When protecting a species means preserving a complex ecosystem
As the top predator, tigers play a crucial role in controlling herbivore populations, thereby maintaining the balance of flora and fauna in the forest. Ecologists have long emphasised that tiger reserves not only protect the big cats but also maintain ecosystem equilibrium, balance other animal populations, and help preserve forests and their water sources.
In Goa, the proposed tiger reserve area serves as the catchment basin for the Mandovi, Zuari, Talpona, and Galgibaga rivers, in addition to several streams.
'It is essential to take every possible measure for the conservation of the tiger, the most majestic animal of the Indian wilderness. As the apex predator in the food chain, the extinction of the tiger will inevitably impact all other components of the ecosystem. The forest provides shelter to the tiger, and in return, the tiger protects the forest — in essence, it safeguards the biodiversity within it,' said naturalist Ramesh Zarmekar.
A tiger spotted in Tillari valley forest in Maharashtra's Dodamarg corridor which opens into the Mhadei sanctuary forests in Goa
The proposed tiger reserve area in Goa comprises semi-evergreen dense forests with steep slopes. The region is a mosaic of woodlands and grasslands and is already known to be a habitat for leopards, Indian Gaur or bison, sloth bears, barking deer, chital, wild dogs, king cobras, and other mammals and reptiles, besides tigers.
'If all coordinates living with the tiger are protected, only then will the ecology be protected.
Once you make a tiger reserve, central govt gives more funds for its protection and this will help in protection of the entire 757sq km all Goa's protected areas,' said former range forest officer Prakash Salelkar.
According to the Karapurkar Committee appointed by Goa govt, all the proposed tiger reserve areas are among the richest reservoirs of biodiversity in the world. The forest areas are part of regions identified as the second best in India and the eighth best in the world as the finest tiger habitats.
More recently, the role of tiger landscapes to mitigate climate change has also been identified. 'They store more carbon than any other forest type,' said a forest official.
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India Today
5 minutes ago
- India Today
From blazers to pencil boxes: Why uniforms and stationery cost a bomb
Parents across Delhi-NCR are struggling with steep hikes in prices of mandatory school uniforms and stationery, despite official directives to curb counted the bills on the kitchen table like a person counting breaths. rs 18,500 for "school essentials" one child, junior KG to Class I: two uniforms, a blazer, four "workbooks", a "stationery kit" with 5 sharpeners, two pairs of scissors, and a branded bag that the school said was non-negotiable. She works double shifts. "If I complain," she whispered, "my son will be the only one without a blazer on the first day." Her name is Rina (name changed). She is not an Indian cities and small towns, parents who save every rupee for tuition and tuition find another ritual every summer: a compulsory drain called school have long accepted high tuition and coaching fees as part of modern schooling. But a quieter, equally corrosive expense the school-mandated purchase of uniforms, books and bloated stationery kits has become normalized, little-reported, and, activists say, profitable for some schools and enforcement orders, parent complaints and on-the-ground reporting show this is now a policy problem, consumer problem and social problem rolled into one. THE SCHEME: SIMPLE, SYSTEMIC, AND SEALED BY FEAR The model is straightforward. Schools publish an "approved vendor" list and a year-end or pre-admission note with an itemised list. Many insist uniforms, school diaries, logoed notebooks and certain "workbooks" be bought from the designated shop often run by relatives of the school management or by vendors who provide the school with "gifts" or who resist, some say, are told their child will face embarrassment, that "non-standard" material won't be accepted, or that marks for neatness and discipline could be affected."I couldn't risk my daughter being the only one with a plain bag," says Arjun, a software engineer. "So I paid. I don't even know what 40 stapler are for in a class of 40 kids." These are not isolated anecdotes district education officers across states have started issuing notices after parent Ahmedabad and Jaipur recently, authorities issued notices to schools for selling books and stationery on their premises or coercing DOESN'T ADD UP, ESPECIALLY FOR EARLY GRADESAsk any parent why a first-grader needs four kinds of printed workbooks, half a dozen branded notebooks, and a "stationery kit" with an improbably large number of items, and you get the same answers: "curriculum supplements," "activity books," or "grade-specific practice sheets." But education experts say this is pedagogy thinly veiled as retail."How many scissors does one child need in Class II?" asks an education researcher. "And how many workbook pages will a teacher realistically use through the year?" The answer, for