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Should schools Will the LathiCharge on Farmers have have uniforms? any adverse effect on BJP-JJP Govt? theasianchronicle.in

The Influence of Fashion Trends on Teenagers

Is death penalty effective as a punishment?

Faridabad (NCR) September, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com

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Is death penalty effective as a punishment?

Does the death penalty deter murders?

Shivansh Mishra & Rhythima Agrawal This question has captured the attention of law and economics scholars, embarking on a journey for an intense debate about one of the central justifications for capital punishment. In India, various aspects of the death penalty are waiting for attention. Everyday uncertainty between life and death sets capital punishment apart from any other kind of imprisonment. During an evaluation of the components of the criminal justice system, there should be a particular consideration of the fact that the findings and observations are made in the context of the harshest punishment in our legal system.

A death penalty is the highest punishment awarded to an accused. It is awarded in severe cases where the crime is committed in cold-blooded, preplanned or barbaric fashion. The decision of awarding a capital punishment has to

be exercised judiciously by well recognized judicial principles keeping in view the aggravating or mitigating circumstances of any particular case. The decision of pronouncing a death penalty is further subject to confirmation by the High Court. Sections 366 to 371 of the Criminal Procedure Code lay down rules for submission of death sentences for confirmation.

About 720 prisoners have been executed in India since 1947. As per project 39A report on the death penalty released

by National Law University, Delhi, between 2000 and 2014 trial courts sentenced 1810 people to death, more than half of which were commuted to life imprisonment and about a quarter of those, 443, were acquitted by the Supreme court and High courts. One of the initial executions of independent India was of Nathuram Godse and Narain .D Apte, assassins of Mahatma Gandhi; they were hanged to death in the Ambala Central Jail in Haryana on November 15, 1949.

According to Cornell centre on the death penalty worldwide, the last execu-

tion that had taken place in India was on July 30, 2015, of Yakub Memon, a convict in financing 1993 Bombay bombings.

Society has always used punishment to discourage would-be criminals from unlawful actions and considering the highest interest in preventing murder, it should use the most substantial punishment available to deter murder, and that is the death penalty. For years, criminologists analyzed murder rates to see if they fluctuated with the likelihood of convicted murderers being executed, the results were inconclusive. Then in 1973, Issac Ehrlich employed a new kind of analysis which produced results showing that for every inmate who was executed, seven lives were spared because others were deterred from committing murder.

Deterrence is the objective behind the death penalty. The Indian Penal Code prescribes 'death' as an alternative punishment to which the offenders may be sentenced, for offences such as waging war against the Government of India (Section121); Abetting mutiny commit-

ted (Section 132); giving or fabricating false evidence upon which an innocent person suffers death (Section 194). A minuscule fraction of people are awarded death penalty by the trial courts, considering a vast population of our country.

Country awaited execution of Nirbhaya’s rapists for too long; they systematically succeeded in subverting the legal process for so long. Inordinate delay in the execution of the death penalty has taken the sting out of the punishment, which is why a large populace hailed the Hyderabad police encounter in Disha’s case. It is not the severity, but the certainty of punishment which can act as a deterrent.

However, there are certain exceptions, wherein the accused will be awarded a death penalty.

For instance, Direct or indirect abetment of sati is punishable with Death penalty under the Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987. Under SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989 giving false evidence leading to the execution of an innocent member belonging to the SC or ST would attract the death

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penalty. Besides these, rape of a minor below 12 years of age is punishable with death under POCSO, 2012. Financing, producing, manufacturing as well as the sale of certain drugs attracts the death penalty for repeat offenders under the NDPS Act, 1985. Under Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act, 1999, committing an organized crime resulting in the death of a person is also punishable with death. Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967; Army, Navy and Air Force Acts also provide the death penalty for certain specified offences committed by members of the armed forces.

In India, before the amendment in Criminal Procedure Act of 1955, the punishment of the death penalty was the rule, and life imprisonment was an exception in capital offences as per the provisions of the old Cr. PC (1898). The Courts were even bound to provide an explanation for awarding a lighter penalty than death for capital offences. After the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Act of 1955, courts were allowed to grant either death or life imprisonment. At present, as per Section 354(3) of the code of Criminal Procedure act of 1973, the situation has been reversed, and now a life sentence is the rule and death penalty an exception in capital offences.

Many people share a common thought that death penalty is not a deterrent because people who commit heinous crimes such as murders and rapes; do not expect to be caught or do not realize the differences between possible execution and life in prison. Murders are committed in moments of passion or anger, or by criminals who act impulsively. Once in prison, those serving life sentences often settle into a routine and are less of a threat to commit violence than other prisoners. Prisoners who are awarded a life sentence will never be released. Thus, the safety of society can be assured without using the death penalty.

However, scientists agree with an overwhelming amount that the death penalty has no deterrent effect. An academic journal named Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology contains a study by a Sociology professor Michael Radelet and a graduate student named Taci Lacock. The study analyses opinions of the leading criminology experts on the deterrence effects of the death penalty. As per the findings, most experts disagree that the death penalty or executions serve as deterrents to murder. 88.2 per cent of respondents do not think that the death penalty deters murder. Only 9.2 per cent of surveyed experts believed that the death penalty results in a significant drop in murder cases. 56.6 per cent completely disagreed with that statement. In comparison, 32.9 per cent thought the correlation between capital punishment and lower homicide numbers to be mostly inaccurate, and 1.3% was uncertain.

The narratives from prisoners sentenced to death show that multiple facets of the criminal justice system like police custody, investigation, trials, legal representation, treatment in prisons, clemency proceedings are beset with deep structural flaws.

During the evaluation of these components of the criminal justice system, there must be a particular consideration of the fact that these findings and observations are being made in the context of the harshest punishment in our legal system.

Ravaji Rao, who belonged from a tribal community in Rajasthan, was executed on May 4, 1996, for killing five people, including his wife and three minor sons, and

attempting to murder his mother and a neighbour's wife in Banswara in Rajasthan. The Supreme Court said later that Rao's execution was a mistake. After 20 years, Banwar Lal, Rao's classmate has tears in his eyes whenever he passes Rao's school friend's house. Lal says that Ravji had dreams of becoming a school teacher.

Rao had a happy family and, he never quarreled with anyone, let alone with his wife. In 2009, 13 years after his death, the Supreme Court, in the case of Santosh Kumar Satish Bhusan Bariyar vs the State of Maharashtra, declared the Ravji case per incuriam, a Latin term used to denote carelessness.

"I have heard that the Supreme Court had admitted its mistake but what is the use now," asks Lal. In another instance, Dhananjoy Chatterjee was a liftman, who was convicted of raping and murdering an 18-year old girl in Calcutta. In 2004, exactly 11 years later - he was hanged on the eve of Independence Day. A study conducted by the professors of the Indian Statistical Institute in Calcutta found several abnormalities in the police investigation of the case. They contended that the murder could have been a case of an honour killing, and Chatterjee may have been innocent. Poornima's dream was shattered within ten days of her marriage to Dhananjoy. Goswami's eyes fill up with tears when he sees his niece, Poornima in a tattered white sari.

Goswami wipes his tears in his thatched house at Jaldoba village and says, "Now people are saying he is innocent".

The judiciary consists of human beings, and there are errors in passing judgments.

Some judges are more prone to pronouncing death sentences than others, but there is no uniformity in factors that leads to a sentence being commuted, and fear exists that innocent people may be hanged.

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Anup Surendranath, head of the Centre of Death Penalty at NLU Delhi, interviewed prisoners between June 2013 and January 2015 has an opinion. "Legal experts also fear that there are occasions when the police frame people to make a case". He adds that the classic modus operandi is to torture suspects until they sign blank sheets of paper or a confession.

Wrongful execution harms the family in many ways. To begin with, for the murder victims’ family members, the death penalty establishes a hierarchy of victims where some lives are valued more than others. It turns family members against each other. It creates a class of “good” victims and “bad” victims. The families of the condemned are traumatized by the process and feel ostracized and alienated as they watch their government systematically prepare to kill their loved one. They feel as if their entire community has turned against them.

Poornima, who is in her mid-40s, sits quietly on the terrace of her small house in West Bengal. She works in an Anganwadi centre in Calcutta. Her life turned upside down when her husband, Dhanajoy Chatterjee, was hanged for murder and rape of a ten-year-old-girl in Calcutta. The incident happened in 1990, but Poornima has not been able to move on. More than the trauma of her husband's death, her relatives have scarred her for life. Vikas Chatterjee, the younger brother of Dhanajpy Chatterjee, says that he had to change his name to get a job after his brother's hanging. He further said, "The backlash that came our way was such that I had to drop out from my studies as no college was ready to take me. Our father, who was the priest of our village temple, died dealing with the trauma just after a year of my brother's death.

The families of the terrorists are also not

spared by the society. They are looked down upon as families who have brought a mark of shame to their community, and people start withdrawing themselves from their family members.

Zubeida Menon, the daughter of Yakub Memon convicted for the 1993 Bombay blasts, who was hanged in 2015- has also withdrawn into a shell. The entire Memon community has ostracized Yakub's family.

Zubeida's mother went into depression after her husband's hanging. A source close to the family said that Zubeida tried to move and at the age of 22, married Afzal Bilakhia, son of Aziz Bilakhia — co-accused with Yakub in the Bombay blast case but is shunned by her community.

Iqbal Memon Officer, president of the All India Memon Jamat Federation, an organization representing the Memon community, said that the members have strict orders of not to associate with Yakub's family. So, Yakub's family members are not invited to cultural gatherings and community events.

A primary justification for capital punishment is that the victims need it to heal.

There is no data or research that suggests that executions help people heal. There is significant anecdotal evidence that the opposite may be true. Until research establishes that executions have some healing property, let’s not pretend that we are killing people on behalf of the victims.

Some victims support the death penalty; many do not. The decision for the government to kill a human being is profound and should be taken seriously. It is unlike any other form of punishment and has a lasting impact on everyone who is touched by it.

We can’t kill without consequences, and the price we are paying to continue this policy is very dear.

From scratch to extremity

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Beauty Pageants

Faridabad (NCR) September, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com

Evlyn Ann & Ria Syal

Beauty, what is beauty according to you? Well, beauty is defined as "the quality which gives pleasure to the senses", or "the state of being beautiful".

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”, that long, thin, perfectly shaped girl with carved legs, blow-dried hair, and tailor-made, pleasing answers about world peace.

We, as mortals, tend to point out at loose ends of other folks and do not see on the brighter part nor in a broader sense.

Beauty is not just physical appearance; it is more than what the so-called 'standard populace thinks'!

And to promote this societal idea of the so-called 'standard normal populace', we have an unnecessary public event, popularly known as 'Beauty Pageants'.

What is basically a Beauty Pageant?

