SRINAGAR: Paramedics in the Keran area of north Kashmir’s frontier Kupwara district have managed a delivery of a baby without a gynaecologist, in a 3 Idiots style. Both mother and baby are safe.
Quoting Block Medical Officer (BMO) Kralpora Dr M Shafi news agency KNO reported that on Friday, an expecting mother from the Kalas Keran area with labour pain was brought to Primary Health Centre (PHC) Keran where there was no gynaecologist posted.
“We tried to shift the patient to Kralpora but the inclement weather didn’t allow us to do so,” he said. “Even due to continuous snowfall, we were unable to take the patient to any other hospital.”
Given the circumstances, the BMO said the gynaecologist of Kralpora PHC motivated the paramedical staff at PHC Keran through a WhatsApp call and asked them to manage her delivery.
The staff was earlier a bit reluctant; however, after motivating them, they managed the delivery quite normally, he said.
Both baby and mother are fine and have been discharged, the BMO said. “This is not the first time that we have managed the emergency patients in this way and Keran being at high altitude faces such issues frequently.”
SRINAGAR: The weather was dry in Jammu and inclement in the Kashmir valley in the last 24 hours. The MeT office said that there will likely be clear sky in Jammu and generally cloudy sky in the valley during next 24 hours.
Clear sky in Jammu and generally cloudy weather is likely in the valley during the next 24 hours,” an official of the MeT department said.
Srinagar had minus 0.6, Pahalgam minus 4 and Gulmarg minus 3.5 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature today.
In Ladakh region, Drass town had minus 16.5 and Leh minus 11.2 as the minimum temperature.
Jammu had 5.8, Katra 5, Batote minus 0.7, Banihal minus 0.6 and Bhaderwah minus 2.2 as the minimum temperature. (IANS)
SRINAGAR: Amid the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has once again lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying that residents in the region have to face ‘Bhajpa ka bulldozer’.
Rahul alleged that the administration is snatching away land from people they have built through years of hard work.
Taking to social networking site Twitter, Rahul wrote: “Jammu and Kashmir needs employment, better business and love, but what did they get? Bulldozer of BJP! The land which the people there irrigated with hard work for many decades, is being snatched from them.Peace will be protected by uniting, not by dividing people.”
जम्मू-कश्मीर को चाहिए रोज़गार, बेहतर व्यापार और प्यार, मगर उन्हें मिला क्या? भाजपा का बुलडोज़र!
कई दशकों से जिस ज़मीन को वहां के लोगों ने मेहनत से सींचा, उसे उनसे छीना जा रहा है।
अमन और कश्मीरियत की रक्षा, जोड़ने से होगी, तोड़ने और लोगों को बांटने से नहीं। pic.twitter.com/K8kJAn20H7
SRINAGAR: Chief Justices were appointed to four high courts on Sunday. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju announced the fresh appointments on Twitter.
Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh
Justice Sonia Giridhar Gokani, Judge of the Gujarat High Court was appointed its chief justice.
She was appointed acting chief justice of the Gujarat High Court on Friday after its chief justice Aravind Kumar was elevated to the Supreme Court.
Justice Sandeep Mehta, Judge, Rajasthan High Court has been appointed as chief justice of the Gauhati High Court.
As per the relevant provisions under the Constitution of India, the following Judges are appointed as Chief Justices of different High Courts. I extend best wishes to all of them ! pic.twitter.com/44kst99EPs
SRINAGAR: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) innovator Sameena Lone has been selected for the Government of India’s BIRAC BIG grant worth Rs 50 lakh.
Sameena Lone Innovator
Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) is a flagship programme of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), which provides the right admixture of fuel and support to young startups and entrepreneurial individuals. BIG is the Department of Biotechnology (DBT)’s largest early-stage biotech funding programme in India. Funding grant of up to Rs 50 lakh (USD 60,500 approx) to best-in-class innovative ideas to build and refine the idea to proof-of-concept.
