The science of Yoga has two aspects, the physical and the spiritual one. Therefore the relation of yoga with health has also two aspects. Firstly, the benefits that one gets through the physical aspect of Yoga and secondly the benefits that one gets through the spiritual aspect of Yoga.

The physical aspect has to do with the physical body; through asanas, pranayama, proper eating and cleansing techniques yoga leads to proper breathing, proper blood circulation, proper function of nervous system, proper function of endocrine system and flexibility and strengthening of muscles, all of which help one to obtain and maintain a healthy body.

The spiritual aspect of yoga has to do with the energy body and the spirit; again through asanas, pranayama, cleansing techniques and meditation yoga cleanses the energy body and leads to realisation of the oneness with the Supreme Being and the immortality of the soul. Cleaning the energy body is very important since problems to the energy body reflect to the physical.

Realising the oneness with the Supreme Being helps one to escape from the anxiety and the fear that our society generates, to feel total happiness and bliss and therefore be free of depression, stress and anxiety diseases.

The physical and spiritual benefits of Asanas, Pranayama, proper eating, cleansing techniques and meditation will be presented in the following paragraphs.

Asanas

Asanas can be divided in the following categories: Standing, twists, forward bend, backbend, inversion, balancing and relaxation asanas.

Every category has its own advantages.

Standing asanas develop strength, increase awareness of alignment. They are helpful in releasing poor posture and creating a strong, healthy body. Standing postures help to clean different chakras in the energy body.

For instance, the triangle pose cleans the manipura and the ajna chakra, the warrior poses clean the manipura, while the eagle pose cleans the anahata chakra. All of the standing poses work on the muladhara chakra, since the legs are used in all of them.

Twists increase the flexibility of the spine and lengthen all the muscles, tendons, and ligaments; they also strengthen and balance the deep spinal muscles providing in this way a healthy spine; furthermore they provide an internal massage to the internal organs and increase the blood circulation to all the valuable organs and glands, harmonising in this way the hormonal activity. Twists are very helpful asanas for detoxification of the body. All of the twists work on cleaning the manipura chakra.

Forward bending asanas stretch the hamstrings along with hips and also lengthen the spine. As with the twists they message abdominal organs, increase blood circulation and tone all the abdominal organs. Forward bending asanas are also very effective in curing depression, because they calm the nervous system. Forward bending asanas clean mostly the manipura, the swadisthana and the muladhara chakras.

Backward bending asanas on the one hand provide stretching and toning to the abdomen, the pelvis and the chest and on the other hand strengthen the back muscles, the buttocks, the legs and the arms. They also help to open the chest area promoting deep breathing. With back bends one feels that the heart opens and fills with energy and love. In many backbends the blood circulation in the thymus gland is increased and the gland is stimulated; therefore the immune system is strengthened. Backward bending asanas work mainly in the anahata and the swadisthana chakra, while some work also in the manipura chakra.

Inversion asanas mainly bring fresh blood to the brain and rest the heart and the veins by reversing the flow of the blood in the body. In this way the blood circulation is improved and the brain rejuvenated. The thyroid gland, the pituary gland and the hypothalamus are stimulated by the additional blood supply and therefore the whole endocrine system is enhanced. Inversion asanas work mainly in the vishuddhi and the sahasrara chakra.

Balancing asanas mainly increase the body awareness and focus the mind. Through balancing asanas one learns to be patient and persistent to achieve ones goal. Balancing asanas also strengthen the abdominal muscles and the muscles of the legs. Balancing asanas mainly help to focus and clean the ajna and the muladhara chakras.

Relaxation postures provide full relaxation to the muscles of the body and therefore relaxation, peace and harmony to the mind. During relaxation the body gains all the benefits from the previous asanas.

Pranayama

People in today’s world have a swallow upper chest breathing due to stress and the quick rhythms of life, instead of a deep diaphragmatic abdominal breathing. The swallow upper chest breathing has as a result fewer amounts of fresh oxygen and prana to enter to the human body, causing diseases, headaches and more. Pranayama is the control of prana, the life-force, the most important ingredient of the air that enters the body by breathing.

Through pranayama one learns to control the breath, one learns to use the diaphragm for deep diaphragmatic abdominal breathing, the lungs and the respiratory muscles are exercised, the body is energised and the bloodstream is oxygenated. Yogic breathing additionally massages the abdomen. Daily practising of yogic breathing trains the thoracic, diaphragmatic and abdominal muscles to operate efficiently all the day even during sleeping.

Another very important factor of yogic breathing concerning health is the exhalation. The exhalation, in most of the breathing techniques, is double time of the inhalation. This is a very significant factor for a healthier body. During exhalation the carbon dioxide is expelled from the lungs. The longer the exhalation the more carbon dioxide is expelled and therefore a greater amount of fresh oxygen can enter the lungs.

Additionally yogic breathing tones the nervous system, calms and concentrates the mind. Yogic breathing can also be used to energise, to relax, to vitalise and to disperse anxiety or fear.

Spiritually yogic breathing can be used to achieve equanimity and serenity of mind, slow controlled breath can bring calmness, quietness and stillness to body, mind and spirit. Pranayama can be used to clean the energy channels and the chakras of the body and also to enter more easily to a meditative state.

Finally through yogic breathing several diseases, for example asthma and bronchitis, colds, insomnia, headaches as well as stress, anxiety and depression can be cured.

Yoga and proper eating

Yoga promotes a lacto-vegetarian diet. A lacto-vegetarian diet includes all of the milk product, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, oats, beans, rice, potatoes and more. All the ingredients that the body needs are found in greater quantities and in better quality in the lacto-vegetarian diet than in the meet consuming diet.

A meet consuming diet has many toxins, an excess amount of uric acid that can be dangerous for the body, moreover less antiscorbutic acid that prevents many diseases is contained in meat.

Furthermore vegetarian food keeps the blood with an alkaline pH, while meat makes the pH of the blood acidic. Acidic pH of the blood can lead to many diseases. Additionally it is better to take the energy needed from the plant kingdom where plants take their energy straight from the sun, than from the animal kingdom where animals take their energy from plants or other animals, because this energy is “second or even third hand energy”.

Another advantage of lacto-vegetarian diet is that it is rich in vitamins and organic calcium, while in animal tissues one can not find a balanced combination of proteins, calcium and vitamins. For all the above mentioned reasons the yogic diet promotes a healthier condition of the body.

 Yoga and cleansing techniques

The proper yogic lifestule includes the performance of six hygienic duties. These are Dhauti or washing, Basti or colonic irrigation, Neti or nasal cleansing, Nauli or recti isolation, Trataka or cleansing vision and Kapalabhati or cleansing breath.

They are all cleansing acts that help the body get rid of impurities, phlegm and excess fat. They prepare the body for receiving all the benefits from pranayama and asanas. These six cleansing acts cleanse the digestive, respiratory, eliminatory and nervous systems and therefore help the body stay clean and healthy.

