Category: World

Covid -19, Society and Law

Introduction

Humankind is going through a new and unprecedented experience with the rapidly spreading Covid-19 pandemic. We still do not know who ‘patient zero’, the first person to be infected and transmit it to others, was. The severity of this virus, which has caught the world by surprise, lies not only in the delay of laboratories in finding an effective and efficient vaccine, but also in the fact that the measures taken to counter it differ considerably from what was previously adopted to confront various acute crisis, whether health, political, social or economic.

There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic will change the face of human society, but it forces us to ask some important questions. Will this change only affect the healthcare systems, or will it extend to consumption patterns, value systems, political regimes and legal systems, thus leading to the fall of the huge financial and economic empires? Will the major transformations the world will undergo be determined by how we recover from the effects of this situation?

According to the World Health Organization, the problem does not lie in Covid-19 alone but rather in the fear, panic and terror caused by the spread of this virus, and amplified by the media, which has been presenting the situation as if it were the end of the world. Barring the measures adopted by China, where the virus originated, the methods used to manage the crisis around the world are somewhat similar. To some extent, China succeeded in curtailing the spread of the virus, thanks to the spirit of discipline in its people, and due to its health infrastructure, the plethora of research centres and laboratories, and the ability to control the sources of information from the onset. Most other countries have wasted precious time after the first cases appeared, relying on legal and security control in dealing with the pandemic and information about it, rather than establishing a single entity to disseminate information backed by science.

The current crisis is not of the pandemic alone. Rather, it is of the far-reaching consequences on human behaviour. Addressing these repercussions should not be limited to taking ad-hoc costly measures limited to the current situation but should prompt us to think about putting into place innovative measures and actions that go beyond the pandemic. Measures like imposing quarantines, enacting new laws to manage the pandemic, using modern tools for e-learning and telework, ensuring a minimum standard of living for all, granting loans, exemptions from paying water and gas bills and taxes, assisting the unemployed, and using the military to assist in security measures during the epidemic have cost countries billions of dollars. These are funds that could have been invested in infrastructure or other major projects, but instead have now been used to respond to the immediate needs of the people.The pandemic will radically change the modern world, leading to three likely outcomes.

The first outcome

A new theory will be integrated within political science in the future. Indeed, traditional legitimacies in the systems of government, which are derived from ballot boxes, hereditary legitimacy or religion, are beginning to decline, leaving room for a new theory called the “theory of achievements”. Since the Cultural Revolution of Mao Zedong in the 1960s, China has worked on this emerging legitimacy, as the Chinese Communist Party has distinguished itself from the rest of the Communist parties in the world.

The second outcome

The traditional conflict between wrong information and right information will transform into a conflict between convincing information and unconvincing information, as legal arsenals and control tools are no longer effective in the spread and prevalence of correct information. The method of producing information and choosing its dissemination channel is becoming a means of turning it into convincing information, regardless of if it is true or false.

The third outcome

The process of monitoring people will transition from external to internal control using smartphones. This is also what happened in China, to curb down on misinformation on Covid-19 during its early stages and as a preventive measure in the absence of a vaccine. These smart devices have become effective tools for measuring citizens’ reactions at home to what is happening in their surroundings.

A coming human revolution

Humankind is going through a humanitarian revolution, the kind that has occurred only thrice before: first, after the discovery of fire; second, with the advent of agriculture; and third, following the industrial revolution. The most prominent sign of this ‘fourth revolution’ is the predominance of new technology and the supremacy of modern means of communication, which have spawned a conflict between two major concepts of using the internet. The first can be described as social perception with a human connect, while the second is non-social perception, and can be termed as wild and unbridled. The humanitarian-minded perception is likely to win this conflict, as this human revolution is making its mark on our social existence and old behaviours. This will impact the current value system and will have political andeconomic implications.

The post-epidemic stage will see the emergence of a new human being, whose daily behaviour and thinking will differ from what it was before the Covid-19 outbreak. The political, legal and economic systems will have to adapt to this new human being. Despite the timely importance of the current safety measures being put into action around the world, there is a great need for these to be integrated into a comprehensive post-pandemic thinking. In fact, we will find ourselves faced with a generation who thinks differently from the pre- pandemic generation.

In light of the impact of Covid-19 on the individual and collective behaviours of society and State, and people’s continued thirst for information, it is necessary to keep in mind the post- pandemic world when it comes to decision-making. The Covid-19 storm will pass and mankind will survive, despite the loss of many lives. Humankind will soon live in a world that is very different from the one before the virus. However, the pandemic will succeed where the other movements of the 20th century have failed in their struggle to establish democracy and human rights, and preserve a safe environment for all.

Doctrine of Notice

INTRODUCTION

The concept of Notice for the purpose of The Transfer of Property is given under Section 3 of Transfer of Property Act, 1882 (TPA). Notice means to have knowledge of something i.e. to know something. In law, it means knowledge of a fact. It is used to decide on conflicting claims of two parties. In law, the Notice or Knowledge of a fact affects one’s legal rights and liabilities.

Under Section 3 of TPA Notice can be; “Actual or express Notice” or “Constructive Notice”, or it may be imputed to the transferee when information of the fact has been obtained by his Agent.

Constructive notice

It is based on the law of presumption or it is presumed that in certain circumstances that the person knows the fact. He cannot afterwards say against it. This type of notice can be divided into five.

  1. Notice imputed by wilful abstention from enquiry
  2. Notice from gross negligence
  3. Notice by registration
  4. Notice by possession
  5. Notice by agent

Actual notice.- Actual notice, to constitute a binding force, must be definite information given by a person interested in the thing in respect of which the notice is issued, as it is settled rule that a person is not bound to attend to vague rumours or statements by mere strangers, and that a notice to be binding must proceed from some person interested in the thing. A mere casual conversation in which knowledge of a certain thing is imparted, is not notice of it, unless the mind of a person has, in some way been brought to an intelligent apprehension of the nature of the thing, so that a reasonable man or any normal man of business would act upon the information, and would regulate his conduct accordingly. In other words, the party imputing notice must show that the other party had knowledge which would operate upon the mind of any rational man, or man of business, and make him act with reference to the knowledge he has so acquired. A vague or general report or the mere existence of suspicious circumstances is not in itself notice of the matter to which it relates. A general claim is not sufficient to affect a purchaser with notice of a deed of which he does not appear to have knowledge. If a person knows that another has or claims an interest in property for which he is negotiating he is bound to inquire what his interest is, and if he omits to do so, he will be bound, although the notice was inaccurate as to the particulars to the extent of such interest.

The notice must be given in the same transaction. A person is not bound by notice given in a previous transaction which he may have forgotten. Notice to a purchaser by his title papers in one transaction will not be notice to him in an independent subsequent transaction in which the instruments containing recitals are not necessary to his title, but he is charged constructively with notice merely of that which affects the purchase of the property in the chain of title of which the payer forms the necessary link.

