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Today’sMeeting Link

16-09-21

3 PM

https://zoom.us/j/98619567328?pwd=SFQ2RVlmdEVLdUV2aUNodGhKMWROdz09

Bharti Airtel’s credit rating of “BBB-” was maintained by S&P on Thursday, with the outlook raised to stable from negative, suggesting the company’s improved financial position and ability to repay debt. Bharti Airtel’s Indian mobile business is expected to grow at a solid rate, according to S&P, although there will be no across-the-board tariff changes and growth would be slower than in fiscal 2021. “Bharti Airtel’s outlook was changed from negative to stable by S&P Global Ratings. At the same time, we reaffirmed Bharti Airtel’s ‘BBB-‘ long-term issuer credit rating and ‘BBB-‘ issuer credit rating on its senior unsecured notes. The ‘BB’ issue rating on the subordinated perpetual securities (PERPS) it guarantees was also confirmed “According to S&P’s credit rating report.

In August, the country’s fuel demand increased by 10.9 percent over the same month the previous year. According to data from the energy ministry’s Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell, fuel consumption, which is a proxy for oil demand, totaled 16 million tonnes (PPAC). Petrol sales in August were 13 percent higher than a year before, at 2.69 million tonnes. The demand for gasoline is expected to rise at a rapid pace. As more people bought personal vehicles to avoid taking public transportation during the Covid-19 outbreak, demand for gasoline has also surged. Meanwhile, sales of cooking gas or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) grew by 2.3% to 2.33 million tonnes, while sales of naphtha declined by 5.1% to 1.02 million tonnes.

By reading the title you must be thinking that what is the introduction about. A very important part of our lives which has lessons, memories, friends, guidance and path for a better future. Yes I think you must have guessed it…. It’s our schools, colleges and universities in which a major part of our lives is invested. We learn, innovate and implement the things with confidence in our lives and everyone has gone through this phase!…

Schools – What should write about it. For me it’s a place where a child is able to see a new world rather than family members. He is surrounded by unfamiliar and unknown faces. He has to prove himself there with his own sense and knowledge. School is always said to be a temple of learning and it is very true. We make mistakes and our teachers are present right at the moment to guide us and nurture us by what they have learnt with all their efforts for everyone at the same time.

Colleges and universities- The place where the competition begins and a teenager chooses his particular stream to build a better future. They provide the confidence to present things in the most effective way so that our knowledge and experiences are utilised. A vast area for ourselves to involve in more and more activities and create the ability to think. It provides a discussion about the topic and understanding it by the depth. The courses are available for everyone in any field they want to pursue.

This was a short detail about school, colleges and universities in our lives. Teenagers can easily develop and learn things. They can innovate things in a better version that may lead to a successful life. I hope you will relate this to your school and college days and smile a little more thinking about the memories.

Thank you !!!!!!

My another article is about education and academic news. Education is one of the most important pillar in the life of an individual. An educated person is respected everywhere. Every organization appoints such a person who can be an asset for the organization in the long time. Education is important for everyone and it’s the fundamental right of every child to access it.

Education – A major transformation has been taken place in the field of academics. The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) , which was approved by the Union Cabinet Of India in 29 July 2020, outlines the vision of India’s new education system. The new policy replaces the previous National Policy on Education, 1986. The policy is a comprehensive framework for elementary education to higher education as well as vocational training in both rural and urban India. The policy aims to transform India’s education system by 2040.

Vision – National Education Policy 2020 envisions an India – centric education system that contributes directly to transforming our nation sustainably into an equitable and knowledge society by providing high quality education to all. The National Education Policy 2020 has “emphasised” on the use of mother language or local language as the medium of instruction till Class 5 while, recommending it’s continuance till Class 8 beyond. Sanskrit and foreign languages will also be given emphasis. The policy recommends that all students will learn three languages in their school under the ‘formula ‘. At least two of the three languages should be native to India. It also states that now language will be imposed on the students.

Conclusion – The Policy focussed on all the levels of education and recommended prior changes that will be helpful to students in future. The basic idea is to generate competition and feeling of decision making since childhood. Every form of education (since childhood to Masters) is categorized and formed. Hope you will read more about it and clear your doubts.

Thank you for today!!!!!

So today we will talk and know about UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hampi is famous for its ruins belonging to erstwhile medieval Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar. The temples of Hampi, it’s monolithic sculptures and monuments, attract the traveler because of their excellent workmanship. The Hindu style of architecture found at Hampi reflects the splendor of the Vijayanagar Empire. The rugged landscape adds to the historic ambiance of this site.

Location – Hampi is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the eastern part of central Karnataka near the state border with Andhra Pradesh. It is 376 kilometers from Bengaluru, and 165 kilometers from Hubli, and 13 km from Hospet (Railway Station). It is located on top of the rugged terrain and is 467 m above sea level.

History – The first settlement in Hampi dates back to 1st Century AD and several Buddhist sites belonging to that time have been found nearby. Hampi was the capital of the mighty Vijayanagar Empire. Vijayanagar was one of the largest Hindu empires in India. Two brothers, Harihar and Bukka , founded it in 1336. Krishnadevaraya (1509-1529) was the greatest ruler and controlled almost all of peninsular India south of Tungabhadra River.