Meditation

Meditation is a variety of methods that aim to make the mind quiet, steady and open. Its final goal is to achieve knowledge and union with the Absolute, the universal spirit. In Raja yoga meditation is to withdraw the senses, concentrate to one point or idea, sustain this concentration and finally enter a superconcious state called Samadhi.

The benefits of meditating are many. Meditation is a kind of mental hygiene. It clears the mind, it brings serenity and equanimity. It calms and tones the nervous system; it lightens the spirit and clarifies consciousness. Meditation can also be used just to relax and bring harmony within. Through meditation one can be protected against the stress of today’s life. Meditation calms the mind by making space between the thoughts.

The benefits of meditation do not stop there, through mediation the blood pressure is lowered, the muscles are relaxed and the brain waves show a new slow pattern, different from the patterns observed during sleep or hypnosis or normal awaking state, meditation also helps one to open up to brilliant emotions like peace, joy, love and happiness and this can help one to have better relationship with anyone around him, therefore leading to a more peaceful and loving world.

All of the above mentioned factors help a person to achieve a generally healthier condition of the body and to retard old age.

However yoga can be used to treat many different diseases with different combinations of asanas, breathing techniques, cleansing techniques and eating plans. For every different disease a different combination of the above mentioned has to be used. One has to know exactly the different benefits of asanas, breathing and cleansing techniques to combine them properly to obtain the best results.

Certainly many protocols exist already, written by recognized yogis like Swami Sivananda Saraswati, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Dr Swami Karmananda and more. Possibly the best solution, when one wants to treat a specific disease, is to follow the existing protocols, because these yogis are wise and unmistakable.

What Is Noise Pollution?

Noise pollution is generally defined as regular exposure to elevated sound levels that may lead to adverse effects in humans or other living organisms. According to the World Health Organization, sound levels less than 70 dB are not damaging to living organisms, regardless of how long or consistent the exposure is. Exposure for more than 8 hours to constant noise beyond 85 dB may be hazardous. If you work for 8 hours daily in close proximity to a busy road or highway, you are very likely exposed to traffic noise pollution around 85dB.

This type of pollution is so omnipresent in today’s society that we often fail to even notice it anymore:

• street traffic sounds from cars, buses, pedestrians, ambulances etc.
• construction sounds like drilling or other heavy machinery in operation
• airports, with constant elevated sounds from air traffic, i.e. planes taking off or landing
• workplace sounds, often common in open-space offices
• constant loud music in or near commercial venues
• industrial sounds like fans, generators, compressor, mills
• train stations traffic
• household sounds, from the television set to music playing on the stereo or computer, vacuum cleaners, fans and coolers, washing machines, dishwashers, lawnmowers etc.
• events involving fireworks, firecrackers, loudspeakers etc.
• conflicts generate noise pollution through explosions, gunfire etc. The dysfunctions, in this case, are likely caused by the conflict and insecurity and less by the noise pollution in itself, although that compounds stress levels too.

Human Diseases Caused by Noise Pollution

Whether we realize we are subjected to it or not, noise pollution can be hazardous to our health in various ways.

• Hypertension is, in this case, a direct result of noise pollution caused elevated blood levels for a longer period of time.
• Hearing loss can be directly caused by noise pollution, whether listening to loud music in your headphones or being exposed to loud drilling noises at work, heavy air or land traffic, or separate incidents in which noise levels reach dangerous intervals, such as around140 dB for adult or 120 dB for children.
• Sleep disturbances are usually caused by constant air or land traffic at night, and they are a serious condition in that they can affect everyday performance and lead to serious diseases.
• Child development. Children appear to be more sensitive to noise pollution, and a number of noise-pollution-related diseases and dysfunctions are known to affect children, from hearing impairment to psychological and physical effects. Also, children who regularly use music players at high volumes are at risk of developing hearing dysfunctions. In 2001, it was estimated that 12.5% of American children between the ages of 6 to 19 years had impaired hearing in one or both ears
• Various cardiovascular dysfunctions Elevated blood pressure caused by noise pollution, especially during the night, can lead to various cardiovascular diseases.
• Dementia isn’t necessarily caused by noise pollution, but its onset can be favoured or compounded by noise pollution.
• Psychological dysfunctions and noise annoyance. Noise annoyance is, in fact, a recognized name for an emotional reaction that can have an immediate impact.

Effects of Noise Pollution on Wildlife and Marine Life

Our oceans are no longer quiet. Thousands of oil drills, sonars, seismic survey devices, coastal recreational watercraft and shipping vessels are now populating our waters, and that is a serious cause of noise pollution for marine life. Whales are among the most affected, as their hearing helps them orient themselves, feed and communicate. Noise pollution thus interferes with cetaceans’ (whales and dolphins) feeding habits, reproductive patterns and migration routes, and can even cause hemorrhage and death.

Other than marine life, land animals are also affected by noise pollution in the form of traffic, firecrackers etc., and birds are especially affected by the increased air traffic.

Social and Economic Costs of Noise Pollution

The World Health Organization estimates that one out of three people in Europe is harmed by traffic noise. More than the purely medical effects of noise pollution on the individual, there is a significant social and economic impact. Since noise pollution leads to sleep disturbance, it affects the individual’s work performance during the day, it leads to hypertension and cardiovascular disease and costs the health system additional time and money, and it negatively affects school performance in children.

Tips for Avoiding Noise Pollution

• Wear earplugs whenever exposed to elevated noise levels
• Maintain a level of around 35 dB in your bedroom at night, and around 40 dB in your house during the day
• If possible, choose your residential area as far removed from heavy traffic as you can
• Avoid prolonged use of earphones, especially at elevated sound levels
• If possible, avoid jobs with regular exposure to elevated sound levels

Purpose of Skin care

A good skin care routine is only as good as the products you use. While good quality products can help your skin look better now as well as in the future, poor quality products can be ineffective and even cause harm.

Why is good skin care important?

Good skin care is important for the following reasons:

• It helps your skin stay in good condition: You’re shedding skin cells throughout the day, so it’s important to keep your skin glowing and in good condition. An effective routine can help prevent acne, treat wrinkles, and help keep your skin looking its best.
• Your skin will look more youthful: As you age, your skin’s cells turn over more slowly, make it look duller and less radiant. Using a quality skin care line can help remove dead skin cells so your body will replace them with newer, more youthful cells.

• Prevention is easier than correction: Preventing skin problems is easier -– and less costly – than trying to fix them in the future. 
• Your self-confidence will get a boost: When your skin looks better, you’ll feel better about yourself and have more self-confidence.

What are some good skin care methods?

