Consumer Protection Bill 2019, (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020

An Act to provide for protection of the interests of consumers and for the said purpose, to establish authorities for timely and effective administration and settlement of consumers’ disputes and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

The Indian Parliament, on 6 August 2019, passed the landmark Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 which aims to provide the timely and effective administration and settlement of consumer disputes. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (New Act) received the assent of the President of India and was published in the official gazette on 9 August 2019. The New Act will come into force on such date as the Central Government may so notify. The New Act seeks to replace the more than 3 (three) decades old Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (Act).

While e-commerce has opened new avenues and has made transactions faster and more convenient, they have also been prone to unfair trade practices. Although e-commerce platforms tried to resolve the grievance of the customers, there was a need to streamline the functioning of the same. With this perspective, the Central government notified the Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020.

From Amazon to Walmart and now Facebook and Google, through Reliance Jio are all betting on India being their next big online consumer market.

Walmart has invested $1.2 billion in Flipkart in an equity round, two years after it bought a 77% stake in the Indian retail giant for $16 billion. Walmart’s investment came just days after Amazon invested ₹2300 crore or $305 million into its Indian arm, following Jeff Bezos’ $1 billion investment promise to India. Earlier this year, Amazon had also signed a long-term business agreement with Kishore Biyani’s Future Group.

Meanwhile, Facebook’s $5.7 billion investment and Google’s $4.5 billion bet on Reliance Jio come at a time when Reliance chairperson Mukesh Ambani is betting on retail as the next big venture. One of the most significant factors of the Facebook-Jio deal was that Reliance Retail and WhatsApp are now in a commercial partnership to accelerate JioMart’s growth. Through JioMart and WhatsApp, the entities will now help support consumer businesses.

E-commerce Rule, 2020

The intention of the Legislature to specifically deal with e-commerce and online transactions was evident from the very enlargement of the definition of consumer under Section 2(7) of the Act by including both online and offline transactions within the scope of ‘buying goods’ and ‘hiring services’. Further, the Act categorically defines relevant e-commerce, electronic service provider and misleading advertisement while specifically addressing the most commonly faced issues such as refusing to take back defective goods or refusing to refund the amount.

The Rules are pretty exhaustive in their sweep and, at the outset, declares its application to:

(i) All goods and services bought or sold over digital or electronic network including digital products;

(ii) All models of e-commerce, including marketplace and inventory models of e-commerce;

(iii) All e-commerce retail, including multi-channel single brand retailers and single brand retailers in single or multiple formats; and

(iv) All forms of unfair trade practices across all models of e-commerce.

A bare perusal of the same demonstrates that the intention of the Legislature is, clearly, to encompass every aspect of e-commerce and keep consumer interests on the highest pedestal while streamlining the functioning of e-commerce platforms. This is also demonstrated from the fact that the Rules clearly define the relevant players of the e-commerce space, such as e-commerce entity, inventory e-commerce entity, marketplace e-commerce entity and seller.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

“Cleanliness is next to godliness,” says the Bible. Most notably, the statement equates Purity with Deity. Fear of God means the quality of religious devotion. Likewise, Cleanliness is a quality of dedication and purity. Cleanliness means cleanliness. Therefore, Cleanliness requires a commitment to a person who is pure and clean. In addition, cleanliness is important to everyone. This is because Cleanliness helps to keep the mind and body healthy.


Benefits of Cleanliness
A healthy body is probably the most important benefit of hygiene. A person who follows religious Purity will surely enjoy this benefit. Good hygiene reduces the risk of infection. In addition, a clean person is less likely to get sick. Also, Hygiene improves physical fitness. A clean person shows a speedy recovery after an illness. Hygiene seems to increase life expectancy.
Cleanliness is essential to good mental health. This is because the clean atmosphere has a positive effect on the mind. The power of human thinking is developing. Only people are able to focus on their work because of the clean environment. In addition, brain memory improves due to the ambiance of hygiene.
Cleanliness certainly increases productivity. A clean and undefiled nation is likely to produce more. This is in contrast to a polluted Nation that will have lower productivity. One reason is that there are so few days away from a clean country. On the contrary, in a polluted world, people will get very sick. This leads to a higher number of days off in an unpleasant world.


How Can You Reach Cleanliness?
First, the dustbin is a dirty place. It attracts various pests and viruses of all kinds. As a result, these insects and germs also cause various diseases. Therefore, it is important to dispose of waste regularly.
In addition, the dustbin must have a cover to protect the flies. Prolonged exposure to dust can significantly increase the risk of infection. Also, proper placement of the dustbin is important. It should be kept separate from where people usually are.


