Plato and his allegory of the cave.

Plato was born in Athens, Greece, around 429 B.C. He was expected to become a politician by his family but he chose not to for two reasons and took the road of philosophy and mathematics. The first reason was the Peloponnesian War where he found out that some of his relatives were part of a dictatorship and were removed for corruption. The second reason was the death of Socrates who was the biggest influence in Plato’s life. Socrates was executed by the new Athenian government. Plato started writing and became a philosopher. He studied under Pythagoras in Sicily. After returning from there, he founded The Academy, a place where he and other people discussed philosophy and mathematics to come to better conclusions.

Plato’s allegory of the cave proves the power of reasoning over the senses. Personal human experiences will not amount to the truth. Proper philosophical reasoning is the only way to find the truth. To understand his allegory of the cave, you first need to understand his theory of forms. So Plato states that reality exists on two specific levels. First is the visible world which has sight and sound. Second is the intelligible world which gives the visible world its being. For example, when a person sees an ugly face he’s quickly able to identify its ugliness of it. Because in his mind he has an idea of ugly that allows him to point out ugly. He was able to spot the ugliness because he has an abstract idea of what ugliness is. The current state of that ugly face might change in the future because everything keeps changing in the visible world but the form of beauty, ugly etc is eternal and never changes. This is the theory of forms.

Coming onto the theory of caves, The allegory of caves was a conversation between Socrates and Plato’s brother, Glaucon. Socrates asks Glaucon to imagine a world where illusion is believed to be reality. To prove his point further, he asks him to imagine a scenario where there’s a cave and 3 people are locked up inside the cave since their birth. Their necks and legs are chained and cannot escape from the cave. They can only see what is in front of them. Behind and above the prisoners is a fire, and between the fire and prisoners, there is a low wall from where people walk with objects in their heads. Now, these prisoners can only see the shadow of the object and therefore they believe the shadow to be the real form of the object. Because the prisoners have never been exposed to real objects, they start to believe that the real form of that object looks like a shadow. If a shadow of a hammer were to appear, they’d believe the shadow of the hammer to be the real hammer. They are not saying that it’s a shadow because in their reality no shadows exist. They think it’s an actual hammer. One of the prisoners will eventually be able to understand the nature of this illusionary world and would be able to guess what shadow will come next. This will lead to him being praised by the other 2 prisoners.

Suppose, one of the prisoners is set free. He escapes the cave and gets to see the world. He gets angry and frustrated after seeing the real world because he believes the cave illusion to be his reality. When his reality is disproved, he becomes angry, sad and frustrated because he is now forced to believe something else and step out of his comfort zone. Eventually, he’ll be able to make sense of what he has seen and accept that the cave illusion was not his reality. He has now accepted that his past was based on a lie and that is not the way he should perceive things going ahead because he has now found out that it was all an illusion. He goes back to the cave to tell the other prisoners about the real world. When he tells them whatever he has witnessed, they don’t believe him and threaten to kill him if he tries to free them. They are so comfortable in their fake reality that they don’t even want to make the effort of exploring a new possibility because that might lead them out of their comfort zone and face chaos. People mistake what is in front of them as reality and choose to live in ignorance. And when parts of the truth start to emerge in front of their eyes, they get frightened. Because that threatens their ignorant reality. However, a person who pays attention to these flashes of truth and is open to the idea of exploration will always have a better understanding of the world around him. Always aim for reasoning rather than simply believing what seems easy to believe.

*I was influenced to write this article after coming across the book Philosophy 101 by Paul Kleinman*

E-commerce – Market Trend of the 21st Century

Even today, some considerable time after the so called internet revolution”, Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce) remains a relatively new, emerging and constantly changing area of business management and information technology. Speaking in layman’s terms, E-Commerce refers to the entire process of marketing. selling, delivering goods and servicing customers over the Internet. It has revolutionized the way companies do business. Consumers can buy almost anything online 24 hours a day.

In the 21st century, the rapid development of information technology and the rapid increase in information exchange have brought new drives and innovative ideas to the whole society. The wide adoption of information technology by the community has led to great changes. These changes are not simply in the context of data processing or computing. They are changes which affect how we communicate with each other, how we organise our daily activities, how we educate the younger generation, and how we run business. The great development and acceptance of information technology, computer networks and the Internet have transformed the mode of operation of many businesses, and at the same time have brought along unprecedented business opportunities. Businesses are now able to conduct transactions across geographical boundaries, across time zones and at a high efficiency. E-Commerce has become the market trend of the Century.

Life has become very busy these days. Odd working hours, hectic schedules and time constraints have changed how people shop these days. Hence, E-Commerce has become the preferred method of shopping for many people. They love the ease with which they can shop online from their home at any time of the day or night. Purchasing options are quick and convenient with the ability to transfer funds online. Consumers save time and money by searching for items and making their purchases online. It can take several days of physically going from location to location, costingtime and fuel, to purchase a hard-to-find item. Moreover, E-Commerce is an retail method for business transactions. Start-up costs for establishing an E-Commerce business is far less than expanding your business with more brick and mortar locations. Fewer licenses and permits are required to start an online business than that of a physical store location. You will also save money by using fewer employees to perform operations such as managing inventory and billing customers. You won’t have to search for an appropriate geographic location or worry about paying high utility costs for the facility. efficient

Advertising done well on the web can get even a small firm’s promotional message out to potential consumers in every country in the world. A firm can use electronic commerce to reach narrow market segments that are geographically scattered. The web is particularly useful in creating virtual communities that become ideal target markets for specific types of products or services.

The prospects are, in no doubt, great for E-Commerce and its followers. But still, there are some consumers who are reluctant to embrace E-Commerce because of privacy issues. Making an online purchase often requires disclosing personal information such as an address, telephone number and banking or credit card account information. While many people feel making an online purchase does not compromise their personal information, some still prefer not to take a chance of having their account information accessed by a third party, and will only make their purchases at a storefront operation.

Then there is the issue of inability to feel the product physically or check it with your own hands while buying. When making a purchase at a brick and mortar business, you get the product when you pay for it. On the web, there may be a time lag from purchase to actually being able to consume. The consumer will have to wait for delivery of physical goods.

Also, some businesses are less suitable for electronic commerce. Such businesses may be involved in the selling of items which are perishable or high-cost, or which require inspection before purchasing. Most of the disadvantages of electronic commerce today, however, stem from the newness and rapidly developing pace of the underlying technologies. These disadvantages will disappear as electronic commerce matures and becomes more available to and accepted by the general population.

Not only the new generation, but also the older generation is getting a hold of technology. They are adapting to the changing technologies and try to be up-to-date. Therefore, E-Commerce is also making its way into their lives. It is true that going to markets or malls to shop will never go out of fashion but E-Commerce is also here to stay and become more and more popular as people realize its advantages and get comfortable with it.

Decentralisation

Decentralisation can be defined as “the dispersion of decision making governance distribution of functions and powers from a central authority to regional and local authorities.”

There are various forms of decentralisation. Privatisation is a type of decentralisation. Privatisation and deregulation means shifting responsibility for functions from the public to the private sector. Privatisation can range from public-private partnerships to allowing private enterprises to perform functions the had previously been monopolised by the government. Usually, though not always, privatisation and deregulation are accompanied by economic liberalisation and market development policies.

India’s fiscal deficit during 1990s, spectacular growth by economies of Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia due to the indulgence of private sector; integration of world trade changes in China and dissatisfaction with the performance of public sector-all factors collectively contributed to the initiation of privatisation in India.

To begin with, in 1992, India opened up cellular and basic services to private players and then the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was constituted in 1997 as an independent regulator in this sector. Till 1986, telecommunication was a public utility owned by the Government of India.

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) was created in 1986 as a Public Sector Enterprise (PSE) to facilitate telecommunication services in the cities of Delhi and Mumbai. In all other places, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) was formed as a PSE on 1st October, 2000 as a telecom service provider.

These state-owned incumbents with a large existing subscriber base dominate the fixed line service. However, with the entry of private players, today the Indian telecommunication industry is the world’s fastest growing industry with 826.93 million mobile phone subscribers, as of April, 2011, as liberalisation led to the entry of private players such as Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications, Tata Teleservices. Idea Cellular and Aircel.

Privatisation of banks began in 1994 when the Reserve Bank of India issued a policy of liberalisation to license limited number of private banks, which came to be known as New Generation tech-savvy banks. Prior to this, SBI was in existence since 1955, apart from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) established in 1935, which controlled the central banking responsibilities.

Thus, Global Trust Bank was the first private bank after liberalisation, which was later amalgamated into Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) and Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC) was the first bank to receive an in principle approval from the RBI to set-up a bank in the private sector. At present, there are many private banks in India including leading banks like ICICI Banks, ING Vysya Bank, Jammu & Kashmir Bank, Karnataka Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, SBI Commercial, Dhanalakshmi Bank, Federal Bank, HDFC Bank. Karur Vysya Bank, UTI Bank and YES Bank. Privatisation of insurance sector in India happened around the year 2000 when the government allowed private players to enter the Indian market. Although in the year 1993, a road map for privatisation of the life insurance sector was laid, but it took another six years before the enabling legislation to pass the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act in the year 2000.

s that Resultantly, the newly appointed insurance regulator-Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA)- started issuing licenses to private life insurers. At present leading private sector life insurers are SBI Life Insurance, Metlife India, ICICI Prudential, Bajaj Allianz, Max New York Life Insurance, Sahara Life Insurance, Tata AIG, HDFC Standard Life, Birla Sun Life, Kotak Life Insurance, Aviva Life Insurance, Reliance Life Insurance, ING Vysya, Shriram Life Insurance, Bharti AXA, Future Generali, IDBI Fortis Life Insurance, AEGON Religare and Star Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

In the electricity sector, the new wave of policy reforms designed to promote private participation has been driven by the need to expand the capacity and increase the reliability of systems, public sector budget constraints and the positive results of the private participation in other countries. Although in India electricity sector is still largely under the domain of public sector, but the inclusion of private sectors for capacity additions has also begun.

Major PSUs involved in the generation of electricity include National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCI). Besides PSUs, several state level corporations are also involved in the generation and intrastate distribution of electricity. In the private sector, major capacity additions are planned in Reliance Energy, Tata Power and RPG Group-CESC.

Decentralisation is an answer to the problems of the centralised sector. Decentralisation in the government sector helps to solve problems of economic decline, lack of funds, performance issues and reservation for minorities. In the area of politics, its objective is to vest more power with citizens or elected representatives. Economic decentralisation brings about privatisation of public institutions, through deregulation, abolition of restrictions on business competing with government services, such as postal services, school etc. Decentralisation has also been executed in various technologies like water purification, waste disposal, agricultural technology and energy technology.

Internet is a good example of a successful decentralised network. Wikipedia, the online Encyclopaedia, storing information on a plethora of topics, is also decentralised as it allows users to add, modify or delete content via the internet. Social networking sites are also decentralised systems that have greatly changed our lives. Information technology used to facilitate interactions of the government with the citizens, is referred to as e-Government.

petroleum are some of the other sectors that have been decentralised and are among It is indeed a good initiative to boost democratisation. Education, health care and the fastest growing sectors of the economy today. Thus, decentralisation of public sector enterprises that began with the economic reforms of the 1990s has yielded angible benefits to the country.

However, dangers of decentralisation loom large. For example, if the technical capacity or functioning of a system is weak, it will definitely result in poor quality products and services. Coordination for national policies can become complex and resource distribution can become uneven. A few local elites can grab power and hindrances in proper decision-making can surface. In the absence of a higher competent authority, monopoly and anarchy can give way to chaos and suppression of public interests.

Thus, decentralisation is both a boon and a bane to the economy. It is to be used as an ‘instrument of change and empowerment of the masses’ and not to earn quick money by few individuals pursuing their selfish interests.

India has more doctors per 1,000 people than the 1:1,000 WHO benchmark

The country’s doctor-to-population ratio, according to the government, is higher than those set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar stated that the country’s doctor-to-population ratio is 1:834, which is below than the WHO guideline of 1:Thousand.

According to the Minister, there are 5 lakh 65 000 AYUSH physicians and 13 lakh 8 thousand 9 registered allopathic doctors, according to the National Medical Commission. Over 34 lakh registered nurses and 13 lakh allied and healthcare professionals are employed in the nation, according to the minister.

The Minister further stated that the government is boosting UG and PG medical seats in addition to other efforts to increase the number of physicians in the nation.

Rohit Yadav and Neeraj Chopra reach their first World Athletics Championships final in Oregon, USA

At the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA, Neeraj Chopra and Rohit Yadav of India have qualified for the men’s javelin throw final. Olympic gold medallist Choprasealed his place in the championship round with his first throw of 88.39 metres. Chopra was the first to throw in Qualification Round Group A. The 24-year-old will now take part in the final, which is scheduled for tomorrow morning. With a best throw of 80.42 metres, Rohit Yadav joined Chopra in the javelin throw competition.

Eldhose Paul of India, who jumped 16.68 metres, joined Neeraj and Rohit in making it to the final of the men’s triple jump. Paul finished sixth in Group A and 12th overall to become the first Indian to qualify for the final on Sunday. Also remaining idle today will be Praveen Chithravel and Abdullah Aboobackar.

With her third and final effort, Annu Rani, a great javelin thrower from India, finished with the highest throw of 59.60 metres, securing her spot in the championship final. The holder of the national javelin record advanced to the championship’s javelin final twice in a row.

India put up by far their finest performance at the World Championships. Tomorrow’s themedal round will be the centre of attention.

Neeraj Chopra, Rohit Yadav, and Eldhose Paul have received congratulations from sports minister Anurag Singh Thakur for their accomplishments in the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA. India made history at the competition, Mr. Thakur said in a tweet. According to him, Neeraj Chopra and Rohit Yadav, two Indian javelin throwers, are making history by becoming the first to compete in the World Championship Final. Eldhose Paul, he claimed, is the first Indian to advance to the Men’s Triple Jump Final.

The 15th President of India, Droupadi Murmu, will take office on Monday. She is the first indigenous woman to hold the position and the youngest President ever.

Droupadi Murmu has been chosen to serve as India’s 15th president. Following the conclusion of the vote-counting yesterday night, P C Mody, the secretary general of the Rajya Sabha and the returning officer for the presidential election, declared Ms. Murmu the winner.

According to him, Ms. Murmu received 64% of the vote, while the opposition candidate, Yashwant Sinha, received 36%. According to the Secretary-General, Ms. Murmu received votes from 2,824 parliamentarians, including 540 MPs, out of the 4,735 legitimate voters, giving her vote a value of $6,076,803. He said that Mr. Sinha received the votes of 1 087 legislators, including 208 MPs, with a total value of 3 80 000 177.

Mody, the returning officer, walked over to Ms. Murmu’s house later and gave her the certificate.

