Day: August 15, 2021

SAVE EARTH

 

Save earth is a slogan used to spread
awareness among people about the importance of earth and why we should save our
mother earth. Save earth slogan motivates people to save earth and its natural
resources to give our future generations a safe and healthy environment. Everything
essential that we need today has been provided to us by the earth. Water, air,
food, shelter, earth gives us all of it, sustaining our lives. But, the problem
is that we neglect the damages that we are causing to the earth, due to our own
activities, though, they are going to harm us only. The most prominent threat
to earth is pollution caused due to several human activities. The slogan “Save
Earth” tries to persuade people like you and me to take necessary steps for the
protection of earth and its environment. However small the contribution is, it
will definitely be the beginning of a change that we want to see.

We have no other regarded planets near
Earth in this universe where existence is possible. It is the solely concerned
planet where a mixture of the most necessary natural resources, oxygen, water,
and gravity, is discovered, which creates the possibility of a prosperous
existence here. We do not have time to think more about this and begin to save
Earth severely by using several positive measures to hand over healthful Earth
to our future generations. People ought to plant more and more magnificent
trees to get adequate oxygen and stop the results of air pollution and global
warming.

We should stop cutting our life,
environment, and the rainforests home to many different species. People should
limit their electricity usage and use fewer fossil fuels to protect the
environment from global warming. They should promote the use of solar lights
and wind energy to protect them from destroying the Earth.

What can be the crisis on Earth?

What kind of crisis will happen if the is
imaginable? It is important to note that humans have to know that all the
natural resources on Earth are of two types. First, those that are renewable,
i.e., those that can be renewed, such as sunlight, wind. Other resources that
cannot be renewed are non-renewable resources. These resources include
naturally available fuel, trees, natural gas, and water.

It is worth noting that non-renewable
resources mostly fuel all modern appliances. These will end soon due to
unlimited usage. After these are over, life on Earth will become impossible,
and the Earth will begin to collapse. Humanity’s dependence on the Earth’s
natural resources will disappear. It isn’t very comforting.

Conclusion

Government has taken various effective
steps regarding save earth, save life and save earth, save environment in order
to continue the healthy life on the earth. Without earth, life is not possible
anywhere in the universe. Human activities related to the destruction of
natural resources of earth are impacting the earth environment very badly. So,
it is our sole responsibility to save the earth by practicing Eco-friendly
activities. we are also responsible to maintain its natural quality and
greenery environment. We should not waste and pollute its natural resources for
our small benefits.

 

 

 

 

Facts Related To Independence Day

On the Independence Day, Jawaharlal Nehru’s first speech began with, “At the stroke of midnight, when the world sleeps, India shall awake to life and freedom…”

Rabindranath Tagore composed ‘Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata’ which then later was renamed ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and was adopted as the national anthem by the Constituent Assembly of India.

Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS), located in Dharwad in Karnataka is the only authorised manufacturer of the Indian flag. It has the sole authority to manufacture and supply the Indian national flag.

Although the Indian Independence Act was approved on 18 July 1947, Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy and the first Governor-General of India, chose 15 August as Indian Independence Day as it was the same day on which Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces.

Pakistan’s Independence Day should have been on the same day, but lord Mountbatten being the last viceroy of undivided British India had to be present at both ceremonies in Delhi and Karachi. Hence, Pakistan’s Independence Day was celebrated on 14 August.

The name India comes from the River Indus. 

India had no official National Anthem at the time of independence. Later on, Jana Gana Mana, originally written in 1911, was officially adopted as the Indian national anthem on 24 January 1950.

At the time of celebration of the country’s first Independnece, Mahatma Gandhi was not present. He was on a hunger strike that was conducted to stop the communal killings that were triggered due to partition.

There was no president or prime minister heading the country. Independent India lacked in having a structured government. At the time of Independence, The Governor-General was the only and the most authoritative person in India. Later, the political framework developed when India became a republic.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, hoisted the national flag 17 times from the fortification of the Red Fort on Independence Day.

India shares its Independence Day with five more countries, Bahrain, North Korea, South Korea, Congo, and Liechtenstein on August 15, but with different years.

The Severance of Unity

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The partition which happened in 1947 still after 75 years at this day of 15th Aug it gets our wound fresh with lots of stories memories and whatnot.

The fear, the uncertainty of again getting dependent on the system which will always give preference based on caste and many things led the thrive of this separation based on a separate electorate for Muslims.

Further, the boundaries and territorial distance of two provinces freshly separated was figured out and we were officially separated on the 14th and 15th of August in 1947.

This Separation left many families ajar, torn, and many wounds that were inflicted for a lifetime, leaving an impact for the generations to come.

Today while we are celebrating the joy of 75 years of Independence, we are also ought to mourn the loss of the families separated during the separation, tears of many for the heart wrecking separation from their loved ones.

Last Minute Mechanism

According to this, the Britishers were able to control our India for the very last minute and giving us the scar for many more years to take on.

Many views are there that suggest that this division and partition was always there even before the 1940s as they were afraid of the political dominance of Hindus that was 80% of the total population over other people.

