Corona has affected the lives of billions of people across the world. This change has come at a time when science and technology is more advanced than at any point in human history. Simultaneously, technological advancement is responsible for the highest level of inequality between low and high developed countries we have ever seen. The impact of the Corona pandemic is going to further widen existing inequalities. Here is how the virus is contributing to a new generation of inequality. Inequality means more than just an uneven share of wealth and income. As per the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), health, education, and other human-centric aspects are also part of the definition of inequality. Human life has many dimensions and cannot be defined solely by resources and money. An individual would arguably be better off having fewer resources at their disposal, whilst having more opportunities and the abilities needed to be successful in life’s valuable domains. Or, as the Indian economist Amartya Sen said: “WE COULD BE WELL OFF WITHOUT BEING WELL, WE COULD BE WELL WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO LEAD THE LIFE WE WANTED, WE COULD HAVE GOT THE LIFE WE WANTED WITHOUT BEING HAPPY.” Capabilities are at the heart of human development. There are two sets of capabilities -basic capabilities like early childhood survival or primary education, and enhanced capabilities such as access to quality health care. Having access to both of these sets of capabilities is important in equal measures. They are necessary for increasing and achieving high human development, a good state of being, and overall human wellbeing. In the 21st century, we have witnessed an improvement in the standards of living almost everywhere in the world. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has doubled in poor countries. Child mortality rates have halved relative to 1990s levels, and the proportion of children attending school has increased from 56 per cent to 80 per cent globally. The number of people experiencing low human development fell from 3 billion to 926 million worldwide. People experiencing high and very high human development rose from 1.3 billion to 3.8 billion across the globe. Despite these achievements, there are still considerable differences among the key elements of human development between low and high development level countries. People in highly developed countries live 19 years longer The differences in life expectancy at birth between the low (59.4 years) and very high (78.4) development level countries is 19 years. Such differences in expected longevity persist at every age. At the age of 70, the life expectancy of low human development countries is 9.8 years. This is compared to 14.6 years in very high human development countries. This disparity is mirrored with primary and tertiary education. A new form of inequality Levels of inequality with regard to basic capabilities are shrinking across countries among all levels of development. From 2005 to 2015, low human development countries registered an increase in life expectancy at birth (5.9 years) which is almost three times more than the high development nations (2.4 years). Similarly, between 2007 and 2017, the percentage of the population with primary education in low development countries rose by 5.3 per cent compared to 3 per cent in very high human development countries. During the same period, the growth in mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in low human development countries was 49.3% as compared to 26.1% in very high development countries. Despite these improvements, inequalities in enhanced capabilities are rising. A new generation of inequality is emerging. Life expectancy at age 70 increased by only 0.50 years in low developed nations compared to 1.2 years in very high development countries between 2005 and 2015. In the decade between 2007 and 2017 the percentage of the population with tertiary education increased by 1.1 per cent in low development nations compared to 7.1 per cent in very high development nations. This shows that very high development nations are growing more than six times faster than low development countries with regard to education. This trend is echoed once more by fixed broadband subscription rates. From 2007 to 2017, 0.80 out of every 100 inhabitants registered with a provider in low developed nations. While in very high development nations 12.3 per 100 registered. This means that very high development countries are growing 15 times faster than low development countries in this specific area. It is clear that there is increased convergence in terms of basic capabilities, but this is matched by increased divergence in the new set of indicators termed as enhanced capabilities. And this divergence is dramatic. The new opportunities provided by the advances of the 21st century, as the world experiences a technological revolution, might not be accessible in low developed nations as they are in high developed nations. Power of Human Development In its very first report, the UNDP defined human development as “the process of enlarging people’s choices. The most critical of these wide ranging choices is to live a long and healthy life, to be educated, and to have access to the resources needed for a decent standard of living. Additional choices include political freedom, guaranteed human rights, and personal self-respect”. Precisely 30 years after its first report, the UNDP illustrated the power of human development using fascinating data. They compared children born in the year 2000 in high human development nations to children born in low development countries in the same year. After 20 years the following changes have been estimated by UNDP in the differing nations. In the low human development countries, 17 per cent of children died before the age of 20 compared to only 1 per cent of children in high development countries. 80 per cent of children are not in higher education as compared to just 44 per cent in high development countries. Corona widens inequality The disruption caused by Corona is vast and beyond calculation. Non-availability of any scientifically approved medicine and the nature of the exponential spreading of Corona has forced governments and concerned authorities across the world to
