CHILD MARRIAGES ; IT IS A VERY SYNONYMOUS TERM TO A LOT OF US. OUR GRANDPARENTS, THEIR PARENTS AND PARENT OF A LOT OF US, WERE FORCED TO GET MARRIED AT A VERY EARLY AGE.
GIRL CHILD IS CONSIDERED TO BE A BURDEN, AS THE PARENTS OF THE GROOM ASK FOR HEAVY DOWRY, IN WHICH THE PARENTS OF THE GIRL CHILD , AT TIMES ARE FORCED TO SELL THEIR HOME AND LAND.
WEDDING OF A YOUNG DAUGHTER, IS CONSIDERED TO AS ” REMOVING THE BURDEN OF THE FATHER”.
WHEN CHILDREN ARE BORN THEIR MARRIAGES GET FIXED, BY THE CONSENT OF THEIR PARENTS. AS SOON AS THE CHILDREN GROW A LITTER OLDER. THEY ARE TOLD TO GET MARRIED.
YOUNG GIRLS ARE ASKED TO DO HOUSEHOLD CHORES, LEAVE THEIR STUDIES AND BEHAVE LIKE A ” SANSKAARI BAHU” [ AN OBEDIENT AND REPECTFUL DAUGHTER-IN LAW].
BOYS ARE OVER-BURDENED WITH RESPONSIBILITIES AND GET DEPRIVED OF A BEAUTIFUL CHILDHOOD.
CHILDREN ARE MADE TO LOSE THEIR CHILDHOOD AND INNOCENCE AND LIVE A LIFE WHEREIN THEY ARE MADE TO WORK UNDER PRESSURE AND DEPRIVATION OF LOVE AND AFFECTION.
INDIAN LAWS HAD PUT A BAN ON CHILD MARRIAGE AND THE STATISTICS OF CHILD MARRIAGE HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY GOT DOWN.
BUT IN A LOT OF VILLAGES THIS IS STILL PRACTICED.
CHILDHOOD IS FOR ENJOYMENT AND LEARNINGS. WHY BURDEN THEM WITH RESPONSIBILTY?
To study language in an analytical and systematic way , linguists have categorised the subject matter of linguistics under the following heads : sound, grammar and meaning.
1.SOUND LEVEL
Sounds can always be studied from two different angles. Phonetic and phonological .Phonetics studies language at the level of sounds .The study focuses on how sounds are articulated by human speech mechanism and received by the auditory mechanism ,and how sounds can be distinguished and characterized by the manner in which they are produced. In other words phonetics is the study of the way human beings make ,transmit and receive speech sounds. It studies all possible sounds that human speech organs can make . It describes sounds without restricting its attention to any particular language.
Phonology studies the combination of sounds into organized units of speech ,the formation of syllables and larger units. It describes the sound system of a particular language and the combination and distribution of sounds ,which occur in that language . Classification is made on the basis of the phoneme, which is the minimal distinctive , sound segment eg,/m ,p, l/. The selection and organization of sounds in a particular language constitute the phonology of that language. Phonology studies only those contrasts in sound , which make differences of meaning with in a language.
2.GRAMMATICAL LEVEL
Morphology and syntax are concerned with the grammar of language. Morphology studies the patterns of word formation by the combination of sounds into minimal , distinctive units of meaning called morphemes. A morpheme cannot be broken up because if it is broken up , it will not make sense. For example, the morpheme bat is made up of three sounds :/b/, /ae/,/t/.This combination makes up the single morpheme bat and if broken up it will no longer carry the meaning of bat. Words can be made up of a single morpheme such as bat or combinations of morphemes such as bats. Bats is made up of two morphemes bat and s. Morphology deals with the rules of combination of morphemes to form words. It studies the changes that take place in the structure of words .For instance , the morpheme take changes to took and taken; these changes signify changes in tense forms .
Syntax is the study of how words are arranged into higher units like phrases and sentences in “principled ways “.It deals with the rules and principles governing the arrangement of words into such higher linguistic units. Hence syntax is the grammar of sentences.
3.MEANING -LEVEL
Semantics deals with the level of meaning in language . It tries to give an account of the meaning of both words and sentences. It also deals with how language is organized in order to be meaningful.
Chennai, the capital city and heartthrob of Tamil Nadu observed ZERO DAY on 19th June, 2019 when there was no water left in all the four reservoir tanks built in the city. Chennai is a city located on southeast coast of India serving as a gateway to the magnificent South India with the Bay of Bengal surrounding it on one side, the city is intersected by three rivers. How come that the city which has “abundant of water bodies” becomes dry. Read this blog to know how the water crisis in Chennai is a result of man’s selfish actions and is a warning giving a hint of what the nature holds for us in future if we degrade it.
