Maha Shivaratri : Night of devotion and faith
Maha Shivaratri is celebrated mainly amongst Hindus. Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, and its evidence can be found in The Vedas which are 5000 years old written texts. Hindus have settled down all over the world. In India, Maha Shivratri will be celebrated on the 11th March 2021, date which differs every year, as the Hindu calendar is based on the luni-solar calendar, differentiating it from the Gregorian calendar. If we break down the Maha-Shiva-Ratri word: Maha means big, Shiva is Lord who is worshipped, personified or impersonified, for this is the energy on which the entire creation rests, and Ratri means night which gives rest and comforts one. Hence this night is about contemplating on physical and mental peace along with spirituality.
Actually, Shivaratri happens every month and Maha Shivaratri, once a year. The festival of Maha Shivaratri is celebrated on the Chaturdashi of the Krishna Paksha of Phalgun month as per Hindu calendar.
So why is Maha Shivratri celebrated and what is done during the festival?
As per Hindu mythology Maha Shivaratri celebrates the marriage of Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati. There are other stories as well behind this festival, and all over India people have personal beliefs linked to their devotion. Shiva is often referred to as the Lord of destruction while Goddess Pravati is known as Goddess of fertility, love and beauty. Many devotees of Shiva fast on this festival, worshipping him in temples or from their own home, in the form of Shiva Linga, an iconic representation of Shiva, reminding one of the impersonal nature of the divine. Many are those who stay awake and worship him all night long, chanting Har Har Mahaadev or Om Namah Shivay.
Shiva temples are usually busy on this particular day, with devoted souls flocking in with offerings of fruits, flowers, milk, honey and seeds.
Devotees do Rudra Abhishek of Shiva Linga where the linga is bathed with different substances like water, curd, milk, honey, Datura fruit as well as other offerings made to Lord Shiva. An offering of Dhatura, scientifically known as Datura stramonium, or Thorn Apple (Datura) is believed to help one get rid of envy, terror, wicked nature or any other negative tendencies. Offerings are made as per one’s own will and capacity.
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Dussehra: The nine nights of celebration of divine feminine strength
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Why do people fast?
Married and unmarried men and women both worship Shiva and typically fast. Fasting is good for health and has many scientific merits to it, as it allows the body to go into autophagy. Some only drink water; some might keep to a fruit diet while others might have only one meal in the evening. It all depends on the individual and his/her faith. There is no absolute path in the Hindu religion.
How do Indians celebrate when they are not fasting?
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Maha Shivaratri : A day of devotion and patience
This day is an opportunity for people to align with the all-pervasive consciousness by fasting and chanting. Lord Shiva is known as the annihilator of evils and also the first yogi. This is a special day where people pray to seek blessings and perform rituals, which give them immense tranquility and comfort. On this day, we wish everyone a Happy Maha Shivratri and happiness to each and every being on Earth.
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CSR in India
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is taken very seriously in India. In fact, it is the only country to have a mandatory CSR spending law in the world. It was introduced for the first time in India under the Companies Act 2013 under section 135. Its rules were notified in Feb 2014 and came into effect since April 2014.
What is CSR?
The basic principles of CSR: Although the ideals of CSR have a long history in India, its roots can be traced to Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of building a self-sustainable society. Gandhiji was of opinion that concentration of wealth with one group of people is of no good to the welfare of the society. Which is why he formulated the trusteeship model so that wealthy industrialists are obligated to invest in the welfare of society. This was, however, limited to very few activities. After Independence and the subsequent liberalization of Indian economy, globalization ensured global standards were met. Although many industrialists like TATA, Birla and even PSUs (Public sector Units) were doing activities in line with current CSR practice, the CSR laws were proposed in India.
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India still needs to improve in terms of development and CSR can catalyse such endeavors because Indian businesses spend around ₹15,000 crore a year on CSR as per pre-pandemic official estimates.
Corporate social responsibility law
This law is applicable to all companies incorporated in India and have either of these in their preceding financial year:
- Net worth of INR 500 Cr or more or
- Turnover of INR 1000 Cr or more or
- Net profit of INR 5 Cr or more
It has also been clearly mentioned that under this law, pure philanthropy or mere donations cannot be considered as CSR endeavors.
