The Organic Evolution: How Did The Current Biodiversity Reached Its Present Form

We see the actual spirit of diversity in Nature.But have things always been like this, barring a few minor change-in-scenes, since times immemorial? If not, how did and how much has life forms changed? So, let’s find out from where all this started.

The Beginning: Life on Earth

After formation, Earth was not exactly suitable for housing or nurturing any kind of organisms. After undergoing drastic changes -including solidification of crust, formation and accumulation of various gases (like nitrogen,ammonia,methane,oxygen,hydrogen etc.) in the atmosphere, gradual development of ozone layer and formation of water molecules- Earth became close to be able to support even the most basic forms of ‘life’.

The earliest organic forms, though did not really satisfy our definition of life, but are considered to be the most basic forms of living cells.Experiments by Stanley Miller (1953), Sidney Fox and Oparin (1936), gave the world some theories about the formation of living organisms. Another mention worthy point is that the first life forms originated in water, as for the longest time, Earth was what we can imagine as a giant sea, with no signs of land whatsoever. These organic forms might have developed into self replicating units, then into primitive organisms and at later stages, resulted into some distinct type of chlorophyll synthesizing bacteria, some 2.5-2.3 billion years ago. This gradual process of arising of life from non-living matter (such as simple organic compounds) is termed as abiogenesis.

Evolution of chlorophyll occured around 600 million years ago. With that, the production of oxygen and ozone (after chemical conversion under suitable circumstances) sped up and gradually accumulated in the atmosphere. Ozone layering encased the surface of Earth and provided protection against UV rays, which is detrimental for living organisms. Before that, all organisms developed in deep water, which provided protection against the UV rays. Only after the formation of ozone layer did life flourished on land surface.

The Precambrian age, that last from 4600 to 542 million years old, has very few fossil records. Hence, such a large period of time is not subdivided into further categories in terms of biological evolution. The fossil of this period mainly of cellular organisms.The first living organisms are believed to have developed around 3.8-3.6 billion years ago, from the primitive organic soup (accumulation of large number of complex organic molecule assemblages). Around 3.5 billion years ago,first organisms with prokaryotic cells (cells without true nucleus and having a rudimentary cell structure) are believed to have developed. Those cells were at similar cell complexity level like the present day bacteria.Skip to 2.4 billion years later, the eukaryotic cells are supposed to have developed. For the longest period of time, only unicellular life forms flourished on Earth. Then,evidences indicated that, around 700 million years ago, the first signs of multicellular organisms were traced. Since then, there has been a steady flow of evolution.

The ‘Complex’ Evolution

The Cambrian period (542- 488.3 million years) is considered to be a milestone in evolution. Even the fossils have records from around 600 million years ago. It is widely assumed that around 600 million years ago, organisms had developed to be able to leave fossilized records. The transition of life forms from water to land had supposedly begun around 500 million years, when plants started growing on land.Later different varieties of plants and animals populated the lands.

The Carboniferous period was an important landmark, which lasted from about 359 to 299 million years in the past, is an important landmark in the journey of evolutionary history. The environ domain was actively dynamic during that period. Humid and warm climate, swampy large areas, changes in sea levels, flood, mud and sand were deposited over the vegetations, etc.

Due to compaction and incomplete decomposition of plant material in swamps, they converted into peat bogs, and then, into coal. Hence the name carboniferous. In the late Carboniferous period (about 300 million years) tropical rainforests were present in the equator region of Euramerica. Later, ferns replaced the forests, which are present even today.These vascular plants are without seeds as they do not produce flowers and fruits, and are generally found in temperate to tropical parts of Earth. These plants can be mainly divided into stem, leaves and true root; reproduction being facilitated through special structures, known as sporangia (singular:sporangium), that contain spores, which are dispersed into different mediums and germinates on coming in contact with the soil with suitable conditions.

Next period in the geological time scale in the Permian period, which started off around 299 million years ago. This period witnessed major altering activities in the continental lithosphere (which are broken into tectonic plates) starting from the joining of Euramerica, Asia and Gondwana led to the formation of a single landmass called Pangea (Greek translation: All lands), which is considered to be a supercontinent. In terms of ecology, this period was mainly dominated by forests of conifers and tree ferns,large amphibians and reptiles habituating them, and a huge variety of fish and shellfish in the ocean. But, at the end of Permian period, a mass extinction took place, commonly referred to as the ‘Great Dying’. It occured around around 252 million years ago, and wiped out about 90% of all the species present on Earth.Also, trilobites (meaning: three lobes), which a group of arthropod (a group of invertebrate animals with exoskeleton, segmented body, and appendages) and sea scorpions, which had survived the tides of oceans and time for hundreds of million of years, went extinct.

Next in the line, the Triassic period had set off around 240 million years ago.It is believed that true mammals first evolved during this period, more precisely, during late Triassic period. Also, a specialized subgroup of Therapsids, which is a group of reptile-like animals that included mammals and their ancestors, also evolved. Early Therapsids demonstrated traits of the present day mammals, such as erect posture. First flying vertebrate animals are supposed to have originated around 215 million years ago, and lasted for 150 million years, vanishing at the end of the Cretaceous period. Another mention worthy occurence in the Triassic period timeline is the splitting of Pangea into two separate land masses. The northern one was named Laurasia and the southern one, Gondwana. Primitive forms of dinosaurs are said to have emerged around 231.4 million years ago.

The Jurassic period is known as the ‘Age of Reptiles’, as they were present in abundance and had a diverse variation throughout this period. The land animals included Stegosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Brachiosaurus and Allosaurus. The oceans were traversed by Ichthyosaurus and Plesiosaurus and the skies are believed to be dominated by the likes of Rhamphorhynchus and Archeopteryx. This period coincided with the emergence of first mammals and birds.

The Cretaceous period, which started around 145 million years ago, is geologically characterized by separation of India from Gondwanaland, formation of Andes and Rocky mountains, and extensive volcanic activities. Dinosaurs dominated the face of Earth and were of different types. They lived through a period of 135 million years, that is , throughout the Jurassic and Createceuos period. The Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction is considered to be the main cause of dinosaurs disappearing from Earth. An important claim by the scientists, on the basis of fossil records, is that the birds evolved from the Theropod dinosaurs, and the development took place in the Jurassic period. Some birds lived through the extinction and their descendents continue to live presently. This period also marks the appearance of angiosperms; plants that could produce flowers.

Next chapter

The next major development in the course of evolution is considered to be the evolution of humans. But that’s a story for another day. As for our evolution is anything but simple and short. As Carlo Rovelli said in his book, Seven Brief Lesson of Physics: “We are a species which is naturally moved by curiosity, the only one left of a group of species (the genus Homo) made up of a dozen equally curious species. The other species in the group have already become extinct; some, like the Neanderthals, quite recently, roughly thirty thousand years ago. It is a group of species which evolved in Africa, akin to the hierarchical and quarrelsome chimpanzees — and even more closely akin to the bonobos, the small, peaceful, cheerfully egalitarian and promiscuous type of chimps. A group of species which repeatedly went out of Africa in order to explore new worlds, and went far: as far, eventually, as Patagonia — and as far, eventually, as the moon.

It is not against our nature to be curious: it is in our nature to be so.”

Website References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abiogenesis

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/9344668-we-are-a-species-which-is-naturally-moved-by-curiosity

Bibliography

Extinctions: No Comebacks by M.A. Haque

Hunger Games of the government…

The government holds too much power. This is very well portrayed in the Hunger Games a book trilogy written by American author Suzanne Collins later made into a science fiction dystopian film series. The story is basically how the government has too much power over the lives of common man, how and why it is so wrong. The story is takes place in the fictional country that goes by the name of Panem. It consists of 12 districts that have been assigned various disciplines under which the people of the district work. Naming a few, district 3 specializes in technology, district 11 in agriculture, district 12 in coal mining. District 12 being the smallest and the poorest. All these districts are forced to produce the assigned goods and no have no freedom. The Capitol is the government who enjoy all the riches and luxury while the other districts starve to death. The Capitol, for the sole purpose of entertainment, organises this game annually where two teenagers- a male and a female are forced to participate, locked in an area and have to fight each other to death. The one who survives is declared the winner.

On the big screen we may find it interesting but more interestingly the series is the best depiction of communism. We know that our government always wants to suppress us and gain full control over our lives. Hence this book or the movie series is a good way to give us some lesson in an entertaining manner.

The government’s control over the goods production in a district and no freedom of their own reminds us of the real world example of North and South Korea. Everyone is aware of the situation here. People in North Korea have no freedom it is only the governmental control over their lives and henceforth people are starving. On the contrary, South Korea is thriving. Former Soviet Union couldn’t find a permanent position due to the same reasons. It had too much control over the people and the people suffered. A government cannot work without the cooperation of its people. History holds records of how such controlling government led to their own decline. Panem government violates its people’s basic rights resulting in poverty and starvation and later a rebellion.

