City Life:-

Advantages of City Life:-

• City life has an advanced and well-equipped environment. People migrate to cities because of better job opportunities, stability and a decent income which is a lack in villages.
• Cities have a huge number of schools, colleges or universities established. Hence, the city folks get proper quality education which is a primary factor for standard living.
• Recreation and entertainment are plenty in the cities. People also get adequate opportunities to establish and showcase their talents here.
• City life provides commercialization, banking systems, and entrepreneurial businesses. This attracts more people from townships to settle in cities.
• Better transportation, sanitation, availability of water and drainage systems are seen in cities. The drainage of polluted water goes through treatment before getting dumped in lakes or rivers. This keeps a small check on pollution too.
• Medical help is at fingertips when required. There are a number of hospitals and clinics and well-equipped doctors and nurses for people in need.
• Anonymity in cities helps in escaping from the judgements of people.

Disadvantages of city life:-

• Urbanization is increasing at a rapid pace, and currently, about 30-33% of Indians lives in cities. This rate tends to be around 40% by 2030. With the high population density, the quality of life in cities is expected to degrade and become unfit for living.
• City life is a very busy one, developing every second to a better version of itself. This results in a loss of cultural qualities and flavours.
• High demand for city life has resulted in congestion. Human population has increased a lot in city areas.
• The city’s population increases day by day. This leads to an environment with polluted air, smog, unclean water supplies, noise pollution
• It follows from the previous point that an increase in pollution rates in the cities brings in more health issues. People tend to fall sick more in cities due to the polluted environment which is unfit for living.
• Unfair competition among businesses, an increase in crime rates and immorality of the people is more in the cities.
• Increase in costs and expenditure is a vital problem for city dwellers. This creates a reason for more competition for gaining wealth and hence increases stress and crimes too.

Village Life:-

Advantages of rural life:-

• A pollution-free environment is available in the rural/village areas only.
• Scenic beauty and greenery of rural areas are prominent. This also attracts tourists from around the globe.
• Rural areas have a scope for socio-economic benefits like reduction in prices of agricultural and consumer products, access to markets, public transport, employment opportunities, and better education and healthcare facilities.
• The essence of folk and culture is prominent in these areas. This defines the rural areas uniquely.

Disadvantages of rural life:-

• Lack of higher education is a backlog for rural lives. This creates the main hurdle for better standards of living.
• Rural areas have poor road connectivity. Over 40 per cent of India’s rural population remains outside the rural road network. According to the Planning Commission’s Working Group on Rural Roads, there are over 3.3 lakh rural habitations with no road connection.
• Limited medical help persists in these areas. A counted number of hospitals and even lesser doctors are available. Hence at times, people are bound to move to city areas for sustaining life.
• Rural life is difficult for women more because of lack of proper sanitation and toilets. The primary reason for this has to be the lack of educational opportunities.

Conclusion:-

• Though the city life has many disadvantages, people flock there more for its advantages.
• Improper road connectivity is one of the main reasons for stopping growth in rural areas. But the government is making situations better for rural India. The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is a step towards improving road connectivity in rural parts of the country.
• Hence, the reduction of pollution in cities and the development of roads and infrastructure in rural areas will bring a balance between the two.

• Delhi University conducted online open-book exams in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
• In open-book exams, students are allowed to have their textbooks and other approved reference materials. They can check the material while writing their answers. The ability to find, analyse and apply the information will be tested through this type of exams.
• The United States and some other countries have already implemented open-book exams in higher education. In India, the concept of open-book exams is being discussed in the past few years. Some experts are recommending these exams to reform the Indian education system. And some others are against this alternative to normal exams.
• Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has also tested open-book exams from 2014 to 2018 to make the exams suitable for all the students, who have different abilities & strengths.
• Karnataka state too tried implementing open-book exams.