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The list of activities and areas under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are defined clearly under CSR law. All organizations have to spend at least 2 % of their average net profit for three consecutive fiscal years as per CSR law. A lot of development has been happening in this space to make every work accountable. The Indian government keep making efforts for impactful results. Many changes have been happening for FDI (foreign direct Invesment) as there were some reports of fund misuse. As many companies which do CSR are not doing what they should do or NGOs which get funds but not making good use of the money. Recently many changes also happened in the CSR policy with amendments in terms and definitions as notified under the MCA ( Ministry of corporate affairs) notifications 2021. Here’s some of the key changes:
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- The definition of administrative overheads has been introduced and it excludes expenses directly incurred for designing, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of a particular CSR project.
- Now there is compulsory registration electronically with Ministry of corporate affairs so that government knows exactly where and which agencies are doing implementations
- New terms have been included under the international organisation section so that instances like NGOs or any organisation working in this sector can take help from such international organisations in designing, monitoring and evaluation type activities.
- The Impact assessment has been added new in the policy so that any activity done by any the organisation can be verified. It can happen through proper CSR assessment and reporting methodology. To know more about it, view this course, linked below. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so such content get pushed to you!
We have only covered a few of the many updates in this topic. There are many rules and policies which keep changing acording to time and requirements.
Currently India stands at a low HDI(Human development ranking ) and much more is needed to remove poverty, hunger and many more issues like child malnutrition, education, the fight towards climate change. The CSR structure has the potential to bring together government, NGOs and international organization to work together for the benefit of the society.
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All you need to know: clay in the kitchen
This blog is part of a series on Technological Innovations in Rural India. To read more on how technology is benefitting rural communities across India, read our previous release on Chakda, a promising immediate solution to transportation, and Jhatka, a device preventing wild animals from damaging cultivations by merely scarring them away.
We have come a long way in terms of technology but still whatever research we do or invention we make can’t stand in front of nature. For instance, compare the following: natural air under a tree and acclimated air from air conditioners water from mud pots and from fridges, cooking in clay and cooking in not stick gridles. Natural methods, you will agree, preserve the integrity in taste and does not harm to environment or living beings.
In this blog, we’ll focus on earthen pots and see how this traditional kind of utensil compare to modern industry-manufactured counterparts. We’ll start from the most basic thing used for drinking water, which are earthen pots also known as matka, ghada, paanai(tamil), madike(kannada), kunda(telugu) or surahi, across different parts of India.
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Earthen pot
If we wish to drink cool water, not chilled, which is anyway not recommended by Ayurvedic science, mud pots can help achieve this, without consuming any electricity nor being hazardous to the environment. Made of natural materials, earthenware is a sustainable. But slowly urbanization has led to habits of getting used to cold and chilled water, to the detriment of our personal health, and that of Earth. Many wonder how earthen pots cool water without using any external energy, like fridges. Well the answer lies in the tiny pores in the clay pots through which water evaporates at a slow rate, which is enough to lower the internal temperature of the vessel, and that of the water. This might not be efficient in humid areas due to higher humidity ratio.
With evolution, humans started using copper, steel and plastic as they don’t break and are durable. Nowadays, in rural areas, many plastic pots can be spotted as they are lightweight and easy to carry. Clay pots are, however, at an advantage from a sustainability point of view, as well as for its natural cooling properties.
Clay cooking utensils
Another thing which is now making a comeback are clay cooking utensils, as they propose some health benefits, as recommended by the science of Ayurveda. If we compare the materials used today, like non stick tavas, many people don’t know that the layer which is coated on the metal surface is a carcinogenic timebomb. Clay is a traditional utensil for sure, but properly adapted for our biology.
- Some benefits of clay cooking are: Steam circulation is very good in the clay vessel and this provides adequate moisture, reducing oil needed for cooking
- It keeps the flavour integrity of the food.
- Due to the alkaline nature of clay pots, pH balance of the food is maintained.
- They are of priced competitively.
- They are eco friendly
- It is also said that nutrients like calcium, phosphorous, iron and magnesium get added to the food due to their presence within the clay. These are among the essential nutrients for the body.