Constructive notice.- Constructive notice is the knowledge which the Courts impute to a party upon a presumption so strong that it cannot be allowed to be rebutted, that knowledge must have been communicated. “The doctrine of constructive notice” said Lord Brougham in Kennedy v. Green, depends upon two considerations first that certain things existing in relation or the conduct of parties, or in the case between them, begets a presumption so strong of actual knowledge that the law holds the knowledge to exist because it is highly improbable it should not, and next, that policy and safety of the public forbids a person to deny knowledge while he is so dealing as to keep himself ignorant or so as that he may keep himself ignorant, and yet all the while let his agent know, and himself perhaps, profit by that knowledge. The broad principle underlying the doctrine of constructive notice is that a person who is bound to make an inquiry and fails to do it should be held to have notice of all facts which would have come to his knowledge had he made the inquiry. Where, on the other hand, a person is not bound to make an inquiry he cannot be charged with constructive notice of the facts that might havebeen ascertained on such inquiry. Again, where a fact, of which a person has notice, would not put him on inquiry as to the matters in question, it cannot be constructive notice of such matter.

Classes of constructive notice

(1) Wilful abstention from search which one ought to make.
(2) Gross negligence.
(3) Registration as a notice.
(4) Possession as notice.
(5) Notice to agent
(5.1)Notice should have been received in his capacity as agent.
(5.2)Notice must have been given in the course of agency business.
(5.3)Notice must be of a fact which is material to the Agency Business.
(5.4)Fraud by an agent.

Conclusion

Thus it can be said that Constructive notice is a manifestation of the rule of Caveat Emptor. This is because according to Constructive notice, a person ought to have known a fact as if he actually does know it. It presupposed that in property translation a transferee ought to ascertain and verify certain facts for safeguarding his own interest. Thus he must be aware of the nature of the transaction. These facts may relate to property or the transferor, like whether the property is free of any charge or encumbrances or whether the transferor is competent to transfer the property or not.

If the property is encumbered, then the exact nature of the encumbrance ought to be ascertained by the transferee. Law puts it as the duty of the transferee, as a reasonably prudent person to be reasonably vigilant and diligent to ascertain the facts, inspect the documents relating to property in possession of the transferor, inspecting concerned persons, even with relevant statutory authorities, if required. Failure to do this would result in the imposition of Constructive notice.

Internet and Mobile Association of India v. Reserve Bank of India

Statement of Facts

  1. On 5th April,2018 Reserve Bank of India issued a press release raising the concern about the consumer protection from trade of virtual currencies. They were of the view that trading in virtual currency also referred as crypto currency are prone to hacking and therefore would lead to money laundering, terrorist activities, etc. In this view RBI asked the banks to not to deal with the transactions related to the trading of virtual currency.
  2. The services which RBI directed the bank not to deal with were – maintaining the accounts, registering, trading, settling, clearing, giving loans against virtual currencies, accepting virtual currency as collateral, opening accounts of exchanges dealing with them and transfer of sale/purchase of virtual currencies.
  3. The matter was challenged by Internet and Mobile Association of India. The Supreme Court of India allowed the petition on the ground of proportionality. Earlier in 2013 the Reserve Bank of India do issued a public caution to the traders and holders of virtual currency in context with the legal and security related risks associated with it.

Issues Raised

  1. Whether the Reserve Bank of India had the jurisdiction to disallow the trade of virtual currency?
  2. Whether the Respondent had the powers to regulate virtual currency as they were not equivalent to money or legal tender?
  3. Whether the circular which was issued by the RBI was proportional?

Critical Analysis of the Case

A step in the right direction was taken by the Supreme Court of India, in the judgment of Internet and Mobile Association v. RBI. The court quashed the circular of the RBI that directed financial agencies to disocciate themselves from entities involved in virtual trading or transactions relating to VC’s. Some of the concerns that led to the issuance of circular include the anonymity of the transactions and the protection of investors when dealing in cryptocurrency. The major apprehension of the RBI was the inherent difficulty in tracking the source of money which has led to an increase in the number of cryptocurrency scams in the country. Still a very volatile technology, we have not had enough discussion around its shortcomings, leading to an adverse preference of this technology in the monetary circuit.

The Petitioner relied on the case of MS Gill v. Chief Election Commissioner, which led that there was an express prohibition of any authority to do anything which may improve its case. The contention of the petitioners rested on the premise that denial of banking services to those activities of trade recognized by law, would be extremely disproportionate, leading to the violation of extremely disproportionate, leading to a violation of Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution. Therefore, an understanding of whether there was an infringement of this constitutional right was necessary and to this end, the court relied on the case of Md. Yasin v. Town Area Committee, which makes it amply clear that the right under article 19(1)(g) would be affecyted “In effect and in substance” when there is a complete stoppage of a particular business activity, owing to a certain measure that was undertaken. In Keshavlal Khemchand and Sons Pvt. Ltd. v. Union of India, the court pointed out that “Reserve Bank of India is an expert body to which the responsibility of monitoring the economic system of the contry is entrusted, under various enactments like the RBI Act, 1934, the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.”

The judgement of the court has started an effective discussion on lines that were never traversed before, and while that is indeed commendable, we need to look ahead and anticipate the potential risks on the economy. With that in mind, VC’s promise a more feasible future, especially in this era where people are connected through technology in ways previously unimaginable. Various stakeholders have posted many suggestions, particularly with regarding to creating a model that can monitor and regulate crypto currency, without bringing a blanket ban of the same, which ought to be considered by the government in the light of pending bill. What we need to do is find a balance and not discourage startups from adopting this technology, and if this is ignored, India could be handicapped from exploring opportunities that crypto currencies have to offer. Instead of shying away from addressing these concerns, we need to be proactive and have a structured policy in pace to assuage any potential concerns in the future.

World Lung Cancer Day 1-Aug 202|What others days are celebrated today.

World Wide Web Day, Sisters Day, International Childfree Day, Friendship Day, World Lung Cancer Day, Swiss National Day.

World Lung Cancer Day

2nd most common form of cancer and major cause of death around the world

Significance:

To raise awareness about the causes and treatment of lung cancer. The lack of sufficient research and funding has made Lung Cancer a deadly one. According to data collected by the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 2.09 million deaths annually. New research and experiments continue to make breakthroughs in the study and treatment of lung cancer, it ranks among one of the lowest in terms of survival rate when compared to breast cancer or prostate cancer. It is majorly due to lack of funding and late detection.

Survival Rate: 22%

HIstory:


The campaign was first organized in 2012 by the Forum of International Respiratory Societies, in collaboration with the International Association for the study of Lung Cancer and the American College of Chest Physicians. They provide support to those who have been affected with lung cancer and who have survived it.

LCFA’s World Lung Cancer Day 2021 Hashtag:  #LivingWithLungCancer


The symptoms:

  • Laboured breathing
  • Coughing blood
  • Chest or back pains
  • a cough that doesn’t go away after 2 or 3 weeks.
  • Persistent breathlessness
  • Pain in the chest, back or shoulders that worsens during coughing, laughing or deep breathing.
  • Wheezing, cough with blood, and weight loss. (These symptoms often don’t appear until the cancer is advanced.)

The causes:

  • Smoking or being exposed to smoke.
  • Exposure to radon, secondhand smoke, air pollution, asbestos, diesel exhaust or certain other chemicals, tobacco products, industrial products (uranium, radiation, asbestos), and nutritional deficiencies.
  • long-term respiration of carcinogenic materials.

