What is “Abide with Me” Hymn?

 Abide with Me is a Christian hymn. It was created by Henry Francis Lyte. It is a prayer where the speaker asks the god to stay with him throughout his life and also after death.

About the hymn

Lyte wrote the hymn because he was dying of tuberculosis. It is sung to the tune Eventide. Lyte wrote the hymn in 1820. He visited a dying friend. His friend continuously said these words, “Abide with me”. This created a deep impact in his heart. And the impact came out as the hymn. While writing the hymn, Lyte himself was dying. He kept the hymn to himself. The hymn was first sung at his funeral.

How is it connected with 2022 Republic Day celebrations?

The “Abide with me” hymn is usually sung during the Republic Day parade. It is the last song to be sung before the troops finish their parade. It is sung just before Saare Jahan se achha. The Government of India has decided to drop out this hymn. The hymn is being replaced by “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon” by Kavi Pradeep. It was sung by Lata Mangeshkar and was composed by C Ramachandra in 1963. It was created in the wake of Sino – Indian war.

Why was it dropped out?

The Modi government wanted to replace the hymn in 2020. But, the hymn was played due to increasing criticisms. The Modi Government wants to drop out the hymn because it creates a sobre moment.

Abide with me Hymn in England

The hymn was played during the wedding ceremony of Queen Elizabeth. Also, it was played by the musicians when Titanic was sinking. During first world war, the British nurse Edith Cavell sang the hymn to the wounded soldiers. She was shot by the German squads for helping the British soldiers to escape from Belgium. Apart from England, the hymn is sung during official ceremonies of Australia and New Zealand.

Abide with me Hymn in India

It is one of the favourite hymn of Mahatma Gandhi. It was sung in Sabarmati Ashram. It was the only cross religion hymn to be sung in the Ashram.

Other significant hymns included

The Channa Billauri tone has been included. It is a folk piece. It was sung by Beena Tiwari. It is about a girl asking her father not to marry her in a village Channa Billauri. Also, the Kumaoni tune of Uttarakhand has been included.

What is Beating Retreat?

It is being followed in England since 17^th century. During the ceremony, the patrolling units are recalled to the castle.

Can your ancestors’ smoking habits have harmful effects on your health?

 

‘Children of the 90s’, a study which was carried out at the University of Bristol, that the ill-effects of smoking are not limited to an individual’s personal health, but can show up in their offspring as well.

Over the years, countless studies have documented the harmful effects that smoking can have on one’s health. But new research suggests that the threats posed by smoking can have consequences which are more far-reaching and long-term than one could have ever imagined, with the health hazards likely to be passed on to the next few generations.

In other words, people’s smoking habits can have harmful effects not just on themselves, but also on their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

These are the findings of a study called ‘Children of the 90s’, which was carried out at the University of Bristol in the UK. The results of the recent study were published in the journal Scientific Reports last week.

The ‘Children of the 90s’ project

As a part of the project, researchers have over a period of about 30 years collected 1.5 million samples, including participants’ blood, urine, placenta, teeth, hair and nails. The aim was to assess the environment and genetic factors that affect an individual’s health and development.

About 2,200 papers have been published using data collected due to the project. Some insights have been fascinating, such as the finding that the lines on a baby’s teeth can help determine their risk of developing depression, or how watching TV is linked to an increased risk of asthma.

Some of the findings are intriguing to say the least—for instance, the study states, what you eat as a three-year-old can affect school performance many years later, and anxious pregnant women are more likely to have asthmatic children among a variety of other linkages.

Even so, not everything is connected in a cause-and-effect manner all the time. For instance, a 2013 study of 4,000 pairs of mothers and children showed that maternal Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy was not associated with the child’s bone health.

The crux of the recent study

The results of this recent study show that the ill-effects of smoking are not limited to an individual’s personal health, but can show up in their offspring as well. Only grandfathers and great-grandfathers were involved since very few grandmothers and great-grandmothers claimed to smoke before puberty.

A crucial finding of this study is that those women, whose paternal grandfathers and great-grandfathers began smoking before puberty, reported the presence of increased body fat.

Specifically, higher body fat was noticed in women whose grandfathers and great-grandfathers had started smoking before the age of 13 years compared to those whose ancestors started smoking later (between 13-16 years of age).

What’s baffling about these observations is that the increased body fat was found only in granddaughters and great-granddaughters. No effects were seen in the grandsons or great-grandsons.

Explaining the findings

A possible explanation is that the pre-puberty smokers had some other features, such as hereditary predisposition to obesity, that might explain why their offspring had excess amounts of body fat. But this does not offer a complete picture as the authors have themselves noted that those who smoke regularly tend to have a lower risk of obesity.