The second woman to serve as India’s president, Ms. Murmu is the first indigenous woman to occupy the office. On Monday in Parliament’s Central Hall, Ms. Murmu will receive her oath of office from Chief Justice of India, Justice N V Ramana.

The Pre-socratic era (Origins of Western philosophy)

Greek philosophers in the 5th and 6th centuries started to question the world around them. They thought that greek mythology was too vague, and irrational and did not ask the right questions. They were in search of a more rational approach to the truths of life. They questioned where everything came from, what everything was, the role of mathematics and the existence of plurality in nature. They believed that not everything in the world is the same and some materials don’t stay in their present state forever. That’s why they laid the principles of change which they called archê.

The term “pre-Socratic” meaning before Socrates was coined and popularised by Hermann Diels. Socrates was alive at the same time when some of the pre-socratic philosophers existed so this term doesn’t necessarily mean philosophers before the birth of Socrates. It just means a different take from Socrates’ philosophical work. Pre-socratic philosophers produced texts. No texts have survived fully. These philosophies are based on the texts that could be gathered and quoted from the later historian which was usually biased.

There were some different schools of thought during this era. Some of them were The Milesian school, The Pythagorean school, The Eleatic school and The Atomist school. The Milesian school consisted of three important philosophers. Thales was the first. Thales claimed that a single element was water. Thales determined that water could go through changes of state like evaporation and condensation. He also knew that it was responsible for moisture. The second philosopher was Anaximander. Anaximander claimed that the single element was an undefined, unlimited and indefinite substance, known as Apeiron. The thing that separates Hot and Cold, solid and liquid is the Apeiron. His philosophy is similar to the Chinese philosophy of yin-yang. The third and last philosopher from The Milesian school was Anaximenes. He believed the single element to be air. According to him, the air is everywhere and can transform into something else. For example water, objects, clouds etc.

The Pythagorean school was formed by philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras believed that every answer to life can be found through mathematical calculations. Every rationale of life is derived from mathematics. He had a very cult-like following. His students were very true to his rules and ways of life. They’d often follow his exact instructions. His students believed that his studies were the prophecies of God.

The Eleatic school was based in the colophon. It had four main philosophers. The first one was Xenophanes. He did not believe that gods were anthropomorphic or had human characteristics in other words. He believed that there was only one god and he didn’t have a physical form but he can See, Hear, Think and control the world with his thoughts. The second philosopher was Parmenides. He believed that individual experiences don’t amount to the real truth. Truth can only be found through reason and not senses. His foundations hugely influenced Plato and the whole of western philosophy. The school of Elea started using reason to find the truth because of him. The third philosopher is Zeno. He was Parmenides’s most famous student and probably his lover too. He spent most of his life creating arguments that defended parmenides’ ideas. His most famous Argument is about pluralism. The notion that many things exist as opposed to one, will lead to more absurd conclusions. He believed plurality was an illusion. His work was later disproved but was hugely influential. The last one is the melissus of Samos. His philosophy was that what it differs from what it seems. According to him it never really is what it seems.

*I was influenced to write this article after coming across the book philosophy 101 written by Paul Kleiman*

Europe is plagued by wildfires, and the weather is making the situation worse.

In Europe, where a heatwave has exacerbated dry conditions, wildfires are spreading. Firefighters are still battling fires in Greece, Spain, and Italy despite the fact that temperatures have dropped in France and the United Kingdom. The fires in the severely damaged south-west of France are beginning to be put out. Low water levels are also making it difficult to travel on German rivers as the heatwave pushes northeast. In Portugal, over 1,000 deaths have been connected to the extraordinarily high temperatures, compared to over 500 in Spain.

The Gironde area in southwest France had some of the worst flames, however circumstances for fighting them have improved. On Tuesday, it was 40 degrees Celsius; yesterday, it was in the mid-20s.
The French President, Emmanuel Macron, told firefighters during a visit to Gironde that the European Union will need to make structural changes as a result of the climate change that is causing more wildfires.

Firefighters in Greece were battling a fire on Mount Penteli, which is located northeast of Athens. From nearby communities, notably eastern Gerakas, which is home to around 30,000 people, hundreds of people have been evacuated.

Additionally, there have been several wildfires throughout Spain. In Galicia’s northwest, there are still two sizable wildfires burning out of control. In the extreme north of Portugal, 900 firemen were battling two major flames. Italy has been placed on its highest heatwave alert for today due to recent major fires that have also ravaged the country. Due to the temporary suspension of a crucial train link between Rome and Florence, the infrastructure of Italy has reportedly also been severely disrupted.

While Sweden saw its warmest day of the year with temperatures hitting 32 degrees Celsius in the south-west, portions of Germany recorded 38 degrees Celsius yesterday as the heatwave moved north-east.

Netflix’s third-quarter user growth will help it gain momentum as Wall Street closes on a high note thanks to excellent results.

Wall Street’s major indexes finished the day marginally higher, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq recording a rise of 1.6 percent on strong earnings news and a cautious eye on inflation and future Fed interest rate hikes.

Thus, to finish at 31,875, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 48 points, or 0.2 percent. To close at 3,960, the S&P 500 gained 23 points, or 0.6 percent. At 11,898, the Nasdaq Composite increased by 185 points, or 1.6 percent.

After predicting it will resume customer growth during the third quarter while reporting a smaller-than-expected 1 million-subscriber decline in the second quarter, Netflix shares soared 7.4%.

Apple, Amazon, Microsoft Corp., and Meta Platforms all had gains of between 1 and 4.2 percent among other high-growth equities.

Tesla, a manufacturer of electric vehicles, increased 2 percent in after-hours trading after announcing a boost in quarterly profit.

According to Refinitiv statistics, analysts now anticipate that the overall, year-over-year growth of the S&P 500 earnings will be 5.9 percent this reporting season, down from their initial forecast of 6.8 percent.

Inculcating Stoicism in your life

Stoicism is a philosophy founded by the Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BC. According to this school of philosophy, there are two factors. The internal world and the external world. The internal world contains emotions, reactions, behaviour and all the things that a human being controls. The external world is wealth, status, validation etc. Stoicism describes wealth as neither good nor bad. Although a human being should always live a life of modesty and should not pay much attention to the external world. We do not control what happens in the external control but we do control our actions and our reaction toward the external world. We should build such a mindset where the external world doesn’t have an overwhelming effect on us.

In today’s generation, everyone’s life is a busy one. No one has the time to be free and reconnect with themselves. This makes us lose touch with ourselves. This is how the world moves. We are controlled by the external narrative and are always chasing some illusionary goal that we think will give us all the joy and happiness needed in life. We’re all chasing one thing or the other. But stoicism has always said that no material thing in the external world can attain happiness. You always have to look within. Bureaucracy makes us a slave to the external world and we do not break the pattern until we are dead.

Stoicism teaches us to take control of our lives. It tells us not to be controlled by the greed of wealth and status. It encourages us to find ourselves. You can inculcate stoicism in your life by getting across some of the stoic readings. Marcus Aurelius was a believer In stoicism. He was probably the richest man when he existed. He was still believed to live a modest life and people around him worshipped his virtue. One has to grasp an understanding of the world he lives in and more importantly they have to grasp an understanding of themselves. Stoicism encourages independence in thinking. It makes us see what really exists.

Personally, stoicism gave me an understanding of what the external world is. I came across it when I was 16 years old. I was very materialistic as a kid. I used to seek joy in buying all the gadgets that I wanted. There were times when I used to feel hollow but I never really knew what it was and why do I feel that? Stoicism made me understand that void. The void had been created due to the lack of real value in my life. I realised it and started studying stoicism. With time, my understanding of the world got better. Sometimes it makes me laugh how unconcerned I was. We all get lost in our lives sometimes. The games that we make for ourselves can sometimes trap us. But a true human being will always find a way to see through the fake and embrace reality.

“ I THINK, THEREFORE I AM”

• Rene Descartes

School of life’s video about stoicism

India’s PV during the Singapore Open Women’s Singles champion Sindhu is congratulated by the president and prime minister.

The top Indian shuttler PV Sindhu won the Women’s Single championship at the Singapore Open in badminton. In order to earn her first championship at the Singapore Open and third title overall this year after winning the Korea Open and Swiss Open, the two-time Olympic winner overcame Wang Zhi Yi of China, 21-9, 11-21, 21-15.

She finished the first game, which featured 13 straight points won, in in 12 minutes. But after he won the second game, Wang Zhi came back valiantly to tie the game. The decider got off to a suspenseful start until she took a five-point advantage into halftime. The Chinese attempted to retaliate but ultimately failed.

The President and Vice President have congratulated top shuttler PV Sindhu on her historic victory at the Singapore Open 2022. President Ram Nath Kovind stated in a tweet that P V Sindhu’s tenacity and energy are motivational. She should keep giving the nation honour and pride, Mr. Kovind hoped.

The entire country is proud of P V Sindhu’s incredible accomplishment, according to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. Wishing Sindhu well in her future endeavours was Mr. Naidi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated shuttler PV Sindhu on her historic victory at the Singapore Open. She has once more proven her remarkable sports skill and succeeded, Mr. Modi claimed in a tweet. He claimed it is a time to be proud of for the nation and will serve as motivation for up-and-coming athletes.

SBI introduces WhatsApp Banking Services to simplify banking for its clients.

State Bank of India, the largest lender in the public sector in India, has introduced WhatsApp Banking to make banking simpler for its clients. Since they no longer need to download the app or visit an ATM, SBI clients may now use WhatsApp to access a limited number of banking services, which may be useful for many. Customers of SBI may see their Account Balance and read their Mini Statement via WhatsApp.

Customers may access SBI WhatsApp Banking services by sending a “Hello” message to the number 919022690226. Under the moniker SBI Card WhatsApp link, State Bank of India will also provide its credit card customers with WhatsApp-based services through the platform. Customers of SBI credit cards may use this to check their account overview, reward points, outstanding amount, and to pay their cards.

Neeraj Chopra will compete on July 22 in the qualifying round of the World Athletics Championships after Annu Rani advances to the final.

Today in the US State of Oregon, the top javelin thrower from India, Annu Rani, qualified for the World Athletics Championships final.

In her third and last effort, she had the greatest throw of 59.60 metres. The holder of the national javelin record advanced to the World Athletics Championship javelin final twice in a row.

Parul Chaudhary placed 17th in heat number 2 but was unable to advance to the semifinals.

Tomorrow’s men’s javelin throw qualification round Group ‘A’ will include Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra.

Government initiatives to boost the number of pilots in the nation include: Jyotiraditya Scindia is the minister of aviation.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, the minister of civil aviation, stated today that the government has taken initiatives to expand the number of pilots in the nation, including both men and women. 5% of pilots worldwide are women, according to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots, Mr. Scindia stated in a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha.

With a 15% proportion, there are much more female pilots in India. According to him, the Airports Authority of India has awarded nine additional Flying Training Organization, FTO, slots at five airports in the first phase in an effort to boost the number of pilots. Belagavi, Jalgaon, Kalaburagi, Khajuraho, and Lilabari are the names of these airports. Six more FTO slots would be made available in the second phase at five airports: Bhavnagar, Hubballi, Kadapa, Kishangarh, and Salem.

The number of Commercial Pilot Licenses awarded annually and the number of flying hours at FTOs are both expected to increase, according to Mr. Scindia. In addition, the Women in Aviation International, WAI – India Chapter organises a number of awareness campaigns throughout the nation in partnership with the Civil Aviation Ministry, business leaders, and prominent women in aviation, with a special emphasis on young schoolgirls, especially those from low-income families.

Jyotiraditya Scindia in LS introduced the UDAN Scheme to promote regional aviation connectivity.

According to Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Regional Connectivity Scheme RCS – UDAN Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik was established by his Ministry to promote regional air connectivity and lower the cost of air travel for the general public.

Mr. Scindia stated that UDAN is a market-driven programme and that interested airlines submit their offers at the time of bidding based on their evaluation of the demand on certain routes. According to him, the resurrection of unserved and underserved airports project is used to upgrade or build airports, airstrips, helipads, heliports, and water aerodromes that are part of the UDAN routes that have been allocated.

Counting of votes for 16th Presidential election underway; Droupadi Murmu leading after first round

After the first round of voting, NDA Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu leads Opposition nominee Yashwant Sinha.

Ms Murmu received votes from 540 MPs totaling three lakh 78 thousand, whereas Yashwant Sinha received votes from 208 MPs totaling one lakh 45 thousand.

P. C. Mody, Secretary General of Rajya Sabha, told the reporters at Parliament House that the votes of 748 MPs were deemed to be genuine, while 15 were found to be invalid. MLA votes are currently being counted.

As Frank as the Ocean…

Blonde was released in 2016. The album has completed 6 years since its release. An album’s success is divided into 2 parts. The first one is the quality of the lyrics and the story of it. The second and a really important one is sound production. Sound production means the quality of sound. When you listen to any of the blonde’s track, you’ll realise how well produced the sound is. Every beat is so clean and soothing to the ears. Sound production makes a huge difference in the overall quality of the album. For example, Donda’s sound production was not very well done and lets the album down in a lot of ways. Blonde’s production was probably the best of this decade. The transition in the song “Nights” is so sick and is the highlight of the amazing sound production.

The album has some of the most diverse tracks. Ivy is a melodic soft indie lost love song whereas solo (reprised) is a fast and very catchy beat with a really good flow. Futura free is 10 mins long and continuously progresses its flow. There are abrupt audio clips filled in this album and that is a signature of frank ocean. Self-control starts in a very poppy fashion and translates into a coming of age song quick. Be yourself is a voice note from frank’s mom telling him not to get addicted to alcohol, drugs or marijuana because it will make him stupid, lazy and unconcerned. She also speaks about the importance of being yourself. Frank always finds a way to make his album feel more personal and intimate as he did with channel orange. After her mother’s voice note, he talks about rolling a solo for himself right in the next track. The album feels like a very honest and a true deep dive into frank’s life.

I think this is the reason people relate to it so much. I listen to some of the tracks every day like Self Control, Nights, Good Guy and Futura Free. Good guy is a cute lofi track where he is talking about a girl jasmine and reminiscing about how the relationship actually had more substance than he thought it had. Soon after good guy, Nights kicks and boy it kicks in so well. Everything about that song is perfect. The Pacing, Lyrics and the Transition. Apple Music in its description of blonde writes “an album we’ll be talking about for years to come” and here we are after 6 years of talking about it.

In the song solo, frank is talking about how he was very loud in public once and the police turned them down and suddenly very abruptly he says “I forgot to tell you how much I vibe with you” this feels so abrupt but so personal at the same time. It’s like you’re talking to someone about something and suddenly you tell them something totally different. Frank does it so beautifully. Another instance of his lyrical genius is spotted in the song self-control. He’s having some poolside conversation with a girl about her summer and this translates into something more. He says “ cause I made you use your self-control and you made me lose my self-control “ this is just brilliant writing. In the end, Blond is a very catchy, a very poppy but at the same time a very deep and personal album. Catch it if you still haven’t somehow.

