Tag: India

13 REASONS WHY! Ever wondered about the mystery behind some common Hindu traditions? Here’s what science has to say!

1) Tilak on forehead

The  circularspot between the eyebrows  is viewed as a significant nerve point in the human body. A tilak is accepted to forestall the loss of vitality, and hold this to control different degrees of focus. In addition, the demonstration of applying this guarantees the focuses on the mid-temple area and Adnya-chakra are squeezed, encouraging blood gracefully to the facial muscles and ensuring the natural glow.

2) Mehendi on palms

Mehendi is an incredible therapeutic herb, and its application on our palms and feet can pre-empt worry and nervousness during weddings, something which is really common in the first-time brides. Moreover, it cools the body and shields the nerves from being tensed.

3) Namaste (Pranaam)

There is a logical purpose for the ‘Namaskar’ in Hindu culture. Joining two hands together guarantees contacting the tips of the considerable number of fingers together, which are connected to pressure focuses in the eyes, ears, and brain. Squeezing them together is said to actuate these, helping us recollect that individual moment for quite a while.

4) Ringing bells in the temples

Devotees strike the temple bells upon entering as its sound is said to clear our brain and assist us with remaining sharp, keeping our full fixation on dedication towards the almighty. Besides, these bells are made so that the sound they produce makes solidarity in the left and right pieces of our cerebrums. The term of the chime reverberation is perfect to enact all the seven recuperating focuses in our body, freeing us from antagonism.

5) Wearing bangles

Bangles cause steady grinding with the wrist which builds the blood flow level. Further more, the power dropping through external skin is again returned to one’s own body in light of the ring molded bangles.

6) Toe rings (bichhiya)

Indian ladies regularly wear toe rings on the subsequent toe. A specific nerve from this associates the uterus and goes to heart. Along these nerve-endings, a toe ring on this toe reinforces the uterus, keeping it solid by directing the blood stream to it. Besides, a lady’s menstrual cycle is supposed to be regularized.

7) Tossing coins away in a holy stream or river

Verifiably, most money in the ancient period, was made of copper, an essential metal for the human body. Throwing coins in a holy water body was an approach to allow adequate copper, as a major constituent of water, to be consumed by us. As wells, drawing in water from these rivers were the main sources of drinking water.

8) Piercing of the ears

Indian doctors and scholars have acknowledged that piercing ears helps in the advancement of mind, intensity of reasoning and dynamic resources. This is the scientific reason behind most of the indian ladies piercing their ears while also serving the purpose for jewellery.

9) Not laying down with your head pointing north

The human body has its own magnetic field, while the Earth, as we all know, is a mammoth magnet. At the point when you lay down with your head pointing north, your body’s attractive field gets hilter-kilter to the Earth’s, causing issues identified with circulatory strain since your heart needs to work more diligently so as to defeat this.

10) Touching the feet of elders (Charan Sparsh)

At the point when you contact the feet of the old, their hearts discharge positive considerations and vitality, which they transmit through their hands and toes. Basically, the finished circuit empowers stream of vitality and increments grandiose vitality, turning on a soulful associate between two personalities and hearts. Your fingers and palms become the ‘receptor’ of vitality and the feet of the other individual become the ‘supplier’ of vitality.

11) Sindoor

Sindoor is set up by blending turmeric, lime and the metal mercury. Because of its inborn properties, mercury controls pulse and enacts oxytocin production. Along these lines, sindoor ought to be applied right upto the pituitary organ where every one of our sentiments are focused.

12) Idol Worship

Hinduism engenders idol venerate much more than any other religion does. This was started to expand focus during supplications or prayers. As per therapists, a man will shape his musings in accordance to what he sees.

13) Fasting on felicitous occasions

Ayurveda sees the fundamental reason for some infections as the amassing of poisonous materials in the stomach related framework. Ordinary purifying of poisonous materials keeps one sound. By fasting, the stomach related organs get rest and all body components are purified and rectified.

LADAKH

Location and history

Ladakh (“land of high passes”) is a region in northern India. It is located between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Himalayas to the south. Ladakh is well-known for its remote mountain scenery. It is inhabited by a mix of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan people. Their la nguage is an archaic dialect of the Tibetan language. It is sometimes called “Little Tibet”, because it has been strongly influenced by Tibetan culture. Ladakh is one of the least populated regions in the area.

Historically, the region of Ladakh included neighboring Baltistan, the Indus and Zanskar Valleys, Lahaul and Spiti, Aksai Chin and the Nubra Valley. The modern region borders Tibet to the east, Lahaul and Spiti to the south, and Kashmir, Jammu and Baltistan to the west. The largest town in Ladakh is Leh. It is one of the few remaining places in South Asia where Buddhism is very strong. A majority of Ladakhis are Tibeta Buddhists and the rest are mostly Shia Muslims. Leh is followed by Kargil as the second largest town in Ladakh. 

How to go

The nearest airport to Ladakh is Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh which is just 3.8 km from the main city. The cabs are available outside the airport; by which you can get transferred to the heart of Ladakh easily. This is one of the highest commercial airports that is directly connected to the major cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Srinagar and Jammu. The International travelers can directly board a flight from the major cities like Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi to reach Leh Airport by air and then ultimately to Ladakh, by a cab.

Places to Visit

Pangong Lake:

Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake is an endorheic lake in the Himalayas situated at a height of about 4,350 m (14,270 ft). It is 134 km (83 mi) long and extends from India to the Tibetan Autonomous Region, China. Approximately 60% of the length of the lake lies within the Tibetan Autonomous Region. The lake is 5 km (3.1 mi) wide at its broadest point. All together it covers 604 km2. During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water. It is not a part of the Indus river basin area and geographically a separate landlocked river basin.

