Times of India
Articles published in the Times of India.
International Day of Peace
Every year the International Day of Peace is celebrated globally on September 21. The United Nations Organisation invites all the people across the world to hear and respond to the call to create a peaceful world. On this occasion TP talks to some of the residents about significance of Peace for them.
Peace is essential for progress. Without it a nation cannot develop as desired. If there is no peace, the whole human race will be at the verge of destruction. One can recall the horror of past war affairs and consequences of Second World War when the Japan had to suffer a lot with its city of Hirosima and Negasaki . This opened the eyes of the humanity. The wise men counted that the human civilization would be ruined to the bit, if peace is not attained. Since the war was over, the cold war waged which underlined with restlessness and race of armaments among the divided nations between two opposite camps. Thus the cold war ended with disintegration of USSR.
Recognising that peace is not only the absence of conflict, but it requires a positive and dynamic process where dialogue must be encouraged and conflicts are to be resolved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation. The UNO declares the theme of this year’s commemoration as “Partnerships for Peace- Dignity for all.” It aims to focus on all the segments of society to work together to strive for peace in all visible ways. We can start practicing civil discourse in homes, schools, communities in favour of peace for all human beings, regardless of age, color, creed and breed. The world of peace is characterized with freedom, equality, brotherhood as well as happiness. This can be achieved by eliminating of the obsessed factors that divide people, and make them different from each other such as religion, casteism , communalism, regionalism etc as in the case of our country; This task would not be possible without the initial partnerships among people, between governments, various faith based groups and other organizations .
Educators have an important part to play in working for peace. Arjun Anand, an exporter says, “It is not enough to educate our children to read, write and converse in schools. We should prefer to teach them how to respect for themselves, for others and for the world in which they are to live. They should learn the ways to be respectful to each other wherever they are. They should make posters and share with their experience. Each has something to offer to make peace a reality in our time and place. They can gather in small groups and choose some ways they can be involved.”
In a society, Peace is not the absence of violence but rather the presence of social justice. When different desires are in one agreement. Veena Arora, a home maker says “According to me, Peace is the feeling that all is right with the world. It is the time when everyone in my family and my neighbourhood is happy who is eager to love, accept mutually and relate the relations. Then I feel at peace.” Though the harmonious integrity in our society combats various challenges such as terrorism, regional imbalance, economic disparity and social inequality. It is only principles of social justice if practiced that end suffering and oppression.
To some people peace means a cup of tea and five minutes of quiet. To others, it is a sense of inner calm and tranquillity which can be achieved through meditation. Some say it is inner contentment or it is the description of a society without unrest. Aanchal Shama, student of B.Tech says, “As for me, it is coexistence with calm and serenity, as if all is well in this world. Everyone feels peace in their own way. Though World peace can be achieved not with the love for power, but with the power of love. It is a blessing for those who appreciate it. It is inner contentment. A surrounding with love and loved ones in my belief is peace. One cannot keep peace by force but one can embrace it with fulfilment of thoughts.”
Bhanu Pratap Mittal , a sport teacher says, “ I think that sport can be at the long term service of peace. It has unique and irreplaceable capacity to unite people from different walks of society , going far beyond ethnic, religious or social differences. It builds a sense of shared distinctiveness and communion among groups with otherwise , would treat each other with mistrust, hostility and violence. When properly maintained at international level, sport programmes can contribute in this process by creating more prospects for social exchange. ”
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Swarn Lata Sharma
INNOVATIVE GIFTING ON DIWALI
Celebration of the festival of Diwali is never completed without the ritual of offering Gifts. This Diwali gift limitless happiness to all your near and dear ones including friends, relatives, neighbours, colleagues and business associates with exotic Diwali hampers. While the concepts of gifting sweets for the festival season has been a tradition for decades. The innovative gifts are now becoming more popular.
“The basic idea behind the tradition of exchanging Diwali gifts is to accelerate the feeling of love, bonding, affection and appreciation. People convey their respect, hearty good wishes, blessings, love and appreciation for their ones through gifts,” Says a house wife Vandana Verma.
“Exchanging Diwali gifts is not a recent trend as from ancient times this has been followed. During earlier times, when Indian households solely depended on farming and cattle raring for their livelihood, even then people used to give their farm produce on this day,” Says Prof. Mona Yadav . Sweets and decoratives were also produced at home and gifted. These gifts that time were not expensive but were considered a token of love and good wishes. The tradition of exchanging gifts and shopping is very popular during Diwali. People go out of their way to splurge themselves and their loved ones as it is associated with prosperity.