Pros:

• Open-book exams can eliminate rote learning, which is deeply ingrained in the Indian education system. As they will analytical skills, students will be encouraged to be analytical & creative.
• Memory-based exams often award the students that have better memory and are a cause of worry to students, who can understand the concepts but cannot memorize. Open-book exams can be a boon for the students, who have different learning abilities.
• Without the fear of memory-based tests, students can peacefully learn concepts. At present, students are concentrating more on preparing themselves for exams rather than on conceptual understanding.
• Open-book exams can reform the method of teaching and can improve the quality of education.
• It can also eliminate cheating & copying.
• Many are of the opinion that students will just copy the content from the textbook. But the questions in open-book exams are formulated in such a way that analysing the content is required.

Cons:

• Fear of exams encourages many students to study. With open-book exams, students may not focus much on their studies.
• In India, there are many coaching centres that prepare students for various exams. They may provide model answers for all the concepts, which can be memorized. This can dilute the purpose of open-book exams.
• Memory training is also important, especially for children. Open-book exams may discourage students in memorizing even the basic things.
• As the evaluation in open-book exams will be tough, it may put even more pressure on students.
• Fear of forgetting the content will be eliminated.

Challenges:

• If students are not guided well to give open-book exams, they may just copy what is in the textbook. And it will not serve the purpose for which the exams are held.
• Training a large number of evaluators in the new evaluation method is also a challenge.
• The lack of quality teachers in India will be a serious challenge in implementing the new way of teaching. Students in some high-quality schools will be at an advantage over other students.

Conclusion:

Open-book exams can bring a revolutionary change in the Indian education system by reforming the method of teaching. But it may not be suitable for primary education and will be useful in higher education. Not just open-book exams, but testing different kinds of exams as an alternative to memory-based exams is much needed to improve the quality of our education system.

• Until recently, the impact of celebrities on youth is vastly discussed. Now, social media celebrities have more influence on people than traditional celebrities. Social media websites such as Youtube, Instagram, Twitter gave opportunities to common people to earn fame and thereby resulted in the rise of social media influencers.
• Social media influencers have a great impact on many people and especially youngsters. Even film celebrities are collaborating with influencers to promote their films.

Impact of social media influencers on youth:

• People trust social media influencers more than traditional celebrities because they are more relatable having the image of a girl/boy next door. Followers and especially youngsters feel closer to the influencers they follow because influencers interact with them frequently. And hence many youngsters follow social media influencers religiously and are influenced by what they say and promote.
• As youngsters are spending more time on social media than people of other age groups, social media influencers have more impact on youngsters than others.
• Brands are also preferring to collaborate with social media influencers over traditional celebrities due to the influence they have on youngsters, and also because the sponsored content is easily blended into the normal content of influencers. Influencer marketing is on the rise and is affecting the purchasing behaviour of youngsters. Moreover, youngsters are more likely to research the product before buying. And they will check the reviews by the influencers they follow.
• Some influencers do not mention whether the content they created is sponsored or not. They promote products for money and mislead the youngsters. A few influencers are also creating paid content in favour of political parties. As followers do not know that it is paid content, they are likely to believe it and may get influenced.
• The food habits of the youngsters are also shaping up by the influencers they follow.
• As influencers are creating attention-grabbing content, several youngsters are wasting their precious time by watching the content.
• Some influencers fake perfect bodies and perfect lives. So, some youngsters are comparing them with those influencers and are feeling insecure. This is resulting in low self-esteem, mental health issues, cosmetic surgeries and materialism. This influences identity formation too.
• Youngsters are listening to different world views and perspectives from social media influencers.
• Some social media influencers genuinely review the products they used. By watching their reviews, people are saving money and are avoiding bad purchases.
• There are so many influencers on social media that promote positive things such as body positivity, financial awareness, ethical values etc.

