ENGLISH AS A GLOBAL LANGUAGE

The English language is generally considered as the global language. There are various reasons for the spread of English and its worldwide acceptance. David Crystal in his work titled “English as a Global Language” analyzes the major reasons behind this global status. 

According to David Crystal “ a language achieves a genuinely global status when it develops a special role that is recognized in every country.” This special role is achieved mainly by the use of language in speaking as a mother tongue.As in the case of English in Britain, Canada, U S, Ireland, New zeleand etc. This status is also achieved by other two ways even though it is not used as a mother tongue.Firstly the acceptance of a language as the official language of a country and secondly attaining priority in foreign language teaching even though it has no official status. As in the case of India, the acceptance of English as the official language is an example for this special role. And it can be used as the medium for communication in certain domains such as government, education, law courts, media etc. Other countries like Singapore, Nigeria, Vanuatu and Ghana also accepted English as their official language. It can also be a semi official language by using only in certain domains. The second way for attaining a special role is in the priority in foreign language teaching. The political expediency, desire for commerce, cultural historical contact etc can be considered for choosing foreign language. 

Then arises the question: why do we need a global language? In earlier times translation played a major role in international meetings and conversations. But later it is solved by finding a “lingua- franca” or common language. But there was a geographical limitation for the use of this “lingua – franca” . It can be used only on certain ethnic group of the part of a country as in the case of West Africa. Towards the 1950s various international meetings increased and this led to the need for a single lingua franca. The U N was established in 1945 and other political bodies like UNESCO, UNICEF,WHO established during the second half of the twentieth century. There was a great expense for translation and this strengthened the need for a global language. Apart from these international meetings and travel, with the advancement of technology and the internet people started to communicate to people of various countries simply sitting in their home. This also benefited the growth of the global language. There was a huge development in the second half of the twentieth century in technical, political, social and international domains. The number of countries in the UN increased during this period. So all these are the criteria for the need of a global language.

The use of a global language provides a lot of advantages. This reduces the gap between countries as there is no language or communication barrier. And it forms a strong relationship with nations. Through these relations international trades such as exporting and importing increases and benefits in growth of economy. It also helps in the tourism departments by the communication between people from various countries and natives. Even though there are advantages of having a global language it    has some dangers too. One is Linguistic power. Those who speak a global language as a mother tongue will be automatically in a position of power compared with those who learned this as a second language or official language and this prevents them from carrying out their creative works. Linguistic complacency is the next disadvantage. It happens when a global language threatens to potentially eliminate the motivation for adults to learn other languages. The Linguistic death also happens as a result of a global language. With the emergence of a global language, the disappearance of minority languages occurs and this may cause linguistic death. This mostly occurs when an ethnic community comes to be assimilated within a more dominated society and adopting its language. But nowadays a lot of protests happen for the protection of minority languages and its literature.

English possesses all these qualities to be a global language and it is widely considered as a global language.The cultural and historical factors of English language is the reason behind this. In the history of England we can see that many conquerors came to England and played a significant role in the making of the English language. While other countries invaded neighbouring countries for expanding their power, England being an island began to find new lands and expanded its power. Thus became the biggest empire. This power is the major reason behind the acceptance of English as a global language. They made colonies all over the globe and influenced the culture of these colonies.By the 17th century industrial revolution happened and this paved the way for the spread of the English language. Most of the innovations of the industrial revolution were of English origin. With the advancements in technology , new words have been added to the English lexicon. By the 19th century England also became an economical power. Towards the twentieth century most of the inventions of the society was by England. Pop culture also affected this. This can be the answer to the question of why English is the global language. 

While discussing the future of English as a global language David Crystal says that there are a lot of possibilities for a change in the future of the English language. A significant change in the balance of power can occur and this could affect the standing of other languages. Thus that language becomes more attractive and takes over the position of English. Political factors also make a group of people in a country antagonistic to English. It is evident in the post colonial era. Another factor which may lead to the diminishing of English is the need for expressing the community identity. David Crystal says that the power of English is related to America as it became the dominant element in many of the domains. The US is more involved with international developments and new industrial revolution. Thus the US has more influence in the English language.

So English has played a vital role in many domains all over the globe. Its position and power as the global language is noteworthy. 

Disaster and disaster management

Catastrophe (Disasters) are classified into three types: naturals, man‐made, and hybrid disasters. A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth; examples include firestorms, dust storms, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, and other geologic processes. A normal calamity can cause misfortune of life or harm property, and ordinarily clears out a few financial harm in its wake, the seriousness of which depends on the influenced population’s versatility and on the framework accessible.

A landslide is depicted as an outward and descending slant development of an wealth of slope-forming materials counting shake, soil, manufactured materials, or a combination of these. An seismic tremor is the result of a sudden discharge of vitality within the Earth’s hull that makes seismic waves. At the Earth’s surface, seismic tremors show themselves by vibration, shaking, and in some cases relocation of the ground. Volcanoes can cause far reaching pulverization and resulting catastrophe in a few ways. One danger is the volcanic emission itself, with the constrain of the blast and falling rocks able to cause hurt. Dust storm may be a spread of tidy in dry regions. A manmade disaster is more cascading than a natural disaster an example of natural disaster is Bhopal Gas Tragedy.

