This nobility in your heart must shine out in your actions, in your conduct, in your work. To be moody in and disgusted with the responsibilities, and to drag yourself through life, is a painful, unproductive existence.
—Swami Chinmayananda
International
Youngest spelling bee champ
5-year-old little Edith Fuller just made history by becoming the youngest contestant ever to qualify for a national spelling bee. The homeschooler from Tulsa, Oklahoma triumphed over 50 other kids – some of them reportedly three times her age – in the regional Scripps National Spelling Bee last Saturday. Now, Edith is on her way to Washington, D.C. for the nationals. The youngster won after correctly spelling “jnana”; an obscure Sanskrit word for knowledge. Edith’s mother apparently detected her daughter’s knack for spelling at a dinner table when she correctly spelled “restaurant”
Carbon emissions fall to 1894 low
Latest reports show that the levels of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere last year have fallen to the same amount as in 1894 – the year that the first petrol-powered car was patented, in the UK. Based on Carbon Brief analysis of the Department of Energy and the Business and Industrial Strategy, the report shows that the UK’s total emissions have fallen by 5.8% in 2016. This shows a record-breaking 52% drop in coal use. The CO2 emissions
dispelled amounted to 381 million tons. According to the report, there was a slight uptick in gas and oil related emissions, however this only totalled to 12.5%.
Teen cured of Sickle Cell disease
Sickle cell disease is a condition in which the body’s bone marrow creates defective blood cells in the shape of a sickle, rather than a sphere. These sickle-shaped cells then block blood flow throughout the body causing extreme pain to the patient. Sickle cell disease affects over 100,000 Americans, and many more worldwide. Doctors at the Necker Children’s Hospital in Paris achieved these results by first draining the 13-year-old’s bone marrow. They then “infected” the marrow with a virus containing genetic instructions to correctly manufacture healthy red blood cells, instead of the deformed ones that blocked blood flow. After the insertion of the edited bone marrow into the teenager 15 months ago, the youth was able to stop taking medication and has shown no symptoms of sickle cell disease since.
Equal pay for women in Iceland
Icelandic representatives announced at the International Women’s Day summit in New York earlier this week that they are poised to become the first country in the world to enforce equal pay for women at a national level. The law, which is set to be fully enforced by 2020, would require companies with more than 25 employees to become be certified as an equal pay employer every three years. The bill is expected to receive wide support from the Icelandic Parliament, which reportedly consists of equal number of men and women. According to a study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2016, Iceland is currently ranked number one for the best working environments for women, even though research shows that women still get 4 to 18% less than men.
National
Norwegian convicts turn Yoga devotees
A Norwegian group of former drug addicts and ex-convicts-turned yoga devotees set up base in Mumbai a month ago to construct a public
toilet for women near the Mumbai Central railway station. The group, called `Back in the Ring,’ is almost through with the construction of the toilet and plans to make it accessible to the common public by mid-April. The 15-member group is led by Alexander Medin, who took up this initiative as part of `karma yoga” after observing the deplorable state of civic amenities with regard to basic sanitation and hygiene,
especially for women. The group has carried out similar projects in Goa and Karnataka during their
previous India tours.
Girl with no hands achieves miracle feat
Watching 27-year-old Anjana Malik deftly draw a painting of Ganesha while wielding a pen with her toes, eyes screwed up in concentration, is a mesmerising sight. Till a few years ago, the daughter of a contractual labourer who was born with no hands and a deformed back and legs was forced to beg on the streets of Rishikesh. However, a chance encounter with Stephanie Joyce, an artist and yoga teacher from Virginia, US, altered the course of her life. A few months of perseverance and the girl could draw popular gods like Ganesha, and sketch birds like peacocks while wielding a pen with her toes. Her artwork fetches anywhere between Rs 2,500 to Rs 25,000 a piece enabling her to financially support her parents and a disabled brother. As to how her life changed after meeting Joyce, Mallik says that she is now able to live a life of dignity..Joyce,
meanwhile, says that the learning has been mutual. “Through Anjana”s smile and spirit, I have felt the true essence of India. In fact, I felt she was my teacher. She taught me about acceptance and faith.”
India doubles paid maternity leave
The Parliament of India has passed a bill extending paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks. The decision will benefit almost two million women in the organised working sector, will apply to all businesses that employ more than 10 workers. The policy change also makes India the third best country in the world for paid maternity leave, trailing only Canada with 50 weeks of paid leave and Norway with 44. However, the extended paid leave will only apply to the first two children. If a mother gives birth to a third, then the time off is cut back to 12 weeks. “This is my humble gift to women, a day after the world celebrated the International Women’s Day,” said Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya.
Cancer drug prices in India slashed by 86%
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), in a tweet, said there has been “a significant price reduction in cancer drug prices since March 2017”. These price reductions reportedly apply to Iressa of AstraZeneca Pharma India, Dr Reddy’s laboratories’ Grafeel, Natco, and Emcure pharmaceuticals, among many others. The price reductions range from 86% to 13% respectively, providing dozens of valuable medications to country residents for intensely more affordable costs.The NPPA also applied price reductions to a dozen various diabetes medications with cuts ranging from 42 to 13%. In addition to their efforts in making pharmaceuticals more affordable, the NPPA is currently investigating 24 different hospitals that have received patients’ complaints about being over-charged.
