One thousand ways to make $ 1000

HOW TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS

W
HEN Gustavus Swift, a youngster in knee breeches, dressed and sold his first
calf to the fisherfolk of Cape Cod, he laid the foundation of the largest meatpacking business in the world. The desire to make money—to have a business of
his own—was a driving force in the make-up of young Swift. In Barnstable, he
was known as a chap with a lot of “get up and go” to him. So it was not
surprising that when he felt the desire to make money, he didn’t waste his time
wishing, but took his courage in his two hands and started in the dressed beef
business in his dad’s backyard.

No doubt there were other young men in Barnstable who wanted to make money
too. But while they were wondering how they could make it, Gus Swift cut the
Gordian knot. It meant work for him. It was not a pleasant way to make money.
There was the possibility of his not being able to sell his calf after he had dressed
it. He had to walk miles in order to market his veal, for Cape Cod in those days
was a “spread out” sort of place.

But Swift didn’t care.

He wanted money

The work, the walking and the adventure were fun. And because he regarded
making money as fun instead of work, he later was able to come to Chicago and
start the great Swift packing business. How different from the average young
men of today! They are usually more interested in having a good time than they
are establishing themselves in a business of their own. Being in business is so
confining! So they concentrate on enjoying themselves, serene in their
philosophy that tomorrow is another day. If these people, and they are not all
young people either, worked half as hard at making money as they do at having a
good time, they would be rich.

Then there are people who are willing to work and do work hard at making
money, but they are not successful because they lack a target. They are like the
chap who hunts big game with a shotgun. They do a lot of shooting, but they bag
very little game. Next to being willing to pay the price of success in hard work,
the most important thing is to have a definite, clear-cut objective. Since it is
necessary to crawl before you walk, it is suggested that you make that objective
$1,000.

What you about this story of hard work and dedication

The remarkable and incredible 80/20 principal

In business, many examples of the 80/20 Principle have been validated.
20 per cent of products usually account for about 80 per cent of dollar sales
value; so do 20 per cent of customers. 20 per cent of products or customers
usually also account for about 80 per cent of an organization’s profits.

The 80/20 Principle asserts that a minority of causes, inputs or effort usually
lead to a majority of the results, outputs or rewards. Taken literally, this
means that, for example, 80 per cent of what you achieve in your job comes
from 20 per cent of the time spent. Thus for all practical purposes, four-
fifths of the effort—a dominant part of it—is largely irrelevant. This is
contrary to what people normally expect. So the 80/20 Principle states that
there is an inbuilt imbalance between causes and results, inputs and outputs,
and effort and reward.

The pattern underlying the 80/20 Principle was discovered in 1897, exactly
100 years ago, by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto (1848–1923). His
discovery has since been called many names, including the Pareto Principle,
the Pareto Law, the 80/20 Rule, the Principle of Least Effort and the
Principle of Imbalance; throughout this book we will call it the 80/20
Principle.

By a subterranean process of influence on many important
achievers, especially business people, computer enthusiasts and quality
engineers, the 80/20 Principle has helped to shape the modern world. Yet it
has remained one of the great secrets of our time—and even the select band
of cognoscenti who know and use the 80/20 Principle only exploit a tiny
proportion of its power.

So what did Vilfredo Pareto discover? He happened to be looking at
patterns of wealth and income in nineteenth-century England. He found that
most income and wealth went to a minority of the people in his samples.
Perhaps there was nothing very surprising in this. But he also discovered
two other facts that he thought highly significant. One was that there was a
consistent mathematical relationship between the proportion of people (as a
percentage of the total relevant population) and the amount of income or
wealth that this group enjoyed.4 To simplify, if 20 per cent of the population
enjoyed 80 per cent of the wealth,5 then you could reliably predict that 10
per cent would have, say, 65 per cent of the wealth, and 5 per cent would
have 50 per cent. The key point is not the percentages, but the fact that the
distribution of wealth across the population was predictably unbalanced.

What do you about this principle

What beauty means to you

Beauty is power; a smile is its sword. …
Life is full of beauty. …
There is no definition of beauty, but when you can see someone’s spirit coming through, something unexplainable, that’s beautiful to me. …
Let us live for the beauty of our own reality.

One difficulty for understanding beauty is due to the fact that it has both objective and subjective aspects: it is seen as a property of things but also as depending on the emotional response of observers. Because of its subjective side, beauty is said to be “in the eye of the beholder”.

It has been argued that the ability on the side of the subject needed to perceive and judge beauty, sometimes referred to as the “sense of taste”, can be trained and that the verdicts of experts coincide in the long run.

This would suggest that the standards of validity of judgments of beauty are intersubjective, i.e. dependent on a group of judges, rather than fully subjective or fully objective.

Conceptions of beauty aim to capture what is essential to all beautiful things. Classical conceptions define beauty in terms of the relation between the beautiful object as a whole and its parts: the parts should stand in the right proportion to each other and thus compose an integrated harmonious whole. Hedonist conceptions see a necessary connection between pleasure and beauty, e.g. that for an object to be beautiful is for it to cause disinterested pleasure. Other conceptions include defining beautiful objects in terms of their value, of a loving attitude towards them or of their function.

What comes to your mind when you think of beauty?

Comment below 😇

There is no honour in killing

An honor killing or shame killing is the murder of an individual, either an outsider or a member of a family, by someone seeking to protect what they see as the dignity and honour of their family.