Zanskar valley:

Zanskar or Zahar (locally) or Zangskar is a subdistrict or tehsil of the Kargil district, which lies in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. The administrative centre is Padum. Zanskar, together with the neighboring region of Ladakh, was briefly a part of the kingdom of Guge in Western Tibet. The Zanskar Range is a mountain range in the union territory of Ladakh that separates Zanskar from Ladakh. Geologically, the Zanskar Range is part of the Tethys Himalaya, an approximately 100-km-wide synclinorium formed by strongly folded and imbricated, weakly metamorphosed sedimentary series. The average height of the Zanskar Range is about 6,000 m (19,700 ft). Its eastern part is known as Rupshu.

Chadar trek:

The Chadar Trek or the Zanskar Gorge is a winter trail in the Zanskar, in the Indian administered union territory of Ladakh. Traditionally the only means of travel in the area during the harsh winter months, the trail has become popular with international adventure tourists.

Nubra valley:

Nubra is a subdivision and a tehsil in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. Its inhabited areas form a tri-armed valley cut by the Nubra and Shyok rivers. Its Tibetan name Ldumra means “the valley of flowers”. Diskit, the headquarters of Nubra, is about 150 km north from Leh, the capital of Ladakh. The Shyok River meets the Nubra or Siachan River to form a large valley that separates the Ladakh and Karakoram Ranges. The Shyok River is a tributary of the Indus River. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000 ft. i.e. 3048 metres above the sea level. The common way to access this valley is to travel over the Khardung La pass from Leh town.

Hemis National Park:

Hemis National Park (or Hemis High Altitude National Park) is a high altitude national park in the eastern Ladakh Union Territory of the Republic of India. Globally famous for its snow leopards, it is believed to have the highest density of them in any protected area in the world It is the only national park in India that is north of the Himalayas, the largest notified protected area in India (largest National park) and is the second largest contiguous protected area, after the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and surrounding protected areas. The park is home to a number of species of endangered mammals, including the snow leopard. Hemis National Park is India’s protected area inside the Palearctic ecozone, outside the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary northeast of Hemis, and the proposed Tso Lhamo Cold Desert Conservation Area in North Sikkim. The park is bounded on the north by the banks of the Indus River, and includes the catchments of Markha, Sumdah and Rumbak, and parts of the Zanskar Range.

Magnetic Hill:

Magnet Hill is a “Cyclops hill” located near Leh in Ladakh, India. The layout of the area and surrounding slopes create the optical illusion of a hill. The hill road is actually a downhill road. Objects and cars on the hill road may appear to roll uphill in defiance of gravity when they are, in fact, rolling downhill. It is 7.5 km southeast of Nimmoo and 26.5 km west of Leh on Srinagar-Ladakh road.

Why visit Ladakh?

Sweeping scenic beauty

Enclosed in between the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges, the Ladakh region is a highland that is layered in spectral of red, orange, brown, green, and grey with large crystal blue water bodies. The rugged landscape under the stark blue sky, aligned by snow crested peaks and some lush green patches of vegetation along the valleys formed by the perennial streams together make for a surreal scenic beauty. So if you are still thinking that Ladakh is just a barren landscape, I’m afraid, you are going to miss the shelter in heaven.

Foodie benefits

I know you must have tried out both momos and thukkpas out here in the city at some Indo-Tibetan restaurant or at any edge eateries. But out there in the mass of indigenous Indo-Tibetan sphere you will just relish each bite of momos and slurp of thukkpa. Just imagine that there is a mystical spice hidden in the valley that top-ups the steamy momos to a lip smacking snack and lashing of red chilli in the bowl of thukkpa will just counteract the chilly and dry winds ensuing a great solace.

Vibrant and indigenous festivals

You might have read or heard about the indigenous culture of the Indo-Tibetans – about their lifestyle, rituals and festivals. I bet it will be a pleasure to your eyes if you are visiting Ladakh during the auspicious festivals of Losar, Hemis, Naro Nasjal, Kalachakra, Dosmoche, Tak, and Phyang. These festivals are not just vibrant and unique in their own ways, but if you trigger the traveler inside you, you will find a sensational vibe of ritual that drives away the evil spirit. And if you can’t trigger that out, you have got to capture and enjoy the drama performance, which is a fusion of drums and trumpets, and thumping steps of the masked Lamas.

Lose yourself in the barren panorama

So, when you can afford your sound health to that altitude then why not to spend a bit more and explore the barren and rugged beauty that is dispersed throughout the region.  It is a region where you can breathe in some fresh air, let go all the weariness and explore the untraceable landscape of Ladakh.

Limber up your photography skills

The mountainscapes, desertscapes and riverscapes altogether offers a wonderful scenic frame to limber up your photography skills. So you have got a chance to click countless candid moments. Not to miss moments are the heavenly horizons, unplugged landscapes, wildlife and culture and sparkling blue lakes.

Conquer the highest trekkable peaks and mountain passes

You know Ladakh is quite popular for certain trekkable peaks like Stok Kangri, Nun-Kun and Kang-Yatse? Well conquering that altitude isn’t a cup of tea but you are still fit to go for it. You can dream of a strenuous climb and days like Eskimos! Even if you think it is hard for you to get acclimatized to the high altitude of 6,000 meters and above, you got those historical mountain passes that used to be the trade routes once upon a time between India and China. Once you conquer one of these mountain passes I bet you will receive the best bird’s eye view of the distant valleys and remote villages tucked in the midst of the Trans-Himalayan ranges. Some of the notable mountain passes are the Khardung La, Tanglang La, Chang La, Wari La, and Namshang La.

