The new rules for social media, OTT platforms, digital news media.

Observing the new rules that the center has introduced for intermediaries, saying this to control misuse of social media and covered OTT platforms. The idea of experiencing the internet will change fundamentally under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code.) Rules, 2021 (the "Intermediary Rules.") While all the rules have been framed and notified under the existing Information Technology (IT) Act, the administrative powers for regulation of OTT and digital news sharing platforms shall be under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B). The new rules were disclosed at a joint press conference by Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Information Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javdekar. The suggested new rules will cover social media companies such as Facebook, Twitter, What's app etc, OTT Platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar etc, and all the digital news publishers. The 29 pages of new rules are neither under parliament scrutiny nor are they statutory but they will still provide broad powers to the government for the regulating and censoring social media, online news media and OTT platforms. The new rules empowers the Information & Broadcasting secretary to directly block the content for public access for specific content in case of an emergency. As per new rules social media intermediaries will have to up their due diligence standards. Every company's privacy policy, agreements will have to inform their users to not upload, publish, share information that is defamatory, obscene, patently false or misleading, etc. They will have to appoint a grievance redressal officer and disclose their name and contact details on their website. Grievance officers must acknowledge the complaint within twenty four hours and resolve it within fifteen days from its receipt. The rules also specify that identification of the first originator of the information(only for the purposes of prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution or punishment of an offence related to sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, or public order.) OTT platforms will have to classify content into five age based categories: U(universal), U/A 7+(years), U/A 13+(years), U/A 16+ and A. Digital news media must follow Press Council of India, Cable TV Network (Regulation) Act norms, similar to their print and TV peers. According to some experts regulation of OTT and news media platforms through proxy is grossly unconstitutional. The government has conveyed it is a move to fight against fake news. While some experts have raised concerns about encryption if companies like whats app, signal, etc will need to follow them. Without data protection law, social media companies collect data of our government IDs without any regulatory body. (The new rules indicates, the social media intermediary will not be required to unveil the contents of any electronic message, any other information related to the first originator, or any information related to its other users. However, 69A of the IT Decryption Rules contain powers to make demands for the message content. The new rule clarifies that discloses of content may only be passed for serious offences, some categories are open ended. For instance, "public order" grounds are quite broad in functioning and open for many demands.) "Due to excessive vagueness in the rules, there is a possibly of over compliances by social media companies to escape liability. The collateral damage here is citizen free speech and privacy which will be unconstitutionally hampered as a result. " Internet Freedom Foundation has tweeted. They also added "there are better ways to tackle such content than sliding down the slope of automated censorship and surveillance culture. " Submitted by: Dipankar Das Department of communication and journalism, Gauhati University

Thrissur Pooram

‘Pooram’ literary means a congregation. Folklore had it that,every year the deities of the neighbouring hamlet’s meet at the Vadakkunnathan temple. On that day, the heavenly hosts bring the heaven down on earth drowning the land and skies in joyful time. Ten temple participate in Thrissur Pooram which is held in Thrissur, a small town in the Northern part of Kerala. For the town of Thrissur the sleepless nights start even before the Pooram. Fairs and exhibitions are the another interesting part. Which lend a touch of additional flicker to the ever so engrossing Pooram colours. The dazzling elephant adornment exhibition is a rare one of its variety and pulls out swarms of visitors every year. The dawn of Pooram day at the Thiruvambady Temple around 7 in the morning a sub deity goddess Yogamaya Devi starts her journey to the Vadakkunnathan Temple. Eight other celestials from numerous temples in the circumstances also set off to the Vadakkumnathan Temple. The final convergence of all the many Poorams from each temple becomes a virtual feast for the eyes and a symphony beatific for the ears. The cavalcade from the Thiruvambady Temple ends at the Brahmaswam Madham for particular rituals. From there the procession moves on to the Vadakkunnathan Temple with the addition of Panchavadyam, a traditional orchestra. At the Paramekkavu Temple by noon the goddess of this temple sets out to the Vadakkumnathan Temple. Once the goddess comes out the kudamaattam( The changing umbrellas) decked with finery commences in front of the Paramekkavu Temple. The Elanjithara Melam is one of the main allurement of the Pooram. It welcomes goddess Paramekkavu Bhagavathy or her annual visit to Vadakkumnathan Temple. From the southern Gopuram, the procession from Paramekkavu emerges guided by the one from Thiruvambady. The most captivating sight of the Pooram is the competition of changing the display of the decorative umbrellas. The unfathomably crafted decorative umbrellas bestow the evening its rainbow shades. The Pooram celebrations that begin in the morning continue until the noon of the next day. The fascinating fireworks signs the grand finale of the Pooram and is a proper tribute to its glorious unity of sight and sound. All who bore viewers to the festive ceremonies join together to share a meek ritualistic meal, the poorakanji. The curtain falls , mortal and immortal alive for another joyful year and the promise of another sumptuous Pooram. Thrissur Pooram is one of Kerala’s largest poorams.It was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic but this year Thrissur is busy to set the festival back and it will be done more meticulously. The people of Kerala is very happy about it and everyone is waiting for the best time to reach. Manjima Nambiar 1st semester, Department of communication and journalism

