The Observer Vol 21 Issue 13

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The Observer An IIJNM publication

Government schools in Bengaluru lack trained educators for children with special needs | P 2

Vol. 21, Issue 13

By Anwesha Singh

I

Apart from investing in cryptocurrencies and earning profits, young people also use them as means of transferring money to their family members and friends I Courtesy: pexels.com you monitor, the more are your chances of making a profit.”

“I use trading platforms like WazirX and CoinDCX, and have invested in Dogecoin, Shibainu, Tron coin and Wink. I make sure the cryptocurrencies I invest in are listed on various trading platforms with 45-50 million sub-

scribers, Shinde added.”

Apart from investing in cryptocurrencies and earning profits, people also use them a as means of transferring money to their family members and friends.

Vats Meha, a 22-year-old MSc student, believes that transferring money overseas through cryptocurrencies is easier than the traditional methods. “My elder brother is doing a job in the United States. Recently, he started to transfer money using bitcoin which helped him save the extra money that is charged by banks and other money transfer services.” Meha has started investing in cryptocurrency on the advice of her brother.

Amisha Bedi, a cryptocurrency consultant, informed The Observer that cryptocurrencies is a good investment option. “It gives you so many benefits like more profit in shorter duration, easy transfer, safety against hacking, etc. However, before investing, you should pay attention to how a cryptocurrency is doing and make small investments initially.”

Older people prefer investing in mutual funds instead.

Continued on page 3

Celebrity deaths leave fans shattered

By Kashish Sharma

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hruv Yadav, a man in his late twenties, did not eat for three days after his favourite actor passed away. The sudden death of Puneeth Rajkumar caused him to feel empty from within. Yadav, who had never met the actor, felt as if a loved one had departed.

Asked to share his suppressed feelings with The Observer, he

Parasocial Implications turned his back and tears started rolling down his cheeks. Overwhelmed with grief, he refused to talk and simply waved goodbye.

Mahantesh M, another die-hard fan of the actor said: “I can't accept what has just happened.

Every day I get up believing that my hero is still alive, but as soon

as I realize that he is no more, my day becomes hard to pass. Somehow, I have convinced myself that I am going to miss him until I die.” Mahantesh runs a Twitter page dedicated to Puneeth.

Strong parasocial bonds in the digital age are making celebrity deaths look like a personal loss to the devoted followers, say experts.

Dr Pallavi Walia, a practising psychologist, said: “Relationship with a celebrity is like standing in front of a mirror. They often represent a part of oneself. When a celebrity dies, that part also dies.

Most of the time, people who are emotionally disconnected from their families, form such virtual relationships with these stars.

When their favourite actor or actress passes away, their source of inspiration also dies.”

Dr Nitin Mehra, another practising psychologist,agrees with Dr

Website: http://www. theweeklyobserver.in

Karnataka stands among the worst states in the country when it comes to anaemia prevalence | P 3

Older people are wary of them, find MFs safer

peer) exchange trade volume.

Keyur Shinde, 21, has been investing in cryptocurrencies for the past one year. “Initially, I incurred some loss, but with time, I have learned how it works. I monitored cryptocurrencies for a week, sometimes for a month, to understand the trend. The more

Epaper: https://issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Huge profits drive the young to put money in cryptocurrencies nvestment in cryptocurrencies has increased among the youth due to good profits and easy remittance. But older people are sceptical of investing in them because they are unregulated.

Harsh Vasist, a 24-year-old student, shared: “I started investing in cryptocurrencies last year. It was a new concept to me. Initially, I was uncertain about it, but with time, I have become acquainted with the tips and tricks of investing.” He invests in cryptocurrencies because they are end-to-end encrypted and hence comparitively safer”.

According to the 2021 Global Crypto Adoption Index by Chainalysis, a blockchain data platform, India had the second position among 154 nations in the 2021 Global Cryptocurrency Adoption Index. India also had a high ranking in P2P (peer-to-

https://twitter.com/ observer_weekly

A fan showed his love for Puneeth Rajkumar by decking up his auto with the actor’s poster I Courtesy: karnatakanews.com Walia that radical steps like suicide are usually attempted by people who have unbalanced egos and who sometimes have underlying mental health issues.