The Hunger Games also shows how the upper class lives in luxury in contrast to the middle class lives. It shows how the people of district 1 enjoy all the facilities and live a posh life. They do not have to wait in lines for hours to manage some food for the family. This demonstrates real life situation where the rich are getting richer and the poor even poorer. The government might show us false hope but it is the lower class people who are the fools. The horrors of communism in this book/movie is a good way to let the younger generation realise the truth about the world. Also teach us lessons to be smarter.

Thank you for reading. Have a nice day!

Space Opera: A Virtual World

Science fiction is for real, space opera is for fun – Brian W. Aldiss

SPACE OPERA is a subtype of science fiction which is colourful, dramatic, large-scale and full of scientific adventures, which usually focuses on unreal imagination that has a heroic central character and plot action. It is usually set in the relatively distant future, in space or on other planets. It often involves war, piracy, military virtues, and a very large scale action. In space opera, characters are displayed with powerful energy weapons and other advanced technology. There is a difference between Science Fiction and Space Opera. Science Fiction is generic literature which involves a generalization of scientific, engineering or social theories in futuristic ways in terms of settings, science and technology, space and time travel, parallel universe etc. whereas space opera is simply convectional drama in a futuristic or otherwise science-fiction-like setting. Some popular space opera includes THE MASSIVE FRANCHISE, STAR WARS and other films such as BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and BATTLEFIELD EARTH. Space Opera is a story in which science fiction elements are not critical to the plot and could be replaced by planetary equivalents. It usually emphasizes the effect of progress and inventions where the settings are carefully worked out to obey the laws of Physics, Cosmology, Mathematics, Astronomy and Biology. The thrilling experience of space opera with full of space adventures is stupendous for every sci-fi lover. The most famous representatives of space opera are:

E.E. “Doc” Smith

Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

Isaac Asimov

C.J. Cherryh

Orson Scott Card

Dan Simmons

Kevin J. Anderson

Michael F. Flynn

Ann Leckie etc.

Current conventions of space opera:

“there is no general agreement as to what [space opera] is, which writers are the best examples, or even which works are space opera”

what used to be science fantasy is now a space opera is entirely forgotten.”

-Hartwell and Kramer

The conventions of space opera have changed quite dramatically over time, and its audience has expanded enormously, peaking with video media like Star Trek and Star Wars.

Apart from the only imagination, we might be surprised that we are also living in a space opera World that does exist without realising it. The best example of it could be none other than the concept of ‘Aliens’, ‘UFOs’ and other supernatural powers that we are not aware of. It’s been for years since we’ve been hearing about UFOs entering our planet, about Aliens and moreover, scientists have also been talking much about the existence of Aliens as well! We have been talking about it all without realizing that all of this has become a part of our universe now. Variety of games about spaceships, aliens have been made until now, which in a way shows us how we are living in a space opera universe. Some news has been flashed out on TV screens about caught of Alien, bizarre creatures, unseen paranormal signs from different places of the World that are sufficient to explain our living in a real space opera World.

Mass Extinctions: The Troughs of Biological Evolutionary History

With 2020 turning out to be a very abysmal year, complete with natural disasters and pandemic, I’m positive that many of us, at some point in time, have heard, seen or shared jokes about how the ‘end’ is approaching. Though it doesn’t intimidate our dear Earth,as it already has some experience in witnessing the wiping out of most of the life forms, then, in habitation. Infact, this occurrence, known as mass extinction, has been a part of evolutionary history for several times. So, now the question arises; who, when, how and also, how many times? Let’s find out.

Introduction

Earth is believed to be approximately 4 billion years old, which gives ample time to geological and biological evolution. The compilation of all those changes and evolutions structure the present day Earth, aside the anthropogenic modifications. And some of the major events of the evolutionary history of Earth are mass extinction. That’s right. Even the destruction of species after species has contributed to the shaping of Earth’s present.

The Catastrophes: Mass Extinction

Extinction is a natural phenomenon that takes place due to changes in the environment. Complete disappearance of a species is its extinction. A species is a group of organisms with similar biological, physiological and anatomical characteristics and which can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. The species which cannot adapt with the environmental changes, cannot evolve with subsequent reproduction or cannot reproduce fast enough to keep up with the decline of their population, perish and become extinct.

A typical species becomes extinct within 10 million years of its first appearance. It is estimated that 99.9% of all species that ever habituated Earth are now extinct.

Mass extinction is referred to as the event which results in the simultaneous extinction of a large number of species present on Earth. These events resulted in severe reduction in the number of organisms in a short amount of time and also decreased the speciation. Hence, the rate of reproduction slowed down, and eventually led to the extinction. It is identified by sharp change in diversity and abundance of organisms.

Mass extinction has some special characteristics:.

It took place over a short span of time and were quite intense
It was a global phenomenon and included a large diversity of organisms
Extinctions were believed to be more severe in case of marine organisms
It is considered that plant species are more resistant to extinction than animals.

Mass extinction evidences can be found in fossils trapped in rocks and rock layers, which had been deposited on Earth’s surface for billions of years. On the basis of the incomplete fossil records, 5 major mass extinctions have been identified. In the descending order of age, they are:

Ordovician- Silurian Mass Extinction/Late Ordovician Mass Extinction (450-440 million years ago) at Ordovician-Silurian transition

In May 2020, studies suggested that due to global warming, caused mainly due to volcanism and anoxia, killed off 27% of all families, 57% of all genera and 60%-70% of all the species.49-60% of marine genera and nearly 85% of marine species were eliminated. There were two main causal events. In terms of percentage of genera becoming extinct, these are regarded as the second largest of the five major extinctions.

The LOME is considered to have occurred in two distinct pulses, one at the boundary of the between Katian and Hirnantian stages of the Late Ordovician Period. The second pulse occurred in the later half of the Hirnantian stage, and is associated with intense worldwide anoxia(oxygen depletion) and euxinia (toxic sulfide production), persisting through the Rhuddanian age of Silurian period.

The other plausible causes that were/are debated are glaciation, toxic metal poisoning, gamma-ray burst and weathering

Late Devonian Mass Extinction (375-364 million years ago) near the Devonian- Carboniferous transition

A prolong series of extinction resulted in elimination of 19%of all families, 50% of all genera and at least 70% of all species. It might have lasted for as long as 20 million years.The beginning and end of this period is marked by Kellwasser event and Hangenberg event respectively. According to Late Devonian sedimentary records, it was a period of several environmental changes, which might have directly affected biodiversity and caused extinction. Evidence of rate of carbon burial shooting up and widespread anoxia at ocean bottoms have been discovered. Possible triggers of these changes are:

Asteroid impact
Supernovae event, which lead to drastic drop in atmospheric ozone ultimately resulting in genetic material damage due to UV rays.
Plant evolution and expansion
Weathering due to plant evolution, which caused drastic changes in nutrients cycles. That, in turn, led to deposition of surplus nutrients in water bodies, leading to eutrophication and subsequent anoxia.
Reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide, again due to evolution of plants
Magmatism

Permian Triassic Mass Extinction/ Great Dying (252 million years ago) at Permian-Triassic transition

It is considered to be the most severe extinction in the evolutionary history of Earth. About 96% of all marine species and 70% of terrestrial vertebrates went extinct. In case of insects, 57% of all biological families and 83% of all genera faced extinction.

Evidence of about 1 to 3 pulses/phases of extinction are identified. The potential causes that had been identified include:

Meteor impact event(s)
Massive volcanic eruptions
Climate changes due to large production of methane
Sea level changes
Increasing anoxia
Increasing aridity
Hydrogen sulfide emission

End Triassic Mass Extinction (201 million years ago) at Triassic-Jurassic transition

In marine biodiversity, a whole class(conodonts) and 23-24% genera went extinct. The terrestrial organisms which suffered extinction include archosauromorphs (excluding crocodylomorphs, pterosaurs) and some dinosaurs went extinct. Groups like aetosaurs, phytosaurs etc., which were previously abundant, went extinct. The Jurassic age saw a diverse evolution of dinosaurs and pterosaurs.

The possible causes of this mass extinction include:

Gradual climate change, sea-level fluctuations or a pulse of oceanic acidification, decreasing diversity of land biomes
Trend of increasing aridification
Drop in sea level
Extraterrestrial causes; includes impact from an asteroid or comet
Volcanic eruptions

Cretaceous Tertiary Mass Extinction (65 million years ago) at Cretaceous-Paleogene transition

This extinction is responsible for about 80% of all species of animals, including all the dinosaurs and many marine invertebrates. It also includes a range of fishes, mammals,pterosaurs and plesiosaurs, amongst other groups of animals. The main trigger for this extinction is considered to be asteroid impacts. This period recorded several large asteroid impacts.This hypothesis is further solidified by unusually high levels of iridium in the rocks of that period, which is usually not available on the surface of earth.

