Corruption in India

By – Supriya

While India is at the threshold of becoming superpower , the rising GDP and the process of the country is getting eaten by the corrupt leeches of the country. Today , the common man is not only shocked but disgusted at the series of scams unfolding everyday – 2G Spectrum Scam , Common wealth Games Scam- the list is shamefully endless. An average Indian citizen is hard working and diligent, but a multi – thousand crore scam fumes a tax – payer as he feels heartbroken and cheated for his valued contribution of funds towards the development and well- being of the nation.

Political and bureaucratic corruption in India is the cause of major concern today. From brides to political maneuvering to misuse of authority to scandals – the average Indian daily finds himself struggling in the cobweb of political graft. The in – charge of the system, the so – called sarkari Babus, with whom the power lays, are spreading the venom of corruption , and abusing their political power at all levels. The 2G scandal scam worth ₹1.76 – lakh crore tops the list. At the heart of this scam is the former Telecom minister A Raja who evaded norms at every level as he dubiously, issued 2G licences to private telecom players in 2008 at throwaway prices of 2001. While issuing licences, rules and procedures were flouted for bribes and personal gains.

Another major scandal hit India when the great sporting bonanza, Commonwealth Games 2010, was rather turned into a playfield of frauds, deceit and unaccountability. The chief of the Games Organizing Committee, Suresh Kalmadi , is charged with corruption for discrepancies in tenders – like payment to non – existent parties, willful delays in execution of contracts, over-inflated price and bungling in purchase of equipment. Misappropriation of funds soaked this grand event in ₹8000 crore corruption scandal. After the 2G spectrum and Commonwealth Games, another massive ₹ 35000 crore Food – Grain scam to light in Uttar Pradesh , as huge stock of food grain meant for distribution under the Antyodaya , Annapurna and Mid – Day Meal schemes was smuggled outside the state and even to other neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal . It is believed that top officials of the state as well as the central government colluded to divert the food grain between 2001 and 2007. ‘ Chara Ghotala’, as it is popularly known in the vernacular language , Fodder Scam is another major scam that puts a big question mark on the integrity and honesty of our politicians. The scandal worth ₹900 crore involved fabrication of vast herds of fictitious livestock for which fodder, medicine and animal husbandry equipment was supposedly procured. The scandal is another example of misuse of authority for personal gratification and fulfillment of selfish motives. While the Indian politics is already replete with scandals like Bofors scam, Urea scam and Hawala scandal , a new blot of a bigger magnitude emerges every day. The existing cases are pending and large number of cases pile up with every passing day.
Fed up with such inadequacies , the people of India have taken initiative to bring change through the Jan Lokpal Bill. Under the leadership of Anna Hazare , an anti – Corruption crusader, who began a fast – unto – death , the mass movement of people saw an expression of their collective anger against corruption and their willingness to see the enactment of the Jan Lokpal Bill. The bill seeks for the appointment of a Jan Lokpal , an independent body, which would investigate corruption cases, complete the investigation within a year and envisage trial in the next one year. This would ensure expeditious trial and cases against corrupt people will not linger on for years. The bill also proposes to confiscate the property and recover the loss that a corrupt person caused to the country, at the time of conviction . Most importantly, it would help a common citizen as financial penalty on guilty officers would be imposed if work of any citizen is not done in prescribed time in any government office. The Jan Lokpal Bill is a step forward in the forward in the fight against corruption . This effective mechanism aims to bring transparency and accountability in public administration for preventing , punishing and eliminating corruption in India.

THANKYOU !

L

The Habit of Reading

We have heard people telling us to read books for improving ourselves. There are a number of different books that people read so as to be in the habit of reading. Sometimes people read to entertain themselves and other time they read to pass their time and further some might read to improve their knowledge of certain language. There can be a lot of reasons of reading books and all of them are certainly justifiable. But very often it has been observed that people don’t actually read but they just put it in their resumes to look more apt for the jobs they apply for. But why do people insist on including the reading habit in their resumes even when they don’t really read? The answer is that people know the importance of reading but they hardly care to actually read. Some people believe it to be highly boring when they have to read and thereby completely ignoring the benefits of reading.

