BE N N E T T, C OL E M A N & C O. LT D. | E S TA BLI S H E D 183 8 | T IM E S OF IN DI A .
C OM | N E W DE L HI
➤ From the Ukraine cri-
TODAY’S sis to who could win
Nobel Peace Prize, know
EDITION
what’s trending in ‘Your
Newsroom’
WHY ARE OIL PRICES
SO HIGH
WHAT
Oil prices are increasing, again,
casting a shadow over the econo-
my, driving up inflation and erod-
ing consumer confidence. Crude
prices rose more than 15 per cent
in January alone, with the glob-
al benchmark price crossing $90
a barrel for the first time in more
than seven years, as fears of a
Russian invasion of Ukraine
grew. Many energy analysts pre-
dict that oil could soon touch $100
a barrel, even as electric cars be-
come more popular and the coro-
navirus pandemic persists.
WHY
The pan-
demic de-
pressed en-
ergy prices in 2020, even sending
the US benchmark oil price be-
low zero for the first time. But
prices have snapped back faster
and more than many analysts had
expected in large part because
supply has not kept up with
demand.
An 8-year-old writes a book and hides
it in cupboard. NOW, IT’S A HIT
hen eight-year-
W
old Dillon Helbig
finished writing
his book, 'The
Adventures of Dillon Helbig’s
Crismis', in mid-December, he
wanted everyone to read it. The
only problem was that he did
not have an agent. So, he
decided to self-publish. During
a visit with his grandmother to
the Lake Hazel branch of the
Ada Community Library in
Boise, Idaho, in US, Dillon quiet-
ly deposited his book, signed
'by Dillon His Self', on to a
nearby shelf. The 81-page book
details adventures that ensue
after the star on a Christmas
tree Dillon is decorating
explodes. Dillon is transported
Scientists discover supermountains
four times longer than the Himalayas
M
ount Everest, at its towering
height of 8,848 metres, is the
tallest in the Himalayan
range, but scientists have revealed that
there were ranges that stretched across
the continent. Longer than the Hi-
malayas, these mountain ranges
helped in the evolution of the plan-
et. Researchers have tracked the for-
mation of these supermountains
throughout Earth's history.
Stretching up to 8,000 kilometres
across, they were nearly four
times the length of the present-
day Himalayan ranges (2,300 kilo-
metres) and formed twice in
Earth's history — the first
between 2,000 and 1,800 million
years ago and the second
between 650 and 500 million
years ago. Researchers believe
that there are links between these
two instances of supermountains
and the two most important peri-
ods of evolution in Earth's history.
PAGE 2
CLICK HERE: PAGE 1 AND 2
 Besides, western oil companies,
partly under pressure from investors
and environmental activists, are
drilling fewer wells than they did be-
fore the pandemic to restrain the in-
crease in supply.
Industry executives say they are
trying not to make the same mistake
they made in the past when they
pumped too much oil when prices
were high, leading to a collapse in
prices.
Elsewhere, in countries like
Ecuador, Kazakhstan and Libya, nat-
ural disasters and political turbu-
lence have curbed output in recent
months.
On the demand side, much of the
world is learning to cope with the
pandemic and people are eager to
shop and make other trips. Wary of
coming in contact with an infectious
virus, many are choosing to drive
rather than taking public trans-
portation.
 But the most immediate and
critical factor is geopolitical. A
potential Russian invasion of
Ukraine has kept the oil market
on edge.
into a portal and time-travels
to the very first Thanksgiving
and to the north pole.
“Everything about it was a bit
crazy,” the second-grader
admitted. Days later, when
Dillon came to check on the
book, he
noticed it
was gone.
His mom
called the
library. It
turned out
that the Lake
Hazel library
branch manag-
er, Alex Hartman and his col-
leagues discovered Dillon’s
book in the “stories” section
and read it.
THE SUPERMOUNTAINS
 The first supermountains are being called Nuna
Supermountain, which coincides with the likely
appearance of eukaryotes, organisms that later gave
rise to plants and animals  The second that evolved
around 650 and 500 million years ago is the
Transgondwanan Supermountain, which coincides
with the appearance of the first large animals and the
Cambrian explosion 45 million years later when most
animal groups appeared in the fossil record
STUDENT EDITION
➤ Know more about Chilika ➤ India to begin New
lake, Asia’s largest brackish Zealand series with WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022
water lagoon, its flora and one- off T-20
Newspaper in
Education
fauna, through the lens of a
young traveller PAGE 4 WHAT WOULD IT
PAGE 3 TAKE FOR OIL
PRICES TO FALL?
 Oil prices go up and down in
cycles. According to experts, oil
prices can be controlled if certain
things fall in place
 For instance, China has shut down
several cities to stop the spread of
the virus, slowing its economy and
demand for energy.
 Much, however depend on the
Ukraine situation. If Russia and the
West reach an agreement, formal
HOW RUSSIA-UKRAINE CRI- or tacit that forestalls a full-scale
SIS IS IMPACTING OIL invasion of Ukraine, oil prices will
1 Russia produces 10 million bar- come down
rels of oil a day, or roughly one  Many experts feel the nuclear agree-
X-PLAINED
of every 10 barrels used around ment between the US and Iran also
the world on any given day
2
holds key to the oil crisis. If the US and
Any interruption of Russian ship-
ments that transit through
Ukraine, or the sabotage of other
its allies restore a 2015 nuclear agree-
ment with Iran that former President
Donald Trump abandoned, it would
pipelines in northern Europe, would crip- allow Iran to sell oil much more
