Grade 10 (Age 15-16 years) on Pitara Kids Network

What is Thanksgiving?

Sun, 04 May 2003 15:43:28 +0000

Celebrated on the fourth Thursday on November, this American festival is an acknowledgement of gratitude for a plentiful harvest. Nearly all cultures celebrate this festival. For instance south Indians celebrate it as Pongal in the month of January, while the north Indians celebrate it as Holi in the month of March.

The American act of thanksgiving began during the early pioneer days almost four hundred years ago.

In 1620, one hundred people sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to land at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in America. However, their first winter was severe and their crops failed in the new climate and unfamiliar soil. Half of them died due to lack of fresh food.

B.R. Ambedkar: Father of the Indian Constitution

Sun, 24 May 2020 18:30:00 +0000

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891 – 1956):

The slogan “Jai Bhim” is a salute to the man who spent his life fighting for the rights of the weakest citizens of India. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is remembered as the father of the Indian Constitution.

The Constitution of India is a guiding light for the values that should govern India. After independence, the responsibility of leading the task of writing the Constitution was given to Ambedkar. He was India’s first Minister of Law and Justice and fought tirelessly against social discrimination of India’s poorest minority class.

What is the Mystery of Dracula?

Thu, 19 May 2005 21:41:38 +0000

As bats flap through the musty castle, a coffin lid creaks open and an ashy white hand gropes for the cover. The lid slides off and a caped figure rises in the gloom – Dracula is on the prowl! Vampires have enthralled generations of readers and moviegoers; and the most popular ‘vampire’ is the fearsome Count Dracula of Transylvania.

Of course, these blood-sucking monsters do not exist and are merely the figment of our imagination.

Myths & Legends Related to Eclipses

Fri, 02 Jul 1999 15:49:23 +0000

Since time immemorial, eclipses have been interpreted in various ways by different communities all over the world, reflecting many a time the working philosophy of the religious denominations they belong to. The lunar and solar eclipses have, by and large, been held to bring in their wake calamities like epidemics, wars etc. It has been a common practice to observe the do’s and don’ts with religious overtones so as to avoid such cataclysmic fallouts of eclipses as well as hasten their end.

Makar Sankranti

Sat, 14 Oct 2000 08:48:54 +0000

The colourful kite-flying festival of Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan, which falls on January 14 each year, marks the end of a long winter and the return of the sun to the northern hemisphere. Hence the name Uttarayan.

According to Hindu astronomy, it is on this holiest day in the Hindu calendar, that the sun enters the zodiac of Makara or Capricorn, heralding the northern journey of the sun. The day is also of special significance, because on this day, the day and night are of equal hours.

Why is the Bridge of Sighs so Called?

Wed, 28 Feb 2001 07:05:26 +0000

The Bridge of Sighs (Ponte de Sospiri), is in Venice, Italy, and connects the inquisitor’s room in the east side of the Doge’s palace with the state’s prison or prigioni over the Rio de Palazzo.

Work on the Doge’s palace (residence of the Duke) or Palazzo Ducale was begun in the 14th century and got its present shape only by the 16th century. The palace was not only the Doge’s residence and thus contained the inquisitor’s (judge) office, it also housed many other institutions like lawyers offices, the Chancellery, Naval Offices, etc.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tue, 18 Dec 2001 08:02:01 +0000

Martin Luther King Jr. goes down in history as one of the principal leader of the civil rights movement in the United States and a prominent advocate of nonviolent protest. King’s challenges to segregation and racial discrimination helped convince many white Americans to support the cause of civil rights in the United States.

King was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and was ordained as a Baptist minister at age 18. He graduated from Morehouse College in 1948 and from Crozer Theological Seminary in 1951. In 1955 he earned a doctoral degree in systematic theology from Boston University. While in Boston, King met Coretta Scott, whom he married in 1953.

Pele

Wed, 07 Aug 1996 07:34:24 +0000

Born Edson Arantes Do Nascimento in Tres Coracoes, Brazil on October 3, 1940, Pele was perhaps the greatest of all soccer players. Nicknamed Dico by his family, he was called Pele by his soccer friends. A supremely gifted athlete, he started playing soccer as a teenager, and soon he was playing as well as seasoned veterans. He was discovered at the age of eleven by one of Brazil’s premier players Waldemar De Brito. Four years later De Brito brought Pele to Sao Paulo and inducted him in the Santos club. He made his debut with the Major League Santos club in 1956 at the age of 15 and soon gained a reputation as an electrifying goal scorer.