GARDENING AS STRESS BOOSTER –

From my personal experience I want to share that gardening is really a very good habit. It helps us calm our mind during our hectic schedule. Sometimes due to certain reasons I kind of feel really anxious and get disconnected from the outside world . I get so restless that I can't concentrate and get frustrated by all the negative news I hear. At that time I want a kind of mental shift. So, what I did was I used to spend some time in the company of my beloved plants and started identifying them. Once I am in that atmosphere I have no sense of time. I love the fragrance of the flowers and their soft colours that transport me into another world.. When I touch the branches and leaves of the plants their softness makes me feel overjoyed. My fingers love those sweet sensation. When I see young leaves sprouting I feel thrilled. This is actually a message of love and friendship from innocent plants. Also to see birds flying from tree to tree fills my inner self to ecstacy. T his whole atmosphere is a complete world of perfect relaxation and peace of mind. Seeing them as soon as I wake up in the morning makes me feel refreshing . So, I have been wondering what’s the deal with the plants what’s going on in my body why do I feel so better when I am around them. Right from my childhood I have been very much interested in gardening. But the hectic schedule didn’t let me do that. During lock down I was actually able to resume my passion of gardening. Initially I didn't know much about gardening but later on I got acquainted with the gardening techniques. Like choosing of the plants, preparation of soil for different flowers, removing weeds, quantity of water they need etc. I also do grafting and cutting of the undesired branches. I actually find great pleasure in these works. ‌There are many benefits we can get from gardening--- ‌GARDENING CAN GIVE US A BOOST OF VITAMIN D- Whenever we are Gardening we are exposing ourselves to sunlight. As we know sunlight helps us in producing vitamin D in our body which provides us immunity against the host of different ailments like heart diseases, cancer, oesteoporosis and others. ‌GARDENING CAN RELIEF STRESS- Gardening can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by giving us a chance to focus on something and put our mind to work with a goal and task in mind. ‌ USING FLOWERS TO ATTRACT POLLINATORS -Most flowers attract helpful pollinators such as bees butterflies , moths and other pollinators which are necessary for our survival. ‌PLANTING FLOWERS FOR CLEANER AIR-whenever we are gardening we are inhaling a lot of freshly produced obstacles especially in the morning. Not only that studies have shown that there is a special kind of bacteria in soil known as n Vakeel and whenever we are gardening we area enhaling that bacteria. It actually helps us relax to a great extent. ‌PLANTING FLOWERS AS EXCERCISE- Gardening is an effective workout that uses many different muscle groups while increasing flexibility. Digging and planting burns calories and uses muscles, while reaching and bending stretches the body to increase elasticity in those muscles Hence, Gardening isn’t just about making our house look good but also it can do wonders for our own wellbeing and mental health. Protiva Bismith 1st Semester DCJ GU

