November 2015

IGNITING MINDS ` 125/-

Volume.01 | Issue.01 | November 2015

Science of Asterioids

I Never Knew I could Do this on my own!!

The 18 Year old

Nobel Peace Prize winner

How to become a Pilot!

Battle

of Plassey

Jump in!

H ThereI Our F !!!! are e riends Anger mee xited to t you Management !!

Greetings Readers!

Editor mpally Nagasri Na 53541 +91 88850

It’s brings us immense pleasure to bring to you our small attempt of providing an experience.

CEO

Igniting Minds.

lly na Parlapa Vamshikrish 77888 +91 91607

If text books or information, novels memories, we at Igniting Minds call magazine ”experiences”.

An experience that has so much to learn from, so much to cherish about.

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An experience that shall not only meet you once or twice but bent upon saying a Hi every month.

An experience that you would love to have in your school bags, study desks and always with you to travel new heights. This sixty odd pages of shear experience is made for you to have dialogs with, have a travel together to far of lands, even beyond our planet.

An experience that we take huge pleasure and responsibility handing over to you - Igniting Minds.

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by Nampally d & Owned he is bl lutions, Pu So t d, Printe andla Prin Printed at B Nacharam, No. 14, I.P, ad Ro , /1 22 - 500076 Plot .No. A Hyderabad

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contents

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Calendar Events & Birthday Calendar

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20 22 Parenting

Is your Child Depressed?

Many of us think that being a child is filled with fun and happiness, so how can .........

Cover Story

Virtual Reality

Once upon a time there was a very gifted bright boy; ..........

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Malala Yousafzai As a young girl, Malala Yousafzai defied the Taliban in Pakistan and demanded that girls be allowed to receive an education.....

Nobel Prize

Immerse yourself into English Speaking

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If you like somebody singing or dancing , its all because they are the rules and performing.

Irrespective of we are aware of lane of the rules or not....

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24 Awards

Communication Skills

Handwriting Secrets of standard Handwriting

4

Choice of Snacking Kids love to eat fast foods. As a mother you simply cannot let them eat those because you know how .................

Success Story

What do you think of when you hear the words virtual reality (VR)?

Life Skills Anger Management

Health & Nutrients

Nov 2015

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Alfred Nobel died on December 10, 1896.

The provisions of his will and their unusual purpose,.........

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Career Awareness

How to become an Indian Air Force Pilot The Armed Forces offer excellent career opportunities to adventurous young.............

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Science

Asteroids

Asteroids are small Solar System bodies that orbit the Sun. Made of rock and metal, they can also contain organic compounds. .................

History

The Battle of Plassey The Battle of Plassey was a battle that took place on June 23, 1757, on the banks of the.......

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Mathematics Vedic Mathematics

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Vedic mathematics is composed of sutras which have been formulated over many centuries .......

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IT Stands for “Information Technology” and is pronounced “IT”

Current Affairs October month Current Affairs........

Fundamentals of Sociology The world in which we live is rapidly changing. Sociology provides many distinctivthe .......

Pride of India

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Country

German Germany’s central and southern regions have forested hills and mountains cut through by the .........

Computer Programing

Google go language

Sociology

50 56

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Sports

Table tennis has been an Olympic sport since 1988 and is hugely popular in Asia,........

Brain Gym

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Sunday

Events Calendar

Monday

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* World Vegan Day

Tuesday

*Traffic Directors 02 Day

*Autumn Festival

Wednesday

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09

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*Legal Service Day

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* National Education Day

* Guinness World Record Day

*International Day for Tolerance

* World Science Day for Peace and Development , *Transport Day

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* Use Your Common Sense Day 04

Thursday

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* X-Ray Day

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*Guru Nanak Dev’s Birth Anniverrsary

* Go For A Ride Day

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* Fibonacci Day

Friday

* Nachos Day

Saturday

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*World Usability Day

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*Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day 24

* International Day on * Occult Day Violence against Women

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* World Kindness Day

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* National Law Day

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* Universal Children’s * Systems Engineer Day Day 27 20

* Children’s day, * World Diabetics day

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*World Cancer Awareness Day

* World Television Day

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Nov 2015

*Computer Security Day

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*World Toilet Day, *World Philosophy Day * Men Make Dinner 05 Day

* International Day of Solidarity with the 29 Palestinian People

*Small Business Saturday

Birthday Calendar * Aishwarya Rai * Lal Krishna Advani 01 (Film actor 1973), 08 (Politician 1927)

*Shahrukh Khan 02 (Film actor 1965)

*Amartya Sen 03 (Economist 1933)

* Vasudev Balwant Phadke (Freedom 04 Fighter 1845-1883)

*Shrimad Rajchandra (philosopher 09 1867-1901)

*Surendranath Banerjee (Political leader 1848-1925)

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* Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888-1958)

*Chittaranjan Das (Indian Politician 1870-1925)

*Salim Moizuddin Abdul Ali ( Naturalist 1896-1987) 12

* William A.Noyes (Chemist 1857-1941)

* P. Susheela (Singer 1935)

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* C.V. Raman (Physicist 1888-1970), *Kamal Haasan (Film actor 1954)

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* Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) 14

* Sania Mirza (Tennis * Mulayam Singh Yadav 15 player 1986) 22 (Politician 1939) *Pullela Gopichand (Player 1973), *Ramoji Rao (Businessman 1936)

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* Gemini Ganeshan (Actor) 17

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* Kamal Nath (Politician 1946)

* Puttaparti Satya Sai 23 Baba (1926-2011)

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*Arundhati Roy (Author 1959)

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* Bappi Lahiri (Music composer)

* Rani Lakshmi bai (1835-1858), *Indira Gandhi (Prime Minister of India 1917-1984)

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* Gurbachan Singh Salaria (Indian Army 29 1935-1961)

*Jagadish Chandra Bose (Physicist 1858-1937)

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* Dr. Varghese Kurien (Amul diary 1921-2012)

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* Tipu Sultan (1750-1799)

* K. S. Chandrasekharan (Professor of 21 mathematics 1920)

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*Harivansh Rai Bachchan (1907)

*K.V.K. Raju (Nagarjuna Group of 28 companies -1926)

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Cover Story

Virtual Reality What do you think of when you hear the words virtual reality (VR)?

Do you imagine someone wearing a clunky helmet attached to a computer with a thick cable?

Do visions of crudely rendered pterodactyls haunt you?

Do you think of Neo and Morpheus traipsing about the Matrix?

Or do you wince at the term, wishing it would just go away?

If the last applies to you, you’re likely a computer scientist or engineer, many of whom now avoid the words virtual reality even while they work on technologies most of us associate with VR. Today, you’re more likely to hear someone use the words virtual environment (VE) to refer to what the public knows as virtual reality. We’ll use the terms interchangeably in this article.

Naming discrepancies aside, the concept remains the same - using computer technology to create a simulated, three-dimensional world that a user can manipulate and explore while feeling as if he were in that world. Scientists, theorists and engineers have designed dozens of devices and applications to achieve this goal. Opinions differ on what exactly constitutes a true VR experience, but in general it should include:

VR

● Three-dimensional images that appear to be life-sized from the perspective of the user ● The ability to track a user’s motions, particularly his head

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and eye movements, and correspondingly adjust the images on the user’s display to reflect the change in perspective In this article, we’ll look at the defining characteristics of VR, some of the technology used in VR systems, a few of its applications, some concerns about virtual reality and a brief history of the discipline.

Virtual Reality History

Remember how Ironman has all this stuff displayed right in front of his eyes. It is Nomore Science Fiction Today

The concept of virtual reality has been around for decades, even though the public really only became aware of it in the early 1990s. In the mid 1950s, a cinematographer named Morton Heilig envisioned a theatre experience that would stimulate all his audiences’ senses, drawing them in to the stories more effectively. He built a single user console in 1960 called the Sensorama that included a stereoscopic display, fans, odor emitters, stereo speakers and a moving chair. He also invented a head mounted television display designed to let a user watch television in 3-D. Users were passive audiences for the films, but many of Heilig’s concepts would find their way into the VR field.

Philco Corporation engineers developed the first HMD in 1961, called the Headsight. The helmet included a video screen and tracking system, which the engineers linked to a closed circuit camera system. They intended the HMD for use in dangerous situations -- a user could observe a real environment remotely, adjusting the camera angle by turning his head. Bell Laboratories used a similar HMD forhelicopter pilots. They linked HMDs to infrared cameras attached to the bottom of helicopters, which allowed pilots to have a clear field of view while flying in the dark.

In 1965, a computer scientist named Ivan Sutherland envisioned what he called the “Ultimate Display.” Using this display, a person could look into a virtual world that would appear as real as the physical world the user lived in. This vision guided almost all the developments within the field of virtual reality.

Sutherland’s concept included:

● A virtual world that appears real to any observer, seen through an HMD and augmented through three-dimensional sound and tactile stimuli

● A computer that maintains the world model in real time ● The ability for users to manipulate virtual objects in a realistic, intuitive way In 1966, Sutherland built an HMD that was tethered to a computersystem. The computer provided all the graphics for the display (up to this point, HMDs had only been linked to cameras). He used a suspension system to hold the HMD, as it was far too heavy for a user to support comfortably. The HMD could display images in stereo, giving the illusion of depth, and it could also track the user’s head movements so that the field view would change appropriately as the user looked around.

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Aspects of Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality Immersion In a virtual reality environment, a user experiences immersion, or the feeling of being inside and a part of that world. He is also able to interact with his environment in meaningful ways. The combination of a sense of immersion and interactivity is called telepresence.

Computer scientist Jonathan Steuer defined it as “the extent to which one feels present in the mediated environment, rather than in the immediate physical environment.” In other words, an effective VR experience causes you to become unaware of your real surroundings and focus on your existence inside the virtual environment.

The Virtual Reality Environment

You should check this out!!

This is so COOL!!

Other sensory output from the VE system should adjust in real time as a user explores the environment. If the environment incorporates 3-D sound, the user must be convinced that the sound’s orientation shifts in a natural way as he maneuvers through the environment. Sensory stimulation must be consistent if a user is to feel immersed within a VE. If the VE shows a perfectly still scene, you wouldn’t expect to feel gale-force winds. Likewise, if the VE puts you in the middle of a hurricane, you wouldn’t expect to feel a gentle breeze or detect the scent of roses

Virtual Reality Interactivity Immersion within a virtual environment is one thing, but for a user to feel truly involved there must also be an element of interaction. Early applications using the technology common in VE systems today allowed the user to have a relatively passive experience. Users could watch a pre-recorded film while wearing a head-mounted display(HMD). They would sit in a motion chair and watch the film as the system subjected them to various stimuli, such as blowing air on them to simulate wind. While users felt a sense of immersion, interactivity was limited to shifting their point of view by looking around. Their path was pre-determined and unalterable.

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Virtual Reality Headsets Today, most VE systems are powered by normal personal computers. PCs are sophisticated enough to develop and run the software necessary to create virtual environments. Graphics are usually handled by powerful graphics cards originally designed with the video gaming community in mind. The same video card that lets you play World of Warcraft is probably powering the graphics for an advanced virtual environment.

