of marital rape.

Women who have been raped by their partners are likely to experience significant psychological repercussions. Anxiety, shock, acute dread, despair, suicidal ideation, and post-traumatic stress disorder are some of the short-term symptoms of marital rape. Disordered eating, sleep issues, depression, difficulties forming trusting relationships, and increased negative thoughts about themselves are all common long-term impacts. The psychological consequences are likely to linger for a long time. For years after the abuse, some marital rape survivors describe flashbacks, sexual dysfunction, and emotional pain.

OTHER COUNTRIES’ LEGAL STATUS

In the United States, experts estimate that 10% to 14% of married women are raped throughout their marriage. Researchers discovered that marital rape accounted for almost 25% of all rapes when they looked at the frequency of different types of rape. Given the popularity of marital rape, social scientists, practitioners, the criminal justice system, and society as a whole have paid little attention to the issue. In fact, it wasn’t until the 1970s that society began to recognize the possibility of rape in marriage. Until recently, the usual rule was that a husband could not be convicted of raping his wife because he has an implicit right to sexual intercourse with his wife under the marital contract.

Resistance restrictions are still in place in the majority of American states. There are no exemptions for husbands from rape prosecution in seventeen states and the District of Columbia. There are still certain exemptions for husbands from rape prosecution in thirty-three states. In several of these thirty-three states, a husband is excused from prosecution when his wife is most vulnerable (e.g., she is mentally or physically disabled, unconscious, asleep, etc.) and legally unable to consent. The majority of States have certain spousal exemptions, indicating that rape in marriage is still considered a lesser offence than other types of rape.

When we look at the laws of various countries, we can find that most of them punish rape both within and outside of marriage.

In Australia, for example, if a person has achieved the age of 16, he or she can petition to a judge or magistrate for an order permitting them to marry.

By 1991, however, the marital rape exception had been repealed in every state in Australia.

In New Zealand, a person under the age of 20 but over the age of 16 can only marry with the approval of their parents. For women, the age of sexual consent is similarly 16 years. The New Zealand Crimes Act of 1961 makes no provision for marital rape. In 1985, the marital rape exemption was repealed.  In the United Kingdom, a marriage between two people under the age of 16 is void.  In 1991, the marital rape exemption was completely repealed.

A marriage between two people under the age of 16 is void in the United Kingdom. In 1991, the marital rape exemption was completely repealed. In Egypt, the age of majority is 21 years old for all legal reasons except marriage. The legal age for consent is 18, and intercourse with a female under the age of 18 is considered rape under the penal code.

Various states in the United States have different laws. In the United States, the marital rape exception has been repealed in 50 states. In Indonesia, the age of majority, as well as the age at which girls and boys can marry, is 16 for girls and 19 for boys. A girl’s legal age for giving valid consent to a sexual act is also established at 16 years. Any marriage that occurs before the age of majority is null and invalid.

LEGAL POSITION IN INDIA

In India, marital rape is legal but not de facto. While in other nations, the legislative has either criminalized marital rape or the judiciary has actively participated in recognizing it as a crime, the judiciary in India appears to be working at cross-purposes. The Supreme Court ruled in Bodhisattwa Gautam v. Subhra Chakraborty that rape is a crime against basic human rights and a breach of the victim’s most prized fundamental right, the right to life, which is contained in Article 21 of the Constitution. However, it contradicts this declaration by failing to recognize marital rape. Though there have been some advancements in Indian domestic violence legislation, they have mostly been limited to physical rather than sexual abuse.

This established the notion that a woman does not have the right to refuse sex with her spouse once they are married. This gives husbands sexual access to their spouses, which is in clear violation of human rights principles and gives husbands permission to rape their women. The rape legislation only applies to two types of married women: those under the age of 15 and those who are separated from their spouses. While rape of a girl under the age of 12 may result in a sentence of ten years or more in jail, rape of a girl under the age of 15 results in a lower punishment if the rapist is married to the victim. When Section 376-A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, was added in 1983, it made some headway toward criminalizing domestic abuse against the wife.

The Law Commission’s proposed definition of sexual assault, which is wide, complete, and acceptable, could be used in place of the existing term of rape in Section 375 IPC, according to the report. The Task Force, like the Law Commission, stopped short of suggesting that marital rape be included in the new definition. Currently, India’s legal framework is severely inadequate in terms of safeguarding women’s bodily integrity and sexual autonomy.

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION

The RIT Foundation is a non-profit organizationcreated in 2009 by Dr. Chitra Awasthi, an educationist, writer, and philanthropist. The RIT Foundation is collaborating with a number of non-governmental organizations in India to promote social and gender equality.

In 2015, they filed a petition – RIT Foundation v. Union of India writ petition c no. 284 of 2015 seeking to criminalize marital rape. It will be coming up before the Delhi High Court for final hearing early next year.

“The first step to breaking the silence is having the tool to validate,” Chitra Awasthi says. The last refuge of male dominance is the control of women’s sexuality and bodies. It will take time to smash it. However, as a society, we must begin a dialogue and put pressure on lawmakers to act.”

Respondent’s Background

Dr. Chitra Awasthi is the president and founder of RIT Foundation. She has been working as an educationist with children and young adults for the past 36 years now. She is well-known in academics for her psychological insights and comprehensive understanding of holistic living solutions. With a postgraduate degree, a university topper, in sociology from Kanpur University, she has authored a wide range of books on sociology and allied subjects. Her major interest, however, has always been in religion and spiritualism. She has translated, edited, and produced secret treasures from English, Sanskrit, and Hindi, and she is an eager student of spiritual literature in the Indian tradition. Rit International is her first foray into the corporate world. She does, however, wish to help share the same knowledge to children who are less privileged, so that they can benefit from high-quality education and knowledge.

The Complete Guide to Insurance And Why You Need It For Your Car, Home, and Life

Insurance

Introduction: What is Insurance?

To provide financial protection against the risk of some future event. The phrase “insurance” comes from the Latin for “to hedge oneโ€™s bets”.

It is also known as a form of risk management and is meant to hedge against financial loss. Insurance exists in various forms and can be categorized as compulsory or voluntary, public or private, or commercial.

Voluntary liability insurance provides protection to the policyholder against liability arising from an incident that triggers a policy obligation. Public automobile insurance is compulsory in most countries and private auto insurance often exists only where required by law.

Commercial Auto Insurance Policies are designed to provide coverage for motor vehicles used in a business enterprise – these policies typically provide coverage on an โ€œoccurrence basisโ€ rather than โ€œclaims-made basis.”

What Is Life, Home & Auto Insurance?

Insurance is one of the most important aspects for everyone to consider. There are two types of insurance: life and property. The first one ensures you don’t die from a disease or accident that happens, while the second one covers any damages that happen to your belongings such as your car, house, home appliances or anything else.

Life Insurance

Life insurance is a type of insurance that covers the potential risk of all or part of someoneโ€™s life, for example, if they die early or get left with dependent children. Life insurance rates are different and depend on many factors including age and smoking. So, always talk to a qualified advisor before deciding on the best option for you. Life Insurance quotes online in India could be what you need to find the best coverage at an affordable rate.

The general rule is to always have enough insurance coverage. This will allow you to replace items that are lost or damage due to accidents/incidents. Life insurance rates are different and depend on many factors including age and smoking. So, always talk to a qualified advisor before deciding on the best option for you. Life Insurance quotes online in India could be what you need to find the best coverage at an affordable rate.

Home Insurance

Home Insurance

Home Insurance is a must for any homeowner and is a legal requirement if you are renting or have rented your home. Home insurance can be confusing because there are so many factors that need to be taken into consideration as well as different products and providers.

The type of coverage you need will depend on what you want to be covered, how valuable your home is, who will live in the home and your budget. Below are some suggestions on how to choose the right kind of coverage at the right price.

* Which level of coverage do I need?

* How much does home insurance cost?

* What can I get with my policy?

* What else should I know about home insurance?

* Should I buy flood insurance too?

Auto Insurance

Auto Insurance

Auto Insurance is a must-have. It might seem expensive, but it can save you from financial ruin in the event of an accident or from being stranded on the side of the road.

Auto insurance rates depend on several factors, such as where you live, your annual mileage and your credit score. You can get quotes online for free to find out how much different options would cost you – but consider shopping around and trying to find a policy that fits within your budget.

Summary

In conclusion, insurance is a critical part of protecting your car, home, and life. It can help you recover from damages, replace lost belongings, and give you peace of mind in knowing that you are financially protected against unexpected events. Be sure to shop around for the best rates and coverage for your needs, and don’t hesitate to ask questions to make sure you understand your policy. Thanks for reading!

India and its neighborhood- relations

India shares geographical boundary with eight countries namely Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Since the inception of our foreign policy, India has aimed at building trust with its neighbors. It aims at peaceful friendly relations and mutual economic development by enhanced trade and investments.

โ€ขPakistan: Improving relations with Pakistan has been among top priorities in Indian foreign policy. After the visit of Pakistan former Prime Minister Parvez Musharaff in 2004, there has been a vacuum in our talks. It seems that radical groups in Pakistan took undue advantage of this vacuum and consequently there has been increased reports of cross-border terrorism activities. 26/11 attack is an unwashable strain on the fabric of friendship between India and Pakistan. But as it is said that ‘time heals all wounds’. The recently elected Narendra Modi led National Democratic alliance government’s attitude is worth appreciation. Indian Prime minister invited his Pakistani counterpart in his swearing in ceremony in New Delhi. This is a clear indication that both Nations are willing to take their relations on newer heights. In this aspect changed outlook India should try to adopt a sustainable foreign policy towards Pakistan. Smaller initiatives like Indo-Pak trade fair at Jalandhar, Punjab (India) needs to be encouraged. Healthy trade relations will help both sides equally.

