The Proliferation of Undertrials in Indian Jails

The Indian prisons are overcrowded with prisoners. But does that means the rate of crimes committed in India is also increasing? The answer is no. The crime rate is not yet a major concern in the country unlike India’s judicial system. The majority of the inmates who languish in Indian prisons are not convicted of any crime or offence by any judicial court. In fact they are yet to be convicted and are under trial. The population of undertrials exceed the number of convicted prisoners in Indian jails.

It is against the laws of the constitution to detain an individual for long periods of time without trial. Free legal aid and speedy delivery of justice are the fundamental rights of all the citizens of India. However, most of the undertrial prisoners in Indian jails are unaware of their fundamental rights as they are poor and illiterate. The reports by National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) says that the majority of the undertrials are from socio-economic backward classes of the society. Most of them belong to the SC, ST and OBC categories. They are so poor that they could not even afford their bail fees.

The hiking number of undertrial prisoners depicts the flaws of the Indian judicial system. An accused spend years in judicial custodies before their cases are heard in any judicial court. Their case remains pending and goes on for a period which often exceeds their period of imprisonment when they are convicted by law. It also happens that an accused is proven innocent by a court after being kept in imprisonment for years before their hearing commences.

People coming from socio-economically weaker sections of the society had to suffer for the slow and lethargic justice delivery system of India because they could neither afford their bail fees nor a good lawyer. Most of them are also young and falls in the age group of 18-20 years. They ruin some valuable years of their life in prison for minor offences or sometime without committing any offence. The damage to their life, career and reputation are irrevocable. The Indian legal and judicial system should be accountable and compensate these unfortunate specimen of humankind who are mere victims of India’s slow justice delivery system.

Book Review: Atomic Habits by James Clear

There are very few books in your life that you will read and think “Wow, this was life-changing”. You may enjoy reading books, and may even be a fan of a certain series of books like Harry Potter or Game of Thrones. However, these are generally limited to serving entertainment purposes only and are not the kind of books that will give you deep insights into life or help you reflect on yourself. Having said all this, I do believe the book “Atomic Habits’ that I am going to discuss in this article is the type of self-help book that will change or give you a new perspective on habits and lifestyle choices in general.

General Idea

The general idea of the book is this: small changes or habits you incorporate in your life will compound into much greater results in the long-run. Hence the use of the word ‘atomic’. The author is trying to explain that even small habits materialize into major results if we keep at them. This is a fairly new idea being introduced in this book, as we are often told if we want to change our lives, we have to take drastic steps like moving to a new place or quitting our jobs. This book replaces this notion with a new and improved one: change can occur even through miniscule habits and can provide life-altering results. You do not have to take drastic steps to create change, in fact you are probably better off starting at something very small and sticking with that. The process of building and sustaining these tiny habits, while also stopping or breaking free from bad ones, will help create the positive change we require.

Key Insights

  • The 1% rule – This relates to ‘compounding’ as mentioned before. It works in a similar way to compound interest. As we leave something to develop for a long period of time, eventually the net growth is massive. In this way, if we try to better our lives by even just 1% everyday, then we will be a 37% better version of ourselves after a year. The author provides a very insightful quote “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement”. We should be careful though, as it also works the other way and even bad habits can compound to make us worse. So, we should focus on the self-beneficial ones while trying to limit or remove the harmful ones.
  • Focus on ‘Systems’ not ‘Goals’ – An important idea stressed upon in the book is on building ‘habits’ and not focusing on ‘goals.’ Our behavior should be such that it becomes repetitive and compelling, and not completely goal-oriented. If we become goal-oriented, we may become disappointed if we don’t meet our goals, but if our sole focus is on building a habit which we will maintain for the rest of our lives, there will be a much greater positive impact. For example, if your goal is to lose 5 kgs in one month, you will become disappointed if you don’t. Even if you do, it is only a temporary achievement and you may gain weight again after that. Instead, you should build the habit of exercising routinely to sustainably lose weight and stay fit.
  • Identity is the north star of habit change – This basically means that we should not solve problems based on their outcomes and results, as this means we only solve them temporarily. To solve problems for the long-term, we need to change our identity itself. This ties into the previous point in essence. For example, instead of saying you want to eat less junk food to lose weight, you should change your identity to a person who likes eating healthy and wants to build a good diet. To quote the book; “The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when habits become part of our identity.”
  • How to build a habit – There is a basic 4 step process for building habits: cue, craving, response, reward. Cue triggers the brain to perform an action, Craving provides the motivational force to perform it, Response is the habit/action that we perform and Reward is the end result. So, we should build habits that we want to incorporate into our lives through this process, by making the habit obvious, attractive, easy to perform and satisfying. In case all these are adhered to, the process of habit formation becomes rather easy.