“Rationale is a big factor while

making meaning of a death. However, in cases of celebrity accidental deaths, meaning is really hard to find, and this creates insecurity among the fans,” Mehra noted.

Dr Geetha Appachu, an experienced psychologist, said: “The purpose of social media is to provide new information. As a fan, it is very natural for one to be curious about the events that follow a celebrity death, but these days, instead of showing new information, media channels bombard us with the same information that simply intensifies the pain.”

Allu Raghu, an associate of Kannada actor Chiranjeevi Sarja, who died in June 2020, informed The Observer: “I think work flashback is a big reason for feeling this intense grief. Fans know they won’t be able to see their beloved star ever again.”

Continued on page 3

News briefs NIA arrests suspected IS man in Bengaluru The National Investigative Agency on Thursday arrested a man in Bengaluru who is suspected of having an affiliation with the Islamic State terrorist group. Zohaib Manna allegedly recruited youngsters for terrorist organizations and sent several youngsters to Syria via Turkey.

PM urges democracies to make cryptos safe

PM Narendra Modi, speaking virtually at the Sydney Dialogue on Thursday, urged the world’s democracies to cooperateto make cryptocurrencies safe. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin must not “end up in the wrong hands,” he said.

Authorities at home and abroad have flagged the dangers of cryptocurrencies as they can be used anonymously by terrorist groups and organized criminals.

Heavy rains force schools to shut in 21 TN districts

The state has ordered all schools and colleges in 21 districts to shut as heavy rain is expected in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram, according to the India Meteorological Department. A low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal is moving towards Tamil Nadu. Another low-pressure area exists in the Arabian Sea. Fishermen have been warned not to venture into the sea.

SC quashes ‘skin-to-skin’ contact verdict

The Supreme Court has quashed the Bombay High Court’s order which said “skin-to-skin” contact is necessary for the offence of sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. A bench headed by Justice U.U. Lalit said sexual intent cannot be taken away from the purview of the Act.

Paytm shares crash 26 percent on debut

The much-hyped PaytmIPO on the National Stock Exchange had a disappointing start as the share plunged by as much as 26 percent. The stock opened for trading at Rs. 1,950, 9.3 percent lower than the issue price of Rs. 2,150.

The shares further nosedived by 26 percent from its issue price to hit an intraday low of Rs. 1,586.

Despite the plunge, PayTM clocked a valuation of over Rs. 1 lakh crore.

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EDUCATION

The Observer Thursday, November 18, 2021

In govt schools, there are no teachers for special students

Many of them do not take children with special needs

By Ayndrila Banerjee

G

overnment schools lack special teachers for children with disabilities.

Principals of these schools say regular teachers are the ones who are teaching ‘Children with Special Needs’ (CWSN).

Shamanta, principal of the Government High School in Sampangi Rama Nagar, informed The Observer:“We allow children with special needs to take admissions in our school. They are also taught by our regular teachers .

Special educators at the block level do visit our school every 15 days,” he further added.

Asked how regular teachers who have no training in teaching Children with special needs teach them, she said: “ Such children are given special attention in a group where other students also study. Indians are born dancers, so teachers are always gesturing while they teach so… deaf children are more or less able to make out what is being taught.”

According to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, all educational institutes under the state governments are obliged to admit persons with disabilities (PWDs) without any discrimination and provide them with PWD-friendly resources and facilitiesHowever, some government schools like GUPBS School, Banashankari, don’t enroll Chil-

Many schools in the country employ and train teachers in Braille and other sign languages, making them competent in teaching children with special needs | Credit: Ayndrila Banerjee dren with special needs . Principal Nusrath Fathima said: “We don’t admit visually impaired or deaf children. Such students are sent to special schools. Although, we do take physically challenged children, they don’t need special educators for teaching them.”

As per the RPWD Act, it is the duty of schools and educational institutions to employ and train teachers in Braille and sign language for teaching special kids.