A Beauty Pageant is a contest consisting of a parade of folks, in elaborate, colourful, vibrant, and glamorous attires, competing with each other, on the level of physical beauty. The physical beauty is assessed by several critic panellists, who evaluate only on the grounds of materialistic beauty. And only a handful of folks get to pass that test. I agree, not everyone has that slimtrim figure, not everyone possesses thick, long, Rapunzel kind hair, not everyone has deep fine ocean-like eyes, not everyone possesses a pleasing voice like a nightingale, not each and every one has that perfect height like a supermodel, not every other person has the perfect Golden Ratio rule applicable to their visage, there's a lot more.

According to which these judges judge in the name of so-called Beauty Pageant.

"Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder", What can one do, when in the name of beholder such monsters are sitting wearing masks of layers of Make-up, typical thinking of the beauty in the sense of only 'physical beauty ‘etc....

Beauty pageant panellists have endeavoured for ages to authenticate that competitors can portray out their talents before they're crowned as a “beauty queen”, however, the fact is that a girl not fitting the materialistic standards of beauty race would ne'er be thought-about to enter a contest.

From Snow white stories to today’s beauty pageants nothing has changed.

The beauty contest tradition started with Miss America in 1921. It was organized by a local businessman to attract tourists to New Jersey. The spur in profits and promotion due to the popularity of the contest prompted several other organizations to establish similar contests. The four major beauty

pageant contests (Big Four) are namely, Miss World which started in 1951, Miss Universe in 1952, Miss International in 1960, and Miss Earth in 2001.

Young beauty pageants

Do you think your kid is ‘cute’? Is he/she good at dancing or singing?

Are you in need of financial and social security? Are you ready to put your child’s safety at risk for that?

Then why hesitate, ‘Child Beauty Pageants’ is your answer.

Age is not an issue. From early 11 months to 18 years, children of all age groups are welcomed for these contests.

John Ramsay’s 6-year old daughter JonBenet, a frequent child pageant contestant was found murdered and the case remains unsolved. Even though the family is not explicitly blaming the ‘talent seeking’ child beauty contests, John Ramsay admits that it was a bad idea “to put your child on public display”.

A beauty pageant mom Kerry Campbell was chided by many after she admitted to injecting her then 8year old daughter Britney with Botox.

Parents are criticized for commoditizing their children and sacrificing their precious childhood for financial and social upliftment. The early intellectual and mental development of kids is secondary but removing their wrinkles and making them “sassy” calls for the primary concern.

Parents argue that beauty pageants are just like any other talent contest and that it will only enhance their self-esteem. "To me, this is the same thing, it's a sport we travel to. We teach her, she practices, and you win prizes. It's just the same. It's just a sport” a child beauty pageant parent Joy Clark said.

But little they know that it causes cognitive and emotional problems and sexualize young girls. Toddlers and Tiaras, 2009 aired beauty pageant show has created countless controversies.

Beauty Pageants can act as threats to one’s life

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that can be harmful to one's growth and development. The disease is identified via unnecessary extreme weight loss and starvation. Bulimia Nervosa aka as binge eating. In bulimia, the individual, may eat an excessive amount of food, then purge his/her body of food by using medicines such as laxatives or diuretics or by vomiting. In binge eating, there are frequent episodes of out-of-control eating. Ideally, beauty pageants should be healthy character personalities, but this is not the case.

In 2010, the average BMI of a contestant was 18.9, which is low and therefore runs the risk of an unhealthy contestant. Coupled with statistics that 26% of surveyed contestants reported

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being perceived to have an eating disorder, 48.5% reported wanting to be thinner and 6% of contestants reported having depression, beauty pageants can be viewed as feeding insecurities, and real health risks for contestants and non-contestants as well.

The world is not that unrealistic nowadays, how it seems and was maybe earlier!

Maybe people around are improving, maybe the virtuous and good also exists, maybe mortals are not that inhuman. We can conclude this by having a quick glance upon the victory of a Black lady with afro locks, grew up reading mode and glamour journal and publications that lacked pictures of ladies who looked like her. So, when she was crowned Miss South Africa one year ago, ZozibiniTunzi felt as a leader of the world. Just after that, Tunzi was titled as 2019 Miss Universe, conquering over ladies from 89 lands in one of the most reputed and esteemed annual beauty pageants.

Tunzi became the 1st in the historical chronicles of the pageant to conquer with afro-textured locks -- a recognition of Black charm on the world limelight.

With beauty contests historically dominated by lighter-skinned contestants, Tunzi said she didn't know it was possible for someone like her to become Miss Universe.

Such unrealistic pageants are truly commanded by lighter-skin tone competitors, Tunzi said she didn't know it was workable for somebody like her to become Miss Universe.

"But now, I confidently know that when you ask a young girl who looks like me, do they know that they can become Miss Universe, I know that they can say that they can," she said in a video interview.

From her New York residence, she proceeds to advocate for gender parity and a more dignified portrayal of Black women in the glamour department.

History proves Dark people are not given much importance and are treated badly, as beauty measures were introduced and established by and for White folks.

"She's beautiful because she's beautiful, not because she looks like a White woman. She won being a darkerskinned African woman with undeniably African textured hair. So that is a remarkable feat." said Lori Tharps, professor, podcast host, and co-author of "Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America."

Tharps believes these wins signify progress during a period of global racial reckoning but cautions against overstating their significance.

"I hesitate to say that we have finally acknowledged that Black is beautiful, but in the symbolism that is a beauty pageant, they are a good barometer of where we are (as a) society in terms of what we are able to see as beautiful," Tharps said.

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Should schools have uniforms?

Shivani and Akshinta

“I remember how much I used to love wearing my uniform as a kid. But when I got older, I started to feel more and more uncomfortable in it. Looking back, I realize it’s probably because of how much other people cared about how I looked in it, and how much effort I had to put into looking perfect to my friends, teachers, parents.” – Ritika*, an alumnus from a private school in Bengaluru.

“If you ask me, students are happy to wear their uniforms as long as it makes them feel respected. If they feel that the uniform does not allow them to feel like themselves, if they are not respected while wearing it, they will want to wear something else that they think will get them that respect, whether it’s from their friends or their teachers.” – Guna*, a teacher at a private school in Bengaluru.

No matter what schools we all went to, the one thing we can all relate to as students is the importance given to school uniforms.

Uniforms are provided to students in public and private schools across India, with the intention of uniting students under the banners of their schools, irrespective of their socioeconomic background. However, despite being markersx of homogeneity, uniforms, as they exist today, tend to carry implicit codes of differentiation–especially along the axis of gender.

The majority of Indian schools, public or private, have different uniform sets for boys and girls. By extension, there is also a difference in how students are expected to present themselves in this gendered uniform, codified in the ‘dress code’.

How do dress codes operate?

Although the nature and extent of dress codes vary across different schools, an underlying constant is creating a separation between ‘boys’ and ‘girls’. More specifically, there is a distinction between the ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ norms that boys and girls are expected to respectively follow. Therefore,

although the uniform intends to dissolve social differences in the classroom, dress coding becomes a tool to reinstate and conform to different social differences instead. It is well known that dress code policies across India tend to heavily police the dressing of girl students, from their hair down to their socks.

Feminist authors have extensively written about the harmful effects that dress coding has on the mindset of the youth, in that it perpetuates misogynistic beliefs, sexualises schoolgirls, and reinforces the male gaze.

Yet, boys are not exempted from dress code policies either. In fact, former Teach for India fellows Shreya*, Esha*, and Khushi*, and a private school teacher, Guna*, recall that in their experience as teachers, they witnessed boys breaking the dress code more often, and being punished more harshly for it than girls were.

However, although the physical punishments for boys may be greater in school, one cannot deny that the extended social penalties for girls are equally harsh. Girls are not only subjected to the school dress codes, but also to the gender codes of their communities which are reemphasized through the school dress code.

Shreya, who taught at a government school in Hyderabad, recounts that the reason that the girls in her class were less likely to break the school dress code was because their parents took an active interest in their daughters’ dressing. “Sometimes the school would not be able to provide dupattas to all the students because of shortages in uniforms. But even the girls who didn’t have the school dupatta would come to school wearing one from their mothers’ set.” If not parents, teachers would step in. A student from a CBSE school in Bengaluru recalls that her teachers would often tell their students to wear a slip under their shirt.

Most of the time, such an attitude from parents and teachers is attributed to concern for the safety of their daughters/students, and protecting them from men. However, dress coding does not cease to exist in the absence of men, nor does it stop when students leave school. For example, in 2019 the administra-

tion at St. Francis College, an all-girls college in Hyderabad, came under fire for preventing women students from entering the college campus. Why? because their kurtis were shorter than the prescribed length, or had slits on the side, both of which were apparent hindrances to maintaining the standard of the college. Hence, both the arguments–that dress codes are only created to shield women from the male gaze and that dress codes are a mere extension of the uniform–fall apart.

Instead, it is clear that dress coding girls in school often becomes synonymous with blocking any avenue to outrightly ‘flaunt’ physical femininity (which is immediately sexualised), and instead channeling girls towards ideas of modesty, decency, and submissiveness.

What Effect Does Dress Coding Have On Students?

It is more likely then that girls are inclined to follow school dress codes because the schools’ expectations of how they should present themselves overlap with social expectations enforced by their families and communities. To violate a dress code in school also implies violating gendered social norms outside of it. And so, girls’ infringements of the dress code, if any, are usually with respect to their hairstyle, wearing makeup or nailpolish, and the size of their uniform–all of which are either unintentional, subtle, or reversible.

Conversely, teachers and students alike have observed that unlike girls, boys are more likely to intentionally break the dress code in an attempt to reject authority. However, boys also tend to be punished more severely for these infringements. This could take the form of authority figures calling them names, forcefully cutting their hair, or hitting them.

Yet, despite these punishments, boys seem to take opportunities to break or find loopholes in the dress code in earnest.

In Esha’s school, “Boys are not allowed to wear jeans. So instead, they would get their trousers tailored in a way that it would taper off at the bottom to look like skinny-jeans.”

Similarly, in Shreya’s school, “When boys

are caught and punished for having their shirts tucked out, they would ensure to keep it tucked-in in front of the teacher but tuck it out again the moment they are out of sight.”

According to teachers, boys relish breaking the dress code and presenting themselves as rebels against authority.

Interestingly, although boys revel in the glory of getting away with breaking dress codes, they feel that girls are not punished enough for similar infringements, such as wearing jewellery. Although breaking the dress code does not warrant the severe physical or verbal punishments inflicted on the boys, that their stance is not against the punishment itself, but against the lack of punishments for girls is telling. As Khushi says, “My students would not want to be punished for something as silly as having long hair. But the fact that they saw the girls not being punished for wearing earrings while they were punished for wearing studs was what made them feel that it was extremely unfair.”

This additionally illustrates the promotion of a crew-cut straitjacketed ideal masculine identity which represses any so-called ‘feminine’ tendency in boys. A lack of explanation for the same can also cause boys to internalise these ideals over time, and project them onto women without acknowledging the subtle social and moral-policing that goes into dress coding girls in schools and homes. Instead, they become another source of critique.

