Month: July 2021

How to study abroad?

Every year lakhs of students goes to study in abroad. The percentage of students studying in abroad is tend to growly. US, UK AND CANADA are the most preferred destination to study abroad. Every student wants to study in abroad at top university, but some don’t know the process and how to apply for that? This blog tells you to advantages of studying abroad, how to apply for bachelors degree, how to apply for masters degree, and additional information.

ADVANTAGES OF STUDYING IN ABROAD

  1. You will get to know about the world, new cultures, new people from all over the world.
  2. Good job and career opportunities.
  3. Good quality of education.
  4. Personal development.
  5. Good exposure to new culture.
  6. Advanced learning techniques.
Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels

APPLYING TO BACHELORS DEGREE

If you want to study yours bachelors degree in abroad, then you should to start your preparation from your 9 or 10 grade. First select your subject in which you want do your bachelors. Then select a country which suits and then research about the universities and then select some universities to apply. Know the university requirements, Different universities have different requirement and different selection process. You have to write a standardized test called SAT. SAT stands for Scholastic Assessment Test is a standardized test developed by college broad and Education Training Service(ETS).The SAT score is used for seeking admission in undergraduation programs. SAT consist of two section one is reading section which consist of 800 marks and math’s section also consists of 800 marks. SAT score is valid for 5 years . A total of 85 countries accept SAT score for giving admission to undergraduate programs. After writing SAT, you have to write two SAT subjects. One in Mathematics(Math’s 1 or Math’s 2) and one in science(Physics or Chemistry or Biology). Apart from that you have to send your High school transcripts, Letter of recommendation, Statement of purpose to the university which you are applying.

APPLYING TO MASTERS DEGREE

Many students prefer to study masters in abroad if you are in them, then select the country suits for you. Research about the universities and select the universities which suits you . The process is same for masters, but you to write a standardized test called GRE. GRE stands for Graduate Record Examination is a standardized test which is used for getting admission in masters program. GRE score is valid for 5 years. A total of 160 countries write GRE over 700 GRE examination center. GRE exam consist of one analytical writing section, two quantitative multiple choice section, two verbal multiple choice section. The maximum score in GRE is 340. Other than that you also require to send Letter of recommendation(from your teachers), Statement of Purpose, transcripts of undergraduation to the university you are applying.

ADDITIONAL INFORAMTION

If your applying for undergraduation or postgraduation program in a English speaking country like US or UK. You have to write English proficiency test TOEFL or IELTS. TOEFL stands for Test Of English As a Foreign Language is standardized test to measure English language ability of non-natives speakers. This test is accepted by more than 11,000 universities all over the world. This test consist of 4 sections reading, writing, speaking, listening. The maximum marks in TOEFL are 120. IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System is also a standardized test to measure English language ability of non-native speakers. IELTS is accepted by 10,000 universities all over the world. This test consist of 4 section reading, writing, speaking, listening. The maximum marks in IELTS is 9.0 points.

National Doctor’s Day . Celebrate and Appreciate The Life Savers of the World .

It is said ,
“diamonds are chunk of coals that did well under pressure”

Do you know about human diamonds ?
Think again, you might know them .
Yes you might have seen them ,even talked ,shared your problems ,they might have shined for you ,helped you solve your issues physically , mentally , emotionally .

Yes ,yes you are going the right way pal.
They help us without any time limit . They are available anytime whether it’s day or night .


Yes you got their dress code right,
They wear white coats and stethoscopes as their ornament .

Finally, here’s your answer.
They are doctors.




Amid the Covid-19 outbreak, when the world had no hope , when there was no Almighty omnipresent to save the world , when death threatening situation have elevated tremendously, the medical doctors have been working 24/7 risking their lives and desperately making an attempt to save several lives. Standing at the frontline battle of Covid -19 , facing the life threatening situations , instead of thinking about their own safety and their family’s safety they choose to serve the nation, putting their own lives at risk with selfless determination for the sake of saving lives despite of every possible chance of not seeing the world again .


The doctors and the staff have gone above and beyond everything one can ever expect them to during this Covid-19 battle.

Just like diamonds , taking pressure just to shine for others .
Doctors are just humans with white coats but with extraordinary will to serve and save people .

No words are enough to appreciate their service.
But one can always give a day to celebrate and appreciate their commitments.

In India , July 1st is celebrated as National Doctor’s Day .
A day when one can show their gratitude for all the support, dedicated service, care, and humbleness and surely the effective treatment by doctors .


National Doctor’s Day :-

Every year, July 1 is celebrated as National Doctors’ Day by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
The day is dedicated to all the doctors and healthcare workers who have been serving the people by risking their lives.


History of Doctor’s Day in India :-


The National Doctor’s Day 1st July was first observed in 1991, commemorating the birth and death anniversary of former Bengal’s Chief Minister Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy to honour his contribution in serving humanity as a doctor .


About Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy :–

Bidhan Chandra Roy , was an Indian physician, educationist, philanthropist, freedom fighter and statesman who served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal .


Dr Roy was a great doctor who made an enormous contribution to the medical field. He was born on July 1, 1882.


On 1 July 1962, his 80th birthday, around 11 in morning , after treating his patients , he died . He had gifted his house for running a nursing home named after his mother, Aghore Kamini Devi. He had also constituted a trust for his properties at Patna to carry out social service, with eminent nationalist Ganga Sharan Singh (Sinha) .