*পিপলান্ত্ৰি - এখন ব্যতিক্ৰমী গাওঁ*

মৰুভূমিৰ বাবে বিখ্যাত ৰাজ্য ৰাজস্থানৰ জয়পুৰ চহৰৰ পৰা কিছু দূৰত অৱস্থিত এখন গাওঁ - নাম হৈছে পিপলান্ত্ৰি। কেৱল ভাৰততেই নহয় সমগ্ৰ বিশ্বৰ ভিতৰতেই বিখ্যাত এই গাওঁ খন জনাজাত কিছু ব্যতিক্ৰমী পদক্ষেপ তথা চিন্তা-ধাৰাৰ বাবে। ২০০৭ চনত তেতিয়াৰ ৰাষ্ট্ৰপতি ড° এ পি জে আব্দুল কালামে ৰাষ্ট্ৰপতিৰ পুৰস্কাৰ আগবঢ়ায় এই পিপলান্ত্ৰি গাৱলৈ। প্ৰাকৃতিক সৌন্দৰ্য্যত চহকী তথা পৰ্য্যটনস্থলীৰূপে খ্যাত এই গাওঁ খনত প্ৰতিবছৰে বিভিন্ন ঠাই আৰু দেশ বিদেশৰ পৰা বহুতো পৰ্য্যটকৰ আগমন ঘটে।বৰ্তমান সকলোকে অনুপ্ৰাণিত কৰা তথা সকলোৰে আদৰ্শ গাওঁ হিচাপে পৰিগণিত হোৱা এই সেউজীয়া গাওঁখন এসময়ত প্ৰাকৃতিক প্ৰদূষণ আৰু পানীৰ নাটনিত ভুগি ধ্বংসৰ দিশে গতি কৰিছিল। মাৰ্বল পাথৰৰ বাবে 'গিনিজ ৱৰ্ল্ড ৰেকৰ্ডছ'ত স্থান লাভ কৰা পিপলান্ত্ৰি গাঁৱত ডাঙৰ ডাঙৰ ব্যৱসায়ীসকলে মাৰ্বল পাথৰ আহৰণৰ বাবে দিনে নিশাই খনি কাৰ্য অব্যাহত ৰখাৰ ফলত গাওঁখনৰ পৰিবেশ প্ৰদূষিত হৈছিল আৰু লগতে নৈ, জলাশয় পুখুৰী আদিৰ পানীও প্ৰদূষিত হৈছিল। অন্যহাতে গছ-গছনিৰ হাৰ দ্ৰুতগতিত কমি অহাৰ ফলত ভূগৰ্ভৰ পানী ৮০০ ফুট তললৈ নামি গৈছিল। প্ৰদূষণৰ কবলত পৰি কোঙা হৈ যোৱা এই গাওঁ খনক পুনৰাই জীয়াই তোলে শ্যাম সুন্দৰ পালিৱাল নামে এগৰাকী ব্যক্তিয়ে। প্ৰদূষণ আৰু স্বচ্ছ পানীৰ অভাৱত গাঁওখনত বিভিন্ন ৰোগে দেখা দিয়ে আৰু যাৰ ফলত পালিৱালৰ কন্যা কিৰণে দেহশুস্কভৱন ৰোগত আক্ৰান্ত হৈ মৃত্যু বৰণ কৰে। কন্যাৰ মৃত্যুত দুঃখিত হৈ পৰা পালিৱালে তেতিয়াৰ পৰা এক নতুন নিয়ম প্ৰৱৰ্ত্তন কৰে যাক 'কিৰণ নিধি যোজনা' হিচাপে নামাকৰণ কৰে। এই নিয়ম অনুসৰি গাঁওখনত জন্ম হোৱা প্ৰতিজনী কন্যা সন্তানৰ নামত ৰাইজে ১১১টা গছপুলি ৰোপণ কৰিব লাগিব আৰু লগতে সেই গছপুলিৰ চোৱা চিতা আৰু প্ৰতিপালনো কৰিব লাগিব। পালিৱালে জানিছিল যে প্ৰকৃতিক ৰক্ষা কৰাৰ একমাত্ৰ উপায় আছিল গছ-গছনি ৰোপণ আৰু পানী সংৰক্ষণ কৰা। কিয়নো গছে ভূ গৰ্ভৰ পানীৰ স্তৰ ওপৰলৈ অনাত সহায় কৰে লগতে এটুকুৰা শুকান ঠাইক সেউজীয়া তথা সাৰুৱা কৰি তোলে। তাৰোপৰি গাঁৱৰ মুখিয়াল হিচাপে কাম কৰা শ্যাম সুন্দৰ পালিৱালে গাওঁখনৰ লোকৰ মনৰ পৰা কন্যা সন্তানৰ প্ৰতি বৈষম্যৰ মনোভাৱো দূৰ কৰে। ছোৱালীক সকলোতে আগস্থান দিয়া এই গাঁওখনত যেতিয়াৰ পৰাই এনেদৰে গছপুলি ৰোপণ কৰা হ'ল তেতিয়াৰ পৰাই গাওঁখন প্ৰদূষণ মুক্ত হবলৈ ললে। তাত চলা মাৰ্বলৰ অবৈধ খনন কাৰ্য বন্ধ কৰি দিয়া হ'ল।ফলত গাওঁখনৰ পৰিবেশ বিশুদ্ধ হৈ গাওঁখনলৈ পুণৰ সুখ সমৃদ্ধি ঘূৰি আহিল। এই গাৱঁত ৰাখী বন্ধনৰ দিনা ছোৱালী আৰু মহিলা সকলে গছত ৰছী বান্ধে । এই আৰ্হি লৈ আৰ্জেণ্টিনাৰ এটা দলে "Tree Sisters" নামে এখন চিনেমাও নিৰ্মাণ কৰে। ইয়াৰোপৰি এই গাওঁখনৰ ওপৰত বহুতো তথ্যচিত্ৰও নিৰ্মাণ কৰা হৈছে। ইউটিউব, ফেচবুক, টুইটাৰ আদি বিভিন্ন ধৰণৰ সামাজিক মাধ্যমত পিপলান্ত্ৰি গাঁৱৰ বিষয়ে বিভিন্ন তথ্যও পোৱা যায়। দেখা যায় যে সম্প্ৰতি অত্যাধিক উদ্যোগীকৰণৰ ফলত আমাৰ দেশৰ সেউজীয়া পৰিৱেশ বিনষ্ট হৈ এতিয়া ধ্বংসৰ পথত আগবাঢ়িছে। সেয়েহে শ্যাম সুন্দৰ পালিৱাল আৰু পিপলান্ত্ৰি গাঁৱৰ লোকৰ দৰে আমি সকলোৱে সজাগ আৰু প্ৰকৃতিৰ প্ৰতি দ্বায়বদ্ধ হৈ সেউজীয়া সুৰক্ষাৰ বাবে এনেধৰণৰ কিছুমান পদক্ষেপ গ্ৰহণ কৰা উচিত কিয়নো প্ৰকৃতি জীয়াই থাকিলেহে আমিবোৰ জীয়াই থাকিব পাৰিম। নিতাশ্ৰী বৈশ্য যোগাযোগ আৰু সাংবাদিকতা বিভাগ প্ৰথম ষান্মাষিক

