We all can’t resist, those yummy homemade cakes when baked and cherished with love and affection are the best but this may often become a phobia for someone who may have had a terrible experience with baking. Baking is not that much laborious as it seems to be but if a proper approach is followed along with the best recipe then it will give the same results that you expect somewhat like the softest, airy, and the moist cake is here in front of you.
If I talk about my personal experience then I would always recommend especially for a beginner that doesn’t stick to a single recipe, you should try multiple of it and I guarantee you that you will discover the finest one among all that works the best for you every time you bake. Before talking about the tips and tricks that you should follow to get the awaited outcome, I would like to mark a point that whichever recipe you choose whether eggless or with eggs, it must be from a trustworthy source which is a tested one as there are countless recipes on the web that are not tested and at last the product you get is not at all satisfactory up to your expectations or as illustrated in the video or the book.
A lot of talks are done, now let’s look forward to the secrets to make that great cake!
1. Prepare the cake tin appropriately
The first step before baking a cake is to make the cake tin ready by lining a parchment paper as It works well without any failure when you de-mold your cake from the tin. Brush the lined paper with some refined oil or butter and then sprinkle some plain flour or cocoa powder all over the surface and your cake tin is ready. In case, you don’t have the parchment paper no need to worry, you just need to oil the bottom of the cake tin thoroughly and sprinkle a little bit of plain flour all over and remove the excess by tapping the tin upside down.
One more point I would like to include in this tip is that select the appropriate size of your baking dish ( an aluminum tin is always suggested) as per the amount of batter you’re making.
To make your cake rise well and cook properly from within, you just can’t ignore or skip this step. Yes, this is the most important step before putting the cake batter into your oven (conventional is mostly preferred for baking purposes) is to preheat to 180℃ for about 10 mins. If you put the cake tin directly into the oven then it will not get that required temperature and will not be processed in a well-risen cake. Furthermore, stick to the overall cooking time as it differs for different temperature settings and also the size of the cake tin.
3. Be precise with measurements as given
This is a widely done mistake that fails your baking experience. Whenever you prepare the cake mix, give special attention to the measurement of every ingredient in the recipe you’re following. 1.5 cups of flour mean 1.5 cups only not 2 cups, use the teaspoon and tablespoon measurements wisely. It may seem to be a small thing but it does make a quite difference in the texture of the baked cake. One more point to consider here is that you must sieve all the dry ingredients first and gradually mix them into the wet one. This will avoid lumps in the batter while mixing.
4. Check the temperature of the ingredients before blending
Take care of the fact that all the ingredients whether you’re using eggs, curd, or milk must be at room temperature as this is very essential to take care of yet ignored. You will find out the difference yourself while beating eggs that are straight from the fridge will not get foamy and light as expected.
5. Try to make the batter airy and light
The more the batter is lighter, the fluffier and squishier your cake will come out. Don’t mix the mixture vigorously as it may knock the air out rather try to mix the cake batter gently and incorporate more air into it. Cream the egg whites and sugar or butter and sugar until its texture becomes lighter and frother.
6. Don’t over-mix the batter
Whenever you’re preparing any kind of cake batter whether for cupcakes or muffins you must take care that you should not over-mix as well as under-mix the batter. This has become the customary mistake that everyone does while mixing dry and wet ingredients. The right technique that you should follow is the ‘ cut and fold ’ method as this allows the cake mix to incorporate more and more air bubbles and that’s the key secret to get that soft and moist cake. In this method, you just need to cut the mix from center and fold the rest along the other side in one direction only. Make sure to do this for not less than 5 mins or until there are no lumps remaining.
For 1 cup to 1.5 cups of plain flour the preferred size of cake tin is 7 inches, this will ensure that the batter takes ¾ of the cake tin which is the correct depth required. If a size smaller than this is used then the cake batter may come out of the tin while baking or it will take a longer time to bake than usual. Moreover, the top layer of the cake may have some cracks and will not be even as the cake will not get enough surface area to rise.
8. Place the cake batter directly into oven after mixing
The raising agents like baking soda or baking powder will start its reaction as soon as it comes in contact with the wet ingredients so put the mixture straight away into the preheated oven and this needs to be quick to ensure that the cake rises well. Wait patiently for the cake to bake because if you open and close the oven door in between the cooking time then the cake may collapse as cold air comes in contact and at last you will not get the expected outcome.
9. The trick of ‘Bounce-Back‘
The indication of a perfectly baked cake is that when you tap on the top-most surface of your block you’ll notice it bounces back to its original shape. Another method to check is to insert a tooth-pick carefully at the center of it if it comes clean which means your cake is perfectly cooked from all within. Moreover, the baked block will leave its side from the tin. In these ways, you can confirm that your cake is baked happily. You must stick to your cooking times also. If you left your cake inside the oven for even more 5 mins than it’s actual timing, then in no time it will become a bit hard and desiccated.
10. Cool the cake properly before demolding
It is essential to cool the cake after taking it out of the oven in a wire rack by covering it with a slightly damp cotton cloth for some time. Scrape the edges of the tin with a knife to loosen it a bit, do try this trick as it will not allow the top surface of the cake to dry out and keep it moist, also after proper cooling when you will de-mold it, your cake will come out easily. Otherwise, if you try to take it out while it is still hot it may break from the sides.
I have discussed nearly all the tips and tricks which I follow whenever I bake a cake, I can reassure you that if you follow all of these without skipping any of the instructions then, you will get that perfectly baked cake. There won’t be any complaints that the cake remains uncooked from the middle, it is not as soft and mushy as expected or it didn’t rise well. You don’t need to remember these, it’s just that repeat all of them with the recipe you accompany for at least 2 or 3 times, then it will sure shot become a habit every time you bake.
The beauty of life is in fine things. While our daily lives are uneventful and routine, we must look for opportunities to cherish the essence of life through the things we enjoy. While some enjoy dance, music, or the arts, there are some who find their passion through the land of condiments. Food and drink are both the life-givers and the essence of true pleasure in life. We have more than a million cuisines and even more different ways to cook them, each endemic to the person cooking it. And while we could explore all these cuisines, we know you are looking for something a little more difficult. And for that, we present to you the first steps to become a professional at fine dining: wine tasting.
Getting A Hang of The Different Wines
In its essence, wine is simply crushed grapes, fermented and sweetened, or soured to be served as a drink along with the choicest foods. Different ones taste different due to the way they have been prepared, the essences they’ve been infused with and whatnot. And today, you will be learning how to develop your taste buds into tasting and judging different wines accurately. Wine tasting helps you pair different ones perfectly with the kind of cuisine you want to have. Like a chilled beer goes well with a Chinese takeaway, and a port red goes well with spaghetti and meatballs.
Anybody, who’s paying attention, can get the grasp of wine tasting within a minimum of four hours. However, it can take close to a year to get the ability down to pat. However, you needn’t worry, we have some foolproof cheat codes to get a hang of all the different wines within four hours.
There Are Nine Steps And Maintaining The Sequence Is Important
There are nine foolproof steps to take, for you to get good at tasting and detecting the different kind of wines out there. There are a lot of different methods to approach it and there not necessarily be just nine steps. You can employ those different steps but this works too. Develop your palate. Just like your vocabulary is of an amateur until you start reading, you are not a sommelier till you start drinking wine. Your wine palate will only develop as you go along. However, it does become easier as you go along. Your taste buds get better at tasting and you start smelling infusions more easily.