Elevator Physics

Sun, 17 Apr 2005 15:59:12 +0000

You get into an elevator (or a lift, as we sometimes call it) and for a second or two, just as the elevator moves down, we feel weightless. On the other hand, if we go up in an elevator, we suddenly feel heavier just as the elevator lurches upwards.

To understand this feeling of weightlessness, we need to understand a few basic things first.

Mass: The amount of matter that constitues us results in our mass. Mass is the property which “resists” a change in acceleration (linear or angular). It is this “resistance” that results in inertia.

Dalai Lama

Thu, 12 Jul 2001 15:45:12 +0000

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet was born in 1935, soon after the 13th Dalai Lama passed away. He was the fourth son of a poor peasant family in Takster village, Amdo province in eastern Tibet. The line of Dalai Lamas, spiritual and temporal rulers of Tibet since the 13th century, is a succession of incarnations. In accordance with tradition, search parties were sent to find the successor to the thirteenth Dalai Lama. Two years later, following the various signs and portents, a government party was led to Takster, where they found the infant Lhamo Thondup. After a series of tests, the child (later named Tenzin Gyatso) was recognized as the 14th incarnation of the Dalai Lama.

How do Animals Communicate?

Tue, 27 Feb 2001 04:32:58 +0000

Humans have invented new and advanced ways of communicating with each other. Television, radio, telephones and of course email. You will be surprised to know that animals who seem to have very simple methods of communication – using their bodies and voices – are also capable of long distance communication.

How do Animals Communicate? [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Foot stomping and low frequency rumbling created by elephants can travel upto 20 miles and is used by elephants to signal other herds or members, says an article in the Hindu newspaper.

Save rivers, lakes from worshippers

Sat, 24 Aug 2002 13:33:58 +0000

Before every Ganesh Chaturthi, people from across India, especially Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Orissa, get busy with preparations for celebrations. But, as the momentum of activity increases, officials of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) start feeling queasy in their stomachs. For, though festivals like Ganesh Puja and Durga Puja are a time for fun, it is also the time when rivers and lakes around the country are abused.

Unlike in the past when the idols of gods and goddesses were made of ordinary colours and plain clay that dissolve in water easily, without causing widespread pollution, now they are made of plaster of Paris, distemper, plastic paint, dyes, metallic powders, adhesives, varnish, fluorescent powders and oil paints, which can have an adverse effect on the eyes, skin and respiratory system. These coloured idols with pigments containing harmful chemicals, flowers, coconut shells, plastic bags, wood and other items find their way into the waters.

Fidel Castro Ruz

Sun, 04 Feb 2001 15:28:27 +0000

Fidel Castro Ruz was born on August 13, 1926 (some sources give 1927), on his family’s sugar plantation near Biran, Oriente, Province. His father was an immigrant from Galcia, Spain. He attended good Cathotic schools in Santiago de Cuba and Havana, where he took the spartan regime at a Jesuit boarding school, Colegio de Belen. In 1945 he enrolled at the University of Havana, graduating in 1950 with a law degree. In 1948, he married Mirta Diaz-Balart and divorced her in 1954. Their son, Fidel Castro Ruz Diaz-Balart, born in 1949, has served as head of Cuba’s atomic energy commission.

Satyajit Ray

Wed, 22 Jul 1998 06:17:35 +0000

One of India’s most distinguished film directors Satyajit Ray, was born on May 2, 1921 in West Bengal. Ray’s films are of universal interest despite the fact that most of his films were made in Bengali. His films are essentially about those things that make up the human race – relationships, emotions, struggle, conflicts, joys and sorrows.
Satyajit Ray, the master story teller, has left cinematic heritage that belongs as much to India as to the world. His films demonstrate a remarkable humanism, elaborate observation and subtle handling of characters and situations. His first film Pather Panchali (Song of the Road, 1955) established his reputation as a major film director, winning numerous awards including best human document at Cannes in 1956 and Best Film in Vancouver in 1958. Pather Panchali is the first film of the Appu trilogy — a three-part tale of a boy’s life from birth through manhood. The other two films of the trilogy are Aparajito ( The Unvanquished, 1956 ) and Apur Sansar ( The World of Apu, 1959).

Ronald Reagan

Fri, 30 Apr 1999 01:31:32 +0000

Ronald Wilson Reagan was elected the 40th president of the United States on November 4, 1980. At the age of 69, he was the oldest man and the first movie star ever sworn into that office. During his two terms in office, the popular president helped raise the nation’s spirits. He also oversaw the creation of large budget and trade deficits and ultimately effected a historical truce in cold war with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Born on February 6, 1911in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan worked his way through Eureka college, had some success as a sportscaster and began an acting career with Warner Bros. in 1937. He was to appear in 53 films with an interlude in the US army. He married actress Jane Wyman in 1940, divorced in 1948 and in 1952 wed Nancy Davis. He moved into television in the 1950s and became the popular host of ‘Death Valley Days’ and spokesman for General Electric Company. Inheriting from his father a orientation in politics, Reagan shifted his views and spoke out against ‘big govt’ and Communism. By the 1960s he was a favorite Conservative speaker.