Causes of water scarcity in Chennai
Chennai is situated on the south east coast of India and receives majority of its rain during winters because being situated on the south east coast, it lies on the leeward side of the Western Ghats preventing the south west monsoon winds which originates in the Arabian sea on the west coast of India to shed its rain there during summers when generally rest of the country experiences monsoon. Thus it gets majority of its rain from retreating southwest monsoon winds and northeast winds during the months of December and January. The rest of the months the city has to rely on occasional rains and mainly on the reserved water which is scarce in Chennai.
Owing to Urbanisation and construction on the bodies which once were the catchment and flood relief basins, the space required to hold the rains is now blocked. The very suitable example being the very famous IT corridor of Chennai which is built on 230 square kilometers of marshland , has reduced the area of the places to hold the precipitation which occurs during its monsoon. Moreover with the rise in the number of Industries , the water bodies in Chennai are highly polluted. Though the industrialization resulted in Chennai being called “The Deteroit of India” due to the vast automobile sector established there housing the scions such as the Tata motors, the neglection of the authorities in maintaining the precious water bodies resulted to Chennai experiencing the ZERO DAY.
Chennai receives rain on an average of 54 days per year with a minimum average of 140 centimeters of rainfall which is enough for the survival if the water is properly harvested but it is the inability to collect and reserve the rain water which led to the MAN MADE water crisis. Between 1893 and 2017 the area covered by the water bodies is reduced from 12.6 square kilometers to 3.2 square kilometers. As reported by The Diplomat, NITI Aayog predicted in June that 21 Indian cities would run out of groundwater in 2020. A report by the London-based risk analytics firm Verisk Maplecroft named Chennai as facing an “extreme risk” of water stress, saying its present crisis “could be the new normal for tens of millions of people” in India’s urban centers.
Since there is no enough reserved water for the heat days which comes in June and the water remaining in the water bodies is either too saline or too polluted to be fit for use, Chennai has to rely on the tanks which carry water from hundreds of kilometers far away to satisfy its water needs. As suggested by the various reports , there is 85 percent decline in Chennai’s groundwater levels.
Actions taken by the Government to prevent
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi Palaniswami , after that dreadful day in June 2019, announced a public program including maximum participation of women covering everything from rainwater harvesting to water saving and recycling to the protection of water bodies and a massive study on how to clean the polluted rivers. Until the research and the plan is completed , the government decided the construction of desalination plants in the city which though costly will help in a great way to solve Chennai’s water problems until the natural water bodies are restored, by desalining the sea water making it fit for domestic and industrial use. The plan is however still in the initial process as there are many protests regarding how it will cause environmental damages and intense loss to the local fisheries.
The past always comes to the rescue. Supported by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Dutch Government , the Greater Chennai Corporation has started an initiative called “the city of 1000 tanks” which aims at restoring the tanks near the temples and making it the reservoirs for storing the rain water just like in the past and building new tanks too surrounded by green slopes to help catch the rainwater and increase the groundwater level.
The state of Tamil Nadu of which Chennai is the capital has predicted in its climate action plan that the annual temperature of the city will raise by 3.1 degree celsius by 2100 from its original level of what it was in 1983 and 2000s with the annual rainfall falling by 9%.Further , the little rainfall which the city experience in June and September which was enough to refill the reservoirs and maintain the growth of crops will decrease while the winter rainfall will increase causing more floods and droughts.
The condition which Chennai is facing can be taken as a threat issued by nature to not degrade it else the consequences can be severe. The day is not too far when the rest of the world may also experience what Chennai is , if the present practice continues and that day will lead to our downfall.
“No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity.”Martin Luther King, Jr.
EVERY WORK MUST BE GIVEN HONOUR
The word ‘dignity’ means the ‘quality of being worthy of honour or respect So the expression ‘dignity of labour’ means honour or respect’ received through or for hard work. That is why it is said that ‘work is worship’. Every type of work need labour, physical or intellectual. But the word labour’ is generally used in the sense of physical labour which is as important as intellectual labour. The production of cereals, construction of buildings and the other constructive work require physical labour. Man cannot do without hard labour. So, he should do all types of work.
WRONG NOTION ABOUT MANUAL LABOUR
But the attitude of the educated and the gentlemen towards manual labour is wrong. They are of the opinion that manual work is fit for the illiterate men only. But they are mistaken. All intellectual work involves some sort of physical labour. Even a student has to labour hard to pass the examination. All artists, scientists and writers whose work is intellectual have to spend hours with patience. The manual work too needs the exercise of intellect. A carpenter, an ironsmith, a goldsmith, a barber, etc. whose work is physical have to exercise intellect to improve the quality of their work.
