“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.”
Lao Tzu

Today I’d like to focus on a negative habit that creates insecurity within, erodes self-esteem and can make you feel quite unhappy with your own life.

It’s something that has sprung up as we have moved a part of our lives on to the internet and social media.

And that habit is to compare yourself and your life to other people’s highlight reels.

What do I mean by that?

That it’s so easy to start comparing your life to the lives of friends, old classmates or celebrities of all sizes as you each day see how perfect their homes, kids, love lives are and how filled their lives are with wonderful moments.

But is that their whole lives that is shared on Facebook and instagram?

Usually not.

It’s just the highlight reel of that person’s life. The positive moments.

And it’s natural thing really, to want to share such moments or days with your friends or followers.

Now, for some people this may develop into something destructive.

Into a way of creating a more perfect image of one’s life to get that hit of instant gratification as people add positivity via comments, likes and upvotes.

But everyone has problems at times.

They fail. Get sick. Have flaws, bad days or negative habits.

No matter who you are or what you look like or do.

I have those issues too. Just like anyone else.

I still stumble and fall on some days. Doubt myself or am pessimistic from time to time. That’s human.

So don’t strive for being perfect or measuring yourself against someone else’s highlight reel.

Here are three healthier steps you can take instead:

Step 1: Compare in a smarter way. 

There will always be people who have more or nicer things than you.

Or are better than you at something. No matter what you do.

So if you want to compare then do it in a way that won’t make you feel envious and inferior.

Do it by comparing yourself to yourself. See how far you have come. Look back at the obstacles you have overcome, what you have learned and how you have grown.

Step 2: Spend your energy and time on what matters the most. 

Step by step spend the hours in your day and week on building habits that will make you a better person and a happier one too.

For example, aim at being optimistic 70% of the time if you have been it maybe 50% in the past month.

Or spend more of your weekly free time on your favorite hobby or on sharpening a valuable skill. 

Step 3: Let go of what drags you down. 

If necessary unsubscribe or remove social media accounts from your flow if you feel they are dragging you down and lowering your self-esteem. Even if those things might also be entertaining right now.

Life isn’t just a highlight reel no matter who shares it.

So look beyond that, remember that everyone is human and stop comparing yourself to that limited view of someone.

In the long run you’ll be happy that you did.

In Delhi, the season temperature was in average 40-50 degree celsius in all the June month. But the july comes with a starting relief pack of rainfall in which heavy rainfall recorded over regions of NCR. Everyone in the NCr region was suffering from summer loo attack in June with the uncontrolled heatups of sun. But today’s rainfall really making everyone happy. Because it will sure drop down the temperature.

Rainfall is always welcome in Delhi as it’s really needed to nourish the whole environment and also makes the air super clean. But the problem appears when this rainfall deposit over the corners of road due to which traffic is very much disturbed. For this the municipal corporation should go ahead and check all the water flow holes on the road and also ensure it’s not blocked.

But Afterall it’s the first rainfall and everyone should enjoy it and try to avoid taking cold food items because that can make some problem in throat and specially this time where coronavirus is spreading across the whole nation…

The main purpose of education is to set us free from the societal and psychological preconceived notions. Education is one of the greatest tools that enables human beings to understand the world on different levels and from different perspectives. Being able to be educated is a privilege that many people don’t happen to have which is extremely saddening and disheartening.

However, the way formal education has been turning out to be over the past few years has brought about a lot of problems in the educational field which affects every one in some way or the other. Some of the drawbacks that the formal educational system seems to have are mentioned below.

1. No freedom of explanation:

Formal educational system focuses on a few concepts that are to be followed in the same way for years and decades. This system has led to a confined space within which the students are trapped. They do not get the scope and time to explore different domains of education due to their fixed syllabus coverage prescribed by their institutions no matter where their interests lie.

2. Conventional methods of teaching and learning:

The formal educational programs are conducted does not really leave much room for trying different experimentative methods. It not only hampers the creativity of the students but teachers also happen to be trapped within this conventional pedagogical process.

3. Extracurricular activities are limited:

Formal educational systems do not really allow students to go beyond their fixed domains of activities. They even prescribe a concrete syllabus for subjects like Arts, Music, Theatre, Sports, Physical Activities so on and so forth. Due to this obnoxious confined zone of prescribed courses students do not get to explore other horizons of creativity on their own. Even if some of them manage to do so, they are not really appreciated to continue further.