Economy for the benefit of the people: Amartya Sen receives Peace Prize of the German Book Trade
Amartya Sen’s biography is shaped by his early experiences with hunger and racial violence. In October he was honored with the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. The economist has dedicated his work to the fight against inequality. Amartya Sen was born in 1933 in Santiniketan, India, as the son of a wealthy academic family. His grandfather taught Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language, and Indian cultural history at the University of Santiniketan. Sen spent his childhood in Mandalay, but mainly in Dhaka. His father was a university professor and taught there. As a boy, he considered following his grandfather’s footsteps and studying Sanskrit, mathematics and physics also appealed to him. But two crucial events made the young man decide to dedicate his life to economics. Amartya Sen experienced racially motivated murder as a childOne experience in Sen’s biography was the violent clashes between Muslims and Hindus in his home country. Amartya Sen himself is an Hindu, but throughout his life he felt more like an Indian or simply a human being. That was also the way his parents raised him. One day a bleeding man, crying desperately for help, entered her house. Sen was still a child back then, the family lived in Dhaka. The man was a Muslim day laborer who had been stabbed by Hindu extremists. Sen’s father brought him to the hospital, but any help came too late: the man died of his injuries. Prior to this, he told Sen and his father that his wife had warned him not to go to a Hindu area because of the riots. But the day laborer had no choice: poverty forced him to take the risk. At the age of 8, Sen experienced what racism leads to and that poverty can kill in many ways. Amartya Sen and his classmates aren’t starvingThe second trauma of his childhood was the great famine in Bengal in 1943. During the famine, between two and three million people starved to death. Amartya Sen was only ten years old, but one thing struck him: None of his school friends and other people he knew were affected, let alone lost their lives. Not even the middle class felt the effects of the catastrophe. But in the poorest classes of society the hunger was raging. Again, the young Amartya experienced what social inequality means. He was to have similar experiences several times in the course of his life. For example, when he was studying in Calcutta and only a few street corners away from the university, people were dying in hunger and misery. These experiences in his biopgraphy continue to influence his work to this day. Amartya Sen biographyAmartya Sen experienced hunger and racial violence at an early age.Problem solving and curiosityAmartya Sen realized what would have prevented both tragedies: economic justice. But that was not the only reason why he studied economics. When he starts raving about the “eccentric charm of economics”, it becomes clear that curiosity and fascination for economic relations were equally important driving forces. This also corresponds to the approach that he was thaught during his school days in a private school in Dhaka. The school valued curiosity and interest in discovery much more than achievement and grades. In his biography, he quotes a former teacher who said about a fellow student: “She is a really good thinker and yet she has extremely good grades.” A life in the service of scienceIn Amartya Sen’s biography, his life always took place at universities. He studied economics in Calcutta, then in Cambridge. But economy alone was meaningless for him, so he additionally majored in philosophy. After graduating, he taught at most of the world’s renowned universities: Stanford, Harvard, M.I.T., Berkeley, the London School of Economics, Cambridge and Oxford are just some of the milestones in his impressive career as a university professor. Amartya Sen stays true to his goalsBut he did not forget why he had dedicated his life to economics. His research always focused on the question of how social justice can be reflected in economics. Economics not as an end in itself, but for the benefit of the people. For him, democracy is one of the keys to this. Sen is also one of the founders of the UN Human Development Index. He uses various economic and social factors to describe the prosperity of states, and whether broad parts of the population benefit from this prosperity. Honored for life’s workFor his work he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998. Among many other awards, he received the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade in October 2020. Amartya Sen used his acceptance speech to make a plea for freedom of opinion, peace, distributional justice and the courage to disagree. For nothing is more important to the 86-year-old scientist “… as the opportunity to argue about matters on which we can possibly disagree.”