With reading our knowledge of a certain language improves. There are examples where people who are indulged in reading are better off in communicating their thoughts in a particular language as they read in that language. When people read in one language they usually start thinking and then conversing in that language. They get a hold of a certain language just by reading in that language. Reading not only improves their vocabulary but also help them enhance their overall knowledge. Reading just not mean reading novels, or books but it might also mean reading blogs, news etc, which enhances their knowledge and makes them smarter than they were before they started reading. Reading gives a person a sought of confidence that they get because of the knowledge which they achieve as they feel more comfortable in participating in intelligent conversation for they have their own say now.

The habit of reading as some might believe or some might not but teaches the art of patience. For to complete a thriller novel you cannot skip to the end or reach to the climax as some might do in movies and web series, for you need to follow the story word by word, sentence by sentence and page by page, so as to feel the euphoria of finally getting to the end. This euphoria can be achieved only by the art of patience as taught by reading. Reading improves our level of concentration for it is important to focus only on the story while reading it for we would be lost if we lose if slightest of our attention away from it. Reading improves our attention span and gives us some major focus goals. We see people reading while travelling in metro, while waiting for someone, just before going to sleep, all of this and more proves how entertaining reading could be. The best possible thrill, excitement, emotions of happiness, sadness, love, hate and others that reading make us feel are surely something we cannot even experience through some movie or other digital works.

SYMBOLIC ANALYSIS OF NISSIM EZEKIEL’S POEM “IN THE COUNTRY COTTAGE”

This works intends to analyse the elements of symbolism in Nissim Ezekiel’s poem ”In the country cottage”. Ezekiel is considered as a master in the use of symbols and images. Symbolism is the literary device that uses symbols, like words, locations and abstract ideas to represent something beyond literal meaning. Thus the use of symbolism add emotion, imagery, themes and sometimes it defines characters present in a literary work. Nissim Ezekiel is a poet who use highly evocative and suggestive symbols and images in his poetry. The images and symbols usually used by Ezekiel are women, natural elements like hill, river, sky, sun etc. These symbols give pictorial quality to his poems. Even though he uses simple language and less use of words, it makes the work impressive and sharpens the intended meaning.

In the poem In the Country Cottage the speaker talks about a particular night in a cottage when a lizard came out at night.All the other members of the house seemed lazy and decided to go to bed early as the saw the lizard. Then Nissim Ezekiel shows the image of the lizard through his description.The gray coloured stout lizard was laying without any movements. Poets says that the lizard seems to give a lesson of patience. As the poet says, “…he was more alive than us in silent energy..” the lizard was more alive than humans, in it’s silent energy. The lizard gave his full concentration in this act of waiting for the cockroaches. Its only intention was to kill the cockroaches and in silent energy it outed for them. The next morning the other family members woke and found that the lizard completed its job with utmost ‘cleanliness’ and left the place.

Even though the poem presents ordinary things and is shorter with lesser words, the symbol of lizard is significant. The lizard can be considered as the symbol of cleanliness, patience and dutifulness.Thus it shed light on the line of the achieves who both work hard and remains patient for achieving the goal. Thus it is a symbol of perseverance and will power. By the use of this symbol poet urges the people to save their energy for better purpose, instead of wasting time for futile activities. Thus Nissim Ezekiel places the ordinary lizard for superior to lazy humans. It can be said that he is a poet who make use of the ordinary situations and creatures and makes great poems from them. From the ordinariness of human life he emphasizes the philosophy of life. As said earlier, Ezekiel is considered as a master in the use of symbols and images. His major poems like Enterprise, Night of a Scorpion,The Professor, Philosophy and Marriage possess such symbolic and pictorial qualities. Examples from the poem Enterprise is the use of the symbol “pilgrimage”, which stands for life and “sun” stands for hostility between nature and human aspirations.

While analyzing these symbols in his poems it can be concluded that he is a great artist. The symbolism he used in his work had deep meaning which can encourage any reader to think further about the life from a fresh perspective. By the use of images or symbols of primitive simplicity, he shows the world that poetry does not have to deal with great philosophical truths to be impressive, and ordinary situations are more than enough.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE INFLUENCE ON ENGLISH

The fact. English is not a pure language is accepted by everyone. It has borrowed many words from different foreign languages and it enriched the English vocabulary. The words borrowed from other languages are known as loan words. According to F T Wood a foreign languages influenced English in three ways. First is by the foreign invaders, who settled in England brought in their words like Scandinavian words after Scandinavian invasion. Next is by foreign contacts through trade, voyages, explorations etc. The example of words borrowed by trade are Italian and Spanish words.And the third one is through scholarship, learning and culture like the Latin and Greek words borrowed during Renaissance. Apart from these ways, various reasons like religious and political movements,colonial invasion also influenced English language. This paper deals with the influence of seven languages on English. They are Celtic, French, Latin, Greek, Norman, Dutch and Spanish. Celtic influence is the first one. The Celts are believed to have been arriving in 600 BC.