As the after effect of this extinction,’impact winter’ was set into motion. Due to all the ash, dust and other matter that were dispersed in the atmosphere due to the asteroid impacts, blocked out sunlight for a long period of time.As a result, plants could not effectively perform photosynthesis, and keep up the oxygen level in the atmosphere. It also resulted in shortage of food for animals. The worst hit animals were the dinosaurs, due to their massive size.The smaller animals, on the other hand, strived with storage food and lesser oxygen, and thrived after the danger passed.Other calamities induced were tsunamis, earthquakes and increased volcanic activities.

Apart from these, scientists have identified several other minor extinctions, with the help of fossil and petrological records.

Holocene Extinction: Living through History

At present, we are living through an extinction referred to as Holocene extinction or Anthropocene Extinction, which is considered to be the sixth major mass extinction. It is, needless to say, majorly a result of human activities. The current rate of extinction of species is 100 to 1000 times higher than the natural rate of extinction. The direct causes include hunting, deforestation, pollution, introduction of non native species in various diverse geographical regions etc.

If this doesn’t give mankind the wakeup call that it direly needs, I don’t know what would.

Websites referred:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction_event

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_extinction

FREUDIAN PERSONALITY ANALYSIS

Human Personality is a complex combination of wide ranging emotions and traits.The development of human being is lifelong and hence personality development too is lifelong.Thus the personality of human beings is neither static nor simple to understand.Various Psychologists have come up with their own theories to explain Personalities ranging from Humanistic to Cognitive perspectives.

Sigmund Freud is considered as the father of psychology and he proposed the controversial Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory of personality.The analysis is accepted and criticized with the same fervour. So lets look deep into Freudian Personality Analysis.

According to Sigmund Freud, human personality is complex and has more than a single component. According to Freud,Childhood traumas play a major role in personality development.In his famous psychoanalytic theory, Freud states that personality is composed of three elements known as the id, the ego, and the superego. These elements work together to create complex human behaviors.Each component adds its own unique contribution to personality and the three interact in ways that have a powerful influence on an individual. Each element of personality emerges at different points in life.

1.ID:The id is driven by the pleasure principle, which strives for immediate gratification of all desires, wants, and needs. If these needs are not satisfied immediately, the result is a state anxiety or tension. For example, an increase in hunger should produce an immediate attempt to eat .It is the unconscious aspect of thinking.

2.EGO:The ego operates based on the reality principle, which strives to satisfy the id’s desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways. The reality principle weighs the costs and benefits of an action before deciding to act upon or abandon impulses.In many cases, the id’s impulses can be satisfied through a process of delayed gratification—the ego will eventually allow the behavior, but only in the appropriate time and place.

3.SUPEREGO:The superego has two parts: The conscience which includes information about things that are viewed as bad by parents and society. These behaviors are often forbidden and lead to bad consequences, punishments, or feelings of guilt and remorse And the Second Part,The Ego ideal which includes the rules and standards for behaviors that the ego aspires to.Basically The superego tries to perfect and civilize our behavior. It works to suppress all unacceptable urges of the id and struggles to make the ego act upon idealistic standards rather that upon realistic principles. The superego is present in the conscious, pre conscious, and unconscious.

So,According to Freud, the key to a healthy personality is a balance between the id, the ego, and the superego.If the ego is able to adequately moderate between the demands of reality, the id, and the superego, a healthy and well-adjusted personality emerges. Freud believed that an imbalance would lead to a maladaptive personality.

Freud basically studies the interaction between Id,Ego and Super Ego using five Psychosexual stages of development where in the individual’s personality develops in a particular stage only if there is a balance between the three elements.The Freudian Psychosexual Stages of Development are as follows:

Oral (0 – 2years of age): Fixation on all things oral. If not satisfactorily met there is the likelihood of developing negative oral habits or behaviors.
Anal (2 to 3 years of age): As indicated this stage is primarily related to developing healthy toilet training habits.
Phallic (3 – 5 year of age): The development of healthy substitutes for the sexual attraction boys and girls have toward a parent of the opposite gender.
Latency (5 – 12 years of age): The development of healthy dormant sexual feelings for the opposite sex.
Genital (12 – adulthood): All tasks from the previous four stages are integrated into the mind allowing for the onset of healthy sexual feelings and behaviors.

Thus due to the sexualization of Personality Theory,Freud was highly criticized.Some Neo Freudians like Erikson and Adler came up with new and more realistic personality theories.This does not apply to everyone.It is just one of the way of studying the personality of a human being.

Non Conventional Career Options:Science Stream

Medical and Engineering are most sought after courses after 12th Science in India.Parents and the society are the major contributors to this mentality in our country. Thousands of students flock examination centers to write prestigious NEET/JEE irrespective of whether they are interested or not.

Does this mean these are the only options available to students choosing the Science Stream?The Answer is NO.In Today’s advanced world there are plethora of career and course options for students to pursue and achieve success.In this blog we look at some of the prominent and promising non conventional career options in science stream.Lets get started!

1)PSYCHOLOGY

Psychologists study the complex ways that people think, behave, feel, communicate, and perceive the world around them. Some psychologists focus on clinical work with patients, while others devote themselves to researching the nuances of psychological behavior; in any case, psychology is a vast discipline, with numerous career options to choose from. Students who complete graduate-level psychology degrees have great job opportunities. An MSc degree may lead to jobs as research and clinical assistants, while a doctorate is a necessity for those who wants to work with patients in a clinical setting and also to move into a research or an academic position. Many degree programs allow students to focus on a specialty area, including child development, abnormal psychology, counseling, social psychology, and cognition.The opportunities in research under this field are limitless.Psychology is a hot subject in developed nations like The United States and The United Kingdom where this course is sought after and valued.

2)FORENSIC SCIENCE

Forensic science is the application of scientific knowledge and methodology to criminal investigations and legal problems. Forensic Science is a multidisciplinary subject, it encompasses various fields of science such as chemistry, biology, physics, geology, psychology, social science, engineering, etc.Forensic science is used every around the world to protect public and society, to enforce criminal laws and regulations and to resolve civil problems.Various universities in India offer certificate, bachelor and master courses in Forensic Science. After the master degree is successfully completed , then the student can even go for a Doctoral Degree course in Forensic Sciences.Jobs are offered in government as well as private sectors.

3)Agricultural SCIENCES

Agriculture as a field is not just about the traditional aspects related to farming and irrigation. The focus is now shifted to various other dimensions like Horticulture, Poultry Farming, Pisciculture, Dairy Farming, Agricultural Biotechnology,Agronomy etc. Agriculture is also being commercialized as proper attention is being paid to the marketing, distribution, and packaging of its output. It’s possible to pursue a postgraduate degree programme in agriculture related subject which will broaden the scope such as specializing in agronomy, soil sciences, horticulture, plant breeding and genetics, entomology, plant pathology, animal sciences, plant biochemistry, agriculture economics, biotechnology etc. Masters in various above listed Agriculture programs is a 2-year course.This course can be taken up by a candidate who holds a BSc degree in agriculture/ horticulture/ forestry from a recognized university with some qualifying marks.Job opportunities are available both in Government as well as Private Sectors.

4)Aviation industry

The aviation sector is one of the most attractive and best-paid sectors in the economy. In India, The civil aviation industry is a larges domestic market in the economy.The commercial pilot is one the most glamorous and most rewarding job in the Aviation industry. Apart from the theoretical knowledge, a candidate must have practical knowledge to become a commercial pilot. A Commercial pilot must train to get a Commercial Pilot license in order to secure a job in the aviation sector. A commercial pilot or Ferry Pilot will have many chances of getting placed in both Governments and Private Airlines & chattered flights.The interested candidate must be fluent in English,medically fit and must have learnt Maths and Physics in High School.

5)Visual communication

Visual Communication is a combination of illustration and graphic design from a marketing perspective with great emphasis on screen-based workmanship.It involves digital marketing and business identity design , logos, animation, photography, web design, illustration, packaging design, art direction, and most degrees will also have a theory dissertation. It contains all the information to help one become a Graphic Designer, with a scope that allows to to specialize with more flexibility than a degree in design.In short, visual communication is an amazing field with unlimited growth potential. They get hefty pay.Further, with experience, your earnings are bound to increase.

These are just a few options listed from a sea of options.The aim of this blog is to make readers aware that the bucks do not stop at Engineering or Medicine.There are umpty number of career options to choose from and succeed.Everyone can not find happiness within the conventional options imposed by the society.Times are changing and so should our mentality.Students should be encouraged to follow their passion and pursue courses they want.Sky is the limit!

Do like the blog,if you all found it to be useful!