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, the book really is life-changing for anyone struggling to build a habit or break an old one. The aim should be to build long-lasting and sustainable habits (systems), however small, and to not focus on achieving some set goals in life. It is hard for many of us, in this world of instant gratification, to stick to habits that will show outcomes only after a long time and through a process of compounding, However, this book helps us with this and guides us on how we can build habits in and easy and efficient manner, and also explains the benefit this may have on our lives if we are just able to stay discipled and stick to them. Tiny changes, remarkable results.

MAPS – On the basis of Content

MAPS

A map is an essential tool of a geographer. Map is a representation of the earth as a whole or a part of the earth drawn on a flat surface according to a given scale. It can show continents, countries, cities and even a local area are drawn with specific details.

TYPES OF MAPS

As each map is unique in its design, content and construction. On the basis of certain common features maps can be classified into several types.

✓On the basis of Scale

✓On the basis of Content

Each divided into two types

On the basis of Scale
✓Large Scale
✓Small Scale

On the basis of Content
✓Physical
✓Cultural

Maps on the basis of content

Physical maps are divided into four types. They are

✓Relief maps
✓Geological maps
✓Climatic maps
✓Soil maps

Cultural maps are divided into five types. They are

✓Political maps
✓Population maps
✓Economic maps
✓Transportation maps
✓Thematic maps

Physical maps

Physical maps show natural features such as relief, geology, soils, drainage, elements weather and vegetation.

Physical maps

Relief maps

Relief maps show general topography like mountains valleys, plains, plateaus and rivers.

Relief maps

Geological maps

Geological maps are drawn to show geological structures, rocks and minerals.

Geological maps

Climatic maps

Climatic maps show the distribution of temperature, rainfall, clouds, relative humidity, direction and velocity of winds and other elements of weather.

Climatic maps

Soil maps

Soil maps which are drawn to show the distribution of different types of soil and their properties.

Soil maps

Cultural maps

Cultural maps which shows the man-made features are called cultural maps.

Cultural maps

Political maps

Political maps show the administrative divisions of a country, state or district. These maps facilitate the administration in planning and management of the concerned administrative units.

Political maps

Population maps

Population maps show the distribution, density and growth of population, occupation structure and literacy.

Population maps

Economic maps

Economic maps depict the production and distribution of different types of crops and minerals, location of industries, trade routes and flow of commodities.

Economic maps

Transportation maps

Transportation maps show roads, railway lines and the location of railway station, airports and seaports, etc.,

Transportation maps

Thematic maps

Thematic maps represent the distribution of a particular feature or theme and its spatial variation.

Thematic maps

Prices are ever on the increase.

A rise in prices, economists say, is a sing of development and prosperity. But during the last two decades, prices of almost all the essential commodities have been increasing at an alarming rate. These soaring prices have caused great unrest and frustration among the people. The people belonging to the middle class and the salaried people are hit hard. All the more, the soaring prices have become a big threat and an open challenge to the government. It has shaken the faith of the people in the government. There is no let-up in the situation. Life has become very hard.

