March im 2016 magazine

IGNITING MINDS ` 125/-

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V o l u m e . 0 1 | I s s u e . 0 5 | M a rc h 2 0 1 6

Monthly Educational Magazine

Crafting Summer!!

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RNI No: TELENG/2015/65077

“Inspired by a great soul Dr. APJ ABDUL KALAM”

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# WAYS OF BECOMING AN OFFICER IN THE INDIAN NAVY

# HOW TO DEAL WITH

STRESS MANAGEMENT IN CHILDREN?

Editor Nagasri Nampally +91 8885053541

Co-Editor Annapurna Upadhyayula

CEO Vamshikrishna Parlapally +91 9160777888

Design Team Dharmendher.B +91 9700104157 Sarath Chandra Y V +91 9989636399

Advisors Priya Iyengar Dr Y. Naveen kumar

Greetings Readers!

Change is the only constant, said “Heraclitus”, a Greek philosopher.

Yes, we do believe that change is the only constant and nothing stays still. Our start happened a month ago, and we are slowly acclimatizing to the change that is for good, and to stay.

It has been humbling the way we have been appreciated by all of you. This is what fuelled a series of improvements and changes we have adopted this month. Without the critical acclaim and positivity of the comments that poured in, we wouldn't have advanced and are constantly on the go.

We have new stuff lined up for you this month, to end the year on a productive note. We as a team are more than delighted to let you all know that we are just a tap away, be it on your smart phones or a PC. Just click install "IGNITING MINDS" application on Android and tickle your IQ by soaking in the information available on our “facebook/ignitingmindsmagazine” page on Facebook!

Hope we enrich your experience this time too and we promise to never let you down.Keep us posted about how this month’s edition affected you and help us grow.

Office Address: H No: 1-4-160/1/12, Plot No. 12 Maniksai Enclave, Sainikpuri, Hyderabad, Telangana, India - 500094, Feedback or Queries: +91 8885053541

With hopes of long lasting experiences, Team - Igniting minds

Printed, Published & Owned by Nampally Nagasri Printed at Bandla Print Solutions, Plot .No. A - 22/1, Road No. 14, I.P, Nacharam, Hyderabad - 500076

CONTENTS 08

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30

Science

How does the Climate Change?

Cover Story

08

Climate is the average weather usually taken over a 30-year time period for a particular region and time period.....

Summers are getting hotter every year and going out in such a hot summer is no more a healthy option.....

Do you see that your child is impatient, impulsive and is easily distracted?....

Communication Skills 14

Health & Nutritions

Active Listening

34

Skills

Mathematics

Communicating effectively enables an individual to perform....

Vedic Maths 18

Capital Letter is Capital Though thousands of towns and villages exist in a state or country…… capital city is capital......

4

20

Is your child just lazy?

Or does he have adhd?

Crafting this Summer!!

Handwriting

Parenting

”All of those who didn’t memorize the times tables, please get out my class.” ....

22

How to deal with Stress Management in Children?

Stress has always been recognised as a condition that is common ..........

Motivation Story

24

Jaahnavi Sriperambuduru,

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

The 13-year-old Mountaineering Sensation eyeing Mission7Summit to about 24 Indian children....

38

Awards

28

Pride of India

42

Country 44

42

Sports Awards in India

Kalpana Chawla

Mongolia

In India sports awards are presented by the Government of India to athletes and sports persons....

Kalpana Chawla was India’s first women aeronautical engineer to travel into space.....

Mongolia is located in Asia between Russia to the north and China to the south. ....

History

36

The ‘Lost’ City Of and Secrets of the Tombs The ‘Lost’ city of Petra in Jordan was a prominent centre of trade thousands of years ago and was

Career Awareness

Ways of Becoming an Officer in the Indian Navy In today’s world, there are so many possibilities.....

38

Sports Snooker

48

Snooker is one of the world’s most popular games due to its growth in India.....

Cool Inventions

50

A Braille Printer Born From LEGO The world’s cheapest Braille printer got its start with a.....

Current Affairs

52

Brain Gym

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IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

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Events Calendar (April) Sunday

* Golfer’s Day, * International Safety Pin Day.

* Find A Rainbow Day

03

17

Monday

10

Tuesday

04

*World Rat Day

* National Maritime Day

Wednesday

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11

* Nothing Like A Dame Day

*Pet Day

* World Aviation and 12 Cosmonautics Day

* World Heritage Day

* Teach Your Children to Save Day

24

* World Malaria Day

25

18

* Bicycle Day

19

* Help A Horse Day

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* Tell a Story Day, * World Stationery Day

Thursday

06

* Day Of Hope

* World Health Day

Friday

07

* April Fool’s Day

Saturday

01

* Jallianwallah Bagh Massacre Day (1919)

13

* B.R. Ambedkar Remembrance Day 14

* Zoo Lovers Day

15

08

* Global Youth Service Day

* Banana Day

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27

* High Five Day

21

* Workers’ Memorial Day

28

* World Earth Day

22

* International Dance Day

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* Record Store Day, * International 02 Children’s Book Day

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* Dolphin Day * Name Yourself Day

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16

23

* English Language Day.

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

* World Veterinary Day.

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Birthday Calendar (April) 03

* Prabhu Deva (Dancer 1973)

*Sarvey Sathyanarayana (1954)

04

* Jagjivan Ram (Politician 1908-1986)

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06

* Dilip Vengsarkar (Cricketer 1956),

08

* Vashishtha Narayan Singh (Mathe 02 09 matician -1942)

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* Rana Sanga (Ruler of Mewar 1484 – 1528)

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* Sachin Tendulkar

24 (Cricketer – 1973)

* Hemvati Nandan * Dhondo Keshav Karve Bahuguna (Political leader

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(Educator 1858-1962)

* Mukesh Ambani 19 (Business Magnate – 1957),

* Thomas Jefferson * N. Chandrababu Naidu

(CM of Andhra Pradesh – 1950)

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14

* B.R. Ambedkar (1891-1956)

* Allu Arjun (Film actor – 1983)

15

* Guru Nanak (1469-1539)

(Indian Express Group Founder 1904 – 1991) 22

* Jaya Bachchan (Actress 1948)

16

* Lara Dutta (Actress 1978)

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07

01

* Mahatma Jyotirao Phule (Writer 1827 –1890), * Kasturba Gandhi (1864-1944),

* Asaramji Bapu (Hindu Religious -1941) 17

(3rd U.S. President 1743 – 1826)

* Pandit Ravi Shankar (Musician 1920-2012)

* K.B.Hedgewar (1889-1940)

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* G.D. Birla (1894-1983)

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* Queen Elizabeth II 1926

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* Ramnath Goenka

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

* S. Janaki (Singer – 1938)

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1919 - 1989)

* A. V. Baliga

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(Physician 1904 – 1964)

* Fazle Hasan Abed (Social Worker 1936)

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* Raja Ravi Varma (Painter 1848 – 1906)

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* Dr. Shankar Abaji Bhise (Scientist 1867 - 1935)

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* Sri Sri

30(Poet 1910 – 1983)

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Cover Story

! ! r e m m u S s i h t g n i t f a r C S

ummers are getting hotter every year and going out in such a hot summer is no more a healthy option. So apart from waking up early and doing your exercises and yoga, we have a set of things that you can do in the cool of your home , away from the mid-day sun!

But before that, let us understand why arts and crafts are helpful to you and how they make you a better person , apart from being fun !

! s t f a r C & s t r A f o s it f e Ben Bilateral Coordination

Crafts such as coloring, drawing, cutting, all require you to use I never knew spending time with both of your hands together. This skill is important in other arts and crafts is both areas of your life as you continue to grow, such as writing, tying shoes, typing and so much more! fun and good for my growth!

Fine Motor Coordination

In order to draw shapes, cut patterns, and hand writing, you are required to use your fine motor coordination. These skills similarly translate to other areas of life such as dressing ,eating, and in the academic setting.

Self Regulation Crafts that require drying require waiting! This is a great lesson for you to demonstrate self control and patience. Also, as always things might not go exactly as we hoped! Crafts are a great way to promote flexibility in yourself and practice some peace & tolerance . There is no right or wrong way in exploring one’s own creativity!

Self-esteem booster Although you might think it to be challenging, it is also important to initially choose arts and crafts that are at your skill level. Completing the crafts successfully will give you a great sense of accomplishment and pride. As you begin to explore more crafts, you can add in more and more challenges

Bonding and fun You will love spending time with your parents, family & friends creating something together!

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IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

Why God why??

Safety Tips!

Supervise.

Why is it that I get to tell boring stuff all the time!!

Anyways, kids, as an ealderly person it becomes my job to tell you to some safety tips.

Make sure you are acompanied by an ealder person to help you through them.

Supervise children when using arts and crafts materials.

Buy kid-friendly products.

Choose products labeled for children's use.

Keep materials in their original containers.

This way, you can refer to label instructions and emergency advice later.

Follow safety instructions.

Always follow the safety instructions on the label.

Store carefully.

Store all materials out of the sight and reach of children.

Don't serve food or drinks.

Don't let children eat or drink when using arts and crafts materials.

Ventilate.

Do arts and crafts in a well-ventilated area.

And I insist you kids stay home this summer and take good care of your health.

Climate change is real and its heating up pretymuch faster than my childhood days!

I Will tell you more about this later in some pages!

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

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Step 01 Cut the ribbons about 5" in length.

Take the help of ealders to do the same.

Step 02 Bend a side over to the back and use hot glue to stick it in place.

Step 03

Cute Hair Bow Do the same with the other end.

Step 04 Pinch along the center and glue the ends.

DONE! Make a bunch of these cute bows to match any attire!

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Step 05 Use a punch of hot glue to stick a clip to the other side .

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

Step 01 Cut the Paper into Squares and fold along dotted lines as shown.

Step 02 Fold again as shown.

Step 03

Paper Flowers!

Tape and glue many such peices together as shown

Step 04

Partly Open the fold to make cone shapes on either ends.

keep folding as shown!