Bhopal Gas Tragedy, India : Imagine waking up in the middle of the night in agonizing pain with your eyes and lungs burning. You wonder if you’re going to make it. Many don’t. That was the experience countless residents of Bhopal, India had on December 2, 1984 when the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant sprang a gas leak. Over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanine gas and other chemicals. Thousands of people died within the first hours of the leak, but estimates between 5,000 to upwards of 16,000 deaths resulted from the leak overall.

Deepwater Skyline Oil Spill, Inlet of Mexico It’s difficult to disregard the most noticeably awful and biggest oil spill in human history since it as it were happened less than three a long time prior. It begun on April 20, 2010 when an blast on BP’s Deepwater Skyline oilrig murdered 11 specialists, harmed 17 others, and cleared out the well spouting oil. Initially, BP claimed the spill was fair 1,000 barrels per day, concealing the reality that the well was spilling anyplace from 40,000 to 162,000 barrels a day.

Worldwide Warming, Third Planet from the Sun: Global warming is one of the foremost neglected and continuous man-made fiascos — one that will have the most noteworthy long-term affect on humankind. Over the top sums of nursery gasses, especially CO2, presented into the air have expanded normal worldwide temperatures determining a number of desperate results. Impacts from rising ocean levels, desertification, and harm from strongly super storms like Typhoon Katrina have already created a few of the primary bunches of climate-change outcasts and a few appraise that number to rise to 150 million by 2050.

Hybrid disaster is the third type of disaster. A crossover catastrophe may be a artificial one, when powers of nature are unleashed as a result of specialized disappointment or disrupt. There are disasters that result from both human mistake and normal strengths. These are crossover catastrophes. An case of a crossover disaster is the broad clearing of wildernesses causing soil disintegration, and hence overwhelming rain causing avalanches.

Disaster management is how we deal with the human, material, economic or environmental impacts of said disaster, it is the process of how we “prepare for, respond to and learn from the effects of major failures”

Disaster management has three stages which include disaster prevention, disaster preparedness, and disaster response/relief UNISDR sees Calamity Anticipation as the concept of locks in in exercises which proposed to anticipate or dodge potential unfavorable impacts through activity taken in development, exercises planned to supply security from the event of catastrophes. WCPT so also highlight that whereas not all catastrophes can be avoided, great hazard administration, clearing plans, natural arranging and plan benchmarks can decrease chance of misfortune of life and harm relief. The HYOGO System was one such Worldwide Arrange for common Calamity Hazard Decrease, which was received in 2005 as a 10 year Worldwide Arrange, marked by understanding with 168 Governments which advertised directing standards, needs for activity and viable implies for accomplishing fiasco versatility for defenseless communities.

“The information and capacities created by governments, proficient reaction and recuperation organizations, communities and people to successfully expect, react to, and recoup from, the impacts of likely, inescapable or current danger occasions or conditions” “The provision of emergency services and public assistance during or immediately after a disaster in order to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety and meet the basic subsistence needs of the people affected”

The lingering effects of unexpected emergencies and disasters are different for everyone. Knowing what to do after an emergency can help reduce stress and aid in a quicker recovery. Recovery is a process the process to repair and restore your life after an emergency or disaster is not easy and takes time, flexibility and patience. Examples of recovery include: removing waste and debris, contacting your insurance company, replacing lost or destroyed documentation, finding a new home, getting mental health support etc.

ONLINE EDUCATION:-

WHAT IS ONLINE EDUCATION:-

A classroom is method of using cell phones and computers to make teacher and student in connection.This method of education is popularized during the corona.

ONLINE EDUCATION IS EFFECTIVE:-

In my perception online education is not that much effective when compare to the offline classes.Because we started schooling in offline class,Immediate change in method is not acceptable.In offline class we can ask doubts.But in online classes some not get good network.

ADVANTAGES OF ONLINE EDUCATION:-

* It reduce financial costs for students in transportation,meals.

* we can feel more comfortable than offline class.

* Another advantage of online education is that it allows students to attend classes from any location of their choice.

* online lectures can be recorded, archived, and shared for future reference.

DISADVANTAGES OF ONLINE EDUCATION:-

* Little or no face-to-face interaction.

* In online education we have to see screen more time cause headache,damage eyes.

* Another disadvantage is some have network issues unable to ask questions.

* Online courses require more time than on-campus classes.

* Online courses may create a sense of isolation.

HOW WE CAN MAKE ONLINE EDUCATION EFFECTIVE:-

* By Creating shorter content.

* Assign group and pair work.

* Take care in setting up your home environment.

* By giving break or reducing time of class.

* By creating individual learning plans.

IMPORTANCE OF SEX EDUCATION

Sex education is the most important factor which lacks in every individual, especially in India. In India, sex education was considered as some taboo and people were shameful to speak openly about it. But nowadays there is a shift from this norm and now people are free to discuss about sex, sexuality and other related things. Many schools have started teaching students and they give an orientation to children even from a very young age, which include some topics like good touch, bad touch etc.

