Category Social Sciences

Who is the 14th president of India?

Ram Nath Kovind (25 July 2017- 25 July 2022 )

Ram Nath Kovind is the 14th, and the present President of India. He assumed the office of the President of India on 25th July, 2017. Kovind has worked extensively in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Ram Nath Kovind was born on 1st October 1945, in Paraukh in Uttar Pradesh. His father was a landless poor man who ran a small shop to support his family.

After graduating in law from a Kanpur college, he went to Delhi to prepare for the Indian Administrative Service. He, however, did not join the administrative service, as he was selected only for the allied services. He then started practising law. He became an Advocate-on Record of the Supreme Court of India in 1978.

Ram Nath Kovind began his political career in 1994 when he was elected as a member of Rajya Sabha, from Uttar Pradesh. He focussed on education in rural areas by helping in the construction of school buildings in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Ram Nath Kovind was appointed as the Governor of Bihar on 8th August 2015, by the then president Pranab Mukherjee. Kovind held this office till he resigned after being nominated for the office of the President of India.

He won the presidential race by receiving 65.65 per cent of the valid votes.

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How did Pranab Mukherjee became president?

Pranab Mukherjee (25 July 2012-25 July 2017)

Pranab Mukherjee assumed the office of the President of India, on 25th July 2012. He became the President of India after four decades of political life, and is the first Bengali to hold this office.

Pranab Mukherjee was often known as the walking encyclopaedia. He held many important positions. He served as the finance minister of India from 2009 to 2012, before becoming the president. He was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress.

Pranab Mukherjee was born on 11th December 1935 in Mirati in West Bengal. He earned an MA degree in Political Science and History. He then furthered his education, and received an LLB degree from the University of Calcutta. He later worked as a teacher and a journalist. He ventured into politics and later became a member of the Rajya Sabha.

Pranab Mukherjee held various cabinet posts in different union ministries. He also had the distinction of being the minister for various high-profile ministries including defence, finance, and external affairs in various governments. As finance minister, Mukherjee signed the letter appointing Manmohan Singh as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, who later became the prime minister of India.

Mukherjee was nominated as a presidential candidate of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in June, 2012. He comfortably defeated PA Sangma, his opponent, by winning 70 per cent of the electoral-college votes. He was sworn in as the President of India on 25th July 2012 and held the office till 25th July 2017. After completion of his tenure as the president, Pranab Mukherjee didn’t intend to stand for a second term, owing to his failing health.

He was also a noted author, and has written many books including Off the Track, Challenges before the Nation, The coalition Years and The Presidential Years.

Pranab Mukherjee was known to be a compulsive workaholic. He worked for almost 18 hours a day, and hardly took any days off, except for his visit to Mirati, his hometown, during the Durga Puja. In 2008, he was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan.

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An interview of young achiever Fariya Maryam (founder of Project Inclusion and Ayka – For The People)

Meet Fariya Maryam from Gurgaon, Haryana, founder of Project Inclusion and Ayka – For The People. These organisations have been working through art, volunteers, and workshops to help less privileged people in areas such as education, mental health, mentrual health, etc.

How did you embark on a journey of social work?

I’ve been interested in social work from a young age and excited about starting something new. It just so happened that started pursuing my interests in Class XI, during the pandemic. It all started with Project Inclusion, which I launched to raise awareness about mental health and neurodiversity. I think it was the pressure and mental health issues affecting so many people in the pandemic that pushed me to do something about it. I decided to make this a priority and started organising weekly support groups to help people deal with their mental pressures. Then, I started connecting with people with similar interests to broaden my initiative. Expanding my interests and skills in social work led me to start Ayka – For The People, an organisation that aspires to provide skill development opportunities and access to holistic education to less privileged children. We started with painting murals in rural areas and organising nationwide donation drives for the less privileged. Furthermore, I took a lot of interest in teaching subjects such as Maths and English. The progress the students made motivated me to continue my journey.

Tell us about your non-profit organisation. What kind of impact does it hope to create?

I founded Project Inclusion in 2020 with the aim of destigmatising mental health issues. We have been raising awareness about autism and learning disorders such as dyslexia, and for the last two years been working round the clock to provide free, accessible mental health resources to all strata of society. We offer weekly workshops on anxiety, depression, and stress, and have taken up the responsibility to connect a person in dire need of help with a mental health professional for a fee. Apart from that, we’ve been educating less privileged children about mental health to deal with the pressure of examinations, bullying, etc., and less privileged women about Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), a topic that menstrual hygiene workshops often don’t cover. So our central aim is to educate people on significantly downplayed but important topics.

