Unpaid internships are intended to provide valuable experience and contacts to young workers, while lowering costs and risks to organizations. If a job-like experience is a boon for a trainee, then knowing the monetary value of their labour is also necessity.
But are they fair?
What are your opinions on the same?
#unpaidinternship #internship #classism #socialscience #indiancompanies #jobs #education #professional
"College life was a lot of fun, though problems come as fast as the cheetah runs, but its what motivates me to do the best I can"
One of the most interesting stages in life that gives you an opportunity to explore is the ‘college phase.’ Life at college is the time when the teenage years end and we all dive deep into the ocean of new beginnings and possibilities. This golden period better equips you for all the challenges you’ll face in life and creates a strong foundation of knowledge.
My experience as a first year student of LSR and the experience of bring bubbled at home due to COVID-19 taught me one thing ,“Life is unpredictable.”
You can be sunflowers as college might be good, it might be bad, it might be weird, and it might not interest you, but expect anything to happen.
For example, you might have a wonderful internship this moment, and be fired the very next moment. College life prepares you for all of this. It is a Melting pot, with perfect blend of joy and hardships. A melting pot where all cultures melt to give you “Exposure”. You meet different people, you interact with them, you learn about their cultures and grow as a person. You will understand how to talk to different people, how to judge their behaviour, thus helping you with important life skills.
You learn to sit through a boring lecture; you try to cope up with the surprisingly strenuous syllabus, and you have the opportunity to learn from some great research minds. Academia, as they say, never lets you go free. People might try to motivate you by telling that you need to study only through your school years and chill during the college life, but that isn’t true.
Another life lesson you will remember – the learning never ends. You find campus groups or student groups where you can explore your co-curricular skills along with many other students like you. You share common interests, and thus you share common ideas. There might have been a time where you would have had to give up drawing for your Board Examination Preparation.
Trust me, once you get into a good college, you will get an opportunity to be the artist you always wanted to be through probably a fine arts campus group. You could be that director, you could be that vocalist, you could be the dancer of your dreams – college is the Santa Claus that keeps on giving all these wonderful opportunities while you’re in it. There are also campus festivals, which draw a lot of fun crowd from other colleges and let you show off your skills. You could also enjoy with the celebrities who are invited to perform, or even show off your technical prowess in a tech festival.
And obviously, the seniors. If I were asked to play a icebreaker round and had to choose between Friends and Seniors. SENIORS!, I would scream that. Seniors of your societies or even departments are the people who mould you. Seeing them is learning as they are the best influencers in College life. Even in a party, they teach you lot. How to balance everything ?
So, one fine day when you see pictures from the college of you and your friends having a good time, you’ll definitely land up smiling silently. That’s the beauty of college life. It stays with you long after you’ve climbed those ladders of success and forgotten the name of that cute crush you used to drool over.
Life at college is a wild mish-mash of experiences, what with all sort of hilarious stuff going down in the hostels!
The life at college is a time when you can decide your career. It’s a time of dreams and innumerable paths. You can work for a non-profit organization and even gain the satisfaction of being a humanitarian. The point is that you are free to try out these new things and no one is going to forcefully control the decisions you make. Every nook and corner of the college you’d find a peaceful spot full of natural surroundings, who’s value you will only realize once you graduate from your campus. You will always remember the early morning fog, your hostel’s adorable “puppy” or even your grumpy stationery shopkeeper and the morning ice teas of Nescafe as I miss it right now.
Uncertainty: The COVID and answer to all our questions
New sessions, results, new college, societies, new city. All the dreams and hopes were shattered due to the Pandemic. And the only answer to our questions is ‘ Uncertainty’. The on field experiences of college campus can’t be fulfilled by online classes. The loss of morning chit chat session about politics and fashion with cheese sandwich and ice tea can’t be fixed.
Circumstances and Human Race has always been close relatives as we “ HOOMANS” can fight all odds and still be productive. Colleges have offered students hell lot of opportunities with work from Home culture, which made the productivity race a proton factor.
Well, we need to understand that the ‘new normal’ has to be the reality and the race of productivity sometimes needs to be balanced.
So, remember that there will be moments that carry a lot of sentimental value and you can’t help but procrastinate about the normal life. But even the friendships you make in college life and through the online classes is the most important aspect. These people will give you strength and be your knights in shining armor all your life. The time you spend with your friends, playing Mafia, Poker, or arguing about any random topic, your regular lecture “ online bunking” to watch a new release of your favorite star, will always stay in your heart. Planning road trips for post covid, and impulsive binge watching —all these things make you more emotional. So, just adapt to situations now and hope for the best.
