It was a week of truly longish, unplanned blackouts. The pillar box was hit by a truck, and power went off in a block of buildings. Our world plunged into non-connectivity during the day and total darkness at night.

Ever notice how when there is a blackout, everyone goes outside? We flatmates met and introduced ourselves, though we’ve lived a few feet away from one another for months. In that break from our frenetic schedules involving mobiles, Internet, video games and TV, we connected with people. We had no idea when we’d see “light”, so we talked about “coping” and soon realised we all sounded happy.

We talked of a time when grandma didn’t depend so much on electricity, dad remained supremely efficient without a cellphone, our aunts brought all the local gossip from temple visits and weddings, and not from websites. We talked of buildings without ugly power grids or cellphone towers, of fewer road accidents, riding bicycles, of clean ponds and parks.
A teacher from a digitally modern school told us this story. “A computer techie messed up our server system,” she said. “It was near-disaster! Our computerised attendance register was gone, and so were LAN, mark sheets, teachers’ notes, question papers, classroom material, presentations and a lot of the students’ work.” But that lasted only for a day, she said. The teachers woke up to the challenge and roped in kids to do the “paper work”. Together they prepared the teaching aids, kept the attendance record straight and wrote lesson plans for the coming week. “The kids said they were very happy to do the work,” she said. “I felt I got closer to a lot of them.”

What neurologists say

Neurologists already talk of how our brains are shaping to respond to a “gadgetised” life. A micro-chip induced life could blur our view of the line between living and non-living machines, they warn. We already see an example of this when we try to give directions on the phone. Somehow even simple directions have become rocket science, the caller half following what’s said and calling a dozen times till he reaches the door. Is it because constantly interrupted by digital intrusions, we’ve lost the capacity to analyse, plan, remember and execute work? Does gadget dependence take away our confidence in our abilities?

“Electronic devices, like pharmaceutical drugs, have an impact on the micro-cellular structure and complex biochemistry of our brains. And that, in turn, affects our personality, our behaviour and our characteristics,” says Professor Susan Greenfield in her book. “It’s pretty clear that the screen-based, two-dimensional world that so many teenagers — and a growing number of adults — choose to inhabit is producing changes in behaviour. Attention spans are shorter, personal communication skills are reduced and there’s a marked reduction in the ability to think abstractly.” The games-driven generation interprets the world through screen-shaped eyes, she insists. It’s almost as if something hasn’t really happened until it’s been posted on Facebook or YouTube.

Psychologists tell us that we could be raising kids who live only for the thrill of the computer-generated moment. They are in danger of detaching themselves from what the rest of us would consider the real world, they say. As for us, we live in a world so technologically dependent that even a computer crash gives us many anxious moments. . Question is: Should pleasure be defined by the endless hours spent in front of a computer console? Should it be defined by our giggles at online comics?

Connecting with people

In a business-centred existence, there is probably no going back to a pre-computer age. That age will demand that we do more of our work ourselves; information won’t travel so quickly, and medical science may get frozen. But consider this theory: If all modern technology shut down and we were forced to live without e-appliances and gadgets, we’d adapt. It might signal more face-to-face time with people instead of emails and texting, might mean more walking and knowing what goes on in our neighbourhood. We might come out of the “lonesome boundary of life” that teleworking creates, and stop to smile at our neighbour, rather than at a shadow appearing on a pixellated screen. Some of us might even start a campaign for the rights of pedestrians.

Maybe it’s time we cut down the computer/cellphone/television-coloured hours and step out to look at the moon. Or go to one of those lovely resorts in the Mudumalai forest which are not “connected”, and spend time fishing, swimming, taking pictures of animals or simply gazing at spotted deer.

A zoonosis is any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans. Animals thus play an essential role in maintaining zoonotic infections in nature. Zoonoses may be bacterial, viral, or parasitic, or may involve unconventional agents. As well as being a public health problem, many of the major zoonotic diseases prevent the efficient production of food of animal origin and create obstacles to international trade in animal products.

