Iceland Desert, Desert Iceland?

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE, but not a drop to drink...

The first thought that came to my mind when I looked at this photo was, is this the future... Looks nice, but too terrifying to live. 

    Ludovico Einaudi has turned eight million voices into music, Elegy for the Arctic, specially composed to help protect what we love. As he performed this piece for the first time — in front of a magnificent surging glacier — the music echoed across the ice, a moment that will remain in our minds forever. 

    TIME TO THINK WHERE WE ARE RUNNING... Evolution or Extinction? Life or death?

NAWAB OF NOVELS

Premchand (31 July 1880 – 8 October 1936), better known as Munshi Premchand, Munshi being an honorary prefix, was an Indian writer famous for his modern Hindustani literature and was regarded as the greatest writer in Hindi Literature. He is one of the most celebrated writers of the Indian subcontinent, and is regarded as one of the foremost Hindustani writers of the early twentieth century. Born Dhanpat Rai Srivastav, he began writing under the pen name "Nawab Rai", but subsequently switched to "Premchand". A novel writer, story writer and dramatist, he has been referred to as the "Upanyas Samrat" ("Emperor among Novelists") by some Hindi writers. His works include more than a dozen novels, around 250 short stories, several essays and translations of a number of foreign literary works into Hindi.

INTERNATIONAL TIGER DAY - July 29

Global Tiger Day, often called International Tiger Day, is an annual celebration to raise awareness for tiger conservation, held annually on 29 July. It was created in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit. The goal of the day is to promote a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers and to raise public awareness and support for tiger conservation issues.

Tigers may be one of the most admired animals, but they are also vulnerable to extinction. The world has lost 97% of all wild tigers in a bit over 100 years. Instead of 100,000 that roamed in the wild, not even 4,000 survive today. Worse, a number of tiger species are already extinct. We can't let the same happen to those that survive.

WORLD HEPATITIS DAY - July 28

World Hepatitis Day, observed on July 28 every year, aims to raise global awareness ofhepatitis — a group of infectious diseases known as Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E — and encourage prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Hepatitis affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, causing acute and chronic disease and killing close to 1.4 million people every year.^[1]

World Hepatitis Day is one of eight officialglobal public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO), along with World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Immunization Week, World Tuberculosis Day, World No Tobacco Day,World Malaria Day and World AIDS Day.

Hepatitis is a disease of the liver characterized by the presence ofinflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. Hepatitis may occur without symptoms, but can lead to jaundice (a yellow discoloration of the skin, mucous membranes, andconjunctiva of the eyes), poor appetite, andfatigue. Depending on the cause, hepatitis can manifest either as an acute or as a chronic disease.^[1] Acute hepatitis can beself-limiting (resolving on its own), can progress to chronic hepatitis, or can causeacute liver failure in rare instances.^[2]Chronic hepatitis may have no symptoms, or may progress over time to fibrosis (scarring of the liver) and cirrhosis (chronic liver failure).^[3] Cirrhosis of the liver increases the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma(a form of liver cancer).^[4]

Worldwide, viral hepatitis is the most common cause, followed closely by alcoholic liver disease and non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD).^[5][6][7] Other less common causes of hepatitis includeautoimmune diseases, ingestion of toxic substances, certain medications (such asparacetamol), some industrial organic solvents, and plants.

As Social Workers, we must initiate programmes for prevention and awareness among the community members.

BODHINI POSTERS

I AM A SOCIAL WORKER

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

That's right. A ship is always safe at the shore, but that is not what it is built for... Being at the safer side means being safe, however to take risk is to be on the Risker side. However it is not possible to be safe always. One must take risks and learn to be still safe for the 'right'matters. That is contrary to risking yourself. In the case of a ship, while journeying on the sea, the captain, crew and passengers face a lot of unpredictable and unfavourable situations yet they move on. But definitely they will not head to a whirlwind or tsunami, just because they take risks or have to move on!

SO TURN YOUR RISKS OR CHALLENGES INTO OPPORTUNITIES....

MANDELA DAY - July 18

Mandela Day is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela's birthday. The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on 18 July 2010. However, other groups began celebrating Mandela Day on 18 July 2009.

On 27 April 2009, the 46664 concerts and theNelson Mandela Foundation invited the global community to join them in support of an official Mandela Day. Mandela Day is not meant as a public holiday, but as a day to honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela, South Africa's former President, and his values, through volunteering and community service.