MANUAL LABOUR: THE ROOT OF ALL PROGRESS
And it is the manual labour which is at the root of all progress. It is rightly said that true labour never goes in vain. Labour has its own importance. Nothing can be achieved in the world without labour. The prosperity of a country depends on its agricultural products. So, there is no humiliation in the cultivation of land. The people of the West do their work themselves. They look upon labour as something honourable and sacred. Such is the importance of labour that its dignity is recognised by all. It is the source of health and happiness.
If you are a ‘victim’ to Hallyu wave, you must be well aware of the pride Koreans (by Korea, I obviously mean South Korea!) take in glorifying their culture in big screen; which should be a lesson for other nations. However the living conditions portrayed in the web series are not all real. But Parasite is. Parasite is rather an extremely deep insight into the lives of lower strata of society.
Parasite is a 2019 South Korean film in the genre- Black comedy. It was directed by Bong Joon Ho. The wealth disparity, social inequality of late capitalism in South Korea has been shown in the movie. The Kim family, residents of a semi-basement do odd jobs to earn their livelihood. Kim Ki-woo, the son of the Kim family is hired as Da-hye’s (daughter of Park family) English tutor. This sets a series of comic events where the whole family plots to get recruited in the house. Kim Ki-jung (Jessica), the daughter of the Kim family who is hired as Da-song’s art therapist. The father Kim Ki-taek is hired as Park Dong Ik’s chauffer and the mother, Chung-sook takes over as the Parks’ housekeeper after the Kims exploit the peach allergy of the long-time housekeeper, Moon-gwang, to convince Mrs Park that she has tuberculosis.
After the Park family leaves for camping trip, Kims are shown enjoying in the living room when Moon-gwang abruptly appears at the door, telling Chung-sook she has left something in the basement. There was a bunker in the basement which was unknown to the Park family and Moon-gwang’s husband had been hiding there; from loan sharks. Things take different turn from this part of story. The sudden arrival of Park family from trip creates commotion and fight between both the parties. Moon-gwang and her husband Geun-sae are tied in the bunker itself and Kims escape somehow, unnoticed by the owners. There is a flood in their street and the family goes to gymnasium to spend the night. The next day Parks decide on throwing birthday party. Meanwhile we discover Moon gwang is dead in the basement because of concussion by the previous night’s fight. Enraged by the wife’s death, Geun-sae escapes and attacks Kim ki-woo. Then goes out at the party spot and stabs Kim Ki-jung. Chung-sook stabs Geun-sae in return. The son of Park family suffers seizure witnessing the events and Mr. Park asks the chauffer Kim Ki-taek to tkae him to hospital. However after seeing how he felt disgusted of Geun-sae, Ki-taek stabs Mr. park and flees.
Weeks later after Kim ki-woo recovers from injuries and discovers his sister is dead and father is missing. He spies on the bunglow which a german family has bought now, in hope to find a clue for his father. Meanwhile the father was at the basement all these time and gives out message every night using Morse code in hope of his son finding him. Ki-woo finally sees this and decodes. The film ends with the son writing a letter to his father that he will earn money and buy that house someday and his father will then be free.
The title of the film comes from the scientific meaning of parasite. However ‘Parasite’ is not only meant for the poor ones but also the rich. They do not know the basic house chores and suck out of the poor for this. How interesting is the cinematography; the partition of rich and poor are shown with literal partitions using subtle division in lines, lighting and angles. Both the families of Kim and Moon-gwang were divided by the dire need of money but united by struggle; Geun-sae hurts all members of Kim taek but when Mr. Park disgusts over Geun-sae’s smell, Kim Taek fumes in anger and stabs Park. The wealth stone gifted by Ki-woo’s friend stands as a symbol of wealth; when he keeps it properly, the family continues to work smoothly as soon as he disregards the stone, they shatter and ultimately Ki-woo is wounded by the same stone on head. This warns that wealth can be the cause of success and fall down. This is evident of the capitalism prevailing in the country. In the end when Ki-woo resolves to earn money, it is out of question this will not come true because of major disparity in rich and poor.
These are some of the major observations. There is a lot more to be discussed. This is a highly recommended movie.
The advent of social media and online pop culture has brought about a radical change in the Indian comedy circles as well. The past decade saw the rise of stand up comedians from India with several comedy laugh clubs opening across the country and stand up acts going viral on social media. From YouTube trends to twitter, Indian stand up comedians have been dominating the online conversations, pop culture and content for quite some time now.
