Author: V.S. Roshana

I am a young enthusiastic person who likes to take up productive works and perform them efficiently. I am determined to all my work and exhibit my potentials in the finest way and provide magnificent results.

News channels vs News papers

The importance of news is widespread in our daily lives. They are more obliging by updating our cognition regarding the various events and information revolving around the whole world. It allows us to gain a sense of global perspective. It is a form of communication and keeps us engaged about the outer world. Reading news paves the way to connect with remarkable people and happenings. If someone is not aware of what is occurring around him/her would that life be fruitful? We can perceive news through various forms, mainly with the help of channels in televisions and news papers.

News papers

Many of us would embark our day with a cup of tea and the newspaper and there is a charm in doing so by going word by word in detail. It is an integral part of our life . In 19th century, news papers became very common and were cheaply available. It was the initial means which was very convincing to gather information about the surroundings. Newspaper is a printed media and one of the oldest forms of mass communication. Government and other official announcements are done in a newspaper. It encompasses various categories like weather forecasts, political, economic, international, sports, entertainment and other related information. It also highlights the various job opportunities, vacancies, competitive exams, scholarships and many potent local advertisements that other platforms don’t cover up. It enhances our reading capacity and improves the vocabulary. It helps in cultivating the reading habit from an early stage. Reading widens our mind, aids memory power, focus and concentration. Newspapers provides a special section for puzzles/riddles, painting, quiz etc. that fascinates young children. There also carry with them many editorials which are more obliging. We can resort to them any time we are in need of information for articles and secure them. Reading newspapers and collecting facts is a hobby for many. There are many separate editions in line with our locality / district and this becomes more specific to obtain information. In this technical world, though the newspaper in its original form seems to face a threat of existence it still holds it importance and considered as the authentic source of information.

News channels

In the early 20th century technologies started replacing the old labor method of printing. News channels find its way better that reach the people in a more effectual form in no time. Watching news through various channels on TV are more feasible and expedient for many people than reading it on the paper. We can afford news papers just once a day and we have to await for the news updates till the next day, by the time the news becomes stale but in the news channels news are updated instantly each minute with the flashing news headlines. News channels can deeply dive into collecting and publishing information and distinctly deliver them. It helps us to get an explicit and intense idea as we can hear the news and see them with our bare eyes from the exact real spots live through the help of reporters. In the news papers some may find it hard to put with the small letterings and may have to strain the eyes but the news channels are easily accessible for everyone and aids a better understanding with evident videos and proofs.

News channels come with many innovative segments like, interesting facts, health tips, crime stories, political speeches & interviews, sports, cinema, share marketing, biographies of inspirational people, historical places and up to date inventions which allows us to gather information and knowledge more earnestly. When we some of the pathetic situations faced by people that the news channels discover and exhibit many helping hands come forward, and that’s how we survived many hardships like in the flood times and even in the prevalent pandemic with the help of oxygen supply cylinders, vehicle services, food arrangements etc. that saved many lives. So it acts as a bridge in connecting people and building lives.

To conclude more effectively, a combination of both newspapers and news channels are vital to grasp vast knowledge. Both come up with many interesting segments and factors that fascinate various age group of people and are more effectual with their own significances. It is more prominent to catch up with what is happening around us irrespective of the different platforms.

Impacts of Virtual gaming

In the late 90’s many adults and teenagers would have had a great craze for video games and they found it fun filled, entertaining and a way of relaxation from their mundane routine. The games would be innocuous without involving more harm or trauma , which were just meant to be for enjoyment, time pass and an activity to unwind without imposing more negative impacts on the user. But today as the technology is been growing by leaps and bounds , the games and gaming have changed a lot over the years. Modern games have brought amazing graphics that 90s developers could not have even imagined. Mobile is becoming a critical segment of the game industry. According to a research 70% of the families have at least one child who plays video games. The youngsters perceive the games available online to be more fascinating involving realistic characters, 3d effects and many such improvements in the field, but it also comes with lot more drama to an extent that it has caused many online games to be banned in the country.

More than of a relaxation and entertainment online games are becoming more dreadful. Under the garb of more developed features many lives are ruined, some of the games demand for investing money to afford the requisite tools for the games and the users are misled and deluded at times by many anonymous people in the game field. Without the right guidance, children can be exposed to many risks such as game bullying, abuses, hidden fees, privacy problems, webcam hacks, online grooming etc. Many children who are not aware of all the mishandlings in online gaming tend to get trapped very easily. The users are vulnerable to many of the risks and some even indulge in problems with investing money and get fooled at the end. We see many cases flooding the news with death , crimes and abuses involved in online gaming. There are many devastations that online gaming creates and the ultimate snag is losing lives.

A 26 year-old man hanged himself from a ceiling fan at his home in Visakhapatnam upset over losing money online while gaming. In Puducherry 38 year old man set himself ablaze after losing more than 30 lakhs rupees in an online rummy game. Women in gaming routinely suffer sexual harassments, aggressive abuse and sometimes even graphic threats of rape and murder. The study, carried out by Young Gamers & Gamblers Education Trust discovered some 35 % of women said they have been sent inappropriate content or messages from other gamers. The addiction to online games is more like an addiction to alcohols, when you cross the boundaries the effects are dreadful, alcohol ruins the physical health and more screen time to the online games ruins the mental health.

Especially in this pandemic situation everyone being locked up, it paved the way for the youngsters to indulge more in online gaming and gave rise to frightful impacts. The online game addicts reported more anxiety, depression, affects the psychological well being, builds negative emotions when they lose in the game, lowers self esteem, loneliness, poor academic performances. Constrained in a room, many are not even aware of what is happening around them or in the family and many parents worry their child’s rising aimlessness. Many are connected to online games via mobile, and the prolonged screen time increases eye sight, migraine and other related problems. It would be better if the children come to out this situation very soon otherwise it augments the idleness, dwelling in our home is not going to persist for long we have to return back to our work mode and this could be a great hindrance for their career. Parents should have complete monitor over their children’s activities over phone before they fall at the wrong hands. Adults can engage themselves in many other quality exercises which can bear fruit. Gaming can be taken up as an activity of relaxation and entertainment but it should not end eating up your lives.

