“Cooking – A great pastime.”

I never actually liked to cook for me and my family. Cooking is something which I always found to be very complicated and difficult. I felt that it was not my cup of tea. But, the lockdown that was implemented due to COVID-19 inspired and gave me the time to learn cooking. I feel that this lockdown is responsible for bringing out the cook in each and every one of us.

Cooking doesn’t only serve the purpose of feeding people. But, it also has many benefits. Today, I am going to discuss with you a few of them.

◆ Cooking makes you creative. When you like cooking, you always feel like preparing new dishes every day. In this process, you experiment with innovative recipes. This helps to boost your imagination and creativity skills.

◆ Cooking helps to relieve your stress. While cooking you get involved in the dish so much that you completely focus on it, thus forgetting your tension or stress. It thus brings positivity in your thoughts and keeps you away from the pessimism.

◆ Cooking keeps you fit and healthy. If you cook for yourself, you know better what is good for you and your health and you cook accordingly. You choose your ingredients wisely and avoid junk food, thus becoming more fit.

◆ Cooking brings you close to your family as through cooking, you can express your love towards them. It is a way of showing your support and care. When your family helps you in cooking, you create some good memories with them and you communicate well with them.

◆ When you get your recipe tasted by someone and receive appreciation for it, you feel very happy. You feel like you have accomplished something and this sense of achievement makes you proud. It also makes you more confident and focussed in life.

◆Cooking teaches you to be patient and the importance of hard work. To prepare a good dish you need to be calm until it gets cooked perfectly. You can’t just add all the ingredients at once. Also, you might not be able to prepare the perfect recipe in the first attempt. You have to keep trying until you get success.

◆ Food cooked in restaurants is quite tasty and buying such food saves your time. But, it is expensive as compared to home-cooked food. Cooking on your own can save a lot of your money.

◆ Cooking can be a great profession. If you can cook well you can become a chef or start up your own business of home cooking or own a restaurant. You can take classes for cooking both virtually and physically.

Thus, we can conclude that cooking has many physical and mental benefits. It is a productive hobby which does not have any side effects. It can take you away from the stress of your daily routine and make you feel cheerful.

Hence, you shall try to take out some time from your daily regimen and try to cook something for yourself and your family. This will just change your mood and make you feel much better.

The Chapekar Brothers and assassination of W.C Rand, The British plague Commissioner of Pune 1897

During late 1896 dreaded disease of plague had struck Pune and by early 1897, the disease had spread critically. In February 1897 alone, there were 657 deaths reportedly due to plague. About half of the city’s population had left it.The government set up a Special Plague Committee in March that year to handle the menace and control the spread of the disease. It was chaired by an Indian Civil Service (ICS) officer W. C. Rand.

The commission appointed more than 800 officers and soldiers on duty in Pune rather than employing doctors for the job of implementing the measures. The measures included entry into houses forcefully, examination of its occupants including women, taking them to segregation camps and preventing people affected with plague from leaving or entering Pune.People were denied permission to conduct the funerals of their loved ones unless the deaths were registered. If plague was the cause of death, the dead had to be cremated in special grounds designated by the government.

A medical camp for the plague, in Pune 1896, source of the image Google

The Chapekar brothers  Damodar Hari Chapekar, Balkrishna Hari Chapekar and Vasudeo Hari Chapekar and a friend of them Mahadev Ranade initially belonged to Chapa small hamlet near Chinchwad, then a village near Pune, in the state of Maharashtra, India

1.Balkrishna Hari Chapekar 2.Damodar Hari Chapekar 3. Basudev Hari chapekar 4. Mahadev Ranade. Source of image Google

Regular harassments of Rand commission had prompted the Chapekar brothers and other members of the revolutionary “Chapekar Club” to take action against the person who started it all—the commissioner. On 22 June 1897, brothers Damodar Hari Chapekar and Balkrishna Hari Chapekar assassinated a British official W. C. Rand and his military escort Lieutenant Ayerst at Pune, Maharashtra. This was the first case of militant nationalism in India after the 1857 Revolt.

Chapekar Brother statue at Chinchwad, source of the image Google

All three brothers were found guilty and hanged, an accomplice was dealt with similarly, another, then a schoolboy, was sentenced to ten years’ rigorous imprisonment.