Padmavati C, an English teacher at the Government High School in Sampangi Rama Nagar, shared: “Even though I am not trained in Braille or sign language, I did not find it challenging to teach students with special needs. Such students were more attentive than regular students.”

Asked if she is trained to teach special children, she said: “In my BEd course, we used to have one

class where IERT (Inclusive Education Resources Teachers) used to train us in the basics of special education. Now IERT, for the most part, come for inspection and provide… hearing aids and sticks for the blind,” she added.

Subramanya H.R., a maths teacher, on the contrary, finds it difficult to teach students with special needs. “While easier concepts like basic trigonometry are comparatively easier to teach, special students may not grasp higher-level math concepts unless taught by special educators.”

Both Padmavati and Subramanya said special children are not taught in regular schools for long. Based on the severity of their disability, they are sent to special schools after some time.

However, the RPWD Act gives students with disabilities the liberty to go for either special

schools or regular schools.

According to the Karnataka government’s 2018-19 report titled ‘School Education in Karnataka’,the state had identified 77,851 CWSN students. That year, the government had hired four Block Inclusive Education Resource Teachers and 204 special educators under the School Readiness Programme.

Special educator Puneet Gupta said it is important that CWSN are taught by special educators.

“A special educator caters to specific needs of a student with either visual impairment or hearing impairment. I am trained in HI (hearing impairment) which means I can teach students who are deaf,”he added.

Explaining how inclusive education should work, he said: “One should visit Amarjyoti (an NGO).

They have both special educators and regular teachers in a mixed classroom. The true essence of inclusive education is to sensitize children without disabilities to treat their fellow disabled classmates with respect. As a special educator, it is my job to sit beside CWSN when a regular class is being conducted. I will sit and make the child understand what is taught by the regular teacher.”

The Observer visited a few government schools but couldn’t meet any educators who teach Chidren with Special Needs. All students, with or without disabilities, were being taught by regular teachers. In addition, The Observer did not notice PWDfriendly aids such as ramps for the physically challenged or separate lanes for the blind. ayndrila.b@iijnm.org

Colleges lack formal teacher training courses We understand the need to have them: Authorities

By Chhavi Vohra

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olleges in Bengaluru are lacking in relevant teacher training programs, but aren’t planning to incorporate them any time soon..

Dr H. Prakash, principal of Maharani Arts, Commerce and Management College for Women, informed The Observer: “We don’t have a teacher training programme.... However, we do offer our staff a crash course in academics after they get selected.”

But he acknowledged that teachers need to be given proper training. “I believe it is extremely crucial to impart in-service training to teachers. There needs to be constant upgrade in their skills and capabilities. Capacity building is the key. The young generation today seems to possess

Teachers say they are ready to participate in training workshops but the implementation must come from above | Credit: Chhavi Vohra immense knowledge. Teachers need to stand up to that,” he shared with The Observer.

Teachers seem eager to address the topic of teacher training.

Prof. H. Nagaraj, who teaches English at Maharani College, shared: “I am ready to participate in any workshop or programme that benefits the college as well as the students. But the implementation is not in our hands; it’s the responsibility of... the chairman and the principal.”

Dr Charmaine Jerome, Vice Principal of Mount Carmel College, said: “We hold an induction program for teachers before they

begin their work. They are made cognisant of their surroundings as they join the institute. There is also an orientation at the start of each year. Nothing else.”

However, a teacher from the same college had a different opinion.on the situation.

Dr Savitha M. Murthy, an associate professor in the department of botany, said: “We have a faculty development program at our college. The administration will be able to tell you more about it.

Please ask them.”

Students The Observer spoke with said a teacher training programme is essential.

Presha Malhotra, a student said: “My college doesn’t have a teacher training programme. I’m afraid that’s the scene with most colleges across the country. A teacher may have immense knowledge but zero experience on how to handle a classroom and promote integrated development of the students.”

Another student, Raunak Sharma, said: “Teachers should be trained in how to handle different situations in a classroom.

