WATSON HOTEL

Watson’s Hotel, currently acknowledged as the Esplanade Mansion, is India’s oldest sustaining cast-iron building. It is located in the Kala Ghoda area of Mumbai (Bombay). Named after its original owner, John Watson, the building was fabricated in England and built on-site between 1867 and 1869.

The hotel closed in the 1960s and the building was sold to a private owner. It was later divided and partitioned into smaller cubicles that were let out on rent as homes and offices. Negligence of the building has resulted in corrosion and, despite its listing as a Grade II–A heritage structure, the building is now in a rundown state.

Design:

Watson’s hotel was planned by the civil engineer Rowland Mason Ordish, who was also linked with the St Pancras Station in London. The structure was fabricated in England from cast iron components and was congregated and constructed on-site. The external cast-iron frame closely resembles other high-profile 19th century buildings such as London’s Crystal Palace. The main façade of the hotel is characterized by building-wide open balconies on each floor that connected the guest rooms, which were constructed around the atrium in a courtyard arrangement.

History:

John Watson opened the hotel as an exclusive whites-only hotel, and it was the most expensive hotel in the city in those days. The five-storied building housed 130 guest rooms, as well as a lobby, restaurant, and a bar at the ground level. The hotel also had a 30 by 9 meters (98 ft × 30 ft) atrium, basically used as a ballroom, with a glass skylight. At its peak, Watson’s hotel employed English hostesses in its restaurant and ballroom, sparking a common joke at the time: “If only Watson had imported the English weather as well.”

After Watson’s death, the hotel lost its fame to the rival Taj Hotel. In the 1960s the hotel was closed and sold to a private owner. Sometime after this, it was subdivided and partitioned into small cubicles with independent access and let out on rent. Over the years, indifference toward the building by the residents has resulted in the structure decaying, and it is now in a neglected state. The atrium was consequently used as a dumping area and has various unauthorized constructions. In 2005, the building had 53 families and 97 commercial establishments. Most of the business enterprises are chambers of advocates attached to the nearby Bombay Civil & Session Courts and the nearby Bombay High Court.

  • Notable guests:

Among the hotel’s notable guests was Mark Twain who wrote about the city’s crows he saw outside his balcony in Following the Equator. It was also the first place in India to screen the Lumière Brothers’ Cinematograph invention in 1896. However, this was witnessed only by Europeans.

A popular myth surrounds the hotel was that the staff at Watson’s Hotel denied Indian industrialist Jamsetji Tata access to the hotel. In retaliation, he opened the Taj Hotel, a hotel that stands near the Gateway of India, in 1903. However, author and historian Sharada Dwivedi debunks this legend. She points out a lack of evidence to prove that Tata was a man of vengeance.

  • Current state:

The building’s poor state of affairs has been commonly remarked, and efforts by heritage activists to persuade its present owner to invest in restoration have been unsuccessful. One of the possible reasons proffered for apathy is the fact that the rent collected is low as it has been frozen by government legislation. The condition of the building was publicized by Italian architect Renzo Piano, and as a result of his efforts, the building was listed in June 2005 on the list of “100 World Endangered Monuments” by the World Monuments Fund, a New York-based NGO. Just a few days after its proposal, part of the building’s western façade, originally galleries evolved into small offices, collapsed, killing one person and crushing several cars and motorcycles parked in the street below. The building is currently listed as a Grade II–A heritage structure.

Domestic Violence; eating up someone’s pride, self respect and the willingness to live

Article by – Shishir Tripathi

Intern at Hariyali Foundation
In collaboration with
Educational News

In a country with such a huge population and so much of diversity in culture and nature, it is so common that there would surely be diversity among various types of violence too. Domestic violence includes any type of violence or torture basically against women in any form whether it is physical, emotional, sexual, verbal or economic abuse or torture.

India is poorly ranked in a total of 167 countries all across the world according to the data for cases of domestic violence. Domestic violence has always been a shame for the Indian society. A woman contributes a lot in the nurturing of a whole family and sacrifices her dreams (in most of the cases) for taking care of her husband and his parents and the children too.

A woman is the only person in the family who is always ready to sacrifice her health, her dreams and her happiness just for making the family happy. A woman is the one who turns a house into a home. A home built with the bricks of a woman’s dreams and her crushed desires. Everyone wants to go out, see the world and meet the people, enjoy their selves, but for making this happen somebody is always there at home for taking care of food and for arranging everything, it is always and always a Woman.

In spite of making all these sacrifices, it is the woman only who has to become the victim of the anger of her husband, her in-laws and her children too. Basically in India, it is generally assumed that the woman, the bride is a servant (when she’s jobless) and an ATM machine without any password (when she’s working). A woman is the one who is always expected to make sacrifices and take care of her family and home. Why? Because it is her work, this is the stuff why she was born?! If somebody gets angry, then she is the only river to pour down all the anger.

Moving ahead, everyone knows that from the past times and still at present most of the women at their place are going and suffering through a lot. According to a National Family and Health Survey in 2005, total lifetime prevalence of domestic violence was 33.5% and 8.5% for sexual violence among women aged 15–49. A survey carried out by Thomson Reuters Foundation said that India is the most dangerous country in the world for women.

In 2012 National Crime Records Bureau report of India states a reported crime rate of 46 per 100,000, rape rate of 2 per 100,000, dowry homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 and the rate of domestic cruelty by husband or his relatives as 5.9 per 100,000.

But every reader knows that these are just figures and data, too away from the reality. Yes, every reader is correct. Because of poverty and lack of awareness and education, at present many women don’t at all know that they can really complain about this suffering of theirs. Many women don’t tell the concerned authorities for saving the respect of their husband and their family and start making compromises; some fear of survival as they never went to school and couldn’t get a job after separation.

