The Government has established National Testing Agency (NTA) as an autonomous and self-sustained premier testing organization to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational institutions in the Country. NTA has conducted major competitive exams in the following scheduled languages:
NEET (UG) 2021 in Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Tamil ,Telugu, Urdu & Punjabi;
JEE (Main) 2021 in Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Hindi, and Gujarati;
All India Sainik School Entrance Examination (AISSEE) 2021 for Class VI in Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Tamil, Punjabi, Telugu & Urdu.
It has also been decided to conduct Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for Central Universities in the above mentioned scheduled languages.
The translation of the Question Papers in NEET (UG) had been done properly, from source to target and target to source, in 12 scheduled languages.
A teacher’s fest ‘ShikshakParv’ was organized from8thto 25thSeptember 2020for discussing various recommendations of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and its implementation strategies. This year also ShikshakParv was organized from 5thto 17thSeptember, 2021 through virtual mode. Policy makers, administrators, academicians, experts, school principals, head-teachers and teachers participated in the ShikshakParv to share their experiences, learnings and discuss the way forward to realise the aspirations of NEP-2020.
In addition, the National Mission to improve learning outcomes at the Elementary level through an Integrated Teacher Training Programme called NISHTHA – National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement was launched by the Department of School Education and Literacy.The teacher training modules of NISHTHA have been aligned with the recommendations of NEP 2020.
Further, an online consultation process to invite suggestions from teachers to implement NEP 2020 was initiated at http://www.MyGov.in portal. Around 15 lakh suggestions were received from teachers which were forwarded to NCERT, CBSE and States/UTs.
The Government of India has launched the World Class Institutions Scheme in the year 2017 to enable ten institutions each from the public and private category to have world class academic & research facilities and grant them the status of Institution of Eminence (IoE). So far, notifications have been issued for eleven institutions (08 public & 03 private). Significant amount of autonomy in academic, administrative & financial matters has been provided under the regulatory framework to these institutions so that they can emerge as global educational institutions. Financialassistance of uptoRs. 1000 Crore (over a period of five years) is provided by the Government to each of public Institutions of Eminence.
DIKSHA is the platform for providing quality e-content for school education in States/UTs and QR coded Energized Textbooks for all grades(one nation, one digital platform). DIKSHA complies with World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 level AA. This enables people with visual impairments to access the website using assistive technologies, such as screen readers.
Special e-content for visually and hearing impaired developed on Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY) and in sign language on NIOS website/ YouTube. In all 767 textbook based ISL videos have been recorded. Out of these 510 textbook based on ISL videos are uploaded on DIKSHA. The 10,000 word ISL dictionary has been uploaded on DIKSHA. 3,142 audio books chapters are also uploaded on DIKSHA.
The determination of our new generation, spirit of enterprise & innovation and strength of educational institutions has resulted in India achieving many remarkable feats in the 21st century, including administering more than 130 crore COVID jabs, said Union Education and Skill Development Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan at the 67th Convocation of IIT Kharagpur.
Shri Pradhan said as we celebrate Amrit Mahotsav, he feel privileged to be at the temple of learning, a place where many of our freedom fighters, including the great Jayee Rajguru fought for freedom. IIT Kharagpur has shaped the national discourse and contributed to India’s growth since inception, he added.
The Minister stated that there are more than 50 crore children between the age of 3 and 23 and there is an enormous opportunity in equipping this population with the right education & skills. Critical mindset, qualitative workforce will help India to drive the global economy in the 21st century,he added.
Shri Pradhan expressed that low-cost innovative alternative energy models, innovation in specialised areas of semiconductor chip manufacturing will not only lead to economic empowerment and job creation, it will also lead to Purvodaya and a self-reliant India. He further said that life is unimaginable without ‘Energy & Internet’, a fact further accentuated in the present times. By 2035 India will be the number one energy consumer. India’s climate leadership has resulted in our country having the most conducive alternate energy business climate, he added.
Reiterating Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s call for innovation during the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Dham, the Minister encouraged the students to ‘Innovate to empower the marginalised’ and to ensure developmental strides in every sphere.
The Minister expressed his confidence that IIT Kharagpur will be the epicentre in adding momentum to the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and in placing India at the top of the emerging new world order. The intellectual prowess and excellence of students here will make them pioneers of new thought leadership.He extended his best wishes to the students who have graduated today and all the students & distinguished alumni who have received medals and awards.