ADMIST THE CLOUDS

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Isn't it so great to see such a beautiful scene whenever we look at the sky. Like seriously such a wonderful creation of God is mother nature. And photographs are meant to enhance the beauty of the surroundings. To click pictures is an art itself and when it comes from within it makes it more beautiful. Every picture tells a story and thats the beauty of photographs that i like it the most. The sky is my favorite thing to gaze at. It is thousands and thousands miles above us but still feels so close to us. The clouds definitely makes it more alluring to gaze at. The blue sky completely complements the white fluffy clouds . The picturesque of the whole photograph is so much satisfying for me . Those fencing and the mountains to complement it obviously. The green beauty and the feeling of the sky touching the ground is beyond my imaginary imagination of course. It feels so great and satisfying to watch the photograph again and again because it doesn't bores me at any cost and on the contrary it puts a happy and soothing impact on the viewer. And the sky of course is my favorite thing to gaze at in my both happy and sad times. And how can someone not love to gaze the beautiful mother nature . The combination of green,blue, white can definitely lift one's mood. Clouds are essential to the earth-atmosphere system. It helps regulate earth's energy balance by reflecting and scattering solar radiation and by absorbing earth's infrared energy. It is also required for precipitation to occur and, hence are an essential part of the hydrologic cycle. Secondly, clouds also have an important effect on earth's temperature but it's a bit complicated. It can both cool down and warm up the temperatures and can also block light and heat from the sun, making earth's temperature cooler. It also plays a great role in weather and climate change making me admire the sky more and more

