Let us talk about SEX: Moving Beyond Birds and Bees

Sexual Education, or as we like to address it with its PG euphemism, Family Life Education, is far from being accepted as a necessary component of education.

Sex education is high quality teaching and learning about a broad variety of topics related to sex and sexuality, exploring values and beliefs about those topics and gaining the skills that are needed to navigate relationships and manage one’s own sexual health. Sex education may take place in schools, in community settings, or online. Planned Parenthood believes that parents play a critical and central role in providing sex education.

In a country that reports high rates of teenage pregnancies and sexual abuse, one would think that the need for a curriculum focusing on gender equality, the importance of consent, and boundaries, would not be a matter of debate.

The reality, however, is that sexuality education for adolescents is a highly controversial topic in India. It is seen as offensive to Indian values, and concerns that it might lead to risky sexual behaviour and promiscuity.

Take the reaction when the central government in 2007 announced the launch of the Adolescence Education Programme in schools, along with the NACO, NCERT and UN agencies. Thirteen states called for an immediate ban as they felt that comprehensive sexuality education was against the Indian culture. Little has changed in the last 10 years. There is still a ban on Adolescence Education Programme in at least five states across India, and there is no uniformity in the way the subject is approached.

Sexuality education, as the UNESCO defines it, “provides opportunities to… build decision-making, communication and risk reduction skills about many aspects of sexuality…. encompasses the full range of information, skills and values to enable young people to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights and to make decisions about their health and sexuality”.

Indians, sometimes even the well-read urban kind, often tend to attach a whole lot of sensitivity to the topic of sex, regarding it with the most vicious taboo. It is thus a natural consequence that education that teaches their children about sexual well-being is met with the highest resistance possible – from parents, teachers, lawmakers and nosy neighbors, especially nosy neighbors.

Despite propaganda, and repeated favourable policies, it has been constantly rejected in various states in India. A deep-rooted sense of morality binds the sentiment of a large population from seeing the benefits and necessities of launching such an education program throughout the country. It is largely believed that talking about sexuality and its awareness may instead corrupt young adolescents.

A study was conducted in collaboration with UNICEF and the Population Council India about adolescents (the pimply teenagers between 10 and 19 years of age comprising nearly 250 million of India’s population) based on research conducted and published between 2002-2013.

They went to incredible details, but to summarize, adolescents face challenges in various aspects. Lack of education, child labor, lack of nutrition, substance abuse, child sexual abuse and a lack of understanding of their sexual and reproductive health are only some of the glaring shortcomings in their well-being.

The lack of comprehensive data on all adolescents makes it difficult to exactify the impact these problems have on them. However, here are some of the direct consequences of these issues, among the Indian youth.

Quality sexual education is imperative to a society of young adults making smart sexual health decisions and valuing consent in college where hookup culture can be prevalent. Adolescents making safe and smart decisions in their sex lives comes from having reliable information on protecting themselves and their partners.

Sexual education courses is to provide clear and accurate information to help young people make these good choices.

One of the most notable trends is that sexual education seems to be covering broad topics such as abstinence, awareness of sexually transmitted infections, the importance of respectful relationships and the need for protection from pregnancy and infection.

The many myths of sexual health commonly linger into late adolescence and adulthood, never being addressed in a classroom by a qualified teacher. Instead, they are debunked in a BuzzFeed article or after extensive Google searches. It can be a harsh reality check when you really actually experience the gravity of making decisions about your sexual health. This experience leaves many overwhelmed and confused as they enter adulthood.

Research shows that comprehensive sexuality education delays sexual initiation and leads to a fall in sexually transmitted diseases. This is critical in a country like India where rates of sexual violence against women are high and discriminatory attitudes towards women persist. For a meaningful social change, reaching out to boys and girls on issues like consent and gender equality becomes critical.

We have to go beyond looking at controlling adolescent fertility from the perspective of reducing unwanted pregnancies.

In the 21st century, advancement of technology has reached new heights, one of the most illustrious examples is visible is the Agricultural Technology. As the word suggests, the technology is not used for the improvement of agricultural yield which includes horticulture but also aquaculture. The aim of the very field is simple, to improve yield, efficiency and profability.

The field requires the skills to manoeuvre drones, Light and heat control and utilizes Satellite photography and sensors, IoT-based sensor networks, Phase tracking, Weather forecasts, Automated irrigation, Intelligent software analysis for pest and disease prediction, soil management and other involved analytical tasks. The field of Biotechnology helps developing hybrid plants which are able to adapt to the changing environment of earth.

The water quality for hydroponic system matters to a great deal as the of it will decide the success of the farm. Since the drinking water for humans is often treated with chemicals, most commonly used, chlorine, it makes it harder for the plants to grow. Although it might be safe for human consumption, it reduces the ability of the plants to absorb nitrate and phosphate nutrients. The hard quality of water damages the system of plants as the plants have to spend more energy to absorb the nutrients from it and completely absorb it. Additionally, it can result in the formation of solid calcium carbonate which causes scaling on pipes and pumps. To combat this issue, boiling of water is highly recommended to activate the filter to remove chlorine. A Reverse Osmosis filter is recommended to combat the issue of chemicals and organisms like bacteria or pathogen that can attack the plants.

The use of technology has reached a new level. Instead of using a sprayer to kill the weeds, it can also have a catastrophic effect on the crops. To overcome this, farming robots have been introduced where they use the sensors and vision systems to identify the weeds directly with pesticides. An eminent example of this includes small motors FAULHABER DC micromotors. The dimensions of these are extremely small which start from 1.9 millimetres (mm) in diameter which are ideal for agritech robot applications.

Since the advancement of the technological field, large and heavy machines have certainly lifted the burden off the shoulders of farmers but the heavy movement of these machines leads to compaction of the soil which eventually leads to poorer crop yields and increased pollution from agricultural land. By using light machinery, it avoids the problems stated above and also reduces the use of harmful pesticides and overall can improve the health of the soil. The choice of motor used in farming robots can make a significant difference to its overall performance — helping the industry to continue to reap what they sow. These are a few examples of the benefits of the field of agricultural technology, the promising field is constantly trying to ensure the eradication of the issues faced in the field of agriculture, which hopefully, someday will be achieved.

Image Reference: https://blog.upes.ac.in/evolution-of-agritech-experts-show-the-way/

CYBERBULLYING

The humanitarian crisis has cultivated a ‘New Normal’ vitality for all of us. Ranging from quarantine greenhouse dates to online classes and good-byes, we all have harmonized to the culture. Technology played an integral role in maintaining the continuity as it brought new dimensions to the responsibilities of educators and mentors. 

But we need self-introspection to rethink the ethical use of technology. If Zoom is that easy to hack into, it’s likely to expect kids and teens trying to follow suit. The era where gadgets are the ‘toys’ for the kids plus the ‘Lockdown’ has increased the fear of ‘Cyberbullying.

 

Cyberbullying is defined as “sending or posting harmful or cruel text or images using the Internet or other digital communication devices”. Cyberbullying involves the use of information and communication technologies, such as e-mail, cell phone and pager text messages, instant messaging, defamatory personal Websites, and defamatory online personal polling Websites, to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behaviour by an individual or group that is intended to harm. 

In India, an estimated 71 million children aged between 5-11 years access the Internet on devices of their family members, constituting about 14 percent of the country's active Internet user base of over 500 million. Two-thirds of internet users in India are in the age group of 12-29 year (Data shared by the Internet & Mobile Association of India). Data and statistics have highlighted that post lockdown, the internet has amplified the risk of cyberbullying, including online discrimination for children and young people.

 

Cyberbullying ranges from flaming to Catfishing. 

Flaming is a confrontation often happens in online spaces, which entails one or more bullies attacking a particular person for their views or comments.

Exclusion is singling-out of the targeted person and to purposefully exclude them from chats.

Cyberstalking is a type of harassment that involves one or more bullies going to great lengths to gather information about a particular person, continually frightening or threatening them, following them around social media and other sites, and potentially crossing the line into physical stalking.

Outing is the malicious release of private information about a person to embarrass or humiliate by spreading rumours about someone’s personal life, sexuality etc. through pictures, screenshots, videos.

Masquerading is creating a fake identity to harass someone anonymously or to impersonate someone else, often called “fraping,” such as pretending to be the victim or a significant other to create a negative reputation for the victim. 

Trolling is to provoke victims through the use of insults, controversial topics or off-topic posts into acting out in a similarly angry way.

Catfishing refers specifically to those cyberbullies who steal photos and information from a victim’s social media account and recreate a fake one of their own, mimicking and pretending to be the victim. 

Students with higher risk of being bullied are often targeted because of their visible appearance, 

Of all children who are bullied, more than one third reported bias-based bullying, a form of bullying that targets someone because of who they are or what they look like. Potential victims include LGBTQ youth, students with disabilities, and religious students, especially those who wear symbols of their religion. Students with a higher risk of being bullied are often targeted because of their visible appearance.

Girls and young women are targeted due to body image or sexuality, and are more often harassed over social media. Girls are more likely than boys to be victims of cyberbullying; bullying statistics show that 38% of girls who use social media report being bullied online, compared to 26% of boys.

Cyberbullying Self-Harm

If left unchecked, the effects of cyberbullying can lead to extreme stress and depression, and students who are victims may feel drawn to self-harm as a result of their experiences. 

However, the victims of bullying are not the only ones who are vulnerable to self-harm and suicidal behaviours. 

Young people who cyberbully others are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing these feelings than those who don’t.

Cyberbullying can be devastating for victims and their families. The psychological harm inflicted by cyberbullying, just like bullying, is reflected in low self-esteem, school failure, anger, anxiety, depression, school avoidance, school violence, and suicide. 

It is even possible that the damage from cyberbullying would be greater than bullying because there is no escape for the victims; harmful material could be easily preserved as well as quickly and widely spread.

For the cyberbullies, the consequences of their actions can be very severe, including being suspended or expelled from school and being removed from sports teams, clubs, and activities. Certain types of cyberbullying can even be considered criminal.

What did students do after they were cyberbullied? 

Apparently, only a few try to take revenge; the majority of students chose not to inform anyone. Some chose to get away from the cyberbully. Few try to take revenge on the cyberbully or bully others.  

Some inform parents and siblings. Few students reported to school adults (e.g., teachers, school administrators).

“If you were cyberbullied at school or at home, would you report the incident to a school counselor, teacher, or administrator?”

 ‘NO’, that’s what most of the students answer.

The secret of Cyberbullying being SECRETIVE

The fear of not being understood, made fun of kept most of the teens away from reporting to their educators. The thought of them getting into trouble either because of being at fault or for no reason made them escape from the best advice. 

‘Why are you exacerbating the problem?

Parents remarks like: ‘We are restricting your access to technology. So, No Phone, No Social Media.”

Some thought it was “no big deal.” 

The above reasons reflect the importance of teaching students about, ‘ Cyber threats’. 

What are students' beliefs about cyberbullying? Why do they think people behave this way?

Some think various factors cause the problem, ranging from feeling insecure, angry, jealous, or mean, to feeling bored or having family issues. A troubling finding, however, is that the majority believe that cyberbullies do it for fun. 

Even more disturbing is the fact that one in five perceived cyberbullying as a “cool” act. This might be explained by students' perception that technology is exciting. These students might think that using it for aggressive acts is creative. Further, they might not realize the seriousness of cyberbullying.

 For example, one student's narrative, “I bully online and it does not mean anything,” demonstrates that some fail to see the negative effect of cyberbullying or bullying on victims. The actual reason behind this perception is unclear; nonetheless, it deserves our serious consideration because this is a potentially dangerous perception.

 Some think that nothing can be done about Cyber victims. Some summarize this feeling: “No one cares. Deal with it yourself.” Some hold the belief that this is a serious problem and needs to be stopped. 

Another serious theme emerged relating to freedom of speech. One in six students considered that people have the right to say anything they want, even if what they say hurts someone or violates someone's privacy. 

So, How can we combat cyberbullying yet respect and exercise our freedom of expression? 

Although we understand that there is no absolute freedom of speech, balancing the two is the ultimate question.

One out of three students believes that what happens online should stay online which reflects a general perception that cyberspace is separated from the real world. But what we do online affects what we do in real life. 