ple much of the continent and distort the WHAT CAN THE UNITED STATES AND ITS easily than now
global energy supply chain. That's
because, traders say, the rest of the
ALLIES DO IF RUSSIAN PRODUCTION IS
DISRUPTED?
WHAT  Ultimately, high
world does not have the spare capacity The United States, Japan, European countries and even ABOUT INDIA prices could depress
demand for oil
to replace Russian oil
3
China could release more crude from their strategic In India, domestic oil marketing
Even if Russian oil shipments are reserves. Such moves could help, especially if a cri- enough that
companies are likely to swiftly raise prices begin to
not interrupted, the US and its sis is short-lived. But the reserves would not be
prices substantially after the elections in come down. One
allies could impose sanctions or nearly enough, if Russian oil supplies were inter-
export controls on Russian companies,
order to align domestic prices with inter- of the main
rupted for months or years.
limiting their access to equipment, which national rates and to make up for the loss- financial incen-
could gradually reduce production in that es they may be incurring now. The gov- tives for buying
WHAT IS OPEC DOING?
country ernment had cut duty in November electric cars, for
4
US President Joe Biden has been urging the
In addition, interruptions of 2021. But higher fuel prices can example, is that
Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting
Russian natural gas exports to Countries(OPEC) to pump more oil, but several mem-
induce broader inflation, which electricity tends to
Europe could force some utilities bers have been falling short of their monthly produc- can affect interest rates and be cheaper per kilo-
to produce more electricity by burning tion quotas, and some may not have the capacity to economic recovery metre than petrol.
oil rather than gas. That would raise quickly increase output Sales of electric cars are
demand and prices worldwide growing fast in many countries
NO DIGITAL DETOX: INSTA MAY ROLL
OUT NEW FEATURES
I
nstagram is ramping up things to
keep its young user base interest-
ed, although only three months ago, TECHAWAY
Instagram is likely to offer
two options as a part of this
it had promised to introduce an app feature. The first one is the
that nudges users to ‘take a break’ af-
‘Following’ option, which will allow you to
ter they had been online for a certain time. A slew of
new features are likely to be introduced on the photo- view the content of those you are following
sharing app that ranges from 3-D avatars to screen on your home feed in a chronological order,
sharing while video calling, and to giving a better and the other option is the ‘Favourites’
flow to the home feed, by making it chronological.
which will allow you to see contents of the
According to a report in Gadgets Now, the app, which is
accounts you have ‘added to your favourites’
wildly popular in India, and saw the highest number of
downloads in the previous year, is currently working on on your feed. This too shall appear in a
introducing a new feature that would make the users' chronological order, by default
home feeds more personalised.
 Dillon has been awarded the library’s
Whoodini Award for best young novelist, a
category created for him and named after
the library’s owl mascot The young author
has announced that a sequel is in the works,
this time about a visit from the Grinch and also featuring
Dillon’s dog, RustyHe is also writing a book about a ONLINE TOI
jacket-eating closet, based, Dillon said, on a true Newspaper in
Happy
appy
ppy
story from his kindergarten days
Education
Celebrate the season of love differently
Day
Da
Day
y
What to expect
What is the meaning of love
ONLINE
HOW DID THEY CON- ■ How the word has moved beyond its traditional Celebrate your pet
TRIBUTE IN THE EVOLU- association and is all about family, friends, gratitude, Share the bond you enjoy
self-love, compassion and MORE
TION OF EARTH with your furry friend with
Researchers said that us. Tell us how they make
Crazy Little Thing Called Love you feel a little more
when the mountains eroded, ■ Unique and bizarre Valentine’s Day traditions from
adored everyday with
they provided essential around the world
pictures, art and/or video
nutrients like phosphorous ■ Interesting trivia around the Day
■ Fascinating love monuments that you didn’t know
and iron to the oceans, existed
supercharging biological Be my Valentine,
cycles and driving the evolu- Love in school friend
tion to greater complexity. ■ How it is when your friend who gave you confidence, a Celebrate your friendship
The supermountains may by making a Valentine’s
teacher who gave you hope or a chat with your parents –
Love is all that and so much else card for your friend. We
also have boosted oxygen
levels in the atmosphere, Love is success
share the best on toistu-
dent.com
needed for complex life to ■ How it is when one loves what they do. It changes the
breathe way they approach it. Featuring real-life stories of those
Researchers attribute a who converted their passion into success Plus
decrease in evolution rate ● Art activities
PLUS : Trivia | Voices | Opinions | Books & Movies And
● Your voices
on the planet between 1,800 MORE
and 800 million years to the
absence of these super- Don’t miss the ‘Exclusive Edition’
mountains. This period is
known as the Boring Billion on this special occasion
Online activities start from
February 7, 2022 onwards
MARK YOUR DATE FEBRUARY 12, 2022
 02 “Be like the sun for grace and mercy. Be like the night to cover
others’ faults. Be like running water for generosity. Be like the
Earth for modesty. Appear as you are. Be as you appear.” RUMI
YOUR NEWSROOM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022