29,539 Petrol pump Images - Free & Royalty-free Stock Petrol pump Photos & Pictures | Depositphotos
people are facing problems due to rise of prices of petrol.
            Not to speak of rising prices, things of daily use are sometimes not available in the market.  Big businessmen hoard things and sell these in black.  Adulteration of eatables is a big health hazard.  Sometimes, there is no sugar, no kerosene oil, no cooking gas, nothing.  The prices of petrol, cooking gas, kerosene oil and several other items of daily use are increasing every year.  Not only that, the railway fares, air fares and bus and taxi charges are also increasing regularly.  The rich make a display of their wealth while the poor find it difficult to make both their ends meet.  Life has lost its charm for the average bread-winner.  The indiscriminate rise in prices of essential commodities has left many a people tense and helpless.  No one can foresee what is in store for the common people.

            There are many causes of the unprecedented rise in prices.  Inflation, black marketing, hoaring, faulty credit system, over population and improper system of distribution are some of the major causes of hike in prices.   The standard of living of the people has improved.  People need more things than they needed earlier.  The increasing demand leads to hike in prices.  Sometimes, natural factors like flood and drought also contribute to rise in prices.  Much food is being wasted in the parties and marriages.  Production of food is not in proportion with the increase in population.  Social evils also tax the common people badly.  With the breaking of joint-family system, the cost of living has gone up.  The purchasing power of the rupee is continuously falling.

            It is now being increasingly felt that large scale corruption by some political leaders in power and some senior officers in the government  is also the cause of constant rise in prices.  In the recent past, several scams have come to light that involve big amount said to have ben pocketed by the big-wigs of the country without any shame or remorse.  Several cases are pending in the courts.  It is, however, feared that influential and moneyed people have the power to so circumvent the legal process in their favor that they go scot free.  These huge amounts of black money produce a very bad effect on the economy of the country and lead to a rise in prices.

            It is  the duty of the government to bring down the prices of the essential commodities at least.  Price line is the life line of a nation.  Black marketers, hoarders and profiteers must be brought to book.  Family Planning programes should be stepped up to check over-population. More fair-price shop should be opened in different localities.  There should be an equitable distribution through the fair price shops. Shopkeepers should be directed to display the stock of essential commodities along with their prices.  Those people who buy things in the black market should be punished.  Production of food should be increased.  Sincere efforts should be made to stabilize prices of essential commodities. Evils of corruption, bribery, smuggling and illegal gratification deep-rooted in the society must be rooted out.

            Let us hope that the government will be able to bring down the soaring prices.  What is needed is the right intention and the force of will.  The government has, in recent  past, taken some steps to control the prices and revamp the economy of the country.  The government efforts have met a partial success and inflation has been controlled to some extent.

DIVIDE=DISCRIMINATION?

BLUE FOR BOYS AND PINK FOR GIRLS? THIS WHAT A LOT OF US HAVE HEARD; GROWING.

THE DAY A GIRL IS BORN: HER ROOM , THE COT, WALLS OF HER ROOM AND AKIN ARE ALL DECORATED PINK. FOR A BOY THE SAME IS COLOURED BLUE. THIS DISCRIMINATION STARTS BY BIRTH. THIS DIVISION IS MADE BY BIRTH!

DISCRIMINATION IS NOT SOMETHING WHICH COMES NATURALLY TO US IT; IT WAS TAUGHT TO US. THE DIVIDE THAT WE ARE PREACHED IS WHY THIS DISCRIMINATION STARTS.

UNEQUAL WAGES, HUMONOUS GAP IN SEX RATIO, UNEQUAL OPPORTUNITY ARE ALL THAT TAKES PLACE DUE TO DISCRIMINATION.

CONSIDERING GIRL CHILD TO BE A BURDEN AND BOY CHILD TO BE A BOON , IS WHAT LEADS TO UNEQUAL GENDER RATIO.

CONSIDERING WOMENS TO BE LESS EDUCATED AND LESS ABLED IS DISCRIMINATION. TELLING BOYS NOT TO CRY, CAUSE “YOU ARNT A GIRL” , IS DISCRIMINATION.