It's a Zoo Out There!

Sat, 19 Oct 2002 11:04:02 +0000

Almost 400 years ago, Mughal emperor Jehangir acquired a new animal in his private collection or zoo – the zebra. This unusual, striped animal fascinated him so much that he wrote about it in his memoirs as a strange creature. Some even imagined that the animal’s stripes had been painted!

The emperor decided to find out whether the zebra was indeed coloured or not. After much investigation, he made it public that the zebra, too, was a creature created by god. The stripes were natural, they had not been painted upon!

Where is the Tower of Babel?

Sun, 09 Dec 2001 13:39:59 +0000

The ‘Tower of Babel’ is a structure that is mentioned in the Bible in the Old Testament in Genesis. The Biblical account describes how the descendants of Noe who migrated from Armenia towards Babylon (in Mesopotamia) decided to build a city and a tower whose architectural excellence would make them famous. But, God caused confusion by confounding their tongues, so that they did not understand each other’s speech. Slowly they moved away from that place and they ceased to build the city.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Thu, 17 Aug 2000 19:59:21 +0000

The 35th president of United States (1961-63) was at the age of 43, the youngest and the first Roman Catholic to be elected to the presidency. Rich, handsome, elegant and articulate, he aroused great admiration at home and abroad. His assassination in Dallas, Texas in November 1963 provoked outrage and widespread mourning. His term of office as president was too short.

Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1917, a descendant of Irish Catholics who had immigrated to America in the 19th century. He had worldwide pre-eminence and gave the American people a sense of purpose to meet the challenges of a scientific age.

The Hot and Sizzling Volcano

Sun, 31 Jan 1999 04:43:51 +0000

Despite being the subject of considerable scientific study, Volcanoes continue to remain both dramatic and unpredictable. In 1991 Mount Pinatubo, 100 km north of the Philippines capital Manila, suddenly burst into life after lying dormant for more than six centuries. Most of the world’s active volcanoes occur in a belt around the Pacific Ocean, on the edge of the Pacific plate called the Ring of Fire. Indonesia has the greatest concentration with 90 volcanoes, 12 of which are active. The most famous, Krakatoa erupted in 1883 with such force that the resulting tidal wave killed 36,000 people and tremors were felt as far away as Australia.

Rhinoceros: On the Comeback Trail

Thu, 25 Jul 2002 00:49:30 +0000

Next to the tusk-bearing elephants, rhinos are the other large animals heavily targeted by poachers. Rhinos are poached for their horns and these are sold in the black market at astonishing prices.

Since 1977, trade in rhino horn has been banned but poachers and smugglers still hunt and kill these gentle creatures to meet the demands of the rhino horn in markets in Central Asia and the Far East.

For some years now, rhinos have been high on the endangered list. Thankfully, things are looking a lot brighter both for the African white, and for the greater one-horned Asian rhino (more commonly known as the Indian rhino).

War Memorial for Child Soldiers

Thu, 13 May 1999 22:12:55 +0000

Where: New York, USA

September 23, 2000: “Everyone was dying. You saw the legs or hands of your friends lying in front of you. It was so horrifying, you couldn’t make sense of it. It was hell… Boys lay on the ground for three or four days without being buried. We were fighting around their corpses.” This is how Rashid, an Ethiopian high school student, described his experience of fighting on the Badme front in 1999.

Margaret Hilda Thatcher

Sat, 12 Aug 2000 12:22:40 +0000

Thatcher was born Margaret Hilda Roberts in Grantham. She married Denis Thatcher in 1951. Thatcher was elected to the House of Commons in 1959. After the Conservative defeat in 1974 she won leadership of the party the following year. In 1979 she led the Conservatives to victory, vowing to reverse Britain’s economic decline and to reduce the role of government. In 1982 Argentine forces occupied the Falkland Islands, which were claimed by both Argentina and the United Kingdom. The British military defeated the Argentine military. She led the Conservatives to further victories in the 1983 and 1987 parliamentary elections, becoming the first British prime minister in the 20th century to serve three consecutive terms.

Chained Inmates of an Asylum burnt to Death

Sat, 24 Dec 2005 17:44:24 +0000

August 8: In a gruesome tragedy, 26 mentally challenged persons were burnt to death in Yerwadi, Tamil Nadu. When the fire broke out, the patients, who were chained to posts, in a makeshift asylum, were unable to escape. Eleven of the patients were women.

