Category: Literature

Literature broadly is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include oral literature, much of which has been transcribed.

Top 5 books to read at least once in your life. 

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Reading is an immersive experience that often rewards you with a great story and good vocabulary. There are books across several genres one can choose from to indulge in a wonderful reading experience. But there are some books that fall under the category of ‘classics’ as their themes, characters, and plot lines become relevant for ages to come. These are written by some of the brilliant literary minds that became popular and they went on to influence many modern works of literature. 

Animal Farm- a satirical allegory

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The story begins with a typical farm being run by a human with a variety of animals living in it. The farm animals are often mistreated, overworked and ignored by the human which agitates them. Hoping to overthrow the human race and reaping all the benefits of their work, they drive the human out of the farm. What follows is a satirical allegory to the events that happened during and after the Russian Revolution of 1917. 

Although the story revolves around farm animals, its  themes of corruption, slavery, dicatorship, class distinction, and characters, makes the readers draw parallels with the current political scenario. It is a must-read for a better understanding of the Russian revolution and an engaging experience. 

The Great Gatsby- The Jazz age novel

The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It follows the life of a self-made millionaire named Jay Gatsby who is in pursuit of his long lost lover named Daisy Buchanan. The novel however, has little scope for romance and represents America in the 1920s. It highlights the era of unrivalled wealth and materialistic access. 

The novel upon its release didn’t gain commercial success. Critics believed that it did not amount to Fitzgerald’s earlier novels. However, it began to gain popularity during World War II as free copies were distributed among American soldiers who were serving overseas. The Great Gatsby went on to become an important part of America’s educational curriculum and pop culture. 

The novel continues to attract scholarly attention and is a contender for the title of ‘The Great American Novel’. 

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone- You Know Who

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This book can be considered as J.K Rowlings’ stepping stone to success. After being rejected by 11 publications and finally being published by Bloomsbury publication, upon the request of the chief executive’s 8 year old daughter. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone went on to be translated into 73 languages and sold 120 million copies. Becoming the second best-selling novel of all time. 

The story follows Harry Potter and the readers’ introduction to the world of magic, following Harry’s discovery of his magical heritage and acceptance into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As the readers alongside Harry manage to grasp the  revelation of a whole new world of possibilities, worthy opponents and dangers show up on whom magic must be used to defeat and protect. 

The Book Thief- Narrated by death.

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Reading is an immersive experience that often rewards you with a great story and good vocabulary. There are books across several genres one can choose from to indulge in a wonderful reading experience. But there are some books that fall under the category of ‘classics’ as their themes, characters, and plot lines become relevant for ages to come. These are written by some of the brilliant literary minds that became popular and they went on to influence many modern works of literature. 

The book thief is a 21st century novel that uses the Nazi regime in Germany as its background. Although it has its fair share of horror and despair. The Book Thief delivers hope to its readers through love and tranquility among family and friends. 

The novel follows the life of Liesel, who moves into her new foster parents’ home following her brother’s death. As she goes on to witness the dangers posed by the Nazi regime, Liesel adopts her newly found passion for reading by stealing books from the rubbles and also the Mayor’s house. One of the pivotal characters in the novel is death itself as it narrates the entire story. 

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe- A world of fantasy

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Open the book to a whole new world of fantasy, mythical creatures and magic. When 4 siblings are relocated to a large house in the countryside due to wartime evacuation. They discover a wardrobe in the house which had more than just clothes hanging inside. The 4 siblings venture into the world of dreams upon entering the wardrobe. They go on to encounter the witch and the lion, and participate in an impending war to end the evil’s oppression over the good. 

This fantasy novel was the first to be published among the 7 volumes known as The Chronicles of Narnia. C.S Lewis wrote this novel as a dedication to his goddaughter named Lucy Barfield. 

Here are some of the classic novels from the 20th century across different genres to enhance your reading pleasure. 

Happy Reading.

Buy books on Amazon

References

Anna Chui, 26th  January 2021, lifehack.org

goodreads.com

wikipedia.org

Remembering R K Narayan, The Creator of Malgudi

R K Narayan is arguably one of the brilliant storytellers who could create stories and characters that were relatable yet intriguing. He was one among the few writers of his era, who could weave magic with simple words and effortlessly spin a tale out of the mundane everyday events.

Born as Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyyer NarayanaSwami in Madras, R K Narayan spent a part of his childhood in Madras with his grandmother and later moved to Mysore when his father, a school headmaster, was posted to the Maharajah’s College High School. An avid reader, he devoured the works of Dickens, Wodehouse, Thomas Hardy and Arthur Conan Doyle during his boyhood. 

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If you were to observe the trajectory of R K Narayan’s life, you would find that he wasn’t someone who has had a smooth ride. From failing his university entrance exam, taking an extra year to complete his bachelor’s degree, quitting his rather short stint  as a school teacher, remaining jobless for a very long time to being ridiculed for his writing and facing a series of initial rejections, setbacks were a part and parcel of his life. Through all these, what kept him going was his intense passion for writing. 

During his initial days as a writer, he wrote occasionally  for local publications. His first short story Dodo – about a boy who wanted to earn pocket money to roam about and buy peanuts – was published by The Merry magazine. Thereafter he managed to get several other of his works printed by the magazine and by the Hindu. Later, he had also worked as a reporter for The Justice, a Madras-based paper, after his marriage to the love of his life, Rajam.

When he wrote his first book, Swami and Friends, it went through a string of rejections that, after a point, Narayan lost hope and asked his friend Kittu Purna in Oxford (whose address he had given as return address for the manuscript), to weigh manuscript  down with rocks and  drown it in the Thames if it were to be rejected again. Well, the novel did get rejected but his friend had a better idea than drowning it. He took it to Graham Greene, a writer who he had met in Oxford, who ended up loving it and even found a publisher for the book. The literary world would forever be indebted to Kittu Purna for not complying to his friend’s request or else the magical town of Malgudi would have forever remained hidden in the depths of the Thames. 

Around the time when he was gradually making a mark as a writer, life was not being particularly kind to him on the personal front. He lost his father and his wife within a gap of merely a couple of years, which left him devastated. In the face of losses, it was the world of words that held his hands and he managed to channel his grief into creating masterpieces in literature. The English Teacher, as he later acknowledged, was a reflection of his emotions during the time of his wife’s death.He went on to write several other novels and short stories during his career and most of them were set in Narayan’s very own Malgudi.

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Narayan was a brilliant storyteller who could capture the essence of the mundane everyday life and turn it into a literary masterpiece.Through simple words, punctuated cleverly by just the right amount of humour, he found his way into the hearts of millions of readers.

During the course of his literary career, he won various awards including the Sahitya Akademi Award for The Guide and the AC Benson Medal by the British Royal Society of Literature. He was also awarded Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan  for his contributions to the country. 

He was a man of simple needs (well,  except for that coffee, which he needed exactly the way he liked it ! ) and just like his characters lived a rather simple life. He always made sure to keep himself rooted in reality.Even during his later years, he never missed the chance to have a chat with the people who he used to meet during his afternoon strolls. He treated these walks as his office hours for that is where he often met his characters. 