STOPPING GIRLS FROM GOING OUT SIDE AT NIGHT, CAUSE ” YOU ARE A GIRL” , NOT LETTING US SPEAK BECAUSE, ” YOU ARE A GIRL”. NOT LETTING US WEAR DRESSES WE WISH TO WEAR, CAUSE ” YOU ARE A GIRL”. ASKING THEM TO WORK AT HOME AND NOT GO GOT CAUSE, “YOU ARE THE WOMEN OF THE FAMILY”.

STOPPING BOYS FROM EXPRESSING THEIR EMOTIONS , CAUSE ” YOU ARE A BOY”. PUTTING FINANCIAL BURDEN ON THEM CAUSE, ” YOU ARE THE MAN OF THE HOUSE”.

HOW CAN YOU LOVE BOYS? , ” YOU ARE A BOY”. HOW CAN YOU LOVE A GIRL? , ‘ YOU ARE A GIRL”. HOW COME YOU DONT KNOW WHOM DO YOU LOVE, ” YOU ARE A BOY/GIRL AND YOU HAVE TO LOVE A GIRL/BOY”. ‘YOU WANT TO BE A GIRL’, “YOU WISH TO BE A BOY”???

WHAT IS IT ?

IT IS DISCRIMINATION.

NOT ONLY GIRLS BUT BOYS TOO FACE IT AT TIMES.

UNTIL THIS DISCRIMINATION SUPPRESSES, THE WORLD WOULD NOT BE THE WAY : MAJORITY OF US WANT IT TO BE.

RESPECT ALL GENDERS; BE IT A GIRL, A BOY AND LGBTQ+

ALL OF US TOGETHER WILL BE ABLE TO DEVELOP A NATION WE ALL WISH FOR.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari says, India will be an example to the world for e-vehicles; Asserts, priority of the government is to fight pollution

Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has said that India will be an example to the world as far as e-vehicles are concerned and the priority of the government is to fight pollution.

Addressing India Global forum 2021 yesterday, he said Indian research is working aggressively towards pursuing green hydrogen. Mr Gadkari said  Government is trying its best to convert all the construction material to greener options.

The Minister said encouraging response is being received from the public on the adoption of Electric Vehicles, and he himself uses an electric car and many of the ministers are also using the same.

Mr Gadkari said futuristic development is very important. He said two-wheelers and autorickshaws are very popular and through the FAME II government scheme there are many incentives on offer for them to convert to electric. The Minister said in the road sector there are great opportunities for FDI. 

The Story of Ira Singhal

Ira Singhal is an India Administrative Service Officer and computer science engineer. She was the first Person to crack the Civil Service Examination for the year 2014. She completed her B.Tech. from Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, University of Delhi and MBA from FMS Delhi. Singhal topped the exam in her fourth attempt, to become the first differently abled woman to top the civil services exam.  

Early Life  

Ira was born on 31st August 1983 in Meerut. Her father’s name is Rajendra Singhal, who works as an engineer and her mother is Anita Singhal, who works as Insurance advisor. Ira has scoliosis, a spine-related disorder, which disrupts her arm movement. She completed her schooling from the Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan and studied Computer Engineering from Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology and received Dual MBA in Marketing & Finance from Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi. She scored 1,082 marks out of a total 2,025 and secured 53.43% in UPSC Exam 2014-2015.  

Career  

Ms. Ira Singhal is the First Person with Disability to top the prestigious Civil Services Examination, 2014. She has B.E. and MBA degrees from 2 of the top institutions of the country and has worked as a Strategy Manager for Cadbury India Limited. She currently handles 7 profiles in North Delhi Municipal Corporation, being, D.C. Keshavpuram Zone, D.C. Karol Bagh Zone, Director Education, Director Community Services, Director Press and Information, D.C. Advertising and D.C. RP Cell &Parking. She is the Brand Ambassador for Department of Disability, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India.  