Step 05

Step 06

Step 07 & 08

There you go!

Make Bunches of such flowers and make a lovely flower bouquet!!

E!

DON

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

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! s r e w o l F e r o M Step 07

Use a sponge dipped in colour to give the flowes a whole new range of variety!

Step 08

Step 09

!

E DON

Owls that store!

Step 01 & 02 Take old used bottles of plastic and cut them in varied heights as shown.Paint them white using acrylic spray paints. Or leave them as theya re. Mark a shape on them using paper over them.

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IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

I am sure we all would have loads of empty plastic soft drink bottles at home this summer !! Lets try and recycle them into nice peices of craft!!

Step 03

Proud of Achu! Now I have less waste to worry about. But have to make space for all his new Cut the painted bottles as per the crafts! stencil. You can make other bird shapes as well!

Mark and decorate over them with permanent markers as you desire!

Step 04

E!

Now that we have done with bottles, with a little help from elders in cutting, lets try cans!.

Recycle as much as possible now!

Step 01 , 02 ,03 , 04

DON

Can planters!

E!

Step 05

DON IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

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Communication Skills

Active Listening Skills

C

ommunicating effectively enables an individual to perform optimally as individuals and as part of a team. The process of communication requires not only effective speaking, but active listening, with purpose and intent. Only by combining active listening with effective speaking is it possible to gain understanding and promote open communication.

Aakanksha Tunk Corporate Trainer

Active listening involves more than hearing the words someone says. It takes effort to understand the ideas and feelings that another person is trying to communicate. Effective or active listening means paying attention to a person’s words and body language (facial expressions, eye contact, posture, voice tone, and gestures). If the listener lacks interest, has a closed mind, becomes distracted, or interprets the message incorrectly, the communication is ineffective.

The listener and the sender are equally responsible for effective communication.

Think of a time when you felt that someone was not really listening to you.

What let you know that the other person was not listening, and how did that make you feel?

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IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

the person who is speaking. Use body posture that shows that the person has your full attention (e.g., you lean forward in the chair with hands in your lap; don’t lean back in the chair with arms crossed over your chest).

2. Carefully observe the person speaking. Observe his words and body language to learn more about how he feels about the situation he is describing.

3. Resist distractions. Stay Reflecting on your own experiences may help you understand the importance of active listening. Trying to communicate with someone who is not listening attentively can be frustrating and unproductive, and can lead to misunderstanding, conflict, or impaired job performance.

focused on the conversation and avoid doing anything else (answering the phone, starting another conversation) other than listening to what is being said.

Becoming a good listener means being attentive to the person speaking and actively seeking clarification and understanding of what is said.

Becoming a good listener involves three essential elements: 1. You must be open to the conversation—that is, you must be willing, and appear willing, to listen, demonstrating an open and respectful demeanor.

2. You must pay attention—focus on what is being said and show that you are really listening, through verbal affirmation and body language.

3. You must seek clarification for things you do not understand, and restate or paraphrase what you have heard to make sure that the speaker knows you are truly listening and that you understood what was said.

Taken together, these elements distinguish someone who listens from someone who actively listens.

Listening can mean simply hearing what was said. Active listening is a learned behavior that requires skill and practice.

These suggestions can Promote active listening: 1. Display involvement in what the person is saying. Show interest verbally by encouraging the speaker to say what is on her mind. Show interest nonverbally by focusing on

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

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4. Try to stay focused on what is being said. Notice the speaker’s behavior (e.g., nervousness or anger during the conversation), but work at not being distracted by it.

5. Ask for clarification of anything that you do not fully understand. Ask questions regarding meaning or intent. Restate or paraphrase what the other person said.

6. Avoid making judgments about what is said. Expressing personal views or biases can cloud the communication.

Learning How to Listen ■ Do I pay attention?

■ Do noises in the room interrupt my careful listening?

■ Am I willing to judge the speaker’s ideas without letting my own ideas get in the way?

■ Do I find the speaker’s personal habits distracting (e.g., clearing the throat constantly)?

Listening for Information ■ Can I organize in my mind what I hear so that I can remember it?

■ Can I think up questions to ask the speaker about ideas that I don’t understand?

■ Do I understand the meaning of unknown words from the rest of what the speaker says?

Listening Carefully ■ Can I separate facts from explanations or from opinions?

■ Can I tell the difference between important and unimportant details?

■ Can I pick out unsupported points that a speaker makes?

■ Am I able to accept points of view that Differ from my own?

Listening Creatively ■ Am I able to identify specific words or phrases that impress me as I listen?

■ Do I get caught up in the poem, story, or play so that I believe the action surely taking place?

■ Am I able to put what I hear into my own words so that I can describe it too theirs?

Handwriting

T

hough thousands of towns and villages exist in a state or country‌‌ capital city is capital. It has got its own legacy, glory and all the administrative powers, irrespective of whether it is single. Similarly, Capital letter for handwriting. It stands like a captain in the beginning of the sentence.

Goes like a chief security official in the convoy of the supreme official.

Although the number of times it happens in overall handwriting is very less, it plays its own significant role.

Beginning of a sentence, short forms, proper nouns, filling the application forms‌.... The capital letter appears in all the quite promina places of the text.

We use two types of capital letters in our regular handwriting needs. Cursive capital letters and Non-cursive capital letters. Non-cursive capital letters are also termed as Block letters. The kinds of capital letters are to be used as per its application. Selecting and executing the right kind of capital letters makes all the difference to the writing.

1

Always remember that a word or sentence of cursive handwriting does not start with non-cursive (Block) Capital letter. It has to be started only with cursive Capital letter. Finally, writing style (cursive or non-cursive) is to be started with its related capital letter.

4

18

By Y.Mallikarjuna Rao, Director, National Handwriting Acadamy.

2

Whenever there is a requirement to use more than one capital letter in a row, do not use cursive capital letters usually cursive letters do not go together. Only block letters go together.

3

It is also to be observed that a sentence when it is started in cursive style, the first capital letter is not usually joined to the next small letter. Because not every capital letter has a provision to join from it to the next small letter.

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

Hence, it is generalized and instructed that it is not necessarily connected to the next small letter, irrespective of whether it has got a provision to join or not.

CAPITAL LETTER IS CAPITAL

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

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Parenting

Is your child just lazy? Or

does he/she suffer from ADHD?

Sadia Saeed Raval Inner Space

D

o you see that your child is impatient, impulsive and is easily distracted? Or, that he is unable to continue one task until it is completed?

If you have noticed these tendencies in your child, perhaps they are due to his nature or personality. Or then, perhaps they are not. Maybe he simply can’t help being impatient. Maybe he can’t control his mind when it drifts off his books; and by the time he realizes, 10 minutes have passed.

What is ADHD? Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disturbance wherein one’s internal capacity to control one’s physical activity and regulate attention are hindered. The exact causes are not clear, though it has neurological factors and some environmental ones associated with it.

As a result of ADHD, one’s overall control over their behavior weakens. For example, to focus on a task, one needs to be able to filter out all other sounds and sights in the environment. If I have to finish my homework, I need to filter out the view outside my window, the faint sound of music from the other room, and the other thoughts and urges in my own mind. For most of us, this process takes about 5 minutes or so. Once we get started and solve about 2 questions, we can go on for another half an hour or 45 minutes. But for someone with ADHD, this filtering process is very very difficult. As a result, they are unable to control themselves, get easily distracted by things around them, and also by other thoughts in their own mind.

As a syndrome, ADHD is a lot more common today than it was about 15 years ago, both in children and in adults. One reason for this could be that more people are seeking help today due to increased awareness. Or, there are some biological and psychological reasons why ADHD is on the rise in the population.

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IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

Why is it Important to identify whether the child has ADHD? Once ADHD is diagnosed, there exist therapies such as occupational therapy, behavior modification and counseling that can help the child and the parents manage the situation better. On the contrary, if it is undiagnosed, the child can undergo a lot of emotional difficulties before it is recognized that he has ADHD. This is because; people around him do not recognize that he is having genuine difficulty in remaining seated, or in persevering at a task. As a result, he gets described as ‘naughty’, ‘lazy’, ‘irresponsible’…and somewhere, ‘bad’. The child begins to believe in these descriptions, thinks poorly of himself and loses the will to improve and put in one’s best.

Moreover, ADHD leads to low academic performance because the child is unable to pay attention in class and eventually lags behind.

It also interferes with everyday activities at home and school. This could also build up frustration in the child and lead to emotional difficulties such as low self esteem, loneliness and anger outbursts.

These emotional scars are best prevented. Keeping this in mind, it is very important to identify ADHD in time, so that the child can be helped in the right manner.

Impulsivity and ‘acting before thinking’ – The child may be unable to think of whether the consequences of doing something will be good or bad. Hence, he might be impulsive and sometimes, careless. For example, while playing, he might bang his toys harshly and won’t consider that the toys may break; or that other people will get hurt if the toy runs into them. Similarly, in class, he might talk with other children and won’t consider that the teacher may punish him.

Impatient – The child may be impatient. He might not be able to delay satisfying his needs or waiting for his turn. If he wants something, he’ll want it ‘now’.

Difficulty with concentration –

What are some common signs of ADHD in children?

Restlessness and fidgetiness –

The child may be unable to sustain focus. He could be easily distracted, and once distracted, might need repeated reminders to refocus. He could find it difficult to stay on the task until it is complete.

The child may be unable to remain calm and restful. He may constantly fidget and may move about in his seat, or change sitting position frequently.

Physical over activity – The child may remain active constantly. He might run around, climb on furniture and might not feel tired even after continuous activity.

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

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Health & Nutritions

How to deal with Stress Management in Children?

S

tress has always been recognized as a condition that is common with adults across the world. Whether you are a working individual, a home maker or retired personnel, stress can hit you any day, anytime. Lately there is a huge base of children across the world, who, too are stressed. Before we go proceed further into learning the different symptoms of stress in children and also how to cope with it, it is important that we first learn what stress is.

What is stress?