CAN sanctions stop Putin’s ambitions?

IN THE NEWS FOR YOU SPEAK

R ussia’s President Vladimir

Putin has accused the US of
trying to draw his country
into a war in Ukraine. He said
America’s goal was to use a con-
frontation as a pretext to impose
more sanctions on Russia. Putin also
said the US was ignoring Russia’s
concerns about the expansion of
Nato, the Western military alliance
which Ukraine is seeking to join.
The US and its allies accuse
Russia of planning to invade
Ukraine, something Russia
has repeatedly denied.
S
anctions will not stop
President Putin from his
ambitions for Ukraine for
3 main reasons: ■ Russia is
not excessively dependent on
foreign markets. ■ Past sanc-
tions have not been very effec-
tive and it may now aggravate
the situation.
■ Russia is a nuclear super-
power. In the likely case of a
full-fledged war, Russia will be
able to hold base competently.
Also, world power countries
like China are more likely to
back up Russia’s ambitions T NIMISHA, class XI,
than Ukraine’s. Fiitjee, Hyderabad

WE SPEAK
E xperts say it’s unlikely the US and its allies would agree
to something as sweeping as a complete ban on trade
with Russia or an embargo. Rather, industries and
individuals probably will
continue to bear the The
brunt of sanctions as
the crisis deepens.
US and its allies
have threatened Russia
with financial sanctions
carrying “severe
consequences” if it

WHO
invades Ukraine

could win Nobel Peace?

IN THE NEWS FOR TIMES NIE gives
you this fortnight’s

P
ope Francis, British nature
broadcaster David Attenbor-
ough, the World Health
Organisation and Belarusian
dissident Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
are among the nominees for this year’s
WE SPEAK
Nobel Peace Prize.
Also among the candidates for the
accolades are Greta Thunberg, the
Myanmar National Unity Government
formed by opponents of last year’s
coup and Tuvalu’s foreign minister
Simon Kofe, last-minute announce-
ments showed on Monday. news capsule – a 360
Thousands of people, from mem- degree perspective of
bers of parliaments worldwide to for-
mer winners, are eligible to propose major events that
candidates. happened
around the
world. But, this is
not it. This is a platform
to present your news, your
way. OWN YOUR NEWSROOM!
YOU SPEAK Write to toinie175@gmail.com

E
ven though all the nominees have had a

DID
Pope Francis big impact on our society, I think David
Attenborough deserves to win the Nobel

P
ope Francis was nominated for his
efforts to help solve the climate
crisis and his work towards peace
and reconciliation, by Dag Inge Ulstein,
ex-minister of int’l development.
Sir David Attenborough
Peace Prize this year. Most of us know him
from his work on the famous broadcast net- FM do
enough for education sector?
work, BBC, as a presenter but he is also an
active environmentalist and has helped in
raising awareness for natural preservation.
His work has brought about significant IN THE NEWS FOR

T
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya changes in climate change, planetary biodi- he Union Budget

A
ttenborough is best known for versity, renewable energy and much more. For gains applause for

E
xiled Belarusian opposition
leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
was nominated for the second
year running for her “brave, tireless
and peaceful work” for democracy
and freedom in her home country, said
parliamentarian Haarek Elvenes. The
Belarusian human rights activist
digitalization of edu-
his landmark TV series illustrat- the better part of 30 years, he has dedicated cation and making it
ing the natural world, including his life for the advancement of environmental accessible at the grassroots lev-
Life on Earth and The Blue Planet. He conservation and it should be recognised. el. Still, many believe
was nominated jointly with the more could have been
LIKHITH L GOWDA, class XI, Vyasa Int’l, B’luru done to elevate the
Intergovernmental Science-Policy quality of education
Platform on Biodiversity and as well.
Ecosystem Services, which assesses The World Health Organisation (WHO) The sector ap-
the state of biodiversity worldwide. preciated the budg-

T
et being in line with
and politician ran in the 2020 he coronavirus pandemic has promoting human
Belarusian presidential elec- Environmentalists have won the been front and centre of people’s capital through dig-
tion as the main opposition can- Nobel Peace Prize in the past, concerns over the past two years ital tools such as
including Kenyan activist Wangari and this year the international body the ‘one class one
didate after her husband Sergei
TV channel’ pro-
Tikhanovsky was arrested by Maathai and former US VP Al Gore tasked with fighting it, the WHO, has gramme proposed un-
Belarusian authorities. again been nominated. der the PM e-Vidya
scheme.

