Vol V, Issue XIII
1-15 October, 2020 Pages 16, Price Rs. 5/Faridabad (NCR)
Vol-V, Issue-XIII, Published for the period 1-15 October, 2020. Printed & Published by Virender for and on behalf of Karamvir Kamal (Owner) from 2569, Street No. 2, Jawahar Colony, N.I.T, Faridabad, Haryana and printed at Joy Printers, 3G-142, N.I.T. Faridabad-121001, Haryana. Editor Karamvir Kamal* (responsible for selection of news under PRB Act 1867), Sub Editor Bhoomika Mohan. RNI No. HARENG/2016/67803. Executive Office: 431, Saraswati Vihar, Gurugram-122004, Haryana. Contact +91 9212 46 0446, 9899 73 1532, Email: asianchronicleindia@gmail.com, WWW.THEASIANCHRONICLE.COM | WWW.THEASIANCHRONICLE.IN
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India is Bleeding Inside
Babri demolition: No one guilty A special CBI court today settled a 28-year-old controversy in favour of the Hindu nationalist forces as it acquitted all
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the verdict
2
No one guilty Babri demolition
quest of northeast India visited Ayodhya where he built Mosque and named it BabriMasjid to give tribute to the Babar. The Mosque was constructed with the huge campus where both the Hindus and Muslims can worship under a single umbrella which means Muslims inside the mosque and Hindus outside the mosque but inside the compound, i.e. "Mosque-Temple,”.
The cases filed
After the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, two separate cases were filed at Ram Janmabhoomi police station in Faizabad. The first was filed at 5.15 pm by the then SHO, PriyamvadaNath Shukla, against unknown karsevaks. The second FIR was filed 10 minutes later by sub-inspector Ganga Prasad Tiwari, incharge of Ramjanmabhoomi police outpost, against eight persons including senior BJP leaders — L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Ashok Singhal (now deceased), Giriraj Kishore (deceased), Vishnu Hari Dalmia (deceased), Vinay Katiyar, Uma Bharti and SadhviRitambhara.
What the CJI has said?
Nishica Choudhary A special CBI court today settled a 28-yearold controversy in favour of the Hindu nationalist forces as it acquitted all 32 accused in the demolition of Babri Mosque that was razed to the ground by a mob following a polarising campaign on 6 December 1992. The verdict, however, was as controversial as the case itself, as the right wing politicians claimed they felt vindicated, while many others termed it a 'travesty of justice' Key accused in the case included BJP veterans LK Advani, MM Joshi and Uma Bharti along with several other workers of the RashtriyaSwayamsevakSangh, Shiv Sena and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The court, deciding on whether or not the demolition was a result of a pre-meditated plan, cleared all accused of conspiracy charges as there was no "conclusive proof" against the accused. It not only cleared all 32 people of all charges, but also noted that they had "tried to control" the mob of 'anti-national elements' who destroyed the structure.The order said there was no evidence that the accused had met “inside a room” to plan the razing of the mosque. Also, the judge ruled, videos of the demolition were not sent for forensic examination, and negatives of the pictures taken on that day
were not produced – they could not, therefore, be relied upon as evidence. The accused were charged with various sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to incitement to violence (Sections 153A and 153B), conspiracy to commit a crime (Section 120B), and unlawful assembly (Section 149). While the Supreme Court has delivered the final judgment in the Ayodhya title suit, Wednesday’s judgment will be the first in the nearly 28-year-old demolition case. Once pronounced, it can be challenged in higher courts. Of the 49 accused, 32 are alive today.
Court says accused tried to stop mob from attacking structure
Delivering the verdict on the day of his retirement, as special Judge SK Yadav began reading the 2,300-page order on Wednesday, he observed that evidence against the accused was not strong enough and the Babri Mosque demolition incident "was not pre-planned". The court observed that the people who demolished the mosque were “anti-national elements”. The accused people were, in fact, trying to control the crowds, the judgement added. The CBI, which went into the case, produced 351 witnesses and 600 documents as evidence before the court. Charges were framed against 48 people, but 16 had died
during the course of the trial. The top court had also said that the demolition of Babri Masjid was illegal and directed the government to acquire an alternative plot of land to build a mosque.
What is the issue?
The dispute is about a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. This particular site is considered among the Hindus to be the birthplace of Lord Rama, but it also located the Babri Masjid. The question arises if an earlier Hindu temple was demolished or modified to create the mosque. The issue is one of its kind. The Babri Masjid was demolished by a gathering of more than 2 lakh Karsevaks in the year 1992, followed by communal riots all across India. The destruction of Babri Masjid had triggered the culmination of the historic schism. Later in the year 2002, in an attack on a train which carrying Hindu volunteers from Ayodhya, many were killed. This was followed by riots in Gujarat, which reportedly killed thousands of people.
The history behind the BabriMasjid Construction
When Babar came to India in 1526 at the request of Indian Governor to defeat Ibrahim Lodhi. One of his generals during the con-
m In 2010, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court had passed an order, directing the site occupied by the Babri Masjid before its demolition should be divided three ways equallyamong Muslims, Hindus and NirmohiAkhara group of Hindu Sadhus. mOn 22nd March 2017, the three-judge bench heard a petition by a BJP MP challenging the 2010 ruling to split the disputed land. mThe Supreme Court suggested an out-ofcourt settlement since its a matter of religion and sentiments. mCJI said the court will ask any person to mediate who is acceptable to all sides. He even said that he himself is ready to mediate. mHowever, at least 5 earlier attempts at resolving the decades-old quarrel through negotiations have not been successful.
Conclusion
For more than a quarter of a century, ‘Ayodhya’ has served as a metaphor for the politics of revanchism– one which combines the deployment of a manufactured mythology around the figure of Rama, with mob violence, majoritarianism and a spectacular contempt for the rule of law. “India’s criminal justice system cannot improve if prosecution and investigation functions are not bifurcated. The Criminal Law Reforms Committee must make a strong recommendation on this,” write Faizan Mustafa and Aymen Mohammad of NALSAR University of Law Handful of parties claiming to represent Hindus and Muslims are not the true representative of their communities as a lot of people in the nation feel that the issue is not a life-affirming issue for the masses, who are more concerned about jobs, poverty alleviation, affordable housing, health care and education.
FCRA –Modi government has made it hard for the NGO's to function 3
Shivani Shukla
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Actappeared in India in 1976 as a law to prevent external interference in India’s electoral process and democracy. It prohibited the receiving of foreign money to political parties and their candidates, journalists and newspaper publishers, judges, bureaucrats and members of parliament. In time, liberalisation meant that many of these categories received foreign money legally and the Indian government actively promoted the bringing in of such money. That,
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after all, is the foreign direct investment whose numbers this government is so proud of and speaks of regularly. For instance, the media, both print and television and certainly online (which is the most dominant form of media today) can not only receive foreign investment, it can be dominated by it. The largest media companies in India are Facebook and Google, which are entirely foreign owned and managed. Newspapers can receive equity investments from foreign firms as can news channels. Even the political parties managed to get themselves off the hook on
nation
FCRA. In January 2013, a public interest litigation was filed in Delhi High Court claiming that the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress had received donations from the same company, Vedanta/Sterlite, which were in violation of the FCRA Act. On 28 March 2014, the court held that the BJP and Congress were guilty of FCRA violation and asked the Modi government and the Election Commission to act against the two parties. In December of 2015, it was reported that the government was making amendments to the law that would get both the parties off. This happened in the budget of 2016, when the definition of foreign source was changed, legitimising the donation received by the political parties. Unfortunately for the parties, this was done in fairly slipshod fashion and so another amendment was passed in 2018 to again try and get the parties off. This finally happened in March 2018, through the amendment of a repealed law, an entirely farcical operation. This is the background to the political side of the FCRA, which was the intent of the legislation. What has happened over the years is that the law has been turned around and instead of reducing foreign influence on politics, it has been made a weapon against non-profit organi-
sations. No government has any fondness for the sector called civil society, but the BJP in particular is hostile to it. The Economic Times reported (‘PM Narendra Modi says he is victim of NGOs’ conspiracy’, 21 February 2016) a speech in Bhubaneswar that the prime minister made to put forth his views on the subject. Modi gave no evidence for his accusation that NGOs were foreign agents, but was convinced that they were trying to topple his government. In the entire Modi era, the government has been trying actively to cut to size the NGO sector. India has over 30 lakh such organisations, which range from neighbourhood associations to the most powerful NGO in the world, the RashtriyaSwayamsevakSangh. The groups work on education, disaster relief, violence against women, public health, human rights, the criminal justice system, the environment, agriculture and so on. Between 2014 and 2018, a report estimated, there had been about a 40% cut in foreign funding for these groups. Yet another amendment made to the FCRA this month seeks to squeeze them further. This was introduced without any advance notice or consultation and passed without much debate. What it does is make it even more difficult for
NGOs to function in India and in fact is an invitation for them to shut down. This is work that happens without a problem in large parts of the world and in all parts of the democratic world. The damage that is being done to India’s NGO sector is being done in part because of the paranoia of the BJP that there is some sort of giant agenda behind organisations who do such work. Many of them are highly respected organisations around the world. It is not in the interest of India or its people or even the government to persecute and harass these organisations. Unfortunately, that is what has happened and is happening and the reality is that many of them, already under assault from the state, will have to wind up operations and others will have to scale down. The civil society is full of motivated people and much of their work will continue because these individuals are not doing this work because of the money.Such Indians will continue their work and it is a shame that they are being hindered. Today India invites foreign investment in arms and ammunition and bombs and guns, and in alcohol and tobacco, and petroleum and pharmaceuticals and everything else that one can think of. But it restricts investment in India on health, education, civil and human rights.
China's Chip Sector has the Money now
TAC News: China is planning a sweeping set of new government policies to develop its domestic semiconductor industry and counter Trump administration restrictions, conferring the same kind of priority on the effort it accorded to building its atomic capability, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Beijing is preparing broad support for socalled third-generation semiconductors for the five years through 2025, said the people, asking not to be identified discussing government deliberations. A suite of measures to bolster research, education and financing for the industry has been added to a draft of the country’s 14th five-year plan, which will be presented to the country’s top leaders in October, the people said. China’s top leaders will gather next month to lay out their economic strategy for the next half decade, including efforts to ramp up domestic consumption and make critical technology at home. President Xi Jinping has pledged an estimated $1.4 trillion through 2025 for technologies ranging from wireless networks to artificial intelligence. Semiconductors are fundamental to virtually every component of China’s technology ambitions -- and an increasingly aggressive
Trump administration threatens to cut off their supply from abroad. “The Chinese leadership realizes that semiconductors underpin all advanced technologies, and that it can no longer dependably rely on American supplies,” said Dan Wang, technology analyst at research firm GavekalDragonomics. “In the face of stricter U.S. restrictions on chip access, China’s response can only be to keep pushing its own industry to develop.” Shares in several major Chinese chipmakers gained. Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics Group Co. finished 4.3% higher in Hong Kong. On mainland bourses, Will Semiconductor Ltd. -- the second most valuable listed Chinese chip firm -- rose almost 10%. Xiamen Changelight Co. closed 14% up while Focus Lightings Tech Co. jumped 5.6%. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which is responsible for drafting the tech-related goals, did not reply to a request for comment. China Still Buying $300 Billion of Chips From U.S., Elsewhere China imports more than $300 billion worth of integrated circuits each year and its semiconductor developers rely on U.S.made chip design tools and patents, as well
as critical manufacturing technologies from U.S. allies. But deteriorating ties between Beijing and Washington have made it increasingly difficult for Chinese companies to source components and chipmaking technologies from overseas. The U.S. government has blacklisted dozens of China’s tech companies so they can’t buy American parts, and slapped bans on ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok and Tencent Holdings Ltd.’s WeChat. In the case of technology giant Huawei Technologies Co., the Trump administration sanctioned the company and pressed allies to ban the company’s equipment from their telecom networks. This month, Huawei, the country’s largest handset maker, will even lose access to chips from the likes of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. under new American regulations that prohibit suppliers anywhere in the world from working with the company if those suppliers use American equipment. The tighter rules have raised the urgency of building domestic alternatives in Beijing. Third-generation semiconductors are mainly chipsets made of materials such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride. They can operate at high frequency and in higher
power and temperature environments, and are widely used in fifth-generation radio frequency chips, military-grade radars and electric vehicles. Since no single country now dominates the fledgling, third-generation technology, China’s gamble is its corporations can compete if they accelerate research into the field now. Global leaders such as U.S.-based CREE Inc. and Japan’s Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. are just beginning to grow this business, while Chinese tech giants such as Sanan Optoelectronics Co. Ltd. and stateowned China Electronics Technology Group Corp. have made inroads on third-generation chipsets. The country’s other chipmakers, which include Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., Will Semiconductor Ltd. and National Silicon Industry Group Co., may benefit more broadly from the state support. “This is a sector about to see explosive growth,” Alan Zhou, managing partner of Fujian-based chip investment fund An Xin Capital Co., told an industry forum last week. Because of China’s increasing demand and investment, this is an area that could create a “world-class Chinese chip giant.”