NEP has Chapter 23 on TECHNOLOGY USE AND INTEGRATION and Chapter 24 on ONLINE AND DIGITAL EDUCATION, where details of all policy initiatives and action points are given.
The blueprint for National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR) has been launched on 29th July, 2021 by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, with a vision to meet the challenges of the Indian education system, find evolvable solutions for these challenges and create an open, interoperable, evolvable, public digital infrastructure in the education sector that can be used by multiple platforms and point solutions. It provides foradiverse education eco-system architecture for the development of digital infrastructure, a federated but inter operable system that ensures autonomy of all stakeholders, including learners, teachers, administrators including School Boards, Autonomous Organizations, specially States and UTs.
An Integrated Teacher Training Programme called NISHTHA has been launched, it is a capacity building programme for “Improving Quality of School Education through Integrated Teacher Training“.NISHTHA can be accessed from the below link:https://itpd.ncert.gov.in//
The government has launched a campaign namely Kalam Program for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness Campaign (KAPILA) on 15thOctober, 2020 to increase awareness regarding protection and exploitation of Intellectual Property (IP) and also to provide funding support in order to promote filing of the Intellectual Property (IP)in Higher Education Institutions. A KAPILA portal has also been launched for this purpose.
Under the initiative, activities like IP Clinic, Case Studies/ Articles regarding Innovation and Intellectual Property and online awareness programs and National Intellectual Property Literacy Week (NIPLW) have been conducted. More than 46,000 users have registered for KAPILA awareness programs.
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, mandates the appropriate Government to provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child of the age 6 to 14 years in a neighbourhood school.
In pursuance of Section 6 of the Act, the States which are the appropriate Government for schools falling under their jurisdiction, have notified area or limits of their neighbourhood norms in their state RTE Rules, factoring in their State specific condition, for opening of schools.
As reported by States/UTs in their respective Annual Work Plan and Budget, 2021-22, 97.49% and 97.01% of habitations in the country are covered by primary schools and upper primary schools respectively. The habitations that remain uncovered are mostly small or sparsely populated in difficult areas where opening of school is not feasible for which there is a provision of giving transport and escort facility and opening of residential schools and hostels.
Under the centrally sponsored scheme- Samagra Shiksha, financial assistance is provided to States and UTs for undertaking various activities to reduce number of Out of School Children (OoSC) including opening/strengthening of new schools upto senior secondary level, construction of school buildings & additional classrooms, setting up, up-gradation and running of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, setting up and running of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas, provision of free uniforms, free text books to the eligible students at elementary level, transport allowance and undertaking enrolment & retention drives. Further, special training for age appropriate admission of out of school children and residential as well as non-residential training for older children, seasonal hostels / residential camps, special training centres at worksites, are also supported to bring out of school children to the formal schooling system. Further, under the student oriented component for the children with special needs, financial assistance is provided for identification and assessment of children with special needs, aids and appliances, braille kits and books, appropriate teaching learning material and stipend to girl students with disability etc.
Also, under ‘Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman’ (PM POSHAN) one hot cooked meal in Government and Government aided schools is provided to students at the elementary level of education. Also, Section 10 of the RTE Act states that it shall be the duty of every parent or guardian to admit or cause to be admitted his or her child or ward, as the case may be, for elementary education in the neighbourhood school.
Under Samagra Shiksha, for the first time in 2021-22, financial assistance upto Rs. 2000 per annum per child has been provided for supporting Out of School Children of age group of 16-19 years, belonging to socio economically disadvantaged groups, for completing their education through NIOS/SIOS, for accessing course materials and certification. Also, under National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme, scholarship is awarded to meritorious students of economically weaker sections to arrest their drop out at class VIII and encourage them to continue the study at secondary stage.
The information was given by the Minister of State for Education, Smt. Annpurna Devi in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
The Government of India launchedSamagra Shiksha– an Integrated Scheme for school education, w.e.f. 2018-19, as an overarching programme for the school education sector extending from pre-school to class XII, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of school education, across the country including the rural areas. The scheme provides support to States and UTs for strengthening of infrastructure in schools, universal access, bringing gender equality, promoting inclusive education, quality of education, financial support for teachers’ salary, digital initiatives, implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, provision of free uniforms and textbooks, pre-school education, vocational education, sports and physical education, setting up and running of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and strengthening of teacher education institutions. Under Samagra Shiksha, an estimate ofRs.1173.37 crore has been approved for various interventions in Punjab during 2021-22.