The Celtic people who invaded Britain are believed to have integrated with the people who previously inhabited the island. The land that remained dominantly Celtic are divided linguistically into two – Gaelic or Goidelic and Brythonic. The Goidelic languages are Irish, Highland Scottish and Manx. Brythonic is made up of Welsh, Cornish and Briton , of these Welsh is the one to survive most strongly in the present day. Words borrowed from Gaelic are “slogan” which was used in Gaelic as “slaugh- gharim” means “battle cry”. “Bog” is another example from Gaelic “bogach” meaning “soft” and “moist”. Some other examples are trousers, beat, clan, smashing, pet etc. Examples of words borrowed from Welsh vocabulary is “Penguin” from welsh “pen guyn” meaning white head. Celtic influence on English is apparent through the place names. The language of Celts was referred to as the British the language of the Brithons the native inhabitants of the land. Surviving names are Thames and Yare names of river and names of Roman town like
London, York and Lincoln.


The words borrowed from French constitutes twenty nine percentage of English language. The French influence can be categorized into lexical, morphological, orthographic and miscellaneous. According to Albert c Baugh and Thomas Cable the influence “. . . began slowly and continued with varying tempo for a long time”. The French influence began with the Norman conquest. There are different categories of borrowed words. They are related to Government and social class like “revenue”,”authority”, “duke”, words related to Church like “religion”, “sermon” “prayer” related to Law “justice”, “crime”, “jury”, “pardon” War related “army”, “battle”, Fashion related “gown”, “ frock”, etc Food related “feast” , “plate”, “fry” and Learning related “ paper”, “preface” “logic” etc. Next borrowing is the food pairs. In many cases French word might have existed with a German word. In this the two words use in different senses. In such pairs the first English word is about the living animal in a farm and the French word signifies the meat of the animal, as in the case of cow and beef, sheep and mutton. Next french influence in lexical level is doublets. Doublets are the same word borrowed twice, one from Norman dialect and another from Parisian dialect, like catch v/s chase, warranty v/s guarantee, etc. On a morphological level french influence had a great impact on English. The decline in the use of English singular pronouns like “thou’ and “ thee” and replacement with “ ye” and “you” have been linked to the parallel French use of “vous” in formal settings. The use of “s” to plurals in English is also attributed to French influence. Possessive phrases such as the use of “ ’s ” , constructions that places adjectives after the noun like “attorney general”, and use of certain prefixes and suffix morphemes like pre, -ous, -ily, -tion are also the result of french influence. In orthographic category the used of “qu” instead of “cw”, “gh” instead of “h”, “ou” instead of “u” are examples of french influence. The doubling of vowels tho represent long vowel sounds like “see” , doubling of consonants after short vowels like “sitting” amd more use of ‘k’, ‘z’, ‘y’ are in this category. Normans had a strong influence on English personal names. English names such as Alfred, Harold, Godwin and Athelstan largely fell out of fashion and replaced by names like John, Peter, Simon, William, Richard and Henry.

Latin influence is considered the earliest of all the influence on English. First Latin influence on English language was when England contacted with the Roman Civilization The Latin words borrowed during this phase belongs to agriculture, war and domestic life. The loan words are wine, mint, mill, kitchen, cup, dish, pepper, cheese, butter, milk etc. There are place names came during this phase like places ending with ceaster like Lancaster, Gloucester, Winchester, Manchester etc. Next phase of influence happened with the introduction of Christianity. The introduction of Christianity was on 59AD . The loan words came during this time is related to new conceptions, religion, and faith. Words related to education,plant, domestic life were also borrowed. The words are Angel, anthem, hymn, minister, monk, disciple, silk, pea, pine, poppy, beet, pine, grammar, master,grammar, lobster etc. In the middle English period Latin came through translation of holy bible. Words related to law (conspiracy, custody, legal, prosecute), theology (scripture, incarnate,limbo), literature (allegory, genius,intellect,prosody) and science (mechanical,solar,zenith) came during this phase. In the 15 th century during Renaissance great revival of learning influenced English immensely. The words borrowed during this phase are Nouns,Adjectives and verb. Examples for nouns are radius,allusion, circus, atmosphere, bonus etc, Adjectives are appropriate, domestic, perfect etc and Verbs are assassinate, benefit, affidavit, exit etc. As a result of Latin influence, native nouns had got Latin adjectives like paternal for father, maternal for mother, royal for king etc.