One should keep the house or office free of dust. This can be done by dusting the area regularly. Dust can cause respiratory problems and various physical problems. In addition, where dust occurs then spider webs are deposited on the walls. These webs can make a home or office look shiny. Therefore, one should make sure to do regular dusting.
Toilet cleaning is a very important part of high hygiene. Toilets should be cleaned at least twice a week. There should be proper use of phenyl, acid, and other disinfectants to clean toilets. Dirty parts should be thoroughly mixed.
Maintaining personal hygiene is an important part of the Hygiene process. Everyone should take a shower every day. When bathing, people should use soap and a good shirt. In addition, the nails should be cut every week. This is because long nails collect dirt under them. Everyone should pay attention to oral hygiene as well. Certainly teeth should be cut at least twice a day. Also, dirty clothing, socks, and underwear should be avoided.
In short, Cleanliness is one of the most important aspects of a happy life. It is really the first step in building a healthy and strong body. Above all, Purity should be practiced with the same religious commitment.

Where there is will there is a way!

Where there is a will there is a way it is one of the most widely used proverbs to date. This proverb is full of meaning when we think of it. Its important purpose is that if you set your mind to do something, you can do it easily. In other words, it shows us the importance of love and how it can make a difference in another person’s life. Is power a desire to accomplish something? If you have the will to do something, then nothing can stop you from doing it. This proverb is applicable in almost every aspect of life. Similarly, it is very important in a variety of ways.


The Importance of the Proverbs – Where There Is a Will, There Is a Way

This proverb is very important in helping people to push their boundaries and achieve their goals more easily. It makes them more determined and focused on achieving their goal. Moreover, this proverb emphasizes the value of hard work and self-sacrifice.


In other words, people who are willing to take risks, no matter how much they cost, will successfully achieve their goals. If you just dream and dream about something and do nothing to achieve it, you will probably fail and be powerless. On the other hand, if you work hard to achieve your goals, you can find a way.
So, where there is a will there is a way to teach us to focus more and work harder. Moreover, it shows us how people who follow this proverb have reached the top of their lives.


Real-life examples

History is a testimony to the power of great men to succeed in life. It seems like proof that no matter how hard things got, these people never stopped finding their way.
First, we take the example of the world’s father, Mahatma Gandhi. This famous figure is a good example of this proverb. Gandhiji set out to liberate India from the shackles of British rule, and he did. What caused this to happen? His will is power and endless effort. He was very weak physically but his free will was not there. He has chosen the path of non-violence and is still able to contribute to the liberation of India.

Next, we see the will of the same metal in Martin Luther King. This man was responsible for bringing human rights to black Americans. His will and determination to eradicate racism paid off. It taught us that even while in prison, he never gave up. He continually fought to achieve his dream.
In short, where there is a will there is a way to teach us a lot about hard work and courage. If we all follow this word in our lives and make it our motto, nothing can stop us. It will make us better people and more successful in life.

Pen, paper and Digital

Preferably pen and paper!
Writing my heart out always remain special. It has a special impact.
We cannot miss out on digital writing as it has its own perks …
(For eg. It can be organised, shared really fast. Plus customisation can be made.) Because in digital you never get the statisfaction of crushing and throwing out in the air when writing went not as expected. I feel the same. Writing by hand has a special impact. It releases some happy hormones in my brain (or maybe I’m a little cuckoo), but we don’t always have a pen and paper by our side so yeah.

But when it comes to formulating the story I use my book. Scratching away each sentences make me feel like God, who is changing the fate of the characters in it . That depends upon the energy bar. If I am highly energized and enthusiastic, I prefer using pen and paper mode, so as to put everything in my writing piece. Mostly I prepare the drafts on my laptop. Then I go through them and make the edits. If I don’t find something fitting in, I write it on paper and analyze what changes could be done.

6 habits of incredibly happy people and how they do it.

Examining how to be happy is benefited from observing the patterns of others, and then taking only what you find useful. Inspiration is the goal, not rigid rules on being happy.

Below I’ll cover a few of my favorite studies.

1. Be Busy, but Not Rushed

Easier said than done, right?

Quite true, because although the research shows that feeling “rushed” is a one-way street to stress and unhappiness, it also notes that less and less people can find that happy medium of being just busy enough.

2. Treat Yourself (the Small Pleasures Matter)

Jokes aside about treating yourself, surprisingly, the research has shown that you need to have small wins along the way in order to be truly happy — across many different domains, happiness is more strongly associated with the frequency than the intensity of people’s positive effective experiences.

3. Plan Fun, and Spend Money on Experiences

While spontaneous fun is always a good thing, a variety of interesting research has shown that it’s the planning of future activities that often adds to the fun.

