3 Athletes Test Positive, 2 staying at Olympic Village

Three athletes have tested positive for COVID-19, two of them South African football players staying at the Olympic Village. Organising Committee announced on Sunday adding to the scepticism that surrounds the troubled event slated to open on July 23. It is the first case of athletes staying at the village catching the infection. Their identities were not yet revealed by the organizers but the South African Football Association issued a statement to make that information clear.

“Three members from Team SA’s men’s under 23 football team have produced positive tests for Covid-19 and are in isolation in the Tokyo 2020 isolation facility,” the South African Football Association (SAFA) stated.

“The three members are players Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi and video analyst Mario Masha, who produced a positive result in the latest round of daily sputum (saliva) testing,” South African Football Association (SAFA) stated.

The third infected athlete is staying at a designated Games hotel and his/her identity is not yet known.

“A fourth Team SA member, Sevens rugby coach Neil Powell, has also produced a positive result and has been admitted to an isolation facility in Kagashimo where the Sevens squad are currently in at a pre-

Games training camp,” SAFA stated.

The total number of Games-related COVID cases have now risen to 55 as per the OC records. “When there is a positive COVID-19 case- it means action. There is a clear procedure to identify close contacts. A case is not just data in a spread sheet but leads to action, including follow-up testing,” International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Games Executive Director Christrophe Dubi stated.

A total of 10 cases were detected on the day, including five “Games concerned personnel”, one contractor and a journalist according to the COVID-19 positive list uploaded by the OC.

The Olympic Village on Tokyo Bay will house 11,000 athletes and thousands of support staff.

How did the Earth come into being??

A whooping 7.9 billion people, 8.7 million discovered eukaryotic species and an estimated 1 trillion microbes- How did it all came into being? How did our Earth or even better, the solar system or the whole universe came into being?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

So, it all began about 13.8 billion years ago. There existed a single point, a minute, hot and really dense point which violently exploded-‘The Big Bang’, and it is how everything came into being- Matter, Energy space, universe, stars, solar system, me, you-everything. After the explosion took place, it expanded into what we today call the universe. And, what’s more interesting is the fact that it is still expanding, and this is how the scientists came to believe that it all began with a big bang.

Scientists divide the period after the big bang into 2 era-

  1. Radiation era
  2. Matter era

Radiation era

The period between 10^(-43) seconds (after the explosion took place)-the Planck era(here, the current laws of physics do not apply), to about 30,000 years after the big bang is referred to as the radiation era. During this period, the temperature of the atmosphere was soo high that there was no distinction between matter and radiation ,or even better, no matter existed.

It is divided into 7 era or epoch-

  1. Grand unification epoch- Named for the unification of 3 grand forces of nature- Electro-magnetic forces, Weak forces, Strong nuclear forces. With a temperature greater than 1029 K, it began 10−43 s after the big bang. At the end of this epoch, the strong nuclear force broke away from the other two.
  2. Inflationary epoch- With a temperature greater than 1032 K, it began 10−36 s after the big bang. As the name suggests, the universe rapidly expanded in this epoch. The universe, ta this time had electrons, quarks and antiquarks.
  3. Electroweak epoch- Here, now all the 4 forces of nature have split off. Temperature- 10^20 K and time after big bang- 10^(-32)s.
  4. Quark epoch- Temperature here is 10^16K and 10^-12 s have passed since the big bang. All of the ingredients required to form subatomic particles were present but the universe still was too hot and dense.
  5. Hadron Epoch- Temperature- 10^10 K and Temperature-10^-6 s. The universe has not finally cooled down enough for subatomic particles to form and hence, quarks bind to form protons and neutrons.
  6. Lepton epoch- Temperature- 10^ 12 K and finally, about1 sec have passed since the big bang.
  7. Nuclear epoch- Temperature-10^9 K and 100 s approximately have passed since the big bang.

In these last two epoch, when the universe has cooled down quite a lot, the protons and neutrons fuse together to form the very first chemical elements- Hydrogen and Helium. And now that our universe is capable of forming elements, it brings us to the end of radiation era and the matter era begins.

Matter Era

Matter era includes 3 epoch that spread over billions of years and include the formation of our galaxy, solar system and even the present day.

  1. Atomic epoch- With the temperature of 3000 K and time after big bang- 50,000 years, this epic marks the beginning of attachment of electrons to nuclei. This process is known as recombination.
  2. Galactic epoch- Now, 200 million years have passed since the formation of our universe. With the ability of universe to now form Hydrogen and Helium molecules, the universe is dotted with atomic clouds. Within the clouds, due to gravity, clusters were formed which later led to the formation of galaxies.
  3. Stellar epoch- 3 billion years have now passed. Within those clusters of clouds, now stars will be formed. Stars begin their lives as proto-stars. These are formed as a result of gravitational forces between particles of dust and gas and heat is generated due to friction and collision. When the proto-star becomes extremely hot, the process of thermonuclear fusion starts taking place. This is how stars generate heat and electricity. This heat within the clouds convert the already exiting elements into all others that are currently known to humankind. When stars burn themselves and are destroyed in explosion know as supernova, it destabilizes the heat cloud, which then begins to rearrange itself in the shape of a flattened disc. At the center a proto-star forms (eg.- our sun). The clumps of dust are flash heated and form chrondules that later from planetesimals by cohesion. These planetesimals then, later accrete to form what we call today as planets.

And this is how our solar system was formed about 4.5 billion years ago. It is located in the Milky Way galaxy’s Orion Star Cluster and has about 8 planets with a total of 63 moons. The inner 4 planets (also known as terrestrial planets) are separated form the outer 4(also known as jovian planets) by a belt of asteroids. Terrestrial planets are known as such because they are made of rocky material, have solid surface, do nor have rings and are relatively small. Earth, among these, is the only one to have a moon.