How To Achieve Emotional Intelligence?

Each of us has a unique personality, as well as varied needs and desires and emotional expression styles. It requires tact and wit to get through all of this, especially if we want to thrive in life. Emotional intelligence is crucial in this situation.

Understanding your emotions, what they’re trying to tell you, and how your emotions influence those around you is emotional intelligence. It also affects how you see other people; you may develop partnerships more skillfully when you get other perspectives.

Self-awareness is the foremost step to achieving emotional intelligence. It simply means being aware of your strength and weakness. It builds confidence and due to this, it doesn’t let emotion rule them in any way. Self-regulation is basically thinking before you act. It doesn’t allow one to be impulsive or jealous and can be gained by controlling emotions there is more thoughtfulness than envy. Empathy one of the essential elements in emotional intelligence . Being able to identify other persons feelings and opinions help them to manage good relationship with others, and makes them avoid being judgemental or stereotypical and through these it can lead to development of motivation and social skills.

To establish social awareness in yourself the first step would be to observe around and be aware of the environment. Before forming an opinion about someone try to put your shoe in theirs and acknowledge their perspective. Coming out of your comfort zone and enjoying the new challenges that life gives you. Moreover, analyze how you cope up in stressful situations do you blame it on others and doesn’t take the initiative by yourself? That’s when you initiate with the practice of humility it will guide you to be aware of your actions and be true to it. Moreover, the main key is to keep an open mind. Whatever situation come and go it will help you understand how the world works. Grow and let others grow.

RED!!!

I was laughing at lame jokes for one moment, I was crying at silly things the other moment, I was lying in bed, holding my stomach the next moment. Why am I changing my mood so rapidly? This is because I got my periods recently.

Yes those cramps make me feel bad and I behave like a lazy lad. But the thing I hate the most is those absurd ads, the blue colour depicted there on that sanitary pad. Though I feel blue but I bleed red, Am I supposed to tell them even that?

No, I don’t crave any extra attention and I don’t even want any kind of detention. All I want is the menstrual products to be sold for free, so do you agree?

– Isha Chawla

Retail inflation in India drops to 7.01 percent in June.

Consumer pricing index (CPI)-based retail inflation dropped to 7.01 percent in June of this year from 7.04 percent the month before. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, lower prices in the “Food & Beverages” segment were a major factor in the slight decrease in inflation.

Inflation in the food basket in June 2022 was 7.56 percent, down from 7.84 percent in May of this year. Vegetable prices increased by 18.26% in May 2022, although they only increased by 17.37% in the reporting month.

Inflation has remained over the RBI’s upper tolerance level of 6% due to rising global commodity prices brought on by the Russia-Ukraine war and high crude oil prices.

For a five-year term ending in March 2026, the government has ordered the central bank to keep retail inflation at 4% with a 2% tolerance on each side.

The men’s skeet event at the ISSF World Cup is won by Mairaj Ahmad Khan, the first shooter from India to do so.

Mairaj Ahmad Khan, a two-time Olympian in shooting, made history yesterday at the ISSF World Cup in Changwon, South Korea, when he became the first Indian shooter to win the gold medal in the men’s skeet event. In the championship match, Mairaj Ahmad Khan won the gold medal with 37 hits out of a possible 40. Minsu Kim of South Korea hit 36 times for silver, while Ben Llewellin of Great Britain hit 26 times for bronze. Over two days of the men’s skeet shooting competition, Mairaj Ahmad Khan shot 119 from 125 in the qualifying round. For a second round of 30 targets in the ranking round, Mairaj Ahmad Khan competed against Sven Korte of Germany, Minki Cho of South Korea, and Nicolas Vasilou of Cyprus.

With 27 hits, Mairaj Ahmad Khan led the round. With 25 hits, Sven Korte joined Mairaj Ahmad Khan into the medal round. India earned a bronze in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team competition at the ISSF World Cup Changwon 2022 in addition to Mairaj Ahmad Khan’s gold medal. Anjum Moudgil, who took home the silver medal for herself, teamed up with Sift Kaur Samra and Ashi Chouksey to take home the bronze. With two more days of competition left, India has five gold, five silver, and three bronze medals, maintaining its lead in the medal rankings.

Government claims that because virus defence is deteriorating, Covid preventative dosage is necessary.

As the level of protection against the coronavirus is deteriorating, according to Dr. N.K. Arora, leader of the Covid-19 working group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), preventive dosage is required. Speaking to AIR News, he stated that given the increase of instances across various nations, the prophylactic dosage has to be promoted aggressively. The epidemic is in a low phase, and people are mentally fatigued, according to Dr. Arora, but we still need to ensure that we are completely protected. Beyond six months after the second dose, he claimed, we needed to have the best possible protection.

Within 18 months of the Covid-19 vaccine campaign’s commencement in January of last year, India reached a record 200 crore vaccinations. In addition to giving its population 200 billion vaccine doses, India has sold over 23 billion doses of vaccine to more than 50 nations. The government claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aggressive strategic and policy-level leadership, which includes the Make-in-India and Make-for-the-World motto, has assisted the nation in achieving this objective.

Following a disturbance by the opposition about price increases and other problems, both Houses of Parliament adjourned till 2 p.m.

Following the opposition’s protest against price increases and GST increases, both chambers of Parliament were suspended till 2 PM. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a Congress politician, attempted to bring up the topic of price increases in the Lok Sabha as the house convened for the day. Without asking for permission, Speaker Om Birla launched Question Time. Following that, members of the opposition, including the Congress, DMK, and TMC, flocked to the well and chanted anti-government chants in protest of the price increase. The Speaker struggled to lead the Question Period among the clamour, frequently pleading with agitated members to return to their seats.

According to Mr. Birla, bringing signs inside the residence is not permitted. Later, Mr. Birla decided to postpone the proceedings till 2 PM.
The Rajya Sabha saw a like sight. Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu rejected the adjournment requests that Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, and other opposition party members had submitted against price increases and other concerns when the Upper House convened this morning. Then the parliament was adjourned until 2 p.m. due to loud incidents caused by opposition members including Congress, AAP, and DMK.

How dangerous is Volcanic Lava?

We all know that lava erupting from a volcano can be too hot and dangerous but to what Fahrenheit and how is it monitored?

Lava flows that spontaneously utilise apertures in vents and cracks to escape are closely related to volcanic explosions. Lava extrudes with an amber glow at degrees between 1470°F and 2190°F. Lava cannot compete with the sun, which has an incredible temperature of roughly 10,000° F, even at this temperature. Practically all living things, including people, animals, plants, crops, and even dwellings, are negatively impacted by the intense heat from lava that results from an eruption.

Any substance with a melting temperature lower than 2,190° F may be melted by lava, including rubber, tanks, vehicles, trees, and grass. If it is unable to completely melt the materials, it can ignite them and eventually reduce them to ashes. But we must remember that volcanic lava is unquestionably hazardous and is far stronger than burning of wood or coal, therefore one must be extremely cautious when in its proximity.

The use of GPS devices or transmitters to aid in the most accurate mapping of current lava flows. The signals are obtained by radio waves sent by satellites circling the planet, and they provide crucial information for monitoring lava flows that may be moving closer to populated areas.

The Christian,Muslim conundrum

I sat with my friend clive to know more about his culture. He told me how he was brought up to be a Christian and what were his values. He used to go to church every morning. Then we discussed if he has ever faced discrimination due to his religion. He didn’t feel that he has experienced discrimination. I also asked my Muslim friends if they’ve had any such experiences. They also felt the same way.

All of the people that I interviewed are from a well-to-do backgrounds. This makes me come to my next observation. Are people discriminated against because of their religion or because they belong from a not so well to do background? If you see in our society, Muslim or Christian people who have money don’t have to go through the religious stigma that other people go through. For example, a poor Muslim might have to go through a lot of discrimination as compared to a well-to-do Muslim. In today’s world if you are rich then you’re a powerful man.

I also had the opportunity of meeting a Muslim boy who was not very well-to-do. He told me that in his school, people were always given an opportunity before him. He was the last boy to be considered for every activity and he feels it’s because of his religion. I am not trying to make a stupid assumption but I feel this has some truth to it. In today’s world, if you belong to the higher class of society, you are likely to not go through any hardships due to your religion. Although, that is not completely true because there have been a lot of events where people were either kicked out or denied to take property at a certain place.

This activity led me to discover a lot of insights into the religious stigma that exists around me. I’d encourage everyone to go and ask people from vulnerable backgrounds about their lives. It serves two purposes. They get to share their sorrows and you become more informed about the situation of the matter.

Taoism- finding your own “way”

Taoism is an ancient Chinese philosophy. This philosophy was supposedly written by Lao Tzu during 500 B.C.E. We don’t know if Lao Tzu existed. We have no living proof of his presence. Taoism is a philosophy that is based on non-doing. Not getting in your way. Respecting the natural flow of this universe. For example, if the force of the river is on the right side then you’d be a fool to swim towards the left side. Taoism is about going with the force of life or with the TAO. Tao is not a god but it’s us all, every living being is a part of the tao.

One of the key things about Taoism is yin & yang. It talks about the balancing force of this universe. Action and non-action, dark and light, hot and cold. Every example has meaning because their opposites exist. There is no action without non-action or no light without dark. This teaches us to accept all things for what they are. Taoism finds power in the natural truths of life. It promotes harmony. When we accept the natural form of this universe, we become one and attain harmony. The tao can’t be explained or held. It can only be felt by letting go.

“Look, but you can’t see it.

Listen, but you can’t hear it.

Reach out, but you can’t touch it.

Invisible,inaudible,intangible.

Elusive.

The one, the tao”.

• Lao Tzu.

What does getting in your way mean? We often second guess our instincts and in some situations that is necessary. Taoism is all about making things simpler rather than complex. Living in the now, acknowledging everything but still detached from it. Creating your own “way”. Inculcating meditation in your life is one way to do it. I can’t stress how much meditation helps in finding yourself. Taoist meditation is a little different from the normal one. It’s more about communicating with your own body.

Like stoicism, Taoism believes in a modest approach to life. If I were to give a personal example, my mind automatically dived toward the future and I wouldn’t even know that it did. It was an automatic reaction that kept happening. But since I’ve come across Taoism, this situation has gotten much better. It has made me more accepting of my habits and given me a “way” to deal with them. You can’t change everything about who you are, you can accept it and get better at dealing with it. Taoism helped me do that. The teachings of Lao Tzu make you go into a state of Nirvana. That state can’t be explained because it is something beyond words. The tao cannot be held or explained. It can only be felt.

What is Tao? It is just this. It cannot be rendered into speech. If you insist on an explanation, This means exactly this.

• Yuan mei

Micro Learning

Micro learning is a form of short-term learning. Micro learning means learning small bits of information at a time that is simple to process. Over the last few years, everyone’s attention span is on a constant decline. In times like these, micro learning is a very efficient way of training people. It has its own pros and cons. It is very time efficient. It’s budget-friendly. It also keeps the learner hooked. But one of the biggest issues with this is that you can’t make people learn complex problems or concepts through this concept. Micro learning is a concept of an oversimplification to reduce the time and effort required to train. It may not be very useful when you aim to teach people complex concepts. In today’s world, we are surrounded by micro learning. Let’s take the internet, for example, a lot of people refer to different creators and sources for their consumption of information. They provide them with a total overview of a particular matter. This overview is rather oversimplified.

People seek political, local and lifestyle news in a simplified way. Short-duration content like reels and shorts or a ted talk are living examples of micro learning. Micro learning is a very good way to teach people small skills that are a means to a different end. For example, teaching someone how to operate a device or how to follow protocols. But it may not be very useful for teaching complex skills like writing, speaking and photography. Micro learning is the new way that people have preferred to learn about things that are relevant to them. If you can give them exactly what they need then it’s also not a very bad career choice. You must have come across many YouTube creators that simplify complex news and provide it to their viewers. That is a form of microlearning. It is a very popular and very effective way of grasping people’s attention.

Importance of seeking a spiritual experience.

I went into the Osho centre expecting a breath of fresh air and a new perspective on life. I had reached my saturation point and was seeking something meaningful. I learned a meditation technique there which changed my life forever. So the process, is that you have to lay down and breathe slower than you usually do. After doing that, you focus on your left leg and try to breathe through it. You move your attention towards the right leg and do the same. That’ll make your legs very light and peaceful. After doing this, you move all your attention to your navel centre which is the centre of your body and breath through it. If you do this correctly then that’ll give you immense harmony and peace. It feels as if all the negative vibrations are leaving your body. After this, you move your focus to your heart and breathe through it. And then from the face. In the end, you try to feel your whole body and try to breathe through your whole body. After this, you reflect on your meditation and take 3 deep breaths.

I’ve been practising this meditation for the last 2 months and it has made me comfortable with myself. I am now more accepting than ever, more confident than ever. It gave me a roadmap to working towards myself. Meditation makes you interact with yourself. When you do that consistently, you become more sure of who you are and what you want in life. I feel if you have clarity in life, everything automatically falls into place. Meditation definitely helped me do that.

I also met people from different walks of life in the centre. Middle-aged people, old people and young people doing completely different things. But doing things at their own pace and getting better at dealing with it every day. I came across a man whose name is Aditya. He is a middle-aged man in his 30s. He is not married and lives alone. In India, more often than not you expect a man in his 30s to be married cause that’s what society dictates. But he was completely free and detached from the social bounds we have. He was an artist working as a freelancer for the last 10 years. His energy was just different from the normal crowd. It was so refreshing to meet someone like that.

I always wanted to inculcate meditation in my life but I never had the discipline to do it until I started going to this centre. Meditation is so helpful for any human being because it makes you more conscious about yourself and when you are self-aware, you tend to make better decisions that affect you and you are aware of your flaws and you respect them. You find a way to deal with your vulnerabilities. I’d encourage my fellow members to go and seek out a spiritual experience free from the bounds of bureaucracy. This experience was personally so therapeutic for me and encouraged me to think in different ways and change my brain pattern towards life. It made me conquer my fear. And the only way to conquer fear is to accept it. I’d leave it at that.

Future of Robotics

Robots may be travelling to strange planets in 2030 and operating on patients from the other side of the earth. One of the areas of technology that is rapidly developing is robotics, which is influencing how people will travel, work, and explore in the future. IoT, AI, and other down side developments are assisting in further elevating the situation. Robotics is home to numerous fascinating discoveries that will be essential to daily living everywhere.

The robotics sector continues to innovate by fusing artificial intelligence with vision and other sensory technologies. According to the magazine, more recent versions of robots are simpler to set up and programme than older ones. High-tech ocean robots that explore the world beneath the waves, Saul the robot that shoots UV rays at the Ebola virus to kill it, and an AI-controlled therapeutic robot that facilitates more effective communication between patients and healthcare providers to lessen stress are a few noteworthy developments that will occur in 2021.