4. Show Some Appreciation

Psychology doesn’t always tell us what we want to hear, so it’s nice when a good deed lines up with a great personal benefit.

5. Observe Happiness in Others

This one was really interesting.

Most of us like to think we are unique snowflakes, but sometimes things are popular for a reason. In fact, research suggests that the best way to predict how much we will enjoy an experience is to see how much someone else enjoyed it.

6. Pick a Skill; Master It

Excellence in anything increases your potential in everything.

As it turns out, regularly engaging in your signature strengths (is that not the most stereotypical positive psychology term ever?) is a great way to feel better about yourself.

Be happy. Smile when you read this. Take a deep breath. It’s okay. Things will pass. Everything is temporary and so is your sorrows.

We are what we eat

Many of us are raised with the common myth that we will become weak if we don’t eat fish or meat. But we can discredit this myth if we look at an elephant that not only survives on just leaves and branches but also thrives in good health.

Many of us are raised with the common myth that we will become weak if we don’t eat fish or meat. But we can discredit this myth if we look at an elephant that not only survives on just leaves and branches but also thrives in good health. 

Like elephants, some of the strongest animals of the world are strictly vegetarian. When a person realises this, his spiritual nature begins to awaken; he starts experiencing many changes from within. One of them is the development of 
a sensitivity through which the relationship between his body and his soul takes a new meaning and importance.

The inner vision of the soul reveals aspects to his personality that he did not know or felt before. His subtle energies become more tangible and he begins to judge for himself whether the food his body has ingested is really healthy for him or not. 

The question that arises now is “Why follow a vegetarian diet?” The answer is simple. Human beings by nature are non-violent. The true nature of the human soul is peace and tranquility.

Spiritual energy accumulates while practising non-violence. In this world, there is so much anxiety, tension, irritability and injustice which can be attributed to the dietary habits of human beings, because some of the food that one eats has all these vibrations of violence and negativity.

Hence, it is advisable to avoid eating food that comes through violence or the act of killing. A healthy body is one that is kept clean both from within and outside. When we feed the mind as well as the body with love, the atmosphere around us will also become peaceful and loving to live in, because our mental state has a definite and direct impact on the atmosphere around us. There are many benefits in preparing food in a peaceful and happy mental state. And, when we eat food prepared in such a manner, we will feel happy and positive. That will surely, in turn, improve the quality and longevity of life.

First Indian pilot to fly Rafale jet

Rather, first pilot to fly Rafale - The Hitavada

Kashmiri Hilal Ahmed Rather was the India’s first pilot to fly Rafale. The first batch of the much-awaited five Rafale fighter jets that took off from France and reached India. The first batch of five Rafale fighter jets arrived at Ambala air base today. The aircraft flew out of the Dassault Aviation Merignac airbase in French port city of Bordeaux on Monday July 27 2020, to arrive in India covering a distance of nearly 7,000 km.

The man behind the quick delivery of Rafale jets is touted to be Air Commodore Hilal Ahmad Rather, who is currently serving as an Air Attaché to France. He was Born in the south Kashmir’s Anantnag district to middle-class parents, Hilal’s father, late Mohammad Abdullah Rather retired as a deputy superintendent of police (Dy SP) in J&K police department. He has three sisters and is the only son of his parents. Hilal studied in Sainik School in Nagrota town of Jammu district.

He was commissioned in IAF as a fighter pilot on December 17, 1988, became flight lieutenant in 1993, wing commander in 2004, group captain in 2016 and air commodore in 2019.He graduated from defence services staff college (DSSC). He also graduated from air war college (USA) with distinction. He won the sword of honour in NDA. Hilal is also the recipient of Vayu Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva medal.

India and France had inked an inter-governmental agreement in September 2016 for 36 Rafale jets worth Rs 59,000 crore.  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had gone to Merignac airbase on October 9, 2019 to perform ‘Puja’ to get the early delivery of the first batch of Rafale fighter jets purchased by India.

At that time it was said that it would take a minimum for 2-3 yrs for the plane to arrive in India. Thanks to Air Commodore Hilal Ahmad Rather the momentous moment for India has arrived earlier than expected.

The key person in fast forwarding the Rafale delivery is Air Commodore Hilal Ahmad Rather and his team who played a big role in weaponizing the jets as per Indian conditions and they worked upon further enhancements of the planes and made it ready for delivery in a record time.

Air Commodore Hilal Ahmad Rather is a decorated officer of the Indian Air Force and has the distinction to be the first IAF officer to fly a Rafale jet. He hails from the Bakshiabad area of Anantnag district of Kashmir.

