Indian designer’s fashion shoot in Israel
An Indian designer Sahil Kochhar was in Israel recently to showcase a special collection for men and women inspired by the beautiful landscapes of Israel. It was in collaboration with the Israeli embassy in India to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Israel-India diplomatic relations. This project was part of a campaign titled ‘Yachad’—a Hebrew word meaning “together”. Israel’s Ambassador to India Naor Gilon says, “This is a first-of-its-kind project that showcases Indian designs inspired by our country’s beautiful landscapes, which we hope will open doors for future opportunities and collaborations between the people of Israel and India in various fields of culture, fashion and lifestyle.” Designer Sahil Kochhar told The Sunday Guardian that “This collection and campaign is inspired by the diverse landscapes of Israel, including the same artwork on the clothes.”
“Pretty girls don’t ignore frogs”
Everyone must have heard the tale of how a Princess kissed a “talking frog” at her urgent request and it was transformed into a handsome Prince Charming who told her that she was “possessed” by an evil force . As a nature lover, you may be saddened to know that frog species may be quietly slipping towards extinction. Who knows some of them may be “Prince” under the control of modern evil forces. Even in the monsoon, one is no longer able to see the frogs and hear their ‘pitching’ in the urban jungles. Only on the banks of rivers, in lakes and ponds you can see them and hear their crackling.
Appeal to amphibians
Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) recently celebrated ‘Amphibian Week’. The global conservation community used this week to raise awareness of the diversity of amphibians and their plight in this rapidly changing world. Amphibians are health indicator species of many environments, playing key roles in ecosystem functions. It is a terrifying thought that if conservation measures are not put in place and with business as usual, we could lose half of them in just a few decades. The situation is probably much worse. This is because 16.4% of species are not known well enough to even make an estimate, and are classified as “data deficient”. Many of these enigmatic species may be quietly slipping toward extinction. “If we act now,” WTI told The Sunday Guardian, “there is hope to halt and reverse this alarming decline.” WTI has initiated the “Amphibian Recovery Project” with the aim of conserving and reintroducing at least five threatened species of amphibians in the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot. They are Anaimalai Flying Frog, Brilliant Bush Frog, Meowing Night Frog, Deccan Night Frog and Kadalar Marsh Frog. “Currently,” WTI said, “we are identifying and mitigating threats to frog habitats, creating frog-friendly properties and organizing campaigns to engage communities. To achieve long-term and sustainable conservation action, we plan to we set up a ‘Conservation Centre’ in Munnar, a hill station in Kerala, to train wildlife science graduates in amphibian ecology, amphibian monitoring and implementation of conservation plans.If nature lovers wish to support our work , please donate, it will also give them tax benefits. Otherwise, you will stop hearing the croaking of frogs, even in the rainy season.”
The ‘money frog’ and wealth
In many Chinese restaurants, and in some homes as well, you may have seen a large decorative frog, made of metal or a jade like semi-precious stone, with a coin in its mouth inside the entrance, placed on a table in front of people who enter These are called “Frogs of Wealth” which play a prominent role in the ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui (a parallel to the Indian art of Vastu Kala). A “money frog” – with a coin in its mouth – symbolizes wealth and prosperity and, when used in your home or business, is believed to bring you money and good luck. Placing a rich frog in the wrong place can be disastrous according to belief.
Football to mark the 75th Anniversary of Independence
The Modi government has decided to organize a major inter-ministerial football tournament in October as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. Applications are invited by ministries to register their teams. Personnel from the defense services, paramilitary forces and police will not be allowed to participate as they have professional players. Surprisingly, PSUs and similar autonomous bodies have also been kept out of the tournament field.
Social media course for tribal school faculty
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs on Thursday gave a social media crash course to principals and faculty members of 378 Eklavya schools across the country. The schools have one lakh students from tribal communities. In a virtual workshop, teachers at these schools were taught how to use Twitter, among other social media platforms, to “connect with the world” about topics and issues that are important to them. They were encouraged to use social media platforms like Facebook to have better social reach as well as global content.