Now, do not think that everyone takes to wine easily. It is definitely an acquired taste. You need to start from the basics and then progress to the more complicated ones. Start with the one you have. Let it be a simple rose or a red. You can start with sweet zinfandel or a savoury cabernet franc. Take the time to swish the wine around your mouth, to get a mouthfeel and taste for it. Don’t swallow it immediately. As you taste more of them, you will get past the basic taste of wine and more into the subtleties of the taste. That’s when the actual wine tasting begins.
Till now, you have been trying wine that you recognize, simply to get a taste of the typical wine flavor. After becoming adept at detecting the subtleties of the drink, you can move on to tasting the wines you haven’t yet. This kind of wine will be your ‘Aha!’ wine. Basically, it will be the kind of wine which will introduce you the true versatility that exists in the different wine types.
If you don’t know this, a sauvignon blanc is a variety of white wine. However, it isn’t always sweet. A sauvignon blanc from New Zealand has hints of bell pepper and jalapeno. These kind of aha wines break your preconceived notions you develop about wine. The Aha wine needs to be something you have never tried before.
A common problem most beginner wine testers face is burnout. In a quest to find their aha wine, they end up tasting numerous wines, never really letting one settle onto their tongue. Their perceptions of a certain wine may be entirely different from another sommelier.
However, that doesn’t mean you are wrong. But to reach an equal footing, you need to reach that level of expertise too. And the best way to get such a theoretical lesson is through a book. You could read the World Atlas of Wine for about thirty dollars. Despite being a little on the expensive side, it will turn out to be an investment if you do take to it passionately.
To truly experience the fun of wine tasting, you need to venture out from the basic muted sweet wines and into the tableau of other ones waiting your perusal. Wines have multitudes of flavours, and you must try the boldest of them to get a feel for all the bounds of different ones. Some of the best and boldest you can consumed are –
Syrah / Shiraz
Malbec
Petite Sirah
Mourvedre / Monastrell
Touriga Nacional
Cabernet Sauvignon
Petit Verdot
My personal favourite is the Petit verdot. Petite, as you may have an idea is French for small and the verdot refers to a specific species of grape used to make this. Highly concentrated, the verdot is extremely dry. However, it has an abundance of flavor and is basically an explosion in your mouth. It is almost blue-black in colour and popularly comes under the red ones.
You can read up about each one you consume and examine or compare each one. Every taster’s experience is different, and the tastes somebody else describes tasting may not stand same for you. So, as you taste, you could make a note for the experience you have with the different wines. Do not settle for a best, though you will most naturally incline towards a certain type of wine more. Every one has its own unique quality, and the beauty of it is in enjoying each and everyone. And if you are really getting into tasting a multitude at once, make sure you have a cheese board to break up the tastes once in a while. Happy tasting!!
We, the modern generation grew up having mobile phones in our hands and social media in front of our eyes. It’s rightly said that social media is a time waster and the biggest cause of modern diseases like anxiety, depression, insomnia, and many more, but it is wrongly used. What we are lacking is a good and right perspective. Everything has its pros and cons, but it is up to us what we want to focus on. The side we feed will come into the light. Trying to learn from evil is true mastery. Social media are our enemy because we made them. If we had rightly used its resources then it would have never caused problems. Here are some of the ways and tips on how we can use social media in a good manner.
Follow the right people
Everyone runs crazy behind the follower’s list. Have you ever focused on your following or your news feed? What you see is what you think. Whatever pops up in your news feed persists in your mind for the day. Instead of just following people, just because you know them or were classmates, etc., follow the right people. Follow people who inspire you, who motivates you, someone who has the same interest page as you. So that whenever you open your feed, you become motivated, energized, and more capable.
Unfollow the toxins
They were your batchmates or a stranger you met on other social media does not necessarily mean they have the right to access your private life. If they are creating a toxic or negative environment for you, let them go. Unfollow them immediately. You are allowed to choose your vibes. Don’t sink in negativity from anybody. You don’t need to have them in your life. Be specific about your feed.
Don’t just surf and suffer. Participate and let people flatter. Due to lockdown, many online competitions are going on. We all have an interest in one or the other thing except just studying. Some of you even have an interest in different areas of study. Participate in your field. Learn, read, participate, and win. Even if you lose, you have gained a participation certificate to glorify your resume. You can participate in free competitions. So technically you lost nothing but gained something.
Create your page
Tired of binge scrolling? Get innovative and creative. The best part about social media is that you don’t have to be technical or a pro in everything. You can be you and you can create anything of your interest. Love writing? Create a writing page. Some people love reading and chances are you might get some fan following. You can follow pages of your interest and learn from their work because that’s how it works, right? By supporting and learning from one another.
How many of us get to know about what’s happening in the world through social media only now? I believe most of us. We have made social media our news channel. Similarly, do with the research about your interest. Top companies or online study websites advertise their upcoming events. Follow them, go through the details, and join. It might lead you to something unexpected which you might be ignorant about. Join the webinars during this pandemic and increase your mental strength and knowledge. Explore the online world.
Apart from fairly using social media, here are some of the tips which might help you digitally detoxify and in fighting through your problems.
Don’t believe in everything
Do not, I repeat DO NOT BELIEVE IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE. Everyone has their bad days and no one post about them, like you. People are only sharing their good moments filtering to make them look perfect. Reel world relies on filters. So, don’t compare your real life with their reel picture. Stay lowkey. Stay private. People don’t need to know everything about you. You might see the saddest faces in reality behind the happiest faces in reel life. You might see people in the worst relationship posing just to make it look perfect on social media.
Uninstall frequently
Social media has made everything look beyond perfect that now good and better have lost their identity. To save yourself from blunder and chaos, uninstall them frequently. This will restore the calmness within you. You will feel much lighter after uninstalling them for some days. Live life without it and try to explore yourself. All the negativity will be replaced and you will find yourself at ease.
Social media has impacted our lives in the wrong way. We let it destroy inner peace. Don’t give the key to your soul to it. Be particular. Set your boundaries. Don’t just let anybody enter in your aura. Protect your boundaries. Nobody is going to control your boundaries, only you can do that. Only you have access to your life. Live the way you want to live.
Welcome, Book-Lover! if you have never been to a Book Fair and are looking for the reasons WHY YOU NEED TO VISIT IT, or are trying to know things about it, THIS IS YOUR PLACE!
The World Book Fair is the largest platform for all the bookworms. It provides a common ground to share the love for books. In other words, it is not less than a heavenly place for BOOK-LOOT.
All the Bibliophiles know how important role, books play in their lives. In the era of streaming shows and movies online, they always tend to find their way back to books. A Bookworm knows the pleasure of holding a book, smelling it and then getting lost in its world. Book Fair is like the festival of books where everybody is celebrating their love for reading. So, if you have never been to any Book Fair, here is THE ANSWER WHY YOU NEED TO.
FACTS ABOUT THE WORLD BOOK FAIR
FIRST THINGS FIRST!
Firstly, the World Book Fair is one of the oldest and the largest event in the Pen and the Printed World.
Secondly, every year the Book Fair has its own theme. The last theme of the New Delhi World Book Fair (2020) was “Gandhi:The Writers’ Writer”. It was to celebrate his 150th Birth Anniversary.
Also, the Kolkata Book Fair was India’s oldest Book Fair, followed by New Delhi. Since 2013, the New Delhi Fair is organised by National Book Trust along with the India Trade Promotion Organisation(ITPO) AND held at Pragati Maidan.
Moreover, every Fair has a guest of honour and some cultural performances.
Above all, there is a possibility for you to meet your favourite writer at a fair someday! (fingers crossed)
NOW, THE ANSWER TO…
WHY BOOK FAIR?