This Divide and Rule policy of Britishers was made to interest the group, which we’re willing to collaborate with this policy and securing a unitary position for them.

The Legacy which killed and Displaced

After many years of sacrifices and many fights, India got the much-desired independence but it was not the independence only but the start of yet another blood bath where many were tortured, many was killed and many even didn’t make it to their family during the biggest migration that took place.

After the partition of India and Pakistan, many Hindus and Sikhs started to move apart and Muslims too started to move to their respective nation.

Many communities started attacking each other in the terrifying sectarian violence, many casualties took place and millions of people were left without home and family.

Partition Remembrance Day

The partition and its haunting memories can never go down just in pages in history as the deep wound it has on several families either some in that part or some in this part can never be unseen and undo.

To remember our sorrow and joy after 74 years the honorable Prime Minister Modi Ji decided to mourn the 14th of August as the Partition Horror Remembrance Day to always remember the sacrifices of people and their pain.

Many Hindus and Sikhs fled the provinces of the newly made provinces of Pakistan to save their life but a few were able to touch the border of India alive, many also survived the brutal rapes when migrating for their homeland.

Conclusion

Before Muslim and Hindu, we all were a part of our mother India, we all were struggling together for the gift of freedom then how just the fear of something very absurd can make humans so thirsty for the blood of another human in the name of fear, couldn’t they feel the pain they were inflicting on other.

A big loss and a sorrowful ending of brotherhood was all this partition brought on us

ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

 By:Astha Raghav                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  After ‘Tech Savvy’, it is the ‘SOCIAL MEDIA SAVVY’ that has become synonymous with today’s generation. About 2/3rd of Indian spend time online on different social networking sites like Facebook,Twitter,Youtube etc.Interaction, live chats, status updates,image as well as video sharing are few of the aspects that play a role in the popularity of social media. On the other hand, customer’s responses, interaction and brand awareness is why the companies are using social media in India and across the globe. Social Media is not only confines to ypu and me but to politicians as well. Our Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi even hosted a political conference on Google+ hangouts and this makes him the third politician across the globe to do this after Obama and Australia PM Julia Gillard. Social Media plays the role of a game changer with political leaders faving millions of fans on Twitter and supporters on Facebook as well as Google+.

Role of social media in business and consumer market in India cannot be undermined. Social media and recruitment also gohand in hand. it is becoming an integral part of recruiting firms. So, gone are the days when employment recruiters as well as employees used to rely on employment exchange an classified ads in the newspaper. Most of the organisations have well planned strategies for talent acquisition through social media.

Social media is also playing an important role in IPL by providing up to date and live information. teams are constant touch with their fans through social media. Thus, there is no way to ignore social media for business and entertainment purposes. Social media gives marketers a voice and a way to communicate with peers, customers, and potential consumers. In today’s society, the use of social media has become a necessary daily activity. Social media is typically used for social interaction and access to news and information, and decision making. It is a valuable communication tool with others locally and worldwide, as well as to share, create, and spread information. The role of social media is primarily to connect people. It is a tool designed to connect people from all across the globe. Social media is a tool that is becoming quite popular these days because of its user-friendly features. 

THANK YOU!

Apart from India, here are 5 countries that celebrate Independence Day on 15th August as well

For every Indian, August 15 is a significant date because it was on this day in 1947 that the country gained its legitimate independence from the United Kingdom, putting an end to over two centuries of colonial control. India, the world’s largest democracy, celebrates its independence on August 15, 1947. The founding of the democratic country is commemorated on this day. This is the day India gained independence from the British Raj. Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, proudly unfurled the Indian flag at the Red Fort in Delhi on August 15, 1947.

Photo by Studio Art Smile on Pexels.com

In case you were wondering, India is not the only country that celebrates Independence Day on August 15; people all over the world mark this date on their calendars as a national holiday. Here are five more: Republic of Congo, South Korea, North Korea, Bahrain, and Liechtenstein all commemorate their independence on August 15. Here’s additional information on them:

1. Bahrain: Bahrain, which was likewise ruled by the British, gained independence on August 15, 1971, more than two decades after India. Following a United Nations assessment of Bahrain’s population, the British announced a troop pullback east of Suez in the early 1960s. The signing of a treaty between Bahrain and the United Kingdom commemorated Bahrain’s independence day. The country, however, does not commemorate its independence on this day. Instead, it commemorates the succession of the late king Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa to the throne on December 16 as National Day.

2. North Korea: North and South Korea, officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, gained independence from Japan on August 15, 1945. During the Russo-Japanese War, Japan conquered Korea. Japan attempted to acquire Korean traditions and culture while also gaining control of the economy for its own gain. Korean resistance groups, known as Dongnipgun, fought Japanese forces along the Sino-Korean border.

3. South Korea: In 1945, the Korean Peninsula was liberated, and on August 15, 1948, autonomous Korean governments were established. The area was officially dubbed the Republic of Korea, and a pro-US administration was founded. The first President of South Korea, Syngman Rhee, was elected, and August 15 was declared a national holiday. The holiday is known as Gwangbokjeol, which translates to “the day the light returned.”

