Body Shaming

“Do you ever stop and think about how often we are told to change our appearance?  Magazines constantly offer tips about how to lose weight “in days,” appear slimmer “instantly,” and hide our “imperfections”… without actually knowing anything about us, much less our appearance.  This is one example of body-shaming, and it is everywhere.  Sitcoms so frequently use overweight characters’ bodies as the basis of many of the show’s jokes.  It has become the norm to criticize aspects of our bodies as some type of bonding experience with friends – if we all hate our bodies; it somehow makes us feel connected and united.  Body-shaming (criticizing yourself or others because of some aspect of physical appearance) can lead to a vicious cycle of judgment and criticism.  Messages from the media and from each other often imply that we should want to change, that we should care about looking slimmer, smaller, and tanner.  And if we don’t, we worry that we are at risk of being the target of someone else’s body-shaming comments.

Body-shaming manifests in many ways:

1) Criticizing your own appearance, through a judgment or comparison to another person. (i.e.: “I’m so ugly compared to her.” “Look at how broad my shoulders are.”)

2) Criticizing another’s appearance in front of them, (i.e.: “With those thighs, you’re never going to find a date.”)

3) Criticizing another’s appearance without their knowledge. (i.e.: “Did you see what she’s wearing today? Not flattering.” “At least you don’t look like her!”).

No matter how this manifests, it often leads to comparison and shame, and perpetuates the idea that people should be judged mainly for their physical features.

This leads to the question: if it has such harsh consequences, why is body-shaming so common?  An example we often discuss at the Braintree Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is dealing with conflicts with peers.   Why, when we are upset, annoyed, or intimidated by someone, do we default to criticizing their appearance?  “Whatever, she’s ugly,” can be a go-to defense in these situations, particularly during adolescence and the young-adult years.  In some ways, it feels easier to shoot for something that will hurt, like targeting physical appearance, rather than expressing what is really going on emotionally.  Saying, “I’m really hurt by how my friend treated me,” or “I’m terrified of losing this friendship” opens us up and makes us more vulnerable, and therefore feels easier to bury underneath the body-shaming comments that rush to mind.

How do we challenge this?  In situations like those listed above, expressing true feelings rather than physical criticisms can be a great first step.  While recently discussing this with the Adolescent IOP, several patients admitted that it is hard to identify ways of expressing frustration without using body-shaming, as this has become an almost automatic response.

Practice identifying why you are upset about a situation.  For example, it’s unlikely that you’re mad at a friend because she’s breaking out, and more likely that you’re upset about a miscommunication or feeling of rejection.  Practice thinking it, and eventually, verbalizing it.

Identify who in your life is body-positive – or even body-neutral.  Think of people who celebrate their body for what it can do, and people who refuse to comment on others’ physical appearances.  Spending time with these people can be especially helpful while you are struggling with your own internalized body-shaming, and help you view yourself – and others – more positively.

Confront those who perpetuate body-shaming.  Once you’ve become more aware of your own body-shaming behaviors, you may notice how often your friends, family or co-workers do it.  Talk to them.  Discuss why it bothers you and help them see how it may also be hurtful to them.

Find something (or things!) you LIKE about your body.  We spend so much time witnessing advertisements about how to make our eyelashes millimeters longer and how to get whiter teeth that it’d be nice to counter some of that by celebrating what we do have.  Maybe, despite your body image struggles, you love a new hairstyle you discovered.  Maybe you’ve noticed how much stronger you feel with balanced eating.  Find something physical or nonphysical that makes you YOU and celebrate it every day.”

Thoughtful Gifts For Mourning Families

The hardest part of life is when someone passes over and the family have to grieve for their loved one. When you know someone who has lost a family member it can be difficult to know how best you should support them in their grieving process. This is especially true when it comes to choosing a gift to give at the funeral or something to give afterwards as a token of respect. But today we have a few ideas of things you can send or give to a family who has just lost someone.

Flowers

One of the most simple gifts you can give as a token of sympathy to a family is a bunch of flowers. Flowers are an easy idea because they are unbiased and simply offer a reminder of the life which has been lost. You can sendsympathy flowers by post or in person depending on where you are at the time and it can be something which cheers the family up and allows them to think of something more positive for a moment.

A photo frame

The idea of giving a gift to a family who has recently lost someone is hard and it can be difficult to know what is appropriate to give. One thing which is always going to be a winner in the family’s eyes is a photo frame of them with the lost family member or a large group photo of everyone including you. It can be something which takes them back to a more positive time and it can make all the difference to them.

A poem

For those of the family who will be unable to speak at the funeral due to being too upset, you could do them a huge favour and take their place at the altar, reading out a beautiful poem to remember them once they are gone. The weight this will lift off their shoulders is worth more than any gift and the support you can give will be the best thing they could hope for on such a hard day.

Ashes Jewellery

Depending on whether the person who has passed will be cremated or buried, you could actually do something which can be more than valuable for the family. There are many companies out there who make amazing jewellery out of the ashes of people who have died and this will mean that the family can literally carry their loved ones around with them forever and ever. It can be the most amazing thing and it will let them hold onto their loved one forever.

