The world’s highest altitude ATM is
located at the Khunjerab Pass border between China and Pakistan, in
Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.
At an elevation of 15,396 feet,
Khunjerab Pass is the highest paved border crossing in the world.
Installed by National Bank of Pakistan
(NBP) in 2016, the solar – and wind-powered ATM is used for cash withdrawals,
utility bill payments and interbank fund transfers.
The Sun and the Cave
One
day the sun and a cave struck up a conversation. The sun had trouble
understanding what “Dark” meant and the cave didn’t quite get the hang of
“light and clear” so they decided to change places.
The
cave went up to the sun and said, “Ah, I see, this is beyond wonderful. Now
come down and see where I have been living.”
The
sun went down to the cave and said, “I don’t see any difference.”
When
the sun went down, it took its light along and even the darkest corners were
illuminated. That's why the sun couldn't see any difference.
One of the quotes says "The enlightened ones can never be sent to hell or pushed into darkness. They carry their heaven on their shoulders all the time".
We
are under the impression that heaven is a place where we should go, but it is
our state of mind which imagines heaven or hell.
If you are full of darkness, full of negativity, fear and doubt, you become a cave unknowingly. It's a hell within and no matter how much you accumulate, you still remain hollow.
On
the other hand, if you are illuminated like the sun, then the darkness of the
cave wouldn't matter. You could be in the worst of circumstances, yet you will
still be able to find a blessing somewhere...
Carry your heaven within you!!!
A blessing for visually impaired
Braille is a system with raised dots read with fingers by
people who are blind. It is important to understand that braille is not a
language but a code by which many languages such as English, Arabic, and
Spanish can be written and read. It is used by many people all over the world
and provides a means of literacy for all.
Who are called Visually Impaired?
We see people around us wearing spectacles and prescription glasses. Can we consider such people as visually impaired? The answer is No! Visually impairment is the decrease in the ability of a person’s sight to a large degree such that it cannot be fixed by any conventional means of corrections like glasses and lenses.
The term
blind people or blindness refers to a complete or nearly complete vision loss.
This visual impairment is a major problem that affects a lot of people worldwide
by slowing down the normally active life and daily activities such as walking,
reading, or driving.
Causes of Blindness
The
disturbance in the path of light inside the eye, also known as refractive
error, is the major cause of vision loss around the world. Cataract, the white
milky layer over the eyes which blocks the light from entering your eyes, is a
close second. With the advancement in technology, many such devices like
magnifying glasses, telescopes, etc were made usable for the visually impaired.
In fact, blind people can now read, thanks to a new method of writing called
Braille. We will explore the language in-depth in this article but one
must remember that knowledge is the key to living with low vision or blindness.
People with low vision can enhance their quality of life by learning Braille,
with the help of which they can be just as voracious readers as normally
sighted people. Braille truly is a godsend for the visually impaired.
What is Braille?
It is a system created by Louis Braille who himself suffered from visual impairment to help people like him to cope with the loss of their vision and still be able to read, learn and write like normal people.
It was based on a military technique known as Night Writing which was developed during Napoleon’s reign. Night writing was developed in response to Napoleon’s demands for a means for soldiers to communicate silently at night without a light to avoid detection. Though it proved too difficult for soldiers to recognize by touch, it was perfect for the visually impaired which is where Louis Braille comes into the picture. It is a system of raised dots or dents on the pages that can be read with the fingers by people who are blind or who have low vision. Teachers, parents, and others who are not visually impaired ordinarily read braille with their eyes. Braille is not a language. Rather, it is a code by which many languages—such as English, French, Arabic, Japanese, and many other languages may be written and read. Many Indian languages can also be read using Braille. Braille is unique in the fact that it provides means of education for all irrespective of their impairments and is used by millions of people throughout the globe.
