March 20th - International Day of Happiness/World Sparrow day!

Today, March 20th, marks the UN International day of Happiness as well as the World Sparrow day!

The purpose of the International day of happiness is to recognize the value of happiness in our lives, acknowledge the privilege that it is to be happy and create awareness. 

Since for me, happiness and sparrows have a strong connection since childhood, it is a delightful coincidence that both these days are celebrated on the same day every year! 

We grew up watching sparrows fly in and out of our homes, build nests in roof corners and crevices, feed their young and relish the rice grains that we gave them to eat. They are active birds who spread a lot of joy with their sweet chirping and of course keep our house free from pests & insects. So many of our childhood stories had the presence of the humble sparrow, making our evenings beautiful and our imagination soar!

The sparrow is a lesson in itself in thriving in the face of adversity and having very successful rates of survival in new continents and countries where they were introduced by man. They were masters at coexisting with humans, while also keeping their 'wild animals' status intact. Sparrows are known to travel hundreds of kilometers in a year and have been seen as high as the observation deck of the Empire State building!

Although ranked as 'least concern' in the International Union of Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) red list, their population has been declining at an alarming rate throughout the world. This is very much related to high levels of pollution, climate change, water/food scarcity and extreme increase in human population. It has now become very hard to spot sparrows in cities in India. 

Luckily, we still observe them on a daily basis, coming to drink water and eat the grains that we put out for them, along with other birds. It takes very little for us humans to include animals around us in our everyday life by providing few basic necessities. These all add up in helping maintain the delicate ecosystem, food web and ecological balance, which is very important. Every living being has a role in the ecosystem and the more we destroy natural habitats and ignore the order of nature, the more repercussions we will need to face.

Happy World Sparrow day and International day of Happiness. May we derive our happiness from helping other living beings and just letting them live! 

#Internationaldayofhappiness #worldsparrowday #happiness #happy #world #earth #sparrow #birds #society #cities #urban #animals #ecosystem #balance #saveanimals #savebirds #adaptability #thrive

International Women's Day 2023

This International Women's Day,

Fight for:

Equal pay

Inclusiveness

Equity

Equality

Fight against:

Abuse & violence

Gender bias

Discrimination

#InternationalWomensDay #EmbraceEquity #EqualityForAll #discrimination #genderbias #abuse #EqualPay #Gender

World Obesity Day 2023

Prevention is best & genetics can be managed! Obesity can be prevented or managed with mindfulness, diet, physical activity & medication in some cases. Hence the theme for the World Obesity Day 2023, "Changing perspectives - Let's talk about obesity" is precisely the need of the hour!

Simple steps like getting good nutrition, plenty of physical activity, sufficient sleep and consciously reducing stress will all help in weight management, which in turn helps maintain a healthy BMI.

It is vital that there is awareness of conditions that obesity can cause including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, dyslipidemia and other diseases including mental illnesses.

World Obesity Day also puts a spotlight on the need for increased research and investment in R&D to understand the causes and potential solutions to this epidemic better.

By developing new potential solutions, increasing public awareness, and promoting healthy lifestyle choices, let's progress towards a healthier world.

#worldobesityday #obesity #prevention #diet #nutrition #genetics #mindfulness #exercise #physicalactivity #stress #research #researchanddevelopment #stressmanagement #lifestyle #health #physicalhealth #Veritadyne

Jamshedji Tata - an inspiration!

Commemorating the life & legacy of Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata - a man of extraordinary vision, prodigious fortitude, and unyielding industriousness - at 184.

In the words of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, who called him a 'One Man Planning Commission' - "When you have to give the lead in action, in ideas – a lead which does not fit in with the very climate of opinion – that is true courage, physical or mental or spiritual, call it what you like, and it is this type of courage and vision that Jamshedji Tata showed. It is right that we should honour his memory and remember him as one of the big founders of modern India."