You can find legit donations nearby or on websites like these below. Lung cancer has very low funding compared to others. Amy amount of donation is going to save a life.

https://www.lung.org/get-involved/ways-to-give

https://lcfamerica.org/get-involved/events/world-lung-cancer-day/

Other Days celebrated today.

International Childfree Day –

It was created in 1973 in the United States by the National Alliance for Optional Parenthood, at the time the National Organization for Non-Parents (N.O.N.), under the name of Non-Parents’ Day. It has also been described as “a day of celebration worldwide for those couples who have faced criticism, ridicule, and rejection because they chose to be Childless by Choice.” The initiative, resurrected in 2013 by author Laura Carroll, also bestows Childfree Person of the Year.  The 2020 winners were Elizabeth Hintz, an American doctoral candidate who “has dedicated her professional career to understanding and normalizing childfree experiences”, and the Russian internet community “Childfree”, which “has helped so many people to find a point of support in so pro-child, so patriarchal Russian society.”

Friendship Day –

In India, Every first Sunday of August is celebrated as “Friendship’s Day”. Good friends play a huge role in our lives. They can be a sister, brother, parent, partner in crime and what not. This day is celebrated to bring us together and cherish each other’s company.

Swiss National Day –

It is inspired by the date of the Federal Charter of 1291, Pacte du Rütli, placed in “early August”, when “three Alpine cantons swore the oath of confederation” (Schwyz, Uri and Unterwald), an action which later came to be regarded as the founding of Switzerland.”  It has only been an official holiday since 1994. 1 August is celebrated each year with paper lantern parades, bonfires, hanging strings of Swiss flags, and fireworks. Since, 2014 the event format has changed with the motto Back to the roots. 

In Britain it is also Yorkshire Day, celebrating the country of Yorkshire.

World Wide Web Day –

The World Wide Web (WWW) was conceived in 1989 at the CERN lab in Geneva, Switzerland, as a way for scientists to share knowledge. It aims to remember Sir Tim Berners-Lee for bringing WWW into the world.

Jean Armour Polly, a librarian, is credited with coining the term surfing the web.

Globalisation

Introduction

Globalisation is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas and other aspects of life. The vital element of globalisation is ‘worldwide interconnectedness’ that is created and sustained as a consequence of these constant flows. Globalisation is a multi-dimensional concept. It has political, economic and cultural manifestations and these must be adequately distinguished. The impact of globalisation is vastly uneven- it affects some societies more than others and some parts of some societies more than others and it is important to avoid drawing general conclusions about the impact of globalisation without paying sufficient attention to specific contexts.

Causes of Globalisation

  • There are many causes of it but technology affects it more than anything else. Invention of printing, integrated chip(IC), telephone, internet has revolutionized communication between people in different parts of the world.
  • Due to faster communication and transportation, ideas, commodities, capital move more easily to any part of the globe than ever. As people got the technology of better communication and transportation they recognise these mediums to connect rest of the world.
  • The Ebola virus is not confined to only African continent but it affects other nations too.
  • It has mainly 3 types of consequences:-
    1. Political : Globalisation results in discomfort in functionality and working of government. The increased role of MNC all over the world leads to reduction in the capacity of govt. to take decisions on their own. But at the same time globalisation does not always reduce state capacity. The importance of state continues to be unchallenged basis of political community. Indeed in some manner state capacity has recieved a boost as a consequence of globalisation. Due to advancement in technology available in state, it can collect information about its citizens. With this information, the state is better governed. State becomes powerful than earlier due to emergence of new technology.
    2. Economic : The economic globalisation involves greater economic flows or exchange of commodities among different countries of the world. The mention of economic globalisation draws our attention to the role of international institutions like IMF and WTO in determining economic policies across world. The restrictions imposed by different countries on capital across countries and allowing imports of other countries have been reduced. Capital across countries means that investors in prosperous countries can invest in other countries including developing countries where they might get good returns. There is less movement of people across the globe because developed countries have carefully guarded their borders with visa policies to ensure that citizens of other countries cannot take away the jobs of their own citizens.
    3. Cultural : It refers to impact of globalisation in what we eat, wear, drink, watch and think. The cultural effect of globalisation poses a threat to different cultures in the world other than western culture. There is a cultural homegenisation which means rise of uniform culture, as we notice the popularity of American things like McDonald’s, Pizza, KFC, GOOGLE, blue jeans and hollywood movies has spreaded across the globe. This is dangerous not only for the poor countries but for the whole of humanity because it leads to the shrinkage or extinction of the rich cultural heritage of the entire globe. But cultural consequences of globalisation is not always negative as sometimes external culture influences simply enlarge our choices and sometimes they modify our culture without overwhelming the tradition. The Maggi is no substitute for noodles, therefore, does not pose any real challenge. Globalisation leads to each culture becoming more distinctive and different. This phenomenon is called Cultural Hetergenisation. Those who are concerned about social justice are worried about the extent of state withdrawal caused by process of economic globalisation. They point out that it is likely to benefit only a small section of population while impovershing those who were dependent on govt. for jobs and welfare. They have emphasised the need to ensure institutional safeguards to minimise the negative effects of globalisation on those who are economically weak. Many movements all over the world feel that safety nets are insufficient or unworkable. They have called for a stopping to forced economic globalisation, for its results would lead to economic ruin for the weaker countries, especially for the poor within these countries. Some economists have described economic globalisation as re-colonisation of the world. Advocates of economic globalisation argue that it generates greater economic growth and well-being for larger sections of population when there is de-regulation. Greater trade among countries allows each economy to do what it does best. This would benefit the whole world. They also argue that economic globalisation is inevitable.

India and Globalisation

From the colonial period, India became an exporter of primary goods and raw materials and a consumer of finished goods. After independence, because of the experience with British, we decided to make things ourselves rather than depending on others. We also decided not to allow others to export to us so that our own producers could learn to make things. This step generated its own problem. India had a fairly sluggish rate of economic growth (due to ignoring other sectors such as health, housing, etc.). In 1991, responding to a financial crisis and to the desire for higher rates of economic growth, India began programme of economic reforms that opened doors for trade and FDI.

India and Resistance to Globalisation

Resistance to globalisation in India has come from political parties as well as through forums like the Indian Social Forum. Trade Unions of industrial workforce as well as those representing farmers interests have organised protests against the entry of multinationals. The patenting of certain plants like Neem by American and European firms has also generated considerable opposition.

Is Online Classes a Mental Exhaustion rather than Knowledge?

Yes, Online Classes is a mental exhaustion rather than knowledge. Online Classes is a modern way of teaching consisting virtual classrooms. With educational institutes closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has been encouraging online education to achieve academic continuity. Most high-end private and public institutions have made the switch smoothly using online platforms such as Zoom, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams etc., while many still find it a herculean task. The challenges of online education is multifaceted.

Using internet for entertainment is common, but for online lessons is a big challenge. Teachers may not be well-versed with creating digital content, and conveying it efeectively online. A sudden expectation from them to upgrade, and from students to adapt, is unfair. Body language and eye-contact which are important cues for the teacher are difficult to perceive in an online class. “I do not receive continual feedback in the form of student’s reaction during online session” says a college teacher in sub-urban Mumbai. How many students have paid attention in a class? These questions arise even in traditional classrooms, but they are harder to address in online classes. A parent of an 8 year old attending a private school in Gurgaon says, “There shouldn’t be online classes for such younf kids. Their concentration span is small and they do not pay attention after a while.”