Mukta Agrawal Senior Nutritionist ‘‘INLIFE Healthcare�

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Stress is a condition when your body or mind is incapable of coping up with any or every situation going around you. Stress can be classified into two types, physicaland mental. Physical stress is more likely to happen when your body is tired from all the intense activity that it has been a part of for an extended span of time. The body thereafter fails to respond to the smallest of commands and is neither able to perform its duties effectively. On the other hand, mental stress is the result of a tired mind. This often happens when the mind succumbs to the surrounding pressure and hence fails to give effective command to the body.

Both of these are a condition now, often noticed amongst kids. It is important that this be dealt with at the soonest to prevent further stress amongst children.

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

What are the different symptoms of stress in children?

Children and teens often feel stressed due to a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons might include- peer pressure, educational pressure, unhealthy atmosphere in home, parent separation, inadequacy on a certain front, rejection, constant criticism or demoralisation from peers and adults, etc. Whatever be the cause of stress amongst children, the symptoms more or less are often the same. Some of the different symptoms of stress in children, include-

► Always Feeling Sick One of the most common side effect of being stressed, whether physically or mentally is feeling sick for a prolonged period of time.

When you child says that he/she is feeling sick repeatedly, without any medical explanation, chances are that your child is stressed. Stress can also lead to different physical symptoms like a continuous head ache, chest pain, stomach ache, etc.

► Low in Energy A healthy child always possesses high level of energy. Stress often feeds on this energy that a child holds. In case that your child is appearing to be less energetic or interested in loved activities, chances are that he/she is stressed.

► Negative Changes in Behaviour Children, both under the age of twelve and teens often find it hard to verbalise their condition, when undergoing stress. This can lead to negative changes in their behaviour that may include- quarrelling, unnecessary temper, crying, using foul language, etc.

Foods to cop up with stress in children: In case that you have come to notice any or all the symptoms mentioned above in your child, it is important that you help them cope with it. Some food articles that can help cope with stress include-

Dark Chocolate

Green leafy Vegetables

Turkey

Oatmeal

Yogurt

Salmon

Blue Berries

Pistachios Fortified Milk and other dairy products like cheese, etc.

Exercise tips for stress Management in children: Apart from appointing to the above mentioned food articles and their benefits, one should also appoint expert support. Child experts often prescribe parents to indulge their children to participate in exercises that will help them fight their stress. Some of these exercises, include- reading, singing, dancing, interacting, painting, cycling, running, etc. These activities divert the kid’s mind and help them enjoy their present activity.

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

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Motivation Story

13-year-old JAAHNAVI The Mountaineering Sensation SRIPERAMBUDURU eyeing Mission7Summit

I

t came to me as a pleasant surprise then I was told by a dear friend of mine, Mr. Parma Rao, that he could connect to the youngest mountaineer from India. Jaahnavi Sriperambuduru, he continued, hails from Hyderabad and is on to set new records in near future. To be honest, I never knew this. Leaving no time to let the opportunity pass, we tried reaching us and to my joy, we arranged to meet her sooner than we expected.

Before I met her, I happened to go through some facts about her. Let me share them with you. ► The 13-year-old girl created a world record on July 31, 2015 by climbing the highest mountain peak in Europe – Mt. Elbrus. ► She was part of a 10-member Indian team who scaled Mt. Elbrus, the highest peak (5,642 Mts.) of Europe. ► With this spectacular achievement, Jaahnavi has completed the second of her ‘Mission7Summit’, which started with Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa (5,895 mt) on October 2, 2014 ► Mission 7 Summits is to scale the highest peak on each continent – Asia Mt. Everest, Australia Mt. Kosciuszko, South America Mt. Aconcagua, Antarctica Mt. Vinson Massif, North America Mt. Denali, Europe Mt. Elbrus and Africa Mt. Kilimanjaro

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The day had come where I was to meet her. I had reached the venue well in advance to avoid any delay. Awaiting her arrival made me think how a young mountaineer would be. Would she be as notorious as any teen, or be tough as a mountaineer. As I pondered over this and various other question that I would ask her, Jaahnavi walked in with her father. Greeting with a smile, the young girl had an impressive charm that greets you first.

We had a long conversation that evening; young mountaineer Jaahnavi, her mountaineer & motivation speaker father and I. I had few surprising answers to some questions in store. Let me note them down for you:

What was the first thing ever that you climbed?

Looking at her father with a smile” Rocks “she replied.”As far

as my memory goes I always climbed. Rocks sometimes, trees sometimes. But I am an avid climber since I remember.”

What keeps you going?

“Passion. It is the same passion that has only grown everyday that keeps me climbing up mountains and reach the peaks. I feel so energetic when I climb or even do my fitness trainings for that matter.”

What have you learnt from mountaineering?

“Self confidence, I suppose. In the wild nature when we climb these high mountains, there is no one, literally to help you if something goes wrong. This makes me realize the fact that everything I do there decides my fate. Every step is taken with a great deal of choice. So it leaves no room to climbing steps ‘by chance’. Everything we do there is a choice. This made me more confident in the choices I take. It gives you a strong sense of confidence to do things out there with no backup what so ever.

What inspires you to climb?

“People. I know that I have been given the opportunity to learn the sport early because my father was fulltime into this. It could not be that anyone seeing him and his passion would not become a passionate climber. But apart from that what inspires me today is the cause for which people relate my climbing to. It’s not easy for girls to even get education in certain parts of the world. People now look up to what I do as an inspiration.” Jaanhvi replied humbly as her father added “She now also does motivation talks to elders in even corporate events. She is invited to address gatherings of varied ages to motivate them in life.” “I have younger kids come up to me and say I am inspiration to them and they would want become like me. It feels so honored yet equally a sense of responsibility to keep their hopes up.”

Was there any time that you felt you wanted to stop?

“Not really. For some reason I unknowingly gather all my energy when it comes to climbing or my morning workout. But more energy flows in when I have to meet someone or attend any event” giggles the young teen as her father elaborates “Everyday is a fight to wake up from bed when she has to do her workouts early. But when it comes to attending any events or having kids to teach, she would often get ready earlier than me! This simply shows how all her energy gathers for others!”

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

“If not on some mountain top, I would be training kids into this sport. I have already a 10-year old student that would be taking along with me to Everest Base camp this month. I like training younger kids and people who want to get into this sport.”

How did you take up mountaineering as a sport?

“Honestly, I stepped into the sport (mountaineering) as a 10-monthold. I know it is unbelievable but this is true. My father used to take me on the back of a special designed back when I was 10-month-old. The reason was he wanted my body to be acclimatized to different temperatures and climate. That is how I started

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climbing mountains. With time, my dad started taking me on trekking with other children and groups. And after just 2 years, I used to guide people on trekking. I loved the experience. When I was 10, I went to Winter Himalayan Expedition. My dad had to take special permissions to take me along there as people below 16 years of age weren’t allowed to go to the expedition. From that journey, I got the spunk of becoming a world class mountaineer and then I decided that I want to be a mountaineer and will climb all the seven peaks in the world.”

You are planning to climb Mt. Everest by the time this meeting is published.

How will you manage climbing about 8848 meters?

What else do you do apart from mountaineering?

“I know I have climbed below 6000 so far. But, I have a self belief that I can do it. Thanks to my father who pushed me into the sport so early. It will totally depend on my practice. I am well experienced in the technical aspect. Before climbing Everest, I will be going for training.”

“I am studying in 9th standard in Hyderabad. I am also promoting girl education in India to prove that girls can do anything. After climbing all the seven peaks, I will educate and train minimum five girls of my age in a year. I am also promoting “Beti Bachao–Beti Padhao” scheme by the Indian government. I am a classical dancer and a singer too. I want to do everything in my life.”

What is this Mission7Summit?

“We have seven continents in the world - Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Europe, North America, and South America. One of these has a highest peak. In Asia, we have Mt. Everest, Australia – Mt. Kosciuszko, South America – Mt. Aconcagua, Antarctica – Mt. Vinson Massif, North America – Mt. Denali, Europe – Mt. Elbrus and Africa – Mt. Kilimanjaro. These are seven peaks of the world and that is why we gave this mission a name – Misson7Summit.”

Can you please tell us about your first mission of Mission7Summit?

“Mt. Kilimanjaro was my first mission of the Mission7Summit. It is in Africa and 5895 meters. While climbing that, I created my first record.

For climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, there are six routes including two tough routes. I had chosen for the tougher one. I have set a target of completing my Mission7Summit by the end of June 2016. Two done, five to go.”

How many members are there in your team?

“During the Mt. Elbrus climbing, there were 10 people in my team. All of them were from different parts of India. Some of them were from Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Odisha. There was also an oldest climber in our team. She is a 50-year-old lady from Odisha.”

What do you people do in case of illness etc.?

“We do not have doctors in our team. Our guide is well trained to take care of the team. The mountaineers know the basic of first aid. The guide is everything for us. We take every movement according to the guide. In case of an emergency, the mountaineer has to come down for proper treatment. He/she can’t climb and will not be allowed to climb in such situation.”

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How do you prepare yourself before a mission?

“Firstly, I go for regular practice to the stadium. I get training from Ramesh sir, who is also a trainer for fastest runners in India. I run 20 kms on alternate days in a week. I do 60-65 kms cycling on alternate days in a week also.

My practice schedule keeps on changing. I also put on 25 kgs of weight on my back and then climb on some hilly areas. I keep travelling to different parts of India for practice.”

How do you manage to get your records registered after a mission?

“It is the duty of the guide. He has to prove with the help of team photos, videos etc. This is how we get ourselves registered. In India, we have Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF). They declare the records. The guide needs to send the photos and videos to them to get ourselves named in the record books.”

It was after this long meeting and a couple of photographs that we parted.

As I drove back to my place, I was in deep thoughts on few things Jaahnvi said. The aspect of no one being with her to help if things goes wrong did not frighten the young teen. It in fact made her more responsible; made her think for herself and make right good choices. The mountains and nature have brought her close to life, on a whole. The understanding of ‘ ceasing the moment ‘ came through nature.