Being an abode of some of the ancient Buddhist monasteries and gompas

The Ladakh region is also notable for housing some of the ancient Buddhist monasteries and gompas that chronicle the footsteps of Buddhism in India. The vibrant festivals, indigenous attire and strange rituals are some other things that you are going to see in addition when you visit these monasteries. Further, the artistic décor, ancient manuscripts and antiques like statues, thangkas and murals are simply going to take you back to the pre-historic era. Some of the notable Buddhist monasteries and gompas in the Ladakh region are the Hemis monastery, Alchi monastery, Matho monastery, Spituk monastery, Thiksey monastery, Stakna monastery, Stok monastery, and Lamayuru monastery.

Acclimatize your driving skills and snaking through mountain passes

If you are a traveler on wheels the aslant roads snaking through the barren mountains will give you an opportunity to acclimatize your driving skills. The drive from Manali to Leh, crossing some of the highest motorable mountain passes in the world; an expedition through Khardung La to Nubra Valley; and a thrilling journey from Leh to Srinagar is some of the best routes in Ladakh region where you can whizz and snake through the mountainscapes.

Stretch your money with cheap accomodations

Ladakh is one such destination where you are going to spend much on travelling than lodging. You will find neat and tidy rooms in Leh starting at just Rs. 600 even during the peak tourist season. Then you can also find accommodation in some local villages in the Ladakh region and experience the local culture throughout your trip. Further, you have plenty of options for camping in Ladakh.

Away from the Hi-tech life, live like a nomad

Overlooking the sparkling blue Pangong Lake an overnight camping is much needed for techies like you. Just imagine a life other than technology, civilization and infrastructure and you step into the wide open space of nature. How about a part of your life spending at the Hunder Sand Dunes? It is beyond your dreams. Amid the towering mountains camping in Hunder Sand Dunes makes you feel like you are living life like a nomad. There again if you can afford further couple of days, camping at the Tso Moriri Wetland will surely give you an opportunity to get acquainted with some of the beautiful species of high altitude birds and animals.

So if you are still thinking why to visit the Ladakh region once in your lifetime, you have got your own vibe to add further as another reason. If you are an adventurer then the winter is the best time to exploit every bit of Ladakh. The Snow Leopard trek and Frozen River trek are some of the notable winter expeditions in the Ladakh region which you can go for. If you are a leisurescaper, then you have time to plan a customized trip starting from April and continuing till October. So what are you waiting for?

From Chubby Cheeku to Virat THE FITNESS FREAK Kohli

Virat Prem Nath Kohli who is currently captaining the Indian cricket team across all the 3 formats is not an unknown figure to any but is known majorly for his consistency, his unflagging hunger to outperform himself everytime, his aggression and intensive passion on the field and is always in talks because of the fitness regime that he follows. Let’s take a deeper dig into the Fitness Mantra the sportsman has not only followed himself but also continued to advocate, over the years, amongst his fellow counterparts and the young enthusiasts who wish to play the sport at an international level.

We are all well familiar with the Chubby Cheeku who led the Indian side to a victorious 2008 U-19 World Cup. Often he is bombarded with questions from the curious interviewers as to how did he manage to transform so miraculously? To which his answer is subtle yet sublime. He says that the realisation hit back in 2012 when during the IPL months, he realised, looking at himself in the mirror, that this is not how an international cricketer should look like. That’s where the journey to transform began mentally for him. Nextly, the diet had to change and the Delhi-born Punjabi Munda made a firm decision to give up on his all-time favourite Chole Bhature and other delicacies. The first three months were dreadful. Virat told Jatin Sapru in an interview for Star Sports that he had to eat boiled Kabuli chana and for a person whose taste buds are accustomed to having spicy food, it was no less than a disaster. But he didn’t give it up then, despite the temptations, knowing in his head that this shall soon become a habit and get easier and is now reaping the fruits, which the whole sporting world is a witness of.

JW Marriott Hotel, Pune in 2017
Kohli with Shankar Basu

We have heard Virat giving away the major credit to Shankar Basu, on several occasions, who was his fitness coach working with him in RCB. Although, Virat was initially quite reluctant to lift weights due to sustaining back issues and do the other types of exercises to strengthen the lower body, he kept following Mr Basu’s instructions and soon felt the body exceeding its previous limits. He was able to run swiftly between the wickets and during fielding, the match recovery was happening quickly and everything else seemed to fall in place. It’s more of a mental struggle than it is physically. The mindset has to be right and the energy has to be channelized towards the bigger picture, which for him, has always been the victory of the team and not individual milestones. And that is the major reason behind why the transformation happened so smoothly. Virat has truly been an epitome of relentless towards fitness because to him, it isn’t any special or out of the box thing, but a basic requirement of his job. He has been very strict with his nutritional intake to such an extent that if he would feel really drained out post big innings in a test match, he only affords to have a gluten-free dark chocolate bar to ensure just enough supply of energy and speeden up the recovery process for the next day. No Sweets please!!! He has always been so adamant about his exercising routines even during this lockdown which his social media profiles are a living proof of and all of that requires a lot of self control, dauntlessness and that desire to always be one of the bests in the world, which for sure he has become.

Taking inspiration from him are many, his teammates like Dhawan, Ashwin etc , the younger players like Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Navdeep Saini, Shubman Gill etc are repeatedly seen acknowledging their captain for raising the bar and being a constant source of motivation to them and so many other future-cricketers of India. “Virat Kohli is like lion, his hunger is never-ending”, Shreyas Iyer was quoted as saying. The admiration and appreciation is not just confined to the junior lot but also a lot of senior players like Sachin Tendulkar and Sir Vivian Richards regard Kohli for bringing about a fitness revolution in not just India but globally and across all sports.

