Gopal Krishna Gokhale, a professor turned politician, never hesitated in standing for the right reasons. Gokhale advocated for equal opportunities and compulsory education. He was a politician and a social reformer whose contribution to India remains unmatched.

Krishna Gokhale was born on May 9, 1866, in Kotluk village in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district. Despite belonging to a poor family, Gokhale’s family ensured he received an English education which could help him get employed.  He went on to study at Rajaram College in Kolhapur and graduated from Elphinstone College in 1884.

Gokhale was an advocate of liberal values. He was also greatly influenced by the social reformer, Mahadev Govind Ranade, and was his protege. However, Gokhale’s thoughts were weaved around India’s needs and included the illiterate and poor class of the country.

Mahatma Gandhi and even Mohammed Ali Jinnah were a few among those whom Gokhale inspired. In his autobiography, Mahatma Gandhi recognised Gokhale as his mentor and an admirable leader. He described him as ‘pure as crystal, gentle as a lamb, brave as a lion and chivalrous to a fault and the most perfect man in the political field”.

Gokhale advocated free and compulsory education for children. He believed education would lead one towards realisation of the self and further towards a liberal society.

For this, Gokhale proposed the Elementary Education Bill in 1910. The bill aimed at providing primary education to every child in the country, both boy and girl. He believed getting an education was a basic necessity of human beings.

He was the founder of “the Servants of India Society” which aimed at expanding education in India. In the preamble of the Society, Gokhale wrote, “The Servants of India Society will train men prepared to devote their lives to the cause of the country in a religious spirit, and will seek to promote, by all constitutional means, the national interests of the Indian people.”

Gopal Krishna Gokhale advocated for equal opportunities in different avenues for all to grow and develop. This would help in fighting against the practice of untouchability in the country.

Gokhale belonged to the “Naram Dal” of the Congress and worked closely with the Britishers to bring reforms in the country. He was one of those who adopted constitutional means to achieve political reforms.

Gokhale exposed the British military financing policies that put an excessive tax burden on the Indians which got him in trouble with the then Viceroy Lord Curzon.

Gokhale also did extensive work in colonial legislatures. He was a member of the Bombay Legislative Council between 1899 and 1902 and from 1902 onwards, at the Imperial Legislative Council.

In the Imperial Legislative Council, Gokhale stood up against the Britishers and opposed their indentured labour system. In 1912, Gokhale moved a resolution for the prohibition of the indentured labour system. Even though the resolution was defeated, the then Viceroy, Charles Hardinge agreed to take steps to abolish the system of bonded labour from colonies where it was still existent.

Gokhale joined Indian National Congress in 1889. Soon in 1905, he was elected as the President of the party.

Gokhale believed in the process and power of dialogues and discussions, and that they could bring a change in the system. Gokhale played a key role in the framing of the Morley-Minto reforms in 1909, although he and other moderates could not get any substantial concession by the Morley-Minto reforms. Rather, the Morley-Minto reforms sowed the seeds of communal representation, which finally led to the partition of India.

From here, the ideological and political differences between Tilak and Gokhale led to the splitting of Congress. The Morley Minto reforms fiasco led to a loss of credibility and support Congress and moderates had. It took a minimum of seven years for Congress to recover from it.

However, both Tilak and Gokhale had immense respect for each other’s work and patriotism for the country. Gokhale died on February 19, 1915, with an unfulfilled wish to see Congress united.

PBNS

Rabindranath Tagore, born on the 7th of May as the youngest of the 13 sons of Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi was exceptionally talented in multifaceted areas.

A legendary poet, compendious storyteller, master painter, dramatist, educationist, philosopher, freedom fighter, India’s first Nobel laureate, and the man whom we owe our country’s national anthem is just a brief introduction of his prolific existence.

Rabindranath Tagore, a man with prodigious literary and artistic capabilities played a pioneering role in the Indian cultural renaissance. He came to be recognized as one of the chief architects of modern India, along with Mahatma Gandhi.