The jovian planets, on the other hand, have multiple moons, support ring system, have no solid surface and are immense in size. The Oort Cloud, a collection of icy debris, marks the edge of our solar system as the gravitational and physical influence of sun diminishes .

This is how our solar system and our Earth were formed. Now, can our solar system end? If yes, then how and by when? It’s a question for a later time.

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS RELATED TO ENVIRONMENT

Environmental legislation are often defined as, a set of laws and regulations which are aimed toward protecting the environment from harmful actions. In both the international commitments and constitutional framework of India, the need for protection and conservation of environment is reflected.

Constitutional Provisions

By the Constitution (Forty-Second Amendment) Act, 1976 , Article 48A was added as a part of Directive Principles of State Policy and Article 51A as a fundamental duty of every citizen of India.

Article 51A under Part IV A of the Indian constituition talks about the 11 fundamental duties that are expected to be performed by the citizens of India. One of these is to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures. Furthermore, Article 48 A, of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) enumerated in Part IV of the Indian Constitution says that the State shall aspire to protect and improve the environment and to conserve the forests and wildlife of the country.

Some of International Conventions for Environment Protection to which India is a Signatory :

Stockholm Convention

The objective of the convention is to target additional POPs for action, supporting safer alternatives, and make a POPs-free future. It calls to ban nine of the dirty dozen chemicals (key POPs), limit the use of DDT to malaria control. As per Article 25(4), India ratified the Convention in 2006.

Montreal Protocol 1987

The Montreal Protocol was negotiated and signed by 197 parties in 1987 with the aim to control the consumption and production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which is responsible for Ozone Layer depletion.

The adoption of the 2016 Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is projected to reduce future global average warming in 2100 due to hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) from a baseline of 0.3–0.5°C to less than 0.1°C.

United Nations Framework Convention on climate change (UNFCCC)

It was signed in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development ( Earth Summit, the Rio Summit or the Rio Conference). The parties to the convention meet annually at the Conference of the Parties (COP) to review the progress under the convention. It aims to achieve stabilization concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a certain level that would prevent the climate.

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

It was established in 1994 with the aim to take care of and restore land and soil productivity, and to minimise impact of drought.

Indian schools of philosophy a retaliation for the western school of thought?

The Hindu philosophy is categorized into six Orthodox and three Heterodox philosophies. The classification is based on the acceptance of the authority of the Vedas. The Orthodox school of philosophy also called the Aastika School believes in the authority of Vedas, while the Heterodox school of philosophy, popularly known as Nastika School rejects the principle of authority of Vedas. While the western schools of thoughts came up one after the other, with the only aim of destructing the existing thought process and establishing a new totally different way of thinking. In other words, the western schools were never complimentary to each other while the Indian schools sprouted and nurtured giving
each other a stand to hold on. Rasa is generally regarded as the corner stone of Indian Aesthetics. Rasa implies aesthetic emotion. The earliest work of Indian aesthetics is Bharatha’s ‘Natya Sastra’. It consists of a few instructions to the actors about present plays. In the course of discussion, Bharatha remarks that the aim of presenting a play is to evoke Rasa. Rasa, according to him, is the product of the combination of the Vibhavas, Anubhavas and the Vyabhicharibhavas. While the western philosophy concentrated on authors intention, structure, semantics, semiology and other highly technical aspects. Indian philosophy concentrates on the universalization of poetics. Universalization of poetic art is of two kinds. First of all, the aesthetic composition presents before our minds an aesthetic situation and an emotion, free from its local character. Secondly, the expression of this artistic enlightenment has a universal character in its manifestation in different minds. In the next stage this presented whole, becomes mingled with various types of subconscious and unconscious feelings which are lying dormant in the minds of various people. But we do not find any trace of any local character or colour with the real objective world around it. It is therefore, called transcendental, i.e., Alaukika or Camatkara. While the western philosophy school almost dissipates this possibility by ensuring such elements that make it connect to surroundings of the work is not done.
As per the Indian aesthetics, the beauty of literature is related to the synthesis of law and liberty. A literary work is presented in the medium of language. Hence it is certainly subjected to the rule of language. However, the beauty of a work of art is beyond these considerations. In fact, the laws are the wings of literature with which it soars high in the horizon of meaning. This synthesis of law and liberty is achieved by the judicious use of the elements of suggestion or Vyanjana. The concept of Vyanjana explains how meaning expands far beyond the literal sense. The language of poetry is different from the language of ordinary discourse. It is characterized by ‘suppression in expression’. Beauty in literature is best generated by the technique of Vyanjana or the suggested meaning. In the words of Kuntaka, Vakrokti or indirect expression generates beauty in poetry. According to Anandavardhana, the soul of poetry is suggestion. This concept is encapsulated in his maxim ‘Kavyasyatma Dhvani’. Words have different orders of signatory power. They have primary or literal meaning as well as contextual and suggested meaning. The primary meaning is referred to as ‘Abidha’ and the contextual meaning is called ‘Lakshnna’. Vyanjana is the suggested meaning. Concealment is the essence of Vyanjana. Poetry generates beauty by suppression in expression. Concealment arouses curiosity and the urge to unravel which leads to conquest. In poetry, only the implicit, indirect and suggested language is capable of producing beauty. This suggested language is called Vakrokti. Vakroti presents before the Sahridaya an indeterminate range of meaning to be explored. The greatness of poet lies in his mastery over the technique of suggestion.
A sentence may express something over and above the meaning of the words that constitute the sentence. The relation between the various words is unexpressed. This relation is referred to as Samsarga by the Naiyayikas of ancient India. Samsarga is Vakyartha. How Samsarga is expressed is not satisfactorily explained. In sentences, there is a juxtaposition of words. The element of the relation between words is conveyed by suppression. The essential part of every judgement is conveyed by suppression. This shows how the Indian schools of thought were already in an elevated state way before the introduction of western philosophical schools. The absence of manuscripts and the lack of ability to translate the ancient texts has truly hindered the growth of Indian philosophy into a universally recognized one.