A Shirt Pillow

Or someone who has lost a family member, the thing they often want more than anything is a hug. You can make it so that they are always there for a hug by turning an old t-shirt or jumper into a pillow for the family. It will have their scent on and it will be a way for them to always be by their side.

PROBLEMS OF SLUMS IN OUR CITIES

Slums refer to makeshift housing or shanties found especially in urban areas, and are characterised by lack of basic facilities, squalor and overcrowding.  There is no regular supply of water, electricity or proper sanitation facilities. Slums are generally built on government land that is lying unclaimed or vacant. They are mostly occupied by migrant workers, unskilled labour, domestic workers and other such persons who cannot afford proper housing in the cities. Almost 49% of the total population in Mumbai lives in slums. Hence, its widespread prevalence is unquestionable.l

Conditions in slums

The conditions in slums are deplorable. The settlements are built in small, congested areas, near airports, railway lines and industries, rivers and other water bodies, and markets. The settlements are built with whatever material people there can find be if corrugated sheets or gunny bags or polythene bags. This is not only unhygienic but also creates complications during monsoon when there is flooding during heavy rains.

There is no regular supply of water through pipes. This makes obtaining clean drinking water very difficult. Used and dirty water is not properly disposed off through covered pipes, but is just roughly directed away from the settlements. Since there is no proper sewage or waste disposal system, garbage is accumulated near the slums or thrown into the water bodies in case the slums are near a water body. There are no proper sanitation facilities, and people tend to defecate in public. There is no regulated supply of electricity in slums, making living conditions very poor. In conclusion, the standard of living is extremely poor.

It should be realised by the society and the government that these slum dwellers are also human beings like us. The affluent section of the society must try to alleviate their sufferings. Health, education, proper, housing, electricity, water, sanitation, and jobs are some of the problems of the slum dwellers.poverty is their enemy one. Poverty leads them to indulge in many crimes. They should be provided basic amenities. Free accomodation, subsided rations, health care and education are a must to bring them back to social folds. Some persons do not like to leave slums. They dispose of the free land alloted to them by the state and prefer to move to other shanties. This tendency is to be checked. Precautions can help them change their attitude.

The elementary school classroom in a slum – By Stephen Spender Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces. Like rootless weeds, the hair torn round their pallor: The tall girl with her weighed-down head. The paper seeming Boy, with rat’s eyes. The stunted, unlucky heir Of twisted bones, reciting a father’s gnarled disease, His lesson, from his desk. At back of the dim class One unnoted, sweet and young. His eyes live in a dream, Of squirrel’s game, in tree room, other than this.

Voice for SSR: Outsider’s Fight with Bollywood Nepotism

Picture Courtesy: Google

The issue of Bollywood nepotism has been allegedly sprung up with the death of 34 years old Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput on 14th June in Bandra, Mumbai. The young actor hanged himself from the ceiling in his flat. Clinical depression has been rectified as the cause of his suicidal run. Fans and admirers of Sushant Singh Rajput have dismissed the condolence of many Bollywood stakeholders by identifying them as peddlers and their condolence as the weeping of crocodiles. Many from the industry are handling the front gear to fight against Bollywood nepotism also. Kangana Ranaut and Abhinav Kashyap are from those who have spoken against Bollywood nepotism.
One twitter reply of Sushant Singh Rajput has taken all the attention in which the actor accounted that Bollywood would throw him out if people do not watch his movies in theaters. He added that he had no Godfather in Bollywood and considered his audiences as God and father altogether. Social media has been flooded by the hatred post against Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt for bullying Sushant Singh Rajput virtually. A report says, near about 7 movies got out of SSR’s hand in the last few years. Bollywood nepotism has been rectified as the career backlash of SSR and the prime cause of his depression. Moreover, the report says he has been banned from many production houses like Yash Raj Films, Dharma Production, and so on. According to the report, there was a deliberate force to keep SSR stuck to TV serials and Web series.
On, 17th June, a case has been filed against 8 Bollywood lawmakers, Karan Johar, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and Ekta Kapoor along with Actor Salman Khan, Aditya Chopra, Bhushan Kumar, Sajid Nadiadwala and director Dinesh by Sudhir Kumar Ojha as a criminal case, under IPC section 306, 109, 504 and 506 in a local court of Muzaffarpur, Bihar, reported by ANI. IPC Section 306 includes abetment of suicide which calls for the punishment of 10 years imprisonment and fine. 109 secures the punishment for abetment. 504 says if a person deliberately insults other person knowing that his/her word can harm the other person’s public peace, can break the person’s mental harmony which eventually can lead the person to an offense, shall be punished under this section with either two years of jail terms or fine or the both. Section 506 secures the punishment for criminal intimidation which is two years of jail or fine or both. The renowned actress Kangana Ranaut has been registered herself as the witness of the case filed. The first hearing date is July 3. The protesters have come down to the streets with placards written #Boycott nepotism, #Boycott Karan Johar, Youth Army to fight against Bollywood nepotism. A teenage fan of Sushant Singh Rajput couldn’t bear the pain of losing favorite actor and have committed suicide in the same way SSR did and left a letter saying if Sushant can do, he also can do it.
It is noteworthy that the police have not found any suicidal note or any clue yet that can polarize the allegations. There is a record of 4 phone calls that the died actor made before the night of his suicide, but unfortunately, no conversation happened to any one of the 4 persons. But the police have found out four diaries and expecting some clues from those. People like Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhasker, and others have become vocal about the virtual attack happening against Bollywood personas and Rhea Chakraborty (girlfriend of Sushant Singh Rajput). All the decisions are being made by interconnecting the flow of events. Many actors and directors are offended and disheartened by the non-co-operative and dominating gesture of some Bollywood elites who are been labeled as flag bearers of nepotism and ‘Bollywood Mafia’.