His life chronicled not only his personal growth but reflected India’s artistic, cultural, and political vicissitudes in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

Rabindranath Tagore wrote his first poem at the age of 8 years. By the time he reached 16 years of age, he started composing artworks under the pen name of ‘Bhanusimha’.

In 1877, he wrote his first short story named ‘Bhikharini’ at the age of 16. In 1882, he published his first collection of poems at the age of 23 named the ‘Sandhya Sangit’.

He was inspired by the classical poetry of Kalidasa and himself started writing such poems. His famous literary works (poems) include Balaka, Purobi, Sonar Tori, and a collection of poems named Gitanjali.

Rabindranath Tagore, a compendious storyteller wrote short stories and novels that emoted the heart’s complex and paradoxical emotions in an aesthetically and poetically enriched form.

Some of his very famous short stories that continue to win the hearts of people across ages are Chokher Bali, Kabuliwala, Atithi, Charulata, and Bhikharini, among others.

Tagore’s famous novels include Nastanirh, Ghare Baire, and Gora. These novels are weaved around themes like religion, gender, feminism, tradition and reflect Rabindranath Tagore’s modern approach. However, this is not all! He is the composer of more than 2,000 songs, which include devotional hymns and the national anthem of Bangladesh.

Rabindranath Tagore started painting in the year 1928, at the age of 67 although he used to sketch from an early age. The figures he drew, sometimes looked monstrous and fierce, as if it were an expression of his anger towards the evils of the society.

He started painting with an ink pen, watercolors, and crayons to draw nature scenes and portraits of men and women, expressing their deeper emotions.

One of his famous paintings, ‘woman face’ portrays a woman surrounded by a band of colors in horizontal striations which appear to be mysterious. In light washes of pink and brown ink, the face of a woman is looking with innocent, soft eyes at the viewers. The painting exhibits almost child-like simplicity.

Rabindranath Tagore was against the unreasonable caste practices that prevailed in India. He decried the evils of India’s social systems that left millions of people under the spell of poverty and treated a group of people as untouchables.

He actively voiced feminine issues in his writings and called for the liberation of women from the many customs of the society that bind them. In his stories, he denounced customs like self-immolation by women after their husbands’ deaths.

Founder of 1- Soul and Smile

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2- Bharat Vishv Guru

https://www.facebook.com/Bharat-Vishv-Guru-105409038208859/

I have taken initiative to spread positivity and happiness through my both pages to host talk shows I invite expert speakers and share their knowledge.

Some of my works deal with:

🧚🏾‍♀️ “How to be happy and positive”.

🧚🏻‍♂️ “Bachpan”

🧚🏾‍♀️”How to start your day”,

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By the grace of god i have awarded with so many recognition like Naaree Shakti, Sweym Sidha, Naaree Samman, Entrepreneur of the year etc. I have been a part of the talk series with World Hope Foundation, for their venture Anna Rasoi through Indian Special News and CSR. in which I talk about ‘How to save environment”, “Health, happiness and mindfulness”, “Covid 19”, “Hunger and Poverty”, “Public Health Safety”.

Connect with me for more information about various health regulations and precautions related to Covid 19, especially those suggested by the government, *as I believe this is the Need of the hour. I recently published my four books on Amozon and Kindle. (“Zid, Junoon, Jazba”, “Abhilasha” and “Vijay”, maa “”which are available on the following links:

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Connect with me for collaborations!

Varanasi: Prof. ON Srivastava, Emeritus Professor, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), who was known for his contributions to the disciplines of hydrogen energy and nanotechnology, is no more. He succumbed to coronavirus at the Sir Sunderlal Hospital of BHU on Saturday. He was 79.

Born in 1942, Prof. Srivastava was a material physicist and vice president for India and South Asia of the International Association for Hydrogen Energy. He was the author of two books and over 440 scientific papers and a recipient of several honors including Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, the highest Indian award in the science and technology categories. He received the fourth highest civilian honour – Padma Shri in 2016, for his contributions to science.

