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Delhi Pollution: An increasing threat to the nation.

By
Dhriti Das
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While we are busy finding out threats in the terrorists or the neighbouring nation, the terror to the country has slowly crept in via our National Capital Territory. It is none other than the increasing air pollution in the city! 

 Delhi has always has been the talk of the town in regard to pollution every year before and after the Diwali season. This year was no exception but with increased intensity. The air pollution levels in the capital have not only crossed the yearly benchmark but have reached emergency levels. When we are busy celebrating festivities and engaging ourselves in the government and political discussions, the city has been engrossed in the clouds of smog! According to the Environmental Performance Index, it is a matter of shame that the capital of our country is tagged as the “most heavily polluted capital city in the world”. 

 Delhi has been the city having unhealthy pollution levels, throughout the year, but the air pollution level has shown a tremendous hike making it one of the worst in terms of air quality index.

Also read Post-Diwali Dilemmas – Smog or Pollution

 What causes Delhi pollution?

 It is important that we understand and analyse the cause of pollution in the NCR. What actually causes the air quality index to be so poor and detrimental to anybody residing in the city:

  • Completely unplanned setting up of industries in and around the city. The industrial boom around Delhi has been a major contributor to the degrading air quality. Reports suggest that most of the industries that have been set up are not located in the approved zones. A mere 20% of them have properly approved establishment while the others have been put up haphazardly with minimum to no precautions of the waste generated by them. The unfiltered smoke released by them has a major role to play in the present AQI.
  • There has been an upsurge in the number of vehicles in the capital city. Although the metro services have been an improved mode of transportation in the city, the number of vehicles has been constantly seen an increase. Reports suggest that the number of vehicles plying on the streets of Delhi is treble the numbers which ply in other metro cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, and Kolkata.
  • Lack of treatment of the air pollutants that are released from the industries which have been established in and around the city. Besides, an increase in the number of diesel vehicles has been an addition to this pollution levels.
  • To add to these, the households in the city have also been a major contributor to this pollution. Coal-burning in plants to produce electricity, ionizers in electronic gadgets have made the environment of the city detrimental to a healthy life.

Some facts and figures

 The following facts and figures will provide you with an overview of the status the capital city has received in terms of the air pollution level.

  • The city has a carbon monoxide emission of 6000 micrograms per cubic meter, which is extremely harmful to a healthy life in the city. The approved amount of CO in any place is 2000 microgram per cubic meter and Delhi has crossed the safety limits.
  • World Health Organization (WHO) states that air pollution has been the fifth major killer in the country.
  • After measuring the outdoor air pollution levels in 1600 cities in 91 countries, Ambient Air Pollution (AAP) report, has stated that the PM 2.5 emission in the city is the highest in the world in the year 2014, which is followed by Beijing.
  • The Air Quality Index in the present months has been hovering around 319 which is claimed to be ‘hazardous’ in terms of the level of pollution.
  • The constant increase in the concentration of PM2.5 levels in the atmosphere is a major cause of an increase in respiratory diseases and a proponent of lung cancer.

How the government contributes to controlling pollution?

 The government needs to take up adequate measures in order to control the increasing levels of air pollution which can create serious health hazards. Here are a few policies adopted by the Delhi government in order to control the rapid increase in the pollutant level in Delhi air:

  • Enforcement teams have been deployed in order to keep a check on the vehicles which cause pollution and verify if the vehicles hold a PUC certificate.
  • With an approach to control pollution caused by vehicles, the government has put on a ban on driving commercial vehicles or public transport which are more than 15 years old. Those that are driven using conventional fuel and also buses driven by diesel has been prohibited from plying on the Delhi streets.
  • The ‘odd and even’ measure adopted by the government is actually a great initiative to control the mass emission of vehicles on a regular basis. This control measure implemented for a few days actually helped in reducing the pollutant emission.
  • The Mass Rapid Transport System (MTRS) is being planned in order to provide an affordable, non-polluting and useful system of transit from Delhi, which is largely rail-based. This system has a plan for integrating with other modes of transportation.
  • For the reduction of Sulphur and benzene in the fuels, lead free petroleum is been distributed in pumps. The lead content and Sulphur content on the vehicular emissions are disastrous for the quality of air.

What we can see from this, is that the government has plans to address the threat, but lack of proper implementation takes Delhi pollution to a serious condition.

What part should citizens play?

 It is us who needs to seriously think about contributing to the preservation of the environment. It is not far when the entire country will be grasped by the demons in the air.

  • Afforestation shouldn’t be a part of EVS textbooks, the Delhi citizens should collectively take up the endeavour to plant trees in the locality by organizing a committee.
  • Efficient use of sustainable sources of energy. The city receives ample sunlight which needs to be utilized in the form of solar energy for reducing the adversities coming from burning coal. It is time that the theoretical knowledge about alternative sources is implemented in reality, for a safer life.
  • Car polling is another major way of controlling vehicular emission. Opting for public transport like metro services and taking a pool can be an effective way to contribute to the Kejriwal government’s odd-even scheme.
  • Keeping a check on your transports pollution level and opting for CNG can be a small step towards fighting the inevitable enemy of air pollution in the city.

Thus, it is not just the government. It is time that we should collectively put in thoughts about the seriousness of the hazard which the pollution has started creating. It is time that the government, media, citizens actually identify the real threat to the nation such that we are gifted with a world full of happiness. Essentially it needs to be recognized that a clean and green environment will help our nation prosper and it is time that we all identify the largest enemy to the life of the citizens. Time has arrived to gear up and get our atmosphere “Swachch”!

CPAP Cleaner: The Best Three

By
Anchal
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0
Portrait of a young girl sleeping on a pillow
Portrait of a young girl sleeping on a pillow.

Sleep apnea is one of the most pervasive sleeping problems in the world today. It may not be fatal except in certain situations, but it can be uncomfortable to the person lying next to you. There are many people who view snoring as funny or even a mild inconvenience, but there is a lot of evidence that shows that this can be an underlying symptom of another medical problem. Most people who suffer from this kind of problem don’t even know that they have it. This is why it is important to go see a doctor once you are already experiencing other symptoms like poor quality of sleep.

One of the ways that sleep apnea can be treated is through CPAP or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. This is done through a device that looks like a breathing assistant for those who are already incapacitated. However, instead of pumping oxygen forcefully, it actually lets the person breathe easily while sleeping. This minimizes the sound being made, as well as helping the person sleep better. The machine also opens up the airways, making the flow better which also decreases the other symptoms. This is a great option for people who want to have the best results as early as possible although you still need to consult your physician.

However, there is still a lot of problems that can be caused by this device. It can be hard to get used to, especially for those who are still new to this type of treatment. This might also be very uncomfortable because the mask is like one of those in the intensive care units. There are also some people who feel suffocated while using it. Others feel that the mask is not really fit for them or there are leaks happening on the device. This makes the treatment rather ineffective and some end up backing out to find other solutions. You can read this article to learn more about these other ways.

CPAP Cleaner: The Best Three

Why Does It Have to Be Clean

It is important that you need to take care of the machine as it is a medical tool. If there is something wrong with the device, you need to check with your doctor as soon as possible, You can also reach out to the manufacturers if there are issues. Also, if there is something that needs to be changed, it can be replaced rather easily like the mask. All you need to do is look for the ones that would best fit your face or your needs. It is your body after all, and there are cases where you really know what the best option to choose is.

On the other hand, you also need to have the knowledge on how to clean this equipment. As you are using it near your oral and nasal cavity, your saliva and other fluids can build up on the mask. If left alone, these can turn into colonies of bacteria which is another set of complications that you wouldn’t want to experience. This is why it is important to have the best cleaners that can help you in disinfecting these items. There are a lot of items on this device that you really need to disinfect as much as possible like the tubes and the mask itself. Take a look below and see some of the best options for CPAP cleaners. 