VE systems need a way to display images to a user. Many systems use HMDs, which are headsets that contain two monitors, one for each eye. The images create a stereoscopic effect, giving the illusion of depth. Early HMDs used cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors, which were bulky but provided good resolution and quality, or liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors, which were much cheaper but were unable to compete with the quality of CRT displays. Today, LCD displays are much more advanced, with improved resolution and color saturation, and have become more common than CRT monitors.

VR Headsets in the market While VR was a non-starter back in the 90s, developers are now creating mind-blowing experiences, which look set to revolutionise gaming. The most incredible thing is that the latest and greatest VR experiences don’t require mind-bending technology.Yes, the likes of Oculus Rift and Avegent Glyph look fairly futuristic, some of the best experiences out there today just require a smartphone, a cardboard box and a bit of trial and error. There are tonnes of great Google Cardboard apps and games which anyone can try, for an insight into what this new world of VR has to offer.But what are the best VR headsets and which one should you choose? We’ve created the definitive list of the 10 most gob-smackingly awesome devices just waiting to be strapped to your bonce.

Oculus Rift HTC Vive Sony PlayStation VR Samsung Gear VR Microsoft HoloLens FOVE VR

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When you picture a VR headset, you probably think of something really high-tech and far too expensive to be practical.Apparently, the guys at Google thought the same thing. While Facebook has bought into virtual reality technology for a whopping $2 billion, Google has settled for something a little more simple. Who would have imagined that we could create a VR headset out of something we already had: a simple piece of cardboard?

Google did, that’s who.

Say hello to Google Cardboard. It may not sound like much - in fact, it may sound a lot like a joke - but this simple cardboard cutout can turn your Android phone into a neat virtual reality headset. Whether you’re looking for a cheap way to enhance your tech experience or you just want to see what this product is capable of, it’s worth checking out.

What is Google Cardboard?

Google Cardboard was part of a 20 percent project, a company policy that allows employees to work on side projects in addition to their everyday duties. This one just happened to be enough of a success that tons of companies are copying the design and creating these super cheap and simple VR headsets for compatibility with other smartphones.Yeah, yeah. But what is Google Cardboard? It’s simply a design - one you can either buy as a kit from a manufacturer or use to build your own - that utilizes cardboard and a pair of 40mm focal distance lenses to turn your phone into a virtual reality headset. It also uses magnets, velcro, and a rubber band to keep everything in place.Once put together, users set their phone into it and look through the lenses. In combination with compatible apps, this simple setup can turn interacting with your handset’s screen into a seemingly real-world experience.

How does it Work?

Google Cardboard works by placing your phone at the optimal distance away from the lenses. Then, by using compatible apps, the lenses create a 3D effect when held up to your eyes. You can even move your head around, and the images will respond as if you’re in the same place as what’s displayed on your screen. For example, you can use the Street Vue demo and explore the streets of Paris while viewing your surroundings in a virtual reality that reacts to your actual position in space.As an added bonus, it comes with an NFC chip that will automatically launch your officialCardboard app when you place your phone into the headset.

What’s also somewhat amazing is the magnet on the side. If all you’re doing is folding up a piece of cardboard and sticking your phone inside it, then what’s the magnet for? Does it help hold the thing together?

Not quite.The little magnet on the side is

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actually a quite ingenious design aspect of Google Cardboard. It’s a button! Since you can’t touch your phone’s screen while it’s inside the Cardboard, Google has provided this magnet that, when moved, acts as if you’ve Nov pressed 2015 your screen. It uses your phone’s mag-

● Bi-convex lense mount ● Bi-convex asymmetric spherical lenses ● Small magnet and washer for ‘click’ functionality ● Adhesive velcro straps for securing phone in headset ● Rubber band for holding handset in place ● NFC tag - preprogrammed to launch the ‘Google Cardboard’ official Android app Firstly, tear open the retail packing for the product and remove the Google Cardboard headset. The device comes folded in it’s packaging. Basic assembly such as inserting the lenses and magnets has allready been completed as part of the packaged product - so it’s simply a case of assembling the unit, following the numbered tabs printed onto the Google Cardboard headset.

Next - begin assembly of the headset by inserting the numbered tabs into their corresponding slots. The image on the right shows the first two of these connections - and the headset has been folder back on itself to insert the number two tabs.Tab number one is the screen divided used to ensure the stereoscopic 3D images presented on your handset are split between eyes - and the second of the number tabs secures the lense holder in place to ‘wrap’ the unit with the rest of the cardboard headset (see step 3) The next step is to ‘wrap’ the lense holder in the remaining section of cardboard to form the headset. Insert and secure tabs three through five - inserting the numbered tabs in squence for to form the main structure of the headset.This creates the basis of the Google Cardboard headset and all that remains is to secure the unit in place - detailed in the nexy step.

The final step in the assembly progess is to secure tabs three through five (which should incase the lense holder) - by removing the adhesive sicker cover from tab number six and secure this to it’s corresponding site of the unit as picture in the image to the right.

Congratulations - your Google Cardboard headset is now ready for use.

For Android phone users with NFC equipped phones - the process couldn’t be easier. For Android users the Google Play store has a dedicated section for Google Cardboard compatible apps including the official application, as well as a growing collection of exciting and immersive content.For Apple device users - search the app store for ‘VR’ or ‘Google Cardboard’ to find compatible apps. There are also a number of 3D videos available on YouTube which when viewed full screen are compatible with Android and Apple devices.

This is what the experts have to Say!

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Life Skills

ASH M S K HULSMASH

ANGER MA NAGEMENT

O

nce upon a time there was a very gifted bright boy; he was very intelligent, creative, smart and extremely confident. He was sort of a natural leader and a person everyone aspired to be. Though he was filled with a lot of good qualities, he had a very bad temper and attitude. He would often get angry and say some very hurtful things to others. In his fit of anger he would burst out giving little regard to those around him.

He had very few friends and most people disliked him due to his foul attitude. Both, his parents and teachers were worried about him. Even though he was very talented, his bad attitude always ruined things for him.

Finally, one day his father came up with an idea. He called his son and gave him a bag of nails and a big hammer. His father said, “From today, whenever you lose your temper

but on the wooden fence outside.

Just take a nail and hammer it into the fence. Hit the nail as hard as you can, the angrier you feel the harder you hit!”

DONT ANGRY ME!!!!

let it out and don’t control yourself. The only condition is you won’t let it out on people

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The wooden fence outside was made up of tough wooden planks, and it was as tough as steel. The hammer too was very heavy, so it wasn’t going to be easy to hammer nails.

Nevertheless, by the end of the first day, the boy got angry 23 times and had hammered 23 nails into the fence. Gradually, after a few weeks, the number of nails he hammered went down.

The boy found that holding his temper proved to be easier than hammering nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He felt very proud at his achievement and ran to his father to tell him about his accomplishment.

His father was very proud of his achievement, but said “your task is not over yet, you have to pull out one nail for each attempt you make to control you anger without losing your temper and when

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Life Skills a quick burst of energy. However, frequent anger can bring the body a host of negative effects like blood sugar imbalance, decreased bone density and suppress the body’s immune system. It can also suppress thyroid function, slowing down the body’s metabolism, impair the brain’s thinking ability and increase blood pressure.

Anger can raise your heart beat to 180 beats per minute. It can also raise your blood pressure from 120/80 to 220/130 or higher.

Even your metabolism is at risk as anger is blocked energy that can slow down your body`s metabolism. Stress and anger can trigger over-eating for stress release and lead to weight gain.

Anger stimulates the release of acids in the stomach causing acid reflux and gastric ulcers.

there are no nails in the fence come back to me.” To make his father happy the boy tried very hard to control his anger, and finally the day came when the young boy saw that there were no nails left. It had been over six months since the boy started and the father hugged his son with pride and asked his son to walk out to the fence with him.

Let’s walk to the fencing and see what we have learnt? “You have done well, my son,” he said. “But I want you to closely notice the holes that are left behind in the fencing. No matter how hard you try, this fence will never be the same again.

Saying or doing wrong things to people in anger also produces the same kind of result. There will always be a residual scar in the heart, no matter how many times you apologize. The verbal wounds you give to others are as bad as the physical ones; always remember that people are much more valuable than this old fence. They are our companions, they help us succeed, and some even become close friends to share the joys and sorrows of our life. If you treat people with respect and maintain good relationships with them, they will always stand for you, trust you, help you and also open their hearts for you.

We always want others to treat us with respect; so isn’t it our responsibility to treat others with respect as well?

We need to make sure we prevent as many of those holes on the fence or scares in the heart as we can in the lives of people around us. Imagine if all the people around you leave you because of your bad attitude and foul behaviour, what would you do? Would you be able to live alone? Everyone gets angry occasionally and that is fine but a valuable lesson in life is “you get back what you give to others”, you give anger you get anger, you give love you get love, and you give hatred you get hatred.

Anger is a killer; people who explode with anger are at a higher risk of strokes and sudden death. Anger and emotional stress triggers the release of the stress hormone cortisol in the body, and this can give the body

Immediate Tips to Manage Anger ■ Walk away from the situation temporarily when you feel angry; it will cool your mind.

■ Drink a glass of water; it will calm your mind.

■ Count 1 to 30 before you speak out in anger; it will distract your mind away from anger.

■ Sit down and don’t look at the person, it will disconnect you from the situation.

■ If you are God fearing, begin to pray.

Steps to Understand Your Anger ■ Analyse what makes you angry frequently – people, things, situations etc.

■ Why do they make you angry?

■ How can you stop getting angry in such situations?

■ What happens when you get angry and when you don’t get angry?

■ How to avoid these situations?

■ What do I get when I don’t get angry?

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Communication

Skills

Immerse yourself into English Speaking B.K.Reddy, Director, Hyderabad English club.

I

still remember a conversation I had with a middle aged person who shared his experience with spoken English. He said he had been trying to learn spoken English for many years. He followed every advice as to how spoken English could be learnt. He took coaching, he read English novels, he did grammar exercises and what not for English. He was hopeful every time he followed a new advice.

But after a few years he realised that nothing had worked. ‘’Now, I have good amount of vocabulary , know most of the grammar rules , and write anything in English, but I fumble to speak anything in English ‘’ he lamented in his mother tongue. He also added that he had lost hopes of learning English, and stopped doing anything for that.

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There are many people who have similar experience with English. I don’t learning grammar or reading English novels do not help for spoken English. They help you to know the language, but knowing language is not speaking the language. To get speaking, one has to actually speak and continue to speak. Whatever you do expect speaking is like a plan of the building on the paper. Actual speaking is the real building. You can acquire spoken language only when you speak sentence by sentence.

But, there are some people who

are bit practical. They have realised the importance of speaking to learn spoken English. But, they have their own reasons for their poor communication skills. They say that they don’t have much English speaking environment around them. It is true that environment is very important to learn a language. But, you can’t go to America or England to have English speaking environment. You have to create your own English environment and live in that.

If you have the will there is a way. You can create English environment around you by immersing yourself in English. Here you can take help from Swamy Vivekananda ‘s quote ‘’ Take up a task. Make that task your life. Think of it. Dream of it and live on the task. Let the brain, muscles and every part of your body be full of the task, and leave every other task alone. This is the way to success’’. What we learn from this is to get involved to fuller extent to achieve what we want in our life.

