Dignity Of Labour

As it is truly said, ” Work is Worship.” Manual work is indeed a good physical exercise thus keeping them in shape & fit. It makes us more self-supporting & self-reliant. Also what needs to be learned is that all honest work is dignified and worthy of respect.

All great men of the labour of the world have admitted the importance of labour. By dignity of labour, one is implying for the dignity of manual labour. The society we live in cannot exist without labours. Whether intellectual or manual, it is the basis of life. So as it is rightly said, ‘An idle brain is a devil’s workshop’. When a person works with his hands his brain is also simultaneously concentrating at the work. No work can be accomplished unless both are under synchronization.

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So for example, when a Mason builds a house, his intelligence rules & regulates his physical activity. Whilst if the farmer gives up tiling the land, vendors give up carrying commodities to market, sweepers refrain from sweeping, then the whole world will be at stake & human life will go on a standstill. 

Another greatest example of slavery to quote can be by mentioning the slavery of ancient Egypt. There used to be three classes of labours i.e. chattel slavery, bonded labor, and forced labor. Now, firstly the Chattel slaves were mostly captives of war and were brought over to different cities and countries to be sold as slaves. Secondly, category, being bonded labour is the form of slavery in which people sold themselves including their children sometimes. And thirdly the forced labour. Now there used to be certain slaves contracted for the purpose to serve in like military expeditions, mining and quarrying, and construction projects. And then they were paid a wage, depending on their skill level and social status for their work. So both men & women represented the Egyptian labour culture & it was difficult to mention social status based on it. By far the most prominent example, in history. 

Throughout human existence, the lower social class has involved a spectrum of variants, from slavery to caste or caste-like systems, to subtler forms of inequality. Comparably the working classes in Eu­rope and America have pushed themselves up to a position of power, influence, and comparative comfort. Manual labour is recognized today, at least in theory, as being worthy of free citizens, and no stigma attaches to a man because he works with his hands rather than his head.      

5 Personality traits to be adopted,if you are an emotionally weak person

Are you emotionally weak? Do you often give up at the face of adversity and fear challenges? Well, emotionally weak individuals often has such tendencies to escape from problems instead of seeing it as an opportunity to grow. Anyway, don’t worry about your emotional weaknesses as you can overcome your weakness by adopting this 5 personality traits found in emotionally strong people.
1) They are not attention seekers- emotionally strong people do not seek outside validation. They have learned to accept themselves the way they are and don’t beg for attention.They are confident people and are comfortable in their skin.
2) They don’t allow anybody bring them down- emotionally strong individuals do not let others bring them down or hurt them through their words. They stay away from naysayers and keep only positive people in their lives.
3) They do not run away from challenges- emotionally strong people are open to accept any challenge that life throws at them. They fight every battle, learn from the experience and use the lessons learnt to grow and better their life.
4) They seek happiness within- emotionally strong people understands the fact that happiness starts from oneself. They also understand that happiness is a choice so they make a choice to stay happy by following their passion and engaging themselves in activities that makes them happy. They live a productive life filled with contentment.
5) They don’t over react- Emotionally strong people do not over react or even respond to things that they know are not worthy of their attention. They know what matters to them and what doesn’t, so they do not waste their energy and time on over reacting on things that matters the least to them.
   So, if you are an emotionally weak person then you should try to adopt the traits of an emotionally strong person. The above mentioned points might help you to figure out the category you belong to. If you could relate to the traits of an emotionally strong person then you should feel proud of yourself for being so strong, if not don’t worry you can become emotionally strong too, all you need is a positive mindset and a will to change your life for the better! Follow your heart and never stop believing in yourself!

Organs to DNAs: Zooming Into the Human Beings

For many people, terms like gene, DNA and chromosome are hard to be interlinked. Which thing makes up what? A very common confusion indeed. So, why don’t we try to ‘zoom in’ into the human body and see what makes us what we are!

Upto the Cellular Level

Human body is a complex system of organs working in tandem, producing necessary hormones, energy and other requirements that are needed to keep the body healthy and active.. This whole organ system is made up of different constituent organs, which have one or several particular functions. Damage or decrease in function of even one organ may through the whole body in a serious condition. These organs, in turn, are systematic aggregates of different kinds of tissues. Tissues are structures of related cells, which function together to perform a specific function. Connective tissues are present in almost every organ, and their main purpose is to provide support and elasticity to the related organs. It forms a large part of the skin, blood vessels, muscles etc. Now, tissues, if broken down, would result into constituent cells. Cells, which are also known as the building blocks of life. Organisms can either be unicellular, or can multiply in a systematic way to finally form a multicellular organism. Cells are of different kinds, performing a variety of functions by themselves, or by clustering together to develop into subsequent structures. 

Zooming Past The Cellular Stage

The cell itself has a range of organelles that ensure the proper development, and when the time comes, reproduction and finally, the destruction of the cell. The edge of the cells is demarcated by the plasma membrane, which allows a semi-osmotic connection with the surrounding. Cytoplasm is the solution which fills up the space inside the cell, the organelles being situated over it. These organelles include mitochondria, Golgi bodies, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosome, amongst the others. The nucleus is a very important component of the cell, as for they contain the key to transmission to the future, the chromosomes. The nucleus has its own set of organelles, separated from the cytoplasm and other organelles by the nuclear membrane. Those are: nucleolus, nucleoplasm and the chromosomes. The somatic or the non reproductive cells in the human body are diploid, that is, all the chromosomes are  paired to a  similar sized chromosome.  But in the reproductive cells (gamates) in humans, such as the sperm and ova, only one chromosome of each type is present. These cells are also known as the haploid cells. In other words, n is the number of chromosomes in a haploid cell and 2n is the number of chromosomes in the diploid cell. In human beings, n=23. During the fertilization, the merging of cells will result in the restoration of two sets of each type of chromosome, thus forming a diploid cell, also known as the zygote. 