Probably it is a message coming to all of us, through Jaahnvi, about being connected to nature and life. Probably one should take life in the same spirit as a mountaineer: learning to climb one step at a time; being confident on the steps we take; letting every step we take become an experience that helps us grow.

I had read about all that she has achieved when I came to meet her. I knew I was going to meet an achiever. But as I go back, it makes me realize that it has a deeper picture. The achiever is in a verge to lead. The curve has started to complete the circle of giving back knowledge.

And as I draft this writing, I feel we should thank nature for being such a big teacher and mentor.

Thank you mother nature for taking care of your children.

Thank you Jaahnavi for making us understand what nature can teach us.

Thank you Mr. Krishna Rao and Saraswathi ji for parenting her the way you have.

Before I conclude let me share her autograph that I took on your for, such a person is hard to witness.

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Awards

I

n India sports awards are presented by the Government of India to athletes and sports persons for their accomplishments and outstanding performances in the various fields of sports.

Initially, the Indian Government used to grant these awards to the athletes and sports persons for their excellent performances in all types of sport competitions. But, since 2001, the Sports awards are given only in those events that fall under the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championship or the World Cup and also in Cricket. The awards are also given for the National level competitions and for Sports intended for the Physically Challenged.

Reputed and Esteemed Sports Awards in India Arjuna Awards Indian Government established Arjuna awards in 1961 for excellent performance by the sportspersons in various events. The award holds a cash prize of INR 500,000, a bronze statue of Arjuna and a scroll. The Government has recently modified the format of the award. As per revised guidelines, a sportsperson must have a constant excellent performance for the previous three years at international level to be eligible for the award, along with extraordinary qualities like leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline.

Sports Awards in India

Dronacharya Award Instituted in 1985, the Dronacharya Award is presented by the Indian Government for brilliance in sports coaching. The award consists of a bronze figurine of Dronacharya, a cash price of Rupees 500,000 and a scroll of honor. Since the best sportsperson award is named Arjuna Award, it would be appropriate that the best coaching award is named Dronacharya, the Guru of Arjuna.

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Dhyan Chand Award The Dhyan Chand Award is the highest lifetime achievement award in sports and games in India and is presented by the Indian Government. Initiated in 2002, the award bears a cash prize of INR 500,000 rupees, a figurine, ceremonial dress and a scroll of honor. It is named after the renowned Indian hockey player Dhyan Chand.

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna In India, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is the highest honor given for accomplishment in sports.

The term “Khel Ratna” translated in Hindi literally means “sports gem”. Named after the former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi, the award carries a medal, a significant cash price of Rupees 750,000 and a scroll of honour. The award was initiated in 1991-92 to offer a highest national tribute in the field of sports. The award was formulated to present the utmost honour for exceptional sporting performance, whether by an individual or a team in all sporting disciplines in a year.

Other Sports Awards in India The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Award is given mainly to the overall top winners in the Inter-University Tournaments.

In Punjab, the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award is given by the Government of Punjab for excellent achievement in the field of Sports. Apart from these awards there are few other special awards from the Government of India that are given to the medal winners in international sporting events. The Government also confers some cash awards.

Arjuna Awards

Dronacharya Award

Dhyan Chand Award

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna

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Science

How does the Climate change ?

What is climate?

What is weather?

Climate is the average weather usually taken over a 30-year time period for a particular region and time period. Climate is not the same as weather, but rather, it is the average pattern of weather for a particular region. Weather describes the short-term state of the atmosphere.

Weather is just the state of the atmosphere at any time, including things such as temperature, precipitation, air pressure and cloud cover. Daily changes in the weather are due to winds and storms. Seasonal changes are due to the Earth revolving around the sun.

What is our climate system?

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Atmosphere

The atmosphere covers the Earth. It is a thin layer of mixed gases which make up the air we breathe.

This thin layer also helps the Earth from becoming too hot or too cold.

Oceans

Oceans cover about 70 percent of Earth’s surface.

Their large size and thermal properties allow them to store a lot of heat.

Land

Land covers 27 percent of Earth’s surface and land topography influences weather patterns.

Ice

Ice is the world’s largest supply of freshwater. It covers the remaining 3 percent of Earth’s surface including most of Antarctica and Greenland. Ice plays an important role in regulating climate, because it is highly reflective.

Biosphere

The biosphere is the part of Earth’s atmosphere, land, and oceans that supports any living plant, animal, or organism. It is the place where plants and animals, including humans, live.

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What causes weather?

Because the Earth is round and not flat, the Sun’s rays don’t fall evenly on the land and oceans. The Sun shines more directly near the equator bringing these areas more warmth. However, the polar regions are at such an angle to the Sun that they get little or no sunlight during the winter, causing colder temperatures. These differences in temperature create a restless movement of air and water in great swirling currents to distribute heat energy from the Sun across the planet. When air in one region is warmer than the surrounding air, it becomes less dense and begins to rise, drawing more air in underneath. Elsewhere, cooler denser air sinks, pushing air outward to flow along the surface and complete the cycle.

Why do Mountains affect weather and climate?

There are two sides to a mountain: wayward and leeward.

Whenever it is raining, the wayward side gets the rain. As a cloud goes up the mountain, it keeps raining until there is no more water in the cloud. Now, as the cloud starts to go down the other side of the mountain, there is no more precipitation. So, the leeward side of the mountain doesn’t get any rain. The flat ground on this side of the mountain is dry and humid.

What is the Water Cycle?

Earth has a limited amount of water. So, that water keeps going around. We call it the water cycle.

The water cycle begins with evaporation. Evaporation is when the sun heats up water in rivers, lakes or the ocean. Then turns it into water vapor or steam. The water vapor or steam leaves the body of water and goes into the air. Transpiration is the process by which plants lose water out of their leaves. Condensation is when water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into water to form clouds. Think of it this way, when you open a cold soda on a hot summer day, your soda will start to sweat as water droplets form on the outside of the can.

Precipitation occurs when so much water has condensed that the air can’t hold it anymore. This is how we get rain or snow. Collection happens when the precipitation falls and is collected back in the oceans, lakes and rivers. When it falls to the ground, it will soak into the earth and become ground water. This is the water cycle and it just keeps repeating.

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Why do we have seasons?

As the Earth spins on its axis, producing night and day, it also moves about the Sun in an elliptical (elongated circle) orbit that requires 365 1/4 days to complete. The Earth’s axis is tilted at 23.5 degrees and is why we have seasons. When the Earth’s axis points towards the Sun, it is summer for that hemisphere. When the Earth’s axis points away, winter can be expected.

What is the significance of the Sun to the Earth?

Without the Sun, there would be no weather. Earth is positioned as the third planet, so our temperatures are sustainable for life. The average temperature of Mars is much colder, while Venus is much hotter.

How can you tell what time it is by looking at the Sun? Because the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west, you can tell the time just by looking at where the sun is. When you look east and the sun is on the horizon that means its approximately 6:00am.

When the sun is directly above your head that means its noon. When you look to the west and the sun is on the horizon that means its approximately 6:00pm.

What is the purpose of the Moon?

The tidal effect of the moon helps to recirculate the oceans and keep them from becoming stagnated. The result of which would be catastrophic for advanced forms of life like humans.

Why do the leaves change color?

During the spring and summer the leaves have served as factories where most of the foods necessary for the tree’s growth are manufactured. This food-making process takes place in the leaf in numerous cells containing chlorophyll, which gives the leaf its green color. Along with the green pigment are yellow to orange to red pigments as well.

Most of the year these colors are masked by great amounts of green coloring. But in the fall, because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange to red colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor. The best time to enjoy the autumn color would be on a clear, dry, and cool day.

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What is Climate Change?

Climate change represents a change in long-term weather patterns.

They can become warmer or colder. Annual amounts of rainfall or snowfall can increase or decrease.

What is Global Warming?

Global warming refers to an average increase in the Earth’s temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate. A warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. When scientists talk about the issue of climate change, their concern is about global warming caused by human activities. (Graphic Credit: World Almanac Education Group)

s the Earth getting warmer?

Yes! The Earth has warmed by about 1ºF over the past 100 years.

But why? Well, scientists are not exactly sure. The Earth could be getting warmer on its own, but many of the world’s leading climate scientists think that things people do are helping to make the Earth warmer.

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature that the Earth experiences because certain gases in the atmosphere like water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane trap energy from the sun. Without these gases, heat would escape back into space and Earths average temperature would be about 60ºF colder and would not be warm enough for humans to live. But if the greenhouse effect becomes stronger, it could make the Earth warmer than usual.

Global Warming may be a big problem, but can you make a difference?

Yes! There are several little things you can do to make a difference.

Try carpooling. This will help reduce the amount of fossil fuels going into the atmosphere. Whenever you use electricity, you help put greenhouse gases into the air. Turning off lights, the television, and the computer when you are through with them. Also, planting trees is fun and a great way to reduce greenhouse gases. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the air. Finally, don’t forget about recycling.

What is El Nino?

El Nino is a climate pattern where the water in the Pacific Ocean near the equator gets hotter than usual and affects the atmosphere and weather around the world. El Niño climate conditions occur every few years, and they are not predictable. El Niño is Spanish for The Little Boy. It refers to the Christ child and was named by Mexican fisherman, who noticed the climate pattern often formed around Christmastime.

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33

Mathematics

Vedic Maths “All of those who didn’t memorize the times tables, please get out my class.” This was the first thing we expected to hear from our math teacher as soon and he entered the class room, and in a minute the class room was almost empty with a couple of “super kids” who felt themselves like heroes. This was something common in my primary and upper primary school life. Decades later, when I became a teacher in another state, I could see the same group of unfortunate students standing at the door begging at the mercy of the math teacher in front the math classes. Even today, when I come across students from other countries, still I hear them saying “math is too boring.... I hate it.”

Math is universally regarded as a non-stimulating and boring subject. Maybe, our early encounter with memorizing tables or formulae one of the reasons for this preoccupation. Math becomes a child’s play when you understand and learn it logically.

Our great Indian wisdom Vedic mathematics can make you fall in love with math in no time.

