What has led today’s younger generation to be devoted towards the Korean language and its culture & where can you meet native Korean speakers in India?

Rise of the Korean culture:
The vibrant and mind-blowing Korean culture has fascinated a lot of youth as of today’s date. The culture and its awesomeness have urged lots of youths as well as adults to learn the Korean language, so that it could be easier to watch K-dramas and also K-POP songs. The influence of the culture has urged lots of people to major in Korean language in India. As a result, people not only throng the institutes where Korean language is being taught, but also opt for those classes online even from rural areas. In the past decades, people were eager to learn
Western languages like French, German, Spanish etc., and would spend tons of dollars learning these.

Obsession towards the culture and it’s language:
The Korean industry is on the pinnacle of its glory due to its technology, K- beauty and K-pop. It has inspired a significant population of the youth, converting people into Korean language learners and Korean culture enthusiasts. Additionally, it also inspires them to meet native Korean speakers, so that they could learn from them and watch Korean dramas with ease instead of relying on the English subtitles. Moreover, it lets you experience the culture with deep insight and also helps you to learn the language more fluently. Today, the number of Korean language learners has increased exponentially in India especially during the pandemic which led them to enroll for different Korean language courses online, where they find proper guidance. Nonetheless, meeting a native speaker can add a huge impact.

Where can you meet Korean native speakers?

1.Hellotalk-A social media app designed for users to learn and exchange language and cultures.
2.Meff-Another social media app to make connections and friendships through social media.
3.Churches-You can find lots of Korean native speakers at churches as well, especially on
Sundays (it specifically includes metro cities).
4.Korean Restaurants-Another great place where you can find native speakers.
5.Tourist spots-Taj Mahal has never ceased to surprise and captivate the hearts of Koreans. It
tops the list of the tourists’ spots that are chosen by Koreans during their visits to India. Yes!!!!
every year there is a huge multitude of Koreans visiting the Taj Mahal.

korea#korean#Korean Language#foreignlanguage#kdramas#kpop#culture

Discovery and working of an MRI

      The MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) scan is a medical imaging procedure that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to take pictures of our body’s interior. It is mainly used to investigate or diagnose the conditions that affect soft tissue such as tumors or brain disorders. The MRI scanner is a complicated piece of equipment that is expensive to use and found only in specialized centers. Although Raymond Vahan Damadian (1936) is credited with the idea of turning nuclear magnetic resonance to look inside the human body, it was Paul Lauterbur (1929-2007) and Peter Mansfield (1933) who carried out the work most strongly linked to Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. The technique makes use of hydrogen atoms resonating when bombarded with magnetic energy. MRI provides three dimensional images without harmful radiation and offers more detail than older techniques.

       While training as a doctor in New York, Damadian started investigating living cells with a nuclear magnetic resonance machine. In 1971 he found that the signals carried on for longer with cells from tumors than from healthy ones. But the methods used at this time were neither effective nor practical although Damadian received a patent for such a machine to be used by doctors to pick up cancer cells in 1974.

The first full body MRI scanner at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland (1970)

       The real shift came when Lauterbur, a U.S, chemist, introduced gradients to the magnetic field so that the origin of radio waves from the nuclei of the scanned object could be worked out. Through this he created the first MRI images in two and here dimensions. Mansfield, a physicist from England, came up with a mathematical technique that would speed up scanning and make clearer images. Damadian went on to build the full body MRI machine in 1977 and he produced the first full MRI scan of the heart, lungs, and chest wall of his skinny graduate student, Larry Minkoff – although in a very different way to modern imaging.

Working of an MRI machine

        The key components of an MRI machine are magnet, radio waves, gradient, and a super advanced computer. We all know that human bodies are made up of 60% water, and water is magnetic. Each of the billons of water molecules inside us consists of an oxygen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms that are called as H2O. Small parts of the hydrogen atoms act as tiny magnets and are very sensitive to magnetic fields. The first step in taking an MRI scan is to use a big magnet to produce a unified magnetic field around the patient. The gradient adjusts the magnetic field into smaller sections of different magnetic strengths to isolate our body parts. Take brain as an example, normally the water molecules inside us are arranged randomly. But when we lie inside the magnetic field, most of our water molecules move at the same rhythm or frequency as the magnetic field. The ones that don’t move along the magnetic field are called low energy water molecules. To create an image of a body part, the machine focuses on the low energy molecules. The radio waves move at the same rhythm or frequency as the magnetic fields in an MRI machine.

       By sending radio waves that match or resonate with the magnetic field, the low energy water molecules absorb the energy they need to move alongside the magnetic field. When the machine stops emitting radio waves, the water molecules that had just moved along the magnetic field release the energy they had absorbed and go back to their position. This movement is detected by the MRI machine and the signal is sent to a powerful computer which uses imaging software to translate the information into an image of the body. By taking images of the body in each section of the magnetic field the machine produces a final three dimensional image of the organ which doctors can analyze to make a diagnosis.

“Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability”. –William Osler

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana which was announced on 2014 has completed its seven years. It has various objectives too. It make sure that people can get access to different services related to finance like you will get access to the credit, insurance and also the pension to those who belongs to weaker section of the society or has low income. This Yojana also helps in using of technology to lower cost and hence wide area of people can get them.

Basically, it’s a national mission for financial inclusion. It will help that you all get access to different financial services like saving and deposit accounts, credit, insurance, pension, remittance too.

Few achievements

PMJDY accounts have grown three time from 14.72 crore in 2015 to 43.04 crore in 2021. If talk about who are getting benefits then it is observed that mostly the women who are enjoying it and it is also found that people are from rural and semi-urban areas too. Deposits under this account has increased upto 6.38 times till 2021. The use of Rupay card has much increased. There are various app too that are created for easy banking. About 5 crore accounts are getting Direct Benefit Transfer under various government schemes.

Impacts And Challenges

Through DBTs, there are very less chances of any leakages. Total security to the account is provided. This yojana has nearly completed its initiative to provide every adults with a bank account. It provides path to the poor so that they can bring their savings into the formal financial system.

But there is lack of physical and digital connectivity to the hilly areas. Sometimes there is technical issues too. Village people don’t want to deposit their money to a far located place. There is still a lack of awareness, knowledge and also skills. There are chances that people can make multiple accounts so that they can get much benefits.

References

Superstitions Prevalent in India

By – Supriya

Superstition may be defined as an illogical or unreasonable belief, or acceptance of a certain phenomenon as it is without trying to know it’s cause. It also involves belief in omens, charms ,demons,witches,useless ceremonies and in the existence of supernatural beings.Superstitions mostly are the outcome of ignorance , outdated and unwarranted beliefs and backwardness. In this age of scientific reasoning ,logic and progress , superstitions still cloud the mind of a common man. Although western influence- to an extent has been successful in erasing out superstitious beliefs through the spread of education and public awareness ,yet superstitions have great hold on the all developing countries including the Orient.Somehow the Orient i.e., the East has always been equated to exotic settings , remote places and strange happenings. The forests of Africa were believed to have a hypnotizing and mesmerizing quality and it was suspected that people changed and got transformed in Africa. Even India, for long, was considered a land of snake – charmers , magicians ,witches and strange sights ,by the westerners.

The Indian society, in the modern era, still seeped into ignorance and lack of education,has deeply fallen into the ditch of superstitions. Only a small fraction of society which is educated and open- minded is free from the clutches of superstitions to some extent. The condition of rural class or uneducated masses is the worst as they don’t even want to change.One should not leave home if anyone sneezes or sees a man with an empty pitcher or if a cat crosses the path and heaven protects if the cat is black – these are believed to be early signs of unsuccessful ventures or ill -luck. To see a one -eyed person early in the morning or a widow is sure to bring a bad day. The hooting of an owl and the howling of a dog are all signs of I’ll – luck or even death.The crowling of a crow or the falling of a comb indicates the forthcoming guests. One should not wear perfumes while crossing a cemetery or walk under a peepal tree during afternoon time or eat sweets and pass through a graveyard or else one will surely get afflicted by ghosts. One should not walk through cross – roads from right in the middle as again ghosts might capture you. If one drinks milk of a domesticated cow, one should never stand and drink milk as it might reduce the milk production of the cow. Itching of the right palm signifies good luck and of the left palm I’ll – luck . A similar thing is believed with the twitching of the eyes. Itching of the sole of the feet indicates that a journey is to be undertaken in the near future.
The list of such superstitions is endless and all of them are amusing in their own ways. The belief in evil eye, wearing of tabeez and charms to ward off ill- luck or to bring good luck are different kinds of superstitions found in India. It is the most discouraging to see that many a times educated people are in the habit of indulging into superstitions as much as the illiterate ones in the country. Beliefs regarding ghosts ,evil- eyes , charms etc are nothing but manifestations of human weaknesses. Weak minds cling to such things in case of failures to attribute their share of blame instead of acknowledging their faults and working hard to remove it.The dead cannot harm as much as the living can be kind to their fellow beings.

Generally, women are found more susceptible to Superstitions, may be because it was the female sections of the society that remained uneducated and ignorant for years. Now, women are trying to break free from the unprogressive shackles of superstitions. The only effective weapon against the cobwebs of superstitions is education, awareness and development of scientific attitude as well as aptitude. Firstly, there is a need to educate women who are responsible for educating the entire family. Besides, nothing should be accepted without any scientific reasoning. Then only can we shake off the deep and age-old roots of superstitions which have now become a part of our tradition ,ritual, culture and religion. With advancement in science and technology, although we have been successful in evaluating superstitions to an extent, yet a little more effort is needed to completely remove these from our daily lives.