The chromatins (one arm of a single chromosome) actually consists of tightly bound nucleosomes, which in turn are made up of densely coiled DNA strands over a protein called histone. The DNA molecule, which is also known as the genes of an individual, is responsible for the continuation of traits from parents to offspring. Also, the function of each cell in making a specific protein is also determined by the DNA, or more specifically, by a particular code in the DNA. These codes are responsible for dictating what enzymes will be released to drive specific chemical reactions related to various processes in the human body. These codes, and hence, in turn, the biochemical processes determine the appearance and some other innate characteristics in an individual. 

The Most Basic Structure

The information is coded in the DNA using four chemical bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), thymine (T) and cytosine (C). The pattern or sequence of these bases gives the information for the development and maintenance of an organism. It can be equated with how letters are used to form words. These base pairs can only pair with their complementary bases; adenine with thymine and guanine with cytosine. Along with these base pairs, a sugar and a phosphate molecule attach up, collectively known as nucleotide. The nucleotides are the basic building blocks of the DNA. When these are arranged in two long strands, which wound up and form a spiral structure, then it is called a double helix, which constitutes a DNA molecule.

Website Reference:

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/basics/dna

https://www.yourgenome.org/facts/what-is-a-chromosome

Image Credit: Genome Research Limited

Serotonin and Sunlight: The Refreshing Combination

A dull day looks gloomy, feels gloomy and is gloomy. And that gut feeling is actually scientific and very much real!! 

Rise and Shine with the Sun

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) is a multi functional molecule, which fulfills the role of a  neurotransmitter as well as of a hormone. Brain derived serotonin (BDS) works a neurotransmitter, whereas, gut derived serotonin (GDS) functions as a hormone.these two can never mix up and are separated by a special membrane, the blood-brain barriers Also, the synthesizing process of serotonin is a multistep process and due to the presence of two different kind of genes in an enzyme involved in producing serotonin, BDS and GDS are considered to be two distinct molecules. Serotonin, in the hormonal form, has established linkage with mood, perceiving abilities and memory. Also, relation between low levels of serotonin and depression/anxiety has also been traced. Other functions of the serotonin include regulation of sleep, digestion, blood clotting and also has a part in the regulation of the bone density. 

Now, sunlight has an important role in the health of an individual. Now you may ask, how? Well, it is because sunlight is believed to trigger an increase in the release of serotonin in the body. Serotonin, apart from being a mood booster, is also said to help with focus and feeling calm. No wonder, it is called the ‘feel-good’ chemical of our body. Hence, during season change, especially to winter, people have a significant chance of experiencing season based pattern depression, which was formerly known as  Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is linked to the noticeable decrease to sun exposure. Also, serotonin, when acetylated and methylated, results in melatonin. Melatonin is the primary hormone related to the sleep cycle. Apart from that, melatonin is also involved in blood pressure regulation. So, it is an obvious fact that disturbance in levels of serotonin will ultimately affect the production of melatonin in the body, which in turn, will affect the sleep related processes in an individual. So if you are looking for a change from the night owl habits, how about soaking up some sunlight? P.S. Normal blood pressure and a healthy circulatory system are complementary! 

Limits for a reason…

GDS, surprisingly, isn’t too friendly with the bones. Higher than normal serotonin levels have been linked with osteoporosis (bones being porous and hence, fragile). With the laboratory experiments, it has been observed that serotonin prevents the replication and development of the osteoblasts. This leads to production of a significantly lesser number of cells by the osteoblasts in comparison to the cells destroyed by the osteoclasts. This, in return, leads to a lesser amount of bone material and the bone becomes porous. Sounds bad right?

But as they say, where there is a will, there is a way. The researchers have found a way to lower the serotonin levels, if and when required in the body, by a dietary regulation. This regulation involves the reduction in intake of tryptophan, which happens to be a requirement in the synthesis of serotonin. Talk about curbing a problem from the bud, huh?

So, all and all, serotonin is a pretty amazing hormone, but only at the normal levels. 

Website Reference:

How the Gut Talks to Bone
https://www.tricitymed.org/2018/08/5-ways-the-sun-impacts-your-mental-and-physical-health/#:~:text=That%20serotonin%20you%20soak%20up,also%20helps%20your%20body%20produce.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/serotonin

Bipin Chandra Pal

The Indian nationalist, journalist, orator, social reformer and movement activist Bipin Chandra Pal. The Lal Bal Pal triumvirate was one third. Pal, along with Sri Aurobindo, was one of the key Swadeshi architects. He resisted the British colonial government’s division of Bengal.

Bipin Chandra Pal was born into a Hindu Bengali Kayastha family in Poil, Habiganj, District of Sylhet, the Bengal President of British India. His dad Sylheti was a Persian scholar and tiny landowner, Ramchandra Pal. He studied and taught at the University of Calcutta Church Mission Society College. His son Niranjan Pal, one of Bombay Talkies’ creators, was his son. ICS cop, S., his son-in – law was. K. Dey, then a minister of union. His other lawyer, Ullaskar Dutta, was a freedom fighter and, after many circumstances, married Lila Dutta at her last age, he loved interest.

Pal was as innovative in politics as he was in his privacy. He married a widow and entered Brahmo Samaj after the death of his first wife.