Designing educational systems: Creating our future in a changing world

Addressing cyberbullying should be a collective effort on the part of schools, families, students, and society. Because cyberbullying happens outside of school boundaries, schools might direct such issues back to parents, saying that they have no legal jurisdiction. However, cyberbullying can be rooted in school or vice versa, even if the incidents appear to be initiated using school property. This requires schools to consider the development of comprehensive programs to fight cyberbullying, including detailed and unified policies as well as effective programs to educate students. 

Establishment of Systematic Programs 

First, schools need to establish systematic programs to stop cyberbullying. Such programs should develop strong policies on both traditional bullying and cyberbullying.

 Administrators should investigate current acceptable-use policies for technology (e.g., mobile, Internet) in the schools. Telling others such as school adults or family members remains an effective strategy for combating cyberbullying. 

It is important to establish easy and multiple ways of reporting. For example, we could create help lines (e.g., a phone line), e‐mail, or Web links, and provide a box or similar device in hot spots in schools so students can report incidents or offer suggestions anonymously.

Teaching about Cyberbullying

Second, schools should educate school adults, students, and parents about cyberbullying and provide clear procedures to follow when cyberbullying occurs.

 At the fundamental level, adults, including teachers and parents, need to keep pace with new technology to understand how students communicate and how cyberbullying happens. Effective strategies, therefore, need to be included in school adults' professional development opportunities. Schools can also provide opportunities for parents to learn such strategies.

 

Similarly, approaches to cyberbullying issues need to go beyond the one-time workshop mode for students and be part of regular curriculum learning. 

Such education can take place in different school situations, including classrooms, assemblies, and continuing education programs. For example, schools can use forums not only to mediate between cyberbullies and cyber victims, but also to offer opportunities for students to develop adaptive skills, such as dealing with emotional conflict and building positive behavioral patterns. Such forums help to build a strong rapport and trustworthy relationships between students and school adults as well as among students. 

Responsibilities associated with the use of Technology 

Students, a key group in fighting cyberbullying, need to learn responsibilities associated with the use of technology. They should be aware of the consequences of misuse of technology so that responsible behaviours can be promoted at an early age. They need to understand the dangers that exist and the importance of getting help from responsible adults when cyberbullying occurs. 

PANDEMIC & MAKING THE BEST USE OF IT 

Cyberbullying has been on the rise before lock down – some reports suggest that just 20% of bullying takes place at school now. The strain placed on mental health caused by being confined to the home for weeks at a time could be making matters worse. These unusual circumstances means that some kids may be venting their frustration online – and their classmates become the targets.

With the aim of addressing these concerns, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and UNESCO New Delhi Office developed an information booklet titled “Safe online learning in the times of COVID-19” to raise awareness of students and teachers on staying safe online. The booklet will be instrumental in keeping children, young people safe online through basic do’s, and don’ts that will help parents and educators teach their children how to use the internet safely.

“UNESCO is committed to ensure access to safe, inclusive and health promoting learning environments for all children. It is imperative that websites, digital platforms, social media platforms are free of Cyberbullying, if children have to access quality education. This information booklet titled ‘Safe online learning in times of Covid19’ highlights the negative consequences of cyberbullying and ways to eliminate and prevent the same”. UNESCO and NCERT are pleased to develop this booklet and hope that it acts as a valuable tool in creating a safer online environment.”

                        -Eric Falt, Director and Representative, UNESCO New Delhi

Pandemic and Parents : Working together

With COVID-19 closing schools in many states, children are turning to online schooling and with this comes a huge increase in device use by most children and teens. This is actually a wonderful opportunity for parents to spend some time talking with their child as to what cyberbullying means, and to talk through issues their child may be experiencing. It is also a great time for parents to establish guidelines and take the time to check-in and ensure that their child’s online behaviour is acceptable.

Younger children and tweens really should not be having “privacy” from their parents online. Parents need to be empowered to oversee what their elementary and middle school children are doing and with whom they are chatting. 

To think there wouldn’t be any cyberbullying during this time would be unrealistic, especially with so many children having excess frustration and a lot of free time. There will be children who take that frustration out on other kids. Parents need to be conscious of this possibility and schedule check-ins both to ensure their child is okay and behaving appropriately. 

With parents and children home, most households are getting back to family dinners. Parents can use those dinners not just to discuss cyberbullying but to talk about how their children are feeling in general — if they are feeling isolated, lonely or stressed. 

Although our concern is of course cyberbullying, what we are more likely to see is kids reaching out to one another as a support system. The upside to having all this connectivity is that sad and lonely children may actually have increased support.

We often see this in children who are hospitalized. They can feel very isolated. Having that virtual connection, the online social availability of their friends, really helps combat some of those feelings of loneliness and isolation. The hope would be that the social aspect of the connection that's going on in many homes right now with increased device use will outpace any uptick in cyberbullying. But it will be up to parents to make sure they are providing the guidance and supervision necessary to ensure that these online interactions are positive ones.

Human race has proven to overcome from all extremes the world has gone through may be it is a Plague, World Wars, Great Recession and many more. We have learnt lessons and we need to adapt and evolve every time and it’s a never ending process. This reminds of words of great genius Albert Einstein  that, “ Everything is Relative.”

Einstein gifted us with his inventions during the pandemic. Let us wait for the next ‘Science Genius’ from this Pandemic. It can be ‘YOU’. So, Let us work together to prevent the online propagated method of bullying.

Inedible but digestible Stickers: Why fruits have a vignette! 

The morning ‘Apple’ had a sticker on it. Haven’t you noticed? Well, know how your favourite fruit was grown and where so that you can make your fruit shopping more fruitful.

Have you ever stopped to read the fine print on stickers affixed to fruits and vegetables and wondered what those number convey?

The label has a PLU (Price look-up) code printed on it, which contains important information regarding how the fruit was grown. It is generated by the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS).

Let me decode the numbers for you!

A five-digit number beginning with 9, implies that the fruit was grown organically and is best.

A Four digit number, beginning with 3 or 4 implies that the fruit was grown conventionally and includes pesticides in low amount but aren’t harmful. Whereas a five-digit number with 8 as it’s first digit means that fruit was grown with genetic modification and has negative impacts on health.

Know about the country your food was grown in!

You can discover, “The Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)” from PLU codes or signs placed near bins of produce in stores. It helps you to get information from the retailer where the fresh produce was grown.

At the end of the day, you’ll need to do your own research. You can look up the PLU codes on the IFPS website to satisfy your super curious mind.

Well, there are so many stuffs around us and we don't really care to know even the 'Little' things . Try discovering such stuffs and know the unknowns around you.

CYBERBULLYING AND STUDENTS

The humanitarian crisis has cultivated a ‘New Normal’ vitality for all of us. Ranging from quarantine greenhouse dates to online classes and good-byes, we all have harmonized to the culture. Technology played an integral role in maintaining the continuity as it brought new dimensions to the responsibilities of educators and mentors. 

But we need self-introspection to rethink the ethical use of technology. If Zoom is that easy to hack into, it’s likely to expect kids and teens trying to follow suit. The era where gadgets are the ‘toys’ for the kids plus the ‘Lockdown’ has increased the fear of ‘Cyberbullying.

 

Cyberbullying is defined as “sending or posting harmful or cruel text or images using the Internet or other digital communication devices”. 

Cyberbullying involves the use of information and communication technologies, such as e-mail, cell phone and pager text messages, instant messaging, defamatory personal Websites, and defamatory online personal polling Websites, to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behaviour by an individual or group that is intended to harm. 

In India, an estimated 71 million children aged between 5-11 years access the Internet on devices of their family members, constituting about 14 percent of the country's active Internet user base of over 500 million. Two-thirds of internet users in India are in the age group of 12-29 year (Data shared by the Internet & Mobile Association of India). Data and statistics have highlighted that post lockdown, the internet has amplified the risk of cyberbullying, including online discrimination for children and young people.

 

Cyberbullying ranges from flaming to Catfishing. 

•    Flaming is a confrontation often happens in online spaces, which entails one or more bullies attacking a particular person for their views or comments.

•    Exclusion is singling-out of the targeted person and to purposefully exclude them from chats.

•    Cyberstalking is a type of harassment that involves one or more bullies going to great lengths to gather information about a particular person, continually frightening or threatening them, following them around social media and other sites, and potentially crossing the line into physical stalking.

•    Outing is the malicious release of private information about a person to embarrass or humiliate by spreading rumours about someone’s personal life, sexuality etc. through pictures, screenshots, videos.

•    Masquerading is creating a fake identity to harass someone anonymously or to impersonate someone else, often called “fraping,” such as pretending to be the victim or a significant other to create a negative reputation for the victim. 

•    Trolling is to provoke victims through the use of insults, controversial topics or off-topic posts into acting out in a similarly angry way.

•    Catfishing refers specifically to those cyberbullies who steal photos and information from a victim’s social media account and recreate a fake one of their own, mimicking and pretending to be the victim. 

Students with higher risk of being bullied are often targeted because of their visible appearance, 

Of all children who are bullied, more than one third reported bias-based bullying, a form of bullying that targets someone because of who they are or what they look like. Potential victims include LGBTQ youth, students with disabilities, and religious students, especially those who wear symbols of their religion. Students with a higher risk of being bullied are often targeted because of their visible appearance.

Girls and young women are targeted due to body image or sexuality, and are more often harassed over social media. Girls are more likely than boys to be victims of cyberbullying; bullying statistics show that 38% of girls who use social media report being bullied online, compared to 26% of boys.

Cyberbullying Self-Harm

If left unchecked, the effects of cyberbullying can lead to extreme stress and depression, and students who are victims may feel drawn to self-harm as a result of their experiences. 

However, the victims of bullying are not the only ones who are vulnerable to self-harm and suicidal behaviours. 

Young people who cyberbully others are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing these feelings than those who don’t.

Cyberbullying can be devastating for victims and their families. The psychological harm inflicted by cyberbullying, just like bullying, is reflected in low self-esteem, school failure, anger, anxiety, depression, school avoidance, school violence, and suicide. 

It is even possible that the damage from cyberbullying would be greater than bullying because there is no escape for the victims; harmful material could be easily preserved as well as quickly and widely spread.

For the cyberbullies, the consequences of their actions can be very severe, including being suspended or expelled from school and being removed from sports teams, clubs, and activities. Certain types of cyberbullying can even be considered criminal.

What did students do after they were cyberbullied? 

Apparently, only a few try to take revenge; the majority of students chose not to inform anyone. Some chose to get away from the cyberbully. Few try to take revenge on the cyberbully or bully others.  

Some inform parents and siblings. Few students reported to school adults (e.g., teachers, school administrators).

“If you were cyberbullied at school or at home, would you report the incident to a school counsellor, teacher, or administrator?”

 ‘NO’, that’s what most of the students answer.

The secret of Cyberbullying being SECRETIVE

The fear of not being understood, and made fun of keeps most of the teens away from reporting to their educators. The thought of them getting into trouble either because of being at fault or for no reason made them escape from the best advice. 

‘Why are you exacerbating the problem?

Parents remarks like: ‘We are restricting your access to technology. So, No Phone, No Social Media.”

Some thought it was “no big deal.” 

The above reasons reflect the importance of teaching students about, ‘ Cyber threats’. 

What are students' beliefs about cyberbullying? Why do they think people behave this way?

Some think various factors cause the problem, ranging from feeling insecure, angry, jealous, or mean, to feeling bored or having family issues. A troubling finding, however, is that the majority believe that cyberbullies do it for fun. 

Even more disturbing is the fact that one in five perceived cyberbullying as a “cool” act. This might be explained by students' perception that technology is exciting. These students might think that using it for aggressive acts is creative. Further, they might not realize the seriousness of cyberbullying.

 For example, one student's narrative, “I bully online and it does not mean anything,” demonstrates that some fail to see the negative effect of cyberbullying or bullying on victims. The actual reason behind this perception is unclear; nonetheless, it deserves our serious consideration because this is a potentially dangerous perception.

 Some think that nothing can be done about Cyber victims. Some summarize this feeling: “No one cares. Deal with it yourself.” Some hold the belief that this is a serious problem and needs to be stopped. 

Another serious theme emerged relating to freedom of speech. One in six students considered that people have the right to say anything they want, even if what they say hurts someone or violates someone's privacy. 

So, How can we combat cyberbullying yet respect and exercise our freedom of expression? 

Although we understand that there is no absolute freedom of speech, balancing the two is the ultimate question.

One out of three students believes that what happens online should stay online which reflects a general perception that cyberspace is separated from the real world. But what we do online affects what we do in real life. 