Best CPAP Cleaners by Brand

CPAP Cleaner: The Best Three

Sleep8

All three of this cleaning equipment uses non-water materials to clean your CPAP. In the case of Sleep*, its manufacturers use the power of ozone or activated oxygen to clean up the machine. All you need to do is put the CPAP inside its compartment, turn it on and let the cleaning machine do its job. However, it does take an hour before it completes the cleanup. However, it is lighter and more compact than the others, which makes this better for travel. If you are going to take your machine somewhere else often, then this might be for you.

SoClean2

This is so similar to Sleep8, except there are some notable differences that might make this a better choice. For one, it is so much bigger than the previous option, which means that it provides a faster cleanup. How fast, you may ask? Well, it clocks at around 50 minutes less than Sleep8. It might be difficult to carry around, but it is so much more efficient. The activated oxygen can be considered as one of the best disinfectants that doesn’t use any amount of liquid at all.

Lumin

This is the odd horse of all three of these since it uses a different cleaning material: Ultraviolet light. According to science, a burst of this kind of light can also kill almost all germs in its vicinity. It is even faster than the SoClean as it only takes 5 minutes to make sure that your CPAP can be used again. You really need your equipment to be dry before putting it into the Lumin’s compartment as the excess water can impede the cleanup. The Lumin Cleaner is also great for other machines that needed to be cleaned without water as well. You can also check out the Official Top 5 Review CPAP cleaners for more insights.  

Finding the right cleaner can be a tough decision. Each of these CPAP cleaners is great in their own right. It is up to you to see which ones are the best. These are all available on the internet and they can be ordered at any time. As long as there is stock available, you can enjoy a clean CPAP without all the hassle of bacteria and viruses hiding in its crevices.

Tanhaji -The Unsung Warrior :Moview Trailer,Casting And Reviews

By
Harsha Amrish Bhoi
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Tanhaji
Tanhaji

Bollywood is currently in the throes of a historic movie. In the past few films have come out like ‘Padmaavat’, ‘Bajirao Mastani’, ‘Manikarnika’, ‘Kesari’. Then there’s talk of the movie ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’. The trailer for this movie was just released. And audiences have begun pouring in praise on social media. The film has again made a comeback to the story of the brave warrior Tanhaji Malusare, who made it to Kordana Fort 3 years ago.

Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn will bring the historical story of Tanjali Malusare to the   silver screen in the history of Shivakal on the silver screen in the film ‘Tanaji: The Unsung Warrior’. In the film, actor Ajay Devgn plays the role of Tanaji and Saif Ali Khan will be seen in the role of Rajput Moghul fortress Udaybhan Rathod. Also, Marathmola actor Sharad Kelkar will be playing the role of Shivaji Maharaj and Padmavati Rao will play the role of Rajmata Jijau. But what role will actress Kajol play in the film?

Also read Top 10 Best Tamil Movies of 2017

Now the screen has been lifted from the role of Kajol in the movie ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’. Ajay Devgan himself shared Kajol’s photo on Twitter. The tweet reveals that Tanjhaji Malusare’s wife Savitribai Malusare will play the role in the movie Kajol. Looking at the look of all the actors in the film, the enthusiasm for the film has become quite popular among the fans.

Tanhaji -The Unsung Warrior :Moview Trailer,Casting And Reviews

Saif and Ajay will be appearing on the silver screen after three years for the film ‘Tanhaji’. The film is set to release on January 5. The film is directed by Om Raut. Since the announcement of the film, it has been seen that the artist was curious about it.

The trailer for the movie ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’ depicts the story of Mawla, Tanaji Malusare, from the pages of Shivaji history released on Tuesday. The three minute twenty-second trailer features all the main characters. In this, actor Ajay Devgan in the role of Tanhaji, Saif Ali Khan in the role of Udaybhan Rathod and actor Sharad Kelkar in the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The trailer also featured a glimpse of Kajol in the role of Tanahji Malusare’s wife, Savitribai. The same trailer was spotted on social networking site on Tuesday. The trailer of the film was screened in Mumbai. Artists interacted with journalists during this time. This time, Ajay gave a very funny answer to a question asked by journalists about Kajol.

His real life wife, Kajol, played the role of wife in the ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’ starring Ajay Devgan’s hundredth film. The duo had a glimpse of the chemistry in the movie. Ajay reporters were questioned in this regard. “How do you feel about sharing a screen with a real-life wife after so many years? “What was the experience of working with Kajol,” Ajay was asked. Ajay gave a very funny answer to this.

At the trailer launch event of the film, Saif along with Ajay answered reporters’ questions. Ajay and Kajol, who got stuck in the marriage bed in 19 years, have worked together in several films before. Chief among them are ‘Ishq’, ‘Pyaar to ho na na tha’, ‘Raju chacha’, ‘Gundaraj’, ‘Hal-e-dil’, ‘Vighnahrta’, ‘You me and hum’, ‘Halal’, ‘Dil kya’. Kare ‘films are included. He acted together in the film ‘Toonpur ka Superhero’ which was released in the year 7.

The film is set to release on January 5. The film is directed by Om Raut. Since the announcement of the film, it has been seen that the artist was curious about it.

Exactly what happened when the fortress struck?

The original name of the lion was Kondhana. This fort was for the first time the Adilshahi. There, Dadoji Konddev was a handsome man. This fort was given by Shivaji Maharaj to the Mughals in Puhar’s Taha. Udayabhan Rathore, a Rajput from Rajasthan, was there at that fort. Later he converted, he was here to crush the Mughals.

Shivaji Maharaj had chosen Tanhaji Malusare to regain this fort. They set aside their son’s wedding and prepared to go on a campaign. Surprisingly, Tanaji went on an expeditionary expedition, leaving only her son to marry and marry only 3 mawlis. At that time, the phrase “first to be bruised and then to my heart” is still rooted in history. During the battle at the fort, Tanhaji Malusare suffered valor.

The same battle continued with his brother Suryaji Malusare. And by winning the victory, he threw the saffron at the fort. When Shivaji Maharaj learned about the conquest of the fort and the sacrifice of Tanhaji, the Maharaja exclaimed, “The fort came but the lion went”. The fort was then renamed as Sinhagad.

The unique importance of the Maval is important in the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn will bring the story of Tanjali Malusare to the silver screen in the same Shivaji history page as a movie, ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’. The trailer for this movie has just arrived in the audience. Some of the audience liked the movie trailer and some expressed their displeasure. But now the Networks have made the Vahnat Memes on film.

Lets see who Tanaji Malusare was?

Tanhaji -The Unsung Warrior :Moview Trailer,Casting And Reviews

Narvir Tanaji Malusare who performed historical feat in a word of Shivarai!

Hard to find a Marathi man who does not know the name of Tanaji Malusare!Knowing the history of Shivaji Maharaj from an early age, we know the heroic story of Tanaji Malusare, and the valor of that Narvir resides in his heart forever. This short article to give the same heroic light again!

At the age of 8, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj promised for self-government. Maharaj, with some of his chosen allies, called for an Elgar of Independence. His colleagues had also vowed to fight for the state until the last breath. Tanaji Malusare was one of these valuable colleagues of Shivaji Maharaj!

Tanhaji -The Unsung Warrior :Moview Trailer,Casting And Reviews

According to Purandar’s thirst for the Mughals on June 5, the Shivaji kings had to surrender the fort of Kondhana and other forts to the Mughals. Because of this, the pride of the Marathas had stumbled somewhere. Rajmata Jijau Aisaheb was also disturbed by this.

Tanaji Malusare is a childhood friend of Shivaji Maharaj and a very trusted partner of Maharaj. During every crisis of Maharaja, Tanaji had supported him. Tanaji was at the forefront of the campaign when Maharaj initially launched a campaign to take over the fort. Tanaji had shown immense valor even during the historic Afzal Khan slaughter.

Tanaji Malusare was also among the 3-4 men who entered the red palace when the Maharaja had taken 3-5 loyal companions to tear down the Shahist Khan. Shivaji Maharaj had closely observed Tanaji’s valor at all times, so he was convinced that only Tanaji could do the feat of making Kondhana.

