A far-right Norwegian legislator on Wednesday said that he has nominated US President Donald Trump for the 2021 

Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts towards furthering peace in the Middle East.

Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of Norway’s Progress Party, cited Trump’s role in the recent landmark 

agreement between Israel and the UAE, and said, “For his merit, I think (Trump) has done more trying to create 

peace between nations than most other peace prize nominees.”

This is the second time that Tybring-Gjedde has sought the award for Trump. In 2018, along with another 

Norwegian lawmaker, he had nominated the American leader for his work in reducing tensions between North and 

South Korea.

Trump, on his part, has repeatedly expressed his desire for being bestowed with the Peace honour. Earlier this year,

 he took partial credit for the award given in 2019 to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, for the latter’s 

initiative in resolving Ethiopia’s border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.

Referring to Ali, Trump had said, “I made a deal. I saved a country, and I just heard that the head of that country 

is now getting the Nobel Peace Prize for saving the country.”

This year’s Nobel Peace Prize is scheduled to be announced October 9. Should Trump win next year, he would become

 the fifth US President in history to be given the prestigious award.

"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.

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.

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’.

China on Thursday said that it was ready to work things out with India amidst problems rocketing in Ladakh. Beijing asked India to meet it halfway, asserting that “suspicion and friction” is not a good way to deal things with as it goes against the fundamental aspirations of the people of the two countries. India and China are able to manage their differences and trying to talk their way into peace and stability.

“We hope the Indian side meets the Chinese side halfway, avoids taking actions that may complicate the border situation and takes concrete actions to maintain stability in the border areas,” Mr. Sun said. He added that at present, the overall situation in the China-India border areas is “stable and controllable.

“China and India are both large developing countries and emerging economies with more than one billion people, and both have the historic mission of realising our own development and revitalisation,” he said.

Referring to talks between foreign ministers of the two countries on June 17, the envoy said both sides agreed to “fairly address” the serious situation caused by the Galwan conflict and vowed to jointly follow the consensus reached at the commander-level meeting on June 6 to ease the situation as soon as possible.

"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. 

•In past 24 hours, the Israeli army has shot a Palestinian with autism to death, bulldozed Palestinian homes. Jenin is on fire.

•A Tanker truck drove into protesters on Minneapolis highway.

•A driver in Denver, ran over pedestrians with his SUV during a peaceful protest for George Floyd

#blacklivesmatters 

•The Protest against police brutality reached to Amsterdam as well

•The Same Hacker Group that hacked governmental organisations threatened to expose the other crimes from the Minneapolis police.

"I can't breathe” has become symbolic with the protests that were sparked with the death of a black man in police custody in front of many as he begged for his life. The event took place on 26, 2020.Minneapolis police was called by a grocery store employee after George Floyd allegedly tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill. The subsequent arrest, a violent one of Floyd, a black man, was filmed by many members of the public. He could be seen on the ground with his hands cuffed behind him while a white officer, Derek Chauvin, 44, pressed him to the pavement with his knee on Floyd’s neck. Chauvin was holding Floyd down for about eight minutes as Floyd complained of breathlessness and becoming unresponsive, while witnesses begged the officers to release him. Eventually paramedics had to lift limp Floyd on to a stretcher and placing him in an ambulance towards a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Floyd was described as a gentle giant by loved ones. He worked as a club security guard until COVID-19 restriction rendered him unemployed. His death has enraged a series of protest that began peacefully In Minneapolis culminating into what are now the The Twin Cities protests. His death has brought up wounds and memories of the grave racial inequality in the nation. The deaths of others like Eric Garner and Michael Brown amongst many others were refreshed as the nation heart wrenched for the unfortunate death of this man . Hundreds of protesters gathered at the driveway of Chauvin's house after Floyd’s death which prompted police response and Chauvin being charged with third degree murder.

The incident has however turned into a realisation of the way racism in internalised in the America and how it impacts the daily life of millions. The protests have since then turned violent and spread across the nation including Atlanta, New York, Charlotte, Los Angeles , Washington D.C, Virginia amongst others. With a state of emergency declared in Minnesota troops were deployed across the region. Symbolic gestures and peaceful protests continue amongst the violence, looting and rioting. Protesters are seen kneeling before the troops while chanting slogans of “i can’t breathe” and reinstating the black lives matter movement. The protests have seen support from numerous celebrities and president Trump too said that the voices of peaceful protests should not be drowned in the violence.