Town – The town of Hampi in the 14th century had a population of half a million people. Seven concentric lines of fortifications protected the city. It maintained a huge army to protect it from other kingdoms. Vijayanagar Empire flourished, as it controlled both cotton and spice trade routes of southern India. Medieval historians refer to Hampi as an important center of trade. However the glory was short – lived and the empire was destroyed in 1565.

Main attractions – Hampi is famous for Purandara Festival . This annual festival is held in January – February in the Vittal temple to celebrate the birth anniversary of the medieval poet – composer, Purandar. The best time to visit Hampi is from October to March. I hope by reading about Hampi you will like to visit this place once…!!!

Thank you… Keep reading…..

So today’s post is about you, about us. I mean about our personality , about our identity, our views , our behavior, etc. Personality development encompasses the dynamic construction and deconstruction of integrative characteristics that distinguish an individual in terms of interpersonal behavioral traits.

Indeed , personality development is ever -changing and subject to contextual factors and life altering experiences. Personality development is also dimensional in description and subjective in nature. The dominant viewpoint in personality psychology indicates that personality emerges early and continues to develop across one’s lifespan.

We all possess certain personality traits that set us apart from the rest. A mix of good and bad, these traits define how we respond to situations and people. Now I tell 13 personality development ‘tips’. I hope you will enjoy reading it and become the most terrific version of you.

13 ways of personality development :

• Know you are incomparable – Know that you and the other person are unique and are just incomparable
• Be kind to yourself – Self compassion brings positive traits in life.
• Give space to imperfections – Find your peace amidst the world’s flaws even as you strive to make a change.
• Be spontaneous – Spontaneity makes one to be fun around and be per cent aware in the present moment.
• Be light in mind and heart – Be happy and don’t overthink and overanalyze yourself.
• Stay enthusiastic – Enthusiasm is infectious and appealing so one must never give up enthusiasm.
• Be a better communicator – A skillful communicator can win over people and adverse situations through his words.
• Be warm and approachable – We all like people whom we can easily mingle and talk to. Be friendly and be ready to share and help.
• Do things with style – Doing things with style adds zing to your personality. At the same time, stay relaxed.
• Learn to let go – After you’re done with your task, let go of your attachment with the result.
• Be a lion in the face of danger – Don’t give into pressure and face every challenge confidently.
• Stay calm with the power of breath – Being calm strengthens one’s personality and your stress will diminish.
• Remember you’re a proton! – A proton never lose its positivity, nor can you. Your inner core continues to radiate positivity.

That’s all for today hope you will like it!! Thank you…

Ozone layer depletion

Ozone is a form of oxygen (O3). In the stratosphere (Ozonosphere),ozone blocks out the sun’s ultraviolet rays and is a life saver.

Ozone as a natural sun block

The electromagnetic radiation emitted from the sun includes ultraviolet radiation, which is potentially harmful to most living things since it can damage DNA. The ozone layer screen out the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. Even 1% reduction in the amount of ozone in the upper stratosphere causes a measurable increase in the ultraviolet radiation that reaches the earth surface. If there was a no ozone at all ,the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaches us would be catastrophically high. All living things would suffer radiation burns,unless they were underground, or in the sea.

In the stratosphere, small amount of ozone are constantly being made by the action of sunlight on oxygen. At the same time, ozone is being broken down by natural processes. The total amount of ozone usually stays constant because its formation and destruction occur at about the same rate. But unfortunately human activity has recently changed that natural balance. Some manufactured substances such as chloroflurocarbons and hydrochloroflurocarbons can destroy stratosphere ozone much faster than it is formed.

Ozone hole

Ozone loss was first detected in the stratosphere over the Antarctic. The part of the atmosphere where Ozone is most depleted is referred as ” Ozone hole” but it is not a real hole just a vast region of the upper atmosphere where there is less Ozone than elsewhere.

Ozone-poor air can spread out from the polar regions and move above others areas. In addition, direct Ozone less elsewhere is slowly increasing.

Ozone-poor air can spread out from the polar regions and move above other areas. In addition, direct Ozone depleted area is also slowly increasing.

Reason for Antarctic Ozone hole

Scientific observation prove that the ozone hole formed over Antarctic is due to compounds of chlorine and bromine formed in the atmosphere. Nearly all of the chlorine and half of the bromine in the stratosphere comes from the human activities. The chlorofluorocarbons released due to human activities get transported up into the upper stratosphere.

The most common ozone depleting substances (ODS) are chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) or freon gases,certain bromine compounds, nitrogen oxides and methyl bromide. These compounds are liberally released from air-conditioners,freezers,foam insulation, aerosol products, industrial solvents, fire extinguishers and pesticides.

Effects of ozone depletions

If the ozone is depleted more ultraviolet radiation (especially ultraviolet B (UVB) will reach the earth’s surface.

Effect on plants – will affect crop yield and forest productivity.