Honor killings are often connected to religion, caste and other forms of hierarchical social stratification, or to sexuality, and those killed will often be more liberal than the murderer rather than genuinely “dishonourable”. Most often, it involves the murder of a woman or girl by male family members, due to the perpetrators’ belief that the victim has brought dishonor or shame upon the family name, reputation or prestige.

Honor killings are often associated with rural and tribal areas, but they occur in urban areas too.

Though both men and women commit and are victims of honor killings, in many communities conformity to moral standards implies different behavior for men and women, including stricter standards for chastity for women. In many families, the honor motive is used by men as a pretext to restrict the rights of women.

Although such crimes are widely suspected to be underreported, the United Nations Population Fund estimates that as many as 5,000 women are killed annually for reasons of honor. These crimes take place throughout the world and are not limited to one specific religion or faith. However, they have rather significantly and consistently occurred in various parts of the Middle East and South Asia, with nearly half of all honor killings occurring in India and Pakistan.

In the 21st century, there was an increased international awareness of honor killing, however, some countries remained reluctant to take the necessary steps to effectively criminalize it. In the relatively uncommon event that a man was prosecuted for the killing, the subsequent trial would often focus on the woman’s alleged behaviour, rather than the violence committed against her. When a man was found guilty, the defendant could claim that the crime had been committed to restore sullied family honor and petition the court for a reduced sentence. In India, for example, the government enacted strict penalties for violence against women during the 1980s. However, honor killings based on intercaste and interreligious marriages continued to take place in rural areas, where they were largely unreported to police because of direct or indirect support among village residents. Such murders were often ruled as accidents when reported. A woman beaten, burned, strangled, shot, or stabbed to death could be ruled a suicide, even if there were multiple wounds and there was no possibility the woman could have killed herself.

Body parts that you can trade for money

It’s will amuse you to know that you can sell your body parts and People will pay hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of dollars for certain body parts.

Note that “selling” a body part isn’t the same as putting your futon up for sale on Craigslist. Except for selling ad space on your skin, most forms of giving body parts are technically donations, but it’s common practice to be compensated in cash.

Being compensated for all of the parts listed below is legal, but we don’t necessarily recommend it. There are other — more conventional — ways to supplement your income.

1. Hair up to $1,000

Like blood, hair is easy enough to donate to a good cause (like Locks of Love). But it’s also entirely possible to sell it at a pretty sweet price point.

The trick is to keep it as long and “virginal” as possible. That means no harmful hair dyes or other chemical treatments that could damage the quality. Buyers are likely looking to make wigs, and they’re not going to be interested in your split ends.

According to Wisebread, one woman made as much as $1,000 on her locks in just a week by posting an ad on TheHairTrader.org.

2. Sperm: $ 125 per sample

The going rate: $125 for each acceptable sperm sample — which can add up to about $600 per month — according to the Sperm Bank of California.

You’ll have to meet some very specific qualifications first. Here’s the list of requirements for potential donors at SBC:

• Between ages 20 and 39

• At least 5’7″

• Can make a six to 12 month commitment

• Live within 25 miles of the office

• Can provide a family medical history

• Are able to work legally in the US

• Have completed or are pursuing a college degree

Look for sperm banks near you.

What amazements can a good credit system does

You can survive with bad credit, but it’s not always easy and not cheap. Establishing a good credit score will help you save money and make your financial life much easier. If you’re looking for reasons to maintain your good credit, here are some great benefits to having a good credit score.

Low Interest Rates on Credit Cards and Loans

The interest rate is one of the costs you pay for borrowing money and, often, the interest rate you get is directly tied to your credit score. If you have a good credit score, you’ll almost always qualify for the best interest rates, and you’ll pay lower finance charges on credit card balances and loans. The less money you pay in interest, the faster you’ll pay off the debt and the more money you have for other expenses.

An Electoral System That Neglects The Youth?

Since the inception of democracy in 507 B.C, the axiom that the people of a nation play a pivotal role in upholding it has stood firm through the test of time. While the question of which members of society would play this role has historically been a contentious issue in many countries, it was never a major problem in India. The Constituent Assembly ensured that universal adult franchise was provided for in the Constitution from the very beginning. While there was some opposition to universal adult franchise, based on concerns that the right to vote was being given too early, the possibility of inadequate education, knowledge, patriotism towards the country amongst the voters, a majority of members supported it. This meant that, once a citizen of India reached a certain age, they would be entitled to vote irrespective of their gender, religion, caste, education, income, or any other factor.

The provision of adult franchise has become more inclusive over time. When it was first written, article 326 of the Constitution allowed citizens who were 21 years of age or above, to vote in their local, state Legislative Assembly and national Lok Sabha elections. The age limit was reduced to 18 years of age or above after the Sixty-first Amendment Act, 1988. However, this seemingly innocuous provision contains a major problem. Article 326 gives the appropriate legislature the ability to set a date before which a citizen must turn 18 years of age, in order to be eligible to vote.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), attaining the age of 18 years on or before the qualifying date of the year of revision of the electoral roll is a requirement to register in the electoral roll. According to Article 14 (b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the qualifying date is “The 1st day of January”. This is a significant impediment to the participation of youth in the electoral process as it means that a citizen turning 18 years of age on or after the 2nd of January in the year of an election, is ineligible to vote in that election, even if they turn 18 years of age before any of the elections are actually held. This means that there are a very large number of 18 year olds who will get to vote in a major election only after 5 years, which is a very long time after they have technically reached the correct age to vote.