Sameena Lone, an innovator cum scholar in the SKUAST-K’s Division of Vegetable Science, supervised by Dr Khursheed Hussain, Assistant Professor, Division of vegetable science, SKUAST-K and mentored by Naveed Hamid, BDA, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Cell of the university, submitted her innovative proposal on ‘Organic & Disease-Free Seed Potato Production through Tissue Culture in Kashmir’ under Industrial Biotechnology, Clean Energy & Environment category in Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a Not-for-Profit Company’ of Government of India which supports technology innovators and entrepreneurs to pursue a promising technology idea, and establish and validate proof of concept (POC) for the idea under the BIG grant scheme a few months back. More than 500 innovators across the country had applied under the said scheme and only 26 got selected for the final pitching round before the panel committee from which only nine innovators were selected under the given category across the nation.
SKUAST-K innovator is the only one from Jammu and Kashmir to receive the BIRAC BIG grant in the present round.
Vice Chancellor SKUAST Kashmir Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai congratulated the innovator and her team of mentors for securing the BIRAC Grant. He appreciated the level of effort and dedication of the team and support from SKUASTK Innovation, Incubation & Entrepreneurship Centre that brought laurels to the University. He further added that such achievements are so precious that they not only boost the morale of the innovators but help in developing the ecosystem for innovations, incubations & startups.
SRINAGAR: What is ChatGPT? A buzzword that is everywhere in the virtual world of social media giants and is being discussed everywhere from schools, colleges, corporates, multinationals, and news organizations. Is it really going to create an inflexion in jobs?
Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Robotics
ChatGPT is a sophisticated Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) tool that gives intelligent solutions upon giving a simple prompt. It became the fastest-growing consumer application by amassing 100 million active users within two months of its launch, surpassing TikTok (9 months) and Instagram (2.5 years).
In its own narration, ChatGPT is a text-based conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) model designed to generate natural language text that is relevant and appropriate in response to a given prompt, making it a powerful tool for conversational AI systems. It is based on the Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT) language model, i.e, it has been trained on a large data set of text from the internet to generate human-like responses to various types of questions.
ChatGPT is a Large Language Model (LLM) based AI platform integrated with the messaging platform. It can generate text with a simple query. It is developed by the San-Francisco based Start-up called “OpenAI”. Founded in 2015, the company is financially backed by hard-hitting entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley like Sam Altman, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Reid Hoffman along with Venture Capital (VC) firms like Khosla Ventures, Tiger Global, Andreessen Horowitz, and Microsoft.
ChatGPT has been fine-tuned on vast amounts of data and can produce comprehensive output much like human beings. It can also answer follow-up questions. From remedies to any disease to poetry in the John Keats style, to legal briefs, to bugs in a computer code, to simple scripts, it can generate almost anything you could ask for.
ChatGPT triggered a new race in the development of Artificial Intelligence. Many Tech giants are betting billions to create their own chatbots. Google announced its own AI Chabot called Bardu, powered by Google’s Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA). Famously known China’s Google Baidu is also launching its AI Chabot called Ernie Bot the next month.
ChatGPT is like other Generative AI tools trained algorithmically to collect and generate new data that resembles human-generated content, including code, images, text, and simulations.
The fourth Industrial Revolution is bound to create a fundamental change in the way we live, work, and relate to one another. Artificial Intelligence enabled technology has been at the forefront of this revolution. AI is simply defined as simulating the intelligent behaviour in machines and computers. AI is more than the behemoth creatures shown in Science fiction movies. It is like normally written software with exceptional capabilities like the human brain. Advanced AI programmes can learn new things by themselves when catered to large data sets and will execute the actions accordingly.
Although discussions about advanced Artificial intelligence tools have been going around for a decade or more, ChatGPT became the curtain raiser to AI for the world to understand it better. According to Statista, investment in AI reached 94 billion dollars from 2015-2021 and is expected to exceed the mark of US 135 billion dollars in 2023.