Rather, he was commissioned in IAF as a fighter Pilot in the Flying branch on 17 December 1988. He was promoted as Flight lieutenant in 1993, Wing Commander in 2004, Group Captain in 2010 and Air Commodore in 2016.

Air Commodore Rather is a Fighter Combat Leader and a qualified Flying Instructor. He has more than 3000 hours of accident free flying on MiG-21s, Mirage-2000 and Kiran aircraft. He has commanded a Mirage-2000 Squadron and also a front-line Air Force Base.

Rather received the Vayu Sena Medal as a Wing Commander in 2010. He received the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2016 as a Group Captain.

Air Commodore Rather has won several awards. He has won the Sword of honor in NDA Khadakwasla, Pune.  He has graduated from Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) Wellington where he later served as a Directing Staff. He further graduated from the Air War College in the USA with academic distinction.

India has ordered 36 Rafale fighter jets from France in a deal worth Rs 59,000 crore in September 2016. All the jets are expected to arrive in India by September 2022. , The Indian Air Force has made preparations for receiving the Rafale jet planes. It is ready with required infrastructure and training of pilots and other such perquisites.

The Rafale is a twin-jet fighter aircraft able to operate from both an aircraft carrier and a shore base. The manufacturers describe it as a fully versatile aircraft which can carry out all combat aviation missions to achieve air superiority and air defence, close air support, in-depth strikes, reconnaissance, anti-ship strikes and nuclear deterrence.

The Rafale fighter jets are being projected as a “game changer” in the region in the realm of air combat. It is seen as a shot in the arm for Indian defence forces amid the ongoing crisis with China.

National Education Policy 2020

New Education Policy 2020 gets cabinet approval, to be released today

The Union Cabinet has given a green signal to National Education Policy 2020. The Cabinet has also approved the change of Union HRD Ministry’s name to ‘Ministry of Education’.

Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave a nod to India’s new National Education Policy 2020, which provides for major reforms in higher education, increased focus on non-academic skills and increased inclusion through language diversity and course fluidity. The new academic session will begin in September-October – the delay is due to the unprecedented coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak – and the government aims to introduce the policy before the new session kicks in.

“Cabinet under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given approval to new education policy for the 21st century. It is important, as for 34 years there were no changes in the education policy.”

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said

The Cabinet has also approved a proposal to rename the Ministry of Human Resource Development as the Ministry of Education.

The NEP 2020, which proposes several structural changes in the early as well as the higher education system, has been developed after consultations for nearly five years with stakeholders and the general public.

The new policy aims to achieve 100 per cent youth and adult literacy in India. While announcing the policy details, Amit Khare, Secretary, Higher Education said that the government aims to increase the public investment in the education sector from the current 4.3 per cent to reach 6 per cent of GDP at the earliest.

Here’s are the highlights of India’s new National Education Policy 2020:

School Education:

Universal Access: The NEP 2020 has provisions to ensure universal access to school education at all levels- pre school to secondary.

Some of these provisions include infrastructure support, innovative education centres to bring back dropouts into the mainstream, tracking of students and their learning levels, facilitating multiple pathways to learning involving both formal and non-formal education modes and association of counselors or well-trained social workers with schools.

The NEP 2020 also provides for open learning for classes 3, 5 and 8 through NIOS and State Open Schools, secondary education programs equivalent to Grades 10 and 12, vocational courses, adult literacy and life-enrichment programs.

Through NEP 2020, the Centre hopes to bring back about 2 crore out of school children into main stream.

Early Childhood Care & Education: The 10 and +2 structure of school curricula is to be replaced by a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively. This will bring the uncovered age group of 3-6 years under school curriculum, which has been recognised globally as the crucial stage for the development of mental faculties of a child. The new system will have 12 years of schooling with three years of Anganwadi/pre-schooling.

NCERT will develop a framework of the early childhood education of children up to the age of 8.

Attaining Foundational Literacy and Numeracy: A National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy will be set up by the MHRD. States will prepare an implementation plan for attaining universal foundational literacy and numeracy in all primary schools for all learners by grade 3 by 2025. A National Book Promotion Policy will also be formulated.

Reforms in School Curricula and Pedagogy: The school curricula and pedagogy will aim for holistic development of learners by equipping them with the key 21st century skills, reduction in curricular content to enhance essential learning and critical thinking and greater focus on experiential learning. Students will have increased flexibility and choice of subjects. There will be no rigid separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extra-curricular activities, between vocational and academic streams.

Vocational education will start in schools from the 6th grade, and will include internships.

Multilingualism and the Power of Language: The NEP 2020 advocates for mother tongue/local language/regional language as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond. Sanskrit to be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an option for students, including in the three-language formula. Other classical languages and literatures of India also to be available as options. No language will be imposed on any student. Several foreign languages will also be offered at the secondary level.