He played a significant role in establishing medical institutions like Jadavpur T.B. Hospital, Chittaranjan Seva Sadan, Kamala Nehru Memorial Hospital, Victoria Institution (college), Chittaranjan Cancer Hospital and the Chittaranjan Seva Sadan for women and children.
He was responsible for setting up a framework for dispensing grant-in-aid to hospitals and charitable dispensaries
He was honoured with Bharat Ratna, on February 4, 1961.

July 1 is celebrated as ‘National Doctor’s Day’ as National Doctors’ Day by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in account of his service and for being the pedestal of the medical line in India .

Celebration around the world :-

The date of celebrating National Doctor’s Day varies from nation to nation depending on the event of commemoration that is marked as the national Day of celebrating the service of doctors.



Cards or red carnations are gifted to doctors , physicians and their spouses to celebrate their commitment and service by patients and staff.
A flower is also placed on the graves of deceased physicians.

Red Carnations bouquets are specially gifted to doctors because of its specific symbol. Red carnations symbolises love, affection and sacrifice which represents the gratitude of a patient towards his healthcare professionals.

The day is celebrated by health care organizations as well .



Significance The National Doctor’s Day :-

This day is observed to pay heed towards the medical doctors’ role and responsibilities in serving lives. The day is supposed to recognise their functions and obligations as well as their service of healing mankind .
A good doctor who works hard to serve humanity and handle his/her patient with care always deserves appreciation . Thus , doctor’s day is a day to celebrate and appreciate their selfless service.



“Medicines can cure, but a good doctor’s inspirational words can give the strength to fight from within “

Being at hospital can be a terrible experience for a person but a good doctor not only provides the best treatment but also strength to fight the disease and treat a person not only physically but also mentally and emotionally with their positive thoughts .

Oncologists, pediatricians, cardiologists, neurologists, general physicians, dermatologists, gynecologists, and psychiatrists , all such kinds of doctors take the Hippocratic Oath and through this oath, they swear to follow ethics laid down for medical practices.

Doctor’s services are the foremost necessary for life.
Doctors all over the world are given the stature next to God because of their life saving role play .

So let us all appreciate and show your gratitude to the Warriors and Life Savers for all their commitments and selfless deeds .

Walking

Suppose that when you went to your Dr. for a regular health check-up. There your Dr. has given you your health prescription in which you are recommender a few medicines and surprisingly a simple thing to do every day and that is walking. Well then you will ask more questions and the Dr. will say walking has various health benefits and you need it too.

What is the thing which we are been doing when we were just a year old or when a newborn is born is born in a family there when the baby start walking Is also considered or taken walking as a strong or proper growth of a child?

Well, there are various benefits of walking daily, anyone can take these benefits by following a consistent walk every day. Various health researchers have found that there are chances that walking may improve your lifespan.

Are there only few benefits of walking? The answer to this question is no there NO there are many benefits for just walking, by just taking a small amount of time from your one and only precious lifestyle everyday just for walking. Seriously it will only take few moments or little span of time and you will get various benefits by following this walking ritual daily and after some time it will become your habit (As it is said that it only takes 21 days to form a habit if you are consistent or regular.

The benefits of walking

  • Can help you tone your legs and reduces excess fat from your body.

While walking regularly for about 30 minutes daily will help burn calories and will reduce the excess amount of fat stored in you body and can help slim down your legs. When you walk your legs works constantly which will help reduce your body fat percentage.

  • Can help is lowering you heart risk.

While doing any sort of physical activities you heart pumps blood the proper way to each part or organ of your body same is while walking for some time period daily will also reduces your heart risk

  • Can help in reducing blood sugar level.

Walking is also one kind of physical activity and while doing so or while walking daily the blood sugar level will reduce which may results in getting you benefits of that.

  • Can help increase your lifespan.

Studies have shown that by walking daily people’s life span may increase. People who walk daily tend to live more than people who do not.

  • Can improve your immune system.

People who walk daily for a certain amount of time of their day tends to get less sick or even if they get Sikh they will we able to fight with the fever and get healthier faster than normal people. SO, while walking your immune system will become stronger.

There are more benefits pf while walking and that is. When we people walk in a society there will be less crimes. Can develop your social skills and help reduces depression.

The coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic’s impact on mental health

Throughout the world, the public is being informed about the physical effects of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and steps to take to prevent exposure to the coronavirus and manage symptoms of COVID‐19 if they appear. However, the effects of this pandemic on one’s mental health have not been studied at length and are still not known. As all efforts are focused on understanding the epidemiology, clinical features, transmission patterns, and management of the COVID‐19 outbreak, there has been very little concern expressed over the effects on one’s mental health and on strategies to prevent stigmatization. People’s behavior may greatly affect the pandemic’s dynamic by altering the severity, transmission, disease flow, and repercussions. The present situation requires raising awareness in public, which can be helpful to deal with this calamity. This perspective article provides a detailed overview of the effects of the COVID‐19 outbreak on the mental health of people.

