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Not long before, when I asked my cousin elder brother, who is an established professional and an avid reader and had roamed almost the entire country – “What place must be the best to live in India if I get to choose ?“, he didn’t hesitate to answer immediately -“That would be Kerala.” I wondered why would he say a place too far south and too unknown in language and culture to people above Tropic of Cancer. The curious mind never stops analyzing and so did I. I began to search on various aspects that would help me justify his opinion.

High Human Development Index (HDI) – 0.790 ; Highest Literacy Rate – 93.9 % ; Highest Life Expectancy – 77 years ; Highest Sex Ratio – 1.084 ; Least Corrupt State of India ; Highest Media Exposure in India ; Lowest Positive Population Growth Rate – 3.44 % ; Lowest Murder Rate ; Highest % of Households with Toilets – 90% ; Highest Biodiversity in India ; among Highest Air Quality and Pollution ; Highest Initiative to Mitigate Environmental Conditions 

I compare it with Indian states that are collectively called BiMaROU (Bihar (& Jharkhand), Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh). I didn’t have to make much effort, as in every list this group was found collectively among lower rankings (in positive parameters) and higher rankings (in negative parameters).

= : Value , # : Rank

HDI : Human Development Index

ESI : Environmental Sustainability Index

This is a clear contrast between the two extremes, on one side, the weak part of Indian economy, that needs most attention and on the other side, an ideal state which has already established the developmental goals for the nation, by portraying itself as an ideal state.

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Ideal Public Space.

A city may be dazzling with a lot of activity or it may be diminishing in its glory with time. As a community of civilized and social beings, we are both responsible towards and a responsibility for the urban dwelling we call the city. As such, urban planning becomes a significant factor in re-defining our livelihoods. We may be growing economically, but it is of lesser use if we do not display the transformation socio-culturally.

Every big urban region requires ideal public spaces, where people from different communities may blend in to show the rest of the world, that the city is scintillating with enjoyment and happiness of community living. The public place is just the skeleton, which holds the human body and gives it its structural integrity. But, to make the body alive, certain socio-cultural aspects need to act as the arteries that bring life to it.

The city is responsible for providing the basic amenities to the public space, like flawless connectivity to the city centre, bus and railway stations , and public markets. The better the connectivity, the freer the people will feel to go to the place. Another responsibility is involvement of the government in maintaining the public space. Be it a square, a boulevard, an open park or a zoo, the government must show its eagerness to provide every essential bit required to sustain it. Any object, be it a water fountain or a marble statue, requires care and consideration and must be considered a part-and-parcel of the public space. The government is also responsible to curb any pollution-related activity near the public space and strive for making it pollution-free and eco-friendly as far as possible. Another factor which is usually ignored is the public convenience. An open area like a park with a few trees must be accompanied by shelters, water sources to rejuvenate the environment or at least a place to sit.

When we talk about the responsibility of the citizens, the focus lies on how involved the community is. A place can touch fame if one creates sources for it to become famous. Say, a Maggie Point in a college campus. It is undoubtedly a place of convenience for hard-working students to have food after they complete one of their lectures and also a great spot for socializing and communicating. The idea comes from a citizen and is useful for a lot many. Similarly, a place full of outdoor activities that encourages social interaction along with physical fitness is sought after. A place where a busy professional can hang out, play his favourite games or have a relieving massage is no less than heaven on earth. Not to mention, a bustling square is also a hub of economic activity providing earning for many.

The crux of this article is a simple shift from the paradigm of brilliant designing to brilliant community convenience. A full-of-activity mediocre place is much better than an isolated architectural marvel.

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Make your Circadian Time Table.

We all wish that we spend our daily routine as productively as possible. We tend to follow certain time-bound activities and may even sit down to make tomorrow’s schedule or a time table. Biology can help us plan our time-table.

How ? By refurbishing our routine based on Circadian Rythm. A few experts already know how our body’s physiological clock works and how must we utilize our time and energy to its full potential. So, this article is just a tip of the iceberg. If one is really interested to move along entire iceberg, consult a fitness expert.

Circadian rythms are in-built musings that are naturally triggered by certain neurons, neurological centres and hormones. What is to be done at what time of the day is predefined. This is for our advantage, since we can do appropriate activities at appropriate time.