CHANGING GENDER NORMS

Our society has from the very beginning been governed by gender norms, assigning a place for each of the sexes and it was always expected for us to adhere to it . But in recent times with rising consciousness about the biased wall that separates the different sexes, society has strived to make the workspace more habitable so that there can be peaceful co-existence. History has led us to believe how that society which is deficient in practicing equality can be defunct and not let the country prosper as a whole. Naming a few revolutionary figures like Mary Kom, Kalpana Chawla, Vikram Seth, Gauri Sawant, Sanjeev Kapoor who should be lauded for breaking gender barriers and helping us become a progressive and prosperous society, have also contributed in breaking the various prejudices and stereotypes attached to categorizing work according to the sex. These virtuous legacy holders have not only left a visionary impact on the young minds but also have helped a few of them to achieve their dream. In the 21st century with the oncoming of many revolutionary changes, breaking gender barriers was a highly anticipated evolutionary change. We are still singing glory songs of the famed queen of Jhansi Rani Laxmibai in the post-colonial era who did not submit to British authority and fought to save her kingdom. She was one of the few brave hearts who could not be subjugated by male dominance. It was uncustomary during those times for a woman to rule a kingdom. When talking of female rulers during the colonial times, one cannot miss mentioning Razia Sultana the valorous Queen of Delhi sultanate and who is notable for being the first female Muslim ruler of the Indian subcontinent. The UN also has incorporated this changing scenario in its selection for possible women candidates for the post of general secretary a post traditionally held by men. In this way, the UN which is very active and vocal in its agenda for abolishing the gender disparity has successfully helped pinpoint the existing problems in the society. The Air Force has taken a major stride towards achieving gender parity by allowing women in combat roles. “Indian Air force (IAF) ensures equal opportunities are given to all men and women” (as published by Hindustan Times). Even in the medical field where a registered nurse was seen as an occupation solely for women to pursue, it is now becoming a common trend for even men to work as registered nurses. Women in the past, who were forced to confine themselves in the house and take care of the children have turned the tables so drastically that now women functioning in the economy have become a crucial part in managing the market economy. Similarly bonding with the baby, engaging with one’s child has also improved the father-child relationships over the world. This has proven effective in may manners and now even men are engaging in babysitting duties. World-renowned chefs like Gordan Ramsey, Sanjeev Kapoor make us realize that men actually possess culinary skills and can work just fine without burning the house down. These success stories help us realize however small our dreams may be, they still are worth achieving.

MURSHIDABAD

Location

Murshidabad is a town in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, a distributary of the Ganges River. It forms part of the Murshidabad district.

The District of Murshidabad has an area of 5,550 square kilometres. It is divided into two nearly equal portions by the Bhagirathi, the ancient channel of the Ganges. The tract to the west, known as the Rarh, consists of hard clay and nodular limestone. The general level is high, but interspersed with marshes and seamed by hill torrents. The Bagri or eastern half belongs to alluvial plains of eastern Bengal. There are few permanent swamps; but the whole country is low-lying, and liable to annual inundation. In the north-west are a few small detached hillocks, said to be of basaltic formation.

History

During the 18th-century, Murshidabad was a prosperous city. It was the capital of the Bengal Subah in the Mughal Empire for seventy years, with a jurisdiction covering modern-day Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. It was the seat of the hereditary Nawab of Bengal and the state’s treasury, revenue office and judiciary. Bengal was the richest Mughal province. Murshidabad was a cosmopolitan city. Its population peaked at 700,000 in the 1750s. It was home to wealthy banking and merchant families from different parts of the Indian subcontinent and wider Eurasia, including the Jagat Seth and Armenians.

European companies, including the British East India Company, the French East India Company, the Dutch East India Company and the Danish East India Company, conducted business and operated factories around the city. Silk was a major product of Murshidabad. The city was also a center of art and culture, including for ivory sculptors, Hindustani classical music and the Murshidabad style of Mughal painting.

The city’s decline began with the defeat of the last independent Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daulah at the Battle of Plassey in 1757. The Nawab was demoted to the status of a zamindar known as the Nawab of Murshidabad. The British shifted the treasury, courts and revenue office to Calcutta. In the 19th century, the population was estimated to be 46,000. Murshidabad became a district headquarters of the Bengal Presidency. It was declared as a municipality in 1869.

How to go?

Murshidabad is well connected to the rest of India by rail & road. Regular rail, as well as bus services, ply to and fro Murshidabad junction, well connected by several passenger and express trains. There are no direct buses for Murshidabad; you need to break your journey at Malda for a taxi to the same. There is no direct flight connectivity for Murshidabad. The nearest airport is the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata.

Main attraction – Hazarduari Palace

As the name suggests, Hazarduari is a palace with thousand doors. The palace was built in the nineteenth century during the reign of Nawab Nizam Humayun Jah who ruled Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. The architect of this masterpiece was Duncan Macleod.

What makes the palace unique?