BOOKS, BOOKS AND BOOKS!
Entering any hall of the Book Fair is like getting a view of Paradise! Just like a Shopaholic is on the Seventh Cloud seeing all the favourite shops at one place, so does a Bibliophile, here.
It is a bliss to see those shelves, carpets and tables filled with books. It is like being in the middle of a sea of books and wanting to explore every corner.
Any metaphor is underrated to explain the happiness a Bibliophile experiences at this Fair.
Importantly, you find every kind of book here! So, be it fiction, nonfiction, religious, academics or children’s book, EVERYTHING’S HERE.
It has a vast collection under one roof and variety of everything, you want to read.
In addition, you can find books of different regions and languages too. It is like a NO-BARRIER ZONE with no constraints to any factor. You can find books and even, dictionaries of any language!
Also, you get the books of every author, be it a budding or old one. You can find every classics or those rare books, you are looking for.
FAIR PRICES AT THE FAIR!
The prices and deals are the best part of the Book Fair. It seems like a low-priced giveaway, at times.
It is all about exploring and a bit of luck that you bargain for the book you really want! Most of the stalls have tags with offers that are economical and affordable.
Book Fair is filled with reasonable priced books and that too, with good condition. Above all, it is an inexpressible feeling to get a hard-cover for a very low rate.
It is like those big sales on e-commerce sites, nowadays. Book- Fair days are like a constant book sale period.
You can buy loads and loads of books at a minimal budget. So, exploring well is the only big task to do!
STATIONERY ITEMS!!
For all the ones who love Stationery material, you can find many products, as well!
There are loads of registers, creativity material, pens and other stationery items along with the books.
There are also many wholesale-purchase deals and you can bargain the prices too. Moreover, there are many additional things like customised cups, clothing items, frames and bags.
If you are fond of collecting diaries and posters, you are going to love this place a lot!
VARIOUS BOOK PUBLICATIONS
If you are really fond of buying your books from a particular publisher, you can find them here!
There are many stalls in the different halls of the Fair. A list of publishers and the stall numbers, is always listed outside the halls. You can have a look and find the one, you always buy from.
Even if you are looking for some particular academic books or any study material, there are many specific stalls for them. Moreover, many publishers provide you with the facility to order, if the required book is not available.
Similarly, you can even look for some specific book for your children or younger siblings. Book fairs provide a platform for every age and encourages all to read!
In addition to this, there is always an author’s corner in the Fair. So, there is a very strong possibility for you to get a signed copy or even meet the author. Isn’t it the dream of every reader to discuss about a book with their favourite author?
If you are an explorer or always wanted to travel alone, you would definitely enjoy the tour of a Book Fair without a company.
There is so much to explore and so many books around that even if there is no company, it does not really make a difference.
Above all, Book Fairs are surrounded by various bookworms and readers. So, in no time, you would be interacting with somebody or getting book suggestions!
FOOD STALLS!
Apart from the books, Book Fair have food stalls too. So, you need not worry about getting tired after a long hunt for books.
This is one of the best things about it. You can actually explore half or a part of the place and then take a break. It has some number of stalls serving food and even snacks or ready to eat items. It really makes the day easier!
In other words, you have two sources of energy at a Book Fair. Firstly, the books(obviously!) and finally, the FOOD. So, no need to worry.
A day spent here is worth many days! This is not an overstatement.
If you love reading and exploring new books, going to a Book Fair would actually be one of your happiest days. From the moment you read the Hall number to the time you will be smelling and keeping the books in your shelf!
Do share you experience whenever you go to one and till then, Happy Reading!
Kasol, also known as the “Mini Israel of India” because of the high Israeli tourist population in the hamlet. Kasol has recently become one of the most famous escape among the travellers during summer. Located in Himachal Pradesh, around 7 hours away from the capital, Shimla, it is one of the most relaxing places to visit with your friends if a lifetime memory is what you’re looking for, Pfff, who isn’t, right? With around 7 different treks, villages in the valley, river flowing across the city and one of the most popular Gurudwaras of India, it has truly become a wonderful tour location in Himachal along with Manali, Shimla, Dharmshala etc.
Why to prefer Kasol?
Everything a group of travellers can ask for, is offered by Kasol! The spot certainly consists of the thrill and excitement away from the regular world. For rushing off to a vacation with friends or family, the place promises both the extreme conditions, i.e. from a total insane campaign into the mountains to a quiet and peaceful experience in the laps of nature. The sounds of birds, mountain view and a cold breeze flowing across the hamlet.
Kasol consists of various treks across the village that takes from 2 to 10 hours to reach the peak for different treks with a beautiful river flowing through the whole place that makes the place hard to ignore. Along with the trek, the place also resides one of the most popular Gurudwaras in the country, Gurudwara Shri Manikaran Sahib, that offers hot water bath to cleanse our body in the holy water. Alongside, also exists some famous temples like Jamlu Devta Temple, Naina Bhagvati Mandir etc. Kasol is definitely a place on the checklist with a lot to explore within a tiny location. It is a whole package that fulfils every purpose of the visit and provides an adventure of a lifetime.
Planning an unforgettable trip
Planning any trip gives you anxiety because of the need to plan a perfect schedule to have an unforgettable tour. We tend to build a certain expectations from a trip while planning itself. How often does it happen that we have thoughts about everything we are going to see or do with friends. We start procrastinating months before the trip, shopping for clothes, list of places to visit, transportation, mode of travel, the to-do list! Isn’t it?
Well, but planning can be a bit confusing without a proper research, especially being new place. Here’s everything you need to know when planning a trip to kasol.
Try to book a direct bus –
The place lies in a very closed space, somewhere between the mountains (It wasn’t meant as a temptation, but glad it worked). Being isolated, just like Wakanda there are very few possibilities to reach there, well all of them are buses. Yes, there are no direct trains or flights to Kasol, as of now. So you may opt for any other mode of transportation to get as close as you can to the hamlet. Your ultimate option has to be a bus to reach the location. So book a bus that travels directly to Kasol to avoid carrying around the luggage and ease up the travelling.
Avoid Personal Cars if Possible –
As I mentioned earlier, the place lies between the mountains, so the crooks of the road are just like life. Sometimes it’s too “steepy” and sometimes too narrow. Once you’re stuck in the traffic, it might take hours to get past as the roads have just one lane. Personally, if you’ve good driving experience for quite a few years and have driven at hill stations before, only then the cars are preferable as it comes down to impossible driving at night.
Do not book a morning bus –
The gates of Kasol are more like the gates of Heaven, they only open up when the time is right. Well, there aren’t any literal gates? But the entry to Kasol opens up at 6am and the visitors are permitted to enter up until 9am. After which the buses are not allowed inside Kasol. So, you’d have to walk or hire a taxi from Bhuntar, around 2 hours from Kasol, in case you’re late. Avoid booking a morning or an afternoon bus, basically, try reaching before 9am. Booking a bus at 5pm or after it can help.
Check the Weather Conditions –
Here’s a point worth mentioning for ANY trip you’re planning. Always check the weather conditions for the next few days of stay. Is it raining? Is it sunny? What’s the temperature? Check everything! Re-check the expected temperature and rainfall for the duration of stay and plan the accessories accordingly.
Make sure your Health is 100% –
Another most important aspect of a trip is to make sure you’re feeling okay, well, obviously? But being a hill station, it requires you to be more than just your 100%. Be sure you’re mentally and physically fit for the adventure. As we know the fact that you need to climb, walk, run and descend through a lot of inclined roads. Do make sure you can do it and you’re up for it.
