Megaliths

Megaliths are very interesting to learn about. They are very intriguing and for the past many decades, historians have been trying to study them in greater detail to unravel the mysteries of the prehistoric times.

Imagine seeing huge blocks of stone in a particular pattern? Won’t you be excited to know who built them? What if I tell you that these structures were built by men and women who lived thousands and thousands of years before us?

If I ask you touch a stone, do you realise that that very block of stone was once touched, picked up and placed in that particular place by the prehistoric man! Isn’t that exciting! Come, let’s delve deeper into these structures.

Let’s deconstruct the term to understand what it means. ‘Mega’ is a Latin term meaning large and ‘lith’ means stone. So from the name itself you can guess that the term ‘Megalith has something to do with huge blocks of stone. Let us understand this further.

Why were Megaliths constructed?

These were primarily burial sites or were constructed to commemorate something- for memories. There are various types of Megaliths found at such burial sites or commemorative sites. By erecting a huge piece of stone at the particular site it was easier to spot it. Just the way you see a gravestone with epitaphs on it in graveyards, similarly, a megalith acted a marker for the site.

Types of Megaliths

The burial sites contain actual burial remains such as dolmenoid cists (box-shaped stone burial chambers), cairn circles (stone circles with defined peripheries) and capstones (distinctive mushroom-shaped burial chambers found mainly in Kerala). The urn which contained the burial remains was made of terracotta. The commemorative or the memorial sites include Menhirs which are tall erect stones. Thus, these stone structures are the ones which tell us about the Megalithic culture which lasted from the Neolithic Age upto the early historical period which is 2500 BC to 200 AD. In India, archaeologists trace the majority of the megaliths to the Iron Age (1500 BC to 500 BC), though some sites precede the Iron Age, extending up to 2000 BC.

Where can we find these?

Megaliths are spread across the Indian subcontinent, though the bulk of them are found in peninsular India, concentrated in the states of Maharashtra (mainly in Vidarbha), Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Even today, a living megalithic culture endures among some tribes such as the Gonds of central India and the Khasis of Meghalaya.

There were several waves of migration from 70000 BC to 40000 BC. Consequently, there are four linguistic groups in India: Austro-Asiatic (the oldest), Tibeto-Burman, Dravidian and Indo-Aryan (the most recent). As megalithic societies were preliterate that means their linguistic origins are difficult to trace, the racial or ethnic origins of the megalithic people are difficult to understand.

Extensive research has been conducted on the mortuary practices, belief systems and political economy of megalithic people which has revealed that they can be given credit for the rise of the ‘political economy’ which means a proper structured political system and an economy was put in place by the megalithic people for the very first time. This of course is just an assumption made by historians since we do not have any written evidence to support this.

Megalithic people carried out agricultural activity in both the Rabi and Kharif seasons. A large variety of grains such as rice, wheat, millet, barley lentil, black gram, horse gram, common pea, pigeon pea and Indian jujube have been recovered from habitations.

The very idea of burying the dead along with burial goods indicates strong belief in life after death and possibly rebirth among megalithic people. The respect accorded to the buried individual ensured that the grave and the goods contained within were not harmed or subjected to vandalism and theft. Paddy husk has been found in burial sites, further proof of the megalithic peoples’ commitment towards ensuring their dead a comfortable afterlife. They also believed in some idea of a soul.

The living megalithic culture in India provides strong hints regarding the belief systems of prehistoric megalithic people. “The Gond people believe in life after death, they believe that every human being has two souls: the life spirit and the shadow. The life spirit goes to ‘bada devta’ but the shadow still stays in the village after the erection of stone memorial. Gond people believe that the first and foremost duty of the shadow spirit is to watch over the moral behavior of the people and punish those who go against the tribal law,” says S. Mendaly on the living megalithic culture of the Gonds of Nuaparha in Odisha. Interestingly, the popular Indian belief in the evil eye—buri nazar in Hindi—may be a legacy of the megalithic age.

Understanding the structure of Megaliths

Building of the Megaliths, its shape, the placement of stone and the process of construction also says a lot about the society. The construction of megaliths was a massive endeavour, requiring the active involvement of the community. A very noted historian called Mendaly has made very important observations about the Megalithic society of the Gonds and I’ll be quoting him- “They invite their relatives and friends from other villages and other castes, and erect the memorial stone in a burial complex or ‘matha’. After that a sheep or goat is to be slaughtered in honour of the deceased, and its meat eaten at the feast, but before that they offer this meat to their village deity and their ancestors. They believe that the animals killed in this occasion are supposed to become the property of the deceased in the spirit world and there is the belief that if this ceremony is not organized then they face serious problems throughout the year.”

The range of iron artefacts recovered from the burials indicate that the megalithic people practised a wide range of occupations and included carpenters, cobblers, bamboo craftsmen, lapidaries engaged in gemstone work, blacksmiths, coppersmiths and goldsmiths, proof of complex social organization. Beads made of various semi-precious stones and steatite( If you have studied about the Indus Valley Civilisation, you must have come across this stone. Do check out its pictures on the internet. It’s a beautiful stone) have also been found. Bronze figurines of animals like buffaloes, goats, tigers, elephants and antelopes have been recovered from inside urn burials at the site of Adichanallur in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.

To understand where exactly does the Megalithic society stand in terms of India’s historical narrative let us look at what Korisettar has to say- ‘’Megalithism indicates the developments of a second urbanization, a chieftain society or chiefdoms, as reflected in monumental architecture as well as other aspects: surplus being generated, multiple crops including cash crops and horticultural crops, mineral, stones. Essentially, the emergence of Megalithic period marks the beginning of second urbanization in various parts of India beyond what was covered by Indus Valley Civilization.” 

The Sangam literature also has something to say about the Megaliths. The poems included in the literature describe the way burials were made thus giving historians some literary clue about the Megalithic society.

Who decides Independence?

I was happy until I realized,

one inch of my body if shown will seduce many other guys in the world.

I asked World:Why?

World answerd: If you are given freedom you will be spoiled.

I asked again why not for boys?

The world said: He is more responsible and knows how to manage.

I thought I was happy but wasn’t, which made me to chose Independence.

Do you think above lines relate to the situation you are facing ? Now a days these superstitions think that if a girl child is born than it is not good to the family.

Government has introduced “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana” in order to create awareness and improve the efficiency of welfare service intended for girls in India.

Objectives of the campaign:

  • To protect girl child.
  • To provide education to the girl child and enable participation.
  • To help in removing gender based discrimination.

Eligibility for the scheme:

  • A family with the girl child below 10 years of age.
  • There should be a Sukanya Samriddhi Account (SSA) in any bank, opened in the name of the girl child.
  • The girl child should be an Indian citizen. NRI’s are not eligible for the scheme.

Campaigns versus Mindset(perspectives) of the people.

Campaigns are done to educate amd create awareness among the people. But there are few people who still thinks that it is better that girls should sit in their home. If they are are given independence there will be high chances of rapes.

Mary Kom, The Boxer, who made India proud in International level.

We all know various women’s who work in different fields like sports, educational sector, corporate ,film industries etc if these women’s were not given the opportunity to grow will they be in our top news everyday?

Therefore, it is not only the government who takes the initiatives but the people who need to change their perspective regarding the independence of the women. It is not that only women’s should be given an opportunity. The main basis of this article is to convey regarding the gender biasness. It is high time to cooperate with everybody rather than comparing.

So who decides Independence? It’s you who take a firm decision and move forward. Independence is just a term it is the mindset of the people which needs to be changed.

#We are humans. Stop discriminating.

Padho Pardesh Scheme- A Scheme of Interest Subsidy On education loan

It was announced in June, 2006. It provides the scholarships for
meritorious students from minority communities will be formulated and implemented. The scheme of Interest Subsidy on educational loans for overseas studies will promote educational advancement of student from minority communities.

CONDITIONS FOR INTEREST SUBSIDY


i) The Scheme is applicable for higher studies abroad. The interest Subsidy shall be linked with the existing Educational Loan Scheme of Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and restricted to students enrolled for course at Masters, M.Phil and Ph.D levels.
ii) The interest subsidy under the scheme shall be available to the eligible students only once, either for Masters, M.Phil. or Ph.D. levels. Interest subsidy shall not be available to those students who either discontinued the course mid- stream, due to any reason, or those who are expelled from the institutions on disciplinary or academic grounds.
iii) If it is found that a student has violated any condition of the scheme, the subsidy will be discontinued forthwith.

iv) If a student is found to have obtained the subsidy by false
statement/documents/certificates, the subsidy will be withdrawn/cancelled forthwith and amount of the subsidy paid already, shall be recovered with penal interest, apart from taking criminal action as per law.
v) The students obtaining benefits under this Scheme shall not be given the interest subsidy if he gives up Indian citizenship during the tenure of the period.

Eligibility

The student should have secured admission in the approved courses at Masters, M.Phil or Ph.D levels abroad for the courses. He/ She should have availed loan from a scheduled bank under the Education Loan Scheme of the Indian Banks Association (IBA) for the purpose. Students should apply for the benefits under the scheme during 1st year itself of the course. Fresh applications received during 2nd year or subsequent years will not
be accepted in any case.

INCOME CEILING
i) Total income from all sources of the employed candidate or his/ her
parents/guardians in case of unemployed candidate shall not exceed Rs. 6.00 lakh per annum.
ii) Income certificate issued by the competent authority in the State/ Union Territory should be submitted in support of income shown by a candidate.

SELECTION OF CANDIDATES
i) 35% seats will be earmarked for girl students. In case of non-availability of girl students, seats can be transferred to boys students.
ii) The decision of the Selection Committee in regard to awarding the interest subsidy will be final and no appeal could be filed against it.

RATE OF INTEREST SUBSIDY
(i) Under the scheme, interest payable by the students availing of the education loans of the IBA for the period of moratorium (i.e. course period, plus one year or six months after getting job, whichever is earlier) as prescribed under the Education
Loan Scheme of the IBA, shall be borne by the Government of India.
(ii) After the period of moratorium is over, the interest on the outstanding loan amount shall be paid by the student, in accordance with the existing Educational Loan Scheme as may be amended from time to time.
(iii) The Candidate will bear the Principal installments and interest beyond moratorium period.

How to apply:

First, you need to avail the study loan from your chosen lender, and then apply for the Padho Pardesh scheme.

Submit all the relevant documents to your lender stating that you’re eligible for the interest subsidy scheme.

The lending organisation shall submit your personal information as well as education loan details on the scheme’s portal.

GIRL EDUCATION: GIRLS ON TOP!

Educating the girl child alludes to each part of training that targets building up the aptitude and information on girls and women. This incorporates the general instruction at universities, schools, proficient training, specialized and professional instructions, wellbeing training, and so forth. The instruction of the women envelops both non-artistic and scholarly training. The instruction of the girl child has the capacity of bringing human science financial changes. Majority rule nations including India have a constitution that ensures equivalent rights to the two women and men. Essential instruction is a key right. At the point when a girl is ensured through her privileges, the general public is guaranteed of its maintainability. Acknowledging how significant instruction is, both government and non-government have taken different tasks to fortify girl child training.

Significance of Educating thegirl child in India

The significance of instructing the girl child in the general public and coming up next are some of them

Monetary turn of events and thriving: Educating the girl child will help in enabling them to approach and contribute towards the success and advancement of the nation

Monetary strengthening: Helpless condition can’t be changed for the men if the women are in reverse and rely upon men. Monetary freedom and strengthening will come when we instruct the girl child.

Improved life: Educating of the girl child helps in the improvement of a decent life. The personality of the girl won’t be lost. She can tell and find out about her own options. She won’t be trodden down about her privileges. There will be a general enhancement for her life.

Improved wellbeing: Educated girls bring an attention to the significant of cleanliness and wellbeing. Through training, they can have a sound existence style. The women that are taught can carter for their youngsters better.

Respect and respect: Educated women are presently viewed with nobility and respect. They become a wellspring of motivation for many young girl who make them their good examples.

Decision to pick a calling of her decision: instructed girls can end up being fruitful in their various callings. Whenever the girl child have the chance to be taught, it gives her the better opportunity to turn into an effective cook, specialist, specialist or the decision of calling she needs.

End: Girl youngster training isn’t one to underestimate and this has made numerous NGO’s in India to get fascinating to instruct the girl child. The general public has observer changes in the status of women. There is currently more prominent accentuation on the training of the girl child and how they are instructed. It is the goal of most guardians to satisfy with no sexual orientation equality.

SELF LOVE

World is running fast. It won’t stop to anyone and nobody will look after you unless or until you must take care of yourself. Loving yourself is the important and needed thing one has to do in order to bring your mind and heart to peace. Days may be going crucial and you may also have lot of pain in the coming days, instead of shouting and crying, one has to tackle himself/herself to stand a chance in life. For these things SELF LOVE pays a way.

BE YOURSELF, ACCEPT YOURSELF

At the time, when you know that who are you and when you accept your character as such, many problems will be solved. Because no one will ever try to tease you after when you accept yourself. We cannot change everyone but we can change ourselves. Hence don’t compare with others, don’t think others as superior. Always say to your mind that you are going to make yourself great one day!

VALUE YOURSELF FIRST, FORGIVE YOUR MISTAKES ALSO

Many will always in depression mode. And when you ask that person, they will tell that they had done mistakes in their past. So major reason for depression in always the error we made in the past. So always engage yourself and value yourself first. When you take the decision of suicide, just think that many had nothing but they achieved greater heights because one and only they loved themselves. If you had done mistakes in the past, just don’t about that. do not think that again and again and don’t take that issue seriously, relax, take a breath and say to yourself,”I FORGIVE MYSELF AND I AM FEELING BETTER NOW!”

TRUST YOURSELF

Many people will say that,” I cannot that thing and i am unable to do that”. If you have that thought, just throw that thought in the dustbin. Just getup and rise and do that thing. There is no thing to stop you. If you find anything like that, don’t think it as a destiny and quit, just think it as a obstacle. Coz if you think everything as a obstacle, you won’t stop in your way. Just go do that thing and always grow bigger and bigger.

LOVE AND EMPOWER YOURSELF

And at last, don’t forget to spend time with yourself. The more you love yourself, the higher you will grow. Always say to yourself that,”I WILL EQUIP MYSELF AND I’LL PUT MY EFFORT AND WILL RAISE FOR SURE”. There is no thing greater than a SELF CONFIDENCE. You can only raise your self confidence by loving yourself. So don’t leave yourself unattended. LOVE YOURSELF AND BE HAPPY ALWAYS.

CONCLUSION

“ENJOY WITH YOUR FRIENDS, BUT FIRST LEARN TO MAKE YOURSELF HAPPY AND CONTEMPT ”

Importance of practical knowledge

Knowledge can be defined as familiarity with something, which can include some facts, information about a particular topic or subject, descriptions of experiment or study, or skills acquired through experience or education. Knowledge can be of two types:

Theoretical knowledge
Practical knowledge
Theoretical knowledge may be attributed to the theoretical clarity of a particular topic or subject, wherein person has quite an understanding about the things going around, and the principle of their working, but cannot control the things. For example, if a person studies about a car and its engine parts in a classroom from books and presentation slides, he would, of course, have knowledge about what are the parts of the car, and what is the principle of working, but he would lack practical knowledge about it. In the absence of this practical knowledge, the usefulness of that car for him is zero. He cannot drive that car without proper practical knowledge, he cannot repair it in the case of some fault, and he doesn’t know anything about its machinery. Theoretical knowledge may be something that would help an individual to gain a good grip over practical knowledge. Knowledge is incredibly important to any career and life in general.

The world is progressing day by day, and we are getting more and more modernized every day which demands a lot of changes from some previous conventional techniques that were followed. Rapid changes in working life, society and information technology have increased the demands for experts in every field. Today the need for expert professionals is raising day by day who are expected to have good knowledge, excellent social and communication skills and who are able to utilize their skills in a positive way in life.

Theoretical Knowledge
Theoretical knowledge is as important as the practical one. Without having the proper theoretical knowledge, practical knowledge may sometimes prove to be dangerous. As they say, that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Theoretical knowledge and learning are necessary parts of expert knowledge. Formal learning occurs normally in a prescribed learning framework and in an organized learning event in the presence of a tutor, who himself must possess clarity of facts. For this reason, theoretical knowledge is usually gained by theoretical studies. Theory generally teaches us ‘why’. It helps you understand why one technique works while the other fails. Theoretical knowledge generally serves to focus on giving complete knowledge that builds the context and helps you set a strategy for dealing with the practical application. Theoretical knowledge can often lead to a deeper understanding of a concept through seeing it in context of a greater whole and understanding the why behind it, but still practical gives out the much wider review of the facts.

Theoretical Knowledge vs Practical Knowledge
As discussed earlier, when it comes to knowledge there are different kinds of knowledge and different ways of acquiring each kind. On one side is theory and on the other side is the practical application of theory. We cannot sideline one form or the other. Both types of knowledge are important and both make you better at whatever you do. Whether it is theoretical or practical knowledge, both are important. Both works hand in hand with each other and even if we decide to compromise on one form, there is a great amount of risk involved when related to your career. Those who really want to advance the furthest in life have to acquire knowledge at both ends of the spectrum and acquire it in a variety of ways. Neglecting one can also prove to be a great loss.

Practical Knowledge
Practical or informal knowledge manifests itself as skills or ‘‘knowing-how’’. Practical knowledge is very important to understand how things actually work. As it occurs and develops in those concrete situations where it is learnt, it is contextual and social in nature and helps you acquire the specific techniques that become the tools of your trade. Practical knowledge leads to a much deeper understanding of a concept through the act of doing and personal experience. Practical knowledge is found to be of much use in our actual day-to-day work. There are a lot of things you can only learn through doing and experiencing; no matter how hard you try to learn that through theoretical means. For example, if you try to learn how to drive a car by theoretical means, you will probably spend your whole life to learn and still won’t be able to drive without proper practical training, hence practical is the must. Where theory is often taught in the idea of a vacuum, the practical is learned through the reality of life.

Both of the above are important. You won’t survive in any career unless you can bring results and to do that you need practical knowledge. There’s no avoiding to any one of these. At the same time learning how to solve a specific problem only teaches you how to solve that same problem again. Practice can only take you so far. Theory helps you apply what you learned solving one problem to different problems. And practical is the application of theoretical basics in real. The basic difference between theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge is that theory teaches you through the experience of others, on the other hand in practice you tend to learn with your own experience with the particular task. Advantages of practical training are:

Acquisition of Knowledge: Practical training or Internship allows participants to acquire the practical knowledge and abilities offered by the professional world which they wish to form part of, and at the same time to improve their curriculum vitae. Though you may have theoretical knowledge about the subjects and topics, still it is not enough. You cannot achieve career heights with just theoretical knowledge. It is very important to possess practical knowledge along with some theoretic concepts. Without practical knowledge, things are really incomplete. It is like having a bicycle without tyres.
Entering the World of Employment with a Bang: Having a sound practical knowledge gives you an opportunity to show the organization your professional potential with a view to a future job offer. If you have some excellent professional skills, you would not have any problem entering a professional life. Also, it would become really easy for a student to face the transition from a learner to professional when he has a good knowledge of all the facts related to his topics. You tend to impress you seniors and stand a chance to be among the best employees of your organization if you have good practical knowledge. Remember the first impression is last, and if you are successful in giving out the first impression successfully at your job, you tend to gain the trust of your seniors and also some useful tips from them.
Makes Resume More Presentable: Students have the opportunity of applying the reality of work to the theoretical knowledge acquired in the classroom, thus adding a new professional experience to their curriculum vitae. Hence having a good practical knowledge or some internship can become a highlight of your resume. During your interview, you can clearly make a good impact talking about your practical experience and the fact that you already handled a practical situation can be useful for you in getting a job. Today competition is very high and it is not enough to secure a job based on your academics. Time has changed and organizations are looking in for talented individuals who can effectively handle work without wasting time and money on training.
Work feels Good: Students entering professional life are found to fell really bored with the official work if they are new to such behaviour. Having a prior knowledge not only makes your work easy, but you also tend to enjoy, what you do. Things come in a really organized way in your life if you have prior experience of some practical work. Practical knowledge is something that a lot of student’s lack, because of this reason they are not able to understand well their jobs and tend to make mistakes and this behaviour may lead to a feeling of getting bored from your job. Having practical knowledge tends to make things interesting for you.
Conclusion
It is very important for every individual to possess sufficient knowledge to lead his life smartly and successfully. It does not matter if you are a student, professional or a businessman. Knowledge is something very important in the life of an individual. Gaining theoretical knowledge is important but without practical knowledge, it is of no use. Practical knowledge empowers an individual to achieve something that he has been studying about. It is worth noting that not only in professional life; you need to have in good practical approach for your life in general. Hence it becomes really important for proper growth and utilization of your knowledge that you have a practical edge too, otherwise, there is no point having theoretical knowledge also, when you can’t apply it in practice.

Ways to keep motivated during the covid -19 pandemic:

We are in the midst of unseen, even unimaginable times. Suddenly the standard way of doing things has changed. For us human beings, any significant change surfaces fears, anxiety and discomfort like nothing else. People are afraid of whether they will still have their jobs and incomes in a couple of months. The tendency is to fall into survival mode naturally. The focus of the entire world at the moment is on the lower band in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Any stressful situation can be leveraged as an opportunity to elevate your leadership to the next level. Instead of just getting by and existing, use this opportunity to thrive. How can you do that?

As the game has changed, the way to play the game must change too. What you are used to doing in the past will not work anymore in these times.

A common concern I am hearing from executives is how do I keep the team motivated and engaged during these times. The usual water cooler chats are not happening anymore. Most people are used to only discussing work during the scheduled virtual meetings. The connection that people felt seems to be intangible and less real now. I noticed different people dealing with work from home scenarios differently. A particular director who is usually very high strung seemed uniquely relaxed while working from home, while another typically cheerful VP seemed extremely stressed and wound up.

Here are a few ideas to keep the team engaged during these times:

Accept, accept, accept: It cannot be business as usual. Even if you are resilient enough to keep going at past levels of productivity, you must recognise that that kind of pressure can break a few people. One of my clients complained that his manager is single and is using this time to push others and work extra hard. However, my client has little kids at home, and both he and his wife are finding it very difficult even to get basics done. Empathy must be practiced by the bucketload right now.
Keep yourself in the maximum mental health. If you are not feeling great, how do you expect to inspire others? Try a few things with yourself. You can then share those tips with your team. The stress-energy that used to get automatically expended may now exist in your body as these uncomfortable emotions. Letting go is extremely important in whichever way you choose to release, such as exercising, meditating, reading, or other hobbies, talking to people, or even sleeping it out. Start by empathising with yourself. Extend kindness to yourself first.
Each person is handling this situation differently. Ask open-ended questions to understand where each team member is at. What are their particular strengths and challenges in the current environment?
Organise virtual happy hours or coffee chats. Some teams are getting everyone together and talking about topics other than work, being vulnerable, and sharing more personal tidbits.
Reach out for short unscheduled water cooler chats virtually. Pick up the phone and reach out to a co-worker to connect with them—just like running into them in the break room.
Some companies have assigned a virtual room where people can come to hang out if they feel lonely or have some free time.
Exercising together could be a good stress buster and bonding activity
Feel free to share your real self. With many people working from home, they have kids and families around that become part of the calls, whether we want it or not. Instead of being embarrassed about it, own up to the situation. For example, if your child barges into the room, feel free to take a few minutes to get them settled and then come back to the call. Trust people to understand.
Some leaders are restless and feeling that they are not doing enough to help solve this at the team, organisation or at a global level. I had this experience personally. I had to remind myself that every little thing helps. The most crucial thing is to stay focussed and do what you do best.
It’s important to recognise that these aren’t normal times, and your productivity is likely not at its peak right now. And that’s okay.

  1. Set some daily goals

Setting daily goals can help you to make your day as productive as possible, but be realistic with the goals you set. Don’t make them too big or you could end up feeling disappointed with yourself.