English immersion is thinking and speaking English all the time. The premise is that spoken English can be learnt by having the language in the mind and speaking with the tongue. There are three steps that take you to have fluent English.

Cross talk: Cross talk is your actual talk with others. This is like your stage performance on the day of the show. You have the dialogues with you, you have test fired them by whispering and now you have to do the real blasting. If you have done the first two operations well, this is not a problem. Only thing is that you need to be cool, controlled and confident while speaking. A few successful conversations make you more confident.

More you talk, more fluent you become. Just continue your journey with fluent English to see greater heights in life.

They are: 1. Mind talk (Thinking in English) 2. Self talk (whispering English) 3. Cross talk (speaking with others) Mind talk: your mind is the store house of your English. By thinking in English, you get all the potentiality to speak English. Like, when you have water in the over head tank, you can draw from any tap. Similarly if you have English in the mind, you can speak through mouth or write on a paper.

So far is good. But how to have English in the mind. You can achieve this by immersing yourself in English thinking. Think of your ideas, plans, problems and whole life in English. Imagine certain day-to –day events of your life and think in English. Think in terms of solid English expressions.

Create a situation that your mind supports your tongue with required contextual expressions any time to speak.

Self talk: Many of you complain that there is nobody around you to speak in English. This is not a problem at all. You can speak to a wall or you can speak with yourself. You don’t need to be louder for this. A slight whispering is enough. This step is very important, because unless you do this you don’t know whether you can speak.

This is like a test firing of a missile, or a rehearsal before the stage performance.

There are two benefits from this. One is that you get used to speaking by whispering with yourself. Both are important for the third step.

Did you know that “I am” is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.

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Handwriting

Secrets of standard Handwriting

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f you like somebody singing or dancing , its all because they are the rules and performing. Irrespective of we are aware of lane of the rules or not. Similarly handwriting is also a skill which can be done very effectively when all the fundamentals are followed. Reader , whether he knows all these basics or not, would appreciate hand reads with ease.

Your Globally , English handwriting can be done very iting Handwr d in legibly and beautifully just with 7 techniques rea Anybody and every body would be able to n e t f o s i o make an impressive presentation on the nce. S e s b a piece of paper , once techniques are impler s you a y t t i mented in his /her own handwriting. They are; r p s a t i e mak ! you are

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By Y.Mallikarjuna Rao, Director, National Handwriting Acadamy.

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1 POSITIONS/POSTURES: Professional Neuro physicians and physical health experts absorwed that just because of poor pen, paper and hand positions, many people spoil their handwriting . Ergonomically suggested furniture , postures and distances would certainly assist not only to make a comfortable handwriting but also to maintain longer texts , especially in handwriting the situations like examinations.

2 LETTERING: All the handwriting is nothing but a meaningful combination of letters, irrespective of the language you write as letters contribute a major role for writing, one must make a reasonably legible letter and most importantly the letter should not give an impression as that of the other one.

7 BASELINE: For a handwriting enthusiast or a beginner, it is always suggested to start practicing on a single ruled sheet.

One must be conscious about making all the middle and upper zone letters just resting on a printed line. Neither below the line nor above.

3 CONNECTIONS: As we have drawn many advantages for cursive style in English handwriting , connections play a vital role in making cursive hand especially. Vowels take almost all the contribution in forming 99.9% of the English vocabulary. Hence to make a crystal clear ‘’cursive’’ hand, one can simply practice all the 26 letters connected to vowels and vowels to all the letters.

4 ZONES: We use lower case letters very frequently. And not all of them are farmed in uniform size. This is one of the major reasons why most people make illegible hand, as they do not coordinate the letters height and depths accordingly. All the letters can be divided into three groups based on their sizes. For instance , in a word ‘’day’’ , the letter ‘d’ can be considered as upper zone letter, ‘a’ as a middle zone letter and ‘y’ a lower zone letter. Once a writer is able to make all the letters of a particular zone in one size, a very legible handwriting can be formed.

6 SLANT: Cursive hand is always done in a right slant. Where as non-cursive is written vertically/upright. Non of the style is to be made in a left slant.

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Parenting

Is your Child Depressed?

Sadia Saeed Raval (Inner Space)

Depression Can Affect Children As Well

M

any of us think that being a child is filled with fun and happiness, so how can he/she be depressed? Perhaps it’s just a mood swing or a phase. Yes, that happens too as not every child who seems sad or introverted is depressed. But if you notice a significant change in your child’s behaviour, which he just doesn’t seem to be ‘getting over’ and is adversely impacting his school work and/or relationships, perhaps it’s time to pay attention.

While the basic understanding of depression remains the same, the symptoms may manifest a little differently in children. Children do not understand or express emotions like adults too. While it is easy for us to be concerned about sadness or crying, it may be relatively difficult to be empathic when the child is being ‘difficult’ instead. The internal discomfort the child feels might get expressed via anger, irritability, clinginess, tantrums, fears, crying, lethargy or aches and pains. Changes in sleep and appetite are also warning signs.

nvolve I y a M e Se ges You n a h C e Th

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■ The child may seem withdrawn and avoid being around people. Your friendly prankster might suddenly refuse to even greet or go near guests.

■ Food habits may change with an increase or decrease in appetite or excessive fussiness about choice of food.

■ Sleep may get disturbed, with the child sleeping too much or too little or waking up multiple times in the night.

■ The otherwise bright and smart child might have difficulties with concentration and seem lost, distracted or confused. Academic performance may decline.

■ He may suddenly lose interest in his favourite activities and just not care about his video game or cricket match.

■ Might avoid friends or pick-up fights with them for no reason.

■ Frequent stomach aches and headaches, with no underlying medical reasons.

■ Low frustration tolerance. He might get angry and even violent at the slightest of provocation. Tantrums, disobedience, stubbornness and lack of cooperation are also possible.

■ Crying spells and emotional over-sensitivity.

■ The seemingly hyperactive child may just lie around in the house doing nothing.

■ Attention seeking and clinginess.

Some or most of the above symptoms might be present. The need to see a mental health professional or psychologist/counselor should be decided based on the severity and intensity of the symptoms and whether the symptoms are affecting the child’s daily life and his interactions with others.

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All kid Some j s are gifted ust op . e n t he packag es earl ir ier than o - Micha thers. el Carr

Friends, sadness is a natural human emotion. Like other emotions, sad feelings come and go. Some sad feelings last only a moment, some last longer. When sad feelings ease away, a happier mood can take their place.

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Health & Nutrit ion

CHOICE OF

SNACKING K

ids love to eat fast foods. As a mother you simply cannot let them eat those because you know how harmful they are. But if you stop them from indulging in fast foods at least once or twice a week, they will sneak out and eat

Mukta Agrawal Senior Nutritionist "INLIFE Healthcare"

all those foods behind your back. And then you will be able to do nothing. It is important that you keep a track of what your child eats but at the same time you need to inculcate good eating habits. Healthy food does not mean that it has to be bland, tasteless or boiled.

Healthy food can be tasty as well. It is up to you to that teach them the difference, do not worry I will help you with the same below.

How to choose a healthy snack?

When you are selecting healthy snacks, the first thing that you need to consider is your kid’s preference. Are you sure that he will eat those items? Generally kids are a bit picky about healthy foods and by now you must have found out the tricks by which you tempt them to eat it. However, opt for those items that your kid will like to eat and you won’t have to literally force him to eat. Hence, opt for fresh fruits that he likes, cereals for his breakfast and low fat muffins as evening snack.

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What are the side effects of junk foods?

• Energy and Focus: As per Women’s and Children’s Health Network, eating habits affects one’s studying habits. Junk foods and food items with high sugar content lower the energy level thereby affecting one’s concentration.

• Obesity Risk: As per a report published in “Pediatrics” kids who eat junk food tend to be obese. Junk food means higher amount of calories, carbohydrates and fat, which increases body weight manifold.

• Chronic Illness: There is an increase rate of high BP, diabetes and stroke amongst kids who eat fast foods on a regular basis.

• Self-Esteem and Depression: If you are obese, other kids are going to make fun of you. As such it affects the kid’s self esteem and leads to depression.

Give them healthy options like what to choose instead of what?

There are so many mouthwatering yet healthy snacks that you can pack as part of your kid’s school lunch • Fresh fruit – pack fresh fruits like strawberries, blueberries, grapes, banana that you know your kid will eat • Crunchies – if you scourge the supermarket you will come across dried vegetables that come in various flavors. BBQ veggie, buttery sweet corn is the popular ones.

• Muffins – give your kid homemade muffins and opt for fruit flavored ones like banana muffin, zuchchini muffin and so on.

• Organicasaurus Cheese Puffs – they are organic and taste great too.

Good way to give him a surprise lunch that he is simply going to love.

• Homemade Fruit Snacks – take some fresh fruits and slice them up and serve with homemade yoghurt. Simple, yet delicious.

• Dried cranberries or raisins – you can purchase them from any supermarket.

• Hummus served with different vegetables.

• Roasted Chickpeas: high on protein, it is quite delicious too. You kid is sure to like them.

• Veggie Chips – Kale Chips, Sweet Potato Chips, Tomato Chips, - there are so many different varieties to take your pick from.

• Brown rice instead of white rice • Sweet potatoes for white potatoes • Canadian bacon for bacon • Mashed potatoes made with reduced fat milk for french fries • Fig bars for high-fat cookies

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• Tube yogurt (freeze first for easier handling) for ice cream • Reduced-fat cheddar for regular cheese.

• Steam idly instead of fried vadapav.

• Well cooked vegetables and low-fat dip • Whole grain crackers and cheese • Fruit smoothies • Milk • Chopped hard-boiled eggs or scrambled eggs • Dry cereal; cereal with milk • Low-fat microwave popcorn So all above are the choices of food, which you can give to your child, and they would love to eat.

I am sure all the above things will help you to make your child healthy and fit.

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Success Story

Malala Yousafzai A

s a young girl, Malala Yousafzai defied the Taliban in Pakistan and demanded that girls be allowed to receive an education.

She was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in 2012, but survived.

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani school pupil and spokesperson for women’s right to education.

In retaliation for her high profile campaign for education and criticism of the Taliban, she was shot in the head at close range by a Taliban gunman. She survived the gunshot wound and has become a leading spokesperson for human rights, education and women’s rights. She has received numerous peace awards, and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 along with Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian children’s rights activist.

Born: July 12, 1997 (age 17), Mingora, Pakistan Parents: Tor Pekai Yousafzai, Ziauddin Yousafzai Education: Khushal Public School (2012), Edgbaston High School Books: I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

Way to go Malala You are Su !!!

Inspiration to ch an all the girls!!!!

Awards: Nobel Peace Prize2014, Sakharov Prize2013, United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights 2013, Simone de Beauvoir Prize 2013, Goodreads Choice Awards Best Memoir & Autobiography 2013, National Malala Peace Prize 2011, Ambassador of Conscience Award 2013, Mother Teresa Awards 2012, Shorty Award for Teen Hero 2015, The US Glamour Award for Woman of the Year 2013.

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Early Life Malala On July 12, 1997, Malala Yousafzai was born in Mingora, Pakistan, located in the country’s Swat Valley. For the first few years of her life, her hometown remained a popular tourist spot that was known for its summer festivals.

However, the area began to change as the Taliban tried to take control.