CLAT: Common Law Admission Test

What is CLAT…..?

CLAT is a national level exam controlled by central government. Through this exam one can get admitted into any Natinal Law University out of twenty two.

Various colleges and other institutes also fill their seats on behalf of the CLAT score. These Universities and colleges offer UG and PG courses for Law. Usually the exam was being conducted in online computer based till 2018 but due to technical glitches body decided to take exam in offline mode from 2019 and onwards.Exam is conducted by a permanent body established by NLUs. Exam is held once a year.

Eligibility..

for UG:

candidate should have passed/ appeared 10+2 with 45% (40% in case of SC/ST).

there is no age criteria for the candidate and no specified no of exam attempts.

For PG:

candidate should have hold LL.B or equivalent degree with at least 55% marks(50% for SC/ST).

Exam pattern:

time given: 120 minutes

question:150 each of one mark

negative marking of 1/4

total five sections

english-30 Gk-37 mathematics-15 logical reasoning- 30 logical aptitude-38

candidates selection is based on this exam pattern .candidate has to fill preferences for colleges and by that list merit list is prepared.

all the best…

thanks.

Commiting Suicide never be a option!

How the people are trying to suicide it’s make a way for them to rush out from the problem. But other question arises is it really commiting Suicide can be a solution for this. Probably not, but how the people are nowadays commiting Suicide it is really a tensed situation. As the social media platforms are there, but it seems like it is just making double pressure on a person.

As recently News, the actor who has around 9 million followers on Instagram. He committed suicide without writing a single word anywhere , it is really heart breaking.So, we really need to get the root of this problem. The youngsters are the majors who commits suicide.

The parents have to now make the different way of parenting through which they interact more thoroughly with their child. Also they should check his social platform activities and also support him morally. Moreover if the child gets into depression, they should go to physicatrist without any hesitation.This is the need of this era.

This is the time we have to take some really positive action and also cherish ourselves too. We should also endulge ourself in the process of hobbies which we like specifically. It really makes the mood and low down the mind pressure.

Vocabulary:Ameliorate it!

A good vocabulary lets one gain an excellent command over language, it allows for free flow of words, one can gain an immense amount of confidence over the particular language and can even improve their writing skills greatly.

One of the best ways to improve vocabulary is to read. Reading everyday can help in gaining knowledge over new words and this would help when we read and write. Starting by reading just five pages a day can help one greatly, as time passes one should increase the number of pages that one reads every day from five to ten to twenty and so on, if one continues this for twenty one days without a break in between it will lead to the development of a good reading habit. Specially novels and newspaper articles, these are the two best ways and also improve one’s knowledge on various topics.

  1. Writing-

Writing can also help you increase your vocabulary, as one would make more use of the words and this will help one gain confidence, you can write paragraphs, short stories or descriptive write-ups, it can be about anything a movie, your day today or some instance which moved you, writing not only benefits in increasing vocabulary but can also improve your writing skills and increase your overall writing speed.

2. Referring to a dictionary/thesaurus-

 One of the other ways to improve vocabulary is by referring to a dictionary and a thesaurus, whenever you come across a new word one can always look it up in the dictionary, these days pocket dictionaries or online dictionary applications are easily available and one can than write the word along with its meaning for future reference.

3. Creating a list of words-

To create a list of all the new words one comes across along with their respective meaning is a great way as well, but on should keep on revising the list every now and then, this list needs to be upgraded regularly and the minute you come across a new word you can jot it down in the list, example: brutal- harsh to see and cruel

4. Conversing and talking-

Conversing and talking more in the respective language you need to improve in will help greatly in improving one’s vocabulary, you can talk with your friends and family, it can be a conversation in any topic and this will also help you improve you speaking skills in that particular language.

5. Synonym List-

To create a synonym list, the word along with it various synonyms needs to be written and a list can be created, this can help in introducing one’s self to new words. Eg- beautiful – good-looking, pretty, sublime, delightful, pleasing, attractive, charming etc.

6. Vocabulary learning applications-

Living in the age of technology, one should definitely take that into consideration and take control of this fact, there are numerous vocabulary improving applications to choose from based on your preferences and they are very handy and easy to use, plus they can be accessible any time as they are part of the data in your phone.eg-Mangoosh Vocabulary Builder, Vocabulary.com, Anki or Quizlet etc.

Quizzing one’s self or playing word games is also a great way to improve vocabulary.

There are many ways to improve your vocabulary, and with some time an effort one will be able to conquer their power over a strong vocabulary.

