SUNDAY FOCUS

New Delhi: The final round of smart cities was finally announced and nine cities made the cut. The government on Friday announced the names of the cities that will receive the Centre’s funds under the Smart Cities Mission. 

Although, the Centre was to announce the names of the final ten cities on Friday but one of them, Shillong, could not submit its proposal.

In this Round of the national smart cities challenge, Silvassa from Dadar and Nagar Haveli topped the list, followed by Erode in Tamil Nadu; Diu in Daman and Diu and Bihar Sharif in Bihar.

Other cities who made the cut include three from Uttar Pradesh –Bareilly, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh, and Kavaratti in Lakshwadeep.

New Delhi: You thought your winters were bad? No! You might literally freeze if you’re out walking in Russia right now.

In the village of Oymyakon, state-owned Russian television showed the mercury falling to the bottom of a thermometer that was only set up to measure down to minus 50 degrees. Even thermometers can’t keep up with the plunging temperatures in Russia’s remote Yakutia region, which hit minus 67 degrees Celsius in this week.

It seems like Colder climates favour Russia more than any other country, the extreme cold temperature in the remote village of Siberia; is cold enough to give you frostbite in minutes — and to freeze your eyelashes.

New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will conduct its Class X and Class XII annual board examination from 5 March. The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) will hold Class XII (ISC) and Class X (ICSE) board exams from 7 February and 26 February respectively. With the release of datesheet, students all over the country are leaving no stones unturned to make sure their final revision is on point.

With just a little over a month left for the exam, here are some tips and suggestions that might help you get better prepared for the challenge that awaits you.

1. Plan smartly

Ensure you give the required amount of time to each subject based on your proficiency and the vastness of the syllabus.

While planning, ensure you account for each chapter and each topic in that chapter.

One way to plan your study could be to start preparing for exams in the reverse order, that is, prepare first for the last exam such that you start preparing for the first exam about 2 weeks before the date.

2. Study textbooks thoroughly

There is very little chance of a question beyond your prescribed textbooks.

Ensure you are well versed with each concept and topic in your textbook.

Do not ignore diagrams, tables or graphs in your textbooks as questions can be asked on any chapter from the textbook.

3. Solve past year's question papers

Try to solve at least 10 past year's question papers to get an idea of the exam pattern and popular questions.

Having studied well and being exam-ready are two different things.

Solving past year's papers will help you to get exam-ready. You will find a majority of questions being repeated over the years.

4. Stress on important points/formulae

Memorising certain formulae, notes and dates are essential for almost all subjects.

Make sure you learn them by-heart well in time before the exam.

Write down these points (formulae, theorem, definitions)on flash cards that you can carry along with you in your pocket or wallet. You can read them every time you have a moment to spare -- especially while you are travelling.

You can write down these notes in bright colours on chart papers and stick them around your study place or pin them on to a board in your room. Every time you pass by, you will take a look at the notes which will also help you in memorising them.

5. Time your efforts

Get an idea as to how much time you need to answer a particular question.

This will help you know if you need to concentrate on speed or accuracy.

Finding out how much time you spend on a particular question will also help you know your strengths and weaknesses.

Once you find that out, stress more on your weak areas.

6. Study in a group, once in a while

It is always good to study in a group, say once a week.

It will help you get your doubts cleared by your friends who might know how to solve a particular question you find it hard to solve.

Studying in a group also helps you validate your exam preparation and efforts.

Say, you have left out some portion of the syllabus purposefully; your study group can tell you if it's a good idea to do so. Spending time with your friends will also help you feel refreshed.

7. Study early mornings

‘Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise’.

The idea is to sleep early and wake up early to stay fit and fresh.

Studying in the early mornings is the best time as there is minimal distraction outside which helps you concentrate better.

Having rested well, your mind is also in a better state to grasp what you are reading.

8. Stress on your weaknesses

It is not a good idea to ignore your weak subjects.

The board exam result is an aggregate percentage of all your subjects.

Give equal importance to each subject.

In case you find a particular subject difficult, direct more efforts towards it -- practice more and more so that by the end of preparations you are comfortable with all the subjects.

Ignoring even one subject can lead to a dramatic fall in the aggregate percentage.

9. Don't lose your peace

Comparing your pre-boards marks with your friends who have scored more or worrying about lacking behind in preparation is only going to make matters worse.

Learn to concentrate on your efforts rather than others. Just Relax!

Don't give up on recreation and hobbies. About 8 hours of dedicated study is enough to get you good marks.

Other than this with the pressure mounting each day, the biggest blunder you might be committing is neglecting food.

In these final crucial hours, students often forget to tend to their health, which is the worst possible thing that you can to yourself at this point. 

Regular intake of food is not only essential for healthy mind and body balance, but a good diet can also help you strengthen your concentration power.

Here are some easy tips and tricks that you can follow to beat stress and follow a healthy diet in these last crucial hours

1. Avoid junk food, it tends to slow you down, apart from inducing several other health consequences.

2. Eat plenty of green vegetables and dry fruits. Fish, sprouted grains, fresh fruits also help in releasing tension and focus better.

3. Avoid heavy dinner. You can have a heavy lunch, but a heavy dinner can be a little too much for the child's digestive system. Keep eating in short intervals, this would ensure child has enough fuel for the entire day as he/she does her revision.

4. Load up on nuts like almonds and walnuts.  Omega 3 fatty acids - found in most nuts and seeds - are also very good for the brain, and a handful of it should be consumed on a daily basis.