We are proud of you Captain Kohli for setting such a high benchmark in terms of keeping fit which has only taken Indian Cricket forward and we at Eduindex News wish you and your Indian Cricket Team all the very best for the forthcoming matches.

Finance Bill 2020

The Finance Bill 2020 has been passed by the Lok Sabha on 23 March 2020 and also duly returned by the Rajya Sabha. There were significant changes made to the original Finance Bill 2020 which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 1 February 2020.

The Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill by voice vote with 40 amendments amidst the coronavirus pandemic. On March 27, President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to amend the Finance Bill 2020 and now it became the Finance Act 2020.

In the Union Budget 2020-2021, the government proposed to spend INR 30,42,230 crore in the next Fiscal Year which is 12.7% higher than the revised estimate of the year 2019-2020. After the Financial Bill 2020 has passed in the Lok Sabha, these proposals have been given effect.

What is a Finance Bill?

As per Article 110 of the Indian Constitution, Finance Bill is a Money Bill having a Memorandum containing explanations of the provisions included in it. The Finance Bill can only be introduced in Lok Sabha. However, Rajya Sabha can recommend amendments to be made in the Bill and it is up to Lok Sabha to accept or reject the recommendations. The bill must be passed by the Parliament within 75 days of its introduction.

Importance of Finance Bill

All the elements included in the Finance Act associated with a particular Financial Year are of course important. Even so, there are particular elements that take precedence over the others. The most important element is the rules laid down in the Act with respect to Income Tax Rates. Every year, the Act lays down in detail all the associated provisions related to Income Tax in the country. Since this applies to a large number of taxpayers, it is considered one of the most important elements.

The Finance Act is responsible for laying down the tax slabs that applies to taxpayers. The Act includes various details related to – Income through salary, agricultural income, tax slabs for senior citizens, tax slabs for very senior citizens, income Tax Surcharges, taxes chargeable to companies and advance tax.

These are a few important elements included and elaborated upon in detail in the Finance Act for a particular year.

Direct taxes

The Finance Act for a particular financial year also includes the amendments that have been made with respect to Direct Taxes. The Amendments made under various sections are noted down in this section of the Finance Act and each amendment of every section is noted down separately. Also included in the Finance Act are the details of the insertion of new sections, if any.

List of important amendments in the Finance Bill 2020

1- Additional excise duty on Petrol and Diesel by up to Rs 18 per litre and Rs 12 per litre respectively as and when required.

2- The original Finance Bill proposed to reduce the time spent in India by the Indian citizens or people of Indian origins to qualify as Indian tax resident from earlier 182 days to 120 days in 2019. Now, the Finance Act states that the 120-day rule will not apply to those citizens having Indian-sourced income less than INR 15 lakh in the relevant Fiscal Year. 

3- The Tax Deducted at Source or TDS rate on payment of dividend to non-residents and foreign companies have been set at 20% after the amendment. 

4- In the original Finance Bill, the dividend received by the shareholders was taxable. However, after the amendment, the dividends received by the shareholders will not be taxed if DDT has been paid as per the original law with effect to April 1. 

5- After the amendment, 1% of TDS has been imposed on e-commerce transactions. 

6- Finance Act, 2020 has extended reduced tax withholding rate of 2% to royalty in the nature of consideration for sale, distribution or exhibition of cinematographic films.

The Big R Or The Invisible C?

Amidst the raging Corona pandemic, another widespread form of a virus known as racism has resurfaced and come to light and is making waves amidst the global community currently under lockdown. George Floyd, a black 46-year-old man died after a white police officer Derek Chauvin put his knee on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes leading to his untimely death. This incident took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota leading to mass protests throughout the US and soon leading to global protests with around 50 countries like UK, Australia, Germany, Austria etc joining in the protests.

The protests are taking place whilst the corona pandemic is raging throughout the globe. People have been flouting social distancing norms with no regard for their personal safety. People have been protesting throughout the globe through mass gatherings. So the big question that needs to be answered is what do the people fight? An invisible enemy that takes lives or the grave discrimination that profiles humans based on skin colour?

Darren Sammy, a West Indies cricketer pointed out that he had been racially profiled as “Kalu” in India which he had mistaken as a compliment during his stay as an IPL cricketer. The tendency amongst humans to judge their superiority based on their skin colour is foolhardy. Kids grow up emulating those around them and observing blatant racist jibes and practices which mould them into toxic human beings from their tender years. Often black children are bullied in schools and mistreated leading to them suffer from depression, low self-esteem and some eventually succumbing to the emotional abuse through suicide.

On the other hand, over 70 lakh people have been globally infected with Covid-19 as on 8th June 2020 with over 4 lakh deaths. Thus one may question as to why people would have mass protests with thousands huddled together, flouting the social distancing norms and risk personal safety and pose a public hazard.  The answer may lie in the repetitive instances of insensitive discrimination based on race and skin colour. People are frustrated with already having to deal with a deadly virus and then tolerating gruesome racist treatment from people who are no less than the human incarnation of viruses. The wrath of the people could be visible in Bristol where they pulled down the statue of a controversial slave trader named Edward Colston who worked for a company that had transported 80,000 men, women and children to America.

We need to work towards eradicating Corona from our planet yet such sad incidents like the George Floyd murder impedes our progress in doing so. The wrath and intolerance of people towards such incidents are totally justifiable yet the mass protests, devoid of social distancing may have laid seeds for an even bigger monster and may end up costing the global community more lives than just one. We need a community devoid of prejudice towards our fellow beings. We are one and black lives do matter. However, we have to be wise in fighting and combatting both these grave impediments to a flourishing global community.