Narayan was a person who valued friendships more than anything else. Much of his later years were spent in having warm conversations and the perfect Narayan-style coffees with the people he treasured the most. Perhaps those were the things that kept him going after he lost his daughter to cancer.  His final novel, Grandmother’s Tale was dedicated to his daughter Hema. He was a writer who was so invested in his craft that he used to write around 1000 words daily, even while travelling (aspiring writers please make a note !). Even a few hours before he was shifted to the ventilator, all he wanted was for his friend, N. Ram, to get him a notebook for the next novel that he was planning to write. Unfortunately for the readers, that novel never got materialised as he passed away soon after, at the age of 94.

R K Narayan will always be remembered as one of the finest storytellers who inspired many generations of writers to discover the beauty of their own backyards and his legacy will live on through every reader, who secretly wish to pack their bags and move to Malgudi.

Bio-diversity and climate change (Nature’s cries for assistance)

Bio diversity is the biological variability of life on earth. It is the variation of animal, plants, fungi and microorganisms like bacteria. Biodiversity is a variation in the genetic, species, and ecosystem level. Terrestrial biodiversity is usually greater near to the equator. Biodiversity is not equally distributed on earth. There are only 10% of tropical evergreen forests on earth but they contain about 90% of world species. Marine Biodiversity is greater is usually higher along the coast in western pacific where the sea temperature is highest. Biodiversity generally tends to cluster in hotspots and has been increasing through time. Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter.

But as people put expanding weight on the planet, utilizing and devouring more assets than ever some time recently, we hazard disquieting the adjust of biological systems and losing biodiversity. Quick natural changes regularly cause mass terminations. More than 99.9 percent of all species that ever lived on Soil, producing to over five billion species, are evaluated to be terminated. In 2006, numerous species were formally classified as uncommon or imperiled or undermined; in addition, researchers have assessed that millions more species are at chance which have not been formally recognized. Approximately 40 percent of the 40,177 species surveyed utilizing the IUCN Ruddy List criteria are presently recorded as undermined with extinction—a add up to of 16,119.

The factors affecting the biodiversity are Residential & commercial development, Farming activities, Energy production & mining, Transportation & service corridors and human activities. Pollution is an another major cause of loss of biodiversity causing habitat destruction. Territory devastation has played a key part in terminations, particularly in connection to tropical woodland pulverization. Components contributing to living space misfortune incorporate: overconsumption, overpopulation, arrive utilize alter, deforestation, contamination (discuss contamination, water contamination, soil defilement) and worldwide warming or climate alter.

Climate change is the long-term alteration of temperature and normal climate designs in short. Climate alter might allude to a specific area or the planet as a entire. Climate alter may cause climate designs to be less unsurprising. These unforeseen climate designs can make it troublesome to preserve and develop crops in districts that depend on cultivating since anticipated temperature and rainfall levels can now not be depended on. Climate alter has too been associated with other harming climate occasions such as more visit and more seriously tropical storms, surges, deluges, and winter storms.

Effects of climate change are Hotter temperatures Nearly all land areas are seeing more hot days and heat waves; 2020 was one of the hottest years on record. Higher temperatures increase heat-related illnesses and can make it more difficult to work and move around. Wildfires start more easily and spread more rapidly when conditions are hotter. More extreme storms Changes in temperature cause changes in precipitation. This comes about in more extreme and visit storms. They cause flooding and avalanches, pulverizing homes and communities, and costing billions of dollars. Many more effects like Droughts, Rise in the level of oceans, shortage of food and more health problems.

Securing biodiversity could be a exceptionally complex errand since most of human’s activities have a negative impact on biological systems by overexploiting them. For occurrence, human exercises create contamination that influences living species. Deforestation crushes the living space of numerous animals, reptiles, and plants. Limiting deforestation Reducing the artificialization of natural environments and preserve natural areas as much as possible Reduce air pollution (by limiting our use of transport and our energy consumption, by switching to renewable energies) Fighting global warming by creating regulations for activities that contribute to the greenhouse effect. Making changes in the way industrial agriculture works and using more agroecology methods.

5 enemies to lovers (trope) books. ( adult fantasy editions)


A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova.

The elves have two goals: to fight and to find spouses. They are seeking death in both cases.Humans were chased by great species using wild magic three thousand years ago, until the pact was made. The elves have been choosing a young lady from Luella’s hamlet as their Human Queen for ages.The villagers consider being picked to be a sign of death. Luella feels fortunate to have fled as a girl at the age of nineteen. Instead, she’s devoted her life to learning about herbs and becoming the town’s lone healer.That is, until the Elf King appears out of nowhere… just for her.Everything Luella believed she knew about herself and her life turned out to be a falsehood. Luella is forced to become the new queen of a frigid but scorchingly attractive Elf King after being transported to a world filled with untamed magic. She discovers a dying world that only she can save once she arrives.The mystical country of Midscape tugs at one corner of her heart, while her home and people tug at another… yet it is a desire she never wanted that will finally shatter her.

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten.

The first daughter will be the heir to the throne.
The Wolf gets the second daughter.A grim fantasy storey about a young lady who must be sacrificed to the fabled Wolf of the Wood to rescue her country, for fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale. But tales aren’t always accurate, and the Wolf isn’t the only threat in the Wilderwood.Red, as the world’s lone Second Daughter, has just one goal: to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hopes that he would return the world’s kidnapped gods.Red is almost relieved to be able to go. She’s plagued by a deadly power she can’t control, but at least she knows she can’t damage people she cares about in the Wilderwood. Again.The legends, however, are false. The Wolf is not a monster, but a man. Her power is a gift, not a curse for her. And if she doesn’t learn how to utilise it, the gods’ monsters will consume the Wilderwood—and her entire world—as a whole.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon.

It is the year 2059. Paige Mahoney, 19, is employed by a guy named Jaxon Hall in the criminal underworld of Scion London, which is centred in Seven Dials. Her mission was to scout for information by infiltrating people’s heads. Paige is a dreamwalker and clairvoyant, and in Scion’s universe, even breathing is enough to commit treason.It’s pouring on the day her life is forever changed. Paige is abducted, drugged, and transferred to Oxford, a city hidden for two centuries and ruled by a strong, otherworldly species. Paige is paired with Warden, a Rephaite with enigmatic motivations. He is her lord. Her personal coach. Her natural adversary.Paige, on the other hand, must allow herself to be nourished in this cage where she is destined to die if she is to reclaim her freedom.The Bone Season features an intriguing heroine as well as an amazing young writer with a burgeoning imagination and a lot of ambition. In her gripping debut, Samantha Shannon has built a brave new reality.

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid.

Évike is the lone woman without power in her forest-veiled pagan town, making her an outcast plainly abandoned by the gods. The locals blame her tainted bloodline—her father was a Yehuli man, one of the fanatical king’s most despised slaves. Évike is betrayed by her fellow villagers and surrendered when warriors from the Holy Order of Woodsmen approach to claim a heathen girl for the king’s blood sacrifice.However, when monsters attack the Woodsmen and their hostage en route, killing everyone save Évike and the icy, one-eyed commander, they have no option but to rely on one another.But he’s no average Woodsman—Gáspár he’s Bárány, a disgraced prince whose father relies on pagan magic to secure his control. Gáspár is worried that his terribly zealous brother is plotting to capture the kingdom and usher in a bloody reign that would condemn both pagans and Yehuli. Gáspár understands what it’s like to be an outcast as the son of a despised foreign queen, and he and Évike form a shaky partnership to stop his brother. Their mutual hatred gradually transforms to fondness as their quest progresses. However, when Évike reconnects with her estranged father and uncovers her own secret magic, she and Gáspár must determine whose side they’re on and what they’re willing to risk.