With the government reportedly taking a look at more than 275 Chinese apps for a potential ban, after a ban on over 100 apps has already been ordered, rumours are that PUBG Mobile could finally be banned in India. Many in the country seem set to welcome the new move, though Gadgets 360 is yet to receive a clarity on the matter. However, many fans of the game have been requesting the authorities to not include PUBG Mobile in any fresh list of banned apps.
What is PUBG Mobile?
PUBG is a battle royale game developed by PUBG Corporation, a subsidiary of South Korean video game company Bluehole. The game is available on PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Mobile. The game was created by Brendan Greene (PlayerUnknown) and released back in 2017.
The game starts with 100 players jumping onto an abandoned island and turning it into a battlefield. The last player left standing wins the match and gets the metaphorical ‘Chicken Dinner’. The game is quite fast-paced with the safe zone collapsing and wild elements like the Red Zone. It is the game that is credited with popularizing the battle royale genre of gaming.
Apart from installs, there are many Indian gamers who actively stream PUBG Mobile through their channels on Twitch and YouTube. Niko Partners Senior Analyst Daniel Ahmad tweeted that while the game has a large base in India, it doesn't generate revenue at the same scale, making around $2-3 million (roughly Rs. 15-22 crores) on a monthly basis.
Craig Chapple, Mobile Insights Strategist, EMEA at Sensor Tower, told Gadgets 360, citing the data from Sensor Tower Store Intelligence estimates, that despite receiving close to 450 crore new installs from Apple App Store and Google Play in the first half of 2020, India ranks low for player spending, generating approximately $94 million (roughly Rs. 704 crores). "For comparison, the United States' mobile games market generated close to $10.1 billion from player spending during the same period," he said.
The disparity in installs and revenues reflects in case of PUBG Mobile as well. However, Chapple said that it is still a leading example that this type of games can monetise in India.
BANNING PUBG
Although the government didn't provide the list of apps it had banned under the new decision, it is said to be considering prohibiting PUBG Mobile among some other China-backed apps and games, including AliExpress, Ludo World, Resso, ULIke, and Zili, Other developers such as LBE Tech.
It could be a part of the list of over 275 apps that will reportedly be examined for any user privacy and national security violations. However, ahead of any official announcement, the arrival of PUBG Mobile's name in the news reports has taken social media by storm.
In India, the game has generated 180.3 million downloads to date, and generated $38.6 million [roughly Rs. 289 crores in lifetime revenue. In the first half of 2020, it was India's top grossing mobile game.
Is PUBG Mobile really a Chinese game?
With the reports suggesting the potential ban of PUBG Mobile, some people have started raising comments that it's a Korean game and not a Chinese one. This is indeed true for PUBG that is meant for online gamers and is developed and published by PUBG Corporation, which is a subsidiary of South Korean video game company Bluehole. However, PUBG Mobile was created in a collaboration between PUBG Corporation and Shenzhen-headquartered Tencent Game. It, thus, has some relation with China.
Nevertheless, some industry watchers feel PUBG Mobile's China connection is weak, and Chapple of Sensor Tower says, "I would note that the PUBG IP is owned by PUBG Corp, which is part of Krafton Game Union, a South Korea-based holding company."
Would India get any impact from the PUBG Mobile ban?
One of the popular alternatives to PUBG Mobile is Fortnite. But since the latter requires more powerful hardware and doesn't perform well on entry-level Android devices, India is chiefly a PUBG-country so far. This is a major reason why many people are demanding the government to exclude PUBG Mobile from its banning plans. Many gamers are upset about its potential ban and expressing their views on social media.
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.
2020: A repeat of 2008?
With huge economic strain given the impact of pandemic, it's time we question the leaders, the economists on whether it's a repeat of the history of the great recession of 2008?
A decade after the Great Recession of 2008, the global economy indicates the resurgence of economic complacency and unpredictability of markets as we dwell within close proximity of yet another global economic crisis.
Now: Main Street has collapsed
The current recession is not caused by a broken link within the system, but from an external threat, a worldwide pandemic. In order to keep the disease from spreading, many governments forced non-essential businesses to close and brought in lockdown orders, bringing many industries to a grinding halt.
But luckily, the overall financial system is in much better shape this time around - in part because of some of the policy changes made in response to the 2008 the recession.