KIDS AND TEENS AT RISK

Kids, away from their school, companions, and partners, remaining at home can have numerous inquiries concerning the flare-up and they look toward their folks or guardians to find the solution. Not all kids and guardians react to pressure similarly. Children can encounter nervousness, trouble, social detachment, and an oppressive climate that can have short‐ or long‐term consequences for their psychological wellness. Some normal changes in youngsters’ conduct

To assist with balancing negative practices, expects guardians to try to avoid panicking, manage the circumstance carefully, and answer the entirety of the kid’s inquiries as well as could be expected. Guardians can set aside some effort to converse with their youngsters about the COVID‐19 flare-up and share some sure realities, figures, and data. Guardians can assist with consoling them that they are protected at home and urge them to participate in some solid exercises including indoor games and some physical and mental activities. Guardians can likewise foster a home timetable that can assist their youngsters with staying aware of their investigations. Guardians should show less pressure or nervousness at their home as kids see and feel negative energy from their folks. The contribution of guardians in solid exercises with their youngsters can assist with lessening pressure and nervousness and carry help to the general circumstance.

 ELDERS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AT RISK

Older individuals are more inclined to the COVID‐19 flare-up because of both clinical and social reasons, for example, having a more vulnerable safe framework or other basic medical issue and removing from their families and companions because of their bustling timetables. As indicated by clinical specialists, individuals matured 60 or above are bound to get the SARS‐CoV‐2 and can create a genuine and life‐threatening condition regardless of whether they are healthy.

Physical separating because of the COVID‐19 episode can have exceptional adverse consequences on the emotional wellness of the old and handicapped people. Actual disengagement at home among relatives can put the old and incapacitated individual at genuine emotional wellness hazard. It can cause tension, trouble, and prompt a horrible circumstance for them. Old individuals rely upon youthful ones for their day by day needs, and self‐isolation can fundamentally harm a family framework. The old and crippled individuals living in nursing homes can confront outrageous psychological wellness issues. Be that as it may, something as straightforward as a call during the pandemic episode can assist with supporting old individuals. COVID‐19 can likewise bring about expanded pressure, uneasiness, and gloom among older individuals previously managing psychological well-being issues.

Specialists, medical caretakers, and paramedics functioning as a front‐line power to battle the COVID‐19 flare-up might be more defenseless to foster emotional well-being indications. Dread of contracting an illness, long working hours, inaccessibility of defensive stuff and supplies, patient burden, inaccessibility of powerful COVID‐19 prescription, passing of their associates after openness to COVID‐19, social separating and disconnection from their loved ones, and the critical circumstance of their patients may cause significant damage of the psychological wellness of wellbeing laborers. The functioning proficiency of wellbeing experts may diminish progressively as the pandemic wins. Wellbeing laborers should take brief breaks between their functioning hours and manage the circumstance tranquilly and in a casual way.

OLD ENGLISH HEROIC POETRY

The Anglo-Saxon invaders, who came to Britain in the latter part of the 5th century A.D and eventually established their kingdoms there, were the founders of what we can properly call English culture and English Literature, Beowulf holds a special position in Anglo-Saxon literature- indeed, in older Germanic literature as a whole- because it is the only complete extant epic of its kind in an ancient Germanic language.

Beowulf falls into two main parts. The first deals with the visit of Beowulf to the court of King Hrothgar of Denmark to kill a monster named Grendel. He fights with and mortally wounds Grendel in Herot, and when Grendel’s mother comes to take revenge for the death of her son he follows her to the underground water home and slays her too. The second part takes place fifty years later, when Beowulf has long been the king of Geats. A dragon, guarding a hoard of treasure has been disturbed and Beowulf to save his country from the wrath of the dragon decides to fight the dragon. He succeeds in slaying the dragon but ends up being mortally injured. The poem ends with an account of Beowulf’s funeral: hid body is burned on an elaborate pyre amid the lamentations of his warriors.

Beowulf is a heroic poem, celebrating the exploits of a great warrior whose character and actions are held up as a model of aristocratic value. It reflects the ideals of that state of society we call the Heroic Age and its resemblance to the Odyssey in this respect has often been noted. The grave courtesy with which men of rank are received and dismissed the generosity of rulers and the loyalty of retainers, the thirst for fame through the achievement of deeds of courage and endurance, the solemn boasting of warriors before and after performance the interest in genealogies and pride in a noble heredity are all traditional realities of heroic poetry that are found prominently in Beowulf.

Two fragments makes up the remainder of older Anglo-Saxon heroic poetry. The first is a fragment of fifty line popularly known as The Fight at Finnsburh, and describes the attack on Hnaef’s hall by the followers of Finn, king of the North Frisians. The second fragment is the Waldhere, which tells of the exploits of Walter of Aquitaine.

Toward the end of the Anglo-Saxon period the old heroic note re-emerges finely in two poems dealing with contemporary history. The Battle of Brunanburh celebrates the victory of Athelstan of Wessex and Eadmund, his brother, against the combined forces of Olaf, the Norseman, Constantine, King of Scots, and the Britons of Strathclyde. the Battle of Maldon deals in the older epic manner with one of the many clashes between English and Danes that resulted from the latter’s attacks on England. It is the story of a disastrous English defeat. The poem contains nine speeches, mostly of exhortation and encouragement to the English forces, delivered by seven different speakers. the poem singles out for praise individual English warriors, talks about the passionate loyalty of retainers to their chief and eulogizes the brave struggle of the English warriors against insurmountable odds. The Old English heroic poetry provides a glimpse of virtues that were considered important. It shows that though the Christian elements had started to penetrate the literary ethos, qualities like heroism and courage were still held at a very high esteem. The movement of the focus of heroic poetry towards the spirit of nationalism, proclaiming the greatness of England as a nation marks the development of national identity among the English people.

