Business Strategy e-Magazine March 2022

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MARCH 2022 | ISSUE 21 BUSINESS E-magazine $3.99 Buy on Amazone magzter STRATEGY FEATURED India Budget 2022-23: A Glimpse Role of NBA in implementation of New Education Policy of India INTERNATIONAL WPX – Success Story of Independent Financial & Technology Company INTERNATIONAL WPX – Success Story of Independent Financial & Technology Company WORKPLACE HEALTH Subjugate Over-explaining- Neeta Pant HUMAN RESOURCES Camaraderie Not Carnal- Prospering Together In A Small Business With POSH CAREER All You Need to Know About Metaverse TRAVEL DIARY Solo Travel At Least Once – Harmit Ahuja ASTRO

CONTENT

www.Vaneetaa.com

www.Lstrategyq.com

www.bizemag.com

CURRENT CRYPTOCURRENCY SCENARIO IN INDIA

Everywhere around there is a lot of turmoil regarding cryptocurrency. The transient crypto winter is not the only reason for this buzz. Instead, the 2022 Union Finance budget of India has a larger role to play for the buzz. The honorable finance minister of India through the budget has laid significant emphasis on the cryptocurrency condition in India. There have been numerous positive steps proposed that are supposedly going to elevate the cryptocurrency position in India

The CBDC project of the central finance ministry is supposed to give an unprecedented boost to cryptocurrency. With the history of money in India entering the phase of renaissance, there is an upcoming wave of leaving the traditional monetary system and entering the new digital currency phase.

Well, here are a few numbers that you may be interested in:

Currently, 7.30% of the total Indian population are cryptocurrency owners. This number makes India the fifth country in the list of countries with a considerable number of crypto holders. Ukraine is at the top. That means over 100 million people in India are already successful crypto owners and that undoubtedly proves why the Union Ministry has taken up such positive steps for the proliferation of Crypto Currency Status in India.

Send your feedback & entries to contact@bizemag.com

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Disclaimer - The Magazine producers and editors are not responsible for any views, opinions and information provided by the writers. The content produced here is copyright of Business strategy e-magazine and cannot be reproduced in part or full form without official approval. Any graphics depicted within the magazine are solely for symbolic representation and are taken from stock free options.

INDIA BUDGET 2022-23: A GLIMPSE

The country was indeed looking keenly at the Union Finance Department for the budget of 2022. Not only was this budget crucial because the pandemic has almost disabled the economy but now there is a high time of a solid intervention from the Finance department. One of the many ways that the government could help out the mass population was through a strong pedestal; through the union budget. The budget of 2022 was a mixed basket with some policies that were extremely beneficial for the mass public and a great bpost for the industries, while some of the policies were not satisfactory. Let us have a quick look at the Indian Fiscal Budget for the year 2022:

The budget was presented to the Indian Citizens on 1st February. The main target of this budget was stated as giving the much-needed boost to the infrastructure of the industries that will promote and target long-term sustainable development and growth of the Indian economy. While the income tax slabs were left unchanged, there were major policies to promote crypto proliferation in India. The introduction of a 30 % flat crypto tax rate was a major change of policies. Unlike the expectations that were apprehensive of an increase in the rate of standard deduction because of the ongoing pandemic-induced inflation, they were left the same.

AMRIT KAL

India is fast progressing towards the 100th year of its Independence and the union ministry is keenly taking up multiple steps to make its journey worth memorable. The main goal of the Fiscal Budget of 2022, is to lay down a strategic plan for the betterment of India’s growth and development not only fiscal but across every parameter. The primary target under this flagship of Amrit Kal development, as outlined by the Union Finance Minister is to :

• Focus on the optimistic growth and development while taking up the inclusive welfare strategy across paradigms.

• To emphasize the greater use and development of technology-oriented development in India in a panoramic aspect.

• The budget also outlines a goal for sustainable energy development and combating various derogatory climate changes that are deeply affecting the Indian lives

• The Budget of 2022 laid down a milestone and paved a way for the fabrication of private and public funding projects. The amalgamation of public and private investments in various sectors and projects received prime focus in this year’s budget.

Some of the most important facets of the Union Budget that are aimed at Amrit Kaal attainment were:

• Inclusive development

• Highlighting PM Gatishakti

• Enhancing Investment Opportunities

• Taking various climate actions and a positive outlook towards green energy transitions

• Finance investments at various scales and multiple tiers

AMPLIFY STATE’S FISCAL SPACE

The financial assistance to Indian states from the union finance ministry was escalated from Rs.10,000 crore to Rs.15, 000 crores which is a great boost to the state economies. Moreover, Rs.1 lakh crore will be given as assistance to the states to catalyze greater investments. To bring about dynamicity in the state operations, 50-year interest-free loans provision will be enhanced. Along with these major steps, states will be allowed a massive fiscal deficit of close to 4% of their GDP, and even better than 0.5 % of this shall be integrated into the power sector.

EDUCATION

To enhance the status of children’s education across the country and to bridge the unwanted gap that the pandemic had caused in the education sector for the past 2 years, the One Class-One TV channel program is launched which is under the flagship of the Prime Minister's E-Vidya Yojna. Also, virtual labs and e-labs will be facilitated to promote the better learning of practical lessons. The integration of digital and virtual technical assistance in education is to be promoted throughout. The budget allocates funds for each of these programs along with allocating resources for the set up of digital universities and promoting personalization of education,

SAKSHAM ANGANWADI

2 lakhs saksham (independent) anganwadis are to be set up so that women and children can receive the necessary nutrition and healthcare opportunities along with basic education at the grass-roots level. It is going to be a part of Mission Shakti and Mission Vatsalaya.

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The existing anganwadis are to be upgraded under the Saksham Anganwadi and Posham 2.0 scheme. This is to provide a better and integrated approach towards women and child care goal attainments.

CLIMATE ACTIONS AND ENERGY TRANSITIONS

The promotion of solar energy shall be facilitated by the additional investment of 19,500 crore INR towards the development of efficient solar modules. This is an important approach towards the 280 GW mission whose deadline is 2030. Also, the biomass pellets in thermal power plants have been escalated to 5-7%. Various projects shall be found that will help set up four pilot programs for the conversion of coal into other chemical formats. The government is trying to promote agroforestry by giving incentives to local farmers and farmers of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes to take up agroforestry as a profession. Stubble burning in agricultural fields is being strictly forbidden.

HIGHER-ORDER TECHNOLOGY

To aim higher in the technical dimensions, the government is going to allocate huge funding towards sunrise opportunities. Emphasis is going to be given towards the Research & Development :

• Artificial Intelligence

• Semi-Conductors

• Drones

• Geospatial System

• Green Energy Technology

• Mobility Systems

• Space Economy

BANKING SECTOR

Undoubtedly the Union Budget paid enormous heed to the lifeline of financial operation in Inia and that is none other than the banking system. Just like various other projects, the government has taken up an integration approach for the banking sector as well. The existing 1.5 lakh post offices are all to be included in the pipeline of the core banking system in India. Also, 75 Digital Banking Units are to be set up primarily in 75 districts across the country to help bring effective digitization and technological advancement in the banking sector.

CRYPTO TAX

This has literally been the buzzing sensation of this year’s Union budget. Almost everybody is scrutinizing this faucet of the union budget. For developing countries like India where digitization has not been panoramic, it is indeed a great step on the part of the Union government to prioritize and give a push to the Crypto domain. Through the Budget of 2022, the Union Ministry has set clear goals and purposes and demarcated the various areas of taxation related to cryptocurrency.