Sex education involves topics related to human development, relationships, orientation about reproduction sexuality, puberty, gender identity, sexual behavior, sexual health which include knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases, contraception and pregnancy. Sex education also includes the discussion on sexuality in society and culture which include gender roles, diversity etc. WHO defines sex education as “broad program that aims to build a strong foundation for lifelong sexual health by acquiring information and attitude, beliefs and values about one’s identity, relationships and intimacy”.

The importance of sex education increases in this scenario, as the teachers are not willing to take up topics related to sexuality, even though these topics are present in the curriculum and adolescents gather information about sexuality from other ways. This is harmful for them. To tackle this misinformation and ignorance, young students need to get an awareness about sexuality and sexual orientation. They should also be aware about different gender minorities, LGBTQIA, like trans- sexual people, homosexual communities like gay, lesbians etc. They should also respect every gender. Sex education also provides the knowledge to differentiate between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’, as one is the biological aspect and another one is socio cultural to oneself. Gender is the identity one perceives apart from the biological aspect. Sex education is important to know diverse communities and also it enables one to understand about one’s own body. In this way sex education also helps to decrease crimes related to sex.

So sex education is a very important factor in the development of a society. It helps citizens to understand about themselves and others and provides knowledge which helps to decrease many crimes related to sex. As sex is the vital factor in the development of a society, sex education is also vital.

Globalization and Public Administration

There is no denying that globalization has brought about a paradigm shift in the nature and scope of public administration. It has virtually unshackled the discipline from the classical bondage of structure and paved the way for a more flexible, less hierarchical, and accommodative kind of discipline and encouraged a few sceptics and self-styled analysts to proclaim an imminent death of public administration.

However, more than two decades down the line, ever since globalization was first thrust upon nation-states, public administration has not shown absolutely any signs of receding.

On the contrary, rendering those doomsday predictions wrong, public administration has reincarnated in a readjusted form to cope with the new set of challenges.

Traditional notion of public administration

In fact, globalization had increased the urgency of having a more proactive public administration. However, the traditional notion of public administration with a sheltered bureaucracy, rigid hierarchy, and organizational principle no longer exists today. Both structurally and functionally, public administration has experienced a metamorphosis of sorts. Structurally speaking, thanks to the sweeping social – economic – political transformation under globalization, the rigid, hierarchical, and bureaucratic form of governance has given way to a more flexible, dehierarchal, and post – bureaucratic form of governance based on networks and partnership. Similarly, at the functional level, public administration has witnessed a profound transformation in the form of delivery of public goods and services. Until recently, the delivery of goods and services was considered as one of the important functions of public administration. But the onset of globalisation and the eventual rolling back the welfare state ushered in a new collaborative form of public administration, where state administration has had to readjust itself to deliver public goods and services in collaboration with the innumerable other players and NGOs functioning at the societal level.

Hence, public administration in the era of globalisation has been donning a new robe of the ‘enabler’ or ‘facilitator’ by privatizing the substantial part of welfare delivery, namely, contracting out, encouraging private provision, introducing quasimarkets, mobilizing voluntary sectors, and the like.

Reference :
Public Administration in a Globalizing world by Chakrabarty and Kandpal

Web Marketing using the Website Design and Development

 

What Is Web Marketing?

Marketing that done via the internet (online), is often called as web marketing or online marketing. More people prefer to do web marketing now because it’s less expensive. Some kind of web marketing even free to do. For example, you can start a blog or upload your video on Youtube for free. 

Web marketing is the process of using the Internet to market your business. It includes the use of social media, search engines, blogging, videos, and email. 

Promoting a business takes effort. There are a variety of ways to do it. Designing and developing a website can be one of the methods to promote it. It has been successfully done by https://designlab.net.au/

Traditional advertising in newspapers, on the radio and television, direct mail, and billboards has been around for decades.

It takes your message to the big wide web. You can order website development from us or any online company. 

With tons of people using the internet every day, there are huge opportunities to get your product or service in front of people who need or want it.

Drilling down into it, web marketing takes many forms. 

Banner ads, email promotions, and social media posting are three of the ones you have probably heard about. They, and more, live under the “web marketing” umbrella.


What Are The Benefits Of Web Marketing?

Now that we’ve answered what is web marketing, let’s discuss the benefits. 

Marketing on the web gives you unique benefits that other advertising and promotion avenues don’t.

  1. Cost-effective
  2. Focused
  3. Builds relationships
  4. Easy to adapt and edit
  5. Measurable and easy to determine ROI

What Are The Different Examples Of Web Marketing?

The most common examples of web marketing are SEO, social media, email, PPC, and content but those are not the only ones.

Using the internet to connect with and engage buyers is a smart move. But where do you begin? 

The options are overwhelming, and few companies jump into all of them at once. Here’s a brief overview of your possibilities.

  1. Email Marketing
  2. Social Media Marketing
  3. Content Marketing
  4. Search Engine Optimization
  5. Google Ads or PPC Advertising
  6. Display Ads
  7. Retargeting
Website design and development can play a good role in content marketing and a base for your social media marketing. You cannot take good benefits of PPC and display ads if you don’t have a good website site with good website design and state of the art web hosting services from a good web hosting companies. 

