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What is the meaning of term ‘Refugees’?

Imagine fleeing your home leaving everything behind and carrying only what you can. Yes, that’s the plight of refugees all over the world. The term ‘refugee’ has been used to describe the millions worldwide displaced either on account of conflict, persecution or war. When people leave their country to seek protection in neighbouring countries crossing international borders, they are called refugees. While immigrants choose to move to another country for various reasons, refugees are forced to flee their country in the face of violence. With uncertainty staring at them, refugees face several challenges, such as severe hunger, poverty and loss of dear ones, in search of a safe haven and a better life. You might have heard about the refugees from Syria, Myanmar, Ukraine and Afghanistan. While some countries take them in with open arms, others turn them away. Nevertheless, the number of people displaced worldwide has continued to grow at an alarming rate. According to the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, over 89 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced till the end of 2021, of which over 27 million are refugees. Didn’t the photos of Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi’s lifeless body on the Turkey shore and Afghans struggling to hang on to the aircraft about to take off move us to tears?

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What is the meaning of term ‘Recession’?

A recession is a period of slowdown in trade and economic activities. It is identified by a fall in GDP, business profits and employment during successive quarters, that is for at least six months in a row. Recessions occur when there is a significant drop in spending due to reasons like the COVID pandemic which caused many to lose their jobs, and when there are unfair business practices. To tackle recession, governments have to infuse more money into the system, improve credit flow to industry, control price rise, address problems of unemployment to revive spending, reduce interest rates, and decrease taxation. With the Russia-Ukraine war escalating, the world is witnessing economic and humanitarian disasters. Struck by unprecedented sanctions, Russia has already plunged into a deep recession. As a result of the war, the global economy is also weakening with disruptions in trade and food, and soaring energy prices, all of which contribute to rising inflation.

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What is meaning of term ‘Privacy law’?

Privacy law has been in the news for quite some time. Every person has their secrets, plans, ideas, etc. which they may not want to disclose or discuss with others. Every citizen in India has the right to privacy though there is no dedicated article in the Indian Constitution. The Supreme Court in 2017 upheld that the right to privacy is a fundamental right flowing from the right to life and personal liberty as enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution. The right to privacy is the right to keep our personal information private. Though the right to privacy includes both physical privacy and privacy relating to communication, it's more to do with an individual's data privacy in this era of digital communication. Going by this, an individual's personal data should only be collected and used with the permission of that individual. In August 2022, India withdrew a data protection and privacy bill which was first proposed in 2019, saying it was working on a new comprehensive law. The 2019 bill had proposed strict regulations on cross-border data flows which had caused concern among tech giants such as Meta and Google. Experts feel that as the bill proposed giving government departments powers to seek user data from companies, it would lead to misuse of personal data. So at present, India lacks a strong privacy law.

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What is meaning of term ‘Human rights’?

Human rights are rights that protect the dignity of all human beings, irrespective of nationality sex language, religion, or any other status. These rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression freedom from inhuman treatment freedom of religion, the right to work and education Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10 to mark the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a milestone in the history of human rights One of the UN's major achievements, the UDHR outlines basic rights and freedoms everyone is entitled to, no matter who they are or where they live. Drafted by representatives from different legal and cultural backgrounds, the Declaration was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948. It is one of the most translated documents around the world, available in over 500 languages. So how can we support human rights? Go through the UDHR document to familiarise yourself with the rights and responsibilities, voice your views against discrimination volunteer for movements fighting for rights, and write about victims tales to spread awareness about human rights.

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Mathematical concepts you can pick up from football

The whole world was in a frenzy duiring the FIFA World cup that took place in Qatar in November-December 2022. All of us were glued to our television screens and rooting for our favourite teams. But did you know that while watching football, you can also spot many elements of maths?

In this article, we will tell you how football and maths have an interesting correlation between them and how many great footballers apply mathematical concepts of geometry, speed-distance-time, and calculus on the field to score goals for their team.

Tiki-taka strategy

This is a systematic approach to football which relies on team unity and a comprehensive understanding in the geometry of space on a football field. Many times, to increase their ball possession, football players try to form triangles all over the field which makes it difficult for the opposing team to win the ball. This strategy is called tiki-taka. This approach was used by Spain in 2010 and was instrumental in their World Cup win. The next time you are on the playground, you can try incorporating tiki-taka to win the game against your opponent.

Measurements and units

Maths is also essential when it comes to the shape and dimension of the pitch. Thus, measurements and units are also used in football. The preferred size for many professional teams’ stadiums is 105 by 68 metres (115 yd x 74 yd) with an area of 7,140 square metres (76,900 sq ft). Notice the various units being used here? Amazing, isn’t it?

Strategising based on data

Your favourite team probably has a set of mathematicians or statisticians who work along with the coaches and players to come up with successful strategies based on the data they collect after observing matches that the team plays. An example here would be if two players pass the ball 300 times to each other on average, what kind of advantage can the opposition gain by reducing their total number of passes to 100?

Voronoi diagrams

Voronoi diagrams are friends of every coach. These diagrams help them find the shortest distance to reach a landmark. They help coaches analyse and understand the defence that the team leaves open, helps them find new angles from which they can attack, and helps them gauge how well the players use space.

Let us now make a Voronoi diagram. Take two points A and B, their perpendicular bisector contains all the points that are equidistant from them. You will see the points in one region are closer to A and the other to B. You now have your Voronoi diagram. Add another point Cand follow the same process to get another Voronoi diagram.

Penalty patterns

Goalkeepers also use maths when they want to save penalties. Several players follow a pattern while shooting their penalty shots. Goalkeepers always perform an analysis of the previous shot of the players which puts them in a better situation to predict the next shot and be prepared to stop the opposing team from scoring a goal.

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What are meaning, origin and usage of word ‘Palanquin’?

What are meaning, origin and usage of word ‘Palanquin’?

Meaning: This noun refers to a structure formerly used in East Asia for transporting one person. It consists of a box carried by four or six people by means of two long poles.

Origin: In use since the 16th Century. 1580s, it is from the Portuguese word palanquim, which is from the Malay and Javanese word palangki, meaning litter or sedan (enclosed seat used for transporting people). This, in tum, is from the Sanskrit word palyanka, meaning couch, litter, from the words 'pari (meaning around)+'ancati, (meaning it bends, curves), meaning, perhaps, that which bends around the body.

Example: "Palanquin Bearers" is a poem by Sarojini Naidu.

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What are meaning, origin and usage of word ‘Privy’?

Meaning: The word privy can be used as an adjective and as a noun. When used as an adjective, it means sharing in the knowledge of something private or secret. It is usually followed by the preposition "to". As a noun, it means a toilet located outside a house or building.

Origin: The term entered Middle English in the early 13th Century from Old French prive meaning "intimate or private place" which in turn came from Latin privatus meaning "private or personal."

Usage: Ram is not privy to the discussions of the top management. The farm house is a privy place for the writer to relax and think about his next plot.

What are meaning, origin and usage of word ‘Spree’?

Meaning: The word spree corresponds to a spell or sustained period of unrestrained activity of a particular kind.

Origin: The word has been doing the rounds since the start of the 19th Century. A word of uncertain origin, its earliest use was in Scottish dialect works. In British dramatist Samuel Foote's comedy "The Maid of Bath" (1794), the word appears as a Scottish dialect pronunciation of another word.

After steady usage for over a hundred years, the word started growing further in popularity in the second half of the 20th Century.

Usage: He went on a shopping spree immediately after his salary was credited to his account.

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