Assessment Reforms: With NEP 2020, the Centre hopes to shift from summative assessment to a more competency-based regular assessment which tests analysis, critical thinking and conceptual clarity. All students will take school examinations in Grades 3, 5, and 8. Board exams for Grades 10 and 12 will be continued, but redesigned with holistic development as the aim. A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), will be set up as a standard-setting body.

Equitable and Inclusive Education: NEP 2020 provides for setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund and also Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups. Children with disabilities will be enabled to fully participate in the regular schooling process from the foundational stage to higher education, with support of educators with cross-disability training, resource centres, accommodations, assistive devices, appropriate technology-based tools and other support mechanisms tailored to suit their needs.

Higher Education:

Increase GER to 50% by 2035: NEP 2020 aims to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education including vocational education from 26.3 per cent (2018) to 50 per cent by 2035. At least 3.5 crore new seats will be added to higher education institutions.

Holistic Multidisciplinary Education: The policy introduces broad-based, multi-disciplinary, holistic undergraduate education with flexible curriculacreative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education and multiple entry and exit points with appropriate certification. UG education can be of 3 or 4 years with multiple exit options and appropriate certification within this period. For example, certificate after 1 year, advanced diploma after 2 years, Bachelor’s degree after 3 years and Bachelor’s with research after 4 years.

An Academic Bank of Credit is to be established for digitally storing academic credits earned from different institutes so that these can be transferred and counted towards final degree earned.

Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs), at part with IITs, IIMs, to be set up as models of best multidisciplinary education of global standards in the country.

The National Research Foundation will be created as an apex body for fostering a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.

Regulation: Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will be set up as a single overarching umbrella body the for entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education. HECI will function through faceless intervention through technology, and will have powers to penalise higher education institutions for not conforming to norms and standards. Public and private higher education institutions will be governed by the same set of norms for regulation, accreditation and academic standards.

Rationalised Institutional Architecture: The definition of the university will allow a spectrum of institutions that range from Research-intensive universities to teaching-intensive universities and autonomous degree-granting colleges. Affiliation of colleges is to be phased out in 15 years and a stage-wise mechanism is to be established for granting graded autonomy to colleges. Over a period of time, it is envisaged that every college would develop into either an autonomous degree-granting college, or a constituent college of a university.

Financial support for students: Efforts will be made to incentivise the merit of students belonging to SC, ST, OBC, and other SEDGs. The National Scholarship Portal will be expanded to support, foster, and track the progress of students receiving scholarships. Private HEIs will be encouraged to offer larger numbers of free ships and scholarships to their students.

Open and Distance Learning: This will be expanded to play a significant role in increasing GER. Measures such as online courses and digital repositories, funding for research, improved student services, credit-based recognition of MOOCs, etc, will be taken to ensure it is at par with the highest quality in-class programmes.

Online and Digital Education: A dedicated unit for the building of digital infrastructure, digital content and capacity building will be created in the MHRD to look after the e-education needs of both school and higher education.

Technology in Education: An autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), will be created to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration. Appropriate integration of technology into all levels of education will be done to improve classroom processes, support teacher professional development, enhance educational access for disadvantaged groups and streamline educational planning, administration and management.

Promotion of Indian Languages: To ensure the preservation, growth, and vibrancy of all Indian languages, NEP recommends setting an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI), National Institute (or Institutes) for Pali, Persian and Prakrit, strengthening of Sanskrit and all language departments in HEIs, and use mother tongue/local language as a medium of instruction in more HEI programmes.

Professional Education: All professional education will be an integral part of the higher education system. Stand-alone technical universities, health science universities, legal and agricultural universities etc will aim to become multi-disciplinary institutions.

The India Education Forum (IEF) - Articles

Loss Of Ice Cover In The Arctic Sea

The National Centre of Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) recently found the largest decline in the Arctic Sea ice as seen in last 41 years due to global warming in July 2019.

Between 1979 and 2018, NCPOR noted that the sea ice has seen a declination at a rate of -4.7 per cent per decade while its rate in July 2019 was found to be -13 per cent.

Sea ice is basically frozen seawater that floats on the ocean surface. It forms in each hemisphere’s winter of both the Arctic and the Antarctic. The ice retreats in the summer. However, it does not completely disappear.

The Research has clarified that if this trend continues, there would be no ice left by 2050 in the Arctic sea since the volume of ice loss during summers might surpass the volume of the same formed during winters. This rapid decline in Arctic sea ice cover has been linked with growing carbon emissions and subsequent global warming.