Cognitively and, in some situations, physically, more human-like. They already coexist with people in factories, warehouses, fast food restaurants, and apparel stores.

Future employees may have a far better future if technologies are developed to support new activities for which people are better suited. While millions of secretaries and typists were undoubtedly made redundant by the widespread use of computers in businesses, new jobs in related areas, such as computer engineers, software engineers, and IT advisors, were also created.

Traditional clothing around the world.

Our clothing represents our culture and way of life and is more than simply a collection of materials that are stitched together to keep us safe. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that communities have utilized clothes over the ages to convey status, mark significant occasions, and demonstrate togetherness, among many other things. And some of them are:

Kebaya -A traditional blouse-dress set known as a kebaya was first worn at the court of the Javanese Majapahit Kingdom. Women in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, southern Thailand, Cambodia, and the southern Philippines all dress in what is known as the national costume of Indonesia.

Shúkà-The Maasai people of southern Kenya and northern Tanzania typically wear sheets wrapped around their bodies, and the Maa name for this is shúkà. The sheeted clothing is generally red, however, occasionally it is combined with other hues and designs like florals or plaid. The Swahili word for one-piece clothing is kanga, and it is widely used.

Agbada-One of the titles for the sweeping, wide-sleeved robe that men in regions of West Africa and North Africa wear is the agbada. Agbada is a name that varies based on the ethnic group but is derived from the Yoruba language. Intricate stitching is typically used to embellish the clothing, which is worn for particular religious or ceremonial occasions. Aso-oke, the weaving fabric of the Yoruba, a significant ethnic group in Nigeria, is used to make several agbadas. To represent the wearer’s own sense of style, the cloth is available in a variety of hues and patterns.

Sari-India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal all historically wear the sari, which is also sometimes written “saree.” The sari is a neutral item of clothing and is mostly worn by women in contemporary fashion. It may be a completely practical item used every day or a family treasure passed down through the years.

How leeches can help save lives?

This sounds so unbelievable, isn’t it? Many flinch when they even hear of leeches and would be more startled even if they get stuck to the skin and imagining it as part of their treatment is just shocking. Yet this is what is happening in the operation theatre across many countries. But why leeches,only?

Since bloodletting was a prevalent procedure in ancient Greece and Egypt, leeches have been employed therapeutically for thousands of years. At the time, medical professionals thought that drawing blood from a patient might both treat and prevent disease. Leeches were used more frequently than crude devices for bloodletting. The leeches would begin to feed on blood once they were affixed to the patient’s skin. Clearly, contemporary medical professionals oppose the practice of bleeding. However, many people do think that using leeches in some very specialised medical circumstances help saving lives and limbs.

Hirudin, an anticoagulant and antiplatelet drug that serves to prevent blood clots and lessen the quantity of blood clogged in tissues, is found in leech saliva. Even when the leech is removed, other compounds in its saliva keep the wounded area’s circulation flowing, giving time for new veins to develop and current ones to enlarge to carry more blood. In addition, the procedure is painless because when a leech bites, a naturally produced anaesthetic numbs the region.

However,in leech farms around the nation, leeches are raised with the intention of being used medicinally. Before attaching to the patient, they are cleaned, and they are always used once. They are sedated and discarded as medical trash after they have eaten and pruned off the patient.

Zikavirus: A new terror?

Similar to West Nile, yellow fever and dengue viruses is the zika virus. Zika is mostly spread by mosquito bites and is carried by contaminated Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, however, it can also be contracted to intrauterin. Zika may affect anybody, but because to the possibility of embryonic microcephaly and other brain abnormalities, pregnant women are particularly at risk. It’s possible for this virus to spread sexually. It has been documented that sexual partners of sick men and women can spread the disease.

Presently, there is no established vaccine or cure. However, to prevent this disease it should be made sure to get rid of old tyres and make holes in the swings’ bottoms, clean out blocked gutters.
Insecticide treatment for rain barrels, weekly water changes, or emptying of birdbaths.During the first week of sickness, closely adhere to the precautions to avoid mosquito bites in order to help stop others from getting sick.

The Aghoris And The Idea Of Cannibalism

“Humans eating humans” is a unique form of ideology, Isn’t it? But this is surprisingly a real fact and this is what cannibalism means in layman’s terms. Those who knew about this belief through history books, movies and etc might assume that it is all in the past but confoundingly it’s a no. Cannibalism is still followed by Aghoris in India. But who are they?

The Aghori Babas of Varanasi, India, are renowned for their ghastly and terrifying quest for heavenly salvation and their practice of devouring corpses. They contend that the dread of death, which is the most intense fear experienced by people, prevents them from attaining enlightenment. One can achieve liberty by overcoming this fear. They are one of the hermits who turn to cannibalism to get through the obstacle of spiritual freedom.

The central tenet of Aghori religion is that everything in the world, even corpses, is equally sacred. There is no such thing as good or bad according to them. The Aghoris strive to transcend all divisions, recognise the false essence of all divisions already in existence, and find eternal happiness by uniting with ultimate presence. However, traditional Hinduism disapproves of this rite. Aghoris are outspoken critics of inequality and the caste system’s enduring effects, which historically segregated Indians into rigid social groups.Also, they don’t harm any other human around them.

While some techniques are as easy as mindfulness, others could be quite strenuous and combative. There is no acceptable or thorough reason for cannibalism. It has been used by several societies and civilizations for a variety of reasons. It makes no sense in general. Instead, it is designed to fit the religious framework of the culture in which it is practiced.

Time Travel:Is it true?

Since childhood days we all have been told the stories of time and travel and magic through cartoons and storybooks. But is it really possible in the practical world? Yes, it is. Whether waiting for the favorite next episode to arrive or hoping to have more time to spend a day with a close one who resides in a different city, time always moves at a constant speed.

No one has ever actually accomplished exactly the sort of back-and-forth time travel seen in science fiction or proposed a way to send a person through a significant amount of time without killing them in the process, despite the fact that many people find the idea of altering the past or seeing the future before it happens to be fascinating.

But there is some evidence that supports some degree of temporal dilation. For instance, the special relativity theory of physicist Albert Einstein postulates that time is an illusion that shifts with respect to the observer. When compared to an observer at rest, an observer moving close to the speed of light will perceive time and all of its consequences like aging much slowly.

Other strange science ideas based on wormholes, black holes, and theoretical physics are among the scientific hypotheses concerning time travel. But for the most part, time travel continues to be the subject of a wide range of science fiction publications and media resources.

In 1905, Einstein created his special relativity theory. It has evolved into one of the pillars of modern physics together with his subsequent development, the theory of general relativity. According to special relativity, when an item is traveling in a straight line at a constant speed, space and time are related.The idea is deceptively straightforward in its condensed form. There is no “absolute” point of reference since everything is measured in respect to something else. Second, light travels at a constant pace. No matter what or where it is assessed from, it remains constant. Third, nothing travels at a quicker rate than light.

The Night of….. another show where Riz ahmed shows his quality as an actor.

A boy raised in a conservative Muslim family in America. What do you expect? Innocence right? Maybe you are right. It’s a normal night. Nasir wants to go to a party he was invited to but a friend who he was supposed to go with cancelled the plan last minute. He takes his father’s taxi without asking him, he really wants to go to the party. On the way to the party, he comes across some customers who ask him to drop them at a destination but he informs them he’s off duty, he gets into a little spat but they get out of the taxi eventually. After that, a girl comes and asks him to drop her at a beach. He doesn’t say no to the girl. Although, they do argue but he takes her nevertheless. On the way, he buys her a beer. They both sit down across a river and talk about their respective lives. Nasir likes her carefree nature because no one was as frank with him as Andrea was. They both go to her place to spend the rest of the night. Andrea traps Nasir into taking some drugs and eventually they sleep together.

Sounds like a night well spent right? The next day he wakes up and finds the girl dead!!!! Stabbed 22 times in her body. Nasir panics. He gathers his things and runs away and obviously so. He gets caught eventually which is also a long story but I‘d avoid telling that. Nasir eventually lands in jail and he encounters some crazy people. He’s very scared initially as anyone will be. According to me the jail part of the story is the best because it changed Nasir completely.

Even though he didn’t kill the girl but in the end, you are not quite sure if he deserves to be out of jail because the people around him Transform him completely. He is addicted now, he threatens people and does all the things a criminal would do. But one thing that the story makes you believe is that he didn’t kill the girl(which I am not quite sure of). Almost every subplot of the film leaves you with something to think about. His lawyer is a lonely person and fights his loneliness throughout the series. The friends he makes in jail are all the products of their surroundings. His parents are in self-doubt. And there’s courtroom drama which we all love. The show is so well layered and so well nuanced. It makes you think about a lot of things. It gives you the exposure to explore different human beings (their greys especially).

There are 2 kinds of cinema. One is which gives you a message and there’s another kind which makes you think about things. The highest quality of cinema is the one which makes you question your existence and your surroundings and that’s what the night of is. One thing which the show makes clear is human beings are a product of their surroundings as claimed by Kafka. Nasir was an innocent boy until he landed in jail where he met criminals who turned him into a criminal. It also makes you wonder that you really have very little to no control over your life. One day you are with a nice girl and the next day you are in jail.

I’d like to end this by saying that the night of at any moment doesn’t let you feel that whatever is happening is not real, they don’t use cliche filmmaking techniques. It has a very unique quality to it which makes you think about every character. There are films which make you feel very excited but when you leave the theatre you don’t even think of those films and then there are films which bore you and make you doze off but you can’t keep these films out of your mind because it constantly makes you think and those are the films worth watching. I don’t rate films because I think it’s unfair to rate someone’s vision and hard work but I can tell you that you’ll not be disappointed watching this beautiful show on Hotstar.

The night of trailer.

Sri Lanka is in debt but what now?

Five lakh individuals in Sri Lanka are estimated to have dropped below the poverty line since the outbreak, which the World Bank termed as “a major setback comparable to five years’ worth of development.”

According to the Census and Statistics Department said year-on-year inflation in December was the highest since the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) was established in 2015. It said food inflation also hit a record 21.5 percent, up from 16.9 percent in November and 7.5 percent a year ago.

In order to feed people who are most in need, shops have already been reducing staples like milk powder, sugar, lentils, and other items for months. A government executive issued warnings about more limitations last month. Due to COVID-19’s devastating effects on the tourism industry, which have left countless numbers of people jobless, unemployment is also extremely high in the nation.

Sri Lanka has started talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to salvage the economy and lessen the suffering of the people.around June IMF representatives visited Sri Lanka’s capital city of Colombo and had meetings with government representatives about economic reforms and policies that may be supported by an IMF Extended Fund Facility arrangement.
In addition to current discussions with the IMF, Sri Lanka is in discussions to create an assistance partnership with China, Japan, and India. Up to this point, India has given Sri Lanka aid of almost $3 billion, along with a $400 million exchange and $1.5 billion in outstanding loans.

Psychedelics substances and their magic.

The world we live in today continues to grow more anxious and ignorant of their surroundings. Information is indeed a boon for humankind but there’s only so much data we can process in a day. The problem is that we have an abundance of data available which is harming us in ways we can’t imagine. To reduce our tension we seek help from pharmaceutical industries but are they worthy of our trust? No. Then, what is our substitute? Or rather I should say what’s better for us? A possible answer can be psychedelic substances. In the recent past, there have been a lot of studies and experiments in the psychedelic environment which have been successful. These substances can help human beings fight depression, anxiety issues and different brain disorders. And this is just one of the realms of possibilities that psychedelics are capable of.

I will be discussing two case studies carried out by robin Carhart-harris who is a neuroscientist at imperial college. The first study revolves around the story of a man called kirk rutter who was in grief after his mother’s demise followed by a break-up and a car accident. Such events can disturb any human being. Kirk was in depression. He couldn’t think of anything but negative thoughts. He felt guilty, disturbed and sad. He called his condition “an automatic circuit” as he lost control over his thoughts. He had been on a lot of different medications but nothing helped him. Finally, he decided to participate in a study conducted by Carhart-harris. Rutter was taken into a room where the researchers studied his brain activity through magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]. Then harris explained to him about the drugs which he’ll receive and told him he’ll neutralize the hallucinogen if he couldn’t handle it. Then the two practised a technique which’ll help him calm down if he becomes overwhelmed. Rutter burst into tears while doing that. The next day he came back and was handed two pills by a researcher containing a synthetic form of psilocybin [psychedelic substance]. He lay on a bed and put on his headphones and an eye mask. The process began, the first hallucinations that he saw were some Sanskrit words and then he went on to reflect on his grief. He took his eye mask off and noticed that harris had an eye in the centre of his face[of course he’s hallucinating] and harris joked “I might be looking very different to you” they both laughed. Rutter talked about his resentment and discussed his life with harris like he never did before. The next day he returned for the second dose which was stronger. The trip was followed by an integration session where he would discuss his experience.

Rutter went on record to say “ This process made me look at grief differently. It was a realization that it wasn’t helping. Letting go was not a betrayal”. Rutter was depressed for more than 6 years before this study. He was convinced that this experience changed his life for the better. He feared sometimes will the automatic circuit return? But he has some control over it now. 5 years later, his depression has not returned.

The second study carried out by harris included 12 people who were clinically depressed for more than 17.8 years on average. I am stressing over the term “clinically depressed”. They were also given the psychoactive substance available in magic mushrooms called psilocybin. No other medication could help this lad. One week after the oral dose all the patients experienced improvements in their symptoms. After 3 months, 5 of them were in complete remission. Harris said, “this is remarkable in the context of currently available treatments”. These researchers do not claim psilocybin to be the last resort to cure depression. They just claim that this can be done. After all, they were able to cure clinically depressed patients which no other legal medication could do.

The major argument that concerns psychedelics right now is the legalization of the substance. The science community believes that it should be legalized because it can help a lot of people fight their condition. If it becomes legal we can regulate the product and we can also create a safer environment whenever anyone consumes it. Researchers have enough evidence about its therapeutic potential and if this movement is promoted by authorities then it’ll be a huge boon for humanity. Legalization of anything increases the consumer’s safety as it’s labelled and safe for consumption. There are no major arguments against it but some scientists do believe that open consumption of psychedelics can lead to chaos but they have not considered the fact that if it gets legal it’ll be regulated. The scientists have virtually no funding to continue their research on these substances and also the public perception of these substances is very vague and false. Scientists argue that the awareness around this should be increased.

The public perception of these substances is the real problem. People put these drugs in the same category as crack and cocaine which is a very dangerous simplification. Although the majority of people are unaware of these substances but false interpretation dampers the image of the product. Psychedelics are referred to as “party drugs” but they are much more than that. The people who are aware of it are very limited and are unable to successfully communicate about it. Psychedelics needs to step out of its ivory tower and try to spread its importance where people don’t know anything about it. There are some communities in places like Haiti and amazon forest that celebrate the psychedelic culture and fully embrace it. But they are very small in number.