In any case, breaking the dress code for boys may often not take precedence over their academic performance or character–the same is largely untrue for girls. An alumna from a CBSE school recalls her teachers complaining more about her eyeliner than discussing her academic progress during a parent-teacher meeting. Similarly, Shloka*, a student from Coimbatore, says that in her school, girls were not allowed to participate in inter-school events if their dressing was not approved by the school.

Moving Forward

So, how can we redress these issues? Studies have shown that unisex uniforms and agender dress codes have significantly changed the dynamic between boys and girls in the classroom. While there is a decrease in the number of infringements of the dress code itself, there is also an increase in the students’ confidence to express themselves. Khushi recounts that in her school, once the sports uniform was made unisex (track pants and a t-shirt for all students, instead of a churidaar for girls), students became more active on the playground, boys and girls were more interactive with one another, and girls tended to be more outspoken on the days they wore the sports uniform.

Additionally, when students are not dress coded in school, there is more solidarity between students to call out discrimination outside the classroom. Shankar*, a college student says “I did not realise the extent of dress coding until I joined college and we didn’t have to follow uniform policies anymore. Until then, I didn’t even notice how much girls dressed according to what other people wanted. I didn’t even notice that about myself.”

The school uniform can only truly play a uniting role among students if the dress code does not play a divisive role based on gender norms, physically and mentally. Furthermore, in allowing students to dress in ways that transcend norms of masculinity and femininity, especially in their adolescent years, students will be able to overcome significant insecurities, while learning about discipline and professionalism in an environment that does not enforce it through punishment and policing.

Social networking sites or breeding ground for stalkers?

Faridabad (NCR) September, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com

social

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Manikya Dheeren & Pratyasha Sharma The modern technology may have made it easier for people to stalk others. In the past stalkers had to use so much of their time to find where their victims would head off to or like where their victims lived.

Nowadays, just going through your victims profile page, you could get loads of information. Location is easy, but also, the victim's friend’s, find out about the victim’s feelings, what kind of talk that person does. So scary, just to even think of it. Social networking services had made huge innovation to the stalkers. Our digital lives give stalkers the opportunity to gather large amounts of information and insight into us. If they can access an email account, they can read our correspondence, find contacts, send out emails that can embarrass people around them. Social networking has become too effective for even stalkers, but would you go that far to end up your rest of your life?

Social networking sites have now evolved into social media, becoming a platform where citizens all across the globe are using it not only for personal/professional networking, rather a separate virtual world has been created with finances, politics, trade and commerce, problem-solving, sports, etc. With increasing networking, the risk of attracting unwanted attention also rises. Like with the real world, the virtual world also has set regulations and a few features that help with controlling and avoiding this unwanted attention.

The tendency to become platforms of stalking, at the present day and age, everyone is aware of the risks involved in sharing their personal details on the sites. The sites also make it a point to make its users aware of the variety of ways in which their privacy can be protected. With more effective community management in the offices of the online sites, the action taken against active instances of stalking are being dealt with much more speed. The social networking sites have now become powerhouses of knowledge where everyone can know whatever they want to know.

The study, from Women's Aid and the Network for Surviving Stalking, warns that mobile phones, particularly smart phones, are increasingly being targeted. Spyware could be installed on the phone in "less than five minutes", allowing a stalker to listen remotely to the phone's surroundings, intercept calls, track text messages and the location of a device if it has GPS hardware.

"Online stalking is definitely happening more often because there is such an array of powerful tools at stalkers' disposal making it easier to do," said Jennifer Perry, author of Digital Stalking: A Guide to Technology Risks for Victims. Technology firms and social networking sites needed to do "much more" to protect potential victims, she added. "Software companies are absolutely not doing enough to mitigate this risk. The only way we will change things is by making the public aware of the dangers."

"Online stalking is definitely happening more often because there is such an array of powerful tools at stalkers' disposal making it easier to do," said Jennifer Perry, author of Digital Stalking: A Guide to Technology Risks for Victims. Technology firms and social networking sites needed to do "much more" to protect potential victims, she added. "Software companies are absolutely not doing enough to mitigate this risk. The only way we will change things is by making the public aware of the dangers."

Alexis Bowater, chief executive of the Network for Surviving Stalking, who was followed online for four years before her stalker was jailed, said the rapid rise of mobile phone and internet use meant

cyberstalking was on the increase. "It is an old crime in a new, technological world," she said.

"The internet gives stalkers a new weapon in their armoury, a new way to find people, to follow them, to research them, sometimes to be them."

The extent of internet users' "digital footprint" – their use of social networks, work websites, forums and directories, could all leave clues that could enable a stalker to track their victim.

Perry, an internet safety expert and consumer advocate, said the advice Facebook provided to victims of domestic violence was "wholly inadequate and was putting victims at risk". She called on the site to change their abuse and help pages and provide a privacy setting specifically for vulnerable people. "The problem is social networking sites like Facebook make money the more data people expose. For the majority of people that does not put them at risk, but in the case of domestic violence or stalking victims it can be very dangerous."

She added that new features, such as a location button that let users inform their friends on Facebook of their exact whereabouts, were often presented entirely positively, with not enough emphasis given to the risks involved.

As for the recent case scenario that blasts the social media havoc, Bois Locker Room probe: Minor girl created fake profile to test boy's character, say Delhi Police. The Delhi Police said that a juvenile girl created a fake profile in the name of a boy and chatted with another juvenile male about 'sexual assault' on a girl.

nn More than 24 students connected with the case have been questioned by police.

nn Police probe revealed that the alleged Snapchat conversation is actually between a girl (sender) and a boy (receiver) in which the girl is sending chat messages through a fictional Snapchat account named 'Siddharth'.

"The investigation has revealed that alleged Snapchat conversation between two persons, that talks about 'sexual assault', was made by one juvenile through a fake profile with a fictional name 'Sid-

7 dharth' to test the 'values and character' of the other juvenile, who was the recipient of that chat. However, neither of the two juveniles, either through their real or fake usernames, were in any way related to the 'Bois Locker Room' Instagram group," said Delhi Police in a statement.

The police probe revealed that the alleged Snapchat conversation is actually between a girl (sender) and a boy (receiver) in which the girl is sending chat messages through a fictional Snapchat account named 'Siddharth'.

"Using the fake identity of a male person, the girl suggested in the chat, a plan to sexually assault herself. The purpose of her sending such chat messages using a fake, fictional identity was to check the reaction of the receiver boy and the strength of his character, especially when someone talks bad things about the girl herself. The receiver, also a juvenile, declined to participate in any such plan suggested by 'Siddharth' and stopped further communication with 'him', said the Delhi Police.

The boy then took a screenshot of the chat and reported it to his friends, including the girl about whom the hypothetical conversation of sexual assault took place.

However, the girl, being aware of the fact that the account of 'Siddharth' that is suggesting sexual assault was fake and created by her, did not report it to anyone.

One of the other recipients of the screenshot, however, posted it as an Instagram story for some time, from where it started circulating in connected social media accounts of friends, schoolmates, etc.

Members of the group, said to be Class 11 and 12 students from some of Delhi's top schools, posted photos of teenage girls without their consent along with offensive comments. A number of conversations purportedly showed members talking about sexually assaulting their classmates, and one specific instance where a member, "Sidharth" proposed the idea of gang-raping a particular underage girl. This sparked fury about existence of rape-culture & normalization of rape, misogyny and objectification in schools. According to social media accounts that posted the screenshots, members of "Bois Locker Room" threatened to leak nude photographs of the women who reported them.

On 4 May 2020, another group was created by the name of ‘Bois Locker Room 2.0’, however it was shortly deleted. Nagpal had earlier also leaked chats from another Instagram group, called ‘Jai ka shirt skrt gang’, whose members were found to have talked about ‘raping girls’.

Manav singh was a 17 year old boy from gurugram,who was studying in class 12. He was accused by a girl (minor) of sexual assault on social media. The accusation surfaced as #BoisLockerRoom began trending all over twitter and instagram.

Faridabad (NCR) September, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com

social victions. In 2018, a total of 12,947 stalking cases were under investigation – 9,438 new cases and 3,505 cases pending from previous years – NCRB data show. Four cases were reopened for investigation.

Cyberstalking is a form of online abuse — the terms are often used interchangeably. Both may include false accusations, abusive comments, attempts to smear your reputation, threats of physical or sexual violence or repeated unwanted sexual requests. Cyberstalking may also include monitoring, identity theft and the gathering of information that may be used to threaten, embarrass or harass. Cyberstalking is often accompanied by offline stalking.

According to the police, on May 4, 2020, the teenager jumped from the balcony of his flat located at the 11th floor of Carlton estate residential complex.] Manav allegedly committed suicide after his friends began harassing him on social media platforms for being named in the girl’s “MeToo” Instagram post.

The girl alleged that she was molested by the teenager in the basement of her apartment complex two years ago. She wrote that she had revealed it now because she was tired of keeping it secret for the last two years]. The police initiated an investigation under Section 174 to enquire and report on suicide as per the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Cyberstalking is now more common than physical harassment, according to new figures due to be released next week, with many victims finding themselves pursued by complete strangers online.

The first study of its kind to look at the extent and effect of cyberstalking, taking in social networking sites, email and mobile phones, has revealed the profile of perpetrators to be radically different from those who pursue victims face-to-face.

Victims surveyed by Echo (Electronic Communication Harassment Observation), at Bedford University, reported that their harassers were more likely to be a complete stranger or a casual acquaintance than a former partner.

Another major finding was that nearly 40% of cyberstalking victims are men. Past studies have identified women as much more at risk from face-to-face stalking.

Most of the victims surveyed were aged 20 to 39, although ages ranged from 14 to 74, with teenagers reporting social networking sites as the environment in which they were most likely to be harassed.

Dr Emma Short, psychologist and co-author of the study, launched last September with the backing of the Crown Prosecution Service, said

the crime was not taken as seriously as it should be: "There is a lack of understanding of the impact of this behaviour. One of the biggest questions was, 'Is there psychological harm?' Worryingly, a third experienced this. Not just stress, but a clinical record of psychological harm.

The pattern of harassment is different between male and female victims, she said, with men targeted by strangers more than women.

Around 37% of men were stalked by a stranger, compared with 23% of women. Only 4% reported being stalked by a former partner, compared with victims of face-to-face stalking, where around half are former partners, according to Echo.

The largest category of all victims where the perpetrator was a stranger did not know where they had come from, how they were targeted and never found their of those who pursued them, the survey found identities. One in five said the offender targeted them via social networking sites and 16% via blogging forums.

Only 4% came from online dating.

Stalking is a form of mental assault, in which the perpetrator repeatedly, unwantedly, and disruptively breaks into the lifeworld of the victim, with whom they have no relationship (or no longer have). Moreover, the separated acts that make up the intrusion cannot by themselves cause the mental abuse, but do taken together (cumulative effect).