Other six Jyotirling of Lord Shiva

7. Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga, Andhra Pradesh: According to the Shiva Purana, Lord Ganesha was married off before Kartikeya which left Kartikeya angered. He went away to the Kraunch Mountain. All the Gods tried to console him but in vain. Ultimately Shiva-Parvati themselves travelled to the mountain but were turned away by Kartikeya. Seeing their son in such a state they were very hurt and Shiva assumed the form of a Jyotirlinga and resided on the mountain by the name of Mallikarujna. Mallika means Parvati, while Arjuna is another name of Shiva. It is also known as “Kailash of the South” and is one of the greatest Shaivite shrines in India.

8. Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga, Aurangabad: According to the Shiva Purana, a couple named Sudharm and Sudeha resided on the Devagiri Mountain. They were childless, and thus Sudeha got her sister Ghushma married to Sudharm. They bore a son who rendered Ghushma proud and Sudeha jealous of her sister. In her jealousy, Sudeha threw the son in the lake where Ghushma used to discharge 101 lingams. Ghushma prayed to Lord Shiva who ultimately returned her the son and told her of her sister’s deeds. Sudharm asked Shiva to emancipate Sudeha which left Shiva pleased with his generosity. On Sudharm’s request, Shiva manifested himself in the form of the Jyotirlinga and assumed the name Ghushmeshwar.

9.  Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga, Nasik: According to the Shiva Purana, it is on the earnest request of River Godavari, Gautam Rishi and all the other Gods that Shiva decided to reside here and assumed the name Trimbakeshwar. Gautam Rishi earned a boon from Varuna in the form of a pit from which he received an inexhaustible supply of grains and food. The other Gods were rendered jealous by him and they send a cow to enter the granary. The cow was mistakenly killed by Gautam Rishi who then asked Lord Shiva to do something to purify the premises. Shiva asked Ganga to flow through the land to make it pure. Everyone thus sang praise for the Lord who then resided beside Ganga in the form of Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga. Hindus believe that this Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra is the one which fulfils everyone’s desires.

10. Rameshwar Jyotirlinga, Tamil Nadu:  It is believed that Ram on his way to Sri Lanka stopped at Rameshwaram and was drinking water on the seashore when there was a celestial proclamation: “You are drinking water without worshipping me.” Listening to this Ram made a linga of sand and worshipped it and asked for its blessings to defeat Ravana. He got the blessings from Lord Shiva who then turned into a Jyotirlinga and resided at the place for eternity.

11. Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga, Maharashtra: The legend about the existence of this Jyotirlinga is related to Kumbhakarna’s son Bhima. When Bhima learned that he was the son of Kumbhakarana who was annihilated by Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Lord Ram, he vowed to avenge Lord Vishnu. He performed penance to please Lord Brahma who granted him immense power. On achieving this power, he started creating havoc in the world. He defeated the staunch devotee of Lord Shiva- Kamrupeshwar and put him in the dungeons. This angered the Lords who requested Shiva to descend Earth and put an end to this tyranny. A war ensued between the two and Shiva ultimately put the demon to ashes. All the Gods then requested Shiva to make that place his abode. Shiva then manifested himself in the form of Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga. It is believed that the sweat which poured from Shiva’s body after the battle is what formed the Bhima River. 

12.  Baidyanath Jyotirlinga, Jharkhand:  According to a famous legend, the demon king Ravana meditated and asked Lord Shiva to come over to Sri Lanka and make it invincible. Ravana tried to take Mount Kailash with him, but Lord Shiva crushed it. Ravana asked for penance and in turn, was given of the twelve Jyotirlingas on the condition that if it was placed on the ground it would remain rooted to that spot till eternity. While transporting it to Sri Lanka, Lord Varuna entered Ravana’s body and he felt an urgent need to relieve himself. Lord Vishnu came down in the form of a lad and offered to hold the lingam in the meantime. However, Vishnu placed the lingam on the ground and it got rooted to the spot. As a form of penance, Ravana cut off nine of his heads. Shiva revived him and joined the heads to the body, like a vaidya and hence this Jyotirlinga came to be known as Vaidyanath.

The Future of Geothermal Energy in our nation

Geothermal energy is considered to be a clean source of energy. It mainly involves absorbing energy from the Earth’s molten core. Beneath the Earth’s surface is a hot layer of magma that erupts at some geological positions on the Earth. This eruption generates steam sufficient enough to rotate the blades of a turbine which generates electricity. The electricity generated can be then used to power up several houses or even small-scale industries solely depending on the velocity and pressure of the steam that vents out through the crust.

An alternative method is also present, known as thermal energy; this method involves burning coal or other fuels to generate steam which in turn rotates the blades to power up houses or industries. However, thermal energy is not considered a green source since it involves the combustion of several non-renewable fuels which only add up to the emissions emitted into the atmosphere. Whereas, geothermal is considered to be a more cost-effective and reliable source of energy. Some places are particularly favored to be potential geothermal points, as they can have access to steam within just a few hundred meters, therefore, avoiding drilling.

In the year 2010, the United States was the leader in geothermal power generation having a capacity of over 3000MW from over 70 plants present throughout the nation. The Philippines too followed the footsteps of the United States containing a capacity of around 1900MW powering up 18% of the nation’s electric grid.

In our nation according to a report in the year 2011, six prominent regions were identified as potential points for geothermal power generation. Located within these six regions where over 400 hot springs were used to estimate the thermal gradient present underneath the crust. The region in India containing the highest potential for a geothermal power plant was identified to be the Himalayan regions. These regions have a heat flow of 100w/m2 due to the highly built-up mountain ranges surrounded by them.