Tanaji Malusare, the most special person of the wealthy Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Shivaji Maharaj trusted him too. They were fully convinced that only work could be done by someone who could not do it.

The wealthy Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj once gave Tanaji Malusare the responsibility of winning the Kondhana fort. When Tanaji realized this responsibility, he was preparing for his son’s wedding. Upon receiving the message of Maharaj, Tanaji realized that there must be something important. Tanaji left the preparation and appeared before the Maharaja giving priority to his work for Swarajya.

Tanhaji -The Unsung Warrior :Moview Trailer,Casting And Reviews

Maharaj said that now it has been an honorable thing to win Kondhana Fort and there should be no place. Tanaji then proceeded to occupy the Kondhana fort, which was well-guarded and guarded by a wide range of outposts and a mighty fortress like Udayabhan. They went with their squad to win the battle. First, the lagoon crust, then the laguin raiba. “These words are famous steps in history.

On the fort, Udayabhan Rathod, a fortress, was a brave man, and under his hand was an army of about eight Hashem. At night, under the leadership of Tanaji Malusare, the Maratha army marching from Rajgada crossed the Gunjwani river and reached the base of Sinhagad. It was a dark night. They chose the way to go to the brink, the edge of a huge dragon that could not be heard by the enemy.

Tanaji with his army came under the fort’s welfare door. It was late at night. There was darkness everywhere. Tanaji chose a way to get to the brink, the edge of the huge drones that did not come before the enemy! It was broken vertically. It can be mounted on a shore, with a rope ladder.

Tanaji took his “Monitor Lizard” named “Yashwanti” and tied her chamber and mounted it on top of the key, but Monitor Lizard came back. It was as if she were pointing to Tanaji about the ominous event that would happen next. But ignoring that signal, Tanaji, along with his comrades, entered the fort and captured the enemy troops in scissors.

Tanaji went to the first gate on the Pune side to have his people at the front door, and suddenly attacked the guards and cut them off.

After capturing the door, they went to the second and third gates and sent the guards to Yamsdani and seized the gates. This unforeseen disturbance caused the enemy’s army to stand on the fort. Avana Udayabhan also came to the raid and started mobilizing the army. Sarnobat Siddi Halal first encountered Tanaji. There was a tumultuous war between the two, and Siddi Halal fell into it.

As the chains through which the Maratha army was climbing the fort broke down, everyone gathered under the welfare door of the fort headed by Surajji and waited for the door to open.

Tanaji was slowly moving towards the welfare door. Meanwhile, Udayabhavan attacked Tanaji with all the power. Tanaji was physically and mentally disturbed by the night’s travels, fortress-attacks, and, chiefly, the repression of the expedition. Udayabhan, however, was refreshing and more younger than him.

Due to the onslaught of the Udayabhanas, the shields of Tanaji’s wounds were broken as well, but in this case, without giving up, he tied his hand with Shawl and struck Udayabhan. But as destiny did not see this kind of Tanaji, and a heavy blow from Udayabhaan took their lives and Tanaji fell down in blood.

But as he died, they cut off numerous enemies and had made the next path free for their Martha soldiers. One night the Marathas capture the precious gems of Swarajya.

Suddenly they attacked and captured the army in scissors. And they tried to win the fort by fighting until the last breath.

Shivaji Maharaj was overjoyed. But when they learned that their lion Tanaji died fighting, however, they did not shed any tears and from their mouth they went on to glorify the Tanaji, “The fort came but the lion of the kingdom was gone”.

Tanaji left his life after wreaking havoc on his left hand, even after the shield in Tanaji’s hand fell unconscious to the enemy. However, the fort was occupied by Suryaji Malusare and Shelarmama. The king had been warned that the fort had been won by burning hay on the fort. The incident took place on February 7th.

Tanaji had to sacrifice his life in the past. This was realized the next day when the wealthy Chhatrapati Shivajiraj reached Singhagad. Maharaj said, “Gad (Fort) is there but Sinh (lion) is gone”. The grieving kings sent Tanaji’s body to this village in his late teens. A beautiful monument has been erected at Tanaji where he has gone.

Even today, “Kondhana” Fort alias Sinhagad and its surroundings stand proudly, witnessing the history of the bravery of Tanaji Malusare and his accomplices in the dense foliage.

Sikkim – The cleanest state in India

By
Dhriti Das
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Sikkim

While the capital of India is striving to survive the hazardous air pollution that has crept into the atmosphere, another state of India has been successful in breathing green! IT is none other than the north eastern state of Sikkim. Once, a monarchy, this state became annexed to the Indian subcontinent in the year 1975, proudly boasts of being the first absolutely open defecation free state in the country! Wondering how?

Well, when the Swachch Bharat Mission of the present government is an initiative to ensure that the states are clean and tidy in every respect, the Swachch (cleanliness) survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) declared that four districts of Sikkim has been ranking among the top ten in terms of cleanliness and sanitation. Approximately 98.2% of the houses in the state have the provision of clean toilets, whereas 100% of the household boasts of community or individual toilets. 

The Cleanliness History

Sikkim – The cleanest state in India

No, it is not absolutely a one-year plan that the state has been able to upgrade its cleanliness quotient. Long before the present Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi launched the Swachch Bharat Mission, the state government had initiated their cleanliness drive. About 13 years ago, the Chamling government in the state began the sanitation campaign for the state. Thus, the state got towards establishing its cleanliness drive after years of the initiative by the government and active participation of the people residing there. The tag of the “cleanest state” is indeed a great honor bestowed upon the state and it’s citizens to celebrate their hard work towards sanitation and cleanliness.

The Government’s Endeavour

The initial approach to this program was public sensitization. The government took up the initiative to make the inmates of the state aware of the importance of proper sanitation. It made it evident to the students that a clean environment is of utmost importance for a healthy life. The people were motivated to protect their natural habitat, improve sanitation and make the ambiance hygienic for a better life. Thus, people have been encouraged to look after and protect their environment.

The next measure which the government took up was setting up latrines for the household. They were successful in implementing their objective of setting up toilets in 98,043 houses which exceeded their estimation of 87,014. Out of these around 69,000 toilets were set up for the residents below the poverty line (BPL).

Besides, improving sanitation in the household, the government was conscious of installing public filters in order to ensure clean drinking water. Public toilets were set up at frequent intervals in order to make the use of toilets a natural instinct. Moreover, measures were undertaken to improve the drainage facility of big cities like Namchi and the capital city of Gangtok.  

Since the household is not just part of the society, the envisioned having proper sanitation in school. Approximately 1772 schools in the state were incorporated under the provision of providing proper sanitation. Under the Nirmal Bharat scheme launched by the central government, the Sikkim state government was successful in implementing proper sanitation in the schools. The local panchayats and local governing bodies were involved to make this initiative reach the desired target. The local governing bodies took great endeavors to sensitize the inhabitants.

They successfully made it evident to them that Sikkim as a tourism state needed to maintain a green and clean image to the world. This can be achieved if the locals cooperate to maintain a properly sanitized and healthy environment.

The task was indeed tedious. They were zealous enough to initiate a door-to-door campaign in the state. This would enable us to reach out to every household and make them aware. Besides, schoolchildren were included in this program, such that they can make their families aware of the health benefits of using a toilet.

Adolescent girls need special sanitary requirements, and the government was very diligent in looking after this requirement. It made a point to introduce gender-sensitized sanitary programs in school under the School Sanitation and Hygiene Program of TSC so that the requirements of the girl child in their puberty is met. Primarily, two schools per district were provided with the sanitary wending machine along with a dispenser. A child can drop INR2 to receive a fresh sanitary napkin and could easily dispose them of using the dispenser. The napkins are disposed of using a method of incineration. Later with an enigmatic response, a greater number of schools were incorporated.

Alongside all these measures, the government also introduced a waste management system and implemented various laws and rules ensuring proper execution. These enthusiastic measures adopted by the government indeed bore its fruits with each passing year.

Why is the cleanliness model persistent in the state?