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news
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VISION 2020 - Indian Council of Agricultural Research, India
Manikya Dheeren Many significant changes are taking place the world over in the economic, political and technological fields. And science is challenging the boundaries of time, space, knowledge, and in fact, all that threatens possibilities for further human development. Frontier sciences and their applications are dominating research efforts in the fields of immediate relevance. The world, at present, has become highly interconnected and interdependent. Globalization has given a big boost to speed and volume of a two-way trade-traffic among various nations. Resource-and platform sharing has become increasingly common now in
transboundary transactions. Forces of competition are in full command and control the trajectory of a country's economic growth and its standing in the international market. It is important that India, to remain proactive as a major player in this global-setting, should have a new vision with a resurgent agriculture, which will remain the key sector of growth even in future. For India, it is critical to utilize the benefits of the new science and the technology for the socio-economic development of the farmers. The ICAR, with its large complement of highly qualified scientific and technical staff and institutional network, has the potential and ability to achieve this. It is believed that the prevailing environment in the country is
also conducive to engineer this transformation. This belief has influenced enunciation of a Vision 2020. The vision has to be science-based, growth-oriented, multidimensional, people-centred, gender-conscious and committed to empower weaker and vulnerable sections of the Society. It must guide us to act in the ways that will leave for the future generations, as much as, if not more than, what we have inherited from the mother earth. The demand for cereals, meat and meat products, and tubers is expected to rise in the developing countries by about 58, 18 and 56% by 2020. These countries are projected to double their net imports in cereals, and for the meat and meat products, a 20-fold increase in imports is expected. For poor developing countries, as compared to developed countries, the task of bridging the demandsupply gap would be a daunting one, despite much faster growth in production. The goal - Sustainable growth of Indian agriculture by interfacing education, research and extension initiatives complimented with efficient and effective institutional, infrastructural and policy support, that will create a proper fit between humanity and its habitat. In India, the future obviously belongs to agriculture. By 2020, our dream is to make India a Developed Nation through agricultural growth. Agriculture is intended to become not merely an efficient, eco-friendly production system, capable of meeting basic demands of the rapidly increasing population, but it has to become a major powerful instrument for a comprehensive socio-economic
transformation of the country, including improvement in the quality of the life of every individual. This is an exciting opportunity and a challenging responsibility. As demonstrated in the past, the ICAR has the potential, the ability and the will to make Indian agriculture the most resilient and dynamic, as we move into the next century. A vision is, like a Pole Star which helps navigate routes, even in the rough weather, to the destination successfully. Therefore, in view of the ICAR's commitment to propel Indian agriculture into the 21st century and make it both responsible and responsive to the overall needs of the country Vision 2020 has been deciphered as "To harness science to ensure comprehensive and sustained physical, economic and ecological access to food and livelihood security to all Indians, through generation, assessment, refinement and adoption of appropriate technologies." The strategy- A shift from the supply-driven to demand-driven paradigm implies among other things, a change in focus from increased production to increased efficiency in production. Equity, sustainability, nutrition, employment and trade are the new areas of concern for agricultural research, even as efforts to maintain food security continue. These areas make R&D management more complex. The strategic road map for the future must aim at the directional path and at the required O&M back-up to realize the vision and achieve the goals set for 2020. The ICAR's future road map dilates on the triad of harnessing science, engineering NARS and growth-oriented responsive governance.
Farmers across India protest against farm bills
Pratyasha Mohanty
The farm bills notified by the government President Ram Nath Kovind’s assent, is not being supported by the farmer organisations across the country. Farmers in India have been protesting vehemently ever since three controversial farm bills were passed without much debate in Parliament. BJP-led NDA government tries to convince farmers that the bills would help deregulate the agricultural markets and help farmers in the country earn more. The government claims that the bills will ensure a higher profit for the farmers as they would be able to sell their produce to whomever and wherever they want. But according to the opposition parties, the bills were passed “unconstitutionally” in “complete disregard” of parliamentary norms and are anti-farmer and corporatefriendly. Lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who held the post of Union Minister for Food Process-
ing, resigned. The passage of votes amid severe opposition even led to the suspension of 8 Rajya Sabha MPs, following which some opposition parties like TMC called it the “murder” of democracy. The Akali Dal, BJP's oldest ally, has also quit the NDA government amid the farmers' agitation.
The farmers do not seem to trust the government. They are worried that the bills would allow corporates to assume greater control over farm operations and weaken poor farmers in cases of legal disputes. While Centre assured that MSP and APMC structure would continue irrespective of the farm bills. Even
before passing the bill , on September 25, farmers across the country held massive protests, supported by several farm bodies. Over 50,000 farmers protested in the state of Maharashtra. Protests were also held in Punjab, Haryana and small parts of Madhya Pradesh. Highways and railroads were blocked in many places. But all went in vain. The three farm bills were earlier introduced as ordinances by the government in June. The three ordinances were — The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. Thus a sries of protests are again going on in the country amidst the announcement of passing of the bills . Like a tractor was set on fire at Delhi’s India Gate by a group of men protesting against the farm Bills on Monday morning. According to the police, eyewitnesses said
that that the protesters brought the tractor on a truck, and after reaching Rajpath, they pushed it on to the road and set it on fire. The protesters were holding pictures of Bhagat Singh and raised slogans against the farm Bills that were recently passed by Parliament. Meanwhile, Punjab Youth Congress live streamed the video of the tractor being set on fire. Five people have been detained in connection with the incident. Legal action has also been initiated against those detained. All of them are residents of Punjab. A massive protest is also raging across Karnataka where a state-wide bandh is being observed. Farmers’ organisations in the state are protesting against the three farm bills. The dawn-to-dusk bandh call has been supported by several pro-Kannada and other outfits besides the opposition Congress and the JD(S), who had opposed the amendment bills in the assembly. Huge farmers' protests have been also held over the laws, especially in Punjab and Haryana, states that are dubbed the grain bowl of the country.
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CoverStory
India is Bleeding You can rape our body, but not our soul. We are much more than our Body Sugandha Munshi “It was past 2 am when the men who gangraped her fled, and she waited till dawn, holding the motionless baby in her arms, before she got an auto to her in-laws' place in Old Gurgaon- 2017. In Hyderabad a young working woman goes to office, park her two wheelers on highway as usual but that day it was unusual, she gets raped and burnt alive2019; and now Hathras, Rape victim dies and the police does her cremation at 2.30 am but without family -2020! Humanity in India has hit its lowest, as far as women existence is concerned. Writing in retrospect, I am numb. The police force with so many personnelburnt the body of rape victim in Hathras! Where were you men in khakhi when she was being threatened and finally raped? Alas, it was not her body burning but the whole existence of this country was on pyre. Imagine what would have been going through the woman who was herself gang raped and had the dead body of her little world in her arm, the woman who drove her two wheelers that day for office but never returned back, the girl of Hathras who had her career ahead of her, her dreams and aspirations! In India, where women are reportedly raped every 15 minutes and majority of the rape cases go unnoticed, will we still say everything is normal? Do we still have audacity to say, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”? When will we awake, when will we rise, when will we start acting as a human? A hue and cry for few days, few months and then we are back to our normal life! The nation is in the state of crisis, when it comes for women security and let us be very clear the fault is not only of thesystem; it is the fault shared byeach one of us.It is high time we start acting on our duties along with claiming our rights in India.Every single day, we flip over the newspaper, change our news channels over sip of tea, seeing news related to crime against women; rape being most prominent among them.It’s high time for taking both preventive as well as curative action by the system and above all by the individuals .It start from our very own family to our social networks and to our area of influence .And at least now government needs to bring reform for hanging the rapist! Mahatma swaraj is the answer.We must take responsibilities for making our nearby area safe for women. Are we growing beast or boys, mother of India needs to reflect daily? Raping a woman, is a matter of pride, a matter of superiority, a matter of manhood or a matter of sexual pleasure? Can we women get an answer? Being a human first then a woman, she has equal rights to live life fulfilling her dreams and aspiration with fullfreedom. We women are too human beings with flesh and blood and have mind of our own. People we need to sit back and reflect deeper. Family being the unit of the social
structure, are we responsible enough to inculcate the gender sensitive upbringing to our boy child? In majority cases we do not.! Upbringing boy child as the saviour and girl child as the one to be saved, boys are the Karta and girls are the paraya dhan, these concepts are the root cause which makes her vulnerable.How do we then expect everything to be normal later when we grow boy child, men of future with perturb macho man attitude. A boy child once born or better to say evenbefore he comes into the world is overburdened with the trails of expectations, as the champion of the family and as the saviour. Brick by brick we have created a social structure where men are considered to be someone who is a saviour, one who cannot cry, one who is the Karta, one who has to showcase his manhood by demeaning women .Can we leave these men to be just like a normal human being and not a saviour? Both preventive and curative measures need to be undertaken. Both sex men and women, are humans rather belonging to the community of “protector” or “seekingprotection”. Can we teach our generation the facts or we want them to keep toiling into their own fancy world, where men are above women? It is a verycommon sight in the families where men and boys roam around bare chest but from day one girls are made conscious of
her body, rather inculcating confidenceher body is portrayed as her weakness. The fact of her being a powerful creator is hidden and often missed to be taught by parents! What about our education system, hardly we talk about the basic gender issues with children at the primary or secondary level, forget about the sex education?College girls should be back to her hostel by eight pm, boys can move freely on road till sunrise. How about girls on the road till the time they wish, boys back to their hostel by eight pm? How does it sound? For many it challenges your manhood or for many it challenges the superiority and macho man syndrome. Enough is enough stop sounding illogical and insane. It is also the time or better to say already late, to peep inside ourselves.Why do werefrainourselves from raising voice when someone is being harassed or molested in front of us?We often think it is none of our business. But is it that simple? When we claim our right to be treated with dignity, it’s our equal duty to treat others with dignity. If we say it’s our right to be safe, it equally implies that it’sour individual duty to make the shared space safe for others.Not only being a man or a boy,but equally as a girl or a woman, and above all as a human being we need to perform our duties rather only claiming our
rights. Demanding rights without performing our duties is dangerous. Where have we gone wrong? As a citizen we have to accept there is something wrong,majorly wrong in the way we are growing and educating our boy child. It is the time to quickly reflect and start applying solution before it is too late! The incidents of rape in India, brings whole nation to a standstill often for a while and then everything seems normal. Whether it was Jyoti, whether it was the mother with her child on the road of Gurgaon, whether the girl in Bihar and now Manisha of Hathras.We women are targeted just because of our flesh and left bleeding on roads.And then we say India is our motherland! How ironical and spurious. The country urgently needsreforms and stringent rules to tackle rape and molestation of girls and women at policy levels.And to the elected representatives, do not compensate our family after we are raped and shrug your responsibility for which we elect you! Death penalty for the rapist is the only left solution, bring reform for half of your voters. Give us visible solutions. Hang rapists! People raise your boy child to be human and not a blood thirsty, flesh hungry man! Teach them women are much more than their bodyand raiseyour girl child to be proud of who she is. Period!