Pal was one of India’s freedom fighters, known by the name of Revolutionary Thinking Father. Pal became the Indian National Congress’ big leader. Bipin Chandra Pal made a powerful appeal to abrogate the Weapons Act, which was discriminatoric in nature, at the Madras session of the Indian National Congress in 1887. He was a member of the “Lal, Bal, and Pal trio” that was affiliated with revolutionary activities along with Lala Lajpat Rai and Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

The chief exponents of a new nation-style movement revolving around the principles of Purna Svaraj, Swadeshi boycott and national training are Sri Aurobindo Ghosh and Pal. His curriculum included Swadeshi, boycott and education. The use of Swadeshis and the boycott of international products to eliminate poverty and unemployment was preached and promoted. He wished to eliminate social evils from the type and, by national critique, invoke feelings of nationalism. In the context of no collaboration with British colonialists, he had no confidence in mild protests. On that matter, Mahatma Gandhi was uncommon for the assertive nationalist leader. He split his business with the Congress and lived a secluded life over the last six years of his life. Sri Aurobindo named him one of nationalism’s most influential prophets. Bipin Chandra Pal did his utmost to prevent economic and social disasters. He criticised the caste system and defended the remarriage of widows. He called for a 48-hour work week and for a workers’ pay increase. He revealed his contempt for the ways in which Gandhi had become embedded in “magic,” rather than “logic” in his critique.

Pal worked for Bengal’s popular opinion, the Tribune and New India, as a journalist, spreading his nationalist name. He has written numerous papers informing India of developments in China and other geopolitical circumstances. Pal wrote the title “Our real hazard” in one of his writings explaining from what is going to be the future danger for India.

In 1919 Pal had, although originally considered moderate within the National Indian Congress, been moving closer to Bal Gangadhar Tilak, one of the leading nationalist politicians, with more radical policies. Later on, Pal joined with fellow Bengalists, resenting the personality cult of the most famous nationalist leader, Mahatma Gandhi. Pal’s overarching concern in his 1912-1920 writings was that the various regions and communities within India must be brought together. He remained a distant from domestic politics after 1920, but continued to contribute to Bengali reviews.

Diana: A Case Study

Diana (July 1, 1961, to August 31, 1997) was born to aristocratic parents who divorced when she was six. With her mother gone and her father deep in depression, she had a lonely childhood. “I’d have 20 stuffed animals… that was my family.”, remarked Diana about her childhood. She grew up to be introverted and had multiple insecurities. She was physically active and learned ballet and tap dancing. At nineteen, she was engaged to Prince Charles and that marked the beginning of her long-drawn battle with Bulimia Nervosa (Binge-eating/Purging Type). “The bulimia started the week we got engaged. My husband put a hand on my waistline and said, ‘Oh, a bit chubby, here aren’t we?’”, said Diana. Her eating disorder was inflamed by the intense media scrutiny she received, which was not always positive.

She had scar tissue and trauma from her childhood, and the onslaught of media attention magnified her insecurities, making her feel like an outsider. Her pregnancies were surrounded by speculations which plagued the lives of her children. She suffered from Postpartum Depression, which she revealed after her separation. At the peak of her popularity, cable TV news emerged. This socio-cultural development stoked the media frenzy, and many of her trusted friends and acquaintances sold information about her to the press, which led to distress and paranoia. She was attracted to suffering which motivated her to support charities for HIV, addiction and the homelessness. As a public figure, she outshone the members of the royal family, rebranding and popularising a dynasty whose approval ratings were getting dangerously low.

Her family life was fraught with difficulties. While she enjoyed a close relationship with her sons, her husband was in love with another woman. “The worst day of my life was realising that Charles had gone back to Camilla.”, said Diana. In the search for love and support, she had affairs with the likes of Barry Mannakee, James Hewitt and James Gilbey. Post the announcement of her separation, she slowly became obsessed about being viewed favourably by the public. She lived her life in the public eye, and her popularity eclipsed that of Prince Charles. Every move of hers was watched closely, and emulated by admirers from around the world.

Her death, which was caused by a car accident while she was being chased by the paparazzi, was mourned by the world on an unprecedented scale. Millions watched her funeral online, and the grieving public confronted the newly emerging tabloid culture that intruded on Diana’s life, forcing her to take extreme measures to find privacy. Her life and death serve as an admonishment to those media houses that are willing to overlook the ethics of journalism as long as their stories sell. More than twenty years after her death, when we witness the steady rise of tabloid journalism, we need to ask ourselves if we could afford to have another death weigh on our collective conscience. 

“A girl given the name of the ancient goddess of hunting was in the end, the most hunted person in the modern world.”- Charles Spencer, Diana’s brother.

ONLINE LEARNING IN THE PANDEMIC: GOOD OR BAD?

Source: Google images

Covid-19 struck us without a warning and left all educational institutions scrambling to respond to its urgencies. It has also created a need to creatively deal with such unforeseen and once-in-a-century catastrophic event that is being called the ‘new normal’.
When the lockdown was announced in the last week of March after which the country came to a sudden halt. Everything was announced to be stopped for 21days, only essentials were allowed to be sold. Under this circumstance all educational institutions had to close their campuses, students living in the hostels were sent back home if possible. Nobody had imagined that it will eventually take more than 6 months (and still counting) for the situation to normalize.
Now the education system is lagging behind its schedule, but to make the situation sufferable online classes have been started by institutions. Which can result in keeping up with the schedule of the education system, but with every new change comes both, good and bad. Today we will discuss the about the impact of these online classes extensively.