Monday 6th July 2020 marks World Zoonoses Day 2020. This year, the 150 partners in the One Health Poultry Hub will observe a two-minute silence of private reflection on those who are known, and those who remain unknown, who are suffering from endemic and emergent zoonotic diseases. These diseases, such as Covid-19 and Ebola, affect millions of communities around the world every year. The two-minute silence will take place at noon local time.This year’s World Zoonoses Day comes amidst the defining global health crisis of our time. In the context of the global pandemic, the world’s attention has been focused around one infectious zoonotic diseases. While major recent zoonotic modern disease outbreak, such as Covid-19 or Ebola, and cause major world disruption, much of the work the One World Poultry Hub and other One Health research projects explore concerns diseases that go under the news radar but are still devastating, those such as salmonella and other foodborne diseases. The reasons these diseases remain little talked about are complex – not least that how they are transmitted and approaches to managing them are often hard to fit into traditional media narratives- Institute of Development studies

Zoonoses are disease which can be transmitted from aniamls to humans. In fact, 2 out of every 3 infectious disease in people originated within animals.

This is why protecting animal health is so vital. Preventing and managing disease in animals ultimately safeguards the health of people!

In modern ecology, sound pollution has come for serious discussion. Formerly men did not mind persistent loud noises. It disturbed the peace of poets and thinkers, but it was not considered to be a factor that could tell upon one’s health. But today it is so.
City noises or noisy cities are both alike. The main factor that contributes to their unwelcome noise is the loudspeaker. It is said that Rabindranath Tagore had forbidden the use of loudspeaker in the draft Constitution of the Santiniketan. It is strictly observed during marriages or other social functions. Its use during cultural functionoise pollution.ns remains confined within the halls.
The big cities are most subject to such noise pollutions. Publicity vans, cinema songs, functions or marriages deafen us with their decibel sounds. The horns in cars honk in extraordinary loud sounds. As a result, some hospitals are marked no horn zone. Now the doctors often come across deaf cases caused by high sounds in factories.
Not very long ago people had a notion that louder kirtan prayers carry higher rewards.Consequently the temples,the mosques and the gurudwaras set mikes on all sides of their building.These prayer sometimes continue for days on end .One canot protest because it is a secular country.The serious student affairs,the patient soreds restless nights..This preactice has been in vogue since long.But now the Kolkata High Court has passed a judgement restricting the decibel limit of such sounds.Students often face problems when loud music is played during examinations.Critical heart patients staying at home becomes ill and feels terrible.
Infact high noises affect not only our hearing ,it has slow poisoning effect on brains as well..The human brain is a highly sensetive organ..The repellent noice caused a kind of tendion in the brain: and its continued effect may cause any kind of damage to the human sensibility..Itvis a well known fact that hardened criminals are often treated with this device.They are subjected for hours to continuous monotonous deafening noice so that their psychological resistance is broken.It often yields tge desired result.
Like other kinds of pollution ,the remedy to this dangerous curse lies with men themselves.The government or the High Court may contain the nuisance by enforcing strict measures.But men at large ,must pay regard fo the feelings of others..Loud noise is never a sign of culture.Nehru remarked ” Culture is never loud ,culture is quiet” A cultured man is noted for his quite and restrained manners.Only the uncultured think that he gains by creating abnormal noise.
Pollutions caused by unhealthy sound are less obvious than those caused by light and smell..In the latter case the senses immediately react.The eyes automatically shrink against unusual glares.Similarly the hands coverthe noise against foul smoke.Where a long dinning noises do not stem to affect us outwardly but they sink into our senses like an undeen evil.Sometimes a man becomes dangerously conditioned to this.I have read a railway enployee complain that he can not sleep in a restful surrounding.The shnnting noise of the engines bring him sound sleep.What a tragedy!!!

Wanted to write about Mother since the long time but was just waiting for the right time… What can be more appropriate day than today ‘Guru purnima.’

A brief note for Guru purnima as how it all started. Guru purnima is celebrated to express our gratitude and respect towards our Gurujan(Guardian). A guru/ guardian can be in any form and in any field, they will always have your back till the end. Guru’s are worshiped and are tributed with ‘Guru dakshina’ on this day. The word guru has been derived from Sanskrit, ‘gu’ means the darkness,negativity and ‘ru’ means light, removal of darkness and positivity. Our guru enlighten us with the light of positivity. Guru’s are those who make our aura fill with the positivity and opportunities.