Who's to be blamed?
USA, the hegemon seems to be the reason for such escalated international tensions.
Indices of major stock markets have been on a gradual decline in the financial year. Some even hint at the possibility of a “global debt bubble” which would inevitably cause another global recession.
A bubble is an economic cycle which includes the rapid escalation of asset prices followed by contraction of the asset prices due to exuberant market behavior. With USA being the superpower, dollar's strength is incredible. Slight ramifications and the world pays off.
The ramifications of the dollar's strength are witnessed via the trade war between the USA and China. This trade war has not only impacted their relation but also other countries especially south Asian countries who were caught between the crossfire.
The USA should not be held solely responsible for an imminent global economic crisis. The global market faces stiff uncertainty in the midst of rising tautness in the European Union, with reference to Brexit, leading to Britain opting out of EU.
Three major economic similarities between 2020 and 2008 recession
1. Uncertainty: Both crises share uncertainty as a key factor once they emerged in one of the two leading economies (the United States in 2008 and China end of 2019) and spread globally.
To put it simply and following Frank Knight (1921), “uncertainty” can be defined as a non-quantifiable risk. It is a risk that cannot easily be traced so that its probability of occurrence and its impact can hardly be predicted. This applies both to the new non-visible coronavirus and to the ‘‘subprime’’ virus.
2. Collapse: The initial drops in the stock exchanges of major countries (up to one-fourth of their valuation) have been analogous between both crises. And both global recessions have been successively qualified as the largest since the Great Depression.
Warnings but 'No Measures'.
Even with clear warning signs of an imminent global financial crisis, world leaders fail to take corrective measures and seek only benefit without realizing the damage.
Ironically, the recession of 2020 will produce well-educated unemployed labour force. Isn't that great ?
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), eâ€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.
#BringBackECA #DelhiUniversity
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), eâ€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
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 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.
#Covid19 #WorldHealthOrganisation #geneva #switzerland #who #worldhealthorganization #health #ankara #turkiye #istanbul #turkey #homeopati #genf #izmir #unitednations #worldmentalhealthday #airborne #publichealth
Considering the loss of classroom teaching time due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, CBSE reduced the syllabus of classes 9 to 12 with the help of suggestions from NCERT.
This means that Class 11 students of political science will not study about federalism in the Constitution during the academic year of 2020-21. Political theory sections on citizenship, secularism and nationalism have also been removed, according to the details on deleted sections, available on the CBSE website.
In Class 12, the topic of India's relations with its neighbours has been deleted, along with sections on social movements, regional aspirations, the changing nature of India's economic development, and the Planning Commission. Business Studies students will not study the concept of demonetization, Goods and Services Tax, or the impact of government policy changes on business with special reference to liberalization, privatization and globalization in India. In History classes, students will not study chapters on understanding the partition, or on peasants, zamindars and the State.
Some of the excluded topics in Maths are Properties of Determinants, Consistency, Inconsistency, and Number of Solutions of System of Linear Equations by Examples and Binomial Probability Distribution.
The revised Physics syllabus for Class 11 omitted portions from Newton’s Laws of Motion, Kepler’s law of planetary motion and the Doppler effect in waves, while chapters on anatomy and morphology of flowering plants were dropped from the Biology syllabus.
Science teachers have questioned the rationale behind these choices, and say this will not only affect a student’s understanding of key concepts but also impact them when they attempt entrance exams such as the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for engineering colleges and National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) for medical colleges.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was "shocked" by the decision to drop subjects like democratic rights, federalism and secularism from the Economics and Political Science syllabuses of Classes 9 to 12.
"Shocked to know that the central government has dropped topics like citizenship, federalism, secularism and partition in the name of reducing CBSE course during the COVID-19 crisis," Mamta Banerjee tweeted.
A section of academicians claimed the move appeared to give importance to "political considerations" than academics.
Elucidating on how its sole motive on the revised CBSE Syllabus was to relax the stress on students by reducing the syllabus by 30%, the ministry wrote that the decision has been falsely politicized.
Facing criticism over its decision to revise the syllabi for classes 9 to 12, which saw many important chapters getting axed from the curriculum, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Wednesday said the portions have not been “deleted”.
It said all these chapters have been covered in the “alternative academic calendar” launched by the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) earlier this year.