Even the college students seem to value the in-class physical learning experience much more than a virtual one. Theoretical knowledge always seems to be boring without practicals. Students have to sit at one place and just have to study the theory. Their minds gets exhausted due to which they pay less attention to what has been taught. many acknowledge that phones can be very distracting. In addition, science and technology programs often include hands-on laboratory sessions, dissertation projects and field trips to complement theoretical studies.This aspect of learning is severely limited in online education.

Finally, education is not just about subject knowledge but also about developing social skills and sportsmanship among the students, which is built over years. Relying solely on education maay hinder the holistic develoment of children and many may under-perform later in their professional and personal lives. Students are not able to understand lessons which result in oncreasing stress among the students.

“In a class of 40 students, after two months of online classes, around 20 students regularly attend class with whatever device and connection they have. Around 5-8 students are completely absent till date and rest are fluctuating” says a school teacher in Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. A teacher in a government-aided school from the small town of Chamba in Himachal Pradesh says, “It is frustrating experience to engage students of lower classes in online mode . There are network issues on both teacher’s and student’s ends.”

We all know that some areas are prone to poor internet connectivity due to which some students are not able to attend classes and some join just for the sake of attendance. We Indians give more preference to marks and frades rather than knowledge, which results in less productivity of knowledge in students and more focus is given by students to get good marks.

Top 5 websites to start as a freelancer(Part 1)

Will talk about sites and apps where you can a head-start to learn and grown in the freelancing world.

Freelancer

A person who is self-employed and not always committed to a particular employer. Freelance workers are also few times represented by a company or a temporary agency that sells freelance labor to clients. Rest work independently or use professional associations, websites to get work.

Fields where freelancing exists:

Music, writing, acting, computer programming, web design, graphic design, translating and illustrating, film and video production, data handling, Data entry, transcription, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), blogging, logo design, social media handler, and more more.

The term freelancer is commonly attributed to Sir Walter Scott 

Fiverr

Fiverr is a marketplace that connects freelancers (sellers) with customers looking for small or large services (buyers). There are a variety of different categories. SInce, it will be you who is promoting your services, you have flexibilty to chooose many fields. . In order to make money, you have to create “gigs”, which are sales pitch that will bring in customers to buy your services.
You can earn extra cash by tips from customers, extra work or revisions.

Ups and downs:

The firstmost hurdle is your first gig; using right keywords, your work examples, reviews and their types affect your customer attraction. After landing upon your first customer, you need to put in your best and take time to create the work given. It takes time but build your profile.

The things you need to be aware about is that this platform takes 20% of your every service you give. The minimum price you can charge is $5 which ends up around $4. If you love what you do, want to experience and learn how to attract customers and how to deliver your work; work for longer hours with adequate pay, fiverr might be good for you.

The issue most people complain about is it takes a little longer in payment process. Just like any freelancing job or any job in focus, scammers exist. Let the payment process be within the freelancing core, do not take accept or pay outside Fiverr.

Upwork

Clients can post a job to hire or buy a predefined service from the project catalog. Also, freelancers can access the job board and offer a service to sell. As you can browse billions of jobs to find the one which you would like to offer, it is great for beginners. You get to know to build your profile and learn from others sellers how to display your projects.

Ups and downs:

 They do higher-paying projects, payment protection, credible clients, get jobs quickly after interviews to know legit clients. They have started to charge freelancers a small fee to submit proposals to projects, said to increase your chances of selection; fees can be troublesome, clients do offer smaller budget requests which you use to learn how to work on UpWork. It can be great place for you to learn about services and build up your confidence.

Simply Hired

Simply Hired is an employment website and mobile application and an online recruitment advertising network based in Sunnyvale, California. The site is a job search engine that collects job listings from thousands of websites and job boards. To find a job, simply type the search box with related keywords. You can also narrow down jobs of your interest by filling out your city, state, or ZIP code.

Ups and downs:

Integration with LinkedIn.com gives you better results to search and apply for your desired jobs.  Simply Hired price starts at $199 per user/month, making it a little more expensive. The platform has a salary calculator and a ‘quick apply’ feature.

Be aware about outdated jobs. Ensure by calling the companies and clear your doubts. There are hidden costs for training and such which makes it costly. Email and SMS confirmations, partnerships helps you get jobs soon. Plus, it is available in more than 24 countries and in 12 different languages.

College Recruiter

College Recruiter is the leading, interactive, recruitment media company used by college students and recent graduates to find great careers. Our clients are primarily colleges, universities, and employers who want to recruit dozens, hundreds, or thousands of students and recent graduates per year.

Ups and downs:

College students who want to earn while studying, this site will provide them with many internships, part time jobs, entry level jobs and probably even get a permanent jobs. People find it easier to look for jobs in this site. Due to lack of complete job profile there can be issues with some jobs, lack of filters does make it hard to shortlist your choice of companies but it gives you lots of options, give your personal information scarcely since you might get unnecessary job invites; you can give a secondary email as well.

Aquent

Aquent is a leading talent services company, providing marketing and creative talent, managed services, extended workforce benefits, project management, and professional development. It is known as a staffing company specializing in placing temporary employees in marketing and creative industries. Aquent also has free online courses that provide training to hone one’s skills. You can search with keywords and a location, or browse all of the job openings in your nearby area.

Ups and downs:

Be aware of scammers, especially calls asking about personal information. There are chances of jobs ending early as well as there are chances of long term plans as well. Since the job can be short termed, if you will get to explore every fields you think you are fit for. The pay is decent.

LEARNING FROM THE CLEANEST CITY OF INDIA: INDORE

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. “

Indore has been awarded as the “Cleanest City” of India for fourth time in a row and the most important reason behind this success is the combined efforts of the public, public representatives, government officials and other stakeholders engaged in this process. The journey made by the city is inspiring and as of now there are many other cities of the country and globe who are following the strategies for becoming cleanest city.

INDIAN SCENARIO: TRASH EMERGENCY

According to the Annual Report of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in year 2016-17, India generated approximately 1,50,000 tones of solid waste per day. According to World Bank by 2050, it is estimated that India will generate nearly 3.5 times (over 5,43,200 tones) of solid waste per day. It has also been estimated that local bodies collect nearly 90% of this waste, out of which nearly 80% is dumped in dumping sites or landfill site without getting treated. Under Article 21, it is provided that Clean Environment is (the) Fundamental Right of every citizen and it is the responsibility of the urban local bodies and the State to ensure that clean and hygienic environment is provided to the citizens which preserves their health. In case of Indian cities, it is very important to learn from the best practices and techniques applied in different urban areas for efficiently dealing with the solid wastes.

THE JOURNEY TO CLEANEST CITY

HOW IT STARTED

The journey of Indore for becoming the cleanest city started from 2016 and it faced many challenges.