Write your tasks down in a list, and then break those tasks down into three or four smaller tasks. Reward yourself when you complete a task.

Little things like, once you complete a task, get up from your desk and go for a walk outside.

It will not only motivate you to complete tasks but will also provide you with a boost of endorphins that physical exercise provides.

  1. Plan your day to include work and relaxation time
    Working from home can make it hard to shake the temptation to work non-stop, or becoming easily distracted by television or other things around the home… and then feeling like you aren’t completing your tasks you set for yourself.

By planning when you will work and when you will relax can help you to manage a healthy work-life balance at home.

For many, the conventional 9-to-5 schedule with a lunch break in the middle of the day and a mid-morning or mid-afternoon break helps to stay focused.

After 5 pm, put down the work, go for a walk, make some dinner, and relax for the rest of the night and deep dive into that Netflix series that you’ve been itching to watch.

For some, that may not work as you have children at home who need assistance with online learning. So why not arrange with your manager to work in shifts? i.e. get up early; but don’t forget to maintain your routine, and work for several hours. Then take a break to undertake other tasks and then log back, when the time is right to complete the rest of the day.

The most important thing is that you can dedicate a chunk of your day to work and then keep your work out of your relaxation time.

  1. Try the Pomodoro technique — social distance style
    The Pomodoro1 technique consists of working for a period of time and then taking a break. It could be every 25-minutes you take a five minute break, or every 90-minutes you take a 10-minute break, etc, just work with what works for you.

For many, taking regular breaks to chat with your colleagues in the office, is a natural part of the work day, (and you are subconsciously following the Pomodoro technique) and so working from home can be hard when you’re sitting alone at a desk.

Thanks to the many video conferencing platforms—like Zoom, Teams or Facetime—you can still work with friends virtually!

Schedule times throughout the day for a quick chat or video conference with your colleagues, or if you are working on something as a team, why not arrange a 25-minute brain-storming session, and then go on a five minute (virtual) group walk around your neighbourhoods?

You’ll be motivated to stay focused with everyone while the timer is running, and you’ll get a chance to catch up with friends on your breaks.

  1. Schedule virtual get-togethers with friends
    Social distancing can be the hardest part of this pandemic, especially people who enjoy the social aspect of getting together. But that doesn’t have to stop and you don’t have to say good-bye to your social life.

Why not schedule virtual get-togethers with your friends? Ideas like Friday night drinks, Netflix parties, virtual trivia nights or even group dinner parties, where you all decide on a theme and then compare how you’ve interpreted the theme.

Not only will it ensure that you keep in contact with your family and friends, but you can have fun, and it gives you something to look forward to.

  1. Prioritize your mental health
    Taking care of your stress levels and anxieties at this time is vitally important. If you are feeling you’re not motivated, have a look and see what your blocks are.

To maintain on top of your mental health, make sure you incorporate a bit of exercise into each day, even just a walk around your block, or neighbourhood.

Take time to eat balanced meals and try not to work through lunch – step away from your desk and take a lunch break.

Maintain good sleep patterns, and don’t stay up until two in the morning. Do you normally go to bed at 10pm? Well, continue that, and ensure that you get at least eight hours of sleep a night.

Allow yourself time to enjoy TV and social media but set limits on how much news you are consuming. One suggestion is to set times when watch, read or listen to the news, i.e. 30-minutes in the morning as you’re getting ready and then again whilst you are cooking tea.

  1. Be okay with not being highly productive right now
    You may find that some days you are highly motivated and get through more tasks than you had planned, but other days you have no focus at all. It’s okay, nothing is normal right now, and we all need to listen to ourselves.

Go through your list, and prioritise what ‘has’ to be done, and what can be moved to the next day. Don’t forget to talk to your supervisor or manager, or even your friends if it isn’t work related.

We all place expectation upon ourselves, but at the present moment, it’s okay to expect less from yourself right now.

By talking through how you are feeling, and setting yourself smaller goals, with some additional fresh-air breaks, you will find that your motivation will increase.

Staying motivated can be tricky, but you can help make it a bit easier for yourself by setting realistic tasks and taking time to care for yourself.

Though this pandemic can feel like it will be endless, it will eventually pass. Staying motivated can help refocus our attention away from these stressful changes and towards a more hopeful future.

Chaos!

If you look around yourself, don’t you ever feel that everybody is stuck in their own chaos? It is like, everybody has a huge heap of problems which they are busy solving all the time. Yet somehow we are being preached to have everything “sorted out”. What career to choose or which place to settle or what kind of company you want to work with or how clear you should be to make others understand how you feel? Oh, that took a leap! Saying about being “clear” of how you feel, is itself is a myth. Sharing or listening is a whole different thing. But don’t you ever feel that you yourself are unable to understand what is going on in your head? There is this turmoil in your head which doesn’t have an explanation. You don’t know why you feel that particular way, yet you feel it. And this, when it comes to sharing you are incapable of expressing it. Sometimes just for the sake of sharing your make up things in order to justify that commotion in your head, which is wrong!!!!

Sometimes this feeling can last a while. Recently I had been there. I knew nothing about why I was feeling the way I was feeling. It lasted half a month. And it was so strange to explain why I was feeling that way. Whenever I used to explain it, it felt like a constant nagging. It was like, during these hard times you have food, shelter, clothing, electricity what else do you need to be happy? Does it really work that way?

I simply want to let you all know sometimes it is okay to be in chaos. It is okay for your mind to be in turmoil, to be in such a phase where nothing seems to make you happy. You don’t need to be “sorted ” always, be it your mind or life. Give things time. Let your mind recover at its own pace. Eventually, you will return to being back as you were but stronger.

And that day, you will know how important it is to give yourself a break, your mind a break from being okay all the time.

Bullying

World has changed a lot. Many developments have been made and world has achieved a tremendous change. But various things didn’t change and one of those main things which are affecting the children even now is Bullying. Due to this many have become severely affected and some even have done suicide.

LIFE OF THE VICTIM

Daily morning, that boy will go to that school in morning as usual, but from that starting of the bus travel itself , the boy will be humiliated by that bully. And hence the day of that victim starts with a negative impact and hence his day will be awful. Due to this many have been affected both mentally and psyco-logically. It is not only for that boy, mostly across the globe various persons have been criticized and over 10 percent of those are deciding to take the decision of suicide.

HOW DOES A DAY PASS FOR THE VICTIM

It is as hard as tasting a dish which you don’t like. If we cant able to finish even a single dish we don’t love, imagine about the life of that person. He will definitely don’t like his life. He will be so much friendly, but has got no companions in his school. IF HE EVEN GOT ONE SINGLE FRIEND, HE WILL DEFINITELY FORGET EVERYTHING AND LIFE HIS LIFE A NICE ONE.

But unfortunately, he will not get because of his appearance and structure. Please if you cant help others, its okay but don’t make others fall.

TEACHERS PART IN THIS

Normally teachers and staff members mostly don’t know about these kind of practices. Because the one who is making all these things will have a different face in the classroom. He will make a good appearance in front of the teacher and hence the teacher will not also suspect him. The persons doing this will also not do this in front of the official members and staff, hence the teacher role in this is not there. And if the staff came to know about this, surely actions will be taken.

ACTION TAKEN TO STOP BULLYING

Various colleges and institutions have made several ways to stop this kind of acts. Many methods including Fine for ragging, suspension of the persons making this, giving dismiss orders who make these kind of practices again and again.

CONCLUSION

“DO RAISE OTHERS, IF YOU PULL DOWN SOMEONE, YOU WILL ALSO BE PULLED!!!”

Understanding the browsing in Incognito mode


On a shared computer in colleges, and offices, there is a need to protect the user’s online activity from other users of a shared device. Hence, the private browsing feature called Incognito mode was introduced. It addresses the former issue completely. Also, it protects them partially from the visited websites and not at all from the ad networks or Internet service providers.
Browsing in private mode: Apple’s Safari browser was one of the first major web browsers to include this feature earlier in 2005 as “Private Browsing”. Later, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Microsoft Edge supported this feature. On a shared computer, if you don’t want the Chrome browser to remember your online activity, you can browse the web privately in Incognito mode. This feature can be activated in the Chrome browser of the Computer system, Android phones, Apple iPhones, and iPads.
“Go Incognito” can be added as an extension in Chrome. In Safari, the address bar is shown in black ( to indicate the incognito window).
Starting from Mac Operating systems, Windows and Linux OS also support them. Incognito mode can run in a separate window from your normal Chrome windows. Further details are clearly shown in the below picture.
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What browsing details are not stored?
When operating in such a mode, the browser creates a temporary session that is separated from the browser’s main session and user data. Free screen recorder windows 10.
Chrome will not save your

  • browsing history,
  • cookies and
  • site data, or
  • information entered in the online forms.
    Private Browsing mode (PBM) is not always private, really ….
    There are some limitations to that. The files that you download and bookmarks you create will be saved. It still saves your search query, geolocation details, etc and you are not free from malware or viruses.
    Your online activity isn’t hidden from the websites you visit, your employer or school, or your Internet service provider (ISP). For security or legal purposes, and from the employer’s perspective, it is not hidden from them. ISPs may compile browsing statistics across many users that the ISP can use or sell.

In private (incognito) mode, your browser works a bit differently. Your search history ( web addresses – URLs) won’t be stored locally. This is great for hiding your browsing history from anyone else who’s using the same device, such as when you’re looking at products in an online shopping portal, reviews of latest movies, health information search, etc.
Health information search
Your health is your business. You might not even want to let family members know that you suspect something is an issue. Incognito mode can help you learn without having to explain before you understand.
Unbiased searching
Your search history can always influence what you see in the search results. If you want completely unbiased searching, based on an empty search history (and no cookies), incognito mode can let you do so without using the existing history for regular work.
Work in multiple accounts or profiles
If you want multiple windows open in multiple accounts (FaceBook login), sometimes profiles can get confused. With incognito mode (especially if you also use a guest window), you can keep each profile separate. And let’s say a friend wants to borrow your computer to quickly check his Facebook page; he could do that in incognito mode and log in to his own Facebook account without first having to log out of yours.
Screen recording
If you want to record a screencast, you probably don’t want all your own browsing info cluttering your recording. Incognito mode is a great way to do a clean recording.
As a new visitor to the e-commerce site
Sometimes what online stores present to you (along with the prices) are influenced by what you’ve bought before. If you want to see it all without history influencing, both incognito mode.
Helps you save money
Another surprising benefit is that users could save more money under PBM. Many web sites collect the user’s interests by storing one’s browsing session information. For example, through a user’s search history, an airline may rise up the price next time he/she searches it to persuade him/her to make the purchase now.
Preventing website tracking
Websites use trackers to collect information about browsing. They use it to show advertisements according to the user’s browsing preferences and behavior.
Tracking Prevention can be set from the Settings menu (Basic, Balanced or Strict options). Always use “Strict” tracking prevention when browsing InPrivate to “on.”
While using personal systems (iPad or Android phones etc) , it also helps to remove the local trace of viewing of adult content and hiding those kinds of stuff from the other family members, siblings, children, etc.
Conclusion :
Incognito Mode allows the user to go undercover when they are browsing the internet. Any searches or websites visited in Incognito Mode won’t show up in the Internet search history later.

Morita Therapy

Developed by Japanese psychiatrist Shoma Morita in the early part of the twentieth century, Morita Therapy was conditioned by the psychological propositions of Zen Buddhism. His technique at first came into existence as a treatment for a type of anxiety neurosis called ‘shinkeishitsu’. After a while the postulates of his approach have been accommodated to outpatient settings and expanded to address not only emotional well-being but to enhance the function in many aspects of day to day life. Morita Therapy, is for common mental health problems, in sharp variation to established western psycho-therapeutic approaches in teaching that undesired symptoms are natural traits of human emotion rather than something to control or get rid of.

Morita put forward that human motivating force was influenced by two oppugnant drives; a desire to live fully (self-actualize), and a desire to maintain security and contentment. He took note of these two drives being in contrast. Morita observed that the more people strive to avoid or stifle feelings of insecurity the more it disrupts their ability to function. Moreover, their attention becomes increasingly fixated on wrong efforts to escape unwanted feelings, resulting in the contradictory effect of enhancing the frequency and intensity of the very experiences they are trying to desist from.

The grail of Morita Therapy is arugamama (acceptance of life as it is). On numerous occasions, humans experience discontentment with life as it is in comparison to life as they can imagine it should be. We fall short of our own expectations, or feel exasperated with people who are not as patient, kind, or helpful as we believe they could be. The natural outcome is that we try hard to make life more like our ideal life. This might appear as a perfectly rational formula for improvement. There are however, some serious faults to this approach. One problem is that as soon as we attain a closer approximation to our ideas of perfection our mind is able to imagine how life could even be better. When we attain that, the mind sets a new aim. The result is that we live in a kind of persistent dissatisfaction with the present moment, comforted by the belief that once we fix what is wrong we will be content. However when that “future” arrives it is just one more disquieting present moment. In this way we live as if the present moment is a hindrance to where we would rather be living. Another problem is that our mind is capable of envisioning and wishing for things that have nothing to do with how life is.

It is a common presumption that the problem at the core of emotional distress is the presence of certain thoughts and feelings. Morita observed that even very unpleasant or unreasonable thoughts and feelings are quite common. He suggested that people naturally go through distressing feelings like anxiety, depression, and inadequacy. He suggested that unpleasant feelings or irrational thoughts were not the trademark of abnormal psychology. Rather it was people’s attempt to suppress or avoid such experiences which lead to problematic behavior. It is an individual’s response and relationship to thoughts and feelings that is at the interior of the problem, not the thoughts and feelings.

The techniques used by Morita therapists differ. In the traditional inpatient approach there is a period of solitary bed rest before the patient is exposed to counseling, instruction and occupational therapy. Increasingly, Morita principles are put in application in outpatient settings.

Naikan is a Japanese term which means “inside looking” or “introspection”. It is a structured method of self-reflection that helps us to look at ourselves, our relationships, and our actions from a new frame of mind. Reflecting on our lives through the lens of Naikan often reshapes long held but inaccurate beliefs about our lives. In turn this point of view will often give rise to feelings of gratitude, indebtedness, and responsibility.

Naikan is easy to learn. It is founded on three basic questions:

  • WHAT HAVE I RECEIVED?
  • WHAT HAVE I GIVEN?
  • WHAT TROUBLES AND DIFFICULTIES HAVE I CAUSED?

Used creatively these questions can shed light on the unseen aspects of our relationship to all things; on the fundamental nature of how we view our life. Ultimately Naikan is a devotion to the truth. Not the self-serving construction of what we think about ourselves, but a search for the actual events of our lives as they might be encountered by those around us. This truth, though every once in a while daunting, is also liberating. 

MENTAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL BEING

The phrase “psychological well-being” is used to describe an individual’s emotional health and overall functioning. Many have found that the absence of distress doesn’t necessarily indicate a person has high psychological well-being.It is all about feeling happy and doing well. People with high mental well-being report feeling capable, well-energized, and contempt with life.

IT ALWAYS MATTERS THE MOST IN LIFE:

People with higher psychological well-being are more likely to live healthier and longer lives. They are also more likely to enjoy a better quality of life. Better mental well-being also is associated with fewer social problems and high level of happiness in heart.

For instance,people with high psychological well-being are less likely to engage in criminal activity or abuse drugs and alcohol. In addition, positive mental well-being tends to predict higher earnings .

If you’re looking to improve your psychological well-being, there are several things you can do to feel and function better. Here’s an overview of things you an do to improve your overall sense of well-being.

IT MAKES THE PURPOSE OF LIVING

Living a life with meaning and purpose is key to improving your mental well-being.You have to live your life in at peace and Your purpose doesn’t necessarily have to involve changing the world but you must be a person who always need to help at least a single person.

THINGS WILL ALWAYS BE NICE IF YOU THINK POSITIVE

Thinking positively also improves your mental well-being. In turn, as your psychological well-being improves, it becomes easier to think positively and feel good overall. Fortunately, you can begin creating that positive cycle with a few simple strategies. Here are some steps that makes you optimistic:

*) Stay nice always.

*) Be satisfied with what you got.

*) Take part in social activities.

*) Involve yourself in sports and co curricular activities.

MAKE YOUR MIND FOR A BETTER FUTURE

Take a few minutes and write down all the good things that could happen to you in the future. Imagine how you could be spending your time and who you would be spending it with if you were living your best life.

You also may want to devise a plan on how you can make that happen. Make small, measurable goals that will help you achieve that better future. Then, put a plan into place. When you’re working toward a better future—even if the steps are really small—it gives you a sense of purpose and something to look forward to.

MEMORIZE POSITIVE EVENTS OF YOUR LIFE

Spend time thinking about some of the best memories of your life. Whether it’s a family vacation you went on 10 years ago or an award you won at work two years ago, recalling the happiest times in your life can bring more good to your mindset.

Recognizing the good things that have happened to you over time—the people you have built memories with or the good times that you have experienced—is an important part of improving your well-being. They serve as reminders of the fullness life has to offer, especially when circumstances may be pulling you down.

HAVE KINDNESS FOR EVERYTHING

Doing nice things for other people reminds you that you have the power to make a difference in the world. Giving to others also helps you think more positively and feel happier. Helping a neighbor in need, volunteering for a community activity, or raising money for a charity are just a few simple ways to improve your psychological well-being.

Also, look for ways to be kind to others in your everyday life. Doing so benefits you in a number of ways. In fact, if a individual gives kindness releases endorphins that makes good hormones , as well as creates new neural connections. Consequently, kindness can become a self-reinforcing habit that takes less and less effort to perform. There’s also some evidence linking kindness and healing. So, look for ways to be kind to others and your body and mind will thank you.

CONCLUSION

“IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE WELL BEING OF YOURSELF, STAY POSITIVE ALWAYS!!!”

Bullying

Bullying is a repetitive aggressive behaviour that can be physical or verbal, it can either be online or in person. It is an unwanted aggressive behaviour and stems out from real or perceived power imbalance. Bullying is the intentional harm or discomfort one gives to others.

Bullying is deliberate and ongoing misuse of power in relationships. It involves an individual or group of individuals who misuse their power or perceived power over a person who usually can’t stop the happening.

In order for a behaviour to be called bullying, it should have the following characteristics,
• An imbalance of power
• Repetition
Bullying include activities such as spreading rumours, making threats, attacking someone physically or verbally, excluding someone from group and so on.

Bullying can be physical, verbal or relationship bullying.
• Physical bullying: It involves hitting, kicking and pushing. It may also include stealing, hiding things , humiliating and harassing.
• Verbal bullying: It involves name calling, teasing , taunting, insulting. Thus includes verbal abuse.
• Relationship bullying: It includes spreading rumours or lies, excluding someone from group or refusing to talk to them.
Reports suggest that boys are more likely to get involved in physical bullying , whereas girls are reportedly more involved in verbal bullying. But either type of bullying should not be tolerated.

Cyber Bullying

With the development in digital platform, bullying is no longer limited to public place. One can get bullied even sitting at home via the digital platform. Unlike traditional bullying, cyber bullying does not require face to face contact. It doesn’t require physical power or strength in numbers.
• Cyber bullying come in all shape and form: Almost everyone at internet can be a cyber bully and can be its victim even without revealing their true identity.
• Cyber bullying has no time constraint: A cyber bully can torment you 24 hours a day. It can occur anywhere and just with a single click hundreds of people can see the humiliation.
• Method of cyber bullying can vary: The method people use to cyber bully others can vary with the platform they use. It can be via text, email, stealing someone’s online identity and so on.

Cyber bullying is common both with boys and girls. Since it is so easy to perpetrate, one can easy turn from a victim of cyber bullying to a cyber bully.

Effects of Bullying and Cyber bullying

A victim of bullying or cyber bullying usually experience same effect. These includes:
• Experiencing a turmoil of emotions: A victim usually experiences feeling of anger, isolation, fear, hopelessness, helplessness. If severe the victim might also experience suicidal tendencies.
• Poor mental health: A victim is at a greater risk of developing depression, low self esteem, anxiety and other mental health conditions.
• Reducing social contacts: A victim usually reduces their social contacts. In case of bullying they might leave school, college, workplace , in order to avoid being bullied. In cyber bullying, they may withdraw themselves from social platforms altogether.

Ways to deal with Bully

There is no definite solution or full proof way to deal with bullies. However since bullying and cyber bullying impacts the mental health of a person it is extremely important to deal with bullies . Suffering in silence is never the solution.

• It is not your fault: Do not blame yourself, it is not your fault. No matter what the bully says but you do not deserve this . The bully is the problem, not the victim. Do not change yourself .
• Change your perspective: The bully is usually the one who is insecure with themselves. They want to control your feelings, so you too feel miserable about yourself just like they do . Do not let them break your confidence.
• Don’t dwelling into it: One should try to stay as away from bullies as possible. Do not read hate comments or messages. Instead focus on the good and positive things in life.
• Learn to manage stress: Bullying does induce stress, making it very important for the victim to manage stress. Yoga, meditation, exercise not only helps in dealing with stress but also promotes physical wellbeing.
• Engage in hobbies and fun activities: The more time one spends on hobbies and other activities they get pleasure from , away the person stays from bullying. Hobbies make a person better version of themselves and makes them secure individuals.

If you are a victim of bullying, just remember it is not your fault. You do not deserve it. You are not the problem , your bullies are.

‘PROXY WAR’ Yemen crisis: What is happening in Yemen?

A vicious civil war storming in Yemen has claimed more than 16,000 lives and left 13million people on the threshold of famine.

Credit: Getty Image

The conflict has been given a name to “proxy war” among competing powers in the Middle East as a Saudi-led coalition battles rebels backed by Iran.

How many people have been killed in the crisis?
The UN had confirmed the deaths of at least 7,500 civilians with most caused by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes.

However, monitoring groups believe the death toll is far higher. In October last year, the US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) said it had registered more than 100,000 deaths, including 12,0000 civilians killed in direct attacks.

More than 23,000 fatalities were reported in 2019.

According to the Yemen Data Project, more than 17,500 civilians have been killed and injured since 2015 -with a quarter of all civilians killed in air raids said to be women and children.

Some 100,000 people are now thought to be dead because of the conflict, from direct involvement and knock-on effects such as mass starvation and inadequate sanitation.

This week, Yemen has recorded 208 coronavirus-related deaths pandemic.

The country’s national committee against the virus confirmed the total number of infections stands at 844, while the number of recoveries is around 80.

International health officials have said Yemen’s population could be extremely vulnerable to an outbreak.

It would be hard to scan the outbreak in the country as Yemen’s health infrastructure has been destroyed by years of civil war.

Aside from the threat of COVID-19, Yemen is also suffering an outbreak of the mosquito-transmitted Chikungunya virus.

There are also more than 100,000 known cholera cases across the nation.
Famine in Yemen
Yemen, the Gulf’s poorest nation, has been torn apart by the conflict.
Supplies of basic goods and humanitarian aid have been halted by forces battling control of the strategic port in Hodeidah.
Violence has forced farmers to abandon their crops, and hospitals have been overwhelmed by sick, wounded and malnourished children.
Hadramout province has seen some of the worst pockets of malnutrition and disease in the war-torn country.

Many displaced people, returnees, refugees and asylum seekers are now reliant on regular humanitarian aid to survive, according to the UN.

Credit: TOI

Charity UNICEF says approximately 80% of Yemen’s population, or 24 million people, rely on aid, and 10 million are facing famine.
According to the charity Save the Children, 12.3 million children – 0r 93% -need humanitarian assistance and protection.
The charity says 1 in 5 of children have lost their homes, while 70% don’t have access to clean water and sanitation
A further 7.4 million children are in need of child protection assistance, while 2 million children are out of school.
The United Nations (UN) has put out an appeal for donations amidst growing fears regarding the situation in Yemen.

It comes as COVID-19 spreads rapidly throughout the country’s population, which has already been devastated by years of war.

