F.R.I.E.N.D.S- A Show that makes you Love your Imperfect Life.

I am sure most of you might be aware of the famous American television sitcom named- “Friends” and for some of you( I think many of you), it might be your favorite. I, myself am a very big fan of this sitcom. I guess some of you might have this question in your mind- “Why write about a sitcom that is already well-known and loved by most?” Well, my answer would be because this show made me feel that your ordinary life is beautiful. And even if it makes me one of those cliched fans, I am fine with it.

About F.R.I.E.N.D.S

The sitcom Friends was created by David Crane and Martha Kauffman which aired on NBC for ten years from 1994 to 2004. It is a story of 6 friends starring Jennifer Aniston as ‘Rachel Green’, Courteney Cox as ‘Monica Gellar’, Lisa Kudrow as ‘Phoebe Buffay’, Matt LeBlanc as ‘Joey Tribbiani’, Matthew Perry as ‘ Chandler Bing’ and David Schwimmer as ‘Ross Gellar’ residing in the New York city. The story revolves around the lives of these 6 friends showing how they deal with their daily lives, relationship problems and career issues.

Friends was a critically acclaimed television series that went on to become one of the most successful shows of all time. The series received 62 Primetime Emmy nominations, with its eighth season winning Outstanding Comedy Series in 2002. The show was voted no. 7 on Empire magazine’s The 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time and no. 21 on TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S teaches its audience to get through the difficult times

  • Rachel
    Rachel Green, a woman who belonged from a rich family, who never thought of taking a job flees on her wedding day because she was not in love with her fiancรฉe and restarts her life on her own without taking any financial support from her father. She struggles initially, working as a waitress in a coffee shop for 2 years after which she finally quits to pursue her career in Fashion. Gradually, she ends up working for good fashion companies and establishes identity of her own.

    Another striking incident in Rachel’s life was when she got pregnant with a child on a one-night-stand with her ex-boyfriend Ross. She was obviously scared and unprepared but she learns and manages to be a good single mother.
  • Monica
    Monica with her dream of opening her own restaurant or becoming head chef of one, struggles in New York City for many years until finally she becomes one.

    She also wanted to be in a committed relationship and get married one day. In the journey of finding “the guy” for her, she gets into very unusual and unstable relationships which sometimes breaks her heart until finally she falls in love with her best-friend, Chandler with whom she gets married.

    Monica also always wanted to have children and broke-up with her ex-boyfriend, Richard, whom she loved very much because he didn’t want them. After she got married to Chandler, they tried to have kids but there were some complications so they decided to adopt.
  • Phoebe
    Phoebe, the weird but kindest one in the group had a rough life since childhood as her father abandons her family and her mother commits suicide after few years. She faces all kinds of troubles- not having a shelter, food and any guardians.

    As a grown-up she works as a masseuse, always wanting a family of her own. Finally, she marries Mike and starts her new life with him.
  • Joey
    Joey, a handsome young man who pursues a career in acting struggles to make his ends meet because of his unstable career choice and not getting a good role in a movie or a show. Nevertheless, he never gives up and finally gets a show in the end.
  • Chandler
    Chandler, the sarcastic guy of the show, had commitment issues because of his parents’ divorce when we was a child. He panics during the times when he realizes that things are getting serious with his girlfriend, Monica. But because of his true love and Monica’s support he overcomes his commitment issues and lives a happily married life with her.
  • Ross
    Ross, a paleontologist marries a woman who after seven years of marriage realizes that she is a lesbian which leads to their divorce. He marries another woman, named Emily after few years and that marriage also ends because he takes the name of his ex girlfriend, Rachel during his wedding vows. The series of divorce doesn’t end here because he gets divorced again as he gets married to Rachel in Vegas while drunk and not in his senses.

Conclusion

No matter how difficult life got for these 6 friends, they always fought, learned and moved forward. They always kept hope of better things and worked towards their flaws. They all lived ordinary lives like we all do, faced struggles like we all do but smiled through the pain. I think that is all what we should do. Whatever is the pain or struggle in our lives, with the right set of people, we can always overcome it, some people are always going to believe in you. I would like to quote some lines from the theme song of F.R.I.E.N.D.S-

“So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your job’s a joke, you’re broke
Your love life’s DOA
It’s like you’re always stuck in second gear
When it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month
Or even your year, but
I’ll be there for you”

ABORTION LAWS IN INDIA: history and development

India's 'Conditional' Right to Abortion, Health News, ET HealthWorld

abstract

abortion, a subject that has become very popular throughout the world in recent times, is the termination of pregnancy before the completion of the gestation period. With its diversity and the astounding socio-economic differences that exist in its population, India has often struggled with law implementation. The woman in this country is at a disadvantage as access to abortion facilities proves to be complicated. The author critically analyses various abortion laws dating from pre-independence to modern-day India and people’s changing attitudes. In the end, the paper suggests remedies that the government can do to improve the lack of abortion facilities.

Introduction

Women in impoverished nations face severe public health problems due to unsafe abortion complications. Abortion is permitted in India for a variety of medical and social reasons. Officially, women can obtain safe abortion services from skilled medical experts at registered institutions, and minors must obtain parental approval. In practice, women are denied safe abortion services due to a lack of access to authorised abortion providers, the threat of forced contraceptive acceptance, the financial costs of legal abortion, the stigma associated with induced abortion, and a lack of awareness about the procedure’s legality. As a result, women frequently turn to inexperienced clandestine practitioners practising in hazardous conditions. The implications of such abortions range from life-threatening to chronic reproductive system morbidities such as infections, permanent incapacity, and infertility. Every year in India, an estimated 453 women die due to maternal causes for every 100,000 live births (UNFPA 1997). This statistic obscures the wide disparity across states. While national and state figures are imperfect, they can depict certain tendencies. In 1992, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh had 738 and 711 maternal fatalities per 100,000 births.

Laws in the pre-independence era

The Indian Penal Code 1862 and the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, which sprang from the British Offences Against the Person Act 1861, made abortion a felony punishable for both the woman and the abortionist unless done to preserve the woman’s life. Abortion laws were liberalised across Europe and the Americas in the 1960s and 1970s, and this trend continued in many other areas of the world into the 1980s.  Abortion legislation liberalisation in India began in 1964 in response to increased maternal mortality due to unsafe abortion. Doctors regularly encountered seriously sick or dying women who had resorted to unsafe abortions performed by inexperienced practitioners. 

Post independence era

medical termination of pregnancy act(MTP) 1971

the Government of India established a committee in 1964 led by Shanti Lal Shah. The primary purpose of constituting that group was to examine the challenges associated with the liberalisation of abortion legislation and offer ways to enhance the present law. After the committee delivered its findings, the Government of India introduced the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Bill in Parliament in 1970. The Medical Termination Pregnancy Act, 1971 is based on the British Legislation of Abortion, 1968, although the basic notion of liberalising abortion law originated from the family planning board. The legislation has three basic goals

  • When the mother’s life is in danger or the women’s bodily or mental health is jeopardised.
  • When the pregnancy is the result of rape or intercourse with a mad lady. (Humanitarian ground)
  • When there is a chance that the child may be born with sickness or deformity.

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1971 is divided into eight sections. This was a ground-breaking step because it would liberate women from exploiting women and society. They can also have a role outside the house. This act will assist them in making decisions for themselves rather than those of their family and society. It is entirely up to her whether or not she wants to bear the kid. Aside from the prohibition of illegal abortions, another major goal of the legislation is to give women the right to privacy.  The government is also attempting to reduce the population with this act, as people can now abort the pregnancy if they so want. The eight sections of this act contain various vital points and rules such as when pregnancy can be terminated by medical practitioners, where it can be terminated, and no legal proceedings will lie against any registered medical practitioner who acted in good faith or did not intend to do the act in any wrong sense.

shortcomings of the MTP act of 1971

For a variety of reasons, the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act has been challenged. Its significant medical learning was a major source of criticism. Mid-level health providers and practitioners of alternative systems of medicine are excluded from the “physicians only” regulation for abortion providers. The necessity for a second medical opinion for a second-trimester abortion further restricts access, as rural regions are under-equipped and few physicians. Furthermore, the twenty-week restriction for abortions has been called into question, since legal and practical obstacles have created delays in many circumstances. In extreme instances, the Supreme Court has permitted termination of a pregnancy after 20 weeks. Another major issue is that no express provision or literature in the code allows unmarried girls/widows to have abortions. ย Even though the MTP legislation does not restrict unmarried women or widows from having abortions, the abortion carriers’ social, ethical, and moral views provide a slew of problems for abortion seekers. Except in the event of a lunatic or a girl under the age of 18, abortion providers are not permitted to seek the approval of parents or guardians. However, abortion providers harass a young unmarried woman who attempts to have an abortion with their express agreement

The medical termination of pregnancy (amendment) bill 2021

On March 16, 2021, the Rajya Sabha adopted the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which amends the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. The bill’s main focus is the change to the clause allowing abortion up to the 24th week of pregnancy. The Bill governs the condition of pregnancy, emphasizing extending the time limit for abortion. Before the legislation, abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy needed the approval of two doctors. The new law enables abortion up to 20 weeks if just one qualified medical practitioner agrees. The recent amendment also gives state governments the authority to decide whether a pregnancy can be terminated after 24 weeks due to fetal abnormalities. To assess fetal abnormalities, the state must establish a medical board comprised of a pediatrician, radiologist/sinologist, gynecologist, and others. Furthermore, under the most recent modification, the identity and other details of a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated should not be divulged except to a person authorized by legislation for the time being in effect. Another significant issue is the failure of the contraceptive provision to give access to safe abortion based on a woman’s decision, regardless of marital status.ย Section 3 of the Act has been changed due to the alteration. Instead of โ€˜married lady and her husband,’ the new amendment substitutes the phrase ‘woman and her partner.’

flaws in the amendment bill 2021

One of the most severe criticisms has been the inability to address sex-selective abortions. Many women in India have sex-selective abortions as a result of family or spouse pressure. A woman is compelled to contain but cannot communicate her grief or disinterest in continuing with the pregnancy. Another difficulty in drafting abortion legislation is that they overlap with the POSCO statute. As previously stated, the MTP statute has a confidentiality clause that protects an individual’s identity, but POSCO does the exact reverse. There is a required duty under POSCO to report sexual assaults against children, including females who can provide consent. 

Conclusion

Abortion legislation in India has gone a long way. The progression from criminalising abortion to lawfully allowing abortion for unmarried women is admirable. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act 2021 was an essential modification in the contemporary era. However, one might infer that the government’s legislative process has been abhorrent. The MTP (amendment) law was enacted seven years after the health, and family welfare ministry recommended it. The MTP statute was approved seven years after the Shanti Law Shah committee was formed. This demonstrates a delay in the implementation of legislation. The government must take the initiative and identify the issues. The medical termination of pregnancy (amendment) bill 2021 is forward-thinking and protects women’s rights. It is worth noting that no legislation or policy is immune to criticism. The establishment of medical boards was essential since seeking higher courts for approval to terminate in each case would result in delay and expense. The issue of accessibility for the rural population is now legitimate and significant. Rather than criticising and defending the legislation, the best path forward is to strive toward improved execution.

The government must take note of the POSCO and MTP dispute, and it is reasonable to foresee a formal change in POSCO in the future years. India has a population of around 130 million people. It isn’t easy to introduce legislation, mainly dealing with people’s ethical, moral, and ideological views. With the resurgence of contemporary culture and the enduring roots of historical traditions, a delicate balance must be struck between the two. A famous example is the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act 2021. The law is planned, sensible, and scalable. It has made a powerful statement to stand the test in a neo-traditional country like India.

Tiruchi girl excels in online teaching

A Tiruchi-based engineering student has taken up teaching fundamental science subjects and computer programming to students in the United Kingdom, United States of America, New Zealand, and Singapore at a time when online education has become unavoidable due to the pandemic. K. Viswathika of Woraiyur, who is pursuing a B.Tech in Computer Engineering at a Bengaluru institution, didn’t realise she could earn money while studying when she taught chemistry and physics to her niece in California approximately seven months ago. Viswathika conducted a demonstration and registered her on an online education portal in response to his niece’s answer. Aliyah, a London Grade IV student, was her first love.

Viswathika received several referrals for coding programming and chemistry, physics, and maths through her.

She teaches 20 pupils from the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, and Singapore. She continues to receive inquiries from a wide range of pupils. Ms.Viswathika makes her classes interesting and participatory by incorporating her knowledge of information and technology as well as online teaching tools. I’m excited to use internet approaches to connect students from all over the world. Ms.Viswathika says, “It happened because of my enthusiasm for teaching.” She said that a short-term English training with the British Council in Chennai had helped her communicate better with international pupils.Despite her Indian accent, she had no trouble communicating with the UK students. She spent the daytime attending online lessons at CMR University in Bengaluru, where she is doing her B.Tech, and the evenings taking online classes. There is a lot of potential for online education to cross borders. โ€œThere will be recognised online schools in the not-too-distant future,โ€ adds Viswathika, who has built two pharmacy management software for pharmaceutical corporations. She’s hired five MBA interns to help her discover customers for her products. In online classes, a girl from Trichy teaches. She told them that this is a fantastic opportunity for me and everyone else, and she was overjoyed.Because education is the most important power, all kids will do well in class. She is also a role model for me.

HOW A DEGREE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP CAN HELP YOUR CAREER

THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS THE WORLD AS A RESULT OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCE According to Startups.co.uk, there were a record number of start-ups in the United Kingdom in 2014, with 581,173 enterprises registered with Companies House.

Are you considering starting your own business? Or do you want to advance in your existing position? You might want to explore getting a master’s degree in entrepreneurship or an MBA with a concentration on entrepreneurship to help you improve your business and management abilities. Changes in the work environment, as well as changes in how individuals connect and communicate, have all resulted in new opportunities.

There are an increasing number of examples of experts who have decided to start their own firm. While โ€˜starting a business is easier, faster, and cheaper than ever thanks to modern technologies,’ according to the Chairman of the Centre for Entrepreneurs, Luke Johnson, as stated on Startups.co.uk, 50% of UK start-ups fail within five years, according to RSA data cited by the Telegraph. This is a sign that such projects require highly-trained personnel to focus on long-term planning, operations, day-to-day company management, as well as innovation and employee motivation and engagement.

WHAT SKILLS CAN YOU GET FROM AN ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEGREE?

 

A master’s degree in entrepreneurship or an MBA with an emphasis on entrepreneurship is designed to enable inventive individuals to become entrepreneurial leaders in a global environment. Innovation management, organisational management, finance, business formation and development, marketing for entrepreneurial enterprises, and project management are among the topics covered in the classes. Their goal is to provide you with the entrepreneurial abilities you’ll need to succeed in a quickly changing globalised environment while also allowing you to grow professionally and personally.

 

The programmes emphasise personal communication skills, teamwork and people management, as well as presentation abilities, which are important for future entrepreneurs who must be well equipped to persuade investors, attract new company, and increase their chances of success.

WHAT DEGREES ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU?

The most crucial step before commencing on this journey is to choose the correct programme to bring you to your future business profession, therefore learning about the options available is the first step. Business schools across Europe provide a wide range of master’s and MBA programmes in business and management, as well as entrepreneurship.If you’re considering the United Kingdom, the London School of Business, for example, offers master’s degrees in Strategy and Entrepreneurship and Organizational Behaviour; the University of Oxford’s Sad Business School offers master’s degrees in Organizational Leadership and Strategy and Innovation. You might also look into a master’s degree in Management Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Birmingham Business School, Manchester Business School, Imperial College Business School, Nottingham University Business School, or the Newcastle University Business School’s Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship Master.

If you’re seeking for an MBA with a focus on entrepreneurship, look into Nottingham University Business School’s programme.

If you want to study outside of the UK and want to learn about entrepreneurship, look into master’s degrees or MBAs with a focus on entrepreneurship, such as the Global Entrepreneurship Program offered by EMLYON Business School in France or the Advanced Master in Innovation and Entrepreneurship offered by Solvay Business School in Belgium.

You obtain competitive language skills, you manage to expand a global network, and you learn to appreciate and value diverse cultures through such internationally focused programmes.

You will learn how to work and live in a multicultural environment, which will benefit your business not just in local markets, but also in global business cultures.

WHAT ARE THE CAREER AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES?

The United Kingdom, particularly London, but also Manchester and Birmingham, is a significant draw for aspiring entrepreneurs. The practical aspect and link to the professional world are two of the main benefits of studying a business and entrepreneurship focused degree.

According to CB Insights’ 2014 European Tech Report, venture capital funding in tech startups increased by 78 percent last year.

According to the survey, the United Kingdom leads Europe with 225 deals, followed by Germany with 154 and France with 63.

There are several professional opportunities, and many corporations host start-up competitions or incubators to assist new businesses. Consider the London Google Campus, where entrepreneurs may study, discuss ideas, promote their firm, and attract investors or business partners; or accelerators and incubators like Seedcamp, Microsoft Ventures, Tech Stars, JLAB, or Telefonica’s Wayra.

 

Through campus events, incubators, and technology and innovation centres, universities and business schools also assist students in connecting with firms and investors.

A degree like this can help you hone your logic abilities and build strategic thinking so you can make a difference within an organisation by bringing in innovation, or even start your own business. You’ll be provided the tools and resources you need to hone your entrepreneurial talents and turn your business ideas into reality.

 

Check out the entrepreneurship and innovation programmes offered at institutions across the UK and Europe in the online directory at QS Course Finder if you’re looking for a degree focusing on entrepreneurship.

why 14 February is a black day for India

February 14 is known as a black day for India as the country had lost 40 Bravest officers back in 2019. On February 14, 2019, a suicide bomber of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group had attacked in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.The suicide bomber was a 22-year-old.

The terrorism between the Pakistan and Hindus had never end war. But why only the pulwama attacked being so highlighted. And why it is called as a Black day for India. I know these thoughts are coming in your mind. The pulwama attached was on a large scale and this time our army soldiers died in number and the whole attack was planned by Pakistan themselves and Indian army and Indian people were unknown with the fact that this type of terrorism is going to place. And our indian army was not prepared for that attack. This is the reason why 14 February is known as a Black day for India. Because we were not atall prepare for such loss at that stake.

And this huge loss made our day black. And we still feel bad and sad about the event which was taken place back in 2019. In October 2020, in a shocking admission, a senior Pakistani Minister admitted that Pakistan was responsible for the Pulwama terrorist attack in India. When this news comes than all india was shattered that Pakistan is shamelessly claiming the fact. And we are still not come out of it. We always try to resolve the problem but Pakistan has always been making this type of stunts to hamper us in a large scale.

Pakistan will alway ruined our reputation as they always have a problem with India. And this dispute can never be resolved just because of partition and the Jammu and Kashmir distribution. This war has no end and everyone will suffer be it India or Pakistan.

I hope we get a ray and we can fight back against the wrong practices which are taking place and outshine as a individual country who know how to give back to our rivals. In a most decent and logical way. We cannot stick to the quote fire for fire. We have to fight back but in a correct way.

14 February valentine’s day

what is valentine’s day? Have you guys ever thought it’s just for the couples or its more than that. If you ask me than I would probably say that it’s more than that. It’s the symbol of love. we cannot define the love for our love ones because it’s very precious and cannot be explained in words we can only express in the way we want and it’s not just for teens or the couples but this day is for our precious one and that could be anyone. To whom we actually thankful and grateful that they are the part of our life. And they are the one who actually love us. They can be friends, family, and partner who actually being our part. This day is just to be kind and generous towards their love from several years. They are pouring to you and expecting nothing out of it.

That is selfless love for anyone because atlast they want you to be happy and stay forever in their life. As their life is incomplete without you. You are a special person in their life. Gifts are the symbol of love and happiness. Which make your love towards them more strong and realise the importance of them in your life. We usually don’t see their love and concern but when you realise their importance than you showcase it in the form of gifts. We just want to make them realise that how you are important in their life.

Saint valentine is the one who make people realise the importance of love. It is not for the couples but also the one who actually being our part of life who always loved us. He also went jail due to his love theory but still his power of love has made people realise the importance of love towards people is very much needed. Even children are also gifted because they are the symbol of love. The love cannot be distributed it only being expressed.

I hope know we know the meaning of valentine as this is the only symbol of love and happiness and it cannot be divided just expressed in your own way.

Book Review on ‘Letter From Peking’

letter from peking

I canโ€™t remember when exactly did I started reading this book. But Iโ€™m quite sure I started it after reading โ€œThe diary of a young girlโ€. I was at my momโ€™s house. I was eventually bored there and had nothing to do there. So I went to a room where there was some of my momโ€™s old books were kept. I was just peeking into the old bookshelf and thatโ€™s where I found this book โ€œLetter from Pekingโ€ written by Pearl S. Buck.

I had no idea about this book. But this book kind of looked attractive with a Chinese girlโ€™s image on it and the pages were in a good shape. So I picked it up from the shelf. At night when my mom called me I indeed asked her about this book, she said that she clearly remembers this book and she bought it around when she was 20 years old and it was one of her favorite book. I was also so shocked that she clearly remembers each everything written inside the book.