1. Anubhav Singh Bassi:
A qualified lawyer, Anubhav Singh Bassi was once a UPSC aspirant and also tried his luck in a food business before ending up as a stand up comedian. His acts ‘Hostel‘, ‘Waxing‘ and ‘Cheating‘ have become a sensation on YouTube with Millions of views.
2. Abhishek Upmanyu:
A chemical engineer by qualification, Abhishek Upmanyu worked as a research analyst before joining ‘On Air with AIB’ as a writer and then went on make waves with his hilarious stand up acts like Friends, Crime, & The Cosmos, Delhi, Mumbai & Rich People and Breakup, Respecting Elders, & Discrimination.
3. Abish Mathew:
Abish Mathew started his career as an RJ in Red FM, Delhi before switching to stand up comedy. His show Son Of Abish is quite popular on YouTube where he has hosted a number of guests including several YouTube stars and Bollywood stars.
4. Aditi Mittal:
One of the fore most female stand up comedians in India, Aditi Mittal has appeared in several comedy shows across the globe. She was invited by BBC in the prestigious 100 Women Conference in London in 2013. She also appeared in the American documentary Stand-Up Planet. Her jokes vary from various culture issues and women problems in India. Some of her most popular acts online are The Story of Madhumakkhi.
5. Appurv Gupta:
An engineer by qualification, Appurv Gupta has been a regular performing in several college fests and corporate events. His comedy is a humorous take of a middle class Indian family and culture where he appears as Gupta Ji. Some of his best acts include GuptaJi Ki Aeroplane Wali Journey and Apple, Micromax & Patli Pin wala charger.
6. Atul Khatri:
An engineer and MBA by qualification, Atul Khatri worked as a CEO in his family run computer business before taking up stand up comedy as an alternative career option. He has performed in several comedy clubs and was also a part of the comedy group East India Company. He also appeared on several OTT shows and a number of TV commercials for popular brands, Some of his most popular stand up comedy acts include Atul Khatri on the Justin Bieber Concertand When your child turns 18.
7. Biswa Kalyan Rath:
Hailing from the Eastern state of Odisha, Biswa Kalyan Rath is one of the most popular stand up comedians of India. He caught everyone’s eye with his Pretentious Movie Reviews with fellow comedian Kanan Gill. He soon became a popular face in Indian stand up comedy circles with appearances in comedy clubs across the country and several OTT shares. Some of his must-watch acts include Biswa Kalyan Rath – Extroverts and Chaos and Uber and Me.
8. Kanan Gill:
Kanan Gill came into prominence with Pretentious Movie Reviews where he appeared with Biswa Kalyan Rath. He has since then appeared in the top comedy clubs of the country and OTT platforms like Amazon video and Netflix. His must-watch acts include Prem Aggan Review and Siblings.
9. Kenny Sebastin:
Kenny Sebastin has appeared in several international shows as well as on several OTT platforms including Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. His stand up acts you should watch are Middle class restaurant problems & Indian Parents, OCD and Electricity at Home.
10. Kunal Kamra:
A man who is always in news and controversies these days, Kunal Kamra worked as a production assistant in an ad agency for several years before starting his gig as a comedian. He has since then appeared in several ad films and OTT shows. His comedy often targets the politicians and government with some of his famous acts being Patriotism & the Government and Revisiting Demonetisation.
His show Shut Up Ya Kunal! is also quite popular on YouTube where he has invited a number of eminent guests including Arvind Kejriwal, Javed Akhtar, Ravish Kumar and Asaduddin Owaisi.
• Progressive talks – disengagement of troops near Pangong Tso Lake and Kailash ranges.
• China – Tactical manoeuvres in border regions across Ladakh. New militia units comprising local Tibetan youth – deployed in Eastern Ladakh – high altitude warfare and surveillance.
• Peaceful relationship – peaceful functioning of the world.
• No proper answer – why China chose to attack Indian positions in Ladakh.
Global Concerns .
• Nations expressing concern about threat posed by China to the existing world order.
• G-7 and NATO – Criticized China for its military ambitions.
• China – undeterred in its ambitions. Aggressive actions in the South and East China Seas. Subjugating the Uighur Muslim minority. Risks – Democracy and laissez faire economic system of Hong Kong. Continues – Tactical manoeuvring on Indian borders.
• Reasons for China’s attack on India India’s prominent role – Quad grouping. India’s significant role in Indo-Pacific region. China’s internal turmoil.
Past Lessons from Mao Tse Tung/Mao Zedong .