Only further research and investigation into the transgenerational effects of ancestral exposure can throw more light.

For now, there are many unanswered questions, including the linkages between effects of the habits of a person’s paternal side of the ancestors. Another question is why a similar outcome was not seen in the male offspring.

If these observations hold up in other cohorts of participants, perhaps the ubiquitous advisory “Smoking is injurious to health” will be inadequate—a possible addendum that can follow is: “Smoking is also injurious to your offspring’s health”.

Findings of other smoking-related studies under the project

A study from 2013 showed that children as young as seven years old had elevated levels of cotinine—which is a by-product of nicotine—in their blood if their mother smoked. This was seen particularly in those children whose mothers smoked 10 cigarettes a day.

One study from 2014 shows that men who started smoking before the age of 11 had sons who on an average had about 5-10 kg more body fat than their peers.

A 2017 study showed that if a woman’s maternal grandmother smoked during pregnancy, she was 67 per cent more likely to display certain traits linked to autism, such as poor social communication skills and repetitive behaviours.

A study from May 2021 had a more obvious result associating smoking during pregnancy to a child’s risk of developing congenital heart disease.

Source: Indian Express, 24/01/22

Quote of the Day January 24, 2022

 

“Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.”
John F. Kennedy

“अपने दुश्मनों को माफ कर दें, लेकिन उनके नाम कभी न भूलें।”
जॉन एफ कैने

APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR RELIANCE FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS: NURTURING 100 OF INDIA’S BRIGHTEST STUDENTS TO CREATE TECH FOR SOCIAL GOOD

 Mumbai : Reliance Foundation Scholarships, a pioneering initiative to nurture India’s potential technology leaders of tomorrow, is now open for applications. Reliance Foundation will identify and support 100 of India’s brightest undergraduate and postgraduate students with a generous grant award and a strong development programme that will nurture their skills to innovate for social good. The Reliance Foundation Scholars will be poised to lead and be at the forefront of India’s technological growth.

First-year undergraduate and postgraduate students from institutes across India pursuing degree programmes in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Sciences, Mathematics and Computing, and Electrical and/or Electronics Engineering are eligible to apply. Reliance Foundation will also nurture and support these bright scholars with an exceptional holistic development programme, including expert interactions, industry exposure and volunteering opportunities creating a cohort of excellence, every year. There is no entry fee to apply.

Through the Reliance Foundation Scholarships, up to 60 undergraduate students will receive a grant of up to Rs. 4 Lakh each, while up to 40 postgraduate students will be awarded up to Rs. 6 Lakh each for the duration of their degree. This makes it one of the largest scholarship programmes in award value, by a corporate foundation aimed at supporting students towards technology for social good. Students will, in addition, gain valuable opportunities to interact with leading global experts, apply for mentoring, internships, volunteering, a strong alumni network and more.

In 2021, 76 first year undergraduate and postgraduate students were awarded the first Reliance Foundation Scholarships in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computer Sciences. The Reliance Foundation Scholars are enrolled full-time in selected eligible degrees across 21 of the country’s top science and engineering institutes, representing 14 states across India. This first cohort of scholars has already participated in several professionally enhancing sessions with industry experts.

Reliance Foundation Scholarships will identify and select the brightest students in India through a rigorous and competitive selection process, which includes an online application and interviews with a panel of leading Indian and international experts. The scholarships will be awarded on the basis of merit and applicants from across all socio-economic backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

The scholarships are part of Reliance Foundation’s ongoing focus to develop and improve access to world class education from early childhood to higher studies. The Reliance Foundation Schools provide quality education to 14,000 students a year, while the Dhirubhai Ambani Scholarships have provided over 12,500 scholarships since 1996, on a merit-cum-means basis for students to pursue higher education. The Jio Institute is poised to be a world-class multi-disciplinary higher education and research institution. Education is at the core of Reliance Foundation’s work, with the belief that developing and empowering young leaders of tomorrow with skills, knowledge and opportunities will build a stronger India.

More about Reliance Foundation Scholarships here:

https://www.scholarships.reliancefoundation.org/

Source:indiaeducationdiary.in, 20/01/22

Current Affairs- January 24, 2022

 

INDIA

– Govt. announces winners of Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar; Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM) won in Institutional category & Vinod Sharma, Vice Chairman of Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, won in Individual category

– Former PM of Japan Shinzo Abe honoured with Netaji Award 2022 by Netaji Research Bureau

– PM unveils Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate in New Delhi on his 125th birth anniversary

– Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Culture Ministry to organize Rangoli Utsav ‘Umang’ on National Girl Child Day on Jan 24

– Covid: Omicron in community transmission stage in India, says INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics)