Remembering R K Narayan, The Creator of Malgudi

R K Narayan is arguably one of the brilliant storytellers who could create stories and characters that were relatable yet intriguing. He was one among the few writers of his era, who could weave magic with simple words and effortlessly spin a tale out of the mundane everyday events.

Born as Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyyer NarayanaSwami in Madras, R K Narayan spent a part of his childhood in Madras with his grandmother and later moved to Mysore when his father, a school headmaster, was posted to the Maharajah’s College High School. An avid reader, he devoured the works of Dickens, Wodehouse, Thomas Hardy and Arthur Conan Doyle during his boyhood. 

Image Source

If you were to observe the trajectory of R K Narayan’s life, you would find that he wasn’t someone who has had a smooth ride. From failing his university entrance exam, taking an extra year to complete his bachelor’s degree, quitting his rather short stint  as a school teacher, remaining jobless for a very long time to being ridiculed for his writing and facing a series of initial rejections, setbacks were a part and parcel of his life. Through all these, what kept him going was his intense passion for writing. 

During his initial days as a writer, he wrote occasionally  for local publications. His first short story Dodo – about a boy who wanted to earn pocket money to roam about and buy peanuts – was published by The Merry magazine. Thereafter he managed to get several other of his works printed by the magazine and by the Hindu. Later, he had also worked as a reporter for The Justice, a Madras-based paper, after his marriage to the love of his life, Rajam.

When he wrote his first book, Swami and Friends, it went through a string of rejections that, after a point, Narayan lost hope and asked his friend Kittu Purna in Oxford (whose address he had given as return address for the manuscript), to weigh manuscript  down with rocks and  drown it in the Thames if it were to be rejected again. Well, the novel did get rejected but his friend had a better idea than drowning it. He took it to Graham Greene, a writer who he had met in Oxford, who ended up loving it and even found a publisher for the book. The literary world would forever be indebted to Kittu Purna for not complying to his friend’s request or else the magical town of Malgudi would have forever remained hidden in the depths of the Thames. 

Around the time when he was gradually making a mark as a writer, life was not being particularly kind to him on the personal front. He lost his father and his wife within a gap of merely a couple of years, which left him devastated. In the face of losses, it was the world of words that held his hands and he managed to channel his grief into creating masterpieces in literature. The English Teacher, as he later acknowledged, was a reflection of his emotions during the time of his wife’s death.He went on to write several other novels and short stories during his career and most of them were set in Narayan’s very own Malgudi.

Image Credit: Farnaz Fever

Narayan was a brilliant storyteller who could capture the essence of the mundane everyday life and turn it into a literary masterpiece.Through simple words, punctuated cleverly by just the right amount of humour, he found his way into the hearts of millions of readers.

During the course of his literary career, he won various awards including the Sahitya Akademi Award for The Guide and the AC Benson Medal by the British Royal Society of Literature. He was also awarded Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan  for his contributions to the country. 

He was a man of simple needs (well,  except for that coffee, which he needed exactly the way he liked it ! ) and just like his characters lived a rather simple life. He always made sure to keep himself rooted in reality.Even during his later years, he never missed the chance to have a chat with the people who he used to meet during his afternoon strolls. He treated these walks as his office hours for that is where he often met his characters. 

Narayan was a person who valued friendships more than anything else. Much of his later years were spent in having warm conversations and the perfect Narayan-style coffees with the people he treasured the most. Perhaps those were the things that kept him going after he lost his daughter to cancer.  His final novel, Grandmother’s Tale was dedicated to his daughter Hema. He was a writer who was so invested in his craft that he used to write around 1000 words daily, even while travelling (aspiring writers please make a note !). Even a few hours before he was shifted to the ventilator, all he wanted was for his friend, N. Ram, to get him a notebook for the next novel that he was planning to write. Unfortunately for the readers, that novel never got materialised as he passed away soon after, at the age of 94.

R K Narayan will always be remembered as one of the finest storytellers who inspired many generations of writers to discover the beauty of their own backyards and his legacy will live on through every reader, who secretly wish to pack their bags and move to Malgudi.

How to make the best use of time. 

This is an image for how to make the best use of time.
Photo by Eunice Lui on Pexels.com

Time is precious, it’s a saying that is reiterated often by everyone! We all are gifted with 24 hours everyday and many more during our whole lives. But often we don’t know how to utilize them. We understand how precious time is only when it passes away, leaving us with only a few hours left to turn in an assignment! This doesn’t have to repeat because here are some ways you can make the best use of time. 

Keep track of your time

When time passes you in a whiff, leaving you with the feeling of having nothing done from your ‘to do list’. The moment has come to identify how you have been utilizing your time. A simple note making activity along the week can do the trick. Keep tabs on the activities you do on a regular basis across different time periods. You can do this the old school way by writing down in a notebook or the modern way by typing in your smartphone. The aim of the activity is to figure out the tasks that waste your time by the end of the week and curb the duration of indulging in such activities. 

For example if using your mobile phone or watching television is eating up your time, leaving you with no time to do what is necessary. Keeping track of your time will help you understand this mishap and rectify your actions. Thus helping you to make the best use of time. 