Letโ€™s move on to the review of this book. The book is all about the Elizabeth waiting for her husband. As it was my momโ€™s favorite book. I read it completely and I must say that that I liked the book but there were some situations in the story which I personally didnโ€™t like. I would say that the book is written very well. The writer has explained the Chinese culture so nicely, that you will indeed fall in love with their culture and the way they respect people. I think Pearl. S Buck has given importance to the culture while writing this book, which I really enjoyed while reading. Moving on to the story. The story was held during outbreak of communist revolution. Where Gerald who is half Chinese and half American sends his American wife Elizabeth and his son Rennie to United States to stay there for their own security. But Gerald stays in china because he thinks it is his country and if he goes to United States with his wife and son he will feel like a foreigner over there. So Gerald stays in china and writes letters to Elizabeth.

The book actually starts from mentioning about a last letter written by Gerald that he has to marry a Chinese women and stay there. In the whole book Elizabeth waits for Gerald for years and in these many years a lot of things happens such as Rennie grows up and he starts hating his father. Elizabeth brings Geraldโ€™s father to her house to stay with her and Rennie. Bruce a doctor in Vermont who treats Baba (Geraldโ€™s father) starts liking Elizabeth. Geraldโ€™s Chinese wife sends Elizabeth some letters about Gerald, how much he loves Elizabeth and thinks of her all the time.

According to me itโ€™s a good book to read. While reading one will really like the characters in the book. But the writer has written the book very beautifully. Itโ€™s all about the patience of waiting. Itโ€™s a sad kind of a book. But it is was worth reading.

written by, kris katelin.

Porter’s Five Forces Model

Porter’s 5 Forces Model is a business model and a tool which helps in identifying main competitive forces of an industry or a sector. The 5 Forces Model is mainly used to create a corporate strategy which will help a company to enhance its long- term profitability.

Understanding Porter’s Five Forces Model

The 5 Forces Model was created by Harvard Business School’s Professor Michael E. Porter and was published in his book “Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors” in 1980. The model was created to explain why various industries are able to maintain varying level of profitability. Porter’s 5 Forces helps in analyzing the industry of the company so that a company can adjust their corporate strategy, boost their profitability and beat their competition.

What are the five forces of the Porter’s Model?

  • Competition in the industry
  • Potential of new entrants into the industry
  • Power of Suppliers
  • Power of Customers
  • Threat of substitute products

Competition in the Industry

For most industry, the level of competition in the industry determines the positioning of the product in the market. The intense the competition in the market, the more the company has to focus on innovation, marketing, price, etc. of the product. When the competition is less, a company has more authority to charge higher prices and establish the terms of deals in order to increase sales and profits.

Potential of New Entrants into the Industry

A company’s positioning is also affected by the new entrants in the market. ย This in turn puts pressure on prices, costs, and the rate of investment needed to sustain a business within the industry. The less the time, money and effort it takes for a competitor to enter the market, more is the threat for a company to lose its market share. On the contrary, if there are strong barriers to entry in the industry, companies more secure about their market share.

Power of Suppliers

Power of suppliers in a market means how easily suppliers can increase the cost of the inputs. The suppliers’ power in the market is determined by the factors like number of suppliers in the market, uniqueness of the inputs they provide, cost of switching a supplier for a company. If the number of suppliers in an industry is less, a company would depend more on its current supplier, thus giving more power to supplier in terms of cost of inputs and other advantages in trade. However, if the suppliers are more in the market, then company has the advantage of switching the supplier in case the supplier increases the price or if a company finds a cheap supplier, thus keeping their input costs low and increasing their profitability.

Power of Customers

Customers are more powerful in an industry when there are less number of customers in an industry and more number of suppliers. Because the client base for a company is smaller and more strong, each customer has greater negotiating leverage to get better rates and deals. A company with a large number of smaller, independent consumers will find it easier to raise prices and increase profits.

Threat of Substitute Products

A substitute isย a product or service that can be easily replaced with another by consumers. In economics, products are often substitutes if the demand for one product increases when the price of the other goes up. When there are no close substitutes in the market, a company can take advantage of charging higher prices. However, if there is availability of close substitutes, customers will switch to substitutes in case of increase of the prices of the products of a company.

Understanding Porter’s Five Forces and how they apply to a particular industry can help a company change its business plan to make better use of its resources and generate more profits for its shareholders.

YK Osiris Net Worth

What is Yk Osiris net worth?

ย ย ย  Net Worth:ย ย ย ย ย ย  $2 Millionย ย ย ย ย ย ย 
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Age:ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  23ย ย ย ย 
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Born:ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  September 7,1998ย ย ย 
ย  Country of origin:ย ย  ย ย United Statesย ย ย ย ย ย 
Source of Wealth:ย ย ย  Rapper, songwriter

Introduction

As of 2022, YK Osirisโ€™ net worth is estimated to be $2 million. YK Osiris is a singer, song writer and a professional rapper based in America. He became famous because of his songs such as โ€˜worth itโ€™ and โ€˜valentineโ€™.

He is considered to be a rising star in the American music industry and he earns money through his singing career, live concerts and brand endorsements.

Early Life

YK Osiris was born in Jacksonville, Florida, United States on the 7th of September, 1998.

It is known that his parents got separated when he was a kid and he was brought up by his single mother with other 7 siblings. He had face a lot of troubles during his childhood. Due to troubles in his childhood he had to steal money for a living but he was very much passionate about is singing and rapping since childhood. He considers Michael Jackson and Bruno mars as his idols.

Career

In 2017, he released his first song called โ€˜fake loveโ€™ which was an instant hit. He released it on various streaming platforms and even got 1.5 million views on sound cloud. After the success of the song โ€˜fake loveโ€™ he released another song called โ€˜Iโ€™m nextโ€™ in the year 2018. โ€˜Iโ€™m nextโ€™ was also instantly liked by the audience and the song also got very popular.

After the instant success of his songs โ€˜fake loveโ€™ and โ€˜Iโ€™m nextโ€™ he released another song titled โ€˜valentineโ€™ in the month of April,2018. Which also got good response from the people. People became crazy about his song. Due to popularity of this song rapper Lil Uzi also released a remix version of this song.

In the year 2019, he launched another single titled โ€˜worth itโ€™. This was considered to be the best song which he has released in his entire music career. Because the song โ€˜worth itโ€™ was placed in the on the 48th spot on the billboard hot 100 chart.

YK Osirisโ€™ favorite things

Favorite Actor:               Will smith
Favorite Actress:            Jennifer lawrence
Favorite singer:              Michael jackson
Favorite app:                  Instagram
Favorite sportsman:ย ย ย ย  Ronaldo
Favorite hobbies:          Driving
Favorite cricketer:         Virat kohli

YK Osiris favorite quotes

It was not a musical voice and yet it affected him like music โ€“ Ann patchette

There is a reason and not a reason for everything โ€“ James cook

And tonight the stars will be out and donโ€™t you know that god will be pooh bear โ€“ jack Kerouac

My goal is to be remembered as a great performer and as a human being โ€“ bobby darin

Modern Americans travel light with little philosophic baggage other than a fervent belief in their right to the pursuit of happiness โ€“ George will

Summary

YK Osiris has a lot more years left in his career. Osirisโ€™ net worth is estimated to be $ 2 million as of 2022, and thereโ€™s no doubt that it will increase later in his career.

written by, kris katelin.

The Homecoming by Rabindranath Tagore

โ€œThe Homecomingโ€, also known as โ€œChuttiโ€ is a Bengali short story written by Rabindranath Tagore (1892-93). This story depicts how much parental love and care is required for every child in its childhood days. It also depicts that if we abandon a child, definitely tragedy will take place.

SUMMARY

Phatik Chakravarthi was a fourteen year old Bengali boy whose father died very early. He grew up lazy, wild and disobedient. Makhan Chakravarthi, his younger brother, was quiet, good and fond of reading. Phatik thought about doing new mischief every day. One day, he and his gang of boys pushed a wooden log shaped like a boat’s mast into the river. Makhan, objecting to this and sitting firmly on the log, was thrown into the river along with the log.ย 

At home, when he was questioned about this, he beat not just his brother, but also his mother. His uncle from Calcutta City arrived at that time. He agreed to take the Phatik to Calcutta and educate him there. Phatik was excited to leave, but his mother was torn between relief and sadness.

Phatik’s uncle had three sons of his own, and his aunt was not pleased with the new addition to their family. A fourteen-year-old boy is bound to have his own set of challenges. He was neither a child nor a man, crossing the line in between.

He missed the meadow, mountain and river of his native village. As a result, it’s no wonder that he struggled in school. He refused to answer any questions, was severely beaten at school every day, and was mocked by everyone, including his cousins.

Despite these negative signs, Phatik begins penning a letter to hisย mother. At first he lies and asserts to her that everything is rosy with his life in Calcutta.ย  But when he starts recollecting how harshly he was treated by his aunt on the occasion of his losing his school bag, he changes his tone โ€“ he writes that he wants to return home.ย  He promises that he will be a good boy from now on and do whatever his mother tells him to do.ย 

Then Phatik goes to his uncle and tells him he wants to be taken back home.ย He tells Phatik that the soonest he can take him back to his home village is when Durga Puja holiday comes, which is several months away.ย Phatik insists he wants to go right away, but he can’t convince his uncle to listen to him.ย That night Phatik goes to bed and makes a decision.

The next morning his uncle learns that Phatik has run away during the night, and he notifies the police about the missing boy.  Now for the first time his uncle, aunt, and cousins feel anxiety about their own culpability in Phatikโ€™s disappearance. 

That evening in a pouring rain, the police carry the weakened-by-fever Phatik back to the residence.  It is clear that the delirious boy is critically ill, and a summoned doctor is not optimistic.  Meanwhile, in his delirious state, Phatik has idyllic visions of his mother and little brother, evidently recalling, or dreaming of, some precious moments when he felt loved.

Soon Phatikโ€™s mother, have been notified about her boyโ€™s serious condition, tearfully rushes to his bedside and lovingly fondles his feverish head.  Phatik looks up at her, and in his closing words asks, โ€œhas the holiday finally come?โ€  Indeed it has.

The story is a sad one and reminds us that the awkward years of early adolescence, while displays the first impulses of boastful assertiveness, it also features a newly intense, but unexpressed need for love and affection. Instead of abandonment, Phatik would have survived if he had been treated with love and care. Finally, his uncle and aunt could only express their regret for failing to convey their love for Phatik.

Book Review on ‘Animal Farm’

A Review on the book ‘Animal Farm’

I wasnโ€™t much sure whether to read it or not because the cover page of the book was a little bit childish and the name โ€˜Animal Farmโ€™ was also kind of referring to a childrenโ€™s book. But I didnโ€™t have any choice because lockdown was going on and the online deliveries were paused for a while. So, I took up this book started reading and I just completed it today. And I must say that I really liked this book. It was written in a simple and crisp manner by George Orwell. I have heard about this author especially about his book called โ€˜1984โ€™ Iโ€™m sure I will read it next.

Letโ€™s move to the book. โ€˜Animal farmโ€™ was written by โ€˜George Orwellโ€™ in the year 1945. It is based on Russian revolution, 1917. It was rejected by a lot of publishers and also banned by U.A.E because the book has a lot of hidden meaning and it symbolizes Russia and communism. The book starts with old major boor calling animals as comrade and tells them to create a rebellion against human beings. As followed the animals over power Mr. Jones the farm owner and throws him out of the farm. And thus animals create a government and run the farm by themselves. Napoleon and snow bell being highly intelligent pigs are considered to be the leaders of the farm. Squealer also pig good with communication skills. They together create seven commandments which should not be broken by any animals. But these same pigs break all the commandments written by them at last.

Every one mentioned in the book represents something. Mr. Jones the farm owner represents corrupt government. Old major boor represents communist leader Karl Marx. Pilkington owner of another farm represents allied countries. Fredrick who owns another small farm represents Adolf Hitler. Boxer a horse, Benjamin a donkey etc. are considered to be uneducated and exploited working class governed by napoleon and snowball. Whimper a man represents nations which profit from business. Sheepโ€™s represents blind followers of the government.

This book was written nearly at the end of World War II and it clearly mocks a lot of people as well as Russian revolution, 1917. I personally liked it at the beginning I didnโ€™t understand but later on listening to the summary from Google I did get a lot of knowledge about the book and the hidden meaning. I think itโ€™s worth reading if you can understand the hidden meaning then itโ€™s surely worth reading.

written by, kris katelin

Mud Therapy

Mud corresponds to prithvi (earth), one of the element among panchamahabhutas. It is considered as one of the ancient wisdom of universe in curing sickness and also for rejuvenation of health. Mud therapy in Naturopathy involves scientific use of moistened earth in a proper manner, so as to benefit the body from within.

It is a treatment in naturopathy. Clay holds the quality to get inside the system and treat all the imbalances. In naturopathy, Mud Therapy involves the scientific use of moistened earth in a proper manner to benefit the body from within. Mud possesses the quality of absorbing toxins from the body which eventually helps in the prevention of many diseases. There are many advantages of mud therapy such as:

  • The application of mud over the body causes cooling and helps to retain the moisture. 
  • The shape and consistency can be changed easily by adding water.
  • Mud therapy is easily available and is an affordable procedure. 
  • It has the property of absorbing all the colours from the sun and radiate them to the body. 

The quality of Mud used

Mud used for therapeutic purpose should be clean and free from contamination. It should be taken at a 60cm depth from the surface of ground. Before using, the mud should be dried in sun rays, powdered and sieved to separate impurities.

Mud Pack-Local Application 

It is a pack that is made by keeping soaked mud in a thin, wet muslin cloth and making it into a thin flat brick according to the size of the patientโ€™s abdomen. The duration of the pack would be 20 to 30 minutes. It is advised to place a blanket over the mud pack and cover the body as well when it is applied in cold weather.

Benefits:

  • The mud pack is applied to the abdomen to relieve all the forms of indigestion. It is also effective in stimulating and decreasing intestinal heat. 
  • A thick application of mudpack over the head proved to be effective in congestive headaches as it heals the pain quickly. 
  • The application of mud over the eyes is recommended in case of conjunctivitis, haemorrhages in eyeball, itching, errors of refraction like short sighted and long sight especially efficient in glaucoma as it helps to reduce eyeball tension. 

Mud Pack for Face 

Mud therapy exerts positive effects on various organs of body but most of all it does wonders to the face. It creates cooling effect on skin and also improves the complexion of the skin. To reap the benefits of mud therapy, you must apply a thick application on the face and allow it to dry for 30 minutes. From helping in controlling the effects of pitta to treating dark circles, Mud Therapy is regarded as one of the best ways of detoxification since ancient times. 

Mud Bath

In the Mud Bath therapy, mud is applied to the patient in a sitting or lying position. It involves the application of minerals rich mud and natural salts over the body. It successfully treats diseases like Psoriasis, Leprosy, Urticaria, leukoderma, and other skin allergy conditions. In this therapy, thorough care must be taken to ensure that the patient is safe from catching a cold during bath. Then, thorough washing of the patient with cold water jet spray is followed after the bath. In case a patient is feeling cold, warm water can be used. Afterward, the patient must be taken to a warm bed to avoid sickness. It should be noted that the duration of a mud bath should be 45 to 60 minutes. 

Benefits:

  • The effects of mud are refreshing, invigorating, and vitalizing.
  • Gives a cooling effect to the body.
  • It dilutes and absorbs the toxic substances of body and ultimately eliminates them from body.
  • It relaxes the muscles, improves blood circulation and helps to regulate the metabolism.
  • Useful in conditions of inflammation/swelling and relieves pain.
  • Anti-inflammatory and anti-aging effects.

Panchakarma Therapy

What is Panchakarma Therapy?

In Ayurveda there are several ways to keep the body and mind fit. That is why, Panchakarma is important. To reduce the problems of body and mind with Panchakarma is helpful. Ayurveda says that the human body is made up of 5 elements (earth, water, fire, sky and air), the universe is also made of those same elements. When there is a disturbance in the ratio of these 5 elements in the body, then dosha i.e. problems occured. Ayurveda brings these elements back to normalize and thus cures diseases. Panchakarma is a special medical method of Ayurveda. is believed. It is used for purification and rejuvenation of the body. Through this method, all the 3 physical doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha are brought back to normal and they are removed from the body. Different types of procedures are used to remove different chemical and toxic substances from the body that contaminate the different organs and blood. 

WHO CAN AVAIL PANCHKARMA?

It has 3 categories

First category

In this category a person who want to relax and detox their body are come under this.

The body is purified during detoxification by eliminating toxins (harmful chemicals) from the body. Disease can also be healed in this manner. It is the process of purification of the body which is also beneficial for a healthy human lifestyle. 

Some of common problems in which one can take panchakarma:

  • Body relaxation
  • Headache
  • Stiffness in body
  • Tiredness due to hectic routine
  • For beauty purpose
  • For skin brightness and smoothness
  • to improve blood circulation

Therapies included:

  • Abhyanga (body massage)
  • Lepas
  • Sirodhara
  • Akshi tarpan
  • Fruit Mukha Lepam (Traditional Ayurvedic Fruit Facial)

Second category

Ayurveda is based on the principle of curing a patient’s condition and maintaining one’s health. As a result, Panchakarma is believed to be the ideal therapy for the treatment of both physical and mental disorders.

In second category severe patients with lifestyle disorders can have panchkarma.

Some of common problems in which one can take panchakarma:

  • Hypertension
  • Diabetes
  • Knee pain
  • Back pain 
  • Thyroid
  • Migraine
  • Obesity
  • Stomach ailments
  • insomnia 

Therapies include:

Herbs used according to doshas and diseases

  • Abhayanga
  • Patra Pinda Sweda (Leaf Bundle massage)
  • Shastik Shali Pinda Sweda (Medicated Rice massage)
  • Parishek (Medicated herbal water therapy)
  • Utsadan (Powder massage/ obesity massage)
  • Nabhi Vasti ( Umblical oil reservoir therapy)
  • Whole Body Lepam (Full Body Lapping)
  • Kati basti
  • Nasyam
  • Shirodhara
  • Janu basti
  • Dhoompan

Third category

This is primarily for chronic diseases. With the use of panchakarma, several major disorders that are persistent and untreatable in conventional ways can be treated.

Few common problems in which one can take panchakarma:

  • Arthritis,
  • Paralysis, 
  • Stomach related diseases,
  • Sinus
  • Cervical spondylitis, 
  • Sciatica, 
  • Sever Joint pain,
  • Eye and intestinal diseases 
  • Knee replacement
  • Depression
  • Neurological disorders
  • Varicose vein
  • Osteoporosis
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Psoriasis others..

Therapies includes:

Herbs are used according to doshas and diseases

  • Sarvangya Abhayanga (Traditional Ayurvedic massage)
  • Patra Pinda Sweda (Leaf Bundle massage)
  • Shastik Shali Pinda Sweda (Medicated Rice massage)
  • Parishek (Medicated herbal water therapy)
  • Utsadan (Powder massage/ obesity massage)
  • Nabhi Vasti ( Umblical oil reservoir therapy)
  • Whole Body Lepam (Full Body Lapping) 
  • Churna Pinda Sweda (Herbal powder massage
  • Udvartana (Dry powder massage
  • Anuvasna Vasti (Oil enema therapy)
  • Niruha Vasti (Herbal enema therapy)
  • Jaluka & Leech Therapy (Blood purifier therapy)
  • Kati basti
  • Nasyam

Book Review on ‘The diary of a young girl’

A book review on Anne franks diary

I havenโ€™t read any books in a while so I just gave a thought of reading a book. So for the past one month I have been deciding which book to read. I know that Iโ€™m not a keen reader so I wanted a book which is realistic. After a lot of research I stumbled upon โ€˜Anne Frankโ€™s diaryโ€™. I have heard a lot about this book in my childhood. And then I decided to buy โ€˜The diary of a young girlโ€™. The book arrived around the end of April and I immediately started reading it on the day it arrived. It took me around two weeks to complete it. This time I remained faithful to the book that no matter whatever happens I will complete it. And yes I completed it.

According to me this book is wonderfully written by a 13 year old girl. I myself canโ€™t imagine to write a diary at such a tender age. Anne was surely a 13 year old but a very matured girl of her time. Anne Frank received this diary as a birthday gift from her parents. She began writing on June 12, 1942. I still remember the first sentence written by her was, โ€œI hope I will be able to confide everything to you that I am not able to confide in anyoneโ€. Anne gave a name to her diary and called it โ€˜kittyโ€™. Anne started writing her normal daily activities, about her friends, school etc.

Her writings soon changed once her sister Margot received a call up notice for a concentration camp and later on she went into hiding with her family. They hid inside her fatherโ€™s office where there was a secret annex hidden inside the office behind a book case. Total 8 people were there inside the secret annex hiding. There was Mr. van daan, Mrs. Vaan daan, peter van daan (son of Mr. and Mrs. van daan) to whom Anne falls in love with. Mr. Dussel (a dentist) and then Otto frank (Anneโ€™s father), Edith Frank (Anneโ€™s mother), Margot frank (Anneโ€™s sister) and then Anne herself. Anne always remained faithful to her diary and wrote her thoughts in it. She always mentioned that while writing in her diary it always gave her a relief. Inside her diary she poured her deepest thoughts, her feelings towards people inside the annex and about the outside world.