Initial Activism Yousafzai attended a school that her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, had founded. After the Taliban began attacking girls’ schools in Swat, Malala gave a speech in Peshawar, Pakistan, in September 2008. The title of her talk was, “How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?”

In early 2009, Yousafzai began blogging for the BBC about living under the Taliban’s threats to deny her an education. In order to hide her identity, she used the name Gul Makai. However, she was revealed to be the BBC blogger in December of that year.

With a growing public platform, Yousafzai continued to speak out about her right, and the right of all women, to an education. Her activism resulted in a nomination

Yousafzai on a special visit to Strasbourg in November 2013 for the International Children’s Peace Prize in 2011. That same year, she was awarded Pakistan’s National Youth Peace Prize.

Targeted by the Taliban When she was 14, Malala and her family learned that the Taliban had issued a death threat against her. Though Malala was frightened for the safety of her father—an anti-Taliban activist—she and her family initially felt that the fundamentalist group would not actually harm a child.

On October 9, 2012, on her way home from school, a man boarded the bus Malala was riding in and demanded to know which girl was Malala.

When her friends looked toward Malala, her location was given away. The gunman fired at her, hitting Malala in the left side of her head; the bullet then traveled down her neck. Two other girls were also injured in the attack.

The shooting left Malala in critical condition, so she was flown to a military hospital in Peshawar. A portion of her skull was removed to treat her swelling brain. To receive further care, she was transferred to Birmingham, England.

Malala Yousafzai Family

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In October 2015, a Documentary about her life will be released.

HE NAMED ME MALALA is directed by Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth,Waiting for Superman) will give viewers an intimate look into the life of Malala, her family, and her commitment to supporting education for girls around the world.

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Awards

2015 NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS Physics * Takaaki Kajita, *Arthur B.McDonald

Chemistry * Tomas Lindahl, * Paul Modrich, * Aziz Sancar,

Medicine * William C.Campbell, * Satoshi Omura, * Youyou Tu.

Peace

* Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet

Economic Sciences * Angus Deaton

Literature * Svetlana Alexievich

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Alfred Nobel

The Nobel Foundation A Century of Growth and Change

O

n June 29, 2000, the Nobel Foundation celebrated its 100th anniversary. The Foundation and especially the Nobel Prizes - which were first awarded in 1901 - are closely linked to the history of modern science, the arts, and political development throughout the 20th century.

Background and Establishment of the Nobel Foundation Alfred Nobel died on December 10, 1896. The provisions of his will and their unusual purpose, as well as their partly incomplete form, attracted great attention and soon led to skepticism and criticism, also aimed at the testator due to his international spirit. Only after several years of negotiations and often rather bitter conflicts,

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and after various obstacles had been circumvented or overcome, could the fundamental concepts presented in the will assume solid form with the establishment of the Nobel Foundation. On April 26, 1897, the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) approved the will and soon afterwards elected members to the prize-awarding Norwegian Nobel Committee of the Storting.

In 1898 the other prize-awarding bodies followed suit, approving the will after mediation: Karolinska Institutet on June 7, the Swedish Academy on June 9 and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on June 11.

My great Dear Kids, aell awarded ar people whoy name were once m this prize onlike you and me! kids k , sincerity r o w d r a h t a Remember icthation can lead you to and ded at heights !! gre

Paul Corkum, University Of Ottawa Professor, Could Win Nobel Prize

The will was now settled. The task of achieving unity among all the affected parties on how to put its provisions into practice remained. The final version of the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation contained clarifications of the wording of the will and a provision that prizes not considered possible to award could be allocated to funds that would otherwise promote the intentions of the testator. The Statutes provided for the establishment of Nobel Committees to perform prize adjudication work and Nobel Institutes to support this work, as well as the appointment of a Board of Directors in charge of the Foundation’s financial and administrative management.

On June 29, 1900, the Statutes of the newly created legatee, the Nobel Foundation, and special regulations for the Swedish PrizeAwarding Institutions were promulgated by the King in Council (Oscar II). The same year as the political union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved in 1905, special regulations were adopted on April 10, 1905, by the Nobel Committee of the Storting (known since January 1, 1977 as the Norwegian Nobel Committee), the awarder of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Objectives of the Foundation

ze , an in the pri ..spoke the m k! own in a shoc leaving the cr

The Nobel Foundation is a private institution. It is entrusted with protecting the common interests of the Prize Awarding Institutions named in the will, as well as representing the Nobel institutions externally. This includes informational activities as well as arrangements related to the presentation of the Nobel Prizes. The Foundation is not, however, involved in the selection process and the final choice of the Laureates (as Nobel Prize winners are also called). In this work, the Prize-Awarding Institutions are not only entirely independent of all government agencies and organizations, but also of the Nobel Foundation.

Their autonomy is of crucial importance to the objectivity and quality of their prize decisions. One vital task of the Foundation is to manage its assets in such a way as to safeguard the financial base of the prizes themselves and of the prize selection process.

The Nobel Institutions Physics, Chemistry (Economics) Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences about 350 members 2 Nobel Committees, 1 Pried Committee, 5 members each

Physiology or Medicine Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet 50 members Nobel Committee, 5 members

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Literature

Peace

Swedish Academy 18 members Nobel Committee, 3-5 members

Norwegian Nobel Committee 5 members

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Physics Prize

Chemistry Prize

Arthur B. McDonald and Takaaki Kajita

Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar

Metamorphosis in the particle world

The cells’ toolbox for DNA repair

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2015 recognises Takaaki Kajita in Japan and Arthur B. McDonald in Canada, for their key contributions to the experiments which demonstrated that neutrinos change identities. This metamorphosis requires that neutrinos have mass. The discovery has changed our understanding of the innermost workings of matter and can prove crucial to our view of the universe.

Tomas Lindahl (UK), Paul Modrich (USA), Aziz Sancar (USA)

Arthur B McDonald (USA), Takaaki Kajita (Japan)

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2015 is awarded to Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar for having mapped, at a molecular level, how cells repair damaged DNA and safeguard the genetic information. Their work has provided fundamental knowledge of how a living cell functions and is, for instance, used for the development of new cancer treatments.

Peace Prize The Tunisia’s National Dialogue Quartet won the Peace Prize for its efforts to bring democracy to the country, where the political upheaval in 2011 sparked pro-democracy movements throughout the Arab world. The academy praised the group “for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011.”

“It established an alternative, peaceful political process at a time when the country was on the brink of civil war,” the committee said.

The members of the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

The National Dialogue Quartet is made up of four organizations: the Tunisian General Labour Union; Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts; Tunisian Human Rights League; and Tunisian Order of Lawyers.

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Economic Sciences

William C Campbell (Ireland), Satoshi Omura (Japan) and Youyou Tu (China)

Scottish economist Angus Deaton, who now works at Princeton University, won for “his analysis of consumption, poverty, and welfare.”

Deaton is being honored for his work that revolves around three central questions: How do consumers distribute their spending among different goods; how much of society’s income is spent and how much is saved; and how do we best measure and analyze welfare and poverty?

Medicine Prize The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015 was awarded with one half jointly to William C. Campbell and Satoshi Omura for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites and the other half to Youyou Tu for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria.

Angus Deaton (UK)

Literature Prize The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2015 is awarded to the Belarusian author Svetlana Alexievich “for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time”.

Svetlana Alexievich (Belarus)

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Career Awaren ess

T

he Armed Forces offer excellent career opportunities to adventurous young candidates who aspire to be pilots. It is a career that offers immense facilities, a privileged lifestyle and, of course, the honor of serving our motherland.

You can become an IAF Pilot by availing one of the following opportunities.

How to become an Indian Airforce pilot I. Through the National Defense Academy (NDA) To join the NDA you need to fulfill the following requirements:

Eligibility Criteria 1. Educational Qualification: You should have passed/appeared for 10+2 exams, where studying Physics and Mathematics are compulsary.

2. Age: 16½ to 19 years 3. Nationality: Indian 4. Gender: This is applicable only to men .

5. Physical Standards: The general physical requirements common for all candidates are: 1. Must be in good physical and mental health and free from any disease/ disability, which is likely to interfere with efficient performance of duties.

There should be no evidence of weak constitution, bodily defects or overweight.

6. Your hearing should be normal without any evidence of present or past disease of the ear, nose and throat.

7. There should be no sign of functional or organic disease of the heart and blood vessels. Your blood pressure should be normal.

8. The muscles of the abdomen should be well developed without any enlargement of the liver or spleen. Any evidence of disease of internal organs of the abdomen can be a cause for rejection.

9. An unoperated hernia can make you unfit for selection. If operated, this should have been done at least six months prior to the present examination, and healing should be complete without any potential for recurrence.

3. Your chest should be well developed. The minimum range of expansion after full inspiration should be 5 cm.

10. There should be no hydrocele, varicocele or piles. If operated for hydromel and/or varicocele, this should have been done at least six months prior to the present examination, and healing should be complete without any recurrence.

4. There should be no disease of bones and joints of the body.

11. Urine examination will be

2. The height and weight standards for men and women differ.

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5. Should be free of any past history of mental breakdown or fits.

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done, and if any abnormality is detected the candidate can be rejected.

12. Any disease of the skin, which is likely to cause disability or disfigurement, will also be a cause for rejection.

13. Vision will be tested and you must have good binocular vision. In case you have undergone or are detected to have undergone Radial Keratotomy, or any other procedure, to improve the visual acuity, you will be permanently rejected.

14. You should have sufficient number of natural and sound teeth. A minimum of 14 dental points will be acceptable. When 32 teeth are present, the total dental points are 22. You should not be suffering from severe pyorrhea.

II. Through Combined Defense Services Exam (CDSE) To join threw CDSE you need to fulfill the following requirements:

Eligibility Criteria 1. Educational Qualification ■ First Class graduation (minimum 60% aggregate marks) in any discipline (three years) with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level.

■ First Class (minimum 60% aggregate marks) in B.E./B.Tech. (four years).

■ Final Year students can also apply if they don’t have any arrears (backlog) and have a minimum of 60% aggregate marks in the previous year/semester.

2. Age: 19 to 23 years 3. Nationality: Indian 4. Marital Status: Single

The Process To become an IAF Pilot one has to follow the below given steps.

Step 1 – Scrutiny of Applications After scrutiny of the application for the eligibility sent by you to the IAF, you will receive a call letter with further instructions.

any one of the Air Force Selection Boards located at Dehradun, Varanasi or Mysore. At the Air Force Selection Boards, you undergo a number of psychological tests, an interview and group activities, which are collectively called the Officer Like Qualities (OLQ) Tests. These tests are designed to gauge your potential and suitability as an officer in the Armed Forces.

Short description of the tests • The psychological tests are written tests that are conducted by a psychologist.

• The group tests are interactive indoor and outdoor tests. Active physical participation of the candidate is expected.

• The interview involves a personal conversation with the Interviewing Officer.

The following is the schedule for OLQ Tests Schedule for flying branch • Day 1 Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (Most Important Test) • Day 2 Phase I & Psychological Tests • Day 3 Group Tests • Day 4 Group Tests Interview • Day 5 Interview • Day 6 Conference

If you are seeking entry into the Flying Branch through the NDA or CDSE, your applications needs to be sent to UPSC, New Delhi. They conduct a written test twice a year, in April and August for NDA and in April and September for CDSE. Advertisements for the examinations are released about six months in advance. Qualifying in these exams take you to step two.