Designing educational systems: Creating our future in a changing world

Addressing cyberbullying should be a collective effort on the part of schools, families, students, and society. Because cyberbullying happens outside of school boundaries, schools might direct such issues back to parents, saying that they have no legal jurisdiction. However, cyberbullying can be rooted in school or vice versa, even if the incidents appear to be initiated using school property. This requires schools to consider the development of comprehensive programs to fight cyberbullying, including detailed and unified policies as well as effective programs to educate students. 

Establishment of Systematic Programs 

First, schools need to establish systematic programs to stop cyberbullying. Such programs should develop strong policies on both traditional bullying and cyberbullying.

 Administrators should investigate current acceptable-use policies for technology (e.g., mobile, Internet) in the schools. Telling others such as school adults or family members remains an effective strategy for combating cyberbullying. 

It is important to establish easy and multiple ways of reporting. For example, we could create help lines (e.g., a phone line), e‐mail, or Web links, and provide a box or similar device in hot spots in schools so students can report incidents or offer suggestions anonymously.

Teaching about Cyberbullying

Second, schools should educate school adults, students, and parents about cyberbullying and provide clear procedures to follow when cyberbullying occurs.

 At the fundamental level, adults, including teachers and parents, need to keep pace with new technology to understand how students communicate and how cyberbullying happens. Effective strategies, therefore, need to be included in school adults' professional development opportunities. Schools can also provide opportunities for parents to learn such strategies.

 

Similarly, approaches to cyberbullying issues need to go beyond the one-time workshop mode for students and be part of regular curriculum learning. 

Such education can take place in different school situations, including classrooms, assemblies, and continuing education programs. For example, schools can use forums not only to mediate between cyberbullies and cyber victims, but also to offer opportunities for students to develop adaptive skills, such as dealing with emotional conflict and building positive behavioral patterns. Such forums help to build a strong rapport and trustworthy relationships between students and school adults as well as among students. 

Responsibilities associated with the use of Technology 

Students, a key group in fighting cyberbullying, need to learn responsibilities associated with the use of technology. They should be aware of the consequences of misuse of technology so that responsible behaviours can be promoted at an early age. They need to understand the dangers that exist and the importance of getting help from responsible adults when cyberbullying occurs. 

PANDEMIC & MAKING THE BEST USE OF IT 

Cyberbullying has been on the rise before lock down – some reports suggest that just 20% of bullying takes place at school now. The strain placed on mental health caused by being confined to the home for weeks at a time could be making matters worse. These unusual circumstances means that some kids may be venting their frustration online – and their classmates become the targets.

With the aim of addressing these concerns, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and UNESCO New Delhi Office developed an information booklet titled “Safe online learning in the times of COVID-19” to raise awareness of students and teachers on staying safe online. The booklet will be instrumental in keeping children, young people safe online through basic do’s, and don’ts that will help parents and educators teach their children how to use the internet safely.

“UNESCO is committed to ensure access to safe, inclusive and health promoting learning environments for all children. It is imperative that websites, digital platforms, social media platforms are free of Cyberbullying, if children have to access quality education. This information booklet titled ‘Safe online learning in times of Covid19’ highlights the negative consequences of cyberbullying and ways to eliminate and prevent the same”. UNESCO and NCERT are pleased to develop this booklet and hope that it acts as a valuable tool in creating a safer online environment.”

                        -Eric Falt, Director and Representative, UNESCO New Delhi

• Pandemic and Parents : Working together

With COVID-19 closing schools in many states, children are turning to online schooling and with this comes a huge increase in device use by most children and teens. This is actually a wonderful opportunity for parents to spend some time talking with their child as to what cyberbullying means, and to talk through issues their child may be experiencing. It is also a great time for parents to establish guidelines and take the time to check-in and ensure that their child’s online behaviour is acceptable.

Younger children and tweens really should not be having “privacy” from their parents online. Parents need to be empowered to oversee what their elementary and middle school children are doing and with whom they are chatting. 

To think there wouldn’t be any cyberbullying during this time would be unrealistic, especially with so many children having excess frustration and a lot of free time. There will be children who take that frustration out on other kids. Parents need to be conscious of this possibility and schedule check-ins both to ensure their child is okay and behaving appropriately. 

With parents and children home, most households are getting back to family dinners. Parents can use those dinners not just to discuss cyberbullying but to talk about how their children are feeling in general — if they are feeling isolated, lonely or stressed. 

Although our concern is of course cyberbullying, what we are more likely to see is kids reaching out to one another as a support system. The upside to having all this connectivity is that sad and lonely children may actually have increased support.

We often see this in children who are hospitalized. They can feel very isolated. Having that virtual connection, the online social availability of their friends, really helps combat some of those feelings of loneliness and isolation. The hope would be that the social aspect of the connection that's going on in many homes right now with increased device use will outpace any uptick in cyberbullying. But it will be up to parents to make sure they are providing the guidance and supervision necessary to ensure that these online interactions are positive ones.

Human race has proven to overcome from all extremes the world has gone through may be it is a Plague, World Wars, Great Recession and many more. We have learnt lessons and we need to adapt and evolve every time and it’s a never ending process. This reminds of words of great genius Albert Einstein  that, “ Everything is Relative.”

Einstein gifted us with his inventions during the pandemic. Let us wait for the next ‘Science Genius’ from this Pandemic. It can be ‘YOU’. So, Let us work together to prevent the online propagated method of bullying.

The normalcy till December 2019 is dearly missed by the people across the globe, with no restrictions, stepping out at any time of the day, be it to simply hang out with friends or to sit and have a little “me time” at the café. The sudden outbreak of the deadly virus has affected people of all age groups. The normalcy was an excuse for some to escape the toxic environment of home and take a break from the reality. Alas, 2020 wasn’t in their favour.

Since the lockdown had been implement worldwide, the aim was to eradicate the spread of the virus and eventually, the virus itself. Confining themselves at home, the mental health wasn’t given much of a thought, with the routine life coming to a halt altogether.

For children, they found comfort and pastime in extreme exposure in front of Television screens, and gadgets supporting the usage of internet. In a study it was found for such a prolonged exposure can lead to lower the child’s self-esteem with the internet proving out to lead in an addiction disorder in many. With limited external interaction, the “indoor pollution” can affect the development of a child and hence results in limited cognitive abilities. Internet is a home to cyberattacks as we as cyber bullying, henceforth, affecting the mental of a child. Therefore, the children plunge themselves in an ocean of depression, anxiety, avoidance behaviour and even PTSD. The same set of problems are faced by children who have been confined in the hospitals from being infected by the deadly virus, especially with the rise of reports in children being sexually harassed during the confinement, the child lives through a traumatic experience without anyone to turn into, apart from their family takes a toll on the child.

A drastic impact proved to be on students and adults living away from home and migrant laborers stranded in their temporary homes, for those living on rent, it put them in a tough situation for them to pay the rent before the regulation of work from home came into effect.  Most adults drove into the decoy of satisfaction by online pornography. The disruption in most people’s sexual lives persuaded the individuals to use such platform to cope up from the on-going stress of rendered jobless with a deadly virus outbreak, living afar from their beloveds, which sadly could lead to depressive symptoms.

Another age group drastically affected by this were the elderly and sick. For those who were assigned caregivers to look after the sick, now were rendered helpless and alone in their homes. Such people are also known to have a higher risk of acquiring an infection, and for those who continued with their jobs were left in wonderment if they weren’t the carriers of the infection which could affect them and their families.

This year also saw an alarming rise within the cases of Domestic Violence alone. Between March 25 and May 31, 2020, 3,11,477 complaints were recorded which were made by women. The complaints recorded within a 68-day period were higher than those recorded between March and May in last 10 years. Delhi and U.P. saw the highest number of complains, followed by Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. According to the data, 86% of women who were victims to the violence during that period never sought help, 77% victims didn’t mention the dreadfulness of the situation to anyone.  Women faced Physical, Sexual and even both. The highest number of sufferers documented were the ones who faced Sexual Abuse, which summed up to about 80.6 who never dared to tell anyone. For those who had reported the incidents were 14% but only 7% reached out to relevant authorities, but more than 90% of the victims sought help only from their immediate family.

A study was conducted by a team of researchers via an online survey which was proliferated over the social media between May 9 to May 15, 2020, using an anonymous Google form. The team used items like anxiety, depressive symptoms, symptoms of internet addiction, pornography addiction, experiences of hostility, changes in food and sleep habits, social empathy and relationship quality, to construct the overall picture of social and psychological experience during the lockdown period. They also conducted 14 qualitative interviews from May 10 to May 17, 2020. The subjects were self-selected by broad social media invitations. The survey included a total of 282 Indian adults, in which ¾ of people belonged to the age group of 30 years and younger. Following the figures, 88% were educated beyond the 12th standard about 81% were urban residents.

The concluded with depressive symptoms, higher amongst those who an addiction towards pornography. The presence of depressive and anxiety symptoms was expected and linked to a higher chance of self-reported sleep disorder and changes in food patterns. For those who were connected with their loved ones and shared their vulnerabilities shoed more social empathy and better social relationships.

The researchers concluded by stating, “To our knowledge, this is the first study to look at the differential psychological impact of the lockdown across different social groups in India. Our study also highlighted a few positive aspects of the lockdown, underscoring the increase in social empathy and strengthened social bonds among Indian adults.”

Image source-https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/hidden-symptoms-of-stress.html

US Service Workers Strike: Highlighting Racism on 20th July

A US National Coalition of labour unions and racial and social justice organisations have decided to go on a mass strike from work from July 20th , as part of an ongoing protests on systemic racism and police brutality in the United States and to pay a tribute to George Floyd who was killed in a police brutality last month. 



The organisers of the strike have demanded strict action by the Trump government to end the racism in an economy that has been choking off the economic mobility and career growth opportunities for many Black and Hworkers, who struggle to make a living amidst discrimination and are not able to rise up to higher positions at work.



The coalition has demanded for guaranteed sick pay, affordable healthcare and better safety measures for low-wage workers who don't have the option of working from home during COVID-19.

The Coronavirus Can Be Airborne Indoors, W.H.O. Says

"We have been talking about the possibility of airborne transmission and aerosol transmission as one of the modes of transmission of COVID-19," Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead on the COVID-19 pandemic at the WHO, told a news briefing."

• The World Health Organization has acknowledged that there's possibility of coronavirus being spread in the air under certain conditons


• The UN body releases new guidelines on COVID-19 transmission, including new scientific evidence available on the spread of the SARS-CoV-2

The coronavirus may linger in the air in crowded indoor spaces, spreading from one person to the next, the World Health Organization acknowledged on Thursday.

The W.H.O. had described this form of transmission as doubtful and a problem mostly in medical procedures. But growing scientific and anecdotal evidence suggest this route may be important in spreading the virus, and this week more than 200 scientists urged the agency to revisit the research and revise its position.

In an updated scientific brief, the agency also asserted more directly than it had in the past that the virus may be spread by people who do not have symptoms: “Infected people can transmit the virus both when they have symptoms and when they don’t have symptoms,” the agency said.

The W.H.O. previously said asymptomatic transmission, while it may occur, was probably “very rare.” Some experts said both revisions were long overdue, and not as extensive as they had hoped.

“It is refreshing to see that W.H.O. is now acknowledging that airborne transmission may occur, although it is clear that the evidence must clear a higher bar for this route compared to others,” Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech, said in an email.

An aerosol is a respiratory droplet so small it may linger in the air. In its latest description of how the virus is spread, the agency said transmission of the virus by aerosols may have been responsible for “outbreaks of Covid-19 reported in some closed settings, such as restaurants, nightclubs, places of worship or places of work where people may be shouting, talking or singing."

The guidelines stated that understanding how, when and in what types of settings the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads between people is critical for developing effective public health and infection prevention measures to break chains of transmission. WHO said current evidence suggests that COVID-19 transmission occurs primarily through direct, indirect, or close contact with infected individuals through their saliva and respiratory secretions, or through their respiratory droplets expelled when they cough, sneeze, talk or sing. The agency also said that asymptomatic people can also spread the virus to others, although it is still unclear to what extent this occurs and more research is needed in this area.

WHO stressed that high-quality research is urgently needed to understand the role of airborne spread of the SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the absence of aerosol-generating procedures, the dose of virus required for transmission to occur, the settings and risk factors for superspreading events, as well as the extent of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission. In this article, let us tell you how airborne transmission is different from droplet transmission and what you can do to stay safe from respiratory infections such as COVID-19.