Chained Inmates of an Asylum burnt to Death []

Taking serious note of the fire, the Supreme Court issued notices to the central and the Tamil Nadu governments seeking a report on the Yerwadi fire. The Court said the tragedy “raised questions concerning human rights of inmates of a mental asylum”.

Photocopies of babies

Thu, 11 Aug 2005 09:51:52 +0000

August 18: Who would have thought that humans can be ‘photocopied’ like documents? But, it is happening and the brain behind the whole act, Severino Antiniro, an Italian doctor is all set to create the first ‘photocopy’ babies of the world, reports say.

Though the doctor seems confident, his experiment could result in a Jurassic Park-like disaster, experts say. The child produced thus may have physical or mental disabilities, they say.
That does not seem to have hampered Antiniro’s plans. Nor has the fact that almost every country in the world is against the idea.

Margaret Sanger

Thu, 28 Jan 1999 07:33:12 +0000

Born into an Irish working class family on Sept 14, 1879 in Corning, New York, Margaret Sanger is known for her crusade to legalise birth control which later spurred the movement for women’s liberalisation. As a young girl Margaret witnessed her mother’s slow death worn out after 18 pregnancies and 11 live births. Later while working as a nurse and midwife in the poorest neighbourhoods of New York city before World War I she saw women deprived of their health, sexuality and ability to care for children already born. She was appalled at the death from self-induced abortions.

History was Made Here

Tue, 29 Oct 2002 15:54:00 +0000

November 4: It is a dirty and dimly-lit room, located on the first floor of the government-run JJ Hospital at Byculla, Mumbai. It includes a table, a chair and pieces of equipment occasionally used by the hospital staff, and is used as a safe refuge by tired employees looking for a quiet corner to doze off.

History was made over a hundred years ago in this room, when a German bacteriologist called Robert Koch discovered the vaccine against the tuberculosis and cholera bacteria, in it. But there seems to be no sense of pride in keeping that memory alive as an inspiration, seeing the terrible neglect the room has fallen into, says a report in ‘The Indian Express’.

The Green Magician

Mon, 08 Nov 1999 08:37:44 +0000

July 1: Many children, all over the world, are working to protect the environment. While some are involved with school groups, others are busy spreading awareness in their neighbourhood. Fifteen-year-old Kruti Parekh is a bit different for she uses some rather fantastic methods in campaigning for the environment. This nature-loving teenager uses magic to promote environmental causes! Kruti also happens to be India’s youngest professional conjurer — a record she has held for the last five years.

Chip off the Old Block

Sun, 16 Jun 2002 22:35:48 +0000

Long ago in the year 1853, one Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, a big
business tycoon , was having dinner at a resort called Saratoga Springs in New York. After eating a few fried potatoes, he sent it back complaining that they were too thick.

The chef, a native-American called George Crum, was apparently miffed at the Commodore’s complaint and decided to give a sarcastic reply. He sliced potatoes paper thin, fried them to a crisp and salted them.
Vanderbilt loved the “crunch potato slices,” as he called them, and the
“Saratoga Chips” became the restaurant’s speciality from that day onwards.

5000 Years Old Quake-proof Town

Mon, 22 Dec 2003 06:21:45 +0000

February 14: The image on the right is one of the most recognisable symbols of the Harappan civilisation. It is the bearded man of Mohenjodaro and Harappa. But why is this sober gentleman smiling in our image?

There’s a reason for it. The January 26 earthquake has devastated a large part of the Kutch region. Village after village, town after town depict the same sad story of death and destruction. It’s almost as if entire towns and villages have fallen off the map. But there is one deserted town in the Great Rann of Kutch that has withstood the devastating tremors of the January 26 earthquake in Gujarat.

All About Dinosaurs

Sun, 17 Oct 1999 06:58:32 +0000

Where: Los Angeles, USA

November 4, 2000: The “dino” passion that the 1993 film ‘Jurassic Park’ ignited among children and adults does not show any signs of abating even in today’s world of ever-shortening attention spans.

In the few years since Hollywood director Steven Spielberg made his blockbuster film, an industry has sprung up around the dinosaur theme, with dino caps, bags, theme parks, books and of course, films, milking to their heart’s content, the public’s never-ending fascination for the gigantic creatures that roamed the earth in prehistoric times.

Jean Clad Superman

Sat, 19 Feb 2005 04:36:29 +0000

Who wears a red chaddi over blue tights and a flying cape to save the world from disaster ever so often? Superman, of course! But why is he flying around in jeans and shirt all of a sudden, looking like a high school student? What is even more amazing is that when he’s not saving the world, he seems to have all the problems that teens usually have, from pimples to dating!