Today the exchanging of gifts is not so simple. The Diwali gifts exchanging tradition has grown to new heights in present times. It is considered socially mandatory to exchange Diwali gifts with all near and dear ones. Great importance is given on the product in this materialistic age unlike ancient times when feelings behind gifts were far more important. “One has various options to choose from Lakshmi’s and Ganesha’s statues to candle holders and pooja thali’s ; from sari’s to books and low calorie sweets etc,” says the manager at the Mall .He further adds, “Gifting a statue of Lakshmi during Diwali is considered auspicious as Hindus worship Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, prosperity and beauty. Various Lakshmi statues and figurines sculpted in brass and other materials, which cannot only be a great addition to a pooja/prayer room but can also beautifully adorn any drawing room.”
The festivities also include giving gifts to friends, family, kids and elders. Today on Diwali chocolate Gift Hamper, Dry Fruit Hampers, Handicrafts and Home Decor gifts are common.
“Over the years, we see that budgets are getting bigger and bigger for gifting as it is becoming a craze and is one of the major segments of purchase. The penetration of internet and popularity of online shopping has made gifting easier” says Ved Prakash,an exporter.It has become easy for him to procure gifts online for all his employees on this biggest festival.He further opines,” Companies offer great discounts for bulk orders, and value added services like gift wrapping, is added incentive.” In addition to ordinary premium gifts like Belgium chocolates, watches or marzipan specially made by boutique shops, people are spending on customised and personalised gift wrapping and ribbons.
Some of the suggestive innovative gift items could be Gourmet food hampers, Spa and beauty hampers, decor hamper, key to health hamper, gift vouchers, etc. One may make a customized hamper by choosing the products in the hamper. It can include assorted gifts like dates, dark chocolates, mustard mayo sauce, milk candies, coffee, cookies, a bottle of wine etc. These things are used on regular basis and will be liked by all. The hamper can be beautifully packed with these items to form Gourmet food hampers. Spa and beauty hampers can include moisturisers, shampoos, conditioners, hair serums, make up accessories etc. These products need to be from reputed brands so that your subordinates are rest assured about the quality. The decor hamper can include perfumed candles, t- light holders, diva’s table runners and other decorative pieces. The items will have great utility value. It can be used even beyond the festival season “since Diwali is a time when people tend to decorate their homes gifting a hamper of decorative items for one’s home, will be most welcomed by all your subordinates, says Promod Kumar a shopkeeper. Key to health hamper may include sweets of low calories and snacks instead of Ghee laddoos, green tea, multigrain muesli, honey wheat flakes, etc.
Not only commodities one can also gift vouchers related to travel, beauty spa or restaurants which also makes for interesting gift options for Diwali. People also exchange electronic gadgets Artifacts, jewellery, wrist watches, etc on this festival. Most manufacturers and suppliers launch their products or announce attractive schemes to attract the people and on the other end the people are willing to spend at the time of Diwali. Thus there is a complete shopping and gifting spree at this time of the festival.So make this Diwali festival more memorable by gifting innovative items which have great utility value in our daily lives.Times Plus wishes “Happy Diwali “to one and all.
SWARN LATA SHARMA
MADE FOR EACH OTHER/
MOST AWAITED VALENTINE WEEK
As the whole world is gearing up to celebrate Valentine’s week from Feb. 7 to Feb. 14, can Moradabad/ Meerut be left behind?
Its truely said that, the best things in life can never be kept; a smile, a kiss & love. Moreover, love has its own time; its own season & its own reason for coming & going. With the onset of February, it seems the season of love has come & it can be felt in the atmosphere all around the gift shops & markets are loaded with beautiful gifts, cupid arrows chocolates love birds & red coloured heart shaped hangings.
The Valentine week commences with a Rose Day on 7th Feb. On this day, the lovers greet each other with beautiful, crimson red roses. Roses appear more beautiful & seem to have more fragrance wen they are offered with great emotions & feelings to each other. Amit says, “ I have been taking my beloved life partner Priya for romantic dinners on this day since my wedding day coincides with this day”. Lovers are also found sending Greeting cards, sms, images, videos to their secret love through Facebook, What’s App, etc.
On 8th Feb. i.e. the propose day one can propose to the girl/boy that one have a crush on this is a popular day to announce love, propose marriage to your partner & give gifts like cards or flowers. If you are waiting for the ages to express your love towards that pretty girl in your college a girl next door or even a glamorous lady in your office on whom you have crush for quite a long time & never had the courage to say, this is the right day to express your feelings.