ChatGPT is still in its infancy stage, and the endgame of AI-based chatbots is difficult to predict, but tech prodigies all over the world believe that it will create a disruption in Big Tech, industries, and the future of work.
SRINAGAR: BD Mishra, a former brigadier of the Indian Army, and present Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, has been appointed as the new Lieutenant Governor for the union territory of Ladakh.
BD Mishra
According to reports on Saturday, Lieutenant Governor Radha Krishna Mathur quietly left his office in Leh.
After that on Sunday a communique issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said that the President of India has accepted the resignation of Radha Krishnan Mathur as Lt. Governor of Ladakh.
Quoting sources reports said that on Saturday, Mathur packed his bags and informed the staff that he was leaving, without citing any reason for the sudden decision.
It’s unclear if Mathur was asked to resign by the Centre, or he has chosen to leave, said the reports.
Mathur, a former defence secretary, was appointed as the first Lt Governor of Ladakh after Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its statehood and divided into two union territories in August 2019.
To create a more inclusive and supportive culture for introverts, societies must strongly discourage negative feedback about them from their talkative counterparts. This may require providing more opportunities for privacy and quiet environments.
Introvert extrovert, a LinkedIn graphic
Sitting in the cafeteria of his college, Rehan is nursing his coffee but is lost in thought. His heart races as he watches one of his peers approaching him – his mind scrambling for a way to avoid the impending interaction. Shrinking into his chair, he tries to focus on his coffee.
The boy is upon him, his voice cutting through the noise of the restaurant like a sharp-edged blade. “Rehan!” said the boy. His voice boomed – shattering the silence and causing Rehan to jolt in his seat. He wanted nothing more than to be alone. He is desperate to escape the constant barrage of noise and attention. The sound of his name is like a physical blow – such hard that Rehan can feel himself shrinking under his weight. His mind is a whirlwind of emotions as he struggles to find a way out of this situation.
Such incidents occur on a regular basis in Rehan’s life. It holds nothing new. He has devised numerous ways to get out of such tight spots. On some occasions, Rehan may have to pretend to be on the phone and skip the gathering to trick everyone else. Or he may have to devise new ways to escape scenes that are unfavourable to his persona.
Why is Rehan feeling this way? Why is he suddenly so unwilling to interact with others? The answer is not so complex. Rehan is an introvert! He cannot do anything but deal helplessly with such situations – in a society that does not recognise introversion at all.
People like Rehan are individuals who prefer to be alone or engage in quieter, solitary activities because they are more introspective and reflective. They may be more sensitive to stimuli like social events and crowds. They generally prefer to spend time in quiet, low-stimulation surroundings. Introversion is a spectrum feature. But make no mistake, people like Rehan are not a monolithic group. They possess their own unique set of characteristics and tendencies, existing along a spectrum.
Take Rehan, for example. He may exhibit traits of social introversion, finding comfort in small, tight-knit groups of friends. Or perhaps he is a thinking introvert, drawn to the depths of seclusion where his mind can wander through the labyrinths of thought. Or maybe, an anxious introvert, feeling suffocated by the pressures of social interaction and seeking refuge in the safety of his room environment.
It is possible for a person to be both shy and extroverted, or talkative and introverted. These characteristics are not mutually exclusive. It is common for people to have traits from both ends of the spectrum. A shy extrovert may enjoy socializing and being around other people, but may still feel nervous or self-conscious in certain situations, such as public speaking. On the other hand, a talkative introvert may feel comfortable speaking in front of others with no stage fright, but may still prefer to spend time alone or in a small group rather than in a large crowd.
MBTI Assessment
Introversion is one among 16 different personality types identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI is a popular personality assessment tool constructed by a mother-daughter duo Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers.
It defines introversion as a preference for inward-focused attention and reflection instead of seeking external stimulation and interaction with others. The MBTI is based on the theories of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung and is used to help people understand their own personality characteristics and how they interact with others. People who score high in introversion on MBTI tend to be more introspective and reserved, while those who score low tend to be more outgoing and sociable.