Saji Raghav The founder of VMAT www.vmat.in

Scared of your times tables? Now, you need not memorize any of them beyond 5. Here is a way how you can improvise them with ease.

Just observe how we derive the answers for the following.

► Subtract each digit 8 and 9 from 10, and write the difference below them.

We have 2 and 1 as the difference.

Now to get the unit place of the answer, multiply the difference 2 and 1. 2 x 1 = 2. That is how we got 2 in the unit place.

Now to get the 10’s place digit, we need to subtract either 1 from 8 or 2 from 9.

In either case we will have 7 as our answer. 8 x 9 = 72.

► Subtract each digit 9 and 7 from 10, and write the difference below them. We have 1 and 3 as the difference. Now to get the unit place of the answer, multiply the difference 1 and 3. 1 x 3 = 3. This is the unit place of our answer. Now to get the 10’s place digit, we need to subtract either 1 from 7 or 3 from 9. We get 6 as the ten’s place digit. 9 x 7 = 63.

► Subtract each digit 9 and 7 from 10, and write the difference below them. We have 4 and 5 as the difference. Now to get the unit place of the answer, multiply the difference 4 and 5. 4 x 5 = 20. We do not write 20 but write only 0 in the unit place carrying over 2. The 10’s place digit is 6 - 5 or 5 - 4 plus the carryover from the unit place. So, we have 30 as the answer.

8x9 2 1 7

2

9x7 1 3 6

3

6x5 4 5 3

0

What about if the numbers are above 10? We use the same strategy with a slight difference. Here we add the difference crosswise instead of subtracting. The rest is same as in the above case.

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► Write the difference (surplus) of the given numbers and 10 just below them. We write 2 below 12 because 12- 10 = 2. Write 3 below 13 for the same reason. The unit place of the answer is obtained by simply multiplying the differences 2 and 3. (2 x 3 = 6). The rest of the answer figure is obtained by adding either 12 and 3 or 13 and 2 crosswise.

12 + 3 = 15. 12 x 13 = 156.

► Write the difference (surplus) of the given numbers and 10 just below them. Write 4 below 14 because 14- 10 = 4. Write 7 below 17 for the same reason. The unit place of the answer is obtained by simply multiplying the differences 7 and 4. 7 x 4 = 28. Write 8 as the unit place digit and carry over 2. The rest of the answer is obtained adding 14 to 7 (or 4 to 17) and carrying over the 2 to the sum. 14 + 7 + 2 = 23. 14 x 17 = 238

12 x 13 2 3 1 5 6 14 x 17 4 7 2 3 8

SQUARING OF NUMBERS ENDING 5.

Squaring any numbers ending is 5 is quite easy using Vedic math tips.

We use the Vedic math concept Ekadhika or osculator for doing this.

Let me explain the concept through some examples.

Take 15. It is a 2 digit number. If you ignore the unit place and add 1 to the 10’s place we get the ekadhika. It is just one more than the 10’s place digit here. 1 + 1 = 2. The Ekadhika of 15 is 2. The Ekadhika of 35 is 4 (Ignore 5 and add 1 to 3, the ten’s place digit) The Ekadhika of 125 is 13. (Ignore 5 and add 1 to 12) Now, to square any number ending in 5, you need to use the Ekadhika.

Let’s take 35. The square of 35 is obtained simply multiplying the 10’s place digit by its Ekadhika. The Ekadhika of 35 is 4. Multiply 3, the 10’s place digit of 35 by its Ekadhika 4 that is the first figure of our answer.

The second part is always 25.

15 squared are 225. (Multiply the 10’s place by its Ekadhika 2. 1 x 2 = 2.

This is the first part of the answer. Now write 25 as the second part of the answer. 15 squared is 225.

45 squared: Multiply the 10’s place by its Ekadhika 5. We get 4 x 5 = 20.

The second part is 25. So, 45 squared is 2025.

Fun with 11.

11 is an amazing number. Multiplication by 11 in Vedic math is very really fun.

Multiplying a 2 digit number by 11.

2 3 x 11 = 231 (add 2 and 3, then write the sum 5 in the middle) 42 x 11 = 462 (add 4 and 2, then write the answer in the middle) If you get a two digit number as the sum of the digits, you need to carry over the 10’s place digit to the left.

48 x 11 = 528 (while adding 4 and 8, you get 12. Write 2 in the middle and carry over 1 to 4 making it 5) 79 x 11= 869 (7 becomes 8 with the carryover, then you write 6 in the middle and leave the unit place without any change)

conventional math such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, squares, square roots, cubes, cube roots, divisibility, fractions, decimals, and even algebra to mention a few. Most of these calculations can be done mentally or in a single line in seconds using the Vedic math formulas.

Unfortunately, many of our students or teachers are not aware of Vedic mathematics and its ability to make math learning really fun. We can also be proud that our Vedic math is a much sought after subject in other countries and is gaining world-wide popularity especially in European countries.

I have explained a very few odd tricks. It does not mean that Vedic math is simply the collection of some short cuts which can come handy for easy calculation. In fact Vedic math covers almost all concepts in

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35

History

Tombs The ‘Lost’ City Of and Secrets of the

T

he ‘Lost’ city of Petra in Jordan was a prominent centre of trade thousands of years ago and was located at the cross-roads of ancient Near East.

Believed to be established by the Nabataea’s, the city flourished as trade flourished between Arabia, Egypt and Syria. At the height of its prosperity, the city probably housed as many as 20,000 inhabitants.

History of Petra

Humans have lived in the area around Petra for tens of thousands of years. More than 2,000 years ago, an Arab tribe called the Nabataeans occupied Petra. They made it the capital of their kingdom. Under the Nabataeans, Petra became a center of the spice trade. Traders from as far away as China, Greece, Egypt, and India passed through Petra. The city grew very large. Between 10,000 and 30,000 people may have lived there.

In AD 106 the ancient Romans took over the Nabataean kingdom.

Petra became a part of the Roman Empire. Over time, changes in trade routes caused Petra to decline. Bad earthquakes destroyed large por-

Petra is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it gets the title due to the unique structure of the city - it’s almost completely carved out of Sandstone Mountains, including the tombs, temples and houses of Nabataea’s. After the Nabataea’s it was inhabited first by the Romans and then by the Byzantines. Each civilization left a distinct mark on the city, keeping its original flavor intact.

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tions of the city in 363 and 551.

After the founding of Islam in the 600s, Muslims claimed Petra. Christian Crusaders from Europe were active in the area in the 1100s. However, the ancient city was soon forgotten by the outside world.

Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, a Swiss explorer, rediscovered Petra in 1812. In the late 1950s archaeologists began to excavate the site. Their findings have revealed a great deal about daily life in the ancient Arab city.

Petra today Petra is now the pride of Jordan and an absolute must-visit even if you just pass by the beautiful country. It has been developed into a very well preserved archeological site, very easily accessible from the modern town of Petra.

Here are some of the most iconic sites and things to do at Petra. Each of them is unfishable :)

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Siq - the entrance to Petra The archeological site is accessed through a narrow crevice in the canyon, and locally known as Siq. The walk through the Siq is an experience in itself, and it’s also a perfect gateway to the city itself.

It’s a long walk but you won’t mind even a bit of it. Much of the Siq is not carved and one can marvel at the natural beauty of the walk, especially as the rocks change colors all through the day.

The Siq leads to the most iconic site in whole of Jordan - Al Khazneh or The Treasury.

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Career Awareness

WAYS OF BECOMING AN OFFICER IN THE

I

n today’s world, there are so many possibilities for you to choose from, such as high visibility, rapid growth jobs in banking, computers, corporate management, civil services etc. While examining your options, have you considered the Indian Navy?

The Indian Navy will give you all the training you need and help you make the most of what you have your talents, your skills, your spirit and your aspirations. Are you in search of a challenge – are you young and bright, just out of school or university, have wide personal interests and hobbies, prepared to work hard and expect far more from your career than a remunerative pay packet? You need a challenge – a job that grows with you and provides variety and excitement. That is what precisely the Navy offers you. The Navy offers an extraordinary range of exciting career opportunities together with the chance to travel widely, meet new people and to enjoy the warmth & camaraderie that is so special to this service

Selection and Entry Officers recruitment is advertised through the Employment News and all important National and Regional news papers/dailies. Selection for Permanent Commission through 10 + 2 NDA / Indian Naval Academy cadet entry and CDSE(Graduate) entry is through a written examina-

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Indian Navy tion conducted by the UPSC, followed by an interview by the Service Selection Board (SSB).For all other Permanent Commission entries and Short Service Commission entries there is no written examination. These applications are short listed as per the criteria laid down by the Naval Headquarters, Directorate of Manpower Planning & Recruitment. Selection is through merit alone.

Educational & other Qualifications It is mandatory that all Degrees and educational qualifications are from Educational Institutions recognized by the competent authority in the field. Degrees/mark sheets must be original or attested by appropriate authorities, as asked for in the advertisement.

No compromise/relaxation will be made on this issue. All candidates desirous of joining the Indian Navy must be physically/mentally fit as per laid down standards.

Proficiency in sports, swimming and extra-curricular activities is desirable.

Women entry Women are granted Short Service Commission (SSC) in Naval Architect, Law, Logistics, ATC, Aviation (Observer) & Education Branches. The government has also given approval for Permanent Commission (PC) in Education, Law and Naval Architect branch on completion of SSC tenure depending upon merit and vacancy.

Broad Classification of Branches Executive branch

As an officer of the Executive Branch one can exercise command of ships, submarines and aircraft. Executive officers can specialise in any of the following:(a) Gunnery & Missiles (b) Navigation and Direction (c) Anti-Submarine Warfare (d) Communications (e) Pilot (f) Observer (g) Submarine (h) Hydrography (i) Diving The other cadres that form part of the Executive Branch are - Law, Air Traffic Control, Naval Armament Inspection, Information Technology and Logistics.