WE SPEAK

DO you think Boris

Johnson should quit after ‘PartyGate’?
WILL ‘delete all’ help?
IN THE NEWS FOR

W
e all have sent text messages that
IN THE NEWS FOR we have regretted instantly, how-

S
enior Conservative lawmaker To-
bias Ellwood said he would sub-
mit a letter of no confidence on
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson,
saying so-called ‘partygate’ was dis-
tracting the government at a time of
international crisis. Johnson is facing
calls to resign after weeks of a steady
drip of reports alleging his aides, and
he himself, had staged and attended
parties in his Downing Street office and
residence at a time when millions of
■ WhatsApp has devel-
ever, Meta owned WhatsApp
allows us to remove unwanted
messages through its ‘Delete’ feature.The
extension would help users delete their
wrongly sent messages within a longer time
frame. The feature would allow group admins
to add and manage their multiple WhatsApp
groups from a single place.
WE SPEAK YOU SPEAK
Idigital
t laid out a progressive vision the Government holds for capi-
talizing on India’s demographic advantages by suggesting a
university, creating a conducive environment for inter-
university collaborations, and introducing a number of skill
development programmes. The Budget has allocated `63,449.37
crore to the Department of School Education and Literacy, an
increase of about 6.6% over the current financial years.
YOU SPEAK

I
n recent years, WhatsApp has brought in a flurry of new
YOU SPEAK
R T
Britons were under Covid-19 lockdown.
oped a beta version for ather than focusing on he Budget has focused
updates and features to make their platform more
digital revolution in on bridging the digital

I
think Boris Johnson should resign or at least face severe Android where the app
consequences for his actions. Leaders must abide by the suggests extending the
regulations laid out for the security of citizens. In fact, in time limit for ‘Delete for
such situations they should be role models for others and Everyone.’ ■ In this, the
cooperate willingly with the protocols. users will get a notifica-
AVANI PANDIT, class X, Apeejay School, Nerul tion saying ‘This message
was removed’ after a text
WE SPEAK gets deleted. ■ The date
of implementation of the
■ British PM Boris Johnson will probably hold onto his job for now despite a scathing
new feature has still not
report about government coronavirus lockdown parties, but his long-term future is
been announced by the
out of his hands as police probe claims of rule breaking, analysts said. His position has
app but it will definitely
been hanging by a thread because of the steady drip of revelations since last year.
happen soon.
secure and user-friendly. However, the recent decision
education, the govern- divide among students,
to give the group admin the power to delete messages
ment should bolster the which will help in killing the
seems to be a bit far-fetched. It is
existing public school- ‘digital apartheid’.
extremely tedious to keep track of
ing first. Even Setting up of
conversations and have a concrete
when students virtual labs
record of them, especially when
have Internet and digital
any person can be anonymous and
access, the university
potentially dangerous on an online
quality of will definite-
platform. Yes, but extending the
online education ly help the
time limit is a good move.
remains poor. sector.
MANEEZA KHAN, class XI, The Heritage
POORNA GHOSH, class XII, MANAS KAPUR, class XI, Sri
School, Kolkata
Anand Niketan, Ahmedabad Venkateshwar Int’l, Delhi
 CLICK HERE: FOR PAGE 3 AND 4

SCHOOL IS COOL
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9 2022
It’s not just a place where you get to learn Einstein’s Theory of
Relativity. It’s also a place where you can think beyond the
classroom. Hence we say, SCHOOL IS COOL!
03
Urban life is better than the rural life
can't accept this statement, Urban life is better

I
ccording to the 2011 census, a large mass of people

A are migrating to cities in search of urbanization. People

are probably convinced about what they get in cities are
more fruiting than in rural. The massive growth of tech-
than rural life because, when we are comparing
urban life with rural life, according to me, rural life
is not only better but also the best one. Rural life is a
nology around these years has been the key reason for stress-free life whereas urban life can be otherwise called
the migration. Mode of communication to a large mass was stressful life. Rural life is a god gifted life. In rural areas,
the main problem faced by common people some decades we can live our life with nature. We can breathe fresh air.
back but it is completely resolved by the invasion of But, urban life is full of pollution, the cost of liv-

Gateway to social media. This led to a great job for us in the city
than rural as rural is labour intensive. But the ur-
ban depends on technology and its consequences.
FOR AGAINST
ing is lower in rural areas than in urban ones.
Compared to busy cities, there is more land avail-
able in the countryside, which helps keep housing

architectural excellence The amenities that urban life has is inevitable for the upcoming generations.
Proper education, better schools, more job offers, and medical facilities are
costs low. Rural life offers the opportunity to reconnect with nature. The
air and water in the village is less polluted and the village has a clean-
er environment, less noise, and fresh air compared to the cities. Peo-