A number of charities are running campaigns to raise money for the people affected by the war.
The civil war is considered one of the largest humanitarian crisis’ in the world right now, with millions affected.
International organisations such as The Red Cross, Save the Children, UNICEF and Oxfam are collecting donations to help Yemeni citizens and families.

HUMAN-ANIMAL CHIMERAS

According to Greek mythology, a chimera is known to be a hybrid creature represented by a lion with a goat’s head protruding from its back and a tail terminating with a snake’s head.

Science has been successful in preserving the mythological roots of a chimera but this research has also been quite transgressive in its approach.

A chimera is a single organism which has been made of cells from different individuals, meaning it contains two different sets of DNAs. For example, tissue chimera may result from organ transplant or tissue transplant such as that of bone marrow. Not only restricted to being a lab experiment, it is known to occur naturally as well. This may happen when the mother and the fetus swap cell during pregnancy via placenta (micro chimerism) or when in a case of fraternal twins, if the two embryos somehow fuse together to form a single fetus having genetically distinct cells (tetragametic chimerism).

The total number of chimeras in the world isn’t known but there have only been 100 cases recorded so far making it a very rare condition.

Most often, chimeras have been a result of lab experiments performed by humans for genetic research. With advancements in science and technology and an increasing need for performing organ transplantation, scientists have developed a technique called xenotransplantation which can be understood as the implantation of live cells, tissues or organs from a non-human animal source into human body. Hiromitsu Nakauchi, a Japanese stem-cell scientist has been the first person to receive government support after the ban on this practice was uplifted recently. The team headed by him aims to produce animals with organs made of human cells that can be used to facilitate organ transplantation. This research has been active in other countries as well such the United States but has not been brought to terms because of the prohibition on its funding since 2015 imposed by the National Institutes of Health.

The first interspecies chimera sheep-human chimera was created by scientists in which human stem cells were introduced into sheep embryos resembling 99% sheep but also showing a tiny bit similarity to humans.

Bioethicists have argued against this idea because there may be a possibility that human cells may go beyond the development of the targeted organ and may reach other organs of the animal such as the brain and interfere in its cognition.

The main strategy of the scientists working on this research is to perform only targeted organ generation, so the cells do not sway away from their original path and penetrate other organs. The necessary concerns need to be taken into consideration regarding this research. Nakauchi plans to address the issue and plans to maintain a dialogue with the public so as to eradicate all of their concerns.

SOLAR INTELLIGENCE

SUNBOT or the popularly known smart flower owing its name to its flower like appearance is an innovative product being set up in many universities of the United States such as North Colorado University but has yet to popularize itself in India.

Claiming to be the world’s first intelligent energy plant, it offers much more than the conventional static solar panels. It is a photovoltaic flower system with its solar panels arranged as the petals of a flower that automatically unfold during daytime to capture maximum solar energy. The solar cells bearing petals of the solar flower just like those of a sunflower due to its dual axis and trackers follows the movements of the Sun allowing 40% more production than the traditional ones. Working on better technology and low maintenance requirements, it works as an overall self-sufficient device that outcompetes other solar based devices. One of the most important advantage is its portability and high ease of set up. It can be put up in a few hours unlike the bulky installation of solar panels. The effectiveness of this device can not only be seen in its energy capturing efficiency but also as a self-cleaning device. The petals when closed uses already installed brushes that clean the petals. Its designing gives it a superior edge with added benefits such as smart cooling and smart system. When detected bad weather conditions, the petals close themselves to minimize the damage.

It does pose as a better option in terms of design and efficiency but its high cost plays the biggest factor in making people question its worth and necessity. Cost may be the prime factor it is not that popular. Before adding the incentives and the tax credits, it may range from $25,000 to $30,000 while the conventional devices of nearly the same size may vary between $14-15,000. Eventually, it comes down to the person’s requirements and preferences. If a person prefers effectiveness, the smartflower has an edge but the low cost and higher affordability of the conventional rooftop solar panels may be more appealing for the customers.

All in all, it is a new technology which has a lot of scope and if used efficiently, it can prove to be very beneficial.

Can India’s economy over take China in coming years?

With the Covid-19 pandemic infecting millions of people around the world, China is facing a global backlash, especially from the United States. It has created a cold-war situation between the two, where India is siding the US. Despite the strong anti-China sentiment, the Indian government can no way stop the Chinese market.

Indian Market cannot afford to keep China out of its markets as Chinese products are fairly cheap and have helped low-income groups to improve their standard of living. The country’s products are not just cheap but also durable and well-aligned to other country’s needs. This formula has helped Chinese production experts take over even Euro-American markets. Although, China is known to be the birthplace for Coronavirus, which is uniting its enemies- India, the US, Japan, and Australia. But, there are very low chances that they can stop its goods and services all over the world, including their own countries, in the post-COVID world.

Focusing on India, it still hasn’t prepared its labor force to challenge the Chinese skilled labor force. Also, the question arises, is India capable enough to produce goods and commodities as inexpensive as China?

China has its rural industry which is that independent that it can produce goods for all sorts of cultures and commercial markets. There is no rural industry in India. While announcing plans for post- corona economy, Narendra Modi talked about establishing cottage industries. But there are no skilled laborers in rural India to produce goods for the global market’s tastes. How will this happen then?

Not to forget, Chinese growth has been driven by some of the world’s largest investment rates. This has made possible high –speed rail lines, infrastructure revolution of new cities, ports, airports, and manufacturing muscle for the country. Now, China has become the world’s factory for more than 20 years. Its ability to quickly and efficiently move what it produces domestically and around the world has played a major role in its growth miracle.

Today, India lags behind China in three dimensions: investment, infrastructure, and manufacturing. India has barely scratched the surface on all these. China invests about 50% of its GDP, while India does only 30%. Manufacturing is about is just 20% in India, while in China it’s about 30%.

India lags behind China a lot in the development. It looks like a poor country in major parts, where China has one of the best infrastructures around the world.

But, if India starts taking things seriously it can be a real opportunity. It is a known fact that by increasing investment, improving infrastructure, and growing economic output, it can be a true path to growth if the nation is patient enough to follow.

The ‘Make in India’ initiative is so promising as it does not rely on the Indian government. Launched to surpass China in direct foreign investment, ‘Make in India’ calls for global firms to increase their financial commitment to India. The innovative firms as diverse as Lenovo, Samsung and Boeing have publically supported this initiative, proving that the private sector is ready to step in.

Only thing is that private firms won’t act until it is more confident about politics and this scheme. Taking this into consideration, the government first has to give confidence to them for further progress to be made.

There is a lot of potential that India has. The raw material that the nation is so rich for any production. The challenge now is to use it effectively by all means.

All to say, to challenge China, it means unlearning many things and re-learning new things for India to take over this nation in terms of economy.

With the Covid-19 pandemic infecting millions of people around the world, China is facing a global backlash, especially from the United States. It has created a cold-war situation between the two, where India is siding the US. Despite the strong anti-China sentiment, the Indian government can no way stop the Chinese market.

Indian Market cannot afford to keep China out of its markets as Chinese products are fairly cheap and have helped low-income groups to improve their standard of living. The country’s products are not just cheap but also durable and well-aligned to other country’s needs. This formula has helped Chinese production experts take over even Euro-American markets. Although, China is known to be the birthplace for Coronavirus, which is uniting its enemies- India, the US, Japan, and Australia. But, there are very low chances that they can stop its goods and services all over the world, including their own countries, in the post-COVID world.

Focusing on India, it still hasn’t prepared its labor force to challenge the Chinese skilled labor force. Also, the question arises, is India capable enough to produce goods and commodities as inexpensive as China?

China has its rural industry which is that independent that it can produce goods for all sorts of cultures and commercial markets. There is no rural industry in India. While announcing plans for post- corona economy, Narendra Modi talked about establishing cottage industries. But there are no skilled laborers in rural India to produce goods for the global market’s tastes. How will this happen then?

Not to forget, Chinese growth has been driven by some of the world’s largest investment rates. This has made possible high –speed rail lines, infrastructure revolution of new cities, ports, airports, and manufacturing muscle for the country. Now, China has become the world’s factory for more than 20 years. Its ability to quickly and efficiently move what it produces domestically and around the world has played a major role in its growth miracle.

Today, India lags behind China in three dimensions: investment, infrastructure, and manufacturing. India has barely scratched the surface on all these. China invests about 50% of its GDP, while India does only 30%. Manufacturing is about is just 20% in India, while in China it’s about 30%.

India lags behind China a lot in the development. It looks like a poor country in major parts, where China has one of the best infrastructures around the world.

But, if India starts taking things seriously it can be a real opportunity. It is a known fact that by increasing investment, improving infrastructure, and growing economic output, it can be a true path to growth if the nation is patient enough to follow.

The ‘Make in India’ initiative is so promising as it does not rely on the Indian government. Launched to surpass China in direct foreign investment, ‘Make in India’ calls for global firms to increase their financial commitment to India. The innovative firms as diverse as Lenovo, Samsung and Boeing have publically supported this initiative, proving that the private sector is ready to step in.

Only thing is that private firms won’t act until it is more confident about politics and this scheme. Taking this into consideration, the government first has to give confidence to them for further progress to be made.

There is a lot of potential that India has. The raw material that the nation is so rich for any production. The challenge now is to use it effectively by all means.

All to say, to challenge China, it means unlearning many things and re-learning new things for India to take over this nation in terms of economy.

Big Data and IoT Explained

How Big Data Influences Your IoT Solution

Technology has been advancing and lives are getting improved everyday now. Businesses are doing everything to exceed the expectations of their customers and IoT is the next promising step towards the same. Internet of Things, IoT in short, is a platform that collects and analyses data from our regular use appliances with the aid of the internet and gives out information to both the manufacturer and user. This information could be about the servicing that is required or a part that has become dysfunctional and needs to be replaced. The huge amount of data that is generated by these sensor equipped machines is called the Big Data (no surprise there, hopefully).

Big Data has always been present but in earlier times, it was simple and could be easily recorded on Excel spreadsheets and analysed as such. The type of data wasn’t as complex back then and it could be easily filled into the cells of spreadsheets. Now, however, the format of data that is being transmitted is not very fixed and it could be in forms like audio, video and pictures. This data cannot be collected and analysed by traditional programs. New softwares (Cloud) are getting developed that can help separate the valuable information and recognise the trends or patterns if there are any. Examples of the same can be seen in apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime when they give you recommendations on the basis of your previous watch.

The big data is characterised by 4 Vs: volume, velocity, variety and veracity. The volume of data could be trillions of gigabytes and has to be stored at multiple locations. The velocity of transmission and collection of data currently, is unprecedented. ‘Variety’ refers to the format of data that can be both structured and unstructured but equally important. Veracity or the accuracy of the set of data that has been generated by a source and needs to be verified in case of redundancy or just to check if the data is suitable for analysis by a particular software. The role of data analyst becomes important with this discussion and it will be the most sought after profession eventually.

IoT and Big Data are very similar but yet very distinct at the same time. IoT seeks to analyse the data when it is transmitted and the data then contributes to the Big Data. A company can use both the technologies at the same time. For example, a sensor in a car could emit a signal that the car is in need of servicing and the owner might get a notification reminder for the same. The data of the times all the cars of the same company required servicing can be stored and used for predictive analysis for newly manufactured cars. 

The integration of the two technologies can help the both consumer and seller in the long run. The businesses will make more profits as they will become more efficient in catering to the needs of their customer and the overall costs will get reduced as well. The customer might be hesitant at first, for the idea of their appliances tracking their usage behavior seems like invasion of privacy, but it will save their time and money in maintenance and replacement.

It’s a Marriage..!

There are a lot of people in this world who are definitely sure about the fact that they are going to walk the aisle once for sure in their life can be more too lol. But is this decision that important is there a need to marry! So if you ask me it is equally important as well as not so important and it’s totally dependent upon your personality, your mindset and your aspirations and your desires.

So let’s start with why is marriage an important part in anybody’s life. This thing is for certain that before you get married make sure that you have experienced everything there is to experience in this whole wide world which doesn’t happen most of the time. But Ladies and Gentlemen no worries you can always roam with your mio amore but make sure that you are ready to settle down to start something calm, stagnant and homely as marriage without these three sounds like a Banana. Find someone you love and then you can actually live a life worth living. As marriage is something which gives us a sense of sensibility and a pride to prejudice sorry Jane Austen this world ain’t made for your book. Jokes apart lets proceed to the fact that why is marriage so important and why it isn’t. So if you really find your soulmate or that person who maybe your soulmate is as usual definition goes and i quote as someone who accepts you for what you are and not for your bank balance or your job or your looks then no harm comes from getting married. But we can’t forget the gospel that not everybody is supposed to get soulmates, is the place where people actually do mistakes. According to me if you are not so attached with that whole scenario of walking the aisle then it’s best not to get married as when you put a piece of really expensive stone on your so called soul full relationship it may last and it may not and nowadays it’s the latter rather than the former. Never ever compromise your happiness, your personality and your mental stability and integrity for one idiotic or lost being , well I mean there are eight billion humans on planet earth for god sake you will find another one for sure but if you can help the idiotic ones please do help them. So live for yourself and love your family and if you get a chance do fall in love as that feeling to surrender yourself to a single person with body, mind and soul is something heavenly and it’s the creation god indeed.

then comes the mother of demons ‘Arrange marriages in India. If you think about it arrange marriage is one of the most flawed concepts which we possess as im gonna get married but my parents will decide the one for me. Well in a manner Indian parents act as it’s some kind of moral obligation they have towards their children but in reality it’s a really messed up thing Parents opening up accounts in matrimony sites is one of the most violating thing one can ever imagine. To all the parents out there if you are so into deciding your boy’s or girl’s partner take control of their dating sites Tinder and Grinder will accept you with open arms And most importantly know this that we don’t choose who we fall in love with and putting a name on it is your decision as such yours and yours only for now and for ever……….. Love is a weird thing as it makes ones life enough to seek Hadraniel and to ask him for refuge as he also stands defeated in the acts of love!

NEED OF HUMANITY-MANKIND-HUMANKIND!

Humanity is a nature of a person that is being skilled by the nature to one and by which one is recognized from different creatures. Being human doesn’t imply that an individual has mankind. The nature of mankind in an individual observe what he accomplish for individuals who give taking note of back consequently to the kindness they had advertised. Extra-standard humankind in a person has been depicted delightfully by Mother Teresa as She had made a sublime case of Humanity over the world and especially in India. Mankind implies thinking about and helping other people at whatever point and at every possible opportunity.

Humankind implies helping other people now and again when they need that help the most, mankind implies overlooking your narrow minded interests on occasion when others need your assistance. Mankind implies stretching out unlimited love to every single living being on Earth.

An ideal case of humankind can be shown by the account of a ruler. A ruler with a benevolent heart once observed a pigeon and an Eagle battling. He had the capacity of speaking with the flying creatures and creatures. The pigeon requested that the lord spare him from the hawk. The ruler told the bird that he is prepared to follow through on any cost in kind for sparing the pigeon. The bird requests that the lord give him the equivalent measure of tissue to the heaviness of the substance of the pigeon. Consenting to the Eagle’s condition, the lord begins slashing off his own substance equivalent to the tissue of the pigeon. Subsequent to giving a smidgen of his tissue, he despite everything finds the pigeon heavier. At long last he gives up the entire of himself to the Eagle to eat. That is the second when both the Eagle and the pigeon transform into blessed messengers who showed up on the earth to test the degree of the lord’s mankind. The ruler is currently compensated with the most valuable prizes and paradise after life for his deed of humankind.

This story can be comprehended as a misrepresented proclamation with the goal that people comprehend the significance of humankind in their everyday lives. It is imperative to comprehend one significant truth “a person’s life is fruitful not by the quantity of degrees the individual achieves yet by the level of helpful exercises that individual is into on an everyday premise”.

Serving poor people and the debilitated is one of the best philanthropic assistance an individual can give in the course of their life with no standing, belief, shading and religions. It is fundamental to comprehend the way that we are very fortunate to have all that we want anytime of the time we need. Serving the penniless implies that you yourself feel that you have all that could possibly be needed assets to your removal.

Individuals who consistently den that they don’t have adequate offices accessible regardless of having everything can never offer philanthropic types of assistance in such a case that one has the outlook of not acting naturally adequate, by what means can the person in question help another person. One is constantly associated with their great deeds and it is basic to comprehend that there is no preferable deed over offering types of assistance for compassionate causes. On the off chance that eating and having a ton of fun is just what we are destined to do then we should remember a certain something, even creatures can do such movement, if God has made us people there must be some explanation for it

International Yoga Day



As you look forward toward your goal. Here, it is International yoga day on 21st of June with peace of mind you can rejoice it with your family and loved ones. This year’s theme is ‘Yoga at home and Yoga with family.

The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Yuj’ meaning to evoke or to unite. As per Yogic scriptures the practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with that of the Universal Consciousness, indicating a perfect harmony between the mind and body, Man & Nature.

How to prepare for yoga day

1. Bring on the practice
Do some yogic asanas you want to do. Bring forward young ones tell them about yoga. Take time to understand your body and practice mindfully.

Here are some yogic posture you can do

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Raised Arms Pose (Urdhva Hastansana)

Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) 

2. Do meditation
Do mindful meditation introspecte yourself learn your strength and weakness. Have gratitude and thanks for where we are today.

3. Have fun
We should enjoy in our own way. Appreciate your family members and have fun. It would bring together during the time of pandemic. It would add value to your life.

Benefits of yoga

1. Improves flexibility
It would increase flexibility. At first it would look difficult but all your aches and pains start to disappear. Impossible poses would look possible .

2. Reduce stress
Yoga is known for its ability to ease stress and promote relaxation. When used alone or along with other methods of alleviating stress, such as meditation, yoga can be a powerful way to keep stress in check.

3. Increase strength
Strong muscles do more than look good. They also protect us from conditions like arthritis and back pain, and help prevent falls in elderly people. And when you build strength through yoga, you balance it with flexibility. If you just went to the gym and lifted weights, you might build strength at the expense of flexibility.

4. Increases your blood flow

Yoga gets your blood flowing. More specifically, the relaxation exercises you learn in yoga can help your circulation, especially in your hands and feet. Yoga also gets more oxygen to your cells, which function better as a result. Twisting poses are thought to wring out venous blood from internal organs and allow oxygenated blood to flow in once the twist is released. 

Yoga makes you feel better and makes you mindful by meditating. It makes you healthier with your body and spirit.

The Revolt of 1857

As a student of history, i feel this a question which most of us have had at some point and it needs to be addressed now. Whether or not can we call the revolt of 1857 the first war of independence? Now, there are two viewpoints to this. I will introduce both the ideas to you all and then you can do your research to come to a well informed conclusion.

NOT A WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

VD Savarkar was among the first to call it a war of independence. Many of his contemporaries as well as later scholars have disagreed with him. It is argued that it was neither the first nor a war and nor was it a struggle for independence.

It was not the first such uprising because it was preceded by numerous tribal and peasant revolts at local level. The Santhal revolt preceded the Sepoy mutiny by two years. Pazzhasi Raja, a chieftain in the Malabar region of what is now Kerala, struggled against the British from 1793 till his death in 1805. These are, but two examples of armed rebellion against the East India Company’s rule.

It is also misleading to call it a war. In reality, history records the events as a series of localised battles, with little or no coordination among the mutineers spread across cantonments. Moreover, the revolt was restricted to the Bengal Army. The Bombay and Madras Armies remained largely unaffected.

The most inappropriate aspect however, is the argument that the mutiny was for independence. In fact, the Indian chiefs who joined in the mutiny primarily did so over personal grievances. Nana Sahib, who led the rebellion in Kanpur, was aggrieved because the British were cutting off his pension. Rani Lakshmibai, of Jhansi was mainly concerned that her adopted son be recognised as the ruler of Jhansi (under British suzerainty). Similarly, Begum Hazrat Mahal of Lucknow lent support to the mutineers in order protect the interests of her young son Birjis Qadir. Kunwar Singh, who led the revolt at Arrah, was motivated by his desire to protect his Zamindari rights.

In fact, this diversity of interests ensured that there was no unity of purpose among the leaders of the mutiny. This was a major reason for the failure of the revolt. While the Indian protagonists had widely varying interests, the East India Company fought with the sole objective of self preservation in a land where they were hopelessly outnumbered.

It would be more appropriate to remember the mutiny as one among many events that shaped the events of the next century.

WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

The Nationalist historians have a different story to tell. According to them the fact that Hindus and Muslims came together to fight against British oppression proves that it was the first war of independence. The Revolt was not successful but well it was the first every armed struggle of such a huge impact by the Indians against the British. Even though it did not necessarily lead to freedom from the British, it made the Indians realize that they could overpower the British and establish their independent rule.

The mutiny took place in 1857 and exactly 90 years later, in 1947 India did gain independence and we must not forget that after 1857, Indians never stopped their struggle for freedom and continued to fight against the British oppression. Thus we must not in any way undermine the events of 1857.

The amount of damage inflicted upon the British by the sepoys was enough to scare them off. This was the first time when the British realised that their Raj was not going to last forever and a very strong message was put across by the Indians.

The mutiny was magnificent display of Indian unity, power and might.

Thus, with this we can answer the question raised. I would request you all to read more and analyse the mutiny in greater detail and come up with your own unique answer.

Digital Marketing using AI

Hey Readers. Every now and then, people talk about the use of automation in diverse processes of business, technology, developments and day-to-day activities. With elevation of disruptive patterns in technology, the term “Artificial Intelligence” is the new gold.

Artificial Intelligence is the power of computing systems to mimic human behaviour and is the intelligence depicted by machines. It is also called machine intelligence due to its nature. The future of smart devices and related equipment’s is forced by the basics and usage of artificial intelligence.  AI makes it possible for various machines to learn from experience, adjust to new inputs and perform human-like tasks.

Thanks to advances and detailed algorithms, AI systems are increasingly gaining attention and becoming more and more mature.  Systems are becoming more efficient at a much faster rate than ever before. With adaptations and advancement, the application field of AI has been expanding, helping to make big strides in research and development areas around the world.

Previously, marketers were hesitant to add artificial intelligence to their marketing strategies and found it a challenging task. But with time and looking at the fact that AI will elevate the business growth and with many successful brands have adopted it and use it, other marketers are also planning and making use of AI to design marketing strategies.

For example, e-commerce websites are using consumer data and AI to show only relevant products to shoppers, based on previous searches, scrolls, purchases and views. This can increase the likelihood that a shopper makes an initial purchase or becomes a repeat customer, with the personalized experience being highly sought after.

AI in Digital Marketing

  • Email campaigns: Usually, analytics tools like A/B testing takes a lot of time, sometimes even weeks and hence AI help to reduce this gap. AI is used in email-campaigns to predict and analyse consumer behaviour according to their past behaviours, purchases and other details after which mails are send accordingly. This is more of a personalized way and is most effective.
  • AI Digital Advertising: Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and many more analyse users’ information, including gender, age, interests, demographics, and other aspects to show them the most relevant advertisements, improving the performance of digital ads.
  • Marketing campaigns: Using advances AI features, Marketers design banners, newsletters and other marketing campaigns to cater the demands of customers. The data is collected from various online sources using the concept of big data and artificial intelligence and then campaigns are designed accordingly.
  • Experiential Marketing using AR/VR: When AI is combined with Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies, it creates magic. It gives an opportunity to customers to interact and learn about a brand, allowing them to form a connection. The amalgamation of AI with AR/VR not only refreshes the user’s consumption experience but also builds a strong brand identity that can help create a greater sense of loyalty from a brand’s customer base.

Digital marketing can become more effective when it is combined with the usage of Artificial Intelligence. It definitely helps to fuel the business growth of an organization right from its inception to analysing most effective campaigns.

 

 

SCIENCE – A BLESSING OR CURSE?