โ€ขNepal: Since the birth of democratic institution in Nepal, India has increasingly tried to have good relations with Nepal. Currently a joint hydro power project is being built on Sharda River. This power plant is thought to mutually help both India and Nepal with respect to electricity production and irrigation facilities. From the environmental perspective, there are a number of Tiger reserves along Indo-Nepal border. Both countries have identified their importance and are helping each other to sustain the existing ones and creating new ones. โ€ขChina: China being manufacturing hub of world, is strategically very important to India. In fact China has become a role model for development. India needs to build strong trade relations with China. Increasing Foreign Direct Investment caps in various sectors has been one such step of India to invite investors from abroad.Apart from these bilateral relations, India has been active on various other forums as well which provides for greater engagement with its neighbors. For example India has been one of the pioneering advocate of TAPI (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India). This project aimed at bringing gas from Gulf countries and distribute it in TAPI countries.

India is an active member in BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India China and South Africa). BRICS is emerging a one of the significant union in world. BRICS nations represent 40 per cent of world population and has approximately sixteen trillion dollars as its Nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP). BRICS nation contributes around eighteen per cent of world economy. The recent BRICS summit held at Brazil in July 2014.
One of the German intellectual has rightly said that ‘For economic development of a nation, peace with its neighbors is a pre-requisite’. India not only recognizes this statement but also conforms to it. Going by the mood of current Indian government in India, Union government too knows the importance of its neighbors. If India wants to be a super-power then maintaining friendly relations with its neighbors is a first step of ladder in this direction.


India has always wanted friendly ties with its neighbours, there can be no debate around it. We want to live in harmony and peace.

-Narendra Modi

Role of civil services in a democracy .

In the process of governance, which involves several sets of activities to deliver effective services to people, civil services play a pivotal role in providing shape to policies that reflect peopleโ€™s needs and put their suggestive, analytical and informative roles to implement the
policies. It is recognized that civil services play a crucial role in all societies. In the modern administrative state, public administration has become so significant that our development, upliftment and progress depend mainly upon the efficient functioning of civil services that are
the bedrock of public administration. Civil services have assumed more important role in democracy to ensure good governance, both in developing and developed countries. Civil Services form a part of bureaucracy, wherein the roles of civil servants are determined by
written rules. Itโ€™s an impersonal system operating on the basis of calculable rules and staffed by full time appointed officials. Usually, the civil servants are selected on basis of their technical
qualifications, receive fixed salaries, have a defined sphere of competence and work under a clearly defined hierarchy of offices.

The role of Civil Servants across the domains of policy making and policy implementation is critical to the development process. They assist in identifying major policy areas such as preparing major policy proposals, analyzing various alternatives and solutions to societal problems requiring urgent attention, dividing the major policies into sub-policies, determining
program of action and suggesting modification in the existing policy on the basis of its experience on the implementation front.Civil services carry on the governance when governments change due to elections etc. Ramsay
Muir has remarked that while governments may come and go, ministers may rise and fall, the administration of a country goes on forever. It is needless to say that civil services form the backbone of administration. E.g. In India, when the Presidentโ€™s Rule is imposed in a state, the
Governor runs the state through the Chief Secretary and other civil servants.The civil servants are responsible to the ministers of the departments in which they serve. The ministers are accountable to the people through the Parliament or State Legislatures, and the civil servants are accountable to the ministers. They should ideally serve the elected government of the day, as government policies are the functions of the civil services. However, an impartial civil servant is also accountable to the Constitution of India on which he has taken an oath of allegiance.

In India, bureaucracy or civil services is permanent and does not change with the government. The recruitment is based on merit and through competitive exams. This is in contrast to the system followed in the US, where civil servants, especially in the higher echelons, change with the government. This is called the spoils system where people who are close to the government of the day get posts.


With bad laws and good civil servants it’s still possible to govern. But with bad civil servants even the best laws can’t help.

ย ย  -Otto von Bismarck.

Physical Geography

Physical geography is one of the two branches of geography viz., physical geography and human geยญography. In fact, the study of physical aspects of the earth represents the core of spatial science i.e., geograยญphy. Most of geographers have pleaded for bifurcation of geography into physical and human geography but it is rather unwise to ignore biotic aspect of the biospheric ecosystem of the earth and hence there should be trifurcation of geography into physical geยญography, human geography and biogeographyPhysiยญcal geography in terms of its meaning and definition, scope (subject matter) and methods of study has underยญgone sea-change in the past few decades. In the beginยญning, physical geography was defined as the study of only physical environment (namely reliefs, air and water) of the earth e.g., โ€˜the study of physical environยญment by itself is physical geography which includes consideration of surface relief of the globe (geomorphology), of the seas and the oceans (oceaยญnography) and of the air (meteorology and climatolยญogy) (Arthur Holmes).

Physical geography was considered as the agยญglomeration of different branches of earth sciences or natural sciences viz., sciences of atmosphere (meteorยญology and climatology); science of seas and oceans (oceanography); science of solid earth (geology); sciยญence of soil (pedology); science of plants (botany) and science of landforms (geomorphology).As a distinct branch of geography physical geography studies the spatial patterns and spatial relationships of environmental components of the globe in regional context, it also studies the causes of regional patterns of such spatial relationships, simultaneously it incorporates the exยญplanation of spatial and temporal changes of environยญmental components and causes thereof.The study of features resulting from the interacยญtions between endogenetic and exogenetic forces inยญvolves the discussion of mode of denudational procยญesses (weathering and erosion), hetherto termed as geomorphic processes, their mechanism of operation (machanism of erosion, transportation and deposition by running water-river, groundwater, sea waves, wind, glacier and periglacial agent) and resultant landforms.

The discipline of physical geography has evolved through successive stages of its development in terms of methodology and approaches to study. After taking its birth in the philosophical ideas and reports of ancient thinkers, philosophers and historians of the ancient seats of civilization and culture e.g., Greece, Rome and Egypt, the science of physical environment attained its present status wherein different compoยญnents were added from time to time.

Geography is also memory. And loss of physical geography is also loss of narrative memory.

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is defined as fabrication of devices with atomic or molecular scale precision. Devices with minimum feature sizes less than 100 nanometers (nm) are considered to be products of nanotechnology. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter (10-9 m) and is the unit of length that is generally most appropriate for describing the size of single molecules.The nanoscale marks the nebulous boundary between the classical and quantum mechanical worlds; thus, realization of nanotechnology promises to bring revolutionary capabilities. Fabrication of nanomachines, nanoelectronics and other nanodevices will undoubtedly solve an enormous amount of the problems faced by mankind today.Nanotechnology is currently in a very infantile stage. However, we now have the ability to organize matter on the atomic scale and there are already numerous products available as a direct result of our rapidly increasing ability to fabricate and characterize feature sizes less than 100 nm. Mirrors that don’t fog, biomimetic paint with a contact angle near 180ยฐ, gene chips and fat soluble vitamins in aqueous beverages are some of the first manifestations of nanotechnology. However, immenant breakthroughs in computer science and medicine will be where the real potential of nanotechnology will first be achieved.

Nanoscience is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to bring about mature nanotechnology. Focusing on the nanoscale intersection of fields such as physics, biology, engineering, chemistry, computer science and more, nanoscience is rapidly expanding. Nanotechnology centers are popping up around the world as more funding is provided and nanotechnology market share increases. The rapid progress is apparent by the increasing appearance of the prefix “nano” in scientific journals and the news. Thus, as we increase our ability to fabricate computer chips with smaller features and improve our ability to cure disease at the molecular level, nanotechnology is herestorage (or other uses) is enormous. As first described in a lecture titled, ‘There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom’ in 1959 by Richard P. Feynman, there is nothing besides our clumsy size that keeps us from using this space. In his time, it was not possible for us to manipulate single atoms or molecules because they were far too small for our tools. Thus, his
speech was completely theoretical and seemingly fantastic. He described how the laws of physics do not limit our ability to manipulate single atoms and molecules. Instead, it was our lack of the appropriate methods for doing so. However, he correctly predicted that the time would come in which atomically precise manipulation of matter would inevitably arrive.Nanomachines can also be incorporated into various materials to make those materials respond to their environment, or to outside commands. Examples of such materials would be โ€œsmartโ€ fabrics that respond to the environment to become warmer or cooler, or walls and furniture that can move or change shape on command. Nanomachines could also be used as tools both in industry and by consumers. Such tools could cut apart or glue together material far more efficiently than anything large-scale that is used today. Nanomachines could also repair cars, furniture, applicances, or almost anything else quickly and efficiently. Or these objects could be designed with nanomachines to repair themselves should the need arise. Life would be greatly simplified by relieving people of the need to repair objects at home or at work.


In thinking about nanotecnolog today, what’s most important is understanding where it leads, what nanotechnology will look like after we reach the assembler breakthrough.