There is mental or psychological absue too. Psychological abuse can erode a woman’s sense of self-worth and can be incredibly harmful to overall mental and physical wellbeing. Emotional/psychological abuse can include harassment; threats; verbal abuse such as name-calling, degradation and blaming; stalking; and isolation.

Women who experience domestic violence overwhelmingly tend to have greater overall emotional distress, as well as disturbingly high occurrences of suicidal thoughts and attempts. According to a study by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information, suicide attempts in India are correlated with physical and psychological intimate partner violence. Of the Indian women who participated in the study, 7.5% reported attempting suicide. This correlation is supported by the high rates of domestic violence in India, although the rates differ greatly by region, individual socioeconomic status and other factors.

And it is shocking to listen that this lockdown period that occurred for stopping the rapid spread of Covid-19 was even more painful for women. As all the activities were banned and there was complete lockdown, men were continuously at home along with all other family members. Hence, many women were suffering domestic violence to far greater extent. The number of domestic violence complaints received by the National Commission for Women has doubled from 123 distress calls to 239 domestic violence complaints, from March 23, 2020, to April 16, 2020.

This so pathetic to read that the lockdown, ‘the so called national holiday when most of the people developed new skills, helped their wives at home’, there were some more monsters and demons who physically, emotionally and sexually assaulted their wives at home.

It actually never changed for women. Almost every Indian woman has to make compromises every day. A lot of women who can’t bear the physical and the emotional pain commit suicides. The report by the National Crime Records Bureau says that in 2018, the number of housewives killing themselves –22,937 – increased by 6.9% when compared to 21,453 women in 2017.

Cases of domestic violence occur either due to the demand of dowry or simply the ill mentality of the husband or the family or even both. Women need to stand against this. There are various laws in the constitution including Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961 and the other two new sections, Section 498A and Section 304B were introduced into the Indian Penal Code in 1983 and 1986. On 19 March 2013, the Indian Parliament passed a new law with the goal of more effectively protecting women from sexual violence in India. It came in the form of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, which further amends the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1973, the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. The law makes stalking, voyeurism, acid attacks and forcibly disrobing a woman explicit crime for the first time, provides capital punishment for rapes leading to death, and raises to 20 years from 10 the minimum sentence for gang rape and rapes committed by a police officer. However, talking about the downside of the law, the new law doesn’t address marital rape, rape committed by the armed forces or rape against men.

Therefore, people should realize that domestic violence of any form is not at all acceptable by men and women both. Keeping into mind the mental health of the sufferer it should be realized that awareness should be spread amongst people and they should be told about their rights. Those who are able bodied and well aware, should take this responsibility into their hands. And whenever a woman or even a man (in some cases) is seen suffering from domestic violence, it should not go unreported.

Because those who stay silent after seeing everything are more wrong than those who commit such heinous acts.

Survival is for all!…

Today I went outside to buy some groceries. Somewhere on the road, my bike lock stopped working. So I went to a key repairer on the corner of the road. The key maker was working with my lock and I was just wandering looking here and there.
There was a city public health centre beside the key maker shop. There was a bench outside of it for the patients. I heard some sound coming under that bench. A few moments later, a puppy came out. It was him making the sound. He was struggling to walk but he was trying hard. Then I saw that he was walking with only two front legs. He was just dragging his back legs along with him. I saw his legs, his back legs were totally damaged. Some monstrous creature called human drove their bike over his legs and left him there to die. The puppy must have been in so much pain. But his struggle to survive was still on. He was just wandering here and there making sounds. After a while, two kids came there. They might be 7-8 years old. They came, parked their bicycle and then went to the dog. I saw them carrying a bag with milk inside. The dog was trying to run away and hide under the bench. The kids sat down there and opened the bag of milk. A few moments later, the puppy came outside and began to drink the milk. The puppy looked so hungry as he finished the milk in a few minutes. Later the kids were caressing him making the puppy feel comfortable. One of them was trying to help him stand along with his back legs. They were giving a massage, holding him to stand up. They were doing everything just to make him stand on his four legs. But the puppy couldn’t make it. But one thing was sure that the puppy felt safe in their company.
This incident left me in a dilemma. I saw two sides of human, one the so-called human who ruined the puppy’s legs and ran away and the second one is those kids who were trying hard to make him survive. So now I’m stuck in a question mark that which side we humans belong. I had a dog with me for 12 years so I felt this incident too close to my heart and it made my cry. We every day here such incidents where a person throws a dog from the bridge, make cow eat plastic with food inside and the worst case where they made a pregnant elephant eat food which had crackers. Such incidents make me question our existence. Are we really a human?
God created everything and every one of us. He created humans, plants, animals to live. God has given every living creature a right to live. But we humans try to snatch this right from animals who can’t express themselves. Firstly, we took their houses with this concrete jungle. Now even by mistake, we have an encounter, we make all the efforts to kill them. They also have the right to live. They just expect you to let them live. Forget about affection and love but least you can do is to make them live. We, humans, shout out loud when a tiger enters the city and kill someone. People come on roads demanding to kill the tiger. But if any human does this to an animal, no one blinks an eye. Few animal activists try to come forward to get justice for the animal. But nobody notices them and the case gets automatically closed. Do you really think nature will let us survive for long this way? Nature gave place for everyone to survive and if anyone disturbs it, nature will revert back sooner or later. So now it’s up to we humans how long we want to survive!…

WHY BJP SHOULD TAKE THE FARM BILL ORDINANCE BACK?

First of all I like to clear one thing that I am not related to any political party and neither I support any political propoganda. The reason I am writing this article is to aware people and highlight the negative points of farm bill and analyise the consequences. From last few days farmers are roads, protesting massively against black and unjust law. The ordinance was passed in lok sabha and rajya sabha by completely neglecting the opposition their mics were switched off. The opposition has a great importance in democracy neglecting opposition is making an elected autocracy.