If you apply for Short Service Commission Flying (Pilot) or as an National Cadet Corp Senior Division ‘C’ certificate holder, your application is processed by Air HQ and the call letter issued by [AFSB]s.

Step 2 -Testing Officer-Like Qualities After successfully clearing Step 1, you will receive a call letter to report to

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Most important test to become an IAF Pilot Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (PABT) is an unique test. It is aimed at assessing a candidate’s aptitude to be trained as a pilot. PABT is being used as an independent selection device to induct potential officers into Flying Branch of Indian Air Force. PABT comprises three tests namely: Instrument Battery Test (INSB), Sensory Motor Apparatus Test (SMA) and Control Velocity Test (CVT). Instrument Battery Test (INSB) is a paper-pencil test and the other two are machine tests.

The Instruments Battery Test (INSB) comprises of two parts. This test assesses assimilation of the briefing and the ability of an individual to read and interpret the dials of the instrument panel of an aircraft. The candidates who score the minimum criteria are subjected to the machine test.

The machine test includes Sensory Motor Apparatus Test (SMA) and Control Velocity Test (CVT). These tests measure the psychomotor coordination skill of the individual. These tests are conducted on a single day and administered only once in an individual’s lifetime.

Air Force Pilot Career Options Once inducted in the IAF as pilot, you can move on to the following given positions based on your ability and service experience.

■ Flying Officer ■ Flight Lieutenant ■ Squadron Leader ■ Wing Commander ■ Group Captain ■ Air Commodore ■ Air Vice Marshal ■ Air Marshal ■ Air Chief Marshal (Highest rank in the Indian Air Force)

Only those candidates who qualify in Phase I shall be retained at AFSB for further testing of Phase II. Those recommended by the AFSBs are required to fill up certain documents at the Boards and subsequently move to the next step.

Step 3 – Conducting of Medical Examinations If found suitable by the Selection Board, you would be sent to the Air Force Central Medical Establishment, New Delhi or the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Bangalore for a thorough medical examination.

Step 4 – Preparing All India Merit List An All India Merit List is compiled on the basis of your performance at the AFSB and is subject to you being medically fit. Based on the vacancies available, Air Headquarters will issue joining instructions to you to join Air Force Academy for the training.

The Flying branch includes Fighter pilots – the most elite persons of the Air force who fly combat or fighter planes (like Mirage 2000, MIG 29, MIG 27, Jaguar, MIG 25, MIG 23 and MIG 21) carrying ammunition and missiles; Transport pilots who fly planes (like huge IL 76 (Gajraj) and AN 32 ) which carry men and materials, and Helicopter (like MI-17) pilots who provide air support to a moving army, or are used for para-dropping men and supplies. Depending on your performance in the training, the plane you will be flying after completing your training in the academy is decided.

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e n th i p ..

U look sky,

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It's a a bird...... It's plane.....

Nov 2015

ItsIANCE!!!!

INDFOR AIR

History

The Battle ofPlassey Battle Plassey War Anglo-French Wars in India (The Third Carnatic War)

About

Combatants The British East India Company against Siraj-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, and a small French force. The British were assisted by traitors in the Nawab’s high command.

The Battle of Plassey was a battle that took place on June 23, 1757, on the banks of the Bhagirathi River, about 150 km north of Calcutta. It is near Murshidabad, then the capital of the Nawab of Bengal in India. Palashir, an extravagant red flowering tree known as “Flame of the forest,” gives its name to a small village near the battlefield. A phonetically accurate romanizing of the Bengali name would be Battle of Palashi, but the spelling “Plassey” is now conventional.

The battle was between Siraj Ud Daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal, and the forces of the British East India Company. Siraj-udDaulah’s army commander had defected to the British, causing his army to collapse. After this defeat, the entire province of Bengal passed to the Company, and this battle is today seen as one of the pivotal battles leading to the British Empire in India.

Generals Colonel Robert Clive against Sirajud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal.

The enormous wealth gained from the Bengal treasury after its victory in the battle allowed the Company to significantly strengthen its military might.

Size of the armies Clive’s army at Plassey comprised 950 European Troops (including 250 men of His Majesty’s 39th Foot), 2,100 native troops being sepoys and topazes, 60 sailors and 100 artillerymen, with 8 six pounder and 2 howitzers.

Siraj-ud-Daulah’s army comprised 40,000 infantry, 20,000 cavalry and 53 pieces of cannon, being 18, 24 and 32 pounders. A small French force commanded by St Frais provided supervision for the artillery and manned some guns.

The battle was waged during the period when the British and French governments were fighting the Seven Years’ War in Europe (1756–1763).

The French East India Company (La Compagnie des Indes Orientales) sent a small contingent to fight against the British East India Company. The British victory both eliminated French competition in India and resulted in a treaty arrangement with the Moghul Empire that left the East India Companyde facto ruler of the province of Bengal. From this base, the Company set about extending effective rule over the whole of the Indian Sub-Continent.

Date 23rd June 1757 Place In Bengal on the Bhagirathi River to the north of Calcutta.

Winner The English army of Robert Clive assisted by traitors in the army of Siraj-ud-Daulah.

The Battle of Plassey was one of the major steps that brought England to dominate and conquer India. It was not only a battle with local authorities but part of the rivalry with France over available markets. However, European colonial expansion was a part of an even bigger phenomenon that would bind the peoples and cultures of the world together through dissemination of technology and sharing among cultures. In years to come it would bring the Western colonialists to some awareness of their spiritual responsibility for other nations—for example, no matter how wide was the gap between the rich and poor in the West, in the East it was even wider. In this respect, the Battle of Plassey can be seen as one

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step in a sad but necessary process. However, the method of colonial conquest cannot be accepted in this age, when the peoples of the world recognize their interdependence and the need to establish a world of mutual prosperity and shared values, by peaceful means.

Background The ostensible reason for the battle was Siraj-ud-Daulah’s earlier attack and capture of Fort William, Calcutta (which he renamed to Alinagar) during June 1756, but the battle is today seen as part of the geopolitical ambition of the East India Company and the larger dynamics of colonial conquest.

This conflict was precipitated by a number of disputes: ● The illegal use of Mughal Imperial export trade permits (dastaks) granted to the British in 1717, for engaging in internal trade within India. The British cited this permit as their excuse for not paying taxes to the Bengal Nawab. ● British interference in the Nawab’s court, and particularly their support for one of his aunts, Ghaseti Begum. The son of Ghaseti’s treasurer had sought refuge in Fort William and Siraj demanded his return. ● Additional fortifications with mounted guns had been placed on Fort William without the consent of the Nawab ● Their policy of favoring Hindu Marwari merchants such as Jagat Sheth During this capture of Fort William, of June 1756, an event occurred that came to be known as the Black Hole of Calcutta. A narrative by one John Zephaniah Holwell, plus the testimony of another survivor, Cooke, to a select committee of the House of Commons, coupled with subsequent verification by Robert Orme, placed 146 British prisoners into a room measuring 18 by 15 feet with only 23 surviving the night. The story was amplified in colonial literature, but the facts are widely disputed.

In any event, the Black Hole incident, which is often cited as a reason for the Battle at Plassey, was not widely known until James Mill’s History of India (1858), after which it became the grist of student texts on India.

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As the forces for the battle were building up, the British settlement at Fort William sought assistance from Presidency of Fort St. George at Madras, which sent Colonel Robert Clive and Admiral Charles Watson.

Growing French Influence

In the midst of all of this, there was an ongoing court intrigue at Siraj Ud Daulah’s court at Murshidabad. Siraj was not a particularly wellloved ruler. Young (he succeeded his father in April, 1756 at age 27) and impetuous, he was prone to quickly make enemies. The most dangerous of these was his wealthy and influential aunt, Ghaseti Begum (Meherun-Nisa), who wanted another nephew, Shawkat Jang, installed as Nawab.

Mir Jafar, commander-in-chief of the army, was also uneasy with Siraj, and was courted assiduously by Ghaseti. Eventually, through the connivance of traders such as Amichand (who had suffered as a result of the siege of Calcutta), and William Watts, Mir Jafar was brought into the British fold.

The Company had long decided that a change of regime would be conducive to their interests in Bengal. In 1752, Robert Orme, in a letter to Clive, noted that the company would have to remove Siraj’s grandfather, Alivardi Khan, in order to prosper.

After the premature death of Alivardi Khan in April 1756, his nominated successor was Sirajud-Daulah, a grandson whom Alivardi had

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adopted. The circumstances of this transition gave rise to considerable controversy and the British began supporting the intrigues of Alivardi’s eldest daughter, Ghaseti Begum against that of his grandson, Siraj.

Instructions dated October 13, 1756, from Fort St. George instructed Robert Clive, “to effect a junction with any powers in the province of Bengal that might be dissatisfied with the violence of the Nawab’s government or that might have pretensions to the Nawabship.”

Accordingly, Robert was negotiating with two potential contenders, one of Siraj’s generals, Yar Latif Khan, and Siraj’s grand-uncle and army chief, Mir Jafar Ali Khan, through William Watts, chief of the Kasimbazar factory of the Company, who was proficient in Bengali, and Persian languages.

On April 23, 1757, the Select Committee of the Board of Directors of the British East India Company approved Coup d’état as its policy in Bengal.

Mir Jafar, negotiating through an Armenian merchant, Khwaja Petruse, was the Company’s final choice. Finally, on June 5, 1757, a written agreement was signed between the Company, represented by Clive, and Mir Jafar, ensuring that Mir Jafar would be appointed Nawab of Bengal, once Siraj Ud Daulah was deposed.

Company Policy

Growing on the sidelines was the French influence, at the urging of the enterprising French Governor-General Joseph François Dupleix, at the court of the Nawab. This was resulting in increasing French trade in Bengal.

They lent the Nawab some French soldiers to operate heavy artillery pieces.

In the midst of all of this, there was an ongoing court intrigue at Siraj Ud Daulah’s court at Murshidabad. Siraj was not a particularly wellloved ruler. Young (he succeeded his father in April, 1756 at age 27) and impetuous, he was prone to quickly make enemies. The most dangerous of these was his wealthy and influential aunt, Ghaseti Begum (Meherun-Nisa), who wanted another nephew, Shawkat Jang, installed as Nawab.

Mir Jafar, commander-in-chief of the army, was also uneasy with Siraj, and was courted assiduously by Ghaseti. Eventually, through the connivance of traders such as Amichand (who had suffered as a result of the siege of Calcutta), and William Watts, Mir Jafar was brought into the British fold.

The Company had long decided that a change of regime would be conducive to their interests in Bengal. In 1752, Robert Orme, in a letter to Clive, noted that the company would have to remove Siraj’s grandfather, Alivardi Khan, in order to prosper.

Ahmad Shah Abdali At the same time, Siraj Ud Daulah was facing conflicts on two fronts. On his Western border was the advancing army of the Afghan, Ahmad Shah Abdali who had captured and looted Delhi in 1756.

So although he was humiliated by the Treaty, Siraj Ud Daulah sent the better part of his troops west under the command of his general, Raja Ram Narain.

