The Green Revolution in India

The great increase in production of food grains(like rice and wheat) due to the introduction of high yielding varieties,to the use of pesticides, and to bettter management techniques is known as the Green Revolution in India.
A part of a larger initiative by Norman Borlaug, green revolution in India was founded by M.S Swaminathan. The aim was to increase agricultural productivity in the developing world with the use of technology and agricultural research. The Green Revolution started in 1965 with the first introduction of High yielding variety(HYV)seeds in Indian agriculture. The end result of the Green Revolution was to make India self sufficient when it came to food grains. The Green Revolution in India was first introduced in Punjab in the late 1960s as a part of a development program issued by international donor agencies and the government of India. During the British Raj, India’s grain economy hinged on a unilateral relation of exploitation. The Green Revolution resulted in increased production of food grains (especially wheatand rice) and was in large part due to the introduction into developing countries of new, high-yielding varieties, beginning in the mid-20th century with Borlaug’s work. Borlaug developed a short-stemmed (“dwarf”) strain of wheat that increased crop yields. Previously, taller wheat varieties would break under the weight of the heads if production was increased by chemical fertilizers. Borlaug’s short-stemmed wheat could withstand the increased weight of fertilized heads.Wheat production in Mexico multiplied threefold owing to this and other varieties.Following Borlaug’s success in Mexico, the Indian and Pakistani goverments requested his assistance. Borlaug began his agricultural revolution in Asia. With India and Pakistan facing food shortages due to rapid population growth, the importation of Borlaug’s dwarf wheat in the mid-1960s was a key element if Green Revolution in India and helped the country to become agriculturally self sufficient.

What are the main features of Green Revolution?
1) Introduction of new and high yielding variety of seeds
2) Increased use of fertilizers, pesticides and weedicides to reduce agricultural losses.
3) Increased application of fertilisers to enhance agricultural productivity.
4) Use of latest agricultural machinery like tractors, threshers and harvesters etc.
5) Use of disease resistant varieties so that production will enhance.

Pros and cons of Green Revolution
Pros:
1) increase in agricultural production
2) reduction in import of food grains
3) increase quality of food
4) increase tolerance to pests, diseases and weeds
5) prosperity of farmers and helps in rural employment
Cons:
1) expensive seeds
2) ecological problems like soil erosion, waterlogging, desertification etc.
3) creates lack of biodiversity
4) health impacts from increased pesticides and fertilisers
5) deforestation

The White Revolution in India

The revolution associated with a sharp increase in milk production in the country is called the White Revolution in India also known as Operation Flood. White revolution period intended to make India a self-dependent nation in milk production.
Verghese Kurien ,the founder of Amul introduced White revolution in India. He is known as the father of white revolution in India.
Operation Flood started the White Revolution in India and made our country self-sufficient in milk and this was achieved entirely through the cooperative structure.One of the largest of its kind, the programme objective was to create a nationwide milk grid. It resulted in making India one of the largest producers of milk and milk products, and hence is also called the White Revolution of India. It also helped reduce malpractices by milk traders and merchants. The White Revolution in India was successful in transforming the country from a milk deficient nation to a world leader in milk production. It helped dairy-farming become India’s largest self-sustaining industry and also, India’s largest rural employment provider.

Advantages and disadvantages of white revolution
Advantage:
1) ended imports of milk solids in India.
2) India started exporting milk powder to many foreign nations.
3) dairy industries and infrastructures modernised and expanded.
4) more employment in the field of dairy farming.
5) dairy needs are met locally.
Disadvantage:
1) since livestock are prone to many diseases, milk obtained from them during such conditions leads to disease spreading.
2) adulteration of milk and dairy products.

Bangladesh War 1971- One of the shortest wars in History

In 1971, India won the war against Pakistan that resulted in the birth of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan).
Pakistan lost half its country, its forces in the East, and had to publicly surrender to India. It was also the largest military surrender after World War II.