Faridabad (NCR) 1-15 October, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com
issue
6
Effects of Drug abuse & addiction Drug impacts on behavior:
Substance consumption disorders can lead to numerous behavioral issues, both within the shor- & long term, which can incorporate:
m Paranoi m Aggressiveness m Hallucinations m Addiction m Impaired Judgement m Impulsiveness m Loss of Self – Control
These impacts of drug abuse have significant results, like missed work, culpable offenses, mishap & wounds. In reality, drugs are mostly to accuse in an evaluated 80% of crimes leading to imprison time within the U.S. These incidents incorporate domestic violence, driving while inebriated & crimes related to harmed property. Within the past year, nearly 12 million individuals drove under the affect of illegal drugs, & nearly 4,000 lethally harmed drivers tested positive for drug association.
Impacts of addiction on the body & the brain:
Drug habit takes over & disrupts an individual’s key brain locales
PREFRONTAL CORTEX:
m Portion of the brain supervise for arranging, choice making & social behavior m Drug abuse influences the individual’s capacity to think, make choices & use self – control
MaithilleeZaveri / Lakshmi Prabha Swaminathan Drugs are chemicals that influence the body & brain. Diverse drugs can have diverse impacts. Some impacts of drugs incorporate health consequences that are long – lasting & perpetual. They can even be persistent after an individual has ceased taking the substance. There are a few ways an individual can consume drugs incorporating injection, breathing & ingestion. The impacts of the drugs on the body can depend on how the drug is conveyed. For example, the injection of drugs instantly into the bloodstream has an prompt impact, whereas ingestion features a deffered impact. But all abused drugs influence the brain. They cause large sums of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps control our feelings, inspiration & sentiments of joy, to surge the brain & deliver a “high.” Inevitably, drugs can alter how the brain functions & interfere with an individual’s capacity to form choices, guiding to fierce desires & compulsive drug consumption. Over time, this behaviour can turn into a substance reliance or drug addiction. Today more than 7 million individuals endure from an illegal drug confusion & one in four demises consequences from illegal drug use. In reality, more demises, sicknesses & in-
abilities are related with drug abuse than any other preventable health state. Individuals enduring from drug & alcohol addiction also have higher chances of inadverent wounds, natural calamities & domestic violence occurrences.
The effects of drug abuse on health
Substances & disorders correlated with a wide range of brief - & long term health impacts. They can differ depending on the kind of drug, how much & how frequently it’s consumed & the individual’s overall health. In general, the impacts of drug abuse & reliance can be far – reaching. They can affect nearly each organ within the human anatomy.
Consequences of drug addiction may comprise:
m A debilitated immune system increasing the chances of ailment & infection m Heart conditions extending from anomalous heart rates to cardiac arrest & collapsed veins & blood vessel diseases from infused drugs m Sickness & stomach pain, which can also lead to changes in cravings & weight loss m Increased pressure on the liver which puts the individual at danger of noteable liver damage or liver failure
m Convulsion, stroke, mental perplexity & brain hemorrhage m Lung infection m Complications with memory, awareness & determination which make quotidian living more tough m Global impacts of drugs on the anatomy, such as breast development in men & increments in anotomy temperature, which can lead to other health issues
Impacts of drug addiction on the brain:
All drugs – nicotine, cocaine, cannabis & others – affect the brain’s “reward” curcuit which is a portion of the limbic structure. This part of the brain influences intiutive & temperament. Drugs target this structure, which causes large sums of dopamine – a brain chemical which helps control emotions & sentiments of joy – to surge the brain. This surge of dopamine is what causes a “high.” It’s one of the crucial causes of drug addiction. While the inceptive drug consumption maybe deliberate, drugs can change brain chemistry. This will really alter how the brain executes & interfere with an individual’s capacity to form options. It can lead to intense desires & compulsive drug consumption. Over time, this manner can turn into a substance reliance or drug & liqour addiction.
EXTENDED AMYGDALA:
m The psychological handling center m Nervousness & worry are expanded with withdrawal, which makes the individual search out for drug once more. m Addicted individuals will consume the drugs only to urge relief from the nervousness rather than searching for the actual high.
BASAL GANGLIA:
m The pleasure center m With frequent usage, the drugs will diminish joy for anything else other than the drug.
Drug abuse can also cause life threatening health problems like:
m Lung or Cardiac Arrest m Stroke m Cancer m Infections like HIV, Hepatitis & AIDS m Anxiety & Depression
Symptoms and behaviours of the drug addict:
m Intentions to urge the drugs which could block any other thoughts, probably all thoughts. m Overtime need for drugs in order to obtain the same effect of drowsiness m Taking over a long period of drugs with large amount than the victim intense.
Faridabad (NCR) 1-15 October, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com
7 m Making particular interest in retaining the supply of the drug. m Even though the victim can't afford, he or she devours wealth on drugs. m Feeling the anxiety to consume the drugs on a daily basis of life. m Depressed as well as loneliness has been deserved by the victim in the usage of drugs. m No public contact, meeting commitments or responsibilities of duties consideration and always wanted to be in an oscillation through the mind. m Intake of food will be completely dreary by the victim. m To bargain the drugs, robbery and cheating prevail once the rage is out of control. m Problems occurs physically and psychologically, despite the continuation of using drugs accomplishes. m Doing some risky actions when the victim survives under the drug's influence. m Failure of attempts in order to prevent the usage of drugs. m A symptoms of departure has been undergone to cease the intake of drugs although couldn't.
Signs of intoxication:
Relying upon the type of drugs, the signs of intoxication varies. For example, K2, bath salts and spice. A group of two synthetic drugs named synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones which are being illegal in most states possesses the hazardous
nation sults in death. Barbiturates, hypnotics and benzodiazepines are the drugs that cause the central nervous system depressants and are often being misused in the name of a relaxed state or a crave in order to ignore the thoughts related to stress and scepticism.
Nervous disorder
Signs of the drug use:
The repeated practice of consuming drugs may cause some changes physically in the nerve towards the brain and also sometimes heavy dosage leads to be paralysed. Neurons in the brain are being implicated by drugs and the effect of drowsiness may persist longer even after the cease of the drug use.
This type of drugs may be consumed, snorted, injected or also be inhaled, moreover, it causes terrible intoxication that re-
Drug addiction may retain the effects of short-term and long-term destructions. Moreover, some may be risky if the dosage drives higher or the combination of drugs with the other types of alcohol. Drugs dependent may generate a hazardous various number of harmful complications which comprises a contagious disease such as HIV (through sexual contact or by disseminating the needles), other health crises like a span of short-term and long-term health issues physically and also it completely relies upon the usage of drugs. Accidents occur due to the drowsiness under the influence of drugs,
effects and it is uncertain, despite there is no quality control and also some unknown ingredients maybe. m Feel of the higher sensation m Mood of elevation m Visual, auditory and the perception of taste sense will alternative m Level of madness and the uncertainty will be extreme m Hallucinations m Paranoia m Nausea m Dilemma m Heart rate rises, as well as the blood pressure or the massive heart attack, occurs.
Draw backs
drug addiction may have the possibility to commit suicide, changes in the behaviour may cause an issue of a misinterpretation in the family, can't endeavour the job and only the poor performance continues. Also, legally and socially the problems will occur and it leads to the severe depression.
Remedies to prevent drug usage
In case, if the usage of the drug goes beyond the control or resulting in severe health issues, the drug addict can afford the doctor, especially the psychiatrist will help for the long term recovery. Also, seek the help of an emergency in case if the drugs have been an overdose, transformations in consciousness, breathing trouble, convulsions, chest pain and the psychological disorder. Many teenagers are striving with drug addiction that their usage of the drug is complicated and are hesitant to accept the treatment. For this type of cases, an intervention method may be utilized to prevent drug addiction. Intervention means it should be intended by the family and friends with the doctor's guidance or the professional counsellor with the license, Intervention is a conversation of heart to heart with the drug user about the impacts and consequences of drug addiction and confess him or her to abide the treatment psychologically.
Is this a Farewell to Vedanthangal as we Know it? long-standing example of community conservation; farming communities surrounding the sanctuary have protected it for centuries, knowing that an active bird population helps irrigate and fertilise their fields with guano-rich water.
A chemical disaster in the making
TAC News/ Chengalpattu
A centuries-old community conservation model
Vedanthangal is a vast wetland ecosystem complex, fed by several small lakes and groundwater from the surrounding region. Thick groves of Barringtonia dot the main lake, their umbrella canopies a perfect shelter for nesting birds. Natives such as cormorants, darters, little egrets can be seen here throughout the year, while around 190 species of migratory birds fly down every winter. Often first to arrive are the Open-billed Storks, fol-
lowed by Painted Storks, Purple Herons, Black-headed Ibis and more. Around 40,000 birds visit this wetland annually. A thriving avian population supports an entire ecosystem; fruit bats can be seen hanging from bamboo groves, and occasionally, one can spot snakes, wild boars and monitor lizards. Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary is a 30-hectare (74-acre) protected area located in the Chengalpattu District and Madurantakam taluk of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The sanctuary is about 75 kilometres (47 mi) from Chennai on National Highway 45 ([NH45]). Easily reachable from Madurantakam and
Chengalpattu. More than 40,000 birds (including 26 rare species), from various parts of the world visit the sanctuary during the migratory season every year.Vedanthangal is the oldest water bird sanctuary in the country. Vedanthangal in Tamil language means 'hamlet of the hunter'. Vedanthangal is a historic and
On June 3, 2020, the New Indian Express reported a proposal by the Tamil Nadu forest department to denotify a portion of the Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, in Chengalpattu district. The article suggested that the move would benefit commercial and industrial developers, such as Sun Pharmaceuticals, which has wanted to expand production at its facility inside the sanctuary. The issue snowballed into a major controversy. Sun Pharma clarified that it was not acquiring any land and that the proposed expansion would be within its existing factory premises. On June 9, a press release from the Tamil Nadu chief wildlife warden said there has been no move to denotify the sanctuary, and that the current proposal was merely to demarcate the sanctuary and delineate an eco-sensitive zone.
The three zones
The Wildlife Protection Act 1972 contains no reference to core and buffer areas within protected areas. Only in 2006, by an amendment of the Act and with specific reference to tiger reserves, were the words ‘core’ and ‘buffer’ introduced. The
core zone refers solely to critical tiger habitat within sanctuaries and reserves. The area around the critical habitat is defined as a buffer zone, where a lower degree of habitat protection is required. This area also falls within and is in reference solely to tiger reserves in India. Other sanctuaries and national parks are to be administered according to the provisions of the Act, and are not required to be demarcated as core and buffer.
What about the birds?
Citing commercial pressures to reduce the park’s boundary is untenable considering only 4.71% of India’s landmass is under some sort of protection. The remainder is available for development and commercial purposes. In the present case, the motivation is to promote industrialisation, urbanisation and commercialisation in the area proposed to be denotified. This will bring down the areas under agriculture, degrade water bodies by increasing impenetrable land cover in their catchment areas and desiccate the landscape. In its application for environmental clearance, Sun Pharma has declared that it will require a top-up of 176,000 litres of water each day. A well-managed sanctuary will be a boon not merely for wildlife but also to local communities, whose members will enjoy the benefits of greater water availability, a healthier living environment and the economic benefits of tourism.
6 Makeup Products that can Damage your Eyes Faridabad (NCR) 1-15 October, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com
beauty
Evlyn Ann The enormous collection of products to hide our flaws, make our imperfections subtle, and enhance our self-confidence. From concealers, primers, foundations, and stroke creams to blushes, eyeshadows, highlighters, bronzers, and many more, we have a boundless world of makeup open to us. Appearances are deceptive. The rising influence of social media and the obsession over it is increasing our reliance on makeup. From an early age, women are exposed to different types of products like kajal, lipstick, eyeliners, etc. Even though the impact and importance of makeup for women is a controversial topic, it is an indisputable fact that it causes severe side effects on our skin. As frequent users of makeup, we should be aware of its side effects, precautions, and alternatives available. Here are six eye makeup products and their practices that are harmful to us.