Way forward:

• With great power comes great responsibility. So, social media influencers should be socially responsible. They should avoid doing things that have the possibility of influencing people negatively.
• Youngsters should be aware of the influence social media influencers have on them and need to make conscious decisions. They should choose to follow genuine influencers who are ethical and socially responsible.
• Parents and teachers also have the responsibility to make their children aware of the positive and negative impact of social media celebrities on their daily lives.
• Regulations should be there on influencer marketing to mitigate the negative impact and to prevent the misuse of fame.

Conclusion:

Social media influencers have the power to impact the daily lives of youngsters. However, many young people are increasingly aware of the influence social media celebrities have. So, they can choose the good leave the bad. But, influencers have the responsibility to be ethical.

• Knowledge is essential to understand and solve problems. Confidence is necessary to take opportunities and to put the knowledge to use. So, both knowledge and confidence are important to achieve success.
• When we have knowledge, we feel confident. More knowledge often increases confidence.
• Knowledge alone may not give us success. Even if we have expertise, lack of confidence results in not utilising the knowledge, and hence wastage of resources.
• Similarly, confidence without knowledge is not helpful in many circumstances. Sometimes, overconfidence without having the appropriate knowledge results in negative consequences.
• Confidence alone is not sufficient to maintain success. To sustain the success in any field, one must work hard to gain and update the required knowledge.
• But in some situations, confidence saves us even if we have no knowledge. For example, in group discussions, if we are confident enough we can understand what other participants are saying and we can manage to form new related points. If we are not confident enough and if we feel panicked, we cannot do so.
• Sometimes more knowledge creates confusion and self-doubt. At that point, confidence helps in taking risks and in trying new things.
• Most of the successful people are confident people or at least they fake confidence to overcome self-doubt. They work hard to increase their knowledge to maintain the level of confidence.

Conclusion:

Both confidence and knowledge are essential to achieve success. However, the importance of each varies depending on the situation.

    REVOLUTION THAT HELP IN GROWTH  OF                              INDIA

By: Neha Shahab 

The white revolution or called as operation flood relates to the rapid development in milk production that took place in india mid 1960s. The name is the variation of the name Green Revolution. 

The origin can be traced by the efforts of Dr. Varghese kurein at kaira district Co operatives milk producer union situated in Anand in gujarat state. The organization is better known by the brand name popularly called as Amul. 

The operation flood was implemented in 3 phases.

1. 1970 – 80

The financed by the sale of skimmed milk powder and butter oil donated by the European union through the world food programme. the dairies were setup in delhi , Mumbai,  Chennai and Kolkata.

2 . 1980 – 85

The milk sheds were increased from 18 to 136. By the end of 1985 , 43,000 villages cooperatives and 4,250,000 milk producers were covered. Direct marketing of milk by cooperatives increased by several million litres per day.

3. 1985 – 96 

Expansion and strengthening of infrastructure. The veterinary first aid , health care services , feed for animals were improved.

It Wouldn’t be nice if you knew exactly what to do to lose weight successfully? What you need is a fitness tracker and a smart goal! S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym to remind you how to set a goal that maps out exactly what you need to do. These goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Don’t just stack up data you get from a fitness device. Use the info you track, your calories burned, food eaten, and hours slept to shape S.M.A.R.T. goals for yourself.

Here’s one example of how to do it. Look at your fitness device to see how many calories you burn a week by . Let’s say it’s 1,000 calories.

Use that data to bump up your calorie burn. For example, a S.M.A.R.T. goal is “I will walk enough to burn at least 1,250 calories through exercise this week.”

Specific. Rather than simply saying, “I’m going to exercise more,” you’ve specified how many calories you’ll burn.

https://c602e2df2c4d24406b948fbd14b87a85.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

Measurable. Your device will track the calories you burn, so you’ll be able to clearly know when you succeed.

Attainable. Since you’re already burning 1,000 calories a week through exercise, bumping it up a bit should be manageable. To burn 1,250 calories, you’ll need to add about one extra workout.

Relevant. Exercise is totally relevant to weight loss! So exercise more fits into your larger weight loss plan.