Lockdown Puts Non-Human Species in a World of their Own

The pandemic lockdown has a contradictory impact insofar as some species are concerned. On a positive note, we see some changes in the environment for the better because of the coronavirus lockdown. COVID-19 has killed thousands of people in the world but it has saved the Mother Earth from another angle. There has been perceptible change in our surrounding, be it land, air or water. The pollution levels had gone down and animals were freely roaming around, even in city roads. The change was evident for three months. The air was fresh enough to breathe, river water was cleaner and with vehicles much less the sound pollution came down considerably. Some experts were elated to find reappearance of rare species.

A report in The Hindu mentions that one of the spectacular things that happened in the nature is the spotting of a rare dragonfly for the first time in nine decades. The name of the insect is awkwardly longish: ‘Megalogomphus superbus Fraser’. It is grass-green, yellow and reddish-brown in colour with bottle-green eyes. The naturalists, Ravindran Kamatchi and S Gopala Krishnan, caught this dragonfly on camera for the first time. It is found in the birding outing at a farm near Kallar Garden in Mettupalayam, Coimbatore. The naturalists were out in the farm taking pictures of the resident birds of the Western Ghats known as Solaipaadi, woodpecker and flycatcher. Suddenly they saw the unseen dragonfly which is much bigger in size from the other dragonflies. They did not think about anything else and they clicked many pictures. They posted the picture on WhatsApp group and later realized that it is one of a rare kind. It is a rare discovery by them. BBC in an extensive report observes that animals in urban areas are exploring emptied streets and waterways, and delighting human inhabitants along the way. Human restrictions gave them the confidence to go deeper into our cities and stay for longer.

In an interesting coincidence the National Endangered Species Day this year was observed on 15 May— during the lockdown. The day is observed to pointedly publicise awareness about endangered species and the need to protect them. When the whole world, no less India, is witnessing a decline and even extinction of species the day assumes much significance. One would remember the video and picture of a small Indian civet which was spotted in Meppayur, Kozhikode district, Kerala. It became viral and attracted lot of positive and appreciative comments.

But the problem is that the important surveys by the Zoological Survey of India were hampered because of the lockdown. These surveys are vital in identifying new species and fauna. The main months of surveys in the Western Ghats are from March to May, which were during the peak lockdown season. The surveys require lot time and patience. The lockdown has in general affected the taxonomists and biologists in severe ways for the strict restrictions within the country. But when we were seeing the fascinating pictures of animals confidently roaming around without the fear of human beings we could perhaps hear them saying ‘what a wonderful world!’

The cover drive masters…

The cover drive is a special type of shot which requires fine wrist work and well-timed striking of ball to hit the ball into the cover-side area which is towards off side of batsmen. This shot is historically a famed one and the players who have mastered it are considered to be finest players of the game.

The stroke became historically famous during the golden era of cricket in nineteenth and early-twentieth century when cricket England started classifying players as Amateurs and Professionals. The amateurs mastered the off side shots while professionals practiced the leg side shots like flicks around the wicket.

When it comes to cricket, many interesting stats arise, one such is of playing cover drive in tests which has derived almost 40909 runs. Over the years the legacy of playing this shot has been passed on from legends like Mark Waugh, Micheal Vaughan, Sourav Ganguly to current stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and many more. 

The Leaders by Average:

While playing cover drive though Virat has scored 1038 runs off this shot and is the only player to do so ,he has been dismissed 14 times while trying to play it taking the average to 74.1 runs per dismissal. This is quite healthy average but interestingly he ranks 25th among top 45 batsmen who have scored 300-plus runs off this shot. 

The leading are South Africa’s Aiden Markram ,Faf du Plessis and pakistan’s Asad shafiq. Markram has scored 338 runs off cover drive without a single dismissal and Faf du Plessis has scored 542 runs of 2 dismissals giving him fantastic average of 270. 

Right vs Left- who plays it best:

The stats are revealing that left-handers are better players of the shot than right handers. It is clear that left handed players are edging the righty players for playing the shot. In fact the stats reveal that from over last 40-60 years left handers have edged right handers over the average runs per dismissals while playing the shot.
PERIODRIGHT-HANDERS’ AVERAGELEFT-HANDERS’ AVERAGE
1965-7435.9339.54
1975-8435.0937.06
1985-9435.6938.87
1995-28.7434.86

It is not wrong to say that left are right in this case.

Conclusion:

It is very interesting that cricket analytics have each and every information right from dot balls played by a player to the sixes he has bet.The cover drive has been always difficult as well as favourite shot of many legends. 

Era of a New Revolution – #HindiCheeniByeBye

For the last few days, severe tensions have been generated in the India- China border, that led to the martyrdom of our Indian soldiers. Yesterday, the grievous attack by the China PLA (People’s Liberation Army) leading to the death of 20 Indian Army in Galwan Valley of Ladakh, left us shattered because this was perhaps one of the deadliest event in the history of India- China border issues.

According to the media reports, several Chinese troops have made their way forcibly into the Galwan valley in Ladakh, the disputed region in the Kashmir Valley.