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Virtual assets and cryptocurrencies will be taxed at a flat rate of 30%. Also, another very important feature is the TDS deduction rate on virtual assets. It has been kept at only 1% for transactions above the threshold value. Not only business transactions but the gifts that are sent and received across the crypto platform will also be taxed likewise.

HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT

The finance budget also carved out the initiative for robust healthcare system management. The healthcare system in India is better than most other developing countries. However, one faucet that it lacks is the proper management and s standard database that will have an accurate record of the system. The Finance budget of 2022 proposed for the creation of an open platform that will promote and roll out the National Digital Health Ecosystem. This standard and mammoth database system will have accurate records and entries of all the healthcare workers, beneficiaries, and healthcare facilities.

This giant database will tag every beneficiary and worker with unique healthcare codes that will help the system much more organized and easier for the Union Health Ministry to have exact figures and accurate track records of the entire healthcare system. The creation of such an integrated healthcare system management database is definitely going to be a unique step towards the consolidation of India’s healthcare management system.

ROADWAYS EXPANSION

Apart from the Healthcare system, the Union Budget of 2022, also focuses on another welfare objective and it is none other than Highway Expansion. The government has planned out a 25000 km national highway expansion by the year 2023. The logistics for the projects are planned out to be multimodal and in a PP mode. Well, PPP mode refers to Public-Private partnerships. That means these projects will be a government and private sector collaboration. That shall hopefully enhance the effectiveness and work capacity of the entire integrated healthcare system of India.

FISCAL DEFICIT

The higher pegging of fiscal deficits has been one of the major lookouts of the Budget of 2022. The fiscal deficit of India is almost rising to the level of 6.9 percent of the total GDP. There is a huge gap between the expected expenditure and the resource mobilization. The expenditure is expected to be close to around 39.45 lacks vehicle the resource mobilization is expected to be somewhere close to 22. 84 lacs INR. The gap is huge and the union plans to bridge the gap by cutting down the fiscal deficit to 6.4 percent.

FINAL WORDS

The Union Budget 2022 received a heterogeneous reaction. This is precise because a pandemic hit the economy at its lowest development phase was expecting more immediate reliefs and packages to help rescue the people rather than such long-term plans.

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ROLE OF NBA IN IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW EDUCATION POLICY OF INDIA

Dr. Vaneeta Aggarwal, Founder of Bizemag Media had opportunity to talk to Dr. KK Aggarwal, Chairman National Board of Accreditation, India

Here is the video link: https://youtu.be/tCDNAyYiI58 and the interview

Dr. Vaneeta Aggarwal 00:01

Good morning sir welcome to Bizemag media and L’strategyq advisors. We welcome you and thank you for sparing your time for this discussion upon role of NBA and into implementation of NEP. Sorry another audio is coming, I have to stop that Thank you Sorry for the inconvenience. For my audience, which is mostly comprising of higher education professionals, you already know about Dr. KK Agarwal, who is chairman of National Board of Accreditation India, and plays a key role into founding several Institute’s all across India. I will not go into biography- detailed biography of Sir, because we all well know about this great personality into Indian higher education skies.

Dr. KK Aggarwal 01:05

Thank You so Much Vaneeta

Dr. Vaneeta Aggarwal 01:07

Sir, my first question to you is now that new education policy has been drafted, then passed, and now is in the process of implementation across higher education as well as school education. What do you think would be changes in the accreditation process, in order to implement the new education policy

Dr. KK Aggarwal 01:32

there are two things which I like to point out :1) accreditation over the period of years is going to be mandatory. For example, the new education policy clearly says that the new norm of regulation will be accreditation there’s this intense meaning thereby, that an institution which is not accredited, will not be able to stay for long time. So, that is one very major change. Reason is simple, because accreditation is normally an exercise which will take after the institution has been in existence for 4 or 5-6 years. So obviously, the basic parameters have been

setting. On the other hand, the initial approvals are normally given on Greenfield so therefore, at that time to assess the quality of everything is just not possible and therefore to give meaning to accreditation as a sort of permission to exist after you have been tried out for five six years makes much more sense. Number one, 2) So if you have to if you have to accredit all such institutions, which are at the moment about 50,000 in numbers in higher education, even if the institution’s going for crusting, which is the requirement of the new education policy, because we really believe an institution which has 100 students at all, or 200 students at all, cannot really bring in the quality, particularly from the point of view of private higher education, because it can’t even break even to point sufficient number of teachers and all that, but even if all the clustering takes place, still The work volume will be very, very high. Therefore, in the new education policy, we have conceived of a body which is called national accreditation concept, which into earlier will mean that we may have more than two accreditation agencies in the country. At the moment, we have only two NAC and NBA, but we probably will have to increase many more to take care of the law. And third point is in the national education policy. We clearly say the goal of education will be outcome based education, which has been the philosophy of NBA all through its existence. Because we do believe input based education really doesn’t ensure the results, outcome based education where you first define the expectations of a graduate and then work backwards. That has been the philosophy And that’s a third point which has been re-emphasizing, NDP. So I think from these three angles, the role of accreditation is going to be very, very strong.

And I think it should be because unless accreditation is there and is made mandatory, many institutions, which just run to have some sort of, you know, system

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Dr. KK Aggarwal

of education, but not done in a proper manner, in appropriately, in order to have a healthy teaching learning environment at place, this will enforce the institutions to upgrade themselves also.

Dr. KK Aggarwal 05:39

That’s perfectly fine. Because, see, accreditation is nothing like rocket science. So when I have seen, even if you’re just above average institution, doing some basic things, in theory, you get a critic, it’s not that we want something very, super from you for a accreditation. But if you don’t have even those basic parameters, for example, our six basic parameters are do you have enough number of teachers? do you have qualified teachers? Do you have reasonable placement? Do you have sufficiently qualified faculty? Are you getting

sufficient number of students to be admitted to your institution? So these are some basic parameters only, which we are testing in the first place. Now, if you can’t meet even those are, then I would be making a probably strong statement. I said, What right you have got to exist if you can’t make even basic parameters. And I invariably tell the institutions when I address our success rate, for those who meet the basic pre qualifiers is about 85%-90%. So it’s not that the rejection rate is very high. But the institutions themselves know that they are not worthy of accreditation, they don’t even apply. Because they cannot. And I invariably say why do you expect parents and students who trust you, when you don’t trust yourself? So therefore, you’re very right, that accreditation will have to be mandatory. It’s a different matter that we might have to go in for the accreditation in the sense that Okay, first cycle way allows

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accord. Now if a graduate from an NBA accredited institution goes to any of these 20 countries He will be allowed to practice engineering that is the advantage because we 21 countries we meet every year and find out what are the changes possible in engineering education and all that. For example, last time we met, we we did consciously decide to work on. For example, should creativity be made a formal requirement, should Sustainable Development be made a formal requirement of engineering education. So, it’s a dynamic process. But advantage of this is that once you get NBA accreditation, you really don’t have to get any other accreditation from the world.

you to get accreditation, giving you higher targets for the next cycle and so on and so far.