many families, is that a lot of supplied materials are redundant, one-use, or easily substitutable at a fraction of the price if parents are allowed to buy elsewhere. Market competition should keep prices reasonable; when schools close the market, they remove that MONEY TRAIL: WHO GAINS, WHO LOSESadvertisementThere are two clear winners: the designated vendor and indirectly the school management that benefits from steady commissions or "annual contributions." The losers are parents, many of whom say they pay the lump sum up front, before term starts, creating a cash-flow and parent groups say the practice sustains a shadow economy of school-linked retail, and even when the amounts per child appear small, they compound across thousands of data also shows the school-uniform and school-supplies market is large and growing a market that smart vendors can monetise. Global market reports indicate the school uniform sector is a multi-billion dollar industry; domestically, the steady demand for branded kits makes this a lucrative niche for suppliers. That scale is one reason district education bodies have begun to father of twins in Jaipur: "We were charged separately for two 'kit packing fees' - labelled as 'service charges' - on two identical kits."advertisementWHAT THE AUTHORITIES SAY - AND WHAT THEY ACTUALLY DOThe pushback is now visible on paper. Education departments and boards, including directives in Delhi and advisories from boards like CBSE, have warned schools not to coerce purchases and to allow parents the freedom to buy prescribed texts and materials from any state departments have issued fines or notices when violations surfaced. But experts say enforcement is patchy: guidelines exist, but oversight and penalties are inconsistent, and informal pressure on parents a single mother in Pune: "I took a loan for tuition. The uniform list wiped out my savings. I bought a cheaper bag - my son was bullied for not having the logo."A CBSE spokesperson told reporters in an earlier case: "We make books available in school; however, parents are free to purchase these from any other source." Yet parents report that in practice, buying outside the recommended outlets invites THAT WON'T BE HARD TO IMPLEMENTThere are simple policy fixes that education departments can roll out immediately: require schools to list multiple approved vendors with transparent pricing; mandate that booklists (with publishers and MRPs) be displayed publicly at least a month before admissions; ban the sale of stationery on campus; and set up a helpline to register complaints with guaranteed action. A stronger move is to require schools to accept proof of purchase from any source and bar any penalty for off-site purchases enforceable with spot audits and recent moves to ban mandating specific vendors and to force transparency are a start. But only consistent enforcement and civil-society pressure will convert guidelines into relief for parents.A SMALL ACT OF JUSTICEWhen schooling becomes an industry, the rituals around it uniforms, kits, printed workbooks can become instruments of profit rather than pedagogy. For parents who work nights, take extra shifts and skip small luxuries so a child can attend a better school, the "back-to-school" bill is not a seasonal expense; it is a cut into life. Changing that requires not only rules but the courage of parents to demand transparency, and the will of authorities to enforce it."If schools can demand our money, we should be able to demand receipts and choices in return," Rina says, folding the last bill into her wallet. "My child deserves an education, not an invoice."- Ends
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Frozen bodies holding guns: How 120 bahadur beat back 5,000 Chinese soldiers
"When the Chinese attacked in an overwhelming number and death was written all over, these gallant Ahirs stood their ground to the last man, last round, although they had an opportunity to move back and roll down the reverse slopes of the ridge and save their lives. Nay, they did not do so," recalled Lieutenent General DD Saklani (retired). Lt Gen Saklani was the last Army officer to speak to Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, who was commanding the Indian forces in the Battle of Rezang La during the India-China War of 1962. In one of the greatest last stands in military history, 120 Indian soldiers fought a 5,000-strong invading force of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).advertisementFor his ultimate sacrifice in the Battle of Rezang La, Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, who led the gallants at a height of 5,000 metres in sub-zero temperature, was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest wartime gallantry India's modern military history, only a few battles rival the raw courage shown by Indian soldiers at Rezang La, a mountain pass in eastern Ladakh. In the battle in November 1962, just 120 soldiers of Charlie Company of the 13 Kumaon Regiment of the Indian Army stood in temperatures of up to -40 degrees Celsius, blocking the path of an invading 5,000 force of the PLA. "When Rezang La was later revisited, dead jawans were found in the