The reports say that in the month of May, Chinese forces began putting up tents, dugging trenches and moving heavy equipments through some underground passages, that had been regarded as an area of Indian territory by India. This was a aftermath result when India built a several kilometres long road, connecting to a high-altitude forward air base. Apart from this, the Galwan River has become a hotspot as here,the LAC (Line of Actual Control) is closest to the new road built by India along the Shyok River to Daulet Beg Oldi (DBO),the most remote and vulnerable area along the LAC in Ladakh.

Considering a heinous act done by China PLA (where they killed our 20 soldiers), the citizens of India, as a reaction to it, took an initiative in boycotting Chinese products. The Indians have now started coming out of their homes and burning the Chinese products on the roads. In fact, a buzz have been created by people on the social media platforms,where they are using a very trending hashtag called #HindiCheeniByeBye in order to boycott the things made in China. This was done after the Zee News came up with the idea of #HindiCheeniByeBye initiative.

An enraged mob.

In addition to this, Taiwan has also come forth in support of India. In its national daily – The Taiwan Times, Taiwan media has shown Shri Ram with His dhanush (bow) aiming towards the dragon (a symbolism for China).

The cover page of the Taiwan Times.
Even Amul- the leading Indian brand, has came up with boycotting Chinese products.

Historically speaking, this act is a resemblance of the event when people of British India boycotted the Britain products. In this main scenario, Mahatma Gandhi emerged as a leading protagonist and encouraged Indians to boycott British goods as well as to buy Indian goods instead.This helped to regain the local economies in India along with reducing the British economy. This was the Swadeshi Movement indeed.

In the current scenario, we can see that Swadeshi Movement 2.0 has begin again, boycotting all the products that are made in China. Shunning China from the mainstream economy will boost up our own economy, that will pave the way for economic development of India. This will be an act of paying gratitude and respect towards the Indian Army too, who have been killed by the Chinese militants. So, as an ending note, it’s purely accurate to say that #HindiCheeniByeBye has emerged as a new mode of revolution in the 21st century India, hence.

Can robot replace human teachers?

With the advent of technology we ofteb heard that robot should teach in the schools. But if we think about this, is it really possible or justifiable to replace human teachers by robots. I think NO.

In a classroom the role of the teacher is not to just teach the children a particular topic at his/her own pace and leave the class. Teacher also analyse children’s behaviour, talk about their issues, give them moral support which is never possible by a robot. And if we talk about learning only then also teaching can change her method according to the comfort and understanding of children. He/she can use easy language help the child to understand the concepts by real life instancea but if we talk about robots they can teach what we program in then in a single way only. Robots also don’t able to recognise whether the child is understanding whatever they are trying to teach.

Apart from this, we humans are social animals. We learn by seeing other people doing things, discussing among each other. But if we replace human teachers by robots than learning become passive or one sided in which just robot is teaching and students are listening and can sometimes ask their enquiries. There is no interaction like as in classroom with teachers and students.

If we see the assessment of students it is true that robots can do assessment in a fast and efficient way and they can also tell students where they are lacking but robots can never understand individual needs. Whereas if we see a human teacher assessing even after referring to an exam sheet , she think about if a child made a progression or not. She also think about the previous assignment and discuss the improvement with children which is impossible with a robot teacher.

So for teaching we not only need knowledge, and efficiency but also understanding, emotions and engaging capabilities which is possible only in human beings.

So, we may take the help of robots in our school but we cannot replace them by teachers as learners need a direction to learn which is more important than lectures and a lots of human emotions which can be provided by a human teacher only.

SC Allows Woman With Twin Pregnancy To Medically Terminate One Foetus With Down Syndrome

In an interesting turn of events, we saw how just recently on June 16, 2020, the Supreme Court went ahead to allow a woman bearing 25 weeks old twin pregnancy, to undergo procedure for foetal reduction on the grounds of “serious foetal abnormalities”. It must be mentioned here that a three Judge Bench of Supreme Court comprising of Justices R Banumathi, Indu Malhotra and Anirudha Bose allowed the special leave petition preferred against the order of the Bombay High Court, whereby the petitioner was denied relief. It must also be mentioned here that termination of pregnancy on the ground of “physical or mental abnormalities” of the unborn child as envisaged in Section 3(2)(ii) of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 clearly states that a pregnancy may be terminated by a registered medical practitioner where the length of the pregnancy exceeds twelve weeks but does not exceeds twenty weeks, if not less than two registered medical practitioners are of opinion, formed in good faith that there is a substantial risk that if the child were born, it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped.

                              Truth be told, we see that here in the present case, the women was 25 weeks pregnant, i.e. beyond the threshold provided under the Act. The women needed permission of the Court to do what she wanted. She had to therefore approach the Court seeking permission to terminate the pregnancy.

                               To start with, the ball is set rolling in para 1 wherein it is stated that, “We have heard Mr Colin Gonsalves, learned senior counsel appearing for the petitioner.” It is then stated in para 2 that, “The petitioner who is now pregnant by about 24-25 weeks, had sought permission for foetal reduction of one foetus which is affected with down syndrome.”

                                While elaborating on the background of the case, the Bench then points out in para 3 that, “By order dated 22.05.2020, the High Court had declined to grant permission for foetal reduction. The High Court was of the view that it may not be safe for the mother, and secondly foetal reduction of one foetus, may affect the other normal foetus.”  