In May 2016, D. V. Sadananda Gowda, the Minister of Law and Justice at the time stated that the government had plans to add more than one qualifying date in a year before which a citizen may be eligible to vote. Furthermore, the ECI has suggested the elimination of the qualifying date and allowing citizens to be eligible to vote as soon as they turn 18. While having only one qualifying date made sense in the past as electoral rolls were updated manually, it makes absolutely no sense now as online voter registration is an established process. Despite this, no action has been taken to remove this blatant hindrance to the participation of youth voters in a critical democratic process.

Let’s take a look at the participation of “young voters” in recent elections. An Indian citizen aged 18-19 years and voting for the first time is considered a young voter. According to data from the ECI, approximately 15 million young voters participated in the 2019 national elections. However, this ostensibly large number is sadly only about 30% of the estimated population of young voters (48.5 million). It is also a lower number than the 23 million young voters that participated in the 2014 national elections, which contradicts the fact that the total electorate increased from about 815 million in 2014 to about 900 million in 2019. The percentage of young voters that actually voted is abysmal, especially when India has the largest youth population in the world, according to the UN (356 million).

There could be a variety of reasons for this ignominious participation of youth in the electoral process. Without a doubt, the youth do consider voting in general as well as their vote to be important. However, many do not apply for a voter ID, either because they don’t know how to, or because they don’t prioritize it over other things important to them, such as college applications and driver licences. This problem is being addressed by the various grassroot level and large scale campaigns to increase awareness on the importance of participating in the electoral process organised by various NGOs as well as the ECI. Nowadays, political parties use special tactics to enlarge their youth voter base. Although a quixotic change in the near future, the introduction of online voting systems would significantly increase the participation of youth in the electoral process.

Another impediment to youth participation in the electoral process is the obnoxious amount of influence that money and corruption have in an election. The youth are more interested in policies that would improve their quality of life, their education and their job opportunities rather than flashy and expensive election campaigns carried out by an inaccessible pantheon. Besides this, the lack of candidates that reflect the aspirations of the youth makes them avoid the electoral process. While article 84 (b) of the Constitution states that a citizen above the age of 25 can contest in the Lok Sabha election, the youngest MP is 27 years old and there are only 4 MPs between the ages of 27 and 30. This is equivalent to about 0.75% of the 536 sitting members of the Lok Sabha, which is incongruously unrepresentative of the age demographics of India. In response to a Public Interest Litigation that called for the reduction of the age limit for contesting an election to 21 years of age, the Supreme Court of India chose to stress on experience rather than representation, by stating that citizens must have a certain amount of experience before they can contest an election. Furthermore, in 2018 the Supreme Court responded to a PIL that called for the reduction of the age limit for contesting an election to 18 years of age by stating that parliament must deliberate and make a decision.

There seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel. For instance, in the recent Tamil Nadu legislative assembly elections, 21.86% of the total electorate were between the ages of 18 and 29, accentuating the growing importance of youth in politics. While making their voices heard by casting their vote is not the only step, it is nevertheless a crucial one in moving towards a country in which the youth are adequately represented in state and national leadership. With citizens aged below 25 comprising more than half of our total population, it is time that the youth is at the helm of decision making that has an impact on their future. It is also time for ancient laws, such as the qualifying date, to be modified, so that we can begin to change this behemoth of an electoral system that neglects the youth.

How Caste Continues To Affect Our Education System

The caste system has always been ubiquitous. Whether it’s politics, economics, the law, religion, the media, or even education, the seemingly immutable caste system affects all spheres of our society. Schisms along caste lines are ingrained into public discourse and cause discrimination, hatred, and violence. The caste system divided society into the Brahmins (priests and scholars), the Kshatriyas (rulers and warriors), Vaishyas (merchants and traders), Shudras (artisans, labourers, and servants), and the Untouchables. While untouchability was abolished by the Constitution, it is still prevalent in Modern India. Despite valiant efforts, most notably by B.R Ambedkar, to eradicate the caste system post independence, the over 3000 years old system continues to divide Indian society. As we’ll see, the caste system has significant effects on modern-day education; it is as extensive as it is pernicious, leaving its victims helpless.

The caste system meant that every aspect of one’s life was controlled by “the accident of birth”. Therefore, every caste had specific jobs assigned to them. This meant that children were only taught skills that helped them do jobs that their caste did, even if they could do other work. The strictures of the caste system meant that one is confined to the social status associated with one’s caste. This is discordant with the modern notion that education is the “great equaliser” and it gives everyone and anyone the “ability to rise” because of their hardwork and not their social status and uncontrollable factors such as gender, religion, caste, etc.

While the Right to Education Act guarantees education for students aged 6 to 14, the quality of that education is usually determined by caste. Students that belong to lower castes receive poor quality and inadequate education in schools that lack basic facilities. This makes it difficult for them to cope at higher levels of education. Ostensibly fair systems such as entrance tests don’t take into account existing disparities that prevent poor lower-caste students from attending coaching classes, studying without frequent interruptions, and preparing adequately for these tests.

Students belonging to lower castes, especially Dalits, are often ostracized from the education system as they are deemed to be unworthy of education. Their education is hampered as they are more likely to be forced into child labour than other students. They have lower attendance rates and higher dropout rates too. When in school, they face discrimination, not only from other students but also from teachers. They are forced to sit separately, eat separately, and clean classrooms and toilets. They are physically and verbally abused.