What you can do to prevent contracting respiratory infections?

In the current scenario,

• it’s always best to wear a mask while venturing out in crowded areas to keep respiratory infections away.


• Try to keep at least 3 feet physical distance and wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.


• Do not touch your face unnecessarily.


• Practice respiratory etiquette.


• Avoid crowded places, close-contact settings and confined and enclosed spaces with poor ventilation.


• Ensure appropriate environmental cleaning and disinfection.


• To maintain immunity, opt for Indian square meal and exercises like Surya Namaskar and Pranayam or any other cardiorespiratory fitness regimen. It can help your cardio-respiratory fitness and lowers blood pressure as well. Moreover, it also increases cardio-respiratory efficiency and respiratory capacity.


• To prevent transmission, WHO recommends identifying suspect cases as quickly as possible, testing, and isolating all cases (infected people) in appropriate facilities.

It is out there to be serious about mental health these days, specially with the numerous cases of suicides which been rising. But how aware are the citizens of India about the exodus of children who have been victims of PTSD amidst the political insurgency for decades?

Kashmir, a pulchritudinous state of India, now declared as a union territory (UT) has been a victim of the political skirmish which has, in turn, diddled the indigenous beings of Kashmir leading to death of thousands of people including family members, sexual abuse, damage to property and various natural disasters, namely- earthquake and snowstorms. According to reports, majority of the people suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). As the name suggests, the psychiatric disorder arises in wake of traumatic events. The events are digested and affect each person differently. 

In Kashmir, majority of the children are diagnosed with PTSD. The age group to which these children belong to were above 6 years of age and maximum belonged to 11-15 years of age. The children diagnosed with Abnormalities in brain electrical activity on electroencephalogram were also noted. Children with PTSD were found to perform poorly by affecting their attention, abstract reasoning and executive functioning. Children diagnosed with PTSD were detected in schools because of their behavioural changes and their deteriorate performances. Maximum minors affected belong to rural areas as compared to the urban areas.  Following the figures, 75% of the children belonged to the lower middle class, followed by middle class which entailed 25% respectively. 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder consists of risk factors which affects the children to a great extent; lower educations, lower intelligence, absence to social support, sexual harassment, lower socio-economic status, family history of psychiatry illness, multiple traumatic events- are some of the risk factors. Unfortunately, 49% of the children have been witnesses to death of a family member or close friends, followed by arrest, torture of a close relative or being caught up in cross-firing and hearing about the death of a close relative. It is absolutely unimaginable as to what the future of this country has to go through. Kashmir has been regarded as the place called “heaven on earth” but the heaven contains a hell within which largely ignored. Amidst this turmoil , the emphasis ought to be put on the psychological distress, a scar invisible yet the power of changing the entire personality of the human being, affecting the course of their actions and changing the outlook of life, for life.

The destruction of educational infrastructure, in addition to the unlawful detentions, leaves a lifelong impact on children, perpetuating a cycle of trauma, fear and bitterness. The literacy rate in Kashmir is 54.4% as compared to some parts of India, which have resulted in 65% 

The following 3 dimensions which were focussed were shown by the affected for a month which proved them to have paediatric PTSD- 

1. The affected re-experienced the event with deteriorate recollections in the form of dreams, flashbacks, with psychological and psychical distress.

2. They persistently avoided the stimuli associated with trauma that might recall the memories or events of the trauma.

3. There was also an increase in arousal in the form of hyper vigilance and exaggerated startled response, experienced difficulty in sleep, irritability.

In children older than 6 years, there was a repetitive play occurred in which themes or aspects of traumatic events were expressed. They also experienced frightening dreams without recognizable content, a dream which the minors aren’t able to express and even dissociative reactions (eg flashbacks) in which they felt the traumatic events were recurring. Such reactions may occur in continuum, and the most extreme expression of their feeling is expressed by complete loss of awareness of the present reactions.

The unfortunate events lead to persistent and exaggerated negative beliefs about the oneself, others and even the world. In other words, they express themselves by stating, “I am Bad”, “The world is bad and dangerous”, “My whole life is ruined” or “My entire nervous system is ruined”. This leads them to have distorted cognition about the cause and consequences of the events which leads them to blame themselves or others for it.

In order to recover from this the children are subjected to maladaptive method of coping. It was recorded that females prefer for maladaptive method of coping more than males who were associated with PTSD in Kashmir. Most of these patients were even aware what they suffering from and indulged in self-medication, for even somatic issues which included headaches, stomach aches, palpitations, breathlessness, anxiety, panic attacks, loss of appetite etc, which eventually leads to addiction. Popularly benzodiazepine, opioids, and cannabis. In contrast to world reports, alcohol was the used the least (4.8%).

Amidst this turmoil, the children residing in a place regarded as “heaven on earth” go through hell every single day. Not a single day can they have a goodnight’s sleep, a sleep without the fret of being a victim to the worst thought of never seeing the face of a family member anytime. three-year-old boy described the sequence of events leading to the killing of his grandfather. The minor had been subjected to extreme events, events from which even veterans aren’t able to cope up from.  

Picture reference: https://medium.com/@ovaiskarni /psychological-impact-of-armed-conflict-on-kashmiri-children-97c76e77bef1

Pandemic and Digital Divide: Sparking Mental Trauma among young minds.

The lack of technological resources in the hands of the poor has challenged remote-learning which can create a big - learning gap between the rich & poor. We can't imagine the physiological trauma of a child who craves to study but can't.

Online Classes through the gifts of technology has bridged the gap between the educators and the students but has also mirrored “ Digital-Divide” in India.

The Digital Divide: The non-accessibility of gadgets has created a historic wave of mental-health problems like suicide, depressions etc.

According to the 2017-’18 National Sample Survey report on education, only 24% of Indian households have an internet facility. While 66% of India’s population lives in villages, only a little over 15% of rural households have access to internet services.

 

Giving a global perspective, UNESCO noted, “Half of the total number of learners — some 826 million (82.6 crores) students — kept out of the classroom by the Covid-19 pandemic, do not have access to a household computer and 43 percent (706 million or 70.6 crores) have no internet at home, at a time when digitally-based distance learning is used to ensure educational continuity in the vast majority of countries.”

The psychological trauma of the class 10 student who committed suicide as she was distraught by not being able to access classes online is unimaginable. Think about the students who used to go to school for the “Mid-Day Meal”.

Web-based learning in the Indian market has increased gigantic footing as of late. Beside simply scholastic content, they likewise empower students to pick up abilities and even get ready for serious assessments. Yet, there are different sides to each story. E-learning too has a considerable amount of advantages and disadvantages.  Let’s check some points

Almost sixteen lakh kids from poor households studying in government and municipal schools within the Delhi are watching disruptions of their studies without access to mobiles, net and laptops or desktops, at the same time privileged students from private faculties are taking online classes amid the coronavirus lockdown.

From coping with basics like internet connectivity and India’s notoriously undependable power supply to more structural issues such as curriculum and teaching methods, educators have come under tremendous stress.

A teacher from an SDMC faculty in Sarvapriya Vihar said the first actual problem in implementing the plan is: “We do not even have the database for the students or the parents’ contact numbers as a way to reach out to them.”

The teacher said there isn’t even a computer in the school for teachers to feed contact details into.

A mathematics teacher from a North Delhi municipal faculty agreed that executing the plan is a huge hassle. “At the same time as my faculty hasn’t received any orders, several others I recognize had been instructed to start WhatsApp class. But subjects like maths can't study on those applications, even for those who use WhatsApp. How will one take a look at calculations?”

Online education is not equal or the same or easy for everyone. When others are discussing the technical disadvantages of E-learning like lack of interaction, less cost-effective etc, while others don’t have a phone at least, this is the hidden truth of the society. It is the condition of the Nation’s capital.

According to a study conducted by scholarship ed-tech platform Buddy4Study, of the 25 crore students affected by the lockdown, 80 percent fall in the Economically Weaker Section category. Let’s read some stories:

Kartik and his sister Mansi are students of class5 and class 1, respectively, in distinct MCD schools in Kapashera. Their mother and father sell vegetables for a living. Kartik, who wants to be a police officer, said that they've no longer received any assignments from school on their father’s phone for the reason that lockdown started out. “We haven’t been given any work; on the grounds that schools closed, it’s been a holiday for us.”

Shyam Singh, a labourer in Samaypur Badli, had no clue what WhatsApp meant while he received a call from his son Sohan’s class teacher at an NDMC school. “Madam called five days ago, and I didn’t have WhatsApp installed on my phone. Now my son has explained it to me and I’ve downloaded the app, but no work has been assigned through the school yet,” he said.

Tarun, son of a domestic employee in GK-II, cannot now use his father’s second-hand phone as it has broken. The father’s employer offered to shop for him a simple phone but realized delivery of non-essentials online wasn’t possible amid the lockdown. The owner explained: “I felt depressed, that’s why I allow Tarun to take a class with my smart hone every morning.  I feel that’s was the sole thing I could do.”

A visually-impaired pupil at a Delhi government school, who didn’t want to be diagnosed, stated: “Assignments on WhatsApp were now not possible for me. I don’t have parents and my grandparents too antique to use WhatsApp.

The interaction with school students, their parents, and teachers from government schools revealed how everybody was suffering to bridge the virtual gap — many families do not have smartphones, not to mention computers or laptops. Some said they don’t understand how to use WhatsApp, even as some parents are engaged in vital services and need to take their only smartphones with them on work.

The humanitarian crisis has brought all the officials under the microscope. How to ensure a sound transaction of online classes to students, especially poor across the country?

The Mirror of lockdown has reflected how the rooted structural imbalances are between rural & urban, rich & poor even in the digital world.

"TEST-TRACK-TREAT" is the new formula for defeating the COVID-19.

The Union Ministry on the 1st of July announced that A Doctor's Prescription will no more be required for getting oneself checked for COVID-19. 

This order has come after a lot of chaos and tension caused when many concerned individuals with minor symptoms similar to COVID-19 were restricted from getting tested.

The Health Ministry advised all the states and UT's to allow all medical practitioners to prescribe the Coronavirus test for anyone who wants to get himself checked.

It said that this will decrease the load on the medical fraternity, the mental stress amongst people and lead to unprecedented situations. 

It is to be noted that this step is being welcomed by the public as random and aggresive testing is the only way to recognize the new strain of asymptomatic coronovirus and then get it treated. 

Police misconduct is a grey area that citizens around the world in each part of the world face in their day to day lives , at varying degrees but constantly. With the death of George Floyd out in the daylight amidst many bystanders at the hands of a ruthless cop in Minneapolis led the whole world feeling choked two men in the Tamil Nadu lost their lives to custodial violence in Thoothukudi . The world around is truly not accepting and sympathetic but rather brutish. These are incidents of abuse of power but they do not exist in isolation but rather come from a space which is concealed and hidden and lies are concocted to push this matter further down .





The crimes of these men are not arson and murder but a means to livelihood in these extremely trying times of health hazard a pandemic constantly They had reportedly kept their mobile shop open beyond 8 p.m. on June 19, despite restrictions imposed by the state as part of lockdown measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. It is important to understand that compassion and humanity seems to be non existant even during such times ,one can only imagine the activities before the pandemic .



Custodial deaths have been on the increase in recent years in India. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recorded a staggering 1,674 cases of custodial deaths in 334 days (11 months) between April 2017 and February 2018, which implies over five deaths in custody per day. Unfortunately, most of the deaths are registered as suicides or deaths due to medical conditions.During the COVID-19 period, in particular, the police have resorted to excessive violence and indiscriminate use of lathis (clubs) against people .



As the citizens of any democratic nation have india too has Article 21 of the Indian Constitution states: “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to a procedure established by law.” This is the “procedural magna carta protective of life and liberty.”

Section 49 of the Indian Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) accords several rights to the arrested person. It specifically states that there shall be no more restraint than is justly necessary to prevent escape. Section 50 of the CrPC makes it mandatory for police making arrests without warrant to inform the persons being detained about the grounds of arrest and their right to bail.



Most importantly, the arrested have a right to free legal aid and the right to consult their lawers whereas the father son duo was however inhumanely beaten up and tortured in ways that are unimaginable. On June 22, Jeyaraj and Benicks became severely ill and were taken to a hospital, where they died a day apart from each other.