T
ravelling is an amazing way to learn a lot of things in life,
and talking about me I learned a lot from my trip to Agra. I
could say that has been the best trip that I remember.
Agra was also known as Akbarabad in the Mughal era is known
to be a city filled with an atmosphere of jolliness and is also
known as the symbol of love. This city is also known to
appeal to a large number of tourists. So,
when we think about Agra what comes
first in our mind? Yes! one of the seven
wonders, the Taj Mahal. It is consid-
ered impossible to create an identical
architecture style like the Taj Mahal
in the current world, even with all the con-
stant development. Other than Taj Mahal, Agra is full of other
architectural monuments like Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, and
Buland Darwazaand. That is the reason why Agra is also called
as ‘A Gateway to Architectural Excellence’. When we were going
to go, it was like finally we made it happen, we started the
journey to Agra on a bright and energetic day. It was a great
experience visiting all these places. Agra is famous for handi-
crafts, leather and fine arts too such as Marble Inlay work. It
was fun shopping at Agra. Cuisines are also good
and different there. And how can I forget Petha,
the famous sweet of Agra. The journey was
great and the experience was wonderful. I would
love to go to Agra once again.
NIRVANI, Class IX, SNS Academy, Coimbatore
considered to be the key needs of better quality of life. This rubric is fulfilled
by urban life. Socializing with people from different places and cultures would ple in the villages are less busy than those in the big cities. The city
be the path to expand your knowledge, skills, proficiency and perceptions. is notorious for being a place that never sleeps.
This is possible only in urban life and this is what urban is known for. The There are sounds of traffic, noisy neighbours and construction.
caste system and hierarchy were the barriers in the olden days for so- Add to that the general white noise of city living, and you’ve got a
cializing. The barrier has now become scarce in “urban life”. People recipe for sleepless nights. There’s nothing like the silence and seren-
started to normalize every caste and religion which ac- ity of night-time in the countryside. Not only can
cording to me is the biggest achievement and inde- you see the stars and enjoy the
fresh air; you’ll sleep like a
pendence that humankind has conquered. Urban life is
being a ladder among the lower divisions to come up rock. Finally, I am saying
and accomplish their dreams. that rural life is always
JEEVA THANGAVEL, Class XI , better than urban life.
National Model Senior Secondary School, Coimbatore S. KAVIYA, XI-A3, John Dewey
Matriculation HSS, Panruti
n urban area is a human settlement with a high
A population density and infrastructure of the built
environment. Well-built concrete structures stand as a shelter for more
than 4 billion people globally. Life in urban areas acts as a lift in helping more W
ith the shift to urban lifestyle, we are slow-
ly coming to lose many of the values and
ethics that rural settlements still follow.
people rise out of poverty when compared to rural areas as one can find abun- Rural lifestyle is more sustainable. The use of organic condiments in every-
dant employment opportunities. Migration to cities has increased due to the day life and the natural methods with which the people in the rural areas
better standard of living. Transportation facilities have seen several im- sustain life is something that the Earth needs right now. Moreover, rural
provements and it is much easier to travel from one place to another. Much life is more peaceful and it lets go of the stress and strain that one may pro-
efficient education system, more tourist attractions and a bet- cure in an urbane lifestyle. Rural living is an assurance of healthy food.
The practices which are used to grow plants in these areas
ter social life are a few perks prevalent in the urban areas.
Urban green spaces such as parks, playgrounds can pro- come from generations of being rooted to the Earth. Men-
mote mental and physical health not only in kids but tal peace and stability are other attributes that rural
also in adults. Urban life is competitive, challenging life acclimatizes us to. Rurality in its essence is some-
and yet it helps one attain stabilized living. Urban thing that most of us have evolved from, but whether
life hands one, a million opportunities. All that that evolvement guarantees a better life or not is
matters is for that one to choose the best. something to ponder upon.
RK. RAKSHANA , CLASS IX , SANANDHA ASHOK KUMAR, CLASS XI
SBOA MATRICULATION HR. SEC. SCHOOL, COIMBATORE SBOA MATRICULATION HR. SEC. SCHOOL

International day of education, National

I
t was a typical winter morning, a soothing zephyr HOW CAN YOU VISIT THE
drifting in through the window. I woke up at 5:30
a.m. completed my prayers, and was about to con- A CITY OF ELEPHANTA CAVES? girl child day, Martyr’s day observed
ANites, San academy group of schools,