A question may arise that although steps are taken, they are never long term. This vision was completely negated by the Sikkim government. The state not only boasts of their cleanliness but has maintained it for years now. The consistency in cleanliness drive has not come about on its own. Here too, the legislature played their part well along with the effective participation of the citizens.

Their law is strictly enforced, and a penalty needs to be paid if you smoke in public, urinate on the streets, spit on the streets or use plastic. The state has completely banned the use of plastic, which is another green measure for protecting the Earth. A penalty of INR200 for smoking and INR 500 for urinating are to be paid if the rules are violated by either tourists or locals. 

There are separate smoking rooms in the capital city designated for the purpose. Besides, the locals are super passionate about their state and environment, and this has also made the project successful and still functional.

Awards and Honors 

All these hard works have not gone in vain! It received two honors at the Swachch Bharat Awards in 2018. “The Cleanest State” was bestowed on it and the Eastern district received the “Cleanest District” Award. Besides, in 2016, the state was tagged as the First Organic State in India, as they shunned the use of chemical fertilizers in the production of their food and vegetables. In the year 2008, it was declared as ‘Nirmal Rajya’ for the outstanding cleanliness measures and great sanitation programs.

What’s the future?

With all this feather to its cap, the state moves on to achieve more in terms of its environment. Although plastic is banned still PET bottles are observed disposed of by tourists. The government plan to absolutely bans them soon planning of RO purified water in kiosks around the state. Water needs to be accessed from the designated public water purifiers, restaurants and hotels.

With a mere 8% of people living below the poverty line, Sikkim is also on the mission of completely nullifying poverty. Soon, it envisions itself to emerge as a state with zero poverty!

These are indeed great projects and the constant participation of the government with the public will indeed make it the healthiest state to prosper. As you walk down the mountain roads of Sikkim, it gives you a breath of fresh air from all the pollution of the metro cities. It is a perfect green abode of wonderful association with nature!

Jewellery trends for brides who like to experiment

By
Anchal
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0
beautiful golden glamour woman
Upscale Indian woman wearing gold jewellery and red lipstick on dark background

Every bride dreams of a perfect wedding and looking absolutely flawless on the D-day. From makeup, hair and the outfit, everything is pre-planned. But, when it comes to jewellery, you often see most brides playing it safe with gold. Of course, gold jewellery has also come a long way from being heavy and chunky to modern and light but what if you just don’t like gold?

If you’re not a bride who likes to be covered in gold, fret not. You can experiment with new jewellery trends and blend traditional and modern design. 

Last year, it was minimalism hit the bridal jewellery industry and this year has seen a ton of new trends. Let’s find out:

7 experimental jewellery trends for brides:

1. Lotus Motif

The lotus is considered an auspicious flower that is often used in Indian weddings. It is a symbol of fertility, prosperity and beauty. Top bridal jewellery designers incorporated the lotus motif in necklaces, bangles and earrings. But, if your family still wants a touch of gold, you can get some gold earrings in 5 grams.

2. Shoulder-dust earrings

Tired of heavy, chunky earrings? Try these shoulder dust earrings that are perfect for new age brides. This is especially a good match for brides that want to wear something modern like a luxurious gown. 

3. Cocktail rings

Statement rings are in. For sangeet or mehendi, brides have been donning extravagant rings that lend the whole outfit a dramatic air. If you’re going for a rather modern look, a nice cocktail ring is the perfect accessory. 

4. Statement handcuffs

No, these aren’t the handcuffs that strike the fear of law in your heart. Handcuffs in geometric and floral patterns bejewelled with precious stones are trending this year. You can pair that with a smaller ring in a similar design and stones. 

5. Collar chokers

Thought chokers are only good for a 90s themed party? Think again. Extravagant enormous chokers are becoming the norm. From celebrity brides to your real-life brides, chokers are making an appearance everywhere. If you’re still unsure about a big diamond choker, check out these light 10 gram gold necklace designs.

6. Go big or go home studs

Minimalist? What’s that? At least, that is what brides seem to project during their wedding celebrations. Studs are no longer tiny, can’t be seen studs. Brides are embracing big studs that can probably be seen from outer space!

7. Tennis bracelets with a twist

The linked diamond bracelet has been a bridal staple for as long as anyone can remember. But this year, we have witnessed experimental designs, new gemstones and shapes and it just seems like it’s the beginning. 

These are some of the latest trends just to help you get started with jewellery. You can go all out by choosing one gemstone and design or be eclectic by having a wide array of gemstones in different shapes. It’s your day, after all, so you get to choose what makes you feel beautiful!

3 Books/Stories Every Girl/Woman Must Read

By
Sheena Dawar
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Shashi Deshpande

Reading is said to be the best way to empower someone. For instance, the following well-known quote is more than enough to justify the importance of reading in one’s life: 

“We read to know we’re not alone”

You must be guessing from the title of this article that the books/stories described in this article will help in the empowerment of women. But this belief is entirely wrong, as there is nothing which can empower women because each and every woman is already strong from within. But some are just not aware of their strength. The only change which is required is in the way this world and society perceives women. 

In order to make all girls and women aware of their importance and worth, I would like to recommend the following texts to each and every girl/woman.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is among the finest classic novels of British English Literature. No words are enough to describe this masterpiece novel. It is a very beautifully penned, semi-autobiographical novel of Charlotte Bronte. It is even Charlotte Bronte’s first and the best novel. The novel, Jane Eyre is set in the landscape of 19th century’s England. It talks about the story of Jane Eyre, an orphan girl, who throughout her life yearns for love and recognition. It’s among the most unconventional novels of its time. This is because Jane was born a rebel; but at that time, women were totally dependent upon someone else. So, no woman dared to be rebellious in that time. 

Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre

Later, she becomes an educated governess and falls in love with her master, Mr. Rochester, who loved her deeply but tried to crush her soul by offering her a bigamous affair. Being a rebel, Jane couldn’t bear to get controlled by anyone; so, she declines his proposal. The whole story revolves around the love story of Jane and Rochester, and how she declines two marriage proposals and how things change eventually and Jane ends up becoming an independent woman.

Jane Eyre


But this story cannot be merely considered a simple love story, rather it has a very intricate plot and several unconventional themes. Jane Eyre deals with the issue of feminism to a great extent. It talks about the suppression and repression of woman and how female sexuality is taken for granted by the male-dominated society. Jane Eyre is a bildungsroman having a lot of Gothic elements as well. In this novel, it is also shown that how in the name of religion people make others their slaves. 

Also read EPIC SHORT STORIES BY RABINDRANATH TAGORE

The Intrusion by Shashi Deshpande

Shashi Deshpande

The Intrusion is a very well-known feminism based short story written by Shashi Deshpande. The Intrusion is a story written with complete lucidity. But in simple words, Shashi Deshpande in her story, has dealt with one of the most complex issues of all times. 

The story, The Intrusion tells the story of a newlywed couple. The Intrusion is a kind of a critique of the system of arrange marriage. The Intrusion is written in such an artistic manner that every married woman can relate to this story. This story tells that how the dreams of a married woman gets shattered in the worst possible manner on the very first night after her wedding. It also tells that how a woman’s all desires and aspirations get crushed and killed beneath the heavy load of duties which every woman is supposed to fulfil. 

Shashi Deshpande has not given any name to the characters of the married couple in The Intrusion. This is because she wanted to generalize the characters as the story in The Intrusion is the story of almost every married couple, whose marriage is based on arrangement. 

Also read Top 5 novels by Keigo Higashino

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is the only novel of Emily Bronte. It is a classic masterpiece novel. Wuthering Heights is considered to be the best love story of English literature known till now. It is set in an English setup. It is often called the best literary piece produced in the Victorian Era. Unlike other love stories, it is not a simple love story of two lovers who unite in the end and get to live happily together for the rest of their lives. 