Human rights and armed conflict

Armed conflicts

Numerous armed conflicts are currently taking place around the globe, cost of which goes beyond the numbers deaths but it also includes the victims of the consequences of war.The number of indirect victims of armed conflicts is much higher than that of direct deaths.  Indirect death is mainly caused by some preventable infectious diseases, undernourishment , and pregnancy-related conditions. In addition to deaths, armed conflicts also lead to undernourishment, increased infant mortality rates, forced migration, refugees, destruction of infrastructure.

International armed conflict, internationalized armed conflict, and non-international armed conflict are the three types of conflicts recognized by International humanitarian law.

Human rights

“Human rights” can be defined as rights of all human beings, regardless of nationality, residence, gender, ethnic origin, race, religion, language or any other status. Everyone is equally entitled to their human rights without any discrimination. This belief is fairly new and it stems from an evolution of the reflection of human dignity over the past centuries.

After World War II, stronger ideas of human rights emerged . People wanted to make sure that they never again be unjustly denied freedom, food, and shelter. The calls for human rights standards to protect citizens from abuses by their governments, came from different parts of the world. These voices played an important role in the San Francisco meeting that drafted the United Nations Charter in 1945. United Nations was then established with the primary goal of maintaining international peace and preventing conflict.

International humanitarian law

Human rights during armed conflicts are infringed upon the most. Therefore, over the years, there has been much focus on the formulation of mechanism aimed at alleviating human suffering armed conflicts. International law of armed conflicts, of which humanitarian law is a part, tries to provide protection to victims of war and crimes.

Tips to get through a Bad day

Not everyday is a perfect day. Not everything will be perfect as you think. One day will be the best day, you accomplish all your targets and will have a happy ending. Another day will be worst, every plan fails and every second a new problem arises. What do you do if your day is going rough? How you handle yourself if you get angry and irritated by everything that’s going around. You can only wish for a restart button. Better thing is to try to handle everything with peace even though you are loosing it. Dragging yourself towards positivity when life is trying to push you back, will be a good strategy to follow for your own good. You can try these things if you are having a unpleasant day.

go for a walk

To get things out of your head, you can choose a lonely walk. Just walk by a roadside or in a park, whatever is good for you. Just get out of the place which is making you feel unpleasant. If you can, just go for a picnic. watching the outside world will make you realize that you are not the only one with struggles. You may get inspired by some stranger or the busy world, will take out the problem from your head.

just breath in

The day may get hectic and bring you discomfort. When you feel as if you are inside a trap, sit back and try to relax. Try to concentrate on your breathing, may be some pranayama, and take a deep breath. Concentrating on your breath relaxes you and shifts your attention from the tension. This may be is a very short term solution, but this will help you rethink and think better.

get a treat for yourself

Why to have treat only when you are happy. Get a treat to make yourself happy. Grab some coffee or get a pastry or a cake. Even you can bake for yourself. Make your favorite drink or visit your favorite restaurant.

just write it out

What’s bothering you all day? let that flow out through your words inside a journal. Write about the whole day. Write about all the reasons you think of, for the bad mood. Write about all your feelings. Let them be stay inside a book rather be inside your head. This will help you have a better perspective about the things. You will get to analyze what went wrong and what you should do now. It will help you take better decisions.

let music takeover you

If you are a person who loves music, what is better to deal with the bad day other than music! Just put your headphones on and let the world be on mute. Or just sing for yourself. Play any instrument if you can. Sing as if nobody around you. Dance on your favorite song. Listen to all motivational songs and cheer yourself up.

talk to the people you love

Why do you have bestfriends! call them. Talk to your buddy who will complain along with you about the bad life. Talk and laugh through your bad fortune. Or they will help you get out of the problem. Talk to your family. They may not have a best solution ready in hand, but talking to them will make you feel lighter.

trust you hobby

Your hobby will be a best partner. Just read a book or cook. Clean your house or draw a bird. Watch a movie or a fun Vedio. They will help you get out of bad mood.

At last, we all know nothing stays forever. Then a small problem should not be affecting you too much. Be happy for what you have. Be grateful and graceful. Remember a non living thing will never get problems, only living things do. Try to solve the problem and find out what caused it if you can. Just let a day be a day, not more than that.

FIBONACCI SEQUENCE! THE MAGIC!!!

Though mathematics is an interesting and beautiful subject, most of us find it difficult to learn. We often learn mathematics to do calculations and learn formulas to get good grades in the exams. Mathematics is a wonderful subject which we tend to apply in our day-to-day life. If you see maths through a different dimension, it will be as interesting as social media. We learn so many formulas and theorems, but where do we apply them? Think and come to a solution to make mathematics an interesting one. To prove mathematics an interesting subject, here come the Fibonacci numbers. Most of us have heard it once or twice in our classes when our teacher says about it. If you love to play with numbers, then Fibonacci numbers are the one. Let’s see how interesting these Fibonacci Numbers are!!

The Fibonacci Sequence in Nature

Fibonacci numbers are numbers, such that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers starting from 0 and 1. The Fibonacci numbers or Fibonacci sequence are first used in the book, Liber Abaci, by Fibonacci which is used in the calculation of the growth of the rabbits. The Fibonacci numbers are closely related to the golden ratio. The ratio of the two consecutive Fibonacci numbers gives the golden ratio as n increases. {Golden Ratio: 1.61803398875}. Though, Liber Abaci contain the earliest description outside India, Indian mathematicians are the ones who described Fibonacci sequence as early as the sixth century.