Feb. 9 is dedicated to the chocolates. Offer your girlfriend or wife/ partner with the swiss chocolate & a beautiful card. Prince from Gandhi nagar says, “a warm chocolate dessert is a n innovative way to please your woman & it also can increase her love for you. Its sweetness will surely enhance the charm in your relation one can choose any of the following flavours like Galaxy, Mars, Snikkers, Dairy Milk silk, Alpino,etc.
Its time for you to offer teddy that “bears” your love to your wife/partner, friends & loved ones “ Women like teddy bears very much & they always keep them in their bedroom as good memories so don’t forget to tickle your partner with a soft toy on 10th Feb. As its teddy day” says Monica Kapoor from Civil Lines at Moradabad.
On 11th Feb. Falls the promise day as love doesn’t make the world go round love is what makes the ride worthwhile & it comes with a lot of responsibilities, commitments & promises. Make some new promises & try to fulfil the old ones to strengthen your relationship. “Promise little & do much”. “ don’t look for love let love look for you says Shrikant Arora from Ram Swaroop Colony. He & his better half Indu Arora recollect their olden days they spend at U.S soon after marriage. Both of them are quite happy as they could keep up their promises for each other.
Feb. 12 reminds us of the hug Day. As Hugs are an important expression of affection hug your partner or friend tightly says Pankaj. It shows your partner that you love,care & support alot.
Kiss is the 6th day of Valentine week. Kiss your girlfriend or someone passionately to express your on this auspicious day.
Atlast, comes the special Day i.e. Valentine Day show your love to your partner spend time with them. Eat, drink, do whatever you want to do to make them happy so make this special day a memorable moment of your life. “one can express his/her love by presenting flowers, offering lots of chocolates & by sending greeting cards to his valentine by wishing “ Happy Valentine’s Day””.
SWARN LATA SHARMA
NOTA- ALL ABOUT NEGATIVE VOTE
For the first time,
The court said right to reject candidates in elections is part of
Contrary to this, under the existing section 49
According to an NGO, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, PUCL, Section 49
Bringing in NOTA will force the political parties to choose
Simply put, NATO option means that if the voter thinks he does not find anyone fit enough(suitable) to be voted & wants to record the fact so that his vote is not misused by bogus voters.
“Democracy is all about choices & voters should be empowered by the right of negative voting. Negative voting will send a clear signal to the political parties & candidate as to what the voters think about them”.
But there were some oppositions for NOTA option saying that it contented that an election is meant to elect & not to reject. Some argued that including a rejection button will confuse voters & will not serve any purpose.
Anyway there are few activists who have proposed that if more than 50% of those who vote reject all candidates, there should be a re-election in that constituency.
SWARN LATA SHARMA
What is Good Oral Hygiene?
What is Good Oral Hygiene?
Good oral hygiene results in a mouth that looks and smells healthy. This means:
· Your teeth are clean and free of debris
· Gums are pink and do not hurt or bleed when you brush or floss
· Bad breath is not a constant problem
If your gums do hurt or bleed while brushing or flossing, or you are experiencing persistent bad breath, see your dentist. Any of these conditions may indicate a problem.
Your dentist or hygienist can help you learn good oral hygiene techniques and can help point out areas of your mouth that may require extra attention during brushing and flossing.
How is Good Oral Hygiene Practiced?
Maintaining good oral hygiene is one of the most important things you can do for your teeth and gums. Healthy teeth not only enable you to look and feel good, they make it possible to eat and speak properly. Good oral health is important to your overall well-being.
Daily preventive care, including proper brushing and flossing, will help stop problems before they develop and is much less painful, expensive, and worrisome than treating conditions that have been allowed to progress.
In between regular visits to the dentist, there are simple steps that each of us can take to greatly decrease the risk of developing tooth decay, gum disease and other dental problems. These include:
· Brushing thoroughly twice a day and flossing daily
· Eating a balanced diet and limiting snacks between meals
· Using dental products that contain fluoride, including toothpaste
· Rinsing with a fluoride mouthrinse if your dentist tells you to
· Making sure that your children under 12 drink fluoridated water or take a fluoride supplement if they live in a non-fluoridated area.
However, just because we learned these habits as children doesn't mean we remember them today, and proper technique can make all the difference in the world. In this article, we'll elaborate on that elusive virtue called oral hygiene -- specifically, brushing your teeth, flossing, whitening teeth, eating an anticavity diet, and visiting the dentist. Here's a preview:
· How to Brush Your TeethBrushing your teeth is important to remove stray food particles, massage the gums, eliminate plaque, and freshen breath. It also helps to defend against cavities and periodontal disease. Proper brushing technique is just as important as vigilance -- be sure you bone up on the proper way to wield that toothbrush.