They shouldn’t carry a notion that each student has the same intellect, and should provide extra aid to students who have a hard time grasping new concepts.

The one-size-fits-all approach should be reprimanded.”

Countries the US, Finland and Sweden are seeking to improve their education systems by investing in teacher learning. In Scandinavia, teachers receive two to three years of graduatelevel preparation at the government’s expense. In some places workshops are organized. chhavi.v@iijnm.org

Citizen’s Voice Read the fine print before investing in an IPO It’s raining IPOs. While it’s good to enjoy the rain, investors must ensure they don’t catch a cold. A few popular companies are going public this month. But investors must not let a company’s popularity overshadow its fundamentals and must read the draft red herring prospectus carefully before applying for its IPO. Snehi Shah

Our media have glossed over climate change

As more people lose their homes and lives, a majority of the newsrooms have become mere chitchat platforms discussing the temples, ‘love jihad’, etc. By holding no debates on climate change, the Indian media have failed citizensin its very purpose.

Jinit Parmar

India-NZ series: Players, spectators needed rest

India started its T20 series against New Zealand on November 17. New Zealand played the World Cup final on November 14 and played a match within 72 hours. The players should have been given some rest after a tournament as big as the World Cup. Spectators would have enjoyed a break after watching back-toback two T20 tournaments — the IPL and the World Cup..

Bansal Shah

Auto, cab drivers demand extra all the time

Autorickshaw ,cab drivers charge extra whenever they drop commuters to locations away from Bengaluru..Drivers cancel bookings after starting ride and demand extra money. There should be a mechanism to check such incidents causing incovineance.

Dimpal Gulwani

Quiz 1.Which diplomat is best known for his construction of the Suez Canal across the Isthmus of Suez (1859–69) in Egypt?

2.Who is the legendary king credited with joining Upper and Lower Egypt in a single centralized monarchy?

3.Which Egyptian monarch’s tomb was discovered intact by Howard Carter in 1922?

4.Which ancient Egyptian king established a cult to Aton, a sun god?

5.Which ruler of Egypt disappeared in 1021 and is revered by members of the Druze religion?

Answers on Page 3

Across the city Stories from the Mahabharata, Lahe Lahe Kodihalli, Saturday, Nov 20, Bengaluru Poetry and Storytelling-Open mic, Pops of Patels Basavanagudi, Saturday, November 20, Bengaluru.

Bengaluru Tech Summit, Palace Grounds Bennigana Halli, Thursday , November 18 to Saturday, November 20

CITY

Children of Hindu faith are more likely to be anaemic: NFHS-5 Dietary habits impact one’s intake of iron

By Arshreet Singh

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stark difference in the consumption of iron-rich foods is observed between children of different faiths, according to the National Family Health Survey-5. Among children aged between 6 and 23 months, those belonging to the Muslim faith are 10 percentage points more likely to have consumed iron-rich foods than children belonging to the Hindu faith . The survey says that 28 percent of Hindu children and 38 percent of their Muslim counterparts have iron-rich food.

“This is probably due to the dietary habits of different faiths.

Muslims are more likely to consume meat-heavy diets, which are also rich in iron. But not all Hindus are vegetarians either,” said Dr Priyanka Bakshi, a dietician at the Apollo Sugar Clinic.

Karnataka ranks 17th among other states with the highest number of anaemic children, as per the National Health Mission rankings. Despite attempts by

the state government to alleviate anaemia, it rose by 5 percent in the past five years.

According to NFHS-5, twothirds of Karnataka children between the age of 6 and 59 months are anaemic. .The number jumped from 61 percent to 66 percent in the past five years.

“Anaemia is categorised by low haemoglobin levels in the bloodstream, usually due to lack of iron. However, it can also be caused due to malaria, other nutritional deficiencies and genetics,” said pediatrician Dr Aman

Ghosh. “It can result in stunting, impaired cognitive function and motor development in children.

Long-term effects include diabetes and hypertension.”

Children suffering from anaemia often suffer from malnutrition as well. Lack of money to buy a healthy and balanced diet contributes to this.