She is also a brand ambassador for Ministry of Women and Child Development, Niti Ayog and is on the National Panel for Accessible Elections, Election Commission of India. Her innumerable awards include India Today’s Woman of the Year 2015, President’s Gold Medal for Topping the IAS Training, First Ladies of India Award by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India. She is also recorded in the Limca Book of Records.  

She has been a speaker on wide ranging issues like education, disability, Gender issues, skill development, career counselling etc. at more than 500 international and National conferences, Industry forums, universities, colleges and other top institutions of the country including IIMs & IITs. She has been working towards various social causes including empowerment of persons with disabilities, empowerment and promotion of Transgender community, Women Empowerment, prevention of Child labour & child marriages, prevention of illegal conversion of green lands, promoting green energy, skill development, promotion of Mental Health and promotion of Khadi and indigenous fabrics. She rescued around 340 child and bonded laborers and restored them to their families, within 1 year in her first posting as SDM (Sub-Divisional Magistrate), Alipur in North Delhi district. She is also the first person to give a job to a transgender person full-time employment in a government office. 

In North MCD, she has continued to her work with women and children. Through the means of CSR Funding, she has setup a unique project where 12 hour crèche-cum-day-care facility has been provided inside government schools, giving educational, nutritional and medical interventions free of cost for children in age groups 0-12 years, belonging to poor backgrounds. The project has been appreciated by the Prime Minister’s office and is being considered for extension to the rest of the country by Ministry of Women and Child Development. 

Over 34 crore Covid vaccines doses administered in country so far

Over 34 crore vaccine doses have been administered in the country till now under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive. Health Ministry said, over 43 lakh 60 thousand doses were administered in the last 24 hours.  

Over 1 crore 74 lakh doses have been given Health Care Workers, over 2.7 crore doses to Front Line Workers, people in the 18 to 44 age group have received over 9.63 crore doses, people in the 45 to 59 age group over 10.6 crore doses and people over 60 years have been administered 9.26 crore doses.

The recovery rate has gone upto to 97.01 per cent. Over 59 thousand patients recovered during last 24 hours. Over 2 crore 95 lakh people have recovered from Covid-19 so far. Daily recoveries continue to outnumber the Daily New Cases for the 50th consecutive day. The country reported more than 46 thousand new cases in the last 24 hours. India’s Active Caseload has declined to 5 lakh 9 thousand 637.

Active cases constitute 1.67 per cent of total cases. Weekly Positivity Rate remains below 5 per cent and it is currently at 2.57 per cent. Daily positivity rate at 2.48 per cent and it is less than 5 per cent for 25 consecutive days. 853 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.

With this the death toll due to the pandemic has reached 4 lakh 3 hundred 12. Health Ministry said, testing capacity has been substantially ramped up and over 41 crore tests have been conducted till now. More than 18 lakh samples were tested yesterday.
 

Can Youtube be a career option?

As we all know Youtube is the biggest video-sharing platform in the world. YouTube has over 50 million creators and billions of content consumers. And it is also not hidden that one can earn a good amount of money by uploading content-loaded videos. Many of the youngsters nowadays are somewhere thinking about starting a youtube channel or they already are making videos on the platform.

But the real question is, can YouTube be a career option?

Well, seeing the growth of the platform, YouTube does have potential as a career. And there are lots of categories under which one can create content and earn. But, is it that easy? No, it’s surely not because the most required thing to earn money from Youtube is by getting views on your videos. And in every minute around 300 hours of videos are being uploaded to Youtube. So, you can now imagine how difficult it’ll be for viewers to find yours. And if you are aiming for the stars you would require decent gear. And a decent gear itself will cost you a fortune. And in need to produce top-quality content, you need costly gear. Moreover, you need to hire scriptwriters, video editors, a manager, etc. But, if you have financial support. And if you are passionate about it and can maintain consistency of good/original content with a consistent uploading streak then in no time you’ll gain viewers as well as you can earn money.

Then comes another question.
Should I choose Youtube over my studies?

Well, Youtube is a two-sided coin and the choice depends on you if you’re prepared for the hard work with a lot of patience or would like a steady paycheck.