Wuthering Heights is far more than the conventional love between two people. The story surpasses all the limits and bounds of loving someone passionately. It is the story of two lovers, Catherine and Heathcliff, who love each other in the most unimaginable passionate way. The level of this love is that deep that it crosses each and every obstacle that comes in its way. Wuthering Heights is the perfect example for showing that how truly passionate love can make someone badly obsessed for spoiling one’s own life just for the sake of taking revenge. It is the story of eternal love which remains alive even after the death of one’s beloved. 

Apart from the magnificent story of Catherine and Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights is also very popular for its beautiful landscape description of the Moors. Wuthering Heights is also having a lot of Gothic elements. The portrayal of women characters in this novel is quite unique. In addition, the beauty of Wuthering Heights lies in its intricately woven multi-narrative plot structure. 

The 3 books/stories mentioned above, according to my perspective, must be read by every girl/woman. However, one’s tastes may differ. But I really hope that whosoever would read them would surely be enjoying the essence of these wondrous literary pieces. 

Thank You! 😊 

The Science Behind Slime; Plus Oddly Satisfying Videos to Make Your Day

By
Titas Choudhury
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Slime
Slime

One peek into YouTube or Instagram or Facebook, and you can know how viral slime videos have become. Millions of vloggers have posted videos of them playing with slimes of varied colour and types. Some videos show recipes of making slime. Others show vloggers mixing sequins and beads and colour in the slime. The types of slimes that can be seen is maddening. And coupled with the videos are sounds of the action recorded from close distance.

All these seem to arouse a feeling of satisfaction among online viewers, with #satisfying trending all over social media. Somehow people find extreme calm and joy in watching and hearing someone press slime for hours on end. The most ironic part is, this squishing and mushing seem to have no real end product, and videos just end in the vlogger arranging the slime in a swirl after it has been treated as per their whims. Even then, slime has become a part of a huge hubbub. People are even selling slime they made online. Stores have started selling commercially produced slime. So why exactly are these videos so satisfying and so popular?

N.B: Read till the end for a nice satisfying hoard of surprise.

Generally, such odd jobs have become extremely popular for being satisfying. Slime videos have won the crown, but such other videos still keep getting thousands, even millions of views.

Also read Silly Facts to Brighten Up Your Day

“Oddly Satisfying”: The Rise of a New Genre

Before the rise of internet, this genre did not exist. Now it is one of the most popular banner under which videos are uploaded daily, all catering to the weird satisfaction drawn out of a similarly weird entity. The extreme amount of satisfaction that something so silly and mundane could create was previously unknown; it was only when the videos came into being that this side of human psychology came into view. It has rightly been hailed as oddly satisfying.

Well, the videos that come under the Oddly Satisfying genre aren’t restricted to slime. Resin art, cleaning pavements, icing cakes, factory productions, spray paint jobs and million other simple stuff seem to evoke satisfaction among the audience. And all of it seem to stem from a similar source and follow a similar course. However, the blow up was done by slime. The #OddlySatisfying did not become such a wildfire before the advent of slime.

There are almost 900k posts tagged under #oddlysatisfying on Instagram, and 13 million posts under #slime. And this includes a close cousin of slime, kinetic sand. It is a more solid version, and has the texture of sand. Like slime, it is also considered as one of the most oddly satisfying object. An entire spectrum of videos have arose- cutting, mixing, pouring, colouring, and so on. And all these provide instant, although short living, satisfaction.

But how?

Visual Congruence

In an interview, head of trends and culture at YouTube and author of Videocracy, Kevin Allocca said, the rise of the hashtag has to do with taxonomy, as far as he can guess. According to him, it is not necessarily something tied to the moment, now we can just categorize such videos as satisfying. Previously too the audience perhaps had the same effect on watching these, but did not have a term for it. Now they do.

Giving a solid reason behind why we like something can be difficult. But the clues can be found right on the internet itself. Think of the previous videos under the “satisfying” banner. Now videos are aimed simply towards satisfaction, and no other end result. Slime videos are bright, with vibrant colours and glitter. But the aim is clear: display visually congruous entities which have no utility in real life, but only satisfying a viewer. This is a deliberate recreation. And a little insight will tell you that indeed you have no real use of slime in real life. Yet, you sit for hours watching videos of slime and feel satisfied.

The key is in the creativity. What can you do with the slime? Push your boundaries. If one vlogger has posted themselves squishing a balloon filled with slime, you come up with a video of mixing different coloured slimes together. Unicorn slime! The point is to cater to the visual perception of the audience, at least initially.

ASMR: Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response

Beautifully manicured long nails tapping on the hard surface of the slime; squishing a bulk of slime; smashing small packages of slime to reveal the colour inside- all these add to the auditory experience of slime videos. This is applicable even to many other oddly satisfying videos, but for slime it becomes more important. All the sounds are magnified, so even simply churning the slime makes sound audible and satisfying. It seems to heighten the experience of slime.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5gJBgUHQ29/

The beads falling, being mixed into the slime: all of it seem to satisfy the audience extremely.

Here is another post that caters more to the auditory sense than visual!

As far as general ASMR videos are concerned, people like tapping, combing, whispering the most. Slime videos try out stuff even further from expectations. A lot of slimes have solid top that is broken, so the vlogger starts with tapping on the surface. Some even comb the slime.

But, despite such popularity of ASMR, not much scientific research has been done on the phenomenon. In 2015, the first scientific research paper was published on ASMR. Respondents had filled out questionnaires on Reddit and Facebook on their ASMR habits and what they liked to watch and why. As per most people, these videos helped them relax, de-stress, and help in sleep.

Playing with slime: a Reflection of the Childhood Days

According to W. Christopher Winter, M.D., of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine, and author of the upcoming book, The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It, the effect created by ASMR is similar to white noise. Viewers find themselves shifting into a zen-like state. Sometimes these videos have an emotional relation to the viewer, reminding them of a fond memory or something from the childhood. This also explains the fondness for slime. People associate playing with slime along with the ASMR audio with childhood experience. The simplicity of childhood is often reflected in the simplicity of the slime videos.

Some also believe that the sense of touch has an important role to play. People like the sensation created by touching slime. But many do not have access to this. So they watch someone else touch the slime. Since the brain often sees and activity and acts like the person themselves are performing it, watching someone else play with slime makes the viewer feel good, not just visually but also by touch.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5dj9tbnE8b/
A digital representation that focuses on touch: slime falling on the face.

The effect and desires of ASMR vary from person to person, but the slime video makers seem to have cracked the code for what most people will like. Once again, creativity comes to the forefront. The more creative a video is, the more attention it will gain.

To Talk About Childhood

The aspect of childhood throwback is not a mere idea. It seems this has a pivotal role to play behind slime videos being so popular. In 2017 the popularity of slime had led to a shortage of glue in the US. And most of the videos were made by teens. The fact that making slime is cheap, and it contains stuff easily available, has made it further popular.

Also, slime is not exactly new, and has been popular way before internet, from the Nickelodeon era of 90s. The difference is, things were not as easily accessible then as they are now. So there is one association with childhood that can be formed. However, the amount of fame slime is getting worldwide right now is far more than the 90s. The association we talk of here is for people who are well into their twenties now. But it can be admitted that slime is just as popular among people bornin late 2000s as well as children of 2010s.

A lot of teens have admitted that slime videos help calm them down before bed and help them sleep. This can be due to the fact that the person playing with the slime seems deft and well versed with what they’re doing. This seems to consequently appeal to our childhood senses, i.e. the child in us feels happy. This is echoed in satisfaction in our adult minds. Teens relate the most because they’re just out of childhood, on their way to adulthood. Our childlike tendencies are tickled, which includes being hard wired to hand movement. These videos show eloquent hand movements too. As children, we learn by observation; motor skills come in very much here, and that is echoed when we watch these “oddly satisfying” videos.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5n-YPHHaFM/

It is extremely apparent that the surge of views for slime videos has happened because of the young audience. This is perhaps because young people are exposed to the screen early on, so do not experience such oddly satisfying phenomenon in the physical world. So they turn to such experiences created deliberately on online platforms. It helps them cope with the harsh stressful lifestyle that has become so widespread. They find refuge in the therapeutic videos of people playing with slime.