How to foster mental health?

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

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

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

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

Subjects to be incorporated in the school curriculum

Education is more than a black board and ahead of the school text books. Woefully education has just been dumped and limited to the curriculum followed in schools which comprises of science, mathematics, social science and languages. These five subjects cannot solely provide the skills required for the career of every individual in the long run. Although the above subjects frame a basic foundation for the students, education is beyond this small circle. It should facilitate quality learning all through the life which should be enduring. Education should be concentrated on a wide range of fields and provide platforms to exhibit the potentials of students across various sectors. Co curricular and extra curricular subjects are also very salient to be emboldened by the school managements to formulate a better path for the students. Let us take a look on some of the topics that could be enhanced and introduced in the school curriculum.

Physical training is a course taught in schools that focuses on developing physical fitness and it also promotes the student’s interests towards the various sports activities. In most of the schools this subject would be scheduled just one/ two periods per week and the students would be earnestly waiting for this period to arrive because this also acts an area of relaxation form the other tedious subjects. The sad reality is, the allotted two periods would also be taken away/borrowed sometimes by the other subject teachers. We take much pride if a person from our country/ state represents himself/herself in the Olympics. But the struggle faced by each individual to achieve such an eminent position is very challenging and they have to undertake trainings externally and some cannot afford to do so. Some even fail to take the opportunity due to the lack of training and guidance. Physical training should be given equal importance as the other subjects and if this is regularized in schools we can perceive many astounding talents.

Value education is the subject that inculcates moral values in students which aids them to shimmer in the society. Education without the social values is fruitless and ineffectual. The basic etiquettes taught will transform the students into better humans. It includes interpersonal developments, social mannerisms which develops students into a sensible person with strong character and values. The purpose of value-based education is to make the student work with the right attitude and standards to face the outside world. Value education helps students to become more responsive and practical. In some schools this subject is just concentrated at the time of exam. The objective is not only to recognize the values but also to reflect them in their behavior and attitudes.

Arts – Arts education encompasses a range of activities that help students with the development of motor skills, language skills, communication, inventiveness, problem solving skills etc. It stimulates the imagination and fuels it. It is a process of learning to create ourselves and supports the bigger view of life. These activities and experience help students to make sense of the world. This can boost the inner confidence in them to involve in productive works of their interest.

Computer knowledge Computer science is a subject in some schools only in the higher secondary education. The contemporary world being digitalized in all forms it is requisite to educate the computer knowledge form the early stages of life. This would be very helpful for the students to get along with the technologies and also in dealing with future projects and presentations.

Mindfulness (yoga) The stress of being a teenager should not be underestimated. Mental health is equally important as physical fitness. Mindfulness can develop skills for concentration and impulse control. Yoga, simple meditation and breathing skills will help in an efficient way for the younger minds to work more effectively. These classes could be taken for at least a period of 15 min to 30 min before the regular classes. It reduces and eliminates stress. It augments self esteem and empowerment. Mindfulness improves the student’s cognitive performance and better emotional and social intelligence.

The above topics and many other related subjects could be intensified and augmented in the school curriculum for a mindful and efficacious learning!!

Impulsive Buying

Every person has to shop things from time to time. Shopping is a part of our day to day life because it is requisite to supply our families with the basic necessities. Some do shopping to escape the stress built within them and they enjoy by doing so. They find it as a way of relaxing from the monotonous life. While some consumers plan the things that they need to buy before hand by preparing the list of items for every week/month, they surf through the price tags to afford the good quality products at the lowest price, there are others who indulge in impulsive buying. It is the tendency of a customer to buy goods and services without planning anything in advance. When a customer makes impetuous decisions to buy products off the cuff, it is usually provoked by emotions and feelings. Impulsive buying is not just restricted to few products it can be observed on a wide range of goods like clothing, electronic devices, jewellery, sports pieces, pastries and so on, by the consumers when they get fascinated with a sudden impulse.

TYPES OF IMPULSE PURCHASES:

  • PURE IMPULSE BUYING – The consumers crack their normal pattern of consumption
  • REMINDER IMPULSE BUYING – When the consumers sees items in the shop that they forgot to add to the shopping list before, they purchase them when he/she is reminded by seeing those things displayed in the stores.
  • SUGGESTION IMPULSE BUYING – When the customers notice things that they never used or seen before they plan to buy them at the moment by a conviction that it would be very obliging.

Dealers try to exploit this behavior of the customers to promote their sales/services. The hyper markets tries to captivate people from the entrance of their space. They provide a great window display which increases the curiosity of potential customers, introduce combo packs using the demand of the primary products for the sale of secondary products, work with brands, offer suggestions with new products and influence the mind of customers and such plentiful tricks. Marketing companies are more likely to get benefitted because of this trait because customers end up purchasing products even without any actual intent of doing so.

Some of the customers even realize this when half of the wallet is swiped off as they return back to home ending up with random products which may not be of a great use to them. A study published in the June 2008 issue of the Journal Of Consumer Research suggests that consumers are more susceptible to impulsive buying from one brand over another when distracted while shopping. Consumers are also likely to make an impulse purchase, when a consumer perceives that the environment is over stimulating. Emotional appeal contributes largely to impulsive buying. Scientists state that this happens because some items help us feel better and temporarily dampen our unhappiness. Some customers want to stock up things even when there is not an immediate need for them. Many get attracted on the spotting of discounts on products and at times our brain get fooled by the idea that we are getting a good deal and get defeated.

How to get rid of impulsive buying ?

  • Design a budget and cling to it. A budget doesn’t all of a sudden save all your money we should sincerely stick to them. If not planned for a budget don’t go in for spending money.
  • Try not to shop when you are emotional. It takes an major part in triggering a person to go for an impulsive buying. We just buy things in the thrill of the moment and later realize the unnecessary investments made. Retail therapy just makes you feel goo at the spur of the moment.
  • Have a clear monitor on the budget and savings and review it every month. By this we can avoid the dispensable products.
  • When shopping on a larger basis find support and accountability which can go a long way in refraining us from impulsive buying.
  • When tempted to buy a new product go through its reviews and we can realize the worth of buying such products.