Dr Revathi Madan, a general physician, explained: “Children suffering from anaemia often belong to poor families. They don’t have the money to buy vegetables or eggs. All they eat is rice, which

is not enough to meet all the requirements of the human body.”

The state government recently launched a rice-fortification project on a pilot basis in two villages in Koppal district. However, the results are still not known yet.

Despite the Anaemia Mukt Bharat mission launched in Karnataka in 2019 which aims to reduce the prevalence of anaemia by 3 percent every year but the number of anaemia cases has only increased a lot.

Dr. Arundhati Chandrashekar, Mission Director of the National Health Mission, informed The Observer that the pandemic has adversely affected the implementation of the central governmentsponsored programme.

“Digital haemoglobin level checkers have been introduced… in various districts in the state to get a better idea of the problem.

Inter-departmental coordination is needed if we want to reach the target… by 2022,” she said.

There are various government schemes like the fortified rice mission, Ksheera Bhagya Yojana which provides 150 ml milk to children younger than six years of age and ayurveda for treating anaemic children may go a long way in reducing the incidence of anaemia amongst the children. arshreet.s@iijnm.org

Government may regulate Social media bring fans cryptocurrencies rather closer to celebrities than impose ban on them Continued from page 1 ujeeth Kumar, 51, and employee of the Indian Overseas Bank, shared with The Observer: “I have been investing in mutual funds since 2003. It’s not that there are no risks in mutual funds, but they are safe.

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Mutual funds are a choice for old generation as it is regulated | Courtesy: pexels.com Rules and regulations are such that your money will be safe even if the company plunges.”

For him, investing in mutual funds is always safe and secure as you can now and then look at their performance. “Right now, I

have invested in Mirae Asset, Axis Longterm Equity Fund and DSP Blackrock, among others.

Even if these funds face a loss, I know that my money is safe as it is regulated by SEBI, but I cannot say the same thing about cryptocurrencies,” Kumar added.

School teacher Rakesh Makkar, 48, also thinks that it is safer to invest money in mutual funds than in bitcoins. “My son asks me to trade in cryptocurrencies, but I don't feel comfortable. I am satisfied with my investments in small-cap and mid-cap mutual funds which give me more (than) average annual returns.”

Asked if they plan to invest in cryptocurrencies in the coming years, both Kumar and Makka replied in the negative.

On November 16, 2021, RBI governor Shaktikanta Das cautioned the investors of potential pitfalls of digital currency calling it a serious concern for the macro-economy and financial stability. His warning came after the Centre, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where the government proposed regulatory control on cryptocurrencies to check money laundering, terrorism and other kinds of illegal activities instead of banning them. anwesha.s@iijnm.org

3 This day, that year On November 18, 1626, St. Peter’s Basilica was consecrated.

Replacing an earlier basilica on the same site to become the world’s largest Christian basilica.

Quote of the day “”Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he will tell the truth.”

- Oscar Wilde

Weather Maximum temp: 22 degrees celsius Minimum temp:19 degrees celsius Precipitation: 97% Humidity: 91% Wind Speed: 14 km/h Forecast: Chances of heavy rainfall through the night

Quiz answers 1. Ferdinand de Lesseps 2. Menes 3. Tutankhamen’s 4. Akhenaten 5. Al-Ḥākim

The Observer Thursday, November 18, 2021

Twitterati Talk @mla_sudhakar It has become fashionable for some stand-up comedians to abuse India. Fact or no fact, they go to any length to put India in bad light. @thevirdas tells US audience that India is the rape capital.

Fact: Rape cases/lakh people in India: 5.7 Rape cases/lakh people in US: 35.85 @boxervijender Icome from an India when we take pride being vegetarian and yet run over the farmers #VirDas Social media has strengthened the celebrity-fan bonding by bringing them closer on virtual platform | Credit: Kashish Sharma Continued from page 1 report published by Firstpost said that seven fans committed suicide after the death of Puneeth and three fans died of sudden cardiac arrest on hearing the news. A similar kind of trend was observed when last year Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput died.