Thankyou!

Stay Happy~

Music Therapy:A Novel Therapy

Did you ever feel that therapy involves talk by a psychologist and nothing else could come under the domain of therapy?If your answer is yes,Then you are wrong!!Well times have changed my reader~

Therapies have come a long way to incorporate other clinically approved methods such as animal assisted therapy,food therapy,aroma therapy etc.Music Therapy is one clinically developed program by psychologists to assist speedy healing of their clients.In this blog,the readers would be introduced to the world of Music therapy.So lets get started!

WHAT IS MUSIC THERAPY?

Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.It is is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. After assessing the strengths and needs of each client, the qualified music therapist provides the indicated treatment including creating, singing, moving to, and/or listening to music.

Through musical involvement in the therapeutic context, clients’ abilities are strengthened and transferred to other areas of their lives.This therapy also provides avenues for communication that can be helpful to those who find it difficult to express themselves in words. Research in music therapy supports its effectiveness in many areas especially emotional rehabilitation.

History

You all will be shocked to know that both world wars were the trigger that initiated the development of this therapy.During and after both World Wars, doctors and clinicians began to realize the powerful effects that music has on the healing process and requested that professional musicians be hired by the hospitals.This therapy first got officially recognized in the Michigan state university of the United States of America.Ultimately,The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) was formed which focuses on creating more awareness about this wonderful therapy.

BENEFITS

Music therapy can benefit many individuals. The diverse nature of music means it can be applied in the treatment of concerns both physical and psychological.Since music can evoke positive emotions and improve brain health,Music therapy is said to manage and alleviate symptoms of mental health concern such as Depression, Mood issues,Anxiety,Schizophrenia,Substance abuse,Autism,Personality issues,Insomnia,Dementia etc.

In addition,Music therapy can improve the social,cognitive,emotional and motor functioning.This therapy was also effective in controlling patient’s situation in Alzheimer’s,Cancer and Hypertension.

Music therapy is frequently administered to reduce stress levels and pain perception of females in labor.This novel therapy has also been linked with improvements in self-esteem, self-concept, verbal communication, prosocial behavior, socialization skills, group cohesion, and coping skills.

Limitations

Even the most beautiful things have flaws,and so has music therapy.One of the major drawback is that this therapy cannot be used as a stand-alone therapy.The music therapy is also known as music assisted therapy implying it’s sole purpose is to assist the main therapy applied by the clinician on the client to produce fast results and relief.

Also,the music therapy like all other therapies is individualized.This is not a major drawback but should be kept in mind before going in for this option.All individuals are unique and so is their taste in music.Thus the therapist has to do additional tests to see which type of music and musical instrument works better for the client.

ALWAYS REMEMBER,WHERE WORDS FAIL,MUSIC SPEAKS…..

Thus in short we need to know that music therapy is a wonderful form of therapy which strengthens an individual and increases his/her quality of life.Choose Music for a better Life!

Do give a like,if you all found this article to be Interesting!

Thankyou!

Stay Knowledgeable!

ONLINE EDUCATION PROS V/S CONS

The Majestic year 2020 is marked by two major events.One is the Onset of the worst pandemic that the entire world is reeling under and the other as the title suggests is Online learning!

The Use of Online Learning or E Learning has skyrocketed in the recent times as the only mode of education in a social distancing setup.Indeed it is a necessity as education cannot be put to rest halting the progress of millions of students.As a coin has two sides,similarly online form of education has it’s own perks and drawbacks.So lets find out more!READ MORE

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Online schooling is a popular alternative to attending a brick-and-mortar college or university. Though online students don’t get the face-to-face experiences of a typical on-campus student, there are many benefits and advantages to online learning, also known as distance learning or e-learning.

While not every program or school imaginable has an online option, a large number of them do, and many programs are nationally or regionally accredited. Students can learn through online lectures, projects and discussions. Online degree programs are available at every level, from certificates to doctorates.

Owing to the Covid situation,organisations that used to vouch for traditional methods of education are now radically shifting towards online education because there is no other alternative.Earlier online education used to be an alternative, now it is the only choice for those who want to desperately continue their education.

When Online Education is the new reality,it is very essential to keep in mind it’s advantages and disadvantages to take maximum benefits out of it and also minimize stress levels.

ADVANTAGES

-Convenient Learning:It can be undertaken anywhere ranging from a tiny corner in the living room to a study table in the bedroom and without a particular dress code(still modest dressing is expected).

-No Infrastructure:No physical infrastructure such as building,classrooms and benches are required for online education.

-Less Travelling: In Online classes there is no need to undertake strenuous travelling routines as students can attend the classes from the comfort of their homes.

-Recordings:Unlike the Traditional Systems,Online Education system provides an option of class recording and hence students can re watch the class recordings to make concepts clear.

-Virtual Reality(VR):Teachers in the online mode can make use of Virtual Reality Techniques to make students understand complex topics in an interesting way.

DISADVANTAGES

-Motivation:The laid back nature of the online classes do not provide much motivation to the students.Students do not take online classes to be as serious as classroom and thus do not pay attention.

-Lack of Concrete Assessments:Online mode of education has so far not been promising for people with theoretical subjects as it is difficult to conduct heavy exams here.

-No practicals:People Who study medicine,chemistry and physics an understand how bad this can be!There are certain subjects which cannot be simply taught,practicals and experiments have to be performed to further the understanding.Online education does not support this.

-Stress on health:The negative impacts of online mode of education on the health of the students is indisputable!Several students have complained of migraines,back aches,eye pain and so forth.Students psychologically too have not been able to cope up with the sudden shift and are suffering.

Thus,Online mode of education is a tricky one and should be suitable for certain conditions,Since it is the only alternative now, educationists and policy makers should study the pros and cons to make amends in the present online education structure to suit the demands of students.We have to always remember that Education is fruitful only when it reaches learners effectively!

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12 Great Inventions you didn’t know were made in INDIA

Indian inventions and discoveries have been instrumental in shaping the face of the current modern world. I have picked 12 such interesting findings out of a whole bunch that will make you go, “I didn’t know that”.

Shampoo

The word ‘Shampoo’ is derived from chāmpo (चाँपो). It was initially used as a head massage oil for the Nawabs of Bengal during the Mughal Empire around 1762. It evolved into shampoo over the years. Yes, you have India to thank for shampoo.

Buttons

Buttons were first used in Mohenjo-daro for ornamental purpose rather than for fastening. They were first used in the Indus Valley Civilization by 2000 BCE.

The Chess Game

Chess developed out of Chaturanga, which is an ancient strategy board game developed during the Gupta Empire in India around the 6th century AD. Now you know why Vishwanathan Anand is such a pro. It is simply in our roots.

Ruler / Scale

11 Online Rulers To Use When You Can't Find A Physical One

Rulers were first used by the Indus Valley Civilization prior to 1500 BCE. Made of ivory, the rulers found during excavation, reveal the amazing accuracy of decimal subdivisions on it.

Radio / Wire-less Communication

Why India has only 179 community radio stations instead of the ...

We all know that Marconi received a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1909 for contribution to the development of wireless telegraphy. But the first public demonstration of radio waves for communication was made by Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose in 1895, two years prior to Marconi’s similar demonstration in England.

Sir Bose was posthumously credited (more than a century later) for his achievement. The fact remains that this discovery truly shaped the face of modern wireless communication.

Ink

Many ancient cultures and civilizations independently discovered and prepared ink for writing purposes. The source of carbon pigment used in Indian Ink (called musi) used in ancient India, was India. Since 4th century BC, the practice of writing with ink with a sharp pointed needle was common in South India.

Flush in Toilets

Why Toddlers Go Potty at Day Care but Not at Home

Flush toilets were first used in the Indus Valley Civilization. These existed in most homes and were connected to a sophisticated sewage mechanism. The civilization was prominent in hydraulic engineering.

Diamond Mining

Worldwide, India was the only source of diamonds until the discovery of mines in Brazil in the 18th century. Almost 5000 years ago, diamonds were first recognized and mined in central India.

Cotton – so basically we clothed the World!

Cotton-Ancient and Modern Fiber | Memory Foam Mattress

The ancient Greeks used to wear animal skins and were not even aware of cotton. But Indians were sort of cool and started cultivating cotton during the 5th – 4th millennium BCE in the Indus Valley Civilization. The word spread to the Mediterranean and beyond and soon everyone was ordering one from Flipkart. Well, pretty much.

Steel and Metal Works

How to build a working iron man suit! - YouTube

Ancient Indians were pioneers in metallurgy. High quality steel was produced, almost two thousand years before it was understood by the West. One of the most remarkable feat in metallurgy: creating a seamless celestial globe, was invented in Kashmir. It was earlier considered impossible to create a metal globe without seams.

So thanks to India, Iron Man can wear his suit now.