-Eric Drexler

Agriculture

The word โ€œAgricultureโ€ has no rigid definition. It has been explained by many people very comprehensively. Agriculture has been defined as the science and art of cultivating the soil, and this definition emphasizes the primary nature of plant production in agriculture.Moreover, it is so frequent that the same person performs both the primary functions of growing plants and the secondary one of feeding the plants to livestock that these two industries are grouped together as agriculture. Therefore, it may be said that agriculture includes not only the production of crops by the cultivation of the soil, but also the rearing of livestock.
Thus, milk, meat and wool are as much agricultural products as are wheat, rice and cotton. In the words of George Oโ€™Brien, therefore, the word agriculture includes, โ€œevery industry which aims at producing vegetables or animals by the cultivation of the soil.โ€So, agriculture is the business of raising products from the land. The products raised may either be plants and their products or animals and their products. The former are the direct products while the latter are the indirect products of the land. Agricultural products are complex and diverse, in nature, and as such, agriculture may be regarded as complex industry.Modern agriculture is such broader in scope than merely the art and science of cultivating the land. It is the whole business of supplying food and fiber for a growing population at home and abroad. Again in agriculture we include all forms of soil production, from forestry to glass-house culture, from fishery to artificial insemination, and from breeding to horticulture.

Primiยญtive men must have begun as food gatherers, eating whatever fruits, leaves and roots they could obtain. Nature must have been bountiful in those days when human numbers were so small and wild plants grew everywhere. As time passed and human numbers grew, fishing and hunting became increasingly imยญportant in supplementing what was lacking in the field, and an endless search for food ensued.It was soon realized that some form of food proยญduction was necessary if men were to live long and secure. Animals were tamed, first to provide meat, milk and skin; later for use as draught animals. Seeds were sown in ploughed fields, carefully tended and harvested when the time came.Men were then able to live in settled communities. Because they were no longer continually moving they had time to develop the various arts, crafts and skills that formed the basis of modern industries and also evolved religious and political ideas. Without a settled agriculture, a measยญurable degree of civilization is not possible.


Agriculture
is not farming
it’s feeding

Indian National movement

The history of India and Indian national movement is resolvable in understanding. The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events during the British Raj with the ultimate aim of ending British rule in India on the Indian subcontinent. It lasted from 1857 to 1947.

REVOLT OF 1857:The first movement for freedom first broke in Bengal.The Revolt of 1857 was started on May 10, 1857, at Meerut. It was the first-ever war for Indian Independence. It was the first large-scale rebellion against the East India Company. The Revolt was unsuccessful but it made a major impact on the public and stirred the entire Independence Movement in India. Mangal Pandey was one of the major parts of the revolution as he declared rebellion against his commanders and fired the first shot on the British officer.

Photo by Still Pixels on Pexels.com

Swadeshi Boycott Movement:
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Britishers announced the partition of Bengal with a motive to weaken the unity of nationalists. Amongst the prime Indian national movements, the Swadeshi Boycott Movement surfaced in the year 1903 as a reaction against the partition of Bengal but was formally announced in July 1905 and fully came into force from October 1905.
From 1905 to 1908, the Swadeshi and Boycott movement was started by extremists like Bipin Chandra Pal, Tila, Lala Lajpat Rai and Aurobindo Ghosh. The general public was asked to refrain from the use of foreign goods and motivated to substitute them with the Indian homemade goods. Prominent events like Indian festivals, songs, poetries and paintings were used to propagate this Indian national movement.

Home Rule League Movement :
To convey and propagate the feeling of self-governance into the common man, this Indian National movement was carried out in India as it simultaneously happened in Ireland. Majorly, the below-mentioned leagues pivotally contributed to the group of the Home Rule League Movement using newspapers, posters, pamphlets and so on.Bal Gangadhar Tilak started this league in April 1916 and spread out to Maharashtra, Karnataka, Berar and Central Provinces.Annie Besantโ€™s League began in September 1916 in various other parts of the country.

Satyagraha Movement:
The first Satyagraha Movement was led by Mahatma Gandhi in the Champaran District of Bihar in the year 1917. Champaran district had tens of thousands of landless serfs. One of the suppressed Indigo cultivators, Pandit Raj Kumar Shukla persuaded Gandhi to lead this movement. This led to other Satyagraha Movements.


Khilafat Non-Cooperation Movement :
The Non-Cooperation Movement was one of the most famous and crucial phases in the Indian freedom struggle against the Britishers.Ill-treatment of the Khalifa, the spiritual leader of the Muslims by the Britishers agitated the entire Muslim community in India and around the world.
Deteriorating economic conditions in the country along with the major incidents like Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, Rowlatt Act, etc were the main reasons behind how it emerged to be a pivotal Indian national movement.This are the one of the important reason for the rise of this movement. The Non-Cooperation Movement was officially launched by the Khilafat Committee in August 1920. Also, the Indian National Congress adopted the movement in December 1920 after their Nagpur session. After which a complete boycott of government goods, schools, colleges, food, clothing etc happened and emphasis was laid on studying at national schools and khadi products were used.
On February 5, 1922, Chauri Chaura incident took place wherein the police station along with 22 policemen inside it was burnt. This led to call-off of this Indian National Movement by Mahatama Gandhi.

Civil Disobedience Movement:
One of the most prominent Indian national movements, the Civil Disobedience phase is classified into two stages:
First Civil Disobedience Movement
The Civil Disobedience Movement was launched along with the Dandi March by Mahatma Gandhi on 12th March 1930. Ultimately, it ended on April 6 when Gandhi broke the Salt Law at Dandi. Afterwards, the movement was proceeded by C.Raja Gopalachari.Mass participation of women, peasants and merchants happened and was succeeded by salt satyagraha, no-tex movement and no-rent movement as this Indian national movement spread across the country. Later on, it got withdrawn in March 1931 because of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.

Second Civil Disobedience Movement :
The failed treaty of the second roundtable conference led to the start of the second Civil Disobedience Movement stretching from December 1931 to April 1934. This lead to varied practices like protests in front of liquor stores, salt satyagraha, forest law violations happened. But the British Government was aware of the upcoming incidents, thus, it imposed martial law with a ban on gatherings outside Gandhiโ€™s Ashrams.


Quit India Movement :
The main reason behind the launch of the Quit India Movement in 1942 as it became one of the powerful Indian National Movements include the failure of the Cripps proposal become the awakening call for the Indians.The discontent of the general public with hardships brought by the world war.

After going through so many hardships in order to redeem the motherland from foreign and save the religion and self-esteem, India received it’s freedom from British on the night of 15th August 1947, 12:02 am from the British to become a Sovereign and Democratic country.

WHO ROLE IN COVID-19 VACCINE

By Moksha Grover

Covid-19 pandemic has changed the world completely, with affecting almost all the countries around the globe. Today, the whole world is struggling against covid-19. Amidst this fight, it has been declared that with the help of WHO we can win this fight against covid-19. Covid-19 has been declared as a pandemic by world health organization on on March 11, 2020 and since then, WHO has been helping a lot to end this pandemic situation. Safe and effective vaccines, being manufactured everyday are really crucial to end this pandemic. WHO has been working tirelessly in manufacturing and developing these vaccines and also ensuring equitable distribution of theses vaccines.

UPDATING COVID CASES

WHO plays a significant role in determining the covid cases around the globe. For the production as well as the distribution of vaccines, it is important to know how much Covid cases each country has, so that the vaccines can be manufactured and distributed accordingly. This task is being accomplished by World Health Organization (WHO).  WHO updates about covid cases worldwide with the help of statistical tools used for analyzing like graphs and histograms. There is one graph for the overall worldwide covid situation and separate graphs for each country. WHO also helps in providing a better understanding of covid situation by using graphs and histograms in such a way that even a layman can understand it.

This is a recent graph provided by WHO showing 221,134,742 total covid cases and a total of 4,574,089 deaths by covid around the globe as of 7th of September, 2021[1].

WHO also has kept us updated about some vital information about covid like when it became airborne, its second and third wave etc. It also uses apps like twitter and Instagram to update people about the latest information relating to covid. To accomplish all these tasks, WHO has set up a full support team for updating people time to time and also providing assistance to people in this pandemic.

DEVELOPING OF VACCINES

WHO has brought together 400 of the worldโ€™s leading researchers to identify research priorities for the manufacturing of vaccines[2]. โ€œSolidarity Trialโ€, an international clinical trial, involving 90 countries is also one initiative launched by WHO, to help find effective treatment[3]. WHO has also taken up research protocols for better understanding of the virus. Approximately 130 scientists, funders and manufacturers from around the world have signed a statement committing to work with WHO to speed the development of a vaccine against COVID-19[4].

In addition to this, the world health organization is giving its best in making people understand about vaccines, its side effects, its importance etc. by uploading various pdfs and data files on its site.

Above is the cover page of one pdf file uploaded by WHO on their website which tells everything about the working of the vaccines, its benefits, vaccines by different companies etc. In addition to this, WHO has also answered the most asked questions about covid-19 vaccines.

WHO has also given details of various vaccines launched by different companies and have listed their side effects too. It has also helped in the approval of various vaccines given by Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Oxford, Serum Institute of India etc. On its website of Covid-19 vaccine tracker, WHO lays down the list of all the approved vaccines along with the number of countries approving these vaccines and the number of trials in other countries.

EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF VACCINES

The world health organization (WHO) has a very big role to play in the equitable distribution of vaccines. For equitable distribution of vaccines, WHO has unveiled its global plan to fairly distribute covid-19 vaccine. two-thirds of the world’s population have joined its plan to buy and fairly distribute COVID-19 vaccines around the globe[5]. As per WHOโ€™s “fair allocation mechanism” distribution of vaccines will be conducted in two phases.

In the first phase, all countries would receive vaccine proportional to their population; initially enough vaccine to immunize 3% of their population, with the first doses going to frontline workers in health care and social care[6]. Then, additional vaccine would be delivered until 20% of a nation’s population is covered. WHO envisages that these doses would be used to immunize those at the highest risk from COVID-19: elderly people and those with comorbidities[7].

Second phase would be dealing with the countries where vaccinations are needed to cover additional people on the basis of the urgency of immunizations needed. The priority will be decided on the basis of two criteriaโ€™s.

  • The magnitude of spread of virus whether it is spreading very fast and whether other pathogens like influenza are also spreading at the same time
  • Whether the health care system of the country is strong or weak, whether it has sufficient beds in hospitals for its patients and other intensive care units etc.

ย RESULTS OF THE PLAN LAUNCHED BY WHO

The plan by World Health Organization (WHO) is still in progress and it is said that additional 38 countries are expected to sign soon[8]. Access to the vaccines in the COVAX portfolio will be given to these countries and they will pay for their own doses. It has secured an estimated 700 million vaccine doses so far and wants to provide 2 billion by the end of 2021, with the aim of providing coverage to at least 20% of the population of participating countries[9]. The WHO has also called for moratorium on Covid Vaccine Booster Shots till end of September to address the drastic inequity in dose distribution between rich and poor nations[10].

WHO ASSISTANCE TO COVID-19 ECONOMY

The world health organization (WHO) in collaboration with other organizations initiated a global collaboration known as the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT Accelerator) with the motive of accelerating the development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.

 So far 10 countries have contributed $2.4 billion to the work of the ACT Accelerator, with the United Kingdom committing just over US$ 1 billion, and Germany, Canada, Japan and France committing US$ 618 million, US$ 290 million, US$ 229 million and US$ 147 million respectively[11]. In just seven months, the ACT Acceleratorโ€™s progress has been significant: over 50 diagnostic tests have been evaluated and new rapid antigen diagnostics have been developed and being made available for LMICs; life-saving Dexamethasone treatments are being rolled out, research into monoclonal antibody treatments is advancing; and through the Health Systems Connector, the health system requirements for delivery of COVID-19 tools have been mapped in 4 out of 6 world regions[12].

It is now being reported that the countries who have contributed to ACT will now be able assess economic benefits to advanced economies in result of their contributions. Global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines estimated to generate economic benefits of at least US$ 153 billion in 2020โ€“21, and US$ 466 billion by 2025, in 10 major economies, according to new report by the Eurasia Group[13]. With the help of introducing these policies and initiatives, WHO is now helping the falling economies of many countries to come to the positions they were on before this covid pandemic.

CONCLUSION

In order to sum up, Iโ€™ll like to say that WHO is working tirelessly to improve the covid-19 situation across the globe as well as supporting many economies in these hard times. Furthermore, WHO has also given certain guidelines for people to follow thatโ€™ll surely help in decreasing covid cases. Guidelines on vaccines are also given. All these guidelines are available on WHO websites. WHO has also conducted free campaigns to spread awareness. These efforts by WHO will only be fruitful when people follow all the instructions and guidelines in relation to covid 19 prevention and also get all the vaccinations properly for immunization. In order to win this fight against covid-19, it is advised to all the people to take necessary precautions and get vaccinated as soon as possible


[1] โ€˜WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboardโ€™, World Health Organization < https://covid19.who.int/> accessed 8th September,2021

[2] โ€˜5 reasons the world needs WHO, to fight the COVID-19 pandemicโ€™, United Nations (9th April 2020) < https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061412> accessed 8th September,2021

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Kal Kupferschmidt, โ€˜WHO unveils global plan to fairly distribute COVID-19 vaccine, but challenges awaitโ€™, Science (21st September,2020) < https://www.science.org/news/2020/09/who-unveils-global-plan-fairly-distribute-covid-19-vaccine-challenges-await> accessed 8th September,2021

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] โ€˜World Health Organisation Calls For Moratorium On Covid Vaccine Booster Shotsโ€™, NDTV (August 04, 2021) < https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/coronavirus-world-health-organisation-calls-for-moratorium-on-covid-vaccine-booster-shots-2502715> accessed 8th September,2021.

[11] โ€˜Global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines estimated to generate economic benefits of at least US$ 153 billion in 2020โ€“21, and US$ 466 billion by 2025, in 10 major economies, according to new report by the Eurasia Groupโ€™, World Health Organization (3rd  December 2020) < https://www.who.int/news/item/03-12-2020-global-access-to-covid-19-vaccines-estimated-to-generate-economic-benefits-of-at-least-153-billion-in-2020-21> accessed 8th September,2021.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Ibid.

INFIDELITY

Credits – Behance

INTRODUCTION

Infidelity can be better defined as any act that violates an open or explicit agreement

between two people, thereby damaging the relationship. It usually means having an

emotional or intimate relationship other than your partner.

Deception is one of the most devastating and destructive things that can happen in a

person’s life. It can lead to emotional distress, anxiety, depression, increased risky

behaviours and cause real physical pain.

All infidelity violates the supposed or implied marital union, whether that be emotionally or

physically.

Relationships in which more than two people are involved are known as Polyamory

relationships. In non-monogamous behavioural relationships, partners can practice flipping

or polyamory (having multiple romantic relationships at the same time). These programs

promote honest communication and consent between all members and is not an example of

infidelity.

Now, how does Infidelity affect society?

Disloyalty to a person is like a storm. When it floods you, you and everyone else are thrown into many different places. When parents are in trouble so are their children. When a house burns down, children and adults are left homeless. The same can be said of infidelity. Confusion, fear, uncertainty, anger, tears, withdrawal, suspicion, frustration, fighting affects everyone in the family and especially children who are naturally more sensitive and rely on their parents for emotional and physical stability and security.

For young adults, infidelity can wreak havoc on trust, and infidelity can have devastating effects on a person’s mental and physical health. The condition is associated with depression, anxiety and unhealthy coping strategies such as poor diet and substance abuse. Some mental health professionals believe that there may be a similarity to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Types of Infidelity

โ€ข Physical Infidelity: Physical or sexual contact outside of relationships. There may or may not be an emotional attachment between partners.

โ€ข Emotional Infidelity: Emotional attachment or intimacy with another person. Emotional affairs can do as much damage, if not more, to a relationship as a physical affair.

โ€ข Cyber Infidelity:

social media has made it easier for people to engage in online

messages, chats, forums, or groups with sexual content. Cyber infidelity also

includes viewing erotic stimuli, such as porn.

โ€ข Object Infidelity:

Excessive love or interest outside of relationships can lead to

what is known as materialism. This is a situation where one partner is too focused on

something like their job or their phone, causing disruption in the relationship.

Credits – neil webb

Data And Facts

Statistics report that anywhere from 40-60 percent of adults in committed relationships commit acts of infidelity and despite popular opinion, there is no significant difference in these percentages between men and women. Not only has dishonesty in the workplace become increasingly common but it has also become easier to deal with dishonesty on the Internet and social networking sites.

Biodiversity

The term โ€œbiodiversityโ€ was coined around 1985.Biodiversity or biological diversity . Biodiversity is a term refers to the variety of species both flora and fauna present in an area, that is the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life.

Scientists have estimated that there are around 8.7 million species of plants and animals in existence. However, only around 1.2 million species have been identified and described so far, most of which are insects.Although examining counts of species is perhaps the most common method used to compare the biodiversity of various places, in practice biodiversity is weighted differently for different species, the reason being that some species are deemed more valuable or more interesting than others. One way this value is assessed is by examining the diversity that exists above the species level, in the genera, families, orders.The variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part. This includes variation in genetic, phenotypic, phylogenetic, and functional attributes, as well as changes in abundance and distribution over time and space within and among species, biological communities and ecosystems.

Photo by Domingos Moreira on Pexels.com

The framework based on counting-up units contrasts with other proposals for general frameworks for biodiversity, including those proposals that have attempted to include a variety of calculations like endemism , dissimilarity, rarity, and so on within the definition of biodiversity . The framework based on counting-up units implies not only that biodiversity as variety is that total count, but also that we can carry out lots of other important, associated, calculations that will be useful for decision-making and policy ,notably looking at gains and losses. This idea of a biodiversity โ€œcalculusโ€ contrasts with the ecologically oriented perspective that there are many different indices called โ€œbiodiversityโ€.

The common measure, species richness, illustrates the different perspectives. The pre-history of biodiversity, reflecting the species extinction crisis and the values of variety, provides a core rationale for a definition that includes counting-up species. The pre-history of โ€œbiodiversityโ€ also highlighted the idea that the value of variety itself should be considered along-side the recognised benefits and dis-benefits of individual species , and all these benefits/values can enter into trade-offs and synergies that support decision-making. Some current perspectives or framings about biodiversity and its value can be understood as again blurring that distinction between biodiversity and biospecifics. One such framing equates biodiversity with all of nature. A focus on biodiversity as the collection of individual units/elements suggests that biodiversity covers so many individual elements that it more or less can be equated with biotic nature. An ecological/ecosystem framing of biodiversity expands this further biodiversity may be interpreted as including not only the many individual elements but also all their ecological interactions, and associated processes. These expanded perspectives, focused on elements and their interactions, create a risk that we may miss the opportunity to properly consider both values of nature/ecology and the values associated with biodiversity-as-variety.