Everything in the universe has its uses and abuses. The same applies to science. Science has revolutionized human existence. Much of the progress that mankind has made in different fields right from the stone age to the modern age is due to the progress made in the field of science. Science has benefitted mankind. Not only material progress but also the mental outlook of man has greatly been influenced by it. We have become scientifically more advanced. This is because the world has undergone a tremendous change due to the rapid strides made by science and technology. The growth of fast moving transport and communication has transformed the world into a global village. Today, we have meteorological satellites in outer space sending data and pictures of the milky way galaxy. Science made the Mission To Mars successful. Man, with the help of science can reach the space, explore and provide a detailed study of the universe.
Science has two faces – good and bad. It depends on us which face we choose to see.

MERITS
New scientific knowledge may lead to new applications.
For example, the discovery of the structure of DNA was a fundamental breakthrough in biology. It formed the underpinnings of research that would ultimately lead to a wide variety of practical applications, including DNA fingerprinting, genetically engineered crops, and tests for genetic diseases.
MAN VS. DISEASES
Science is the only hope of man against diseases. Without the inventions of science and ceaseless efforts of the scientists, many diseases, such as malaria, cancer etc where considered incurable diseases.
AGRICULTURE
Science has benefitted agriculture too. The food production levels and quality have improved. Science has contributed to the increase of the production of crops.
DEMERITS
CYBER CRIME
Cyber crime is a global phenomenon and victimization of women is on the rise. In India, cyber crimes remain less reported because of the fear of getting molested. The authorities concerned should be held responsible for not paying much heed . Laws need to be enacted to combat cyber crimes.
DEPENDENCY
With the advent of the internet ,where everything is available online at our finger tip, we have become highly dependent on the internet. We have no time to spare and
adore the Mother Nature.
IMPACT ON CHILDREN
Children who spend more time watching television spend less time spending with their parents and other family members. They remain glued to the television screen for hours together.
Man is today sitting on a huge stockpile of explosive material which can destroy his very existence on earth in the twinkling of an eye even as a result of slight error or misunderstanding on his part. Unless man destroys weapons of mass destruction, he cannot have real happiness on this earth. So, preparation for war negates all efforts of man towards progress. Progress may seem to be impressive and even tremendous but at present it is not free from corresponding dangers which are disastrous and fatal in nature.
If we use the resources, science has bestowed us with, in a positive manner, we can turn it into a boon. Else, misuse of the resources can be a threat to mankind.

Ayushman Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Scheme- The health insurance scheme

This scheme also known as Ayushman Bharat Yojna. It aims to help economically vulnerable Indians who are in need of healthcare facilities. PM Narendra Modi rolled out this scheme on 23rd September, 2018 to cover about 50 crore citizens in india and already has several success stories to its credit. As of September 2019, it was reported that 18,059 hospitals have been empanelled, over 4,406,461 lakh beneficiaries have been admitted and over 10 crore e-cards have been issued. The PM Jan Arogya Yojana beneficiaries get an e-card that can be used to avail services at an empanelled hospital, public or private, anywhere in the country. With it, you can walk into a hospital and obtain cashless treatment.

Eligibility Criteria for rural and urban people

For rural:

24% of rural families access healthcare facilities by borrowing money. PMJAY’s aim is to help this sector avoid debt traps and avail services by providing yearly assistance of up to Rs. 5 lakh per family. The scheme will come to the aid of economically disadvantaged families as per data in the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011. Here too, households enrolled under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) will come under the ambit of the PM Jan Arogya Yojana.

In the rural areas, the PMJAY health cover is available to:

1) Those living in scheduled caste and scheduled tribe households

2) Families with no male member aged 16 to 59 years

3) Beggars and those surviving on alms

4) Families with no individuals aged between 16 and 59 years

5) Families having at least one physically challenged member and no able-bodied adult member

6) Landless households who make a living by working as casual manual labourers

7) Primitive tribal communities

For Urban:

PMJAY will benefit urban workers’ families in the occupational category present as per the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011. Further, any family enrolled under the Rashtriya Swasthaya Bima Yojana will benefit from the PM Jan Arogya Yojana as well.

In the urban areas, those who can avail of the government-sponsored scheme consist mainly of:

1. Washerman / chowkidars

2. Rag pickers

3. Mechanics, electricians, repair workers

4. Domestic help

5. Sanitation workers, gardeners, sweepers

6. Home-based artisans or handicraft workers, tailors

7. Cobblers, hawkers and others providing services by working on streets or pavements

8. Plumbers, masons, construction workers, porters, welders, painters and security guards

9. Transport workers like drivers, conductors, helpers, cart or rickshaw pullers

People not entitled for the Health Cover under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana:

  • 1. Those who own a two, three or four-wheeler or a motorised fishing boat
  • 2. Those who own mechanised farming equipment
  • 3. Those who have Kisan cards with a credit limit of Rs.50000
  • 4. Those employed by the government
  • 5. Those who work in government-managed non-agricultural enterprises
  • 6. Those earning a monthly income above Rs.10000
  • 7. Those owning refrigerators and landlines
  • 8. Those with decent, solidly built houses
  • 9. Those owning 5 acres or more of agricultural land

How to apply:

  • Visit https://www.pmjay.gov.in/ and click on ‘Am I Eligible’
  • Enter your mobile number and the CAPTCHA code and click on ‘Generate OTP’
  • Then select your state and search by name/ HHD number/ ration card number/ mobile number
  • Based on the search results you can verify if your family is covered under PMJAY

Alternatively, to know if you are eligible for PMJAY you can approach any Empanelled Health Care Provider (EHCP) or dial the Ayushman Bharat Yojana call centre number: 14555 or 1800-111-565

Introduction to social education in India:

Democracy is meaningless in a country where people are illiterate. In India social education corresponds to adult education, which is the greatest national shame. But in the progressive countries it is more than adult educa­tion. In those countries, even the educated receives social education. For full­est development of an individual social education is essential. Education is a lifelong process.

At the end of formal education, social Education can make an individual a true, dutiful and responsible citizen. For citizenship train­ing social education is thus a must. A citizen must not be a misfit in the State and in the society at large. He must be a productive and useful citizen. Social Education can deeply help in this regard.

In Allahabad in Jan 1949 Maulana Abul Kalam Azad emphasised that adult education should not be limit­ed to making people merely literate. It should also include education so as to prepare every citizen to play his part in a democratic social order. Since then adult education is known as “social education” in the country.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1949) defines Social Education in the following way:

By Social Education we mean education for the complete man. It gives him literacy, so that the knowledge of the world may become accessible to him. It will teach him how to harmonize himself with his environment and make the best use of physical condition in which he subsists. It is intended to teach him improved crafts and modes of production so that he can achieve economic betterment. It also aims at teaching him the rudiments of hygiene both for the indi­vidual and community, so that our domestic life may be healthy and pros­perous. Lastly, this education should give him training in citizenship.

The Central Ministry of Education defined social education in 1963 in the following ways:

  1. Social Education is adult education. It means functional literacy.
  2. Social Education is education for desirable social change.
  3. Social education is education for the betterment of the individual’s social, economic and political and moral life.
  4. Social Education is education which enables a community to assume direction of its own development.
  5. Social Education is education for better work, better rest, better use of leisure and recreation.

UNESCO named Social Education as fundamental education and de­fined it as …….The only means to elevate mankind emotionally intellectu­ally, morally and materially.

Indian Education Commission (1964-66) has given three essential ingre­dients of social education:

(1) It must be work based and aimed at creating attitudes and interests and imparting skills and information for efficient doing of a work.

(2) It must create interest in the illiterate to participate actively in vi­tal national problems and in the social and political life of the country.

(3) It must impart skills in 3 Rs. so that he can continue his education independently.

OBJECTIVES OF SOCIAL EDUCATION

From Individualistic Point of view:
(1) It is needed for those who do not get formal education. It is spread of literacy among grown-up illiterates.

(2) Vocational improvement by providing training according to the need of the locality.

(3) Providing Health Education on fundamental principles and rules of hygiene.

(4) Making conscious about the healthy forms of recreational enjoyment suited to the needs of the community.

(5) Promoting self-development.

(6) Developing social skills, social efficiency and social fitness.

(7) It is training for the improvement of the adult’s economic status.

(8) Inculcation of a sense of rights and duties of citizenship.

From Sociological Point of View:
(1) For promoting social cohesion and national solidarity.

(2) National efficiency and National development. It is needed to aug­ment national productivity.

(3) Development of cultural heritage and values of a Nation.

Education is given in social context and not in the vacuum. Education is irrevocably linked with the class structure of a society, social mobility, ba­sic values and social norms. Education aims at both individual as well as so­cial development. The education given by any society to its children can be expected to be in keeping with the views and ways of life of that particular society.

In India Social Education chiefly means literacy campaign among the illiterate youths and adults. There is a separate Adult Education Directo­rate attached to the Ministry of Education, Government of India, which has given highest priority on this greatest social problem.

In the 6th Five Year Plan rupees 2 hundred crores was allotted for adult education. It is 10% of the total educational outlay. It is no doubt a bold step forward but it was not implemented in right earnest. The Central Government has undertaken a Central programme for Adult Education.

How to remove the examination stress.

Exam stress affects most students in varying ways. It is important to manage this stress and find little ways of helping to eliminate the risk of burnout.

For some students, exams can be a breeze; revision is second nature to them and they could ace an exam with their eyes closed. But for others, sweaty palms and heart palpitations are just a part of the territory, and it seems that nothing is more impossible than sitting down and revising. Here are some handy tips that can help to dissipate stress and make sure you can get through exam season.

  1. Take regular breaks and schedule in fun things to look forward to
    Even the most intense exam timetables will allow a little time for a study break. This can include 20-minute breaks during your revision day, and longer activities that you can look forward to. Go out for dinner with friends, go to the cinema, attend a gig, anything that you like doing in your spare time that will take your mind off exams. Spending a little time away from the books will leave you feeling more refreshed and relaxed the next time you revise.
  2. Exercise and get outdoors
    Easily one of the most frustrating things about exam season is that it seems to occur just as the weather brightens up. Use this to your advantage and go out for a walk, or a run, or head to the gym or swimming pool. As well as keeping you healthy, exercise is known to boost your mood and can help to make you more productive while revising
  1. Don’t (always) listen to others
    As the old saying goes: “comparison is the thief of joy”. While it is helpful to discuss topics with fellow students and often to revise together, try not to compare other peoples’ revision to your own. Chances are you’re doing just fine, and listening to other people talk about what they’ve learnt will only stress you out and may make you feel like you aren’t progressing as well as them. Plus, if they themselves are stressed this can rub off on to you and other people’s stress is not what you need right now.
  2. Speak to someone
    If the stress gets to a point where it is overwhelming, and is affecting your day-to-day life, try and speak to someone about it. Your university or school should have a service where you can speak to people about your concerns, and will be able to offer more advice on how to manage it. If that seems like too big a step, open up to a family member or a friend about the pressure you feel. You’ll be amazed to know that you aren’t alone in feeling like this.

9 Quick ways to eliminate examination stress.
1) Watch a film, a TV show or listen to a podcast or comedian that makes you laugh.
Drink some herbal tea or a hot chocolate. It’s a well known fact that hot drinks are known to soothe the soul (avoid too much caffeine though!).
2) A shower or a bath can help to relieve stress.
3) Cook or bake something. Just the thought of having something delicious to eat can bring you joy. As a bonus side note, try and cook something healthy too. You can’t feed your mind well, if you don’t feed your body well.
4) Get some sleep. The virtues of a good night’s sleep during exam season should not be underestimated.
5) Keep things in perspective. Yes, exams are important. But you are so much more than your exam results.
6) Avoid other stressed people. You know the ones I mean. The ones with cue cards outside of the exam hall, frantically trying to remember key dates and equations. They will do nothing for your stress levels.
7) Avoid the exam “post-mortem”. You don’t need to know how other people fared in the exam. You’ve done your best, you can’t go back and change your answers so the second you step out of the exam hall, focus on your next exam.
8) Be flexible. While having a revision time table is one of the best tools in your arsenal for exam success, don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t stick to it. If you accidentally oversleep, don’t write the day off.
9) Write
down everything you feel like you need to do and try and tick one thing off. Just the act of feeling like you are in control of your revision can help.

Depression

Depression is one of the most common mental disorder. It is classified as a type of mood disorder. It can be characterized as the feeling of sadness, angry or loss which affects the day to day activities of a person.

Sadness and anger are basic human emotions. Every individual does experience these emotions from time to time. But if a person experiences these emotions on a day to day basis, there are high chances that the person might suffer from depression and consulting a mental health expert is highly recommended.

Depression is a serious mental health condition. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) it is the main cause of disability worldwide. Depression can occur at any stage of a person’s life, be it childhood, adolescent or adulthood.

Depression involves persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest from daily activities. Major life events such as death of loved ones, bereavement, loss of job are few events that can cause depression. It is not a passing phase, but a persistent one . It is a serious medical condition and can worst if not treated properly.

Symptoms of Depression

The symptoms of depression are as follows :
• Persistent low mood
• Loss of interest even from activities once enjoyed
• Sudden change in weight
• Reduced sexual desire
• Change in appetite
• Unstable sleeping patterns
• Slow movement or speech
• Agitation and restlessness
• Feeling of worthlessness
• Fatigue or low energy level
• Difficulty in thinking, concentrating and making decisions
• Recurrent thoughts of death and suicidal tendencies

However, the symptoms of depression can vary depending on the age group and gender the persons belong. Usually woman are more likely to develop depressive disorder in comparison to their male counterparts. The symptoms must stay for a minimum of 2 weeks for a person to be diagnosed with depression. It can however stay for several weeks, months and years.

Causes of Depression

Though the medical community can not designated any specific cause of depression, however it can be an interplay of several causes which combined triggers the symptoms.
• Family History : An individual is at high risk of developing depression if they have a family history of the same. Genetics are a predominant factor of any mood disorder.
• Childhood trauma : A person who has had a traumatic childhood, such as experienced physical, emotional or sexual abuse during childhood are at higher risk of developing depressive disorders.
• Substance abuse : A person who has had a history of substance abuse be it drug or alcohol abuse has higher probability of developing depression.
• Brain structure : The vulnerability of depression increases if the frontal lobe of the brain is less active. Scientists however are unsure if this happens before or after the onset of depression symptoms.
• Medical condition : An individual’s mental condition also has an impact. Individual suffering from chronic illness, insomnia or chronic pain usually has higher chances of developing symptoms of depression.

Types of Depression

Depression can be categorised into several types depending on the severity of symptoms the individual experiences. Broadly there are two types of depression, major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder.
• Major depressive disorder: It is the more severe form of depression, characterized by persistent feeling of sadness, hopelessness and worthlessness. It is necessary to show minimum of 5 symptoms for at least 2 week period to be diagnosed of clinical depression.
• Persistent depressive disorder: It is the milder form of depression but a chronic one. PPD is usually called dysthymia. To be diagnosed of PPD it is necessary for the symptoms to last for at least 2 years.

Depression is not an ongoing phase , it a serious mental health disorder. Seeking help is nothing wrong rather it is a must.

Women Empowerment in Today’s Age

Education is important to empowering women. Through it, women have better direct exposure and employment opportunities, leading to higher income levels and less isolation at household or exclusion from economic matters. Women can live their aspirations with an education, by continuing to pursue their own goals and values.

Mindset needs to change for women's empowerment - The Sunday ...

Studies have found that if each girl completed 12 years of schooling, child marriage would drop by 64 percent and health risks from early pregnancy would drop by 59 percent and 49 percent respectively, such as early births and infant deaths.

Economic Growth by Empowering Women:

Helping to educate women and girls also boosts the economic growth of countries, decreases the possibility of violence and extremism, and has been called the Brookings Institution’s Best Investment against Climate Change. According to the Malala Fund, there are more than 130 million girls outside of school worldwide. These girls will often marry and have kids at a young age without an education, work in unregulated or minimal paying positions and rely on their spouses or family members for economic support. Without an education, there are limited futures for their futures and for their families. Encouraging women to engage fully in economic life in all sectors is vital to building stronger economies, achieving globally recognized growth and sustainability targets and improving the quality of life for women, men, families and communities. The private sector is a key partner in pushing for gender equality and empowering women.

Any prosperous country will consider crucial concerns for sustainable growth, such as gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. Higher female earnings, as evidenced by surveys, significantly contribute to children’s education and family health, impacting a nation’s productivity growth. Statistically speaking, the contribution of women to wage work jumped from 42 per cent to 46 per cent from 1997 to 2007. Obviously, achieving economic empowerment for women is the key to solving issues such as gender inequality and poverty, and also to foster inclusive economic growth. Women are considered to make a major contribution to economics in the form of industry, entrepreneurial work or (sadly!) unpaid labour.

While women living in some parts of the developed world have the function of decision-makers and influencers, gender inequality in other parts of the world persists a crippling social problem, and these subordinate women are also alarmingly impacted by poverty, sexism and other types of vulnerable oppression. As every developing country will agree, sustainable economic development is impossible without empowerment of women and gender equality initiatives are the driving force of social change and economic growth. Working women make a huge contribution to education, health and well-being, and hence achieving gender equality is essential for holistic developments.

Women Empowerment’s role in Sustainable Development:

As issues of women’s economic empowerment and gender equality are gathering traction on the global scene, nations around the globe are taking unbelievable steps to reduce gender gap and encourage economic equality. Some of the ways we can follow to achieve women’s economic empowerment for sustainable development are discussed below in order to play your part in the movement.

Women as Decision Makers:

While many women are now important contributors to some states’ economies, gender equality continues to be a myth in much of the world. Women have been actively engaged in the technology sector, food processing, and sustainable use of natural resources, domestic health, entrepreneurial work, and energy and climate change. But, to get a better-paid career, most women still lack access to good work prospects and money. As the attention turns to inclusive economic structures, it can go a long way in achieving women’s empowerment to provide women with leadership opportunities and make them a part of decision making.

Job Opportunities:

Despite becoming significant contributors to social and financial development, women lack equal opportunities for employment. Equal rights programs can make significant investments in promoting decent jobs and public policies, and in promoting growth and development.

Conclusion:

Women empowerment programs invest extensively in women’s health and empowerment, empowering women to break free from their conventional positions and remove perceptions of gender. There are many ways to achieve financial equality for women and the above guidelines are only to name a few. It is time to break down barriers and considering possible programs to advocate for equal opportunities for women and promote financial inclusiveness in order to keep up with the changing economic trends and meet sustainable development goals.

Ikigai: A Japanese concept of finding reason to live.

Ikigai. You’ve presumably seen the word. Or, perhaps you’ve seen the four-circle diagram. Pointless to say, it’s topic of the conversation these days. For Japanese workers in metropolises, a usual work day begins with a state called sushi-zume, an expression which draws an analogy between straphanger squeezed into a crowded train car to tightly, and a packed grains of rice in sushi. But, what is ikigai really? Like most of things, there’s a lot of disinformation floating around on the internet.

The locution ikigai is composed of: iki and kai. At the present time, kai is normally written in hiragana (Japanese phonetic syllabery). Iki refers to ‘life‘; kai is a suffix meaning roughly ‘the realization of what one expects and hopes for.’ There are more words that use kai: yarigai or hatarakigai which means the value of doing and the value of working. Ikigai can be thought of as an all-inclusive concept that integrates such values in life. Ikigai is also seen as:

  • reason for being
  • the cause for which you wake up in the morning
  • The candid translation is the ‘happiness of being busy’

The actual meaning of ikigai in Japan is- the motivation to jump out of bed each morning. Japanese people believe that the summation of small joys in everyday life results in more fulfilling life as a whole. Japan has some of the longest-living centenarian citizens in the world – according to the country’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The secret to longevity of these citizens, is ikigai. Along with a nutritious diet, a little bit of exercise everyday and ikigai, the secret recipe to longevity is prepared.

Ikigai is about feeling your work makes a difference in other people’s lives. How people find significance in their work is a topic of much interest to management experts. One research by Wharton management professor Adam Grant explained that what motivates employees is “doing work that affects the well-being of others” and to “see or meet the people influenced by their work.” In one experiment, cold callers at the University of Michigan who spent time with a receiver of the scholarship they were trying to collect money for brought in 171% more money when compared with those who were merely working the phone. The deed of meeting a student beneficiary provided meaning to the fundraisers and boosted their performance.This applies to life in general. Instead of trying to tackle world hunger, you can start small by helping someone around you, like a local volunteering group.

Retrial can bring a huge sense of loss and emptiness for those who find their ikigai in work. This can be principally true for athletes, who have relatively shorter careers. The interviews with many sports person shows the malleable nature of ikigai and how it can be applied. When retrial comes, it is helpful to have a clear understanding of why you do what you do beyond collecting a payslip.By being mindful of this concept, it might just help you live a more fulfilling life.

CSR Activities of Brands

Corporate Social Responsibility is a type of emerging concept where companies and business incorporates certain sustainable development practices that help in overall social, environmental and economic development. These three major developments are a part of triple bottom line that help to make the world a better place to live by consciously using resources such that the future generation won’t be left without them.

CSR Activities of Amul

Anand Milk Federation Union Limited, commonly known as Amul, is one of the best company when it comes to milk production has always been thinking about the environment and social development as their mission is to empower farmers of India. The company has various CSR activities, some of them are:

  • Amul Scholar: Scholarship is given to bright students who are identified and selected from the villages for further education such as pursuing Diploma, Graduation, Post-Graduation and Doctorate.
  • Blood Donation: Amul has carried out multiple blood donation camps since 1987 and is in association with Indian Red Cross Society to contribute for “Humanity for peace”.
  • Rural Sanitation Campaigns: Amul is working on a mission to imbibe a culture where sanitization and hygiene become a part of farmer’s and other people’s lifestyle and have targeted of providing 100% toilet facilities in all villages where Amul has a milk society.

CSR Activities of Nestlé

Nestle has been committed to positively impact the lives of Individuals and Families, Communities and the Planet as a socially responsible company across the world. Their focus is on 3 pillars for creating shared value that include nutrition, water and rural development. Some of the activities include:

  • Nestlé Healthy Kids (NHK) program: Nestlé promotes nutrition education and physical activities among school children in rural areas through this program and the Knowledge Sharing (KNHK) program.
  • They have also set up purified drinking water tanks and sanitation facilities for girls in village schools to support the continued education of children.
  • Amra Korbo Joy: They have partnered with local NGOs to train farmers to enhance the livelihood of street vendors and organizing a series of nutrition training programs for women on nutrition and traditional birth attendance.

CSR Activities of Tata

Tata group has been pioneer in providing diverse products and services and changing the lives of millions of users. They firmly believe that giving back to society is integral to the business philosophy of the group. They are engaged with more than 800 non-profit organizations. The key focus areas include:

  • Community Initiatives: Include skill development, education, health programs and sustainable development.
  • Environment Initiatives: It is coupled with biodiversity, energy efficiency and water conservation programs.
  • Group CSR Projects: Tata Engage and Tata Strive
  • Disaster Response: Have helped and donated at various relief funds to financially help the people affected from disasters in India and abroad.

CSR Activities of Reliance:

Reliance Group (Reliance) seeks to impact people’s lives through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Most of these initiatives are conducted under the aegis of the Reliance Foundation, an umbrella organisation for the Company’s social sector initiatives. Some of them include:

  • Rural Transformation: Reliance works towards bridging the developmental gap between rural ‘Bharat’ and urban ‘India’ by improving livelihoods and addressing poverty, hunger and malnutrition.  The programme aims at improving farm and non-farm livelihoods through the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices, setting up rain-water harvesting structures and institution building.
  • Sports for Development (SD): Reliance focuses on using sports as a medium to encourage learning and inculcate leadership amongst the youth. Under this initiative, talented young students are groomed further to build their skills in sports for their development to bring about positive change in the field of sports and related activities.
  • Arts, Culture and Heritage (A&C) – The initiative towards protecting Indian Arts, Culture and Heritage is aimed at supporting and promoting artists and craftsmen, preserving traditional art and handicraft and documenting India’s rich heritage for the benefit of future generations. Various promotional and developmental projects and programmes have been conducted.