The following components can create a good, effective skin care routine:

• Cleanser: Face cleansing should be the first step in any skincare routine, as it clears away impurities and excess oil that can clog pores and dull skin.But be gentle. “Too many people cleanse too much or too often or with a cleanser that’s too harsh, which will actually break down your skin’s protective barrier”.If you have dry or sensitive skin, try washing only at night and rinsing your face with water in the morning.Wash your face gently with a product designed for your face. If you have dry skin, you’ll want to choose a cleanser that doesn’t have alcohol, and if you have oily skin, look for an oil-free cleanser. Afterward, rinse with warm water.
• Toner: Toner is used after washing your face, and it helps smooth and calm skin while restoring nutrients.You don’t possibly need a toner, but swiping one on can be a great way to refresh skin, remove any residual debris and balance pH. If you have acne-prone skin, look for a toner with ingredients like salicylic acid to combat breakouts.For dry or sensitive skin, seek out a hydrating toner made without parching alcohol and with ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid to soothe.
• Exfoliator: Exfoliators are optional and can be used after a cleanser but before a serum or moisturizer. They should only be used a maximum of once or twice a week.
• Serum: A serum can help address specific issues, such as redness.A serum tailored to your skin concerns can both treat and protect. Look for an antioxidant like gold-standard vitamin C “Everyone should use vitamin C, no matter what age.It helps reverse a lot of the skin damage we get from the sun and pollution.” For darker skin tones, hyperpigmentation can be a common issue, and using a vitamin C serum in the morning can help mitigate dark spots.
• Moisturizer: Next come heavier formulas like moisturizer, which keeps skin hydrated and helps strengthen its barrier. Unless you have dry skin, opt for a lighter moisturizer for daytime use, such as a lotion or gel that will soak in quickly and won’t pill under makeup. If your skin is drier, try a thicker formula, like a cream. “Look for ceramides or hyaluronic acid, since these ingredients are the building blocks of moisture retention in skin,” .Moisturizers should be used every time you wash your face, even if you have oily skin. If you have this type of skin, choose an oil-free or gel product.
• Sunscreen: It’s the most important step in any skincare routine, for every skin type and age. “If you don’t wear sunscreen, you might as well not do any of the other steps”. “The sun is the number one reason people’s skin ages prematurely.” And the damage isn’t only cosmetic, no matter what your skin colour: “People of colour can and do get skin cancer,”.
• “Plus, if you’re treating hyperpigmentation without daily SPF use, it’s like taking two steps forward and one step backward.”Smooth on a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher face sunscreen as the last step in your morning skincare routine, including on your neck and the backs of your hands. Heads up: Protecting your skin from the sun is important even if you’re spending your days indoors, as UV rays can penetrate through the windows.Even if your moisturizer has a sunscreen, it can still help to use a separate sunscreen every day, even if it’s cloudy. Choose one that provides broad-spectrum protection and has an SPF of at least 30.
• Facial oil: If your skin is still feeling parched, applying a facial oil can be a great way to help lock in moisture overnight. “A lot of people think that if they have acne or oily skin, they’ll break out with an oil, but it’s not true,”. “It can actually really help soften skin.” For a nourishing boost, pat on a face oil as a last step once the rest of your leave-on skincare products dry.

What benefits do quality skin care products provide?

The following are some of the benefits of quality skin care products:

• Quality ingredients: Similar to the benefits that healthy food provides for your body, quality skin-care ingredients can improve your skin.
• Protection from environmental damage: such as pollution
• Help fighting the effects of aging: such as wrinkles and sunspots
• Results for the money: Even if quality products cost more in some cases, they’re worth the money. If you use ineffective products, you’re wasting money.
• Exceeding standards: Quality skin care products are more refined, with fewer bacteria and impurities.

Organic farming is a production system which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators, genetically modified organisms and livestock food additives. To the maximum extent possible organic farming system rely upon crop rotations, use of crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manures, off farm organic wastes, biofertilizers, mechanical cultivation, mineral bearing rocks and aspects of biological control to maintain soil productivity and tilth to supply plant nutrients and to control insect, weeds and other pests.

Organic methods can increase farm productivity, repair decades of environmental damage and knit small farm families into more sustainable distribution networks leading to improved food security if they organize themselves in production, certification and marketing. During last few years an increasing number of farmers have shown lack of interest in farming and the people who used to cultivate are migrating to other areas.

Organic farming is one way to promote either self-sufficiency or food security. Use of massive inputs of chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticides poisons the land and water heavily. The after-effects of this are severe environmental consequences, including loss of topsoil, decrease in soil fertility, surface and ground water contamination and loss of genetic diversity.

Organic farming which is a holistic production management system that promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity is hence important. Many studies have shown that organic farming methods can produce even higher yields than conventional methods.

Significant difference in soil health indicators such as nitrogen mineralization potential and microbial abundance and diversity, which were higher in the organic farms can also be seen. The increased soil health in organic farms also resulted in considerably lower insect and disease incidence. The emphasis on small-scale integrated farming systems has the potential to revitalize rural areas and their economies.

Advantages of organic farming

1. It helps to maintain environment health by reducing the level of pollution.
2. It reduces human and animal health hazards by reducing the level of residues in the product.
3. It helps in keeping agricultural production at a sustainable level.
4. It reduces the cost of agricultural production and also improves the soil health.
5. It ensures optimum utilization of natural resources for short-term benefit and helps in conserving them for future generation.
6. It not only saves energy for both animal and machine, but also reduces risk of crop failure.
7. It improves the soil physical properties such as granulation, good tilth, good aeration, easy root penetration and improves water-holding capacity and reduces erosion.
8. It improves the soil’s chemical properties such as supply and retention of soil nutrients, reduces nutrient loss into water bodies and environment and promotes favourable chemical reactions.

Nutrient management in organic farming

In organic farming, it is important to constantly work to build a healthy soil that is rich in organic matter and has all the nutrients that the plants need. Several methods viz. green manuring, addition of manures and biofertilizers etc can be used to build up soil fertility. These organic sources not only add different nutrients to the soil but also help to prevent weeds and increase soil organic matter to feed soil microorganisms.

Soil with high organic matter resists soil erosion, holds water better and thus requires less irrigation. Some natural minerals that are needed by the plants to grow and to improve the soil’s consistency can also be added. Soil amendments like lime are added to adjust the soil’s pH balance. However soil amendment and water should contain minimum heavy metals. Most of the organic fertilizers used are recycled by-products from other industries that would otherwise go to waste.

Farmers also make compost from animal manures and mushroom compost. Before compost can be applied to the fields, it is heated and aged for at least two months, reaching and maintaining an internal temperature of 130°-140°F to kill unwanted bacteria and weed seeds. A number of organic fertilizers / amendments and bacterial and fungal biofertilizers can be used in organic farming depending upon availability and their suitability to crop. Different available organic inputs are described below:

1. Organic manures

Commonly available and applied farm yard manure (FYM) and vermicompost etc. are generally low in nutrient content, so high application rates are needed to meet crop nutrient requirements. However, in many developing countries including India, the availability of organic manures is not sufficient for crop requirements; partly due to its extensive use of cattle dung in energy production.