A human rights violation like this cannot be allowed to happen in any civilized society. In response to public outcry, two subinspectors have been suspended and an inspector benched by the state government, and proceedings have been initiated against two head constables. However this raised so many issues on multiple levels . Is the law so complaiscant to the wishes of the enforcers that it forgets the basic principles it is to function on ? Is it the law or the enforcer that determines the end result of a breach in It. These are questions that need to be answered and understood by each citizen . There is a huge lack of knowledge about this . The death of George floyd sparked a flurry of protests while the death of these two men needed more outcry, it needed more people to speak up and challenge this brutality , sadly it didnt happen. Does this mean that people are more likely to support the cause of someone unknown to them in a another nation. Is the outcry and sentiment only tokenostic in nature if not why is there so much of lack of empathy and realization about the state of affairs in their surroundings , because in India too 5 people die due to police misconduct. The numbers reflected too are the ones that are known about there are so many that vanish into oblivion. It is essential to understand the gravity of this situation and demand change and check on abuse of power so that one day someone else doesn't find themselves battling this . It will however require a lot more than mere acknowledgement of something so heart wrenchingly cold, it requires actions towards a more responsible police and accountable police for the people not over the people.

Did you know there are board games that will educate you about Coronavirus and it’s protocols. Surprising, right ? Well here’s how they work: 

“You make me sick” Game

COVID-19 is highlighted in a newly updated board game, “You Make Me Sick,” to teach students about the immune system, infectious diseases, and good health practices. Designed by Duquesne University’s Partnership in Education, the game is available as a free download and optimized to print from the organization’s website. The game is designed for two to four players and recommended for children age 11-15 years old. The game provides a learning opportunity for the whole family and can be used by parents who are home schooling their children during the coronavirus pandemic.

Covid 19 board Game by Veer

A 10-year-old in a Delhi school developed a board game around COVID-19 and it’s now available online. A Game that reflected the time of quarantine, hand sanitiser use, social distancing, maks wearing, and more. The board has 52 spaces and starts and ends with ‘Home’, the idea being that a person who leaves home, must follow all regulations, before coming back. On the way, if they sneeze, they must wash hands, literally, and miss a few turns. They may even land on a space that asks the player to perform a yoga pose, to boost immunity. “He had five or six rules, and we helped him develop them,” says the father. Besides the board, dice, and coins, the rule book also has a list of symptoms, precautions, and COVID-19 warriors like doctors, police, vegetable vendors and other essential supplies.

Money never sleeps but humans do!

India can grow two-fold by simply sleeping more!

Sacrificing Sleep is the crazy frenzy ‘Habit’ to end up making big bucks in this productivity-obsessed world. Inadequate sleep not only hinders individual health and well-being, but its effects ripple into the economy.

In pursuit of chasing money and fame, people are fast forgetting the power of sleep- a biological necessity and body’s own way of recovery. Vitamin M (money) has become the globally understood language.

Who saw a time where sleep had to be advertised? In lust for monetary increments, we, so called ‘rational consumers’ have lost sight of all rationale.

 In India, 93% of the population is sleep deprived which increases risk of mortality and causes Type II diabetes, hypertension, low mood, depression, cardiovascular diseases etc. Japan incurs losses of around $138 billion and Germany of $60 billion as a result of lack of sleep.

If the United States, starts sleeping for 7 hours on an average, the economy could grow by $226.4 billion. Think about India.

If sleep has such huge economic impacts, why then is a rational human sacrificing this luxury?

The mismatch in trade-off between sleep and productivity leads to poor sleep. So, if you engrossed to be productive, be ready to spend that hard earned bucks on repairing your health. The problem of poor sleep is not restricted only to the working class, children and teens are spending more time on their fancy gizmos This has detrimental effects on health in two alarming ways – one, the light impairs eyesight and two, it leads to ‘gadget-addiction’ for which there is no known cure.

Sleep is the only mechanism through which information gets stored from our short-term memory to long-term memory. The three stages of sleep – light, deep and REM (rapid-eye movement) or the dream stage. Deep sleep aids physical recovery and REM - memory and mental recovery. Thus, cutting down on sleep affects us mentally and physically, making the labour force more and more unproductive.

The cost of this sleep debt is then ill health and lower productivity that culminates into billions of dollars’ worth economic losses. Individuals need to proactively ensure clean sleeping habits with consistent wake up times and combined with awareness camps in educational and corporate institution.

While the recommended sleep hours are said to be anywhere between 7-9 hours, this is not an arbitrary number, everyone is known to have his/her unique ‘sleep signature’. Some can make do with 5 hours of efficient sleep, while others may need up to 11 hours. Outliers exist in all walks of life, but this doesn’t take away from the fact that globally we are tending towards a sleepier planet. Time is money, and sleep takes up a substantial amount of time. More sleep could thus mean less money earned. We sleep less in order to do more, but people need to soon realize that this madness is only backfiring.

Sleep deprivation is a vicious cycle, sleep gets cut short due to various work-related stresses, poor mental health, obesity, sleep disorders, etc. This then causes further mental distress that results to prolonged sleep deprivation. The cost of this sleep debt is then ill health and lower productivity that culminates into billions of dollars’ worth economic losses. Individuals need to proactively ensure clean sleeping habits with consistent wake up times and combined with awareness camps in educational and corporate institutions. Who saw a time where sleep had to be advertised? In lust for monetary increments, we, so called the ‘rational consumers’ have lost sight of all rationale.
 

“Empowerment is about spreading hope and happiness”

The battle of officially being recognised on paper although had a full stop but the access to physical and emotional security is still a struggle for the Transgender.

“More than one in four transgender people have lost a job due to bias, and more than three-fourths have experienced some form of workplace discrimination. Refusal to hire, privacy violations, harassment, and even physical and sexual violence on the job are common occurrences, and are experienced at even higher rates by transgender people of colour.”

Elevating transgender people out of crisis and into empowerment by building power in our communities to advocate for liberation and autonomy has always been a challenge.

Well, even a 0.001 % of ‘acceptance’ matters and so the declaration of renaming ‘the Sector 50 Metro Station of Aqua Line(Noida-Greater Noida Line) as “Rainbow Station” is remarkable as it marks the beginning of the “ End Game” of the prejudice in the job market. The rainbow colours, especially etched on flags, represent diversity and are also a prominent symbol of pride for the wider Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community, which has for long struggled for equal rights.

The NMRC reflected that the name of the metro station "shall signify the essence of the community".

In the populated world of words, ‘Empowering’ dominates over the adjectives used for marginalised communities by the populated world of humans. Empowerment broadens the diversity of opportunities and the dimensions of ‘Acceptance’. Empowerment in all colours of life is essence to keep one lively. “Economic Empowerment” of Transgender to liberate them from the ‘advocacy of unacceptance’ is must.

The NMRC declared employment opportunities for “Trans” to become self-reliant and to pave the way for their healthy inclusion and participation in society. Employment to members of the transgender community will help them to connect with the mainstream and to uplift the transgender community. Offer of Employment for some activities such as ticketing counter and housekeeping will help them to become ‘self-reliant’.

The overall goal of the initiative is to promote inclusivity and acceptance of trans-persons, particularly at ground level institutions such as companies which lead to the creation of an ecosystem where the transgender community can flourish in the way they choose, in order to take maximum advantage of the provisions of the NALSA Judgement.

Transgender empowerment continues to be unfinished business. Too many of us struggle in our lives every day. Too many of us are at risk. Too many of us are insulted, beaten and killed. As responsible beings, we must support and bolster the trans movement in India and across the world. We need to stand united and work collaboratively with each other and with all stakeholders to guarantee the security, rights and dignity of all transgenders. We need to ensure that the Government works with us to reach this objective. Only then can the promise of our democracy be achieved. Trans lives matter, and India must act with urgency!

WHO director general Tedros Adhanom has predicted that the number of CoronaVirus cases globally is set to reach 10 million this week. Global cases of the novel coronavirus surpassed 9 million and is currently at 9.3, as Brazil and India brought light on spike in infections, and the United States, China and other suffering countries reported new outbreaks. Since late last year, the virus has spread across the globe and declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, however, differences in testing mean that the number of cases may be understated for some countries. The number could in actual, have crossed the 10 M mark. The number of deaths is a more dependable indicator. The disease has hit certain countries, including Brazil, India and the US, as leaders are unable to effectively comprehend the situation. Meanwhile in Asia, where the disease began, the spread continues, although in China it seems for now to have passed its peak and the second wave of virus coming after them.

The world faces a shortage of oxygen concentrators as the number of worldwide cases of coronavirus infection nears the 10 million mark, the World Health Organization head said. The demand has crossed it's supply, which is why numerous nations are facing trouble dealing with the ongoing situation.

Yoga and aurvedic expert Ramdev , head of Patajnjili has claimed that the medicine called ‘Coronil’ will help in treating the respiratory impacts of COVID-19.“The whole country and the world was waiting for medicine or vaccine for corona. We are proud to announce that the first Ayurvedic, clinically controlled trial based evidence and research-based medicine has been prepared by the combined efforts of Patanjali Research Centre and NIMS,” he said at a press conference in Haridwar.

The medicine comes as part of a kit which consists of tablets named Coronil and Swasari Vati, and an oil called Anu Oil. Active compounds of Ahwagandha, Giloy and Tulsi are used in the new Covid-19 medicine by Patanjili.The entire kit will help in strengthening immunity with more than 100 compounds used.2 tablets with hot water half an hour after each meals is prescribed by Patanjili.This quantity is suitable for people between 15 to 80 years of age, the company says. Children between the age of 6-14 years can take this medicine, but the dosage should be half of what is prescribed for adults.

 The first trial was a clinically controlled study which took place in Delhi, Ahmedabad and many other cities. Under this, 280 patients were included and 100 per cent of those recovered, he said. After controlling the disese and its complications, the all-important clinical control trial was conducted, said Ramdev. It was a two stage trial according to Ramdev.Patanjali claims those administered the medicine were fully cured and none died. Ramdev alwo claimed that 69 per cent of them recovered within three days. He said that 100 per cent recovery was seen in seven days.The company said that data of the trial will be released as evidence in the next few days.he efficacy of Patanjali’s medicine on Covid-19 cure has not been corroborated by any independent medical body as of yet. The World Health Organization (WHO) had recently said that while several drug trials are ongoing, there is currently no proof that any drug can cure or prevent Covid-19.

On Tuesday the AYUSH ministry asked yoga guru Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved to provide as soon as possible the composition and other details of the medicine it claimed is for the treatment of COVID-19, and ordered the firm to stop advertising the product until the "issue" is examined.'Coronil and Swasari' medicine had been launched by Patanjali Ayurved with the claim that it has discovered a cure for COVID-19.

Uttarakhand Government has been asked by the Ayush ministry to provide copies of license and approval details granted for the manufacture of Coronil. Patanjali is headquartered in Haridwar in Uttarakhand.

“Ministry has also requested concerned State Licensing Authority of Uttarakhand Government to provide copies of license and product approval details of the Ayurvedic medicines being claimed for the treatment of COVID -19,” the statement added.

With not only the nation but the whole world hoping for a miracle come their way in the form of treatment for COVID-19, the hope Coronil as a potential treatment raised hopes of millions around the world.  

" Truth is Expensive ": Aspiring Journalists 

“Not all battles are fought for victory. Some battles are fought to tell the world that someone was there on the battlefield.”
                   - Ravish Kumar.

Freedom of the press is an integral part of freedom of speech. Space for dissent is what keeps the fire ignited in democracy & brings the unspoken in light.  However, how free are we today to speak the unspoken?  and by ' we', I mean all of us. Well, sacrifices! We have to pay for everything, for freedom of expression too.

I was 16 when investigative journalists exposed a well-known medical institution in Jharkhand that was practising female infanticide. Since then, the pursuit of truth, that truth is eternal, in journalism has always inspired me to join the culture of journalism. Journalism, where the voice has power & right words can shatter even the strongest lie.

Well, When I told my parents how passionate I was to become a journalist, the first feedback was," It's Risky Beta".
An aspiring journalist is always made aware that there is a price to pay when unwanted truths tumble out, you have to pay for the truth.

 There's always a line that would not be crossed but, as I inch closer to my dream of becoming a journalist, the line gets blurred. There's no idea for the price of truth. You might have to trade your life.

2017: I was 17 when Gauri Lankesh was assassinated. You have to fight against autocracy and fight against the exploitation of power. I'm a media student right now & our institution stopped us to talk & put the poster of ' Gauri Lankesh'.