In a new television serial, Smallville, soon to hit the US, Superman (Clark Kent) will appear as an American teenager of the 21st century. But many Superman fans are upset that the costume which has been such a hit since the American comic book character was created in 1938, will not be seen in the serial. They want their superhero back in his underwear and tights.

The Business of Festivals

Thu, 25 Jul 2002 15:48:46 +0000

What is special about Durga Puja is that it’s a community celebration. In Calcutta, specially, almost every neighbourhood has a Puja Committee to organise the Puja in their locality, every year.

Come September and the Committee members begin to meet at each other’s houses and chalk out plans for grand celebrations over endless rounds of cha(tea) and adda (discussion).

Anyone can qualify – all one needs is boundless enthusiasm. These people set up the pandal or the tents that house the festivities. They also organise the idol-making, decide on the cultural programmes — and the feast. It’s all for the cause of Ma Durga. Above all, it’s fun!

Talking Through their Hats for Peace

Wed, 06 Nov 2002 07:28:24 +0000

September 9: A group of children are going to attend the International Conference on War-affected Children, at Winnipeg in Canada, from September 10 to 17. Coming from war-torn countries like Somalia, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Kosovo will all wear hats during the conference. The hats are meant to prevent them from being identified back home. They might be punished for speaking out against war when they return.

But there will be some children who will not wear hats, and will even talk to journalists, according to a recent article in ‘The Indian Express’.

Origamist Whizkid Sivaram

Mon, 09 Sep 2002 15:55:11 +0000

October 21: Imagine the talent required to fold a single sheet of paper as many as 100 times, to create fantastic animals, birds, insects, celebrities, aircraft and gods! Actually this is an intricate art dating back to1000 A.D. Japan, where it was pioneered, and is called Origami.

And 12-year-old origamist Sivaram Narayanan, is a whiz at it, as visitors during his recent “one man” exhibition at the Lalit Kala gallery, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, says a report in the Chennai edition of ‘The Hindu’. As many as 300 of his works were shown.

Fungus Threatens Chinese Warriors

Mon, 14 Jan 2002 12:10:45 +0000

September 23: These Chinese warriors have survived over two 2,000 years of wars, earthquakes and revolutions, but now find themselves battling against their most formidable enemy yet — a fungal infection. These Chinese warriors are not made of flesh and blood; they have feet – and bodies – of clay, and they are a valued cultural treasure not only for China but also for the world.

Fungus Threatens Chinese Warriors [Illustration by Shiju George]

The bad news is that over 7,000 terracotta figurines of soldiers, archers and horses in China’s northern city of Xian (pronounced Shee-ahn), capital of Shaanxi Province, have been found suffering from attacks by over 40 species of mould.

India Gets Its Own 'Air Force One' Plane

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:29:41 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

April 1, 2009 : The Indian Air Force has now got its own version of Air Force One, the American Presidential aircraft. Three exclusive Business Boeing Jets were added to the Indian Air Force’s fleet on April 1, 2009. Named Rajdhoot, Rajhans and Rajkamal, the three aircraft will be used to transport the Indian President and the Prime Minister. The President or PM will have an executive office on board, a secure communication chamber and facilities to host around 50 guests.

Anchor rips through phone and internet cable

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:56:32 +0000

Where: The Mediterranean Sea

December 22, 2008: A ship’s anchor slammed into the ocean bed, ripping apart an undersea cable that connected millions of computers and telephones. Cut somewhere between Sicily and Tunisia, in the Mediterranean Sea, the cut ends of the cable are being searched by an undersea robot. The robot will bring the cable ends up to the surface, where they will be joined on a ship.

According to a story by the Associated Press, experts from France Telecom Marine sent the robot called ‘Hector’ down to the sea bed to start the search for the broken ends of the SEA-ME-WE 4 cable (which stands for South Asia-Middle East-West Europe 4). This cable links South East Asia to Europe via the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East. Repairing the cable will take time, because the ship’s anchor could have dragged the cable several kilometers from its usual position.

Places That Care

Wed, 11 Aug 2004 17:11:31 +0000

How many of us have ever given even a fleeting thought to the inconvenience faced by disabled people in the public spaces in our country?

How many of us have seen them shopping or visiting theatres, cinema halls or places of worship, leave alone historical monuments?
Perhaps, none.

For the ‘differently abled’, it is not just disability that makes life tough but our own insensitive and smug attitude coupled with a pathetic support structure that deems it fit to label people with disabilities as ‘handicapped’ rather than help them lead lives on their own.