A 5kW installed capacity in Manikaran was abandoned in the year 2016 due to a catastrophic landslide. The energy obtained from this plant was used to suffice cold storage units, hot water baths and many other applications. Besides Manikaran, Tattapani too has a geothermal plant that helps sustain several mushroom cultivation industries, sericulture industry and also cold-storage production houses.

The government of our nation drafted a policy in the year 2019 which intends to get our nation to the top of the leader board in geothermal production. This policy intends to make our nation have a capacity of over 1,000MW by the end of 2022. The Ministry responsible for Renewable energy has put up an aim to develop 1000MW for thermal purposes and 20MW for electricity by 2022 and expect it to grow to 10,000MW and 1000MW respectively by the end of 2030.

By increasing the capacity for geothermal energy, we are not only reducing the effects of global warming or reducing our carbon footprint; we are also preparing sources for the erratic demand for energy we might experience in the coming years due to population explosion. We would require more economical sources of energy to help sustain the livelihood of the billions of people in our nation. This is merely just considered a start towards making our planet a better place to live in.

Hence, our nation is preparing itself to counteract several climate change phenomena by shifting to safer and cleaner modes of energy production. We must in every possible way either contribute our part in this shift to a cleaner world or just co-operate with people involved in this process.

Energy Economics

This up and coming career option deals with the consumption and supply of energy on a macroeconomic scale. Energy economists analyse energy markets and financial decisions that affect the global energy market. Energy commodities include gasoline, electricity, natural gas, coal etc. In recent years, natural resources like crude oil and geothermal deposits have been decreasing at an alarming rate and it is imperative that we now conserve these energy resorces and learn to use them efficiently. The objective of energy economics is to use these natural resources without degarding the environment in any way. This can be done because energy can be neither created nor destroyed. Rather, it can only be converted into different forms. Also, energy taken from the physical environment ultimately has to return back. So, energy has to be converted into renewable forms like solar, wind and hydroelectric energy to keep the environmental impact to a minimum.

In economics, energy will always have positive demand no matter what the price becomes. Because of this, energy is seen as an essential good. Meaning some portion of the consumer’s income always goes toward energy. As such, the public policies that affect the global energy market should be taken very seriously. The main concerns that energy economists have to deal with are the demand and supply for each of the main fossil fuels and the competition for these fuels and of course, the impact these fuels have on the environment.

Energy economists can be classified into resource and environmental economics, mineral economics, and energy. Each of these three specialities arose because of different perceived needs and they all have different bases. Resource and environmental economics arose due to a federal government study on natural resource availability. After seeing the problems with availability of natural resources, the US setup Resources for the Future, a research institute that dealt with managing natural resources. Mineral economics came about in the 1930s when mineral extraction issues were being faced. Finally, energy economics as a separate speciality came about in the 1970s when there was a energy crisis and the people needed some organisation that dealt with these kind of issues.

Thus, energy economics is a very viable field to pursue a career in as they are more in demand now than they ever have been.

-Siddhant Kulkarni

TECHNIQUES, BENEFITS, AND A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO MEDITATION


 HOW TO MEDITATE PROPERLY

Meditation is a method of training the mind, similar to how fitness is a training method. However, there are numerous meditation techniques to choose from, so how can you begin to meditate?
“The word ‘meditation’ in the Buddhist tradition is akin to a word like ‘sports’ in the United States. Richard J. Davidson, PhD, director of the University of Wisconsin neuroscience lab, told The New York Times, “It’s a family of behaviours, not a single item.” Different meditation techniques necessitate different mental abilities.


For a newbie, sitting for hours and thinking of nothing or having an “empty mind” is exceedingly tough. When you’re just learning how to meditate, we have some tools to help you along the way, such as a beginner meditation DVD or a brain-sensing headband. In general, focusing on the breath is the simplest method to begin meditating. Concentration is an example of one of the most frequent ways of meditation.

MEDITATION OF CONCENTRATION

Concentration meditation entails concentrating solely on one point. Following the breath, repeating a single phrase or mantra, staring at a candle flame, listening to a repeated gong, or counting beads on a mala are all examples of meditation techniques. Because focusing the mind is difficult, a beginner may begin by meditating for only a few minutes and gradually increase the length of time.
When you detect your mind wandering in this type of meditation, simply refocus your consciousness on the chosen object of attention. You let go of odd thoughts rather than chasing them. Your ability to concentrate improves as a result of this procedure.


MEDITATION ON MINDFULNESS

The practitioner of mindfulness meditation is encouraged to monitor wandering ideas as they pass through the mind. The goal isn’t to become caught up in the thoughts or to pass judgement on them; rather, it’s to be aware of each mental note as it arises.

Students in some meditation schools combine concentration and awareness exercises. 

Many disciplines require stillness – to varying degrees, depending on the instructor.



ADDITIONAL MEDITATION METHODS

There are a variety of alternative meditation techniques to choose from. Buddhist monks, for example, focus their daily meditation practice on the cultivation of compassion. This entails visualising unfavourable events and recasting them in a good perspective by using compassion to transform them. Moving meditation techniques such as tai chi, qigong, and walking meditation are also available.

MEDITATION’S BENEFITS

Relaxation is often a side effect of meditation, even if it isn’t the intention. After performing studies on patients who practised transcendental meditation in the 1970s, Herbert Benson, MD, a researcher at Harvard University Medical School, created the phrase “relaxation response.”According to Benson, the relaxation response is “an opposing, instinctive response that promotes a reduction in sympathetic nervous system activity.”