Greek language influenced English immensely. Even before Renaissance English language contained a few Greek words, like geography, theology, logic through Latin. But most of Greek words passed into English during Renaissance period. Revival of Greek learning in Western Europe at the beginning of sixteenth century was the reason for borrowing from Greek. Examples for such words are irony, alphabet, drama, elegy etc. The Greek words borrowed during seventeenth century are orchestra, pandemonium, museum,clinic etc. Bathos and philander are the examples of words borrowed during eighteenth century. During nineteenth and twentieth century scientific and technical terms came from German.Those words are psychology, neurology, oxygen, halogen, telephone, microscope etc.The modern medical science is full of Greek terms because of the works of Hypocrites. Greek also contributed some suffixes and prefixes like anti-, di-, hyper-, poly-.

Norman contribution is one of the major influences on English language. Normans came into England during 1066AD . The words borrowed from Norman French can be grouped into several types like legal terms( adultery, slander), military words( surrender, occupy), names of meats( bacon) royal court ( chivalry, majesty). The use of legal and military terms are because of the influence of William the Conquerors works. Other examples of Norman loan words are accuse, archer, assault, curfew, fashion, judge, marriage etc. Dutch had a great influence in English during renaissance period and through commerce. In the renaissance period many loan words from low German from which we have dutch, Flemish and the dialects of Northern Germany came to England. These regions had close commercial contacts with England ever since the Norman conquest and many of the loan words are related to sea faring and trade. Examples are skipper, clock, cruise, smuggle, trek, smack etc.

During the middle English period quite a number of words borrowed from Spanish. Most of the Spanish words came through trade, commerce and war. Examples for such words are armada, cargo, spade, siesta, cocoa, potato, cafeteria etc. The bulk of Spanish words came into English from the middle of sixteenth century to the middle seventeenth century. These are some examples of words borrowed to English from foreign language and their influences. While analyzing these contributions, it can be concluded that , these words and usages enriched the English vocabulary.

Woodrow Wilson

Like Roosevelt before him, Woodrow Wilson regarded himself as the personal representative of the people. “No one but the President,” he said, “seems to be expected … to look out for the general interests of the country.” He developed a program of progressive reform and asserted international leadership in building a new world order. In 1917 he proclaimed American entrance into World War I a crusade to make the world “safe for democracy.”

Wilson had seen the frightfulness of war. He was born in Virginia in 1856, the son of a Presbyterian minister who during the Civil War was a pastor in Augusta, Georgia, and during Reconstruction a professor in the charred city of Columbia, South Carolina.

After graduation from Princeton (then the College of New Jersey) and the University of Virginia Law School, Wilson earned his doctorate at Johns Hopkins University and entered upon an academic career. In 1885 he married Ellen Louise Axson.

Wilson advanced rapidly as a conservative young professor of political science and became president of Princeton in 1902.

His growing national reputation led some conservative Democrats to consider him Presidential timber. First they persuaded him to run for Governor of New Jersey in 1910. In the campaign he asserted his independence of the conservatives and of the machine that had nominated him, endorsing a progressive platform, which he pursued as governor.

He was nominated for President at the 1912 Democratic Convention and campaigned on a program called the New Freedom, which stressed individualism and states’ rights. In the three-way election he received only 42 percent of the popular vote but an overwhelming electoral vote.

Wilson maneuvered through Congress three major pieces of legislation. The first was a lower tariff, the Underwood Act; attached to the measure was a graduated Federal income tax. The passage of the Federal Reserve Act provided the Nation with the more elastic money supply it badly needed. In 1914 antitrust legislation established a Federal Trade Commission to prohibit unfair business practices.