Conclusion

Of course, it takes money to make impressive high-quality videos and also comes with no shortage of haters and trolls. But what you really need is; belief and vision. Are you sure you have that talent that will attract viewers?  How much confidence do you have in your content? Will it set a bar above standards?  Do you enjoy not having a regular pack check, editing, and writing scripts? If yes, then Youtube is your game.

Prime Minister says peoples’ lives have been transformed tremendously with Digital India in the last six years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the last six years peoples’ lives have been transformed drastically with Digital India. Addressing a function to mark the sixth year of the government’s flagship programme- Digital India, the Prime Minister said that Digital India has played a pivotal role in providing healthcare facilities in different parts of the country as platforms developed for online education to medicine is benefiting crores of Indians.  

Talking about the benefit of digital India during COVID, the Prime Minister said, people from remote areas are getting health benefits of eSanjeevani, especially during the pandemic.  

He added  Digital India and Cowin are helping the country during the world’s largest vaccination drive. CoWin has also attracted interest from several countries across the globe, he noted. He said the vision of minimum government and maximum governance is being fulfilled with help of Digital India.

PM Modi hails services of Doctors during COVID pandemic; Says, government committed to safety and security of Doctors

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the services of Doctors during COVID pandemic. He appreciated the Doctors and medical fraternity’s role in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic. the Prime Minister said, Doctors, healthcare and frontline workers have saved many lives during the pandemic.

The Prime Minister was addressing the Doctors on National Doctor’s Day yesterday. Mr Modi paid tribute to the Doctors who lost their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic. He thanked the Doctors on behalf of 130 crore Indians for their services during the pandemic.
 
The Prime Minister said, the government is committed to the safety and security of the Doctors. He said, India’s position is better than several developed countries in terms of per million death and infection rate during the pandemic. He said, Doctors are dealing with the challenges posed by the mutant corona virus through their experiences and suggesting innovative measures.

The Prime Minister said that the government is making efforts to create robust medical infrastructure in the country. He said, over two lakh crore rupees have been allocated in this year’s budget for creating modern medical infrastructure.

The Prime Minister called upon the Doctors to inspire the people to get vaccinated and adopt Covid appropriate behavior. He commended the medical fraternity for spreading awareness about Yoga. He praised the Doctors for doing evidence-based studies on the benefits of yoga for dealing with post-Covid complications. He also suggested that studies on yoga could be published in international journals.

Stressing on the importance of documentation of experiences of Doctors, Mr. Modi has said, symptoms of the patients, treatment plan and responses must be documented. He said, Covid pandemic can be a good starting point for this exercise.

   

Marco Polo – Netflix’s Underrated Gem

Introduction

Netflix’s ‘Marco Polo’, as the name suggests. is a drama series based on the famous Venetian traveler who traveled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295 and his early years in the court of Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan and founder of the Yuan Dynasty. The show made its debut on netflix in December 2014, it was renewed for a second season the following year but the show was cancelled by Netflix following generally mixed critical reception.

Story

The series was created by John Fusco and stars Italian actor Lorenzo Richelmy as the titular character and the magnificent Benedict Wong as Kublai Khan, in a performance which was widely praised. Season 1 follows Marco’s Journey from a young but naive boy to a loyal servant and friend of the Khan, assisting him in the working of his empire and even saving his life. Season 2 expands on this by following on stories about The Khan’s heirs and the looming threat to his grand Khanate.

Review

Marco Polo certainly has its flaws like pacing and even in many aspects Kublai Khan takes the spotlight instead of the titular character due to better writing and an amazing performance from Wong. Many of the story details are exaggerated in respect to historical context and some is outright fiction but one can hardly expect it to be historically accurate as it is not a documentary. The show’s strength’s are its production values which is easily amongst the best in Netflix. The show is shot in a gorgeous location like the steppes of Kazakhstan, which substitute for Mongolia and China. The costume and set designs are beautiful and the battles & action sequences are well choreographed.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MENDEL

Once in a while we all have gone through the term ‘genes’. We know that genes are the basic physical and functional unit of heredity which determine the nature of protein formed and those expressing the characteristics passed on from one generation to another generation. Least do we know about who experimented and discovered the same. Gregor Johann Mendel, also known as the father of modern genetics, discovered the ‘factors’ that were responsible for the transfer of characters from parents to off springs, which were later known to be the genes.