However, it is important to distinguish between introversion and shyness because they are two distinct characteristics that must be handled in separate ways. Understanding a person’s individual traits, whether shyness or introversion, can aid in identifying solutions to cope with or overcome the trait. It can also assist in the improvement of communication and understanding within relationships, as well as in the development of a more inclusive and understanding society.
Introversion versus Slyness
Shyness is characterised by a tendency to feel uneasy or self-conscious in social circumstances, particularly with strangers. It is a fear of rejection. It implies submissiveness—which can further lead to avoiding social contact and deteriorating relationships altogether. Shyness is often perceived as a negative trait; however, it is not always an issue until it interferes with a person’s everyday routine.
Introversion is characterised by a fondness for isolation and calm surroundings. Introverts may prefer to spend their time alone—thinking and pondering—and may find social circumstances exhausting or overwhelming. They may not be shy, but they do prefer solitude and introspection and ghost-quiet surroundings.
A shy person may long to be in the spotlight and gain exposure, but a lack of confidence can inhibit their ability to say or do what they need. An introvert, on the other hand, likes to spend time alone and avoids the spotlight. These two personalities are fundamentally opposed—with one wanting attention and the other seeking isolation. In order to follow their need for exposure, the shy person may need to focus on improving their self-esteem, whilst the introvert may need to push themselves out of their comfort zone in order to fully adapt to social situations.
The Introvert Behaviour Introverts tend to speak a lot less than extroverts, but this does not, in any way, signify that they dislike people or that they need to be fixed. Thinking (a lot) before speaking is one of their main characteristics, followed by communicating in writing rather than speaking out loud. Chatting on the internet does the job!
This does not make them any less social; it simply means they interact with the environment in a different way. Both introverts and extroverts have unique abilities worth bringing to the table. An introvert, though, is always hesitant to ask for favours, no matter to what extent they need them. They always prioritise self-reliance and believe more in helping those who are in dire need of it. Rather than attempting to alter someone who is an introvert, it is comparatively better if their distinctions are respected and appreciated.
Introversion is not a medical condition that narrows a person’s ability to achieve success and reach the pinnacle of their profession. Many prominent introverts have accomplished significant success in their respective fields, including Albert Einstein, JK Rowling, Bill Gates, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Johnny Depp, Manmohan Singh, and Sachin Tendulkar.
Charles Bukowski, a well-known German-American writer, an introvert himself, famously remarked, “I do not hate people. I just feel better when they are not around”. This quotation exemplifies Bukowski’s conviction in the benefits of isolation—as well as the notion that introverts can thrive when given the opportunity to be by themselves.
Not Taken SeriouslyUnfortunately, introverts are undervalued in many of our societies. Most cultures place a strong emphasis on extroversion. This can make it difficult for introverts to completely express themselves and feel comfortable in their own skin. The urge to adhere to extroverted ideals is perhaps the most familiar obstacle that introverts encounter in society.
They may feel intimidated to participate in social activities with which they are uncomfortable. To engage in small chats and other superficial exchanges may not come naturally to them. This can be especially difficult in places, where socialising is sometimes regarded as crucial for prosperity and job progress. Because of their quieter and more reserved character, introverts are frequently targeted by bullies. As a result of being viewed as easy targets or weak, they may be exposed to emotional, or verbal abuse— if not physical.
Introverts are prone to suffer social complications that extend beyond instances of bullying. Because of their more reserved persona, they may be hesitant to call a waiter in a restaurant for fear of drawing everyone else’s attention to themselves. They may also be concerned about making a loud phone call or engaging in other forms of public communication. Shopping—which frequently requires engaging with salespeople—may be a difficult experience for introverts. In these instances, it is essential to acknowledge and promote introverts while also working to create a more inclusive and accepting atmosphere for all individuals.