 The last few months, in particular, have been a whirlwind for India – from the protests against the citizenship law to police brutality, the Kashmir lockdown and the coronavirus lockdown, a series of arrests of journalists and the deadly Delhi riots – the news industry has barely had a minute to breathe.

But with every reinforced silence, the fight of journalists is weakening. Where criticism of governments is a sign of good journalism, the arrest of such journalists who are trying to bring out the truth is the sign of a failing democracy & you are titled as ' Anti- Nationals'. The first rule of Journalism: BE NEUTRAL. That's the price journalists have to pay: Hide the truth &  so separate from work and fear of repercussions injected into them plays a dominating role.

So when Gauri Lankesh was assassinated or when Masrat Zahra was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, I’m sure many young people dreaming of joining the ranks of the fourth pillar of democracy vanished.

Well, some of my classmates who are pursuing journalism, accept that they experience withering of their spirit when it comes to continuing journalism as their career. No Security for Journalists. So, you have better options :  filmmaking or advertising – which they say are growing sectors.

What about the harsh reality, the dialect that is uttered in journalism? 

Well, stories about, Health journalist Vidya Krishnan being harassed, threatened and humiliated online for calling out the lapses in the way India has been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Oh ! that's the security provided to truth-seekers. 

 These cases have lit a fire in the belly may questioning the ethics of journalism.
 Why journalists, on the ground covering the pandemic were not given access to proper gear?  Recently, an on-ground journalist, Ronojoy Roy, died of what was suspected to be coronavirus and he is not the only one. Several more have tested positive.
In the World Press Freedom Index of 2020, India fell by two places and now stands at the 142nd position.

Independent media houses and fact-checking websites sell untruths and half-truths to their audiences: The flagbearers of journalism !! 
Many journalists don't sacrifice their belief system by joining a media house. 

Why many are disappointed about joining a profession where one is ambushed for speaking truth to power?
In a  democratic country, the unrestricted cycle of information is important. 

The battle in me has become dimensionless. But the revolutionary spirit needs to bike phoenix– can be reflamed.

The Australian cybersecurity attack spanned government, industry, political organizations, education, health, essential service providers, and operators of other critical infrastructure.

Australia refused to give any further details regarding the attacks. Previously, defense manufacturers, government contractors, and accounting firms have been among those to report data breaches.

According to Prime Minister Morrison, Australia's government and institutions are being targeted by ongoing sophisticated state-based cyber hacks, for a long time. But the Cyber intelligence experts have long linked various hacks in Australia to China.

Australia is reluctant to name the culprit or suspect because relations between the countries have grown tense in recent years.

Investigations are going on, but what we know is that Australia's leadership has chosen a moment when its relationship with its powerful trading partner is at an all-time low to announce publicly that it is under cyber-attack from a powerful state.

Writing about the members of a community which has been facing prejudices from time immemorial is not easy. The apartheid faced are intense which can easily destruct the very person’s mental stability, driving them to take a step as of taking their own lives. Even whilst the death of an actor has enraged millions which drove everyone to post the trending hashtag #mentalhealthmatters  makes them believe it will help those suffering. At some point of time we all have conjectured people, especially the hijras, from whom we’ve been taught maintain as much distance as we can. But why so? Are they genuinely forgetting about shiv and shakti or trying to ignore it?

Everything happens for a reason; our very existence, actions, everything.  Symbolism exists everywhere around as well in us. The union of Shiv and Shakti is one of the most thunderous and beautiful unification which represents numerous ideologies, one of them symbolising the third gender; transgender, similarly symbolising the importance of gender and harmony amongst them.

Recently, a boy from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh committed suicide, why? Because apparently, he had feminine features and continued to live in a toxic environment in which his relatives and batchmates continued to bully him. According to his father, he sometimes used to apply make up and dance which he claimed to be a normal behaviour for a person of his age. His classmates drove him to believe he was a transgender. His note read as,

 “I’m sorry papa as I could not be a good son. I have girl-like features and even my face is like them. People laugh at me. Even I have started feeling that I am kinnar (transgender). My life will darken your life and that is the reason why my death is necessary. Please bless me that I take birth as a girl. If a girl is born in our family, then you must believe that I have returned.”

This not only highlights the dark side of the society but also how a school fails to broaden a child’s perspective. During the initial stages it is the parents from whom the child is most influenced by, and eventually, the school is the place where they broaden the perspective. How can idiosyncrasies be changed when the root problem hasn’t been addressed.

Even though India claims to be republic, it still consists of the certain marginalized communities which have been disfranchised and are made even more vulnerable, rendering them helpless. There are numerous other cases which imply the toxicity against the LGBT community.

Whilst travelling in a metro, I overheard a woman, in her late 40s, saying how thankful she was that her kids were “normal” and that her daughter and son were heterosexual. The very aspect of normalcy is befouling. People are not judged for the very nature they possess but on the preference of their sexuality. The war of their rights will unfortunately continue. Even after the abolishment of article 377, they do not have the freedom to celebrate their love by marrying the person they love, even after independence, it was a long journey for them to finally free themselves from the “indictment” and openly express their love, and still have a long journey ahead of them.

CSIR constituent lab CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) Lucknow has received permission for carrying out Phase III trial of antiviral drug Umifenovir, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said on Friday. Umifenovir is mainly used for the treatment of influenza and is available in China and Russia, and has recently come into prominence due to its potential use for COVID-19 patients.

Why Umifenovir ??

•The drug has a good safety profile and acts by preventing entry of viruses into human cells and also by priming the immune system.

•All the raw materials for the drug are indigenously available and if the clinical trial is successful, Umifenovir can be a safe, efficacious, affordable drug against COVID-19. The drug has the potential for prophylactic use.

•If the clinical trial is successful, Umifenovir can be a safe, efficacious, affordable drug against COVID-19.

CSIR labs have been trying to repurpose different drugs for treating coronavirus patients. For the last three months, the Drug Controller General of India has allowed the use of Favipiravir drug, developed within the country by a CSIR laboratory, for clinical trials to treat coronavirus patients.

“The Chief Justice said that Lord Jagannath won’t forgive us if we allow this year’s Rath Yatra to go on.” I agree to this. Ratha Yatra, every year around 10 to 12 Lakhs of devotees thronged the coastal town of Puri to catch the glimpse of deities re-embodied after 19 years on chariots on the occasion of Rath Yatra, marking largest-ever religious congregation in Odisha.

Yes, lakhs of devotees. And it’s impossible to maintain social distancing when there are lakhs of people. In the court order, the “CJI observed that the rath yatra normally draws a crowd of 10-13 lakh and continues for a period of 10-15 days.” The court said such a large gathering raises public health and safety concerns during a pandemic. And it’s right for them to be concerned, it will drastically increase the number of cases of positive patients. Even the Olympics has been postponed this year, Few Pandits should be allowed to do the rituals. I think that would be the best decision. The Rath Yatra would be broadcasted, the devotees should understand the situation and watch it live. Even Lord Jagannath won’t be happy to see this devotees risking their life. Lord Jagannath would actually want few pandits and Pujaris to complete the ritual beautifully. Lord Jagannath would love to see few devotees working and making the Rath for him and maintaining social distancing. Lord Jagannath would want everyone to stay at home and be safe. 

In light of the COVID 19 ongoing pandemic, the Apex Court of India has directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to reconsider its decision of taking the leftover AISSCE exams for class XIIth and scrapping it off instead. 

On a petition filed by lawyer Rishi Malhotra, The Supreme Court’s bench consisting of Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Sanjeev Khanna on Wednesday advised the CBSE board to mark the students on the basis of their internal evaluation, for the remaining papers. 

It is to be noted that while the board has scrapped off the remaining exams for class Xth students, it has rescheduled the remaining papers for AISSCE or class XIIth exams in July. 

The court saw many points in favor of cancelling the remaining exams such as the cancellation of the intermediate exams in other 25 countries affected by the pandemic. The lawyers also appealed to the court that premier institution’s like Delhi University and many IIT’s have also canceled their exams. They also kept before the court petitions signed by stakeholders across the country and cited their problems which included points such as restrictions and problems in hotspot and containment zones. 

The next hearing date has been given on 23rd June. The CBSE Board has been given almost a week’s time to come to a final binding decision regarding the remaining exams. It is expected that the board will either cancel the exams or come up with a better idea because the health and well-being of students is above all and in the present scenario, it seems impossible to conduct the exams. 

Featured Image Credits : istockphoto.com

The shocker waved across the country, when one the most adroit and determined actors of Bollywood at age 34 is lost. Reminiscing the actors’ time, the directors as well as his colleagues are rendered speechless by the very step taken by the actor. No one has the answer as to why such a prospering actor would decide to take his own life whist at the apex of his life, with so much ahead for him to see.  What seemed unusual is that the movies for which the actor worked for were quite inspirational and has an impact on one’s life. The question which needs to be answered is one word; why?

One sentence which is often quite iterated as to why such a talented actor, who was “at the peak of his career” or who had a wonderful career” would be forced to take such a step? This not implies the façade one is forced to put on but also the mentality of the customary society that only an aspiring career can lead to one’s happiness.

A career prospect is only a part of life not the life itself. A successful alumnus of DTU with an aspiring career in acting. When will the society understand the difference between life and career and not amalgamate the two? Mental issues are not an excuse, a smile on the face is not always true.

With the progression of importance of mental health, India has yet a long run to count. Amidst the devastating situation of the pandemic, people were either left absolutely alone with an environment entailing their loneliness or with were stuck in a toxic environment surrounding the person while the others remained unaware of the situation. It’s okay not to be okay, speaking up before giving up is something we mall must request. Everyone has they’re on backstory, carrying an invisible load of problems we all might be unaware of. This is also emphasizes on the importance of companionship, something quite popularly known as "work family."

According to reports, prescriptions for depression pills were found at the Sushant Singh’s home.  It has to be understood the pills are only a temporary solution to a broader problem. While it is emphasized that yoga is a solution to almost every problem a homo sapiens may experience, the youth simply thinks it of hocus pocus or that it’s something which their generation wouldn’t indulge in. Rest assured, a simple meditative exercise and a person of trust to talk to can work wonders. Just Speak up before you Give up.

"Depression is so insidious, and it compounds daily, we don't know the end. The fog of Depression is like a cage without a key. But we can look for another door to enter the world of sunflowers. So, Talk about it."

That's what we say. 

We speak &  write about empathy & kindness but we never talk about the process after that?

Have you ever thought about the cost of a  'single good therapy session'?

Approx. Rs. 5000/session.(minimum)

Do we have the courage to acknowledge how inaccessible and unaffordable therapy is for most of us?

What after one decides to get help, after going through the painful process of articulating the problem to their close ones?

  So, the next step is shelling out an obscene amount of money for just one session.

 For those of us who are not financially independent yet, it is legitimately impossible to afford mental healthcare without the support of the family.

I remember one of my college mate asking for financial help for treating her Bipolar Disorder as her parents didn't support her? So, support is rare & even though there is support, the amount of burden to make the most out of the first session itself overthrows the very objective of therapy. 

If there is a disconnect with the first therapist one visits, the disappointment and guilt is an immense setback, and a large part of it is because of the associated financial limitation. The onus of 'success' is on the person who needs help when it should be the other way round. 

Mental health problems compound daily. It takes months and years of nurtured therapy to handle them, and unfortunately, that is out of reach for most of us today. It is our responsibility to be kind and empathetic, to check in on friends – but it's also important to understand their financial limitations.

They cannot be a substitute for therapy.  Even when they want to help, they don't have the resources or the expertise to go all the way. 

If we don't work towards making quality mental healthcare accessible and affordable for everyone, these well-meaning passages amount to nothing. 

We lost one of the creative souls & the need of the hour is to address the structural scars that push people to a juncture of no return. Rest in Peace, Sushant Singh Rajput. 

 HAPPY OR SAD: THE CHEMISTRY BEHIND DEPRESSION

“The human life is made up of choices. Yes or No. In or Out. Up or Down. Live or Die. Hero or Coward. I’ll say it again to make sure you hear me. The human life is made up of choices. Live or die. That’s an important choice. And it’s not always in our hands.”

-Derek Shepherd, Season 6, Episode 24.

Genetic makeup influences how sensitive you are to stressful life events. When genetics, biology, and stressful life situations come together, depression can result.

Stress has its own physiological story with a chain of chemical reactions and responses in the body. 