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mothar.

An operative of the Commandant discovers a note among the ashes of a dying planet. The message reads, “Burn before reading.” Thus starts an unexpected connection between two hostile agents determined to ensure the best possible future for their warring groups. What started as a taunt, a battlefield brag, has evolved into something more. Something massive. Something a little more romantic. Something that has the potential to alter both the past and the future.Except that finding out about their connection would be death for both of them. After all, there is still a battle going on. That conflict needs to be won by someone.

Things to do after BA in English Literature

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BA in English Literature is an undergraduate course that is opted for following the completion of the 10+2 formal schooling. Do you have a knack for analysing poetry or writing one? Are you keen about learning the history and evolution of different forms of arts and literature? Then a BA in English Literature was an ideal choice for your graduation. Many great inventions today across different fields such as astronomy, engineering and medicine are influenced by ancient literature and several art forms. 

For example, Nicolaus Copernicus’ book “The revolutions of the celestial spheres” popularised the heliocentric theory that proposed the sun as the centre of the universe. With the majority of students opting for medical, engineering or legal degrees, Bachelor of Arts as a degree course is often undermined. There are a lot of common misconceptions and stigmas surrounding this graduation course. 

  • Students studying BA in English Literature are assumed to lackluster in studies. 
  • It is a course often idealised as suitable for women. 
  • Students opting for BA in English LIterature can only become a teacher or professor. 

Many students graduate in English Literature as they are passionate about what the course has to offer. Although women are the majority among English Literature graduates, Men also specialise in this field and go on to pursue post graduation alongside women. 

As we have debunked some of the misconceptions and stigmas surrounding BA in English Literature, let us look at the doors of opportunities this course leads us to. 

Courses to take up after BA In English Literature

BA in English Literature is a three year graduation course that familiarises you with the evolution of English language and its literature through plays, different forms of poems, novels and theatre. Its curriculum consists of literary analysis, literary criticism and communication skills. Graduating in English Literature qualifies you for several job opportunities and higher studies. 

For further specialisation or better job opportunities, doing a Masters course following BA in English Literature might be an ideal choice. 

Here are the following courses you can consider following your graduation in English Literature. 

Master of Arts in Communication

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MA in Communication is a postgraduate program for the duration of 2 years which equips students with information regarding transmitting messages and principles of communication. 

This masters course prepares its candidates for professions such as film directors, producers, screenwriters, journalists, public relations officers, and other professional careers. 

Eligibility

  • Minimum requirement for admission to MA in Communication is a Bachelor’s degree in any stream from a recognized university. 
  • Students must have secured 50% in their bachelor’s degree course. 
  • Candidates may be required to pass entrance exams conducted by specific colleges or universities. 

Employment Opportunities

Choosing MA in Communication following BA in English Literature can set you up for the following employment roles. 

  1. Television or Film Director 
  2. Content Writer
  3. Event Management
  4. Digital Marketing Expert
  5. Journalist
  6. Public Relations Professionals

Master of Arts in Sociology

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MA in Sociology is a postgraduate program like MA in Communication. Students keen about social studies, politics and economics can pursue this masters course following BA in English Literature. The MA Sociology curriculum consists of the study of religion and society, political society, Indian society, economy and society, social development, and research in sociology. 

Eligibility

  • Interested candidates must be graduated in any stream of education from a reputed university.
  • Candidates must have scored a minimum of 50% in the undergraduate level. 
  • Some colleges expect students to be a graduate in psychology while the others accept candidates across different streams. 
  • Colleges conduct entrance exams that need to be cleared by the admission seeking candidates. 

Employment Opportunities

MA in Sociology opens doors to an expansive range of career opportunities after your graduation in English Literature. Following are some of the job profiles that might get you interested. 

  1. Counselors
  2. PR Executives
  3. Administrators
  4. Educators
  5. Sociologist
  6. Researcher

Master of Arts in English Literature

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Nothing seems more appropriate than studying for MA in English Literature post your graduation from BA in English Literature. This post graduation course in English Literature is the study of ancient and modern English literature, consisting of poetry, drama and fiction. Literature in the English language is not only written by English authors from England but also writers from across the world. 

Post graduation in English Literature sets you up for job profiles such as a teacher or a journalist. Candidates interested in writing and translating for agencies can also benefit from this masters course. 

Eligibility

  • Already being a graduate in English Literature, one needs to make sure that he or she has earned upto 50% marks to be qualified for admission. 
  • Your graduation course should be from a recognized university.
  • Admissions can be provided on both merit basis as well as clearance of entrance exams. 

Employment Opportunities

Upon completion of your post graduation course, you will be qualified for the following job profiles. 

  1. English Language Specialist
  2. Translator / Interpreter
  3. English Teacher
  4. English Editor
  5. Junior Parliamentary Reporter

Bachelor of Law (LLB)

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Bachelor of Law is a popular choice for higher studies among graduates of English Literature. A degree in LLB familiarises students with environmental law, consumer protection act, arbitration, and insurance law including others. Following the completion of Bachelor in Law, candidates can opt to study LLM (Masters of Law) for further specialisation, practice law after registering with certain agencies or take up careers as legal professionals in public or private sectors. 

Eligibility

  • Students aspiring to study Bachelor of Law must have graduated from a recognized university with an aggregate of 45% in any stream. 
  • Selection for the course is based on the results from entrance exams such as SLAT, CUET, and CLAT. 

Employment Opportunities

Careers after a Bachelor of Law are not confined to courtroom duties involving defending clients. Law graduates today have scope for job profiles in corporate firms, legal agencies, IT firms, and administrative services. Following are some of the job profiles mentioned below.

  1. HR Manager
  2. Legal Advisor
  3. Lawyer
  4. Attorney
  5. Legal Manager

Bachelor of Education

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Graduates who want to begin a career in the field of teaching can further study Bachelor of Education. This post graduation course acquaints the candidates with different learning methods and Pedagogy of a school subject. The course lasts for a duration of 3 to 4 years. 

After the completion of B.Ed, clearing aptitude tests such as TET and CTET will qualify you for teaching in primary and secondary schools. 

Eligibility

  • A bachelor’s degree from a recognized university with 50% aggregate marks.
  • A master’s degree from a recognized university with 50% aggregate marks. 
  • Aspirants for B.Ed must be at least 21 years old, irrespective of their graduation or post graduation. 

Job Profiles

Job profiles for B.Ed graduates are usually related to the field of teaching. One can become a teacher with specialisation in a particular subject or head teacher in a primary or secondary school. 

Happy Learning!

References

Vinayak Kashyap, mycourseguru.in/courses after ba english/

Team Careers360 | Updated on Sep 29, 2021 – 3:32 p.m. IST career360.com/10 best career options to progress with after llb degree/

Things to know before taking up Mass Media and Communication courses.

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Let’s begin by knowing what Mass Media or Mass Communication is. Mass media refers to the media technologies such as movies, songs, news, podcasts, advertisements and photos, that are utilized to carry information to the masses. 

Importance of Mass Media

This blog you are reading is helping you gain knowledge about Mass Media and communication. Hence this blog becomes a media technology and educating you in the field of Mass Media defines its importance. From applying for a job to reaching out to a friend on your phone, everything becomes a portion of Mass Media as they help users pass on information from one place to another or one person to another. 