Mandela Day is a global call to action that celebrates the idea that each individual has the power to transform the world, the ability to make an impact. 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

World Day for International Justice - July 17

World Day for International Justice, also referred to as Day of International Criminal Justice or International Justice Day is celebrated throughout the world on July 17 as part of an effort to recognize the emerging system of international criminal justice. July 17 was chosen because it is the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the International Criminal Court. On 1 June 2010, at the Review Conference of the Rome Statute held in Kampala (Uganda), the Assembly of State Parties decided to celebrate 17 July as the Day of International Criminal Justice.

Each year, people around the world use this day to host events to promote international criminal justice, especially support for the International Criminal Court. The day has been successful enough to attract international news attention, and for groups to use the day to focus attention on particular issues such as genocide in Darfur, Falun Dafa, and serious crimes of violence against some against women.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Hi friends, being patient in life is very important. Best of all, because you will not end up taking decisions that you may have to regret the rest of your life if you are but a little patient. It is good to be impatient for the 'right' matters, but it is more better to be patient for the 'wrong' ones.

Given below is an article from wisdomtimes...

The importance of patience should be realized by every individual. Patience in life can make them reach out for the stars. With patience you can avoid making hasty decisions. Life is not about living in the future or in the past. Life is about accepting the present moment.

Whenever you are in any sort of trouble, people often advise you to have patience. Why, instead of advising you about the solution, do they ask you to stay calm and composed and be patient?

In this modern age, most of us have forgotten to be patient and get irritated very quickly over minor things like a traffic jam, stock market ups and downs, a baby crying and such things. In fact, patience is a virtue that everybody must possess. Patience makes us better people.

Here are a few reasons emphasizing the Importance of Patience in life:

Patience Shapes a Talent into Achievement

To shape your talents and inborn abilities into real achievements, you must have patience.

To master any art or to enhance your talent, you need to make continuous effort for a long time.

To achieve your dreams, you must have the zeal to overcome challenges and the power to overcome roadblocks comes only from patience.

While desiring to achieve your dream, you might get intimidated by the huge tasks ahead to achieve it. Divide your task into smaller steps and set a schedule to achieve those steps. It will help you develop patience and achieve your dream in a organized way.

One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life ~ Chinese Proverb

Patience transforms relationships

Sometimes, in our relationships, we become defensive, irritated, and say something to hurt others. We do not realize the importance of patience and end up making hasty decisions. Whenever you feel defensive against the person, try to be patient enough to take time to think over another person’s positive qualities.

Patience helps you to be empathetic

Building empathy towards others is very important if you want to live a hassle-free life. If you get irritated by a crying baby or a loud child playing in front of you, you must think about developing your patience. Patience helps you build empathy towards others.

Patience helps us accept other people as they are and makes us tolerant. By being impatient, you suffer more than other people.

Patience helps acquire positive attitude

If things are not going the way you want them to, instead of getting frustrated,  you must learn to be patient. You need to see things and situations in a positive light to make your life happier. And to get that positivity, you need to be patient.

If you find any life situation challenging, or find it difficult to bear, try to re-frame that situation and try to see its positive side.

Patience makes you healthier

Anger and stress are two things that are enough to ruin a person’s health. And patience is the antidote to both these illnesses. Being patient, you can overcome any challenging situation with more flexibility and in a better way. Being stress-free and happy helps you stay you healthier.

You can be patient if you have clear knowledge about your goal and if you are putting the desired effort in the right direction. There are many ways to achieve anything. The trick is to stick to your own plan when others around you seem to be getting ahead much faster than you. Yes, they may be enjoying more success than you, but you know nothing about where they are ultimately headed.

Patience is an important tool in overcoming frustration. Patience allows us to suspend judgment long enough to make informed decisions, thus paving the path to a happy and peaceful life.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

By APJ Abdul Kalam

Interesting A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Facts: 

1. Dr. Kalam was born in a poor family. However, his ancestors were not always poor. In fact, they had accumulated quite some fortune through a ferry Hindu pilgrims to Rameswaram – a pilgrimage center at Pamban Island. Some of the fortune also came from grocery trading.

2. In 1914 however, the Pamban Bridge was opened and this led to the collapse of the ferry business. Over time, the family lost its fortune and succumbed to poverty. Kalam was born in 1931 on October 15. By that time family was already poor and his father Jainulabudeen owned just one boat that was used for earning livelihood for the family.

3. In order to help his father, Kalam started working at an early age. Every day after the school, Kalam used to distribute newspaper to make some money that would help his family.

4. He graduated from Saint Joseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli in year 1954. He graduated in Physics and the then in 1955 he moved to Madras and took admission in Madras Institute of Technology.

