Month: June 2020

Influence of Tantrism in Pala School of Art

Tantrism – An Introduction

Tantrism can be understood as the unification of the male and female forces, that further attains the path of moksha after being united. The early history of Tantrism is difficult to trace but according to records, artefacts and other facts, this concept emerged as well as got widely accepted in 5th century.

It is also believed that it was in the 5th century that the Tantric Gods were started to be worshipped as well as some of the texts of Hinduism and Buddhism were also composed during this period.

The Mandala of Avalokiteshwara.

About the Pala Dynasty of Bengal

In order to examine the Pala sculptures and influences of Tantrism in Pala sculptures, let us first take up the history of the Pala dynasty.

The Pala dynasty, who had a ruling time period from 8th century CE to 12th century CE in Bengal, were originally the military conquerors. The empire was established after the declaration of Gopala as the emperor of Gauda state in upper Bihar by his Kshatriya associates in 750 CE. The literal meaning of the term Pala is the gaurdian or the protector in Sanskrit. The Palas were responsible for introducing and establishing Mahayana Buddhism in Tibet, Myanmar and Bhutan. The Palas had a large extentions of trade and also had influences in Southeast Asia. Ample number of evidences including the sculptures and architectural styles of Shailendra Empire in Java confirms the fact that Palas had great influences over those regions.

Map depicting the extention of the Pala Dynasty from 8th century to 12th century AD.

Obviously as a matter of misfortune, the Pala Empire disintegrated in the 12th century due to frequent attacks by the Sena dynasty.

Influence of Tantrism in Pala Sculptures

The Palas of Bengal and Bihar are being credited for developing the history and culture of the ancient era. They were the one who tried their best to preserve and patronise their cultures.
From the 8th to 12th centuries CE, the regions of Bihar and Bengal, that were under the Pala rule, rendered a huge number of religiously inspired sculptures. They majorly had the elements of Tantrism as well.

The Palas are referred as the great patrons of art , especially Buddhist, in the literary texts. In addition to these facts, the inscriptional evidences too confirm their art of giving patronages to the Buddhist monastic establishments. And since they were the patrons of Tantrism , so one can find Tantric objects in the sculptures. Palas were basically the followers of the Mahayana and Tantric schools of Buddhism. They patronised the Mahayana Buddhism and too supported Shaivism (specifically the Pala ruler Narayana Pala himself took the initiative to construct a Shiva temple in his empire). Hence for this reason, at a very great ease one can determine the overlapping influences of Tantrism in the Pala art alongwith the sculptures.

Durga Mahishasurmardini, black stone stele, 11th century, Pala Dynasty , Northeastern India

One thing can be highlighted that it was in this period only that Tantrism got highly developed with sculptural art forms. Therefore it is more commom to see intermingling and mixing of the Buddhist Tantric elements in Hindu cults as well as simply Tantric elements in Buddhist along with Hindu cults too.

Basically the Pala art was influenced from the Gupta art forms and it is considered to be an extentions of the same. The Gupta style of sculptural art was given a new dimension and was too patronised by the Pala rulers, that later came to be known as the Pala School of Art or Eastern Style of Medieval Sculpture.
One more historical fact can be added to the history of Pala school of art,that is the development,continuity and modification of the Pala sculpture even in the later phases, under the Sena Dynasty of Bengal in 12th century CE and was widely known as Pala-Sena School of Art.

Manasa with Astika on her lap, bronze sculpture, 11th cventury, Pala Dynasty, Bihar

Observations-
1. A huge Tantric effect can be seen in this sculpture wherein the main figure ,i.e., Manasa is beseated on lotus , that is obviously a Tantric element and she is wearing a large unusual crown (with serpent faces on it ) over her head that features a demonic type of element under Tantrism.
2. She is surrounded by some other mystic figurines as well. 3.The female figures are represented with nude torsos.
4. The upper part or the torso too is shown naked and is decorated with various ornaments.

This was how Tantrism effected the Pala School of Art, providing it a new dimension in the history of art and sculptures, thus.

Outfelt- you would know!

you feel way too much!

You are sensitive.

I want you to know that its okay to feel that way. You end up doing things for your friends because you think ” they will feel bad” .you just can not never ever say no to anyone even if you have to jump your boundaries for that.you notice little changes in someone’s behaviour. you feel everything so deeply. its a blessing and a curse.

you know your friend did not mean the joke that was aimed at you. you know they like you. but you get hurt, sometimes. and you suck at expressing how you feel. so you just let out a feeble smile.in those moments, you just want to disappear.

when you are a sensitive person, you end up thinking a lot about how others would feel. you keep putting yourself in their shoes. you try to be a nice person . you get kind with everyone , even with the people who dont deserve shit like that but you still be kind to everyone and tell others to do the same as well because you know what an unkind behaviour can do , cause you might have been through that and you dont wanna see people suffer. and sometimes being the good and nice person takes a toll on you and you end up doing things that you don’t want . just because of that one reason “that will feel bad no.”

well, you hide your pain well but you have cried during movies. and sometimes you just avoid listening to certain songs or watching certain movies.simply because you hit too close to home.

but all of this has an advantage that you empathise well with people . you actually understand what they are going to . you actually feel their trouble. it makes you a great friend . and you always try to br there for people.sometimes, it gets overwhelmimg you need an off swutch. sometimes you need some fuckening to stop. sometimes your brain screams at you to cut yourself some slack.you can guess people’s mood simply by the way they are talking , and also you can guess my someones way of texting if they are feeling low, being ignorant , falling apart or are just busy. and you want to help them .it really bothers you when you’re close friends are feeling low.you try to do everything in your capacity to fix it . and this becomes emotionally draining for you.

you cant be on bad terms with anyone if something goes wrong it keeps bothering you in your head. you feel the need to solve the situation .you cant concentrate on anything until they are at peace with you. and in sloving problems of everybody you forget you have your own shit to take care of and no one is gonna fix you. and in this mess u loose yourself.

honestly what they say is true – feeling everything too strongly and deeply is a curse and a blessing at the same time . you have made peace with it and its okay.but i want you to know that it is not your job to “fix” the world. you heal everyone but who heals you?

please relax and take care of yourself. in this world , surviving and living with a fragile heart is extremely difficult. people take advantage of you . you need to love yourself before you love others. you need to build a wall around that heart.

with love,

someone like you.

Electrified Fabric Could Zap the Coronavirus on Masks and Clothing

Prototype mask made from a fabric that can inactivate pathogens. Credit: Vomaris Innovations, Inc.

Wearing masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) can slow the spread of COVID-19. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone wear some kind of face covering in public places, especially where social distancing is difficult to maintain. And health workers are donning additional coverings, such as gowns. Yet all such protective gear shares one significant problem: people still risk becoming infected with the novel coronavirus if they accidentally touch areas of the fabric that are contaminated with viral particles. So researchers are working to develop cloth that could inactivate or repel coronaviruses—ideally including the one that causes COVID-19—and other pathogens.

People transfer infectious particles to their hands if they touch the front of a mask during use or when they remove gowns or other PPE, according to Chandan Sen, director of the Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering at Indiana University. He and his colleagues have been developing a way to render those particles and other infectious agents harmless. The team researches “electroceutical” materials that wirelessly “generate electric fields across the surface of the fabric,” Sen says. Those fields can disrupt the behavior of bacteria or viruses on the cloth.

“The beauty of this [technology] is the inherently simple design,” he says. The polyester material is printed with alternating spots of silver and zinc resembling polka dots. They are one to two millimeters wide and spaced one millimeter apart. When the electroceutical material is dry, it functions as an ordinary fabric. But if it gets dampened—say, with saliva, vapor from a coughed up droplet or other bodily fluids—ions in the liquid trigger an electrochemical reaction. The silver and zinc then generate a weak electric field that zaps pathogens on the surface.

The researchers co-developed the material with the biotechnology company Vomaris Innovations in 2012. Last year they showed that the technology could be used to treat bacterial biofilms in wounds. A clinical trial is underway to further evaluate the fabric’s effectiveness as a Food and Drug Administration–cleared dressing for wound care, Sen says.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen’s team tested its existing material on a different coronavirus strain that causes a respiratory illness in pigs and on an unrelated type of pathogen called a lentivirus. “We wanted to know how broadly this principle could be applicable,” he says. In a study posted on the preprint server ChemRxiv in May, Sen’s team reported that its electroceutical fabric destabilized both viruses, leaving them unable to infect cells. The researchers plan to submit the results to a peer-reviewed journal as well.