Your first Guardian is your mother no doubt. As she has been there since the day you took birth. The day you are born your mother becomes your Guru your Guardian angel. The basic etiquette are taught by our mother. She has the true essence of guru. Guru’s are known for their professionalism. But its not that they should be literate enough to teach us the lessons as life lessons are more important than the bookish knowledge which we are receiving now.

The word Mother has such a elegant beauty in itself that it feels pure bliss. The one who is closest to your heart and have been in the hard times with you standing erect as a wall for you. Your hard times are directly proportional to her hard times. Also she may scold you but its her right, she scolds because she doesn’t want you to fall into any cliche. She has such pure heart that small gesture from you will makes her immense happy. She doesn’t want you to purchase any luxurious things for her but to spend some quality time with her and talk to her about her favourites, likes and dislikes. On her birthday and on Mother’s day posting on social media for the show off purpose will bring you nothing..is she viewing your story on Instagram, facebook, or any other uploads by you!? Your time and your compliment is all what she needs! This is what makes her happy and not those posts and stories which only your friends would be viewing which ultimately means to show off. There have been many books written on the glory, love, affection of a mother towards her child. When its about her child then economic or financial crisis doesn’t seem to break her away, She does every possible thing irrespective of the status of their living. Even her biggest problem turns out to be nothing when her child come up with ‘their problems.’ No matter wherever you are she will call you and always ask you about your well beings and will ask if you had your meal. Sometimes you might forget to ask her about her wellness but that’s not in her case. Try to spend some quality time with her before it turns out to be your biggest regression. Show her that you love her. Your post will only show your love to your friends and followers not to your mother so instead show her that you genuinely do care and love her.

PS:- Me and my mother shares a strong bonding. We are like tom and jerry(Don’t take it in wrong conception, talking about the bonding they share) we do fight with each other like them; ) & give back to back answers to each other and laugh at it. She is extremely savage in giving answers with sarcasm..no not the meme’s one but the real life sarcasm. She is a true role model for me.

In our society, women play an important role from birth to death. Despite showing proficiency in all their roles, in today’s modern era, the woman stands behind the man. In a male dominated society, the ability of a woman is seen less than that of a man. Despite the government running several programs to spread awareness, the life of a woman has become quite complicated compared to the life of a man. The woman has to take care of her life, as well as the whole family. She faithfully pursues relationships such as daughter, sister, wife, mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother all her life. Even after fulfilling all these relationships, she works with full power to make the future of herself, family and country bright.
Women play an important role in the development and progress of society. Without them, a developed and prosperous society cannot be imagined. There is a famous saying by Brigham Young that ‘If you are educating a man, then you are educating only one man but if you are educating a woman, you are educating the entire generation.
It is very important for the development of the society that girls should not get any kind of lack of education because they have to give a new direction to the society with boys in the coming times. If the truth of Brigham Young is considered true, according to that, if a man is educated, then he will only be able to develop himself, but if a woman gets the right education, then she has the power to change the whole society along with her.
Human life cannot be imagined without women. It would be called insanity that his talent should be ignored only on the basis that he is less powerful and less quality than a man. About half of India’s population is represented by women. If their capacity is not taken care of, then it clearly means that half of the population of the country will remain uneducated and if women are not educated, then that country will never be able to progress. We have to understand that if a woman despite being illiterate manages the house so well, then how well a educated woman will handle the society and the country.

Women build families, families build homes, houses make societies and society itself creates countries. It simply means that the contribution of women is everywhere. It is futile to imagine a society ignoring the woman’s potential. Without education and women’s empowerment, family, society and country cannot flourish. The woman knows when and how to deal with her troubles. The need is just to give freedom to his dreams.
Earlier, the condition of women was worse than that of slaves. If a woman gave birth to a girl, she was either killed or beaten by members of the household. It was considered a sin to give birth to a girl. They were only expected to give birth to a boy. But the situation changed with the changing times. Now people are more aware than before and have started coming forward to help women. There is still much to be done in this direction