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Teaching beyond boundaries

By
Tania Saili
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Conducting online maths class

Dateline Dehradun: At end of January 2020, Rakesh Gusain returned to Dehradun from Shanghai, China. A month long winter break from work where Rakesh Gusain has been working as a Mathematic teacher for A-level at a Centre run by Cambridge Assessment International Education, UK, Programme.

On the 24th of February, Rakesh Gusain was all set return to work in Shanghai, which has been his home away from home for the past six years. But then all hell broke loose. The Covid-19 pandemic jumped international boundaries. The Chinese government, understandably suspended visas, international flights came to a shuddering halt. Henceforth lockdown was to become the new way of life across the globe.

For the last few weeks, making most of what time and technology has to offer, Rakesh has been conducting online classes for his students between fourteen to eighteen years of age. Given the two and half hour time lag, Rakesh conducts classes for two batches of over twenty students each, in two shifts. “One class begins at 7:30 IST and the other at 12:30 IST.” Adding, “but I do miss our regular classes the most, though some of them are brilliant and proactive in class, they miss that spark in them while interacting online. Also language is a barrier which when we have classes one-on-one is not much of an issue.”

Adding, “The CAIE has cancelled May/June 2020 series exams across the globe due to the outbreak of the epidemic and now they are working on how to provide grades to registered students based on the predicted grade and necessary evidences that the Centers will provide.”

Like everyone, everywhere, Rakesh too is hanging on to the fond hope that life will return to normal. That this air of doom will lift. And he will be able to take his flight back to Shanghai to be with his students.

I am afraid, until then, like all other teachers across the world, technology will have to suffice.

Technology to the rescue of schools

By
Tania Saili
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0

Dateline Mussoorie: The present lockdown came into force just as schools in the hill-station were on the verge of finishing or getting ready for a fresh academic session at the end of their long-winter vacation.

This is where technology stepped in whereby private schools turned to online platforms while others like the Mahatma Yogeshwar Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir, Mussoorie have turned to WhatsApp.

This is no small task when you consider that there are over seven hundred students in Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir, Mussoorie. But successfully, for days on end now, timetables to chapters; lesson plans to worksheet and YouTube links and activities are being exchanged between the teacher and the taught.  You will find that the children here are not from the privileged strata. They come from humbler social backgrounds – most from the villages abutting the hill station.

From activities such as Yoga, creative handicraft, being helping hands to their parents, composing poems, essays are some of the suggestions that teachers are listing for their students.

“As teachers, we send two subjects plus a task for students from class 9-12. One subject and an extra activity for those from class 5-8 via WhatsApp, with promising feedback from our students,” adds Principal Manoj Payal. “Though these interactive sessions are a boost to the students and the teachers, yet this is no substitute for regular classes,’ he tells us, “the only satisfaction is the fact that in extraordinary times like these, we are being able to do something for our wards, even if its limited to an hour or so.”

For teachers from both government and private schools, the common challenge has been to ensure that somehow their wards are not left gaping at a lost academic year and have been looking for innovative ways via technology to engage their students. A first for all.

Building emotional quotient & managing stress through Covid19

By
Mrs Hemali Kabthiyal
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New Delhi, There is no room for stress if one knows how to manage one’s emotions in healthy ways, take initiative and adapt to changing circumstances. At the moment the COVID-19 outbreak and the much needed lockdown has indeed caused a lot of uncertainty and anxiety amongst all, especially the younger lot, the children most importantly.

With educational institutions closed  and lockdown imposed, there is literally no way to do all the things that children would be engaged in from morning till evening. So what now? Are we going to feel depressed and stressed and whine over things? No way, that’s not how emotionally intelligent people behave, right?

Always remember when it comes to happiness and success in life, emotional intelligence matters just as much as intellectual abilities. Emotional intelligence affects :

  • Your performance at school – High emotional intelligence can help you navigate the social complexities of your environment, lead and motivate others and excel in school.
  • Your physical health – If you are unable to manage emotions, you are probably not managing your stress either. The first step to improving emotional intelligence is to learn to manage stress.
  • Your mental health – Uncontrolled emotions and stress can also impact your mental health, making you vulnerable to anxiety and depression.
  • Your relationship – By understanding your emotions and how to control them, you are better able to express how you feel and understand how others feel.
  • Your social intelligence – Being in tune with your emotions serves a social purpose, connecting you to other people and the world around you. Social intelligence enables you to recognise friend from foe, measure another person’s interest in you, reduce stress and feel loved and happy.