Another burst of legislation followed in 1916. One new law prohibited child labor; another limited railroad workers to an eight-hour day. By virtue of this legislation and the slogan “he kept us out of war,” Wilson narrowly won re-election.

But after the election Wilson concluded that America could not remain neutral in the World War. On April 2,1917, he asked Congress for a declaration of war on Germany.

Massive American effort slowly tipped the balance in favor of the Allies. Wilson went before Congress in January 1918, to enunciate American war aims–the Fourteen Points, the last of which would establish “A general association of nations…affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike.”

After the Germans signed the Armistice in November 1918, Wilson went to Paris to try to build an enduring peace. He later presented to the Senate the Versailles Treaty, containing the Covenant of the League of Nations, and asked, “Dare we reject it and break the heart of the world?”

Wilson never doubted the outcome. He mobilized a nation – its manpower, its industry, its commerce, its agriculture. He was himself the chief mover in the propaganda war. His speech to Congress on January 8, 1918, on the «Fourteen Points» was a decisive stroke in winning that war, for people everywhere saw in his peace aims the vision of a world in which freedom, justice, and peace could flourish.

Although at the apogee of his fame when the 1919 Peace Conference assembled in Versailles, Wilson failed to carry his total conception of an ideal peace, but he did secure the adoption of the Covenant of the League of Nations. His major failure, however, was suffered at home when the Senate declined to approve American acceptance of the League of Nations. This stunning defeat resulted from his losing control of Congress after he had made the congressional election of 1918 virtually a vote of confidence, from his failure to appoint to the American peace delegation those who could speak for the Republican Party or for the Senate, from his unwillingness to compromise when some minor compromises might well have carried the day, from his physical incapacity in the days just prior to the vote.

REFERENCES : The White House, NobelPrize.org

Karl Marx

Who Was Karl Marx?
Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a philosopher, author, social theorist, and economist. He is famous for his theories about capitalism and communism. Marx, in conjunction with Friedrich Engels, published The Communist Manifesto in 1848; later in life, he wrote Das Kapital (the first volume was published in Berlin in 1867; the second and third volumes were published posthumously in 1885 and 1894, respectively), which discussed the labour theory of value.

Marx’s early writings are dominated by an understanding of alienation, a distinct type of social ill whose diagnosis looks to rest on a controversial account of human nature and its flourishing. He subsequently developed an influential theory of history—often called historical materialism—centred around the idea that forms of society rise and fall as they further and then impede the development of human productive power. Marx increasingly became preoccupied with an attempt to understand the contemporary capitalist mode of production, as driven by a remorseless pursuit of profit, whose origins are found in the extraction of surplus value from the exploited proletariat. The precise role of morality and moral criticism in Marx’s critique of contemporary capitalist society is much discussed, and there is no settled scholarly consensus on these issues. His understanding of morality may be related to his account of ideology, and his reflection on the extent to which certain widely-shared misunderstandings might help explain the stability of class-divided societies. In the context of his radical journalism, Marx also developed his controversial account of the character and role of the modern state, and more generally of the relation between political and economic life. Marx sees the historical process as proceeding through a series of modes of production, characterised by (more or less explicit) class struggle, and driving humankind towards communism.

However, Marx is famously reluctant to say much about the detailed arrangements of the communist alternative that he sought to bring into being, arguing that it would arise through historical processes, and was not the realisation of a pre-determined plan or blueprint.

Between late 1843 and early 1845, Marx lived in Paris, a cosmopolitan city full of émigrés and radical artisans. He was subsequently expelled by the French government following Prussian pressure. In his last months in Germany and during this Paris exile, Marx produced a series of “early writings”, many not intended for publication, which significantly altered interpretations of his thought when they were published collectively in the twentieth century. Papers that actually saw publication during this period include: “On the Jewish Question” (1843) in which Marx defends Jewish Emancipation against Bruno Bauer (1809–1882), but also emphasises the limitations of “political” as against “human” emancipation; and the “Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right: Introduction” (1844) which contains a critical account of religion, together with some prescient remarks about the emancipatory potential of the proletariat. The most significant works that Marx wrote for self-clarification rather than publication in his Paris years are the so-called “1844 Manuscripts” (1844) which provide a suggestive account of alienation, especially of alienation in work; and the “Theses on Feuerbach” (1845), a set of epigrammatic but rich remarks including reflections on the nature of philosophy.