“Celebrity deaths always remind us of our mortality which we often fail to reflect on,” shared psychiatrist, Dr Valli Kiran.

“New media have penetrated

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our life to an extent that we are living multiple lives. Our disconnection with the real life is a serious concern,” he added.

Experts define parasocial relationships as follows: a relationship between a celebrity and the audience where one is emotionally invested in the other, but the other is unaware of their existence. In a digital world, social media have strengthened these relationships by bringing fans close to celebrities. kashish.s@iijnm.org

Team Observer Editor- Arshreet Singh Reporters- Anwesha Singh, Arshreet Singh, Ayndrila Banerjee, Chhavi Vohra, Kashish Sharma Copy Editors- Anwesha Singh, Arshreet Singh, Ayndrila Banerjee, Chhavi Vohra, Kashish Sharma Page Layout- Anwesha Singh, Ayndrila Banerjee, Chhavi Vohra, Kashish Sharma Photo Editor- Arshreet Singh Supplement- Chhavi Vohra, Anwesha Singh

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Lifestyle Have we switched to healthier food?

The Observer Thursday, November 18, 2021

SUPPLEMENT

Eating healthy is a lifestyle change some people have made during the pandemic, writes Chhavi Vohra

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onika Vohra, a homemaker in Delhi, has started including cinnamon, star anise and cardamom in her daily tea. Seasonal fruits and vegetables have made an appearance in meals. Everything is cooked with desi ghee. Food is now entirely homemade; eating out is not allowed at all.

Mothers have been extra cautious in planning their children’s diet, considering they still cannot get vaccinated against corona virus as they are not out yet.

Priyanka Pathak, a mother of two from Bengaluru, banned her children from having ice cream, chips and cold drinks during the initial days of the pandemic. Initial days of the pandemic were rife with dos and don’ts. These foods lead to low immunity, according to grapevine.

Even young (read stubborn) adults made changes in their eating habits on account of the pandemic that has struck us.

Nishit Arora, a 21-year-old student from Delhi, said: “I loved ordering food from outside and ordered sweets almost every

other day. I have a sweet tooth and couldn’t control my cravings.

During the pandemic, however, my family members did not allow me to place any food orders. It was difficult at first, but eventually it helped me to achieve my fitness goals that I had set.”

Students Subhashree Mohapatra and Rishika Kashyap said they stopped eating street food due to unhygienic conditions.

They miss junk food, but they say safety takes priority over taste.

Older adults with comorbidities are being extra vigilant at this time.

Sita Ram, 76, a retired police officer, said: “All people need to be cautious. Avoid items from the fridge, and fried and fatty food. I have diabetes, so I avoid sweets as much as possible. I eat

freshly made food and avoid leftovers. I contracted corona once and am scared of going through the horror again. I think everybody should exercise

more, do yoga and walk as much as possible. They should adhere to the doctor’s advice and maintain social

distancing at all times..”

Nutrition experts emphasise the importance of making lifestyle changes. Small changes in one’s diet can go a long way in one’s life, they say.

Shweta Bhatia, a dietician at the the Indian Dietetic Association and founder of Mind Your

Fitness, said: “Healthy weight loss should be promoted among obese patients. People should increase their protein intake, particularly branched-chain amino acids.”

One should try and include food items from each food group to consume a balanced and nutrition rich diet.

Dr G. Bhanu Prakash, CEO and Founder director of Proceum Pvt. Ltd, recommends a balanced diet.

However, there are still people who remain adamant, sticking to their preCovid lifestyle choices and food habits.

Amit Vohra, a Delhi lawyer, said: “Nothing has changed for me. I love to eat and haven’t made any changes to my diet due to the pandemic.”

However, experts in the field of nutrition state the importance of lifestyle changes. Small changes in one’s diet can take them a long

way in leading a healthy life say nutrionists.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation website says: “Boost your immune system during this pandemic. Eat fruits and vegetables five times a day and pulses three times a week.