Green manuring with Sesbania, cowpea, green gram etc are quiet effective to improve the organic matter content of soil. However, use of green manuring has declined in last few decades due to intensive cropping and socioeconomic reasons. Considering these constraints International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM) and Codex Alimentarius have approved the use of some inorganic sources of plant nutrients like rock phosphate, basic slag, rock potash etc. in organic farming systems.

These substances can supply essential nutrients and may be from plant, animal, microbial or mineral origin and may undergo physical, enzymatic or microbial processes and their use does not result in unacceptable effects on produce and the environment including soil organisms.

2. Bacterial and fungal biofertilizers

Contribution of biological fixation of nitrogen on surface of earth is the highest (67.3%) among all the sources of N fixation. Following bacterial and fungal biofertilizers can be used as a component of organic farming in different crops.

• Rhizobium : The effectiveness of symbiotic N₂ fixing bacteria viz. Rhizobia for legume crops eg. Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Sinorhizobium, Azorhizobium, and Mesorhizobium etc have been well recognized. These bacteria infecting legumes have a global distribution. These rhizobia have a N₂-fixing capability up to 450 kg N ha–1 depending on host- plant species and bacterial strains. Carrier based inoculants can be coated on seeds for the introduction of bacterial strains into soil.
• Azotobacter: N₂ fixing free-living bacteria can fix atmospheric nitrogen in cereal crops without any symbiosis. Such free living bacterias are: Azotobacter sp. for different cereal crops; Acetobacter diazotrophicus and Herbaspirillum spp. for sugarcane, sorghum and maize crop. Beside fixing nitrogen, they also increase germination and vigour in young plants leading to an improved crop stand.
• They can fix 15-20 kg/ha nitrogen per year. Azotobacter sp. also has ability to produce anti fungal compounds against many plant pathogens. Azotobacter can biologically control the nematode diseases of plants also.
• Azospirillum: The genus Azospirillum colonizes in a variety of annual and perennial plants. Studies indicate that Azospirillum can increase the growth of crops like sunflower, carrot, oak, sugarbeet, tomato, pepper, cotton, wheat and rice. The crop yield can increase from 5-30%. Inoculum of Azotobacter and Azospirillum can be produced and applied as in peat formulation through seed coating. The peat formulation can also be directly utilized in field applications.
• Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria : Various bacteria that promote plant growth are collectively called plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). PGPR are thought to improve plant growth by colonizing the root system and pre empting the establishment of suppressing deleterious rhizosphere microorganisms on the roots. Large populations of bacteria established in planting material and roots become a partial sink for nutrients in the rhizosphere thus reducing the amount of C and N available to stimulate spores of fungal pathogens or for subsequent colonization of the root.
• PGPR belong to several genera viz.Actinoplanes, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Streptomyces, Xanthomonas etc. Bacillus spp. act as biocontrol agent because their endospores are tolerant to heat and desiccation. Seed treatment with B.subtilis is reported to increase yield of carrot by 48%, oats by 33% and groundnut upto 37%.
• Phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (PSB): Phosphorus is the vital nutrient next to nitrogen for plants and microorganisms. This element is necessary for the nodulation by Rhizobium and even to nitrogen fixers, Azolla and BGA. The phospho microorganism mainly bacteria and fungi make available insoluble phosphorus to the plants. It can increase crop yield up to 200-500 kg/ha and thus 30 to 50 kg Super Phosphate can be saved. Most predominant phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) belong to the genera Bacillus and Pseudomonas. At present PSB is most widely used biofertilizer in India. PSB can reduce the P requirement of crop up to 25%.
• Mycorrhizal fungi: Root-colonizing mycorrhizal fungi increase tolerance of heavy metal contamination and drought. Mycorrhizal fungi improve soil quality also by having a direct influence on soil aggregation and therefore aeration and water dynamics. An interesting potential of this fungi is its ability to allow plant access to nutrient sources which are generally unavailable to the host plants and thus plants may be able to use insoluble sources of P when inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi but not in the absence of inoculation.
• Blue green algae (BGA): BGA are the pioneer colonizers both in hydrosphere and xerosphere. These organisms have been found to synthesize 0.8 x 1011 tonnes of organic matter, constituting about 40 percent of the total organic matter synthesized annually on this planet. BGA constitute the largest, most diverse and widely distributed group of prokaryotic microscopic organisms that perform oxygenic photosynthesis. These are also known as cyanophyceae and cyanobacteria.
• These are widely distributed in tropics; and are able to withstand extremes of temperature and drought. The significance of the abundance of BGA in Indian rice soils has been well recognized. Multi-location trials conducted under varying agro climatic conditions have indicated that the algal inoculation could save 30 kg N /ha, however, it depends upon the agro ecological conditions. BGA has been reported to reduce the pH of soil and improve upon exchangeable calcium and water holding capacity.
• The recommended method of application of the algal inoculum is broadcasting on standing water about 3 to 4 days after transplantation. After the application of algal inoculum the field should be kept water logged for about a week’s time. Establishment  of the algal inoculum can be observed within a week of inoculation in the form of floating algal mats, more prominently seen in the afternoon.
• Azolla: A floating water fern ‘Azolla’ hosts nitrogen fixing BGA Anabaena azollae. Azolla contains 3.4% nitrogen (on dry wt. basis) and add organic matter in soil. This biofertilizer is used for rice cultivation. There are six species of Azolla viz. A. caroliniana, A. nilotica, A. mexicana, A.filiculoides, A. microphylla and A. pinnata. Azolla plant has a floating, branched stem, deeply bilobed  leaves and true roots which penetrate the body of water.
• The leaves are arranged alternately on the stem. Each leaf has a dorsal and ventral lobe. The dorsal fleshy lobe is exposed to air and contains chlorophyll. It grows well in ditches and stagnant water. Azolla can be easily grown throughout the year in India if water is not a limiting factor and climatic conditions are favourable for its growth. This fern usually forms a green mat over water. Azolla is readily decomposed to NH₄ which is available to the rice plants. Field trial have shown that rice yields increased by 0.5-2t/ha due to Azolla application. In India and China, about  20 and 18% increase in rice yield, respectively has been reported due to Azolla application.

Weed management in organic farming

In organic farming, chemical herbicides cannot be used. So weeding can be done only manually. Different cultural practices like tillage, flooding, mulching can be used to manage the weeds. Besides, biological (pathogen) method can be used to manage the loss due to weeds. When the ground is fallow, a cover crop can be planted to suppress weeds and build soil quality. Weeds growth can also be limited by using drip irrigation whenever possible, which restricts the distribution of water to the plant line.