So what happened during 1970s an internal crisis occured in Pakistan. So what happwned is when the 1st general elections took place a split occured between West Pakistan and East Pakistan. In West Pakistan , Zulfikar Ali Bhutto won the elections and in East Pakistan, the Awami league leaded by Sheikh Mujibur Rehman won . Now the bengali population that was in east Pakistan, they voted for Awami league because they were protesting against the dominance of West Pakistan and they were being treated as 3rd class citizens. But the Pakistan rulers in West and East Pakistan were not ready to accept this demovratic verdict.In 1971, Pakistani Army began to commit the genocide on innocent Bengali population, particularly in East Pakistan. So former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi decided to take action against Pakistan at the same time by give refuge to civilians from other side of the border. Throughout 1971, India had to bear the burden of some 80 lakh refugees who fled from East Pakistan and took shelter in India. After months of diplomatic tension and military build up a full scale war broke out between India and Pakistan on dec 1971. The war lasted 13 days and was one of shortest wars in history. The war ended after the Chief of Pakistani forces general AAK Niazi along with his troopes surrendered to Indian Army and Bangladesh’s Mukti Bahini.
General AAK Niazi signed the instrument of surrender in Dhaka marking the formation of East Pakistan as new nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan also lost half its territory after formation of Bangladesh. On august 1972 India signed Shimla agreement with Pakistan under which the former agreed to release all the 93,000 Pakistani prisoners of war.

The 4 phases in Bollywood Cinema

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

Bollywood, or the Hindi film industry of India which produces almost 1000 films every year is the world’s largest film industry. From the time the first Indian sound film, Alam Ara was produced in 1931 till the present decade, this industry has a remarkably rich history of producing a variety of movies, showcasing different spheres of Indian life, in myriad themes, be it comedy, romance, thriller, horror or drama. However, there has been a changing trend in the representation of Indian films through the years. The way movies were made in the 1950s is completely different from the way it is done in the twenty first century.
In this presentation I would like to share the changes that the Indian film industry has seen over the decades.

In order to understand the trends better let us divide it into 4 phases!
The first phase would consist of the movies made from the 1940s till the early 1960s. This phase is called the “Golden Era of the India cinema” where critically acclaimed movies like Awaara(1951), Shree 420(1955) and Mother India(1957) to name a few were made. These movies revolved around the common man, who faced various struggles in life, which the audience could relate to and would finally come out as a man with the right morals. These stories showed the protagonist to be poor who even though wavered from his path (mainly due to greed and success) would finally realize his mistakes and be a better person in the end and overcome his troubles in a just manner.

The second phase is the phase from late 1960s to the early 1980s. This phase saw a distinctive shift in the general storyline of the movies. Movies like Aradhana( 1969) , Anand (1970) , Bobby (1973) and Sholay(1975) mark this period. Â These movies were more action based and romantic in nature. Violence became an integral part of the movies, and a lot of emphasis was given on villains, who were basically underworld mafias. The image of the “angry young man” was introduced here, a brooding hero who was very good at delivering his punches and kicks, would destroy the villains and win the lady’s heart in the end. A lot of films during this time revolved around this basic theme.

The third phase is from the late 1980s till early 2000s. This phase saw the most diverse shifts in the movie-making procedure in India. Advanced technology was introduced in the country. The first Indian sci-fi movie Mr. India was released in 1987 which was a runaway hit. Romance was still the main theme. Romance films have been popular with the masses in India. The target audience in the romance genre is youth. As urban populations grew in the 80s, the number of youth-centric romantic comedies increased considerably.The new wave of romance movies had situational comedy that became a hit with audiences.
A lot of movies were shot abroad in this phase. Some of the best Bollywood romance movies and romantic comedies from late 1980s to early 2000s are – Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak- 1988, Andaz Apna Apna- 1994 Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge- 1995, Jab we met (2007) , Dostana(2008) and others.

The last and the ongoing phase started in late 2000s. This phase introduced a lot of technical advancements in the ways movies are made. From Koi Mil Gaya(2003) Ra.One(2011) to Mission Mangal (2019) movies put a greater emphasis on the visual effects rather than the story. A lot of movies have been shot abroad, with only the mention of India.

A state in India that is free of patriarchy

Meghalaya – a state in northeastern India has always been a far cry from the rest of India.The state is home to the Khasi and the Garo people, two of the few tribes to follow a matriarchal structure of society.