5. Kalam wanted to become a fighter jet pilot with Indian Air Force. He almost made it there, making it to the 9^th position in the list of selected candidates. However, IAF had only 8 openings and the first 8 candidates were chosen.

6. In 1960, after graduating out from Madras Institute of Technology, he took a job withDRDO’s (Defence Research and Development Organization) Aeronautical Development Establishment. There, he started designing small helicopters for Indian Army.

7. Though he was not really happy with his job at DRDO, he was also a member of INCOSPAR committee led by Vikram Sarabhai (who was one of the renowned space scientists at that time). During his association with DRDO, Dr. Kalam had already started working independently on an expandable rocket project in early 1965.

8. In 1969, he was transferred to ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) and was made the project director for Satellite Launch Vehicle(SLV-III) – India’s first every launch vehicle. He led the project well and Rohini satellite was successfully launched in 1980 in near earth orbit.

9. In 1969, while working with ISRO, Dr. Kalam’s expandable rocket project received an approval from government. This allowed him to add more scientists to his team.

10. While working on SLV-III, he also started working on the development of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) between 1970s and 1980s. Even that turned out to be successful. During this period, he also received an invitation from Raja Ramanna (one of India’s most prominent nuclear physicists who played a crucial role in India’s nuclear programs during the early stages) for witnessing Smiling Buddha as TBRL (Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory of DRDO) representative. Smiling Buddha was India’s first nuclear test.

11. During the 1970s, Dr. Kalam wanted to work on the development of ballistic missiles. The then Union Cabinet disapproved the request but Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gave him secret funds to work on Project Valiant and Project Devil. Both the projects were later discontinued without much success but both of them became precursors of Prithvi missile development in 1980s.

12. During 1980s, Dr. Kalam earned a significant amount of prestige because of his educational leadership and research. It is because of his fame and popularity, Kalam was made the director of advanced missile program initiated by Indian government.

13. R. Venkatraman – the then Prime Minister of India, asked Dr. Kalam and Dr. V. S. Arunachalam (who was the scientific adviser to Defence Minister and a metallurgist) to simultaneously work on different types of missiles. A total budget of ₹ 388 crores was allocated forIntegrated Guided Missile Development Programme. Dr. Kalam was made the chief executive of the program. Because of his work with missiles, he earned the moniker, Missile Man of India.

14. Between July 1992 and December 1999, Dr. Kalam became the Secretary of DRDO and also took up the post of Chief Scientific Advisor for India’s Prime Minister.

15. During Pokhran-II nuclear tests, Dr. Kalam played a significant technological and political role and was also the Chief Project Coordinator during testing phase. He shared the position with Rajagopala Chidambaram.

16. While Dr. Kalam was busy with many advanced technologies that are today known for making Indian Defence stronger than it was ever before, he also engaged himself with small, somewhat insignificant projects for a man of his stature and repute. In 1998, he teamed up with Soma Raju, a cardiologist and developed a low-cost coronary stent which is now marketed by the name Kalam-Raju-Stent. Additional, the duo also developed the Kalam-Raju-Tablet – a low-cost rugged designed specifically for use rural healthcare.

17. On June 10, 2002 when the nation was ruled by NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government, Dr. Kalam was nominated for Presidency. Both National Congress Party and Samajwadi Party supported his candidature and he was eventually voted as India’s new President. He was India’s 11^th President stayed in office from July 25, 2002 till July 25, 2007.

18. During his Presidency, 21 mercy petitions were submitted to his office of which he did not decide the fate of 20. He acted on only one petition. The only petition he acted upon was that of the infamous rapist Dhananjoy Chatterjee who was convicted of brutally raping a 14-year old girl named Hetal Parekh. Kalam rejected his petition and sealed his fate. Dhananjoy was hanged till death in 2004.

19. Dr. Kalam was succeeded in office by 12^thPresident Pratibha Patil. People of India wanted Dr. Kalam to become India’s President once more after Pratibha Patil’s term ended. However, Kalam rejected the offer with complete humility and respect.

20. During his tenure as President, Dr. Kalam received the moniker, People’s President. People of India lovingly called him so because of his humble nature. He was affectionate and even invited young men and women to his office. He always devoted time (despite his extremely tight schedules) to youth who came up with bright and promising ideas.

21. After the end of his Presidency, Dr. Kalam became busier. Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Indian Institute of Management Shillong and Indian Institute of Management Indore respectfully accepted Dr. Kalam as visiting professor.

22. He was selected as the Chancellor of Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Thiruvananthapuram and he also became an honorary fellow of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Additionally, he also became Anna University’s professor of Aerospace Engineering.