#JamshedjiTata#JamdetjiTata #JNTata #tata #Jamshedpur #India #Industry #Steel #tatasteel #founders #planning

World Wildlife Day 2023

World Wildlife Day 2023

Theme: Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation

Every 3rd of March, wildlife is celebrated all over the world for the UN World Wildlife Day.

As the theme rightly indicates, UN agencies, private sector, charities, NGOs and every individual have to work together for conservation, sustainability and in the fight against illegal trade of wildlife.

Wildlife is not a resource but the very core of life on Earth. For meaningful & effective conservation, think beyond alliances of commercial profit, self-serving influence & coercive propaganda to forge a true partnership with Nature at an individual level.

Don't be just a wildlife enthusiast; be a committed conservationist!

#WorldWildlifeDay #conservation #sustainability #UnitedNations #illegalwildlifetrade #partnership #nature #wildlife #earth #veritadyne

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

This year marks the Indian presidency of the G20. India plans to use this to create a unified global health accelerator whereby the world is united in its health preparedness to tackle global emergencies efficiently.

One of the first tweets that I have seen from the government rightfully focussed on antimicrobial resistance and creating an awareness about it in the form of a quiz. Since this is such an important topic, I am writing this article to put down some thoughts on AMR, causes and effective ways of dealing with it. 

What is antimicrobial resistance (AMR)? 

AMR happens when microbes of any kind (bacterial, viral or fungal) develop mechanisms that help them to evolve, thereby resisting the effects of the antimicrobial medicine used against them. That means they can't be easily destroyed and treating them in a patient becomes very hard or sometimes impossible, leading unfortunately to death!

Main cause of AMR?

Mainly overuse or misuse of antimicrobials by individuals for themselves, in farming and livestock rearing are all causes. 

Another major cause is improper disposal of:

• Unused antimicrobials
• Water and waste segregation that does not focus on the leaching of medicines into the environment

Why is AMR a cause for concern?

From data in 2019, about 700,000 people die of infections caused due to resistant pathogens every year world over.

In addition to this, the pollution of our environment and water due to improper disposal of unused antimicrobials is also another big problem, leading to further AMR being developed by all kind of microbes leading to creation of 'superbugs'. 

What corrective measures/awareness is required in an individual capacity?

1. Antibiotics should only be consumed when absolutely required and prescribed by a doctor. They should also be taken in the right way, the right dosage and completion of a full course, as not doing this could also lead to AMR. 
2. Disposal of antimicrobial drugs - Please read more about the individual drug and manufacturer's recommendations. Some have take-back policies, some have collection sites to receive drugs back, mail-back programs, or recommended safe options to discard at home. 

However, not all countries have these options and many governments do not require pharmaceutical companies to take responsibility for the proper disposal of unused/expired medicines. 

Need of the hour?

Humankind now needs governments, with their policies in place and pharma companies, with their moral & ethical responsibility to step up and do the needful. 

In India for example, The Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) Rules, 2016 categorises expired drugs rightfully as 'domestic hazardous waste' and mandates that they be segregated, stored in separate bins and disposed in line with the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 that mandate that the drugs be incinerated at high temperatures.

Unfortunately, due to poor enforcement of the MSWM policies, there is poor management of hazardous waste, including unused/expired drugs & antimicrobials in the country. Waste segregation is an important area for the country where there is a lot of improvement, but policies have to be made clear and their implementation tight to bring everything together to fruition. 

Shared responsibility:

This responsibility for safe discarding of medicines however cannot begin and end with governments alone. Pharmaceutical companies, wholesalers and distributers of medicines, hospitals and any other relevant industry partners should step up and this should be considered a legal responsibility. Very importantly, this properly defined method/flow of medicines will also prevent illegal secondary trade of controlled use medicines.

Other important government stakeholders like pollution control boards, drug regulation boards and other important groups in society are also going to play a vital role in proper implementation of responsibility on the ground! Transparent and well-defined policies and procedures will be vital if this is to be successful.