Teary eyes with sorrow and fire, coughing and dark fumes of smoke and a burning smell take us to Minneapolis, a burning city. This unrest should leaves people unsettled due to the normalised differential treatment  of people of colour and not due to the violence or the looting as they have endangering the lives of many amidst the ongoing battles with COVID-19.  This conscious effort and a spark towards change should not be allowed to go down in flames as a few people cannot take over the narrative from thousands of peaceful protesters .

Suhana Sehrawat

“To me, there is only two stans – Hindustan and Foujistan.”

       -Field Marshal K.M Cariappa

Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa who was the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. KM Cariappa was born in a family of farmers, on January 28, in 1899, in Coorg. The man who made Leh part of India.  Cariapppa’s life has been a fascinating combination of character, luck, and circumstances. He had a little hand in speaking Hindi, so people often called him ‘brown Saab’.

In 1942, when he was promoted as the acting lieutenant colonel and the commanding officer of 7th Rajput Machine Gun Battalion, KM Cariappa became the first Indian to do so, in the Indian Army. KM Cariappa was the officer-in-charge of the division of Army and its assets during the time of India’s independence in 1947.

The Indian Army celebrates the formal appointment of Cariappa into their domain on the 15th of January, 1949 as Army Day which is commemorated all over India annually.

‘Jai Hind’, which was the slogan of Subash Chandra Bose-led Indian National Army (INA), was adopted by KM Cariappa, and has since then been the formal phrase to greet each other in the armed forces.

KM Cariappa was also honoured with the Legion of Merit by American President Harry S Truman – one of the rare feats. In 1986, the government conferred the rank of Field Marshal on KM Cariappa as a mark of honour and recognition of his illustrious career spanning over three decades. He, along with Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, are the only people who have been accorded this honour, till date.

There’s a story that when his son, KC Cariappa was captured as a prisoner-of-war (POW) in the Indo-Pakistani War 1965, KM Cariappa was contacted by Pakistani General Ayub Khan informing him about his son’s safety, and even offered his release. However, KM Cariappa proudly replied, “He is my son no longer. He is the child of this country, a soldier fighting for his motherland like a true patriot. My many thanks for your kind gesture, but I request you to release all or release none. Give him no special treatment.”

During the Indo Pak war, he was successful in capturing the areas of Naushera, Jhangar, Poonch, Zoji La, Dras, and Kargil. But orders from the US prohibited him from removing the Pakistani Forces out of the entire area. This led to a troublesome situation in the areas of Leh, Kargil which would subsequently put India’s security at stake. He disobeyed the Army HQ’s orders and continued with his offensive in Ladakh  and gained control to the entire region. The important thing to mention here is that any lapse in the operation would just pose a severe threat to the Indian forces and territory. For this move, he was appointed to the post of the commander in chief of the Indian Army post-independence, which was the highest post in the Armed Forces.

After the end of the India-Pakistan war, Cariappa went to the Indo-Pakistan border to boost Indian soldiers. During this time, he crossed the border and entered ‘No Man’s Land.’ Nandu Kariyappa writes in his father’s biography, ‘On seeing him, the Pakistani Commander ordered that he stays there. Otherwise, he would be shot. Someone shouted from the Indian border, saying he is General Cariappa. Pakistani soldiers lowered their arms on hearing this. His officer came and saluted General Cariappa.

Apart from his exemplary services in the Indian Army, Cariappa also had a formidable reputation as one of the boldest, revolutionary, principled and bravest officers in the Indian Army. He strongly advocated for better conditions of the Indian soldiers during the Indianisation of the British Army. He also made special provisions to ensure better living conditions for the prisoners of the Indian National Army and even spearheaded a campaign for the release of innocent prisoners who were a part of the INA.

KM Cariappa breathed his last on May 15, 1993. After suffering from arthritis and heart problems, he died in his sleep at Bangalore Command Hospital. As India observes today the 27th death anniversary of the decorated soldier of the Indian Army, lets be inspired by his patriotism and valour.

Rest in Peace, Sir! India Remembers you.