• Ill-conceived policies and programmes – Huge issues.
• Worst famines – Great Leap Forward Movement. Chinese communists – Tried to organize vast population into large-scale rural communes. Develop labor-intensive methods of industrialization
Emphasize manpower rather than machines and capital expenditure. Gradual accumulation of capital and purchase of heavy machinery.
• Internal problems in Communist party of China. Many members were critical of Mao’s autocratic attitude and ill-conceived policies.
• Attacked India as a diversion and to strengthen his position inside the party.
Xi Jinping – Mao clone
• Sheer dominance over the CPC.
• Trying to consolidate power and achieve pre- eminence – enjoyed by Mao Zedong.
• Pushing China to become a super power by overtaking the U.S.
• Chinese military – making it world’s most powerful military.
• Issues: Aspirations of Xi Jinping are stalling and CPC members questioning his policies and moves. Chinese economy showing signs of slow down.
Other countries are tilting towards India – diplomatic flexibility and ideological sophistication. CPC – leaders and members wanted ‘peaceful coexistence’ with India. Finding it difficult to push through ‘new socialist ideology with Chinese characteristics’.
• Diversion tactic – attacked India and escalated tensions last year.
Conclusion
• India should expect, and prepare for more similar situations.
Cost Accounting focuses on company’s total cost of production by assessing the variable and fixed costs at each step of production and selling. It is critical aspect of accounting as cost directly affects the revenue of the company and also helps in determining the pricing strategy of the product/service.
Unlike financial accounting which provides information to external users (Public, Government, Banks etc), Cost accounting provides vital information to the internal users (mainly management) for decision making.
Two main types of costs are Variable and Fixed costs. Fixed cost refers to the part of cost which does not vary or depend on the level of production. For example, Rent of office or factory. It has to be paid even when the facility is not being utilised or there is no production or sales. However, Variable cost varies according to the level of production. For example, labour wages or cost of raw material.
To understand costing better, let’s understand different elements it comprises of-
Cost of material consumed is the sum of all the cost spent to procure a raw material, store it till it gets consumed. All such costs are added with the actual cost of raw material purchased to arrive at the cost of materials consumed.
Employees Benefit expenses- The benefit provided to employees are summarised into four categories:
benefits in the short-term (benefits payable to employees shortly after they provide the service, e.g. a salary)
benefits in the long-term(such benefits may become payable long after the employees provide the service e.g. a long-service award)
benefits ofpost-employment (i.e. after they have retired from employment e.g. a pension)
termination benefits (those that would be payable if the employees were to be terminated before normal retirement age (e.g. a retrenchment package)
Purchases of stock in trade, refers to all the purchases of finished goods that the company buys towards conducting its business.
Other Expenses are not directly related to the business but are ancillary in nature. It is of utmost importance and have to be accurately differentiated from the expenses, as per the prescribed guidelines and based on the nature of the business.
Amortisation and Depreciation expenses- Amortization is a method of spreading the cost of an intangible asset over a specific period of time, which is usually the course of its useful life. The goal in amortizing an asset is to match the expense of acquiring it with the revenue it generates. Depreciation is a method of spreading the cost of a tangible asset over a specified period of time, typically the asset’s useful life. The purpose of depreciation is to match the expense of obtaining an asset to the income it helps a company earn.
In order to reduce costs substantially which ultimately increases the revenue of the company, elements of the total costs need to be analysed and reduced, if possible. It helps in examining the costs step by step, stage of production wise which is an essential process to determine the price per unit and also determining the relationship between each cost and how it affects the Cost of goods sold and the net profit. These elements are grouped together on the basis of their similar nature and hence, it becomes easier to reduce cost element by element.
• Group of 34 DTH channels – telecasting high-quality educational programmes.
• 24.X.7 telecast using the GSAT-15 satellite.
• Channels are uplinked – Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics.
• Contents – provided by NPTEL, IITs, UGC,CEC, IGNOU, NCERT and NIOS.
• Web portal maintained by Information andLibrary Network Centre.
SWAYAM – The Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds
• To achieve 3 Fundamental principles of Education Policy – access, equity and quality.
• Objective – to take the best teaching learning resources to all, including disadvantaged sections.
• Courses hosted Video lecture Specially prepared reading material Self-assessment tests An online discussion forum.
• Seeks to bridge the digital divide for students.
National Digital Library of India (NDL)
• Virtual repository of learning resources.
• Provides host of services for the learner community.
• Filtered searching – to facilitate focused searching.
• Group-specific services – Examination Preparatory for School, College students and job aspirants.