Be Ready to lose communication –
We are not unaware of the fact that how bad our phone network gets when travelling. Nonetheless, you have to be ready to have really bad signals throughout the trip no matter where you go. It is very rare to find a signal for your phone across the valley. Make sure to contact whoever you need to whenever you get a signal. However, it is impossible to connect with someone after you’ve started the trek, so inform the ones who are needed to be informed beforehand.
Suitcases start getting filled a month prior to the trip, Right? Can we just agree to the fact that we cannot decide our “good” clothes and throw everything inside our backpack. Our luggage consists of everything we’re confident about that we’ll be needing them. 3 of the most important factors that will help us decide what we need are Health, Safety and Photographs, the last one is the most important, however (Just kidding). You’re free to carry whatever you wish to as long as you can carry it.
Some of the most important things you NEED to carry are :
Handy Backpack –
You need to have a handy backpack with you for the trek as you cannot carry heavy luggage, the handy backpack will help you store the essentials for above.
Sweaters & Jackets –
The weather throughout the year follows as cold, colder, coldest. A chilled breeze is always flowing through the valley. Sweaters and Jackets become almost necessary after June.
Medicines –
It is very important to carry a medicine box along with you for basic medication such as for cold, cough, vomiting and acidity and also prescribed medicine (if any). We never know what can go wrong, so, better safe than sorry, right?
Trekking Shoes –
Trekking shoes are very important part of the adventure, and “very” can’t be stretched enough. You need to have a pair of trekking shoes along with you on the trip. Normal sport shoes will not be enough for the trek. If at all the shoes get spoiled in the middle of the trek, there is no alternative. You can’t go back, you can’t buy/borrow shoes in between, you can’t go forward and you certainly can’t walk barefoot. So remember to bring a good pair of shoes in which you trust.
Torch Light –
Torch light is also one of the most important accessories to be carried as it becomes very risky to even walk at night and pro tip: the flashlight on your phone won’t do much good.
Sunglasses –
Well, it never hurts to carry a pair of Sunglasses, does it? Protects from the sunrays and add a charm to the face for the photographs.
Energy Drinks –
Definitely not the kind of energy drinks that came to your mind on your first thought. Carrying a glucon-d, ORS is beneficial for the trek as it is highly energy consuming.
Protein Bars –
Along with the energy drinks, protein bars or any other food item is much necessary to minimize any sort of risk. There are food stalls along the way but make sure you carry your own too.
Credit Cards –
This becomes an optional part for most of the members in a group, but carrying a credit card helps a lot as there are risks of running out of money. However, it might not be a very big issue in a group.
Camera –
Last but not the least, to capture every moment along the way and to store the photographs in the memory box forever. You’ll need a camera. Yes, It did not need a special mention, but if I wouldn’t have mentioned it, I would’ve regretted it.
The first place associated with Kasol is Kheerganga, the 12km trek is one of the most exciting and yet spine-chilling adventure and everyone who plans to visit Kasol definitely need to visit Kheerganga. The journey of 12km embarks through the mountains with narrow roads and waterfalls along the way. Being there at the moment, will definitely make you feel like having a walk in the heart of nature, as above you are from the ground level, so below you are from the peak and being at the centre of a mountain feels magical.
Kheerganga,Kasol
2. Hot Spring Bath
As the name makes it obvious, Hot spring bath is one of the main attraction of Kheerganga, it is just a naturally occurring hot tub until you step inside feeling the stress draining out, the bath is definitely worth the 12km trek and you cannot forget it, ever.
3. Gurudwara Shri Manikaran Sahib
One of the most popular Gurudwaras in the country is located in Kasol, it has a flowing river across the gurudwara and also offers hot bath. No doubt, that it is one of the most beautiful places in Kasol and Gurudwaras in the country.
Gurudwara Shri Manikaran Sahib
4. Chalal Trek Trail
The trek trail is the path that leads to the Chalal trek, you can find the flowing river and pebbles along the path of the trial. It will surely be one of the most memorable walks of your life.
5. Tosh
Tosh is one of the most peaceful and glamorous valley in the hamlet. It is located 11 km ahead of Kasol and has greenery spread all over the place. It is highly recommended if peace is what you’re seeking.
6. Several Other Treks
Kheerganga is the main trek one visits Kasol for. But apart from this long trek, there are few other treks in Kasol that consists of gorgeous vantage points, they are Sar Pass Trek, Pin Parvati Pass, Tosh, Malana, Rasol, Chalal,
From the world’s very first relays to Life-sized holograms in augmented realities, we came a long way. And there is always some interesting technology behind every interesting project that was made. In fact, this ranges from a whole new groundbreaking AI that can solve 30×30 Rubik’s cubes to something as small as an optimization in an algorithm. In conclusion, for every piece of tech out there, it all roots back to one single term; Information Technology. IT or Information Technology explained in layman’s terms is simply a system’s ability to store, retrieve and transmit information. Coupled with the never-ending need for professionals as well as a multitude of tech to choose from, that excitement goes a long way. Clearly, modern IT is simply overwhelming.
If you’re a tech-savvy person, or generally interesting in building stuff, there’s a good chance you will take your shot at the IT industry. Ranging from huge Multi-National Companies with ridiculous turnovers to ultra-successful and innovative start-ups, there are just way too many players in the game. As a matter of fact, with dozens of Industry giants to choose from, a plethora of tech to learn, it can be quite confusing. This article aims at breaking this down for the reader. Given there points, let us explore the industry leaders, their game, and what kind of technology you need to equip yourselves with, to make it. So, here are the top 20 Information Technology companies in India.
Tata Consultancy Services
Never before had an Indian Company made its mark and been so popular around the world. Found by Tata sons, the MNC operates in 46 countries with a global workforce of about 448,464 employees as of March 2020. This India-based company was established in 1968 and serves as an Information Technology consulting and services industry leader worldwide. Consequently, TCS has a total revenue of Rs.161,541 crore and is the world’s largest Information Technology service provider.
TCS usually hires using TCS careers. Allegedly, their Digital division serves higher-end projects and greater pay while Ninja division handles lesser band projects and thereby lesser pay. It is a fairly straightforward process with exams and interviews. TCS staff work with a variety of languages including C, C++, Java, Python, C# and their respective libraries depending upon the project you are on. In general, an average fresher placed in TCS could earn between 2.41 LPA to 7.45 LPA.
Infosys
Retrospect; While TCS is the top player in the Information Technology industry, Infosys trails behind with a close second position. Serving in Business consulting, outsourcing and Information Technology services, TCS is the 596th largest public figure in the world. Established in 1981, this MNC has a global workforce of 242,371 employees from 46 countries around the world. In fact, this Tech. giant has a total revenue of Rs. 90,791 crore and is a key player in the Information Technology industry.
Infosys hires off and on-campus with an aptitude test followed by technical and HR interviews or with Hackwithinfy, their hackathon. They have delivered several interesting projects over the years, NIA being one of them. Being a service-based company, Infosys also uses mainstream languages like C, C++, Java, Python, C#, etc. A fresher joining Infosys can expect a package of 4.44 LPA with salary bands ranging from 3.33 LPA to 11.51 LPA.
HCL Technologies
HCL Enterprises is massive as it is. Being a subsidiary of the said company, HCL Technologies split from the parent company in 1991 after its establishment in 1976. Subsequently, this Indian MNC has a total of Rs.71,265 crores worth revenue with a workforce of 150,000 people from 44 different countries. Forbes Global 2000 list featured HCL Technologies.