People with suicidal thoughts exhibit higher levels of Translocator Protein, associated with microglial activation and indicating inflammation of the brain in a region of the cortex which is involved in emotional processes.

The long story of stress causes the low secretion of Serotonin ‘the happy neurotransmitter’, which increases the higher risk of suicide

Dopamine, ‘the motivational chemical’ and Noradrenaline, ‘fight-to-fight chemical’ acts as ‘magical wand’ to reinforce pleasure.

Our thoughts regulate chemical processes. We can’t let negativity dominate us. 

The loss of creative soul, Sushi Bhai who won hearts through ‘ Chichore’ actually sparked mainstream media to talk about ‘ Mental Illness’. We need to make ‘therapy’ the ‘New Norm’. It’s okay not to be okay!

Covid or not, the life should go on. Two months of solid lock downs and repeated precautions taken to avoid spread of Carona Virus has taught us some mass measures like social distancing and individual measures like wearing mask and keeping hands sanitized ect.

Now, we have to follow the same precautions strictly and go on with the activities of life.

While the Government has responsibility to ensure healthy living and to protect the lives of people, there is equal responibility to ensure the economic well being of the society. Both objectives could only be achieved by implementing Covid 19 protocol strictly and opening up of economic activity.

As a part of such effort, the Government has decided to open business places like Malls and Restaurants which are the hubs of civilized life. However, precautions like social distancing, admission of only people free from symptoms Carona virus, waring masks ect., are to be taken as directed by the Government.Such decision of the present Government was more of a necessity to help society to move on to normalcy. Any wrong step at this juncture can be fatal and undone efforts made so far to contain and the deadly virus. However, the issue of financial losses to these commercial entities can be addressed later by granting them appropriate economic relief.

The virus is out there, we have to learn to live our live with Covid. Opening of malls and restaurants is just a part of it. This virus can’t stop our live, for how long will we wait for a vaccine, we have to move on and live like this.

With the cases rising every day, its mark tends to reach a new height of 2,76,583 confirmed cases in India, surpassing Italy and Spain, reaching to the new limits of 5th most affected country by the virus worldwide. Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister has alarmed Indians regarding the rise of covid cases which is likely to reach the 5.5 lakhs limit by the end of July. Now that’s not what Indians were expected to excel at.

According to the experiences of a few people, the hospitals are left with hardly any beds to treat new patients affected by the virus and simply not allowed to get admitted. Rumours has it that it is being done to alter the number of registered cases. Following this very fact, there’s a possibility that India is very close to surpass the United Kingdom.

A meeting was called by the Lt. Governor Anil Baijal with all the political parties. The aim of this meeting was to discuss the prevailing situation amidst Covid-19 and come up with an explication to combat the current scenario at 3pm on Tuesday. The all-party meet was called after reversing the order of the Government of Delhi by the Lt. Governor. It reversed the restrictions on testing for covid-19, and now the testing will take place within the parameters set by the apex of the health research body, i.e. ICMR. As per the Government’s order, asymptomatic patients will be excluded of who weren’t aged and have no co-morbid conditions. The decision has my full support as “it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

According to the claims made by Anil Baijal, he emphasized on the importance on the need to expand Delhi’s infrastructure as to meet with the rapid rise in the cases of the pandemic. One of the solutions which had arisen was to temporarily convert the stadiums like Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Tyagraj Stadium, JLN Stadium, Pragati Maidan, a centre of medical facilities. Following this notion banquet halls, marriage places, were also being discussed into being utilized.

With people ratcheting in their respective towns, finally embracing the environment outside their homes, the relaxations have made people forget about the grave dangers the virus possess and how easily can it affect someone. With citizens belayed into the thinking everything will gradually enter the stage of quo ante, one shouldn’t forget that the biological war isn’t over and with every ignorance, it will claim lives of thousands of people.

India is a home to millions of people; one should remember it is not easy to contain the rapid spread of the virus in an overpopulated country. It is a tacit of playing your part to help control the spread. Yes, it is tough to stay at homes, longing for the long walks we took for granted, but it ought to be understood the willingness to step outside other than a necessity is a decoy one should learn to avoid.

Josh Frydenberg, the first treasurer in around three decade to preside over a recession remarked that a recession was an inevitable reality after national accounts show the gross domestic product falling by 0.3% in the March quarter. A report was released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The nation had a successful growth which was hampered by the recent coronavirus crisis and the impact of wildfires that Australia has been facing. Over the past twelve months the growth rate was only 1.4% , the weakest performance since the global financial crisis.

While Frydenberg said the contraction in Australia was less severe than many other countries battling the economic shock associated with the coronavirus pandemic, he warned people to brace for “difficult days ahead” because the June quarter results would be worse than the impact felt in March. According to Frydenberg “an economist’s version of Armageddon” was avoided during the pandemic in Australia.This was a result of the public health restrictions accompanied by significant income support which led to the  successfully flattened the curve of Covid-19 infections.The impact of the bushfires and the pandemic indicates a household consumption fall by 1.1%, a first since December 2008 according to the national accounts. The government is set to provide an extensive update on the matter by July end.

Frydenberg said the government would provide its own comprehensive economic update in late July after the review of the wage subsidy job-keeper. The wage subsidy is first of tis kind Australian policy to support businesses and workers through the coronavirus crisis. The rolling out of assistance also led to the rise of disposable incomes during the quarter, by a 6.2% .The government is looking at possible modifications in the wage subsidy policy, hinted Frydenberg. There are prospective wage reductions ahead from a flat payment of $1,500, or  provisions of differential rates depending on a worker’s income.

The social distancing restrictions and travel bans introduced February and March paved way for a spending pattern change. With hoarding and increased consumers spending on goods anticipation of a lockdown of all non-essential services spending on services fell 2.4% ,while the hospitality industry saw a major loss during the March quarter .This prompted the household saving-to-income ratio to rise two points from the December quarter to 5.5%.

A 3.9% fall in imports of consumables, with services imports crashing by 13.6% the pandemic has created tremors in the Australian economy.Goods exports were down 0.7% and services exports plunged by 12.8%, impacted by the the travel ban on education-related travel and tourism.Elective surgeries are rendered postponed by most and consumers fear of healthcare facilities proving fatal have also triggered a 0.1% fall in spending on healthcare and social assistance.

Government expenditure was up 1.8% in the quarter and 6.2% in the year, stimulated by the bushfire relief packages measures for COVID-19 making the government spending profitable for the economy.While Frydenberg feels the situation could be worse , Labor claimed the need for government responsibility .The shadow treasurer, Jim Chalmers, was quotes saying “the economy was weak before the virus hit, with below-trend growth, stagnant wages and paltry business investment.”

Menstruation in Space: still a mind-breaking task for scientists.

Is Periods 250 miles above the Earth and in Space same?

Red, the color that symbolizes energy, strength, power, rage, passion and desire and also love is color of life that is emotionally intrinsic to us.  

Sally Kristen Ride became the first US woman to exit Earth’s atmosphere and when she was preparing to enter into the space, the great debate came down to her menstrual cycle. While she was preparing for her history-making mission in 1983, NASA engineers were trying to gather the essentials she needed to take with her. They thought to include tampoons, but they had no idea how many women actually use.

What is it like changing sanitary products while being weightless in space? And why doesn’t menstrual flow just float up into the body when gravity isn’t around? These were some of the questions that flooded my mind when I thought to write something about astronauts and Menstruation Hygiene Week.

Blood in Space

Women having their periods in zero gravity broke the minds of the most accomplished male scientist at NASA. Would the blood flow upwards into the fallopian tubes and their uteruses break?!

Sexist debates on their emotional and mental capabilities of astronauts were on the plate which was further added by hypothetical health risks. Personal hygiene is less than ideal in space due to limited  shower facilities and water supplies, so menstruating during spaceflight is not as practical as it is on Earth.

The flow of menstrual blood is not directed by the way circulating blood is. While engineers were tensed about retrograde bleeding, the female astronauts weren’t worried at all, they expected a period in space 250 miles above Earth to be the same as a period on Earth and wanted to treat it like not an issue until it became an issue. The challenge was, there was no way to prove the women right. Someone would have to menstruate in space to close the issue.

To bleed or not to bleed

The challenge then became for NASA to solve menstruating issue. No two women menstruate similar or have the same cyclic nature, so the agency had to make arrangements for women to carry the right number of their essentials on board, be they pads or tampons.

The challenge continued because the disposal of tampons and pads was again an issue. “Menstruation suppression” tablets were invented.  Another option for female astronauts and that’s “No Periods” at all. Called as medically induced amenorrhea, menstruation could be suppressed by messing with the body’s natural hormones.

Female astronauts take daily contraceptive pills before and after space flight and don’t take the placebo pills for menstrual suppression. During regular cycles, actively 212 COC pills are taken followed by 7 placebo pills during time a withdrawal bleed occurs.

There’s a lot to know about female astronaut health. The impact on fertility as a result of spaceflight. Spaceflight did not have a significant impact on female fertility. A woman’s fertility decreases with age. If female astronauts are trying to have their first baby after the age of 41 years – and struggling: it is difficult to tease out whether spaceflight has had an impact, or just age. Choice of a contraceptive requires careful consideration of benefits and risks with respect to her lifestyle and needs. The spaceflight environment adds some extra complexity to the overall equation as the loss of bone mineral density is known to occur on spaceflight missions.

There is need of more data regarding health effects, including bone health, with long-term use of hormone treatments not just for contraception (as most women use them), but also for the less-common use to suppress menses. Thus, Menstruating in space is not dangerous. But it can be inconvenient, and some women astronauts prefer just not to bother with it.

The laboratory of mind has introduced us to future long missions. Taking “thousands” pills on Mars mission is a herculean task. A lot more research is needed with regards to women’s health in spaceflight.  But for now the female astronauts need to know what options they have available for them based on the environment in which they're working. Let us wait for innovations and scientific works to win the challenge of menstruation in SPACE.

“Sexuality leads to Self-Knowledge” 

I broke my silence today and whined as loud as I could, “Yes! I’m a Gay. I cherish flaunting with my worn long hair and I fancy dating a lovely man because I’m proud of my individuality.”

I started discovering my intense temptation towards same-sex when I was 14 but I was scared to endorse myself. The impressions of abnormality and medication used to vex me and I was eaten like a horse with, “Self-hatred.”

“Hey Mr. Long Hair, the thresholds of your happiness must be traversing all horizons. Section 377 has been decriminalized. So, confess your love.”, said the teacher, embarrassing me in front of my classmates. So, I broke my silence as my sexuality is my identity. It is part of my behaviour with biological and genetic factors and not an oddity that needs to be medicated. I own my sexual craving which is the most empowering thing to do as it’s the art of living your individuality.

The stigma against LGBTQ students like me ranges from the boy/girl dichotomy while dividing students into groups to usage of anti-LGBT language. Any individual who is homosexual faces discrimination, homophobic and transphobic bullying, social exclusion which leads to emotional health struggles like depression, and even suicide.

Isn’t it hypocritical that a gay/ lesbian has to undergo the journey of Self-hatred in order to step forward to the journey of Self-Love and Acceptance? The ‘Truth’ of being a 'Gay' was a criminal offence to me. What I wish is a safe and comfortable environment to accept and love myself, where my parents, teachers, friends would see me through the lens of equality and respect and support me, the school and home environment would be crafted to empower LGBTQ people and no one has to go through the journey of Self-Hatred to be “Real”. The schools should include a special curriculum on sex culture and sexual orientation so that students like me can learn to understand their identity.

I trusted my intuition as it never lies. Respect your individuality because ‘You Matter.’ So, use this ' Social- Distancing' to express your love as "Love has no boundaries, no gender, no colour. It's eternal."

( A piece of narration by my homosexual friend in my words)
 

“AMPHAN”, EVACUATION AMID CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC

Know about How India braced to fight the “Virus from Air”

AMPHAN pronounced as “UM-PUN” is the super-tropical cyclonic storm with a speed of 240 km/h, a minimum pressure of 925 hPa. A tropical cyclone is a weather phenomenon that is essentially a rapidly rotating storm system with characteristics such as a low-pressure centre, strong winds and thunderstorms that produce heavy rain, among others.

“AMPHAN” like giant engines uses warm, moist air as fuel from the area of low pressure over the southern Bay of Bengal.