Since then, research on the relaxation response has revealed the following short-term nervous system benefits:
Reduce your blood pressure.
Blood circulation is improved.
Reduced heart rate
Perspiration is reduced.
Slower breathing rate
Anxiety is reduced.
Reduced cortisol levels in the blood
More sensations of happiness
Stress is reduced.

Researchers are now looking at whether a regular meditation practice has long-term benefits, and they’re finding that meditators have improved brain and immunological function.

The ultimate advantage of meditation, according to Buddhist philosophy, is the freedom of the mind from attachment to things it can’t control, such as external situations or powerful interior emotions. 

Instead of following wants or clinging to sensations, the freed or “enlightened” practitioner maintains a tranquil mind and sense of inner harmony.


A Survivor : The Story of Lakshmi Agarwal

She was just a 15 year old girl . A girl , full of life . But what happened to her .

It’s her story . A story of a survivor.

She was powerful not because she wasn’t scared but because she went on so strongly, despite the fear.”

– Atticus

At the age of 15 , when a girl or a boy makes happy memories and learn about life . She was attacked in the market full of people . She was attacked because she rejected an old jerk of 32 years old.

A 32 year old proposed a marriage proposal to a 15 year old girl , who lives near the neighborhood. She ignored and rejected him and he planned an acid attack .

Her name is Lakshmi Agarwal , she was attacked at the age of 15 in 2005 in New Delhi after rejecting the romantic advances of Naeem Khan . She didn’t inform anyone about the scenario because she believed her parents and society would have blamed her and stopped her study .

After 10 months , Lakshmi was in the market and Naeem asked her again through message about the marriage proposal but she didn’t respond . And in no time , Kamran (Naeem’s older brother ) and his girlfriend attacked her with acid . He was in the motorcycle and his girlfriend Rakhi threw acid on Lakshmi , when Kamran called her name and she looked behind for response.

She fainted on the road and when she regain consciousness she went middle of the road asked for help and met with multiple accidents but no one stopped to help her . She was burning in fire and her skin was melting.

A man named Arun Singh called PCR and told police about the situation . Someone threw water to help her but it turned out opposite and the acid burnt her neck . Arun think it might be late , so he helped her on the backseat of his car , later the seat cover turned into black hole due to the acid .

Arun admitted her in the hospital , called police and her family . Lakshmi went through many surgeries and operations including eye surgery. Four days later Naeem Khan got arrested but was bailed after a month later .

Protests and media attention.

After many protests and media attention Naeem got life imprisonment .

Lakshmi’s story was one of the series in the Hindustan Times. Lakshmi was scared after the attack because most of her face and body parts were not same as before . But she didn’t loose hope ,she fought for justice , asked for help for the victims of acid attacks and pleaded the law for the ban on sale of acid.

Meanwhile government failed to frame policies on acid sale and chemical attacks .

“ Seriousness is not seen on the part of the government in handling the issue,” the bench headed by Justice RM Lodha.

In 2013 , the plea of Agarwal was heard and later claims that “ Acid is freely available in shops. Our own volunteers have gone and purchased acid easily. In fact, I have myself purchased acid,” she said. “We have launched a new initiative called ‘Shoot Acid’.

After , the law passed by Supreme court . Lakshmi founded NGO named Chhanv Foundation to help acid attack survivors in India.

In 2019, she was honored with the International Women Empowerment Award from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and UNICEF for her campaign of Stop Acid Sale. In 2014, she received the International Women of Courage award at the hands of First Lady Michelle Obama.

And the movie Chhapaak is based on her life and stars Deepika Padukone in her role.

“And one day she discovered that she was fierce, and strong, and full of fire, and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.”

– Mark Anthony

Link

1st July- Doctor’s Day

If the ongoing pandemic has taught us anything, it’s to appreciate, respect and value our strong-willed and hard working doctors and healthcare workers who have worked selflessly day and night beyond the call of duty to get our country through two deadly waves of the outbreak with whatever resources they had. Today, we celebrate and thank them for all that they do, without worrying about their own safety. As a nation, we are proud and grateful for our doctors and all front-line healthcare workers for giving their all- saving, treating and advising us and our loved ones.

In India, Doctor’s Day is celebrated on 1st July to honour Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, a physician, philanthropist, social worker, freedom fighter, Bharat Ratna awardee and the former Chief Minister of West Bengal. He was born on 1st July, 1882 and died on 1st July, 1962. He, not only ensured availability of quality health services for common people at a critical period for India’s Independence, but also played a vital role in the creation of two prominent medical institutions- Indian Medical Association (1928) and Medical Council of India, of which he was the first President as well.

He also kickstarted the Indian Institute of Mental Health and opened Kolkata’s first postgraduate medical college. He also opened centres for women for social work and nursing training. The British Journal described Dr. Roy as “the first medical consultant in the subcontinent of India, who towered over his contemporaries in several fields. At his professional zenith, he may have had the largest consulting practice in the world, news of his visit to a city or even railway station bringing forth hordes of would-be patients.”

Pre-Independence

Dr. Roy was born in Patna, Bihar. He studied Mathematics in Bihar and medicine from Calcutta Medical College. Later, he served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta. After his postgraduation from London in 1911, he became a member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) and a Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS). He is one of the few to have obtained MRCP and FRCS degrees simultaneously.