To study the fabric’s action, they placed a liquid solution containing viral particles onto the electroceutical fabric and a polyester control fabric without the metal dots. After the droplets were fully absorbed, and the samples had rested for one to five minutes, the researchers recovered viral particles from both fabrics and tested whether they could still infect the types of cells they typically target.

“The data presented here show that, of the total virus that was recovered, a significant percentage was inactivated,” says Jeff Karp, a professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and co-leader of an N95 respirator working group at the Massachusetts General Brigham Center for COVID Innovation. Karp, who was not involved with the study, adds that the researchers did not test all of the virus that they had placed on the cloth. “In fact, the majority of virus was not recovered from the textiles examined in this study,” he says. Sen responds that his team focused on sampling only enough viral particles to show that the fabric had rendered them unable to infect cells. The researchers recovered roughly 44 percent of the particles from the electroceutical fabric samples that had rested for one minute. And they retrieved 24 percent of them from the samples that had rested for five minutes.

The material’s virus-fighting abilities have not been tested specifically on SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The researchers’ findings with the two viruses they studied, however, gave them “hope that this could apply more widely,” Sen says. He adds that large-scale manufacturing of the electroceutical fabric is already possible and that the costs of producing it are relatively low. The metal dots could be printed directly onto the front surfaces of masks, he suggests. Or an electroceutical fabric could be inserted between the front of a mask and the wearer’s face.

If a virus-stopping PPE material were widely available, it could limit the novel coronavirus’s ability to spread. “There is a huge unmet need to better understand modes of viral transfer that lead to virus transmission,” Karp says. “As we develop a better understanding of this, there is a huge immediate need to develop and quickly apply solutions that can reduce transmission.”

Metal dots are not the only potential approach. Paul Leu, director of an advanced materials laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, and his colleagues are developing a textile coating that repels bodily fluids, proteins and bacteria. It also repels one strain of adenovirus that causes respiratory illness and another that causes conjunctivitis, as reported in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces in April. Leu’s team has also not tested the material with the novel coronavirus itself, however. “The main thing with testing [the coating on] SARS-CoV-2 is the biosafety level you need to test it, because it’s very hazardous,” he says. Still, his team plans to see how well textiles with this coating repel a different coronavirus.

Leu says the coating, which remains repellent even after ultrasonic washing and scraping with a razor blade, could make PPE safer for wearers to take off. It could also be used on hospital bed linens, drapes and waiting room chairs, the researchers note in the study. But Leu points out that the coating is intended for use with medical textiles that are already considered reusable. His team has not tested it on single-use masks or N95s, but he thinks it could potentially damage them. Still, he says, the coating could work well for cloth masks such as those now being worn by many among the general public.

By developing materials that kill or repel viruses, researchers hope to make masks and other protective gear safer to remove and more effective against all viruses. “If the common person were to have PPE that wouldn’t spread infection,” Sen says, “I think that’s a big, big deal.”

 

June 26 observed as International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

Today is International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. In 1987, the United Nations General Assembly decided to observe 26th June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.

The theme for this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is “Better Knowledge for Better Care”. The theme emphasizes the need to improve the understanding of the world drug problem and how in turn, better knowledge will foster greater international cooperation for countering its impact on health, governance and security.

Supported each year by individuals, communities and various organizations all over the world, this global observance aims to raise awareness of the major problem that illicit drugs represent to society.

Around 269 million people used drugs worldwide in 2018, which is 30 per cent more than in 2009, while over 35 million people suffer from drug use disorders, according to the latest World Drug Report. 

12 Ways to Stop Undermining Your Self Esteem

It is easy to lose track of your worth after you have spent significant time in an unhealthy work environment. If you were given too little, you may view yourself as lacking and believe you are inadequate. If you were starved for the recognition you may become hard on yourself and insecure in conflictual situations because you fear being seen as wrong and being fired.

Conversely, if you were given too much you may have become dependent upon other people to fill you up and make you feel happy and successful, perhaps becoming angry or abusive when the world doesn’t shift on its axis to give you what you want when you want it. When you have never been held responsible for sustaining your own success or well-being you remain emotionally immature and demanding.

1. Change your inner dialogue.
To increase your self-esteem improve the way you talk to yourself. Stop the inner dialogue that you are not good enough or that you must repeatedly prove your worth. That causes you to be inauthentic and to over-function.

Conversely, if you only feel good enough when people are bending over backward to placate your needs you will suffer from the disappointment of unmet and unrealistic expectations. That will cause you to become angry, demanding and to feel empty.

2. Find balance.
If you are not getting your important needs met because you put yourself second to meeting the needs of others, start putting your needs first. When you put yourself first you give yourself the sense of importance you so desperately seek to feel from others.

If, on the other hand, you expect others to put you first and do everything for you, you will never develop the all-important empathy necessary for sustaining healthy connections. Find the balance of what you need to do for yourself and what you can realistically expect from others.

3. Know your worth.
If your worth is dependent upon pleasing others you will come up empty. Nothing you do for others will be enough to make you feel valued and appreciated in the way you desire. Knowing your worth has to come from within. Your worth is determined by the treatment you accept or expect for yourself, not by how much of yourself you give away.

Conversely, cannot gain the skill of developing your own self-worth if you expect others to constantly soothe you, build you up and make you feel like you are a success. Measuring your worth by how important others make you feel makes your sense of self to dependent on other people.

To know your worth take charge of yourself and see how it feels to experience your own power.

4. Create your own success and happiness.
Neither success or happiness are givens. They are creations. If happiness is not developed from within, you will naturally start looking for happiness from outside sources. This makes you needy. Your expectations, driven by insecurity, will drain others or push them away.

Trust that you deserve success and happiness. Figure out how to self-soothe and make yourself happy. When you enjoy your own achievements and success your sense of worth will attract new opportunities and the recognition you deserve from your bosses and coworkers.

5. Be proud.
Do things you are proud of. Take care to dress nice. Be nice, be calm, be loving and have boundaries. Work hard, achieve all you can, be clean and be kind. Kindness will take you further in life than any other human characteristic.

Walk tall. There is so much about you that is good, regardless of what you have been told. Choose to believe in who you are and be proud of that. Do not compare yourself to others. Like the snowflake, you are not repeatable.

6. Work hard.
Happiness is a byproduct of achieving and having a purpose. Hard work trumps genius, so let go of the idea you have to have a stellar IQ to be successful. The hard workers in life, void of entitlement, are the people who succeed at the highest levels.

There is nothing that can make you feel better about yourself then being committed in life, to your life, and to yourself through hard work. With hard work, success is a guarantee. Success naturally brings us self-love, self-respect, self-esteem, recognition and happiness.

7. Exercise.
Exercise is good all around. First, it is the best anti-anxiety and anti-depressive agent around. It promotes positive mood and it also helps you feel good about your physique. Nothing can lower self-esteem more quickly than not liking what you look like.

Commit to exercising a minimum of three times per week, and do what you can to get outdoors. When you get outside, it yanks you out of the daily grind and you are reminded of how beautiful this earth is, how beautiful life is and how much you have to be thankful for.

A little fresh air is enough to cleanse your spirit of negativity.

8. Eat healthy.
What you feed your stomach you feed your brain. The digestive system is the most similar in neurochemistry to the brain, which is why your stomach is considered your second brain. To feel good and be happy, eat healthy.

Supply your brain with the nutrients that stimulate health and positive mood. Eat lots of greens and drink a lot of water. Eat low-fat proteins to fuel your body for positive mood, productivity and sustainable energy.

9. Choose healthy connections.
It only takes one toxic person to destroy your entire sense of self. Choose people, companies or bosses that treat you with dignity and respect. Refuse to participate in relationships where you have to constantly prove your worth to keep their interest. Conversely, to have healthy a self-esteem avoid being that person who demands others to constantly bend to your needs for you to feel alive and worthy.