One of the quotes which I liked from Anne Frankโ€™s diary was โ€œI still believe in spite of everything people are truly good at heartโ€. Her last entry on her diary was on august 1, 1944. On august 4, 1944 all 8 people inside the annex were captured. Sadly everyone died in the concentration camp except for Otto frank who came back and published Anne Frankโ€™s diary in the year 1947. In her diary Anne always mentions that after growing up she wanted to be a writer and a journalist, for which Iโ€™m sure she became a writer as well as a journalist. Anne wrote her diary as well as recorded every event which was happening outside during the holocaust. Anne Frank became one of the famous figure during holocaust and only because of her diary which was saved by Bep and Miep who helped them when they were hiding inside the secret annex.

I really liked reading her book especially during this covid19 situation. I read this book when where we were facing a lockdown due to the second wave. I think itโ€™s a must read book.

written by, kris katelin.

MBA Entrance Exams in India

Every year around 2,30,000 people appear for CAT(Common Admission Test) in India and given the limited number of seats, only 5100 are able to get a seat in IIMs. This article is for all the MBA aspirants who wish to secure a seat in a top-notch MBA college but are not aware of their options. Apart from IIMs, there are many other Tier-1 and Tier-2 colleges in India which provide good education. So, to ease your confusion, below is the list of entrances and colleges in which you can apply to-

CAT
The Common Admission Test(CAT) is held on the last Sunday of November every year. The registration for it generally starts from the first week of August. The minimum eligibility criteria to fill the form is a Bachelor’s Degree with 50% percent marks or an equivalent CGPA. Candidates in the final year of their graduation can also apply.

CAT Expected Test Pattern
-Mode of examination- Online
– Duration of the Exam- 120 minutes (2 hours)
– Number of Sections- 3
– Name of the Sections-
1. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
2. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
3. Quantitative Aptitude
– Time allocated per section- 40 minutes for each section
– Number of questions- 66
– Total marks- 198
– Marking Scheme- +3 marks for every correct question
-1 for every wrong answer in MCQs
No-negative marking for Non- MCQs

The second round after the entrance exam would be a Group Discussion or a Written Ability Test along with Personal Interview. This round is only for the candidates who clear the cut-offs.

Colleges accepting CAT scores
– All the IIMs
– FMS Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkee, IIT Madras
– MDI Gurgaon
– JBIMS Mumbai
– SPJIMR Mumbai
– IMT Ghaziabad
– Goa Institute of Management, Great Lakes Chennai, KJ Somaiya Mumbai, TAPMI Manipal, XIMB, Bhubaneshwar

IIFT
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade is one of the best B-Schools in India. MBA in International Business is their flagship program and they have their campuses at Delhi, Kolkata and Kakinada.
The minimum eligibility criteria to fill the form is a Bachelor’s Degree with 50% percent marks or an equivalent CGPA. Candidates in the final year of their graduation can also apply.

IIFT expected Test Pattern
-Mode of examination- Online
– Duration of the Exam- 120 minutes (2 hours)
– Number of Sections- 4
– Name of the Sections-
1. Quantitative Aptitude
2. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
3. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
4. General Knowledge
– Time allocated per section- No sectional time limit
– Number of questions- 110
– Total marks- 300
– Marking Scheme
+3 marks for every correct question in Section 1,2 and 3
+1.5 marks for every correct question in Section 4
-1/3rd of marks allocated for a question

The second round after the entrance exam would be a Group Discussion or a Written Ability Test along with Personal Interview. This round is only for the candidates who clear the cut-offs.

NMAT by GMAC
NMAT or NMAT by GMAC is aย national level entrance test conducted for MBA admissions at NMIMS Universityย and other reputed B-Schools in India as well as abroad. The minimum eligibility criteria to fill the form is a Bachelor’s Degree with 50% percent marks or an equivalent CGPA. Candidates in the final year of their graduation can also apply.

NMAT expected Test Pattern
-Mode of examination- Online( from exam center or remote proctored exam from home)
– Frequency of Exam- Once a year(74 days exam window)
– Duration of the Exam- 120 minutes (2 hours)
– Number of Sections- 3
– Name of the Sections-
1. Language Skills
2. Quantitative Skills
3. Logical Reasoning
– Time allocated per section-
1. Language Skills- 28 minutes for 36 questions
2. Quantitative Skills- 52 minutes for 36 questions
3. Logical Reasoning- 40 minutes for 36 questions
– Number of questions- 108
– Total marks- 324
– Marking Scheme
+3 marks for every correct question in Section 1,2 and 3
No negative marking

Colleges accepting NMAT scores
– NMIMS Mumbai
-NMIMS Bangalore, Hyderabad, Indore
– KJ Somaiya, Mumbai
– Goa Institute of Management

The second round after the entrance exam would be a Group Discussion or a Written Ability Test along with Personal Interview. This round is only for the candidates who clear the cut-offs.

SNAP
Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP) is aย national-level MBA entrance exam conducted byย Symbiosis International University (SIU) for admission to management programs offered by its affiliated institutes and several other private B-schools.
The minimum eligibility criteria to fill the form is a Bachelor’s Degree with 50% percent marks or an equivalent CGPA. Candidates in the final year of their graduation can also apply.

SNAP expected Test Pattern
-Mode of examination- Online
– Duration of the Exam- 60 minutes (1 hour)
– Number of Sections- 3
– Name of the Sections-
1. General English
2. Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency
3. Analytical & Logical Reasoning
– Number of questions- 60
– Total marks- 60
– Marking Scheme
Each wrong answer will attract 25% negative marks

Colleges accepting SNAP scores
– SIBM Pune
– SCHMRD Pune
– SIIB Pune
– SIBM, Bangalore
– SIOM, Nashik
– SIDTM, Pune
– SIMS, Pune
– SIBM Hyderabad, Nagpur

The second round after the entrance exam would be a Group Discussion or a Written Ability Test along with Personal Interview. This round is only for the candidates who clear the cut-offs.

Other management entrance exams which offer good colleges in India are XAT, CMAT, ATMA, TISSNET, etc.











THE BRIEF HISTORY OF PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH:

Pregnancy and birth can be a very special time in the life of a woman. The nine months of pregnancy, as well as labor and delivery, are filled with many physical and psychological changes, as well as changes in lifestyle. Each change poses a challenge that can be met successfully when the woman shares her feelings and experiences with a partner or other supportive person and with her physician, midwife, nurse, and childbirth educator. The importance of health care throughout pregnancy is emphasized, because proper health care increases the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy, a healthy baby, and satisfied parents.ย 

PREGNANCY:

The reproductive process through which a new baby is conceived, incubated and ultimately born into the world. Many facets of pregnancy are covered starting with the preparation and planning stages, and moving through conception, fetal development, labor and delivery, and post-partum (or post-birth) stages. The document describes normal, uncomplicated pregnancy in some detail, and also contains information concerning more difficult pregnancies, including pregnancies for women with chronic illnesses and other health complications. Pregnancy is a unique, exciting and often joyous time in a woman’s life, as it highlights the woman’s amazing creative and nurturing powers while providing a bridge to the future. Pregnancy comes with some cost, however, for a pregnant woman needs also to be a responsible woman so as to best support the health of her future child. The growing fetus (the term used to denote the baby-to-be during early developmental stages) depends entirely on its mother’s healthy body for all needs. Consequently, pregnant women must take steps to remain as healthy and well nourished as they possibly can. Pregnant women should take into account the many health care and lifestyle considerations described in this document.

Though we have tried to present relatively comprehensive coverage of pregnancy, this document should only be considered to be an overview. It will hopefully introduce you to some new ideas, and help you to learn about aspects of pregnancy that you may not have previously encountered, but it does not contain or provide all the information you will need to make informed choices as you go through your own actual pregnancy. Be sure to see your doctor when you become pregnant. Share with him or her any questions or concerns you may have about your pregnancy. Your doctor, and other specialized health care providers including nurses and midwives, will be some of your more important allies during your pregnancy. They are in the best position to guide you through the process and to make authoritative recommendations that will best benefit your baby-to-be’s development and future health and welfare.

CHILD BIRTH:

When you are ready to have your baby, you’ll go through labor. Labor is the process of giving birth. Signs that you might be going into labor include:
*Contractions that are regular then start to come closer together
*Leaking fluid or bleeding from the vagina
*Low, dull backache
*Abdominal cramps
*Call your health care provider if you have any of these signs, even if it is before your due date. Preterm labor can start before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy.

Labor happens in three stages. The first stage begins with contractions. It continues until your cervix has become thinner and dilated (stretched) to about 4 inches wide. The second stage is the active stage, in which you begin to push downward. Crowning is when your baby’s scalp comes into view. Shortly afterward, your baby is born. In the third stage, you deliver the placenta. The placenta is the organ that supplied food and oxygen to your baby during pregnancy. Mothers and babies are monitored closely during labor. Most women are able to have a baby through normal vaginal delivery. If there are complications, the baby may need to be delivered surgically by a Cesarean section.

THE ORIGIN AND BRIEF HISTORY OF CHOCOLATES:

Chocolate is the most popular and widely loved treat in the entire world! On your happy days, not so happy days, celebrations and special occasions, chocolates are always the perfect companion. But have you wondered how it all began? Where did chocolate come from? And how did it grow to such immense popularity throughout the years? Here is a brief history of this irresistible delicacy. Chocolate was born over 4,000 years ago in Mesoamerica, present-day Mexico, where it was consumed as a drink. This drink was served as a bitter liquid, brewed from cocoa and mixed with spices. It was said to have medicinal properties, relished especially during rituals and other special occasions. The origin of the word chocolate can be traced back to the Aztec word โ€˜xocoatlโ€™, the name for a bitter drink made from cacao beans.

Mesoamericans were the first people to recognize the value of chocolates in the tropical rainforests of the Amazon basin. Then Aztecs and Mayans praised chocolate as a heavenly gift, and cherished it so much that it started being used as a currency. Money literally used to grow on trees. The Aztec drank their chocolate much like the Mayans, although they sometimes liked it cold. One chocolate history legend has it that the Aztec God Quetzalcoatl brought cocoa to earth and was cast out of paradise for giving it to man. Apparently, only the gods were fit to drink chocolate!

All this while, chocolate was seen as a bitter luxurious drink and had nothing to do with sugar. Once sugar was added to chocolate, it took a whole other turn. When chocolate entered Spain, it was considered medicinal. Doctors prescribed it to cure fevers, cool body temperature, aid in digestion and as a painkiller. However, it was soon realized that chocolate was too good to be used just as a medicine. It was the first caffeine to reach Europe, even before coffee and tea.

As chocolate spread through Europe, the demand took off. To keep up with the demand, plantations sprung up, and thousands of people were enslaved to produce cacao. This is where it took a really dark turn.In the 1850s, Englishman created the worldโ€™s first solid chocolate by adding more cocoa butter, rather than hot water, to cocoa powder and sugar. This is when chocolate, as we see it today, was finally born. Today, over 3 billion tons of cacao supplies a 35 billion dollar chocolate industry.

A CHOCOLATE REVOLUTION:

The history of chocolate continues as the treat remained immensely popular among European aristocracy. Royals and the upper classes consumed chocolate for its health benefits as well as its decadence. Chocolate was still being produced by hand, which was a slow and laborious process. But with the Industrial Revolution around the corner, things were about to change.

In 1828, the invention of the chocolate press revolutionized chocolate making. This innovative device could squeeze cocoa butter from roasted cacao beans, leaving a fine cocoa powder behind. The powder was then mixed with liquids and poured into a mold, where it solidified into an edible bar of chocolate. And just like that, the modern era of chocolate was born.ย 

Published by Ayisha Shabana. M….

CHILD LABOUR ESSAY :

Child labor is a kind of crime where children are violated to work at a very young age and do the duties just like grown-ups by practicing in business activities. As per the International Labour Organization (ILO), a rule has been established according to which children up to the age limit of fifteen should not be involved in any job forcibly. The use of children for financial work makes children denied of childhood, proper literacy, mental, physical, and social well-being. In some countries, this practice is completely forbidden; however, it has become an international matter in most of the states as it is ruining the future of children extensively.

As per Indian law, children who come under the age group of 1-14 years are not allowed to be employed to any job forcibly by the parents or master in factories, offices, or restaurants. It is commonly practiced in India and other developing countries in small-scale industries, for domestic service, as a restaurant waiter, for rock breaking, like a shopkeeperโ€™s representative, in construction-site, for bookbinding, etc.

There are several reasons for child labor in our country. Some of the grounds of global child labor are similar; however, they differ from country to country. The most popular reasons are poverty, suppression of child rights, irregular education, inadequate rules, and laws, etc.

HOW TO PREVENT CHILD LABOUR ?

To reduce the social matter of child labor, it is required to follow some effective solutions on an urgent basis to guard the future of any country. Following are some solutions to prevent child labor in India Essay in English.

Creating more unions may help in preventing child labor pdf as it will promote more people to help against child labor. All the children should be given priority by their parents to take proper and regular education from their early childhood. This step needs much cooperation by the parents as well as schools to free children from education and take admission of children from all walks of life respectively. Child labor demands high-level social knowledge with the proper statistics of huge loss in the future for any developing country. Every family must earn their minimum income to survive and prevent child labor. It will decrease the level of poverty and thus minor labor. Family control will also benefit in controlling child labor by decreasing the familyโ€™s burden of childcare and schooling. There is a need for more efficient and stringent government laws against child labor to prevent children from working at a little age. Child trafficking should be eliminated by the governments of all countries. Child workers should be substituted by adult workers as about 800 million grown-ups are jobless in this world. In this way, an adult will get work and children will be free from labor. Work opportunities should be improved for adults to overcome the problem of poverty and child labor. Company owners of factories, industries, mines, etc should take the oath of not including children in any type of work or job.

CHILD LABOUR IS A CRIME:

Child labor is still followed in many nations even after being a big offense. Owners of the industries, mines, factories, etc., are using child labor at a high level to get more work at low labor costs. Poor children are more inclined to be involved in child labor as they are overpowered by parents to make some money to give financial help to their family at a very tender age (too young to understand their liabilities towards family) alternately of taking proper education and enjoying their childhood.

Published by Ayisha Shabana M

WHY HIJAB IS IMPORTANT IN ISLAM:

Hijab, or veil, takes the center stage whenever there is battle between truth and falsehood. It has always been a sensitive issue, but it recently received a great deal of attention due to legislation and proposed legislation in several European countries (e.g., France, Germany) that ban its use in government institutions as well as educational institutions. For women who wear hijab out of religious conviction, the truth is obvious and indisputable. For others with limited knowledge or understanding of Hijab, it can be confusing.

It is important to understand several points related to hijab and modesty. The first point is that modesty had been the norm in history, up until the later part of the past century. If one were to peruse historical books of various times and ages, one would find modest covering of women in almost every society. The other point is that modesty is a component in several world religions, particularly in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It may come as a surprise to many that it was not Islam that invented modesty or hijab. This existed in the laws of religions revealed before Islam, and remnants can still be found in the altered books of those faiths. With the final message given to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the order for Hijab was confirmed and finalized. This is a reality since all of those revelations came from the same Source, Allah. Mary, mother of Jesus (may Allah exalt their mention), is rarely depicted without a traditional head-covering and one would assume her to be Muslim. (Which, of course, she was.) One can still find both Jewish and Christian women today who cover in much the same way as Muslim women. It is one of the common bonds that are shared by these three major faiths.

MORE THAN A RELIGIOUS SYMBOL:

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Why hijab is important in Islam

Why hijab is important in Islam

Updated 02 December 2012ARAB NEWSNovember 23, 2012 03:0042650https://platform.twitter.com/widgets/follow_button.4e067713e19d4fff483536ddc4df18b9.en.html#dnt=false&id=twitter-widget-1&lang=en&screen_name=arabnews&show_count=false&show_screen_name=false&size=m&time=1644416556783

Hijab, or veil, takes the center stage whenever there is battle between truth and falsehood. It has always been a sensitive issue, but it recently received a great deal of attention due to legislation and proposed legislation in several European countries (e.g., France, Germany) that ban its use in government institutions as well as educational institutions. For women who wear hijab out of religious conviction, the truth is obvious and indisputable. For others with limited knowledge or understanding of Hijab, it can be confusing.
It is important to understand several points related to hijab and modesty. The first point is that modesty had been the norm in history, up until the later part of the past century. If one were to peruse historical books of various times and ages, one would find modest covering of women in almost every society. The other point is that modesty is a component in several world religions, particularly in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It may come as a surprise to many that it was not Islam that invented modesty or hijab. This existed in the laws of religions revealed before Islam, and remnants can still be found in the altered books of those faiths. With the final message given to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the order for Hijab was confirmed and finalized.
This is a reality since all of those revelations came from the same Source, Allah. Mary, mother of Jesus (may Allah exalt their mention), is rarely depicted without a traditional head-covering and one would assume her to be Muslim. (Which, of course, she was.) One can still find both Jewish and Christian women today who cover in much the same way as Muslim women. It is one of the common bonds that are shared by these three major faiths.

More than a religious symbol

โ€‹Hijab represents a womanโ€™s submission to her Creator and her connection with the faith. While referring to it, Allah Almighty says: โ€œThat is more suitable that they will be known…โ€ But, while hijab is a symbol, in reality it is much more than that. The following purposes and functions of hijab will clarify this point.
Hijab is a test for the Muslim woman. It is clear from the Qurโ€™an and the Hadiths that hijab is a religious obligation, which a woman has to undertake. There is no scholarly difference on this point and the Muslim Ummah has applied it for over 14 centuries. When a Muslim woman wears hijab she is obeying and submitting to Allah. The following verses of the holy Qurโ€™an refer to the obligatory nature of hijab: โ€œAnd tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which (necessarily) appears thereof and to wrap (a portion of) their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbandsโ€™ fathers, their sons, their husbandsโ€™ sons, their brothers, their brothersโ€™ sons, their sistersโ€™ sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.โ€ [Qurโ€™an, 24:31)
Also Allah says: โ€œO Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.โ€ (Qurโ€™an, 33:59)
A woman who wears hijab liberates herself from the vain and selfish desire to show off her beauty and to compete with other women around her.
This is an innate desire that is exacerbated by wanton display and tamed by modesty and covering. With the hijab, a woman does not have to live up to societyโ€™s expectations of what is desirable, and she no longer has to use her beauty to obtain recognition or acceptance from those around her.
In the chapter of Al-Ahzaab mentioned above, Allah Almighty Says what means โ€œThat is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused.โ€ Thus, one of the functions of hijab is to protect women from abuse and harm. This particularly includes various forms of sexual abuse and harassment, which are prevalent in societies in which few women cover. Men often get mixed signals and believe that women want their advances by the way they reveal their bodies. The hijab, on the contrary, sends a signal to men that the wearer is a modest and chaste woman who should not be annoyed.

Published by Ayisha Shabana M….

THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING IN YOUR STORY:

Setting is the context in which a story or scene occurs and includes the time, place, and social environment. It is important to establish a setting in your story, so your readers can visualize and experience it.

Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, it is critical to establish a setting in your scenes and story. If your readers donโ€™t know where or when the action is unfolding, they will be lost. Itโ€™s on you to ground your reader by answering the journalistic questions of who, what, when, where, why, and how so your reader can visualize the events youโ€™re conveying.

Setting is the context in which a story occurs. Just as a photograph has a foreground and a background, so does a story. The main characters and their actions form the foreground. The time and place of the events, and the social environment surrounding them, form the background. People exist in a particular time and place. Where your characters live may contribute to their personalities, values, attitudes, and even their problems. Your storyโ€™s setting can have great impact on the people in your story, how they react, and what they do.

DEVELOPING THE TIME AND PLACE OF YOUR STORY:

Time and place these two bedrock elements of your story must be developed in order to establish and maintain credibility. It wouldnโ€™t make sense to include current-day surgical procedures in a tale set in the 1800s or have characters sending urgent messages by telegram in modern-day New York. Eudora Welty once said, โ€œEvery story would be another story, and unrecognizable, if it took up its characters and plot and happened somewhere else.โ€

TIME:

There are four kinds of time, each with a distinct role: clock time, calendar time, seasonal time, and historical time.

Clock time can create certain moods or feelings and even provide suspense. Think of the pressure of a looming deadline or a husband who sits by the phone, waiting for his wifeโ€™s kidnappers to call.

Calendar time grounds us in the year, month, and day and even a particular day of the week or time of the month. Calendar time can provide a societal understanding of what is taking place in your writing. If you mention July 4th, Americans will understand the implications of the national holiday. It might be more subtle, like Friday the 13th or April 15th. Other countries have different calendar days that infer significance, like Boxing Day in the UK and Bastille Day in France.

Seasonal time refers to the four seasons, though winter in Minneapolis is a vastly different setting than winter in Key West, Florida. January in Sydney, Australia is nothing like January in New York. Most of us have different lifestyles in different seasons: you donโ€™t snow ski in Vail in July or water ski in Missouri in January.

Historical time can establish a psychological or sociological understanding of behaviors and attitudes and probably has the most impact on your storyโ€™s setting. People communicate differently, depending on the time in which they live. Americans in the 1950s communicated differently than Americans in the 2000s. We speak the same language, but the vernacular has changed, and Americans in the โ€™50s had different assumptions about the world and how to communicate based on the era in which they lived. Common words and phrases from the pre-Civil War era America might be completely outdated or downright offensive today. Historical time contributes to the mental, moral, religious, emotional, and social setting of a story.