In a country like India, where the status of women is considered to be lower to that of men, where daughters of the household are treated as paraya dhan who are supposed to get married one day and go to her husband’s family , and the patriarchal system that subjugates women, oppresses women and tells them that they are not up to the mark and not as important as men,the fact that there are societies with a culture of dominant women is a wonder in itself! Unlike many places in India, where the birth of a girl is accompanied by reactions ranging from subdued acceptance to outright rage, the birth of a girl in places like Shillong is celebrated with mirth and laughter.There is no disparity in the treatment of women in urban and rural households of the Khasis and the Garos.In Khasi marriages, the men go and live with the wife and her family which is in stark contrast to most other communities in India, which see tearful goodbyes between the woman’s family.
An interesting and little known fact is that Khasi children take the title of their mother and her clan. This effectively means there are no illegitimate children among them.
It is refreshing to know that such a rare scene exists in our own country. For a nation plagued by a mindset of misogyny, the culture and traditions found in Meghalaya serves as a beacon of hope and change.

The real reason why Ellen Degeneres ended her show after 19 long years

Ellen Degeneres ended her show after 19 years. This brings to light many questions- Was she forced to end the show? What kind of legacy is she leaving behind? What kind if person is Ellen behind the camera?

Like many comedians, Ellen used humour as a coping mechanism to get through a tough life. At 13 years old, she would already be making jokes for her mother to not feel her pain after being divorced. And later, what her mother didn’t know is that Ellen at 15 years old would be hiding her own nightmare! The nightmare of being abused by her stepfather. This was not the only thing she had to hide cause when her family discovered she was gay, she got rejected by her own family. And this forced her to live in a lie, never telling anyone her true identity. As time passed by, kicked out of her own house, she lived a humble life to sustain herself. One day, while thinking about life in her empty base apartment, Ellen came up with a comedy piece that would soon make history. This comedy piece made her the first ever female comic that Johnny Carson ever invited to sit beside him. It was her big break! Ellen even starred in a sitcom! All of this felt like a reward after all she has been put through and so with everything going well, Ellen decided it was time to reveal her true self. Back then, being gay was not okay for many people in America and therefore after Ellen came out as gay, people shunned her. Advertisers pulled out and her career greatly suffered. To Ellen, this was the second time she was not accepted for being who she is. Years went by, her career stagnated and her life was at it’s lowest point when suddenly she was given a second chance – The Ellen Degeneres Show. She became one of the most friendly faces on American TV. America progressed and accepted her. Infact, something that used to be what she was judged for became one of her greatest assets! However, she had to fall low again when employees from her show called her out for toxic working environment. Truth is, we will never know what really happened inside a studio. But despite all of it, if there is one life lesson that we can learn from Ellen, it is that: No matter who you are, life will always be full of highs and lows. And no matter how long you are stuck in the low, your high will come.

The empowering story of BTS Leader RM

BTS recently stood up for the Asian community and spoke to the US presidant about Anti-Asian hate. RM, the leader of BTS and a global icon was himself a victim of hate and negativity. He was ridiculed for his looks and the negativity was so intense that he even started to hate himself too. At the age of 16, RM left his family, his good grades, and his more secured future to become a K-pop Idol. But, unlike other trainees, he didn’t have an experience with dancing and even after practising for longer hours and pushing his limits, he would still make a lot of mistakes. He started to blame himself for not being as good as others and even almost quit being a trainee. Luckily, his fellow member J- hope and his dance teachers encouraged him to stay and the rest was history, BTS succeeded. RM thought everything would be better once he debuted but it only made things worse for him. When BTS was starting, netizens called RM ugly and talentless and even asked him to leave the group. We live in a world where beauty, money and perfection are the standards of success. And those of us who fall short in comparison turn to self-hate and RM too fell into that trap. So, how did RM with so much strong self-hate and negativity around him lead the biggest boyband in the world? First, he used his insecurities to fuel his passion for music. Then he apologised for his mistakes and strived to be better. All of this taught him to stand up for himself, stand up for BTS and stand up for the Asian Community. RM chose to be defined by his hard work and passion rather than his faults and limitations. He learned to accept the imperfect. His empowering journey with self love has been changing the world. He inspires his bandmates to make music about the importance of accepting oneself. He inspires their fans, the Army’s to find beauty in their imperfections and just recently, his self love became so powerful that it created a movememt for people to love others as well.