10. Depend on yourself.
Do not allow others to do for you what you can do for yourself. There is no path to a healthy self-esteem through being lazy or entitled. Learn to take care of your own needs, learn to be responsible for your own success. Support your life in all the ways you can.

Take control and become a whole person you can admire, depend upon and trust.

11. Let others be themselves.
If you are needy, insecure, entitled or demanding you become controlling. When you are controlling you compromise the freedoms of the important people in your life through fear, abandonment or engulfment. When you love yourself, you will not need to make demands because you will already have your needs taken care of. This makes you easier to work with and for.

People will respond to you the most when you give them the freedom to be themselves.

12. Be happy for others.
People with healthy self-esteem seldom feel jealousy or envy because they are satisfied in their own lives, careers and relationships. They are satisfied with who they are as people. Be happy for other people and their happiness. This shift will fundamentally change your life and only serve to bring happiness your way.

Trust there is enough love, money, happiness and success for everyone. When you see there is no such thing as lack, other people’s success or happiness will no longer be a threat to you and your view of yourself. Your self-worth is YOUR business.

Europa Ocean could support life

Europa is one of the smallest moons among all 4 Galilean moon (Lo, Ganymede and Callisto) orbiting around Jupiter. Astronomer Galileo Galilei discovered the first of Jupiter moons around 400 years ago.

Recent searches have found that there can be an evolvement of life and that’s why the search of existence of life typically revolve around the Jupiter’s moon Europa that it could be the best bet to find the habitat.

According to NASA’s Researchers, the subsurface ocean can be habitable of life. The surface of the Europa is all covered with icy shells and According to the researchers, there is an ocean under the icy shells which could have the potential of the evolvement of life.

Scientists have found a new theory according to which the ocean’s water came from the water-rich minerals which released their water because of heating caused by the radioactive decay of the satellite’s core. Europa gravitational interaction with Jupiter-giant planet in the solar system and all the moon has played a vital role.

Europa is 31,000 km in diameter which makes it smaller than Earth’s moon but slightly bigger than the Pluto. Europa’s distance from the sun is nearly 485 million miles and estimated to be nearly 4.5 billion years old. Europa is Jupiter’s sixth satellite. Many spacecraft have done flybys of Europa including Pioneer, Voyagers and Galileo Spacecraft which around Jupiter through which scientist have discovered the oceans could be under the ice surface and the composition is not clear till now.

The scientists have found that this ocean would originally not as much acidic as they initially thought, and along with high concentrations of carbon dioxide, calcium and sulfate. It was thought that this ocean could still be rather sulfuric” said Mohit Melwani Daswani, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Jet. According to researchers they have seen the traces of chloride on Europa’s Surface which suggests that the water will become chloride rich which implies the Europa’s Ocean could be same as Earth’s Ocean and could support life.

Using the data of Galileo mission the lead researcher Mohit Melwani Daswani, has said “We were able to model the composition and physical properties of the core, silicate layer, and ocean. We find that different minerals lose water and volatiles at different depths and temperatures.”

He also said that the Europa is one of the best bet to find the habitat in the solar system .And this theory could be also the possibility of Saturn’s moon Titan to be formed by the same process as Jupiter Moon Europa. He also told about the further missions NASA’s Europa Clipper mission will launch a few years later, whose aim is to find the habitat in Jupiter moon Europa.

Obviously, some questions are still unanswered could life be possible on Europa or could the cold moon could ever melt the rock or the still we are unknown by ocean temperature. But all these answers may be given by the Europa mission a few years later.

The press was released on 24 June by Astrobiology.com.

DELIBERATE PRACTICE

Deliberate practice refers to a special type of practice that is purposeful and systematic. purposeful practice requires your complete undivided attention and your full time. It requires Deep Work and a lot of concentration to reach goal.The only way you can improve is if you have some idea of how you’re doing relative to your goals and what parts you need to improve on in order to get closer to your goals. You have to make list about your pros and cons and which field require more practice for more improvement. Purposeful Practice Requires Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone: If you never push yourself beyond what you’re already capable of, you can never improve. You have to do more than your capacity or power and stretch yourself. Never think that you can do the work, develop yourself to do the work. You can achieve anything with deliberate practice. “Practice makes a man perfect”. You can change your luck by hardwork. So never get disappointed that any work is out of your reach.

“Success has to do with deliberate practice: practice must be focused, determined, and in environment where there’s feedback”

While regular practice might include mindless repetitions, deliberate practice requires focused attention and is conducted with the specific goal of improving performance.Fundamentally, the theory of deliberate practice posits that development of expertise requires incorporating a self-reflective feedback loop into the skill delivery or development (i.e., practice) process, rather than simply performing a task repetitively until mastered.

Can You Achieve Anything With Enough Practice?

With enough work and effort you can achieve your goal, doesn’t matter how hard is this. While human beings do possess a remarkable ability to develop their skills. There are no limits to how far any individual can go. Their is no limitations. If anyone want to enhance your ability, achieve more and more success nothing will stop you.

Deliberate practice can help us maximize our potential. It turns potential into reality.

Examples of Deliberate Practice

  • Joe DiMaggio was one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. I recently heard a little-known story about how DiMaggio developed his exceptional ability. 
  • In some circles, golfer Ben Hogan is credited with “inventing practice.” Hogan methodically broke the game of golf down into chunks and figured out how he could master each section. Today, experts have a new term for his rigorous style of improvement. 
  • How long does it take to become elite at your craft? And what do the people who master their goals do differently than the rest of us? Check out these lessons on success from Mozart, Picasso, and Kobe Bryant.

Deliberate practice is a method for improving your performance at anything, based on constant feedback and working at the edge of your abilities. Elite people in every field use it to build up their expertise. Let’s take a look at exactly what deliberate practice is, how to do it, and why it works. Research concludes that we need deliberate practice to improve performance. Unfortunately, deliberate practice isn’t something that most of us understand, let alone engage in on a daily basis. This helps explain why we can work at something for decades without really improving our performance.Deliberate practice is hard. It hurts. But it works. More of it equals better performance and tons of it equals great performance.

Justice for Jayraj and Fenix – The Need To Stop Custodial Deaths

More than 1,000 people of Sathankulam town in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district staged a dharna Tuesday after two persons were allegedly killed in police custody here. In a chilling case of police torture, a father and son died in a span of 10 hours, in judicial custody in Thoothukudi, a coastal town in south Tamil Nadu, allegedly after being subjected to third-degree tre­at­ment by the police. The incident triggered widespread political and societal outrage.

The deceased have been identified as Jayaraj (59) and his son Fenix Emmanuel (31).  Two sub-inspectors have been suspended. According to the protesters and other local residents, Jayaraj along with Fenix ran a mobile shop named APJ in the town. On Friday, he closed his shop around 8:15 pm. Personnel from the Sathankulam police station, who was on patrol duty, reportedly pulled him up for running the store beyond the permitted time, and an argument took place.

On Saturday evening, the police personnel visited the shop again and had an altercation with Jayaraj.  When Fenix intervened, both father and son were taken to the police station and booked under several sections of the IPC, including Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 353 (use of force to deter public servant from duty).

On Sunday, after a medical check-up, the duo was lodged in the Kovilpatti sub-jail. That evening, local residents alleged, Fenix complained of chest pain and Jayaraj had a high fever. Both were taken to the Kovilpatti government hospital, where Fenix died on Monday evening and Jayaraj succumbed to respiratory illness Tuesday morning.

Jayaraj’s wife Selvarani has lodged a complaint, alleging that police brutality led to the death of her husband and son. In her complaint letter to the district criminal court and Assistant Commissioner, she said the police brutally attacked her husband and son, used curse words, and threatened to kill them. She urged them to book the police officers responsible under section 302 of the IPC and suspend them from duty.Condemning the killing, all trader union bodies, various political outfits, activists, and the local public staged protests in various parts of the town. Kanniyakumari MP Vasanthakumar, former AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa, and other party functionaries participated in the protest. Their demands include the arrest and suspension of the police officers responsible for the incident, compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the family members of the deceased, a doctor from the protesters’ side to be allowed during the autopsy, and a government job to one member of the deceased’s family.