Engineering branch Modern ships, submarines and aircraft are fitted with advanced technology machinery and propulsion systems. As an Engineer Officer, you will be responsible for keeping all these Hi-tech systems serviceable.

Opportunities exist to work in gigantic naval dockyards and indigenous production units. In no other career is an engineer exposed to such a wide spectrum of opportunities and to keep abreast of modern developments. An Engineer Officer’s career is interspersed with technical courses up to post graduation level in India/abroad.

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You can also join in the Naval Architecture Cadre of the Engineering Branch. The Indian Navy today employs the largest pool of trained Naval Architects in India.

A Naval Architect is involved in design, construction, quality control, repair and new construction work of naval vessels. With the Navy going for more and more sophisticated warship production within the country, the Corps of Naval Architects offers excellent opportunities to keep abreast of the advancement in ship building technology and implement your innovative ideas.

Electrical branch A warship is a mini floating city with an integral power generation and distribution system. In addition, complex missile systems, underwater weapons, radar and radio communication equipment form major part of a warship’s equipment. A majority of these are either computer-based or computer aided and incorporate the latest trends in electronics engineering. For a ship to be able to fight effectively, all these equipment must be kept working at peak efficiency. Electrical Officers have this responsibility and other challenging tasks.

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To sharpen their skills, the Navy offers excellent opportunities for post-graduate courses in India/abroad to deserving candidates.

Naval Armament Inspection Officer

Note: Officers of the Engineering and Electrical Branches can also volunteer for the Aviation/ Submarine Arm.

These specialist officers inspect the armaments supplied to the Navy by various agencies. While they ensure the quality, safety and reliability of naval armament and stores, they are also responsible for in-house research & development leading to indigenisation. Both Permanent as well as Short Service Commissioned officers serve in this cadre.

Education branch Any service will be as good as the training its officers and men receive.

As an Education Officer you will play a major role in the training of naval officers/sailors. Education Officers are responsible for scientific and methodical instructions, including theoretical aspects of technical subjects of all branches of the navy and also for general education.

An Education Officer can specialize in almost all specializations of the Executive Branch. In addition some officers also get specialization in Oceanography & Meteorology.

EXECUTIVE: General Service Officer As an Executive Officer, you will be both working and fighting the ship.

It means you will be a vital part of the complex system that manages the ship and also uses the ship as an instrument of tactical warfare.

You will learn to have a good understanding of your ship’s capabilities and limitations and be able to turn them to your advantage. It is for this reason that an Executive Officer alone can aspire for the command of a naval ship.

Executive Officers are trained in specializations like anti-submarine warfare, navigation, communications, gunnery, logistics, diving and hydrography. One could also opt for the air or submarine arm. Within the branch, your promotional chances are not affected by your choice of specialisation. For instance, the Commanding Officer of a destroyer could have been a pilot and that of a guided missile frigate, a submarine specialist. Our specialist schools in Kochi constantly update your knowledge & sharpen your skills for greater responsibilities.

Hydrographic Officer Executive Officers can specialise in hydrography. Hydrographic Officers are responsible for collecting information required for making the nautical charts used by the Indian Navy and other Navies around the world.

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Provost Officer

A separate cadre of Provost Officers exists to deal with policing, regulatory, and security and vigilance needs of the Navy.

Pilot Officer For those with an aspiration to fly in the skies, the navy needs Pilots who act as airborne tactical coordinators of marine warfare. While most Navy pilots fly ship-borne helicopters and shore based maritime reconnaissance aircraft, some elite pilots also fly fighter aircraft such as Sea Harrier or Mig 29K. Naval aircraft locate and attack enemy surface ships and submarines and take part in amphibious warfare, search and rescue, casualty evacuation etc.

For this, specialised training is imparted at various places on shore and afloat units.

Observer Officer For those with a yearning for the skies, navy needs observers who act as airborne coordinators of maritime warfare. Observer officer operates various state of the art equipment including Sonics, sonars, radars and communication equipment. Observer officer gets an opportunity to participate in all facets of naval operations onboard the “ eyes of the fleet: the maritime Patrol aircraft.

Submarine Officer If you enjoy the challenge of new frontiers, meet the medical standards and have an exceptional record, this is the specialisation for you. These new hi-tech war machines have awesome firepower, state-of-the art weapon control systems, computer controlled machinery and a high standard of habitability. In peace time, one major responsibility of the submarines is to train for war as effectively as possible in the knowledge that will contribute to its prevention. If you successfully complete the rigorous training, which is conducted at Visakhapatnam, you will be the proud possessor of the ‘Dolphin Badge’ and a member of a very elite arm of the Navy.

Diving officer Diving Officer job range from under water inspection and repair of ships to defence of Indian Navy maritime assets. This is yet another elite and challenging task specialization wherein being in the parent professional arm with sub specialization such as gunnery, Navigation, Anti-submarine

warfare or else logistics, hydro, Aviation etc one can become ships diver. Alternatively one may opt to become a Diving Officer wherein one would be required to undertake a Clearance Diving Officers course and/ or a marine Commando course.

Law Officer A separate cadre of Law Officers also exists to deal with the legal needs of the Navy. Both Permanent as well as Short Service Commissioned officers serves in this cadre.

Logistics Officer

A modern warship is not only a complex fighting unit, but also a mini township and community of several hundred people. These personnel have to be fed, clothed and paid, whatever may be the ship’s role. A modern warship has also to be constantly supplied with fuel, water and spares for the vast array of sophisticated equipment and machinery. At sea or on shore the Logistics Officer has a vital part to play in the technical and human aspects of the ship’s organization. It is a job that requires exceptional managerial skills and the ability to deliver under pressure.

Information Technology

Indian Navy provides excellent career opportunities in the field of IT. Personnel gain hands-on experience in operations, maintenance and administration of core IT infrastructure in applications. They are exposed to R & D functions as part of standard growth profile. Naval IT setup is unique since it involves not only shore based establishments but also afloat units, which require to maintain connectivity and synchronized operations.

The Charter of duties of IT Officer includes following:(a) Implementation of Enterprise wide networking & software development projects. (b) Management of Critical Naval networks and software applications. (c) Administration of shore and on-board networks. (d) Development activities with respect to cyber security products.

To be continued Next Edition

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Pride of India

Kalpana Chawla Born: March 17, 1962, Karnal

Died: February 1, 2003, Texas, United States Space missions: STS-107, STS-87 Husband: Jean-Pierre Harrison (m. 1983–2003) Awards: Congressional Space Medal of Honor, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, NASA Space Flight Medal.

K

alpana Chawla was India’s first women aeronautical engineer to travel into space.

She has been a role model to several women in terms of achievement and contributions to the field of aeronautics. Growing up in a male dominant society, Kalpana never let her dreams of flying be affected in any way. In fact she was the first woman to study aeronautical engineering in her batch. Some of her memorials are: the Kalpana Chawla Award given by the Karnataka Government, a dormitory named after her in the University of Texas at Arlington from where she did her Masters and a planetarium in Haryana. This sheds light on her meritorious and outstanding achievements. Even though her death was sudden and unfortunate, she left a mark in the nation and will be remembered forever. Read the following sections to know more about this dynamic personality, her career and life.

Early Life Kalpana Chawla was born on the 1st of July, 1961 in a small town in Karnal located in the state of Haryana. Her parents, Banarasi Lal Chawla and Sanjyothi had two other daughters named Sunita and Deepa and a son named Sanjay. Kalpana was the youngest in her family and hence, she was the most pampered too.

She got educated at the Tagore Public School and later enrolled into Punjab Engineering College to complete her Aeronautical Engineering Degree in 1982. In the same year, she moved to the US. She got married to Jean-Pierre Harrison in 1983. He was her flying instructor and an aviation author.

In 1984, she completed her M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas in Arlington. In 1988, she obtained a Ph.D. in the same subject from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Career Kalpana Chawla was a certified flight instructor who rated aircrafts and gilders. She also held a commercial pilot license for single and multi-engine airplanes, hydroplanes and gliders. Kalpana was a licensed Technician class Amateur Radio

Rear (L-R): David Brown, Laurel Clark, Michael Anderson, Ilan Ramon; Front (L-R): Rick Husband, Kalpana Chawla, William McCool

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person certified by the Federal Communication commission.

Owing to her multiple degrees in Aerospace, she got a job in NASA as the Vice President of the Overset Methods, Inc. in 1993. She was extensively involved in computational fluid dynamics research on Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing.

It was not until 1995 that she became a part of the NASA ‘Astronaut Corps’.

Three years later, she was selected for her first mission i.e. to travel around the Earth in a space shuttle. This operation consisted of six other members. Kalpana was responsible for organizing the Spartan Satellite but she was unsuccessful in her role due to its malfunction. It was found that due to technical errors, the satellite defied control of ground staff and flight crew members. Following this, she was vindicated.

On the other hand, Kalpana Chawla created history for being the first Indian woman to travel in a space shuttle. She had the privilege of journeying as far as 10.4million km. This approximately adds up to 252 times around the Earth’s orbit that comprised of 372 hours in space.

After the Spartan Satellite incident, she was given a technical position. Her excellent work was recognized and awarded.

In 2000, she was again assigned on her second flight mission as a part of Flight STS-107. Kalpana’s responsibility included microgravity experiments. Along with her team members, she undertook a detailed research on advanced technology development, astronaut health & safety, the study of Earth and space science. During the course of this mission, there were several mishaps and cracks were detected in the shuttle engine flow liners. This delayed the project until 2003.

Death It was on February 1st 2003 that the space shuttle, STS-107, collapsed over the Texas region when it re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere. This unfortunate event ended the lives of seven crew members including Kalpana.

Achievements and Accolades Despite living in America, Kalpana Chawla was considered the pride of India. She was the first Indian woman to travel in a space shuttle for 372 hours and complete 252 rotations around the Earth’s atmosphere. Her achievements have been an inspiration to many others in India and abroad.

There are many science institutions named after her.