Plastic Surgery & Cataract Surgery

Geetika Swami on Twitter: "Sushruta,father of Plastic surgery ...

Yes, you heard it right. Indians were pioneers in Plastic Surgery and Cataract surgery, too. It was carried out in India as early as 2000 BCE by Rishi Sushruta also known as the father of surgery.

Snakes & Ladders

The game, Snakes & Ladders, was invented in India as a game of morals. Later it spread to England and eventually introduced in the USA by game pioneer Milton Bradley in 1943.

Being one of the oldest civilizations in the world, complete with a rich history and culture as well as a strong and long scientific and technological tradition, it comes as no surprise that many significant inventions have come out of INDIA.

Who delivers the Amazon cardboard boxes???

Cardboard boxes that have been used for generations and thrived in the age of e-commerce continue to flourish or could the cardboard box be facing a new challenger? Cardboard boxes are a very big deal within the U.S. The United States is the Saudi Arabia of trees. Someone’s going to make the first box and that’s almost inevitably a mill generally in the Southeast United States. China certainly doesn’t have trees and India the extent they do have trees they’re not necessarily the right types of trees and shouldn’t be dedicated towards making boxes for us. The box business grew rapidly up through 1999 when the U.S. coordinated box market had its peak shipment. Starting in the early 2000s the U.S. corrugated box market faced multiple economic obstacles.

The great recession dragged on box demand and even after the recession demand continued to slow for commodity like soda and for the boxes that transport them. The move to digital devices also coincided with a drop in demand for copy paper and newsprint. But box makers found a grace in e-commerce sales and Amazon sale specifically which were growing at mostly integer rates within the recession and post-recession years. Those e-commerce sales have become a significant market for the containerboard industry. In 2018 told a U.S. e-commerce sales were estimated to be $512 billion almost 50 percent higher than in 2015. Amazon captured 48 percent of those sales. Most estimates are that e-commerce accounts for about 10 percent of the U.S. box market. Amazon accounts for close to 5 percent of U.S. box demand. By our estimates they are clearly the single largest box user in the US. International Paper with a third of the market I think does closer to 50 percent of all the amazon boxes evidently they got a bit more share than perhaps some of the smaller players.

Amazon said they deal with most of the big box makers across the U.S. according to analysts. Those manufacturers include International Paper, WestRock, Packaging Corporation of America and Georgia-Pacific. Some investors were turning to these companies as a way to invest in the e-commerce giant without having to purchase Amazon’s pricey stock. People didn’t really start talking about buying International Paper or WestRock as a secondary investment in Amazon till about the last five years. Despite the boost from e-commerce sales the box business still isn’t growing all that much. And since 2018 their stocks have mostly underperformed the S&P 500. In 2018, 69 percent of International Papers total revenue came from the box business and that sales volume has been mostly flat for the past five years. Although the big producers sold less boxes in 2018 than in 2000, industry consolidation has dramatically narrowed the fields.

The handful of big players remaining are based in Memphis, Tennessee, Atlanta, Georgia and Lake Forest, Illinois. Analysts have told CNBC that substantial industry mergers have made it easier to collectively hike prices and those price increases have helped drive revenue. There are portions of the business that are in indisputable secular decline but if you’re in the brown part of the business, making these boxes, that’s been some very welcome growth. But those extra boxes piling up on people’s doorsteps have led to a backlash from disgruntled customers who are sick of receiving golf ball sized products in supersized boxes. It used to be that you’d order a toothbrush and it would come in three giant boxes and you’d say to yourself, what is this? Well, Amazon is trying to rectify that by using fewer boxes and using other types of packaging where appropriate. With e-commerce packaging underfire Amazon decided to change the way they do shipping. In 2008, Amazon introduced the Frustration Free Packaging program. It aims to reduce the extra packaging created when retail packaged products are placed inside Amazon boxes to be shipped. Instead, products certified in the program that are roughly the size of a blender or larger need to be packaged in their own ready to ship boxes. And those boxes also need to be made of 100 percent recyclable materials. For customers that means that the packaging is easy to recycle and the box is easy to open without all the excess packaging materials.

Amazon offered vendors an incentive of a dollar per shipment to modify their packaging. And starting August 1st 2019 Amazon is charging a $1.99 penalty for each product shipped that needs to be reboxed. And basically the point of this deadline is for Amazon to get out of the business of packaging. They want their vendors to send them boxes that Amazon doesn’t have to touch or rebox. Over the last two years we have invented two different kinds of flexible mailers. One is the blue and white all plastic mailer. We’ve recently launched in the last six, eight months a paper padded mailer that’s actually fully recyclable with the paper stream. Amazon said they made about 10 million shipments using the paper padded mailer and depending on the month the plastic mailer is used about 20 to 30 percent of the time. So really when we come down to deciding if the product is of the size it can go on a mailer, it’s not likely to be damaged by going in the mailer, the mailer is always the better fitting option and frankly is easier for the customer to choose to recycle than breaking down a corrugate box. We’re driving in that direction for many different reasons. But those plastic mailers generally are not accepted in municipal recycling programs and you’ll need to bring them to a store that accepts plastic bags. The latest stats from the EPA show that corrugated boxes were recycled at a rate of 92 percent in 2015 while plastic bags, sacks and wraps were recycled at a rate of 13 percent in 2015.

When you think about what is the greatest pain point for the consumer after having it get there safely arrive on time people are concerned about receiving something that is plastic or made a poly because of the environmental concerns. Some waste management companies say plastic packaging also causes problems for the recycling systems. Plastic mailers get caught in the recycling machinery slowing down the process and raising the costs for recyclers and sometimes contaminating entire bundles. Until Scotty on the Enterprise can beam the products from the warehouse to your living room I think Amazon’s going to be good for the corrugated business. I think there’s going to be noise I think you’re going to have challenges from time to time where people say, “Should we try and the plastic pouch?”, in the long run plastic is going to be on the wrong side of history. Because Amazon is a market leader in the U.S. e-commerce sector any move away from cardboard to plastic mailers could signal a shift for the entire industry. The corrugated box could be about to undergo a major facelift. We’re seeing some major trends among consumers and what they’re expecting from e-commerce and the first one is actually this desire for increased engagement with the package. In 2015, Amazon partnered with Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment to ship orders in bright yellow delivery boxes featuring cartoon characters from the movie Minions. The boxes promoting the movie and a special Amazon U.R.L. dedicated to shopping for merchandise from the film.

The conflict of Kashmir…

On February 14th 2019, a suicide bomber attacked a convoy of Indian security forces. “We’re getting reports of multiple casualties in a roadside…” He killed at least 40 Indian soldiers here in Kashmir. “The deadliest attack the region has seen this century.” The bomber was part of an Islamic militant group based in Pakistan. “Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for that attack.” 12 days later, India carried out airstrikes in Northwestern Pakistan. Then Pakistan shot down at least one Indian aircraft around here. “The most serious escalation in years.” Kashmir is one of the most disputed places on Earth. Over the course of 70 years, it’s been at the center of three wars fought between two massive armies. It’s heavily occupied by more than half a million Indian troops and a deadly collection of militias and terrorist groups.

Kashmir is the stage for the relentless conflict between India and Pakistan. But focusing on the two countries can obscure what’s really at stake: The voice of Kashmiris who are caught in a vicious cycle of violence. Kashmir is one of the most strategic places in the world, where 3 powerful countries collide: India, Pakistan, and China. China invaded and took this slice of Kashmir from India. And was given this one by Pakistan. India and Pakistan control these parts, but lay claim to more. This region is at the center of a brutal conflict over these disputed borders. So it’s important to start when they were being drawn. In the mid-1800s, India was a patchwork of several hundred provinces and princely states under British rule. A century later, when British India won independence, the British left and hastily decided to split the region into two. These areas would be a new Muslim-majority country, Pakistan. And this would be the mostly Hindu, but secular, India. The partition was bloody. “Communal hatred flares up within the Punjab.” “1 million people become refugees overnight.” “They flee from savagery and butchery that has never been exceeded, even in India’s stormy history.” Amid the chaos, some princely states were given the choice to join either country. In most cases, the ruling monarchs followed the will of their people. But this state, called “Jammu & Kashmir” was different. It was right along this new border and had a Muslim-majority population, but was ruled by a Hindu monarch. When asked to pick a side, the ruler chose to stay neutral Fearing that the monarch would join India, the Kashmiri population rebelled here in 1947 Armed tribesmen from Pakistan soon joined the fight.