Relying on Zero wastage

I often used to think about the world in which we are living in. Could we recognise ourselves? What is the guideline or purpose of living?The more we are developing in science and technology, the more we are ruining the sanctity of mother earth. Today everywhere the forest and natural resources are being destroyed for the sake of industrialisation and modernisation. Not only that, we are ravaging our earth for petroleum products and minerals making this earth hollow inside, knowingly or unknowingly. Technology is making our life easier making us inactive and unhealthy. We workout at gyms, while our ancestors are engaged with physical activities. My point is, can't we live in a world with minimum requirements? This nature once destroyed it wouldn't be the same again with placing reflection of a destruction. As my thinking can't we go back to our ancestors. I am saying about a life with minimalism and zero wastage. Zero wastage seems to stick up on everything and find a new purpose for them to use again while minimalistic lifestyle seems to get rid of unneeded things . Zero wastage refers to conservation of all resources by reusing, reducing, responsible production and recovery of products. Where no trash should burry on lands and burn resulted less pollution. The zero wastage simply means reusing the resources. Where as minimalism refers to live with minimum requirements of life,a life without unnecessary things or living with the things you actually needed faraway from desires. For example as minimalist way of living I should throw my unnecessary clothes from my wardrobe but as with zero waste habits I should reuse them .We may have in our mind about donating those clothes but donations frequently does carry the problems to someone else with our bad consumer choices. But what I say is a minimalistic life with zero waste living will carry out a life with simplicity. Its all about our mindset how much we concern about our environment. We should choose and buy products wisely,what we are buying is environment friendly or not and check the sustainability of the products.Always try to fully used up your products,buy only necessary products,not to try crave about luxury, donate your things you don't need to the needy ones and ensure about the use. We have to give up on everything which are not necessary to survive and intend to reuse the resources what we have. Minimalism lifestyle and zero waste living would be a great contribution to a greener and healthier tomorrow . Both can be the great staircase for joyous life in addition to reduce your impact to the environment.At last I want to convey some of my ways for living life simpler what I think like we could grow our own foods, vegetables, medicinal plants, we can acquire many types of medicine from nature itself, we can reduce the use of readymade products,use environment friendly biodegradable products, construct our house which are environment friendly instead of concrete one's, intend to plant more and more trees. we can reduce the use of vehicles which are responsible for air pollution as well as consuming fuel, The less fuel we burn the less will be the destruction. We should also think about our upcoming generation what we will be left behind us for them. So, we should give more importance to the nature instead of our own luxurious life and must raise our voice for the nature. Nature is pleading. Nitashree Baishya 1st Semester Department of communication and journalism

The average time to realize

We use technology every day in our life for everything. People just expect the lights to be on, we are activating about 250 different microchips in the modern automobile. The banks, our credit card purchase almost about everything is chased by technology. We are also seeing appliances that have become internet enabled. Technology is just becoming the fabric of the modern world. We are becoming increasingly dependent on it. People don’t realize that behind all of these systems, there’s computer that were probably built 20 years ago. All of the computers and software are deeply insecure. The standard view of a cybercriminal is some 10 year old kid hacking away at a keyboard in between playing games. But it has changed. Today it’s run by traditional organized crime groups and new modern organizations. They are global, multinational, multilingual and operating 24/7. Cybercrime happens in the background and by the time we actually realize it, 99% of the people who have been victims of cybercrime don’t even know about it. According to the studies, the average time for detection is over 200days. All of our customers credit cards are out on the internet or people are starting to short our stock. One hacker group may have stolen up to 1 billion from banks around the world. Cyber attacks are still happening. For some parts of the world the whole concept of cyber world ,internet and computers is so new, that they have absolutely no laws against cybercrime. If we have a legal framework that allows the countries to cooperate, then the victim can’t do much about the attacker. The technology is developing way too quickly. For us to rely upon legal instruments to fix this problem is quite tough, most of the world’s information is not encrypted, whether it is our credit card number or personal data. We have the attackers running away very quickly and it’s very difficult to defend against them. Are we safe on the online atmosphere? There’s never been a time for exponential change in the cyber security world. I think that the next huge technology should be the creation of a safer internet. Manjima Nambiar Ist Semester