PLACE :

Place includes the geographical location of a story, which can range from a country (even a planet) to a single room. I always loved introducing my university students to Franz Kafkaโ€™s โ€œMetamorphosis,โ€ which pretty much takes place in one bedroom as Gregor, the main character, literally turns into a bug. Itโ€™s one of the most riveting pieces of literature Iโ€™ve ever read, and most of it takes place within the same four walls.

When writing about a specific location, you might include physical details of the environment. What does it look and sound like? A subway station has its unique smells, sights, and sounds; as does a church.

But thereโ€™s more to it than that. We may find significance in the location where the action occurs, and there are physical and non-physical characteristics to consider. The non-physical environment can vary by geographic location. Cultural influences such as education, social standing, economic class, and religious beliefs certainly vary from location to location. The education system is different in Long Island than it is in Zimbabwe. Itโ€™s different in Catholic schools versus public schools in the same city. Social standing and wealth can set characters in different settings, whatever the year or city.

TAJ MAHAL:

ABOUT TAJ MAHAL:

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

ARCHITECTURE OF TAJ MAHAL:

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

WHEN WAS TAJ MAHAL BUILT? :

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

DO DALIT LIVES MATTER?

DO DALIT LIVES MATTER?

AUTHOR: ARIBBA SIDDIQUE

Introduction:

We witnessed the slogan โ€˜Black lives matterโ€™ when it went viral all over social media in May 2020. The movement was in response to the death of an African-American citizen, America has been always known as the country which promotes โ€˜White supremacyโ€™. Every Indian condemned the murder of George Floyd who lost his life because he was a black person not fit for America.

The hashtag โ€˜black lives matterโ€™ has been used my many of us on our social media accounts. However, when this kind of discrimination happens in our own country, what do we do? We mute ourselves, politicize the issue and we condemn the government. This article analyses the hardships that the Dalit community in India has faced in recent times.

Recent cases regarding the discrimination with Dalits:

Privileged Indians often ignores the Dalits, their hardships, the atrocities that they face. Recently, on 6th June 2020, a Seventeen -year-old Dalit boy namedย Vikas Kumar Jadav was shot dead by 4 upper caste men for visiting a temple in Amroha in U.

In June 2020, a Dalit activist, Arvind Bansod from Nagpur, was found dead. He was publicly assaulted with casteist slurs by a mob. The police refused to file an FIR & declared the death as a suicide.

No FIR. No Justice. No hashtag on social media. No protest. Why? The reason is that a Dalit is not considered as equal despite being a citizen of the same country and having the same rights.ย 

Historical texts and legislations of India and the US:

The situation of Dalits in India is similar to that of African-Americans in the United States. Both are historically suppressed and treated as second class citizens in their own countries. Racial segregation is encouraged by legislations like โ€œBlack Codesโ€ and[L5]  โ€œuntouchabilityโ€™โ€™ made segregation in housing, education, public places; transport; parks, theatres, cemeteries, jails, and other public spaces legal in the US until only a few decades ago. This resulted in divided and hierarchical citizenship[L6] .

The Manusmriti in India, though not legally enforceable, has been the moral code that guides the upper caste community in their treatment and behaviour towards the Dalits in daily life[L7] . The Dalits were not allowed and are still not allowed in many areas to use public wells and enter temples. The Dalit children are boycotted, made to sit separately in many schools and drink water from separate utensils. Inter-caste marriages between a Dalit, and an upper caste are still leading to the honour killing of the Dalit person. The Dalits have been oppressed for cheap labour, forced to take up vigorous menial work with less than subsistence wages.

 A report by Human Rights Watch states that:

Discriminatory and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of over 165 million people in India has been justified on the basis of caste… (caste divisions in India) are reinforced through the practice and threat of social ostracism, economic boycotts, and physical violence.”[2]

Dalits, the literal Sanskrit meaning “broken/scattered”. According to NCDHR, every fifteen minutes, a crime is committed against a Dalit, six Dalit women are raped every day and Fifty-six thousand children living in slums die due to malnutrition every year in India. Dalits, mostly landless, are forced to work on the fields of the upper caste Hindus at very low wages[L8] . The democratic polity and the Constitution of India, which assures equality and abolishes untouchability, have failed in achieving social and economic equality. Violence against the Dalits is in everyday news. The upper castes seek to control the person (through unpaid or lowly paid physical labour and sexual assaults on Dalit women), mind (through forceful cultural traditions and customs and denial of educational opportunities) and soul (through religious beliefs and Manusmriti) of the Dalits[L9] .

The NCDHR, along with NDMJ, analysed data from the past 10 years and released a status report on the implementation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 (SC/ST Act) and Rules 1995. The report, called โ€œQuest for Justiceโ€, noted that during the years 2009-18, more than 3,91,952 cases of atrocities were reported against SCs and 72,367 against STs. As many as 12,750 incidents of rape were registered between 2014 and 2018. Attempt to rape increased to 677 in 2018 from 87 in 2014. There were 5 cases of acid attack against SC women in 2018. From 2014 to 2018 cases against SC women rose sharply by 42.63 per cent to 41,867 from 5,154.[3]

Conclusion:

Dalits are murdered, beaten and shunned, but the stories arenโ€™t covered by mainstream media. Minimal reportage leads to privileged and ignorant people into believing that casteism doesnโ€™t exist in India anymore. We need to say their names and know their stories[L10] .


[1]Aathira Konikkara, Dalit activist Arvind Bansod was murdered, not a suicide: Lawyer, Caravan Magazine, (October 03, 2020, 10:00 PM) https://caravanmagazine.in/author/1118

[2]Human Rights watch โ€˜Hidden Apartheid Caste Discrimination against Indiaโ€™s Untouchables(October 03, 2020, 10:04 PM) https://www.hrw.org/report/2007/02/12/hidden-apartheid/caste-discrimination-against-indias-untouchables

[3]National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, (October 04, 2020, 02:00am) http://www.ncdhr.org.in


 [L1]Source?

 [L2]Source?

 [L3]Source?

 [L4]Describe the facts of the above two cases precisely or add such more cases to make it more informative.

 [L5]Mention Voting right Act, 1965

 [L6]Mention Art. 17 abolition of untouchability and yet the problems are faced by the Dalits.

 [L7]Cite proper historical source.

 [L8]Provide equivalent citation in the footnotes for the source.

 [L9]Mention the Articles in the constitution regarding the protection of right, equality and life.

 [L10]Make the conclusion more elaborate and remarkable.

Solar Energy: Advantages and Challenges

What is Solar Energy?

Sunlight is a renewable source of energy which can be converted into usable energy by solar panels. There are two main types of solar energy. Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels which directly convert solar energy into a usable form of energy using a PV cell containing a semiconductor material. CSP (concentrating solar power) on the other hand, concentrates energy from sunlight to a heat receiver which transforms energy from heat into mechanical energy, and in turn, solar thermal electricity.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Advantages of Solar Energy

  • Because solar energy does not emit greenhouse gases, there will be no negative environmental impact. It is a pollution-free and non-polluting source of energy.
  • Solar energy is a renewable source of energy. As a result, there will be no trouble using it all up without leaving any for future generations.
  • Expanding the solar energy business will result in a large number of green jobs.
  • Solar energy will benefit the economy in the long run because there will be no need to import fossil fuels like coal for energy.
  • There is no need to buy any resources because sunlight is free.
  • Solar energy requires money to install, but the energy generated is the cheapest electricity. So, many more people can have access to affordable electricity.
  • Even in disaster-hit places, off-grid solar systems provide power. Off-grid means buildings designed to be self-sufficient without depending on public electricity and water lines.
  • The production of electricity from fossil fuels requires a large amount of water. Solar energy production does not require the use of water. As a result, it saves water. Therefore, this makes solar energy more reliable. Even if there is a drought, power generation will not be affected.

Challenges in using solar energyย 

  • Solar power generation on a huge scale requires a large area of land.
  • Solar cells currently only use a small portion of sunlight. Increasing the efficiency of solar cells is a big challenge. Moreover, as efficiency improves, the amount of land required decreases.
  • Solar energy production facilities need a huge investment to set up.
  • Not every part of the earth gets enough sunlight to totally rely on it.
  • Storage is required to ensure power supply during the night when there is no sunlight.
  • The clean energy industry is facing a skilled labour shortage. Another challenge is to train a large number of people in the required skill set to keep up with the increasing solar industry.
  • Toxic chemicals such as sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid are used in the production of solar cells. Developing efficient solar cells using less toxic chemicals is a big challenge.

Conclusion

The use of solar energy will result in energy transformation from fossil fuels to clean and sustainable energy. It also helps in the fight against global warming. Government should provide subsidies and widespread awareness to encourage roof-top solar grids and solar farms, so that everyone will have access to affordable and clean energy.

THE BIOGRAPHY OF ALEXANDER POPE:

EARLY LIFE:

Alexander Pope, (born May 21, 1688,ย London, England-died May 30, 1744, Twickenham, near London), poet and satirist of the English Augustan period, best known for his poemsย An Essay on Criticism ย (1711),ย The Rape of the Lockย  (1712โ€“14),ย The Dunciadย (1728), andย An Essay on Manย (1733โ€“34). He is one of the most epigrammatic of all English authors. Popeโ€™s father, a wholesale linen merchant, retired from business in the year of his sonโ€™s birth and 1700 went to live at Binfield in Windsor Forest. The Popes were Roman Catholics, and at Binfield, they came to know several neighboring Catholic families who were to play an important part in the poetโ€™s life.ย 

EARLY WORKS:

Windsor Forest was near enough to London to permit Popeโ€™s frequent visits there. He early grew acquainted with former members of John Drydenโ€™s circle, notably William Wycherley, William Walsh, and Henry Cromwell. By 1705 his โ€œPastoralsโ€ were in draft and were circulating among the best literary judges of the day. In 1706 Jacob Tonson, the leading publisher of poetry, had solicited their publication, and they took the place of honor in his Poetical Miscellanies in 1709.

This early emergence of a man of letters may have been assisted by Popeโ€™s poor physique. As a result of too much study, so he thought, he acquired curvature of the spine and some tubercular infection, probably Pottโ€™s disease, that limited his growth and seriously impaired his health. His full-grown height was 4 feet 6 inches (1.4 meters), but the grace of his profile and fullness of his eye gave him an attractive appearance. He was a lifelong sufferer from headaches, and his deformity made him abnormally sensitive to physical and mental pain. Though he was able to ride a horse and delighted in travel, he was inevitably precluded from much normal physical activity, and his energetic, fastidious mind was largely directed to reading and writing.

CAREER AS A SATIRIST :

As Popeโ€™s career continued, his satirical writings became more and more pointed. Theย Dunciad, first published anonymously in 1728, would come to be considered a masterful piece of poetry but earned him a huge amount of hostility. The poem is aย mock-heroic narrative that celebrates an imaginary goddess and her human agents who bring ruin to Great Britain. The allusions in the poem were aimed at many prominent and aristocratic figures of the day, as well as the Whig-led government. Popeโ€™s satire earned him so many enemies that, for a time, whenever he left the house, he brought his Great Dane with him and carried pistols, in case of a surprise attack by one of his targets or their supporters. In contrast, hisย An Essay on Manย was more philosophical, reflecting on the natural order of the universe and suggesting that even the imperfections in the world are part of rational order.

FINAL YEARS AND LEGACY:

After 1738, Pope mostly stopped producing new work. He began working on additions and revisions to theย Dunciad, publishing a new โ€œbookโ€ in 1742 and a complete revision in 1743. In the new version, Pope more clearly satirized and criticized Horace Walpole, a Whig politician who was in power and who Pope blamed for many of the problems in British society.

By that point, however, Popeโ€™s lifelong poor health was catching up to him. He had suffered from chronic pain, respiratory problems, a hunchback, frequent high fevers, and other problems since childhood. In 1744, his doctor reassured him that he was improving, but Pope only made a joke and accepted his fate. He received the last rites of the Catholic Church on May 29, 1744 and died at his villa, surrounded by his friends, the following day. He was buried at St. Maryโ€™s Church in Twickenham.

In the decades following his death, Popeโ€™s poetry went out of fashion for a time. 

Published by Ayisha Shabana. M….

THE BIOGRAPHY OF DANIEL DEFOE:

Daniel Defoe was an English writer, trader, journalist,ย Pamphleteer, and spy. He is most famous for his novelย Robinson Crusoe published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translations.ย He has been seen as one of the earliest proponents of theย English novel and helped to popularise the form in Britain with others such asย Aphra Ben andย Samuel Richardson.ย Defoe wrote many political tracts, was often in trouble with the authorities and spent a period in prison. Intellectuals and political leaders paid attention to his fresh ideas and sometimes consulted him.

HIS EARLY LIFE:

Daniel Foe was probably born inย Fore Street in the parish ofย St Gile cripplegate, London.ย ย His birthdate and birthplace are uncertain, and sources offer dates from 1659 to 1662, with the summer or early autumn of 1660 considered the most likely. His father, James Foe, was a prosperousย tallow Chandler of ย Flemish descent,ย and a member of theย Worshipful Company of Butchers. In Defoe’s early childhood, he experienced some of the most unusual occurrences in English history: in 1665, 70,000 were killed by the Great Plague of London, and the next year, the Great Fire of London left only Defoe’s and two other houses standing in his neighborhood. In 1667, when he was probably about seven, a Dutch fleet sailed up theย Medwayย via theย River Thamesย and attacked the town ofย Chathamย in theย raid on the Medway. His mother, Alice, had died by the time he was about ten.

HIS EDUCATION :

Defoe was educated at the Rev. James Fisher’s boarding school in Pixham Lane inย Dorking, Surrey. His parents wereย Presbyterian dissenters, and around the age of 14, he was sent toย Charles Morton’s dissenting academyย at Newington Green,ย  then a village just north of London, where he is believed to have attended the dissenting Church there.ย He lived on Church Street, Stoke Newington. During this period, the English government persecuted those who chose to worship outside the Church of England.

HIS BUSINESS CAREER:

Defoe entered the world of business as a general merchant, dealing at different times in hosiery, general woolen goods, and wine. His ambitions were great and he was able to buy a country estate and a ship (as well asย civetsย to make perfume, though he was rarely out of debt. On 1 January 1684, Defoe married Mary Tuffley at St Botolph’s Aldgateย .ย She was the daughter of a London merchant, receiving aย dowryย of ยฃ3,700 a huge amount by the standards of the day. With his debts and political difficulties, the marriage may have been troubled, but it lasted 47 years and produced eight children. In 1685, Defoe joined the Ill-fatedย  Monmouth Rebellion ย but gained a pardon, by which he escaped the Bloody Assizesย ย of Judgeย George Jeffreys .ย Queen Maryย and her husbandย  William IIIย were jointly crowned in 1689, and Defoe became one of William’s close allies and a secret agent.

Some of the new policies led to conflict with France, thus damaging prosperous trade relationships for Defoe.ย In 1692, he was arrested for debts of ยฃ700 and, in the face of total debts that may have amounted to ยฃ17,000, was forced to declare bankruptcy. He died with little wealth and evidently embroiled in lawsuits with the royal treasury.

HIS WRITING CAREER:

Defoe’s first notable publication was An Essay upon Projectsย , a series of proposals for social and economic improvement, published in 1697. From 1697 to 1698, he defended the right of Kingย  William IIIย to a standing armyย ย during disarmament, after the Treaty of Ryswickย ย (1697) had ended theย Nine Years’ War ย (1688โ€“1697). His most successful poem, ย The True-Bornย (1701), defended William against Xenophobic ย  ย attacks from his political enemies in England, and English anti-immigration sentiments more generally. In 1701, Defoe presented theย Legion’s Memorialย toย Robert Harley , then- Speaker of the House of the Commons โ€”and his subsequent employerโ€”while flanked by a guard of sixteen gentlemen of quality. It demanded the release of the Kentish petitioners, who had asked Parliament to support the king in an imminent war against France.

Published by Ayisha Shabana. M

Akshar โ€“ A Unique school in Guwahati

Have you ever heard of a school that charges a fee for collecting plastics?

Akshar school in Pamohi village, Guwahati, Assam, where pupils pay plastics as a fee in exchange for an education. The school only accepts a polythene bag full of plastic rubbish as payment.

Akshar is a model school that provides quality education to children from economically disadvantaged families. Parmita Sarma and Mazin Muktar launched the company in 2016. They began by providing free education in the community, but they soon found a high use of plastics in the area, and locals had developed a practise of burning plastics to stay warm during the winter.

Because of smoke from burning plastic, their classroom used to be filled with those hazardous vapours at times. As a result, they established a pricing structure in which students pay for their education by bringing 10โ€“20 pounds of plastic debris to school each week. Students were taught how to successfully recycle plastic garbage, how to manufacture eco-bricks, and have already constructed a plant guarder in their school grounds.

They use a different format than the one used throughout India. There are both traditional and vocational subjects available. They instruct children on how to instruct.Higher-class students teach the school’s younger students, and they also receive a reward money, similar to that used in video games, that allows them to shop at the school store. The school has raised awareness about the dangers of plastic and transformed the thinking of the students’ families. Their class classification is based on IQ level rather than age, and students are taught lessons depending on their IQ level. They intend to grow Akshar School throughout India.

Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Pexels.com

Digital Marketing

โ€œMarketing is no longer about the products you create, but rather about the tales you tell.โ€ โ€“Blogger and best-selling author Seth Godin
Digital marketing, often known as online marketing, is the promotion of brands through the use of the internet and other types of digital communication to interact with potential clients. As a marketing channel, this comprises not only email, social media, and web-based advertising, but also text and multimedia messages. Simply said, if a marketing campaign includes digital communication, it is considered digital marketing.

The goal of digital marketing is to reach a wider audience than could be reached via traditional methods.

It aids in identifying the prospects most likely to purchase your goods or service. It has been observed that it is typically more cost-effective than traditional advertising, and that it allows you to track progress on a daily basis and pivot as needed.

It’s easy to get the terms digital marketing and inbound marketing mixed up. This is due to the fact that digital marketing makes use of similar methods to inbound marketing, such as email, content on an internet platform, and so on. Both marketing strategies attract prospects’ attention and convert them into customers throughout the buyer’s journey. So, what makes the difference? The area in which the views of the relationship between the tool and the objective in the two area.

ย 

The importance of digital marketing
Digital marketing can work electronically and online thanks to the internet. This opens up a slew of new ways for firms to connect with customers, including email, video, social media, and search engines.

Digital marketing has shown to be quite beneficial to one’s business and brand awareness. Almost every company nowadays has a website. Even if they don’t, they should have a social media presence or a digital advertising strategy. Consumers have come to expect and rely on digital information and marketing as a means of learning about brands.

Digital marketing types
There are several methods to interact with digital media, just as there are numerous specialisations within digital marketing.

SEO stands for search engine optimization.
Marketing with content
Marketing on social media
PPC (pay-per-click) affiliate marketing
Advertisement that is native to the environment
Marketing automation is a term used to describe a
Marketing via email
Digital marketing’s benefits
On a global scale, trading
For a modest investment, a website allows one to discover new markets and trade abroad.

Cost-efficient
When compared to traditional marketing tactics, a well-planned and well-targeted digital marketing campaign may reach the correct demographic at a considerably cheaper cost.

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Tracking is simple, and the outcomes are measurable.
The results of digital marketing can always be measured or predicted. It enables the business owner to measure his or her online marketing with web analytics and other online metric tools, making it easier to determine the effectiveness of their campaign.

Personalisation
If your client database is linked to your website, you can greet visitors with targeted offers everytime they come to the site. The more they buy from you, the better you’ll be able to develop your client profile and promote to them more successfully.

Transparency
By engaging in social media and carefully controlling it, one can generate consumer loyalty and establish a reputation for quality

ย 

The value of social money
Using content marketing methods, digital marketing allows you to construct engaging campaigns. This content (pictures, movies, and articles) can generate social currency by being shared and going viral.

Digital marketing’s drawbacks

When it comes to digital marketing, there are some obstacles and disadvantages.

Having the Right Skill Set

To be successful with digital marketing, one must ensure that their workforce has the necessary knowledge and expertise. Because technologies, platforms, and trends change at a rapid pace, the staff must stay current with all of them.

ย 

Time-consuming
Optimising online advertising campaigns and developing marketing content are two areas that can consume a significant amount of effort. To secure a return on investment, it’s critical to track your progress.

The stakes are high.
Because everyone uses digital marketing nowadays, all firms are faced against global competition. Standing out from the crowd and grabbing attention amid the various messages aimed to consumers online can be difficult.

Photo by Canva Studio on Pexels.com

Gratitude Psychology: The Benefits of Gratitude

Gratitude has a bigger influence on our lives than we realise. We’ll look at what positive psychology has to say about the habit of offering thanks in this post. โ€œGratitude has a stronger impact on our lives than we think,โ€ according to a related piece. Let’s have a look at what positive psychology has to say about the habit of expressing thanks in this article. The United States and Canada celebrate Thanksgiving, which was originally called Thanksgiving, on various dates each year.

On American soil, it is observed on the final Thursday in November, while on Canadian soil, it is observed on the second Monday in October. Its Beginnings In 1621, a group of pilgrims in Plymouth shared their autumn crop with the Vampanok Indians, who taught them how to cultivate.

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul kalam

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul kalam or Abdul Kalam as he is well-known is the major force behind India’s missile power. He is the driving force behind missiles like Agni, Akash, Trishul, and Nag which made India a major missile power in the world.