It is not just the number of the doors that make the palace different from the rest, it is interesting to know that out of these thousand doors, only 100 of them were real doors, and the rest 900 were fake ones. You may wonder what the mystery behind the fake doors is. Well, the doors were built this way to protect the palace from predators. The idea was to confuse the attackers who attack the palace and try to escape, giving the Nawab’s guards enough time to catch them.

Palace Complex

The palace enclosure is known as Nizamat Kila or Kila Nizamat. Apart from this stunning structure, the palace complex also has Nizamat Imambara (a Muslim congregation hall), Wasif Manzil, Bacchawali Tope, Nawab Bahadur’s institution and three mosques that include the Madina mosque. Built just 40ft away from the banks of Bhagirathi River, the foundation of the palace was laid very deep, so the structure stays strong. The grand staircase to the palace and the Indo-European architectural style are other highlights of this magnificent structure. The palace was used as a venue for royal meetings and official discussions between the British and the Nawabs, and also as a residence for high-ranking British officials. However, today the palace is a museum that preserves the precious collection of the Nawabs that include furniture, paintings and antique pieces.

Palace Museum

The palace museum is today the biggest site museum managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The antiquities of the palace museum include the belongings of the royal family, which include a stunning chandelier of the Durbar hall which is the world’s second largest chandelier in the world, the first being one in the Buckingham Palace. This chandelier was gifted to the Nawab by Queen Victoria. The museum galleries include Armoury wings, Royal Exhibits, Landscape Gallery, British Portrait Gallery, Nawab Nazim Gallery, Durbar Hall, Committee Room, Billboards Room, Western Drawing room and Religious Objects’ Gallery to name a few. The palace is located at Murshidabad at West Bengal, and here’s how you can reach Murshidabad.

Overall, it’s a really nice place to have a refreshing weekend. You can enjoy the rich heritage of Indian history and have a quick glance into the Mughal era. So what are you waiting for? Pack up your bags and set out to seek the unknown!

INDIAN EDUCATION FUTURE

From the ancient time India remains the father of education, at that time the gurukuls were in trend which teaches only that subject that a particular want to learn and he or she gets skilled in that particular subject whether it’s academic or related to any physical activity. Nowadays schools have taken place of the gurukuls in which the students are forced to learn some common subjects against his or her interest that is why in India the grades matter more than the skills. Students are forced to carry heavy bags to schools due to which there is a great loss in their both physical and mental health which is becoming a blockage in their future. If we see towards the future then there is lots of work that has to be done in the field of education. We are blending toward smart classes or online classes today that has to be done a several years ago, that is why Indian education system is lacking in the field. If we talk about present the government is taking every step in the field of education to help children make their life. According to the survey, India has the more number of youngsters than any other country in the world. Despite being the youngest country in the world they are failing in the field of education. If we want to achieve that position then the education must be formalised now so that its effects can be seen in the future. World is expecting more from India and it is the time for all the young Indians to prove them wrong. The ways government are taking steps then in the upcoming 50 years the education will be democratised and done online only through home and they can gain knowledge from any part of India

SMART RING

Smart Rings are the only possible tech solution, to discover something smaller than the smart watch. After a lot of attempts ,smart rings were actually created with useful technology. Smart Rings are not a totally new concept, but it’s been revolutionalized over the years.

History has been evidence how so many Startup companies despite repeated attempts ,failed either due to lack of funding, legal disputes, issues related to packaging sensor, health tracker ,everything in a small space, which kept on popping up from time to  time. We can easily sync them  to our mobile phones, via Bluetooth. Smart Ring is endowed with different functions. Some may track sleep, pulse rate, heart rate, whilst others may not. The smart ring would be a relief from the mobile phones, as we’ll get to know whenever there is a message or e-mail.

5 BEST SMART RINGS

Motiv Ring($99.99) –this one is the best smart ring available , in terms of it’s price ,features. This  was announced way back in the year 2017,and comes in mainly three colour variations-slate grey, titanium and Rose gold. It can not only monitor our heat rate ,but also is a fitness tracker. It keeps record of all our activities and moves, and since it’s data is stored in our phones, it can be viewed later. It’s has a battery life of upto 5 days, and is water resistant. It’s highlight is its sleek design ,8 mm width and comes in 7 sizes fit for both men and women. It even helps us to log in to our facebook, google accounts. It’s very easy to wear , and stylish.

Oura($275)-this smart ring provides us readiness score for the day by using our data from phone. It comes in two models, the recent  one being sleeker, and slimmer. It comes in sizes  from US 6-US 13.it comes packed in four sensors-gyroscope,3D accelerometer, infrared pulse measurement and body temperature sensors. It’s highlight is the focus on mainly three areas –activity, sleeping and readiness.