This constant discrimination leads to psychological problems, such as low-self esteem and depression, leading to further exclusion from the education system. This countervails any attempt to make our education system equitable and inclusive. Lower caste families are disproportionately affected by poverty as their members are less likely to get a good job even after receiving an education. This fuels a vicious cycle of poverty and caste-based discrimination.

In an attempt to alleviate caste-based discrimination through affirmative action, the concept of reservation was introduced. A certain number of seats are reserved for the marginalised castes in public education institutes. The Constitution [Article 16(4)], as well as the Constituent Assembly debates, emphasize that reservation was intended to prevent the formation of caste monopolies in the public sector. However, critiques of reservation call it excessively subservient to lower castes. They suggest that once members of a particular caste become affluent, they no longer deserve reservation. They say that students should earn their place in an educational institution based on merit.

This meritocratic approach is unfair and flawed as it does not consider centuries of discrimination and underrepresentation that lower castes have had to suffer through. Inherent in any meritocratic system is the premise that all participants start from the same starting line and play on an even playing field. According to the meritocratic approach, everyone has an equal chance to climb the ladder of success. But it would be foolish if we didn’t ask ourselves the question – is the distance between the rungs of everyone’s ladder the same? As we have seen, caste-based discrimination occludes students of lower castes from competing on an even playing field and the distance between the rungs of their ladders of success is miles longer than those of the other students.

Undoubtedly, the potency of caste-based discrimination has been reduced in urban India. Intermingling between castes, at school, office, public spaces, and even through marriage are common. However, in rural areas and small towns, the caste system’s pervasive nature foments unscrupulous discrimination. The fact that we still have caste-based discrimination, even after it has been outlawed, shows that it is an entrenched and institutional form of discrimination, not an anomaly that can be brushed aside. Along with reservation, we need comprehensive social and economic changes to debilitate this atavistic system.

We have taken a few steps towards a more egalitarian society.

Millions have benefitted from our education system and have ended the cycle of poverty and exclusion. The possibility of India ever having a Dalit Chief Justice and two Dalit Presidents would have been ludicrous pre-Independence. However, it is a far cry to say our country is free from discrimination at all levels. The values that students learn from their education determine the character and behaviour that they espouse in the future. Educational institutions cannot continue to remain passive during incidents of caste-based discrimination, so that we can work towards a more inclusive society.

We must remember that equity is not limited to equality of opportunity. It involves enabling marginalised groups to live in conditions that allow them to access these opportunities. Completely erasing centuries of disadvantage and discrimination, while desirable, may not be possible in the immediate future. But, creating an inclusive education system is something we can start doing right now.

Disrupt, Divide, and Develop – The Effects of Covid-19 on Education

The pervasive nature of the Covid-19 pandemic has created one of the largest disruptions of education in human history, countervailing all efforts to provide education for all children. It caused unprecedented changes and continues to change numerous aspects of education that we took for granted. In March 2020, schools around India began closing to avoid the spread of Covid-19. These sudden closures led to confusion and uncertainty amongst students, especially those who were appearing for their board exams. For other students, these abrupt closures brought about a perplexing break from school. These ostensibly temporary closures were made permanent once the nationwide lockdown was effectuated and students were separated from their schools.

According to data by UNICEF and UNESCO, more than 1 billion children were at risk of falling behind due to school closures during the pandemic. Schools for more than 168 million children globally have been completely closed for almost an entire year. Around 214 million children globally, which is equivalent to 1 in 7 children, have missed more than three-quarters of their in-person learning. Furthermore, more than 888 million children worldwide continue to face disruptions to their education due to full and partial school closures.

In India, the closure of 1.5 million schools in 2020 impacted 247 million children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools. In early March 2021, only eight States and Union Territories had reopened classes 1 to 12; 11 had reopened classes 6-12 and 15 had reopened classes 9-12. However, the ongoing second wave has caused the complete closure of schools yet again, as well as either the cancellation or postponement of board exams, competitive exams, and entrance exams.

We began a new academic year like never before – from our homes. To continue the process of education, schools were compelled to adapt, adopt, and evolve. The biggest change has been the abandonment of traditional notions of schooling and the shift to online learning and teaching. Teachers have had to adapt to teaching online, a complete shift for those who’ve had many years of traditional classroom teaching experience. The fun and exciting trip to school has been diminished to clicking a link to join our classes. Interactive classes have become eerily similar to videos on our laptop or phone screen with a tincture of interaction arising when teachers ask us whether we’re present. The extreme sport of completing notes just before the teacher calls out our names has become the tedious process of scanning our notes and sending them as a pdf. Eating with our friends in the school canteen has been replaced with us eating alone during classes. Our classmates have become little rectangles on our screens. Outdoor sports have disappeared from the list of extracurriculars that we did in school. The end of school or college life is marked by video calls instead of grand graduation ceremonies. A lot has changed.

These changes have led to some pernicious problems. The blurring of lines between school and home has led to students feeling overworked. This holds true for teachers too as they answer questions, clear doubts, and create lesson plans at all hours of the day. Students often have to study and sleep in the same rooms now. According to scientific studies, this often leads to a decrease in productivity and concentration. Students, especially younger ones, are easily distracted during online classes, despite attempts to marshal concentration and focus, as a classroom atmosphere is non-existent. Teachers are unable to pick up cues such as body language and facial expressions, making it challenging to connect with and understand their students. Problems such as eye strain and headaches are more common now due to the drastic and unavoidable increase in screen time for students. Online classes are often disrupted by copious internet problems, power cuts, background noise, and vexing software problems. All forms of practical education have been eliminated. A lack of clarity on important events such as board exam and entrance exam dates has led to the upheaval of students’ plans that were formulated before the pandemic began, fueling a rise in students’ anxiety and uncertainty.