THANKYOU

About the phenomenon: Amrita Pritam

A woman of India, a woman of our hearts. Amrita Pritam was a poet and author, primarily adept in writing Punjabi and Hindi poems. She was born in the year of 1919, on the 31st day of August, in a village named Gujranwala, Punjab(British Raj) to Raj Bibi, a school teacher, and Kartar Singh Hitkari, a writer and poet, as Amrit Kaur. With the grief of her mother passing away when she was just 11, she felt her inside hollow and dark. And to express that utter emptiness, she started writing, and she never stopped. Gradually, along with expressing that sorrow, writing filled her hollow, thriving her into publishing her first anthology at 16 named Amrit Lehran (immortal waves), the same year, she got married to a guy named Pritam Singh. and hence, she was now called as Amrita Pritam. No one knew then, that in a few years, this name was going to be in everyone’s hearts.

After a few years of anguish, pain and numbness, her marriage fell apart. To have a living of her own, Amrita started working in the radio. she worked their till 1961, a year after her marriage ended. the partition of 1947 started to scar her thoughts, a Punjabi refugee, she shifted from Lahore to Delhi while having her son in her womb. In those devastating days, she wrote a poem called ‘aaj aakhaan waris shah nu‘ meaning ‘I ask Waris Shah today’, to enlighten her on how the world was falling apart and if he could help from the grave he was in. How could w=one know that this poem itself would be the infinite reminder of how depressive the world had gotten during the partition and how Amrita was rendered a legend the minute she rested her pen down when finishing this beautiful work of art.

Her novel Pinjar, published in 1950, described where the riots of 1947 left the women of the countries, and how badly they suffered the wrath of the communities, of the religions. this novel, which was then made into a film, was one of the greatest works of Amritaji.

She edited nagmani, a Punjabi literary magazine which she ran with Imroz for 33 years, though after the partition, she started writing in Hindi as well. she was the first recipient of the Punjabi Rattan Award. She also started writing spiritual themed books, like kaal chetna, agyat ka nimantran etc. her autobiographies included, Rasidi Ticket, Kala Gulab etc. The list of her works is almost endless, this phenomenon wrote more that 100 books containing poems, novels, autobiographies, and what not. These were then published in over 50 languages all over the world.

One of the most highly controversial women in India, she had an indefinite affection for the known, Sahir Ludhianvi, who found comfort in singer Sudha Malhotra, rather than the lovestruck Amrita. In a matter of time, she found her solace in painter Imroz. After many years of illness and disease, she left in peace, in her sleep at the of 85. Though her body died, her legacy lived on. she is still an asset to the world and its poets, and loved dearly on both sides of the India-Pakistan border. this is called a life well lived.

IMPORT PROCEDURE

The buying
of goods and services from outside the nation is called importing. Usually, it
is done in case the country is not able to produce that good themselves
efficiently due to lack of resources. The process of importing is a lengthy
one. There are lots of paperwork and decisions made in order to trade
internationally. Let’s have a look at the procedure here.

 

1.TRADE
ENQUIRY

The first
and foremost step is to enquire and collect all the information about the
countries and the firms that can export the required goods in the importing
nation. The importer comes into contact with the exporter with the help of a
‘trade enquiry’ where he requests for all the details related to the goods need
to be imported.

In response
to the enquiry, the importer receives a ‘Performa Invoice’ which
contains all of the information that he asked for.

 

2.IMPORT
LICENSE AND IEC NUMBER

Some goods
can be shipped across nations freely without any restrictions. But some goods
need a license to be imported to a certain territory. This list of restricted
goods can be checked through the ‘Export Import Policy’ (EXIM). A
license must be acquired if the required goods falls under this list.

Also, in
India, it is necessary for all the importers to register themselves under the
Directorate General Foreign Trade (DGFT) and get an Import Export Code (IEC)
which must be mentioned on the import documents.

3.FOREIGN
EXCHANGE

Now, the
importer has to arrange for foreign exchange as the payment for the goods must
be made in the currency of the exporting country. For instance, India will have
to pay in US Dollars if the goods are being imported from USA. In India, these
exchanges can be procured by the Exchange Control Department of Reserve Bank of
India.

 

4.PLACE
ORDER

After the
foreign exchange is procured, the importer has to place an order to the
exporter with all the necessary information such as quantity, quality,
insurance, weight, date and time of delivery, packaging and lot more. This
order can either be directly placed by the importer or could be placed through
a middleman.