Nov 2015 IGNITING MINDS

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Science

Asteroids Asteroids are small Solar System bodies that orbit the Sun. Made of rock and metal, they can also contain organic compounds.

Asteroids are similar to comets but do not have a visible coma (fuzzy outline and tail) like comets do.

Asteroids are also known as planetoids or minor planets.

Asteroids vary greatly in size, some feature diameters as small as ten meters while others stretch out over hundreds of kilometers. Note that objects under ten meters in diameter are generally regarded as meteoroids.

The first asteroid was discovered in 1801 by Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi. Named Ceres, it features a diameter of around 950 kilometers and is now regarded as a dwarf planet. Ceres was given dwarf planet status in 2006, along with Pluto, Eris, Makemake and Haumea.

WOW! Did you know that Asteroids are also known as planetoids or minor planets.

The asteroid belt lies roughly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in the Solar System. It is home to a large amount of irregular shaped asteroids that range in size from dust through to the dwarf planet Ceres.

The technology used for discovering asteroids has improved dramatically since original discoveries and astronomers now have access to a range of powerful telescopes to aid in their research and discoveries.

It is believed by many scientists and researchers that an asteroid impact was the cause behind the extinction of the dinosaurs around 65 million years ago.

The possibility of an asteroid colliding with Earth has received increased attention over recent years. The Shoemaker-Levy comet that collided with Jupiter in 1994 were given widespread media coverage and Hollywood also played its part with moves such as Deep Impact (1998) and Armageddon (1998).

While these movies sometimes featured dubious science they certainly increased public awareness of the topic.

There are now many groups and organizations thatuse automated systems to discover near Earth asteroids. While many are discovered, they rarely have the potential to cross paths with Earth.

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There have been many ideas suggested as ways to avoid the unlikely but potentially devastating impact of an asteroid collision with Earth, these include using nuclear explosions to break the asteroid into smaller pieces or other weapons to deflect it off course.

Asteroid Facts 1. Asteroids aren’t the only things that hit Earth. Each day, more than 100 tons of material from asteroids and comets falls toward Earth. Most of it is destroyed by friction as it passes through our atmosphere. If something DOES hit the ground, it is known as a meteorite.

2. While asteroid impacts were more common in the past, they aren’t as frequent today.

3. An asteroid impact some 65 million years ago contributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs. (It was one of several factors that affected all life on Earth at that time.)

4. Earth suffers an impact from an object the size of a football field about once every 2,000 years 5. A car-sized meteoroid (a piece of asteroid) falls into Earth’s atmosphere about once a year. The result is a beautiful fireball, but the meteoroid usually burns up before reaching the ground.

6. Asteroids are rich in precious metals and other metals, as well as water.

7. Some asteroids are actually blown-out comets. The ices are gone, and all that’s left is the rocky material.

8. Some asteroids have moons of their own!

9. Most asteroids orbit the Sun in the Asteroid Belt, which lies between Mars and Jupiter.

10. Asteroids are also referred to as minor planets or planetoids.

Nov 2015 IGNITING MINDS

37

Mathematics

VEDIC MATHEMATICS

By Adluru Narasimha Murthy M.Sc., M.Phil.

A).The Squares of two-digit number writing and Computing in the form of a2/2ab/b2 Sl.No

Number

Computation

Square Value

1

23

22/2(2)(3)/32 = 4/12/9 –(4+1)/2/9 = 529

529

2

27

22/2(2)(7)/72 = 4/28/49 – 4/28+4/9 – 4/32/9

729

3

28

22/2(2)(8)/822 = 4/32/64 – 4/32+6/4 – 4/38/4

784

4

35

32/2(3)(5)/52 = 9/30/25 – 9/30+2/5 – 9/32/5

1225

5

49

42/2(4)(9)/92 = 16/72/81 – 16/72+8/1 – 16/80/1

2401

6

67

62/2(6)(7)/72 = 36/84/49 – 36/84+4/9 – 36/88/9

4489

B).The Squares of three – digit number writing and computing in the form of a2/2ab/2ac+b2/2bc/c2.

Sl.No

38

Number

Computation 12/2(1)(2)/

2(1)(4)+22/2(2)

Square Value (4)/42

1

124

15376

2

261

22/2(2)(6)/2(2)(2)+62/2(6)(2)/22 = 4/24/44/24/4 → (4+2)/(4+4)/ (4+2)/44

68644

3

412

42/2(4)(1)/2(4)(2)+12/2(1)(2)/22 = 16/8/17/4/4 → 16/(18+1)/7/4/4

169744

4

932

92/2(9)(3)/2(9)(2)+32/2(3)(2)/22 =81/54/45/12/4 → (81+5)/(4+4)/ (5+1)/24

868624

5

135

12/2(1)(3)/2(1)(5)+32/2(3)(5)/52 =1/6/19. 30/25 → 16/19/32/5

18225

= 1/4/12/16/16 → 1+4+1/2+1/6+1/6

IGNITING MINDS

Nov 2015

Friends, did you know that vedic mathematics first came to light in a book published in 1965 by the impressively named Bharati Krishna Tirthaji - an Indian mathematician.

C).The Cube Values two – digit number writing and computing in the form of a3/3a2b/3ab2/b3.

Sl.No 1

Number

Computation

Square Value

15

13/3(1)2(5)/3(1)(5)2/53

3375

=1/15/75/125=1/15/75+12/5 =1/15/57/5 → 1/23/7/5 2

19

13/3(1)2(9)/3(1)(9)2/93 =1/27/243/729 =1/27/243/72/9 = 1/27/315/9 → 1/27+31/5/9

6859

3

56

53/3(5)2(6)/3(5)(6)2/63 =125/450/540/216 =125/450/540/21/6 = 125/450/56/1/6 → 123/506/1/6

175616

D). Direct formula to compute three digit cube value (103)3 → 100+3x3 9x3 33

=109 =27 =27

→ 109/27/27 →1092727

(103)3 = 1092727 ________________________________________________________________________ (104)3 → 100+4x3 12x4 43

=112 =48 =64 → 112/48/64 →1124864 (104)3 = 1124864 ________________________________________________________________________ (106)3 → 100+6x3 18x6 63

=118 =108 = 216 → 118/108+2/16 → 118/110/16 → (118+1)/10/16 → 1191016 (106)3 = 1191016. ________________________________________________________________________

E). Computing the square roots of 5digit and 6 digit numbers as follows.

A). √80089 2 +2 48 +8

80089 -4 400 -384

563

1689 -1689 0

B). √177241 4 +4 82 +2

177241 -16 172 -162

841

841 -841

421

0

√177241 = 421

F). Checking the multiplicative values or product values of the given numbers. a). 224x181 = 40544 → (2+2+4)x(1+8+1) = (4+0+5+4+4) =(8)x(10)=(17) =8x(1+0) = 1+7 =8x1 = 8 =8=8 ( It is the checking by adding digits only) b). 9864x7481 = 73792584 → (9+8+6+4)x(7+4+8+1) = (7+3+7+9+2+5+8+4) =(27)x(20) = 45 =(2+7)x(2+0) = (4+5) =9x2 = 9 =18 = 9 =1+8 = 9 =9=9 C). (22)4 = 22x22x22x22 = 234256 → (2+2)x(2+2)x(2+2)x(2+2) = (2+3+4+2+5+6) = (4)x(4)x(4)x(4) = 22 =256=22 =2+5+6 = 2+2 = 13 = 4 = 1+3 = 4 =4=4

283 d). 53-38 = 15 (Subtraction) → (5+3) - (3+8) = 1+5 = 8-11 = 6 = 8-2 = 6 6=6

√80089 = 283

Nov 2015 IGNITING MINDS

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Computer Prog ramming

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IT IT Stands for “Information Technology” and is pronounced “IT” It refers to anything related to computing technology, such as networking, hardware, software, the Internet, or the people that work with these technologies. Since we live in the “information age,” information technology has become a part of our everyday lives. That means the term “IT,” already highly overused, is here to stay.

Rajesh Thiruvaskur Senior Architect at Centrica Informatics

BENEFITS OF IT Computing plays an important role in virtually all fields, including science and medicine, music and art, business, law, health care, human communication and education; hence computing is inherently interdisciplinary. “every child across the globe should learn how to program computer” and we strongly believe in that, it is same reason we started this article on Computer Programming using Go Language which will continue in our next editions.

It’s hard to argue with the importance of teaching students how to use computers — how to turn on, log on, search the Web, and use applications. These skills are absolutely necessary for students academic success as well as for their future job prospects.

Being able to use the Internet and operate computers is one thing, but it may be just as valuable to teach students how to code. Giving students an introduction to programming helps peel back the layers of what happens inside computers and how computers communicate with one another online. Programming knowledge, even at a very basic level, makes technology seem less magical and more manageable. Programming also teaches other important skills, including math and logic.

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Google’s Go Programming language The Go Programming Language (Go) is an open-source programming language sponsored by Google and created by Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson that aims to simplify systems programming and to make programming fun and Go is used in many real systems at Google.

We are trying to give a programming touch to students to learn and understand how to program using Go language, we are preparing these sessions to target those who do not have any programming background.

Now let us write one simple program using Go, the famous example “HELLO WORLD” which almost you can find in introduction of any programming language, let change it little bit to make it more fun, you can write anything I am going to say “HELLO, IGNITING MINDS VIEWERS” // program starts here package main import “fmt” func main() {

fmt.Println(“Hello, Igniting Minds Viewers”)

fmt.Println(“Thank You for Subscribing”)

fmt.Println(“Please send us your feedback at info@ignitingminds. co.in”) } // program Ends here You can copy above language instructions and paste on https://golang. org and hit run to get results.

This Sounds Fun!!

Now I have new things to do on my sister's computer!!

Nov 2015 IGNITING MINDS

41

Sociology

Fundamentals of Sociology

T

he world in which we live is rapidly changing. Sociology provides many distinctive perspectives on the world, generating new ideas and critiquing the old. The field also offers a range of research techniques that can be applied to virtually any aspect of social life: street crime and delinquency, corporate downsizing, how people express emotions, welfare or educational reforms, how families differ and flourish, or problems of peace and war. Because sociology addresses the most challenging issues of our time, it is a rapidly expanding field whose potential is increasingly tapped by those who craft policies and create programs.

Sociology gives us the tools to better understand our lives and of those which are quite remote from us. Sociology is the science of society as a whole. No other social science endeavors to study society in its totality.

Social sciences like history, economics, political science, anthropology, psychology etc. deal with particular aspects of society. These social sciences do not give a complete picture of the society, which Sociology does.

Meaning of Sociology The term “Sociology” is derived from the Latin word Socinus, meaning companion or associate, and the Greek word logos, meaning study or science. Thus, sociology is the science of society.

Father of Sociology French-thinker Augusta Comte (1798–1857) is considered to bathe father of Sociology. He introduced the word “sociology” for the first time in his

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famous book Positive Philosophy in the year 1838. He defined sociology as the science of social phenomena “subject to natural and invariable laws, the discovery of which is the object of investigation”.

Definition Sociology is the study of human social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. It is the systematic study of human societies with special emphasis on modern, industrialized systems. The subject arose as an attempt to understand the far-reaching changes in human societies.