Here are some advantages of Mass Media to highlight its importance. 

  • It becomes a voice for the voiceless: Mass Media provides every individual with an opportunity to practice their freedom of speech and spread their ideas among the world. YouTube is a great example of Mass Media. As a platform in this 21st century it helps both small and large creators publish their videos for everybody to watch. 
  • Enables widespread communication: Today, the world is often referred to as a global village. This is made possible due to several types of mass media technologies such as social media, internet, and other digital content. It helps governments, businesses and organizations to communicate with each other and stay connected. 
  • Diversifying culture: Mass Media helps in diversifying languages and cultures beyond its place of origin. A good internet connection and a mobile phone or a computer is all you need to learn a new language or gain knowledge about a new culture. You can even take a peek around the world without leaving your home. 

The Evolution of Mass Media

Mass Media can be traced back to the 800 AD which consisted of prehistoric arts, writings and some basic printing technology. The introduction of Gutenberg’s printing press in the 1450s helped art and literature gain a wider reach among the people.The year 1605 witnessed the publishing of the first weekly newspaper in Antwerp, known as ‘Relation’. This was followed by the inventions of radio and television in 1895 and 1925 respectively. Finally in 1990, the world wide web was introduced by Tim Berners Lee. 

The number of people benefiting from these media technologies witnessed a steady growth from a handful, to thousands, and millions with the introduction of newspapers, radios and televisions. Today, due to the internet, these numbers are reaching billions. In 2018, the number of  World Wide Web’s users was estimated to be 4 billion. 

The 21st century has introduced the ability for even individuals to broadcast a customised message for thousands across the globe. You no longer need to be a part of some huge networking channel to do so. A good internet connection and a hand held device can do the job. 

The functions of Mass Media

Mass Media, in the form of writing, podcasting, and publishing, has a significant effect on the masses. Commercials on television, billboards and social media influence the audience into buying a product or availing a service. Hence companies across the world look for suitable mediums such as social media, blogs, forums, or video streaming platforms to convey their messages based on their businesses. Once they find the right mass media technology, they conduct campaigns to communicate their ideas. 

Majority of the companies today create and maintain their social media pages, maintain blog posts on their websites, and run advertisements on video streaming platforms to educate viewers about their products or to entertain them. These define the functionality of Mass Media. 

Courses in the field of Mass Media and communication

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After addressing the ‘Wh’ questions of Mass Media, let us dive into the courses one can opt for in the field of Mass Media and communication. There are three kinds of courses available for aspiring students in the field of Mass Media and communication. Courses at undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma levels.

Both the course levels familiarise students both practically and theoretically in the field of Mass Media and Communication. 

Eligibility for courses in Mass Media and communication (UG PG) 

A student aspiring to seek admission in a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication course, he or she must fulfil some eligibility criterias. 

  • The applicant should have completed senior secondary schooling (10+2) from a recognized university. 
  • The applicant must have scored a minimum of 50% from the aggregate in their senior secondary schooling. 

Similarly, students aspiring for seeking admission in the Master of Arts in Mass Communication course must fulfil the following eligibility criterias. 

  • The applicant must have a Bachelor’s degree in any stream from a recognized university. 
  • The applicant must have scored a minimum of 50% from the aggregates in their Bachelor’s degree. 

Institutes may also require you to give an entrance exam to fulfil the admission process.

Here’s what you will learn from Mass Media and Communication courses

Courses in Mass Media helps you get acquainted with subjects such as Public Relations, Design and Graphics, Digital Media, Reporting and Editing for Print Media, Data Journalism, Photojournalism, Event Management, and Media Law and Ethics. The courses are inclusive of Computer based learning, Guest Lectures, Seminars, Workshops, Massive Open Online Courses, Individual and Group projects, and community based projects. 

Scope for Mass Media courses under employment prospect.

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With an increase in media technologies following new inventions and establishments such as Television Channels, Radio Stations, Advertising Agencies, PR Agencies, etc. Scope in this field is also parallely increasing. Here are some of the job profiles candidates can look out for upon completion of the course. 

  • Journalism
  • Public Relations
  • Advertising
  • Media Planner
  • Broadcasting and Production
  • Event Manager

Conclusion

Mass Media and Communication as a field in academics has a great scope in India and overseas. Freshers with expertise in specific areas and sufficient experience will be hired by prominent media companies for different job profiles. Individuals with good communication skills, writing proficiency, and passion for learning can pursue an undergraduate or a postgraduate course in Mass Media and Communication. 

References

Ritika Shrivastava, May 17, 2021 09:36 IST, shiksha.com

Akanksha Sirohi, July 15 2020, collegedekho.com

https://www.careers360.com/courses/mass-communication-course

Book recommendations- genre: Comedy & Humour.

A comedic novel is often a work of fiction in which the author attempts to entertain the reader, sometimes subtly and as part of a well-crafted story, and sometimes above all else. It’s true that comedy fiction is literary work whose primary goal is to make people laugh, but this isn’t always as evident as it appears.

Fan Fiction: A Mem-Noir: Inspired by True Events by Brent Spiner & Jeanne Darst. 

Set in 1991, just as Star Trek: The Next Generation has catapulted the cast to global fame, young and impressionable actor Brent Spiner receives a mysterious package and a series of disturbing letters that send him on a terrifying and bizarre journey that enlists the help of Paramount Security, the LAPD, and even the FBI to put an end to the threat that threatens his life and career.

This is the fictitious autobiography that takes readers inside the life of Brent Spiner and offers an astonishing storey about the trappings of popularity and the anxiety he feels, with a cast of characters ranging from Patrick Stewart to Levar Burton to Trek founder Gene Roddenberry, to others wholly created.

Brent Spiner’s spectacular and humorous novel is an intimate look at a celebrity’s little off-kilter connection with his followers. This noir comedy could just be the one if the Coen Brothers were to develop a Star Trek film addressing the complexities of fan fanaticism and sci-fi.

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh.

This book is a list of events that happened in the author life, it involves pictures, words, stories about things that happened to the author because of herself and foolishness, stories about things that happened to other people because of her and her foolishness. Stories about dogs and an endless laughter that will have you crying because your stomach hurts. 

How To Train Your Dad by Gary Paulsen. 

Carl, a 12-year-old, is fed up with his father’s obsessive pursuit of an off-the-grid lifestyle. His father may be clever, but dumpster diving for food, rummaging through trash for usable items, and dressing entirely in clothing purchased at garage sales is becoming tiresome. Carl adopts the principles set forth in a randomly discovered puppy-training pamphlet to “retrain” his father’s mindset… a crackpot experiment that produces some very unintentional results. Increasingly concerned about what his classmates and a certain girl at his new school might think of his circumstances—and encouraged by his off-kilter best friend—Carl adopts the principles set forth in a randomly discovered puppy-training pamphlet to “retrain” his father’s mindset… a crackpot

This is a feisty and humorous family novel.

Everyone You Hate is Going to Die: And Other Comforting Thoughts on Family, Friends, Sex, Love, and More Things That Ruin Your Life by Daniel Sloss.

A subversive and hilarious deep-dive into one of today’s hottest young comedians’ favourite subject: relationships.