Some of technical challenges were:

  1. Inefficient infrastructures, systems and processes for Municipal Waste Management.
  2. Absence of infrastructures for material recovery, transfer stations and processing unites and non – operational composting facilities.
  3. Inefficient door to door waste collection system with no scope of source segregation practice.
  4. Unorganized trenching grounds with nearly 13 lakh tons of waste which caused methane induced fire, bad odor and increased the chances of diseases.
  5. Unorganized and inefficient waste collection, transportation and dumping.

In addition to all these technical issues, there were various non – technical challenges like:

  1. Cooperation and support of citizens,
  2. Unorganized municipal workers
  3. Lack of mechanism to monitor and reviews all the processes being involved
  4. Inefficient citizen grievance redressal system.
  5. Lack of political awareness to achieve the cleanliness goals
  6. Lack of awareness about solid waste management process among citizens, local media, administrations and Resident Welfare Associations (RWA).

THE PROCESS

Indore had to implement many strategies in each and every step associated with solid waste management. Along with these strategies the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) had partnered with private bodies, NGOs etc. for boosting the entire [process and empowered the citizens regarding their roles and responsibilities as citizens of the city for making Indore a clean city.

Waste Collection, Segregation and Transportation :

Vehicles having different compartments for waste collection

IMC started the process of waste collection from households on daily basis from 2016 and at the same time it also started asking and motivating the citizens to segregate their waste. Some of the strategies undertaken for increasing the efficiency of waste collection were :

  1. Collecting the wastes from household on regular basis and studying the lifestyle of different localities to finding the most suitable for waste collection.
  2. Explaining the people about the need of waste segregation and on repeated disposal of unsegregated wastes, households had to pay the fine as decided by the Supervisors of IMC.
  3. Tracking the routes of the garbage vans and vehicles that collect the wastes from door to door and monitoring it.

Some of the steps undertaken for creating awareness among citizens were :

  • Visiting of different localities and colonies by Municipal officials to persuade and create awareness among citizens regarding waste segregation.
  • Providing common platforms were religious leaders created awareness among people, on the basis of importance of cleanliness as mentioned in the religious texts, schools etc. and organizing oath taking ceremonies for children pledging a clean city and conduction of mass road sweeping exercise at different areas of the city.
  • Involving 850 Self Help Groups, comprising almost 8500 women for spreading awareness for waste segregation and conducting mass campaigns.
  • Campaigns for zero waste localities and markets.
  • Creating awareness regarding home composting, as a result of which nearly 50,000 households started doing home composting.

Involvement of Private Bodies and NGOs for Boosting the process

The IMC partnered with non-governmental organizations for creating awareness campaigns to change the attitude and behavior of citizens, to facilitate the functioning of solid waste management systems, use of proper technologies for increasing efficiency and improved capacity for ensuring proper implementation of all strategies and actions decided for being clean.

Waste Management System

The city adopted the strategy of processing the waste near the source. For example: All food outlets separate food waste and transport it to the small garden inside a traffic triangle at one end of the street. This strategy is more cheaper, hygienic and sustainable way for processing the wastes. The responsibility of waste composting is given to an NGO named Swaha and this organization uses a machine which simple and easy to handle. Most the waste generated from Indian cities contain higher proportion of organic wastes and are generally wet, which makes the waste more difficult to handle. These machines work efficiently even if the material is not organic with minimum spillage, minimum human contact with waste and has mechanism which can easily lift heavy trash cans.

Waste to Fuel

For processing of organic wastes, a Biomethanation facility is provided which converts the organic waste into methane. The city produces nearly 20 tones of waste everyday and this waste is converted into 750 – 800 kg of bio compressed natural gas (bioCNG). This task is assigned Mahindra Waste to Energy Solutions Ltd. The gas produced is used to run city buses, and sold as cooking fuel to hotels and the Indian Institute of Management, at a subsidized rate. Waste from the flower market is kept separately (1-2 tons a day), and mixed with slurry to produce compost.

Street Sweeping

For the purpose of street sweeping machines are used. Every night 800 km of main roads are swept using machines and water mist are used for cleaning footpaths and road dividers. For the cleanliness of roads nearly 400 liters of water is used every night and most of these are recycled water which are derived from the three sewage treatment plants. In case of internal roads which are 2200 km, the wastes are swept and are collected in gunny bags, collected by vans and transported to waste processing facility.

Clean Streets of Indore

CURRENT SCENARIO

Before and After images of Indore

As of now, 100% of household wastes are segregated at source and are processed. Ten ultra modern mechanized transfer stations are used for final processing and disposal. The city makes use of ICT based devices and Weighbridge mechanism for sustainable integrated solid waste management systems. For road sweeping purpose, Ultra modern mechanized road sweeping machines are used, which clean the bypasses, super corridors and bridges.

The city uses a collection and transportation app which is fully digital in nature for monitoring entire process, from door to door segregation to final disposal of waste. The wat wastes are processed and are used in public transports and today 15 city buses operate on this bioCNG gas. Similarly, construction and demolition wastes are reused for making non-structural concrete, paving blocks, lower layers of road pavements etc.

Through the process of bio-remediation, 100% of wastes has been remediated and 100 acres of land has been reclaimed. The dumping yard or landfill site had been converted into green belt. There is a proposal to develop this land into a golf course and city forest.

The entire journey of Indore has been based on more that 3Rs- reduce, reuse and recycle. These include Food Bank, disposable free events, Bartan Bank, art and crafts made out of wastes etc. All these initiative have ensured sustainability of the city.

Other than all these technical strategies, the city also took many social media initiatives and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) techniques for ensuring community Engagement. The song, “HO Halla” by Indian singer Shann became the Swachhta Anthem of the city in 2017 and motivated the citizens to keep doing their part of work towards this Swacchta mission. The song also has many new versions.

CONCLUSION

Since 2016, Indore went through a commendable journey for providing its citizen the urban environment which will protect their health. The IMC took strategies which are the most efficient and using them, it eliminated garbage dumps, 100% household waste collection and segregation, reusing all the wastes etc. The success of Indore’s solid waste management shows that other Indian cities can also clean the entire area and make it more hygienic and sanitized for the people by engaging NGOs, private bodies and citizens.

Thus, trust between all the stakeholders being involved in the process is the major pre-requisite for achieving the goal.

Things we never notice in our LIFE

It was 7:30 in the morning, and I heard someone singing “Happy Birthday To You, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Dear”. I opened my eyes and it was my dad who came to wish me as it was my 20th birthday and like every year he came to wake me up singing happy birthday songs for me. Like every year, this year too I went to the temple together with my mom and dad. That night my mom made my favourite dinner for me and all of a sudden, I realised I turned 20 this year. I am getting older and along with me my mom & dad too.