Ayeyouth for inquisitive youth

India imposed the strictest nationwide lockdown in the world amidst rising COVID-19 cases in 2020. During this period, businesses were shut down and India saw one of the worst recessions of the times with a 23.9 percent contradiction in its GDP. However, this period also saw many entrepreneurial ventures taking their first flight and people moving beyond their comfort zones and doing things differently. During this time, I decided to come up with something productive that would connect our ideas with the youth scattered across the world with a mindful of ideas. This led to the creation of AyeYouth,a youth organization committed to sharing stories from all walks of life. AyeYouth is open to all who believe in sharing their diversity of ideas. Ayeyouth is amalgamation of ideas of four individuals, Shivam Selam, a web designer, willing to tell stories through his designs; Seema Daimary, a mental health writer, aspiring to normalize ‘mental health talks’; Chen O, an LGBTQ+ rights activist,envisioning to expand the horizons of the often neglected community (LGBTQ+) to mainstream media; Fami Mushahary, who believes in expressing a unique viewpoint that comes from her life experiences. Since the inception of the blog, the team has worked on various issues such as toxic parenting, virtual models (the CGI generated models), LGBTQ+ representation among many others. The blog has taken an active part in bringing the stories of local talents of North-East India to the general audience and having a closer glimpse of their life by interviewing them.For instance teh interview of one such talent, the young entrepreneur, Subra Chakma, who started an e-magazine “Jummo Icon” which mainly focuses on promoting the art, culture, and music of the local talents from the Chakma community. The blog has also collaborated with an international writer Tara Patricia, the author of the book ‘From Harness to Heels; Finding Love Within the Spin”; and former international hockey player and certified life coach, Ioana. Currently, the blogging site has two new members, Kezha Loushe and Lomika Achumi, that keeps the dynamic nature of the team intact. -Seema Daimary PG 1st Semester

Learning Foreign languages and culture

True, it is not possible to learn every other language on earth but the more we do, the more we get exposed to diverse cultures and traditions. It helps us in approaching new ways of thinking and solving problems, bridging communication barrier and discovering a whole new vision of the world outside our regular lifestyle. Learning foreign languages and cultures comes with a lot of side benefits along with fun. I had the opportunity to learn French as a part of my graduation; and though I cannot claim, I am fluent in it but it helped me in ways like improving my pronunciations and patience along with helping me grab some basic conversing skills in the language. I also happened to be familiarize with some of the French cultures in the process. Language and culture are interlinked. In order to understand one properly, we have to equally consider understanding the other. One can travel or can always read and watch documentaries, movies etc. which is the most convenient way now during the pandemic. Either are adventurous if you enjoy. I happened to develop interest in watching Korean and Chinese historical dramas which fascinated me towards their cultures and languages. My curiosity increased as I read and watched more documentaries on them. During all this time, apart from learning basic conversations in the languages, I could also acquire knowledge of their history, cultures, values, traditions among others. Along with being an interesting journey, learning about different countries helps us overcome racial division and stereotypes; I believe we get more involved with universal beliefs and the idea of 'egalitarianism' rather than wasting time and efforts in 'ethnocentrism'. It is in no way being indifferent to one's own language and culture, but being an awesome global citizen! By Sanyukta Senapati Roll No. 24 1st semester MAMC

Breaking myths on the Gym

About two and a half years ago,I told my friends that I would go to the gym from tomorrow on. Their reaction was unlikely. They told me that if I go to gym I will get a physique like boys. This made me wonder whether I would really get a body like boys if I go to gym. I slept throughout the night thinking about this. The next morning, I got ready to go to the gym. When I went there, I saw everyone busy. The sound of irons dumbbells, heavy breathing, panting with high volume music in the background got me in the mood. I slowly walked over to the trainer's desk. He gave me a form to fill up and then showed me all the equipment in the gym and how they function. He showed me back, leg, shoulder, biceps- triceps machines etc. At first I lifted a 2.5 kg dumbbell and it felt too heavy for me.But the trainer told me that it's my first time, that's why it felt too heavy after some time I will able to use that easily. Since I was on my first day in the gym, I did a little jump, squat which meant I warmed up for the flexibility of the whole body. At that time, it was on the back of mind that gymming is not an easy thing. However,it is important to have a good diet list after work out. like including protein, carbs, good fat, calories comprising Fish, chicken, rice, butter , fruit, vegetables, milk among others. Since I was going to gain weight. So, he also told me to eat more. I was curious to know if what my friends had told me was true. I asked my trainer about it. He laughed and said "No it's not true it depends on your exercise and diet" . When man and woman exercise , their bodies are affected differently. So, there is no such thing. But girls who do bodybuilding , take a professional help . So sometimes they also use artificial means like steriods and supplements. But in general, most of the girls exercise to stay fit and stay away from diseases . And I sighed in relief. Then I asked again, is there is a negative side here? He told me that, "A gym is a place where you can keep fit ". Basically, there are many benefits of gymming. But if we look at the problem, - exercising at the age 50 to 55 can lead to bone pain. Otherwise, problems are rare. However if one fails to follow rules and regulations while exercising you will find that body is harmed. At the end the trainer said that exercising keeps us physically as well as mentally fit. His words, hit me and made me want to exercise. Janmani Kalita 1st Semester Department of Communication and Journalism, Gauhati University, Guwahati.