Insect pest management

In organic farming, the presence of pests (where and when) is anticipated in advance and accordingly the planting schedules and locations are adjusted as much as possible to avoid serious pest problems. The main strategy to combat harmful pests is to build up a population of beneficial insects, whose larvae feed off the eggs of pests. The key to building a population of beneficial insects is to establish borders (host crops) around fields planted with blends of flowering plants that the beneficial insects particularly like.

Then periodically beneficial insects are released into the fields, where the host crops serve as their home base and attract more beneficial insects over time. When faced with a pest outbreak that cannot be handled by beneficial insects, the used of natural or other organically approved insecticides like neem pesticides is done. The two most important criteria for allowed organic pesticides are low toxicity to people and other animals and low persistence in the environment. These criteria are determined by the National Organic Standards.

Diseases management in organic farming

Plant diseases are major constraints for reductions in crop yield and quality in organic and low input production systems. Proper fertility management to crops through balanced supply of macro and micronutrients and adoption of crop rotation have shown to improve the resistance of crops to certain diseases.

Thus one of the biggest rewards of organic farming is healthy soil that is alive with beneficial organisms. These healthy microbes, fungi and bacteria keep the harmful bacteria and fungi that cause disease in check.

Limitations and implications of Organic farming

There are a few limitations with organic farming such as

1. Organic manure is not abundantly available and on plant nutrient basis it may be more expensive than chemical fertilizers if organic inputs are purchased.
2. Production in organic farming declines especially during first few years, so the farmer should be given premium prices for organic produce.
3. The guidelines  for organic production, processing, transportation and certification etc are beyond the understanding of ordinary Indian farmer.
4. Marketing of organic produce is also not properly streamlined. There are a number of farms in India which have either never been chemically managed / cultivated or have converted back to organic farming because of farmers’ beliefs or purely for reason of economics. These thousands of farmers cultivating million acres of land are not classified as organic though they are.
5. Their produce either sells in the open market along with conventionally grown produce at the same price or sells purely on goodwill and trust as organic through select outlets and regular specialized markets. These farmers may never opt for certification because of the costs involved as well as the extensive documentation that is required by certifiers.

In dry lands, covering over 65% cultivated area in India, application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is always low. So these areas are at least “relatively organic” or “organic by default” and a portion of these lands can be converted easily to an organic one to provide better yields/returns. India can greatly benefit from the export of organic foods, but needs to seriously devote attention to market intelligence regarding which product to grow, where to sell, distribution channels, competition, marketing access etc.

Presently, good awareness exists among farmers, researchers and policy makers about organic production but a lot more need to be done to streamline production, certification and marketing of organic produce. Uttaranchal and some other state governments have already declared their states as “Organic” state and created special Export Zones like Basmati Export Zone. A large area of North eastern states  and other states may be developed as commodity based “organic” production areas.

With greater  political will and investment in research, extension and marketing infrastructure more of this potential could be realized. Therefore to feed the world’s hungry and poor and to ensure present and future food security right policies, increased public and private investments and technologies, knowledge and capacity building, grounded in sound ecosystem management and harmony between organic farming and food security goals are required.

Instagram can be a highly targetable, visual marketing channel for your brand and an opportunity to build a loyal audience that grows with your business.

In fact, over 500 million Instagram users browse the app every day, making it home to some of the most engaged audiences around.

But like any social network, there are right ways to use your Instagram profile, wrong ways, and clever ways.

How to get more followers on Instagram ?

There are 15 tactics that will help you understand how to get more followers on Instagram instantly and over time:

• Use the right hashtags.
• Use high quality filters.
• Post at the right times.
• Steal your competitors followers.
• Pay for sponsored posts and product reviews.
• Use geotags to boost local discovery.
• Organise your stories into Highlights.
• Ask for more followers.
• Hop on trends.
• Run a giveaway.
• Share user-generated content.
• Use Instagram live.
• Be consistent.
• Monitor follower growth closely over time.
• Use the Instagram tools at your disposal.

1. Consistency is key

Let’s make sure you have the basics down first. To grow an Instagram account, you can’t put all your eggs in the proverbial basket and rely on one post to go viral. Most posts won’t go viral, which you means you need to find a better way to get your posts in front of your intended audience.

Take a look at your posting schedule, posting frequency and content quality. What are you doing well and what are your areas of improvement?

In our yearly research about the best time to post on Instagram, we found that around mid-morning (central time) was a peak time across all industries. If you’ve never researched your most successful times to post, these time ranges would be a good place to start.

To get more detailed, check out our best times to post article for a breakdown by multiple industries, or hone in even further on your niche with a data-driven approach. Sprout Social’s Viral post publishing feature takes the legwork out of your research and suggests algorithmically selected peak times when you’ll have the highest engagement based on previous analytics. This can be a huge time saver when looking to post frequently and consistently to organically grow your Instagram.

Posting on a consistent basis sets up an expectation for your followers to look forward to the next post. Larger brands will post multiple times a day while small businesses may only post a few times a week. Whichever you commit to, just make sure it’s a consistent schedule to set expectations with your audience.

And finally, consistency in content quality is very important. There’s a lot more noise on Instagram feeds these days and you need to stand out. Subpar or stock photos won’t help grow Instagram followers as much as those who are creating their own interesting content.

2. Invest in content production & content diversity

Engagement is no longer limited to in-feed posts. Instagram now includes metrics for new content types such as Story replies, views of IGTV episodes and Story mentions. With an ever-increasing variety of content types like Instagram Reels, there are more opportunities to increase your engagement rates and, consequently, your organic Instagram growth.

If you’ve only done in-feed posts or tried out Stories sporadically, we recommend committing to a few Stories a week to establish consistency and plan content for it. With a variety of ways to use stories  as a method to grow Instagram followers, it’s an opportunity to see what resonates with your audience.

A good example of content diversity is Magnolia Bakery’s new AR filter that will add cupcakes to the camera or replaces eyes with cupcakes for a selfie. The cupcakes are a classic representation of the brand and people tag Magnolia Bakery when they use it. In return, Magnolia can repost these user-tagged Stories into their own Stories.

It can’t be stressed enough that content quality and posting consistently it is important for account growth. Spend time learning how to take better photos and videos or hire a content agency or freelance photographers/videographers to help with this huge but important task.

3. Run promotions & contests

Audiences love giveaways, discounts and freebies, and that’s not likely to change no matter what new developments arise on social media. But what marketers post is not always what consumers want. This mismatch means that there are missed opportunities for marketers in creating social content.

It was discovered that 72% of consumers want discounts or sales to be posted on brands’ social media. Conversely, only 18% of marketers think that discounts are what are needed on social media. This disconnect in expectations means that there’s room to grow for giving customers what they want.

To grow your following and increase your brand presence on Instagram, run contests and promotions. Make one of the requirements for the giveaway a follow for your band and any other brands you’re partnering with, as well as tagging friends for more exposure. If you’re consistent in your giveaways, such as monthly or quarterly, your followers will be more likely to stick around and look forward to the next one.