Next example of such innovation is Mitticool which has been recognized by various organizations at national level in India. The origin of its invention is quite interesting
Source: http://nif.org.in/
Mitticool Fridge
The mitticool fridge is a refrigerator which was invented to tackle the problem of electricity. In 2005 Mansukhbhai-Prajapati- an entrepreneur from Gujarat’s rural area, came up with his fridge called Mitticool. His inspiration stems from the sight of a broken fridge after an earthquake in 2001 in Gujarat. He performed some research for several years and came up with this invention. The National Innovation Foundation also recognized his initiative in 2005. Let’s get an understanding of how it works and how it is different from electric fridges which are widely in use today.
The Mitticool Fridge works on a very basic principle of latent heat of water for cooling. Water from the upper chambers drips down just like in a desert cooler and it lowers the temperature from inside. Water is stored at the top and from there a passage is present to allow circulation of water.
- This fridge is made from a different kind of clay, terracotta clay, which has the unique property of maintaining the cooling effect.
- It does not need any electricity for cooling.
- It can store vegetables and fruits for 2 –3 days and can even be used for cooling water The water won’t be as chilled like in refrigerators but is cool enough for those hot summer days.)
- A person who buys it does not need to worry about rising electricity bill.
- This fridge is portable and can be easily carried.
There are some challenges as well
- Its performance depends a lot on external temperature and humidity.
- Outer body need to be cleaned at 2-3 days interval so that pores are not obstructed.
- It is advised to keep it in ventilated area.
Mitticool is now a brand and sells various items made of clay like drinking water bottle, clay cooking utensils and many more. Even Mansukhbhai has several patents within this theme.
The above three examples portray the simplicity and innovativeness of clayware and their practical implementation in daily life; for instance their prevalence, to date, in many rural locations. The use of clay in modern days is a good example of bringing back practices from the past, which have been tested over centuries and have proved to be sustainable in the long term.
The challenge nowadays is adaptation to current lifestyle. Initially many habitats were nearby pollution-free rivers, but nowadays, the environmental conditions have drastically changed.
The earth is abundant and can cater for our needs. The choice lies in the choices we make: fulfillment of needs and desires, and to what extent.
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Jhatka machine: electric fencing safeguarding wild animals and cultivations
This blog is part of a series on Technological Innovations in Rural India. To read more on how technology is benefitting rural communities across India, read our previous release on Chakda, a promising immediate solution to transportation.
Indian agriculture and challenges
In India, agriculture is the primary source of income for about 60% of the population. It also employs more than 50% of the work force. This very sector contributes 17-18% of the Indian GDP. Which explains its vital role for a vast majority of people, irrespective of being in an urban or rural setting. But this sector gets affected by many factors like climate change, water scarcity, lower yield, crop damage by wild animals, among others. Many problems can’t be solved by farmers themselves, but some challenges can be tackled with, like crop damaged by animals.
What can be the solution to crop damage by animals
Animals like Nilgai(Asian Antelope), pigs, rabbit, elephant or buffalos can cause damage of up to 80-90% of crops, putting farmers into a precarious situation. Hence farmers either barricade the whole field by wires or wooden logs. Sometimes farmers electrify the barricades, which can even kill the wild animals, which is by the way illegal. Although many innovations have been done in fencing systems, market penetration can be slow, leaving people needing such systems in despair. DC fencing and solar fencing have recently become famous in many areas of India. This accessible piece of technology is famously known as JHATKA machine in many rural areas.
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So what is Jhatka Machine?
This is a simple equipment which supplies DC (direct current) into the fencing wires of farm fields. AC current is banned by the government, which makes this system a nice solution to the sleepless nights of farmers. This machine can work for 12 or 24 hours, depending on the brand and model. Some machines have both the options which the farmer can choose accordingly.
How this machine works and what can be cost of installation
So how does this supply DC current?
It has a converter which turns AC to DC. If there is no electricity then the farmer can also install a battery which can be charged to supply power when needed. Animals experience a high voltage and low current for a very short time, and they run away after getting a small shock. Many state governments are supporting this system by subsidizing them as it protects the crops from damage and ultimately the farmers’ investment.