If

Sun, 19 Dec 1999 15:36:01 +0000

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream-and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;

Supreme Court gets Tough After Ragging Death and Torture

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:08:52 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

March 16, 2009 : Ragging was at one time considered to be a fun way for seniors to interact with freshers in college. It has now become nothing less than systematic torture by bullying groups of seniors.

Three shocking ragging incidents occurred in the past week. Aman Kachroo, a student of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Medical College in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, died of head injuries on March 8, 2009. He had complained to the authorities earlier that he was being assaulted by a group of seniors from the time he joined college. Their last attack took his life. Four students were arrested. A Bench comprising two Justices of the Supreme Court issued notices to the college Principal and Registrar.

A New Ancient Civilisation

Sat, 18 Sep 2004 18:47:43 +0000

Where: Central Asia

May 19, 2001: Imagine people living in large apartment complexes made out of bricks. Their city may have been a major stop for silk traders that is why they were well off, decked in gold and semi-precious stone jewellery and using fine ceramics utensils. Bronze axes were among the implements used for cutting and carvings on alabaster (white marble) and bone were used as decoration pieces.

Doesn’t sound all that different from what we see around us today, does it? But to think that all this existed 4000 years ago and that too in the Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan regions of Central Asia!

Messing Up, Alphabetically

Tue, 07 May 2002 08:53:08 +0000

November 4: Central Asian countries that proclaimed independence after the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) disintegrated in 1991 are not merely beset by the usual political and economic uncertainties that mark all new nations. They are uncertain about their alphabets too. At the root of all this confusion is an identity crisis that the countries are suffering.

Messing Up, Alphabetically [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Take Azerbaijan, for instance. Since most people here speak Azeri, verbal communication is not a problem. But, as no one can decide on the written script, written communication is a problem. And this confusion is not a new thing either. In the past 75 years, Azerbaijan has seen four completely different alphabets come and go one after the other.

Pope Benedict XVI Completes Weeklong Tour of Holy Land

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:41:40 +0000

Where: Nazareth, Israel

May 15, 2009 : Pope Benedict XVI, head of the worldwide Catholic Church, made a weeklong trip to the Middle East, touring the Holy Land in a bid to promote peace and unity in the region. The pope prayed at some of Christianity’s most sacred destinations and visited Muslim and Jewish holy sites. He also visited Israel’s Holocaust* memorial and saw the conditions in which Palestinian refugees live.

In the birthplace of Jesus Christ, Bethlehem (in the West Bank, a Palestinian territory) the pope appealed for a separate state for Palestinians. He also called for an end to the blockade Israel has imposed against Gaza (a Palestinian territory) since the Islamic Hamas movement seized power there in June 2007.

India Votes for Stability, Not Change

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:07:53 +0000

Where: New Delhi, India

May 16, 2009 : The results of India’s general elections, the largest democratic elections in the world, were announced on May 16, 2009.The Indian National Congress party won 205 of 543 seats in the Lok Sabha (the House of the People, or the lower house of the Indian Parliament). This was its best performance in the last 25 years. The party and its coalition partners, who make up the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won a total of 261 seats, only 12 short of an absolute majority. The Trinamool Congress with 19 seats has the maximum number of seats among the allies. The chief opposition party, the Bhartiya Janata Party, and the Congress’ former allies, the Left Front, were defeated and had to give up the idea of trying to form governments.

Fossil of Giant Snake Found in South America

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:27:29 +0000

Where: Cerrejon, Colombia

February 4, 2009 : ‘Nature’ journal reports that the snake, named ‘Titanoboa cerrejonensis’ by the scientists who found the remains, would have had a 13-metre-long body and weighed 1,140 kilograms, making it the largest snake on record. A mathematical ratio between the size of vertebrae and the length of the body in living snakes was used by the team to estimate the size. The world’s heaviest snakes, green anacondas, weigh only 250 kilograms, and the longest, reticulated pythons, measure 10 metres at the most. Titanboa would have been similar to a boa constrictor, and could have swallowed a whole cow. What its prey was has not been established, but it would have needed to eat a lot.

Building a Giant Lie

Wed, 14 May 2003 00:32:05 +0000

February 5: The earthquake that struck Gujarat, one of India’s most prosperous states, will go down as among the worst since India gained independence. Both in terms of the numbers of people killed (about 50,000 are feared dead) and the scale of destruction wrought, it has few contemporary parallels.

The images of prosperity in cities such as Ahmedabad have been reduced to the symbols of a wasteland – rubble, dust, twisted steel and wire.