15 mindblowing facts about hit netflix show Stranger Things

Stranger Things just broke the record for the biggest Premiere with it’s new sStranger Things just broke the record for the biggest Premiere with it’s new season and here are some mindblowing facts about the hit Netflix show –
1) Dacre Montgomery had to lose his abs to play the role of Billy for a more realistic 80s type of body.
2) Millie Bobby Brown’s first kiss ever happened on the show.
3) Charlie, who playes Jonathan Byers was detained at LAX in 2017 after they allegedly found traces of drugs on him. It even caused him to miss the Stranger Things Season 2 premiere.
4) Sadie Sink almost didn’t get her role for the reason that she was taller than the other boy leads. But the boys soon hit puberty and caught up with her height and we now love her as Max on the show.
5) Millie is deaf in one ear
6) Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler are a couple in real life. Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer are very private about their relationship.
7) Charlie, who plays Jonathan Byers is a father. He has a son with his ex, a 41 years old Japanese drummer named Akiko Matsuura.
8) Gaten Matarazzo has the same medical condition as his character Dustin. He was born with a rare congenital disorder that affects the development of bones and teeth.
9) Stranger Things was rejected more than 15 times before Netflix said yes! The Duffer brothers said that some executives found it strange that a show would feature children as leads and adults as audience.
10) Millie almost quit acting before she got her role as Eleven
11) Over 1000 kids auditioned for the main role. 906 boys and 307 girls read scenes for the Pilot episode just to get lead roles.
12) Winona Ryder had to be convinced to accept her role as Joyce Byers. The Duffer brothers talked to Winona for 4 and a half hours and the next day she joined the project.
13) Maya Hawke, who plays Robin is a child of huge actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke.
14) Almost all of the main cast members play music. Millie sings very well and sometimes even raps. Charlie, Joe, Gaten and Finn all played in bands. Caleb has two singles out. Dacre writes beat poetry music and Maya performs Indie songs.
15) David Harbor, who plays Eleven’s step dad, once fulfilled his fan’s request to take senior photos with her after she tweeted him her wish.
eason and here are some mindblowing facts about the hit Netflix show –
1) Dacre Montgomery had to lose his abs to play the role of Billy for a more realistic 80s type of body.
2) Millie Bobby Brown’s first kiss ever happened on the show.
3) Charlie, who playes Jonathan Byers was detained at LAX in 2017 after they allegedly found traces of drugs on him. It even caused him to miss the Stranger Things Season 2 premiere.
4) Sadie Sink almost didn’t get her role for the reason that she was taller than the other boy leads. But the boys soon hit puberty and caught up with her height and we now love her as Max on the show.
5) Millie is deaf in one ear
6) Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler are a couple in real life. Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer are very private about their relationship.
7) Charlie, who plays Jonathan Byers is a father. He has a son with his ex, a 41 years old Japanese drummer named Akiko Matsuura.
8) Gaten Matarazzo has the same medical condition as his character Dustin. He was born with a rare congenital disorder that affects the development of bones and teeth.
9) Stranger Things was rejected more than 15 times before Netflix said yes! The Duffer brothers said that some executives found it strange that a show would feature children as leads and adults as audience.
10) Millie almost quit acting before she got her role as Eleven
11) Over 1000 kids auditioned for the main role. 906 boys and 307 girls read scenes for the Pilot episode just to get lead roles.
12) Winona Ryder had to be convinced to accept her role as Joyce Byers. The Duffer brothers talked to Winona for 4 and a half hours and the next day she joined the project.
13) Maya Hawke, who plays Robin is a child of huge actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke.
14) Almost all of the main cast members play music. Millie sings very well and sometimes even raps. Charlie, Joe, Gaten and Finn all played in bands. Caleb has two singles out. Dacre writes beat poetry music and Maya performs Indie songs.
15) David Harbor, who plays Eleven’s step dad, once fulfilled his fan’s request to take senior photos with her after she tweeted him her wish.

