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The COVID Experience in Qatar

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20/10/2020 Sudeshna Sanyal * Earlier this year as the spread of coronavirus started to gather momentum in different parts of the world, we, the residents of Qatar, braced for its impact as well. Although the first cases outside China were reported from different countries in January, the first confirmed case of COVID in Qatar was reported on 29 February,’20. This was a Qatari citizen who was evacuated from Iran. By 19 March, the number of total infected people rose to 460. Everybody knew that the spread of the infection in Qatar was inevitable in our intricately connected world. One by one, the government started taking strict steps to contain the spread of the virus. Travel ban was imposed, first, on 15 countries and later more were included in the list. A general ‘Lockdown’ was imposed in the first week of March and schools, universities, parks, religious places, shops, restaurants, malls and other establishments were closed. Face masks became mandatory in public places with a ...
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The Lost Inhabitants of Joka Birding Area

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Broti Majumdar Chatterjee The grassland behind the Indian Institute of Management Kolkata, in Joka, was once a part of a Wetland Ecosystem, overing a huge area, which was once a home to many species of local birds, housed many rare migratory visitors in winter, as well as many mammal species. Staying in Joka outskirts, very near to this grassland zone, I used to visit with my father and his photographer friends to witness the vibrant greenery and various bird species during winter since my school days. The outskirts of the wetland had a sparse population mostly of fishermen. The local people eagerly greeted the arrival of the winged winter visitors. My interest about photographing birds and watching them with shared binoculars grew as years passed by. Every year Gangaram, the local fisherman greeted us with a bright smile and informed us about the arrival of Bluethroat, Rubythroat, Siberian Stonechat or some other rare species. Let me share the story of JOKA BIRDING AREA, a Paradise Lo...
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The Transgenders and Tusu: Exploring the Forbidden Culture through my Lens

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 Brati Majumdar (Chatterjee) Third gender individuals are often ridiculed in the society, and excluded as outcasts in the Indian Chauvinist society. We often see them as a problem while travelling in trains and buses and try our best to ignore them.  In January 2025, on a cold Makar Sankranti Day, I travelled to a remote village in the Odisha-Midnapur border area, to shoot Tusu celebrations. I was invited by renowned social worker Dr. H. Mahato, as he wanted me to experience something extraordinary. We were guided to the field adjacent to the temple, which was decorated with flowers, colorful flags, a typical village fair was going on. The smell of jalebis,  fried nuts, potato fritters, singara, and above all Mahua (a typical tribal drink of festivals), filled the air along with families gathering with children.  In a corner, crowd has gathered, as cheer and whistle filled the air, where "MOROG LORAI", is going on, with cruel laughter fillin...
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Exploring Sundarbans: A Journey Through Gosaba, Pakhiralaya and Sajnekhali Eco Tourism Complex

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Sneha Das I still vividly remember how driven up I was in packing the bag for the trip. It wasn't just about going to see a new place for the first time that intrigued me, but it was traveling alone without my parents for the first time. I was having both independence and uncertainty, something I’d never experienced before. It was a trip to the magnificent Sundarbans. It is known as the world’s largest mangrove forest with an area of almost 10,000 sq. km and is marked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area comprises about 55% of forested land and 45% wetlands as tidal rivers, channels and estuarine mouths of rivers. On the 5th of December,2022 we set off for Gadkhali by bus. Our bus departed the depot at 7:30a.m. with four teachers and 42 students of humanities department to study the environment and society of Godakhali. The bus ride took so long, but there was laughter, chatter, and music. I was sitting next to my friends, and in this setting, I realized just how much I had be...
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Evolution of Life: A Review on Lord Vishnu's Dashavatar and Darwin's Theory