Born in 1931, in Rameshwaram, Tamilnadu, Abdul Kalam had his initial education in Rameshwaram. Later he studied at Schwartz High School, in Ramanathapuram. Subsequently, he moved to st. Joseph’s college Tirchi. Though he was not a bright student in terms of the marks that he secured in exams, he developed an interest in physics. After completing the B.sc degree course from St.Joseph’s he joined the Madras Insitute of technology, the best institution for technical education in south India at that time. He specialized in Aeronautical Engineering after being trained at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bangalore.

After his college education, Abdul kalam was keen on joining the Indian Air force were dashed when he just missed making it to the selected list of candidates. Though he was sad at being unable to join the Indian Air force, he went ahead and joined the directorate of technical development and production, DTD and P (Air), as a senior scientific assistant.

Abdul Kalam’s job at the DTD and P (Air) became the launching pad for his glorious career in the defense field. After working for some time at The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the USA, Abdul kalam returned to India and helped the country to develop awesome weaponry.

It will be no exaggeration to state that Abdul kalam is instrumental in firmly establishing India’s core competency in rocketry. His efforts, along with that of his dedicated team, took India into the select club of nations that call themselves superpowers.

For his distinguished contributions to the defense of the country, the government decorated him with the highest civilian award of India, the Bharat Ratna.

Abdul kalam leads a simple life working 18 hours a day. He is fond of music and spends his leisure hours practicing veena. He is also actively involved in developing inexpensive medical devices to bring advanced medical care within the reach of the poor Indians.

nature protects, if protected

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.

Mahatma Gandhi

In 42nd amendment to the constitution of India (1976), article 48A and 51A(g) were added inter alia. Article 48A talks about the “protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests and wildlife” and Article 51A(g) talks about one of our fundamental duty i.e. “to protect and improve our natural environment”. These two articles were added in the aftermath of the Stockholm convention (UN conference on Human environment, 1972) which provided for 26 principles and 109 recommendations. These principles serves as the “Magna carta” of environment protection.

The SARS-CoV-2 ravaged the whole globe, however “differential treatment” is offered by the virus to the unprivileged sections of our societies. Those who were at lowest rung of the societies faced the most brunt of it with some of the families even losing their sole breadwinner. There is a substantial hue and cry among the opposition parties as well as people regarding the mishandling of pandemic by the government. However, we all are more or less responsible for this havoc. Not just because we haven’t followed the COVID appropriate behavior religiously but because we as a human race failed to respect, “The Precautionary Principle”.

Why do we look different in photos?

No wonder we always experienced that how hard we try to click a good photo for our profile picture it is so hard for all of us to get a decent photo.

Also, when we look ourselves in the mirror we look just fine! Then why exactly we look good in mirror but bad in photos?

Reality is we do not really know how we look. The mirror gives us a reflection and the camera does not show us our accurate face.

The mirror you look in every morning during washing or before going out makes you believe that this is how you look. We are so accustomed to see ourselves in mirror that when we see ourselves in a picture we are unable to recognize ourselves.

Mirror shows us the enantiomorph version of our face in simpler terms when we see in a mirror the right becomes left and the left becomes right, and so unless you have a completely symmetrical face you will always find slight change in the mirror image of you and photo clicked image of you.

Scientist call this familiarity of us to the mirror image of ourselves as MERE EXPOSURE. This exposure makes us favorable to things which are familiar and unfavorable to things which are unfamiliar. Henceforth, we are more inclined towards our mirror image than the camera clicked image

Also, the camera picture we see are not also true image. Camera clicks 2D images and thus it somehow distorts our real look.

Putting in a nutshell, we do not really know how we look and honestly it does not even matter how we look as Margaret Hungerford says beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.

They both die at the end – Adam Silvera

-deep, nerve-wrecking and a tearjerker as the title promises.

What if you had one day to live?

They both die at the end bases on an alternative present, where a company named Death Cast calls the deckersโ€”a term for the people who will die the coming dayโ€” to tell them of their forthcoming death, though not the way it will happen. Unfortunately two teenagers Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio face their cruel destiny when they receive a call from Death Cast. But is it really cruel though?

Two total strangersโ€”deckersโ€”find each through an app Last Friend to spend their end day and make it worth. Mateo and Rufus contact each other through Last Friend and eventually try to come out of their comfort zone to spend their last day, with no regrets during which their deepening friendship starts blossoming into something more.

The books gives off the most important message that yes, we’re going to die but until then we are living. We have to move, live, dream even if we survive for a day. And as the title already spoils it, they both do die at t

Top Tourist Destinations

In this blog, I am going to take you to the middle of the sea. Wondering where? The island which is very famous because of our freedom fighters where they had to spend years behind the bars. Yes, you are guessing right, I am talking about Andaman and Nicobar Island. This place is heaven on the earth if you havenโ€™t visited yet after reading this blog about Andaman and Nicobar Island, I am sure that you all will be going to book your tickets now! So, letโ€™s start our online trip to Andaman and Nicobar.

I am going to talk about the places where I had visited in Andaman and Nicobar.

  1. Havelock
  2. Neil island
  3. Cellular Jail
  4. Ross Island

Havelock is the spotlight of the Andaman and Nicobar tourism, it is very famous for the beaches and greenery, in short, it is the feast for the eyes. Clyster clear water, white sand will definitely soothe your eyes. In 2018 our prime minister Narendra Modi has changed the name of havelock to swaraj deep. Yes I know you all want to know how to reach there, you have to book ferries and it will take 90 min to reach there. Places to visit in havelock are:

  1. RADHA NAGAR BEACH:

Radha Nagar beach is one of the most well-known beaches in Andaman and Nicobar and  the best beach in Asian  described by the Time magazine. sky blue sea with crystal clear water and white sand where you and enjoy your day you can play in the water you can swim in the water you can also take sun-bath there. There are large numbers of huts, benches and wooden chairs where you can sit and relax there and can enjoy the beauty of nature.

They also provide you with changing rooms where you can change you wet cloths.

  1. ELEPHANT BEACH 

Donโ€™t judge this place by its name, you might be thinking that there must be many elephants but it is not like that. Elephant beach is very famous for water sports, it gives you numerous water activities. Letโ€™s discuss in more details about water sports.

  • SCUBA DIVING : 

In scuba diving, you are taken under-water where you can see the breath-taking view of aquatic life. You can see untouched coral reefs, vibrant fishes, under-water vegetation and under-water ecosystem.

  • SNORKELING :

Snorkelling is little bit same as scuba diving but it doesnโ€™t allow you to go deep inside the water, you can only go to the surface of the water and can see through your goggles, and also can swim.

  • SEA WALKING: 

Yes, you heard right you can walk under the sea, sea walking is most unique and very adventurous. Diving and swimming are okay but have you ever imagined walking under the sea. Once you reached the bottom of the sea you will see that you will get surrounded by hoards of fishes you can actually feed them, isnโ€™t it really exciting?

It is another island full of beaches, this island is for those who want to be far from noise, disturbance as you can find a smaller number of vehicles, market and less population. Here also you can find water sports activities like jet skiing and a glass bottom boat ride. Let me make you more clear about these water sports.

  • JET SKIING:

Jet skiing is one of the most enjoyable water sports activity as it can be enjoyed by anyone and it is available at Bharatpur Beach in Neil. It will give you a unique feeling that you are riding a bike on water. Timing for this activity is from 9AM to 4PM. I personally advise you to book jet ski as it is always available and t is cheaper than other water sports activities.

  • GLASS BOTTOM BOAT RIDE:

this activity is appropriate for those who donโ€™t want to get wet or doesnโ€™t want to go into the water. By the name itself, it is clear that you will be travelling on a boat which will have a see-through glass from which you can see the underwater life, you can see fishes, corals and many more.

Cellular jail is one of the most historic monuments in Andaman and Nicobar, also known as kaala Pani, it will definitely give you goosebumps while exploring the jail. Every wall of the jail will tell you the story of our soldiers. There you will see how much sacrifice has been done by our freedom fighters. Britishers used to send the soldiers in this whenever they try to protest against them. You can visit the jail at 9AM to 12:30PM and 1:00PM to 5PM (except on Mondays and on national holiday)

Cellular jail will provide you light and sound show, in this you will get narrated the whole story of how freedom fighters lived there how they survived there and how has been treated there. It is a must-watch show. The show is in both Hindi language and in the English language. You can enjoy this show at 6PM    (Hindi) and 7:15PM (English).

The one who is a nature lover, Ross island is a perfect place to visit. There you are surrounded by nature. There you can see animals and the best part is that they are not caged they will roam here and there. You will see rabbits, deer, peacocks roaming here and there and you can experience the beauty of the nature. You can sit there for hours in cool breeze and can also enjoy the beach view. In 2018 our Prime Minister Narender Modi has changed the name of Ross Island to Netaji Shubhas Chandra Bose island.

Next question you all will get that how one can reach there?

You can get a boat from phoenix bay jetty and it will help you to reach in 15 mins, the people over there will provide you with a life jacket also or else you can choose a helicopter tour. 

Yes, this is the short and adventurous trip of mine to Andaman and Nicobar, I am sure that after reading this blog you will definitely plan your future trip to Andaman and Nicobar. I personally suggest you to visit Andaman and Nicobar during summer months. 

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Brave New Worldย is aย dystopianย social science fictionย novelย by English authorย Aldous Huxley, written in 1931 and published in 1932. The book presents a nightmarish vision of a future society.

In 1999, the Modern Library ranked Brave New World at number 5 on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. In 2003, Robert McCrum, writing for The Observer, included Brave New World chronologically at number 53 in “the top 100 greatest novels of all time”, and the novel was listed at number 87 on The Big Read survey by the BBC. Despite this, Brave New World has frequently been banned and challenged since its original publication. It has landed on the American Library Association list of top 100 banned and challenged books of the decade since the association began the list in 1990.

Summary

This is a story about a world where people are born in test tubes and their lives are predetermined by their social status. Mothers, fathers, children, and other social relationships do not exist, and all of the primary human needs are met by forced or fabricated social experiences.

The Alphas, the top social class, are the most brilliant and enjoy more of life, whereas the lower classes, who have been genetically stunted in a lab, perform the society’s less important chores. To further assure their future social rank, each generation of children is created in batches via cloning and suggestive conditioning.

Bernard, a government psychologist in London, is an Alpha, but he’s physically small and doesn’t like society’s artificial social aspects, such as unrestricted sex and soma, a drug that makes people feel drunkenly good.

Bernard is sent to New Mexico as a psychologist to study a “savage” reservation, a place where the “old” society still exists. He brings Lenina, a young and attractive woman, with him, and the two of them enter the reservation together. There, Bernard meets Linda, a lady who grew up in London but was abandoned in the reservation several years ago. It is also discovered that, Linda had a son named John.

This is problematic because the father is Bernard’s boss, the Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning, and Bernard’s society does not accept procreation through natural means. Instead, Bernard decides to bring Linda and John back to London.

Bernard, who is normally quiet, becomes outgoing, as his fame for bringing back John, “The Savage”, grows. However, when John fails to show up for a social event, his social status returns to one of an outcast.

After his mother’s death, John understands that something is wrong with society. He attracts the attention of the Controller, the regional leader of Western Europe, and then John and the Controller talk.  

The Controller explains how and why things are the way they are.  That the coexistence of truth and happiness is a balancing act and that they have chosen a life of extreme happiness with very little truth.

Bernard is sent to an island with other freethinkers like himself, and John decides to move to the countryside and live alone. In the end, after being made a spectacle, John hangs himself out of shame.

Review

There’s a lot to say about this story, but what draws my interest is the concept of predisposing individuals for a specific course before they’re even born, similar to putting them on a train track. We learn in the story that lower-level individuals learn what is comfortable to them early on so that when they grow up and have to do menial duties, they are not angry because they have been conditioned to believe that what they are doing is good. In other words, a social ceiling has been created for them.

What’s even more interesting is that the same thing could be happening today. For example, if a person is raised in a high-status social network, he or she is bound to stay in that high-status social network. Similarly, someone who grew up in a poor social network is more likely to stay in that network. Of course, these paths aren’t cast in stone, and there’s always the possibility of deviations, but for the most part, one’s environment has a significant impact on the type of person they become and the decisions they make.

What’s exciting to see are individuals, through their own talents or luck, who shift their social circumstances and assimilate themselves into other social networks. In essence, they are shifting the direction of their tracks and arriving at new destinations.

AN INTRODUCTION TO STUART ENGLAND (1603-1714):

The Stuart era began when James I, who was also James VI of Scotland, succeeded Elizabeth I. The last Tudor queen had died childless in 1603. James’s ascension to the throne conjoined the two long-warring nations of England and Scotland. The Stuart period witnessed intense religious and political conflicts, which shifted power from the monarchy to Parliament. Meanwhile, discoveries and innovations transformed science, architecture and everyday life.

A NEW DYNASTY :

The shrewd James I (r.1603โ€“25), who was also James VI of Scotland (and the son of Elizabeth Iโ€™s cousin Mary, Queen of Scots), successfully conjoined the two long-warring nations of England and Scotland.

Despite threats to his reign, including the Gunpowder Plot (1605), he maintained peace at home and abroad.

Jamesโ€™s glamorous elder son Prince Henry died in 1612, leaving his younger son, Charles I (r.1625โ€“49), to succeed.

This sober, ceremonious monarch was devoted to the arts and to the Anglican Church, and acutely conscious of his divine right to rule.

ROYAL DECREE AND CIVIL WAR:

Impatient with parliamentary control, Charles ruled by royal decree (without Parliament) from 1629 until 1640. His subjects became increasingly exasperated by the taxes he levied on them, and by the suppression of Puritanism by William Laud, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

After the fiasco of the Bishopsโ€™ Wars with the Scots of 1639โ€“40 (provoked by the imposition of Charlesโ€™s religious reforms), the king was forced to recall Parliament in a bid to raise money. Frustration boiled over as Charles refused to give Parliament real power in State and Church. Both sides armed themselves, and despite a widespread desire for compromise, civil war broke out in August 1642.

The civil wars and their aftermath were calamitous. They killed a far greater proportion of the populations of England, Scotland and (especially) Ireland than the First World War. Many castles were pressed into active service for the first time since the Middle Ages and many โ€“ likeย Scarboroughย in North Yorkshire โ€“ underwent epic sieges.

A KING CONDEMNED:

By 1647 Parliamentโ€™s New Model Army, commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, had defeated King Charles. He was imprisoned at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, but under the cover of peace negotiations, he secretly worked to provoke a Second Civil War, which broke out 1648. Parliament was again victorious, and this time the army accordingly insisted (despite moderate protests) on his trial, condemnation and execution in 1649.

The unprecedented public beheading of a monarch sent shockwaves through Britain and Europe. In 1651, with Scots support, the future Charles II mounted a hopeless invasion of what was now a republic, the English Commonwealth (1649โ€“53). Defeated, he escaped to France after famously hiding in an oak tree at Boscobel in Shropshire.

THE INTERREGNUM :

The period after Charlesโ€™s execution, known as the Interregnum, saw the loosening of government and Church control. In response, there was an unprecedented ferment of revolutionary ideas, which were spread by an explosion of pamphlets. Radical religious sects proliferated, many expecting the imminent Second Coming of Christ. The Levellers demanded votes for all men and universal religious tolerance.

Oliver Cromwell, who ruled as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1653 until 1658, personally favoured toleration of all religions despite his own radical Puritanism. But he used military power to preserve both the fruits of his Civil War victory and national stability, commanding the confidence of both army and civil government.

At his death, this stability collapsed. Charles II was invited to return, and resumed the throne in triumph in May 1660.

SUCCESSION AND UNION:

The joint rule of William III (1689โ€“1702) and Mary II (1689โ€“94) brought peace to England, although in Ireland and Scotland Jamesโ€™s supporters fought on. The Act of Settlement (1701) ensured the succession of Maryโ€™s sister, Anne โ€“ rather than James II, his son or any other Catholic claimant โ€“ and ultimately the โ€˜Protestant Successionโ€™ of the House of Hanover. This was all the more necessary since none of Anneโ€™s 18 children reached maturity.

During Anneโ€™s reign (1702โ€“14) the Duke of Marlborough won famous victories against Louis XIV of France, but the most significant political event during her time on the throne was the Act of Union with Scotland (1707). For the first time, England was part of a unified Great Britain.

Cycling for Health and Fitness

Physical activity is required to be fit and healthy. Obesity, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, diabetes, and arthritis are all diseases that can be prevented by regular physical activity. One of the most effective strategies to lower your risk of health problems related with a sedentary life is to ride your bicycle on a regular basis.

Cycling is a low-impact, healthy activity that may be enjoyed by people of all ages, from toddlers to seniors. It’s also enjoyable, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly.

Riding to work or the shops is one of the most time-efficient ways to combine regular exercise with your everyday routine. An estimated one billion people ride bicycles every day โ€“ for transport, recreation and sport. It only takes two to four hours a week to achieve a general improvement to your health.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Health benefits of regular cycling

Cycling is mostly an aerobic activity, which means that your heart, blood vessels and lungs all get a workout. You will breathe deeper, sweat more, and have a higher body temperature, all of which will improve your overall fitness.

The health benefits of regular cycling include:

  • increased cardiovascular fitness
  • increased muscle strength and flexibility
  • improved joint mobility
  • decreased stress levels
  • improved posture and coordination
  • strengthened bones
  • decreased body fat levels
  • prevention or management of disease
  • reduced anxiety and depression.

Cycling and specific health issues

Cycling can improve both physical and mental health, and can reduce the chances of experiencing many health problems.

1) Obesity and weight control

Cycling is a good way to control or reduce weight, as it raises your metabolic rate, builds muscle and burns body fat. If youโ€™re trying to lose weight, cycling must be combined with a healthy eating plan. Cycling is a comfortable form of exercise and you can change the time and intensity โ€“ it can be built up slowly and varied to suit you.

2) Cardiovascular disease and cycling

Cardiovascular diseases include stroke, high blood pressure and heart attack. Regular cycling stimulates and improves your heart, lungs and circulation, reducing your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Cycling strengthens your heart muscles, lowers resting pulse and reduces blood fat levels.

3) Cancer and cycling

Many researchers have studied the relationship between exercise and cancer, especially colon and breast cancer. Research has shown that if you cycle, the chance of bowel cancer is reduced. Some evidence suggests that regular cycling reduces the risk of breast cancer.

4) Diabetes and cycling

The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is rising, posing a severe threat to public health. Physical inactivity is known to be a primary factor in the development of this condition. Large-scale research in Finland found that people who cycled for more than 30 minutes each day had a 40% decreased chance of acquiring diabetes.

5) Bone injuries, arthritis and cycling

Cycling improves strength, balance and coordination. It may also help to prevent falls and fractures. Riding a bike is an ideal form of exercise if you have osteoarthritis, because it is a low-impact exercise that places little stress on joints.

Cycling does not specifically help osteoporosis (bone-thinning disease) because it is not a weight-bearing exercise.

6) Mental illness and cycling

Regular bike riding can help with mental health issues like sadness, stress, and anxiety. This is due to the effects of the exercise itself and because of the enjoyment that riding a bike can bring.

7) Hand cycling and health

Hand cycles are similar to recumbent tricycles, but instead of using foot pedals, they use hand power. If necessary, Velcro straps can be used to hold the hands to the pedals.

This style of tricycle allows amputees, people with spinal injuries and those recovering from certain conditions such as stroke to cycle as a form of exercise and recreation. Hand cyclists get the same cardiovascular and aerobic benefits as normal bicycles.

LIFE OF ENGLAND IN SEVENTIES:

After the dynamic optimism of the sixties, the seventies proved to be a decade of disillusionment. The seventies ushered in a mood of weary disenchantment. It was essentially a decade of disillusionment.

A Conservative government, under Edward Heath, was elected in 1970. He introduced further changes in politics and technology that were characteristic of the over- optimistic thinking of the sixties. For a while the economy seemed unreal. There was a sharp increase in real estate prices, leading to a great concentration of city development. Inflation rate became alarming. The trade unions were becoming very aggressive and were at odds with the Conservative government over its Industrial Relations Act. Heath tried his best to meet the crisis, but his government collapsed in 1974. When Harold Wilson returned as the next Prime Minister, it was a chaotic period of industrial unrest, power cuts and food shortages. Shipbuilding a s the aircraft industries were nationalised.

In 1975, when the country was on the very brink of a financial crisis, Wilson resigned. Over the next couple of years, the conservatives, under Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, won a long series of by-elections, toppling the huge Labour majorities. With the increasing power of the conservatives, there was a steady swing back to the right. Between1975 and 1976, both of Britain’s major political parties had chosen new leaders. James Callaghan replaced Harold Wilson as the leader of the Labour party . In 1979, the Conservative Party Won, and Margaret Thatcher became the first woman Prime Minister of England. By the end of the seventies, the British people began to feel that a revival of conservative attitudes was essential. Various writers and politicians, who were earlier leftist, now warned the people that the power of the unions, if unchecked, would eventually change the country into a Marxist totalitarian state. Another Aspect of the seventies was the increasing interest in the religions of the East.

IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY (IRA):

In England, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) intensified its nationalistic campaign through a series of terrorist activities. Several people were wounded when two car bombs exploded in central London. The IRA was responsible for the disaster. Another explosion caused by the IRA backed terrorist activities in the seventies. In fact, Earl Mountbatten, Queen Elizabeth’s cousin was killed by an IRA bomb.