· How to Floss Your TeethRegular flossing is your best defense against gum disease, and it also fights cavities and decay. Good flossing technique will help you remove debris between the teeth, preventing gingivitis and periodontitis. Using the right floss and dental-cleaning equipment will aid in this process.
· How to Whiten Your TeethSome stains can be cleaned by regular visits to the dentist, while others require more aggressive measures. Brushing and flossing regularly is the best way to prevent stains. Professional bleaching can be effective in returning your teeth to a glimmering state.
· An Anticavity DietTo promote strong, heathy teeth, eat a diet rich in calcium, vitamin D, vitamin C, and fluoride. Simple sugars and starchy foods are a banquet feast for oral bacteria. A diet that is full of sugars and overprocessed foods (or one devoid of vitamins, minerals, and crunchy fruits and vegetables) can eventually lead to decay, even in the mouths of the most avid brushers and flossers.
· Visiting the DentistDon't let anxiety keep you away from the dentist's office -- the dentist is an important partner in maintaining your oral health. During a professional cleaning, the dentist or hygienist removes tartar and polishes the surface of your teeth, making it harder for plaque and tartar to adhere to them. The dentist then thoroughly examines your teeth and gums to search for any problem areas.
THE CLOCK OF LIFE
The clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power,
To tell just when the hands will stop,
At late or early hour.
Now is the only Time you own------
Live, love, Work with a will,
Place no faith in tomorrow for
The clock may then be still.
SWARN LATA SHARMA
HEALTH PROBLEMS IN TEENAGERS
Teenagers today are suffering from a variety of health issues; both mental and physical. Some of these problems are depression, anxiety, anger issues, overweighing, less power of eyes resulting in the use of spectacles at a very young age etc.
Some of these problems can definitely be cured medically/ clinically, but some problems like depression which can result in a mental trauma or even suicide in some cases, needs serious counselling.
I think the root cause of all these problems is the overuse of certain gadgets which we make use of every day
The academic pressure is also very much. Parents start sending their children to tuitions from a young age. The mentality of Indian parents is very competititive. If some Gupta Ji’s daughter is going for two tuition classes, Sharma Ji will start sending her son to three!
They don’t realise that along with the mental health, development of physical health is also very important and should be focused on more.
The solution to the increasing health problems in teenagers is to encourage children to play more outdoor sports, which according to me is the parents’ job. Teenagers should be made aware of all the disadvantages of overusing the computer or the phone or other techies.
Also sometimes when teachers give any kind of homework to the students, they advice them to gather the required information from the internet, which I think is wrong.
As it is ,nowadays first hand information is gathered from the internet , children should be encouraged to collect the information from various magazines or books, booklets etc.
I think even the government should not take this matter lightly and open different counselling centres for children suffering from depression, anxiety and loads of other mental disorders. One such initiative is the Uday Foundation which helps students like these. Sometimes even parents don’t take depression- like mental problem seriously and even if they do, they are not willing to go for counselling ,thinking what people of the society will think.
Help should be provided to such children, because after all teenagers of today are the citizens of tomorrow and it is every body’s duty to make sure that the citizens of tomorrow are healthy enough to carry out responsibilities in the future!
SWARN LATA SHARMA
YOGA HELPS IN MAINTAINING HEALTH
Perhaps yoga has never been so popular as it has become today. Thanks to the contribution of Yoga gurus, particularly of Swami Ram Dev of Patanjali Yoga Peeth, that it has become a part of life of millions in India.
Yoga is more a myth. It is highly rational and scientific. The yoga science is based on mainly the ‘pranayam’ and yogic exercises. The art of deep breathing can be mastered after a long practice. The ‘pranayam’ or the art of breathing is the art of inhaling the oxygen in the lungs and exhaling CO2 out of the body. Thousands of men and women can be found performing ‘Kapalbhati’ or ‘Lom-Anulam’ in public parks in the morning. Regular practices of yoga can do wonders. It refreshes and rejuvenates the respiratory and digestive systems. Yoga and yogic exercises can help in curing high blood pressure, hypertension, indigestion and diabetes.
Let us adopt yoga in our lives. Let’s make it a part of our living. They say “prevention is better than cure”. Nothing is more useful in preventing diseases and strengthening our immune system than the regular practice of yoga.