Under PM POSHAN Scheme, noon meal is provided to students at the elementary level to enhance enrolment, retention and attendance and simultaneously improve their nutritional levels.
Under National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme scholarship is awarded to meritorious students of economically weaker sections of classes IX-XII to prevent their dropout and encourage them to continue to study at the secondary stage.
Further, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) are set up with the objective of providing good quality modern education to the talented children predominantly from rural areas. Around 75% seats are filled by the candidates selected from rural areas.
The information was given by the Minister of State for Education, Smt. Annpurna Devi in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
Given the pervasive impact of technology in education, many ed-tech companies have started offering courses, tutorials, coaching for competitive exams, etc. in an online mode. In this background, the parents, students and all stakeholders in school education have to be careful while deciding on opting for online content and coaching being offered by a host of Ed-tech companies. The decision has to be well considered with several Do’s and Don’ts. Most importantly, the offer of free services that are promised by some companies has to be carefully evaluated. It has come to the notice of the Department of School Education and Literacy that some ed-tech companies are luring parents in the garb of offering free services and getting the Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) mandate signed or activating the Auto-debit feature, especially targeting the vulnerable families.
Following are some do’s and don’ts which the stakeholders of the education ecosystem may follow:
Do’s
Avoid Automatic debit option for payment of subscription fee: Some ed-tech companies may offer the Free-Premium business model where a lot of their services might seem to be free at first glance but to gain continuous learning access, students have to opt for a paid subscription. Activation of auto-debit may result in a child accessing the paid features without realizing that he/she is no longer accessing the free services offered by the ed-tech company.
Do read the terms and conditions before acknowledging the acceptance of learning software/device as your IP address and/or personal data may be tracked.
Ask for a tax invoice statement for the purchase of educational devices loaded with contents/app purchase/Pendrive learning.
Do a detailed background check of the ed-tech company that you want to subscribe to.
Do verify the quality of the content provided by the ed-tech companies and make sure that it is in line with the syllabus and your scope of study and is easily comprehensible by your child.
Do clarify all your doubts/questions regarding the payment and content before investing any amount for your child’s learning in any ed-tech company.
Activate parental controls and safety features on the device or in the app or browser as it helps restrict access to certain content and limit spending on app purchases.
Help your child understand that some features in education apps are used to encourage more spending. Talk to them about possible marketing strategies used by Ed-tech companies and the consequences.
Look for student/parent reviews online on the ed-tech company for any registered grievance and marketing gimmicks. Also, provide your suggestions and reviews which may be beneficial for others.
Record the evidence of spam calls/ /forced signup for any education packages without complete consent for filing a grievance.
Do not blindly trust the advertisements of the ed-tech companies.
Do not sign up for any loans of which you are not aware.
Do not install any mobile ed-tech applications without verifying the authenticity.
Avoid credit/debit cards registration on apps for subscriptions. Place an upper limit on expenditure per transaction.
Avoid adding your data like emails, contact numbers, card details, addresses etc. online as the data may be sold or used for later scam attacks.
Do not share any personal videos and photos. Use caution against turning on the video feature or getting on video calls on an unverified platform. Keep your child’s safety at the utmost priority.
Do not subscribe to unverified courses because of their false promises.
Do not trust the “Success stories” shared by the ed-tech companies without proper check as they might be a trap to gather more audience.
Do not allow purchases without parental consent. To avoid in-app purchases; OTP based payment methods may be adopted as per RBI’s guidelines.
Do not share your bank account details and OTP number with any marketing personnel. Beware of cyber fraudulent.
Do not click on links or open any attachments or pop-up screens from sources you are not familiar with.
The legal provisions for e-commerce firms are being reiterated here for information to citizens who are consumers of EDTECH services.
E-commerce Regulations & Redressal System:
Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 were notified by the MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (Department of Consumer Affairs) vide NOTIFICATION New Delhi, dated 23rd July, 2020
At present, Ed-tech companies have seen rapid growth thereby increasing the number of students/teachers subscribing to their learning platform. The increasing number also means that platforms must be careful about the claims made regarding the services offered. It is very much evident that the Ed-tech companies which may be considered e-commerce entities have to comply with the Rules to prevent any untoward liability in the future and need to establish a dedicated mechanism in place to check for compliance with the law.