The negative impact

Source: Google images


With the online classes, neither the teacher nor the student feel the same kind of energy as in face to face learning, so it may result in less enthusiasm from both the sides which will hamper the student-teacher relation.
Students who live in villages or places where the internet connection is not good or with great speed are unable to attend the online classes. This proves to be disadvantageous because the online classes are for students which if they wont be able to attend then what’s the point in conducting them?
Many institutions have decided to take online examinations too, now what will happen to the students who have poor internet connection during the exam time. They will fail because they will not be able to connect or reconnect due to bad internet connection.
Most of India’s population belongs to lower-middle class family, they don’t earn enough money to buy their children smartphones and gadgets, as a result many of the students do not have devices, smartphones and laptops or money to keep the internet connection while also paying the school fees.
Some teachers also struggle to get to know the technology. They are expected to make PowerPoint Presentations (PPTs), record the video lectures, and take online classes through different apps and online platforms, which not all of them are able to do properly. This is more common among the teachers because most of them didn’t had to that their whole life, and to learn something that is this vast, takes plenty of time.
A major problem has emerged for the teachers who often complain about some Students doing mischievous activities for entertainment. They share links of online classes that are sent to them by their teachers. They also tend to create Zoom IDs in random, unidentifiable names and troll teachers. Some switch off their camera and call teachers by their names from these IDs, some use them to send memes to teachers.
Teachers also have to face common issues like, Bullying by students, argumentative parents who often peep into classes, and distracted children and a story that I personally heard was about a student’s relative used the link to log into the class and “see what the teacher looks like, what she teaches and how she speaks”, and I am sure many others also must have experienced something like this.

The positive impact

Source: Google images

There is an abundance of benefits that students and teachers will get from online learning as well few of them could be:
Online learning can be done from the comfort of one’s home, especially during COVID-19 outbreak, which definitely does not mean that you can lay down on your bed and attend your classes, what it means is that it is easier for you to stay at home safely and attend classes.

Different student has different level of understanding some can learn something new easier than the other whereas some may take some time, with the online learning you can learn the lesson on your pace, you just have to record the lectures, the PowerPoint presentations are uploaded for you by the teachers.

Unlike the classroom learning, here the lessons can be constantly updated and uploaded so that students can continue on if they have finished the previous lessons.

Many students in traditional classroom environments don’t feel comfortable speaking in front of everyone but In an online environment, it can be much easier to share thoughts with others. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 74% of people suffer from speech anxiety, online classes will help them to improve and build their confidence.

Even if the exams are conducted online there is no harm in it on the plus side you will get your results instantly without having to wait for a long period of time.

Most importantly this swift shift to online mode of learning has resulted in less use of paper throughout the world as teachers and students both use technology to write notes or create presentations, thus protecting our environment.

Conclusion

As we saw above, that online learning has it’s good and bad aspects, so at least for now in this case of emergency, the online mode somewhat works for the students but still the government needs to come out with alternatives for the students with no gadgets or no internet connection or both.
For the future, that is after the pandemic is over online learning and the face to face traditional learning has to co-exist, because we can’t be fully dependent upon the virtual learning. Yes it does make the learning process easier but it still has to improve alot and also has to inculcate the values that the students learn while in the traditional learning system, and also has to eliminate the barriers in online learning so that no one is disadvantaged from this system.

PAPER BOOKS VS E-BOOKS.

“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”
― Jorge Luis Borges

Books are our best friends is what we have heard since childhood. And probably experience it. A book lover enjoys his coffee while reading a book and that is his definition of “Peace”. The smell of a new book or the excitement of starting to read a book is something different . Books prove to be the best guide for us or may be a source to feel better. Having a collection of books is a matter of pride for certain people. Some love going to the library and reading books and some create their own library.

Reading is one of the best habits one can have. When you read you go in a different zone altogether. You feel good you feel lively. One of the best ways to increase your fluency in English or even for improving your vocab is reading . Traditionally, there was only paper books available. You spend on them and then you get to read. In today’s era things have changed. Now you google the book you want to read and download it on your PC/Mobiles and read it whenever and wherever you want to. E -books have become a trend and grown over years. A lot of people have adapted this new way of reading. There are a lot of apps that offer you to read books online. Kindle is one of the most famous way of online reading.

However, the demise of printed books as a result of e-books has not materialized, but instead, the two formats have existed simultaneously. Both have their pros and cons and choosing one would be unjust.

Paper Books : You have an advantage of turning pages or underlining something you learnt or maybe folding a page to re read again. They do not affect your eyesight rather it keeps you away from technology for a span of time. You can enjoy reading the book while in a balcony at your favorite spot . You can exchange good books with your friends to read and exchange thoughts. They help you sleep better, since while going to sleep you can comfortably read your book without and eye constraint. You possibly can have a mini library that will be your mantra for peace.

Drawbacks : Physical books can be difficult to handle. You can not read paper books anywhere. If you are travelling and want to take your book along it can be difficult if it is a heavy book. The paper books are not eco-friendly since a lot of paper is involved thus increasing the cutting down of trees. Even the cost of publishing books are really high and also publishers take a lot of chance while publishing an author’s book since they do not know whether it will work or not. Buying books can at times be expensive or even out of stock thus leading you to wait for a couple of days or maybe months.

E-books : E-books have an advantage of anywhere and anytime reading .You can use your mobile phones while sitting in a cafeteria or may be in a boring house party and read your book. E books are easier to carry while travelling and also downloading an E-book is free of cost leading to less expense. The cost of publishing is low while online. Technology saves the use of paper thus eco friendly. You can share the content at any online platform in just one click. E- Books have been designed with text to speech or read aloud features. This allows people to listen to the eBooks if they are too busy to read it, for example, while driving, or while doing some chores.

Drawbacks: E-books cause strain to eyes and you feel uncomfortable while reading it before sleeping. You can flip the pages or fold or underline if you want to. You can not gift a friend an E-book on their birthday or may be a special ocassion. E-books include the cost of graphic designing. There are many people who are not tech savvy and they can not enjoy the benefits of reading an E-book. You are distracted at times since there are certain notifications that keep coming while you are on your phones and that leads to distractions.

Although both Books and E-books have their pros and cons both provide you knowledge and enhance your skills. At the end what matters is to read whether online or offline. Happy reading !

Things You Need To Know about Civil Services Examination

Being a civil servant is no simple dream. It requires constant effort and hard work. Making sure to put the right effort matters in making to the top of the list. Here in the below are the various things you need to know before you write Civil Services.