tinue my daily routine when it suddenly hit me - “I’m
in MUMBAI!”. My family had decided to go to
Elephanta Caves the previous night, but I wasn’t
interested then. Ultimately, I forced myself to accom-
DREAMS
pany them, and that is when I began to enjoy the
journey. Located 20km from the Gateway of India,
Mumbai, Elephanta Island is a UNESCO World Heritage
site. The island has 3 villages and around 7 caves
that are spectacular! There are huge idols within.
Idols that can be measured in feet. The main attrac-
tion is the 20-feet, 3-faced idol of the Hindu God
Shiva (Trimurti). Here’s a glimpse of history: the
Rashtrakutas were thought to have built the
Elephanta Caves when they ruled, but ASI and
UNESCO found the cave temples to have been built
by the Kalachuri dynasty -
between the 5th and 6th cen-
turies. Portuguese navigators
titled the island “Ilha Elefante”
(Elephant Island) upon discovering a
massive stone elephant there. There
was great damage done under
Portuguese rule, but the caves survived.
HEBA FATEMA, CLASS IX ,
SUBBIAH CENTRAL SCHOOL, TIRUPPUR
Ferries operate from the Gateway of India
The ride takes about an hour to reach
Elephanta Island
On the island, a short rail-trip takes you
close to the cave
It is a 125-step climb up to the cave
Do you have difficulty walking or climbing?
Don’t worry! There are men who will carry
you while you sit on a chair,
while ascending or descending
While ascending, you see shops, stores,
and other interesting things. There’s also a
place to sit and relax, or to eat. If you did-
n’t carry food along, don’t panic; there are
restaurants for you. After some worthwhile
effort, you reach the entrance. And there it
is, a stunning historical monument! Just en-
ter the mesmerizing caves and you’re a part
of history. Some local monkeys are hosts
that accompany you, too, however. So long
as you are careful and don’t let them snatch
your valuables, you’ll enjoy your journey!
S
Pallikaranai celebrated the day of cel-
ebration with ‘Tamil thai Vazhthu’ fol-
lowed by Thought for the Day. Internation-
al Day of Education/ National girl child
day/ Martyr’s day was celebrated as a spe-
cial assembly. Students highlighted the im-
portance of education in ensuring peace
and development which was an eye-open-
ing session for the entire group of students.
The International Day of Education is
celebrated every year on January 24, 2022.
Since 2018, Jan 24 is celebrated as Interna-
tional education day. This year marks the
fourth year of celebration and the theme is
‘Changing Course, Transforming Education’.
The resolution to mark this International
Day of Education was authored by 59 mem- when Mahatma Gandhi was martyred, and
ber states. the Government of India announced the
Gender discrimination is a major prob- day as Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs’ Day.
lem that girls face throughout their life. Na- Students gave an awareness talk about
tional Girl Child Day is observed every year the rights of a girl child and stressed the
in India on January 24 to promote aware- importance of their education, health, and
ness about the rights of a girl child and to nutrition. Martyrs' Day was celebrated by
promote the importance of their education, the SANites to remember freedom fighters
health, and nutrition. On January 30, 1948, who laid down their lives to help make In-
the Father of the Nation' was assassinated dia independent. On the whole the assem-
at Gandhi Smriti in the Birla House during bly was very informative, well explored and
the evening prayers. January 30 is the day wonderfully executed by our students.

EventS
Let us be pure, inside and outside! Virtual session held at Natesan
ecently Shri Natesan Vidyasala MHSS in collaboration with Young In-