I am a Selenophile and it has helped me.

Selenophile basically means 'moon lover'. Its like having deep fondness for the moon. The phases of the moon symbolize immortality, eternity and enlightenment. Its more of a like a ray of hope, that gives out positivity amongst thr darkest nights. Since I was a little girl, I loved gazing the night sky. The moon, especially would always follow me no matter where I would wander and thats something that really fascinated me. My love for the moon grew stronger as I grew up. I found some kind of inner peace sitting under the night sky. As an adult, whenever stressed or shattered, I still prefer sitting on the rooftop under the moonlight. It might sound wierd and some of you might even think of me as retarded, but once I actually felt like the moon was replying me back, saying, 'The pain is temporary. Its okay to release, let go of things that doesn't fulfill you and breathe'. Well, it can be more than just tilting your head up to the night sky. It is nevertheless a valuable exercise, almost therapeutic. It is considered as an ancient therapy. Besides healing our inner-selves, it can affect the way we interact with others too. Studies have also shown the psychological benifits of gazing the celestial bodies and its effect on human psyche. It is also proven that it plays an important role in boosting happiness, health and also helps to shift depression. The long period of lockdown during the pandemic and the sinking feeling of loneliness have been cut down owing to this quality of mine. So. can we all begin to appreciate the night sky. For me, it would always be the dependable and silent moon. -Sagarika Dey 1st Semester

The buzz... .

Today while I was traveling to Gauhati University by bus, I was looking outside the window and many thoughts ran through my mind. The busy life of the Guwahati city always amazes me with its charisma, aura and chaos. The beauty of the city is seriously beyond words. Everytime I look in and around me I'm awestruck by the natural beauty it holds.. There is so much to talk about the city. The people, the lifestyle ,the street food and everything else . The busy streets full of traffic and children going to school amomg many other daily hustle and bustle. The tourist attraction, specially the Kamakhya temple attracts people to thcity. The city has so many places to go to. Gandhi mandap which gives us a complete view of the beautiful Guwahati and the pleasing breeze that accompanies us there. Nehru Stadium and Sarusajai Stadium are sporting areanas giving an oppurtunity to the people to explore thier sporting talents. When we step into G.S Road, the crowd, the malls, and the traffic attracts us with its vibrancy. Although we the traffic brings everything to a standstill, but it's also the very life of the city.The colourfull streets of fancy bazaar with a myriad hues of products fancy and pleasing to the eye, the buses jam packed but more than eager to accomodtae brings in a unique element to its soul.The night life of Guwahati city is really beautiful and fasinating . It holds a different feeling altogether. One can definitely and easily fall in love with the city without any doubt. . While I was thinking and laughing and giggling all my myself remembering all the things, with my headphones on with a soothing song playing in my jio saavan, I realized that I've finally reached my destination, our beloved Gauhati University! The scenic beauty it holds is soo mesmerizing. However, the rise of COVID-19 cases in Assam or in India makes me terrified since, it has impacted a lot in the education scenario. The classes the exams everything was online few months ago and I'm afraid that if it happens again it would impact the student's life . It's not possible to learn everything online. The classes in university is much more interactive and interesting . COVID-19 has literally has put our life into a standstill and the most bizzare impact it had was on our economy as well as on the education sector. Well, now I am enjoying my offline classes with mask on and santization but I hope that things get normal soon and should there be another lockdown the life in the city and the student in us would be suffering its impact again. So I put mask on and get to my department. A safer me would be a safer city and a safer us. Thinking about this I reached my department and its time for my classes. Byee Plabita Chakraborty Ist Semester