Anyone trying to get hired by HCL can appear for their placement drives and enter through aptitude tests and Interviews. Good verbal skills and sound grammar is highly sought after in the process. While HCL is a service-based company, they work with several technologies; C and SQL being significant ones. Thus, as a fresher, one can expect a package of around 2.5 LPA from HCL Technologies.
Wipro Limited
Wipro is one of the oldest and well-established companies in India. As can be seen, this MNC provides Information Technology consulting, business services and Information Technology services among other things. Established in 1945, Wipro generates total revenue of Rs. 63,862 crores. In essence, Wipro is a massive Tech giant that serves worldwide, within 110 countries with a global workforce of 175,000 employees.
Wipro is well known for conducting hackathons to hire freshers. As a fresher, you could expect the same interview pattern from Wipro as from any other service-based company, applications are accepted via referrals or through Wipro-NLTH. Furthermore, Wipro uses several technologies like C, C++, Java, Perl, etc. An average fresher can get into Wipro with a package of about 3.5 LPA.
Oracle India Pvt. Ltd.
At some point, everyone would have heard or dealt with Java. Here’s the deal, Oracle owns Java. Along with OracleDB and other things. Being a product based company, Oracle Corporation, the parent company of Oracle India is certainly a Tech. giant. Oracle India was established in 1993 and generates about Rs.10,993 crore. It has a global workforce of about 136,000 employees in about 48 countries.
Oracle recruitment is quite a tedious task. When you’re a fresher attempting to crack Oracle, keep in mind that there are multiple interviews and tests you would be required to clear. The candidate is also expected to good knowledge of Java and SQL. And since it owns Java, most of its Projects are in the same language. As a fresh recruit, an Oracle software engineer would get a package of about 10 LPA.
Redington India Ltd
Redington India Ltd started off as a small-time company based in Chennai in 1993. The company now spans up to 42 different countries with a whopping Rs. 46,599 crore revenue. As a result, the company has about 1800 employees working for it. The MNC provides an end to end supply chain with several Core products and services.
The Information Technology giant has a pretty standard recruitment process wherein a candidate can enter as an intern, a fresher or an experienced professional. Redington, being a service provider, uses several mainstream programming languages for working on interesting projects. Being that, an average software engineer working in Redington India Ltd earns around 6LPA.
Tech Mahindra Ltd
Tech Mahindra is an Indian MNC serving the IT industry as a trusted and able Information Technology service provider and consultancy. A subsidiary of the Mahindra Group, Tech Mahindra was established in 1986. As a matter of fact, in 2012, the company was ranked as the 5th best India Information Technology firm and the 111th Fortune India 500 company. With total revenue of Rs. 38,060 crore, Tech Mahindra is well established in 90 different countries with about 125,236 people as its core active workforce.
Tech Mahindra has a standard hiring process with an additional Picture perception round prior to the interviews. Tech Mahindra usually handles their projects with Java, SQL, C++, .NET, HTML, Unix, etc. Average fresher salary given by Tech Mahindra ranges from 3.2LPA to 4LPA.
Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd
Found by two Danish refugees taking shelter in India, L&T came a long way. It is perhaps one of the biggest Information Technology conglomerates with total revenue of Rs.147,813 crore. LTI is a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro. As can be seen, the India-based MNC was found in 1938. Furthermore, With about 31,419 employees working in around 30 countries, LTI has a total revenue of Rs.9,742 crore.
LTI recruitment process consists of an aptitude, verbal, logical and computer programming rounds and is pretty standard at that. Apart from mainstream languages like Java, HTML, etc, LTI also works with languages like Scala, LISP, Flex, Qt-qml, etc. LTI freshers are placed with around 3 LPA to 3.25 LPA.
Mphasis Ltd
Established in 2000, Mphasis is an India Information Technology company that found success rather quickly. Having been in the industry for about 20 years, the MNC has about Rs.7907 crore total revenue. Evidently, The company specializes in Information Technology services and consulting. Keep in mind that usually, this is the time it takes for a normal company to just mature as an MNC. With around 22,239 employees working from 9 countries around the world.
Mphasis has a normal hiring process with all the usual rounds one would expect. C and C++ are the languages programmers use in Mphasis. So, the company expects candidates to be proficient in it. Mphasis hires freshers for 1.6 LPA to 14 LPA packages with an average Software Engineer earning about 4LPA to 5LPA.
Mindtree Ltd
Mindtree is yet another subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro. Established in 1999, Mindtree specializes in Information Technology services and consulting. Mindtree’s total revenue accounts for about Rs. 7,839 crore. The Information Technology MNC is established in about 17 countries and has a global workforce of 21,991 employees working as of March 2020.
Mindtree placements include an Aptitude, Logical and Reasoning rounds as well as a coding round, which is pretty standard for an Information Technology company. Mindtree handles projects in a plethora of fields ranging from web development to Data Science and thus has a workforce capable of handling several languages. A fresher joining Mindtree is expected to get a package of about 3.25 LPA.
Hexaware Technologies Ltd
Established in 1990, Hexaware is an industry giant with a lot to show for it. Hexaware’s contributions have been particularly noticeable during the COVID 19 as some were directed at the said virus. As a result, with total revenue of Rs.2,177 crore, Hexaware has brought in many industry-defining and groundbreaking technology. Hexaware operates in 20 countries with a workforce of 19,999 employees.
Getting recruited by Hexaware involves competing in an Online coding contest, GD, aptitude tests, Technical and HR interviews. In fact,Hexaware works with several programming languages with Java and HTML being stressed ones. Freshers joining Hexaware can expect a salary package of 3LPA – 4LPA.
Syntel Ltd
Syntel Ltd, or rather Atos Syntel after Atos’ acquisition of Syntel, is an industry leader in Information Technology services and consultancy. Atos Syntel has a total revenue of €11 billion worldwide. Operating in 73 countries worldwide with about 120,000 employees, Atos Syntel is a big player in the Information Technology industry. While Atos’ HQ is located in France, Atos Syntel has offices throughout India.
Syntel recruitment process involves an online exam followed by technical and HR interviews. While the company works on several technologies, JAVA seems to be worth notable. An average software engineer working in Syntel will get about 4.17 LPA.
Polaris Consulting & services
Polaris Consulting & services was acquired by Virtusa Corporation in 2016. So, the merged MNC is titled VirtusaPolaris. While Polaris had a very good turnover in India, merger with Virtusa really pushed Polaris to be the tech giant it is now. An MNC with about 19,000 employees worldwide, VirtusaPolaris really contributes to the Information Technology industry.
The hiring process of Polaris consists of four rounds, then being a written exam, a GD, and then technical and HR interviews. Polaris uses a lot of mainstream languages like C, C++, Java, Python, etc. A fresher software engineer may earn a package of 3 LPA to 3.5 LPA.
Genpact India Pvt. Ltd
Genpact is an Indian MNC that has proven to an industry leader in business management and services. Genpact stands for ‘Generating Impact’ and that is exactly what the company stands for. The company generates total revenue of $3.52 billion. It has 96,500 employees constituting its workforce spanning up to 30 countries.
Genpact hiring process works in three rounds, the first one an aptitude test, and then the interviews. A video conference may also be set in place for the interview prior to the coding rounds. Genpact handles projects that work on a plethora of programming languages. As a fresher, one can expect a salary package between 2.24 LPA to 2.44 LPA.
IGate Global Solutions Ltd
IGate GS was yet another company that was acquired by a French Tech giant. Capgemini owns IGate and the company has a turnover of €14.12 billion. It has a global workforce of 270,000 employees. The company operates in 40 countries.