The Impacts of Declining Arctic Sea ice cover can be huge. It would have an influence on regional weather as the decline of sea ice may impact the evaporation rates, cloud cover, air humility and rainfall of neighbouring regions.

The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) was established in 1998 as an autonomous Research and Development Institution under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The objective was to primarily carry out research activities in the polar and Southern Ocean realms.

It is also responsible for maintenance of the Indian stations in Arctic (Himadri) and Antarctica (Maitri & Bharati).

In recent times, the high temperatures that have been recorded in the Siberian region have caused a prolonged heatwave that has been ascribed to the absence of sea ice among other factors.

Loss of habitat for seals and polar bears have also increased resulting encounters between polar bears and humans. As the sea ice retreats from coastlines, wind-driven waves combined with melting permafrost may also lead to more rapid coastal erosion.

In the Arctic region, the ocean circulation is driven by the sinking of dense and salty water. Fresh meltwater coming largely from the Greenland Ice Sheet could furthermore interfere with ocean circulation at high latitudes, ultimately slowing it down. Any changes in ocean circulations can have unpredictable global impacts even in lower latitudes such as extreme weather events, droughts etc.

It is a result from the positive feedback cycle known as the ice-albedo feedback states that sea ice has higher albedo than ocean water. Once sea ice begins to melt, a self-reinforcing cycle often begins whereby as more ice melts and exposes more dark water. Then the water absorbs more sunlight and the sun-warm water then melts more ice.

On concluding, Arctic sea ice is part of a complex global system, and as a result it affects communities at all latitudes. The loss of Arctic sea ice has to be slowed down existentially by reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions and also by conserving other natural resources that have global impacts. The world needs to come together as one.

The New Education Policy 2020

The New Education Policy, NEP 2020, has been approved by the Union Cabinet. The new policy will come into effect by 2030. Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, together unveiled it and shared the details. The Ministry of Human Resource Management, MHRD has also been renamed as Education Ministry.

The draft of NEP 2020, has been prepared by a panel of experts led by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Kasturirangan and reviewed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The existing education policy was framed in 1986 and revised in 1992. 

Haryana – Sports state

Among all the states in India, Haryana is one of the leading state involved in games and sports. Haryana share population of only 2% in  India. But  one third  of all medals are owned by Haryana’s Athletes  in India including 9 out of  26  golds in CWG. Haryana has  always  been  a big  contributor  in terms  of India ‘s  medal  haul at major  competitions .

Haryana’s CWG 2018 Medallists 
1. Wrestling 
Gold -Bajrang Punia, sumit  malik, vinesh phogat 
Silver-Mausam Khatri ,pooja Dhanda , Babita kumari
Bronge – Somveer kadian , Sakshi Malik, kiran Bishnoi
 
2.Boxing 
GOLD – vikas krishan ,  Gourav Solanki 
SILVER-  Amit pangal, Manish Kaushik
Bronge-  Naman Tanwar , Manoj kumar 
3. Shooting 
  Gold – Anish Bhanwala , Manu  bhaker , sanjeev Rajput.
4. Athletics 
 Gold – Neeraj Chopra 
Silver –  seema Punia.
5. Weightlifting 
 Bronge – Deepak  lathar
6. Powerlifting 
Bronge – sachin Chaudhary.
 Traditionally Haryana has become a nursery of wrestlers and  boxers . Highest prize money for  winners  act as great  incentive for athletes .  Government’s    cash prizes for International  medals  are easily the highest in  country. If Haryana was a seperate country it would be  eighth on  2018 CWG  medal totally  behind sporting powerhouses  like Australia , England ,Wales ,  canada , New zealand  etc.
  Its a leading state in sports among  Other states. During the 33rd  national game held in  Assam in 2007 , Haryana stood 4th in the  nation with  medal tally  of 80  including  30 Gold , 22 silver and  28 bronze medals.
 Haryana is national championship in women ‘s hockey and  men’s Volley ball . The state has supported and promoted  its athletes.
 Hosting khelo  India Youth Games  in Haryana  will also add greater  impetus to our  commitment towards  creating a strong sporting  ecosystem. Many athletes  are trained under khelo  india schemes. It is a multi  sport event and   it is also providing large lodging for large  number of  participants  who will attend . 
Haryana has produced many elite  Athletes for international  platforms. Training is also going under Khelo  India Scheme . 159 medals owned in 2019 and 200 medals in 2020 . 
 Chief Minister  manohar lal khattar  and Union  minister of Youth  affairs and Sports  , Kiren Rijju  announced on 25 july that Haryana to host 4th 
 Edition of this . After Tokyo olympics , this sports to take Place. It will be held in Panchkula . It has been  envisioned by PM Modi  , its helping in identifying grassroots level talent  across country who will represent internationally.
Haryanivs are like having strong sporting culture in their blood .  Khelo usually take place in January every time of year  . But this time due to pandemic situation it gave rise to  be held  in delay with 10,000 participants . All the  participants are given scholarships of 500000 for time period of  8 years  to prepare for international sports Event. They are of 2 categories   –   21  old of college students and 17  old of school students. Thus is creating strong sports Ecosystem. Not only men but also women are giving best in this sports.