No e-commerce entity shall adopt any unfair trade (marketing) practice, whether in the course of business on its platform or otherwise.
No e-commerce company shall falsely represent itself as a subscriber and post reviews about its products or misrepresent the quality or the features of any educational content and its learning tools.
Every e-commerce entity shall endeavour on a best effort basis to become a partner in the convergence process of the National Consumer Helpline of the Central Government.
All Ed-tech companies are supposed to have a grievance officer and the name and contact numbers, and designation of the grievance officer who must be resident in India, to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Act or the rules made thereunder for grievance redressal or for reporting any other matter; to be displayed on the platform or website and ensure that the grievance officer acknowledges the receipt of any consumer complaint within forty-eight hours and redresses the complaint within one month from the date of receipt of the complaint.
No e-commerce entity shall manipulate the price of the products/courses offered on its platform in such a manner as to gain unreasonable profit by imposing on consumers any unjustified price having regard to the prevailing market conditions, the essential nature of the course, any extraordinary circumstances under which the course is offered, and any other relevant consideration in determining whether the price charged is justified; and discriminate between subscribers of the same class or make any arbitrary classification collecting their personal data/breaching privacy through unfair means affecting their rights under the Act.
Every e-commerce entity shall only record the consent of a consumer for the educational product offered on its platform where such consent is expressed through an explicit and affirmative action, and no such entity shall record such consent automatically, including in the form of pre-ticked checkboxes.
Every e-commerce entity shall effect all payments towards accepted refund requests of the consumers as prescribed by the Reserve Bank of India or any other competent authority under any law for the time being in force, within a reasonable period, or as prescribed under applicable laws.
Further to complying with the general rules of ASCI’s Code for Self-Regulation in advertising, the advertisements of Educational Institutions including the Ed-tech companies and Programs shall comply with the following guidelines:
The advertisement shall not state or lead the public to believe that an institution or course or program is official, recognized, authorized, accredited, approved, registered, affiliated, endorsed or has a legally defined situation unless the advertiser can substantiate with evidence.
(a) An advertisement offering a Degree or Diploma or Certificate which by law requires to be recognized or approved by an Authority shall have the name of that Authority specified for that particular field.
(b) In case the advertised Institution or Program is not recognized or approved by any mandatory Authority but is affiliated to another Institution, which is approved or recognized by a mandatory Authority, then the full name and location of the said Affiliating Institution shall also be stated in the advertisement.
(c) The name of the Affiliating Institution, as indicated in 2(b), shall not be less than 50% of the font size as that of the advertised Institution or Program in visual media such as print, internet, hoarding, leaflet, prospectus etc., including television. In audio media such as radio or TV the name of the Affiliating institution (if applicable), must be stated.
The advertisement shall not state or lead the public to believe that enrolment in the institution or program or preparation course or coaching classes will provide the student with a temporary or permanent job, admissions to institutions, job promotions, salary increase etc. unless the advertiser can submit substantiation to such claim. In addition, the advertisement must carry a disclaimer stating ‘past record is no guarantee of future job prospects.’ The font size of the disclaimer should not be less than the size of the claim being made in the advertisements.
(a) Advertisement shall not make claims regarding extent of the passing batch placed, the highest or average compensation of the students placed, enrolment of students, admissions of students to renowned educational institutes, marks and ranking of students passed out, testimonial of topper students, institution’s or its program’s competitive ranking, size and qualification of its faculty, affiliation with a foreign institution, Institute’s infrastructure, etc. unless they are of the latest completed academic year and substantiated with evidence.
(b) Advertisement stating competitive rank of the institution or its program shall also provide full name and date of the publication or medium which released the rankings.
(c) Visual infrastructure of the Institution shown in the advertisement shall be real and exist at the time of the advertisement’s release.
(d) Testimonial of toppers in an advertisement shall be from students who have participated in the testimony program, exams or subject only from the advertising institute.
(e) An advertisement stating the number of passing out students placed for jobs shall also state the total number of students passing out from the placed class.
Government initiatives that may also be explored before the purchase of content:
Free e-learning contents/textbooks/digital labs/ for all classes have been made available online ensuring quality and access for all by the Ministry of Education, its autonomous organisations, and all States/UTs which may be effectively used for learning and can be accessed here (but not limited to).