• Sponsored and mentored by the Ministry of Education through its National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT).
DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing)
• National platform for school education.
• Initiated by National Council for Education Research and Training.
• Developed on the core principles of open architecture, open access, open licensing diversity and choice.
• Policies and tools – make education ecosystem to participate, contribute and support a common platform. • Can be accessed by learners and teachers across the country.
• Supports 18+ languages and the various curricula of NCERT, CBSE and SCERTs across India.
If you are concerned about your exposure to RF radiation, you may take the following steps to decrease it:
Choosing a phone with a low specific absorption rate (SAR), which refers to how much RF radiation is absorbed by human tissues.
Being careful of claims that protective equipment or “shields” may minimize RF radiation exposure; there is no proof that these devices function. In reality, they can increase RF radiation since the phone will immediately boost its RF output to counteract the shield’s effects and provide the greatest possible connectivity.
Carry your phone away from your body. Manufacturers of mobile phones cannot guarantee that the quantity of radiation you are exposed to is safe.
While driving, do not chat on the phone or text. This raises the chances of a car accident. When walking or doing other activities, use caution when talking on the phone or texting. Injuries caused by “Distracted Walking” are also on the rise.
If you want to see a movie on your phone or tablet, download it first and then watch it in airplane mode to minimize unwanted radiation exposure.
Keep an eye on the strength of your signal (i.e. how many bars you have). Y our phone has to work harder and it will emit more radiation if the mobile signal is weaker. It is preferable to use your smartphone after you have a stronger signal.
Avoid making phone calls when in a car, elevator, train, or bus. Because the phone has to work harder to get a signal through metal, the power level rises.
Make use of your landline phone. Use your landline instead of your cell phone if you have one at home or at work.
When you’re not using your phone, turn it off or set it on airplane mode. It’s tough, but not impossible, to follow. You may turn it off or put it on airplane mode whenever you don’t need constant data access for a few hours. As much as feasible, do it. It’s something you can do before going to bed.
When chatting on the phone, it is preferable to utilize a hands-free speaker or earbuds. Make it a habit to do so. Remove your earbuds once you’ve finished speaking. Keep your phone 1-2 cm away from your ear if you don’t want to utilize hands-free. Bluetooth should not be used.
To reduce the amount of radiation you are exposed to when sleeping, turn off your phone. Also, keep your phone away from your head, such as beneath your pillow. Radiation is reduced by 95% when you keep your phone 20 inches away from you.
The skulls of children are thinner than those of adults. Radiation has the potential to infiltrate their brains and cause additional harm. To avoid further problems, limit your children’s screen usage completely.
Don’t chat on the phone while it’s charging since the quantity of radiation it emits is ten times higher at that time.
When your phone’s battery is low, avoid using it. When your phone’s battery is low, avoid using it since the radiation level rises.
• Background: European Union (EU)’s Covid19 passport (green pass). For all EU citizens, residents and some categories of travellers from third countries. Effective since July 1.
EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation.
• For all EU citizens who are vaccinated or tested negative or recovered from COVID-19. • Recognised by all EU 27 member states and Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
• Vaccines authorised in the European Union: Approved by European Medicines Agency (EMA).
• Not eligible for the green pass – India’s vaccines Covishield and Covaxin and vaccines from Russia and China. Covishield – Indian-made version of AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria jab – cleared by WHO. • Recent G7 conference → India criticised COVID- 19 vaccine passports. “Discriminatory and disadvantageous to developing nations”.
• Developing countries – lower levels of vaccination than developed countries. Example: only 3% of India’s population is fully vaccinated.
• Racism in EU’s policy – EMA list of vaccines only includes vaccines already used by Europe and North America.
• Other issues: equitable and affordable access, supply and distribution of safe and effective vaccines etc.
• Letter of protest issued by the African Union. Covishield is the backbone of COVAX alliance.
• Positive development – several EU members approved India’s Covishield for arriving travellers – Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Ireland and Spain etc.
Way forward
• More nations may go for vaccine passports in the near future – more vaccine programmes and the impending third wave.
• Nations shall come together against discriminatory practices.
Far Cry 4 is an open world, first person shooter made and released by Ubisoft Montreal in 2014 and is the fourth installment in the popular Far Cry series. The game takes place in Kyrat, a fictional Himalayan country based on Nepal,Indian and Tibetan Himalayan frontier. The main story follows Ajay Ghale, a young Kyrati-American, where he is caught in a civil war involving Kyrat’s Royal Army, controlled by the tyrannical king Pagan Min, and a rebel movement called the Golden Path.