Eligibility

The Age limit is from 21 years to 32 years (General category) and 35 for OBC and no age limit for SC/ST

Education qualification – Graduation from any stream.

Examination

The Exam is divided into three stages

  • Preliminary Round
  • Mains
  • Interview

These are the three stages of a civil service examination. Stage two and three are combined together to rank the candidates.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION

There are two papers in this round. Each paper of 200 marks. Both are compulsory and it is objective type.  2 hours are given for each paper. And a negative marking of 1/3rd of the total of the particular question.

  • General Studies
  • CSAT

General Studies Paper Syllabus

  • Current events of national and international importance.
  • History of India and Indian National Movement.
  • Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
  • Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
  • Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
  • General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.
  • General Science

CSAT Syllabus

  • Comprehension
  • Interpersonal skills including communication skills
  • Logical reasoning and analytical ability
  • Decision-making and problem solving
  • General mental ability
  • Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level)

It is mandatory for the candidate to appear for both the exams and the minimum qualifying mark is 33%.

MAINS EXAMINATION

This examination consists of the following papers :

Qualifying paper

( Candidate have to qualify these two papers, only then rest of the papers will be evaluated)

Paper A : One of the language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Candidate can chose any one from the list

Paper B : English

Structure of the language papers:

The types of questions asked are –

  1. Essay – 100 marks
  2. Reading comprehension – 60 marks
  3. Precis Writing – 60 marks
  4. Translation:
    1. English to compulsory language (e.g. Hindi) – 20 marks
    2. Compulsory language to English – 20 marks
  5. Grammar and basic language usage – 40 marks

Both the papers carry 300 marks each and in order to qualify, you need to score at least 25% in each. This marks wont be evaluated for the merit list.

Papers to be counted for merit

Paper I : Essay

Candidate will be asked to write essay on various topis to analyze the writing pattern ,behavior and thinking pattern too.

Paper II :  General Studies – I

Indian Heritage and culture, History and Geography of the world and society

Paper III :  General Studies – II

Governance, Constitution, Policy, Social Justice and International Relations

Paper IV : General Studies – III

Technology, Economic Development, Bio- Diversities, Environment, security and disaster management.

Paper V : General Studies – IV  

Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

Paper VI : Optional Subject – Paper 1

Paper VII : Optional Subject – Paper 2

These are the optional Papers

(i)Agriculture

(ii) Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science

(iii) Anthropology

(iv) Botany

(v) Chemistry

(vi) Civil Engineering

(vii) Commerce and Accountancy

(viii) Economics

(ix) Electrical Engineering

(x) Geography

(xi) Geology

(xii) History

(xiii) Law

(xiv) Management

(xv) Mathematics

(xvi) Mechanical Engineering

(xvii) Medical Science

(xviii) Philosophy

(xix) Physics

(xx) Political Science and International Relations

(xxi) Psychology

(xxii) Public Administration

(xxiii) Sociology

(xxiv) Statistics

(xxv) Zoology

(xxvi) Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English.

Each paper carries 250 marks each and can be written in any language under the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution.

INTERVIEW

The Final round is the Interview round. The interview round is created to test the all round personality of the character. It exposes them to emotional intelligence and see how they deal with certain situations and conversations.The Interview test will be of 275 marks and the total marks for written examination is 1750. This sums up to a Grand Total of 2025 Marks, based on which the final merit list will be prepared

World’s longest high-altitude tunnel fully ready to open in Himachal Pradesh

Atal Tunnel': PM Modi To Open World's Longest Motorable Highway In September - Global Tribune

Rohtang Tunnel Project: The world’s longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet, Atal Tunnel, connecting Manali to Leh, is likely to open soon! It is being said that the ambitious infrastructure project will be inaugurated by Prime Minister  in the last week of September.

The strategically important infrastructure project, the Rohtang Tunnel has been named after former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It has been built at a cost of around Rs 3,200 crore. According to KP Purushothaman, Chief Engineer of the project, the estimated period for completion of the Atal Tunnel was less than six years but it was completed in 10 years, ANI reported.

The 8.8 km long, Atal Tunnel will be one of the longest road tunnels in India. Under Rohtang Pass, the strategic road tunnel project is being built at an elevation of 10,171 feet. Once the ambitious tunnel project is thrown open to the public, there will be a reduction of nearly 45 km between Manali and Lahaul- Spiti’s administrative centre Keylong.

No official confirmation has been received so far, we may get it within a couple of days, he said, adding it is also not yet clear if it would be a virtual opening due to the corona crisis or a physical one. The Atal Tunnel built at a cost of about Rs 3,500 crore is extremely significant from the defence point of view.

Apart from the strategically important Atal Tunnel, another infrastructure project is being developed as well, which is a steel super structure bridge of 100 meter length, across the river Chandra on the North Portal of the Rohtang Tunnel.

India Happiness Report 2020 😊

According to the India Happiness Report prepared by Rajesh K. Pillania, a professor of strategy at the Management Development Institute in Gurugram, Mizoram has been declared the happiest state in India. A survey was conducted during the coronavirus pandemic from March to July among the 16,950 people to find out which are the happiest states and union territories across the country. Among the other factors, the report also focused on the impact of COVID-19 on happiness. Participants were asked to rate their current standing on the impact of COVID-19 on their happiness from the worst possible to the best possible from 1 to 5.The study is based on a nationwide survey covering 16,950 people between March and July 2020 .

In overall happiness ranking of states and union territories:

  1. Mizoram
  2. Punjab
  3. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Mizoram, Punjab happiest states; Andaman Nicobar happiest UT: Report

Among the big states:

  1. Punjab
  2. Gujarat
  3. Telangana

Among smaller states:

  1. Mizoram
  2. Sikkim
  3. Arunachal Pradesh

Among union territories:

  1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
  2. Puducherry
  3. Lakshadweep

The worst possible impact of COVID-19 on happiness:

Maharashtra, Delhi, and Haryana have shown the worst possible impact of COVID-19 on happiness, whereas Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir are neutral and Manipur, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep have shown the best possible impact of COVID-19 on happiness.