4. Liechtenstein: Liechtenstein, a German-speaking microstate in the European Alps between Austria and Switzerland, celebrates its National Day on August 15. The date was chosen since it was already a bank holiday; the feast of the Assumption of Mary is on August 15. Second, Prince Franz Josef II, the reigning prince at the time, was born on August 16. As a result, the Feast of the Assumption and the Prince’s birthday were combined to form Liechtenstein’s national holiday.  

5. Democratic Republic of Congo: The Central African country, often known as Congo, gained full independence from French colonial overlords on August 15, 1960. It has been under French control for exactly 80 years. In 1880, the country was renamed French Congo, and in 1903, it was renamed Middle Congo. During the first five decades of colonial administration in Congo, economic development was centered on natural-resource extraction, and the techniques used were violent. At least 14,000 people died in the construction of the Congo-Ocean Railroad.

Artficial Intelligence

 Artificial Intelligence(AI)



What Is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. The term may also be applied to any machine that exhibits traits associated with a human mind such as learning and problem-solving.

The ideal characteristic of artificial intelligence is its ability to rationalize and take actions that have the best chance of achieving a specific goal. A subset of artificial intelligence is machine learning, which refers to the concept that computer programs can automatically learn from and adapt to new data without being assisted by humans. Deep learning techniques enable this automatic learning through the absorption of huge amounts of unstructured data such as text, images, or video.

Understanding Artificial Intelligence (AI):


When most people hear the term artificial intelligence, the first thing they usually think of is robots. That’s because big-budget films and novels weave stories about human-like machines that wreak havoc on Earth. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Artificial intelligence is based on the principle that human intelligence can be defined in a way that a machine can easily mimic it and execute tasks, from the most simple to those that are even more complex. The goals of artificial intelligence include mimicking human cognitive activity. Researchers and developers in the field are making surprisingly rapid strides in mimicking activities such as learning, reasoning, and perception, to the extent that these can be concretely defined. Some believe that innovators may soon be able to develop systems that exceed the capacity of humans to learn or reason out any subject. But others remain skeptical because all cognitive activity is laced with value judgments that are subject to human experience.

Applications of Artificial Intelligence:


The applications for artificial intelligence are endless. The technology can be applied to many different sectors and industries. AI is being tested and used in the healthcare industry for dosing drugs and different treatment in patients, and for surgical procedures in the operating room.

Other examples of machines with artificial intelligence include computers that play chess and self-driving cars. Each of these machines must weigh the consequences of any action they take, as each action will impact the end result. In chess, the end result is winning the game. For self-driving cars, the computer system must account for all external data and compute it to act in a way that prevents a collision.

Artificial intelligence also has applications in the financial industry, where it is used to detect and flag activity in banking and finance such as unusual debit card usage and large account deposits—all of which help a bank’s fraud department. Applications for AI are also being used to help streamline and make trading easier. This is done by making supply, demand, and pricing of securities easier to estimate.

Categorization of Artificial Intelligence:


Artificial intelligence can be divided into two different categories: weak and strong. Weak artificial intelligence embodies a system designed to carry out one particular job. Weak AI systems include video games such as the chess example from above and personal assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri. You ask the assistant a question, it answers it for you.

Strong artificial intelligence systems are systems that carry on the tasks considered to be human-like. These tend to be more complex and complicated systems. They are programmed to handle situations in which they may be required to problem solve without having a person intervene. These kinds of systems can be found in applications like self-driving cars or in hospital operating rooms.

FOOD SECURITY IN INDIA

Food security means availability, accessibility and affordability of food to all people at all times. It has been a major concern in India. Food is as essential for living as air is for breathing. The poor households living in the rural areas are more vulnerable to food security. Food security has following dimensions-

1- Availability of food- It means that enough food is produced within the country, it must be available in every part of the country and there should be no deficit.

2- Accessibility of food- It means food is within reach of every person, there is no barrier on access to food.

3- Affordability of food- It means that an individual has enough money to buy sufficient and nutritious food to meet one’s basic needs.

India ranks 71 out of 113 major countries in terms of food security index 2020.

WHY FOOD SECURITY?

The poorest section of the society might be food insecure while even persons above the poverty line might also be food insecure when the country faces a disaster or calamity like earthquake, flood, drought, failure of crops causing famine. A famine means the widespread deaths due to starvation and epidemics caused by forced use of contaminated water or decaying food and loss of body resistance due to weakening from starvation. There are places like Kalahandi and Kashipur in Orissa where famine-like conditions have been existing for many years and some starvation deaths have also been reported. The most devastating famine that occurred in India was the FAMINE OF BENGAL in 1943. This famine killed 30 lakh people in the province of Bengal. So food security is needed in a country to ensure food at all times.

HOW IS FOOD SECURITY AFFECTED DURING A CALAMITY?

Due to a natural calamity, total production of foodgrains decreases. It creates a shortage of food in the affected areas. Due to shortage of food, the prices goes up. At high prices, some people cannot afford to buy food. If such calamity happens for a longer time period, it may cause a situation of starvation.

