Day: December 28, 2020

ARYA RAJENDRAN: YOUNGEST MAYOR IN THE HISTORY OF INDIA

On Monday 28th December 2020, Arya Rajendran a 21-year-old graduate student from Kerala created history becoming the youngest Mayor in the country. She was elected as the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram corporation, the largest urban body in Kerala. Arya, a second-year BSc Mathematicss student of the All Saints College here, won from the Mudavanmughal ward of the city corporation, bagging 2,872 votes, 549 more than the rival Congress candidate. The Thiruvananthapuram district secretariat of the ruling CPI(M) had recommended Arya Rajendran’s name for the post of Mayor as two of their Mayor candidates of CPI(M) failed to win the election from their respective wards. After she was elected Mayor, Arya took the oath administered by  Collector Navjot Khosa inside the closely packed council hall of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.

Arya Rajendran began her political journey as a child activist in Balasangam, the children’s wing of CPI(M) in Kerala. At present, she is the state president of Balasangam and state committee member of Student’s Federation of India (SFI). 

As a staunch party activist hailing from a hardcore Marxist family, she said: “I have faced the election with confidence and courage. I am ready to shoulder any responsibility entrusted with me by my party. My dream is to take forward politics and my studies together.”

Arya being elected as the mayor of the capital city of Kerala in itself is a declaration from CPI(M), that age and gender will never be used as a constraint in determining a true leader. She is redefining the existing norms by setting an example to the youth, especially girls who are reluctant to come to the forefront of politics at a young age. 

When asked about her role model, Arya was quick and clear with her answer. 

“When it is a party like the LDF (Left Democratic Front) there will be many people to be cited as models – it is a party of cadres. Like our respected Chief Minister who has proven to be a crisis manager during these difficult times, and the influence he’s had on the common man. It is very important to be a leader who stands with the people at times of crisis,” she said.

Arya being elected as the Mayor of the capital city can be seen as the first of many changes from CPI(M) in Kerala ahead of the forthcoming assembly elections. After a stunning victory in the civic election across the state, CPI(M) is aiming to continue their winning streak to the upcoming assembly elections and thereby creating the history of becoming the first government to continue for two consecutive terms since its inception in 1950.

MoRTH extends validity of vehicular documents till 31st March 2021

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has extended the validity of vehicular documents such as driving licenses (DLs), registration certificates (RCs) and Permits till 31st of March 2021 in the light of need to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The Ministry issued a directive to the States and Union Territory administrations in this regard on Sunday.

The Ministry had earlier issued advisories on 30th March, 9th June and 24th August this year regarding extension of validity of documents related to Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989.

It was advised that the validity of Fitness, Permit (all types), License, Registration or any other concerned documents may be treated to be valid till 31st of December this year.

The advisory said, taking into consideration the need to prevent the spread of COVID-19 , it is further advised that the validity of all of the above referred documents may be treated to be valid till 31st March 2021.

This covers all documents whose validity has expired since 1st Feb, 2020 or would expire by 31st March 2021.

All the States and Union Territories have been requested to implement this advisory in letter and spirit so that the citizens, the transporters and various other organizations which are operating under this difficult time during Covid Pandemic may not get harassed or face difficulties.

Daily new Covid-19 cases in country drops below 19, 000 after six months

India has scaled a significant peak in the fight against the global pandemic.

The daily new caseload of Covid 19 has dropped below 19 thousand after six months.

The Union Health Ministry said, India’s total active caseload has fallen to around two lakh 78 thousand, which is the lowest after 170 days.

The country has reported a trend of sustained decrease in the number of active cases.

India’s present active caseload consists of 2.74 per cent of India’s Total Positive Cases.

During the last 24 hours, more than 21 thousand people recovered and discharged.

The country’s COVID-19 recovery rate has also reached 95.82 per cent.

EAM Dr. S Jaishankar meets business leaders in Qatar; highlights investment opportunities in India

External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar met business leaders in Qatar and highlighted the investment opportunities in India.
 
Dr. S Jaishankar reached Doha on Sunday on a two-day visit to the Gulf nation.
 
He began his trip with the India-Qatar Business Roundtable.
 
The External Affairs Minister appreciated the commitment for strengthening business partnerships between the two countries.
 
In a tweet, Dr. S Jaishankar said, he briefed them about new opportunities flowing from ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
 
He thanked chairperson of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI)  Sheikh Khalifa and Chairman of Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) Sheikh Faisal.
 
Dr. Jaishankar also visited the Qatar National Musuem where he learned about the historical connections between India and Qatar.
 
In a tweet, the Minister said, Gujarat was an important door for commerce and contacts.
 
Later in the day, Dr. Jaishankar virtually interacted with the Indian community in the country and appreciated their contribution to meet the COVID-19 challenge.
 
He also urged their participation in the development of a “New India.
 
During the visit, the External Affairs Minister will hold detailed discussions with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani on strengthening bilateral relationship.
 
He will hold talks with his counterpart on bilateral issues as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.
 
The Minister will also convey special gratitude to the State of Qatar for taking care of Indians during the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
This is Dr. S Jaishankar’s first visit to the country as External Affairs Minister.

PM Modi to flag off 100th Kisan Rail from Sangola in Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the 100th Kisan Rail from Sangola in Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal at 4:30 pm today through video conferencing.