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

– Vinodanand Jha appointed new Chairperson to PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) Adjudicating Authority

– India emerges as largest exporters of cucumber and gherkins in the world

WORLD

– German Navy Chief Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schoenbach resigns after making comments on Ukraine, Russia

– Peru declares ‘environmental emergency’ on coastal area hit by oil spill

– New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern cancels her wedding due to Omicron surge

BADMINTON

– Syed Modi International Badminton tournament held in Lucknow

– India’s P.V. Sindhu won Women’s Singles title

– Men’s Singles final not held after one finalist tested Covid positive

– India’s Ishan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto clinched Mixed Doubles title

– Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun of Malaysia won the Men’s Doubles title

– Malaysian pair Anna Ching Yik Cheong and Teoh Mei Xing won the Women’s Doubles title

SPORTS

– Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan named ICC men’s T20 Player of the Year

– Football: Covid-hit India withdraws from match against Chinese Taipei in AFC Women’s Asian Cup

Current Affairs- January 23, 2022

 

INDIA

– Home Minister Amit Shah virtually releases country’s 1st District Good Governance Index in Jammu

– Experts from India and US discuss challenges, opportunities to combat climate change through technology-led Carbon Capture and Utilisation solutions (CCUS)

– Six people can register on one number on CoWIN portal for COVID-19 vaccination

– Haryana and Himachal Pradesh governments plan to revive Saraswati River

– PM Modi asks districts to set time-bound targets for govt. programmes to increase ease of living

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

– Govt. to promote Drone use in Agriculture for precision farming in country

WORLD

– Canada: University of British Columbia researchers unveil world’s first molecular-level analysis of Omicron

– Thich Nhat Hanh, influential Zen Buddhist monk, dies at 95 in Vietnam

– IMF, ECB leaders voice concern over global economic outlook at WEF “Davos Agenda 2022” virtual event

– World Economic Forum’s annual meeting rescheduled to May 22-26 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland; theme: ‘Working Together, Restoring Trust’

– Energy major Shell sheds ‘Royal Dutch’ from name amid major overhaul plans

SPORTS

– Former India footballer and coach Subhas Bhowmick dies in Kolkata at 72; won bronze medal in 1970 Asian Games

Economic and Political Weekly: Table of Contents

 

Vol. 57, Issue No. 4, 22 Jan, 2022

Editorials

Are We Reforesting Adequately?

Comment

Platform Capitalism and Edtech

​Gurumurthy Kasinathan

From the Editor's Desk

Political Historiography of Dalit Freedom

From 50 Years Ago

From 50 Years Ago: Malaysia: Planning in a ‘Volunteer Colony’

Law and Society

Appointing High Court Judges—I

Alok Prasanna Kumar

Commentary

Mainstreaming Urban Resilience in India

K Lenin Babu, Moho Chaturvedi

The Women in CBOs - A Resource-based Approach for COVID-19 Management in Kerala

Parvathy V K, Jyothi Kumar

COVID-19 and Fiscal–Monetary Policy Coordination - Empirical Evidence from India

Lekha Chakraborty, Harikrishnan S

Queerphobia over Social Media in India - Key Issues and a Proposed Framework

Snehil Kunwar Singh

Interstate Border Disputes in North East India - The Case of Assam and Mizoram

Jayanta Krishna Sarmah, Parimita Bhuyan

Book Reviews

Competing Sovereignties, Muslim Masculinities, and the Shaping of National Imaginaries in Pakistan

Ambreen Agha

Strategic Approaches to the Right to Housing - From Legal Rights to a Moral Claim

Avinash Kumar

Perspectives

Discourses around Stigma and Denial in the COVID-19 Pandemic - A Case Study from Tamil Nadu

S Krithi, Kalpana Karunakaran, J Jeyalydia, R Parthesarathy, T Sundararaman

Special Articles

Migration, Skilling, and Employment in Bengaluru’s New Service Economy

Carol Upadhya, Supriya Roy Chowdhury

Income and Livelihood Promotion through Individual Assets under MGNREGA

Ashok Pankaj, Mondira Bhattacharya

Export Performance and India’s Tryst with Self-reliance in the Globalised World

Aradhna Aggarwal

Notes

Aligarh Self Reliance Alliance - A Road Map to the Empowerment of Muslim Women

Samreen Ahmad

Current Statistics

Current Statistics

Postscript

Kalahandi’s Poverty and Dana Majhi

Deepak Kumar Nanda

Philosophy and Economics of Gift-giving

Suyash Saxena

​Joy is not made to be a Crumb

Kavya Srinivasan

Last Lines

Letters

Undermining Women—The Bulli Bai App

Tripti Bhushan-Rajat Shandilya

Sustaining Development

Rangeet Mitra