Psychologists often group individuals who stalk into two categories: psychotic and nonpsychotic. Some stalkers may have pre-existing psychotic disorders such as delusional disorder, schizoaffective disorder, or schizophrenia. However, most stalkers are nonpsychotic and may exhibit disorders or neuroses such as major depression, adjustment disorder, or substance dependence, as well as a variety of personality disorders (such as antisocial, borderline, or narcissistic). The

nonpsychotic stalkers' pursuit of victims is primarily angry, vindictive, focused, often including projection of blame, obsession, dependency, minimization, denial, and jealousy. Conversely, only 10% of stalkers had an erotomanic delusional disorder.

This kind of harassment is rampant across India, showed government data. In 2018, 9,438 cases of stalking – one every 55 minutes, on average – were reported in India, as per the National Crime Records Bureau report released in January. This is more than double the cases – 4,699 – reported in 2014.

The number of stalking cases reported has been increasing – 6,266 in 2015, 7,190 in 2016 and 8,145 in 2017. The crime rate – cases reported per 100,000 women – has also seen a rise. It increased from 0.8 in 2014 to 1.5 in 2018. Though more cases of stalking and sexual harassment are being reported, it is likely they are being under-reported. Only one in 13 cases of sexual harassment in Delhi and one in nine in Mumbai were reported to the police, said a 2015 study conducted by Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI).

The CHRI study only looked at cases that fell in four categories: lewd or unwelcome sexual comments, continuously stared at in a lewd or threatening manner, followed by men till you were scared or uncomfortable, and touched indecently/groped/pinched.

In 68 cases in Delhi and 22 in Mumbai, lewd or unwelcome sexual comments were passed. Women were followed by men till they were scared or uncomfortable in five cases each in both the cities. Only one of these five cases in Delhi was reported and none were reported to the police in Mumbai.

Even among the cases that do get reported, many are pending investigation and even fewer lead to con-

Cyber stalking can include

mMaking unwanted contact by calling, emailing, texting, messaging, or sending offensive material.

mSharing — or threatening to share — photos, videos, personal information, or anything that is humiliating or embarrassing to you.

mPosting humiliating, abusive or intimidating comments about you on social media.

mAccessing your email or social media accounts to find your personal information, track your movements, read your emails and messages, or change your passwords to lock you out of your accounts. mImpersonating your online identity in order to harm your reputation or relationships — including creating fake social media accounts.

mMonitoring your movements using GPS technologies that are built into the operating systems of phones, tracking apps or spyware.

mPhysically tracking you, following you or watching you.

Monsoon Health Care

health

Faridabad (NCR) September, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com

by Nutritionist Nidhi Monsoon marks the beginning of a lot of things. While the bollywood fanatic in us would like to correlate this season with romance, and the countless songs on saawan, one cannot argue with the fact that, rains bring with them an array of illnesses that hampers health.

With the rainfall and the temperature levels dropping, there is an increase in the spread of virus and flu, viral fever and lung problems are a common feature, along with hair fall and skin related issues, that the majority of us face.

What can be done to take care of our health in a holistic way during this season?

First and foremost we need to maintain hygiene, eat home cooked food and drink loads of clean water. Some super foods, should be made a part of our daily diet around this season.

GARLIC

A delicious addition to most food, these pods are packed with antioxidants and helps in digestion. They also ensure that our metabolic rate doesn’t drop down.

Quick Tip

to maximize the absorption of curcuma present in turmeric.

water, reduce to half and sip this wonderful tea warm to get maximum benefits.

People suffering from fever, cough, cold, muscular pain, flu and various respiratory problems can greatly benefit from these little delights.

Poultry, and sea food, Cold n raw food, Outside food, Unhealthy snacking.

BLACK PEPPER

Quick tip

Add to your soups, teas, or haldi waala doodh.

MIXED NUTS

A store house of good fats and proteins, a fistful daily helps in the absorbtion of vitamins A,D,E and K, thus protecting us from various diseases. They also aid the digestive process.

Quick tip

Sprinkle juliennes over your smoothies or snacks or just enjoy the goodness to satisfy the in between hunger.

FRUITS LIKE APPLE AND PEAR

Crush 2 cloves, add a tsp of pure organic honey and consume first thing in the morning .

Rich in anti oxidants and digestion aiding properties, excellent source of fibre, vitamins and minerals, these fruits keep you in the pink of health.

Ginger is known to ease pain and also helps in improving the common cough n cold symptoms.

Snack on them whenever hungry or blend into a quick smoothie.

GINGER

Quick tip

Grate it into your tea’s or add it to your soups or vegetables.

TURMERIC

My favorites of all the spices, this yellow gold is a natural antiseptic, antibiotic and anti inflammatory wonder. A natural cure to cough , cold, fever or aches and pains.

Quick tip

Have a cup of warm turmeric -black pepper milk to beat any infections that pops up on a rainy day. If not consuming with milk make sure to add some good fat and pepper

Quick tip

BEETROOT

They are loaded with minerals , folic acid and important vitamins, they help in detoxifying and boosting the stamina.

Quick tip

have a glass of beetroot juice with your breakfast daily.

METHI SEEDS

They help in decongesting the excess mucous in our body and thus help the lungs to function better.

Quick tip

Boil 1 tsp of methi seeds in 1 glass of

Avoid

mSteam inhalation with eucalyptus or peppermint oil is proven to be helpful in dislodging the mucous

mPranayam and deep breathing exercises also helps in strengthening the lungs, which tends to get the most affected during monsoons.

Stay healthy, stay safe, stay strong.

8

9

Faridabad (NCR) September, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com

book review ART | CULTURE | LITERATURE | BOOK REVIEWS | BOOKS LISTING

book review Book: Hindsight 2020 Author: Sudip Banik Publisher: Evincepub Publishing

and at the same time thinking about the characters and how different lives they had and yet unpredictable and unforeseen circumstances brought them together. The readers living through the present time and the readers of future generations should give this book a try to have an in-depth understanding of the pandemic of Corona, its origins and the worldwide impact it has had but also to understand India, excerpts from its history of casteism, communal violence, how generations have suffered and how people still suffer for not just the earlier reasons but new ones too and also, to anticipate how this time will change the coming time.

book list Author Sudip Banik

The year 2020 will be a year that no one will forget. The pandemic of Coronavirus brought people’s lives to a standstill and they got time to ponder over various subjects that had been in waiting for long. This historical time when people were instructed to stay inside their homes to save themselves gave them time to use it any manner they wanted. Sudip Banik has used the time to record this event in his book, “Hindsight 2020: Not a Political Satire” published by Evincepub Publishing, which is, in all circumstances likely to become a hstorical document and also a text of literary importance.

The title of the book may not give a lot of idea to the reader initially regarding the exact content of the book but the present day reader can easily understand what the book will be about with the mention of “2020”. The author gives the book an interesting beginning by talking about his philosophy of “I don’t want to be a photographer”. He explains and justifies his lack of interest in being a photographer and by the time he finishes sharing his viewpoint, the reader is convinced and agrees with his idea of not being the photographer rather the person in the photograph.

Banik has divided the book in 6 plots with a

prologue in the beginning. The absence of the word “Chapter” and its being replaced by the word “Plot” is noteworthy. On reading the book, the reader can understand the applicability of plot instead of chapter.

The author picks up on the present day event of the nationwide lockdown imposed by the Prime Minister of the country and the resultant effects of the action taken by the government. Keeping this in the background, he weaves a plotline where there are the characters of Eishu, Ansh, Junaid, Fatima, little Sana and Nandu who have had their own share of life and all it had to offer them and they all are united by the entwined destinies and natural design. The ultimate unification happens because of the lockdown which brought everything to a standstill.

Through the lives of these characters, the author also brings out different aspects of our diverse country and merges them in the book to give the reader more clarity about the diversity of the Indian society and various lifestyles it has due to the difference of economy. He develops the major portion of the narrative in the prelockdown phase when life was in its normal mode and the pandemic was not in the picture. As the lockdown happens, life for many people other than the characters turns topsy turvy and those are the real stories that the author records in the book. This makes “Hindsight” an eye-opener for those

Review by Akhila Saroha

who are less aware about the ground realities of the economically backward section and the extent to which their daily fight for bread was extended. The author presents his view fairly without any bias or criticism and leaves it to the discretion of the reader to decide how and what can be done for the deprived section.

Apart from this, through the characters also, Banik addresses a variety of themes and issues that human beings face. The very first among them is the contrast between urban and rural life, the differences of city and village life, other than this, the all the communal violence of Hindus and Muslims which has been an endless thing and still continues. The other important theme he addresses is the issue of caste which is in the blood of the people and the violence and atrocities committed in its name. While pointing them out, the author also indirectly elaborates on the futility of these issues and how important is the universal message: the message of peace.

Towards the end, the author gives his hindsight, his thoughts over what and how he sees the present time and leaves it to the prudence of the reader as to how they would see it. He also gives a Shellyean manner hope to the people and assures that the present time will also change and we can hope for a better tomorrow. On completing the book, the reader is likely to feel relaxed, enriched with the knowledge or perhaps feel a brush-up of facts

Book Name

The Story Begins At The End Author

Sujay

Available formats

Kindle & Paperback Publisher

Story Mirror

Paperback Price: 200 Pages: 156

PUBLICATION OF BOOK ‘GUNNING FOR THE GODMAN' STAYS TILL SEP 30

The book ‘Gunning for the Godman’ was to be published on 5th September by Harper Collinswhich is to be available both at the bookstore and at Amazon and Flipkartand when noticedof about the things hidden behind the book, Sanchita Gupta, an associate of Asaram had filed a case on it and the publication and release of the book were stayed by the Delhi court which was passed by Additional District Judge RL Meenain a lawsuit chosen by Sanchita Guptatill September 30th.

imprisonmentalong with a fine of Rs 50,000 to the victim. Even he tried to come out with the support of politicians but the only thing resulted wasdenial of bail twelve times and life imprisonment. And also there are numerous objection on him and his ashram.

With piling up those multiple convictions, the book was written by Ajay Lamba, Additional Commissioner of Police, Jaipur and Sanjiv Mathur which isclaimed to be a true story.

This book ‘Gunning for the Godman’ is all about the case history of Asumal Sirumalani Harpalani popularly is known as Asaram Bapu's conviction. In August 2013, a 16-yearold girl was sexually assaulted by him in his Ashram in Jodhpur and her parents had filed a complaint on him, he was arrested on 1st September 2013, was put under various nonbailable sections of IPC and was given life

Sanchita Gupta was a co-accused for this conviction told the Rajasthan Court during 2018, but then her sentence was cancelled by the court. The case against the publication was filed by her advocates Naman Joshi and Karan Khanuja.On her behalf, her Advocate Vijay Agarwal mentioned that this book, however, ‘’is at variance with the trial record

BEHIND THE BOOK

HARITHA SENTHILKUMAR

REASONS OF STAYING THE PUBLICATION

and most importantly interfered with Sanchita’s appeal which was sub-judice and where the High Court of Rajasthan had already suspended her sentence”.

He fenced that as Sanchita’s sentence was cancelled it says she has been entitled to a presumption of innocence and he further contended that the Court of Rajasthan can conduct a re-probe of the witness and even a trial but while on the process publication of this book couldn’t be given an allowance.