On the study of biodiversity,Conservation biology has emerged as a true scientific discipline and has succeeded in providing an understanding of many of the underpinnings of the field, including effects of pollution on populations of plants and animals, how to approach restoration of various habitats, how to manage endangered species, and many other topics too numerous to mention. Conservation biology has done well in developing the science of understanding individual species in their habitat, performing spatial scale analyses of individuals, and modeling their activity within the landscape.

Important direct drivers affecting biodiversity are habitat change, climate change, invasive species, overexploitation, and pollution.Habitat loss is the single greatest threat to biodiversity on Earth today and in fact it is the second largest threat to our existence on this planet next to Climate Change.Human activities such as urban development degrade or completely eradicate areas on which species depend for food and shelter.Habitat loss can also take the form of night lighting; this unnatural condition removes habitat for most animals, birds and even fish and especially from LED lights which mimic daytime spectrums. Even plants will not respire under LED lights. Undue noise levels from industry and fireworks can also alter nigh-time habitats and sleeping patterns of wildlife.Sidden changes in the climate temperature can cause habitat loss.Long term climate changes , increasing the temperature of earth causes global warming which affects biodiversity. Natural events such as storms, forest fires, floods, and droughts also have the potential to alter or eradicate habitats. And while these events are natural occurrences, overall, or until recently, they do not compare to the losses caused by human activities- and yet they are also amplified as a result of climate change- a phenomenon aggravated by human activities.Pollution also includes the release of effluents from industrial and agricultural processes into the natural environment.

Biodiversity supports human and societal needs, including food and nutrition security, energy, development of medicines and pharmaceuticals and freshwater, which together underpin good health. It also supports economic opportunities, and leisure activities that contribute to overall wellbeing.Biodiversity is essential for all living beings on earth.Change and conservation are increasingly in the hands of the people rather than governments. Therefore, it is our responsibility to do protect nature.

The Insecurities

( Insecurities that keep on knocking now and then)

You are more than those scars, I know you find them bizarre but try to embrace them at least for once because you are worthy enough to touch the stars.

You are more than those stretch marks, Just embrace them like tigress marks and enlighten that spark.

You are more than that cellulite, I know you are trying hard to win that inner fight.

It is hard to win that fight! I know, but remember that once you win this fight you’ll rise with a different glow.

Just start loving yourself beyond those scars, Why? Because you are worthy enough to touch the stars.

( You are much more than your insecurities)

– Isha Chawla

Demography

Demography is the study of human population dynamics. Population is shaped by a number of factors including fertility, mortality, migration and urbanization. Significant demographic changes have been shown in many parts of the world. The world population growth has been decelerating since 1970s. Fertility rates in more developed countries (MDCs) have been showing a declining trend, whereas an increasing one in the less developed countries (LDCs). Mortality rates have gone down in both MDCs and LDCs due to medical advancement. Consequently, the population of the countries with low fertility rates aged more quickly, and the world population growth will be concentrated in those developing countries where fertility rates remain high. Uneven population growth among nations accelerated the migration of people across nation borders and the growth of cities. The changes of these interrelated factors with their causes and problems of each of the factors will be discussed, followed by some possible plans and opportunities that may benefit from these changes.Human birth rate (natality) is the fertility expressed as the average number of live births per thousand populations per year. Since not all age groups in a population have equal fertility, demographers often use more specialized measures of birth rates that relate to age groups.Human mortality rate is the average number of individuals who die per thousand populations per year.

Again, demographers often use more sensitive measures, for different mortality rates. Both the very young and the very old segments of the population have higher mortality rates than are found in other age groups.Human population shows uneven or clumping pattern of distriยญbution on earth. The density of human population in a village, district, city, province, country or any area can be obtained by diยญviding the total number of persons living in the given region by the total land area of that region.The average number of people per square unit of land area tells us how dense or sparse is the popuยญlation in a giver, area. The average population density of the world is calculated about 27 persons per square kilometre.insurance agents to determine life insurance rates.

These early demographic studies were mostly concerned with mortality. However, in the 19th century, studies showed that there was a decline in the number of births, and researchers began to study fertility as well as mortality. These studies led to the idea of โ€œdifferential fertility.โ€ Differential fertility suggests that different groups within a population have different numbers of children due to factors, such as religion, cultural attitudes, poverty, and employment. Migration of people is the last main factor in demographic studies. It is these three variables (mortality, fertility, and migration) that contribute to population change.Demographers gather data mainly through government censuses and government registries of births and deaths. However, these sources can be inaccurate depending on the precision of government records. Demographers also gather data indirectly through surveying smaller groups within a population. These samples are then examined using statistical models to draw conclusions about the whole population.


Demography is changing us as we are older societies, we’re living longer. How the generations balance each other out, how that affects education and health care.

Insurance

Insurance is a legal agreement between the insurance company and the individual. When you buy Insurance it is a way you protect against unexpected financial losses. The insurance company pays your and your family, when some bad happens to you. When a person pays a insurance company, the company promises to pay the money if the person becomes injured or passed away.The Insurance company pays the value of property lost damaged. If no insurance, then you might be the responsible for all related costs at hard time.

In India, the insurance types are classified to Life insurance, Health insurance, Educational insurance, Home insurance and Car insurance. Health insurance is for
medical costs for expensive treatments. You can buy a generic health insurance policy. There are policies for specific diseases. The premium paid towards health insurance pay the hospital, treatment and medication costs. Educational insurance is specially designed as a save tool for children’s education. Education insurance provides a lump amount of money when your child reaches the age for higher education. The child’s life is assured under this is the insurance while the parent / legal guardian is the owner of the policy. Home insurance can help with covering the loss or damage of house by fire or other natural disasters like earthquake flood, and lighting.Car insurance is important for every car owner.It protects you against any sudden incidents like accident.Some policies compensate the damage towards your during natural disasters.

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

It ensures your families financial stability. It reduces stress during our hard time of our life. Insurance are for safety and security. But apart from that there are also income tax benefits that are avail. Your independent insurance agent is a great resource to learn more about the benefits of insurance, as well as the benefits in your specific insurance policy.Before insurance you should check some of the qualities like what type of insurance the company offers,what is the financial strength of the insurance company and their costumer service.Check whether the company service is good at online. Read the agreements thoroughly before paying for a insurance.It is our choice to choose the way of insurance.It is also our responsibility to keep our family in a safe guard even in a hard time.

“Insurance is a social device providing financial compensation for the effects of misfortune, the payments being made from the accumulated contributions of all parties participating in the scheme.โ€ – D.S. Hansell

GOVERNMENT ASSAULT ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN INDIA

By Moksha Grover

The year 2021 has shown catastrophic effects on India so far. The country has witnessed a devastating second wave of covid-19 which continues to rage on with the official death toll being over 3,50,000[1]. Hospitals in India run out of beds and medical oxygen because of the countryโ€™s paralyzed healthcare infrastructure. But the most important point to be noted here is that India increased its oxygen exports by 734 percent in January 2021, and exported around 193 million doses of vaccines[2]. Justifying the export to other countries, union health minister Harsh Vardhan claimed that the country was in a virus endgame. However, at the end of April 24, the total confirmed cases of coronavirus stood beyond 16 million with less than 2 percent of the population fully vaccinated[3]. ย When the people started questioning the government, the government in response reportedly directed Twitter and other social media platforms to remove over 100 posts and URLs criticizing Indiaโ€™s handling of its second nationwide COVID-19 wave[4].

It forced social media companies, especially Twitter, to stifle expression, and if the companies donโ€™t obey they face the threat of punishment from the government. This is one example of the recent case of assault followed by the Indian government in relation to the freedom of speech in India.

IMPORTANCE OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION

Freedom of speech and expression as regarded by Mahatma Gandhi

โ€œthe two lungs that are absolutely necessary for a man to breathe the oxygen of libertyโ€. Article 19 of the United Nationsโ€™ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, states that โ€œEveryone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.โ€[5]

The Indian Constitution provides for the right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a).[6] This right can be restricted on the basis of grounds provided in Article 19(2), which are: in the interests of sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offense [7]. The right to articulate opinions without fear of retaliation, censorship, or punishment carries significance in the life of every human being, thus making the right to expression important for all human beings. Freedom of speech is an important right because a person’s voice is sometimes all that person has. To take away a person’s thoughts and opinions is to strip their life away.