The main components of Jhatka machine:
- An electronic setup having a transformer and siren for alarming the farmer
- A battery
- Wire for fencing the farm field
- Poles
- Solar panel if farmers want to install that as well with the system, which will increase the initial investment
Price of the machine, with battery, can vary from Rs 10,000 to 15,000. Price depends on material and brand a person buys. Also, different states practice different prices. Wires which are used can range from Rs 50 to 70 per kg, depending upon the material being used. Good quality wires can last up to 6 years . Farmers can use their own poles but it is advised not to use wooden logs for if wires touch the wooden log which is grounded in soil, then the battery will get drained. Hence an insulator is planned at the poles, to which wires are hooked. It is best to have 3 to 4 parallel wires as they can save from both small and large animals . Increasing amount of wire will result in more cost. Larger areas of cultivations will require bigger initial investment. But this can effectively save the tones of crop and unforeseeable damage in night or day which can happen when a farmer is not watching over the farm land.
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Jhatka electric fencing system coupled with solar’s advantages
Now Jhatka machine has become more famous in recent years after people have started coupling solar panel with it, specially in those areas where electricity is not available. Here are some
Advantages:
- solar energy is available free and is a reliable energy source which makes DC fencing system more accessible to many parts of India.
- Even if the weather not good it has back up power to safeguard the farming land
- If nothing major happens then it does not require any maintenance for long times as well
- It provides better protection than other fences as animals will flee as they get a small shock
Do’s and don’ts while setting up
These are some of major precaution once should take while installing the Jhatka machine setup
- Earthing must be done properly to complete the pulse circuit and give an effective shock to animals
- Proper insulation is needed where wire is tied on the pole
- Grass must be cleaned nearby wire otherwise grass will touch the wires and battery power will get drained
- The battery needs to be checked from time to time
- The fences must be checked regularly for occurrence of sparks as some animals may damage the wires
- Use of thin wires, as the thinner wire results in minimized loss of power
- Avoid wooden logs
- In summer, wires expand and elongate. Keep tight in summer and adjust for winter.
- This can also lead to killing of several small animals like rabbits, peacock and porcupine etc.
- Locally manufactured machines can lack proper fuse, which can be hazardous to humans as well. Going for a trusted brand is must.
Challenges
As we explored, this DC fencing system looks like an ingenious idea but it’s a costly investment for the farmers. Farmers with vast cultivations cannot really afford it. While many state governments are giving subsidies to this initiative, it still needs better policy and intervention. Also the government needs to come up better action plan to solve the wild animal’s issue as most farmers cannot afford this or use this for small lands. This is just one of the challenges for farmers, with bigger challenges remaining climate change and inadequate rainfall. About 70% of agricultural land in India is rainfed, hence efficient water utilization, for instance the revival of natural water aquifers, is imperative for the future of agriculture in a sustainable way.
Masteringindia.org is a trove of information related to the business landscape in India. If your ambitions are to harness the potential of India as a driver of business success, follow our blog section regularly as well as our partner hub.slxlearning.com for short empowering courses in various fields.
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World AIDS Vaccine Day – HIV Status
The HIV virus causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). It’s a disease with a set of symptoms or syndrome caused by the virus. Well, this disease has lots of myth, and people who suffer from it are not seen as a good person in society although they might have got the disease in some other ways. This virus mainly attacks the immune system and weakens it. Hence it reduces the ability of a person to recognize and fight against infections.
Below are some of the common ways to get HIV:
- Unprotected sexual contact
- Injection used for more than one person
- Passed from mother-to-baby during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding
- If the blood of infected person gets in contact with others via transfusion or any injury
Watch: HIV Vaccine Awareness Day
AIDS as a Global Issue
Now let’s look at the global level and when was AIDS first discovered. The HIV virus was first discovered in the 1920s, and since then, huge research is being conducted to deal with the disease; but to date, no vaccine is successfully developed. Though there are some ways through which patients can live a longer life, an efficient way to be HIV-free is yet to see the light of the day.
Let’s look at some statistics at the global level of HIV in 2018.
According to the above graph, in 2018
- 9 million were living with HIV
- 7 million people were newly infected
- About 77000 died
But the good thing is that these numbers are declining year by year. Compared to 2004, in2018 56% lesser HIV cases were detected.