Fibonacci Sequence

The Fibonacci day is celebrated on November 23rd every year. If we write it in mm/dd format, 11/23; it is also a Fibonacci number. The name Fibonacci is named after its inventor, Leonardo of Pisa, commonly known as Fibonacci was an Italian Mathematician, who was famous for his invention in the history of mathematics.

Leonardo of Pisa, commonly known as Fibonacci (1170 – 1250)

Let’s see the Fibonacci sequence with the example of rabbit, A farmer put a pair of rabbits on a closed surface. How many rabbits can be produced from the pair in a year, if it is that every month each pair produces a new pair which from the second month on becomes productive? The solution is the Fibonacci sequence. The sequence will go on like   1, 1, 2, 3, 5,….. and so on.

FIBONACCI SEQUENCE IN NATURE!!

  • In some flowers, the petals are arranged in the Fibonacci sequential arrangement which is enough to prove that Fibonacci sequences are available in nature too.
  • In the branches of plants, the leaves are spirally arranged in the Fibonacci sequence arrangement. In small plants, it will be 5 or 8. In larger ones, it will be 8 or 13 based on the growth of the plant.
  • The pattern of the seeds within the sunflower follows the Fibonacci sequence (1,1,2,3,5, …..).
The nature of design: the Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Ratio -  Cleveland Design

Fine! Till now, we saw what is a fibonacci sequence, and who is the inventor and where can we see this fibonacci series. Now, shall we see where these fibonacci sequence are used practically? Yeah! Come on!

IN MATHEMATICS,

  • The Fibonacci numbers occur in the sum of the shallow diagonals of Pascal’s triangle.
Fibonacci sequence and Pascal’s triangle
  • The Fibonacci sequence is also used in the Pythagoras theorem. The hypotenuse of the triangle can be a Fibonacci number.
  • The Fibonacci sequence is also used in the network topology for parallel computing.

IN COUMPUTER SCIENCE,

  • The Fibonacci numbers are important in the analysis of algorithms (computational run-time analysis) of Euclid’s algorithm.
  • Its also used in the common factor tree method that is called a binary tree method which is the Fibonacci number minus one.
  • This Fibonacci sequence also used in the game called poker, it is a step in the game development.

Fibonacci sequence are used not only in these two fields but also in many other fields. To put it simply, I have given these two fields. As we saw earlier, fibonacci sequence can also be seen in nature. While contructing tall buildings, climb up and see from the top, this is also an example of a fibonacci sequence.

Algorithms 101: Climbing stairs in JavaScript | by Joan Indiana Lyness |  JavaScript in Plain English

These are the various interesting facts in the Fibonacci sequence. It’s just a small part of mathematics. If we take an interest in various parts or topics in mathematics, we can make maths an interesting one. Mathematics is an ocean, where Fibonacci sequence is a small fish in it. Let’s try to catch various fishes like the Fibonacci sequence and make our lives a great one. If you find it interesting, just do some more research and excite by yourself like how I got excited!!

Reference links;

https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/fibonacci-sequence.html

http://www.eniscuola.net/en/2016/06/27/the-numbers-of-nature-the-fibonacci-sequence/

𝑯𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑹𝒀 𝑶𝑭 𝑮𝑫 𝑵𝑨𝑰𝑫𝑼

“ENGINEERS LIKE TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS HANDILY AVALIABLE. THEY WILL CREATE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS”

G. D. Naidu (Gopalaswamy Doraiswamy Naidu) (23 March 1893 – 4 January 1974) was an Indian inventor and engineer who is referred to as the “EDISON OF INDIA” and “THE WEATHER CREATOR OF COIMBATORE” He is credited with the manufacture of the first electric motor in India. His contributions were primarily industrial but also spanned the fields of electrical, mechanical, agricultural (hybrid cultivation) and automobile engineering. Naidu developed an independently internal combustion four stroke engine. He had only primary education but excelled as a versatile genius.

PERSONAL LIFE :

G.D. Naidu was born at Kalangal, COIMBATORE on 23 March 1893 in Tamil Nadu, India. He was the son of a farmer. His childhood years were spent getting in trouble at school. He disliked attending classes.His son name is KaliyaSwamy he created the company.His wife name is pushpa Naidu.

EARLY LIFE :

Naidu obtained work as a 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐫 in a hotel in Coimbatore with the intention of saving money to buy a motorcycle. After getting the vehicle he spent time dismantling and re-assembling it, and later became a mechanic. He began his transport business in 1920, with the purchase of an automobile coach. He drove it between 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢 and 𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐢 In a few years, his Universal Motor Service (UMS) owned the most efficient fleet of public transport vehicles in the country. In 1937, the first motor to be produced in India was brought out from G. D. Naidu’s factory – NEW (National Electric Works) at Peelamedu, Coimbatore.

𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 :

G.D. Naidu developed India’s first indigenous motor in 1937 along with D. Balasundaram Naidu. The motor’s success resulted in the founding of textool by Balasundaram and, later, lakshmi machine works (LMW).Naidu’s ‘Rasant’ razor incorporated a small motor operated by dry cells, called HELIBRONN.

G.D. Naidu, Rathnasabapathy Mudaliar and India’s first finance minister R.K. SHANMUKHAM CHETTY conducted survey, for bringing Siruvani water to the Coimbatore city.Through Naidu’s efforts and donations India’s first polytechnic college, the Arthur Hope Polytechnic and the Arthur Hope College of Engineering were set up. Later the college moved to its present location and is now known as Government college of techonology. The college was named after the then Madras governor Aurthur hope In 1945, GD Naidu was the principal of the college. Naidu was not satisfied with the four-year programs and said that it was a waste of time for students. He suggested that two years was more than enough to teach the same courses, even with different concentrations. However, the British government did not accept his idea and Naidu resigned from his post. The name Hope College for the original site of the college remains in Coimbatore even.