The Psychological Benefit of Slime Videos

The #oddlysatisfying trend isn’t just some random genre people are hyping about. Turns out, netizens have felt the psychological effects of these videos, regardless of their knowledge, and are using it to further these effects. Slime videos might apparently seem pointless as besides the satisfaction, there is actually deep effect of these videos on the mind. They seem to help in unwinding, relaxing, and feeling calm. Along with ASMR, these videos seem to be serving the role of what is being termed as microtherapy. This helps in a quick shot of anxiety relief. In fact, patients of anxiety are often asked to press or squeeze soft balls. So this principle being reflected in the slime videos comes as no surprise.

According to a psychology professor at the University of Pécs, Dr Anita Deák, this relaxation can be due to mirror neuron theory. In her words, “Mirror neurons are motor neurons in the brain that become active when we see someone doing an action. But these neurons are also active when we do the action.” Thus, the viewer feels the same pleasure as the doer because they think they are doing it themselves. Deák thinks the popularity of slime videos is because of the experience it provides.

The benefits of slime thus aren’t unknown to the medical community. Slime is often prescribed for patients of severe anxiety. It can also help with fidgeting in otherwise mentally healthy people.

The Visual Excellence

Good slime videos also depend greatly on filming. This applies to oddly satisfying videos as well. People love to watch chocolate being poured, water colour being done from up close, factories mass producing various objects, and so on; all thanks to the quality of filming. This shows that people don’t run after the entity itself, in reality, but after the visuals that incite satisfaction. So a badly shot or poor quality video never appeals to the viewers.

This technique is used by advertisers as well. For ages they have cashed on the satisfying sensation created by the right kind of cinematography. Many people admit that the experience of watching satisfying food videos is often much better than actually having the food. Even though the making process leads to a mess, the video is perfect. And that is probably why the videos are so appealing- striving for perfection. This is given impetus by the fact that many videos are actually of stuff from daily life. We want things simple and perfect. The slime videos give us that. So we love these videos.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5okiFEHBe8/
Oh yes, Perfection!

And here are oddly satisfying videos to make sure your day is happy!

The slime fame is not accidental. So the next time you are watching a satisfying video, remember, there is much more in it than what appears to the eye or to the ears. The visuals and the audio all go in together to fire up various aspects in the brains of millions of people around the world. And all of it combines to make these videos, including slime, such a hot topic on social media.

A Perfect guide for an Egypt trip

By
Dhriti Das
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Egypt
Coral Reef Red Sea Egypt Marsa Alam from the bottom up

 The history book has called this civilization “A gift of Nile” what’s more exciting than gearing up for a trip to the lands of Giza and pyramids! Well, it’s worth mentioning that the historical paradise will leave you spellbound as you cruise through the swift Nile, spend a night in the under the starlit desert and amaze your mind through the pages of history.

Your dream of Egypt tour can easily be accomplished by simply booking a flight in Air India, Vistara, Kuwait Airways from your very own city. Land in Cairo and take in all the awe of glory and splendour of the ancient kingdom. Time travel to the times of Pharaohs and Egyptian kings as you scroll through the streets of the historical place. Your Egypt holiday adventure from any corner of the world starts here!

Cairo

Panorama of Cairo
Panorama of Cairo cityscape taken during the sunset from the famous Cairo tower, Cairo, Egypt

The capital city of the desert country of Africa, has in store all the luxuries you would expect in an Egypt tour package from India. Drop your bags at Nile-Ritz Carlton hotel, providing a mindboggling view of the river or for a historical and cultural experience in the Le Riad Hotel De Charme and relax. For the upcoming days are all filled with new adventures to the Sphinx, pyramids, Giza which is sure to make your travel in a time machine. As you bask in the Egyptian Sun and explore the city, don’t forget to munch on a Simit and sip in some coffee as you crave for a snack! The lunch and dinner can be elaborate with shawarma, foul or an exquisite feast of hamammashi.

Also read The Best Places to travel with Kids in the USA in 2019

 Aswan

Sailboat in Aswan
River Nile and boats at sunset in Aswan

 It will be guilty if you miss out on this multidimensional city in the Egypt tour package from Kolkata. With the High Dam to the Nubian villages, this city has lots to offer to any tourist from around the globe. The enchanting temples of Abu Simbel and Philae and the tranquil visit to the Nubian villages, it is impossible to keep this out of your bucket list. The East and the West bank provide a wide range of staying options ranging from luxury to budget. Just step away from the city to the Elephantine Island to avoid the rush and traffic! Don’t let the peace escape as you set sail on the historical Nile.

Also read Paris – The City of Dreams, Love and Romance

 Nile River Cruise

Panorama of Nile river
River Nile and boats at sunset in Aswan

Among all the exciting trips you have taken till now, the Egypt tour package will keep you engaged for a complete week as you book into one of the local cruises. The luxury of spending nights on the Nile with elaborate Egyptian cuisine served with affection is the perfect icing on the cake. As the boat sails up the river, experienced guides walk you through the remains of the ancient civilization along the banks. Enjoy the local culture and tradition strolling by the countryside as the cruise is tied up for the night. To add on all these is the exciting adventure of taking a swim in the clear water of the river on a warm, sunny afternoon. It is sure to soothe you from the heat and fatigue of the sightseeing!

 The itinerary in cruising over for four nights includes the following:

 Day 1: Reach the Aswan for the Nile Cruise

 Day 2: A trip to the Komomba Temple

 Day 3: The temple of Horus at Edfu City

 Day 4: As you reach Luxor, you get a chance to enjoy the West Bank.

 Day 5: Dislodge from the cruise in the city of Luxor

 Luxor: 

This city located along the banks of the Nile, offers a spectacular view of the river beside the ancient heritage sites of the Luxor Temple, Karnak, Valley of the Kings. Spend a day or two in this New Kingdom. One can’t keep their eyes off, the scenic beauty of the desert along the route. The Egyptian food having Middle Eastern influence is sure to tickle your taste-buds as you engage in some shakshouka and baklava for dinner.

 White Desert National Park 

Situated in the northeastern side of Farafara, is the desert that looks spectacular with its chalky peaks poking up through the white sands. The majestic white amidst the roughness of the sandy desert makes it enchanting to the eyes. The quietness of this national park makes it ideally suited for an overnight dessert camping site. This marks an adventurous night as you sit down star gazing at night and the day is spent visiting the Twin Peaks and the Crystal Mountain which is entirely composed of rocks! In theory, staying overnight in the park is prohibited, however, a minimum amount to the rangers is enough to allow you to spend an unforgettable night in this place.

 Sharm-el Saikh

In Egypt tour package from India, you’ll come across the option of this beach resort in the southern part of Sinai Peninsula, from among the various options of the places to visit in Egypt, this provides innovation to your experience. While you are busy excavating the past, this will provide a break to the monotone as you go snorkeling to visit Nabeq! The camel and jeep tours are included in the package tours opted in this region. Among others, the trip to Coloured Canyon and the overnight journey to Mount Sinai will add to the mode of exploration. This resort town is well stocked with the traditional cuisine of salads, dips, foul, kibdeh, tamiya alongside the international menu. You simply can’t savor the meal with piping fresh coffee from the bakraj! 

 All for love of shopping

 The Egypt tour package is all amiss without bringing some souvenirs back home for friends and family. While you explore this historic destination don’t forget to head to this market for a shopping spree!

 Kham Al Khalili

 Probably one of the best places to get hold of some T-shirts, sand bottles having images of camels and many more. Your experience of bargaining will come in handy when you surf through this shopping paradise!

 Souk Al Fustat

 This place has a collection of things to offer from the Bedouin work on the pillowcases to traditional bowls and artwork. Besides, providing an array of options to add to your shopping cart, this is a must-visit destination for you get to visit the hanging church from the medieval era!

 Aswan Souk

Cheap and reasonable spices with its refreshing aromas is the main attraction here. Although the city is well expanding with its influx of global tourists, this souk has maintained its old-world charm. For a quick collection of Arabic spices, it is a must-go destination when in Aswan.