Dr. Vaneeta Aggarwal 07:26

And sir what are the different kinds of accreditation as I was going through the website of NBA, and times

Dr. KK Aggarwal 07:35

I heard a word or only to one which call as binary accreditation, which is yes or no. And secondaries graded accreditation, in binary accreditation, we just say either you are accredited, or you are not accredited. But in the graded accreditation, we either give grades or we get accreditation for three years, five years, six years to try to differentiate. Ah, word over it is believed that finally you should go to binary accreditation, yes or no. But in the intervening years, probably we will have to go to credit accreditation, but all institutions, because if I have the same standards for CIT, an average private engineering college, or same standards for aims, or a private medical college, things may not be easy to work out. So we’ll probably have to go for graded accreditation at least for 1015 years, before we stabilise the system to at least a minimum acceptable level. And finally, it will have to be binary identities.

Dr. Vaneeta Aggarwal 08:42

Right? And what is this Washington a code?

Dr. KK Aggarwal 08:45

Oh, Washington, Washington accord. Anita is only for engineering education, number one. Number two, it is a sort of MOU, which is which was signed in Washington therefore it’s called Washington accord. It’s a number of countries. When it started, it was six or seven. Today it is 21 countries which are part of Washington accord. And every year some new country enters. And the basic philosophy is that the 31 countries which form the signatories to Washington accord, ensure that engineering education in their country is equivalent to all these countries. And Washington accord has countries like USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, etc, etc. So India became a signatory to this Washington accord about 10 years ago, or nine years ago. And philosophy is if a graduate from the NBA is a member of the Washington

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Dr. Vaneeta Aggarwal 10:45

So basically, it is smooth transition for a student who has done engineering from an NBA credit Institute to be able to go to any of these member countries, or to pursue research

Dr. KK Aggarwal 10:58

That is one and second is our confidence that our engineering standards are equivalent to best in the world because the 21 countries which include I have told you the best country, the most developed countries, now, if you’re striving to give the same standards, that obviously gives you the confidence on quality of education.

Dr. Vaneeta Aggarwal 11:21

And so, is there any plan to extend this kind of arrangement for STEM subjects like not only engineering and like economics is very highly take like, I should say, is the highly prioritised subject of study for many Indian students nowadays. So, are there any plans of extending such kind of arrangement for these studies subject also

Dr. KK Aggarwal 11:47

obviously, Vaneeta, there is I am talking about the Washington accord because NBA is concerned only with engineering education or architecture, education or pharmacy education. Therefore, we deal with Washington, but there are some & several arrangements like this, for example, an architectural education there is another arrangement like this, which we are in line with workI and I hope very soon we will have an agreement for architecture education also the word level. Similarly, NAC has entered into another international arrangement, which is applicable for different subjects or different arrangements are there at the word, so we will have to explore many of those to go into because accreditation worldwide is believe has to be programmed by the accreditation, because the institutional accreditation is not the highest level of quality now, because no institution can have all programmes of the same high quality at any point of time. And therefore word over his programme is equivocation. So we will have to explore programme wise international arrangements, but there are many such arrangements. And once we go to NSE, we’ll probably have to find out all such and become members upon those.

Dr. Vaneeta Aggarwal 13:07

That’s great to hear. And Sir my next question was, as we talked about, accreditation is also one of the basic parameters, well qualified faculty members. So how do we, you know, manage? Or how do we put a kind of stamping on who is good qualified and who is not so good qualified, for example, if I take example of PhD, we know certain universities in certain Institutes, tier one institutes definitely

they take great pains when they award PhD to a student, and there is a great lot of international research, which goes into it. But how do we maintain that same quality into tier two institutes also, who are rolling out PhDs.

Dr. KK Aggarwal 13:54

Aa, I agree with your observation Vaneeta. And we are concerned with the talents because I am aware that some of the institutions are going low in quality. First thing I like to clarify is Washington accord is only for tier one institutions. So when we talk about international comparison, these institutions that you are talking of are out of the picture at all, is only for tier one institutions to be in there. Secondly, we will have to gradually try to work on this. Because why it happened was because when PhD became compulsory qualification, there was a mad race for acquiring PhD. And that’s what happened. So whenever, I personally believe, we should plan long term, we should have thought 50 years ago that we will need so many PhDs and start working on this. But if we just think one fine morning, from next year, we need four times PhDs then something like this will happen is natural. So therefore, first thing, which I think iscountry should , education is not a short term planning proposal. Education has to be a long term planning proposal. So we should work out how many PhD really, well which institutions should be allowed, so on and so far. And then gradually, for example, earlier, we did it in system publications, now we insist on publications, then we insist on citation. So gradually, we will have to work on the quality of PhD. But I share your concern, we’ll have to still work more in this direction. Maybe in the near NEP, we have a another sort of body promise, which is National Research Foundation, when the National Research Foundation is set up, maybe we can give more meaningful quantifiable criteria to these things. But I repeat, we have to work this.

Dr. Vaneeta Aggarwal 15:57

And Sir, my last question is, Your journey has been inspiration to many. So like from an engineer, to an academic faculty member to founder of one of the biggest university in Delhi. Now to Chairman of NBA. How do you see it? And how do you inspire some of the higher education leaders now upcoming leaders, young leaders? what are the motivations? And what are the basic things that they should keep in mind to go on this kind of path, which this path is actually which tells me that it is a passionate about education? you have been passionate about education and building standards to education?

Dr. KK Aggarwal 16:50

Yeah, I agree Vaneeta. I think to be on a personal note, I think it is probably only once, when I defied my teachers who wanted me to join engineering profession, and

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not become, my teacher did not want me to become a teacher. That was an unfortunate part of life. But I had to defy them, I had to tell them, that my passion is teaching allow me to do that. And after five, seven years of my success, they realised that I was meant for teaching. First of all, teaching Yes, it’s a profession. Like all other professions, you also need salary, you also need the support to your family and all that. But basically, if you don’t have passion, you can never be a good teacher, I think one of the essential attribute of a teacher will have to be either you have the important passion, or you learn to be passionate. Well, one can say whether it can be learned or not. And I believe a quote, which said that better than any other innovation of the last century is the statement that the attitudes can be changed. That’s an innovation higher than all scientific innovation, that your attitudes can be changed. So if you offer teaching, please develop a mission. And I whenever you do a second vocation and all that, I think only one sentence, if a teacher makes the students believe that he or she is there. Well, Bashar, I think everything else is taken care of. Our first responsibility as a teacher is to make all my students believe that whatever I do, even if I punish them, even when I fail them, I’m there wellwisher. And there may not be time, but I can count countless incidents of my life, where I dismissed the student for a year and still

is grateful to me, we failed I said if you fail your student you are doing your duty you are not punishing. So if you can imbibe that confidence, and for that, number one, you have to be passionate. Number two, you have to be dutiful. Number three, you have to be totally impartial. You cannot be partisan, and then passionate. And number four, you must be keeping yourself up to date so that you can inspire your next generation. If you are not up to date, you can never inspire your next generation. So if you invite these basic characteristics, I found it’s not a very difficult thing to do that and maybe extra factor God has been very kind to me to bless me that I can stay focus and I can probably help some others also to be motivated and inspire. I think that’s my good luck and I wish it stays with me.

Dr. Vaneeta Aggarwal 19:40

Thank you so much sir. And it was like hearing wisdom of pearls directly from the leader himself. And this will be one of my previous interviews for my Bizemag magazine and media. Thank you so much once again

Dr. KK Aggarwal 20:00

thank you Vaneeta and thank you Bizemag for giving me this opportunity I hope it serves the purpose Thank you very much

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WPX SUCCESS STORY OF INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL & TECHNOLOGY COMPANY

WPX is a WordPress hosting company founded in 2013 by Terry Kyle and Georgi Petrov with the main aim of fixing the WordPress hosting business and fight its mediocrity.