 

These are few examples of famous brands and their CSR Activities. CSR given an opportunity for firms to make good business sense to operate sustainably.

Tips to avoid procrastination



Procrastination is known as avoiding the task that needs to be accomplished by a deadline. It blocks you from getting up making the right decisions and living the dream life you’ve thought of.In addition, feelings of regret and guilt resulting from missed opportunities tend to stay with people much longer.

How to stop procrastination
You can learn as much as you want about self-discipline, motivation, planning and time management, but unless you make what you learn part of your daily routine, your habits, your thinking patterns and your mental models, it will be only useless information stored in your memory without ever helping you.


Why do people procrastinate?

Willpower is often perceived to be the leading cause of procrastination, but it is mainly our intrinsic motivation that helps us to overcome the habit of putting things off on daily basis.

1. Decision paralysis

The number of opportunities that today’s world offers is staggering. Modern society idolizes individual liberty in the belief that the freer people are, the happier they will be. So then why aren’t people today significantly happier than in the past? Because with more freedom to make our own decisions and to perform our actions, we have become easily confused about what is a priority

2. Ignoring The Value of Time

We were all born and unfortunately at some point will all die too. The time we spend on Earth is both limited and finite. In light of these facts, time is the most valuable commodity you have. It’s not money; unlike time, you can borrow money, save, or earn more. You can’t do that with time. Every single second you waste is gone forever.


3. Lack of self-discipline

You can imagine self-discipline or self-control as a moment when you give yourself orders, but you are having a hard time following them. It is not the primary cause of procrastination, but an important compound. To be disciplined, you need to have the correct type of motivation and learn to maintain and work on positive habits.

Tips to avoid procrastination

1.Personal vision
The personal vision is one of the core tools, it helps you understand your skills and priorities, and by creating one, you will never feel lost in what is it that you want to do with your life. The personal vision as well helps you to focus your effort on the right activities and set priorities to avoid continually switching between actions. Understand what motivates you, and you will be able to maintain your discipline and make the most out of each day.

2. Plan your day
When you wake up you should make your to-do list. It will make you productive and will increase your focus. It is there to do urgent work every day prioritizing the work on your schedule. With its help you will be able to manage time.

3. Habit list
Learning new habits is one of the basic elements of personal development. If we make a habit of doing something, its implementation requires less mental energy to do it. Learning new habits is, therefore, very important.



Solo Parenting- Challenges and Accomplishments!

Parenting is not easy and single parenting is tougher as it entails added accountabilities. A single parent has to face continuous newer challenges every day.
A proper schedule if made will make the task much easier.


Here are some common challenges faced by single parents and the ways to overcome them. Read on.

Giving birth and raising a child is always a challenge. People all over the world are buoyed down when faced with the responsibility of parenthood. But when you have your partner by your side you feel a lot confident as you are assured of the presence of emotional support. Single parenthood is a huge challenge in itself as you have to deal with the situation where you have lost your loved one and at the same time, you need to take up the responsibilities of rearing the child and life as a whole. The challenges get multiplied by themselves.

The first challenge is to deal with the family all by yourself, where you need to fulfil the responsibility of both. You need to make all the decisions all by yourself, you need to ensure that all the requirements of your family are met, you need to deal with the overload of tasks that too efficiently, meet your career responsibilities and above all, deal with your emotional overload, not to overlook the emotional requirements of your baby.

For a single parent, these challenges appear in a series, in combination or even alone. Whatever the situation, there is no denying the fact that single parenting is full of challenges. You need to seek out options where you find a solution to deal with these challenges as they can easily lead you to anxiety and depression.

Single Parenting Challenges:

Have a quick look at the common challenges briefly explained.

Scheduling- As mentioned earlier, a single parent is flustered with heaps of responsibilities. They are thus required to juggle them all through a hectic schedule. Keeping afloat with the schedule is in itself a huge challenge.

Balancing– A single parent has to balance work and home all the more. The workplace is a whole new world of professional responsibilities. Then you need to take care of the child, provide them with all that they need, including your time and at the same time teach them to evolve as a disciplinarian by being a friend to them is an added challenge.

Financial– Financial problem is perhaps one of the biggest challenges faced by a single parent. You cannot be a stay at home mom or dad as you need to think of the expenses. Thereby you cannot spend all your time for rearing the child even if you believe that staying with the child throughout his growing up years is important. The challenge magnifies if you are not very well off. It is a tough job to plan your entire expenses and yet have savings through a single paycheck.

Finding childcare support – Since you need to go to work you need to make adequate arrangement for a childminder. The person needs to be reliable as well as competent. It is indeed a challenge to find such a person especially when you do not have a proper support system from your extended family.  

Being there for your child- Apart from juggling with the regular household chores, you must be there when your child needs you. It is a challenge to adjust your schedule and be completely involved with your child’s school activities. Your parenting skills, patience and understanding will constantly be put to test and it is a big challenge to instil discipline in your kids while you have to spend most of your hours outdoors.

Further, you need to ensure that the child does not feel isolated or ignored as it can spell doom for their all-round development. But as the child grows up, your difficulties will fade away with the decrease of certain responsibilities which you can share with the child and as his maturity level develops, he will also act emotional support that a single parent so desperately craves for.

Around the world and especially in deeply patriarchal countries such as India, single — divorced, widowed, unmarried or single by choice — parents, especially women, are judged harshly and stigmatised for their personal, marital and parenting choices.
According to a recently released United Nations report The Progress of the World’s Women 2019-2020: Families in a Changing World, which analyses diverse family structures and their impact on women, ending a marital relationship typically entails far more adverse economic consequences for women than for men. “All too often, women lose access to marital assets, resources, and even child custody” and face societal censure if not ostracism, write the authors of the report.
Despite this spurt in the number of OPHs in India, prompted by numerous factors including meltdown of joint families, increase in the number of nuclear households, social emancipation of women, economic liberalisation, relaxation of divorce laws, among others, social attitudes have been slow to change. Most people are hostile towards single parents, especially women. From financial anxiety to juggling work with child care duties, single moms are under constant pressure to meet societal and their own children’s expectations. Moreover, in deeply misogynistic and gender-insensitive Indian society, it’s not unusual for divorced/widowed single mothers to be propositioned and harassed by men, who believe they are fair game for sexual predators.
“Being a single parent, especially a single mom is a hard slog in India. Though education and financial independence have empowered many women to break free from abusive and unhappy marriages, Indian society doesn’t readily accept single mothers who don’t have strong parental support. Although these attitudes are changing — at least in metropolitan India — where single-parent households are multiplying, single mothers are often judged harshly and labelled headstrong, obstinate and blamed for failed marriages. Being a single mother is emotionally draining and stressful,” says Sushma Ramachandran, a Chennai-based psychotherapist.

A new 21st century phenomenon is single parenting by choice. Increasingly, successful women and men who side-stepped formal marriage, are becoming single parents through adoption or surrogacy. In 2015, the Union government’s Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) relaxed its rules to permit unmarried women/men to adopt children. In July 2017, the guidelines were further liberalised to permit single women over 40 years of age to adopt legally with their waiting period shortened by six months — the average waiting period for prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) is two years. However, the rules forbid single males from adopting girl children.

According to CARA data, over the past four years, there’s been a 50 percent increase in the number of single PAPs, especially women tendering adoption applications. In 2015-16, 412 single women registered for adoption with CARA. By end 2017, this number almost doubled to 817. Seventy-five single women adopted children in 2015-16, 93 in 2016-17, 106 in 2017-18 and 121 in 2018-19.

Don’t judge, enable single parents!

Being a single parent is twice the work, twice the stress, and twice the tears, but also twice the hugs, twice the love and twice the pride.

Sino-Indian Relations

The violent clash between the Indian and the Chinese army is all over the news. While 20 of our jawans were martyred and over a 100 injured, reports claim that the damage inflicted upon the dragons was even more. Well, whatever the news reports say the fact of the matter is that a lot of bloodshed was caused, many families were disrupted and a few precious lives were lost.

I find it very sad and hurtful that the Indian media goes on to romanticize and glamorize such armed struggles. Yes it is true that these brave men laid down their lives for the nation but these journalists do not realize that every time they go onto say that ‘we are going to avenge the death of our men’ they do not understand that all that they are doing is instigating the public. Now there is a lot of political pressure that goes into any war or an armed fight and a major factor behind this pressure is the public. When crores and crores of Indians are filled with vengeance towards China the government in a lot of ways is forced to give a stronger retaliation than the actual attack. I am not trying to say that we should just ignore the soldiers’ martyrdom and what China has been doing to us but it is very easy for us to say that we want a war and we want to give a befitting reply little realizing that the ‘we’ in these statements is the defense after all. You and I are not going to Ladakh for that reply, are we? It is the soldiers who’ll have to lay down their lives to avenge the death of their brothers which is only going to cause more bloodshed. More families will be broken and more children orphaned, do we ever give this thought?

When the prime minister has the audacity to say that we are going to fight back does he ever think about our soldiers? Sitting in his air conditioned cabin it is very easy for him to say this. Why doesn’t he come out and apologize for this? Why isn’t he being questioned? Why doesn’t he ever say that he will personally have a word with the Chinese premier and ask for an answer? You know why he doesn’t do all this, because he doesn’t have the courage which the army does. He doesn’t have the love for India which these martyrs do. A lot of us think that this just a game of politics. Some of us write about it, some of us debate about this while many of us participate in it with all glory.

To everyone reading this reading this, just close your eyes for a second and imagine the person you love the most coming back wrapped in the tricolour. You will understand what families of armymen go through every single day and then probably you will have the brain to question the government and not ask for a war.

Importance of Digital Marketing in today’s World

When small businesses get started, their focus is often on how to get their first group of customers through the door. They may rely on traditional forms of advertising, such as print ads and coupon mailers or even big signs on the side of the road. They may trust that since they know they offer a good product or service, it’s only a matter of time until customers will find their way to them.

While this strategy may bring in a trickle of business, there is a better and easier way. Small businesses should consider the huge marketplace of prospects online. No small business, no matter how new, should overlook this vast marketplace.

Benefits of Online Marketing

The group of potential customers that are found online is a much larger group of people than you are likely to be able to attract locally. Using digital marketing, you can reach an enormous audience in a way that is both cost-effective and measurable.

Other benefits of online marketing include:

  • The ability to interact with your prospects and learn exactly what they are looking for
  • The ability to reach a global marketplace
  • You can save money and reach more customers for less money than traditional marketing methods
  • You can track responses to your marketing efforts immediately

ONLINE CUSTOMERS

If you have been avoiding digital marketing, is it because you think you are simply not ready? Do you think you just need some time to get established and then you will figure out the digital marketing angle?

The problem with this approach is that your customers and potential customers are already online. Right now. Today. There’s a good chance they might already be looking for a business like yours, but if they can’t find you easily, they are probably going to choose someone else.

This is how people do business today. When someone has an interest in your business, whether it is in your niche in general or if they are curious about your brand, the first thing they are going to do is research online and see what they can find out about you.

They expect to find you there with a website .They may be looking for reviews so they can learn what other people are saying about your company and whether it is a good place to do business.

If a potential customer can’t find you online, they may conclude that your business doesn’t appear to be legitimate. There is a very good chance that a lot of these prospects may decide not to take your business seriously and they will quickly head somewhere else.

Once they have made that decision, they probably won’t be back.

ONLINE COMPETORS

For your business to be successful, you need to pay attention to what your competitors are doing and learn from it.Think of your competitors not just as someone that you are planning to beat, but as people who have something to teach you.

When you look at what your competitors are doing, you will get some idea of what is working and what isn’t working. Most likely, whatever type of business you are in, your competitors have established a web presence. What kind of content are they using? Are they blogging, or are they using a lot of graphics and videos?

How do they communicate their brand and what makes them unique? How well do they engage with the audience? Do you think you can do better? You can’t if you don’t participate in competing in the digital world.

If your prospects begin to search for a business similar to yours and are able to find your competitors’ website but not yours, your business is not even in the running. Your prospects can’t choose you if they don’t know about you. In this scenario, your competitors have just raced ahead of you regardless of whether they have an effective website or a clear message.

Be Accessible

It’s clear that in today’s digital world, the first place the average consumer looks for what they want is online. Whatever product or service they are looking for, they will most likely start their search with Google. If you have no online presence at all, you won’t be found, and you can’t compete.

If you have an online presence but your competitors are easier to find and are found first, you still might not be found at all. Besides creating a website, learning search engine optimization is a strategy that can help you move ahead of your competitors just by being the first name that a prospect finds keywords that can lead them to your business.

Simple questions that your prospects may want quick answers to should be easily discoverable online, such as where you are located, what your hours are and what you specialize in. By looking at your website and your competitors’ websites side by side, your prospects should be able to compare hours, prices, special offers and more.

This is why it’s imperative for you to know what your competitors are up to. Your prospects are already checking both you and your competitors out. They are already comparing you against each other. What are they finding out?

Let Customers Come to You

Think of digital marketing as a way to make yourself accessible to the people you are trying to reach in order to offer your products and services. The scope of your business can reach well beyond your walls. You are able to attract a much larger audience than you possibly could by just catering to local prospects.

By creating a web presence, your business is open for business even when it’s closed. You can create an atmosphere in which your customers can come to you anytime day or night.

At their convenience, customers and prospects can send you emails with questions, make purchases and browse your inventory.Potential customers who have no way to physically come to you can still do business with you, whether they are limited by disability, transportation or simply living too far away.

Get to Know Your Target Audience

Digital marketing allows you to engage with your prospects. You can gradually get to know them and what they are hoping to find.On social media or on a blog you can start a conversation. Run a survey or try to get to know them. Pay attention to their comments or their responses to surveys.

By interacting with people digitally, you can start to get to know what they are looking for. Where is their pain? What is keeping them up at night? What solutions can you offer to them? Instead of trying to guess, digital marketing allows you tools and methods for finding out who your customers really are.

In this way, you start to build a relationship with your customers. You become much more than a business. You become a trusted partner. People are much more likely to buy from businesses that they have already bought from.

Few forms of advertising are as cost-effective as digital marketing. Small businesses frequently try to get as much as possible done on a small budget. Many forms of digital marketing allow you to communicate your brand and reach a wide target audience even when your budget is very tight.

Compared to advertising on TV, radio or through direct mail, digital marketing costs considerably less and reaches a much wider audience at the same time. Using digital marketing to promote your small business will help you to have a much better chance of business success.

MATTER OF ADAPTABILITY

Adaptability as an expertise alludes to the capacity of an individual to change his activities, course or way to deal with getting things done so as to suit another circumstance.

We continually change our ways of life on the grounds that our reality is evolving consistently. When there is lack of a product in the market, we change our interest to substitute merchandise. That is a case of adaptability.

Adaptability isn’t just about changing something or acclimating to a circumstance. It incorporates having the option to impact changes in a game-plan with perfection and idealness, with no significant mishaps.

For whatever length of time that there are numerous wild factors in our condition, for example, laws and financial elements, it is important to secure this expertise.

Impotantance of Adaptability skill

It is very simple to make light of the embodiment of flexibility. In any case, it is one of the key abilities or variables that keep numerous global organizations running. It is likewise the motivation behind why some expert authorities never get obsolete – Their administrations are in high demandalways.

Assuming your administrator just introduced another assembling machine, how rapidly will you become acclimated to its activity? Imagine a scenario in which you just got another unrivaled who is very exacting and practically difficult to please. OK have the option to adapt to him for long?

For an agent, business visionary, or director, the capacity to adjustan association’s inside frameworks effectively to fit in with other outside natural factors, for example, crude materials and monetary factors is a vital expertise. It is a powerful method to sustainthe business and decreases the danger of enduring authoritative emergency.

For workers, it is basic that you create flexibility aptitudes. New instructive projects and courses are presented once in a while, new standards and guidelines spring up inside associations and enterprises and so forth. It is in this manner important to alter easily and rapidly to such changes with next to no challenges.

Step by step instructions to enhance the skill of adaptability

Adaptability is a characteristic aptitude. It tends to be created and aced too. Here are a few hints to help improve this ability.

Watch and screen changes in your condition: You won’t see the requirement for a change until you notice changes in your condition. Adaptability must not be simple just yet ideal too. Continuously put forth a cognizant attempt to screen patterns, values, perspectives and so on. Contrast present perceptions and past ones and discover what has changed. For example: Low client consistency standard in spite of an expanded marketing projection means that there are disappointed old clients who should be taken care of.

Be eager to learn: Observation alone isn’t sufficient. On the off chance that the consequence of your perceptions proposes you have to gain some new useful knowledge, don’t stop for a second to do as such. While you can get familiar with certain things on your own when outfitted with fitting instructive assets, others may requiretutorials from experts. Try not to decay to utilize the administrations of an expert guide if important.

Avoid procrastination: Don’t simply be happy to learn. Go in the fundamental direction. Recollect that adaptations are increasingly successful when the move is made before. For example: Your rivals began differentiating after the business confronted a decrease and an inescapable breakdown. In any case, you began another exchange after the old business had crumpled completely. By at that point, while you are currently a fledgling with a little client base, they would have a manufactured a more extensive system of clients and providers in the new businesses.

Recognize the way that changes will undoubtedly happen: Though it is hard to let goa standard, you should realize it is individuals who matter, not you. In the event that clients or workers no longer need that item or aptitude of yours, acknowledge it and attempt fresher endeavors.

CPA( A COMPLETE ACCOUNTING BODY)

Brief History of CPA

To define the standards of the accounting industry, 31 accountants formed an association called the ‘American Association of Public Accountants (AAPA) in 1887. This association was renamed as AICPA in 1957, and it also conducts the CPA exam. In 2001 industry witnessed a major scandal called the ‘Enron Corporation scandal.’ In this, the company’s leaders duped regulations by showcasing fake holdings and poor accounting practices. Thus, in 2002, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed, and through this act, accountants are now liable to follow stringent restrictions for their consulting assignments. After this, the accounting industry saw a major shift in its overall practices, and hence the demand for certified accounting professionals rose.

What is CPA (Certified Public Accountant)?

Certified Public Accountant or CPA is a certification offered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), for competency in the field of Accountancy. One may a CPA is an accountant with higher level of education and experience in the field. The AICPA defines a CPA as “a trusted financial advisor who helps individuals, businesses, and other organizations plan and reach their financial goals. Whatever those goals-saving for a new home, opening a new office, or planning a multi-billion dollar merger-CPAs can help.”

CPA certification is a professional recognition most beneficial for CACSMBA, Financial Advisors, Cost Accounting professionals, etc. Finance and accounting professionals can pursue CPA course to earn certification for career ascent, from the AICPA by fulfilling three criteria – Education, CPA Exam and Experience.

The requirement of CPAs is very high in various fields like public accounting, business and industry, government, not-for-profit, and education. The profiles include financial analysis, financial accounting and reporting, management accounting and treasury/cash management. To learn more about the opportunities available in each of these areas.

CPA Eligibility

  • To pursue CPA certification programme, the candidate must have a Graduation degree or equivalent.
  • To earn the CPA license, the candidate must complete 150 hours of the CPA course semester.
  • Many states require candidates to have 1-2 years of experience under a CPA.

It must be noted that CPA eligibility criteria is different for the US citizens and candidates from rest of the world.The consent agreement, international testing fees, and additional identification requirements of international candidates is different from that of the US candidates.

CPA Exam

The exam is a 16-hour, four-part assessment designed to test skills and knowledge required of a CPA. The computer based test is conducted at designated test centers in various countries and is same for candidates from all the countries. Medium of the test is English. The questions paper consists of MCQs, simulation and written ability. Passing marks in 75 on 0-99 scale.

The candidate has to complete the four-part assessment in 18 months to be eligible for CPA license.

CPA Jobs and Recruiters

The job role of a CPA is financial management which includes assessing and analyzing financial status of the client, reviewing financial documents, preparing reports related to capital, tax and audits, offer advice on book keeping and inform the client about changes in government regulation. The main tasks one performs as a CPA are listed below:

  • Prepare and assess financial records and statements.
  • Maintain records of all financial activities along with the records of assets, liabilities and tax.
  • Prepare financial reports for clients.
  • Ensure compliance with government regulations.

CPA career options:

CPA course is an ultimate qualification that gives you an unlimited possibilities to show case your skills in the field of accounting. After completing your CPA course you can begin our career in the following fields like accounting & auditing firms, investment banks, research firms, hedge funds, commercial banks, mutual funds, merger and acquisitions etc.

  • Insurance firms
  • Credit agencies
  • Central banks
  • Assets management firms etc.

CPA licensed professionals are hired by individuals, corporate houses, industry, government, private and non-profit organizations.

CPA Salary

The average salary for a CPA in India according to payscale.com is Rs 7.6 lakh per annum. Salary will not be constraint if you have sufficient skills and talent. The salary varies based on the skillest and diligence, experience gained by the individual in the work force.

 Are CPA professionals demanded in India?

Yes, since MNCs and Big4s are rising in India, the demand for CPA certified professionals is progressing.  CPA certification holders are giving preference over CAs because they have in-depth knowledge of subjects like US GAAP, IFRS & US Compliance & Taxation. In contrast, CA only has proficiency in Indian GAAP.

The top recruiters hiring CPA professionals are:

Below is a list of recruiters hiring CPA professionals:

Top Recruiters Hiring CPA Professionals
DeloitteAccentureAmerican ExpressPhilips
PWCCap GeminiBarclaysTata Power
KPMGGenpactJP MorganSintex
EYWNSMetLifeCaterpillar

  The eligibility criteria for attending the CPA exam?

To become eligible for the CPA exam, an Indian student should have any of the below qualifications ­

  • Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India
  • Member of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants in India
  • Member of the Company Secretaries in India
  • Master of Commerce or MBAs

The minimum education qualification for taking the US CPA exam is –

  • CPA exam – 120 credits
  • CPA license – 120 credits

In India, 1 graduation year is equal to 20 credits; hence, 3 years B.Com and 2 years of MBA course equal 90 + 60 credits.

Conclusion: hope this information shed as a part of the CPA course details has enlightened you a bit.

Bad habits in most of the young generation

Adolescence can be a tricky stage. It is during this a time you can either make your future or ruin it. Sad truth of today’s society is teenagers and our youth have made themselves independent and free from extremely important parental support. These ill habits can be as simple as over eating to smoking not only cigarettes but other drugs as well. Here are some of the very dangerous habits much of our youth has and tips on how to solve them.

*) Watching TV

The more time you spend on your sofa watching shows, the less time there is for physical activity and other important matters. Use the same time for some physical activity, burn calories and stay fit and in shape. Spend enough time in sleeping which will help better your mood as well as sharpen your mind. Watch TV 2 hours a day while exercise 30 minutes. Moreover, only turn on the TV if you have something in mind. Don’t bring food while watching because it will only make you lazy and also try exercising during the commercials.

 *) Spending too much

Financial stress can lead to high blood pressure, insomnia, headaches and much more. We understand that’s it is tough to control your expenses but you should also understand that being in debt is the last thing you need. Consult experts and work towards financial independence. Ask the bank to block your credit cards. This may seem like a harsh and sudden change, but this is the only way you’ll prevent yourself from spending over your limit. Prioritize your expenses; pay the bills first and only buy stuff you need.

*) Eating outside

Double cheeseburgers with soda and fries does sound lavishing, but it eventually leads to heart diseases and high cholesterol levels. Fast food is convenient, inexpensive and above all, very tasty. One motivating fact to make your own food is you’ll save a lot of money if you decide to stay in and cook for yourself. Cutting back abruptly is hard so try doing it one step at a time. If you eat out 7 days a week then reduce it to 5 and the 3 and so on. Switch to eating sandwiches from a local shop and slowly start cooking for yourself at home.