WHO ARE FOOD- INSECURE?

Although a large section of people suffer from food insecurity in India, the worst affected groups are landless people with little or no land to depend upon, traditional artisans, petty self-employed workers and beggars. In the urban areas, the food insecure families are those whose working members are generally employed in ill-paid occupations and casual labour market. These workers are paid very low wages that just ensure bare survival. The SCs, STs and some section of the OBCs who have either poor land-base or very low land productivity are prone to food insecurity. The people affected by natural disasters are also among the most food insecure people. The food insecure people are large in economically backward states with high incidence of poverty, tribal and remote areas, regions more prone to natural disasters etc. In fact, the states of Uttar Pradesh Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh account for largest number of food insecure people in the country.

HUNGER-

Hunger is another aspect indicating food insecurity. It brings about poverty. The attainment of food security therefore involves eliminating current hunger and reducing the risks of future hunger. Hunger has chronic and seasonal dimensions. Chronic hunger is a consequence of diets inadequate in terms of quantity or quality. Seasonal hunger is related to cycles of food growing and harvesting. This type of hunger exists when a person is unable to get work for the entire year.

India is aiming at Self-sufficiency in Food grains since Independence. After Independence, Indian policy-makers adopted all measures to achieve self-sufficiency in food grains. India adopted anew strategy in agriculture which resulted in ‘Green Revolution’, especially in the production of wheat and rice.

Since the advent of the Green Revolution in the early 1970s, the country has avoided famine even during adverse weather conditions. India has become self-sufficient in foodgrains during the last 30 years because of a variety of crops grown all over the country. The availability of foodgrains at the country level has been ensured with a carefully designed food security system by the government. This system has two components- 1. Buffer Stock 2. Public Distribution System

Buffer Stock is the stock of foodgrains, namely wheat and rice, procured by the government through the Food Corporation of India TH(FCI). The FCI purchases wheat and rice from the farmers of the state where there is surplus production and the farmers are paid a pre-announced price for their crops. This price is called Minimum Support Price.

The food procured by the FCI is distributed through government regulated ration shops among the poorer section of the society. This is called the Public Distribution System (PDS). The PDS has proved to be the most effective instrument of government policy over the years in stabilising prices and making food available to consumers at affordable prices.

ROLE OF COOPERATIVES IN FOOD SECURITY-

The cooperatives are also playing an important role in food security in India especially in the southern and western parts of the country. The cooperative societies set up shops to sell low priced goods to poor people. For example, out of all fair price shops running in Tamil Nadu, around 94% are being run by the cooperatives. In Delhi, Mother Dairy is helping in provision of milk and vegetables to the consumers. Amul is another success story of cooperatives in mil and mil products from Gujarat. It has brought about the White Revolution in the country. Thus cooperatives are playing a major role in ensuring food security in India.

LUCID DREAMS

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We spend one third of our life dreaming. Sometimes dreams are happy, scary, unexplainable and even an indication of what is going to happen in future. There is a popular saying that the dreams we see in the morning are usually true and real, though there is no scientific proof to it. We usually dream what we think, stress is an important factor in dreams. Less stress means happy dreams.

But will you believe it if I tell you that you can actually control your dreams?🤔
A dream where one becomes aware of the dream it is known as lucid dreaming. And there are people who do this. You can do it too!! Let’s know how.
People have been studying lucid dreams for a very long time, from ancient to modern it has been studied to understand the cause and purposes of it. As a result many theories have emerged, though it is still under research.


This term was given by Dutch author and psychiatrist Fredreik Van Eeden. In his article A Study of Dreams in 1913. He studied his own dreams for a period of time and wrote them in his dream diary, 352 of his dreams were categorized as lucid.
He mentioned 7 different types of dreams and out of which he considered lucid dreams most interesting and worthy of observation.
The reference to this phenomenon can be found in ancient greek writings. According to Aristotle, Greek philosopher, “often when one is asleep, there is something in consciousness which declares that what then presents itself is but a dream”. Other than Aristotle, physician Sir Thomas Browne, Samuel Pepys and more have mentioned lucid dreaming.
In 2020 there was a large increase in reports of lucid dreams compared to the previous year.


There are a few conditions for a dream in order to be defined as a lucid dream and these were given by Paul Tholey. The conditions are:
1. Awareness of the dream state (orientation)
2. Awareness of the capacity to make decisions
3. Awareness of memory functions
4. Awareness of self
5. Awareness of the dream environment
6. Awareness of the meaning of the dream
7. Awareness of concentration and focus (the subjective clarity of that state)

Photo by Nadi Lindsay on Pexels.com

Lucid dreams are often found to be affective in treating nightmares. Physiotherapists have also been including lucid dreaming as a part of therapy. There are also books and movies based on this like inception, paprika, etc.
Though lucid dreaming has been beneficial in many aspects but for the people who experience it for the first time can go through the feelings of stress or confusion. People who see lucid dreams very often might feel empowered and also isolated from others in terms of their dreaming experience which is quiet different to others. Others might experience sleep paralysis, which is sometimes confused with lucid dreams.