Effect on animals – will cause damage to fish larvae and other Small animals.

Effect on human health – results in non – melanoma skin cancer and melanoma ,acute erythemia(sun burn), ocular abnormalities, cataract,poor immune responses.

Preventing ozone depletion

1. CFC’s ( Chloro Fluoro Carbons) should be replaced by HCFC’s (Hydro Chloro Fluro Carbons). If over used could damage ozone, HFC’s ( Hydro Flouro Carbons), Hydrocarbons such as butane and propane ( but flammable and poisonous), Ammonia ( must be handled carefully), water and steam.

2. Production, use and emission of ozone-depleting chemicals should be controlled.

3. Recycling of these chemicals should be increased.

4. Servicing of refrigerators and air-conditioners should be regulated.

5. Refrigerants should be recaptured and used .

6. Adopt protection measures from sun’s radiation.

What is the Atmosphere?

The atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surrounds the planet. On Earth, the atmosphere helps make life possible. Besides providing us with something to breathe, it shields us from most of the harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation coming from the Sun, warms the surface of our planet by about 33° C (59° F) via the greenhouse effect, and largely prevents extreme differences between daytime and nighttime temperatures. The other planets in our solar system also have an atmosphere, but none of them have the same ratio of gases and layered structure as Earth’s atmosphere. 

Gases in Earth’s Atmosphere

Nitrogen and oxygen are by far the most common; dry air is composed of about 78% nitrogen  (N₂) and about 21% oxygen  (O₂). Argon, carbon dioxide (CO₂), and many other gases are also present in much lower amounts; each makes up less than 1% of the atmosphere’s mixture of gases. The atmosphere also includes water vapor. The amount of water vapor present varies a lot, but on average is around 1%. There are also many small particles – solids and liquids – “floating” in the atmosphere. These particles, which scientists call “aerosols”, include dust, spores and pollen, salt from sea spray, volcanic ash, smoke, and more.

Layers of Earth’s Atmosphere

The atmosphere grows thinner (less dense and lower in pressure) as one moves upward from Earth’s surface. It gradually gives way to the vacuum of outer space. There is no precise “top” of the atmosphere. Air becomes so thin at altitudes between 100 and 120 km (62-75 miles) up that for many purposes that range of heights can be considered the boundary between the atmosphere and space. However, there are very thin but measurable traces of atmospheric gases hundreds of kilometers/miles above Earth’s surface.

There are several different regions or layers in Earth’s atmosphere. Each has characteristic temperatures, pressures, and phenomena. We live in the troposphere, the lowest layer, where most clouds  are found and almost all weather occurs. Some jet aircraft fly in the next higher layer, the stratosphere, which contains the jet streams and the ozone layer. Temperatures reacj their lowest in the mesosphere, because the there are almost no air molecules there to absorb heat energy. The sky also changes from blue to black in the mesosphere, because there are so few molecules for light to refract off of there. And fartherst from the surface we have the thermosphere, which is the widest layer of the atmosphere and absorbs much of the harmful radiation that reaches Earth from th Sun. The exosphere represents the transition from Earth’s atmosphere to space. 

Troposphere

The troposphere  is the lowest layer of our atmosphere. Starting at ground level, it extends upward to about 10 km (6.2 miles or about 33,000 feet) above sea level. We humans live in the troposphere, and nearly all weather occurs in this lowest layer. Most clouds appear here, mainly because 99% of the water vapor in the atmosphere is found in the troposphere. Air pressure drops, and temperatures get colder, as you climb higher in the troposphere.

Stratosphere

The next layer up is called the stratosphere. The stratosphere extends from the top of the troposphere to about 50 km (31 miles) above the ground. The infamous ozone layer is found within the stratosphere. Ozone molecules in this layer absorb high-energy ultraviolet (UV) light from the Sun, converting the UV energy into heat. Unlike the troposphere, the stratosphere actually gets warmer the higher you go! That trend of rising temperatures with altitude means that air in the stratosphere lacks the turbulence and updrafts of the troposphere beneath. Commercial passenger jets fly in the lower stratosphere, partly because this less-turbulent layer provides a smoother ride. The jet stream flows near the border between the troposphere and the stratosphere.

Mesosphere

Above the stratosphere is the mesosphere. It extends upward to a height of about 85 km (53 miles) above our planet. Most meteors burn up in the mesosphere. Unlike the stratosphere, temperatures once again grow colder as you rise up through the mesosphere. The coldest temperatures in Earth’s atmosphere, about -90° C (-130° F), are found near the top of this layer. The air in the mesosphere is far too thin to breathe; air pressure at the bottom of the layer is well below 1% of the pressure at sea level, and continues dropping as you go higher.

Thermosphere

The layer of very rare air above the mesosphere is called the thermosphere. High-energy X-rays and UV radiation from the Sun are absorbed in the thermosphere, raising its temperature to hundreds or at times thousands of degrees. However, the air in this layer is so thin that it would feel freezing cold to us! In many ways, the thermosphere is more like outer space than a part of the atmosphere. Many satellites actually orbit Earth within the thermosphere! Variations in the amount of energy coming from the Sun exert a powerful influence on both the height of the top of this layer and the temperature within it. Because of this, the top of the thermosphere can be found anywhere between 500 and 1,000 km (311 to 621 miles) above the ground. Temperatures in the upper thermosphere can range from about 500° C (932° F) to 2,000° C (3,632° F) or higher. The aurora, the Northern Lights and Southern Lights, occur in the thermosphere.