Interesting Features
The story is loosely inspired by the Nepalese Civil War, an armed conflict between the Government of Nepal and the Communist party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M) between 1996 to 2006. The games’s location is modeled on the Himalayas and the developers have done an amazing job on the all the details.The game has many interesting characters and as per the Far Cry tradition, the villain, Pagan Min, takes the spotlight in an amazing performance Troy Baker. The local ‘Kyratis’ speak Hindi and their religion, temples, monasteries and culture are inspired by Hinduism and Buddhism. There are even missions based on Buddhist legends and folklore. The game, in its parallels, aptly portrays the adrenaline rush and dread of the real civil war and mountain warfare. Even the melee weapon is the Khukri which is famous for it’s association with Gurkhas. The names of all the places, regions, landmarks and frontiers sound very Desi showing the developers did their homework by visiting and studying the locations they modeled the whole game on. The soundtrack by Cliff Martinez consists of usage of traditional Nepalese and Indian instruments which combined with electronic samples had high octane action and mystical wondering.
“It was a place nobody wanted to stay and look at, but almost everyone did. Shaped like a long, broken arm, the road contained several houses with lacerated windows and bruised walls. The Star of David was painted on their doors. Those houses were almost like lepers. At the very least, they were infected sores on the injured German terrain.” ― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
In reference to the novel, The Book Thief written by Markus Zusak which is a Young Adult Fiction and Historical Fiction by Genre gives us a clear image of the best classical works found in the literature. Markus has portrayed a beautiful story about a girl named Liesel Meminger, which is also the protagonist of the story. In which “Death” himself is the narrator and portrays us the beautiful relationship of a Foster Father and daughter.
Foster parenting is most fragile and negative but living in an environment where the background shows us the Nazi Germany War and the Autocratic power of Hitler and suppression of the Jews and the incidents of the holocaust, war and Violence may often haunt and be Depressing for the young Readers.
Why holocaust in children’s Literature?
Here the question raises about Markus is why he used Holocaust in children’s Literature?
The reason can be numerous, but the fine line of choosing the holocaust and Hitler was the prominent and best option because of the reason that Adolf Hitler himself targeted young minds to brainwash them by all political conspiracies against the Jewish people. This fact should be considered prominent, and the young generation of contemporary society should well know about holocaust literature.
Markus Zusak has explained the story of the book thief(Liesel Meminger) who was 10 years old girl living in Nazi Germany with her foster parents. Markus specifically took Liesel as a girl character to explain the scenario of children living in Nazi Germany.
The book Thief novel presents us the elements of contemporary issues in which a girl develops her emotional, physical, mental, cognitive skills and IQ skills with a presence of an ideal father.
Most Prominently, the novel is a complete package of love, friendship, hate, war, suppression under Hitler are the major themes found among them.
Holocaust – A deadly topic among children
Although, Holocaust is one of those terrible historical events which is still a heated topic and gives us goosebumps even to the adult readers. So the question that arises is how Markus have been able to make this as a children’s knowledge and bring the serious topic as an interesting genre among young readers . The answer is simple, as the book is enough to tell anyone why it’s been one of the classic books in the field of literature with a perfect balance of Emotional and feel-good genres.
The Book Thief –
The story is about a 10 yr. an old girl named Liesel Meminger, whose life was always a series of miserable life as she lost his brother at the beginning of the story and her own mother abandoned her and was kept under foster care.
Unlike other foster parents, rosa, her foster mother was always a rude mother who was always strict with her, but definitely her life was beautiful and contended because she had a foster father named; Hans Huberman, who always motivated her to read books and learn new vocabulary.
The whole book is set under the regime of Nazi Germany where it is all about children and their lives out there, where Liesel met many people like; Max ( A Jew, who was hidden in the attic), Rudy( His best friend), Illa ( The commander wife, who used to be good companion of Liesel in her reading time).
Liesel’s life has always been tragic because she was always welcomed by grief, remorse and death. She lost many close people in her life due to death, and that is the reason death as a narrator quotes that: “I’ve touched Liesel many times, but her soul always lets me allow her to live more”. Liesel in the end becomes a successful writer and her journey as a writer explains to us how tragic her whole life was.
Elements of Nazi Germany-
The whole Book portray us the background of which the whole novel was based, as Jewish were beaten, the burring of books, max as a Jewish hiding in the attic, Hans going to war, Young boys enthusiastic and idolising Hitler these are elements in the book portray us the condition of Nazi Germany.
The ending of the book is bit tragic as though she becomes a famous writer , but she lossses everyone in the end of the war. Her foster parents, best friend Rudy all dies and she is left alone. The Book Thief is a perfect blend of War and fragility of a little girl who suffered so much because of a war. This also shows us how death plays a major roles in a way and is always terrible with mortal humans.