Make a ‘To do list’, but avoid listing a ton of items. 

This is an image of To do list.
Photo by Breakingpic on Pexels.com

Making a ‘To do list’ is supposed to motivate us to get things done for the day. But listing a ton of tasks kills the motivation to do the same. Listing even 3 important items to do for the day can help you get things done and motivate you to do more. Three tasks might seem very less, but it accounts for a day well spent as you accomplish the 3 most important tasks that need to be done, rather than listing 10 items in your ‘to do list’ and get nothing finished. 

Doing less also helps you focus and spend adequate time over your important tasks, making you less prone to make errors and getting things done efficiently. 

Plan your day before time

We all have heard the famous words of Benjamin Franklin, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Although it sounds daunting and negative, it makes a lot of sense when you try to make the best use of time. When you haven’t given a thought about the day ahead, you end up spending the day doing mundane things that take up the majority of your time. 

It is best to plan the next day before going to bed or during the early hours of the day to make the best use of time. This helps you to remember the important things to be done for the day and keep you occupied. 

Take out the bad habits from your day

This is an image for bad habits
Photo by Maria Orlova on Pexels.com

We all develop some habits in our lives that are harmful or keep us from being productive. You might probably take your love for music to the next level by having your earphones plugged in for several hours. This could be harmful to your ears or reduce efficiency as you listen to music in the background while doing something important. Hence, it becomes necessary to fix a duration for plugging in some music rather than doing so all the time.

Similarly, you can curb other time consuming habits by spending less time over them or putting them away during your time of productivity. 

  • Put your phone away to resist the urge for checking messages while you study or work on an assignment. 
  • Turn off the Wifi or mobile data on your phone to prevent notifications from interrupting your work schedule. 

Begin with the most important task for the day

Although it sounds intimidating, waking up after the right duration of sleep leaves you with great energy and potential to complete important tasks that you have planned for the day. Maybe that’s why schools, colleges and offices expect people to arrive in the morning as they are equipped with sufficient energy for conveyance and other important things. 

Finishing the significant tasks in the morning such as studying or attending meetings, equips you with the necessary information and a sense of accomplishment to carry on with the rest of the day. Thus making the best use of time. 

Figure out what is important to you in the long run

This is an image for important
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Finally, it’s all in the bigger picture. You need to figure out what carries significance in your life. Some may want to explore while the others may want to settle down. What is important to you would determine your actions. 

Do tasks that provide good returns. 

Taking a break during the day from your studies or work is something you deserve. As you plan your activities and ‘to do lists’, it is also necessary to plan your time of leisure. Playing video games or watching television for 4 hours straight can be tempting, but it prevents you from reading the book you were planning on reading or meeting up with a good friend. 

It is better to limit your time over tasks that provide less returns and focus more on tasks that add value to your life.  So pick an interesting book while you feel the urge to binge watch or initiate a meet-up with friends which you have been putting off for a while. 

Because making the best use of time is to learn new things and add new experiences to your life. 

References

Chris Bailey, https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/7-ways-make-better-use-your-time.html

Arda Ozdemir, August 25 2021, https://www.wikihow.com/Use-Your-Time-Wisely

John Rampton, May 1 2018, 8:00am, https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnrampton/2018/05/01/manipulate-time-with-these-powerful-20-time-management-tips/?sh=62c777857ab4

GANGA RIVER

GANGES

INTRODUCTION

The Ganges is the largest river in India with a profound religious significance. It is known by several names, including Jahnavi, Gange, Shubhra, Sapteshwari, Nikita, Bhagirathi, Alaknanda, and Vishnupadi. Nothing can match the ever-lasting divinity of the holy River Ganga; the sacred river is a true mother by all means.

HISTORY

Bhagiratha was a legendary king of the Ikshvaku dynasty. He brought the River Ganga to Earth from the heavens because only shecould bestow nirvana to Bhagiratha’s ancestors who were cursed by Sage Kapila. After years of great penance, River Ganga descended on Earth and Lord Shiva agreed to channelize her flow. Therefore, River Ganga flowed from Lord Shiva’s hair. The place where the sacred river originated is known as Gangotri in present times, and since the river originated from Lord Shiva’s Jata (hair) it is also called Jatashankari. 

While flowing, the Ganga demolished the ashram of sage Jahna who became furious and stopped her movement. On Bhagirath’s appeal, the sage freed her; therefore, Ganga is also called Jahnavi. The Ganga then reached sage Kapil’s ashram, where Bhagirath’s ancestors were burnt to ashes and liberated to rest in peace.

HOLY RIVER

The Ganga is the only river that flows from all the three worlds – Heaven/Swarga, Earth/Prithvi, and Hell/Patala. The person who has traveled to all three worlds is addressed as Tripathaga in the Sanskrit language. 

In Hinduism, the holy River Ganga is personified and personalized as the Goddess Ganga. The followers of the Hindu religion believe that bathing in the pious Ganga can help wash all sins. People also believe that a mere touch of the river can help attain moksha (salvation) and so the ashes of the dead are immersed in the sacred river.