Exosphere

Although some experts consider the thermosphere to be the uppermost layer of our atmosphere, others consider the exosphere  to be the actual “final frontier” of Earth’s gaseous envelope. As you might imagine, the “air” in the exosphere is very, very, very thin, making this layer even more space-like than the thermosphere. In fact, the air in the exosphere is constantly – though very gradually – “leaking” out of Earth’s atmosphere into outer space. There is no clear-cut upper boundary where the exosphere finally fades away into space. Different definitions place the top of the exosphere somewhere between 100,000 km (62,000 miles) and 190,000 km (120,000 miles) above the surface of Earth. The latter value is about halfway to the Moon!

Ionosphere

The ionosphere  is not a distinct layer like the others mentioned above. Instead, the ionosphere is a series of regions in parts of the mesosphere and thermosphere where high-energy radiation from the Sun has knocked electrons loose from their parent atoms and molecules. The electrically charged atoms and molecules that are formed in this way are called ions, giving the ionosphere its name and endowing this region with some special properties.

Planetary Atmospheres

Earth is not the only world with an atmosphere. All of the planets – and even a few moons – in our solar system have atmospheres. Some have clouds, wind, rain and powerful storms. Recently scientists have also begun to get glimpses of atmospheres of planets in other solar systems.

Each of the planets in our solar system has an uniquely structured atmosphere. The atmosphere of Mercury is extremely thin and is not very different from the vacuum of space. All four giant planets in our solar system – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune – have very thick, deep atmospheres. The smaller, rocky planets – Earth, Venus and Mars – have much thinner atmospheres hovering above their solid surfaces. The atmospheres on moons in our solar sytem are typically quite thin. Saturn’s moon Titan is an exception – air pressure at the surface of Titan is higher than on Earth! Of the five officially recognized dwarf planets, Pluto has a thin, seasonal atmosphere containing nitrogen, methane  and carbon monoxide, and Ceres may have an extremely thin atmosphere of water vapor. But only Earth’s atmosphere has the layered structure that allows enough light energy to enter and be trapped for warmth, but also shields us from too much harmful radiation. This important balance is necessary to maintain life on Earth. 

Another article is management related. One of the basic and core part is organizational behavior in an organization. Organizational behavior (known as OB) is the” study of human behavior ” in organizational settings, the interface between human behavior and the organization itself.

• OB research can be categorized in at least three ways. The following three ways are mentioned as under :-
• Individual in organization (MICRO LEVEL)
• Work groups (MESO LEVEL)
• How organizations behave (MACRO LEVEL)

Organizational Behavior is the academic study of how people act within groups. It’s principles are applied primarily in attempts to make businesses operate more effectively. The study of organizational behavior includes areas of research dedicated to improving job performance, increasing job satisfaction, promoting innovation and encouraging leadership.

The new frontiers of organization behaviour are the cultural components of organization, such as how race, class and gender roles affect group building and productivity. Organizational Behavior is the study of how people behave within groups. Early studies determined the importance of group dynamics in business productivity.

The study of organizational behavior gives insight on how employees behave and perform in the workplace. It helps us develop an understanding of the aspects that can motivate employees, increase their performance and help organization’s establish a strong and trusting relationship with their employees.

Thank you for today!!!

The topic for today’s article is scrap policy in India. Now the question is what is meant by scrap? The answer to this is – to remove an unwanted covering or a top layer from something. Scrap consists of recyclable materials left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials.

Unlike waste, scrap has monetary value, especially recovered metals and non-metallic ,especially are also recovered for recycling. And the much -awaited draft policy on vehicle scrapping is finally out.

The policy outlines the criteria for defining end -of-life vehicles and scrapping them. It also makes provision for scrapping facilities for safe disposal of waste and material recovery. This policy has only “advised” the state governments and the automobile industry to provide voluntary incentives to the owners of the vehicles.

This proposed policy seeks to phase out unit vehicles to reduce vehicular pollution, meet the climate commitments, improve road safety and fuel efficiency, formalise informal vehicle scrapping industry and recover low cost material for automotive, steel and electronics industry. The vehicle scrapping scheme is likely to usher in significant change and is expected to generate demands for new vehicles.

The policy says, commercial vehicles of more than 15 years and passenger vehicles of more than 20 years will have to be mandatorily scrapped if they don’t pass the fitness and emission tests. Vehicle owners who would voluntarily scrap their vehicles will get a rebate on road tax in the range of 15% to 25% and complete waiver of registration fees on the next vehicle purchase.