WPX creates its product with the pure aim to empower clients’ own purpose. Whether their purpose is to bring about a big change in the world, or to achieve a small change in their personal life, WPX supports them in doing so.

Terry and Georgi’s vast experience in the hosting space helped them build a company that avoided the common pitfalls of many hosts on the market - things like slow support, broken promises of “unlimited” plans that turned out be very overloaded, mediocre servers struggling to cope with normal traffic loads. That’s why SPEED and RELIABLE TECH SUPPORT are the backbone of WPX. Because you can’t make compromises when it comes to website loading speed & helping your clients in the best way possible when they need you.

HOW WAS WPX PROCLAIMED THE FASTEST WORDPRESS HOSTING?

The company has its own content delivery network (CDN) with over 26 global endpoints, who provide topspeed page loading and high uptime rates. Having their own CDN means that WPX can fully optimize it to work with own customized technology stack in order to achieve exceptional, class-leading page loading speed.

All inputs through the years helped WPX receive the title the “Fastest WordPress hosting” from independent test results by Kevin Ohashi.

In addition, WPX features the company’s new highspec SSD servers, which are deliberately underloaded, making these servers optimized machines that perform very well under heavy traffic loads.

DOES WPX SUPPORT REALLY RESPOND IN 30 SECONDS?

Before creating WPX in 2013, Georgi and Terry were always really frustrated with the slow support of hosting companies. Not only were hosting companies slow to respond in the first place, there would usually be huge delays in their answers to their questions during a support conversation.

Since starting WPX, they vowed that they would be different, so they heavily invested in live chat support, who:

• is available 24/7/365

• is a team made of WordPress experts

• for many years have averaged 30 seconds or less, according to the independent chat software provider they use: Live Chat Inc.

WHAT IS THE HIGHER PURPOSE OF WPX

Four years ago WPX expanded its quest to affect positive change and drive a future vision by starting its own nonprofit and NGO foundation “Every Dog Matters”. The organization’s aim is to shelter and rehome the thousands of stray dogs and cats in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe.

The facility has no cages, and instead offers open yard facilities with the smallest area measuring 400 square meters (over 4,305 square feet), and the biggest yard measuring 2,000 square meters (over 21,527 square feet).

In the future, Every Dog Matters is looking to expand its sanctuaries across Eastern Europe, building much bigger sites to accommodate and rehome more dogs and cats.

WHAT DO “HOSTING THE CHANGE SEEKERS” REALLY MEAN

The greatest achievements of the world are accomplished with the sense of searching for change. WPX itself started its own journey searching for a way to change the status quo of hosting companies.

WPX believe everyone is a change seeker no matter of the scale. For ones it’s the personal change they search for i.e blog where they share ideas, tips to be more productive etc. For the others it’s their own company whose purpose is to break down the status quo! No matter of the scale, WPX values all change seekers and believes that they deserve premium support and service.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR WPX

In the near future, WPX plans to expand its existing server resources to offer WooCommerce hosting services and its CDN endpoints to 40 and continue to upgrade the system to improve performance and caching.

WPX is also switching to a new DDoS protection provider simultaneously, for their data center in Chicago, which will ensure better connectivity with full redundancy, and better DDoS protection for WPX’s clients there.

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SUBJUGATE OVER-EXPLAINING

“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you, if your realised how seldom they do.”
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
PANT

Have you ever been into a situation where you wanted to refuse but found yourself accepting. Have you ever gushed out an awkward explanation and then felt neither you were articulate nor were persuasive enough. In fact, you felt silly afterwards. You knew that you *overdid* your speech but *under-delivered* your message.

This is called as over-explaining. It is a nervous habit which comes from FEAR : Fear of sounding harsh, Fear of taking a strong position which can be misread, Fear of sounding dumb, Fear of people thinking you aren’t making sense. We can also be motivated by guilt or self-doubt sometimes.

Over-explaining weakens our words and dilutes our message! Then why do we feel the need to over-explain, most of the times? The reasons are –

1. To Avoid Being Judged - As humans, our need is to be accepted and understood where we’re coming from. We want to avoid making any bold statement for fear of being misunderstood and hence offer up information that only gets in the way of the point we are trying to make.

2. To Protect Other People’s Feelings - Ironically, People’s feelings are often way less affected by our decisions than we think. Everyone is busy leading their own lives and choices instead of worrying about ours. Same-time, it can be scary to be bold or blunt because there is a potential risk of hurting someone’s feelings.

3. To Avoid Conflict - It’s much easier to make vague statements, especially regarding a hot topic rather than getting heads-on into a potential conflict. Conflicts are uncomfortable, hence, we over-explain to avoid it sometimes.

4. Trying To Control Other’s Response - When we fear that our responses may not be liked by others, its natural to pile on explanations. We naturally assume if we can give a compelling enough reason for our choice, we can ensure the other person sees it from our perspective.

5. Trying To Ease Our Guilt - Responses which others may not like can prompt feelings of guilt in us. Guilt makes us turn into explanations and excuses to convince the other person and to assure us as well that we have a good enough reason behind making that choice. We are also conditioned to believe that other’s wants, needs and feeling are more important than ours and we are tempted to over-explain in order to appear as being kind, generous, agreeable and accommodating.

6. Insecurities - Ambiguities about our decision makes us lookup to others for reassurance. We over-explain in the hope that the other person will understand and come around to our point of view. It’s not really about the other person changing their mind as much as it is about needing external approval for our own choices.

WHY IS OVER-EXPLANING A PROBLEM?

1. It Devalues What We Are Saying - When our thoughts get clouded with over explanation, it devalues the point being made and highlights the speaker seem unsure of his/her own ideas. It can stall growth not only at work but in our relationships too in long run.

2. It Can Give People Wrong Impression - Too much explanation can derail us from the track of our original point. One might not understand our train of thoughts and intentions in this case.

3. Makes us feel less confident in ourselves - Stumbling over our words because there is a perceived need to explain ourselves robs us off of our confidence. When we eliminate over explaining, our self confidence increases and so is confidence of others in our ideas and suggestions.

How frustrating all this can be! Can we do something about it? Can we change this habit of ours? The good news is, we can! With a little bit of consciousness, effort and practice, we can overcome this too!

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STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME OVER-EXPLAINING

1. Know The Triggers - Carefully notice the next time we feel compelled to provide unnecessary explanations. The most common reasons could be –

• Lack of self-confidence

• Feeling intimidated

• Passionate conversations

• Feeling vulnerable

2. Formulate 2-3 sentences to add value to the conversation - These sentence must be short and concise to be effective summing up the gist of what we are supposed to say. Formulate them in our heads before we respond!

3. Ask a question - If we think that others in the conversation may need more details, it’s time to stop and ask them directly if they would like extra information around the topic. Everyone does not want or need to know how have we arrived at the decision.

4. Develop More Self-Awareness – To become selfaware, we need to notice our thoughts and tendencies which often leads to much simpler, clear, assertive and concise communication rather than explaining away a detailed autopilot.