Read about sleep paralysis here: https://edupub.org/2021/08/12/sleep-paralysis/

There are many methods using which one can experience lucid dream like, make a dream diary and jot down the dreams you remember, diary alone won’t help but it will be beneficial with other methods. Some devices and drugs are also used.

MUMMY

” Mummies are dehydrated & they

long for the blood of living words”

~ Hakim Bey

A mummy is a person or animal whose body has been dried or otherwise preserved after death. When people think of a mummy, they often envision the early Hollywood-era versions of human forms wrapped in layers upon layers of bandages, arms outstretched as they slowly shuffle forward. Mummies may not literally rise from their ancient tombs and attack, but they’re quite real and have a fascinating history.


What are mummies?

The practice of preserving a body as a mummy is widespread across the globe and throughout time. Many civilizations-Incan, Australian aboriginal, Aztec, African, ancient European and others-have practiced some type of mummification for thousands of years to honor and preserve the bodies of the dead.

 Since most bacteria can’t thrive in extreme temperatures, exposing a corpse to the sun, fire or freezing temperatures was an uncomplicated way to create a mummy.

Some mummies happened by accident. Take, for instance, the Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato, a collection of over 100 mummies found buried in above-ground crypts in Mexico. Those bodies weren’t mummified on purpose. It’s thought either extreme heat or the area’s rich geological stores of sulfur and other minerals suffer the mummification process

Some  Buddhist monks practiced self-mummification by spending years starving their bodies and only eating foods that promoted decay. Once their body fat was gone, they spent a few more years drinking a poisonous sap to cause vomiting to get rid of bodily fluids. The poison also made the body an unsavory future host for corpse-eating bugs.

When the time was right, the monks were buried alive to await death and mummification. Death came quickly, but self-mummification seldom worked.

Egyptian Mummies

No matter how a body was mummified, the end game was the preservation of as much skin tissue as possible—and the priests of ancient Egypt  are considered the experts on the process. Egypt’s arid climate made it easy to dry out and mummify a corpse, but the Egyptians routinely used a more elaborate process to ensure the dead experienced safe passage to the afterlife.

The mummification process for royalty and the wealthy often included:

  • washing the body
  • removing all organs except the heart and placing them in jars
  • packing the body and organs in salt to remove moisture
  • embalming the body with resins and essential oils such as myrrh, cassia, juniper oil and cedar oil
  • wrapping the embalmed corpse in several layers of linen

Ancient Egyptians of all walks of life mummified deceased family members, but the process wasn’t as elaborate for the poor. According to Egyptologist Salima Ikram, some corpses were simply filled with juniper oil to dissolve organs before burial.

Mummies as Medicine

According to a 1927 abstract published in Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, medicinal preparations made from powdered mummies were popular between the twelfth and seventeenth centuries. During that time, countless mummies were disentombed and burned to meet the demand for “mummy medicine.”

The interest in mummies as medicine was based on the supposed medicinal properties of bitumen, a type of asphalt from the Dead Sea. It was thought mummies were embalmed with bitumen, but that was rarely the case; most were embalmed with resins.

” The pyramid shape is said to hold

many secrets and amazing properties.

one of them is sense of wonder”

~ Vera Nazarian

B+ TREES

The B+ tree is almost identical to the binary search tree. It is a balanced tree where the search is directed through internal nodes. The data entries are present in the leaf nodes of the B+ tree. B+ trees support both random and sequential access since the leaf nodes are interconnected with each other through links.

STRUCTURE OF B+ TREE

The general node structure of B+ node is as follows 

  • It contains up to n – 1 search-key values K1, K2, . . ., Kn-1, and n pointers P1, P2, . . ., Pn.
  • The search-key values within a node are kept in sorted order; thus, if i < j, then Ki < Kj.
  • To retrieve all the leaf pages efficiently we have to link them using page pointers. 
  • The sequence of leaf pages is also called a sequence set.
  • In a B+ tree, the tree structure tends to grow on the insertion of new records and shrinks on the deletion of existing records. Hence it is called a dynamic tree.

CHARACTERISTICS OF B+ TREE

The following are the characteristics of the B+ tree:

  • The B+ tree is a balanced tree and the operations such as insertion and deletion keep the tree balanced.
  • Each node, except for the root node, must be compulsorily occupied with at least 50%.
  • Searching becomes so simple because traversing from the root to the relevant leaf nodes results in the record.

INSERTION OPERATION

Algorithm for Insertion:

Step 1: Find correct leaf L.

Step 2: Put data entry onto L.

  • If L has enough space, done!
  • If there is no space, split L (into L and a new node L2)
  • Allocate a new node
  • Redistribute entries evenly
  • Copy up the middle key.
  • Insert index entry such that it points to L2 into the parent of L.

Step 3: This can happen recursively. To split the index node, redistribute entries evenly, but push up the middle key. (Contrast with leaf splits).

Step 4: Splits “grow” tree; splitting the root increases the height. The tree grows either wider or one level taller at the top.