 Aman initially grew powerful because the waters it passed over were exceedingly warm, as high as 88 degrees in parts of the Indian Ocean. Warmer water provides more of the energy that fuels such rotating storms. Cyclones have become stronger worldwide during the past four decades supporting what theory and computer models have long suggested: climate change is making these storms more intense and destructive. The authorities acted quickly to move people from the cyclone’s path, but worried they might be putting them into the path of the coronavirus. The Assam government on Tuesday issued a "high alert" over cyclone 'Amphan' and directed the state disaster management authority to set up a control room to deal with the situation. Quoting the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna said there is a strong likelihood of widespread effect of the cyclone in Assam, especially in west Assam districts.

Protecting people from becoming infected by the coronavirus while they are packed inside emergency shelters. Around three million people in India and Bangladesh have been evacuated to cyclone shelters. Some of these structures are huge, holding up to 5,000 people. In Nedhuali, a village on India’s coast, police officers moved from mud house to mud house with folded hands, urging residents to get to the emergency shelters. But many villagers refused, saying they were afraid of becoming ill.

Kolkata sat directly in cyclone Amphan’s path. The precautions taken to reduce the spread of the coronavirus may have helped the city ready itself for the storm. Many of the 15 million or so people who live in the Kolkata metropolitan area had already been staying at home, obeying India’s lockdown rules.

The Odisha government officials estimated that the cyclone has affected around 44.8 lakh people in the state. Farmers in Odisha found their fields unfit for the coming Kharif crop as about two feet of saline water was standing on the land. Odisha, which has been ravaged by a string of cyclones over the last few years, including the cyclone Fani last year, has made arrangements to shift 11 lakh, people, from vulnerable areas, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P.K. Jena said. Twelve coastal districts—Ganjam, Gajapti, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda and Nayagarh—are on high alert. He said of the 809 cyclone shelters in the 12 coastal districts, 242 are currently being used as temporary medical camps for the returnees from different states amid the COVID- 19 lockdown.

"We have 567 cyclone and flood shelters available to house the people in case evacuation is required. In addition, we have arranged 7,092 buildings to keep people if required," Jena said. "Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), NDRF, and fire service personnel have already been sent to the districts. We are also in constant touch with the Indian Coast Guard, IMD, and NDRF for any requirement," he said, adding "saving lives is our priority".
Officials were not taking any chances. They cleared out storm drains, shored up slum shanties with bamboo poles, and removed objects like potted plants from roofs and balconies so they wouldn’t turn into missiles.

More than 73 people were killed by the powerful cyclone that slammed into India. Thousands of homes were wiped out. Many of the dead were crushed by falling trees, electrocuted by downed wires or buried inside collapsing buildings as Cyclone Amphan pummelled the region, leaving a wide swath of devastation and grief. Heavy rains and flooding could have deadly consequences for rare animals there, pushing them out of their habitats and into areas populated by humans.

MANGROVE FOREST: Buffer against the Cyclone
Sundarbans acted as a buffer against the cyclone by slowing wind speed & protecting the villagers. Heavy rains and flooding could have deadly consequences for rare animals there, pushing them out of their habitats and into areas populated by humans.

“The Sundarbans will bear the brunt and soften the blow,” said Prerna Singh Bindra, a conservationist and the author of “The Vanishing: India’s Wildlife Crisis.”
Anand Sharma, the director of the India Meteorological Department, told NDTV that the bulk of the typhoon had moved a little further away from Kolkata, but that winds would batter the city until it reached Bangladesh on Thursday morning.

Well, we still don’t know the extent of the damage caused by Mr Amphan. India has always been appreciated by the world for its evacuation and saving humanity. The present situation of the two viruses attaching from all the ends challenged the potential of India’s warriors. According to me, We have fought a long 6 hours of war on Wednesday by following instructions, rescuing people along with “ social- distancing” but what we lacked is health equipment ranging from masks and sanitizers and enough emergency rooms for the evacuated people. We have always set an example to the world and will keep on inspiring the world. For now let us just pray for the humanity and especially for the all warriors fighting out there, our doctors, nurses, migrants, patients, reporters, officers, police and the administration, the cyclone survivors, social workers and cheers to all the liberators of the unending list of “fighters”.

The Shramik trains are an initiated by the Government of India for the migrant labourers who’ve migrated from rural areas in search of jobs in urban cities. With the poverty conditions touching the roof, the labourers in hope of providing a better future for their family move to the cities. The corona virus attack was so sudden and its impact was extremely high that it left no options to the workers to travel back to their homes. 

The number of migrant laborers crosses a mark of 40 million. As soon as the government announced the commencement of the lockdown whilst the outbreak of a deadly virus, the first gripping thought amongst them was finding a way to their sweet home. The rules of lockdown 1.0 strictly claimed for the citizens of India to remain in the comfort of their homes, but they refused to accept the shelter homes provided by the government and the fear of being quarantined a made them decide to go back to their homes and a mass exodus of set out through whatever means possible, so much so to travel by foot refusing the government’s attempt to stop the migrant flow, determined to reach their destination. 

With job opportunities diminishing due to the shutdown across the country, the labourers had only 2 choices left, either to stay put in the urban cities or to find a way back to their respective hometowns. In the turn of recent events, they gave the government no choice but to behest an order in their appeal, as a result of which the registrations for the Shramik trains kicked off. 

The incident which took place in Gurgaon was a classic example of how poorly the situation was handled. While the people climbed over one another just to get their registerations done, it could’ve been handled in a civilized manner, afterall the determinant workers of the government; the police has been working effortlessly and putting their lives on line just to maintain an order and discipline. The situation could’ve been handled by allowing a certain number of workers to stand in a queue, following the notion of social distancing and providing sanitizers in order to maintain hygiene and a good number of counters would’ve resulted in a much better posse for the government than they are in now.

According to reports, around 55000 workers have been sent back to Bihar, and till May 15, 2020, the helpline number provided by the government of Uttar Pradesh (1076), the administration had received around 50,000 applications with more calls pouring in. In totality, till date, 9 lakh migrant workers have been back to UP. In a broader perspective, around 15 lakh labourers have been sent back while India contains a whopping number of 6 crore migrant labourers, that’s simply 2.5% of the workers successfully sent back. 

According to recent announcements, Ministry of Railways in consultation with Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have agreed upon the decision to operate 200 Shramik trains successfully from June 1, 2020, to fulfill the wishes of the stranded workers, hoping to be in the comfort of their homes and family, however the current politics being played by the congress and other political parties, giving false hopes to the migrant workers is higly despicable and is playing with the lives of the helpless.

In my opinion, the workers could’ve bid their time as the once the lockdown ends, various factories, companies, construction sites would post the vacancy of a job opportunity which the workers could’ve availed. Keeping in mind various houses require domestic help, their jobs would’ve resumed in no time, and the ruckus could’ve been avoided.

 “The world could learn from Taiwan’s success in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, yet it doesn’t have a seat at the World Health Organization.”

On Monday, May 18, representatives of 194 countries gathered virtually for one of the most important public health meetings in recent memory. A country thought to have had one of the best public health responses to the coronavirus pandemic—Taiwan was not invited. 
Taiwan attended the assembly as an observer from 2009 to 2016 but China blocked further participation after the election of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, whom China views as a separatist, an accusation she rejects. 
Taiwan is not a member of the WHO as China has opposed its entry into international bodies. Taiwan was the first to begin screening passengers from Wuhan, starting December 31. 
Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations (UN) or its sub-organizations, but it aspires to participate. China also claims Taiwan as part of its territory and denies that Taiwan is a sovereign state. China is adamant about preventing recognition of Taiwan as a sovereign state and its membership in the UN system. Like other U.N. organizations, the WHO considers Taiwan a part of the People’s Republic of China and excludes its government from membership. This, critics say, is detrimental to global cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which Taiwan has emerged as one of the most effective countries in combating the disease. Taiwan and its defenders have strongly criticized the WHO and its director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, for being overly deferential to Beijing.
 China, officially called the People’s Republic of China (PRC), refuses to allow that to happen. The PRC claims that Taiwan is a province of China, not an independent state. It says that only the PRC has the right to represent all of China in the United Nations and other international organizations, including the WHO, that limit membership to states. Taiwan’s government, generally called the Republic of China on Taiwan, has all the elements of statehood required by international law and maintains diplomatic relations with fifteen countries. Yet due to the PRC’s great-power status, including its seat as a permanent UN Security Council member, Beijing has been able to impose its “One China” policy upon the world.
 
In the early days of the outbreak, health officials in Taipei say the WHO ignored their warnings—based on communication with mainland colleagues—that the disease could be transmitted between humans, slowing the global response to the growing threat. Instead, in mid-January, the organization issued a now-infamous endorsement of China’s finding that there was no human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan. The WHO continued to praise China’s handling of the virus throughout January, despite abundant evidence that authorities were covering up the severity of the situation in Wuhan. This praise was especially stark in contrast to the organization’s criticism of China during SARS. Taiwan has had remarkable success in combating the virus. More than two months after COVID-19 arrived on the island, it has seen only 380 cases and five deaths. Yet its health officials remain frozen out of emergency meetings and briefings at the main organization coordinating the global response to the pandemic. (In a painfully awkward interview with a Hong Kong journalist, one senior WHO official seemed to pretend not to hear the question and then insisted on moving on when asked about Taiwan.)

Why is Taiwan’s exclusion a problem, especially during the coronavirus pandemic?

Taiwan is an important stakeholder and a valuable partner in fighting this unprecedented crisis. Taiwan’s government is donating masks to countries in need and sharing its experience using technology to investigate outbreaks. It is also working with U.S. experts to develop more rapid diagnostic test kits and vaccines.
Despite Taiwan’s valuable input, the WHO continues to shun it. For example, when asked by a journalist about Taiwan’s exclusion and experience dealing with the pandemic during a recent interview, WHO senior advisor Bruce Aylward hung up the call after trying to avoid the questions. After this public relations disaster, the WHO claimed it was closely working with Taiwan experts, which Taiwan’s government refuted. Taiwan has continually shared coronavirus data with the WHO, but the WHO has never released this information to its members. Additionally, in a February coronavirus status report, the WHO misreported the number of cases in Taiwan based on information provided by China. It also continues to deceptively list Taiwan’s case numbers under China’s. Taiwan was snubbed by the WHO yet again when it was not invited to the organization’s emergency meetings in January. After repeated requests, in February, the WHO finally allowed two Taiwanese experts to attend an online forum. Such ludicrous limitations have rightly been scoffed at by many governments and critics.
The WHO’s exclusion of Taiwan from the global fight against the pandemic is a reckless dereliction of duty. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, whose election was due in large part to China’s support, has been widely criticized for actions that appeared to help China downplay the outbreak, delaying the international response as a result. Taiwan’s exclusion is an example of how the world’s health body puts politics before public health. Governments and concerned citizens must demand that the WHO fulfill its obligation—to represent the world’s health interests, not China’s—and hold the WHO accountable when it fails.
Wu said that Taiwan had agreed the issue of its participation would be put off until later in the year so the shorted assembly can focus on the coronavirus.
"Understandably, countries want to use the limited time available to concentrate on ways of containing the pandemic," he said.
"For this reason, like-minded nations and diplomatic allies have suggested that the proposal be taken up later this year when meetings will be conducted normally, to make sure there will be a full and open discussion," Wu added.

U.S AND TAIWAN

The United States has attempted to maximize Taiwan’s involvement in international relations and has, without success, supported Taiwan’s “meaningful participation” in various institutions, including the World Health Assembly (WHA), the WHO’s highest decision-making body. In March 2020, the Donald J. Trump administration enacted the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative Act, aimed at supporting Taiwan’s international presence. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the State Department would “do [its] best to assist” Taiwan’s “appropriate role” in the WHO.
 Nearly 15 countries, including Belize, Guatemala, the Marshall Islands,, and Honduras, had written to the director-general of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, asking that the question of Taiwan's participation be added to the agenda.
But on Monday Taiwan's foreign minister Joseph Wu said "countries want to use the limited time available to concentrate on ways of containing the pandemic".

"We have accepted the suggestion from our allies and like-minded nations to wait until the resumed session before further promoting our bid," Wu said. He added that allies had suggested instead the proposal be taken up later in the year when the WHO is expected to hold in-person meetings. The calls for Taiwan to join the meetings had angered Beijing.

Covid crisis has revived the health sector of India both in quality and credibility basis.

India can get advantage of situation of economic depression  prevailing in China .

India is not going to be effected much by global economy crisis as Indian economy relies mostly on it's own people.

Indian administration has got a golden chance to divert people towards ambitious schemes as Make in India.