Before 1968, LSD and Psylocibin were legal. There were a lot of reasons for it getting banned. One of the reasons was the irresponsible behaviour of the civilians. People used it without really knowing about the substance. Your environment plays a big role when you are under the influence of psychedelics. If your environment is appropriate then your trip can be very soothing but if it’s not then it can result in psychosis. Some people ended up murdering someone. Although the biggest reason was the tyranny of the US government. Countries that had a well established psychoactive and pharmaceutical industry would’ve suffered huge losses if psychedelics expanded. The USA was one of them. The USA introduced a new classified system called scheduling. Under this system, drugs marked under schedule 1 are dangerous and offer no therapeutic value and the drugs marked under schedule 5 are safe and have some therapeutic value. LSD and Psylocibin were marked under schedule 1 even though enough evidence concluded that these substances have promising therapeutic potential. There was a conference organized between countries that had strong pharmaceutical markets and countries that we’re struggling to establish a pharmaceutical market. You can guess who won. psychedelics became illegal in most parts of the world. President Nixon’s assistant to the president John Ehrlichman went on record to say and I quote “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. Do you understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course, we did.” And after that, the criminalization has never stopped.

My opinion on this is every person who can experience these substances should do it. I am saying this because I’ve had some personal experiences with LSD. I have consumed LSD a couple of times and I can say without a doubt that It was the most profound experience of my life. What it does is it makes you reflect on your vulnerabilities. It doesn’t matter if you like it or not. You question your rights and wrongs and your worldview. We all are insecure about ourselves but we never take out the time to reflect and introspect. Lsd made me do that. It made me more aware of my surroundings, it made me more empathetic towards people so I can see things from their perspective. And most importantly, it made me resolve the conflicts within me. I had created an elite class system within me that I was hardly aware of. I used to judge and see people through this class system. During my trip, I realised that and immediately made a promise to myself that I will resolve this. That’s why I chose this topic. I was personally affected and I thought I can explain to people what a wonderful thing psychedelics can be. Like me, a lot of people find it hard to deal with their conflicts and I genuinely feel LSD can help them. If there’s such an efficient and wonderful medicine available to us, why don’t we use it for our benefit? There’s a reason we have a DMT receptor in our brain.

I would like to conclude by saying that with proper regulations psychedelics can help human beings increase their quality of life. I’ve given enough evidence to back my statement. All it needs is some support from the government and some positive word of mouth. Soon, there will be a lot of experiments and trials concerning this.

My sources-

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00187-9

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41591-020-00001-5

Why Are Psychedelics Illegal?

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254121216_SocioCultural_and_Psychological_Aspects_of_Contemporary_LSD_use_in_Germany

Is too much sleep a good sleep?

The first wealth is health.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is a known fact that a healthy adult is supposed to have 8 hours of sleep for most people of age between 18 to 64 years. But what if one feels all-time sleepy?

The “proper” hours of rest varies from person to person since some individuals function well on seven hours of sleep while others may require a bit more. However, research and experts generally agree that individuals should not sleep for longer than nine hours every night.It probably won’t be a huge problem if you occasionally take advantage of the holiday to sleep in. If you typically get much more than nine hours of sleep per night or don’t feel refreshed when you get less, it could be worthwhile to check further.

The sleep pattern has to be assessed if a person is at rest for more than 9 hours each night. You might spend longer in bed if your sleep is in poor condition. Your body needs eight hours of profound, restful sleep, but if that’s not happening, it will naturally strive to extend the sleep time in order to get the quality sleep it requires.

Depression, Higher risk of obesity, and Cognitive impairment are some of the health risks one might face due to improper sleep. Thus, it is essential to have a healthy diet, a proper bedtime routine, and a proper amount of sunlight in the bedroom.

Living In Mountains.

Great things are done when men and mountains meet; This is not done by jostling in the street.
William Blake

A excellent way to escape the stress and hustle of city life is to live in the mountains. Literally, it is a refreshing change of pace. The beauty of the mountains might daily keep you speechless. Living in the hills provides solitude and a chance to reconnect with nature. A mountain house merely makes sense for you if you enjoy outdoor activities like hiking or snowboarding and frequently visit the mountains.Also, the mountains are the ideal location if you want cold summers and snowy winters. Similar to how there are several lake lives, there are various mountain lifestyles.

With significantly cooler climates at greater elevations, the mountains are a fantastic place to escape the hot weather. Awe-inspiring landscape is also present. There is clean air, and investigations have also shown that residing at higher altitudes can enhance heart health, promote weight loss, and lengthen life. The mountains offer seclusion and a variety of enjoyable pursuits throughout the year, including skiing, sledding, hiking, bicycling, and animal observation. For those who enjoy experiencing the season, the colder months are chilly and covered in snow.

There are certain drawbacks to living in the mountains. Compared to a city dweller, you are more secluded. To go to places where you may buy groceries and other necessities, you might have to travel a fair distance. If you’re used to life in the capital, it can take you some time to get used to that. Internet access and other communications networks may be more difficult for those who live in mountainous areas.

HOW DOES THE STOCK MARKET WORK?

By Moksha Grover

Are you scared of investing in the stock market too? Have you heard of people losing all their money by investing in the stock market? If it is so, then you are not alone. There are many individuals with limited experience who are scared to invest in stocks after hearing the horror stories of investors losing 50% of their portfolio value[1]. The reality is that investing in the stock market carries some amount of risk. But it is one of the best methods to increase one’s net worth if carried out in a disciplined manner. Today, most rich and affluent people have the majority of their wealth from investment in stocks.

WHAT IS THE STOCK MARKET?

The stock market is where investors connect to buy and sell investments — most commonly, stocks, which are shares of ownership in a public company. ` When you purchase a public company’s stock you get entitled to the stock ownership of that particular company that is you become a shareholder. Stock ownership implies that the shareholder owns a slice of the company equal to the number of shares held as a proportion of the company’s total outstanding shares. For instance, an individual or entity that owns 100,000 shares of a company with one million outstanding shares would have a 10% ownership stake in it.[2] Most companies have outstanding shares that run into the millions or billions[3]. Anyone with a brokerage account can easily buy stocks online through the stock market. Most of the stock trades take place between investors. If we buy shares of a company, we are not buying these shares from the company itself. We are buying shares of another investor who has decided to sell his shares.

TYPES OF STOCKS

There are mainly two types of stocks that are common stocks and preferred stocks.

COMMON STOCKS

Common stock is a security that represents ownership in a corporation. Holders of the common stock vote on corporate policies and elect the board of directors. Common stock is further classified on the basis of voting rights. The basic proposition of common shares is that they should have equal rights –one vote per share system. But some companies have multiple classes of stocks, wherein each class of stock has different voting rights. In such a dual-class structure, Class A shares, for example, may have 10 votes per share, while the Class B “subordinate voting” shares may only have one vote per share. Dual- or multiple-class share structures are designed to enable the founders of a company to control its fortunes, strategic direction and ability to innovate[4].

PREFERRED STOCKS

Preferred stocks are a class of stocks that are granted rights different from common stocks. They usually have higher claims over dividends and asset distribution. Preferred stocks have limited or no voting rights in corporate governance. Preferred stocks have more priority to investors than common stocks as they possess characteristics of both bonds and common stocks.

HOW THE STOCK MARKET WORKS?

The stock market works in a very simple and easy way. In a stock market, buyers and sellers negotiate the prices of stocks and make trades. This process is carried out with the help of a network of exchange. When companies list shares of their stock on an exchange then this process is called Initial Public Offering or IPO. Investors buy and sell stocks among themselves. The supply and demand of stocks are determined by exchange networks like the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq. Supply-demand helps to determine the price of the security. Price is determined by the investors and traders willing to buy or sell. Bidding by the buyer for the highest amount is done. The amount that the buyer is willing to pay is often lower than the amount sellers ask for. The difference in the amounts is called the bid-ask spread. The bid-ask concept is not much of a concern for beginner and long-term investors as the amount differs by pennies.

The working of the stock market is a fascinating example of the law of supply and demand, in real-time. If there are more buyers than sellers, then the price of stocks trends up. If there are more sellers than buyers, then the price falls down. The stock market serves two very important purposes both for the companies and the investors. For the companies, the stock market helps to raise funds from the public and helps in their funding operations. It also helps in the development and growth of the company and further expands its projects and business. As the companies grow and expand their business, shares bought by investors become more valuable, thus helping them to gain more capital. In addition to this, investors also receive dividends from the company as their profits. Public companies selling their shares need to disclose all the material information required and also give a say in how their business works to the investors.

All these processes that help in the working of the stock market seem to be complicated, but in reality, these have become relatively easy with the help of computer algorithms that help in price-setting calculations. Bid, ask and bid-ask all are available on the broker’s website with the required information. Today, the stock market is considered to be one of the most reliable ways of making money.

WHAT IS THE STOCK MARKET DOING TODAY?

Anyone can look at the performance of the stock market with the help of market indexes like the S&P 500 or the DJIA. Previously, when the covid-19 cases in India were at a hike, the stock market fell drastically. But now, in the current scenario around 3.2 per cent of the 1,216 listed companies on the National Stock Exchange that have reported their June quarter earnings have managed to defy the odds by expanding their operating margins on a sequential basis for four consecutive quarters[5]. In India, currently, there are 40 stocks that are defying a widespread trend[6].

HOW TO INVEST IN THE STOCK MARKET?

Decide the kind of account which you want to open: –

The first step to investing in the stock market is to decide the kind of account you want to open. Investment accounts can be opened for anything ranging from short-term goals to long, retirement savings to college savings etc.

Open a brokerage account: –

After deciding the kind of account you want to open, you have to open an account at a provider called a brokerage. When you choose a company, do look at their fees and available investment opportunities.

Depositing Money: –

To further continue with the investing process, you have to make an initial deposit. You can also set up recurring deposits to automate your investments going forward.

Choose your investments: –

Once you are done with the above-mentioned steps. You can buy and sell securities. You can take up mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), individual stocks and bonds etc. These include hundreds of individual securities. It is recommended to have a diversified fund-based approach as it reduces the risk of losses and bad investments.

Purchasing chosen investments: –

After choosing what you want to buy simply enter the ticker symbol in the buy field and indicate how many shares you want to buy.

STOCK MARKET VS STOCK EXCHANGE

The stock market and stock exchange are two very different things but they are often interchanged with each other. The stock market is a wider term than the stock exchange. In fact, the stock exchange is a part of the stock market. The stock market includes many stock exchanges such as the Nasdaq or New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in the U.S and NSE – National Stock Exchange in India.

We might have heard people talking about the performance of the stock market. When they talk about performance they mean thousands of public companies listed on multiple stock exchanges. In general, too stock market is a very broad term which comprises all the terms like mutual funds, ETFs, bonds and other securities beyond just stocks.

[1] Adam Hayes, ‘How Does the Stock Market Work?’, Investopedia (1^st June 2021) < https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/082614/how-stock-market-works.asp> accessed 1st September 2022

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Chiranjivi Chakraborty, ’40 Stocks that are Defying a Widespread Trend in India Inc right now, The Economic Times (1st September 2021) <https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/40-stocks-that-are-defying-a-widespread-trend-in-india-inc-right-now/articleshow/85822852.cms > accessed 1st September 2021

[6] Ibid.

Trying to make sense of virat’s lacklustre form.

Virat Kohli has found life to be tough over the last 3 years or so. His form has dipped massively. He’s clearly not the same batter right now as we know him to be. There is nothing wrong with his technique in particular. There are some areas for improvement but that is a natural progression for any batsmen. He recently gave up captaincy of all formats. He also gave up his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore’s captaincy. There has been a lot going on around him. I’ll try to breakdown his game plan in each format of the game.

Virat’s problem in T20 cricket has been his low striking ability against spin. We’ve often seen him struggling against spin in the middle overs failing to find boundaries and sometimes even struggling to rotate strike which has been his biggest strength for a long time. He tries to compensate for his limitations with spin bowling by being extra aggressive against pace. He has a strike rate of 145 inside the powerplay. Although, it dropped down to 90 in the middle overs during IPL 2021. This year’s IPL was Virat’s most forgettable season of all time. He averaged an abysmal 22.5 per innings with a strike rate of 115. This is very unlike Kohli. He just looked overcooked and completely out of his fluent touch this season.

He hasn’t played a lot of ODI cricket in the last few years and I believe this is the format that will help him get back into form. India plays England today at the oval. There are reports that he might not play today due to a groin strain. But, I hope that he plays today because he should use every opportunity that he has to get back to form. In ODI cricket, there is no added pressure to increase the run rate and the ball also doesn’t do much in the middle overs. Thus, this format is his best chance to get back to form. He can rotate the strike in the middle overs and extend his innings till the death overs to attack as he has done so many times.

Virat Kohli is a true ambassador of test cricket. He is the most successful test captain of India in so many ways. He made India successful in overseas conditions. India developed their best pace attacks in ages during his reign. His test form recently has been a disappointment. I believe, his main problem in test cricket has been a lack of scoring areas. If you look at some of the centuries that have been scored by Indians in test cricket have been attacking innings. They had to take the attacking option at some point in the game. While Virat has shown immense discipline and exemplary technique in the last few years. He played an exceptional innings of 79 runs against South Africa in the last test of the series. His problem has been a lack of scoring phases in his innings. He has to find more scoring options in test cricket. Because with the kind of quality test sides have in their bowling, you can’t just play the waiting game. You have to attack at some point.

Virat Kohli is already a legend. He has achieved everything that he can possibly dream of. Although, for him to get back to form now. He has to play one-day internationals. We all hope to see the best batsmen we’ve possibly ever witnessed get back to form.

Genderfluidity

There is no gender behind the expressions of gender, identity is performatively constituted by the very ‘expressions’ that are said to be its results.
Judith Butler

Gender fluidity describes a person’s changing gender expression, gender identification, or both throughout time. That alteration might affect identification but no representation or identification but just not expression. Or perhaps both form and identification change simultaneously.

Gender fluidity may be a means for some young people to experiment with their gender before settling on a much more permanent gender presentation or identity. Some may tend to endure gender in a fluid way for the rest of their lives.Some individuals identify as “gender-fluid.” It usually falls within the transgender and nonbinary category of identities, which includes persons whose gender identification does not correspond towards the sex allocated to them on their birth record.

The distinguish between transgender and gender-fluid.