5. Be Comfortable With Silence - A beat of silence after we have made our own statement but also before we start talking does the trick. Taking a pause to think about our response before it comes our makes us feel more confident. Respond and then wait for a response rather than indulging into further explanations.

6. Place Value In Thoughts & Decisions - There should not be any need to defend ourselves. Our opinion too is just as valid as others. Ensure that we are not devaluing our own voice feeding the need to over-explain.

7. Accept Full Responsibility Of Our Choices - Once we accept that our choices and the repercussions of those choices are always ours, it’s much easier to not explain and justify them to others. Others approval would not be needed then.

8. Embrace Honesty - Sometimes we feel the need to over-explain because we are not acting in an honest and forthright way. Justification then is a cover up for our dishonest or inconsistent actions. Striving to act honestly will automatically eliminate over-explaining.

9. Stop Assuming That Everyone Needs Justification

- We may be under the impression that people around us wants an in-depth explanation. They may not, all people need is a clear Yes or a NO. Most of the time it’s we who read the social situation wrong.

10. Be Patient & Rewarding – Be patient with yourself and do celebrate the moment when you are able to say NO without diving into the painstaking details. Allow yourself to feel whatever feelings surface when you say ‘no’. Learn to sit with the discomfort of disappointing others – you can’t please everyone. Learn to prioritise yourself!

11. Cut the ‘Buts’ and ‘Because’ – A very simple and straightforward way to stop ourselves from explaining away is by paying attention to how often these two words get used by us and then further stop using them.

12. Stop Adding Disclaimers - “I don’t know how you would read this but…..” We must not disclaim our sentences. It makes us sound insecure and unsure of ourselves. It’s like leaving the door open to back out of it if the other person does not approve of our choices. We need not do that. If they don’t like it, it’s their problem, not ours. We are responsible for our emotions, so feel the feeling and act without shouldering the responsibility of others.

13. Is it Necessary? - A simple but powerful question. Is it necessary to justify our actions? Is the explanation necessary or its stemming out of insecurity? The first step here is to asses when and why we over-explain. Take time to evaluate what is making us uncomfortable about the given situation. Opportunity to evaluate why we feel the need to over-explain, will help us boost confidence and makes over-explaining un-necessary.

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Ironically, the times we feel the urge to go into intrinsic details are the exact times a concise response would be most valuable. Over explaining creates the exact opposite of what we are trying to accomplish. Remember – “No” is a complete sentence in itself.

Breaking the over-explaining habit is a huge boon to our professional and personal life. Think about it this way: the most reliable and trustworthy asset you’ll ever have is YOU. And every time you assert your limits, without making excuses or trying to please others, without getting caught in the loop of over-explaining, you strengthen that crucial bond with yourself.

The beauty here is - Saying NO with confidence gets easier with time. The icing on the cake is - People will notice, appreciate, understand and respect us better!

“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the world accepts him or her.

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G L O B A L H R V I R T U A L S U M M I T 2 0 2 2 H o s D r . V a n e e t a A g g a r w a l F o u n d e rB i z e m a g M e d i a D r . P a o l o G a l l o I C F E x e c u t i v e C o a c h S w i t z e r l a n d P r o f . W a y n e B r o c k b a n k R o s s S c h o o l o f B u s i n e s s U M i c h , U S A 1 2 J a n2 5 F e b 2 0 2 2 G e o r g e K e m i s h H R S p e c i a l i s t U K N i c o l a s B e h b a h a n i P e o p l e A n a l y t i c s T e c h n i c F M C , F r a n c e C a r o l i n e F o s t e r C h i e f P e o p l e O f fi c e r U n i t e d K i n g d o m S i l e O ' D o n n e l l F o u n d e rH R C o n s u l t i n g I r e l a n d A n s h u l a V e r m a H e a dT a l e n t M a n a g e m e n t E r n s t & Y o u n gI n d i a D r . J e r r y G u l e C E O, I n s t i t u t e o f P e o p l e M a n a g e m e n t S o u t h A f r i c a W a t c h a l l s e s s i o n s o n https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-hOHclie-VcXvD82O_AvzQ

CAMARADERIE NOT CARNALPROSPERING TOGETHER IN A SMALL BUSINESS WITH POSH

The Indian government introduced the much-needed POSH Act to prevent sexual harassment at the workplace. Before we discuss sexual harassment, it is crucial to know and understand what harassment means. Accordingly, any physical or verbal conduct that exhibits contempt or hostility or aversion for a colleague due to:

• Race

• Appearance

• Gender

• Nationality

• Religious views

• Disabilities

• Or age

All of these are typical grounds that lead to acts that can constitute harassment. Typically, harassment has the following characteristics:

• It is intended to or results in a work environment that is intimidating or hostile, or offensive.

• It is intended to or results in interfering with an employee’s work performance without adequate grounds.

• It harms an employee’s employment opportunities. The following types of conduct all fall under the purview of harassing behaviour:

• Name-calling

• Threats, hostile or intimidating acts

• Negative stereotyping

• Even jokes and pranks that show hostility for an employee on any of the mentioned grounds are considered harassment.

• Circulating written or graphic matter with the same intention or effect in the workplace and its electronic mediums is harassment.

In case of any complaint, another employee of the same sex as the reported victim is consulted. Their subjective opinion overrides the objective views on the “harassing” nature of a supposed harassing act.

There is a distinct difference between sexual harassment and other types of harassing conduct. Sexual harassment, again, can be of different types.

WHAT MAKES FOR SEXUALLY HARASSING CONDUCT?

There is a wide variety of sex-related conduct like requesting sexual favours, unwarranted sexual advances. Both verbal or physical activity may be counted as harassment when:

• It makes submission necessary to stay employed, get a job, or enhance prospects at the workplace.

• Or if the conduct is sexual and affects work performance or helps create a hostile, intimidating or outright offensive work environment.

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Some critical facts to keep in mind about sexual harassment is:

• It is gender-neutral— men too may fall victims to sexual harassment, the harasser and the victim may be of the same sex. There is legal precedence for the latter.

• People other than the victim can bring a complaint about offending behaviour.

• The location of the offending action can be while at work or an event sponsored by the company.

• The involved parties may be peers, supervisors or managers, other officials, or even third-party customers or suppliers who misbehave with an employee.

TYPES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

There are several forms of sexual harassment. These include:

• Quid pro quo harassment- It is the “this for that” type of sexual advance. It may be direct and indirect and typically involves asking for a sexual favour in exchange for work-related benefits. The harasser must be higher placed and be in authority for such a type of offending action.

• Creating a hostile work environment through sex-related conduct

Actions or comments related to sex or gender that interfere with an employee to do their work or affects their work environment negatively are also sexual harassment. Both co-workers and higher placed officials can indulge in this type of sexual harassment. Males are vulnerable to such harassment too. The teasing and the sheer torment that many males face due to their love life and appearance can affect them significantly.

Keep in mind that there is a legal precedent ruling for employer responsibility for third parties also. If you can control such sexually offending behaviour, you must do everything in your power to stop it.

Now that you are aware of what harassment is and the different faces in which it manifests itself, it is time to turn to what you can do for prevention.