Artificial Intelligence

The world has stepped into many engrossing horizons like self driving cars, smart assistants, social media monitoring, disease mapping, automated financial investing and many such persuasive developments. Have you ever wondered what is involved behind such innovative developments? It is certainly the Artificial intelligence. The hype for AI has been accelerated to a great extent to meet the demands of the contemporary world. The term refers to the simulation of human intelligence, induced in machines that are programmed to think and work like humans and pretend their actions as well. The term may also be applied to any machine that exhibits the traits associated with a human mind such as learning, problem solving, speech recognition, decisive making etc. It is a wide range of branch concerned with building smart machines making them capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. Building an AI system is a careful process of reverse-engineering human traits and capabilities in a machine, and using its computational prowess to surpass what we are capable of. AI requires a foundation of specialized hardware and software for writing and training machine learning algorithms.

There are three types Artificial Intelligence

  • Artificial Narrow Intelligence – Specializes in one area and solves one problem.
  • Artificial General Intelligence – Refers to a computer that is as smart as a human across the board.
  • Artificial Super Intelligence – An intellect that is much smarter than the best human brains in practically every field.

The Artificial Intelligence intend to aid human capabilities and help us make advanced decisions with far reaching consequences. It has the potential to help human lives significantly, devoid of hard labor and help manage the complex web of interconnected individuals, companies, states and nations to function in a better way. AI has seamlessly transitioned into our daily lives which we might have failed to notice from music recommendations, map directions, mobile banking to fraud prevention, AI has framed an advanced path. It has made it ways to many sectors from science to agriculture. It has its applications in various fields like retail, shopping and fashion, security and surveillance, sports activities etc. Here are some of the major sectors where AI are implemented for enhancement in the respective fields.

AI powered assistants – It is an application program that understands natural language voice commands and completes tasks for the user. Virtual shopping assistants and chatbots help improves the user experience while shopping online. The assistants have real time engagement with the customers. Amazon’s Alexa is a virtual assistant AI developed by Amazon capable of voice interactions setting alarms, providing weather , traffic, sports and other real time information and similarly so does the Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana and so on.

AI in Robotics – Robots powered by AI are used for carrying goods in hospitals, factories and warehouses, cleaning offices and large equipment and inventory management where robots use real time updates to sense obstacles in its path and pre plan its journey instantly.

AI in Healthcare – It is used to build sophisticated machines that can detect diseases and identify cancer cells. It can help chronic conditions with lab and other medical data to ensure early diagnosis and used to identify trends or genetic information that would predispose someone to a particular disease.

AI in agriculture – AI aids in identifying defects and nutrient deficiencies in the soil and also detecting diseases in plants, pests and poor plant nutrition on farms. AI sensors can detect and target weeds and then decide which herbicides to be applied. This is done using computer vision, robotics, and machine learning.

AI in marketing – Using AI marketers can deliver highly targeted and personalized ads with the help of behavioral analysis, pattern recognition etc. It uses technologies to make automated decisions based on data collection, data analysis, and additional observations of audience or economic trends that may impact marketing efforts.

So the benefits of AI are widespread in various spheres. There is always a fine line between the advancements and destructions. There’s always two sides to a coin and so in the AI. There are some of the snags listed below.

  • High cost of implementation
  • If the super intelligence’s goals come to conflict with human values AI poses a risk of human extinction.
  • With human cognitive power we would be able to evolve with age and experience. But it becomes skeptical with the AI machines, it starts to wear and tear with time.
  • We cannot expect creative piece of work from AI’s. Creativity is limited to the persons who program and commands machines.
  • With the rapid development in the sector of AI, it may carry risks of unemployment.

Cyber bullying

Technology is evolving rapidly. The enhancement in technologies has made it possible for various establishments over the world. It connects the whole world and has made our communication better and feasible through several digital platforms and social medias. It has developed and promoted many new and innovative approaches. We are into an era where the technologies has got over our lives. The social medias though help us for a better connectivity it also carries along with it some of the undeniable pitfalls which at times ruins an individuals’ life. One of the snags that it holds is the cyber bullying.

Cyber bullying also known as cyber harassment is a way of bullying / harassment through digital spaces or media. It creates a situation, which includes threats, humiliations, blackmail, or sexual bullying and the victim is ridiculed. It is less physical than the other traditional categories of bullying but it has very impactful and influential effects on individuals. Cyber bullying has become very common these days and has been increasing, especially among the teenagers who are exposed more to the social platforms because the young people are mostly influenced by internet usage more than ever due to the increased screen time. It comes in various forms. It doesn’t necessarily mean hacking anyone’s profile or posing to be someone else. It includes the pessimistic comments by the usage of abusive or derogatory words passed on someone for defamation or other reasons. It tarnishes the reputation/image of an individual that they have built over the years.

The false rumors could even destroys the people’s lives. Nowadays everybody owns an account in the various social lines and this makes it very easy for anyone to misuse this access. Cyber bullying portrays the unpleasant side of the internet. These hostile actions are seriously damaging and can affect anyone easily and gravely. A cyberbullying may not necessarily be a stranger, it may also be someone we know. It is dangerous as it affects the mental peace of a person and takes a toll on the person’s mental health. It shakes the self esteem of a person and makes them feel inferior and at times the stress or depressions developed may also lead to some physical health issues. The internet provides incognito and the chance to create a profile with a hidden identity. Most of the times cyberbully work in groups because in that way they feel strongly united. Cyber bullying can result in detrimental effects on both the bully and bullied. More than 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyber threats online. Over 25% of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the internet. Well half of the young people do not even tell their parents when cyber bullying occurs.