IMPORTANT EVENTS:

Giant strides are being taken in the world of science. For example, computers and cheap calculators were flooding the market. History was created in the world of medical science when the world’s first test tube baby was born in England in 1978. During the seventies, people began to take another look at the negative effects of science and technology. It was the seventies which, for the first time in history, received the earliest warnings that the earth’s supplies of energy and natural resources were getting depleted. And Mankind began to depend so much on oil, that oil consumption far outbalanced oil production. By the end of the decade , the global energy crisis was a harsh reality. Metals were also slowly disappearing.

Published by

Ayisha Shabana. M

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby, third novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1925 by Charles Scribnerโ€™s Sons. Set in Jazz Age New York, the novel tells the tragic story of Gatsby, a self-made millionaire, and his pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy young woman whom he loved in his youth. Unsuccessful upon publication, the book is now considered a classic of American fiction and has often been called the Great American Novel.

Summary

This is the story of a man named Nick who lives in America in the 1920s. He moved to New York to work as a bond trader and discovers that he lives next to a large mansion occupied by a mysterious man named Gatsby.

Gatsby throws huge parties every night, along with loads of women and alcohol, and when Nick is invited, he learns that Gatsby served in the army as well. However, no one knows how Gatsby became so rich.

Nick reunites with his cousin, Daisy, a flirty young woman who is married to Tom, a wealthy businessman. Tom, on the other hand, is having an affair with Myrtle, the wife of a mechanic.

Nick meets Daisy’s friend Jordan, a young professional golfer, and the two fall in love. In the meantime, Nick and Gatsby become friends, and Gatsby tells Nick about how he inherited his wealth from a yacht owner.

Gatsby also reveals that he knew Daisy when they were younger and that he is still in love with her. In fact, Gatsby secretly watches Daisy from across the lake, where she lives with Tom and her daughter.

When Gatsby and Daisy finally reunite, a flood of emotions returns. They acknowledge their love for each other. To escape the heat, they all drive into town.  When Tom finds that Daisy wants to leave him, he gets upset and tells Daisy and Gatsby to drive back home and talk about it. However, Daisy, driving Gatsby’s yellow car, accidentally runs over Myrtle.

Tom then tells the mechanic that it was Gatsby who ran over Myrtle. The mechanic shows up and shoots Gatsby when he is swimming at home. Unfortunately, no one attends Gatsby’s funeral, and Nick, confused and saddened, sells everything and returns to the Midwest.

Analysis

First of all, this novel provides a historical perspective on the 1920s, a fascinating period in American history.ย  We get the vividness of the time, with the lights and glitz that saturated the people. Drinking and parties were to be encouraged rather than discouraged.

It should also be highlighted that expressing this energy and culture through writing  is a difficult task. It’s not only saying that there were bright lights and cocktails, but also engaging the reader in a world with subtle reminders of the culture.

Identity is another major theme, as the characters, like real people, have complicated identities that frequently involve deceit. People aren’t who they say they are, as seen by Tom and Myrtle’s affair and Gatsby’s ambiguous history, as Gatsby’s name isn’t even his real name. And as readers, we are reminded of this when Gatsby’s father shows up and corrects Nick, saying his name was “James Gatz.”

There are various theories of how Gatsby became wealthy. Readers learn early on how he had gained his wealth , but are still wondering how he kept it over the years. Even after Gatsby’s death, ambiguous phone calls seem to be coming to the house, which hints at illegal gambling as a source of income for Gatsby.

Nick makes an interesting point regarding parties that may still be relevant today. That, despite the fact that parties happen every weekend, there is a sense of emptiness experienced at parties.  This emptiness stems from how easily people may be replaced. That if you go to enough parties, they all start to look the same.

Gatsby also wishes he could travel back in time to when he first met Daisy. And any character who wishes the present were the past, that things were the way they used to be, is doomed.  This is a strong literary strategy that many of the best stories use in their tragic characters. So be forewarned, living in the past is dangerous.

FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451, dystopianย novel, first published in 1953, that is regarded as perhaps the greatest work by American authorย Ray Bradburyย and has been praised for its stance againstย censorshipย and its defense ofย literatureย as necessary both to the humanity of individuals and to civilization.

In 1954,ย Fahrenheit 451ย won theย American Academy of Arts and Lettersย Award in Literature and theย Commonwealth Club of Californiaย Gold Medal.ย It later won theย Prometheus “Hall of Fame” Awardย in 1984 and aย “Retro” Hugo Awardย in 2004. Bradbury was honoured with aย Spoken WordGrammy nominationย for his 1976ย audiobookย version.

Summary

This is a story about a man named Guy Montag who is a fireman.ย  However, by today’s standards, he is not a fireman. Rather than putting out fires, he starts them by burning books, which are outlawed by the government.

After talking to his neighbour, Clarisse, Guy begins to doubt his work. When he looks around, he sees a wife who doesn’t love him and a world wrapped in technology and war. Every day, people kill each other and  no one seems to care.

After learning that Clarisse died, Guy further begins to question himself whether or not he is doing the right thing by burning books. He is so enraged that he steals a book before burning a lady and a pile of books.

Beatty, his fire captain, notices changes in Guy and keeps a close eye on him. Guy tells his wife that he has a small book collection at home, and they try to read them together, but his wife seems disinterested.

Guy meets Faber, an old English professor, and the two decide to fight the government together.

Meanwhile, when Guy is at work, they receive a notification that books have been found. Surprisingly, the firemen arrive at Guy’s residence.

Guy is forced to burn all of his books with a flamethrower, but when provoked, he kills Beatty. He grabs what books he can and rushes over to Faber’s house for a final farewell. 

The government has launched a full-fledged broadcast hunt for Guy, which includes the use of a mechanical search dog. Guy escapes the city and walks down the river, where he encounters a group of runaways. There, he discovers that they have all memorized books, thus creating a human library of literature.

Finally, the runaways watch the city being destroyed by enemy bombs and prepare themselves for a grim future.

Analysis

So, why does this society dislike books? What did books ever do to humans?  In this society, people have chosen not to read books. The majority of people quit reading and instead found entertainment in the form of bite-sized  portions of educational information. 

The administration then decided that books should be forbidden because they contained contradictory views that caused debates and conflicts. Rather than creating a marketplace of ideas, the government wanted to streamline thinking so that everyone had the same viewpoint. What’s even scarier is that this doesn’t seem too farfetched to occur in real life.

Most importantly, this story tries to answer the question: Why are books so important?  As Faber discusses with Guy, books are important for three reasons.  The first is that books are excellent sources of information. The second reason is that reading books takes time and dedication. The third reason is that we have the power to react to our surroundings based on what we learn from reading. That the words in books aren’t just meaningless words, but have practical applications in our lives.

It’s not just because this old dead guy wrote some things for me to read hundreds of years later, but also because how do those words apply to our society today? 

Despite the fact that technology has progressed our society, we still tent to see the same human problems as in the past, so it seems that technology makes our life simpler but does not solve many of our most basic problems, such as war, disease, and poverty.

It’s quite scary to think that the author may have imagined some of the technology that we use presently. Fast cars, mechanical dogs, large TV screens, reality TV, bluetooth, and a variety of other technologies are included in the novel. It makes you question how far we are from a world without books.

THE WARS OF THE ROSES:

Theย Wars of the Roses, known at the time and for more than a century after asย the Civil Wars, were a series ofย Civil Warsย fought over control of theย English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century, fought between supporters of two rivalย Cadet branchesof the royal House of Plantagenet :ย Lancasterย andย York. The wars extinguished theย male linesย of the two dynasties, leading to theย Tudor Familyย inheriting the Lancastrian claim. Following the war, the Houses of Tudor and York were united, creatingย a new royal Dynasty, thereby resolving the rival claims.

The conflict had its roots in the wake of the Hundred Years’ War and its emergent socio-economic troubles, which weakened the prestige of the English monarchy, unfolding structural problems of bastard feudalism and the powerful duchies created by Edward III, and the mental infirmity and weak rule of Henry VI, which revived interest in the Yorkist claim to the throne by Richard of York. Historians disagree over which of these factors were the main catalyst for the wars.

The wars began in 1455 when Richard of York captured King Henry VI in battle and was appointed Lord Protector by Parliament, leading to an uneasy peace. Fighting resumed four years later. Yorkists, led by Warwick the Kingmaker, recaptured Henry, but Richard was killed in 1460, leading to the claim by his son, Edward. The Yorkists lost custody of Henry the following year but destroyed the Lancastrian army, and Edward was crowned three months later in June 1461. Resistance to Edward’s rule continued but was defeated in 1464, leading to a period of relative peace.

In 1469, Warwick withdrew his support for Edward due to opposition against the king’s foreign policy and choice of bride, and changed to the Lancastrian claim, leading to a renewal in fighting. Edward was briefly deposed and fled to Flanders the following year, and Henry was reinstalled as king. Henry’s renewal in reign was short-lived however, as the Lancastrians suffered decisive defeats in battle in which Warwick and Henry’s heir were killed, Henry was reimprisoned, and much of the Lancastrian nobility were either killed, executed, or exiled. Shortly afterwards, Edward reassumed the throne, after which Henry either died or was assassinated on Edward’s order. Edward ruled unopposed and England enjoyed a period of relative peace until his death twelve years later in 1483. Edward’s twelve-year-old son reigned for 78 days as Edward V until he was deposed by his uncle, Richard III. Richard assumed the throne under a cloud of controversy, particularly the disappearance of Edward IV’s two sons, sparking a short-lived but major revolt and triggering a wave of desertions of prominent Yorkists to the Lancastrian cause. In the midst of the chaos, Henry Tudor, son of Henry VI’s half-brother, returned from exile with an army of English, French, and Breton troops. Henry defeated and killed Richard at Bosworth Field in 1485, assumed the throne as Henry VII, and married Elizabeth of York, the eldest daughter and sole heir of Edward IV, thereby uniting the rival claims.

Theย Earl of Lincoln then put forwardย  Lambert Simnel as an impostorย Edward Plantagenet, a potential claimant to the throne. Lincoln’s army was defeated and Lincoln himself killed atย Stoke Fieldย in 1487, ending the wars. Henry never faced any further serious internal military threats to his reign. In 1490,ย Perkin Warbeckย claimed to beย Richard of Shrewsbury, Edward IV’s second son and rival claimant to the throne, but was executed before any rebellion could be launched.

Theย House of Tudor ruledย Englanduntil 1603. Theย reign of the tudor dynastyย saw the strengthening of the prestige and power of the English monarchy, particularly underย Henryย 8 andย ElizabethI, and the end of theย medeival period of Englandย which subsequently saw the dawn of theย English Renaissance. Historianย John Guy argued that “England was economically healthier, more expansive, and more optimistic under the Tudors” than at any time since the Roman occupation.

Benefits of Surya Namaskar

In Surya Namaskar, Surya refers to โ€œthe sun,โ€ and Namaskar means โ€œbowing down in respect.โ€ This has been the most popular yogic kriyas for many decades now, as it combines 12 yoga asanas in a yogic sequence. Practicing Surya Namaskar daily helps in balancing three constituents of your body, i.e., Kapha, Pitta, and Vata, which will help you lead your life in a greater way and influence your creativity and intuitive abilities. Itโ€™s simple yet powerful poses are what make it possible for people of all age groups and all sizes to perform it, anytime, anywhere.

Benefits of Surya Namaskar

1) Helps lose weight

Surya namaskar at a fast pace serves as an effective cardiovascular workout. It includes poses that stretch the abdominal region which is helpful in burning the extra fat layer around the belly. Hence, it is effective in losing weight.

2) Improves overall flexibility

Along with the spine, the entire body experiences deep stretches while performing Surya Namaskar. It expands and contracts most of the muscles and keeps the body flexible and agile.

3) Relieves gastrointestinal issues

Surya Namaskar stimulates the digestive tract due to alternate stretching and contraction of abdominal muscles and organs. It keeps the digestive and gastrointestinal issues at bay.

4) Cures insomnia

Surya Namaskar includes a set of 12 poses along with synchronized breath that calms the mind and ensures sound sleep.

5) Regulates and eases the menstrual cycle

Females experiencing irregularity in their menses or pain or discomfort before or during menstruation find Surya namaskar quite relieving.

6) Lowers blood sugar levels

Surya namaskar involves poses that stimulate heart muscles and act as a natural remedy for controlling blood pressure. It regulates the blood sugar level keeping the heart healthy.

7) Helps getting rid of anxiety, stress, and depression

The deep breathing involved in Surya namaskar poses draws oxygen to the brain which brings the state of calm. Along with the nervous system, it benefits the endocrine system, especially the thyroid gland which uplifts the mood and fights against anxiety and depression.

8) Increases the focus and concentration power

As already mentioned that the benefits of Surya Namaskar are not limited to physical health as it also relaxes the mind. Therefore, the physical postures along with breath regulation in Surya Namaskar are helpful in increasing awareness levels along with enhancing the concentration power of the brain.

Conclusion

Various studies have shown how beneficial Surya Namaskar is for uplifting the overall health. Therefore, doing few rounds of Surya Namaskar before starting your hectic regular routine is a must if you want to live life to the fullest.

So, next time you wake up to start your day, consider how much productive you could be if you added Surya Namaskar to your daily routine.

ย ย ย ย ย  7 Fun Things to Do in Snow & Winters

Facing another snow day with the children? With schools closed and additional snow predicted, it can be hard to come up with ways to keep the kids entertained, however weโ€™re here to assist.

1.Do Sledging:

Sledging is that the final snow day activity thus it’ topping our list of things to try to once it snows; head to the native park, realize an enormous hill and sledge youโ€™re thanks to the bottom! you’ll obtain sleds from biggest supermarkets, otherwise you can get artistic by making an attempt to create your own. larger kids can love bigger hills to choose up additional speed, while very little ones will get a style of the action on smaller hills. Why not have a race to envision who can win? simply take care to not crash into different sludgers in action.

2.Build a snow man or a snow dog:

ย within the known words of Anna, does one need to create a snowman? excellent on days once thereโ€™s various snow, begin by rolling snow to create your base. make certain to pack it in tight thus it doesnโ€™t crumble, and keep adding thereto to create it as huge as you can! opt for whether or not to possess 2 or 3 layers, then end with some accessories. Send the children off in search of sticks for arms and also the excellent carrot nose, before finishing with a scarf. Donโ€™t forget to require a picture.

3.Try arts and crafts:

ย Another good thing to try to on a snowy day within the home is to urge artistic with some arts and crafts for kids. Our journal is packed with ideas, from gardens to bathroom roll creatures and rescuing toys from ice โ€“ perfect throughout this huge chill.

4.Snow paintings: Youโ€™ve all detected the old saying โ€˜donโ€™t eat yellow snowโ€™, however why not have a go at making some yourself mistreatment food coloring? Fill a twig bottle with cold water (hot water will soften the snow!) and add in an exceedingly few drops of food coloring. Then, let your youngsters loose to form a snow masterpiece thatโ€™s dead safe. build as many colors as you prefer and see what they’ll come back up with.

5.Make hot chocolate: typically, the simplest factor concerning snow isn’t having to depart the house and face the cold! Raid the cabinets and prepare some delicious drinkables (follow our handy real hot chocolate formula for ideas), then prime with marshmallows for a true treat. move into a DVD, laden Netflix and find comfortable on the couch with various blankets to stay warm. you may even strive building a mini fort mistreatment blankets โ€“ itโ€™s the proper thanks to weather the snow storm.

ย 6.Make homespun playdough: Ran out of playdough for your artistic snowy day activities? No ought to go outside, you’ll make some yourself! All you wish is a few cornstarch, some conditioner and a few food coloring, and you’ll prepare your very own playdough at home! Get an enormous bowl and pour in starch (imagine what proportion playdough you would like to finish up with to urge a thought of quantities). Add conditioner and blend together, you will ought to add additional conditioner as you attend get the correct consistency โ€“ it ought to be very pliable and really smooth. Add a couple of drops of food coloring to allow it a touch of vibrancy, and youโ€™re all set.

7.Plan a dream list to visit this year:

Plan a dream list of daysโ€™ intent on visit this year: Let’ bring our list of things to try to once it snows to a detailed by dreaming of family adventures within the year ahead. This wintry weather may have ruined set ups to go to your favorite attractions this weekend, however why not pay the time designing an entire year of adventures instead? Youโ€™ll realize over 6,000 attractions on our site, serving to you to plan for days out close to home and any afield. Get the children concerned and plan your dream days out list โ€“ allow us to apprehend which of them youโ€™re most trying forward to visiting! Play. Run, jump, sing, dance. nearly anything you’ll do within you can do outside.

THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR:

Hundred Yearsโ€™ War,ย intermittent struggle betweenย England andย Franceย in theย 14-15th centuryย over a series of disputes, including the question of theย legitimateย succession to the French crown. The struggle involved several generations of English and French claimants to the crown and actually occupied a period of more than 100 years. By convention the warย is said to have started on May 24, 1337, with the confiscation of the English-held duchy ofย Guyenne by French Kingย Philip6. This confiscation, however, had been preceded by periodic fighting over the question of Englishย fiefsย in France going back to the 12th century. In the first half of the 14th century, France was the richest, largest, and most populous kingdom of western Europe. It had, moreover, derived immense prestige from the fame and exploits of its monarchs, especially Louis IX, and it had grown powerful through the loyal service given by its administrators and officials. England was the best organized and most closely integrated western European state and the most likely to rival France, because the Holy Roman Empire was paralyzed by deep divisions. In these circumstances, serious conflict between the two countries was perhaps inevitable, but its extreme bitterness and long duration were more surprising. The length of the conflict can be explained, however, by the fact that a basic struggle for supremacy was exacerbated by complicated problems, such as that of English territorial possessions in France and disputed succession to the French throne; it was also prolonged by bitter litigation, commercial rivalry, and greed for plunder.

CAUSES OF HUNDRED YEARS WAR:

The problem of English lands in France

The complicated political relationship existing between France and England in the first half of the 14th century ultimately derived from the position of William the Conqueror, the first sovereign ruler of England who also held fiefs on the continent of Europe as a vassal of the French king. The natural alarm caused to the Capetian kings by their overmighty vassals, the dukes of Normandy, who were also kings of England, was greatly increased in the 1150s. Henry Plantagenet, already duke of Normandy (1150) and count of Anjou (1151), became not only duke of Aquitaine in 1152โ€”by right of his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, recently divorced from Louis VII of Franceโ€”but also king of England, as Henry II, in 1154.

First Hundred Yearsโ€™ War,โ€ was ended by the Treaty of Paris between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France, which was finally ratified in December 1259. First Hundred Yearsโ€™ War,โ€ was ended by the Treaty of Paris betweenย Henry IIIย of England andย Louis IXย of France, which was finally ratified in December 1259.The duchy was overrun again (1324โ€“25) by the forces of Charles of Valois. Even so, both sides had intermittently been seeking a solution to this troublesome problem. Edward II and Philip V had tried to solve it by the nomination of seneschals or governors for Guyenne who were acceptable to them both, and the appointment of the Genoese Antonio Pessagno and later of Amaury de Craon to this post proved successful for a time. A similar expedient was adopted by the appointment (1325) of Henri de Sully, who held the office of butler in the French royal household and was a friend of Edward II. In the same year, Edward renounced the duchy in favour of his son, the future Edward III. This solution, which avoided the awkwardness of requiring one king to do homage to another, was unfortunately of short duration, because the new duke of Guyenne returned almost immediately to England (September 1326) to dethrone his father (1327).

Published by Ayisha Shabana M…..

The Pros and Cons of Drones (UAVs)

What is Drone technology ? 

By definition, drones are unmanned aerial vehicles that are operated and navigated by a smartphone or a remote control.

As per records, the earliest version of drones was launched in 1849. Since then, drones have primarily been used for military purposes. Only a few years ago, the miniaturization of drones allowed different businesses to start utilizing drone technology.

Now, the drone industry is rapidly expanding. Drone technology is increasingly being used by organizations to manage their business and deliver services. In the near future drones may be used to deliver items and services. With this new technology, drones have their own set of benefits and drawbacks.

Pros of drone technology

  • Drones are used in a various sectors. They go to places that people find difficult to get.ย  For example, they can be used to quickly deliver medicines in hilly areas.
  • During natural disasters, drones can be used to deliver food. Not only can drones be used to distribute food, but they may also be used to locate and rescue those who are stuck. Drones can thereby save lives.
  • They can also be used in agriculture to disperse seeds, pollinate flowers, and identify crop diseases, and so on.
  • They can reduce human workload by performing monotonous chores such as delivering goods, sowing seeds, and so on.
  • Drones are extremely useful in substituting humans  for working in dangerous places such as mining.
  • Drones are being used in the military. By replacing humans, they can prevent or reduce the loss of life during wars.
  • They can also be used to provide internet access in remote areas.
  • Drones can replace various jobs, especially those that are monotonous. However, the good news is that drone technology is generating a lot more jobs in different sectors.
  • Drones are cost-effective. Many people who buy drones for personal use, for example, use them to take aerial shots. Taking aerial pictures used to be quite expensive before drones were affordable to the general people.