The government has envisaged investments worth Rs 10000 core for establishing vehicle fitness centers. Most likely scrapyards are to be established in the four zones and they will also supply scrap steel to automobile manufactures and other industries. The milestones set in the draft policy require the rules for fitness tests and scrapping to be in place by October 1, 2021. All government and PSU -owned vehicles older than 15 years will be scrapped by October 1, 2022. The same will be done for other vehicles by 2023 and 2024.

Hope you will like this information. Thank you!!

Starfish (or sea stars) are beautiful marine animals  found in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. All starfish resemble stars, and though the most common have only five arms, some of these animals can grow up to 40 arms. The amazing sea creatures—part of a group of animals known as echinoderms—travel using their tube feet. They can regenerate lost limbs and swallow large prey using their unusual stomachs.

Sea Stars Are Not Fish

Although sea stars live underwater and are commonly called “starfish,” they are not true fish. They do not have gills, scales, or fins like fish do.

Sea stars also move quite differently from fish. While fish propel themselves with their tails, sea stars have tiny tube feet to help them move along.

Because they are not classified as fish, scientists prefer to call starfish “sea stars.”

Sea Stars Are Echinoderms

Sea stars belong to the phylum Echinodermata. That means they are related to sand dollars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and sea lilies. Overall, this phylum contains approximately 7,000 species.

Many echinoderms exhibit radial symmetry, meaning their body parts are arranged around a central axis. Many sea stars have five-point radial symmetry because their body has five sections. This means that they do not have an obvious left and right half, only a top side and a bottom side. Echinoderms also usually have spines, which are less pronounced in sea stars than they are in other organisms such as sea urchins.

There Are Thousands of Sea Star Species

There are about 2,000 species of sea stars. Some live in the intertidal zone, while others live in the deep water of the ocean. While many species live in tropical areas, sea stars can also be found in cold areas—even the polar regions.

Not All Sea Stars Have Five Arms

While many people are most familiar with the five-armed species of sea stars, not all sea stars have just five arms. Some species have many more, such as the sun star, which can have up to 40 arms. 

Sea Stars Can Regenerate Arms

Amazingly, sea stars can regenerate lost arms, which is useful if a sea star is injured by a predator. It can lose an arm, escape, and grow a new arm later.

Sea stars house most of their vital organs in their arms. This means that some species can even regenerate an entirely new sea star from just one arm and a portion of the star’s central disc. This won’t happen too quickly, though; it takes about a year for an arm to grow back.

Sea Stars Are Protected by Armor

Depending on the species, a sea star’s skin may feel leathery or slightly prickly. Sea stars have a tough covering on their upper side, which is made up of plates of calcium carbonate with tiny spines on their surface.

A sea star’s spines are used for protection from predators, which include birds, fish, and sea otters. One very spiny sea star is the aptly named crown-of-thorns starfish.

Sea Stars Do Not Have Blood

Instead of blood, sea stars have a circulatory system made up primarily of seawater.

Seawater is pumped into the animal’s water vascular system through its sieve plate. This is a sort of trap door called a madreporite, often visible as a light-colored spot on the top of the starfish.

From the madreporite, seawater moves into the sea star’s tube feet, causing the arm to extend. Muscles within the tube feet are used to retract the limb.

Sea Stars Move Using Their Tube Feet

Sea stars move using hundreds of tube feet located on their underside. The tube feet are filled with seawater, which the sea star brings in through the madreporite on its top side.

Sea stars can move quicker than you might expect. If you get a chance, visit a tide pool  or aquarium and take a moment to watch a sea star moving around. It is one of the most amazing sights in the ocean.

Tube feet also help the sea star hold its prey, including clams and mussels.

Sea Stars Eat With Their Stomachs Inside-Out

Sea stars prey on bivalves like mussels and clams as well as small fish, snails, and barnacles. If you’ve ever tried to pry the shell of a clam or mussel open, you know how difficult it is. However, sea stars have a unique way of eating these creatures.

A sea star’s mouth is on its underside. When it catches its food, the sea star will wrap its arms around the animal’s shell and pull it open just slightly. Then it does something amazing: the sea star pushes its stomach through its mouth and into the bivalve’s shell. It then digests the animal and slides its stomach back into its own body.

This unique feeding mechanism allows the sea star to eat larger prey than it would otherwise be able to fit into its tiny mouth.

Sea Stars Have Eyes

Many people are surprised to learn that starfish have eyes. It’s true. The eyes are there—just not in the place you would expect.

Sea stars have an eye spot at the end of each arm. This means that a five-armed sea star has five eyes, while the 40-armed sun star has 40 eyes.

Each sea star eye is very simple and looks like a red spot. It doesn’t see much detail but it can sense light and dark, which is just enough for the environments the animals live in.

All True Starfish Are in the Class Asteroidea

Starfish belong to the animal class Asteroidea. These echinoderms all have several arms arranged around a central disk.

Asteroidea is the classification for “true stars.” These animals are in a separate class from brittle stars and basket stars, which have a more defined separation between their arms and their central disk.

Sea Stars Have Two Ways to Reproduce

Male and female sea stars are hard to tell apart because they look identical. While many animal species reproduce using only one method, sea stars are a little different.