In the morning when we were going to the temple, we hadn’t completed the half steps but they were out of breath and worned out. Mom’s legs hurt while doing the chores or while making dinner for us. Dad can’t read newspaper without spects now. They get tired very soon and the only reason is because they’re growing old. There is one rule in our house: to at least have one meal a day together. Ever since I was a kid we had our dinner together but that day it was quite different, the vibes were different and the thought that my parents are getting older was scary as hell. I just wanted to live my whole life with my parents happily, I don’t want them to grow older. Besides,on the other hand I was happy that now I can take all their responsibilities and let them live the remaining years peacefully. As, this is what I wished for ever since I was a kid. But back then I never imagined that someday, someday they’ll leave too, just like the others. Now after realizing this I really don’t want them to grow up and neither do I want to grow up, I just want my childhood back and want to live a happy life with my parents forever and ever.
There are times they act cold, yell at me for no reason and won’t allow me to do what I want to that time I really wants to live my life on my own ways and want to runaway far from home, far from them, where no one knows me, know one going to judge me, no one will yell at me, no one will have to right to take my life decisions but me, and no one will stop me, will nag me from doing what I want to do.
But that is not life. We always need someone to scold us when we do something wrong, to nag us. Someone who will comfort us on our lowest and be our supporters at the highest points, someone who’ll love us more than they love themselves and trust me parents are the only ones who love their children more than they love themselves and no one can match their love. Sometimes they may be dominating but that’s because they love you and they are worried about you. Even if you are 50- 60 years old, for them you are still the same, the baby, who cries on small things. That day I really felt like yesterday it was my first day at school & I was crying cause I didn’t want to leave my mom. The feeling was something we never thought about. We are just getting older and busy with our studies, career and job that we never think about our parents. We have become so busy in our lives that we don’t have time for our parents.
Now after realizing this I really don’t want to grow up, I just want to live my life with them. But I can’t. It is the rule of the world, that everyone grows and evolves and leaves this planet some or the other day. It’s like we are all here for each other to support, to talk, to love but then we’ll not be in each other’s lives forever anyway.

We are just here as supporting characters to each other’s main character lives and we’ll leave after seeing them grow/ evolve at our own specific times and we never notice that, like billions of times we eat with them, we watch them from beginning but never notice when they grow up. Time really flies and after this day every single second it will remind me that they are getting older and that one day they’ll leave us behind.

Tata Consultancy Services(TCS)

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is an Indian multinational information technology (IT) services and consulting company. It’s main headquartered is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India and largest TCS campus located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. TCS is the second largest Indian company by market capitalisation. TCS was ranked 64th overall in the Forbes World’s Most Innovative Companies ranking, making it both the highest-ranked IT services company and the top Indian company. TCS  has also became the first Indian IT company to reach $100 billion in market capitalisation.

Tata Consultancy Services Limited, initially started as “Tata Computer Systems” and was founded in 1968 by Tata Sons Limited. It was initially started as taking contracts which included punched card services to sister company TISCO (now Tata Steel), working on an Inter-Branch Reconciliation System for the Central Bank of India, and providing bureau services to Unit Trust of India. TCS established India’s first dedicated software research and development centre, the Tata Research Development and Design Centre (TRDDC) in Pune. In 1981, it established India’s first client-dedicated offshore development centre, set up for clients Tandem. TCS later (1993) partnered with Canada-based software factory Integrity Software Corp, which TCS later acquired. In 2006, it designed an ERP system for the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation. TCS received the 2019 American Business Awards from Four Stevies.

TCS and its 67 subsidiaries provides a wide range of information technology-related products and services including application development, business process outsourcing, capacity planning, consulting, enterprise software, hardware sizing, payment processing, software management, and technology education services. The firm’s also established software products which include TCS BaNCS and TCS MasterCraft.

TCS’ services are currently organized into the following service lines (percentage of total TCS revenues generated by each respective service line is shown below ): 2012-13 financial year data-

Application development and maintenance (43.80%) value

Asset leverage solutions (2.70%)

Assurance services (7.70%)

Business process outsourcing (12.50%)

Consulting (2.00%)

Engineering and Industrial services (4.60%)

Enterprise solution (15.21%)

IT infrastructure services (11.50%)

Cognitive Business Operations

Cloud Infrastructure

Automation and AI

Tata Consultancy Services has 285 offices across 46 countries and 147 delivery centers in 21 countries.

Tata Consultancy Services(TCS) is also located in-

India: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Baroda, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gandhinagar, Goa, Gurugram, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Indore, Jamshedpur, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Noida, Nashik, Patna,[88][89] Pune, Thiruvananthapuram, and Varanasi.

Asia (excluding India): Bahrain, China, Israel, UAE, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Qatar.

Oceania: Australia.

Africa: South Africa, Morocco.

Europe: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

North America: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

South America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Uruguay.

TCS is one of the largest private-sector employers in India, and the fourth-largest employer among listed Indian companies (after Indian Railways, Indian Army, and India Post). TCS has crossed more than 500,000 employees as of 8 July 2021.

Friendship – The unbreakable bond!!!

TRUST, LOVE, LOYALTY. Friendship is the only bond that suits these three words. In love, if there is love and faith, there is no loyalty at all. In family, if there is trust and love, there is no loyalty. But friendship has these three trust, love and faith. All people in this world will definitely have a true friend who care for you all the time. When I told you this, who is the one that strikes on your mind? The one that strike on your mind will be your soulmate forever. This is my trust. Just try this. Let me come to the point. Why we value friendship more than our family? Have you ever thought about it? Okay. Come on! Let me tell you about the non-sinking ship that is friendship.

When you first went to school, you would have cried when your mom/dad left you there. After getting some friends there, you would have definitely not cried. Yes, the bond that makes feel secure and happy beyond parents must be your friends. When you grow up with your friends, you will feel them as your own brother or sister. This gives you a feel to do anything for them. In your 12 years of school life, you might have faced many situations like punishments etc., right? School, where we learned all goo deeds with our friends. There must definitely be some naughtyness. Getting punishments together, picking on your friends as much as you can, irritating them etc. This childhood friendship has given us something, that is possessiveness, ego, love, care. These are the emergence of our own friendship. We always have a thought, my friend must talk to me and should not talk to others. Those possessive bonds are unbreakable.

14 Reasons Why School Friends Are Friends For Life

In your college life, at first, you might have some hesitation to talk to your friends and it will start very formally and after the bond get stronger, these won’t be formal talks even if you imagine it. The life’s adventures can be known with your friends in your college life. These school and college friendship can never be forgotten. It doesn’t matter what the gender is but what matters is friendship!! Friendship has no language, gender, caste etc., It’s just the sink of two hearts. There have always been the cute and lovely friendship between a boy and a girl. Some thought its wrong; what’s wrong with that? They are friends; they know their limits right? So, let’s stop being opposive on friendship between a boy and girl.

How to teach ... making friends | Teacher Network | The Guardian

As everyone know, tomorrow is International Friendship Day. Rather than texting your long distance friends just make it lively. Just do a video call or a normal call. This makes them feel happy for you. And they will know how strong your friendship is!!

HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY!!

When is Friendship Day 2021, International Friendship Day Date

IS BEING AN INTROVERT AWFUL ?

Above all else, let me clear out that one ought not get befuddled between the words “introvert” and “being shy”. An outgoing/ extrovert person can likewise feel timid here and there and that doesn’t imply that he/she is an introvert. An Introvert is a tranquil individual that doesn’t prefer to talk definitely and likes to remain quiet about their contemplations for the most part. They are somewhat individual that returns home just to unwind and have the opportunity to think. However, that doesn’t imply that a friendly individual can’t be a contemplative/introvert person. Similarly as they partake in the calm opportunity to get themselves, they’re probably a contemplative person somewhat. Being a contemplative person is regularly viewed as frail. They aren’t exactly on par with the social butterflies, who simply appear to float through life.