At the same time, Daniel Sloss’ humour engages, enrages, offends, unsettles, educates, soothes, and has audiences screaming with laughter. Sloss has two Netflix comedy specials: DARK, a brilliant, laugh-out-loud meditation on our relationship with death; and Jigsaw, which rips apart the ideas of love, romantic relationships, and marriage–and, according to Sloss, has caused 160 divorces and 95,000 break-ups (he has the tweets to prove it). Daniel Sloss Live: X, his HBO spectacular on male toxicity, is a stunning 85 minutes.Now, in his first book, he picks up where Jigsaw and his other specials left off, tackling every kind of relationship imaginable–with one’s country (Daniel’s is Scotland), with America, with lovers, ex-lovers, ex-lovers who you hate, ex-lovers who hate you, with parents, best friends (male and female), not-best friends, children, and siblings. Every connection gets the humorous, cruel (but always incisive) Sloss treatment in Everyone You Hate Is Going to Die, as he shows why all of our relationships are fragile, absurd, and awful–but, just maybe, vital and meaningful as well.

Greek mythology retellings.

If you ever one of those kids, that were totally obsessed with Greek mythology in middle school, and you still need a little bit more of it. Here are some of the Greek mythology retellings to read!

A Thousand Ships – Natalie Haynes.

These are the stories of the women whose lives, loves, and rivalries were forever altered by this long and tragic war, from the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all.

A Thousand Ships is a deeply filled woman’s epic that places women, girls, and goddesses at the centre of the Western world’s greatest storey ever written.

Circe – Madeline Miller.

A daughter is born at the home of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans. Circe, on the other hand, is an odd kid, neither strong like her father nor fiercely alluring like her mother. She seeks company among mortals and realises that she possesses power – witchcraft power, which may turn opponents into monsters and even the gods themselves.Zeus exiles her to a barren island, where she hones her occult skills, tames wild monsters, and crosses paths with a variety of people. However, a woman who stands alone faces peril, and Circe unknowingly attracts the fury of both men and gods. Circe must collect all of her might to safeguard what she cares about most.

The Silence of the Girls – Pat Barker.

The ancient city of Troy has been under siege for a decade by the formidable Greek army, which is still fighting a terrible battle over a kidnapped lady named Helen. Another woman, Briseis, observes and waits for the war’s fate in the Greek camp. She was the queen of a neighbouring state until Achilles, Greece’s finest warrior, attacked her city and killed her husband and brothers. Briseis becomes Achilles’ concubine and a battle prize, and she must swiftly adjust to a completely new existence as one of the numerous captured women who serve the Greek army.When Agamemnon, the Greek armies’ harsh political commander, desires Briseis for himself, she finds herself stranded between the two most powerful Greeks. In protest, Achilles refuses to fight, and the Greeks begin to lose ground to their Trojan adversaries. Briseis finds herself in an unprecedented position, able to observe the two men leading the Greek army in what will become their final confrontation, deciding the fate not only of Briseis’ people but also of the ancient world at large. Keenly observant and coolly unflinching about the daily horrors of war, Briseis finds herself in an unprecedented position, able to observe the two men leading the Greek army in what will become their final confrontation, deciding the fate not only of Briseis’ people.

Pandora’s Jar – Natalie Haynes.

The Greek myths are one of the contemporary world’s most fundamental cultural foundations.

Epic poetry and Greek tragedy, from Homer to Virgil, from Aeschylus to Sophocles and Euripides, are replete with tales of gods and monsters. Even today, a plethora of novels, plays, and films are based on stories that were first recounted about three thousand years ago. Modern Greek mythtellers, on the other hand, have largely been men who have showed little interest in relaying women’s stories. Now, in Pandora’s Jar, Natalie Haynes retells Greek creation tales with female protagonists on an equal footing with their male counterparts. As a result, we have a vivid and compelling storey.

The Penelopiad – Margaret Atwood.

Penelope—wife of Odysseus and niece of the lovely Helen of Troy—is presented as the ultimate devoted wife in Homer’s Odyssey, her narrative serving as a timeless lesson. When Odysseus travels out to fight in the Trojan War following the kidnapping of Helen, Penelope manages to retain the kingdom of Ithaca, raise her wayward son, and keep over a hundred suitors at bay all at the same time, despite scandalous accusations. Odysseus kills her suitors and twelve of her maids when he returns home after surviving difficulties, battling monsters, and sleeping with deities.Margaret Atwood has given the old narrative a brilliant contemporary twist by recounting it to Penelope and her twelve hung maids, asking: “What led to the girls’ execution, and what was Penelope actually up to?” The narrative becomes as smart and sympathetic as it is terrifying, and as immensely fascinating as it is terrible in Atwood’s sparkling, lighthearted retelling. She gives Penelope fresh life and reality—and sets out to solve an old mystery—with humour and zest, drawing on the story-telling and lyrical talent for which she is known.

Fake-dating trope books.

The Love Hypothesis: Ali Hazelwood.

Olive Smith, a third-year Ph.D. student, doesn’t believe in long-term love relationships, but her closest friend does, and that’s how she ended up in this scenario. It was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks to persuade Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after: scientists want proof. Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees, like any self-respecting scientist would.Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor—and well-known ass—is the man in question. That’s why Olive is astounded when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant offers to be her phoney boyfriend and keep her farce a secret. When a major science conference goes awry, putting Olive’s career on hold, Adam shocks her once more with his unwavering support and even more unwavering…six-pack abs.Suddenly, their tiny experiment appears to be on the verge of exploding. Olive learns that the only thing more difficult than a love hypothesis is examining her own heart under a microscope.

The Spanish Love Deception: Elena Armas.

It’s a wedding. A vacation to Spain is planned. The most vexing individual. And then there were the three days of faking. Or, to put it another way, a strategy that will never succeed.

Finally, Catalina Martn is not single. Her family is overjoyed to learn that she would be attending her sister’s wedding with her American beau. Everyone is welcome to attend the most enchanting event of the year.

That would almost surely make the front page of the local newspaper in the small Spanish town where she grew up tomorrow. Or the epitaph on her tombstone, knowing how her life had changed in the time it took to make a phone call. Four weeks wasn’t a lot of time to locate someone willing to go across the Atlantic for a wedding, from New York to Spain.Let alone someone who is willing to participate in her ruse. But it didn’t mean she was desperate enough to drag the 6’4 blue-eyed jerk. Aaron Blackford is a musician. Her date had just been given by a man whose sole vocation was to make her blood boil. After poking his nose into her business, accusing her of being insane, and claiming to be her best choice?

The Unhoneymooners: Christina Lauren.

Olive has bad luck in everything she does: her work, her love life, her…well, everything. On the other side, her identical twin sister Ami is possibly the luckiest person on the planet. Her first meeting with her fiancé is straight out of a romantic movie (gag), and she’s managed to fund her entire wedding by winning a series of online competitions (double gag). Worse, she’s making Olive spend the day with her sworn nemesis, Ethan, who also happens to be the best man.Olive prepares herself for a 24-hour wedding ordeal before returning to her luxurious, unfortunate existence. When the whole wedding party suffers food illness from rotten shellfish, Olive and Ethan are the only ones who aren’t harmed. And now there’s a chance to win an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii. Olive and Ethan leave their mutual enmity behind for the purpose of a free vacation, intending to avoid each other at all means. When Olive runs into her future employer, though, the small white lie she tells him risks becoming a lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to act as though they’re in love newlyweds, and her luck appears to be getting worse or it is for the better?