Covid-19 has also been a catalyst to the widening of socio-economic gaps in society on numerous fronts. While the virus cossets no one, the fact that it has disproportionately affected students belonging to less affluent households, especially those in rural India, is indubitable. Undoubtedly, access to the internet and an appropriate device are the lifelines of online education.

A UNICEF report from August 2020 highlighted that only 24% of Indian households have access to the internet. While television and radio were purported as an alternative, there is no substitute for an actual teacher. A more recent survey conducted by Learning Spiral in February 2021 revealed that more than 50% of Indian students in rural and urban areas don’t have access to the internet. Moreover, only 47% of the households that have access to the internet own a device that can access the internet. It also revealed that, while 27% of all Indian households have access to the internet, only 28% of those are in rural India, even though rural India comprises of nearly 71% of India’s households.

Families in rural India are plagued with other impediments to online education – insufficient or no smartphones, having to borrow smartphones (and therefore may not get them at the time needed), not having enough money to buy an appropriate internet package, and patchy connectivity even if they have internet access. The severity of these problems is incalculable and more prevalent than in urban households.

Assuming that the problems stop here would be specious. The closure of schools has obstructed the “Mid Day Meal Scheme”. India has about 120 million children enrolled in the scheme in over 1.26 million schools across the country. However, due to the disruptions caused by Covid-19, many States and Union Territories have been forced to stop this initiative, depriving children of their basic nutritional needs. This scheme also serves as a huge incentive for children to attend school. Therefore, its removal may negatively impact both their health and their education. Furthermore, incidents of domestic abuse and child labour have drastically increased as students can no longer be protected by going to school.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been atrocious but there has been a silver lining. The pandemic has led to an “academic revolution” that, unfortunately worsened certain differences in our society, but has also alleviated certain differences.

Even before Covid-19, there was high growth in and adoption of education technology. Projections have shown that the overall market for online education may be valued at $350 Billion by 2025. There has been a significant surge in the usage of language apps, virtual tutoring, video conferencing tools, online learning software, etc. This is not only providing alternative paths for education but it is also future-proofing education. Through programs such as Coursera and edX, students can attend classes that they normally wouldn’t have had access to. India is considered the largest marketplace for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) after the USA.

In certain aspects, online learning has made school more inclusive and obviated numerous hindrances to education. The use of videos in class greatly benefits visual learners. The use of tools such as online polling and chats have improved the class participation of those who otherwise may have hesitated to speak up. Notes, videos, and other study material that are sent to students can be reviewed anytime so the pressure on students to complete their work “before the bell” has been reduced. Furthermore, differently-abled students who found it difficult to attend school in-person can now attend classes with their friends from their homes.

As students are attending classes from their homes, commuting to school no longer blocks their schedules. This gives them more time for extracurriculars such as internships, online courses, and online competitions. It also allows them more time to do the things they enjoy such as singing, cooking, writing, and painting. Students are also honing their online collaborative skills and improving their digital literacy, this will immensely benefit them in the future as the entire world shifts online.

Hopefully, the move to online learning creates a new, permanent, and more effective method of educating students. While this “new normal” has had certain benefits, we must remember the value of education for all and prudentially strive to shrink the divide caused by this unavoidable transition to online learning.

The Flaws In Our Education System

Historically, the concept of education involved the sharing of knowledge and values between people. This form of education ensured that valuable knowledge was promulgated within a society, from one society to another, and from generation to generation. It focused on the importance of culture and taught skills needed to positively contribute to society through hands-on learning and observation. Children were given the freedom to explore on their own because this supported their natural ways of learning. Moreover, it bolstered unity as the teachers were always members of the same community that they were teaching. We would not be aware of countless facets of history, such as the Egyptian civilization, the Mesopotamian civilization, and the Hunter-gatherer culture if this form of education did not exist.

So how did it all go wrong?

The popularisation of the standardised education system as we know it today, in which children are corralled into classes based on their age and study in institutions known as schools, can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution. Nowadays, it is suitably referred to as the “one shoe fits all approach to education” and the “factory model of education”. However, if we consider the prevailing socio-economic conditions of that time, creating a standardised education system was ineluctable and economically beneficial.

Schools were tasked with transforming their attendees from students to efficient workers who would eventually increase the quantity and quality of the labour force. The need to encourage unique skills and individuality did not exist as students would grow up to do monotonous and regulated work. As Alvin Toffler put it “the whole idea of assembling masses of students (raw material) to be processed by teachers (workers) in a centrally located school (factory) was a stroke of industrial genius”. At the time, it was thought that the best to produce efficient workers was through the teaching of certain subjects that curricula makers deemed “crucial” using the same method and pace for all students. Students were compelled to utilize rote learning and take graded exams that decided their “intelligence” and potential in life.

The egregious problem arises when we notice that schools continue to espouse this myopic view on education even after over a hundred years. A hundred years ago, things like the radio, jet engines, helicopters, credit cards, car seat belts, personal computers, smartphones, and the internet did not exist. In a world that undergoes major transformations constantly, how can we be satisfied with this archaic and pernicious education system in the 21^st century?