While the fight against Covid-19 may have an eventual end with a vaccine but the fight against racism will continue for ages to come. The seeds of racial profiling and discrimination have been embedded in our global culture through our ancestors and put into practice by our society. A deeper psychological evaluation may lead one to discover that the constant need to feel superior from other races may evolve from deep-seated insecurity of one’s own culture and race. The big R or the invisible C? We can’t choose one over the other. We have to fight both of them wisely.














25 Things About Life I Wish I Had Known 10 Years Ago

“ I know one thing: that I know nothing.”

How can the smartest man on earth know nothing? I heard this paradoxical wisdom for the first time from my school teacher when I was 14 or 15. It made such an impact on me that I used Socrates’s quote as my learning strategy.

“I know nothing” to me, means that you might be a wise person, but still, you know nothing. You can learn from everything and everyone.

One thing that I like better than learning from my mistakes is to learn from other people’s mistakes. Over the years, I’ve been blessed to have great mentors, teachers, family, friends, that taught me about life.

What you will find below is a list of the most important things I learned from other people and books. Some of the lessons took me a long time to learn—but if I had to learn these things all by myself, it would take me a lot longer.

We might learn things quickly, but we often forget things at the same rate—and sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the things we’ve learned.

Here are 25 of those reminders that others taught me.

  1. Struggle Is Good
    Never say “I can’t take it anymore.” Say “Bring it on!”
  2. Don’t Complain
    Complaining is the biggest waste of time there is. Either do something about it, and if you can’t, shut up about it.
  3. Spend Time With People You Love
    That’s your family and best friends. If you don’t have a family, create one. Most people in life are only visitors. Family is for life.
  4. Don’t Start A Relationship If You’re Not In Love
    I’ve done this more than once. You kind of like someone and think: “We might as well give it a shot.” Not a good idea. You’re either in love, or you are not. Don’t fool yourself. It’s not fair to you and the other person.
  5. Exercise Daily
    I didn’t get this until recently. A healthy body is where you have to start everything in life. If you can’t build a healthy and strong body, what CAN you build in life?
  6. Keep A Journal
    No, keeping a journal is not for children. It helps you to become a better thinker and writer. “I don’t want to be a writer” you might think. Well, how many emails and texts do you send a day? Everybody is a writer.
  7. Be Grateful
    Say ‘thank you’ to everyone and everything. “Thank you for this beautiful day.” “Thank you for your email.” “Thank you for being there for me.”
  8. Don’t Care About What People Think
    We all die in the end, do you really think it matters what people think of you?
  9. Take More Risks
    Don’t be such a wimp.
  10. Pick An Industry, Not A Job
    If you want to become good at something, you need to spend years and years doing that. You can’t do that if you hop from industry to industry. Pick an industry you love and start at the bottom. You will find the perfect role for you eventually.
  11. Lead The Way
    When you find yourself in a situation where everyone looks at each other, it’s time for you to lead. You‘re a leader when you decide to become one. There’s no initiation or a title. Just a decision.
  12. Money Is Not The Most Important Thing
    You have to train yourself not to care about money and focus on providing value instead. Also, don’t become too dependent on the stuff you own — otherwise, the stuff will own you.
  13. Be Nice
    I don’t mean you should be a pushover. You can be someone that doesn’t take shit and be nice about it. Just don’t insult people, think you’re better than them, or act like an idiot.
  14. Learn Every Day
    You’ve got to train your brain to stay alert. You don’t have to read a book a day to learn every day. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from the people around you — be open to what they can teach you.
  15. Rest Before You Are Tired
    Even if you love your job, and every day seems like a holiday, you need to take time to rest. You’re a human and not an android, never forget that.
  16. Don’t Judge
    Just because people make different choices than you, they are not stupid. Also, you don’t know everything about people, so don’t judge them — help them.
  17. Think About Others
    Just be mindful, that’s all. We all have families, bills to pay, and our own issues. Don’t always make everything about yourself.
  18. Give Without Expecting Something In Return
    Don’t keep score. You will become a bitter person if you do that. Give solely for the joy of giving. If you get something in return, great, if you don’t, great.
  19. There’s No End Game
    We, as species, just are. Don’t try to figure it all out. Enjoy your journey.
  20. Enjoy Small Things
    I like clichés because they are true. Especially this one. You know why? Everyone says they know it, but no one lives up to it. They just chase big things.
  21. Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously
    Yeah, yeah, you’re an individual, and people have to take you seriously, I get it. But at the end of the day, we’re all a bunch of ants trying to chase the same things. Lighten up.
  22. Don’t Blame People
    What’s the point? Do you want to punish them? You don’t do that to people. Also don’t blame yourself — you’re only human.
  23. Create Something
    Not to leave a legacy, you won’t be here to see it anyway, but to be of use. Make music, write a book, build a table, anything. You’ll feel good about yourself, plus you give something back to people to use or enjoy.
  24. Never Look Back Too Long
    Reflecting on the past is only good for one thing: Learning.
  25. Take Action
    Don’t just sit there, do something. Without action, there is no outcome.

You might know a lot. But like Socrates, you and I know nothing at all. So we have to keep learning.

@MARTINn

The Chinese Invasion

The Covid-19 virus, the Ladakh standoff and the Indian Prime Minister’s stress on self-reliance have led to multiple calls for the boycotting of Chinese products and the Asian country in its entirety. With the government announcing a 20 lakh crore package and Sonam Wangchuk detailing the various reasons to boycott Chinese products, the call for self-reliance has only gotten stronger.