THE CRISIS OF FREE SPEECH                        

ย ย  In the last few months alone, Delhi Police has made international headlines for visiting Twitterโ€™s India offices to โ€œroutinelyโ€ investigate its policies on tagging content as manipulated media. The Union Government has strongly instructed Twitter to remove all the tweets critical of Prime Minister Narendra covid response. Many activists have been arrested by the government for mobilizing support for the farmersโ€™ protests. Multiple FIRs have been filed against journalists for reporting on Covid deaths and oxygen shortages. Last year, two Malayalam news channels were suspended for 48 hours by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for reporting the Delhi riots. This year, a comedian also got arrested and spent the whole of January in prison for the jokes he never cracked. The latest illustration of the assault on free speech is the governmentโ€™s response to protests against the new farm laws. Instead of allowing peaceful assembly, the government in Delhi started building barriers on protest sides with nail beds or concrete walls. They blocked the protests. Many protesters were arrested. Violence erupted on many occasions and the farmers traveling to Delhi were placed under house arrest in Agra to cut at the root of the protest. Also Recently, three FIRs have been filed against union minister Narayan Rane for his remarks against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray while giving a speech in Raigad district on Monday. His support in Mumbai also clashed and two of his supporters and two policemen were injured in the clash. Furthermore, in an English weekly, Organizer, was said to be publishing communal writings and was ordered by the Chief Commissioner of Delhi to submit all materials for prior censorship There are numerous other cases that depict the crisis of free speech in India.

IS THE ASSAULT FOLLOWED BY THE GOVERNMENT TENABLE?

The failure of the government to control the covid-19 cases in India and handle the pandemic has resulted in us bearing the worst covid surge in the world. However, instead of being accountable for its lapses and listening to its citizens, the government is prohibiting people from even talking about it. It is trying to suppress the voices of all the people who have been affected by the wrong decisions of the government. Such attacks on free speech end in the tipping away of balance from constitutional freedom; of late, the higher judiciary seems to be complicit in this absurd process[8]. One must realize that liberty once lost is lost forever and censorship is undoubtedly against the very foundation of a free society.

THE TWO MAJOR FREE SPEECH CHALLENGES FACED BY THE WORLD

There are mainly two major free speech challenges faced by the world, Today. In most developing countries like ours, the legal system isnโ€™t strong enough to guarantee freedom of speech and needs to be revised. In other developed countries like the U.S free speech is increasingly being mixed up with absolute speech. In developed countries, the fight for freedom of speech has shifted to normalizing hate speechโ€™s and to

 Silence minorities. As said, words always have consequences. One such example was a surge in anti-Muslim attacks in the UK after Prime Minister Boris Johnson called women in burqas โ€œbank robbersโ€, and similar incidents happened everywhere[9]. In India, the government keeps suppressing its critics and agrees to give a free pass to all those who abide by its values. Hate speeches are allowed to be shown on national television considering, that these hate speeches are directed toward minority communities. Even by the American standard of โ€œimminent lawless actionโ€, chanting โ€œDesh ke gaddaro ko, goli maaro saalo koโ€ at rallies would be considered wrong, and yet it seems to be acceptable here[10].

PROTECTING AND PROMOTING FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Social Media has given a voice to almost everyone. But the digital world, like our real world, is not a level-playing field and those with power quickly learned how to use it to their advantage. In India, along with direct suppression, indirect suppression is also being followed through the way of troll armies that abuse people and flooding tactics (fake news, propaganda bots, paid commentators) that drown out real voices. Sticks and stones have always broken bones but words hurt twice as much. Social Media companies need to develop good terms and conditions to tackle all the misinformation and hate speeches. Online platforms should make it harder for people to share misinformation. Since women and children are mostly targeted online, companies should ensure to make their platforms a space to share ideas and not to harass people by employing sufficient moderators. We should keep fighting for the right to expression in India but at the same time keep in mind that our right to express opinions should not stifle the voices of other people or put them in danger.


[1] Jacob Mchangama and Raghav Mendiratta, โ€˜Supporting free speech, but not a criticism of governmentโ€™, The Indian Express (June 25,2021) <https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/supporting-free-speech-but-not-criticism-of-government-7376023/> accessed 26th August 2021

[2] MD Tasnimul Hassan,โ€™ Latest salvo in the crisis of free speech in Indiaโ€™, The Leaflet ( 27th April 2021) < https://www.theleaflet.in/latest-salvo-in-the-crisis-of-free-speech-in-india/&gt; accessed 26th August 2021.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Sourabh Yadav, โ€˜Right to free speech is democracyโ€™s precious gift, but not when it stifles othersโ€™ voicesโ€™, The Print (December 2,2021) < https://theprint.in/campus-voice/right-to-free-speech-is-democracys-precious-gift-but-not-when-it-stifles-others-voices/555715/> accessed 26th August,2021

[10] Ibid.

HOW WILL ASSET MONETISATION HELP THE GOVERNMENT?

By Moksha Grover

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Monday that the Indian Government intends to monetize โ‚น6 lakh crore worth of state-owned assets over the next four years under its asset monetization pipeline. The union government has said that theyโ€™ll allow the private sector to bid for operating the assets for 25 years, and with a lump sum payment upfront, but without giving away title to the underlying assets. The Centre aims to sell off gas pipelines, roads, railway assets, and warehousing facilities among a host of other assets with the help of the National Monetisation pipeline (NMP).ย  The private sector can operate these assets for 25 years but they have to calculate what they can earn from it in various ways, over the next 25 years; discount that cash flow to its โ€˜present value (PV), deduct from that their profit margin, and pay the balance amount as an upfront rental to the government[1].

Lets us assume the value of the said asset is Rs 100. And return to the asset in real terms is 4% per annum (net of inflation)[2]. The present value of the 4% earnings, discounted at the real rate of interest to such an operator, assuming it is 6%, (again real as opposed to nominal rate) would be Rs 51.3[3]. Let us round it off to 50. Rs 50 represents the PV of an annuity of Rs 4, over 25 years, discounted at 6% per annum[4]. In effect for every Rs 100 of assets monetized, the cash flow yield from the asset that the operator can expect is Rs 50[5]. From this, he must deduct the return that he expects from his investment, the risk premium attached to the earning, and the general uncertainty of dealing with a capricious government[6]. Assume the operator wants a minimum of 50% return on his equity[7]. He will then be willing to pay Rs 35 (rounding off the calculation) for the Rs 100 assets[8]. One doesnโ€™t know if the Rs 6 trillion number is indeed the market value of the assets[9]. But assuming it is, then the total value of upfront rental it can expect from such monetization will be in the region of Rs 2.1 trillion or less[10]. In fact, given normal discounting rates of 50% in such cases (100% return on capital), the government should expect no more than Rs 1.5 trillion[11].

WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT DOING THIS?

The Indian government has been facing a silent budgetary crisis. This crisis resulted because of disasters like demonetization, tax cuts for corporates, and GST made by Modi. Because of these serial disasters, the GDP growth of the country has fallen drastically. As a result of GDP falling, Modi had to steeply hike the prices of inelastic commodities like petroleum products to pay for corporate tax cuts. The price hike and hike in direct taxes burden the lower and middle-class people, indirectly, and hence, they have to reduce their consumption. So their consumption falls dragging GDP growth down even further. As a result of all these events, the economy tanked by sinking GDP by 28% in one quarter[12]. The GDP for the full year fell by 7%, the highest of any major economy[13]. All the government revenues are left plummeting and deficits soaring, thus necessitating record borrowings to pay for government expenses. Presently, the government debt as a percentage of GDP now stands in the region of 90%[14]. Government tax and non-tax revenues are expected to be 22.7% of GDP, and the combined government deficit is projected at 6.3%[15]. So, the government was left with no choice introduced asset monetization to fill its coffers. As and when, asset monetization will take place it will add up to the non-tax revenues of the government. All this trickery comes in the backdrop of Indiaโ€™s worsening credit ratings, which are just about a notch above junk, with a negative outlook.

FEW POINTS TO KNOW ABOUT ASSET MONETISATION

  1. Asset monetization involves monetizing brownfield assets and does not include the selling of land.
  2. โ€œOwnership of assets will remain with the government and there will be a mandatory hand-back,โ€ as said by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman[16].
  3. The infrastructure line ministries included the pipelineโ€”Roads, Transport and Highways, Railways, Power, Pipeline and Natural Gas, Civil Aviation, Shipping Ports and Waterways, Telecommunications, Food, and Public Distribution, Mining, Coal and Housing, and Urban Affairsโ€”along with Secretary (Department of Economic Affairs) and Secretary (Department of Investment and Public Asset Management)[17].
  4. The estimated value corresponds to 14 percent of the proposed outlay for the Centre under the National Infrastructure Pipeline (ย โ‚น43 lakh crore)[18].
  5. Asset Monetisation aims at tapping private sector investment for new infrastructure creation.
  6. Asset Monetisation is important for employment opportunities and generation, which will further help in accelerating economic growth and public welfare of the country.
  7. ย The top 5 sectors (by estimated value) capture ~83% of the aggregate pipeline value. These top 5 sectors include: Roads (27%) followed by Railways (25%), Power (15%), oil & gas pipelines (8%) and Telecom (6%)[19].
  8. In terms of annual phasing by value, 15% of assets with an indicative value ofย โ‚น0.88 lakh crore are envisaged to be rolled out in the current financial year (FY 2021-22)[20]. However, the aggregate, as well as year-on-year value under NMP, is only an indicative value with the actual realization for public assets depending on the timing, transaction structuring, investor interest, etc[21].
  9. A range of instruments is identified through which assets and transactions identified under the NMP are expected to be rolled out[22]. These include direct contractual instruments such as public-private partnership concessions and capital market instruments such as Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvIT) among others[23].
  10. Union Budget 2021-22 had identified monetization of operating public infrastructure assets as a key means for sustainable infrastructure financing[24].