In today’s world of modernity, complexity, fastidiousness, globalization, and innovation, the flaws of our education system are more conspicuous than ever. No two students are the same. This monolithic and iniquitous system neglects the fact that students have different skill-sets, they learn at different paces, they come from different backgrounds, and wish to pursue different careers in their lives. Undoubtedly, there are numerous instances in which students benefit from and even thrive in the current education system. There are also countless children that long to go to school but don’t have the opportunities or resources to do so. However, there are too many instances in which students, despite arduous effort, struggle in and are lobotomized by this sclerotic education system. They are made to feel inadequate. They are made to believe that they are “slow” and will always flounder.

Students acquiescently regurgitate vast amounts of information on exams with minimal innovation. These exams, more often than not, test the memorization skills of students, rather than serve as a platform on which they can showcase their understanding of a concept. Students who do well in these exams have the hubristic belief that they are “winners” because society says so and those who don’t do well are humiliated and considered “losers” by society. While it is understood that learning requires the amassing and retention of information, any information that is not understood becomes an undigested burden. The misconception that good grades are the only path to success causes unnecessary pressure on students.

The strictures imposed by this education system curtails creativity and originally. Concurrently, it encourages conformity, rigidity, and conventionality. It assiduously ignores essential modern-day lessons, such as financial literacy, life skills, mental health, critical thinking, empathy, collaboration, and countless others. This results in students feeling disconcerted when they face the precarious reality of after-school life. It provides students with a series of conclusions, rather than a way of thinking.

To truly change this standardised educational system, we have to abandon the ostensible idea that it is still a product of logical necessity or scientific insight. The hunter-gatherers adapted their education system to their needs. The education system was modified to cater to the needs of the industrial revolution. Likewise, our education system must change too so that students can truly be prepared for the future. This will certainly alleviate any antipathy held by students towards education and will make education and learning synonymous again.

Empathy vs. Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone disproportionately and unfairly. Health care workers face the harsh realities of the virus head-on. Teachers have had to adapt their years of experience gained from conventional teaching to suit online classes. Millions face the harsh reality of poverty and hunger everyday. Millions have lost their hard-earned jobs. Businesses have been forced to shut down. Hate crimes against groups of society that are baselessly and cruelly accused of spreading the virus have drastically increased. Mental health issues have risen and fueled by isolation, anxiety, uncertainty, and fear. More than 150 million people have gone and continue to battle with this invincible enemy. More than 3 million people have lost their lives because of this virus. Families have lost their loved ones and the world has lost countless dreamers. This virus cossets no one.

Early notions such as the pandemic would be ephemeral and infections were punitive for those who flouted the necessary precautions and rules have diminished during the ongoing second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. In my opinion, this is due to a rise in empathy amongst the people of India. Simply put, empathy is the ability of a living being to understand and share the feelings of another living being. Colloquially, it is referred to as “putting oneself in someone else’s shoes”

The Government of India has had no shortage of opportunities to show empathy and alleviate the suffering of Indians. The Government has neglected its duty to serve the country and as Arundhati Roy put it, has committed a crime against humanity. The government has failed on many fronts. I would like to highlight a few that showcase an egregious lack of empathy.

Firstly, the poorly planned nationwide lockdown, which was imposed with a mere 4 hours of notice, left thousands of migrant workers helpless, stranded, and vulnerable. With no help from the government, these migrant workers bravely decided to walk back to their villages. This lockdown was stained by police brutality and hate crimes against people that just wanted to survive. The lack of condemnation and apology by the government showcases a lack of empathy.

Secondly, in an attempt to alleviate the suffering of Indians, the government launched the risibly named PM CARES (Citizens Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations) fund and its primary objective was “to deal with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide relief to the affected”. The fact that a government that has never shied away from repeatedly putting their plans such as “Make in India”, “Swachh Bharat”, “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao”, etc on the highest possible pedestal has created such an opaque and inaccessible fund shows a lack of empathy.

Thirdly, the government’s actions before the second wave hit can be described as complacent, incompetent, and overconfident. On the 21st of February 2021, a resolution was passed in the BJP National Office Bearers meeting that “unequivocally hails its leadership for introducing India to the world as a proud and victorious nation in the fight against Covid”. Additionally, the government decided to export vaccines to other countries without ensuring adequate supply was available for Indian citizens. This not only leaves Indian citizens in danger but also betrays all the countries that depended on “the pharmacy of the world” as vaccine exports were abruptly stopped. None of this would’ve happened if the government showed empathy towards the people of India and established appropriate contingent plans.

Fourthly, while the second wave virulently spread and claimed thousands of lives, the government showed no empathy. While a strong case can be made to prohibit sitting union ministers from campaigning in elections that they are not contesting during a crisis, a complete stop to the democratic process would have been detrimental. The occurrence of huge rallies during a pandemic is untenable and all politicians are guilty of this. The myopic and unsympathetic nature of the government is accentuated by the needless comments that they have made throughout the pandemic.

Finally, the iniquitous lack of cooperation between the centre and states to fight this pandemic showcases a pathetic lack of empathy. The failure to come up with a comprehensive and transparent plan for the distribution and supply of oxygen and vaccines has caused unimaginable suffering to the people of India. Any attempt by the government to set aside pride and partisanship, as leaders have done before when facing a crisis, and listen to good advice and imploration would be a sign of empathy. No such attempt has been made. Their lack of action and belated action have had fatal effects, but the government has not shown a sign of remorse or empathy.