While some people form their gender identity early on in life, others may identify with one gender initially before switching to another later. A person who was given the gender “female” on their birth certificate, for instance, could identify as a girl up until puberty and then as a guy for the remainder of their life. Even if they are not necessarily gender-fluid, this individual would be seen as transgender. Person with this developmental pattern would only identify as a male until their 20s, at which point they might come to identify as nonbinary before changing their identity back to boy later in life. Due to a shift or changes in their gender identity or sexual identity, this individual may be termed gender-fluid.Yet,it should be known that they may not use the term gender fluid as a form of an identity

The gender-fluid phrase is used to describe someone whose internal sense of self, sexual identity, or gender identification, fluctuates regularly. However, gender fluidity might appear differently to many individuals.

The Night Economy

Do you like going to films or clubs with your loved ones at night too? Events or concerts are usually after 5 pm or the nightlife to be precise and that is what the ideas of the night economy are. Huge cities with upbeat nightlife usually have more profit than any daytime industry.

The foundation of a night time economy that benefits everyone is cooperation. It involves bringing together all interested parties, including city planners, designers, builders, managers, investors, community organizations, governmental agencies, private industries, and tourism organizations. The nocturnal economy can then encourage inclusiveness and social harmony. Develop the creative and artistic sectors.Bolster regional economies with money.Expand the cultural and tourist offerings.
Give nighttime employees access to transportation and vital services.

Some of the daytime demand will move to the night if the industry starts to operate on a night shift; for example, if you opt to go grocery shopping at 1am on a weekday rather than on Saturday. This is a substitute that does not increase productivity overall, but it is beneficial since it will relieve daytime traffic congestion in a country like India. New economic activity, such as companies that add another additional shift, as well as the development of new firms and business models will result in increased production.

Reasons why Indian startups are failing.

Think big, think fast, think ahead. Ideas are no one’s monopoly.
Reliance

Layoffs in celebrated startups such as Meesho, Byjus, and Unacademy are one of the most controversial news in coming times. Despite Indian start-up being bagged with $36 billion funds in 2021 and within a year of India’s startup ecosystem, $41.4 billion was invested, and 42 new unicorns emerged.

The foremost probable reason could be the product-market fit. It is a known fact that the labor costs in India are very low. Thus, the grocery store or medical store will deliver it to the doorstep free of cost unlike dunzo who may charge a good amount of rupees, and practically it is not feasible to use it for daily ration goods unless it’s a known company like amazon.

The second one is squandering companies in the sense of taking all of the money from investors like spending on IPL advertisements when the cost is a lot more than the company’s revenue. Prey to regulations could be another reason behind the downfall and those who are too ahead of their time can bring out problems in the resources which are yet not available in the market.

The Dead Sea Turned Red.

Salt lake in Yuncheng is frequently referred to as China’s “Dead Sea” for an odd cause. The rich magenta, green, and yellow hues of its waters are a result of algae blooms and insects that are reproducing quickly.

The uncommon occurrence is brought on by the algae Dunaliella salina, which, according to NASA, is normally green in marine habitats but may become red when exposed to high salt and intense light because of “the development of defensive carotenoids in the cells.” Plant compounds called carotenoids are what give the lake its vivid colours.

The tests revealed that the contaminated waters had high quantities of ammonia, nitrogen, and permanganate, a substance used in metal cleaning, tanning, and bleaching. The Hubei authorities claimed that the pollutants appeared to have come from the Han River without going into further detail. To lessen the pollution, water was being diverted from the neighboring Lake Chang.Industrial, agricultural, and domestic pollution have badly contaminated the majority of China’s canals, rivers, and lakes.

Parrot: A Talking Bird.

Have you ever thought how nice it would be to talk to your pet or animal worldwide? Surprisingly, some species of birds and parrots come into existence here. But can they acknowledge a real conversation?

Probably, yes. The majority of words are definitely barely understood by parrots, according to researchers. However, they are conscious of the situation in which words are spoken and can associate those terms. Suppose a parrot might say “How are you?” when you just enter the room because though they aren’t likely asking for well-being but it has heard you saying that several times. Thus, your pet bird now associates your entrance into the room with that word.

The repeating sounds which you might have observed in parrots are called Mimicry. They mimic a wide variety of sounds, including spoken phrases, groaning gates, and howling animals. The majority of parrots just imitate their owners. They’re not truly stating what they mean. However, some properly taught parrots have developed the ability to comprehend human speech.

However, it is a fact that parrots don’t have vocal cord-like humans. They don’t push air through the vocal cord to create sound. Instead, they guide air over the trachea with the help of their throat muscles (windpipe). They alter the trachea’s thickness and structure to produce various sounds.

The fun part is parrots are not the only birds who can imitate budgies, cockatiels, and even crows can imitate sounds.

Wish I Could Tell You:Book Review

It is unimaginable to predict one’s personal life. What one has been facing or their past? This book begins with the people in the organization called WeDonate.com a fundraiser that sells stories to create a fundraiser for one in need. However, who knew one could find their love while performing duty.

The story focuses on anusha as she discovers herself in the little world of WeDonate.com, feeling betrayed and saddened. She grudgingly looks for a deserving cause to help as she struggles to deal with her sentiments and the responsibility of earning money for charity. Ananth, who has been on the opposing side, believes that no life is less valuable than another and that no cause is unworthy of support. However, book revolves around two main characters. Ananth is a really decent guy who has a positive state of mind. The man is upbeat and finds beauty in everything and everyone. His general optimism motivates him to sign up with WeDonate.com, a charitable organisation. This group raises money for individuals who are in need as part of its charitable mission. There is a distinctive girl in his life who goes by the name of Mohini and has many hardships and difficulties in life. She thinks and perceives individuals in their most repulsive light. She has been encouraged to write before and has been seeking for the right narrative, but it kind of confounds her. She finally joins the group where two individuals get together in search of a character. Although your mind could lead you to believe otherwise, this book uses illusions to create a reality that is both real and unreal, virtual and tangible. Finally, it might be claimed that both of them are trapped by these WeDonate.com edge.

Moreover,there exists a team behind them dedicate their entire lives to going above and beyond the call of duty to save lives. In front of them lies the digital world of social media, where people watch, participate, judge, make decisions, and occasionally save lives. Staying closer is the only option since their lives—both virtual and real—are so intertwined with the lives of their families. They can’t keep apart from one another.

The past story of the two characters unfolds part by part and their growing out from the past is fascinating. It is not a typical romantic love story that can be expected but something that can not be explained in words. However, some questions that a reader might expect to be answered at the end of the story are incomplete. But the presentation of each theme and plot is commendable and for a teen is a must try!

Exciting films and shows to come out this year

2022 like any other year has a lot of interesting projects that have my attention and I am eagerly waiting for a few films. The 1st film that I’ll be talking about is THIS MUCH I KNOW TO BE TRUE. This film is a musical journey of a man who sees himself through the devil. It is directed by Andrew Dominik. Nick cave and warren Williams make music which is influenced by the devil. In the trailer, there is a dialogue which goes like “you have discovered that the veil that separates your ordered life from disarray is very thin”. The trailer has some gritty visuals that immediately make you immersed in nick caves’ world. I am very excited about this project. It is slated to release this July in India.

THIS MUCH I KNOW TO BE TRUE TRAILER

The second film that I am looking forward to is NOPE by Jordan Peele. Jordan Peele has delivered some excellent films in the past in the form of US(2021) & GET OUT(2017). US is my personal favourite. It is about a family who finds out that there is an exact clone version of themselves who is trying to kill them. The reason they despise the real family is that they’ve been living in the dark for their whole life while they get to live a happy and normal life. The thing that makes them envy the other family so much is that they have their bodies and they have their traits but their souls differ. This is the thing that separates them. It was a very interesting watch and that is why I am looking forward to this film which will come out later this year.

NOPE TRAILER

The third project is not a film but it’s an HBO series called succession. Succession is probably the best HBO show ever. It’s about a media conglomerate which is owned by the Roy family. It sheds light on the family politics that go behind the scenes and how a media conglomerate works. We get to see how every member of the Roy family has some personal motive and no one can be trusted. Everyone wants to be at the top and they can go to any margin for it. The show also tells its audience how the Roy family handles their public image by constantly changing the narrative for their own good. It’s a kind of show that always moves in tandem with what is happening and has happened in the past. The story is so well connected that you can understand the character development of all the actors in the show. The first 3 seasons are already out so watch it if you haven’t already. Season 4 will most likely be out by this year’s end or the start of 2024.

“Extra fly”

Ye belongs from Chicago. He was born in 1977, on 8th June. He used to produce beats for other artists before he transformed into a rapper himself. People around him who gave him work thought more of him as a producer rather than a rapper. He used to cook beats for ROCK-A-FELLA RECORDS. People from the Record label accept it today that they did not see Kanye west becoming the rapper he became today. One of the Artists from the record label said “ I knew he was a rapper but I was like stick to the beats kid”. Nobody saw YE coming. When he rapped one of his verses to Pharell Williams, He was quite shocked. Kanye had been trying to get in touch with Pharell for a while but he couldn’t. Pharell was touched by the piece that Kanye did for him. Birth of a jeen-yuhs was taking place.

Kanye has been involved in some questionable moments all his life. But the life he breathes to his music is above all the white noise that he surrounds himself with. Some people can call Kanye’s energy narcissistic and maybe rightly so. But, I believe this is the energy that makes his music alive. His songs are so Kanye that when you listen to them you know it’s Kanye. This energy has given him a different identity that is unique to him and makes him arguably the biggest rapper of his time. His mother’s presence in his life is a big reason for what kanye has achieved today. Donda West died in 2007. He released an album dedicated to his mother in 2021. This shows you how much his mother meant to him. There’s a clip in his documentary where his mother is trying to tell him by how he can come off as rude to people sometimes. I expected Kanye to burst out and say something stupid at that moment but he didn’t. He actually accepted it in a way and you could see in his eyes that there was an actual realisation of his action. Donda had her way with Kanye.

Ye’s biggest downfall in his career was when he started having problems with his mental health in 2016. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In his documentary, he said to one of his team members “ man I took pill yesterday just so I can talk to you normally right now”. This can give you some insight into his state. His decision about running for president didn’t help his public image either. People took it as a big joke and questioned his sanity. You could see by the public appearances he made post-2016 that he was indeed troubled. Nobody exactly knows the reason behind it. But there were a lot of things that happened to him in the last 5 years. Fallout with kid Cudi, divorce, the album pushed back and his mental misery. Ye’s life is so layered and grey. No one can deny that he’s a musical genius but at the same time, some of his acts in the public make him look like a foolish man who is still not over his teenage. There are so many tags you can associate him with. That’s what makes him so interesting.

Ye has done a lot of things which he won’t be proud off but one thing that he did absolutely right was his music. He is such a inspirational artist to so many aspiring rappers. He gave Hip-Hop a much needed new life by his presence.

“’Cause now I see women as somethin’ to nurture, Not somethin’ to conquer”

⁃ Violent crimes by kanye west.

WARREN BUFFET- A MODEL FOR HIS BILLIONAIRE PEERS

By Moksha Grover

Warren Edward Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1930, Buffet is 91 years old. He is one of the most successful investors of all time and a model for his ultra-rich peers. Buffet also runs Berkshire Hathaway, which owns above 60 companies, including insurer Geico, battery maker Duracell and restaurant chain Dairy Queen. He has a net worth of over $104.4 billion as of August 2021, making him the world’s ninth-wealthiest person[1]. “If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die” is a famous quote said by Warren Edward Buffet.

EARLY LIFE AND CAREER

Warren Buffet displayed his interest in business and investing at a very young age. At age seven, he was inspired for investing in the book “One Thousand Ways to make $1000”. Much of buffets childhood was filled with business ventures. He sold chewing gum, Coca-Cola bottles, and weekly magazines door to door. When in high school, he made money delivering newspapers, selling golf balls and stamps etc. As a sophomore, with one of his friends, he established a large paper route and invested in pinball machines. They are stationed in barber shops and split their profits with the shop owners. They started their business with just $25 and sold their business later for $1200. Buffet also bought 40 acres of Nebraska farmland, by age 15 with the proceeds from earlier business ventures[2].

After completing his graduate degree from Columbia University, Buffett worked for the investment legend Benjamin Graham, in New York City. He considered Benjamin Graham as his mentor and was inspired by him a lot. After Graham retired from his business, buffett went back to his hometown and started running a series of successful hedge funds, known as the Buffett Partnerships.

In late1960s, Buffet closed down his original investment business and took over Berkshire Hathaway, a struggling textile maker. He decided to close his business when he saw the stock market being overvalued and made Berkshire Hathaway his primary business activity. Over the decades, with the help of buffet, Berkshire Hathaway turned into a conglomerate with annual sales of $245 billion[3]. It has a market capitalization of $654 billion and employs roughly 360,000 people through its many subsidiaries[4]. With the rise in the value of Berkshire’s stock, many people became rich. Buffet declared employee Greg Abel as his successor, keeping in mind his age-related health risks and long-term, interests. Although buffet has not retired or declared his intention to retire from Berkshire Hathaway. Its shares gained about 25% in the first eight months of 2021[5].

LIVING LIFE ON HIS OWN TERMS

Buffet got much of his philosophy from his father, Howard Buffet, who was an American businessman, investor, and politician. He describes this philosophy as trying to “keep up with the Joneses.”. This means that he enjoys living up his life on his own terms and doesn’t care about what others think of him.

Talking about buffet’s personal life, Although, Buffet is a Democrat, he has still voted and donated to both democrats and republicans. He has also described himself as an ‘agnostic ‘person. His late wife and the foundation named after her that he has funded, the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, were and are substantial supporters of reproductive rights organisations that favour access to legal abortions. Warren Buffet married Susan in 1952, who spent her later years in San Francisco. He spent more than 20 years considering himself to be happily married to Susan. After his first wife’s 2004 death, Buffett married another woman named Astrid Menks, who lived in Omaha, at the same time in a small and informal ceremony.

WARREN BUFFET’S CHARITY

Warren Buffet became the founder of ‘The Giving Pledge along with Bill and Melinda French Gates. The Giving Pledge is a campaign to encourage extremely wealthy people to contribute a majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes. Buffet also pledged that more than 99% of his wealth will go to philanthropy, either during his lifetime or at his death[6]. He could have started his own charitable foundation but has contributed his money to five foundations run by others. Until 2021, he served Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as a trustee and poured most of his charitable money into the foundation.

Buffet says that he has given very little money to his three children Howard Graham Buffett, Peter Buffett and Susan Alice Buffett, who themselves are millionaires and own hundreds of millions of dollars for the foundations they each run. For example, he’s one of corporate America’s strongest proponents of women in business. He mentored Tracy Britt Cool for more than a decade as she rose from a financial assistant to CEO of Pampered Chef, a Berkshire subsidiary. Later, she started her own private equity firm, modelled after Berkshire, with Buffett’s support.

Buffet also shared his knowledge of the financial markets and the economy in 1977 and conducted annual shareholder meetings.[7] His annual shareholder meetings, known as “Woodstock for capitalists” is akin to a Disney vacation for thousands of families each year. Buffett also voluntarily met with scores of college students for decades about eight times a year for a Q&A session and tour of his businesses[8]. Buffet has given more than $4.1 billion to charity[9].