The IGate hiring process is pretty standard with an aptitude test followed by interviews. Being a service-based company working in Information Technology services consulting, IGate handles several languages in its development process. Generally, the average salary of an IGate fresher is about 4.22 LPA.
Zensar Technologies Ltd
Zensar Technologies Ltd is an Information Technology services provider that was established in 1991. The MNC is a subsidiary of the RPG group. As a result, this industry leader has total revenue of $589 million. Presently operating in 29 locations, Zensar Technologies has a workforce of about 10000 employees.
Zensar technologies hire candidates through a four-stage selection process with the final one being a personal interview after the usual three rounds. For the most part, Zensar Technologies use several languages like Scala, Python, .NET, etc. A fresher joining Zensar Technologies can generally expect a package of 2 LPA to 5 LPA.
KPIT Technologies Ltd
KPIT Technologies may be an odd choice for this list, but still relevant nonetheless. Established in 1990, this Indian MNC serves in the automotive industry by providing software to necessary companies. Thus, there were a handful of interesting projects that came into being from KPIT Technologies Ltd. The tech giant makes Rs.505.8 crore revenue and has a workforce of 7000+ employees.
The company has a standard aptitude test and interview process for hiring new talent. Though, keep in mind that a company specializing in a specific service requires one to have sufficient knowledge of embedded systems and RTOS operations. The company handles projects in C, C++, etc. A fresher appearing for KPIT can expect a package of 5.5 LPA – 6.5 LPA.
NIIT Technologies Ltd
NIIT Technologies, established in 1981, is a leading Information Technology service provider worldwide. It is a subsidiary of NIIT. Being a leading MNC, it has a total revenue of Rs.2515 core. With a workforce spanning up to 30 countries presently, with about 2600 employees, NIIT really knows the game.
NIIT hiring process is a standard hiring process with two interviews following a test (Online/offline). The service-based company uses a plethora of programming languages. A fresher joining NIIT Technologies can expect a package of 4.37 LPA.
Cyient
Established in 1991, Cyient works in a wide variety of domains including Data Analytics, defence, networks & operations, etc. The company generates about Rs.4,064 crore and is famous for many of the projects they handled. Having a workforce of about 14,000 employees in 21 countries, the Indian MNC is really huge.
Cyient Hiring takes place in three rounds, the Technical round, the Manage round and the HR round. Cyient works with a plethora of technologies and offers around 1.83 LPA – 3.6 LPA to Trainee Engineer.
Persistent Systems
Persistent Systems have been an industry leader for quite some time after its establishment in 1990. The company specialize in Information Technology services. The MNC has a total revenue of $480 million. Persistent systems has a global workforce made up of 10000+ employees.
The hiring process to this company is quite straightforward with a written and coding round followed by HR and technical interviews. Persistent has its stronghold set up in Python, JSP, Ajax, etc. As a fresher joining the company, one can expect an average package of 5 LPA.
Information Technology worker
So there you have it. These are some of the best Information Technology companies to try out if you’re planning on making it to the industry. While the road might be narrow and hard as a fresher, you will start and learning and adapting as you progress through it. Here’s to never-ending technological advancements and to a better tomorrow.
Many of us like eating Chinese dishes. There are some dishes which have their origin in China yet we can cook them in Indian way. The Indo Chinese dishes can be a part of any meal. We usually eat these dishes in restaurants and food joints, but they can be easily made at home. You can prepare the recipes of these dishes anytime. Whenever you want, you can enjoy yummy Indo Chinese dishes by cooking them at home.
Soya Manchurian
This is a lip-smacking dish made from soya chunks. You can eat this with any rice dish or noodles dish.
Ingredients –
Soya chunks – 2 cups
Water – As needed
Corn flour – 3 tablespoons
Maida (Refined flour) – 2 tablespoons
Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
Oil – As needed for frying soya chunks and for making gravy
Salt – According to taste
Garlic – Few cloves
Chilli – 1
Onion – 1
Capsicum – 1 or 2 depending on size
Tomato sauce – 2 tablespoons
Pepper powder – 1 teaspoon
Method –
Soak the soya chunks in hot water for 1 hour. Then squeeze water from them and keep soya chunks aside. Chop onion, garlic, chilli and capsicum.
In a bowl put corn flour, maida, salt and chilli powder. Mix all the ingredients and add water in required amount. Check the consistency of batter.
Put soya chunks to this batter and mix well. The batter should neither be thick nor thin. It should coat all the soya chunks.
Heat a pan and put sufficient oil to it. Add soya chunks in batches and fry them. Fry till the soya chunks become crisp. Keep them aside.
In the same pan, heat oil and put onion to it. Then add garlic, chilli, capsicum and fry till the raw smell disappears.
Then put salt and pepper powder to it. Fry till they get cooked. Add tomato sauce to it and mix well.
If there is any batter left in the bowl, then add water to it and mix. If there is no batter left, then mix 1 teaspoon of cornflour with some water.
Add this to the pan where other ingredients have been sauteed. Mix thoroughly so that a gravy forms. Cook till the gravy turns glossy.
Put the fried soya to this gravy. Mix very well so that all the soya chunks get coated with the gravy. Serve it hot.
This is a yummy dish made from deep fried potatoes. You can eat this with any rice dish or noodles dish.
Ingredients –
Potato – 2
Water – As needed
Salt – According to taste
Oil – As needed for frying potato and for making gravy
Corn flour – 2 tablespoons
Pepper powder – 2 teaspoons
Garlic – Few cloves
Chilli – 1
Onion – 1
Capsicum – 1 or 2 depending on size
Tomato sauce – 2 tablespoons
Method –
Peel the skin of potatoes and cut them into long pieces. The potato pieces must be thick. Chop onion, garlic, chilli and capsicum.
Boil the potato pieces for few minutes by adding salt. Then strain the water from potatoes. Add 1 tablespoon cornflour and 1 teaspoon pepper powder to boiled potatoes.
Mix them very well so that potato pieces get coated. Heat a pan and put sufficient oil to it. Add potato pieces in batches and fry them.
Fry till the potato pieces become crisp and turn brown. Keep them aside.
In the same pan, heat oil and put onion to it. Then add garlic, chilli, capsicum and fry till the raw smell disappears.
Then put salt and 1 teaspoon pepper powder to it. Fry till they get cooked. Add tomato sauce to it and mix well.
Mix 1 tablespoon cornflour with some water and make a paste. Add this to the pan where other ingredients have been sauteed. Mix thoroughly.
Cook till the sauce turns translucent. Add potato to it and mix very well. Make sure that all the potato pieces get coated with sauce.
This is a tasty dish of rice sauteed with vegetables and spices. You can eat this with any Manchurian, gravy or raita.
Ingredients –
Rice – 1 cup
Water – As needed for soaking and boiling rice
Salt – According to taste
Oil – 2 tablespoons
Garlic – Few cloves
Onion – 1
Carrot – 1
Beans – 10
Cabbage – Small piece
Capsicum – 1
Pepper powder – 1 teaspoon
Method –
You can use any vegetables of your choice. I have mentioned the vegetables that I used. You can also use peas, corn, red or yellow bell pepper.
Soak the rice in water for half an hour and then boil it. Keep the steamed rice aside. Chop garlic, onion, capsicum, carrot, beans and cabbage finely.
Heat a pan and put oil to it. Add onion and garlic to it. Fry well till the raw smell disappears.
Then add capsicum, carrot, beans and cabbage to it. Fry very well till they get cooked but do not overcook them. Put salt and pepper powder to it and mix well.
Add cooked rice to it and mix. Cook well so that all the ingredients get combined. But make sure that the rice grains do not break while mixing.