Enveloped in a thick foil of nature, accentuated by the scent of the flowering blossoms blending miraculously in the crisp fresh air, Nainital is truly the treasure trove of Kumaon. It is among the most visited hill stations of North India since British period.
perched at an elevation of 2,084 metres above sea level, the glittering city of Nainital is hailed for being a parent to the ravishing Naini Lake from which it has earned the epithet of being the lake city. The Nainital town not only lures the domestic travellers and tourists but also a number of foreign tourists. It shines as a glittering jewel in the Himalayan Mountains and is surrounded with lakes and nature’s bounty.
Rock Climbing and Rappelling
A 4 kilometre drive from Nainital takes you to the rock climbing area of Bara Pathar. Quite obviously named after the twelve huge rocks in this area, Bara Pathar attracts a decent number of climbers and trekkers. The climb on natural rock is fairly tough and requires a lot more resilience than a normal wall at an activity centre. With an experienced instructor to guide you through every step, making safety is the top priority, rock climbing at Bara Panther is compelling and exhilarating.
Ropeway to Snow View point
One of Nainital’s prominent factors of allure, the cable car is an opportunity not to be forsaken. It provides an irreplaceable offer of catching a bird’s eye view of the breath-taking Naini Lake and the entire Nainital hill station. A treat for the senses, relax as you glide across the air over such pristine landscapes.
Picnic by the Waterfall
Pull up a bit of rock and grass as you settle down for a rejuvenating lunch amidst the cascading waters of the waterfalls in Mukteshwar. Complete with the open valley views and unmatched serenity, this will come as a welcome break from the unending buzz which is the chaotic city life.
Planetarium Visit
Drop in for a spot of the stargazing at the Aryabhata Research Institute of Observational Sciences for an otherworldly experience. Lose yourself in the stars and beyond as you delve deep into the majestic unknown of the universe and its underlying mysteries.
Sunset at Hanuman Garhi Temple
A famous temple in the honour of Lord Hanuman, who is a much celebrated image of unwavering devotion himself, being one of the greatest worshippers of Lord Ram. Perched at an altitude of 6400ft above sea level, the whole case of divinity is multiplied by the sun making its gorgeous descent beyond the mountains silhouetting the statue of Hanuman, its palm open in blessing.
Best time to visit Nainital
March to June is the popular tourist season when the weather is perfect for outdoor activities and quite pleasant. If you’re the type to lace up your adventure boots, this is the time to visit here with paragliding, trekking, camping and rafting all up for grabs.
July to September sees heavy rainfall and quite a drop in visitors. On the up side the rains make the hills more luxuriant and if you’re the kind who prefers dripping weather and lonesome hikes, this time has your name all over it.
October to February gets chilly and January brings in snowfall too.
Although Nainital is a year-round destination, the activities open to you may vary based on when you visit. So, plan accordingly.
Things to carry
Pack as light as possible given the amount of road travel involved here.
• Cotton clothing for summer and a light jacket would work for when evenings get cooler. If you’re un[travel]ling in winter, warmer clothes complete with thick socks and warmer jackets. Carry your windcheater and umbrella if you’re here in the monsoons as well.
• Sturdy walking shoes, mandatory if you’re hiking, make sense given the amount of walking involved here.
• Sunscreen, especially if you’re going up to the higher reaches. Usual prescription medications.
‘Education is a human right which should be accessible to everyone without any discrimination.’
Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009
The Right to Education Act 2009, also known as the RTE Act 2009, was enacted by the Parliament of India on 4 August 2009.
Free and compulsory education for children aged between 6-14 years in India under Article 21 (A) of the Constitution of India.
This act came into effect on 1 April 2010 and made India one of the 135 countries to have made education a fundamental right for every child.
1. Compulsory and free education for all
2. The benchmark mandate
3. Special provisions for special cases
4. Quantity and quality of teachers
5. Zero tolerance against discrimination and harassment
6. Ensuring all-round development of children
7. Improving learning outcomes to minimize detention.
8. Monitoring compliance of RTE norms
9. Right to Education Act is justiciable
10. Creating inclusive spaces for all
Still there is no proper awareness about this among people.
Qualified faculty, including both male and female teachers, close accessibility of schools, proper infrastructure, hygienic toilets, and free meal system must be implemented in all the schools.
Awareness creates interest and interest creates demand. So, let’s show some interest and hope that this demand creates a real, free, and quality education for everyone someday soon.
Eduindex 
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