4. Promote cross-platform

Don’t silo yourself on Instagram alone.

How often do you talk about your Instagram account on your other social media platforms?

Many people have multiple social accounts, and different platforms all have unique strengths, so you can reach different audiences by highlighting your Instagram presence in different places.

Direct followers on other social channels to your Instagram profile for exclusive offers or content. You can also use another visual-heavy platform like Pinterest to extend the reach of Instagram content  that might otherwise have a short lifespan on the platform’s highly active feed.

Beyond social media, there are other spaces for your brand to grow Instagram followers organically. Adding prominent social media buttons in your email newsletter, website’s footer and large digital ads are all good examples of cross-platform promotion.

Offline, you can add your Instagram account to in-store signage and promotions.

5. Share the wealth with influencers

While the influencer market has certainly grown over the last few years, there are still ways for social budgets of all sizes to incorporate an influencer strategy.

Micro-influencers are those that have smaller followers but often a more engaged audience. These influencers have highly specialized niches and are often willing to work with brands who line up with their values.

Working with influencers, especially micro- and nano-influencers, establishes trust in your company. As they talk and post about your brand to their followers, your Instagram account will organically grow with them.

6. Increase engagement time

One of the most proven method of growing your Instagram organically is to actively engage on your account.

That means taking the time to leave comments on followers’ posts, answering questions and reposting user-generated content.

Creating conversations and small chat groups to connect followers with each other is a part of building up your Instagram community. If you’re able to provide your followers with a deeper connection beyond contests and company announcements, then you’re more likely to gain a loyal following that extends beyond social media.

To put this into action, there are several approaches you can test out, including liking or responding to all types of customer comments and showcasing your brand’s personality and voice through your content strategy.

Increasing your engagements and repeatedly interacting with customers is a long-term strategy that will help grow your account over time. But the relationships built from this are more memorable and stronger than one-off interactions.

Wrap it all up with Instagram growth analytics

There are many methods of growing your Instagram following organically and steadily.

Using these Instagram growth strategies–like creating a wide array of content, and building customer relationships–can produce reliable results that can help you withstand algorithm changes much better than accounts relying on spammy tactics.

As you utilise these strategies, check in on your Instagram analytics to see how your account is growing. If there are large peaks on certain days, see what type of content was posted and how people are engaging with it. This will let you reflect on what tactics worked the best and refine your strategy even further for the future.

Earlier India was one of the most backward countries. No doubt it was rich in resources and rich metals like Gold and diamond and hence was known as ‘Golden Sparrow’.

Since it was not so developed, the society and thinking of people was also backward. Most of the population lived in the remote areas and hence circumference of their development was restricted.

Whenever a society is in the phase of underdevelopment, the section which suffers the most is the women class.

Women in India till today, despite this much development, are suffering and considered as a burden by many.

In the ancient period when Marwari rulers were ruling in some parts of the country, and the Mughals arrived, the Sati system was prevalent in the society. Under the Sati system if a husband dies while fighting a war, or even by natural death, a wife too has to die with her husband. She has no right to live life further. She would sacrifice herself by jumping into the bowl of fire or on his funeral pyre.

After man, woman cannot live, she has to end her life. How can one be brutal towards someone? Sometimes if any of the woman didn’t want to die she was forced by the society to commit suicide.

Women were forced to live in the house to serve the family under purdah. She wasn’t allowed to eat first, or along with the family members.

Today women themselves have adopted this system as their culture. They won’t eat food until their husband does. That time it may be done forcefully, but today they have adapted it.

Women in one or the other way have to suffer a lot, because society has put so many rules and regulations on the women, from which they cannot come out. The system of Indian society is so dominating today even on the literate women.

Earlier child marriage was so normal. Every second girl was married at the age of 10-15 years. It didn’t matter how old the boy was, he may have been a 35 year old man.

Education was not a priority in earlier times. Girls were not sent to school to receive education and hence at the age of 10 they were taught to work at home and then get married.

A time came when the Sati system was abolished from the society, which was a relief for the women section, but still she was never relieved. When a girl after child marriage or a woman becomes a widow, again she was given a life worse than jailer. She was imprisoned in a room with a beam of sunlight. She was offered food separately. She had to live alone. She was neither allowed to meet anyone nor allowed to attend any family function. She wasn’t allowed to marry another man, if she wanted to. The remaining entire life she had to live like she had no existence in the society. This was the system made by the people of the society and everyone forced each other to follow it. What if someone doesn’t follow it who the hell they are to beat, or to implement rules and regulations on anyone? This is what every individual needs to think about. This was the system of the ancient period and slowly the thinking towards widows improved. The system of child marriage was also abolished, but as the history is the evidence that, Indian society cannot leave it’s roots no matter how much it develops and adopts western culture. Now the society has brought a new culture to the market. People don’t do child marriages of their girls. They do child engagement in which at the age of puberty she is booked for a man or a boy. This becomes a symbol that the girl is now eligible for marriage. She is stopped from going to school. She learns the household chores and isn’t allowed to come out of the house until she gets married. After a few years as soon as she is near the legal age of getting married, they get married. Did anything change? No. Despite laws in the Constitution nothing changed. The only difference is they follow the criteria of legal age. The basic rights are still not given. The system continues to be the same. The above mentioned case is in one section of society which I have seen first hand. There can be many other sections which are unknown where girls might be facing worse conditions than this. Whenever a girl is born in the family, the first thought that comes in the mind of the members specially parents is how we will get her married. In India people worship goddesses, but when they come to know the gender of the baby in the womb and if it’s a girl they decides for abortion. The level of hypocrisy is too high. No matter how educated a family is, how much society says that women are equal to men, no matter how many laws and privileges given to a woman, except few parents , all say that we have to get our girl married. They consider their girl as a burden, not everybody but the majority. Parents work, earn and save because they have to get their two girls married. It doesn’t matter how capable the girl is, at the end they just have to get her married. Is marriage the sole purpose of life? I wonder. We are saying that the standard of women has improved. As compared to earlier times, it has improved a lot. But the true development is only when every woman and every section of society enjoys equal rights to that of man, not only in the field of education and basic rights but the equality at ground level, in behavior, in consideration and in preferences. The ancient roots of evil society are very strong in India. We have adapted that evil system as our culture and don’t want to rise above it. We are proud of our culture rather than questioning it. If we don’t follow our culture and do something different, it is said that we are being influenced by the western culture. The roots are too deep and strong. It would need centuries to uproot them. The struggle is so long and hard that not everyone wants to fight.

WHAT IMPORTANT BRAND ATTRIBUTES LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN CUSTOMER LOYALTY?

In today’s world, creating loyalty is a huge deal and that too in the business world to keep up to the loyalty of the customers is one big task.