HANDLING AND PREVENTING HARASSMENT

India put a relevant legal regulation in place to address the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace. “The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal),” commonly referred

to as the POSH Act and rules, 2013 superseded the preceding Vishakha Guidelines in 1997 by the Indian Supreme Court. As the full name of the legal provision suggests, it intends to prevent, prohibit and redress sexual harassment at the office. Taking a bolder vision of its function, the POSH Act aims to root out such conduct entirely from offices by including non-employees as well in its purview. While all women at the workplace get legal protection with POSH, male employees are still left to take a critical view. We must remember that males are often harassed to the point of torment, especially in the early years of their careers. Therefore, POSH makes it mandatory for all employers to implement a set of measures to achieve the stated goal of “preventing, prohibiting and providing redressal” of sexual harassment issues.

STEPS BUSINESSES NEED TO TAKE

FRAME A DEFINITE POLICY

The first step businesses must take to comply with the POSH Act is to frame an appropriate POSH policy for their organization. This policy will spell out organizational stand on the issue. Such policies must necessarily be detailed and clearly state acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. It further must define sexual harassment and the shared responsibilities of all employees in this regard. Additionally, the complaint mechanism must be precise along with suitable penalties. The policy must clarify that it prohibits misconduct that constitutes harassment, mainly if it’s sexual. Such misconduct amounts to a breach of service rules, according to POSH. All employees must be aware of the policy and must be easily accessible. It must be drafted in a straightforward and easy-to-understand language.

CREATE AN APPROPRIATE INTERNAL COMMITTEE OR IC

The corporate body that will manage sexual harassment complaints is termed the Internal Committee if the employer has more than or equal to ten employees. Committee members must include:

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• A senior female employee as the presiding officer.

• It must also have two internal members or employees who preferably have previous social work experience, women’s upliftment or legal knowledge.

• An unbiased external member must be an NGO member or part of an association dedicated to female causes or highly aware of sexual harassment issues.

As per the regulation, the designated IC must accept and redress issues within 90 days of a complaint of sexual harassment. The specifics of the IC hold sway over all businesses, and an improperly formed IC is subject to judicial scrutiny.

PUT UP POSH POSTERS AT PROMINENT LOCATIONS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION PREMISES

The lawmakers wanted that employers take every step to increase sexual harassment awareness. Therefore, one necessary obligation under the Act is that firm must put up POSH posters at prominent locations with the premises of a particular organization. Along with them, employers might put up other employer-related posters with relevant messages. Further, firms are also required to display IC orders at conspicuous locations.

HOLD AWARENESS AND TRAINING SESSIONS

In addition to the above steps, an employee must also train and sensitize employees about harassment, particularly sexual harassment. Employees must be aware of what constitutes sexually harassing conduct and how POSH is framed. Further, organizations must also ensure that redressal and the complaint process are known to all employees. Accurate POSH training will help employers prevent legal implications besides cutting down on sexually harassing behaviour.

PROVIDE ADEQUATE COOPERATION AND HELP FOR COMPLETION OF INQUIRY

Such cooperation is mandatory for all inquiry components necessary to complete an inquiry accurately. It, in turn, consists of:

Cooperating with the IC- The employers are legally obliged to help the IC in any manner possible for it to conduct a fair and just inquiry into a sexual harassment complaint. The organization must facilitate complainant, respondent and witness attendance for every inquiry session.

Submit relevant information as requested by the ICUpon completing the inquiry, the POSH Act makes it mandatory for the IC to submit the same results. It must also recommend suitable action against the guilty if it is the findings. The IC needs to submit the same as an Inquiry Report to the employing organization. The law further requires the organization to act according to the IC’s recommendations.

COOPERATE WITH THE LOCAL COMMITTEE (LC)

Organizations with less than ten or more employees must submit themselves to the decision of the LC, which will be set up in every district. The LC comes into the picture if the employer himself is the accused. Another ground for turning to an LC is if the worker belongs to the unorganized sector. Employer responsibilities hold ground for both IC and LC.

HELP THE VICTIM IN FILING POLICE COMPLIANT

Women employees are free to pursue a complaint with the police in addition to the IC. Further, suppose the erring party is outside the jurisdiction of the employer. In that case, the latter must provide all possible assistance in lodging a formal complaint with the police.

PREPARE AN ANNUAL POSH COMPLIANCE REPORT

The enacted law intends to help the government track POSH compliance through an annual report. Section 21 of the Act stipulates the:

“Committee to submit an annual report.— (1) The Internal Committee or the Local Committee, as the case may be, shall in each calendar year prepare, in such form and at such time as may be prescribed, an annual report and submit the same to the employer and the District Officer.”

I hope this was helpful to you in ensuring a safer and better workplace for all women!

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March 2022 | Issue 21 | 30 www.bizemag.com Admyted@gmail.com | www.admyt.in | Contact@bizemag.com +91 8375066430

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT METAVERSE

There is not one single human being on the planet now who is unaware of how Facebook has changed the lives of human descendants and has successfully made the world one single place. The term Meta has become quite common to all of us now because one of the core apps that holds a major place in our lives has been renamed to it. Mark Zuckerberg has renamed his organization, Meta. Needless to say, as is evident from the name Metaverse is a brainchild of Meta and is all set to revolutionize our living experience as tech-savvy humans.

Metaverse aims at the creation of a virtual world where you will have your own virtual universe. You will be able to hang out, have parties, weekend meets, reunions, office meetings, and seminars, even shop from stores all of it virtually and through the comfort of your home. It is going to be a surreal reality that is hard to believe now but as promised by Meta is going to be soon a dream come true for all of us.

Meta by Mark Zuckerberg has already announced a delineation of its funds where almost $10 billion of its

assets is going to get into the development process of Metaverse. Metaverse is that hard to believe an evolutionary child of the internet that is going to simply redefine how we live, think, and interact. As per the commitments of the company Meta, if this turns out to be true it is definitely going to be one of the biggest inventions and life-changing experiences for human beings. Metaverse is going to be widespread over innumerable faucets making it multidimensional and interdisciplinary. From shopping to parties, office meetings to gaming, it is going to be a vast digital facsimile where people will have their avatars collaborate with others through a strong digital connection.

REVOLUTIONARY METAVERSE

Metaverse has been projected as so immense and hard to believe and life-changing, that people are almost on the verge of thinking it is some digital magic that they will never be able to decode. However, that is not true. In very simple words, Metaverse is aimed at building a community over the internet just as Face-

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book did. The members of this community will be able to interact with each other through their avatars.

If we talk about previous references then the first emotion should be of the novel “Snow Crash” that was published back in the year 1992. The only difference is that back in those times this concept was introduced as fiction, and standing today we can assume it to be a reality.

By using Metaverse people will have their representation in a community through their avatars. You can shop from your favorite store through digital currency, play your favorite video games in the surreal environment and also have extreme fun by hanging out with your Metaverse communities through digital and virtual parties or hangouts. That not only sounds to be cool and fascinating but also is going to be one of the biggest breakthroughs in human scientific endeavors ever.

The pandemic has instilled in us the urge to stay connected and together as a close-knit community without any physical interaction. Metaverse is simply a beautiful way to realize the same goals that the pandemic

taught us. Through metaverse, you can travel to your favorite destinations without physically being there, you can explore all that you have wanted to and from the comfort of your home. All of this sounds to be super exciting and we are all looking forward to the lid of excitement that metaverse can bring to our lives. You will have plenty of virtual controllers and reality headsets.

HOW IS METAVERSE DIFFERENT?