He averred that the publication of the book would prejudice Sanchita and run counter to her rights under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

Staying the publication and release of book till September 30th the Court said “Sanchita Gupta’s reputation is at stake and her reputation would suffer irreparable harm if the ex parte injunction is not granted particularly when the book is going to be published on September 5”.

Faridabad (NCR) September, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com

nation

10

Digital Health and AI -The good, Bad and Ugly

Kunwar Hari Om For the country like India which has witnessed the rapid penetration of internet and smart phones over the last decade after arrival of 4G, now stands on the verge to meet it's requirements for efficient delivery of digital solutions. There is no doubt that after the introduction of AI the speeding of digitalisation would become exponential and the new technology will penetrate into the lives of common people with the speed unimaginable. In the past few years, we have seen the involvement and Government's enthusiasm for innovation and locally made technology at an all-time high - be it the introduction of schemes like Ayushman Bharat Yojna, healthcare is expecting more numbers of initiatives and development in the upcoming year. It all aims toward the acceleration in the use of digital tools and healthcare technology where Health data will spread across the people and will be pervasive.

Taking the lead forward in his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of the National Digital Health Mission under which every Indian will get a health ID that will store the individual's medical records which is expected to bring a new revolution in India's health care sector. Comparing the talent of our scientists with that of 'Rishi Munis' PM announced for every test, disease diagnosis, and medical reports along with medicines will be stored in every citizen's health ID where the health issues will be resolved through this National Digital Health Mission with the help of a new system AI i.e (artificial intelligence.

The policy draft, issued by the National Health Authority states that “sensitive personal information” means “such personal data, which may reveal or be related to, but shall not be limited to financial information

such as bank account or credit card or debit card or other payment instrument details; physical, physiological and mental health data; sex life; sexual orientation; medical records and history; biometric data; and genetic data”.

Other information that can be sought under the category are “transgender status, intersex status; caste or tribe; and religious or political belief or affiliation”, as well as data relating to various health conditions and treatments, such as medical and health records.

The ownership of data would be with individual whose information it is,it will be stored at three levels i.e. central, state or union territory, and, lastly, at the health facility level.

At every level, only the data of essential for functionality would be stored. If data is shared for clinical research or statistical analysis, it will have to be anonymised.

Any data breach, the proposal states, could result in the termination of an employee’s service, or that of contracts where service providers are involved. Data owners can also opt out of the project and cancel the digital health ID the policy aims to create for every citizen.

The draft, issued by the National Health Authority (NHA), which is the implementing agency for the Modi government’s PM Jan Arogya Yojana, is now open for public comments and feedback until 3 September which is only 7 days . It's odd that such an important and technical policy is given just 7 days for the review. It must be questioned as it can be dangerous if some legitimate questions related to policy aren't answered.

Privacy ,card details ,sexual and political orientation are the major domains under the radar of severe questioning which must be addressed by a responsible ,stable and strong government .

If we talk in context of India, it is imperative to design and develop technology that takes into account local constraints, among them affordability. If see our past history

the foundation stones of such technological break through were laid by our former prime minister Late Rajiv Gandhi ,where the govt worked appreciably on technological aspects and Indian health services.

However today the challenge for scaling and distributing technology - even technology that has been proven to be cost-effective and useful still persists at some point.

For it to succeed and make a difference at scale, new technology has to be priced for the country and developed to tackle its constraints. And here comes the good news that this is exactly what AI promises. Artificial intelligence technology benefits assimilation, which can help build up agility, decrease costs, promote productivity, lessen setbacks, minimize failures, and enhance customer happiness, automating tasks and analyzing big patient data sets to deliver better healthcare faster. The significant need for technology to bridge resource gaps in India, and the potential of AI to offer affordable solutions at scale means that India may soon be poised to realise the benefits of these technologies on health outcomes.

Undoubtedly, machines surpass humanity in meticulous tasks. Artificial intelligence technologies will overcome many limitations. With the help of health ID cards, AI can use it's ability to analyze big data sets – pulling together patient insights and leading to predictive analysis. Quickly obtaining patient insights helps the healthcare ecosystem discover key areas of patient care that require improvement.

Definitely a great step to save lives!!

However even after possessing the capability to govern health care working sytem of the entire world, somewhere Concerns regarding ensuring patient confidentiality stucks a great question. The convenience technology delivers just one side of the coin. Well when it comes to India factually we have already seen the case where crores where invested to make AADHAR CARD available to all every citizen of India how-

ever the process somewhere seems to be continued for thousands still waiting in queue today to get it done. Hence in such way it won't be wrong to actually doubt the PHI or personal health identity no. to reach at so called door steps for locals soon. With sensitive and personal information being associated with the PHI or health card, digitally the data would become vulnerable entering into public domain with exposure to big health insurance companies and hospitals to take advantage of common people for becoming more prone to fall as prey to their baits. They could easily exploit the personal information physically and psychologically, either sometimes to warn or sometimes to govern and misguide the lives of patients which raises question on the basic privacy rights of human being.

There would always be a risk of data sets containing unconscious bias. In the sensitive healthcare market, especially, it will be critical to establish new ethics rules to address - and prevent - bias around AI. If we look at the global scenario where the world suffers from huge loss in this pandemic, it raises great concern for opportunist to take over the governance of the entire world. Some major issues have reached pinnacle of discussion when hilariously basic allegation were made against Bill Gates for using the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to push a vaccine with a microchip capable of tracking you along with the rest of the world population. Just imagine the tagging of human beings!!!!!

Sounds risky!! Specifically in India major allegations were made on the govt when bill gates turned in country with the idea of ID2020 and lately the declaration by the govt were made to bring the scheme on ground which basically favoured the the rich with breach of private data. However the accusations against ID2020 are declared false as with much misinformation, grains of truth in the conspiracy theory are being spun into the bigger lies. If we talk factually The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation did fund a pilot study conducted by MIT and Rice University researchers into a potential vaccine-delivery device that could impart an invisible mark detectable by a smart phone but this study was just theoretical, and the technology described was passive, and the device was incapable of any sort of tracking or monitoring. Still, much of the credence lent to the false notion that Gates has designs to track you using vaccines comes from mixing the existence of that pilot study with another public health concept Gates is actively involved in researching called a “digital identity.”

Although such allegations somewhere sow the seeds of wide concern but one can say that this is now the right time for India to embark on a futuristic journey to fix its heavily burdened healthcare system with new digital healthcare models that have the potential to improve accessibility, affordability and quality of care. If implemented well, National Digital Health Mission can Beneficially transform the entire Indian healthcare system. But the scheme will be successful, only if the healthcare infrastructure is developed according to the needs. Along with it, a strict privacy protection policy will help in the success of National Health ID program.

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Faridabad (NCR) September, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com

Teen author makes his debut at the age of 16

interview I felt traumatized researching about the atrocities happening all around the world.

The newspapers were covered with horrific stories of difficulties faced by people trapped in various parts of the world, and I was spinning the atrocities in the form of a story for the readers. The negativity surrounding the pandemic was balanced by the positivity of webinars and workshops for which I was invited regularly.

How did you decide the characters of your novel?

This is an interesting question. When selecting the characters for my story, I looked at the overall scenario, including the news articles and everything that was presented to the people openly. Through the characters, I have tried to exhibit a bigger picture of the scenario. To begin with, Alana, who is a doctor in the US, is one of the protagonists in the story. Her character depicts the problems faced by the medical community around the world.

One of the most spectacular reviews which I received for my book Pandemic 2020 in the early days of its release was from a Delhibased reader. She found the characters of my novel; the doctor, a poor person, a stranded traveler and a journalist to be apt and relevant in the ongoing pandemic. The general masses needed to know about the problems faced by community workers during the pandemic.

As an author you receive mixed reviews for your stories. How do you deal with the negative reviews?

He is an author, a motivational speaker, international youth mentor and a writing coach himself. He believes that there is no shortcut to success and stands true to his beliefs. A recipient of numerous awards and an acclaimed speaker at various national and international platforms, he has shown that age is just a number. Meet Yash Tiwari, who has written his first novel 'A celebration in Tribulation' at the mere age of 16.

After witnessing many ups and downs in his life, he made continuous efforts for transforming himself. His efforts bore fruit when he became a youth mentor guiding millions of people, some of who are his age and some thrice his age. Through his work, he aims to create a social impact and initiate a conversation on topics such as mental health, which are considered a taboo in Indian society.

Can you tell us something about yourself?

I belong to Kanpur city in Uttar Pradesh. At the age of 16, my journey started when I wrote my debut novel titled 'A Celebration in Tribulation'. I received international recognition and have also been awarded for my debut novel. I work as a global youth mentor, a motivational speaker, a writing coach and a writer myself.

As a public speaker, I have delivered four TED talks and a JOSH talk. My second novel, titled 'Pandemic 2020- Rife of the Virus' is the world first fictional novel based on the coronavirus outbreak. I have been awarded by the India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records for being the youngest author to write a book on the COVID-19 pandemic.

When did you realize that you want to pursue literature as your field of interest?

To be very honest, the passion for literature developed from a very young age. I used to

write poems and short stories which my parents uploaded on an online blog. With time, creative writing made me realize that narrating stories and most importantly creating stories is something that I am passionate about.

Striking a conversation through public speaking or stories with someone on a topic of which he/she does not have much knowledge about it. It is something that I am passionate about for as long as I can remember.

What is that one thing for which you are incredibly passionate?

(Answers quickly) Using my words. The usage of words is not limited to literature only.

The idea is to make the best utilization of my voice through public speaking or in a written format.

What challenges you faced while writing a book? How did you deal with it?

Writing a book is no less than a roller coaster ride. I finished writing Pandemic 2020 in 30 days. It is a 350-page book. I won't paint a philosophical picture of my writing journey.

I must say that it is a very relevant question.

As an author, it is not possible to satisfy every reader. With a reader-base of billions, each person will have a different opinion on a particular topic. When conducting workshops on critical analysis, I ask the audience to pick their favorite novel and analyze it critically.

Thus, we come to know that the most acclaimed books like Harry Potter or the Song of ice and fire, the readers perceive the plot differently.

I try to respect my reader’s opinion; be it negative or positive. The negative reviews help me in improving myself so that I do not repeat the same mistakes in my next projects.

Who are your best critics?

Hahaha, Myself. If not the best critic, but absolutely the most critical about the things that I do. My family members are my best critics because they have witnessed my transformation. They give an honest opinion about my work, and I can fall back on them for a critical analysis. Lastly, my friends, to some extent.

Despite my friends, my family would still be on top.

Your debut novel ‘A celebration in Tribulation’ is based on a medical ailment- ‘The Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease’. Can you throw some light on this disease?

The Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease is a neurological condition. The ailment kills the patient between 6 months to 2 years. I wanted to start a discussion on a neurological condition because no person was aware about its existence. Also, the medical ailment has never been the centre of focus in any fictional novel.

Despite being a biology student, I was not aware of its existence.