Prevention

Section 507 IPC – The section states that if anyone receives criminal intimidation by way of an anonymous communication then the person giving threats shall be punished with imprisonment for up to two years. Cyber bullying prevention is the need of the hour. It has to be monitored sincerely. We can implement them at authoritative levels as well and arrive to effective solutions. From a personal standard one can refrain oneself from posting explicit photos in the social medias and avoid sharing personal information online or to unknow persons. When children expose themselves on the social media, their juvenile nature can make them as a prey to cyber bullies and fall at the wrong hands. So parents should have continuous monitorization over their children. Cyber bullying must be reported immediately when countered without any delay. There are helpline numbers, mail id’s and websites where we can report such crimes. This can prevent further incidents from taking place. We should create awareness about the forms of cyber bullying and its consequences.

Should water resources be nationalized?

Water takes an indispensable role in our daily being like it is an integral part for our living and prominent for every human body and also for several other purposes. It is a universal need but is it available universally to all through out  the world with parity. Despite its importance for life, fresh water is an extremely rare resource on earth. The available surface fresh water is not equally distributed throughout the world and not easily accessible to humans. 69% of earths fresh water is locked in the form of ice in glaciers and 30% is under the surface as ground water. And nearly just 1% is readily available for human use.  So one of the significant ways that we can implement to get rid of the water crisis is nationalizing the water resources to make that 1% of fresh water available on earth to be accessed by everyone and attainable in all places without any bias. Nationalizing water sources mean the control over handling all water resources like dams, rivers, lakes, pipes etc. by the nation or state. Proponents of the project claim the answer to India’s water problem is to conserve the abundant monsoon water bounty, store it in reservoirs, and deliver the water using rivers interlinking project to areas and over times when water becomes scarce.

Merits

This will aid the nation to a great extent and also help  in the eradication of floods and droughts – which are the two extremes. Floods happen when there is an overflow of water that submerges the lands. Conversely droughts happen when there is lack of water resources and It takes decades to develop fully and very difficult to predict. This portrays the devastation state of how the water resources are erratic and unevenly distributed  over the world and causes calamities. It would be pertinent  to mention about the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka issue over the water resources since many years. The sharing of waters of the Kaveri river has been the source of a serious conflict and has been the bone of content between the two states. And the curtains were brought  down only after  years. These conflicts over water resources are common through out the world. For instance Ethiopia and Egypt have fought long over  Nile water resources . The Nile is an important waterway that supplies 85% of Egypt however the Nile’s water originates in Ethiopia and they plan to dam part of the river in order to generate electricity , Egypt will be adversely impacted. Even in the United States where freshwater resources are relatively abundant different populations fight over the use of fresh water.

It becomes apparent that when a river originates in a particular area, the other regions need to be dependent of them and conflict between states arise and it becomes very challenging. So linking of rivers would certainly make us get out of such situations and could curtail civil wars. Some fertile lands are turning out into barren lands due to the lack of water facility in many regions. Because of the unequal distribution of water human population are some times deprived of safe drinking water and pushed to a state of consuming contaminated  water which carry risks of infectious diseases. Lack of access to clean drinking water leads to more than 3 million death every year. So the linking of the rivers will work for the betterment of situation and can assure safe drinking water to all. Despite drinking, the fresh water is also an important need in economic activities such as agriculture, and other cultivation. There are states in India where water is very scarce and also with adequate/ plentiful water resources. So when the linking of rivers happen everyone would be equally distributed with water.

Demerits

The allocation of water may be a problem. Every region has its own demand and needs of more and more water supply. It will be challenging for the center to divert water resources from one state towards the other. In some regions there will be accidental flow of industrial wastes into the river, if the rivers are linked, the polluted water will spread all over the country. It requires lakhs of acres of lands to build dams and connect the rivers, the construction may get complicated and years to get completed. Leakage of pipeline is another issue that goes unchecked in many places. To nationalize water resources every state has to agree for the proposal. As it is a large scale project, well planed architecture is needed to connect all the rivers. It should consist experts in the technology of water resource management and have authority over the water resources of the entire nation. When the control over resources goes under the central authorities , the states would become vulnerable to lose their power. Just by nationalizing the water resources the crisis of water deficiency could not be solved. People need to become aware of the deficiency and prevent wastage of water and save water efficiently. The governments as well can frame water conservation methods and allocate funds to implement them respectively.

Conserve water before the world goes dry !!

Crisis in LAKSHADWEEP( A union territory)

There were many hashtags trending, regarding the Lakshadweep issue on twitter and Lakshadweep has been spotted on several social platforms for the past days. Some were wondering what was happening in Lakshadweep and what has triggered the ongoing hassle to protect the island from social and political turmoil and imminent ecological demolition. In brief let us see what has pushed Lakshadweep into such a devastating state.

Lakshadweep is the India’s smallest Union Territory consisting a chain of 36 individual islands located in the Arabian Sea about 400 km from the city of Kochi with an area of 32 sq km. It comprises of 12 atolls, three reefs, five submerged banks and ten inhabited islands. The inhabited islands have a population of nearly 64,473 people according to the 2011 census. Culturally and socially the inlands’ are close to Kerala and the people over there speak a dialect of Malayalam with the influence of Arabic similar to Arabi Malayalam, in the Minicoy island which is close to the Maldives the language spoken is Mahl. Lakshadweep is known for its exotic and alluring beaches and the exuberant green landscape. In Malayalam and Sanskrit the word Lakshadweep means ‘a hundred thousand islands.’ When some of the beaches in the country are swamped with air pollution, plastics and wastes, it is pertinent to mention that the natural landscapes, the heavenly atmosphere, the glittering sea, the peace living people, the sandy shores, abundance of flora and fauna and the deprivation of a rushed and hasty lifestyle enhances the charisma of Lakshadweep. It certainly holds the the least position in crime rate of the country and one of the lowest, globally as well. As per the national crime records bureau (2019) report the island had zero cases of major crimes such as rape, murder, kidnapping and dacoity. The inhabitants take pride in their traditional culture while maintaining prominent environmental measure to safeguard the island. We can describe it as a small heaven on earth for its resources and wealth. It is a restricted territory and one requires an entry permit issued by the Lakshadweep Administration to visit the islands because 94% of the population are scheduled tribes.