The current government is only working for the betterment of corporate remember East India company was also a corporate who colonised the whole India. East India company also exploited India by imposing farm bills like permanent settlement, mahlwari and ryotwari system. Now same method is being applied by the current government. Now if we talk about the farm bill it is also giving corporates the unjust rights and permissions. The corporates will be allowed to make warehousing of the grains and will sell when prices will go up. The farmers will get very minimum profit on their harvest and most importantly they will be obliged to the corporates for selling their harvest. Government will abolish the security of return by abolishing MSP. Farmers would be taking permissions from corporates for entering their own land their own property.

This system will only exploit the farmers the farms and Indian agriculture will be acquired by the corporates. Not only farms and aagriculture. The Indian government are all set to hand over airports, railway stations and PSU s to the gaint private corporations. The common man will be”ruled” by the corporates. A handful families like Ambani, Adanis, Mittal, Bajaj and Jindals will run the whole country.

Drug Addiction

                   

Drug addiction is a worldwide malady. Eating into the vitals of the younger generation of the country. They are the future hopes of the nation. It had posed a grave problem to the society in the eighties. In the USA & some other developed western countries, it is so widespread that about 75% of the entire population is drug-addict, directly or indirectly. In India & many other developing countries, it has spread like a wildfire in the last few decades, leading the nation to the point of being doomed.

 Generally, the young people of the well-to-do family fall into prey to drug addiction. Substances such as L. S. D, marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and nicotine are considered drugs. This drug trafficking enters the country from the USA, Pakistan, Burma, Thailand & Afganistan through illicit smugglers & some rich influential mafia groups. Unscrupulous pedlars sometimes sell these drugs through drugged food secretly thus making school goers & University students drug addicts at a very primitive age. This affects their life extensively & the trend is totally going crazy with the rise of the lucrative business of some extremely greedy dishonest businessman & mafia group who are carrying on this drug trafficking secretly.

 There are many causes of drug addiction. The younger generation generally takes it up as a fad in or to copy the Western people. This habit results from frustration, deserted love, parental neglect, disinterest in studies, loneliness, unemployment stress & most importantly peer pressure. So it may be termed as a result of the modern way of life & industrial & western civilization. The process begins with some youths adapting without being aware of it. But once they take recourse to drugs, it’s tough to shake off this evil habit.

 Drugs interact with the brain and body to alter moods, emotions, and behaviors by changing brain chemistry and a person’s perceptions, and by impacting how individuals interact with the world around them. It brings drowsiness, causes hallucinations, migrates people to the dreamland of their own pleasant creation. This makes them escapists from the harder realities of life & relieves them from the struggle of existence. It brings a very ruinous effect on their consumers, shattering their physical, mental & moral health & corrupting them completely. Moreover, it has the caliber to cause most killer disease, AIDS.

 So all attempts must be made to uproot this evil habit of drug addiction from the society at an early date and at all costs in order to save the young generations from this sure & steady destruction. The Government must enact strict laws to face & stop this nuisance of drug trafficking. Campaigns must be regularly held & supported by the mass media. Arrangements should be taken for proper & speedy rehabilitation of the reformed drug addicts in the society so that they can return to their normal life. 

Books : Your Friendly Companion

   

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A man cannot simply feel contended by earning bread alone. The mind must be fed with literature, knowledge & ethics for functioning in the right path. One can simply do it by reading books of their favourite genre. And if you are a beginner grab a book that can hold down your interest & a comparatively thinner book. This is the common psychology that every significant reader holds in their initial days. 

  So after the invention of printing by Caxton, different kinds of books in different linguals have flooded bookstalls in every country. But in recent years, as everything is being sought for its alternatives & so are reading books, journals, magazines & newspapers. One can access all of the above-mentioned through different pages on the internet in blog forms or applications. A good book is defined to be the one that makes readers feel good about it. Reading one may feel the urge to make a difference in their life. Again some books in the market compel readers to hold a different viewpoint to each different reader. Good books are like those of Tagore, Bankim, Shakespeare & Tolstoy that can be the constant companions in their loneliness & even in their weals & woes.

  Books of Bibhutibhushan Banerjee or Rabindranath are the kinds that free our minds from depressions & sorrows. While the poetry books of Keats & Wordsworth generate a sense of sweet feelings, pleasant moments & philosophical thoughts. Such books can help one to strengthen their mental power & imparts a calming effect at the time of catastrophes. Again a book on criticism gives us a balanced judgment & appreciation.

On the contrary, a thriller tends to take away all the dullness & boredom from one’s mind. A science book helps one to widen their knowledge of the physical world & makes them keep abreast of the latest phase of human progress. An illustrated book on travel creates a hypnotic influence on one’s mind.  

 A visit to paradise for a book lover would be a book fair. Moreover, it’s a bonus if it is of a wholesale kind. Such an event provides enough scope for bibliophiles to quench their thirst for knowledge. A swarm of readers from all over throng the place. Even book launch events of certain authors are quite an enthusiastic event for book lovers. This gives them a chance to listen & interact with their favourite authors, totally a fanboying moment. 

Contribution of technology in today’s era

Priya Yadav,

Today, man has developed a lot in science and technology. It is now impossible to live without technology. It has made our life simple, easy, and convenient. If we did not progress in science, our life would be as difficult and difficult as before. New inventions have given us a lot of benefits. There are many technologies around us.

Mobile phones, TVs, computers, the internet, ovens, fridges, washing machines, water-removing motors, motorcycles, ships, trains, buses, modes of transport, all have been possible with the help of modern technology. With the help of new types of medicines, medical devices, it has become possible to treat complex people. In this way, we cannot survive without modern technology.