The idea of using a medical ailment as a focus in my debut novel is to convey a message to the readers that death is not the end of your life. You will stay in the hearts of loved ones forever. It is not only the patient who suffers; the family members also suffer.

How do you prepare for your talk shows?

For all my talks, I prepare my content not from the speaker’s perspective but the viewers perspective. A speaker needs to deliver content in a simple language with utmost clarity. Most of my audiences of the talk shows have been twice my age which becomes more interesting. I remain on my toes during the entire session because it reminds me that whenever I am addressing someone twice my age, I can also learn a lot from them.

In one of your talk shows you said that as an introvert kid, your seniors bullied you. How did you deal with those low phases of your life?

Hmm... Transforming yourself from an introvert person to an international youth mentor is all about self-motivation, self-healing and self-inspiration. External push is also important. I consider myself fortunate to have received the support of my family, friends and teachers. I was around 12- years old when my seniors bullied me. This incident shattered me to pieces. At the same time, made me feel guilty and it was difficult to process it. I motivated myself continuously and started talking to the people around me. The idea was to go beyond my comfort zone. I always take pride in my uniqueness which is also my USP. Always remember that transformation is not an overnight process; it takes time. So keep working on yourself.

How do you strike a balance between your work and studies?

(Laughs a bit). This is a very valid question.

It is all about prioritization. I remember that my first TED talk was scheduled between Chemistry and Physics board exams. It did not affect my studies to any extent because my focus was on the exams. I knew that the day after tomorrow is my first talk show so; my next priority would be my TED talk. One should prioritize things and finish it before moving for the next task.

How does it feel to be addressed as an international youth mentor, a motivational speaker and a winner of numerous awards?

Well, I always take it as a reminder. Instead of thinking about the awards and recognitions, I focus on what needs to be done tomorrow. The awards and recognitions have created a platform for me where my responsibilities have trebled. I have to keep in mind that my work will have a massive impact on the lives of people.

What suggestions you would give to the aspiring authors and orators?

There are no specific points as such but some general points which aspirants should keep in mind. Firstly, there should be some uniqueness about their story or content. All of us have our own role models who inspire us to some extent and drawing inspiration from our ideals is acceptable but we should not copy the entire content. Secondly, you should be passionate about the work that you do. It needs to be something that your viewers or readers can connect with themselves to the story plot or the characters. Finally, never give up, no matter how challenging is the situation.

Interview by Rhythima Agrawal

Faridabad (NCR) September, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com

opinion

12

Complete Analysis and Highlights The New Education Policy(NEP), 2020 Bhoomika Mohan

Bhoomikamohan88@gmail.com

The NEP empowers students to carefully analyze, pick and choose their academic journey rather than conforming to the set standards and norms. It also moves towards international standards with a focus on digital and research-based learning. Additionally, The NEP has renamed the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) as the Ministry of Education which is a clear indicator of the country’s changing focus on education.

The new National Education Policy which came in force on Wednesday, 29 July, seeks to bring about a number of reforms across all levels of education in India which further look forward to change the landscape of Indian learning.

Soon after the policy was announced, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “The policy is based on the pillars of “access, equity, quality, affordability, accountability” and will transform India into a “vibrant knowledge hub”.

Among these number of changes is one, within which the NEP 2020 suggests a slew of reforms to school education, with a focus on flexibility of major/minor subjects and eliminating hinderances between streams of learning. Students in India are made to choose subjects to pursue in their career at a very tender age of 15. By the time one finishes their 10th class, they have to be sure of what is going to be their route to career. The majority of students find it difficult to understand whether they have selected the right stream or not.

Basic Structure

The New Education policy (NEP) 2020 shares ideas to revamp education, teaching and assessment systems in schools and colleges. the NEP changes the existing 10+2 structure of school education to a 5+3+3+4, covering children between the ages of 3-18.

The structure thereby, looks like this

nThree years of anganwadi or preschool + two years in primary school in grades 1-2 covering ages 3 to 8 years nThe ‘preparatory stage’ covering ages 8 to 11 years or grades 3-5. nThe ‘middle stage’ covering ages 11 to 14 years or grades 6-8 nThe ‘secondary stage’ covering ages 14 to 18 years in two phases – grades 9-10 in the first and grades 11-12 in the second.

The NEP also states that there will be no hard separation among ‘curricular’, ‘extra-curricular’, or ‘co-curricular’ areas, among ‘arts’, ‘humanities’, and ‘sciences’, or between ‘vocational’ or ‘acad-

emic’ streams. During grades 6-8, students will be required to take a course which will provide hands-on experience of a number of important vocational crafts as well.

NEP seeks to bring about focus on languages in school.

According to the policy, wherever possible, “the medium of instruction until at least grade 5, but preferably till grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language”, to be followed in both private and public schools.

It implements the three-language formula, but with some flexibility and without imposing any language on a state. In simple words, this concludes that students will learn three languages, based on the states, regions and the choice of the students themselves, as long as at least two of the three languages are native to India.

Policy’s say on teachers

The policy states that by 2030, teacher education will be moved into multidisciplinary universities, and by the same year, the minimum degree qualification for teaching will be a four-year integrated BEd. Teachers will also be expected to avoid participating in activities such as electioneering, so that they are able to better commit their time to their primary and most important function, core teaching.

Additionally,the hiring and vacancies in schools will be managed digitally. A tech-

nology-based comprehensive teacher-requirement planning forecasting exercise will be conducted by each state to assess expected subject-wise teacher vacancies over the next two decades.

nConsideration to rural area To ensure that brilliant students enter the teaching profession – especially from rural areas – a huge number of meritbased scholarships shall be instituted across the country for studying quality 4year integrated BEd programs. In rural areas, special merit-based scholarships will be established that also include preferential employment in their local areas upon successful completion of their BEd programmes.

Reforms in Board exams

nThere will be no hard separation among ‘curricular’, ‘extracurricular ’, or ‘co-curricular’, among ‘arts’, ‘humanities’, and ‘sciences’, or between ‘vocational’ or ‘academic’ streams. nBoard exams for classes 10 and 12 will be continued, but they will be low stake.

The focus will be on testing concepts and application based learning. nStudents will be able to choose many of the subjects and the ‘level’ in which they take Board exams. nSkills, such as analysis, critical thinking and conceptual clarity will be taught in school. nCo-curriculum and vocational subjects like sports, arts, commerce, science will be treated at the same level.

nStudents can opt for courses as per their preference. nReviews by peers and teachers will be taken. nStudents will be given a second chance at boards to improve their score.

Changes for College admission structure

A common aptitude test, as well as specialised common subject exams in the sciences, humanities, languages, arts, and vocational subjects, will be held at least twice every year. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct a common entrance examination (CEE) for admissions to universities across the country.

Although, It will not be mandatory and will be left to individual universities and colleges to use NTA assessments for their admissions.

It indeed is a right step towards a better education system. Prof VK Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur told a major newspaper the impact of reforms by saying “ The emphasis on primary education in regional languages and the introduction of Sanskrit, following the three-language formula, will turn out to be a great boon to the people of the country especially in the rural areas”. With everything seemingly falling in place we have to see if the government implements the policy effectively. It is a bold and challenging policy and it needs competent people to execute it efficiently. I hope the government executes this as enthusiastically as they execute elections.

Will the LathiCharge on Farmers have any adverse effect on BJP-JJP Govt?

13

Faridabad (NCR) September, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com

Jag Mohan Thaken Farmers from the different parts of Haryana, who gathered at Kurukshetra on September 10, 2020, to protest against the three anti- farmer central ordinances on the call of BhartiyaKisan Union (BKU), were lathicharged by the Haryana Police .

Since long the Farmers’ Unions of the state have been demanding withdrawal of these three ordinances namely Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance; the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 an amendment in the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

Amid an increase in the number of coronavirus cases, the state government had asked the Kisan Unions not to organize the farmers rally ,but despite government’s appeal the farmers gathered to attend the rally.

While making an appeal, on September 9 , to the farmers to postpone the rally in the time of this COVID-19 crisis, Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Mr. J.P Dalal had said, “Haryana Govern-

ment is a farmer friendly Government as it has consistently taken farmer-friendly decisions, whether it is about giving compensation, or developing new Mandis.”

As the farmers' bodies fear that farmers may not get a minimum support price (MSP ) for crops after the introduction of new rules , commenting over the this , Mr. J.P Dalal had clarified that the State Government was committed to provide Minimum Support Price for all the crops of the farmers of the State. Besides this, Government is also dedicated towards further expanding the government Mandis in the State.

He divulged that in the meeting held late last evening between BhartiyaKisan Union (BKU) leader, Mr. GurnamChaduni and senior officers it was clarified that the State Government is also ready to strengthen the statutory arrangements in this regard. Therefore, he expects that the proposed Kisan Rally scheduled to be held on September 10, 2020 will be withdrawn.

However the farmers’ leaders were

haryana

adamant to hold the rally ,but they appealed to the farmers to attend the rally adhering to the Covid distancing norms to neutralize the plea of the state government to cancel the rally on the pretext of COVID-19 crisis.

Expressing the urgency and unavoidability of the rally, BhartiyaKisanUnion Haryana unit president Gurnam Singh Chaduni had stated on Wednesday, “We want withdrawal of these anti-farmer ordinances, which will destroy the peasants and leave them at the mercy of market forces."

Paying no heed towards the government appeal, theBhartiyaKisan Union and other supporting farmer bodies ultimately on Thursday blocked the national highway at Pipli in Kurukshetra to protest the Centre's above stated three farm ordinances, which they were claiming “anti-farmers” . Noticing inconveniencing position to the commuters and causing a traffic jam the police resorted to a lathicharge to disperse the congregation and control the situation .

After a chaos over two hours, the district administration relented and had to allow the farmers to head to the rally place much to the relief of the commuters stranded on the highway.

Alleging the government for suppressing the voice of farmers, the angered BKU leader Mr. GurnamSingh Chaduni said, “The administration is responsible for this situation. We have a right to protest peacefully but they want to suppress our voice.

We will continue our fight and force the Centre to withdraw its anti- farmer and antiarhtiya (commission agent) ordinances.

They are using coronavirus as an excuse to suppress our voice.”

All India KisanSabha has also strongly condemned the use of police force against the kisan rally called by BKU atPipli in Kurukshetra. Briefing the media , the state acting general secretary Sumit said that imposing of prohibitory orders under the pretext of Corona is directed at suppressing the voice of farmers and other sections against the three ordinances which will have far reaching consequences for agriculture of our country.

State President of Haryana Congress ,KumariSelja has also castigated the lathicharge and asserted that the congress is with the farmers and declared that party will organize protest march at district level on September 21 throughout Haryana against the anti-farmer ordinances .