Customer loyalty and Brand loyalty are closely linked but they are actually 2 different concepts. There’s only a thin line that is in between the two. The major difference between the customer loyalty and brand loyalty is that customer loyalty relies on spending overall power on consumers whereas the latter one is all about customer perception of you. Brand loyal customers will be committed to a brand irrespective of price,

Statistics shows that even your loyal customers are likely to shop around. As per reports 82 % of adults are loyal to their brands, 54 % are reported to be switching their brands and 13 % are reporting that they will not shop around if they are loyal to a particular brand or company.

BRAND ATTRIBUTES THAT DRIVE AN INCREASE IN CUSTOMER LOYALTY:

Now-a-days customers are most savvy than ever before. Therefore the values or attributes that drives an increase in customer loyalty are

• Trust
• Honesty
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Compassion
• Customer service
• Social media
• Discounts and offers and last but not the least
• Nostalgia.

TRUST:

As the quote suggest “To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved”, Trust is the base or rather a foundation to loyalty. The brand has to be trust-worthy in order to win the consumers heart. When a brand earns trust from its consumers it’s when the brand benefits huge. When consumers have enough trust on the brands, they not only purchase stuffs from the brands but also stand up, advocate and defend the brands reputation when needed and in turn show their loyalty towards the brand. Trust has very clear ties to loyalty. Statistics shows that 62 % of consumers stated that they are loyal to the brand they trust.

HONESTY:

When a brand is being built, most brands owners shift their attention towards their product. But it’s not all about it. Honesty is a key trait that attracts most customers but a very few brands keeps an eye on it rather than focusing on money. Being transparent helps you to be honest. Be willing to answer questions and showcase the real side so as to be honest. Willing to accept mistakes is also another trait of being honest but quickly try to change your flaws rather than hiding it. Try sharing testimonials and customer reviews so that new customers get to know that your brand is honest and trustworthy.

RESPECT:

While consumers try to purchase quality and good stuffs they also expect or desire respect from the brands. Reports shows 42 % of consumers don’t have loyalty towards the brands and for the most part, the reason for this is due to the arrogance the brand throws up on their consumers and also the spread of fake news.

RESPONSIBILITY:                                        

As consumer expectations are on another level, it reflects on corporate responsibility. Studies suggest that corporate responsibility increase in consumer’s value. Corporate responsibility has both direct and indirect nature. Corporate responsibility ha a greater value in today’s business and economy and it also supports communities outside financial side of business.

COMPASSION:

The act of compassion can turn a frustrated and angry customer into the brands biggest advocates and defenders. When staffs act compassionate towards customers, it can increase satisfied and happy customers which in turn increases customer’s loyalty. Studies says that 80 % executives feel that they understand the need of the customers but only 15 % of consumers agree to the statement. Only when this condition reverse, the brands will be able to attract more loyal consumers. When being compassionate the brand will be able to connect with and affirm to customers feelings. It helps customers to feel heard about their feelings.

CUSTOMERS SERVICE:

Customer service plays a major factor in customer loyalty and brand upliftment. It’s because the customers decide whether to purchase from the same brand the next time based on how well the customer service is. It’s based on how well the customer is been provided by the product and sold. The main key in customer service is consistency. Not to forget, even after the stuff has been shown it is the customers service responsibility until they choose to decide. Great customer service can improve customer retention and it can repeat business. A good customer service can improve new customers through positive feedbacks and reviews.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Social media in itself plays a vital role in this modern day and adding to it customer service through social media is nothing short. It creates platform for interacting, writings complaints, giving feedback and reviews. Social media store has now become everybody’s cup of tea as it is easy to handle and comes with a lot of advantages. Shopping online has now become a trend than in store shopping and it is pretty good as it serves the purpose in this pandemic time.

DISCOUNTS AND OFFERS:

Still offers and discounts seem to hold a lot of clout among consumers. If the stuff from discount section seems to be valued and are of good quality then the consumers will stay loyal to the brand and it can also increase consumers. Reward card and gift card can also be a part of these offers which in turn attracts consumers. But apart from this loyal customers will be committed to a brand irrespective of price.

NOSTALGIA:

Nostalgia, a powerful human emotion has a potential to influence customers to buy stuffs that they don’t really need but rather it’s a want that urges them to purchase. This can mainly help the brand that sells stuffs from the past or even when a particular customer has some sort of back story to a particular stuff. Well, keeping the customer satisfied and happy is a hard task but it’s absolutely worth it if you want to invest in a brand. It’s the little details that has to be given attention to so as to run a brand that is customer friendly which in turn increases the customer’s loyalty.

INDUCTION COOKTOP:

As the proverb goes “The kitchen is the heart of the home” and so the utensils play an important role in this process.

Kitchen is where ones creativeness flourish. Be it the recipes passed from generation to generation or trying out something new, everything is a creative process that is poured out of love and care. And for this, and equipped kitchen is a must so that the process is not interrupted.

And when ones thinks of equipped kitchen, the one thing that immediately comes to mind in this modern world is induction cooktop as it makes life easy and simple with its advanced features.

WORKING:

It basically works on the principle of electrical induction rather than thermal induction. An induction hob contains copper coil underneath the ceramic plate which helps transfer electrical current to the cooking pot which in turn transforms as heat to the pot.

SAFETY FIRST:

While cooking can be the love for many people but safety is an important thing to keep in mind. Unlike gas stoves that rely on exposed flames induction cook top are safer and there’s no risk involved. There is no release of nitrogen dioxide and particles into the air unlike in gas. They avoid combustion of gas.

ADVANTAGES:

• The foremost reason to have an induction cooktop is that it makes cooking faster. That to in this modern world where cooking is a time consuming process, this makes life easy.
• They are planet friendly. It uses less energy and lower residual heat. Thus lower energy bills.
• They are safer. They use the electromagnetic reaction to heat the contents and not regular burners which makes its much safer.
• They are mess free. Food seldom sticks on it.

1. Glaciers retreaaring
2. Polar caps melting
3. Pemafrost experienceing a thaw
4. Unnaturally high temperaaturesin places like siberia
5. Forest fires
6. requent andd more intenses el-nino and cyclones, tornadoes and sea- storms
7. Loss of biodiversity inpolar areas due to melting of ice caps and
8. floods

Australi and amzon rainforests

Every job in the medical field is as important and as responsible as a doctor. Pharmacists do take a special part in the medical industry who basically undergo a rigorous education, training and take tests before becoming a complete pharmacists. They are typically a health care professional who fills up the prescriptions and educate the customers about it. RPh is the one requirement for the pharmacist’s job.

But what is RPh? – answer paragraph

RPh stands for Registered Pharmacist. It is a degree that is required to gain knowledge to become a pharmacist. RPh is basically a license to practice pharmacy.