National Book Trust, India, under Ministry of Education, today announced the results of the All-India Contest organized on the Theme ‘National Movement of India’ under the PM-YUVA Mentorship Scheme as part ofAzadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav programmes. As per the Scheme, 75 Authors were to be selected through this contest for a Scholarship-cum-Mentorship Scheme for the young authors below the age of 30 years.
The All-India Contest was organized from 1st June-31st July 2021 through MyGov and National Book Trust, India platforms. Nearly 16000 entries in 22 Official languages and English were received from all across the country including some from Indian Diaspora Community. All the book proposals were read by multiple panels of experts and went through three layers of scrutiny.
It may be recalled that during his Mann Ki Baat address dated 31st January 2021, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had stated: “I call upon our young friends to write about our freedom fighters, events associated with them & tales of valour during freedom struggle from their areas.” Thereafter the PM-YUVA Mentorship Scheme for young authors was launched by the Ministry of Education, Government of India with National Book Trust, India as the Implementing Agency.
Out of the 75 selected authors, 38 are males and 37 are females. Further, two are below 15 years, whereas there are 16 authors in the age-group of 15-20 years, 32 fall in the age group of 21-25 years and 25 authors are in the age group of 26-30 years.
The selected authors will undergo six-months of Mentorship in which they would be provided research and editorial support under the guidance of eminent authors and the Editorial Team of National Book Trust, India to develop their book proposals as full-fledged books to be published by the Trust as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav initiatives. Their published books will be later translated into other Indian languages as well.
During mentorship, the selected authors will receive a scholarship of ₹50,000 per month for a period of six months. Further, a royalty of 10% will be payable to the authors on successful publications of their books.
Engineering education in local languages and mother tongue to be an instrument of empowerment, said Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan at the valedictory session of the 36th India Engineering Congress (IEI) here today.
Speaking on the occasion Shri Pradhan said that India has been a land of people with scientific temper & robust engineering capabilities and our civilisational history has scientific evidences of structural engineering, water management, maritime engineering, etc. He complimented IEI for furthering India’s engineering traditions and role of IEI in building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
The Minister stated that with the implementation of the visionary NEP 2020, we are integrating education with skills, taking a multidisciplinary approach and making skilling and apprenticeship a part of the main curriculum to prepare our youth for the 21st century.He further said that introduction of engineering education in local languages and mother tongue in line with the New Education Policy 2020 to be an instrument of empowerment of our youth and will further strengthen our engineering prowess.
Shri Pradhan stressed that Engineering education should not be restricted to awarding of degrees. We must collectively work towards removing language barriers in the learning process and building capacity of our engineering community.
He urged that IEI must endeavour in further strengthening India’s engineering capacity by innovating, knowledge sharing by its members and creating new paradigms of employability & entrepreneurship.
Atal Rankings of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2021 will be virtually announced by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Subhas Sarkar on 29th December 2021.
ARIIA is a very unique joint initiative of Ministry of Education and AICTE to systematically rank higher educational institutions in India on indicators related to Innovation, Startup and Entrepreneurship Development amongst students and faculty. ARIIA critically evaluate institutions on parameters like patent filing and granted, number of registered students and faculty startups, fund generation by incubated startups, specialised infrastructure created by institutions to promote innovation and entrepreneurship, etc.
Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE, highlighted said that India is constantly improving on Global Innovation Index (GII) ranking and has now moved upward to 46th position in 2021 from 81st in 2015. We have also emerged as world’s third largest startup hub but still we have huge scope for improvement, he added. He further said thatt AICTE firmly believes that in coming years, our technical institutes will become fountainhead of next generation technology driven start-ups if we can create a vibrant Innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem. ARIIA ranking is a major attempt in that direction.
Dr. Abhay Jere, Chief Innovation Officer of Ministry of Education said that the first edition of the ARIIA was launched in 2018 and it has given huge impetus for developing innovation ecosystem in our HEIs. He added that ARIIA-2021, has seen unprecedented participation as compared to earlier editions. This year 1438 institutions (including all IITs, NITs, IISc, etc.) participated as compared 674 HEIs during the 2nd edition of ARIIA (ARIIA-2020) last year. This is more than double as compared to 2nd edition and approximately 4 times as compared to the first edition.
ARIIA-2021 ranks will be announced in 9 separate categories which includes Centrally funded technical institutions (eg IITs, NITs, etc), State Universities, State standalone Technical colleges, Private universities, Private standalone technical colleges, non-technical government and private universities and institutions.