23. He also started teaching technology at Anna University and Banaras Hindu University. He also taught Information Technology at International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad.

24. Apart from being a respected scientist, a reputed professor and the President of India, Dr. Kalam is also known for being a prolific writer and a passionate poet. He has authored 15 books, one of which is the most popular Wings of Fire: An Autobiography. His autobiography was published in English but was later translated in 13 different languages including Chinese and French.

25. He has earned all three India’s highest civilian awards – Bharat Ratna (1997), Padma Vibhushan (1990) and Padma Bhushan (1981). Apart from that, he has also received several other awards and accolades that include: Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration (1997),Veer Savarkar Award (1998), Ramanujan Award (2000), and Honorary Doctorate of Science by University of Wolverhampton, UK(2007).

26. Dr. Kalam earned honorary doctorates from 40 different universities. In 2003 and 2006, he was nominated for MTV Youth Icon of the Year award.

27. Switzerland recognized his scientific prowess and the day when Dr. Kalam visited Switzerland, the country commemorated it as ‘Science Day’.

28. Kalam wrote many poetries in Tamil and was very fond of playing a South Indian string instrument known as Veenai. 

PENCIL ARTZZ

                                                                                              BY RASMIN BEEVI

MALALA DAY July 12

Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani girl who was shot in the head and nearly killed by the Taliban, won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. As the global spokesperson for girls’ education, Malala has relentlessly advocated on behalf of her cause, continuing to speak out (despite increased Taliban threats) and even traveling to the United States to meet President Obama (and his family) in 2013. She has co-founded the Malala Fund, which invests in early stage girls’ education initiatives or small organizations in countries like Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya and Jordan.
Here are 10 other compelling facts about this remarkable Nobel Peace Prize recipient:
She’s a minor.
At 17 years old, Malala is is the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize since its inception in 1901.
She’s been advocating for girls’ education since she was 11.
In 2009, Malala started blogging about living under Taliban rule for the BBC. She later became a national figure in her country, appearing on television as a spokesperson for girls’ education.
She was only 15 years old when she was shot by the Taliban.
Malala was aboard a bus in 2012, campaigning for education of girls in Pakistan, when the Taliban reportedly hijacked the bus and singled her out, shooting her in the head and the neck.
She addressed the United Nations on her 16th birthday.
Malala spoke of “the right of education of every child” on July 12th, 2013.
She has already published a memoir.
In August 2014, “I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World” was published in the United States and is a #1 seller on Amazon.
She was pulled out of class in Birmingham, England to be informed of her award.
She has been living in England since being treated for her gunshot wounds.
She originally wanted to be a doctor.
Since her increased visibility, Malala has changed her career focus to politics.
Her father used to be a schoolmaster.
Ziauddin Yousafzai ran one of the last schools to defy the Taliban’s orders to not educate girls. He has reportedly encouraged his daughter to be outspoken from a young age.
She won the Nobel Peace Prize nearly two years to the day that she was shot.
Malala was shot on October 9th, 2012. She was reported to be in critical condition and not expected to survive.
She was just awarded over half a million dollars.
Malala will be splitting the prize money, $1.1 million, with her 60-year-old co-recipient, Kailash Satyarthi, a human rights advocate from India.

A Heart Touching Video

A Heart Touching Video by Binanipuran High School teachers and students sourced during field work with Rajagiri outREACH

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Abdul Sattar Edhi (1‎January 1928 – 8 July 2016) was a prominent Pakistani philanthropist, social activist, ascetic, and humanitarian. He was the founder and head of the Edhi Foundation in Pakistan and ran the organization for the better part of six decades. He was known as Angel of Mercyand was considered Pakistan's "most respected" and legendary figure. In 2013,The Huffington Post said that he might be "the world's greatest living humanitarian."

Revered by many as a national hero, Edhi created a charitable empire out of nothing. He masterminded Pakistan’s largest welfare organisation almost single-handedly, entirely with private company and donations. To many, Edhi was known as the “Father Teresa” of Pakistan.

WORLD POPULATION DAY

INTERACTION WITH VIJAYA RAJA MALLIKA

BSW STUDENTS HAD AN INTERACTION WITH VIJAYA RAJA MALLIKA - A TRANSGENDER WHO IS AN ALUMNI OF RAJAGIRI COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES. SHE CONVEYED THE DIFFICULTIES FACED BY TRANSGENDERS AND CONVEYED HER PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AS A TRANSGENDER.

SWARAJ

Swaraj - The social workers association rajagiri  observed the world anti drug abuse day.We conducted oath writing competition as well as the skit competition.