 

5.LETTER
OF CREDIT (LOC)

An exporter
needs to be sure about the financial condition of the importer to secure his
payment. For this reason, he demands for an LOC from the importer which is
issued by the importer’s bank as a guarantee that the importer is financially
stable enough to make the payments. This LOC will only be issued by the bank if
they are sure about his credibility.

 

6.FINANCE
ARRANGEMENT

The importer
has to pay for the goods when they arrive in order to retrieve them. Therefore,
he must arrange the finance way before the delivery of the goods so that he
won’t be penalized for letting the goods stay at the port due to insufficient
funds.

 

7.RECEIPT
OF SHIPMENT ADVICE

After the
exporter has loaded the goods on the ship, he prepares a ‘shipment advice
for the importer which contains information such as description of the goods,
bill of lading, date and time, name of the ship, invoice number and more.

 

8.IMPORT
DOCUMENTS

After the
shipment of the goods, the exporter hands over the important documents like
bill of lading, packaging list, marine insurance police, certificate of origin
etc. to the banker of the importer to be sent to the importer. These documents
are only delivered to the importer when he accepts the bill of exchange.

 

9.ARRIVAL
OF GOODS

At the
arrival of the goods, the one in charge of the ship informs the in charge of
the dock and provides him with a ‘general manifest’ which contains all
the information regarding the imported goods. The unloading of the goods in the
importing country takes place on the basis of this document.

 

10.CUSTOMS
CLEARANCE

In order to
take the delivery, the importer has to clear the customs duty. Firstly, the
importer has to get a delivery order by the shipping company in order to take
the delivery. Then he must pay the dock charges for receiving the goods on the
port. After this, a ‘bill of entry’ has to be filled by the importer for
the assessment of the customs duty. This bill of entry consists of the name and
address of importer and exporter and information about the goods.

Only after
the completion of these process is the importer allowed to take away the
consignment with him.

TOP FIVE EXERCISE TO BUILD MUSCLES

There are so many people who are in skinny body so they fell low in confident, attraction. Here I came with few exercises to build muscle and attractiveness to yourself. But also it’s to done consistently for the optimistic results.

1) SQUATS

A squat is a strength exercise in which the trainee lowers their hips from a standing position and then stands back up. During the descent of a squat, the hip and knee joints flex while the ankle joint dorsiflexes; conversely the hip and knee joints extend and the ankle joint plantarflexes when standing up. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squat_(exercise)

Here are some advantages of squats: 1) Strengthens your core. 2) Reduces the risk of injury.
3) Crushes calories.
4) Strengthens the muscles of your lower body.
5) Boosts athletic ability and strength.

2) DEADLIFTS

The deadlift is a weight training exercise in which a loaded barbell or bar is lifted off the ground to the level of the hips, torso perpendicular to the floor, before being placed back on the ground. It is one of the three powerlifting exercises, along with the squat and bench press. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeadliftA barbell deadlift is a compound exercise and works the gluteus maximus with further work on the quadriceps femoris, hamstrings, trapezius, lats, and erector spinae. The quadriceps, hamstrings, adductor magnus, and soleus serve as synergists during the exercise.

Here are few advantages of DEADLIFTS:

  • Muscle building workout
  • Improves stamina
  • Good for heart
  • Helps in growth hormones

3) BENCH PRESS

The bench press, or chest press, is an upper-body weight training exercise in which the trainee presses a weight upwards while lying on a weight training bench. The exercise uses the pectoralis major, the anterior deltoids, and the triceps, among other stabilizing muscles. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bench_press A conventional bench press uses the pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, and Triceps brachii to horizontally adduct the shoulder. It also uses predominantly triceps and anconeus to extend the elbows.

Here are some advantages of beach press:

  1. Good for upper body.
  2. Enables confidence.
  3. Better feel than yesterday

4) LUNGE

A lunge can refer to any position of the human body where one leg is positioned forward with knee bent and foot flat on the ground while the other leg is positioned behind. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunge_(exercise) Doing this exercise will promote your legs bigger and better. This lunge exercise will improve in legs and avoid leg injuries.

Here are some advantages of lunges:

  • Good for hamstrings
  • Relief pain from joints
  • Improve posture

5) CLEAN AND PRESS

The clean and press is a two-part weight training exercise whereby a loaded barbell is lifted from the floor to the shoulders and pushed overhead.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_and_press The main muscle worked in a clean and press is your shoulders, but the movement also works your traps, triceps, middle and lower back, abdominals, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. It is a full body exercise, which not only can be performed for hypertrophy, but also for strength.

Here are few advantages of clean and press:

  • Good for abs, triceps, biceps,
  • Promote stamina
  • Helps in good posture
  • Enables slow-aging
  • Fell better than yesterday

What Islam says about hygiene

HOW DO WE KNOW THAT CLEANLINESS IS VERY IMPORTANT IN ISLAM? We must bathe at least once a day and we must do Wudu before our prayers. We should also wash and dry ourselves properly everytime we use the toilet and remember to wash and clean our hands.