The Kiss Quotient: Helen Hoang.

Stella Lane believes that arithmetic is the only thing that holds the cosmos together. She creates algorithms to forecast client purchases—a career that has provided her with more money than she knows what to do with and far less dating experience than the typical thirty-year-old.

Stella has Asperger’s syndrome, and French kissing makes her think of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion was that she needed a lot more practice—with a pro. That is why she employs Michael Phan, an escort. The Vietnamese and Swedish beauty can’t say no to Stella’s offer, so she offers to assist her in checking off all the boxes on her lesson plan.Stella soon discovers that she not only enjoys his kisses, but also craves all of the other sensations he gives her. Their no-nonsense relationship soon begins to make bizarre sense. The pattern that emerges will persuade Stella that the best type of reasoning is love.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown: Talia Hibbert.

Danika Brown has a clear vision of her goals: professional achievement, academic acclaim, and the odd roll in the hay to ease the stress of her job. But what about romance? I’ve been there, done that, and thrown away the T-shirt. Romantic relationships, regardless of gender, are at best a nuisance and at worst a drain. So Dani prays to the cosmos for the ideal friend-with-benefits—someone who knows their way around the bedroom and understands the score.

When moody security officer Zafir Ansari saves PhD student Dani from a botched workplace fire drill, it’s a clear indicator that the two are meant to sleep together. However, before she can explain why, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral.

Now that half of the internet is shipping #DrRugbae, Zaf is pleading with Dani to join in. His children’s sports organisation, it turns out, could use the attention. Is it okay to lie to aid children? Who in their right mind would say no?
Dani’s strategy is simple: pretend to be dating Zaf in public while seducing him behind the scenes. The problem is, gruff Zaf is a hopeless romantic at heart, and he’s hell-bent on corrupting Dani’s stone-cold reality. He’ll soon be tackling her concerns to the ground. However, the former athlete has his own problems, and the walls surrounding his heart are as thick.Dani’s desire of a simple lay is suddenly more complicated than her thesis. Has her wish come true? Is her concentration being put to the test? Is the cosmos simply waiting for her to see something?

Standalone fantasy to binge-read.

The Night Circus: Erin Morgenstern.

The circus shows up unexpectedly. There are no announcements before to it. It’s just there now, where it wasn’t yesterday. An totally unique experience full of spectacular amazements awaits you within the black-and-white striped canvas tents. The name of the show is Le Cirque des Rêves, and it’s only open at night.Behind the scenes, however, a furious struggle is raging—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been educated since childhood by their erratic masters just for this reason. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one person can survive, and the circus is only the backdrop for a magnificent fight of imagination and willpower.Celia and Marco, despite themselves, fall deeply into love—a deep, magical love that causes the lights to flicker and the room to warm if they even touch hands.Whether true love exists or not, the game must go on, and the lives of everyone involved, from the cast of exceptional circus artists to the audience, hang in the balance as perilously as the daring acrobats above.

Descendant of The Crane: Joan He.

The circus appears out of nowhere. There are no previous announcements. It’s just there today, where it wasn’t the day before. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents, you will have a completely unique experience full with magnificent amazements. Le Cirque des Rêves is the name of the show, and it is only open at night.Behind the scenes, however, a fierce battle rages—a conflict between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood by their unpredictable masters just for this purpose. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one person can win, and the circus is only the stage for a spectacular battle of imagination and resolve.

Circe: Madeline Miller

A daughter is born at the home of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans. Circe, on the other hand, is an odd kid, neither strong like her father nor fiercely alluring like her mother. She seeks company among mortals and realises that she possesses power – witchcraft power, which may turn opponents into monsters and even the gods themselves.When she is threatened, Zeus banishes her to a secluded island, where she hones her occult skills, tames wild creatures, and meets many of mythology’s most famous characters, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his fatal son Icarus, the wicked Medea, and, of course, the crafty Odysseus.Circe unknowingly earns the fury of both mankind and gods, and she eventually finds herself faced against one of the most terrible and angry of the Olympians. Circe must muster all her power and decide once and for all whether she belongs with the gods she was born from or the mortals she has learned to love in order to safeguard what she loves most.

The Priory Of The Orange Tree: Samantha Shannon.

A world in disarray. A dynasty without a successor. An old foe resurfaces.For a thousand years, the House of Berethnet has controlled Inys. Queen Sabran the Ninth, still unmarried, has to have a daughter to save her kingdom from ruin — but assassins are closing in on her.At court, Ead Duryan is an outsider. Despite her advancement to lady-in-waiting, she remains faithful to a secret organisation of wizards. Ead keeps a close check on Sabran and uses prohibited magic to keep her safe.Tané has been training to be a dragonrider since she was a kid across the black sea, but she is forced to make a decision that might destroy her life.Meanwhile, the split East and West are refusing to talk to each other.

Good Omens: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

‘You know, Armageddon only happens once. They won’t let you go around unless you get it right the first time.’People have been forecasting the end of the world virtually since the beginning of time, so it’s reasonable to be sceptical when a new date for Judgement Day is announced. But what if the prophecies are correct, and the apocalypse is set to strike next Saturday, immediately after tea?You may drown your sorrows, give up all your belongings in preparation for the rapture, or laugh it off as (hopefully) just another hoax in the time left. Alternatively, you may simply try to do something about it.Aziraphale, a fastidious angel, and Crowley, a fast-living demon, have found themselves in a situation. They’ve been among Earth’s inhabitants since The Beginning and, truth be told, have become pretty fond of the way of life and, to be honest, aren’t looking forward to the approaching Apocalypse.Then there’s the problem of the Antichrist, who appears to have gone missing.

YA books with Enemies to Lovers trope.

The Wrath and the Dawn: Renée Andieh. (Series)

Each morning brings misery to a new family in a kingdom controlled by a bloodthirsty boy-king. Khalid, Khorasan’s eighteen-year-old Caliph, is a monster. He takes a new wife every night, only to have a silk chain tied around her throat the next morning. When Shahrzad’s sixteen-year-old best friend is murdered by Khalid, he swears revenge and offers to be his next wife. Shahrzad is determined not just to survive, but also to put a stop to the caliph’s reign of terror. Shahrzad seduces Khalid night after night, telling him enthralling stories and securing her survival, despite the fact that she knows each morning may be her last. But then something unexpected happens: Khalid turns out to be nothing like she had imagined him to be. This monster is a young boy who has a broken heart. Surprisingly, Shahrzad finds herself in love. What gives that this is possible? It’s a heinous act of treachery. Even nevertheless, Shahrzad has come to realise that not everything in this marble and stone mansion is as it appears. She vows to find whatever secrets are hidden and, despite her love for him, to kill Khalid in retaliation for the numerous lives he has stolen. Is their love strong enough to last in this world?

We Hunt The Flame: Hafsah Faizal. (Series)

Because she murdered, people lived. People perished as a result of his existence.