 Luxor Bazaar

The gateway to this shopping heaven is marked by a gateway to the medieval times. As you walk in get mesmerized by the range of leather goods, postcards, papyrus on display at the stores all of which look similar! Here too, be prepared with your skills of hassling with the shopkeepers.

 As you put an end to Egypt tour, come back all refreshed from a time journey. Stop by and collect from the wide range of hibiscus leaves as you leave. The drink will remind you of the days well spent from the Land of the Pharaohs! The souvenirs from this far away land will tingle your memories as you watch them.

When Will Bollywood Stop Being Misogynistic?

By
Titas Choudhury
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When Will Bollywood Stop Being Misogynistic?
Bollywood Stop Being Misogynistic

It is 2019. The amount of sexism around us is still mind boggling. Even some of the most highly educated people do not fail to show sexist attitude. Women often enforce misogyny under the pretext of “traditions”. Feminists are made fun of despite the need for it, and misused feminism used to generalize all feminists at large. Girls go silent on casual sexism, boys are shamed for showing so called “feminine” traits, subtle forms of harassment are ignored. And one of the most popular media of the country is rampantly promoting misogynistic content. Welcome to Bollywood misogyny.

Bollywood has an important role in influencing people, as people of all strata of the society watch movies. And this applies to all kinds of movies. So when a bulk of movies say it is okay to make sexist jokes or show misogynistic behaviour, the already patriarchal mindset is given validation. Change is delayed. It seems, Bollywood still isn’t making any active contribution to overcoming the misogyny present. Time and again it has normalized sexism, even in 2019 with movies like Kabir Singh and Pati Patni Aur Woh.

Here we list how Bollywood has repeatedly gone overboard with its misogyny.

Promoting Stalking, or Awaarapan. Because “Tu Haa kar ya Na Kar Tu Hai Meri Kiran”

It seems, consent is almost non existent in a bulk of Bollywood movies. The girl is either accepts the proposal of a man, or is stalked and harassed relentlessly until she gives in. And that seems to have been made the ideal way of wooing a woman. It shows that the girl eventually falls in love with the eve teaser. Some so called “comedies” even show male characters getting together to stalk a girl, even if she’s in her room about to change her clothes! It seems like Bollywood can’t get enough of promoting this behaviour.

Obviously, the eve teasers get encouraged on the inside, and you can understand why so many women are victims of eve teasing. The worst part is, this is so normalized that most women do not even consider eve teasing to be something serious. What we don’t realize is, all these go on to form the base of the rape culture that is so prevalent in our country.

Also read Dorian Rossini: The Supposed Modern Jesus.

“Spicy” Lyrics. Because Women are Just Objects of Pleasure, or Simply Because They Don’t Matter.

“Tu cheez bari hai mast..”
“Yeh usaka style hoinga, hontho pe na dil me han hoinga
Aaj nahee toh kal bolegee, ai tu tension kai ko leta hai re”
“Ban mitra di whore. I mean mitra di ho”
“Hai tujhpe right mera, tu hai delight mera
Tera rasta jo roku, chaukne ka nahin”

These are just some of the rampant examples of problematic lyrics that flourishes in Bollywood. Girls are compared to objects, sometimes extremely weird, in order to explain their worth. They are shamed. They are told that they belong to the men. They are told that they will be harassed until they give in. The list goes on and on. And the people of the country enjoy these songs, play them over and over again. Item songs are treated as a specialty, and some of the most serious movies have item songs because it helps in promoting the movie. Item songs are often placed forcefully in the script even though they are unnecessary. And the lyrics are extremely sexist, the performing artist usually a scantily dressed female actor who often has no role in the movie. These supposedly help increase the popularity of the movie before release, because the audience absolutely love such content.

Because hey, aren’t girls actually objects? If you’re a woman, you will be made fun of and catcalled if you’re not slim, fair or beautiful, dressed extremely modestly, or are working in a job as hard as your male counterparts. You will also be catcalled if you are slim, fair, beautiful, dressed in good clothes, not working. You will be harassed if you try to enjoy on your own; you’ll be harassed if you enjoy with a man. You will be shamed for having male friends or going through multiple relationships because you are facing problems, while a guy doing the same is absolutely okay.

Remember when in Dear Zindagi, Shah Rukh used the metaphor of a chair to explain the inability to find “The One” is okay? The boys were in an uproar because they were compared to a kursi. Well guys, now you know how women feel being not just compared, but being treated as objects so frequently in the song lyrics.

The Sanskari Woman

The ideal woman according to Bollywood is the sanskari modest woman who wears saris and does not indulge in behaviour such as smoking, flirting, or having independent thought. She should need saving by the male hero. She needs to be coy and submissive. Bomus points if she is dumb and if she falls in love with the hero at first sight. She dressed in ethnic Indian attire, has insurmountable amount of respect for her parents which shows through her silence before them. She also does ‘puja’ with zest.

This idea is not a thing of the past. In Cocktail Saif Ali Khan’s character chooses Meera (played by Diana Penty) who is sanskari, over Veronica (played by Deepika Padukone), the carefree independent girl. In Kuch Kuch Hota Hai Kajol’s character is a tomboy with short hair who plays basketball, and Shah Rukh is absolutely unimpressed. But when she shows up in a saree, draped seductively, and allows him to win, the man accepts her as a romantic partner.

So if you wonder why independent women are looked down upon, think about how one of the most popular mode of entertainment has standardized the perfect version of what a woman should be. And that it is based on outdated ideas of patriarchy.

Sexual Innuendos and Sexist Jokes. Made by Men, Thank You

If there is one thing the Indian audience seems to extremely enjoy, it is sexist jokes and cheap sexual innuendos. Most of these are extremely misogynistic, but evoke laughter among the audience. It seems like Bollywood likes to use this problematic behaviour for its profit, rather than using its influence to bring about change.

Movies like No Entry, Kya Kool Hai Hum, Mastizaade seem to have no trouble passing through the Censor Board, or finding acceptance among audience. But whenever it is about women’s sexuality, or women’s point of view, it seems the male ego is shaken. Films like Lipstick Under My Burkhaa have trouble gaining a certificate while the aforementioned films are released and no one bats an eye. Women are belittled, objectified, made to look stupid and whiny, their characters reduced to mere promotion of the male characters again and again.

The usage of metaphors and clearly intentional slip of tongues seem to make audience roll on the ground despite being extremely lame, belittling and not funny. Bollywood has used this time and again. While people explain these under the pretext of them being a part of the genre “sex comedy”, and sensible movie watcher knows that sex comedies aren’t this cheap; there are multiple good movies in this genre in the world. Bollywood just misuses the Indian mindset.

Women as Mere Entities for the Male Gaze

A lot of Bollywood movies give men a deep character sketch, with control and meaning over the plot. But the women are shallow, only present to feed the gaze of the male audience, or to help build the character of the male character. Multiple times women centered movies have had their focus shifted because a male character that was supposed to be the supporting character, was played by an important male actor and given greater narrative in the movie. Bollywood has mastered this game very well, giving this support character more importance in subtle ways because he is male, yet masquerading under the banner of a movie about women empowerment.

In most movies, the heroine is just a fill in. The movie would not have changed much in essence if her character is taken out. She is present because people love seeing a sexy woman on screen, a love interest of the hero. This needs to stop; Bollywood should realize women are not their marketing scheme.

All these factors lead up to oppression and gives impetus to the existing rape culture. Often perpetrators in rape cases are not blamed because “they were aroused by actresses and models wearing short dresses” or aroused by “actresses being sexually attractive in their scanty attire”. Sex jokes or rape jokes are considered fine. The saying “men will be men” is repeated. Stalking for the sake of love is supported. Consent is non existent. How would you expect change when the machinery capable to bring it is flawed.

Luckily, there are people who seem to have their senses still. There are people who are calling out on Bollywood as well as its hypocrisy.