The series of violations in the case mock our procedures. Whenever there is a death in police custody, the concerned police officers are duty-bound to bring it to the notice of senior officers expeditiously.

In view of the perception that custodial deaths take place because of reckless incidents of arrest, amendments have been effected to the Criminal Procedure Code, stating arrests be made only in offences which attract punishment of more than seven years or in those offences where there is apprehension that the accused may commit similar offences or assist other accused to escape. As soon as the accused is arrested, he should be medically examined by competent government medical officers and necessary medical assistance should be provided as per the requirement. Information about the arrest should be communicated to his advocate and relatives/family members. Details of his arrest need to be conveyed to the police control room and displayed on the unit website. In addition, following directives from the Supreme Court, a State Police Complaints Authority has been formulated under the chairmanship of a retired High Court judge to look into grievances in this regard. All complaints about custodial death are also looked into minutely by NHRC and SHRC from time to time.

Even though all these directives are being underlined and well-published from time to time, it is a matter of concern why these are not implemented at the ground level. Once one gets a job in the police department and wears the police uniform, there is a misconception that this is a blanket approval to arrest anyone and obtain a confession by indulging in physical harassment. Several times, suspecting someone for petty theft or because of personal rivalry, complaints are registered by people of means, and this is followed by arrest and physical torture.

If the police officer does not do so, he is declared a good-for-nothing. Many a time, a police officer who indulges in beating a citizen in public and violates all norms is appreciated by people and he is considered a hero.  Kamte was working as officer-in-charge of detecting crimes in Sangli police station for the last three years, and had reportedly detected several offences using high handed tactics and was applauded by the public from time to time. This must-have led him to believe he is beyond any law.

NHRC, as well as SHRC, have clarified more than once that unless a person has gone to a police station to lodge a complaint, whether he is in the lock-up or outside, he would be treated as under arrest and it is the responsibility of the police officer in charge of the police station to take care of his health. The study of custodial deaths reveals that more than 65 per cent are attributed to suicide, about 25 per cent to mental shock and less than five per cent to police harassment. These are official statistics and they tell us that we need a whole range of steps – from safety measures to psychological inputs and an array of methods and systems to keep a check on these violations and create a culture of fair and proper investigations.

Acting with impunity

These incidents have brought into sharp focus the way Indian policemen torture and interrogate suspects in their custody leading to death in several cases. As a result, policemen all over the country have been severely criticised and condemned. Strictures passed against policemen from time to time by learned judges of various courts notwithstanding, the police continue to brazenly torture suspects in their custody.

The Central Bureau of Investigation too uses torture as a method of investigation. In September 2016, B.K. Bansal, Director General of Corporate Affairs, and his son Yogesh committed suicide. In their suicide note, the two men listed the names of officers who had tortured their family in connection with a case of disproportionate assets. Bansal’s wife and daughter too had committed suicide two months earlier. On the directions of the National Human Rights Commission, an inquiry was held by the CBI. Expectedly, the agency exonerated all the accused. Taking cognisance of the matter, the Central Vigilance Commission published a standard operating procedure laying down guidelines for interrogation of accused officials.

Custodial deaths have been on the increase in recent years. They increased by 9% from 92 in 2016 to 100 in 2017, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. Since policemen responsible for custodial deaths rarely get punished, they feel emboldened to continue using torture as the tool to get to the truth. In 2015, for instance, the police registered cases against fellow police officers in only 33 of the 97 custodial deaths.

A historic order

The Supreme Court delivered a historic order in 2006 on police reforms. It stated, among other things, that every State should have a Police Complaints Authority where any citizen can lodge a complaint against policemen for any act of misdemeanour. However, only a few states such as Kerala, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab and Maharashtra have implemented the order. Others have not taken the matter seriously.

Until exemplary punishment is meted out to policemen who are responsible for custodial deaths after proper judicial inquiry, not much can be expected to ameliorate the situation. Proper interrogation techniques coupled with the use of scientific methods to extract the truth from suspects can go a long way in reducing custodial deaths.

Therfore, It should be mandatory for every officer in charge of the unit to visit immediately all incidents of escape of prisoners or deaths in custody. If the unit in charge does not reach the spot of the incident promptly, she or he should be held accountable. Otherwise, such serious incidents would continue to recur. The time is now ripe for the Indian government to consider ratifying the international treaty against torture and declare her commitment to human dignity.

PM Modi launches ‘Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Yojana’ for migrant workers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic is going on and since there is no Vaccine for Coronavirus we only have one medicine for this deadly virus and that is Mask and ‘do gaz ki doori’ or social distancing. Launching the unique and path-breaking initiative scheme of Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Yojana through video conferencing Prime Minister said that ATMANIRBHAR ABHIYAN is going to benefit Uttar Pradesh the most.  

The Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Yojana is focused on generating employment for those migrant workers of the state who recently returned from other states. Under the campaign around one crore 25 lakh people will be provided employment in the state in different schemes.

On this occasion the Prime Minister praised the UP government and particularly the leadership of Yogi Adityanath for handling the migrant workers issues perfectly. PM said that the Yogi Government has done a wonderful job and worked on war footing using all resources to contain the spread of Corona. Even Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath decided not to attend the last rites of his father and decided to work for the people of the state.

Mr. Modi said that Uttar Pradesh has shown exemplary success in controlling the spread of Corona and this success becomes more important when we compare it with 4 major countries of Europe whose total population is close to UPs population and while those countries have more than one lakh deaths,  but in Uttar Pradesh the number is only 6 hundred. The UP government has therefore saved more than 80 thousand lives if we compare it with the casualties in 4 countries of Europe.

PM said that the ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT campaign will generate approximately 35 lakh new jobs in the agriculture sector.

AIR correspondent reports, the Prime Minister especially mentioned the efforts of the state government in dealing with the epidemic and termed it historic. He said that the state government made arrangements of one lakh beds, constituted more than 60 thousand health teams, provided food and ration to the needy and stated various schemes for ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT.

On this occasion PM interacted with members of Self Help Groups and beneficiaries of different central and state government schemes. Under the Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Yojana a Loan amount of 5900 crores will be distributed to 2.40 Lakh units.  

More than 1 lakh new units will also get 3226 crore rupees as loan amount.  The campaign is launched in 31 districts of the state. These districts have more than 25,000 returnee migrant workers.

Anatomy of eyes.

Eyes are one of the most important parts of our body. They work very similar to camera. Eyes basically convert light into electric signal. Light enters into eyes through cornea. Eyes have pupil which control the amount of light entering our eye. Light then passes through lens which forms an image on retina. Retina has rods and cons cell which convert image into electric signal. Naturally we ought to take best care of this sensitive part of our body. Our senses are the input mechanisms for us to perceive the world and act. Eyes are perhaps the most important of our five senses. They are most sensitive organ. Eyes are perhaps the most favorite body part of poets, they are said to reflect emotions of the being. We rest with our eyes closed, we are said to have closed eyes when we die.

Structure and Working of Eyes and its function

Human eyes are basically designed in two parts- front part, which comprises of lens, cornea and iris; and the interior part which comprises of vitreous, retina and veins.Cornea is the transparent structure found in front of our eyes. Light enters into our eyes through cornea which focuses most of the light. Then light passes through lens and gets further focused.  Behind the cornea is iris. It is a colored, ring shaped membrane. The iris has a circular opening called pupil. Pupil can expand or retract to control the amount of eyes entering our eyes. The pupil may take some time to react to light- that is why eyes take time to adjust to low light.The lens is surrounded by muscles which keep the lens in place. These muscles can relax to flatten the lens or contract to thicken the lens. The lens in our eyes is a convex lens- the surrounding muscles make it of variable focus length. When lens is flattened the focus length is high thus we are able to see far away, and when the lens is thickened, the focus length is small and we can see closer objects.