Naidu died on 4 January 1974. Sir C V Raman said of Naidu: “A great educator, an entrepreneur in many fields of engineering and industry, a warm-hearted man filled with love for his fellows and a desire to help them in their troubles, Mr Naidu is truly a man in a million – perhaps this is an understatement!” He is survived by his son G.D. Gopal and grandchildren G.D. Rajkumar and Shantini. A permanent Industrial Exhibition in his memory is in Coimbatore. He provided employment in the engineering and manufacturing sectors to many individuals in the 1950s and 1960s.

360 Wander Writer

Welcome to the Disney world

Hong Kong Disneyland Says Closing Over China Virus Fears

The Hong Kong Disney land is still a dream land for many children. It is also know as the HK Disneyland or HKDL . It is situated in the Penny’s bay in the Lantau Island . It is located inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. It is the largest theme park in Hong Kong. It was opened on 12th September on the year of 2005. The built the theme park by incorporating the Chinese culture and also many customs and tradition. They have built the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort entrance with a bend so that the good vital force energy would not flow into the the South China Sea. This park consists of seven themed areas .Languages such as English , Mandarin and Cantonese are spoken by the cast members of the Disney land. Guide maps are printed in both English and Chinese for the Tourist to refer easily.

Where to Get Discounts on Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Prices

The Disney Land is owned by the Walt Disney Company Government of Hong Kong and it is operated by the Hong Kong International Theme Parks. Among all the Disney Lands this Disney Land’s park has the lowest capacity of 34,000 visitors daily. The target was fixed to a total visitors of 5.6 million but it attracted only 5.2 million people. On the next few years it had growth and received up to 5.2 million tourists in the year of 2010 . But it is fact to be accepted that the Hong Kong Disney land is under the consecutive years of loss. Yet it is trying to cope up with it and it is on the process of extension.

The Traffic in Bengaluru

We know that India in general suffers from traffic jams in many different parts of the country. This is essentially due to the population density and thereby, the vehicle density that is prevalent in the country. With so many people using automobiles, there is bound to be traffic and packed roads especially in high populated metropolitan cities. When speaking of traffic in India, people often talk about Mumbai as being the city with the worst traffic. This is understandable as Mumbai is the most highly populated city in India. It is also India’s financial hub and gets a lot of tourism. However, there is one other city that gives strong competition to Mumbai, and which many claim is definitely the city with the worst traffic in India. It is so bad that it can even content to be the city with the worst traffic in the world. That city is Bengaluru. Bengaluru sees constant bad traffic on a day-to-day basis, and every single person that comes from the city can testify on how bad the condition really is. But why is this so?

Why is it so bad?

On average, it is estimated that a Bangalore citizen spends about 10 days in traffic. This is an unimaginable amount for a lot of us from outside Bangalore, who might experience traffic here and there but nothing compared to Bangalore. Furthermore, the average speed travelled on Bangalore roads is only 11 km/h, and it is estimated that it could decrease to 8 km/h if no measures are taken to curb traffic. The unusual thing here is that the speed is low not only with traffic but also without it. This is because the roads in Bangalore, and in generally in India, are multi-purpose public goods serving a wide variety of uses other than motorized transport that slow down travel (hawkers, stalls, parked vehicles, etc.).

The generally agreed reason behind the traffic is that it is because of the rapid and unplanned growth of the city. Bangalore’s traffic advisor M.N. Sreehari himself has said that Bangalore suddenly went from a sleepy village, to a town, to a city. These unforeseen and unplanned changes in the city left it unprepared to deal with the traffic.

Bangalore is often described as the Silicon Valley of India as it is home to the IT industry. Since the early 1990s, with the advent of globalization and privatization, global technology firms began opening offices in Bangalore and a large number of support industries have grown around it, bringing with them a huge influx of people from all over India. Many Indians and NRIs started moving to Bangalore to try building their start-ups, which Bangalore is known for today.

Hence, Bangalore’s population grew from 5.6 million in 2001 to 8.7 million in 2011. Today, it is estimated to have reached 11.5 million. So, the population has grown exponentially, but the infrastructure and roads have not been able to keep up the pace.

Apart from this, even the general road layout is to be blamed for the traffic. Rather than having a grid pattern which promotes the flow of traffic, Bangalore has a star pattern which causes a lot of interceptions and jams. Bangalore used to have grid like roads, but it gradually became more star shaped because of unplanned change and development. Also, the roads themselves are mostly in bad conditions and full of potholes. Potholes are one of the reasons for traffic congestion and road accidents. There is also illegal construction on these roads which narrow them down, causing more jamming.

Furthermore, the public transport like buses carry only about 45% of the city’s traffic and the metro system is still underdeveloped. This means that most people are dependent on their private transport. The city has 6.6 million private vehicles, including one million cars. Every day, another million vehicles enter from outside the city, clogging its already choked streets. Adding to this problem is the fact that one-third of the city roads are taken away by parking and encroachments.

Conclusion

Bengaluru’s traffic is undeniably bad, and measures need to be taken to curb traffic jams and congestion in the city. The traffic has had wide ranging effects on pollution and on the health of people, not to mention it is an immense waste of a person’s time. Even companies in Bengaluru have started pulling out of the city to move to tier 2 and tier 3 cities because the traffic is simply bad for business. It is the statutory and constitutional duty of civic bodies to maintain roads and footpaths. If the administration takes steps to solve the traffic issue in the city, Bengaluru will become a much more popular city and gain a better reputation.