The above issues are true of many developed and most developing countries, and one would hope that the efforts of the G20 in unifying healthcare response also tastes success in implementing certain universal policies such as safe disposal of antimicrobials to safeguard our environment.

#G20 #G20health #antimicrobials #antimicrobialresistance #antibiotics #antibioticresistance #AMR #governments #policies #law #legal #responsibility #sustainability #socialresponsibility #India #water #land #environment #pollution #waste #wastesegregation #pharmaceuticals #health #implementation #management

Happy Birthday Smt. Sarojini Naidu!

A proponent of civil rights, women's emancipation, and anti-imperialistic ideas, Smt Bharat Kokila Sarojini Naidu was not only an important person in India's struggle for independence from colonial rule but remains one of the most inspiring role models across the world!

Fierce nationalist; freedom fighter; women's emancipation, social welfare, & civil rights proponent; writer; poet; and India's first woman governor!

Tireless crusader and architect of modern India! These below pictures speak volumes about her capabilities and achievements.

#sarojininaidu #civilrights #nationalist #governor #poet #writer #socialwelfare #society #India #rolemodel

From Darkness to (moon)Light - India's Services Sector in Need of Enlightenment

"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world." - Oscar Wilde

What is Moonlighting? 

Very simply put, people taking up extra work other than their full-time job, which is traditionally expected to be 9 to 5, without informing their current employer, is called moonlighting. 

Recently this whole discussion came to the fore in India when Wipro's chairman Rishad Premji tweeted "There is a lot of chatter about people moonlighting in the tech industry. This is cheating - plain and simple."

Following this, last week, Wipro also sacked 300 employees stating the same reason, further explaining that they also worked for Wipro's competitors. Following suit, TCS, Infosys and IBM have also warned their employees that moonlighting is unethical and will lead to disciplinary action or even termination. 

However, Tech Mahindra CEO, C P Gurnani, recently said that it is required to change with the times and also said, "I welcome disruption in the ways we work". 

India's Union minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, yesterday joined this debate by tweeting in support of employees moonlighting if they wish to use their skills and time to expand their work, which will also help the country with talent deficit. He has strongly recommended companies to embrace this change and not to suppress talent & the very intention to innovate.

Satya Nadella, the CEO of Micrsoft, went one step further and coined a new term "Productivity Paranoia", which is companies feeling their employees are not being their productive best, leading to unwelcome activities such as spying on the employees. Microsoft firmly believes that employee surveillance is just wrong and in today's hybrid work models, to bridge the gap between what employers and employees want is of utmost importance. Employers should in fact be more concerned about employee burn-out as worktime and 'other' time have completely blurred following the imposed WFH culture due to the pandemic.

It is my opinion that people must have the freedom to work on what they want in their own time (i.e. time not paid for by an employer). Most companies do have 'Non-disclosure' agreements (NDAs) and ‘Non-compete’ clauses (NCCs) in work contracts which employees commit to, which should cover any ethical concerns. Employees on the other hand could avoid conscientiously working for a direct competitor and should definitely not engage in unethical practices which will only spoil it for everyone as seen in the case of Wipro. 

Of concern, however, is in the loose definition of 'competitor'. Big conglomerates could even consider a start-up as competition and thus stop employees from utilising their private time to work pretty much anywhere within a sector which would otherwise benefit from access to their skills. This could be the primary reason for employees to leave other work undisclosed. 

It should be deemed unethical for companies to have a blanket contract that prohibits employees from taking up any other paid work. Not only is this treatment of employees as bonded labour antediluvian, but it is also plain unconscionable and does not fit in a digitally mobile world, especially post COVID! Employees must stand up for their rights, including that of privacy, and reject such contracts. NDAs and NCCs, on the other hand, need to be rational and clearly articulate a company’s terms, which must be explained to prospective/current employees, giving them a fair chance to accept, come clean, or reject the terms. Such mechanism can help mitigate perceived threats of moonlighting and develop an atmosphere of trust in which employees are self-motivated to ensure ethical conduct and can feel safe disclosing their other commitments. 