 The interior chamber of eyeball is filled with vitreous humor. After the light crosses lens, it passes through vitreous humor to reach retina. Retina is like the film in camera. It acts as screen for the image formation. Interesting thing to note here is that the image formed is inverted! This happens because of the convex lens in our eye. And only real image formed in a convex lens are always inverted. It is the magic of our brain that interprets the things right way up.Retina has three tissue layers. The first layer is called sclera which gives eye most of its white color [2]. The middle layer is called choroid which contains blood vessels that supply the retina with nutrients and oxygen and remove its waste products. Retina has millions of light sensing nerves. These nerves are called rods and cones because of their shape. Cones are concentrated in the center of the retina. Cones work more in bright light. They provide clear, sharp central vision and detect colors and fine details. Rods and cones convert light in electric signals. This signal is sent to brain via optical nerves which interprets the signal. Rods are located outside the center of retina. They extend all the way to the outer edge of the retina. They provide peripheral or side vision. Rods also allow the eyes to detect motion and help us see in dim light and at night.

“Zealandia- 8th Continent Soon ?”

Science and technology has helped humans in discovery of a number of things hidden deep inside sea, land, and even outer space. The invention of internet had gave birth to globalization  and people could travelling around the world, talk to people from on end to other end, get information about any topic they want, just with a single click and many more. While most of the earth secrest remain hidden, there have been some human advancement to discover some of them and thus gain more knowledge.There have been various theories reflecting the facts of drowned cities and islands due increase in water level or tsunamis or any other factotre like tectonic shift. Scientists have really been fascinated towards these facts and thus they have been finding some of those and thus get an idea about how early life was. The search of these led them to find the 8th continent which was expected to be lost crores of years ago. “Zealandia” is the name given to this continent and soon we can see it as an accepted continent around the world. 

Zealandia is present between Australia and New Caledonia in the South Pacific Ocean. The interesting fact to know is that about 94% of the land is submerged under water. According to the American Geological Society, Zealandia has an area of 50 lakh square km, which equals to about 66% of total Australian land. Zealandia was expected to be a part of Australia, but due to tectonic shift, it got away from it and drowned in water. So It’s fascinating to know about such a place and scientists went on a drilling experiment and collected some samples of rocks of Zealandia.The results were really good enough as they were rich in silica, granite and limestone. But how could be find a continental, suddenly. The first theory of Zealandia was given in 1995 and after then in 2017 , it was accepted to be land which could be named as a continent by most of the scientists but still not official. So with the help of the latest technologies , we were able to reach this place  and find the lost continent probably. 

Zealandia can be provided the designation if a continents, since it fulfills some of requirements required for it to be a continent .These include.:

  1. Continent needs to have elevation above the ocean floor , surrounding it. Which surely is as we see most of the land above the ocean floor through the images captured. 
  2. The crust of the continent must have igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, which certainly are present in it as per the experiments done by the experts. 
  3. The crust must be thicker and less dense than the oceanic crust. We see the thickness of Zealandia is thicker than the ocean floor we see, which makes it visible and also less than the oceanic crust. 
  4. It must be spread across a wider area. Interesting fact about Zealandia is that it’s size lie between the biggest island and smallest continent, so it might be a confusion to name it as an island or a continent. 

The benefits of such a piece of land which was under land for so many years could be enormous. It Would be rich in resources, new metals and stones and also would help us to understand what earth would have been so many years ago and most if its parts are untouched and pure. This could surely lead us to open up new possibilities and resources. 

But the big question still remains is will Zealandia get a position of a new continent. It’s still a question  most scientists have been conflicting up for. The main issue is that we do not actually know the pure definition of what a continent truly is, and how we separate it from other big islands. Maybe in the future we would be able to notice a wide change in our geography with 8 continents, new possibilities of research and development and a lot more understanding about our earth and it’s hidden secrets. 

Sole Testimony of Victim of Sexual Abuse, If Found Reliable, is Sufficient

In a fresh, firm and favourable ruling for victims of sexual abuse and delivered just recently on June 15, 2020, the Uttarakhand High Court has in a latest, landmark and extremely laudable judgment titled Bhuwan Chandra Pandey Vs Union of India and others in Writ Petition (S/B) No. 153 of 2013 held in no uncertain terms that the sole testimony of the victim of sexual abuse is sufficient to hold the perpetrator guilty of misconduct in a departmental enquiry. There is no reason why the sole testimony of sexual abuse not be sufficient to hold the perpetrator guilty of misconduct in a departmental enquiry. There are so many notable rulings of Supreme Court and High Courts also which have held the perpetrator accountable even in such cases of sole testimony of sexual abuse!

                                         To start with, this noteworthy judgment authored by Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court – Ramesh Ranganathan for himself and Justice RC Khulbe sets the ball rolling by first and foremost posing a series of thought provoking questions in para 1 which goes as: “Is the sole testimony of the victim of sexual abuse, sufficient to hold the perpetrator guilty of misconduct in a departmental enquiry? Is the punishment of dismissal from service, imposed on the perpetrator as a consequence thereof, grossly disproportionate warranting interference by this Court in the exercise of its power of judicial review? These questions, among several others, arise for consideration in this writ petition.”

                                          While elaborating further, it is then stated in para 2 that, “The extra-ordinary jurisdiction of this Court, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, has been involved by the petitioner seeking a writ of certiorari to quash the order of punishment of dismissal dated 10.05.2012, the appellate order, the order directing initiation of a de-novo enquiry, and the fresh charge sheet, declaring the same as illegal, dehors the rules and unconstitutional; to issue a writ of mandamus commanding the respondents to treat the petitioner as continuing in service, and reinstate him with all consequential benefits including promotion, upgradation of pay, revised pay scales and arrears of salary, as he would have been entitled to, if the impugned orders had not been passed; for a writ of mandamus to consider the petitioner’s claim for payment of damages on account of the tortuous act of the respondents; and to quantify the damages to be recovered from the erring officers, and persons who were instrumental and responsible for the same.”    

                                              While dwelling on the facts of the case, it is then stated clearly in para 3 that, “Facts, to the limited extent necessary, are that, for the para medic course (the duration of which was for a period of three months), the petitioner was nominated, for the three day period 16.08.1998 to 18.08.1998, as a guest instructor for an outdoor exercise with trainees, for conducting a half day theory class, a half night march exercise at the S.S.B. Academy Gwaldum, and to impart them training on military topics such as night navigation and map reading. On 18.08.1998 the trainees, including two lady members of the 94 medic course, were imparted training on theoretical subjects. The half night training exercise included a night march. However, because of heavy rains in that area, it was decided by the petitioner’s superior officers not to permit both the lady trainees to march in the wet and muddy hilly areas to prevent any casualty occurring thereby. In the affidavit, filed in support of the writ petition, the petitioner states that it was decided to give minimum or grace marks for the night march training to the two lady trainees as they did not participate in the night march.”

                                              In continuation of the above, it is then stated more relevantly in para 4 that, “After completion of the night training exercise, the petitioner, along with several other members including the two lady trainees, sat in the cabin of a truck which was coming back to Gwaldum station. It is in the cabin of the truck that the petitioner is said to have molested one of the lady trainees, and to have sexually harassed her.”        

                                       While elaborating further on what is stated above, it is then stated in para 5 that, “While this unsavory incident is said to have taken place in the cabin of the truck at around 11 p.m. on 18.08.1998, the victim trainee (hereinafter referred to as the “complainant”) lodged a complaint on 19.08.1998 to the DIG F.A. Gwaldum alleging sexual harassment by the petitioner during the return journey on 18.08.1998. Thereafter the petitioner was informed, by memorandum dated 08.10.1999, that it was proposed to take action against him under Rule 16 of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965 (for short the “1965 Rules”). A statement of imputations of misconduct/misbehavior, on which action was proposed to be taken, was issued giving the petitioner an opportunity to submit his representation thereto. Rule 16 of the 1965 Rules prescribes the procedure for imposing the minor penalties as specified under Rule 11. The inquiry committee, constituted thereafter, submitted its report on 21.09.2001 holding the petitioner guilty of the charges. The disciplinary authority agreed with the findings of the Inquiry Committee. Though minor penalty proceedings, under Rule 16 of the 1965 Rules, had been initiated against him by memorandum dated 08.10.1999, the petitioner, on being held guilty of the charges, was imposed, by proceedings dated 12.09.2003, the major penalty of dismissal from service.”         