REMEMBERING NELSON MANDELA

Nelson Mandela, the figurehead of Africa’s Anti-aparthied movement and the first Black President was born on this day, July 18, 1918  into the Thembu royal family in South Africa. He was the first elected Black President who was elected in a fully democratic election. Mandela became involved in protests against the racist policies of South Africa’s government in his 20s, and is known for having spent 27 years in prison for political offenses.  He served as the president of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997. The South Africans who love him refer to him as Tata, father. He was an active member of African National congress. Mandela had always looked for peaceful ways to protest.

However, the Sharpville massacre in March 1960, where 69 Black South Africans were shot and killed by police and hundreds wounded during a peaceful protest; contributed to deteriorating relations with the White minority government. The resistance fighter who for years had denounced violence suddenly saw a need to use arms in the struggle for equality.

Mandel abandoned his peaceful stance and started advocating sabotage against the White Government. He went underground and co-founded Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), the military wing ofhe ANC. During this time he was known as Black Pimpernal for his ability to evade capture. In 1962, he went to Algeruia to eran the Guirella warfare tactic. On the way of his return he was arrested along with other members at a road block. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for guerrilla war actions against the government. International pressure to free Mandela grew over time and he was released after 27 years of imprisonment. He declared his commitment to peace and reconciliation with the country’s white minority on the day of his release, which turned into a large-scale celebration that included a global media presence. People in the street cheered in support of Tata.

Mandela’s biggest influence on the new South Africa was his personal determination that anger over the crimes of the past, including his 27 years as a political prisoner, should not motivate future laws and actions. Key to this was his 1995 establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that investigated historic human rights violations and gave vent to grievances.

His negotiations with the South African president in the early 90s, F.W. de Klerk helped in cession of aparthied system of racial segregation. Mandela along with Klerk received Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in 1993.

Mandela’s other key legacy is his extensive charitable work, including the creation of the Nelson Mandela Foundation,  the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. Starting from 2002, Mandela encouraged AIDS awareness and treatment. 46664 – the HIV-AIDS initiative was named after his prison number.

In 2009, the United Nations declared that July 18, Mandela’s birthday, would be a worldwide day of community service known as Nelson Mandela International Day.

JAIPUR, THE PINK CITY

Jaipur stands out as one of the most picturesque and culturally vibrant cities in the entire world. It is the capital of Rajasthan which is known for its rich heritage and culture. Resplendent in the hues of its magnificent past, this historic city stands out for being one of the most spectacular cities in the world.

A city of royalty, craft, heritage.  Jaipur and its people thrive in their colourful and awe-inspiring surroundings. The people adorn their traditional attires that reflect their free spirits and grandiose past. Perhaps it is the only city in India to reflect the fusion of heritage culture and modernity.

The entire city is bathed in a nostalgic shade of pink, this city charms the visitors with their forts and palaces. Every corner of this city holds an interesting anecdote. The stories and the colors adorn the city which takes form in the hearts of people living there.

It is almost 4 hours from the bustling capital city, this city needs to be a part of your itinerary to experience the true essence of the country irrespective of how short or long the trip is.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Best time to visit Jaipur is between November to February when it gets slightly cold and windy. Weather of Jaipur is on the hotter side, as it is near to the Thar desert which makes Rajasthan hot. The summer months which are March to August make it difficult to explore the city.

ACCOMODATION

If you’re visiting here for a special vacation then there are a bunch of luxury hotel chains which can make your experience memorable like – Leela Palace Jaipur, ITC Rajputana, Samode Haveli, Oberoi Rajvillas and so on depending on your budget.

To experience the royal culture of the city, Jaipur has many haveli’s with antique décor which will serve you typical Rajasthani food and you will step in the culture of the place.

If you’re on a budget there are beautiful Airbnb’s and hostel for people who are coming in large groups, solo traveler’s or with friends.

THINGS TO SEE

  • Amer Fort 

The most famous tourist attraction of Jaipur. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for all the right reasons. You will be bound to be impressed by the marvelous fort and the intricate design of the entire fort, lavish mirror works of Amer.

  • City Palace

It is located in the center of the city, presently it is the home for the royal family of Jaipur. It is majorly a series of courtyards, gardens and buildings.

  • Patrika Gate

It is a place that reflects the beautiful Rajasthani culture and architecture of the state. It has stunning frescos and beautiful carved arches.

  • Hawa Mahal

It is Popularly known as the “Palace of wind”. It has 953 windows and was initially a summer get away for Rajput families.

The city paints different strokes on each admirer’s soul with its beauty. Traveller’s that are looking for a taste of the past Indian Culture and traditions.

 Jaipur is a Must Visit, Happy Travelling!

How to foster mental health?

Mental health is often overlooked and underrated but it is just as prominent as our physical well being. More frequently people relate the term health to the physical body but mental and physical health are closely inter-related. Though we separate the terms as body and mind, one cannot be physically fit completely if he/she carries a poor mental health because it leaves a negative impact on the physical body. A good mental state paves the way for a healthy lifestyle and prevents several serious health conditions. A study found that positive mental well being can mitigate the risks of heart attacks and strokes. The mortality rate from cancer and heart disease is higher amidst people who suffer from depression or other mental health conditions. It is apparent that our body can give rise to many physical problems when we are mentally ill. Mental illness in simple terms can be the depression, anxiety, irregular eating habits and stress, that are faced by many in their day to day lives which lay the root causes for many complicated mental disorders. How to promote mental health for a thriving and vigorous life?