The islands are protected under special provisions where alcohol and liquor sales are not permitted, and the non residents cannot buy any land. As Lakshadweep is a union Territory it doesn’t have a formal Chief Minister as other states do but for the administration and monitorization an administrator like an IAS or IPS officer would be appointed by the President. The trouble began after the death of Dineshwar Sharma, the former Administrator of Lakshadweep and once Praful Khoda Patel took over charge as the new administrator. He was a former BJP leader and the former Home Minister of Gujarat. After Praful Khoda Patel took charge, he came up with many drafts of several reforms such as the Lakshadweep Animal preservation regulation that bans slaughter of cows,bulls and bullocks( This proposal was fiercely opposed alleging that Patel is implementing the RSS’s agenda of beef ban) Lakshadweep prevention of Anti-Social Activities Regulation, Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation( The draft bill is been widely resented with protestors alleging this law is aimed at serving ”Real estate interests” and usurping the small land holdings of the people) and amendment to the Lakshadweep Panchayat Staff rules(The draft proposed that if a resident has more than two children he/she cannot contest a panchayat election). The draft regulation defines development as the carrying out of building, mining, quarrying or other operations so it becomes apparent that the regulations make it very easy for the government to take over land of any person in the garb of development. When the nurses and health care workers protested for the salary hike everybody were refrained form their jobs and arrested. The Muslim majority island territory has remained a non alcoholic zone for decades but there was another draft framed that allowed sale of liquor at hotels and resorts in the name of tourist promotion.

The development authority regulation appears to be quite a controversial reform and hundreds of the islands’ residents have written to the administration opposing it. They expressed their intimidation that Patel’s motive was to destroy traditional and the cultural diversity of the people of Lakshadweep. Praful Patel was involved in many controversial circumstances. To everyone’s astonishment, when the whole world was inflicted by corona, Lakshadweep had no cases of Corona till last December. But after Patel took charge he pronounced that the people who tested negative for Corona within 48 hours can arrive to Lakshadweep and opened the gate for outsiders. But today Lakshadweep has over 7000 cases of covid-19 and corona is been spreading. Services of hundreds of contract laborers working under various departments of the Union Territory have been terminated and workers of various government offices have been dismissed. These are some of the woeful situations that the Lakshadweep is into and has got trapped in a contentious and autocratic administration. Development of a territory is most welcomed by the people but it should not ruin the resources and the wealth of the space.

Enrich your soft skills

What are soft skills and why do they take a prominent role in building & formulating a splendid career? How are soft skills interrelated with the work we do?

Many come up with similar questions when they face several challenges in an interview which is the most salient part to get placed in a job and some become obsessed with it when they are not able to grasp the opportunities due to the lack of soft skills. Soft skills play a vital part that makes you fit in a particular role at the workplace. It is the essence by which a person gets qualified for a job or an employee is been promoted/retained by the employer on this grounds. We cannot ace the interviews under the shadow of hard skills because the managing team hire individuals initially, on how the participants present and carry themselves in an interview. Every interview demands the parity of both hard and soft skills. Soft skills consistently deals with a person’s EQ ( Emotional Quotient), it is a combination of interpersonal traits, time management, team work, flexibility, public speaking, leadership qualities, basic etiquettes, critical thinking, communication skills etc. There should be an ultimate professionalism in the conversations that we have at our work place and that’s why soft skills play a major role. Soft skills doesn’t demand for some external course or trainings to acquire them. They are some of the innate qualities that we possess or need to develop for an engrossing career such as,

Expand your network and build a positive circle.

Broaden your mindset for a mindful learning.

Develop self esteem and embolden self reflection.

Get out of the comfort level and explore new horizons.

Strive to get along with people easily, be amiable and emphasize team work , by this you can promote the leadership qualities. Organize events, take up the lead roles and responsibilities to exhibit the inner leader in you.

Have a self assessment , be open to constructive criticisms, update yourself and don’t be reluctant to learn and gather knowledge.

Do not stand still, adapt to different circumstances which is the most eminent trait at a work place.

All these skills are very efficient because they make you stand out from others and aids you to ace in the career. Soft skills are the cluster of personal and professional qualities that the companies and firms look for value in their forces in today’s world. This increases the chances for employability that the proprietors consider because such skills are needed to get sideways with the colleagues and customers. Hard skills could be acquired by many as we all get a strong platform through universities and virtual courses to nourish it but soft skills is the abilities and qualities that we nurture on our own. Soft skills also helps us on a personal standard to formulate into a better person. Let us see some of the important soft skills in brief to pursue a triumphant career.

LEADERSHIP

Leadership is the potential of an individual to lead and influence the other team members by their mission and vision. This is a very eminent attribute of individuals and those who exhibit this quality can ascend to many prestigious positions in life.

COMMUNICATION

The ability to communicate effectively is perhaps the most important of all soft skills. At its simplest it is the act of conveying ideas and information from one to the other. To have an effective communication the person should first listen and comprehend the opponents point of view and then share his/her views in a precise manner & clearly and should not be overlooked. This can help in every nuance of life from the professional stratum to the social gatherings.

CRITICAL THINKING

Critical thinking is the analysis of facts and ideas to arrive to a solution or judgement. It is the ability to think clearly and rationally, comprehending the logics inter connected with the ideas. It comprises of a set of skills like observation, interpretation, analysis, evaluation, problem solving and decision making ability.

INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY

Individuals should be able to adapt to the upcoming and the changing technologies and put forth their innovative ideas in problem solving. They should not be conservative with their ideas and should evolve with time. They should reach the solution for the different tasks and challenges posed on them in a new and different way.

TEAM WORK

Coordination is very vital among a set team members to envision ideas , to establish them in the finest way and to produce magnificent results. Effective communication is the foundation for team work. So we can come to know that all the soft skills are inter related with each other. The capability to put forward the point and truly interpret & understand what others say is the cornerstone of effective teamwork.

FLEXIBILITY

Flexibility is being able to adapt oneself to various situations, works and places and to fit in effectively. You should bend yourself to deal with unexpected challenges calmly and efficiently and then you would arrive at strategies to meet the ends.