When Durga Thought of Divorce | A Short Story By Atrayee Bhattacharya | TLT
The same weird feeling churned her stomach. Absolutely annoying it had become; and since the past month, this had been an unwanted and unwarranted companion of Durga. She lay on that small ramshackle cot and looked at the shelves, hoping to find something to munch. There should be a chips packet no? Rudra da assured her something spicy and tangy would be kept. But no. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing, except for a few biscuits scraping the base of that glass jar. Rudra da’s grandma’s jar. He kept it as a sign of her legacy or love or whatever. Durga stared at that, rather glowered almost and mused if she could hold her hunger for some more time. Second day of Durga Puja, Paromita Aunty might cook some mutton. And probably, like the other day, she would heed Durga’s plight and send a bowl of mutton through Rinku, her ten year old daughter. A gush of air flew in through the window. And, along came the mellifluous drum beats. Durga got up and ran to the window. She glanced at the wall clock. Huh! It had also stopped last night at two. How come she didn’t realize? She was awake the whole night; gathering courage to ask Rudra da for a saree. And she could ask. After six months of marriage, she finally demanded something and even agreed to disown any hope for anything expensive. With tear soaked eyes, she was ready to reconcile even with a simple printed cotton saree if not a Tangail. Bright sunlight and that azure blue sky stretched unendingly with loose white cottony patches of clouds. It looked beautiful; much like a polka dot saree. Like how Priyanka Chopra wore for that award function! Her eyes glittered with that mere thought passing through. At least for that feeble second Durga could knit a fairy tale for herself. Much rewarding actually, than the brutal truth of her present life. Somewhere, it stockpiled a tale of unblemished love, a sketch of that perfect life which Durga had always imagined. She peeped out a little more. Did Maa Durga really live there in the sky? With her four kids and her husband? She pondered. The distant roads, however far her eyes could reach, were all bristling with life. Obviously. It was Kolkata. And it was Durga Puja. Nobody sat idle at home. However, Durga remained locked in her house. Not a single pandal she could visit yet. So what? Even the old man of the opposite house, spending most of his time sitting on that mottled, half broken balcony wouldn’t have been to a pandal. Not only this year, but for many years. Durga sighed at her pitiable consolation. She glanced at that house. She wondered, how two old people could remain alive and agile in that anytime-crumbling building. That house was some 200 years old and could collapse anytime soon. She sighed and doubted if that was the lone one in such a pathetic situation. Absolutely not. Most of the houses around were equally ruined. A string of chants reached Durga. Probably from that next lane pandal. Although faint, she could surmise the priest reciting the Pushpanjali Slokas. How couldn’t she? She was after all brought up amidst the grandeur of Roy Chaudhuri dynasty with a hundred year history of Durga Puja. Tears slid down her cheeks. Was she right in leaving her bloodline; rather everything behind for the sake of love? Durga never understood what Rudra thought of her decision. One fine morning, when she stood at his door carrying a small bag with few clothes, Rudra simply let her in. Neither he questioned nor did he advise. Neither was he angry nor looked happy. Not even a hint of disbelief he showed. He just let her in, closed the door and resumed with his painting. God! Durga could no longer distract her hunger. She opened the jar and chomped down all the biscuits. At least a momentary respite; before Rudra got something for lunch from that adjacent mess. Ugh! She puked. That’s not lunch. A bowl of heavily starched rice, watery dal and some vegetable. Occasionally, a small piece of fish Rudra got, drowned inside a brownish gravy. She scraped the crumbly bottom of the jar and licked her fingers. It was Saptami. Shikha kakima (aunt) and Asha didi (sister) might be busy making khichudi and laabda. Baba (father) might be instructing the cooks to take extra care while frying the fishes. Today he would have brought Rohu and Paabda. Pulav was always prepared for Ashtami bhog. Today, it would be plain rice, roasted moong dal and brinjal fried lengthwise. Durga felt the flush of saliva bickering inside her mouth. No holds barred, Durga was indeed missing her once-upon-a-time luxurious life. She lay down again. Belly cramped a couple of times. She looked at the calendar which Paromita Aunty lent her. It should be her time of the month. However, three months had passed since her last one came. Durga was just nineteen. She had often missed her periods but it had never cramped so badly. Moreover, she had never been into such wicked hunger. Her eyes stared the ceiling fan. Rotating out on a limb, it could stop or fall any day. She had asked Rudra da to replace it and as usual the request was put on hold. Even the slightest of the wind made the left window pane bang onto the grill rods. The stopper on the jamb had broken, what now felt like many eons ago. Many a night, that raucous noise had snatched sleep from her eyes. Strangely, it never disturbed Rudra da. He slept peacefully, lugging that immutable kind smile. Tear drenched, Durga sniffed as she strolled down her memory. One year ago, Rudra da was invited to Roy Chaudhury Nivas for drawing a portrait of Durga’s grandfather, along with the project of painting their years of heirloom. Durga’s eldest cousin, Dipankar had introduced Rudra da to the