Importance of Science and Technology

Contribution to agriculture
At present, more support is being made in agriculture with the help of science and technology. Today we have good quality seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and medicines, which have increased the yield of farmers. With the help of new tractor and agricultural equipment, agriculture has become possible in a short time in large fields.

With the help of technology, more production is being started in animal husbandry, poultry, and fisheries. Now the machine cuts the wheat crop. In the fields, paddy is sown with the help of a chopper. The machine removes the carrot, potato, radish crop from the ground. Sorting the crop also makes machines.

Contribution to Education
Science and technology are now being used in the field of education. Now children are taught with smart classes. Live videos, diagrams, and photos are taught. Now with the help of computers and the internet, the students find the answer to any question in a few seconds.

Now you get a tutor, teacher from home internet facility who teaches you to live, online. You don’t even need to go anywhere. You can study any subject on a portal like YouTube.

Contribution to the area of ​​traffic
In today’s time, traffic has become very simple and easy with the help of science and technology. Earlier it used to take us many days to go to someplace. But now the high-speed trains have started which deliver them to far-flung places within a few hours.

Now the “bullet train” has become very popular. Bullet trains run in China, Germany, France, Japan, Taiwan, and other European countries. Its fault exceeds 300 km / h.

With this help, you can reach the place at a greater distance in a very short time. Now there is a plan to run a “bullet train” in India too. This service is expensive. Today, with the help of jet ships, you can go to any part of the world in a few hours. It now takes only 15 hours to go from India to America.
 
Contribution to the field of medicine
Currently, science and technology have made great progress. Previously, the diseases from which thousands of people die every year, today their treatment has become possible. With the help of modern technology, it has become possible to treat diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, AIDS, diabetes, heart disease. Now CT scan, MRI, radiation, chemotherapy, a new type of X-ray machine is being treated. Nowadays, many types of complex surgeries are started with the help of computers and robots. Any color like kidney, eyes, the heart can be transplanted with the help of modern technology. An artificial heart is now being used.

Contribution to the field of sports
In the past, sports did not use any science and technology, but now the time has changed. Nowadays, children play video games on the computer. Now sports like football, swimming, cricket, Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games are broadcast live on TV. Now the score in cricket is shown on the electronic board. Camaro is being used in stumps. Now all the games are played with the help of technology. Every game is video graphed. 3D images are used.

Contribution in postal service
Now postage is sent by airplanes, with the help of which we can send mail to a person sitting far away. Now the trend of online shopping on the Internet has increased a lot. With the help of a computer and the internet sitting at home, we can buy all our favorite books, medicines, ornaments, dot, kajal, cream, oil, soap, etc.

Now the need to go to the market is over. We can also buy our favorite vegetables from the internet. Companies like Flipkart, Amazon offer online shopping.

Contribution of modern technology in everyday life
Today, with the help of Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, anyone can make friends. Making friends is now very easy. With the help of Facebook, many missing people who were separated from their families have been reunited. Modern technology has simplified our lives. Now the temperature can be balanced by running an air conditioner in the summer season.

Summer can be enjoyed in summer and winter in summer. The washing machine itself now cleans our dirty clothes. The oven only cooks our food. The mixer grinds the spices in the kitchen. Now you can read newspapers on mobile. Money can now be paid with ATM card, debit, credit card. Now the need to carry money in the pocket is over.

Contribution to the field of communication
Today, with the help of modern science and technology, man has developed a lot in communication. Many satellites travel around 24 hours in space, giving us all kinds of information. Today, we get weather information first.

Where it will rain, where there will be a storm, where a tsunami will come, we already know with the help of satellite. India has left 108 satellites in space. Now we can call anywhere. Video calls can be done.

Contribution to the field of entertainment
Today, new science and technology are used to make films and TV serials. Now, 3D cinemas have become in the country, in which films with three-dimensional technology are shown. Now at home, we can play different types of games on our TV, computer, mobile phone.

Everywhere we like to go by motor and vehicles. People use elevators instead of stairs. Because of this, human beings have started falling victim to many diseases. Now people are suffering from obesity, diabetes, heart diseases due to comfortable living in cities.

Children are addicted to TV, cinema, social media. They have started stealing from their studies. Today, with the help of science, new weapons, guns have started to be used, whose use kills thousands of people every day.

Humans have made weapons like atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs, missiles that can destroy the whole world. Therefore, we should use modern technology in a positive direction. We should try to make modern technology a boon, not a curse.

NFDC Film Bazaar Online 2020 postponed to 16 – 21 January 2021, alongside the 51st IFFI

The 14th edition of NFDC Film Bazaar Online 2020 which was scheduled to be held on November 20-24, alongside the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2020 has been postponed to 16th – 21st January, 2021.

The change in dates has been made in line with the postponement of 51st edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to 16 to 24 January 2021 which was scheduled to be held from 20 to 28 November in Goa. This NFDC Film Bazaar will be held in a hybrid format which will be both offline and online.

The Film Bazaar will be held virtually but it will include all sections usually held in previous editions.

Joint Secretary, M/o Information & Broadcastingand Managing Director, NFDC, Smt T.C.A. Kalyani said that, “NFDC Film Bazaar online 2020 has been postponed to January 16th – 21st, 2021. The market will be held alongside IFFI 2020 which has also been postponed to January keeping in mind the COVID-19 situation.”

“This will be a step up for Film Bazaar as it will be more inclusive and its reach will be global. We are hoping the virtual edition will see more people as the fabric of Film Bazaar is intact”, she added. 

The call for entries is open for Submissions for Co-Production Market, WIP Lab (Fiction only) and Viewing Room (Fiction/Documentary/Animation/Shorts). Feature length fiction films in the rough cut are eligible to apply to both WIP Lab and Viewing Room.