People are calling out on stars who condemn rapes, but don’t seem to care about performing in sexist films, or scripts with sexist dialogues. So much for popularity!

https://twitter.com/CavuturK/status/1201509288260165637

In a society where the abusive Kabir Singh finds popularity among audience, and is hailed as cool, there is truly not much to say. Shame on the makers of such films!

https://twitter.com/savagesonya1/status/1199820013080850432

Feminists have been a butt of jokes for people. Some women have no doubt misused the power feminism provides, but the way feminism is treated in general is absolutely disgusting. Every time a woman is sexually abused, harassed, raped, groped, or becomes the victim of patriarchy, the need for feminism appears. And rightfully it has bashed Bollywood, for the film industry has become one of the worst promoters of patriarchy and subsequent misogyny.

The good thing is, change is coming. With films like Pink one can hope for better movies from Bollywood. What have been released already cannot be erased. But if it is followed by sensible content, then that would be appreciable. We are all ingrained with many wrong ideas and values. The credit lies in unlearning these to become a better human being.

DU CIE B.Ed Admissions 2020: Application Form, Dates, Eligibility

By
Megha Bali
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DU B.Ed Entrance Exam 2020
B.Ed Entrance Exam 2020

Delhi University (DU) is best university in the country with highest academic standards. Delhi University 90 college under 16 faculties with 87 departments & 13 centres. DU will release its notification regarding Bachelors in Education (B.Ed). DU CIE B.Ed exam is conducted by the DU itself for the candidates to take admission in 2 years Bachelor in Education course.

Let us explore DU CIE B.Ed Admissions 2020: Application Form, Dates, Eligibility

  • DU B.Ed Entrance Exam consists of MCQ type, which is of 100 marks divided into four parts.
  • Paper-I consists of questions from GK & Teaching Aptitude, Paper-II consist of Reasoning, Paper-III consist of questions from Subject knowledge up to class X & paper-4 consist of Language Proficiency in Hindi & English.
  • DU authority will release separate merit list for each category (GEN/ SC/ ST/ OBC).
  • After the declaration of result successfully qualifying candidates will be eligible for counselling process which will be conducted by Delhi University at Central Institute of Education. 

DU CIE B.Ed Exam Dates 2020

Commencement of online applicationFirst week of May 2020
Last date of form submissionLast week of May 2020
Admit cardFirst week of June 2020
Exam dateJune 18, 2020
Result dateJuly 2, 2020
Counseling processLast week of July 2020

DU CIE B.Ed Eligibility Criteria 2020

Delhi University sets the eligibility criteria for B.Ed program. The eligibility criteria will be different according to the category.

For DU CIE B.Ed program – Candidates must have a Graduation or Master degree in Science, Humanities, Commerce with at least 50% of marks. Students with B.Tech/ B.E degree must have secure 55% of marks with specialization in Science and Mathematics are eligible for admission to the program.

Eligibility for Choosing Teaching Subject – Candidates have to choose one subject within a subject category which they must have studied in the qualifying degree for at least 200 marks and obtained at least 50% marks in this subject.

Candidates belonging to SC/ ST/ PWD category must be passed only in their qualifying examination. There is a relaxation of 5% marks in aggregate for OBC category.

DU CIE B.Ed Application Form 2020

DU B.Ed Application Form will be available from June 2020 on the official website i.e. www.cie.du.ac.in. Candidates must ensure the eligibility before filling up the online application form. Candidates willing to apply for DU CIE B.Ed can check the step-wise procedure as mentioned below.

  • check official website of Delhi University PG admission i.e. www.admission.du.ac.in
  • Go to the link of CIE i.e. cie.du.ac.in. Download B.Ed prospectus and read all the instructions carefully.
  • Click on the Apply Online link and fill the required details in the application form such as personal, educational details.
  • Make the payment through online mode (Credit/ Debit card or net banking) or in offline mode through Challan at any SBI branch.
  • Verify all the entered details in the application form and click on the submit button.
  • No changes in the form are allowed once the payment has been made. After the payment is made, take a printout of the form and bring it on the day of counselling at the time of admission.

DU CIE B.Ed Admit Card 2020

DU CIE B.Ed Admit Card will be issued to only those candidates who have successfully completed the application process. Candidates can download the DU B.ed Admit Card by providing their Application ID and Password on the official website. No candidate is allowed to appear for entrance test without admit card. An admit card is an important document as it contains Roll Number, Address of the Exam Center, Exam Timing and Reporting Time etc. Check the following steps to know that how to download admit card.

  • Go to the official website of DU admissions. i.e. www.cie.du.ac.in
  • Click on the link of admit card and enter the login credentials.
  • Click on the submit button and the admit card page will appear on the screen.
  • Take a printout of the page for its future reference.

DU CIE B.Ed Exam Pattern & Syllabus

The admissions in B.Ed will be done through Entrance Test conducted by the university. The paper consists of 100 multiple choice questions from Reasoning, General Knowledge, Language Proficiency and Fundamentals. Each question carries one mark. DU has a negative marking provision and 0.25 marks will be deducted for every wrong answer. The total duration of the examination is two hours. The medium of the paper is bilingual i.e. English and Hindi

General Knowledge and Teaching Aptitude – This section contains questions that would test the candidate’s general knowledge and awareness of social, political, environmental, and economic issues. The section also contains questions to examine the perspectives and analysis of and responses to teaching and learning situations.

Reasoning – This section will assess the mathematical, logical, and verbal reasoning abilities. It will also assess candidates’ abilities to analyse and interpret data and find solutions to problematic situations.

Subject Knowledge up to class 10th – This section will contain questions based on understanding and application of concepts in Science, Social Science and Mathematics up to secondary level.

Language Proficiency – This section will assess reading comprehension in both English and Hindi.

Also read WBJEE 2020: Application form, Dates, Eligibility, Admit card

DU CIE B.Ed 2020 Results

  • Candidates will be shortlisted for the counselling process on the basis of merit list released by the examination authority.
  • The merit list is prepared on the basis of marks obtained in the entrance test.
  • DU B.Ed merit list for qualified candidates will be displayed on the official list and candidates can check the rank they have secured.
  • The qualifying marks for general category is 20 out of 100 marks while it is 18 marks for reserved categories.
  • The separate merit list will be displayed for each category and subject category.
  • If two or more candidates having equal marks, then candidate with older in age will be preferred for the counselling.

DU CIE B.Ed Counselling Process 2020

Candidates will be called for counselling process at Central Institute of Education on the basis of rank secured in the merit list. DU B.Ed counselling will start after the declaration of result in July 2019. The name of selected candidates in the merit list does not indicate final selection for admission. The general merit list will comprise of candidates of all categories in the order of merit. No one will be excluded from the same. In other words, it will also include SC/ ST/ OBC candidates if they come in the general merit. A list of candidates selected will be prepared strictly in order of merit, based on their performance in the Entrance Test and their preference of institutions during Counseling. The shortlisted candidates for counselling have to appear at the stipulated date and time along with the following documents as given below.

  • Photo Identification Proof
  • Copy of the application form
  • DU B.Ed 2019 Admit Card
  • Two Recent Colored Photograph
  • Mark Sheet and Certificates of Class 10th and 12th
  • Mark Sheet of the qualifying Examination
  • Provisional Letter and Character Certificate from the institution last attended
  • In case of candidates in service, they have to produce No Objection Certificate from the employer and a letter of sanction of study leave for a period of two years.

If a candidate fails to submit any of the above documents at the time of admission, then their candidature will be cancelled.

DU CIE B.Ed 2020 Reservation Criteria

The seats reserved for SC/ ST category will be filled by those candidates only. In the case of non-availability of the eligible candidates the reserved seats may be interchanged between the SC and ST. If still any seat remains unfilled, the same will be left vacant. The seats reserved for the OBC are filled with the OBC candidates only. Only if OBC candidates possessing the minimum eligibility marks are not available in the OBC category then the vacant OBC seats will be converted into General Category seats in accordance with the admission schedule notified by the University.

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