Sea stars can reproduce sexually. They do this by releasing sperm and eggs (called gametes) into the water. The sperm fertilizes the gametes and produces swimming larvae, which eventually settle on the ocean floor, growing into adult sea stars.

Sea stars can also reproduce asexually through regeneration, which is what happens when the animals lose an arm.

So my another article is about a well known evil practice of society, dowry system. It the most common problem in every family whether it’s the poor, middle or rich class of the society. The marriage is considered as business and terms and conditions are mentioned. It sounds like a contract, the better the boy and family is, the higher is the price.

The history of dowry system is old. At the time of marriage of a daughter, the presents are given as dowry to her husband and family so that she can live happily there with all the luxuries and comforts. But unfortunately it has turned into an ugly and unfair practice.

One of the worst part of this practice is that if a girl brings less dowry she is harassed by her husband and in laws of the family. No one supports her at that time and the girl takes major steps which can risk her life. Most of the girls try to hide this from their parents so that they don’t get tense about the situation and handle everything alone. Parents are even pressurised to fulfill the demands from time to time.

The custom of dowry has crossed every barrier and has got it’s roots in the society. Although there are strict laws which have been made and imposed on the culprits too but people are not taking it as a lesson in their lives. Many ngo and women organization are also working for the enforcement of these laws strictly and encouraging the women to speak up.

We as the citizens, marching towards the new millennium, should also strive for the discontinuation of this evil practice. The boys should try to change the mindset of the families that marriage can’t be done as business and girls should try to make understand their parents that dowry is an unfair practice, not a tradition.

Hope this was helpful. Thank you all my readers!!

This article is about green revolution and the use of HYV seeds. The green revolution in India began in the mid 1960’s marking a transition from traditional agriculture in India and the introduction of high yielding varieties of seeds and the associated agricultural techniques . The need for introducing the Green Revolution in India arose due to a shortage of food-grains in India in part due to the legacy of colonial regime.

Need of green revolution – The government of India post – Independence wanted to make India self dependent on terms of food grain production and these efforts coincided with the development of high yielding varieties of seeds of wheat developed by Norman Borlaug and his associates in Mexico.

Food shortage – The situation in terms of fulfilling nutritional needs of Indians was worse before the green revolution in India. In the British colonial period the grain supply was dependent on British trade and high trade price led to affordability issues for Indian people in accessing food.

Impact of green revolution – The green revolution did effectively solve India’s problem of food grain shortage after it was introduced, it was a boon to India’s agricultural production. The green revolution in India started with great promise and made immense contributions in boosting agricultural productivity with HYV seeds, and the introduction of new methods of agriculture.

Endnote – There can be no guaranteed assurance that using high yielding seeds will increase yields exponentially, which also can be dependent on agricultural practices and environmental elements. A balance must also be found between traditional techniques and modern farming science as also with natural growth. Hope you will like it.

Thank you!!!!

• Honey bees have five eyes
• Bees have been producing honey for at least 150 million years
• A cave painting depicting an androgynous figure robbing honey out of the hive was found in the Cave of the Spider in Valencia, Spain. It is estimated to be 15,000 years old.
• Honey stored in air tight containers never spoils. Sealed honey vats found in King Tut’s tomb still contained edible honey, despite over 2,000 years beneath the sands.
• 80% of the pollination of the fruits, vegetables and seed crops in the U.S. is accomplished by honeybees.
• A queen is the largest bee in the hive. She can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day, twice her own body weight per day.
• Bees have to fly over 55,000 miles to make 1 lb. of honey.

• Worker honey bees are all females. Males do not know how to even feed themselves and their only reason for being in the hive is for reproducing with the queen. The males do not have a stinger and they are kicked out of the hive in the autumn, because there are no uses for them.
• Honey bees are very clean .They want their hive (which they made themselves, hexagon by hexagon) to be immaculately clean. If something dirties their hive, they will immediately get the offense out. The only honey bee in the hive that uses the bathroom inside the hive is the queen. She never leaves the hive, so her faithful workers get her mess right out. Bees will also make sure that when their time comes, they will die outside of the hive.
• There is only one queen per hive. The queen lives 2-3 years. The queen is made, rather than born. Worker bees will feed larvae royal jelly for a certain period of time. The royal jelly is secreted through the heads of the worker bees and is fed through their antennas to the larvae. The royal jelly has so many vitamins and nutrients it will allow for the larvae to become queens. Since there can only be one queen per hive, the potential queen bees will fight to the death until there is one queen remaining.

• Honey bees, like their name  implies, are the only insects to make honey. Bumblebees make a honey like substance, but it tastes nothing like the sweet honey we know and love. They also make this in very small quantities. Honey bees though make honey in surplus so bee keepers are able to take a certain amount without hurting the bees or depriving them of food.
• Honey bees never sleep! No wonder worker bees have such a short lifespan!
• Honey bees are the only insects that produce something that humans eat. It is also the only food that never goes bad! Its sugar content is too high and because it is naturally anti microbial, (Anti fungal, anti bacterial, anti everything nasty) which is why it’s also such an incredible healer.
• The honey bee colonies each have a distinct odor which allows for them to identify the members. Often times bee keepers will need to assimilate colonies. A way to do that would be to place bees from each colony into a paper bag together. The paper bag should have a divider so each colony stays in its own side. Being in the container together the smells will mix and they will not be able to recognize the other bees as enemies due to their familiar odor.
• The Queen bee lays up to 2,000 eggs per day! She can also select the gender of the larvae. Most larvae that will be produced will be female..