When Zafira braves the terrible forest of the Arz to feed her people, she disguises herself as a man. Nasir is the Prince of Death, and he assassinates anyone who resist his dictatorial father, the Sultan. All of Zafira’s achievements would be discarded if she was discovered to be a female; if Nasir showed compassion, his father would punish him harshly. In the country of Arawiya, both Zafira and Nasir are legends, but neither wants to be.The Arz is closing in on the land, smothering everything in shade with each passing day. When Zafira sets out on a quest to find a forgotten item that would restore magic to her suffering planet and put an end to the Arz, the Sultan sends Nasir on a similar expedition to retrieve the artefact and kill the Hunter. However, as their trip progresses, an ancient evil stirs, and the prize they seek may represent a threat bigger than any of them can conceive.

Serpent and Dove: Shelby Mahurin. (Series)

Louise le Blanc ran away from her coven two years ago and found refuge in Cesarine, giving up all magic and living off what she could take. Witches like Lou are persecuted there. They are regarded as dangerous. They’re also charred.Reid Diggory, a Chasseur sworn to the Church, has lived his life by one rule: thou must not allow a witch to survive. His path was never supposed to intersect with Lou’s, but a cruel stunt compels them to marry in an inconceivable way—holy marriage. Lou’s most fearsome adversaries deliver a destiny worse than fire in the ancient fight between witches and the Church. A decision must be made since she is unable to ignore her increasing sentiments and helpless to change who she is.

Tweet Cute: Emma Lord

Pepper is a swim team captain, a chronic overachiever, and a perfectionist in general. Her family may be disintegrating, but their big fast-food franchise is thriving, due in large part to Pepper, who is barely juggling real life while covertly administering Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.Jack, the class clown and a perennial thorn in Pepper’s side, enters the picture. He works at his family’s deli when he isn’t trying to avoid his obscenely popular twin’s shadow. He may have a love/hate relationship with the company that controls his future, but when Big League Burger steals his grandmother’s famous grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to bring them down, one tweet at a time.Everything is fair in love and cheese until Pepper and Jack’s feud becomes a viral Twitter fight. They have no idea that while they’re publicly squabbling over caustic memes and retweet wars, they’re simultaneously falling in love in real life on an anonymous chat app Jack created.People on the internet are shipping them as their relationship grows and their online hijinks escalate? Their rivalry becomes increasingly personal, until even these two adversaries can’t deny that they were meant for an unexpected, uncomfortable, all-the-feels relationship that none of them expected.

The Shadow Between Us: Tricia Levenseller (Series)

Alessandra is fed up with being neglected, so she devised a strategy to obtain power:1) Make the Shadow King swoon.
2) Get married to him.
3) Assassinate him and seize his empire.

No one knows how powerful the newly crowned Shadow King is. Some believe he has the ability to control the shadows that swirl about him. Others claim they communicate with him, whispering his adversaries’ ideas. Whatever the case may be, Alessandra knows what she deserves and will do everything she can to obtain it.However, Alessandra isn’t the only one attempting to assassinate the king. As assassination attempts are made on his life, she finds herself attempting to keep him alive long enough for him to crown her queen—

Allahabad: A city of literary doyen

Allahabad is a venue for Urdu-Hindi literary feat.

A feast for the lovers of art and literature, Allahabad is a venue for Urdu-Hindi literary feat. Allahabad is a cradle of the Hindi and Urdu literary world which attracts writers, poets and scholars from all over the world. 

Allahabad has been a political hub since the very beginning and has also contributed to the making of at least six prime ministers, namely Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri, VP Singh and Chandrashekhar and it is very well known that politics leads to creation and invention of different forms art, poetry, stories.  

Art and writing, poems and stories, basically any form of art is revolutionary and hence, there was also a literary movement taking place during the time when politics was at its peak in Allahabad. One of the contributing factors was the Allahabad University, which was for a long while referred to by the proud alumni as the “Oxford of the East”. 

The city is also associated with some of the literary giants of the Hindi-Urdu world in the last century. Some of the legends are mentioned below: 

1.Sumitranandan Pant: Sumitranandan Pant was an Indian poet. He was one of the most celebrated 20th century poets of the Hindi language and was known for romanticism in his poems which were inspired by nature, people and beauty within. 

He is considered one of the major poets of the Chhayavaadi school of Hindi literature. Pant mostly wrote in Sanskritized Hindi. Pant authored twenty-eight published works including poetry, verse plays and essays. Apart from Chhayavaadi poems, Pant also wrote progressive, socialist, humanist poems and philosophical (influenced by Sri Aurobindo) poems. Pant eventually moved beyond this style. As the late scholar and translator of Pant, David Rubin, writes, “In the early forties the new psychological and experimental “schools” were emerging. It was typical of both Nirala and Pant that they themselves anticipated these trends and, by the time the new approaches were in vogue, they had already moved on to newer areas of experimentation.” 

2.Mahadevi Varma: Mahadevi Varma was an Indian Hindi-language poet and a novelist. She is considered one of the four major pillars of the Chhayawadi era in Hindi literature. She has been also addressed as the Modern Meera.  Poet Nirala had once called her “Saraswati in the vast temple of Hindi Literature”. Varma had witnessed India both before and after independence. She was one of those poets who worked for the wider society of India. Not only her poetry but also her social upliftment work and welfare development among women were also depicted deeply in her writings. These largely influenced not only the readers but also the critics especially through her novel Deepshikha. Varma was a feminist par-excellence even before the term became trendy in public discourse. She was turned down by her husband only a few years after marriage. Her looks were not the kind that the fashion industry portrays as desirable, but the physicality of being has little to do with the beauty of her soul and intellect. 

3.Firaq Gorakhpuri: Raghupati Sahay, better known under his pen name Firaq Gorakhpuri, was a writer, critic, and, according to one commentator, one of the most noted contemporary Urdu poets from India. He established himself among peers including Muhammad Iqbal, Yagana Changezi, Jigar Moradabadi and Josh Malihabadi. Some of his works are as followed, 

  • Gul-e-Naghma 
  • Gul-e-Ra’naa 
  • Mash’aal 
  • Rooh-e-Kaayenaat 
  • Roop   

4. Harivansh Rai Bachchan: Harivansh Rai Bachchan was an Indian poet and writer of the Nayi Kavita literary movement (romantic upsurge) of early 20th century Hindi literature. He was also a poet of the Hindi Kavi Sammelan. He is best known for his early work Madhushala. He is also the husband of social activist, Teji Bachchan, father of Amitabh Bachchan and Ajitabh Bachchan, and grandfather of Abhishek Bachchan. In 1976, he received the Padma Bhushan for his service to Hindi literature. 

As the river Saraswati flows in the city and is regarded as the goddess of education according to the Hindu scriptures, hence, Allahabad is gifted with literature. The city is buffet of art and literature and is a feast for explorers. 

11 Lessons from Bhagavad Gita Which Teaches The Very Roots Of Our Life

1. Concentrate On Your Goal Do Your Work And Focus Not On The Result

You have a certain goal in mind. To work to the topmost position in your care. Will we take the example of CEO? Your dream is to achieve the coveted position within five years. So, you will have to prepare for the role. Attending team management classes, keeping a hawk eye on the recent tech trends and all. But, you wail away time in dreaming about the perks and rewards of a CEO. Do you feel achievement of the goal is easy? NO, it is difficult.This is the main reason, Bhagavad Gita focuses on the importance of doing your duty rather than on the goal. When you focus on the rewards, you become prone to worries in case of failure. You also get depressed if the result is not positive. So it is always advisable to concentrate on the target. You can get more rewards after attaining the goal.