1. 6.45 am – sharpest rise in BP => do physical activity like jogging, yoga etc. to reduce BP.

2. 7.30 am – melatonin (sleep-inducing chemical) secretion stops => a good time to wake up.

3. 8.30 am – bowel movement => all know what is to be done.

4.9.00 am – high testosterone secretion ; 10 am – high alertness   => greatest attention, hence study, problem-solving session

5. 2.30 pm – best coordination ; 3.30 pm – fastest reaction time => good time to play an outdoor sport, do gymnastics, dance etc.

6. 5.00 pm – greatest cardiovascular and muscle strength => a recommended time to do gymming, running and usual morning activities.

7. 7.00 pm – highest body temperature => good time to cool off, have a cold drink or chill out in AC.

8. 9.00 pm – melatonin secretion starts => onset of sleep time (that is why grandpa says sleep early beta!)

9. 2.00 am – deepest sleep => DO NOT DISTURB.

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This may look like a work of fiction for a lot, because every one of us starts wondering – ‘Can there really be a trust (the feeling) council between India and China’  Yes, I intend pun here and use my fundamental right of expression. Again, China has snubbed India on a Pakistani-based terrorist at the UN by using its so-called veto power.
I do not find any grey or middle area here. It is an either morally correct issue or incorrect.

Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi, a commander in Lashkar-e-Taiba, was responsible and the central figure in 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that claimed 160 lives. So China needs adequate information about an open terrorist group’s commander, who is bound to be released on insufficient evidence. Clearly, 160 lives lost is not an evidence. Clearly, past history of Lashkar-e-Taiba is not an evidence. China is trying very hard to create a circle of support around India, which it considers to be the biggest international competitor.

A few Chinese say, they do not trust PM Modi, because he ordered 8000 troops in Arunachal Pradesh, soon after his Indo-China bilateral talks. Of course, it is a bad idea, as Chinese think, to protect one’s country over international borders, even if past incidences of intrusion had occured from them. It seems ‘Bad’ foreign policy to talk about abolishing terrorism and actually taking steps to curb it, this too according to the Chinese.

Why then India, which had never intruded into Pakistan, never fired on its posts as first ones, even gave Lahore back to Pakistan, after capturing it in 1971 war, must pay for the future-bound terror. Is Lakhvi ensuring that it won’t attack India, or not to mention, even Pakistan ? China has its own viewpoint, which does not match US,UK,France and Russia, the countries which had faced wrath of terrorism at some point of time. Is China really waiting to experience terrorism ? Should China not be the one to initiate peace ? But I guess that is very unexpected in a communist country which has felt insecurity from India since its independence.

Why I support India strongly is not because I am an Indian, but because I am a human who likes that justice be done to the dead and justice is not a unidirectional approach. When China understands this, two great economies will be in a much tranquil condition.

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Know what genetic disease you are susceptible to. Know how can you deal with the disease. Know how your unborn baby can bear it. Or know that it can’t bear it.

Genetic counselling helps an individual become aware of his/her genes. In association with Genomic Counselling, it is the hot topic of influence on many groups of individuals who want to know their true genetic identity, who want to know what might happen with them in near future and who also want to know the ways to cope up with the fact.

Genetic Counselling focuses on genetically inherited diseases – the disease which our parents or grandparents might have given us, which cannot be avoided but only dealt with. A few diseases like Down Syndrome, cannot be cured but managed, while other ones like Phenylketonuria (PKU) can be actually cured.

Genomic counselling focuses not only on genes involved in certain physiological diseases, but also gives us an overview of our self-topology i.e. our strengths, weaknesses, susceptibility, allergies, tolerances, intolerances and abnormalities – all in a physiological sense. So, if one is susceptible to having Diabetes in near future, he may as well avoid sweets from now on. If one is lactose intolerant, it is better to run as far away from a cheesecake store as possible.

Why the counselling ? Pros are that we already know a lot about ourselves, now that we can take steps to do certain things and follow certain rules for our own better livelihood. It is good for us to know how much we or our baby can bear, because if the situation becomes unbearable, it becomes worse than the preventive phase. The cons depend upon the family background, their faith and perspectives and a great deal on a few issues related to medical ethic. A conception may be prevented if a genetic disorder is found, or continued if parents are ready to bear the consequences. It is never intended to know so much about ourselves. Why ? Because we are imperfect in every sense, and the stress and fear of livelihood becomes a dominant factor if we are to deal with such a situation. Moreover, it is a costly affair and not everyone can afford it.