Another difficulty that introverts may confront is the stigma of being introverted. Introversion is perceived as a negative personality trait, and introverts are treated as socially distant, or even anti-social. This might leave introverts feeling misunderstood or alienated, making it more difficult for them to connect with others. Lack of support and understanding for introverts can easily contribute to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Introverts may find it difficult to locate others who share their interests and values and may feel as if they do not fit in with mainstream society. This can be especially difficult in contexts where there is a strong emphasis on teamwork and collaboration, such as crowded offices, schools, or businesses.
To create a more inclusive and supportive culture for introverts, societies must strongly discourage negative feedback about them from their talkative counterparts. This may require providing more opportunities for privacy and quiet environments.
Ajaz A Khawaja
If asked, they should be allowed to work separately. Tailored communication and fostering a more tolerant and understanding attitude towards introverts may also entail fighting the stigma associated with them. They just get more out of a peaceful sunset evening than a large crowd partying together. They can be assisted in reaching their full potential by providing them with a more inclusive and welcoming atmosphere. Identify them with their behavioural patterns.
Stay informed, one among the four of us is Rehan!
(The author is a teacher in the Department of School Education in Jammu and Kashmir. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of TheNewsCaravan.)
SRINAGAR: The death toll in the Turkey-Syria earthquake has crossed 25000 people as rescuers from more than 90 countries, including India, are desperately looking for survivors in the debris. Since February 6, when the twin earthquakes flattened a vast belt straddling the border, the region has witnessed more than 650 aftershocks, reports in international media quoting AFD said.
“This is the worst earthquake and perhaps the world’s largest inland disaster,” a Kashmiri student in Turkey said. “Seismologists say that the width of the fault line is between 150 km to 200 km, which means the destruction caused by the earthquake would be huge because the fault line is quite wide. They say it was a shallow earthquake as its epicentre was merely 18 km deep from the crust of the earth.”
In Turkey, the death toll has crossed 22327 people as 80,104 survived injured. In Syria, the total number of deaths stands at 3,553, including 2,166 in rebel-held areas in the northwest, according to the White Helmets civil defence group. There have been 1,387 deaths in government-controlled parts of Syria, according to Syrian state media. The total number of injured people in Syria across all affected territories stands at 5,273, with 2,326 in government-controlled areas and 2,950 in rebel-held areas.
Forecasting by rescue and relief workers suggest millions stand rendered homeless including 53 lakh in Syria alone.
Most of the people were asleep when the disaster hit the region. AFAD, Turkey’s disaster management authority, is being helped by 7800 rescue workers from more than 90 countries. Two major teams from India are part of the rescue and relief operations.
“The first three days are critical for evacuation and saving lives during a disaster. But miracles do happen, even today people are being rescued alive,” the student, referring to the reports appearing in the Turkish media said.
The student said that the major problem was managing translators who could help international teams to interact with the host population. Most of the international teams speak English but Turks prefer Turkish over every other language.
“Apart from AFAD translators, international students and international workers have joined the rescue and relief work and they are helping the international rescuers to communicate with the people.”
India launched a search and rescue operation to aid Syria and Turkey named as Operation Dost. “Our teams are working day and night as a part of ‘operation dost’. They will keep giving their best to ensure maximum lives and property are saved. In this critical time, India stands firmly with the people of Turkiye” tweeted prime minister Narendra Modi.
There was a lot of reportage about Turkey getting preference in rescue and relief, unlike the war-torn Syrian belts. This led to certain changes in the last few days.
The US has temporarily eased its sanctions on Syria in an effort to speed up aid deliveries to the country’s north-west, where almost no humanitarian assistance has arrived despite the deaths of thousands in this week’s earthquake. “I don’t think that this license will suddenly open the floodgates and allow for unhindered humanitarian access and delivery in Syria,” said Delaney Simon, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group’s US programme, was quoted as saying by the Guardian. “There are just too many other access issues. But I hope that the license will ease the concerns of financial providers, the private sector, and other actors, to show them that sanctions won’t be a risk for them to engage in Syria.” The United States will provide $85 million in humanitarian aid to Turkey and Syria.
Rescue teams from Russia have also been sent to both Syria and Turkey.
SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta on Saturday reiterated his direction to all the Deputy Commissioners to achieve ‘ODF Plus Model’ status for all their villages by the 15th of August this year.
Dr Mehta made these remarks while inaugurating the Divisional Level Capacity Building Programme on Management of all Components of SBM(G)- Phase-II for officers of the Rural Development Department (RDD) attended by the Deputy Commissioners of Kashmir Division.
The inaugural ceremony was also attended by Commissioner Secretary, RDD; Secretary in RDD; Director, Rural Sanitation and many other concerned officers.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Secretary stressed upon all participants to put in dedicated efforts to ensure that the open defecation free behaviour is sustained in all the Gram Panchayats, besides safe solid and liquid waste management facilities in these villages.
Dr Mehta also called for proper disposal of legacy waste and improving visual cleanliness in the rural areas. He also maintained that happiness of common masses is connected with cleanliness so every one has to contribute in terms of sanitation and cleanliness of their surroundings.
Dr Mehta urged the officers to work in coordination with each other evolving a simple methodology without complicating the action plan to achieve the target. He observed that the task of cleanliness is basic and understood by all. He emphasised on conducting the cleanliness activities in a dedicated manner with clear objective to remove all the dirt around us. He remarked that this task is easy if everyone considers it as basic necessity; just as food, shelter, water, electricity and clothes.
Emphasising on active involvement of people and PRI members in such activities the Chief Secretary asked officers to motivate and convince the rural population by sensitizing them about the significance of the cleanliness. He emphasized that it is vital for sustenance of good health and prosperity of the people. He stated that no human likes to reside in a dirty place. He directed all to make it a mission and make a resolve that we have to make our rural areas clean and hygienic by this year’s Independence Day without any fail.
The Commissioner Secretary, RDD, Mandeep Kaur in her address revealed that the progress of UT from last few years is although good but much has to be achieved yet. She made out that around 4400 of our villages are in the aspiring category of becoming ODF+ villages.
She set out that the model is lying with us and the process is underway to make whole of the UT as ODF+ within the given timeframe. She made out that much of the work like door to door collection of waste and clearing of legacy waste has been started in all of our villages.
While highlighted the importance of capacity building she said that it helps us in implementation of our policies in a smooth manner. She remarked that the trainings are going to be imparted in every panchayat in order to take the mission to its conclusion.
In his Welcome address, the Director Rural Sanitation, Charandeep Singh made out that the mission is the outcome of the priority nation gives to sanitation of villages. He revealed that more than 140 villages have already been declared ODF+ in the UT. He said that this capacity building would enhance our ability to perform the task in an efficient manner. He emphasized bringing about behavioural change rather than just creating the physical infrastructure.
He said that we have been successful in preparation of DPRs to create the Soak pits, Composit pits, Leach pits, Twin pits besides the plans for solid, liquid and plastic waste management. He acknowledged that today we have district plans available for each component of cleanliness and the necessary infrastructure and manpower is in place everywhere to make our villages clean.
During the ceremony it was revealed that after this Divisional level workshop the trainings are to be held at district level to train master trainers. These Master Trainers would thereby impart trainings at panchayat level. It was given out that at least two trainers would be trained in each block. A pool of around 600-650 field trainers would be created to give trainings in all the 4280 GPs in 285 blocks across the 20 districts of the UT.
The objectives of this programme was to undertake capacity building activities in Gram Panchayats to ensure open defecation free behaviours among all, to ensure proper solid and liquid waste management and to encourage cost effective and appropriate technologies for ecologically safe and sustainable sanitation.
These also include strengthening of grass root democracy of Jammu and Kashmir through Capacity building & training and Exposure visits, besides developing governance capabilities of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRls) to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs).
Pertinent to mention here that all the Deputy Commissioners and concerned officers of the RDD present in the training program like ACDs and BDOs committed to put in their best efforts for achieving ‘ODF Plus Model’ villages by the deadline of 15th of August this year as directed by the Chief Secretary.