After returning to India, he joined Mahatma Gandhi’s Civil Disobedience movement and became his friend and personal physician. During Gandhi’s 21 day ‘self-purification’ fast in Pune, Dr. Roy was by his side and took care of him.

Post-Independence

After Independence, he became the Governor of Uttar Pradesh and shortly after that in 1948, he became the second Chief Minister of West of Bengal, which at the time was torn by communal violence and influx of refugees. However, West Bengal finally saw peace within three years under his stewardship. He also practiced medicine and treated patients during this time. He served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal for 14 years till he died on his birth date in 1962, aged 80. After his death, his house was donated to the public to run a nursing home.

In 1961, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna. B.C. Roy National award was instituted in 1976 to award work in the areas of politics, philosophy, medicine, science, literature and arts.

Bangladesh: From Basket Case to Economic Success

Bangladesh, a country since its inception known as one of the poorest and most overly populated nations, is now gradually seeing economic improvement to an even greater degree than its contemporaries: India and Pakistan. At one point, Bangladesh was included in the list of Least Developed Countries (LDC) enumerated by the UN; but now it has been estimated that by 2024 it will break free from this categorization as it has seen a drastic increase in standard of living, fertility rates, and lowered infant mortality rates.

A Rough Start

Bangladesh got its independence from Pakistan in the year 1971 with the help of India. However, this independence was achieved through a lot of violence and struggle, so the Bangladeshi administration was not able to fulfil even some of the basic needs of its people due to the damage it had suffered, both economical and physical. Following this, there was even a major famine which killed nearly 15 lakh people in the country. This, along with political instability and constant military coups made it very difficult for any growth to take place in the country.    

The Basket Case

After its independence, the foreign secretary of USA at the time, Alexis Johnson, called Bangladesh an ‘International Basket Case’. A basket case means a country burdened by economic strife and which falls into severe debt in order to cope with its financial crises. Such countries are those that struggle to maintain a self-sufficient and autonomous economy. Other newspapers would also predict that Independent Bangladesh will be an economic failure. Such predictions at the time were made due to the fact that Bangladesh was overburdened by a very dense populations, leading to severe problems like food shortage. It was also not a country rich in natural resources which would allow it to bolster its economy, so the general view was it would become an underdeveloped state and become economically dependent on other countries. This became true in the 1980s, when Bangladesh heavily relied on foreign aid to stay afloat and meets its needs.

How did Bangladesh become a well-performing economy?

Firstly, there is the well-known fact of the cheap labor or low-skill manufacturing that Bangladesh provides. After China, you are most likely to see a ‘Made in Bangladesh’ tag on the clothes bought in even the most expensive and high-end shopping areas in the world. This is because international clothing and apparel companies look to countries like Bangladesh for cheap labor and manufacturing so as to make greater profits on their products. This industry has provided major employment in the country, and has contributed up to 10% of its GDP at times, helping the country a lot in its growth.

Furthermore, around 80% of the workforce in these factories are women, which is an indicator of high employment for women and their empowerment. In a country where women are generally limited to being homemakers, the employment of women has led to fruitful advancements. Many reports have shown that as more and more women employed in factories, their educational attainment, age of marriage, and general welfare has increased. This is due to the fact that they have become economically independent and have seen an increase in income, thereby allowing expenses to be made on girl child’s education and not making marriage for money a necessity. Today, even the male-female wage gap is slowly decreasing in Bangladesh.

Then there is also the role of NGOs in Bangladesh. International and national NGOs got involved in the improvement of Bangladesh’s socioeconomic situations, with the building of schools and advancement of medical infrastructure. NGOs have played a unique role in Bangladesh’s improvement, as generally such welfare measures should be taken by the government so as to gain public trust. However, the Bangladesh government has given much leeway to the NGOs, and has encouraged to work together with them so as to promote growth in the country. This attitude has led to significant improvements, and other governments hesitant to work with NGOs for fear of it affecting their public image should look to Bangladesh as an example of its benefits.

Finally, and perhaps most important, is the balanced foreign policy of Bangladesh. They have created such a foreign policy that they have received foreign aid from many different countries, even those that have opposed their independence like the USA. Also, the scheme of remittances (money transferred by Bangladeshi citizens working in foreign countries to their home) in the foreign policy has contributed greatly to the GDP of the country. Overall, the foreign policy has allowed for products and services from Bangladesh to be bought and sold in foreign, richer countries, thereby helping income.

Conclusion

Hence, in this way Bangladesh has seen much economic success especially in the last decade or so. What remains to be seen is how the country will move forward in the years to come. Will their dependence on the clothing and garment industry be dangerous? Will international trade regulations become stricter as the country is economically improving? Only time will tell us the answer to these but for now, Bangladesh can celebrate how far it has come.

Mindfulness and its benefits.

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. (Definition given by Mindful.org)

According to me, it is a practice of maintaining a complete non-judgmental state of awareness of one’s thought and emotions.

Also, many of us confuse mindfulness and meditation. In simple words, meditation is one of the ways to achieve mindfulness, or we can say; mindfulness is a quality whereas meditation is a practice.

So here the question comes, what are the benefits of practicing mindfulness?

Well, to be honest, there are numerous. And seeing the popularity of the topic in positive psychology, we’ll probably be seeing a lot more to come. Have look at the graph below for example.

Mentioned below are just a few examples of what researchers have found.