2. Human Life Is Full Of Battles: Never Shirk In fear – Fight To The Last, Stand Your Ground

The Supreme Power has created an even human being in a separate way – or will we say, Everyone is a MASTERPIECE. When every action you do turns negative against your goal, do not shirk in fear. Do not expect results. Always understand, it is fears and expectations that cause restrictions and limitations. A valuable lesson from Bhagavad Gita that can shape your future.

3. One of the Best Lessons From Bhagavad Gita: Identity, Recognize and Accept Equality in Life

Now, this quote is a difficult one to follow. But, definitely, life will guide any person towards achieving the knowledge. After facing many challenges in life, you tend to see all living and non-living beings as equal. Let it be any circumstance – the feeling of suffering and joy will mean the same. You realize, the bodies are different but the SOUL is one. And that is the ULTIMATE TRUTH.

4. Desires Will Come To Your Mind And Go

As a human being, you are prone to getting desires. Yet, you should neither suppress a desire nor allow it to take control of your life and mind. The lessons in Bhagavad Gita advises you to watch and enjoy the show. Remember, but doing evil actions just for the sake of fulfilling desires is harmful. Getting caught in the chains of desire will always end in harm, stress and the result – rebirth.

5. A Mind Full Of Thoughts About Money Cannot Concentrate Nor Meditate

You can find mentions of meditation in various parts of Bhagavad Gita. Meditation is the best form of non-physical activity to achieve “Inner Peace” and “Sadhana.” The quote says that a human mind hell-bent on only attaining money cannot focus on meditation nor indulge in the “Inner Self.” So, the concerned person’s mind will always be unstable, and meditation is out of reach.

6. Whatever Has Happened Is Only For The Good Future. The Activities That Are Happening At Present Are Also For A Good Cause. The Happenings In The Future, They Are Also For A Good Future

Hope, you understand the above sentences. It emphasizes on the continuance of doing your duty, no matter the result – victory or failure. So, there is no need to sulk. The worst, you can do is to put the blame on others for a failure or seek revenge. Please note, every activity in this world happens for a reason. To make you understand the importance of human life. Remember, there are also many other living beings such as plants and animals. But none can change their fate, but you as a human. So, feel proud to be one and stop dancing to the tunes of small failures.You can bask, one time in glory and there will be a bad phase, where everyone will put you on the firing range. But that is the cycle of life. It is foolish to pay attention to the past. Remember you can design a GREAT FUTURE if you concentrate on the PRESENT.

7. Change is Permanent. This is Universal Law. You can either become a billionaire or Pauper in a second.

Difficult to believe this Lesson from the Bhagavad Gita? Clarification via an explanation. Just imagine, a billionaire has more than his worth of money in the shares market. Suppose, the stock market went for a nose dive? What will be his fate – A pauper? Let us say, a poor man won a lottery worth millions of dollars. Okay, here is the real one. A student who is poor, by using knowledge wins a prize worth a million in a quiz competition.In short, permanence is never in a human life. Even our Mother Earth is in constant rotation. SHE never stops. After the night comes the day. Sweet rain comes only after Summer. All religions consider “pride” a sign of immaturity. When you accept change as a part of life, you can handle all the tough situations in a calm manner.

8. Fear Factor is a Disability

The achievement will be nil if you have the fear factor in the mind. Fear, in other words, means doubts in your ability. It will not only make you forget the goal out of fear but will make you worthless. But in case of fearless souls, the sky is the limit. Fear of the future and self-respect are the two obstacles to reach your goal.

9. You Are Born Empty-Handed, And You Will Leave This Mother Earth Empty-Handed

Are you on the path to gain more wealth? You will be taking none of the wealth nor other material possessions to your grave. You are born without a loin in this world, and your body goes the same way to the other world. Ahem! You cannot take even your mobile phone nor a picture of Ranbir Kapoor.

10. Lust, Anger as well Greed – Ways to Self-destruction

The three mentioned are always harmful to the entire mankind. Extreme craving for sex will turn a human into a sex maniac or nymphomaniac. Anger – people will think you are dominating them and you lose friendships/relationships. Greed – you are always restless. The body becomes host to problems such as high blood pressure and jealousy.

11. A Man Makes His Life Based On His Beliefs

Your thoughts define your life. If you think to be happy even in times of failure, you will be happy. If you let revenge take over the mind even in times of success, you harbor negative impressions. These are but two examples. Superstition, revenge, anger, insults are some negative impressions. They prevent us from becoming a human being.

The Bhagavad Gita is a vast book, but it is vital to learn it under the guidance of a MASTER. In this materialistic world, you are prone to negative feelings. It may be either because of your actions or others’. But when you become the Master of your own mind, you will never again feel the agony of pain or sorrow.

According to ancient texts, a human’s birth is to achieve the highest potential. In every religion, sacred texts show the followers the Divine Path. And Lessons in Bhagavad Gita gives us practical impressions of human principles. Let us read and make our life meaningful!

About that author – Robert Frost 

Robert Frost, most famous among us for his poem The Road not Taken which a lot of us might remember reading in school is one considered as one of the most famous poets in the world.  

Early Life 

Robert Lee Frost was born in 1874, in San Francisco, California and later moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1885 after his father’s death. Frost’s father was a journalist and he died in 1885 due to tuberculosis. Frost’s mother took him and his sibling to their grandparents in Massachusetts.

Frost graduated from high school in 1892 and was at the top of his class. He showed an interest in poetry from an early age which he continued to pursue even after his graduation. 

Robert got into Dartmouth College and in 1894, his first piece of work was published “My Butterfly: An Elegy” in a weekly newsletter named The Independent. Frost dropped out of college in less than a year because the routine was too monotonous for him and he had grown tired of it. In 1895, he married his high school sweetheart Elinor Miriam White who shared the interest of poetry with frost. 

Adult Life 

In 1897, Frost went to Harvard University but was forced to leave 2 years later in 1898 due to illness. Between 1900 and 1909 Frost worked on a farm  near Derry, New Hampshire, which his grandmother had left for him before he died. He also worked as an english teacher in Pinkerton Academy while working on the farm and raising poultry there. During this time Frost wrote a lot of poems which were published later on and later became famous for as well. 

In 1912, Frost and his family set sail for England and settled there. The very next year he published his first book of poetry titled “A Boy’s Will” which included poems such as Storm Fear,“”The Tuft of Flowers”. The next year he published another book of poetry  North of Boston which included  “Mending Wall,” “The Death of the Hired Man,” “Home Burial” and a lot more famous poems of his. 

Publications and Success 

During  World War I the family had to move back to America where an edition of  A Boy’s Will which went on to become the best seller. 

Frost was awarded 4 Pulitzer Prizes throughout his career for  New Hampshire in 1924,  Collected Poems in 1931, A Further Range in 1937 and A Witness Tree in 1943. Frost served as a resident poet in multiple colleges and universities between 1939 and 1963. 

After having an extremely successful career and making a profound impact in the world of poetry he died in 1963 at the age of 88 due to some complications from a surgery. He is survived by his eternal multitude of work. 

Frost’s work revolved around despair that follows existence. His poems are described as poems that are a reflection of common people. He used poetic vocabulary and beautiful metaphors to describe some of the most common yet stark things of human life. He could write about one of the most abject experiences in one of the most beautiful of ways.