THE significance of cleanliness and hygiene cannot be overlooked by any society. Every faith and civilisation stresses the importance of cleanliness. Historically, cleanliness has been considered one of the important factors by which to judge a civilisation’s or society’s development.

Islam places great emphasis on cleanliness and purity, both physically and spiritually. In Islam, spiritual purity is linked to physical cleanliness and purity. More importantly, cleanliness is termed an indispensable fundamental of faith.

However, this fundamental and powerful tenet of our faith, unfortunately, is not reflected in our society practically. Serious reflection is required on our individual as well as collective practices in order to make this valuable principle of Islam part of our lives.

There are many verses in the Holy Quran which reflect the importance of cleanliness. For example, Allah says “…Truly, Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean” (2:222). In the Quran worship and seeking Allah’s love is conditioned with cleanliness and purity as the Holy Book says “…In it [mosque] are men who love to clean and to purify themselves. And Allah loves those who make themselves clean and pure” (9:108). Furthermore, in one of his sayings, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) has termed cleanliness as half of faith.

Gandhi Jayanti

 By: Astha Raghav. 

Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated on October 2 every year to mark the birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi. Known as the ‘Father of the Nation’, the ideologies, struggles and kindness of Gandhi drove India to its independence. One of the most prominent leaders of India’s independence movement, Gandhi was the man behind non-violent civil disobedience.

This year will mark the 152nd birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the entire world observes this day as ‘Gandhi Jayanti’. It is a national holiday in India to honour the legendary leader without whom India wouldn’t have tasted independence. The United Nations also observe Gandhi Jayanti as ‘International Day of Non-Violence’ every year.

Gandhi played a key role in India’s freedom movement and his philosophies towards India have impacted people’s lives. His method of non-violence inspired many civil rights movements in the world and he also fought to bring significant changes in society.

Who was Mahatma Gandhi?

Born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar in Gujarat, Mahatma Gandhi is considered as the nation’s tallest leader of the independence movement. As a child, he always expressed his feelings about patriotism and united India with his thoughts and ideologies to fight for freedom.

He successfully led India’s non-violent movement against the colonial British empire. He went to South Africa to study law and led nationwide campaigns for farmers and labourers and also fought against caste  of athall age groups discrimination and was vocal about expanding women’s rights. 

Thank You!

Unemployment

 By: Astha Raghav. 

Unemployment is measured by the unemployment rate, which is the number of people who are unemployed as a percentage of the labour force (the total number of people employed added to those unemployed).

Unemployment can have many sources, such as the following:

  • new technologies and inventions
  • the status of the economy, which can be influenced by a recession
  • competition caused by globalization and international trade
  • policies of the government
  • regulation and market

Unemployment and the status of the economy can be influenced by a country through, for example, fiscal policy. Furthermore, the monetary authority of a country, such as the central bank, can influence the availability and cost for money through its monetary policy.

In addition to theories of unemployment, a few categorisations of unemployment are used for more precisely modelling the effects of unemployment within the economic system. Some of the main types of unemployment include structural unemployment, frictional unemployment, cyclical unemployment, involuntary unemployment and classical unemployment. Structural unemployment focuses on foundational problems in the economy and inefficiencies inherent in labor markets, including a mismatch between the supply and demand of laborers with necessary skill sets. Structural arguments emphasize causes and solutions related to disruptive technologies and globalization. Discussions of frictional unemployment focus on voluntary decisions to work based on individuals’ valuation of their own work and how that compares to current wage rates added to the time and effort required to find a job. Causes and solutions for frictional unemployment often address job entry threshold and wage rates.

According to the UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO), there were 172 million people worldwide (or 5% of the reported global workforce) without work in 2018.

Because of the difficulty in measuring the unemployment rate by, for example, using surveys (as in the United States) or through registered unemployed citizens (as in some European countries), statistical figures such as the employment-to-population ratio might be more suitable for evaluating the status of the workforce and the economy if they were based on people who are registered, for example, as taxpayers.

Thank You!

International Business

By: Astha Raghav 


 It is defined as business transactions that takes place across national boarders.  This broad definition includes the very small firm that exports ( or imports) a small quantity to only one country, as well as the very large global firm with integrated operations and strategic alliances around the world. 

International business refers to the trade of goods, services, technology, capital and/or knowledge across national borders and at a global or transnational scale.

It involves cross-border transactions of goods and services between two or more countries. Transactions of economic resources include capital, skills, and people for the purpose of the international production of physical goods and services such as finance, banking, insurance, and construction. International business is also known as globalization.