The Make in India campaign has so far been unsuccessful in fulfilling the vision that the BJP led Indian government had set out to accomplish. However, it was a step in the right direction as the much-needed impetus for the Indian economy. Yet a total boycott of a country and it’s products is not feasible for a country like India and will take time. The superior quality Chinese products at affordable pricing are what led to the invasion of Chinese products in almost all countries including India. The “Atmanirbhar Campaign” will act as a catalyst to the dwindling “Make in India Campaign” that has underperformed.

However, a total like to like replacement of the Chinese hardware and software will take a lot of time. The current Indian hardware and software fail to match up to the Chinese standards. Yet the Indian industries will fail to develop and mould itself quickly unless there is a surge in demand and a dire need to do so. Thus the exclusion of Chinese products is a necessity for the Indian industries to develop which in turn will lead to a creation of jobs that will serve the economy and aid in much faster growth.

Indian citizens have been quick to attack Chinese products and softwares from its creation of the, “Remove China Apps” app that removes Chinese applications installed in your phone. TikTok, a Chinese app that has 467 million Indian users has contributed substantially to the revenue generated by the Chinese application. Initially, Indian netizens had first attacked the Chinese application over a feud between a TikToker and a Youtuber which led to the app being downgraded to a 1.3 rating from its initial 4.9 ratings. However, Google was quick to remove all the recent one-star ratings from the application. With Google pulling down the recent 1-star ratings, Indians have started uninstalling TikTok along with other Chinese applications like UC Browser, CamScanner etc over the Ladakh feud and with Sonam Wangchuk leading the campaign to remove Chinese apps within a week and Chinese hardware in a year. India imports goods worth more than 50 billion dollars from China in contrast to a miserly 2.5 billion dollars in exports to China.

If India proceeds with putting a halt to the Chinese invasion in its market, India would suffer from a paucity with regard to capital goods, machinery, electricals, chemicals to go along with intermediate and consumer goods. India’s heavy reliance on China makes it difficult to put an end to imports cold turkey. India should focus on a gradual decline in imports while developing a sustainable infrastructure for the production of goods in their own country. A sound infrastructure and production in India will give a major boost that India is in desperate need of. India can then finally be independent and their over-reliance on FDI can diminish.

United Nations involvement in India – Pakistan question of Kashmir

   Arief Hussain Ganaie

    Research Scholar, School of Studies in Political science Vikram University, Ujjain-M.P (India)

Abstract

Kashmir Conflict is the oldest unresolved international conflict in the world today.  The conflict of Kashmir with its origin in the partition of the subcontinent by the British in 1947 with the passage of time has turned into a bitter legacy. The first war over Kashmir between India and Pakistan in 1948 activated the United Nations which produced a plethora of resolutions.  These resolutions formed the important part of UN’s involvement in the Kashmir.  The article focuses on the Peacekeeping missions mandated by the Security Council to investigate and mediate in the dispute between two countries. The article outlines the Security Council mandates and evaluates its operational achievements and limitations.

Key words: UN, UNSC, Peacekeeping, India, Pakistan, Kashmir, UNCIP, UNMOGIP,

Background of Kashmir Conflict

The partition of British India in 1947, which resulted in the emergence of the states of India and Pakistan, created many loopholes and gaps which from time to time influenced the relations of both countries. Of the many legacies of partition, one and the most sensitive issue was the Kashmir dispute.

Upon the partition in 1947, the British Indian Empire was divided into two separate entities, the predominantly Hindu nation of India and the almost exclusively Muslim nation of Pakistan. At the time of independence there were more than 560 Princely states in the Indian sub-continent that were left to choose between becoming a part of one of two greater nations; the Dominion of Pakistan or the Union of India or could live as independent states by making suitable political arrangements with their more powerful neighbouring Dominions”.[1]

The state of Jammu and Kashmir, which had a predominantly Muslim population but was subject to the rule of a Hindu Maharaja, shared borders with both India and West Pakistan. This religious dispute made it substantially more difficult for the Dominion of Pakistan to appeal to Kashmir. Pakistan was worried about the Maharajah deciding to join India. With these worries, Pakistani tribesmen invaded Kashmir. The Maharajah asked India to intervene in Kashmir and signed an “Instrument of Accession” with India ceding control over foreign and defence policy to India. Thus, the conflict between India and Pakistan became direct and violent, and the value of Kashmir rose significantly.[2]

Following the outbreak of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, Viceroy Louis Mountbatten flew to Lahore on 1 November 1947 for a conference with Muhammad Ali Jinnah to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict. He proposed that, in all the princely States where the ruler did not accede to a Dominion corresponding to the majority population (which would have included Junagadh, Hyderabad as well Kashmir), the accession should be decided by an ‘impartial reference to the will of the people’. Jinnah refused this offer, as the nature of the vote necessitated its enactment in Hyderabad and Junagadh as well as in Kashmir. [3]

India later decided to pursue a resolve by referring the ongoing conflict to the United Nations Security Council under article 35th of the UN Charter, which allows the  UN member states to bring to the Security Council attention situations ‘likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace’[4]. As a result, the Security Council established the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) where it worked on resolutions to prevent the First Indo–‐Pakistani War from advancing further[5].

UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) and its role

Kashmir, along with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the war in Korean Peninsula, was among the first crisis that the United Nations had to confront in the post-World War II period.[6] To investigate the dispute and mediate between the two countries, the UN Security Council by its resolution 39 (1948) established the United Nations Commission on India and Pakistan (UNCIP). At that time there were Pakistani tribal attacks and both Indian and Pakistani military were present in Jammu and Kashmir. The justification of the India’s presence in the Jammu and Kashmir was based on the validity of Maharaja’s accession to India. However Pakistan denied the charges and held that conflict in Kashmir was a revolt against the Maharaja’s tyrannical rule.