The monarch turned to India for military help and in exchange agreed to join them, which sparked the first Indo-Pakistan war in Kashmir. “Continuing thus increased the threat to world peace and brought the dispute to the eye of the United Nations . The UN Security Council brokered a ceasefire in 1949, which established this line with Pakistan controlling this side and India this one. It also asked Pakistani tribesmen to withdraw and Indian troops to follow, so that Kashmir could hold a direct vote to decide its own future. But neither held up their end of the deal. Pakistan argued that Kashmir’s Muslim-majority population rightfully belonged with them. While India insisted that Kashmir was handed over to them by the Hindu monarch. So they doubled down and added Kashmir to their constution. Both countries continued to tighten their grip around it for many years . “Kashmir. Fighting is going on and heavy casualties in men and equipment have been inflicted on the aggressor.”

In 1965, the second India-Pakistan war broke out in Kashmir. Thousands of people were killed between the huge armies on both sides. A ceasefire ended the war, but didn’t change this line. Kashmir was kept divided and occupied. And another war broke out in 1971. This time the focus wasn’t in Kashmir — it was in East Pakistan. Here, India helped rebels fight for independence and dealt Pakistan a devastating defeat. This region became a new country, Bangladesh, and Pakistan lost its eastern half. This made Kashmir more important than ever: It became one of the most militarized places on Earth, as India and Pakistan deployed planes, tanks, artillery, and soldiers along the Line of Control. On the political front, in ’87, India reportedly rigged an election, declaring a pro-India party as the winner. Now this was a big turning point for many Kashmiris, who felt they were again denied the chance to vote. Thousands took to the streets in Indian-controlled Kashmir to protest the occupation. But India met the movement for independence with harsh resistance. Which quickly escalated to more violence.
“In January security forces opened fire on demonstrating separatists, turning a two-year old struggling movement into a full-blown popular uprising.” “More than 600 people are killed in clashes between troops and separatists.” Kashmiri militias, just like the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, started recruiting Muslim youth to fight for independence. And increasingly attacked the Indian military. Pakistan saw an opportunity in this insurgency. They helped introduce a new kind of militant group: Radical Islamic fighters who fought for a more pro-Pakistan Kashmir. By the mid ’90s, these groups dominated the insurgency. India responded with incredible military force, deploying 500,000 troops to Kashmir. And they cracked down on militants and protestors. Unarmed civilians were killed and many more were forced to flee the violence. And in ’98 the stakes were raised yet again. “Today India conducted three underground nuclear tests.” “Pakistan today successfully conducted five nuclear tests.” Kashmir became a battleground between two nuclear-armed nations and another war broke out in 1999. “More evidence of the attacks being launched on the Indian-controlled area of Kargil.” “The past two days have seen a number of the fiercest fighting thus far .” “Militant Muslim fighters have also crossed over into some parts of Indian-ruled Kashmir.” The 1999 war ended with another ceasefire, but that did not stop either country.

Over the years, Pakistan’s militant groups got bolder and launched terror attacks in Kashmir and outside of Kashmir. In 2001, members of Lashkar-e-Taiba bombed India’s parliament building in New Delhi killing 14 people. And in 2008, 10 militants from the same group killed 174 people and wounded 300 in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Indian military cracked down in Kashmir, firing bullets and pellets on unarmed protesters. Leaving hundreds wounded and blind. This is the vicious cycle of violence. The Indian Army’s crackdown drives some Kashmiris to join Pakistani-backed militant groups, who carry out violence against the Indian forces. It’s a cycle that Kashmiri civilians are stuck in the middle of. Which brings us back to 2019. The suicide bomber was 19-year old Adil Ahmed Dar from Pulwama, Kashmir. According to his parents, in 2016, Indian police officers stopped him and humiliated him by forcing his face into the ground. The same year he was shot in the leg at a protest. The next year, Dar left home with his brothers, to join Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistani-supported militia that radicalized him and trained him to be a suicide bomber. A year later, he drove explosives into an Indian military convoy. For more than 70 years India and Pakistan have driven a cycle of violence, retaliation, and exploitation in Kashmir. But beneath it all is the Kashmiri’s wish to make a choice. A wish that continues to be suppressed, again and again, by violence.

U.S. Defense Economy…

The police, obviously, they’re not in the business of of profiting from private acquisitions. We’ve seen extensive lobbying from defense industries who produce educational videos for police who were spending hundreds of millions of dollars to directly lobby Congress for defense spending, but also for these police programs. The police also have their own lobbying organizations that work toward security budgets and equipment for local law enforcement. The National Fraternal Order of Police is one of them and has lobbied in favor of federal grants that are responsible for the militarization of police. It’s really a variety of Homeland Security grants administered by the cops office, the home, the Department of Homeland Security, etc., that have allowed departments to directly purchase military grade equipment. And this has been essential to stimulating a domestic law enforcement market for military contractors. In some cases, the folks who provide the equipment actually directly assist police departments in making these grants. There’s even a Web site that is sponsored by these defense contractors and other providers of police equipment to aid departments in the production of these grant proposals. This whole industry grew significantly during the War on Drugs campaign in the 1970s.

Congress passed a law that focused on incorporating cooperation between the military and the local law enforcement, particularly related to countering drug crimes and the war on drugs. Right. That was sort of the first connection between the military and domestic law enforcement. In 1989, Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act, temporarily allowing the Department of Defense to transfer excess military equipment to federal and state agencies. The program continued until the 1997 National Defense Authorization Act expanded it to include local law enforcement and made it permanent under a new name. The 1033 program that began a massive transfer of military equipment to local police departments free of charge as long as they paid for shipping and maintenance. That 1033 program was the congressional authorization that allowed police departments to basically go online. There were catalogs of of weapons and vehicles and aircraft and watercraft and any kind of military surplus military equipment was available for the asking. And it was at no cost to law enforcement agencies.

Departments may purchase shotguns that are placed in police vehicles as a routine matter, and some departments are purchasing a variety of less lethal weaponry with their own resources. But when we see sniper equipment, armored vehicles, large amounts of body armor, this is often the result of federal spending. Since its inception, over 11,500 domestic law enforcement agencies have taken part in the ten thirty three program, receiving more than 7.4 billion dollars in military equipment. What you end up seeing is as a result of the 1033 program, local law enforcements continue to ramp up what we call special task force, like SWAT teams, gang task force, drug task force. Right. That all utilize this excess military material. In July 2014, Congressman Alan Grayson proposed that legislation to limit the transfer of certain weapons through the 1033 program. The amendment was met with immense opposition failing on a bipartisan vote of 62 to 355.
The people who voted not to change the 1033 program received 70 percent more money in campaign contributions from the defense sector than those who wanted restrictions. One of the really troubling developments about the involvement of the federal within the direct subsidy of purchases of militarized equipment is that this is often really about creating a new marketplace for defense contractors instead of really putting questions of public safety first. Besides providing free military equipment, the federal government also allows the police to purchase new equipment using their own funds. Under the 1122 program, it also gives local police departments the same discounts enjoyed by the federal government. We’ve seen instances across the country where local governing bodies, like boards of selectmen and mayors and city councilors are often unaware that tax dollars have been expended to acquire these kinds of military weapons and military vehicles. What makes both 1033 and 1122 programs so powerful is the lack of clear oversight and accountability.

The 1122 program, as an example , isn’t a grant or transfer program and thus isn’t required to be monitored by the federal . Meanwhile, the 1033 program has put lethal weapons within the hands of officers who haven’t any justifiable need for such equipment. We’ve seen instances reported of some small towns, even some college and university police departments that were acquiring military grade weapons with none demonstrable need for the utilization of these or the acquisition of these weapons. After the events in Ferguson, the Obama administration sought to tighten the 1033 program with additional requirements and restrictions after months of confrontations on America’s streets. President Obama today banned the federal government from giving some types of military equipment to local police. We’ve seen how militarized gear can sometimes give people a sense like there’s an occupying force as against a force that’s a part of the community that’s protecting them and serving them. And this led to calls in Congress to eliminate 1033 and eventually measure an executive order by the Obama administration to place some limits on the type of equipment that could be used, things like bayonets and turreted armored vehicles.
The Obama administration also required police agencies to justify purchases of equipment considered potentially lethal. President Trump, however, rescinded all of those measures within two years in office. Obama administration made some efforts to increase accountability in auditing of this. But even then, the restrictions and oversight were quite limited. Under the Trump administration, there’s even less evidence of any oversight. Any sense that we know how this equipment is being used or whether or not officers are being properly trained and how to use it. In some cases, equipment transfer through these programs has simply vanished due to a lack of oversight and poor bookkeeping.

There’ve been a number of situations where there have been audits of local police departments to try to figure out what they’ve done with this equipment. And these departments have been unable to provide adequate records. We don’t know if this is a local sheriff taking home camping supplies or if this is about, you know, stuff that’s really gone missing, has been resold or has just simply been lost. Oftentimes, the militarization of the police force might be what’s distracting them from their original purpose, protecting our communities.

Why economy of India is slowing down???