To conduct business overseas, multinational companies need to bridge separate national markets into one global marketplace. There are two macro-scale factors that underline the trend of greater globalization. The first consists of eliminating barriers to make cross-border trade easier (e.g. free flow of goods and services, and capital, referred to as “free trade”). The second is technological change, particularly developments in communication, information processing, and transportation technologies.

Thank you!

INDIA – CHINA Relation

China–India relations, also called Sino-Indian relations or Indo–Chinese relations, refers to the bilateral relationship between China and India. China and India had historically peaceful relations for thousands of years of recorded history. But the tone of the relationship has varied in modern time, especially after the rule of Communist Party in China; the two nations have sought economic cooperation with each other, while frequent border disputes and economic nationalism in both countries are a major point of contention. The modern relationship began in 1950 when India was among the first countries to end formal ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan) and recognize the People’s Republic of China as the legitimate government of Mainland China. China and India are two of the major regional powers in Asia, and are the two most populous countries and among the fastest growing major economies in the world. Growth in diplomatic and economic influence has increased the significance of their bilateral relationship.

Cultural and economic relations between China and India date back to ancient times. The Silk Road not only served as a major trade route between India and China, but is also credited for facilitating the spread of Buddhism from India to East Asia. During the 19th century, China was involved in a growing opium trade with the East India Company, which exported opium grown in India. During World War II, both British India and Republic of China played a crucial role in halting the progress of Imperial Japan.

Relations between contemporary China and India have been characterized by border disputes, resulting in three military conflicts – the Sino-Indian War of 1962, the Sino-Indian war of 1967, and the 1987 Sino-Indian skirmish. In early 2017, the two countries clashed at the Doklam plateau along the disputed Sino-Bhutanese border. However, since the late 1980s, both countries have successfully rebuilt diplomatic and economic ties. In 2008, China became India’s largest trading partner and the two countries have also extended their strategic and military relations.

Despite growing economic and strategic ties, there are a lot of hurdles for India and the PRC to overcome. India faces trade imbalance heavily in favor of China. The two countries failed to resolve their border dispute and Indian media outlets have repeatedly reported Chinese military incursions into Indian territory. Both countries have steadily established military infrastructure along border areas including amidst the 2020 China–India skirmishes. Additionally, India remains wary about China’s strong strategic bilateral relations with Pakistan, and China’s funding to the separatist groups in Northeast India, while China has expressed concerns about Indian military and economic activities in the disputed South China Sea.

Should more money be spent on space exploration?

Poverty still rising all over the world, COVID-19 pandemic made it even worse. About 1.89 billion people, or nearly 36% of the world’s population, lived in extreme poverty. Nearly half the population in developing countries lived on less than $1.25 a day. Why should we spend money on space exploration when we already have so many problems here on Earth? Is it really that important? It’s like What if our ancestors thought that it would be a waste of time to figure out agriculture while we can do hunting? Or why should we spend so much time on exploring new lands while we have so many problems in our land? Each year, space exploration contributes to a lot of innovations on earth. It gave answers to many fundamental questions about our existence, and a lot of questions there to be answered if only we could increase our investment on space exploration. NASA’s annual budget is 23 billion dollars but, its only 0.1% of the total revenue. even if we were to increase the international budget 20 times it would only be a small fraction of GDP. isn’t our future worth a quarter of a percent?

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.

Benefits of space exploration:

    Improves our day to day life

       Since 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to ever set foot on moon, our interest in science and technology has improved a lot. In 22nd February 1978, US space agency launched the first satellite for its program of global positioning system (GPS). Currently there are 31 global positioning system (GPS) satellites orbiting the earth.Space exploration helped us to create many inventions like television, camera phones, internet, laptops, LED’s, wireless gadgets, purifying system of water and many more that we are using in our day to day life. There are nearly 3,372 active satellites providing information on navigation, business & finance, weather, climate and environmental monitoring, communication and safety.

   Improving health care

       The international space station plays a vital role in health and medical advancements. The Astronauts who works on the ISS able to do experiments that aren’t possible on earth due to the difference in the gravity. The project of Exomedicine – the study of medicine and micro-gravity, gravity has an effect on a molecular level so working in an environment where it can be eliminated from the equation allows discoveries that would otherwise be impossible. Medical advancements due to space exploration include,

  • Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cardiovascular diseases
  • Treatment of chronic metabolic disorders
  • Better understanding of osteoporosis
  • Improvements in Breast cancer detection
  • Programmable pacemakers
  • Laser angioplasty
  • NASA’s device with Space technology for Asthma
  • ISS plays vital role in vaccine development
  • Early detection of immune changes prevents shingles
  • Development of MRI s and CT or CAT Scans
  • And invention of ear thermometers
Proxima Centauri b is an exoplanet orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri

Need for space colonization

       Overpopulation is one of the major crises in our planet. Currently we have 7.8 billion people alive on earth. Experts predict that there will be 9.7 billion people by 2050 and 11 billion by 2100, our earth can carry only 9 billion to 12 billion people with the limited food and freshwater resources. That means we have to find an exoplanet with suitable conditions soon. We already went to moon 6 times, we already sent a rover to Mars. Robotic missions are cost efficient, but if one is considering the future of human race we have to go there ourselves. Elon Musk announced that SpaceX is going to send people to Mars I 2022. NASA planned to make a colony on Mars by 2030. These missions are not something we need at this moment. But it may play an important role on our future. Proxima Centauri b is an exoplanet which is 4.24 light years away from us. With our current technology, it is impossible to reach it in our lifetime. But we should make it as an aim for interstellar travel over the next 200 to 500 years. Stephen hawking said that the human race has existed as a separate species for about 2 million years. Civilization began about 10,000 years ago, and the rate of development has been steadily increasing. If the human race is to continue for another million years, we will have to boldly go where no one has gone before.

The day we stop exploring is the day we commit ourselves to live in a stagnant world, devoid of curiosity, empty of dreams. –Neil deGrasse Tyson

NOSTALGIC CHILDHOOD MEMORIES involves cartoons that today’s kids will never know

As we grow older, we sometimes forget about how much fun we had as children and how much we use to love waking up on Saturday morning and after returning from school to watch cartoons. Now that we are all grown up, it is easy to get lost in our long lists of things-to-do and forget to appreciate the little things.

The mind is a complicated thing, and although we have pushed back many of our childhood memories, it still harbours every theme song, character and saying that we use to live by. So, all it would take is for someone to hum a certain tune, and once recognized, you would probably be able to sing it out — word by word.

If you recently happened to flip through the channels, you might have caught a glimpse of today’s cartoons and been slightly disappointed at what you saw. Times are changing and with that the quality of TV shows are rapidly disintegrating. So be happy that you were born when you were and make sure to take a trip down memory lane every once in a while.

SOME MOST APPRECIATED AND ENJOYED CARTOON DURING MY TIME

  • BOB THE BUILDER

Bob the builder is one of my favorite cartoon show and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it as a kid. And the title track of this cartoon is super iconic, it just freshes up all the beautiful memories of my childhood. The show focused on Bob a building contractor who solves all the problems with a positive attitude along with his vehicles who can actually talk.

  • THE POWERPUFF GIRLS

Whenever I think of  Cartoons, the first thing that pops into my head is “Powerpuff Girls”. The Powerpuff Girls – Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup were created by Professor Utonium in an attempt to create the “perfect little girl” using a mixture of “sugar, spice, and everything nice”. However, he accidentally spilled a mysterious substance called “Chemical X” into the mixture, creating three girls and granting all three superpowers including flight, superhuman strength, superhuman speed, superhuman senses, nigh-invulnerability, x-ray vision, red heat vision, energy projection, space survivability, and thermal resistance. Despite being the main characters of the show, the villain of the show was most popular character i.e. MOJO JOJO and his popularity was so high that you could do a freaking show on Mojo JoJo alone!

  •  Ed, Edd n Eddy

The show is based on three adolescent boys, Ed, Edd n’ Eddy. They hang around their suburban neighborhood of Peach Creek Estates, coming up with scams to con their peers for cash, so they can buy themselves a handful of their favorite treat, jawbreakers. Their plans normally fail though, leaving them in predicaments and situations that always go hay-wire. The characters almost never leave the neighborhood, and adults are nowhere to be seen, as well as any other kids.  The characters are funny and the jokes are creative. Most of the episodes are funny with the Ed’s and my favorite one is Ed because he is stupid in a funny way and comes up with the most things he says. My least favorite characters are the Kanger Sisters, Kevin, Sarah, and Jimmy.

  • JOHNNY BRAVO

This is a show I grew up with. And probably the only show on this list that I’ve watched on and off for over a decade. Regardless of what age I was at,  “Johnny Bravo” has *always* made me laugh! And it made me laugh *a lot*! As you probably already know, Johnny is a 20 age something egotistical super-star wannabe.   What makes “Johnny Bravo” such a great show isn’t just the settings. It’s purely the main character! Constant Banters between Johnny and his mother were the most hilarious one of all things.

  • RECESS

Recess is an American animated show that revolves around 6 brave elementary school kids. This cartoon show was best, it used to come on Disney channel. Almost every 90s kid has grown up watching recess in their childhood. It was just great watching recess after coming from school, this cartoon show holds so many beautiful childhood memories. This was the time where these idiotic storyline made me to cause ruckus in my own school and get punished very tough and fun time that was.

  • COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG

“Courage the Cowardly Dog”   I Watched “Courage” when I was 10 years old it was one of the 1st times I remember feeling… genuinely disturbed while watching a cartoon. There was a real sense of atmosphere in these settings. The colors were this strange contrast of bleak, yet alien. It really added to the sense of mystery in the show. All with alien, curses , psychopaths follows the dogs like a bad mojo and add to it the hilarious abuse he get from his male owner. I watched it both in English and Hindi, I seriously found it more hilarious in Hindi dude that psycho barber episode really give me goosebumps.

  • DEXTER’s LABORATORY 

 It mentions a scientific genius who conducts countless experiments in his secret laboratory while always keeping his eyes on his elder sister Dee Dee. This boy even has to use both his teeth and fingernail to prevent her from invading his lab. 

  • POWER RANGERS FRANCHISE

Power ranger was one of the most enjoyed show of all times especially in my time, kids were hooked on the special postures and tag lines to transform in the super gears. Popularity of power ranger over the kids was equally in both gender despite having some violent fight sequence it didn’t affected its popularity.  Each series revolves around a team of youths recruited and trained by a mentor to morph into the eponymous Power Rangers, able to use special powers and pilot immense assault machines, called Zords, to overcome the periodic antagonists.

These were some of my favourite show which was cherished and enjoyed not only by me but all from my age and still do.

Casteist Of Them All

Growing up in India, belonging to a caste which is not deemed as “prestigious” or “glorified” as some others, because certain classiest men believe it to be the best way of managing a society, cannot be and does not have to be easy. The fact that these casteist men are able to pull the scam of calling names to people of a caste different to them and blaming it to be their fault requires guts to another level. Caste system has been around for so long that now when someone prefers to not to state their surname so as to avoid any sort of casteist slurs or just to promote the feeling of unity or equality they are forced to introduce themselves with their full name. The feeling that one caste is superior to another leading to subjugation of the so called inferior caste to the degree that it becomes everyday business for some and normal for others is problematic and definitely needs urgent attention. With years of development and advancement there has to be some difference in the way “dominant” look at the “survivors”, but with lack of access to education and technology the gap has only grown further, making things worse for the “non-dominants”.

Entrenched In Past

History of caste system dates back to the “SATYUG”. At the time of RAMAYANA and MAHABHARTA, the caste system started taking shape although it was not as watertight as it appears to be today but still existed. A lot of scholars argue that it was VARNA system that existed then and that CASTE system is its corrupted and un-required form. It has long been believed that there are/were four strata of society each originating from different body parts of GOD BRAHMA. With Brahamanas taking birth from the head, Kshatriyas from arms, Vaishyas from thighs and finally Shudras from feet. They were assigned tasks on the basis of this division as their capabilities matched. Although there was this division of duties and responsibilities but people could change or shift from Varna to another if they had the capability for the same. And those who did not want to change remained in the same, but were never subjected to disrespect or violence for belonging to a particular Varna.

As the society shifted its YUGA, the system of Varna also started to change. It went through a dramatic change to become present day caste system- a system way worse than Varna system. With the involvement of traditions and customs and rules that were not to be broken the Varna system soon started becoming more rigid and difficult to cut through. People were now assigned the Varna on the basis of their birth and they were to follow their parents’ leads and indulge in the same occupation as them with no adherence to their own capabilities. As society progressed towards the present times, Varna system achieved its highest level of rigidity and was now termed as caste system. The caste system did not allow anything outside the caste and was seen as an assault on the whole system. Anyone who tried to break through this system was termed anti-traditions and given capital punishment. And thus, these roots became so deep that it is difficult to cut them off even in the present day.

Data on Vulnerability

Today, we witness a number of cases of violence, brutality, discrimination and barbarity against the India’s “UNTOUCHABLES”. The graph of these cases has only been rising ever since. Sexual and physical and even mental torture continues in the name of protecting the society from the ills of SCs and STs causing a substantial number of deaths every year. The members of other caste take the responsibility onto themselves of ensuring that the audacity of these marginalized sects or caste remains in check through use of economic, political and violent power and resources, making it difficult for SCs and STs to live equally in this country as everyone. The women belonging to the discriminated castes face violence and sexual harassment more than those not belonging to these castes. According to National Crime Records Bureau of India as much as ten SC women are raped everyday and there has been a rise in their proneness to cruelty for about 44% in past ten years.

Picture Credit: https://bit.ly/39RBZpr
Picture Credit: https://bit.ly/39RBZpr

Present Times

In present times there have been a change in attitude of a lot of people with movies like, ARTICLE 15, MASAAN, THE WHITE TIGER and many more, the harsh reality has come in limelight and tried to change the perspective of the society towards the weaker sections. The big cities have never cared about the caste of a certain person, it is mostly the smaller towns and villages where the caste is so deeply engraved in the mindset of people that it will take time for the better and equal future. Though it will take time till this menace is shot dead in our Indian society and we could seize being Casteist of them All but still got to work for it together.