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

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Country

MONGOLIA Official Name: Mongolia

Form of Government: Parliamentary Capital: Ulaanbaatar Prime minister: Chimed Saikhanbileg President: Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj Population: 2,953,190 Languages: Khalkha Mongol (official), Turkic, Russian Money: Togrog/Tugrik Area: 604,200 square miles (1.5 million square kilometers) Religion: Tibetan Buddhist, Lamaism Major Mountain Ranges: Altai, Khangai and Khentii Prime Minister: Chimed Saikhanbileg

Major Rivers: Orkhon

Geography Mongolia is located in Asia between Russia to the north and China to the south. Situated on mountains and plateaus, it is one of the world’s highest countries with elevation averaging 5,180 feet (1,580 meters). Mongolia is 435 miles (700 kilometers) from the Yellow Sea. Mongolia’s temperature can fluctuate as much as 35 degrees in one day.

The country is very dry and receives only about four inches of rainfall per year. Southern Mongolia is dominated by the Gobi, which is one of the Earth’s coldest deserts and covers about 500,000 square miles (1,295,000 square kilometers).

People & Culture For most of its history, Mongolia was closed off to the world and little was known about the country or its people.

Many Mongolians continue to live in yurts, or gers, which are dome-shaped, tent-like structures. They are furnished with all the comforts of home, including a stove for heat and cooking meals, rugs to cover the wooden floors, beds, and storage. Today gers often have electricity, satellite dishes, and solar panels.

Mongolia’s largest festival, Naadam, is celebrated in summer and focuses on sports, games, and food. Children also participate in some of the sports, including horse races. Many people still raise animals and eat a lot of meat and milk products.

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History The Mongol Empire gained power as Genghis Khan and his sons conquered much of Asia and Europe during the 13th century.

Marco Polo, his father, and an uncle were the first Europeans to cross the Gobi in about A.D. 1275.

The southern portion of Mongolia, known as Inner Mongolia, is part of China. The northern region became independent from China in 1921 with Russia’s help. Mongolia became a communist country in 1924, but in 1990 multiparty elections were held by the people.

Government Mongolia is led by a president who is elected by the people, but the president doesn’t have much power. Most of the control is in the parliament, which has 76 members and chooses the prime minister and the cabinet officers.

Nature Bactrian camels are native to Mongolia. They have two humps and are smaller than the Arabian camel. The Mongolian horse is small but tough and can withstand the harsh temperatures of the Mongolian climate.

The Gobi is expanding. Every year, about 1,400 square miles of new desert are added because of changes in land use, including farming, grazing animals, and destruction of the forests. Global climate change may also be a factor.

Wildlife is threatened in Mongolia. The rare snow leopard is endangered, but has a refuge in the country’s nature reserves. As less land is available for wild animals, species such as the musk deer have nowhere to hide from illegal hunters who are killing off most of the remaining population.

The first dinosaur egg ever discovered was found in the Gobi. Many dinosaur remains and fossils from 100 million years ago, during the late Cretaceous period, have been found there.

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Best Places to Visit in Mongolia Gobi desert Gobi Desert is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The Gobi is most notable in history as part of the great Mongol Empire, and as the location of several important cities along the Silk Road. Several large nature reserves have been established in the Gobi, including Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, Great Gobi A and Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area.

Gorkhi-terelj National Park Gorkhi-Terelj National Park is mountainous area with a beautiful river, forests and some interestingly shaped rocks. The Terelj tourist zone has a number of tourist camps. A small southern portion of the park is developed for tourists, with restaurants, souvenir shops, horses and camels for rent, and tourist ger camps, many of them run by the Juulchin corporation, the former state tourism company. However, most of the park is undeveloped and difficult to access.

Attractions include Khagiin Khar Lake, a 20m deep glacial lake 80 km upstream from the tourist camps, and Yestii Hot Water Springs, natural hot springs 18 km further upstream. The park also has a Buddhist monastery that is open to visitors. Park wildlife includes brown bears and over 250 species of birds. The Tuul River flows through the park.

Facts about Mongolia ■ In winter you’ll find venders selling ice cream on the street from paper boxes.

There’s no need for a freezer at -30 degrees Celsius.

■ Mongolians do not name their horses; they refer to them by color.

■ The population density in Mongolia is approximately 1.9 people per square mile.

■ The sun shines well over 200 days per year.

■ The current president of Mongolia, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, attended both the University of Colorado at Boulder and Harvard University in the U.S.

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Khovsgol lake Lake Khovsgol or Khövsgöl nuur is Mongolia’s second largest lake and it is located 1645 meters above the sea level and it measures about 136 km long. Khuvsgul is one of seventeen ancient lakes worldwide more than 2 million years old, and the most pristine (apart from Lake Vostok). as well as being the most significant drinking water reserve of Mongolia. The lake is traditionally considered sacred in a land suffering from arid conditions where most lakes are salty.

The lake area also features a national park which is home to wildlife such as wolverine, brown bear, musk deer, sable, Siberian moose, wolf, elk and ibex.

Altai Tavan Bogd National Park Altai Tavan Bogd National Park covers 6362 square kilometres and is located south of Tavan Bogd, the highest mountain of Mongolia. It includes the lakes Khoton, Khurgan, and Dayan. The protected area is inhabited by species such as the Argali sheep, Ibex, Red deer, Beech marten, Moose, Snow cock, and Golden eagle. Altai Tavan Bogd National Park is home to the highest mountains and largest glacier in Mongolia.

Erdene Zuu The Erdene Zuu Monastery is probably the earliest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. Located in Övörkhangai Province, approximately 2 km north-east from the center of Kharkhorin and adjacent to the ancient city of Karakorum, it is part of the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape World Heritage Site. Today Erdene Zuu remains an active Buddhist monastery as well as a museum that is open to tourists.

■ Mongol Khuumii or throat singing involves producing two simultaneous tones with the human voice.

■ Prominently featured at the Naadam Festival, the three most popular sports are horse racing, archery, and Mongolian wrestling.

■ The average altitude of Mongolia is about 5,182 feet above sea level.

■ Only Russia and China share borders with this landlocked country.

■ The Gobi Desert is the largest desert in Asia, and is the fifth largest in the world.

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

Ulaanbaatar

47

Sports

Snooker

S

nooker is one of the world’s most popular games due to its growth in India and China but, for now, it remains largely dominated by British players at the highest level. The Snooker World Championship is – for many – one of the biggest sporting events of the year but the sport is also played in clubs, and sometimes pubs, all over the UK by amateurs of all levels.

It developed from another cue sport, billiards, which began in the 16th century, with snooker coming along in the late 19th century. The first official snooker tournament was in 1916 with the first World Championship appearing in 1927 and since then the popularity of the game has ebbed and flowed, with the 1970s and 1980s probably the game’s finest era.

Object Of The Game The object of the game is to use the white cue ball to pot the other balls in the correct sequence and ultimately score more points than your opponent in order to win the frame, a frame being the individual game unit.

Players & Equipment Snooker is played one against one and the size of the balls and table are regulated. The table is rectangular, measuring 12ft x 6ft and just under 3ft in height, and usually made of wood with a slate top covered in green baize. The table has six pockets into which the balls are potted, one in each corner and two in the middle of the long sides, or cushions. The end from which the game starts is called the baulk end and has a line across the width of the table 29 inches from the baulk cushion. In the centre of this is the D, an 11.5 inch-radius semi-circle with the baulk line as its diameter.

The hard balls, made from phenolic resin, are approximately 2.7 inches in diameter (they are given in metric units of 52.5mm). There are 15 red balls and one each of black, pink, blue, brown, green and yellow, as well as a white cue ball which is the only one struck by the players. The colours go on their spots, the green, brown and yellow from left to right on the baulk line across the semi-circle. The blue goes in the middle of the table, the pink midway between there and the top cushion (the opposite end to the baulk cushion) with the black in the centre, 12¾ inches off the top cushion. The 15 reds are placed in a triangle with one red at the point behind the pink.

The players use a cue, usually made of wood, to strike the white ball and this must be “not less than 3ft in length and shall show no substantial departure from the traditionally and generally accepted shape and form”.

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Scoring Players score one point for potting a red, after which they must nominate a colour for their next shot. The black is worth seven and is the most valuable going down through pink (six), blue (five), brown (four), green (three) and yellow (two). After each colour (the six colours are re-spotted but the reds are not) the player reverts to a red and alternates red, then colour until all the reds are potted. The remaining six colours are then potted in ascending points order, thus finishing with the black.

A player continues until he misses a ball or commits a foul, the players alternating turns. The maximum standard break (the term given to a consecutive run of pots) is 147 (15 reds taken with 15 blacks and then all the colours).

If a player commits a foul their opponent is awarded four points, unless the foul occurred whilst playing the blue, pink or black or hit one of those higher values first, in which case the foul is worth the value of the ball in question.

Winning The Game The winner is the person who scores the most points in a frame.

Once a player has a lead of more points than remain on the table the opponent is said to “need snookers”. Snooker is where the balls are so placed so that the player cannot directly hit the next legal ball. The hope is to force a foul and earn four points.

A match is normally played “best of” a set number of frames, ranging from three right up to 35 for modern World Championship finals, such that the winner would be the first player to reach an unassailable lead.

Rules of Snooker ■ Players take it in turns to break (start the frame) with a coin toss deciding who starts the first frame. The break is made with the cue-ball in the D and a red must be struck.

■ If both players agree a frame can be restarted, if, for example, both players agree the balls are so placed that the frame could lead to a stalemate.

■ A push shot, which is a foul, is when the tip of the cue remains in contact with the cue-ball as it in turn touches the target ball. The cue ball must only be played with one clean strike of the cue.

■ The referee may call a miss if the player does not strike the correct ball and is adjudged not to have made a serious attempt to. The other player is awarded the foul (four or more) and has the option to make the player replay the shot.

red. Failure to do so is a foul, as is not hitting any ball or potting a non-nominated ball.

■ If the player touches any ball with any part of their body or any ball other than the white with their cue it is a foul.

■ Hitting a ball off the table is a foul. Reds are not replaced but colours will be re-spotted.