If you are bored or tired what is the first thing you would do? The most common answer would be that you would do will be to plug your headphone or earphones in and put on a music playlist you love the most. Music over the years has grown with the human population. Music is no more just sounds and words. It has now rather become a means of storytelling, getting our feelings, emotions, and thoughts out. It has now become a means of sharing and connecting with people all over the world. The present times have shown that language, race, color, region, or anything else that divides us is never coming in the way of music. Music has not only made us connect to other people but also has made us connect to ourselves. Music now has become something beyond entertainment and more about cultures, ethnicity, and so many other things coming together. A quote by Henry Wordsworth Longfellow suits this beautifully when he says and quotes “Music is the universal language of mankind.” These words come from a time very long ago but are still presently true to every nature.
Evolution of music
Let us go back to the time when we all used to take the big rectangular box around and wait anxiously and pray that our favorite song plays while we were keeping the radio on. Those were the times when we barely had a few channels on the radio and the most fun part would be shifting from one to another and always managing to learn something new. I am sure all of you right now are just thinking and smiling all the cherished times of listening to music on the radio and enjoying and having fun with friends, families, cousins, and relatives.
After this came a time of those small cassettes that we have preserved until even today and keep smiling every time you look at it. The multi-tasking of the wooden pencil to write and to fix the long black transparent tape of the cassette is something we all are never going to forget. Radios evolved and now that place to play these cassettes at home or when traveling so every child in their bag would have their favorite cassette safely kept in their cute little travel bags so that they could hear their music when going out.
Later came the beautiful, shiny, and circular CDs whose magic is still alive to the present day. During those times, CD albums became a huge hit in the music industry. It only became a means of business and commercialization but also played a huge impact on the global population. Though the CD was all about handling it more carefully than the cassette, the sound quality in the CDs had its own evolutionary impact. The cassette and the CDs both went hand in hand for so many years. We all remember the time our cars and our houses piled up with CD pouches.
During these, same times how many of you remember putting on 9XM or MTV music channels on your TV and watching the music videos as small children. The colors, the dresses, the actors, singers, background everything that we saw on the screen was like a dream come true. These TV channels introduced us to so many new languages and our dressing sense was because of the most recent music video we had watched. These music videos brought a connection between the people and things on the screen to the people watching them. The best part is we can still relive these moments because these channels are still available on our TVs. Therefore, the next time we get bored we can just go back to these legendary and new music channels and treat ourselves again.
The most iconic evolution of music that brought all the people in the world together united and connected was the combination of the internet and music. All-time famous YouTube stands as the proof. We found the music of regional languages, international languages, and universal languages all under one roof or say one site. The internet through various sites and torrents also made it possible for us to download this amazing music into our desktops that ruled over the human world. People could do so much more than just watch or listen to their favorite music. The combination of music and internet was a sensation, is a sensation, and will always be the sensation.
The most recent and the present music is all on various music apps like Spotify, Gaana, Apple Music, and so many more apps that now play store has dedicated a section for it. Music now is available on various devices such as phones, laptops, internet, radio, cassette, CDs. The most premium time of music is now. Music has so many divisions, categories, genres, not just to one or two things but also regionally, nationally, and internationally as well.
As time will, pass and things will get more progressive and ahead then so will music. Music moves with people. There is so much for music to offer and we as human beings are slowly learning to unfold it.
Music in the present times
Music in the present time is no longer just about fun and time pass. It has become much more than that. Music now is coming into use for making a change, bringing about awareness, standing up for oneself and the society, fighting the evils of the society that is holding us back towards positivity, and so much more. Music is now even in use for reducing anxiety, stress, and bringing about more calmness and positivity. Remember the time when our parents used to say that one could not work properly with the music well that is no longer a problem. Music now helps us to focus, concentrate, and even study for longer hours without any distraction. Music is for every single person. There is no age barrier to it. It is for every age group one can think of whether the group consists of people in their 80s or 20s. During the pandemic, music is playing such an important role in bringing about consistency, positivity, and brightness into people’s lives. It is music that is keeping us connected and alive during these tough times when we cannot even go out of our houses. Nothing was normal and music was one of them. We all remember the virtual disco parties, social distancing parties and so many more changes and evolutions happening with music to adjust and connect with people even when people could not be physically present around each other.
To conclude with a rightful quote of Beethoven and it goes as “Music has the power to change the world”.