WHO WAS GREGOR MENDEL?

Gregor Johann Mendel was an Austrian Monk, a meteorologist, mathematician, biologist born in 1822 near Brunn in Austria. Born to a family with limited means in German-speaking Silesia, Mendel was raised in a rural setting. His academic abilities were recognized by the local priest who urged his parents to send him away to school at the age of 11. His Gymnasium studies(grammar school) completed in 1840, Mendel entered a two-year program in philosophy at the Philosophical Institute of the University of Olemouc, Czech Republic, where he excelled in physics and mathematics completing his studies in 1843. His initial years away from home were hard, because his family could not sufficiently support him. He tutored other students to make ends meet and twice he suffered serious depression and had to return home to recover from the same. As his father’s only son, Mendel was expected to take over the small family farm, but he preferred a different solution to his predicament, choosing to enter monastery(local community or residence of a religious order) where he was given the name Gregor.

However, in 1850 Mendel failed an exam- introduced through new legislation for teacher certification and was sent to the University of Vienna for 2 years. There he devoted his time in physics and mathematics and also studied botany. In 1854, Abbot Cyril Napp permitted Mendel to plan a major experimental program in hybridization at Monastery. The aim of this program was to trace the transmission of hereditary characters in successive generations of hybrid progeny. Mendel chose to conduct his studies with the edible pea(Pisum sativum).

From 1854 to 1856 he tested 34 varieties for constancy of their traits. In order to trace the transmission of characters, he chose seven traits that were expressed in a distinctive manner, such as:-

  1. plant height(short or tall)
  2. seed color(green or yellow)
  3. seed shape(smooth or wrinkled)
  4. pod color(green or yellow)
  5. pod shape(inflated or pinched)
  6. flower color(purple/grey or white)
  7. flower position(axial or terminal)

He crossed the varieties that differed in just one trait- tall plant with short plant(monohybrid cross). The first generation of hybrids(F1) displayed the character of one variety but not that of the other. In Mendel’s term, one character was dominant and the other was recessive. In the second generation(F2), however, the recessive character reappeared, and the proportion of off springs bearing the dominant and recessive trait was in the ratio 3:1.

WHY DID MENDEL CHOOSE PEA PLANT FOR HIS EXPERIMENTS?

  • Flower structure of pea plant ensured self-pollination and also had a well defined male and female reproductive structures.
  • pea plant is a single season crop.
  • they can be grown easily.
  • emasculation and pollination of flowers is quite easy
  • these plants reproduce sexually.
  • they have easily distinguishable pair of characters.

Science and technology related

INTRODUCTION:-

The evolution of science is like a boon to the world, as human beings come to know a lot about the world they are living in including the activities they indulge into. Furthermore, the development of technology along with the advancement in Science helps to bring in a revolution in various fields such as medicine, agriculture, education, information and technology, and many more.In the present world, if we think of any sort of development, then the presence of science and technology cannot be ignored.

What is Science?

Science fundamentally is the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the natural and physical world through observations and experiments.
Study of science evolved with the civilization of human beings.

What is Technology?

Technology (which is basically derived from the Greek word ‘technologia’) is an art, skill or ability, which is used to create and develop products and acquire knowledge.
Scientists used their knowledge to develop technology and then used technology to develop Science; so, because of this reason science and technology are an integrated term in today’s world.
Consider the following points to understand the relationship between Science and Technology −
  • Contribution of Science to Technology
  • Contribution of Technology to Science
Let us discuss these points in brief.