Are Tomatoes harmful?

Did you know that tomatoes actually come from the most poisonous family? Does that mean tomatoes…are poisonous? Oh my god! Do I have to change my diet again!?!?( that was weird)

  • History

Tomatoes were first introduced somewhere around the 16th century in the lands of Europe. Sadly,how exactly did they get there is not known. For many years tomatoes were believed to be poisonous due to that flaming red skin and also that the tomato leaves were considered poisonous. It was also believed that witches used these plants to make hallucinogenic pastes( hallucinogenic is basically something which makes you experience hallucinations.Have a great time pronouncing it!!).  But later,they were proved to be harmless,more like beneficial,at least to humans that is…

Photo by Markus Spiske 

  • The Nightshade family

Now,if you’re not confused by what exactly am I trying to say,Congrats! You have a lot more brain cells than I do. Anyways,tomatoes were feared to be poisonous because they come from the Nightshade family. Now what is so bad about the Nightshade family? It’s because the family ( the term ‘family’ means that the plant is classified into the particular group) consists of a plant which can potentially kill someone. A natural poison,the  Atropa belladonna. Belladonna is the most poisonous plant known in the world. You might have heard of this plant in some of the drama series. What makes this family toxic is due to the presence of a drug called atropine in them. Atropine is a drug,which is also used for medications,but it does have some side effects, including the potential to kill you. But… Nightshade also includes plants like brinjals (or eggplants like the cool ones call it), potatoes etc. But fortunately,these plants do not have atropine in them. At least not the quantity which would be needed to kill you. But..what if it develops over time and then kills me? No. Our digestive system is so strong that it can dissolve an iron nail! Because our stomach has the stomach acid which basically is Hydrochloric acid(HCl) and just so you know,some metals dissolve in the hydrochloric acid. So,no there should not be a possibility for that to happen.

The problem is,these plants produce something which is a toxin named solanine. They produce it to work as their defence system which is an alkaloid(alkaloid is basically a ‘nitrogenous organic compound’ which may or may not have some physical changes on humans. The solanine concentration is the most in the stems and the least or almost non-existent in the roots. Does that mean that the the fruit(tomato) has solanine in them?Yes. But according to a research,it would actually take about 1 pound of tomatoes to be gobbled up to actually have any changes in your human body. This is because,even the fruit has a lot less concentration of solanine in them making them almost harmless. Almost.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

  •  Does that make tomatoes poisonous?

Tomatoes are really healthy if included into your diet,due to their high concentrations in lycopene,which may be beneficial for your body,because it is an antioxidant which helps to reduce one’s hands of cancer and some cardiovascular diseases.

Tomatoes, coming from the Nightshade family were therefore always raised an eyebrow if used in foods. But the plant actually produces a different alkaloid which is tomatine. Tomatine is a lot less toxic than the other alkaloids,so we’re good. However,they may result in some gastrointestinal issues, liver damages etc. If taken in large doses.

But people usually advise that those who are affected by auto -immune diseases should avoid the intake of tomatoes. Again,it depends on the disease and so is strongly advised to be as per  the consultation of your doctor.  Tomato leaves? Yes may be poisonous,but not really. Confusing? Very much so.

Tomatine can be harmful to your pet dog though,but it may be al right unless you feed your pet tomatoes regularly. Pets are not to be given many things,including chocolates and anything which contains any natural drug,it may not be good for domestic animals. Again,it solely depends whether the consumption is regular or not. So are tomatoes harmful? Well,unless you eat 3 pounds of tomatoes everyday, you’re good!

The conclusion? Well,have you ever seen any recipes which include tomato leaves? Nah. Not really. But ya,it would not really kill you, according to a source that is. All natural drugs are harmful only when consumed in large quantities. If you start making assumptions that all drugs are harmful,then be ready to stop eating almost every dish and drink.Including coffee and tea because even they contain caffeine which is again a drug.

The concept of drugs are often misunderstood by people.  Not all drugs are harmful. In fact, drugs actually have two subdivisions to them. One being 1. Legal and 2. Illegal ( don’t you find the word a bit weird with 3 letters literally looking the same but are different…No? ) Anyways, legal drugs are literally present everywhere in our surroundings. Drugs are also used in medications,maybe in the form of  sedatives or actually the main product. One of the most harmful things can actually be useful to us. Which is what makes them even more fascinating. They become harmful when you start obsessing over it due to many reasons,and once started,illegal drugs are not easy to give up on. Yes, everybody has their own reasons,but often what we think to be rational decisions turn out to be irrational. Which is why decisions should always be made with a calm mind!

Fact- Many people are allergic to tomatoes and tomato sauce.(think that’s weird? It’s not) But..what are allergies? Well,that may be a topic for another day, I guess.

Need for Career Counselling

Career counseling is a type of advice-giving and support provided by career counselors to their clients, to help the clients manage their journey through life, learning and work changes (career). This includes career exploration, making career choices, managing career changes, lifelong career development and dealing with other career-related issues. There is no agreed definition of career counseling worldwide, mainly due to conceptual, cultural and linguistic differences. However, the terminology of ‘career counseling’ typically denotes a professional intervention which is conducted either one-on-one or in a small group. Career counseling is related to other types of counseling (e.g. marriage or clinical counseling). What unites all types of professional counseling is the role of practitioners, who combine giving advice on their topic of expertise with counseling techniques that support clients in making complex decisions and facing difficult situations.