                                           Going forward, the Bench then brings out in para 4 that, “By order dated 10.06.2020, we had directed the same Medical Board to be re-constituted, and submit an additional report on two issues: (i) To give further opinion whether the abortion of one foetus will affect on the life of the petitioner-mother; (ii) Whether the abortion of one foetus will have an effect on the surviving second foetus.”

                                       To be sure, the Bench then recalls in para 5 that, “We had further directed that an Additional Member be included in the Medical Board, who is a specialist in Foetal Medicine. The Medical Board included Dr. Purnima Satoskar, MD, a Full Time Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Seth G.S. Medical College and Head of Unit & Foetal Medicine Department at Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital, Mumbai, who has examined the petitioner – Komal Hiwale and has given the following opinion:

“After going through all the reports, I conclude that she has dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy. Today she is around 25 weeks pregnant. One foetus is affected with trisomy 21. The other foetus (fetus A) is chromosomally and structurally normal.””

                                       It would be worthwhile to mention here that it is then laid bare in para 6 that, “Dr. Purnima Satoskar has referred to the Guidance Note for Medical Boards for Termination of Pregnancy beyond 20 weeks Gestation as recommended by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, which permits selective foetal reduction and gave her opinion as under:

“Note on trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome)

This is a chromosomal abnormality and has no treatment. The baby will suffer from significant mental retardation, intellectual disability and may also have other health conditions like heart disease etc. in the affected person. Thus, leading to severe limitations on the patient who needs a full time caregiver and causes mental, logistical and financial challenges to the parents.

It is classified in the list of substantial and serious abnormalities by the MDHFW in its Guidance Note for Medical Boards for Termination of Pregnancy beyond 20 weeks Gestation.””

                                         More crucially, it is then very rightly underscored in para 7 that, “Dr. Purnima Satoskar, in her conclusion, has opined that there is no direct risk of the procedure to the normal twin and opined as under:

“In dichorionic twins, there is no direct risk of the procedure to normal twin as the circulations of the twins are separate.

The procedure carries negligible risks similar to amniocentesis to mother and is proven extremely safe and large series with no maternal deaths.

After discussing this at length with the mother, she voluntarily came up with selective foetal reduction as her preferred choice after fully understanding the risks and benefits and has submitted a handwritten letter expressing the same.

In conclusion, I find no medical reason not to provide the treatment of foetal reduction converting the twin pregnancy with one twin affected with Down syndrome to singleton pregnancy.””

                                   Furthermore, it is then pointed out by the Bench in para 8 that, “We have gone through the earlier report and also the present report submitted by the Medical Board.”

                                      Finally and most crucially, the three Judge Bench of the Apex Court while disposing of the special leave petition and considering all the facts of this particular case holds in para 9 that, “In view of conclusion of the Medical Board, the impugned order of the High Court is set aside and the petitioner – Komal Hiwale is permitted to undergo foetal reduction as per the procedure stated by Dr. Purnima Satoskar. The petitioner – Komal Hiwale as well as her husband shall give their individual consent for selective foetal reduction. A copy of the two affidavits shall be filed before this Court and the same shall form part of the record.”

                        In conclusion, the three Judge Bench of the Apex Court has very consciously, very convincingly and very commendably permitted a woman who was bearing 25 weeks old twin pregnancy to undergo procedure for foetal reduction on the grounds of “serious foetal abnormalities”. There can be no denying or disputing it! It goes without saying that it is just a mere coincidence and nothing else that the two Judges out of the three who delivered this latest, landmark and extremely laudable judgment – Justice R Banumathi and Justice Indu Malhotra are themselves woman!   

Sanjeev Sirohi, Advocate,

s/o Col BPS Sirohi,

A 82, Defence Enclave,

Sardhana Road, Kankerkhera,

Meerut – 250001, Uttar Pradesh.

Cyber bullying in India

Cyber bullying has emerged to be one of the most significant problems teenagers seem to face online on a daily basis in some way or the other. It affects people mentally and may lead to long term psychological problems in the future. There are many forms in which bullying can take place. However, cyber bullying was not a prevalent issue until the end of 2000 around which internet services were widely spread across the globe and needless to mention it brought about a plethora of positive as well as negative repercussions in the society.

Cyber bullying basically covers bullying that occurs using digital advancements which include but are not limited to mobile phones, tablets, laptops and desktops. Social media plays a significant role in helping cyber bullying to be a growing issue amidst the other societal ones in this generation. Although anyone can become a victim of cyber bullying, teenagers seem to be the most affected ones among all age groups.
Cyber bullying covers a wide range when it comes to the form in which it takes place starting from hateful comments, abusive text messages, negative and false information, character assasination to doxing i.e puclicly posting private conversations/ information without a proper permission from their side. Creating fake profiles with a picture and information of someone else without their permission is also a form of doxing which at times can be really dangerous to deal with.

Triggering certain religious beliefs and values can also be considered as a form of cyber bullying which is mainly seen in countries like India and Bangladesh which have a drastic range of diversity and differences of religious believers residing within them. This issue can get really ugly sometimes and it may also lead to real life violent instances if not taken care of from the very beginning.