WORLD BOOK DAY CELEBRATED
As books are our best companions, most accessible, excellent
World Book Day & Copy right Day was the biggest annual celebration of books & reading. It is indeed remarkable to note as to why this date was chosen to be celebrated in such, a manner. It is the death anniversary of Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare, Inca Gascilaso de la Vega. These three great men of literature died in the same year-1616. Another important fact is that it is also the death or birth anniversary of other literary giants like Maurice Druon, Haldor K. Laxness, Joseph Pla, Vladimir Nabokov & Manuel Mejia Vallejo.
It was celebrated for the first time on 23
Surinder Singh, Principal of an educational institution at Moradabad said, “ The main aim of celebrating World Book Day in our school was to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books & reading by providing them with the opportunity to have book of their own”. We organised many competitions like presentation of Book Reviews, Quiz on books & story telling etc.
Hemant Sahai, Principal from an academy said that this year they had organised Book fair for the students & their parents in the school for different age-groups. “I am of the view that parents & other family members need to be involved in children’s reading throughout their school years” opines Hemant Sahai. He further added that schools should recognize the importance of parent involvement in the student’s progress & must constantly encourage the parents to play a more active & model role(vibrant).
Dilpreet Kaur, a school teacher expressed her feelings by saying that “ Parents can help in creating a reading Environment at homes by maintaining small library”. As much as they may deny it, most children want to be like their parents. Their lifelong habits start to form at the earliest ages, during childhood. If children see their parents visiting libraries, giving & receiving books to friends, they will realise that their parents place a high value on reading, & may turn out to be avid readers.
“ Reading to children, even for a few minutes each day in the class prepares them to read & encourage a positive attitude towards reading” opines Neha Sharma, a teacher at Moradabad. We can also notice that the children who are read to at home learn to read more easily, possess a higher vocabulary & are more likely to develop a love for reading than those who are not read to on a regular basis. We must encourage children to set aside their favourite books & have their exclusive collection & thus develop respect for books.
For generations, education experts & academics have been sounding the alarm about the harmful effects of too much television. The rise in popularity of the interest & computer & video games only adds to the din of distractions pulling children away from more literary pursuits.
While excellent educational programs & software exist, consumption of electronic media must be kept in check by parents. “ We must limit children’s television & computer use to make time for other fruitful activities, such as reading” opines Preeti Khanna.
“We know that literacy development is a continuous process that begins in infancy when babies are first exposed to language, books, & stories” says a Lovely Arora a caring mother. Its roots are in the home, with branches extending to other environments.
“Parents & Teachers can talk about what children read & encourage them to think”.
Set aside plenty of time for reading by balancing time denoted to sports, t.v., facebook & other activities”.
By adopting various strategies we can tell children that book reading is an important Lifelong activity that is extremely useful.
WORLD BOOK DAY
World Book Day or World Book and Copyright Day is a yearly event on 23
The main aim is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books & reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own. The main Idea to celebrate World Book Day was to pay a World-wide tribute to books & authors on this date, encouraging everyone in particular young people to discover the pleasures of reading & gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those, who have furthered the social & cultural progress of humanity.
Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova says “Our goal is clear- to encourage authors & artists & to ensure that men & women benefit from literacy & accessible formats, because books are our most powerful forces of poverty eradication & peace building”. 23
I remember during my childhood days my teachers & parents used to give alot of stress on reading habits which are missing in the present generation kids says, Dilpreet Kaur, a school teacher of a renowned institution at Moradabad. “ Reading & Communication skills are destroyed by t.v & internet to great extent we can find students wasting alot of time on facebook chatting with either strangers or known people unnecessarily. They also prefer playing games on facebook & finds pleasure in doing video chat continuously for long hours. Though technology has brought an out a revolutionary progress on one hand but on the other hand we can see that it is fully responsible for hampering the communication & reading skills of the present generation. The reading habits have gone down & effected the knowledge level among students.
In schools to appreciate & develop the reading skills some of the interesting competitions like book reviews, quiz on various books, creative writing, book fairs can be conducted which will involve students in reading books & developing their vocabulary at the same time.
The family members can also think of gifting their wards & relatives with interesting books & novels on birthdays, Anniversaries & other occasions.
In school,Special prizes can be enmarked for the students class wise those who read maximum number of books apart from the textbooks prescribed for the syllabus ,a list of good books can be displayed monthly on the library display board so that the students are motivated to pick up the same & read to derive pleasure by reading the same. In subjects like English & hindi some interesting activities can be included in the formative assessment which may be in the form of worksheets involving objective questions from the books suggested to the children for reading term-wise. The competition like illustration of stories by picture composition can also be conducted.