A lot of efforts have been worldwide to fight this disease. Now let’s look at the scenario in India – How it started and how India has dealt with the HIV spread.
AIDS in India
The first case was reported in India in 1986 among female sex workers in Chennai. The current national prevalence is about 0.26% (age 15-49) compared with a global average of 0.2%. In India, HIV infections reached a peak in 1988, and since then there has been a declining trend due to the continuous effort of many organizations and the government of India. This disease is at a very low level among the general population vs. high-risk groups like sex workers.
Currently, India with 2.1 million HIV patients is the world’s 3rd largest HIV population after South Africa (7.1 million) and Nigeria (3.2 million) but it has more to do it with the population of India being 1.3 billion.2 Now when we look deeper state-wise these statistics out of 2.1 million(21 lakhs) HIV, Maharashtra has highest no of people living with HIV ( PLHIV) (3.3 lakhs) and then followed by Andhra Pradesh (2.70 Lakh), Karnataka (2.47 Lakh), Telangana (2.04 Lakh), West Bengal (1.44 Lakh), Tamil Nadu (1.42 Lakh), Uttar Pradesh (1.34 Lakh) and Bihar (1.15 Lakh). And these all are 75% of total cases.
Also, adult HIV prevalence in India is 0.28%, compared to South Africa’s 18.9%, as per UNAIDS data, 2017.
So, what has happened in terms of infections, let’s look at stats up to 2017 in comparison to 2010 as per UNAIDS3
- There has been a decrease of 46% in new HIV infections
- AIDS-related has been declined by 56% decrease since 2010
- Also, there has been a decline of new HIV infections from 120, 000 to 88, 000
This decline has been because of a focus on the high-risk groups and providing them access to tests and treatment services. The decline in the spread of AIDS was also a result of the decentralized approach taken by many NGOs as well as Govt. institutes.
Now let us look at the year-wise HIV deaths in India as per report given by National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).
The above figure shows that there was a hike in 2004-2006 and since then there has been a decline. With the decline in the number of HIV deaths, the new challenge is the high number of HIV infected patients. While the decline has been due to the efforts on educating and building awareness on AIDS, very little has been done to sensitize the society on living with HIV patients. There is a need, not only in India but at the global level as well, to stop the stigma against HIV survivors. Eradicating the disease from the root level, no doubt is the ultimate goal of every government.
According to NSP (National Strategic Plan {2017-2024}), below are the significant objectives to fulfill the vision of AIDS-free India.
- To reduce 80% of new infections by 2024 (Baseline 2010)
- Ensuring that 95% of PLHIV know their status by 2024
- Eliminating mother to child transmission
The Future of AIDS Vaccines and Challenges
As far as the vaccine is concerned many attempts have been made and still many attempts are going for HIV cure. There has been some success in terms of HIV drugs up to some level, but eradicating HIV is still like a dream for many researchers and scientists.
Any vaccine takes 10-20 years for its development. Like right now we are dealing with COVID 19 and we all are hoping for its vaccine. And COVID 19 has badly impacted all over the world.
Read: COVID-19 and It’s Impact On The 3 Pillars Of Sustainability
So what will a vaccine do, if developed? It will help the immune system to respond to HIV by making antibodies that will bind with the virus and will stop it from infecting other cells.
Now let’s see what the major challenges are in developing an HIV vaccine:
- The vaccine produces antibodies to neutralize infection but in this case of HIV, neutralizing antibodies do not clear the infection. As HIV reproduces very fast.
- Also, no vaccine can guarantee 100% of zero infection.
- Another difficulty is that HIV has many subtypes which makes it difficult to develop one universal vaccine.
- HIV integrates into human cells which makes it difficult to find an efficient way of delivering HIV proteins so that the immune system can recognize HIV.
Right now several trials are going in different parts of the world to develop a vaccine for AIDS. At the same time, there are methods to prevent this disease as it only spread in some ways and sex education is one of the worldwide which can help to reduce this disease spread. Its because Education can also remove the social stigma of this disease and help people deal with AIDS in an effective and appropriate manner.
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