Eyeliner
Our rich Indian culture had portrayed beautiful women with long and defined eyes. So, eyeliner is one of the most commonly used or first-ever used makeup products amongst women. It is applied as a line
around the eyes to make them appear larger or more noticeable. It is available in liquid, gel, or powder form and the recent addition is eyeliner tattoos. The skin on our eyelids is extremely soft and easily breakable. Thus the rigorous application of eyeliners using pencils and brushes can cause irritation and swelling. If it enters the eyes, you are likely to get eye infections, redness, or even blurred vision. Eyeliners are made of wax, oils, silicones, and natural gums to ensure a longer stay. This makes it difficult to remove and the residues might cause severe eye infections. Using someone else’s brushes, pencils, or liners can endanger your eyes. One should always remember to clean the inside of your eye and the corners to make sure that there are no remains.
Kajal
Kajal is to contour and outline the eyes and is usually drawn close to the waterline. In the past, people used to make kajal sticks at home using charcoal and those were safe to use on even newborn babies. Today, the store-bought kajal is loaded with lead and other chemicals. The frequent use of this can cause allergy, dry eye syndrome, conjunctivitis, corneal ulcer, etc. It should not be used on babies because the exposure to lead at an
early age can cause serious internal body damages along with itchiness, watery eyes, and allergies.
Eyeshadow
Who doesn’t like to glam up their look with some shimmery eyeshadows? It can transform a boring look into a lively and attractive one. It can add depth and dimension to one's eyes, complement one's eye color, and make it appear larger. Applying eyeshadow regularly can cause corneal abrasion which can lead to serious infections. It includes harsh chemicals like formaldehyde, aluminum powder, parabens, magnesium stearate, etc, that can break out the soft skin around your eye. The talc powder and the colorants might cause irritations, itchiness, and redness. One should be careful while applying eyeshadows in the inner corner of the eye as it will infect the glands if entered into the eye.
False lashes, Eyelash extensions, and Lash Curlers
Fake lashes and eyelash extensions are used to create an illusion of voluminous and long lashes. They are made from several materials including mink, silk, synthetic, human, or horsehair. It is attached to the lash
line using a gel which is a fastdrying, glue-like chemical bonding agent. It is one of the most toxic beauty products in the market. It will cause irritation, redness, and swelling. If exposed to the inner eye it can cause sight damage. Eyelids and the lash line should be cleaned thoroughly after the use of lash glue to avoid any bacteria collected on the glue and the fake lash to enter the eye. Fake lashes and eyelash extensions can cause allergic reactions and damage natural lashes. Lash curlers are another commonly used product to get luscious long lashes. One should ensure that the curlers are clean before use. It is advised not to share the curlers with others as it might spread the infections. The new heated eyelash curler can cause further damage. The heat will damage the natural lashes can cause lash loss.
Mascara
Mascara is used to lengthen, thicken, darken, and intensify your natural eyelashes. It is composed of thickening waxes or oils, preservatives, paraffin, etc. Shared use of mascara can cause stye and other infections. It can cause cornea irritations and eyelash loss. Parabens and aluminum powder is added in a
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mascara for a long laying effect which makes it difficult to take off. Daily use can cause inflammation of eyelids and loss of lashes.
Concealer
Concealers are used to even out the pigmentation of the skin and to cover blemishes and dark spots. While doing eye makeup, concealers can cover the dark circles and can provide a creasefree base to work with. It also keeps your makeup last longer. Concealers can irritate sensitive skin and breakouts in acneprone skin. Even though concealers do not harm the eyes like other products, it still can cause swelling or inflammation according to the skin type. Makeup products should be kept in clean surroundings and should be washed and dried after each use. The dirt and dust accumulated on these products will cause acne breakouts and infections. “Makeup is art, beauty is spirit.” Let’s flaunt our flawless makeup by keeping in mind the side effects of the products and precautions to be taken.
Skin First, Makeup Second, Smile always
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Faridabad (NCR) 1-15 October, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com
GIG Economy In India Rising
No one in their wildest imagination would have thought of the present-day situation where the world faces the pandemic of COVID-19. If nothing else, this pandemic has undoubtedly increased the importance of money as only those who have it can survive through. In the end, everyone would agree that even though money is not everything, yet it is everything in the current scenario. How competitive and cut-throat time will be in the
Author: Mohammad Gayoor Khan Published by: Evincepub Publishing Reviewed by: Akhila Saroha
book review
readers understand his points future is only a matter of guessand agree to them too. Through work. In such a time, Amitava the twelve chapters he has writGhosh’s work, “GIG Economy In ten, the author tries to clear every India Rising,” becomes a reading of possible question a reader could significance for every single indihave in mind. He begins by vidual who hopes to develop better building up the concepts from opportunities for himself in the futhe very basics of the rise of the ture. GIG and the reasons behind it. Many readers may not be aware of He talks about how technology the concept of the GIG Economy, became an impetus in catalyzing but as the author stresses, it is the Amitava Ghosh and revolutionizing the money need of the hour. Ghosh also hints earning systems. He also talks that GIG Economy would emerge as the system on which the foundation of the about how the GIG Economy has impacted future is likely to lay on. Since the future is worldwide and how it had been progressing based on a strong foundation in the present, in India before the novel pandemic. Also, in this book becomes an essential work for read- the next chapter, he talks about how this is the ing. The author begins the book with an in- emerging future of the country, how there is troduction, where he clears the basic concept anxiety among people regarding it, how it is of the GIG Economy. He also stresses the im- a tool for job creation, and how this can work portance of the book and how important it is. through even in the recession brought because He invites the readers to go through the book of the pandemic. The readers who may feel and have a view of what the author thinks of unhappy with their monetary issues may find this book of importance. They may underthe future. The cover of the book and the images on the stand many things and may find their knowlexterior give a fair idea of the book not being edge enriched by the reading of “GIG any academic book meant for students. The Economy” Ghosh keeps the chapters short, but the introduction by the author does the rest of the ideas he conveys are powerful, profound, and job effortlessly. Considering the “GIG Economy” as a mere pragmatic. At the same time, he also talks document of a different kind of economic sys- about the code of social security, which is in tem which is in its nascent stages would not its infancy stage and may develop in the commean doing complete justice to the message ing time. In light of this, he shares his vision of the book. The subtitle of the book, “Take a in the closing chapters named “Synoptic view Step Ahead, Discover Work-Life Balance, As - Code on Social Security Bill 2020” and Social Security is in Creation,” gives a clear “India’s New Law in Conception on Social idea about the aspects the author is going to Security 2020”. Here and there, Ghosh also gives illustracover in his book and how wide the dimentions and diagrams to share the data and facts sions of the book are. Ghosh keeps the language of his book lucid with the readers to provide them with an ocand straightforward for every reader to under- ular and concrete idea of his thoughts. The stand. The things he talks about in the book presentation of facts adds weight to his efare quite specific, concise, and focused. The forts, and diagrammatic form makes it more
interesting and inviting for the readers. All these factors make his work more strong and recommended. This book is one of the few books that every reader should read. Whether a fiction lover or a fan of non-fiction, it does not matter. Also, readers of every possible age should not have second thoughts before taking up this book for reading. This is so because the only aim and purpose of this book are to come as a handy opportunity for all those who want to make their lives better. As it has always been said that knowledge is the road to power, this book has a plethora of not just knowledge but significant facts and information. In this manner, the book becomes a comprehensive guide to the developing concept of the GIG Economy. Also, it gives ideas to readers to become job providers instead of job seekers.
Title: GIG Economy In India Rising Author: Amitava Ghosh Publisher: Evincepub Publishing Review By: Akhila Saroha
Essentials for Drug Development and Clinical Trials As times have progressed, human civilization has also developed by leaps and bounds. Technology and medicine have also improved at their own speeds in this time. They have revolutionized not just the quality of human lives but also their expectancy. Yet, human nature is such that one keeps trying to improve themselves or the existing systems and make the world a better place than earlier. One marvel of research is “Essentials for Drug Development and Clinical Trials,” which is more of a joint effort by Mohammad Gayoor Khan, Dr. UmamaYezdani, Dr. Hani Alothaid, and Hari Baskar Balasubramanian. The first edition of the book is an effort by the team of authors to spread awareness among readers beyond the medical field and learn about drugs and their making. The field of medicine may have evolved and revolutionized medical science. Still, there is always a scope of improvement, and with the help of trials and experiments, more drugs are developed to make human lives comfortable and more prolonged. “Essentials for Drug Development and Clinical Trials,” which is divided into 14 chapters with an additional preface, tries to clear every possible question a reader could have to the best of their discretion. The book begins with an introduction to the process of drug development. It walks the readers through the mechanics of it, the step by step development. There is the usage of different forms of illustra-
Mohammad Gayoor Khan
tions like tables, pointers, diagrammatic representation, etc. wherever there was a need. This helps the readers in getting clarity on the ideas and concepts the authors intend to convey. The readers understand everything in a concrete manner and do not forget the concepts in the future. The former part of the book deals with the different approaches taken for their discovery. The later part explored the clinical development of drugs, the different phases of their trial, the ethical guidelines in research, how the situation is in India and overseas, management of data, the roles and responsibilities associated with the clinical personnel, safety monitoring, etc. In a nutshell, “Essentials for Drug Development and Clinical Trials” is a comprehensive guide for not just those who are aware about drugs and their development but also the people who do not have even
the basic idea about it. The chapters have been written in collaboration with the team of contributors. All this together makes the book a product of highly knowledgeable minds and people who are experts in their fields. The list of references highlights how well researched the work is and how well-read the authors are. The cover of the book also does the job of attracting the readers to it and making them want to pick the book up and at least skim through the elaborately mentioned contents. The editors take care of using a language that is easy for the understanding of the readers. Their conceptual base is cleared in the first reading of “Essentials for Drug Development and Clinical Trials” without any confusion. The massive team of contributors and young editors have kept the book sharp, clear, and to the point. They have made all efforts to make the book error-free and updated with the latest developments. Considering the book only from the point of view of the academic field would not complete justice to it. Students of the medical fraternity and the practicing medical personnel can also read this book for enhancement and enrichment of their already existing knowledge and, if nothing else, to update it. All these factors make the book a recommended reading for everyone as today’s world is all about developments and the awareness of those developments.
Faridabad (NCR) 1-15 October, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com
it’s about...
The Upright Upbringing
Kshama Rao, a post graduate in Human Development from Bangalore University has authored thirteen books and co-authored over fifteen books. She is the winner of several prestigious literary awards including the Literoma Achiever's Award, Laureate Award 2019 and Naari Samman Award to name a few. 'BAL SANSKAR' - her latest book aimed at teenagers, deals with the intricate subject of growing up in a manner that they become a role model for not only their peers but for the entire society.
Q. Please tell us about yourself?
I am Manglorean born, brought up in Africa. Currently I am residing in Navi Mumbai. I was in Africa for eight years in my childhood. I did my post-graduation in Science from Bangalore University. I am married and I have a teenage daughter. I have written and published thirteen books which are sold worldwide in sixteen different online sites, National book sales and a few offline stores. I have received many awards for my work as an author. Literoma achiever award 2019, Laureate award 2020, Naari Samman award 2020, The Spirt Mania popular author award 2020 and The Critic space award 2020 are few awards which I received recently. I am also a freelance writer and reporter. I have also written more than 500 articles and short stories for different blogs with worldwide readers.
Q. Since when did you start writing?
I had written a book of poems when I was a teenager. Unfortunately, I lost that book. I restarted writing in my early thirties. I started writing when my daughter grew up and became a bit independent. I just didn’t’ want to be trapped in laziness.
Q. When did you actually realize that writing is something which you would like to pursue seriously as a profession?
Kshama Rao
I started writing articles online for a web and software company in my early thirties. I started working online because I didn’t want to be guilty of not giving quality time to my daughter. I had a desire to work something. Writing is the thing I do best. I write because I have a passion to create a respectable work which will be of some
use to the present and future generations. It gives me a sense of satisfaction.
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Q. Your favourite writers?
This book is written for children and their parents. It is for children of age 6 to 17. Children have a mind that is easily influenced by what is said to them. Good books help them shape their life. Good books can transform numerous lives. After growing up, kids should not think that if someone had taught us about personal development in childhood, our mind programming would have been different. This is the reason parents should buy and treasure good books like this. The wisest thing parents can do to ensure a good future for their kids is to gift them good self-improvement books and encourage them to read it. If you are a parent, you can read the book and teach your children.