In the contemporary world everyone are rapidly running to acquire means for a wealthy lifestyle but in this process we have forgotten that health is our greatest wealth. In this modernized society we afford every thing by just a single click from the tip of our hands, perform more smart works rather than hard work, for this our mind should be clear and strong but on the other hand mental illness is an issue faced even by the little ones these days and so we have to frame some valuable time to engage in a mindfulness to lead a fruitful life. There so much factors that contributes to the stress and depression from time to time but mental health is very salient for the further going.

In the rushing lifestyle just make some time for your hobbies, do things that you relish and which makes you feel relaxed. As mental health can have a positive impact on the physical body similarly take good care yourself physically to improve the mental health. Intake nutritious food, have a regular and adequate sleep because lack of sleep contributes to a high rate of depression, stay hydrated. Exercise regularly which curtails stress & anxiety levels and enhances the mood. It will sharpen our memory and augments our thinking capacity. Benefits of yoga are well known and it could be a great stress reliever and improves the quality of life. It will help build confidence & self esteem, calm the mind and gradually helps to boost the immunity. When you feel that sometimes when life is getting over you just get a grip yourself with the succor of your family and friends, widen your horizons, seek out activities that can get you out of the mental trauma. Surround yourself with good people and positive thoughts which tends to leave a huge positive impact in your mind. If you have any intense mental issues do consult a psychiatrist without any hesitation and delay as prevention is better than cure. Things will be beautiful in its time and just wait for your time to arrive without becoming more stressed or intimidated about the future.

Healthy mind in a healthy body is the healthy style of living.

An Excellent Publication by a Dynamic IAS Officer (Retired): Few Points about the Book

By virtue of working in the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR)   and few other organisations in India and even abroad, I have the opportunity to meet many IAS officers and around 15 senior IAS officers were my bosses. While I was in abroad (many countries) many foreigners appreciated our IAS system of recruiting. 

 I have to agree that all IAS officers whom I met and interacted with were knowledgeable and vibrant in different fields. Some of them were publishing articles also. I am now a senior citizen and around 65 years of age but two names I remember whose articles inspired me – one is T. L Sankar sir and another one Rajeev Sadanandan sir. I had the opportunity to work under both of them when both were in NIRDPR as Director General and Deputy Director General in different periods. 

Recently, I have the opportunity to go through the book written by Chinmay Basu sir, an Odisha cadre IAS now retired on superannuation and settled in Kolkata. He also worked in NIRDPR as Deputy Director General. After retirement he has published (February 2021) a wonderful book in Bengali titled ‘Jibaner Jharna Kalam’ (meaning, according to me Jotted Down Experience of Life). 

There are altogether 23 chapters in the book and the volume is spread over to 128 pages including foreword and preface. The foreword is written by one IAS – Anita Agnihotri madam. 

For the benefit of readers I am highlighting a gist of each chapter as the author has presented his experience during service life mostly during his experience in Odisha with some cases in each chapter. 

 First chapter has highlighted his experience when   he was a student staying in the hostel of Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Calcutta, now Kolkata. According to the author most of the students were from different parts of India mostly from North East of India. Anyway, he has presented a sad case as he met one person, Sheikh Kader at YMCA whose family still has a renowned bakery in Guwahati, Assam. Kader finally became a medical doctor and a few years ago when the author with his wife went to Guwahati as tourists desired to meet Kader and accordingly went to Sheikh Brothers Bakery and came to know Kader passed away. Second chapter is interesting as when he joined Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy, Mussoorie, in 1977 as probationer, while filling up the form mentioned married as before joining marriage registration took place.  But normally as per Indian culture social marriage is a must so when he wanted to go for social marriage top head of the Institute asked him to clarify and with interesting note he has clarified   because registration and social marriage are two  different phenomena. In the third chapter, the author has presented his experience when he went to join with his wife a small town Gunupur as SDO (Sub Divisional Officer), Korapout district.  With a lot of hassles he joined and he was the first IAS officer to join as SDO in that place. In the fourth chapter, the author has narrated how a small   rivulet (drainage type)   became furious because of incessant rain. With a lot of difficulty the author crossed the rivulet with the help of local staff as there was an important meeting. 

In the fifth chapter a case of corrupt practice has been highlighted as how an official harassed a small cinema hall owner. With the intervention of the author, the cinema hall was reopened. Sixth chapter also touched upon the corruption (bribery) case which the author has neutralised. In the seventh chapter exploitation of the bonded labourers by the big landowners has been presented. The author’s experience in Kalahandi has been presented in chapter 8 where he worked as district magistrate. Here also he observed some issues. In chapter 9 the author had to move by train by taking a ticket in another person’s name and the situation has been lucidly explained. An anomaly during recruitment of staff in Sambalpur district, where the author was the district magistrate, has been presented in chapter 10, and the author and his immediate colleagues tackled the issue as he received an anonymous letter about corruption during examination. In chapter 11 the author has explained how his childhood friend who went mountaineering lost his life. The chapter 12 is also interesting as the author was with his two children and wife while going to Nandankanan, a great and famous sanctuary of the animals by bus, and faced a serious problem because he forgot to take the required amount. And finally how it was resolved may be found in the chapter. 

 The author has explained his interesting experience in Chapter 13 about train journeys and the train left the station as within the stipulated time he along with his boss a chief secretary level officer could not get down in the station timely and finally the issue was resolved. In Chapter 14 the author has explained how the big industrialists exploit weavers. Health issue of the author’s teenage son and how the issue was tackled has been narrated in chapter 15 and chapter 16 as the author’s son suddenly suffered from nerve related issues in 1995. In chapter 17 former Prime Minister Honourable Rajiv Gandhi’s visit with Madam Sonia Gandhi at Kalahandi in 1987 has been lucidly presented. And unfortunately both could not visit a village because of heavy rain although it was scheduled. But later on the author visited and observed a few cases of corruption and highlighted these in chapter 17.  When the author’s son and daughter were students at Symbiosis college in Pune, the mother of both (his wife) , used too many phone calls through STD. Those days cell phones were not available. So the author was disgusted as the phone was meant for official purposes. In view of this, the author joined in Mumbai as Chief Executive Officer in Khadi and Village Industries Commission. Time to time both husband and wife used to visit Pune to meet their children and similarly both the children on holidays used to visit their home in Mumbai. And in this chapter 18 behaviour of both son and daughter has been lucidly explained which is a simple example of generation gap. 