*) Breskfast skipping

Skipping this meal can have serious consequences on your body. Only eating a small thing such as bread or cereal allows your brain to know that it’s time to start working. Your body will gain the much needed fuel to kick start the day and you’ll feel much more energetic. Start with eating foods you like. If you’re running out of time, make a quick sandwich with chocolate spread and eat on the subway. Make a smoothie or get some yogurt.

*) Drinking of alcohol

Alcohol can be poisonous, if regularly drunk. It can cause liver damage and various types of cancers. When you quit or slowly cut back, you will certainly feel that your digestive system has gotten better. Your blood pressure will fall and your mind will seem sharper. Slowly cut back by sticking to a healthy diet plan. Drink sips only during meals and not with the intention to get drunk.

*) Smoking

You may hear this a lot but it’s a fact you need to understand. There are certain heart and lung diseases only cigarettes can cause. They increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and high blood pressure. Quitting smoking results in the exact opposite; you blood pressure lowers, risk of cancer decreases and you get a better sense of both taste and smell. Get support and ask your doctor for anti-drug medicines. Use nicotine patches or gum.

At the end of the day, what matters is if you really want to adopt the habits of successful people. Try to understand what their harmful side effects are and ask yourself truly if you want them to happen to you.

self-love

There has recently been a discourse among the youngsters about the need for loving ourselves, accepting ourselves and being ourselves. We go on Instagram and find uploaded photos of people captioned with love my self, self-acceptance, self-love and other self-approving quotes. Now the real question is where doe self-love stems from?

How do we go on to say or to preach this self-love?

Self-love means respecting one self and is inevitably linked to self-acceptance. It doesn’t mean to hold yourself in high regards as compared to others, rather it means to consider yourself in the same regards as those around you. If you love yourself, you need to learn to accept yourself with all your faults. It doesn’t mean you have to be perfect for it to happen. Change is better, growing up is required, you just need to believe that your best and worst are your own.

One may go on to chant a few words or write some hashtags claiming that they love themselves, but the real question is how? How do we go on to love our self in a positive manner which not only builds a positive image of ourselves but also does not build arrogance so that we may appear conceited or high-headed? 

You can learn to love yourself by investing your time and efforts on personal growth and development rather than belittling yourself. Positive criticism can do wonders but it is different than being too hard on yourself.

As a human, you are bound to have faults, but the confidence that you have the ability to conquer the obstacles if you focus towards your growth is the first step to loving ourselves. You need to care about your body, mind as well as your spirit.

Your body needs a balanced diet and nourishment. Give it the rest that it needs.

Your mind should be filled with positive thoughts. Stimulate it by learning new and interesting things.

Your spirit needs to be fed too, otherwise there will be a mis-balance. Meditation can be a great tool.

Since we have always been told to love and be kind to others, loving oneself and putting oneself before others can be perceived as a selfish task to do. But that’s where everything went wrong. We were never told or taught to learn ourselves. Our main motto of life has always been to work hard, gain success, earn money and live a decent life. But something major was neglected in that process. We never understood how it felt to enjoy the journey because it never mattered. But after attaining the society’s set list of success, we often find ourselves feeling empty because for us that was our only goal. And now we don’t know what to do after that. We were always so focused on the goal that we forgot to be happy.

Our happiness is not only limited to ourselves but also with those around us. When we love ourselves, we also gain the power to spread love to others. The moment we begin this journey of loving ourselves, we will experience positive changes and maybe learn to see the world in a much different way. Not everything in life has to be dark and deep to have great meaning. Warmth and comfort come even from the slightest of gestures, even form the kindest of smiles and the tightest of hugs.

When you will internalize or channelize your efforts towards something positive, things will improve. Relationships will improve. It may seem a very vague thing to say but it can be concrete if you are willing to put your efforts into it.

In order to be loving, you need to prioritize your needs and pay attention to them. Don’t be dismissive of them.

Learn to be independent in loving yourself. Believe that the first love in your life is love towards your own self. It is always good to have people to provide you with support, comfort and strength in your difficult times but your self-worth can not and should not be measured by someone else’s criteria.

Recognize what is good for you and set boundaries accordingly. Getting out of your comfort zone is a step towards growth but not enough where people can walk all over you without an ounce of guilt or regret. You don’t want to be a pushover.

One more thing that is essential is not using the victim card. Many people feel helpless towards their conditions and choose to play the victim in situations even where they could do something to improve it. You need to own up to your actions.

Another thing that comes with self-love is often appreciating even the little steps because the progress matters.

We always end up aiming to reach higher but let’s focus on going farther. Maybe that will help us better.

Stop seeking happiness from exterior or materialistic things. They will never be enough.

Find things that make you happy. Don’t try to isolate yourself sub-consciously. Hang out with people who turn out to be of great moral support, whose company you dearly enjoy. Read, travel, listen music, dance, draw, talk or do whatever you feel like.

Realize that you can’t always be filled with positive thoughts. There are going to be times when you are going to be lazy, selfish and jealous, own up to your actions and move forward. You can act on these feelings if it is in a form of safe outlet without harming anyone else. The worst idea is pretending that you don’t have nay feelings. Ignorance won’t help in this case. Being apathetic and indifferent doesn’t add value to anyone or anything.

Learn to love your company. Don’t fill your mind with out worldly things to ignore what goes on in your mind. If you find yourself sitting in silence with no one else beside you, learn to not let it bother you.

And if you still find yourselves slipping into a dark space, never fail to seek professional help if it is possible for you. Everyone can’t afford to seek help of professionals or even a safe space for emotional outlet, this is where NGOs can hold various campaigns to actively spread awareness about this growing need.

Accepting that you don’t love yourself currently as much as you would like to is the beginning and making efforts to run down the journey of self-love is progress. This is an ever-going process, a fruitful journey in itself. You will end up finding things about yourself that you never even knew existed.

All the poems and quotes may sound superficial and seem false if you can’t apply them in real life. Trust that you are the source of many wonderful things. Everything requires constant efforts, so put efforts into yourself as well.

Why Mental Health is not something to be ignored?

Sushant Singh Rajput’s death due to suicide speaks volumes on why mental health is important. According to reports, it is believed that he was suffering from depression for the last six months and was consulting a psychiatrist. Many celebrities have come forward and talked on how society needs to take mental health as seriously as physical health, without waiting for a moment of crisis.

Researches have said that every 4 minutes, one person commits suicide in India. With the lockdown, situations have become even worse. There is an increase in stress among individuals. Reason being that people are thrown out of their jobs due to financial crunch and they have no money left, no social life, or by overthinking. Not only this, but people are also wondering how to come out of it, there may be post-traumatic stress disorders as well. Staying alone is yet another issue as there is nobody to monitor.

Experts underline that people need to watch out for symptoms for the behavioral pattern that is not normal in themselves or others. Symptoms could be – disrupted sleep pattern, sudden emotional outbursts, change in behavior such as being withdrawn, no urge to ear or overeating, consciously not maintaining hygiene, seeking solace in excessive smoking, drinking, etc.

Though we seem to have progressed as a society, we still lack the openness when it comes to mental health. This block in mind needs a change. Gone are the days when we did not have awareness about mental illness. Just like we can go to the doctor when we are physically sick, we can also go to a psychiatrist/psychologist.

There is also a lot of stigmas attached to mental health that needs to be eradicated. Society has this mindset that strong people cannot get depressed. But depression is like COVID, anyone can get affected by it. It does not come with a clause.

Mental health services in India have been highly inadequate even before the pandemic. With just 4,000 psychiatrists to serve over a billion people, the situation seems difficult to handle. But somehow it needs to be met.

The device that we throw away for our sake of mental health, we need to pick that up, call your loved ones. Sharing our thoughts and feelings always lightens up the mood. There is someone out there to hear you, always, you need to vent it out.

There are small steps that you can take to improve your mental health every day. Things like exercising, eating a balanced diet, opening up others in your life, remembering something you are grateful for, taking a break when you need to, and getting good sleep, can help boost your emotional health.

Being healthy mentally can boost your productivity and effectiveness in work, school, college. It also plays a crucial role in building your relationships and allowing you to adapt to changes.

All to say, when mental health is ultimately recognized as essential to physical health and not an extraneous element of it, then we will have access to real, complete medicine.

Media – The Fourth Pillar of Democracy

An established democracy requires a free press. While talking about the story of India’s democracy, one cannot forget the role, media has played over the years. It is an integral and inseparable part of a democratic society. Therefore, media is considered as the fourth pillar of democracy. In a diverse country like India, democracy is exercised by all the citizens irrespective of their caste, gender, religion and race. The Constitution guarantees all the citizens the right to freedom of speech and expression. Citizens enjoy the right to freedom of opinion, this right includes freedom of opinion without interference, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers.

ROLE OF MEDIA
Media acts as a mirror highlighting the plight of the minorities and raising it’s voice against prejudice and discrimination.
Media as a watchdog
Citizens enjoy the power of questioning the Government’s decisions. This power lies in the hands of the media. It acts as a bridge between the Government and its citizens.
Media during Emergency
Over the years, media has created a pressure seeking speedy justice and bringing the offenders to book like in the Nirbhaya Case. Media has unveiled the face of several scams like the Bofors Scam, the recent Panama Papers among others.

Before the advent of electronic media, print media played an important role in disseminating information to people. Over the years, a wide variety of media like the press, performing arts, television, radio and films have been used for communication. With the advancements made in the field of technology, the internet and social media has grown at a fast pace accelerating information and news dissemination.

Why media is regarded as the fourth pillar of democracy?
The prime purpose of the media is to provide comprehensive and objective information on all aspects of the country’s social, economic and political life. Media as the fourth pillar of democracy ensures that all the people are aware of the happenings in and around the globe. It keeps an eye on the three official branches of democracy (i.e executive, legislature and judiciary) and maintains transparency in the working of all the above three systems. Media is one of the most powerful entity on earth. It makes us aware of various social, political and economical activities happening around us. It is like a mirror which shows us every nitty-gritty of the outside world.
Over the years, media has become more active. It is media which reminds the government of its unfulfilled promises. It has helped in educating the masses in rural areas through television, radio and internet and exposes the loopholes in the system. It is the most powerful tool to fight against socio-political evils and injustice in our society, while bringing empowerment to the masses and facilitating development.

Media Amid The Crisis Phase
Media has played a praise-worthy role in disseminating information about the pandemic to every nook and cranny of the world. The journalists have put their lives at stake, reporting from the ground level. The media has proved its efficiency amid the crisis phase.

Some NGOs who spread and help to educate poor children in India

India has four NGOs for every 1,000 people in the urban areas, and 2.3 NGOs for every 1,000 people in rural areas. Some amazing education NGOs which are driving the change in the education sector.

1. Teach for India (TFI)

Shaheen Mistri’s, the founder of TFI, believes that only a people’s movement can ensure children’s quality education. Since 2009, TFI identifies and recruits bright candidates as fellows every year. Fellows commit to teaching low-income schools for two years. They enable the holistic development of students, and also make an impact on the school and community through their initiatives. At the end of two years, fellows are equipped with leadership skills and a deep understanding of the educational system. Today, alumni of the fellowship occupy positions of influence where they have the power to initiate macro level changes.

With a presence in 7 cities where 1,100 fellows are shaping the lives of 38,000 students, TFI is ensuring children receive education and at the same time building dynamic young leaders. Here is how you can help drive the revolution in education.

2. Pratham

It was established in 1995 to provide education to children in the slums of Mumbai. Today, it has grown in scope and reach with a focus on high quality, low cost, and replicable interventions which addresses the lapses in the education system. With a mission of ‘Every child in school and learning well,’ the organization has addressed several issues such as learning levels, dropout rates, child rights, and teacher training. Their programs focus on education, vocational training, technology, vulnerable children, and research and advocacy. Notably, it’s research and assessment unit publishes the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), which is the only annual source of data on children’s learning outcome in the country today. 

3. The Akshaya Patra Foundation (TAPF)

Established in 2000 and headquartered in Bengaluru, the organization addresses malnutrition and supports the right to education of disadvantaged children. Working on a public-private partnership model, it provides fresh and nutritious meals to children in government and government-aided schools as an implementing agency of the government’s midday meal schemes. With a vision that no child shall be deprived of education because of hunger, it aims to feed 5 million children by 2025. TAPF focuses on technology to help scale their operations, with its state-of-the-art kitchens receiving worldwide acclaim. Today, TAPF is the world’s largest not for profit run Midday meal programme, serving 1.76 million children in 12 states. On February 11, 2019, it commemorated the serving of 3 billion meals! You can ensure that the Akshaya Patra is, indeed, never exhausted.

4. Akanksha Foundation

The Akanksha Foundation is a non-profit organisation with a mission to build the largest network of innovative schools that empowers children to maximise their potential and that influences systemic reform.

For over 28 years, Akanksha has educated children from low-income communities across Mumbai and Pune – first, through our after-school centers, and since 2007, through the Akanksha Schools.

Today, Akanksha is one of the largest urban networks of public-private partnership schools of its kind in India.

Mental Wellbeing

Mental wellbeing describes one’s mental state , how a person feels and how well can an individual cope with the day to day hustle. It is more of a lifestyle decision . It is a dynamic concept, and does changes from moment to moment.
Mental wellbeing and mental health are not the same, but both exert influence on the other. Poor mental wellbeing can lead to mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and so on. At the same time, a person with poor mental health will eventually have low mental wellbeing. Basically, though both are not the same, but they are strongly interrelated.

Good Mental Wellbeing

Merely the absence of negative thoughts and feelings can not be labelled as having good mental health. Feeling of anger, sadness, are normal for an individual to experience, what matters is how an individual deals with those emotions. A person with good mental wellbeing ,
• Feels confident with themselves
• Has good interpersonal relationships
• Has a sense of purpose in life
• Has good adaptability
• Works efficiently and productively
• Has good coping skills when faced with stressful situation

Things affecting Mental Wellbeing

Human beings are different. The same stimulus might not trigger the same response from everyone. What affect someone’s mental wellbeing, might not impact someone else in the same way. Mostly it is the individual’s personality that dictates what will affect their mental wellbeing.
However their are certain situation which trigger everyone, through not in the same intensity. These situation are some major life changes on which an individual have little to no control.

Some common life events which may affect someone’s mental wellbeing are:
• Loss or bereavement
• Financial crisis
• Loneliness
• Work related problems
• Relationship issues

Other than these factors, there are also factors that increases one’s vulnerability to have poor mental wellbeing. These are:
• Childhood abuse
• Poor socio economic condition
• Discrimination
• Long term physical health condition
• Significant traumatic experience in adulthood

Tips to Improve Mental Wellbeing

Mental wellbeing is usually not given its due credit and is mostly taken for granted. All it takes is a few tips that can help improve our mental wellbeing. These are:


• Getting enough sleep and rest : Our sleep cycle has a direct impact on our mental wellbeing. A person who gets a proper 8 hours of sleep has a better mental health than anyone those who doesn’t.
• Engaging in activities one enjoys : Taking out time for those activities which a person enjoys doing is of utmost importance. Though in our fast phase life it is difficult, but balancing is the key.
• Proper diet : One’s dietary habits not only impacts their physical health but also mental health. Proper diet and exercise boasts our energy level and improves our overall wellbeing.
• Interpersonal relationships : The relationship one has with others has a direct impact on our wellbeing. An individual with strong connection with others is usually more contented and satisfied in life.
• Stress management skills : An individual’s ability to cope with stressful situation adds up to one’s mental wellbeing. Effective stress management is a life skill. Yoga, meditation, exercise can boast one’s stress management skills.
• Being confidence : A confident individual who is comfortable with their own skin show higher degree of mental wellbeing. The feeling of prolong insecure can be the reason of poor mental health.


Mental wellbeing is of utmost importance

Education in India- An Introduction

Education in India is the prime constituent of Human Resource Development which in turn shapes the socio – economic fabric of our country. No doubt the earlier visionaries have laid such great stress on developing the intellectual capital of our country.

The government’s utmost priority to eradicate illiteracy can be gauged from the fact that it has incorporated education as a constitutional and fundamental right for children between the age group of 6 to 14 which is compulsory and to be imparted free of cost.

The government through its various programmes and campaigns has accorded education the status of a nationalistic crusade in its endeavour to completely eradicate illiteracy from the country.

Education in India – Demographics

The literacy rate as per census 2011 was 74.04% of the populace which is way below the world average of 83.4% in 2008. Census statistics reveal that the rapid growth in literacy transpired after 1991, which was triggered due to the ushering of the computer era. However the literacy rate is favourably skewed towards the male populace and also localised to the urban areas, which over the years has diminished rapidly.

The current statutory budget allocation on the education sector has been 3.8% of the GDP but the ground level implementation and response has been phenomenal due to the introduction of the mid day meal, adult education, distance learning and audio visual learning programmes undertaken by the government and NGO’s which have been very effective in promoting literacy.

Education in India – Quantification.

After China and U.S., India has the largest higher education system in the world in terms of enrolments. As per MHRD Annual Report 2011-2012, the number of students enrolled in Indian universities and colleges in the year 2012 was 1.6 crore. India also has the largest higher education system in the world in terms of the number of institutes.

The number of universities in India in FY 2012 was 659 and colleges were 33023. The Human Resources Development Ministry has projected 30% of students to pursue higher education by 2020 which will entail a further addition of 800 universities and 35000 colleges to the current tally. Of the total national student population 15% pursue the technology/engineering degree programmes while 85% pursue the bachelor’s degree programmes.

The Indian education sector is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 16% in the forthcoming five years. Analysts anticipate the current market size of the Indian education sector to grow to Rs 6,02,140 crore in FY – 2015 from Rs 3,41,180 crore in FY – 2012. A large student pool, leading to generation of substantial revenues has enthused market players to substantially invest in the sector. Foreign direct investment to this sector in FY 2012 stood at Rs 18.73 crore.

Education in India – Future

A knowledge society has immense potential to graduate up the value chain in the era of increased globalisation. This aspiration of the Indian middle class to further their lifestyles has unleashed its propensity to substantially invest in harnessing the growth of intellectual capital. No doubt that the world looks at India as “The Talent Powerhouse”.

Education in India today is a fervent zeal of every citizen and prosperity is its fruit. Education system in India is not that much regularized in terms of examination, the type and system of examination gets on changing as the current need in the society. Generally there are three types of examination, first is the general examination conducted by various board across the country for the secondary and higher secondary levels. Second are the entrance exams which are conducted for securing admission in particular college and university .Third are the competitive exams for obtaining the job at specific segment in the country.These types of examination are more of focusing on allotting a job opportunity to the students. Student can take up these exams only after the completion of any graduation degree or in the final year of completion. These exams are of the objective type only covering the various aspects of current market needs and wants. Competitive exam tries to pull out the best talent possible for a particular job profile. Curriculum of competitive exam generally includes reasoning ability, mathematics, data interpretation and general knowledge. It is the exam which s not confined to particular sector or faculty it test the overall ability and knowledge of the student.

Role and importance of technology in business.

In the last decades preceding the 90’s,the technology has overhalued the way we do things. Whether it’s for business or social purposes, we no longer rely on traditional methods and. thanks to fast and evolving technological advancements today.

IT Is Indispensable
The role of technology in the business landscape cannot be overstated. It’s imperative that you employ a workforce that is techsavvy at least in the basis. Getting your staff up to date with emerging trends not only boosts productivity, but it has immense bearing on your bottom-line. Today, the IT department in every business, big or small is indispensable. IT experts are largely attributed to the changing dynamics at the organizational level. These experts are becoming crucial given their capacity to help a business maintain its competitive edge.

Every business relies on technology in big and small ways. As technology evolves, businesses have an overriding need to incorporate some form of technology. Simply, the same technology cannot afford to remain at the backend; it’s an integral component of any discerning business front end. There are several elements that technology has transformed for the better. Technology contributes in:Improving Communication
In many ways than one, technology simplifies communication. Whether it’s a social connection or you are trying to relay mission critical data, things are no longer want they used to be. IT is fundamental for effective communication internally and externally. In house, technology streamlines the types off data relay that occur between sections or departments. There is a need for an organisation to stay up to date with new email marketing tactics or ways of sending company wide data via digital platforms. Externally, technology has made communication easy and ubiquitous.

Propels Marketing and Business Growth
From an external communication point of view, a business will use new technology to advertise and break into new markets. Forward thinking enterprises advertise digitally with a view to drive traffic. Even though yours is a brick and mortar business, technology has to be part of your marketing mix, if you expect to grow your revenue. Remember, a highly seasoned IT team is the key to your success. You need experts who are conversant with search marketing, web optimization and social media targeting.Streamlines Decision Making
Decision making in any business is a critical process. You need technology to streamline the decision making process. There is a need to keep track of customer and market data. Technology in form of business relevant software facilitates error free reporting. You have a guarantee of accuracy with metrics drawn from the finance, marketing and customer engagement departments. It is technology that captures critical data and helps a business to see its weak areas, and ways of how to strategize accordingly.

Boosting Your Competitive Edge
Nowadays, other businesses in the same niche as you are spending more to market and advertise. The need to stay on top of the completion is crucial. Nobody wants to associate with a brand that is barely visible online. Your competitors are using technology to weigh you up and to drive their traffic. Technology is using viable online tools to drive your sales.Enhancing Customer Relationship
Reputable CRM management systems let you discover what your customer base wants. It’s advisable to target the right customer at the right time to avoid them crossing over to your competitor. Even though the technology you rely on is compatible with your existing systems, there is the issue of smart threats and cyber threats. The cloud storage makes it critical to have robust cyber security measures to keep your assets and data safe.

Maintain Industry Relevance
Whether you are in the real estate, health, warehousing or freight industry, there is a form of technology designed to inject efficiency into your operations. If you are leveraging these technologies to break into new market, save lives, boost sales or for crop production module, technology will have made its impact.

What remains is to ensure that you keep on top of things. Technology in the business landscape is never static. You don’t want to be overtaken by events, trends or your competitors. Remember, communication is one factor that you need to grow. Always make sure that you capitalize on advanced communication methods and channels to stay relevant and wiser.Technology helps businesses maintain data flow, manage contacts, track processes and maintain employee records. Technology makes it possible for businesses to operate efficiently and effectively with minimal manpower and helps to reduce the cost of doing business. Technology helps business operations by keeping them connected to suppliers, customers and their sales force. Because of its ability to streamline operating costs, technology delivers instant access to supplies and information, so businesses are better able to offer affordable pricing of goods and services without sacrificing quality
Internet Presence
Establishing an Internet presence is necessary even though your business may not be an ecommerce type business. It allows current and potential customers to view your products and services conveniently online. An Internet present gives businesses the ability to reach potential customers worldwide. Certain products or services may not be in large demand where you live or establish your business, but people in other parts of the country or the world may be searching for exactly what you have to offer.

Accounting
With accounting software, many businesses are able to handle accounting functions without the need for a CPA. The technological advances in accounting software have turned tracking sales, invoicing, employee records and payroll into simple tasks with no specialized training required. Some programs include notifications that alert the business owner when quarterly taxes and bills associated with operating costs need to be paid.
The Future of Technology in Business
Contrary to popular belief, the progress of technology shows no signs of slowing. In fact, with the advent of the PDA and other high-tech devices, developers are finding new and very innovative ways to assimilate these products into society. A prime example of how technology has redefined business operations can be seen oni the use of social networking sites by advertising on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. “The rate of change in technology is as much today as any time in my experience,” says 40-year tech veteran Andrew S. Grove, from Intel Corp. The speed at which a computer is able to access information doubles about every 18 months, and Internet connection speeds are doubling even faster. Use of PDAs in the medical profession have become commonplace.
5 Reasons for Accelerated Business Growth

The technological revolution has improved businesses this century in the following five primary ways:

  1. Information technology has given business the tools to solve complex problems.

Improved hardware (more memory, faster processors, sharper visual displays, etc) combined with smarter applications (Mindmapping software like X Mind, collaborative software like Kanban boards, organizers like Google calendar, etc) have made it easier to research data, analyze it, and plan scalability. Many tools available to solve complex problems.