• To make one pound of honey it would take 556 workers and 2 million flowers. 50-100 flowers are pollinated during one collection trip. About one ounce of honey is all it takes to give the honey bee enough energy to fly around the world (although the farthest they usually fly away from their hive is six miles).
• Honey never spoils. No need to refrigerate it. It can be stored unopened, indefinitely, at room temperature in a dry cupboard.
• Due to the high level of fructose, honey is 25% sweeter than table sugar . . 
• Honey is created when bees mix plant nectar, a sweet substance secreted by flowers, with their own bee enzymes.
• To make honey, bees drop the collected nectar into the honeycomb and then evaporate it by fanning their wings.
• Honey has different flavors and colors, depending on the location and kinds of flowers the bees visit. Climatic conditions of the area also influence its flavor and color. NZ’s Rata honey is nearly white, Manuka honey is rich ginger-brown and Black Beech honeydew honey is dark brown.

• To keep their hives strong, beekeepers must place them in locations that will provide abundant nectar sources as well as water.
• In the days before biology and botany were understood, people thought it was a special kind of magic that turned flower nectar into honey.
• Honeybees are one of science’s great mysteries because they have remained unchanged for 20 million years, even though the world changed around them.
• The true honey bee was not known in New Zealand until 1839, when an English woman  Miss Bunby, introduced the European honey bee species we have today, Apis mellifera. The Americas didn’t have honey bees until they were introduced by Spanish, Dutch, and English settlers near the end of the 17th century.
• Did you know that bees have 4 wings?
• The honeybee’s wings stroke 11,400 times per minute, thus making their distinctive buzz.
• The queen bee is the busiest in the summer months, when the hive needs to be at its maximum strength. She will lay about 1,000 to 1,500 eggs per day, without sleeping.

• In the cold winter months, bees will leave the hive only to take a short cleansing flight. They are fastidious about the cleanliness of their hive.
• Honeybees do not die out over the winter, but reduce numbers by throwing out the old, the weak and drones. They feed on the honey they collected during the warmer months and patiently wait for spring by forming a tight cluster in their hive to keep the queen and themselves warm. They may forage on sunny days and collect nectar and some queens will lay, but less.
• It takes 35 pounds of honey to provide enough energy for a small colony of bees to survive the winter.
• Nurse bees work inside the hive. Their job is to make royal jelly, feed and clean the larvae, queen and drones.
• House bees clean away the dead, make wax and comb, heat/cool the hive, receive nectar and make honey, put it into the comb, sealing it with wax.
• A honeybee visits between 50 and 100 flowers during one collection flight from the hive.
• In order to produce 1 kg of honey, about 4 million flowers must be visited.

• A honey bee flies at about 24 km/h (15 mph).
• One bee colony can produce up to 150kg of honey per year.
• An average worker bee makes only about ½ to 1 teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.
• At the peak of the honey-gathering season, a strong, healthy hive will have a population of approximately 50,000 bees.
• It would take approximately 1 ounce of honey to fuel a bee’s flight around the world.
• Honey is the primary food source for the bee. The reason honeybees are so busy collecting nectar from flowers and blossoms is to make sufficient food stores for their colony over the winter months. The nectar is converted to honey by the honeybee and stored in the wax honeycomb.
• In New Zealand, we have almost 5000 beekeepers, most are hobbyists with less than 5 hives.
• Honey contains vitamins and antioxidants, but is fat free, cholesterol free and sodium free!

• Not a spinach lover? Eat honey – it has similar levels of heart-healthy antioxidants!
• One powerful antioxidant called “pinocembrin” is only found in honey and propolis.
• For years, opera singers have used honey to boost their energy and soothe their throats before performances.
• Honey has the ability to attract and absorb moisture, which makes it remarkably soothing for minor burns and helps to prevent scarring.
• Honey speeds the healing of open wounds and also combats infection.
• As recently as the First World War, honey was being mixed with cod liver oil to dress wounds on the battlefield.
• Modern science now acknowledges honey as an anti-microbial agent, which means it deters the growth of certain types of bacteria, yeast and moulds.
• Honey and beeswax form the basics of many skin creams, lipsticks, and hand lotions.

• Queen Anne of England, in the early 1700’s, invented a honey and olive oil preparation to keep her hair healthy and lustrous.
• According to Dr. Paul Gold, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia, “people remember things much better after they’ve consumed glucose, a form of sugar found in honey.”
• Beeswax is made from tiny glands on the worker bee’s abdomen and melts at 62 -65 degrees C.
• Honey is nature’s energy booster! It provides a concentrated energy source that helps prevent fatigue and can boost athletic performance.
• Recent studies have proven that athletes who took some honey before and after competing recovered more quickly than those who did not.
• Honey supplies 2 stages of energy. The glucose in honey is absorbed by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost. The fructose is absorbed more slowly providing sustained energy.
• Honey is the only food that includes all the substances necessary to sustain life, including enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and water; and it’s the only food that contains “pinocembrin”, an antioxidant  associated with improved brain functioning.