R
he history of mankind has all our leaders right from Mahatma Gandhi to

T seen that the most success-

ful people in any field of life,
were walking examples of per-
sonal purity, both of the body and
mind - from spiritual masters, free-
dom fighters, sportspersons, busi-
nessmen, politicians, scientists
and teachers.
The temple of God is in the
home and hearts of healthy
people, because they care for
their personal hygiene and
mental purity, which are the
most important characteris-
tics of devotees.
Cleanliness is not an ac-
tivity or a duty. It is not a skill
or a privilege. It is not something
that only a few among us are re-
sponsible for. It is the basic char-
acteristic trait that defines you as
a being worthy of respect.
The impact of cleanliness in
our life is vast and immeasurable.
At the basic, it helps us live a
healthy, disease-free life. It makes
us attractive to all other be-
ings, who otherwise get re-
pelled if we spread disgust through our dirty
bodies and sick minds. It saves us many trips
to the doctor and hence, a lot of money. Un-
healthy people know how much their bad health
hurts and pinches their purse. If you are clean
and healthy, your brain is sharp and performs
at its best, making you a winner in all your en-
deavors.
A nation full of dirty and sick citizens will
easily become the topper in the list of peren-
nially undeveloped countries. It also becomes
the target of invaders, marauders, who destroy
such weak societies and easily dominate them.
The importance of cleanliness is such that
VENKATRAMAN N, Advisor, Shri Natesan Vidyasala MHSS, Mannivakkam, Chennai
our present Prime Minister, have placed
the highest importance in the national
agenda.
Holy books talk in detail about per-
sonal and spiritual cleanliness being
the basic preparedness for worship.
Bhagavat Gita mentions 'soucham'
or purity as one of the 20 quali-
ties of a gnani (wise person).
HERE ARE A FEW THINGS
ALL OF US CAN DO TO
NURTURE AND FOSTER
THIS FINEST HUMAN
CHARACTER IN US:
- Keep our bodies clean — brush our
teeth at least twice a day, bathe daily,
keep our fingernails trimmed, wear only
washed clothes, and eat only fresh food
- Keep our words clean - speak truth,
speak kindly, speak softly and speak
only when necessary
- Keep our minds clean -
avoid anger, greed, jeal-
ousy, fear, self-doubt, worry and laziness, always
have lofty thoughts, read lofty books and seek
the company of high achievers
- Keep our surroundings clean - keep our stuff
organized, avoid littering or spitting randomly in
public spaces, responsibly segre-
gate and dispose of garbage
- Spread the word - educate
others and keep spreading the
message of cleanliness to
everyone around you
dias, a wing of CII, Chennai conducted an interactive and informative
online session titled "Anyone can become an entrepreneur". Students of
Class 9 and 11 eagerly participated in the session. The main motive of the ses-
sion was to develop the skill and mindset required to become a successful en-
trepreneur. The students learnt that it was all about our mindset and the way
we look into things which makes us an entrepreneur. They learnt that an en-
trepreneur doesn't play one single role but he/she takes up the role of a leader,
initiator, risk taker, innovator and so on. The session greatly motivated the stu-
dents to become an entrepreneur. Mr Tobin Jose the speaker of the session
made it an engaging and interesting session which was then followed by a Q
and A segment at the end.
SHREYAS G, XI ‘D’, Shri Natesan Vidyasala MHSS
ADMIRING NIGHT
Whenever I hear the word night, I think of a beauti-
ful sight. The whole world has slept in peace
My mind is still awake like bees.
Thoughts drag me to write something deep
I wonder when the moon will go to sleep.
Night is indeed a time to reflect
And assure all the mistakes to be correct.
Need to neglect the demerits
Hope to connect with the merits.
May the long hours heal the needy
To make our lives worthy.
Feeling the glory of nights
Charming through memorable sights.
DITHYA, Grade VIII, Lalaji Memorial Omega Intl. School
A cricket lover
I am a player of cricket, Watch out as I am going
I love to take wickets, smash. I hit fours and
I bowl like a rocket, sixes, I play friendly
We play in a snicket. matches, With my team,
I like to bowl,
we won, To celebrate
But I love to bat, we ate tea and bun.
In the field, SUJAN.S , Class VI , The
I pounce like a cat, Indian Public School, Erode
 If you can’t outplay them, outwork them.
Ben Hogan, American golfer
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022

WITH FOCUS FIRMLY ON ODI WORLD CUP

T
he Indian women’s cricket team will get gained significance in COVID times, Mithali made it clear
to fine tune its ODI World Cup prepa- that it will be a secondary issue for them in the six games
rations in a six-game limited overs se- as it is important for fast bowlers to get used to the con-
ries against hosts New Zealand, begin- ditions. “It will take them at least two or three games to
ning with the one off T20 on Wednes- get used to the conditions,” she said.
day. The one off T20 is scheduled ahead
of the five ODIs starting February 12.
Though the team will be looking to win, PUTTING IN OUR BEST
it will also be approaching the 20-over game to get used “We are here to use this series as preparation for the World
to the conditions with the bigger goal for World Cup in Cup because it is the best way we get to know about the wick-
mind. To reduce the COVID-19 threat, all games have been ets and composition we will have next month. We want to
moved to the scenic Queenstown. The Indian squad put in our best standard of cricket so the team derives
arrived here after completing a 10-day quaran- a lot of confidence when we get into the World Cup.
tine in Christchurch. New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine also
stressed on testing out a few players in the
series against India. Both teams are sail-
MITHALI NOT PLAYING ing in the same boat as far as finalising
ODI skipper Mithali Raj, who won’t be their combinations are concerned.
playing the T20, said on Tuesday all the
six games will be used to figure out their
core players who will feature in the ICC SLEEPING GIANTS
event in March-April. On the eve of the game, Devine called In-
“It is a different format. The team will dia the “sleeping giants” of women’s crick- T20 skipper Harmanpreet
be looking forward to winning the game. et and said playing them will be an ideal Kaur, who ended her lean run
Having said that, this T20 will also give a preparation for the ICC showpiece. “It is
fair idea about the wickets, how the play- an interesting one (how to approach the se-
with the bat with a
ers are coping with an open ground,” Raj ries). It is about getting that balance right; successful Women’s Big Bash
said in a virtual media interaction refer- We play to win but I the results are important but building mo- League, will look to lead from
ring to the windy conditions. mentum into the World Cup is going to be
look forward to giving the front on Wednesday
extremely important.
some game time to the “We also know this is an opportunity to
LOOKING TO LEAD core players. It is impor-
test people out in different positions. Whether
T20 skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who end- the results go our way or not we want to play
ed her lean run with the bat with a suc- tant they find their rhythm the style we want to play. We want to be at-
cessful Women’s Big Bash League, will look tacking and play to our strengths.” The se-
to lead from the front on Wednesday. before the World Cup. ries will be played without spectators due to
Though workload management has MITHALI RAJ the COVID-19 threat. PTI