4. Overburdening syllabus:

Students are required to finish a huge range of subjects and topics according to their prescribed syllabus within a very short and limited period of time. At times it becomes really hard for them to cope up with the pressure and breaking through this whole process to pursue their creativity becomes a difficult challenge for many.

5. Flawed evaluation methods:

Each and every student according to the formal educational system is supposed to go through the same evaluation process that most of the time fails to judge their creativity in a proper way. The same old system of evaluation based on written tests is baseless since many students are as articulate and as expressive as some of the other students are. That does not necessarily mean they do not have creative ideas. Sometimes those who fail to express what they know in words, turn out to be the most intelligent ones. The formal traditional evaluation methods totally fail to measure the cognitive and creative aspects of students and just go on judging them based on some average stereotypical procedures. It not only fails to evaluate them properly but also ends up being a failed and flawed system itself.

Students and their parents also tend to measure their creativity by these so-called traditional evaluation techniques and end up being totally disappointed and heartbroken. are some of the major issues about formal education that not only discourage creative minds but also leave some deep emotional scars which lead to long-term psychological issues that the students have to deal with throughout their whole lives.

-Suvasree Bandyopadhyay

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In a new research, scientists from China, have identified a “recently emerged” strain of influenza virus.

Virus is infecting Chinese pigs and that has the potential of triggering a pandemic. scientists named it G4, the swine flu strain has genes similar to those in the virus that caused the 2009 flu pandemic.

The scientists suggest that controlling the prevailing G4 Eurasian-Avian like (EA) H1N1 viruses in pigs and closely monitoring human populations, especially workers in the swine industry, should be “urgently implemented”.

China has the largest population of pigs in the world. whole world is already suffering the novel corona virus badly.

In such situation, these type of news creates an awful atmosphere. If the mistake is made by China same as with Corona, the condition would go to be very severe.

We need to prepare ourselves for this flu along fighting with Corona pandemic.

If this flu is not treated well and another pandemic is established anyhow, then it would indicate the end of world gradually by all means.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested one more accused – Mohammad Iqbal Rather in connection with last year’s Pulwama terror attack case. Rather is a resident of Futlipura, Charar-e-Shareef in Budgam district. The accused had facilitated the movement of Mohammad Umar Farooq, the Jaishe-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist and key conspirator in this case. Umar Farooq along with others had assembled the IED used in the attack which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel.

Initial investigations revealed that Iqbal Rather was in constant touch with Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists over secure messaging applications. He was also part of the transportation module of Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit.

NIA has arrested 6 persons in this case so far.

Government today said that a total of three lakh 79 thousand 892 people affected with coronavirus have recovered in the country so far. In the past 24 hours, a record 20 thousand 32 people have recovered from Covid-19 and with this the recovery rate has improved to 60.72 per cent.

The Health and Family Welfare Ministry said, 20 thousand 903 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the country in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases to six lakh 25 thousand 544. This is the highest spike in fresh cases since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in India. In a single day, 379 deaths have been reported taking the nationwide toll to 18 thousand 213. Presently, the total number of active corona cases in the country is two lakh 27 thousand 439.

Meanwhile, Indian Council of Medical Research, ICMR said that a total of two lakh 41 thousand 576 corona virus tests were conducted by various laboratories in the country in the last 24 hours. This is the highest number of tests conducted by laboratories since the outbreak of the pandemic in India. So far, 92 lakh 97 thousand 749 tests have been conducted.

ICMR is continuously increasing its testing facilities for Covid-19 by giving approval to government and private laboratories. As of now,a total one thousand 74 laboratories across India have been given approval including 775 government laboratories and 299 private laboratory chains. 

Indian Council of Medical Research, ICMR is planning to launch indigenous Covid-19 vaccine for use by the 15th of August after completion of all clinical trials. ICMR has partnered with Bharat Biotech International Limited to develop this path breaking, Covid-19 vaccine.

ICMR has asked Bharat Biotech to fast track the clinical trial mechanism and ensure that the subject enrolment is initiated by 7th of July.

AIR correspondent reports that this is the first indigenous vaccine being developed in India and one of the top priority projects of the government. The vaccine is derived from a  SARS-COV2 strain isolated by ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune. ICMR and Bharat Biotech are jointly working for the pre-clinical as well as clinical development of this vaccine.  