The recent innovation of Oura is a initiative by the NBA , against the pandemic. Players would get a notification, when something infected in in their 6 feet radius, and it gives signals on detecting early signs of Covid-19.According to the survey conducted on 2000 workers ,it can observe body associations between fever, cough and heart rate ,temperature.

NBC Open($85)-this smart ring comes with two Intags .The private one is used for sensitive stuff, like smart door lock and for payment purposes. The other one is for public information like email address. It is waterproof resistant.

Amazon Echo Loop($129.99-$179.99)-Amazon is amongst the more popular ones, it’s packed in microphones and speakers. It interacts with Alexa smart assistant, and comes with all day battery life, with water resistant feature.

ORII Smart Ring($199)-This smart rings allows us to take a call by holding our fingers  to our ears, by using the bone conduction technology. Available in different colour variation like red, silver, grey , and is available in different size forms fit for both men and women.

Addiction😬

Yesterday, I was sitting in window and enjoying Rain. I was thinking about what can I do? At that time suddenly my brother came and he suggested to play PUBG. I was like… Are you kidding? How could girls play PUBG? On that sentence he delivered me a whole lecture. He said there is no age limit to play any game… Blah.. Blah.. Blah.. But I was not interested & he also know that didi was not going to show any intrest . So he went on his friends house and continued his work. At that time, I was thinking where is the future of these people? Really they don’t have anything to do apart from playing games 🤔.. Actually, I am not against of games. But there is word called “Limits” If we are spending our whole day with headphones & smartphones then this is wrong. I respect those gamers who choose their careers in this field. But what about that people who are spending their whole day in this. According to me, games are just for Entairnment purpose. So we should play it only for Entairnment. I want to tell you one case related this, in our colony there is one boy who is just in 5th standard. But he is totally addicted to PUBG. His mom beat him very badly everyday but no effect. He used to spend his whole day in PUBG. One day his father decided to take his smartphone and his parents took his smartphone & also they decided not to use smartphones. After 2 days he was completely psychologically disordered. He was breaking everything, running anywhere & making horrible faces and many things. He was completely mentally retarded so now he is in hospital. After taking whole treatment he is returning home. So I kindly request you all people who are addicted towards games like this please be aware & save your future as well as life.

SOUTH KOREA FINDS BOLTON’S MEMOIR DISTORTED

Accounts by former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton of discussions between leaders of the United States and the two Koreas in his upcoming book are inaccurate and distorted, South Korea said on Monday.

In the discussion in the book Bolton provides specifics before and after three meetings with the U.S.  President Donald Trump and leader Kim Jong Un of North Korea, and what was the cause for the falling through of their second Vietnam Summit .

The novel, “The Room Where It Happened: A White House Autobiography,” is expected to be published Tuesday but excerpts have been released by various media outlets. Reports have cited Bolton as writing that Moon, who is keen to improve relations with North Korea, had raised unrealistic expectations for his own “unification” agenda with both Kim and Trump.

“It does not reflect accurate facts and substantially distorts facts,” South Korea’s national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, said in a statement referring to Bolton’s description of top-level consultations. Chung did not elaborate on specific areas South Korea saw as inaccurate but said the publication set a “dangerous precedent”.

“Unilaterally publishing consultations made based on mutual trust violates the basic principles of diplomacy and could severely damage future negotiations,” he said.

Trump and Kim met in Singapore for the first time in June 2018, raising hope for efforts to pressure North Korea to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions. Yet their second summit, in early 2019 in Vietnam, failed after Trump refused Kim ‘s bid to give up North Korea ‘s primary nuclear facilities in exchange for lifting certain sanctions.

Bolton reportedly cites Chung as relaying Moon’s response to the breakdown as, on the one hand, Trump was right to reject Kim’s proposal but on the other, Kim’s willingness to dismantle the Yongbyon facility was a “very meaningful first step” toward “irreversible” denuclearisation.

South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea, or ROK) is
One of the most significant strategic and
commercial allies in Asia. The U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty , signed at the end of the Korean War in 1953, promises the United States to help South Korea defend itself, especially from North Korea (officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK), and the relationship helps the United States advance its interests in East Asia and around the globe. For eg, ROK troops got fought in US-led military conflicts alongside U.S. troops.

About 28,500 U.S. soldiers are deployed in the ROK.
The U.S.-South bolster the strategic alliance Free-trade agreement with Korea (KORUS FTA). South Korea is the seventh-largest trading partner of the United States and the United States is the second-largest trading partner of South Korea, behind China.