Building a Giant Lie [Illustration by Shinod A P]

A real tragedy, say many of us, but follow it up with a resigned look and statement about the “fury of natural disasters”. That is where we are wrong. We should actually be talking about the consequences of “man-made disaster” brought upon by greed and avarice.

Dead Poet's society

Sat, 20 Apr 2002 17:11:13 +0000

October 28: Do any of these names make your heart sing a sonnet – Oliver Goldsmith, Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats, Byron? All of them are famous poets of England of long ago. But where has the poetry of these poets gone today? Is it only to be confined to a select few intellectuals, the older generation, and to the dusty cobwebbed shelves at home?

Dead Poet’s society [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Will the younger generation sweep aside the lyrics of Madonna and Michael Jackson and read classical English verses that are literally poetry-in-motion?

Hunting for Planets in Earth's Galaxy

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:09:53 +0000

Where: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

March 7, 2009 : The USA’s space agency NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) launched its Kepler Telescope successfully from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The telescope is designed to search for planets orbiting stars other than the Sun in our galaxy, the Milky Way. William Borucki, principal science investigator of the mission, said, “Even if we find no planets like Earth, that by itself would be profound. It would indicate that we are probably alone in the galaxy.” Planets around stars other than the Sun have been thought to exist for centuries. In 1988, a team of Canadian astronomers found evidence that the star Gamma Cephei had planets.

Terror Blasts in Assam on New Year's Day

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:33:40 +0000

Where: Guwahati, Assam, India

January 7, 2009 : A series of blasts rocked Guwahati, the principal town of India’s northeastern state of Assam, on January 1, 2009. Six people died, and 50 were injured. The terrorists who planned the explosions got past New Year’s Day security arrangements with alarming ease. Police said the first blast took place near a hospital, the second near the famous Kamakhya temple, and the third at Bhangaghar, one of Guwahati’s upmarket areas, and home to many of its shopping malls. Indians all over the country were shocked, as they are still coming to terms with the terror attack on Mumbai in November 2008.

Fiji's President Revokes Constitution

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:56:30 +0000

Where: Suvo, Fiji

April 10, 2009 : Fiji’s Court of Appeal declared that President Ratu Josefa Iloilo’s military government was illegal. Three judges of the Court of Appeal ruled that the president should appoint an independent caretaker prime minister to dissolve Parliament and call a general election.

In retaliation, the President revoked the constitution and sacked the judges. He also declared a public emergency and decreed that fresh elections will not be held for five years. In 2006, the present regime had ousted the elected government and appointed an interim Government. The Court ruled that both actions were unconstitutional.

Pakistani Taliban Public Flogging Video Creates Shock Wave

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:58:24 +0000

Where: Islamabad, Pakistan

April 3, 2009 : The Taliban authorised the brutal public flogging of a 17-year-old girl by four men in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP). The incident was recorded and broadcast over the internet. Shock and disbelief shook many sections of the Pakistani population. The video opened up the question of religion-backed violence against women in the country. It raised serious doubts about the wisdom of the Pakistan government’s peace deal with the Taliban. The government had agreed to the imposition of ‘Sharia’ or Islamic law in the Swat valley, which is under Taliban control. The video was shot by ‘spectators’ who were encouraged to record the event on their phone cameras by Taliban members.

Atlantis on 'Space Surgery' Mission for Hubble Telescope

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:20:20 +0000

Where: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

May 11, 2009 : The Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off on a two day space journey to the Hubble Space Telescope. Seven astronauts were on board to service and repair the telescope. The Hubble Telescope is a space research tool that was put into orbit outside the earth’s atmosphere in 1990. It is one of the largest space telescopes in existence. Hubble is a cooperative project between USA’s NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and the European Space Agency.

The Common Man's Film-maker

Thu, 09 May 2002 07:02:29 +0000

September 23: From the rollicking ‘Chupke Chupke’ and ‘Golmaal’ to the shades of jealousy in ‘Abhimaan’, from the quiet seriousness of ‘Anupama’ to the tragic ‘Anand’, veteran film maker Hrishikesh Mukherjee has covered an entire range of emotions and relationships in his films.

In a career spanning more than four decades, he became known as the man who touched a chord in the common man – the middle class in particular. And the ordinary film viewer responded to his quiet flowering in the only way he or she knew – by seeing Hrishi_da_’s films again and again.

Report cards

Fri, 22 Mar 2002 19:45:04 +0000

October 21: The two news reports appeared almost at once and said a lot about the state of affairs in education in the world.

One was the announcement of a whopping US$210 billion Gates Scholarship set up at England’s prestigious Cambridge University by the richest man on earth, Microsoft boss Bill Gates. The scholarship fund will enable 225 youngsters from across the world to be Gates Cambridge Scholars every year, beginning 2001.