However, it is the duty of genetic counsellors who are trained professionals and know how much to convey and more significantly how to convey. Plus, they also know that sometimes, lack of information is a virtue and it is better not to tell. So if one has an optimistic attitude towards it, they can always opt for it. The quote of ‘Prevention is better than cure’ never loses its value, at least for now.

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Every article I come across for exam preparation, irrespective of the subject or branch, has shown that a student needs to ponder over the attributes that ascertain smartness in studying, rather than a guinea pig work hard attitude. If the guinea pig somehow would have known that its energy is being used to drive some instruments that would benefit humans more than itself, it would have stopped rotating the cycles. Rather, they would have used them for its own benefit, like running, searching for food and mating.

Let us bring ourselves on track, on the topic of this article – The need to study smart. If we discuss hard work here, it will become a moral issue for some, as people will agree that hard work always pays. But my focus is on smart work, so I do not state any juxtapositions in order to prove one side of the story correct and other wrong.

Smart study means knowing our pieces before we make the first move in chess.

Work hard in assessing the characteristics before the onset of examination – The duration, The time of day it will happen, The competition – how many compete for it ? The cut off ? The passing marks ? .

Then work hard for calculating the designing – How many questions ? What type ? What topics are covered the most ? What topics occur seldom ? What topics are known ? What topics are unknown ?.

Then work hard for gathering resources – How big is the syllabus ? How much reference material must I have ? What reference is easily available ? What reference I can go without ? What reference is not available but is essential and I need to spend time and money for it ? What type of questions can be helpful with references I have ? Any other extra material I can get ? Whether I need class notes ?

Probably, most of the students do all these things, and it is an inevitable task that all have to do.

The question now is how smartly one can study. Is studying an entire unit with about a 100 similar questions better than studying 4-5 units with few but different questions ? Is studying a hard topic the most essential thing or studying the popular topic that is commonly asked ? Is studying  a topic thoroughly the  better deal than studying an overview of every topic ?

The next smart question is time. Should I read a topic that interests me or the one that will fetch me marks ? Should I avoid the topic everyone avoids or go against the flow and make effort to read it ? Should I study entire day without having proper food and bath or I collect ample time for daily activity, get afresh, have ample food and go back to study ? Should I study more than my friend does or I make my own path and plan ?

Studying smart is just like bullet train, it is expensive, involves a great deal of effort in the making, but once done, runs smooth and swift and renders passengers to their destinations in quickest of time. Or it can be Mumbai local, so overloaded, that sometimes it may break, causing a lot of havoc. 🙂

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As the PM said, the mission was bound to succeed as far as Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) was there. The cheapest interplanetary mission, with a cost of only INR 450 Cr in comparison to NASA’s Maven Orbiter that costed almost 10 times, was also the one to get successful on its first attempt. The orbiter, with a payload of only 1340 kg, was the result of constant sweat and determination of 15,000 personnel and has now reached another milestone, completing its 100th orbit around Mars, a feat achieved on June 22, 2015.

Let us know briefly about the timeline of MOM :

1. 5th Nov, 2013 : Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) – C25 is launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh) carrying with it MOM orbiter’s payload.

2.5th Nov, 2013 – 30th Nov, 2013 : MOM is subjected to 6 Earth Bound Manoeuvres , an important task to bring the velocity of MOM close to escape velocity of earth i.e. 11.2 km/s, by firing its propellant packs

3. 1st Dec, 2013 : MOM reaches Trans Mars Injection point whereby it reaches its escape velocity and leaves Earth’s orbit.

4. 1st Dec, 2013 – 24th Sept, 2014 : MOM travels for around 300 days to reach near the orbit of Mars while covering close to 680 million kms. In between, about 3 Trajectory Correction Manoeuvres are performed to keep it on designated path.

5. 24th Sept, 2014 : MOM is subjected to Mars Orbit Insertion (MOI) whereby the speed is reduced in order to fit into Mars’ orbit. Finally, the successful completion of the mission is declared by Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar and an inspiring speech by PM Narendra Modi.