■ If the spot on which a colour would usually be replaced is covered by another ball the colour is placed on the next highest available spot. If all spots are occupied the colour is placed as close to its spot as possible, between that spot and the top cushion. The ball must not be touching any other ball.

■ When the cue-ball is touching another ball the referee shall state “touching ball” and the player must play away from that ball. If that ball moves it is a foul. If the player nominated that ball then they can play away and it is classed as already having made contact with that ball.

■ If a player fouls and the other player cannot hit the whole of the next legal ball then a free ball is declared. The player may then hit any ball of their choice (they must nominate) and this will score and act as per the next legal ball, meaning, for example, that the black may be nominated as a red and if potted, followed by a colour.

■ All balls must be stationary before the next shot is played.

■ The cue ball must hit the nominated ball first, or if it is a red, any

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l o Co

s n o i t Inven

A Braille Printer Born From LEGO The world’s cheapest Braille printer got its start with a single piece of mail. Upon seeing a letter soliciting donations for the blind, Shubham Banerjee, then 12 years old, asked his parents how blind people read. They suggested he Google it. Banerjee’s Internet search turned up Braille printers, all of which cost more than $1,800. So he set out to make a cheaper alternative using his favorite toy--LEGOs. Banerjee finished building his first prototype, Braigo, in February 2014.

But the device was limited to printing on narrow rolls of paper.

“I still love LEGO, but I had to move on to something that would be released into the market,” he says.

In summer 2014, Banerjee formed Braigo Labs with the help of his parents. That fall, he released the prototype for Braigo 2.0 at the Intel Developer Forum, and Intel Capital offered him seed funding for further R&D. Along with a team of advisers, Banerjee, now 13, is currently refining the second iteration of his printer, which will consist of fabricated printer parts powered by an Intel Edison chip.

Like its predecessor, Braigo 2.0 is light and portable--but it’s far more advanced. Using both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, its chip will connect the printer to a webpage where users can type standard text. Braigo will automatically translate the words into Braille, converting a 160page document in 35 seconds.

Once printers are ready, they will be sent to various institutes for the blind for testing and feedback. The final model, planned for release in late 2015, will sell for less than $500, making it the first--and only--low-cost Braille printer.

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s s e n s n i d r u Gorld Reco

wo

3524 Songs, 650 Films, 1 World Record: Meet lyricist Sameer Anjaan Sameer Anjaan (b. 1958, India) has been officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the Most prolific Bollywood lyricist ever - having composed an incredible 3,524 different songs as of 15 December 2015.

Officially named Shitala Pandey, but commonly known by his nickname Rajan, the music-making machine was presented with a certificate during a recent celebration ceremony in Mumbai on 17 February 2016.

Since then his work has featured in 650 Bollywood movies and he has been nominated for a multitude of prestigious awards Sameer was born in 1958 in Banaras, the son of veteran lyricist Anjaan (Lalji Pandey) - but in spite of his musical heritage Sameer spent some time working at the Central Bank of India before realising that he too had the potential to be a successful musician.

Heaviest Rideable Motorcycle The heaviest motorcycle is the Harzer Bike Schmiede, built by Tilo and Wilfried Niebel of Zilly, Germany, which weighed 4.749 tonnes (10,470 lb) on 23 November 2007.

At 5.28 m (17 ft 4 in) long and 2.29 m (7 ft 6 in) tall, and powered by a Russian tank engine, the bike took a team of mechanics and welders almost a year to construct.

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Current Affairs Resul Pookutty became first Asian to win Golden Reel Award

Famous sound designer Resul Pookutty on 27 February 2016 became the first Asian to win the award for Best Sound for documentary India’s Daughter at the Motion Picture Sound Editors’ (MPSE) 63rd annual Golden Reel Awards.

Dinesh Sharma elected as Chairperson of Governing Council of IFAD

Dinesh Sharma, Additional Finance Secretary and India’s Governor to the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) was unanimously elected as the Chairperson of the Governing Council of IFAD for a period of two years in its 39th Session held on 17 February and 18 February 2016 in Rome, Italy.

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Hashim Thaci elected as President of Kosovo

Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci was on 26 February 2016 elected as president of Kosovo by the Members of Parliament amid the protests.

He succeeded Atifete Jahjaga as head of state after winning the required simple majority in voting held in Pristina.

Punjab imposed ban on sale of Army Uniforms in the state

Any person buying uniform will have to submit a self-attested copy of his identity card and phone number, which would be duly maintained along with date of sale with the shopkeeper.

India and UK Institutions signed agreements for collaboration in Crop Sciences

It was agreed by all the parties on the importance of crop science as an area of enormous potential for scientific collaboration, and of great importance for global food security in India and beyond.

Ex-DRDO Chairman Dr Avinash Chander received Aryabhata Award 2013 The award was named after the fifth century Indian astronomer and mathematician and also in commemoration of the first Indian Satellite launched on 19 April 1975, Aryabhata.

IGNITING MINDS | | |March 2016

Yoichiro Ueno appointed President and CEO of Honda Cars India

Ueno will replace Katsushi Inoue on 1 April 2016. Inoue has been named Operating Officer of Honda Motor and Chief Operating Officer for regional operations (Europe region).

Maharashtra Government finalised PMC for Shivaji memorial in Arabian Sea

Maharashtra Government on 24 February 2016 finalised a Project Management Consultant (PMC) for the proposed Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial in the Arabian Sea. The project scheduled to be completed by 2018 will be executed at an expense of 84 crore rupees.

Rajendra Singh became first non-navy officer to head Indian Coast Guard

Mizoram launched National Food Security Act, 2013

Singh will replace Vice Admiral HCS Bisht who has been promoted as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command.

As per Census 2011, a total of 644882 people will be covered by Food Security Act which is 81.88 percent of people living in rural areas and 48.60 percent of urban areas.

Italy approved Gay Civil Union’s Bill

The bill now needs to go before a vote in the lower house (Chamber of Deputies), and will become an act within two months after being approved there.

Private Banks employees should be considered public servants under Prevention of Corruption Act: SC

Union Environment Ministry held ninth meeting of National Steering Committee on Climate Change

With this, the investigating agencies like Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will be able to examine frauds and scams involving private banks operating in the country.

The Committee approved the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) on adaptation submitted by governments of Telangana, Mizoram, Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya and Chhattisgarh for funding.

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Indian-origin Sikh officer Amar Singh appointed Kuala Lumpur’s Commissioner of Police

ISRO successfully tested high-thrust Cryogenic Engine CE-20

PM Narendra Modi launched Rurban Mission in Chhattisgarh

He succeeded Tajuddin Mohamed, who will be moved to federal headquarters as the deputy director of commercial CID on 14 March 2016.

The successful hotbed test lasted 640 seconds and paved the way for the first developmental flight of the GSLV Mark 3 in December 2016.

The Rurban Mission seeks to develop smart village on the line of smart cities and reduce the burden of migration to the cities through adopting ‘cluster approach’.

Kalikho Pul sworn in as Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Pul’s swearing-in came a day after the Supreme Court vacated its interim order to maintain status quo in the Arunachal Pradesh assembly, paving the way for government formation.

6 Indian-American scientists selected for Presidential Early Career Awards

Eastern Command received Raksha Mantri’s Trophy for Best Service Hospital The trophy for the Second Best Hospital was presented to INHS Asvini, Mumbai, which was received by its Commandant Surgeon Rear Admiral AA Pawar.

Apple to set up Technology Development Centre in Hyderabad With this announcement, Apple joined other big technology firms like Microsoft, Google and Facebook that focused on Hyderabad to expand their operations in Asia.

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The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers is the highest honour bestowed by the United States Government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers.

Wawrinka won Dubai ATP Tennis title

Mumbai won Ranji Trophy for the 41st time

It won 41 titles in 45 finals with 10 of them being an innings victory.

Karnataka stands second in the overall Ranji standings with eight titles.

Win at Dubai meant that the Swiss clinched his second ATP Tour title of 2016 after sealing his third consecutive Chennai Open title in January 2016.

Indian Women Cricket Team won three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka

Australia won Trans-Tasman Trophy of Cricket against New Zealand

Deepti Sharma, who played a pivotal role in steadying her side’s innings, was adjudged the Player of the Match.

India won three-match T-20 series against Sri Lanka, 2-1

Australia on 24 February 2016 won Trans-Tasman Trophy of Cricket against New Zealand and became World Number 1 in ICC Test ranking.

It replaced India in the test rating by defeating New Zealand by 2-0 in two-Match Series.

India made 84 runs for the loss of one wicket in 13.5 overs. Shikhar Dhawan 46 and Ajinkya Rahane 22 remained not out.

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Brain Gym 1. Friends ! can you tell what is common in all these six persons?

2. Spokes

3. Scrabble

CLUE 1. Expose to a chance of loss or damage.

2. A Covering to disguise or conceal the face.

3. Attach a tag or label to.

4. Absence of light or illumination.

5. People in general.

6. Accompany or escort.

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57

February Brain Gym Answers 1. All are Ramon Magsayasy Award Winners.

2.

3. 1.CURT, 2.ROUT, 3.TOUR, 4.COT, 5.CUT, 6.OUT, 7.CUR and 8.TO. 4. Pattern Number 3.

5. 1.Girl is looking in other direction. 2.Different hairstyle. 3.Less windows in other house. 4.Girl with book has dofferent shirt.

5.Running boy has less books. 6.Eggs are missing. 7.Missing paper in standing boy’s hand. 8.He is smiling, too.

5. Find Eight Differences in Both the Pictures.

4. Looking at the change of patterns, tell, what comes in Blank - Change to ‘Guess the next pattern...’

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Office Address

Printed, Published and Owned by Nampally Nagasri, Printed at Bandla Print Solutions Plot No: A-22/1, Road No 14, I.P, Nacharam, Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy Dist - 500076.

Published at H.No. 1-4-160/1/12, Plot No.12, Manik Sai Enclave, Sainikpuri, Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy Dist - 500094

RNI No: TELENG/2015/65077 Phone No: 8885053541, Email id: nagasri@ignitingminds.co.in.