5. Keeping yourself hydrated is most essential in these times of stress to ensure your energy rates from dipping. Keep drinking water throughout your revision. Avoid coffee, excess coffee can leave you dehydrated . You can opt for tea or green tea for better alternative. Fluids aid mental alertness, concentration and preventing headaches, so make sure your diet is full of food that is high on water content . Coconut water, lassi, buttermilk, chaas, juices and soups are other fluids you can incorporate in your diet.

In addition to these diet tips, one can also engage in calming activities like meditation, and yoga. Make sure you also take breaks in between your revision. Your brain anyway is going to reach a saturation point in about two to three hours of constant study. To ensure your brain is able to absorb and process new information, you need to give yourself breaks regularly. 

References:

https://www.ndtv.com

http://www.rediff.com

https://www.urbanpro.com

http://indianexpress.com

New Delhi: Despite the University Grants Commission’s directions to all institutions to put anti-ragging measures in place, Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 138 cases followed by Madhya Pradesh with 100.

Cases of ragging on university and college campuses registered an all-time high across the country in 2017 with institutions reporting 889 cases till December 19; even though UGC and educational institutes are taking extreme measures to curb the ragging menace.

There prevalence has increased by over 70%, from 515 cases in 2016 to 889 cases in 2017, according to government data.

The data also revealed that, Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 138 cases, an increase from 93 cases last to last year, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 100 cases, an increase from 55 cases.

These details were provided by the government in reply to a question in the Parliament few weeks back.

According to the University Grants Commission (UGC), 3,299 cases of student ragging in universities and colleges were registered across India between April 18, 2012 and December 12, 2017.

However, only 957 students were punished in all these cases, as reported by a publication.

The Government Polytechnic, Kanpur, with 17 cases, topped the list of individual institutions which recorded such cases.

On the other hand, in terms of the number of cases reported from individual institutions since 2012, Banaras Hindu University topped the list with 36 cases, followed by MP’s Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology that registered 31 cases. West Bengal also registered an increase from 50 to 92.

Such is the situation that the numbers have spiked despite the University Grants Commission's (UGC) directions to all institutions to put anti-ragging measures in place. Ragging does not break the ice, it breaks lives & careers.

Following are the Anti-Ragging Measures which UGC asks Universities with an objective to curtail the menace of Ragging:

In an attempt to prevent ragging, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked all the universities to install alarm bells in their hostels. These alarm bells will enable the universities to identify the troublemakers and stop ragging practices.

The suggestion is part of the anti-ragging measures that have been taken by the UGC. A circular was also issued by the UGC asking the universities and colleges to prevent ragging. The circular also added that action will be taken against the educational institutions failing to do so.

The circular stated that violations of the anti-ragging regulations will be reviewed seriously by the UGC. The circular was issued by the Secretary of UGC, Jaspal S Sandhu who added that perpetrators must be punished accordingly and institutes failing to take action will face the wrath of UGC.

The presence of anti-ragging squad, the formation of an anti-ragging cell and monitoring the campus by installing CCTVs has also been suggested by the UGC to the universities.

On this Dr. Savita Mehta, Vice President, Communications, of Amity Group, Amity University, Noida says,“Keeping in view the safety and security of all the students, various stringent measures have been adopted to make it a ragging free campus including round the clock Camera surveillance, as per the directives of Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. Ragging is a serious punishable offence and Amity University seriously condemns it in letter and spirit.”

Even, “The University strictly adheres to Supreme Court Guidelines, The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Ragging in Educational Institutions Act, 2010, UGC Regulations, 2009 and AUUP Regulations on Ragging,” she added.

Institutes have also been asked to conduct surprise invigilation drives to ensure that fresher’s are being appropriately treated throughout the campus.

Students in trouble or in distress due to ragging can call the national anti-ragging helpline 1800-180-5522 round-the-clock. UGC has also made a documentary and four short films to counsel students on the hazardous effects of ragging.

“Anti-ragging posters are displayed all over the Campus, with addresses and mobile numbers of the Proctorial Board, selected persons from General Administration, Anti- Ragging Committees / Anti-Ragging Squads and the Anti Ragging Control Room including 24 hours helpline numbers,” she further reveals.

In 2017, the anti-ragging call centre has received the highest number of ragging-related complaints from students of different institutes. In 2016, the number was 515, whereas, in 2015 the number of complaints was relatively less i.e. 423.

According to Dr. Mehta, “To cater ragging, Special Advisoryshould definitely be issued to Fresher’s during the Orientation that they should not hesitate or feel shy of reporting any incident of ragging either as a victim or as a witness. Also, their senior’s should be advised to act as friends, philosophers and guides to their juniors.”

An official associated with UGC also pointed that parents and students are more confident and report instances of ragging in educational institutes. This is the reason for the increase of ragging cases in 2017. Earlier, they were reluctant, and the number of cases that came into the limelight was less. Now, students and parents feel confident that the people who involved in ragging will be punished with an immediate effect, he added.

References:

https://www.inshorts.com

http://indiaprix.com

http://buzzcrowd.org

https://www.newsbytesapp.com

New Delhi: Imagine walking through a far-flung island of forest and stumbling across a bright, pink lake. Or quietly rowing your boat through a sea of floating lotus flowers that expand as far as the eye can see. 

It is possible if you consider a visit to any of the world's strangest lakes because lakes are mostly contained ecosystems, they have the uncanny ability to evolve in ways you might expect to come from the imagination.  

There are more than 3 million or so lakes worldwide, so it takes quite an astounding trick to stand out. From those, the one that caught the attention recently, is ‘Lake NongHarn’, of Thailand.