1) Reduced emotional ‘reactivity’

In an emotional interference task conducted by Ortner and colleagues in 2007, participants with wide-ranging experience in mindfulness meditation were asked to categorize tones that were given either 1 or 4 seconds after a neutral or emotionally upsetting picture was presented.

The ones with more experience of practicing mindfulness-based mediation showed greater focus on the task even when emotionally upsetting pictures were shown.

2)  Enhanced visual attention processing

A study by Hodgins and Adair in 2010 has confirmed that those who practiced mindfulness-based mediation have shown better performance on tests of concentration, selective attention, and more.
      
3) Managing physical pain

Some research has also shown that mindfulness may have a role in helping with the management of physical pain.

4) Improved working memory

According to a study by Jha and colleagues in 2010, mindfulness is practically linked to enhanced working memory capacity.
    
According to the study, participants who practiced mindfulness-based meditation for 8 weeks have shown improvement in their working memory capacity.

5) Reduced stress

Bränström et al.(2010), found cancer patients who took part in mindfulness-based training have shown remarkably reduced self-reported stress than those who didn’t.

So these were a few of the many examples. Individuals who want to practice mindfulness can find many mindfulness-based training online and practice it on their own. Practicing mindfulness on a day-to-day basis is a great way to improve one’s well-being.
   

Front end and back end services of server less computing:

 

Photo by luis gomes on Pexels.com

The marketing term ‘Server less” refers to a new generation of platform –as-a-service offerings by major cloud providers. Here the infrastructure provider takes responsibility for receiving client requests and responding to them, capacity planning, task scheduling and operational monitoring. These new services were first introduced by Amazon Web Services (AWS) Lambda. Here the application developers are no longer in the ‘server’ process that listens to TCP socket. That means usage is billed only when an application actively processes events, not when it is waiting .This, in effect, means that application idle time is free. Server less computing can be viewed as containerization operated at a scale where the optimization of resource usage can be done by the infrastructure provider, across all customers, rather than managed by a particular customer within their own deployment. Here the service providers provides several distributed authentication and authorization mechanisms to support the untrusted requests coming from client applications. Another benefit is in AWS lambda the function can use streaming data APIs and work with significantly lower memory limit.

The Pros and Cons of Covid19

This covid19 has burdened us with many challenges and obstacles. The word corona by itself poses as a very pessimistic thing that we have ever faced which has completely toppled our lives and brought the world to a grinding halt. Contemplating on the cons, meaning it is more than a drawback or a snag, because on a personal standard many of the families have lost their loved ones and there were many lonely departures without the final adieu. The world has dissipated many doctors, healthcare & welfare workers, police officers who toiled dawn and dusk for the well being of all and many innocent people. Despite the unemployment factor already being a serious issue in the country, especially in this pandemic some had to lose their jobs and many with no or a less source of income.

The education system has also taken a back seat in the pandemic refraining students from gaining practical knowledge. The digital medium cant make a replica of the interpersonal interactions that the school facilitates by having the young generation together from diverse backgrounds and culture. The peer group interaction between the class hours, promotes communication skills to their holistic development. Moreover the students in the rural are more prone to the drawback of online classes because they might not have an elasticity to E-learning. Even the developed countries faced many obstacles to deliver quality education to students during the pandemic.

It made many people idle and we were left stranded with a big question that when are we going to get out this woeful situation. The house confinement and the lack of exposure to school, work place, sports and leisure activities had increased the occurrence of mental illness and distress. The constant subjection to cell phone, computer and other electronic devices makes people at the high risk of obesity, eyesight problems and other related issues. Besides covid19 being a public health crisis, it has also severely affected the global economy leading to significant reductions in the income, mitigated productivity, business closures, disruptions in the transportation, service and other manufacturing industries. Amidst some people saying that the lockdown renders more mental depression imagine the plight of the families who have lost their own people. So in this crisis we were burdened with many things happening around us. All these things were making life unfeasible and intricate. This has left us with a stream of dejections, tears and unreliability. It made us uncertain of many factors in the near future.

On the other hand with schools, workplaces and universities shut down, a feeling that the clocks don’t work anymore and a unified distress within us, we were able to connect to the other part of life, the world opened us a new window. Before we would be awaiting for holidays to stay home and spend some quality time with our loved ones, even though we didn’t have a really great time in the lockdown it made us to think out of the box, to think of something other than the regular consistent work, made children to think out of the school curriculum. We became open to many things that we weren’t exposed to before because of some hectic scheduled stuffs. The current delay gave us more time to formulate a better roadmap for the future. People made their venture into online businesses which later became a good source of income for them. Kids started relishing non-curriculum books, creating art and exploring many things. With the flexibility of time in my peer group we started trying out new courses and internships which will help us in the long run rather than merely sticking to the subjects. For some people, the restrictions laid for covid19 gave some relaxations to develop their physical and mental health, to focus over fitness, home workout and activities like yoga with the feasibility of time. Which place could be more enjoyable than burning calories from the comfort of your home. Mothers had a pause form the tiring household chores with the children and other family members sharing the burden of house works. It has granted us ample of time to focus on our health, a sound sleep, to promote discipline and hygiene etc.

We have to be strong, resilient, stick to the necessary protocols laid by the government, be mentally and physically fit to get the rid of the crisis and for the betterment of the situation. We have fought against plenty of factors during many hardships like flood times and cyclones so we are going to do the same, fight against covid19 together but with social distancing and the masks up. Get vaccinated. Stay indoors and stay safe!!