INDIA: Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, NEW ZEALAND: Sophie Devine (captain), Amy
SQUADS:

Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma,
Richa Ghosh, Sneh Rana, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna
Singh, Renuka Singh, Taniya Bhatia, Rajeshwari
Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Simran
Bahadur, Sabbhineni Meghana.
Satterthwaite(vc), Suzie Bates, Lauren Down, Maddy
Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas,
Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Frankie Mackay, Rosemary
Mair, Katey Martin, Hannah Rowe,
Lea Tahuhu.
Photo: GETTY IMAGES

SINDHU, MIRABAI TO GET TOP HONOUR
Sindhu, Mirabai among five nominees for BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year award
ATHLETIC BILBAO DEFEATS
ESPANYOL 2-1 TO MOVE
CLOSER TO EUROPEAN SPOTS
■ Besides Sindhu and Mirabai, star

T
wo-time Olympic medallist bad- had some great performances. I am happy that
minton star P.V. Sindhu and Tokyo golf is becoming more popular in India.”

silver winner weightlifter Saikhom
Mirabai Chanu were among the
five nominees for the BBC Indian
Sportswoman (ISWOTY) of the Year award
announced on Tuesday.
Besides Sindhu and Mirabai, star golfer
Aditi Ashok, multiple medal winner
at Tokyo Paralympics in shooting
Avani Lekhara, Tokyo bronze winner
boxer Lovlina Borgohain were the other
three nominees, shortlisted by a distin-
guished jury of sports journalists, experts
and sports writers.
Hard work pays off
“Success doesn’t come easy, it’s not just few
months of hard work, but years of hard
work. Every day is a process, that’s how you
come up to a certain level,” Sindhu, who won
a bronze at Tokyo Olympics to go with her
silver five years ago at Rio de Janeiro, said
in a release.
golfer Aditi Ashok, multiple medal win-
ner at Tokyo Paralympics in shooting
Avani Lekhara, Tokyo bronze winner
boxer Lovlina Borgohain were the other
three nominees, shortlisted by a distin-
guished jury of sports journalists,
experts and sports writers
■ Online voting for the award will
remain open until February 28 and the
winner will be revealed on March 28
at a ceremony
open until February 28 and the winner will be
revealed on March 28 at a ceremony here.
Good year
Aditi Ashok, who finished fourth place at the
Tokyo Olympics said: “I am grateful and thank-
A
thletic Bilbao moved
The awards ceremony will also honour a closer to the Euro-
legendary sportswoman with the BBC Life- pean qualification
time Achievement award, and a young female places in the Spanish league
player will be named as the BBC Emerging after beating Espanyol 2-1 on
Player of the Year. PTI Monday.
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu
Photo: AP
Oihan Sancet and Inigo
Martinez scored in the first
half to lead Athletic to the
home victory that left it one
point behind seventh-placed
Real Sociedad. Athletic was
four points behind fourth-
placed Barcelona in the fi-
nal Champions League spot.
It was the second con-
secutive league win for Ath-
letic, which last week elim-
inated Real Madrid in the
quarterfinals of the Copa del
Rey. It will host Valencia on
Thursday in the first leg of
the semifinals.
Espanyol, which took the
lead with a goal by Tonny
Vilhena in the third minute
at San Mames Stadium,
stayed 13th in the league
standings. It hasn’t won five
straight games in all com-

Online voting for the award will remain ful because this was a good year for me, and I petitions, including the last
PV Sindhu Oihan Sancet four in the league. AP
Photo: PTI Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Q6: What sport does Tom

a) 1992 b) 1980 a) Football b) 15.5 miles

Q U IZ T IM E ! c) 1903 d) 1966 Brady play? b) Cricket

c) Tennis
c) 18 miles
d) 17.9 miles

Q1: In what year was the

Premier League started?
Q4: What was Muhammed Ali’s d) Table Tennis

a) 1992 b) 1985
real name?
Q9: Who won the first men’s
FIFA World Cup?
c) 1900 d) 1970
a) Mike Tyson
b) Tyson Fury
Tom Brady Q7: Who won the men’s
single gold in tennis at
the 2012 Olympics?
a) France
b) Spain

Q2: Who scored the first ever

Premier League goal?
a) Cristiano Ronaldo
c) Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.
d) Holyfield
a) Rafael Nadal
b) Andy Murray
c) Uruguay
d) Czech Republic
b) Brian Deane c) Novak Djokovic
c) Pele
d) Neymar
Q5: How many rugby players
make the starting lineup
of a team in Rugby Union?
d) Andre Agassi ANSWERS: 1. a 1992 2. b Brian Deane

3. d 1966 4. c Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.

Q3: When did England win the

men’s FIFA World Cup?
a) 20 b) 15
c) 19 d) 16
Q8:
a) 26.2 miles
How far is a marathon
race?
5. b 15 6. a Football 7. b Andy Murray

8. a 26.2 9. c Uruguay

Photo: AP