Mindful gardening

Have you ever had the flavor of fruits and vegetables cultivated in your garden? If you have not, just give a try at least once in your lifetime and then that would let you take up gardening eternally. Trust me, even the bitter gourd might sound sweet when you get it from your labor and that could be so heart warming and relishing. Some take up gardening in their leisure time and some really have a great passion towards it. It doesn’t matter about the size of your garden it is about the mindfulness, just gather few pot plants and little herbs and that tends leave a huge impact in your life. Cultivating plants aids in cultivating a healthy mind and grants serenity. A study found that ” every green environment improved self esteem”. When you feel distressed and anxious about your repetitive life just drop in to your garden and it will restore all your inner peace.

When you land up in the soil, its smell uplifts your mood and makes you feel elated!

When you clear up the weeds your mind also gets cleaned by giving up all the negativity!

When you dig deep into the soil your mind goes in deep and revives the positivity back!

When you sow the seeds, your heart is been sowed and scattered with cheerfulness and bright thoughts!

When you notice the tiny little branches you will find an intangible happiness sprouting within you and When you sprinkle the water, the mother earth sprinkles her blessings on you.

Spending some quality time in the garden would render many physical and mental benefits. The pulling, digging, reaching, twisting and bending of gardening amounts to light aerobic exercise, which improves heart and lung health, helps prevent obesity. The plants clean the air around us and makes us feel fresh. Currently, the food industry is responsible for emitting 26% of global CO2 waste by transporting food from suppliers to grocery stores. So it becomes apparent that when we grow food in our garden we are reducing our carbon footprint. Spending time in nature can promote the mental health and gardening has been used as therapy for depression for many years. A group of researches have come with findings after tracking over 3000 subjects for 16 years and it stated that gardening regularly reduces the risk of dementia by 35-46%. Gardening is a very big stress buster and watching the plants flourish is a huge stress relief. People who have raised a prosperous garden might know how great it feels to notice the flowers budding and blooming and that boosts a person’s self esteem because developing a garden could be a rewarding hobby. When we invest our diligent & earnest work, certainly the plants will nourish our body and mind in return. The inner happiness that you find when your dining is been filled with the food that you harvest could be so remarkable and rejoice at the fact that you are able to nurture your health with your own scrupulous work.

Besides the mental and physical benefits of gardening there many medicinal plants we can cultivate in our garden space that assures us a healthy lifestyle and those plants are also easily obtainable. Tulsi is believed to be a physical incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi on earth and regarded as the holiest of all. They are rich in adaptogens which help in reducing the stress levels in your body, cures common cold, promotes digestion etc. It is true that there is a science behind every activity and also there is a medicinal benefit behind each plant. Aloevera is extremely useful to speed up healing and reduce the risks of infections. Pepper mint regarded as the world’s oldest medicine is used to treat fevers, inhibit bacterial growth. Coleus amboinicus (Omavalli) can be used a remedy for cough, cold, indigestion. Coriander, curry leaves, mint are very simple to grow and they play a very major role in our daily diet. In addition there are several plants and trees that aids in our physical health.

There are many fascinating facts about plants and one such is, plants could really respond to sounds. Talking to plants to help them grow is a well know old wives’ tale but studies have shown that compared to a silent greenhouse to one where they piped in a voice soundtrack, the plants in the latter grew more. This could also make you to get rid of the loneliness at times. Gardening helps us to overcome our inhibitions and makes our life complete & alluring. I think that we should acquire the great quality from plants of how to grow in silence and letting your success make the noise. Garden is a grand teacher and gardening is enduring and never ceases. To grow a plant is to believe in tomorrow!

Budding entrepreneurship amidst the youth

For many the word entrepreneurship sounds like an intricate term, which we think that are associated only with people doing large businesses, world wide. But it is the concept of developing, managing and promoting a business platform which could be relevant to the field of interest that one has in line to gain profit. There is a major misconception that a business investment deals with more money. But the young entrepreneurs come up with impalpable investments which can remarkably attribute to the growth of a business like innovation, skills, creative thinking, time management, energy and of course monetary sources also take an integral part but not a major part. Especially in this pandemic many of the young people have made their venture into businesses through the digital platform which turned into a good of source of income for many. Youth entrepreneurship has a huge impact on the social and economic progress of the society. It is regarded as a promising alternative and help sustain growing economies and lead to a viable development. At one point, every individual after the completion of their studies would be striving hard discovering for opportunities to get a job in the government or a corporate sector thinking that their life would be settled and if they don’t acquire so, they would be distressed about their career. So one of the major challenges faced by most of the countries is unemployment. But now the tables have turned and individuals pursuing their studies on one hand have also started framing opportunities for themselves in accordance with the field that fascinates them, which could be on a small scale. Working towards Youth Entrepreneurship programs can aid solving problems that are currently challenged by the countries and could pave way for a better future.

In the mean time the hobbies have evolved into professions. For instance if a person is good at artistic works and drawing portraits he gets into the sphere of vending personalized gifts through online platform. The teenage girls who have been doing henna designs for their set of family for various get togethers are now online providing their work for many brides out for marriages. There are many blooming fashion designers who have been just designing costumes for themselves before, but then through the help of digital platforms and social media have started their own clothing line. Blogging, publishing own books, teaching online courses, launching podcasts, handmade goods, thrift stores, freelancing, web development, baking & selling pastry items and we can just bundle up examples about the several establishments of the budding young entrepreneurs.

Inspiration has nothing to do with the age factor. People who do quality and consistent work can inspire many and here are such inspirational young entrepreneurs who have given rise to very successful and engrossing start ups .

Ritesh Agarwal is a smart young man behind the OYO rooms and he is the founder and the CEO of the same. He is the world’s second youngest billionaire in 2021.

Sreelakshmi Suresh is a web designer holding the titles of World’s Youngest CEO and World’s youngest web designer. She started meddling with computers at the age of 3, started designing at 4, and came up with her first website at the age of 6.

Tilak Mehta , a 15 year old boy founder of Paper n Parcel is the World’s Youngest entrepreneur who made Digital Courier company with the help of ‘Mumbai Dabbawala’ and he was awarded Global Child Prodigy 2020.