For more details visit: www.filmbazaarindia.com

For queries, write to: info@filmbazaarindia.com

About Film Bazaar

Film Bazaar is the largest South Asian film market. It encourages creative and financial collaboration between the South Asian and International film communities.

Created and organized by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Film Bazaar has evolved into South Asia’s Global Film Market from its humble beginnings in 2007. Every edition witnesses increased national and international participation. Over the years, films such as Lunch Box, Margarita With A Straw, Chauthi Koot, Qissa, Ship of Theseus, Titli, Court, Anhe Ghode Da Daan, Miss Lovely, Dum Lagake Haisha, Liar’s Dice, Thithi, Bombay Rose, Soni, In the Shadows, The Gold Laden Sheep and the Sacred Mountain, Moothon, Eeb Alley Oo, Amis, Laila aur satt Geet  and many more have been through one or more programmes of the Bazaar.

Over the course of five days, Film Bazaar becomes a converging point for film buyers and sellers from all over the world. The focus is on discovering, supporting and showcasing South Asian content and talent in filmmaking, production and distribution. The Bazaar also facilitates the sales of world cinema in the South Asian region.

Film Bazaar is held every year at the Marriott Resort, Goa, India, between 20th and 24th November. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, NFDC Film Bazaar 2020 will be held online from January 16-21st, 2021

About NFDC

National Film Development Corporation of India is the central agency established to encourage the good cinema movement in the country. The primary goal of the NFDC is to plan, promote and organize an integrated and efficient development of the Indian film industry and foster excellence in cinema. Over the years NFDC has provided a wide range of services essential to the growth of Indian cinema. The NFDC (and its predecessor the Film Finance Corporation) has so far funded / produced over 300 films. These films, in various Indian languages, have been widely acclaimed and have won many national and international awards.

Abraham lincoln

Abraham Lincoln,(February 12, 1809 – 15 April 1865) was the 16th President of the United States of America. He served as president for 5 years, from 4 March 1861 until his assassination by John Wilkes Booth on 15 April 1865. The name in itself speaks volumes. He is considered the greatest president of the United States of America. Historians and Political Scientists consistently rank him as the best American president ever. Above all, the man is renowned for ending slavery in his country. This certainly created a world-wide awareness against the evil of slavery. In the realm of social reform, he is holding a lofty status.Lincoln is known primarily for his leadership during the American Civil War (1861 – 1865) and for signing the Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order changing the legal status of slaves to ‘free’.

In Abraham’s youth the family moved frequently, trying to stay one step ahead of financial trouble and illness, before eventually settling down in Coles County, Illinois.  Along the way, Lincoln became known for his physical strength as well as his formidable self-education.  At the age of 21, he left home and canoed to New Salem, Illinois, where he signed on to a local riverboat firm.  After a short stint on the western rivers, a shorter stint as manager of a general store, and service as a militia captain during the Black Hawk Wars, he made his first run for a seat on the Illinois General Assembly, which he lost.  In 1834, he won his second General Assembly election and served four terms as a member of the Whig Party while taking up the practice of law in Springfield.  In 1842, after a two-year engagement marked by one cancelled wedding, Lincoln married a 23-year old woman named Mary Todd. 

Despite becoming a successful lawyer, Lincoln did not have a degree. His total schooling, obtained from travelling teachers, is estimated to total only around 1 year.Though lawyers are often considered untrustworthy, his reputation for honesty and fairness helped ‘Honest Abe’ win local elections.He was the first bearded US President, the first to hold a patent and the first to be in an inaugural photograph

Many surveys of the Presidents of the United States have taken place. Many scholars and experts of the United States took part in such surveys. Most noteworthy, Lincoln is always ranked in the top 3 in such surveys. Furthermore, there has been an organization of Presidential ranking polls since 1948. Abraham Lincoln certainly has the top rating in most of such polls.Probably the most famous survey was by Chicago Tribune in 1982. There was a participation of 49 Historians and Political Scientists in that survey. These experts were to rate all the United States Presidents in five categories. The categories were: leadership, crisis management, political skills, appointments, and character/integrity. As was probably the prediction of most people, Lincoln got top place. Most noteworthy, Lincoln got top place in all the categories. This shows his magnificent historical reputation.Many social reformers view him as a champion of liberty. He has the description of a classic liberal by historians. He is a role model to liberal intellectuals and human rights organizations. Some of his avid supporters even compare his life to Jesus Christ.


After serving a term in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1846, Lincoln returned to his self-proclaimed profession of “prairie lawyer” in Illinois.  He took cases dealing with everything from homicide to navigation rights to slave laws.  An arcane statute dispute brought him to the high chamber on March 7, 1849.   He argued on behalf of Thomas Lewis, a public administrator who had taken over the affairs of a man named Broadwell, who had sold 100 acres of land that he did not own and then died.  The true grit of the case was the question of whether or not the plaintiff, William Lewis (no relation), could still sue for damages regarding the poisoned contract or if the statute of limitations had already passed.  Lincoln claimed that William’s action came too late, and that Thomas could no longer be held liable.  After two days of hearings and five days of deliberations, the justices decided against Lincoln.  Despite this defeat, the prairie lawyer was becoming one of the most respected and feared litigants in Illinois.  

Abraham Lincoln appears on many postage stamps in the United States. His image also appears on two United States currency denominations. His sculpture on Mount Rushmore is certainly a world-class memorial. Furthermore, his other memorials include Ford’s theatre, Peterson House, and Lincoln Memorial.

The United States military greatly honors Lincoln. Many believe him to a symbol of national unity and pride. Two United States navy ships bear his name.