We can conclude that Sociology: 1. Is a science of society; 2. A social science involving the study of the social lives of people, groups, and societies or social system; 3. A study of social relationships; 4. A study of our behavior as social beings, including everything from the analysis of short contacts between anonymous individuals on the street to the study of global social processes; 5. A study of social action; 6. It is the study of human interactions and interrelations, their conditions and consequences; 7. The scientific study of social aggregations, the entities through which humans move throughout their lives’; 8. The study of social phenomena; 9. An overarching unification of all studies of humankind, including history, psychology, and economics.

Other Definitions by Sociological Thinkers ► Max Weber defines sociology as “the science which attempts the interpretative understanding of social action in order to arrive at a casual explanation of its course and effects”. ► Henry Fairchild: “Sociology is the study of man and his human environment in their relations to each other.” ► Kimball Young and Raymond W. Mack:“Sociology is the scientific study of social aspects of human life.” ► Harry M. Johnson writes, “Sociology is the science that deals with social groups: their internal forms or modes of organization, the processes that tend to maintain or change these forms of organization, and the relations between groups.”

Famous Sociologists ■ Augusta Comte (1798–1857) ■ Emile Durkheim (1858–1917) ■ Karl Marx (1818–1883) ■ Max Weber (1864–1920) ■ Charles Wright Mills (1916–1962) ■ Daniel Bell (1919–2011) ■ Erving Goff man (1922–1982) ■ Pierre Bourdieu (1930–2002) ■ Herbert Spencer (1820–1903)

This Field Explores The structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact within these contexts are studied. Since all human behavior is social, the subject matter of sociology ranges from the intimate family to the hostile mob; from organized crime to religious cults; from the divisions of race, gender, and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture; and from the sociology of work to the sociology of sports.

In fact, few fields have such broad scope and relevance for research, theory, and application of knowledge.

Sociologists strive to understand how humans interact with one another to create the lasting institutions and organizations that link generations in civilization. In addition, they devote serious attention to the manner in which those institutions and organizations influence human interaction. Finally, sociologists are interested in promoting social change to resolve problems of society. Hence, we can say that Sociology is the one social science which embraces the whole range of human activities, and this makes it a very wide field of study.

► According to MacIver and Page, “Sociology is ‘about’ social relationships, the network of relationship we call society.”

Nov 2015 IGNITING MINDS

Archana sabba M.A. in Sociology

43

Pride of India

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Educationist & Scholar Extraordinary

S

ayyid Abul Kalam Muhiyuddin Ahmed Azad was an Indian scholar and a senior political leader of the Indian

independence movement. Following India’s independence, he became the first [Minister of Education] in the Indian government.

Parents: Alia, Muhammad Khairuddin Born: November 11, 1888, Mecca, Saudi Arabia Died: 22 February 1958 (aged 69), Delhi Spouse: Zuleikha Begum Political Career: Indian National Congress Awards: Bharat Ratna

Abul Kalam Azad, original name Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin, also called Maulana Abul Kalam Azad or Maulana Azad (born November 11, 1888, Mecca [now in Saudi Arabia]died February 22, 1958, New Delhi, India), Islamictheologian who was one of the leaders of the Indian independence movement against British rule in the first half of the 20th century.

He was highly respected throughout his life as a man of high moral integrity.

Azad was the son of an Indian Muslim scholar living in Mecca and his Arabic wife. The family moved back to India (Calcutta [now Kolkata]) when he was young, and he received a traditional Islamic education at home from his father and other Islamic scholars rather than at a madrasah (Islamic school). However, he was also influenced by the emphasis that Indian educator Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan placed

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he joined the Indian National Congress (Congress Party) and galvanized India’s Muslim community through an appeal to pan-Islamic ideals. He was particularly active in the short-lived Khilafat movement (1920–24), which defended the Ottoman sultan as the caliph (the head of the worldwide Muslim community) and even briefly enlisted the support of Mohandas K. Gandhi.

Azad and Gandhi became close, and Azad was involved in Gandhi’s various civil-disobedience (satyagraha) campaigns, including the Salt March (1930).

He was imprisoned several times between 1920 and 1945, including for his participation in the anti-British Quit India campaign during World War II. Azad was president of the Congress Party in 1923 and again in 1940–46—though the party was largely inactive during much of his second term, since nearly all of its leadership was in prison.

▲

Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

Azad became the most prominent Muslim opponent of the demand for a separate Muslim state of Pakistan and served in the interim national government.

After the war Azad was one of the Indian leaders who negotiated for Indian independence with the British.

He tirelessly advocated for a single India that would embrace both Hindus and Muslims while strongly opposing the partition of British India into independent India and Pakistan. He later blamed both Congress Party leaders and Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, for the ultimate division of the subcontinent. After the two separate countries were established, he served as minister of education in the Indian government of Jawaharlal Nehru from 1947 until his death. His autobiography,India Wins Freedom, was published posthumously in 1959. In 1992, decades after his death, Azad was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.

on getting a well-rounded education, and he learned English without his father’s knowledge.

Azad became active in journalism when he was in his late teens, and in 1912 he began publishing a weekly Urdu-language newspaper in Calcutta, Al-Hilal (“The Crescent”). The paper quickly became highly influential in the Muslim community for its anti-British stance, notably for its criticism of Indian Muslims who were loyal to the British. Al-Hilal was soon banned by British authorities, as was a second weekly newspaper that he had started. By 1916 he had been banished to Ranchi (in present-day Jharkhand state), where he remained until the beginning of 1920. Back in Calcutta,

Nov 2015 IGNITING MINDS

OH! I just realised my grandpa from Darjeeling looks so like Abdul Kalam Azad ji!

And he was a freedom figher too!!

45

Country

GERMANY Official name: Federal Republic of Germany Form of Government: Federal republic President: Joachim Gauck (2012) Chancellor: Angela Merkel (2005) Capital: Berlin Population: 82,422,299 Official language: German Money: Euro Area: 134,838 square miles (349,223 square kilometers) Religions: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Islam 4%, Unaffiliated or other 28% Major rivers: Rhine, Elbe, Main, Danube Flag colors: black, red and gold

Geography Germany’s central and southern regions have forested hills and mountains cut through by the Danube, Main, and Rhine river valleys. In the north, the landscape flattens out to a wide plain that stretches to the North Sea. Between these extremes, Germany is a country of incredible variety.

Germany’s location at the heart of Europe has shaped its history both for good and bad. It borders nine neighbors, more than any other European country.

Germany’s largest wooded area, and its most famous, is in the southwest near the Swiss border. This is the Black Forest, a mountainous region full of pines and fir trees. This forest contains the source of the Danube, one of Europe’s longest rivers.

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President: Joachim Gauck

Government & Economy After losing World War II, Germany was in ruins. West Germany recovered to become Europe’s richest country, but East Germany, under communist control, fell far behind. After reunification in 1989, Germany spent billions of dollars to modernize the East.

People & Culture Today almost one in every ten Germans comes from a foreign country.

That is more than at any time in history. The largest minority are Turkish, who started coming in the 1950s to work. About two-thirds of Germans are Christians.

Germany Currency Euro

Germany has been called the “Land of Poets and Thinkers.” Germans are famous in all forms of art, but particularly classical music. Germany’s famous composers include Bach, Brahms, Schumann, Wagner, and Beethoven.

History Humans settled in northern Europe about 10,000 years ago, after the end of the last Ice Age. The first people to speak a language similar to modern German probably lived in the area about 5,000 years ago. It was still thousands of years, though, before Germany was created.

Early Germany was a patchwork of small states ruled by dukes and kings. But in 1871, the country was united, through force and alliances, by a politician named Otto von Bismarck.

In the late 19th century Germany began competing with other European countries to set up colonies in Africa and Asia. These tensions led to World War I in 1914, the worst conflict the world had ever seen. Germany and its allies lost the war to Britain, France, and the United States.

Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party came to power in 1933 promising to make Germany great again. In 1939, Hitler invaded Poland, starting World War II. During the war, Hitler created camps in Germany where millions of Jewish people and others were murdered. The war ended in 1945 with the Germans’ defeat and Hitler committing suicide.

After World War II, Germany was divided into West and East. The country became the center of a standoff

between the Soviet Union and Western powers. This confrontation, which lasted 44 years, was called the Cold War. In 1989, East Germany opened its borders and the Cold War came to an end.

Facts about Germany 1. Germany was once a cluster of small kingdoms, duchies and principalities – which were unified as the German Reich (Deutsches Reich) in 1871. Later it became the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich (National Socialism), and in 1949 the nation divided into the Soviet-supported East Germany (German Democratic Republic) and the democratic West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany). On October 3rd 1990, East and West were reunited.

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2. German remains the language with the most native speakers in Europe – besides Germany having the largest population in the EU, the German language was once the lingua franca of central, eastern and northern Europe.

3. Germany’s capital centre has shifted around the country – these cities have all at one time or another been capitals of Germany: Aachen, Regensburg, Frankfurt-am-Main, Nuremberg, Berlin, Weimar, Bonn (and East Berlin), and, since 1990, Berlin again.

are bigger. Since reunification, there have been 16 länder or federal states. There are three city states – Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen – and 13 regions: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia.

5. Germany shares borders with nine other countries – Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

4. Germany is the fifth largest country in Europe – covering an area of 357,022 square kilometres, only the Ukraine, France, Spain and Sweden

5 Top

1

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Tourist Attractions in Germany Cologne Cathedral

Easily the greatest Gothic cathedral in Germany, Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) has been Cologne’s most famous landmark for centuries. Construction of the Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 and took, with interruptions, more than 600 years to complete. It is dedicated to the saints Peter and Mary and is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne.

2

◄

Heidelberg Old City

Located in the Neckar river valley, Heidelberg is one Germany’s most popular tourist destinations. During WWII, the city was almost completely spared by allied bombings which destroyed most of Germany’s larger inner cities. As a result, Heidelberg has retained its baroque charm of narrow streets, picturesque houses and the famous Heidelberg Castle.

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3

Neuschwanstein

►

The ultimate fairytale castle, Neuschwanstein is situated on a rugged hill near Füssen in southwest Bavaria. It was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty castles in the Disneyland parks. The castle was commissioned

by King Ludwig II of Bavaria who was declared insane when the castle was almost completed in 1886 and found dead a few days later. Neuschwanstein is the most photographed building in the country and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Germany.

4

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

▲

This hybrid town was united by decree in 1936 by Adolf Hitler so Germany could host the Winter Olympics. Today, the town is one of the nation’s most famous ski resorts. Winter sports like skiing and snow boarding are popular here, while in the summer the trails are full of hikers and mountain bikers. Garmisch-Partenkirchen sits along the Austrian border about an hour from Munich and can be reached by car or by train. The Romantic Road travels between here and Fussen and is perfect for a day trip in either direction.

5

◄

Oktoberfest

The Oktoberfest in Munich is the largest Volksfest in the world with over 6 million visitors annually. Despite the name, the Oktoberfest starts at the end of September until the first weekend in October. An important part of Bavarian culture, the festival has been held since 1810. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of traditional fare such as Hendl, Schweinebraten, Wurstl, Knodel and large quantities of German beer.