                                          Importantly, it is then laid bare in para 106 that, “In the present case the Disciplinary Authority imposed, on the petitioner, the punishment of dismissal from service after concurring with the findings and conclusions of the Inquiry Committee that both Charges 1 and 2 were proved. The first charge, as noted hereinabove, related to sexual abuse and molestation by a superior paramilitary officer over his subordinate lady trainee. In the Paramilitary Forces, where the need to maintain discipline is of a very high order, such acts of a superior officer, in taking advantage of the vulnerability of a subordinate lady trainee and in indulging in such heinous acts of molestation and sexual abuse, justified the deterrent punishment of dismissal from service being imposed on him. Under no circumstances, be it in the Paramilitary Forces or elsewhere, can such acts either be condoned or a lenient view be taken thereof. The second charge, as held established is that the petitioner, after having indulged in such heinous acts, as also his father who was a high ranked official, in the cadre of Deputy Inspector General in the Sashastra Seema Bal, had sought to pressurize the complainant to withdraw the complaint.”

                           More importantly, while justifying the punishment imposed on the petitioner, it is then held in para 107 that, “The deponent of the counter-affidavit, filed in the present Writ Petition, is the Commandant, SSB, Gwaldam. It is not for him to sit in judgment over the decision of the President of India in imposing the punishment of dismissal from service on the petitioner for the charges held established. His concession, that the punishment is not proportionate, is therefore of no consequence. Even otherwise, we are satisfied that the punishment, imposed on the petitioner of dismissal from service, is commensurate to the charges held established. The contention urged on behalf of the petitioner, that the punishment of dismissal from service is shockingly disproportionate, therefore necessitated rejection.”

                                       Most importantly, it is very rightly observed in para 43 that, “As the sole testimony of a prosecutrix, in a criminal case involving sexual harassment and molestation, would suffice if it is otherwise reliable, there is no justifiable reason not to accept the sole testimony of a victim, of sexual harassment and molestation, in a departmental inquiry as the enquiry held by a domestic Tribunal is not unlike a Criminal Court, governed by the strict and technical rules of the Evidence Act. (Murlidhar Jena AIR 1963 SC 404). A disciplinary proceeding is not a criminal trial. The standard of proof required is that of preponderance of probabilities, and not proof beyond reasonable doubt. If the inference was one which a reasonable person would draw, from the proved facts of the case, the High Court cannot sit as a court of appeal over a decision based on it. (Sardar Bahadur (1972) 4 SCC 618). If the enquiry has been properly held, the question of adequacy or reliability of the evidence cannot be canvassed before the High Court. The only question is whether the proved facts of the case would warrant such an inference. (Sardar Bahadur (1972) 4 SCC 618; and S Sree Rama Rao AIR 1963 SC 1723). If the disciplinary inquiry has been conducted fairly without bias or predilection, in accordance with the relevant disciplinary rules and the Constitutional provisions, the order passed by such authority cannot be interfered with merely on the ground that it was based on evidence which would be insufficient for conviction of the delinquent on the same charge at a criminal trial. (Nand Kishore Prasad v. The State of Bihar and others AIR 1978 SC 1277).”

                                      Equally significant if not more is what is then stated in para 44 that, “Strict and sophisticated rules of evidence, under the Indian Evidence Act, are not applicable in a domestic enquiry. (State of Haryana vs. Rattan Singh (1977) 2 SCC 491; J.D. Jain v. Management of State Bank of India & Others (1982) 1 SCC 143). Sufficiency of evidence, in proof of the finding by a domestic tribunal is beyond scrutiny. (Rattan Singh). In a departmental enquiry, guilt need not be established beyond reasonable doubt. Proof of misconduct is sufficient. (J.D. Jain). All material, which are logically probative for a prudent mind, are permissible. There is no allergy even to hearsay evidence provided it has reasonable nexus and credibility. (Rattan Singh).”

                                             No less significant is what is then stated in para 45 that, “In the present case, the testimony of the complainant gives graphic and shocking details of acts of sexual molestation perpetrated by the petitioner on her. This evidence is also corroborated in part by the testimony of others. The Enquiry Committee has held that, before this incident, the petitioner and the complainant were not even personally acquainted with each other, and the petitioner’s claim, of the complainant having been instituted for extraneous considerations, was not tenable. In such circumstances, we see no reason why the Enquiry Committee should be faulted for largely relying on the testimony of the complainant. The contentions urged on behalf of the petitioner under this head, necessitate rejection.”

                                            Finally, the key point of the last para 113 is that, “For the reasons stated hereinabove, we see no reason to interfere either with the inquiry proceedings or with the order of punishment of dismissal from service imposed on the petitioner.”

                                    On a concluding note, this extremely laudable and latest judgment by a two Judge Bench of the Uttarakhand High Court including the Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan himself is a strong and stern warning to all men who dare to indulge in sexual harassment that if you dare to indulge in it then be ready to face the dire consequences. Even the sole testimony of sexual abuse, if found reliable, is sufficient to hold the perpetrator guilty of misconduct in departmental enquiry! Such men who dare to commit such heinous crimes must expect no reprieve from the courts anymore!    

Sanjeev Sirohi, Advocate,

s/o Col BPS Sirohi,

A 82, Defence Enclave,

Sardhana Road, Kankerkhera,

Meerut – 250001, Uttar Pradesh.

Bar On Certain Matters To Be Entertained As PIL

In a latest, landmark and extremely laudable judgment titled Soni Beniwal Vs State of Uttarakhand and others in Writ Petition (PIL) No. 191 of 2019, the Uttarakhand High Court has just recently on June 18, 2020 held in no uncertain terms that even if there is a bar on certain matters to be taken as PIL, there is always discretion available with the Court to do so in exercise of its inherent powers. Moreover, the Chief Justice-led Bench has also stated explicitly that even persons who are debarred under the High Court rules can be entertained to file public interest petitions where allegations of misappropriation of public funds by a government-aided college, receiving funds both from the State Government and the University Grants Commission, are involved. Very rightly so!

                                     To start with, this noteworthy judgment authored by Uttarakhand Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan for himself and Justice Ramesh Chandra Khulbe after hearing the lawyers from both sides in considerable detail sets the ball rolling by observing first and foremost in para 2 that, “The petitioner has invoked the jurisdiction of this Court seeking a writ of mandamus directing the State of Uttarakhand to proceed further with the investigation on the FIR dated 28.03.2017; a mandamus directing the State of Uttarakhand to recover the excess amount, as pointed out in the Audit conducted by the Auditors of the Comptroller and Auditor General as well as the State of Uttarakhand, from the personal account of the sixth respondent, who was then the acting Principal of the College, as also the fifth respondent, who was the Secretary of the M.K.P. Society; and a mandamus directing the Director General of Police to constitute a Special Investigation Team to investigate into the gambit of corrupt practices currently underway in the respondent-College, as outlined in the Audit Reports; and to probe the reasons why no action was taken in the F.I.R. lodged in the year 2017.”   

                                   While elaborating further, it is then mentioned in para 3 that, “We had, by our order dated 02.01.2020, granted time to the learned Standing Counsel, appearing on behalf of the State Government, to ascertain whether or not a Final Report, after  further investigation was caused under Section 173(8) Cr.P.C, had been filed before the Magistrate till date. Subsequently, by our order dated 20.03.2020, while taking the counter affidavit filed on behalf of respondents 1 and 4 on record, we noted the request of Mr. C.S. Rawat, learned Additional Chief Standing Counsel, for the matter to be taken up on 25.03.2020 to enable him to ascertain what action the Government intends to take pursuant to its admission, in the counter affidavit, that respondents 5 and 6 had indulged in grave and serious irregularities, including mis-appropriation of public funds.”

                                        What is then brought out in para 4 is that a counter-affidavit has now been filed on behalf of the fifth respondent raising objections both to the maintainability of the Writ Petition, as also on merits. Now coming to para 6, it states that, “The counter-affidavit, thereafter, states that the inquiry team had indicated that the prescribed procedure was violated in purchase of items/equipment from the UGC grant; at the relevant time, the sixth respondent was the Principal and the fifth respondent was the Secretary, who were equally responsible; a letter was addressed to the Registrar, Firms, Societies and Chits, Uttarakhand by the Additional Chief Secretary, Higher Education regarding irregularities in purchase of items/instruments from UGC funds; and, as per the findings in the Inquiry Report, respondents 5 and 6 were equally responsible for violation of the Rules and norms.”