 More than policies and policing, it is a company’s culture which will define whether moonlighting becomes a threat or an engine of positive transformation for both employer and the employee.

Hyena Ballerina - A lively story of hope for kids of all ages!

An optimistic story of a Hyena, dropped from auditions due to her looks, but who perseveres and becomes the star of another show; a show which appreciates the diversity that she brings. Lessons for corporates presented in a fun way with lively illustrations!

Like it, Share it, and Subscribe to Little Dragon Reader's channel here: https://cutt.ly/vyBdAEW

Nabiya - A moving story that encourages kids to read!

Little Dragon Reader is back with this inspiring story about a little girl's initiation into the wonderful world of books & reading by an understanding and dedicated teacher. The beautiful illustrations evoke excellent imagination of her world, especially with her good friend and how she journeys into the world of reading.

Nabiya - A Moving Story that Encourages Kids to Read! - YouTube

#kids #reading #story #KidsBooks #kidsreading #books #illustrations #book #friendship #bookstore #teacher #education #learning #motivation

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https://youtu.be/-uRJXqEKejY

Tamil Nadu school events this summer!

Teaching – a calling which I have always been passionate about, and an important aspect of my academic and professional journey thus far – is central to fostering a cultivated society. And despite pandemic-induced disruptions and the proliferation of new modes of teaching, schools remain indispensable centres of vital interactions, knowledge exchange, and holistic learning that students carry with them all their lives.

This summer I had the privilege of being invited for two school events in Tamil Nadu, India. 

As the guest of honour at a vision health camp for students at Government High School - Karunkuzhi, in Tamil Nadu's Kancheepuram district (an important seat of learning since time immemorial), I was delighted to have the opportunity to interact with students from grades 10 to 12.

My address, to have been delivered in the school auditorium, was instead - by delightful happenstance - conducted outdoors to accommodate the wider student body. Under the shade of beautiful trees and amidst the buzz of young minds, I engaged with them across a broad spectrum of topics including the process of education and pathways to learning, higher education in India and abroad, traditional and non-traditional career options, research and technology, and so much more.

What I really enjoyed were the interactions with various student groups and individuals who I found to be extremely bright, confident, and very well informed about regional, national, and international developments. During these discussions we spoke on pertinent aspects including social responsibility, women's health, substance abuse, and confronting socio-economic challenges. I was pleasantly delighted to hear of one student discussing in front of the whole audience her dreams of becoming a dancer. I was very happy to see her not shying away from discussing her question in public and was even more surprised to hear how she had already started making international enquiries to unlikely countries as far as South Korea! She knew of scholarship possibilities and was ready to go if she was lucky to get one!

In my interactions with the Headmistress and faculty, I commended them on their academia-related undertakings and also for effectively fulfilling a variety of administrative requirements that are being meticulously followed-up and assessed by the state government. While there is a huge scope of improvement in Government funded schools, I understood all the many challenges that the school administration and staff face and some of the steps they take to perform better. 

It was also a privilege to be invited as an honoured guest of the Social Education and Rural Development (SERD) Trust, in Tamil Nadu’s Kancheepuram district, for their recent student outreach initiative supporting the National Securities Depository Limited’s (NSDL) nation-wide ‘Chalo, School Chale’ campaign. As part of this campaign, NSDL is providing under-privileged students with educational kits comprising essential items to supplement their learning.

It was amazing to see the energy and excitement of young students who truly cherish their time at school among friends. What more could I say to this electric bunch other than to stay excited and reach for the stars…come what may!

Being actively and very successfully rolled-out by NSDL across Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Kolkata, Mangalore, and also across various sub-urban areas, SERD is to be congratulated for their efforts in helping this meaningful campaign find its way to a small rural school in Kancheepuram dist.

#school #schools #education #chennai #learn #learning #tamilnadu #chengalpet #kanchipuram #serd #nsdl #government #governmentschools #teaching #teachers #challenges #interactions #women #girl #student #students #privilege #opportunity