Trishneet Arora is the founder and CEO of TAC security, a cyber security company. He has written books on cyber security, ethical hacking and web defence. He started his own company at the age of 19.

Akhilendra Sahu is a young serial entrepreneur form India. He is the founder and CEO of ASTNT technologies Pvt Ltd., He was 17 years old when he started his career as a freelancer. He ranked on India’s top 10 young Indian entrepreneur $ top 10 young digital influencers.

Aditi Gupta is an Indian author and co-founder of Menstrupedia Comic. Menstrupedia provides a user-friendly guide to menstruation, hygiene and puberty and break myths associated to them.

Entrepreneurs are the cluster of individuals who are reluctant to be one among all and frames out some innovative roadmaps to stand out form others, who defy to stick to the conservative thinking and wants to be out of the box. The three important keys that a budding entrepreneur should know are, PROMOTE NEW IDEAS, ACCELERATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INVEST IN STARTUPS USING YOUR INGENUITY. Technology has enabled progress in all fields. The digital platform plays a very pivotal role in the upliftment of the young entrepreneurs and boosts the inner entrepreneurship in us. The world is been swamped with countless possibilities and opportunities. When you become certain about what you need you get a step closer to success and cling on to both hard work and smart work. To become a successful entrepreneur be hungry and ambitious on your goals. To persist in the same domain willpower, assertiveness and perseverance are very vital because every field is indulged with risks. Never halt in the career with the same mindset you started with, evolve with time. Aspire to inspire people!!!

Books – the elite partner

Who would not relish reading a book with a cup of coffee / tea? If you are a person who is not fond of reading books then you might be missing a great part of life even. Some may find it boring and consider it as of no use or waste of energy. But the fact provided by reading books is just a contrast to your mindset. The love towards reading books can protect you even from hazardous diseases of life. But for many reading books in their spare time is like a great craving. Nevertheless it is not like the other leisure time activities that we do to pass time. We are benefitted by books beyond what we think. It benefits both the physical and mental health and the benefits are enduring, lasts lifelong. It increases our creative thinking, imagination and molds us into better person. It aids us to formulate a better roadmap for our career. Books exposes us to new things which we might have failed to notice in our past times, renders more information, and fosters us to handle strenuous situations and provides us innovative ways to solve them and thus gives us a great exploration. It leads us to the other part life which is peaceful and gets you tension free apart from your regular hectic work. Reading good books widens our mind and uplifts our way of thinking.

Books can be referred to as the man’s best companion which is the power house of information and ingenuity. Even in the early times, writing system was invented and people used stones, clays, tree and different things that can be carved as a writing material. Fortunately today we have newspapers, magazines and books. We would have come across several books over the years. In our childhood we were fond of story books which would be flooded with pictures to fascinate little children and for the better understanding of the younger ones. And then as we grow up we would be interested in different genre of books like history, literature, science fiction, crime, fantasy, inspirational, adventure, horror, comics, detective, biographies and so on. All books are either nonfiction or fiction. Nonfiction books contain biographies, history books and contain factual information . Fiction books contain a story which is framed by the author. Technical books gives you technical insight, novels distracts you from the monotonous world and stimulates your imagination level. Comics is meant for enjoyment and relaxes you from your repetitive work. As writing is an art, so is reading and it an excellent habit. It should be inculcated in all from an early stage. The cognitive abilities of kids who read books regularly seem to be improved. It helps us on a larger scale to improve the vocabulary , communication skills, writing skills. As we read books we come know about the various fields engaged around us and it boosts the confidence & self esteem and helps us to become highly efficient and excel in various activities. It increases our concentration level and makes it elastic to grasp things quickly and easily.

With the gradual advancement in technology people are getting fascinated by the idea of e-books. E-books – It is the digital representation of a book publication on platforms like computers, smartphones etc. and provides an easy access to the readers. They are more flexible than paper books. It has many perks like we can enlarge the font size to make the reading more pleasurable and it is easy on the eyes. They are portable and handy making it easy to carry around. E books can be purchased through internet and also some are available for free of cost. E-books have a large scope for further developments and universal acceptability.

Paper and electronic books , both provide an effective way of reading . Paper books allow more precise reading and e books are quicker and more convenient. Books are like fellow mates with no demands and no anticipations, rather we could anticipate many stuffs from books. It gives us a kind of inner happiness and gives us an optimistic feel which enhances our knowledge and wisdom.

Body positivity

I have thighs that giggle a little when I run. So what?

I like it that way.

When I adorn myself in a new black dress some tell that it adds on to my darkness. So what?

I like it that way.

People presume that I may have any syndrome as I appear very thin. So what?

I like it that way.

You would be shocked to know that 20% of adults feel shamed and depressed of their body weight. Adults say that the images used in magazines and advertisements have caused them to worry about their body weight. 64% of teenage boys and 94% of teenage girls are being body shamed for the way their body looks. A doctor says that she sees patients as young as six years old with body image issues. Anorexia Nervosa is an earing disorder causing people to obsess about their body weight with an unwarranted fear of being overweight. It is the most lethal of all psychiatric conditions. It is the leading cause of death of many teenage girls.

Is being plus body sized, dusky, dark complexed or being very thin becomes a stigma or an an insecurity or does it mean that a person isn’t beautiful enough?

Body positivity renders a great response to all of these alike questions. Body is neither an object of shame nor an entitlement. Body positivity is a social movement initially laid to empower and popularize overweight women and men, while also challenging the ways in which the society presents and views a physical body. The movement advocates the acceptance of all physical bodies irrespective of size, race, appearance or physical ability. It asserts that all people over here deserve to have a positive body image, regardless of how others view them. It also recognizes that judgements are often made based on race, gender, shape, and appearance.