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    Riddhima Saha Prelude: For centuries humankind has been fascinated by the idea of evolution, be it through science, or through religion. This review focuses on a comparison between Charles Darwin’s ‘theory of evolution’ and the Dashavatar, the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu in Hindu mythology. The primary purpose of this paper is not merely to depict ideas but to offer a fresh and innovative approach by integrating historical, philosophical, and scientific dimensions to reveal deeper connections and unique insights. This kind of synthesis is rare as it focuses on explaining how the major evolutionary stages stated by the British scientist correspond with those of the Lord Vishnu’s ten manifestations. The previous writers tell us how these two different perspectives find purpose in life’s complexities regardless of the reliability of facts. Here comes the differentiating factor of this review as it emphasizes on the comparative analysis by providing new interpretations. Br...
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Oberammergau : Where a vow started with a Pandemic and ironically postponed with a Pandemic

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20/10/2020 Manisha Deb Sarkar * Oberammergau Our Route for Oberammergau from Herrsching in Germany It was a comfortable cool morning in June, 2017 when I set out for Oberammergau from Herrsching in Germany . While driving along the silk smooth road that skirts through the eye soothing greeneries a sudden feeling of happiness filled my mind – that it is not a dream but a reality and I am travelling in the Bavaria state of Germany, a place so renowned for its picturesque natural beauty . On the way Reached My destination Oberammergau is a small town located in the foothills of the Alps cladded with dark green shaded coniferous trees. Mount Köefel is the signature of the town . It is some 61 km and about an hour long journey from Herrsching where I started my drive. Mount Köefel Mount Köefel I had little idea about the village. Before sharing Oberammergau in relation with the pandemic situation I prefer to give you some idea of its basic features. Oberammergau is a municipality in...
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Groundwater Depletion in India -Now it’s Time to be Conscious

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09/09/2016 Juthika Dey* Ground water is the water that seeps through rocks and soil and is stored below the ground. The rocks in which ground water is stored are called aquifers. Aquifers are typically made up of gravel, sand, sandstone or limestone. Water moves through these rocks because they have large connected spaces that make them permeable. The area where water fills the aquifer is called the saturated zone. The depth from the surface at which ground water is found is called the water table. The water table can be as shallow as a foot below the ground or it can be a few hundred meters deep. Heavy rains can cause the water table to rise and conversely, continuous extraction of ground water can cause the level to fall. Source: Overview of Groundwater in India, Rupal Suhag , February,2016 Figure 1: Graphical Representation of Ground Water and Associated Terms The underground (hydro -geological) setting of ground water defines the potential of this resource and its vuln...
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Bryce Canyon: A visit of a lifetime!

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  Atrayee Roy One of the natural wonders of the United States of America is the Bryce Canyon. Amid wilderness in the state of Utah stands tall with the spectacular geological feature called the Bryce Canyon, also known as “hoodoos”. I am so fortunate to have visited this canyon on 20.8.24. It is about a 4–5-hour drive from Idaho, the home of Prabir and Chitta (my brother and sister-in-law). Prabir has taken us to his amazing land twice, and Chitta made sure that there was plenty of fruit and snacks to last us for those few days! This gave us the liberty to move around and not be restricted to being close to the food joints. As we approached the 18-mile road that runs north-south through the park, the stunning geology of Southern Utah, the red rock wonderland formation by wind, water and snow gave the striking patterns and clusters of hoodoos, We reached there in the latter half of the day. We checked into a motel, kept our luggage, and quickly got ready to go to see the re...
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Unveiling Treasures of North Bengal

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Akkhaika Sur North Bengal, a testament to nature’s grandeur and diversity is few kilometres away from the hustle and bustle of Kolkata. North Bengal is the home of such unique and hold magnificence of topography in the lap of nature, where we can observe majestic Himalayas, lush tea gardens and dense forests which conserve biodiversity. North Bengal is such a calm and serene region where we can find numerous rivers like Teesta, Murti etc. In 2023, I travelled to North Bengal to experience the beauty and the serenity of nature. I visited Aholdhara, a little-known village of West Bengal, at a distance of 50 kms from New Jalpaiguri Station- popularly called NJP which happens to be the gateway of North Bengal. Luckily, I was able to witness the majestic snow-clad Kanchenjunga, which truly glittered like gold as the sun with its rise brightened the dawn. And from locals we came to know that we can also observe Kanchenjunga from Ahaldhara viewpoint specially in early morning. There were many...
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