Navjot Sidhu Tenders Statement of regret After Contention over Wearing Shawl Bearing Devout Symbols
Chandigarh: Congress pioneer Navjot Singh Sidhu is in contention over wearing a shawl bearing the devout stamp of Sikhism as the Jathedar of the Akal Takht, incomparable worldly situate of Sikhs, depicted Sidhu’s act as profoundly sad and against the conventions of Sikh fundamentals. Nowadays, Navjot Singh Sidhu has tweeted and apologized in this matter. Navjot Tweets, “Shri Akal Takht Sahib is Supreme, If I have unknowingly hurt the sentiments of even One Sikh, I apologise !! … Millions wear the revered Symbols of Sikhism on there Turbans, Clothes and even carve Tattoos with Pride, I too as a humble Sikh wore the Shawl unintentionally.” Shri Akal Takht Sahib is Supreme, If I have unknowingly hurt the sentiments of even One Sikh, I apologise !! … Millions wear the revered Symbols of Sikhism on there Turbans, Clothes and even carve Tattoos with Pride, I too as a humble Sikh wore the Shawl unintentionally 🙏🏼 — Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) December 30, 2020 He had transferred a video on his YouTube channel ”Jittega Punjab” a number of days prior in which he might be seen wearing the shawl amid a assembly with agriculturists in a town in Jalandhar.
‘Ikigai – The Japanese secret to a long and happy life’: Overview
Bring meaning and joy to your every day with the internationally bestselling guide to Ikigai. The people of Japan believe that everyone has an Ikigai-a reason for being; the thing that gets you out of bed each morning. And according to the residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa-the worlds longest-living people-finding it is the key to a longer and more fulfilled life. Inspiring and comforting, this book will bring you closer to these centenarians secrets: how they leave urgency behind; keep doing what they love for as long as possible; nurture friendships; live in the moment; participate in their communities and throw themselves into their passions. And it provides practical tools to help you discover your own personal Ikigai. Because who doesn’t want to find happiness in every day? THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER ‘Ikigai – The Japanese secret to a long and happy life’ has been a topic of discussion in literature world. We all have an ikigai. It’s the Japanese word for ‘a reason to live’ or ‘a reason to jump out of bed in the morning’. It’s the place where your needs, desires, ambitions, and satisfaction meet. A place of balance. Small wonder that finding your ikigai is closely linked to living longer. Finding your ikigai is easier than you might think. This book will help you work out what your own ikigai really is, and equip you to change your life. You have a purpose in this world: your skills, your interests, your desires and your history have made you the perfect candidate for something. All you have to do is find it. Do that, and you can make every single day of your life joyful and meaningful.
Anjali Mishra Reviews ‘The Perfect 5’ Authored by Abhay N Singh
Abhay has used his experiences and knowledge to give a perfect shape to this book. This book is designed and developed to enhance the skills and personality. It is a complete professional guide that will help you to achieve your goals. This book covers the most important topics like interviews, group discussion, effective communication, presentation, etiquette, and manners. Thus, the name ‘The Perfect 5’. It is for all professional and competitive students. The motive is to shape the career of many aspiring students and job seekers. The book has been published by Evincepub Publishing (www.evincepub.com) and now available worldwide. Anjali Mishra at The Literature Times, reviews the book ‘The Perfect 5’. Author Abhay N Singh Abhay N Singh is an MBA. By profession, he is a trainer, motivator and writer. He is the founder of ACEL (Ambient Centre for English Language), an institute for language and personality development. He trains professional students and also, he has been connected with TV Media. He has been a part of Live TV debate shows like “Dial C for Cricket” in NEO SPORTS CHANNEL at MUMBAI. He also writes columns and journals in leading newspapers. Abhay is planning to launch some more books on topics like ‘Defuse the Depression’, ‘Crack the Interview Trap’, ‘How to Be a Self-made’ to name a few.