What do we mean by being beautiful? Is it being fair, slim, tall, chubby cheeks and rosy lips? The definition of beauty is being switched over randomly by people in line with their marketing of products. A Hair product adverts that silky and smooth hair is beauty. A skin product adverts that the soap and creams they vend makes you more beautiful. A diet product adverts that the food they provide you, turns you to size zero. All of these beauties just end up being a fantasy. What actually beauty means? It is possessing the quality that gives pleasure or satisfaction to see hear and think about. It is about being genuine, authentic and real, being yourself. Dimple chin or double chin doesn’t matter, DARE TO BE YOURSELF.

By whom are these are these beauty standards being framed ? Day in and day out people are being influenced by several factors like advertisements, brands, magazines and influencers who device body image problems and then exploit them. When we were young we would have had a great craze for barbie dolls which dictated the definition of beauty( fair, slim and tall). According to a study done the barbie dolls does have a huge effect on a younger and older girls’ self esteem because if a child is raised with dolls such as barbie wouldn’t their idea of perfect body image come from their experience by playing with their perfect barbie dolls. When we grow up beauty brands define perfect skin, fair and spotless. Images used in magazines, televisions and newspapers influence the concept of an ideal body weight of nearly 70% adolescent girls. In this world where beauty care is an investment people are expecting the providers of said products to deliver results. There are still products who actually do what they claim and invest on the actual research of products. However in this world where persuasion is done by emotion a lot of beauty care brands invest in advertisements rather than on the real products. If we think in depth beauty brands use hashtags like #loveyourself and #beyourself but are they really encouraging us to do so? They obliquely delude us that we aren’t beautiful enough and impose their selling of products on us. By using our ignorance the cosmetic industry climbs up and up the ladder.

Be aware of the business behind the products you use. Get rid of the unreal things happening around you. Body positivity is the only weapon to overcome these unreal beauty facts created by random people and stop getting influenced. It is the idea that one should be proud, happy and comfortable of ourselves regardless of the size and looks. Body positivity movement has flooded the timeline for years now. There are some who say that it promotes unhealthy lifestyle and encourages obesity, but the movement is all about self acceptance and not letting your physical appearance let you down. Don’t try hard to stick to the stereotypical order that someone has created. KNOW YOUR WORTH AND DEFINE YOUR OWN BEAUTY. There are many ways to motivate you to lose or gain weight but if you dont wish to do so gain enough confidence lose your timidness and confront others valiantly.

DONT TRY TO IMPRESS PEOPLE BY BECOMING FAIR OR SLIM , INSPIRE THEM BY BEING YOURSELF!!!

Economics of fuel price hike-A line of no control

Remarkable role of fuel:

Fuel is at the center of our lives and we revolve around it. It plays a pivotal role in our daily life without which our life would be unfeasible and become intricate. It is one of the widely used sources of energy in the world. It has its prevalence in various spheres from the domestic field of life to dealing with worldwide business, fuel is very essential. Beyond fuel in the tank, it is used to make everyday objects, because fuels like petrol are not only concerned with transportation and vehicles, it has lot more to deal with like in the medical field, toiletries, paint, electronics etc. It takes an indispensable part in our livelihood and irrespective of fuel life would be strenuous. It is like a key ingredient in the products that we use everyday and is an integral part of our life. Fuel is a universal need but the fuel prices are sky rocketing and when there is a continuous price hike, enormous amount of people especially those who toil for their daily being and many major sectors like transportation, manufacturing would be greatly affected. So eventually it will leave a huge devastating impact on us and the economy which could paralyze various fields all over world.

Fuel price hike crisis:

Hike in price of petroleum products in India has been a boiling issue since two decades. Petrol and diesel rates in the country have sharply climbed after the latest round of fuel price hike by oil marketing companies. When fuel price increased in 2000 there was a huge impact on the transport sector. Within three years petrol price has increased ten times and still counting. Petrol is now retailing above Rs.90 per liter in all major cities. It has already hit century in some spheres. A recent report indicated that some folks in Bihar’s Araria and Krishnaganj region are crossing the borders to smuggle petrol from Nepal. Both oil and petroleum are scarce commodities. Therefore both demand and supply are less elastic. The supply of the foreign currency reduces thus appreciating the value of the foreign currency and depreciating the value of the local currency which in turn increases the prices of imports. In 1990 the petrol was available to the consumers at Rs.9.8, if we compare the historical and the present prices the consumer will notice that the price has increased 9 times.

Cascading effect of the price hike:

There are many ways in which the people would be affected by the rising fuel crisis. Initially the impact would be felt by the owners of vehicles where two wheelers provide mobility to the aspiring people of the middle class. And many people agree that the price hike is having a great impact on their monthly budget. Petrol price hike directly and subsequently affects many major sectors like transportation, textiles, manufacturing, automotive sector etc. This affects the prices of daily essential commodities which are transported on a daily basis. Banking sector is also expected to suffer due to high inflation level. Increase in fuel price will also make an increase in food price. This will have a more severe effect on poor people who toil day and night for one or two meals a day. It is a like chain reaction which is interconnected with many other domain. If there is an increase in petrol price it will obviously increase the transportation cost which in turn will increase the price of goods and gradually it would push people into poverty. This will hit the common man so hard who is striving arduously to meet ends, because the business class would shift the burden to the customers. It also destructs the balance of trade of the country.

Proposals in framing alternatives:

We cant pin the blame on just one entity. It is not just one factor that causes fuel price hike ,it is a combination of things and even we are liable for the same. So each one of us are solely responsible for the betterment of the situation.

The initial thing to contribute to the alternatives is using the public transport for travelling places which can save fuel eventually.

Developing alternate sources of energy like solar and alternate fuel forms like hydrogen, natural gas, biodiesel, propane, waste derived oils, electricity etc.

Constantly accelerating and braking only wastes fuel and reduces the fuel consumption so coast when possible and avoid burning excess fuel.

For every 100 pounds of weight in the vehicle, the car’s fuel economy decreases by about 1 or 2%. So we can get rid of the unnecessary weight adding to the trunk of the car.

The Government can take initiatives which can help in the long run by allocating funds for the alternative sources of energy.

We all know fuel is a non-renewable energy and limited in nature. It is our responsibility to use it prudently and bequeath the future generation with this legacy and thus lead to sustainable development!!!