BUFFET’S RULE

Buffet recently admitted that he pays tax less than his secretary. The reason behind this, he told is a system from which he has benefitted a lot. This system lets billionaires pay very low tax bills, partly because it taxes income instead of wealth. For years he advocated for the so-called “Buffett Rule,” a minimum 30% tax on those making more than $1 million a year to remedy the problem[10]. Rich pay less tax when they deduct it from what they have donated to charities is a fact, also recognized by the buffet.

For his rules on business, Buffet is a very sensible investor. He only invests in those companies which he has thoroughly researched and understands. Buffett personally lost about $23 billion in the financial crisis of 2008, and his company, Berkshire Hathaway, lost its revered AAA rating[11]. The most important quality, as defined by buffet for an investor is temperament, not intellect. For a successful investor, being with or against the crowd is not the centre of attraction.

Buffet was inspired a lot by the book “The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham as it inspired and convinced him to invest in stocks. With the help of this book, he got to know that investing in stocks is equal to owning a piece of the business. So, when Buffet searches for stock to invest in, he always prefers the business that exhibits favourable long-term prospects. Buffet never buys anything unless he can write a particular reason to pay a particular price for that shares of the company and advises all the investors to do the same.

“Leave the children enough so that they can do anything but not enough that they can do nothing” is a famous quote said by buffet to wealthy families for charitable purposes.

[1] John M.Longo, ‘Why Warren Buffett Is a Model for His Billionaire Peers’, The Wire (August 30,2021) < https://thewire.in/business/why-warren-buffett-is-a-model-for-his-billionaire-peers> accessed 30^th August 2021.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Stephanie Loiacono,’ Rules That Warren Buffett Lives By’, Investopedia (Jan 12,2021) < https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0210/rules-that-warren-buffett-lives-by.aspx> accessed 30^th August,2021.

Evolution of indian cinema

Dadasaheb Phalke’s ‘Raja Harishchandra’ revolutionised an art form which would become a huge influence in almost everyone’s life. Films form public opinion and evoke different emotions. The way of expression in films is very unique. A book has a way of its own and every art form is unique. But a film can exactly deliver the desired message because it is visual and there are a lot of human elements involved.

The evolution of Indian cinema is divided into different phases. The silent era was the first one. Silent films were produced during the 1890s-1920s. The wrestlers (1899) by H.S bhatavdekar is considered the first Indian film ever by an Indian. It was a film documentary. It was about a wrestling match which was held at the hanging gardens in Bombay. Due to the enthusiasm from a lot of different filmmakers, the Indian film industry rose rapidly. Tickets were affordable to the normal audience. Filmmakers started to incorporate daily Indian social life to make the film more interesting and relatable to the audience.

Alam ara highlights the talkies era. Alam ara was released in 1931. It was the first Indian film which had sound. Joymoti by Jyoti Prasad Agrawala was released in 1935. Jyoti Prasad also went to Berlin to learn more about films. The popular culture of music in films began during this era. Studios started to emerge in main cities like Bombay, Madras and Calcutta. Kisna Kanhiya, the first colour film produced in India came out during this era. A film called wrath was banned by the British raj because it depicted Indian freedom fighters as leaders. A film named Sant Tukaram went to the Venice film festival for its depiction of a saint and a poet. A deadly combination indeed. It was judged as one of the three best films of the year. The seeds of Indian masala film were sown during this era. An Indian masala film has everything. Dance, Music, Drama and Action. This type of film brings out huge crowds into theatre today and is one of the spectacles of India in a way. Although, due to the partition a lot of studios moved to Pakistan. Partition became a hot topic to make films.

The golden era is dedicated to the genius of Satyajit ray. In the third part of the Apu trilogy, there’s a scene where apu and his friend are just walking beside a railway track. They are chatting about their lives. The talks of APU’s marriage come up among other things. The scene captures the vibe of Calcutta so nonchalantly. It’s just two friends talking to each other. The flow of the scene feels so natural. Satyajit ray’s films teleport you into the Calcutta of the 60s. Satyajit Ray was the master of social realism. Another film is boot polish directed by Prakash Arora. There’s a scene in the film in which Bhola(brother) is telling belt(sister) not to beg for a living. She’s starving and the only way she can feed herself is by begging. But because it goes against his brother’s philosophical ideology, she chooses to resist the temptation. But the poor girl can’t resist her hunger for long and picks up a coin and right after that her brother slaps her. She says while crying “bhook Lagi hai Bhai”. Now his brother has to choose between his honour and duties. He can choose to not pick up the coin and maintain his moral high ground or he can feed her sister. The scene captures this conflict so perfectly. The camera captures the whole environment of the room. This type of film was made during this era. Films based on social realism. Masala films also became very popular during this time. Art films and commercial films started to co-exist.

The FFC’s art film orientation came under criticism for not pushing enough commercial films. The duo of Salim-Javed revitalised commercial cinema. They always came up with gritty action thrillers like zanjeer and deewar. They are considered the greatest screenwriters of all time. Crime action films became very popular during this era. The peak of masala films. Although, this made the audiences used to a very predictable plot. Anyone would be able to anticipate what will happen next because it became so predictable. All-time blockbusters like Sholay came out in 1975. The term Bollywood was also coined during this era.

In the late 1980s, everyone was tired of watching the same old action thrillers. The footfalls became less and less until disco dancers. Disco dancers introduced the concept of disco in India. Disco dancer was the biggest hit of the year even in Russia. It introduced Bappi Lahiri as a music director. Mithun and Bappi Lahiri have given countless hits together. Then came the era of romance. Yash raj Chopra’s DDLJ sums up the decade of the 90s. Shah rukh khan became a sensation through his charming acting in romantic films like Kuch Kuch Hota hai , Dil to Pagal hai etc. He gained massive popularity worldwide. Sadly though, as the concept of Bollywood evolved. It became more about money rather than the art as in any other industry. The moment anything becomes an industry. It loses its beautiful touch. That’s what happened with Bollywood. Filmmakers in Europe or France can dare to think about anything today and make something about it. The problem with us is that we cannot even afford to think anything outside the box. Our bandwidth as an audience is very low. We only like to watch films of certain kinds.

The regional cinema has also grown immensely and in some ways is doing better than the Hindi film industry. The film chain in India today is very strong. Thank you to the Dadasahebs, Satyajit’s and anands of India.

Assassination of Shinzo Abe: My request to the Union Government to place a Statue of Abe in New Delhi

Shinzo Abe was Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister, held office in 2006 for one year and again from 2012 to 2020 when he was forced to step down due to the debilitating bowel condition ulcerative colitis. And unfortunately, on 8 July 2022, he was killed by one person from Japan Tetsuya Yamagami who was previously in the Japanese navy, known as the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF). As a senior citizen, I am surprised about the security system of Japan and its intelligent department. I personally feel both failed because a former Prime Minister was not protected and publicly he was killed. (wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinzo_Abe).

Shinzo Abe was born on 21 September 1954 in Tokyo to a renowned political family with good economic influence throughout pre-war, wartime, and post-war Japan. His family was originally from Yamaguchi Prefecture.

His paternal grandfather Kan Abe was a Yamaguchi landowner who served in the House of Representatives during World War II, while his father Shintaro Abe served in the House of Representatives from 1958 to 1991, with stints as Chief Cabinet Secretary, Minister for International Trade, and Industry, and Minister for Foreign Affairs During World War II.

Abe completed his public administration and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Seikei University in 1977, Japan. He, later on, moved to the United States and studied public policy at the University of Southern California’s School of Policy, Planning, and Development (presently the USC Price School of Public Policy) for three semesters. In April 1979, Abe started working for Kobe Steel. He left the company in 1982 and pursued a number of government positions including executive assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, private secretary to the chairperson of the LDP General Council, and private secretary to the LDP secretary-general (wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinzo_Abe). Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day in 2014. At an Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) lecture in September 2011, Abe said: “a strong India is in the best interest of Japan, and a strong Japan is in the best interest of India.”

India’s expression of friendship was its gratitude for the Japanese help to the Indian National Army (INA). Japan had released Indian prisoners of war at the request of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to help build the INA which fought alongside the Japanese in Singapore, Burma, and northeast India. The war cemetery in Imphal where Indian and Japanese soldiers were buried together is a testimony to that (mea.gov.in/in-focus-article.htm?22762).

India declares a day of state mourning for Shinzo Abe’s death. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated, “As a mark of our deepest respect for former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, a one-day national mourning shall be observed on 9 July 2022”. The national flag will be at half-mast on all buildings across India for the day of mourning across India, and there will be no official entertainment.

Vice president M Venkaiah Naidu and Union Minister Hardeep Puri have also expressed anguish at the death of Abe and recalled his role to develop a good relationship with India. Our former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Shinzo Abe. Thus, it is evident that political leaders of India irrespective of political parties have liked Abe.

Although Shinzo Abe was assassinated, Indians will remember him generation after generation.

I request our Union Government to place a statue of Shinzo Abe in an important place in New Delhi.

Decoding Kenya’s police brutality and the core reasons behind it.

In February 2021, there was a brutal police attack in one of the informal settlements of Kenya called Mathara. A cop shot one of the teenagers, Dominic Kulema, leaving him severely injured. He ran inside a youth centre to save himself. He pleaded to the police for his life with his hands raised. But, the Police forced him out of the building and killed him. This story hardly made it to any news whatsoever. This is part of a normalised pattern that exists in the informal settlements of Kenya. Police kill a lot of young people without any criminal background because they think it is “morally right”.

In 2020, A total number of 167 people were killed or misplaced according to missing voices Kenya (Human rights organisation that tracks extrajudicial killings). Despite well-funded police reforms launched by the government, this brutal practise has not stopped. Some anthropologists are trying to find the grassroots reasons for these activities and it dates back to colonialism. It is also a moral conflict country like Kenya. Police kill young people because they think it is morally right to do.

The foundations of the social division and brutal police system were laid in the first few decades of its existence. In 1899, Great Britain established the settlement as a rail depot between the port of Mombasa and the Nile River. Nairobi was named the capital of Britain’s east Africa protectorate. The European settlers started to capture the better lands of the settlement and left the unhygienic and disease-prone areas for the African workers and localities. They never developed the basic infrastructure that was needed in this settlement.

In 1920, Kenya was declared an official colony, the British also established the Kenyan police force in the same year. African men were required to wear a box around their neck with their name, tribe and employer written on it. These police forces monitored their movement within the city. Administrators had the power to evict or expel African workers which basically means they had the power to kill them.

In the 1950s, The Kenya Land and Freedom Army, comprised of landless Africans gathered and fought for their lost lands, terrorising white settlers. Seeing this, the Administration enlisted a Home Guard, comprised of native Africans working for the colonial government and were fully given the authority to enforce the law and they did that very brutality. It was later formalised as administration police (AP).

A group of African people hired by the colonial government.

This dual system existed even after independence in 1963. In 2019, the AP was absorbed by the Kenya police force. While AP conducted raids, the police force was focused on more day-to-day policing of the affluent areas in Kenya.

Kenya is not the only country that deals with dual law practising. In the united states of America, some people are treated democratically while some minorities are treated harshly.

The day Kulema died, his friend collins witnessed everything and immediately approached the Mathare social justice centre (MSJC), a ray of hope in the doomed land of Kenya. It was co-founded by anthropologist Kimari. MSJC has been trying to track this kind of story for years. They rely upon local community sources like collins. They released their first report of epidemic killings in Nairobi in 2017. Kinnari calls this “ A systematic annihilation of young people “. In February 2021, MSJC reported 14 killings of young people. These brutal police forces also target the families of young people.

They perform female genital mutilation which is just beyond being inhuman.

Organisations like MSJC have made people in Mathara realise their need for basic human rights. It has made people come together and fight for each other. A supporter of MSJC said and I quote “their power vanishes the moment we stop fearing “. Due to the active voice raised by this organisation, the killings have decreased and women are safer now. There is a visible fear in the police’s minds about killing more people. While this is a huge fight, we can already see small changes in place due to the efforts of organisations like these.

Reference – https://www.sapiens.org › cultureWhat Kenya’s Killer Cops Reveal About Police Culture – Sapiens.org

End of the Revolutionary Morgan Era and The future of England team

Eoin Morgan after scoring a century against Afghanistan in the 2019 world cup

Eoin Morgan has announced his retirement from international cricket. His last appearance in International Cricket was against the Netherlands on June 19th,2022. Morgan was handed over the England captaincy just before the 2015 World Cup. Eoin Morgan changed the way England approached white-ball cricket forever. Under Morgan’s captaincy, England took an all-out aggressive approach on the field. Almost everyone in England’s playing 11 can bat at present. The aggressive longevity in their batting is Morgan’s biggest gift to England.

He led England to a World Cup win in the dramatic final of 2019. He Led England twice in the T20 World Cup. They were the finalists in 2016 and semi-finalists in 2021. Morgan took KKR to the final of IPL from a situation where no one expected them to even qualify for the play-offs. Morgan believed in a more tactical approach towards the game and worked in tandem with Nathan Leamon. This strategy has helped him achieve a lot of accolades. Morgan took his National Side from a position of disarray to ecstasy. We should remember his legacy for the time to come. It’d be interesting to see where Jos Buttler takes England from now.

Jos Buttler after scoring a century for England in one day internationals

Jos Buttler, in his interview with sky sports, explained how the pressure on him is more than ever because of the legacy that Morgan is leaving behind. England has almost won all the bilateral series at home in the last few years. Under Morgan’s captaincy, England won 76 one-day internationals out of 126 matches. And in T20 internationals, they won 42 out of 72 matches with 27 of them being Losses, 2 ties and 1 no result. This is a fantastic record for any captain. Jos Buttler also talked about how some players will be unavailable for white-ball games due to their red ball duty in the coming time.

However, Morgan will continue to play domestic cricket and will skipper his THE100 side London Spirit. We might also see him in next year’s IPL if he finds his lost form back. With all that said, The future of England’s white-ball cricket is in the hands of the Buttler-Mott pair. Their Next assignment is against the Indians which begins with the 1st T20 internationals on the 7th of July. This will be a mouth-watering series as both the sides are top quality and have some of the best players in the world.

England’s red-ball team is also flying high under the leadership of ben stokes. They recently thrashed New Zealand 3-0 on their home soil and won the test against India to level the series. The ‘bazball’ formula has worked wonders for the red ball side as they have chased scores of 250+ 4 consecutive times in the second innings. This is a quite remarkable landmark. Although, it’d be interesting to see if they can sustain this formula going forward on tough pitches. Australia’s best Test Batsman Steve Smith said “ it’s been exciting. I’m just intrigued to see how long it lasts if it’s sustainable, “ Smith told the reporters ahead of the 2nd test between Australia and Sri Lanka. He believes that this formula may not work on a grassy pitches with the likes of Josh Hazlewood , Pat Cummins and Mitchell starc storming in to bowl. Let’s see what destiny holds for these new England Sides.