Q. Would you recommend any of your favourite books / literary works for our readers?
I have written this book just to help children know about general Hindu manners in a modern way with beautiful illustrations and easy to understand text.
Q. Tell us more about your book - “Bal Sanskar”
Awards are given as a mark of appreciation for our initiatives, concept, consistency in work, hard work, sacrifice and dedication. It definitely motivates a person to do much more. It is important that our work gets recognition. It is something which we can boast about our achievements.
Q. Who is your motivation or what inspires you the most?
My zest for life motivates me. Life will be changed. It is a mixture of happiness and pain, but we should seek god by making him the first priority in life and he will show you the path. I have learnt that I am here to serve the god. I have given my weakness to God and in return he has given me his strength. I do not pray God for an easy life. I pray him to give me strength to endure a difficult one. I have received countless blessings from god and I am thankful to him. Choosing a favourite author is impossible. Twinkle Khanna is an amazing author. I like her way of writing. She expresses her thinking without being afraid about people’s judgement. She deserves appreciation.
Recently, I published a book BAL SANSKAR: A MODERN GUIDE TO DAILY ROUTINE AND MANNERS FOR CHILDREN. This is the book I’d recommend. BAL SANSKAR is a self-improvement book with pictures in it. This is a daily routine and good manners book for children. It helps children grow spiritually. It is an ultimate general guide for Hindu children.
Q. Is ‘Bal Sanskar’ a book aimed for Children or their parents?
Q. How and why did you think of writing on this particular subject? Was it because of a particular incident or any personal experience?
Q. How does it feel to have won so many awards? Do you think this acclamation encourages you to write more?
Q. Can you throw some light on your future project(s) / forthcoming work?
I am writing a self-improvement book.
Serious Men Movie Review : Incensed & astounding, Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s new Netflix film is one of the first – rated in 2020
Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s latest, Serious Men accomplishes a trifecta of Netflix triumphs for the performing artist, after Sacred Games & Raat Akeli hai. Based on a story by Manu Joseph, the film portrays the novel of Ayyan Mani, a Dalit deputy to a Brahmin researcher. After an eternity of being called names such as ‘moron’ & ‘ simpleton,’ he determines to depict his aggression to the world by
swindling it. Ayyan begins his trip of upward social adaptability by persuading everyone that his 10 year -old son is, indeed, a virtuoso. It’s fascinating to notice how film maker Sudhir Mishra’s discernment of the lay man has evolved since Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro in 1983. While the two leads of that movie were gullible do – gooders with humble aspirations, the following four decennials have made the lay man ex-
asperated, it would seem, meriting of a similarly infuriated film. Ayyan is a complexed man. On one hand, his aggression is explained – he has been thoroughly persecuted by a country that would rather have him staying at his socio – economic station - but on the other, he is difficult to like. Serious Men is, in many ways is an absconding film. Ayyan is caught within the allegorical jail of Mumbai, the towering high – rises neighbouring his slums like bars on his dungeon. As devilishly amusing as the flim is, & as unreasonably entertaining Ayyan’s plans are to notice, Serious Men would not have toiled if there had not been a combined passion directed at the initiation. It’s a film that encapsulates what it is like to live in India, around 2020. It’s a time condense that, like so many humorous movies that were released in the post – critical period,
encapsulates the temperament of the country. This is a remarkable movie, one of those unusual escapades where it seems as if each division – outfits, sound, lighting, is in a verbiage like routine. This is unexpected, contemplating how the movie is also about how everyone these days seem to survive in hugboxes. Serious Men provides Nawaz the opportunity to work out both mellowed & the presiding features of Ayyan’s identity. That’s the thing about course structures – you’re once in a while at the top or at the bottom. Each time there is someone above you, waiting to spring & someone below, prepared to be spranged at. Serious Men is also an evaluation of the broken Indian Pedagogy structure, as repitition as the syllabus modules it endorses, & a takedown of that age – old Indian propensity of guardians anticipating
their discouraged dreams upon their children. After a point, it seems like Ayyan is not proceeding his fantastic con for the purpose of his son’s future, but to lash out his own exasperations. It’s a dubious tight rope to walk. One wrong step & Ayyan becomes irremediable.
Serious Men
Film Maker: Sudhir Mishra Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Aakshath Das, Shweta Basu Prasad, Nasser & Indira Tiwari
Review by: Maithillee Zaveri
Faridabad (NCR) 1-15 October, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com
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health
Future Of Herbal Medicine Dr. Sandhya According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 65-80% of the world’s population living in developing countries depends essentially on plants for primary health care. Since ancient times medicinal plants have been used as a source to cure numerous human diseases. In the present days, one fourth of the world population depends on traditional medicines. As per the recent data the global traditional market is increasing at the rate of 7-15 percent per year. Herbal medicinal preparations are normally very popular in developing countries. Worldwide in traditional medicine, mainly herbal market has grown at an expressive rate. Several important factors have been contributed to the growth of this worldwide herbal market, such as the belief that herbal drugs are free from side effects, since millions of
people all over the world have been using herbal medicines for thousands of years; great interest in alternative medicines; preference of populations for preventive medicine, effective benefit of herbal medicine in the treatment of certain diseases where conventional therapies and medicines have proven to be inadequate; tendency towards self-medication; improvement in quality, scientific proof of efficacy and safety of herbal medicines . For the promotion of herbal medicines in cosmetic as well as various others disorders there is a need to focus on three fields: Academics, Research and Social. In the field of academics, promoting CME, seminar, conferences to enhance quality of education system is required. Also for success of all these programs it requires choosing topics meticulously, should cover multiple topics, distribution of funds, promotion and participant interest. In research area, consistent effort should be made for good infrastructures, labs equipments, and research scholars are mandatory and should be supported by Government or private sector, which can enhance quality of drugs and its standard. Various fields have been opened for the research includes life style disorder, non-preventive medicine, Vajikaran, Rasayan etc. However, at present no injectable ayurvedic drug is available in the market to
manage the acute or emergency diseases. For this purpose, ayurvedic drugs have to be studied for drug specific pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamics, half-life, side effects, teratological effects. Research scholars, working in institute and Universities, should made collective effort for manufacturing or developing standardized drugs which can be tested very well for the adulteration and to identify the deficient constituent in a compound. While following the guidelines as mentioned in Charak Samhita Sutrasthana , for the Dinacharya, Ritucharya and Ahara-vihara, we can promote good health; prevent life style disorders [LSD], non-commu-
nicable disease [NCD], sexually transmitted disease [STD] and many others, which needs more attention to develop more scientific parameters and result. This effort will enable the Ayurveda with evidences to project more scientifically and effectively on global platforms. In panchakarma procedures by Snehan, drugs are being given transdermally as transdermal patches which have been used for different diseases in modern science. It has also been proved that there is a decrease in histamine level by the Vaman karma. In cerebral palsy we can use Shirodhara and Vasti as a part of treatment. This always
gives a good result. Shirodhara has been considered to stimulate release of endorphins and pain inhibitory mediators. Herbals drugs from ayurveda are gaining popularity after a dark period. Main role is played by the media as well as by the recent researches, which are carried out by very less number of research scholars in comparison to other medical streams. So we can see that if we have to take Ayurveda globally as like modern medicine, research scholars, academicians and social workers should come together as a team and work in co- ordinance for the benefit of Ayurveda. Lastly, social aspect needs conduction of camps through NGO etc., exhibitions, rational involvement of media preferable electronic for the prevention of diseases and after treatment care over and above the activities carried out presently like Swastha-mela should be done on regular basis for more awareness in people. We should develop own system of medicine by considering the core of ayurveda supported by many other multifaceted-progressiveeconomy building and disease combating guidance and technique to be the leader in medicine as holistic medicine.
Dr. Sandhya Senior resident, Deptt. of Prasuti Tantra and Stri Roga, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University
Psychological impact of Covid-19 lockdown
Pratyasha Mohanty
India has been in a state of emergency since march due to the COVID-19 crisis. This state of emergency means that the population must comply with strict rules such as lockdown i.e. confinement to their homes except for essential trips and social distancing. In India, a family-centric society with a high population density and extreme social stratification, the impact of the lockdown might vary across diverse social groups. However, the patterning in the psychological impact of the lockdown among sexual minorities and persons known to be at higher risk of contracting Covid-19 is not known in the Indian context. In relation to gender, some data collected from surveys ,indicated that men have higher levels of depression than women, and similar
levels of anxiety and stress. Greater symptomatology has also been found among the younger population and in people with chronic diseases. While these lockdowns may have been effective in helping to curb the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in India, it has not , perhaps, been conducive to the emotional and mental health of some groups. Anxiety was found to be higher among sexual minorities ,high-risk group, and those with history of depression or loneliness. Addiction to pornography was also found to be higher among sexual minorities. Qualitative findings suggested that sexual minorities likely used pornography to cope with the lockdown, given the limited physical access to sexual partners in a society that stigmatizes homosexuality. Moreover there was a sudden and drastic alteration in the daily routine, with many millions stranded in boarding houses and rental apartments, without work and far from home. Academic work ground to a halt, with auxiliary staff like cleaners, security guards and gardeners suddenly being thrown out of their contractual work. Sudden loss of employment, along with financial stress or even distress, enhanced the psychological impact on the working community, shown by symptoms of increased aggressiveness and post-traumatic stress. However, the impact of the lockdown is heaviest on those who are alone, poor, already psychologically burdened. The
community of old and sick people, often without immediate family caregivers in the vicinity. They are known to have a higher risk of acquiring the infection. Those who are exposed to potential sources of infection on a daily basis are even more likely to be stressed about the possibility of not only becoming infected but carrying the virus home to their families and friends. Those who do not get along well with their families, induced more conflict and promoting poorer outcomes during this period. Depressive symptoms were independently associated with a history of loneliness and depression. They were linked to higher Internet addiction symptoms independently. The presence of depressive and anxiety symptoms was linked to a higher chance of self-reported sleep disorder and changes in food patterns. The risk of infection, fear of becoming sick or of losing loved ones, as well as the prospect of financial hardship are some main stress inducing factors. All these, and many more, are present in this current pandemic. The infected persons even after their recovery or the people who are quarantined are very likely to develop a wide range of symptoms of psychological stress and disorder, including low mood, insomnia, stress, anxiety, anger, irritability, emotional exhaustion, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Low mood and irritability specifically stand out as being very common . Among quarantined hospital staff, almost 10% reported
“high depressive symptoms” after being quarantined. Another study reporting on the long-term effects of quarantine among healthcare workers found a long-term risk for alcohol abuse, self-medication and long-lasting “avoidance” behaviour. We thus know that , at-risk groups for long-term mental health issues will be the healthcare workers who are on the frontline, young people under 30 and children, the elderly and those in precarious situations, for example, owing to mental illness, disability and poverty. There is broad consensus about the psychological care following disasters and major incidents. Thus some few ways to tackle with psychological health of people are educating people about the expected psychological impact and reactions to trauma if they are interested in receiving it. Making sure people understand that a psychological reaction is normal. Launching a specific website to address psychosocial issues. Regularly keeping a check on the people around us and try to atleast hear them out. Moreover, both qualitative and quantitative study findings suggested that greater frequency of calling family members during lockdown could strengthen social relationships and increase social empathy. Thereby it's urgent to call for the attention of policymakers to take sensitive and inclusive health decisions for the marginalized and the vulnerable mental health of people , both during and after the crisis.