Check that rice does not stick to the pan. Serve it hot.
There are so many determined youth in the country with dreams of studying abroad and big ambitions. You might be one of them, with a desire to do something exceptional or maybe just to experience new challenges and push your boundaries and explore.
Most commonly faced barrier for someone like you is the ‘financial support’ or ‘availability of funds’ one might say. Subsequently, it costs you as high as 1 crore rupees or as low as 10 lakh rupees depending on the course, country and city you choose to study in. It’s almost heartbreakingly demotivating for a middle class /lower middle class student. So the most important question is- how do we fulfill our dreams of studying in the country of our dreams?
Well I’ve got some good news for you. SCHOLARSHIPS! When I say scholarships you might be already aware of a few scholarships and think- “oh they’re highly competitive and maybe not my cup of tea” right? But there’s more to it.
You might have heard of the lavish scholarships offered byHarward, Stanford, Yale or any ivy league schools. And if you do have a resume impressive enough to get there with straight A’s and spectacular extra-curriculars or are a star-kid congratulations to you!
And if not then here’s some information for you: There are numerous other scholarships programs and grants that will still help you achieve your dreams! Infact USA is the no.1 country to offer the most generous scholarships to attract young talented minds.
But first:
Factors to consider
Which is country best known for the course you want to apply?
Future employment opportunities for the degree of that country/state.
Part-time job availability and pay per hour. Also the restrictions to work for students in the state.
Return on investment.
Acceptance rate and level of competition.
Once you’ve figured out the answers for above, you can move on to filtering out the scholarships in that region. Since, there different types of scholarships. Mainly the following:
• Need Based Scholarship:
Need based scholarships are provided to any student whose family income is below a certain sum (eg.: $15000). And mostly the income bar for such scholarships is pretty high for a middle class family to attain. If you check the guidelines of such scholarships you’ll be able to find the limitations and eligibility.
• Academic Excellence Scholarships:
An academic excellence Scholarship is awarded to those students with a great academic record. Now, you don’t necessarily have to have 99% to get this kind of scholarship. It also depends on where you apply for such scholarship and what course it is. If the competition is low for your chosen course in the college then your chances of getting the grant get better.
• Athletic Achievement Scholarship:
As the name speaks for itself, it is awarded to students who have great athletic/ sports achievement. Preferably a national or international level player in a prominent sport.
The above mentioned types of scholarships are offered either by the government, the institution itself or NGO’s etc. You will definitely have to put in the hours to research and find out the scholarships that are suitable for you and where you have a high chance of scoring it. It’s all available on the internet and all you have to do is work with your key factors, narrow it down and put in efforts to research them where you can most accurately fit in the criteria that the host is offering. And the end results will definitely be worth it!
Furthermore, here is a little more information about the different countries that you will need while trying to zero down to one.
U.S.A
As mentioned before, USA is the no. 1 country to offer generous amounts of scholarships to talented students. These include partial, fully funded or tuition fees waivers. Some scholarships are offered by the government in the form of exchange program. Example: Fullbright.
And then there are Universities that offer scholarships to attract students that stand out and have a calibre to make it big some day. University of Texas Dallas, Michigan State University, Washington and Lee University, Woodford college are few among the many institutions that offer huge scholarships with relatively high acceptance rates. There are hundreds of other such institutions that do the same.
U.K
The very popularly known Chevening Scholarship is ofcourse most prominent. Besides, the British Council offers various scholarships. If you personally are a member of British Council the you shall be aware of these scholarships. If not you can just log on to britishcouncil.org and you’ll be able to find out all about it.
Swansea University, University of Strathclyde, Liverpool John Moore University, Ulser University are a few Universities that offer full/partial scholarships.
CANADA
Canada with it’s impressive P.R policies and visa acceptance rates has been attracting many students lately. Institutions like Humber College, University of Waterloo, University of Manitoba, Carlton University etc offer intriguing sum of scholarships for their top applicants.
The Canadian Government also has launched Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship for research based courses. Also, the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, funded by the provincial government.
Australia:
The Australian Government offers “Australian Awards”. It is an excellent scholarship opportunity which is absolutely fully funded for research based courses. You can get to know more about via www.studyinaustralia.gov.au
And, institutions like Macquarie University, University of Sydney, University of Wallongong and many more also provide handsome amounts of scholarships and study grants to students based on their profiles and what course they want to study.
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES:
There’s a reason why I saved the European countries for the end. Throughout my research I have found that European countries and institutions are the most generous providers of scholarships. Yes! They strongly believe – “Education should be available for all and not just be a privilege for the rich”. I know! If only it was an universal rule!
Next advantage being the ‘Schengen Visa’ which is applicable to almost all the countries of the EEA. This being a biggest plus point for someone who’s got ‘wanderlust’ as they call it. Among all of the study destinations in Europe the ones that top my list are Germany, France and Italy.
GERMANY
Being one of the most popular destinations for Indian students, Germany attracts students of all fields and majors. One of the popularly known scholarship to study here is DAAD. Offering a wide range of courses mainly for the research based and doctorate. To find out more about DAAD scholarship and the courses it includes you can check out www.daad.org .
There are other amazing scholarships like Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarship, Deutschland-Stipendium National Scholarship Program, Konrad- Adenauer- Stiftung Scholarship etc. All of these will help you cover most expenditures to study in the country.
FRANCE
The public universities of France are world renowned. There is Eiffel scholarship that is although highly competitive, charpak Scholarship (only for Indian nationals). If you diligently work on your applications with a decent profile and grades it’s the best opportunity you can get. It helps to have a background of work experience, foreign internships or internships in a popular MNC. The perfect way to find out about these is via campusfrance.org
Institutions like ESSEC, Sciences Po, Skema etc provide too good to be real scholarships to their top applicants.
ITALY
Studying in Italy, to say the least will cost you the minimum. The public universities’ fees start from as low as 800 euros. You might be able to get through even without a scholarship. If not, the Italian Government provides need based scholarships of about €5000/academic year to each student that are socioeconomically backward. This is administered by the Italian ministry of foreign affairs.
There are other scholarships based on the region you study and the course you intend to take up. University of Bocconi, University of Pasay and University of Bologna are among the universities that grant popular scholarships.
THE ERASMUS MUNDUS SCHOLARSHIP
It is the most open handed scholarship! Throughout this scholarship period, you will be studying in multiple cities/ countries each semester to pursue your degree. Without a doubt it is absolutely fully-funded. So much so that you might even be able to do a little bit of extra traveling of your own if you are good at managing your funds. In this Scholarship There are about 100 courses included. You will be able to gain more information about it on ec.europa.eu.
So this is some of the information to consider while planning to apply for studying with a scholarship abroad. Hard work in terms of getting decent grades, internships, work experience, extracurricular etc and building a spectacular SOP will take you to place, literally! It’s best if you start your preparations a year and a half before applying. Wish you all the very best.
(P.S : There are a few other countries and alternatives to scholarships as well which shall be discussed in the upcoming articles)
Every girl has to experience period pain in her life and unfortunately, there is no backing out because we are blessed with no choices. Nevertheless, they represent humanity, they represent that we are alive because of this only. Have you ever wondered why we even get cramps? Because during the start of the cycle, the blood is clotted within the body, making it difficult to flow. I agree that cramps can make you feel like killing yourself for 3- 4 days but, here’s a secret which you might be unaware of and that is, periods help you to get rid of the dead blood cells making our body internally clean. There’s no denying the fact that the body breaks down and then reform every month during the mensural cycle. The good news is that nature provides us some amazing remedies to cure this pain to a great extent.