Now let’s look at ways how one can improve emotional intelligence. The good news is that emotional intelligence can be learnt and developed by following the strategies below :

  • Look honestly at how you think and interact with people. Try to put yourself in their place and be more open and accepting of their perspectives and needs.
  • Look at your school/work environment. Do you seek attention for your accomplishments? Humility can be a wonderful quality and that doesn’t mean that you are shy or lack confidence. Give others a chance to shine – put focus on them and don’t worry too much about getting praise yourself.
  • Do self evaluation. What are your weaknesses? Are you willing to accept that you are not perfect and that you could work on some areas to make yourself a better person?
  • Examine how you react to stressful situations. Do you become upset every time there is a delay or something doesn’t happen the way you want? Do you blame others and become angry at them even when it’s not their fault?

So let’s get started and take control of the situation. Let us make the most of it and use this time to grow. Do all those things that we didn’t have time for.

  • Read and read more books and develop good communication skills by writing down the gist of the story and read it aloud at home to those around you and polish your speaking skills.
  • Do yoga to improve flexibility, build muscle strength and overall wellbeing of the body and mind and boost up your immunity.
  • Practice meditation to reduce stress, control anxiety, enhance self awareness, focus and improve willpower and mental strength.
  • Develop your hobbies, it could be art and craft, singing or playing an instrument, writing articles or poems or anything else you enjoy doing the most.
  • Talk to all the people in your family and friend circle in India or abroad over the phone or skype or video chat and share your experiences i.e. stay connected.

Believe me, this too shall pass and you will come out a stronger person both mentally and physically. So, take all the necessary precautions in the present scenario and at the same time make the most of it.

” Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.“

Mussoorie: Doing it differently

By
Tania Saili
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0

Dateline Mussoorie: Life in the Times of the Corona Virus evokes images of the administration coming down with a heavy hand hard on those who violate restrictions that are in place. So far, most of our social media shows frightening images from all over India of the heavy-handed treatment meted out to folks venturing out. However, fortunately, a sensitive administration in the hill-station of Mussoorie, has shown that there is a path less travelled by. It goes a long way in proving the adage that things are always much better in Mussoorie.

Take our local administration for instance which is headed by a youthful Sub Divisional Magistrate who has alongside a firm and energetic Station House Officer of Police. Together their teams have been doing random rounds after the post-relaxation hours. If you are found on wheels after the lock down time or are found lingering a bit too long, in the first instance, you will be told the idea behind the lockdown whilst habitual offenders get a stern warning.

Varun Choudhary, SDM tells Newspost: “In the first instance we warn those who bent on breaking the rules of this lock down. The second time around, we challan them. But if they persist we will not hesitate to arrest them for being habitual offenders.”

The miracle is that this idea works. On the fifteenth day of the lockdown, some five-six vehicles have been seized. “The idea is to make sure that no one is out after 1:00 o’clock. A complete and full lockdown with not a single violation is what we ensure. No stone will be left unturned to ensure that this is achieved.” He adds.

Talking to Newspost, SHO Mussoorie Vidya Bhushan Negi says: “As far as the police here is concerned, the lockdown consists of two parts: the first begins from 7:00am to 1.00 noon, we keep an eye on people on two wheelers or four wheelers (which are totally banned) with six police pickets across town to enforce this. Then we make public announcements throughout the day asking people to maintain social distancing while out shopping for essentials on the next day and we ask people not to cross the Laksman Rekha of safety in their own homes, not without a valid or compelling reason.”

Adding: “After one o’clock it’s a full-on lockdown. Of course by now all residents know about this. Henceforth we have no hesitation in issuing challans or seizing vehicles!’

Make no mistake. This lockdown is as good as anywhere in the country. But the concept of an iron fist in a silk glove seems to have worked better than any other model seen so far.

IIT Roorkee develops tracking mobile application to tackle COVID-19

By
newspost
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0

Roorkee,  In an endeavour to augment government efforts for surveillance of COVID suspects, Dr. Kamal Jain, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Roorkee, has developed a unique tracking mobile application which is endowed with state-of-the-art features.

The app can track individuals and also can do geofencing around him. The system will get an alert, if geofencing is violated by the quarantined person. In case GPS data is not received, the location will be obtained automatically through the triangulation of mobile towers. If the internet is not working in a certain area, the location will be received through SMS. If the application gets off, an alert will be received immediately. The location of the person can be received by sending an SMS to the device.