Contribution of Science to Technology

Let us now understand how Science has contributed to Technology −

Science as a direct source of new technological ideas

For example, innovation and development medical instruments; nuclear technology, radar system, etc.
Contribution of Science

Science as a source of engineering

Most of the technical knowledge used in the designing and development of tools and techniques is actually an outcome of ‘engineering science’.
Engineering Science
Science has also helped in the development of human skills. This is one of the fundamental contributions of Science.

Contribution of Technology to Science

Consider the following points to understand the contribution of Technology to Science −

Technology as a source of scientific challenges

The development in the field of technology paves way for research and development in the field of Science. For example, space science is one of them. Technological development likewise indirectly stimulates basic research in the field of science.

Instrumentation and measurement techniques

Development of advanced instruments facilitated scientists to measure the distance between sun and earth, the intensity of sun’s rays, the revolution of celestial bodies, internal problems of human beings, life of a bridge, etc.

Connection between science and technology:-

Science is the study of the natural world by scientific method i.e. collecting data through a systematic process. And technology is where we apply science to create devices that can solve problems and perform different tasks. Technology is literally the application of science. So, it is really impossible to separate the two.
Science, innovation, and technology each represent a successively larger category of activities that are highly interdependent from each other but distinct. Science contributes to technology generally in six ways:
  • New knowledge which serves as a direct source of ideas for new technological innovations.
  • Source of tools and techniques for more efficient engineering designs and a knowledge base for evaluation of the feasibility of different new designs.
  • Research instrumentation and laboratory techniques used in research eventually find their way into the design or industrial practices, through different methods in different areas.
  • The practice of research as a source for the development and assimilation of new human skills and capabilities useful for different innovative technologies.
  • Creating a knowledge that becomes increasingly important in the assessment of technology in terms of its wider social and environmental impacts.
  • Develops knowledge that enables more efficient strategies of applied research, development, and refinement of new technologies.
The confer impact of technology on science is of equal importance as a source of unavailable instrumentation and techniques needed to address difficult scientific questions more efficiently.

Reference Links:-

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/fundamentals_of_science_and_technology/fundamentals_of_science_and_technology_introduction.htm
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/tech-freek/connection-between-science-and-technology-23913/

Neem-The village pharmacy

Neem

The neem is a large evergreen tree that grows up to 20 m in height, with spreading branches that form a broad crown. The plant is found throughout India and neighboring regions, where it is cultivated commercially. Leaves grow alternately with leaflets containing 8 to 19 leaves. The tree yields high-quality timber and a commercial gum. Various parts of this tree have long been utilized in traditional Asian medicine.


The bark, leaves, and seeds are used to make medicine. Less often, the root, flower, and fruit are also used.

Neem contains chemicals that might help reduce blood sugar levels, heal ulcers in the digestive tract, prevent pregnancy, kill bacteria, and prevent plaque formation in the mouth.

Neem twigs: People in the tropic regions chew neem twigs instead of using tooth brushes.It fights germs, maintains the alkaline levels in your saliva, keeps bacteria at bay, treats swollen gums and also gives you whiter teeth.

Bark:The bark is used for malaria,stomach and intestinal ulcers,skin diseases,pain and fever.

Leaves:The neem leaves are used for healing the wound, clearing dandruff,eye troubles such as irritation,redness or tiredness,dark spots,acne,ear ailments,other skin disorders etc.,

Seeds:Neem oil that are extracted from the neem seeds are rich in medicinal properties.It can treat lot of skin diseases and more over it is an excellent mosquito repellent.It is also used for blackheads,anti ageing and for great hair.

Root:It is used as a tonic and astringent.

Flower:White and delicate, neem flowers with their off-white buds are almost too pretty to be eaten and unbelievably therapeutic.  They’re often dry roasted and sprinkled on top of the dish to garnish as well.Neem flowers can be used to treat anorexia, nausea, belching and intestinal worm.Ayurveda suggests neem leaves  are good for the eyes and useful in treating skin disease and headaches. 

Fruits:The fruit is used for hemorrhoids, intestinal worms,urinary tract disorders,bloody nose,eye disorders,wounds and diabetes.