EFFECTS OF ASSET MONETISATION

Privatization of assets will lead to the following outcomes: –

  • Through the way of consumption or investment, privatization will lead to paring down of government instead of a further increase in government expenditure.
  • Efficacy of asset use is improved through lower real interest rates to spur private investment.
  • All the money that comes from asset monetization will go back to the government via a circuitous route.
  • Asset monetization will not result in any addition to the gross domestic in the economy, either by bringing in foreign savings or by attracting a significant synergy premium.
  • Asset monetization doesnโ€™t add up to the share of resources available to the private sector and does not contribute to the growth of the private sector even by a penny.

In conclusion, the idea of selling existing government funds to create new ones is excellent. But in the current situation, there is no such thing, and speaking of the economy as a whole, there will be no other changes except transaction costs go up, and a severely limited government bandwidth is further stretched thin over needless paperwork.


[1] Sonali Ranade, โ€˜How Will Asset Monetisation Help the Government?โ€™, The Wire (August 26,2021) < https://thewire.in/economy/how-will-asset-monetization-help-the-government> accessed 27th August 2021.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

[12] there will be no other changes except e, th of the private secto even by a penny.  Ibid.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Ibid.

[20] Ibid.

[21] Ibid.

[22] Ibid.

[23] Ibid.

[24] Ibid.

IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON CRIME RATE

By Moksha Grover

The Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China was recognized as a pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO). Today, the world is in the fight towards covid wide-ranging consequences. Pandemics have always changed the way human beings interact and covid pandemic is no exception in this case. People are facing collective forms of trauma due to health concerns, negativity caused by the pandemic, loss due to unemployment, false information surfing around social media etc.  Isolation and quarantine increased depression and anxiety among the people. Because of the side effects of the pandemic faced by the people domestic violence, homicide crimes, fraud and trafficking of medicinal products have increased significantly. While, due to lockdown crimes like theft, and robbery has shown a decline.

Domestic physical violence, abuse. Scared little caucasian girl, victim sitting close to a white wall with the shadow of an angry threatening mother with alcohol addiction. Awareness of social problems.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND HOMICIDES CRIME

While the covid pandemic has affected all types of crimes, some crimes have increased and some decreased. It has affected domestic violence and homicide crimes the most. Pandemic has added to the rise in domestic abuse and homicide crime. Due to economic reasons, the victim is forced to remain with the abuser. Some victims get quarantined with the abusers and are prone to sexual assault, partner violence, and child abuse. These people are also left without any access to services.

During the lockdown, many women were trapped in their houses and had to work all day and also become the victims of domestic violence by their husbands.  A study in New Delhi, India shows that by the second week of lockdown domestic violence cases rose from 116 in the first week to 257 in the final week in the month of March[1].  A study by researcher Priyanshi Chauhan found that โ€œapproximately 22.5% of married women, as compared to zero men and unmarried women, worked for more than 70 hours per weekโ€ during the lockdown[2]. The study also said unemployed women witnessed the highest increase of 30.5 percentage points for those who spent more than 70 hours per week on unpaid work[3].

COUNTERFEITING AND FRAUDS

Counterfeiting and fraud have increased a lot in this covid pandemic. High-demand products during the pandemic, mostly medical products are being counterfeited the most. Virus mitigating products such as face masks, virus test kits, PPT kits etc. worn by frontline workers and medical supplies used for treating COVID-19 patients were also counterfeited. In India, due to the shortage of remdisivir vaccines used for treating covid patients, criminals started selling fake remdisivir injections to people and in return took huge amounts of money from these people.

As the covid-19 pandemic led the way for online shopping, countering in online shopping also rose. Criminals began to exploit a greater use of social media as a medium for sales. The public trusts celebrities and influencers, promote a product and have faith in their recommendations. But this benefit was recognized by criminals and they recruited irresponsible influencers to engage in building interest in cheap and often dangerous fake goods. The covid pandemic is making a way for criminal counterfeiters and increasing the threat to businesses and consumers alike.

CYBERCRIMES

Owing to the shift of focus to a health crisis, cyber defence systems have been lowered. As a result, cybercriminals are attacking the computer networks and systems of individuals, businesses and even global organizations. Cybercriminals have created thousands of new websites for conducting spam campaigns or spreading malware. Various covid-19 maps and websites have been found embedded with malware, spyware and Trojans. Hospitals, medical centres and public institutions are being targeted by cybercriminals for ransomware attacks โ€“ since they are overwhelmed with the health crisis and cannot afford to be locked out of their systems, the criminals believe they are likely to pay the ransom[4].

TERRORIST ATTACKS

In comparison with the past, terrorist attacks have been reduced due to the global lockdown. In the past, when in 2013, the emergence of the Islamic state brought a new wave of attacks 2014 in cities around the world[5]. This wave of ISIS terror attacks seems to come to an end now. However, โ€œCoronavirus denier movementsโ€ could contribute to the potential of violence since they attracted extremists from various ideological backgrounds[6]. In 2021, may a series of attacks in Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of 56 people[7]. Today, Afghanistan has been conquered by Talibans and now Talibans in association with Al-Qaeda have attacked Panjshir valley, a fight ongoing for two days[8]. Switzerland has warned of terror attacks on Covid vaccine sites[9].

THEORETICAL REASONS FOR THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON CRIME

Overall covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the reduction of crime rates. More stringent restrictions over movement in public spaces due to lockdown have resulted in large declines in crimes like theft, burglary and other types of crimes.  There are mainly 4 causes that have led to a significant decrease in crime rates due to pandemics.

First, restrictions on mobility and reduction in economic and social activities outside of the household leave the criminals with fewer opportunities. These restrictions have also reduced the number of assaults with deadly weapons, robberies, residential burglaries, shoplifting, and thefts as a consequence of a reduced interaction of people in the urban environment. Furthermore, this pandemic has also led to a reduction in the opportunities for potential victims to encounter the potential offender

Second, due to the fear of infection, many criminals have become hesitant to engage in criminal activities. This cause has shown a consequence in the reduction of group crimes. Even if the lockdown is not imposed there are many criminals who do not engage in criminal activities due to the fear of infection.  Various studies propose that the lockdowns specifically lower crimes that are committed in groups. But more severe crimes like homicides fail to decline.

Third, due to the economic problems caused by the pandemic crimes can relatively increase. Individuals losing employment, income, lack of new public policies, weaker public support systems, and a larger informal sector can result in to increase in the willingness of criminals to commit crimes.

PREVENTING CRIME AND KEEPING SAFE DURING COVID-19

Covid-19 has affected the whole world in many ways including the type and number of crimes being committed. Along with focusing on the health crisis, it is the right time now to take steps that can help in the reduction of crime rates to ensure the safety of the people. Here are a few steps that can be taken to reduce crime rates.

  1. Talking about the risk factors associated with crime, our focus should be shifted towards socially vulnerable areas where there is often a combination of risk factors such as high levels of unemployment, mental ill-health and drug and alcohol abuse.
  • Alcohol consumption should be reduced as it can lead to domestic violence and child abuse when stress increases.
  • For reducing cybercrime, people should be taught about the precautions they should take to protect themselves from cybercrimes. These include setting a strong password, updating software, managing social media settings, using a full-service Internet security suite etc.
  • Appropriate policy measures can help a lot in overcoming fraud and counterfeiting of the products.
  • Having a proactive approach and spreading awareness can also help a lot. We should treat violence as a public health concern to ensure the protection of the people.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, I would like to say that, although covid pandemic has decreased overall crime rates. However, Covid has not caused a reduction in all kinds of crime nor in all countries across the globe. There are some types of crimes that have increased due to covid pandemic and there are some countries that have seen an increase in crime rates. The focus should be given equally to crime around the world as to pandemics. People should be taught about the precautions they need to take. The world should stand together and fight against all the terrorist activities taking place in this covid pandemic


[1] Bismee Taskin, โ€˜Increased work, domestic abuse โ€” how Covid lockdown was especially hard on women in Indiaโ€™, The Print (9th February,2021) < https://theprint.in/india/increased-work-domestic-abuse-how-covid-lockdown-was-especially-hard-on-women-in-india/601328/> accessed 3rd September, 2021

[2] Ibid.

[3] ibid.

[4] โ€˜COVID-19 cyberthreatsโ€™, Interpol < https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Cybercrime/COVID-19-cyberthreats> accessed 3rd September,2021.

[5] โ€˜Timeline: the Rise, Spread, and Fall of the Islamic Stateโ€™, Wilson centre (28th October,2019) < https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/timeline-the-rise-spread-and-fall-the-islamic-state> accessed 3rd September,2021.