Abraham Lincoln was certainly a legendary American president. Probably everyone believes him to be a global icon of peace. His legacy is a powerful symbol against oppression. Above all, his greatest contribution to mankind is the emancipation of slaves. The forces of evil tried to stop him. However, his legacy became more glorious because of such attempts. Finally, his assassination took place at the hands of evil forces. However, this assassination left him as a national martyr. The name of Abraham Lincoln certainly belongs in the pages of greatness.The Great Emancipator wasn’t quite WWE material, but thanks to his long limbs he was an accomplished wrestler as a young man. Defeated only once in approximately 300 matches, Lincoln reportedly talked a little smack in the ring. According to Carl Sandburg’s biography of Lincoln, Honest Abe once challenged an entire crowd of onlookers after dispatching an opponent: “I’m the big buck of this lick. If any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns.” There were no takers. Lincoln’s grappling exploits earned him an “Outstanding American” honor in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.On April 14, 1865, Lincoln signed legislation creating the U.S. Secret Service. That evening, he was shot at Ford’s Theatre. Even if the Secret Service had been established earlier, it wouldn’t have saved Lincoln: The original mission of the law enforcement agency was to combat widespread currency counterfeiting. It was not until 1901, after the killing of two other presidents, that the Secret Service was formally assigned to protect the commander-in-chief.

Every friendship is unique.

Comparison is a dangerous vice that occurs all too often in our life. And sadly, it seems to be a common stumbling block to hundreds of other young people as well. It’s poisonous influence seeps into a many aspects of our life and our friendships are no exception.

We are blessed to realize that we have some real friends in our lives and love many different types of friends that we have met at every step along the way. We have dear childhood friends, cherished friends from our days in high school, long-distance friendships that formed as a result of summer endeavors and new beloved college pals. And that list is far from exhaustive.

But amidst all the joy that goes along with having such wonderful people in life, it is frighteningly easy for us to compare these relationships to each other.

It looks a little something like this…

“Wow, I had such a good time playing games today with Friend A. But yesterday I had coffee and talked about life’s deepest questions with Friend B. But last week I was in tears laughing with Friend C!”

Our mind starts running at 100 miles per hour, wondering why we don’t talk about Karl Marx’s theory with Friend A, or why Friend C and I never watch thriller movies together, or why Friend B doesn’t make me laugh until my sides hurt.

But this is such an unhealthy approach to our friendships.

Instead of appreciating the elements that make each of our relationships so unique, we focus on what we are supposedly lacking. Our critical mind chooses to pick apart our friendships and become worried when we perceive a flaw anywhere.

By comparing Friendship A with Friendship B, we do each of my friends a serious disservice. We would even go as far as to say that we dishonor them. This ugly habit of comparison causes us to completely disregard the invaluable bonds that drew us to each of those friends in the first place.

Why would we want our friendships to all look the same anyway? How boring!

I sometimes like to think of my friendships as being a tree. Without trying to sound arrogant, I am the metaphorical trunk, and the branches are my friendships. While all the branches look similar because they are attached to the same trunk (me!), they each spread in different directions and have varying shapes and sizes of buds or leaves scattered all over. And in my opinion, if all the branches were the same size, grew in the same direction, and had the same pattern of leaves, it wouldn’t look like a tree at all; at least not a healthy tree.

You may notice that your friendships change from year-to-year — the best friend you had last year may not even be in your inner circle anymore. It happens more often than you may think, and studies have been done that prove the theory that the older you get, the fewer friends you have.

So let’s encourage each other to stop this vicious habit of comparing bonds, relations and friendships.

A popular quote by Theodore Roosevelt is “Comparison is the thief of joy.”  And while the quote is somewhat overused, it is unquestionably true.

So let those branches grow in all kinds of crazy directions! Step back and admire your beautiful, unique tree. And keep the pruning tool of comparison far, far away.

As you can see, friendships evolve over time for all kinds of reasons. The important thing is to focus on the friends you do have and make sure the friendships are reciprocal, so no resentment builds on anyone’s end.

National Webinar on Credit Mechanism, Mobility and Academic Bank of Credit under ShikshakParv

The Ministry of Education is celebrating “ShikshakParv” during 8thto 25thSeptember, 2020 by conducting various National Webinars on the newly announced National Education Policy 2020. As part of this initiative, a National Webinar on ‘Credit Mechanism, Mobility and Academic Bank of Credit’’ was organized on 25thSeptember, 2020 wherein Prof. BhushanPatwardhan, Vice-Chairman, UGC, Prof. R.P. Tiwari, Member UGC & Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Punjab, Prof. SandeepSancheti, Vice-Chancellor, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Prof. (Dr.) S.P. Thyagarajan, Former Vice-Chancellor of Madras University were invited as Speakers. Dr. (Mrs.) PankajMittal, Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi was invited as Speaker and Moderator in the Webinar. Dr. Surender Singh, JS, UGC coordinated the webinar.

The webinar was initiated by Dr. PankajMittalby highlighting the importance of ShikshakParv and the concept behind the Webinar on Credit Mechanism, Mobility and Academic Bank of Credit asenvisaged in the NEP 2020. She mentioned that the NEP 2020 is a much needed, forward looking & innovative, student centric policy where the student is the king having all kinds of freedom like multiple entry and exit options, choice of subjects, choice of duration, choice of earning credits from various higher education institutions and freedom of speed. All these freedoms and choices will come to the students through Academic Credit Bank (ABC).

Prof. SandeepSanchetimentioned that ABC will promote the flexibility, multiple entries and multiple exits, life-long learning and freedom to the students in choosing the subjects and will enable them to design their own degrees as they will be able to choose their own bouquet of courses. He appreciated the concept of examination on demand and explained in detail the building blocks of ABC.