                                       More crucially, it is then stated in simple and straight language in para 8 that, “The afore-extracted findings of the Inquiry Report are not from the affidavit filed in support of the Writ Petition, but from the counter-affidavit filed on behalf of the State Government. The subject College, of which the sixth respondent is the in-charge Principal and the fifth respondent is the Secretary, is a State Government aided institution and receives funds both from the State Government and the University Grants Commission. The serious allegations, made in the counter-affidavit filed on behalf of the State Government, would necessitate an inquiry being caused and action taken in the larger public interest of ensuring that public funds are not mis-utilized. As the cause is in the public interest, it matters little who has brought these facts to the notice of the Court. Allegations regarding personal animosity between the petitioner and the fifth respondent, or that the Writ Petition was filed at the behest of others inimically disposed towards the fifth respondent, need not detain us, as this Court can examine these allegations, non-suiting the petitioner and entertaining the Writ Petition suo-motu.”  

                                                     To put things in perspective, it is then made clear in para 10 that, “What Rule 3(4)(c) of the 2010 Rules prohibits is for a Writ Petition to be entertained, in the PIL jurisdiction of the High Court, where it relates to individual disputes in the arena of criminal jurisdiction. The present case relates to mis-utilization of public funds by those incharge of a Government aided institution, and does not relate to individual disputes in the arena of criminal jurisdiction. Further the jurisdiction which the High Court exercises, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, is a part of the basic structure of the Constitution (L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India : AIR 1997 SC 1225). As the power of judicial review is part of the basic structure, this power cannot be curtailed or negated even by an amendment to the Constitution, much less by legislation – plenary or subordinate.”

                                                   Be it noted, it is then brought out aptly in para 11 that, “The High Court of Uttarakhand P.I.L. Rules, 2010 have been made to guide the High Court in entertaining Writ Petitions in its Public Interest Litigation jurisdiction. That does not curtail or negate its jurisdiction to entertain cases where it is satisfied that larger public interest would be adversely affected if it fails to intervene. As the afore-extracted allegations are serious, and cannot be brushed aside, we are satisfied that an inquiry should be caused into these allegations, and action taken pursuant thereto in accordance with law.”

                                      Most crucially, it is then held in no uncertain terms in para 12 that, “In the present case, the allegations relate to misappropriation and mis-utilization of public funds. As this Court can even treat letters addressed to it, or newspaper reports, as Writ Petitions filed in public interest, we see no reason not to cause an inquiry into these serious allegations merely because a criminal investigation has been caused in the matter, and a Final Report is said to have been filed by the Investigating Officer.”

                                        Equally significant is what is then made amply clear by the Bench in its clarification in para 12 that, “Even if the Uttarakhand Audit Act, 2012 does not apply to the Society of which the fifth respondent is the Secretary, misutilization of public funds would undoubtedly, require an inquiry to be caused, and action taken pursuant thereto in accordance with law. Accepting the submission of Mr Neeraj Garg, learned counsel for the fifth respondent, that, in the absence of a specific provision either in the Uttarakhand Audit Act, 2012 or elsewhere, no inquiry can be caused, would enable persons, in charge of establishments which receive public funds, to misappropriate such funds and yet claim immunity from inquiry, and action being taken pursuant thereto.”

                               To sum up, the Uttarakhand High Court has made it amply clear in this leading case that even if there is a bar on certain matters to be taken as PIL, there is always discretion that is available with the Court to do so in exercise of its inherent powers. It is entirely up to the Court to exercise its power of discretion in exercise of its inherent powers hinging on the merits of the case! There can certainly be no ever denying or disputing it!

Sanjeev Sirohi, Advocate,

s/o Col BPS Sirohi,

A 82, Defence Enclave,

Sardhana Road, Kankerkhera,

Meerut – 250001, Uttar Pradesh.

INTERVIEW ADVICE Self Introduction for Job Interview

Self-introduction actually matters a lot across every industry- from politics, medical, education, real estate, to the healthcare industry. There is an endless number of studies and researches that prove this fact to be true. Whenever you meet a new person, you just have few seconds to either impress him or let him go!

Let’s take an example!

Joseph has come up for his very first interview after completing his graduation. He is well dressed in a carefully chosen formal suit, fully prepared with all the questions he’s expecting in the interview and waiting in the reception area to get a call for his turn.

Well, let me ask you a question here.

Is that all it takes to crack an interview? Are you prepared for the first question the interviewer is going to ask?

Yes, I am talking about the self-introduction part.

The misconception about self-introduction is that job seekers find this question as the easiest one, but actually it’s not. The majority of the candidates never prepare for this part, and during this question, they just say- Hi, My name is Nick….and then hope for the interviewer to take over.

Let’s be honest here!

This is not the approach that can help you get the job you have been dreaming of.

In this blog, we’ll discuss the basic things about the ‘Self Introduction’ part that every job seeker must know to grab the desirable job. Let’s get started!

What to include in the self-introduction

Self-introduction seems to be an obvious question, and nobody makes efforts on this part. But don’t forget that this part will either make or break the hiring decision. You need to invest good time and effort while planning this part. You must understand the interviewer’s intention behind this question and answer accordingly. Here I am listing a few things you need to include in the self-introduction for interview.

Who You Are? Start by greeting the interviewer with a smile on your face, introduce yourself by telling your name.

Where Are You From? You need to specify your native place and make sure you don’t drag it long. Explain in a brief one line only

Education Qualification: Once done with the formal introduction, now you need to mention your qualification details while telling the school and university’s name and location. Begin with the highest qualification, followed by under graduation, and then schooling.

Work Experience (freshers can skip this part): First of all, you need to tell the total experience you have, mention the current job and your role, briefly describe your responsibilities and things you are expert at.

Tips for improving the self-introduction part

Apart from adding the above things in your self-introduction part, you need to know a few tips that can make your self-introduction part an effective one. So, here you go!

Head held high with a smile on the face: No matter you are feeling nervous or not, you must have a smiling face. This signifies a good start of the interview. You must give a firm handshake and say ‘Hello’ to the interviewer.

Be prepared to give family details: Most of the recruiters ask the candidates about their family background and you need to be prepared for the answer in advance. Don’t hesitate, be comfortable and speak up freely.

Stay positive during the past experience part: While describing your past job experience, remember no matter how bad your experience was, you can’t negatively talk about the past employer. Because this will leave a negative impact on the interviewer and indicates unprofessional behavior.

Sharing hobbies and goals: Unlike in the past years, interviews have become interactive and comfortable than ever before. Candidates can freely mention their hobbies, aspirations, and goals to the interviewer. This will reflect your personality clearly.

Mistakes you can’t afford to make during a self-introduction

Keep the self-introduction part brief and concise, don’t make it lengthy. So, try avoiding irrelevant things that have nothing to do with the job role you have applied for.

Many job seekers even rehearse before giving an interview but still panic once they enter the interview cabin. You need to stay calm and have a smile on your face.

Stop being nervous, it’s just an interview. Talk openly with confidence.

If you aren’t confident enough about anything, don’t wander your eyes here and there. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer, it helps in making the conversation interactive.

Never badmouth your past employer or share any negative experience with any past co-workers.

Never interrupt in-between when the interviewer is speaking, start once he’s done.

Samples for Introducing Yourself in an Interview

Before you feel clueless when the interviewer asks you- ‘Tell me about yourself’, it’s high time that you have a few samples in your mind. So, I have listed a few effective samples of self-introduction for experienced candidates as well as freshers.

 

Self-Introduction Sample for a Fresher:

Of course, a fresher doesn’t have much to showcase in his resume, and the same goes for the self-introduction part. But you can do a lot more to make the self-introduction an effective thing. Here’s one such sample:

Good morning Sir/Madam, It’s a pleasure to introduce myself. My name is Jonas Smith born and brought up in Michigan. I have completed my schooling from Rochester Adams High School with 84% and presently pursuing my final year bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University. Coming to my strengths, I love taking challenges and turn them into opportunities. During failures, I learn a lot out in the future. My goal is to become a part of an organization that enables me to reach my true potential and develop in that field. That’s a brief about me, and thanks for this opportunity.