  1. Information technology allows businesses to make better decisions.

Good decisions in business are based on solid market research. This can be done through engaging teams through video conferences, reviewing public sentiment on social media and industry forums, and using online 3. Information technology has improved marketing.

Internet marketing using online advertising methods (SEO, PPC, Facebook Ads) are far more accurate ways than traditional marketing of finding target audiences, discovering their needs, and building a marketing campaign to persuade them to buy. It’s difficult to see how many people read a newspaper ad. It’s easy to figure out how many people clicked on an online banner.

  1. Information technology has improved customer support.

Customers can receive support from multiple channels telephone, emails, social media platforms, webinars, and so on. Additionally, customer relationship management systems help businesses understand customer behavior.

  1. Information technology has improved resource management.

Cloud computing allows a company’s employees to use any device anywhere in the world to access their enterprise level software.

Innovation is the Wave of the Future

If the purpose of business is to increase profits, then innovation is the way to make more profits, faster. The story of Jan Koum gives us a clue how much big businesses value innovation. He went from food stamps to billionaire because of his invention of WhatsApp.There are endless explanations of why technology in business is relevant. Whether or not we like it, the role of technology in business grows and will only continue to grow. Organizations have to take advantage of new technological innovations for their activities, their workers and the underlying. Companies can no longer determine technology’s value to organizations but must take advantage of technology. Innovation is growing rapidly; prices are falling and innovations are continuously being made. You can get business technology news very easily in a very convenient.

Importance of competitive exams

The purpose of competitive exams is not only to judge your talent but also to test your management and planning skills. The whole concept of any competitive exam is based on strategic thinking and smart work.

“Life is a race.. if you don’t run fast.. you will be like a broken anda..”

Most of you have watched the movie 3 Idiots and can easily recall this dialogue where the head of an institute was trying to teach a life lesson to students. Indeed, it’s true and one must learn from it.

Nowadays, competition is getting tougher day by day and the doorway into the best of the academic institutes is just not straightforward. It requires a lot of hard work, dedication and most importantly, consistent efforts. The reality of tough competition can be seen through this data.

In 2018, around 11.5 lakh students registered for JEE Main and 2,31,024 students qualified for JEE Advanced and at the end only 31,988 (that too after the revised cut-off) students qualified JEE Advanced. These candidates will fight for 11,279 seats available in the IITs in India.

To prepare yourself for the challenging path, you are required to take initial steps at a very early age. Students, irrespective of their career interest, should start appearing in various national and international-level competitive exams.

Nowadays, there are various exams conducted by govt or private bodies for students from class 1 onwards. These may include Olympiads, NTSE, NMTC and many more.

Advantages

  • Early exposure to learning and competition builds confidence and sharpens skills which raise your level from other students on the same platform.
  • Competitive exams will enhance the skill of understanding the application of concepts, which is required in a broader context when we appear for exams like JEE, NEET, Civil Service and many others.
  • Exams develop IQ, logical and analytical thinking and build a strong foundation for a career.
  • They open doors to enter foreign universities including worldwide number 1 university, MIT. Medallists in International Olympiads have a fair chance of getting into top-class foreign universities compared to others. Few colleges have reserved seats for such scholars.
  • Competitive exams also help out in choosing a career as students start identifying their areas of interest while getting a deeper knowledge of subjects.
  • Awards, rewards and scholarships not only provide financial assistance in further studies but also boost morale while moving ahead in the future.

There are no drawbacks of appearing for such competitive exams and it’s just a myth that they can hamper regular studies. An early step will articulate your journey of success.

Important tips and strategies on competitive exams preparation.

The purpose of competitive exams is not only to judge your talent but also to test your management and planning skills. The whole concept of any competitive exam is based on strategic thinking and smart work.

Traditionally, studying for long hours, having loads of competitive books around the study table, cutting aloof with the surrounding, and many more such ideas will simply worsen the case. Therefore, be smart, focus on the strategy and start preparing for competitive entrance examinations with the proper mix of planning, time management and smart work.

Distributive learning:

It is advised by experts and physiologists that you should avoid working on a continuous stretch. Taking breaks is equally important as it helps your brain to work flawlessly.

Innovative learning:

Choose your study material wisely as it will allow you to work smartly and prepare for government exams without wasting your precious time and effort.

Smart Learning:

The punch of uniqueness and the ability of stand out from the crowd can guarantee success in the era of stiff competition. Every aspirant must plan to do something different and work on it effectively. For instance, it is clearly observed that in any entrance exam, current affairs is that section where you can score maximum marks in no time at all, and save your time for the rest of the sections. Focus on practicing general awareness questions more and more with study material.

Concept-based learning:

Here is an important point to note. Any aspirant preparing for whatsoever competitive exam should know about it fully. For example, if you are preparing for IAS, you should be aware of its exam pattern, curriculum, syllabus, toppers views, and many more things. It gives you a clear idea of what you are up to, and thus helps you to prepare for the entrance test in a proper and planned way.

Practical learning:

No matter how hard you work while preparing for competitive exams, if you are not solving mock test papers, you will not be able to judge your skills. Therefore, start solving mock test papers.

The Chain of Habits

A wise man once said that habits are the ladder to success and excellence. Who doesn’t want to be successful and happy? Aren’t we all craving for achieving something in life? We all have ambitions right? So why not go ahead and do something which will help you in life?

First things first, there is no magical potion for affluence and for reaching heights. You have to work hard but as they say, hard work without any planning is simply a waste of time. You are spending your energy doing things which are not going to take you anywhere. Hard work has to be done smartly. You have to plan it all out in such a way that all your efforts help you, not exhaust you.

So that is why I’m here. Today, in this article I am going to help you out in planning your day in such a way that you are able to achieve you goals in the shortest time possible.

I’m sure you must have heard of the saying, ‘Well begun is half done.’ Well, these small tips and pieces of advice haven’t been passed down to us through our older generations just like that. There is a reason why people believe in this. You can go through several of interviews by successful and well-established people and to your surprise, you’ll notice a pattern in all of them. As you will go on to analyse what all things do these big sort CEOs and Directors of big well established MNCs do, you’ll realise that they all one thing in common and that is a good, well planned out and productive morning routine. Yes, a good morning routine is life changing and it can help you in a lot of ways.

Let me decode this for you. I’ll start by looking at what most people do, then I’ll move on to giving you the ideal routine and then we’ll talk about the benefits of one.

So, 90% of the people wake up quite late and when they do, they continue to lie in their beds and check their social media handles. After having done that, they go to the washroom, brush their teeth, get ready for work, grab something to eat and out they go, rushing to work. This routine is a disaster in making. You cannot continue with such a pattern hoping to get somewhere in life. I’ll tell you why.

Problems in this routine

  1. Waking up late already sets your body in panic and you are not able to concentrate. You cannot or let’s say, do not plan your day ahead in time which sets the ball of problems rolling for you.
  2. Then you go onto check your social media which is filled with negativity. You see your friends’ photographs, them partying out all night which makes you feel miserable and unwanted.
  3.  After this fiasco, you are most likely to be disinterested in getting g ready properly so you just put on whatever you see on top of the pile which will make your turn out at work horrible.
  4. Then finally, to top it all you do not have a good nutritious breakfast which hampers you health thus bringing this cycle of problems to a full circle.

So now let us look at what you should ideally be doing. Firstly try waking up on time- somewhere around 6 or 6:30 in the morning. Then immediately as your alarm goes off jump out of the bed and make it. Don’t hit the snooze button. Draw the curtains, unfold the blinds and let sunlight in your room. Now go to loo, freshen up, brush your teeth etc. Once you are done, have a glass of water. All this will take around 15mins. Now take time to choose a good outfit, get dressed, do your hair properly, polish your shoes etc and go to your kitchen to have a good nutritious meal. Take time to sit down and eat while reading the newspaper so you are aware of what’s happening around you and the world. Now finally, check your social media etc and you are good to go!

SEO strategy in Digital Marketing


In the previous article , we saw the introduction to Digital marketing , its assets and different strategies.
Search: A user uses the Internet ( exactly , the search engines) to collect information about his/her queries.
A search engine ( example , Google , Yahoo!, Ask , Bing etc) is a computer-based system that indexes websites using some dedicated tracing software. A browser like Chrome , Firefox, Mozilla etc can be used to access the search engine. The software used is known as Internet bot, Web crawler or Web spider, and periodically tracks the Web looking for new content or modifications on sites. The search engine processes Web tracking, while it uses its own algorithm to classify websites and offer its results, as well as their order, depending on the search terms used to access the desired content. Google innovatively introduced the PageRank algorithm which gives marks to each page depending on the quality of their incoming links and the results are more closely adjusted to Web searches.
This simple process of using the search terms is currently the most important pathway to access online content, while it becomes the marketing base for SEO strategy .
Keywords : They are the terms or phases that users use to search something on Internet. They are the search criteria matching a specific website. When trying to positioning a site using some search criteria, several words are used for each keyword, avoiding generic terms at all times.
Search result may vary as per the keywords used by the searcher.
Tools to Select Keywords : In order to select the keywords, a manual list is prepared with some useful Web services. Google AdWords is a advertisement management platform and this includes a keyword measurement tool called Keyword Planner. Keyword Planner offers information on the potential performance of a term list with data regarding the average monthly searches or SEMRush to monitor competitors for those keywords.
How Search engines like Google formats and showcases the search results ? To understand this, we need to understand SEO—Search Engine Optimization SEO .
SEO refers to a set of techniques applied on a website—structure, code, content and links—to improve positioning in the organic results of a browser .
SEO is a system of generating traffic to your website through organic search. For e.g: Blogs, personal website pages are optimized by following the right guidelines creating a user friendly website, rich content with relevant keywords. All this will help in ranking your website on top search results .This helps search engine to showcase the best possible result to a user. The most important factor to remember about SEO is that it is “organic” or “free”. The website owner need not pay any money when the website is listed in the search results in SEO . When a user runs a query on Google, the results brought up on the page are a mix of website, blog, video, image, news depending to the keyword used.
How to Use SEO Techniques : SEO positioning is improved by undertaking actions to improve content, code aspects related to the website .Regarding this, keywords must be adapted to the website and included on:
• Title tag: the website title, visible on the top of the browser.
• Meta tags: meta tag description is very useful, both for Web crawlers , as the content of that tag is used in the browser results.
• Links: using keywords on friendly URLs.
• Content: keywords must be within the content of the website. With the latest update of Google’s algorithm, content has become more important. Offering original and quality content is one of the recommendations by Google for those who want to get started in the optimisation for Web searches. Apart from selection and use of keywords, improving Web positioning requires the development of other actions on the website’s structure and code. For example, having a sitemap helps Web crawlers index the website. A sitemap is a file with different URLs that make up the website. Another action in this line is to indicate to Web spiders which content is relevant and which is not, so that they trace it (or not) and index it (or not).

SEO produces Organic results. Results are always shown at the centre of the screen as in the below figure.

undefinedLocal SEO: Local SEO is done to promote your business in a local area. If your business has multiple branches or even if it’s a small business/service it is essential to provide your address/location, phone number, timings etc. The idea is to make the user connect with your business easily and effectively.
On the other hand, external SEO focuses on incoming links (coming from other websites), with the goal of gaining popularity and higher quality of the links. This technique is known as link building and can be implemented through concrete actions such as: • Exchange of links between different websites sharing themes and content. • Links from social networking sites such as forums or social networks, adding the link to the message or the content shared.
Search is not subjected to just web pages. We now also have more features like voice search & visual search that have simplified ways to look up information.
Voice Search: Information can now be retrieved by our voice commands . Siri, Google voice, Cortana are some of the common digital voice assistants . we can directly speak by clicking the microphone , near the Google search text box and ask the question to get the required information.
Visual Search: Earlier we mentioned about optimizing images. This is because search engines do not understand imagery. Hence renaming an image, adding description and alt text are important. Search engine crawlers understand text-based information given in the images and presents it in a visual form to the searcher. For instance , by opening the Google Assistant and pointing at a company logo , the company details will be shown up.

We shall discuss about the remaining Digital marketing strategies later.

Anxiety Disorder

“Calm down” , “it’s all in your mind”, “stop overthinking”, some of the most common remarks a person with anxiety hears. Anxiety is a psychological disorder. Though every person so feel anxiety at some special occasions , such as while undertaking an examination , going for interview and so on , and it does help them to work more efficiently and accurately . However , if the anxiety persist for a longer period , it not only hinders ones performance but also impacts the mental health of the person.


What is Anxiety disorder ?


Anxiety is usually defined as a vague , diffuse , unpleasant feeling of fear and apprehension. Common symptoms of anxiety includes rapid heart rate , shortness of breath , dizziness , loss of appetite , fainting , diarrhoea , frequent urination , sweating , sleeplessness and tumour . An individual with anxiety disorder can show all or combination of some symptoms.


What are its types ?


There are different types of anxiety disorders , namely, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder , phobias , obsessive compulsive disorder , post traumatic stress disorder .


Generalized anxiety disorder : One of the most common anxiety disorder is generalized anxiety disorder . It includes prolonged , vague , intense , unexplained fear which is not related to any object . The symptoms include , worry and apprehension feeling about future and hypervigilance . It is characterized by motor tension , which results are individual to be restless , visible shaky , tense.


Panic disorder : Panic attack denotes an abrupt surge in anxiety level rising to a peak when the thoughts of a particular stimuli is present . These thoughts usually occurs in an unpredictable manner . Symptoms include dizziness, chest pain , nausea , shortage of breath , rapid palpitation , fear of losing control.


Phobia : People with phobia have intense irrational fear relating to a specific object , person or situation . Phobias can further be subdivided into specific phobia , social phobia and agoraphobia . Specific phobia is the most common one. It is the intense fear from a particular animal or person . Social phobia being the irrational and incapacitating fear and embarrassment when dealing with others. Agoraphobia is the phobia which people develop when entering an unfamiliar situation .


Obsessive compulsive disorder : People suffering from this disorder are unable to control their preoccupation with specific ideas and are unable to prevent themselves from carrying out certain activities again and again. Obsessive disorders is the inability to stop thinking about something and compulsive disorder is the need to perform a particular behaviour again and again.


Post traumatic stress disorder : This disorder is often experienced by a person after being exposed to a extremely traumatic situation , such as caught in a major accident , loss of a loved one , break up from a long term relationship . Symptoms include recurrent dream , flashback , impaired concentration and emotional numbing .


Ways to deal with anxiety disorder


The most reliable and effective way to deal with anxiety disorder is to seek help . Consulting a psychologist is highly recommended . A psychologist not only help the individual to deal with their disorder , but also provide them with a judgement free environment to discuss their feelings .


A person with anxiety or any other psychological disorder needs a social support network . Talking to a trustworthy family member or friend also does help . If someone for that matter approaches you to talk about their anxiety , then providing them with a judgement free environment is least one can do . Telling them to stop overthinking or staying calm doesn’t help , since they themselves might not be aware why they are feeling this way .
Listening to their thoughts and providing them comfortable space to share their thoughts does help. Telling them you are with them in this would make them feel supported.


Encouraging them to develop a hobby would also help. Hobbies does divert the mind from the feeling of anxiety . At the same time, since they learn something new it help them boast their confidence.


To all the people going through this, it is not constant .This hard times too shall pass . Let’s fight with the devils of your brain together , you are not alone in this .

Is our nation suffering in providing basic teaching due to lockdown?

As schools and colleges are shut across India, every abode is becoming a school and every parent is at the verge of becoming a full-time teacher!

India has nearly 300 million kids in 1.4 million schools and 51,000 colleges.

While a nationwide lockdown is good for all in limiting the spread of the coronavirus, it has impacted not only businesses and common people but also education and teaching institutes.
Some schools are trying their best to provide online classes through various video conferencing apps but it’s not available to all. The rural schools and parents are devoid of these facilities. In urban areas as well, some of the versatile and experienced teachers are facing the problem to teach and express themselves as they do on a regular basis- due to the lack of knowledge about handling these technologies competently.
Many nuclear families are also facing problems in coping up with their work as parents are doing their work from home only and one can’t help but get engaged with their child at times along with the office work and household chores. The playtime and me-time are getting merged with school time and there is no any specific boundary between bedroom and classroom.
Then there is another difficulty for parents who are not educated enough to teach their children on their own. Although they try to make and manage a routine and are eager to help but they can’t help much in the studies and find themselves helpless. Students as well are facing problems in keeping the pace of their studies as they are getting limited time with their teachers through video lectures and their homework has somehow become the class work with the relief of not getting punished for any incomplete task, the oral tests and vivas has stopped. A con for sure!
In the last few days, eventually the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) and various other regulators including CBSE, NCERT, etc. have shown some enthusiasm to find productive alternatives to ensure the continuation of education.
NCERT has released an Alternative Academic Calendar for four weeks of home-based activities for different subjects. For example, activities like categorizing objects including erasers, pencils, cloth, pulses, etc. to teach the concepts of colors, shapes and sizes have been suggested for the students of class I-IV.
For upper-class students, teachers will be conducting classes through internet-based platforms, in the absence of which SMS can be sent. Here, as well the basic problem faced by the lower-middle-class families is either they are not well-informed about the internet and technology or, if they know how to handle it, there is limited internet availability.
There is an even more basic issue at stake for rural people, the closure of schools has serious implications on the daily nutrition of students as the mid-day meal schemes have temporarily been shut. As of March 31, 2019, close to 12 crore students across the country were provided with food under with mid-day meal schemes.
Some state governments have come up with innovative ideas to address this concern.
The Delhi government has discussed an interesting idea to provide data packages to the students of class X and XII. Use of the internet can be restricted to specific applications prepared by the government.
Similarly, another interesting idea has been introduced in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar which is planning to use Doordarshan, All India Radio and community radio to promote audio-based learning among students who do not have access to the internet.

The standards are regular yet not entirely proportional to the basic knowledge that we often get out of the volumes!

The New Watchdog

Mainstream media to new media- how has the shift affected political reporting

Politics is undoubtedly a game for supremacy solely played in the name of the people for evoking national interest. Fred Fedler was right then he said “journalism is built on reporting government”. The idea of ‘the watchdog’ means that the journalist, as an independent observer without any vested interest in any side of the controversy, can inform the public about what is going on, particularly if the government is corrupt or even incompetent. However, the political journalists do not play this role flawlessly. 

There is a paucity of good political reporting in India- reporting with an insight, reporting that captures in action the trouper of the political field, reporting that exposes the petty politics and the never ending hypocrisies of political parties and the conspiracies of those in power.

The grave situation that the Indian democracy is in, is that it is they who guide and shape the destiny of some 135 crore people. Lacking ideas, bereft of intelligence and character, they exploit religion and caste to stay in power. 

Most political commentators and reporters on traditional medias like mainstream news channels and newspapers have glorified politicians and never truthfully presented their failures as much as their achievements. Programmes of political parties are rarely critically evaluated by reporters of most traditional media and their flaws are never commented upon so that the people are carried away by their rhetoric or patriotic postures. The Inadequate political coverage, not judged by the quantity of the news brought in or reported but by the quality of it, brings down the credibility of the traditional media. 

The mediatization of the political news necessitates that media content is governed by media logic rather than political logic, and can be indicated by media interventionism where the journalists are in control of news making. (Esser, 2008, Strömbäck and Dimitrova, 2011, Zeh and Hopmann, 2013). 

The way we use social media today impacts what we read and how we read or listen to news. Consider politics for that matter- Political parties bank on news channels, such as ZEE News or NDTV to get their updates on how the election campaign is going. Unbeknownst to many, both of these news outlets are on opposite sides of the political spectrum. If you tune into Zee News, you will get a completely different view of any candidate than you would on NDTV and viseversa. This type of controlling what people read and hear causes a lot of misinterpretation. This is where political reporting in new media comes into, where you not just read what the journalist has to say but also what others think about it and more importantly why they think the way they do. Unlike the traditional media, you don’t hear one side of the story, on new media platforms you can view multitude versions of the same story. With the advent of political reporting via social media and news portals, journalists who act like the watchdogs are now backed up, not only by their organisation, but also by their viewers, readers and followers who make an informed choice. 

At the same time, the new media has initiated trends time and again. exposed how the traditional political reporters undercut the ideal aims of a free democratic press. The watchdog role is now played by the new media which had previously only been performed by trained political journalists who even under the worst of circumstances focused on uncovering the facts surrounding serious political wrongdoings.

COMMUNICATION: one of the best key to success

Having strong communication skills helps in all parts of life – from proficient life to individual life and everything that falls in the middle. From a business viewpoint, all exchanges result from correspondence. Great communication skills are basic to permit others and yourself to comprehend data all the more precisely and rapidly.

How to Improve Your Communication Skills

Here are some pointers to look out for when looking to improve your ability to effectively communicate with others:

Listening:
To turn into a decent communicator, it is imperative to be a decent audience. It is critical to rehearse undivided attention – give close consideration to what others are stating and explain ambiguities by rethinking their inquiries for more noteworthy comprehension.

Succinctness:
Pass on your message in as hardly any words as could be expected under the circumstances. Try not to utilize filler words and come to the heart of the matter. Meandering aimlessly will make the audience block out or be uncertain of what you are discussing. Abstain from talking unreasonably and don’t utilize words that may befuddle the crowd.

Non-verbal communication :
It is critical to rehearse great non-verbal communication, use eye to eye connection, use hand signals, and watch the tone of the voice when speaking with others. A casual body position with an amicable tone will help in making you look receptive by others.Eye to eye connection is significant in correspondence – look at the individual without flinching to demonstrate that you are centered around the discussion. In any case, try to not gaze at the individual as it can make that person awkward.

Confidence:
Be positive about what you state and in your correspondence cooperations with others. Being confident can be as simple as keeping in touch, keeping up a casual body position, and chatting with concision. Do whatever it takes not to offer expressions sound like inquiries and abstain from attempting to sound forceful or disparaging.


Open-mindedness:
In circumstances where you can’t help contradicting what another person needs to state, regardless of whether it be with a business, an associate, or a companion, it is critical to identify with their perspective instead of basically attempt to communicate as the need should arise. Regard the assessment of others and never resort to disparaging the individuals who don’t concur with you.

Respect:
Respecting what others need to state and recognizing them is a significant part of communication. Being deferential can be as basic as focusing on what they need to state, utilizing the individual’s name, and not being diverted. By respecting others, the other individual will feel increased in value, which will prompt a progressively fair and beneficial discussion.

Utilizing the right medium:
There are a few unique types of communication to utilize – it is imperative to pick the correct one. For instance, imparting face to face about genuine issues (cutbacks, pay changes, and so on.) is more proper than sending an email in regards to the issue.

Advantages of freelancing

Everyone gets 24 hours a day and one need to share the time which give value to life.

If we visit the statistics, we can find that our country, India, is a storehouse to the second highest number of freelance professionals in the world, standing only behind the USA. It’s fairly intuitive to understand these numbers. Indians are known worldwide for being extremely skilled and great working partners. English being a popular language in the country helps in breaking continental language barriers and helps freelancers find well paying remote projects across the world, with extremely lucrative pay scales. Even if one looks at jobs within the subcontinent itself, freelancing can come with handsome payouts amidst its other many advantages.  

Advantages of freelancing
1. Immense flexibility of location
Freelancing empowers individuals to lead the much sought after laptop-lifestyle. It comes with immense freedom to work anytime, from anywhere in the world as long as the job is well done and on time.

2. An opportunity to earn more
Freelancing allows individuals to gain access to clients beyond any geographic barriers, be it different states in the country or even overseas locations.  This helps a person stretch beyond geography and work on what rewards their skill the best.

3. Versatile opportunites
Freelancing enables faster growth opportunities as compared to any full-time job.  It also helps to nurture great interpersonal skills and the ability to deal with different kinds of situations. This is due to the exposure one earns while working simultaneously in a variety of fields and domains and with different people.