Importance Of Public Administration

The importance of Public Administration in the modern state can hardly be overemphasised. Its importance and role has been steadily increasing with the expansion of state activity in the modern states. Public Administration is now on all-encompassing factor of the daily life of individual as well as the community, an integral part of the society, which has seen the emergence of what has aptly been called the Administrative State.

Public Administration is the field of service that maintains a civil society and provides for the needs of the public. It is the activities undertaken by the government to look after its people and manage its affairs.

One of the ways people working in public administration use their problem-solving skills is by helping during a crisis. Crisis management is necessary during a crisis and it’s important to limit the way that it impacts people.

Some elements of public administration include planning, organising, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting and budgeting.

As an activity, it can be traceable to the Almighty God who planned the existence of man as a being. As an academic field of study, it can be largely traceable to Woodrow Wilson.

Woodrow Wilson, the father of Public Administration first recognised it in an article titled “The Study of Administration”. This he published in 1887.

Public administration has a very important place in the life of people. It is that branch of government which concerns more directly and more striking than any other with the lives of the human beings. The individual in the modern society is concerned with Public Administration at every turn of his life from cradle to the grave. It is the part of the social, cultural and economic life of a nation and is a part and parcel of its life.

Public Administration is the basis of government for monarchy, democracy, communist country like China, or in capitalist country. It is the instrument for executing the laws, policies and programmes formulated by the state. It is also an instrument of national integration particularly in the developing countries which are facing the challenges of sub nationalism, secessionism, class wars, and so on. It is a great stabilising force in the society as it provides continuity when government changes either due to revolution or by election or coups.

Amendments Of Law

Introduction

Let me introduce you all to the definition of law, in other words, what is law?

It is, by definition, the system of rules that a particular country or a community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members which it may enforce by the imposition of penalties.

Or, in the words of eminent Jurist Salmond, law is the body of principles recognised and applied by the state in the administration of justice.

Now why am I stating the facts you may think. Well, I am not giving weight to my part of the writings here, I am giving weight to the situation of the country. How conveniently we twist and turn mere facts in the grab of amendments. Some sure are in our favour but what about the others that are not?

I shall begin with the necessity of amending provisions in the constitution. Provision for amendment in the constitution is made with a view to overcome the difficulties which may encounter in the future in working of the constitution. No generation has the monopoly of wisdom nor has it any right to place fetters on future generations to mould the machinery of government according to their requirements. If no provisions were made for the amendment of the constitution, the people would have recourse to extra constitutional method like revolution to change the constitution, as held in Keshavananda v/s the state of Kerala All India Report 1973 Supreme Court page number 1461. The power of amending the law is exercised by the parliament under Article 368 of the Indian Constitution.

The framers of the Indian Constitution were keen to avoid excessive rigidity. They were anxious to have a document which could grow with a growing nation, adapt itself to the changing need and circumstances of growing people. the nature of the ‘amending process’ envisaged by the framers of the constitution can be best understood by referring the following observation of the late Prime Minister Pandit Nehru – “When we want this constitution to be solid and permanent as we can make it, there is no permanence in the constitution. There should be a certain flexibility. If you make anything rigid and permanent, you stop the nation’s growth.”

In any event, we could not make this constitution so rigid that it cannot be adopted to changing conditions. When the world is in a period of transition, what we may do today may not be wholly applicable tomorrow.

International Day Of Yoga

2021 Theme: Yoga for well-being
The Day will be marked at a time when COVID-19 pandemic continues to upend lives and livelihoods of people globally.

Beyond its immediate impact on physical health, the COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated psychological suffering and mental health problems, including depression and anxiety, as pandemic-related restrictions continue in various forms in many countries. This has highlighted the urgent need to address the mental health dimension of the pandemic, in addition to the physical health aspects.

The message of Yoga in promoting both the physical and mental well-being of humanity has never been more relevant. A growing trend of people around the world embracing Yoga to stay healthy and rejuvenated and to fight social isolation and depression has been witnessed during the pandemic. Yoga is also playing a significant role in the psycho-social care and rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients in quarantine and isolation. It is particularly helpful in allaying their fears and anxiety.

Recognizing this important role of Yoga, this year’s commemoration of the International Day of Yoga focuses on “Yoga for well-being” – how the practice of Yoga can promote the holistic health of every individual.