The whips of lathi charge have been condemned across the state. Om PrakashBarwa, an INLD leader and a former MLA from Loharu Constituency , nearly 225 Kilo Meters away from the incident place , condemning the lathi charge used the gist of LalaLajpatRai’s famous statement and said , “ The lathi charge on the farmers by BJPJJP government at Pipli (Kurukshetra ) will prove to be the nails in the coffin of the coalition government . In democracy, everyone has a right to speak , write and organize a public meeting in peaceful manner . The farmers are agitating peacefully for their genuine demands , so the government

will have to bow .” He further added that on behalf of INLD party, he condemns the incident and supports the farmers’ demands.

It is pertinent to mention here what the freedom fighter LalaLajpatRaisaid . “The government which attacks its own innocent subjects has no claim to be called a civilized government. Bear in mind, such a government does not survive long. I declare that the blows struck at me will be the last nails in the coffin of the British rule in India.”

Certainly ,today’s lathi charge on farmers has waved negative vibes in the public and will go in disfavor of the government not only in just coming Baroda Assembly election , but also mar the future of BJP-JJP alliance , as the base vote bank of JJP is the farmer community . The reaction of JJP leader Digvijay Singh, younger brother of Deputy Chief Minister DushyantChautala, is also alarming to the alliance. Criticizing the happening and demanding an enquiry into the whole episode, he said, “ Today’sLathi Charge incident on farmers is very much condemnable. The pain to farmers is the pain to us. It is a painful happening and it should have been avoided. An investigation should be held into the entire incident.”

BJP’s own Member of Parliament from Bhiwani- MohindergarhLokSabhaconstituency ,DharamBir Singh has also condemned the lathi charge on farmers and urged the government to solve the farmers’ issues amicably . In a tweet on September 11 , he states, “On one hand the nature has completely destroyed the cotton and mungbean crops on the other hand pandemic Covid-19 has pushed the country and the world towards the edge of ruination. In such a situation, in a democratic country, instead of listening to the voice of aggrieved farmers, restoring to a lathi charge on them is highly condemnable. It becomes the duty of the government to have a dialogue with the farmer leaders and resolve the issues, so that no new problem arises.”

Either the BJP has not smelt the severity of the ground reality or thought of some another way to tackle the farmers’ issues , that is why BJP’s Haryana unit does not seem to soften the step and still showing the thorny horns by politicizing the issue.

A tweet on Haryana BJP @BJP4Haryana on September 10 , shows the intention of the party , “Today’s protest was fully sponsored by the Congress party . All the three ordinances are the beginning of an economic freedom for the farmers… There will be the purchase of farmers’ produce as before just after the crop is harvested and then the real face of the people who are enticing the farmers will be unmasked.”

Amid the exchange of hitting allegations on each other, whatever the consequences may be in future, but presently to redress the grievances of the farmers the state government must have a dialogue with the dreaded peasants and find an amicable solution instead of repressing them brutally.

Jag Mohan Thaken is the Editor-in-Chief of indianewsfront.com

Faridabad (NCR) September, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com

haryana

Schemes worth 3900Cr presented for centre’s approval

Out of the Rs 1 lakh crore earmarked for agricultural infrastructure development under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’, Haryana has sent various schemes worth Rs 3900 crore for Central Government’s approval and by doing so Haryana has become the first state in the country. It is pertinent to mention that now the Chief Minister Manohar Lal and Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, J.P Dalal are now trying that Haryana should get projects upto worth Rs 6000 crore.

Additional Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Sanjeev Kaushal, shared this information during a Webinar held under the chairmanship of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, JP Dalal on the above mentioned subject along with officials of various departments, Progressive Farmers, Arhtiyas, Farmers Producer Organizations, Rice Millers, Cotton Millers, and Other Stakeholders.

In the first session of the webinar, Kaushal discussed on how to use agricultural infrastructure funds and increase post-harvest management facilities. He also discussed on means to develop supply chain. The representatives of other departments, Boards, Corporations and Banks related to the agriculture sector also shared their plans.

Kaushal said that COVID-19 Pandemic has adversely not only affected India’s economy but also that of the world. There has been a huge decline in the country's GDP and to bring the economy back on track, Central Government and State Government have formulated new schemes. For this a package of Rs. One lakh crore has been earmarked for agricultural infra-

structure out of the Rs. 20 lakh crore economic package announced by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

Kaushal said that he is glad that, JP Dalal himself has participated in this webinar along with 25 Progressive Farmers, representatives of 10 Farmers Producer Organizations, five Arhtiyas, traders, representatives of rice millers and cotton millers and has given invaluable suggestions. Kaushal informed that under the scheme, agricultural entrepreneurs and startups have to be brought to the forefront.

Managing Director, HAFED, D.K Behera, informed that a Detailed Project Report of about Rs.3950 crore under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund has been prepared and sent to the Central Government, of which schemes worth Rs.352 crore of HAFED, Rs. 315 crore of Haryana

1.44 lakh people treated under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana

Health Minister, Anil Vij said that the State Government has spent an amount of Rs 169.4 crore on the treatment of about 1.44 lakh people under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. Under this scheme, the people of the state are provided free treatment facilities up to Rs 5 lakh in quality hospitals.

Vij said that under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, about 1,17,335 patients in the state have so far been provided treatment in private hospitals, on which the Department has spent about Rs 138.02 crore. Apart from this, 26,402 patients have been treated in public hospitals and an amount of Rs 31.36 crore has been spent on their treatment.

He said that Golden Cards of Ayushman Bharat Yojana have been issued to more than 22.49 lakh people in the State and these cards have been linked to Aadhaar. He said that the payment to the hospitals providing treatment to the beneficiaries under this scheme is being made within the stipulated time. For this,

the Central Government has also awarded Haryana as the first state in the country to make the payment of bills.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, Dr. Ravi Vimal said that for the convenience of the people, the cards of Ayushman Bharat Yojana are prepared free of cost in all government and empanelled private hospitals in the state.

He said that this facility is also available in the Common Service Centres at a nominal fee. The Government has also included Covid-19 patients under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, he added.

Dr. Vimal informed that the District Implementation Units under the supervision of concerned Civil Surgeons are working in hospitals of the State. A nodal officer has also been appointed for this purpose. He said that at present 530 government and private hospitals are on the panel of Haryana Government. Apart from this, several other hospitals have also applied for the empanelment.

State Warehousing Corporation, Rs. 72 crore of Sugarfed, Rs. 1607 crore of Horticulture Department, Rs. 112 crore of Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board, Rs. 87 crore of Haryana Dairy Development Co-Operative Federation Ltd. and Rs. 1400 crore schemes of Harco Bank is included.

He informed that under this scheme, there is a provision of giving subsidy on loans up to two crore rupees only for initial processing for developing warehouses, silos, cold chains, and other supply chains and the scheme will remain valid from 2021 to 2030.

Chief Administrator, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board, Mrs. Sumedha Kataria, gave detailed information about three Ordinances namely, 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 which has been recently introduced by the Centre.

She said that farmers have been given the facility that if any private agency wants to purchase the crop outside the government Mandis at a price higher than Minimum Support Price (MSP), then farmer can sell his crop at a higher price.

Progressive farmers of Sonipat including Kanwal Singh Chauhan, Man Singh Arya from Radaur, Hardeep Singh Sarkaria from Sirsa, Pawan Kumar from Yamunanagar, Sahib Singh and Hardeep Singh from Indri shared their views during the in Webinar.

14 Ayurvedic Dispensary in District Prison

Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal has accorded approved for the proposal to open Ayurvedic dispensary in District Prison, Yamunanagar and create five posts for the smooth functioning of this dispensary for the benefit of the prisoners and staff working there.

Sharing more information in this regard an official spokesman said that among the five posts sanctioned include one post each of Ayurvedic Medical Officer, Pharmacist Ayurvedic and Multipurpose Health Worker (Female) and two posts of part-time Water Carrier and Sweeper.

He informed that the pay scales of these posts will be as per the latest or revised or approved pay scales of the State Government. Besides this, Class-IV posts will be filled under the Outsourcing Policy Part-1. He said that an amount of more than Rs. 35.56 lakhs per annum is expected to be incurred with the creation of these posts.

September 2020 being celebrated as National Nutrition Month To boost the nutritional-level of children and women in the state and to identify the children suffering from Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) children, the Haryana Government has decided to celebrated the ongoing month, September 2020, as National Nutrition Month.

Official spokesperson of the department said that the malnutrition can be reduced by creating awareness about ideal nutrition, balanced diet and protein-rich food in women, girls and children. He said while the nutrition month is being observed, measures like maintaining social distancing, wearing of masks and washing hands at regular intervals will be ensured to contain the spread of pandemic COVID-19.

He informed that instructions have been issued to all District Programme Officers that this month should be celebrated in the right spirit, paying special attention to the theme of National Nutrition Month. A calendar has also been released for the events slated to be held throughout this month, in which children suffering from Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) will be identified. Subsequently, to make the mothers aware about the diet of such children, various activities like health checks,

meetings with the mothers, Annaprashan Diwas, organizing community-based programmes while laying emphasis on breastfeeding along with organizing meetings with pregnant & lactating women and adolescent girls are included.

Besides, during this month, Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Day will also be celebrated with special focus on nutrition. Thus, special health check up of children and pregnant and lactating women will be done in collaboration with the Health Department.

He informed that awareness camps will be organised in small groups of five to seven women at different times to create awareness about the improvement of the health of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) children so as to enlighten them about the symptoms of malnutrition, diet of SAM children, personal hygiene etc.

The weight and height of such children will also be measured.

He informed that during Nutrition Month, people will also be made aware about developing kitchen garden so that they can get green vegetables of daily need at home. Apart from this, under the 'Plants for Nutrition' programme, a special talk will be organised by the Department of AYUSH to make people aware about the benefits and importance of me-

dicinal plants and to create awareness about the nutritional plants. During this month a cooking competition will also be organized for Anganwadi workers and women, and Anganwadi workers will go door-to-door to disseminate information amongst women about ways to compensate the micronutrients like iron, vitaminA, zinc, iodine which are lacking in their food.

The spokesperson said that to create awareness about boosting the nutritional level of women and children nukkad nataks, folk singing and Ragini etc. will also be organised.

Moreover, hoardings and banners will also be installed in public places and community buildings. He informed that the closing ceremony of Nutrition Month will be held on September 30, 2020. Anganwadi workers will prepare nutritional level reports of children in Anganwadi Centres and report will be compiled at blocklevel. In addition, reports of kitchen gardening with photographs will also be submitted. Pledge ceremony and nutrition anthem will be organised at village, block and district levels. In addition, a special meeting of the Nutrition Panchayat /Gram Panchayat / Khand Panchayat and Zila Panchayat will be held to review the various activities conducted during the nutrition month.

Faridabad (NCR) September, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com

15

Notorious thief Hassle-free model for regiscaught by Hry police tration of lands coming up

Haryana Police has nabbed a notorious thief from Gurugram involved in over three dozen incidents of robberies and house break-ins in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. A countrymade pistol and two cartridges were also recovered from him.

Giving this information, a Haryana Police spokesperson informed that crime branch arrested him after getting a tip-off about the presence of accused near Tau Devi Lal Stadium. He was identified as Parminder Singh alias Kirori, a resident of village Bhangarh in Bhiwani.