“I would like to turn into a ladybug so that I can add to the beauty of nature.”

~Prachi Pandey

Ladybugs, or lady beetles, are insects in the beetle family. There are about 5,000 species of these tiny insects, and most of them are quite helpful. Although best known as a red insect with black spots, ladybugs come in a variety of colors, and some have stripes or no markings at all.

These little hard-shelled creatures are harmless to humans and helpful to gardeners. From their hidden wings to their talent for warding off predators, discover fascinating facts about the lovable ladybug.

1. Technically, They’re Lady Beetles, Not Ladybugs

These small insects are more accurately called lady beetles or ladybird beetles. Ladybug is the American name given to the Coccinellidae family of beetles. Bugs have needle-like mouthparts and a mostly liquid diet, while beetles have the ability to chew and enjoy munching on plants and insects.

Beetles also have hard wings, while bugs have softer wings or no wings at all. Beetles go through a complete metamorphosis, while bugs look about the same throughout their entire life cycle.

2. They Aren’t All Red With Black Spots

Though most people think of ladybugs as red with black spots, not all species of ladybugs look like that. There are about 5,000 species of ladybugs in the world, including 450 in North America. In addition to red, they can also be yellow, orange, brown, pink, or even all black. Their spots, which some ladybugs don’t have at all, can look more like stripes.

3. They Consume a Lot of Pests

Ladybugs earn their place as a desirable insect based on their preferred diet of plant-damaging insects, including aphids. Ladybugs lay hundreds of eggs in aphid colonies, and as soon as they hatch, the larvae immediately start feeding. An adult ladybug may eat as many as 5,000 aphids in its lifetime.

These beneficial insects also eat fruit flies, thrips, and mites. Different species of ladybugs have different food preferences. While many prey on garden pests, some, like the Mexican bean beetle and the squash beetle, feed on plants and are unwelcome pests themselves.

4. They Hibernate in Winter

Instead of heading south for the winter, ladybugs living in colder climates enter diapause, a type of insect hibernation. When the aphids begin to disappear, ladybugs realize that winter is coming and flock together to reproduce right before entering hibernation. During this period, which can last as long as nine months, they live on their fat reserves, which hold them until spring when insects become plentiful again.

5. Their Spots Serve as a Warning

The spots and bright colors on ladybugs are not for looks alone. They are meant to warn would-be attackers that this beetle tastes terrible. Beyond their warning colors, ladybugs have another line of defense: They emit foul-smelling blood from their leg joints when they’re startled. This yellow liquid is toxic to many ladybug predators such as birds and small mammals.

When all else fails, ladybugs are known to play dead, giving them a third defense mechanism in a world of eat or be eaten. They aren’t often preyed upon thanks to all of this protection, but some insect species — assassin bugs, stink bugs, and spiders — eat ladybugs.

6. Their Name Is Legendary

Legend has it that the “lady” in lady beetle dates back to the Middle Ages. The story is that farmers’ crops were being damaged by swarms of aphids. But after the farmers prayed to the Virgin Mary for help, the ladybugs arrived, ate all the aphids, and saved the day. The farmers were so grateful that from then on they referred to the insects as “Our Lady’s beetles.”

7. They May Eat Their Own Eggs

Female ladybugs lay as many as 1,000 tiny gold-colored eggs during a single season, but not all of the eggs make it to adulthood. While they prefer to lay their eggs on leaves covered with aphids, when prey is in short supply, the ladybugs may eat the eggs and larvae.

In fact, ladybugs plan ahead for supply shortages; when food is scarce, ladybugs lay infertile eggs to provide for their offspring.

8. They Have Hidden Wings

Much like butterflies, ladybugs go through four stages before they complete their metamorphosis. They begin as tiny eggs that hatch into larvae that resemble tiny spiny alligators. Then they begin the pupal stage, which lasts around two weeks. In their final phase, they become adult ladybugs and their hidden wings appear.

Adult ladybugs have a recognizable smooth dome shape, and their forewings are protected by an outer shell, or elytra. Underneath the outer shell is a pair of thin hind wings that unfold at a speed of 0.1 seconds and are significantly larger than the ladybug’s body.Once unfolded, ladybug wings move at a rate of 85 beats per second.

9. Ladybugs’ Numbers Are Declining

Researchers studying a decline in native ladybugs in the United States and Canada theorize that the population reduction may be due to the introduction of non-native species, climate change, land-use changes, disease, or shifts in the availability of prey. In an effort to track ladybug populations, entomologists at Cornell University created the lost Ladybug Project, a citizen-based effort to spot, photograph, and report on ladybugs across North America.

“I think people should maybe just go out into the garden and watch a ladybug crawl across a flower and relax their mind.”

~ Harland Williams