trenches still holding on to their weapons. Every single man of this company was found dead in his trench with several bullets or splinter wounds. The 2-inch mortar man died with a bomb still in his hand. The medical orderly had a syringe and bandage in his hands when the Chinese bullet hit him," Major General Ian Cardozo (retired) later by Major Bhati, the Indian jawans, mostly from the Ahir community of Haryana, held the strategic pass with nothing but their rifles, grenades, and raw the end of the battle, 110 of them were martyred, most of them found in their trenches, bodies frozen, still holding their weapons, having fought to the last bullet. With their valour, the 120 bahadur (bravehearts) halted the Chinese advance and prevented the takeover of the Chushul airfield and a deeper Chinese occupation of such tales of bravery and service to the nation need no occasion to be narrated, Farhan Akhtar's new film 120 Bahadur gives yet another reason to remember the heroism at Rezang La. The teaser shows Major Bhati and his 120 brave soldiers facing thousands of Chinese troops in the freezing heights of the hand-to-hand combat to the pain of families left behind, the teaser for the film dropped this week, brings alive the immortal story of the sacrifice in the cold desert at 5,000 metres. Farhan Akhtar plays Major Bhati in the film 120 Bahadur, which is set to be released on November we delve into the story of the Battle of Rezang La, it's important to first take a look at the backdrop and circumstances of how and why India and China were drawn into the bloody war in CHINA CAME TO INDIA'S DOORSTEP IN 1962advertisementAfter Independence, India did not share a contiguous border with China until Mao Zedong's Communist Republic annexed Tibet in 1950. For centuries, Tibet served as a buffer, but the occupation brought Chinese troops directly to India's 1954, India and China signed the Panchsheel Agreement. They vowed peaceful coexistence. Yet, by 1956, China had begun constructing the Aksai Chin Road, connecting Xinjiang to Tibet through Aksai Chin, which was, and still is, an integral part of objection to the road was met with Chinese aggression. By the late 1950s, Chinese maps began to show Aksai Chin and large swathes of the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA, now Arunachal Pradesh) as Chinese response, India adopted a Forward Policy in 1960. It established posts in the frontier areas that Beijing claimed as its own. New Delhi hoped to assert sovereignty without provoking a war. But China perceived this as peaked in October 1962, when China launched simultaneous attacks on NEFA and Ladakh, which culminated in the India-China and poorly equipped, Indian troops were caught off guard. By the end of October, Chinese forces had overrun several Indian positions in Ladakh, setting the stage for the battle at Rezang La in the southeastern part of the REZANG LA SECTOR BECAME THE FACE OF INDIAN RESISTANCEThe mountain pass of Rezang La, at a height of over 16,500 feet (approximately 5,000 metres), is part of the larger Kailash Range overlooking the strategic Chushul Valley. It became a crucial sector in Ladakh that included an airstrip that was vital for logistics and reinforcements for the Indian early November 1962, as China paused operations in its western sector, Indian forces reorganised defences around Chushul. The Indian Army's 13 Kumaon Regiment, comprising mostly jawans from the Ahir community from Haryana's Rewari and adjoining areas, was deployed at Magar Hill and Rezang La as part of the 114 Infantry Brigade under Brigadier TN Charlie Company (C-Company) under Major Shaitan Singh Bhati was tasked with defending Rezang La with just 120 men, without any armoured support, artillery backup, or adequate winter clothing. But what they lacked in equipment, they made up in courage, camaraderie, and absolute trust in their commanding officer, Major in the Himalayan freezing cold, the battle cry of Dada Kishan ki Jai resonated, as the 120 bahadur resolved to fight to the last bullet, to the last ASSAULTS ON REZANG LA STARTED AT DAWNAt 0400 hours on 18 November 1962, Indian soldiers detected a Chinese troop movement just below Rezang La."In a few minutes, the enemy's intentions were clear. All the Chinese soldiers were seen carrying 7.62 mm self-loading rifles as they made their way straight to the company's position. Once the enemy was around 50 yards away, Naik Hukum Chand ordered, 'Fire'," wrote Coast Guard officer-turned-author Kulpreet Yadav in his 2021 book 'The Battle of Rezang La'.By 0500 hours, the first wave of Chinese infantry attacked. But it was met with fierce resistance. Indian soldiers repulsed the initial wave and inflicted heavy casualties on the began a relentless artillery and mortar barrage from the Chinese side. What followed was a fresh wave of attacks from multiple directions: the South, West, and being heavily outnumbered, the Indian troops repelled wave after wave of attacks with rifles, grenades, machine guns, and sheer Shaitan Singh Bhati moved fearlessly across positions, re-siting light machine guns (LMGs), encouraging troops, and even attempting a platoon counterattack. He was