Recently, the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation, the National regulatory body for Indian Pharmaceuticals and medical devices, has granted approval to Bharat Biotech India to conduct human clinical trials for Corona Vaccine called ‘Covaxin’.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today made a surprise visit to Leh and was briefed by senior officers at a forward position in Nimu amid ongoing tension with China.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane. He reached Nimu, early morning today and he is presently interacting with Army, Air Force and ITBP personnel. Located at 11,000 feet, this is among the tough terrains, surrounded by Zanskar range and on the banks of the Indus.

In Myanmar, at least 162 people have been killed in a landslide at a jade mine in northern Kachin province. Myanmar Fire Service Department said that 162 bodies have been recovered from the landslide in Hpakant, the centre of the world’s biggest and most lucrative jade mining industry. Hpakant is a rough and remote area in Kachin state, 950 kilometres north of Myanmar’s biggest city, Yangon. 54 injured people were taken to hospitals. An unknown number of people are feared missing. Emergency workers had to slog through heavy mud to retrieve the bodies.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep sadness at the deaths and sent condolences to families of the victims and Myanmar’s government and people.

US president Donald Trump has blamed Chinese aggression for the stand-off at the India-China border. Quoting Mr Trump, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, China’s aggressive stance along the India-China border fits with a larger pattern of Chinese aggression in other parts of the world. She said, these actions only confirm the true nature of the Chinese Communist Party.

Mr Trump’s remarks come in the backdrop of Chinese actions both internally as well as across the Asian geopolitical theatre in the past few months.

In the past two months, China has passed a repressive national security legislation regarding Hong Kong, eroding its autonomy. Beijing has also stepped up its offensive in the South China Sea against countries such as Vietnam.

The White House statement reflected a shaper position that had been evolving in the US administration, especially by secretary of state Mike Pompeo. Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Pompeo offered full-throated support for the Indian ban on Chinese apps.

Tamil Nadu government has announced a monthly stipend of 3,000 rupees to junior lawyers for two years to help them overcome financial difficulties. The stipend has been a longstanding demand of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu. 

AIR correspondent reports, the Tamil Nadu Government is implementing an Advocates Welfare Scheme for more than three decades. Under the scheme, on the demise of the advocates, currently seven lakh rupees each is being given to their families. Now as an additional measure, the young advocates are going to be handed over a monthly dole of three thousand rupees for the next two years.

The government has said in a statement that the help is necessary as it takes three to four years for a fresher to practice as an independent lawyer. Many point out that as courts are not functioning as usual now due to the lockdown, most of the junior advocates are facing difficult situations. During this time, there is the possibility of the young advocates migrating from their profession to other jobs. To support them, the government is bringing in the monthly financial assistance for the young lawyers.

The Health and Family Welfare Ministry has issued revised guidelines for home isolation of very mild, pre-symptomatic, asymptomatic COVID-19 cases. The guidelines have been extended to asymptomatic positive cases along with very mild and pre-symptomatic cases keeping in view the detection of a large number of asymptomatic cases in the country.

In the revised guidelines, the Ministry said, those patients are eligible for home isolation, who are clinically assigned as a very mild, pre-symptomatic, asymptomatic case by the treating medical officer. It states that such cases should have the requisite facility at their residence for self-isolation and also for quarantining the family contacts. The Ministry also said, patients suffering from immune compromised status like HIV, transplant recipients, cancer therapy are not eligible for home isolation. Elderly patients aged more than 60 years and those with co-morbid conditions shall only be allowed home isolation after proper evaluation by the treating medical officer. The Ministry suggested, the caregiver and all close contacts of such cases should take Hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis as prescribed by the medical officer.

In case of developing serious signs or symptoms, the Ministry has advised to seek immediate medical attention. These symptoms are difficulty in breathing, dip in oxygen saturation, persistent pain and pressure in the chest, mental confusion, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in any limb or face and bluish discolorations of lips and face.

The guidelines also state that a patient under home isolation will stand discharged after 10 days of symptom onset and no fever for three days. Thereafter, the patient will be advised to isolate at home and self-monitor their health for further seven days and there is no need for testing after the home isolation period is over.

The Ministry has laid down detailed protocol for monitoring of cases under home isolation. It asked the State and District administration to monitor the health status of those under home isolation by the field staff and surveillance teams on a daily basis. The clinical status of each case shall be recorded by the field staff and all family members and close contacts shall be monitored and tested as per protocol.