Bananas
The very first amazing remedy is banana. You may have heard it before, have you ever tried it? If not, then, you definitely should because it works! Girls don’t worry about gaining weight by eating banana because it is a complete myth. Bananas contain magnesium, iron, and potassium which helps in digestion during and before periods and can relieve your bloating. Eat one or two bananas on your first day.
Hot water bag
Do you know how hot water bags can help you in relieving your cramps? The hot water bag when kept on the abdomen or stomach will let the heat settle down in that body area which will ease the flow and ultimately leading to no cramp periods. You may use an electric water bag or a normal one. Keep pampering yourself with it until you can breathe without pain.
Hot turmeric milk
Yes, girls, you can rely on this remedy. It is a tried and tested hack that can make you go from killer cramps to jumping on your first day. Add some turmeric powder to hot milk with no sugar and drink it before sleeping for one month. You will be amazed to see that you will have no cramps on periods of that month. It is recommended to have hot turmeric milk daily before sleeping as it will also boost our immune system.
Name me one girl who does not like eating chocolates. But there can be few who may not like having dark chocolates. They are proven to be one of the best foods to cure cramps and the plus point is they contain no fat, so yeah, you are not putting any extra weight. You can have half of the chocolate bar during your periods.
Say No to coffee
Sorry, coffee addicts, you heard it right. NO COFFEE!! Try to control at least during periods, and have some mercy on yourself. Coffee can lead to water retention in your body, leading to dehydration which is not a very good thing. Your body is already losing a lot of fluid during periods, so try not to dehydrate it by having coffee. You may have fresh juices, coconut water, etc.
Have hot and fresh meals
Late breakfast – fried eggs with vegetables. Shakshuka. Arabic cuisine. Kosher food.
Cold stuff and meals are known as the biggest enemy of our digestive system. They stick into your intestine making it harder for the system to process food and may lead to constipation and bloating. Hot and fresh meals on the other hand are acceptable by the system making it a lot easier for the fluids and blood cells to flow smoothly and thus resulting in no cramps.
Have earthen pot water instead of cold refrigerated water
We all crave cold refrigerated water during summers, but they are causing trouble to your stomach. Coldwater slows down the digestive system and can lead to indigestion and uneasiness. So, drink water from an earthen pot during summers as it is known as the savior for your body. It contains all the essential minerals and iron which are necessary for our body and known to play a huge role in reducing period cramps. Earthen pot water is much cooler and tasty than refrigerated water.
Exercise/Yoga/Stretching
Ugh, one more advice about exercise!!! Feeling like this? Let me clear your doubt. “Exercise is a reward of what your body can do and not a punishment for what you eat”. Whenever you feel like not exercising, remind yourself that “You deserve to live a happy and healthy life”. Exercise releases endorphin hormone responsible for happiness. Light exercise or yoga will result in more flexibility during periods by stretching the muscles and stretched muscles will relax down your spine and other muscles. Thus, making you feel relaxed and no cramps. They also help in cheering up your mood.
Drink a lot of water
Not only will you get clear skin and flat stomach and losing weight, etc. but also a refreshed mood, energized body and a cramp-free period.Water will compensate for the loss of fluids during periods and will keep the hydration level the same. It is recommended to have 2 liters of water a day but during or before periods have 3 liters of water to maintain the balance. It will also remove constipation, ultimately no bloating, which is just like a blessing in disguise.
There is no other option than to feel this pain but trying these home remedies will surely help you. Girls, your body is already losing a lot, eating your favorite foods and cravings are justifiable. The first day is your day. Do whatever you want to do, don’t worry about anything. All the work can be done tomorrow as well. Take good care of yourself.
Staying in the same house with your sibling(s) becomes such a task at times. Regular fights for petty things(mostly, the TV Remote!), complaining about each other 24*7 and all the silly fights is inevitable. Still, having a long distance relation with your brother or sister is not so easy. It makes you miss those stupid arguments and fights and suddenly, they become cherished memories. Also, with the pandemic going on, there can be a possibility of many of us staying away from our siblings. But still it should not stop us from celebrating Raksha Bandhan!
Apart from annoying and irritating each others, we all know how much we care for our siblings. The major memories of childhood include the silly arguments and games with our brother or sister. The best day to take a break from fights and celebrate this pure bond, is right about the corner, what are your plans?
Distance makes you realise their importance but can be an obstacle in your Raksha Bandhan surprises. But distance does not matter! As said, “Distance or no distance, THE BOND REMAINS THE SAME”.
Here are some ways you can celebrate and make your sibling happy!
RAKHI
The essence of Raksha Bandhan is, undoubtedly, the love shared by the siblings. But as the tradition follows, tying a Rakhi is one beautiful way to empower the sibling bond. Even if you are not able to meet your sibling, it goes without saying that sending a Rakhi is a must! You can use different sites that work particularly for gifts or use e-commerce sites like Amazon or FlipKart. There are many sites that create e-Rakhi, you can use this as well!
If you have a little brother then sending a rakhi with their favourite cartoon image, is another way of making them smile.
Sweets or maybe, CHOCOLATES?
We have all fought for food with our siblings. Be it the right half of a bowl of Maggi, packet of chips or chocolates! We have all had those constant fights to win the greater portion. Sending them sweets(we all have one favourite childhood Indian Mithai like Kaju Katli, Milk Cake or any other) or any of their favourite chocolate can add up a lot of sweetness to their day!
And, if they are only few hours away, you can send them handmade chocolates or brownies too!
SENDING THEM GIFTS along with Rakhi
If you have never gifted your siblings and find it way too formal, this is the time to change! It will be a nice way to surprise them with a gift. With the advent of the virtual world, sending gifts has actually become way too easier. Now, there are several sites and applications that deal particularly with gift hampers(you can get them customised, too!). You can order your sibling’s favourite things like an electronic item(speakers, headphones or any other), books, clothing items or any accessory. There are also many customised gifts like bracelets, photo-frames or key-chains with their favourite quote or picture. Also, now there are services that make delivery easier, be it within the country or outside. You can schedule the delivery to make their day special and celebrate together!
Some of the links of delivery services that you can check, are:
Technology has done wonders! You can make Raksha Bandhan special for them by making them a video of your childhood pictures and showing how the bond has grown. Putting embarrassing pictures along with the sweet ones, can make them laugh and cry at the same time.
You can use various applications from your phone devices and create a beautiful slideshow of photos and videos. If your sibling is the one away from home, you can add up a video of your parents, talking about you two! Giving them a sense of togetherness will be a very lovely gesture, that would make their day!
PEN-DOWN YOUR FEELINGS
If you have never really written anything for your sibling or made them anything handmade, then this is THE TIME! In a world full of emoticons and text messages that keep on buzzing the entire day, you can send them a letter that could be held onto, for long. You can really surprise them by writing one and sending it to them in an old-school way. It would amaze them and make them smile. You can include all the funny fights, incidents and punishments, you went through together.It would be something valuable that would always stay with them for long.
In case, a letter is not possible and you wish to gift something as meaningful as it. You can write down a mail and schedule it before sending. It can turn out to be a great way of expressing your love for them!
ON THE DAY OF RAKSHA BANDHAN, DO NOT FORGET TO VIDEO CALL THEM!
Try to make them feel special by sending them an invite before a video call, to be ready! Celebrate the day just as you would, if they were around. You can also conduct a group video call (like, Zoom meeting!) if there are many of you or you want to celebrate with all of your cousins. Also, enjoy talking for longer that day and eating the sweets together. It will definitely be a joyous day, enjoy it to the fullest!