Let’s have a look at another self-introduction sample in which a fresher is aspiring to begin his career in teaching:

I am Robin, a graduate with no work experience yet. I completed my schooling from Brooklyn City School and now I am in the final year of B.ED. From my school time, I always dreamt of becoming a teacher. At times, I have even given home tuitions to school going kids and really had a great experience throughout. As of now, I am looking for an opportunity to join an institute or an educational center where I can polish my teaching skills.

Self-Introduction Sample for Experienced Job Seekers:

Experienced job seekers are from various industry segments, so I have listed a few industry-specific samples:

1) Self-Introduction sample for IT Professional

Good evening Sir/Madam

I am glad to be here for the interview.

I am Joseph, an engineering graduate from Hong Kong University. I graduated in the year 2013, and since then I have been working as a system administrator. I have worked upon various operating systems, troubleshooting, managing in-house servers, and so on. I always had an interest in exploring operating systems, and during my graduation, I had a good hold over managing PCs and windows of the college. As of now, I am looking forward to expanding my portfolio and enhance my technical skills as a senior system administrator.That’s a brief about me, and thanks for this opportunity.

 

2) Self-Introduction sample for Software Tester

Good evening Sir/Madam

I am Rihaan, an engineering graduate from Italy University. I graduated in 2012 and completed my internship program at HCL. Since then, I have been working as a Senior Software Tester. I have worked upon numerous software testing projects and have a stronghold over various software testing tools like Selenium, Cucumber, and so on. Presently, I am looking forward to joining a company where I get better opportunities in the software testing industry.

 

3) Self-Introduction sample for Sales Manager

Good evening Sir/Madam My name is Genelia. I am a graduate from Delhi University in the year 2011. I have worked in sales with Infosys for the last five years. At Infosys, I achieved notable growth over the past years and have successfully achieved challenging targets. My strong networking and relationship management skills have helped me achieve my goals on time. As of now, I am passionate to become a part of an organization where I can experience more growth opportunities.

 

4) Self-Introduction sample for a Medical Practitioner Morning Sir/Madam

I am Albert. I graduated from Carrington College, my major is clinical medicine. I live in San Jose and have been working as a Medical Practitioner since 2016. Being in the healthcare segment, I spend most of my time with the patients, understanding the ailments, symptoms and assisting them to get out of that ailment. I have carried out deep researches about many pharmaceutical products during my past internship programs. As of now, I am looking for a better growth opportunity where I can broaden my past experience and get better exposure.

 

5) Self-Introduction sample for a Business Analyst

Good Morning Sir/Madam

 

My name is Mathew. I have been a Business Analyst for the past five years and my domain expertise is in the retail banking and insurance segment, I have good exposure in numerous end-to-end development solutions and hold proficiency in diverse business phases. I have worked with enterprises with strategic development approach and also with ones that work upon other development methodologies like Waterfall, Agile, SDLC, and so on. I am comfortable working with the team and even complete the target single-handedly. As of now, I am seeking better growth opportunities as a Senior Business Analyst in your company.

Wrapping Up

Every job seeker is looking for something extraordinary in you. If you succeed in presenting that zeal to the interviewer, good for you; otherwise it’s time to put more focus on your resume and interview part. So, whenever you go for the next interview, keep the above points in mind, and rock the interview. This will definitely help to impress the recruiter, and you will get hired!Spread the love

Author: Arjun Singh

 

Who Is Responsible If People Die From Coronavirus On A Reopened Campus?

The loss of lives that could have been otherwise avoided, will attract the most serious penalty and incrimination. Institutional authorities must keep this in mind as they consider the decision to open campus while the pandemic continues to pose threat to life.

Students wearing protective masks appear in the higher secondary school examinations of Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education, during the fifth phase of ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, in Bhopal.

July is almost here, and the autumn semester is not far away. Are we in a position to reopen schools, colleges and universities? What are the implications if we do? Who suffers if COVID-19 attacks campus, and who is responsible if lives are lost?

To open or not to open. Worldwide, this brings together three major crises: a public health crisis, an economic crisis, and the long crisis of higher education. For instance, in the US, due to the high cost of college and the importance of residential education, it is likely that a number of small colleges will go bankrupt, large number of jobs will be lost, and the quality of education will almost invariably suffer. “A kind of a shock therapy,” predicts The Chronicle of Higher Education, “will permanently restructure the higher-education sector.”

Few things in recent history have foregrounded social inequalities as the education sector under the pandemic. Here in India, poor and rural students have suffered the most, lacking the infrastructure to participate meaningfully in online education. In the West, the heads of institutions for racial minorities have championed reopening, pleading that institutions are the safest places for them, as their poor home networks make them more vulnerable to the disease than on campus.

Almost everywhere, education experts have argued that rich and well-prepared students will do fine online, but students from weaker segments of society, including those with poorer academic preparation and lower familiarity with technology, are certain to suffer if on-campus instruction does not resume.

On the other hand, if the campus of a school or college opens and people die from contracting the virus, who holds the legal (to say nothing of the human) liability of such deaths?

The leadership of a number of American colleges are scrambling to get people to sign waivers. However, as the Chronicle has pointed out, this is a fantasy: “No waiver can resolve all those headaches, according to a dozen lawyers who work with colleges.” More than ever, in this circumstance, asking something to sign a waiver is essentially telling them: “I might be doing something that could do you harm.”

Hope Sarah Goldstein, a partner with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, told the Chronicle that an employer cannot ask employees to sign away future claims from workplace-related injuries covered by workers’ compensation. Waivers cannot annul liability. On the other hand, a disclosure can raise awareness and underscore communal responsibilities that must be held in a public-health crisis.

What about institutions in India? What are their responsibilities on event of COVID-related fatalities due to virus contracted on a reopened campus?

Dr Abhik Majumdar, a faculty member at the National Law University, Odisha, elaborates on a range of possibilities. The liability of an institution depends on whether or not it reopens following a government order; whether the order in question is mandatory or merely an authorisation given to institutions to reopen at their discretion; and whether the institution is a private or a state body.

If an institution opens contrary to government orders, Prof Majumdar points out, it will attract punishment under Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897, read with Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code 1860. Sections 269 and 271 of the Penal Code might also become applicable in such a situation. It is, however, unlikely to happen, as no institution will be so reckless as to flout governmental orders in the present situation.

It remains important to note, however, that if the government orders educational institutions to open, then liability in case of untoward incidents will lie mainly with the Government. Institutions may incur liability if they fail to adequately provide for safety measures such as dispensing masks, maintaining social distancing, and so forth.

In the last situation, if the government merely permits (as opposed to compelling) institutions to open at their own discretion, the institution becomes liable if their action leads to the spread of the disease and fatalities resulting from the spread. The nature of liability will depend on whether it is a private institute or a state body. In the first case, the institution may incur liability in tort law. It may also be liable under the Epidemic Diseases Act as mentioned earlier, if it is found deficient in implementing appropriate rules. State bodies’ liability features an added dimension. Any deficiency on their part cam be construed as a violation of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Surabhi Singh, an alum of NLU Odisha and a current LLM student at the University of Toronto points out that under the current legal regime, State institutions run the risk of being sued for a violation of broader constitutional rights as they are an arm of the government, under writ jurisdictions of the Supreme Court as well as the respective High Courts. A writ jurisdiction is broad, and the relief granted by the courts can range from asking the institute to shut in person classes, award compensation to affected students, refund fees etc. “All of this is of course speculative,” she says, “but as a practicing lawyer I can foresee it being asked for from courts.”

However, Singh thinks that this writ-based relief is less likely with private institutions. Also, should some student fall sick and die, there is the risk of being sued for criminal negligence, which can implicate individual administrators of the institute concerned. Tort claims of negligence can also be made by the students who may claim damages. If the infection spreads through food or water, State based laws on food and water safety may apply.

Life, livelihood, and learning – or at least its best practice. It may seem like a lose-lose situation. This is, however, an extended emergency, and in the end, loss of lives that could have been otherwise avoided, will attract the most serious penalty and incrimination. Institutional authorities must keep this in mind as they consider the decision to open campus while the pandemic continues to pose threat to life.

SAIKAT MAJUMDAR