Counseling is a collaborative effort between the counselor and client. Professional counselors help clients identify goals and potential solutions to problems which cause emotional turmoil; seek to improve communication and coping skills; strengthen self-esteem; and promote behavior change and optimal mental health. Counseling provided by trained professionals can make a profound impact on the lives of individuals, families and communities. This service helps people navigate difficult life situations, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, natural disasters, school stress and the loss of a job. In a career counseling session, the counselor will help a person explore skills and strengths, consider education levels and give advice about continuing education, and determine interests and personality type. Counselors may also administer an IQ test or an aptitude test.

Empirical research attests the effectiveness of career counseling. Professional career counselors can support people with career-related challenges. Through their expertise in career development and labor markets, they can put a person’s qualifications, experience, strengths and weakness in a broad perspective while also considering their desired salary, personal hobbies and interests, location, job market and educational possibilities. Through their counseling and teaching abilities, career counselors can additionally support people in gaining a better understanding of what really matters for them personally, how they can plan their careers autonomously, or help them in making tough decisions and getting through times of crisis. Finally, career counselors are often capable of supporting their clients in finding suitable placements/ jobs, in working out conflicts with their employers, or finding the support of other helpful services. It is due to these various benefits of career counseling that policy makers in many countries publicly fund guidance services. For example, the European Union understands career guidance and counseling as an instrument to effectively combat social exclusion and increase citizens’ employability.

One of the major challenges associated with career counseling is encouraging participants to engage in the process. For example, in the UK 70% of people under 14 say they have had no careers advice while 45% of people over 14 have had no or very poor/limited advice. In a related issue some client groups tend to reject the interventions made by professional career counselors preferring to rely on the advice of peers or superiors within their own profession. Jackson et al. found that 44% of doctors in training felt that senior members of their own profession were best placed to give careers advice. Furthermore, it is recognised that the giving of career advice is something that is widely spread through a range of formal and informal roles. In addition to career counselors it is also common for psychologists, teachers, managers, trainers and Human Resources (HR) specialists to give formal support in career choices. Similarly it is also common for people to seek informal support from friends and family around their career choices and to bypass career professionals altogether. In the 2010s, increasingly people rely on career web portals to seek advice on resume writing and handling interviews and to do research on various professions and companies. It has also possible to get a vocational assessment done online.

Assessment tools used in career counseling to help clients make realistic career decisions. These tools generally fall into three categories: interest inventories, personality inventories, and aptitude tests.

Interest inventories are usually based on the premise that if you have similar interests to people in an occupation who like their job, you will probably like that occupation also. Thus, interest inventories may suggest occupations that the client has not thought of and which have a good chance of being something that the client will be happy with. The most common interest inventory is a measure of vocational interests across six domains: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional. People often report a mixture of these domains, usually with one predominant domain.

Aptitude tests can predict with good odds whether a particular person will be able to be successful in a particular occupation. For example, a student who wants to be a physicist is unlikely to succeed if he cannot do the math. An aptitude test will tell him if he is likely to do well in advanced math, which is necessary for physics. There are also aptitude tests which can predict success or failure in many different occupations.

Personality inventories are sometimes used to help people with career choice. The use of these inventories for this purpose is questionable, because in any occupation there are people with many different personalities. A popular personality inventory is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. It is based on Carl Jung’s theory of personality, but Jung never approved it. According to Jung most people fall in the middle of each scale, but the MBTI ignores this and puts everyone in a type category. For example, according to the MBTI, everyone is either an extrovert or an introvert. According to Jung, most people are somewhere in between, and people at the extremes are rare. The validity of the MBTI for career choice is highly questionable.

Start your own Business

Nothing beats working for yourself. Even when you love your job and think that it’s rewarding, the satisfaction you get when you are your own boss is a completely different feeling. Not only is it more meaningful but it comes with so many benefits. While it may seem alluring venturing into a new market, especially if you are a startup, it can be tricky, and let’s face it, pretty risky too—you are putting in more hours than at a 9-5 job elsewhere, and there will be moments where you may actually be sacrificing a lot more than just your time. Even then, it is absolutely worth it.

BUYING WEBSITES :

Just like stocks and property, in our interconnected world thanks to the internet, websites also have a really high value. Even as you read this, websites are constantly being purchased or sold for hefty prices. There are several factors that will affect the value of a site online, such as the domain name, the amount of traffic it receives, general popularity and profits that the site earns amongst other factors. While this business can be really lucrative, it requires an in-depth understanding of the market, however, once you understand how it works, you could potentially be sitting on a goldmine.

ONLINE COACH :

If you are passionate about something and have a big knowledge base about the topic, you could start a career as an online coach. Setting up a YouTube channel with tutorials, setting up a blog to help people understand concepts, creating online courses—there is a multitude of things that you could be doing. Online coaching can be a lucrative way of making money, however, make sure you don’t oversell yourself online or to a client as their success depends on many different things that may not entirely be under your control.

VOCATIONAL CONSULTANT :

If you are leaving behind a corporate job with a fair amount of experience to start your own venture but have no idea where to begin, this one may be for you. There are several people out there who want to learn how to ace a promotion interview or ask for a raise, or simply land a high paying job. If you have useful tips for them, you can just start your own consultancy and people will be willing to pay you good money to learn the tricks of the trade. If you aren’t ready to start up your own website or just want to test out the waters, you should look at signing up to platforms such as The Muse or Coach Me where others are looking for people like you to mentor them.

REAL ESTATE VALUATION :

Real estate valuation is a great job to have because you can decide how much you want to work, where you want to work from and these parameters will decide how much you earn. You don’t necessarily need a degree in this field but you should check if you require some kind of certification in the country or state that you want to operate in. Of course, apart from the certification, you also need to have a solid understanding of the market to be able to make a living for yourself in this field.