Braille Script A to Z
Braille
symbols are formed within units of space known as braille cells. A full cell
consists of six raised dots arranged in two parallel columns each having three
dots. The dot positions are identified by numbers from one to six. Sixty-four
combinations are possible using one or more of these six dots. A single cell
can be used to represent an alphabet letter, number, punctuation mark, or even
a whole word.
The alphabets of Braille:
As you can see from the chart with the alphabets, that it is meant to be picked up easily. You can see a recurring pattern in the alphabet. The second row is a replication of the first row with an addition of an extra dot in the bottom left corner and the third row is much the same with a dotted bottom row. To remember all the alphabets you just have to remember the first row.
The following images represent the words Cat, Dog, Mouse and Braille:
If you take the dots, two-row at a time you can easily see from the key that it is simply substituting alphabets for dots. Because of this pattern it is very easy to pick up braille and this helps the parents and families of visually impaired people greatly.
Writing in Braille is also just
as simple. A combination of slate and stylus is used. Here the slate has
embossing on it, the notation which is mapped to alphabets and the main
point to notice is that the dots here are replaced with a hole. So if a paper
is placed over the slate, you can make the dents in the pages by poking the
page into the Braille holes in the slate with the help of a stylus.
From children to elders, everyone likes to
eat biscuits.
Tea and Biscuit is a combination that reigns
in the heart of every Indian.
Apart from this, it is such a snack that has
been made according to the needs of everyone.
As per the choice of children, biscuits of
every flavour are available in the market from chocolate to strawberry.
Also you get sugar-free biscuits for diabetic
patients.
But have you noticed something while eating
them?
There are holes on them.
While eating them, you must have felt that these holes are made to give the design. However, apart from this, the holes made on the biscuits have scientific reason.
These holes
are called dockers, the main reason for making them is to prevent the biscuits
from rising too much which increases their size. Manufacturers first spread flour, sugar, and salt on a
sheet-like tray which is then placed under a machine before the baking process.
This machine then makes holes as desired in the dough.
On the other hand, if these holes are not made in the biscuit,
then some air gets filled in them which swells them during heating in
the oven. This makes the size of the biscuit bigger.
Apart from this, a scientific reason for
making holes is also to take out the heat
present in them. That is, if there are no
holes, then the heat of the biscuit will
not be able to come out and they will
start breaking from the middle.
Mawlynnong
Mawlynnong is a small village
situated around 90 km from Shillong in the East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya and is
also known as God's own Garden. It was declared as the cleanest village
in Asia in 2003 by Discovery India which certainly makes it one of the most
popular tourist destinations in the Indian state. Mawlynnong village is a
community-based ecotourism initiative where the entire community made
collective efforts in making and maintaining the cleanliness of the village.
Mawlynnong offers some of the
most picturesque natural beauty with lush green valleys, crystal clear water in
the river, an abundance of flowering orchids hanging from the trees and
extremely clean roads which makes this small village a worth visiting
destination for tourists visiting Meghalaya. Mawlynnong village also offers
pleasant weather throughout the year and especially during monsoon, the village
tends to extend its elegance which makes the visitors feels like heaven on
earth. Apart from its cleanliness, Mawlynnong is also famous for its living
root bridges, tribal locals having a 100% literacy rate with exceptional women
empowerment and offering warm hospitality to the visitors.
Matrilineal society: As per tradition the
females here are quite privileged as the Mawlynnong property and wealth are passed
from the mother to the youngest of her daughters, who also keeps the mother's
surname.
Mawlynnong is known for its cleanliness. The
waste collected in the dustbins made of bamboo is directed to a pit and then
used as manure. The travel magazine Discover India declared the village as the
cleanest in Asia in 2003, and the cleanest in India in the year 2005.
Umngot river/Dawki river: While visiting Mawlynnong village from Shillong, you will
come across the Umngot/Dawki river
which is known as the cleanest river in
India. The water is so clean and clear that the boats seem like floating on the river bed, which is a once in a lifetime experience.