It allows the sharing of quarantined persons/places photographs on a google map, uploading geotag image to a server. Furthermore, administrators can view all reports on a map. If installed on the affected person, it can provide a history of all people in his vicinity for a defined period.

“The tracking system allows for state-of-the-art surveillance during COVID-19. Besides facilitating quarantine management, it helps to overcome overcrowding at any location by issuing an alert to the predefined agency. This is our small step to supplement government efforts in these testing times,” said Prof. Kamal Jain, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Roorkee.

The surveillance system is a plug and play device and allows tracking with an accuracy of +/- 5 meters through notifications at 2, 10 or 20 seconds. Besides live tracking, the administrator can view the entire movement history of an individual. In case of loss of data, the device sends an alert to the concerned team. Other features of the app include multi-camera support, surveillance magnetic device, halt time and auto camera click on preset time.

“We are committed to aiding the efforts of the government during this unprecedented time. This system will greatly help in tracking and surveillance of COVID 19 suspects,” said Prof. Ajit K. Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee.

Seafarers, our unsung heroes during COVID19

By
Capt. Angad Bakshi
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Pic Courtesy: Capt Angad Bakshi

Dehradun, Initially, everyone thought that it was China’s problem alone. Today, we know otherwise. The first country to be hit by Covid-19 is now the only country boasting of a recovering economy and re-emerging population.

For the rest of the world, uncertainty is the only certainty.

The soon-to-be global pandemic began in late December with only a dozen cases in Wuhan, China. A month later, the Corona virus outbreak tightened its grip on the entire world. With several countries enforcing lockdowns that could last for months, turning the world economy upside down.

The Corona virus crisis has escalated to unprecedented levels. As casualties in China decrease, an ever-growing number of cases are on the rise in Europe. Soon after the World Health Organisation declared the Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic, entire Italy was put under lockdown, followed by Spain, France and towards the end of March the United Kingdom and parts of USA were put under strict lockdown.

To slow the spread of the disease and mitigate its impact, travel has been curtailed across borders, both national and international. Rail, road and air has been hit and so have global ports.

Numerous industries have come to a complete stand still BUT the shipping sector is still navigating onward, upward. The fraternity is making sure that in these difficult times, delivering vital goods such as medical supplies, fuel and food is paramount.

Countries around the globe have closed borders and inbound flights to home have been grounded which has made crew changes impossible as those in the shipping industry stare into an uncertain future. Those home, are unsure what the future holds for them, and those at sea, worry about home and hearth but carry on their job despite contracts coming to an end. The commitment of these men and women at a time of unprecedented crisis, is a tale of valour and hard-work.

While there is wide spread support for the work done by healthcare paramedics, medical professionals, State administration and police etc, perhaps, it is also time we pay our gratitude to sea faring colleagues and professionals related to maritime transportation for their dedication and hard-work.

It is time for us, in the comfort of our homes, to not forget the services of our fellow seafarers who are working relentlessly to meet global demands.

Doing so much with so little: Mussoorie

By
Tania Saili
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0

Mussoorie: Residents in the hill-station woke up with a start to the sound of a constant humming. While some thought it was a drone, others a hand-glider but the truth behind the constant buzz was a simple improvised fogging machine mounted atop a jeep.

Five young men from Mussoorie’s Municipality are working around the clock and on war- footing to spray and fog various areas of the town starting from Barlowganj, Jharipani area making their way up to Landour’s Cantonment too.

From 11:00 o’clock to late into the evening, they spray and fog all the residential areas throughout the entire length and breadth of the hill-station.

Sanitary Inspector, Vijendar Singh Bist tells Newspost: “Ever since the lock down began, we have sprayed 540 litres of sodium hypo chloride in Mussoorie and Landour. Along with this we have been using bleaching powder liberally on the roads, drains and garbage dumps.” Further adding: “We borrowed about 10 litres of Malathion from the Dehradun Nagar Nigam and have been fogging various parts of Mussoorie.”

From the village of Bhatta to Makreti, Baasaghat to Bhiladu Pump house, the priority has been to sanitise and disinfect our surroundings with whatever is at hand. The Municipality and the Cantonment has been closely following government directives with door-to-door collection of garbage, cleaning blocked drains, clearing garbage dumps on a priority basis.