Scars That Fail Humanity and Refuse to Heal Faridabad (NCR) 1-15 October, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com
opinion
Dr Farah Naqvi
While growing up in times of adversity, I would often hear elders say, ‘sabr se kam lo’ meaning be patient. When something happened contrary to their expected wishes still, they would say, ‘don’t worry, Allah jo karta hai acha karta hai. Have trust in God’s plans.’ Somehow the faith and conviction with which these words were said it acted like a balm for the disheartened person. Later I came to know that this is called ‘tawakkul’ in Islam. Tawakkul means having complete trust that Allah’s plan is the best plan. It is having faith and reliance that Allah will take care of you even when things look impos-
sible. This idea may not appeal to all, but it can be a source of immense strength and hope in times of hardship for someone who has faith. There are times when events in life make us question-why me? For example, when someone breaks our trust or when people we love let us down or while battling a chronic disease etc. Sometimes we encounter pain that makes us feel overwhelmed, lost and left with scars. But pain and scars are not always damaging. Responding to them with courage and grace, they enable us to become a better version of ourselves. After all, it is the chisel marks that turn a stone to a piece of art! Talking of pain, scars and how certain tests of life leave us broken reminds me of the Japanese word ‘kintsugi’. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting and mending broken pottery pieces with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver or platinum. The beauty of this wonderful Japanese philosophy is
that its treats breakage and repair as the part and history of an object rather than something to hide. It is built on the idea that by embracing our flaws, imperfections, gathering the broken or wounded part in ourselves, we can emerge stronger and wiser. I was at peace reading and contemplating over these beautiful ideas until I read this news. The news that for a moment sent all these thoughts be it ‘tawakkkul’ or ‘kintsugi’ evaporating from my head. I sat numbed fueling with anger and pain that sent chills down my spine. What was the fault of this girl raped and killed so barbarically? When reading about the incident can take one in a state of shock, can we ever fathom the agony of this girl? Can we ever face the parents of the girl who must have invested so much in bringing her to this world and raising her up? The video of the mother sitting and crying in the middle of the road beating her chest continues to haunt me, and I wonder can her scarred heart
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ever heal? Even after everything that has happened and left with no choice if she gathers the courage to hold herself up; will she ever be able to find solace in concepts like 'tawakkul' or 'kintsugi'? Being a woman can sometimes be worse than being an animal or an object. Even cows are getting their deserved place, and a broken object can still be fixed if desired. The cracks repaired with a precious metal in kintsugi serve to add beauty to the object. But the brutal way this poor girl was raped, injured with multiple fractures, paralysis, gash on her tongue; even if she had survived and healed physically could the broken pieces of her soul ever be fixed after the traumatic torture? Even if we decide collectively to mete out the same treatment to the rapists, the way they treated the innocent girl; will it undo that which the girl and her family have endured? #Hathraswill trend for a few days then life will return to normal for most of us. Petitions, protests, candle lighting everything will settle down in a matter of a few days. We, humans, are wired to eventually adapt to even the most extreme positive and negative circumstances of life as explained by the idea of hedonic adaptation theory, according to which people are doomed to experience stable levels of well-being over time. This is going to happen more swiftly for most of the people for the ghastly incident has not happened with them or their loved one. But for the girl’s family, especially the mother will the days ever be the same again? Will she ever be able to sleep after that horrendous night when she could not even bid the last goodbye to her aggrieved daughter, as her body was taken straight for a hurried cremation? This is high time we look beyond the biases of religion, caste, social status, our political affiliations and
empathize with the pain of the girl and her parents as a fellow human. Let us not get silent after a few WhatsApp forwards and social media outrage, rather come together to question and fix the social, cultural and administrative factors that are dehumanizing our men. Wishing for the most stringent punishment is worthwhile, but we need to come up with integrated measures that focus on tackling the very cause of rapes. The patriarchal system that teaches a male child that he is superior to a girl owing to his gender needs to be uprooted. Till the time men grow up with the idea that women are inferior to men, we cannot expect them to respect the agency of women. Media and entertainment industry also must be held accountable for producing content that promotes the objectification of women and reduces a woman from a thinking being to a mere commodity desirable merely because of her ‘body’. Instead of counselling women or imposing restrictions on their movement, we need to further empower them with education and teaching self-defense. The focal point of reflection and change should not be the victim, but the mentality of the men who perpetrate such heinous crimes. For preventing such untoward incidents in future vigilant surveillance and expeditious law enforcement is urgently needed so that next time we celebrate daughter’s day we do it with the dignity of sentiments!
Dr. Farah Naqvi is a writer, academician and behavioral scientist. She started her career with Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and worked with institutions like ICFAI Hyderabad, IBA Bangalore and Center for Organization Development, Hyderabad as Asst professor. Currently she is associated with Indian Institute of Business Psychology (IIBP) as a Senior Researcher. To know about her work, visit the website:https://farahnaqvi.com/
Crime against women: A big blow to women empowerment Rhythima Agrawal
Amidst the protest over the gang rape and death of an 18-year old young girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras, a similar incident of atrocity has been reported from the city. A 22-year-old woman died on Tuesday after being gang raped by two men in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur District. “My daughter had gone to take admission in a college on Tuesday. On her way back, two-three men abducted her and took her to their room, gave her an injection and raped her. They sent her back in an auto-rickshaw which dumped her outside our house. They broke her legs and back. She could not stand or talk”, said the girl’s mother weeping. However the police denied all the charges of the girl’s broken leg and back. A case of gang rape and murder has been
filed, and both the persons named as accused by the girl’s brother have been arrested. They were identified as Shahid and Sahil, said Balrampur S.P. Dev Verma. A local BJP MLA has said that the Uttar Pradesh government will provide a residential plot and job to a family member of the 22-year-old Balrampur woman who died after being raped by two men. The state government will also give ₹ 2 lakh more as financial assistance, the Balrampur MLA, who met the victim's family, said on Friday. "Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken note of the incident. The government will provide a residential plot and job to a member of the family," said the local MLA. The National Crime Records Bureau
(NCRB) ranks Uttar Pradesh as the worst for women’s security and Madhya Pradesh as the state where rape is most rampant. The statistics highlight the poor state of law and order throughout the country with 378,277 cases of crime reported against women in 2018. Uttar Pradesh has the most crimes against women, at 59,445. In 93.7% of the cases, rapists were people known to the rape victim. In as many as 18,059 cases the rapists were friends, employers, neighbors or other known persons, while in 11,945 cases they were online friends. Analysts said that while the increase in rapes and other crimes against women could indicate more reporting of such
crimes, it also showed that the absolute numbers are on the rise. Ranjana Kumari, a social activist and director at the Delhibased Centre for Social Research, says that any government has rolled out no appropriate safety plan. Surveillance and patrolling are flawed, a significant reason why such crimes happen. Delhi led with a recorded number of 15,310 cases of crimes against women in 2018, compared with 13,076 in 2017, and 13,640 in 2016. Across the country, in 2018, "cruelty by husband or his relatives" accounted for the most cases at 103,000. An expert suggested a solution. Rashmi Singh, a women activist, said that the society has to transform its mindset when it comes to women. She said, "More has to be done as a society. These incidents come from a mindset that needs to be changed and education has a huge role to play".
India's hospitals are struggling for oxygen supply as pandemic surges Faridabad (NCR) 1-15 October, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com
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news
Shivansh Mishra
Medical Oxygen , being a crucial component in treatment of Covid19 patients, has been a matter of concern recently due to increased demand caused by a sharp rise in the number of Covid-19 cases across the country. India registered more Covid-19 cases this month than any other country in the world and this surge in cases has exposed weak points in the supply of oxygen and its logistics requirements. About 3-5 % of active cases in India have lung tissues damaged enough by the Corona Virus to require external Oxygen support. Since March, medical oxygen demand has grown from 750-800 to over 2,500 metric tonnes and it has resulted in the chaos among the Hospitals for Oxygen supply. Currently, India has the capacity of producing 6,900 metric tonnes of Liquid Oxygen daily, , health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in a media interaction. Problems in the Supply chain are being acknowledged as there’s more than enough production of Oxygen on the National level. During a meeting with state leaders on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted “the difficulties faced by some states re-
cently in procuring oxygen supply” and said that “ensuring availability of medical oxygen is of utmost importance,” according to a statement from his office. According to the All India Industrial Gases Manufacturers’ Association (AIIGMA), over 2,500 tonnes of Oxygen is being directed towards hospitals, most consumed by coronavirus patients, and another 2,000-2,300 tonne is supplied for industrial requirement each day.
The process of Oxygen production is full of complexities and it takes upto Two and half days to complete. India’s big oxygen manufacturers, such as Inox Air Products, Linde India, Goyal MG Gases, National oxygen, use cryogenic distillation technique to compress air, feed it into distillation columns and get liquid oxygen. It is 99.5 per cent pure and this liquid oxygen is filled into special cryogenic transport tankers that main-
tain -180 degree centigrade temperature to travel to smaller plants in hinterlands, where liquid oxygen is converted into gaseous form, fed into cylinders and transported to the final destination – hospitals. In an ideal scenario, it takes 3-5 days for oxygen to journey from a manufacturer to a patient’s bed. Saket Tiku, the president of the All India Industrial Gases Manufacturers Association, said his group is working to reopen shuttered oxygen plants and to speed up approvals for new ones that are nearly ready. Transportation is another challenge, he added, because liquid oxygen requires special tankers. The surge in demand “happened suddenly and even the dealers and vendors were not prepared.” “The issue is not of supply, it is of transportation and storage,” says health secretary Dr Pradeep Vyas, Maharashtra, which produces one-fifth of India’s oxygen capacity. Before this devastating pandemic, The special tankers were enough to meet up the demand in time but now they are difficult to hire and cost more. As demand surges, logistics are falling short. India has roughly 1,2001,500 tankers for transport. Supply isn’t the only matter of concern, the problem of storing this
President Kovind gives assent to the three farm bills
TAC News: President Ram Nath Kovind approved the three bills passed by the parliament. The bills triggered protests in various parts of the country, especially in Punjab and Haryana. The farmers are of the view that the farm bills will reduce their bargaining power and put an end to the minimum support price (MSP). The government has clarified that MSP will exist and the lifting of restrictions to sell outside the ‘mandis’ will give a freedom to the farmers to sell their produce anyone and anywhere. These three farm bills are: The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020. A gazette notification has been issued in this regard. The opposition parties had requested the President to re-
turn the bills, saying that the bills are not in favor of the farmers. NDA's oldest ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday parted ways on the issue of these farm bills as farmers in Punjab and Haryana intensified protest. The government has asserted that these bills will allow farmers to sell their products anywhere they want at a better price.
What are the three bills?
The farm bills initially, were issued as an ordinance in June. Amid the protests by the opposition parties, the bills were passed via a voice vote in Lok Sabha and Rajya
Sabha. The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, allows farmers to sell their harvest outside the notified Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis without paying any State taxes or fees. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, facilitates contract farming and direct marketing. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, deregulates the production, storage, movement and sale of several significant foodstuffs, including cereals, pulses, edible oils and onion, except in the case of extraordinary circumstances. PM Modi in his 'Mann Ki Baat' broadcast, said that a large number of peasants have benefited because fruits and vegetables were brought out of the APMC Act in some states a few years ago. He asserted that grain-producing farmers will now have the
same freedom. Protests by farmers against the laws continued on Sunday, with peasants in Punjab squatting on the AmritsarDelhi railway track. Farmers, under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, have been staging a sit-in on the rail track in Punjab since last Wednesday. Farmers have expressed apprehension that the Centre's farm reforms would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big companies. Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel termed the bills as 'unconstitutional' and said that a resolution opposing the bills would be brought in nest session of the Assembly. "Centre does not have the power to legislate upon agriculture, which is a state subject. The three bills passed in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha are unconstitutional and are in violation of the federal structure," Baghel said.
vast amount of Oxygen has also been exposed in this difficult hour. Most rural hospitals do not have oxygen tanks as the need never arose before. A critical Covid-19 patient can need 30-60 litres of oxygen in a minute. One cylinder can run out in 15 minutes to an hour, depending on oxygen directed to patients. Several states have also begun construction of oxygen generation plants that convert air into oxygen, and provide 93.5 per cent purity. But this construction will take months. The AIIGMA states that across India, 500 oxygen plants are in the process of construction, of which two major ones will be in Pune (Maharashtra) and Modinagar (Gujarat). Earlier , Oxygen was cheap enough and was within the reach of Common people but the surge in demand has reciprocated in the terms of the prices of Oxygen. A cylinder that would earlier cost Rs 100-150 now costs Rs 500-700 for refilling. Before the pandemic, it would cost Rs 1.5-2 to refill a cubic metre of oxygen. But the cost of logistics has risen, so now Delhi will find refilling costs Rs 10-15 per cubic metre, and Mumbai Rs 15 per cubic metre. The government has fixed the cost of refilling at Rs 17.49 per cubic metre.