How do you perceive art?

Calling art a medium of expression is an understatement. It is the means through which you get the freedom to make something of your will and show it to a large audience. It’s open to interpretation, that’s the most unique thing about art that I love. I think my art is rebellious in the sense that I have made it my aim to break stereotypes and prejudices against marginalised groups of society. I believe that art has a voice of its own and I love raising awareness through art. I understand that my art may seem provocative, but that is not my intention.

What made you start Ayka – For The People.

I started Ayka when I was 15. I was painting the walls at my grandmother’s in Jamshedpur, and our domestic help watched it in awe and wanted me to paint her house. Then, as word spread about the basic flower design I had painted, more and more people approached me to paint their walls. I started painting in several houses and then moved on to local schools wherein I created art on social and environmental issues. I also brought together a community of art students. We started painting murals and then went on to focus on improving the quality of education for less privileged children. We wanted to cultivate in students a sense of creativity. We started organising lessons on communication, art, and general knowledge. We are now around 500 people across the country, and have five branches: Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, and Bengaluru. So far, we’ve completed 50 wall paintings and a plethora of workshops. We are passionate about what we do. I believe when you start enjoying social work, the difference you can make is huge.

Any tips for fellow teens to keep a check on their mental health?

I’m not a professional, but I can share my experience. I think if you’re not taking care of your mental health, then you’re jeopardising your future. When I didn’t pay heed to mental health, my productivity was plummeting. But mental well-being is not all that complex. It could be as simple as going out for a walk, taking care of a plant, or practising meditation and mindfulness. These things may come off as silly for teens, but trust me, they are important.

What are your future plans?

I’m planning to pursue a degree in health sciences followed by an MBA. I want to work on developing innovative and robust solutions to deal with mental health illnesses, and I think taking up an interdisciplinary subject that explores psychology, biology, and health will certainly help me in achieving my goals.

How do you manage your time?

I am always doing something or the other. I have a habit of writing down any pending tasks and completing them one by one until I’m done with all of them. I work when I have random bursts of energy and motivation, and do not prefer a timetable-like approach.

If there is something you’d like to change in society, what would that be?

Gende stereotypes. I want to break the patriarchal social construct in India. I think discrimination would never end but improvement is certainly possible through the younger generations. All genders must fight stereotypes together for the well-being of humanity. Many people think awareness campaigns on mental health wouldn’t bring tangible results, but I think otherwise. I’ve helped many people who didn’t even know they were struggling, and I would say mental health awareness has been instrumental in their ongoing recovery.

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What world heritage sites have been destroyed by war?

Over 160 Ukrainian cultural sites have been damaged or destroyed since the Russian invasion of the country began this February, according to UNESCO. Ukraine is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage sites. As many of these stand threatened today, here’s a glimpse of such sites that have been damaged or destroyed due to war in other parts of the world.

Palmyra and Aleppo, Syria

During the 2015 civil war in Syria, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) destroyed several parts of Palmyra, including many important archaeological sites such as the Temple of Baalshamin, Monumental Arch, and Tower of Elahbel. After their expulsion from the heritage site, Syrian forces began work on restoring the destroyed parts. The war also damaged many cultural and other heritage sites in Aleppo, one of the oldest Syrian cities. This includes the Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The castle was one of the world’s largest and oldest dating back to the 3rd millennium BC. Another site destroyed was The Great Mosque of Aleppo that contained the remains of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Minaret of the central Umayyad Mosque, about 60% of the covered marketplace (souk), and ancient houses from the 1st Century AD were also destroyed during the war.

Jonah’s Tomb, Iraq

Jonah’s Tomb, also known as The Mosque of the Prophet Younis, considered to be the final resting place of the biblical Prophet and one of the important religious sites for both Christians and Muslims, was blown up by the ISIS in 2014. The group claimed it was done to protest against the mosque, which was not a prayer area anymore.

Timbuktu’s religious sites, Africa

In 2012, a Malian militant destroyed several religious and historical buildings in Timbuktu, including tombs and mausoleums of Sufi saints, medieval shrines, and the 15th-Century Sidi Yahya mosque. According to UNESCO, 14 of Timbuktu’s destroyed mausoleums were rebuilt by 2015. However, Timbuktu has been listed as an endangered World Heritage Site due to the ongoing armed conflict in the region.

Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan

Built under the Gandhara School of Art, the Buddhas of Bamiyan were the tallest standing statues in the world. They were blown into pieces in 2001 by the Taliban. One of the statues was 180 feet tall. The twin Buddha figurines were located on the ancient Silk Road. Though several attempts were made to restore the statues, reinstallation of the monuments could not be done due to disputes over the materials to be used.

Former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, Japan

In 1945, the U.S. Air Force’s atomic bomb that targeted Hiroshima destroyed parts of the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. Constructed in 1915, it was designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel. The remains of the Hall-A-Bomb Dome – are now part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. It was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1996.

Malta’s Royal Opera House, Valletta

Designed by English architect Edward Middleton Barry and inaugurated in 1866, the Royal Opera House was destroyed by the bombs of Germany’s Air Force during World War II in 1942. After several attempts to reconstruct the theatre, an open-air theatre called Pjazza Teatru Rjal was built amid the Royal Opera House ruins in 2013.

St. Michael’s Old Cathedral, the U.K.

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site destroyed during World War II was St. Michael’s Old Cathedral. The Gothic church was built between the late 14th and early 15th Centuries in Coventry. The ‘new cathedral’ representing Coventry’s medieval and modern history was rebuilt in 1962 alongside the ruins of the old cathedral.

Beijing’s Old Summer Palace, China

Constructed during the 18th and early 19th Centuries, the residential complex of the Qing Dynasty was destroyed by British and French troops during the Second Opium War in 1860. It was reconstructed by Emperor Guangxu for use by Empress Dowager Cixi, and renamed the Summer Palace. Though damaged again during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, it was restored and has been a public park since 1924.

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Nushu: world’s only secret language curated by women

Originating in China’s Jiangyong province in the 19th Century as a code of defiance against social gender inequality, Nishu (Chinese for women’s writing) is considered to be the world’s only writing system that is created and used exclusively by women.

Once upon a time…

In Ancient and Imperial China a set of moral principles called the Three Obidiences dictated the entirety of a woman’s existence. Schools and education were privileges reserved for men while ignorance was seen as a womanly virtue. These unfair stringent rules and social ideals forced women to come up with a new language to tell their stories, comfort each other, sing out their sorrows and express admiration. This was how Nushu the world’s only writing script curated and used exclusively by women came into being, Passed down through generations from mothers to daughters, Nushu is based on phonograms (where each character represents a sound). Besides communication, women also embroidered this script onto handkerchiefs, belts, shoes and fans hiding their secrets in decorative patterns.

The earliest record of Nushu

The earliest known artefact with the script on it is a bronze coin from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851-1864) unearthed in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province. The characters etched in Nüshu on the coin translate to “all the women in the world are members of the same family”.

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What is harmful algal bloom?

Recently, Lake Merrit in Oakland, California, the U.S… turned reddish brown, causing fear among the residents. They were advised to not use the water and to keep their pets away from the water body. Scientists suspected a possible case of Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB), and the samples have been sent for investigation. This is not the first time that HAB has been experienced in the lakes in the US. In the last few months, there has been a sporadic rise in the detection of algal bloom in the lakes. Lakes such as Hopatcong, Anna, Erie, and so on have been witnessing the highest concentration of HAB, triggering concerns.

Algal bloom is an overgrowth of algae or algae-like bacteria in fresh, salt, or brackish waters. They can occur in a variety of colours, namely red, blue-green, brown, and pink. Depending on the algae, they can lead to the formation of scum, foam, froth, or a slick. Not all algal blooms are toxic. A HAB, though, is, and can endanger humans and many organisms.

What causes HAB?

Most are caused by cyanobacteria. Though they are bacteria, they perform photosynthesis just like algae, and are often called blue-green algae. Some produce dangerous cyanotoxins. The most reported cyanobacteria is microcystis. HAB Occurs naturally as well as due to human activities. In fact, human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, land development, and deforestation have all led to an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide. The cyanobacteria feed on the carbon dioxide, which fuels their growth.

Most harmful algal blooms are caused by cyanobacteria. Though they are bacteria, they perform photosynthesis just like algae, and are often called blue-green algae.

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