Cons of drone technology

  • Drones are vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
  • It’s possible that they’ll crash with flights.
  • Drones can be misused to stalk people, vandalize homes and  engage in a variety of other anti-social behaviour. There have been numerous instances where drones have posed a security threat.

Conclusion

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have a wide range of applications. Drones have the potential to transform a variety of industries. Many industries, including agriculture, construction, mining, and filmmaking, are already using them.

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)

What are Non-Fungible Tokens?

NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are units of data that are stored on a blockchain.  They are non-fungible, which means they cannot be replaced by another identical item, which means they are unique.

 For example, if an artist wishes to sell digital art online, he or she can convert it to NFT and then sell it. People can buy this artwork using cryptocurrency.  They will be the official owners of digital artworks if they buy them as NFTs. They can resell it to someone else for a higher price. So, there will be only one official owner for NFT at a time.

Any digital work/art can be converted into NFTs. Music, video clips, photos, URLs, tickets, and metaverse virtual lands are just a few examples of the things that are being converted into NFTs.

Ethereum was the first blockchain to support NFTs. Thatโ€™s why the Ethereum blockchain is mostly used for NFTs. Because of their growing popularity, several other blockchains are now adding support for NFTs.

The present situation

People are buying and selling NFTs through NFT marketplaces.Currently, the majority of NFTs are digital arts.

Bitcoin and Ethereum are cryptocurrencies that cannot be used for regular purchases. Only a few platforms, such as Xbox games and Overstock, accept cryptocurrency as a payment method. At present, cryptocurrencies are mostly used for trading.  So, people who own cryptocurrencies now have something to invest in: NFTs. So, some NFTs were sold for millions of dollars.  In February 2021, a Nyan cat gif that had been converted to NFT was sold for $58000. Another example is Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter, who sold his first tweet for $2.9 million. In August 2021, clip art of rock was sold for 400 ether  ($1.3 million).

They are digital assets, according to some. Several people who have bought NFTs have stated that they bought these as an investment in the hope that their value will increase in the coming days.

Benefits of Non-Fungible Tokens

  • NFTs enable artists to sell their paintings, music, and other works for a high price, which may not be possible before NFTs.
  • Even though at present NFTs are mostly used to sell digital artworks and video clips, they can also be used for a variety of other reasons such as preserving important documents.

Problems with Non-Fungible Tokens

  • The transaction of selling or buying an NFT consumes a lot of electricity. Because we are already fighting against climate change, this massive energy consumption is a serious problem.
  • The copies of digital artworks that were sold as NFTs are now available online and can be seen for free by anyone.
  • In the hope of becoming rich, many people are burning money to buy these overhyped digital artworks. Many will lose money when people lose interest in buying these NFTs. According to some, NFTs are a bubble that is going to burst.
  • The non-financial-transactions sector is mostly unregulated.
  • Hackers are stealing NFTs. They’re also sending malicious NFTs to steal cryptocurrencies. Recently, hackers stole $150k worth of crypto from Twitch co-founderโ€™s Fractal NFT project.

The future of Non-Fungible Tokens

The technology offers a wide range of applications for storing and transferring digital assets. NFTs are still new and the technology is still in its early phases. So, with the new developments, the energy consumption of NFT transactions may also be reduced.  Furthermore, the use of NFTs may increase.

Conclusion

Non-fungible tokens are unique pieces of data that are stored on a blockchain. Digital art, music, video clips, and tickets are just a few examples of the digital assets that are being transformed into NFTs. Some believe that this is a bubble  that will burst, while others believe that NFTs will drive the digital economy. The technology is still in its early phases, so we must wait and see how it evolves.

Benefits of Game-Based Learning

What is Game-Based Learning?

Game-based learning (GBL) is a teaching method that is designed to help students learn and explore certain subjects and acquire skills while playing the game. This type of game has defined learning outcomes and is designed to help students in remembering and applying the learning in the real world. Game-based learning defies the old school method of โ€˜rote memorizationโ€™, in which the focus is on learning by memorization and recall of information.

The core concept behind game-based learning is repetition, failure and the achievement of goals. Students work toward a goal. During the process, they choose actions and experience the consequences of those actions. While doing so, they actively participate, learn and practice the right way to do things.

Benefits of Game-Based Learning

1. Boost self-confidence

Motivation is one of the core benefits of game-based learning. ย As students progress through the game’s various stages, they feel a sense of accomplishment. Game-based learning has been shown to increase student’s self-confidence by 20%.

2. Sharpen Memory

According to studies, game-based learning sharpens memory by 90%. Because the principles are taught visually, this leads to better retention power.

3. Better Analytical Skills

Game-based learning encourages students to think critically and logically, allowing them to increase their analytical skills by four times more.ย 

4. Better Conceptual Knowledge

Game-based learning improves student’s conceptual understanding and knowledge by 11%. The game’s interactive aspects boost their degree of involvement and promote better learning.

5. Simplifies Complex Concepts

Theoretical concepts might be difficult to propagate. Games can be used to break them down into more manageable chunks. This trait of Game Based learning is also useful for students writing an expository essay as a college assignment.

6. Motivate towards completing tasks

Game-based learning keeps students engaged and allows them to accomplish three times as many activities as they would with traditional learning techniques.

7. Enhance real-world skills

Game-based learning encourages students to “learn by doing.” The learner gains a 20% better understanding of real-world applications through hands-on experience.

8. Inquiry-based learning

By performing certain actions and then understanding and facing the consequences of those actions, the learner takes an active role in acquiring knowledge.

9. Encourages Teamwork

Since game-based learning involves complex activities, the entire group canย  team up in the learning environment, conceptualize the potential results and offer their plans in solving the problems.

10. Provide immediate feedback

Students feel motivated when they get their scores immediately, pushing themselves to play until they get the perfect scores.

Conclusion

Game-based learning improves a student’s ability to acquire and retain new information. It helps students in learning new concepts, remembering them, and applying them when needed.

As a student, you can try to find games that are related to the subjects you are studying. You will notice a big change in your learning abilities as you dive deep into the virtual world of knowledge.

Web 3.0

Previous versions of Internet Era

Web 1.0: The first version of the web was started with the development of the web browser in 1991. It consisted of static websites with content written by a few people and organizations. Other people can only read the content, they cannot comment or provide new information, so it is just one-way communication. It worked very well but had one big problem there was no way to make money off it. For instance, a Web 1.0 startup called Google had heavy traffic, but couldn’t encash it.

Web 2.0: The next version of the web, which is web 2.0 was started approximately from 2004. It allowed consumers to add content through comments, blogs etc. People began creating a lot of content on social media websites as well. So, people can read and write on this version of the web, which allowed two-way communication.

What is Web 3.0 ?

Any innovation starts with a vision. So, many people had different version on how the next version of the web should be. The majority of them wanted a web that ensured data privacy and free speech. The invention of Blockchain technology, which enables peer-to-peer online payment transfers without the interference of banks, gave hopes of creating the decentralized web, where user privacy and free speech are guaranteed. The latest technologies, such as blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, are being used to create Web 3.0.

Web 3.0 is defined as a decentralized web, where content does not lie in the hands of big corporations. Instead, it uses peer-to-peer infrastructure, so the information cannot be censored by corporations or the government. So, it can ensure free speech.

However, the reality may or may not match the vision. It may change somewhat from the vision or take a whole different direction.

The vision of web 3.0

  • Web 3.0 will most likely be a decentralized internet. Now there are already so many Decentralized applications (dApps), which are based on blockchain technology to give more control to users over their data and finances.
  • As the data is not controlled by big companies, user privacy will be guaranteed.
  • The accuracy of the information may also be improved by making Artificial intelligence learn to distinguish between good and bad data. AI is already being used to accomplish this goal. Google, for example, uses Artificial Intelligence to delete millions of fake reviews.

  • Web 3.0 allows 3D graphics in apps. Big tech companies have already begun to invest metaverse โ€“ virtual environments. Some of the most popular metaverses include Decentraland, Sandbox, and CryptoVoxels. Metaverses are made possible with the help of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies. We may use our digital avatars to interact, shop, and play games in the virtual world. There, we can use cryptocurrencies for financial transactions.
  • Web 3.0 is already being included by several websites and apps. According to some experts, web 3.0 will not be able to totally replace web 2.0 in the near future. Instead, both will run simultaneously.

Challenges with Web 3.0

  • Vastness: The internet is huge and it contains billions of pages and the SNOMED CT medical terminology ontology alone includes 370,000 class names, and existing technology has not yet been able to eliminate all semantically duplicated terms.
  • Vagueness: User queries are not really specific and can be extremely vague at the best of times. Fuzzy logic is used to deal with vagueness.
  • Uncertainty: The internet deals with scores of uncertain values. For example, a patient might present a set of symptoms that correspond to many different distinct diagnoses each with a different probability. Probabilistic reasoning techniques are generally employed to address uncertainty.
  • Inconsistency: Inconsistent data can lead to logical contradiction and unpredictive analysis.

Conclusion

Web 3.0 is the next step in the internet’s evolution, and its foundations have already been set. According to current standards, web 3.0 will be a huge advance in network technology since it will be a hyper-intelligent network capable of understanding information like a human. Aside from the technological marvels proposed by web 3.0, it also proposes the application of certain ideas that will drastically alter existing mode of operation of today’s networks.  And we as the end-users will usher into a new era of networking, one that will further blur the lines between the physical and the digital space.

Biomedical Waste Crisis

The present situation

At present, there isย poor segregation of biomedical waste and other general solid waste. As a result, biomedical waste such as masks, gloves, and personal protective equipment (PPE) kits is mixed in with regular waste and ends up in landfills and open dump yards. This has an impact on the health of waste collectors as well as the environment.

In India, there are currently around 40 lakh garbage pickers. Due to the increasing biomedical waste in the time of the Covid pandemic, almost all are susceptible to health risks. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depositing biomedical waste in open dump yards might lead to the spread of drug-resistant bacteria.

As per the Central pollution control board (CPCB), 616 tons of biomedical waste was being generated per day in 2019. On an average, India generated about 183 tonnes of COVID-19 related bio-medical waste per day in September 2021.ย 

How to deal with biomedical waste

  • Rules on the segregation of biomedical waste from normal solid waste should be implemented strictly with hefty fines.
  • The general public should be educated on how to properly dispose of biomedical waste such as gloves and masks. According to the CPCB, Masks and gloves should be cut into pieces to prevent misuse, and garbage should be kept separate for 72 hours before being given to municipal workers in a separate bag.
  • Currently, India’s biomedical waste treatment facilities can manage 840 tons of medical waste per day. This capacity should be enhanced,ย and also they should be monitored well.
  • More investment and human resources should be brought into handling biomedical waste.
  • Greener options for destroying biomedical waste, such as bio-methanisation (converting biomedical waste into electricity), should be explored and implemented on a broad scale. The majority of biomedical waste is currently incinerated (destruction by burning).
  • Sanitation workers should be provided with protective equipment.
  • Regular checks on the disposal of biomedical waste at diagnostic centers and hospitals can help in the effective implementation of guidelines.

Reducing biomedical waste waste generation as much as possible by effective practices such as wearing cloth masks, reusable gloves, and so on can help in reducing the burden of the destruction of the biomedical waste.

Conclusion

More investment and human resources are needed to deal with the growing amount of biological waste. Effective management of biomedical waste is very essential to ensure a cleaner environment and healthy humans.

RSETI: Selfโ€“employment Programme for Rural Youths๏ฟผ

Unemployment in India is always a serious issue particularly in rural India as the scope is limited in rural areas. So launching of Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) of the Government of India is a praiseworthy step. MoRD was impressed by the Rural Development and Self Employment Training Institute (RUDSETI) model which was established in the year 1982 at Dharmasthala, Karnataka by Dr D Veerendra Heggade jointly with Syndicate Bank and Canara Bank. MoRD in 2009 advised all the banks to establish one RUDSETI type institute in all their Lead Districts under the banner of Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) (www.nacer.in/index_more.html).
It is pertinent to mention that RSETIs identify, orient, train and assist rural youth to take up self-employment as a source of livelihood. The youths in the age group of 18-45 years, irrespective of caste, creed or religion are eligible to undergo training at RSETI, which is free of cost. RSETI has been doing a commendable job in training and settlement of rural youths. The total number of training programmes organised from inception to 31 March 2020 was 1,26,556 where the number of youth trained was 35,00,770 during the same period and 24,41,083 (69.73%) youths were settled. Further, the number of functional RSETIs was 585 where altogether 29 banks weresponsored (www.nacer.in/performance_glance.html).
Each RSETI offers skill development programmes in a financial year in various avenues and in each batch 25-30 youths are selected for training. The programmes are of short duration ranging from 1 to 6 weeks. And to get a general idea few trades are mentioned below:
โ€ข Agricultural Programmes โ€“ agriculture and allied activities like dairy, poultry, apiculture, horticulture, sericulture, mushroom cultivation, floriculture, fisheries, etc
โ€ข Product Programme โ€“ dress designing for men and women, rexine articles, incense sticks manufacturing, football making, bag, bakery products, leaf cup making, recycled paper manufacturing, etc.
โ€ข Process Programmes โ€“ two wheeler repairs, radio/TV repairs, motor rewinding, electrical transformer repairs, irrigation pump-set repairs, tractor and power tiller repairs, cell phone repairs, beautician course, photography and videography, screen printing, domestic electrical appliances repair, computer hardware and DTP.
โ€ข General Programmes โ€“ skill development for women
โ€ข Other Programmes โ€“ related to other sectors like leather, construction, hospitality and any other sector depending on local requirements.
The author time to time studied many youths who were undergoing training and also collected data after training that were settled and found earning was substantial. Few names as evidence can be mentioned here: a) Adapa Kalpana (female) , Dharanikota village of Amaravathi Mandal, Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh ( year of study in 2016), b) Ashok Kumar ( Male/year of study July 2018), Hajpurwa village of Warisnagar block, Samastipur district of Bihar, c) Arati Mishra (female/ year of study July 2018) Nirpur village, Samastipur block, Samastipur district d) In 2017, the author studied some youths of Amritsar district, Punjab. The youths were Jasbir Kaur (female), Harjit Kaur (female), Mandip Kaur (female), Navneet Kaur e) In 2019 the author studied by visiting RSETI at Aurangabad district of Maharashtra. Names of some of the youths are Chhaya Bhalerao (female), Kalpana Jagannath Surase (female), Umesh Bhanudas Dhepe (male), f) In Darrang district of Assam names of some of the youths who were contacted in 2018 are Mousami Saikia Gogoi (female), Poly Seal (female), Mira Medhi, (female), Sabita Koch (female) and many others.
In addition, the author visited many RSETIs and cases collected about the youths trained and post-training settlement and earning of income. and found training and post-training settlement was praiseworthy.
It is suggested that wherever feasible RSETI may be started at the sub-division level.

Metaverse

What is Metaverse?

In metaverse, people can interact with each other using virtual and augmented reality technologies. It will result in forming the shared virtual world.

Metaverse is considered web 3.0. The earlier version of the internet which consisted of web pages that provided information is termed web 1.0. The next version consisted of interactive web pages. Now, web 3.0 will be a result of assimilating virtual reality and augmented reality in web 2.0.

We can shop, play games, buy things and own places in the metaverse. Several companies are creating gaming metaverses. The game ‘Second Life,’ which was released in 2003, can be considered an early version of the metaverse.

Benefits of Metaverse

  • It will be quite beneficial to host meetings. Video conferencing has some drawbacks, such as the lack of a personal connection. Metaverse will make us feel like we are sitting at the same place by interacting through digital avatars.
  • It will also help people with special needs.
  • It can also be used to help people overcome phobias.
  • It is expected that virtual currencies in the metaverse will significantly influence the world economy. Decentralization will reduce the dependence on governments.

Challenges with Metaverse

  • Few companies may control the metaverse and hence power and influence may stay in the hands of a few people.
  • Government surveillance and control could be increased by collaborating with businesses.
  • Addictions to the internet and smartphones are becoming common. As a result, it’s possible that virtual world addiction will become the next huge concern. Furthermore, metaverse consists of entertainment, shopping, games and many other things that are addictive in nature.
  • Even in this modern era, not everyone has access to the internet. Many people are digital illiterates. Due to the digital divide, the benefits of metaverse will not be accessible to many.

Conclusion

Some people believe that the metaverse will be the internet’s future. Many businesses are investing in the development of the metaverse. It is important to ensure that no monopoly exists in the shared virtual environment.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender’s Game is a 1985 military science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. The book originated as a short story of the same name, published in the August 1977 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact. The novel was published on January 15, 1985.

Reception of the book has been mostly positive. Ender’s Gameย was recognized as “best novel” by the 1985ย Nebula Awardย and the 1986ย Hugo Award in the genres of science fiction and fantasy.

Book Summary

This is a story about a boy named Ender who lives with his mother, father, and two older siblings, Peter and Valentine.  All of the children are intelligent, but Ender, unlike his siblings, seems to have the potential to be a brilliant military leader. As a result, he is taken away to be trained by Colonel Graff for the war against the buggers, an alien race looking to invade Earth.

When Ender arrives at battle school, he is put through a series of tests and introduced to various battle simulators, video game-like simulations of space battles.  He performs excellently and is assigned to one of the several armies. He is initially advised to remain out of the war games, but he discovers a superior winning strategy. Despite his success as a tactician, Ender is despised even more, but he does teach those who want to learn from him on the side.

Meanwhile, Peter and Valentine create fake personas and begin political discussions on the net.

After graduating early from battle school, Ender is trained on a dedicated battle simulator.  And when that becomes too easy, he trains with Mazer Rackham, an old war hero.

Under this new training, Ender is pushed to the limit and nearly breaks down as his battle simulations become increasingly more difficult.  

Ender finally has one last battle simulation that involves a planet and several thousand ships.  He wins the game, but then is told that all of it was real.  That he was commanding real ships in what he thought was a simulation.

Ender is proclaimed a hero, but still fears Peter, who has great political influence on Earth.  In the end, Ender finds a bugger cocoon and takes it with him as he travels in space with Valentine.

Analysis

There’s a lot to say about this story, but what draws my interest and attention is the idea of using children in intergalactic war.

Throughout the story, it is sometimes difficult to remember that most of the main characters are children.  In Ender’s society, children are often forced into maturing quickly for military endeavours.  

But why children?  Isn’t it more practical to train more physically mature people to fight? The explanation given is that the military wants individuals who are willing to react to situations without thinking about the consequences.  Children are able to act this way because they haven’t lived long enough to understand the scope and bigger consequences of their actions.  

While cruel, this type of thinking is valuable and necessary in the battle against the buggers because of how the buggers learn and adapt.

Also, a lot of the battles are battle simulations, or at least perceived as battle simulations to the children.  It’s this perception of a game that allows the children to learn, strategize, and take risks that would not be possible had they known it was happening in real time, which says a lot about how children learn and how humans learn in general. 

LAND POLLUTION:

The degradation of the earthโ€™s land surfaces, both above and below ground level, is referred to as land pollution.

Land pollution occurs when trash, compost, and other toxins are dumped on the land, contaminating or polluting it. Land pollution is caused by human activities such as littering and waste washed ashore from boats, oil rigs, and sewage treatment plants.

The accumulation of solid and liquid waste products, which contaminate groundwater and soil, is the cause. The greater the permeability of the soil, the greater the risk of land contamination.

THE MAIN CAUSES OF LAND POLLUTION:

Litter 

Littering, the improper disposal of waste products, is unfortunately common. Every cigarette butt tossed on the ground or food wrapper tossed out of a car window is a small contribution to a monumental issue. According to Keep America Beautiful, 76% of litter found on roadways is from pedestrians and motorists. Not all litter, however, is intentional. A large volume of litter also comes from unsecured items that fall off the back of vehicles or out of trash receptacles. 

All litter, whether intentional or not, causes pollution by releasing chemicals and microparticles as it degrades. Check out our blog post on littering to learn more about the effects of littering and how to reduce it in your community. 

Urbanization and Construction

While urbanization is not in itself littering, large quantities of people living, producing trash and littering in a dense area does inevitably lead to land pollution. To accommodate this increased population, construction activities also occur, which result in large waste materials, such as metal, plastic, wood, and bricks. When these materials are not properly disposed of, it contributes to the land pollution of that area. 

To help reduce the environmental impact of construction sites, itโ€™s important to work with partners that offer comprehensiveย builder solutions to achieve cost-effective construction recycling and waste disposal plans.ย 

Mining

Mining is the extraction of minerals and other geological materials from the ground, which are then used for a wide range of purposes, including but not limited to, producing gasoline for automobiles, generating electricity, and selling materials such as gold and silver. This extraction and the methods used, however, deplete the earth of its natural resources and cause damage and pollution in its wake. Thatโ€™s why finding alternatives for energy (think solar and wind power) that arenโ€™t mined from the earthโ€™s surface are so vital in helping to reduce land pollution moving forward.

Agriculture 

Agriculture is foundational for both everyday life, as well as the economy as a whole. It also, however, can have profound effects on the planet. Agricultural pollution occurs when contamination created as a by-product of raising livestock and growing food crops is released into the environment, and the contamination is vast. 

EFFECTS OF LAND POLLUTION :

Land pollution touches essentially every area of the living world, including:

  • Water that isnโ€™t safe to drink.
  • Polluted soil, which leads to a loss of fertile land for agriculture.
  • Climate change, which causes an onslaught of disastrous problems, including flash floods and irregular rainfallsย .
  • The endangerment and extinction of species in wildlife.
  • Habitat shifting, where some animals are forced to flee where they live in order to survive.
  • An increase in wildfires, due to polluted areas often becoming very dry
  • Increased air pollution, which burning waste contributes to.