Time-bound. This is your goal for this week. Period. You can choose to pursue this goal again next week, or you can set a new goal. It’s easier to commit to a goal — and be successful — if you do it for a set amount of time.

• YOUR SKELETON IS WET
• WE HAVE EXPLORED LESS THAN 5%MOF THE OCEAN
• THE CHANCE OF YOU DYING ON YOUR BIRTHDAY IS 6.7% HIGHER THAN OTHER DAYS
• BLOOD CAN BE SUBSTITUTED FOR EGGS IN BAKING
• YOU HAVE MOST LIKELY ESCAPED DEATH IN YOUR LIFE SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY
• WASPS CAN REMEMBER PEOPLE’S FACES
• THEAVERAGE PERSON FORMS 400 FREINDSHIPS BUT ONLY 33 WILL LAST
• SOME SPECIES OF OCTOPUS EAT THEIR ARMS WHEN THEY ARE BORE
• ANCIENT ROMANS USED URINE AS A MOUTHWASH
• THE AVERAGE PERSON WALKS BY 16 MURDERERS IN THEIR LIFETIME
• YOUR BELLY BUTTON WAS YOUR MOUTH
• YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN
• A LION’S TONGUE IS SO ROUGH IT CAN LICK YOUR SKIN OFF
• YOU ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE KILLED BY A COW THAN A SHARK
• THERE ARE COLOURS HUMANS CAN’T SEE OR EVEN IMAGINE
• RED DYE IN CANDIES IS OFTEN MADE WITH CRUSHED UP BEETLES
• RIGHT THIS MOMENT, YOU ARE THE YOUNGEST AND OLDEST YOU’LL EVER BE
• A DEAD BODY CAN SWELL AND DOUBLE IN SIZE DUE TO A BUILD UP OF GASES DURING DECOMPOSTION
• THERE ARE TINY BUGS THAT LIVE ON YOUR FACE AND EAT DEAD SKIN OFF OF IT
• YOU JERK YOURSELF AWAKE WHILE SLEEPING BEACUSE YOUR BODY THINKS IT IS DEAD; YOUR BRAIN IS CHECKING IF YOU ARE ALIVE

If you’ve done your “downward dog” yoga pose today, you’re probably feeling more relaxed. Regardless of your level of yoga expertise, if you’re practicing regularly, you can feel better from head to toe.

Yoga offers physical and mental health benefits for people of all ages. And, if you’re going through an illness, recovering from surgery or living with a chronic condition, yoga can become an integral part of your treatment and potentially hasten healing. 

A yoga therapist can work with patients and put together individualized plans that work together with their medical and surgical therapies. That way, yoga can support the healing process and help the person experience symptoms with more centeredness and less distress.

1. Yoga improves strength, balance and flexibility.

Slow movements and deep breathing increase blood flow and warm up muscles, while holding a pose can build strength.

Try it: Tree Pose
Balance on one foot, while holding the other foot to your calf or above the knee (but never on the knee) at a right angle. Try to focus on one spot in front of you, while you balance for one minute. 

2. Yoga helps with back pain relief.

Yoga is as good as basic stretching for easing pain and improving mobility in people with lower back pain. The American College of Physicians recommends yoga as a first-line treatment for chronic low back pain.

Try it: Cat-Cow Pose
Get on all fours, placing your palms underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. First, inhale, as you let your stomach drop down toward the floor. Then, exhale, as you draw your navel toward your spine, arching your spine like a cat stretching. 

3. Yoga can ease arthritis symptoms.

Gentle yoga has been shown to ease some of the discomfort of tender, swollen joints for people with arthritis.

4. Yoga benefits heart health.

Regular yoga practice may reduce levels of stress and body-wide inflammation, contributing to  Several of the factors contributing to heart disease, including high blood pressure and excess weight, can also be addressed through yoga.