The graph of cyber bullying in India seems to have taken a sudden spike in the scenario due to its wide availability and access to various internet services that have been made available for almost everyone across the country. Statistics show 7 out of every 10 people face harassments online in the form of online insults and abuses and misusing of personal pictures.

Although anyone can become a victim of cyber bullying regardless of their gender and age, teenage girls happen to be the ones who are more likely to be harassed on a daily basis.
There have been many instances where these kinds of harassments have led to heinous crimes like murder, rape and suicide. According to a recent report(TOI), a 17 year old committed suicide after her friend morphed her picture and uploaded it on social media. In 2018 a boy from UK killed himself after being subjected to cyber bullying. In the same year a 25 year old woman killed herself after being subjected to constant bullying over WhatsApp by her acquaintances due to her friendship with a muslim man. Gurmehar Kaur, an Indian woman had been subjected to online harrassment in the form of abusive comments, text messages as well as murder and rape threats. Her fault was she dared to express her opinions on concepts like War, politics and Peace.There are hundreds of other similar incidents that are allegedly growing day by day.

Considering the current scenario, it seems like more safety tools and apps need to be recommended to everyone in order to create a safe online environment for everyone. Privatization should be enhanced in every way possible so that it helps in making a difference which is highly needed in our society.

– Suvasree Bandyopadhyay

SIGHS RESULT FROM MANY SIGNALS TO ONE BRAIN CIRCUIT

Sighs get their start in one group of neurons, but instructions from various areas of the brain depend on the reason, research with mice finds.

Humans and other mammals sigh automatically once every few moments to maintain proper lung function. This so-called basal sighing is part of the normal breathing process and happens automatically, without us having to think about it. But beyond serving an essential physiological purpose, sighs also occur as behavioral responses to emotions ranging from stress and annoyance to relief.

We want to understand how all of these diverse inputs, both emotional and physiological, lead to the same behavioral output,” says Peng Li, a physiologist and assistant professor at the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute.

Understanding the brain’s control of emotions is a central goal of neurobiology and psychiatry, but it is difficult due to the challenges in teasing out emotional brain states and their complex outputs.

Because sighs offer a simple, measurable output from the brain, Li and his colleagues use them to learn more about how neural circuits communicate to regulate behavioral responses. They investigate how distinct neural circuits enable the brain to control sighing and breathing in different contexts, by studying the circuits in mice—which also exhibit both basal and emotional sighing and have brains that are architecturally similar to those of humans.

Previously, Li and colleagues identified the neurons and pathways that regulate basal sighing. In this newest study, the researchers traced up from these so-called NMB-neurons (short for neurons expressing Neuromedin B) to see what signals they were receiving when mice were under stress and found a dozen forebrain regions that send direct inputs to the sigh-control center.

When the mice were confined to a small space, inducing a claustrophobic-like state, their sighing rate increased by two to three times. Using genetic tools, the researchers identified another type of neurons in one of the forebrain regions, called hypocretin-expressing (HCRT) neurons, that were firing under stress and sending signals to the NMB-neurons. The researchers then artificially activated the HCRT-neurons, without confining the mice, and saw the same change in sighing rate.

When the researchers silenced the NMB-neurons, both basal sighing and stress-induced sighing drastically decreased in the mice. When they silenced only the HCRT-neurons, however, only the stress-induced sighing decreased while basal sighing was unaffected.

The researchers found that HCRT-neurons also were responsible for an increased breathing rate when the mice were under confinement stress. Since NMB-neurons only control sighing, and not regular breathing, this finding indicates that the HCRT-neurons are sending signals to other parts of the brain simultaneously to activate different stress-induced behaviors.

“So we’ve found the circuit that regulates all types of sighing, but activates sighs for different reasons using input signals from different parts of the brain. And we found another group of neurons that induces sighing in response to this claustrophobic stress, but also regulates other claustrophobia-related outputs,” says Li, who is also an assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and Medical School.

These findings give us clues about how the brain is wired to control various behavioral and physiological responses to emotions.”

The findings will appear in Cell Reports.

Support for the research came from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the University of Michigan, the Walter V. and Idun Berry Foundation, and the Francis Family Foundation. Coauthors are from Stanford University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

The work performed for this study was approved by the U-M Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee and the Stanford University Administrative Panel on Laboratory Animal Care.

Emotions are distinct patterns of behavioral and physiological responses triggered by stimuli that induce different brain states. Elucidating the circuits is difficult because of challenges in interrogating emotional brain states and their complex outputs. Here, we leverage the recent discovery in mice of a neural circuit for sighing, a simple, quantifiable output of various emotions. We show that mouse confinement triggers sighing, and this “claustrophobic” sighing, but not accompanying tachypnea, requires the same medullary neuromedin B (Nmb)-expressing neurons as physiological sighing. Retrograde tracing from the Nmb neurons identified 12 forebrain centers providing presynaptic input, including hypocretin (Hcrt)-expressing lateral hypothalamic neurons. Confinement activates Hcrt neurons, and optogenetic activation induces sighing and tachypnea whereas pharmacologic inhibition suppresses both responses. The effect on sighing is mediated by HCRT directly on Nmbneurons. We propose that this HCRT-NMB neuropeptide relay circuit mediates claustrophobic sighing and that activated Hcrt neurons are a claustrophobia brain state that directly controls claustrophobic outputs.