Published by

Ayisha Shabana…..

Aggression in Sports

Aggression is inherent in animals and in human beings because biologically it serves an important purpose of facilitating organisms struggle for existence.

Aggression is a part of human behaviour and is accepted as social phenomenon to some extent but beyond that aggression becomes an anti social behaviour intended to harm others. 

Types of Aggression

  1. Hostile aggression: intent to harm, goal to harm, anger
  2. Instrumental aggression: intent to harm, goal to win, no anger
  3. Assertive aggression: no intent to harm, legitimate force, unusual effort and energy expenditure

Reflections of Aggression in Various Sports

In sports, the following five levels of aggression are recorded:

1) Direct and strong aggression in boxing, wrestling, American football.

2) Limited aggression in football, hockey, water polo etc.

3) Indirect aggression in handball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis etc.

4) Aggression directed only against objects in golf, throwing events in track & field.

5) Little observable aggression in gymnastics, figure skating, aesthetic events etc.

Effect of Aggression on Performance

  1. Aggression results in a decrement in performance of individual as well as team as whole. 
  2. The level of frustration produced by the particular situation usually determines the amount of aggression.
  3. There are some factors that influence aggression in sports are:
    • Win-at-all-cost
    • Perceived intention of the opponents
    • The reinforcement of violent behaviour by the coach
    • Spectators effects
    • Maturity and standard of players
    • High incentives
    • Rise of professionalism

How to Reduce Aggression in Sports

1) Most influential people actually promote rather than discourage violence because they believe it sells tickets. If this attitude is curtailed then it is possible to minimize aggression.

2) Anger behaviour and feelings can be modified through anger awareness training and role playing.

3) Athletes can learn to control their feelings of hostility and anger.

4) Athletes who engage in aggressive act must be severely penalised. 

5) Coaches who encourage should be fined or suspended from their coaches duty.

6) External stimuli capable of evoking hostile aggression on the field of play should be removed.

7) Coaches and referees should be encouraged to attend in-service training workshops on dealing with aggression on the part of players.

8) Social interaction between members of opposing teams should be encouraged by coaches and managers.

Development

Development has been a topic of discussion and debate since several decades. It has a very deep meaning. When we talk about development of a particular thing, we should know itโ€™s roots first. We need to understand 3 aspects of that object:-

  1. First existence:- where or how it came into existence?
  2. How it evolved with the passage of time? 
  3. Itโ€™s current stage.

These are the three aspects that determines rate of development. 

Development at personal level:-

Self development and analysis plays a cruicial role in personality development. It means evolution of our understanding and knowledge. When we were kids, we were dumber and easily manipulated. But as of now, we know whatโ€™s for our well being and whatโ€™s not. This growth is defined as development. Thereโ€™s an ethical side of development too. For instance, if someone act rudely unnecessarily, we should confront them straight in the most decent way possible rather than abusing them, no matter what, we should not be unnecessarily cruel to anyone. This understanding can be a part of development as well. 

Development as a whole:-

The term national development is very comprehensive. It includes all aspects of the life of an individual and the nation.It is holistic in approach. It is a process of reconstruction and development in various dimensions of a nation and development of individuals. It includes full-growth and expansion of our industries, agriculture, education, social, religious and cultural institutions. Moreover, national development implies development of a nation as a whole. It can be best defined as the all-round and balanced development of different aspects and facets of the nation viz. political, economic, social, cultural, scientific and material. 

John Vaizey, noted economist defines:

โ€œNational development is the total effect of all citizen forces and addition to the stock of physical, human resources, knowledge and skill.โ€

Broadly, development of the nation encapsulates such parameters as:

(i) Development through a planned national economy

(ii) Increase in agricultural production through application of modern technical 

(iii) Harnessing industrial production

(iv) Development of human resource

(v) Application of science and technology in production sector

(vi) Provision of mass education and

(vi) Provision of various facilities to meet the needs and aspirations of disadvantaged, deprived and poorest of the poor segments of population.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Bridge to Terabithia is one of the most classic books you may ever read about friendship, imagination, and loss. And, with all of these elements, the book won Katherine Paterson her first Newbery Medal in 1978 (she won another for Jacob Have I Loved in 1981). The novel won a lot of other honors, too, including being named an ALA Notable Children’s Book in 1977 and a School Library Journal Best Book of 1977.

Summary

This is a story about a boy named Jessie who lives with his family in a small town called Lark Creek and has a hard family life. He likes to draw and to run, and is kind of lonely; he’s out-of-place in his family and the only person he really gets along with is his little sister May Belle. He’s about to enter the fifth grade and has been training all summer to be the fastest runner in school.  

The Burke family moves in next door.  Their daughter, Leslie, is creative and smart and becomes Jessie’s classmate.

When the big day of the race arrives at school, however, Jessie gets beaten by Leslie. And, at first Jess is crushed, but later he and Leslie end up becoming good friends.

Since they’re both outcasts, Jess and Leslie spend a lot of time together. They take over a part of a nearby forest that’s only accessible by swinging on a rope over the creek, and name it Terabithia. In this imaginary land, they are king and queen. They can escape from the bullies and the boredom of fifth grade, and dream all they like. When Janice Avery, the resident bully, takes May Belle’s Twinkies, Jess and Leslie get revenge by writing her a fake love note and humiliating her.

The most of the school year has passed. Jess gives Leslie a puppy for Christmas, and she becomes a member of their Terabithia kingdom. They also assist Leslie’s father with the construction of their new home. When they discover Janice the bully is truly upset, they work together to comfort her.

By Easter, it’s been raining continuously for a month and crossing the creek to Terabithia has gotten more difficult. Leslie attends Easter service with Jess’s family. After the service, Leslie and Jess, along with May Belle, debate whether people who do not believe in the Bible go to hell.

One day after Easter, Jess thinks it’s too dangerous to go to Terabithia, with all of the rain that’s been coming down. But he forgets about it when Miss Edmunds, the school music teacher, calls and invites him to a museum with her. He goes and has one of the best days of his life. However, when he returns home, he discovers that Leslie had gone to Terabithia without him and died while attempting to cross the creek.

At first, Jess refuses to believe it. In meeting with Leslie’s parents and spending time with her dog, he slowly begins to understand what he’s lostโ€ฆbut also what he gained by having Leslie in his life at all.

He goes to Terabithia to try to figure out what’s going on, but his younger sister follows him and nearly drowns in the water. In rescuing her he realizes that  he has gained some of Leslie’s bravery.

Later, Jess returns to Terabithia and constructs a bridge across the creek. When May Belle follows him again, he welcomes her to Terabithia and guides her across the bridge.

Review

Despite portraying the power of imagination and the innocence of childhood, this is not really a children’s book in my opinion as it touches upon various adult-related themes and challenges many of the social conventions established in society.ย ย It displays unusual relationships that children may not understand.ย  Of course, by that fact alone, it does not make the book false or bad, just, shall we say, unique.ย ย 

And of course, there is death.ย  One of the main characters in the story dies.ย  How is a child supposed to react to this?ย  How do children react to the death of someone they know?ย  There doesn’t seem to be a real answer presented to us from the author, but maybe the lack of an answer through Jessie’s struggles to come to understand his situation is relatable enough for children.ย 

All of these may fly over the heads of children. I do not know how children would take the book or what they would think but other than that it is a great read!

AIR POLLUTION

The presence of materials in the air in such a concentration, which are harmful to man and the environment is called air pollution.

About 1ร—10^12 tons of emission enter air annually, of which 5ร—10^8 tons are emitted by man and the remaining by natural air pollution. Many pollutants do not rise above 600 meters of earth’s surface or they are diluted. So, air pollution affects locally than globally. All living organisms inhale a large quantity of air. An average human being breaths 22,000 times a day, inhaling 16kg of oxygen. About 98% of the total air pollution is accounted by the following pollutants globally. CO-52%, SO2-18%, Hydro carbons-12%, Particulars-10% and oxides of Nitrogen-6%. These pollutants are derived from natural sources and human activity. The surface of our planet consists of 78% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.03% CO2, water vapours and other gases. In addition, to these gases, particular matter such as pollen grains , dust algae, bacteria and spores of fungi causing different odours, vapours and fumes prevail in the air. Some of the substances are harmful to living organisms. The atmosphere is being continuously polluted with harmful materials by the activity of man.

TYPES OF AIR POLLUTION:

There are two basic types of pollutants in the air. They are known as primary pollutants and secondary pollutants.

Primary pollutants enter the air directly. Some are released by natural processes, like ash from volcanoes. Most are released by human activities.
Carbon oxides are released when fossil fuels burn.
Nitrogen oxides form when nitrogen and oxygen combine at high temperatures. This occurs in hot exhausts from vehicles, factories, and power plants.
Sulfur oxides are produced when sulfur and oxygen combine. This happens when coal that contains sulfur burns.
Toxic heavy metals include mercury and lead. Mercury comes from smokestacks. Both metals have industrial uses.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are carbon compounds, such as methane. VOCs are released by many human activities. Raising livestock, for example, produces a lot of methane.
Particulates are solid particles. These particles may be ash, dust, or even animal wastes. Many are released when fossil fuels burn.
Secondary pollutants form from primary pollutants. Many occur as part of photochemical smog. This type of smog is seen as a brown haze in the air. Photochemical smog forms when certain pollutants have a chemical reaction in the presence of sunlight. Photochemical smog consists mainly of ozone (O3). Ozone near the ground is a pollutant (Figure below). This ozone is harmful to humans and other living things. However, ozone in the stratosphere protects Earth from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation.

SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION:

โ€œMost air pollution comes from energy use and production,โ€ says John Walke, director of the Clean Air Project, part of the Climate and Clean Energy program at NRDC. โ€œBurning fossil fuels releases gases and chemicals into the air.โ€ And in an especially destructive feedback loop, air pollution not only contributes to climate change but is also exacerbated by it. โ€œAir pollution in the form of carbon dioxide and methane raises the earthโ€™s temperature,โ€ Walke says. โ€œAnother type of air pollution, smog, is then worsened by that increased heat, forming when the weather is warmer and thereโ€™s more ultraviolet radiation.โ€ Climate change also increases the production of allergenic air pollutants, including mold (thanks to damp conditions caused by extreme weather and increased flooding) and pollen (due to a longer pollen season).

Global Warming

Global warming refers to the gradual rise in the overall temperature of the atmosphere of the Earth. There are various activities taking place which have been increasing the temperature gradually. Global warming is melting our ice glaciers rapidly. This is extremely harmful to the earth as well as humans. It is quite challenging to control global warming; however, it is not unmanageable. The first step in solving any problem is identifying the cause of the problem. Therefore, we need to first understand the causes of global warming that will help us proceed further in solving it.ย ย 

Causes of Global Warming

1. Oil and Gas

Oil and Gas is used all the time in almost every industry. It is mostly used in automobiles, buildings, manufacturing, and the electricity production. When we burn coal, oil and gases it largely adds to the climate problem.  Fossil fuel consumption is also harmful to wildlife and the environment because of its toxicity, which kills plant life and makes areas uninhabitable.

2. Deforestation

Deforestation is the clearing of woodland and forest for the purpose of harvesting wood or making space for farms or ranches. Because trees and forests convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, when they are cut down, the stored carbon is released into the atmosphere. Deforestation can also occur naturally which has a greater effect because of the fumes released from the fire.

3. Wasteย ย 

Humans create more waste now than ever before, because of the amount of packaging used and the short life cycle of products. Many products, garbage, and packaging are not recyclable, resulting in their disposal in landfills. When landfill waste decomposes/breaks down, hazardous gases are released into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

4. Power Plantsย 

Power plants work by burning fossil fuels, and as a result, they emit a variety of pollutants. The p ollution they produceย  that not only ends up in the atmosphere but also in waterways, contributing significantly to global warming. Coal combustion in power plants is responsible for around 46% of total carbon emissions.

5. Oil Drillingย 

Oil drilling is responsible for 30 % of methane emissions and about 8% of carbon dioxide emissions. Oil drilling is a method of extracting petroleum oil hydrocarbons from the ground. As a result of this process, additional gases are released into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. It is also harmful to wildlife and the environment.

6. Transport and Vehiclesย 

The large amount of transportation is done through cars, planes, boats and trains, almost all of which rely on fossil fuels to run. Carbon and other pollutants are released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. As a result, transportation is partly responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions. This effect could be reduced with the introduction of electric vehicles.

7. Consumerismย 

Customers may buy any goods at any time because of technological and industrial advancements. This means that we are producingย  more and more goods each year, and now we are overproducing them. The majority of the products we buy aren’t very sustainable, hence we’re producing more waste than ever before due to the shorter lifespan of electronics and textiles.

8. Farming

Because farming consumes a lot of green land, local habitats may be devastated to make room for farming. These animals emit a large number of greenhouse gases, such as methane, and they also produce a large amount of trash. Factory farming is responsible for even more climate issues because of the extra pollution it produces and the more animals it can hold.

9. Industrializationย 

Industrialization has a number of negative consequences. All of the waste generated by this industry ends up in landfills or in our environment. Chemicals and materials used in industrialization have the potential to damage both the atmosphere and the soil underneath it.

10. Overfishing

Fish is one of humans main sources of protein and a lot of the world now rely on this industry. The amount of people buying and consuming fish has resulted in a decrease in marine life. Overfishing has also resulted in a loss of ocean variety. 

Ways to Prevent Global Warming

There are many changes we can bring about in our life both big and small to prevent global warming and save our planet. Firstly, we must stop deforestation in all forms. Do not cut down more trees as it will only worsen the level of carbon dioxide in the air. Instead, encourage people to plant even more trees to create a fine balance in nature.

Moreover, it reduces the usage of energy everywhere. It does not matter if you are at your home or at your office, the higher the energy used the more the carbon dioxide produced. Thus, do not waste electricity as it requires the burning of fossil fuels. As a result of the burning of fossil fuels, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increase rapidly and contribute to global warming. Moreover, reduce the carbon footprint and do not travel through planes that often.

Most importantly, replace all your ordinary bulbs with LED lights. It will help in reducing the use of energy by a massive amount. Similarly, do not waste that energy. Instead of becoming more dependent, we need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and electricity right away.

OTT Platforms: Why Are They So Popular?

What is An OTT Platform?

An over-the-top (OTT) media service is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the internet without the traditional use of cable/satellite.

Overโ€“theโ€“top media services (OTT) platforms have become quite popular since the last few years. Due to COVID-19 outbreak in the country, many filmmakers are now releasing their movies on major OTT platforms, instead of waiting for the theatres to re-open.

Your Complete Guide to Over-The-Top (OTT) Advertising

REASON FOR RAPID GROWTH OF OTT PLATFORMS

1) Affordable Subscription-Based Service:

Most OTT platforms offer very pocket-friendly subscriptions. For example, the leading OTT player in the market, Netflix offers an Rs.149 subscription for mobile users in India. The variety of content offered for prices as low as that beats PayTV/Cable subscriptions by miles and we are not complaining.

2) Ease of Viewing Across Devices:

Another major point in favor of OTT platforms is that you are not stuck in front of TV or praying for good weather before the match starts because even the tiniest of raindrops render the UFO-like dish antennas useless. OTT platforms work across smartphones, smart TVs or laptops as long as you have a valid subscription.ย 

3) Ad-Free Streaming Experience:

This one is one big reason why OTT Platforms are getting more popularity than televisions and stuff. Wasting 15 minutes on seeing add is as irritating as it sounds. Plus it interrupts the interest while watching something. That is why the ad-free streaming experience is what viewers are investing their money and time for.

4) Flexible Subscription Models:

Unlike satellite TV/Cable subscriptions where they keep confusing you with choices that are barely any different from one another, OTT platforms offer straight-forward subscriptions. You get an all-access pass with only one subscription for Amazon Prime, whether monthly or yearly. Netflix offers multiple choices depending on how many screens are being used.

5) Ease Of Payment:

All your payments can be made online using debit/credit cards, online wallets or UPI payment options, or your Amazon pay wallet if itโ€™s your Prime subscription. You get reminders over texts/emails before your subscription expires unlike Cable TV alerts on your TV screens that leave you more pissed off than mindful. You also donโ€™t have to run to your local operator or spend hours on the phone any time the service is disrupted, which is a rare possibility in itself.

6) Better Choice Of Content:

The major reason most of us have taken to OTT platforms is definitely how different and fresh the content is as compared to satellite TV channels. On OTT platforms like Prime and Netflix, you can watchย  pretty much anything from movies to web series to original content. Set your filters and let the algorithm recommend possibilities for compiling a list of your favourite shows to binge-watch on the weekends or late at night whenever you want, rather than waiting for it to air on the television. The originality of content is a major factor, just as much as the fact that we finally have the option to watch shows from all over the world and not just from your own country.

7) Convenience:

The best thing about the OTT platform is that it is differentiated from a normal TV set, it is based on the following slogan: โ€œAnytime, Anywhere, Everyoneโ€

  • Anytime โ€“ The user can watch their favourite shows at any time, because the shows are already on the web, except for just a few clicks;
  • Anywhereโ€“ User can watch shows anywhere, the only requirement is a gadget and internet facility (in case of online streaming otherwise shows can be downloaded also);
  • Everyoneโ€“ Any person with any gadget can access the platform. You just need to create an account on that platform and can use it.

8) Quality and Fresh Content:

The OTT platform gives you the option to watch anything. People are also attracted to these platforms because they are tired of traditional TV serial especially Indian serial which is endless. The growing demand for fresh and original content has been addressed by these OTT platforms.

9) The World Is On Your Screen:

OTT service providers have done away with any remaining geographical barriers when it comes to the distribution of content. Now we can watch global shows at the exact same time as the rest of the world, or even premier football league matches! Similarly, even audio content distributors now finally have a global audience, leading to a tremendous rise in both revenues as well as growth opportunities.

10) Functional User-Friendly Interface:

Last but not the least, the use of AI technology in OTT platforms have created a far superior user interface experience than what traditional TV could even get close to. You see suggestions based on your browsing history and your preferred genres as soon as you launch the respective apps, as well as get alerted to upcoming launches, thereby engaging the users better without forcing them to constantly reach out for the remote control to change the channels.

With an increasing demand for content on OTT platforms, we can expect quite a few more media giants to jump on the OTT wagon. Given the potential for growth and promises of better content, it is safe to assume that OTT platforms are not going out of trend any time soon.

These are some of the epic reasons of why the OTT platforms are gaining such popularity than any other infotainment platforms.

LET’S DEAL WITH IT….

So what kind of relationship do you have with yourself? How do you treat yourself? Society has always given importance to relationships, but we are never enlightened about the relationship that we must have with ourselves.
Hey, you are a loser!
No, you canโ€™t do it!
You are dreadful!
Visualize someone saying this to you. How will you feel? Hostile! And when you say them to yourself thenโ€ฆ?
Yes, you can have a toxic relationship with yourself.

Signs of a toxic relationship:-
1. YOU UNDERESTIMATE YOURSELF A LOT!
I know many incidents might have happened in your life that pushed you back to underestimate your worth.
2. YOU DON’T ENJOY IT!
When itโ€™s time to have fun, then thoughts of your failure trigger you.
3. BRUTAL TO YOURSELF!
Ok, so some of the past happenings where you faced criticzm can turn you to a cruel person towards yourself.
If a person was sexually abused in his/her childhood and only that person knows about it, he/she has never communicated about that with anyone then imagine what he/she may be going through? That experience can turn him/her into a cruel person.
But the truth is that no one will understand the reason for that kind of behaviour. So, there may be many occurrences that happen in your life that you donโ€™t disclose to others, these turn you to behave in a certain way. I believe that an individualโ€™s behaviour is framed by the kind of incidents that happen in his\her life but no one will judge you on that basis.

What to do then?
๏ถ JUST EXPRESS YOUR FEELINGS
Never suppress your feelings. Share your feelings with someone whom you think will understand you. But most of us donโ€™t feel comfortable articulating our feelings. So just write down whatever you are feeling. Just write down those failures, those past experiences. Start writing journal. Trust me, you will start feeling better.
๏ถLIST ALL YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS
Next, you can do is list down all the achievements. Ok, so now most of you may think, what achievements are you talking about? We haven’t achieved anything great. Even making your bed, getting a good score, cooking a meal for yourself, these all are small achievements and when you start counting them, you will start feeling good about yourself.

There may be situations when you are around toxic people who are turning you toxic as well, then just remember that no one is going to come to take you out from that situation.
Believe it or not, itโ€™s a fact that no one is going to believe you till you achieve something, for achieving something in life you have to believe in yourself. No matter how much your inner self reminds you of your past experiences, your failures, embarrassments, you have to push yourself away from all these, just work on yourself, JUST START, eventually, you will develop that confidence that will make you believe in yourself. Only you can take care of your mental health, donโ€™t destroy it because of negative self-talk. Pretend to be the happiest in your worst phase of life till now, it may sound weird but I have tried this and it worked out very well for me. Initially, you will find it difficult and when you will start pretending then eventually you will be really happy. When life gives you lemons, why only make lemonade, make whatever you think will be the best for you! ๐Ÿ™‚