The Taj Mahal is not merely an architectural marvel. Moreover, it also portrays an emperor’s heartfelt passion for the memories of his beloved, embodied in living stone. The grand mausoleum was built between 1631 and 1648 under the orders of the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. This architectural wonder, one of UNESCO’S World Heritage Sites, is situated on the right bank of the Yamuna River in the Agra District of Uttar Pradesh. It is surrounded by expansive Mughal gardens, and occupies an area of almost 17 hectares of land. The Taj Mahal is perhaps the finest example of Indo-Islamic Architecture, and is world renowned for its aesthetic appeal and architectonic beauty. The structure of the Taj Mahal comprises a complex complementary interplay of domes and arches, concave and convex surfaces, solids and voids, and light and shadow. Externally, the lush green gardens, brick red pathway, and the azure canopy garland the pristinely shimmering whiteness of the Taj Mahal, augmenting its halo to a divine level.
HISTORY
About 20,000 workers, including architects, masons, horticulture planners, artists, and carvers, each excelling in their respective fields of work, were employed by the Emperor Shah Jahan in building the Taj Mahal. The cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, lie side by side. The cenotaphs are richly decorated with inlay work and a marble lattice framework, which exhibit the expert workmanship and skill of the craftsmen who put their best into this historical monument. The cenotaphs are primarily for ornamental purposes, as the real graves lie in the crypt at a level lower than them. Decorations with inlaid semiprecious stones, the life-like bas reliefs, calligraphical representations of Koranic verses on the walls, the arch and dome profile of the marble building, and the perfect architectural symmetry of the entire monument are all listed among the features that make the Taj Mahal one of the most unique examples of architectural genius in the history of mankind. The Taj Mahal truly has earned its position among the greatest man-made wonders of our world.
Uniqueness
The Taj Mahal is located in the heart of the busy and densely populated historical city of Agra. Agra lies at one corner of the famous Golden Triangle of tourist destinations in India, which includes Jaipur and Delhi as its other two points. Besides the Taj, Agra has a lot more to offer to its visitors. The city also hosts two other UNESCO World Heritage Sites, namely the breathtaking Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, as well a number of other historical sites. Visitors to the Taj Mahal can enjoy an enriching and unique experience when they visit this destination, both historically and culturally. Shopping is a popular activity among the tourists to Taj Mahal, as the streets leading to this picturesque monument are dotted with souvenir shops selling vibrant and unique north Indian handicrafts, jewelry, sarees, and other items. One must also not forget to try out the delectable local cuisine of the area, especially the Mughlai dishes and north indian sweets
THREATS
Taj Mahal, being one of India’s greatest prides, is afforded great precaution. Especially stringent protective measures were taken during World War II and the India-Pakistan wars in 1965 and 1971 by enclosing the building in scaffolding to protect it against the potential attacks of rival forces. Currently, however, even greater threats to this picturesque monument arise from environmental pollution. The effects of acid rain, caused by emissions from nearby factories, threaten to damage the marble of the building, yellowing it in the process. Recently, the Indian government set up the Taj Trapezium Zone to limit air pollution in the area in and around the Taj Mahal. The decline in the water levels of the Yamuna River also spells bad news for this historical monument, as the lack of moisture has led to the development of cracks and crevices in many parts of the building. The danger persists to this date, and protective measures are continuously being undertaken to improve the structural integrity of this marvellous building. Tourist footfall to the Taj Mahal has also declined in the recent years due to a rise in criminal activities in the area, and the constant hassles faced by the tourists at the hands of touts and hawkers in the streets are real concerns as well. It is thus important that tourists to the Taj Mahal remain cautious and aware of their surroundings, and avoid falling into local sellers’ traps of any kind.
TOURISM
The Taj Mahal has attracted millions of tourists for many years, due to its enchanting beauty and intriguing historical significance. According to recent statistics, about 6.9 million tourists visited this World Heritage Site in 2014 alone. The Taj Mahal is easily accessible via a variety of conveyance services, such as buses, trains, and cars. Air service to nearby Agra is limited, but tourists usually arrive at the Delhi airport in India and then travel to Agra by road or rail. Most travel itineraries of northern India include Taj Mahal on their listed agenda items, and numerous tour operators offer visitors attractive packages to this historical monument. The best time to visit the Taj Mahal is during the months stretching from October through March.
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