One of the many reasons that the Metaverse concept still seems to be in a veil for us is that we are not exactly being able to figure out how different is metaverse from the rest of the components on Internet? Because on that internet there are so many applications and softwares through which we can communicate then what is so special or unique about Metaverse? Now, one of the basic facts that must be understood is that - Metaverse is not a competitor for the rest of the virtual components on the Internet. Instead, it is a completely different aspect of virtual reality and far more advanced.

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The core goal of the metaverse and also its distinguishing feature is that through Metaverse the users can virtually travel around and also lead a social life like never before. It is not only concentrated on sharing love and compassion but also to make the professional task easier. For example, you can also conduct very vital office meetings with the same.

Metaverse is a perfect amalgamation of all the interactive components you find on the internet. It fabricates Virtual Reality, AI, Augmented Reality digital currency, and social media components all together to create a solid base for communication and interaction. The core fact is that you can browse but Metaverse is a brainchild of the internet where you can reside and live happily with your community.

Metaverse is not all about Facebook. It is indeed the new hot cake of the entire Silicon Valley. Also, this is not an idea that bloomed out of the box all of a sudden. Metaverse is just a manifestation and a projection that has taken up a new edge now. Over decades the concept to develop and integrate the reality of 3D computation with augmented reality has been on the table.

Metaverse is peaking the idea with some enormous changes in it - all for a progression that is definitely better. Now, what is taking people aback is the extent of Metaverse. People are trying to find out and imagine the boundaries or limits of Metaverse and that is what is creating all the hype about it, even before its existence.

The tech mammoths like Microsoft, Nvidia, Qualcomm, HTC, Apple, Valve, Epic, and many others are all going to join hands with Meta to make this dream project turn into reality. The concept of the metaverse is quite a bit squishy even to date. You can rightly attribute it to a marked evolutionary renaissance of the internet. Now, so many people must be thinking, we can even easily connect with our loved ones through a zoom call or a google video meeting and carry out all our loved online shopping through e-commerce like Amazon. Then what more has metaverse to offer.

Well, in simpler terms, the uniqueness of metaverse would revolve around its spatial and temporal existence domains. You can only stay connected with your friends and family while you are on the zoom call or in the video meeting. Once that is over, you will no longer be able to see them. However, your avatars on metaverse will be forever present. It is going to be a whole ecosystem of digital presence that is going to be independent and feature the word forever on the temporal and spatial dimensions.

Mark Zukerberg is extremely optimistic about Metaverse and says that our lives on metaverse will

be parallel with our lives on IRL. You can actually experience digital parks, community halls, and neighborhoods at Metaverse where your kids can stroll about and you can spend quality time with your partner. It is going to be our very own virtual world, and a virtual community so surreal that we will surely once deny that truth is not stronger than fiction.

THE REALITY OF BUSINESS

The best part is that even though this whole idea is a bit skeptical and has actually not taken up any tangible physical form yet, investors are literally flooding to mobilize their money in this revolutionary project. One of the most important reasons is undoubtedly the flagship of Meta led by Mark Zuckerberg that gives them every single reason to believe that it will be a success.

There are multiple speculations regarding the Metaverse. For example, whether there will be one metaverse or many metaverses, remains a matter of question. Also, how much are people going to actually pay for using metaverse remains a matter of speculation. As per reports, the net investment that is flowing in for the metaverse project is more than many billions. This interoperable platform is all set to feature plenty of add on as well. We are yet to dive deep into the universe of Metaverse and explore what it has in store for us.

FINAL WORDS

Metaverse is expected to be our virtual fantasy world. Though we cannot control most of the aspects of our life and have to give in to the flow that is pre destined at times, let us see whether we can enjoy the ultimate fun of controlling our lives and the whereabouts of the world around us through this beautiful augmented reality and virtual fantasy world of Metaverse. There is so much yet to discover but the world is sure that Meta is not going to let us down.

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SOLO TRAVEL AT LEAST ONCE, A MUST

BY HARMIT AHUJA

With the little Monks of Kye Gompa. This is a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery located on top of a hill at an altitude of 13,700ft close to the Spiti River in the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh, Lahaul and Spiti district. It is the largest monastery of the Spiti valley and a religious training centre for the lamas.

Today the social media is filled with pictures of Solo adventurers taking the world. When Solo travel comes to mind it’s normal for so many concerns to arise, safety concerns, loneliness, and boredom can make solo travel scary especially for women. At the same time, one must consider that not every solo traveler is concerned of being alone, So is it really a good idea?

Let’s look at all my travels on account of business, in groups, with family, friends and by myself. ‘By myself’ is what I have been preaching upon since I started to indulge in solo travel. Solo travel represents freedom, independence, and of course wanderlust. Whether you travel independently or join a group, solo travel can be a very enriching experience. You can surely travel alone without being lonely.

Solo travel is literally the epitome of self-indulgence. You can do whatever you want during a trip, go wherever you want, do whatever you want, pick your own challenges and activities, make your own mistakes, learn from them and basically, triumph through all with a feeling of exhilaration

Rather than being focused on your companion, you’re focused on your surroundings including the people around you. You’re open to the world that in turn makes the world open for you. People start to step in the wide-open space created by you and the results are wonderful!

Solo travelers feel empowered when they return from a trip. They come back with a fresh perspective on life

With Chacha & Chachi at their Dhaba in Batal: Chacha & Chachi are the pride of Spiti’s unassuming Batal valley. Batal at an altitude of over 13,000 ft is a perilous region with no network signal negligible human habitation and only deadly roads. Despite that, this old couple has their make-shift Dhaba, ensures delectable food and comfortable accommodation.

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& the confidence to face the world since they stepped out of their comfort zone. Given that you’re entering the unknown, opportunities do come your way to learn how to face various types of scenarios.

Most importantly solo travel gives you a chance to listen to your gut and control what direction you want to head. It gives you a chance to be in solitude which will allow you to embark on an inward journey to self-discovery. You have only yourself to rely on, which may seem scary but also invigorating.

Don’t wait for a friend for you to finalize your travel. If you are inspired to do the trip, do yourself a favor, just ‘Do it, just for you’.

Even if you can’t afford to take a trip now, just researching, planning and dreaming can give you a boost to build excitement for the time when you can afford to go. Include saving money as a part of your planning!

It’s the time where the only compromises you must make are with yourself.

I am now living my own solo wilderness fantasies and photographing them.

Travelling alone will be the scariest, most liberating, life changing experience of your life. Try it at least once

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At Gurez valley. Gurez is a valley located in the high Himalayas, about 86 kms from Bandipore and 123 kms from Srinagar in northers Kashmir and southers Gilgit-Baltistan. Its a valley surrounded by snow-capped mountains. The valley falls along the ancient Silk Route and is famously known as the Crown of Kashmir.

Snow Drive Keylong. Keylong is the administrative centre of the Lahaul and Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh, 71 km north of Manali.

Snow Drive Atal Tunnel: The 9.02 km Atal Tunnel at Rohtang is a world record for being the longest single tube highway tunnel at an altitude of above 10,000 ft.

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My Pilgrimage to Gurudwara Manikaran Sahib Ji. Manikaran is located in the Parvati Valley on river Parvati in the Kullu District. Its a very famous for both Hindu's & Sikh's alike with both having their strong belief's about the place. Both Manikaran Temple & Manikaran Sahib Gurudwara are located next to each other featuring the famous hot water well where all the langar (the Community Kitchen) is cooked in!