The world’s most important living animal

This animal has got 5 eyes, lays upto 3000 eggs every single day and has wings that flaps over 11,000 times per minute. It has co existed with dinosaurs for atleast 35 million years and it is the 2nd most scientifically studied creature after humans. We humans call this creature as “bees.”
Here are some lesser known facts about bees and why we humans need them to survive-

1) 70 percent of the world’s agriculture depends on bees.
2) If we didn’t have bees to pollinate our plants, then plants will not produce and henceforth, there wouldn’t be enough food for the almost 8 billion people in the world.
3) Honey bees are responsible for every one out of three food bites that we take
4) No bees = No pollination and hence,
No plants = No food for livestock animals
Which further means no dairy products and hence no food for humans.
5) Most of our clothes are made up of cotton and if we don’t have bees, there will be no cotton plants.
6) Honey-bee is the only insect in the world that produces food humans can consume. It spends it’s lifetime producing only 1/12th teaspoon of honey.
7) Honey bees are smart too and they are trained by humans to detect bombs by sticking their tongues out when they sniff the aroma from explosives.
8) They can also detect illnesses in humans. They do so by smelling the illness on the breath in under 10 mins.

Bees, in many ways save humans and yet the most underrated being on planet earth but certainly the most important one.

Top foods that can boost your haemoglobin naturally

Haemoglobin is an iron-rich protein found in our red blood cells, responsible for carrying oxygen and transporting it to all parts of our body. A drop in level of haemoglobin can make it difficult for the body to get suffecient oxygen and one might exeperiemce dizziness, fatugue, pale skin, etc.
Listed below are some foods that can help maintain the level of haemoglobin in blood –

1) Beetroot
Beetroot is enriched with natural iron, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, and vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12 and C and can be consumed in either raw form or cooked. It helps in regeneration of red blood cells.

2) Green leafy vegetables
Green vegetables like spinach, celery, and broccoli are rich vegetarian sources of iron and including them in your staole diet can help you increase your level of haemoglobin. They can also help you in weight loss and improve digestion.

3) Dates and raisins
Dates and raisins are packed with iron and vitamin C. Consuming a handful of raisins and two or three dates in the morning can provide you with instant energy and improve your hemoglobin levels.

4) Sesame seeds
Eating black sesame seeds is another great way of increasing your iron intake as they are loaded with iron, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, selenium and vitamin B6, E and folate

5) Take vitamin-C rich fruits
Vitamin C absorb iron more efficiently. Including oranges, lemon, sweet lime, strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes, grapefruits, berries in your dietary plan will help in boosting haemoglobin levels.

Top foods that can boost your haemoglobin naturally

4) Sesame seeds
Eating black sesame seeds is another great way of increasing your iron intake as they are loaded with iron, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, selenium and vitamin B6, E and folate

5 best foods to start your day

Breakfast is a great way to start your day. However, since it is the first meal of the day, one must keep in mind to have a whole and hearty meal that will not only provide nutrients to the body but also keep us full for hours. People should avoid consuming foods that are rich in carbs, sugars and additives. Below are some of the healthy breakfast choices –

1) Eggs
Eggs are rich sources of protein and are nutritious. Since protein takes time to digest, therefore it makes us feel full and lowers our calorie intake later in the day. However, it is imporant to note that eggs must not be paired with processed food items such as sausages. Instead, they can be eaten with whole grain toast, sauteed veggies or fruits.

2) Greek Yoghurt
Greek yoghurt has probiotics that helps to improve gut health. Greek yoghurt can be consumed with fruits and berries for added vitamins and minerals.

3) Oatmeal
Oatmeal keeps one’s cholestrol levels in check and are also rich in vitamins and minerals. Oatmeals also contain protein and one can boost the protein levels by adding milk to oatmeal instead of water.

4) Berries
Berries are rich source of antioxidants that reduces the risk of diseases. They can be consumed with greek yoghurt or oatmeal or a fruit smoothie.

5) Whole wheat toast
Whole wheat toast is a good source of fiber. To add to it’s nutritional value, you can top it with varieties of nutritious toppings such as cottage cheese, fried eggs, peanut butter and banana or egg salad.

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