[6] Thomas Wahl, โ€˜Council Conclusions: COVID-19 Impact on Terrorism and Violent Extremismโ€™, Eucrim (6th July,2021)< https://eucrim.eu/news/council-conclusions-covid-19-impact-on-terrorism-and-violent-extremism/ > accessed 3rd September,2021

[7] Greg Barton, โ€˜n COVIDโ€™s shadow, global terrorism goes quiet. But we have seen this before, and should be waryโ€™, The Conversation (14th August,2020) < https://theconversation.com/in-covids-shadow-global-terrorism-goes-quiet-but-we-have-seen-this-before-and-should-be-wary-144286> accessed 3rd September,2021

[8] โ€˜Afghanistan Crisis Updates: Al-Qaeda reportedly joins Taliban in attack on Panjshir valley, fight ongoing for two daysโ€™, The Economic Times (05 September, 2021) <https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/newsblogs/latest-daily-news-and-updates-september-02/liveblog/85854590.cms > accessed 5th Septembter,2021

[9] โ€˜Switzerland warns of terror attacks on Covid vaccine sitesโ€™, Mint (29th August, 2021) < https://www.livemint.com/news/world/switzerland-warns-of-terror-attacks-on-covid-vaccine-sites-11630226544056.html> accessed 5th September,2021

INDIAN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES IN THE TIMES OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC

By: Moksha Grover

As the whole world is suffering against the covid-19 pandemic, pharmaceutical industries all over the world are trying their level best to fight against these unprecedented times. The covid pandemic has actually benefitted the pharmaceutical industry and helped in the growth and development of this industry. The Indian pharmaceutical industry is the worldโ€™s third largest drug producer by volume and the countryโ€™s market manufactures 60 percent of vaccines globally[1]. This constitutes 40 to 70 percent of the supply to satisfy the World Health Organizationโ€™s (WHO) demand for Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DPT) and Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccines and 90 percent of the global demand for the measles vaccine[2]. In this covid pandemic, the Indian pharmaceutical industry has played a vital role in distributing affordable and low-cost generic drugs to millions of people around the globe.

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF INDIAN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES

The covid-19 pandemic presented several opportunities for the pharmaceutical companies and helped them to think differently. It helped them to act in a sense of urgency for all the patients who were looking for cheap and affordable medicines. In this pandemic, Indian companies have risen and developed in the field of therapeutics by re-purposing the dugs.

This pandemic also gave the pharmaceutical companies opportunities to work in collaborations with some major global companies for the purpose of developing the covid vaccine in turn enhancing the global connections. Serum Institute of India partnered with Oxford University, Zydus Cadila partnered with Gamaleya Institute of Russia, Panacea Biotec collaborated with US-based Refana Inc and there are many other companies who collaborated for the purpose of producing good and effective vaccines against the deadly virus. These collaborations and partnerships helped the companies to make effective vaccines, develop a stand in therapeutics, and also reach the global market.

Indian pharma industry took a proactive approach during the pandemic and also became successful in proving its mettle in complex and specialty generics. These companies also ensured regular manufacturing by not hindering manufacturing even for a single day. With the development in the pharma industry, eCommerce platforms and industries also developed. In the current pandemic, a great deal of motivation was given to E-pharmacy which helped in ensuring that patients received their medication despite lockdown. The domestic pharma market turnover in India has reached Rs. 1.4 lakh crores (equivalent to $ 20.03 billion) in 2019 as per the government data[3]. This is actually an increase from Rs. 1.29 lakh crores in 2018[4].

CHALLENGES FACED BY INDIAN PHARMACY INDUSTRIES DUE TO PANDEMIC

The source of APIs plays a very crucial role in the strategic plan of the Indian pharmaceutical industry to combat covid-19. A major challenge faced by this industry is the supply of APIs. Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) are defined as the active ingredients contained in a medicine. This pandemic has highlighted the dependence of the Indian pharma industry on imported APIs. Today, 60 percent of Indiaโ€™s API requirement is imported[5]. In commonly used APIs, such as cephalosporins, azithromycin, and penicillin, the dependence is as high as 90 percent [6]. ย Of the total imports of APIs and intermediates into India, China accounts for 65โ€“70 percent [7]. This is a problem faced by almost the whole west depends upon china for their API supplies. This pandemic has also highlighted low healthcare coverage in India. n terms of healthcare spending, India has one of the lowest healthcare budgets with just 1.26 percent of GDP being spent on healthcare[8]. India ranks 155th out of the 167 countries in terms of hospital bed availability (as per the Human Development Report 2020) with just five beds available for every 10,000 Indians[9]. ย Such a sudden rise in covid cases in India highlighted the shortage of hospital beds, medicines, and availability of laboratory tests. As pandemics have always shifted the way people react. A similar change has been seen in the consumption pattern of various consumers. There has been an increase in the case of online ordering and e-consultations, especially in the case of chronic diseases. These challenges can result in long-term impacts on this industry.

STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING INDIAN PHARMA PRODUCTION

Initiatives like Production Linked Incentives (PLI) schemes for bulk drugs and medical devices introduced by the government for the industryโ€™s self-reliance have given a major boost to this industry. These incentives are to the tune of INR6,940 crore and INR3,420 crore, respectively, and encompass greenfield projects for bulk drugs and intermediates, and the establishment of three bulk drug parks[10]. In addition to this, the government should take some steps in removing the financial and technical barriers prevailing within this industry. This will in turn help in reducing the dependency of the Indian pharma industry on china for APIs.

The pharmaceutical companies have now identified the importance of backward integration which is expected to bring greater reliability, improve the quality of production, reduce dependence on external sources of supply, and help in increasing the efficacy of manufacturing. Several key representatives from the pharmaceutical industry and NITI Aayog have suggested fostering the approvals of pharmaceutical infrastructure developments, clearance from the environment ministry, and providing tax exemptions and subsidies for the development and promotion of the pharmaceutical industry hubs could benefit the market[11].

Over the last few years, many tourists have been visiting India for their medical treatment. The government has also relaxed rules for the tourists by issuing rapid airport clearances and fast-track medical visas, thus helping in the promotion of this industry.

CONCLUSION

This covid pandemic has been a boon to the Indian pharmaceutical industry. Medicine spending in India is expected to grow between 9-12 percent over the next five years, leading India to become one of the top 10 countries in terms of medical spending[12]. It is now important for all pharmaceutical companies to shift their product portfolio toward chronic diseases like covid drugs, antidepressants, anti-diabetes, cancers, etc. which are on the hike nowadays. Many initiatives have been taken up by the government to reduce healthcare expenses and make it affordable for the whole population of the country. The introduction of generic drugs has also paved the way for the benefit of pharma companies. It is now important to focus on the rural healthcare system and provide the rural areas with the necessary drugs and preventive vaccines. Doing so will help a lot in the development of pharma companies in India and will also lead to the development of the country as a whole.


[1] Dr Abhishek Dadhich, โ€˜The COVID-19 pandemic and the Indian pharmaceutical industryโ€™, EPR (22 April,2020) < https://www.europeanpharmaceuticalreview.com/article/117413/the-covid-19-pandemic-and-the-indian-pharmaceutical-industry/> accessed 19th September 2021.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Dr Sujith Varma K, โ€˜Covid-19 impact on Indian pharmaceutical industryโ€™, PHARMABIZ.COM (10th February, 2021) < http://www.pharmabiz.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?aid=135427&sid=9#:~:text=The%20domestic%20pharma%20market%20turnover,actually%20an%20increase%20from%20Rs.> accessed 19th September,2021.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Sanjay Singh, โ€˜Pharmaceuticals: emerging not just stronger, but better and smarterโ€™, KPMG https://home.kpmg/in/en/home/insights/2021/04/indian-pharma-industry-boom-mantra.html accessed 19th September,2021.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Dr Sujith Varma K (n 3)

[12] Ibid.

The imbalance in cricketโ€™s Ecosystem

Credits- wall arts

Cricket has shifted completely in the last 10 years. T20 cricket gives the game such a high economic drive that every other format lives in the shadow of it. With that said, people have constantly raised their voices and have made efforts to keep test cricket alive. Weโ€™ve seen some great test matches in the last 3 years. One of the biggest problems the game faces right now is scheduling. Thereโ€™s so much cricket being played all over the world. The majority of it is franchise cricket. Franchise cricket brings the majority of the money to the game and every player wants to be a part of it because of how economically convenient it is. Now, these tournaments take a big window out of the calendar. That leaves very little time for international bilateral series.

South Africa cancelled the one-day international tour to Australia to make sure that all top South African Players are available for CSAโ€™s newly announced T20 franchise league. It seems clear which way the game is heading. Although, we cannot solely blame CSA for choosing franchise cricket over international cricket. If they didnโ€™t make that decision, they couldโ€™ve almost been on the verge of being broke. They require investment to kick off their new league and that couldโ€™ve only been possible if the investors were sure that the international South African players will be available for the league from the start. Opting out from the Australia series means South Africa might not qualify for the world cup directly and will have to go to the qualifiers first. Thatโ€™d indeed be something to keep an eye on.

One great issue is the imbalance in international cricket. There are only 3 cricket boards that can sustain their cricket on their own. India, Australia and England. Everyone else is dependent on each other. For example- if India tours West Indies for a test series, West Indies will make so much money that they wonโ€™t have to play cricket for the whole year because of how bad their economic situation is. Boards other than the strong 3 find it difficult to ask their players to play for their country rather than their franchises because they cannot offer the kind of money these Franchises do.

Credits- wikipedia

Cricket has reached a tipping point now. With more games being played than ever before. Players retire from a particular format because they cannot see a way to play all formats and sustain. Franchise cricket taking a huge chunk of time out of the calendar. All these things have made a lot of administrators reach to a conclusion. Theyโ€™ve planned to reduce the number of bilateral series. Especially ODIs. The future for ODI looks rather bleak. Test cricket is not going anywhere and the same goes for the Revolutionary T20 form. ODI format finds itself in a tough position because it seems irrelevant in todayโ€™s age. The quality of cricket is not the same anymore. It feels like an extended version of T20 cricket. The most prominent ODIs that weโ€™ll see in the future will be the World Cup. Cricket has truly changed.