DELETION OPERATION

Algorithm for deletion:

Step 1: Start from the root to find the leaf node L with the entry.

Step 2: Remove the entry,

  • If L is at least half-full, done!
  • If L has only d-1 entries,
  • Try the redistribution technique by borrowing keys from the adjacent node (sibling) with the same parent node as L.
  • If a failure occurs when tried to re-distribute, merge L and sibling.

Step 3: Whenever a merge occurs, entry (pointing to L or sibling) must be deleted from the parent of L.

Step 4: Merge could pass the entries to the root, reducing the height of the tree.

MERITS OF B+ INDEX TREE STRUCTURE

1. In the B+ tree the data is stored in the leaf node so searching of any data requires scanning only of leaf node alone.

2. Data is ordered in the linked list.

3. Any record can be fetched in an equal number of disk accesses.

4. Since the leaf nodes are linked, performing range queries is easy.

5. Since keys are used for indexing, the height of the tree is less.

6. Supports both random and sequential access.

DEMERITS OF B+ INDEX TREE STRUCTURE

1. Extra insertion of non-leaf nodes.

2. There is space overhead.

Ban on Single Use Plastic from July 2022

 The Environment Ministry released a notification on 12th August,2021, about ban on single-use plastic items. The Ministry’s notification on waste management amendment, 2021, states that “The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of single use plastic, including polystyrene, and expanded polystyrene commodities shall be prohibited with effect from 1st July, 2022.”

What will be banned?

The amendment prohibits the plastic items which have “low utility and high littering potential”. It also aims to ban Polythene bags with lower levels of thickness, in a phased manner. Polythene bags with less than 50 micron thickness are already banned. Bags with thickness less than 70 micron will be banned by September. By 31st December, next year, Polythene with less than 120 micron thickness will also be banned. 

The main items that will be banned from next year includes;  plastic sticks found in earbuds, balloons, flags, ice creams, candies, etc. It also includes thermocol used for decoration and single use plastic cutlery items such as fork, knife, spoon, plates, cups, glasses, straw, trays, wrapping film around the sweet boxes. PVC banners with less than 100 micron will also be banned.  The ban is not applicable to any compostable plastic. 

According to the statements by the officials, the main objective of these changes is to protect the environment from harmful plastics. The major reason is that the plastic waste is neither collected nor recycled properly. Thicker plastic is easier to be recycled, as compared to the thinner or single-use plastic items. Officials have said that the alternatives for the banned plastic items such as single use cutlery will be ensured and promoted. 

As per the data of The Environment Ministry and The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) in 2018, 43% of the plastic manufactured is mostly for single use, and are used for the purpose of packaging. 9.7kg plastic is used by each person annually in India, most of which is used for packaging related activities. According to the experts, the consumption and waste management pattern has to be shifted with a more eco-friendly approach. Single use plastic contaminates the water as well as soil. It also chokes the waterways and blocks the sewage system. 

The reforms will be monitored by the Central Pollution Control Board and the State Pollution Control Boards. They will ensure to take into consideration the violations and impose penalties as per the Environmental Protection Act. The states and Union Territories have been requested to coordinate with a special task force to ensure the elimination of single use plastic. Previously, India had addressed the issue of single use plastic in the 4th UN environment assembly held in 2019. 

With the cooperation of the policy makers, manufacturers and the citizens, plastic waste can be reduced to a great extent.


IMMUNOLOGY SERIES-PART 5- INTRODUCTION TO THE IMMUNE CELLS

The previous article was about the acquired immunity. This article is all about the immune cells, the warriors of the human body.

These cells play a major role in protecting the body from infections. Some of them contribute directly and some contribute indirectly. Despite the methods, all of them are required in optimum amounts so as to live a healthy life.

All of these cells are derived from a specific type of cell found in the blood. The blood is a freely flowing interstitial fluid that transports oxygen, nutrients, etc. to the cells of the body. There are two components in the blood in which the first one is called plasma. The plasma is the liquid carrying water, salts, enzymes, and proteins. There are three specialized proteins in the plasma-

Albumin- to maintain water balance

Globulin- for immunity (it is a part of immunoglobulin)

Fibrinogen- for clotting

Hence the plasma also contributes to immunity. This plasma constitutes about 55% of the blood. The rest 45% of the blood is constituted by the formed elements or corpuscles. There are three elements in it namely-

Erythrocyte or Red Blood Corpuscle- transport of oxygen

Leucocyte or White Blood Corpuscle- fight infections

Thrombocyte or platelets- for clotting

Out of these, the WBC is the one primarily contributing to immunity. A healthy person must have a WBC count from 4000-11000. Count less than 4000 means leukopenia meaning that the immune system is weak. If the count is more than 11000 then it means the condition of autoimmunity known as leucocytosis. There are some further classifications in the WBC which are displayed through the flowchart below.

There are two types of cells in the WBC namely the granulocytes and agranulocytes.

The granulocytes, as the name specifies have granules in their cytoplasm. There are three different cells in this.