The author had the opportunity to study in Harvard University of USA in 1989 under the scholarship of UNDP. Since it was a prestigious programme, he went there with his wife and both the children and had the opportunity to attend Nobel laureate Professor Amartya Sen’s class (chapter 19). In chapter 20, the author has explained a case in the USA as by seeing ‘Food Coupon’ which an old lady was using he puzzled and later on came to know these are given by the Government to the poor persons who are unable to work like Old-age pension in our country. The author has lucidly explained in chapter 21 his visit with family members to Niagara Falls in Canada. Here he has honestly explained about the visa issue because he came from India on one single entry visa but some people misguided him that multiple entry visas are required and finally the issue was resolved. The author’s experience with the former Chief Minister Honourable Biju Pattnaik and about his personality has been wonderfully jotted down in chapter 22. In the last chapter of 23 while the author was Chief Executive Officer in Khadi and Village Industries Commission in a programme Prime Minister Honourable Atal  Bihari Vajpayee came as chief guest , the author’s embracing position while extending vote of thanks in Hindi has been explained. The author feels that he should have spoken like an extempore speech not by reading a piece of paper and with a humorous note he has concluded the chapter.

This is a wonderful publication although in Bengali so I suggest the author if possible it may be published in Odia, English and Hindi also. Also I suggest all the 23 chapters should be numbered by inserting 1, 2, 3 etc., as only the chapters’ titles have been mentioned in the content. Since, the publication has mainly highlighted his experience during service period and abroad so many of us faced such issues in our service life so I am feeling nostalgic.

 Dr Shankar Chatterjee

Former Professor & Head (CPME),NIRD & PR ( Govt. of India), Hyderabad,  

TOP FAMOUS DANCE STYLES IN THE WORLD

Dance is one of the best forms of expression. People all over the world are into various forms of dancing. They say anybody can dance…which is true, unless and until you are knowledgeable of the dance form. The easiest dance form is Freestyling. It is simple and you don’t need to have a specific choreography to dance along with the music.

Here are some dance styles that are widely loved by the people of the world.

HIP-HOP

The dance form is usually performed by skilled dancers. It includes a wide range of styles created in the 1970s and made popular by dance ctews in the United States. They go under training that usually involves locking, popping, breaking, flips, handstands etc. This dance has moves which are closer to the ground and is usually performed to hip-hop, R&B, Funk, Electronic, and pop music. They are also called street dances or street style. This is a dace form that is widely performed and loved.

BALLET

A dance style that was originated in the 15th century in Italy and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. This is usually performed on classical music. Ballets are choreographed and performed by trained ballet dancers. It requires ages of training and is extremely eye pleasing.

SALSA

It is performed in couples and is performed on Salsa and Latin American music. Salsa is an amalgamation of Cuban dances such mambo, pachanga, and rumba as well as American dances such as swing and tap. It was primarily developed by Puerto Ricans and Cubans living in New York in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Different regions of Latin America and the United States (including countries in the Caribbean) have distinct salsa styles of their own, such as Cuban, Puerto Rican, Colombian, and New York styles. Salsa dance socials are commonly held in nightclubs, bars, ballrooms, restaurants, and outside, especially when part of an outdoor festival.

BELLY DANCE

It is an expressive Arabian dance style that was originated in Egypt. It features movements of the hips and torso. It has evolved to take many different forms depending on the country and region, both in costume and dance style; with Egyptian style the most recognized worldwide due to the Egyptian cinema. It is popular worldwide with many schools around the globe now practicing it.

BHANGRA

It is a type of traditional folk dance of the India subcontinent, originating in Sialkot in Punjab. In a typical performance, several dancers execute vigorous kicks, leaps, and bends of the body—often with upraised, thrusting arm or shoulder movements.  its modern-day evoluti on has allowed bhangra to retain its traditional Indian roots, while broadening its reach to include integration into popular music and DJing, group-based competitions, and even exercise and dance programs in schools and studios.

FLAMENCO

It is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, originating in the culture and traditions of the Cale Roma, commonly known in Spanish as Gitanos, of the region of Andalusia, but also having a historical presence in Mucia. Flamenco has become popular all over the world, especially the US and Japan.

TANGO

Tango is a partner dance, and social dance that originated in the 1880s, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango then spread to the rest of the world. Many variations of this dance currently exist around the world. On August 31, 2009, it approved a joint proposal by Argentina and Uruguay to include the tango in the UNESCO Cultral Heritage list.

DRAGON DANCE

It is a form of traditional dance and performance in Chinese dance. Like the lion dance, it is most often seen in festive celebrations. The dance is performed by a team of experienced dancers who manipulate a long flexible figure of a dragon using poles positioned at regular intervals along the length of the dragon. The dragons are believed to possess qualities that include great power, dignity, fertility, wisdom and auspiciousness. The movements in a performance traditionally symbolize historical roles of dragons demonstrating power and dignity.

CONTEMPORARY

is a genre of dance performance that developed during the mid-twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in the U.S. and Europe. Although originally informed by and borrowing from classical, modern, and jazz styles. Due to its technical similarities, it is often perceived to be closely related to modern dance, ballet, and other classical concert dance styles. 

Article by : Haniah Mirza