The United Nations offers yoga resources to its personnel and others on the COVID-19 portal’s section on Wellness.

The World Health Organization mentions yoga as a means to improve health in its Global action plan on physical activity 2018–2030: more active people for a healthier world.

UNICEF says kids can practice many yoga poses without any risk and get the same benefits that adults do. These benefits include increased flexibility and fitness, mindfulness and relaxation.

2021 virtual event
The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations invites you to an online celebration of the 7th annual International Yoga Day on 21 June 2021, from 8:30 to 10:00 am EST, broadcast live on UN WebTV.

The event opened with messages from the President of the United Nations General Assembly and the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, which was followed by demonstrations of Yoga exercises (asanas) to improve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health and an interactive panel discussion on “Yoga for well-being.”

What is Yoga and why do we celebrate it?
Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness.

Today it is practiced in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity.

Recognizing its universal appeal, on 11 December 2014, the United Nations proclaimed 21 June as the International Day of Yoga by resolution 69/131.

The International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.

The draft resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states. The proposal was first introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address during the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly, in which he said: “Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action … a holistic approach [that] is valuable to our health and our well-being. Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.”

The resolution notes “the importance of individuals and populations making healthier choices and following lifestyle patterns that foster good health.” In this regard, the World Health Organization has also urged its member states to help their citizens reduce physical inactivity, which is among the top ten leading causes of death worldwide, and a key risk factor for non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes.

But yoga is more than a physical activity. In the words of one of its most famous practitioners, the late B. K. S. Iyengar, “Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one’s actions.”

REFERENCE : UNITED NATONS

The United Nations

Origin Of The United Nations

The United Nations is the symbol of hope for mankind. This hope, as former UN Secretary-General Dag Hammerskjold said, is the hope that peace is possible. The United Nations is an organization of 193 sovereign states. It was set up in 1945 to replace the ill-fated League of Nations. The Allies, who were fighting the Axis Powers in the Second World War to destroy dictatorship and secure the ‘world for democracy, resolved to establish a new world organization rather than revive the League of Nations. It was in the London Declaration of 12 June 1941 that all nations then fighting against Hitler’s Germany announced their intention of working together, with other free peoples, to establish ‘a world in which, relieved of the menace of aggression, all may enjoy economic and social security.’ Earlier, President Roosevelt of the United States in a message to the Congress in January 1941, had spelt out four freedoms as being of universal importance.

These were: (a) Freedom of speech and expression; (b) Freedom to worship God in one’s own way; (c) Freedom from want; and (d) Freedom from fear.

At that time the United States was not at war. She was observing neutrality. As explained earlier, the United states joined the Second World War only in December 1941 when Japan bombarded Pearl Harbour. The Soviet Union had joined the Allies in June 1941 after Germany’s attack. Thus the Four Freedoms and the London Declaration were expressions of the desire of mankind to be free from ‘war’ and free from ‘want’. On 14 August 1941, Roosevelt and Churchill issued the famous Atlantic Charter which spoke of the establishment of a ‘peace which will afford to all nations the means of dwelling in safety within their own boundaries,’ of freedom from ear and want, and the creation of ‘a wider and permanent system of general security.’

The principles spelt out in the Atlantic Charter, and the London Declaration, were endorsed by the 26 countries who were then Allies, on 1 January 1942 in what came to be known as the United Nations Declaration. This declaration signed in Washington was mainly concerned with war, not peace. It was to emphasize cooperation in an all-out struggle against Axis and to give an assurance to each other not to make peace individually.

Objectives And Principles

Objectives:

(i) to maintain international peace and security based on respect for the principle of equal human rights and self-determination of peoples.

(ii) to develop friendly relations among nations.

(iii) to cooperate in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character.

(iv) to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in achieving these ends.

(v) to protect environment & to justify use of natural resource.

The United Nations act in accordance with the following Principals.

  1. All member states are sovereign and equal.
  2. All are pledged to fulfil their obligations under the Charter in good faith.
  3. All are pledged to settle their international disputes by peaceful means and without endangering international peace, security and justice.
  4. They are to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against any other state.
  5. They are to give the UN every assistance in any action it takes in accordance with the Charter.
  6. The United Nations shall not intervene in matters which are essentially domestic ones of any state except when it is acting to enforce international peace.

REFERENCES : V.N. KHANNA, English for students