The multi-commodity train service will carry vegetables such as cauliflower, capsicum, cabbage, drumsticks, chillies, onion, as well as fruits like grapes, oranges, pomegranate, banana and custard apple.

Loading and unloading of perishable commodities will be permitted at all enroute stoppages with no bar on size of consignment.

The Central Government has extended a subsidy of 50 per cent on transportation of fruits and vegetables.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal will also be present on the occasion.

AIR correspondent reports that the first Kisan Rail was introduced from Devlali to Danapur on 7th of August this year, which was further extended upto Muzaffarpur.

As a result of good response from the farmers, its frequency was also increased from weekly to three days in a week.

Kisan Rail has been a game changer in ensuring fast transportation of agriculture produce across the nation.

It provides a seamless supply chain of perishable produce.

PM Modi to inaugurate India’s first-ever driverless train operations on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India’s first-ever driverless train operations on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line at 11 AM today through video conferencing.

These innovations will herald a new era of travelling comfort and enhanced mobility.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the fully operational National Common Mobility Card service on the Airport Express Line.

This will enable anyone carrying a RuPay – Debit Card issued from any part of the country to travel on the Airport Express Line using that card.

This facility will become available on the entire Delhi Metro network by 2022.

AIR correspondent reports that the Delhi Metro currently operates on a network of about 390 kilometres with 285 stations.

Delhi Metro has been a pioneer in introducing technology driven solutions for passenger comfort and this is another step in the same direction.

With the commencement of driverless trains, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will enter the elite league of seven percent of world’s Metro networks which can operate without drivers.

The driverless metro trains will be fully automated, which will eliminate the possibility of human error.

After the start of driverless services on the Magenta Line between Janakpuri West to Botanical Garden, the Pink Line of Delhi Metro between Majlis Park and Shiv Vihar is expected to have driverless operations by the mid of next year. 

Impotance of Side hustle in life

Having a side hustle, or maybe a few of them is amazing. Whether you’re a high-paying student, a professional skilled worker with a weekend job, a stay-at-home mom, almost anyone can use a side-hustle in life. The recent closure of Covid-19 (at the time of writing this blog post), the demands for social liquidity, and the economic downturn, further strengthened the importance of having a variety of revenue streams.

As a self-improvement blogger, I will highlight 5 benefits of refining your side-gig, with examples:

  1. Organize your interests
    While a side-gig is a great way to earn an income, it does not have to be an obligation or a job. Most people start by getting used to their hobbies and then grow into money-making jobs. Some even take up the full-time ministry, having reached a point of no return.

Working from home, being my manager, doing different things for over 6 years (at the time of writing this blog post). In addition to my work, I started this blog in 2018 as a hobby, to support me in the pursuit of my life goals, while sharing what I learn and discover with my students. While the main purpose of my blog is not to make money, I have partnered with other relevant products.

  1. Start a business
    Developing hobbies, skills, abilities, in your own way can be a viable business approach. You can also choose to be a solopreneur, by starting and running a business yourself. A self-employed person can benefit from working from home without additional hiring costs, hiring freelancers, and providing essential services to better focus on his or her own work.

Some side effects and solopreneur ideas to consider are:

Blogging. It takes time to grow your audience, so choose something that suits you. Describe your best personas (personas) to attract the right clients.


Voting. Do you do more to make videos and talk than to write? Consider starting a YouTube channel or IGTV on Instagram.

Podcasting. If you are shy or do not feel comfortable with a camera, perhaps starting a podcast is good for you.
Be productive. You can choose to blog, vlog, or podcast. Maybe more than one, if you can manage all the work. With a side hustle, you naturally need a product or service that you can sell. Otherwise, you will not make money. If you are a freelance newbie who will sell yours right now, you can start right now with ads, relevant links, sponsored posts, reviews, and freelance. However, you need enough traffic to start seeing results and making sales.
Freelancing is a popular trend. There is a special variety to choose from. Start by considering what you already know, studying, polishing your skills, and perhaps even taking a formal course at a later time. Network to be known, combine customer testimonials and enter emails where needed.
Sell ​​digital services. Sell ​​your photos, music, writing, influence, and other digital creative resources on platforms that connect buyers and sellers.

  1. Improve your skills
    Just as you learn to sing, and you get better at practicing it, improve your skills with noise. Hobbies help you develop your innate, hidden talents, and by hooking up, you can set the bar high and do your best. That is because the more serious you look at your skills and abilities, the more likely you are to be willing to work on them to achieve the desired results by setting goals.
  2. Self-improvement
    Learning to do the things you love best, is a great source of encouragement and inner inspiration. You can be a great artist, athlete, content creator… Spend your time developing your skills and using them effectively to improve yourself.
  3. Self-care
    The side-hustle is a self-care partner. They go hand in hand. Self-love is not self-love, it is important in life. When you choose something that you truly enjoy, it doesn’t sound like work, but it is work that supports your life.

Business plan
There are endless ways to start a side-hustle, while having fun, growing yourself, and earning more money. You can put it on a full-time salary level, and have a lot of revenue streams. However, check the feasibility of the idea, consider the necessary resources, and other essentials. Having a business plan is a must. Learning business skills can support you in making good use of your side.

In short, the side-hustles are fun, support your self-improvement and self-care. If taken seriously, they can be a great source of income. Would you like to share your thoughts and experiences? If you know someone who will benefit from my blog post, please share it. Thank you !!