The clarification comes in the backdrop of CBSE facing criticism for its decision to drop key chapters like Democratic Rights, Federalism, Citizenship and Secularism from school courses
The education board also clarified that no question shall be asked from the reduced syllabus in the Board Exams for 2020-2021only
Withdrawal of Chinese troops in Hot Springs complete
Indian and Chinese armies continued with the troop withdrawal process on Wednesday clearing patrol point-15 – another friction zone in eastern Ladakh that was on the knife-edge during the nine-week long stand-off in India’s northernmost union territory.
The disengagement has been completed at PP-15 (Gogra Post/Hot Spring areas) where the troops have moved back by nearly two km from the line of actual control, government sources said. At PP-17 and PP-17A in the same area, it would take another day or two to finish the task.
The Chinese military removed all temporary structures and completed withdrawal of its troops from the face-off site in Hot Springs in eastern Ladakh on Wednesday even as the Indian Army kept a close watch on the pull back and maintained a high-level of combat readiness in the region, PTI reported quoting sources. The news report said the two armies are expected to carry out a joint verification in the next few days to assess the implementation of the disengagement process once the dismantling of the temporary infrastructure and withdrawal of troops by China are completed at the friction points along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. There has been thinning out of troops from Finger areas in Pangong Tso as well, they report said. Pangong Tso has been a major face-off site between the two sides.
Amidst reports of withdrawal of Indian and Chiese soldiers from the contested Galwan Valley, a statement was issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. China has said that both countries are working to reduce border tension but did not clarify whether its army had retreated or not.
News agency Reuters asked Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian “According to Indian media reports, China has retreated with tents and equipment from the Galwan Valley, where there was a clash between the two countries.” Can you confirm it has happened?
In response, Zhao Lijian said – “there is progress made on front-line troops taking effective measures to disengage and ease the tensions.” He said the Chinese and Indian troops held commander-level talks on June 30 as the two sides continued to work to implement the consensus reached at the two previous rounds of talks.
Anti-China sentiment has been growing in India since the high-altitude clash, with the government banning Chinese mobile apps including the wildly popular TikTok.
The symbolic disengagement of Indian and Chinese armies from few areas in eastern Ladakh has shown their intent to resolve the border standoff peacefully ahead of another round of military talks on Wednesday. The gesture explains that the dialogue between the two countries was successful and China too understood that bullying tactics will not work against India.
Kanye West's 2020 Presidential Bid
Hip hop artiste and producer Kanye West, took to Twitter on Saturday to announce he would be running for President of the U.S, in the elections slated to take place in November. The 43-year-old rapper chose July 4 — widely celebrated across the United States as its Independence Day — to make his announcement. “We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States! 2020 vision,” West tweeted Saturday evening.
West hasn’t filed with the Federal Election Commission or created a campaign committee, and he can’t run for either of the main two political parties in the US as their candidates are already presumed: Donald Trump for the Republicans and Joe Biden for the Democrats.
However, the rapper could potentially register as an independent candidate – but he’d need to get in quick. Deadlines for registering in Texas, New Mexico, Indiana, Maine and North Carolina have already passed, and for other states the deadline is August. But West would face a bunch of hurdles in pursuing a bid this late, according to the New York Times.
Speculation about West's announcement filled social media Sunday. Some say he's running to hurt Joe Biden by trying to peel away Black voters from the presumptive Democratic candidate. Others argue the opposite, noting West could attract some of the small percentage of Black voters who like Trump or those who supported Trump because they want to "burn down the system." Some say West isn't really running, just promoting his new album. Others, probably rightly, note that West may be doing this simply for attention, much the way Trump does.
Political Policies
Outside of “unifying our vision and building our future”, West hasn’t indicated what his political policies would be, and his allegiance isn’t clear cut. Back in 2005, West claimed that then-president George Bush didn’t care about black people, but he’s since backflipped on his comments. Now, controversially, he’s shown to be a strong Trump supporter. He’s been seen wearing a Make America Great Again cap, and met with Trump many times.
On Saturday Night Live in 2018, West said “if someone inspires me and I connect with them, I don’t have to believe in all their policies”. He also claimed slavery was a “choice”, and shown support for far-right commentator Candace Owens, who said Black Lives Matter protestors were “whiny toddlers pretending to be oppressed”.
His wife, Kim Kardashian, is training to be a lawyer, and successfully secured clemency for Alice Marie Johnson in 2018 after lobbying Trump. Her family has always publicly supported the Democratic Party.
What are his chances?
With merely four months to go for polling day on November 3, West has not confirmed whether he has submitted the official paperwork required to appear on state election ballots. He is also yet to clarify whether he will be running as an Independent candidate or if he has any party affiliations.