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Sports

TABLE TENNIS T

able tennis has been an Olympic sport since 1988 and is hugely popular in Asia, although it is played all over the world from the dusty streets of Ethiopia to the public schools of rural England. The game did indeed begin in England at the end of the 19th century, first as a postprandial parlour game for upper classes. The sound of the ball on early bats gave it the name “ping pong� but as this became a trademarked term in some countries table tennis soon became the more common name.

China, Sweden and South Korea are currently the world powers in table tennis.

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Object Of The Game As of 2001 the aim of the game is to score 11 points (it was previously 21) by outmanoeuvring your opponent into either hitting the ball into the net, hitting it off the table or missing it completely. Matches are normally contested as best of five, seven or nine games: that is to say, the first person to reach 11 points in three, four or five games respectively.

Players & Equipment In singles play it is a game of one against one, whilst doubles pits two against two, although it is also possible to play two against one in informal situations (family holidays for instance!). Here we shall focus on singles rules.

Little equipment is needed to play ping pong, which is unsurprising given it was originally an improvised game played on a table using for both the net and the bats! Officially the game is played using a 40mm diameter, white (or sometimes orange) table tennis ball weighing 2.7g; rackets (official term) that are normally called bats (UK) or paddles (USA) and are red on one side and black on the other; and a table measuring 2.74m (9ft) long, 76cm (30 inches) high and 1.52m (5ft) wide. The table is usually blue or green and has a 15.25cm (6 inch) net across its width, bisecting its length.

Scoring Scoring is done by forcing your opponent into hitting the ball long or wide of the table or otherwise into the net or by playing a shot which they are unable to hit at all. When serving, your opponent wins the point if you fail to make a valid serve – one that bounces on your side of the table, then clears the net (if it hits the net it is a let and the player) and bounces on their side.

Volleying the ball is not allowed, nor is obstructing it, whilst a double hit will also result in the awarding of the point to your opponent. Note that in table tennis the edges of the table (the lines) are “in” but the side is not.

*

Points are decided as described above and games must be won by two clear points. At 10-10 each player serves once only, in turn, until one player established a two point lead and wins the game.

*

After each game the players rotate both the end of the table from which they are playing as well as who serves and receives the ball first.

*

In the deciding game of a match the players swap ends after either player reaches five points.

Winning The Game The winner of the match is the first to reach the allotted number of games, normally three, four or five. To win a game you must reach 11 points, although if the scores become level at 10-10 it is then the first player to lead by two points that is awarded the game.

Rules of Table Tennis (Ping Pong) *

Ping pong is played over a pre-agreed number of games and the first to 11 points wins each game.

*

The toss of a coin or another form of lot-drawing determines which of the players shall serve first.

*

Each table tennis player serves twice in turn and serves must be made from an open palm, the ball tossed six inches then struck so it bounces on the service side, clears the net, then bounces on the receiver’s side.

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Current Affairs

Shaktikanta Das nominated on RBI Central Board of Directors

Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das was on 30 October 2015 nominated as a Director to the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The nomination of Das is effective from 30 October 2015 and until further orders.

IBM and TASK signed MoU to ensure cloud technology in Telangana colleges

The agreement aims at making the IBM cloud available to colleges in Telangana for faculty and students to utilize it for practicals and project work.

Union Government constituted RV Easwar Committee to simplify The Income Tax Act, 1961

The members of the committee are VK Bhasin, Vinod Jain, Rajiv Memani, Ravi Gupta, Mukesh Patel, Ajay Bahl, Pradip P. Shah, Arvind Modi and Dr. Vinay Kumar Singh.

BRICS nations signed Moscow Declaration for supporting Multilateral Science Projects

The Moscow Declaration was signed during the third meeting of the BRICS Ministers for Science, Technology and Innovation that was held in Moscow, Russia.

John Pombe Magufuli won the Presidential Elections of Tanzania

This win cements Chama Cha Mapinduzis (Party of the Revolution) firm grip on power, after ruling Tanzania since 1977.

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Bidhya Devi Bhandari elected as first women President of India ranked 130 in ease of Nepal doing business: World Bank

Bidhya Devi Bhandari was on 28 October 2015 elected as the President of Nepal. She is the first women president of Nepal.

She received 327 votes against her opponent’s 214 in the Nepal’s Parliament.

India could improve its ranking by 12 places compared to the 142nd position of the 2015 report by undertaking significant improvements in the regulatory framework for starting new businesses.

India and Sri Lanka began Joint Naval Exercise SLINEX 2015 at Trincomalee

Russia to launch manned moon missions by 2029

The exercise will go on till 1 November 2015. SLINEX 15 is expected to enhance the capability of two navies to work together and contribute towards maritime security.

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Nov 2015

As per the announcement, the spaceship is expected to make its first test flight in 2021 and will carry out its first unmanned mission to the moon in 2025.

Angry Indian Goddesses bagged People’s Choice Award at Rome Film Festival

The award was presented by the BNL Gruppo BNP Paribas. The winner was selected through an online voting system by the audience.

AR Rahman received Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai presented the fifth Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award to Rahman on the 78th birthday of Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar.

Defence Ministry approved induction of women as IAF fighter pilots

As per the decision, first women pilots will be selected from the batch which is presently undergoing flying training at the Air Force Academy.

They will be commissioned into the IAF in June 2016.

Alok Rawat appointed as first male member of NCW

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe awarded with 2015 Confucius Peace Prize

Rawat, a 1977 batch Sikkim cadre IAS officer, has previously worked as Director/Joint Secretary in Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

He was awarded for overcoming a number of difficulties and for contributing to building the government, economy and order in the country while continuing to work at the age of 91 actively for African peace.

PM Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of Amaravati, new capital of Andhra Pradesh Amaravati is the fifth preceded capital city built in independent India followed by Gandhinagar, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar and Naya Raipur.

Prime Minister laid foundation stone of Shri Venkateswara Mobile & Electronics Manufacturing Hub

Union Government cleared first batch of AMRUT projects for 89 cities worth 2786 crore rupees

The foundation stone of this mobile handset manufacturing facility was laid during PM’s visit to Andhra Pradesh to lay the foundation stone for new Andhra Pradesh capital Amaravati.

It is for the first time that the Urban Development Ministry approved state level plans unlike the past practice of appraising and approving individual projects.

Maharashtra Government declared 14708 villages as drought-hit With this declaration, Maharashtra became the second state in the country as Karnataka declared 27 out of 30 districts as drought-hit in August 2015.

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Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Arun Jaitley chosen ‘Finance Ukraine and Uruguay elected Minister of the Year, Asia’ by as non-permanent members Emerging Markets of UNSC

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 15 October 2015 elected Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay to serve as non-permanent members on the UN Security Council (UNSC).

The magazine in an article said that Jaitley too deserves some recognition for India’s relative economic success over the last 18 month as without his decisions and stewardship of India’s financial direction.

NASA released Plan outlining Next Steps in the Journey to Mars with an aim to establish colonies by 2030s

The plan under which, Humans will be living and working on Mars in colonies entirely independent of Earth by the 2030s, will act as stepping stones to Mars.

Rameswaram, birthplace of Dr. Abdul Kalam, included as List of Nobel Prize Winners 2015 498th town under AMRUT

Nobel Prizes 2015 was announced by the Nobel Assembly from 5 October to 12 October 2015. The prizes were announced in different sections, namely Physics, Chemistry, Physiology, Literature, Peace and Economics.

Rameswaram is the 498th to be included in the Mission. With the addition of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu would have 32 cities and towns under Atal Mission.

Kundhavi Kadiresan appointed as FAO Assistant Director-General

Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet “for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of Jasmine revolution of 2011” Svetlana Alexievich (Belarus) “ for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time” Arthur B McDonald (USA) and Takaaki Kajita (Japan) “ for their discovery of neutrino oscillations, which shows that neutrinos have mass” William C Campbell (Ireland), Satoshi Omura (Japan) and Youyou Tu (China) “Campbell and Omura for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites and Youyou Tu for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria “

Kadiresan, an economist, who has spent most of her professional career with the World Bank Group will succeed Hiroyuki Konuma who retired from FAO earlier in 2015.

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Angus Deaton (UK) “ for his analysis of consumption, poverty, and welfare “ Tomas Lindahl (UK), Paul Modrich (USA) and Aziz Sancar (USA) “ for having mapped how cells repair damaged DNA and safeguard the genetic information at a molecular level”

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Nov 2015

Sehwag retired from all forms of International Cricket, IPL

Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis won women’s doubles title of China Open The top-seeded Indo-Swiss pair defeated Chinese Taipean pair of Hao-Ching Chan and Yung-Jan Chan 6-7 (9), 6-1, 10-8.

Sehwag is going to feature in the 2016 Masters Champions League (MCL) whose rules clearly state that only retired players can participate.

China won 2015 FIBA Asian Basketball Championship

The victory has won the nation a direct qualification for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Shashank Manohar elected BCCI President

Manohar has also served as the 29th President of the board from 2008 to 2011.

Former Indian Cricket Captain Sourav Ganguly appointed President of Cricket Association of Bengal

Former CAB President Jagmohan Dalmiya’s son Abhishek was inducted into CAB as the joint-secretary.

Abhishek Verma became first Indian to win Silver Medal in Archery World Cup Final

In 2014, Verma bagged the gold medal in the men’s compound archery team event along with Rajat Chauhan and Sandeep Kumar, and the silver medal in the men’s individual compound event at the Asian Games held at Incheon, South Korea.

South Africa trounce India by 214 runs to win ODI series

South Africa defeated India by 214 runs in the fifth and final One-Day International (ODI) match at the Wankhede Stadium to clinch the series 3-2. Faf du Plessis (133 retired hurt), AB de Villiers (119) and Quinton de Kock (109) lofted the visitors to a massive score of 438/4 in 50 overs.

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Puzzles 1. Friends ! can you tell what is common in all these six persons?

2. Spokes

3. Scrabble

CLUE 1. Obligations of all kinds taken as a whole.

2. A time assigned on a schedule.

3. A vigorous blow.

4. The lower part of anything.

5. Add zest or liveliness to.

6. A discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder.

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IGNITING MINDS

Nov 2015

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Brain Gym Answers 1. All are cartoonists.

2.

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It was fun meeso much this mon ting you see you th. Hope to ne aroundxt time !!!

Bye! Tak e C a Keep vis re & iting!!

3. 1.WIDE 2.RIDE 3.WIRE 4.DEW 5. WED 6.RED 7. DIE8.WE 4. Pattern Number 4.

5.1. Different color of table lamp. 2. Teddy bear is smaller.

3. Child looking other direction. 4. Ball on the bed is smaller 5.Paper aero plane is missing. 6. A pillow is missing. 7. Child’s belt is black. 8. Different position of the schoolbag.

5. Find Eight Differences in Both the Pictures.

4. Looking at the change of patterns, tell, what comes in Blank -

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Sahiti Vennelakanti Sri Kumaran Public School, IX Class Beautiful. The Sun rays touching the tips of the hills, the hills and the sky being reflected in the clear water, the tiny crevices of the hills, all in all, life flourishing, showing us the there is more beauty on Earth than we imagined. And at the center of it all, an extension of a mighty rock and standing on it, is an ordinary human trying to master her senses in the midst of an unknown paradise. Enjoying beauty is one thing, enjoying yourself in beauty is another beautiful thing.

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