THE GANGA AARTI

The famous Ganga Aarti takes place at twilight every day and is an incredibly moving ceremony. All the ghats are filled with the aroma of flowers and the fragrance of incense sticks. Several priests perform this ritual by carrying deepam and moving it up and down in a rhythmic tune of bhajans. Many Sodha Travelers have communicated that the Aarti was a profound highlight of their Indian experience, and we agree!

THE GANGA GHATS

 A ghat is a series of steps that lead to the river, and Hindus believe that bathing in Ganga is truly auspicious and will wash away all sins. Travelers often visit these ghats to bathe and witness the funeral rites. A funeral ghat is a place where families gather to cremate the bodies of their loved ones. Later, their ashes are offered to the river. The Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi is a famous funeral ghat. 

“GANGA TO ME IS THE SYMBOL OF INDIA’S MEMORABLE PAST WHICH HAS BEEN FLOWING INTO PRESENT AND CONTINUES TO FLOW TOWARDS THE OCEAN OF THE FUTURE”

Innovation – A Favourable Change — All About Everything.

The concept of Innovation was conceived in the era of the industrial revolution in the late 19th century. This revolution created a whole new space that demanded newer and more efficient ideas to potentially lead to better results.          Innovation proves the ability of human brains to find multiple ways of doing things through creative […]

Innovation – A Favourable Change — All About Everything.

Foods with preventive powers.

There are a lot of benefits some foods serve us. Like mustard contains manganese and phosphorus, which contribute to strong bones and teeth so help prevent osteoporosis. Many other foods have similar preventive powers such as:

See the source image

Asparagus for high blood pressure.

Image result for asparagus

Asparagus contains the natural diuretic asparagine, which helps your body get rid of excess salt and fluid. For people with oedema caused by high blood pressure, eating asparagus can be very helpful. Asparagus also has B-vitamins that help fight early cognitive decline and depression.

Onions For lung cancer

Image result for onion

Studies have found that dietary flavonoids that are found in onions, reduce risk of lung cancer. Onions may also help boost your good cholesterol.

Cheese for dental health.

Image result for cheese

The fat that is naturally present in cheese coats your teeth and acts like a natural barrier against bacteria. Cheese also contains caesin, a protein that provides protection.

Lemons and limes for kidney stones

Lemons and lime contain citric acid that helps reduce the excretion of calcium in urine so it prevents kidney stones from forming. Lemon rinds are also rich in a component called rutin, which helps strengthen the walls of the capillaries, potentially reducing the pain and severity of varicose veins.

Papayas for arthritis

Image result for papaya

Papaya is an excellent source for vitamin C. Thus help prevent the ailment, if consumed regularly.

Beets for a better brain.

Beets produce nitric oxide, which helps blood flow throughout your body and brain. Which decreases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.

Image result for beets

Important things to keep in mind while choosing a college for admission

Important things to keep in mind while choosing a college for admission

If you are in high school and contemplating on what college would be best suited for you for pursuing your graduation, here are some things that you might want to keep in mind while doing so:
1) Subject
If you have a choice of subject and has already made up your mind on pursuing that specific subject, then this step is easy for you. You can make a list of potential colleges that offer your subject of choice and then filter out what is best suited for you. For instance, if you are willing to get an english honours, you might not only consider the subject alone but also look out for other programmes the college has to offer such as debates, writing competition, etc that would help you to brush up your skills further. If you have a senior or some acquaintance who is in the same field, you can go to then for suggestions too.

2) Public college or private college?
While public colleges are funded by the state, private colleges have relatively higher course fee structure than public ones. However, the high cost of education can have long lasting implications on your life since beacuse of the money involved, they might offer other programs and seminars and sometimes excursions which can help to develop your skills and increase your knowledge in the field.

3) Location
Do you want to study in a college in a big city? How is the weather there? Are you willing to stay away from family incase your college is far? What are the transportation facilities available? These are some of the questions you might consider asking yourself before choosing your college of choice.

4) Student Activities
Are you into sports or say dancing, drama or maybe music? Whatever your hobbies are, it is always better to choose a college that will allow you to pursue them. Sometimes a break from studies and doing what you enjoy the most would make your overall learning experience more fun. You can join clubs of your ineterest and take part in programmes and competitions as well. This will allow you to showcase your skills apart from academics and will help you to maintain a balance between your studies and social life.

5) Career services
Majority of students go to college so that they could land up a job and contribute towards the society. So, internship programs and list of companies that have come earlier for job recruitments are the things you might want to check out before taking admission.

Listed above are some of the basic points that you might want to keep in mind to ward off any future problems. You are free to choose the college of your dreams and pursue what you want. There are some top notch colleges that might be offering scholarships, so if you want to get into them you might as well work hard to get in on a scholarship. All the best for your future!

Everything You Need to Know About Narcissistic Personality Disorder

We often are annoyed when we find someone wanting all the attention, regardless of the causes and consequences, being extremely sensitive to anyone’s remarks. To handle them cautiously is advised, as those might be signs of a narcissistic personality disorder. 

What is Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality disorder? 