grievously wounded twice but refused evacuation, ordering his men to leave him behind to continue the COMBAT BY INDIAN SOLDIERS AT REZANG LABy afternoon, two of the three Indian platoons were overrun, but the defenders held their ground until nightfall. A platoon typically consists of 30 to 40 radio communications severed and no reinforcements possible, the men fought to the last bullet. Some engaged in hand-to-hand combat, refusing to surrender."Tragically, Naik Singh Ram's gun fell silent as it ran out of rounds. Realising this, the last of the few Chinese soldiers slowly began approaching his hidden position. As soon as they were a few feet from Singh Ram, he leapt out and started to fight with them in hand-to-hand combat," wrote Kulpreet Yadav in his 2021 book."It was a sight to watch as the six-feet-two-inches-tall Indian jawan lifted the handful of Chinese soldiers and fought with them in the rocky terrain, visible at one moment and invisible at the next. Ram Swaroop and Gulab Singh's section gave him cover and brought down the enemies who were trying to fire at him, keeping him out of his reach. Within minutes, it was all quiet," Yadav the silence would be shattered by the war cry of the remaining Indian soldiers who had positioned themselves in different areas."Dada Kishan ki Jai," the battle cry of the Ahir soldiers of the 13 Kumaon Regiment, rang out the next morning from Section One, where Naib Subedar Surja Ram and the others from Platoon 7 were holding their positions."Surja sahab. Humko peechhe nahi hatna hai (We should not step back)," Major Bhati told Naib Subedar Surja Ram."Sir, main aapko vachan deta hun, Platoon 7 ka ek bhi aadmi, ek kadam bhi peechhe nahi rakhega. Hamare pass ammunition kam hai, lekin uske khatam hone ke baad bhi hum bayonet ki ladai ladenge, par peechhe nahi hatenge (Sir, I promise you, no soldier from Platoon 7 will take even one step back. We don't have much ammunition left, and after it is exhausted, we will fight with bayonets, but we will not step back)," replied Naib Subedar battle raged with unrelenting ferocity, as neither side wanted to yield an inch, noted Major General PJS Sandhu (retired) in his 2013 piece in the Journal of the United Service Institution of is how he described the unfolding battle at Rezang PLA's assault was repeatedly repelled, forcing them to call in reserves. In the thick of the fighting, the Chinese Company Commander of No 8 Company was killed. When the initial Chinese offensive failed, the Chinese unleashed a relentless barrage of heavy artillery and high-intensity mortar fire on Rezang sheer numbers and superior firepower, the position was eventually overrun by the advancing Chinese. Every Indian soldier fought to the last breath, dying in their trenches, noted Major General PJS Sandhu, (Retired) in his 2013 piece in the Journal of the United Service Institution of China claimed Rezang La and Gurung Hill on 19 November, their advance stopped short of Chushul. Indian artillery fire and swift defensive reorganisation by the brigade on Gompa Hill, ITBP Hill, and Tsaka La prevented further PLA LA: FROZEN BODIES OF SOLDIERS TOLD TALES OF BRAVERYSepoy Dharam Pal Dahiya, the medical orderly, was found dead later, still clutching a morphine syringe and a bandage, trying to aid the wounded even as bullets Indian Army officers had initially refused to believe the survivors' account, that just 120 men, obeying the final command of their leader, Major Bhati, had faced nearly 5,000 PLA troops, and that only 10 had lived to tell the mother nature preserved the evidence of the last stand of these brave a search party arrived months later in Rezang La, they found an unforgettable sight, according to Yadav's book."Finally, in the first week of February 1963, a Ladakhi shepherd discovers the frozen bodies of Indian soldiers and informs the army. The search party, led by the brigade commander, Brigadier TN Raina, arrives in Rezang La on 10 February 1963 and is moved by the last man, last bullet stand of the Indian soldiers as they witness them frozen in their battle positions. The bodies of these brave hearts are then consigned to flames amid the chanting of Vedic mantras by the brigade commander himself. Major Shaitan Singh's body is discovered at the same spot where he had given his last order. The company commander's body is flown to Jodhpur where he is cremated with full state honours," Yadav noted in his the senior officers had no doubts left. They had seen the scene with their own eyes and knew that every word the survivors spoke was the OF REZANG LA A TACTICAL VICTORY IN 1962 WARRezang La was not a large-scale battle in terms of number of days, but it was a defining the PLA captured the Rezang La on November 20, the battle proved costly for the Chinese. The 120 bahadur had delayed the PLA advance and prevented a deeper penetration into they had numerical and logistical superiority, the loss of hundreds of troops at the hands of Major Bhati's men delivered a psychological blow. The Chinese halted their advance the very next day, and on 21 November, they declared a unilateral India had suffered a strategic setback in the larger 1962 War, Rezang La was a