The Sitcom starring Wanda & Vision

Ever wondered what lies next for the characters after the events of ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ & ‘Avengers: Endgame’. The Marvel Cinematic Universe provided an emotional roller coaster ride with Black Widow sacrificing herself, demise of Vision, Loki, Gamora, our dear Iron Man and Captain America’s retirement. In 2021, Marvel Studios for the first time brings a TV series of the MCU franchise continuity narrating about Wanda and Vision after the ‘Endgame’ events. The show is created by Jac Schaeffer and directed by Matt Shakman with Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprising their respective characters as Wanda & Vision. The plot of the show revolves around Wanda and Vision after three weeks of the Endgame events. The couple just moved into the town of Westview, New Jersey set in black and white backdrop of the 50’s. Vision, being a synthezoid and Wanda with all her powers tries hard to cope up with the ‘reality’ surrounding them. They have neighbours Agnes who’s very nosy and Geraldine with whom they try to act as normal as they can. With each episode, a decade goes forward and by the third episode, the show starts in colour. The show also focuses on the present ‘reality’ and tries to connect the two. S.W.O.R.D. captain Monica Rambeau who’s Geraldine in the other reality with astrophysicist, Darcy Lewis and FBI Agent Jimmy Woo successfully managed to communicate and track Wanda from the other reality which actually is shown in the form of a classic TV sitcom show to the other reality. The show has been one of my recent favourites and also stands out considering the level of the Marvel franchise. I do not actually wanted to reveal much about the plot and give spoilers for those reading the blog but have not gone through the series. The show is a perfect blend of the typical American classic TV sitcom drama along with a thrilling, dark revelations awaiting to make the audience’s curiosity at another level with each episode moving forward. I also love about how the show had focused on the black & white set for some of the first episodes and how they are shot in 4:3 aspect ratio. The makers cleverly shows the shift between the two ‘realities’ by engaging the screen from a fullscreen to a widescreen or vice-versa. Also, various TV sitcoms from the 50’s to the present like The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy, Who’s the Boss, Malcolm in the Middle, Modern Family, The Office, and many others have been referred in the show bringing back nostalgia of those shows. If you wanted something entertaining with superheroes or you are aware of the Marvel Universe, then go for this one definitely, you won’t be disappointed at all. The show has done justice to the lead characters of the show since both Wanda and Vision are not at all prioritize in the previous Marvel movies. Showing the character development of the series with keeping all the previous Marvel movies in place and making it relevant is something about the show which I personally am impressed about the show. Predicting what’s coming next is not at all easy making the show interesting till the last. Also, various non-related product commercials are placed in between each episode which I believe the makers are providing hints for what’s coming next in MCU is another plus point of the show. Wanda will be seen next in the 2022 movie “Doctor Strange & the Multiverse of Madness”. Also, do not forget to check out the post-credit scenes. All the 9 episodes of WandaVision is now streaming on Disney+Hotstar. Ningthoujam Rohit Kumar Singh 1st Semester

BULBBUL : THE SUPERNATURAL

Amidst the 2020 Lockdown, Netflix's Bulbbul was a big relief for me. The Anvita Dutt directed movie explores the supernatural effects empowering a woman's tolerance towards the brutal treatment and abuses received from men in various phases of her life. The movie tells that women break these shackles resulting in becoming someone beyond nature. The plot revolves around Bulbbul (Tripti Dimri) and the time period dates back to 1881 and is set in Bengal. The young Bulbbul is married to a much older man, Thakur Indraneel (Rahul Bose) who lives with his mentally challenged brother Mahendra (also Bose) & his wife Binodini (Paoli Dam), and their younger brother Satya (Avinash Tiwary). Bulbbul finds a companion in Satya and they are fond of each other. Satya is sent to London by Indraneel after which a series of dark incidents start taking place like Mahendra got killed due to a 'Chudail attack'. The movie takes a 20 years ahead where a matured Bulbbul is in charge of the Thakur Haveli since her husband left long ago and Binodini now lives in an ashram. Satya returns back from London and sees a totally matured and different Bulbbul and noticed Dr. Sudip (Parambrata) comes often to check Bulbbul's feet conditions. Many men of the area got killed gradually which was speculated by people as the Chudail's deed. Slowly, we unravel the mystery of Bulbbul and why men in the area are dying with such alarming consistency revealing the avenge by Kali Maa, the goddess of revenge. The film used symbolism and expressions. Even foreshadowing the attack on Bulbbul with cultural imagery is a stroke of brilliance by the creators of the film. Every moment of the film keeps you glued to the screen. Without showing much, Bulbbul says a lot with its well-placed symbolism. One cannot help but feel empathy for the real victims of the story – the women who were brutally hurt by the men, and later avenged by Kali Maa. Bulbbul is not the story of a witch or a goddess, but aims to throw light upon violence against women by men. There are many scenes that are uncomfortable to watch or distressing to consume and yet the hauntingly beautiful style of narration makes it hard to give up on this dark film. VARSHA KUMARI GIRI, 1ST SEMESTER