82% OF AVOCADO OIL ISN’T WHAT THE LABEL SAYS

Avocado oil isn’t the only product without enforceable standards. Honey, spices, and ground coffee are other common examples. Foods that fetch a higher price are especially ripe for manipulation, especially when adulterations can be too subtle to detect outside a lab.

The vast majority of avocado oil sold in the US is of poor quality, mislabeled, or adulterated with other oils, researchers report.

In the country’s first extensive study of commercial avocado oil quality and purity, researchers report that at least 82% of test samples were either stale before expiration date or mixed with other oils.

PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED SOME OF THE SAMPLES DIDN’T CONTAIN ANY AVOCADO OIL.

In three cases, bottles labeled as “pure” or “extra virgin” avocado oil contained near 100% soybean oil, an oil commonly used in processed foods that’s much less expensive to produce.

“I was surprised some of the samples didn’t contain any avocado oil,” says Selina Wang, Cooperative Extension specialist in the food science and technology department at the University of California, Davis.

“Most people who buy avocado oil are interested in the health benefits, as well as the mild, fresh flavor, and are willing to pay more for the product. But because there are no standards to determine if an avocado oil is of the quality and purity advertised, no one is regulating false or misleading labels. These findings highlight the urgent need for standards to protect consumers and establish a level playing field to support the continuing growth of the avocado oil industry.”

Wang and Hilary Green, a PhD candidate in Wang’s lab, analyzed various chemical parameters of 22 domestic and imported oil samples, which included all the brands they could find in local stores and online.

“In addition to testing commercial brands, we also bought avocados and extracted our own oil in the lab, so we would know, chemically, what pure avocado oil looks like,” Wang says.

Test samples included oils of various prices, some labeled extra virgin or refined. Virgin oil is supposed to be extracted from fresh fruit using only mechanical means, and refined oil is processed with heat or chemicals to remove any flaws.

Fifteen of the samples were oxidized before the expiration date. Oil loses its flavor and health benefits when it oxidizes, which happens over time and when exposed to too much light, heat, or air. Six samples were mixed with large amounts of other oils, including sunflower, safflower, and soybean oil.

Only two brands produced samples that were pure and nonoxidized. Those were Chosen Foods and Marianne’s Avocado Oil, both refined oils made in Mexico. Among the virgin grades, CalPure produced in California was pure and fresher than the other samples in the same grade.

NO STANDARDS FOR AVOCADO OIL
Ensuring quality is important for consumers, retailers, producers, and people throughout the industry. Retailers want to sell quality products, shoppers want to get their money’s worth and honest producers want to keep fraudulent and low-quality oil out of the marketplace.

But since avocado oil is relatively new on the scene, the Food and Drug Administration has not yet adopted “standards of identity,” which are basic food standards designed to protect consumers from being cheated by inferior products or confused by misleading labels

Over the last 80 years, the FDA has issued standards of identity for hundreds of products, like whiskey, chocolate, juices, and mayonnaise. Without standards, the FDA has no means to regulate avocado oil quality and authenticity.

Avocado oil isn’t the only product without enforceable standards. Honey, spices, and ground coffee are other common examples. Foods that fetch a higher price are especially ripe for manipulation, especially when adulterations can be too subtle to detect outside a lab.

Wang is working to develop faster, better, and cheaper chemical methods to detect adulteration so bulk buyers can test avocado oil before selling it. She is also evaluating more samples, performing shelf-life studies to see how time and storage affect quality, and encouraging FDA officials to establish reasonable standards for avocado oil.

Wang has experience collaborating with industry and the FDA. Ten years ago, she analyzed the quality and purity of extra virgin olive oil and discovered that most of what was for sale in the US was actually a much lower grade. Her research sparked a cascade of responses that led California to establish one of the world’s most stringent standards for different grades of olive oil. The FDA is working with importers and domestic producers to develop standards of identity for olive oil.

“Consumers seeking the health benefits of avocado oil deserve to get what they think they are buying,” Wang says.

Working together with the industry, we can establish standards and make sure customers are getting high-quality, authentic avocado oil and the companies are competing on a level playing field.”

5 WAYS YOU CAN AVOID BAD OIL
The flavor of virgin avocado oil can differ by varieties and region. In general, authentic, fresh, virgin avocado oil tastes grassy, buttery, and a little bit like mushrooms.
Virgin avocado oil should be green in color, whereas refined oil is light yellow and almost clear due to pigments removed during refining.

Even good oil becomes rancid with time. It’s important to purchase a reasonable size that can be finished before the oil oxidizes. Store the oil away from light and heat. A cool, dark cabinet is a good choice, rather than next to the stove.
How do you know if the oil is rancid? It starts to smell stale, sort of like play dough.
When possible, choose an oil that’s closest to the harvest/production time to ensure maximum freshness. The “best before date” is not always a reliable indicator of quality.