But all is not lost. There have been instances in which the government has shown empathy. Most states have decided to offer a Covid-19 vaccine for free for different age groups. The central government also has plans to allow final-year MBBS students to join Covid duty before completing the NEET exam. This will drastically reduce the strain faced by health care workers taking care of Covid patients. The government of Karnataka also announced that it would form a team of 15,000 civil defence volunteers in Bengaluru for tracking and tracing Covid-19 patients. This is a significantly more empathetic and humane approach to managing the crisis than the sadistic and vicious approach used last year that made victims of Covid-19 feel like criminals.

However, none of these actions are as consequential and empathetic as the profound empathy amongst the ordinary people of India. Early displays of empathy were seen when people started taking care of stray animals during the lockdown. Furthermore, countless rations and donations were given to the stranded migrant workers to help them cope with the dire situation they faced. From providing meals, oxygen, assistance to the elderly and handling cremations, Gurudwaras around the country have been the perfect embodiment of empathy. Conspicuously, the empathy and equanimity shown by the youth of India has truly been remarkable. With the help of social media, the relentless youth are constantly doing their part by helping those in need.

Empathy also provides a strong basis for our everyday fight against Covid-19. Precautions like wearing a mask, staying indoors as much as possible, social distancing when outside, and getting vaccinated as soon as possible would not be flouted if people were more empathetic. For those of us who have not been directly affected by the virus yet, empathy goes a long way in helping and caring about those who have.

Perhaps, the most optimistic and quixotic change that we can hope for during this precarious and seemingly inexorable situation is the crippling of traditional barriers that have separated us before. If we, as ordinary citizens of India, continue to disregard gender, caste, religion, wealth, age, ethnicity, language, political ideology, and other barriers when helping those affected by this pandemic, we could truly be united in this fight against the invisible enemy. Together, we shall overcome.

Covid effected the Engineering students and ways to cope up once the college’s reopens

Since the start of 2020 the world has been witnessing a health calamity with uncertain implications.
The coronavirus pandemic or covid-19 has created havoc causing immense damage in terms of loss
of human lives, financial and economic shortfalls and affected student’s education.

We, the students, I feel, are among those whose lives took an unalterable turn. The school or
college going community had to suddenly shift in-class action to onscreen lectures and
demonstrations. The students understood that theory classes can be done from home. Students can
get notes and study materials online. But the Engineering students or students from technical
background are lacking behind as they are not attending the practical classes. Practical classes are of
utmost importance for any technical students to work further in any technical field after graduation.

So, when the colleges will reopen now, the students need to focus on some topics and need to know
where they need to focus now.

Students need to attend more laboratory/practical classes once the college reopens, as we know
now that theory can be done online and we can gain theoretical knowledge by attending different
online video lectures, PDF notes etc. available on the internet.

Students must participate in events or exhibitions, they should know what projects can be made, the
topics that are needed in order to have a strong grip on the subjects. One must take technical fests
seriously and make new projects. If one is not making them, at least he/she can spectate others’
work or the events.

Once the college reopens, start looking for industrial training, start looking for companies or
workshop jobs (odd/even jobs) which one needs to gain experience.
If students want to start their own company, they must start once the college reopens, especially
the final year students can start their own projects or can start-up with innovation and implement
their skills and potential.

There would always be an increasing demand for creative reasoning, design thinking and problem-
solving skills looking at the current recruitment trends.

In a nutshell, the whole engineering fraternity will have to let go of the traditional mindset and think
out of the box to find innovative solutions to the way forward.

As the dust settles down on these outbreaks, the new dawn would bring in new challenges of
survival and those who adapt and adopts faster will win the race.

Some Weird Restrictions In North Korea that you can’t even imagine.

1. Consuming marijuana is accepted and unlike in most of the world, trade and consumption of the drug attract no punishment as per law.

2. Listening to foreign music or watching films in a foreign language are considered criminal activities. In 2015, Kim Jong Un issued a decree to scrap all cassette tapes and CDs that had state-banned songs in order to contain dissent. The sentence depends on the place of origin of the film: someone watching an American movie may be executed, while watching Indian films may lead to imprisonment. Distributing pornography may also lead to the death penalty.

3. Making international calls is a crime. In 2007, a man who made several international calls was killed.

4. Anything that disrespects the family of Kim Jong Un, the North Korean government, or the politicians is considered an act of blasphemy and may be met with severe punishment. In January, it was reported that a mother faced jail for trying to save her children instead of former President Kim Il-sung’s portrait in an inferno. Even failing to wipe off the dust of his portrait is enough to make one guilty; so every family is given a special duster.

5. Only male government officials are allowed to drive. Women are not permitted to drive, even if working as traffic officers. The government restrictions allow only one in a hundred people to have a car.

6. On July 8, when North Korean President Kim Il-sung died in 1994, smiling is strictly prohibited. Talking loudly, dancing, or drinking alcohol on this day is restricted. Disrespecting the rules may have people sent to labor camps or killed. Kim Il-sung’s body is preserved in a glass tomb and tourists are required to bow down at his feet.

7. People are not allowed to wear jeans as it is considered a symbol of capitalism. Women wearing skirts must cover the knees. Wearing bikinis is a strict no-no.

8. All citizens above 17 mandatorily have to vote in the elections. Elections are held to choose the party leaders who will rule the country, except that there’s usually one candidate!

9. North Korea offers only three television channels for people to choose from and all of them are government-controlled.

10. North Koreans are not allowed to travel abroad without permission. People who try to flee are sent to labor camps or simply executed.