The neutrophil constitutes to about 55-70% of the total WBC and they are ones involved in most of the fights against the infections. These defend against bacterial and fungal infections. These cells are mostly found in the epidermal regions and are in the first line of defense.  These cells engulf the pathogens by the process of phagocytosis. These cells have multiple nuclei hence these are also known as PMN (Poly Morpho Neutrophils). Neutrophils help prevent infections by blocking, disabling, and digesting off invading particles and microorganisms. They also communicate with other cells to help them repair cells and mount a proper immune response. The death of these cells often results in the formation of pus (suppuration).

neutrophil

The eosinophil constitutes about 2-4% of the total WBC. These cells are very little in the body but can increase in the case of allergic reactions, parasite infection, and so on. The functions of the eosinophil include movement to inflamed areas, trapping substances, killing cells, anti-parasitic and bactericidal activity, participating in immediate allergic reactions, and modulating inflammatory responses.

eosinophil

The basophil is present in the least concentration of all (0.2%) in total WBC. These cells play an important role in allergic reactions in which their count can increase. The basophil contains inflammatory mediators like histamine and heparin. The release of the compounds results in dilation of the blood vessels. Hence these cells regulate the inflammation process.

The agranulocytes are those which lack granules in their cytoplasm. There are two types in this. The lymphocyte can be called as the memory of the immune system. There are two types of lymphocytes namely T and B lymphocytes. These lymphocytes recognize the incoming pathogens and based on their memory it produces a suitable response in a short amount of time. These cells are involved in the secondary response in the acquired immunity.

B cells make antibodies that can bind to pathogens, block pathogen invasion, activate the complement system, and enhance pathogen destruction. The T cells mostly known as CD4+ T helper cells produce the cytokines (proteins in cell signaling) and coordinate with the immune system. There is another form called CD8+ cytotoxic T cells which is opposite to the previous type, they help in the destruction of tumors and pathogens.

The monocyte is the largest of all the cells in WBC. They function similarly to that of the neutrophils (phagocytosis of the pathogens). These cells present the pathogen to the memory cells upon which a response is generated. Once they leave the blood, they turn into macrophages which help in clearing cell debris and killing pathogens. These are known as the vacuum cleaners of immunity.

Hence all these cells work in different mechanisms and they coordinate together to make sure that we do not fall prey to the disease-causing microorganisms.

HAPPY LEARNING!!

Independence Day of India: History, Significance, Facts and Celebration!

Happy Independence Day 2021: Wishes, Messages, Quotes, Images, Facebook & Whatsapp status

It is the 75th Indian Independence Day this year which means India has achieved 74 years of freedom from the britishers. We as Indians pay respect to all the leaders who fought bravely for our nation’s freedom in the past. The Prime Minister of India hoisted our tricolour flag at the Red Fort, Old Delhi. He also delivered a speech to the nation as well. However, all cultural programs and school celebrations didn’t took place this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Independence day i.e. the 15th of August is declared as a national holiday which means every government office, post offices, banks and stores will remain shut.

History:-

India was ruled by the Britishers for many years. The East India Company ruled India for about 100 years. It was in 1757 when the East India Company won the battle of Plassey. It was after the win went the Company started exerting power over India. Our nation had its rebellion against the foreign rule for the first time in 1957. The entire country united against British power. It was an unfortunate event as India was defeated back then but after that time. Indian rule was then passed to the British who ruled our country till India got its independence.

Our nation faced a long campaign to gain independence. Britain then began to weaken after two world wars and India was finally free. India’s freedom struggle has always been an inspiration to the work as it was the most non-violent campaign in the world.

Significance of this Day:-

This day reminds us of all the sacrifices that were made by our freedom fighters in order to set India free from British rule. 15th August is a national holiday and the day is then celebrated with flag hoisting, parades and cultural events.

India’s Independence Day is significant as it stands as a reminder of the sacrifices that many freedom fighters made to get independence from the British rule. It is a national holiday and it is usually observed throughout the nation with the hoisting of the tricolour, parades and cultural events. India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru raised the Indian national flag above the Lahori Gate of Red Fort in Delhi on August 15, 1947. It is a tradition that has since been followed by the incumbent Prime Minister, followed by an address to the country.

Some Rare and Unique Facts:-

  1. The song ‘Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata’ composed in 1911 by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was renamed as ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India as the national anthem on January 24, 1950.
  2. The Indian national flag with three horizontal stripes of red, yellow and green was hoisted on August 7, 1906, at Parsee Bagan Square in Kolkata. The first variant of India’s current national flag was designed by freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya in 1921. The current flag with saffron, white and green colours and the Ashok Chakra in the middle was officially adopted on July 22, 1947, and hoisted on August 15, 1947.
  3.  Five other countries celebrate their independence on August 15 along with India. They are Bahrain, North Korea, South Korea and Liechtenstein.
  4. The Indian flag is manufactured and supplied from only one place in the nation. The Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS), located in Dharwad in Karnataka, has the authority to manufacture and supply the Indian national flag. According to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the flag is manufactured only with hand-spun and handwoven cotton khadi wafting.
  5.  Even after India’s independence, Goa was still a Portuguese colony. It was annexed to India by the Indian Army only in 1961. Thus, Goa was the last state to join the Indian territory.