The cheapest interplanetary mission, one where even China failed to achieve success, was also the greenest (used least amount of energy, and that too eco-friendly). Now, as the Technical Objective has been achieved, the effort is focused on to the Scientific Objective i.e. to collect relevant data from Mars. For this, it has 5 essential components:

1. Lyman Alpha Photometer : to study water on Mars.

2. Mars Color Camera : to capture images, study weather and moons of Mars.

3. Methane Sensor : to do its namesake.

4. Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser (MENCA) : to study existing elements and find possibility of new elements.

5. Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (TIS) : to study surface composition and mineralogy.

A small leap of faith in the potential of our countrymen thus becomes a giant manouevre for country’s progress.

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This topic is very close to my heart. Everything that comes of the order of 1/1,000,000,000 of a metre is considered nano-scale. So certainly, it cannot be seen by a normal microscope or even a powerful light microscope. Nano-scale and smaller materials can be seen only by high-resolution electron microscope, not even Scanning Electron Microscope (with a resolution of about 10 nm) but only Transmission Electron Microscope (with a resolution of about 50 pm).

Why is it a necessity to reach to this minute level when we know the properties of a substance or a system at a macro scale ? The answer is to increase efficiency and effectiveness. The nano-scale gaps and interstices help us to build or chemically construct favorable energy efficient, cost efficient and high performance structures that, on a macro scale create a lot of wastage, noise and hindrance to functioning because of various reasons. Some of the reasons may be lesser area of contact, high viscosity or material noises like impurities.

When we say living strata, we refer to biological systems. Every system is a nano-scale machine of its own. The natural functionality that happens at nuclear level (DNA, RNA, Proteins) , atomic level (ions, electrons) and even pathological level (few viruses), can be exploited for the betterment of artificial nano-scale devices. Let us take an example of Biosensors.  These may be nano-scale man-made devices but substantially follow biological principles. Blood, DNA, Proteins etc. can be tested to get an overview of our physiology. Improving efficiency by applying nano-scale materials to such devices is highly desirable.

This fact itself is evidence for the bright future of two important fields in nanotechnology – Bionanotechnology and Nanobiotechnology. While the former implies important effective functionalities of nanoscale biological systems to nanoscale human-made ones, the latter implies nanoscale human-made systems for the betterment of biological ones. Thus both fields complement the development of each other and collaterally affect contemporary world of today.

Even though it looks an amazing prospect for research, we must always strive for a grey area, rather than a black or white one. Playing with nature, as we see by Ozone hole depletion due to CFC usage, has proven harmful. Nature intends certain things the way they are, and playing with laws of nature can be devastating. Hence, to apply any nanoscale technology, it is of utmost importance to clearly understand the extent of research that may be applied along with pros and cons.

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This topic is not about evolution of Television in India. Nor it is about the kind of shows that have aired since the onset of Doordarshan. This topic is about how the techniques of catching and holding audiences have evolved and grown such that when I ask my mother to put on news channel at the time of her favorite TV serial, she becomes agitated like a hungry baby. No disrespect, but this is the effect Television has put on at significant part of the population.

Though I like watching movies more than serials, I sometimes get curious about what is in them that makes my mother sleepless if she misses an episode. A particular ‘masala’ television serial consists of the following ingredients :

1. A Huge Joint Family – Each and every character is developed at some point of time, unless every ounce of acting talent is squeezed out of them.

2. Rich Family – They are so wealthy that almost everyone looks every time as if they are going to some kind of a party. I have never worn such suits when at home. They also have a huge bungalow, which must take at least 1-2 hours to search entirely.

3. Antagonist & Protagonist – The protagonist’s role is developed initially, while through a greater stretch of the serial, his/her role fades away. The antagonist’s role becomes the topic of gossip and entertainment almost through the middle greater part, and fades away only in the end, when the protagonist is proven right.

4. Money-saving Strategies – Almost every now and then, a flashback will occur, saving the director some money in new recording.

5. Dramatic Effect – This is helpful if dialogue writers have gone on a holiday and also when directors wants to create an emotional situation. Cameras are strictly ordered to roll 3-5 times on every character, but in an orderly situation.

6. Mega Episode – I don’t know why actors work overtime, but this is to create a longer episode with some dramatic ending.

7. Happy Ending – Everything fits into place at the end. Everyone is happy and serial ends on a happy note.

And here goes another half-an-hour in my mother’s life. And she feels satisfied.

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