He obtained his master’s degree in Physics (MSc) in 1961 from BHU and followed it up with a doctoral degree (PhD) from the same institution, under the guidance of renowned physicist Ajit Ram Verma, in 1966. After doing his post-doctoral research at Cornell University, USA, he returned to India to start his career as a lecturer at BHU, where he served in different capacities as that of a reader, professor, head of the department of physics and the coordinator of the Centre of Advance Studies-Hydrogen Energy Centre. After his superannuation from service, he continues his association with the university as a professor emeritus and as an associate faculty member of Condensed Matter Experiment research program of the university.

Prof. Srivastava was a former member of the board of directors of The World Academy of Sciences. Under his guidance, the Hydrogen Energy Centre of BHU got involved in advance research on the practical applications of hydrogen fuel, in association with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), of the Government of India.

He published two books, Crystallography Applied to Solid State Physics and Formation and phase stability of Al based quasicrystals: Quasicrystal and over 440 scientific papers. He delivered keynote addresses in a number of science seminars and had undertaken several projects for various government agencies; Nanoscience and Technology of the Department of Science and Technology (2005–2010), Support to Hydrogen Energy Centre (2007–2012), Development & Demonstration of Hydrogen Catalytic Combustion Cookers (2007–2010), Development & Demonstration of Hydrogen Fueled three wheelers (2009–2012), Mission Mode Project on Hydrogen Storage Materials (Hydride) (2009–2014), all of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, and Synthesis Characterization and Properties of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (2009–2012) of the Defence Research and Development Organization.

Yash Tiwari, a TEDx speaker, Josh Talk speaker, international Youth Mentor, and a Record Holding Awarded Author – all at the age of 18, has recently authored the world’s first fiction on the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak – PANDEMIC 2020 – Rife Of The Virus, for which he has also been awarded by the India Book Of Records and ASIA BOOK OF RECORDS as well.

The narrative presented through his novel, PANDEMIC 2020 – a tribute to government bodies, doctors, media, healthcare workers, frontline workers, and all the warriors of the COVID19, along with a lot many other aspects – is unique in today’s time of a global pandemic, not just because its first fiction novel based on the pandemic, but also because of the story it tells. Pandemic 2020, provides a harrowing look at how the pandemic turned the lives of everyone around the world upside down. The story is a globally-interconnecting tale, intriguingly blending majorly affected regions around the world through characters facing the severity of one common pandemic, the Corona Virus outbreak. It narrates the story of how important the Platforms of media and news are in a time of global pandemic, how medical workers sacrifice their lives in such horrendous situations, how the impoverished and poor ones suffer the most at the hands of such an ailment, and how the stranded travellers are unable to survive through the clutches of the outbreak right now. Yash has written this just within 30 days.

Yash wrote his debut novel, A Celebration In Tribulation, within a record time of just 22 days. It is the first time when someone has authored a fictional book on the unspoken Disease, let alone at such a young age.

As a young public speaker and youth mentor, Yash is frequently invited to deliver talks and sessions on diverse social and psychological subject matters. He has delivered thought provoking sessions all around the world, some of which were in regions like Nigeria, Cameron, Canada, Ghana, New York City (webinars), etc. He delivered a Talk at the United Nation 75th Anniversary International Youth Day Celebration (2020) organized by the UN

Volunteers from Nigeria, alongside speakers from Iraq, Congo, Australia, etc. He has delivered talks in various states all around the nation like Maharashtra, Jammu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Odisha, etc.

Yash has delivered Four TED Talks at the world-renowned platform of TEDx, all by the age of 18. He delivered a Josh Talk, which has amassed more than 300,000 views in a brief period of time.

He is working at My Captain as a mentor, a The Climbers and IIM Bangalore incubated and United Nations recognized company, where he teaches youngsters (even civil engineers, medical students, academicians, professionals, etc) from all walks of life. He has also delivered Master Class Modules on the platform of SpeakIn (Page 96), a brilliant social platform featuring renowned thought-leaders in the country inspiring the masses of more than 1.2 billion population on various topics important for the country.

Yash authors first fiction on Covid-Pandemic

Some of the leading speakers include Shashi Tharoor, Suhel Seth, Bear Grylls, Richa Chadha, etc. The platform will be benefitting and guiding employees who are twice or thrice older than his age around the world.