  • Narcissism, often described as increased importance given to own physical self, has been developed from the Greek example of Narcissus to a cultural conception in the United States labeled as a mental disorder by the late 20th century (Jauk et.al, 2021). 
  • We might also notice people wanting to stand out because of low confidence, feelings of loneliness, being vulnerable to remarks, which are features profound in Eastern Countries (Jauk et. al, 2021) 
  • The narcissist meaning and definition goes beyond culture, into certain common traits, divided into different criteria by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders:
    1. The idea of being unique
    2. Attention seeking
    3. Wanting special treatment
    4. Lacking the will to understand others
    5. Feeling shamefulness and humiliation
    6. Hating criticism
  • These broad signs of a narcissist: portraying the need for creating a false sense of an impressive personality and the lack of relating to others, cause an alarm of concern, as they also stem from internal factors of low self-worth, lonely and sensitive feelings (Ronningstam, 2010)
Source: https://brightside.me/inspiration-family-and-kids/11-narcissistic-traits-of-mothers-who-dont-even-know-theyre-ruining-their-kids-lives-802783/

Sub – divisions of Narcissistic Personality Disorder

The diverse nature of humans cannot be reduced to certain common traits. Caligor et. al (2015) analyze specific case studies to understand the sub-variations and severities that characterize narcissistic behavior: 

  • The grandiose overt narcissists: those seen as attention seekers and arrogant over their ability to charm others, coming off as dominative, with a lack of concern for others. 
  • The vulnerable covert narcissists: those who might respond negatively to criticism, often being disturbed over it, but might also compare themselves to others due to feeling inadequate or jealous. 
  • The high functioning and autonomous narcissists: They share traits with the grandiose overt types, but they also use them for their development, so being competitive and sexually advanced also fall under their category. As they come across like any other human, their cases are rare to come out. 
  • The malignant narcissists: the extreme kind, as their standoffish nature might turn to sadistic tendencies that they derive satisfaction from. The need to treat them and the difficulty faced thus increases. 

(To know more about the subtypes and their association with other disorders, visit https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14060723) 

Narcissists and Relationships

It is important to note that individuals carrying narcissistic personalities also communicate and form relationships, subject to the same socialization process. Vaknin (2004) explains the influences, varying from birth to them being adults, as markers of the narcissistic relationship: 

  • Those with narcissistic parents are often bound to share the same tendencies due to control seen in a positive light or opposite traits due to control seen in a negative light. This can also manifest as wanting to be with a narcissist, influenced by their upbringing. 
  • The narcissist, prone to known influences being the right way, may often mistake their abuse for love and understand criticism as hate.

So, what might seem like a narcissistic abuse relationship, is their inability to form a meaningful connection. The need to control turns into an unstable relationship.   

Source: https://abusewarrior.com/toxic-relationships/narcissistic-abuse/gaslighting-phrases/

Treating Narcissistic Traits

The recent statistics of population segments that identify with narcissistic traits are patients seeking mental help, military servers, and medical students. Under therapy, it’s not unusual to find other conditions like depression, substance use, bipolar, and eating disorders (Hull,2021). 

Yakeley (2018) explains the problem faced during therapies involving narcissists:

  • The narcissists seek therapy due to the fault or difficulties they find in others that bother them, willing to less reflect on themselves. The therapist’s advice might strike the wrong side, leading back to square one of them being receptive to criticism.  
  • The willingness to have the upper hand for the narcissist might also affect the therapist who would have to deal with the pointed error of their ways or criticism to get to the healing process.

So, how do we treat those suffering from this disorder? Weinberg and Ronningstam (2020) analyze various patterns of therapies and suggest ways that can work better: 

  •  If the patient ever faces difficulties starting or even continuing the treatment, finding the causes behind them to create a healthy response to further development might help. Here, lining out an agreement or providing ultimatums that keep a constant check on their progress works.
  • To handle a patient’s criticism effectively that a therapist might face initially.
  • To provide clear-cut goals and achievable alternatives so that the therapist and the patient can work together.
  • To motivate the patients to work on themselves so they recognize the positive outcome of it. 
  • Once patients are aware of broadening their perception, the process of recognizing their strengths and weaknesses, can be initiated in an open-minded way. 

Conclusion

So, to be aware and not promote the tendencies that make a narcissist more confident should be discouraged, pointing out the abuse and seeking help should be recognized and applied practically and constructively. Along with therapies, daily communication also goes a long way.[1]

This article highlights the markers of someone having NPD, the cultural and psychological factors, the diagnosis and treatment for a varied population that falls under this category. To recognize and know the disorder, researching and learning about it, is the first step. Change starts when reflecting and acting becomes a norm with abnormality and harm. 

References

Caligor, E., Levy, K. N., & Yeomans, F. E. (2015). Narcissistic personality disorder: Diagnostic and clinical challenges. American Journal of Psychiatry, 172(5), 415-422.

Hull, Megan (2021). Narcissistic Personality Disorder Statistics. https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/narcissistic-personality-disorder/npd-statistics/

Jauk, E., Breyer, D., Kanske, P., & Wakabayashi, A. (2021). Narcissism in independent and interdependent cultures. Personality and Individual Differences, 177, 110716.

Ronningstam, E. (2010). Narcissistic personality disorder: A current review. Current psychiatry reports, 12(1), 68-75.