4. Become a better human being
Everyone wants to give time to their family friends. Many are enable to give time by 9-5 job by pressure of the boss. Many people miss their child play or when people need you. As a human being an individual has many jobs if he can’t manage one because of another an imbalance cycle starts in your life.

One should have right exposure to the opportunity which lies ahead. Manage each facets of his life to have peace. Experience and look forward toward new possibilities.

ACCA DREAM TO JOB IN MNC’S

What is ACCA?

ACCA stands for Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, which was originated from London and mainly focuses on Accounting and Finance. This course has been recognized in 180 countries throughout the world but mainly in the UK and European countries which means that you can join a Chartered Firm or successfully built your career as a finance professional after completing ACCA in such 180 countries. Although, if you are dreaming to do the audit and attestation work in India, CA is the only option.

ACCA is set to promote the excellence in Accounting and Finance globally and hence covers knowledge of UK GAAP, Laws and IFRS which opens the doors of many International and National companies handling the overseas clients.

ACCA course has been organized by ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) UK professional body and it is also considered easier than Chartered Accountancy.

One of the most impressive things of ACCA course is that it recognizes the other qualifications you attained. It recognizes your graduation, post-graduation CA Inter and CA Final Qualification also. Out of the total of 14 papers in the ACCA course, a graduate or a CA Inter pass out has to appear in only 9 papers while after becoming CA  you have to attempt just 5 papers.

ACCA: association of chartered certified accountant is a professional degree course.

This exam is one of the most highly reputed exams in India. Over the past few years, ACCA India has managed to garner much recognition across the country. As the ACCA certification is new here in India, students are finding it difficult to decide whether it is a good career option or not.

ACCA certification in India:

 The ACCA qualification is equivalent to CA (ICAI) certification in India. However, the CA qualification is a bit too difficult to get through. However, the CA qualification is a must if you wish to work in one of the Indian firms, start your own business, or become a partner in a CA firm. That’s so because an Indian CA would have thorough knowledge about the taxes, laws, Indian economy, policies, etc.

Similarly, if you aspire to work abroad, then ACCA becomes a compulsory qualification. ACCA job opportunities are available across Australia, UK, Singapore, Dubai, etc. Besides, students who would like to have experience and comprehensive knowledge within the finance domain, ACCA works big time.

 The ACCA career opportunities:

There are multiple ACCA career opportunities available worldwide. Apart from an accountant, an ACCA professional can work as a management consultant, financial planner, and so on.

It is not possible for an ACCA to pursue auditing in India. That’s because an ACCA India has no authority for signing and hence he cannot mark his signature on audit reports. Similarly, he cannot set up his own auditing firm as well. However, ACCA India professional can carry out auditing job in the UK.

Acca India job opportunities:

It is predicted that in India could easily become one of the biggest global markets for ACCA. As such, the Indian economy is on the path of growth and globalization. Due to which, even MNCs and larger international companies are turning towards India to seek professional accountants and ace finance experts.

ACCA salary in India is considerably equivalent to that of a CA professional. An individual with ACCA qualification can earn an average salary of up to INR 8 lac p.a. The pay scale generally ranges between INR 4 lac p.a. To INR 15 lac p.a. It could go higher too, depending upon candidate’s skills, company’s demands, competition, etc.

Which companies are hiring ACCA in India?

ACCA qualified individuals get easily placed at Big 4 companies like EY, PwC, Deloitte, and KPMG. MNCs including Tata Grant Thornton, Embassy Group, and PepsiCo as well recruit ACCA India professionals. Apart from that, Accenture, HSBC, and Shalimar Paints also do look for accountants having ACCA certification.

ACCA India – Scope and opportunities

ACCA exam is a globally recognized exam. In recent years its recognition has increased exponentially among Indian students. Since the certification of ACCA in India is new, students have a dilemma whether to opt for it or not.

However, if one has an aspiration to work in other countries also, apart from India, where ACCA is coveted then he must opt for ACCA. These countries include UK, Dubai, Singapore, etc. If the student is looking to gain experience and knowledge in the finance field, this qualification shall help.

ACCA can work as an accountant, financial consultant, management consultant, financial planner, etc. However, an ACCA cannot practice auditing in India. The ACCAs working in audit firms in India (including the Big 4) can work as part of the audit team. However, the partner signing the audit report must be a member of the ICAI.

Some basics things about acca :acca courses mainly focuses on accounting and finance ,acca not easy but not hard as ca ,acca has a  global coverage therefore it is based on uk tax laws,

Multinational companies who are handling the work of overseas clients or companies outside India prefer ACCA.

After reading this above article, you must be sure about how to start your career in association of chartered certified accountants (acca).

TRANSGENDER

The dictionary defines transgender as a person whose identity or gender differs from the sex he or she is assigned at birth. Initially, people from the transgender community were denied social recognition. It was in the year 2014, transgenders were recognized as the third sex in the eyes of the law. However, the Nation Human Rights Commission’s studies show that the rights of transgenders are highly compromised. Their demands are not taken into account. They are in a sense of isolation, within households , communities and institutions, amid rampant social and gender discrimination.

• Transgenders suffer from identity crisis in a “gender-specific India”, where everything has a gender identification including public toilets, security check at airport, etc.

• Transgenders are deprived of the right to participate in any form of economical activities, with even qualified ones refused jobs.

• They are bullied by their classmates and even by teachers, a reason why they discontinue studies.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Transgenders are often exploited by rich men. They either beg for work or choose sex work. Transgenders are at times gang raped, but fear to approach the police. Some of them address themselves as male to avoid rapes. They do not expose their identity in order to be safe. They are consumed with fear and embarrassment.

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY

When we talk about transgenders as a community, it is very necessary to have a brief knowledge about their family and roots, they belong to. They have no family support and are abandoned when their characteristics and behavior don’t resemble with the sexual orientation they are assigned at birth. Some try to treat them with medicines. While others are subjected to extreme stress and pressure. There’s no legal support to a transgender for entering in to a marriage or for that matter having a spouse or a child. They are denied accommodation, both on rental or in a hotel.

HEALTH RISKS

People of any sexual orientation may face health problems but transgenders are at a greater risk of health problems because they are denied to access proper health care. Most of the qualified transgenders don’t get employment opportunities. They are deprived of setting up their own organization. The under privileged are compelled to engage in sex work which has high health related risks.

Mental Health Issues – Gay, Lesbian and transgender people have multiple mental health problems as they strive to find a place in the society. They have a hard time in confronting their parents and friends. Loneliness or Isolation can trigger a lot of mental health issues.

Substance Abuse – Transgenders become addicts. They often abuse substances like tobacco, alcohol and some illegal drugs. This may be partly because of the struggle for acceptance.

Sexually Transmitted Infections– Unprotected sex can lead to severe reproductive problems in transgender females. Practicing safe sex can limit the spread of sexually transmitted infections.

• Here’s her story of pride and prejudice. A transgender activist , Long recognized as a prominent figure of the LGBTQ community, Miss Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi , is the first transgender person to represent Asia Pacific in the UN in 2008. She was the first transgender to file a petition demanding social recognition among the LGBTQ community. She will always be remembered as the epitome of bravery and courage.

Every individual irrespective of the sexual orientation shall be guaranteed equal opportunities to sustain. It should be an individual’s right to choose his or her gender.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Most of us have experienced a sudden increase in heart beat rate and sweaty palm while entering a room full of people or while giving a presentation. Though the experience is not exactly thrilling, but most people get through it .
Social anxiety, also known as social phobia, is a mental health condition. It is the intense fear of getting judged, negatively evaluated in a social or performance situation.

People with social anxiety fear getting judged as awkward, boring or visibly anxious. Due to this fear they often get secluded from social setting , affecting their school, work and other day to day activities.
People with social anxiety disorder also experience symptoms such as rapid heart palpitation, nausea, sweating , they may also experience full blown attack. Though the people with this disorder know that their fear is irrational, but they experience a feeling of powerlessness before their anxiety.

Symptoms of social anxiety can become so severe that it can disrupt the day to day routine of an individual, making it difficult for them to continue schooling or job or any form of social contact. People suffering also have high changes of developing major depressive disorder and alcohol abuse.

Signs and Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder


The signs and symptoms which a person with social anxiety disorder faces while dealing with social setting are as follows:
• Heart palpitation , sweating , and feeling of blacking out
• Nausea and feeling sick to their stomach
• Rigid body posture, making little to no eye contact
• Finding it extremely difficult to communicate with people , especially if they don’t already know the person
• Being extremely self conscious in social situations

Causes of Social Anxiety Disorder


There can be several causes of social anxiety. Here are few :
• Social anxiety may have it’s causes in heredity. If social anxiety runs in the family, the person might also suffer from the same.
• Researches has also found that part of human brain are involved in fear and anxiety.
• Misreading others behaviour can also be a cause of social anxiety.
• Underdeveloped social skills can also act as a contributor of social anxiety.

Treating Social Anxiety Disorder


First and foremost is consulting a doctor or health care professional, to make sure that your symptoms are not showing due to some physiological conditions. Then if the symptoms have no physical cause then consulting the psychologist or psychiatrist is always recommended. Getting diagnosed by a mental health expert is of utmost importance.


Social anxiety disorder is usually treated of psychotherapy , medication or both.
• Psychotherapy : Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) a type of psychotherapy is usually effective in dealing with social anxiety disorder. It help individuals by teaching them effective ways of thinking, behaving and dealing with social situations. CBT facilitates the learning of social skills.
• Medication : There are three types of medication effective in this case . They are anti anxiety medication , anti depressants and beta blockers. Medications are only to be taken when prescribed by the psychiatrist. The dose and the duration of medication is to be prescribed by mental health expert. Consuming medication without an expert recommendation can do more harm than any good.
• Support groups : Many people dealing with social anxiety find support groups helpful. In support groups, people get unbiased, honest support from people suffering with same disorder. It provides the person with a judgement free set up, which also help boast one’s confidence.


The amalgamation of the three can be useful for an individual with serious social anxiety disorder. However it is to be prescribed by the expert what is best for an individual only after diagnosis because each individual differ from the other .

Gym or no Gym……?

As we all know in this current scenario till 2020 which is quite a showbiz for modernization and 2020 being a really mean and sassy year to be honest gymnasium and fitness are something which are quite in trend nowadays well at least in teenagers and adults till their mid thirties but what about the rest? Well we all know this that as anybody starting from a student,to a working class person,house wives,stay at home dads and that also to anybody cross the fifty years mark as the age as octogenarians or whoever have gone through this dilemma of going to the gym or not, in a manner i don’t know about the other countries but I guess that is the scenario in India and many more countries as well. So at the end people believe in some preoccupied ideologies about the gymnasiums and body sculpting and stuff like that but trust me or at least trust the science,facts and psychology which will help you to live a better life. In a manner our body is always craving for some maintenance and support to get to our maximum potential of looks,strength and pride. But since the lock down our government and many more countries governments are thinking that gyms are just for fun and time pass but it is really important for a country’s human resources physical as well as mental well being and that comes with places for working out as gymnasiums to start reopening. There is no age limits to go to the gyms and believe me on this one gyms can help anyone who is ready to let go of those cages of agony and fear which covers their desires and what they wish to be. So lets talk about why gyms should be open in terms of our fear and non popularity about gymnasiums through our preoccupied myths about gymnasiums…

Now let’s bust some so called myths about gymnasiums and working out.

  1. People think that once they join the gym the moment they leave it something catastrophic will happen to their body

Well I used to go through this same phase when i was a bit young so I don’t blame you because I’m 18 and I used to be in this misconception so me saying this is foolish will be hypocritical. But I’m a regular gym guy or at least used to be thanks to corona virus but that being that this thing people say is to totally false and absurd, when you go to the gym you will lose weight you will have a good looking body and your skin will remain toned,you will feel fit and free. And maybe if you leave the gym for a month or two the most which will happen is you will put on some weight and you will feel not so enthusiastic the first few days without gymming but nothing more than that happens, this myth was created for those body building athletes who take steroids and strong proteins in their diet as in their case maybe something catastrophic may happen if they leave the gym for a considerable amount of time of course but if you want a good looking muscular body not the so called beastly body you won’t have any issues,that’s why it’s wisely said to have one or two weights at home all the time so that whenever a mean year like 2020 comes you will be able to take care of yourself.

2. I don’t have time.

Well my my my just tell me what do you do with your time. It doesn’t matter if you are a student or a working class person we all should think about our physical well being because a good body helps to produce good results both in academics and in your work place. Let’s talk about science exercise helps producing dopamine which what we call as the pleasure hormone and in turn that’s why after an intense workout there will always be a sense of happiness and elation so if you are a student it is definitely helpful to go to the gym and to be the best version of yourself. As workout will help you to do whatever you do in a best manner possible so that you excel in all your endeavors.

3. We have to take protein or artificial stuff to get a good body.

Yeah yeah i know these myths are the brain child of our so called excuse makers who don’t go to the gym on purpose. So no you can take protein for better quick results but you can deny that too as by going for a protein rich diet just eat a lot of greens if you are vegan or vegetarian or if you are my kind go for animal proteins they help, so no it’s optional to take those artificial proteins you may take it or you may not take it both of them will reap you the same results just the artificial one may give results a bit earlier than the natural one. Well every good thing takes some time to be made right.!

4.Accidents happen in the gymnasiums.

Well I guess for this fireball we should thank Final Destination movies, just kidding XD. Well it’s something which rarely happens and if it does then consider that day as just a bad day. As most of the equipment have fail safe or there will be a lot of people and trainers to assist you unless the gym is haunted or it’s in a really bad shape.

5.Gyms are not for me and I can’t have a good body because I was born this way.

Seriously you believe that or you want yourself to believe that huh..? There is no such age to go to the gym and there is no age limit to work on yourself and to get rid of your self esteem issues as you are skinny or chubby or et cetera we all deserve to live a happy and healthy life so make you choice quick because time and tide waits for none…………

Challenges faced by the poor communities during lockdown

Women walk through a deserted village in India during the lockdown, April 2020.

COVID-19 and the lockdown have decimated incomes and threaten the food security of India’s rural population.It has been more than a month since India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced a complete lockdown across India with just a few hours’ notice. At the time of his announcement, the country had no more more than a few hundred cases of COVID-19. However, Modi felt the country could not afford an outbreak of the virus. This is true, given that we have among the lowest access to and quality of healthcare in the world.

Here is the foundation that helps a lot to the poor people:

Mann deshi foundation:

Mann Deshi is a rural women’s organization dedicated to the economic empowerment of women. We are located in Mhaswad, a drought-prone area of Maharashtra. We run the country’s first cooperative bank for and by rural women, 20 business schools, and chambers of commerce that help women micro entrepreneurs set up and grow their businesses. They also run a community radio station that reaches about 100,000 people.

The Prime Minister asked communities to band together and support each other. For the poor, who have few financial resources and no income coming in, this is an enormous ask. But we have been deeply inspired to see, all around us, thousands of acts of kindness and resilience. Small and marginal farmers have begun distributing their produce free of cost to vulnerable families in their villages; neighbours, who have barely enough to feed their own families, have begun sharing their vegetables from their kitchen gardens; and when our grassroots workers came up with a list of over 10,000 families who were facing food insecurity, a generous funder and community volunteers stepped forward to support the most vulnerable with essential food and hygiene items.

While immediate food relief is a concern, so is safety. Since income had dried up for most women, our field staff wondered about the possibility of making masks as a source of livelihood for some.

Here are some people who work with their own creativity

Roopali Pavnikar, whose T-shirt making business had been suspended, offered her machines to cut large swathes of cloth.

Ranjana Kulshetty, who makes jute bags, offered her 10 sewing machines to start making masks.

Accredited social health activists (ASHA)

It monitors the health of their villages. These are our nation’s front-line healthcare workers; tens of thousands of women who live in every Indian village, and who go door-to-door monitoring the health of their community. Unfortunately, they are also amongst the most poorly paid government workers. During this time, they regularly visit up to 100 households each, collecting detailed medical information and reporting COVID-19 cases or suspected cases to the state. And they are doing this with no protective gear. We have distributed masks and sanitizer to about 1,200 women and are setting up a counselling and support service for them.

Those poor people are struggling a lot lockdown for poor people means more hunger, no food. So there is some foundations and help centres who gave food to eat clothes and who are facing financial crisis.

DO IT: it’s teamwork

Teamwork abilities are basic to your success at work, regardless of your industry or employment title. Functioning admirably with customers, associates, administrators and others in your working environment can assist you with finishing errands effectively while making an agreeable domain both for yourself as well as other people. An association is that underlines acceptable teamwork abilities is ordinarily a solid, advanced working environment.

Teamwork abilities are comprised of numerous other delicate aptitudes you can work to create after some time. Here are only a couple of instances of characteristics that can assist you with improving your teamwork skills:

Communication: The capacity to impart in a reasonable, effective way is significant to having great teamwork skills. When working with others, it is significant that you share important contemplations, thoughts and key data. There are a wide range of kinds of relational abilities including both verbal and nonverbal.

Responsibility: Inside the dynamic of teamwork, it is significant that each gathering included both comprehend the work they are liable for and puts forth the attempt to finish said assignments on schedule and up to the normal norm. With the whole group working appropriately by taking responsibility for their own work, they can cooperate towards a shared objective.

Genuineness or Honesty: It is essential to be honest with your group. This may mean sharing a difference, clarifying that you couldn’t finish a specific assignment on schedule, or sharing another turn of events. Without honesty, it tends to be hard for a group to create trust and along these lines cooperate proficiently.

Attentive or Good listener: Much like communication, undivided attention abilities can assist a group with understanding and trust one another. Good listener is the demonstration of putting forth an attempt to concentrate eagerly on one individual as they share their thoughts, musings or emotions. You may likewise ask follow-up inquiries to dive further into what they are communicating.

Empathy: Having empathy for your partners can permit you to all the more likely comprehend their thought processes and emotions. Profoundly seeing how others think and work can assist you with communicating with them in a manner they will react to emphatically.


Step by step instructions to improve your teamwork skills:

While it can require some investment and work to improve a delicate ability, for example, teamwork, it is absolutely conceivable to fabricate these characteristics. Here are a couple of steps you can take to improve your teamwork skills:

Get genuine input: It very well may be hard to recognize your own territories of progress. Finding a confided in companion, associate or coach that can offer you legitimate criticism about your cooperation qualities and shortcomings can assist you with improving them.

Set individual objectives: Utilizing both your own perceptions and input from others to shape attainable, applicable and time-compelled objectives can assist you with improving each teamwork skills in turn. Utilizing the SMART objective system is a simple method to set proper objectives for your profession.

Practice: It requires some investment and practice to see upgrades in your range of abilities. Give close consideration to your teamwork associations for the duration of the day both all through work. Find a way to rehearse the particular characteristics you are attempting to manufacture.

Copy others with strong teamwork skills: At the point when you see instances of extraordinary teamwork, observe and recognize why the communication stood apart to you. Apply those characteristics in your own communications when working with others.

Indian education system need serious reforms

Indian Education System Needs Serious Reforms

Our Indian  Education System needs serious reforms and changes. India needs reforms from basic itself. The preferred choice of learning is memorizing facts. Here to judge the student’s talent has only one parameter i.e. percentage in board examination. So students just mug up and indeed Indian education is spoon feeding.

There is no practical knowledge in our education system. Our education system mainly focuses on theoretical knowledge. Some basic theoretical knowledge is needed but our education system focuses more on the theoretical knowledge. The Indian education and social systems are very hard on kids and completely ignore their feelings, opinions and ambitions. Kids are pushed to study from the age of 3. Non performers are treated as dolts and ostracized by parents and society. My opinion is this, our education must be all round developer. It should be based on creative rather than mugging. Practical or Visualize education must be promoted.

In India we say IIT’s and IIM’s are the best institutions. To get admissions in these institutions one has to do lot of hard work all throughout days and nights. Those who get admissions in these institutions, it’s a boon to them.

But if we consider the global level, where do these institutions stand??

According to “THE TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION” only two institutions in India are among the top 200 universities. They are IIT-Delhi at 154th rank and IIT-Bombay at 174th rank . No other universities from India, whereas in United States, there are 58 universities in that list and Harvard University at the top most. In UK, there are 29 universities, in china there are 8 and in Japan there are 9 universities.

There was a joke to describe the situation of Indian Education System –

A student is sitting idly in class while others are furiously jotting down the professor’s words.

Professor:  why are you not taking notes??

Student: I already have it from my grandfather.

What I m trying to tell is we are following the same algorithm again and again. And  we are expecting a wonderful result. If we want to get the desired output, we have to make changes in that algorithm and execute it. Or else we will keep on saying that India is a developing country.

To put in a nutshell –

India Reforming its education will become Developed from Developing.

Indian Education system in needs serious reforms and the steps that should be undertaken are:

  • Despite having the desire and skills, thousands of students in the country were not able to pursue higher education. Only 15 per cent of the students in the country have access to higher education. This situation should change. The Central and State governments should work towards making the higher education accessible to all.
  • The varsities were burdened with the conduct of examinations, evaluation and publication of results. This needs a change. The universities should take up more research, publish research papers and bring in more innovative technologies.
  • According to a global survey conducted in 74 countries, India was ranked 73rd in terms of quality of education, while China got the top spot. We need to do more to improve the quality of our school education.

Thus, it is high time that we take certain steps immediately so that not only the level of education is increased which will enhance an individual’s knowledge but also it will in turn lead to the up liftman of the country that we really need and certainly India will become one of the best in terms of education and soon it will be a developed nation. Hence, it can be rightly said that Indian Education System Needs Serious Reforms.

Reforms should begin with schools

Schools play a vital role in shaping a person’s social and professional growth. The conventional schools in India focus on nurturing the children to face the competitive world outside. Examinations and assignments are encouraged by them as tools to assess the capability of the students. Whether a child was knowledgeable or not depended on the marks he/she scored. Many activists today who oppose the Indian Education system are of the opinion that the schools teach the students in learning things by-rote and not to understand things through application. National Survey conducted few years back reveals that, more than 80% of the school principals in India blame rote-learning as the reason for poor standards to learning in students passing out from schools. Of these, nearly 70% of them felt that the curriculum followed in India today did not give sufficient scope for creative thinking.

“Focus should be on Skill-based Education: Give a man a fish and you feed him one day, teach him how to catch fishes and you feed him for a lifetime”

Latest trends in the Indian Education System

A typical Indian classroom is characterized by long hours of lectures by the teacher with very little focus of the students ability to comprehend. However, Indian Education system today is seeing many technology-driven innovations for students. Smartclass from Educomp is such an example. Smartclass is essentially a digital content library of curriculum-mapped, multimedia-rich, 3D content. It also enables teachers to quickly assess how much of a particular lesson students have been able to assimilate during the class. Once a topic is covered, the teacher gives the class a set of questions on a large screen. Each student then answers via a personal answering device or the smart assessment system. The teacher gets the scores right away and based on that, she repeats parts of the lesson that the students don’t appear to have grasped. Another example is the launch of YouTube channel Edu India, which is an Indian curriculum focused education channel. Some other players in this sector who have come up with innovative ideas in changing the education system are Everonn Education, NIIT, Core Education & Technologies, IL&FS, Compucom, HCL Infosystems, Learn Next, Tata Interactive Systems, Mexus Education, S. Chand Harcourt and iDiscoveri. We also see a lot more schooling options available today as a replacement to the conventional mainstream system. In his article, Vaibhav Devanathan of LaughGuru has emphasized that the high-level of stress in students caused by the mainstream schools have given rise to various alternative methods of schooling in India like Montessori schools, Krishnamurti schools, Home-Schooling and Gardner’s Model.

Future

Indian Education Systems predominantly follows the system laid by the British. Although we can boast of having the IITs, IIMs and some of the best law and medical colleges, India’s contribution to the world of innovation is close to none. Our education system should therefore focus on churning out not just engineers, but also entrepreneurs, artists, scientists, writers etc. all of whom are influential in the development of the economy.

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