How Education can change the Lives of Underprivileged Children

In India, even today, millions of children go without any access to education. Education is the most powerful tool which empowers communities to turn around their lives, If any member of a family is educated, especially women, it can help coming generations to break the inter-generational cycled of poverty. Unprivileged children, who are the world’s poorest children living in slum areas and on the streets, lead a life where in there is no money, no education, lack of sanitation facilities, food and safe drinking water and no proper houses. All this leads to problems like child labour, child marriage, major health issues and crime, posing a threat to urban society and development of the country. The same conditions are passed on to the coming generations of slum dwellers, making their upliftment difficult in the society. It is the primary responsibility of a society to help children to fulfill their dream. Developed countries like US and China know the importance of it that is why these countries give special attention to skills and education.

Education is a great enabler – it makes people skilled and equips them to engage in meaningful professions and thus contribute to their own and society’s socio-economic well-being. In India, even today, millions of children go without any access to education. As many as 8.4 crore children in India continue to remain out of school. It’s a major social problem plaguing modern-day India and strong measures are needed to ensure the benefits of education touch everyone. Over the years, Save the Children has emerged as a trusted Non Governmental Organization which has provided lakhs of disadvantaged children the access to quality and enabling education. The organization’s work has made it possible for gifted and hard working children to have access to opportunities they could not have imagined before. The NGO is closely aligned with the government’s vision for education, jobs and prosperity for all.

When it comes to education, girls lag behind boys significantly. This situation arises due to the patriarchal mindset of a lot of families in India. Girls are often viewed as future housewives and family caretakers. They are often deprived higher education and in some cases even school education. Being educated gives an equal opportunity to women to be skilled workers who use their learning as a boon that will help better the future of their families and their communities. NGOs like Save the Children have projects dedicated to fostering girl child education. Educated girls also help end unfair social evils like child marriage and dowry and improve maternal health.

As aware and responsible citizens of the country, we need to ensure that businesses are sensitized towards the harms of child labour and they refrain from hiring children for work which will, in turn, discourage parents and children to choose money over education. The need of the hour is to make communities aware of their rights and proud of child’s education. Educated communities will not just create better citizens but also ensure better employment and enterprise. In 2015, the NGO touched the lives of over 1 lakh children in the city of New Delhi via the Childhood Care and Development programme which was involved in street children rehabilitation, child labour rescue, and maternal and newborn care. In 2016, Save the Children brought almost 90,000 children into the fold of education. It marked a new beginning in the lives of these children. In Bengaluru, the NGO has advocated for implementing the Right to Education for the street children with various school authorities and also helped in building up capacities of 26 Anganwadi centres and 60 primary schools that benefitted 7,000 children. In Kolkata and Mumbai, Save the Children operates Mobile Learning Centres where dropouts, child labourers, slum children and street children come and are mainstreamed into education.

NGOs like Save the Children need the support of government bodies, corporations, and most importantly, individuals. Along with enthusiasm and support from the common individual, it is heartening to see hard-earned donations and sense of public concern power an NGO’s influence and reach across India. To play your part, you should also donate to NGO to give India’s children a future.

We can see that children who are the future of tomorrow’s India have an immense power in themselves. With little support these stars can shine brightly in this world and touch success ladder with each passing time.

Mankind lost!?

Few days ago, i was reading an article on Mother Teresa. I came to know that on October 17th, 1979, Mother Teressa was awarded Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work for the needy. She had devoted herself to them.

Don’t you agree that in today’s world very few people are available to help the needy?

The key thing to remember is that beauty is in harmony. The happiest are those who are ready to help others. Nevertheless, we should not let interfere what we cannot do with what we can do.

One should get involved in social services so that a needy or a poor person gets to meet his basic needs. In short, one should strive to be a philanthropist.

In the end, it is us who can make the world a better place.

Gender Equality should also include Men!