Mentor At Expertron, First AI Platform with video bots of experts where he is on a panel of experts who are alumni of IITs, IIMs, NITs, Amity University, Jain University, etc. and are placed with top firms like Mastercard, OYO Rooms, Viacom 18, Google, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, One Plus, TCS etc.

He has been awarded among the top 100 inspiring authors of India by The Indian Awaz, awarded with Author Of The Year award by NE8x, nominee for Best Debut Author award by ICMDR, and also awarded with Global Young Leader Fellowship and TCC REX Karmaveer Chakra Award by iCOGNO in association with United Nations. Yash has also been a part of United Nations 75 Years Anniversary World Peace Global Initiative.

Juhi Gupta

www.JuhiArt.com

A Chartered Accountant by training… An Artist by passion…

I love to experiment with colors and enhance the textures on canvas using a variety of mix media ranging from paint, resin, foil, sand, stones, cement to even tissues! Just like a stand-up comic my inspirations usually come from the nuances and minutiae of daily life and the world around me. Often, I start without knowing where my creative instincts would take me, and how it will shape my art work in the end – and that’s the best and most joyful part of my journey as an artist.

I welcome all to be a part of my world and explore abstract impressionism and expressionism through my eyes.

Meet Rupali -a teacher by profession but an artist by passion. She loves to make the best out of wastes. She has a strong fan following on social media for her creativity. Her hobby made her a young entrepreneur. Today this 27-year-old artist is the owner and designers at Fascinating Art.

“I heard somewhere that a creative soul is a happy one. Today I am happy because I chose what my heart wanted. I am an academics teacher by profession but since childhood I had a great passion for art and craft,” she said adding that in her free time she used to take her colors and sit to paint or draw for hours.

“I remember that once my mother was throwing some stuff out because it was no longer of use. But I came up with some ideas and restored and redesigned those things which actually amazed everyone and I also realized that I am really good at it,” said Rupali adding that with time this hobby became a habit. She became really good at it- whether its clothes, furniture, shoes, rejected photo frames etc.

Teacher by Profession Artist by PassionTeacher by Profession Artist by Passion

“I keenly worked on those things. It was then I came up with the idea to be a part time entrepreneur who can design things and thus “Fascinating Art” was created,” she said adding, “I am not an artist with degrees but I am an artist by soul and I think that is the reason why people liked my work”.

Today she has 5k+ followers on Facebook and it is growing. Recently she also started her YouTube channel -FASCINATING ART where she teaches various tactics and methods to restore waste things. “I started it so as to reach the audience who wish to learn art and craft but could not afford it. With my videos they can actually enjoy and learn as well”.

Teacher by Profession Artist by Passion“My channel is not just limited to art but includes cooking tutorials as well. Today with these minor victories and with the intent to grow more I have chosen this to be my full-time profession so that I can give more time to what I love and also sell customised gifts for their special occasion at affordable prices,” said a proud Rupali.

Rupali’s Motto:

• To encourage women empowerment in in long term and help them to be confident, encourage best out of waste ideas, and encourage raw talent and Starts-ups.

Rupali’s achievements:

• Nominated for BHARAT KI LAKSHMI -Initiative by PM Narendra Modi.
• Crafter in Spotlight by ITSY BITSY Challenge winner hosted by CREATIVE EMBELLISHMENT.
• Secured 2^nd position in competition hosted by FEVICRYLHOBBY IDEAS.

Rupali’s Hobby:

• Painting, Recycling, Papercraft

Varanasi: The book ‘Human Respiratory Viral Infections’ has been edited by a leading Molecular Virologist, Prof. Sunit K. Singh, Head of the Molecular Biology Unit, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu university. The book has been published by prestigious international publisher, Taylor & Francis, USA.