11. Internet can only be accessed through their intranet, which is called “Kwangmyong” or Bright, launched in 2000. For professional use, only 28 websites may be accessed under government supervision. The list of people with Internet access includes political leaders and their families, students attending elite schools, and the military’s cyber-warfare department. Only the state-sanctioned operating system Red Star OS, designed in Korean, is allowed to use and not the standard Windows or Mac. Wi-Fi has been banned from use at all North Korean embassies worldwide.

12. Choice of the profession of an individual is decided by the government based on the country’s needs. Those who do not comply are sent to concentration camps for forced labor.

13. In 2013, Kim Jong Un released a list of haircuts that people in the country are allowed. There are 28 state-approved hairstyles that people can keep.

14. Citizens are not allowed to have the same name as the current president. So, everyone named Kim was made to change their names.

15. Freedom of religion is a myth in North Korea. It is officially an atheist state. Western religious practices and literature are forbidden. People who distributed Bibles have been executed in public. In 2014, American Jeffrey Fowle was imprisoned for five months because he forgot the Bible in the bathroom of a restaurant. Churches are controlled by the state.

16. An entire family could be punished if one person commits suicide. If an individual commits a crime, three generations in his family are punished.

17. It spends 20 percent of its GDP on the military when the population is desperate for food.

18. It is believed that film director Shin Sang-ok and his actor wife Choi Eun-hee were abducted in 1978 for inducing creativity in North Korean films. Later in 1986, the couple gradually earned the dictator’s trust and escaped during a trip to Austria for promoting North Korean films.

19. The North Korean calendar Juche is based on Kim II-sung’s date of birth – April 15, 1912.

20. North Korea cuts power every night due to the energy crisis in the country. Using electricity needs permission and owning a microwave is illegal!

21. School-going children are required to get their own desks and chairs, others are forced to do laborious tasks for the government.

22. In 2008, citizens were asked to give their stools to help with agriculture when South Korea suspended fertilizer supplies.

23. Newlyweds are expected to visit Kim II-sung’s statue after the official ceremony. Walking down the aisle is not permitted on any of the birthdays of Kim Jong Un and Kim II-sung.

24. Military service is compulsory for men (10 years) and women (seven years.)

25. Mothers are not allowed to give birth if anyone is around and must go into labor alone. They are not allowed to meet their family or even husband for a week after giving birth. If triplets are born, they are given to the state as there are reportedly concerns over the low birth rate in North Korea. They are returned on reaching four years of age.

26. Sunday is collective labor day – all cleaning is done by hands and tools are not allowed.

WHY DIAMONDS ARE SO EXPENSIVE ?

Diamonds are allotropes of carbon like graphite. But, the difference between them is tremendous. What makes diamonds so costly ? Well some might say that the extraordinariness, challenges in mining, toughness, cut, clearness, shading, and carat of diamonds make them costly and popular. Gold and silver are likewise uncommon, mining them is additionally troublesome however why just diamond is so costly ? Why people give diamond ring when they propose one another ?

Why Are Diamonds So Expensive? – EVEVIC JEWELRY

A few years ago it was not a trend to give diamond rings while proposing. There are many stones rarer than diamonds. They are costly as a result of a company called De Beers. Each diamond you find in this world comes from this company not because diamonds are very rare to find. There are numerous diamond mines in this world however this organization don’t let those diamonds to arrive at the market.

At the point when supply of a specific item is less however demand is high, this outcomes in making that item more costly. This company made the stock of diamonds exceptionally less. But, how ? Few years back diamonds were found only in India and Brazil. But then it was also found in Africa and that too in very large quantity. De beers was also one of the company which found a lot of diamonds in Africa. But the other mines company started selling diamonds because the supply of diamonds were increasing which can make them less expensive. They were in loss. De beers would have also done that but instead it started buying those diamonds by taking loans and because of that it became the owner of all mines in Africa. It became a monopoly and a monopoly does what it wants. Soon when other mines company discovered diamonds in Serbia and other countries De beers bought all of them. It became owner of all the diamonds in the world.

Yet, De beers never let people to realize that they have diamonds in exceptionally huge amount because then people won’t buy it. They restricted the stock of diamonds which made them uncommon. They further began promoting diamonds by giving statements like “A diamond is forever”. Because of this, the interest of people towards diamonds increased and they became expensive.

RESOURCES:

2. https://francisalukkas.com/why-are-diamonds-so-expensive-5-reasons/

HOW TO WAKE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING ?

How to get up early in the morning(8:00am) - Quora

Rising up early not only gives a good start to your day but also make you more concentrated. Many of us want to wake up early in the morning but we can’t because of our laziness. We always make commitments at night that we will wake up early in the morning to complete our work but we can’t. And when we wake up late in the morning we feel lazy and dizzy which affect our work. We keep procrastinating our work saying that “I will start it fresh from tomorrow”. But the same thing happens tomorrow and we keep saying this phrase. This same thing happens every single day and we start questioning “What’s wrong with my life ?”.

This can be avoided if we wake up early in the morning. Some tips to wake up early in the morning are:

1.Get on a sleep schedule

Figure out how much hours of sleep you require to feel fresh and active in the morning.

2.Improve your bedtime routine

It is advised to sleep early in order to wake up early. Even if you can’t fall asleep early, try to sleep. You will become habitual of sleeping early if you continue.

3.Move your alarm to avoid hitting snooze

Keep your alarm away from your bed. If possible keep it in other room so that you have to walk to snooze it.

4.Eat better and get regular exercise

Eating lots of fruit and vegetables can help you getting good sleep. Regular exercise can keep you healthy and you will feel less lazy in the morning.

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