Whenever the term GENDER EQUALITY is used, it is presumed that we are talking about equality towards women but there is no mention of the equality towards men. The belief that it is always the fault of the man or the stigma of the society around the way a man should be plays a major part of why men are not comfortable to admit being the victim. In India, there are many laws formulated to provide protection to women from offences like rape, stalking, harassment at work and public, domestic violence. It is true that crimes against women are increasing at an alarming rate; however there are many instances where the complaints filed by the women are false as they wrongly accuse the men just for their own interest and revenge.
 However, there are times when men are the ones who are the victims of such crimes but due to the perception of the society that ‘men are supposed to be brave’ or that ‘men are the ones who commit the crime´ stops a man to come out in the open to admit to the wrong being done to him. The men fear that they might be falsely accused for revenge or for extorting money, sometimes the family of the male victim or the victim themselves fails to accept the abuse done to them, and the fear of being judged by the society silences the male victim to come out and register the complaint for the offence against them, resulting in them committing suicide or being depressed.
Under section 113b of the Indian Evidence Act,  if a women dies of bodily injury or burns on the body within the 7 years of her marriage, it is assumed by the court that the husband and his family is behind the cause of her death. Under section 498A (law against dowry) of the Indian Penal Code, if the husband or the relative of the husband of a woman subject the woman to cause injury (whether physically or mentally) shall be liable imprisonment for a term which may be extended to 3 years and also be liable for fine.
Many cases filed under these laws were found out to be false as the wife would wrongly accuse the husband or his family out of revenge. Many of the domestic violence cases filed against men are also false and many a times, men are the ones who are the victims of the domestic violence. As there is no requirement for the women to present any evidence, they sometimes misuse the laws that are formed for their protection to harass men as the onus lies on the men to provide any evidence to prove their innocence.
Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code clearly mentions that rape is an offence only a man can commit to a woman. However, there is no mention that a woman can also commit the offence of rape to a man. A Delhi based Centre for Civil Society found that approximately 18% of the Indian adult men reported being coerced or forced to have sexual intercourse, out of which 16% were by a female offender and 2% by male offender.
The need of the hour is for the society to acknowledge that a man can be a victim too and that the gender equality should also include equality for men. There is also a need for the legislation to formulate laws that are gender neutral in nature. It is also very important that laws made for the protection of women are not misused by them as it can leave a bad impact on the mental health of the person who has been falsely accused. Laws for domestic violence, sexual harassment, rape, stalking etc should be made gender neutral i.e. the victim can be either a male or a female. We, as the youth should also make a motive to urge the men to come out and speak about the abuse they have faced and also to make the people aware about the gender equality for men too!

Racism – It Is a Reality

Racism has been a part of our society for many years. The sad truth is that it is more prevalent than ever. It seems every day you hear the stories of racism being played out in every corner of our society.

The fact is that as long as people ignore it and act like it doesn’t exist, the worse it will get. The only way to resolve a problem is to admit and take responsibility for having a problem. The election of President Obama exacerbated the issue of racism, but let’s not be so naïve as to think the problem wasn’t already there. It seems racism rears its ugly head when one race feels threatened by another race.

I believe fear is what encourages racism and hate. What needs to happen is for people who are tired of all of the hate decide that we will no longer tolerate racism and hate in our workplaces, schools, police departments or any other part of our society. It is not far fetched to think this could happen. It will take people to not turn a blind eye when you see or experience racism.

I think people tend to ignore racism if it does not directly affect them, but think about this, what if someone hated you or your child just because of the color of their skin? Imagine how that would affect your life. Wouldn’t you be afraid to leave your home? Afraid to allow your child to go to school? Afraid of losing your job? Afraid to drive your car at night in fear of being harassed? These are all real realities for some people that live in our society. Is it fair for someone to live in so much fear just because their skin color is different?

The best thing we can do for the future of our country is to refuse to tolerate racism on any level.

It is not impossible to stop the trend of racism, but it will take people being more conscious of it, and every now and then taking a stand that may be unpopular in your social circles. I wish I could say that there was an easy solution to this problem, but there isn’t.

Some people just feel that others are inferior to them and not worthy of the same lifestyles and comforts that they enjoy. I personally believe that you should be treated with respect and dignity in this country if you work hard, pay your taxes and abide by the law. There is no one race that owns this country and has the right to tell others, who is worthy to be here and who is not based on a person’s skin color.

Have you ever heard someone say that they are not racist, but admit if someone of another race moved next door to them, they wouldn’t like it? These people are racist.

Racism is very hurtful because it makes you feel like no matter how hard you work or how much money you make, you will never be good enough to live in certain neighborhoods or have your children attend certain schools.

For those of you that feel that racism is a thing of the past, I am here to tell you that it is alive and well in our society, and until people recognize the problem, and put stricter laws in place to combat this problem, it will continue. If you have friends or family that spout racist views, educate them and let them know they are destroying the fabric of this country by holding on to racism and hate.