Try it: Downward Dog Pose
Get on all fours, then tuck your toes under and bring your sitting bones up, so that you make a triangle shape. Keep a slight bend in your knees, while lengthening your spine and tailbone.

5. Yoga relaxes you, to help you sleep better.

that a consistent bedtime yoga routine can help you get in the right mindset and prepare your body to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Try It: Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose
Sit with your left side against a wall, then gently turn right and lift your legs up to rest against the wall, keeping your back on the floor and your sitting bones close to the wall. You can remain in this position for 5 to 15 minutes. 

6. Yoga can mean more energy and brighter moods.

You may feel increased mental and physical energy, a boost in alertness and enthusiasm, and fewer negative feelings after getting into a routine of practicing yoga.

7. Yoga helps you manage stress. 

According to the National Institutes of Health, scientific evidence shows that yoga supports stress management, mental health, mindfulness, healthy eating, weight loss and quality sleep.

Try It: Corpse Pose (Savasana) 
Lie down with your limbs gently stretched out, away from the body, with your palms facing up. Try to clear your mind while breathing deeply. You can hold this pose for 5 to 15 minutes.

8. Yoga connects you with a supportive community. 

Participating in yoga classes can ease loneliness and provide an environment for group healing and support. Even during one-on-one sessions loneliness is reduced as one is acknowledged as a unique individual, being listened to and participating in the creation of a personalized yoga plan.

9. Yoga promotes better self-care. 

Scientific Research on Yoga Benefits 

The U.S. military, the National Institutes of Health and other large organizations are listening to — and incorporating — scientific validation of yoga’s value in health care.

Numerous studies show yoga’s benefits in arthritis, osteopenia, balance issues, oncology, women’s health, chronic pain and other specialties.

Abraham Lincoln, the name in itself speaks volumes. He is considered the greatest president of the United States of America. Historians and Political Scientists consistently rank him as the best American president ever. Above all, the man is renowned for ending slavery in his country. This certainly created a world-wide awareness against the evil of slavery. In the realm of social reform, he is holding a lofty status.Many surveys of the Presidents of the United States have taken place. Many scholars and experts of the United States took part in such surveys. Most noteworthy, Lincoln is always ranked in the top 3 in such surveys. Furthermore, there has been an organization of Presidential ranking polls since 1948. Abraham Lincoln certainly has the top rating in most of such polls.

Probably the most famous survey was by Chicago Tribune in 1982. There was a participation of 49 Historians and Political Scientists in that survey. These experts were to rate all the United States Presidents in five categories. The categories were: leadership, crisis management, political skills, appointments, and character/integrity. As was probably the prediction of most people, Lincoln got top place. Most noteworthy, Lincoln got top place in all the categories. This shows his magnificent historical reputation.

Many social reformers view him as a champion of liberty. He has the description of a classic liberal by historians. He is a role model to liberal intellectuals and human rights organizations. Some of his avid supporters even compare his life to Jesus Christ.

Abraham Lincoln appears on many postage stamps in the United States. His image also appears on two United States currency denominations. His sculpture on Mount Rushmore is certainly a world-class memorial. Furthermore, his other memorials include Ford’s theatre, Peterson House, and Lincoln Memorial.

The United States military greatly honors Lincoln. Many believe him to a symbol of national unity and pride. Two United States navy ships bear his name.

Abraham Lincoln was certainly a legendary American president. Probably everyone believes him to be a global icon of peace. His legacy is a powerful symbol against oppression. Above all, his greatest contribution to mankind is the emancipation of slaves. The forces of evil tried to stop him. However, his legacy became more glorious because of such attempts. Finally, his assassination took place at the hands of evil forces. However, this assassination left him as a national martyr. The name of Abraham Lincoln certainly belongs in the pages of greatness.

Lincoln taught himself law, passing the bar examination in 1836. The following year, he moved to the newly named state capital of Springfield. For the next few years, he worked there as a lawyer and serving clients ranging from individual residents of small towns to national railroad lines.