Under the administration of Donald Trump and Moon Jae-in, policy cooperation between the United States and South Korea has been inarticulate. In May 2017, Moon, a progressive, had been elected President.

Although the two sides have generally managed to navigate differences , for example over trade and North Korea policy, underlying tensions on a range of issues continue to surface. Most recently, the U.S.-ROK “Special Measures Agreement” (SMA) on how to split the cost of basing U.S. troops in South Korea expired at the end of 2019, and subsequent negotiations were not successful.
Moving to a consensus. As a result, in April 2020 around 4,000 South Korean workers were furloughed on US bases. The Trump Administration has demanded Seoul increase its payments by 400 percent, and Trump publicly said it is debatable
Whether the presence of US troops is in the interests of the U.S.

Source: 1.https://in.reuters.com/article/northkorea-usa-southkorea/south-korea-says-boltons-memoir-on-trump-kim-summit-is-distorted-idINKBN23T0F0.

2.https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/IF10165.pdf

PLANNING IN MANAGEMENT

Planning is deciding the objectives and methods to achieve them. Planning involves deciding in advance what is to be done, how is to be done, where is to do, how is to done and by whom is to be done and it makes things happen which may not occur otherwise and it bridges the gap between where we are and where we want to go, the process of planning includes two things:

             1. Deciding objectives

             2. Choosing best from available alternatives

Planning is a fundamental managerial function planning implies an arrangement for doing something as considered in advance and simple words, planning is deciding in advance and Prof. Urwick rightly said: “Planning is fundamentally a mental predisposition to things in an orderly way, to think before acting and to act in the light of facts rather than guesses”. Thus, a plan is a predetermined course of action and it is an attempt on the part of a manager to anticipate the future to achieve better performance, and planning is based on the principle, ‘Look before you leap’.

CONCEPT OF PLANNING

Planning requires goals and it focuses attention on purposes and determines ways achieving them and planning is necessarily a problem of choice and it involves the selection of the most feasible course of action from all available alternatives. Planning is a means of building a bridge to span the present position of the firm with its desired future position. It implies the work of both problems solving as well as decision-making. Man possesses a unique power of reasoning and he often evaluates the pros and cons before proceeding further into the matter.

NATURE OF PLANNING

1. Planning focuses on achieving objectives:

 Planning is to facilitate the attainment of objectives of the organization and planning focuses action on purposes. Planning is merely an empty mental exercise if it loses sight of the organizational objectives and every plan should contribute towards the achievement of company goals. Thus, all plans are directly linked with the goals and objectives of the enterprise and contribute to its attainment and if there are objectives, there is no need for any planning.

2. Planning is a primary function of Management

 Planning is a primary function of management and a manager must perform efficient and intelligent planning before performing any other managerial activities. Thus, planning comes before the execution of all other managerial functions. Planning function of management has the distinction of establishing objectives and all managerial efforts of organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling are directed towards their attainment.

3. Planning is pervasive  An element of planning can be seen behind every human activity in an organization and God has gifted man with the faculty of reasoning and this enables a person to measure the consequences of his planned actions and we can quote several examples where planning precedes individual or group action. Planning is a pervasive activity covering the entire enterprise will all its segments and every level of management. Top management does strategic planning, middle management looks after the administrative planning and the lower management concentrates on operational planning.

Darkness tries to Eclipse light but as long as there is love shadows REMAIN illusion.

An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft passess by the Sun or The Moon.An eclipse is either the result of an occulation (completely hidden) or a transit ( partially hidden).The term eclipse is most often used to describe either a ‘Solar Eclipse’ or ‘Moon Eclipse’.A Solar eclipse occurs when the portion of the Earth is engulfed in a shadow cast by the Moon which fully or partially blocks the Sunlight. This occurs when the Sun , Moon and the Earth are aligned.Such alignment concides with a new Moon (Syzygy) which indicates that the Moon is closest to the ecilptic plane. In a total eclipse the dusk of the Sun is fully obsucred by the Moon.In partial and annular eclipses, only part of the Sun is obscured.On 21st June 2020 Solar eclipse marked one of only 5 such instances where a maximum Solar Eclipse was visible from India in a time frame of the next 100 years.The annualar part belt of the eclipse passed through cities like Joshimath, and Dehradun in Uttrakhand,Sirsa in Haryana and parts of Rajasthan it was almost visible from ever part of the country.India witnessed the magnificent “Ring of Fire” and saw the skies turn dark as the Moon overshadowed the mighty Sun.