In search of the Bengal Tiger: Being a wildlife enthusiast i seldom venture into the wilderness in search of the Majestic Tiger which is considered to belong to the world's charismatic megafauna. Bengal Tigers are one of the most wondrous and iconic animals to walk the Earth. They are majestic and rare.

ABOUT AUTHOR:

HARMIT AHUJA is a Marketing Consultant based in Chandigarh with keen interests in wildlife & nature travel and photography. Also hold’s interests in music, cooking & international travel. Has so far been to over 35 countries. He believes in: ‘I travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape me’! He is active on social media ie facebook, Instagram and also has his own YouTube channel where he has tried to capture moments from all his wildlife and nature travel’s across India & Africa. His channel which has over 7.25 Million Views can be viewed on https://www. youtube.com/channel/UC9Zk1OVwDKQYzPmfcJ5ZIoQ

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ASTRO

Aries, you have a very busy month ahead of you! Jupiter, the planet of miracles, is now passing through your private sector and will be here for the most of 2022. This can help you heal any traumas or scars you may have, as well as boost your ability to reflect on the past. If you’re looking for closure on anything that happened in the past, now could be the time to do so. This is a good time to focus on your dreams because your intuition and psychic abilities will improve. It’s obvious that your ambitions are gaining enormous traction. When he comes through here, you’ll be highly busy, and your industry profile might skyrocket.

Taurus, the Universe is pulling you into a joyful and active month. Throughout most of 2022, benefic Jupiter will dance across your area of satisfaction, accentuating your friendships and network. You will gain in popularity, and you may be elevated to a position of community leadership. Everyone will aspire to be a Taurus now and in the future! If you’re single, this is a great time to socialize and use your network to find a soulmate. Even more dazzling, you will almost certainly see a long-held desire and dream suddenly within reach— likely thanks to the help of someone who believes in you. This is a great blessing, as the Universe is devoted to providing you everything you desire.

Gemini, you have a busy month ahead of you. As Jupiter prances through your area of successes for the majority of 2022, expect doors to open like theater curtains. Your work life will be blessed with a unique dosage of luck and expansion as a result of this. Many Geminis may perceive prospects for advancement, accolades, or to build a name for themselves in their field. Academics, journalism, publishing, travel, immigration, and spiritual traditions are all ruled by this sector of life, which means you’ll be pursuing at least one of them in the near future and may be dealing with some difficult lessons. You don’t mind trying new things and expanding your horizons, so you might enjoy the difficulties that come your way.

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In March, Cancer, prepare for new beginnings. Throughout much of 2022, Jupiter, the planet of luck, will dance across your expansion sector, offering you a taste of new vistas. For some Cancers, this will be the go-ahead to pursue academic, media, publishing, or foreign opportunities. During this time, other cancers will move. If you want to go back to school, go ahead and do it! Whatever the case may be, you may notice an excellent opportunity to broaden your life wisdom. Saturn, as a carryover from last year, will teach you vital life lessons in the future years about trust, vulnerability, and relying on others, as well as how to ensure you are in the “ideal” partnership for you.

Let’s get this party started, Leo! The journey of Jupiter in your sector of shared assets and closeness will be the first thing you notice throughout much of 2022. This could be a particularly remarkable time for you, when you feel particularly close in your relationships and witness your spirits grow in lockstep. This same arena is linked to financial assistance, so if you’ve been searching for venture funding, a scholarship, a loan, a bonus, royalty checks, or even a divorce settlement, it could be coming soon. Saturn is in direct opposition to your zodiac sign. On the one hand, this may make you feel a little lonely, remove some of your weak relationships, and make it more difficult for you to achieve some of your heartfelt goals, but in the end, he is strengthening you.

Virgo, you have a productive and enjoyable month ahead of you. Throughout 2022, benefic Jupiter will dance through your partnership area, giving you a taste of unity unlike any you’ve experienced recently. As they establish long-term plans and enjoy more riches together, this will allow attached Virgos grow even closer to their partners. At this time, single Virgos may meet their destined twin flame. While this energy clearly supports serious partnerships and marriages, it will also favor all business ties and discussions. You could grow overwhelmed with work or feel as though your “day job” is no longer rewarding you. Some Virgos may be forced to leave their jobs or quit in order to pursue their passions.

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Libra, keep moving forward into March! Jupiter, the beneficent, continues to fly through your productive sector for the majority of 2022. This will make your job easier, happier, and more blessed. Seize the day if you’re seeking for a better job. Current jobs may appear to have a milder breeze blowing through them. Another method this could help you is to improve your physical strength and health, especially if you’re ready to put in the effort to improve your food and exercise routine. Saturn is now firmly established in your region of fertility, passion, creativity, and love. When it comes to these topics, some Libras will need to “grow up.” The bigger the advantages, though, the more persistent you are.

This month, Scorpio, embrace the call of your heart! As benign Jupiter soars through your sector of pleasure and passion for the majority of 2022, great gifts await your love life. Your heart will blossom as a result of this. Many Scorpios will find their soulmate or get closer to the one they already have. It’s possible that if you’re trying for a baby, it’ll happen now. Those who are already parents may discover that one of their children has become even more precious to them. This could also benefit you by giving you more time for fun, games, creativity, and adventure. Allow more harmony and magic to enter your life. Next, Saturn continues to cement his permanence in your home and family sector, settling down for the long haul.

Sagittarius, March provides you a plethora of new opportunities! Throughout much of 2022, Jupiter, your ruler, will dance across your domestic realm, bringing happiness and serenity to your home and family issues. Some Sagittarians may find that they enjoy their kindred more or that their extended family expands. Others may conclude that it is time to relocate. If you do, you may be able to take advantage of a new location that is considerably larger and brighter. From now until spring 2023, Saturn will teach you life lessons about how to communicate with the rest of the globe. It’s likely that you’ll take on increasingly significant writing, speaking, advertising, and branding tasks.

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Capricorn, get ready to go in new directions this month. Throughout most of 2022, benefic Jupiter will be transiting your communications sector. All of your writing, speaking, marketing, and intellectual pursuits will prosper during this time. Some Capricorns might start working on a prize project, a book, or a movie, while others might decide to brush up on their qualifications. As you follow these ideas and promote your beliefs, more money will come your way. Then, until spring 2023, Saturn will continue to revolve within your financial zone, settling in for the long haul. He’ll teach you valuable life lessons about money management and how to expand your savings account to new heights.

Aquarius, you have a busy month ahead of you! Jupiter, the beneficent, travels in your financial sphere for the majority of 2022. More affluence is expected to appear in the coming months, either in the shape of a raise, increased salary, or a lucrative job offer. Wealth and wealth may be more readily available to you in the near future, but if you work hard for it, you will be rewarded. Then, until spring 2023, Saturn will remain in your zodiac sign, assisting you in establishing vital roots and plans that you will build over the next three decades. Saturn is a planet of lessons, perseverance, and responsibility, so it would be irresponsible of me to tell you that the next year and a half is going to be tough yet growing up.

It’s birthday season, and you, Pisces, are a blazing star. You adore being pampered, adored, and lavished with extra love and attention. March will be a wonderful month for you! Jupiter, your co-ruler, will remain in your zodiac sign for the majority of 2022. A new chapter in your life has begun, one full with joys and wonders. Now is the time to show the Universe what you’re looking for and start creating the life you’ve always desired. Dream large, fly high, and don’t limit yourself! You’ll experience what it’s like to be the “Celestial Favorite,” with the entire Universe beaming down on you!

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