He met Mary Todd, a well-to-do Kentucky belle with many suitors (including Lincoln’s future political rival, Stephen Douglas), and they married in 1842. The Lincolns went on to have four children together, though only one would live into adulthood: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926), Edward Baker Lincoln (1846–1850), William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862) and Thomas “Tad” Lincoln (1853-1871).

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

In 1864, Lincoln faced a tough reelection battle against the Democratic nominee, the former Union General George McClellan, but Union victories in battle (especially General William T. Sherman’s capture of Atlanta in September) swung many votes the president’s way. In his second inaugural address, delivered on March 4, 1865, Lincoln addressed the need to reconstruct the South and rebuild the Union: “With malice toward none; with charity for all.”

As Sherman marched triumphantly northward through the Carolinas after staging his March to the Sea from Atlanta, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9. Union victory was near, and Lincoln gave a speech on the White House lawn on April 11, urging his audience to welcome the southern states back into the fold. Tragically, Lincoln would not live to help carry out his vision of Reconstruction.

                THE UNSETTLED DISPUTE 

By : Neha Shahab

The boundary dispute between Assam and Mizoram dates back nearly a century and a half. Monday, as firing on the inter-state boundary left at least six Assam policemen dead and over 50 individuals injured. Mizoram borders Assam’s Barak Valley, and both border Bangladesh. The boundary between the two states, which runs 165 km today, has a history dating back to the time when Mizoram was a district of Assam and known as Lushai Hills. Boundary demarcations in 1875 and 1933, particularly the second one, are at the heart of the dispute.

The 1875 demarcation, notified on August 20 that year, derived from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) Act, 1873. It differentiated Lushai Hills from the plains of Cachar in Assam’s Barak Valley. This was done in consultation with Mizo chiefs, and it became the basis for the Inner Line Reserve Forest demarcation in the Gazette two years later.

The 1933 demarcation marks a boundary between Lushai Hills and Manipur, beginning at the tri-junction of Lushai Hills, Cachar district and Manipur. The Mizos do not accept this demarcation on the ground that their chiefs were not consulted this time.

According to Mizo leaders, the only acceptable boundary is the Inner Line of 1875 on the southern frontier of Cachar, notified as per the BEFR Act. (This was subsequently revised in 1878 as it sought to demarcate the Lushai Hills frontier from the plains of Assam.

The dispute has been simmering since Mizoram became a Union Territory in 1972 and then a state in the 1980s. The two states signed an agreement that status quo should be maintained at no-man’s land set up in the boundaries. While alleged transgressions have often happened over the decades, skirmishes have happened very frequently in recent months.

While Assam sees its claimed boundary as transgressed, Mizoram cites unilateral moves by Assam inside Mizoram territory. It alleges that in June last year, Assam officials entered Mamit district and visited some farms; that miscreants entered Kolasib district and burnt down two farm huts; and that Assam officials visited the inter-state border between Vairengte (Mizoram) and Lailapur (Assam) and crossed the duty post manned by the CRPF. Mizoram claims that both Assam and Mizoram authorities have undertaken construction work at Buarchep village of Mizoram, and that the Home Ministry is aware of all these issues.

Last October, Assam Police officers allegedly visited Saihapui ‘V’ in Mizoram and threatened to blockade the inter-state highway. Later that month, the inter-state highway as well as the National Highway connecting the two states was blockaded by individuals at Lailapur in Assam. In November, bombs exploded at Upper Phainuam Lower Primary School in Mizoram. A peace meeting was held between the two states.

In recent months, several huts and small shops have been torched, and violent clashes have taken place on issues as petty as claims over betel nut cultivation, with plantations belonging to two residents of Mizoram allegedly set ablaze. There have been clashes between villagers of Lailapur and Vairengte, and between residents of Karimganj (Assam) and Mamiut (Mizoram).