Ben stokes after the iconic Headingly win in 2019.

BITCOIN VS GOLD: WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF INVESTMENTS?

By Moksha Grover

Today, most people have shifted their focus toward investments for the purpose of strengthening their financial position. While there are many ways to strengthen one’s financial position, investment is considered to be the most apposite way. The covid pandemic has taught us a lot about different aspects of life. However, most importantly it has highlighted our way of savings and investments. During tough phases like lockdown, almost everyone suffered financially and was forced to make compromises within their lifestyle. Only those who made wise money decisions at the right time were left uncompromised.

During the pandemic, it was observed that more and more people started investing in safe-haven assets. The most popular safe-haven investment during the covid pandemic has been gold. Gold investments, as we all know, are said to give good returns most of the time. It is also viewed as one of the safest options for investments. However, nowadays, investment in gold is being challenged by cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies are now being regarded as the new hot cake in the world of investments and are said to give even more returns than gold. The most trending and successful cryptocurrency is Bitcoin.

WHAT IS BITCOIN?

Bitcoin is termed a digital currency which is free of any central control or the oversight of banks or governments. Instead, it depends upon peer-to-peer software and cryptography. It is also known as digital gold because its properties are very similar to that of gold. Like gold, bitcoin too has a fixed supply and derives its value through its limited supply and growing consumer demand. Some of the pros and cons of this cryptocurrency are: –

PROS

Since bitcoin is entirely digital, it can be easily sold a transferred to another person’s account.
Bitcoin has the potential to give higher returns on investments because of its growing market.
Bitcoin can be used as a currency everywhere. It can be used for payments at any store that accepts bitcoin.
Investing in bitcoin now could lead to big payoffs down the road. Because bitcoin is an emerging investment and has the potential to increase in value.

CONS

There is a greater degree of risk involved in bitcoin as it is extremely volatile and susceptible to large fluctuations.
Bitcoin is subjected to scams or stealing as it is completely digital and so web-based wallets have the possibility to be hacked.
Bitcoin’s value is totally dependent upon the phenomena of demand and supply. If the demand for other cryptocurrencies increases more than the demand for bitcoin, its value can decrease.

WHAT IS INVESTMENT IN GOLD?

Gold is a valuable yellow metal and is used for various consumer goods such as jewellery, and it is not in abundance. Gold is a must for all the special occasions in India ranging from weddings to other special functions. In fact, one of the largest markets for gold is found in India. Gold has a big significance in the country’s cultural value and is considered to be a store of value, a symbol of wealth and status and a fundamental part of many rituals. Investment in gold gives fruitful results most of the time. Some of the pros and cons of Gold investments are: –

PROS

Investment in gold is always a stable option as its value increases over time; even if the economy gets into recession, its value will not decrease.
If you have your gold stored in a precious metals IRA, it will be stored in a specific, safe vault that is overseen by a custodian who will manage your account. These accounts are often insured up to a certain amount, much like a traditional bank account, so you can rest easy knowing your investment is safe[1].
Gold is considered to be an ideal baseline for trading purposes and is being used up as long as civilizations have been around. So it is durable in nature.

CONS

Gold can be used as a currency only during an economic crisis. It cannot be used as a currency to buy something in normal times.
When you invest in gold you need to keep that physical item stored carefully and safely.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BITCOIN AND GOLD

CHARACTERISTICS	BITCOIN	GOLD
Legality, Transparency and safety	Bitcoin has safety issues and is not that transparent and legal	Gold ranks above bitcoin in safety, legality and transparency.
Volatility	Bitcoin is extremely volatile. It is more susceptible to market whims and news	Gold is a safer asset and is less volatile
Baseline Value	Bitcoin has less baseline value as it is based on a full banking system and many people don’t have access to online banking services.	As gold is used in a variety of ways, therefore, it has more baseline value than bitcoin.
Rarity	Rare	Rare
Liquidity	Liquid	Liquid

WHICH TYPE OF INVESTMENT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED? GOLD OR BITCOIN

According to billionaire Ray Dalio, bitcoin is just a digital version of gold but he prefers physical gold over bitcoin. “If you put a gun to my head, and you said, ‘I can only have one,’” says Dalio. “I would choose gold.” Here’s why he prefers investment in gold over bitcoin[2].

Gold has thousands of years of historical record as a store value and doesn’t face the same competition risks as bitcoin has
Unlike bitcoin, gold is very less volatile. Its volatility is just one-fifth of the volatility of bitcoin.
Cryptocurrencies can never replace metals like gold and silver as they are being used for centuries in every corner of the world and have a very strong economic standing as compared to bitcoin. So Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin can only help increase the value of these metals but cannot replace them.
Gold has offered a very high degree of longevity but such degree of longevity offered by bitcoin is highly questionable.

FINAL VERDICT

Both bitcoin and gold have their own advantages and disadvantages. For now, it is very hard to predict whether an investment in gold will result in better returns or investment in bitcoin. Bitcoin, today is said to be giving more returns than gold. It is alleged that Bitcoin’s market cap will surpass gold’s market cap by 2030. However, nothing is for sure now. Many people prefer gold investments, at the same time many people have shifted towards investments in bitcoin. Bitcoin has a fantastic upside and limited downside, while gold has a more traditional risk-reward balance[3]. Bitcoin is good for short-term investments and getting high returns on it and gold is good for long-term investments and gives relatively lower returns than bitcoin. It is completely the choice of the investor regarding the kind of investment he/ she wants to take up. An investor can invest in bitcoin or gold or in both. It is completely the choice of the investor. But it is advisable to invest in both bitcoin as well as gold as it will help you diversify your investments and increase your chances of high returns.

[1] ‘BITCOIN VS GOLD: WHICH IS BETTER?’, NATIONWIDE COIN & BULLION RESERVE < https://nationwidecoins.com/bitcoin-vs-gold-which-is-the-better-investment/> accessed 11^th September 2021

[2] Jade Scipioni, ‘Bitcoin vs. gold: Here’s what billionaire Ray Dalio thinks, make it (4^th August 2021) < https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/04/bitcoin-vs-gold-heres-what-billionaire-ray-dalio-thinks.html> accessed 11^th September 2021

[3] Ravi Singhal, ‘Gold vs Bitcoin: Which one is a better option for investment?’, The Economic Times (8^th August 2021) <https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/cryptocurrency/gold-vs-bitcoin-which-one-is-a-better-option-for-investment/articleshow/85148997.cms?from=mdr accessed 11^th September 2021

Team India will be led by Shikhar Dhawan in the ODI series against WI.

The three-match ODI series against the West Indies will be contested at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and the teams have been chosen by the all-India Senior Selection Committee.

Team India will be led by batter Shikha Dhawan. As vice captain for the three-match ODI series, Ravindra Jadeja.

Starting on July 22, the Men in Blue will face the West Indies in a three-match ODI series and a five-match T201 series. The last game of the multi-format series between Team India and England will be played on July 17.

Senior players that were given a break from the ODIs include star batsman Virat Kohli, bowler Jasprit Bumrah, and batsman Rohit Sharma.

After missing the home series against South Africa, Kohli, who was formerly famed for his brilliant batting exploits, struggled to regain his form. In the fifth Test against England at Edgbaston, he managed to score just 31 runs.

Bumrah, the captain of team India, astonished everyone at the Edgbaston with his fast bowling and aggressive batting, breaking the previous record of 35 runs in one over by Stuart Broad.

The following players will represent India in the three one-day internationals: Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Lyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar

Veteran Bengali filmmaker Tarun Majumdar passes away

Tarun Majumdar, a renowned filmmaker known for his captivating work in Bengali cinema, passed away at the age of 91 after a chronic illness.

Majumdar has been getting treatment for the previous several days at Kolkata’s SSKM Hospital, where he allegedly passed away on Monday.

With the 1959 Bengali film ‘Chaowa Pawa,’ he made his directorial debut alongside Sachin Mukherji and Dilip Mukherji, under the screen name yatrik.

Later, Majumdar directed popular films like Balika Badhu (1967), Kuheli (1971), Shriman Prithviraj (1973), Fulsewari (1974), Dadar Kirti (1980), Bhalobasa Bhalobasa (1985), and Apna Amar Apan (1990).

He has won five filmfare Awards, seven BFJA Awards, four National Awards, and an Anandalok Award. In 1990, the Indian government awarded with him the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour.

The Delhi Assembly has passed a measure to increase MLA salaries.

The Delhi administration, led by the Aam Aadmi Party, approved a bill on Monday to raise the wages of MLAs, ministers, the Speaker, and the Leader of the Opposition (Lops) in the Delhi Assembly.

An MLA in Delhi now receives Rs 54,000 per month in pay and allowances, which is expected to rise to Rs 90,000 after the raise.

The Delhi Assembly has approved a measure that would raise the pay of MLAs, ministers, the speaker, and members of the Lok Sabha. Previously, MLAs received a salary of Rs 12,000; this has been increased to Rs 30,000, making the total income for MLAs Rs 90,000. sisodia told reporters after today’s assembly session.

Sisodia said that although the centre had raised few concerns seven years prior, the Delhi government had already enacted the measure.

Added he, “In the past seven years, there have been several talks on this subject. Seven years ago, the central government had a few concerns; after taking their ideas into account, the Delhi Assembly once more enacted this measure in the hopes that the centre would do the same.”

Ram Niwas Goel, the speaker of the Delhi assembly, said that the pay was raised in 2011, therefore the administration suggested a raise in 2015 but the proposal was rejected.

He had asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to compare his pay with that of other state legislators, claiming that many states, including Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, pay their MLAs about Rs 2 lakh in total.

Today marked the start of the Delhi Assembly’s two-day monsoon session. The MLAs would be obliged to wear face masks mandatory due to the ongoing Covid-19 cases.

PCOS

PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. You might heard people saying it. It has become common among women these days. For every 5 women 1 woman is a PCOS fighter.

Causes

PCOS is a lifestyle disorder thus happens when your body is abused by your own self. Some of the ways are:

•weight gain

•stress

•disturbed sleep cycle

•not taking food on time

• unhealthy food intake

Treatment

Although Doctors give the medications and pills to reset your periodic cycle,it is still advisable to not be solely dependent on chemicals as they tend to have lifelong effects on your body.

Instead go for the long and tough route that is do exercise regularly, have enough sleep and maintain the cycle, eat healthy and eat whole meal foods , have cow ghee everyday a a bit .

If done properly and if the body is taken good care of without medications you will have your periodic cycle regulated .

Desserts Of India

India is one of the countries rich in its culture, variety of food, and diversity in all its perspectives. There is a different culture, and lifestyle in each 100 km of state. Be it spice or sweet India has got everything !!

Gulab Jamun, arguably India’s most well-liked dessert, is deliciously sweet, sticky, and impossible to resist! These fried and syrup-soaked soft, spongy balls are created with a dough comprising flour, milk powder, or condensed milk. Their name, which translates to “rose berry” in Hindi, comes from the fact that they are frequently flavored with cardamon and rose. Unni appam, a treat from Kerala in southern India, is a sweet treat comparable to gulab jamun. It is prepared with rice flour, coconut, banana, and jaggery (raw sugar).

Like Italy has gelato, India has got an Indian version of ice cream which is kulfi. it is significantly creamier and thicker than typical ice cream because it isn’t whipped before freezing. Simply boiling the milk will thicken and diminish its volume. Cardamon is the typical flavoring for kulfi. Mango, pistachio, saffron, vanilla, and rose are among the more tastes. With the inclusion of thin noodles and dried fruits, it is occasionally served as falooda kulfi.

The most popular version of this traditional Indian dessert is gajar ka halwa (carrot halwa). It originated in the imperial Mughal kitchens and is especially well-liked in the north of India during the winter. Grated carrots are the major component. It is prepared with milk, sugar, and a substantial amount of ghee.Similar to how gajar ka halwa is created and adored in the north of India, Rava Kesari (also known as Kesari halwa) is made in the south. Ghee is used to roast the Rava (semolina), which is then boiled with sugar and water. Additionally, saffron is added to give it color. And this is the most significant dessert and can be seen in prepared in next house.

Jalebi is the most loved dessert in India .In essence, it consists of deep-fried loops of dough prepared with refined flour and sweetened with saffron. Jalebi isn’t only an Indian delicacy. Its origins can be found in the Middle East, and it is thought that Persian conquerors brought it to India. But there’s no denying that India has enthusiastically embraced the jalebi. It is available at local cuisine stands all around the country, deliciously breathtaking.

This ubiquitous celebratory treat in the shape of a ball is a staple at any special event in India and has a wide variety of variations. Yes,you would have guessed it right!! Its laddoo.However, each location has a unique specialization. It is frequently prepared with semolina, crushed coconut, or gram/chickpea flour. Other components include milk, sugar, ghee, and dried fruits. Since more than three centuries, worshipers at the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh have received the most renowned laddoo in all of India. With an estimate of 3 million pieces sold each day, production is a huge endeavor!

Visiting Karnataka? Never miss out on Mysore Pak. This buttery, fluffy confection, frequently given during festivals, is thought to have been created in the royal Mysore Palace kitchen. It is produced with a lot of clarified butter, sugar syrup (pak), and chickpea flour (ghee). There is also a less popular hard, brittle kind of it. Definitely opt for the soft one!

According to popular mythology, Nobin Chandra Das, a confectioner from Kolkata, invented the rasgulla in 1868 after extensive testing Although it was originally served at the Jagannath temple in Puri, the Odisha government claims to have proof that the rasgulla (known as rasagola there) existed in the state before 1500. In July, Odisha has a celebration called Rasagola Dibasa to honor the confection.Cottage cheese, semolina, and sugar syrup are used to make the white, spongy rasgulla balls. In West Bengal and Odisha, where the dessert is revered, its provenance has been the subject of a heated discussion in recent years.

Furthermore, the list doesn’t stop here. There is a huge variety of different cuisines with desserts ahead from different states.

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WHAT IS THE STOCK MARKET?

TYPES OF STOCKS

HOW THE STOCK MARKET WORKS?

WHAT IS THE STOCK MARKET DOING TODAY?

HOW TO INVEST IN THE STOCK MARKET?

STOCK MARKET VS STOCK EXCHANGE

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EARLY LIFE AND CAREER

LIVING LIFE ON HIS OWN TERMS

WARREN BUFFET’S CHARITY

BUFFET’S RULE

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WHAT IS BITCOIN?

WHAT IS INVESTMENT IN GOLD?

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BITCOIN AND GOLD

WHICH TYPE OF INVESTMENT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED? GOLD OR BITCOIN

FINAL VERDICT

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