According to a BBC report, his name does not appear in the Federal Election Commission (FEC) database for the upcoming Presidential election in November. The closest name is a candidate called ‘Kanye Deez Nutz West’, who registered with the FEC in 2015, using the address ‘1977 Golddigger Avenue, Suite Yeezus’, BBC reported.
To appear on the state ballot as an independent candidate, Kanye will be required to collect a certain amount of signatures and register in states before a deadline. While this deadline has passed in most states, there are a few where Kanye can still register, Reuters reported.
Soon after West announced he was running for President, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to his tweet, saying: “You have my full support!”
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.
#COVID19Pandemic #Unlock2 #India #onlineeduaction #digitaldivide
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.
Mr COVID-19 toured all length and breadth across the globe and the unwelcomed guest made us unsafe even in our own bubbled space within the confines of our homes. The ‘Invisible Virus’ brought all of us under the microscope. As the civilization was scrambling to discover the vaccine, the ease in limitations cultivated a “New Normal” vitality for me.
Experiences expresses the essence of viewpoint of life and so let us talk about how I balanced the skepticism of being unproductive and the sensibility of being productive.
When I walk down the lane of ‘small memories' with Mr. Covid-19 who has been indirectly dating me for the last 3 months, I realize that I have harmonized with this “New Culture” of Pandemic.
Initially, the reflections of “Egg me Jams” and the downpour of ‘Online Classes’ blurred my peaceful life. As hours felt like days and seconds like minutes, the inner opportunist I cried to be productive. From workout challenges to discovering the chef in me, I tried it all.
For one of us, ‘productivity’ may mean different. Someone else’s idea of productivity may not be the same as mine and therefore, it is best to find out where your productivity lies. For me ‘productivity’ was as simple as watching a movie or listening to a song and it was not limited to something huge. I realized that productivity can be dimensionless. It can be the simplest of things that give you the grandest of smiles.
But, in the race of being productive in quarantine, I grabbed all the opportunities which somehow taught me the most important lessons of life. Ranging from attending webinars to online courses of Havard University to interning with 3-4 companies at a time, I turned to be ‘ working machine’ with unrestricted labour, undefined working hours and restricted sleeping hours.
Well, quarantine helped me to figure things out and explore the work culture. The internships crafted my communication skills and enhanced my management skills. Writing and using words to form opinions has always been my strength. But, Mr. Covid-19 boosted my confidence and helped me to explore my potential.
The lane of memories gifted me a ‘Dark realization’ that I lacked “Appreciation” and “Kindness”. I was so much engrossed to win the war of productivity that the creativity to appreciate little things erased. A nature-lover like me could not acknowledge the dawn followed by morning birds chirping and I missed the brilliant blue sky which awaited me to hear the poetry of love and gratitude.
Sometimes, beds seemed to be more comforting than the world outside but it was only for “Sometimes” as I used to again dive into the ocean of Instagram newsfeed and stories. My hands never shivered while looking at the phone screen continuously. I was engulfed in this web of darkness and despondency where I sought for a reason to wake up; a reason to continue the ‘normal’ in my life.
You know, the realization hits harder and what I learnt is that, It’s okay not to do anything productive during quite routine. Don’t be stressed. It’s an opportunity to live real life with family although tangled with small cute fights.
You can just daydream about the quarantined greenhouse dates and give online goodbyes and farewells. As you have read till here and if you agree to what you read through my words,let us go on for “ Online Chai par Charcha”, as that is million times better than being homeschooled by parents on ‘ relationships’.
“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!
#lgbtq #pride #pridemonth #transgender #transman #transwoman
" 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.
With COVID-19 on top of everything else, officials predict a “perfect storm†that will overload different organizations, delay results. Elections are another area where a lot of people bunch up in confined spaces. The postponement of elections of
Adolescent girls constitute a vulnerable group, particularly in India where female child is neglected one. Menstruation is still regarded as something unclean or dirty in Indian society. The reaction to menstruation depends upon awareness and knowledge ab
India has dropped two places on a global press freedom index to be ranked 142nd out of 180 countries in the annual Reporters Without Borders analysis. Press which acts as bridge between the society and the government has lost its importance over a decade
Nurses are the most trusted healthcare professionals. They are with patients throughout the continuum of life. Nurses are teacher, advocates, caregivers, critical thinkers and innovators. They do so much more than care for individuals; their presence 24/7
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