Celebrations Throughout the Whole Country:–

The national anthem is sung on this day, flag-rising ceremonies and drills are also conducted in every corner of the country. Indians make an effort to dress in a specific way to celebrate their nation and culture. Kite flying is another tradition that is followed on Independence Day with people of all age groups as participants. It represents the freedom that we achieved on this day.

The Prime Minister of our country hoists our flag at the Red Fort in Old Delhi. A parade with members of the army and police also takes place. A speech to the nation is delivered by the PM where he speaks on the country’s accomplishments in all these years. He even speaks about the goals for future developments to be taken place in the coming years.

JAI HIND JAI BHARAT!

4 reasons to learn multiple programming languages

ARTICLE

4 Reasons To Learn Multiple Programming Languages

Learning your first programming language is a huge step in your journey to becoming a developer, but if the learning stops there it can dramatically impact your career prospects and income potential.

Technology is emerging at an unprecedented pace, with new coding languages created every year to keep up with this rapid innovation. Believe it or not, there are currently more than 500 programming languages, and that number continues to rise!

Companies like Shutterstock that used to be dedicated to only one language (Perl) are now multi-lingual with a developer team that programs in Node.js, Ruby, Java, Python, PHP, and Objective-C. A company using multiple programming languages isn’t the exception, it’s the norm.

So, here’s the million dollar question: Can someone really become a successful developer only knowing a single programming language? While there are specialized roles in single languages, including JavaScript, the majority of companies and jobs do, in fact, require knowledge of multiple programming languages.

Whether you already have one programming language under your belt, or are deciding where to start, here are a 4 reasons to learn multiple programming languages.

1. More Tools To Get The Job Done

As a developer, the end goal isn’t learning as many languages as you can, or even learning how to code. Instead, it’s about being able to look at a problem and figure out what tools (read: programming languages), you can bring in to get the job done. Naturally, the more tools you have under your belt the more ways you’ll be able to tackle different problems.

Just as there are hammers, screwdrivers, sanders, and an array of other tools for different tasks, there are countless programming languages, with each serving a unique purpose.

2. Pick and Choose the Jobs You Love

Knowing a variety of programming languages, especially in this day and age, helps open up the job market tremendously.

Let’s say you recently graduated from a coding bootcamp and are ready to dive headfirst into the field of programming. There are dozens of companies looking for junior developers, although you find only a fraction of them are hiring for the language you learned while attending a coding bootcamp. By default, only knowing one programming language automatically limits you to fewer roles.

Take a look at the market demand for each of these 9 programming languages:

programming-languages-ranked-by-number-of-jobs-graph-infographic

Having a solid grasp of multiple programming languages, on the other hand, means you have an edge in the job market and qualify for a wider range of job opportunities. You can pick the role and company you love, rather than settle with the limited options you’re dealt with after graduation.

3. Increase Your Salary Potential

More languages equals more money. Don’t believe me? Here’s a recent blog post that highlights the increasing number of companies looking for developers who can work across a number of different functions (and what they’re willing to dish out in return):

And while companies are often [cross-functional developers] to keep costs down, they’re also prepared to pay more to get someone who can switch between projects and has three or four programming languages at their fingertips. In fact, they’re prepared to pay up to a year more for developers who can work in multiple languages.

Facebook is another example of a company that uses a mashup of languages. Facebook.com’s front-end is built on JavaScript, back-end built on Hack, PHP, C++, Java, Python, Erlang, D, Xhp and Haskell, and its database on MySQL, HBase and Cassandra.

Additionally, there are several contributing factors when it comes to determining a developer’s salary. One being whether or not someone is a front-end, back-end or full-stack developer. Full-stack developers know all aspects of the development process, and can use both front-end and back-end technologies, making them more valuable to a company. Because of this, companies are willing to pay an average salary that tops out at roughly $20,000 higher than that of a front-end or back-end developer.

4. Don’t Get Left Behind: Become A More Versatile Developer

Learning a programming language isn’t all that different from learning a foreign language. Once you learn your first foreign language, it becomes progressively easier to learn your second,  third or even forth. The reason for this is because while learning your first foreign language you were essentially “learning how to learn.” You can also start recognizing similarities across languages, which accelerates the learning process. The same principle goes for learning additional programming languages.  

One of Coding Dojo’s lead instructors has been in the industry for 25 years. During that time, he’s learned more than 20 different programming languages! Throughout his career he applied for jobs not knowing any of the languages they used, but was still hired because he showed that he was able to quickly learn, and run with, new languages and technologies.

Being a versatile developer and knowing multiple programming languages means your skills will never become outdated, and you can quickly adapt to industry trends. You can use your vast knowledge of software and web development to keep your job opportunities varied and fresh. Even if you get hired on to work as a programmer for a specific programming language, it’s not unusual for companies to switch course and decide to move to or bring in new technologies. In this day and age, you really can’t afford not to know more than one programming language!