Bophill Falls: While travelling to Mawlynnong from Dawki, you will be delighted to witness an amazing piece of natural beauty in the form of a waterfall known as Bophill falls. The water falls at a very incredible force to form a river in the Sylhet border area of Bangladesh, making the water appears milky white in colour.
is a popular attraction at Mawlynnong
village made up of cane and bamboo which
offers complete view of Indo Bangladesh
border along with the village.
Mawlynnong
Waterfall: There is another mid-size waterfall within
the village itself which is considered as an amazing picnic spot for the
tourists where they can enjoy a peaceful afternoon with the tingling sound of
the waterfall in the background.
Living
root bridge and Riwai Village: After you have visited all the popular places in the Mawlynnong
village, visit Riwai village which is situated just 2 Km away. The village is
well known for its beautiful trekking through the rainforests. However, the
most popular tourist destination in the village is the living root bridge. It
is a small Bridge designed in the form of trees and made up of aerial roots of
rubber fig trees for the purpose of crossing the river.
Mawlynnong offers pleasant weather throughout
the year and this is why tourists can visit the cleanest village in Asia at any
time of the year. However, monsoon is considered the best time to visit the
place as the village turns lavishly green and picturesque which provides an
unearthly feeling. During September-November, a number of festivals are
celebrated around the village.
World Wetlands Day
World Wetlands Day is celebrated each year on 2nd of February to raise awareness and increase people’s understanding about the critical importance of wetlands.
Wetlands support critical ecosystems and biodiversity. 40 percent of all
plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands. Wetland agriculture and
fisheries sustain food and nutrition security for communities around the world.
They act as water sources, purifiers and protect our shores.
However, our activities are causing the loss of wetlands three times
faster than forests. We must reverse the impact of our actions. There is an
urgency to raise global awareness on wetlands to arrest and reverse their rapid
loss and encourage actions to restore and conserve these vital ecosystems.
We can take action in 3 specific ways:
1. Conscious choices to minimize our own impact on wetlands.
2. Raise voice to educate and activate others to get involved in
wetland restoration.
3. Take part in wetland restoration efforts locally.
Millets have been an integral part of our diet for centuries.
In addition to a plethora of health benefits, millets are
also good for the environment with low water & input requirement.
With the aim to create awareness and increase production
& consumption of millets, United Nations, at the behest of the Government
of India, declared 2023 the International Year Millets.
The
Government of India sponsored the proposal for International Year of Millets
(IYM) 2023 which was accepted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The
declaration has been instrumental for the Government of India to be at the
forefront in celebrating the IYM.
PM
Narendra Modi has also shared his vision to make IYM 2023 a ‘People’s Movement’
alongside positioning India as the ‘Global Hub for Millets’
What
are millets:
Millet
is a common term for categorising small-seeded grasses that are often called
Nutri-cereals.
Some
of them are sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi), little
millet (kutki), foxtail millet (kakun), proso millet (cheena), barnyard millet
(sawa), and kodo millet (kodon).
An
essential staple cereal crop for millions of smallholder dryland farmers across
Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, millets offer nutrition, resilience, income and
livelihood for farmers, and have multiple uses such as food, feed, fodder,
biofuels and brewing.
Significance
and benefits of millets:
Millets
are nutritionally superior to wheat and rice owing to their higher protein
levels and a more balanced amino acid profile. Millets also contain various
phytochemicals which exert therapeutic properties owing to their
anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. Further, besides being climate
resilient, millet grains are rich sources of nutrients like carbohydrates,
protein, dietary fibre, and good-quality fat; minerals like calcium, potassium,
magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc and B complex vitamins.
Most
importantly, millet production is not dependent on the use of chemical
fertilizers.
Millet
Producing States:
India
produces all the nine commonly known millets and is the largest producer and
fifth-largest exporter of millets in the world. Most of the states in India
grow one or more millet crop species. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana,
Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and
Telangana are the major millets producing states.
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