tactical victory. It demonstrated that Indian soldiers compensated with courage and willpower what they lacked in terms of critical weapons and Shaitan Singh Bhati, who was a World War II veteran, was posthumously awarded India's highest wartime gallantry award, the Param Vir 13 Kumaon Regiment earned the Battle Honour of Rezang La and Theatre Honour Ladakh for its valour. Its soldiers were decorated with one Param Vir Chakra (Major Shaitan Singh), eight Vir Chakras, one Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and four Sena in 1963, the Charlie Company was renamed the Rezang La 1963, the Rezang La War Memorial was erected on the Chushul Plains, at an altitude of over 4,500 metres right on the Indo-China Line of Actual Control. In 2021, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh dedicated a renovated memorial to the Battle of Rezang La at the same on the memorial are these lines:"How can a man die better than facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his fathers, and the temples of his Gods."- Ends
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
5 ways Indian regional languages secretly boost (or hurt) your IELTS performance
Photo: iStock Have you ever thought about why some IELTS candidates find the speaking section difficult, while others seem to find it easy (even if their grammar isn't fantastic)? The answer may lie not in the amount of English knowledge that one has, but rather, in the interference of one's first language. India has an incredible diversity of languages - there are over 120 major languages and 22 officially recognised languages but what many IELTS students do not consider is that their regional language may influence their English, positively or negatively! In an interview with TOI, Ritika Gupta, CEO and Counsellor at AAera Consultants, revealed how. 1. Pronunciation patterns : A hidden trap Photo: iStock Imagine a Tamil speaker saying 'World' as 'Vorld,' or a Bengali speaker turning ' Van' into 'Ban.' Sounds familiar? Many Indian languages lack certain English sounds. For example, because 'v' and 'w' are not a phonemic contrast in Hindi or Tamil, there may be some confusion when pronouncing these two sounds. This will negatively affect your IELTS Speaking score under the "Pronunciation" band descriptor and the "Fluency" band descriptor (or category). Tip: Use minimal pair exercises and listen to BBC or IELTS example interviews to train your ear. 2. Grammar transfer : A quiet saboteur Certain languages, including Punjabi or Gujarati, frequently have syntax that is very dissimilar to English. For example: Punjabi: 'He is individually market.' Correct English: 'He is going to the market.' This is because Punjabi, along with most Indian languages, does not include auxiliary verbs such as is, are, or has. If you are not careful, you will bring this structure into your IELTS with Writing or Speaking (which will lower your Grammatical Range and Accuracy). Tip: Think in English and not by translating. Use apps like Grammarly to reveal your language transfer errors. 3. Vocabulary advantage: English borrowings help Photo: iStock Here's the good news: India's colonial history and modern media culture mean most Indian languages borrow heavily from English. Terms such as 'hospital', 'mobile', 'school', 'government ', etc. continue to be common terms in Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada and even tribal languages, which provides students an advantage when it comes to vocabulary (particularly in the Listening and Reading components). Beware: The usage might differ. 'Preponed' is commonly used in India but doesn't exist in standard English! 4. Fluency boosters: Storytelling like a native speaker Urdu, Telugu and Bengali are some examples of languages where a strong oral tradition exists, with immense storytelling and poetry as well as expressive forms. Speakers of these languages often do better in the Speaking section if they can grasp the sequence of their ideas in English. The stories, descriptors and emotions that are often comfortably used lead to answers that sound natural and engaging. Tip: Practice mock interviews that include storytelling prompts like, 'Describe a time when' to take advantage of this potential storytelling strength. 5. Writing: Tone trouble In a number of Indian languages, the conveyance of formality is made differently from English. For example, English academic writing has passive voice, hedging such as 'it seems,' 'it is likely,' and a tentative tone. Many regional speakers direct too much or have too much emotion when they write, which affects their Task Response and Coherence. Tip: Read some IELTS Band 9 sample essays to see the format, but also realise the tone. Your regional language is not your weakness however, it is your linguistic fingerprint. The secret is to think about how it is impacting your English and then adjust to it. There are many study abroad consultancies that give guidance to students for the same. In time and with practice, you will learn to accommodate the idiosyncrasies and highlight the benefits of your first language such that it becomes not just your voice, it becomes your stronger voice.