Prof. R.P.Tiwari talked about the role of ABC for creating a life-long learning society and various benefits it will accrue to the students. He emphasized that the main objectives of the ABC are to promote student centric higher education system and enable students to select courses and institutions; allow them to choose a pace for their studies to complete their degrees as per their choice. He also mentioned that ABC will promote access, equity, quality, flexibility, collaboration and transparency to improve the competitiveness and efficiency in India’s higher education system.

Prof. BhushanPatwardhan appreciatedthe attempts made by UGC in line with the NEP recommendations to liberate the Indian higher education from a slew of regulations and regulators. Academic Bank of Credits shall facilitate the integration of the campuses and distributed learning system, by creating student mobility within inter and intra university system. He also emphasized that the ABC may help in seamlessly integrating skills and experiences into a credit based formal system by providing a credit recognition mechanism.

Prof. Thyagarajan during his course referred to the tradition knowledge system of India and felt that 64 Kalas and 14 Vidyas imparted in the ancient time are beingreintroduced in ABC. The ABC will lead to life-long learning by promoting learning and relearning cycles multiple times. He felt that through this concept higher education space will move from rigidity to flexibility, make students knowledge creators instead of users of knowledge and their holistic development and make them job creators rather than job seekers. The integration of skill education with the academic stream will improve the employability and lead to global citizen education.

Pre-bid Meeting conducted regarding CSMT Railway Station redevelopment project

CEO, NitiAayog and Chairman& CEO, Railway Boardchaired the Pre-bid meeting of CSMT project todayvia digital platform. Member (Infrastructure), Railway Board, GM, Central Railway and GM, Northern Railways also attended.  Redevelopment of railway stations across India is a priority agenda of Ministry of Railways, Government of India. This agenda is being driven with full force by the Government with the participation of private players as a part of PPP. The Pre-bid meeting held today received huge response from the industry and developers&fund houses seemingly are very much interested in this investment opportunity.

The Pre-bid meeting was attended by about 43 prospective bidders, including developers namely Adani Group, Tata Projects Ltd., Eldeco, GMR Group, JKB Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd, SNCF Hubs & Connexions, I Squared Capital, Kalpataru Power Transmission Ltd., Ace Urban developers, GR Infrastructure, Essel Group,Larsen & Toubro; architects namely BDP Singapore, Hafeez Contractor, AECOM; Fund houses namely Anchorage Infrastructure Investment Holdings Ltd., Brookfield and consultancy firms namely JLL, Boston Consultancy Group, KPMG, PwC India, EY and embassies namely British High Commission. Invest India set up by DPIIT which is the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency that helps investors looking for investment opportunities and options in India also attended.

CSMT is a historic and UNESCO World Heritage site located in the heart of Mumbai city. The redevelopment plan encapsulates integration of various modes to make this railway station a multimodal transport hub as per the vision of Hon’ble PM of India. It will include segregation of arrival and departure, divyang friendly station, better level of services for passengers, energy efficient building and restoring the heritage site as per its 1930 levels. The CSMT railway station will function like a city centre rail mall where in addition to a passenger’s transportation needs, his daily needs are also fulfilled, like- Retail, F&B, Entertainment, Souvenir shopping. The aim is that most of his daily needs are catered to by visiting the railway station thus avoiding unnecessary travel within the city.

The infrastructure at the redeveloped station is envisaged in such a manner that it promotes seamless integration from one mode to another mode. Upon redevelopment, it will provide multiple access points to passengers for easy commute and also a direct linkage between suburban railway, harbour line, long distance, Metro rail and commercial development. This will help in reducing the congestion while enjoying the enhanced heritage structure. Efforts would also be made to integrate the last mile connectivity so that passengers can be provided end-to-end solutions.

Request for Qualification (RFQ) for redevelopment of ChhatrapatiShivajiMaharaj Terminus (Mumbai) on PPP has been invited by IRSDC vide NIT published on 20.08.2020. The RFQ document can be accessed on: http://irsdc.enivida.com/. The Applications due date is 22.10.2020.

During the Pre-bid meeting, it was highlighted that at the RFQ stage the applicants would need to fulfil only the financial criteria that is minimum net worth (for developers) or minimum ACI (for funds) and the technical eligibility criteria has been dispensed with.

The CSMT project cost is of Rs. 1642 croreand the cost of Real estate is Rs. 1433 crores. The total real estate BUA is 25 lac sq. ft. at CSMT, WadiBunder and Byculla. The construction period is of 4 years. The selected bidder at the RFP stage shall take up the redevelopment of the Railway station and commercial development of the surrounding railway land on leasehold basis for 60 years for commercial development and upto 99 years for residential development on selected plots, along with operation and maintenance of the station for 60 years on concession basis.

NHSRCL opens Technical bids for 28 Steel bridges and 88 km of viaduct between Vadodara and Ahmedabad for MAHSR corridor

NHSRCL opens Technical bids for 28 Steel bridges and 88 km of viaduct between Vadodara and Ahmedabad for MAHSR corridor.

Demand of 70,000 MT of Steel to boost Steel industries.

National High Speed Rail Corporation opens technical bids for two packages today for Mumbai Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor (1) Procurement and Fabrication of 28 steel bridges for crossing over railway lines, rivers, highways, road crossings and other structures (P-4) (2) Design and Construction of 88 km (Approx) of viaduct between Vadodara and Ahmedabad in Gujarat including construction of elevated HSR station at Anand/Nadiad.(C-6), 5 Bridges and 25 crossings.

Following bidders participated in the tender process:

Bidders for Procurement and Fabrication of 28 steel bridges (Package P-4):

1)         Tata Projects Ltd.

2)         Afcons Infrastructure Ltd.

3)         Braithwaite & Co. Ltd.Consortium

4)         Bridge & Roof Co. (India) Ltd.

5)         NCC Ltd.

6)         JMC Projects(India) Ltd. &RaheeInfratech Ltd.