Vijendra Bist updates Newspost saying, “We are working on the lines of public health by spraying and using bleaching powder in public places like hospitals, local court, market places to ensure that everyone remains safe and healthy.”

Having a young Chairman: a goal-oriented SDM and a pro-active Executive Officer in Landour Cantonment helps. They have come together in efforts aimed at wiping out the Corona virus. There has not been a whiff of the blurring of jurisdiction that often becomes an obstacle in fighting the good fight. It is truly heart-warming to see that no stone is being left unturned to ensure that Mussoorie remains free of this deadly virus.

AIIMS Rishikesh to use low-cost shield developed by IIT Roorkee to combat Covid 19

By
newspost
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0

Roorkee/New Delhi,  IIT Roorkee has developed low-cost face shields for first line healthcare professionals at AIIMS Rishikesh for protection from COVID-19. The frame of face shield is 3D printed. The shield can be used along with the protective gear by healthcare personnel while entering the wards housing COVID-19 patients. The spectacle-type design of the protection shield provides the ease of replacement as the transparent sheet is not bound to a reusable frame. The cost of the sheet is as low as INR 5. The manufacturing cost per shield is approximately INR 45. Mass manufacturing cost will be less than Rs. 25.

“I would like to congratulate IIT Roorkee for a commendable job of developing face shields for the protection of frontline healthcare workers. I am confident that these face shields will be of utmost use not only for medical health workers of our Institute but for the whole country,” said Prof. Ravi Kant, AIIMS Rishikesh.

The shield has been developed at the ‘ReThink! The Tinkering Lab’ at IIT Roorkee – https://tinkeringlab.iitr.ac.in/. Tinkering Lab is a technical facility open to all the students of Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee. Tinkering lab provides a platform to students to do something great and inculcates ingenious spirit among them. It promotes innovation, experimentation, imagination and a lot more.

Prof. Akshay Dvivedi, Coordinator, Tinkering Laboratory, IIT Roorkee said, “This face shield is our humble thanks to all the healthcare professionals who are untiringly doing their job for mankind.”

“We commend the healthcare personnel for their relentless efforts in taking care of COVID-19 patients. I am sure these face shields will help in minimizing the transmission risk of the disease,” said Prof. Ajit K Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee.

IIT Roorkee will be sending first batch of 100 face shields to AIIMS, Rishikesh.

The crisis of labour exodus during Covid 19

By
Wg Cmdr Praful Bakshi (Retd)
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New Delhi, As the threat of Corona epidemic is approaching its peak, and the national admin machinery groaning under its pressure, one is appalled to witness a vast multitude of labour force from outside Delhi, leaving the cities for their home in the village.

This desperate multitude of humanity was seeking a way out of Delhi putting practically not only the Capital but also their final destination i.e. their home in the villages under threat of the Covid-19.

This one mass movement puts all checks and balances of the Delhi Government out of gear as nameless, faceless families poured onto the streets roaming aimlessly from pillar to post in an attempt to leave Delhi.

Of course there is nothing wrong if someone wants to return to his/her native village in normal times, but this mass exodus when Air, Rail or Road transportation system have come to a grinding halt undoubtedly creates an unprecedented state of emergency.

Could this be avoided?

Immediate Action: Under normal circumstances the state machinery should have been able to accommodate the crowd in make shift arrangements /camps with all the civic and medicinal facilities like field hospitals /isolation areas available.

However in the absence of such a system the CIMIC (Civil Military Cooperation) procedures by the state should have been in place, well exercised with standard operating procedures or SOPs written decades ago.

The CIMIC operations could have directly involved Military assisted by paramilitary units to spring into action helped by the Home Ministry.  The people effected could have been divided into proper camps / acquired buildings like schools and stadiums with day-to-day requirements till the crisis was over.

In the absence of such accommodation the Army and the paramilitary units could be brought in to create large tented camp areas with all the field accommodation including kitchen and toilet arrangement along with the medical and isolation facilities.

Experts from the Red Cross and St Johns Ambulance team could support this team of forces. All this had to be a part of the Civil Defence operations that would have come into play when the whole process or the emergency operations started. (This process is a part of internal security doctrine that should have been written, giving out necessary policies and standard operating procedures of the process involved).

Post Quarantine: 

Post the prerequisite quarantine period gets over, but the emergency situation i.e. the epidemic continues, people could be dispatched or transported to their respective districts/ state capitals by Rail or Road (Rail being more efficient).