OPINION: Introverts still make great leaders – The Lancer Feed

However, that is false, there isn’t anything amiss with being a introvert. The primary issue is with society, which doesn’t see it similarly. Society has instructed us that being an introvert or thoughtful person is the most exceedingly terrible thing you can be and that everybody should need to be outgoing.

The Perks Of Being An Introvert | Writers Write

They are informed that being active is acceptable and being modest and calm is terrible. They are advised in schools to lift hands, take an interest in a class or we lose marks. For introverts, those are a portion of the exceptionally hard principles to accomplish. Insights say that half of Indian populace is comprised of introverts. So society is saying that 675 Million individuals need to change what their identity is to be acknowledged, to be effective and to be content. I’m additionally told this thing since youth that I should change myself and become a outgoing individual. Indeed, presently likewise my companions, educators and direct relations bother me as a bashful individual and they request that I go along with them in their discussion which I don’t need. Furthermore, some of the time it’s truly irritating.

How to Know If and Why You're an Extreme Introvert | SocialPro

Continuously recollect inside this enormous gathering of self observers are individuals like Emma Watson, Michael Jordan, Albert Einstein, Elton John, Audrey Hepburn thus a lot additional moving individuals. Being an Introvert has not prevented any of them from accomplishing their objectives or being cheerful. Pioneers like Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks and Mahatma Gandhi. Every inconceivable pioneer and all are introverts. Being a thoughtful/introvert person has no impact on how glad you or fruitful you will be the length of you see it in the correct manner. In the event that you consider yourself to be a thoughtful person and think its the most exceedingly awful thing on the planet, you are never going to be really content with yourself. In any case, in the event that you acknowledge yourself as a introvert and you’re cheerful, there isn’t anything in your method of you accomplishing your objectives.

Introverted Leadership
INTROVERT LEADERS

So in conclusion there is noting wrong in being an introvert. I am an introvert myself and I don’t feel like to change myself for the society and so should you. As long as you are happy others opinion doesn’t matter.

Also, in case you are an extrovert and you see an individual sitting at the side of your working environment simply contemplate what incredible thoughts he/she is coming up with.

In a World of Extroverts, What Does it Mean to Be an Introvert at School

RESOURCES:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/wakeup-india/is-being-an-introvert-bad-23079/

How Do I Choose Between Medication and Therapy?

In the last couple of weeks, there have been some big announcements from the medical and mental health communities about the wisdom of using drugs over behavioral methods for various disorders. The meds vs. therapy debate has been an active one for a number of years.But these days, some experts and organizations are questioning, more and more, whether popping pills should really be our go-to treatment, based on the literature. And it seems that for some that have historically used meds as the first line of treatment, the evidence for behavioral methods has mounted to the point where recommendations have shifted in their favor. At least for some things.

Photo by Anna Tarazevich on Pexels.com

Whether you’re leaning toward therapy, medication, or a combination, knowing that a reliable pharmacy partner is part of the care network can bring added reassurance. Many people now use online tools to locate a specialty pharmacy near me, ensuring they can quickly connect with professionals who understand their unique health needs. Therapy or medication? In both children and adults, evidence-based psychosocial therapies have been shown to work for a broad range of mental health disorders, as well as for many life problems. The same can be said for the effectiveness of some medications. The information below is intended to help parents/caregivers choose between treatment options for their child or adolescent, and to decide whether therapy and medication should be combined for the most effective treatment.Medications, psychotherapy and their combination have been shown to help people with emotional or behavioral problems. Different kinds of problems, however, will respond differently to various treatments; therefore, choosing the right treatment can be complicated. Your choice of treatment should be based on the best available scientific evidence, as well as your own willingness to try these treatments and to stick with them. Whatever the choice, these discussions should be reviewed with your physician, psychologist or mental health professional. Here are some things to consider:

Best Evidence

  • For depression, two kinds of psychotherapy called cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy, as well as antidepressant medications, have been shown to be helpful. There is some evidence that combining psychotherapy and medications may be more effective than either treatment alone. People who are suicidal may need to be treated in a hospital.
  • For anxiety disorders, cognitive-behavioral therapy, antidepressant medications and anti-anxiety medications have all been shown to be helpful. Research generally shows that psychotherapy is more effective than medications, and that adding medications does not significantly improve outcomes from psychotherapy alone.
  • For alcohol and drug use disorders, cognitive-behavioral therapy and environment-based therapies, as well as 12-step support programs, have been shown to be helpful. People with severe substance use problems may also benefit from the addition of certain medications that reduce cravings or intoxication effects.
  • For eating disorders, medical management may be necessary to maintain physical safety. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy and antidepressant medications have all been shown to be helpful, and some evidence suggests that combining psychotherapy and medications may be more effective than either treatment alone.
  • For schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, most people will require treatment with antipsychotic or mood-stabilizing medications. Research suggests that adding cognitive-behavioral or family psychotherapy to the treatment can improve functional outcomes.
  • For problems with parenting, marriage or adjustment, psychotherapy is usually the first recommendation. This treatment can help you build skills and respond more appropriately to stressors.

Personalizing Your Treatment

  • Different people respond to treatments differently. Therefore, if one treatment does not help, try adding the other. Research shows that psychotherapy can be helpful even for people who do not respond well to medications.
  • Psychotherapy and medications both require that you stick with the treatment. Results usually do not happen overnight. Therefore, only start a treatment if you are willing to continue it long enough for it to help you.
  • You will be most likely to stick with a treatment if it makes sense to you. Therefore, it’s important that you discuss the treatment thoroughly with your doctor, and that the treatment is explained in a way that you can understand.
  • When in doubt, ask your doctor. He/she can inform you of the best evidence and make a specific recommendation for your condition.

What is a short story?

A short story may be defined as a story that can be read in a single sitting. Edgar Allan Poe considered the short story as a prose narrative ‘requiring from half an hour to one or two horse in its perusal. Thus brevity is one of the essential characteristics of a short story. However, a short story is not Merely a novel on a reduced scale. the short story has a distinct, well-marked organizational structure different from that of a novel.

Theme of a short story:

Firstly, the theme of a short story must be one that can efficiently be developed within the prescribed limits. The story should impress the reader as clear in outline and well proportioned. It should not give the impression of crowding. This does not mean that the story must necessarily be confined to a single incident. It only means that even when the story covers a wide field of time and a large sequence of events, it should give a concentration of interest. Most of the stories of Maupassant and Washington Irving’s famous story “Rip Van Winkle” illustrate this point.

Unities of short stories:

Secondly, a short story should have unity which means unity of purpose, motive, action, and impression. a short story should contain only one informing idea and it should be worked out with singleness of purpose. No scattering of attention is allowed in a short story as it may be allowed in a novel.