Led by Britain and the United States, the UN Security Council passed a resolution 47 (1948) on 21, April 1948 and decided to enlarge the members of UNCIP from 3 to 5. The UNCIP reached Kashmir in July 1948 and after deliberations with Indian and Pakistani leadership, produced a proposal, which called for an immediate ceasefire and called on the Government of Pakistan to secure the withdrawal from the state of Jammu and Kashmir of tribesmen and Pakistani nationals not normally resident therein who have entered the state for the purpose of fighting.  It also asked the India to reduce the bulk of its forces to minimum strength, after which the two countries would hold a plebiscite which should be put into effect on the question of accession of the state to India or Pakistan. However, both the countries failed to arrive at a truce agreement due to differences over interpretation of the procedure for and the extent of demilitarization.

In November 1948, although both countries agreed to the plebiscite but Pakistan refused to withdraw their forces from Kashmir on the grounds that India was allowed to retain some of its troops to maintain order, which could potentially lead to compulsion or coercion of voters by Indian forces to influence the outcome of the proposed plebiscite.

Over the next few years, the UN Security Council passed four new resolutions, revising the terms of Resolution 47 to include a synchronous withdrawal of both Indian and Pakistani troops from the region. To this end, UN arbitrators put forward eleven different proposals for the demilitarization of the region. All of these were accepted by Pakistan, but rejected by the Indian government, which maintained that the State had become a part of the Indian Union.

In December 1949, UNSC President General A. G. L McNaughton tried to seek a mutually satisfactory solution between India and Pakistan. His proposals for the demilitarisation of Kashmir to ensure an impartial Plebiscite in Kashmir were rejected by India.

After the failure of Mc Naughton proposals, the United Nations on 14 March 1950 replaced the UNCIP by a single U.N representative Owen Dixon, a judge from Australia to seek the UN objective of demilitarisation. He suggested two plans including the division of the state. The government of India rejected both the proposals as these provided for the establishment of an UN authority in the state.

After the failure of Dixon, Dr. Frank Graham was appointed as the UN representative by a UN resolution (30 March 1951) to mediate between India and Pakistan to get them to agree on holding a Plebiscite in Kashmir. Dr. Graham worked from 1951-53 without meeting any success.  Frank Graham was followed by Gunnar Jarring in 1957 who also failed to make any headway on Kashmir.[7]

Following the termination of the mandate of UNCIP, the Security Council, by its resolution 91 (1951) on 30, March 1951, established the  United Nations Military Observer Group in India & Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to supervise the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir. UNMOGIP functions were to observe and report, investigate complaints of ceasefire violation and submit its findings to each party and to Secretary General.[8]

In 1965, the second war broke out between India and Pakistan and the question of India- Pakistan was once again at the forefront of Security Council. The number of observers was doubled as the hostilities spread to Kashmir. At the end of 1971, the third war broke out between India and Pakistan and by the time the war ended, number of positions on both sides of original ceasefire line had changed. The Security Council (SC) on 21 December adopted resolution 307 (1971) by which it demanded that a durable ceasefire in all the areas of the conflict remain in effect until all armed forces had withdrawn to their respective territories and to positions which fully respected the ceasefire line in Jammu and Kashmir supervised by UNMOGIP.

In July 1972, India and Pakistan signed an agreement defining line of control which, with minor deviations, followed the same course as the ceasefire line established by Karachi agreement. The Simla Agreement of 1972 between India and Pakistan obliged both the states to deal with their issues bilaterally. India has since argued that this preludes thirds party intervention, including that of UNMOGIP.[9] On the basis of Simla Agreement India ignores UNMOGIP and took that the mandate of UNMOGIP had lapsed. However Pakistan did not accept this position.

The military authorities of Pakistan have continued to lodge complaints with UNMOGIP about ceasefire violations. The military authorities of India have lodged no complaints since January 1972 and have restricted the activities of the UN observers on the Indian side of the Line of Control. They have, however, continued to provide accommodation, transport and other facilities to UNMOGIP. However, Pakistan continues to welcome the UNMOGIP mission based there. Speaking in Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhury said “Pakistan will continue to facilitate the UNMOGIP, which is a source for providing credible information to the U.N. Security Council through its regular periodic reports. We have noted with concern that there were some administrative issues for the UMMOGIP in New Delhi but we believe it needs to be facilitated in the performance of its very important role.”[10]

India has asked a United Nations military observer group on Kashmir to vacate a government provided bungalow in New Delhi, in a toughening stance against a mission that Indians have long opposed.  New Delhi considers the whole of Kashmir as an integral part of the country and has bristled against external involvement in the region including the U.N. Military Observers Group on India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) that was set up in 1949 after their first war. India maintains that the U.N. had no role to play after India and Pakistan signed the Shimla Pact in 1972 under which the two countries agreed to resolve all disputes including Kashmir bilaterally.[11]

On the basis of disagreement between India and Pakistan over UNMOGIP’s mandate and functions, the secretary General’s position has been that UNMOGIP could be terminated only by a decision of Security Council. In the absence of such an agreement, UNMOGIP has been maintained with the same arrangements as established following December 1971 ceasefire. This clearly suggests that while Indian government can bulldoze the UN body out of its office building, it cannot ask the group to leave the country, if it has to follow the international law.[12] In addition the closing down of UNMOGIP’s operations would break UN’s promise to the Kashmiri people made in 1948 and would also break down the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter.[13]

India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over Muslim-majority Kashmir. Tension between the nuclear-armed neighbours often escalates in cross-border firing in the region. Both sides often accuse each other of violating a ceasefire agreement that kills dozens of people including civilians.  The UN was most active in the Kashmir dispute in the very first months of India’s and Pakistan’s existence, when the two countries were at war. The role of UN has been very limited in recent decades.  Even during the popular Kashmir uprising in 1989-90, when hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris marched in pro-freedom processions in Kashmir Valley and when thousands crossed the LOC to receive arms training, the UNMOGIP remained in hibernation in its Srinagar office.