The arrested accused belongs to the Satpal Foji gang, who is involved in the incidents of big robberies and house break-ins. He was a fugitive of Rajasthan Police, which was conducting raids for his arrest.

During preliminary interrogation, the accused confessed to have looted gold chain and cash in more than 40 robberies and house break-ins in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The accused, along with his accomplices used to conduct recce in big towns then broke into the locked residences and stole the valuables. He had already been sentenced imprisonment for eight months in a theft case.

In February 2020, he along with other associates, committed two housebreaks in Jaipur, Rajasthan and had stolen cash and gold worth about Rs 12 lakh. Similarly, in July, the accused committed gold theft worth about Rs 55 lakh in Pali, Rajasthan.

A case has been registered against him in Gurugram and further probe is going on.

Deputy CM, Dushyant Chautala said that the State Government will develop a hassle-free, transparent model for the registration of lands for the convenience of the people of the state. Sharing more details, he said that the online path being adopted by the state is being discussed across the nation and several states, including Telangana are replicating the model of Haryana.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Minister has also instructed all the District Deputy Commissioners of the state to standardise the collector-rate till next week.

The Deputy Chief Minister was interacting with the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts in Chandigarh through video conferencing.

On this occasion, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, V. Umashankar, Additional Chief Secretary, Disaster, Revenue Management and Consolidation Department, Vijai Vardhan, Principal Secretary, Town & Country Planning and Urban

Estates Department, A.K. Singh, Director, Consolidation of Land Holdings & Land Records, Ms. Amna Tasneem, OSD of Deputy Chief Minister Kamlesh Bhadu and several senior officers were present.

The Deputy Chief Minister directed the Deputy Commissioners to constantly monitor the process of the Registry and also to appoint a Coordinator at the Tehsil level to coordinate at the district level in the Departments related to the work of Registry so that people getting

Dual System of Training (DST) a boon for ITI students and industries

Haryana Skill Development and Industrial Training Minister, Mool Chand Sharma said that the Dual System of Training (DST) is proving to be a boon for ITI students as well as for the industries. This has not only increased placement chances for the trainees, but will also provide trained manpower to industrial units as per their requirement.

Mool Chand Sharma said that under this system, arrangements have been made to give On-the-Job Training (OJT) to ITI students. As per the arrangement, ITI students will be trained for a period of three to six months, during their course study having duration of six months to one year. Likewise, an arrangement has been made to give six to 12 months OJT to the trainees enrolled for the courses having duration of two years.

He said that under this system more than 1300 children were benefited during the year 2019-20 while more than 5500 trainees are expected to be benefited through 276 DST units during 2020-21.

The Minister said that the effectiveness of this training system can be gauged from the fact that out of 422 trainees trained under this system, 242 have already got job offers, which is 58 percent of the trained students. He said that efforts will be made to open all trades in OJT in the future.

Mool Chand Sharma said this while presiding over review meeting of the department. The status of ITIs across State, achievements of Haryana Skill Development Mission, progress regarding construction works of Shri Vishwakarma Skill

University, Dudhola and discussion over various courses started by the university was held in the meeting.

The Minister also reviewed the status of ITIs located in Palwal and Faridabad districts and directed the officers to revamp the facilities in these ITIs. Besides this, while highlighting some complaints regarding non-payment of salaries of the sanitation workers working on outsourcing basis in the ITI, he directed the officers to release full salaries on priority basis. He said that strict action will be taken against the agency dealing with the disbursement of salaries for showing negligence in their work.

Mool Chand Sharma was apprised that at present through 418 ITIs across the State, skill training is being imparted to more than 84,000 students. Out of these, more than 55,400 in 76 trades in 172 government ITIs, and over 29,400 youth in 37 trades are being trained in 246 private ITIs. He said that construction work of seven new ITIs has been completed while work of 15 is in progress.

The Minister said that portal with the aim of providing services of trained technicians to the people through a well planned platform, ‘Mistry Haryana’ was launched by the department. Through this portal, people can avail the services of trained graduate technicians for work like plumber, electrician, carpenter and hardware repair while sitting at home.

He said that nearly 8000 trainees from ITI have registered themselves on this portal.

The possibility of signing MoU with

their registries done do not face any problem. In response to a question asked by a Deputy Commissioner regarding NRI Registry, the Deputy Chief Minister said that in such cases passport numbers will also have to be submitted during the online process.

On this occasion, the Deputy Chief Minister directed the senior officers of the state to remove the glitches in the matter of online registry as pointed out by the District Deputy Commissioners at the earliest.

Urban Clap should also be explored to provide services to the people at their doorsteps.

Mool Chand Sharma said that in the difficult time of COVID-19 Pandemic, Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, Dudhola, Haryana Skill Development Mission (HSDM) and department have introduced a unique concept of e-skilling so as to ensure that training of these trainees do not get affected and they continue to study online.

He said that even the Central Government has lauded this initiative taken by the Department. During this time, to promote content, more than 2000 WhatsApp groups were made to connect a large number of students in 75 trades.

The Minister directed the officers concerned to take strict action against those private ITIs who do not have proper infrastructure and sufficient number of students.

He said that such people are playing with the future of children. He said that random surprise checking of such centres should be done and strict action should be taken against those found guilty.

Additional Chief Secretary, Skill Development and Industrial Training Development Department, Devender Singh informed that star rating system of ITI has been introduced for the convenience of students. Besides this, a portal has also been developed for this. Through this, students will be able to choose ITI of their choice during counseling sessions. In future it will be ensured that 100 percent trades of dual training system are filled.

haryana Students asked to update photograph on Aadhaar card

Board of School Education Haryana, Bhiwani has asked the candidates of middle, Secondary and Senior Secondary (academic / selfstudy) to update the recent photograph on the Aadhaar card for the annual examination to be conducted in March-2021.

Sharing information in this regard, Chairman of the Board, Dr. Jagbir Singh said that the recent photograph has to be updated on the Aadhaar card of the candidates appearing for the Middle, Secondary and Senior Secondary (academic/self-study) Annual Examination March2021. He instructed the heads of the schools to ensure the updation of the recent photograph in the Aadhaar cards of school candidates and selfstudy candidates before submission of the application forms. He suggested that all District Education Officers of the state should direct their subordinate schools in this regard in time.

Govt to lease out suspended or cancelled stone & sand mines

Haryana Government has planned to lease out stone and sand mines or blocks in the state that have been suspended or cancelled and those which have no appeal pending against them. While the public will get the construction material at reasonable prices by this move, it will also curtail the illegal mining activities. Besides this, it is also going to lend a hand in pulling up the contractors and leaseholders who have not cleared the lease money for years.

Mines and Geology Minister, Mool Chand Sharma gave these directions to senior officers of the Department during a review meeting convened. Elaborating on it the Minister said that the payment of dues from the leaseholders should be ensured and asked the officers to chalk out a plan so as to recover the Department’s money and to fix responsibility in this regard.

Mool Chand Sharma focused on streamlining the functioning of the Department in the meeting.

Thereafter he directed to expedite the recruitment process of employees in the Department and suggested to appoint contractual employees until permanent recruitment is done so that the work of the Department is not affected.

During the meeting, Minister of Mines and Geology took a stock of the mining blocks which have been leased out or have been given on contract from November 2019 till now and the status of the mines opened during this time. Furthermore, several important issues including, contracts and leases granted through auctions, lease granted through applications, stone crushers, mineral dealer licenses, short-term permits, illegal mining cases and vehicles seized during this time frame were discussed.

Minister said that department has received revenue of about Rs 574 crore from mining activities.

Faridabad (NCR) September, 2020 www.theasianchronicle.com

lifestyle

16 life style changes among teenage girls due to unhealthy approaches, like eating disorders.

Together with peers, the internet has also impacted on adolescent body image issues. Comparing yourself to what you see on the internet can have a negative impact on the body image that is closely associated to fashion & lifestyle.

Media & Magazines

Teenagers use magazines & media to assess trends in future so they know exactly what to purchase & what not to purchase. These magazines have a major impact on the selection of teenage clothes.

Most fashion magazines target teenage girls. These magazines impose celebrities dressed in fashionable clothes on the cover to attract young girls. These magazines then promote the stores & companies where celebrities buy their latest trendy styles.

Celebrities

The Influence of Fashion

Trends on Teenagers As time is evolving to a fast paced lifestyle, it has also impacted on the fashion fraternity on teenagers of this era. Teenagers are being extremely conscious about their appearances & obsess frequently over features which, adults disregard as a priority. The self - consciousness of certain adolescents creates a fear of attracting so much attention to themselves. As a result, they go for the look of “not looking very dressed up.”

Others love getting attention & wear just about anything to get it. We often choose clothes that reflect our mood & style. This reflects the overall confidence of one too in some way. The level of a trust in an individual significantly influences how others perceive & respond to them.

Self - expression through fashion

Fashion & image go hand in hand, & both have a significant impact on a teenager’s lifestyle. Fashion is incredi-

bly important to them, because it’s a way to depict who they are & what they want to be.

As people become mature, their sense of self is formed by the apparels, they wear. Youth use fashion as a means of expressing themselves & their associations, gaining social status & bonding with their peers.

Adolescence is marked by the search for a personal identity & what they wear plays a significant role in forging that identity. What teenagers choose to wear is a way to recognize them & depict how they want the world to see them.

Research has also manifested when teenagers wear a piece of garment, they cannot help but embrace some characteristics through clothing.

Factors Affecting Teenagers Awareness of Fashion

The youth of today aims to replicate anything they visualize worn by others

as long as it looks like “hip” or “style.”

Teenagers are observant to follow fashionable trends in trying to accommodate themselves in.

Fashion evolves every season, & so do most teenage wardrobes. below are some of the factors which affect their fashion sense:

Teenagers idolize their favorite celebrities. They look upon them for some fashion inspiration. When teenagers visualize their favorite celebrity dressed in something they love, they buy the identical outfit just to look like them. Then they show off their clothes to their friends.

Teenagers watch all kinds of reality shows to try & keep up with the attire of their favorite celebrities. They look for inspiration for even hairstyle ideas. This way, teenagers discover themselves through environmental cues.

Even though, not many celebrities try to persuade their audience to go with a specific flow, they instinctively alter the philosophies of their viewers. Once a celebrity publicly promotes any apparel, it creates social acceptance & has a positive impact on the overall image of the brand.

Designer brands

Teenagers are concerned about the social acceptance & the coolness of the clothes they wear. For this reason, they end up making a more product – oriented conclusion when they go shopping.

They often feel traumatized when they don’t have enough money to shop in branded stores.

Peer Pressure

Peer pressure immensely affects teenagers’ on daily challenges such as alcohol, drug abuse, fashion, the kind of friends they have & academic performance. It can either be good or bad for them.

Research has shown that teenagers dress to avoid mockery & humiliation from peers.

Body Image

This issue affects teenage girls. Media & magazines influence the physical look of a girl. This has led to numerous

Maithillee Zaveri