Opinions of various authors:

Writers and critics hold different opinions on the art of the short story. Edgar Allan Poe thought that the short story should present only a ‘slice of life’ suggestively. it should have neither a beginning nor an end. However, the modern story writer and novelist Somerset Maugham thinks that ‘a short story should be a finished product of art with the beginning, middle, and end. another critic compares the short story with the horse race in which the start and the finish count most. Such contradictory definitions are more or less reconciled in what Hugh Walpole says “a short story should be a story, a record of things happening, full of instance an accident, Swift movement, unexpected development reacting through a suspense to a climax and satisfying denouement.”

Famous works:

A short story may deal with any motive and material. Poe’s story “Gold bug” turns on a puzzle whereas Stockton’s ‘The lady and the Tiger” is contrived to give a dramatic surprise at the end. Most stories of O’ Henry are interesting because of their unexpected surprise endings. Short stories of Chekhov, Maupassant, Tolstoy, and Hemingway illustrate the wide variety of themes and motives that can be successfully employed by a short story writer. WH Hudson says “a dramatic incident or situation; a telling scene; a closely coordinated series of events; a phase of character; a bit of experience; an aspect of life; a moral problem any of these, and innumerable other motives which might be added to the list, maybe made the nucleus of a thoroughly satisfactory story.

Conclusion:

R.L Stephenson speaks of three kinds of short stories – the story of the plot, the story of character, and the story of impression. however, to most story writers, the idea of a story comes as something like an abstract thought or impression and later they work it up into the shape of a story inventing the required plot, character, and incidents.

Traits of an Epic

The social novel

TOKYO OLYMPICS (2020) AND INDIA’S TOP MEDAL CONTENDERS

The 2020 summer Olympics officially the Games of XXXII Olympiad unbranded as Tokyo 2020. Tokyo 2020 is an international multi sport event being held from 23 July to 28 August 2021 in Tokyo Japan with some preliminary events that begin on 21 July.

POSTPONED TO 2021:

During the 125th IOC session  in Buenos Aires held at Argentina, on September 7, 2013 TOKYO was selected as a host city to conduct 2020 Olympics. The actual date to conduct the Olympics was from 24th July to 9th August 2020. But due to Covid -19 pandemic the event was postponed to 2021 and now happening in Tokyo. This is the first time the Olympics games had been rescheduled. The name of the event remains the same Tokyo 2020 because of marketing and branding purpose. The event is been held with all safety measures behind the closed doors, without any public spectators. The Summer Paralympics will be held between 24 August and 5 September 2021.

The 2020 Games are the fourth Olympic Games to be held in Japan, following the Tokyo 1964 (Summer), Sapporo 1972 (Winter), and Nagano 1998 (Winter) games.[c] Tokyo is the first city in Asia to hold the Summer Games twice. The 2020 Games are the second of three consecutive Olympics to be held in East Asia, following the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and preceding the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China.

NEW GAMES:

This 2020 olympics introduces new games. Those games were once held but subsequently removed.  New games are 3×3 basketball, freestyle BMX (bicycle Motocross), Madison cycling (relay race). New IOC policies also allow the host organizing committee that is Japanese Olympic Committee to add new sports. The games are baseball and softball. The olympic debuts are karate, sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding.

Bermuda and the Philippines won their first ever olympic gold medals. San-Marino and Turkmenistan won their first ever olympic medals.

INDIA’S TOP MEDAL CONTENDERS:

India is sending its largest ever contingent to the Tokyo Olympics. The nation has the great hope of bettering its medals hauls this time over previous Games. With 122 athletes competing in 13 events across 85 events, the country hopes to win medals for shooting, wrestling, boxing, archery and badminton.

In 2016 Rio Olympics, India returned with two medals. A silver for ace shuttler PV Sindhu in the Women’s Singles Badminton and a bronze for wrestler Sakshi Malik in the Women’s 58kg Freestyle Wrestling Event.

  • 2016 Rio Olympics: 1 Silver, 1 Bronze
  • 2012 London Olympics: 2 Silver, 4 Bronze
  • 2008 Beijing Olympics: 1 Gold, 2 Bronze

India has won a total of 28 medals since 1900 – 11 from hockey, five from wrestling, four from shooting, two each in badminton, boxing and athletics, and one each in tennis and weightlifting.

SHOOTING: India’s 15 member, shooting contingent is the favourite to bring back a big haul of medals.

Nineteen year old Manu Bhaker is one of the top contenders on the 10m Women’s Air Pistol event. She has won two gold medals in ISSF World cup in 2018 and she was the youngest Indian to win gold medals in ISSF World Cup to Commanwealth medal and Youth Olympics.

Shooter Saurabh Chaudhary, world number two and Youth Olympics champion, became the youngest Indian shooter to win a gold at the Asian Games in 2018 when he was just 16. Rahi Sarnobat in the pistol events, rifle marksman and two-time Olympian Sanjeev Rajput (2008 and 2012), and the current world-number-one Divyansh Singh Panwar and Elavenil Valarivan in the men’s and women’s air rifle, respectively.

BADMINTON: In 2016 Rio Olympics, India returned with two medals. A silver for ace shuttler PV Sindhu in the Women’s Singles Badminton.”I was just a participant back then, but now everyone says Sindhu has to get a medal,” she told the BBC recently. Last year, the ace shuttler won the inaugural BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year award. In 2019, she was crowned the World Badminton Champion but her form has had inconsistencies since then. However, she remains India’s top medal prospect.

BOXING: Mary Kom also known as Magnificent Mary, the Iron Lady. She won bronze at the 2012 London Olympics. She is expected to win Gold medal when she participates in Flyweight section. In May, she picked up a silver when she lost the final to Kazakhstan’s Nazym Kyzaibay during the Asian Boxing Championships in Dubai.At 38, Kom may well be taking part in her last Olympics, and India will be rooting for her to increase her tally before she takes off her gloves.

WRESTLING: India had a decent run at the Rio Olympics in 2016, with Sakshi Malik earning a bronze medal. In Tokyo, Vinesh Phogat leads the women’s wrestling team. Having suffered a freak injury during the Rio Olympics, Phogat returned to India in a wheelchair and underwent surgery. The 26-year-old is now roaring to go in the 53kg category with some great wins in the last couple of months, as well as reclaiming the number one ranking. With three world championships to his name, wrestler Bajrang Punia is the top contender from India in the 65kg men’s category at his first Olympics.

WEIGHTLIFTING: The Tokyo Olympics will be Mirabai Chanu’s second time on the big stage. In 2016, she qualified for Rio but failed to record any legal lift in three attempts in the Clean and Jerk category, and was out of the running in the Women’s 48kg category.In 2017, she won gold in the World Weightlifting Championships and went on to win gold in the Commonwealth Games a year later and bronze at the 2019 Asian Weightlifting Championships.

She is the first athlete from India to win Silver medal in 2020 Summer Olympics.

ARCHERY: Only last month, archer Deepika Kumari won three golds at the Archery World Cup in Paris. Deepika Kumari is the number one ranked recurve woman in the world
She is now the world number one in the women’s recurve category and a strong candidate for a medal in Tokyo. Kumari has won nine gold, 12 silver and seven bronze medals at various World Cups and will be looking to add the Olympic medal to her tally now.

The nation is looking forward for more medals from the athletes competing in Tokyo Olympics and also feeling proud of Mirabai Chanu who is the one to win the first medal, silver medal for India in 2020 Olympics until now.