India is one among the world’s fasting growing economies. It had been touted as an economic and geopolitical counterweight to China. But recently its growth fell to its slowest pace in six years. Investment has weakened, and unemployment has risen. So what’s causing the slowdown, and how can it be reversed? Since the turn of the century, India’s economy has grown at a rapid rate, helping transform the country. Between 2006 and 2016, rising incomes lifted 271 million people out of poverty, meaning the proportion of Indians still living in poverty has fallen dramatically, from around 55% to twenty-eight . Access to electricity has also improved. In 2007 just 70% of the population had access to power. By 2017, that grew to nearly 93%.

More recently, the Indian government constructed around 110 million toilets — a huge step towards better sanitation designed to prevent the practice of open defecation. It’s a signature program of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, known as Swachh Bharat, or Clean India. All this development has been supported by a booming economy, but as lately , that expansion has begun to run out of steam. In the third quarter of 2019, India’s economic output grew by 4.5% – making it the primary time the country’s growth dipped below 5% since 2013. For context, 4.5% growth remains much above that of developed economies just like the U.S., But with 12 million Indians entering the workforce per annum , economists say the country needs annual growth rates to remain above nine percent to make sure there are enough jobs. So, what’s causing this recent slowdown? Well, officialdom argue turbulence in international financial markets is guilty.

Political uncertainty and U.S.-China trade tensions mean confidence levels among investors and consumers everywhere have sunk. The United Nations has even warned that a global recession in 2020 is now a “clear and present danger”. But back to India – many economists say the country’s growth problems are literally self-inflicted. One obvious culprit is the shadow banking sector. During the 2000s, India saw an investment boom. It was fuelled by state banks dispensing a load of loans for giant infrastructure projects. But some of the companies taking advantage of these loans couldn’t keep up with the repayments. That meant the state banks weren’t getting paid back and therefore struggled to give out new loans. To keep business moving, shadow banks stepped in. These financial institutions, which operate like ordinary commercial banks but don’t follow traditional banking rules, eventually made up an estimated third of all new loans nationwide. The loans played a pivotal role for the millions of small businesses and consumers who would otherwise have no access to credit. But in 2018, shadow banking giant Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services, defaulted on its debt repayments. Its collapse sent shockwaves through the economy and shook up more traditional banks that had supported the world.
It became harder for people to shop for expensive items like cars. That hurt India’s automotive industry, which is one among the country’s biggest. It employs about 35 million people and makes up about 7% of India’s GDP. Last summer, the industry suffered its worst sales performance in nearly 19 years, and reports suggest tens of thousands of workers are laid off. The agriculture and construction sectors have also been hurting, with small and medium businesses being hit the hardest. The country’s percentage has been on an overall upward trend since July 2017, rising several percentage points to 7.7%. Higher unemployment means consumers are buying less, resulting in the unfortunate cycle of slower manufacturing, production, investment and job creation.

A survey from the Reserve Bank of India found consumer confidence has fallen to its lowest level in five years. But Indians still have a positive outlook for the longer term , with most consumers expecting to feel more optimistic during a year. However, if things don’t improve, debt could become another issue. Expecting better days ahead, many households have continued to spend, by taking out loans and dipping into savings. Household savings as a proportion of GDP has fallen from 23.6% to 17.2%. Meanwhile, household debt has surged to 10.9% during the same period. Critics say the govt in New Delhi has did not spot these risks and hasn’t done enough to urge the economy moving again. The Reserve Bank of India’s former governor Raghuram Rajan recently blamed the lack of significant reforms and a slowdown in investments since the global financial crisis. Even the country’s chief economic advisor recently admitted reforms are needed to form India more friendly to investors.
India has cut its corporate rate , but labor and land laws are still extremely strict. He also says the country must become pro-market, instead of just pro-business, to avoid costly government bailouts of failing sectors. But not all reforms have been good to the economy. In 2016, Prime Minister Modi tried to crack down on corruption, counterfeits and evasion by banning high value bank notes. In one night, the cash ban made 86% of all cash invalid. Three years later, many analysts say the policy disrupted the economy and did not achieve many of its original goals. In 2017, a replacement nuisance tax placed small businesses struggling and a few of them were forced to shut . In mid-2019, India’s government introduced a controversial new tax on foreign investors. Consequently, India’s stock exchange suffered its worst July performance in 17 years. Just one month later, the measure was scrapped.
The government has now refocused its efforts on international trade and investment, and thus the recent changes to the corporate rate could indeed help attract businesses and investors to India. But if the country wants to be a part of the world’s largest supply chains, it’ll need low and consistent tariff levels to encourage outsiders to take a position for the long term.

The country’s shifting export policy has harmed several of its largest industries, particularly clothing. India’s share of the worldwide apparel market has increased only slightly within the past 20 years. And though the Indian workforce is vast, both Bangladesh and Vietnam now export more. On top of that, the country’s import tariffs on the average are much above the world’s biggest economies. They’re also among the highest of the world’s emerging economies. Even U.S. President Donald Trump has called for the country to bring down its duties.

Has India’s growth actually slowed the maximum amount as we think? The government’s former chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian caused a good little bit of controversy in June 2019, when he claimed the country’s official stats probably overstated GDP growth by 2.5% from 2011-2012 to 2016-2017. He says the bottom line is that India never recovered from the global financial crisis. The government denies this. But none of this has hurt Prime Minister Modi at the polls – he won by a landslide in the most recent election. So how will he keep his promise and double the dimensions of the economy by 2025? Many economists insist a well-explained economic vision would help. As would more long-term investment, better skilled workers and enhancements to infrastructure. It may not matter who or what’s responsible for India’s recent economic challenges, but bottom line – India’s economic process must recover , and fast.

How IPL is making millions & billions of dollors in every single match!!!

Cricket it’s a sport that dates back over 400 years. And as of 2019 is officially played in 104 countries around the world. Cricket’s worldwide fan base is comprised of roughly one billion people in the Indian subcontinent alone makes up 90 percent of those fans. In India, the country adopted a brand new shorter format of the game has drastically cut down on playing time from days to hours. The Indian Premier League or the IPL has only been around for twelve years but it’s fast become one of the most popular and valuable cricket leagues on the planet. The IPL is brand value has nearly doubled in the last five years. In 2018 the league was valued at 6.3 billion dollars. It rakes in and 510 million dollars each year from its broadcasting rights deal making it to only cricket league in the world to crack the top 20 most valuable media rights deals in all of professional sports joining the ranks of the NFL the NBA and MLB.

So how did the IPL become one the most lucrative cricket leagues on the planet. In India. Cricket is huge. It’s been a staple in Indian sports since the seventeen hundreds. It’s currently the most popular sport in the country. The IPL is one of the richest sports properties in the world. And while the IPL isn’t the only cricket league in India it is the most successful league in the country. The 48 day annual tournament was created in 2007 with the help of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and Indian businessmen Lalit Modi. Even though cricket already had a few pro cricket leagues they wanted to capitalize on the commercial success of 2020. So they modeled the IPL in a similar nature to pro sports in the US.

The IPL was specifically modeled after the likes of the NFL. Which has a decentralized league. meaning that all teams are owned and operated independently. Also similar to the NFL model the IPL is its own league with its own unique structure. There is a separate T20 World Cup where India competes. But that’s different from the IPL. even though matches are all held in India. Team rosters are chock full of top international talent. In 2018, teams spent 94 million dollars to buy 169 players in an auction. up from its 40 million dollars for 66 players in 2017. But what you’ve actually got in the IPL franchises who represent a city a place an industrial heartland and you’ve got the full support of some major entrepreneurs. So rather than let’s say Delhi again. So, you’ve got your IPL franchises based around the cities. I’m not as actually have a massive impact. in terms of global cricket. To make sure the stands are filled with as many IPL fans as possible and to maximize TV viewership. Matches are typically played in the evening and on weekends.

The IPL is a huge moneymaker in India since 2014. The IPL brand valuation has doubled to six point three billion dollars. The reason the IPL has won the largest fan base is for a single sports league in the world. During its opening week of the 2013 season the IPL broke records when 371 million viewers tuned in to watch and by the last week of the tournament a total of 769 million fans watched the 2013 IPL season. The ad revenue generated for that season was over 276 million dollars according to Star India’s managing director. High ratings and ad dollars were a big part of why a major U.S. media companies had their eyes on IPL broadcasting rights. When the IPL launched in 2008. The league issued being your rights to Singapore based sports marketing agency World Sport group. They broadcast an IPO matches on India’s Sony Max TV channel. Under the terms of the 10 year contract World Sport group paid the IPL approximately 1 million dollars per match in its first year for the exclusive broadcasting rights. The overall value of that broadcasting deal was 918 million dollars when the broadcasting deal expired in 2017.