'Swachhta Pakhwada' to be celebrated from 2-17 Oct
Haryana Urban Local Bodies Minister, Anil Vij said that ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’ (Cleanliness Fortnight) will be observed from October 2 to 17, 2020 across the State, under which all the Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Municipalities will organize virtual events on Swachh Haryana, Swachh Bharat and Sampann Bharat. Vij said that during ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’, a special campaign will be launched for cleanliness of sewage and drains and safe disposal of waste. For this event, the District Municipal Commissioner will be the Nodal Officer at the district level and the Public Health Engineering Department, Haryana Urban Development Authority and Local Bodies will work together to make this campaign successful. He has also said that the sanitary workers who have been performing excellent jobs will be encouraged. Director General of Urban
Local Bodies Department, Amit Agarwal said that Swachhta Pakhwada will be organized to mark the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. For this, the District Municipal Commissioners in cooperation with concerned Departments have been asked to prepare action plan. Instructions have been given to all Municipal Corporations, Councils and Municipalities of the state to identify and clean the garbage spots. He said that during this period special attention would be paid towards cleaning and repairing of parks and public toilets and making the roads garbage free.
Faridabad (NCR) 1-15 October, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com
news/ state
NamamiGange Project- Budget Outlay analysis
NamamiGange Programme’, is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014 with budget outlay of Rs.20,000 Crore to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga. The government has significantly slashed allocations to its marquee plan to clean the Ganga. A dip in the fund allocation for NamamiGange can be seen from 2018-19 onwards when the programme was allocated just Rs 687 crore. In 2019-2020, the government announced to keep aside Rs 750 crore for the programme, but subsequently slashed it by half in the RE, compared to 2018-19. National Mission for Clean Ganga, endeavors to deploy the best available knowledge and resources across the world for Ganga rejuvenation. Clean Ganga has been a perennial attraction for many international countries that have expertise in river rejuvenation. Countries such as Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, Israel etc. have shown interest in collaborating with India for Ganga rejuvenation. According to the Revised Estimates 2018-19 in the interim
Union Budget for 2019-20 presented in Parliament on Friday, NamamiGange was allotted Rs 2,300 crore. Of this, only Rs 700 crore has been utilised. Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman during her Budget 2020-21 speech on February 1, announced an outlay of Rs 800 crore for NamamiGange, a flagship programme of the Union government to clean and revive the river. This is an increase of 127 per cent, compared to the Revised Estimates (RE) last year. With a little over nine months left before the Narendra Modi government’s ambitious Ganga cleaning programme ‘NamamiGange’ ends, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has so far managed to spend just 29 per cent of the sanctioned amount. The funds were allotted to states through which the river passes: Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. As many as 261 projects were announced, but only 76 have been concluded. The total expenditure till date is Rs 5,979 crore — barely 23 per cent of the Rs 25,000-crore allocation. “Some of the projects are to be implemented by the central government, some by the state governments, and a few by private players. These have to be awarded through a proper contract process,” said a senior official. According to data made avail-
able by the ministry to Rajya Sabha on 2 March, the NMCG has as of January this year managed to spend Rs 8,352.86 crore towards the completion of 116 of the total 310 sanctioned river cleaning project. A bulk of the projects sanctioned, 152, pertain to putting in place sewage infrastructure, like sewage treatment plants (STPs) — one of the most crucial components to keep the river clean The budget was sanctioned for a five-year period for setting up the infrastructure. But their operation and maintenance will be a continuous process and there has to be a budget for it,” said the official who didn’t want to be named. Of the total 310 projects sanctioned for cleaning the Ganga, 116 or 37 per cent have been completed as of January while work is underway in the remaining ones, according to the Jal Shakti ministry data. Currently, the 97 towns located on the main stem of the river generate 2,953 MLD of sewage, and the available treatment capacity is only 1,794 MLD. There are a total of 155 large drains which discharge sewage directly into the river. Of the 46 completed projects, Delhi is at the bottom of the list with not a single one of the 11 sanctioned STPs executed. Bihar is second worst with just one out of the 30 sanctioned STPs completed. While the progress of various river cleaning infrastructure being put in place might be behind the mark, the Jal Shakti ministry bumped up its ad spending for the programme over the last two fiscals. The Ministry of Water Resources had only spent Rs 200 crore till December 13 whereas all od Rs 50 crore was unspent till December, according to the information provided under the RTI Act to The Indian Express. While the efforts to clean the Ganga began in the 1980s, it could not gain pace for almost 20 years till 2014 and witnessed expenditure of Rs 4,000 crore between 1985 and 2014.
When Narendra Modi took the reigns for India in 2014, a centrally funded scheme- NamamiGange was introduced with an outlay of Rs 20,000 crore for five years. Despite the funding, the government had earlier said that it will take longer than it was expected to clean Ganga. According to the latest data, the NMCG spent a total of Rs 57.89 crore between 2014-15 and 20 February 2020 on advertisements published in print and electronic media. During this period, the maximum spending was in the last fiscal when NMCG’s expenditure on advertisements was Rs 33.22 crore. The 2018-19 fiscal was the last year of the Modi government’s first term in office, before its reelection in May 2019. The program now involves many states and all tributaries of the Ganga. Since it is a mega project, We need to involve all local people, corporates and the state governments in the river and water bodies cleaning and beautification along their banks. By 2025, we should have clean and beautiful rivers, creeks, ponds and lakes in the whole country. The vision for Ganga Rejuvenation constituted restoring the wholesomeness of the river defied in terms of ensuring “Aviral Dhara”(Continuous Flow), “Nirmal Dhara”(Unpolluted Flow), Geologic and ecological integrity. The vision and the track to function shall not be diverted. Seine river flows right in the middle of Paris city. Standing on the bank, one can almost see the bottom. The water is so clear. In India, polluting rivers is considered a birth right. “Once, during a visit to Vridavan, while watching the evening Aarti my wife accidently stepped into the river water. The Panditji abused her for sullying the river. But, barely ten feet away from the spot, sewage was draining into Yamuna. That’s how we treat holy rivers.”,says Gururaj, a researcher on the subject.
The Election Commission of India announced the by-election schedule to fill the vacancy in Baroda Assembly Constituency in Haryana. The model code of conduct has come into force in the region as soon as the by-election is announced. Polling will be held on November 3, 2020. As per the schedule released by the Commission, the last date for filing of nominations is October 16, 2020, while the scrutinization of nomination papers will be held on October 17, 2020. Last date of withdrawal of nomination papers by candidates is October 19, 2020. Polling will
be held on November 3, 2020 and counting of votes will be done on November 10, 2020. The Commission has decided to use EVMs and VVPATs at all polling stations in the by-election. Adequate number of EVMs and VVPATs have been provided and all steps have been taken to ensure that the voting is done smoothly. The Commission has decided that voter identification will be mandatory at the time of voting in this by-election. The Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) will be the main document of the voter's identity. However, in
order to ensure that a voter is not deprived of their franchise, if their name is mentioned in the electoral rolls, then they can exercise their franchise by using 11 alternative photo identification documents as prescribed by the Commission. These 11 alternative photo identification documents include passport, driving license, Service identity cards with photographs issued to employee by central, state government, public undertakings or public limited companies, passbook issued by bank or post office, PAN card, Smart cards issued by RGI under NPR,
NREGA job cards, health insurance smart cards issued under the scheme of the Ministry of Labor, pension document with photograph, official identity cards issued to MPs, MLAs, MLCs and Aadhaar cards. The Model Code of Conduct will come into force with immediate effect in the district in which the whole or any part of the Assembly Constituency going for election is included. The model code of conduct will also apply to all candidates, political parties, the state government and central government also.
Bhoomika Mohan
EC announced by-election for Baroda constituency
14 Govt. Invites teachers for “State Teacher 2020 award”
Haryana Government has invited online applications for 'State Teacher Award -2020' like 'National Teacher Award' from eligible teachers. Giving information about this, a spokesperson of the Haryana's Department of Secondary Education said that applications were invited by the department for 'State Teacher Award-2020' from eligible teachers by October 1, 2020, either by hand or through the post. He said that now it has been decided by the department that from this year onwards, applications for 'State Teacher Award -2020' will be invited online like 'National Teacher Award' and an online portal is also being created for the same. The applications of teachers will be accepted online only after the trial of this portal is conducted successfully. All District Education Officers and District Elementary Education Officers will also be informed about the revised time-limit and the link of the departmental portal earlier before the portal opens. The officers have also been directed not to accept applications for 'State Teachers Award -2020' either by hand or through the post.
CM held meeting with officers for Kharif crop
Haryana Chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Lal held a meeting with the officers concerned to take stock of the procurement of Kharif crop. In this meeting, the Chief Minister, while considering the interest of farmers, had increased the prescribed per acre productivity of paddy from 25 quintals to 30 quintals. Besides this, if a farmer brings 10 percent additional paddy to the Mandi, it will also be purchased. This limit, which was earlier 25 quintals, has now been increased to 33 quintals. On this occasion, the Chief Minister while giving strict directions to the procurement agencies, said that in the mandis where paddy has been procured, it should be ensured that the paddy is immediately lifted from there. Registration on the 'Meri Fasal Mera Byora' portal of marginal farmers will start from October 5. Apart from this, the Chief Minister said that at the mandi level from tomorrow onwards, market secretaries and Arhtiyas will be able to call 25 percent of farmers to mandis on their own. Manohar Lal said that farmers will not face any problem in the procurement process. At the same time, he also reviewed the purchase of millet, maize, moong and cotton.
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Faridabad (NCR) 1-15 October, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com
The expert views on the dropping of emerging markets and India’s worst conditions able. Apparently, it is a great technology, but it is not a great stock for me at these prices.
Haritha Senthilkumar James Beeland Rogers is an American investor and financial commentator based in Singapore who delivered his views on the drowning of the emerging markets worldwide and about India’s condition on the share market and he stressed that India will be on his list of non-global investors as it holds a lot of debts. To the asked issues, he answered his views. What do you have to say for
those who bought stocks of Tesla? Elon Musk is perhaps the new hero for everyone. Well if you are in the press, Mr Tesla and Mr Trump are two of the smartest people in the world. I see what has happened to the price of Mr Tesla’s stock. I have seen this before. I do not own it. I have no position short it. It is going to crash when the next bear market comes. I have no idea when or how much higher it might go but I know that stocks like that always come down a great deal in the next bear market. Some of the accounting things that Mr Musk does are question-
Development projects worth hundreds of crores for Baroda
Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister, Jai Prakash Dalal has said that the present government has ensured developmental projects worth hundreds of crores rupees for Baroda constituency. He further added that with the onset of construction work of most of these projects Baroda is also moving forward on the path of development. The Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare was addressing the people after the launching various projects during his visit to the villages of the Baroda constituency. Other dignitaries, including MP Ramesh Kaushik were present on this occasion. He said that CM, Manohar Lal has taken steps towards the creation of IMT in Baroda. He said that a state-of-the-art rice mill will be set up for paddyproducing farmers and certainly these projects will give new dimension to the development of Baroda. Jai Prakash Dalal inaugurated construction works of about Rs 17,85,90,000 (Rs. 17.85 crore) for strengthening water supply in five villages lying under the Baroda belt. He laid the foundation stone of a canal water-based work at Baroda Mor at a cost of Rs 471.90 lakh and a tubewell at Baroda Thuthan at a cost of Rs 35 lakh. Likewise, he laid the foundation stone for renovation work of a tubewell in Banwasa at a cost of Rs 35 lakh and renovation of water works in Rindana at a cost of Rs 430 lakh. Along with this, he laid the foundation stone for renovation of canal water works costing Rs. 634 lakhs in Chhrana and renovation of water works at a cost of Rs. 145 lakhs in Madina other than setting up a tubewell at a cost of Rs. 35 lakh.
You have young children which means that they have the advantage of time. If you have to advise your children to start an ETF in a country, where there is going to be a structural change, a decade or two decades of big changes, which is would be that one country? In 2020, it would probably be Russia. Russia is hated right now. There are positive changes taking place, not too much debt, lots of raw materials. I know it is a strange name but to be successful, you have to look for strange countries. Maybe Russia, maybe Venezuela. though hated, but are cheap that is where you look to find big profits over 20 or 30 years.