“Respiratory infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in humans worldwide, and most acute upper and lower respiratory infectious conditions are primarily caused by viruses. Many of these viruses cause the highest burden of disease in specific risk groups such as young infants, the elderly and immune-compromised individuals,” says Prof. Singh. While most of the respiratory viruses of humans have been identified during the course of the last century, a dozen “new” highly relevant respiratory viruses have been discovered in the last decade, he says adding further, “These do not only include viruses that have been circulating in humans for many decades or even centuries, such as human metapneumovirus, human bocavirus and human coronaviruses NL63 and HKU1, but also viruses that have recently emerged as a result of interspecies transmissions from animal reservoirs”.

The first part of the book gives an overview of the knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the human respiratory tract and its defense mechanism against virus infections. Factors that are crucial for the spread of respiratory virus infections like environmental factors, cough formation and aerosol development are addressed. A description of tools to diagnose these respiratory infections and general measures for their management at the level of individual patients and the population at large, as well as an overview of animal models to test such intervention strategies, conclude the first part of this book.

The second part gives a detailed description of established respiratory viruses as well as more recently emerged viruses of the human respiratory tract infections. The commonly known viruses that infect the respiratory tract, and either alone or in combination with other viruses or bacteria cause more or less severe upper and lower respiratory tract conditions like the plethora of rhino-, Roth- and paramyxoviruses, or cause more systemic disease, like adeno- or measles viruses are being described in great detail. The recently identified human respiratory viruses, originating from animal reservoirs, like influenza viruses from birds, and Hendra- and Nipah viruses as well as SARS- and MERS-coronaviruses from bats, the etiologic role, and burden of disease and development of intervention strategies are also covered in great detail in this book. The data presented in this book provides an extensive and timely overview of the current knowledge of long known and newly emerged respiratory viruses of humans, and the ways to diagnose and combat them efficiently with state-of-the-art intervention tools.

Varanasi: Jagdish Narayan Singh, an 83-year-old former chakbandi and forest man, has penned down Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta in a unique style -all the verses in three languages -Hindi, Sanskrit and Urdu on each page. The book is ready to go for publication.

Singh, the father of former UP minister Virendra Singh, has so far authored over a dozen books in Hindi like Itihas Lauta, Rishivanshi Kshatriyon ka Itihas, Rashtriya Dharatal par Vrihad Kshatriya Samaj, Nayi Khoj Nayi Vichardhara, Adivasi Samskriti evam Bharatiya Sabhyata, Adhunik Kashiraj ka Itihas, Bhojpuri Bhasha ka Udgam aur Vikas, Kshatriya Vansh Parichay, Bhojpuri Geet evam Lok Sangeet, Bhojpuri Geet Mala, etc.

Starting his career as a chakbandi employee, he retired as a forest officer in 1995. An intermediate pass, Singh never encountered with books or literary circle during his job. “All credit of my writing skill goes to the blessings of great saints,” says Singh adding that he got the blessings of Sachchidanand Maharaj Dharkundi, the disciple of the Mahant of Ishwari Awdharna Anusuyia Ashram in Chitrakoot, Swami Pramhans Pramanand Ji Maharaj, Peethadhishwar Bhagwan Anand Ji Msaharaj Varanasi, Peethadhishwar Adgadanand Ji Maharaj and Maheshanand of Bhikhampur Sevapuri.

He says that Aghoreshwar Swami Ram Ji Maharaj of Aghor Peeth had instructed him to write a book on the history of Kshatriya after retirement. Since then he has been devoting himself in writing books and distributing free of cost. “I will continue to write till my last breath”, he says.

Varanasi: Former vice chancellor of Banaras Hindu University Prof Panjab Singh has been appointed as the first Chancellor of the Mangalayatan University, Jabalpur (MP).

Prof Singh, a noted agricultural scientist and Chancellor of Rani Laxmibai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi, has been felicitated with DSc (Honoris Causa) by 10 leading universities.

Prof Singh, who played an important role in bringing the Green Revolution in the country, belongs to Anantpur village in Mirzapur district of eastern Uttar Pradesh. During his tenure at BHU as VC, he developed the university’s South Campus at Barkachha in Mirzapur district. He is also the president of National Agricultural Science Academy, and also worked as the capacity of director general of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).