RPh title:

RPh is all about practicing in the field of pharmacy. RPh title is a title that’s been awarded to pharmacists when they are been registered by national pharmacy council of one’s country. Also this title is valid and authentic. It is basically an evidence that their name and qualifications are now registered at national level. Also to note that when they hold this title they are not allowed to practice in any other country unless and until the person passes the exam of that country and gets registered as a pharmacist in the particular country. When the person holds this title then that particular person is allowed to practice only in one country.

Why is RPh title necessary?

One gets an RPh degree after a Pharm D degree. Pharm D is not the end in the pharmacy field. Therefore RPh title is essential to increase one’s worth. It is necessary to stabilize one’s Pharm D degree. There are lot of task that cannot be performed by Pharm d degree holders. Therefore it requires an RPh title to perform further operations.

Advantage of having RPh title:

By having an RPh title one can own a pharmacy by the help of license whereas unregistered pharmacists cannot own a pharmacy of his own. They can also apply foe government jobs. You have flexibility in making your own schedule and enjoying it. You have a substantial income on your hand.

Educational path:

To work as RPh it is necessary to complete a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy first which would take 4 years after which one should take an aptitude test for pharmacists based on score in college grades. Then, one can attend a Pharm.D program where one can get an RPh degree. RPh is a plus point for Pharm.D holders.

Duration:

This can take about   to 6 years to complete.

To be licensed to practice as a pharmacist and earn an RPh title, a Pharm.D. Degree is a prerequisite.

After bachelor’s degree of 4 years, one needs to take Pharm.D as a professional degree after which RPh is given as a licence to practice.

Steps involved to earn an RPh:

• Dual degree program:

Earn your bachelor’s degree alongside your doctor’s degree which make take up to six to seven years to complete.

• Doctorate only program:

Those who already have a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or biology can take this course which takes up to three to four years to complete.

• Pass Admissions exams:

One have to take and pass all the admission exams that comprise of topics such as biological processes and quantitative reasoning. Passing scores are decided by individual schools.

• Find an Internship:

One has to complete internship in one’s own state according to state requirements as it may vary from one location to another location.

• Pass Licensing exams:

After the internship process the particular individual has to take two licensing exams ,North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) and either the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) or a state equivalent.

• Register to practice:

Register to practice and earn your license according to your state guidelines as it may vary state to state.

Job opportunities:

Registered pharmacists work in

• Research labs.
• Clinics.
• Government and military facilities.
• Hospital and retail pharmacies.

Apart from these they can apply for government jobs like drug inspectors.

Job outlooks:

When it comes to pharmacist’s job, it is expected that there wouldn’t be a huge change happening up to 2028. Although demands are expectedly increasing that too in this pandemic period, they are projected to decline to about 3 % within 2029. However they are projected to increase in some health care. They are expected to have a great role in pharmacy operations rather than in drug stores.

What do they do?

They primarily focus on safety and effective use of medications. They administer vaccines. They have enduring compatibility with patients and try to do the level best for them. They are the ones who inform customers about the medicines. Dealing with lives is not an easy task, in that case medical industry insurance is a must. Pharmacists have the responsibility to work with insurance agencies and make sure that all the medicines the safe. Besides all these they also work and conduct pharmacy technicians. They check the prescriptions to avoid any allergies and negative effects. They also consult patients and by that ther aim to achieve

• Maximum benefit for medications.
• Educate the patients about the need for storing and using drugs.
• Minimize the side effects.

They are also well versed in conducting screenings.

Why to choose RPh as a career?

Being a pharmacist is equal to being a doctor and saving lives. They have powerful impact on patience medication and play an important role in positive health outcome of the patient. Also to note that they have a career that is stabile all the time and it’s also flexible. It also pays a way for a good and handful earning. It has a brighter further that too in US where American are living longer and population of patients increasing with age, there is a high demand for pharmacy services. With the degree of pharmacy and RPh one can start their own business and establish one’s own career and one can be their own boss without the need for working under someone. It is to be noted that they have a high growth potential that too where medications like biosimilars are becoming a huge part of pharmaceutical industry and they are highly flourishing as the demand increases.

Salaries:

RPh salary usually varies somewhere between as low as $54,072 and as high as $118,956. According to the percentile RPh salaries vary.

According to statistics in US a 10 percentile RPh salary is $124,417.

25 percentile RPh salary is $131,701.

50 percentile RPh salary is $139,701.

75 percentile RPh salary is $148,801.                                 

90 percentile RPh salary is $157,086 as per June 28, 2021.

Also to note the average salary for certified technician is $15 per hour and $35,000 per year whereas it is $57 per hour and $110,000 per year for a pharmacists who holds an RPh title.

Designations:

As it is clear that only after Pharma D degree one can earn an RPh title. Therefore the designations used by the pharmacists can either be simply PharmD or simply RPh or both. It solely depends on the person or the pharmacist’s preference.

Example:  

• Helen, RPh.
• Sandy, PharmaD.
• Milan, PharmaD, RPh.

Conclusion:

As there are more than enough things said up it, to sum up RPh is all about practicing while having a license in hand. It gives the student the knowledge base for becoming a pharmacist. RPh is more worthy and gives value to the Pharm.D degree and it will also open the door for new opportunities in hospital as well as clinical pharmacy. It also pays ways for switching career in another country by registering there. Therefore this makes the RPh title legal and more valuable.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ):

1. What does RPh stand for/mean?

The term RPh stands for registered pharmacist which is basically a license given to the pharamcy degree holder you practice pharmacy.

• Are pharm.D and RPh same?

No, Pharma D stand for doctor of pharmacy whereas RPh is registered pharmacist. Is it worth to note that Pharma D is a professional degree whereas RPh is a license to practice pharmacy and is not a degree.

     3. How much money does an RPh make?

An RPh salary usually vary between as low as $54,072 and as high as $118,956. Majority of the time the salaries ate based and percentile and it may vary accordingly.

4. Is RPh a doctor?

They are medical professionals who undergo various training to earn the doctor of pharmacy degree after which RPh is an additional license to practice pharmacy.

• Can RPh use “Dr” before their name?

Though there are a lot of ongoing debate about the use of “Dr” in front of the name by a pharmacist and after several judgements it is said that a Pharma D holder can use the term “Dr” before their name as Pharma D refers to doctor of pharamacy.

• How long does it take to hold an RPh degree in US?

It requires at least a two year pre professional course or an undergraduate course which is followed by a four year academic or a professional course.

• What qualifications are needed for an RPh?

To qualify as an RPh one needs a doctor of pharmacy degree also called Pharma D which is a professional degree after which the individual has to pass national as well as state board exams to get the license to practice pharmacy.

The Art of Articulation is not something one is born with,rather it is something one learns with self practice.

Aren’t we often puzzled by hundreds of thoughts crossing our mind all at once!When required or asked about them we can hardly put one thought is a proper sentence.

Why does this happen?Why are not able to put across our exact feelings and thoughts to the people around?

Lets break the code:-