Vaknin, S. (2010). Excerpts and Case Studies from the Archives of the Narcissistic Abuse Study Group. Narcissus Publishing.

Weinberg, I., & Ronningstam, E. (2020). Dos and don’ts in treatments of patients with narcissistic personality disorder. Journal of personality disorders, 34(Supplement), 122-142.

Yakeley, J. (2018). Current understanding of narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder. BJPsych advances, 24(5), 305-315.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Environmental issues harmful to human beings, animals and plants.They are environmental issues like pollution, deforestation, climate change, Ozone depletion, waste management.

MAJOR TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES:-

* Climate change

* Deforestation

* Ozone depletion

* Biodiversity Loss

* Acid rain

* Human overpopulation

* Global warming

CLIMATE CHANGE:-

Climate change is the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place. It is both natural or artificial.But most of the it is because of humans.By burning of fossil fuels and natural gases like oil,coal which causes the release of green house gases leads to the alternation of climate.

DEFORESTATION:-

Deforestation is defined as removal of large amount of trees from forest and destroying agricultural lands for human deforestation is one of the major problem causes soil erosion,no rain, disturb water cycle and natural habitats.

OZONE DEPLETION:-

ozone depletion, gradual thinning of Earth’s ozone layer in the upper atmosphere caused by the release of chemical compounds containing gaseous chlorine or bromine from industry and other human activities.ozone depletion cause increase in uv radiation leads to skin cancer,eye cataracts,immune defeciency.It also affect plants growth and reduce agricultural productivity.In survey of 2020 17 percentage of ozone is destroyed.

BIODIVERSITY LOSS:-

Biodiversity loss includes the extinction of species worldwide, as well as the local reduction of species in a certain habitat, resulting in a loss of biological biodiversity loss is caused by habitat loss, invasive species,ove exploitation, climate change and global warming.some example for biodiversity loss is extinction of plants and animals.Redicing rate of amphibians are some examples.

ACID RAIN:-

Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a broad term that includes any form of precipitation with acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid that fall to the ground from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms.Acid rain is caused due to the chemical reaction with sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides introduced in air.It pollutes air and soil.It have impact on soil, freshwater cause killing aquatic life forms.It cause corrosion of steel structures.

HUMAN OVERPOPULATION:-

Human overpopulation means that human population becoming very large.It is mainly in developing countries like India,china . Human overpopulation is because of birth rate is higher than that of death rate.Human overpopulation leads toenvironmental issues, silently aggravating the forces behind global warming, environmental pollution, habitat loss, the sixth mass extinction, intensive farming practices and the consumption of finite natural resources.

GLOBAL WARMING:-

The excess heat in the atmosphere which causes the rise in temperature is called global warming.Global warming is mainly caused by climate change, industries and the green house gases.It is serious threat to life on earth in the forms of widespread flooding and extreme weather.Reduce water supply, Decrease agricultural yields , rise in temperature and drought.It is harmful to all living organisms in the earth.

“Earth is like a pressure cooker it controls itself only to limit If it exceeds everything is destroyed”.

THE IMPACT OF COVID 19 AND LOCKDOWN IN STUDENT’S LIFE

The WHO declared Covid 19 as a global pandemic on 11th March 2020. It is obvious that we all have been affected in an adverse manner. All parameters of society was unstable as a result of the outbreak of this pandemic. But the challenges faced by each individuals different according to their social status. For example, the digital age helped a lot of people to work during this pandemic. While some people tried to adopt to the current situation, through the advantage of technology, some other sections of the society was under a huge economic and mental stress. This stress even continues even after one year of the outbreak. The situation is similar with educational sector also. Students were largely affected by the pandemic as the government decided to temporarily close educational institutions in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID 19. Even though online mode of education is provided by majority of educational institutions, there are many limitations to this mode.

Even though online education is significant during the pandemic, it has certain advantage and disadvantage. The major factor is the access to online study materials. Most of the students, especially college students use smartphones for accessing study materials. And the use of laptops and computers are less compared to smartphones. It is obvious that some students, who are from financially backward families, find it very difficult to access online study materials in time. And this adversely affects the consistency of their studies also. So the students who learn the given study materials on a regular basis are very less. Another problem faced by students during online classes is the connectivity issues. Many of them face connectivity issues, insufficient data and unfavorable environment. Even though online education permits students to sit in their comfortable environment at home, many students do not have suitable environment at home. Many families have more than one or two students at home and this is one of the reason for unfavorable environment and lack of privacy. And as per the result majority students go through mental stress.

Some educational institutions provide recorded classes to students, so that they can access them at their convenient time. And majority students prefer recorded classes than live classes so that their connectivity issues and insufficient data will not limit their learning.

While analyzing the impact of COVID 19, lockdown and online mode of education with respect to the life of students, it is evident that most of the students prefer offline education. It is good for learning, knowledge and mental health. Many students suffer from stress which is increased than pre covid times. More than learning offline classes helps the students to attain social skills by learning with their peers. To tackle this mental stress interactive counseling sessions with students, systematic scheduling of class hours and classwork will help.