GRAPHIC DESIGN :

There is a huge demand for graphic designers in the market today. If you already have the existing skillset and knowledge of design platforms such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop or Sketch, then you can literally just sign up to Fiverr or Upwork or find remote jobs on websites such as Jobspresso. However, if you don’t have the required skills, you can always sign up to Skillshare and enroll in a graphic designing course and then practice through smaller gigs. Businesses need graphic designers to create logos, banners, social media posts, design campaigns, products and packaging and so many other smaller processes that we don’t even realize. So keep practicing and before you know it, you may be snapping up clients with the utmost of ease.

PRESENTATION DESIGN :

Believe it or not, there are entire businesses set up for people to hire someone else to create their PowerPoint presentations. For those who are not well-versed in technology or have a tough time getting around Microsoft Office, creating a presentation can be a major challenge and even a hurdle in their professional career. Familiarize yourself with different types and formats of presentations, such as Pecha Kucha or Prezi, and you can widen your customer base even more.

WEB DEVELOPMENT :

Web developers are highly valued due to their specific knowledge of a complicated subject. If you can master the basics of HTML, Python, CSS, Ruby and/or Java script, and get some experience for your portfolio, you are all set to start your own successful web development business. You can further hone your skills or learn a new language on Treehouse.

APP DEVELOPMENT :

3.8 Million apps on the Android store, 2 million apps in the iOS store and every single day more new apps are being created and released. You can find an app for nearly anything: Some are useful, while others aren’t so much. Creating an app and launching it is a tedious process with a lot of hard work going into it—from the coding and development phase to creating a beautiful interface and providing the best user-experience possible. Furthermore, you might also want to market your app on social media. If your first app is a success this may launch you into a career in app development with some great projects in the future.

ONLINE JOURNALISM :

If you have a degree in a communication field or in journalism but don’t want to work in a traditional newspaper or broadcasting atmosphere, you could look into online journalism. Build your portfolio with online companies such as HuffPost and then work your way to creating your own medium of news; be it a blog, You-tube channel, social media channel, etc. Then you can add sales funnels by looking into advertising revenue.

AFFILIATE SALES AND MARKETING :

This is a great idea if you are running a channel on YouTube and have decided that you would like to turn the views into revenue. The same can be done with a website that is generating plenty of traffic. All you have to do is join one of the big affiliate networks such as ClickBank or ShareASale and you can turn your existing content mediums into a source of passive income.

PODCASTING :

You can start your own podcast about niche topics that you have a solid knowledge base about; the more specific the topic is, the better. If you already have a podcast that you are running for free, you can crack some sponsorship deals to turn it into a source of income. All you need to be sure about is whether you are creating consistent, valuable and relevant content for your audience.

WORDPRESS WEBSITES :

Many small business owners, especially ones that are foraying into the ecommerce world, like to create a basic website, usually hosted on WordPress. If you have a working knowledge of WordPress or have the time and resources to invest in learning about the platform, you could be earning hundreds of dollars just to launch a website. Investing your time in learning about WordPress will pay off in the long run as well because it is an important skill to have these days.

OUTSOURCED CUSTOMER SERVICE :

There are several businesses out there that are looking for individuals to fulfill customer service positions. This requires a fair amount of experience, good people and management skills and should be familiar with organizational structures. Platforms like Upwork and Jobspresso provide many opportunities and the best part is that if you are good at what you do, you can even hire a team to scale your business and take on bigger clients.

BUSINESS CONSULTING :

If your friends and family are constantly turning to you for help when it comes to business advice because they know it’s solid, then it might be time to look into starting a business consultancy. The one thing about being involved in business consultancy is that you will need credentials no matter how good you are. Think about it: Would you take business advice from a random person working out of their home or garage? I don’t think so. Your credentials will add value to your knowledge and even if you don’t have them now, you can always work towards getting them! Companies are always looking for people with a great sense of business, no matter which field it is—public relations, marketing, strategies, human resources, etc.—so if you already have the required certifications then maybe you should jump onto this bandwagon.

AICTE announces scholarship for PG 2020-21

The All India Council For Technical Education (AICTE) has announced the scholarship programme for the post graduate (PG) students for the year 2020-21. The candidates of ME, MTech, MPharm, MArch with valid Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) or Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) score can apply for the scholarship. The eligible candidates can apply through the website- aicte-india.org.

“AICTE in order to ensure development of technical education in India awards Post Graduate Scholarship of Rs. 12,400/- per month to full-time GATE/GPAT qualified students admitted to AICTE approved post graduate programs in AICTE approved Institutions/ University Departments,” reads the official notice.

AICTE offers scholarship of Rs 12400 per month to PG students. This facility is offered to full time GATE / GPAT qualified students.

A total of 24 months scholarship is awarded during the two-year PG course. Scholarships are awarded from the month of classes commencing to the month when classes are closed.

AICTE-Scholarsip

To receive the scholarship, candidates have to validate their students ID and proceed with filling the GATE PG scholarship form. All the details like Bank account number, institute permanent ID, students ID and date of birth have to filled correctly, failing which the disbursal of scholarship will be affected. After filling the form, institutes have to verify and submit the data of all candidates admitted in M.Tech/M.E./M.Arch through GATE for the academic years 2020-21.

The last date for institutes to verify and submit students data to AICTE is December 31. The scholarship will be provided from the date of commencement of classes/date of admission whichever is earlier. Students will receive the GATE scholarship 2020 amount directly in their bank account.

To receive the GATE scholarship 2020, candidates need to have a savings account in their name, same as furnished in GATE/institute admission. Candidates belonging to OBC-Creamy layer who have qualified GATE under OBC category will not be eligible for the scholarship. Candidates who qualified GATE under any reserved category (SC/ST/PwD/OBC-NCL) must have a valid category certificate without which they will not be considered for the scholarship.

Candidates who have qualified under the OBC (Creamy Layer) category are not eligible for the scholarship. However, OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) candidates will be required to submit certificates which are not more than one year old to process their applications for the programme.