Report cards [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Graduate students from every country in the world, barring the United Kingdom, would be eligible to apply. The scholarship fund will thus help talented students particularly from developing countries like India which are fast gaining an enviable reputation, to do well.

Madagascar's President Marc Ravalomanana Steps Down

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:01:43 +0000

Where: Antananarivo, Madagascar

March 17, 2009 : President Marc Ravalomanana of Madagascar stepped down as troops seized control of his offices and the presidential residence. Mr. Andry Rajoelina declared himself president with the support of military forces. He rejected Mr Ravalomanana’s offer of a referendum to solve the crisis and called for his arrest. He also announced that there would be a new constitution and elections in the next 24 months.

Navy admiral Hyppolite Ramaroson confirmed that the military was backing Mr. Rajoelina as ‘president of the high transitional authority’. Mr. Rajoelina, a former disc jockey, was sacked as mayor of the capital city Antananarivo in February. As mayor, he had organised protests against rising food prices and government corruption. Thousands of people took to the streets at the time and engaged in violent conflict with government forces.

Conquering Britain!

Thu, 21 Jan 1999 00:08:26 +0000

Where: Birmingham, UK

November 25, 2000: A few weeks ago, we wrote about Indian-born Roshan Doug, who has been selected as the poet-laureate for the city of Birmingham in Britain. Close on the heels of that news comes another: Birmingham councillors will be giving an Indian name to a few suburbs in the city.

Birmingham’s Apna Town

Apna Town (our town) will be the new name for Sparbrook, a group of suburbs in Birmingham city. So this Christmas, if you drive past the Midlands (160 km north of London) you can see the Apna Town signage in English, Hindi, Gurmukhi and Urdu. A report on this, written by ‘India Abroad News Service’, appeared in the ‘Asian Age’.

The Brightest of Them All

Sun, 28 Jul 2002 14:58:58 +0000

November 4: Children of Indian origin in Britain, are outperforming white children in important secondary school examinations. The British office for standards in education, Ofsted, shows that the number of Indian children passing five exams at the special Grade C level, a level corresponding to the Indian class 12, has risen from 23 per cent to 49 per cent between 1988 and 1997.

What this means is that many more Indian-born children are eligible to attend university in Britain now, than in the past.

A Syllabus for Harmony

Thu, 11 Jul 2002 08:14:59 +0000

November 24: A syllabus where a chapter on Habba Khatoon, a famous Kashmiri poet, jostles for space along with chapters on papier-mâché, hanguls (deer), apples and Kashmiri rugs?

Well, these subjects are what primary school students in Kashmir, are going to be reading in their textbooks – and it is not without reason. The violence in Kashmir seems to be never-ending. Alarmed at the violence and bloodshed that children in the state are exposed to, the Jammu and Kashmir Government now wants them to absorb themes of love, harmony and ecology, says a report in the ‘Indian Express’.

A Debt Repaid

Mon, 28 Jul 2003 18:45:27 +0000

February 14: More than 60 years ago, the Maharaja of Jamnagar, a princely state in Gujarat, offered shelter to 600 Polish child refugees who had got orphaned during the Second World War. The children were housed near Balachadi, near Jamnagar. It was a deed that the Poles did not forget.

For, as the news of the devastating earthquake that hit Gujarat spread across the world on January 26, the Polish government was among the first foreign nations to rush in with aid. And, a part of the relief material was specially earmarked for the children of Jamnagar, says a recent report in ‘The Indian Express’.

Sudan President's Arrest Ordered By International Criminal Court

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:56:57 +0000

Where: The Hague, Netherlands

March 18, 2009 : The International Criminal Court (ICC)* issued a warrant for the arrest of Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir on March 4, 2009 and charged him with committing war crimes and humanitarian crimes resulting in thousands of deaths. The victims of this genocide are the tribal minorities of Sudan’s Darfur region. Omar al-Bashir, a military dictator, has been supplying funds and arms to the militia group that is actually carrying out the brutal war. Over 300,000 people have died, and around 2.5 million have been forced to leave their homes.

How Did Advertising Start in India?

Fri, 24 Nov 2000 21:41:42 +0000

The first newspaper in India was brought out by an Englishman James Augustus Hickey in 1780 who was stationed at Calcutta. The paper was brought out on Saturdays and was first called the Calcutta General Advertiser or Hickey’s Bengal Gazette.

Publishing a newspaper is an expensive business as Hickey realised to his cost. He was losing money faster than the newspapers came out of the printing press. To make ends meet, Hickey decided to take on advertisements or ads.