India is no longer the darling of global investors in terms of returns and asset allocation. Where does India fit in? Is it in the middle of the road or the end of the road? Where is India in terms of perception and in terms of investment destination? You know India is one of my favourite countries in the world. I tell people all the time if you can only visit one country in your life it should be India. It is fabulous for
Farmer’s interests are supreme for state Govt.: Manohar Lal
Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal said the farmer’s interests are supreme for the State Government. Now no politics can be done in the name of farmers as the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has set a target of doubling the income of farmers by the year 2022 and implemented several schemes and programmes in this direction. Manohar Lal was responding to the queries of media persons at Gurugram. In reply to a question, he said that Bills on agriculture reforms passed by the Parliament during the Monsoon Session would prove to be very effective towards doubling the income of farmers. Taking a dig at the opposition, he said that opposition parties are spreading confusion among the farmers on Agriculture Act under a political agenda which is not appropriate. In reply to yet another question, Manohar Lal said the Congress Party is misguiding the farmers to fulfill their political interests.
many reasons. But I am not an investor in India now. I am not an investor in most emerging markets now. When the bear market comes in the next couple of years, emerging markets including India will go down a lot plus India has been building up a lot of debt. I mean this is not as bad as Japan or America or someplace but India has been building debt. I do not like that. Mr Modi says, he has always said he is going to balance the budget but he never does it. India is not on my list at the moment. If it goes down enough, of course, it will be on my list.
Do you think this is going to be a tough decade for any investor anywhere or should we expect late single-digit returns? This is not going to be a good decade. The next bear market is going to be the worst in my lifetime. It is not a good time to be a young person, certainly not in America because America has built up staggering amounts of debt. I worry about my children and their lifetime. I worry about all of us including old people like me but I really worry about young people because in five years somebody is going to ask where did all this debt come from? It is going to be staggering and it is not going to be good for a long time for most countries. So I am going to do well but most will not.
Priority of govt. to provide all basic facilities to citizens: Anoop Dhanak
Haryana Minister of State for Archaeology & Museums and Labour & Employment, Anoop Dhanak said that it is the priority of the government to provide all basic facilities to citizens. He stated that it will be ensured that work of community buildings, chaupals and streets villages is not left incomplete. Anoop Dhanak inaugurated three lanes, the main gate of the sports stadium and two gyms in village Rajli in district Hisar. Speaking on the occasion he said in view of developmental works, all-round development of every sector is being done. Haryana government is moving ahead taking every section of the society together. Furthermore, work is being done continuously for the development of the poor section of the society. Other than implementing schemes for such sections of the society, it is also being ensured that the benefits of government schemes reach the needy people. On this occasion, Anoop Dhanak also heard the problems of the villagers in the chaupal of village Rajli and gave necessary directions to the officers present to resolve them. He said that all the demands of the villagers will be met on priority.
haryana Hry Govt. Extends date of Bhim Award application
Haryana Government has decided to extend the last date for applying of Cash Award and Bhim Awards to October 15, 2020, in the interest of the players. Giving information in this regard, the official spokesperson of the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs said that the outstanding sportsperson of the state were to submit applications on the basis of their achievements in the office of respective District Sports and Youth Programme Officers by August 15, 2020. However, many eligible players were unable to submit the application due to some reasons during the said time period. In view of this, the state government has decided to extend the last date for submission of applications for Cash Award and Bhima Award till October 15, 2020. He informed that now the interested players can submit their applications in the office of respective District Sports and Youth Programme Officers by October 15, 2020. The applications can be downloaded from the departmental website www.haryanasports.gov.in or can also be obtained from the office on any working day. The spokesperson also informed that along with the application, verified copies of sports achievements, certificate of representation of the state at the nationallevel, date of birth certificate, residential certificate, copy of bank pass book and three coloured passport size photographs have to be submitted.
Younger generation must adopt sports & exercise: Sandeep Singh
Haryana Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs, Sandeep Singh said that Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is continuously motivating the people of the country to do yoga and to play sports so that the citizens of the nation remain healthy. Therefore everyone should take out some time from their busy schedule to do yoga and exercise. The Sports Minister said this while addressing the players at an awareness rally programme organized under the Fit-India campaign at the Markandeshwar Hockey Stadium Shahabad in Kurukshetra district. Earlier, the Sports Minister also flagged off an awareness rally under the Fit-India campaign in the city to make the people aware of the benefits of doing yoga and playing sports to remain healthy. The Sports Minister also ran in the rally and later distributed sports items to the hockey players. While giving a message to the players to remain healthy, Sports Minister said that the younger generation must adopt sports and exercise as a part of their daily routine so that they can play an important role in building a healthy India with new energy. Just as food is necessary for the body, exercise is also equally important.He said that the 'Khelo-India' games in Haryana will be held in a unique manner. On one hand, this will give new players an opportunity to showcase their talent, while on the other youth will also get inspiration. Former coach of Indian hockey team Sandeep Sangwan and Sunil Malik said that the family of veteran Hockey player Sandeep Singh, who is now the Sports Minister is playing an important role in nurturing the talent of budding hockey players
“Fashion with compassion, my designs are for social change”: Akassh K Aggarwal Faridabad (NCR) 1-15 October, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com
society
Shreypriya Kaur
From being a Fashion Accessory Designer, LGBTQ Activist, a Big Page 3 Name of Delhi to being an Influencing Voice and demanding justice for all against any social disparity, Akassh K Aggarwal has become a proud Indian citizen and major vocalist for the Silent Communities. Working with the life motto of –“Be The Change You Wish To See, The Change Starts From The Self” He has come across various obstacles in life as struggle of the LGBTQ Community person is like. He has represented the community on various news channels such as CNN NEWS18, REPUBLIC TV, MIRROR NOW, India Today, Aaj Tak, Times Now and many more. He has worked in past with NHRC on the Gender Sensitization program. While talking with The Asian Chronicle he excitedly portrays that how not only the community but the considerate general public has come on the frontline to support them and have formed Allyship with the community.Their community is free from the section 377 now which is the most optimistic step but the fight against
stigma attached long ahead. Even in the epidemic he states they managed to continue with their sensitization with the help of the allied forces they had formed through many social media engagements. When inquired about the CAA protest in Shaheen Bagh, where he was noticed for some time, he generally exclaimed that protesting is the right of people when people find out that their rights are being endangered they would seek for the answers and demand justice.He represented undocumented queer community which lacks in proper official documents due to being
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kicked out home at early ages… They know they won’t be believed in any case, without seeking judiciary help which is also a costly affair. He adds that it is not particular community but also for all those who are unable to meet this mandatory crite-
rion. He recounts that he travelled to the protests where he found the justice was amissed. Be it the AnnaMovement or the 2012 Nirbhaya Protests. He reveals that CAA Protest was a human rights issue for him just like all other protests. And if Human Rights are threatened then it’s a compulsion to solicit impartialness. Not only voicing for JNU students or standing with the police administration in their protest but also the Brutal Hathras Gang Rape which happened in the recent times is also a part of Human Rights Exploitation. He confesses that if the discrimination continued and there are objections he will continue to stand for justice as these Human Rights injustice won’t be tolerated. Apart from being Social Activist this talented designer owns his owns his Brand SHUBHASINI ORNAMENTALS. This young initiator has conducted many fashion pageant programs and has performed with many famed celebrities like Sushmita Sen, Vidya Balan, Zeenat Aman, Gauhar Khan and various others. The skilled personality has also been a judge among various beauty pageants and was a jury
member in the event SATRANGI UTSAV. He also showcased a strong Accessory Line themed “Silent Stories” and a collection of a designer which was about the expression of LGBTQIA + COMMUNITY EXISTENCE and the struggle of their acceptance, in the India Run Way Week – Season 12. He has been in the industry for more than a decade. He has given many show stoppers; Laxmi Aggarwal was one such stopper. When asked about the effect of pandemic has over this industry, he told that the fashion ornaments are the part of the luxurious life. Generally, people at this situation will certainly choose life necessity goods over luxurious indulgence and that has affected majorly on the industry. While wrapping up, at the conclusion he delivered the message to society to stand-up for the justice and against the wrong not only by the protests but by raising objections and helping others out by lending a hand and standing with them so that they know they’re not alone, because “if you stand for no one than in the future if you call for someone while seeking rightness then you would be by your own and unaccompanied too”…
ties already faced by such communities. Most importantly, Covid-19 has escalated the threat to women’s access to justice. Gender-Based Violence (GBV) during the lockdown saw an unprecedented rise. “Formal and informal spaces which afforded women appropriate safeguards are quickly shrinking,” says Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. This is because of the stay at home orders. Women facing such GBV remain unnoticed because of the digital divide. Lockdown and economic hardships have also restricted access to courts. The fact remains that women are less likely than men to own a smartphone and are even less likely to access the internet from their phones than men. This digital divide does not allow them to have access to life-saving information. This crisis particularly affects those groups of women and trans-community who are forcibly displaced, deprived of liberty, and lack a legal identity. This seems like a socio-economic catastrophe. With little to no financial resources and no social networks, navigating the justice system in a “stay home, stay safe” world becomes impossible. The pandemic has forced governments to decongest public spaces, shelters, and even prisons. The implications of such closures for women who are victims of domestic violence haven’t been thought
through. In a world that will be struck with extreme poverty and unemployment for years post-COVID, women and the LGBTQ community, who are already underrepresented in our systems will remain unemployed. They will have no political representation in our democratic process as well. The chaos brought by the pandemic has led to the diversion of resources from women-centric social security schemes to COVID related experiments and expenditures. Reproductive healthcare and childcare investments have been cut down across the world leading to disruption of services. This has increased the risk of maternal and child mortality and morbidity. The most vulnerable group in the fight against the pandemic is the health workers. The majority of whom are women. They come from low-income families. Nurses, care providers, and cleanliness workers sustain our health care services. With overburdened work and caring responsibilities, they remain the most vulnerable group in our fight against COVID-19. The ‘care economy’ would cripple if not for their relentless services during such times. However, they remain uninsured and are facing increased social stigma. Members of the LGBTQ community whose economic independence depend on the informal economy, face a new challenge with ab-
solutely no income to sustain themselves. Access to work and livelihood remains a distant dream for them in such critical times. Young members of the LGBTQ community, who have been locked up in their homes face a new challenge. Family rejection and consistent bullying can lead to a depressed mind and an increase in suicides. In conservative societies, where many in the community hide their true selves from their families are facing the risk of being ‘caught’. Unsupportive families have caused trauma, stress, and anxiety on such minds. Poor Mental health conditions make them more vulnerable during the lockdown. Covid-19 has amplified the division in our societies in many ways. Poverty and discrimination are a vicious cycle. The question therefore is this – are we witnessing heightened gender disparities as collateral damage to Covid-19 and can we do nothing about it? Support groups have increased during these tough times. Feminist Solidarity has become the need of the hour. A system needs to be put in place that harmonizes competing interests and maintains the fragile improvements done towards achieving Gender Justice in the last decade.
Akassh K Aggarwal
New challenges to gender justice in a post-covid world
Is the pandemic set to dismantle the fragile improvements done towards achieving gender Justice in the last decade?
Anurag Tiwary/ Abhinav Narayan Jha Historically, for people whose human rights are least protected they are most likely to experience the unique difficulties that arise as a consequence of a disaster – Natural or man-made. Social and economic hierarchies that existed before the pandemic will now be reproduced post this war. A crisis is known to only amplifies the problem. Women, girls, LGBTQ community carry a heavier burden in the post-COVID world. Several economic and social
inequalities await as they battle this unprecedented crisis. The present disruption, which has become the new normal, will allow for the suspension of democratic norms, will deepen inequalities, and increase fear among such vulnerable groups. Populist leaders have already recognized and seized such opportunities for political gains. We need to understand as a society that there exist structural inequalities that cater to a certain power structure and leaves behind the rest. Covid-19 exacerbates existing gaps in such structures, heightens vulnerabilities, and feeds on the inequali-
Anurag is a student of National Law University, Visakhapatnam. Abhinav is a student of law from Amity University.