7)         ISGEC Heavy Engineering Ltd. – M & B Engineering Ltd. Consortium

8)         Larsen & Toubro – IHI Infrastructure Systems Consortium

Out of these, sr.no. 1 to 7 are Indian companies and Sr. no. 8 is a consortium between Indian and Japanese company.

Bidders for Design and Construction of 88 Kms viaduct and Anand/Nadiad station (Package C-6):

1: Afcons Infrastructure Limited – IRCON International Limited – JMC Projects India Ltd- Consortium

2: NCC Limited – Tata Project Ltd.- J. Kumar Infra Projects Ltd. – HSR Consortium

3: Larsen & Toubro Ltd.

All three bidders are Indian.

It is estimated that about 70,000 MT of Steel will be used for the fabrication of 28 steel bridges. NHSRCL has already sensitized the steel industries to cater such a huge demand for the India’s first High Speed Rail corridor.

With the opening of these bids, the technical bids covering 64% (325 km out of 508 km) of the total MAHSR alignment including five (5) HSR stations (Vapi, Billimora, Surat, Bharuch and Anand/Nadiad) out of 12 stations and one Train depot at Surat are under consideration. Earlier this week, NHSRCL has opened the technical bids for 237 km of viaduct between Vapi and Vadodara in Gujarat including 4 elevated HSR stations and one Train depot at Surat where all the three bidders comprising seven (7) leading Indian infrastructure companies had participated.

The Indian Steel and Cement industries and their allied supply chains will get a big boost from these tenders.

Bilateral Maritime Exercise Between Japan and India (JIMEX 20) to Commence off West Coast of India

The 4th edition of India – Japan Maritime bilateral exercise JIMEX, which is conducted biennially between the Indian Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) will be held in North Arabian Sea from 26 to 28 September 2020. JIMEX series of exercises commenced in January 2012 with special focus on maritime security cooperation. The last edition of JIMEX was conducted in October 2018 off Visakhapatnam, India.

Naval cooperation between India and Japan has increased in scope and complexity over the years. Advanced level of operations and exercises planned during JIMEX-20 are indicative of the continued upswing in Indo-Japanese defence relations and continued efforts by both Governments to work closely for a more secure, open and inclusive global commons, in accordance with international regulations.

JIMEX 20 will showcase high degree of inter-operability and joint operational skills through conduct of a multitude of advanced exercises, across the spectrum of maritime operations. Multi-faceted tactical exercises involving weapon firings, cross deck helicopter operations and complex surface, anti-submarine and air warfare drills will consolidate coordination developed by the two navies.

JIMEX 20 will be spread over three days and is being conducted in a ‘non-contact at-sea-only format’, in view of COVID-19 restrictions.

Indigenously built stealth destroyer Chennai, Teg Class stealth frigate Tarkash and Fleet Tanker Deepak, under the command of Rear Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, will represent the Indian Navy. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force will be represented by JMSDF Ships Kaga, an Izumo Class Helicopter Destroyer and Ikazuchi, a Guided Missile Destroyer, led by Rear Admiral Konno Yasushige, Commander Escort Flotilla – 2 (CCF – 2). In addition to ships, P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft, integral helicopters and fighter aircraft will also participate in the exercise.

JIMEX 20 will further enhance the cooperation and mutual confidence between the two navies and fortify the long standing bond of friendship between the two countries.

New finding on Blazars—the brightest jets in the universe could provide clues to processes close to black holes

The short term optical flux stability detected in some of the brightest jets in the universe could provide clues to the processes close to black holes.

Blazars are one of the most luminous and energetic objects in the universe powered by material falling onto a super-massive black hole at the center of the host galaxy – the luminosity being because of their a jet composed of ionized matter traveling at nearly the speed of light towards an observer (the Earth).

Six scientists spanning over three countries— India, Serbia, and the USA studied some of the brightest blazers called TeV (Tera-electron Volt) blazars and found that they stand out as a semblance of stability of brightness among the blazar family in the short duration. While their brightness varies in the long duration, they maintain their brightness levels in short duration.

Blazars are among one of the most favourite astronomical transient objects, and their study could provide clues to the processes happening close to the black hole, not visible through direct imaging.

The scientists, including researchers from Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, took 1741 image frames during 2013 – 2019  by using two (1.04 m and 1.3 m) telescopes, in ARIES, India and two (0.6 m and 1.4 m) telescopes in Serbia. A detailed study of the optical flux and spectral variability of three extreme TeV (Tera-electron Volt, i.e., 1012 eV) gamma-ray emitting blazars, namely 1ES 0229+200, 1ES 0414+009, 1ES 2344+514 was carried out by this team.

In the study by Dr. Ashwani Pandey and Dr. Alok C. Gupta, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Journal, a detailed study of the flux, color, and spectral index variations of the three extreme TeV blazars was carried out on diverse timescales — as short as within a day, and as well as on months to years timescales. The study also explained the physical processes responsible for such variations. 

According to the team, in TeV emitting blazars, peak of spectral energy distribution lies in the UV/X-ray range. Thus in optical bands, magnetic fields and electrons energies are less, causing short term optical flux stability or low amplitude variability. Variations on months to years timescales can most likely be explained by the propagation of shocks along with the jet, due to which the electrons at the shock front get accelerated to very high energies. These high energy electrons are then cooled via different emission processes while leaving the shock front. Other possible explanations for months to years timescale variations include a change of the magnetic field and/or change in the Doppler factor caused by either helical motion of the emitting region within the jet or wiggling of jets or helical jets.

In this age of multi-wavelength (MW) time-domain astronomy in which the transient astronomical sources are of great interest due to their rapid change in flux, simultaneous MW observation of a particular transient source on an extended period of time is important for understanding the emission mechanism in different electromagnetic (EM) bands.