Drink about two litres of water per day and make smart choices in food like water instead of soft drinks, fruits and vegetables instead of chocolates, pastries, cookies and other junk food items.

Teach healthy eating habits to your children and limit the consumption of alcohol.”

Eating a healthy diet is very important during the COVID-19 pandemic. What we eat and drink can affect our body’s ability to prevent, fight and recover us from infections. Each of us can play our part to win against the virus from the world by small lifestyle changes. We need to eat smart and be prudent with our choices to survive the pandemic. chhavi.v@iijnm.org

Discover yourself on a solo expedition Travelling alone breaks the monotony of life and brings one peace, says Anwesha Singh

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odophile, itinerant, rover — these are some of the names Gri’s friends call her. They all mean the same thing — one who loves travelling and wandering.

“I have visited Jaipur, Udaipur, Rishikesh, Indore and Ujjain. I am planning to visit more places,” said Gauri Gupta, 22, a solo traveler. “Convincing parents is not the easiest job. They are concerned about your safety: where you’re going to sleep, and how you’re going to travel.”

Gauri feels like solo traveling is not popular in our culture. And if you are born a girl, it becomes harder to travel alone. She longs for a day when society is more accepting of the concept of travelling by yourself.

The liberty of exploring places at your own pace and spending time with yourself is what entices people to travel alone.

Zostel, a Gurgaon-based hostel company, conducted a study that revealed that out of 5 lakh rooms occupied every year, 16.5% bookings were made by solo women travellers from Bengaluru alone.

The study also showed there has been a 399% increase in female travellers since 2015.

Some of the top places for solo travel in India are Shimla, Rishikesh, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Goa, Pondicherry and Hampi.

Taking a solo trip, however, is not everyone's cup of tea. There are challenges and risks, tricky situations arise all the time.

But you get to face the difficulties of life in the best way possible.

Mayank Gupta, a 24-year-old stock trader, felt deviated from the path of his life during the pandemic. Bewildered, he decided to go on a solo trip to Triund and McLeodGanj in Himachal Pradesh. “I felt clueless during the pandemic. A lot was going on in my mind about my life, my career and other things.

That’s when I decided to just leave, alone, and spend some

quality time with myself. My solo trip did wonders for me and I made some important decisions about my future. I had no pressure from my family or my friends. It was just me, completely free,” he shared.

Going on a trip breaks the monotony of life. Going to a new place, figuring out things on your own brings forth a satisfaction like no other. Studies say travelling helps the brain to reset and function better, increasing productivity. When a machine runs

continuously, after some time, its efficiency wanes. Maintenance is required to enhance the performance of the machine. Humans need similar care, which is best provided by travel.

Ishika Makkar had some amazing experiences while travelling solo, but her parents were hesitant to allow her to go on a trip, that too alone.

“This is the worst thing to go through. My elder brother was allowed to go on a trip, but I was bombarded with many questions. I understand their concern; but, instead of worrying about our safety, they should teach us how to be strong and independent,” she said. She agrees travelling solo is not a piece of cake for men and women alike. It requires homework — thorough research of where you are going, what facilities are available nearby, accommodation, transportation, affordability, and the like.

Aviral Aggarwal, a 22-year-old engineering student, prefers to travel alone. “I feel like I am

going on a date with myself. The peace and calm I feel cannot be expressed in words. For me, exploring a new place is like exploring yourself. You talk to new people, get to know new the area and localities. Also, when you are on a solo trip, you meet other solo travellers and connect with them.

Solo trips for me are a great way to get to know myself better and make new friends, he said.

Abhishek Kumar, a life coach, attributes solo trips as the biggest factor in personal development.

“It makes you self-dependent and teaches you to take care of yourself. It pushes your limits. People might think that solo trips mean isolation, but this is where they are wrong. It is about becoming a better version of yourself by gaining knowledge and experience through taking trips,” he said.

Travelling solo is fun and liberating. But it can also help you achieve clarity in the things that matter to you most in life. It can help you shed inhibitions so you can make the most of life and enjoy to the fullest. anwesha.s@iijnm.org