The UNMOGIP has played virtually no role in the conflict after 1972.  When a popular uprising broke out against Indian rule in Indian-administered Kashmir in 1990, large pro-Independence processions of Kashmiris would often lead to the UNMOGIP headquarters in Srinagar to lodge protests and call on the U.N to implement its resolutions on Kashmir. Millions of Kashmir’s marched up to UNMOGIP headquarter in Srinagar on 1 March, 1990, submitted memoranda to UN Secretary-General urging him to intervene and push India into granting Kashmiris their ‘right to self-determination’. Although it is now becoming the common practice in Kashmir to send memoranda to the UNMOGIP, demanding implementation of U.N resolutions in Kashmir or the fulfilment of the right of self-determination of Kashmiris. On August 18, 2008, responding to the call of separatist leaders for a mass march up to UNMOGIP office, hundreds of thousands of people from every nook and corner of the Kashmir valley converged near the Tourist Reception Centre, close to the UNMOGIP office in Sonwar, locality of Srinagar to urge on the U.N to intervene in Kashmir. The sea of people comprising students from schools, colleges and universities, doctors, teachers, para medics, thousands of Kashmir government employees, professionals and peasant masses carried placards which read, “Stop Genocide of Kashmiris, Intervene UNO”, “ Ban ki Moon, Come soon”, “We want Plebiscite” etc.[14]

The state is very strict regarding the protests outside the UN building in Srinagar. The government uses different means to block the protesters before they reach to UN office.[15]    UNMOGIP has not been able to stop human right violations in Kashmir.  The UN has not been able to resolve the Kashmir conflict but it represents the international dimension of the Kashmir issue. The past involvement of UN in Kashmir Conflict has undoubtedly provided legitimacy and strength to the separatist argument in Kashmir but on the other hand the framing of the Kashmir Conflict as an India-Pakistan (Inter-State) Conflict in the U.N has prevented international recognition of the Kashmiri nationalist movement as the defining characteristic of the present day Kashmir Conflict.[16]

Conclusion

The UN was most active in the Kashmir dispute in the very first months of India’s and Pakistan’s existence, when the two countries were at war. After the 1972 Shimla Agreement UNMOGIP has been rendered completely ineffective in solving the Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan.  The non implementation of various UN resolutions passed from time to time regarding the Kashmir issue reminds that international body is yet to play its full role as far as the issue of Kashmir is concerned.  The UN involvement needs to focus on getting the two sides to the table to resolve the issue. The small arm firing across the line of control has became the norm and has started to affect the civilians more than what typically is the case.  Even though the U.N’s complete failure in Kashmir, the presence of UNMOGIP office in summer Capital of Jammu and Kashmir continues to symbolically affirm the Kashmiri sentiments that their land is not yet another Indian State but an internationally recognized disputed territory and that their cause is a historical and just one.

[1]  Mangrio, Naghma, A Historical and Political Perspective of Kashmir Issue, The Dialogue, Volume  VII, Number 3

[2] Kashmir Conflict: Study Guide, Kumun 2016 Model United Nations Conference

[3] “India-Pakistan Background” -UN News Center.

[4] Schofield, Victoria (2003) [First published in 2000], Kashmir in Conflict, London and New York: I. B. Taurus & Co, ISBN 1860648983

[5] “Resolution Adopted by the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan on 13 August 1948”Resolution Adopted by the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan on 13 August 1948.

[6] Wajahat Ahmad, Kashmir And The United Nations http://www.countercurrents.org/ahmad270808.htm

[7] ibid

[8]  UNMOGIP- Historical background http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/operations/early.shtml

[9] The Oxford Handbook of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations

[10] India to ask U.N. Military Observer Group to wind up ,The Hindu, July 25, 2014

[11] Modi govt asks UN Military Observer Group on J&K to vacate rent-free office in Delhi, Times of India, Jul 11, 2014

[12] Is Role of UN Military Observer Group in Kashmir Dispute Really Over?, International Business Times, July 12, 2014

[13] Monish Shah, The Forgotten Mission”: An Assessment of the United Nations Military-Observer Group in India and Pakistan,  North Carolina Consortium of South Asian Studies, Volume 1, Issue 1 (Fall, 2010)

[14] Wajahat Ahmad, Kashmir And The United Nations

[15]Monish Shah,  “The Forgotten Mission”: An Assessment of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan,  North Carolina Consortium of South Asian Studies, Volume 1, Issue 1 (Fall, 2010)

[16] Wajahat Ahmad, Kashmir And The United Nations

THE MOMENTOUSNESS OF COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING APPROACH IN CONTEMPORARY EPOCH

MANMINDER SINGH ANAND
Asstt. Prof in English, PUNJABI UNIVERSITY NEIGHBOURHOOD CAMPUS , JAITU 151506 Pb. India.

ABSTRACT

The present paper attempts to analyze the conceptual aspects of Communicative language teaching approach , as also to figure out the radical elements in the contemporary  approaches carried out in Europe as well as in India. An attempt has been made to focus on the radical elements in various approaches like Grammar-translation Method , Audio-lingual method or Bi-lingual method and also to compare and contrast their specific preferences. The paper, thus, presents an overview of the speaking , writing & technical skills & how they must be employed having a specific tilt towards radical innovations .

Keywords
communication, approaches , listening , technical drills , Noam Chomsky , language