There was a global bidding war for exclusive rights for the IPL. Fox and Sony put in competing bids while Facebook also put its hat in the ring for the 2018-2022 digital rights of the IPL making a 600 million dollar offer. Those TV and digital rights eventually went to Fox the American broadcasters struck a five year 2.5 five billion dollar deal for the global media rights of the IPL. The price per match jumped from 1 million dollars to about 8.47 million dollars per game. For comparison the NFL cost per game is around 22.5 million dollars. The English Premier League is around 13.2 million dollars. The NBA is close to 2 million dollars and the MLB is just 630 thousand dollars per game. Just two years after the ink dried on the Fox IPL deal Disney completed a 71 billion dollar deal for Fox entertainment assets one of the assets that Disney now owns is hot star. The Indian video streaming company in 2019. Streaming service at a global record for the number of people tuning into a life streaming event.

There are 18.6 concurrent viewers watching the IPL final match on the hot star’s website in app. And with that kind of viewership naming rights for the IPL are also huge for the league. Since 2008 the IPO naming rights have changed hands three times from brands DLF to PepsiCo India and finally to Vivo a mobile handset manufacturer in China. Vivo first took over title sponsorship in 2015 and in 2017 Vivo signed a fresh five year deal with the IPL worth approximately 341 million dollars in 2018. The average salary of cricket players in the IPL jumped nearly 30 percent from the year before. All thanks to the massive TV deal signed with Fox in 2017. Before the deal, players across the league had an average salary of 3.9 million dollars but in 2018 the average salary was just over 5 million dollars. And unlike other major sports leagues the IPL season is so short that players have a chance to bank even more cash in the off season.

The IPL takes place in the spring starting at the end of March or early April and continuing through May. That means cricketers have the flexibility to play for other clubs around the world. Take the Mumbai Indians player Kieran Pollard. In 2017 he and more than one million dollars for two months. They play for the Mumbai Indians and IPL in that same year. Pollard had multiple revenue streams from playing for cricket leagues in Australia Bangladesh and South Africa. But just as cricket first spread across the world in the 18th century cricket’s latest form of 2020. Similarly. Taking root across the globe. There’s even a record breaking investment for 2020 league in a country where cricket is even remotely popular, the U.S. In May, 2019, USA Cricket received a 1 billion dollar investment from American cricket enterprises to develop a 2020 league in America. It’s one of the biggest deals for development of domestic cricket in the US and the launch of the league is set to take off in 2021 since the 2020 cricket format was introduced in 2003 and has taken the cricket world by storm. And it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

Will Oil Price go down???

America does rely on oil in many ways. It’s about 90 percent of the energy that we use in transportation. And it’s more than a third of the overall energy that we use. In fact, it’s probably going to stay that way for a lot, a lot longer. The Energy Information Agency administration predicts that going out to 2050 is still going to over a third of the energy that we’re going to use. So how was it possible for oil to reach a negative value and what does it mean for the American economy? To understand what happened, it’s important to know how a futures contract functions. So the futures market is a way to bet on the future price of a certain commodity.

Different types of oil from all across the world are traded by barrels in their individual market places. But two futures contracts serve as the major benchmark for oil price. Brent Crude trades oil from the North Sea in northern Europe, setting the standard for international oil prices. While the West Texas Intermediate, or WTI, trades a specific grade of oil traded in Cushing, Oklahoma, that serves as a domestic benchmark for oil prices. A refinery might have a contract with a producer and say, we will pay you that Brent price or we’ll pay you the Brent price minus the transportation costs. Or you know that it’s all subject to negotiation. And those two are well known. It’s a shorthand, if you will. And a lot of times other crudes are priced off of those crudes because they’re well, known the quality is high and has a long track record. Similar to most treated commodities, oil prices rely heavily on how much of it is available on the market. In other words, supply and demand. Oil like just about anything else in the world is determined that prices are determined by a willing buyer and a willing seller. And so that means that as demand goes up, more people are buying it.

The price will typically go up, supply stays the same and vice versa. If supply suddenly increases, then then typically the price will go down if the demand stays the same. The demand is determined by how much oil is needed at any given moment due to its crucial role in the economy. High demand has often been associated with a healthy economic growth. Historically, oil demand has moved with the economy of a country. It’s been very tightly tied because almost all transportation comes from burning oil and a lot of other industrial processes use oil. So when the economy is humming along strongly, the demand goes up. And when you have a recession, the demand goes down. On the other hand, supply is usually determined by the producers who have control over its output. Historically, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, otherwise known as OPEC, has played a crucial role in determining the supply. OPEC currently has 13 member countries, including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela as founding members. However, a lot has changed in recent years as the U.S. surpassed both Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s largest crude oil producer since 2018. Thanks to the rise in production from American shale fields. Essentially these countries and OPEC, everyone is competing for market share.

Everyone wants to produce more for their country, but also the optionality to export it to another country and especially growth regions such as China, Asia. Being an investor or a producer in the oil industry means keeping an eye on this fine balance between supply and demand, as well as the geopolitical events that could threaten the industry. Never forget about geopolitics and the impact it can have on the oil price, because that can be that X factor of why oil may have a big premium or a big discount to fundamentals that you see supply and demand. It’s because geopolitics introduces other risk factors. A historic drop occurred on April 20th, 2020, with U.S. oil prices on WTI dropped by almost 300 percent. Trading around negative 37 dollars. What happened with oil in terms of the negative pricing in April with the futures contracts was rather unprecedented. We have seen negative prices before. For example, last year we were talking about negative natural gas prices and Waha in April 2019. But that’s more due to processing or field issues, not what is happened specifically this time with the COVID 19 and in the price war. Oil prices had been under pressure since January as China battled the spread of COVID 19.

When the pandemic finally reached the rest of the world, demand took a devastating hit. People started talking about the demand going down 2 or 3 percent instead of growing by 1 or 2 percent, as was had previously been expected. But then by the time it got to the United States and all over Western Europe, the forecasts were very different. And at the trough, we probably saw demand in April bottom out, down 30 percent. So we’ve never seen anything like this, certainly in the last 40 years since world oil markets have developed. To make matters worse, a price war erupted between Saudi Arabia and Russia in early March after OPEC and its allies failed to reach an agreement on deeper supply cuts. Oil saw its worst trading day in 20, 29 years. Yesterday, both WTI crude and Brent crude lost nearly a quarter of their value, and the S&P energy sector ended the day 50 percent off its 52 week closing high. Saudi Arabia launched a price war against other key producers. As supply remains steady while demand struck record breaking lows. The petroleum industry quickly began running out of storage space to put their oil. Cushing plays a very big role as one of the main hubs of that commercial storage. And Cushing at the time of the negative contract was around 70, 70 percent full, and what was left was perhaps already committed. So that was a huge issue because Cushing plays one of the main roles in pricing the WTI contracts. As the delivery date for WTI grew near. And investors had nowhere to put the oil. They soon began a massive sell off, prompting an unprecedented crash into the negative territory. WTI special in a way, because it’s so tightly connected to physical oil. And so if you’re holding a contract for WTI, you’re expected to take possession of oil.

What was happening was the buyers who had bought a futures contract, which meant they had responsibility to take delivery of the oil, recognized that that storage was filling up and they had no place to put the oil and they didn’t want the oil. And so they wanted to get out of the contract. Usually they can get out of the contract by getting somebody else to take the oil instead at a positive price. Cause oil’s a valuable commodity. But there was nobody who wanted to take that oil, particularly because it was located in an area that was producing way more oil than they needed. And the pipelines to move oil out of that area were completely full. The historic drop quickly sent shockwaves through the U.S. financial market. The Dow plunged by over 1,200 points over the following two days, and brokerage firms like interactive brokers reported taking 109 million dollar hit to cover its customers losses. It was kind of like what happened in 2000 where we we’re wondering if the computers could roll over. Some of the traders computers couldn’t even handle the negative. They weren’t set up for a negative. So you can imagine the disarray and the surprise, you know, that some traders faced the next morning when they looked at their margin calls or what they owed based on the severity of this drop.

However, experts point out that although the event was unexpected, there was no need to panic. It was not unforeseen. The exchange itself saw it as a possibility ahead of time. They actually discussed what to do if that were to happen, reprogram their software and so forth. And at least one major media outlet reported on it a week ahead of time before it happened. Also, some other products have gone negative in the past. Things like natural gas. So I think it’s important to put it in perspective that while this had never happened with oil before, it was just on one particular instrument. The WTI was just for one day and it was seen as at least a remote possibility ahead of time that it happened. It was very few contracts. There was very little trading at those prices and the price very quickly rebounded into positive territory.

It is not against our nature to be curious: it is in our nature to be so.”

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1)PSYCHOLOGY

2)FORENSIC SCIENCE

3)Agricultural SCIENCES

4)Aviation industry

5)Visual communication

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WHAT IS MUSIC THERAPY?

History

BENEFITS

Limitations

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ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

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