When it becomes evident that this sort of emergency directly involves aspect of National Security and calls for services to be involved i.e. to create Camps or provide transportation or escorts to the citizens then the first step by the center could have been:

  1. An immediate meeting of CDS, Chairman Railway Board and a Senior Secretary from Home Ministry could have been called.
  2. CDS could ask Army to form a Joint Ops Room in the form of NEEOC  (National Emergency Evacuation Ops Centre) manned by personnel with appropriate seniority from Services, Railways and Min of Home.
  3. In turn the Home ministry could ascertain the total number of people involved in the crisis and requirement of transportation along with the total number of destinations involved like Kanpur, Allahabad, Patna, Gorakhpur, Ranchi so on and so forth. This would help the Army to calculate the number of units needed to help build the camps in the first place and thereafter be available to escort them back to the places earmarked.

The railways could accordingly make trains available. The destinations contacted in advance to make necessary provisions for receiving people, screening them escorting the lot to different districts. The infected ones duly quarantined.

Army:   Army could provide required units to escort the masses to their destination. Also if any camp is required at the destination then the closest Military /Air Force Station could be called to take charge along with local administration and Medical Department.

Railways: Railways, as per the Home Ministry calculate and provide the required number of trains for transfer of people with Army escorts to various destinations. Prior informing enroute stations and one main station asked to prepare for any eventuality.

Home Ministry: Home Ministry along with the involved destination i.e. the State could ensure that proper camps are readied to receive the transferred people along with quarantine facility, if need be. Here the local police and Para military units could be put into action along with the Army and local administration. Most importantly paramilitary forces like BSF and ITBP could be kept on stand by to assist the army in any which way.

Air Force: At least one unit of Medium lift helicopters and medical evacuation capable helicopters with emergency medical teams on board could be made available.

All the above-mentioned organisations could be kept in direct contact with the NEEOC National Emergency evacuation operation centre at Delhi.

However if for any reason trains were not available then the Army and the Air Force could undertake a joint task with military and Air Force stations enroute playing their required roles.

Emergencies like epidemics and other natural disasters can strike any time. These have to be tackled with the help of proper policies and standard operating procedures. The National Security Doctrine should mention such situations and the procedure to be subsequently followed. Periodic exercises and drills conducted time to time will then ensure that there is no repeat of what we witnessed a few days ago.

For as the saying goes:

“THE MORE YOU SWEAT IN PEACE, THE LESS YOU BLEED IN WAR”

The Care Concert: Fight against the Coronavirus pandemic

By
newspost
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0

One of the largest and most awarded private radio networks in India, 93.5 RED FM and the country’s largest music label T-Series, along with  YouTube Channel have come together to bring to you a brand-new digital initiative ‘The Care Concert’ on 11th April 2020, 6 pm onwards.

Making the most of the 21-days-lockdown, the brands thought of collaborating for an initiative which helps in raising funds to tackle the current Covid-19 pandemic through music.

The concert would be streamed on YouTube and Facebook handles of T-Series and RED FM. Viewers can log in, enjoy the performances with the line-up of over 15 artists and contribute any amount they wish to the PM CARES Fund through a link provided for the donations.

The Care Concert comprises a stellar line-up with artists Yo Yo Honey Singh, Adnan Sami, Neha Kakkar, Tulsi Kumar, Armaan Malik, Amal Malik, Dhvani Bhanushali, Sachet Tandon, Parampara Thakur, Parkriti Kakkar, Palak Mucchal, Jubin Nautiyal, Aditya Narayan, Akhil Sachdeva, Sukriti Kakkar and Amber Vashishtha among others. All these artists will be coming together on digital platforms to perform from their homes.  RED FM’s RJ Malishka and RJ Raunac will host the show.

Speaking about the association, Mr. Bhushan Kumar, Chairman & Managing Director, T-Series, said, ‘The Care Concert’ is an initiative to unite all of us together and motivate everyone to stay at home. We hope to bring some positivity in the current scenario through music and also create an opportunity which allows us to do our bit for the society by donating to the PM CARES Fund.

Nisha Narayanan, Director and COO, RED FM and Magic FM,  added saying, “ We are happy to announce ‘The Care Concert’ in association with India’s largest music record label, T-Series to bring forth some of the renowned music artists for a digital concert. People have always found strength and hope in art and music during crisis and this is a humble effort by RED FM and T-Series to bring together everybody for a common cause.”

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