KGF Chapter 2 Teaser on Jan 8
Date on cards & curiosity in minds. KGF Chapter 2 Teaser On Jan 8
4 Things to Bring With You to Enjoy Any Sporting Event
How ‘bout them Cowboys?! As pre-season gets into full swing and America gears up for the upcoming football season, sports fans are prepping their barbecues and coolers for tailgating and partying to celebrate the country’s most popular sport. Indeed, the end of summer is signaled by cooler weather, the start of football and the close of baseball, as it heads into the home stretch for the playoffs. Wherever your sports heart lies—be it with football, baseball, basketball or hockey—there’s a code of conduct when you’re supporting your favorite team at the next home game. In fact, there’s an unspoken rule for fans everywhere: Be passionate about your team, but not obnoxious.
Don’t Miss These Signs of School Bullying
The start of the new school year should be a positive and exciting time for children, but for many it also means a return to being bullied, and the physical and mental health consequences that accompany it. Results of a study published in School Psychology Review found that nearly half of children in grades 4-12 reported being bullied by other students at least once during the previous month. According to the National Bullying Prevention Center, a slightly higher portion of female than of male students report being bullied at school (23 percent versus 19 percent.)In a 2017 survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 percent of North Carolina high schoolers reported being bullied on school property within the previous year. When broken down by gender, 23 percent of high school girls and 15 percent of high school boys in North Carolina reported being bullied at school. Possible signs that a child is being bullied at school include:- Acting in a way that is out of character for the child, such as becoming more angry or anxious.- Trying to avoid school with excuses such as increased physical complaints.- Demonstrating trouble with schoolwork.- Exhibiting unusual eating or sleeping habits.- Losing valuables such as lunch money or possessions. “Bullying behavior tends to peak in middle school years, but it can happen at any age,” says Dr. Michael Golinkoff of AmeriHealth Caritas, a national leader in healthcare solutions for those most in need. “Victims of bullying may be reluctant to inform their parents or others. So it is important for parents to be observant for signs that their child may be getting bullied and respond accordingly,” he emphasizes. But parents can help stop bullying before it starts and be part of the solution when it occurs. Some steps parents can take to help their child include:- Be informed. Find out your school’s policy on bullying and speak to the principal or other administrator.- Be engaged. Talk to your child about his or her experience. Don’t judge, just listen.- Be a team. Involve your child in strategies to help stop the bullying. Get the teachers on board so everyone knows what to do when problem behavior occurs. “The most important advice for a child who is being bullied is to help them develop assertiveness skills and conflict resolution skills,” says Dr. Golinkoff. “This includes standing up for their beliefs and ignoring negativity directed towards them. Role playing exercises can help children learn how to take a stand against an aggressor.
How Your Business Can Survive The Coronavirus
As the world has hit the metaphorical panic button during the rise of Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases worldwide, the daily reality for people and businesses is rapidly changing. Practically overnight, businesses have been forced out of the comfort zone of face-to-face contact, now having to heavily rely on digital platforms. Businesses, especially, are struggling with figuring out how to survive by using digital communication techniques. With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and government officials emphasizing “social distancing and mandatory nonessential business closures,” technology such as live video conferencing, chat boxes, and email will be the basis for millions of Americans for their jobs, schooling, and everyday communication. So, with so many players in the game, how can businesses continue to function successfully? Higher Images, a 20-year-old full-service digital marketing agency located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is helping organizations, businesses, and the community re-imagine what their lives and work-life will look like through web-based technology and mobile devices. President and CEO of Higher Images, Bryan Thornberg, says, “Rather than going into crisis mode, businesses should take this as an opportunity to expand their knowledge and reach. With many more people relying on digital communication, this is an ideal opportunity for businesses to break boundaries and try new techniques when connecting with clients.” Thornberg and his team want to help people not just survive this crisis but to thrive during it and come out with an organization and business model stronger than ever. Thornberg has already been able to impact his clients by thinking outside the box and recommending the usage of technology such as live feeds and Facetime. For example, a hot tub distributor – a business that relies on their retail location for sales – took the recommendation of Thornberg and is now offering live video conferencing for customers to do live demonstrations of products and make purchases. Higher Images also urges businesses to utilize their existing websites to drive business: for example, adding a chat-box function to their website for customer communication, allowing organizations to respond to clients in real-time from the convenience of a cell phone or office computer from any location in the world. With higher internet traffic, this is also a key time for organizations to utilize search engine marketing, Google ads, and mobile in-app advertising technology such as Webtracker, which geo-fences homes to enhance brand visibility. Strategizing with a digital marketing company like Higher Images will provide businesses with the tools they need to succeed.
